TUESDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2026 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

Dangote Reﬁnery Extends $1.6 Billion Public Offer By Two Weeks to October 27 Aliko says IPO already four times oversubscribed Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has extended the deadline for its initial public offering

(IPO) by two weeks to October 27 to give more investors across Africa the opportunity to participate in what

is expected to be the continent’s largest share sale. The extension, approved by the

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), moves the closing date from October 13, following efforts to expand access to the offer through stock exchanges and investment

platforms in other African countries. The company said yesterday that the additional time would enable Continued on page 9

CJN Warns Against Use of Social Media in Criticising Court Judgements, Professional Misconduct... Page 24 Tuesday 13 October, 2026 Vol 31. No 11510. Price: N400

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Obi: Fuel Subsidy Removal, Naira Floating, Tax Reforms Reasons for Nation’s Hardship Says FG’s petrol discount covers less than 4% of filling stations L-R: Senior Partner, Falana-Falana Chambers, Mr. Femi Falana SAN; Former Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo; Former ﬁrst Lady of Benue State, Dr. Yemisi Suswan; Chief of Staﬀ to Ekiti State Governor, Hon. Oyeniyi Adebayo; Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti; the celebrant, Honourable Justice, Oyebisi Folayemi Omoleye; Former Governor Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa; his wife, Mrs. Oluwaseun Ayedatiwa; Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola GCON; and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State, Olukayode Ajulo Olukayode Abraham Ajulo, during Justice Omoleye’s retirement and 70th PHOTO: KUNLE OGUNFUYI Birthday celebration with her book launch held at Habour Point, Victoria Island Lagos on Sunday

Chuks Okocha in Abuja Presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Continued on page 9

Shettima to North: You Have Nothing to Fear over Tinubu’s Second Term Idris says Tinubu’s reforms yielding results despite high living costs Lists falling inflation, $55bn reserves, student loans as key achievements Science minister defends reforms, seeks president’s re-election Iyobosa Uwugiaren, Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Emmanuel UgwuNwogo in Enugu Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday mounted a fresh campaign to win the North over for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, assuring the region that it had nothing to fear from another four years of the administration and insisting that it stood to benefit even more if the

president secured a second term in 2027. With the battle for 2027 gathering momentum, Shettima urged northern political leaders and citizens to close ranks behind Tinubu, arguing that the region had already benefited from the administration’s appointments, agricultural interventions and Continued on page 9

DIPLOMATIC COURTESIES...

L-R: Chief of Staﬀ to the Ghanaian President, Hon. Julius Kwasi Debrah presenting souvenirs from the Ghanaian Government to Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (CON) during the former’s courtesy visit to the Ahmadu Bello House in Ilorin on Monday

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, T H I S D AY

THISDAY • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026

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

HCD TRAINING KICK-OFF CEREMONY FOR EPU 2 & UZU PROJECTS, HOSTED AT NIGERIA MACHINE TOOLS FACILITY...

L-R: Chief Operating Officer, Nigeria Machine Tools, Obehi Ojeaga; Interface and Integration Lead, Projects, Renaissance Africa Energy, Richard Oyiborhoro; Managing Director, Nigeria Machine Tools, Mr. Uche Nweke; Assistant Manager, Human Capital Development, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Tare Bufazi; and Senior Manager, Business Interface, Seflam SGL, Bisola Agboluaje, during the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board HCD Training Kick-Off Ceremony for the EPU 2 & UZU Projects, hosted at Nigeria Machine Tools facility, Osogbo, Osun State

Rewane: Nigeria’s Next Growth Phase Depends on How Fast We Close Smuggling Gaps Says textile, refined petroleum products, FMCGs highly vulnerable to smuggling Dike Onwuamaeze Chief Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives Company Limited (FDC), Mr. Bismarck Rewane, has stated that Nigeria’s next growth phase depends on how fast the federal government closes the gaps that enable smuggling to thrive. Rewane stated this in his presentation during the LBS Breakfast Session, titled, “Smuggling Paradox: Good for the Few, Bad for the Economy.” He described smuggling as trade that deliberately avoided the duties and rules at the border, stating that it is the unpriced competition for consumer goods, which is the height of the informal economy. He said, “Smuggling thrives in the gaps. Nigeria’s next phase of growth depends on how fast we close them: price gaps, policy gaps and infrastructure gaps.” Rewane added, “Smuggling has reduced, but persistent price gaps, informal networks and porous borders make complete elimination unlikely.” He said the telecoms were the least vulnerable to the effect of smuggling, while building materials and pharmaceuticals had low exposure to its effects. According to him, “FMCG and

downstream refining rely heavily on volume to offset high production costs and thin margins. “This makes smuggled imports catastrophic, as they destroy market share and scale. “Unlike FMCGs, healthcare consumers rarely substitute trusted (pharmaceutical) brands for openmarket alternatives.” He identified the victims of smuggling as the government, local manufacturers, formal businesses. According to him, “Government loses customs revenue, taxes and duties. Local manufacturers face unfair competition from cheaper untaxed imports. “Formal businesses and importers lose market share to informal competitors.” He also said smuggling could expose consumers to unsafe, counterfeit or substandard products and force the financial system to lose formal foreign-exchange and transaction flows Rewane said the depreciation of the Naira was accelerating the value of smuggled goods across the Nigerian borders, as the value of seizures that were made by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) rose from N17.56 billion in 2023 to N59

billion in 2025. He stated, “Smuggling has grown with the weak Naira, and customs data tells the story. The value of seizures doubled from N17.56 billion in 2023 to N35.29 billion in 2024, when officers made 3,555 seizures, including 183,527 bags of rice and over 1.7 million litres of fuel. “In 2025, the number of seizures fell to just over 2,500, but their value rose to more than N59 billion, over

three times the 2023 figure. “The pattern points to a fact: as the Naira depreciated, the value of contraband rose sharply.” Rewane said a large informal market, demand for cheaper goods, and price differentials with neighbouring countries were among the factors that accelerated smuggling. He suggested that more formal ECOWAS and Intra-African trades could reduce incentives for some

Open-source architecture supports QR payments, phone-number addressing, allows for greater flexibility over upgrades, product development James Emejo in Abuja Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has deployed a new national payments platform built on open-source technology, giving the operator greater control over the development and expansion of critical digital payment infrastructure as transaction volumes and service demands evolve.

The National Payment Stack (NPS), designed and developed by NIBSS, uses technology supplied by United States-based Transactility, including its jPTS switching platform, to support instant payments based on the ISO 20022 messaging standard. The arrangement allows NIBSS to retain access to the platform’s source code and control its architecture, development roadmap, and locally

Seeks closer coordination on driver verification, emergency response Ride-hailing platform inDrive has deployed digital safeguards, including alerts on potentially dangerous locations, as regulators and mobility industry stakeholders push for a coordinated framework to address safety risks confronting drivers and passengers in the country. The measures, which also include liveness checks and the moderation of order feeds and in-app chats, underscore the growing use of technology to identify potential threats in ride-hailing operations. However, stakeholders insist that

digital interventions must be backed by stronger driver screening, road safety training, effective regulation and faster emergency response. The push for a unified approach featured prominently at the 3rd edition of the inDrive Safety Summit in Abuja, where the company, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Federal Capital Territory’s Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) called for closer cooperation to improve safety and accountability across the e-hailing industry. In a presentation, inDrive’s Driver Marketing Lead for Africa, the Middle East and Europe, Adimaldo Silva,

duties that narrows the gap between formal and informal imports, while manufacturers focus more on the domestic market. He stated that the short-term benefits of smuggling to the consumers included lower prices and increased availability of some goods, but warned that this can put pressure on formal sellers and make domestic producers to lose market share.

NIBSS Deploys New Payment Stack to Expand Instant Transfers Infrastructure

inDrive Deploys Risk Alerts as Stakeholders Push Uniﬁed Ride-hailing Safety Framework James Emejo in Abuja

forms of smuggling. Rewane pointed out that even though the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was not automatically an anti-smuggling agreement, “its trade-facilitation provisions can reduce smuggling by lowering the cost of legal trade.” According to him, the future of smuggling would be reduced if Naira could appreciate to its fair value and the government pursues lower import

outlined the platform’s digital safety features, including location-based alerts intended to draw drivers’ attention to areas associated with elevated risks The company also uses liveness checks and moderation of order feeds and in-app chats as part of its safeguards for drivers and riders. The location alerts are designed to encourage greater vigilance, while the other features form part of the platform’s efforts to strengthen monitoring and manage potential risks during ride-hailing operations. Country Manager of inDrive Nigeria, Timothy Oladimeji, said collaboration

with public institutions was central to strengthening safety measures across the company’s operations. He said the company had established partnerships with government agencies to improve driver verification, strengthen response times through engagement with the Nigeria Police Force and enhance driver onboarding in collaboration with the FRSC. Oladimeji stressed that safer mobility required shared responsibility among technology platforms, drivers, passengers, regulators and security agencies, rather than isolated interventions by individual operators.

developed intellectual property, potentially reducing dependence on proprietary technology vendors for future upgrades and modifications. NIBSS Managing Director/Chief Executive, Premier Oiwoh, said the platform was designed to meet the scale and requirements of the Nigerian market. In a statement, Oiwoh said, “The NPS was designed and built for the scale and demands of the Nigerian payments market. The jPOS ecosystem gives us the flexibility to continue developing the platform as the ecosystem evolves.”

Platform Targets Wider Payment Services NPS supports account-to-account instant transfers, QR-code merchant payments, alias-based transactions using identifiers, such as phone numbers, and bulk payments. Its architecture is designed to deliver the processing performance and availability required for national payment infrastructure while providing room for additional services as the market develops. A key feature is its adoption of ISO 20022, an international financial messaging standard that enables more structured and detailed information

to accompany payment transactions. Its use provides a foundation for developing payment services around richer transaction data and greater interoperability, subject to implementation and integration requirements. NIBSS built the platform using a modular architecture that combines its own engineering capabilities with selected open-source and enterprise technologies. The company has used jPOS, an open-source framework for payment transaction processing, for years, particularly in systems based on the ISO 8583 messaging standard. For NPS, it adopted jPTS and its ISO 20022 capabilities to develop a switching platform suited to the demands of Nigeria’s payments market. The arrangement gives NIBSS access to the underlying technology while allowing it to customise and extend the system as operational needs and regulatory requirements change, rather than relying solely on a proprietary vendor’s productdevelopment timetable. The extent to which the new platform improves transaction costs, processing speeds, and service reliability will depend on its operational performance and adoption across the payments ecosystem.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 • THISDAY

NEWS

AWARD PRESENTATION AT FCIB 2026 SCHOOL COMPETITION...

L-R: Vice-Chairman II, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) FCT Branch, Dr. Elizabeth Emeka-Onwuchekwa (FCIB); Chairman, CIBN FCT Branch, Prof. Yekeen Abdul-Maliq (FCIB); Student representatives of Oasis International School, Kado Estate, Abuja, receiving their prizes as winners of the competition; Ms. Lois Lyortyom; Secretary, CIBN FCT Branch, Adewale Babatunde (ACIB); and Vice-Chairman I, CIBN FCT Branch, Emmanuel Mogbolu (FCIB), during the presentation of prizes to the winners of the second edition of the CIBN FCT Branch Schools Debate held at Bankers’ House, Abuja...recently

Umahi: Lagos-Calabar Highway Not Abandoned, Conﬁrms Integration of 400km East-West Road Minister earlier blamed engineering challenges for diversion Atiku faults rerouting of coastal road, demands full contract disclosure Alleges FG’s plan to secure another $20bn loan for highway Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha and Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Minister of Works, David Umahi, yesterday insisted that the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway had not been abandoned, despite controversy over the rerouting of sections of the project. The minister also confirmed that the federal government had proposed

integrating the 400 kilometres of the East-West Road into the coastal corridor. Umahi, who spoke to journalists after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, said the coastal highway remained intact, with construction ongoing at various sections, while surveyors and designers were working on the remaining stretches across Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states.

His clarification came amid criticism by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who faulted the rerouting of parts of the highway and demanded the publication of the original contract, revised designs, payments made to contractors and the financial implications of the changes. Atiku also alleged that the federal government was preparing to seek another $20 billion loan, reportedly

linked to payments for the highway and Hitech Construction Company, the contractor handling sections of the project. He challenged Tinubu to clarify whether the administration intended to approach the National Assembly for approval of the facility. But Umahi maintained that the changes to sections of the coastal highway were informed by engineering considerations and did not amount to

China Opens New Window for Nigerian Youth Entrepreneurs to Access Skills, Business Networks James Emejo in Abuja China has offerred Nigerian young entrepreneurs an opportunity to tap its expertise, business networks and skills-development programmes to grow their enterprises, create jobs and strengthen contribution to the economy. Founder/Director of The King’s Patriots Development Foundation (KPDF), Dr. Jude Isaac Dahilo, said the emerging collaboration between Chinese institutions and African youth organisations was aimed at connecting talented young Nigerians with the knowledge, partnerships and opportunities required to turn business ideas into viable enterprises. Isaac spoke at the sixth ChinaAfrica Special Session of Global Link for Youth Actions, held in Abuja, where KPDF partnered with the World Youth Development Forum (WYDF) to deepen youth exchanges and practical cooperation between China and Africa. He said the initiative would enable young Nigerians to showcase their businesses, learn from Chinese experience and establish relationships that could improve their prospects of building sustainable enterprises. The platform would also help identify young people for possible visits to China to acquire practical knowledge and learn from its development experience, he added. Isaac said the objective was to move beyond dialogue to create opportunities for young

entrepreneurs to access expertise and partnerships that could help their businesses expand.

KPDF connects 590 young people across West Africa Isaac disclosed that KPDF had established a network of about 590 young people across five West African countries, providing mentorship, business support and access to opportunities. He told THISDAY that the foundation’s engagement with Chinese youth development institutions followed its selection as one of the winners of the 100 Excellence Actions initiative in Beijing. Since 2023, the organisation had been invited to China four times to participate in the World Youth Development Forum. According to him, the collaboration had already helped some young entrepreneurs gain international exposure, while the foundation had also referred participants to opportunities within the United Nations system and supported others in registering businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Isaac also said expanding such connections could help address one of the challenges facing Nigeria’s young population: the difficulty of translating education and talent into productive economic activity. He pointed out that young people needed practical skills, business

exposure and the capacity to identify opportunities rather than rely exclusively on formal qualifications and limited salaried employment. He said, “One proof to show that you are educated is when you graduate from school and you can create jobs.” He urged young Nigerians to embrace continuous learning, develop practical competencies and build networks that could expose them to business opportunities. Isaac added that entrepreneurs seeking to benefit from the Chinese youth cooperation platform could approach KPDF for introductions to relevant partners, subject to the suitability of their businesses and opportunities available. He added that the ultimate goal was to encourage young Africans to become job creators rather than depend solely on employment opportunities, urging them to take advantage of available platforms, build relevant skills and pursue opportunities through collaboration and networking.

CCECC deepens vocational training Also speaking at the event, Deputy Managing Director of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria Limited, Mr. Zhou Dongping, said the company was ready to work with partners to expand opportunities for young people

through vocational training, practical experience and business cooperation. Zhou said CCECC was expanding railway vocational education and training to equip more Nigerians with practical skills, improve their employment prospects and strengthen the local workforce. He explained that developing local railway professionals would not only improve individual career prospects but also support the long-term development of Nigeria’s railway sector. For businesses, he said, vocational education could help align skills development with workplace requirements, enabling young people to apply classroom learning to practical challenges. Zhou described young people as an important force in advancing China-Africa relations, stressing that they needed opportunities, professional guidance and reliable partners to turn their ideas into workable projects. He urged participants to use the forum to identify areas for cooperation, including skillssharing programmes and practical partnerships that could progress from planning to implementation. He said, “As a Chinese company deeply rooted in Nigeria, CCECC deeply values its ties with local communities,” he said, adding that the company was prepared to draw on its experience and resources to support initiatives that would help young people build skills and gain practical exposure.

abandoning the project. “The 750-kilometre coastal highway is intact and cannot be changed, and nobody has the powers to change it, because it’s already designed and it’s ongoing,” he said. The minister disclosed that the administration had sought Tinubu’s approval to incorporate the 400-kilometre East-West Road, running from Edo State through the Niger Delta to Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, into the coastal highway. He explained that the proposal was intended to improve connectivity along the corridor and address persistent flooding problems affecting sections of the existing East-West Road, some of which, he said, were constructed below flood levels. “We are about to do the service lane. So, what we have done is to also seek the approval of Mr President to also add the 400 kilometres of East-West Road, starting from Edo State down to Akwa Ibom, and also to Cross River,” Umahi said. He cited flood damage around Agbarho in Delta State as an example of the challenges confronting the existing road network, noting that the Delta State governor had intervened to provide relief. Similar problems, he added, existed in Edo State. The minister said the government was determined to integrate the affected sections into a more durable corridor, rather than continue to contend with the consequences of roads constructed without adequate consideration of flooding. “Nobody has abandoned the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. As we are talking now, we have designers, we have surveyors. We are surveying the axis of Edo State, Delta State, Bayelsa and Rivers, and that will be the end of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway,” he said. On the project’s progress, Umahi said the 47.47-kilometre first section in Lagos was being fully constructed, while the 55-kilometre second section was expected to be ready by the middle of November 2026. He added that sections 3A and 3B, covering about 70.5 kilometres across the Niger Delta, were ongoing, with work in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states recording more

than 40 per cent completion. He stated that sections 4A and 4B, covering the Ogun-Ondo axis, were also progressing, with the alignment from Eleko in Lagos extending into Ondo State. At the Calabar end of the highway, the minister said work had progressed beyond 40 per cent, while section five, a 62.5-kilometre stretch in Akwa Ibom State, had exceeded 20 per cent completion. Earlier, defending the engineering decisions behind the rerouting, Umahi explained that the original alignment of sections 4A and 4B, covering parts of Ogun and Ondo states, presented significant construction challenges that would have substantially increased costs. According to him, the original route passed through pits more than 100 metres deep, while suitable sharp sand was unavailable even at depths of up to 300 metres. “We had to take a very serious engineering decision by making a detour, redesigning it to avoid such a route,” he said, adding that filling works involving more than 10 metres of sharp sand were almost completed. The minister said the redesign was intended to avoid difficult terrain and reduce the engineering complications associated with the original alignment. He maintained that the government had no regrets about the decision, despite petitions against the realignment. However, Atiku, in a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, said the changes to the coastal highway raised fundamental questions about the planning, execution and financing of the multibillion-dollar project. The former vice president questioned whether the government had adequately assessed the terrain, flooding risks and other engineering challenges before awarding the contract. “Tinubu sold Nigerians a coastal highway. Now his minister says parts of it will follow an existing road inland. That is not a minor adjustment to a drawing. It strikes at the promise used to sell this enormous project. When the route changes, the price must be opened. When the work changes, the payments must be explained,” he said.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, T H I S D AY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 • THISDAY

NEWS

NPA OFFICIAL’S VISIT TO NSC CHAIRMAN...

L-R: Business Development Manager, Equine Consultant, Barbara Zing; Minister of Sports, Shehu Dikko; Chairman, National Sport Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade; Chairman, Nigeria Polo Association (NPA), Suleiman Abubakar; Secretary General, NPA, Henry Toby; NPA Consultant, Jacqueline Konsam; and Administrative Manager, Abari Anama, during NPA oﬃcer’s visit to the Chairman, National Sports Commission in Abuja, yesterday PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN

UBEC: N267bn Released Intervention Funds Unutilised, over N65bn Yet to be Accessed by States Says more than 70% primary school age children can’t read, understand simple text FG seeks linkages between state devt plans, sector policies, budgets strengthened NGF insists priority remains strengthening public financial mgt, service delivery in states Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) revealed yesterday that as of August this year, about N267 billion in released intervention funds was yet to be utilised, while over N65 billion counterpart funding was yet to be accessed by states. Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, made the disclosure at the opening of a month-long technical capacitybuilding workshop organised by World Bank-assisted HOPE-GOV Programme to strengthen budget planning and execution for basic education and primary healthcare in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The workshop is part of the federal government’s broader efforts under HOPE-GOV Programme to reinforce governance, planning, budgeting, institutional capacity, and accountability in the delivery of basic education and primary healthcare services. In a goodwill message delivered on her behalf by Coordinator, HOPE-GOV and Director, Teacher Professional Development, UBEC, Maryam Sani Dangaji, Garba lamented that about 70 per cent of Nigerian children of primary school age could not read and understand a simple text. He said it was not a question of spending more. Garba believed more spending would not achieve the inherent learning poverty by itself. She said under the UBEC Strategic Blueprint, the commission was

pursuing four priorities, including expanding access to basic education, especially for rural and underserved populations; improving the quality of teaching and learning; reforming and strengthening basic education financing; and optimising institutional systems for quality service delivery. She explained that none of the priorities was possible without governance built on accountability, transparency, and the careful use of scarce public resources, stressing that every naira must show value. “The classrooms we build, the materials we supply and the teachers we train must produce children who can read, write and count,” she said. Garba tasked each of the states to have one consolidated plan for basic education, budget built on that plan, and to spend what was budgeted, adding that UBEC has already laid much of the groundwork. She underscored various initiatives, including, among others, the Revised UBE Intervention Fund Guidelines, a needs-based formula that let states direct funds where the need was greatest, beyond new classrooms; and the Ten-Year Strategic Roadmap (2026–2035), a whole-school approach that fixed every gap in a school. On the unassessed and unutilised funds, Garba stated, “That is money meant for our children, sitting idle. With HOPE-Gov, we are very optimistic that the situation will improve.” In her opening remarks, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr.

Deborah Odoh, stated that the fundamental principle underlying the Disbursement Linked Indicators 2 (DLI 2) of the HOPE-GOV Programme was that budgeting must not be undertaken in isolation from planning. Odoh said a credible budget should be the financial expression of government priorities and the activities intended to achieve them. She said, “We must, therefore, strengthen the linkages between

state development plans, sector policies, annual operational plans and consolidated work plans, and ultimately, state budgets. “For primary healthcare, this means ensuring that the Annual Operational Plan provides a clear basis for identifying and prioritising expenditure. Similarly, in basic education, the Annual Consolidated Workplan should provide a clear link between sector priorities and the budget.”

The 2027 budget process, she said, presented an important opportunity to translate the principles into practice. In his welcome remarks, National Coordinator, HOPE-GOV Programme, Dr. Assad Hassan, urged the 36 states to move from plans to priorities, from priorities to budgets, and from budgets to results. Hassan stated that the HOPEGOV Programme was fundamentally

about strengthening the systems through which government delivered for its people. Hassan explained that meaningful improvements in basic education and primary health care simply could not be achieved by merely increasing expenditure. He stated, “We must improve the quality of the planning, budgeting, execution and accountability systems through which public resources are converted into services and outcomes.

Nigeria, Norway Partner on Satellite Surveillance to Combat Illegal Fishing Oyetola assures Norway of Nigeria’s participation in blue justice initiative Pledges tougher action against illegal fishing Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has expressed its readiness to partner Norway on satellite surveillance of Nigerian waters to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and protect the country’s marine resources from exploitation. The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, gave the assurance on Monday when he received Norway’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Svein Baera, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja. The Ambassador was accom-

panied by the Second Secretary (Political and Project Development), Ms. Michelle Hovi. Ambassador Baera said the visit was to introduce the Blue Justice initiative, which provides participating countries with free satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) vessel-tracking data through the Blue Justice Ocean Surveillance Programme. He invited Nigeria to join the Blue Community, a network of countries participating in the initiative, to strengthen its capacity to detect suspicious vessel movements, identify so-called “dark vessels” that evade tracking, and tackle illegal

fishing and other maritime crimes. The Ambassador explained that the programme would provide Nigeria with both real-time and historical vessel-tracking data, enabling relevant authorities to monitor maritime activities, investigate suspicious movements and identify patterns associated with illegal fishing. He said the initiative would support Nigeria’s efforts to protect its fisheries resources, improve maritime surveillance and strengthen enforcement against illegal operators. Responding, Oyetola commended the Norwegian government for the

initiative and its longstanding collaboration with Nigeria, assuring that the country would key into the programme to strengthen the fight against illegal fishing. The minister expressed concern that foreign operators illegally harvest fish from Nigerian waters only for the products to be returned to the country and sold to Nigerians at exorbitant prices. “We cannot continue to allow foreign operators to exploit our marine resources illegally while our local fishers and businesses suffer the consequences. The Federal Government is determined to bring this practice to an end,” he said.

