SATURDAY 27TH DECEMBER 2025

No Going Back on Jan. 1 Take-off for New Tax Laws, FG Insists National assembly directs clerk to re-gazette new legislations Tax reform facing legitimacy test, says Seadogs

Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Sunday Aborisade and Adedayo Akinwale in

Abuja The federal government yesterday reaffirmed its

stance that the rollout of the new tax laws would commence on January 1, 2026, insisting there will be

no postponement despite recent controversies and calls for its postponement.

However, following

recent concerns expressed

by Nigerians on the legislative process relating to the passage of tax laws,

the presidential assent, and publication in the Official Gazette of the federal Continued on page 5

Ewhrudjakpo, Nwaoboshi’s Passing Sparks Fresh Concerns About Sudden Deaths...

Page 5

Saturday December 27, 2025 Vol 30. No 11220

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N400

N

Lakurawa Terrorist Group Target of U.S. Airstrikes, Says Tambuwal Sunday Ehigiator in Lagos, Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

Former Governor of Sokoto State and Senator representing Sokoto

South Senatorial District, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, yesterday clarified that the United States airstrikes in

collaboration with Nigerian Military personnel in Sokoto were directed at the Lakurawa terrorist group,

He also urged his constituents and other Nigerians to remain calm, insisting that the

intervention must not be misinterpreted as a religious

Continued on page 5

Idris, Tuggar: U.S. Used 16 GPS-guided Precision Munitions On Terrorists in Sokoto

Tinubu: New approaches towards tackling insecurity'll bring desired results Sokoto govt, CAN, Afenifere, security experts back renewed onslaught against terrorists

Chuks Okocha, Deji Elumoye, Olawale Ajimotokan, Linus Aleke in Abuja, Sunday Ehigiator in Lagos, Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto and Fidelis David in Akure Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed yesterday that 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed against Islamic State (ISIS) elements attempting to enter Nigeria from the Sahel L-R: Chief of Staff to the President Rt-Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Chairman of the newly established National Tax Policy Implementation Committee, Joseph Tegbe; Chairman,

COURTESY VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT...

Continued on page 5

Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr. Zacch Adedeji, during the Presentation of Nigeria Tax Reform Acts, to the President at his Lagos Residence… yesterday

Analysts Forecast Resilient Markets, Stronger Economy in 2026...

Page 8

2

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2025 • T H I S D AY

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2025 • T H I S D AY

3

4

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2025 • T H I S D AY

5

SATURDAY DECEMBER 27, 2025 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

PAGE FIVE

Ewhrudjakpo, Nwaoboshi’s Passing Sparks Fresh Concerns About Sudden Deaths Sunday Ehigiator

deaths among prominent Nigerians, renewing The sudden deaths of calls for better health routine Bayelsa State Deputy awareness, Governor, Lawrence medical checks, and Ewhrudjakpo and former improved emergency Delta North Senator, response systems across Peter Nwaoboshi, have the country.

Bayelsa State was once again stirred public anxiety over the rising thrown into mourning cases of unexpected recently following the

death of its Deputy Governor, who reportedly slumped and died on December 11, 2025, while working in his office.

Just eight days after, news broke of the passing of former Delta North Senator, Peter Nwaoboshi, a two-time lawmaker and influential political figure

in the state.

Though details surrounding the two deaths remain sketchy, the close timing of both incidents have sparked renewed national conversation about lifestyle-related illnesses, stress, and the silent health crises affecting Nigeria’s

political and professional elite.

In Bayelsa, colleagues of the late deputy governor described him as a committed leader, whose death came at a time when he was actively involved in developmental activities within the state.

Similarly, tributes

poured in for Senator Nwaoboshi, who represented Delta North in the 8th and 9th Senate.

Political leaders, party members, and constituents described him as a grassroots politician and a strong voice for his people.

Continued online

IDRIS, TUGGAR: U.S. USED 16 GPS-GUIDED PRECISION MUNITIONS ON TERRORISTS IN SOKOTO corridor. The munitions were launched from MQ-9 Reaper drones operating from maritime platforms in the Gulf of Guinea.

Also yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, said the security collaboration between Nigeria and the United States that led to airstrikes against ISIS terrorists in Jabo in Tambuwal local government area and Warrayya and Alkasim in Tangeza local government area, both in Sokoto State, in the wee hours of yesterday, was done in line with international law and with full respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty.

These emerged the same day President Bola Tinubu assured Nigerians that the ongoing recalibration of the country's security architecture would soon begin to yield results that would gladden their hearts.

The Armed Forces of Nigeria yesterday stressed that the operation was executed with the approval of the appropriate federal government authorities, stating that it formed part of ongoing coordinated efforts to rid the country of terrorists and other criminal elements threatening national security.

The Sokoto State Government, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN),

the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere and security experts yesterday threw their weight behind the joint airstrikes.

THISDAY gathered that the airstrikes did not cause any damage to residential buildings, even as authorities continue to monitor the areas to ensure the safety of residents. It was also gathered that the debris of the jettisoned parts of Tomahawk Missile were found in Offa.

In Sokoto, the police and military called for vigilance and compliance with safety guidelines to prevent injuries from bomb fragments or secondary explosions.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in its reaction to the development, urged the federal government to ensure effective communication, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) described the airstrikes as the highlight of President Bola Tinubu’s incompetence

Idris: 16 GPS-guided Precision Munitions Deployed against ISIS Targets in Sokoto The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement, disclosed that the operation, which was

in close coordination with the Government of the United States of America led to the successful neutralisation of many terror elements on Friday, 26 December, 2025, at Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto State.

The operation, according to him, was explicitly approved

by Tinubu and carried out under established command and control structures, with the full involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and under the supervision of the Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff.

He said intelligence confirmed that Bauni

LAKURAWA TERRORIST GROUP TARGET OF U.S. AIRSTRIKES, SAYS TAMBUWAL war.

Speaking in an interview on ARISE News Channel, following reports of a United States airstrike, carried out in collaboration with Nigerian security forces, on a suspected terrorists’ enclave in Sokoto State, he clarified that information available to him from top security authorities indicated that the airstrikes targeted the Lakurawa terrorists’ enclave in Tangeza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

“The target was an

enclave in the Tangeza local government of Sokoto State.

I recollect that while serving as Governor of Sokoto State, we had issues of Lakurawa in the same sub-area of Sokoto, particularly Tangeza, Gudu and some extent, Binji local governments of Sokoto State and we carried out joint operations with the DSS, Army, and other security forces, which were very effective against Lakurawa, and they pushed back. Not much was heard from them until recently,” the lawmaker said.

The former governor warned against politicising or giving religious interpretation to the operation, insisting that terrorism poses a threat to all Nigerians irrespective of region or belief.

He said, "This is not a religious war, it is not an ethnic war. It is about securing the lives and property of Nigerians.

Terrorists are nobody’s friends, and we must avoid narratives that divide us.”

Tambuwal recalled

that during his tenure as governor, his administration confronted the activities of the Responding to calls by Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, for Nigeria to halt cooperation with the United States, Tambuwal said that while divergent opinions were expected in a democracy, Nigeria should seek assistance where it could obtain genuine support without ulterior motives.

“We should seek help where we can get genuine

NO GOING BACK ON JAN. 1 TAKE-OFF FOR NEW TAX LAWS, FG INSISTS government, the leadership of the National Assembly has directed the Clerk to re-gazette the Tax Acts and issue Certified True Copies of the versions duly passed by both Chambers.

Also, the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), also known as Pyrates Confraternity, yesterday, warned that growing questions about transparency, legality, and sovereignty about ongoing tax reform process now threaten to overshadow the substance of the reforms.

The federal government also explained that the overall objective of the tax reforms was to promote economic growth, inclusivity, as well as shared prosperity.

Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, stated this while speaking with newsmen after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos, where he led a delegation that included the Chairman

of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, and the Chairman of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee, Joseph Tegbe.

“We’re actually excited about the progress we’re making, and we’re looking forward to January 1, 2026,” he said.

Answering questions on the level of preparedness for implementation, Oyedele said planning had been extensive and deliberate, beginning from the moment the bills were

transmitted to the National Assembly.

According to him: “As you know, the Tax Reform Bills were at the National Assembly for nine months; from October 2024 until June 2025, and for us, preparation started from day one".

He added that the six months since presidential assent had been devoted to “capacity building, system upgrade and sensitisation.”

Oyedele described the reform as a continuous process rather than a

forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area was being used as assembly and staging grounds by foreign ISIS elements infiltrating the country in collaboration with local affiliates, to plan and execute large-scale terrorist attacks within the Nigerian territory.

The federal government stated that the precision strike operations were executed between 00:12 hours and 01:30 hours on December 26.

Idris explained that:" During the course of the operation, debris from expended munitions fell in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Continued on page 17

help and without any undertone,” he said.

The senator further argued that if international collaboration was to be pursued, it must be comprehensive and extended to other terrorism-prone states such as Borno, Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna.

He said doing so was to avoid the impression that Sokoto was being unfairly singled out.

Tambuwal added that terrorism was no longer a localised Nigerian problem

but a transnational challenge spanning the Sahel region, from Mali to Niger and Burkina Faso, requiring a carefully coordinated and transparent global response.

The former Governor added: “I did call for greater collaboration and support for the government of Nigeria and governments at all levels some six days back, and only last night, we woke up to hear of these strikes.

one-off event.

“This kind of reform is work in progress. You never get to perfection; you get better as you go along.

So we believe that we’re at a point already".

He explained that the staggered commencement of the laws was intentional, allowing institutions created by the reforms to become operational ahead of full implementation.

“One of the reasons why two of the tax laws took effect about six months ago is so that those institutions

can start getting ready.

For example, you have the Office of the Tax Ombudsman. You can’t set up that office on day one and it begins to work on day one,” he said.

On expected revenue from the reforms, Oyedele clarified that immediate revenue generation was not the primary goal, arguing that sustainable revenue would come from economic expansion and improved compliance.

Continued online

Continued online

6 6 66

TTHH T TH SS AT UNU RTHe AY NN EPE WEW SRS PA PE JUNE T H I S D AY, TI SIHSDEDAY, S AT UTHISDAY, AY ERDW SSATurDAY PA •PA SATURDAY DECEMBER 27, 2025 AY, HERED AT D AY PR E R• SATURDAY • SATURDAY MAY14, 10, 2025 NewSpAper •February 3,2025 2024

NEWS

News Editor: Charles Ajunwa 09157401421 (sms only) Email charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

COURTESY VISIT...

2025 ATANI DAY CELEBRATION...

STrATeGIC TO SANITISe FXInvestors MArKeT… L-R: Director-General of theALLIANCe Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu; CEO, Impact Foundation, Etemore Glover; Chair of GSG Nigeria Partner and Vice Chair of GSG Impact, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika; Minister of Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti (left) and Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, whoDavidsen, was theand special guest, during the 2025 Atani Day Celebration held at Atani Aro Community School Field, Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu; CEO of GSG Impact, Ms. Elizabeth Boggs Market Development Manager at GSG Impact, Ms. Atieno Otonglo, at the courtesy visit the Federal Ministry RAPID DIAGNOSTIC TEST PRODUCTION FACILITY INAUGURATION...

L-R: Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy of Nigeria, Wale Edun; Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede and thetoGovernor, Central

of Budget andand Economic Planning Abuja… recently Arochukwu, Abia State...recently Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, in aBabatunde StrategicAjayi; Alliance to Stimulate the forex market Abuja…yesterday L-R: Akarigbo Paramount RulerinOf Remoland, representative of Minister of Trade andin Investment, Dr. Rabiu Olowo; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Group Managing Director, Codic Pharm Ltd, Sammy

FG Announces Power Supply Improvement after Edo APC, State Govt Trade Words Idris: Nigeria on Path of Economic President Tinubu Welcomes New Repair of Vandalised Lagos-Escravos Gas Pipeline over N9bn Fresh Loan Approval Renewal,Initiatives Globalfrom Respect Qatar Investment

Ogunjimi; Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate Muhammad, and Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during the inauguration of Codix Bio Limited held along the Sagamu-Benin expressway, Ogun State…yesterday

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The development, it noted, marked an has been swindled by Obaseki-led Adibe emenyonu in Benin City important with stepan toward administration unassailhumongous profile of stabilising electricity The federal government bold reform agenda,debt which included Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja and able, Edo State chapter of theHarcourt Allthat Pro- N135 billion andsubsidies $35.6 which billion, the removal of fuel and the supply nationwide, Blessing Ibunge insaid Port yesterday gressives Congressin(APC), governor is unyielding and Nigeria's readiness to build on theDeji Elumoye Abujayesterday, the unification of foreign exchange rates had dipped just over power supply across urged Governor Godwinand Obaseki to unstoppable insignificant histocharacteristic momentum generated by his state two of the most policy shifts Minister of Information National stop loans, noting that the design leave State indays, ruin, 3,000MW inEdo recent thesecuring country had begun visit toto Qatar in 2024, pledging to President Bola Tinubu yesterday in Nigeria’s recent economic Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said by N9 billion loan recently approved asking for a facility of history.

N17.5 implement all bilateral agreements welcomed new initiatives by “These were difficult decisions that the country was on the path towards as well as strengthening to improve following the by the House of Assembly was billion few days ago, which was between the countries. had to They caused some Qatari investors to the explore economic recovery, restating federal needless willrestoration plunge state tobe bemade.

N9two billion." grid reliability. repairand and of said but like"It anisaircraft taking government’s commitment to restoring turbulence, He directed the Minister of opportunities in the agricultural into financial distress.

Tenebe, said According toimportant NISO, the off, we areand nowEconomic The investors’ and Budget Planning, sector and thatdeepening Nigeria But recently in confidence aassured swift vandalised reaction, the to state, that itreaching is nowstability. in public World Bank has noted ourthat returnthe to democratic Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; affected power plants remains open to strategic Lagos–Escravos Edo State values.

Government saidgas it and political space growth levels not seenState in over a This was as his to counterpart, Minister of of Information and partnerships. was perplexed learn ofMinister what fiscal budget Edo was have commenced gradual supply infrastructure. decade,” Idris told Forbes Africa.the Works,“laughable David Umahi, disclosed itoftermed andhas incredibly few weeks agoMohammed before National Orientation, The President gave the passed power to ensure a statement by the HeState noted that this year’s observance thatA the federal is investing ridiculous tantrums attributed to Edo House of of Assembly Idris; andofftake Minister Foreign assurance atgovernment the State House, of the Democracy notYusuf just trillions ofacting naira in the construction the newwhile chairman of the proceeded on leaveDay without the smooth recovery process Nigerian Independent Affairs, Ambassador Abuja receiving a special warranted celebration, buttogether sober and rehabilitation ofof roads the commencement Edo State chapter APC, of the execution Maitama Tuggar, tothe work envoy from the Amir of across theJarret State and safeguard stability System Operator reflection on the journey ofexecutive. democratic country.

Tenebe where he made baseless of the budget by the to ensure the timely execution of Qatar, Dr.said Mohammed bin ofthese bothagreements. the network and gas economic renewal.

Idris reaffirmed thisthat yesterday in Itconsolidation (NISO) and spurious allegations on the the most disheartening that the ofisIdris Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi explained that funds recovered an interview with Forbes Africa to Edo fiscal management offollowed our dear State Government now is and the national grid.

The recovery Hethe said, "To theremoval members of Qatar's Minister of celebration State for requesting from fuelfor subsidy were mark the Democracy Day state by the Governor Godwin aallfacility of N17.5 controlled repair works carried billion the delegation, Iramp-up, want tointo athe big Foreign Affairs, Dr. Al-Khulaifi, being reinvested directly critical Obaseki-led government.” and unbroken 26 years of democratic with no corollary ofsay project thank you for coming to Nigeria. conveyed Amir's strongconference interest in attached Addressing press there to the said facility infrastructure projects two rule inby Nigeria. operator said, is- including designed out theaNigerian Gas We are tocorridors God for expanding bilateral yesterday, Tenebe had cooperation, said state and alsograteful that the facility iswhat not expansive highway that will He defended President Bolathe Tinubu’s to prevent system Infrastructure Company was already suffering a debt contained as loan to be in we have experienced astaken partners announcing that aunder high-level stress while meeting (NGIC), which has profile of N135 billion and now $35.6 2024 fiscal budget recently in progress.

I am also just glad that the Qatari business delegation will the Aiyedatiwa Launches FG's N1.2bn billion. cursory perusal of the Amir ofAQatar greatly remembers visit Nigeria gas in the coming electricity demand from enhanced supply to passed.

He said, "While it isopportunities a monumen- entire budgetdiscussed does not reveal where the issues during my weeks to explore industries, businesses key thermal power plants Conditional Cash Transfer tal that Edo State patrimony forin theOndo, facility is and ever visitproject last year. in disaster agriculture, food security, and the households. nationwide.

"Let me commend the brotherly other critical sectors.Commissioners Nominates

The system operator added captured. that other thermal power plants "Information at theremain behest of on the members the Edo State House of standby and are awaiting span overof1,700 kilometres - aimed Assembly is to the effect that they atconfirmation unlocking economic activity and of gas supply were recalled from their holiday Nigeria.

The Ambassador knows bridging regional or leave by the divides.

Speaker on the from their respective that I take Qatar very seriously.

“The aim is not just connectivity, request of the state governor for suppliers, pointing out but economic opportunity,” he said.

We are willing to go further the immediate approval ofthat thein “Nigeria is really retracing its steps. our bilateral relations." once supply is secured, said facility which according to It isThe becoming an to important nation once saidN9 the Qatari them isPresident said be billion theasamong plants are expected again the comity of nations. government had demonstrated but event unfolded, after

to be brought onto the improvement in power the enhancement of gas national grid further generation to several key “In his infertile rambling, Tenebe state Governor, following Mr. Godwin supply stupendous as N9tobillion for the boost generation capacity repair across andallrestoration thermal power wild and completelyplants off-thesectors of the made fathom projects which only Obaseki suggesting that state over the federal pastvandalised seven years.” ismark existed in the reiterated imagination of online and the risk of of“Tenebe across the country.

This The minimise minister that the thatthe the government aboutcomments 85 per cent complete projects Edo State is owing $35 Ahoada billion. hasmore beenprojects on a frenzy the governor, it was ongoing reforms by discovered the Tinubu isLagos-Escravos-Lagos concentrating in the handled by Rock Result along outages. development is a positive Even ifofthat was what was written looking for to oftell sinceit section that the facility was notjust N9 South stability to thewere world.

Ieven seeabout your Nigeria's taxlies system, making end of the tunnel."You find administration not than northern areas nation.

East West Road is can't atknown 60 per for him, he should have assumed office astheActing billion but a figuredevelopment, wrapped in he “The Nigerian gas supply infrastructure step toward stabilising the efforts in human easier for foreign investors to do a better partner than Nigeria. economic arithmetic, but about Responding to questions from cent completion, adding that RCC, secrecy as much as N17.5 billion Chairman. Rather than focus that the figure is wrong and can't Independent System by the Nigerian electricity supply and creating aand new foundation for inclusive who inspection Setraco have follow shown commitment in peace prosperity.

Like business in observed the country.

I always global issues be true. on reawakening his his completely to which the opposition in you, the journalists growth, the Zarama section of theefforts Westto their we areaccountability, sandwiched between the of "We are making and your have to Operator (NISO) is pleased Gas Infrastructure improving grid reliability "Injobs. reality,efforts. our debtYou stock is not comatose party, which isEast unable house rejected andand orsustainable refused development. rehabilitation Bayelsa State, Addressing the journalists, Umahi challenge and helping Road reform our tax in system.

Going do more inin Nigeria help fight afor secret and fact, wetoare ‘under to provide constructive criticisms to beannounce partofofterrorism the approval. to a notable Company (NGIC) and consumers nationwide.

In another development, who Umahi expressed satisfaction with and the said, "We havein just inspected thewould work our neighbours.

We areUmahi conscious by experiences of the past poverty the humanitarian borrowed’.

Emperor Tenebe expected of a viable opposition, But in its reaction, the Edo

Umahi says FG investing trillions in construction of roads across Nigeria

Affirms Nigeria's readiness for strategic partnership The respect thatforesight Nigeria used to have maturity and in working the mammoth request by the isfor now gradually returning.

Investors opposition in the House as to global peace and deserves have more confidence country,” the rationale for ain our facility as commendation. he According said. to him, "I am proud of your efforts to bring peace and

the promise of Renewed Hope for

the of cartoons and in influence 2011 thegiventicket Tinubu for theon support to the all,” he declared. movies which are foreign in According to Aiyedatiwa, a total commission and the Humanitarian of Peoples Democratic contents, values and cultures. of 16, 255Ministry. beneficiaries across all 18 Affairs Party (PDP), ona inway which Issa-Onilu saidAreas as out Local the state HeGovernment revealed that Nigeria of thereceive malaise, would platform he contested will N75,NOA 000plans each, disbursed has concluded to soon host launch aleaders Mobile containing in monthly installments ofCentral N25, 000 and won thetoApp Abia global discuss issues for three months, indigenous cartoons through of migration anddirectly how itthrough affects Senatorial seat in 2015 and their debit cards. which local contents, national countries under the membership He said theculture total amount injected 2019 consecutively and values and would be of the Euro-African Dialogue on into the scheme isthe N1, 219,125, 000, promoted. represented zone in Migration and Development. providing direct economic support According to him,two "These variPopularly known as the Rabat the Senateare terms. to thousands offor households. ous policies gearedwould towards Process, the meeting be The governor recalled that in Orji, who represented changing the narratives and the the first thematic dialogue under November 2024, a total of 8,637 debit Abia Senatorial District, wrong impression that the outside Nigeria’s chairmanship, which cards were distributed to beneficiaries, world is having about the retired voluntarily from. is being co-chaired by country Nigeria amounting to N647,775,000, making and the politics Kingdom Spain, and the current phaseinofa2023 significant active after expansion ofon theyouth, social safety net. is focusing education eight years in the National “We understand the economic and innovation. indicated thatmany Governor Seyi Assembly. challenges that of holds our people The meeting, which May Makinde approved suspension face and this programme is a clear 13th toof14th, 2025, the is2024. expected to The former two-term on 1st February, demonstration that the that government feature discussions would governor fondly Thewith letter read ingovernor part, "Icalled wish to stands you,” the added. guide policy direction, shape inform you that His Excellency, the He further disclosed thatamong efforts Ochendo by admirers cooperative efforts Executive Governor of Oyo State of are ongoing to expand the state’s recently resigned from countries origin,of transit and Nigeria, inof exercise the powers social register to accommodate more conferred on him by stressing Sub-section destination, explore inclusive the PDP.households, vulnerable that 1&2 of Section 26 ofcooperation the Chiefs policies, stronger no vulnerable household should be Law, Cap. 28 Vol I, Laws of Oyo andbehind. sustained dialogue that can left State of Nigeria 2000 and by virtue reshape migration positively. of all other enabling powers in

ongoing projects Delta thehas need to across depart from old he resorted toRivers, spreading and Bayelsa. misinformation in a have desperate ways, our reforms been He said that the tough Bodo-Bonny Road attempt curry cheap popularity. hard.

Itomade decisions construction JuliusWe Berger so that wehandled couldbygrow. are

ofhave Rockknown Result have multiple area.

You where have done well in this ifwe he understood concrete culvertsaofover the East West the economics governance, fiscal developing knowledge-based Road failure in between Rivers and responsibility and debt-to-GDP ratio. economy Qatar, but what Bayelsa. about Nigeria?", the President

Imam to Tinubu: Remain Steadfast, Air Peace Incident: Oshiomhole Violated Aviation Mining Development: Nigeria, US Despite Challenges, Criticisms Regulation, AON Alleges, Minister Orders Probe gradually seeing the light at the

explained.

