Okonjo-Iweala: W’Africa must break trade barriers to unlock
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu yesterday urged the West African leaders to harness the region's youthful
population and abundant natural resources for economic transformation through industrialisation, education, and innovation. This is just as the Director-General
of the World Trade Organisation (WTO),
$500bn potential
Outrage over Killing of 71 in Borno, Kano, Kebbi, Plateau, Shettima, Mutfwang Condemn Attacks
Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Seriki Adinoyi in Jos
No fewer than 71 people were killed in attacks by bandits and female suicide bombers in Kebbi and Borno states, respectively, as well as a bomb
explosion in Kano State, and a mob in Plateau State.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima has condemned in strongest terms the suicide bomb attack at a local food joint in Konduga Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno
State on Friday night.
Similarly, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang and his Kaduna State counterpart, Uba Sani, have also condemned the tragic mob action that claimed the lives of travellers in Mangun District of Mangu Local
Government Area (LGA) of the state on Friday evening. In Kebbi State, the government confirmed the loss of 30 lives in the recent bandit attacks on the Zuru communities.
The Chairmen of Zuru and Danko
Wasagu LGAs, Muhammad Gajere, and Hussaini Bena, reported that 16 people were killed in Tadurga, while 14 others lost their lives in Kyebu and Yar-Kuka in the Waje District.
While speaking during a visit by the State Deputy Governor, Senator Umar
Tafida, to Tadurga at the weekend, Gajere and Bena added that several others were injured. The attackers also made away with livestock and other valuables.
▪Rabiu Kwankwaso - Challenger from Kano
PFAs Increase Stakes in FGN Bonds, Stock Market to N17.22tn
Kayode Tokede
The Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) have increased investments in risk-free assets and raised stakes in the federal government’s securities and domestic stock market to N17.22 trillion in the first four months of 2025, data released by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) has revealed.
PenCom had strengthened the enforcement of restrictions placed on PFAs regarding the allocation of contributors’ funds into volatile assets.
The FGN Securities, according to PenCom, comprises: FGN Bonds (HTM), Nigerian Treasury Bills (NTBs), Agency Bonds (NMRC), Sukuk Bonds, and Green Bonds.
The latest data by PenCom revealed that PFAs’ exposure in both FGN Bonds and the stock market opened January 2025 at N16.72 trillion, increasing by N510.65 billion or 3.05 per cent to close at N17.22 trillion in April 2025.
The breakdown revealed that PFAs' stake in FGN bonds increased from N14.31 trillion in January 2025, about a 2.40 per cent increase, to N14.65 trillion in April 2025, while in the stock market, the PFAs' exposure stood at N2.57 trillion, representing an increase of 6.9 per cent from the N2.41 trillion declared by PenCom in January 2025.
The combined PFAs' investment in FGN securities and the stock market has contributed about 72.8 per cent of the N23.65 trillion net asset value as of April 2025.
Analysts have attributed PFAs' increasing exposure in the stock market to the increasing fundamentals of some listed companies, stressing that lucrative yield and risk-free government
securities continued to influence PFAs’ exposure in FGN Bonds.
The likes of Nigerian Treasury Bills have witnessed significant patronage by investors in 2025 with yields of over 20 per cent on one-year auctions.
Local and foreign investors seem to respond positively to the double-digit interest rates on NTBs, as seen in the robust subscription rates, suggesting confidence in the CBN’s ability to manage the country’s monetary challenges amid scarcity of foreign exchange and a double-digit inflation rate.
Meanwhile, the participation by PFAs in the stock market in the first four months of 2025 lifted the market capitalisation by N3.73 trillion to N66.496 trillion as of April 30, 2025. Analysts told THISDAY that PFAs are benefiting from the undervalued stocks amid the weakening of the naira and renewed investors' confidence in the stock market.
They disclosed that the PFAs and domestic investors reacted sharply to the naira's depreciation in the foreign exchange market, a double-digit inflation rate, and the CBN’s hike in the MPR, currently at 27.50 per cent.
They stated further that the pension industry has been recording significant growth in recent years, following several regulatory reforms by PenCom, which has seen the number of PFAs in the industry reduce as a result of some mergers and acquisitions.
The Vice President of Highcap Securities, Mr. David Adnorii, said the pension Industry operates under stringent regulations due to the nature of handling public funds, primarily the contributions of workers meant
for their retirement.
According to him, PenCom enforces guidelines and limits to ensure the safety and security of contributors’ funds, as restrictions are placed on PFAs regarding the allocation of contributors’ funds into volatile assets.
“This cautious approach is in line with the need to protect contributors’ savings and ensure that they have a secure and reliable source of income during their retirement years.
To achieve this, the PFAs adopt a
mix of fixed and variable assets in their investment portfolios.
“This diversified approach takes into consideration the risk tolerance of contributors and the different fund categories within the pension system,” he said.
Responding to PFAs' exposure in the stock market, Investment Banker & Stockbroker, Mr. Tajudeen Olayinka, explained that PFAs and investors reacted to the low prices of some fundamental stocks on the
exchange.
According to him, “Prices had become too low to resist, and this happened because of prolonged repricing of securities across markets and instruments, pushing down stock prices below the levels they should ordinarily be.
“It also demonstrates improved earning capacities of some listed companies, as they continue to adjust to the variability of costs and cost pressures in the short run, to stay afloat.
“Another factor is the usual positioning and repositioning for the year-end rally by investors, as some companies begin to show strong earnings’ prospects ahead of full-year results.”
On his part, Chief Research Officer, InvestData Consulting Limited, Mr. Omordion Ambrose, told THISDAY that low pricing of some fundamental stocks and portfolio rebalancing contributed to PFAs' renewed interest in stocks.
Trump Confirms US Strikes on Three Iranian Nuclear Facilities in Fordow, Natanz, Esfahan
Ejiofor Alike
President Donald Trump has announced that US military forces had dropped bombs on three Iranian nuclear facilities, ending a weeklong deliberation period over joining Israel’s campaign against Tehran and thrusting the United States squarely into an escalating Middle East conflict.
“We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, according to a CNN report.
Trump added a “a full payload of bombs was dropped on the primary site, Fordow.”
He ended his message with a call for peace.
“There is not another military in the World that could have done this,” Trump wrote. “Now is the time for peace!”
The president announced in a subsequent post that he will address the nation at 10 p.m. ET Saturday.
“This is an historic moment for the United States of America, Israel, and the world. Iran must now agree to end this war. Thank you!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. He also reposted a social media post that said “Fordow is gone.”
CNN reported that the decision to target Iran directly significantly ratchets up tensions, and amounts to one of the most consequential choices of Trump’s young second presidency. The debate over whether to target Iran directly had divided Trump’s political coalition, with concerns high among some
members of the Republican base that intervening could drag the US into a new, prolonged conflict.
It’s the first time in several decades — since the Iranian revolution in 1979 — that an American president has deployed Air Force assets to target major facilities in the country. American B-2 bombers were used in the operation to target the three sites, according to a source familiar with the matter.
B-2 bombers are the only plane capable of carrying the Massive Ordinance Penetrator, which experts have highlighted as the only type of bomb potentially capable of destroying Iran’s underground Fordow nuclear facility. Each B-2 bomber is able to carry two of these “bunker buster” bombs, which weigh an impressive 30,000
pounds each. The move to target the Fordow facility in particular, which successive US presidents had considered but ultimately decided against, will now insert Trump directly into a growing crisis that he had once hoped to defuse through diplomacy. The US gave Israel a heads-up on its strikes before launching them, two officials familiar with the matter told CNN. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also spoke Saturday evening following the strikes, two White House officials said. As Trump was mulling his decision, Iran had vowed to retaliate to any US aggression, and American military assets had begun massing in the region to prepare for any retaliatory action from Iran.
OUTRAGE OVER KILLING OF 71 IN BORNO, KANO, KEBBI, PLATEAU, SHETTIMA, MUTFWANG CONDEMN ATTACKS
Tafida conveyed the government’s sympathy during a visit.
He expressed the government’s condolences to the people of Tadurga in Zuru LGA and Kyebu in Danko Wasagu LGA, both within the Zuru Emirate.
The deputy governor, who represented Governor Nasir Idris, vowed that the state government was committed to enhancing security, and would take measures to block all entry points into Tadurga and Kyebu to prevent future attacks.
Senator Tafida also offered prayers for the souls of the deceased and asked Allah to grant their families the strength to bear the loss.
In a show of support, Senator Tafida announced a donation of N50 million to the affected communities, N25 million each for Tadurga and Kyebu.
The traditional ruler of Dabai, Alhaji Suleman Dabai, commended the state government for its swift response.
In Borno State, no fewer than 24 persons were reportedly killed and several others injured by a female suicide bomber in Konduga LGA
infrastructure, innovation, and productive enterprise," he warned.
President Tinubu emphasised the need for regional cooperation, citing Nigeria's investments in skills development, digital connectivity, and youth empowerment.
According to him: "No one country can do this alone. Our prosperity depends on regional supply chains, energy networks, and data frameworks. We must design them together—or they will collapse separately".
He called for urgent efforts to dismantle trade barriers across the subregion.
The President expressed concern that with intra-regional trade still below 10 per cent, West Africa must "coordinate or collapse" in the race for global economic relevance.
On infrastructure and investment, President Tinubu urged West Africa to move beyond the export of raw materials and prioritise value-added industries:
He said: "Let us recognise that Africa was left behind in previous industrial revolutions. We cannot afford to miss the next one.
of the state on Friday night.
The state’s police command spokesperson, ASP Nahun Daso, who confirmed the attack yesterday, said the improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated at a food joint, where the attacker targeted residents who had gathered in a large number to buy food.
Daso said the body of the suicide bomber was severely dismembered by the blast, with only the head recovered from the scene.
“Following the incident, a joint response team comprising the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal – Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Unit, Military, Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), and local hunters was deployed to the scene,” he added.
The spokesperson said that the area was cordoned off and thoroughly searched for other possible explosive devices, but none was found.
“The injured victims were evacuated to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), where they are currently receiving treatment, while
"The era of 'pit to port' must end. We must turn our mineral wealth into domestic economic value—jobs, technology, and manufacturing."
President Tinubu, who chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, underscored the role of the private sector in driving transformation.
While calling on regional leaders to commit to clear deliverables, the President said:
"Our task is to find new and effective ways to invest in our collective future, improve the business climate, and create opportunities for our youth and women.
"Let us emerge from this summit with actionable outcomes: a renewed commitment to ease of doing business, enhanced intra-regional trade, improved infrastructure connectivity, and innovative ideas that move our people from poverty to prosperity."
Nigeria and the Republic of Benin also yesterday signed an agreement to deepen bilateral integration and serve as a model for broader regional cooperation within ECOWAS.
The signing ceremony, witnessed
the remains of the deceased were also deposited at the hospital mortuary.
“The victims were confirmed dead by medical personnel on duty,” he said.
He said that security had been reinforced in Konduga and surrounding communities to prevent further attacks and restore public confidence.
Meanwhile, 12 travellers from the Basawa community in Zaria, Kaduna State, were killed on Friday by a mob in Mangu LGA of Plateau State.
While eight persons were confirmed dead and their bodies recovered, four persons were missing.
Eleven others, who sustained injuries, were receiving treatment at a hospital.
The travellers including men, women, and children were heading to Qua’an Pan LGA of the state for a wedding ceremony in an 18-seater bus, belonging to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria when they missed their way at about 8 pm on Friday.
The Chief Imam of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa’ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) in Mangu, Sheikh Suleiman Haruna who confirmed the incident
REGION'S
by Nigerian President Tinubu and Benin Republic President Patrice Talon, took place in the course of the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) in Abuja.
Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, signed the agreement, alongside Benin's Minister of Industry and Trade, Shadiya Alimatou Assouman, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Shegun Adjadi Bakari.
President Talon declared that the move signified a bold step toward real, actionable regional integration.
"President Tinubu and I have agreed on full integration between Benin and Nigeria. The responsibility now lies with our ministers to implement it. Benin and Nigeria are more than twins—we are the same people. Let us show the region that integration is possible," he said.
President Talon cited the West African Gas Pipeline, which was designed to enhance regional energy cooperation, as an example of failure due to administrative bottlenecks.
to journalists, said that the corpses have been deposited at Mangu General Hospital.
He said: “There were 31 travellers in the bus; we have recovered and deposited eight corpses in the hospital. We have asked the security personnel to help recover the remaining four that are missing. We were together with the chairman of Mangu LGA and he has been up and doing on the matter.”
One of the survivors, Ibrahim Umar narrated that: “We were heading to Qua’an Pan to attend a wedding ceremony of our brother when we missed our way. We stopped and asked some people for directions, but before we knew it, they surrounded the vehicle, shouting and attacking us with dangerous weapons.
“The mob killed the driver first and then attacked others. They also burnt the bus. We are now in the hospital, receiving treatment.”
When contacted, the spokesperson of the state police command, Mr. Alfred Alabo said the command was aware of the incident but would
"It is ridiculous. This failure of regional cooperation wastes resources and undermines integration," he said.
As a result of these delays, President Talon said Benin has had to source gas from Qatar via a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU).
On the West African Power Pool, another regional initiative, he said: "We invested heavily in this infrastructure. But it is not functioning as expected. Unless we act decisively, I'm not confident it ever will."
President Talon also addressed logistical obstacles along the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor, which unnecessary border checks and harassment have hampered.
He warned that poverty remains the region's most dangerous destabilising force saying Referencing changing global trade dynamics, President Talon cited U.S. President Donald Trump's protectionist policies as a signal for African nations to prioritise their interests.
Earlier, the Presidents of Sierra Leone and Benin delivered national
issue a statement regarding it later as the police were still working to ascertain the facts before making any comments.
Meanwhile, Governor Mutfwang who condemned the attack also confirmed that preliminary reports revealed that the victims inadvertently ran into a tense and volatile situation in Mangun, a community grappling with sustained terrorist attacks.
He said: “Tragically, the incident resulted in the loss of eight innocent lives, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Mangu.”
The governor, who visited the survivors in the hospital and the scene of the incident, expressed profound grief and described the mob action as totally condemnable and avoidable. He noted with sadness that the Mangun District and adjoining districts of Chakfem in Mangu LGA and Mushere in Bokkos LGA have, for over a month, suffered coordinated terrorist assaults resulting in daily casualties and mass displacements,
statements at the summit, which preceded the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, scheduled for Sunday, June 22, 2025, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
In her recorded video statement delivered virtually at the summit, Okonjo-Iweala, said West Africa was well-positioned to become a competitive economic bloc if it prioritised integration, built value chains, and embraced innovation and manufacturing.
“At this pivotal moment for our region, you have come together to unlock trade and investment opportunities to drive growth and job creation for West Africa’s nearly 460 million people — half of them under the age of 18.
“We have so much to build on.
A $500 billion regional economy with a dynamic entrepreneurial population and rich critical mineral and energy resources, West Africa’s creative industries are hot and not just at home,” she said.
Describing the region as “rich in critical mineral and energy resources”, she noted that West
plunging communities into mourning and distress. He, however, emphasized that the prolonged attacks did not justify such a senseless act against innocent commuters.
“Today is a tragic day for us in Plateau State. I never imagined such a senseless act of violence could occur within our borders, especially considering the commendable efforts of our youths in this community and neighbouring districts who have consistently risen to support security agencies in defending against criminal incursions.
“It is deeply disheartening that the same youths who have shown courage and patriotism would turn around and take the law into their own hands. This is utterly unacceptable, and the government will not sweep it under the carpet. We are working to build a Plateau that is welcoming to all and hospitable to visitors. We have been educating our young people about the importance of allowing free passage on all roads across the state, and this incident has come to us as a rude shock.
Africa’s creative industries were thriving and increasingly visible on the global stage — from music to literature, fashion, and food. She said, “Wherever I travel, I increasingly encounter the region’s cultural exports. Finance and agriculture are also starting to come together — as shown by Côte d’Ivoire’s new commodities exchange, which could become a force for transparent markets, higher incomes, and reduced volatility for agricultural producers.”
While praising ECOWAS for being the first bloc to support her candidacy for the WTO leadership, Okonjo-Iweala stressed that the time had come for member states to act collectively to build regional economic strength.
“If each of our countries works alone, it is unlikely that we will be able to build efficient value chains or attract the investment we need,” the WTO DG said.
“However, if ECOWAS can think in terms of subregional value chains and markets, our economies become bigger and more attractive to investors.”
ECONOMIC INTEREST ON THEIR MINDS...
L-R
Oba of Benin Says He’s Overwhelmed with Return of 119 Artefacts, Hails Nduka Obaigbena’s Efforts
Musawa: Return of artefacts a shining moment for Nigeria
The Oba of Benin, His Majesty Oba Ewuare II, has expressed delight over the return of the artefacts looted in 1897, by the Government of the Netherlands to his palace in Benin City, the Edo State capital, saying he was overwhelmed with the handover ceremony.
Oba Ewuare, who was represented by his daughter, Princess Iku EwuareAimiuwu, at the agreement-signing ceremony held at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos, yesterday, said the return of the artefacts had been the wish of his father and grandfather.
The revered monarch praised the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY/ARISE NEWS Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, for his efforts to ensure that all the looted artefacts in 1897 were returned to the palace. He thanked God and his ancestors for making the agreement signing and handing over ceremony possible.
“I am very overwhelmed with this handing over ceremony because it has been the wish of my father and grandfather to ensure that all the looted artefacts in 1897 are returned to the palace of the Oba of Benin.
“A few of the artefacts were returned two years ago to my grandfather, his royal majesty Oba Akenzua II, and my father,” he said.
The Benin monarch also thanked the federal government led by President Bola Tinubu for his commitment and support towards the return of the looted artefacts.
He appreciated the government of the Netherlands for deeming it fit to return the 119 artefacts and commended the team that escorted the artefacts back to Nigeria and the palace of Benin.
“I thank the Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo for his unflinching support and for restoring Oba’s cultural centre to the palace, which will now be converted to Benin Bronzes Museum.
Police Not Debt Collectors,
Lagos Court Rules in Landmark N560,000 Hair Transaction Case
Awards N5m against orchestrator
Wale Igbintade
A Lagos High Court sitting at the Commercial Courthouse, Tapa, has delivered a landmark judgment in favour of a businessman, Chukwuemeka Akachukwu Ewereaku, condemning the Nigeria Police Force and a private complainant for the unlawful arrest, detention, and intimidation of the trader over a N560,000 hair transaction dispute.
Justice Anjorin-Ajose ruled that the entire incident was civil and did not justify the involvement of the police.
In its decision, the court awarded N5 million in general damages against one Tessy Chiamaka Nnadi for orchestrating what it described as a gross abuse of state power.
The matter arose from a December 2024 sale of luxury human hair valued at N560,000, advertised and sold by Mr. Ewereaku through WhatsApp.
Dissatisfied after receiving the product, Ms. Nnadi reportedly stormed the businessman’s shop and insisted on a refund.
When her demands were not immediately met, she escalated the matter to the police.
On December 11, 2024, armed policemen from the Lion Building Division allegedly arrested Ewereaku without any prior invitation.
He was then taken to the station, where he claimed to have been physically assaulted and forced under duress to refund the money.
In response, Ewereaku filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit—LD/1863MFHR/2024—through his counsel, Chibuenyim Precious Onyemachi of Enyim Solicitors.
The suit named the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Inspector Tolu of Lion Building Division, and Ms. Nnadi as respondents.
He sought declarations and injunctive relief, contending that his arrest and detention were illegal and that the entire episode constituted a breach of his fundamental rights.
He also submitted evidence, including medical reports and receipts, to support his claims of assault, harassment, and psychological trauma, including symptoms consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“I also thank the Director General of the National Commission for Monuments for working assiduously in line with the federal government’s directives and close cooperation.
“The Benin Kingdom is heavily indebted to former President Muhammadu Buhari whose administration ensured that the artefacts were returned.
“He was not just a president but a true friend of the royal court of Benin,” the Oba said.
The Oba specially eulogised Obaigbena for the laudable role he
played in the return of the artefacts, saying the palace was indebted to him.
“I also thank all the members of the Board of Trustees of the New Benin Royal Museum and the media crew and son of Edo land who were very supportive in my campaign to stop these artefacts from being re-looted.
“That media crew is no other than Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, the Chairman and owner of the ARISE TV and THISDAY Newspapers. The Royal Court of Benin is indebted to you.
Prince Obaigbena is also a prominent member of the Board of Trustees
of the Benin Royal Museum,” the monarch said.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Art, Culture, and Tourism, Hannatu Musawa described the return of the 119 Benin bronzes as a “shining moment for Nigeria.”
“The Benin bronzes are not just an expression of culture and heritage but values, ideals, and the pains of our ancestors.
“The return of these is watching history happen - a history that can right the wrongs of the past and continue to empower our future.
And it is a shining moment for me. A shining moment for our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This was his commitment and focus from the beginning to strengthen this creative economy.
“For many decades, Nigeria has spoken about our lost artefacts and returning them but this is one president that has put all the elements in place and put all the support for us as a ministry; empowering us to see to the return of these artefacts to where they belong at the Benin Kingdom,” she explained.
Again, COAS Vows to Bring Perpetrators of Recent Killings in Benue, Plateau, Others to Justice
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has again vowed that the Nigerian Army will bring to justice the perpetrators of the recent killings in Benue, Plateau states, and other parts of the country. He disclosed that he has also delivered critical combat enablers and deployed additional 300 troops to boost manpower under Operation “Whirl Stroke”.
Operation Whirl Stroke was launched on May 18, 2018, to counter armed herdsmen and militia groups in Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, and Zamfara states.
General Oluyede made this known yesterday in Akure, the Ondo State capital during a
second-quarter 2025 media chat organised by the Department of Civil-Military Affairs, Nigerian Army Headquarters.
The media chat was themed “Military – Media Collaboration: Panacea for Enhanced National Security and Development”.
The COAS, represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Div., Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Maj. Gen. Obinna Onubogu said the military was fully committed to ending the spate of violence, particularly in North-Central Nigeria.
Oluyede, who said President Bola Tinubu had given very clear orders, explained that they would remain engaged in Plateau, Benue, Kwara, and quite some other states that were experiencing insecurity.
“We are out, fully deployed, and tackling the menace head-on
“In Benue particularly, you will see in the coming weeks, very elaborate security arrangements to ensure that all that is going on there completely stops.
“Communities and local stakeholders should support military operations by sharing timely intelligence:
“The Army cannot be everywhere at once. Nigeria is a vast country but we are not as large in number as many people believe.
“We rely heavily on the support and cooperation of the local population to provide timely and credible information.
“In some cases, unfortunately, the people are not very helpful in terms of the information they give out, which delays our reaction time. That must
change if we are to win this fight together,” he said. The COAS called on media personnel to verify facts before publication and help in building national security and development to combat misinformation and sensational reporting.
According to him, the social media space, especially, is flooded with misinformation, disinformation and outright lies.
“So, we are appealing to the media practitioners to reach out to us before putting out unverified stories.
“We are satisfied with the support we’ve received from the media so far and we hope to deepen that synergy to ensure national security is not undermined by sensational reporting,” he said.
Based on Tinubu’s Directive for Lasting Peace in Benue, Akume Tor Tiv, Och’Idoma, Elders Parley
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has met with the paramount traditional rulers of Benue State - the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, and the Och’Idoma, Agabaidu Elaigwu Odogbo Obagaji John as part of continuous efforts to restore peace and security in the state.
A statement yesterday by Director Information and Public Relations Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,
Segun Imohiosen, said the highlevel meeting, held in Benue State was sequel to a directive by President Bola Tinubu proposing that a strategic peace committee aimed at addressing the root causes of violence in Benue and charting a path toward lasting reconciliation and stability be urgently convened At the meeting, the SGF, described the incident as heartbreaking and reiterated the president’s resolve to end the senseless killings in the food basket of the nation and across the country.
“We want to appeal to you to continue to stay vigilant so that miscreants do not infiltrate the communities. Whenever you observe a breach, do not resist in informing us. The President will never disappoint you," he said.
He noted that the inclusion of the Tor Tiv and Och’Idoma in the process reflected the Tinubu administration’s recognition of the important role of traditional institutions in conflict resolution, community dialogue, and peacebuilding.
In their remarks, the two Benue monarch commended the President Tinubu for his physical assessment in the state and assured the federal government of their full support and commitment to peace efforts. Likewise, they entreated all Benue communities to give peace a chance and cooperate with the committee once inaugurated. The proposed peace committee led by Akume has commenced consultations immediately, with a mandate to recommend actionable solutions to end the attacks in Benue State.
Fidelis David in Akure
Yinka Olatunbosun
(Front Row): Foreign Minister of Cote d'Ivoire, Kacou Houadja Léon Adom; President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio; President Bola Tinubu; President of Benin, Patrice Talon; and President of Liberia, Joseph Boakai, at the opening of the inaugural West African Economic Summit held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja…yesterday
YOU ARE WELCOME TO APC…
to mark his official defection from PDP to APC in Uyo…yesterday
Shettima to Gov Umo Eno: You
Won't Regret Decision to Join APC
Akpabio hails gov’s defection, says Fubara, Diri might also defect
Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Okon Bassey in Uyo
Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and his supporters who defected with him from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that they won't regret their decision to be part of the ruling party.
This is just as the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has insisted that Governor Eno’s defection to the APC would benefit Akwa Ibom State, saying that the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sim Fubara and Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State might also
defect to the APC from the PDP.
Shettima disclosed that President Bola Tinubu, specifically asked him to inform the governor that the APC would be home to him, and that no one would humiliate him or question his place in the party.
Shettima spoke yesterday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, where he represented the President at the Grand Reception of Governor Eno into the APC held at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
Addressing the mammoth crowd of APC supporters who thronged the venue of the grand reception, the Vice President said: "I am telling you this, Pastor Umo Eno, because I want you
and your co-travellers to know that Mr. President is a bridge-builder, an inveterate democrat, and so, your decision to come home to the APC is one that you will never regret.
"Mr. President asked me to assure you personally: No one will question your place here. This party is your home. You will not be humiliated. You will not be forsaken. We are your brothers and sisters in the high tides and the low ebbs. We ride together, and we rise together."
Eulogising Tinubu, Shettima stated that “long before the drumbeats of democracy returned to Nigeria, he offered his resources to sustain the struggle. When the wind of vindictiveness
sought to isolate Lagos when he was Governor, he stood alone and turned isolation into innovation."
The Vice President further gave the new APC entrants important insights into the workings of the party, saying the governing APC is "not a party of vanity metrics," which is why it has remained the party to beat 10 years after.
Speaking at the event, Senate President, Akpabio, described the decision of Governor Eno to move to the APC as political maturity for the benefit of Akwa Ibom State.
Akpabio said it was proof that Akwa Ibom State was ready to work with President Tinubu and the APC administration to deliver a renewed
Obi to NNPC: Alleged N210tn Financial Irregularities Confirms Nigeria as Crime Scene Says
country taken hostage by monumental corruption
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has said that the latest alleged “financial irregularities” at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) unearthed by the Senate confirmed his position that Nigeria has become “a crime scene.”
His reaction came 48 hours after the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, examining the books of
the oil company from 2017 to 2023, alleged that over N210 trillion could not be accounted for.
The figure included N103 trillion categorised as “accrued expenses” and another N107 trillion classified as “receivables”, which the committee said were contained in the audited accounts of the NNPCL.
Alarmed by the development, the committee, which is chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada, raised 11 questions for the NNPCL to answer within one week, though a team
led by the Chief Financial Officer of the company, Mr. Dapo Segun, relentlessly disputed the conclusions of the committee.
Taking to his X handle at the weekend, Obi tweeted, “It is with the utmost sadness that I once again reaffirm what I have consistently said: Nigeria has become a crime scene.
“How else does one explain the recent revelation by the Senate, which uncovered the audited accounts of the NNPC from 2017 to 2023? The Senate uncovered N210 trillion in
financial irregularities, N103 trillion in so-called ‘accrued expenses’, and another N107 trillion in unaccounted ‘receivables. No documentation. No accountability. No consequences.
“This is not just another scandal, it is a clear and damning confirmation of a nation held hostage by monumental corruption.”
Obi said he was dumbfounded that the amount in question was way higher than the country’s total national budget for the period under review (2017-2023).
ICC Rejects Amnesty International’s Request for Prosecutor to Investigate Alleged Atrocities in Nigeria
Wale Igbintade
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected a request by Amnesty International (AI) seeking to compel the Prosecutor to obtain authorisation to open a formal investigation into alleged crimes committed in Nigeria. In a ruling delivered by PreTrial Chamber I, the court held that Amnesty International lacks the legal standing to file such a request, as there are no ongoing judicial proceedings before the ICC concerning the situation in Nigeria.