Maths Professor: Teachers’ Standing in Society Gradually Eroding Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa A professor of Mathematics, Mercy Orukari, has lamented that in many parts of the world, including Nigeria, the social and professional standing of teachers are being steadily eroded. She also described teachers as the architect of a nation’s future, shaping the minds that will go on to build societies, economies, cultures and shape the intellectual

and moral foundation of future generations. Orukari was speaking at a lecture as part of activities organised by Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Abuloma, Old Girls Association, where serving and retired teachers were honoured with awards to marking the 7th Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The Teachers Appreciation

Day, organised to commemorate this year’s World Teachers’ Day, brought together educators from federal, state and private schools, including former teachers of FGGC Abuloma now serving in Bayelsa State. Held under the theme: “Protecting and Advancing the Status of the Teaching Profession,” the event also included presentation of gifts to teachers and a cultural performance by students of St.

Jude’s Girls Secondary School. Orukari who currently teaches at the Niger Delta University (NDU) and was a teacher at FGGC Abuloma, said in many societies teachers do not receive the recognition, compensation, or professional respect that match the weight of their responsibility. She said, “They are squeezed by low pay, limited career progression, heavy workloads, diminishing public respect, and

growing interference in classroom autonomy. “Protecting and advancing the status of teachers is not merely a matter of fairness to individuals in the profession, it is a strategic necessity and essential to the health of any education system and, by extension, any nation’s development.” Also speaking at the event, the Chairperson of FGGC Abuloma old girls, Bayelsa State branch, Dr

Pauline Sawyer, said the initiative was aimed at recognising the contributions of teachers whose work often went unacknowledged despite its impact on society. She said the association honoured teachers from Federal Government College, Odi; Federal Government Girls College, Imiringi; Federal Technical College, Tungbo; St Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata; BDGS, Ovom; and a private school.

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At World Bank/IMF Meetings, Oyedele, Cardoso Review Nigeria’s Reforms Progress with Banga W’Bank: AI can boost jobs, productivity in Nigeria, other African countries IMF chief, Singapore president warn AI could widen jobs gap Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja and Nume Ekeghe in Bangkok The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, yesterday met with the President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga, on the sidelines of the ongoing annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Bangkok, Thailand. This comes as the World Bank Group identified artificial intelligence (AI) applications in agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, tourism and infrastructure as key to creating jobs and boosting productivity in Nigeria and other African economies,

urging governments to prioritise practical uses of the technology that address local economic challenges. In the meeting with Banga, Oyedele who leads Nigeria’s delegation to the week-long meetings and Cardoso met with the World Bank chief to review the progress of Nigeria’s policy reforms, and the next phase of its agenda--turning macroeconomic stability into faster growth, more private investment and stronger domestic revenues. In a statement issued by its Head, Media, Efe Ovuakporie the Ministry of Finance said Banga commended the progress of Nigeria’s reforms, pointing to the rise in private capital inflows from about $300 million in 2023 to nearly $6 billion in 2026, representing a “twentyfold increase.” Oyedele highlighted the rising

economic growth and noted that Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio rose from about seven per cent to 12.5 per cent over the same period, adding that this gives the government more room to fund public investment without resorting to deficit monetisation. The meeting discussed how Nigeria could make greater use of World Bank guarantee instruments, guarantees which could unlock financing for infrastructure and draw more private capital into the domestic market. “Power infrastructure and human capital were identified as priorities for continued public investment, given their importance to business competitiveness, productivity and job creation. The meeting also stressed the quality of public

spending, so that each naira delivers measurable economic and social returns. “The meeting is part of the Federal Government’s wider engagement with development partners to lock in reform gains and attract new investment. As Nigeria moves from stability to growth, the priority is to turn stronger fundamentals into productive investment, more jobs and better living standards for Nigerians,” the statement said.

World Bank: AI Can Boost Jobs, Productivity in Nigeria, Other African Countries Meanwhile, the World Bank Group has identified AI applications in agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, tourism and

infrastructure as key to creating jobs and boosting productivity in Nigeria and other African economies, urging governments to prioritise practical uses of the technology that address local economic challenges. Banga, said the institution was placing job creation at the centre of its development agenda, with particular emphasis on deploying smaller, practical AI applications to strengthen businesses, improve access to essential services and expand economic opportunities for young people. Speaking at the World Bank’s flagship event, ‘Small AI: More and Better Jobs,’ at the ongoing IMF and World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, Banga said developing economies could harness AI to improve productivity in sectors

SHETTIMA TO NORTH: YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR OVER TINUBU’S SECOND TERM infrastructure projects. The vice president spoke at the State House, Abuja, when he received a delegation of Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A), a northern-based political group campaigning for Tinubu’s re-election, urging the region not to view another Tinubu presidency with apprehension but as an opportunity to consolidate the gains he said the region had recorded under the administration. Also, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, yesterday said Nigeria’s economic reforms under Tinubu were beginning to produce measurable results, citing declining inflation, rising foreign exchange reserves, improved oil

production and increased investment in infrastructure and social programmes. In the same vein, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh (SAN) has defended Tinubu’s quest for a second term in office, maintaining that the president deserves to stay for another four years in Aso Rock to complete his ‘bold’ economic reforms. Shettima urged political leaders and citizens across the region to unite behind the administration, arguing that the North had benefited from its policies, appointments and development projects and stood to gain more if Tinubu secured another term.

According to him, the administration’s commitment to the region’s development and the welfare of its people should encourage northern stakeholders to support its continuation beyond 2027. “Let’s unite as a people and work for the development of our region and the progress of our people through the re-election of this administration. We are benefiting and we stand to benefit more from this government in many ways,” the vice president said. He cited the Bank of Agriculture’s disbursement of N450 billion to 700,000 smallholder farmers across the country, saying about 70 per cent of the beneficiaries were from the North.

“The Bank of Agriculture has disbursed N450 billion to 700,000 smallholder farmers in Nigeria and about 70 per cent of the beneficiaries are from the North,” he said. Shettima also pointed to major infrastructure projects being undertaken by the administration, assuring the delegation that Tinubu remained committed to the region. “The present administration is working towards completing landmark and groundbreaking projects in parts of the country. I can assure you that the president loves the North and the president will work for the North,” he said. The vice president thanked the organisation for its support for Tinubu and urged its members to

intensify mobilisation across wards, communities and local government areas in the region ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Earlier, the Director General of Arewa for Asiwaju and former Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, said the group would sustain its mobilisation efforts until Tinubu was re-elected. Badaru disclosed that the organisation planned to engage religious leaders, including Muslim and Christian clerics, as well as other prominent Nigerians, to drum up support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket. “On discussions with the high profile, we have gone far. We have met them several times and the BoT is meeting them again to consolidate our gains and to tell them why there is a need to support this ticket,” he said. He added that the group was also working with the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), while concentrating on grassroots mobilisation to complement the council’s broader activities. Also speaking, Chairman of the organisation’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, said the group, which supported Tinubu’s election in 2023, was determined to repeat the feat in 2027. Shekarau said the organisation

Taiwo Oyedele that already support millions of livelihoods. He identified infrastructure, agriculture, primary healthcare, tourism and manufacturing as five priority sectors with significant potential to generate employment, particularly in economies where small businesses and informal Continued on page 28

had been engaging northern governors and other stakeholders to compare notes and identify areas of collaboration towards securing the president’s re-election. He disclosed that the group had concluded plans to establish a fully fledged secretariat to coordinate its activities, with offices for directors and state coordinators who would collate reports, analyse developments and issue directives to members. The former governor also formally invited Shettima to inaugurate the organisation’s office complex on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Among those present at the meeting were former Plateau State governors Joshua Dariye and Simon Lalong; former Taraba State Governor, Jolly Nyame; former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; former Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema; former Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda; the President’s Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman; and Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Buba Marwa.

OBI: FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL, NAIRA FLOATING, TAX REFORMS REASONS FOR NATION’S HARDSHIP increase productivity and exports? Obi, yesterday, blamed President tion. endowed nation!” he said. “Is it a test to ascertain if subsidy Bola Tinubu’s major reforms, includObi described the 30-day Obi, who questioned the timing the removal of fuel subsidy, petrol discount intervention as a ing of the discount, also queried should be restored? Is it another floating of the naira, and tax reforms political gimmick, questioning why whether the initiative was designed political gambit in the face of threats for the worsening hardship in the the administration introduced a to test the possibility of restoring of electoral loss in the 2027 election? temporary discount after Nigerians fuel subsidy or to influence public Too many questions, no answer!” country. The NDC presidential candidate Obi said implementation of the had endured years of economic opinion ahead of the 2027 general said the government should have different reforms had contributed hardship following the removal election. He stated, “What really does conducted a detailed regulatory to rising prices, business closures, of fuel subsidy. Idris Lists Tinubu’s He said the policy failed to the President Bola Tinubu-led impact assessment and consulted unemployment, and declining living Achievements, Says address the wider consequences government want to achieve with stakeholders before implementing standards. Reforms Yielding Results He also criticised the federal of rising petrol prices, including a one-month discount of less than major economic policies. Also yesterday, the Minister He insisted that the initiative government’s 30-day petrol dis- poverty, unemployment, insecurity, five per cent on fuel cost? Will it of Information and National count, stating that the initiative and the increasing cost of goods reduce poverty, unemployment, was too insufficient to address insecurity, and inequality? Will it the economic challenges facing covers less than four per cent of and services. Continued on page 29 The former governor also faulted the filling stations nationwide and offered inadequate relief to Nigerians the limited reach of the initiative, DANGOTE REFINERY EXTENDS $1.6 BILLION PUBLIC OFFER BY TWO WEEKS TO OCTOBER 27 struggling with high living costs. saying the discount would be it to broaden distribution channels, and other international markets. who will have the opportunity to investors. Obi, in a statement, maintained available to about 900 Nigerian facilitate cross-border investments Since the launch of the offer, he participate in this offer. That means He said: “We welcome the SEC’s that the government should focus National Petroleum Company and allow prospective investors stated that investor participation has quite a lot to us,” the statement approval of the extension, which will on policies capable of reducing the Limited retail stations out of an to complete account-opening underscored the growing confidence quoted Dangote as having said in a give more investors across Africa cost of living rather than introducing estimated 24,000 filling stations procedures, identity verification in Dangote Refinery’s long-term chat with media men at the facility. the opportunity to participate in the short-term measures that would across the country. The company said the additional offer. From the outset, our ambition and other regulatory requirements. growth prospects and its strategic Obi said that meant fewer than expire without resolving the The IPO, which opened on role in transforming Africa’s energy two-week period will support ongo- has been to enable as many people four per cent of filling stations September 14, is part of the plan landscape. underlying problems. ing market-access initiatives across as possible to participate in the IPO The former governor of Anambra would offer the discount, raising by Africa’s richest man, Aliko “The IPO is going very well. We African jurisdictions, including the and share in DPRP’s future growth. State also reiterated his position questions about how millions of Dangote, to broaden ownership will extend the closing date because expansion of distribution channels The additional time will help us that fuel subsidy should be Nigerians would access the relief. of the 700,000 barrels per day we want more of our African and the rollout of unsponsored extend that opportunity to more He estimated that, based on a refinery by attracting as many as brothers and sisters to participate. depository receipt programmes investors across Africa.” restored alongside support for agriculture, healthcare, education, population of about 243 million, 10 million retail investors in Nigeria Following our discussions with the designed to facilitate seamless The company noted that it each NNPC retail station would and other African countries. and infrastructure. Nairobi Stock Exchange, we have cross-border investment. remains highly encouraged by He said such interventions should serve approximately 243,000 It explained that it will also the level of investor engagement The offering comprises 4.1 billion identified what we believe is the operate under a transparent and Nigerians if the stations were ordinary shares at N525 each, with a best way to facilitate participation. provide more time for prospective received across its target markets accountable framework to ensure evenly distributed nationwide. minimum subscription of 10 shares. We are now trying to replicate that investors to complete account- and believes the extension will He said the situation could lead It is expected to raise approximately arrangement with other African opening procedures, identity ensure broader participation by that public resources benefitted Nigerians rather than being diverted to intense competition among $1.6 billion, although the amount exchanges to ensure wider par- verification processes, and other retail, institutional and cross-border motorists seeking a discount of could increase to about $2.1 billion ticipation… through corruption. regulatory requirements necessary investors seeking to be part of the Obi promised to provide a more about N66 per litre, particularly if an over-allotment option is fully “But when it comes to the for participation in the offer. refinery’s next phase of growth. detailed policy roadmap on what in areas with limited access to exercised. Also speaking on the extension, amount of money we originally THISDAY learnt that the prohe described as fair, transparent NNPC outlets. Confirming the extension, the intended to raise, we have already Managing Director and Chief Execu- ceeds are intended to support the “Imagine 243,000 Nigerians President of the Dangote Group, received subscriptions amounting tive Officer of Dangote Petroleum expansion of the refinery complex and affordable petroleum pricing. He stated that Nigeria needed struggling for a N66 per litre Aliko Dangote, said the move to more than three or four times Refinery and Petrochemicals in Lagos, which began processing leadership focused on reducing the discount in each of the NNPC followed ‘exceptionally strong that figure…So, it is not about the FZE, David Bird, stated that the crude oil in early 2024 and has additional time will help extend cost of living through sustainable petrol stations. This is certainly not interest’ from a broad spectrum amount of money. “It is about the number of people more opportunities to additional policies and accountable administra- how to govern a richly blessed and of eligible investors across Africa Continued on page 27

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, T H I S D AY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 • THISDAY

NEWS

MBA CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY, UNVEIL LAW FIRM...

L-R: Deputy Inspector General of Police, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, DIG in charge of the Department of Logistics and Supply and coordinating DIG, South East Geo-Political Zone; retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Frank Mba; and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, at the birthday celebration of Mba and the unveiling of his law firm, Frank Mba Legal, marking his formal entry into legal practice following his retirement from the Nigeria Police Force, held at Frank Mba Legal office, Wuse 2, Abuja, on Friday, October 9, 2026

W’Bank-assisted HOPE-GOV Program Begins Capacity-building Workshop for States to Strengthen Budget Planning, Execution Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The World Bank-assisted HOPE Governance Program (HOPE-GOV) is set to commence a month-long technical capacity-building workshop to strengthen budget planning and execution for basic education and primary healthcare in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory

(FCT). The workshop is part of the federal government’s broader efforts under HOPE-GOV Program to reinforce governance, planning, budgeting, institutional capacity and accountability in the delivery of basic education and primary healthcare services. The workshop begins today

(Monday) through November 4, 2026 in Abuja, with participating states engaging in four batches. The technical engagement is designed to provide practical support to states in aligning their Primary Healthcare Annual Operational Plans (AOPs), Basic Education Annual Consolidated Workplans (ACWPs), and 2027 financial-year budgets with

the requirements of Disbursement Linked Indicator 2 (DLI 2) under the HOPE-GOV Program. The workshop will focus on improving the capacity of state institutions in key areas of public financial management and resultsbased planning, including the application of the National Chart of Accounts, program-based budget-

Court Clears Way for Inquest into Chimamanda’s Son’s Death Despite Cremation Dismisses hospital’s objections over jurisdiction, fair hearing Wale Igbintade The Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikoyi yesterday cleared the way for a coroner’s inquest into the death of Nkanu Esege, son of renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, ruling that the cremation of his body did not, in itself, prevent the inquiry from proceeding. Justice Aishat Opesanwo gave the ruling while striking out an application by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, operators of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, seeking to stop the inquest.

The hospital had argued that the cremation made a post-mortem examination impossible and deprived the coroner of jurisdiction. It also challenged the procedure for receiving statements and evidence from medical personnel and other parties connected with the facilities where Nkanu was treated before his death. Nkanu died on January 7, 2026, following medical procedures, prompting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. In her ruling, Justice Opesanwo held that conducting an inquest

was a statutory obligation where the circumstances of a death met the conditions prescribed by law. She said the hospital had failed to disprove the conditions empowering the coroner to proceed under Section 15 of the Coroners System Law of Lagos State 2007. The judge explained that the law did not require the deceased’s body to remain within the coroner’s district when the inquest was held. She also rejected the argument that the absence of the body would necessarily render the inquiry speculative. Describing the hospital’s concerns

about the eventual outcome as premature, she noted the inquest had yet to commence formally. Justice Opesanwo said a coroner’s inquest was a fact-finding exercise intended to establish who died, how, when and where the death occurred, rather than a trial to determine guilt or apportion blame. “It is not a trial, no one is on trial in a coroner’s court,” she said. The judge also dismissed the hospital’s fair hearing argument, holding the coroner had discretion to determine the sequence in which statements and evidence would be received.

ing, project prioritisation, costing, mapping and geo-tagging, as well as aligning sector plans with approved budget ceilings. Participants will also examine state-specific planning and budgeting challenges and develop practical, implementable solutions to improve the quality, credibility and execution of budgets for basic education and primary healthcare. Communications Officer, HOPEGOV Program, Joe Mutah said the strategic engagement will bring together permanent secretaries responsible for budget and planning, executive secretaries of state primary health care development agencies, and chairmen/executive secretaries of state Universal Basic Education Boards, alongside directors of budget, budget officers responsible for education and primary healthcare, and HOPE-GOV state focal persons. The workshop is part of the federal government’s broader efforts under HOPE-GOV Program to reinforce governance, planning, budgeting, institutional capacity and accountability in the delivery of basic education and primary healthcare services. Domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the HOPE-GOV Program is conceived to address governance

constraints affecting the delivery of critical human capital services, with particular emphasis on basic education and primary healthcare. Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has arrived Bangkok, Thailand, ahead of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group, where he will lead Nigeria’s delegation, the Ministry of Finance confirmed on Sunday. The meetings which hold between October 12 and 18 bring together finance ministers, central bank governors, development partners and other global economic decision makers to discuss global economic developments, financing priorities and strategies for sustainable growth. For Nigeria, the meetings come amid ongoing efforts to strengthen macroeconomic stability, attract investment and ensure that economic reforms translate into productive activities, expanded business opportunities and jobs. Oyedele’s participation provides an opportunity for Nigeria to engage with international financial institutions and development partners on issues relevant to the country’s economic priorities and its place in the global economy.

CAAN Launches Road Safety Initiative to Train 250 First Responders Initiative aims to reach 11,300 people through awareness campaigns Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Chevening Alumni Association of Nigeria (CAAN) has launched a road safety initiative to train 250 community members and transport workers to provide emergency assistance to road crash victims before professional responders arrive. The programme, the organisation said, is designed to strengthen first-response capacity along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, one of Nigeria’s busiest highways, where delays in accessing emergency medical care can worsen injuries and cost lives. The initiative, which runs until

February 2027, is supported by the Chevening Alumni Programme Fund (CAPF) 2026-27, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office through the British High Commission. According to CAAN, in a statement signed by its President, Mr Kester Osahenye, the project will train participants to secure crash scenes, control bleeding, recognise life-threatening injuries, provide basic assistance and alert emergency services, with the aim of improving victims’ chances of survival during the critical first hour after a crash. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) recorded 10,446 road crashes nationwide in 2025, resulting in

5,289 deaths and 33,400 injuries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that Nigeria recorded 36,722 road traffic fatalities in 2021. CAAN said the heavy traffic of commuters, commercial vehicles and freight trucks along the LagosIbadan corridor could delay the arrival of ambulances and other emergency responders, making the actions of people already at crash scenes particularly important. The project seeks to address the gap between the occurrence of crashes and the arrival of professional medical assistance by equipping residents and transport workers with practical skills to provide safe, immediate support.

It will complement the work of the FRSC and the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System by strengthening the initial response to crashes while ensuring that victims are referred to appropriate emergency and health services. According to the statement, the programme will begin with a train-the-trainer exercise in October to prepare 30 peer trainers, followed by five community training workshops between October and December. Refresher training is scheduled for January, while a dissemination forum and webinar will take place in February. Participants will receive training

at no cost in scene safety, basic bleeding control, airway awareness, identifying and supporting crash victims, emergency communication and safe referral procedures. The initiative also plans to produce six short learning resources in English, Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin to extend its reach beyond direct participants. Through subsequent training and public awareness campaigns, it expects to reach more than 11,300 people. Dr Kiitan Bolajoko, a trustee of the Sanitas Health and Development Foundation (SANHDEF) and a 2020-21 Chevening alumna, said the initiative was motivated by the recurring sight of people gathering

around crash victims without the knowledge required to provide safe assistance. “As Chevening alumni, we chose this problem because we have all seen it: a crash on the expressway, a crowd of people wanting to help, and no one sure what to do while the minutes that matter slip away. The truth is that survival on our roads too often depends on strangers who were never shown how to act safely,” she said. Bolajoko said the project would empower people already at crash scenes to become the first link in the chain of emergency care, stressing that the intervention was intended to complement, rather than replace, professional emergency services.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026

FEATURES

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

Confronting Nigeria’s Multi-dimensional Security Challenges Through Whole-of-Society, Partnership-based Approach With terrorism, banditry and transnational crime threatening Nigeria, the need for enduring international partnerships and regional cooperation to confront such evolving security threats has never been more pressing. At a side meeting during the just-concluded 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the imperative for ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), neighbouring countries and global partners to work together was highlighted, while security experts advocated intelligence sharing, community participation and economic recovery. Chiemelie Ezeobi, who participated, reports

n the Sahel, where insecurity crosses national boundaries, political divisions among countries facing common threats present an additional challenge to efforts to restore stability. For Nigeria, whose security concerns are connected to developments across West Africa, tackling terrorism and banditry requires not only stronger domestic security institutions but also renewed cooperation among neighbouring countries, regional organisations and international partners. Sahel Disunity and the Need for Cooperation Undoubtedly, the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), effective January 29, 2025, following military coups in the three countries, has complicated regional relations. The political divisions following the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger reinforce the importance of keeping security cooperation open across West Africa. Although the three countries have left ECOWAS, their fight against armed groups remains connected to the security of their neighbours. For Nigeria, the priority is to ensure that diplomatic differences do not prevent intelligence sharing, border coordination and practical cooperation against terrorism. Confronting Nigeria’s Multi-dimensional Security Challenges It was against this backdrop that Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence convened a high-level side event during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) High-Level Week in New York. The central message of the meeting, themed “Confronting Nigeria’s Multidimensional Security Challenges: A Whole-of-Society and Partnership-Based Approach,” was that no country or institution can independently resolve the region’s security challenges. Nigeria’s response, therefore, must combine military operations with intelligence cooperation, effective governance, community participation, economic development and enduring regional and international partnerships. These and many other issues were deliberated on by the panel, moderated by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari. Gambari, recalling Nigeria’s concentric-circles foreign policy, stressed the need for Africa to contribute actively to global frameworks, particularly in artificial intelligence. Sustainable Security Requires Collective Action As the convener, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), OFR, said Nigeria’s security challenges had national, regional and international implications, making cooperation essential. “Our recognition that we cannot address these challenges alone is not a statement of dependence; rather, it is an acknowledgement of the multidimensional character of modern security threats and the importance of collective action,” he said. Musa identified terrorism, banditry, cyber threats, oil theft and organised criminal activities among the country’s security concerns, while highlighting porous borders, governance challenges, socioeconomic vulnerabilities, ethnic and religious tensions, and political and social divisions as factors that compound insecurity. “These challenges do not exist in isolation. They interact with, reinforce, and at times amplify one another, exploiting many of the