UTME: JAMB Releases Results, Withholds 39,834 Explore Areas of Strategic Partnership Says president can't satisfy everyone Chinedu Eze

was told that he would not board the flight because boarding had closed. administration, urging him Charge d'Affairs, US Embassy, In another development, the David Greene, in and his Aerospace office on Minister of Aviation to remain steadfast despite Thursday, Alake lauded the United Development, Festus Keyamo, has the challenges and some States’ fostering orderedcommitment that a probetoshould be cooperation with in diverse criticisms. conducted on theNigeria incident. are under scrutiny and processing," sectors of the economy, stating that Spokesman of AON and the "Yousaid.cannot satisfy Oloyede itChairman underscores the significance of the Unitedshowed Nigeria “Thebilateral 2025of UTME the everyone at the same smooth relations between Airlines, Obiora Okonkwo, in types a pressof prevalence of some particular both countries. time," he said. conference in Lagos yesterday called infractions, which suggests systemic “Ithethank youAirports for your visit. I on Federal Authority Quoting from the Quran, vulnerabilities or gaps in registration met the US(FAAN) Assistant Secretary of of Nigeria to bring out the State forvideo Energy Resources, Arriyadhi, according to and examination administration or/ CCTV of the incident,Geoffrey saying Pyatt, on thevideo sidelines ofFAAN the Mines and monitoring. that is the from that a itMoney statement issued by and“The in London newconference trends observed were presidential spokesperson, past year, and we had a fruitful in the Registration and Examination engagement.

I didwere analyse our Bayo Onanuga, toldallinthe processes and they mainly the issues, andcategories: fundamentally, we just following Identity Fraud, President that "Allah was want to diversify our economy and Biometric Fraud oftheCombined A statement posted on anti-graft's from oil. Not just for our own happy with leaders who Thumbprint of Candidate,” he social media handle X, noted thatalso thesaid. duo economic survival but to listened to the cries of his Other infractions, he said, were were onglobal a six-count charge, be inarraigned tune with trends for bordering on toWe the impersonators at laundering the point of reduction inmoney global warming. tune of $12 with million. registration the active involvement defendants according to the of The few CBT centres, double registration, EFCC's statement, however,ofpleaded and attempted substitution self by “not guilty” to all the charges when they candidates. they feted troops deployed readOloyede to themadded following the lead thatwhich 244 candidates on ongoing operations in prosecution Rotimi Oyedepo, were caughtcounsel, engaging in “WhatsApp SAN, announced the readiness of the the North-west. runs,” subscribing to rogue groups

would clear the air on what really happened, since the Senator and the followers unhappy also want to bebut part of the airline have made available theirmove own to reduce global emissions anddid put videos that covered the incident. with leaders who our mining sector on the global Okonkwo stated the operators’ not attend to the needs map.

We have critical minerals viewpoint on the incident and said that are in commercial demand of passengers the led. that have their but Penta M &Amp; Centre 2, rights Tambuwal globally,"Alake said. airline operations areState. guided by "We are praying for you, LGA, Sokoto, Sokoto The minister welcomed partnerregulations and it is the responsibility Oloyede added that 80 suspects and you will succeed," he ship with the US on investments in ofwere airlines and interrogated passengers toby abide being the the mining value chain, expanding said. by those regulations. police fortechnology theirhad involvement in the access to extracting “AON had theinfull brief of Inprocessing the sermon titled examination and and minerals and Air Peace on malpractices this incident.

Andmost as securing mining areas.

'Unity in Diversity' and of them would be prosecuted. a matter of fact, as much as we Throwing on Day reforms “The Board has identified the appreciate andlight understand that 'Remembering the of embarked upon by the federal govpresence of extraneous fingers in Judgement,' Arriyadhi said ernment, the minister highlighted the registration details of some of revised Community Development human diversity in colour, these candidates. This raises concerns Agreement (CDA) strategies guidelines regarding potential for tribe, towards religion, language and geared reducing friction in impersonation. prosecution to proceed with theplans trial host communities; on-going nation was not accidental l of 3,656 candidates fall within this and prayedsecurity for accelerated hearing of for new architecture to but ordained and category.

Consequently, the results of the case.was secure natural resources; efforts defence J.J. theResponding, candidatesthe have beencounsel, withheld.” to generate big geo-data; the Usman, SAN, on on underage his part reminded the Speaking candidates, court of subsistingthat bail following applications the of he explained the defendants, May 27, 2025 and Ministry of dated Education’s decision prayed that the acourt should uphold to enforce minimum age theof lines, reassuring them applications and admit thegranted defendants 16, an exception was for of sustained support, to“exceptionally bail. gifted” underage The prosecution counsel inpackages his response, improved welfare students. bordering on terrorism and murder.

Theenhanced registrar said that of the 41,027 and operational Although, they who pleaded not underage candidates registered, resources. guilty to all the judge only 467 metthe thecharges, high-performance They urged the troops however, ordered that they be criteria, onedefendant. disqualified dueto to and onewith other remanded at malpractice. the Kuje Correctional maintain the momentum examination At the lower court, Justice Raliatu Center, pending the hearing of He bail said that the Board remained Adebiyi had ruled thatelements the EFCC against criminal their application fixed for committed providing necessary had established a prima facie case February 2,toas well asthe the motion threatening peace and support for persons with disabilities on some of the counts and ordered of the 1st and 2nd defendants security in the North-west Akpobolokemi and his co-defendant aspiring to pursue tertiary education. challenging the jurisdiction of to open their He said that for the 2025the UTME, and neighbouring areas. the court to defence. entertain suit through were his against them. a Akpobolokemi, total of 501 candidates A Collins statement jointly lawyers Ogbonna and Ezebalike and Oladele had successfully examined

by Kunle JAMB issued byby the Acting Gbolahan, appealed the ruling, argued that the provisions Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) arguing EFCC to of the Terrorism Act, it isfailed only the Director oftheArmy Public across 11that centres nationwide. link him to any wrongdoing and Attorney General of the Federation According to Oloyede, the results relied onfileinadmissible evidence that any released charge ofbut terrorism are can also being sadly, against them.

Their lawyer, Mr. Lukman

every passenger has a right, your right is limited to what is within the desired byofAllah. formalisation artisanal miners ICAO (International Civil Aviation intoHe cooperatives amongst others.

Organisation) regulation and the added that diversity "Theindustry. miningThere sector aviation isthreat noprovides amount should not be a but a veritable avenue for increased of any disappointment, if at all, from trade between andinvolved the United a source ofNigeria harmony andin any airline that gives you any right one of them was also States, especially infor thebeen area of value for self-help.

We have talking a foundation unity and impersonation. addition, which implies processing about unruly behaviour.

So, what The registrar also said that dueup to learning. of extracted minerals and setting you saw was performance, a typical casefour of unruly substandard centres factories here. would also require "Diversity is a sign of behaviour.

It isWe not acceptable.

Air had been delisted and blacklisted for financing from multilateral institutions Peace is a respected airline.

No matter Allah's Wisdom.

If Allah technical deficiencies. listed the for our local operators. are providwhat you think aboutWe it,He they carry ing for investments like had one of centres as: Adventure Associate, Behind 40 toincentives 50wanted percent ofevery all the domestic tax waivers mining equipment, Sheshe Supermarket, Kano, Saadatu passengers infor Nigeria. his creations to be one, he policy of full repatriation ofZaria. profits Rimi College of Education, would have them to home countries amongst On how to checkcreated the UTMEothers," results, Alake one. emphasised.

Diversity in religion Oloyede said: "To check the 2025 In his remarks, the US AmbasUTME results,should candidates should and tribe besend a sador commended thenot renewed by text message “UTMERESULT” as described theNigeria Mayproblems," 27, 2025 bail application interest of in solid minerals, source of the one to 55019 or 66019has using the ofstressing theword defendants as incompetent, given that the sector huge Imam said. same they had used that thephone defendants neither underto potentials tonumber rivalwere the contribution arrest, inthe detention, nor have appeared register the registration process. of oilnortoduring nation's economy. before court,will being the grounds Resultthe printing be available later." provided by thereacting Administration of Meanwhile, to the poor Criminal Justice of Act,students (ACJA) that should performance in the 2025 precipitate a bail application but rather UTME, the company explained that Relations, Colonel applied for bail from the comfort of their the Glo Examination Preparatory Appolonia Anele, and homes officesstudents when noronaction has Serviceortrains practical been againstinthem. thetaken Nigerian Air Force ways to excel Computer-Based Fagbemi, SAN, that examinations such assubmitted Joint Admissions spokesperson said the the charge having Board been filed by and Matriculation (JAMB), visit to the Headquarters the Inspector of Police, was Junior and General Senior West African of the Joint Task Force, incompetent and askedexaminations the court to Examination Council and unreliable witness testimonies, strike counts 1,3,4,5,6, and 7 of North-west, Operation as wellout asthose IELTS. including of PW9, PW10, the charge or strike strike outand the Theas 2025 UTME results released PW11, well as Exhibits P59–P61.

Fansan Yamma, was entire suit for been incompetent. by JAMB May 5 had elicited The Court of Appeal agreed, Responding, Police lawyer, Mr. aimed aton boosting morale, widespread concerns morenot than holding that the appellant was a Simon Lough, SAN,asurged the appreciating the sacrifices member theof VIMSAS 1.5 million out 1.9 million candidates court toofdismiss the Committee; application and notresults a signatory to any of the whose were released scored of lacking troops for inand merit.reinforcing Committee’s accounts.

According to Lough, besides below 200. A breakdown of the results strategic directives for The court further held he Sections and 66Monday of thethat Police released by4JAMB on showed ongoing operations neither signed nor approved any Acts that empower them to that 983,187 candidates (50.29across perbring cent) withdrawal instructions or199, internal the against thecharge theatre. scored between 160the anddefendants, while memos related theTerrorism alleged Section and 99 to of(24.97 the 488,197 5candidates per cent) fraudulent transfers.

Act, shows that the police have scored between and 159. powers to also 140 initiate terrorism charges against the defendant.

Places 1,426 results under scrutiny Globacom: how our product can help students excel in JAMB, other exams

Deji Abuja(AON) lid Elumoye Minerals ofin Development, Airline Operators Nigeria

Dr. hasthedescribed said Dele that byAlake, disrupting operations the United Nigeria’s of Air Peace States when itasdenied him President Bola Tinubu longstanding ally and strategic boarding for the Lagos-Abuja flight, partner for the nation’s mining yesterday joined former governor of EdoMuslim State and Kuni Tyessi in Abuja sector development. currently Senator representing Edo faithful to observe Jumat at Speaking while receiving North District, Adams Oshiohole, The Joint Central Admissions and the Lekki Mosque violated aviation regulation.

Matriculation Board (JAMB) has inSenator Lagos.

Oshiomhole who had officially announced the release of 6:30a.m.

LagosAbuja flight on Air hisMatriculation sermon, the Delivering 2025 Unified Tertiary Peace last Wednesday was denied “We when are (UTME) establishing, this Examination results. visiting Imam of6:05a.m., the boarding he arrived at year, 37,000toDr. Citizens’ Brigade Following poorSalahudeen performance 25 minutes departure time and mosque, inofPrimary School. each candidates in the1,000 2025inUTME, Munirudeen Arriyadhi, state, including FCT, Abuja. telecommunications and These digital laudedBrigade President Tinubu Citizens’ are going tosaid be solutions company, Globacom, like Boys’ Scout andnumerous Girls’ Guild its Service forExamination the Preparatory of theEnumah oldenindays. was specifically designed to help Alex Abuja developmental projects “Acrossexcel the in world, Nigerians students Computer-Based being executed byCrimes the are known toand beFinancial the smartest examinations.

The Economic people on earth. is abriefing positive Commission (EFCC), yesterday, arraigned Speaking at aThis press in the Managing Director/Chief Executive development but someof people Abuja yesterday, Registrar JAMB, Officer of SunTrust Bank Halima mischievously tend toLtd, portray Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, revealed that the Buba the bank's Executive Director/ Board withheld the results 39,834 us inand negative light.

Butof this is Chief Compliance Officer, candidates outare of the over 1.9Innocent million not who we as a people.

Linus Aleke in Abuja and Mbagwu, before Justice Emeka Nwite applicants that the sat for the exam.

“To change negative narOnuminya Innocent of the Federal High Court,boss, Abuja for According the JAMB of ratives, we to are setting upinout the alleged fraud.

Sokoto the figure 96 candidates' were Citizens’ Brigade to results produce withheldNigerians over exam malpractices, young and createa decrease from 123 inDefence therebuild previous year. positive models to the The Chief of Staff Oloyede said the Board remained national values."

(CDS), Olufemito resolute inGeneral its commitment Wale Igbintade Oluyede,any has ledof the Chief eliminating form examination malpractice, adding that 1,957,000 The of Appeal, Division, of Court Army StaffLagos (COAS), that regard,were has and approved your candidates verified to sit for has discharged acquitted a Lieutenant General suspension as the Onido ofWaidi Idothe in the examDirector while 71,705 were absent. former General of the area of authority of Ido Local Shaibu, and thecandidates Chief Nigerian Maritime According to him,Administration 2,157 Government Area(CAS), ofrejections Oyo State." and SafetyStaff Agency (NIMASA), experienced fingerprint due ofIt directed Air Air Oba Babalola to hand Patrick Akpobolokemi, of alleged to suspected registration infractions, Marshal Sunday Kevin over all government properties in N754.8 million fraud. a figure, he said, wasChairman far above his possession todecision the Aneke, on an operational In a unanimous delivered acceptable and currently of Ido localmargins government.

Incourt the yesterday, the appellate visit to Sokoto State, where under investigation. meantime, the state government allowed Akpobolokemi’s appeal, "Avowed total ofto39, 834 results remain has hard atthe anyone, set aside the hit Ikeja unreleased.

Ofruling these, of 1,426 results no matter how highly placed, who contravenes the law.

relations Qatar Brigade and President Tinubu NOA DG: FGemphasised to Launch 37,000between Citizens' Nationwide Hope” and improving the lives of Fidelis David in Akure the people of Ondo State.

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan among theTheodore youthful population.

Ex-Abia Governor, “Today, takegovernment yet another bold The Governor of Ondo State, He saidwethe is FG to Repatriate 15,000 step in our ongoing to Lucky Aiyedatiwa, hasNational said his worried The Director General, that aboutcommitment 72 per cent Orji Defects to APC improving the youthful welfare ofpopulation our people, administrationAgency will continue to of Orientation (NOA), the nation’s Nigerians Stranded Abroad ensuring social inclusion and fulfilling prioritiseLanre socialIssa-Onilu, inclusion has Mallam platform, was re-elected Boniface Okoro in and have become foreigners through economic empowerment announced plans toof vulnerable launch Umuahia Tyessi in Abuja citizens through strategic partnerships aKuni 37,000 Citizens’ Brigade in with the federal government. primary schools across countryto .

Also, Aiyedatiwa hasthe forwarded The federal government yesterday AHe former Governor ofwhile Abiaa made theHouse disclosure the Ondo State of Assembly said there are ongoing discussion speaking with journalists in Ibadanof State, Senator Theodore list of 12 15,000 nominees for the position on how Nigerians stranded during a working visit to Oyo commissioners in the State Executive Ahamefule Orji (Ochendo), in Cameroon, Niger, Chad and State.

Council for confirmation. other parts of the world to would has formally defected the saidgovernor 1,000 Brigade The made this beHe returned to Citizens’ Nigeria safety. commitment during the of official would be set up in each the All Progressives Congress Federal Commissioner, National flag-off ofFederal the second phase 36 statesceremony andfor theRefugees, Capital (APC).

Commission Migrants of the Conditional Cash national Transfer Tand erritory (FCT) toDisplaced promote Internally Persons Senator Orji's defection disbursement to beneficiaries in Ondo values as of Alhaji old, stating that the (NCFRMI), Tijani Ahmed, State, held atthe theBrigade Akure South Local was confirmed after he had essence of was to disclosed thisSecretariat at a mediayesterday. briefing Government revive and rebuild national completed the the necessary in Abuja.

At the event, Governor Aiyedatiwa values and create positive models membership formalities Ahmed that no launched therevealed distribution of the fewer six million people Renewed Debitparty Cards with than theHope ruling atto thousands of beneficiaries aswhile part were displaced in Nigeria, the federal level, a move of the federalofgovernment’s thousands refugees areNational living Kemi Olaitan inProgramme Ibadan political analysts would Social Investment (NSIP), elsewhere across thesay world. implemented in collaboration with “WeOyo havemajor 15,000 Nigerians who spark political State Government, yestheThe Ondo State Government through want to return to the country terday, suspended Oba Gbolagade realignments in the state. the National Social Investment voluntarily, and we alsoOnido have Muritala Babalola, as the Programme Agency (NSIPA).

Orji, elected governor not lessinthan 100,000 foreigners of Addressing Ido Ido Local Government the gathering, the in 2007 onstate. the Progressive living in the this country as refugees.

Area of governor expressed joya and adated deep The government, in letter All these are the responsibilities Peoples Alliancenoting (PPA) sense responsibility, that 2nd ofof February, 2024 and signed of commission, give them thethe initiative is a boldtostep towards by the Commissioner for Local support,” hepromise said. of “Renewed fulfilling the Government andPresident Chieftaincy Ahmed thanked Bola Matters, Hon. Olusegun Olayiwola,

disclosed this while inspecting of who is yesterday our friend and those State Government stated that the ongoing of federal the Edo APC “obviously helping usconstruction towas ameliorate the roads in by Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta pained the achievements of problems." states, dismissed the claims trending President Tinubu also noted ongoing reforms to streamline

Alleged Money Laundering: EFCC Arraigns SunTrust Bank CEO, Executive

CDS, COAS, CAS Fête Troops Sokoto Burning ofRivers Assembly Complex:in Court Dismisses Application Challenging Competence of Charge Alex enumah in Abuja promising leaked questions.chiefs The service He said their results had also been commended the personnel Justice Bolaji of a Fedwithheld to setOlajuwon a stern example. for their courage, eralInHigh Court inhe Abuja, yesterday, cases, said,dismissed the entire High some Courtthe which had dismissed application bycentres two professionalism and syndicates colluded withchallenging CBT his no-case quashed Rivers Statesubmission, indigenesand to register usingcharge multiple fingerprints. the 12-count filed against resilience in fight the jurisdiction of thethe court to try According to him, as aFinancial result of him by thealleged Economic and them over complicity in the against banditry and this, 3,656Commission “extraneous Crimes (EFCC). burning ofcandidates the Riverswith State House of terrorism across the region.

The EFCC accused fingerprints” have in had their results Assembly complex Port Harcourt, Akpobolokemi of visit, conspiracy, withheld, and the some CBT centres During the Rivers State. stealing, forgery in connection Chimeand Eguma and implicated will faceEzebalike sanctions. senior military leaders with illegal transfers from the Prince Lukman Oladele, were Healleged identified the centres as interacted with officers account of thepersons VIMSAS Committee. among five charged with Tigh Technologies Limited, Sascon He was originally with terrorism and murder.

The others and men at arraigned the front International School, Maitama, several others, but the charges were are Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Abuja, Wudil Computer Information Donald and Ochueja Thankgod. later amended to include only him Technology.

Kano State and They wereWudil, last week arraigned on a seven-count criminal charge

Appeal Court Acquits Ex-NIMASA DG Akpobolokemi in N754.8m Fraud Case

Oyo Govt Suspends Monarch in Ibadan

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2025 • T H I S D AY

7

8

T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R • SATURDAY DECEMBER 27, 2025

NEWS

2025 CHRISTMAS CHURCH SERVICE...

L-R: Proto presbyter, Very Rev. Jonathan B. Osin; Bishop of Trinity Church Council, Rt. Rev. Oladapo O. Babalola; Prelate, Methodist Church of Nigeria (MCN), His Eminence, Dr. Oliver Ali-Aba; Secretary of Conference, MCN, Rt. Rev. Dr. Abiodun B. Taiwo, and Prelate Chaplain, Very Rev. Solomon A. Asa, during the 2025 Christmas Church Service of the MCN held in Lagos...recently KOLAWOLE ALLI.

Analysts Forecast Resilient Markets, Stronger Economy in 2026 Weigh impact of U.S. security intervention on investor confidence

Nume Ekeghe and Kayode Tokede

Analysts are cautiously optimistic that 2026 will bring steadier markets and renewed economic momentum in Nigeria, despite lingering global uncertainty.

With inflation cooling, investment confidence improving, and key reforms taking hold, many believe the economy is positioned for a stronger, more predictable year ahead.

Precisely, they projected improved stability in Nigeria’s key macroeconomic indicators in 2026, particularly exchange rates and inflation, but warn that mounting security

concerns and weak fiscal coordination could undermine the gains from recent economic reforms.

The naira exchange rate has been stable in 2025, due to reforms initiated by the Olayemi Cardoso-led Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently disclosed that Nigeria's headline inflation rate decreased to 14.45 percent in November 2025.

The stock market’s Year-to-Date (YtD) growth as of December 24, 2025, stood at 49.17 per cent, driven by stability in the forex market, impressive corporate earnings by listed companies, among other factors.

However, speaking

Oil Theft: Task Force Arrests Four, Seizes Vessel Linked to Delta Jetty Wale Igbintade

Four suspected oil thieves have been arrested in Delta State following the interception of a vessel, MT Thor, allegedly involved in the illegal handling of crude oil, authorities have confirmed.

The suspects were handed over alongside the seized vessel at Koko Port by Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSNL), a federal government contractor for pipeline surveillance, to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Product Theft.

Speaking during the handover, Tantita’s Executive Director of Operations, Captain Warredi Enisouh, said the suspects were apprehended aboard MT Thor with petroleum products believed to have been illegally sourced.

A situation report issued by the Head of Investigation of the Task Force’s Special Prosecution Team, CSP Omar Sini, disclosed that the vessel was intercepted on 15th December 2025 along the Kokpo–Excravos axis of Delta State following intelligence provided by Tantita.

with THISDAY on the macroeconomic outlook, Head of Consulting at Agusto Consulting

Limited, Jimi Ogbobine, struck a more optimistic tone, projecting increased stability in 2026 across key

indicators.

He said: “In 2026, we expect more stability in key macroeconomic indicators,

particularly exchange rates and inflation. We expect inflation to remain within sub-15 per cent levels.

Kano APC Chieftain Backs Tinubu On LG Autonomy

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Alhaji Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso, has thrown his weight behind President Bola Tinubu's push for local government financial autonomy.

Speaking with journalists in Kano, Kwankwaso, described the effort as a key solution to addressing insecurity and unemployment in the country.

He said that granting financial autonomy to local governments will enable them to tackle pressing issues

affecting their communities, especially the current spate of insecurity in the country.

He noted that with local governments having control over their funds, they will be able to employ locals, thereby reducing the unemployment rate and improving the overall economic well-being of citizens.

Kwankwaso who doubles as a Director of Finance Hadejia Jamaare River Basin Authority, further explained that local government autonomy will allow them to establish and fund local vigilante groups to complement efforts of security agencies in curbing insecurity.

Itodo: INEC May Be Weaponising Party Registration to Limit Opposition

Faridah Abdulkadiri

The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, has warned that Nigeria’s political party registration process may be deliberately used to restrict opposition participation, amid growing concerns over the actions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking on ARISE

News yesterday, Itodo said suspicions surrounding the registration of new political parties could not be dismissed, given Nigeria’s political history.

“When it comes to political party registration, there are political shenanigans and perhaps one of the tactics employed by incumbents or political actors is to see to it that a cohesive opposition or

a viral and strong political party does not emerge,” he said.

He added, “So I wouldn’t discount some of the perceptions that have been expressed by people about the appropriation or the weaponisation of democratic instruments to limit the registration of political parties.”

However, Itodo noted that

party registration is governed by clear legal frameworks, including the Constitution, the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.

“There are three documents that regulate the registration of political parties. The first is the Constitution, the second is the Electoral Act, and the third is INEC’s regulations and guidelines for party registration,” he said.