Pre-Trial Chamber I is composed of Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc (Presiding), Judge Reine Adélaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou, and Judge Maria del Socorro Flores Liera.
The decision was made by a majority, Judges Motoc and Alapini-Gansou with Judge Flores Liera dissenting.
Amnesty had urged the court to investigate alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in North-east Nigeria, where both Boko Haram and Nigerian security forces have been implicated in the prolonged conflict.
However, the Chamber reaffirmed that only States Parties or the ICC Prosecutor can request the initiation of an investigation. As a non-state actor, Amnesty International cannot initiate judicial proceedings or compel prosecutorial action before the court.
Although the ICC previously acknowledged serious concerns in Nigeria, concluding during an earlier preliminary examination that war crimes and crimes against humanity had occurred, it has not authorised a full investigation.
The court also noted that, while the Prosecutor had found that
Nigerian authorities failed to conduct genuine domestic investigations, this did not give Amnesty International legal standing to act on behalf of victims in this procedural context. Amnesty International filed the request on behalf of thousands of victims and several survivor networks in northeast Nigeria.
Despite the court’s ruling, the organisation reiterated its commitment to seeking justice and called on ICC member states to ensure the court is adequately resourced to pursue investigations where warranted.
hope agenda to Nigerians.
“It was a little bit of a surprise when we (South-south) attempted to go different ways in 2023,” he said.
“Today, Governor Otu is no longer an orphan. Thank you for being here to welcome your brothers, and you will welcome more brothers.
“Governor Sheriff of Delta, thank you for joining the progressives’ family and moving the south-south in the progressives’ direction.
“Governor Uno Eno, after you, who knows? Rivers State will tumble. After Rivers, Bayelsa will join,” he said.
While praising Governor Uno for his decision, the Senate President appealed to President Tinubu to harken to the governor’s request on the Deep Seaport to develop the blue economy of Akwa Ibom State and empower the youths.
"You have placed the unity and progress of Akwa Ibom State above party lines; you have chosen partnership over partisanship. So, to the men and women of Akwa Ibom State who have followed you diligently in this defining moment, our leaders, our thinkers, our patrons, I say to you ‘welcome home to the progressive family.”
On his part, Governor Eno while
addressing the gathering, said his purpose for joining the APC was to get the Ibom Deep Seaport running, noting that previous state governors had struggled to get the seaport started. He said he took a risk to abandon the PDP to join Akpabio in the APC so as to secure the Ibom Deep Seaport, pointing out that the movement was from a position of strength.
The governor stated that he was willing to face the political storm ahead as long as he secures the Ibom Deep Seaport for Akwa Ibom, and reassured the people that he would remain a governor for all despite party affiliations.
While receiving Governor Eno and all his cabinet members and others into the APC, the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, said the movement of South-south governors into the APC was a signal that President Tinubu’s policies were inclusive and worth aligning with.
He assured the governor that with his movement to the APC, President Tinubu would begin to implement programmes that would solve the environmental problems in the state and region as well as provide employment opportunities for the youths.
Ondo Govt: Kidnappers Found Guilty to Die by Hanging, Buildings to Be Demolished By Court Order
Fidelis David in Akure
The Ondo State Government has said that the state’s anti-kidnapping law would be reviewed by the State House of Assembly to prescribe the death penalty for kidnappers by hanging, while buildings and other facilities used by kidnappers would be demolished after following due process in the court.
The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Kayode Ajulo (SAN), stated this yesterday at a press briefing after the State Executive Council meeting in Akure, the state capital.
Ajulo explained that the antikidnapping law would be reviewed by the Ondo State House of Assembly.
He said the council was also concerned about the spate of cultism in the state and would do everything necessary to decisively deal with the situation.
He said the penalty for kidnappers in the state would now be death by hanging after reviewing the law through the state House of Assembly.
“The governor, being a lover of the rule of law, would not go the way it’s being done in other states without following necessary court due process.
“We should know that we have investors coming to the state, and as part of the measures, we should ensure we encourage them that they and their investment are safe,” he said.
Also speaking, Special Adviser on Infrastructure, Lands, and Housing, Abiola Olawoye, said the executive also approved the installation of 6,000 solar-powered street lights across the three senatorial districts.
Olawoye said the construction of a 24.75 km dual carriageway from Okitipupa to Igbokoda Jetty was also approved at the meeting.
He also disclosed that the council also approved the construction of a 6.7 km dual carriageway from Supare Junction–Akungba–Ikare Road in Akoko. The Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties, Mr. Bola Taiwo, said that the state government had approved the selection process of the Olu of Okeigbo by the warrant chiefs.
L-R: Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno; National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; and other officials of the ruling party during the handing over of the party’s flag to the governor
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
INTER-AGENCY COLLABORATION…
L-R: Secretary of Council and Director of Administration Nigerian Law School, Ms Ronke Osho; Director-General Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN); Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu: Chairman, Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN); and President, Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Council of Legal Education on the Executive Secretary of NUC at his Abuja office…recently
Nigeria Rated Poorly on Key Human Rights
Indicators, Global Assessment Report Reveals
Wale Igbintade
Nigeria has again performed poorly on key human rights indicators, according to new data by the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI), an independent global nongovernmental organisation.
The report alleges significant shortfalls in government protections for civil liberties, personal security, and basic living standards.
In its 2025 dataset, published via the Rights Tracker platform, HRMI rated Nigeria 3.2 out of 10 in the category of Safety from the State, which includes protection from arbitrary arrest, torture, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial execution, and the death penalty.
The report, obtained by Premium Times, said all of these rights, except for the death penalty, fell within HRMI’s “bad” or “very bad” range.
HRMI is an independent non-profit that produces peerreviewed, data-driven human rights assessments.
Its Rights Tracker platform provides civil and political rights data for over 40 countries (2017–2024) and economic and social rights data for 195 countries (2000–2022), based on the awardwinning SERF Index.
HRMI’s data are used by organisations including Amnesty International, the World Bank, and the United Nations.
Freedom from arbitrary arrest
received Nigeria’s lowest score in this category at 2.5, placing the country among the lowest ranked globally, alongside Mexico and Venezuela. Within Africa, Nigeria ranked third worst among the eight countries assessed, behind only Kenya and Mozambique.
“This is the first time we have produced civil and political rights data for Nigeria, and it is already clear that the government in Abuja has a long way to go in protecting the basic rights of its citizens,” said Nkosi Sibanda, HRMI’s East and Southern Africa Lead in a statement dated 17 June.
The findings come as Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) continues to document a surge in reported violations.
In May 2025, the commission said it recorded 275,256 cases, marking a five per cent increase from April’s figure of 261,483.
HRMI’s assessment also raised concerns in the Empowerment category, which covers freedoms of expression, assembly, association, religion, and democratic participation. Nigeria scored 4.5 out of 10, with all subcategories, except freedom of religion and belief—rated as “bad.”
Human rights experts surveyed by HRMI said that protesters, activists, Indigenous communities, and labour advocates remain highly vulnerable to repression.
The report cited crackdowns on demonstrators during the
Gunmen Abduct Judge in Bayelsa
Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
Gunmen yesterday abducted a judge of the Bayelsa State High Court, Justice E.G. Umokoro, in Yenagoa, the state capital.
He was reportedly kidnapped in front of popular eatery in Ekeki area along the Chief Melford Okilo Expressway at about 7p.m.
Although the motive for the abduction is unclear, the incident
heightened tension in the state following violent clashes between cult groups which has claimed scores of lives including violent robberies in parts of the state.
Efforts to reach the state police command spokesman, Musa Mohammed, proved abortive as calls to his phone went unanswered.
He also did not respond to a text message sent to his phone.
August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests, as well as actions against #EndSARS, #RevolutionNow, #EndHunger, and Ebi np awa (“We Are Hungry”) movements.
“Many people who speak up or protest non-violently in Nigeria remain at risk of serious rights violations,” the report noted.
The NHRC has also linked the rise in violations to deteriorating economic conditions. In October 2024, the commission recorded 427,606 complaints—a 27 per cent increase over the previous month. That month also saw the highest number of killings and abductions, according to the commission’s Senior Human Rights Adviser, Hilary Ogbonna.
Ogbonna explained that the spike was partly due to the explosion of a fuel tanker in the Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State, which killed 167 people. The tragedy occurred as residents attempted to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker.
“Because of economic hardship, people saw an opportunity to make a profit, which sadly led to their death,” Ogbonna said.
“The security and welfare of the people is the primary duty of the government. It doesn’t matter whether they can read ‘inflammable’ or not. What is a mechanically unfit fuel tanker doing on a public road?”
In HRMI’s Quality of Life
category, Nigeria’s scores were equally troubling. The country rated in the “very bad” range across all indicators—health, food, housing, and work—with particularly low figures for access to water (38.25%) and sanitation (46.6%).
“In many parts of Nigeria, especially urban centres, rent prices have soared—sometimes by over 100%—while wages remain stagnant,” said Kehinde Adegboyega, HRMI’s Nigeria Ambassador and Executive Director of the Human Rights Journalists Network.
“People are being pushed out of decent housing, forced to downsize, or even sell personal
belongings just to survive.” Adegboyega urged the government to treat access to affordable housing as a fundamental right, not merely an economic policy issue.
HRMI’s Co-Executive Director, Thalia Kehoe Rowden, said the country has the resources to reverse these trends but lacks the political will.
“Our scores show that Nigeria has all the resources it needs to make very significant improvements in people’s lives,” she said.“The government must fulfill its obligation to devote maximum available resources toward basic rights like education, healthcare, and food.”
Ex-Envoy Petitions FCT CJ, Alleges Bias in Onyeama’s Defamation Case
A former Nigerian Ambassador, Lilian Onoh, has petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), alleging judicial bias and procedural irregularities in a defamation suit filed against her by a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama.
In her petition, Onoh questioned the judgment delivered on June 4, 2025, by Justice Keziah Ogbonnaya, which ruled in favour of Onyeama.
She described aspects of the decision as troubling and claimed
that it conflated her criticism of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with personal defamation against the former minister.
Onoh, who previously served as Head of Mission in Jamaica and High Commissioner to Namibia, argued that the ruling undermined institutional accountability by treating criticism of the ministry as a personal attack on Onyeama.
She also alleged that certain procedural steps were not followed.
According to her, the court declined to hear some of her
pre-trial applications and required her to bear costs associated with virtual court proceedings, including the provision of technical resources.
In the petition, she further alleged that there were delays in the issuance of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, which she said hindered her ability to file an appeal promptly.
Onoh suggested that the handling of the case may have been influenced by her prior petition in 2023 concerning alleged misconduct, and called for a review of the judgment.
She also urged the FCT Chief Judge to investigate certain remarks made in court, which she believed amounted to improper judicial conduct. The petition, which was also sent to the Inspector General of Police, the Attorney General of the Federation, and several diplomatic missions, called for an independent inquiry and an interim suspension of the judgment's enforcement. Efforts to obtain comments from Justice Ogbonnaya and Mr. Onyeama were unsuccessful as of press time.
Air Peace Flight Returns to Lagos Due to Bird Strike, Airline Apologises for Flight Disruptions
Chinedu Eze
Following a bird strike that hit Air Peace flight P47150 on Lagos-Owerri route yesterday, forcing the aircraft to return to Lagos, the airline has informed its passengers that there could be disruption of flights, and apologised for the delays. With the bird strike, the pilot-incommand of the flight made an air return, just as the airline appealed to its passengers to be patient, while another aircraft was deployed to
service the route.
Air Peace further disclosed that it had recorded frequent bird strikes in most of its domestic routes, with 34 bird strikes recorded this year alone and 115 in the last five years.
In a statement issued yesterday on the flight disruption, the airline stated: “This morning, flight P47150 operating Lagos-Owerri route experienced a bird strike and had to make an air return for safety checks. We regret to inform our valued passengers of ongoing flight disruptions on some
of our route networks today. We empathise with our passengers over the inconvenience caused and appeal for your patience and understanding as we work diligently to minimise disruptions”.
Last week Air Peace flights suffered bird strike on Owerri and Port Harcourt routes respectively and the aircraft involved were grounded for days for repairs before they were taken back to service.
Also, an official of the airline told THISDAY: “This is number 34 bird
strike for this year alone. Please make this known to the public because passengers will blame the airline for delays and cancellations but most of the causes of flight disruptions are beyond the airline.”
However, it is the responsibility of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to keep birds away from the airports. FAAN had recently announced that it was taking a different and more positive approach to keep birds away from the airports.
Wale Igbintade
2027: THE CHALLENGERS
The Men Who Could Face President Tinubu
The battle for the 2027 presidency has begun to build up, albeit with fluid permutations as some of the presidential hopefuls in the National Opposition Coalition Group, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, are still pondering the options before them.
While President Bola Tinubu is potentially the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in view of the gale of endorsements of his candidacy, the opposition coalition is yet to
perfect crucial decisions to boost their chances in the election, except the June 19 application to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking for the registration of a new political party—the All Democratic Alliance (ADA).
The ruling APC had endorsed President Tinubu for another term of four years, after governors of the party led by the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, had earlier adopted and endorsed him as their candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
Following this was a coterie of endorsements by several private individuals and opposition figures, after citing his many bold reforms.
On the part of the opposition seeking to upstage
▪Goodluck Jonathan - The Relunctant Candidate
The popularity rating of former President Goodluck Jonathan has soared since he was defeated by Buhari in 2015 due to certain factors.
First was the manner in which he relinquished power without a fight. This endeared him to the international community especially. Two, he had undertaken many regional and global assignments, which he discharged very well.
Three, there is the factor of the better living conditions that Nigerians experienced during his tenure, which is being used as a parallel today. The condition then was one of the things canvassed against him by the opposition.
Jonathan is being urged to challenge Tinubu and return to office. This calculation is based on the fact that he is the only southerner constitutionally bound to run for just a term of four years.
It is, therefore, believed that the north may back him more than any other person for this singular reason. Indeed, many people had met him over this, but he has refused to give any concrete answer.
However, the recent statement by his wife, Patience Jonathan, that her husband would not contest against Tinubu might have damaged that option.
But he is one aspirant that could give Tinubu a really tough time if he indicates interest to run.
▪Atiku Abubakar - Waiting for the Marabout
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has earned the moniker as Nigeria’s veteran presidential election contestant. He has contested unsuccessfully for the President of Nigeria at six different election cycles: 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023.
Atiku’s closest chance to become president was in 2019 and 2023. He came to a close second in 2023 with a total of 6,984,520 votes behind the incumbent President Tinubu, who scored 8,794,726 votes, the lowest in contemporary history that any president ever polled.
But there are forces in the opposition coalition, who feel that Atiku has had his time and that others have served him long enough. His ambition to be president is largely believed to be responsible for the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Many of the governors and other stakeholders do not want to work hard to put the party in shape, only for Atiku to come and ‘grab’ the ticket again.
Besides, a majority of them still believe in the zoning principle and therefore hold the view that power must remain in the south, a decision that is evidently counter to Atiku’s interest.
▪Peter Obi - Hopeful Candidate
A two-term former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, took the political scene by storm when he contested alongside President Bola Tinubu and Atiku in 2023. He, however, came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes on the platform of the Labour Party (LP). He was closer to Atiku than he was to Tinubu in that election.
Obi, though enjoyed goodwill and mass appeal from the youth population, who constitute a good percentage of the voting population, his presidential voyage was considered a misadventure by many of the political strategists, who still believed that had he waited behind to work with Atiku, the Emi lo kan catchphrase would have remained a dream.
The South-east is a known PDP stronghold and has never produced a president since 1999. But by coming out in 2023 to vie for the presidency from that part of the country, Obi secured the home zone advantage, which depleted Atiku’s votes and consequently handed Tinubu victory. Obi is believed to be back in the race but it is not clear if he still enjoys the same goodwill as he did in 2023 among the youths. It is also not certain if the north would support any southerner who is constitutionally entitled to two terms of eight years after Tinubu’s four years.
▪Bukola Saraki - On the Sidelines
A former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, is a formidable force in Kwara State, and two-term governor of the state.
With a good knowledge of national politics, Saraki, who had also been the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, contested the May 2022 presidential primary of the PDP and came third after Atiku Abubakar and Nyesom Wike.
In spite of losing Kwara State to the APC in the 2019 elections, Saraki has remained a popular figure, both in Kwara and national politics. Unfortunately, the part of the country he hails from has always been a disadvantage of sort.
While the core north does not think North-central where Saraki hails from, should be considered for presidency if the position is zoned to the North, the south, even though he boasts a Yoruba name, neither thinks he belongs to it. In the current extrapolation, however, a Saraki, with one leg in the north and the other in the south, appears a typical compromise candidate in the event of a stalemate. However, he has not indicated interest to run in 2027. But it would take more than such surface-scratching analysis to take on a Tinubu. Though Saraki is capable in terms of strategy, capacity and ability to think on his feet, the subsisting political equation seems to be against him.
Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 elections, a lot is yet to be done.
However, it had resolved to form a new party instead of flying the flag of an existing one to prosecute the 2027 presidential election battle.
But the other elephant in the room of the opposition is the decision on whether to zone the presidential ticket to the south, which is in sync with the mood of the nation.
Directly connected to this is whether to zone the ticket to the north for a balance of the geo-political zones in the election.
However, this option is against the mood of the nation after the eight years of Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner.
While this internal extrapolations by the coalition subsisted, some members of the opposition have either begun to show interest in the presidency or are being considered by other members of the larger group.
Although they are a blend of the southern and northern aspirants, some of them are directly pushing their aspiration, while some are being goaded on by their compatriots. At the same time, some are still dilly-dallying on whether to run or not.
Below are some of the names that are being considered head-to-head with Tinubu, and how they stand in the subsisting equation, which is yet to fully take off.
▪Rabiu Kwankwaso - Challenger from Kano
A former Minister of Defence and two-term governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, is unable to unsettle any serious political applecart in any part of the country beyond Kano.
Though he has established himself as the political leader of Kano State with grassroots support, his control of the state is currently shaky.
Kwankwaso, leader of Kwankwasiyya, a grassroots political movement, which recently attracted membership of 24 retired military officers of Kano origin, has always had an eye on the presidency.
He contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and came a distant fourth with 1,496,687 votes.
As it is, his political future is unknown due to the leadership crisis rocking his party, the NNPP, and the fact that he has not identified with the opposition coalition.
He is the least of Tinubu’s problems, though Kano is crucial to any presidential race. The president’s men are believed to be containing
▪Chibuike Amaechi - Table Shaker
One of the politicians who has served the longest in Nigeria’s history is Rotimi Amaechi. A former speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, two-term governor of Rivers State and former Minister of Transportation for eight years, Amaechi comes to the race with requisite experience.
Many of those he trained and who rose through him are currently doing well in various political spaces and in personal capacities. This includes the current Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, a man he nursed from his political cradle to stardom.
Amaechi contested the June 2022 presidential primary of the APC and came a distant second with 316 votes, trailing behind Tinubu, who garnered 1,271 votes to emerge the winner.
Amaechi defeated 11 other aspirants, including former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. He is one of the few men with courage, who has on a few occasions, criticised the Tinubu administration for the hardship it has brought on the Nigerian people. He also stood against his declaration of emergency rule in his state, Rivers, describing it as unconstitutional.
Amaechi’s presidential dream is no longer in the closet. It is also why he has been part of the coalition talks. Like other potential choices from the South, it is not certain if the North will support another southerner being in office for eight years after Tinubu’s four years.
Although his allies are saying Amaechi is so credible that if he had an understanding to serve for four years, he would never renege on his honour. But that is still not enough. Will the North ever trust anyone again after Jonathan allegedly reneged on a similar agreement?
▪Nasir El-Rufai - Disruptor
Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and ex-Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is among the strong members of the opposition coalition seeking to unseat President Tinubu in 2027.
Though he has not in any way indicated interest in the 2027 presidential election, he is ready to provide support to unseat Tinubu. Many, however, believed that El-Rufai is still nursing an ambition to pair with a southern candidate, knowing that such a running mate may ultimately inherit the presidency afterwards.
El-Rufai’s grievances against the president stemmed from the Senate’s refusal to confirm him as minister allegedly on the ‘order from above’.
Unable to take the pain and the embarrassment the refusal to clear him had caused his person, he has remained unconsolable and determined to take revenge against Tinubu and the APC in 2027.
However, the killings in southern Kaduna when he was governor diminished his political fortunes.
▪Ibrahim Shekarau - Calm before the Storm
Another two-term former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, is a major force in Kano politics.
A former Minister of Education, he is the Chairman of the League of Northern Democrats (LND), a political movement established by a coalition of northern elites interfacing with the opposition coalition on the 2027 talks.
Although Shekarau has not indicated interest in the presidency, he is one of the northern forces who had vowed to send Tinubu back to Lagos in 2027.
However, like Kwankwaso, Shekarau does not seem to constitute any threat to Tinubu, as the mood of the nation favours the presidency remaining in the South in 2027.
Kwankwaso in Kano.
Olawale Olaleye and Ejiofor Alike
PRODUCT PROMOTION…
L-R: Industrial Development Officer, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Dr. Yunrui Zhou; Managing Director, Somotex Nigeria Limited, Mr. Anil Mohinani; Representative of the Minister of Environment, Mr. Idris Abdullahi; Representative of the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Lagos State, Mr. Adeoye Babajide; and National Programme Officer, UNIDO, Dr. Osu Otu, at the
inauguration of the new ozone- and climate-friendly AC line for Somotex Nigeria Limited in Lagos…recently
To Tackle Malnutrition Crisis, Shettima Inaugurates Strategic Board to Save Lives, Safeguard Future
Vice President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the Strategic Board of the Nutrition 774 Initiative, describing it as a decisive step by the President Bola Tinubu administration to address the malnutrition crisis threatening lives and development across Nigeria.
According to him, the new board is a war room created to win the battle against malnutrition
nationwide.
Speaking at the weekend during the inauguration of the board at the State House in Abuja, Shettima said malnutrition is a national emergency that poses both health and security threats to Nigeria and requires immediate, coordinated action across all 774 local government areas.
“This Strategic Board is not a ceremonial committee; it is a war room, assembled to win the battle against malnutrition
FG Raises the Alarm on Dangers of Rapid Urbanisation, Deforestation, Cites Diseases, Erosion, Flooding
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
In the face of rapid urbanisation, the federal government has warned that diseases, erosion, flooding, and other negative effects will become a norm unless urgent measures are taken to integrate urban forests into city planning.
The government said the absence of urban forestry in development plans has continued to expose cities to climate-induced hazards such as extreme heat, air pollution, and the spread of diseases.
Director-General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Dr. Saleh Abubakar, gave
the warning at the 2025 and maiden edition of The Future Conference with the theme, ‘Sustainable Cities- The Future of Housing’ which was organised by Coresphere Nigeria Limited in Abuja yesterday.
Represented by the agency’s Director of Planning, Policy, and Coordination, Dr. Innocent Onu Alenyi, NAGGW DG noted that by 2050, Nigeria’s population is projected to exceed 265 million, adding that without green buffers, the consequences could be catastrophic.
He said most Nigerian cities are currently ill-equipped to cope with future climate pressures due to poor integration of greenery and forest ecosystems.
NAF First Female Fighter Pilot Wins Top Ghana Awards
Flight Lieutenant Kafayat
Omolara Sanni, Nigeria’s first female fighter pilot, has again made history by emerging as the Best Allied Student and winner of the Best Assistant Commandant Paper at the prestigious Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), Accra.
The awards were presented during the College’s graduation ceremony, attended by top military officials and dignitar-
ies from across Africa.
Flt-Lt Sanni’s impressive records first made headlines in 2019 when she was decorated as the Nigerian Air Force’s (NAF) first female fighter pilot after completing her pilot training in the United States. Since then, she has flown the Alpha Jet as well as undertaken training sorties on the Super Mushshak as a prolific instructor pilot, producing and mentoring younger pilots for the NAF.
in every corner of this country,” the Vice President said.
While urging the members of the newly inaugurated board to treat their appointment as a call to urgent national duty, Shettima said: “This is not a tea-drinking exercise. This is a national call to duty. A race against time. A mission to save lives and safeguard our future.
“We are counting on our state governors to drive implementation at scale, and on our local government chairmen who, being closest to the people, hold the keys to reaching the grassroots.”
He declared that the Nutrition 774 Initiative is President Tinubu administration’s “bold answer to a quiet emergency” that affects homes, schools, hospitals, and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps across the country.
“A nation that neglects the physiological needs of its people, particularly the most vulnerable, flirts with instability. Because a malnourished population is an unproductive one, and an unproductive population drags down the wheels of progress,” he warned.
The vice president explained that the Nutrition 774 Initiative is “designed to harmonise what has been scattered, to end duplication by embracing coordination, and to build a single, unified framework that allows us to align, act, and deliver measurable impact.”
NNPCL Shops for New Spokesperson as Soneye Exits Company, Cites Family, Personal Responsibilities
Peter Uzoho
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has started shopping for a new spokesman as its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, has exited the company after 20 months of meritorious service.
Soneye announced his exit from the national oil company yesterday in a statement he signed
and shared with his professional colleagues in the media.
The outgoing NNPCL spokesperson said his decision to leave the company would allow him to devote more time to his family and attend to personal responsibilities that now require his closer presence.
Soneye noted that it had been a profound honour to serve both the company and the country, and to contribute in his own way
to the ongoing transformation of NNPCL.
He said he was deeply grateful for the trust reposed in him, the opportunities granted, and the incredible professionals both within and outside the organisation with whom he had worked.
Soneye added that he remains a steadfast supporter and ambassador of NNPCL wherever he goes. He enjoined his media colleagues to continue their
robust, balanced, and constructive reportage in support of the company’s noble mission and strategic role in Nigeria’s energy future.
He extended his heartfelt gratitude to all his media colleagues for the unwavering support, professionalism, and genuine commitment they had shown in helping to shape and amplify the NNPCL’s story over the past 20 months.
CNS Laud’s Troops Victory against ISWAP in Lake Chad
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, has commended troops for their bravery in decimating scores of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in the Lake Chad region.
Recall that last Wednesday, his personnel effectively repelled an attack by the terrorists and neutralised many
of them, while several others were injured in an attempt to destroy government and security facilities.
The CNS who arrived at the Nigerian Airforce Base in Maiduguri at about 11 am on Saturday was received by the Theatre Commander, North East Joint Task Force ‘Operation Hadin Kai’, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar and other top
military brass. Ogalla was accompanied by the Chief of Operations, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferriera, the Chief of Logistics, Rear Admiral OK Oluwagbire and the Navy Secretary, Rear Admiral Patrick Nwatu who along side the Theatre Commander flew into Baga Naval Base Lake Chad and addressed the gallant troops.
The CNS charged troops fighting Boko haram terrorists to remain resolute as the Federal Government is making resources available to them, and to also address their challenges at the frontline immediately. He also assured troops that the Naval Headquarters is already working on deploying additional fighting equipment and manpower to further support their efforts.
Abati: Blame Japa Syndrome on Bad Leadership
Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
Seasoned journalist and ARISE NEWS Channel’s anchor, Dr. Reuben Abati, has said that the uncertain movement of Nigerians, especially the youths to Europe and other Western countries for greener pastures, known as Japa, is due to lack of appropriate leadership in the country.
Abati, made the assertion while delivering a lecture titled: ‘The Japa Syndrome and the future of the university education
in Nigeria’ to herald the maiden convocation of the University of African, Toru-Orua UAT, in Sagbama Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa State.
Abati, who expressed concern that the nation was sinking deep into brain drain, called on government at all levels to re-prioritise education in both budgets and policy in order to end the “Japa syndrome” amongst youth population.
Highlighting some of the implications of “Japa”
to include brain drain, demographic shift, negative impact on institutions and economic consequences, he advised the graduands of UAT not to embrace the japa syndrome but rather see themselves as solutions to the nation’s problem.
He said: “Young Nigerians are not just escaping leadership but responding rationally to global opportunities that reward merit, skill and innovation.
“Japan syndrome is not merely a social trend, but a symptom of deeper systematic challenges that
demand our collective attention, wisdom and action,” Abati stated. Earlier in a pre-convocation press briefing, the Vice-Chancellor of UAT, Professor Solomon Ebobrah, who said the combined convocation ceremony will witness the graduation of 905 students for the 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 academic sessions, said the institution has made steady progress from the initial N500 students to N4,000 students, appreciated Governor Douye Diri for the continued support.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
JOLLY GOOD FELLOW . . .