L-R: Major General Adeyinka T. Famadewa (Rtd), Special Adviser on Homeland Security; Major General Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim (Rtd), OFR, Special Adviser to the Minister of Defence on Regional Integration and Multinational Security Cooperation; Dr. Kingsley Obiora, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Prof. Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Johns Hopkins University; and Omosigho Ozo-Eson, Cybersecurity Expert as panelists with moderator, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the high level meeting on Confronting Nigeria’s Multi-dimensional Security Challenges through Whole-of-Society, Partnership-based Approach

Convener of the high-level side event during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) High-Level Week in New York, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), Minister of Defence

same vulnerabilities. Our response must therefore be equally interconnected and comprehensive,” he said. While acknowledging the importance of military operations, the minister stressed that lasting peace required more than force, adding that “while military and other security operations remain essential to protecting our citizens and territorial integrity, we recognise that lasting peace and stability cannot be achieved through military action alone. Sustainable security requires resilient communities, effective institutions, inclusive development, and good governance”. He called for stronger coordination among federal, state and local institutions, alongside engagement with traditional and religious leaders, civil society, community organisations and the private sector. “Our objective must be to evolve from a system that primarily reacts to insecurity towards one that is increasingly capable of anticipating threats, preventing violence, addressing underlying vulnerabilities, and building lasting societal resilience,” he said. Musa outlined measures under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including recruiting an additional 22,000 Armed Forces personnel, reorganising the Nigerian Army’s divisional structure and pursuing state police and forest guard arrangements. Other initiatives include unified intelligence and reconnaissance, the deployment of drones for surveillance

and improvised explosive device detection, a national criminal database and support for the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) to strengthen domestic defence production. However, he insisted that international partnerships must address specific needs and produce measurable outcomes. “How can we build partnerships that are sustainable, enduring and responsive to evolving threats?” he asked, adding that partners should identify how they could support Nigeria’s most pressing capability and institutional requirements. “Our objective today should be straightforward. We should not merely reaffirm our understanding of the challenges; we should seek to identify concrete areas of cooperation, clear responsibilities and practical next steps.” Reinforced Need for Shared Responsibility In an interview with THISDAY, Major General Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim (Rtd), OFR, Special Adviser to the Minister of Defence on Regional Integration and Multinational Security Cooperation and former Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), reinforced the need for shared responsibility. He said many people wrongly regarded the military as solely responsible for addressing insecurity, despite the contributions required from other institutions and society. According to him, the kinetic component of security operations could account for only 25 to 30 per cent of the overall effort, while the remaining 70 per cent must come from other partners, including civil society, ordinary citizens and international partners. He advocated community-based border solutions, implementation of the Office of the National Security Adviser’s Border Management Strategy, revitalisation of the MNJTF and stronger efforts to disrupt terrorist taxation and financial networks. His position underscored the importance of regional cooperation, particularly where armed groups and criminal networks operate across borders. Thus, renewed coordination among Nigeria, neighbouring countries, ECOWAS, the AU and international partners would be important in sustaining security operations and addressing threats throughout the Sahel. When Intelligence Must Guide Security Priorities For his part, Major General Adeyinka T. Famadewa (Rtd), Special Adviser on Homeland Security, advocated intelligence fusion, integrated response capabilities and

systems that protect citizens who report security threats. Famadewa acknowledged the difficulties of achieving security objectives but said Nigeria was moving in the right direction by reviewing past approaches and exploring new methods. In an interview with THISDAY afterwards, he discussed the National Threat Assessment commissioned by the President, saying it was not another National Security Strategy document but rather an exercise that would move Nigeria from a capability-driven approach to one based on identified threats. The assessment would determine the threats confronting the country, the measures required to mitigate them and the priorities for deploying limited resources. Famadewa said the exercise would identify capability gaps and establish how to address them over five years, while developing domestic defence production. He also urged citizens to participate in securing the country. “See something, say something,” he said, adding that every Nigerian was a sensor and that they should expect “A better Nigeria.” Economic Recovery and African Solutions Still during the panel session, Dr. Kingsley Obiora, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, identified economic stability as a core pillar of national security. He proposed designated economic zones inspired by Colombia to stimulate business recovery in conflict-affected areas. Prof. Mvemba Phezo Dizolele of Johns Hopkins University cautioned against adopting external security templates, urging African countries to develop solutions suited to their own circumstances and designed for local populations. Meanwhile, cybersecurity expert Omosigho Ozo-Eson warned against over-reliance on foreign artificial intelligence systems and called for stronger protection of critical national infrastructure and indigenous cyber defence capabilities. How Partnerships Can Deliver Lasting Security In his closing remarks, General Musa reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to confronting terrorism and banditry, commending defence cooperation with partners, including the United States. He acknowledged international support for regional mechanisms such as the MNJTF, including assistance from the European Union, but stressed that African member states must increasingly finance and sustain their own security frameworks. He also highlighted efforts to improve legal frameworks, protect vulnerable health workers in high-risk areas and create a stable business environment that attracts investment. Ultimately, the challenge for Nigeria and the wider Sahel is to turn security commitments into practical cooperation. Stronger intelligence exchange, coordinated border management, disruption of terrorist financing, community participation and economic recovery must complement military operations. As Musa emphasised, Nigeria is prepared to do its part. But enduring security will depend on whether national institutions, ECOWAS, the AU, Sahelian countries and global partners can work together despite political differences, recognising that insecurity in one part of the region can have consequences for others. This is because ECOWAS and the AU, working with international partners and Sahelian governments, have important roles to play in encouraging dialogue and supporting collective responses to common threats.

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026

PERSPECTIVE

Kennedy Okonkwo: Celebrating a Visionary Real Estate Tycoon at 49 Royce Okolie

o many, Dr. Kennedy Ndubuisi Okonkwo is simply a successful real estate developer whose business revolves around building and selling houses. However, beyond the magnificent structures, luxury apartments and impressive residential estates associated with his name lies the extraordinary story of a visionary entrepreneur, an unrelenting innovator and a businessman whose ambition knows no boundaries. For those who understand his entrepreneurial journey, Kennedy Okonkwo is not merely a property developer; he is a restless visionary, a strategic thinker and an exceptionally hardworking businessman who is constantly exploring new opportunities, developing innovative concepts and transforming ambitious ideas into thriving business enterprises. He belongs to that rare breed of entrepreneurs who hardly find time to rest, not necessarily because they have not achieved success, but because their passion for creating value, building businesses and making lasting contributions to society continues to drive them towards greater accomplishments. As he celebrates his 49th birthday, the story of Kennedy Okonkwo is one of vision, courage, resilience, innovation and an unwavering determination to build an enduring business legacy. Since establishing Nedcomoaks Limited in 2007, Okonkwo has demonstrated that his entrepreneurial vision extends far beyond the conventional boundaries of real estate development. What began as an ambitious journey into Nigeria’s property market has gradually evolved into a diversified business empire with interests spanning real estate development, hospitality, automobile distribution, investment and other emerging sectors of the economy. Over the years, his entrepreneurial drive has been reflected in the establishment and development of several business brands, including Victoria Crest Homes, Citadel Views, Nedredefini, Capital Gardens, EV Automobiles, HotelsbyNed and Kapstone. Each of these enterprises represents another dimension of his determination to identify opportunities, create value, generate employment and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s economic development. For Kennedy Okonkwo, entrepreneurship is not simply about establishing companies or accumulating wealth. It is about

Okonkwo

recognising possibilities where others see limitations, creating solutions where challenges exist and building institutions capable of making a lasting impact. His remarkable journey offers an inspiring example of how determination, strategic thinking and the courage to pursue ambitious dreams can transform an individual vision into a growing network of business enterprises. Indeed, at 49, Kennedy Okonkwo is not merely celebrating another year of life. He is celebrating nearly two decades of entrepreneurial accomplishments, business expansion and an enduring commitment to excellence. While many successful entrepreneurs would be content to enjoy the rewards of their achievements, Okonkwo continues to demonstrate an uncommon appetite for innovation, expansion and the pursuit of new business opportunities. His philosophy appears

of the most fascinating aspects of Dr. Kennedy Ndubuisi Okonkwo’s personality is his extraordinary capacity to accommodate people, forgive their shortcomings and maintain relationships without allowing bitterness or resentment to take root which I am one of the beneficiaries. He is nice almost to a fault. In a world where many people find it difficult to forgive even the slightest offence, Dr. Ned belongs to that rare category of individuals who do not harbour grudges. He possesses an uncommon ability to overlook personal differences, forgive perceived wrongs and move forward without carrying the burden of yesterday’s disagreements. From my personal experience, he is one of the very few successful men I have encountered who genuinely understand that life is too short to be consumed by bitterness, unnecessary rivalry or the desire to settle scores. His humility is equally remarkable. Despite his achievements, influence and standing in society, he remains approachable, accommodating and genuinely interested in the welfare of those around him. For Dr. Ned, generosity is not merely an occasional act of charity; it is an expression of his personality. His willingness to support others, respond to people’s needs and create opportunities reflects a compassionate disposition that extends beyond his business interests. Interestingly, his kindness should never be mistaken for weakness. Behind his gentle disposition lies a determined entrepreneur, a courageous decision-maker and a visionary businessman who knows exactly what he wants and possesses the discipline to pursue it. He understands that true greatness is not measured solely by the number of businesses one establishes, the properties one develops or the wealth one accumulates, but also by the number of lives one touches and the positive memories one leaves in the hearts of others. Perhaps this is what makes Dr. Kennedy Okonkwo particularly remarkable. He has successfully combined the ambition of a business tycoon with the simplicity of a gentleman, the intelligence of a strategist with the compassion of a philanthropist, and the determination of a visionary with the forgiving heart of a peacemaker. At 49, Dr. Kennedy Ndubuisi Okonkwo stands as a symbol of entrepreneurial excellence, visionary leadership and the limitless possibilities of the Nigerian dream.

simple: success is not a destination but a continuous journey of creating value, breaking new ground and building a legacy that will outlive its founder. As family members, friends, business associates and wellwishers celebrate this remarkable entrepreneur on his 49th birthday, one thing remains evident: Kennedy Okonkwo’s greatest achievements may still lie ahead. For a man whose imagination constantly stretches beyond the present and whose entrepreneurial spirit refuses to be confined by conventional boundaries, the future holds enormous possibilities. Dr. Ned, as he is fondly called, embodies many of the admirable qualities traditionally associated with those born under the Libra zodiac sign. He is fair-minded, businessminded, diplomatic, creative, innovative and peace-loving. Above all, he is an exceptionally generous philanthropist whose kindness and willingness to extend a helping hand to others distinguish him as a man of uncommon character. t1SJODF 3PZDF 0LPMJF XSJUFT Beyond his remarkable GSPN -BHPT accomplishments in business, one

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 • T H I S D AY

LAWYER TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026

UT H

& RE A SO

WEEKLY PULLOUT

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& RE A S O

President, National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Hon. Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip CJN Kudirat Kekere-Ekun cutting the tape of the new NICN Complex with CJN Mohammed (Rtd) & CJN Onnoghen (Rtd) , President of the Court of Appeal and Others looking on

NICN: Beginning of New Legal Year in Its Ultramodern Headquarters

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026

IN THIS EDITION

Necessity of Identification Parade Where Victim Identifies the Accused Person Page IV

Court of Appeal Dismisses ElRufai's Bail Appeal Page V

Dangote Refinery’s $1.5bn IPO Makes African History Page V

QUOTABLE

COLUMNIST ‘From 8 Divisions, the Army is now moving to 12 Divisions to shorten the response time, to give the teeth that are needed to defeat banditry and terrorism….Several decades of fear and uncertainty about what to do about security at the local level, will be corrected.' -HE Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

LAWYER

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE: EDITOR, JUDE IGBANOI: DEPUTY EDITOR, PETER TAIWO, STEVE AYA: REPORTERS

III THE ADVOCATE

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026

The North, Sharia Applications and Investment Limitation Heritage Foundation Dialogue ast Wednesday, I attended an event tagged “Nigeria’s Moment: A Transatlantic Strategic Partnership Dialogue”, organised by the Heritage Foundation (driven by Mr Ayo Otuyalo and Mr James Carafano) in partnership with the American Business Council in Nigeria. I suppose part of the objective of the Dialogue, was to find a way to foster a deeper relationship between Nigeria and the United States of America, whether on a Government level in the area of security, supply of military equipment, training and the like, or in the area of commerce, attracting FDI and partnering with American entities. The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu; former Governor of Ekiti State and former Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi, a few serving Ministers and other eminent Speakers and Panelists, both local and foreign, contributed to the Dialogue. There were six addresses with accompanying panel sessions. The first session was “Why Nigeria is a Must-Have Partner in the New World Order”, and right from that session to the last, it was revealed that Nigeria is a must-have partner because she’s practically paradise on earth, in terms of her endowments ranging from hydrocarbons, to gem stones, base and precious metals, to extremely generous commercial quantities of mineral and rare earth mineral deposits of at least half of 60 very much globally sought out minerals, to arable land, a young population, to even the strategic physical location of Nigeria herself, amongst many other things.

Legal Matters Arising 1) Critical Minerals What obviously interested me the most, were some of the legal issues that arose from the sessions. For instance, during the third session which centred on critical minerals, the issue of Section 44 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)(the Constitution) which vests all minerals in Nigeria in the Government of the Federation, while Section 1 of the Land Use Act 1978 (LUA) vests land within the States in the Governors to hold in trust for the people (also see Item 39 of the Exclusive Legislative List of the Constitution and Section 1(1) of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007 (NMMA)). Aside from the fact that this constitutional/statutory arrangement defies two common law principles of “Quic quid plantatur solo solo cedit” (“what attaches to the land belongs to the land”) and “Cuius est solum, cius est usque ad coelum et ad inferus” (“whose is the soil, his it is all the way to heaven and to those below”), in terms of the ease of doing business, this multi-layered approach of Federal and State requirements, makes access to mineral deposit sites not just somewhat convoluted and cumbersome, but ends up resulting in hardship of doing business, rather than ease! The issue of the ownership of minerals vis-à-vis resource control and devolution of powers has been debated for decades, yet, nothing tangible appears to have resulted from these debates so far. Having a better constitutional/legal framework in this regard, may help to attract FDI, from America and other countries. 2) Insecurity and Religion Another takeaway from the event is that, without security, an independent Judiciary that metes out justice swiftly and fairly, and a country that has the highest regard for rule of law coupled with a low tolerance for corruption, it may be difficult to reach the Promised Land, either in partnership with Americans or any other serious foreign investors who come from a background where such ideals are cherished and practised, especially because without security, it would be difficult to harness Nigeria’s natural resources, particularly in areas endowed with resources which may be constantly under attack. In Nigeria, insecurity and religion are intertwined. Luckily, the Panel that I moderated was themed“Security, Religious & Cultural Freedom, and Mobility”. The Chairman of the Panel was Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler from Missouri, USA. She gave the address for our session. Panel members were Ambassador Dupe Irele; Olufunke Amos; Pastor Paul Adefarasin and Senator Yar’Adua. Let me start by saying that, Section 38(1) of the Constitution provides for freedom of thought, religion and conscience, and it allows Nigerians to propagate their various religions. I mentioned at the beginning of our session, that I come from a Section 38(1) home, where my late Father, High Chief Omowale Kuye, OFR, was a staunch Muslim and my Mother, Dame Priscilla Kuye, is a holder of one of the highest Papal decorations and honours by the Catholic Church, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. I gave that introduction to show that, I have absolutely nothing against Islam, though I do have a lot against those Clerics who deliver false, inflammatory, nonsensical teachings that aren’t in any Holy Book, and incite the people against themselves. Some home truths must be told. It is doubtful that insecurity would have escalated to the magnitude that it has, if the Federal Government and Legislature at the time, had been firm about upholding Section 10 of the Constitution, which provides that neither Nigeria as a nation, nor any State within Nigeria, shall adopt a State religion. See Ugwu v Ararume 2007 12 N.W.L.R. Part 1048 per Niki Tobi, JSC on the word ‘shall’ being a form of command or mandate in a statutory provision. In 1999, a few months after the inception of the Fourth Republic, then Governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Yerima, adopted Sharia in his State. The then Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) didn’t go to the Supreme Court to stop Yerima; and thereafter, 11 other Northern States followed suit. Since then, no AGF has

ONIKEPO ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE BRAITHWAITE onikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive. com onikepob@yahoo.com

The

Advocate In Nigeria, insecurity and religion are intertwined…. I have absolutely nothing against Islam…. the Federal Government…. at the time, should have been firm about upholding Section 10 of the Constitution….The then AGF didn’t go to the Supreme Court to stop Yerima….Since then, no AGF has bothered to take up this constitutional breach.… Insult to Religion/Blasphemy is a misdemeanour…. Why would any American want to invest in any of the Sharia States, where an angry crowd can easily be set off… It was clear from Congresswoman’s Hartzler’s address, that the issue of IDP Camps, Blasphemy laws, killing of Christians, accountability and a commitment to upholding the rule of law …..must be addressed to deepen the rapport between our countries . bothered to take up this constitutional breach. This unconstitutionality, that is, the adoption of Sharia in those States, gave Muslim extremists and those non-believers who perpetuate evil claiming to be Muslim and using Islam as a cover, a platform to further their nefarious activities. Those 12 Sharia States appear to have gone further to breach the Constitution, by allowing Sharia Courts to exercise criminal jurisdiction. See Sections 262, 267, 277 & 282 of the Constitution, which do not confer criminal jurisdiction on Customary and Sharia Courts of Appeal like Sections 233(2), 241(1), 251, 257 that confer criminal jurisdiction on the other Superior Courts of Record. For example, Section 244(1) of the Constitution provides that appeals lie from the Sharia Court of Appeal to the Court of Appeal in civil proceedings with respect to Islamic Personal Law, ditto for Customary Courts in Section 245(1). Appeals lie from the State created Sharia and Customary Courts to the Sharia and Customary Courts of Appeal respectively. If the Constitution doesn’t provide for criminal appeals from the Sharia and Customary Courts of Appeal to the Court of Appeal, it follows that there can be no criminal matters at the Sharia or Customary Courts of Appeal, or in the courts below them from where appeals lie to them; that the lower Sharia and Customary courts cannot also be endowed with power to exercise criminal jurisdiction. A Sharia Court of Appeal would be on the same level as a High Court, and a High Court is certainly not a court of last instance, how then can a Sharia Court of Appeal then be one, assuming without

conceding that the lower Sharia Court had criminal jurisdiction which could be appealed to the Sharia Court of Appeal but not beyond, by virtue of Section 244(1) of the Constitution? It is trite law that every sentence of death shall be appealed up to the Supreme Court (see Section 233(2)(d) of the Constitution); this further buttresses the point that a death sentence purportedly handed down by a Sharia or Upper Sharia Court which has no constitutional route to be appealed up to the Supreme Court, just cannot stand. In contrast, Section 272 of the Constitution, not only gives the High Court of a State original, but appellate criminal jurisdiction, meaning that it is implied that a Magistrate Court from which appeals lie to the High Court, has criminal jurisdiction. Allowing Sharia Courts to exercise the criminal jurisdiction which constitutionally they do not have the power to exercise, are some of the things that give teeth to the conversation that Nigeria is on its way to being ‘Islamised’ and that Christians here are being persecuted. This is not to say that Christians aren’t being killed in their numbers in Nigeria - they are, and obviously, in some circumstances, it is because of persecution; but, Muslims are also being kidnapped and killed in their numbers too. After the mass kidnap of the Chibok Girls by Boko Haram in 2014, the first of its kind in Nigeria, by the Islamic sect whose name means ‘Western education is forbidden’, Nigerians became uncomfortable. I made mention during our session that, in 2015, one of the reasons for voting-in

President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, apart from his stand against corruption, was the hope of Nigerians that, as a former Army General, he would be able to fight insecurity effectively. Alas! This wasn’t to be. Instead, insecurity was left to fester like an untreated wound! Isa Ali Pantami who is considered to be a Muslim extremist because of some of his past utterances, was even appointed as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy under President Buhari - a person who had openly prayed for victory of the Taliban and al-Qaeda; a person who publicly stated: “We are all happy whenever unbelievers are being killed, but the Sharia does not allow us to kill them without a reason”; emotionally referring to Boko Haram fighters as “our Muslim brothers”. With such Ministerial/Government appointments, pray tell, why wouldn’t Nigeria’s reputation as one that is intolerant to Christians increase? Why would Christian foreign investors be interested in doing business with those who are top Government Officials that cannot be bypassed, who contemptuously consider them to be ‘Unbelievers’? Congresswoman Hartzler made mention of Sharia Blasphemy laws, and mentioned the cases of Deborah Samuel Yakubu and Amaye, both of whom I have written about in the past, and how they were murdered in cold blood by mob justice, as a result of allegations of blasphemy against Islam. Why would any American want to invest in any of the Sharia States, where an angry crowd can easily be set off, descend upon them and kill them, for saying what is perceived to be the wrong thing? Aside from the fact that mob justice is barbaric, perpetrators are usually not brought to justice, even when they can be identified. Recall the case of those who murdered Mrs Bridget Agbahime for alleged blasphemy at Kofar Wambai Market, Kano? They were identified and charged, but despite the damning evidence, the Prosecutor entered a Nolle Prosequi and the Defendants were freed. Mob justice occurs in the South, also condemnable, usually for stealing. 3) Justice and Religion: Yahaya Sharif Aminu Congresswoman Hartzler also mentioned the case of Yahaya Sharif Aminu, now on appeal to the Supreme Court, a case which I had discussed on this page in 2020. Aminu was sentenced to death by hanging by an Upper Sharia Court in Kano, for allegedly using derogatory expressions against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in a song which he circulated on WhatsApp in early 2020. See Madukolu v Nkemdilim 1962 2 SCNLR 341 on the outcome of the proceedings by a court lacking jurisdiction, being null and void and of no effect. Aside from the fact that the Holy Quran does not prescribe death for blasphemy - see for instance Quran 4:140: “If you hear people denying and ridiculing God's revelation, do not sit with them unless they start to talk of other things, or else you yourselves will become like them”. This sounds more like an instruction to ignore blasphemers and avoid their company, not kill them. By virtue of the Section 204 of the Criminal Code Act and 210 & 213 of the Penal Code Act, Insult to Religion/Blasphemy is a misdemeanour that doesn’t attract a punishment of more than two year’s imprisonment or a fine or both, upon conviction. Aminu should have been charged before a Magistrate Court in Kano, for this misdemeanour. The death sentence pronounced upon him by the Kano Upper Sharia Court, is null and void ab intio - see Madukolu v Nkemdilim (Supra). Section 1(1) & (3) of the Constitution is clear that the grundnorm is supreme and binding, and that any law that is inconsistent with it is void to the extent of its inconsistency. Even if the Upper Sharia Court is established by Kano State Law, no Kano State Law can override the Constitution. Conclusion Now that Aminu’s case is before the Supreme Court, this is a golden opportunity for the Apex Court not just to nullify Aminu’s sentence, but to make a policy statement based upon the provisions of the Constitution - a pronouncement that the Upper Sharia Court’s decision is null and void and of no effect, because the Sharia Court is established only for Islamic Personal law, and lacks criminal jurisdiction; that State religion-inspired criminal laws are prohibited, particularly as in the case of Islam where the Holy Quran, the foundation of the religion, doesn’t even prescribe the punishment. The truth is that, a country in which the Judiciary itself doesn’t uphold the rule of law, will not be attractive to responsible, law abiding investors, whether foreign or local. It is time to stop playing politics with religion, by allowing this unconstitutionality to persist. Recently, I discussed a programme I stumbled upon on News Central discussing the Katsina State Hisbah (Sharia Police) (KSH), and how KSH was brutalising the people. The KSH Commander stated that Islam allows you to beat a person to enforce morality; but, Section 34(1)(a) of the Constitution, prohibits the torture and inhuman treatment of citizens. The implementation of Sharia law in aspects beyond civil matters such as marriage and inheritance, results in the breaching of the fundamental rights of citizens. They cannot co-exist in a democratic society. It was clear from Congresswoman’s Hartzler’s address, that the issue of IDP Camps, Blasphemy laws, killing of Christians, accountability and a commitment to upholding the rule of law particularly by the Judiciary, must be addressed to deepen the rapport between our countries. This is a reasonable request, that lies within the ambit of constitutionality. Lest I forget, even for the Muslim, submission to Sharia Law is voluntary; no State is empowered to impose Sharia on an unwilling Muslim. That would be unconstitutional.