Yuletide: Anambra Police Deploy Personnel to Strategic Areas, Step Up Supervision

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have dominated strategic locations across the state, to ensure security during the yuletide.

A press release from the State Police Command's Spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, stated that the deployment includes major roads, markets, worship centres, motor parks, and

recreational areas.

Ikenga said this is to ensure the safety of residents and visitors as social activities heighten during this festive period.

He said, "The eight Area

Commanders across the state have stepped up supervisory duties to ensure proper coordination and effective deployment of personnel within their respective jurisdictions.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2025 • T H I S D AY

9

10

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2025 • T H I S D AY

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2025 • T H I S D AY

11

12

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2025 • T H I S D AY

13

DECEMBER 27, 2025 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INSIGHT

13

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INSIGHT

In the spirit of Christmas...

What a waste!

W A

In Praise President Buhari American Air of Strike in Nigeria

Activism Against WitchAttacks Hunts in Stop Ritual Black Communities and Killings

the EFCC, President Buhari by hisin action successfully brought back to hen President Buhari took over the ccording toMuhammadu information released byreins of requiresbyinternational cooperation its has fight public consciousness the need to treat public funds with the highest level power on May 29,Minister 2015, Nigeriaof wasForeign sadly a broken state inagainst the the country’s terrorism.

Terrorism, as we all know, of transparency and accountability. many respects. As a result of many other factors including bad Affairs, the by the couldisnot a transnational threat, noonsingle country After keeping treasuryand looters their toes and at bay through the he Black Non-Belief governance andairstrike untold level sanctioned of corruption, government he Advocacy for is Alleged Witches (AfAW) Project a transnational of the United againstat both can effectively in isolation.

Ironically, EFCC,it particularly, President Buhari moved to curb unnecessary spending live up to its President financial obligations to citizens andStates service providers the combat thepotential Nigerian public stop ritual movement withurges great and topromise, habits of the nation oncooperation what economistswas call articles of ostentation. Part federal and state levels. attacks and killings because the notion supposed ISIS terrorists operating in North-West this same international actively offering hope and renewal to people and parts of the disclosures of the President’s stock taking was how the country Indeed one of the first official assignments that President Buhari carried of ritual money and wealth is completely Nigeria was carried out with the consent of the sought by former President Jonathan during his of the world blighted by blind faith, dogma, and frittered away billions in foreign currency by importing goods, which can baseless. AfAW is making this call following the out was the approval of billions of Naira in bailout funds to enable state President ofsomething the Federal Nigeria. but was One largely denied atrice, thea major staple at home. of such items was among The Black reported arrest of initiative suspected ritualists in Oyo State governors pay as basicRepublic as workers’ of salaries.

Granting those administration bailout be produced despair.

Non-Belief resonates with As much as boost this toclaim issecurity meantbecause to assure time. InNigerians. the present case,ricehowever, sudden By banning importationthe into the country, the President on one in southern Nigeria.

The local media reported funds was a huge national the pressure of arrears the needs and aspirations of millions of people existenhand had savedUnited the nation billionsto in foreign that members of the Western Nigeria Security of unpaid monthly salaries building dangerously all over the country was a Nigerians of sovereign control and mutual willingness of the States carrycurrency out annually. tially burdened by religion and superstition, those who And, on the other hand, the President has boosted domestic production Network, Amotekun, arrested suspected ritualists ticking bomb. cooperation, a careful and critical analysis of a directofmilitary operation in Nigeria raises yearn for possibilities rice and in the process had nudged the country into self sufficiency in the empowering with the bodyand partsliberating of a 73-year-old man.

Ask the naysayers and they would readily remind you of how long it the speech reveals contradictions questions the He underlying motivations foodabout production. also created millions of jobs for young people in the rice The an suspects, who wereto apprehended tookMinister’s President Buhari to appoint his ministers and how that contributed to of liberty.

It provides opportunity correct in the value dynamics chain.

Boluwaji area in Ibadan, saidofthat a Muslim collapse of the economyconcerns as if, without ministers, was frozen. that raise serious about thegovernance credibility and power involved. Also, judging misconceptions and misrepresentations black people What is most admirable aboutthat President Buhari and his government is cleric asked them to procure some human body Butthe buying that narrative would amount what a famous Nigerian writer, of account.

Meanwhile, thetocircumstances from the Minister’s statement approval was and communities.

Black people have stereotypically frugal management of scarce national resources to attain optimum goals. parts for rituals. Ritual attacks are widespread Chimamanda Adichie, termed “the danger of a single story”. Yet the whole surrounding the bombing appear unclear and, grantedits during a phone call, one cannot combeen dropped presented as religious.

They conceptions have beenofidentified Recall that since President Buhari stepped in the saddle, oil revenue in Nigeria.

Irrational how to story was that many of our citizens did not know how decrepit a state pletely dismiss the theallPresident to a large extent, troubling. abysmally as if topossibility sabotage himthat knowing the big promisesas he Baptists, made to make money or become successful President Buhari inherited in 2015.

Christians, muslims, or aswealthy theistsand when they citizens during his campaigns.

But with the little resources that trickle in, the undergird these atrocities. Many Nigerians It wasMinister therefore necessary for that him tohe takewas stockon against may have been pressured or diplomatically The claimed a the background are not.

Black people have longed to live free from President is achievingthe whatUS governments received oil windfalls could strongly believe in blood money, known in of the fact thatphone the departing reportedly, cooperatecoerced full into accepting militarythat action 19-minute call government with the did USnot, Secretary dogma and superstitions. not dream of. some local languages as Ogun Owo (Yoruba) well with the incoming government in terms of leaving workable handover without giving it trains a second thought, especially in to Kaduna. of State priorPresident to theGoodluck airstrike.

During this in defeat, many To combat theorprejudice misconception Today, the are up and running daily from Abuja And Ogwu egoand (Igbo).

They think thatthat they notes.

Although Jonathan was gracious light of from recent global geopolitical trends. conversation, he claimed was agreed hepersonal Lagos to Ibadan a brand new rail track was started anddarken completed;and destroy couldtoo become rich, or successful throughto ritual of his appointees were still sulkingitover what they sawthat as their many lives, it is pertinent citizens are alreadyIsrael, commuting daily to and fro these two major cities in the sacrifice. Unfortunately, this is not the case. losses and therefore pulled all the stops to make things difficult Olalekan Ibadan would reach out to the Nigerian President to for the Kazeem highlight the wave of reason, critical thinking, and country seamlessly as they reap from the dividends of democracy. And with Ritual wealth has no basis in reason, science, Buhariapproval government.for the military action. seek freethought sweeping across asblack the way this government is going, before 2023 when the President would or reality. Home movies known AfricacomEven with the obvious and unpatriotic obscurantist behaviour of the PDP According to him, the President leave, the entire country would be linked by rail with all of its economic magic or Nollywood filmsthe have not helped appointees and their supporters still in government hell-bent on making munities.

In this piece, data from the granted thisforapproval, after which matters. These movies continue to reinforce things difficult Buhari, the President moved the on with his methodical repair advantages.

Advocacy for Alleged Witches will be these mistaken notions and other superstitions. of a broken allegedly country. The placed first thing another he did wascall to identify all possible sources Ainofenokhai Ojeifo, Abuja Minister T H E SAT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R used to discuss onemosques, of theseand initiatives, Families, churches, other public of income to the nation and directed that all inflows be EDITOR OBINNA CHIMA to the US Secretary of State approxithe anti-witch-hunting campaign.

Are institutions do not encourage the interrogation paid into one single account in line with the policy of DEPUTY EDITOR AHAMEFULA OGBU mately five minutes before the strike of these traditional occult beliefs.

There are Single Treasury Account (TSA). alleged witches persecuted in Nigeria MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO H E S AT UDIRECTOR R DAY NISRAEL E W S IWEGBU PA P E R was out.

This sequence ofby the robustparts effortsoftoAfrica? criticize or dispel these Thecarried TSA policy, interestingly, was mooted DEPUTYTMANAGING andnoother Yes, of course.

EDITOR YEMI OLUSEGUN ADEBOWALE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD ADENIYI irrational and paranormal claims in schools, PDP government but its penchant for imprudence events, as narrated, raises important DEPUTY EDITOR AHAMEFULA OGBU Leo Igwe, director of the Advocacy EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN colleges, and universities. So millions of for and lack of accountability denied it the courage of MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO questions.

THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE Alleged Witches Nigerians grow up blindly believing that they implementing the policy. What the President literally DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU Considering the CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI could make money through ritual sacrifice of did was to gather all the sensitivity nation’s moneyand into one box EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN human body parts. The belief has led many and locked up with a big padlock action and watched gravity ofit foreign military on for MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI Nigerians commit is crimes perpetrate any thief to come Let’s Hopeto Santa in aand Good Mood Nigerian soil, close. the speed and inforTHE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE atrocities. Many Nigerians have been jailed Who can blame the President for almost developing T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D mality of the decision-making process or are undergoing court trials due to ritualparanoia over the safeguard of the national treasury EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA hristmas is a “season of peace appear unusual and itof carries serious GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, related attacks and murder. with revelations and reports mind-boggling looting andlong goodwill” for many around ISRAEL IWEGBU Not too ago, the police arrested some that took place in the 16 years theview, PDP? With legal consequences.

In of my T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE the world but what is the reality? young Nigerians for stealing female pants, such disclosures of how billions meant for fighting EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA the explanation lacks sincerity and DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTORENIOLA OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI which they to all usetried for ritual sacrifice. insurgency in the Northeast ended up in the pockets of GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, It’sintended time we to make the transparency just one SNR. ASSOCIATE ERIC OJEH ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMADIRECTOR NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI AfAW is asking all Nigerians to desist from a few individuals which while oursends gallant soldiers fought with world a better place, especially our leaders ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE clear message, which is that critical ritual-related abuses because ritual money bare hands and on empty stomach, President Buhari CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO,DIRECTOR UCHENNAOJOGUN DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DEPUTY DIVISIONAL VICTOR DANBOYI and beliefs politicians.

Santasuperstitions. would be happier. are baseless Nigerian was dutyisbound to bring sanity and accountability details being deliberately withheld back SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO Anyway best wishes for 2026. media, schools, and colleges should help in national spending.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI from the public.

TO SEND EMAIL: first TAIWO, name.surname@thisdaylive.com educate and reorient the public.Australia They should under President Buhari, the Economic and CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, ItThus, cannot beCommission gainsaid(EFCC), that Nigeria assist in reasoning Nigerians out of this Financial Crimes which had DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO

T T

C

remained comatose for years, was woken up to resume its duties. Apart from the trillions of Naira of looted funds and property recovered from corrupt politicians

TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

killer-superstitious absurdity and nonsense.

Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW)

14

T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R • SATURDAY DECEMBER 27, 2025

NEWS

GLAD TO MEET YOU...

Senator representing Southern Senatorial District of Cross River, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (left) and Minister of State, Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, during a courtesy visit by the Senator to the Minister in Abuja…recently

Abiru: Nigeria’s Economy Turning the Corner Under President Tinubu Sunday Ehigiator

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, has expressed optimism that Nigeria’s economy has begun to turn the corner under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, citing encouraging indicators of recovery and stabilisation.

Abiru, who disclosed this in a Christmas message, said the administration’s bold economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies, unification of the foreign exchange market, fiscal discipline and ongoing tax reforms, are beginning to yield positive outcomes.

He noted that Nigeria’s

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has strengthened to over 3.5 per cent, driven largely by improved performance in the non-oil sector, particularly services, agriculture and the technology-driven financial services industry.

The senator also pointed to improvements in the foreign exchange market, saying that enhanced liquidity and transparency have boosted investor confidence and attracted increased capital inflows into the economy.

“Foreign reserves have shown steady recovery, while recent data indicate a gradual easing of food inflation pressures, supported by improved harvests and targeted interventions in agriculture

and allied sectors,” he stated.

Abiru further highlighted the resilience of the banking and financial services sector, attributing its stability to stronger regulatory oversight, improved

All roads will lead to the famous Christ's School, Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State, today as the 82/87 Set of the Old Boys' Association of the school will converge on their alma mater for the 2025 End-of-the-Year awards ceremonies.

It will be held at the G-boss Hotel, along Bank Road, Beside Sterling Bank, Ado-Ekiti.

A statement by the organising committee of the programme stated that the event would feature a three-in-one multifaceted activity, including launching and unveiling of the

Christ's School 82-87 Set Old Boys' Association's Hall of Fame; Induction ceremony and inauguration of the Set 01CS-87-OBA Hall of Fame; and presentations of awards in two categories; as well as End of Year family-friendly get-together.

The first category of the award is called the Christ’s School 82/87 Old Boys’ Association’s Humanity and Service Awards. It will be presented to 12 of the old boys of the set who have distinguished themselves in various capacities.

Kano State and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has described education as the most enduring legacy any leader can bequeath to society, as beneficiaries

capitalisation and increased credit flows to productive sectors of the economy.

He acknowledged that the ongoing reforms have come with short-term challenges but stressed

that they were necessary to correct long-standing structural distortions and lay a solid foundation for inclusive and sustainable growth.

“The reforms are tough

but necessary. They are designed to reposition our economy for long-term stability, job creation and shared prosperity. I am confident that the worst is behind us,” he said.

Bamidele: Peace Inspired By Love, Requisite Condition for Economic Growth, Effective Governance Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, yesterday urged Nigerians to embrace peace and love as indispensable foundations for economic growth, effective governance and sustainable national development.

He said the Christmas season offers a timely

opportunity for deep reflection on the nation’s future.

In his Christmas message to Nigerians which he personally signed, Bamidele said the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ should go beyond merriment.

He described it as a season that calls for cautious optimism, introspection and renewed commitment to

values capable of healing the nation.

He noted that the birth of Jesus Christ being the Redeemer and Saviour of the world, brought an enduring message of love, redemption and salvation, offering hope in times of despair and peace amid global and local turbulence.

According to him, the essence of Christmas lies in

the victory Christ’s sacrifice offers humanity and the moral lessons embedded in His life and teachings.

Bamidele said, “As we celebrate the glorious birth of Christ, this anniversary presents us with another season to reflect on the state of our nation and the condition of our compatriots, whether Christians or Muslims,.

Unveils 300 PhDs at Kano Convention Christ's School Ekiti Kwankwaso of the Kwankwasiyya convention brought together According to a statement Chuks Okocha in Abuja scholarship programme scholars sponsored over a by Dr. Mansur Hassan, Honours Old Boys Former Governor of gathered for their Maiden period spanning nearly 25 years. Kwankwaso, who governed Annual Convention in Kano.

Speaking at the historic event, Kwankwaso thanked Almighty Allah for sparing their lives to witness what he described as “a very historic day for Kano State and Nigeria,” noting that the

“I remember many of you when you were very young. Some of you looked like you came straight from the villages. Today, I see confidence, professionalism and grey hair,” he said, drawing applause from the audience.

Kano State for eight years, said the gathering offered an important lesson on leadership, sustainability and foresight, stressing that true governance is measured by the long-term impact on human capital.

CPPE to FG: Make Domestic Refining, Energy Sovereignty, Production Growth Pillars of Nigeria's Petroleum Regulation

Dike Onwuamaeze

The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has tasked the federal government to ensure that domestic refining, energy sovereignty and production

growth should be defining characteristics of Nigeria's new petroleum regulatory space.

It said that these strategic imperatives must define the direction of Nigeria’s new petroleum regulatory

leadership so that the sector would be able to drive sustainable growth, industrialisation, and longterm economic resilience effectively.

The Chief Executive Officer of CPPE, Dr.

Muda Yusuf, gave this advice on Thursday in a public statement titled ‘Domestic Refining, Energy Sovereignty and Production Growth Must Define Nigeria's New Petroleum Regulatory Space’.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2025 • T H I S D AY

15

16

T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R • SATURDAY DECEMBER 27, 2025

NEWS XTRA

STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIP...

Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa (left) and the MD/CEO of Advonics Services Nigeria Limited (ASNL), Mr. Emmanuel Egboh, when Egboh paid a courtesy call on the Minister in Abuja…recently

Tinubu Hails Finance Ministry for Securing $1.126 Billion Loan for Coastal Highway FADBank, Afreximbank are facility's underwriters Fund to cover execution of phase one, section two from Lekki to Ode-Omi

Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Bola Tinubu has given kudos to the Federal Ministry of Finance for

successfully closing USD 1.26 billion in financing for the execution of Phase 1, Section 2 of the Lagos– Calabar Coastal Highway,

marking a significant milestone in the delivery of Africa's most ambitious and transformative infrastructure projects.

The President, in a statement issued yesterday by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, applauded

Be Powerful Force for Truth, Justice, Integrity, Institute Tells Forensic Experts Bennett Oghifo

The Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN) has urged forensic practitioners in the spirit of Christmas which symbolises salvation, light and truth, to become

a powerful force for truth, justice and restoration of integrity in Nigeria.

According to the Christmas message signed by the Institute’s Founder and Chairman, Governing Council, Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki, forensic practitioners

should recommit to being the unflinching authenticators in the face of forgery; the guardians of due process against clandestine alterations and the followers of the digital and financial trail to expose complex frauds.

He said the same

commitment that guides forensic practitioners to scrutinise a fingerprint, authenticate a document, trace a digital footprint, or unravel a financial labyrinth, is exactly what Nigeria desperately needs at a time like this as “practitioners of forensic light.”

the Ministries of Finance and Works and the Debt Management Office for working together on the transaction, adding that the federal government will continue to explore creative financing to fund critical projects across the country.

According to him, "This is a major achievement, and closing this transaction means the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will continue unimpeded.

Our administration will continue to explore available funding opportunities to execute

critical economic and infrastructural projects across the country."

Phase 1, Section 2 covers approximately 55.7 kilometres, connecting Eleko in Lekki to Ode-Omi, key economic corridors and significantly enhancing national trade efficiency and logistics connectivity.

The successful financing follows the earlier closing of the USD 747 million financing for Phase 1, Section 1, and demonstrates the scalability and bankability of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project.

Lagos Diverts Third Mainland Bridge Traffic for Eyo Festival

Ezekwesili Accuses Tinubu of Enabling Terrorists notice, several routes will Abdulkadiri

By Rewarding Their Criminal Behaviour Faridah be temporarily closed, The Lagos State Government including the Third Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Founder of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance and former Vice President of the World Bank, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of cuddling terrorists when it

has the opportunity to finish them off.

The co-convener of #BringBackOurGirls, an advocacy group formed over 11 years ago to campaign for the release of more than 200 girls abducted from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, condemned, via

her X handle, government officials’ encounters with bandits without taking decisive action.

She said, “It is accurate to state that our federal and state governments, led at this time by @NGRPresident @ officialABAT, are, by their appeasement strategy,

enabling terrorists by rewarding their criminal behaviour.”

The two-time minister was speaking following the latest abduction and release of pupils and their teachers from St. Mary’s Private Catholic School in Niger State.

Ground Handling Equipment Damages Air Peace New Aircraft, Disrupts Multiple Flights Chinedu Eze Flight operations involving a brand-new Embraer 195-E2 aircraft belonging to Air Peace Limited were significantly disrupted yesterday, following a ground handling incident

at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

The incident occurred when a luggage conveyor belt vehicle operated by the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) reportedly

collided with the engine of the aircraft, registered as 5N-BYH, while it was on the ground after passengers had completed boarding.

The aircraft was scheduled to operate Flight P47750 from Lagos to Accra when the collision

occurred. The impact caused visible damage, resulting in a dent and tear on the aircraft's Thrust Reverser Cowling, a part of the engine cover prompting an immediate safety assessment and the grounding of the aircraft.

has announced a temporary traffic diversion on parts of the Third Mainland Bridge ahead of the Eyo Festival scheduled for today.

In a travel advisory shared on its social media platforms, the government urged residents and motorists to plan their movements in advance, warning that vehicular access would be restricted across key routes on Lagos Island.

“Vehicular movement on major Lagos Island streets, especially along the procession routes, will be restricted or fully closed to allow the traditional Eyo procession to move safely,” the advisory stated.

According to the

Mainland Bridge exit to Adeniji Adele Road, Adeniji Adele ramps inward and outward at Oyebanji, and Adeniji Adele inward to Third Mainland at Church Bus Stop.

Other affected routes include “descending the Simpson Bridge to Sura from Osborne; outward Sura inward Osborne by Simpson Bridge; outward Sura inward Obalende Bridge; and Third Mainland exit to Sura.”

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as PRINCE ADENIYI DARE now wish to be known and addressed as ADENIYI OLUWADAMILARE PRINCE All former documents remain valid, public and private institutions take note.

17

SATURDAY DECEMBER 27, 2025 • T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R

NEWS XTRA

FARE THEE WELL...

L-R: CEO Walekings Limited, Akin Yinusa; Co-founder, Bunmi Akin- Yinusa; CEO, Terah Couture, Tosin Yinusa; CEO, Sammy Farms, Mr. Samson Yinusa; Director, London Garment, Falilat Alake Yinusa; founder MAY Fabrics, Mrs Mulika Yinusa Adekoya, and CEO, Baba Motors, Mr. Lukumon Babatunde Yinusa, at the funeral ceremony of late Alhaji Chief Waheed Akinlawon Yinusa Oluge held in Lagos… recently

Kashim Shettima Pledges Sustained Federal–State Security Collaboration Visits Borno bomb blast victims

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday assured residents of Borno State and Nigerians nationwide that the federal government remains resolute in its duty to protect lives and property, following a bomb explosion at Gamboru Market in Maiduguri on Wednesday.

This was just as the Vice President also commiserated

with some of the blast victims receiving treatment at the hospital and conveyed to the wounded the sympathy of President Bola Tinubu and the federal government.

Shettima spoke in Maiduguri after visiting survivors of the attack who were receiving treatment at the Muhammadu Buhari Trauma Centre at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, on behalf

Describes attack as senseless violence

of President Tinubu.

Visibly moved by the condition of the victims, the Vice President described the attack as senseless violence and reaffirmed the federal government’s determination to end insecurity in the state and across the country.

“We are here on behalf of the President to sympathise with the victims and to reassure the good people of Borno

State and indeed the entire nation, that the government remains unwavering in its commitment to secure the lives and property of our citizens,” Shettima said.

“By the grace of God, this madness will soon be brought to an end," he also prayed.

The Vice President commended Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, for

his sustained efforts in addressing security and humanitarian challenges in the state, noting that the federal government would continue to strengthen collaboration with the state to achieve lasting peace.

“The Governor of Borno has been working round the clock to complement the efforts of the federal government. I sincerely appreciate his commitment.

“Most importantly, we are united in victory as well as in challenges. We are one nation, tied to a common destiny,” Shettima added.

Briefing the Vice President during the visit, the Chief Medical Director of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, said 14 patients were admitted following the blast, with one patient dying shortly after arrival.

IDRIS, TUGGAR: U.S. USED 16 GPS-GUIDED PRECISION MUNITIONS ON TERRORISTS IN SOKOTO

Government Area of Sokoto State, and in Offa, Kwara State, near the premises of a hotel. No civilian casualties were recorded in either location, and relevant authorities promptly secured the affected areas.

"The federal government of Nigeria reiterates its unwavering resolve to confront, degrade, and eliminate terrorist threats, particularly those posed by transnational extremist networks seeking to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty and security.

Nigeria remains fully aligned with its strategic partners and Friends of Nigeria in executing coordinated actions aimed at ensuring lasting peace, border security, and regional stability".

The federal government also assured all Nigerians that it remains firmly in control of the national security architecture and is fully committed to the protection of lives and property.

The minister urged citizens

to remain calm and vigilant as decisive actions continue against all terrorist groups threatening the nation.

Also, the Armed Forces of Nigeria, in a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba stated: “The strike followed credible intelligence and careful operational planning aimed at degrading the capability of the targeted elements while minimising collateral damage.