L-R: Dr Emmanuel Usen Effiong; Master Samuel Usen Effiong; Archbishop of Methodist Church, Diocese of Abuja, His Grace, Most Revd. Dr. Michael O. Akinwale; Lady Afiong Usen Effiong; Executive Director of Corporate Services, Bank of Industry, Sir. Usen Effiong; Miss Immanuela Usen Effiong; and Presbyter Cathedral of Unity, Abuja, Very Rev Aaron Ankeli Onuh, during the retirement thanksgiving service of the family of
Effiong, in Abuja...yesterday
To Avert Disruption of Hotel Businesses, Musawa Directs NIHOTOUR
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has directed the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) to immediately suspend all enforcement actions nationwide following recent incidents in Lagos State where hotel businesses were disrupted.
Following the ugly developments arising from the evasion of some hotels in Lagos and disruption of their business by the agents of NIHOTOUR over the non-compliance with the registration of their staff members, the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) had formally written to the minister, demanding an immediate review and overhaul of NIHOTOUR Establishment Act of 2022, and seeking peaceful resolution to save the industry.
In a directive at the weekend, Musawa directed NIHOTOUR
to Suspend Enforcement Actions Nationwide
to immediately suspend all enforcement actions nationwide.
The decision, she said, paves the way for a more inclusive, transparent and consultative stakeholder engagement process, which she will personally lead in the coming weeks.
While reaffirming NIHOTOUR’s legal mandate to regulate standards, maintain a register of personnel, practitioners and professionals and ensure compliance across Nigeria’s hospitality, tourism and travel sectors, the minister called for calm and mutual understanding among all stakeholders.
“The industry must be driven by standards, but our approach must also reflect our shared humanity. Compliance must not come at the expense of dialogue,” she said in a statement issued yesterday.
The statement noted that a multi-stakeholder roundtable will be convened shortly to
Adeyanju Urges Tinubu to Lead Charge in De-criminalising Defamation Cases in Nigeria
Human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead the urgent and overdue charge to decriminalise defamation and ensure freedom before and after speech in Nigeria.
Adeyanju, who made this call yesterday in Abuja while reacting to the president’s recent visit to Benue and Kaduna noted that true democracy can only flourish when citizens enjoy both freedom of speech and freedom of speech.
Commending Tinubu for his remarks in Benue State, urging politicians to show tolerance for critics and political rivals, Adeyanju further applauded the President over his directive to security agencies to refrain from
punishing the individual who charged at him in Kaduna.
“It is important that leaders at all levels understand that democratic governance requires space for criticism and opposing views.
“This is a welcome departure from the culture of intolerance and abuse of power. I urge religious leaders, traditional rulers, and political stakeholders to take a cue from the president’s message and uphold the rights of Nigerians to speak freely, before and after speech.
“The Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies must immediately stop allowing themselves to be tools in the hands of the powerful to arrest, intimidate, or silence critics. The president has made it clear that we must learn from our critics, not persecute them,” he added.
harmonise expectations, deepen collaboration and reposition the industry for sustainable growth in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
The ministry said it
remained dedicated to strengthening dialogue and strategic partnerships with all sectoral stakeholders to build an ecosystem rooted in trust, innovation, and shared prosperity.
Musawa commended the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) and other professional bodies for their steadfast commitment to advancing sectoral growth and cohesion, and reaffirmed
her commitment to supporting NIHOTOUR in its ongoing transformation into a dynamic, responsible, and industryaligned regulatory institution working collaboratively for national development.
Matawalle: Nigeria Targets $12bn in $90bn Annual Global Electronic Navigational Chart Validation
Linus Aleke in Abuja
Nigeria is targeting about $12 billion in annual revenue from chart validation, distribution, and revenue management for international shipping clients by tapping into the $90 billion global market for Electronic Navigational Chart.
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, made this known yesterday in Abuja at the World Hydrography Day 2025
and West African Hydrographic Summit with the theme, “Seabed Mapping -Enabling Ocean Action.”
He said the federal government had established the International Centre for Electronic Navigational Charts West Africa Regional Office and Training Centre.
He pledged Nigeria’s support for hydrographic capacity building, investment in technology, and stronger regional ties to ensure that no part of Nigerian waters remains uncharted, unsafe, or unsustainable.
95% of Fever Cases in Lagos
Data now shows an astounding 95 out of every 100 fevers experienced in Lagos are not caused by malaria, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi has said.
The critical finding is at the heart of a new, multi-pronged approach to fever management, designed to combat misdiagnosis and, crucially, to avert a looming crisis of antimicrobial resistance.
Abayomi said this at a three-day
According to him, sustainable development, especially in the nation’s coastal and riverine communities, depends on how well we understand and manage our marine environment.
“It is on this note that I announce the formal establishment of the International Centre for Electronic Navigational Charts West Africa Regional Office & Training Centre to be hosted by the National Hydrographic Agency here in Abuja.
“By this strategic partnership, the National Hydrographic Agency of Nigeria has joined four other global regional offices in the US, UK, Australia, and Brazil.
“This move positions Nigeria to tap into the $90 million global market for Electronic Navigational Charts, potentially generating between $9 million and $12 million in annual revenue from chart validation, distribution, and revenue management for international shipping clients,” he said.
Not Malaria, Says Commissioner
Study Kick-Off of the Pathway to Pre-Elimination and Digitisation Project in Lagos State.
The focus was Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test and Microscopy Comparative Study & Assessment of PPMVS’ Capacity to Manage Malaria and Febrile Illnesses.
Abayomi said: “We need to get malaria out of the region.
“It is very, very important that we do that once and for
all, perform the mind shift in our healthcare providers that on average, 95 out of every 100 fevers that you may see are not caused by malaria.”
“For too long, the default response to fever in Lagos, and indeed nationwide, had been to administer anti-malarial drugs, often without proper diagnostic testing.
This practice, the commissioner warned, was not only
wasteful but dangerous. According to him, the widespread, often unnecessary use of anti-malarial and antibiotics is accelerating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a global threat where common infections become untreatable.
“We are sitting on a very major problem of microbial resistance. And we have to be careful how we dispense antimicrobials and how we dispense antibiotics.”
Benue Political Coalition Emerges to Challenge APC, PDP in 2027 Elections
George Okoh in Makurdi
A new political realignment is taking shape in Benue State as a coalition of political actors and parties has vowed to challenge the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 general elections.
The coalition, comprising stakeholders across Benue South Senatorial District, convened over the weekend at Haggi
Suite, Otukpo, to deliberate on the formation of a formidable third-force party to reshape the political landscape in the state and beyond.
In his welcome remarks, former Benue State PDP Chairman, Chief John Ngbede, decried the current state of the PDP, describing it as “decayed and hijacked by selfish interests.”
According to him, the party no longer serves the people’s collective aspirations, prompting the urgent need for a new
political direction. “The PDP has been taken over by individuals building barriers rather than bridges. They have imported poverty and division among our people. It’s time we unite under a new coalition to restore hope,” Ngbede stated.
The coalition draws strength from all nine local government areas of Benue South—Apa, Agatu, Ado, Ogbadibo, Ohimini, Otukpo, Okpokwu, Oju, and Obi. The movement is being
spearheaded by none other than former Senate President of the 7th and 8th Assemblies, Senator David Mark, whose leadership is seen as a rallying point for credible opposition and reform. Key political figures at the Otukpo meeting included Chief John Ngbede, Hon. David Olofu, Prof. David Salifu, Chief Chris Adaba Abah, Alhaji Audu Sule, Chief Abba Adaudu, Rt. Hon. Abu Umoru, Rt. Hon. Abu Edor, Rt. Hon. Samson Okwu and Mrs. Abeje Egwa.
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
Sir and Lady Usen
KInGsLeY ADeBOYe
FAAC Rises, Infrastructure Crumbles in States
Nigerians are increasingly frustrated by the deplorable state of infrastructure at the state level despite the surge in federal allocations from fuel subsidy savings that were meant to improve their lives, report Festus Akanbi
In Nigeria, the dearth of adequate infrastructure is still a major issue, and a recent World Bank report, which confirmed this categorically, stated that the country requires an estimated $3 trillion over the next 30 years to bridge this gap.
Analysts said the current state of infrastructure amidst the dramatic increases in federal allocations to the states is reminiscent of the President Goodluck Jonathan era, when the sharing of the savings from excess crude sales was frittered away by state governments instead of using the same to build durable infrastructure.
During the Jonathan administration, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, led by then Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, mounted intense pressure on the federal government to share the funds accumulated in the Excess Crude Account (ECA), arguing that the savings belonged to all tiers of government.
In 2011, the ECA had a balance of about $20 billion, but due to persistent demands from the governors, citing constitutional rights and fiscal autonomy, the federal government yielded and began disbursing the funds. By 2014, the ECA had dwindled to less than $2 billion.
Despite the massive disbursements, amounting to billions of dollars shared among the 36 states, there was little to show in terms of enduring infrastructure, as many governors either mismanaged or diverted the funds to unproductive ventures, recurrent expenditure, or political campaigns. Consequently, the country was left with a depleted reserve, mounting debts, and poor infrastructure, highlighting a failure of fiscal responsibility at the subnational level.
Tales of Woes from States
Today, while a few state governors are deploying the additional revenue to put in place infrastructure, which will in turn spur economic development, many others appear to have gone to sleep or simply decided to use the funds for personal gain.
Many governors now engage in an obscene display of wealth, while their citizens wallow in poverty. Today, infrastructure challenges vary across Nigerian states, reflecting regional neglect and poor governance. In Oyo, many rural communities suffer from impassable roads that cut them off from markets and healthcare.
Lagos faces chronic traffic congestion and overstretched drainage systems, resulting in frequent flooding. The healthcare system is
inadequate, and the free Medicare promised by the government is a mirage, as patients buy most of the drugs prescribed at general hospitals from pharmacies nearby. In some areas, roads are still a challenge.
Until recently, Ogun has been plagued by dilapidated intercity roads and poor waste management. Kano grapples with water scarcity and outdated healthcare infrastructure. In Imo and Enugu, bad roads and epileptic power supply hinder economic activity and public safety. Zamfara struggles with basic amenities like clean water, schools, and healthcare, worsened by insecurity. These examples highlight the urgent need for targeted infrastructural intervention at the state level.
One continues to wonder why, despite the rising fortune of these states, they still find it difficult to implement the N70,000 minimum wage, with outstanding pension liabilities unresolved.
Money Laundering
Last week, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) confirmed the speculation about the diversion of state funds by some governors, thereby denying the states the opportunity of reaping from the increased revenue stream.
The EFFC boss revealed that politically exposed persons (PEPs) in Nigeria are using internet fraudsters, popularly known as ‘yahooyahoo boys,’ to launder billions of naira in stolen public funds into offshore accounts.
EFCC chairman, who disclosed this at a briefing in Abuja, said the involvement of politicians in these illicit activities highlights systemic corruption within Nigeria’s political and governance systems. He said investigations had uncovered how PEPs collaborate with fraudsters to open cryptocurrency wallets and transfer stolen funds abroad to purchase luxury items, such as cars and houses.
Olukoyede stated: “When they (politically exposed persons) steal money in billions, they give it to these boys, they open crypto wallets, and from there, the money goes abroad.”
Deepening Poverty
The widening infrastructure gap in Nigeria has deepened poverty, slowed economic growth, and worsened living conditions across the country. Despite increased federal allocations, many states have failed to prioritise or deliver critical infrastructure such as good roads, schools, hospitals, and water supply. This negligence fuels youth
unemployment, discourages investment, and pushes citizens to fend for themselves in areas where the government should take the lead. The result is a growing sense of frustration and disillusionment with state leadership.
Infrastructure refers to those facilities, structures, and institutions whose inadequacies and incompleteness lead to the limitation of the productive forces of a society. This includes, among others, scientific and technological institutions, educational institutions, basic industries, energy, transport, communication networks, and financial institutions, among others.
In Nigeria, unfortunately, public discourse on governance often tilts toward the federal government, but analysts insist that the most glaring failures in delivering essential services and public accountability are unfolding at the subnational level.
Little to Show for Higher Alloca-
tions
This is because, despite a significant increase in revenue since the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the exchange rate, state governors have largely failed to translate the windfall into tangible improvements in the lives of their citizens.
After the fuel subsidy was scrapped, Nigeria began saving hundreds of billions of naira monthly, and this naturally boosted FAAC disbursements to states. For example, in 2023, the 36 states of the federation shared N1.5 trillion in the first half of the year. In 2024, the figure increased to N1.88 trillion in the first half of 2024 and ballooned to N2.2 trillion by April this year.
Analysts said with more money, citizens should expect better roads, hospitals, schools, and water systems, not excuses.
They argued that infrastructure is a core responsibility of state governments, and so roads, healthcare, education, housing, and water supply largely fall under state-level jurisdiction. They added that when governors blame the federal government, it’s often a diversion from their inaction or mismanagement.
Today, public data shows which states are meeting capital expenditure targets and which are underperforming. Some states like Rivers, Delta, Lagos, and Osun have been praised for delivering projects and meeting Capex goals, so citizens in other states have every right to demand the same level of commitment and result.
The monthly allocation, particularly to states and local governments, is meant to fast-track track execution of viable economic and social infrastructure development projects at the grassroots.
According to reports analysed by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), despite receiving increased allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in 2024, at least 30 states in Nigeria failed to meet their capital expenditure (Capex) targets and project delivery expectations. Statutorily, these reports must be published within four weeks after the end of a quarter or fiscal year. Most states met this requirement, publishing their BPRs between January 28 and January 31. At the time of filing this report, there was no publicly available data for 2025 on how many of Nigeria’s 36 states have achieved their capital expenditure (CapEx) targets and project completion expectations. The latest confirmed data is for 2024, where eight states met or beat CapEx targets.
While revenue allocations to states are rising, infrastructural projects are not significantly improving, indicating a potential misallocation of funds or other systemic issues. There is the argument that while states may be receiving more money, a shift towards recurrent expenditure and debt servicing is observed, potentially diverting funds away from capital projects. This leads to delayed or stalled infrastructure development, impacting essential sectors like roads, healthcare, and education.
As usual, state governors have outlined ambitious plans to boost capital expenditure in their states to address the infrastructure deficit in their various domains. The governors have earmarked N17.51 to fund capital projects in their 2025 budgets. In 2024, they had set aside N11.34tn to fund similar projects, but at the end of the day, they recorded a deficit of N3.98tn. Citizens at the state level must therefore rise to their responsibility of holding governors accountable for the provision of critical infrastructure, especially in light of the sharp increase in federal allocations following the removal of the fuel subsidy.
With more funds at their disposal, state governments have no excuse for the continued decay of roads, schools, hospitals, and other public utilities.
The people must demand transparency, question budget implementation, and ensure that these resources are used to improve their lives and not squandered or diverted.
Chairman, NGF, AbdulRasaq
Chairman, Progressive Governors’ Forum, Uzodimma
Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed
Nigeria’s Push for Sustainable Economic Growth Through Natural Capital Accounting
Nigeria needs to get everything ready for an economic boom, and one of the avenues to this is to get its environment ready and working for the benefit of all, which the Natural Capital Accounting stands for, reports Michael Olugbode
Nigeria continues to grapple with the impact of environmental disasters, both natural and human-induced.
Annual flooding, heatwaves, drought, erosion, deforestation, and the shrinking of Lake Chad threaten lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems.
While the full economic cost of these disasters remains unclear, one thing is certain: both people and nature are under constant threat.
Experts argue that to address this challenge, countries must begin to assign value to their natural capital—resources that traditional economic measures like Gross Domestic Product (GDP) often overlook.
In response, Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest economies, embraces Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) as a pathway to sustainable economic growth.
What’s NCA, and Why Does It Matter?
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), NCA captures the economic contributions of natural assets, such as forests, minerals, water, and biodiversity, while also factoring in their depletion or degradation.
NCAaims to fill a critical gap left by traditional economic indicators like GDP, which do not measure the environmental costs or benefits of economic activities.
Speaking at a webinar in November 2024, Head of National Accounts at the NBS, Baba Madu, described NCAas “a systematic approach to measuring and valuing a country’s natural resources and the ecosystem services they provide, integrating their values into national accounts to inform low-carbon, climate-resilient development.”
Push for Institutionalisation of NCA
Nigeria is currently working with the World Bank’s Global Programme on Sustainability (GPS) to enhance its capacity for NCA and to integrate environmental values into policy and investment planning.
Ahmed Abdullahi, an environmentalist with the World Bank, said natural capital accounting provides a more holistic view of economic health by quantifying the value of natural resources.
“It is already being used to monitor environmental degradation and guide restoration efforts, forming the basis of our forestry intervention planning,” he said during a recent training for journalists on NCA.
With support from the GPS, Nigeria has developed national land accounts, ecosystem accounts in Nasarawa and Kaduna states, and conducted analyses on tree cover loss and greenhouse gas emissions. An ongoing study is exploring the links between poverty, gender, and natural capital.
These efforts are being coordinated by the NBS, with contributions from the United Nations Statistics Division and a multi-agency technical working group. A high-level NCA Forum is scheduled for June 2025.
According to Abdullahi, the work is already influencing development planning in sectors like watershed management, landscape planning, and climate-smart agriculture.
“We have both national and sub-national stakeholders involved,” he added, citing the participation of federal ministries, NASDA, the National Council on Climate Change, and state governments.
“NCA allows us to embrace natural resources beyond traditional GDP. It showcases the true picture of our economy, including forests, land, and water resources.”
For most stakeholders, there is a need to institutionalise NCA in Nigeria for maximum optimisation of its potential to attain sustainable growth and boost the country’s GDP.
At the Natural Capital Accounting conference organised under the World Bank’s Global Programme on Sustainability (GPS), aimed
Participants at the webinar
at enhancing Nigeria’s capacity for natural capital accounting, held on June 5, experts in the environment sector explored ways the country can take advantage of the NCA.
The theme of the conference was “Developing and establishing natural capital accounts.”
Vinay Vutukuru, the Programme Lead on Sustainable Development at the World Bank, stressed the need for stakeholders to jointly explore the vital role of national accounting in development plans and brainstorm on how it could be institutionalised.
Vutukuru noted that the conference was part of the technical assistance that the World Bank has provided to the Nigerian government and its groups on national capital accounting for the last two years.
“I think, I’m sure all of you will agree that establishing the national capital accounting as part of the national account system will allow us to measure the economic value of ecosystem services such as clean air, water, and biodiversity, which are essential for our well-being and economic prosperity,” he said.
“And this process of the development of accounts was supported by the experts of the World Bank and UNSD through a very close collaboration with the government’s working groups, and I think on behalf of the World Bank, I want to thank the government’s working groups for the great collaboration commitment.”
He noted that Nigeria has very bold ambitions as far as responding to climate change is concerned and described them as “really laudable”.
“You’ve committed to net zero in terms of emissions by 2060. You’re saying that even in unconditional support by 2030, you would be able to reduce emissions by 20 per cent,” the World Bank expert praised Nigeria.
“So, all of this is great, laudable, and very appreciative kind of commitments made by the government of Nigeria, and that shows the commitment of the policymakers here towards the issue
of climate.”
He said the country needs “a very strong natural account system” to back up its aspirations and the aggressive goals that have been set.
“I think without a very strong foundational natural account system, the first thing is that maybe Nigeria won’t even be able to measure whether they have got there or not,” he quipped.
Citing ongoing efforts by the World Bank to support Nigeria in institutionalising NCA, he said the financial institution has developed ecosystem accounts for two states in the country.
“We’ve done the land accounts, we’ve done GHG accounts in 2018,” he added, and noted to the need to institutionalise the efforts so that they become part of the everyday function of the national ministries, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the ministry of environment and the National Climate Change Council (NCCC).
Also, the head of the department of national accounts, energy and environment at the NBS, who was at the conference, noted that NCA in Nigeria has been evolving steadily over the past six to seven years.
Madu said significant progress has been made with the recent expansion of broadband and digital infrastructure, adding that a steering committee was inaugurated to guide the process.
“This committee is chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Chief Executive of the National Bureau of Statistics, with representation from relevant ministries and departments,” he said.
He said the committee would ensure seamless coordination and synergy across all relevant agencies.
“These agencies are expected to work collaboratively—collecting data together and aligning towards a shared objective. NCA has been tasked with the crucial role of integrating natural capital into economic measurement,” Madu added.
According to him, it is impossible to measure the economy accurately without accounting for natural resources.
He noted that issues such as environmental degradation, deforestation, desertification, and climate change all directly impact productivity.
“Productivity, in turn, influences output—one of the core components of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). These environmental factors must be reflected across all economic activity sectors to present a more accurate picture of
national output,” he explained.
“In line with global best practices under the system of national accounts (SNA), Nigeria is preparing to adopt the updated 2025 SNA framework, which is scheduled for implementation in 2026.
“The timing aligns well with Nigeria’s current developmental agenda and efforts to modernise economic data systems.”
Olaide Aderoju, a research engineer at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), said the availability of data on areas prone to natural disasters helps in planning ahead of such occurrences.
“The moment you start having signs of such disasters coming, you start evacuating people,” Aderoju said.
The Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Nkiruka Maduekwe, said natural resources have been a very vital instrument in achieving the nationally determined contributions (NDC).
“And again, natural resources have also been a very vital instrument in achieving the NDCs and also the NAP document,” Maduekwe said. They don’t only serve as sinks. They also serve as materials for developing adaptation and mitigation activities within what we’re doing in issues of climate change.”
Represented by Chioma Azie, Head of Media at NCCC, Maduekwe commended the World Bank for its role in deepening the NCA understanding and institutionalisation in Nigeria.
“The World Bank has done very well. They have led this process several times,” she said.
“You know, the council is quite young, but our role can always be coordination—making sure that the stakeholders are properly mapped to champion the activities across the nation, and also to help NBS develop a very crystal-clear template that speaks to the needs of data that will be coming from the natural NCA.”
As Nigeria charts a new course toward sustainability, natural capital accounting offers a promising framework for inclusive growth that values both economic output and environmental health.
But for this vision to succeed, it will require continued collaboration between government agencies, international partners, civil society, and a well-informed media equipped to tell the full story.
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A BREAK WITH THE PAST
Merit and competence are increasingly gaining foothold in federal recruitment process, reckons BAMIDELE
THE BANE OF POLITICAL GODFATHERISM
K.B. ATI-JOHN argues that godfatherism in Nigeria is feudalism in disguise
See Page 20
KALU OKORONKWO argues that Atiku’s quest for the presidency is not one of failure, but of a legacy deferred
ATIKU ABUBAKAR: A LEGACY DEFERRED
In every generation, few personalities rise not just as politicians but as enduring forces in the story of a nation. Among notable Nigerians in public, private and political life, only few individuals have journeyed with as much persistence, clarity of purpose, and passionate connection to the Nigerian dream as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Wazirin Adamawa, a man whose name has become synonymous with resilience, strategy, and national ambition.
For more than three decades, his name has been a constant fixture in the evolving story of Nigeria’s democracy. To some, Atiku is the man who has tried and failed. But to the more discerning, he is the man who has refused to quit not because of blind ambition, but because of an unrelenting quest for Nigeria’s redemption.
His name, often evoking debate and admiration in equal measure, is now etched not only in the history of electoral contests but in the enduring hope of a nation still searching for balance, prosperity, and unity. His quest for the Nigerian presidency over time is not one of failure, but of a legacy deferred, not denied.
This is a journey that goes beyond the ballot, beyond the noise of campaigns and the calculations of politics. It is the story of a man who sees leadership not as a title to be won, but as a platform to rebuild a nation that he knows, loves, and refuses to give up on.
In a country desperate for visionary leadership that speaks to the values of democracy and development, Atiku remains one of the few leaders with the scars of battle and the compass to march forward.
From the agrarian village of Jada in Adamawa State to the grandeur of Aso Villa, Atiku’s journey has been tortuous, layered, and unrelenting. He possesses the grit of a marathon runner. His evolvement into a political titan is not a happenstance; it is the product of sheer determination, vision, and an unwavering belief in the Nigerian project.
Born on November 25, 1946, into a modest Fulani household, Atiku’s father was a farmer and later a primary school teacher. The early death of his father placed the young Atiku at crossroads, but even then, the seed of leadership has already been planted. He would go on to complete his education through the benevolence of individuals and government scholarships, eventually graduating with a diploma in Law from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1969.
That same year, Atiku joined the Nigeria Customs Service, where he served diligently for two decades, rising to a Deputy Director, as the second highest position in the Service was then known. He retired in April 1989 to full-time business and politics. His business interests span real estate, agriculture, logistics, and education. The American University of Nigeria in Yola, is a globally ranked and an example of how private enterprise could fuel national development.
Still hungry for knowledge, Atiku later enrolled, completed and passed his Master’s degree in International Relations at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom. His tenure as Vice President was marked by the privatization of key national assets, an initiative that, while controversial at the time, was aimed at unshackling Nigeria’s economy from decades of stagnation. Love him or hate him, Atiku has always been a man unafraid to take difficult decisions.
His story is also one of fierce resistance from within and without. He has faced betrayal by allies, smear campaigns by rivals, legal battles, and party machinations designed to thwart his ambitions. Yet, through it all, Atiku has never abandoned the democratic project or the dream of a better Nigeria. Unlike many who retreat into self-pity after political setbacks, Atiku’s resolve seems to be galvanised after every setback, whether it is presidential primaries or general elections. With each attempt from 2003 till 2023, he has returned, not as a man desperate for power, but as a statesman committed to a vision of new Nigeria able to realise its huge potential.
Atiku’s political story mirrors that of other world leaders who were once underestimated, ridiculed, or cast aside, yet returned, time and again, powered by conviction rather than blind ambition for power. Think of Winston Churchill, once labeled a political has-been in Britain, who returned to power at the age of 65 to lead the United Kingdom through its darkest hour in World War II. Or Abraham Lincoln, who lost multiple elections before finally becoming the 16th President of the United States to preside over the salvation of the American union.
Closer in time is Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, a man who lost three presidential bids before finally being elected in 2002. Today, Lula is back in power after surviving jail, political banishment, and media crucifixion. Like Atiku, he was mocked for his persistence until that very persistence became a badge of honor.
Atiku Abubakar, in similar fashion, has endured four presidential attempts, dozens of court battles, multiple defections and endless media trials, yet the man returns not as a politician grasping at power, but as a patriot yearning for a better Nigeria.
What truly sets Atiku apart is that he offers a national vision when most others offer regional rhetoric. He has consistently campaigned on themes that can be regarded as Nigeria’s pain points: restructuring, inclusivity, economic modernization, and educational reform. These are not soundbites, but desiderata to Nigeria’s greatness. Atiku’s call for restructuring is a recognition that Nigeria, as currently arranged, cannot thrive. He sees the imbalance between the center and the states as a ticking time bomb, a truth many politicians recognized but are afraid to tackle.
He understands that for Nigeria to be redeemed, it must be reinvented, not just rebranded. This is not the language of an opportunist; it is the language of a reformer.
Nigeria, in recent years, has grown dangerously divided along ethnic and religious lines. Yet Atiku, a Fulani Muslim from the North-East, is perhaps the most PanNigerian politician of the Fourth Republic. His political alliances cut across zones, his running mates have represented every major bloc, and his message has always been framed in the language of unity, not division.
He is one of the few northern politicians who can command applause in the South-East and mobilize structure in the South-West, while maintaining a stronghold in the North. This is not mere strategy; it is national stature.
Just as Nelson Mandela emerged from prison not seeking vengeance but reconciliation, Atiku has refused to play the ethnic card, even when it would have been politically expedient. His campaigns have not been built on fear, but on hope. That is statesmanship.
Away from politics, Atiku has invested in education, job creation, and enterprise. The American University of Nigeria (AUN), which he founded in Yola, stands as one of West Africa’s leading private institutions. His business ventures have provided employment for thousands. These are not campaign promises they are living testimonies.
It would be easy, even tempting, to write off Atiku Abubakar as yesterday’s man, just another name in Nigeria’s long, winding history of presidential contenders. But to do so would be to miss the essence of his quest. The ballot has not yet handed him the final mandate. But history may yet prove kinder than the vote.
In a country where most politicians see public office as the only path to relevance, Atiku has shown that national-building can begin in the private sector. His actions reflect an understanding that redemption is not just the work of government it is the burden of citizens, especially those privileged with wealth and wisdom.