IV LAW REPORT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 ˾ T H I S D AY

Necessity of Identification Parade Where Victim Identifies the Accused Person Facts The Appellant was arraigned on a four-count Information. He was charged with the attempted murder of one Akinrisola Cyril, and with robbing him of N4,000.00 and two mobile phones while armed with a gun, on 11th September, 2016. He was further charged with robbing one Mrs Akintola Modupeola while armed with a gun on 14th October, 2016, and with murdering her in the course of that robbery. Upon his arraignment at the High Court of Ondo State, he pleaded not guilty to all counts. At the end of the trial, the court convicted the Appellant for attempted murder, armed robbery, and murder. He was accordingly sentenced to twenty-year imprisonment for attempted murder, and to death for armed robbery. The Appellant unsuccessfully appealed the decision to the Court of Appeal, Akure, which court affirmed the judgement of the trial court. Further dissatisfied with the decision of the Court of Appeal, the Appellant appealed to the Supreme Court. Issue for Determination The Supreme Court adopted the sole issue formulated by the Appellant, to wit: Whether the trial court and the lower court properly evaluated the evidence adduced at the trial court, and came to the conclusion that the Appellant was guilty of the allegations in counts 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Information? Arguments On the sole issue, the Appellant submitted with respect to the count relating to Mrs Akintola, that there was no eyewitness account of what transpired at the scene; that no witness was called from among those who conveyed the victim to the Police clinic; and that no witness saw the Appellant or his belongings at the scene. He contended that no witness testified that the attackers acted to rob the deceased of her mobile phone and handbag, and that it defied Honourable Tijjani Abubakar, JSC common sense for a robber to expend about 17 In the Supreme Court of Nigeria bullets on one woman merely to obtain a mobile Holden at Abuja phone. He submitted further that the Respondent’s On Friday, the 12th day of December, 2025 account of how he came into possession of the Itel phone, which he sold to PW3, was uncontradicted, Before their Lordships so the trial court could not speculate as to how he Muhammad Lawal Garba came by it; and that the evidence on the killing Tijjani Abubakar and the whereabouts of the deceased’s phone and Chioma Egondu Nwosu-Iheme handbag was too hazy and incoherent, to ground Haruna Simon Tsammani a conviction for murder and armed robbery. He Jamilu Yammama Tukur added that the prosecution proved only the first Justices, Supreme Court ingredient of murder through PW1, but not the second and third, and that the Appellant was not SC/CR/560/2021 arrested at the scene. On attempted murder, the Appellant submitted that Between the only identification evidence linking the Appellant to the robbery of PW4 on 11th September 2016, was Olumide Famotua Appellant PW4’s own evidence, given at about 5:45 a.m. in And the dark on an untarred road with no streetlight, where features such as tribal marks could barely be The State Respondent observed. No other witness saw the incident. He conceded that the evidence of PW4 proved that there (Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Tijjani Abubakar, JSC) was an armed robbery, but denied that it linked the Appellant to it. The Appellant contended that the acts. Further, that where a dangerous weapon and the Appellant’s extrajudicial statements entire judgement of the trial court was driven by is used to attack a person, death is inferred confirmed that the robberies occurred, a sentiment, since a senior officer of the State Ministry as the intended probable consequence. He point the Appellant did not contest; and of Justice was a victim and human life was lost in relied on OKORO v THE STATE (1998) on the third element, that PW4 confirmed the other incident. He argued that the trial Judge did 14 NWLR (PT. 584) 181; ONYEGBU the Appellant’s participation in the armed not conceal his bias, and discarded the Appellant’s v THE STATE (1998) 1 ACLR 386 and robbery of 11th September, 2016, while the evidence as lies without adequate consideration, AFOLALU v THE STATE (2010) 16 NWLR trial court rightly found that circumstantial contrary to the decision in AKINDIPE v THE (PT. 1220) 584 for the settled principle that evidence, corroborated by the Appellant’s STATE (2016) 15 NWLR (PT. 1536) 470, to the the credible evidence of a single witness, is extrajudicial statements, irresistibly linked effect that a defence raised by an accused, however sufficient to justify a conviction. him to the armed robbery and killing of unfounded it may appear, ought to be adequately On armed robbery, the Respondent outlined Mrs Akintola. The Respondent urged the considered. Relying also on OGUNDIYAN v THE the three elements from BOZIN v THE court to discountenance the submissions STATE (1991) 3 NWLR (PT. 181) 519, Counsel STATE (1985) 2 NWLR (PT. 8) 465, of the Appellant on poor lighting and urged the Supreme Court to set aside the concurrent and submitted that the evidence of PW1 the short duration of the encounter, since findings as perverse, unsupportable by evidence, to PW5, together with exhibits 1 to 9 were PW4’s identification of the Appellant under and occasioning a manifest miscarriage of justice. sacrosanct, and that the guilt of an accused cross-examination sufficed to link him with The Respondent argued contrariwise, faulting the may be proved by confessional statement, the offence. contention of the Appellant that the prosecution failed circumstantial evidence, or direct evidence of to discharge the onus of proof beyond reasonable an eyewitness. He submitted that there was Court’s Judgement and Rationale doubt, stating that the contention was evidentially strong and cogent circumstantial evidence, Deciding the case, the Supreme Court held false, unsustainable, and unsupported by credible that the Appellant committed armed robbery that by Section 135 of the Evidence Act, 2011, and legally founded argument. He submitted that twice: on the first two elements, that the the standard of proof in a criminal case is this is a case of concurrent findings of fact, which the evidence of PW1 to PW5, exhibits 7 to 9 proof beyond reasonable doubt, and that this Supreme Court rarely disturbs unless the findings are unsupported by evidence, perverse, occasion a miscarriage of justice, or the lower court overlooked a principle of law or procedure, which the Appellant failed to establish. On attempted murder, the Respondent set out the three statutory elements, which are the intention to kill, the execution of that intention by an overt act, and an intervening act from fulfilling it. Counsel thereafter submitted that PW4 was unequivocal in his evidence that the Appellant robbed him, pointed a gun at him and shot him at close range; which evidence was itself sufficient proof, an accused being presumed to intend the natural consequences of his deliberate

An identification parade is only necessary when there is doubt as to the ability of the victim to recognise the suspect, or where his identity is in dispute

burden remains on the prosecution throughout. Relying on NWATUROUCHA v THE STATE (2011) 6 NWLR (PT. 1242) 170 AT 193, the Court held that “proof beyond reasonable doubt does not mean proof beyond all doubt or all shadow of doubt. It simply means establishing the guilt of the accused person with compelling and conclusive evidence... consistent with a high degree of probability”, and that where all the essential ingredients of an offence are proved, proof beyond reasonable doubt should not be stretched beyond limit. On armed robbery, the Court, relying on MOHAMMED v STATE (2020) LPELR-52451(SC) held that the prosecution must prove: (a) that there was a robbery; (b) that the Appellant participated in the robbery; (c) that during the robbery, the Appellant was armed with offensive weapon or was in company of a person who was so armed”. On the evidence of PW4, the court held that the testimony of PW4 at the trial court was clear and unambiguous, and that the trial Judge, having the opportunity of listening to the testimony and observing the demeanour of the witness, rightly believed him. Their Lordships held that “eyewitness evidence is always reliable evidence, provided the witness is telling the truth. Such evidence is on what the witness saw, it is almost impossible to dislodge such evidence”, and that “the evidence of a victim qualifies as that of an eye witness”. It held further, citing IGBO v STATE (1975) 9 NSCC 418 and ABOGEDE v STATE (1996) 5 NWLR (PT. 449) 279, that it is not the number of witnesses that matters, and that “a sole witness whose evidence meets the standard of proof as required by law is sufficient to ground conviction, if the evidence given by the witness is credible and reliable”. On the killing of Mrs Modupeola Akintola, the Supreme Court adopted the findings of the trial court, that the only evidence that linked the Appellant with the robbery of the deceased was that the Itel cell phone of the deceased was traced to the Appellant, and endorsed the decision of the Court of Appeal that that singular act of being in possession of the Itel cell phone soon after the robbery and killing, the Appellant was rightly held as the robber and killer, invoking Section 167(a) of the Evidence Act, 2011. Deciding the issue of identification of the culprit, the court held that “identification parade becomes necessary only where the identity of the Defendant is in doubt, or during the trial, some doubt is created around the identity of the Defendant”. And, that it will not be necessary where “there is a clear and uncontradicted eye witness account and identification of the person who allegedly committed the crime”, where “the victim knew the accused previously”, where “the Defendant is linked to the offences by cogent and compelling evidence”, or where the accused “in his confessional statement identified himself with the crime.” It would be necessary only where the victim did not know the accused before and his first acquaintance with him was during the commission of the offence, was confronted for a very short time, or lacked the opportunity of observing the features of the accused. Applying these principles, the court held that “identification parade will not serve any useful purpose, since PW4 identified the Appellant with certainty”. On the scope of its appellate power over concurrent findings, the Supreme Court held, citing DARE v FAGBEMI (2009) 14 NWLR (PT. 1160) 177 that it “is stripped of the power to interfere with concurrent findings of facts, except where they are shown to be perverse or contrary to law”. From the totality of the evidence, the Supreme Court was satisfied that the Appellant was properly connected to the crime with which he was charged, and had not made a case deserving of interference. The sole issue was resolved against the Appellant, and the appeal was found to be unmeritorious. Appeal Dismissed. Representation Dr Nnaemeka Otagburuagu with A.G. Ajeka and F.I. Evans for the Appellant. Adewale Bamisile (Asst. Director, Public Prosecution, Ondo State MOJ) for the Respondent. Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR)(An affiliate of Babalakin & Co.)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Dangote Refinery

Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai

Court of Appeal Dismisses El-Rufai's Bail Appeal Stories by Steve Aya The Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna has dismissed the appeal filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, challenging the decision of the Kaduna State High Court refusing his bail application. In its judgement delivered on Thursday, October 8, 2026, in Appeal No. CA/K/254C/2026, the appellate court affirmed that the trial court exercised its discretion judicially and judiciously, in refusing the former Governor’s bail application. The court held that ElRufai's appeal lacked merit,

and found no miscarriage of justice in the trial Judge’s decision. The appellate court also found deficiencies, in the affidavit the former Governor relied on to seek bail. It held that the lower court's findings, provided no sufficient grounds for appellate interference. During proceedings, Counsel to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ayodeji Adedipe, had argued that Mallam El-Rufai previously filed three separate bail applications before the trial court, all of which were refused. The prosecution maintained that the former Governor

failed to establish sufficient grounds, to warrant overturning the trial court's decision. However, Mallam El-Rufai's Counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN, argued that the offences were bailable, and that his client's

continued detention could undermine his ability to prepare an effective defence. In dismissing the appeal, the Court of Appeal upheld the lower court's ruling, effectively sustaining the refusal of bail pending further

Deloitte & Touche was the Auditor, while KPMG Professional Services served as Reporting Accountant. AELEX and Olaniwun Ajayi LP, acted as Solicitors to the offer. The participation of the firms and financial institutions, reflects the breadth of professional expertise assembled for the transaction, which could have significant implications for Nigeria’s capacity to attract investment and support large-scale capital raising. AELEX’s involvement, also builds on its longstanding relationship with the Dangote Industries group. The firm previously acted as Solicitor to the Issuer, in the N60 billion Initial Public Offering of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc. It also advised on strategic projects within the group, including the $798 million syndicated limited-recourse financing for the Obajana Cement Project, involving the

The substantive trial is scheduled to commence on October 12, 2026. Mallam El-Rufai has denied wrongdoing, and the allegations against him remain subject to judicial determination.

AfBA President Calls for Global Alliance Against State Repression The President of the African Bar Association (AfBA), High Chief Ibrahim Eddy Mark, has called for stronger international cooperation among Lawyers and human rights advocates, to combat State-sponsored violence, political repression and racial

discrimination. Mark made the call while addressing the annual conference of the National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL), held from October 8 to 10, 2026, at the City University of New York School of Law, United States. Speaking on the

Dangote Refinery’s $1.5bn IPO Makes African History Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE has completed an approximately $1.5 billion Initial Public Offering (IPO), in what has been described as Africa’s largest single IPO and the first public offering by a Free Zone Entity in Nigeria. The transaction marks a significant development in Nigeria’s capital market, potentially opening new opportunities for largescale industrial and infrastructure businesses seeking to raise funds from the public. AELEX, a leading Nigerian law firm, acted as Joint Solicitors to the Offer. The offering brought together a consortium of financial and professional advisers. Vetiva Advisory Services Limited served as Lead Issuing House, while Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited, Chapel Hill Denham Advisory Limited, Afrinvest Capital Limited and CardinalStone Partners Limited acted as Joint Issuing Houses.

proceedings. The decision represents another significant judicial development in the ongoing prosecution of the former Governor, over alleged financial infractions linked to his administration.

International Finance Corporation, export credit agencies and development finance institutions. Industry analysts cited in the statement, said the Refinery’s public offering could widen investor participation in one of Africa’s major industrial projects. The Refinery has been viewed as a potential driver of industrialisation, value-chain development, foreign exchange conservation and energy

security. The transaction is also expected to strengthen Nigeria’s capital market by expanding investment opportunities, deepening market liquidity and encouraging greater investor participation. Stakeholders expressed optimism that the offering could serve as a model for future large-scale listings, and further advance the development of African capital markets.

theme, “Organising Intergenerational Warriors Against State-Sponsored Violence and Political Repression— Here and Abroad”, he stressed the need for collective action across generations, borders and institutions, to protect fundamental human rights and strengthen the rule of law. He said Africa and Black communities in America shared an enduring bond rooted in history, ancestry, struggles and a common aspiration for freedom, dignity and justice. The AfBA President acknowledged the contributions of Black Americans to the development of the United States in law, science, education, business, politics and culture, but expressed concern over persistent racial prejudice, discriminatory profiling and unequal treatment.

He further argued that no society could achieve genuine prosperity where justice was unequal, and people's treatment by State institutions was influenced by their skin colour. Mark reaffirmed the African Bar Association's commitment to supporting the NCBL's pursuit of equal treatment, accountability in public institutions, access to justice and the protection of fundamental human rights, while urging participants to renew their commitment to courageous advocacy and intergenerational solidarity, stressing that the struggle for justice transcended national boundaries. He expressed hope for a future in which equality, justice and human dignity would be guaranteed for Black communities in America, and people across the world.

Court Acquits Lionstone MD, Others in $4.66m Theft Case The Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has discharged and acquitted the Managing Director of Lionstone Offshore Services, Amaechi Ndili, and three other Defendants over an alleged theft of $4.66 million belonging to Hercules Offshore Nigeria Limited. Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe delivered the judgement on September 16, 2026, after upholding the Defendants’ no-case submission in a fourcount charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and

dishonest conversion. Other Defendants were Njide Chizoba Ndili, Lionstone Offshore Services Limited and Lionstone Company Limited. The prosecution had alleged that the Defendants conspired to steal or dishonestly convert $4,666,234.28 between July 2012 and September 2013. The money was reportedly connected to payments received from Addax Petroleum, for Hercules Offshore Nigeria Limited. The Defendants had pleaded

not guilty to the charges. In her judgement, the Judge reportedly noted that Hercules Offshore had obtained an arbitration award in London, and an order from the Federal High Court in 2017 to enforce the award. The circumstances surrounding the dispute raised questions about the use of criminal proceedings, to pursue what the court viewed as a debt-recovery matter. Justice Abike-Fadipe stressed that the Police were not debt-recovery

agents, and described the prosecution as an abuse of court process. The judgement brings the criminal case against the Defendants to an end, at the trial court. It also highlights the distinction between criminal prosecution and the enforcement of financial claims through civil proceedings. The acquittal followed the court’s decision that, the prosecution had not established a case requiring the Defendants to enter a defence.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, GCON commissioning the new NICN Headquarters

NICN: Beginning of New Legal Year in Its Ultramodern Headquarters Last Wednesday, October 7, 2026, in one of the most momentous events in the history of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), the President of the NICN, Hon. Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip, OFR, PhD, FNIALS, played host to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, GCON; President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, CFR; former Chief Justices of Nigeria, Nigeria, Judges and distinguished legal practitioners, as the new NICN Ultramodern Court Complex at its Headquarters in Abuja, FCT was cmmissioned. The two-day event marked the beginning of the NICN’s 2026/2027 Legal Year, the commissioning of the new Headquarters, and the Bar and Bench Forum. Onikepo Braithwaite, Jude Igbanoi and Alex Enumah report on the various activities New Legal Year

he programme commenced with the New Legal Year Ceremonies, presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, GCON, with President of the NICN, Hon. Justice Benedict Kanyip, playing host. The triple event was planned to herald the 2026/2027 Legal Year of the Court. Excerpts of the President of NICN’s Welcome Address In his welcome address, Justice Kanyip highlighted the challenges and humble achievements of the court since its inception in 1976, culminating in its re-establishment as a superior court

of record in 2006. Justice Kanyip said “In September 2019, shortly before I took over the reins of leadership of the Court, my predecessor, Hon. Justice B. A. Adejumo, OFR, presently the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), oversaw the commissioning, by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, of the Annex Building of the Headquarters, from where we are moving to the main building. “Today’s event started 16 years ago, when on March 10, 2010, the project site for the Headquarters was handed over to the contractor, and on May 17, 2010 excavation work commenced. When the directive was given that all Government

And so, today, we not only commission a physical structure made of concrete, steel and glass, but we celebrate an institution, a vision, the growth of a specialised Court whose mandate has become increasingly important to the peace, stability and economic development of our dear country

agencies must move to Abuja, the land we presently stand on was where the Court of Appeal moved from, and we were graciously given the building on this land that it left behind. In the wisdom of my predecessor, it was better to have a new building, given that the building left behind suffered from structural problems. And, so the journey to today started. And, here, I must thanks to my predecessor. “What we have achieved today is not just an amazing feat, but a milestone in the annals of the Nigerian Judiciary. It is, therefore, with profound gratitude to God Almighty, a deep sense of honour and privilege, and immense joy, that I stand today to welcome you to this historic occasion of the commissioning of the new Headquarters of the NICN by no less than His Lordship Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, GCON, the Honorable Chief Justice of Nigeria. “Given thus our very humble background, institutionally, we have come of age in the ramifications expected of a court of law, equity and justice. Today represents for us progress, growth, resilience

and the collective determination to build a stronger, more efficient and more responsive justice system for our nation. “On behalf of the Honourable Judges, Management and entire staff of the Court, I warmly welcome you, our distinguished guests, to this historic occasion. “And so, today, we not only commission a physical structure made of concrete, steel and glass, but we celebrate an institution, a vision, the growth of a specialised Court whose mandate has become increasingly important to the peace, stability and economic development of our dear country. “Labour is not just a critical factor of production, it is central to economic development. The establishment of specialised labour disputes prevention and resolution institutions is enjoined on Member States by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), given that access to labour justice is a core labour right and part of the decent work agenda promoted by the ILO. The NICN as a specialised Court meets this ILO expectation.” The NICN Headquarters with its annex, now boasts of 10 court rooms and an equal number of Chamber for its Judged.

VII

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NICN: Beginning of New Legal Year in Its Ultramodern Headquarters

Judges of the NICN cont'd from page VI

Justice Kanyip gave special recognition to Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, under whose tenure as AGF the court was allocated the land its presently occupies. Hon. Justice Benedict Kanyip stated that: “I am pleased to report that through the dedication of our Judges, we achieved a significant increase in case disposal rates compared to previous years. Over the past twelve months, a total of 2,236 cases were disposed of across our Judicial Divisions, significantly cutting down our historic backlog”. He said the court remains committed to accessibility, professionalism and the use of innovation and technology where necessary. “In the outgone legal year, our Court was inundated with quite a number of cases. Despite the pressure occasioned by this, my colleagues, in their characteristic manner, demonstrated unwavering commitment to duty and concluded significant numbers of these cases. Hon. Justice Kanyip, however, disclosed that following the commissioning of its Headquarters that has brought all Abuja Judges under one roof, attention would be shifted to the welfare of the Judges and staff of the Court. "Of course, here, we pray for improved budgetary allocations to enable us accomplish this", he added. Excerpts of the CJN’s Address In commissioning the complex, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), said that Infrastructure is an essential component of justice delivery. According to the CJN, Judges require appropriate courtrooms, chambers,

registries, libraries, information technology and other facilities, to perform their constitutional functions effectively. “Adequate infrastructure supports judicial independence, because it enables courts to operate with the institutional dignity and practical capacity required of them. “The true measure of this edifice, will ultimately be found in what takes place within its walls. The quality of judicial reasoning, the fairness of proceedings, the efficiency with which matters are handled, the courtesy extended to litigants and Counsel, and the confidence which the public is able to place in the administration of justice. “I therefore urge the Judges and staff of this Court, to make this building worthy of the justice that will be administered within its walls. “I also urge that the facilities be used responsibly, and maintained with care. The completion of this building is not the end of the responsibility; its proper maintenance and preservation must remain a shared institutional duty, so that this edifice continues to serve the Court effectively for generations to come. “Let its imposing physical presence be matched by integrity, independence, competence, discipline and fidelity to the law. “As we commission this Headquarters today, I am confident that it will provide an enabling environment for the court to discharge its specialised mandate, and contribute meaningfully to the development of Nigerian labour and industrial

As we commission this Headquarters today, I am confident that it will provide an enabling environment for the court to discharge its specialised mandate, and contribute meaningfully to the development of Nigerian labour and industrial jurisprudence

jurisprudence.” The CJN warned Judges to adhere to the high standards required of judicial officers, both on the Bench and outside, stressing that their conduct is being closely monitored by the public. She stressed the need for Judges to shun some engagements that may seem to suggest any alignment with political groups. Hon. Justice Kekere-Ekun emphasised that Judges must ensure that their decisions remain firmly anchored in the Constitution, applicable legislation, binding precedent and established principles of judicial reasoning, as the country approaches another electoral season. The CJN stated that there is a need for restraint in public commentary by legal practitioners, who are indispensable partners in the administration of justice. She added that: “The right to criticise a judgement or judicial process, does not extend to personal attacks on Judges, deliberate misrepresentation of proceedings, or attempts to bring pressure to bear on the court through public opinion. “Where there are genuine concerns about judicial conduct, the appropriate institutional channels remain available and should be used.” “Some of Your Lordships may, in accordance with the applicable constitutional and legal framework, be called upon to serve as members of Election Petition Tribunals. In that capacity, Your Lordships will be called upon to decide politically sensitive disputes, which attract considerable public attention. “The nature of such assignments therefore, demands an even greater degree of impartiality, restraint and detachment. Whether sitting in this Court or performing a Tribunal assignment, you must remain conscious that your conduct will be closely scrutinised. You must ensure that nothing in his or her associations, public engagements or other conduct, creates a reasonable perception of political alignment or predisposition.” According to the CJN, politically sensitive litigation requires particularly careful professional judgement,

adding that Lawyers must resist the temptation to pursue proceedings in different courts or divisions, in the hope of obtaining a more favourable outcomes. “Forum shopping and parallel proceedings capable of producing conflicting orders do considerable damage to public confidence, and can expose the Judiciary to avoidable embarrassment. The AGF’s Goodwill Message In a goodwill, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, commended the court's electronic filing and service system, which he said places it among Nigeria's leading institutions in the use of technology for justice administration. Prince Fagbemi, who was represented by the Director of Civil Appeal, Tijani Gazali, SAN, observed that the value of the new building would be measured by “the quality, efficiency and fairness of the justice administered within it”. Bar and Bench Forum The event ended on Thursday with the Bar and Bench Forum, which was co-hosted with the Employment and Labour Lawyers Association of Nigeria. the theme was ‘Beyond the Courtroom: Rethinking Bar and Bench Engagement in Employment and Industrial Relations’. Judges and Lawyers had a rare opportunity to interact exchange ideas, discuss challenges and deliberate on possible solutions to the complex issues in labour law litigation. The major issues that occupied the attention of participants were those of Checkoff Dues by Union members, who should unionise and the modalities. Justice Kanyip emphasised that trial on record proceedings is one that must be taken seriously by Judges and Lawyers, as would ensure a more speedy dispensation of labour justice. A participant in the Forum suggested that, Labour Law should be introduced and inculcated in universities curriculum compulsorily. Other Lawyers advised and admonished Lawyers to endeavour to study the Rules of NICN closely, as they approach the court.