“The operation underscores the resolve of the Federal Government of Nigeria, working with strategic partners, to confront transnational terrorism and prevent foreign fighters from establishing or expanding footholds within Nigeria’s borders.”

Tuggar: Airstrikes Complied with International Laws, Respect for Nigeria’s Sovereignty Speaking yesterday on ARISE News Channel, Tuggar

said the security collaboration between Nigeria and the United States followed due process and was based on intelligence sharing and strategic coordination, aimed solely at combating terrorism and insecurity.

According to him, “the operation has once again demonstrated Nigeria’s resolve to confront terrorism head-on and its readiness to work with international partners where necessary.

“What this shows is what we’ve been saying all along, that Nigeria is dead serious about the fight against terrorism and insecurity, not just in Nigeria but in the region. And for those who doubted Nigeria’s resolve, this clearly shows that we are ready, willing, and able to work with partners with the United States and with other countries, to fight terrorism in our region.”

The minister confirmed that Nigerian authorities were consulted before the operation was carried out, revealing that he had discussions with

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, ahead of the strike.

“We had a conversation before the operation. There was an understanding of what would happen if approval was granted. If there was any difference in the timing of public communication, it was not intentional.”

Tuggar added that Nigeria and the United States had agreed on a coordinated approach, insisting that Nigeria remained fully in charge of decisions affecting its territory.

Responding to public debate over the operation, the foreign affairs minister said the government was more concerned with outcomes than public commentary.

“Every Nigerian's life should matter. It’s not only Christians that are being killed, by the way. We’re not going to dwell on forensic poring over what was said.

“What is of utmost priority to us are the results. I keep saying this: the difference

between ontology and consequentialism.

We are focused on the consequentialist aspect, the results.

“We are in a very dire situation. We need results.

We are willing to partner with others to achieve those results, and this is an indication of a new phase of an old conflict.”

While declining to provide details on casualties, Tuggar said the operation achieved its objectives, noting that operational agencies would release further information at the appropriate time.

“Yes. It was a successful operation. We collaborated, and that cooperation is what matters. On casualties, that falls under the operational aspect, and those who handled the operation will speak to that.

“My role is foreign affairs, diplomacy. Those responsible for the operational details will provide that information at the appropriate time,” he added.

Tuggar dismissed claims that the operation was

motivated by religious considerations, stressing that the fight against terrorism has nothing to do with faith.

“Every Nigerian's life matters. It is not only Christians who are affected.

This is not a religious war. It is about terrorism, banditry and criminality.”

The minister linked Nigeria’s security challenges to wider instability in the Sahel region, particularly the collapse of Libya and military coups in neighbouring countries such as Niger and Mali.

According to him, “The collapse of Libya led to the proliferation of weapons across the region,” he explained. “Those weapons found their way into the hands of terrorist groups operating in Nigeria.”

He added that the breakdown of regional security arrangements, including the Multinational Joint Task Force, had made it easier for terrorists to operate across borders.

Continued online

18

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •December 27, 2025

Expression

New Year in Advance? Wrong!

“I

t is wrong to say “Happy New Year in advance”! Just say ‘Happy New Year’! It can never be in advance or in arrears! If you and someone are parting in the evening (about 5 p.m.), do you say “good night in advance”? We must think before collocation. Compliments of this season to my esteemed readers! Best wishes in the New Year.

“Among other numerous reasons, the faces of Ebonyi people are beaming with smiles….”

A rewrite: Ebonyi people are beaming. You beam with only your face and it is never with a frown! Check out the meaning of ‘beam’ for elucidation. “…Your Excellency has shown that his administration is people centred (sic)….” Would it have been object-centred? Please avoid mechanistic and trite expressions! “…the soon to be reconstituted (the soon-tobe-reconstituted) exco would (will—it is not a probability) still accommodate those who….”

“South East battles with unknown gunmen….” Worsening insecurity in Nigeria: this fad about ‘unknown gunmen’ must stop! How do you know gunmen? Just say ‘gunmen’—this kindergartner goof should not be found in an Editorial! “…and destroyed properties worth millions of naira in communities in….” ‘Property’ can only be inflected in real estate communication—not household items or other infrastructural elements.

“Government should also consider decentralising (decentralizing, preferably) the police to make it (them) more effective for them (take note of this curious correct entry as opposed to the preceding usage) to apprehend criminals.”

“Our black brothers in (on) other continents….”

You are welcome to stateside English: “Unknown assassins last week pulled the trigger on Imo-born US-based show biz (showbiz) promoter in Owerri.” How on earth will assas-

sins be known in Owerri of all places? Let it just be ‘assassins’ for reportorial purposes.

“The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement invites you to a 2-day annual power packed (power-packed) crusade” “TUC, private firm partner to build 100,000 house (100,000-house) project” Or, loosely: 100,000 house projects “Benin murder: Cop arraigned, remanded in prison” The cop would not have been remanded without being arraigned and when remanded it is in prison! So, a rewrite: Benin murder: Cop remanded “Burial rites of (for) Oba of…begin November 10” “Police nabs (nab) 3 robbery suspects in Ondo” “Nigeria-China relations: The issue of oil for infrastructure (oil-for-infrastructure) deals (1)” “Hisbah cops, hoteliers (hoteliers’) association at war in Kano” “Maintain your culture and tradition, Igbos (Igbo) in Zamfara, (needless comma) urged” “If you have seen him or have information on his whereabout (whereabouts), kindly call or contact the nearest police station or any office of the Federal Inland Revenue Service” “IBM to invest $100m on (in) system development” “JOGS 1974/1979 set elects new excos” People & Events: The school elected an executive. ‘Executives’ (excos) here will connote different groups of executives—this is different from the use of ‘officials’.

Furthermore, ‘new’ is otiose! ‘Election’ means inauguration of new officials, while re-election means re-endorsement of the existing (old) officials (excos). “...and a sense of purpose in consolidating our 120 year (120-year) heritage as a Bank that puts her (its) customers first.” No feminization of language!

“The people of Offa in Kwara State appeal to banks to re-open (reopen) their branches....”

“Our society has not yet ravenously demanded for justice for those raped.” Yank

away the first redundant ‘for’!

“Lagos set to provide homes for first time (first-time) buyers” “Advocating for specialization for estate surveyors and valuers” Just like ‘demand’, ‘advocate’ does not admit ‘for’ when used as a verb or as a gerund. Again, delete the first ‘for’.

“In 2003, our public universities were closed for five months because universities (university) lecturers employed wildcat’s measure (wildcat strike) to agitate for improved welfare conditions.” “...on this great occasion of his 49th Birthday Anniversary” ‘Birthday’ and ‘anniversary’ cannot co-function!

“Yet, he emerged from prison without bitterness, extending an olive branch of peace to his erstwhile oppressors and helping to lay a solid foundation for a peaceful multiracial South Africa.” Mandela’s example: ‘Olive branch’ does not require adumbration (‘of peace’)” “This comprises of a house in Johannesburg....” Take away ‘of’ because of its awkwardness here....

“This speaks volume (volumes) of the sheer compassion and humanity of the man.”

“In doing so, they under-develop their countries, impoverish majority (a majority) of their people....”

“The wealthy among us also have something to emulate in (from) Mandela’s generosity of spirit....”

“Afenifere leader says Yorubas (Yoruba) not opposed to conference” “We celebrate your illustrious life, your inspiring leadership which has culminated into (in) monumental transformation of....”

“Association of Local Government (Governments) of Nigeria (ALGON) Ekiti State Chapter” “Edo: Court remands killer cop in prison” Where else would the cop have been remanded?

“CBN said money is (was) missing from

Amplifying Obi’s Syllogism: Four Children as a National Mirror

F

ormer governor of Anambra State, and erstwhile presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s intervention in the Dangote-Ahmed controversy earlier this week, is not really about Aliko Dangote, nor is it even strictly about Farouk Ahmed. It is about scale, conscience and the uncomfortable arithmetic of inequality in a country where numbers often tell more truth than official statements.

The allegation is now well known: that the former Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority allegedly spent about $5 million educating four children in Switzerland. Dangote, Africa’s richest man and not exactly a stranger to controversy himself, publicly demanded explanations. Predictably, Nigeria’s commentariat split into tribes: those shouting “envy!”, those chanting “witch-hunt!”, and those who, as usual, waited to see which way power would lean before forming an opinion.

Obi’s contribution cuts through the noise by doing what Nigerian public debate rarely does: following the money. At current exchange rates, $5 million translates to roughly ₦7.5 billion. That single conversion already places the matter beyond gossip. In a country with over 18 million out-ofschool children, the highest figure globally, such a number cannot simply pass as a private lifestyle choice without provoking legitimate moral and civic questions.

To be clear, no one is arguing that parents should not invest heavily in their children’s education.

Education is one of the few universally accepted justifications for extravagance. Plato said as much centuries ago, and Nigerian parents live it daily, sometimes paying school fees with money meant for rent, food or health. The issue, as Obi correctly frames it, is context and consequence. When such spending is linked to a public official in a severely unequal society, the discussion inevitably moves

from personal preference to public responsibility.

Obi’s syllogism is devastating precisely because it is simple. With ₦7.5 billion, you could build 25 school blocks, each with six classrooms, educating about 6,000 children yearly. You could employ 450 teachers, pay them decently, and still have billions left to invest in government bonds, generating enough annual returns to sustain the system indefinitely. In other words, one alleged educational choice abroad could theoretically birth a self-funding education ecosystem at home.

This is where the argument becomes less about Farouk and more about Nigeria’s ruling culture.

The tragedy of Nigerian corruption is not only theft; it is imagination failure. Looted funds are rarely converted into enduring social assets. They disappear into foreign schools, luxury apartments, medical tourism, private jets and lifestyles that generate no multiplier effect for the society from which the wealth was extracted.

There is a cruel irony here. Many of the children educated abroad eventually return to Nigeria, where they must navigate broken institutions staffed by poorly educated, poorly motivated citizens who never stood a chance. They need drivers, clerks, security personnel, technicians and civil servants, yet the same system that sponsors their Swiss education ensures that the ecosystem they return to is dysfunctional. It is like building a bulletproof car and insisting on driving it on roads deliberately left to collapse.

Obi pushes the logic further, and here the discomfort deepens. Nigeria has about 240 million people. If just 0.0001 per cent of them - roughly 2,400 individuals - possess extraordinary resources largely derived from public office, and if each diverted $5 million towards similar self-sustaining educational investments, Nigeria could educate over 14 million children annually and employ more than a million teachers. At that point, the out-of-school crisis would cease to be a headline and become

federation account (the federation account).”

“Hope dims for Nigeria, Cameroun cross border (cross-border) oil wells exploration” “DISCOs blame TCN over (for) power” “Congratulations, (needless comma) Your Excellency and more grease (power) to your elbow.”

“Again, Anambra PDP leadership tussle resurrects” The first and last words in the extract cannot function in the same environment.

“6 students remanded in Osun prisons for alleged illegal possession of arms” Where else would they have been remanded? In the shrine!

“Herbalist bags 14 years (years’) jail term for fraud” “Kano to revive young farmers (farmers’) clubs in schools” “Police arrest Zuma’s son over (for) fatal crash” “…where three deaf and dumb bothers (boarders) are students” “Works across all data enabled (dataenabled) feature phones” (Full-page advertisement by MTN) “Investors’ interest shift (shifts)…”

“I won four golds as a nursing mother…”

‘The most widely-read newspaper’: four gold medals “The privilege (privileged) class has taken over virtually everything….” “…power show in the country is choking the common man on the street….” My own view: the man/woman in the street (also the man/ woman on the street) ‘Commonness’ is implied! “...and that these have the potential to trigger off crisis (a crisis) the end of which nobody could fathom.”

Ciao till last Wednesday 2025!

COUNTERPOINT

femi

Akintunde-Johnson

fajalive1@gmail.com 08033622806- (SMS Only)

Obi a solved problem.

This is not idealism; it is arithmetic. What makes it painful is that it exposes how unnecessary much of our national suffering is. Nigeria is not poor. The country is misprioritised. We bleed from choices, not scarcity.

The Farouk controversy thus becomes a metaphor for a wider prebendal system where public office is treated as a personal oil well. In such a system, accountability is selective, justice is obtuse, and investigations often depend on who offended whom, rather than on objective wrongdoing. We are less concerned with whether something is wrong than with who said it and whose ox is gored.

That is why scandals rarely lead to reform.

They lead instead to noise, counter-allegations,

committees, and eventual silence. Nigerians have become so used to this cycle that outrage itself has developed fatigue. We sigh, crack jokes, forward memes, and move on to the next hardship: fuel prices, electricity tariffs, exchange rates. Corruption, like potholes, has become part of our inevitable narrative.

Yet Obi’s framing disrupts this normalisation. By translating alleged excess into missed opportunity, he forces a moral reckoning. Not a legal one - that is for investigators, if they ever wake up - but a civic one. What do those entrusted with public power owe a society drowning in deprivation? Is legality enough, or does legitimacy require something more?

The Nigerian elite often respond to such questions with defensive nationalism: “Everybody sends their children abroad.” True. But everybody is not a regulator controlling strategic sectors of the economy. Power changes the moral calculus. With privilege comes obligation, whether acknowledged or not.

There is also a sobering warning here. Societies that neglect mass education do not merely produce poor citizens; they produce unstable ones.

Crime, insecurity, weak institutions and perpetual underdevelopment are not coincidences. They are the long-term interest payments on educational neglect. As Plato warned, when education fails, the damage spreads to everything else - including those who thought they could insulate themselves with foreign passports and offshore accounts.

The real scandal, then, is not whether one man spent $5 million on four children. It is that a country capable of educating millions chooses, year after year, not to. And until that choice changes, Switzerland, and such havens, will continue to educate Nigeria’s future, while Nigeria educates itself in excuses.

19

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •December 27, 2025

•Tourism •Arts&Culture 2025: Year Art, Culture Took Centre Stage

Charles Ajunwa

• 08064268968 • ajunwacharles@gmail.com

In 2025, art and culture moved from the margins to the spotlight, shaping conversations, tourism, creativity, and national identity, writes Charles Ajunwa as he x-rays major events that defined the sector as the year winds down

T

he World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) projected that global travel and tourism would contribute approximately $11.7 trillion to the global economy in 2025, representing about 10.3 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP). Tourism only contributes 3.9 per cent to Nigeria’s economy.

In recent years, the tourism sector continues to show significant progress, such that many now believe that tourism can rival oil as a revenue base.

Precisely, December 2024, Lagos City raised over $71.6 million from tourism, hospitality, and entertainment. Hotels alone pulled in $44 million, and short-term apartments added another $30 million. In 2024, domestic tourism spending in Nigeria reached an astonishing $4.95 trillion, about $7.7 billion, while international visitors spent $491.9 billion. In 2029, experts project that Nigeria’s tourism market could hit $5.4 billion at a rate of 10.6 per cent per year.

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, at the inaugural National Tourism Summit organised by her ministry in partnership with Koko Beach Hotels and Resorts in Lagos, explained that, “Tourism holds immense economic potential as a powerful catalyst for job creation, foreign exchange earnings, and infrastructure development, especially in emerging economies. Nigeria’s tourism sector has huge economic potential and is projected suggesting it could contribute over N7.2 trillion to the GDP and create more than 2.5 million jobs by the end of 2025 if properly harnessed.”

FEC Approves Initiative to Develop Tourism The Federal Executive Council (FEC) in February, approved the establishment of the Creative and Tourism Infrastructure Corporation (CTIC), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) designed to bridge the infrastructure gap in the country’s creative industries.

The approval by the FEC marked the beginning of a new era for Nigeria’s creative and tourism industries, and the government is poised to work with stakeholders to make this vision a reality.

The initiative, which was presented by Musawa, was designed to drive economic growth, enhance cultural preservation, and project Nigeria’s cultural soft power globally. The Creative and Tourism Infrastructure Corporation (CTIC), will operate under a public-private partnership framework, attracting both local and international investors to support its goals.

CTIC’s primary objective is to provide the necessary infrastructure for the creative industries to generate $100 billion for the Nigerian economy and create two million jobs. This ambitious goal aligns with Presidential Priority 7, which aims to accelerate economic diversification through the creative arts and innovation.

The Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy engaged development partners and stakeholders, including international organisations like AFREXIM, IFC, World Bank, AfDB, AFD, EU, Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, and UNESCO, to develop innovative infrastructure development and financing approaches.

Destination 2030 The federal government officially adopted ‘Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere’ as Nigeria’s Global Soft Power and Tourism brand, marking a significant milestone in the country’s journey to become a prominent global hub for Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the adoption at the Federal Executive Council meeting.

During her presentation, Musawa, described the strategic importance of ‘Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere’ as the country’s National Soft Power and Tourism brand. She said that this initiative will accelerate efforts to maximize the economic potential of Nigeria’s cultural sector.

“Our focus is on monetising Intellectual Property and generating revenue from our rich cultural and tourism assets. This will be achieved by showcasing and exporting Nigerian creative products and talent, creating access to international markets, and securing global funding to support our creative economy,” she said.

Launched at the World Economic Forum, Davos 2023, ‘Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere’ made a major breakthrough promoting Nigeria’s creative

President Tinubu

Musawa

Fagade

industries on the world stage. Same was replicated at the sideline event hosted by Nigeria at the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend in Algiers, and the Nigeria Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

Through these platforms, Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage has been showcased to a global audience, attracting international attention and investment.

Its adoption was aimed at repositioning Nigeria as a global Soft Power leader by promoting its rich cultural heritage and vibrant creative sector, and projecting Nigeria as a premier tourism destination, showcasing its diverse cultural experiences, natural wonders, hospitality, and unique culinary offerings.

enforcement actions nationwide following incidents in Lagos State. The minister said the decision paved the way for a more inclusive, transparent, and consultative stakeholder engagement process, which she would personally lead in the coming weeks.

The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) after 28 years acquired a building for its permanent headquarters, which the board attributed to Musawa’s support.

Partnering Chocolate City Group The Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy (FMACTCE) this year announced a landmark three-year partnership with Chocolate City Group, one of Nigeria’s leading media and entertainment companies, to transform the country’s creative economy.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Abuja focused on developing small-scale live arenas nationwide, identifying and nurturing talent, creating global distribution channels for Nigerian content, and strengthening intellectual property frameworks. The strategic alliance brought together government vision and private sector expertise to develop Nigeria’s creative industries, with special focus on music, content creation, and live events infrastructure.

Musawa emphasised the sector’s economic potential, saying, “Nigeria’s creative industries represent one of our greatest untapped economic resources, with the potential to contribute significantly to GDP growth, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings.”

The Co-Founder and Chairman of Chocolate City Group, Audu Maikori, pointed to the strategic timing of the partnership.

Partnering Emirates to Boost Inbound Tourism In a landmark move to advance Nigeria’s tourism sector, the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy also in April signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Emirates at the 2025 Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

The collaboration was to boost inbound tourism to Nigeria and enable Emirates to leverage its extensive global network of over 140 destinations to promote Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, diverse natural attractions, and vibrant cities to international audiences.

Musawa said the agreement underscored the ministry’s commitment to implementing the President’s Destination 2030 Soft Power Initiative, a key pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at positioning Nigeria as a global hub for culture, heritage, creativity, and leisure travel.

NIHOTOUR Suspends Enforcement Nationwide The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) during the year suspended all

Nigeria and Saint Lucia Sign Historic MoU Nigeria and Saint Lucia signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster robust partnerships in tourism, the Orange Economy, and investment in the creative industries. The agreement was formally signed on July 2, 2025, during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s official visit to the Caribbean nation. The partnership was to leverage Nigeria’s globally celebrated creative industries, including Nollywood, Afrobeats, fashion, and storytelling, alongside Saint Lucia’s world-class tourism and community-based tourism models. The agreement promotes bilateral participation in cultural festivals, exchange programs, fashion collaborations, and museum development initiatives.

Nigeria, EU Strengthen Museum Partnerships Nigeria and the European Union (EU) agreed on a €20 million initiative to strengthen partnerships between museums and support film festivals and digital creative industries.

The initiative was disclosed in Abuja, when a high-level delegation led by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS Ambassador Gautier Mignot, paid a courtesy visit to Musawa. The agreement was part of a broader effort to harness Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage to drive economic growth, create jobs, and promote national unity. The €20 million initiative was expected to have a significant impact on Nigeria’s cultural landscape.

UNESCO Certificate for Alaafin of Oyo Musawa, in August presented the UNESCO certificate recognising the Sango Festival as a World Heritage Festival to the Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1.

Musawa, who made the presentation at the grand finale of the 2025 World Sango Festival stated that the achievement marked a significant milestone in Nigeria’s cultural landscape, demonstrating the Ministry’s commitment to safeguarding the country’s rich cultural heritage and promoting its powerful tool for international diplomacy and sustainable tourism.

“I heartily congratulate Your Imperial Majesty, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Abdulhakeem Owoade I, the new Sango Chief Priest, the Oyo community, and indeed the entire Yoruba nation on the grand finale of the 2025 World Sango Festival. We celebrate not just a festival, but a legacy. Following effective collaboration between the Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy and the Oyo Community, the Sango Festival has now attained global recognition with its inscription by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” she added.

NFVCB Gets Permanent Headquarters After 28 Years

Opportunities in Creative Sector The Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy published the Creative Economy Data Mapping Report, a landmark study that provided a comprehensive overview of opportunities across Nigeria’s creative economy value chain. The report was unveiled at the Creative Industries Economic Coordination and Investment Summit organised by the British Council in Lagos as part of activities to mark the 2025 Creative Economy Week.

The data mapping report highlighted opportunities and areas for investment in film, music, fashion, design, digital content, tourism, and cultural infrastructure. It also identified areas where financing, infrastructure, and investment are most urgently required while spotlighting priority sectors with the potential to become powerful engines of economic expansion.

Nigeria, UAE Explore New Frontiers Musawa, in October emphasised the importance of empowering Nigeria as a gateway country to the black global community, highlighting the United Arab Emirate’s (UAE’s) support in achieving this goal. She disclosed this when she met with the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to Nigeria H.E. Salem Saeed Musabbeh Al Mahyoub Al Shamsi, to discuss ways to strengthen tourism and cultural ties between the two countries.

Repatriation of Artifacts, Cultural Cooperation The Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy commenced talks with the Swiss government on cultural cooperation and the repatriation of Nigerian artifacts currently housed in Swiss museums, including monolits and bronze pieces. During a courtesy visit to Musawa, in Abuja, the Swiss Ambassador, Patrick Felix Egloff, expressed Switzerland’s willingness to enter into bilateral agreements and cultural diplomacy.

“This is the first time that a Swiss ambassador is meeting with a Nigerian Minister of Art and Culture.

There is a lot happening, and we would be very interested to build more institutional cooperations with the ministry, and we think this restitution would be a very good opportunity to strengthen institutional cooperation,” Egloff said.

Afroliganza Vision The federal government in November announced its adoption of the Afroliganza Vision, a continental initiative aimed at uniting African nations through fashion, culture, and creative enterprise. Fashion and Culture have become tools of diplomacy for economic growth and unity. Musawa, who announcement this at a World Press Conference on the African Fashion Renaissance in Abuja, said that the adoption of the Afroliganza Vision demonstrates Nigeria’s bold national commitment to positioning culture, fashion, heritage, and the creative economy at the center of its engagement with Africa and the global community.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •December 27, 2025

20

auto World

Bennett Oghifo 07052343083 Email:bennett.oghifo@thisdaylive.com

NAJA 2025 Award: Kia Seltos, Changan CS55 Grasp Top SUV Honours

K

ia Seltos and Changan CS55 grasped top honours at the 2025 Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) International Award, clinching Midsize SUV of the Year and Compact SUV of the Year, respectively.