Nigeria stands today at the edge of multiple crises: economic hardship, insecurity, ethnic and religious polarization, and institutional decay. In this fractured landscape, Atiku’s message of national unity, restructuring, and economic revival resonates more urgently than ever. Fluent in Hausa, Yoruba, English, and several northern dialects, Atiku is one of the few Nigerian leaders with a truly national identity. He is a Fulani man who preaches inclusion; a northern elite who defends southern aspirations. He has often been misunderstood, branded by critics as overly ambitious or “politically overstretched.” Yet those who have studied his political philosophy understand that beneath the ambition lies a deeply strategic mind, one that envisions a Nigeria where states have more autonomy, where the youth are empowered through innovation and job creation, and where institutions are respected, not manipulated.
While others offer slogans, Atiku offers blueprints—clear, actionable plans backed by experience in both the private and public sectors.
Kalu Okoronkwo, a leadership and good governance advocate writes from Lagos and can reached via kalu.okoronkwo@gmail.com
Merit and competence are increasingly gaining foothold in federal recruitment process, reckons BAMIDELE ATOYEBI
A BREAK WITH THE PAST
Aretired NNPC director once confided in me: “If I were appointed as GMD of NNPC, the first thing I’d do is lay off hundreds of staff who contribute nothing. Many of them got in through godfathers or bribery and lack the technical know-how to move the company forward.”
His words, while harsh, reflected a reality Nigeria has lived with for far too long: a public sector bloated with disguised unemployment, where positions were filled neither by merit nor by passion for the job, but by connection or mere availability of the job.
Today, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, that tide is changing and changing fast.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), under the leadership of Dr. Zacch Adedeji, executed a transparent, nationwide recruitment exercise in 2024. Over 8,000 candidates were shortlisted from all corners of the country, culminating in the inauguration of 1,200 newly employed staff in 2025.
For the first time in years, FIRS didn’t rely on political patronage. There were no hidden slot-sharing schemes. No sons and daughters of privilege fast-tracked into government payrolls. It was merit-based and publicly verified.
At the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), recruitment had been stagnant for years. That changed under the leadership of Mele Kyari and Olufemi S. Ojulari, as the company finally reopened its recruitment portal in late 2024.
Over 45,000 Nigerians applied, and after a transparent, competitive process, several hundred technical professionals were absorbed into key departments. For a sector as sensitive and strategic as oil and gas, this shift toward technical talent is a major reform milestone.
Under Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Nigeria Customs Service launched a recruitment process in January 2025 that attracted a staggering 573,519 applicants for 3,927 positions.
What followed was an orderly, technology-driven selection process free of political manipulation. No senators hoarded slots. No silent lists. No ‘uncle in Abuja’. Just qualifications, a working portal, and professionalism.
This level of transparency has not only improved the agency’s image but is gradually restoring faith in government employment processes.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) once carried the painful memory of the March 15, 2014 recruitment tragedy, where 16 to 24 young Nigerians lost their lives in stampedes across multiple states. That recruitment was eventually cancelled, and while compensations were paid, it left a dent on national morale.
Today, the story is different. Under Tinubu’s administration, NIS has conducted two successful and peaceful recruitment drives in January 2024 and March 2025 with no injuries, no confusion, and no political scandal. This is a mark of restored institutional competence and leadership
accountability. Historically, federal agencies especially revenue-generating ones were seen as spoils of war for the political elite. Slots at FIRS, NNPC, Customs, and Immigration were shared among governors, senators, and ministers, often to place unqualified family members in lucrative roles.
What we are seeing now is a break from that tradition. Tinubu’s appointments, like Adedeji at FIRS, Ojulari at NNPC, and Adeniyi at Customs, reflect his ideology of competence and loyalty to performance, not privilege.
When the foundation is destroyed, even the righteous are helpless. But today, the foundation is being rebuilt with bricks of merit, mortar of transparency, and blueprints drawn by visionary leadership.
This is not just jobs but justice for a generation.
This is more than employment reform. It is a rescue mission. For years, Nigeria’s best minds were sidelined because they lacked ‘connections.’ But now, from north to south, young Nigerians are applying and getting in simply because they are qualified.
This is justice for a generation left behind. It is about restoring dignity to work, fairness to opportunity, and purpose to public service.
We urge other key agencies and ministries like CBN, TETFUND, NIMASA, among others, to key into the Renewed Hope Vision of President Bola Tinubu so as to have a more prosperous and progressive Nigeria.
Atoyebi, the Convenor of the BAT Ideological Group, engages in accountability and policy monitoring while also serving as a social worker, criminologist, maritime administrator, and philanthropis
Atoyebi, the Convenor of the BAT Ideological Group, engages in accountability and policy monitoring while also serving as a social worker, criminologist, maritime administrator, and philanthropis
THE BANE OF POLITICAL GODFATHERISM
K.B.
ATI-JOHN argues that godfatherism in Nigeria is feudalism in disguise
Political godfatherism is not a peripheral problem in Nigeria; it is a central, systemic threat to the future of our democracy. It is a parasitic dynamic that chokes leadership, inhibits reform, and turns elections into coronations orchestrated by private power brokers. But this phenomenon is not merely about political influence, it is the modern reenactment of an ancient structure of control. Political godfatherism in Nigeria is best understood as feudalism in civilian disguise.
To understand this, we must recall the essence of feudalism. In medieval Europe, feudalism was a social order rooted in hierarchy, control, and subservience. Monarchs and nobles distributed land and privilege to loyal vassals in exchange for service and unquestioning allegiance. Power flowed down, loyalty flowed up, and the vast majority, peasants and serfs, were locked into a cycle of silence and obedience. Governance was not a shared responsibility; it was a favor dispensed at the will of a superior. In today’s Nigeria, the architecture of power in many states and parties resembles this structure all too well.
Political godfathers act as modern lords. They finance campaigns, select candidates, and dictate terms often before a single vote is cast. Their chosen candidates, once in power, become obligated not to the electorate but to their political benefactors. Critical appointments, state budgets, contracts, and even security decisions are filtered through the lens of loyalty. What masquerades as representative democracy is, in reality, a command chain of personal loyalty. The people may vote, but the godfathers rule.
This arrangement creates an ecosystem where merit is suffocated, innovation is punished, and accountability is redefined as loyalty to a single individual or clique. Leaders cannot lead; they obey. Legislators cannot legislate; they appease. Governors cannot govern; they consult. The result is a system of entrenched mediocrity, where vision is a liability and independence is interpreted as betrayal.
But the danger is even greater than it appears. When godfatherism becomes normalized, it metastasizes into a full blown cultural code, a shadow constitution that rivals the actual democratic framework. It fosters a political culture in which compromise is seen as weakness, ambition as disloyalty, and competence as a threat. Instead of building institutions, we build networks of dependence. Instead of grooming leaders, we breed servants. And instead of a democracy, we have a monarchy with rotating faces.
This is not simply a Nigerian affliction; it is a deeper crisis of postcolonial African politics. Across the continent, many states have inherited not just the borders of colonial rule, but its internal structure, a pyramid of unaccountable power. What should have been an opportunity for democratic reinvention has become a theatre of elite capture, where a few powerful actors dominate the stage while the people remain spectators.
In theory, African democracies have elections,
legislatures, and independent judiciaries. In practice, those institutions are often undercut by informal systems of patronage. Political godfatherism is just one expression of that deeper pathology.
It undermines the rule of law by turning legal decisions into political favors. It weakens the economy by replacing productive investment with rent-seeking behavior. It silences youth and talent by turning ambition into a punishable offense. And yet, amidst this bleak landscape, there are examples that show another way is possible. Consider the political journey of Barack Obama. His rise to the presidency of the United States offers a stark and instructive contrast. Obama did not rise in isolation; like all leaders, he was supported. But he was never owned.
In 2004, Senator John Kerry invited Obama to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, a bold move that launched Obama into the national spotlight. In 2008, Senator Ted Kennedy, the lion of the Senate and a Democratic kingmaker, endorsed Obama over Hillary Clinton. It was a seismic political moment, one that required courage, vision, and belief in the potential of a young, relatively untested leader.
But what makes the Obama story instructive is not the support he received; it is the kind of support. Kerry and Kennedy empowered Obama, but they never dictated to him. They offered him a platform, not a leash. They gave him access, not orders. And when Obama ultimately rose to the presidency, he governed with independence, guided by his convictions and accountable to the American people not to the hands that had once lifted him.
That is how healthy democracies function. Support is given without subjugation. Alliances are formed without control. Mentorship uplifts without manipulation. And power is exercised not as a personal gift, but as a public trust. In that environment, leaders emerge and not as vassals, but as visionaries.
Imagine if such a political culture existed in Nigeria. Imagine a young, capable governor who owes his emergence not to a godfather, but to the will of the people. Imagine if party primaries were not predetermined ceremonies but competitive, transparent processes that reward ideas, integrity, and public service. Imagine a political system where leaders rise by merit, serve with courage, and govern without chains. It is not a fantasy. It is a possibility. But to achieve it, we must dismantle the political feudalism that sustains godfatherism. This is not just a matter of reform; it is a matter of transformation. It begins with reimagining our political culture.
Admiral Ati-John is a retired naval officer
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA
Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
PUTTING AN END TO OPEN GRAZING
Open grazing of cattle is a growing problem. It pays more to embrace ranching
In recent years, Benue and Plateau States have not only been in constant turmoil but also a graveyard of innocent children, women, and indeed men—victims of incessant conflict and attacks by suspected herders. In the latest of such violence on June 13, suspected armed herders stormed Yelewata village in Guma local government to unleash one of the deadliest assaults that resulted in the death of no fewer than 100 people. While President Bola Tinubu visited the state and made the usual promises, the tragedy has reopened the debate about the contentious issue of open grazing.
In its January report to Tinubu, the Presidential Committee on Livestock Sector Reforms Implementation recommended measures that the government can use to mitigate the farmer-herder clashes across the country. “I think some of the challenges we’ve faced in the past, which have led to the politicisation of the issue, stem from being quick to adopt a singular mindset regarding the solution,” said committee chairman, Attahiru Jega who noted that the report suggested a 10-year implementation timeline for the recommendations with a combination of both ranching and open grazing for now. “In a complicated situation like this, we need to think in terms of incremental positive changes, and we must have a time-frame within which these will be achieved.”
how to modernise the way we rear cattle in the country must also begin, especially considering the threat nomadism continues to pose to our national security.
The federal government must create the platform for a wholesale discussion on the future of animal husbandry in relations to the transition from nomadism to ranching
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We have made this point several times: In the history of humanity, the stage of development at which man wandered for a livelihood belongs to the stone age. It was in the bid to stem the internecine violent clashes between herdsmen and farmers, that almost all the states in the southern part of the country as well as two states in the North (Benue and Taraba) banned open grazing by livestock. With little variations that take care of peculiarities in these states, the law prohibits movement of livestock and open grazing as well as the carrying of firearms or other offensive weapons by herders.
But to end the nomadic culture, we need a short, medium and long-term plans that would involve all the stakeholders. The conversation about
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When in August 2021 former President Muhammadu Buhari doubled down on his controversial pledge to revive the contentious grazing routes for herders by approving the recommendations of a committee to review “with dispatch, 368 grazing sites across 25 states in the country and to determine the levels of encroachment,” the decision pitted him against sections of the country where open grazing has been banned because of the criminality and insecurity associated with it. As we argued then, even if the grazing routes were still valid, they can only facilitate further clashes between settler farmers and migrant herders. Besides, by allowing some people, including foreigners, to roam the length and breadth of Nigeria, our territorial integrity is being violated. We also violate the rights of these animals, and endanger the health of citizens through exposure to the elements and a cocktail of diseases. While migrant cattle herding has ceased in almost every other country, it is unfortunate that Nigeria is still saddled with the problem. Modern ranches have replaced roving herds while beef production has become a modern mechanised industrial undertaking. Therefore, the federal government must create the platform for a wholesale discussion on the future of animal husbandry in relations to the transition from nomadism to ranching. A package of incentives, including soft loans, liberal access to land, training, and provision of inputs to herders and others can help facilitate the transition and ameliorate the challenges associated with it.
If done properly, we can then employ and re-train the herdsmen in modern settled cattle farming. The animals will be healthier; the handlers will earn decent incomes, have decent accommodation, own property, and have schools for their kids. Ancillary industries will also emerge and employment opportunities will blossom. That, we believe, is the right thing to do.
Letters in response to specific publications in THiSDAY should be brief(150-200 words) and straight to the point. interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. we also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer
LETTERS
DILEMMA OF THE TINUBU/SHETTIMA 2027 TICKET
The growing political controversy surrounding the Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket for the 2027 general elections came to the fore at the Northeast zonal meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC), held in Gombe on June 14, 2025. Party leaders, stakeholders, and delegates gathered to endorse Tinubu for second term amidst rising internal debates over the viability, unity, and future direction of the party ahead of the next electoral cycle.
If President Tinubu decides to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima in favor of another Muslim from the North, it could reignite the deeply divisive Muslim-Muslim ticket debate that stirred significant controversy during the 2023 presidential election.
Retaining Vice President Kashim Shettima may help the Tinubu camp avoid reigniting the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket debate, but it also raises questions about the ticket’s continued strategic value. While the pairing was originally calculated to consolidate
support among Muslim voters in the North during the 2023 election, changing political dynamics suggest that the ticket may no longer hold the same appeal. With growing dissatisfaction in parts of the North and shifting voter sentiments nationwide, some within the APC believe that the Tinubu/ Shettima combination may now offer diminishing electoral returns.
Even if President Tinubu opts for a new Muslim running mate, the Muslim-Muslim ticket may no longer deliver the same political dividends in the North. A growing number of Northern-Muslim voters reportedly feel underrepresented or sidelined in the current administration, despite the religious alignment of the top two offices. Discontent over perceived sidelining in federal appointments, economic policies, and security outcomes has weakened the assumption that religious pairing alone can secure Northern loyalty. As such, simply replacing Shettima with another
Northern Muslim may not be enough to reenergize the base or guarantee widespread support in 2027.
Should President Tinubu replace Shettima with another Muslim from the North, it would likely provoke renewed backlash from Christian communities nationwide, especially in the North. Many would raise the familiar and legitimate question: Are there no capable Northern Christians fit to serve as Vice President? In the country religious identity plays a central role in politics and representation.
If President Tinubu chooses a Northern Christian as his running mate, he risks alienating a core part of the APC’s support base; the Northern Muslim voters, who have historically been the backbone of the party’s electoral strength in the north. Many within this bloc view the Muslim-Muslim ticket as both symbolic and strategic. Without votes from the north, Tinubu second term will be
problematic.
Selecting a running mate from the Northwest could trigger resistance or even quiet rebellion from the Northeast, which may interpret the move as a political slight or marginalization.
Having produced the current Vice President, the Northeast might expect to retain the position as a matter of continuity and recognition of its contribution to the party’s 2023 victory. Overlooking the region could stir resentment among its political leaders and grassroots supporters, potentially weakening the APC’s hold in key Northeastern states. It may also open the door for opposition parties to exploit regional grievances and rally disaffected voters under the banner of regional justice and equity. The North Central will also ask some questions- Tinubu won four states in north central- Kogi, Benue, Kwara and Niger. Zayyad I. Muhammad, Abuja
When Lagos Witnessed the Taste of Time
Nigeria’s $83 million whisky market is rapidly evolving, with projected annual growth of nearly 12%. Brands like The Macallan are tapping into its potential by investing in community, engagement, and experiences, writes Vanessa Obioha
Nigeria’s luxury market is experiencing an unprecedented boom, driven by a growing affluent class, rapid urbanisation, and a cultural emphasis on status signalling. According to recent reports, Africa’s luxury market is projected to grow at 6-8% annually, outpacing global averages, with Nigeria as a significant contributor. The luxury goods market in Nigeria alone is projected to reach USD 1.5 billion by 2025, reflecting an annual growth rate of over 12%. This growth is fueled by a youthful, tech-savvy demographic, with approximately 60% of luxury shoppers in Nigeria under 35, heavily influenced by global culture and digital platforms. High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) in cities like Lagos are increasingly investing in premium products that signify status and individuality, and luxury spirits, particularly whiskies, are at the forefront of this trend.
This evolution was on full display on the evening of May 30, 2025, when Lagos’ creative and luxury elite gathered at MILIKI, Victoria Island, for the unveiling of The Macallan’s TIME : SPACE Mastery. More than a whisky launch, it was a profound celebration of artistry, heritage, and the eternal dance between time and innovation, an event that has set Nigeria’s connoisseur circles abuzz and further cemented the nation’s burgeoning status in the global luxury landscape.
TIME : SPACE Mastery goes beyond a single malt; it is the crown jewel of The Macallan’s bicentenary celebrations. Founded in 1824 in Speyside, Scotland, The Macallan has spent two centuries perfecting the art of whisky. This latest expression, an astounding 84 years in the making and crafted from 14 cask types, speaks volumes of its enduring legacy, blending centuries of expertise into a liquid masterpiece of remarkable depth and complexity.
The whisky itself offers a sensory journey of unparalleled richness: on the nose, it captivates with notes of rich milk chocolate, honey, and tropical fruits like dried mango and ripe papaya. The palate picks up the distinguished flavours of Medjool dates, baked figs, orange marmalade, honeycomb, soft spice, caramelised pineapple, dark chocolate, and coffee, all culminating in a finish as elegant as it is memorable. But it’s not just what’s inside that dazzles. TIME : SPACE Mastery arrives in a uniquely circular decanter, symbolizing continuity and the eternal journey from past to future. This exquisite vessel is housed within a bespoke box adorned with 200 handcrafted spikes, each paying homage to The Macallan’s 200-year journey. Inspired by the precision of origami and nature’s protective forms, the vessel is both a coveted collector’s item and a breathtaking work of art, making a bold statement of luxury and
innovation.
The exclusive Lagos launch was far more than a mere tasting; it was an immersive experience designed to transport guests into the heart of The Macallan’s philosophy. Attendees, including Nigeria’s cultural tastemakers, enjoyed refined canapés, exclusive networking opportunities, and a compelling documentary screening chronicling The Macallan’s storied history of whisky mastery. Brand Ambassador Daniel Atteh expertly guided attendees through the intricate story of TIME : SPACE Mastery, sparking lively discussions about its flavour, aroma, and the very concept of time captured in a glass. The palpable anticipation among Nigeria’s elite underscored the once-in-ageneration opportunity to own one of the rarest bottles ever produced by The Macallan.
“Guiding our guests through the remarkable story of the TIME : SPACE Mastery at Miliki was an absolute pleasure,” said Atteh. “I could see
the genuine fascination and appreciation in the eyes of our attendees. Their reactions ranged from awe at the rarity and craftsmanship of the TIME : SPACE Mastery to incredible discussions about the flavours, aromas, and the very concept of time captured in a glass. It was incredibly rewarding to witness such enthusiasm and to know that The Macallan continues to inspire and connect with a discerning community here in Lagos.”
Hammed Adebiyi, Senior Brand Manager for Nigeria & West and Central Africa (WACA) Edrington, eloquently summed up the significance of this momentous occasion: “Bringing the TIME : SPACE Mastery to Lagos is a proud moment for us. The Macallan has always stood for excellence, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of quality. This launch not only celebrates our 200-year heritage but also marks a new chapter for whisky lovers in Nigeria.”
Indeed, Nigeria’s whisky market is undergoing rapid transformation. Estimated at over $83 million in 2024, it is projected to grow annually by nearly 12%. Several factors are at play: a rise in disposable income, evolving consumer tastes, and the embrace of whisky as a statement of style and sophistication. Increasingly, drinkers are choosing quality over quantity—seeking rare, small-batch, and artisanal options over massmarket brands. Pop culture, too, plays a role, with music, nightlife, and celebrity endorsements reinforcing the appeal of high-end spirits.
Emerging markets like Nigeria are expected to play a significant role in the future of Scotch whisky, and brands like The Macallan are taking notice and investing in engagement, community, and experience.
For Nigeria’s discerning whisky lovers and collectors, the arrival of TIME : SPACE Mastery is more than a product launch; it is a landmark event that signifies The Macallan’s deepening relationship with Africa’s luxury market. It places Nigerian connoisseurs at the heart of the brand’s ongoing journey through time, innovation, and uncompromising mastery.
Yomi Arowosafe: Taking Digital Inclusion to Unserved and Underserved Communities in Nigeria
Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), established under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, aims to expand access to ICTs in Nigeria’s rural and underserved areas by funding digital infrastructure such as base stations, fibre cables, and digital hubs and supporting education through connectivity projects and grants for schools. USPF Secretary Yomi Arowosafe explains how the new USPF Impact Alliance will reposition the Fund and scale sustainable impact. scale sustainable impact.
Digitalinclusionappearstobea prioritygoaloftheFederalMinistryof Communications,Innovation,andtheDigital Economyanditsagencies.Whyisitso important?
By design, the private sector’s investments in digital infrastructure focus primarily on areas that yield more viable commercial returns. This implies that specific communities will remain excluded from necessary development without targeted efforts to include them. At its core, the USPF seeks to close the connectivity and access gap and ensure that access and connectivity solutions are delivered to these communities, which would otherwise be excluded.
Being connected to the internet and modern communication tools can transform lives. For example, when a remote village gets reliable internet, students can access online learning materials, farmers can check market prices and weather reports, and patients can even consult doctors remotely. Digital inclusion means no community is left behind in our growing economy. We have already seen real benefits: our projects have enabled schools in far-off areas to use computers for computer-based tests and examinations. School enrolment has been
boosted, and via our e-health initiatives, disabled students can attend school more consistently. In other words, giving people access to technology creates opportunities — it helps children learn better, businesses grow, and everyone stays informed and connected.
Several years ago, the USPF took responsibility for mapping out the access and connectivity gaps in communities across Nigeria. This access gap map assists the USPF in designing projects and strategies and enables it to measure progress in closing the digital divide. It has become a reference point for other solution providers and policymakers within and even outside the telecommunications industry.
As the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and the Digital Economy (FMCIDE) ramps up its efforts to accelerate digital access and connectivity, the USPF becomes the bastion that will ensure that digital inclusion remains prioritized and that Nigerians in hard-to-reach communities are not left behind.
How do you ensure the sustainability of these projects?
We have implemented several measures, including post-delivery training, significant stakeholder engagement, and partnerships with key community leaders or associations. In some instances, we have entered into Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with state governments and Ministries of Education (MOEs) to ensure full stakeholder involvement.
In plain terms, we do not just build a facility and walk away; we partner with the local community, school owners, and administrators. Take the OGITECH centre as an example: When we handed it over, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the school to ensure they would use and maintain it effectively. This MoU spells out that OGITECH will take care of the centre’s administration to ensure that it is optimally utilized.
We also train local people. The equipment we install includes training teachers, librarians, or
community entrepreneurs on operating and fixing the systems. In the Digital Nigeria Centres (DNCs) set up mainly in secondary schools, we work with local businesses and organizations to manage the facilities. Essentially, the people who benefit from these projects help own and sustain them.
In some centres where we note significant lapses in the community’s capacity to administer the school, we partner with NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) members and SchoolBased Management Committees (SBMCs) to ensure that the assets are protected and utilization is optimized.
What are the objectives of the USPF Impact Alliance?
The USPF Impact Alliance is our strategy for revolutionizing digital inclusion related to education-focused projects. We have been on a journey of internal and external stakeholder consultations to strengthen the USPF as an institution and to put impact at the centre of what we do. This means that we have extended our objective from delivering digital infrastructure and connectivity solutions to ensuring that the impact and value of the infrastructure on the schools, teachers, and communities that benefit are adequately monitored and evaluated.
Also, we aim to ensure that our design decisions continue to be evidence-based and influenced by the data we receive from our monitoring and evaluation efforts.
The Impact Alliance establishes a model coalition with a network of competent stakeholders who can collaborate closely on solutions that drive inclusive education and connectivity and guarantee that mutually developed impact goals are achieved. We start the conversation with a co-creation session, after which the Impact Alliance will be launched. We will pilot some of the solutions co-created and then begin to build on from there. We are excited because we are sure that the success of our initiative will drive innovation for other universal service funds across Africa and the world.
As I’ve said publicly, the Impact Alliance will “lead innovation for universal service and access funds, accelerate digital inclusion in Nigeria, and guarantee the sustainability” of our investments. We expect that the coalition with strategic partners in the private sector will multiply our impact record and guarantee the sustainability of our investments. Our focus here is impact, so we will measure the direct and indirect dividends on beneficiaries.
L-r: The Macallan Brand Specialist, rasak Makanjuola; The Macallan Brand educator and Ambassador, Lagos, Daniel Atteh; Brand Manager, edrington portfolio, Nigeria, Idorenyin emmanson; and Senior Brand Manager, Nigeria & west and Central Africa (wACA) edrington portfolio, Hammed Adebiyi during the launch of TIMe: SpACe Mastery at Miliki
Arowosafe
International Politics of Nuclear Non-proliferation: The Israelo-Iranian Dimensions
Maintenance of international peace and security is the cardinal objective of the United Nations Organisations since 1945. Since the 30-year old war that led to the signing of the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia in Germany, the world has never known any permanent peace and security. It is not a surprise therefore that the Czar of Russia, Nicholas II, initiated the First Hague Peace Conference of 1899 in order to seek ‘the most effective means of ensuring to all peoples the benefits of a real and lasting peace, and, above all, of limiting the progressive development of existing armaments.’ The Peace conference was partly inspired by the earlier proposals of Count Muravyov that there should be a limitation on the expansion of armed forces and a reduction in the deployment of new armaments, application of the principles of the 1864 Geneva Convention to naval warfare, and a revision of the unratified Brussels Declaration.
Still in pursuit of permanent peace, a second international conference again took place in 1907, in The Hague (Netherlands), on the basis of US President Theodore Roosevelt’s suggestion. Even though the suggestion was made in 1904, the war between Japan and Russia impeded the immediate implementation of the suggestion until 15-18 October 1907 when the second peace conference eventually took place. The treaties, declarations and final Act only entered into force on 26 January, 1910. In spite of this, the quest for permanent peace and the efforts made in vain: they did not prevent the outbreak of World War I, nor did the 1919 Peace Treaty of Versailles in France prevent the outbreak of WW II in 1939.
With the escalation of the Israelo-Iranian misunderstanding from crisis to conflict and to hot battles, it now appears that the UN Charter can no longer guide and sustain the current world order. UN reform has become a desideratum. It is against this background that the exegesis of the international politics of nuclear non-proliferation, which is at the epicentre of the Israelo-Iranian conflict and which is also responsible for the current global disorder and insecurity, should be explained and understood.
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and Politics
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, generally referred to as the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), is one thing and the politics of it constitutes another kettle of fish entirely. The Treaty, which was not only a follow-up to the 1963 agreement on non-nuclear tests, was done on July 1, 1968 in Moscow, Russia, for five years. It was renewable. It entered into force in 1970. In 1995, the validity was extended indefinitely and the scope of application has been expanding almost to a universal scale as of today since then.
The NPT was done basically to prevent the spread of nuclear arsenals. It was an agreement done by the Nuclear Weapons States (NWS), all of which are also the Five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council, and by the Non-Nuclear Member States of the international community. The signatories not only pledged to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and nuclear technology, but also accepted to promote cooperation in the use of nuclear energy only for peaceful projects. The overall expectation was to have a complete nuclear disarmament, hence the emphasis on non-proliferation, disarmament, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
What is noteworthy at this juncture is that the attitude towards the use of nuclear energy in international relations is clear but the behavioural politics of it is not clear. Put differently, the politics of nuclear non-proliferation is an extension of Cold War politics that emerged following the end of World War II. It originated from ideological rivalry between the United States-led Western world and the Soviet Union-led Eastern European countries. This old rivalry has now been renewed with the new policy orientation of Russia under Vladimir Putin who not only wants to resuscitate the unity of some of the stakeholders of the former Soviet Union, but also wants to prevent the expansion of membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to Russian borders.
•Netanyahu
Russia is vehemently opposed to the admission of Ukraine as a Member of the NATO, but the United States and its European allies are consciously engaging in a forceful extension of the NATO membership to Ukraine, a contiguous neighbour of Russia. They support Ukrainian application for membership of the NATO.
This development is largely responsible for the Russo-Ukrainian current war, which also cannot be separated, in terms of execution and implications, from the conflict between Israel and Iran in the Middle East. This not only makes the Ukrainian question a war between the US-led NATO and Russia, but also making the Israelo-Iranian conflict more complex and inter-related as both Russia and the United States are similarly engaged in conflicting positions in the Middle East conflict. It also makes the international behavioural objectives very obscure. For instance, can Russia play active parts in the war in Ukraine and in Iran simultaneously?