VIII

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COVER

CJN Kekere-Ekun (left), Hon. Justice Benedict Kanyip (back) and Chief Registrar of NICN, Olurotimi Daudu (front)

Their Lordships, Judges of the NICN

Former NICN President & Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Babatunde Adejumo (Rtd), OFR (left) and President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, CFR

Their Lordships, Judges of the NICN

CJN Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, GCON (left) and former CJN Mahmud Mohammed, GCON

L-R: Hon. Justice Dongban-Mensem; former CJN Walter Onnoghen, GCON; CJN Mahmud Mohammed (Rtd), GCON

Asiwaju Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN (left) and Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN Their Lordships, Judges of the NICN

Chief Chris Uche, SAN (left); Asiwaju Awomolo, SAN

Emeka Obegolu, SAN

IX COVER

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026

L-R: Solo Akuma, SAN; Dr Alex Iziyon, SAN; Representative of the AGF, Tijani Gazali, SAN

L-R: Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem; CJN Mahmud Mohammed (Rtd); CJN Kekere-Ekun; CJN Walter Onoghen (Rtd); Hon. Justice Benedict Kanyip and Others

L-R: Chief (Mrs) Victoria Awomolo, SAN; Nnanmonso Ekanem, SAN; Mahmud Magaji, SAN

CJN Kudirat Kekere-Ekun cutting the tape of the new NICN Complex with CJN Mohammed (Rtd) & CJN Onnoghen (Rtd) , President of the Court of Appeal and Others looking on

L-R: Building QS, Mr Sunday Makinde; CJN Kekere-Ekun and NICN President, Hon. Justice Benedict Kanyip Usman Sule, SAN (left) and Mrs Funmi Quadri, SAN

L-R: President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero; Minister of Labour, Mohammed Maigari Dinyyadi; Hon. Justice KanyipDinyyadi; Hon. Justice Kanyip

Hon. Justice Benedict Kanyip

L-R: Comrade Joe Ajaero; Director General, Nigerian Employers Association (NECA) Smart Oyerinfe and TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo

TUC member, Comrade O. Ugiagbe (left) and Sokoto State High Court Judge, Hon. Justice Shehu

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 ˾ T H I S D AY

INSIGHT ABUBAKAR D. SANI

XL4sure@yahoo.com

08034533892

Introduction t appears that the full import of the decision of the Federal High Court on 28th September, 2026 which reprieved Senior Advocate, JoeKyari Gadzama of the 3-year suspension slammed on him by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) is yet to be grasped by the rank and file of the Bar (and, perhaps, the Bench). That verdict - and the speed with which it arrived - is virtually unprecedented in-class (if not beyond): just a day short of two calendar months, from start to finish. The merits of the Direction itself (as decisions of the LPDC are euphemistically called) have been glossed over in most commentaries, with analysts focusing almost entirely on anything but the constitutionality of Justice Egwuatu’s decision. I intend to buck that trend. My interest and concern is - for want of better words - whether the age-old aphorism of the end justifying the means, has played out - yet again, in this case. Am I correct? We shall see.

Background Aggrieved by the said Direction of the LPDC, Chief Gadzama, SAN sought to appeal to the Appeal Committee of the Body of Benchers, which, unfortunately, was not possible, because that body had ceased to exist through legislative amendment (military fiat, vide Decree 21 of 1994). His only other option (the Supreme Court) was also foreclosed by virtue of the court’s decision BEN MENE-EJEGI v NBA & LPDC (SC/481/2018). Was that the end of the road for him? Certainly not, as the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2019 came in handy with its provisions for judicial review. This was how his complaint landed on Justice Egwuatu’s lap (sorry - docket), who rightly applied the maxim, ubi jus ibi remedium (where there is a right, there is a remedy) to reprieve him, as aforesaid. Was Justice Egwuatu Correct? Absolutely. There is no doubt that it is manifestly unjust to deny an aggrieved person (litigant or not) of an appeal mechanism or a means for challenging a decision, action or omission which affects his civil rights and/or obligations. It is only fair and in the interest of justice. Beyond that, it is also tacitly recognised in Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution (subsection (2) of which Justice Egwuatu invoked to justify his decision - incorrectly, in my view. More on this, shortly). Article 7(1) of the Charter on Human and Peoples Rights also confers that right. Both provisions are reproduced (the latter, only partly), as follows, respectively; - Section 36(1) of the Constitution: “In the determination of his civil rights and obligations, including any question or determination by or against any government or authority, a person shall be entitled to a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court or other tribunal established by law and constituted in such a manner as to secure its independence and impartiality”. - Article 7(1): “Every individual shall have the right to have his case heard. This comprisesa) the right to an appeal to competent national organs against acts of violating his fundamental rights as recognised and guaranteed by conventions, laws, regulations and customs in force.” As previously stated, Justice Egwuatu justified his decision (at least, partly) on the basis of Section 36(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution - completely leaving out Paragraph (a) thereof. Needless to say, it is settled that the Constitution should be interpreted as whole - in the sense that, related

Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN

Gadzama v LPDC: Was Justice Served or Halved? provisions should be construed together: SKYE BANK v IWU (2017) 16 NWLR pt. 1590 pg. 24 @ 87, SC. Accordingly, we shall set out the whole of Section 36(2) of the Constitution as follows: “Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this Section, a law shall not be invalidated by reason only that it confers on any government or authority power to determine questions arising in the administration of a law that affects or may affect the civil rights and obligations of any person if sucha) provides for an opportunity for the persons whose rights and obligations may be affected to make representations to the administering authority before that authority makes the decision affecting that person; and b) contains no provision making the determination of the administering authority final and conclusive.” In applying only the provisions of Paragraph (b) of Section 36(2) above, as aforesaid, Justice Egwuatu opined as follows: “The above provision is a constitutional protection against the Direction of an Administering Authority being final and conclusive. In other words, a Direction or decision of an Administering Authority cannot be final, but admits of an appeal to a higher body. In the circumstances where the Direction of the 2nd Respondent becomes final, it is against or contrary to the provisions of Section 36(2)(b) of the Constitution”. I believe that the very last sentence of My Lord’s opinion quoted above is problematic, for the reasons that I will presently explain. To start with, it was completely taken out of context, in that, it was construed without

This was how his complaint landed on Justice Egwuatu’s lap (sorry - docket), who rightly applied the maxim, ubi jus ibi remedium (where there is a right, there is a remedy) to reprieve him,….There is no doubt that the decision of Justice Egwuatu in Chief Gadzama’s case, is the right one. It is correct. It is only the reliance which the court placed on Section 36(2) of the Constitution that is problematic, in my view

any reference to its preceding paragraph and the conjunction ‘and’ which connects them. According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, ‘and’ is a function word which, amongst other things, indicates connection or addition, especially of items within the same class or type. I believe it is in this sense that the word ‘and’ between Paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 36(2) of the Constitution is used. In other words, both paragraphs should be construed alternatively, and not otherwise. It was certainly in this sense that the Supreme Court construed identical provisions in Section 33(2)(a) & (b) of the 1979 Constitution in BAKARE v LAGOS STATE CVIL SERVICE COMMISSION (1992) 3 NSCC 218 at 247-8. In the words of KARIBI-WHYTE, JSC, in that case: “Subsection (2) deals with the question of the validity of such enabling laws. Under this subsection, which is without prejudice to the provisions of Subsection (1) of the Section, any law that affects or may affect the civil rights and obligations of any person is valid if (a) it provides an opportunity for the person affected to make representation to the person taking the decision before the decision is taken . . . ; or (b) the decision made without hearing is not final and conclusive. The conditions are independent of each other and are in the alternative . . . Hence, a law which makes provision as in subsection (2) shall not be invalidated because of subsection (1). Such law is therefore not invalid”. It is trite law that the interpretation placed by a court on a statutory or constitutional provision, is applicable to identical provisions in another statute or Constitution: NWOBODO v ONOH (1984) 1 S.C. 34-35 and OKAFOR v ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF ANABRA STATE (2000) 11 NWLR pt. 679 pg. 478 @ 504 C.A. What is glaring from the above decision of the Supreme Court in BAKARE’s CASE, is the centrality of ‘laws’ therein. In other words, the focus is on the provisions of a law or laws which might infringe a person’s right to fair hearing. Thus, the Apex Court categorically held that such a law will only be invalidated if, in addition to denying a person the right to be heard prior to making a decision which affects him or her, also provides that such a decision is final and conclusive. These two conditions must co-exist, before such a law can be struck down as invalid. If only one of them exists, the law is saved. Crucially, no such law was involved,

invoked or considered in Chief Gadzama’s case. In fact, the only related provision which came up for consideration was Section (12)(7) of the old Legal Practitioners Act which - apart from the fact that it is no longer extant (it was deleted from the current Legal Practitioners Act), was struck down by the Supreme Court in BEN MENE-EJEGI’S Case as aforesaid. The irresistible conclusion, therefore, is that not only was Justice Egwuatu’s interpretation of Section 36(2)(b) of the Constitution not borne out by the facts before him, more importantly, it was clearly rendered in per incuriam of the decision of the Apex Court in BAKARE’S CASE as aforesaid. A decision is said to be made per incuriam, when it overlooks or fails to take into account a binding relevant decision or statute: ADISA v OYINWOLA (2000) 10 NWLR pt. 674 pg. 116 @ 182B, S.C. BAKARE’S CASE, which construed identical provisions to Section 36(2)(a) & (b) of the 1999 Constitution (that is, Section 33(2)(a) & (b) of the 1979 Constitution), was clear that - contrary to the decision of Hon. Justice Egwuatu - both paragraphs of the subsection should be construed independently of each other and in the alternative. This means that, even if a law does not confer a right of hearing on a person, so long as that law does not also provide that any decision made without a hearing is final and conclusive, the person cannot complain. That was clearly not the case of the Learned Silk. Indeed, as the learned trial Judge found, Chief Gadzama had ample opportunity to present his case before the LPDC, he did and participated fully in its proceedings, culminating in its unfortunate decision or Direction. Happily, this has now been overturned (or in any case, suspended). Conclusion The decision lends credence to the legal position that once the outcome of a judicial proceedings is correct, it will not be set aside on appeal, even if it proceeds from a flawed reasoning: AYENI v SOWEMIMO (1982) NSCC 104; ONAJOBI v OLANIPEKUN (1985) 4 sc pt. 2 pg. 156 @ 163 & ODUKWE v OGUNBIYI (1998) 8 NWLR pt. 561 pg. 339 @ 351. There is no doubt that the decision of Justice Egwuatu in Chief Gadzama’s case, is the right one. It is correct. It is only the reliance which the court placed on Section 36(2) of the Constitution that is problematic, in my view. That rationalisation was - with the greatest respect - unnecessary and unwarranted. The maxim: ubi jus ibi remedium which His Lordship applied, sufficed for his ultimate decision - which was to reprieve the Learned Silk.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, T H I S D AY

XII

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Yumkalla: Energy Policy Must Be Part of Effective Industrial Policy Dike Onwuamaeze A former Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkalla, has called on the federal government to produce a clear energy policy that would make the implementation of the Nigeria Industrial Policy more effective. Yumkalla made this call when he delivered “The 6th Adeola Odutola Lecture,” at the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) 54th Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was titled “Leveraging National Industrial Policy to Position Nigeria as Africa’s Industrial Hub policy must be part of an effective industrial policy. He said: “Energy policy is industrial strategy. If we do not fix that, industry will die because no

industrial strategy can succeed without reliable electricity.” “You know the story. It (energy) is killing your industry. Manufacturers spent an estimated N1.3 trillion on self-generated power in 2025, up from N781 billion in 2023, with energy now accounting for as much as 35 to 40 percent of production costs. Here, some people even say 60 per cent of their operating costs. “Whereas energy makes up roughly between 5.0 and 15 per cent manufacturing costs in countries such as India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Turkey, Mexico and South Africa.” He said that industrial policy should not be seen as a piece of paper but a document that truly drive productive capacity, investment, technology, competitiveness, pushes value addition and creates jobs.

He said: “It is about practical and deliberate implementation of industrial policy. It is government deciding that yes, we will drive certain sectors. That is how the Asians have done it because the risks are many.” Yumkalla said that Nigeria has all the essential foundations needed to become Africa’s industrial powerhouse but emphasised that Nigeria’s industrial challenge is the need to convert scale into productivity, competitiveness, and exports. He said: “Ladies and gentlemen, for years, one of Nigeria’s biggest economic paradox has been that the country has a large market and abundant resources, yet imports dominate everyday consumption. I am aware of the government’s effort to change this narrative through the NIP.”

L–R: Team Member, Trust Services/Legal Department, STL Trustees Limited, Simisola Ojukotola; Head of Business Development, STL Asset Management Limited, Samuel Willie; Former Managing Director/ Chief Executive Oﬃcer, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan; Investment Banking Senior Analyst, STL Capital and Advisory Limited, Bolatito Olujobi and Risk Management, STL Capital Group Limited, Abayomi Fashina at the BAFI Awards held in Lagos…recently

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

Month

Money Supply (M3)

119,037,577.07

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

9,291.49

Money Supply (M2)

119,028,285.58

Quasi Money

79,681,419.97

-- Narrow Money (M1)

39,346,865.60

FCMB Calls for Sustainable Financing and Partnerships in Eye Care

---- Currency Outside Banks

4,646,794.28

---- Demand Deposits

34,700,071.33

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has called for sustainable financing and public-private partnerships to reduce avoidable blindness and expand access to eye care in Nigeria. The Bank made the call at a roundtable in Abuja organised in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, through the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Functions Health Programme, and the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation (TCF). The theme was “Gift of Sight: Mobilising Partnerships and Sustainable Funding Towards Transforming Eye Care in Nigeria.” “Eye health deserves a place among our national

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

34,804,442.84

development priorities and should be viewed as an investment in human capital,” FCMB’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Yemisi Edun, said in a speech delivered on her behalf by the Divisional Head, Corporate Affairs, Diran Olojo. “Timely care helps people learn, earn, and participate more fully in their communities. People living with permanent vision loss must also have access to rehabilitation, support, and opportunities to participate fully in society,” she added. The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, commended the partnership and advocated financing mechanisms, including

blended finance, social impact bonds and corporate co-funding, to expand access to eye care. “The federal government well appreciates your commitment and contributions,” Salako said. The National Coordinator of the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Functions Health Programme, Oteri Okolo, said vision impairment deepens inequality and described restoring sight as a cost-effective development intervention. TCF Chief Executive Officer Shravan Kasam highlighted the value of combining technical expertise, private-sector resources and communitylevel delivery to tackle avoidable blindness.

Greenwich Bank Targets SMEs, Others, Opens Ondo, Ekiti Branches Kayode Tokede

Greenwich Bank Limited has expanded its commercial banking footprint into Ondo and Ekiti States with the commissioning of branches in Akure and Ado-Ekiti, as the financial institution advances its strategy to bring a broader range of banking services closer to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), entrepreneurs, traders, farmers and other businesses across the SouthWest. In a statement, the Bank’s Head of Corporate Communications, Ozena Utulu, said the expansion underscored Greenwich Bank’s commitment to improving access to financial services, supporting business

growth and contributing to economic development across the r egion. Group Chairman of Greenwich Holdings Limited, Kayode Falowo, described the opening of the Akure branch as the result of a deliberate, patient transformation journey that has helped Greenwich build a strong reputation in investment and merchant banking. According to Falowo, Greenwich’s new commercial banking status provides the platform to take its expertise in investment and merchant banking beyond large institutions and serve the everyday businesses and individuals that drive economic activities. “With the commercial banking licence granted

by the Central Bank of Nigeria, Greenwich Bank will extend its expertise into communities across the country, serving not only as an adviser to major institutions but also as a trusted partner to the farmers, traders, entrepreneurs and families who form the foundation of our economy,” he said. The Group Chairman added: We will support farmers and cooperatives, back processors and exporters who add value locally, and equip Akure’s traders and entrepreneurs with the banking tools of a modern economy. in doing so, we hope to help keep more of the value of Ondo’s produce here at home, in the hands of the people who create it,” he said.

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

84,233,134.23

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

99,199,655.08

---- Credit to Government (Net)

24,787,980.96

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

74,411,674.12

--Other Assets Net

2,603,854.03

Reserve Money (Base Money)

36,641,142.21

--Currency in Circulation

5,057,881.01

--Banks Reserves

31,583,261.21

--Special Intervention Reserves

284,361.95

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

October 2025

Inter-Bank Call Rate

October 2025

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

27.00

Treasury Bill Rate

15.07

Savings Deposit Rate

7.43

1 Month Deposit Rate

11.37

3 Months Deposit Rate

11.32

6 Months Deposit Rate

11.12

12 Months Deposit Rate

11.78

Prime Lending rate

18.89

Maximum Lending Rate

29.56

NSE MARKET INDEX CAP

0.75%(52%YoY)

Index

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

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT 24TH NOVEMBER , 2025

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

XIII

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

OPay Secures Board, Shareholders’ Approval to List on Nigerian Stock Exchange Dike Onwuamaeze

In line with Nigerian Exchange Group Plc’s (NGX Group) advocacy for leading Nigerian businesses to list domestically, OPay has secured board and shareholders approval to pursue a secondary listing on Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

This followed the completion of its planned primary listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A statement titled, “NGX Group’s Push for Local Tech Listings Gains Attention Amid OPay IPO Plans,” which was issued by the NGX said that the decision was disclosed in OPay’s Form F-1 registration statement filed with the

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on October 9, 2026.” The development comes barely two months after the board and management of NGX Group, led by its Chairman, Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, and Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer NGX, Temi Popoola, met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, where

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

they advocated a deliberate national strategy to encourage leading Nigerian businesses, particularly technology companies, to list domestically or pursue dual listings. During the August 6 engagement, Popoola specifically identified OPay among the major fintech companies whose participation in the domestic capital market

T R A D E D

VALUE TRADED ( N )

MAIN BOARD

A S

O F

could broaden investment opportunities for Nigerians. His proposition was anchored on a broader ambition: ensuring that companies generating significant economic value from Nigeria also provide opportunities for domestic investors to participate in their growth and long-term wealth creation.” Popoola has consistently advocated moving Nigerians

O CTO B E R DEALS

beyond their roles as consumers, employees and users of services to become shareholders in the businesses driving economic growth. The state said, “For a company such as OPay, whose growth is supported by a substantial Nigerian customer base, a domestic listing could provide an opportunity for its users to participate in its ownership and share in the value it creates.”

1 2 / 2 6

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OPR OVERNIGHT

A S

A T

REPO 25.34% 25.18%

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

08056356325

O C T O B E R

S & P INDEX

1 2 ,

S & P INDEX

CALL 1-MONTH

23.25% 21.37%

INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY

595.26 0.10%

3-MONTH

22.41%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.24%

2 0 2 6 EXCHANGE RATE

1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

0.24% -10.99%

N1,364/ 1 US DOLLAR* *AS AT MONDAY, OCT. 12, 2026

Only 22.8% Metering Achieved as Deadline Looms for $500m W’Bank Scheme

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Nigeria has installed just 731,034 electricity meters under the World Bank-backed $500 million Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), representing 22.8 per cent of its 3.2 million-meter target, as the initiative faces mounting pressure to meet its performance milestones before the end of 2027. The latest implementation status and results report of

the World Bank, seen by THISDAY, showed that meter installations increased from 379,380 in March 2026 to 731,034 by September, leaving approximately 2.47 million devices to be installed within about 15 months to meet the December 2027 target. DISREP is a $500 million World Bank-funded initiative designed to turn around Nigeria’s power sector by improving the financial and operational performance

of Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos). It focuses on reducing massive technical and commercial losses, upgrading grid infrastructure, and restoring market stability through extensive smart metering, localised data management, and strict energy accounting. The programme, backed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan, was approved by the World

Bank on February 4, 2021, and became effective on February 2, 2023. Although initially scheduled to close on June 30, 2026, its closing date was subsequently revised to May 30, 2028, while December 2027 remains the target date for several critical performance indicators. The report showed that only $94.44 million of the total financing had been disbursed, representing 18.89 per cent of the loan, while over $396.03 million

remained undisbursed. THISDAY learnt that local meter manufacturers had gone to court to challenge parts of the initiative, a case that was recently resolved by the federal government. But beyond metering, the programme has also recorded significant shortfalls in new electricity connections, distribution network rehabilitation, customer mapping and the deployment of management information systems.