The awards were announced at a well-attended ceremony held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, which brought together key stakeholders across Nigeria’s automotive value chain to celebrate excellence, resilience and innovation in the industry.

Changan CS55’s latest recognition comes after its impressive performance at last year’s 17th edition of the awards, where it was crowned Nigeria’s New Car of the Year.

At the 2025 ceremony, the compact crossover SUV edged out strong contenders such as the Kia Sonet and Chery Tiggo to secure the coveted Midsize SUV title.

Changan vehicles are marketed and assembled in Nigeria by Mikano Motors, reinforcing the growing impact of local assembly in the country’s automotive sector.

In the Compact SUV category, the Kia Seltos emerged winner, beating notable competitors such as the Toyota Prado, Changan CS55 and Chery Tiggo.

Industry analysts have described the Seltos as a compelling blend of practicality and style, praising its bold design, versatility and appeal to modern drivers.

Other corporate winners at the event are the Mikano Group, which was named Auto Company of the Year; Iron Products Industries (IPI) Limited, honoured as Truck Assembler/Body Builder of the Year; Lanre Shittu Motors (JAC), awarded Truck Plant

Kia Seltos and Changan CS55 of the Year; and Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), which won Passenger Car Assembly Plant of the Year.

These recognitions highlighted the depth and growing strength of indigenous participation in Nigeria’s automotive industry.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development

Council (NADDC), Otunba Joseph Osanipin, commended NAJA for sustaining a credible platform promoting excellence and accountability within the sector.

In his welcome address, NAJA Chairman Mr Theodore Opara described the awards as a benchmark for performance in Nigeria’s evolving automotive ecosystem, noting that the industry

continues to adapt amid policy reforms, technological advancements and changing consumer expectations.

The 2025 NAJA International Auto Awards once again underscored the critical role of leading brands in strengthening Nigeria’s transportation and industrial backbone, while celebrating outstanding achievements across the nation’s automotive landscape.

Nigeria’s Vehicle Components Manufacturers Plan to Feed Assemblers

M

otor vehicle assemblers in Nigeria may, from 2026 have steady supply of components, as local manufacturers gear up to feed the industry through a major platform.

According to Chairman, the Auto Component Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (ACMAN), Anselm Ilekuba, “We are the live wire of the assemblers.

If component manufacturers stop work, aftersales service collapses. Nigerians constantly ask assemblers, ‘Do you have parts for this vehicle?’ We have taken up that challenge.”

Ilekuba, who delivered a keynote address at the Nigeria Auto Journalists

Association (NAJA) Award, held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, recently, said component manufacturers will soon gain greater recognition for their role in driving the growth of Nigeria’s automotive sector.

He said ACMAN has collaborated with the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) to develop “a digital platform where assemblers will upload available parts, allowing dealers and users to view and source components instantly.

“At the click of a button, every registered user will see available parts. Every NADDC-registered assembler and ACMAN member

is already producing and fine-tuning output to meet aftersales demand and qualify for credible local replacement as we begin deleting imported parts.”

According to Ilekuba, “The platform will go live in 2026, with all assemblers expected to come on board, backed by support from an international donor agency. “Strategic partnerships are also planned with India and South Africa to strengthen the system and expand capacity.”

ACMAN, he said, is eyeing regional dominance, and that the association “aims to significantly boost Nigeria’s share of auto component manufacturing under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) before the end of the current NADDC Director-General’s tenure.”

Ilekuba

Winpart by CFAO Wins NAJA’s Auto Aftersales Service Provider of the Year Award

W

inpart by CFAO has been honoured with the Auto Aftersales Service Provider of the Year (Parts and Workshop) award at the Nigeria Auto Journalists

L-R: Chairman, Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA), Theodore Opara; Senior Marketing Officer, Winpart by CFAO, Michael Ikiebe; DG, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Otunba Joseph Osanipin; and Sales Manager, Winpart by CFAO, Kelechi Osuji, at the NAJA Awards night in Lagos… recently

(NAJA) Awards.

The award ceremony took place on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, bringing together key stakeholders from Nigeria’s automotive industry.

The recognition celebrates Winpart by CFAO’s outstanding commitment to delivering quality, affordable automotive parts, professional workshop services in AutoFast workshops, and dependable aftersales solutions that meet global standards while addressing local market needs.

This award further reinforces the brand’s reputation as a trusted partner for motorists, fleet operators, and workshops across Nigeria.

“This recognition is truly an awesome way to end the year,” stated Kelechi Osuji, Sales Manager,

Winpart by CFAO. “It validates our continuous investment in genuine parts and world-class service delivery, and it motivates us to do even more for our customers and partners.”

The Nigeria Auto Journalists Awards is widely regarded as one of the most credible platforms for celebrating excellence within the automotive sector, acknowledging brands and organisations that have made significant contributions to industry growth and development.

As Winpart by CFAO looks ahead to the new year, the company remains committed to raising the bar in automotive aftersales service, expanding access to quality parts and workshops, and supporting safer, more reliable mobility across Nigeria.

Winpart by CFAO is Nigeria’s leading multi-brand automotive spare parts distributor, dedicated to keeping vehicles performing at their best through genuine quality spare parts and exceptional service.

The company distributes world-class automotive brands such as Bosch, Motul, Kavo, Valeo, CWorks etc., with a comprehensive range of premium spare parts and batteries.

21

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •December 27, 2025

Ferdinand Ekechukwu - 08035011394 Email: ferdi_adthisday@yahoo.com

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Showbiz Stories, Personalities That Defined 2025

The entertainment and social scene in Nigeria in 2025 recorded major events, including personalities, music performances, record-breaking film successes, high-profile award shows, and celebrity controversies. Ferdinand Ekechukwu captures some of the highlights and moments that dominated headlines, across movie, music, weddings, awards, and controversies

Tems

Chimamanda

Ned and Regina

Mo Abudu

O

Omoni Oboli’s YouTube Blockbuster moni Oboli’s visibility, influence within Nollywood soared following her YouTube blockbuster.

The standout hit ‘Love in Every Word’, and its sequel, ‘Love in Every Word: The Wedding’ became viral sensations, with the original alone surpassing 30 million views, becoming the most searched Nollywood movie of the year on Google. Its lead cast Uzor Arukwe and Bamike “Bambam” earned widespread acclaim for their role ‘Odogwu’ and Achalugo that exploded online.

Ini Edo: Not Really ‘A Very Dirty Christmas’ By all elements, Ini Edo’s latest feature, ‘A Very Dirty Christmas’, which has raised concerns from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), ticks all the boxes, making it a must-watch. The almost two-hour comedy-drama, directed by Akay Mason, barely days in cinemas nationwide, attracted backlash from the Christian body as it described the title as offensive and disrespectful.

A compelling story, with relatable characters, suspense, added to strong acting, visuals and sounds, offers an immersive experience where the audience connects emotionally. The film featured an ensemble cast including Eucharia Anunobi, Elvina Ibru, Femi Branch, IK Ogbonna, Lateef Adedimeji, Nancy Isime, Taye Arimoro, Josephina Otabor, Wumi Toriola, Ini Edo herself, and Waje, and a host of other fantastic cast.

It centres on a family festive reunion that spirals into emotional conflict as long-buried secrets and past traumas resurface, transforming what should have been a joyful gathering into a tensed, dramatic experience. Understandably, in this clime religious faith runs deep in everyday life and entertainment often walks a tightrope between creativity and cultural norms.

Beyond just the title, the association should consider seeing the film which really poses nothing dirty to the work of art or the essence of the very season being celebrated. CAN had called on the producers of the film to reconsider the

Burna Boy

Wizkid

Davido and Chioma

title, issue a public apology, and take steps to ensure that religious symbols and sacred seasons are treated with the respect they deserve.

“Christmas is a sacred season that marks the birth of Jesus Christ and represents purity, peace, love, and redemption. Linking such a holy celebration with the word ‘dirty’ diminishes its spiritual meaning and reduces a solemn religious observance to something crude and sensational,” CAN argued in a statement. The filmmaker apologized to anyone offended by the title, insisting there was no malicious intent.

“I’m so sorry. We will try to change the title,” Ini Edo promised. The regulator, National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), clarified that the film was approved and classified after undergoing the established censorship and classification process, during which the Film Censorship Committee examined the work within its narrative and thematic context.

Funke Akindele: Everybody Loves ‘Jenifa’ Funke Akindele’s box office dominance with ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ solidified its place as Nollywood’s highest-grossing film ever, crossing over N1.8 billion in Nigeria, continuing its run from late 2024, after its massive cinema success.

This year, she consolidated her dominance with the movie, ‘Behind the Scenes’, released in December 2025 already a massive opener with over N200m in its first weekend, making it the biggest opening of 2025 in Nollywood.

Akinola Davies Jr.’s Father’s Shadow Akinola Davies’s directorial debut feature ‘My Father’s Shadow’ made even more history at the 78th Cannes Film Festival after it received a Special Mention for the Caméra d’Or prize.

The award also marked a historic milestone as the first Nigerian film to premiere at the annual festival. Although “My Father’s Shadow” missed the top prize, its selection in the esteemed Un Certain Regard section underscores a symbolic moment for Nollywood’s global journey.

Mo Abudu: Complete Lifestyle Ecosystem Mo Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife Group, was

2baba

named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025. The media mogul also officially launched her new digital streaming platform EbonyLife On Plus early November 2025, aiming to be a global hub. The Pan-African digital platform which blends entertainment, learning, fashion, and lives experiences she calls “a complete lifestyle ecosystem”.

AMVCA 2025 Below Expectation Over the years, the AMVCA has become the most recognisable award ceremony for film and television in Nigeria and beyond. The 11th edition was held on May 10th, 2025, in Lagos. However, despite the overall polish, there were cracks above the surface. Like the stage management was not at its best, technical issues like obvious teleprompter glitches and poor crowd control marred the celebration.

Regina Daniels and Ned Nwoko’s Messy Marriage Crisis Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels, 25, and Nigerian Senator and businessman Ned Nwoko, 64, are currently enmeshed in a contentious marital separation and custody battle. Their relationship, which began in 2019 despite a significant age gap, has recently escalated into a public conflict involving serious allegations from both sides after a video of the 25-year old actress went viral in October 2025.

2Baba, Annie, and the New Bride Marked by significant controversy, 2Baba shook the internet when he announced his separation from Annie Macaulay on Instagram, confirming they’d already filed for divorce, especially after years of ups and downs in their relationship.

The legendary singer faced backlash, induced by his tumultuous affair with his new wife Natasha Osawaru which followed their private traditional wedding. On the positive side, the couple welcomed their bundle of joy. 2Baba embarked on tour, celebrated his 50th birthday, and also celebrated 25years on stage.

Burna Boy, the Backlashes and ‘Lamborghini’

Ini Edo With performances, appearances, including the 2025 Met Gala, hosting his first-ever after-party at the annual charity event in New York, Burna Boy maintained his heavyweight status. His album ‘No Sign of Weakness’ surpassed 250 million streams on Spotify, making it one of the year’s top-performing Nigerian releases. Burna Boy entangled in a ‘sex for Lamborghini’ controversy with a groupie, Sophia Egbueje. Backlashes facing his actions for ejecting a sleeping fan during a Colorado concert yet to wane.

Davido with #Chivido2025 and 5IVE Davido dropped his much-anticipated fifth studio album, 5IVE. This album, aided by one of the songs ‘With You’ (featuring Omah Lay) quickly topped Nigerian streaming platforms, permeated playlists and drove major online conversation. He headlined the 60,000-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Davido and Chioma Miami’s wedding in 2025, #Chivido2025 was a culmination of a wedding journey described as one of the most expensive Nigerian celebrity weddings.

Wizkid Extends Dominance His album ‘Morayo’ was named the moststreamed album of the year in Nigeria, reinforcing his legacy as a chart-topping force. Wizkid’s dominance extended beyond local borders, his much-anticipated documentary, “Wizkid: Long Live Lagos” tracing his rise from Lagos streets to worldwide acclaim premiered by American premium television network and service, Home Box Office (HBO) to global delight.

Mr Eazi and Temi’s Wedding The high-profile Nigerian couple Teni and Mr Eazi rolled out a three-part wedding across three different countries on significant dates and location in Monaco in May, a traditional Yoruba wedding in Dubai in July, and a cinematic white wedding in Iceland in August. It was a fashion statement, a cultural showcase, and a reminder that sometimes, the quietest moments make the loudest impact.

Read full story online - www.thisdaylive.com

22

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •December 27, 2025

super saturday Bamidele Atoyebi:

Without Full Financial Autonomy for LGs, There Will Be No Real Progress The founder and convener of the BAT(Bola AhmedTinubu) Ideological Group, Bamidele Atoyebi, is a political figure who leads a group of technocrats and supporters dedicated to promoting PresidentTinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and governance principles through grassroots engagement, public awareness, and policy advocacy. Atoyebi believes that Nigeria’s democratic renewal must begin at the grassroots, and that no reform will truly work unless local governments are empowered to function independently. In this wide-ranging conversation, he argues that years of centralised control have weakened communities, stalled development, and fostered a culture of dependency. At the same time, Atoyebi makes a strong case for continuity at the federal level. Reflecting on major policy shifts under Tinubu — from fiscal and monetary reforms to infrastructure ambitions and social intervention programmes — he argues that Nigeria is undergoing a difficult but necessary transition. For Atoyebi, the turbulence of reform is not proof of failure, but evidence of a system being reset. Ahamefule Ogbu brings the excerpts:

T

ell us about the BAT Ideological Group. What informed its establishment, what is its objective, and its vision?

I was born in Lagos, specifically in Badia Ijora. At the age of three, I was taken to my mother’s village in Kwara State. At the age of 12, I developed an interest in politics. Then, it was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that was the dominant party. But I was attracted to the Alliance for Democracy (AD), which was the party that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu also belonged to.

I got to know about the party when Alhaji Lai Mohammed came to campaign for the Governor of Kwara then. I was attracted to Bola

Tinubu’s style of politics because when the PDP swept all the states, he was the only one standing as the Governor of Lagos. So, I went to school and came back to Lagos and developed a personal interest in the man Bola Tinubu. I wanted to know what made him unique and distinct. My parents gave birth to me the night before Chief Obafemi Awolowo died and I was told that a certain Igbo man who was their neighbor said I was Awolowo reincarnate. When Awolowo died, people started crying that we lost a great leader. But today, we have someone who possesses all the leadership attributes of Chief Awolowo, in the person of Bola Tinubu. And I’ve been following him. So, I was looking at

what I can do to promote everything about Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Look at what he did in Lagos and how he developed the State. Someone courageous enough to stop the sea at Eko Atlantic and turn it into what you have there today. Look at what he is doing about local government autonomy. I feel that without bringing governance closer to the people, the real people at the grassroots level will not feel it. Look at those who succeeded him and a whole lot that he did in Lagos. So, I felt there was a need to institutionalise Asiwaju Bola Tinubu because I have been seeing him as an institution. So, I built a library in his name at the University of Ilorin, where people could go and read about him. So, it was that library initiative that transformed into this movement, which is called the BAT Ideological

23

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper •December 27, 2025

super saturday

Bamidele Atoyebi: Why Tinubu Deserves Re-election in 2027 With the way the BAT Idealogical Group is spreading, overshadowing groups that were there before, are you not afraid that you could get harmed?

I fear no evil. I believe that if I am doing what is right and people are accepting it, I don’t need to be scared. I know my conscience, and it is very clear. This might even be my own contribution to my society or even my assignment from God. So, even if my enemy gets killed, at least I have done something impactful to society. I have the belief that Nigerian youth should join politics. But don’t join them if you don’t have a bigger strategy to make an impact, which is what we are offering.

Asiwaju is a man of superior ideas and if you have superior ideas, he wants you close to him. So, I am not scared. They’ve tried to attack me physically in several ways, but they have not succeeded. They’ve stolen our ideas severally, but original will always be original. Many of the other groups came out after they had seen what we were doing. They just want to take glory for what they don’t understand, the vision and the idea. I can’t start mentioning names, but I know more than six different groups have come out just to copy and paste our idea and intentions.

But we are not worried, as long as they are doing it to also benefit society.

Group. We have even gone further and working towards turning that library to a proper research and educational centre on Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, where people can even come and study and are awarded postgraduate degrees.

So, what do you intend to achieve with this BAT Ideological Group?

As I said earlier, the objective is to build men and women who would become living carriers of the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s political spirit, his ideas, and philosophy. When you see him, you can see that he’s the only one who has raised men and women in politics. You know that, naturally, politicians are greedy. But for you not to be a Governor, but you are pushing people to contest for Governor; you are not a minister, but you are putting people for ministerial appointment; you are not a vice president, you can install a vice president; you are not a president, you have put someone to become a president. So, as he has raised men, we also want to raise men and women who would be his disciples, so that when he dies, we’ll have men and women across the state that will continue to propagate his ideologies. While he is alive, let us raise men and women who can carry his vision, who understand his ideology, and who will become a carrier of it.

As preparations for 2027 begin quietly, what convinces you that President Tinubu deserves a second term?

There are so many reasons. Firstly, everybody knows that fuel subsidy was a major drain on the economy and Nigeria cannot grow with that kind of arrangement. It’s just like a dirty house. You came in, you put the dirt on one side; another person came in, you put the dirt on the other side. There was a need to totally clean up the room. That was President Tinubu removed the subsidy. Secondly, he unified the multiple exchange rates that we had in the system. Do you know how many people are in prison because of the variance of forex rates that we had, in the past? I know someone who is presently indebted to the tune of N60 billion because of the instability in the forex market, as well as the differences in rates. Even I was affected.

But President Tinubu changed all that and saved a lot of young men by unifying the forex rates and eliminating the special rates for some preferred persons, and eliminated rents. I wrote in an article that President Tinubu was the first to truly take from the rich and give to the poor. How did he do that? This fuel subsidy, he used it to estabflish the NigerianEducationLoanFund(NELFUND)andseveral other intervention initiatives. Do you know that more than N150 billion has been disbursed to thousands of students? That is what we call truly giving to the poor. On the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, he encouraged poor Nigerians to go and learn skills that they don’t have, and the government pays them stipends of N45,000. I know children of the rich would not apply for those kinds of things. These are the best ways to give to the actual poor people in society. In the health sector, we have subsidised dialysis treatment for patients at the federal health institutions. We also have a health fellowship programme, where they pick people randomly from different local governments to come and become support staff for healthcare workers. They learn, and they also employ them. There are a lot of other initiatives by President Tinubu, and I believe that he has done so much that he deserves re-election in 2027. The poor people who are the major people that vote on election days, should know that Asiwaju means well for them and for the country. So, he deserves to be re-elected in 2027. Look at the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway.

These are the things that Asiwaju is doing that would earn the support of the real voters in 2027. Look at our revenue, it is improving, and the economy has rebounded. We don’t struggle to fund infrastructure anymore. Are we going to bring someone else in 2027 when we are seeing all the good things he has started? No! That is why we must re-elect him to continue. Why won’t you allow somebody who has started the good work to continue, instead of bringing a new person who you don’t even know what he’s bringing to the table?

Assuming you are accused that you are just using all these groups to find favour with the president, what would be your reaction?

The truth is, naturally, I’m very big on value. So if you accuse me of using it to find favor, I will tell you I have never even met the president before I started doing all these. Even in my own little capacity, I had four NGOs already. There is one

Atoyebi that sees to the people at the prison; another caters to the needs of the widows; seeing to the needs of female healthcare workers and another that develops emerging young leaders — we make Nigerian youth know that they don’t need to stay frustrated on social media platforms all day or even japa. We try to train them to improve on their skills.

So, I have all these organisations and initiatives. I am naturally big on value. So, I am not looking for favour from anybody. I do this with my hard-earned money. I thank God for all our State coordinators, a lot of whom are spending their money to make this a success. In a recent article I wrote, I asked the questions: Are you a true BATist or a political opportunist? A lot of the people around the President today are political opportunists. They don’t know how to contribute to society or how to raise men. They don’t even know the spirit, the vision, and the idea of the man they are working for. So, I am just using this platform to add value to society and humanity.

Are you not afraid of the opposition that is coming from the north, can your group and state coordinators weather the storm and opposition from the north?

The truth of the matter is that when we started this movement, before we even had state coordinators in the south, the northerners, that is the real masses, they embraced it and they have taken over this movement and they are spending a lot of money to make this movement succeed. Majority of them were neglected in the previous support groups they belonged to. They believe so much in this ideology such that they now see it as their personal responsibility.

So every day the group is booming in the north.

This is a moving train. Nobody can stop it. All the opposition they are doing, they will all crumble. So they have nothing to offer. They don’t know how to raise men. They don’t know how to add value to people. The real people in the north love Asiwaju and they carry this movement on their head like their lives depend on it. So, we are not worried.

The north is 100% secure for Asiwaju.

Critics argue that Nigerians have yet to fully feel the benefits of current reforms. How do you respond to concerns about economic hardship under Tinubu’s leadership?

Despite the challenges, Asiwaju is going to restore Nigeria’s hope. Inflation that was about 34 per cent has fallen to below 15 per cent in line with the President’s target. He also set a target of crude oil production, which he has also achieved.

Today, the country enjoys exchange rate stability

and the naira exchange rate is about N1,450 to a dollar. Can’t you see that you have a man who has foresight and vision and who is delivering with his foresight? He has all the plans mapped out. He’s not a regular politician. So you can see. In Nigeria, things don’t usually go this way. When things go up, they do not come down. You can see how things are coming down, especially food prices.

Look at the price of a bag of rice, I bought close to N100,000 for 50kg last year, but today, it is less than N80,000. Asiwaju is also resetting our brains, and gone are those days when prices go up, and they will not come down. You can see prices are coming down. Fuel prices, for instance, every December, year in, year out, you see queues, but under President Tinubu, that is not the case. I’ve said that this man is a prophet. This man was sent for a purpose, and you can see what he is achieving.

See, some people are naturally blessed. Now, let me talk about the local government autonomy. I issued a press statement a few days ago in which I stated that the President’s Executive Order threat is good for the country because the Governors, the majority of them don’t mean well for the country.

Upon all the money they are getting — the allocation has tripled — do they still need to continue dipping hands into local governments’ funds? No. Without local government autonomy — full financial autonomy — there won’t be any progress. Let us be saying the truth. How will they be able to do their local roads? How will they be able to open access roads to farmers? How will they be able to do boreholes? How will they be able to handle insecurity, provide electricity, or bring some transformers where people need transformers? How will they be able to do all those things? But when they have financial autonomy — money — they will be able to do these things. Look at Lagos, the State is different.

Since Asiwaju created local governments in Lagos and even created LCDAs, they don’t touch local government money in Lagos. That’s why you see local government elections in Lagos is like a real battle, because they have money to spend. You can see them doing things some State Governors can’t even do in other States. Do you know a lot of local governments in other States don’t even have procurement departments? So, we must let the financial autonomy for local governments work. So, these are the things Asiwaju has come to address and everything you see him doing today is in his manifesto. Withdrawal of police VIPs and farmers’ cooperative are all in his manifesto. Yes, we still know that there is still hardship, but we are making progress, and we would get to the promised land with Asiwaju.

Will you be disappointed if, after all your efforts the man doesn’t invite you to appreciate you for what you are doing?

I’m a man of the spirit. I tell people that two people, after God, my wife and my immediate family matter to me the most. They are Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Pastor David Oyedepo.

Oyedepo is my spiritual mentor, while Asiwaju is my political mentor. And I’ve not sat with any of them.

In 2010, I had a dream where Asiwaju told me to go back to school, which motivated me to pursue further education. I know that one day Asiwaju will recognise us. He is not a user of man, who doesn’t recognise their support when he gets to the top and he believes in superior ideas. People might be blocking him from seeing me, but the moment he sees or meets me, he will definitely be attracted to me. Alhaji Lai Mohammed said something recently.