While the United States is supporting Israel, Russia is on the side of Iran as evidenced in the position of Russia which has warned Israel not to do anything that has the potential to damage the only functional nuclear site, being built by Russians, Bushehr nuclear power plant. The conflict in Ukraine, which is still ongoing, makes Ukraine to serve more as a theatre for the US-Russian war. The Israelo-Iranian war is another effort being made to turn Iran into a second theatre of Russo-American war. This partly explains why the modern day confrontation between Russia and the United States is now quite different from the collaborative efforts by the two countries to ensure global peace
From the foregoing, condemnations of Israeli strikes and support for Israel or Iran have not addressed the problematic of nuclear weapons development and the principle of legitimate self-defense. On nuclear weapon development, should Israel be allowed to have and sustain nuclear capability because of alleged trustworthiness, and Iran will not be allowed to having the same right? Both Israel and Iran have their proponents and opponents. Russia supports Iran and has cautioned Israel on the need for the safety of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran where several Russian specialists are working. Russia says that attacking the plant will be ‘beyond evil,’ and the world’s worst nuclear disaster beyond the 1986 Chernobyl experience in Soviet Ukraine. On legitimate self-defence, who really is the first aggressor? Considering profound causal factors, if Iran does not want Israel to exist, whatever Israel does to ensure it exists rightly falls under Israel’s legitimate self-defense. In terms of immediate, unprovoked, accidental or coincidental factors, Israel is the first aggressor, because Israel bombarded the Iranian embassy on April 1, 2024 in Damascus, Syria killing 16 people. The June 16, 2025 attack by Israel is another case. Consequently, the problematic to address is whether the non-recognition of Israel as a State confers the right of regular preventive bomb attacks on Iran. Is legitimate self-defense not meant to be a response to an initial attack? More important, why should some countries have nuclear power and others cannot? Promotion of injustice and unfairness cannot enable peace
and security in the early 1960s.
It should be recalled that, in 1963, the United States and the then Soviet Union jointly made efforts to promote peace and security by signing the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) which was done and opened for signature on August 8, 1963 and which entered into force on October 10, 1963. The PTBT banned the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, outer space, and under water. This PTBT was complemented with the signing of the NPT in 1968. The two accords are not at all the same: while the PTBT is about non-testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, outer space and under water, the NPT is about non-proliferation of nuclear technology and weapons. The NPT wants to prevent the possible destabilisation of the global world order which nuclear proliferation can surely enable. As the PTBT and NPT are different so are the attitudes and behaviour of the Russia of yesterday and Russia of today.
Explained differently, the former Soviet Union and the United States had major ideological differences, but the need to prevent the destabilisation of the international order still compelled the two of them to agree and collaborate on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The two of them had developed impressive nuclear arsenals, but the shared interest compelled them not to allow proliferation or development of nuclear capacity and capability by other non-nuclear sovereign states.
This was why agreement was reached that efforts should be made to encourage nuclear disarmament during negotiations with non-nuclear countries and that other non-nuclear states should normally have the right to develop nuclear energy, but only for peaceful purposes. And true enough, this is also why the NPT is predicated on the three main pillars of non-proliferation which is more pronounced and concerning, on disarmament, and on peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The problematic to address at the level of the Israelo-Iranian conflict is whether Iran, as a sovereign state does not have the right to develop nuclear capability? If Iran does have the right, which other sovereign state has the right to compel Iran not to acquire the capacity and the capability? What is the position of the United Nations Security Council that has the direct responsibility to maintain international peace and security?
In the same vein, who says that Israel does not have the right to the principle of legitimate self-defence if Iran believes that Israel does not have the right to existence on its own right as a sovereign State? Iran does not recognise the sovereignty of Israel and actually closed down its embassy in Israel in 1979 following the Iranian revolution. This fear of non-recognition might be largely responsible for Israel’s policy pre-emptive strikes, which stricto sensu, do not fall under the application of the principle of legitimate self-defense. It is against this background that the dimensions of the Israelo-Iranian conflict are hereinafter explicated.
The Israelo-Iranian Dimensions
On June 16, 2025 Israel launched a pre-emptive bombing attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and media agencies in the belief that Iran had crossed the prohibited nuclear red line. But pre-emptive attacks for what? One probable reason might be intelligence reports, credible or otherwise. Another consideration may the rise in the status of Iran in the Middle East, especially not being an Arab country like Turkey is not. A third rationale may also be that Iran has the capacity to serve as a counter-weight to the United States in the region, on the one hand, but also to Israel, on the other.
Iranians do not speak Arabic but speak Persian or Farsi. They are religiously unique. They share cultural and ethnical identities. For Iran to become powerful enough to be able to challenge the United States or the US-supported Israel as the policemen of the world and in the Middle East, several thought-provoking issues, cannot but be raised. Additionally, the United States cannot but be very hostile to this situational reality, being a strong ally of Israel, an arch enemy of many Arab countries that want the State of Israel pushed to the sea side. It is important not to forget that Israel is the only nuclear-armed power in the Middle East. This fact cannot be in the interest of the United States to allow an Iran that will become another nuclear power to rival Israel to have nuclear weapon. This is the problematic around which the politics of the conflict should be further investigated. The politics is to empower supporters of the West with nuclear power and prevent opponents from having access.
In this regard, who really is the first aggressor: Israel or Iran?
The two countries have been at a logger head before the June 16 incident. The major dynamic of the previous incidents is the place of nuclear weapons in the foreign policy calculations of Iran and Israel. Israel has been allowed to acquire nuclear capability but that right is being denied to Iran. Both Israel and Iran are not parties to the NPT, meaning that they cannot be accused of flouting the obligations created by the Treaty. The NPT cannot be rightly said to have created any peremptory norms of international law for them. Even if it does, neither Israel nor the United States is on record to be a regular respecter of the rules and obligations of international law. When Israel or the United States violates international law, Iran cannot be expected to fold its arms.
Michael a folaran M i
Unboxing Greater Potential at 50
The last time Michael Afolaranmi, founder of the popular food company, 12 Baskets, hosted a major celebration, it was to lay his mother to rest. Now 50, Afolaranmi, also known as the King of Small Chops, is throwing it all in the ring to have a one-of-a-kind birthday bash. He tells Vanessa Obioha why this celebration truly matters
Unboxing Greater Potential at 50
Today, all roads lead to the Balmoral Convention Centre, Ikeja, where Michael Afolaranmi is hosting over 1,000 guests to mark his 50th birthday. That number could easily have doubled if he had started planning earlier than two weeks ago. Yet, in true Afolaranmi fashion, he managed to pull off something not just lavish but deeply intentional: a birthday fair.
“We’ll have different vendors on-site,” he told me a few days ago. “The goal is to create buzz in every corner. Every industry will be represented. From the tech guys to event planners, communication professionals, and even the police. Everybody.”
So when guests step into the venue, they won’t just enjoy 12 Baskets’ signature small chops; they’ll also sample offerings from other vendors, network with players across the events and catering industries, and witness the unveiling of new ideas.
However, the party goes beyond the celebration. Alongside the festivities, Afolaranmi will be launching Style by 12, a fashion brand that reflects his long-standing flair for dressing well, something admirers have noted over the years. Hence, it is not entirely surprising that he would find a passion in the needle and thread business.
“Your style is an expression of yourself and over the years, people have been wowed by my style, not just locally but also internationally. It’s only accurate that I turn the admiration into a business.”
Themed ‘The 50th Affair,’ the birthday celebration carries deep personal significance for him.
“I’ve never thrown a party in my life, except for my mother’s burial,” he shared. “Some of my friends didn’t make it to 50. Some passed at 52. When I reflect on my journey, running 12 Baskets for almost 23 years and now 50, I know it deserves to be celebrated.”
Indeed, it was a 27-yearold Afolaranmi who “selfencouraged” himself to start 12 Baskets—a company renowned for its finger foods, or as he modestly puts it: “We sell puff puff for a living.”
Today, 12 Baskets is a thriving brand with branches in Lagos and Abuja. It’s already registered in the United States, with operations set to commence soon. In a few days, the company will open an outlet at the arrival terminal of the international airport. From delivering finger foods at highprofile events, the business has expanded into grills, lunchboxes and more.
Afolaranmi, who now sits on the board, has diversified into other businesses such as real estate. He intends to officially unveil 12 Baskets Properties at his party as well as the foundation that has, over the years, provided scholarships for indigent students. His next goal is to train 500 young people in both tech and culinary arts.
Since turning 50 on March 25, he’s been consumed by thoughts of legacy. How can he make a deeper impact on society, the younger generation and the country? To be sure, he has always lived a life of impact.
“We have been doing this over the years,” he said, “through knowledge, our customers and in different phases of life we’ve passed through. No one has been
left behind. And with the wealth we have accumulated, we need to make an even more impact on society.”
For Afolaranmi, part of that impact means restoring hope in a generation chasing instant gratification. As a pastor, he often engages with young people, teaching them the value of purpose and persistence. For one who did not attend Harvard Business School or work in a blue chip company to amass wealth, he believes that purpose can be found anywhere, even in little things. What actually differentiates everyone is hard work. Hard work, in his view, goes beyond physical strength. The way he puts it, it is one’s response (mental, physical, spiritual) to the ability in which you are needed.
“Hard work is a mindset.”
Calling himself a silent billionaire, he argued that anyone can achieve billionaire status, but it must start from the mind.
“West Africans have this myopic mindset that billionaires must wear a suit and tie or be flamboyant, but it’s not always the case. We don’t even need to announce it on Instagram. We sell puff puff for a living and we’ve succeeded,” he said with pride.
Not everyone will be a CeO. Not everyone will work for someone else. So meet yourself, find your platform, find your level. Celebrate your passion, celebrate what you have inside of you, and before you know it, you become a celebrity.
Falling and rising—that, to him, is the essence of success. His definition of success is even more instructive.
“Success is opportunity mixed with preparation. It is also about empowering people and replicating yourself. When you replicate yourself, you are a successful man. A successful man or a successful leader is somebody who has a successor. For example, if I don’t reproduce myself, I’m a failure. Most leaders in Nigeria are myopic in their thoughts. They don’t want their followers to be like them, that’s why they cannot grow beyond their thoughts.”
The way out, according to him, is education.
“The solution is to keep empowering and educating people. Education is the totality of a man. So when you educate, you are liberating life. You are taking people out of so-called poverty. Poverty is a thing of the mind. A rich man might be poor in his mind because he has failed to make another person rich. I have a couple of young friends who made me rich in my mind. They don’t give me money, but information that transforms life and that has made the best of me.”
To scale that knowledge-sharing, Afolaranmi is launching a new online series, ‘A Date with Michael Afolaranmi,’ where he will share principles of success, hard work, and leadership.
This message of hard work and humility is what he constantly preaches to the young people, often drawing from his personal experience.
As a young boy and the eldest child of his parents, Afolaranmi experienced firsthand the value of hard work. He recalls how his mother wakes up by 4am to go sell food under Obalende Bridge in Lagos.
“Once she is up, we are all up. By 7am, we were in school, but we had prepared all the meals.”
Finding a job after school was tough, especially as an HND holder. Frustrated, he turned to catering, inspired by his mother’s hustle. But no one supported him, not even her.
“As a graduate, nobody wanted to encourage me to start frying puff puff after graduating from a tertiary institution. My mom discouraged me, and everyone around me did. I took the bull by the horns and said to myself that if I fail, it is my fault. If I keep falling, I will pick myself up because the Bible says a just man falleth seven times and rises up again. So I told myself that no matter how many times I fall, I’ll rise up.”
“Not everyone will be a CEO. Not everyone will work for someone else. So meet yourself, find your platform, find your level. Celebrate your passion, celebrate what you have inside of you, and before you know it, you become a celebrity.”
A celebrity in his context is not the one obsessed with likes and clout. A real celebrity can afford their needs without “doing rubbish.”
“You cannot do unconventional and vulgar things to become a celebrity. We have sold puff puff for 22 years, and we are still there. We have seen different levels of people who have built a reputable brand. When I say reputable, a brand that you can trace. If you search for 12 Baskets online, you will see that they have been in existence for years. That’s a celebrity, not one who has defrauded the American government and other businesses.”
If life has taught him anything, it’s to stay humble, impactful and friendly “because the future holds everything.”
“Humility is key, no matter what you have, don’t blow your own trumpet, be hard working and always find time to relax.”
Afolaranmi
HighLife
Orji Uzor HonouredKalu in Zamfara
In Gusau, capital of Zamfara State, turbaning ceremonies don’t just crown individuals; they canonise legacy. And on this particular day, with a swirl of regality and political theatre, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu became Jarumin Gusau (Warrior of Gusau). This is a title steeped in northern prestige and wrapped in a soft silk of national reconciliation.
For the former governor of Abia and serving senator from the South-east, this wasn’t just another feather in his cap.
“I consider this recognition from the Gusau Emirate as a very big honour,” Kalu declared in gratitude.
The Emir of Gusau, Ibrahim Bello, bestowed the title, affirming not just friendship, but fraternity across Nigeria’s sometimes uneasy divides.
Beneath the ceremonial flourish, however, lies a curious dance between symbolism and statecraft. Kalu wasn’t just in Zamfara for the turban and tribal drums. He was also on hand to commission the newly renovated Ministry of Women Affairs and the transformed College of Arts and Sciences: projects led by Governor Dauda Lawal, whose knack for infrastructural rebirth is earning bipartisan nods.
Kalu was effusive. “This is transformation,” he said, gesturing at a Ministry that now breathes modern governance instead of bureaucratic fatigue.
He didn’t stop there. With characteristic pragmatism, the senator nudged Governor Lawal toward “political economics,” a gospel Kalu preaches often. “Don’t abandon your party,” he advised, “but for the sake of Zamfara, work with President Tinubu.”
Such is Kalu’s peculiar genius: able to speak from the Southeast, serve in the North, honour tradition, and coax cooperation out of political polarity. He is, as ever, a politician fluent in multiple dialects: of tribe, of party, and of power.
And now, with the turban to prove it, he adds one more: the dialect of honour.
Viral Video, and Pastor’s Perilous Parable
In Lagos, where gridlock is a civic rite and Sunday sermons rival TED Talks in theatrical flair, even pastors aren’t immune to public spectacle. Cue Paul Adefarasin, the commanding voice behind House on the Rock and maestro of Nigeria’s famed gospel mega show, The Experience, now in an altogether different kind of spotlight.
It began, like many modern scandals do, with a shaky video clip. There he was, Pastor Adefarasin, seen waving a suspicious object while gesturing at another motorist on a congested Lagos road. The Internet, that endless jury of peers, swiftly convened. Was that a gun? Was the pastor packing heat?
The pastor said no; it was a misunderstanding. The police said… sort of. It wasn’t a gun, technically. It was a stun gun, a “prohibited anti-riot device,” per CSP Benjamin Hundeyin of the Lagos Police Command. Non-lethal, yes. Legal? Not quite.
To his credit, Adefarasin didn’t play
In Nigerian politics, loyalty is currency. And Senator Iyiola Omisore may be ready to cash in. Word on Osun streets is that Omisore, the mathematician-turned-powerbroker, is warming up for another run at the governorship under the All Progressives Congress (APC) banner.
hide and seek. He walked himself into the police station (perhaps trading his pulpit robe for plain clothes) and offered a “cautionary statement.” He was granted bail shortly thereafter. Investigations, we are assured, are ongoing.
The story would be comical if it weren’t so Nigerian. A megachurch leader trained in Florida and mentored by T.D. Jakes, holding an electroshock device on Lagos traffic camera. It reads like the plot of a Nollywood satire, only real.
Still, what does it say when a man of the cloth, one who once confessed to finding salvation after battling substance abuse in Miami, finds himself back in the wilderness, this time armed with 50,000 volts?
“Pastor Paul” remains revered, especially by followers who see the incident as overblown. But the optics, a high-profile pastor wielding riot gear in traffic, remain jarring.
Perhaps there’s a sermon in this: even shepherds need direction. And in Lagos traffic, perhaps just a working horn.
Payback Time … Will Tinubu Support Omisore’s Guber Ambition?
The timing isn’t random, nor is the ambition. Omisore’s calculation seems to be very precise, as one would expect of a mathematician: if political IOUs still mean something in Abuja, then President Bola Tinubu may owe him one.
Back in 2022, Omisore played what insiders now call a quiet kingmaker’s role during the high-stakes APC presidential primary. As party National Secretary, he didn’t just steer meetings; he steered outcomes. While the then-chairman Abdullahi Adamu floated Ahmad Lawan as a consensus candidate, Omisore kept his gaze firmly on the SouthWest. “My mission,” he said recently, “was to deliver the South-West for the Presidency. Which we are today.”
Mission accomplished, but what now? Enter Osun 2026, with its familiar dance of ambition, alignment, and subterfuge. Omisore wants back in. But APC in Osun isn’t a neatly
aligned orchestra. It’s a jazz band, with Bola Oyebamiji blowing his own horn and supporters accusing rivals of trying to play Tinubu against his protégés. There’s talk of loyalty tests, whisper campaigns, and calculated denials. One thing’s clear: Omisore’s move complicates the party’s harmony in a state it barely holds.
So, will Tinubu return the favour? That’s the riddle.
There seems to be more to the story because not long after Tinubu arrived Aso Rock, Omisore resigned as APC National Secretary. Anyway, Nigerian politics rarely rewards clean debts. Tinubu may owe Omisore, but not necessarily with a ticket. With Osun already politically volatile and rival camps sharpening elbows, endorsing Omisore could spark new fractures. Ignoring him also risks portraying Tinubu as a man who forgets his allies. And in a country where memory is often transactional, that would be a dangerous forgetfulness.
Sanwo-Olu at 60: Celebrating Africa’s Force of Nature
Some governors govern. Babajide SanwoOlu listens, walks, builds, reforms, and somehow still finds time to breathe Lagos in and out like it’s part of his circulatory system.
As the Lagos State Governor turned 60 this June, the milestone feels less like a birthday and more like a checkpoint in a marathon of urban transformation.
The city’s rhythm has always been fast, but under Sanwo-Olu, it’s gained structure: rail lines humming through districts, roads stitched across neglected corridors, food markets subsidised and digitised, hospitals raised from blueprints to blocks.
But for all the cement and signatures, it’s the man’s proximity to the people that resonates. A technocrat with the instincts of a town crier, he knows when to speak and when to simply show up.
From #EndSARS to COVID-19, SanwoOlu never governed from abstraction. Lagosians saw him in the streets, not just on
letterheads.
Under his leadership, the state’s internally generated revenue has soared past 1.3 trillion, and infrastructure (once Lagos’s Achilles heel) is now its résumé. Yet what defines his tenure isn’t just output, but presence. His aides joke that he doesn’t just tour projects; he audits them with his feet.
A new book, The Man Who Carried a City, by Lanre Alfred, immortalises this energy with both charm and candour. It offers not flattery, but a curated reflection of a man wired to his city’s pulse. Chapters like “Lagos in His Lungs” and “The Politics of Listening” reframe governance as intimacy: knowing where the potholes are, and why people are angry when okadas disappear from certain roads.
So yes, there will be speeches, cakes, and camera flashes. But for many Lagosians, Sanwo-Olu’s real celebration happens in traffic that moves, in lights that stay on, in taxes that build rather than vanish.
Loves to Break Itself?
By the time Bukola Saraki stepped into the People’s Democratic Party’s newest bonfire of vanities, the smoke was already thick with ego, vendetta, and well-aged grudges. The former Senate President, tasked with chairing a seven-member peace committee, now finds himself trying to stitch up a party that seems most alive when tearing itself apart. His mission? Reconciliation. His challenge? Reconciling Wike’s unyielding ambition with governors who would rather see a meteor land on Wadata Plaza than hand the party’s
future back to its rebel-in-chief.
The PDP’s civil war began not with bullets, but with ballot boxes. Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as presidential candidate in 2023, and his choice of Ifeanyi Okowa over Nyesom Wike as running mate, triggered what some insiders now call the “Delta betrayal.” Wike, along with four like-minded ex-governors (the G-5), promptly began a slow-motion sabotage that many say doomed the party at the polls.
Enter Saraki, the party’s new “therapist-inchief,” backed by a committee featuring current and former governors, senators, and at least one wounded idealist. But the fight over who should be national secretary — Senator Samuel
Anyanwu or Sunday Udeh-Okoye — has proven more litigious than spiritual. Each camp clutches a Supreme Court ruling, like warring prophets with rival holy books.
Wike’s group insists that Anyanwu is the chosen one. The governors, less pious, more pragmatic, stand by Udeh-Okoye. The Saraki committee initially leaned toward Anyanwu, citing INEC recognition, but governors pushed back, accusing Saraki of pandering to the Wike wing. Meanwhile, in a comic twist that would make Achebe sigh, the PDP secretariat was sealed for unpaid ground rent just hours before a crucial NEC meeting. Wike denied responsibility, but the optics were biblical. Still, Saraki remains publicly hopeful. Behind closed doors, however, even the walls might admit: this is a house divided, held together by little more than memory and ambition. For now, the only clear winner is entropy.
Saraki
Kalu
Sanwo-olu
Adefarasin
Inside the Storm: How Vice President’s Silence Sparked Political Tempest
The script was supposed to be simple: praise the president, signal continuity, and wrap the North-east APC summit in Gombe with a ribbon of unity. Instead, it unravelled into one of the party’s most unfiltered public family feuds.
It began with a speech. Mustapha Salihu, the North-east Vice Chairman of the APC, stood before his party faithful and gave a rousing endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for 2027. But one name was missing: Vice President Kashim Shettima. The omission was not lost on the crowd. By the time Salihu finished, chants of “Shettima! Shettima!!” ricocheted off the hall’s walls like political gunfire. Plastic chairs soon followed.
In a nation where symbolism carries the weight of substance, silence, particularly this silence, was deafening. For the North-east bloc,
Bolanle Austen-Peters is Crowned a Cultural Queen
In Lagos, where tradition and reinvention often dance side by side, filmmaker and cultural architect Bolanle Austen-Peters received a coronation of her own: Yeye Erelu Asa of Iru Kingdom. But this wasn’t the typical chieftaincy affair; there were no heavy incantations, no dour solemnity. Instead, it shimmered like one of her stage sets: elegant, intentional, and thoroughly modern.
The honour, conferred by Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal, recognised more than her acclaimed films or sold-out theatre productions. It acknowledged the ripple effect of her work, namely, training over 40,000 young people across Lagos, Ogun, and Kano through her Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA), a partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.
Here, there must be a pause to point out the amazingness of this feat. In an industry where talent often outruns opportunity, Austen-Peters has built both the platform and the runway.
“This city has given me the space to dream for over two decades,” she said at the ceremony. “So it means everything that this title comes from home.”
The Erelu title is among the highest honours for women in Yoruba culture, second only to royal birth. It really is fitting, as Austen-Peters herself hails from noble lineage. Her productions like ‘93 Days,’ ‘Fela and the Kalakuta Queens,’ and ‘Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’ have not just entertained, but chronicled Nigeria’s cultural memory for audiences from Lagos to London’s West End.
With feats like these, one can only wish that there are more achievers like Austen-Peters in Nigeria, willing to tell the story of the past in the colours of the present.
Indeed, the conferment ceremony mirrored her ethos: rooted in heritage, fluent in modernity. Guests, including American, British, and German diplomats, watched as tradition met storytelling, each honoree greeted with prayers,
Shettima is not merely a vice president; he is their vice president. His exclusion from the script was seen not as a strategy but betrayal.
Salihu, cornered by outrage and escorted out by security, later offered a constitutional defense. “There’s only one ticket in the primaries,” he explained on national television. “The running mate is picked later. We endorsed Tinubu unconditionally.”
That legalese, however correct, collided with a different truth: Nigerian politics is rarely about procedure alone. It’s about perception. And for Shettima’s supporters, the perception was clear: power might be shifting.
Even more curious was the quiet compliance of others. Governors from Yobe and Gombe, present and prominent, echoed Salihu’s script: no Shettima.
praise, and Yoruba regalia. For Austen-Peters, the recognition isn’t a capstone but a baton. “There’s more to build,” she said, eyes forward. “Nigeria’s story is far from finished.”
Tale of Two Princes: Ogun 2027’s Curtain Rises
Ogun politics, never short on theatrics, has opened another act. This time, up on the stage are two familiar faces from Yewaland rehearsing for a throne that sits only one.
In one corner stands Senator Solomon Adeola, better known as Yayi, fresh from delivering Ogun West its first federal university. A legislative feat eight years in the making. The people danced. The drums beat. Even sceptics had to admit: the man knows how to time a political overture.
In the other corner, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (GNI to insiders): seasoned, persistent, and once the golden boy of Otunba Gbenga Daniel. A technocratturned-politician, GNI is no stranger to ambition. He’s run for governor more than once, each time with the confidence of a man convinced history was finally bending in his direction.
Last week, however, the two titans didn’t merely cross paths; their supporters clashed, vocally and visually, over who truly
Matriarch of High Society: Titi Atiku at 75
Some women sit beside power. Amina Titilayo Atiku-Abubakar, now 75, helped reshape its contours.
Born in colonial Ilesha and raised in Lagos, Madam Titi was never just the vice president’s wife. She was, instead, a quiet storm. Long before “gender mainstreaming” made the development lexicon, she was on the frontlines: lecturing, legislating, and, eventually, legislating against legacies of silence. She met Atiku Abubakar in the boldest of circumstances. Two young hearts, defying tradition, eloped with only two friends in attendance. Fifty-plus years later, the former vice president would recall it with tenderness: “I couldn’t have married a better wife,” he said. That private rebellion became the seed of a very public legacy.
As Second Lady from 1999 to 2007, Madam Titi founded Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) after witnessing Nigerian girls being trafficked across Europe. Her advocacy
led to the establishment of NAPTIP, the federal agency now at the heart of Nigeria’s fight against human trafficking.
Yet she never lost the intimacy of mission. She authored books, taught at Kaduna Polytechnic, and welcomed repatriated girls with dignity rather than pity. In a political culture more inclined toward first-lady fashion diplomacy, she insisted on institutions.
Even now, Madam Titi holds court in high society, not as an ornament, but as the original blueprint. Fluent in Yoruba, Hausa, and policy, she remains a woman who sees bridges where others see borders: between faiths, between North and South, between tradition and transformation.
So, as the matriarch turns 75, the nation raises more than a toast. It pauses, perhaps, to ask how many lives were altered by the quiet force who once walked Rome’s streets, saw suffering, and came home to change the law.
Because legacy, like elegance, is rarely loud but always lasting.
Why Bayo Adelabu May Not Deliver
Bayo Adelabu was never going to be Nigeria’s electricity messiah, but he was supposed to try. The former deputy governor of the Central Bank, veteran of PwC, and now Minister of Power, Adelabu entered office in 2023 armed with expertise and ambition. But even expertise struggles in a sector where megawatts come second to mayhem.
To blame him entirely would be a mistake. By the time he arrived, the power sector was already broken, gutted by a 2013 privatisation so deeply compromised that even its architects have begun to flinch.
wears the crown of Ogun West’s grassroots. Tantrums flew. So did political side-eyes. The message, though not in any campaign flyer, was unmistakable: the governorship of 2027 is now a full-contact sport.
The real question, however, looms larger than any individual ambition: why can’t the Yewa axis, long marginalised in Ogun’s top office lottery, present a unified front?
For a region still waiting to make its first real mark in Oke-Mosan, the infighting seems less like healthy democracy and more like political cannibalism. Meanwhile, Ogun East and Ogun Central, veterans in gubernatorial rotation, are watching. Closely. And possibly with popcorn.
At stake is more than a governorship. It’s legacy, recognition and the elusive belief that Yewa’s time has come.
Whether that time will be shared or squandered may depend less on who shouts loudest, and more on who, finally, chooses to listen.
“We sold DisCos and GenCos to ourselves,” confessed former planning minister Shamsuddeen Usman. That single sentence unplugs the myth of reform: politicians awarded assets to allies, technical qualifications took a backseat, and oversight disappeared behind curtains of self-interest.
The results? DisCos with no financial backbone. GenCos tangled in ownership drama. Over N15 trillion in government bailouts later, over 80 million Nigerians still live in darkness. Even the president has disconnected from the national grid, literally. A N10 billion solar mini-grid now powers Aso Rock, a glowing indictment of a sector so unreliable that the state itself has installed a backup plan.
Adelabu’s strategy has been to blame the past, plead for patience, and promise revival. But promises do little in a system where transmission is fragile, distribution is dysfunctional, and every reform effort collides with vested interests. The Siemens deal? Still crawling. Tariffs? Still biting. Trust? Long gone.This isn’t about a lack of competence. It’s about a man handed a sinking ship already halfway to the ocean floor. Adelabu may understand finance, but the power sector isn’t an Excel sheet; it’s a political swamp lit by private interests and public fatigue.