Under the electricity access component, 804,137 people had gained direct access to electricity through new connections as of September 2026, against a target of 3.936 million by December 2027. This represented approximately 20.4 per cent of the target, leaving more than 3.1 million additional connections to be delivered within the remaining implementation period. The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

Producers: 8 FPSOs Needed to Achieve Nigeria’s 3m Bpd Target by 2030 Peter Uzoho Nigeria will need to develop eight new Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSOs) between now and 2030 to achieve the national aspiration of 3 million barrels per day target, the Executive Director of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), Mr. Gwueke Ajaifia, has said. Ajaifia stated this in Port Harcourt, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Tenaris in Nigeria and the completion

of coating works for the Bonga North deepwater project. “There are going to be other projects. You know very well that the President has set the target of 3 million barrels per day in 2030. What does that mean? That means 8 FPSOs will be developed between now and 2030 in order for us to reach 3 million barrels per day”, he said. Nigeria’s crude oil production hovers between 1.6 million and 1.7 million bpd including condensates. He said that means

production must almost double to meet the target, and that will require a massive wave of deepwater Final Investment Decisions (FIDs). He noted that whether the industry can deliver eight FPSOs within the window remains a subject for conversation, but that the potential exists and the future is bright for service companies. He said recent incentives for deepwater projects by the Special Adviser on Oil

FOOD NAME OF COMMODITY

SIZE

STATE

RICE

50KG

ABUJA

50KG

LAGOS

50KG

PLATEAU

50KG

OYO

50KG

RIVERS

50KG

SOKOTO

PRICE

₦53,000 – ₦60,000 ₦55,000 – ₦65,000

₦55,000– ₦68,000 ₦55,000– ₦65,000 ₦70,000– ₦82,000 ₦55,000– ₦70,000

and Gas to the President and the President himself have improved the investment outlook and expressed hope that more FIDs would be announced before the end of the year and in 2027. He described Bonga North as a significant statement of confidence in Nigeria’s deepwater future and said it shows that with the right policy environment and dependable partners, investment will come. Bonga North promoted by Shell Nigeria Exploration

COMMODITIES NAME OF COMMODITY

SORGHUM

SIZE

PRICE

STATE

100KG JIGAWA 100KG

BENUE

100KG

KADUNA

50KG

ENUGU

50KG

LAGOS

100KG

DELTA

100KG

ABIA

and Production Company (SNEPCO) and its partners is currently under development and is expected to contribute another 110,000 bpd to the country’s production when producing at peak. Gwueke congratulated SNEPCO and its coventurers and all engineers, technicians and workers on the $5 billion project. He noted that during his time as asset manager for TotalEnergies, the industry worked for years for the

Bonga North FID but was frustrated, and he is happy it is happening while he is still in the industry. He said 25 years in the Nigerian oil and gas industry is remarkable and a testament to resilience, given price shocks, security challenges, regulatory transitions and global shifts in energy thinking, and that Tenaris staying invested and growing reflects clear belief in the country. The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

T O D AY

PRICE

₦65,000– ₦85,000 ₦70,000– ₦90,000 ₦65,000– ₦85,000 ₦40,000– ₦50,000 ₦42,000– ₦55,000 ₦75,000– ₦95,000 ₦75,000– ₦95,000

NAME OF COMMODITY

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

BEANS

50KG BAG

IBADAN, OYO

50KG

LAGOS

₦65,000– ₦80,000 ₦65,000– ₦80,000

50KG

ABUJA

50KG

ENUGU

₦60,000– ₦75,000 ₦65,000– ₦85,000

50KG

DELTA

₦70,000– ₦85,000

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS FOOD

NAME OF COMMODITY

PALM OIL

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

₦42,000 – 25CL LAGOS ₦50,000

NAME OF COMMODITY

GROUNDNUT

COMMODITIES SIZE

STATE

PRICE

100KG KANO N75,000–₦95,000

25CL

₦40,000 – ₦50,000

100KG BENUE ₦80,000–₦105,000

25CL

OYO

₦45,000 – ₦55,000

100KG LAGOS ₦100,000–₦125,000

25CL

IMO

₦40,000 – ₦50,000

100KG DELTA ₦105,000–₦130,000

25CL

EDO

₦40,000 – ₦50,000

100KG

25CL ABUJA

₦48,000 – ₦60,000

100KG ENUGU ₦90,000–₦115,000

ABIA

₦95,000–₦120,000

PRICE

T O D AY

NAME OF COMMODITY

SIZE

ONIONS

₦75,000– 100KG IBADAN ₦100,000 100KG KANO ₦55,000– ₦80,000 ₦80,000– 100KG BENUE ₦110,000 ₦80,000– 100KG PLATEAU ₦110,000 100KG DELTA ₦95,000– ₦125,000 ₦90,000– 100KG LAGOS ₦120,000 ₦90,000– 100KG ENUGU ₦120,000

STATE

PRICE

NAME OF COMMODITY

SIZE

LOCATION

PRICE

MAIZE

50KG

OYO

₦80,000– ₦105,000

50KG ENUGU

₦90,000 – ₦115,000

50KG

ABIA

₦90,000– ₦115,000

50KG LAGOS

₦95,000 – ₦115,000

50KG

KANO

₦70,000– ₦95,000

100KG BENUE

₦65,000– ₦90,000

FG Recommits to EITI, Vows Tighter Oil Revenues Oversight Stories by Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), pledging to deepen public disclosure, revenue reconciliation, independent audits and institutional accountability across Nigeria’s extractive sector. The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, gave the

assurance in Brussels, Belgium, while delivering Nigeria’s commitment statement on behalf of President Bola Tinubu at the EITI Leadership Forum of the 2026 EITI Global Conference, a statement by his spokesman, Louis Ibah, said. Speaking on the theme: “Transparency for Shared Prosperity,” Ekpo said the government’s ongoing reforms were aimed at making petroleum revenues easier to trace, plugging leakages and giving citizens greater visibility

TCN CEO Re-elected WAPP Executive Board Chair The Chairman of the Executive Board of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), Sule Abdulaziz, has been unanimously re-elected for another three-year tenure, with a call on member utilities to strengthen financial commitments and institutional frameworks. Abdulaziz was returned at the 68th meeting of the WAPP Executive Board held in Lomé, Togo, according to a statement by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). The WAPP and TCN chief thanked board members for their confidence and pledged to continue working with them to advance regional electricity integration. Abdulaziz said decisions

taken at board meetings must strengthen WAPP’s capacity to address the region’s energy needs, stressing that member utilities had a collective responsibility to build a viable regional electricity market. He recalled that the 67th meeting approved principles for establishing an Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO), while retaining the WAPP Information and Coordination Centre (ICC) to ensure operational continuity during the transition. He said implementing the decisions required sound legal, institutional and financial frameworks that would protect the interests of WAPP and its members.

NEDL Cuts Niger Feeders over Unpaid Electricity Bills Niger Electricity Distribution Limited (NEDL) has disconnected the 33kV Gwada and Erena electricity feeders in Niger State over persistent non-payment of electricity bills by customers, despite repeated engagements and payment recovery efforts. The company announced the disconnection of the feeders connected to the 132kV Shiroro Transmission Station, with immediate effect, citing mounting outstanding bills that have made continued electricity supply commercially unsustainable. In a public notice, NEDL, a subsidiary of the Abuja Electricity Distribution

Company (AEDC), said it issued disconnection notices to affected customers in July 2026, giving them an opportunity to settle their debts and regularise their accounts. The distribution company said some consumers in the affected communities believed their status as host communities to the Shiroro Hydroelectric Power Station exempted them from paying electricity bills. However, NEDL clarified that living close to a power generation facility or within a host community did not automatically exempt consumers from paying for electricity supplied to them.

into how proceeds from the country’s natural resources are collected and deployed. He announced that Nigeria would, by the end of 2027, publish a progress update detailing the reforms implemented under the commitment and the

measurable improvements recorded. Ekpo said Nigeria’s commitment to transparency had moved beyond policy declarations and was increasingly embedded in the country’s legislation, institutions and regulatory

processes. He recalled that Nigeria joined the EITI in 2003 and domesticated the initiative a year later, while the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Act of 2007 subsequently established a statutory framework for its

implementation. The minister also pointed to provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 requiring public registers of petroleum licences and leases, as well as the disclosure of beneficial ownership information.

FG Moves to Stem Vandalism in Power Sector, Inaugurates C’ttee The federal government has moved to strengthen security around electricity infrastructure, with the setting up of a ministerial committee to coordinate the fight against vandalism, blamed for repeated power disruptions and costly

repairs. Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, convened the committee’s inaugural meeting in Abuja, bringing together security agencies and government institutions to develop a coordinated strategy for protecting assets

across the electricity value chain, a statement from the ministry said. “The committee was constituted in response to attacks on generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, which disrupt supply

to consumers, increase repair costs and erode the investment on which the sector depends. Its mandate also includes defining the contribution each institution will make toward a lasting solution,” the statement added.

Rising Fuel Prices Top Agenda as OTL Marks 20 Years Stories by Peter Uzoho Rising fuel and transport costs, energy security and competition will dominate discussions as Oil Trading & Logistics (OTL) Africa Downstream Energy Week marks its 20th anniversary with the upcoming 2026 edition. The anniversary edition themed “Secure Energy, Shared Prosperity,” will hold in Lagos, bringing together policymakers,

regulators, investors and operators to examine how Africa can translate its expanding refining capacity into reliable supply and affordable energy at a time households and businesses are under pressure. Chairman of OTL Africa’s Advisory Board, Mr. Adetunji Oyebanji, urged the federal government to avoid a return to petrol subsidies and focus relief on areas where Nigerians hurt most, particularly

public transportation. Oyebanji warned that suppressing pump price to ease hardship could trigger scarcity, diversion of products to higher-priced markets and weaken investor confidence in the downstream sector. He said the government should target interventions at pain points rather than distort pricing. He said supporting transport operators would directly reduce fares for

commuters while preserving market stability. Oyebanji acknowledged that deregulation has exposed consumers to higher prices but noted it has ended long queues and supply disruptions that characterised regulated pricing. He cautioned that artificial price fixing would punish investors who borrowed heavily to build refineries and infrastructure on the expectation of cost recovery.

SEEPCO Wins Energy Award for Navy Security Vessels Project Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Limited, (SEEPCO) has won government-private partner of the year at the 2026 Nigerian Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC) annual conference, for its security support vessel project with the Nigerian Navy.

The award, presented in Lagos was the company’s second consecutive recognition by the association as the oil firm had bagged the Sustainability Company of the Year at the 2025 edition. The group said the latest award recognised the company’s collaboration with

the government to improve marine security and protect upstream oil and gas assets. The project is the KALI Series Security Support Vessels, designed and built in Delta State under a partnership with the Nigerian Navy. The vessels are deployed to enhance naval capacity and secure critical energy infrastructure in the

Niger Delta. Industry stakeholders at the conference noted that insecurity and asset vandalism remain major risks to oil and gas production and investment, making operator-government security partnerships a key requirement for operational continuity.

PETAN Urges Local Oil Firms to Collaborate for Big Projects The Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, (PETAN), Wole Ogunsanya, has called on indigenous oil and gas companies to consolidate their technical and financial capacities to compete for bigger projects and take advantage of opportunities arising from divestment of oil and gas assets.

Ogunsanya said Nigerian companies cannot continue to operate as fragmented small players if they want to compete for projects worth millions and billions of dollars, adding that consolidation will enable them to build stronger brands and deliver larger contracts. “We have many players in

the industry. At a point, we have to consolidate,” he said. He spoke at a high-level strategic panel session at the 2026 Energy Correspondents’ Conference in Lagos, with the theme, “Access to Assets: Empowering Players and Driving Growth”. According to him, the growth of local content has created more Nigerian players,

but the next stage should be building companies with the scale required to handle major projects. He said PETAN is driving this through Technical Interest Groups, (TIGs), where members providing similar services are grouped together to pool capacities where individual firms lack resources to execute large contracts.

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2026

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT BCPG Seeks Tougher Building Standards, Warns against Unsafe Construction in Ogun Bennett Oghifo BCPG Seeks Tougher Building Standards, Warns Against Unsafe Construction in Ogun The Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), Ogun State Chapter, has called for stricter compliance with building regulations and stronger construction monitoring, warning that unsafe building practices continue to threaten lives, property and public safety. The Guild urged regulatory authorities, construction professionals, developers, artisans and property owners to strengthen collaboration in preventing structural failures, stressing that building safety requires professional supervision, effective enforcement and

the use of approved materials throughout the construction process. The call was made at a Joint Building Safety Awareness Programme organised by BCPG in collaboration with the Ogun State Building Production Management Authority (OGBPMA) at Oronna Hall, Ilaro, under the theme, “Building Safe, Compliant and Quality Structures.” The programme brought together built-environment professionals, developers, artisans, property owners, community representatives and residents from Ilaro and the wider Yewa community to examine compliance with building standards and measures to prevent avoidable structural failures.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of BCPG, Ogun State Chapter, Builder Adedayo Ogunsola, FNIOB, said preventing building collapse required sustained professional vigilance, regulatory oversight and cooperation among all stakeholders involved in construction. Ogunsola explained that the Guild comprised registered professionals from seven built-environment disciplines, including town planning, land surveying, architecture, engineering, estate surveying and valuation, quantity surveying and building. He said the multidisciplinary composition enabled the Guild to contribute technical expertise to construction monitoring, identify unsafe practices

and promote adherence to established building standards. According to him, BCPG

works in collaboration with OGBPMA officials to encourage compliance with approved

building plans, appropriate construction procedures and statutory requirements.

L-R: Nigerian Society for Chemical Engineers (NSChE) Executive Secretary, Engr Anthony Ogheneovo; past President, Prof. Sam Adeﬁla; Deputy National President, Dr. Francisca Nwafulugo; past President, Engr Babajide Soyode; National President, Engr. Bayo Olarewaju-Alo; and past President, Dr. John Erinne, during a media parley on NNPC moribund reﬁneries, held at Marriot Hotel Ikeja GRA, Lagos... recently

Ubosi Eleh Report: Why Real State Market Didn’t Contract in 2025 Despite Constraints Bennett Oghifo The Nigeria Real Estate Report 2026 published by Estate Surveying firm, Ubosi Eleh and Company in its 10th Annual Edition review of the 2025 real estate market performance, posited that

rather than contract, the market repriced and redistributed. In the words of the Report: “Nigeria’s real estate market in 2025 operated within a period of structural adjustment. Fiscal reform, monetary tightening, exchange rate liberalisation and institutional

restructuring reshaped capital flows, development patterns and asset pricing across all property segments.” The Report acknowledged that whilst political and fiscal reforms generally set the direction for real estate and signalled a shift towards

stronger revenue mobilisation and formalisation, the 2026 Federal Budget ultimately reinforced infrastructure led growth, with total expenditure of about $47.90 trillion and capital spending near $10 trillion. According to the Report,

although macroeconomic conditions imposed severe constraints of higher interest rates and surging construction cost owing to currency adjustments and imported input dependence, leading to failed project delivery dates with property developers

forced to adopt phased construction, smaller sizes and equity driven financing structures, the underlying demand remained strong because of the widening housing deficit induced by increased urbanisation and population growth.

Domo Reinvents Corporate Retreat in Lekki Bennett Oghifo In a bustling city like Lagos that moves at full speed almost all round the clock,

Domo, an urban retreat, offers you a refreshing sanctuary-something unique and increasingly rare: the space to pause tucked away

from the distracting crowd. Powered by an impressive assemblage of top notch facilities, Domo goes well beyond the norms

Domo

but gives the beholder a holistic event with a range of curated experiences in an environment just for your team. It supports fun, focus and results. Located in a tranquil environment at 12/14, Meadow Hall Way in Elegbusi -Lekki, about 30 minutes from the business districts of Victoria Island and Ikoyi, Domo is a small-scale urban retreat designed for corporate teams who want more than a conventional hotel meeting. It is close enough to be practical for a working day, yet deliberately removed from the noise, traffic and routine that can prevent people from thinking clearly. Domo was created around

a shared philosophy found in Edo and Japanese culture: respect for nature, precision, balance and beauty with purpose. It shapes the experience of the your stay - from the quiet rhythm of the Japaneseinspired garden and koi pond to the spacious apartments, considered interiors, restorative wellness treatments and Nigerian-Japanese cuisine at Edo Restaurant. Unlike a regular hotel, DOMO is not built around crowds, busy lobbies or generic event rooms. Its scale is its strength. When your company comes to DOMO, the experience feels personal, focused and private. Your team has room to meet, share meals, recharge and recon-

nect in one coherent setting - without the distractions of a large, impersonal venue. Whether for a leadership retreat, strategy session, workshop or team appreciation program, DOMO can create a tailor-made half-day or multi-day experience. A unique combination of meeting space, accommodation in spacious and luxurious apartments, dining with a relaxing view on the Japanese garden and spa treatments. But Domo offers more: a large collection of relaxation and team-building activities can be brought together around one aim: helping your team members to return to work with greater clarity, connection and energy.

FHFL Commissions 50 Energy-Efficient Homes for Wives of Fallen Heroes in Ibadan Bennett Oghifo Family Homes Funds Limited (FHFL), in partnership with Post-Service Housing Development Limited (PHDL) and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), has commissioned

50 two-bedroom detached, energy-efficient homes for the spouses of Nigeria’s fallen military personnel in Idi-Ape, Akobo, Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State. The commissioning brought together government representatives, military authorities,

development partners and other stakeholders to mark the completion of a housing intervention dedicated to families of fallen heroes. The development provides beneficiaries with secure and dignified homes while advancing a housing model that brings together

affordability, sustainability, and social impact. FHFL’s commitment to the beneficiaries extends beyond the provision of homes. Representing the Managing Director/CEO of FHFL, Abdul Mutallab Mukhtar, the Executive Director, Operations, Dr.

Henry Inegbu stated: “This initiative is about providing the wives of our fallen heroes with the security and stability that comes with having a home of their own. Their husbands gave their lives in service to Nigeria, and we have a responsibility to ensure that the

families they left behind receive meaningful support. Beyond the homes we are delivering today, we are committed to supporting the widows with skills development and livelihood opportunities that can strengthen their capacity for self-sustainability.”

Mbah poised to Attract 310bn Distributed Solar Power Programme to Enugu Bennett Oghifo Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has pledged the state government’s support for a proposed 100-megawatt Solar Hybrid Interconnected Networks for Enugu (SHINE)

programme estimated at $220 million, or about 310 billion, as the state moves to expand electricity access and strengthen its power market. If successfully completed the programme will be the first of its kind in any state in Nigeria

and a significant boost to the government’s green economic transformation agenda. The proposed investment, presented by Eauxwell Nigeria Limited at a meeting with Governor Mbah at Government House on Monday, October

5, 2026, represents the first major investment engagement brokered by the state’s Climate and Development Investment Platform (CDIP). The governor welcomed the investment proposal but challenged the company

and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the programme delivers affordable electricity, a competitive market and faster project implementation. Eauxwell outlined its ambition to develop a 100MW programme of solar hybrid

plants across Enugu State, to be deployed in clusters of peri-urban communities connected to the existing electricity distribution network. The company plans to implement the programme in phases over three years.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 • THISDAY

NEWS

2026 OIL AND GAS STAKEHOLDERS FORUM...

L-R: Director, Partnership and Grants Management, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Mrs. Olabisi Shonibare; Representative of the General Manager, LASEPA, Mr.Kayode Bello; Lagos State House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Environment Parastatals, Hon. Adebola Shabi; Managing Director, Brightest Hope Engineering Services Nigeria Limited, Engr (Dr). Omowumi Olatunji; Director, Oil and Gas Unit, LASEPA, Engr. Sesan Odukoya; and Managing Director, Doland Resources Nigeria Limited, Engr. Lanre Eyinfunjowo, at the 2026 Oil and Gas Stakeholders Forum themed ‘Strengthening Regulatory Compliance through Stakeholders Collaboration in Oil and Gas Sector’ organised by LASEPA at the LCCI Building Alausa Ikeja Lagos... recently

CJN Warns Against Use of Social Media in Criticising Court Judgements, Professional Misconduct Says 2,456 cases heard in one year, 411 judgements delivered As Fagbemi calls for rapid, transparent process for disciplining erring lawyers, SANs Alex Enumah in Abuja Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has warned against the use of the social media in criticising the judgements of courts or perceived misconduct by judicial officers. Kekere-Ekun sounded the warning following what she described as the increasing use of social media as a tool of personal attacks, ridicule, threats, and harassment over mere professional disagreement. She spoke at a special court session to commemorate the beginning of the 2026/2027 legal year of the Supreme Court and conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on 68 legal practitioners. The CJN stated, “We must resist this culture. There are proper channels for criticising judgements, reporting professional misconduct, and complaining about the conduct of judicial officers or legal practitioners. “The administration of justice cannot be left to anger, intimidation or trial by social media. A judge should be able to decide according to law without fear of personal retaliation. A lawyer should be able to make a legitimate submission without being subjected to intimidation.” While observing that a member of staff should be able to perform his or her duties without harassment, the CJN stressed that the dignity of the profession is the collective responsibility of the Bench and the Bar. Kekere-Ekun said that responsibility assumed even greater importance as the country approached another electoral season. Stating that elections inevitably generated heightened political activity and strong emotions, she said elections also brought before the courts disputes that might have significant consequences for individuals, political parties, and the country. She advised judicial officers to approach such matters with the same calmness, detachment, and fidelity to the law that they

brought to every other dispute. She said, “Judicial officers must remain conscious that every word they speak and every action they take during an electoral period will be subjected to scrutiny. They must, therefore, exercise restraint, avoid political association or conduct capable of creating an appearance of partiality and remain firmly within the boundaries imposed by their oath and the Constitution. “There is also a need for greater professional responsibility by lawyers in the institution of proceedings arising from political and electoral disputes.” She added, “Forum shopping, whether by the deliberate choice of commencing an action in a court or division perceived to be more favourable to a particular party or by the institution of multiple proceedings seeking substantially similar reliefs, can result in conflicting orders, undermine orderly judicial process and expose the Judiciary to avoidable embarrassment.” Kekere-Ekun lamented that the development created the unfortunate impression that parties were seeking, not justice according to law, but a particular outcome from a particular court. She regretted that political cases took more of the courts dockets than other cases. According to the CJN, “There is, moreover, a broader institutional concern. It does not augur well for our judicial system or the administration of justice if the courts become so overwhelmed by political disputes that other cases in their dockets are consequently delayed or denied the timely attention they require. “The judiciary must remain available to all litigants, and the urgency or public prominence of political litigation should not come at the expense of others legitimate claim awaiting determination.” Kekere-Ekun stated, “Counsel must, therefore, exercise the professional judgment expected of members of the Bar before commencing proceedings, particularly where related proceedings are already pending before another

court. The duty of counsel to the Court requires full candour as to the existence of related proceedings and respect for the jurisdiction and processes of other courts. “The responsibility of counsel extends beyond securing an immediate advantage for a client; it includes a duty to protect the integrity and orderly functioning of the judicial process.” However, the CJN expressed delight with the performance of the Supreme Court in the outgoing legal year. She stated, “My Lords, the performance of the court during the legal year under review is encouraging, yet it reminds us that there is still much work to be done. “During the 2025/2026 Legal Year, the Supreme Court handled 2,456 matters, comprising 1,179 general civil motions, 573 criminal motions, 13 Sharia-related motions and 676 appeals. ‘The appeals comprised 433

general civil appeals, 212 criminal appeals, 19 political appeals, 12 Sharia appeals and 10 Originating Summons. From these matters, 411 judgements were delivered. “During the preceding Legal Year, the court handled 2,280 matters and delivered 369 judgements and rulings.” Kekere-Ekun said, “These figures provide a useful measure of institutional activity, but they cannot tell the full story. One area to which I have continued to attach particular importance is the effective management of the court’s docket. “When I addressed this gathering last year, I spoke about the need for deliberate case-management strategies to confront delay and the accumulation of pending matters. “I am pleased to say that we can now point to concrete steps taken in furtherance of that objective.” In his remarks, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi,

SAN, called for a more efficient and transparent process of disciplining lawyers found guilty of professional misconduct. Fagbemi said the present situation seemed to suggest that the leadership of the judiciary condoned some misconducts, especially from senior members of the bar. He stated, “My office is concerned about the increasing number of cases of professional misconduct, especially against senior members of the Bar. We cannot continue to pay lip service to the need to strengthen our disciplinary processes. “As a first step, we need to consider modernising the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC). The disciplinary process for lawyers must be rapid and transparent. “When complaints stall for years, the public concludes that the legal profession is designed to protect its own wrongdoers.

We are engaging with relevant stakeholders to address the fallout from that judgment, and I am confident we will reach a resolution soon.” Fagbemi urged the lawyers just elevated to the Inner Bar as Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to see their elevation as more of a greater responsibility than honour and celebration. According to him, the rank of SAN confers not only distinction and privilege but also demands exemplary conduct, professional leadership, and a heightened commitment to the public good. He stated, “For decades, the Inner Bar has occupied a central place in the development of our legal system. Its members have defended the rule of law during periods of military rule, contributed to the restoration and consolidation of democratic governance, and shaped the development of our jurisprudence. That legacy deserves both recognition and preservation.

Ghanaian President Stresses Need for Accessible Finance for Africa’s Devt, Seeks Enabling Environment for Youths to Create Wealth Hammed Shittu in Ilorin President of Ghana, Dr. John Dramani Mahama, yesterday, said no amount of youthful business ideas will translate to national development without government’s interest in affordable and accessible finance. Mahama said it was the responsibility of governments, financial institutions, universities, and the private sector to help create the enabling environment in which those youthful ideas could survive, grow, and scale. Mahama spoke at the maiden convocation ceremony of University of Offa, Offa, Kwara State. He said businesses needed affordable finance. Delivering his speech, themed, “From Certificate to Enterprise: Africa’s Graduates as Architects of the Continent’s Economic Future,” the Ghanaian president,

who was represented by Ghana High Commissioner-designate to Nigeria, H.E Baba Sadiq Abdulai Abu, stated that innovators needed patient capital. According to him, “Enterprises need efficient payment systems and market access. “It will be paradoxical for us to tell young Africans to become entrepreneurs but deny them access to finance, infrastructure, and opportunity. “We would have offered them an aspiration without the tools to realise it.” Mahama explained that the responsibility to create the enabling environment for national growth and development lied not only with the tertiary schools but also the government. He said, “Therefore, the responsibility belongs to all of us. Young people must bring their ideas, energy

and courage.” He added, “Governments, financial institutions, universities, and the private sector must help create the enabling environment in which those ideas can survive, grow, and scale.” Mahama urged University of Offa to make enterprise, research, and innovation integral to its identity. He cautioned against the production of graduates with theories, but without practical knowledge. He said, “Modern African university cannot be satisfied merely with producing graduates who can pass examinations. It must help students learn how to solve problems.” Mahama stated that entrepreneurship, digital skills, innovation, and critical thinking should increasingly span disciplines. He said, “Universities should build stronger relationships with industry, encourage incubation and mentorship,

and help promising students’ ideas progress from final-year projects to viable products and enterprises.” Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Kazeem Alagbe Gbolagade, said the university had produced eight First Class graduates among a total of 140 first degree graduates at its maiden convocation ceremony Gbolagade said 54 graduates bagged Second Class Upper degrees, 76 got Second Class Lower degrees, and two graduates had Third Class honours. The vice chancellor said the university, which was licensed in 2021 and commenced academic activities in 2022 with two faculties and 10 programmes, had grown to four faculties and 17 academic programmes. He listed the faculties as the Faculties of Science and Computing; Management and Social Sciences; Education; and Health Sciences.