According to him, a ruler is a captive, because the people around a lot of leaders don’t have ideas. So, if they see anybody who is bigger than them and is bringing superior ideas, they will try to block such a person. They don’t know that in this life, the sky is too wide for everybody to fly. So, I will never feel disappointed. The journey continues. We will still continue to be doing whatever we are doing.

What is your take on the gale of defections from other parties to the APC? Do you see it as an endorsement of President Tinubu’s governance style or a failure of the opposition parties?

In law, they say facts speak for themselves.

That’s what I’m saying, the spirit of Asiwaju is natural. It will move you in its direction. You can see he’s a sophisticated leader. There’s no need to struggle to call you in. When you see what he is doing from afar, you will want to associate with him, you will want to tap from the grace he is carrying. That is what is happening presently.

And this is what everybody is doing. Even the people who are not Governors like us — are all jumping into it because the man carries a special grace. His leadership is second to none. It is his leadership style that is attracting people. Somebody who gives you money to fund and run your administration smoothly, wouldn’t you join the moving train? When you know that your predecessors struggled to fund budgets, struggled to do projects, and finance infrastructure, won’t you be attracted to someone willing to support? I said it earlier, this movement is beyond Asiwaju. As he is finishing his tenure, we are going to propagate these ideas beyond Africa. Unlike other past presidents that will be leading election monitoring in Africa, Asiwaju, after his tenure, will be going to other countries to institutionalise his leadership style.

With your conviction, are you sure you are not going to go into propagating, like, a life presidency for this president?

We have a constitution and our democracy is intact. Asiwaju, I believe, has a good succession plan. Look at what he did in Lagos. He knew the person that would take over and continue the agenda. Dele Alake said something recently. He said, he’s looking for somebody who will come and become President after President Tinubu and say he wants to reverse all these good policies.

So, he doesn’t need to be President forever.

T H I S D AY, T h e sat u r day N e w s pa p e r deceMBER 27, 2025

24

INTERVIEW

Mosediq Kazeem: Political Leaders Should Stop Using Religion as Platform to Divide Nigerians The current President of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria (and Worldwide), Prince Mosediq Adeniji Kazeem, SAN, assumed the leadership of the Islamic body in April 2025 after being elected by consensus at the society’s national conference held in Abeokuta, Ogun State. He speaks with Raheem Akingbolu, about his plan for the 102-year-old association and calls on religious leaders to promote peace in Nigeria.

Can you please take us through your background?

W

ell, I’m a grandson of the former Oba of Lagos, Oba Musediku Adeniji Adele II, who was Oba of Lagos between 1949 and 1964. My father was the late Honourable Justice B.O. Kazeem (Boonyamin Oladiran Kazeem), a distinguished former Solicitor General of the Federation and Supreme Court Judge, while my mother is Princess Jemilat Adetoun Kazeem, daughter of the late Oba Adeniji Adele II of Lagos. I attended Saint Saviour’s Primary School in Ebutameta, I then proceeded to Government College, Warri for my O’ levels and Federal Government College, Lagos for my ‘A’ levels. I had my first degree in political science at the University of Lagos and another degree in law, also at UNILAG. I had masters in Information Technology and Telecoms Law at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Interestingly, my National Youth Service Corps was at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. My first ambition after graduation was to become a diplomat. But of course, my decision to go back to study Law and eventually became a lawyer altered the plan.

But I still didn’t go into legal practice immediately.

I went to work in an international consulting firm, a tax and consulting firm, Arthur Anderson, now KPMG, where I worked for five years. I worked there at the Tax and Business Regulatory Service unit. I left the firm in 1996 and started my own practice at Kasim & Co. and I have run the law firm for 29 years.

But you also served as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State?

Yes, in between, precisely in 2014, I joined the campaign train of my friend who was vying for the governorship of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, who incidentally was my senior at the FGC Warri.

I was appointed the Deputy Director General of his campaign organization and legal advisor, too.

I ran that and played that role until he won and was sworn in 2015 as governor. I went back to my practice until October of the same year when I was called up to serve as Attorney General and Commissioner for justice for the State and I served in that role from 2015 to 2019 when our tenure ended and I went back to practice effectively in 2020. Along the line, I was elected chairman of the Sadequo Descendants Union. I’ve also had roles in Lekki Muslim Umah and chairman of the board of governors of their schools. I’m also a member of their board of governors. As you may also know, I had Served as national legal adviser of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society when our father, Alhaji Femi Okunnu was president but I had to cut short that service when I was appointed Lagos AG but when I finished my tenure in 2019 I came back and served for another three years which ended in 2022. I had to drop the position because of work pressures, but I didn’t leave the society. I’ve been very close to the society and involved, and I continue to do a lot of legal work for them pro-bono. Incidentally, as far back as 2007, when some of AUD schools in Lagos were being returned to the society, Alhaji Okunnu set up a committee to try and midwife and I was a joint secretary with another prominent leader who eventually became the national secretary of the Society and that committee metamorphosize into what you call Ansarudeen Education Trust (ADET). The body currently runs AUD schools.

How did you come into the Ansar-Ud-deen fold?

My own parents were also strong members of Ansar-Ud-deen and the combination of both noble parentage and religious backgrounds have played a constant role in my life. It’s however interesting that one of the people that rekindled my interest in the society even though I’m still a member was Alhaji Femi Okunnu through the singular decision to appoint me a member of that committee in 2007.

I can say that since then, it has been one thing or

the other by virtue of Pa Okunnu’s influence.

I must say that the society has become home to me because I play roles at different times and am involved in many activities.

At 102 years, you will agree with me that Ansar-Ud-Deen has come a long way as a foremost Islamic society in Nigeria.

What are your plans to sustain the tempo and consolidate on the achievement of its founding fathers?

If you look at the constitution of Ansar-udeen, one of the most important things or the two most important things, there are the objectives to promote Islam and education.

The focus of the society has always been the education of the Muslim child. So, education has been a fundamental objective that cannot be compromised. Again, if you look around, you will discover that a a lot of people, including you who attended our school in Ekiti, have one or two beautiful stories to tell about this society that has molded leaders and produced brilliant men and women have graduated to become leaders in different fields. One thing is also clear, the Islamic religion is also quoted and unquote, competing with other religions in many areas, and AUD as a society is also competing with other Muslim societies. All these factors drive growth and development. To this end, in terms of education, Ansar-ud-deen has played a critical role as a feed-stock for human resources that can fill and play different roles in our society. Therefore, we don’t have any option but to sustain the legacy of the founding fathers and keep the tempo going. In the last few months, we have engaged well with stakeholders, including the leadership of the local branches. We have also took a stock of our assets to know where the shoe pinches. In a simple language, my team has spent the last few months on familiarisation and engagement with stakeholders.

Of course, over the years, we have had our low and high moments, but our eyes are focused on the goal, and with Allah’s support and guidance, we will continue to maintain the standard. One of the things I hope to do is to make sure that at different levels of our society, both the national and council branches, we will be pushing to follow global trends in every area, especially in the area of education by pushing for expansion and establishment of new schools with modern facilities. To achieve this, we will be engaging stakeholders, especially the government, to strengthen the existing schools.

We’re not saying the government should come and take them, but we’ll collaborate with them to achieve excellence because we play a critical role.

As a result of that, we can be sure of nurturing the Islamic values and ethos that are critical to our children’s upbringing. I’m not saying that it’s only Muslims that would be in our schools, but principally one of our own focus too at the end of the day is to make sure that the Muslim child is properly educated, without necessarily abusing the freedom of religious right of non Muslim students.

Under me as president, we will also factor in the place of technology because we’re in the modern age where technology is driving everything. So it’s not only education. With this, we will be improving upon the quality of education. Today, school establishment goes beyond putting chairs and tables inside the class.

Learning tools, effective administration, and quality of teachers are key to helping those institutions.

If we put Islamic history side by side with that of Christianity in Nigeria, we can group your society in the same class with the old generation churches. How is AUD faring in the midst of new generation

Kazeem

societies like NASFAT, Qareeb, and others that appear to appeal more to the youth population?

and even NASFAT, made reference to the fact that my youthfulness would be an advantage for the society.

Well, I have one answer, and the answer is looking at you right in front of me, which is me. Even though, interestingly, I got invited recently to a programme of Ansar-ud-Deen Youth Association of Nigeria (ADYAN), which is our society’s youth wing. At the programme, they called me grandfather, but for Allah’s sake, I just turned 60 then. The deputy president was quick to correct that and told them I was still young. So, if you look at it well, I am a bridge between the old and the young. Besides, most of our brothers and sisters who are running the affairs of those new breed Islamic societies are also within our age bracket. To me, we all have the vibe, and we can compete well to promote the religion of Allah. Ours is a healthy competition, not a guerrilla marketing we find in a business environment that is unconventional and can sometimes be antagonistic. We all have one mission; to propagate Islam in a peaceful manner.

And I think that I am fairly aware of what cutting edge is required to ensure that the youths are interested. You know, there are different things that you need to trigger in order to get people interested in the fold. When Alhaji Okunnu pulled me in, in 2007, I was probably 42, a relatively young age. I asked myself then, what was this man bothering me about? All I wanted then was how I was going to find my way. But in the end, it became the foundation that I rode on in the organisation to date . A few weeks after my emergence, I had a meeting with an inner team of my people, and the oldest person there was one of our leaders. All the other people there were relatively younger, probably under 40. The ideas that they came out from that meeting were fresh, and those ideas were about how we can remain relevant and attractive to both the young and the old. In fact, in various congratulatory messages I received when I assumed office, including the one from President Bola Tinubu

What is the place of politics in Islam, and what advice will you give an average young Muslim professional, as far as politics is concerned?

Well, I have been a reluctant person who was thrust into politics. As far as I was concerned, I wanted to just be a lawyer and get on with my own business and do my own things. I wasn’t interested, but getting involved in politics opened my eyes. To answer your question; in as much as politics remain the vehicle for governance, allocation of resources, and formulation of policies in our country, we must all be patriotic enough to be counted. How can you have a say in how resources are allocated if you are not involved? So my clear advice to the Muslim, whether old or young, is that you must be involved in that process of leadership recruitment in your environment.

It may be passive or active, and we must all be involved. You can not divorce yourself from the politics of the day because it also means decision making and allocation of resources. However, a Muslim who is going into politics must be just and be able to allow Islamic culture of fairness, contentment, and honesty to guide his or her activities in office.

Muslims should not shy away from politics. Insofar, they do not lose their Islamic morals, ethos, and values. One more thing, I hate this idea of describing politics as a dirty game. Those who use the adjective to describe politics have bad intentions ab-initio.

How can we promote peaceful co-existence among adherents of various religious bodies in Nigeria?

One, we must be sincere and stop using religion as a tool for unnecessary campaigns. I keep telling people, Allah’s wrath awaits any religious leader who promotes a crisis in Nigeria. Finally, political leaders should stop using religion as a platform to divide Nigerians.

T H I S D AY, T h e sat u r day N e w s pa p e r deceMBER 27, 2025

25

Features

As Tradition Meets Splendour in Oyo

Tradition, pageantry and national symbolism converged in Oyo town recently, as the Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, conferred prestigious Yoruba chieftaincy titles, Obaloyin of Yorubaland, and Obaloyin of Yorubaland, respectively on former Zamfara State Governor and serving Senator, Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, as well as philanthropist, Seyi Tinubu, Sunday Ehigiator reports

B

y any measure, Sunday, December 21, 2025, will linger long in the collective memory of Oyo town. From the first beat of the talking drums to the final royal salutations that echoed across the ancient palace grounds, the Alaafin of Oyo’s palace became more than a ceremonial arena; it transformed into a living symbol of Nigeria’s possibilities: unity without uniformity, tradition without exclusion, and leadership anchored in service.

Under the watchful gaze of history and culture, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, presided over the installation of two eminent Nigerians as Yoruba chiefs: Barrister Oluwaseyi Tinubu, entrepreneur and philanthropist, who received the revered title of Òkanlòm of Yorubaland, and Distinguished Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, former Governor of Zamfara State and current Senator representing Zamfara West, who was installed as Obaloyin of Yorubaland. The double installation, bridging the Southwest and the Northwest, was both deliberate and deeply symbolic.

A Palace Awash with Colours

From early morning, the palace courtyards filled with a kaleidoscope of colours. Yoruba chiefs in flowing aso-oke exchanged pleasantries with northern emirs in richly embroidered robes. Lawmakers, governors, ministers and captains of industry mingled with traditional rulers, scholars and cultural custodians. It was a convergence of Nigeria’s many identities, drawn together by the authority of an ancient throne and a shared reverence for service.

Among the dignitaries present were Senate President Godswill Akpabio; the Minister of Youth, Hon. Ayodele Olawande; Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje; and dozens of serving senators.

Their presence lent national weight to what might otherwise have been seen as a regional ceremony. Instead, it unfolded as a national moment.

Alaafin’s Message

In his remarks, the Alaafin of Oyo underscored the enduring relevance of traditional institutions in contemporary Nigeria. Chieftaincy titles, he noted, are not mere ornaments; they are covenants of responsibility. They bind the recipient to values of integrity, service, cultural preservation and social harmony.

By conferring titles on leaders from different regions and backgrounds, the Alaafin reaffirmed an ancient Yoruba philosophy: that leadership is measured not by origin but by contribution.

In a country often strained by ethnic and political fault lines, the palace made a quiet yet profound statement: that tradition can be a bridge rather than a wall.

L-R: Senator representing Zamfara West, Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari; Wife of Senator Yari, Mrs. Hajiya Asma’u Abdul’aziz Yari; Alafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I; Ayaba Abiwumi Owoade; Wife of Seyi Tinubu and the Managing Director of Noella Foundation Tots Toys, Layal Tinubu, and the Cofounder of Loatsad Promomedia Ltd, Seyi Tinubu, at the installation ceremony of Yari and Seyi in Oyo…recently

Òkanlòm of Yorubaland

The title Òkanlòm, translated as “beloved child,” carries an emotional and moral weight within Yoruba culture. It signifies trust, affection and expectation.

The holder is seen as a custodian of values, a unifying figure and a protector of cultural heritage.

For Seyi Tinubu, the honour resonated beyond personal recognition. Known for his work in entrepreneurship, youth empowerment and philanthropy, Tinubu has cultivated a profile that blends private-sector innovation with social commitment.

Through initiatives supporting young Nigerians, small businesses and vulnerable communities, he has built a reputation as a bridge-builder between opportunity and aspiration.

As he took his oath and received the insignia of office, observers noted the generational symbolism of the moment: a younger leader being entrusted with an ancient mandate.

In accepting the title, Tinubu pledged to uphold Yoruba values, promote unity and use his platform to support initiatives that uplift communities across Nigeria, regardless of ethnicity or creed.

African Marketplace Dubai 2025: Redefining Africa’s Global Trade Story lEvelynPaul

O

n November 12, over 100 export-ready brands from Africa and the Caribbean gathered at the Grand Hyatt Dubai for the inaugural African Marketplace Dubai 2025 - a groundbreaking platform reshaping how global audiences experience African and Caribbean excellence.

Spanning beauty, fashion, agribusiness, technology, interior décor and food innovation, the exhibition showcased the depth of creativity, craftsmanship and manufacturing capacity across both regions.

Beyond the vibrant displays was a deeper mission: to unlock global market access for SMEs, shift long-standing perceptions of the continent and position homegrown brands as globally competitive players.

The Problem We Set Out to Solve

SMEs create 80 percent of jobs across Africa, yet their contribution to foreign exchange earnings remains minimal. More than 90 percent lack access to the logistics, networks, credibility and platforms required to break into international markets.

For decades, Africa’s trade narrative has been boxed into raw material exports or aid dependency and rarely recognized as a source of premium, finished products. African Marketplace Dubai was designed to challenge and change that narrative, curating Africa’s and the Caribbean’s finest brands—across fashion, agribusiness, creative arts, intellectual capital and more—into a unified, high-impact global trade platform.

Why Dubai?

The location was deliberate, not aspirational. Dubai hosts over 200 nationalities and operates as one of the world’s top-tier business and logistics hubs. Its unmatched air and sea connectivity to Asia, Europe and the Middle East—the very markets African SMEs struggle to penetrate independently. For brands in Lagos, Accra or Port-au-Prince, Dubai reduces prohibitive logistic barriers and signals a bold message: Africa is entering the global arena on competitive terms.

Who Showed Up

A powerful delegation of category-defining brands attended, including: House of Tara, Winston Leather, Hans & Rene, Tropical

Obaloyin of Yorubaland

Perhaps the most striking moment of the ceremony came with the installation of Senator Abdul’aziz Yari as Obaloyin of Yorubaland.

A Hausa-Fulani statesman receiving a Yoruba chieftaincy title was not unprecedented, but its resonance in the current national climate was unmistakable.

The Obaloyin title carries responsibilities of counsel, cultural advocacy and social welfare. It positions the holder as a friend of the throne and a promoter of Yoruba values beyond the region’s borders.

For Senator Yari, whose political career spans executive leadership as a former governor and legislative influence as a serving senator, the honour was both personal and political.

Accompanied by a delegation of northern senators and leaders, Yari expressed gratitude to the Alaafin and the people of Oyo. He described the title as a call to deeper national service, pledging to act as an ambassador of unity and to strengthen bonds between Nigeria’s regions. His words were met with applause that cut across accents and attire. scale and empower more African smallholder farmers.”

What Attendees Discovered

“I knew African products were good, but seeing this level of quality and creativity all in one place is inspiring,” one attendee said. “It completely changes how you view the continent’s potential.”

CEO and Founder of Cakes N Chocolates Factory, Temitayo Eguabor, described the event as transformative.

“I met businesses and investors from across Africa and the Caribbean, and doors to international partnerships and funding opened in ways I never imagined. I now think of my business as bigger than myself.”

Winston Udeagha of Winston Leather, whose family legacy includes supplying leather to global luxury brands, captured the ambition behind the event: “Being here is about realizing the dream of a truly global African brand. We want to see more finished products from Africa that can compete anywhere in the world.”

Beyond Commerce: Cultural Moments That Mattered One of the most memorable moments came from Chess Master Tunde Onakoya, who played simultaneous matches using a custom adire-crafted chessboard, symbolizing tradition fused with innovation.

These cultural touchpoints reinforced the message that African excellence spans intellect, creativity, craftsmanship and leadership.

Vision Behind the Platform

Paul Naturals Limited, Ambience by Talata, Mrembo Naturals, Belliche, Onyx Hair, Krabhouse gallery, Pine & Ivory, Tote London, Arami Essentials, Oriki Spa, Nissi Foods, Amatchiwa, Femi Handbag, Secure ID, FashionEdge, SaveenahImage, Nichole by Haguana among others.

A standout was Togo Mall, led by Mrs. Tokunbo Ige, which sponsored about 14 Togolese brands - marking one of the strongest Francophone representations on a global stage.

“African Marketplace Dubai connects Francophone Africa with the global economy like never before,” Ige said. “This platform gives our brands visibility, credibility and the opportunity to expand beyond borders.”

Irene Simon Ivambi, the founder of Mrembo Naturals, an East African social enterprise in the organic beauty sector, said “This event provided vital visibility and new business contacts that will help us

Ibukun Awosika, founder and convener of African Marketplace, envisioned the initiative as a global stage designed to unlock opportunity, deepen intra-Africa and diaspora trade and build a long-term pipeline for economic and cultural exchange. “Africa’s future is bright because its most productive sector is its SMEs, largely driven by young people” Awosika said. “This marketplace unlocks that potential and shifts the narrative from aid recipient to valued trade partner. It is designed not as a one-off exhibition, but as a sustainable platform that continually elevates African and Caribbean creators, expands global access, and strengthens long-term commercial pathways to the world.”

Who Made It Possible

The success of the 2025 edition was enabled by strategic partners including Afreximbank, Access Bank, Lagos State, through Lagos State Tourism, Wema Bank (SARA), Bank of Industry, GText Holdings, Moniepoint, Nexim Bank, and Sterling Bank. Partners also included Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), African Business Heroes (ABH), TVC Communications, Togo Mall, Ecobank Ghana and FCMB (SheVentures). These institutions backed more than an event, they invested in a bold vision for Africa’s commercial future.

T H I S D AY, T h e sat u r day N e w s pa p e r deceMBER 27, 2025

26

PERSPECTIVE

Beyond CBN’s Directive on Foreign Card Acceptance for International Travellers Daniel Ochonma

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed all banks and payment acquirers to configure their ATMs, POS terminals, and virtual channels to accept foreign‑issued cards. The policy was designed to improve transaction continuity for international visitors, support tourism, formalise diaspora engagement and remittances, and align Nigeria’s payment ecosystem with global standards. While this represents a significant step toward modernisation and accessibility, it also introduces important security, financial, and operational risks that international travellers and diaspora Nigerians must take into account.

Under the directive, financial institutions must ensure full acceptance of foreign cards across all ATM and POS infrastructure, implement multi‑factor authentication (MFA) for transactions above $200 daily, $500 weekly, and $1,000 monthly, and enforce approved ATM withdrawal limits while maintaining adequate liquidity for settlement. Banks are required to clearly disclose exchange rates and all associated charges, obtain user consent before completing transactions, and settle merchant payments in naira.

The directive further mandates enhanced transaction monitoring, stronger KYC/AML controls for merchants, and proper documentation of all card‑present transactions, including signed receipts and ID verification where necessary. Acquirers must support contactless payments, maintain robust chargeback and dispute‑resolution processes, retain transaction records for at least 12 months, and provide quarterly training to merchants.

They must also recalibrate fraud‑monitoring systems to reduce false declines, report suspicious activity to the NFIU, and direct travellers experiencing difficulties to the CBN Consumer Protection Department.

Inherent Risk Factors

Despite all the policy embedded control mechanism, notable risks remain. Nigeria continues to present a high‑risk environment for card‑present fraud, including ATM skimming, cloning, terminal tampering, compromised POS devices, and social engineering attempts. Foreign cards—often carrying higher

FX value—may attract targeted fraud, leading to unauthorised transactions or account disruption. Financial risks also persist due to unfavourable FX rates, Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), foreign transaction fees, acquirer charges, and discrepancies between authorisation and settlement rates, all of which can significantly increase transaction costs.

Operational challenges add further complexity. Network downtime, ATM cash shortages, POS failures, and delays in MFA delivery—especially for travellers using foreign mobile networks—can disrupt legitimate transactions. Authentication issues may also arise where OTPs fail to deliver, issuing banks block transactions due to geographic risk, or systems between Nigerian acquirers and foreign issuers are not fully aligned. Cash withdrawals can be particularly expensive due to international ATM fees, FX markups, cross‑border authentication charges, and local acquirer fees.

While the CBN encourages financial institutions to refer travellers facing card‑payment difficulties to its Consumer Protection Department, the practical resolution of disputed transactions remains challenging. Issues such as unauthorized POS charges or failed but debited transactions require coordination between the Nigerian merchant or acquiring bank and the traveller’s home‑country card issuer. Because each party operates under different jurisdictions, regulatory frameworks, and dispute‑resolution timelines, the process can become lengthy, fragmented, and complex.

Risks Mitigating Measures

To mitigate these risks, travellers should prioritise secure transaction locations such as bank branches, airports, reputable hotels, and major retail outlets, while avoiding unsupervised terminals. They should decline DCC and always opt to be charged in naira. Using travel‑optimised FinTech cards with low fees, real‑time alerts, and strong fraud protection can reduce exposure, and conducting a small test transaction before larger payments can help clarify costs. Travellers should also notify their issuing bank before departure, use mobile wallets where available, and maintain a backup plan—such as a secondary card, emergency USD/EUR, or a funded Nigerian account.

Real‑time monitoring through alerts and freeze/unfreeze controls further enhances security.