No sensible person would expect Adelabu to be patted on the back for the current state of things. But it is not all his fault, and that’s precisely why he may not deliver.
Shettima
Austen-peters
Titi and Atiku Abubakar
Isiaka
Yayi
Adelabu
g ov Hyacinth Alia: Blood on the Fields
I am just headlining this piece with Gov. Alia not because I feel he is directly to blame or that he can do anything about the “genocide” going on in his state, but to have something or someone to anchor the story with.
The bloodletting this time in Benue State has reached a point where we just have to stop at nothing to bring an end to the matter.
Thankfully, the president has taken a detour and has landed in the epicentre of the carnage – even though I have heard that due to flood and other extraneous reasons, he could not reach the main point of the massacre – which is a brilliant departure from his predecessor who will tell Nigerians “I am not
aware.”
But seriously, what we need is much more than just a visit and a homily – find land for ranching as solutions. The Tor Tiv said very boldly and clearly that this was much more than a fight for land with the way the whole thing is being orchestrated. Clips of babies burnt alive, communities ravaged and destroyed, hundreds being killed in the most heinous manner, mbok, this can never be a communal clash. This is an attack on Nigeria by its enemies who can be both internal and external.
Mr. President has to deploy strong-arm tactics to end this and quickly too. It is just such a very sad and traumatic story.
ADAmS oSHIomHoLe: wHo LeT THe DogS oUT?
This matter happened almost a week ago but it is still hugging the limelight. “Edgar, I am strenuously waiting for your comments on this wahala”, this was my bosom Akwa Ibom buddy, Udeme Etokoyen on the seeming imbroglio between the famous airline Air Peace and distinguished Senator Adams Oshiomhole.
Since my driver used my old model car to hit an expensive Benz SUV on the Ikoyi Bridge, saddling me with a bill in excess of N3 million, I have become calm and more circumspect. I now look for trouble very strategically before I add to my problems.
So, when Air Peace sent out their cowardly press release on the matter, I ignored it. A whole international company dey fear to mention name. Person disrupt your operations according to you, block road, stop people from flying and generally behave very badly like a sailor with STD and you cannot name him in your press release? So me that I am inside Ladipo Market, begging for cheap spare parts will now go and be fighting a fight that the people the thing concern do not have the liver to fight.
Thankfully, Senator Oshiomhole put them out of their misery. According to a report filled by a national newspaper, the senator was reported to have given his side of the story. His narration was quite colourful.
From black marketing to shoddy checkin procedures and outright theft by the airline staff, the senator in that report
painted an airline that seemed to be run by bandits.
Now we have the two sides and we can better look at the situation and form a well-rehearsed position.
So, what is my verdict? The airline get “him own.” Over the years, this airline has been notorious for its very subpar arrangements. They are world leaders in delays, postponing and cancelling flights. In fact, you only travel on Air Peace on Monday if you plan to get to your destination on Wednesday, and in between all of that you get different shades of gray. It is always a meteoric experience flying that “thing” because you hardly find peace.
As for the elder statesman, nothing should make you climb the counter and spit on people in the name of seeking justice. Only God knows what was annoying you.
We have seen the video and you were in your face cap, with a cheap shirt and “okrika” khaki pants. The video did not have date and timing so that could be you speaking in your village meeting but the presence of Air Peace staff in uniform and you standing on “that thing that we used to put our luggage when checking in” confirms that, that was you “disrupting” their operations
My elder, if NLC President is still “hungrying” you, you should kindly go back, otherwise, in your shoes with the power and access you have, I would have been more elegant in addressing the issue. In your shoes, I would have called the President, called the Chief of Air Staff and in front of them, ordered the flogging of Allen Onyema so that we
can finally know that you are the only Senator in Nigeria.
Yes, it is at that point that they would have known that a sitting senator, ex-governor and husband of a very fine woman missed his flight. Kai, make una leave me o. Nigeria is really flogging me right now.
ALLeN oNYemA: THe BeeTLe IN THe AIr
My editor doesn’t like to do two commentaries on one story in a column but this one is of national importance. You see this man they call Allen Onyema, na real Beetle. You also know that saying that you cannot crush the beetle. This na “babanla” beetle. He has defied all branding principles, destroyed all goodwill but is still there flying.
Daily, his airline is annoying people, irritating people, leaving people stranded, offering some of the most dramatic services but still, he remains flying.
I think they should change their logo and replace it with the beetle and give themselves a new pay-off line that says – this beetle no go die.
I swear, branding and business professors will be scratching their heads now. It’s as if this airline has patented woeful service but still passengers flock to the place like they have no other choice.
This bobo has to be studied. The other day, I saw his manager on air stoutly defending their position on this Oshiomhole saga but I have never seen them explain why a one-hour journey
used to stretch to two days; why you get a boarding pass and don’t get a seat on board, and why you will be flying to Akure and suddenly find yourself in Ilorin.
This bobo has to go and either write a book or sha go and lecture in a business school. This is what they call alternative business walahi.
KASHIm SHeTTImA: LoNeLY AT THe momeNT
Seeing him on TV the other day, I felt pity. The whole nation knows that his job is shaky. Well, he has had a very limp tenure with nothing really colourful or dramatic about his reign. This is the irony of it all- if he does an Atiku to Obasanjo they will say he is disloyal. This one that he has been very docile and quiet, being a good party man and perfect second in command, they are treating him anyhow and embarrassing him up and down with these endorsements of Tinubu without him.
I even heard that in the APC meeting in his region, they stood up to endorse Tinubu without mentioning his name. Maybe he should start considering a reverse decamping to PDP and see if those ones will endorse him. Kai, that will be the day. But seriously, Kashim Shettima is the sitting Vice President. If the party doesn’t want him on the ballot for 2027, they should just call him into a room like Nicholas called me when he sacked me, and tell him straight to his face instead of all this “Monkey in a Snake” shadow dance that we are seeing. Thank you.
onyema
Dangote
Shettima
oshiomhole
Alia
AlIko DANgoTe SmASHeS All TAbleS
Baba has scattered everywhere o. They say he has brought in over 4,000 CNG trucks for the distribution of petroleum products direct to filling stations, thereby cutting off middlemen.
This is mad, I swear. They say he did the same with cement and is looking at replicating it in petrol and other businesses. This is more than a game changer; this is total disruption and a forced change in narrative.
Some have said that this would lead to monopoly while others have hailed it, but whatever is the case, its effect on supply and pricing can only be the best for the ordinary man on the street who have really suffered as a result of the massive price fluctuations of fuel.
Mbok, this Aliko sef, why is this man like this o. The baba is not just looking left or right, he is just focused on his objectives, whatever they are and by implication, putting his money where his mouth is, unlike the audio billionaires we have everywhere who go to loud parties and shout “what is money?”
This is money and it is money that is working for the people. Well done sir
Toke beNSoN: THe mUSeUm IS goINg
The fear of juju will make me write very calmly but truth be told madam, that J.K Randle Museum is gone. The multibillion naira edifice which houses some of the most valuable artefacts befitting the rich Yoruba culture has gone to the dogs. Overgrown with weeds, the swimming pool filled with algae, the escalators not working and its general appearance looking sad and disheveled.
The other day, I went there and saw people eating and snacking right beside extremely valuable artefacts. No tour guides with visitors left to their own devices, touching and grabbing the artefacts.
Madam Commissioner, I think it’s time to step in and “rescue” the place. A total overhaul of its infrastructure and its service offering is needed very urgently. Already Nigerians have started asking questions about the museum on social media and as such, urgent attention must now be given to it. Mbok, nobody should come and chase me o. I am just crying out as a concerned stakeholder. Thank you.
CHIef emmANUel IwUANYANwU: pUSHINg THe boUNDArY
This one is hard o. I don’t know what to even call it. But wait let me give you guys the gist. So, it has been reported that the late billionaire Chief Iwuanyanwu in his will left so many things for his young wife but she can only continue to have those things if she does not remarry.
I also heard that the late American basketball player Kobe Bryant did the same thing with his wife. Now, I have not totally wrapped my head around this phenomenon and if I know Nigerian men very well, the trend will catch on.
Why would someone put that kind of condition in his will when he is dead and gone and will certainly no longer have the capacity to do anything as a skeleton? But then again, who will be happy in his grave seeing a “boy” not only climb his mountain very recklessly but also seeing him lounging in his assets that he has worked so hard to acquire in his lifetime?
For me, my first reaction is that it is a very nonsensical move as it smacks of immortal and morbid jealousy. On the other hand, when you remember the moans and the screams that you get to hear and then you imagine another man in your bed, you will forget that you are six feet under and will now do something about it. So, the question I want to ask my fellow
brothers, does this move make sense? Mbok, send me your answers using my phone number at the top of the page because your answers may just form my next stage play that would be titled ‘Halt, Don’t Go There.’ Lol.
mArYAm AbACHA: THe ‘SImoN TemplAr’ effeCT
Mummy just annoyed my big brother, Simon Kolawole, the other day and that is why I captioned this piece the Simon Templar effect.
Mummy, according to Kolawole, was quoted as to have made some statements regarding the integrity of her late husband, the hugely unpopular
former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, the other day. These statements really annoyed Chief Kolawole who forgot his respect for old women and unleashed on mummy, daddy, pikins and associates. His column last Sunday was a perfect read in research-based journalism. I really enjoyed it o as he quoted naira for naira, dollar for dollar that was “stolen” from us by this man, his family and associates, according to reports. Simon really threw the books at mama and her family, forgetting that in every mummy’s eyes, their children are always saints.
As far as Mummy Abacha was
obA SAHeeD elegUSHI: mAY
YoUr loYAlTY NoT be TeSTeD
It was Babatunde Fashola (SAN), the former Governor of Lagos State who when he was being screened as minister made the statement. That statement can best be described as what Oba Saheed Elegushi has gone through in recent times.
I had the rare privilege of visiting Oba of Elegushi in his Kingdom the other day. I had gone with my big brother, Gabriel Ukpe, on a private visit and one thing led to the other. You know me na, I cannot let an opportunity pass me by. So, we all have heard about the goings on within the power vortex of Lagos politics and the role or no role of the well liked Oba in it, all culminating in his going to meet the president with his “brother” king on a peace mission.
I was curious to get the insider gist. So immediately after the courtesies and the greetings,
I attacked: Kabiyesi ooo, may you live long, may your throne not be scattered and may your kingdom continue to flourish. Oya Kabiyesi, give me the gist, wetin really happen? Kabiyesi removed his glasses and wiped his handsome face and said, “Duke, na here I sidon ooo…” By the time he finished with the gist, I did not know whether to pity him, hug him or say well done. Kabiyesi spoke in strict confidence and as such, I cannot divulge anything that I was told before the man will whistle and I will turn to tadpole.
But let me just say that after listening to him, I am very very sure that that Fashola statement was very apt in describing his situation because his loyalty was really tried at all levels. Kai, it is really true when they say unease is the head that wears the crown. Pele Kabiyesi ooo.
concerned, her hubby was a victim and her family have paid the ultimate price for their sacrifice, but Simon will hear none of that and unleashed in the most brilliant piece ever written on the Abacha tragedy invectives that would make those ones run back to their caves in shame.
My question for Simon and the rest of us is very simple – have we changed? Have we learnt a lesson? Maybe in another brilliant piece Simon should try to give us answers.
JUlIUS roNe: THe gAS CHroNICleS
Mr. Rone, who is my very good friend, is another Dangote in the making. When I mean Dangote, I do not mean in the same vein as the moniker – the richest black man in the world – but in the vein as a disruptive businessman whose objective is to redirect our lives.
Julius is promoting the giant floating gas LPG project. The project which has been valued in excess of $1.5 billion will, when completed in the next five years as estimated, redraw the economic and financial landscape of not only the country but the continent.
In a recent visit to the new management of NNPCL, the GMD was reported to have marvelled at the audacity of the vision. Even me wey siddon here is also marvelling. Imagine a Nigerian pumping in $100 million of personal funds into a project with over 10 years gestation period? In this country that is shaking like this?
The man has mind o and it is this his confidence that has brought the NNPCL to take up about 20% of the stake and also the Delta State Government through its investment arm is also holding another 3% stake.
The other day, I went to see Julius at the Signature Suite to see if he has two heads because the way the man is thinking and moving ehn, one can only imagine. That we need these kinds of entrepreneurs in the country cannot be overemphasised I tell you and this is why I am heaping a lot of praises on him because e no easy, as my friends P-Square used to say before their fight. Well done my brother. pATrICk DoYle: of THe beeS AND THe roDeNTS
The bees and the rodents came out in their zillions to sting not only my brother Patrick Doyle but also my humble self. By the bees and rodents, I mean those “things” who throng the comment sections of social media. I call them “tambolo” which is what we used to call those annoying soldier ants that will just sting you for no reason.
As usual, the rodents came out in thousands to sting, and very meaninglessly, the well-respected and gifted gentleman Doyle whose only sin was to come on my podcast to answer questions.
To trigger him, I had mentioned that his ex-wife, Ireti, was more popular than him and in response, he reeled out his body of works and ended it by saying that he had been a “superstar since the age of 16”
That is all o. Come and see N100 data warriors on the prowl. They abused him finish. They didn’t spare me o. No name that they didn’t call me – brainless, stupid and all that. You see why Pastor Adefarasin dey carry stun gun around?
If I had a stun gun, I would jump into that internet, wound down my window and stun all of them.
The abuse can pain me as I have very thin skin for insult. You know people like us who can yab, we cannot take yabis o.
Please, any of these bubble-headed mongols who are ready, should come out and let’s fight once and for all instead of abusing me every time on social media. The thing is paining me too much. If I catch one person ehnnnnnnn.
elegushi
Ibrahim Dende’s Passion for Spreading Joy
Businessman and renowned socialite Ibrahim Dende Egungbohun, commonly known as IBD Dende, is an ardent believer in the Quranic teachings of Zakat, a teaching that emphasises the importance of charity, particularly for the poor and needy. It portrays charity as a way to fulfil a moral obligation and strengthen the bonds within society, encouraging Muslims to be mindful of the needs of others and to give generously.
This has shaped his actions and commitment to philanthropy over the years. His impact is profoundly felt widely, as countless individuals who seek his assistance often emerge from their struggles empowered and hopeful, their spirits lifted by his unwavering support.
Central to IBD Dende’s identity is his passion for celebrating life and spreading joy, particularly in the Yewa Axis, where he has earned the esteemed title of Olumo of Yewaland, an honour conferred on him by the Olu of Ilaro in recognition of his extensive contributions to the local community. His reputation as an opinion leader is further solidified by the affection and respect he commands among his peers and community members.
The annual Eid festival has become a hallmark of IBD Dende’s dedication to philanthropy and communal togetherness. On June 6, 2025, he warmly opened the doors of his residence to a wave of jubilant festivities that encapsulated the spirit of the holiday. This grand celebration, organised under the auspices of the IBD Foundation, was not merely a religious observance, but a heartfelt mission to uplift those around him, particularly the children and families of Ilaro and its surrounding areas.
That day proved to be a remarkable experience, filled with a wide array of engaging activities. The funfair hosted by IBD Dende featured entertaining games, interactive educational quizzes, and generous distributions of gifts. Children delighted in receiving essential school supplies such as books, writing materials, and even backpacks, ensuring they were well-prepared for their studies.
Indigent students benefited significantly from educational scholarships, alleviating financial burdens for their families, a testament to IBD Dende’s profound commitment to education and empowerment. With his devoted wife, Mrs. Omolara Egungbohun, meticulously coordinating every detail, the celebration was enhanced by an abundance of delectable food and refreshing drinks.
The event stood out for its opulence, as no expense was spared in ensuring that guests from near and far felt like royalty.
Yayi’s Road to Ogun Governorship Gets More Bumpy
Before now, he has been regarded as one of the strongest aspirants for Ogun State’s 2027 governorship race, but recent developments suggest that Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola’s long-nurtured dream may be unravelling before it fully takes root.
Yayi, as he is popularly known, is no stranger to high-stakes political horse-trading. A powerful figure in the National Assembly with a long political résumé that spans two decades—from the Lagos State House of Assembly to the House of Representatives and the Senate—he made a high-profile switch to Ogun politics in 2015 with eyes firmly set on the state’s number one job.
However, his foray into Ogun’s political terrain has been anything but smooth. In both 2015 and 2019, he was blocked from contesting by political power blocs, notably during the administration of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
He later aligned with Governor Dapo Abiodun, contributing to the latter’s re-election effort in 2023, a move Yayi often credits himself for. Since then, he has taken his ambition public, with bold declarations and extensive mobilisation, often to the discomfort of the ruling establishment in the state.
This year’s Lisabi Festival, a cherished cultural event among the Egba people, became a political litmus test for Yayi.
The senator, who had become increasingly assertive in Egba socio-political circles, was reportedly denied access to the festival venue, a symbolic rebuke by the organisers.
Sources close to the event organisers confirmed that the move was deliberate and aimed at preventing the senator from dominating the programme and turning it into a political
Yayi’s exclusion was widely interpreted as a subtle but powerful rejection by the Egba political establishment. They see his perceived overreach as an attempt to outshine the governor at public events by planting loyalists in key federal appointments.
Barely weeks after the Lisabi snub, Yayi was at the centre of yet another culturalpolitical showdown, this time in Ijebuland.
The influential Ojude Oba Festival, which was held on June 8, had reportedly designated him as the “Chairman of the Day.” Preparations were underway, with banners, congratulatory messages, and event materials already in circulation. But in a dramatic twist, Yayi was dropped just hours before the event.
A source confirmed that the senator’s nomination did not receive the express approval of the paramount ruler, who had been away on a routine medical trip.
Another source familiar with the planning committee’s inner workings disclosed that some stakeholders viewed Yayi’s nomination as inappropriate, arguing that it could politicise a traditionally apolitical event and send the wrong signal about Ijebuland’s stance in the 2027 gubernatorial race.
While Yayi’s camp insisted that his sidelining was orchestrated by political forces wary of his rising profile, the optics were unmistakable: he had now been publicly rebuffed in two of the state’s major cultural centres - Egbaland and Ijebuland.
He remains a political heavyweight, though, with a formidable war chest. However, the recent cultural rebuffs suggest that his acceptance across the state’s diverse political landscape is not guaranteed.
This, we gathered, is another pointer that his journey to Oke-Mosan, Ogun State governor’s office wouldn’t be as smooth as he envisaged.
Former First Lady, p atience Jonathan’s Homily
Patience Jonathan was known for being vocal and outspoken during her time as First Lady. Her speeches were often laced with humour, leaving audiences in stitches. Because of her distinctive style and memorable presence, she remains unarguably one of the most popular First Ladies the country has ever had.
However, her comics were not the only thing that put her in the spotlight. She is also known as powerful, influential and highly connected. When her husband, former President Goodluck Jonathan, held the reins of power, her words were law. And before our very eyes, Mrs. Jonathan, fondly called Mama Peace, rose from obscurity to prominence. She was surrounded by hangers-on during that time, many seeking to glean from her well of knowledge.
But soon after her husband left office, she went underground, making many wonder about her whereabouts. What they didn’t know, however, was that she was acquiring more knowledge.
In her characteristic humorous style, the former First Lady delivered yet another memorable homily last week, revealing how she nearly abandoned her pursuit of a doctorate in Philosophy due to intense academic pressure
and moments of self-doubt.
Speaking during a testimony at Streams of Joy International Church, the former First Lady, who recently bagged a PhD in Psychology, Guidance and Counselling from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, shared her challenging academic journey.
According to her, the rigours of postgraduate study — including repeated assignments and high expectations from lecturers — almost made her give up.
She also admitted that her initial motivation to pursue the degree was shaky, especially considering her past status as Nigeria’s First Lady. Despite being the oldest student in her class, she was never ashamed to ask questions—often multiple times—to understand.
She narrated how she would sit on the bench with other students, not older than her children. “I was the ‘Mama’ in class, and I wasn’t ashamed,” she said. “The younger ones understood quickly, but as a ‘Mama’, I had to ask three times to grasp one thing,” she added jokingly.
Her testimony has since inspired many, showcasing the power of perseverance, humility, and lifelong learning, regardless of age or status.
Olakunle Churchill in the Eye of the Storm
Churchill Olakunle Churchill, CEO, Big Churchill Haven Limited, for want of a better description, is a hugely misunderstood man. For a long time, he had been minding his business and doing his things without any noise or unnecessary attention. But the story changed immediately when
his relationship with star actress Tonto Dikeh became public knowledge. Indeed, all eyes were on him the moment the duo agreed to take their love story to the next level. The wedding gained media attention, particularly because he is a nephew of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
However, many began to see him differently when his then-estranged wife accused him of infidelity. The mother of one further gained the empathy of some members of the public when she opened up on the alleged domestic violence she suffered at the hands of her husband.
Aware of the negative effect on his image, the millionaire businessman debunked the allegations and professed his undying love for his wife and son, King Andre, despite the controversy that trailed the break-up of their marriage.
Even though they have both moved on with their new respective marriages, things have never been the same for the Ogun State-born socialite, as whatever Olakunle does never escape the newshounds. He is in the eye of the storm once again, as some sections of the media have reported that his Gambia-born wife, Rosy Meurer, has again run away from home because she suffered brutality and battery from her husband. But the businessman quickly responded to the news, describing it as a mere rumour from his naysayers and ‘haters’. He posted on his social media handles that his family are busy enjoying the summer in Disney, United States.
Yayi
Mrs. Jonathan
Dende showcase.
Designing the Future, Nigeria Makes Historic Debut at London Design Biennale
Nigeria makes a landmark debut at the 2025 London Design Biennale with its first-ever governmentbacked national pavilion, Yinka olatunbosun reports
The London Design Biennale at Somerset House has been a thrilling celebration of global design collaboration, featuring immersive installations, soundscapes, paintings, and sculptures that transport visitors to a world of creative innovation. This year’s theme, “Surface Reflections,” brings together over 35 international pavilions, each sharing their unique perspective.
At its fifth edition, Nigeria is making a landmark debut at the Biennale with its first-ever government-backed national pavilion, “Hopes and Impediments.” Inspired by the ancient iron-smelting site of Lejja in Enugu state, the pavilion explores themes of memory, identity, and innovation through ethnographic research, digital storytelling, and architectural interventions.
Named after Chinua Achebe’s critical essays, “Hopes and Impediments” reflects on the fluid nature of identity, shaped by shared experiences, memories, and histories. The Curator Myles Igwebuike and production lead, Itohan Barlow Ndukuba discuss the impact of design, nation branding, and Nigeria’s potential global cultural influence.
Itohan notes that Nigeria’s participation is a strategic statement of the nation’s cultural and economic aspirations, showcasing Nigerian creativity as a global force that transcends borders and disciplines. The pavilion converges heritage, contemporary design, and technological innovation, telling a cohesive story about Nigeria’s identity and aspirations.
Itohan emphasises that African design narratives have long been underrepresented on global platforms, and the Nigerian Pavilion aims to change this narrative. By showcasing Nigerian creatives as powerful contributors to design frameworks, the pavilion seeks to reposition Nigeria as a leader in the global design landscape. Historically, Nigeria’s presentations at international art fairs have been underwhelming, failing to capture the true strength of its creative sector.
However, with the support of the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, the Nigerian Pavilion has taken a different approach. Itohan highlighted three significant changes: a new strategy, a focus on excellence, and increased accountability. The goal, she explained, is to align with the ministry’s “Nigeria Everywhere” mandate, which is not just about visibility, but also about showcasing excellence in Nigerian creativity. “We want to ensure that our execution reflects the highest standards,” she says, “and positions Nigeria as a hub for innovative design and creativity.”
The London Design Biennale, a premier event that attracts over 200,000 global visitors to Somerset House, includes museum directors, academics, media professionals, creatives, and policymakers. For Nigeria’s emerging creatives, this platform is a golden opportunity to showcase their craftsmanship and innovative ideas to the world. According to Itohan, the Nigerian Pavilion aims to leverage this exposure to promote not only Nigerian design but also the country as a vibrant cultural and tourist destination. By highlighting collective creation as a core part of Nigerian identity, the pavilion brings to life the spirit of Nigerians, utilising technology to share a lesser-knownAfrican story. Interactive design technology is used to spark interest in Nigeria’s rich heritage and contemporary culture. The pavilion’s impact is set to extend beyond London, with plans to tour two additional international venues across Europe and the Middle East before returning to Nigeria. Itohan emphasised that this tour is both a cultural and economic necessity, providing a unique opportunity for Nigeria to showcase its creative prowess and attract global attention.
“The international tour is designed to extend the Pavilion’s impact beyond London,’’ she continues. “The idea is to bring Nigeria’s creative story to global capitals of art and design. This is not just an exhibition; it’s a narrative journey-one that aims to build long-term cultural partnerships and open doors for Nigerian designers in global markets. In each city, we plan to host business networking sessions and panel discussions that highlight Nigeria's potential in innovation and craftsmanship. We expect to position Nigeria as a global leader in design, while also creating economic opportunities for our artists and designers through international collaborations.”
Curating the Nigerian Pavilion for the London Design Biennale came with its challenges, including navigating traditional methods to create a cohesive and authentic narrative. Itohan noted that African design is often narrowly perceived, and this pavilion is an opportunity to redefine Nigerian design on a global stage. “Design is often confused with art, but it’s far more expansive,” Igwebuike says. Securing funding and sponsorship was another hurdle, but partnering with institutions that understand design’s economic and cultural value is key to the pavilion’s success.
From a curatorial perspective, Myles emphasised building a network of stakeholders across design, technology, and education. By collaborating with universities, local design hubs, and creative agencies, the team ensured the pavilion reflects Nigeria’s diverse
talent. “This exhibition is a movement to elevate Nigerian design and inspire the next generation of creative leaders,” Igwebuike says. The pavilion is expected to be an economic catalyst, encouraging youth participation and attracting global interest in Nigerian design talent. As one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing sectors, the creative industry is projected to contribute $100 billion to the nation’s GDP by 2030. This project could drive job creation, increase exports of Nigerian design, and foster stronger international partnerships. Itohan says the Pavilion is a movement towards uniting the creative ecosystem. “That’s the same vision we have for the Nigerian Pavilion at the London Design Biennale. Our concept, ‘Hopes and Impediments,’ is designed to fuse elements of heritage, contemporary design, and technological innovation under one roof. We are creating a space where architecture, fashion, digital design, and traditional craftsmanship co-exist and tell a cohesive story about who we are and where we are going.”
The Nigerian Pavilion at the Biennale draws inspiration from Lejja, an ancient iron-smelting site in southeastern Nigeria with over 2,000 years of metallurgical history. This site represents both hope, due to its technological brilliance predating the industrial revolution, and impediment, as its history has been under-recognized globally.
Curator Myles Igwebuike explains that Lejja's ancient technological mastery may have faded from contemporary use, but its ecological and social structures endure, offering insights into how indigenous knowledge systems shape governance, gender dynamics, and communal resilience. The pavilion aims to surface these submerged narratives through soundscapes, digital modeling, and material textures, creating a space where ancient memory and future vision collide.
By reimagining Lejja and its surroundings, the pavilion showcases Nigeria's rich cultural heritage and highlights the country's contribution to global design. Supported by the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, and sponsored by Leadway Group, the pavilion serves as a platform to project African heritage on the world stage.
Ultimately, the Nigerian Pavilion at the London Design Biennale served a dual purpose: as a mirror and a map. Designed to be both reflective and forward-looking, the pavilion showcasing Lejja is a histo-cultural symbol, affirming Nigeria’s ancient technology while projecting a future where Nigerian designers are defining new standards in global architecture, digital media, and product design. By amplifying the voices of an overlooked region, the pavilion proposes a radical new framework- one that asserts that the future of African design lies in the intelligence of its past.
Image of Lejja, Courtesy Nige ... ndon Design Biennale 2025
Itohan Barlow Ndukuba
In Celebration of Soyinka, The Noble Warrior Returns
Yinka Olatunbosun
The nigerian-American playwright and producer, Cash Onadele, also known as AiyeKo-Ooto, has teased another stage production slated for July titled The noble Warrior (eni Ogun) in honour of the nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, who turns 91 on July 13. The production, which is scheduled to run from July 11 to 13 at Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, promises two shows daily — a 3 p.m. matinee and a 6 p.m. champagne show.