THISDAY • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026

NEWS

FHFL INAUGURATION OF 50 ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOMES...

L-R: MD of PHDL, Major General Kevin Ukandu; GOC, Major General Auwalu Mahmuda; Beneﬁciary, Mrs. Agnes Olabode; ED Ops, FHFL, Dr. Henry Emeka Inegbu; and Brigadier General A. Mohammed, at FHFL inauguration of 50 Energy-Eﬃcient Homes for the spouses of Nigeria’s fallen military personnel in Idi-Ape, Akobo, Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State... recently

Niger Delta Deserves More than 13% Derivation, Says Obasanjo, Flags-off CDU at $1bn Azikel Reﬁnery Eruani: project will kick-start region’s industrialisation Gov Diri: refinery justifies agitation against oil injustice Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday advocated an increase in the 13 per cent derivation to oil producing states in the country, stating that the present benchmark is a starting point that can be negotiated upwards. Obasanjo spoke at a ceremony to flag-off the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) of Azikel Refinery at Obunagha in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The one-billion-dollar refinery project, owned by Azikel Petroleum under Azikel Group, is expected to produce 2.5 million litres of fuel and two million litres of diesel daily

among other petroleum products. Obasanjo lauded Azikel Group President, Dr. Azibapu Eruani, for initiating the refinery project and urged him to ensure its completion within the next 12 months. He expressed appreciation to the refinery’s technical and engineering team as well as African Finance Corporation (AFC) and Afrexim Bank for their support to the project. He advocated more support to ensure its completion. Obasanjo also lauded Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, for supporting the project. Obasanjo said whenever Eruani

spoke to him about the project, he always mentioned the governor’s contribution. He stated that the governor had put into proper use funds accruable to Bayelsa, as evident in the numerous projects all over the state. The former president said, “I have told Dr. Eruani that I will be officially 90 years by next year March. It means I will take the boarding pass soon. So, he has to make sure the project is completed before I exit. “Governor, I want to thank you most sincerely. Every time Dr. Eruani has spoken to me about this project, he has mentioned the critical role

you have been playing and that is the way to go. “You are right that the states and oil producing communities have not got a fair deal so far. Thirteen per cent is the beginning. You can continue to talk. The most important thing is that even the little you have received; you have used it well.” Obasanjo added, “I want to express appreciation to those who have given the technical and engineering support for this project. When I came here (eight years ago), there was nothing like this, but now it has become a different thing. “I want also to thank those two

financial institutions, African Finance Corporation and the Afrexim Bank. My challenge to you, Dr. Eruani, is to ensure that the refinery is completed within the next 12 months. With this done, you can even double the capacity.” Eruani stated that the refinery will kick-start Bayelsa’s and Niger Delta region’s industrialisation, recalling how Obasanjo laid the foundation for the refinery eight years ago. He expressed delight at the former president’s presence for the installation of the CDU, which he described as the beginning of the completion of the refinery.

Retired IGPs, MD Abubakar, Alkali, Bianca Ojukwu, Others Celebrate DIG Mba as Ex-cop Opens Law Office in Abuja Retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Frank Mba, has formally unveiled his law office, FRANK MBA LEGAL, in Abuja, marking a new chapter in his professional journey following his retirement from the Nigeria Police. The unveiling, held on October 9 at the firm’s office in Wuse 2, Abuja, also coincided with Mba’s birthday celebration. The event brought together dignitaries, friends, associates, and well-wishers to celebrate with Mba. The guests at the event included Minister of Foreign Af-

fairs, Her Excellency, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; two former Inspectors-General of Police, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar (Rtd) and IGP Usman Alkali Baba (Rtd); Pastor Jerry Eze, Convener of the New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declarations (NSPPD); Chief Sir Emeka Offor, Chairman of Chrome Group; retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Sadiq Abubakar; DIG Tijani Baba (Rtd); DIG Dan Kwara (Rtd); and members of the National Assembly. Three serving DIGs were also in attendance. They were Ekene

Onwuemeelie, Isiyaku Abubakar, and Suleiman Mohammed. The event marked the formal commencement of Mba’s legal practice after more than three decades of service in the Nigeria Police, where he distinguished himself in policing, public communication, training, and institutional leadership. Addressing guests at the event, the former police chief said his decision to establish the firm was driven by a desire to continue to contribute to society by bringing his experience in policing, training, and public service to bear on legal practice.

He stated, “Retirement is not the end of service; it is an opportunity to serve in a different capacity. My years in the Nigeria Police Force provided me with invaluable experience in leadership, discipline, conflict management, and the administration of justice. I intend to bring these lessons, alongside my legal training, into this new chapter. “For me, the law is not merely a profession; it is an instrument

for protecting rights, resolving disputes, upholding justice and strengthening confidence in our institutions. At FRANK MBA LAW, our ambition is to build a practice that clients can trust and that consistently upholds the highest standards of professional conduct.” Mba retired as a Deputy Inspector-General of Police in March 2026 after 34 years of service.

Eruani said the refinery was conceived to ensure that the Niger Delta became an active player in the oil industry, saying it is the second largest full-scale refinery in the country. He hailed President Bola Tinubu for supporting indigenous refineries, saying they stand in alignment with the vision of the federal government to make petroleum products available and affordable to the people. He also expressed appreciation to Diri as well as AFC and Afrexim Bank for their invaluable support. In his remarks, Diri said the refinery justified the years of agitation by the region against the injustice in the oil industry. He stated that as producers of crude oil, the people of the region deserved to be key players in the industry. Diri, again, faulted the Land Use Act and the current 13 per cent derivation to oil producing states, and maintained that the region deserved more from their God-given resources as obtainable in other parts of the world. He expressed delight over the establishment of the refinery, saying it will make the people of the state major players in the oil industry. The governor charged Bayelsans to equip themselves to benefit from the project.

No Court Ordered for My Arrest, Rochas Okorocha Insists

in Abuja had issued the bench ber 8, 2026, and the case number NAPTIP Receives 105 Nigerians Rescued Amby UnezeinOwerri warrant on against the former cited was CR/M/084/2026, yet Former Imo State Governor and Governor and Ifeanyi Ararume. the bench warrant was said to from Cybercrime Syndicates in Ghana former Senator, Rochas Okorocha It had linked the order to a peti- have been issued a month earlier. “In other words, the Court has denied reports that a court tion by the Imo State Resident Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has received 105 Nigerians rescued from cybercrime operations in Ghana, as authorities intensify cross-border efforts to dismantle criminal networks exploiting vulnerable people through deceptive recruitment and overseas employment schemes. The returnees were among 119 Nigerians rescued in a

coordinated operation against cybercrime syndicates by Ghanaian authorities, with the remaining 14 still undergoing processing for repatriation, according to NAPTIP. The operation, according to a statement on Monday by the spokesman of NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, was coordinated by Nigeria’s Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) following contact from Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority, with NAPTIP leading participating Nigerian

security, intelligence, immigration and law enforcement agencies. The operation involved the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, alongside other partners.

issued an order for his arrest, just as he challenged those behind the story to make the alleged order public. A statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, stressed that no court, whether a Senior Magistrate Court or a High Court, ordered or issued a bench warrant for his arrest. A report had alleged that a Senior Magistrate Court sitting

Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chukwuemeka Ibejiako, addressed to the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS), asking them to investigate Okorocha and others for allegedly presenting fake All Progressives Congress (APC) primary results. Okorocha’s aide pointed to what it called a glaring inconsistency in the report. “The petition was dated Octo-

Order came before the petitions, and before the filing of the case,” the statement said. It further noted that the REC never petitioned against Okorocha or asked that he be investigated, and did not indict him. According to the statement, Ibejiako only asked the Police and DSS to investigate a document in circulation that portrayed Okorocha as the winner of the APC primary for Imo West Senatorial District.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 • THISDAY

NEWS

MOMENTUM FOR SOUTH EAST DEVELOPMENT...

L-R: Managing Director, South East Development Commission (SEDC), Mr. Mark Okoye; Senator Victor Umeh; Senator Tony Nwoye; Chairman, Senate Committee on SEDC, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu; Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah; Deputy Whip of the Senate, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi; Senator Anthony Ani; and Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi during a courtesy visit to Mbah at Government House, Enugu, by members of the committee on the sidelines of their oversight visit to Enugu State, Monday

First Lady Seeks Government Support to End Child Marriage EU envoy raises the alarm over 129m out-of-school girls globally Deji Elumoye and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on families, communities, leaders and policymakers to support efforts to end child marriage in Nigeria, urging increased investment in girls’ education, healthcare and general wellbeing. The First Lady made the call in her message to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, celebrated under the theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights”. She said every girl deserved the freedom to learn, grow and pursue her dreams without discrimination, violence or harmful practices that could limit her future. “I encourage families, communities, leaders, and policymakers to protect the rights of every girl, end child marriage, and invest in her education, health, and general well-being. When girls thrive, families prosper, communities grow stronger and nations advance,” she said. Mrs Tinubu also celebrated the strength, potential, leadership and voices of girls worldwide, wishing them a happy International Day of the Girl Child. Meanwhile, the Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Gautier Mignot, has

raised the alarm over the scale of educational exclusion and child marriage globally, disclosing that approximately 129 million girls remain out of school, while about 12 million are affected by early and forced marriage annually. Mignot warned that at the current rate of progress, ending child marriage could take 300 years, citing United Nations (UN) assessments. He spoke yesterday at the grand finale of the 2026 National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS)-EU inter-secondary school debate in Abuja, organised to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child. The debate, which featured four secondary schools, focused on the motion: “Empowering the Girl Child Is More Effective Than Punishing Offenders in Ending Child Marriage.” Government Day Secondary School, Dutse, Abuja, emerged overall winner, scoring 89 per cent to clinch the N1 million grand prize. The school, which argued in favour of punishing offenders, defeated Government Science Secondary School, Maitama; Baptist High School, Kubwa; and Ambassador Global Academy, Kwali. Government Science Secondary School, Maitama, came second with 76 per cent and received N500,000, while Ambassador Global Academy, Kwali, finished third and won N250,000. Baptist High School,

Kubwa, came fourth and received N100,000. Mignot called for targeted investments and interventions to address the structural inequalities that expose girls to early marriage and deny them access to education. He said the EU’s Gender Action

Plan III was designed to advance gender equality through international partnerships, with at least 85 per cent of EU-funded projects expected to incorporate gender considerations. According to him, the EU supports programmes addressing gender-based violence, adolescent

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has vowed that anyone found involved in cultism or kidnapping will not be spared. The governor made the declaration in Benin on Monday during a mass renunciation ceremony organised by the Edo State Special Security Squad (EDSSS), where over 500 members of various cult groups publicly denounced cultism. The renunciation themed: “Restitution, Rehabilitation and

Safer Edo State,” held at the Sir Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub on Airport Road, Benin City. The governor commended the youths who publicly renounced their membership of various cult groups, saying they had chosen the right path to save their lives and spare their families further pain. After the renunciation the repentant cultists were subsequently granted amnesty by the state government. Okpebholo said his administration would continue its fight against

particularly girls, while encouraging them to pursue equal opportunities. He also pledged that the winning team would visit the EU Delegation to learn about its activities and gain a deeper understanding of the bloc’s development and gender-equality initiatives.

Mbah Tasks SEDC on Gas Pipeline, Regional Railways, Industrial Revolution Kalu: Commission must operate from zone, not Abuja Sunday Aborisade in Abuja Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has urged the South East Development Commission (SEDC) to prioritise the development of a regional gas pipeline, railway network and initiatives to accelerate industrialisation in the region. Mbah said the proposed infrastructure would boost economic activities, improve connectivity among the five South East states and strengthen regional integration. He also urged the National Assembly to ensure adequate funding for the Commission, describing it as a strategic platform for addressing the region’s development needs. The governor made the calls on Monday when he received the

Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission led by its Chairman, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. The delegation, which paid a courtesy call to the governor on the sidelines of its oversight visit to have a firsthand assessment of the projects and programmes of the SEDC, was also accompanied by the management of the Commission, led by its Managing Director, Mr Mark Okoye. “For us in the South East, this Committee is one of the most important committees of the National Assembly, given the immense development prospects it holds for our people,” he said. The governor identified a highpressure gas pipeline connecting

Over 500 Youths Renounce Cultism in Edo as Gov Okpebholo Vows None to be Spared Felix Omoh-Asun in Benin City

reproductive health and girls’ education, recognising gender equality as an essential component of societal development. The envoy described the debate as an opportunity to strengthen advocacy, confidence and leadership skills among young people,

crime and criminality until Edo State was safe for residents. “On our part, we are not afraid to go after cultists and criminal elements in the state. Please take the message back to those that have not changed, they still have the power to renounce because if they are caught, there will be no mercy,” he said. “The security forces are still behind us. I am ready and hungry to give the directive to demolish any house used for cult-related activities.”

Governor Okpebholo said his administration was offering young people willing to abandon crime opportunities for rehabilitation and a fresh start. “We are offering genuine opportunities for rehabilitation and ensuring that your past does not define your future,” he said. The governor said Edo recorded more than 300 cult-related killings annually when his administration assumed office less than two years ago, adding that the figure had since dropped to almost zero.

major cities across the South East as a critical intervention that could provide industries with reliable access to gas and stimulate large-scale industrial development. He argued that the region should benefit from gas resources produced within the wider southern part of the country, noting that pipeline infrastructure already transports gas to other parts of Nigeria. “If we are able to have a highpressure gas pipeline across all the major cities in the South East, I know that the SEDC is a veritable platform that can essentially execute a project of that scale,” Mbah said. Mbah also proposed an inter-state railway network linking major cities across the five South East states to facilitate trade, improve transportation and reduce pressure on the region’s road network. He urged the states to work together on a common design for the proposed railway system, with the SEDC providing a platform for coordination and regional collaboration. “We are hoping that, given the coming into effect of the SEDC, we will be able to use it as a platform to bring all the other states together to have a common design on the South East railway line,” he said. The governor further highlighted the commission’s role in supporting agriculture and technology-driven enterprises, citing the flag-off of a 200-hectare integrated Agro Development Programme at Nomeh Unateze, Enugu State, as one of its interventions in the agricultural sector.

He assured the commission of the state government’s support in providing an enabling environment for the project. Mbah also stressed the need for the SEDC to provide funding opportunities for young entrepreneurs whose businesses had attained the minimum viable product stage, enabling them to expand their operations and contribute to economic growth. He called on the senators to support the Commission in securing the funding required to undertake the project, describing it as a potential catalyst for an industrial revolution in the region. Earlier, Kalu commended the Mbah administration for its interventions in infrastructure, education, healthcare, water supply and transportation. He cited the development of Smart Green Schools, more than 7,000 classrooms, Type II primary healthcare centres across the state’s 260 electoral wards, and the state’s multimodal transportation system. The senator also acknowledged Mbah’s efforts to strengthen engagement between the South East and the federal government, expressing appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for facilitating the establishment of the SEDC. Kalu disclosed that the issue surrounding the location of the Commission’s headquarters had been resolved, following the Enugu State Government’s provision of temporary office accommodation and a site for its permanent headquarters.

THISDAY • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026

NEWS

2026 INTERNATIONAL WHITE CANE AND SAFETY DAY...

L–R: Head, Sustainability Research & Sustainability Group Zenith Bank Plc, Ugochi Nweke; Group Head, Research and Sustainability, Zenith Bank Plc; Dr. Charles Ujomu; Chairman, Nigeria Association of the Blind, Lagos Chapter, Babatunde Saﬁu; Chairman, Welfare Committee, Adeola Aina; Chairman, 2026 International White Cane and Safety Day Committee, Babatunde Mohammed; and Unit Head, Health & Safety Research & Sustainability Group, Zenith Bank Plc, Rotimi Arowobusoye, during the presentation of a N5 million donation towards the 2026 International White Cane and Safety Day celebration at the bank’s headquarters in Lagos... recently

Agbakoba Urges INEC to Guarantee Public Access to 2027 General Election Results Says constitution guarantees citizens, media right to publish verified polling-unit results Sunday Ehigiator Human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr Olisa Agbakoba, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to guarantee

public access to polling-unit results and other electoral records at the 2027 general election. Agbakoba, in a letter, yesterday, addressed to the INEC chairman, said citizens, journalists, political parties, and election observers

should be able to access, examine, and publish information contained in authentic electoral records, provided such information was reported accurately. He stated that public access to electoral information was essential

to strengthening transparency, public confidence, and accountability in the electoral process. Titled, “Ensuring the Right to Publish INEC’s Electoral Records in Respect of the General Elections of 2027, Pursuant to Section 39 of the

DANGOTE REFINERY EXTENDS $1.6 BILLION PUBLIC OFFER BY TWO WEEKS TO OCTOBER 27 become central to Nigeria’s ambition progress by the productive capac- industries and participate more could unlock additional funding for infrastructure and other strategic to reduce dependence on imported ity it develops, the employment effectively in global trade. Other African leaders, financiers projects. it generates and the resilience it refined petroleum products. “When we coordinate with Exchanges across Africa had been builds, rather than relying on and business executives at the event called for increased mobilisation other institutions, we can bring in discussions with the company growth figures alone. Dangote spoke at the inaugural of domestic capital, stronger substantially more financing to a over arrangements to facilitate participation in the listing, which Alamein Africa Forum in Egypt, regional integration and greater project than any one institution could value the business at close where participants urged African investment in local industries to could provide alone,” he said, citing to $50 billion. Global depositary governments to move beyond accelerate economic growth and opportunities for cooperation with receipts have already been made economic growth figures to building reduce the continent’s dependence institutions including the Africa Finance Corporation and the Trade available to investors in Kenya and productive industries, creating jobs on imports. President and Chairman of the and Development Bank. Botswana, according to people and retaining more value from the Chairperson of the African Board of Directors of Afreximbank, continent’s natural resources. familiar with the matter. The two-day forum, held in New George Elombi, similarly called Union Commission, Mahmoud However, the offering’s prospectus indicates that the share Alamein and officially launched by for greater African ownership of Ali Youssouf, emphasised the sale is not registered as a public Egyptian President Abdel Fattah the continent’s economic future, importance of domestic production offering outside Nigeria, meaning El-Sisi, brought together heads of highlighting the role of homegrown and value addition in creating jobs investors in other countries must state, investors, financial institutions financial institutions in financing and building wealth across the continent. “Domestic transformarely on applicable local regulations and private-sector leaders to explore development priorities. “Elombi highlighted Afrexim- tion creates jobs, value addition or access the shares through eligible partnerships capable of translating Africa’s economic potential into bank’s support for African econo- and wealth,” he said. investment platforms. Youssouf also called for The arrangement highlights the sustainable prosperity. mies during periods of disruption The meeting was convened by and called for assessments of African measures to ensure that small challenges facing efforts to develop a pan-African investor base, as Egypt in collaboration with the financial institutions to reflect their and medium-sized enterprises differences in regulations, trading African Union (AU), the African performance, ownership models benefited from regional integrainfrastructure and investment Union Development Agency-New and development role,” the forum’s tion, including improved access to procedures continue to complicate Partnership for Africa’s Develop- statement said. finance, payment systems using cross-border transactions. He also commended Egypt’s local currencies and financing ment (AUDA-NEPAD) and the Although the refinery is seek- African Export-Import Bank longstanding support for the guarantees. bank, describing New Alamein The President of Burundi and ing to attract investors across the (Afreximbank). Dangote argued that developing as a place where Africans could Chairperson of the African Union, continent, the absence of a uniform framework for public offerings local industries, processing raw come together to determine their Évariste Ndayishimiye, urged international partners to view means that access to the shares materials within the continent economic future. Chief Executive Officer Africa as a centre of production, may vary from one country to and producing higher-value goods would help African countries reduce of AUDA-NEPAD, Nardos innovation and investment rather another. The IPO is therefore being viewed their dependence on imported fuel, Bekele-Thomas, called for greater than primarily as a market for participation by African investors imported goods. as a major test of whether African medicines and technology. “Growth does not tell us enough. and businesses in financing Secretary General of the African exchanges and regulators can support large-scale equity offerings We should ask: what are we grow- the continent’s transformation, Continental Free Trade Area involving investors from multiple ing, how many productive jobs including through cross-border (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Wamkele jurisdictions. does it generate, and how much investments and regional value Mene, said the forum’s success should ultimately be assessed The listing is also intended to economic resilience does it leave chains. “We need more Africans by the commercial transactions demonstrate the potential of African behind?” Dangote said. capital markets to mobilise domestic Dangote also identified frag- investing in Africa. We need and partnerships generated by savings for large-scale industrial mented regulations, inconsistent more African businesses able to its discussions. development, reducing reliance on standards and cumbersome border go beyond national markets, build The programme featured sesforeign financing while expand- procedures as major obstacles to regional value chains and compete sions on agriculture and food ing public participation in major businesses seeking to expand across globally,” she said. systems, energy, infrastructure and President of the Arab Bank for logistics, trade, digital innovation African markets. businesses. He stressed that stronger regional Economic Development in Africa and healthcare markets, bringing Meanwhile, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries integration was necessary to enable (BADEA), Abdullah Almusaibeeh, together policymakers, investors Limited, Aliko Dangote, has said African companies to achieve econo- said stronger coordination among and businesses to examine potential Africa needs to measure economic mies of scale, develop competitive development finance institutions areas of collaboration.

Constitution of Nigeria,” the letter emphasised the distinction between INEC’s statutory responsibility to declare election results and the right of citizens and the media to report results already made public. He said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the statutory authority to declare election results belongs to INEC, as the designated electoral authority in accordance with the law. That responsibility cannot be shared with citizens, political parties or the media.” However, Agbakoba said the commission’s exclusive responsibility for formally declaring results should not be interpreted as prohibiting the publication of results announced at polling units or information contained in authentic INEC electoral records, including Forms EC8A – EC8E. He said, “While INEC retains its exclusive statutory responsibility for the formal declaration of results, nothing in that responsibility should be understood as prohibiting citizens

or the media from reporting results that have been publicly announced at polling units or from publishing information contained in authentic INEC electoral records (Forms EC8A - EC8E), provided that such reporting is accurate and does not misrepresent the official records.” Agbakoba said concerns over the credibility of elections and the integrity of the process through which votes were recorded, transmitted, collated, and declared had heightened the need for greater transparency ahead of the 2027 polls. He maintained that enabling independent scrutiny of polling-unit records would help address public concerns about electoral manipulation and provide verifiable evidence for assessing declared outcomes. “This question of public access and participation has become especially important in light of the impression conveyed by INEC that the public may not have access to electoral records in the coming general elections,” he said.

APC-PCC Worries over Atiku’s Disregard for Tinubu, Women Seek Debate on Issues Jonathan Eze in Lagos and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) expressed concerns over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s alleged indiscretion and disregard for President Bola Tinubu. APC-PCC spokesperson, Dele Alake, in a statement, said the council had followed the public reactions to Atiku’s decision to address the president on a firstname basis as ‘Bola’. Alake added that a higher standard of decorum, decency, and deference to constituted authorities was expected from a former vice president and presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC). He stated, “We have followed the furore and public reactions to the self-imposed indiscretion

and disrespect for the office of the President of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. “While a higher standard of decorum, decency and deference to constituted authorities is expected from a former Vice President of Nigeria and an aspirant to the highest office in the country, we are concerned that the ADC Presidential candidate has not lived up to those expectations.” Alake stated that since losing the last presidential election, Atiku had allowed political animosity and uncontrollable ambition to rob him of the statesmanship that should guide his public conduct and utterances. He stressed that Atiku had chosen to set himself up as a model of politician the younger generation should never aspire to be like.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 • THISDAY

NEWS

INAUGURATION OF CRUDE DISTILLATION UNIT AT THE AZIKEL REFINERY...