Cardoso For diaspora professionals in financial services, compliance, or risk management, the directive signals a broader push toward interoperability with global card networks and increased regulatory emphasis on transparency and consumer protection. It also highlights the need for heightened fraud‑risk awareness and presents opportunities to strengthen cross‑border payment reliability. While the policy is directionally positive, navigating Nigeria’s evolving payment infrastructure requires informed and cautious engagement.

In conclusion, the CBN’s directive aims to make Nigeria more accessible for foreign cardholders, including Nigerians in the diaspora. However, the realities of the payment environment mean that vigilance, preparation, and informed decision‑making remain essential. By adopting the recommended mitigation measures contained therein which by no means exhaustive, travellers can transact more safely, efficiently, and cost‑effectively while in the country.

Oborevwori: Ushering New Era in LG Pensions Management in Delta Fred Edoreh

W

hen His Excellency, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, ascended the reins of government in Delta State, he was met with a conundrum in the payment of Local Government pensions.

Due to a number of factors, retired workers of the teaching service, the 25 Local Government Councils, and the Local Government Education Authorities, were owed a backlog of pensions spanning over a decade. The bill was estimated at over N50 billion, and it is needless to say that the retirees suffered great deprivation.

Though the payment of Local Government workers’ salaries and pensions is the responsibility of the Local Government Councils, not the State Government, Oborevwori understood and had a deep commitment to the primary responsibility of government, to ensure the welfare and economic security of citizens.

In his view, no excuse was strong enough to owe, delay, or deprive retirees of their entitlements after their working life.

Accordingly, and in line with the cardinal points of his MORE Agenda campaign, he decided that the logjam in the payment of Local Government pensioners must be resolved, not only immediately, but once and for all.

True to this declaration, he sat down with the Chairmen of the Local Government Councils and the leadership of the Bureau of Local Government Pensions, to find a lasting solution.

The first and major challenge was how to clear up the accumulated accrued rights to workers, which mounted from 2011. It was agreed at the State Joint Account Committee for all the Local Government Councils to jointly obtain a loan of N40 billion, suretied by the State Government. This was complemented by a further release of N1.8 billion by the Joint

Oborevwori Accounts Committee, to substantially clear the backlog.

It was, therefore joy across the state when over 11,400 pensioners from several years back, up to September 2024, were paid.

In December 2025, the JAC further released N1.5 billion to pay up an additional 400 retirees, bringing the clearance of the backlog up to retirees by April 2025.

For many pensioners of the Local Government Councils and the Local Government Education Authorities, the resolution was a great relief.

How Weather Shapes Radio Signals Yekinni Olanrewaju Weather conditions do more than shape daily climate patterns; they also play a critical role in how radio signals travel through the atmosphere. In a recent study, Olayinka Joshua Oyewole, a PhD student in Science Education at Florida State University (FSU), Tallahassee, Florida, USA, offers new insight into how atmospheric conditions influence radio wave propagation across different altitudes.

In his research, “The Study of Altitudinal Refractivity and Refractivity Gradient Variations by Weather Parameters in Some Selected Locations,” Oyewole examines how key weather parameters, including air temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and vapor pressure, affect atmospheric refractivity, the measure that determines how radio

signals bend as they move through the air.

Using meteorological data obtained from the national meteorological agency, the study analyzed atmospheric behavior from ground level up to 12 kilometers above sea level across selected locations in the southwestern region, including Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Akure, Osogbo, and Ogbomoso. The findings show that refractivity is highest near the Earth’s surface and steadily decreases with altitude, reflecting the gradual reduction in temperature, pressure, and moisture as height increases.

Oyewole explains that this vertical structure of the atmosphere has direct implications for radio communication systems. Near the surface, stronger weather effects cause radio signals to bend more sharply, while higher altitudes experience weaker refractive influence. These changes are captured through

But according to the Chairman of the Delta State Bureau of Local Government Pensions, Mr. Benjamin Igo, beyond the provision of funds, part of the difficulties in retirees accessing their payments derives from improper enrolment into the Contributory Pensions Scheme, incomplete documentation, and conflicting records, amongst others.

To help pensioners in resolving these problems, the Bureau, supported by the Governor and the Local Council Chairmen, embarked on a Sensitisation and Enlightenment Tour of the 25 Local Government Areas.

The objective was to get down to the grassroots, to meet, receive and resolve the complaints and difficulties of the retirees, as well as educate serving workers on the proper procedures and processes of enrolment to the Contributory Pensions Scheme.

In the tour were officers of the Bureau of Local Government Pensions, representatives of the National Pension Commission, and of several Pension Fund Administrators, who all converged to enlighten the people.

The outcome is that many retirees and workers got the opportunity to resolve their difficulties, and to understand the processes of the Contributory Pensions Scheme to enable easier and timely processing of their entitlements on their retirement.

With the conclusion of the sensitization programme, many retirees and the in-service workers got many of their difficulties and complaints resolved.

The Bureau took extra measures to produce a handbook on the process of the Contributory Pensions Scheme, which it distributed through all the Local Government Councils and Local Education Authorities, for easy reference in the service of pensioners and workers.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

refractivity gradients, which describe how rapidly refractivity varies with height.

The study found that up to about 4 kilometers above ground level, atmospheric conditions in the studied regions are predominantly super-refractive, a state that can enhance signal bending and extend radio transmission ranges. Above this altitude, the atmosphere transitions into sub-refractive conditions, which may weaken signal strength and increase transmission losses.

These findings are especially significant for the design and optimization of terrestrial, microwave, and broadcast communication systems. By understanding how atmospheric layers affect signal behavior, engineers can reduce signal fading, improve link reliability, and plan more resilient communication networks in weather-sensitive environments.

By combining established physical models with real-world meteorological

Oyewole data, Oyewole’s research contributes valuable, locally grounded knowledge to the field of atmospheric and communication physics. His work highlights the importance of accounting for regional weather dynamics when designing communication infrastructure, particularly in tropical regions where atmospheric variability is pronounced.

SATURDAY DECEMBER27, 2025 • T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R

27

BACKPAGE CONTINUATION CHRISTMAS AND SPIRITUAL DEFILEMENT Christ’s Message of Salvation, we shall take up a question that was once been addressed on this page some two years ago, namely: How true is it to say that Christ came to this world to cleanse us of our spiritual defilement, so that we could go to heaven as children of God? To address the above question, I invite you to the aforementioned dialogue.

Here we go: John: Uncle, since after you told me that the message of Jesus Christ was intended to save us from further spiritual defilement, I have been trying to grapple with that statement to no avail. Could you please break it down and explain it aghain, perhaps with some examples?

Uncle: Look at it like this: A human being who acts against the laws of God automatically deviates from what is good for him as a creature of God. It also means that such a human being is doing what would prevent him from going to heaven.

John: Oh, I see! But how about the issue of defilement? It is written in the 11th verse of the 15th chapter of the book of Matthew: “It is not what goeth into the mouth that defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the man…”

Uncle: Yes? John: My question now is this: How can it be that it is only what comes out of a man that can cause defilement?”

The statement contradicts common sense and I do not know what to make of it.

Uncle: If a human being is just the physical body, then whatever unclean, substance enters the body has defiled the complete human being.

But ‘physical’ defilement is not the same thing as spiritual defilement.

We cannot say that someone is sick because his clothes are unclean. We also cannot say that a driver is sick because his car, which is an instrument designed to carry him from one place

to another, is not functioning properly.

John: Hmmm, this is all sounding a bit peculiar; I must say. But I think I can see the point. So, to defile the body is not quite the same thing as to defile the man?

Uncle: No, it is not. Now, going back to the Mission of Christ, the priests, Sadducees and the Pharisees in Israel were more concerned about physical cleanliness than spiritual purity an uprightness.

John: Really?

Uncle: But of course. Think of the damage disobedience to the commandments of Go can do to us spiritually. That is why Christ asked the children of Israel to focus on what really mattered and be saved from spiritual death.

John: I still don’t quite get it.

Uncle: It is what we think, what we say and what we do that could bring us good or bad karma. They are like seeds we sow into creation, with each seed producing its kind and returning it to us.

John: Sorry, Uncle, could you explain the sowing and reaping part again.

I want to know what this has to do with all we are trying to say about what defiles a man, please.

Uncle: If you annoy someone and he gives you a slap, you have sown and reaped something unpleasant.

John: Yes. Uncle: If you drink a glass of poison, it will kill the cells of your body and the body will stop working, leading to physical death, right?

John: Yes. Uncle: But since the body is only a covering for your spirit here on earth, the way a shirt is a covering for your physical body when you come out in the street, the death of the body is not the end of the real you.

John: Yes indeed, the destruction of a shirt does not mean that the person wearing it has been destroyed.

Uncle: Precisely! The thoughts, words

and actions of a human being that can create bad karma for him are things that “proceed out of him.”

John: Oh, I can see that quite clearly now.

Uncle: Sin undermines the spirit, hangs on it like an external, inferior or inappropriate attachment that is not original to its true nature. This is the defilement I believe that Christ came to save us from.

John: But how do I ensure that I do not reap the bad karma that someone else has sown? There are no policemen in these matters; and I don’t really understand how it works.

Uncle: Let me explain it with an example, if you don’t mind?

John: But of course, sir!

Uncle: If you make a hole in the ground and put one grain of corn, one bean seed and one grain of rice into this single hole and water them, they will all sprout and grow according to their kinds, will they not?

John: Of course, they will!

Uncle: Think of the three different seeds sown into in the same hole. It is in the same way that various seeds take only what they need from the same soil that good and bad volitions develop and bring their fruits to the originators.

John: You are saying that spiritual defilement cannot occur unless a man’s heart sends out evil thoughts, words and actions that then draw bad currents to him?

Uncle: Yes, that should follow from what we have been saying so far. If you go to a restaurant and request for a plate of food and it is given to you, surely, we can say that you asked for the food you got, right?

John: Yes, that would be the right thing to say in such a situation!

Uncle: If what you ordered leads to your having a sour taste in your mouth, we can also say that it was you who asked for what brought the sour taste into your mouth, am I correct?

FROM DETTY DECEMBER TO JANUARY RESET

driven market is the ability to save for rainy days. A person who is financially educated understands that they should not spend all their income as they get it. A certain amount must be set aside for future use, no matter how small. You can divide your savings into emergency cash and long-term objectives. If you experience financial difficulties, having emergency money will prevent you from depleting your long-term savings or accruing debt.

Financial literacy provides information about which economic areas are profitable to invest in.

In other words, it assists you in choosing the best investments.

It aids in economic forecasting and future projections, which can help you make informed financial choices. You would be better off investing your money in a business or other investment alternatives that will provide dividends over time rather than keeping it sitting idle in your bank.

Surveys conducted by the

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have shown that young adults have among the lowest levels of financial literacy. This is reflected by their general inability to choose the right financial products and often a lack of interest in undertaking sound financial planning.

That is why from an early age, children need to develop the skills to manage any discretionary funds they may have, whether from allowances or part-time jobs. In other words, financial literacy empowers you to make informed judgements and to take effective actions regarding the current and future use of and management of money.

Relatedly, the Consumer Federation of America found a strong relationship between having spending and saving plans and maintaining emergency funds. Particularly for low-income individuals, those with a spending

plan with goals were far more likely to have saved money for emergencies than were those without a plan. It is well established by research that people who feel a sense of control over life events are often happier, cope better, and are more resilient in times of stress than others.

People are especially unhappy in situations where they perceive themselves to have a lack of control.

That is why encouraging people to develop and implement a personal savings plan is essential for wealth creation. Having a store of rainy-day money can increase a low-income family’s resilience and enable them to cope better with unexpected shocks.

In addition, storing up assets can increase opportunities. For example, it provides the funds for families to support children when they go to university or to pay for training. Owning stocks can help you build your savings, protect your money from inflation

John: Well, yes, you are.

Uncle: Just as nothing in a hotel kitchen will come to your table and enter your mouth, except you ask for it, so will no radiation in Creation approach you without you first giving cause for it.

John: You are saying, sir, that it is just our actions and decisions, rather than our circumstances, that determine our spiritual welfare?

Uncle: That is correct. That is also why the celebration of Christmas should really be a festival of thanksgiving to the Almighty for sending One Who could show us the way to the right type of thoughts, words and actions.

John: But, Uncle, have you considered that poverty could drive people into doing all sorts of things? Surely hunger can make a man to steal or become an outright criminal! Can we not excuse such a person?

Uncle: It is not hunger that leads a man to steal, but an act of his will, a decision. It is not just the world around us that makes us to commit murder, but our rejection of the commandments of the Almighty and our decision to operate as renegades in Creation. It is not just desperation that pushes people to deeds of madness, but the condition of the core of their spiritual being.

John: That sounds rather harsh, sir!

Surely some excuse can be found for many wrong things that people do.

Uncle: That excuse is usually invented by people who are dishonest with themselves. Following the teachings of Christ is a strong help and an antidote to spiritual defilement. That is what why we should celebrate this Christmas by seeing it as the antidote to spiritual defilement and eternal damnation.

John: Hmmm, so you talking about a totally different approach and focus whenever we speak, or think, of Christmas?

Uncle: Yes indeed, John.

John: I am most grateful for your explanations and your time, Uncle.

Uncle: You are most welcome, John. and taxes, and maximise income from your investments. But it is important to know that there are risks when investing in stocks. Also, treasury bills, commercial paper and other short-term instruments offer investors opportunities to manage cash flow, diversify portfolios, and potentially earn steady returns.

By learning from our past mistakes and adopting a more realistic and sustainable approach, we can finally break the cycle and achieve our financial dreams. Keep in mind that accumulating wealth is a journey rather than a race.

Continue to be consistent, maintain your focus, and acknowledge your accomplishments as you go.

In the end, as we set to usher in the new year, January gives us the quiet clarity to rethink our choices, rebuild our rhythms, and realign our priorities. If we carry that discipline through the year, the fun will feel richer, the goals more attainable, and the journey far more meaningful.

T H I S D AY, T h e sat u r day N e w s pa p e r deceMBER 27, 2025

28

Tribute

Poly Emenike at 70: Life of Purpose, Perseverance, Enduring Legacy Kasie Abone

W

hen Prof. Poly Emenike Odenigbo Nanka clocked 70, it was more than a birthday celebration; it was a profound moment of reflection on a life defined by resilience, learning, enterprise, philanthropy and service to humanity. The milestone marked seven decades of an extraordinary journey — from humble beginnings in Nanka, Anambra State, to global recognition as a scholar, entrepreneur, author and mentor.

Born into modest circumstances, Emenike’s early life was shaped by hardship and determination. Like many children of his generation, economic constraints interrupted his formal education. Yet, rather than diminish his dreams, adversity sharpened his resolve. He ventured into trade, built a thriving import business and laid the foundation for what would later become NEROS Pharmaceuticals Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous pharmaceutical companies.

What sets Emenike apart is not only his business success, but his rare commitment to lifelong learning. At an age when many settle into comfort, he returned to secondary school, sitting in classrooms alongside students young enough to be his children. He went on to earn degrees in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Lagos, before crowning his academic pursuit with a PhD in International Business Management from the International School of Management, Paris. This uncommon academic renaissance would later see him appointed a Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship, inspiring students with a blend of theory and lived experience.

SEVENTY YEARS, SEVEN BOOKS A major highlight of his 70th birthday anniversary was the launch of seven new books, an event rich in symbolism and significance. The unveiling brought his total published works to over twenty, reinforcing his place as one of Africa’s most prolific voices on entrepreneurship, mindset, leadership, self-development and socio-economic thought.

The books reflect Emenike’s lifelong philosophy: that success is intentional, character-driven and rooted in service. Drawing from personal experience, psychology, and the success principles of Napoleon Hill — whose works he is globally recognised for championing — the books stand as intellectual legacies for future generations. That the launch coincided with his 70th birthday was widely interpreted as a statement: that age is no barrier to creativity, relevance or contribution.

GLOBAL RECOGNITION AND NATIONAL HONOUR

L-R: Pat Utomi, his wife, Dr. Ifeoma Utomi; Embassy Pharmacy CEO, Nnamdi Obi and the celebrant and CEO, Neros Pharmaceuticals, Poly Emenike Prof. Emenike’s influence transcends Nigeria. He remains the only non-American to have received the prestigious Napoleon Hill Foundation Gold Medal Award, a testament to his intellectual contribution and commitment to spreading success philosophy worldwide. He also serves on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and is its foremost representative in Africa.

In recognition of his contributions to national development, he was conferred with the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

At home, his community honoured him with the revered traditional title Odenigbo Nanka, acknowledging his immense role in community development, youth empowerment and philanthropy.

A FATHER, MENTOR AND MORAL COMPASS Beyond public accolades, Emenike’s most intimate legacy lives within his family. His late wife bore him five children, who, in a deeply moving tribute, described him as “our pillar, our guide, and our constant source of wisdom, strength and love.”

They spoke of a father whose life has been a blessing, not only to his family but to countless others touched by his generosity and counsel. According

to them, “your legacy continues to shine through the values, kindness and integrity you have instilled in us. We honour the journey you’ve walked — one defined by sacrifice, resilience, faith, and a heart that has given so much to everyone around you. You have shaped our lives in more ways than words can express, and we are forever grateful for the foundation you laid in us.”

TRIBUTES FROM ACROSS CONTINENTS From the international community came glowing words from Don Green, Executive Director and CEO of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. In his tribute, Green described Prof. Emenike as “a man of wisdom and a generous heart,” noting that his influence goes beyond books and ideas to genuine human connection.

“Through all the years of our friendship,” Green said, “your unwavering support, kindness, and generosity of spirit have left a lasting mark. From your visits with me in Wise, Virginia, to our time together at the New York Book Fair and the Frankfurt Book Fair, every moment has been filled with warmth, laughter and shared purpose. Those times remind me not only of your deep love for books and ideas, but of the person behind them — one who values people, relationships and the power of giving back.”

Farewell in Grandeur as Ezinne Ibe Is Laid to Rest Donatus Eleko

A

music lover and dancer, a Jerusalem Pilgrimage, an astute business woman, and an Anglican Lay Reader, Lady Ezinne Eunice Nwabugwu Ibe (nee Chime), popularly known as Black Indigo has gone home.

She died at age 90, and was survived by all her children, including a business tycoon and Executive Vice-Chairman of Baywood Group, Chris Baywood Ibe, as her first son.

Baywood is the founder of a support group known across Enugu state as SAFE-- Save Awgu Forum Enugu State.

The burial ceremony was held at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mark’s, IsuAwaa, Agwu, Enugu state, was attended by five Anglican Bishops, including the pioneer Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, who also was the pioneer Bishop of Oji River Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Amos Madu; the Bishop of Afikpo Diocese, Rt Rev.Paul Udege; the Bishop of Eha-Amufu Diocese, Rt. Rev Daniel Oliha, the pioneer Bishop of Awgu/Aninri Diocese, Rev.Dr Afam Ugwu.

The Bishop of Oji River Diocese, Rev. Dr. Ikechukwu Egbuonu and that of Nike Diocese, Rev. Dr. Onyeka Onyia, were both represented. Over 30 Anglican priests attended the burial ceremony.

Delivering the funeral sermon, the Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Awgu/ Aninri, Church of the Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Dr. Benson reminded Christians that every human being will one day die and will ultimately be remembered by their good deeds on earth. Bishop Chukwunweike urged the congregation not to take life for granted, stressing that life itself is sustained only by the mercy of God. He noted that no

human being has control over how long they live, but everyone has control over how they live.

Quoting Numbers 23:10, the bishop read: “Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!”

He explained that the scripture teaches believers to focus on living righteously so that their end will be pleasing before God. Bishop Chukwunweike warned against seeking blessings outside God’s will, noting that any blessing not from God could place a person on the wrong path.

Using the story of Jacob, he explained that Jacob became more blessed only after he stopped running ahead of God and submitted to divine timing.

The life and times of Lady Ibe was a life of fulfilment and accomplishments.

Like a warrior, she came, she saw and she conquered.

She was born in the year of the Lord 1935 to the polygamous family of the late Chimengwu of Isu-Awaa community in the present Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State. She got married to Late Chief Benson Maduabuchukwu Ibe (Chinenyeze 1 of Isi-Awaa) from Umunevo n’Umuevee of Enugu IsuAwaa Agwu Enugu State. Through dint of hard work and utmost faith in God, Lady Ezinne Eunice Nwabugwu worked extraordinarily hard from the cradles to rise from grass to grace Her death was described as a glorious transition to eternity based on her Christian virtues and service to humanity.

Her lifetime was very unique and the legacies she left behind are thrilling.

Therefore, it was not surprising that the funeral ceremonies to give her a befitting burial from December 18th- 21st

December, 2025 were tagged- “BLACK INDIGO GOES HOME”.

The ‘Black Indigo’ left unparalleled foot prints in the sands of times in the history of the Isu-Awaa community, Enugu state, Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world.

She was a unique mother and an example of motherhood, who suffered seriously to overcome challenges in raising and training her children. She didn’t allow her background to weigh her down.

Amidst the obstacles, she was still kind and generous to all who crossed her path. Thus, it was not surprising that God Almighty in his infinite mercies blessed her children exceedingly as seen in Chris Baywood Ibe and his siblings who are all billionaires.

An empowerment programme to kick off her final funeral rites was held at the Ibe Family’s event arena at Isu-Awaa community In the spirit of giving and care for humanity, which they imbibed from the late Ezinne Ibe, they gave out a bag of rice, a gallon of vegetable oil, and a sachet of Maggi cubes to 50 of the poorest families in each of the 21 Communities that make up Awgu local government area. In all, a total of 1,050 bags of rice, Vegetable oil, and sachets of Maggi cubes meant for the most vulnerable and 50 poorest families in each community of Awgu local government area were shared.

The event was memorable as Baywood Ibeh and brethren brought hope to Awgu families via that outreach.

One beneficiary, Mrs. Madueke Geraldine, reflected on the late Ibeh. “She was a woman of giving,” Geraldine said.

“She would always call you: ‘Sister, have you eaten?’ ‘Aunty, have you eaten?’ Seeing her son continue her work today, it feels like her spirit is still here with us,” she added.

For many, the outreach was not just a

festive gesture, it was a chance to celebrate Christmas without hunger, a reminder that generosity can touch lives in real, meaningful ways.

Baywood Ibe said the largess was part of the legacy of giving they learnt from their mother. He likened her to Mother Theresa. Baywood noted that the reason for sharing the largess to the very poor also stemmed on the fact that not everybody among the rural dwellers will have the privilege to join in the enlarged event billed for Friday, December 19th.

Some of the beneficiaries interviewed by newsmen expressed gratitude to the Ibe family, describing the late Lady Ibe as very kind hearted and generous to all who came her way.

Ifeanyi Okonta, a beneficiary from Mgbidi Awgu, said the support came at a critical moment for many families struggling with the rising cost of living. He described the palliatives as a lifeline that enabled people to mark Christmas in a modest but dignified way.

The outreach also drew commenda-

tion from notable observers. Mr Lukas Udeagbara, former Executive Assistant to the Enugu State Governor, praised Ibe for extending love and support to the poor and needy, describing the gesture as a reflection of a compassionate heart committed to uplifting others.

On Friday, December 19, the usually serene and lonely community of IsuAwaa was lively as various dignitaries and friends of the Ibe Family from various parts of Nigeria and beyond trouped into Isu- Awaa to join the Ibe Family in the church service to commemorate their late mother.

In his vote of thanks on behalf of the Ibe Family at the church service, Baywood Ibe assured that the family would continue to maintain the legacy of their late mother by supporting projects needed in the church. He asked the church to make a request since the family didn’t come with any material for thanksgiving.

The church requested a two storey building guest house.