A suspense-filled Black musical theatre, the play is an offering of total spectacle, combining music, dance, and drama to celebrate Soyinka’s legacy, with an innovative set design and immersive audience experience that promises to captivate audiences.
Building on the success of last year’s edition, which marked Soyinka’s 90th birthday, Producer Cash Onadele promises heightened audience engagement, with souvenir books and branded merchandise planned for this year’s production.
“We have 45 members of cast and crew will be five,” Onadele revealed during a press briefing in Lagos. “Sixty percent of those who were in the play would be there. Segun Adefila, the artist director will be retained and he is willing to experiment with both old and new actors. We want the experience to be intense
annual, with other works like Moriti Ometa and Ajogi (The Foreigner), for a broader literary fiesta.
we think it would be a great thing to do that. I see this production as an opportunity to continue the legacy of Prof. Wole Soyinka and we want to continue to integrate what we have learnt from him and his experiences and we want to expand it.”
“This is more than a tribute. It is a celebration of legacy and a push toward the future of Nigerian theatre.”
The producer is eyeing other body of works from Soyinka such as Orita Meta and Ajoji for future projects. “As at 2018, Soyinka had recorded 68 literary works. Some are still unpublished and some are in the universities where he taught. There were so many things he did and we didn’t just want to repeat stories of the past.”
and the songs vibrate with the audience.”
The team also plans to stage campus versions at university of Lagos and university of Ibadan, and others with subsidised tickets. The long-term goal is to make the production
“unILAG has great seating capacity and we are going to have serious discounts for students with ID cards,” he added. “We are interested in youth development, integration and we think that’s a way of giving back and
Onadele’s diverse body of work spans multiple creative genres. As a playwright, he wrote and produced The noble Warrior, staged in Abeokuta and Lagos. His other notable works include the 2019 four-part ethnographic fiction drama ‘Blood of Freedom.’ Onadele’s extensive bibliography boasts over 55 stories for children, youth, and adults, as well as screenplays, novels, novellas, and short stories. He began his writing career as a poet, famously cataloging 52 anthologies under the ‘Odo-Alamo Series.’ This prolific writer, philosopher, and playwright is known for his cultural awareness and creative depth. n ow 62, Onadele splits his time between Lagos and Texas.
Rethinking Rubbish for a Greener Tomorrow
Yinka Olatunbosun
An initiative led by Femi Williams, the founder of Iwalewa Art Gallery (nigeria) in partnership with Crafted Mind Collective (uK), Cz Green (Mexico) called Rethinking Rubbish has challenged the way waste can be optimised for economic value using the power of creativity. The collective recently presented a cross-continental project focused on sustainability, art and the transformative power of upcycling. Led by Oluwaseun Ademefun, Director and Co-founder of Crafted Mind Collective CIC, the project brought together artists from across the globe to explore how discarded materials could be turned to impactful works of art.
The show, which simultaneously took place in London, Lagos, and Tijuana, Mexico, aimed to unite diverse communities through a shared purpose: transforming rubbish into valuable, thought-provoking art. By doing so, it provided a unique opportunity to spotlight global environmental issues through local artistic engagement.
In London, the Rethinking Rubbish workshop took place on May 29, coordinated by Oluwaseun Ademefun alongside Jennifer Hadrich. The programme culminated in a public exhibition at Woolwich Front Room on May 31.
In Lagos, the programme ran from May 29 to 31, concluding with a public exhibition at Iwalewa Art Gallery on June 1.
In Tijuana, the sculptural aspect of the workshop was led by Alejandro Cardenas, who guided artists in a practice known as eco-sculptural or sustainable sculpture.
“The project aims to highlight the importance of rethinking waste and redefining its potential,” Oluwaseun Ademefun says. “Rethinking Rubbish is about showing that creativity can turn what’s discarded into something meaningful and valuable. It’s not just an artistic challenge; it’s a call to action for how we approach sustainability in everyday life.”
By engaging with the issues of waste
WORKSHOP
and material reuse, Rethinking Rubbish becomes part of a broader cultural shift towards ecological responsibility in the global art scene. “Art allows us to reimagine the potential of what is often ignored,” says Adrian Gamboa, Director of Cz Green.
“This initiative connects artists from different parts of the world, creating a shared platform for dialogue around sustainability, creativity and innovation.” Artists are rethinking rubbish as a means of highlighting environmental issues, and promoting sustainability.
This movement encourages creativity while raising awareness about waste management and its impact on the planet. By reimagining rubbish, artists inspire others to reconsider their relationship with waste and the environment.
Challenging Conventional Narratives through Photography
Mary Nnah
Yanga Visuals, a creative studio founded by nigerian photographer Kingsley ndubuisi Ebere, is redefining how African stories are told through photography. Based in Abuja, the studio combines artistic vision with a deep commitment to cultural representation, offering fresh and unfiltered views of Nigerian identity, creativity, and everyday life.
"Too often, African stories are told from the outside in,” Ebere says. “What I've always wanted to do with Yanga Visuals is flip that - start from the inside, with the real textures of our lives, and let that shape the image.”
This approach is reflected in the studio's work, which includes creative portraiture, commercial photography, fashion, and editorial photography.
Ebere's photographs are known for their emotional depth, layered composition, and strong visual language. Rather than relying on spectacle or exoticism, he opts for imagery that feels lived-in, familiar, and grounded in truth.
As nigeria’s creative sector continues to expand, Yanga Visuals offers something distinct—an approach that doesn’t chase trends or global validation, but instead builds from local insight and authenticity. The studio's growing portfolio includes independent editorials, commercial campaigns, brand storytelling, and conceptual series that examine themes such as identity, belonging, migration, masculinity, and urban culture.
Yanga Visuals has become a reference point for young nigerian photographers looking for ways to express themselves outside of commercial pressures or conventional norms. The studio maintains a balance between creativity and clarity of message, with each frame being the result of careful research, collaboration, and visual experimentation.
The brand is exploring new collaborations across art, fashion, and film, and Ebere is working on a long-term visual archive that documents youth culture and creative communities in nigeria. "Our stories deserve depth. We deserve to be seen fully - not just in celebration or struggle, but in the in-between moments, too,” Ebere adds.
DRAMA
One of the works at the Lagos exhibition
His photographs are often vivid and striking, but always rooted in the realities and rhythms of nigerian life.
Ebere
Producer, The Noble Warrior, Cash Onadele (right) and the Programme Director, Samuel Osaze at a recent press briefing in Lagos
IN THE ARENA
Can Tinubu Restore Peace to Benue?
AftertwoyearsofrelentlesskillingsbyarmedherdersbelievedtohaveinfiltratedBenueStatefromneighbouring states, President Bola Tinubu finally visited the state last Wednesday where he gave a firm directive to the service chiefs to pursue the perpetrators, who have continued to operate like ghosts, with no arrests made to date. Davidson Iriekpen reviews Tinubu’s engagements with key stakeholders during the visit.
Following the local and international outrage that greeted the killing of over 150 people in Benue State last week, President Bola Tinubu finally visited the state Wednesday to pacify the victims and end the unprovoked killings.
The attacks by gunmen suspected to be herders in Benue communities sparked international outrage when news of how the invaders attacked Yelwata community in Yelwata Local Government Area (LGA), leaving many dead and thousands of others displaced went viral.
The bloodshed was an opportunity for opposition politicians, including Peter Obi of the Labour Party and a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, to tackle President Tinubu, asking him and security agencies to address the carnage.
From the international scene, Pope Leo XIV expressed sorrow, condemning what he described as a terrible massacre and extreme cruelty. Delivering his remarks before the Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican, the pontiff expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence in Nigeria and the suffering of affected communities.
The Pope prayed for “security, justice, and peace” to prevail in the country while offering special intercession for the rural Christian communities in Benue, whom he described as “relentless victims of violence.”
Also, the United Nations reacted to the killing, saying it was closely monitoring the situation.
In a statement issued by Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, the international body called on relevant agencies and security operatives to work towards ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
It was largely believed that the outrage forced Tinubu, who had already scheduled a visit to Kaduna State, to reschedule his itinerary and visit Benue.
During his visit, he called out his service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, one after the other with a mandate to go after those behind the dastardly killings in the state.
“Police, I hope your men are on alert to listen to information. How come no arrest has been made?
I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,” Tinubu said at the Benue Government House in Makurdi, the state capital, during a stakeholders’ meeting.
“Christopher (the Chief of Defence Staff), you
have given much. I watch your comments; you can’t be tired of staying in the bush. Oluyede (the Chief of Army Staff) and the Air Marshal, we thank all of you, but we need to keep our ears to the ground; let’s get those criminals; let’s get them out. DG NIA, DG SSS, retool your information channels and let’s have tangible intelligence so that this will not occur again.”
Tinubu, at the meeting, also canvassed for the establishment of a committee comprising past governors of the state, traditional rulers, and other important stakeholders to help in finding lasting solutions to the lingering issues affecting the state.
Many who thought the state governor, Hyacinth Alia, who recently accused politicians and members of the National Assembly of sponsoring violent attacks in the state would courageously use the i auspicious occasion of the president’s visit to spill the beans on what he knows, were disappointed. Instead, he asked the federal government to establish state police. Though with its challenges, the governor argued that state police are critical to stemming the tide of violence in the state.
However, the only stakeholder who spoke to the heart of the issue was the Tor Tiv and Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Council, James Ayatse,
who directly told President Tinubu that his security chiefs were misinforming him about the true nature of the crisis plaguing the state.
He asserted that the conflict is not a farmersherders’ dispute but a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign in the state by “herder terrorists and bandits” that had been going on for decades.
“We have grave concern about the misinformation and misrepresentation of the security crisis in Benue,” the traditional ruler said.
“Your Excellency, it is not herders-farmers clashes; it is not communal clashes; it is not reprisal attacks or skirmishes. It is this misinformation that has led to suggestions such as ‘remain tolerant’, ‘negotiate for peace’, or ‘learn to live with your neighbours.’
“What we are dealing with here in Benue is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herderterrorists and bandits, which has been going on for decades and is worsening every year.
“Wrong diagnosis will always lead to wrong treatment. So, we are dealing with something far more sinister than we often admit,” he said.
In response, President Tinubu pledged to address the root causes of the crisis and ensure
peace returns to the state. He also expressed his disappointment that the police had failed to make any arrests more than 72 hours after the attack.
Just like Plateau State, Benue has been in the news for the wrong reasons for too long. Since the last 10 years, bandits and herdsmen have been raiding villages, killing men, women, and children, while also raping and kidnapping countless others. However, it remains uncertain if the president’s visit will restore peace to the state given the fact that his previous marching orders to the service chiefs neither led to any arrests of the perpetrators nor brought peace to the state.
After the killing of over 200 persons in the state recently, the Nigerian Army on June 6, released a statement that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, had temporarily relocated to the state.
However, the next day, the COAS was spotted in Abuja with the state government saying that he did not relocate to the state but merely visited. Concerns that Tinubu’s visit might not resolve the crisis were further fuelled by the president’s directive that Governor Alia should provide land for cattle ranching.
The questions agitating the minds of the people of Benue are: Is the president telling the people to surrender their lands to their killers? Can the Tivs and Idoma people of Benue invade farming communities in Sokoto or Kano states and kill the indigenes and force them to surrender their lands to the invaders for farming?
Observers believe that since no Nigerian or foreigner has claimed responsibility for the killings, it would amount to surrendering to criminals for the people of the state to give up their lands to unknown attackers.
Some residents of the state also believe that Tinubu’s directive will embolden the attackers to continue the attacks on the ground that the governor has not provided the lands as directed by the president.
To end the crisis in Benue, the Pope, the United Nations and the international community should put pressure on President Tinubu and the security chiefs to bring the killers to justice since the president’s directive for land to be made available for ranching suggests that the government has confirmed that the attackers are herdsmen on land grabbing mission.
The time has come to be decisive with the crisis in the state. It is not the time to play politics with the lives of the people.
Intra-party Crisis: Time for Lp to Mock Tinubu, ApC
Signs that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is not insulated from intra-party crises currently bedeviling the main opposition parties - the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) - emerged recently with the attack on the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, at the meeting of the stakeholders of the party from the North-east in Gombe State.
Referring to the crises in PDP and LP, President Bola Tinubu had recently mocked the opposition parties, gleefully declaring his joy at what he described as their “moment of disarray”.
But at the APC North-east stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe State, Ganduje was attacked by the supporters of the party for endorsing President Tinubu for reelection without endorsing Vice President
Kashim Shettima, who is from the North-east, as his running mate.
Security agents escorted Ganduje out of the venue to prevent harm from befalling him.
In her reaction, the acting National Chairman of the LP, Senator Nenadi Usman, mocked President Tinubu and the APC over the fracas in Gombe.
In a statement in Abuja, Usman argued that a president who celebrates the weakening of opposition is celebrating the weakening of democracy itself.
“Today, we witness the irony of history in motion.
Just days after the President’s unguarded and undemocratic remarks, his own party, the APC, has descended into a public crisis in the North-east.
“In their reckless bid to enforce a one-man agenda withoutregardforprocess,respect,oreventhedignity
of their own vice president, the APC has exposed the rot at the core of their politics.
“The people of the North-east rejected the charade, and the fallout is now visible for all to see smuggled party officials, a fractured house, and a nation watching.
“This is not poetic justice. It is political karma. What PresidentTinubu wished for others has turned to plague his own political household.
“The attempt to undermine Vice President Kashim Shettima in his own region is not just a sign of internal decay, but a dangerous signal to the nation that loyalty, dignity, and truth are traded cheaply in the corridors of power,” she explained.
The crisis that erupted in Gombe is an indication that the ruling APC is not insulated from internal crisis.
Tinubu
Ganduje
BRIEFING NOTES
Unnecessary Bickering over Shettima’s Fate in 2027
With the precedents set by the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress in the 2003 and 2019 elections when the sitting president and his vice were not jointly endorsed by the ruling party, ejiofor Alike writes that the current internal wrangling in the APC over the party’s silence on the endorsement of Vice President Kashim Shettima as vice presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election is hasty, unnecessary and premature
The uneasy calm in the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the non-endorsement of Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate in the 2027 presidential election degenerated into violence at a recent meeting of the North-east stakeholders of the APC in Gombe State after the National Vice Chairman of the ruling party in the zone, Mustapha Salihu, failed to mention Shettima’s name while endorsing President Tinubu for a second term.
The APC inflicted this crisis on itself when it embarked on a gale of endorsements of President Tinubu as sole candidate of the party, when he has not even utilised up to two years in his present four-year tenure.
It was not until April 2018, less than one year to the 2019 general election, that the 24 governors elected on the APC platform endorsed then President Muhammadu Buhari for reelection.
But the ruling party went into panic mode and embarked on hurried endorsement of President Tinubu two years before the 2027 presidential election due to the ongoing mobilisation of a coalition by the leaders of opposition parties to stop Tinubu’s reelection.
Before the North-east stakeholders’ meeting, the 22 governors of APC had at the party’s National Summit held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja, unanimously endorsed President Tinubu as the party’s sole presidential candidate, without mentioning Shettima.
The endorsement was announced by the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, at the summit themed ‘Renewed Hope Agenda: The Journey So Far.’ Uzodimma moved the motion for Tinubu’s adoption as the APC’s sole candidate, which was seconded by the PGF Vice Chairman, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State.
Shortly before the 22 APC governors endorsed Tinubu, five northern governors elected on the platform of the party and other stakeholders from the North-central had also endorsed him for reelection but were silent on Shettima.
The decision was reached in Abuja when five governors of the party from the geopolitical zone met with other APC leaders from the zone.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, moved the motion for the endorsement of
the president for reelection in 2027, while the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule read the communique.
However, Tinubu’s endorsement by the North-east APC in Gombe State generated a crisis due to the non-endorsement of Shettima by his own geopolitical zone.
The meeting was attended by virtually all ministers, lawmakers, and governors of the party from the region.
National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, also led some key personalities to the event.
When it was the turn of National Vice Chairman of the ruling party in the North-east, Salihu to speak, he endorsed Tinubu as an unopposed candidate of the APC but was silent about Shettima.
However, to calm the aggrieved stakeholders, the Deputy National Chairman of the party, Bukar Dalori, endorsed both Tinubu and Shettima for a second term.
But the meeting ended abruptly after the National Chairman, Ganduje, also
endorsed Tinubu, without mentioning Shettima throughout his speech, which lasted about 10 minutes, and this angered party supporters, who moved to attack him.
Ganduje had to be escorted out of the venue by security operatives.
Though President Tinubu has never made a public statement to indicate a rift with his vice, conspiracy theorists allege a plot to drop Shettima as his running mate in 2027.
However, with the precedents set by both the PDP and the APC, the non-endorsement of Shettima by the APC should not raise eyebrows as no ruling party has ever endorsed the president and his vice jointly.
Since 1999, it has always been a sitting president’s prerogative to unveil his running mate.
For instance, a stakeholders’ meeting of the PDP at Obasanjo’s residence in Ota, Ogun State, had endorsed the then-President Olusegun Obasanjo for reelection but were silent on the fate of his vice president, Atiku Abubakar, who was not at the meeting.
This development had made Atiku to reveal in a BBC interview in 2002 that he was considering whether to contest for the
NoteS for file
Treating Bandits as Heroes
It was an embarrassment to Nigeria in the eyes of responsible nations when the Nigerian government recently honoured a wanted bandit leader, Ado Aleru in Danmusa, Katsina State. Aleru, a name that is dreaded in Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina states, sat like a king, surrounded by military personnel, community leaders, and traditional rulers to negotiate peace.
At the meeting, terrorists’ leader spoke, not from a point of remorse, but of power and authority.
“As long as you keep calling us terrorists, we will keep acting like terrorists,” he declared authoritatively. And no one objected. No soldier raised a weapon. No official raised their voice or shouted him down. This could not have been because of non-kinetic approach.
A man that was supposed to be executed for his crimes against humanity, was treated with respect and dignity.
What kind of country would negotiate with men who burn children in their sleep? What kind of army would stand still while a terrorist gives a speech? This is not just a national disgrace; it is the collapse of every moral fabric holding this country together.
What this shows is that the Nigerian government actually empowered terror; legitimised it; gave it a face, and a voice.
It shows that the Nigerian government is not in control; terrorists are controlling the country because they are the country’s political weapons.
To the Nigerian military and other security agencies, they have lost their honour.
They raid campuses to arrest students who
2003 presidential election or back someone else.
However, Obasanjo unveiled Atiku as his running mate shortly before the commencement of voting at the party’s National Convention. Also ahead of the 2019 general election, 24 governors elected on the platform of the ruling APC had in April 2018 announced their endorsement of former President Buhari as the sole candidate of the party without mentioning Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as his running mate.
The then Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo made the position of the governors known to State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with Buhari at the Presidential villa, Abuja.
Buhari had earlier, at the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, declared his intention to run for a second term in 2019, without also mentioning Osinbajo.
Then National Leader of the APC, President Tinubu, had in December 2017 said he had “absolute confidence and was exceedingly proud of the excellent job Professor Osinbajo was doing as Vice President of Nigeria.”
But Tinubu’s strong support for Osinbajo could not make the APC governors endorse him when they endorsed Buhari in April 2018. It was not until August 2018 that the Senior Special to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said that Osinbajo would run on the same ticket with Buhari in the 2019 presidential polls.
Shehu was reacting to the string of victories recorded by the ruling APC during the previous weekend’s by-elections in the country.
“Decisive victories in senatorial and state assembly elections in Katsina, Bauchi and Kogi states were an indication that the Buhari/Osinbajo presidential ticket that won the 2015 election will ensure an encore in 2019,” he said.
The presidential media aide said the victory in those states showed that the ruling party was still popular and that Nigerians had just endorsed the Buhari/Osinbajo joint ticket. So, while Obasanjo unveiled Atiku as his running mate in the 2003 presidential election shortly before the commencement of voting at the PDP national convention, Osinbajo was confirmed as Buhari’s running mate exactly seven months to the February 23, 2019 presidential election.
With these precedents by the APC and the PDP, the current bickering over Shettima’s fate when the 2027 elections are still two years ahead, is hasty and premature.
tweet, persecute journalists for their freedom of expression, harass civilians who refuse to pay bribes, but a warlord sits comfortably in their midst in Katsina, and they honour him, instead of pulling the trigger.
This is how a nation dies, not by bullets, but by deals made in daylight where bandits are treated like kings and justice is left gasping for breath.
This is a war for the soul of Nigeria, and the country is losing its dignity, unity and humanity.
The message delivered in Aleru’s case by the Nigerian government is that anybody who wants to be heard and respected in Nigeria, should pick up a gun and spill blood.
If President Bola Tinubu truly wants to leave an enduring legacy, he needs to speak out. His silence is louder than the terrorists’ gunshots.
Shettima
General Musa
Inside Nigeria’s Culture of Titles
With the recent survey, which shows how many Nigerians now want to be identified with either one superfluous prefix or the other for self-glorification, it is becoming increasingly evident that Nigerians are crazy over titles and prefixes, Davidson Iriekpen writes
Astory was once told that at a function in the United States of America where the then President Barack Obama and his Nigerian counterpart, President Goodluck Jonathan were in attendance, the US Ambassador to Nigeria was asked to introduce the US president while the Nigerian Ambassador to the US was asked to do the same for the Nigerian president.
While the US Ambassador simply introduced the US President thus: “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome the President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Obama, his Nigerian counterpart said: “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome the President, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, President (Dr.) Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).”
The above display of verbosity and superfluity vividly shows how crazy Nigerians are with titles and prefixes. Society has come to an era of the glorification of personalities, where titles are affixed to their names. The craze cuts across ethnic groups, religious persuasions, academic achievements, and social strata.
Who does not know that the President of the US is equally the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, the most powerful leader in the world? But this wasn’t mentioned anywhere or bragged about.
Years ago, a majority of the people placed little or no premium on the prefix to their names. They were content with being addressed simply as “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, “Miss.”, “Ms.” as the case may be, leaving the titles to the academics and professionals like medical doctors, soldiers, and others. This was at a time when the country was in the firm grip of military governance.
The situation, however, changed with the coming of civil rule. The politicians, especially public office holders who had unlimited access to public funds, became stupendously rich. Hence, they began to seek ways to advance their new status and ego. They were no longer satisfied with the appellation of Mr. or Mrs., which was also cheaply available to every Nigerian. Thus, they began to approach traditional and religious institutions for all kinds of titles, prominent among which were the chieftaincy titles.
These days, there are a plethora of titles ranging from the common to the absurd. These are titles like: Apostle, Professor (academic, honorary, and self-acclaimed), and Dr., even when the person is a native doctor, otherwise known as Babalawo or herbalist. There are others like Pastor, Evangelist, Barrister, JP, Alhaji, Alhaja, Bishop, Archbishop, Arole, Aremo, Otunba, Dame, and Ambassador, Double Chief, High Chief, Chief (Dr.) Sir, Chief (Mrs.), Professor (Mrs..), among many others. In the Nigerian Senate, for instance, there is “Distinguished” added to a senator’s prefix, while the House of Representatives has “Honourable” as a prefix to each member’s name, even though the conduct and behaviour of some of these lawmakers are far from being distinguished or honourable. Though these titles are reserved for individuals who have distinguished themselves in a given community, the monetary power of the political and business classes has changed the norm. As a result, these chieftaincy titles were bestowed on the “highest bidder” while the scope was expanded to accommodate as many as would be able to “pay” for them. Nigeria copied its presidential and federal system of government from the United States. In America, there are no words like “His Excellency,” “Her Excellency” for the first ladies or deputy governors, and “Executive Governor” for the governor, even though governors are the chief executive officers of the respective states. But in Nigeria, governors get angry when these titles are not used for them. Even local government chairmen these days are addressed as “Executive Chairman.” Sometimes, a governorship aspirant or candidate
who is not sure of victory is addressed as “His Excellency” to massage his ego.
It is not only the politicians who are guilty of this. The fad cuts across societal spheres, including the religious circle. There are pastors, senior pastors, apostles, evangelists, and senior apostles. Many churches have reverends and very reverends, bishops, archbishops, and general overseers.
Among the Yoruba, you find many men with the Otunba and Omoba titles, while many of their women are armed with the title of Yeye.
Among the Igbo, there are endless Igwes and Lolos, and Odogwu, Chief, etc, while Hausa men with the title of Sarkin abound in almost every state of the federation. It is commonplace to find individuals with three or more titles affixed to their names and several suffixes.
The honorary academic titles awarded by the universities, which used to be value-driven and given in recognition of rare achievements in society, have also been bastardised. The universities, especially those that have been bitten by the bug of avarice with little or no regard for high standards, now bestow such honorary awards on murderers, drug barons, morons, and other unscrupulous persons, thereby negating the whole essence of the honours which should, normally, be conferred on those who had played prominent and positive roles in the affairs of society.
The craze for titles was made worse by some local musicians, especially those of the Fuji genre, who ascribe academic titles to themselves as a way of proving their superiority or invincibility in the face of competitive wrangling.
The supposed originator of Fuji music, who had been engaged in a war of words with another who was laying claim to the same title, downplayed his original title of “Alhaji” and took the title of a “Dr,” probably to drive home the fact that his claims were true.
But in his reaction to the claims of the fuji originator, his arch-rival, in his album released shortly after, dubbed himself a “professor” and while the altercations between the duo persisted, he went ahead to add “master” to his professor appellation after which he was known and addressed as “professor master.”
Some also used “General”, “Commander”, “Barrister”, and “King” as prefixes.
Now, it appears most Nigerians have been infected with the craze for titles, especially the academic ones.
The quest for worldly titles among the clergy has
reached a frightening and alarming dimension these days. Many men of God, particularly those of the Pentecostal Christian faith, flaunt strings of titles that are incomplete without academic titles. Examples are: “Prophet Evangelist (Dr.),” “Bishop (Dr.),” “Most Superior Leader Evangelist (Dr.),” “ArchBishop”, etc.
While some of these people wrote dissertations leading to the award of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in divinity, theology, and in some secular fields, many others who had not been to the four walls of a university decided to include such of their own free will.
Hence, it didn’t come as a surprise when, recently, a popular preacher in Ibadan, who had since been addressing himself as a “Dr” among other titles, apparently got tired of it and dropped it for the appellation of a “professor.”
The professionals are not left to this malaise. It is common these days to see titles such as Barr (Barrister), Arc (Architect), Pharm (Pharmacy), Surveyor, and Engr. (Engineer) whether the person is a roadside mechanic, generator repairer, or an electrician.
Many have argued that people do not need to be addressed as such, whether they have anything to show for it or not. Overseas, they hear John James, PhD. But in Nigeria, it must be Dr. John James, PhD.
They believe that most of these prefixes are driven by envy, pride, and unnecessary self-glorification.
Recently, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) issued a directive banning individuals from publicly using honorary doctorate or professorship titles, warning that violators would face public exposure and possible legal action.
In an official statement, the commission emphasised that the practice is damaging the integrity of the country’s academic system. It condemned the use of such titles as “unethical and misleading,” adding that it is undermining the value of legitimate academic qualifications in Ghana.
GTEC, which said its warning came amid increasing concerns over the proliferation of so-called “degree mills”, unaccredited institutions offering honorary degrees in exchange for money, with no academic requirements, further explained that the “rampant and fraudulent” display of honorary titles is eroding the significance of genuine academic credentials such as PhDs and professorships, which are typically earned through extensive research and peer-reviewed accomplishments.
“This notice goes especially to politicians, businessmen and businesswomen, men and women of God, and any other category of persons to desist from officially using the honorary doctorate and professorship titles in their everyday life,” the statement said.
Not a few are calling on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to emulate GTEC to force universities and other institutions to either moderate or curtail the way and manner they award honorary degrees to politicians and other members of society.
Editor: Ejiofor Alike
SMS: 08066066268
email:ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com
Public Office Holders With Legislative, Executive Experience
In the 26 years of unbroken democratic rule in Nigeria, certain individuals have had the rare privilege of serving in both the executive and legislative branches of government. While some in this class have distinguished records of service, others have barely marked time, occupied space and warmed benches. Adedayo Akinwale spotlights this category of present and past public officials
26 Years of Unbroken Democracy:Public Office Holders With Legislative, Executive Experience
Since 1999, Nigerians have elected thousands of politicians to serve them in the executive and legislature at the national and sub-national levels of government. During these 26 years, hundreds of politicians have passed through the national and state assemblies and transitioned to the executive branch as governors, ministers, commissioners, chairpersons and members of statutory boards. Several hundred others have also transitioned from the executive to the legislature, serving as senators and members of the national and state assemblies.This phenomenon creates a distinct group of political actors whose influence on Nigeria’s democratic governance trajectory has to be accurately recorded and documented in the annals of history.