GLOBAL SOCCER

3

THISDAY, The SATURDAY Newspaper • april 24, 2011

A

weekly pull-out

27.12.2025

news

NO ROOM FOR ERROR

Page. 29

2025 AFCON... 2025 AFCON... 2025 AFCON... 2025 AFCON...

Nigeria Vs Tunisia Battle of Two Eagles

T H I S D AY, T h e sat u r day N e w s pa p e r d e c e M B ER 2 7 , 2 0 2 5

30

GLOBAL SOCCER

2025 AFCON... 2025 AFCON... 2025 AFCON... 2025 AFCON...

Nigeria Vs Tunisia Battle of Two Eagles

The Super Eagles will be hoping to build on their 2-1 victory against Tanzania in their first GroupCgameoftheAfricanCupofNationsonTuesday,astheyfileoutagainsttheCarthage Eagles ofTunisia today at the 35,000-capacity Complexe Sportif de Fès for their second group encounter in what has been dubbed the battle of the Eagles.Both sides will be going for glory soastobeingoodsteadoftoppingthegroupafterrecordingvictoriesintheiropeninggames

T

hree-time winners, Nigeria, will be aiming to end a miserable 2025 on a high by winning their fourth Africa Cup of Nations crown in Morocco.

The Super Eagles endured penalty heartbreak last month, losing to DR Congo in the World Cup playoffs and missing out on consecutive tournaments for the first time since 1990.

However, the West African giants thrive on the continent’s biggest stage, reaching at least the semi-finals in seven of their last 10 editions, being runnersup in 2023 and they are currently the fifth favourites for the title this winter.

Nigeria started on a winning note on Tuesday, beating the Taifa Stars of Tanzania 2-1, with goals from Semi Ajayi and Ademola Lookman to place them second of Group C behind Tunisia who defeated Uganda 3-1 in their opening game.

Though the Super Eagles were unimpressive in the first half and were heavily criticised for being wasteful in front of goal, but midfielder, Chidera Ejuke says winning was what matters at this stage of the competition.

Asked how he felt after the win over Tanzania, Ejuke said: “Good. It is important that we got the victory so we are happy.”

Ejuke has played down criticism of Nigeria’s performance, with some fans and pundits suggesting that they were not at their best, particularly in the second half against their East African opponents.

“The most important thing is to win and we conceded one. Obviously, the coach is going to tell us what to do and how to get better with that, but it’s just important that we win.

“We have good morale in the team already, so we are just going to take it one game at a time.”

Meanwhile, former Super Eagles striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni has predicted a “tough” game when Nigeria face Tunisia today.

After Nigeria’s win over Tanzania, Aiyegbeni told reporters in Morocco, “We were lucky today against Tanzania.

“When you look at Tanzania, they had chances to kill the game and we were lucky to get away with it, and against Tunisia it’s not going to be easy.

It’s going to be a tough one.”

Tunisia are AFCON regulars, having qualified for the last 17 finals, last missing out in 1992.

Sami Trabelsi’s side, like many of the continent’s juggernauts, crashed out in the group stage in 2024 without a win in Group E. However, the North Africans have enjoyed a prosperous 2025, breezing through World Cup qualification unbeaten while also drawing to Brazil in November.

They have started their first group game on a strong foot, beating the Cranes of Uganda 3-1 and would be hoping to consolidate the victory with

Semi Ajayi celebrates his goal againstTanzania with Super Eagles teammates

another win against the Super Eagles.

A name known to English football fans, Hannibal Mejbri, will be the engine for the North Africans this winter.

Morocco is his second AFCON after making his tournament debut in the Ivory Coast last year.

The Burnley midfielder scored his first goal for his country in October and will be aiming to guide his nation into the latter stages of this tournament.

Though his name was not on the score sheet against Uganda, Nigeria may just be wary of him today.

There have been a total of 21 matches between both teams, dating back 64 years, with each having won six times, and the remaining nine matches drawn (though some eventually went into penalty shootouts). Of the three that stretched to penalty shootouts, Nigeria won two, including a memorable 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture and an Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final duel that flowed back and forth in the Egyptian city of Port Said 19 years ago.

Tunisia won the lottery in the 2004 AFCON that they hosted, edging the Eagles to set up a Final clash with Morocco’s Atlas Lions.

Both teams have staged walkouts against each other, with Nigeria leaving the pitch in an AFCON qualifying match in Tunis in December 1961, after a controversial goal, and Tunisia opting to do the same when Nigeria scored an equalizing goal through Baba Otu Mohammed in an AFCON bronze-medal match in Kumasi in March 1978.

When the Carthage Eagles pipped the Super Eagles 1-0 in the Round of 16 at the AFCON in Cameroon four years ago, it was their first victory over Nigeria in a competitive match since 1985, when they won a 1986 World Cup qualifying match 2-0 in Tunis.

There have been high drama, muscle-flexing, and boardroom blowouts, an today’s encounter will be another game of intensity and power-play as Nigeria seek to establish themselves as one of the favourites for the trophy and Tunisia, who will be going to next year’s FIFA World Cup finals, determined to fight for a second continental title.

Trabelsi, who was in the squad that Khaled Badra led to win Tunisia’s only AFCON title, at home in 2004, has the likes of Captain Ferjani Sassi, Ali Maãloul, Hannibal Mejbri, Dylan Bronn, Ben Ali, Ali Ben Romdhane and Yan Valery who can turn a game on its head within a split second. They showed their deadliness in sweeping aside Uganda in Rabat on Tuesday evening.

For Eric Chelle, the triumvirate of Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze at the fore, and the duo of Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi at the rear provide some assurance. With Osimhen still looking for his first goal of the tournament, the Carthage Eagles could be under tremendous pressure from Nigeria’s ace forward who boasts 31 goals in 47 matches.

Midfield lubricator Alexander Iwobi, likely to win his 93rd cap,

will be expected to play a key role in Nigeria’s challenge for the three points.

Captain Wilfred Ndidi will surely be called upon several times to break up the play of the fast-paced Tunisians.

RESULTS Egypt 1-0 S’Africa Zambia 0-0 Comoros Morocco 1-1 Mali Angola 1-1 Zimbabwe TODAY’S FIXTURES Senegal v DR Congo Benin v Bostwana Tanzania v Uganda Nigeria v Tunisia

Head-to-Head of Nigeria vs Tunisia

25/11/61: Nigeria 2-1 Tunisia (AFCONq) 10/12/61: Tunisia 2-2 Nigeria (AFCONq) 25/09/77: Tunisia 0-0 Nigeria (WCq: Tunis) 12/11/77: Nigeria 0-1 Tunisia (WCq: Lagos) 16/03/78: Tunisia 0-2 Nigeria (AFCON:) 29/06/80: Tunisia 2-0 Nigeria (WCq: Tunis) 12/07/80: Nigeria 2-0 Tunisia (WCq: Lagos 29//09/84: Tunisia 5-0 Nigeria (Friendly) 06/07/85: Nigeria 1-0 Tunisia (WCq: Lagos) 20/07/85: Tunisia 2-0 Nigeria (WCq: Tunis) 22/02/92: Tunisia 1-1 Nigeria (SCSA: Tunis) 09/08/97: Tunisia 2-0 Nigeria (LG Cup) 23/01/00: Nigeria 4-2 Tunisia (AFCON) 11/02/04: Tunisia 1-1 Nigeria (AFCON) 04/02/06: Tunisia 1-1 Nigeria (AFCON) 20/06/09: Tunisia 0-0 Nigeria (WCq: Rades) 06/09/09: Nigeria 2-2 Tunisia (WCq: Abuja) 22/07/16: Tunisia 1-1 Nigeria (CHAN) 17/07/19: Nigeria 1-0 Tunisia (AFCON) 13/10/20: Tunisia 1-1 Nigeria (Friendly) 23/01/22: Tunisia 1-0 Nigeria (AFCON)

T H I S D AY, T h e sat u r day N e w s pa p e r d e c e M B ER 2 7 , 2 0 2 5

31

GLOBAL SOCCER

Super Eagles celebrating their victory over Tanzania

L-R: Minister of Finance/President of Nigeria Boxing Federation, Wale Edun, winner of the Governor’s Belt 2025, Farouk Ajibuwon and Director General of LSSC, Lekan Fatodu at the LBHF end of the year tournament in Lagos yesterday

Ndidi Vows History Won’t Repeat Itself Against Tunisia Today Super Eagles Captain, Wilfred Ndidi has insisted Nigeria are fully prepared to ensure there is no repeat of their painful defeat to Tunisia as both sides prepare to clash at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Nigeria face Tunisia tonight in Fès in what is shaping up to be a decisive Group C encounter, with both teams arriving on the back of opening-day victories. The Super EaglesedgedTanzania2-1intheir first match, while Tunisia were more convincing, recording a 3-1 win over Uganda.

Those results have left the two sides level on three points at the top of the group, with Tunisia holding a slight advantage on goal difference. A win for either team will guarantee automatic qualification to the knockout stages of the tournament.

AFCON 2025 Yet beyond the mathematics, history looms large. Tunisia hold a narrow head-to-head edge over Nigeria, having won seven of their 21 meetings, compared to six victories for the SuperEagles.Moresignificantly, their most recent meeting, at the 2021AFCON in Cameroon, still stings deeply in the Nigerian camp.

Nigeria entered that roundof-16 tie as overwhelming favourites, having won all three group matches, including a famous 1-0 victory over Egypt. Tunisia, by contrast, barely scraped through as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams. Despite that, it was Tunisia who advanced, courtesy of a 1-0 win sealed by

Youssef Msakni.

That defeat, compounded by Alex Iwobi’s first-half red card, remains a painful memory, one Ndidi admits is still discussed within the squad.

Speaking at yesterday’s pre-match press conference, Ndidi made it clear that the Super Eagles have not forgotten Cameroon but are determined not to be haunted by it.

“The guys are really prepared, we don’t want to think aboutwhathappened(previous clash), we just want to face this one because definitely it’s a new team with good players, good group,” Ndidi said.

“We are talking about it (defeat to Tunisia at 2021 AFCON), we actually spoke of it and hopefully it is not going to happen the second time.”

Tunisia Coach Perfects Plan to Cage Eagles Attackers

Ahead of their Africa Cup of he had prepared a plan or and offensively. We will deal Nations clash against Nigeria, strategy to deal with Osimhen, with all the players, and all Tunisia coach, Sami Trabelsi Lookman, Moses and other the stars present in the Africa admitted that he has laid out Nigerian forwards, Trabelsi Cup of Nations with the same a strategy to contain the Super stressed that Tunisia would discipline.

“Nothing will be exceptional Eagles’ attacking threats, focus on collective discipline including Victor Osimhen, and organisation rather than for any player but there will Ademola Lookman and targeting individual players. be collective defensive and Speaking at yesterday’s press offensive organisation. The Moses Simon.

Heading into today’s clash conference, he explained: “We national team’s performance at the Fez Stadium, the Eagles must be focused. We need means some important players of Carthage lead Group C, to maintain a high level of will be less effective.”

Nigeria and Tunisia have thanks to a superior goal concentration against any difference over Nigeria, opponent and any type of faced each other six times at the Africa Cup of Nations who defeated Tanzania player in any team.

2-1 in their tournament “We are a team known finals, with the Super Eagles for a collective approach at winning three, Tunisia one and opener.

When asked whether all levels, both defensively two matches ending in draws.

Salah’s Penalty Sends 10-men Egypt to AFCON Knockout Stage Mohamed Salah’s penalty gave Egypt victory over South Africa as the seven-time champions survived playing the second half with 10 men to book a place in the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a game to spare.

Having gone ahead through Salah’s contentiously-awarded spot kick in the 45th minute, the Pharaohs swiftly found themselves at a numerical disadvantage when right-back MohamedHanyreceivedasecondbookingduringaddedtime

at the end of the first half.

South Africa were denied a Bafana Bafana made an attack- potential penalty for handball after ing change at the break, replacing theclockhadtickedpast90minutes, Thalente Mbatha with Sipho with Burundian referee Pacifique Mbule, but spent much of the Ndabihawenimanagoingtolookat second period struggling to find theincidentonthepitchsidemonitor. a way past goalkeeper Mohamed Angola’s draw with Zimbabwe El Shenawy, whose side managed earlier on Thursday means that toretainacounter-attackingthreat. Egyptareguaranteedaplaceinthe With his defence resolute in last16,whileHugoBroos’ team are front of him, El Shenawy made two points above the two Group a vital late save to hold Aubrey B underdogs.

Modiba’s close-range shot set up The teams play their final

by Burnley forward Lyle Foster’s group-stage matches on Monday, clever backheel,andalsodealtwith whenSouthAfricafaceZimbabwe SiyabongaNgezana’sweakheader in Marrakesh and Egypt meet deep into injury time.

Angola in Agadir.

Ajoke Ojomu staged a remarkable comeback against Sukurat Aiyelabegan to clinch the women’s singles crown, while Matthew Kuti reaffirmed his supremacy in the men’s singles at the grand finale of the 11th Elicris Table Tennis Cup, held on Tuesday, December 23, at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

The two-day tourna-

ment was organised by the Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSSTA) with technical support from the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) and sponsored by the Babatunde Abayomi Adejobi (BAA) Foundation.

A total of 64 players—32 men and 32 women— competed for a shZgan showed her intent, playing aggressively and dictating most of the rallies to take

Ojomu Wins 11th Elicris Table Tennis Cup as Kuti Extends Tourney’s Dominance

the first two games 12-10, 11-7. Ojomu, however, mounted a resurgence in the third game, shifting momentum with victories at 11-9, 11-5, and 11-6 to lead to 3-2. Aiyelabegan fought back to level the tie 3-3 with an 11-7 win in the sixth game. In the decisive seventh, Ojomu dominated from start to finish, sealing the match 11-4 to complete a 4-3 triumph and secure her maiden women’s title of the tournament.

Former African Footballer of the Year, Victor Ikpeba in a handshake with the players just before the final game of the Victor Ikpeba 5-A-Side Football Challenge in Warri, Delta State... recently

Nigerians Hail Victor Ikpeba 5-A-Side Football

By Pius Ayinor

T

he 2025 Victor Ikpeba 5-A-Side Football Challenge ended last weekend in Warri, Delta State. It was the fifth in the series for an event that the 1997African Footballer of the Year holds in partnership with Bet9ja. And it was also the fifth in the series for the Lagos edition that holds in Surulere.

The event is growing, and it is indeed catching the attention of different communities across the states. In Lagos, there ispressuretoaddanothervenue apart from the one that holds around the Fujah Community in Surulere. The demand for more venues in Delta State was a part of the highlights during the closing ceremony at the Army Day Secondary School, Warri. Football enthusiasts and youths in other parts of the state are eager to have a feel of the event.

“We will see what can be done about all that. You know that starting at a fresh venue requires a lot of logistics, but

nothing is impossible,” says Salman, presented a financial token during the closing ceremony Victor Ikpeba.

Last Saturday, Successful Pil- and pledged the support of the lars FC emerged champions of Nigerian Army towards the the 2025 Victor Ikpeba Football growth of the competition. “We Challenge, following a convinc- are impressed with the quality ing 2–0 victory over Pipeline of football and the organisation Dragons FC in the grand final of of the finals. We look forward to the tournament held in Warri. partnering to promote healthy Thechampionsdominatedpro- living and grassroots sports.

“The 2026 edition will be hosted ceedings in the final encounter, displaying tactical discipline at the Army Barracks soccer and clinical finishing to secure pitch,” he stated.

The 1997 African Footballer of the 700,000 top prize, while Pipeline Dragons FC settled the Year, Victor Ikpeba (MON), expressed appreciation to Bet9ja for 400,000 as runners-up.

In the third-place match, and the Delta State Sports ComGrace FC put up a scintillating mission, led by Chairman Onos performance,thrashingAligned Oborewovori, as well as other FC6–0toclaimthebronzemedal sports personalities and partners and a cash reward of 250,000, who contributed to the success while Aligned FC received of the event.

According to Ikpeba, the 150,000 for finishing fourth.

This year’s edition of the tournament remains commitgrassroots competition drew ted to using football as a tool for strong interest from Delta State youth empowerment, healthy sports stakeholders, who com- living, and grassroots sports mended the organisation and development.

The Victor Ikpeba 5-A-Side impact of the tournament on youth development and com- Football Challenge has continued to grow in stature, with organismunity sports.

Commander of the 3rd ers promising a bigger and better Battalion, Major Mohammed edition in 2026.

Guts & Gloves Set to Elevate Boxing Promotions in Nigeria Guts & Gloves Promotions has secured an official promotional licence from the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), marking its formal entry into Nigeria’s boxing ecosystem and reinforcing its commitment to driving a new era of structure, professionalism, and athlete-first development within the sport.

The accreditation provides immediate credibility for the organisation and positions Guts & Gloves as a transparent and trustworthy platform for boxers, promoters, gyms, and sponsors seeking stability and growth in a fragmentedpromotionslandscape.

The company enters the sector with a clear mandate to discover, nurture, and spotlight Nigerian boxing talent through structured pathwaysandcommunity-driven

engagement.

Founded by OnabajoAyodeji & Temitope Deyeye, the co-founders reaffirmed the brand’s mission to uplift the sport as they stated that, “Guts&Glovesremainscommitted to raising the game for athletes and coaches in Africa. To every boxer doingtheworkintheshadows,keep fighting. Put on those gloves and Onabajo Ayodeji (r) and Temitope never stop believing in your guts. Deyeye We will find you, and the world forfighters,brandbuildingforfighters, and the creation of competitive will see you.”

Rooted in the energy of Nigerian opportunities across local, national grassrootsboxingcommunity,home and international circuits.

The organisation’s strategic to a rich network of trainers and amateur fighters, Guts & Gloves approach integrates credibilityPromotions intends to serve as a building, community nurturing, reliable springboard for emerging and talent broadcast initiatives, talent. Its athlete-first model focuses alongside future flagship events on long-term career development, designed to strengthen Nigeria’s improved access to professional boxing culture. With an emphasis exposure, health and mental care onpartnership-drivengrowth,Guts

AFCON 2025: Eagles Face Tunisia Live on SuperSport

most convincing performers The Africa Cup of Nations into tonight’s encounter in Round One after a 3–0 win, moves into a decisive second at 9:00 pm on the back of a round this weekend, with hard-fought 2–1 victory over will be aiming to maintain momentum against a DR early results already setting Tanzania. While the result the tone for what promises to delivered three vital points, Congo side buoyed by their be a more demanding phase it also highlighted areas that opening victory. Uganda and of the group stage. will be tested more severely Tanzania meet at 6:30 pm before Nigeria and Tunisia close After a first round marked against a Tunisian side that the day in what is expected to by narrow wins, late drama looked assured in their be a defining contest. and disciplined perfor3–1 win over Uganda. The Sunday’s fixtures continue mances from the continent’s fixture is widely regarded heavyweights, attention now as Nigeria’s toughest group- the build-up, starting with shifts to today and tomorstage assignment and offers Gabon versus Mozambique row’s fixtures, headlined by an early opportunity to assert at 1:30 pm and Equatorial Guinea against Sudan at 4:00 Nigeria’s clash with Tunisia authority and strengthen pm. At 6:30 pm, Algeria take and Côte d’Ivoire facing their qualification hopes. on Burkina Faso in a clash that Cameroon. All matches Today’s action begins at could shape the balance of will be broadcast live on the 1:30 pm with Benin facing their group, before the weekSuperSport AFCON pop-up Botswana, followed by a end concludes with another channel on DStv Channel heavyweight meeting be202 and GOtv Channel 5 tween Senegal and DR Congo classic AFCON rivalry as The Super Eagles come at 4:00 pm. Senegal, one of the Côte d’Ivoire face Cameroon

SATURDAY DECEMBER 27, 2025 • T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R

Price: N400

BACK PAGE LEAD PHOTOGRAPH

JUMA’AT PRAYER IN LAGOS...

L-R: National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Principal Private Secretary to the President Hakeem Muri-Okunola, during the Juma’at Prayer at the Lekki Central Mosque, in Lagos State…yesterday

OKEYIKECHUKWU EDIFYING ELUCIDATIONS okey.ikechukwu@thisdaylive.com

Christmas and Spiritual Defilement

C

hristmas! Despite the economic downturn and insecurity in the land, the smell is still unmistakable.

Even as it is perhaps tainted here and there by thoughts concerns about security, the kidnapping of school children and road travelers, the general environment still has something to show for it.

The festoons! The special Christmas lights! The bright-eyed children and their new clothes! The lit-up streets!

And the carols! Even if subdued here Tinubu and there, they are still there.

But what is Christmas really all about. of The Saviour. Many who answer thus The regular answer is that Christians use may not be able to tell you what exactly the occasion of to remember the birth He saved them from in any coherent

manner, but their answer suffices for the Kingdom of God, because they are them to feel deeply involved in the living according to His Will. merriment that goes with Christmas.

But that is has now been almost Its true essence concerns the birth of completely overshadowed by commercial One Who came to show us how to be considerations, and tourism-driven real and true human beings, according activities; which have nothing to do to the Will of God. That is all. Christmas with the original kennel. What the world ought to be a time for the believer to mostly celebrates as Christmas today, reflect on the Message of Salvation with its accompanying excitement, wears brought to mankind 2000 years ago. itself out in a frenzy of frenzied social Through such reflection, the true Christian activities without hinting at the essence is supposed to weight his life, to see of Christmas. whether it measures up to what The Because Christmas should ideally Saviour expects, and demands, of him. reconnect us with, and remind us of, Thus, Christmas is supposed to nudge Christ’s mission on earth so that we us towards a rededication to Truth and rededicate ourselves to living up to inner rebirth: To becoming such true Continued on page 27 human being as would be admitted into

OBINNACHIMA READING THE TEA LEAVES

obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com

From Detty December to January Reset

I

n the next few days, 2025 will fade away, and we shall bid this year’s Detty December goodbye. December, the last month of the year, is loud, fast, and carefree. Detty December, is packed with concerts, festivals, and associated parties, allowing for spending and living in the moment.

A major part of the extravaganza is the return of the diaspora, who come home to reconnect and celebrate the festive season. Their influx injects money into the economy, boosting sectors like hospitality, entertainment, and retail. The period that typically runs from December 6 to 31 records a high volume of

financial transactions, often leading to a spike in January inflation.

Today in Nigeria, the federal government is contemplating establishing a Presidential Task Force on Detty December to coordinate inter-agency efforts and enhance Nigeria’s global image as a festive destination.

But when the Detty December music fades, January arrives with a quiet reset, forcing us to reckon with our choices, refocus our priorities, and start again with intention. From January, many people wake up to the hard truth that bills, rent, and school fees are due, yet their wallets are empty after all the excitement of the holiday season, from Christmas

celebrations to New Year's parties.

January is often called the longest month, even though it has 31 days; just like some other months, it seems to stretch forever because of the previous month’s expenses, financial burden, and, in some instances, there is pressure on consumers to borrow That is why we need to plan and prepare for future events that can hurt their finances.

Making resolutions is a fantastic way to start the new year. At the beginning of every year, we all outline the goals and aspirations we want to achieve. 2026 is not going to be different. From planning to save more money and committing to other financial goals,

to eating healthier, improving our spirituality, exercising more, and losing weight, many of us set targets for the things we want to achieve.

Financial literacy is a core life skill for participating in modern society. Being financially literate gives you the ability to make wise financial decisions based on your income and helps in prioritising the way you spend your money.

It also helps you prevent needless debt and wasteful spending by creating a budget.

Also, one of the most important skills to have in a financiallyContinued on page 27

Printed Newspapers Limited.. Lagos: Lagos:35 35Creek CreekRoad, Road,Apapa, Apapa, Lagos.

Lagos. Abuja: Abuja: Plot Plot 1,1, Sector Sector Centre Printed and and Published Publishedin inLagos Lagosby byTHISDAY Leaders & Company Limited Centre B, B, Jabi Jabi Business Business District, District, Solomon SolomonLar LarWay, Way,Jabi JabiNorth NorthEast, East,Abuja Abuja.

All Correspondence to P.O. Box 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3085 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com. (ISSN: 1117-871X)