Most of these public officials have served (or are serving) in the national and state assemblies. a smaller number have been state governors and members of the federal cabinet. Only five have served as presidents, including the incumbent President Bola ahmed Tinubu.
as the country marks 26 years of unbroken civilian rule this June, the contributions of this group of public officials to nation-building, socio-economic growth, and development deserve to be recorded for posterity.
OrderPaper Nigeria, the country’s leading parliamentary monitoring organisation and policy think tank based in abuja, is undertaking this vital work. according to Oke epia, the founder and chief executive officer, the essence is to enhance the country’s policy ecosystem by conferring recognition on those who have served with honour and distinction in both branches of government. He said the recognitions are being processed and conferred under the auspices of the Initiative for Celebrating Outstanding National Statespersons (ICONS) programme. President Tinubu, vice President Kashim Shettima, and First lady Remi Tinubu stand out with their big shoes in this class. Senate President Godswill akpabio and eleven incumbent state governors – Uba Sani of Kaduna, Duoye Diri of Bayelsa, Umar Fintiri of adamawa, Umar Bago of Niger, Francis Nwifuru of ebonyi, Sheriff Oborovwori of Delta, Bassey Otu of Cross River, ademola adeleke of Osun, Hope Uzodima of Imo, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, and Monday Okpebholo- belong in this class even though they have differing impact in public service. Twenty-two members of the Tinubu cabinet, including Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George akume, also belong to the class. a horde of former governors, deputy governors, former ministers, former speakers, senators and house members also belong in this class. according to him, the ICONS programme has been designed to spotlight the best of the best in the distinct class of leaders who have delivered remarkable public service in both the legislative and executivebranchesofGovernmentsince1999.“Itshines the spotlight on leaders who have served in both the legislature and the executive and have demonstrated excellence, patriotism, and purposeful public service. It aims to document their legacies and inspire future generations,” he said. The recognition has three core elements, viz: the ICONS Book of Records, a luxury limited edition publication featuring in-depth profiles of 50 members of the class who have unarguably distinguished themselves; the ICONS Digital Repository, a curated personal webpage for each ICON, hosted on a visually rich, celebratory platform that showcases their legislative and executive records among other public service achievements; and the ICONS awards & Gala Night, an exclusive black-tie event to celebrate ICONS with tokens of awards and other mementoes. according to Mr. epia, “ICONS are a distinct class of leaders whose footprints exemplify performance, purpose, and patriotism. The programme is conceived and executed by OrderPaper Nigeria as part of our institutional commitment to democratic consolidation and historical documentation.
“In the first stage of this initiative, we identified over 350 individuals who have traversed the legislature and executive branches of the government since 1999 for consideration based on a wide range of qualitative and performance metrics. Following subsequent screenings and advisory consultations, the number will be pruned to a final shortlist of 50 distinguished individuals who will make the premier limited edition of the Book of Records, Digital Repository and be celebrated at the prestigious Gala/Dinner Night.
“Nomination and participation automatically make nominees valued members of Nigeria’s ICONS community, who share a legacy of transformational leadership, exemplary public service, and enduring contributions to democratic governance. This exclusive network offers opportunities for continued engagement, peer recognition, collaborative initiatives, and access to high-level policy dialogues aimed at shaping the
future of Nigeria’s democracy.” He said the ICONS programme is based on a string of successes recorded by OrderPaper’s signature work in policy-making. From its inimitable annual performance appraisals of legislators to the unprecedented Most valuable Parliamentarian (MvP) Hall of Fame recognition to the ICONS, OrderPaper has demonstrated immense capacity and excellence in defining public service monitoring and recognition. The think-tank has been recognised by global organisations, including the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), the International Parliamentary engagement Network (IPeN) hosted by the
University of leeds, United Kingdom, and the african Parliamentary Monitoring Organisations Network (aPMON). Successive leadership of the National assembly have endorsed OrderPaper and its approach and achievements from the 8th to the current 10th assembly, which describes OrderPaper as “one of africa’s foremost independent parliamentary monitoring organisations,” with a “strengthened commitment to advancing legislative accountability, civic engagement, and good governance through data-driven insights, policy analysis, and comprehensive coverage of legislative activities.”
according to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon, Tajudeen abbas, OrderPaper is
a “forward-thinking institution contributing to the growth of our democracy. The 10th House values principled civic engagement and affirms its commitment to transparency, inclusion, and excellence in lawmaking. We believe in building strong democratic institutions, and partners like OrderPaper play a vital role in strengthening the social contract between the people and their parliament.”
The ICONS programme has been causing quite a stir in the political class as Nigeria’s leadership elite reel out their records as OrderPaper engages data-driven methodologies to separate the boys from the men in this pan-Nigerian and non-partisan effort to curate a legacy of service that truly counts.
Kwankwaso
Tuggar
Lalong
Suswam
Umahi
Adebule
Udo udoma
Makarfi
Tunji-Ojo
Banigo
Yari
Amosun
ENGAGEMENTS
Benue: Human Sacrifice and the Nameless War
The Nigerian governance road show rolled into Benue State earlier this week. The president and a motley collection of officialdom rolled into the state to see why so many innocent people are dying unnecessary deaths in the hands of nameless killers. As it turns out, the president and his significant lieutenants had to be pressured to go and see the carnage in Benue for themselves. By the time they woke up to go there, over 200 innocent Nigerians had been butchered in repeated waves of mass slaughter.
The political opposition had wondered aloud as to why Mr. Tinubu would go everywhere else other than the forests of Benue where the killing of innocent people in their homes had degenerated into a gruesome sport that was claiming hundreds of innocent lives. People would go to bed and never wake up alive. Those who ventured to their farms hardly came back alive. Some who escorted their livestock to the grazing fields lost both livestock and their own lives. Vengeful reprisals had become a daily feature of life. Herders of cattle would be lucky to survive a trek through the trail of bloody forests.
As is typical in a presidential system, Tinubu’s visit was long overdue. An unstated rule of the system is that the president goes to meet the people where they are in pain. Empathy breeds bonding which yields political capital. The Tinubu visit to Benue was dual in purpose. It would get the president to the root of the executive pitfalls that led to the degeneration of order in Benue. On the more substantive note, it would re-establish the sovereign authority of the Nigerian state by stamping a footprint of force and coercion on those still defying the authority of the federal state. As it were, something bigger and stronger than mere local and state governments was coming to town. Tinubu was coming to Benue with the full weight of Nigeria’s compassionate and coercive heft.
What the public imagination expected was the president as a leader of war coming out to douse the bloodshed with a bigger show of force than the miscreants and killers were used to. We expected to see the commander- in- chief in combat gear, arriving the theatres of trouble aboard a helicopter, accompanied by helicopter gunships and surrounded by his force commanders and field operatives. Tinubu was not going to the killing fields of Benue as a ‘nice man’ or community friend. He was going there to stamp the authority of a commander in chief on an errant, part of his sovereign territory to hand down a note of warning that unmistakably says to trouble makers” NEVER AGAIN!
While the preparations for the presidential trip were on, the public began to notice some unusual trends. The Benue state government began to take out full page welcome advertisements indicating that Mr. Tinubu was going to Benue on a meet and greet state visit. The usual charade and comedy of Nigerian statehood crawled out. Communities, dance troupes, mobilization of youth groups and other familiar Nigerian fawning were being readied to give the president a befitting welcome. Confusion. Were we going to see an end to the festival of human sacrifice and endless blood letting or yet another comedy of state festivity and governance as a joke?
To worsen the matter, the size of the presidential entourage kept ballooning. From all the reports, at first, it was going to be the president and a few aides on a whistle stop field trip. Then the Inspector Genenal of Police was relocating as an advance party to stabilize the situation, preparatory to the presidential arrival. await the arrival of the president. The Chief of Army Staff was doing the same
thing, Then a flotilla of ministers, Senators, the NSA and plane loads of sundry minions were all in the sagging boat.
Well, the trip has come and gone with its busload of comedy and tragedy, The president reportedly could not get to the communities worst affected. The road to the place is impassable! Speeches were read by community leaders and government officials. The President was at his predictable platitudinous best. He called on the people of Benue to cooperate with their Governor to bring peace to the state. He also urged the people to live in peace with one another. Business as usual. Dances and claps!
The media was all over the place waiting for the usual ‘handout’ press statements. Both army and police advance parties did not showcase any bandits arrested. Worst of all, the president did not come close to the victims let alone empathizing on camera with those worst affected. The rest of the nation at home was lost for words. What was this all about? That is the giant question mark on most lips. Tinubu carries the dance steps of his repid presidency wherever he goes.
Prior to this visit, repeated appeals to security agencies and those in authority had fallen on deaf ears. Politicians traded in the festival of death as they recruited and owned their own gangs of killers. Ethnic bigots and religious zealots took turns in aligning with partisans and gangs of killers. A state now ruled by an elected clergyman had become neither Christian nor Muslim as armed marauders openly wielded weapons of war in search of easy victims. Everyone became a victim. Fear ruled the land. The open
question was now whether the mascot of democracy and political competition had become a blood thirsty ogre. Did democracy in Benue now need human sacrifice to thrive? Had it degenerated into a blood thirsty dragon perennially on the prowl for victims. Tinubu hurried off to Kaduna state without finding answers to these troubling questions.
As it were, the institutions of state dedicated to maintaining peace and orderly mutual existence had turned out helpless and incapable of maintaining an order and peace that had never been there in the first place. The police was useless as it was quickly outgunned by rival bands of bandits and roving gun men. And the military? Its involvement in civil security operations had become an open question mark all over the country. In Benue and parts of Plateau and Nasarawa states, the military had become an over dressed joke and money guzzling machine of bloody but undeclared wars.
The quickest and easiest explanation was to see a herdsmen versus settler farmers confrontation as the root of the crisis. That lazy explanation has lingered over the years. But the herders are not new to the Benue communities that were now being attacked by armed militants. Nor did the Benue local communities start being settled farmers just yesterday. Both modes of economic existence had historically co- existed and earned their keeps mutually over the many years past. Though friction between both groups had occasionally occurred. It never degenerated into this free for all bloody festival of frequent killings.
The Benue tragedy and the attitude of officialdom to it reveals so much about the lingering insecurity that has held Nigeria hostage for over a decade. First, the fight against insecurity has become part of the ritual of state. No speech is complete if it does not accord insecurity a pride of place. Politicians are not complete in their appearance if they do not weaponize insecurity as a cardinal political crisis and a reason for
them to be re-elected. People need to be killed to remind us that there is insecurity in the land and to justify a new round of political shenanigans. Our democracy now needs constant blood letting to appease the gods of re-election. Democracy in Nigeria now needs human sacrifice to thrive. Those who two years ago trooped out to vote for these politicians provide the canon fodder for the feasts of human sacrifice.
As if that is not enough, the mercantile part of the insecurity is everywhere on display. These industrial killings now necessitate additional defense and security spending, new weapons, new air platforms, flashy new aircraft and drones of untested capacity manned by ignorant and illiterate soldiers – all to contain an insurgency of untrained civilians and bandits who are mostly hungry.
Those who listened carefully during the Tinubu stopover may have heard something that I think was disturbing. Many political voices insisted that the new scale of killings in Benue small of ethnic cleansing and genocide. That language is clearly frightening in Nigeria. It is even worse so in a location that is the binding belt of our fractious federation. It raises questions about our recent political past. Who armed the herders? What is the source of the sophisticated weapons of war with which these Janjaweed -style killings are being executed? When did the herders acquire this lethal capacity? Which politician brought in and armed these herder gunmen and for what end? Since when?
Most importantly, what is the nationality of these gunmen and killers? If indeed they are from outside Nigeria, at what point do we identify their nation of origin? If the killers are non-Nigerians, when will our security authorities switch our insecurity from internal insurgency to an international confrontation between Nigeria and the nation(s) that are the source of these killers?
When are we going to call this war its rightful name in order to wage and end it?
• Alia
Brazil Show Interest in Hosting Club World Cup in 2029
FIFA CLUB wOrLD CUp
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Brazil have put forward bid as a potential host for the 2029 Club World Cup, the country’s football federation (CBF) has said.
A CBF statement said its President, Samir Xaud, held a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Friday in which the idea was discussed.
In its statement, the CBF said Infantino was “receptive” to the idea.
“It all started with an introductory conversation. I talked about my goals as head of the CBF and said that we want to be closer to FIFA. I praised the event and the level of Brazilian clubs and, finally, I made the country available to host the next Club World Cup,” Xaud said in the statement posted on the CBF website.
“President Gianni Infantino was very happy and said that it is totally possible. now we will work to make it happen. It will be a great goal.”
The ongoing Club World Cup
is being held in the united States, with four Brazilian sides taking part -- Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafogo.
The tournament has drawn criticism for the workload it places on elite players following the end of the european football season.
Soaring temperatures in the u.S. have also been a talking point with Dortmund planning to rotate their team to cope with the hot conditions they expect on Saturday, with head coach niko Kovac fearing the impact of the midday sun in Cincinnati.
South American teams have earned surprise wins over their more fancied european opponents. Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germainwere shocked by Botafogo before Chelseafell short against Flamengo on Friday.
Xaud became the CBF’s new president in May after a Rio de Janeiro court ordered the CBF’s board to be removed from their positions, including former president ednaldo
Rodrigues.
The CBF’s statement came towards the end of the 2025 FIFAexecutive football summit in Miami. Held between June 19 and June 21, the summit saw
FIFA’s 211 member associations meet with the governing body’s hierarchy.
The Club World Cup is intended to be held every four years as a test event for the
Wike Approves Renovation of IBB Golf Clubhouse
Insists the golf course is government property
Olawale Ajimotokan in abuja
FCT Minister nyesom Wike has approved the renovation of IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja, beginning with the clubhouse.
He gave the nod yesterday during a visit to the club’s Board of Trustees headed by the President Appeal Court, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem.
The approval followed a request by Justice Dongban-Mensem that the club had become worn out due to excessive use and little maintenance since it was opened to play in 1991.
Wike said he would invite Julius Berger to handle the renovation of the club house as the construction firm was the same company that built the golf course.
Wike also warned members
of the club using under cover means to take over the golf club to steer clear, insisting it remains the property of government.
“You know I’m not a golfer. This is my first time of coming here and I have had some interest. My
interest is, this is the property of government and I’m very proud for you to manage. When I came here, I was quite impressed. Like you said, there are so many countries made by tourism.
“And if you have people like
today, they having eCOWAS meeting taking place. now, there may be golfers, they want to come and play golf. It’s very key.
And that’s why we will not allow anybody to take what belongs to us.
Lagos Polo Club Elects Adeyemo Alakija as New President
The newly elected President of Lagos Polo Club, Adeyemo Alakija, has promised to align with the ethos of the elite club following his election as the club’s president during the 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) last Thursday.
Adeyemo made the statement during the inauguration of the new executive Members whowouldsteertheaffairsoftheclubbetween 2025/2026 sessions held in Ikoyi, Lagos. Along with the president, other members of the excos include; Mr. Tunji Ashiru as 1st Vice President and Mr. Kunle Tinubu as 2nd
Vice President. Also, Mr. Adeyemi Oreagba was elected as Honorary Secretary while Mr. Olumide Soyombo was elected Honorary Treasurer. Mr. Mohammed S. Dangote is the Polo Captain as Ms. naomi Durosaro will serve as Pony Welfare Member. The roster includes Mr. Yinka Alakija as Grounds Member, Mr. OluMayowa Ogunnusi as Stable and Surrounds Member and Mr. Hakeem Adeniji-Adele as Bar Secretary. Others are Mr. Olumbe Akinkugbe as Staff Welfare Member, Mr. Ade Dania as Catering Member, Mr. Tunde Aka-Bashorun as Social SecretaryandMr.FredAllisonasOtherGames
Member.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Alakija, who expressed heartfelt gratitude to the club’s Trustees, past presidents, members, staff, and managementteam,reaffirmedthecommittee’s pledge to foster a culture of respect, inclusion, and collaboration. While emphasising that the club’s strength lies in its collective unity and shared vision.
The newly elected president assured his members that the committee he leads will serve with transparency, humility, and an open, collaborative spirit, upholding the core values of camaraderie, excellence, and unity that define the club.
World Cup hosts the following year. The 2026 tournament is being held in the u.S., Canada and Mexico, while the 2030 World Cup will be in Portugal, Spain and Morocco. To mark
the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup in 1930, three matches will also be played in South America, hosted by uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.
nigeriaand America’s national Women’s Soccer League’s Washington Spirit striker, Monday Gift, has penned an emotional message to her Super Falcons’ teammates following her exclusion from the squad for the Women’s Africa Cup of nations scheduled to hold in Morocco.
The 23-year-old forward who’s starting new life in the NSWL is in terrific form and has scored two goals in four games for the Washington Spirit, was surprisingly omitted from Super Falcons list released on Friday even as Francisca Ordega was recalled to the team.
The Bayelsa-born goal poacher didn’t show any disappointment with the decision but rather chose the path of grace, unity, and unshakable patriotism in the message she sent to her teammates via the social media.
Began the former Bayelsa Queens striker: “While it hurts and is a tough pill to swallow, I want to make it clear that I hold no grudges, no resentment,” stressed Gift Monday. She however dismissed any insinuation that she was probably overlooked based on any injury.
“I am hale and hearty, fully
fit, and still deeply in love with the game and the green white green.”
Though physically absent from the pitch in Morocco, where the tournament will take place, Gift affirmed her emotional presence and loyalty to the squad, declaring her unwavering support for the team she has long been a part of.
“My heart will be there every step of the way. I remain fully committed to cheering my country from home, lifting every prayer and every shout of support for the badge we all fight so hard to represent.” She encouraged her fellow Falcons to go all out and make history, urging them to let their passion and pride shine on the continental stage.
“To the incredible women who made the squad, go out there and make history. Let your passion roar. Let your pride show. You carry the hopes of millions, including mine.
“I’ll be watching. I’ll be believing. I’ll be back,” concludes Gift Monday.
Last Friday, Super Falcons Head Coach, Justine Madugu, selected Captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeeper Chiamaka nnadozie and forwards Francisca Ordega among a list of 24 players for the Super Falcons’ quest for a 10th continental title at the 13th Women Africa Cup of Nations finals to be staged between July 5th and 26th in Morocco.
Duro Ikhazuagbe
wAFCON IN MOrOCCO
Brazil legend of the game, Ronaldo (left) and FIFA President, Gianni Infantino watched the opening fixture of the 2025 Club World Cup between Inter Miami and Al Ahly. Now Brazil have shown interest in hosting the 2029 edition
L-R: FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike (left), receiving special gifts from President Appeal Court and Chairman IBB Club Board of Trustees, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem (right), and another BOT member, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe during Wike’s visit to the club in Abuja....yesterday
TOWARDS PEACE IN BENUE STATE…
SIMO N KOLAWOLE
Terror, Horror and Sorrow in Benue
On June 13, 2025, Yelewata and Dauda, two Benue communities bordering Nasarawa state, played host to a gory spectacle overnight. It was filled with sorrow, tears and blood. Hundreds of villagers — women and children inclusive — were murdered in cold blood in the dead of the night. There was nobody to protect or rescue them, much less attempt to arrest the bloodthirsty butchers. Yet again, defenceless and hapless Nigerians have been sent to their graves as deadly conflicts continue to hold down parts of Nigeria, particularly the northern region where terrorists and bandits have been wreaking havoc for eons, not to mention the endless communal conflicts because of land and water.
I have read and seen many things regarding the Benue killings on social media. There are various versions. One version says Fulani herders were first attacked and killed by “Tiv militias” for trespassing into people’s lands to graze their cattle. The killings, this version says, did not attract media attention “because herders were the victims”. The herders allegedly regrouped, reinforced and went on a reprisal, and this made global headlines. Another version says “Fulani jihadists” just want to take over Tiv land. A different version says politicians are ganging up against Governor Hyacinth Alia, who is accused of arming militias against his opponents. All sorts of stories out there.
In the last two years, violence in Benue state alone has led to the death of over a thousand Nigerians. This has been a common story in Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Plateau, Taraba and Borno states where the stench of death and destruction is permanently in the air. Only Kaduna has been recording a measure of peace in recent times among the violence-prone states. Terrorism and banditry aside, communal conflicts happen frequently in Nigeria. But when you now throw religion and ethnicity into the fray, the conflict becomes more politically heated and highly explosive, and it is virtually impossible for insiders and outsiders to have a nuanced conversation on the cause and effect — and the antidote.
The Benue killings attracted a statement from Pope Leo XIV, who said: “I pray in particular for the rural Christian communities in the state of Benue, who have unceasingly been victims of violence.” Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Makurdi diocese once said that “Benue has been attacked by Islamist extremists and Fulani herdsmen” targeting Christians, with farmers driven from their land, churches burned as well as priests and lay members killed. “The militant Fulani herdsmen bear down on defenceless villagers without consequence. They follow orders to conquer, kill, and occupy. [This] can be summed up as that of a church under Islamist extermination,” the bishop said in the UK back in March 2025.
Prof James Ayatse, the Tor Tiv and the state’s paramount ruler, told his own version of what is — or has been — going on: “What we are dealing with here in Benue is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder terrorists and bandits, which has been going on for decades and is worsening every year,” he said, adding with emphasis: “Wrong diagnosis will always lead to wrong treatment. So, we are dealing with something far more sinister than we think about. It is not learning to live with your neighbours. It is dealing with the war.” I could feel anger and resentment in those words. I would say these are common sentiments among Tivs. Ironically, the Tiv and the Fulani used to be good neighbours in the early years of shared existence. Tiv are believed to have migrated from Bantu land in south-east Africa in the 1600s and 1700s before settling in their current
Gov Alia
location, where they formed a bond with Fulani. They fondly called each other “jo”: “Fulanijo” and “Tivjo”. There used to be a banter between them: a Fulani would tell a Tiv “you stole my cow”, and the Tiv would reply “yes, I ate it”, and both would laugh and exchange greetings. Politics terminated the relationship under colonial rule when they were grouped together in the north. Friends became rivals and enemies. Long gone was the “jo” — whatever it meant.
Between 1929 and 1960, Tiv leaders demanded separation from the north because of “Hausa/Fulani domination”. In 1964, a United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC) member in the Northern House of Assembly, Isaac Sha’ahu, threatened that unless the Tiv Division was made a region — just as the Midwest Region was created from the Western Region in 1963 — “the only course we can take now since we are not wanted in the North is to pull out of the North and the Federation as a whole. We shall be a sovereign state…” The ruling Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) declared the threat of secession as a “stupid and impossible demand”. Many others said it was “reckless and dangerous”.
Therefore, any attempt to resolve the Benue situation in today’s Nigeria must factor in the historical political animosity between the feuding parties, otherwise we will be building a house from the roof. It is good that Tinubu has asked the governments of Benue and Nasarawa states to constitute a committee to tackle the crisis. This is an important step. Committee membership must cover all affected parties. There must be a sincere and genuine desire by all parties to build peace. The rhetoric is already acidic and positions have been taken, but there must be room for a dispassionate appraisal of the remote and immediate causes, otherwise how can we fashion out a lasting solution?
Beyond the poisoned political history, however, there are several other factors at play. As far back as 1999 or 2000, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II delivered a paper in faraway South Africa, warning that Lake Chad was drying up and that it would have political, economic, social and security implications. Many, if not most, of the conflicts we have in northern Nigeria today are a consequence of the Lake Chad crisis, which is a product
of climate change. Herders, running out of water and grass for their cattle, started moving downwards, often destroying farmlands and polluting streams and rivers in their wake. This brings them in conflict with their “hosts”. We know what always happens next.
The Lake Chad crisis aggravated problems that were already on the ground. Before the crisis, herders had always been across the country. Some even had settlements. However, climate change is affecting the whole country, heightening the local competition for land and water. I have heard arguments that when Fulani herders ruin farmlands belonging to Kanuri or Hausa and this results in bloodshed, it is treated as northerners butchering northerners, so it is not considered good enough for the headlines. Even when bandits and terrorists kidnap or kill hundreds of villagers in Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto and Katsina states, it is not treated or reported as religious or ethnic genocide.
For me, what I am most interested in is a lasting solution. We can apportion blame. We can accuse the president of sleeping while Rome burns. We can say his critics are playing politics. We can accuse Fulani of having an agenda. We can say Tiv are fighting an ancient war. We can propound conspiracy theories and counter theories. We can do a conflict timeline and list the body counts. We can accuse politicians of being fifth columnists. We can accuse the security agencies of being complacent or complicit. However, all our words and efforts must lead to working out a feasible solution and building lasting peace, otherwise we will just be wasting our emotions and energies.
Let us face the truth: we are living in a reality. Herders and farmers will continue to exist, no matter how much we try to wish that away. Tiv and Fulani will continue to exist in the same space, no matter how bitter they are with each other. And conflicts in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society are inevitable. Even in seemingly homogeneous societies, there are conflicts. In March 2025, dozens of people were killed in a land war between Ifon community in Orolu LGA and Ilobu in Irepodun LGA, both in Osun state. They are all Yoruba. Two communities in Ebonyi state—Ezza and Ezilo—are perpetually at war over land, causing significant human and economic losses. They are all Igbo.
To be fair to the federal government, a lot was invested in peace building and early warning systems in north-central communities in the last decade and it seems to have worked. However, there is now a resurgence as we can see in Plateau and Benue states. Did these mechanisms break down and need a review? Are there fresh issues? We need to look at the possibility of the conflicts having multiple dimensions, rather than one direction. A holistic approach might be more useful. Sometimes we fashion out solutions based on our assumptions of what the problems are, whereas we may be blindsided or far off the mark. That is why we have to go deeper and broader in our approach.
Meanwhile, while it is critical to undertake peacebuilding and reconciliation, there must be immediate security measures to stop the bloodshed. It has been intense in the last two years after the 2016 episodes. Conflict must occur in a society of living things. It is the management of it that will prove how well a society is governed, and that is what defines good leadership. Benue needs a peace plan to be produced by the feuding parties under guidance. Peace enforced by security agencies is no peace. It is just a matter of time for things to explode again. How much can armoured tanks do under the circumstance? To their leaders I say: please, let there be sincerity of purpose.
And Four Other Things…
ADA IS FINALLY HERE!
The coalition platform ahead of the 2027 elections is here at last! The All Democratic Alliance (ADA), put together by some former and soon-to-be-former PDP and APC members, has applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registration. I can feel the enthusiasm on social media that ADA will unseat the party in power and set Nigeria on the path to justice, peace and progress, bring down inflation, reduce fuel prices, improve the value of the naira (maybe make it N1 to $1), eliminate banditry and terminate terrorism. Wait, haven’t we been here before? The APC promised us heaven and earth when it was founded by some of the ADA politicians in 2013. Politics!.
FORGOTTEN SO SOON
President Bola Tinubu has finally conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, former military governor of Kaduna state who resigned from the army because of his opposition to the annulment of the June 12 presidential election. It is a major embarrassment that his name was omitted in the first place when the list of June 12 activists was being compiled for honours. He was not a secret supporter of the election — he was vocal and granted interviews after his exit from the military. Besides, the consistent sloppiness in the compilation of the national honours list in recent times is nothing but a big shame. Unacceptable. .
ARRANGED ARRAIGNMENT
Make me understand this: so, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has been charged to court by the federal government for alleged criminal defamation while her allegation of sexual harassment against the Senate President Godswill Akpabio is cooling in limbo? Of course, I am not in support of her reckless allegation — without proof — that Akpabio and former Kogi governor Yahaya Bello wanted to assassinate her, but I think we know that the whole situation leading to her suspension from the senate is very political and has been hijacked and dramatised for full effect. Still, I would not expect the federal government to be this involved in what is better dealt with as civil defamation. Power!
NO COMMENT
Pastor Paul Adefarasin of the House of the Rock has been in the news for the wrong reasons for a while. After surviving the blitzkrieg from those who wanted him to endorse their favourite presidential candidate in 2023, he has now got into hot water with the police for wielding a stun gun. Mr Moshood Jimoh, the Lagos commissioner of police, has said the weapon is a prohibited anti-riot equipment but the church insists that is a mislabelling in the opinion of “leading Nigerian lawyers”. Interestingly, his father, Justice Joseph Adetunji Adefarasin, who died in 1989, was a lawyer and a high court judge. Does that mean we should expect lawyers to “jam” lawyers in court? Hahahaha.
Secretary to the Government of Federation, Senator George Akume (fifth left), some traditional rulers and other leaders of Benue State after a meeting in Makurdi...yesterday