L-R: Board member, Azikel Petroleum, Dr. Daru Owei, President, Azikel Group, Dr. Azibapu Eruani, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, and Otunba Oyewake Fasawe, during the inauguration of the Crude Distillation Unit at the Azikel Reﬁnery in Obunagha, Bayelsa State, ... yesterday

NSA Unveils New Security Framework to Tackle Oil Theft, Pipeline Vandalism, Others Linus Aleke in Abuja National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has unveiled a new security framework for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry to combat crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, illegal refining, and other criminal activities threatening the country’s petroleum assets. The framework, known as the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry-Wide Security Architecture, sought to harmonise security operations, clarify responsibilities, and strengthen collaboration among security agencies, industry operators, regulators, and private surveillance contractors. Speaking at its official unveiling, Ribadu said Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources remained central to economic stability and national development. But he said persistent oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and illegal refining had undermined production, damaged the environment, and threatened national security. He explained that the SOP was developed through consultations

involving the armed forces, security and intelligence agencies, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), regulators, and other industry stakeholders. The framework establishes standard procedures for surveillance, arrest, detention, and the evacuation of recovered petroleum products, while promoting effective command and control, accountability and professionalism. Describing the document as more than an administrative measure, Ribadu said it was “a practical instrument for enhancing synergy, reducing operational friction, promoting accountability and protecting critical national infrastructure”. He stressed that the effectiveness of the new framework would depend on implementation, urging participating institutions to communicate its provisions to their personnel and integrate them into their operational structures. The NSA also called for information sharing, respect for institutional mandates, and strict adherence to existing laws and established procedures, expressing confidence

that stronger cooperation would improve the protection of Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure. Equally speaking at the occasion, Dahiru Gwarzo, who represented NNPC Ltd’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, endorsed the framework, describing it as essential to safeguarding petroleum assets, boosting government revenue, and restoring investor confidence.

Gwarzo said security was fundamental to the industry’s sustainability, as it affected national revenue, operational continuity, environmental protection, and the welfare of host communities. He commended Ribadu and his team for providing the leadership and coordination required to harmonise the operational procedures of security agencies, regulators, opera-

tors, and surveillance contractors. Recalling the severity of the challenges, Gwarzo said Nigeria’s crude oil production fell to about 950,000 barrels per day in August 2022, while major pipelines remained unavailable for extended periods, affecting government revenue, industry operations, and communities in the Niger Delta. He also acknowledged the

sacrifices of military personnel, police officers, and intelligence operatives protecting critical infrastructure, saying some have paid the ultimate price. Gwarzo said the experience underscored the need for collective responsibility, stressing that “no single institution or operator could secure Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure in isolation”.

AbdulRazaq Presents 25 More Vehicles to Police in Kwara in Fight Against Insecurity Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, yesterday, presented additional 25 Toyota Hilux vehicles to the State Command of the Nigeria Police to strengthen their mobility and sustain the success in the fight against crimes. AbdulRazaq, therefore, commended the police and other security agencies for doing yeoman’s jobs to check crimes in the state.

Presenting the vehicles to the police command in Ilorin at a brief event at the Government House, Ilorin, the governor said, “You know the yeoman’s jobs the security agencies have been doing to improve the security of the state. “We have made serious progress in the recent months. And to sustain the work they have been doing we have decided to provide mobility vehicles for the police force. “Other agencies will also benefit soon. We are doing this in stages.

Altogether we are giving about 100 vehicles. This is the first set of vehicles to be delivered. Others will come soon. We trust they will use them judiciously. “We thank them for their services. As you can see, from all indices, Kwara State is still one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria, by independent observation.” AbdulRazaq enjoined the people of the state to always support the security agencies by giving them useful information that could assist

in averting or combating crimes. “My message to Kwarans is to always tell the security agencies anything they see. Active intelligence gathering is the most important thing to nip things in the bud and make sure they don’t degenerate,” he added. Responding, the state Commissioner for Police, Adekimi Ojo, said the governor’s intervention was another in its series, noting that the new vehicles would strengthen their operational capacity.

AT WORLD BANK/IMF MEETINGS, OYEDELE, CARDOSO REVIEW NIGERIA’S REFORMS PROGRESS WITH BANGA economic activities account for a substantial proportion of livelihoods. Banga said the scale of the demographic challenge confronting developing economies made employment creation an urgent priority for governments and development institutions. “I believe that the bank’s entire focus has to be on jobs for a very simple reason: 1.2 billion young people in the coming 15 years are going to become 18 years of age, so that could be a huge demographic dividend,” he said. He explained that the objective was to ensure that young people could participate productively in society through formal employment, entrepreneurship and other economic activities. “So, the word job does not mean working for a big company or a small company or as an entrepreneur. It’s being productive in society, having a sense of optimism and a sense of dignity that comes from earning and being a part of that system. That’s what we’re talking about,” Banga said. According to him, investments in

infrastructure, education, healthcare and skills development must be designed with employment outcomes in mind, while governments should establish the conditions necessary for private businesses to invest, expand and create jobs. “The bank’s entire focus has moved towards that over the last few years. It’s not that we don’t build a school, or we won’t build a highway, or we won’t build a skilling center or a healthcare clinic. We have to do all those, but we got to do them with the perspective of job creation,” he said. Banga added that private capital would remain critical to employment generation, while governments must provide the infrastructure, governance and policies required to attract investment. “Governments enable, and the private sector generates between 75 and 85 percent of jobs in any country. That’s what we’re trying to do,” he said. For Nigeria and other African economies, the approach places emphasis on applying AI to existing industries, helping local producers

overcome productivity constraints and enabling small businesses to reach wider markets. In agriculture, Banga said AIenabled tools could help smallholder farmers identify crop diseases, access information on agricultural inputs, obtain credit and connect with markets, thereby improving productivity and competitiveness. He noted that small farmers in developing economies often struggled to compete because of limited access to technology, cooperatives and other support systems. Practical AI applications, he said, could help address some of these constraints and strengthen their participation in agricultural value chains. In healthcare, AI could enable local clinics to connect patients with remote doctors and specialists, helping to bridge shortages of medical personnel and improve access to healthcare services, particularly in underserved communities. The World Bank president also highlighted the employment potential of tourism, pointing to Thailand as an example of an economy that

has developed the sector into an important source of jobs. Manufacturing, particularly value-added production, was another priority, with Banga stressing the importance of creating local employment through production and processing rather than relying exclusively on the extraction of raw materials. He argued that smaller AI applications could be particularly valuable in developing economies because they could address practical business and service-delivery challenges without requiring the resources associated with more sophisticated AI systems. “The reality is that that large language models are estimated probably to create some degree of disruption in jobs in the developed world. By the time you get to middle-income countries and lower-middle-income countries, the actually the opportunity from small AI to build jobs and build productivity is enormous. That’s what we are trying to do, and that’s what the Jobs Council started out,” he said.

The approach comes as Nigeria and other African countries face the challenge of providing productive employment for growing youth populations while improving the competitiveness of domestic businesses. The World Bank’s position suggests that AI could support job creation if it is deployed to strengthen existing economic activities, improve access to knowledge and markets, and help enterprises expand rather than simply replace human labour. However, the employment implications of AI remain a concern among policymakers, particularly over whether productivity gains will translate into sufficient new jobs and whether workers will acquire the skills needed to adapt to changing labour-market requirements. Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, and Singapore’s President, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, warned that AI could widen the gap between economic growth and employment if governments failed

to prepare workers and economies for technological change. Tharman said economic growth alone was insufficient to guarantee the creation of quality jobs, citing China, India and developing Southeast Asia as examples of economies experiencing growth alongside relatively weak employment generation. “Growth is going to be critical to secure good jobs, but growth is not itself going to be sufficient to achieve those good jobs. And the evidence is already there. If you look at China, India, developing Southeast Asia, they’re growing quite well, but job creation is weak. So there’s already a divergence between growth and job creation, and AI is going to widen the divergence if we are too passive about it,” he said. He urged governments to deploy AI in ways that support the creation of quality jobs, enable workers to develop their capabilities and provide opportunities for career progression, rather than allowing technological advances to deepen labour-market inequalities.

THISDAY • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026

NEWS

FLAG-OFF OF DISTRIBUTION OF 2 MILLION PACKS OF SANITARY TOWELS AND BACK TO SCHOOL MATERIALS TO GIRLS...

L-R: Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa; Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr. (Mrs.) Folake Olatunji-David; Minister of state for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad; Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba;;Narrator of the stage play, Daughters of the Nation, Fatima Habib;;First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; actors in the stage play, Daughters of the Nation- Fatima Fumnilola Mairiga, Habiba Umar, Mercy Audu, Patience Ephraim, Ummu Salma Jibrin and Fadeela Omowummi Raji; Wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hajia Fatima Tajudeen Abbas; and the Wife of the Kwara State Governor, Amb. Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, at the National Flag-oﬀ of the Distribution of 2 Million packs of Sanitary Towels and Back to School Learning Materials to Girls in Public Basic Education Schools held at the Conference Center of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI.

Buratai: Defence Ministry, Not Military, Received Alleged Missing $1bn Arms Fund Criticises ministry for failing to explain how funds were disbursed or contracts awarded Linus Aleke in Abuja Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, said the $1 billion approved for defence procurement during his tenure as army chief was released to the Ministry of Defence, not directly to the military. Buratai said the funds, approved by the National Economic Council, did not pass through his hands or the accounts of the Nigerian Army,

Navy or Air Force. Speaking at the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DCAN) Conference and Awards 2026 in Abuja, yesterday, Buratai described the allegations surrounding the funds as “political and malicious”. He said the allegations first emerged during the 2019 election period, when the opposition claimed that the money had been diverted for electoral purposes.

The retired army chief, who delivered the keynote address at the conference and awards ceremony, said, “The $1 billion was approved by the National Economic Council for defence procurement. Not a single dollar of that fund passed through my hands or through the accounts of the Nigerian Army, Navy or Air Force. “The funds were released to the Ministry of Defence, and the entire procurement process was handled

by that ministry. The army, navy and air force never received a single dollar from that fund to make procurement decisions. “I have described these allegations as political and malicious. They first surfaced during the 2019 election period, when the opposition alleged that the funds had been diverted for electoral purposes — a claim the federal government publicly refuted. Yet the stain remained, attached to the service chiefs rather than the

institution that managed the funds.” Buratai criticised the Ministry of Defence for failing to publicly explain how the funds were disbursed or how contracts were awarded. He stated, “The ministry had not, on its own, publicly explained how the funds were disbursed or contracts awarded. Accountability must be properly located.” Buratai called for greater transparency in military procurement, recommending the establishment of

SHETTIMA TO NORTH: YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR OVER TINUBU’S SECOND TERM

Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said Nigeria’s economic reforms under Tinubu were beginning to produce measurable results, citing declining inflation, rising foreign exchange reserves, improved oil production and increased investment in infrastructure and social programmes. However, Idris acknowledged that many Nigerian households continue to face significant costof-living pressures, stressing that the federal government’s priority is to ensure that improvements in the country’s economic indicators translate into more affordable essential goods and services, increased purchasing power and better living conditions. Also, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh (SAN) has defended Tinubu’s quest for a second term in office, maintaining that the president deserves to stay for another four years in Aso Rock to complete his ‘bold’ economic reforms. Idris spoke during a media chat with senior editors at Radio House, Abuja, where he outlined the administration’s economic performance, security interventions, social investments and implementation of its Renewed Hope Agenda. He maintained that the government’s economic reforms were strengthening the country’s fundamentals and restoring investor confidence, while conceding that more work was required to ensure that the benefits reached households across the country. “Our task now is to ensure that this clear macroeconomic recovery is felt even more widely in the lives and households of Nigerians,” the minister said. He identified food prices, market transactions, transport

and household spending as areas where citizens needed to experience tangible improvements. The minister recalled that the economy is projected to grow above 4 per cent, saying the nation’s economy was on course to grow by more than 4 per cent in 2026, while the country’s external position and foreign exchange market had improved. He reiterated that Nigeria recorded a current account surplus of $12 billion in the first half of 2026, compared with $8.6 billion in the corresponding period of 2025, stressing that inflation declined from approximately 27 per cent in January 2025 to around 15 per cent at the time of the briefing. He described the development as an encouraging sign for household budgets but said the government’s ultimate objective remained to bring inflation into single digits. According to him, external reserves exceeded $54 billion in September, representing their highest level in almost two decades, adding that the foreign exchange market had stabilised sufficiently to enable businesses and investors to make longer-term plans with greater confidence. He explained that recent economic reporting has also documented the increase in Nigeria’s external reserves. Recent reports indicate that reserves stood at approximately $55.07 billion on October 8, citing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) data. The World Bank, meanwhile, projected average annual economic growth of 4.4 per cent through 2028, subject to continued reforms and improvements in public service delivery. The minister further disclosed that Nigeria earned more than $6 billion from non-oil exports

in 2025, describing the figure as the highest in the country’s history. He said the earnings supported businesses and entrepreneurs across agriculture, mining, petrochemicals, manufacturing, processing, transportation and logistics. Idris argued that the combination of stronger external reserves, increased non-oil exports, improved oil production and a more stable foreign exchange market was creating opportunities for domestic investment and economic diversification. Nevertheless, he emphasised that improved macroeconomic indicators must be accompanied by practical benefits for Nigerians, particularly those struggling with food, transportation, energy and other household expenses. The minister identified infrastructure development as one of the principal channels through which the administration intends to translate economic recovery into employment and increased economic activity. He explained that road construction projects generate income for contractors, suppliers, engineers, artisans, transport operators and food vendors, while completed roads improve connectivity, facilitate the movement of agricultural produce and increase access to markets. According to Idris, the administration’s four legacy projects collectively cover approximately 3,000 kilometres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. He said the projects formed part of a wider portfolio of road, rail, port, electricity, healthcare and education investments being implemented across the country. The minister also highlighted the recently approved highway project

valued at approximately N1.5 trillion in Niger State, describing it as an investment expected to improve connectivity along an important agricultural and commercial corridor. He maintained that the projects were intended not only to improve transportation but also to stimulate economic activity in communities along their routes. The expected benefits, he said, include faster transportation of goods, improved access to commercial centres, increased business opportunities and stronger links between rural producers and urban markets. Speaking on food security in the country, the minister said Tinubu places food security at the centre of national economic policy, with government interventions focused on increasing domestic agricultural production and improving farmers’ incomes. He listed mechanisation, improved access to agricultural inputs, irrigation development and agricultural financing among the measures being pursued to strengthen the sector. According to the minister, these interventions are designed to increase food supplies, improve productivity and make food more affordable for Nigerian households. He argued that higher agricultural output would also strengthen rural economies by supporting farmers, processors, transporters and other businesses involved in the food supply chain. The minister’s remarks come as the administration faces pressure to demonstrate that economic stabilisation is producing meaningful improvements in the affordability of basic commodities. Although Idris described falling inflation as encouraging, he

acknowledged that the government still needed to ensure that the improvement was reflected in the daily experiences of ordinary Nigerians. The minister also outlined investments in healthcare and education, describing them as central to the administration’s efforts to improve living standards and expand access to essential services. He disclosed that the federal government had recently commissioned two additional cancer treatment centres, bringing the number commissioned under the initiative to five following the earlier commissioning of three. The administration, he said, was working towards making a total of 10 cancer treatment centres available to Nigerians. Idris added that the government was also pursuing the revitalisation of primary healthcare facilities to expand access to medical services and strengthen the national health system. On education, he said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had supported more than 1.6 million students, with over N192 billion paid in institutional fees and approximately N180 billion provided as upkeep allowances. The programme, according to the minister, is intended to reduce the financial burden of tertiary education on students, parents and guardians. Idris said the intervention was part of the government’s broader social investment programme, which seeks to reduce financial barriers to education and support access to higher learning. He also highlighted the Three Million Technical Talent programme, which aims to expand young Nigerians’ access to digital skills in software development, data

a defence procurement transparency portal to publish information on contracts awarded, contracting entities, and delivery timelines, subject to national security considerations. Buratai said, “The Ministry of Defence must own the procurement records. The $1 billion arms procurement controversy festered because the institution that managed the funds — the Ministry of Defence — remained silent while service chiefs absorbed the criticism.

science, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies. The minister said investment in technical training, innovation and digital capabilities was intended to prepare young people for employment opportunities while supporting the country’s wider economic diversification objectives. He added that renewed attention to domestic refining, solid minerals, industrial production and innovation was expected to support sustainable employment and reduce dependence on traditional sources of foreign exchange. Idris said the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Electric Vehicle Initiative had attracted approximately $2.5 billion in private investment, alongside about N250 billion in government funding and commitments. He disclosed that more than 120,000 vehicles had been converted under the initiative, while the country had established more than 400 certified conversion centres. According to him, Nigeria also had more than 90 refuelling stations, with approximately 180 additional stations under development. Idris said the growing network of conversion centres and refuelling infrastructure was generating business opportunities and employment in host communities. He also linked the programme to the administration’s wider response to rising energy costs, arguing that affordable alternatives and stronger domestic production could contribute to easing pressure on households and businesses. The minister disclosed that the Federal Government had issued a N758 billion bond to settle pension arrears dating back as far as 2007, with almost one million pensioners expected to benefit.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2026 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Stop Dividing South-east for Selfish Political Interests, Ebonyi Group Tackles Umahi Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) has warned the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to stop dividing the South-east for selfish political interests.

The group was reacting to a viral video in which Umahi said Ebonyi leaders were being attacked for refusing to support the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election.

Umahi had in the video said: “You are calling out people like us because we said we will not vote for him and we tell our people not to vote for him, and you are insulting us,” while challenging Obi to mention any Ebonyi indigene he appointed when he was

Tinubu’s Achievements: Delta Deputy Gov, Diaspora Nigerians Disagree in Atlanta Michael Olugbode inAbuja Delta State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, has clashed with Nigerian community leaders in Atlanta, United States, over President Bola Tinubu’s performance, with the deputy governor defending the administration’s economic reforms and infrastructure projects while his audience challenged their impact on ordinary Nigerians. The disagreement, which occurred during Onyeme’s recent working visit to Georgia, exposed a sharp divide over whether the federal government’s policies are delivering the promised

transformation or worsening the economic hardship confronting millions of citizens. While Onyeme described Tinubu as a once-in-a-generation leader whose decisions were repositioning Nigeria for sustainable growth, some members of the audience cited the high cost of living, persistent insecurity, deteriorating highways and alleged irregularities in public procurement as evidence that the administration had fallen short of expectations. The exchanges became particularly pointed when community leaders Raymond Ekuerhare and Chief Emeka Chimekwene rejected the deputy

governor’s glowing assessment, insisting that Nigerians abroad were not relying on social media alone to evaluate developments at home. Onyeme had accused Nigerians of using social media to spread misinformation, disinformation and half-truths about the achievements of Tinubu’s administration and the government of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori. He argued that such narratives were damaging Nigeria’s international image and preventing citizens abroad from appreciating what he described as the transformative impact of the President’s eight-point Renewed Hope Agenda.

Tompolo Donates 25 Vehicles, Seeks Votes for Tinubu in Kogi

Voters in Kogi State have been urged to mobilise and re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 election to sustain ongoing reforms. The call was made by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, when he donated 25 vehicles to the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement in Kogi State for grassroots mobilisation. Tompolo, the Grand Patron of the Movement, announced the donation through the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Kestin Pondi, at the inauguration of the movement’s Kogi State

structure in Lokoja yesterday. The Niger Delta high chief said the vehicles would support the movement’s campaign to mobilise voters for Tinubu’s second term, urging Nigerians to re-elect the president. He argued that the president had demonstrated courage by removing the petrol subsidy, supporting direct allocation of funds to local government areas and allowing states to regulate electricity within their jurisdictions. According to him, the reforms have increased resources available to state governments to pay salaries, pensions and

execute projects. “If somebody has done so much for you, what do you do for the person? You give him more,” he said. He urged members of the movement to take the president’s message to homes, workplaces, churches, markets and communities, adding that Nigerians needed to give Tinubu another four years to consolidate his reforms. Tompolo acknowledged that the reforms had brought challenges but maintained that the country would eventually benefit from them if citizens remained patient.

‘Niger Delta Cannot Afford Another Cycle of Instability’

Okon Bassey in Uyo

The Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Forum has expressed support for the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, strongly condemning recent calls by individuals and groups for his removal from office. “As stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Niger Delta peace process, we recognise the critical role of Presidential Amnesty Programme

(PAP) in sustaining peace, rehabilitation, reintegration, human- empowerment across the region.” The forum in a statement issued in Uyo noted that Dr.Otuaro demonstrated a growing emphasis on education, vocational training, skills acquisition, empowerment and sustainable reintegration, beyond the traditional focus on monthly stipends. “We particularly commend the reported expansion of

PAP’s Postgraduate Scholarship Programme. In 2026 alone, 243 Niger Delta youths have reportedly been deployed for postgraduate studies abroad, including 150 recently deployed to Universities in the United Kingdom to study various disciplines. “These investments represent opportunities for young people to acquire knowledge and skills that can contribute meaningfully to the development of the Niger Delta and Nigeria.

100 Candidates to Vie for National Assembly Seats in Kwara Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has said 100 National Assembly candidates have been registered by the commission to contest for seats in both the Senate and House of Representatives in the 2027 general election in the state. In a final list of Senate and House of Representatives

candidates signed by the Secretary of the INEC, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, which was made available to newsmen in Ilorin yesterday, the commission said 35 candidates will be jostling for three available Senate seats in Kwara state. THISDAY investigations revealed that there are 11 candidates each from Kwara North and South districts and

13 candidates from Kwara Central district. Among the leading Senatorial candidates are the incumbent governor of the state, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who is contesting under the ruling APC and the incumbent holder of the office, Senator Saliu Mustapha, formerly of the APC and now contesting under the opposition PDP.

governor of Anambra State. The minister also waded into Ebonyi State’s 2027 governorship zoning debate, saying: “Just like it’s not the turn of the South East and Peter Obi to be president of Nigeria, it’s not the turn of Ebonyi South to be governor of Ebonyi State.” He added he would meet with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ifeanyi Odii, to ask him to step down. However, the President AEISCID, Paschal Oluchukwu, in a statement

issued yesterday described Umahi’s comments as “shameful, uncivil, uncouth and unbecoming” of a former governor and serving minister. The group said Umahi had appointed himself an “unofficial spokesperson” of Ndi Igbo and accused him of attempting to pitch Ebonyi people against Anambra and the rest of the Igbo nation. Oluchukwu noted: “We wish to vehemently condemn these statements as they are shameful, uncivil, uncouth and terribly unbecoming of a

leader at the level of Umahi.” The group noted that it was troubled by what it called Umahi’s “senseless and relentless attacks” on Obi and other Igbo politicians for exercising their constitutional right to contest elections. The Diaspora body also accused Umahi of hypocrisy on the zoning principle, recalling that he refused to step down in 2015 when his predecessor, Martin Elechi, anointed Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu from the same Ebonyi South zone.

Elections Campaign ‘ll Be Issue-based, Says APC’s PCC Women Directorate the direction of the Tinubu livelihoods of Nigerians. Jonathan Eze The Director of Women Mobilisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Dr Betta Edu, yesterday declared that the 2027 presidential campaign would be issue-based, expressing confidence that the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will provide compelling evidence for his re-election. Edu, who stated that in Abuja, said Nigerian women were increasingly recognising

administration and had intensified grassroots mobilisation across communities, households, and voting constituencies to secure another mandate for the president and sustain the implementation of his policies and development programmes. She maintained that the APC would approach the forthcoming election with a clear message anchored on its record in government, ongoing infrastructure projects, economic reforms, educational opportunities, and initiatives designed to improve the

According to her, the party has substantial achievements to present to the electorate and would campaign on policies, programmes, and measurable results rather than empty promises or personality-driven rhetoric. Edu expressed profound gratitude to President Tinubu for his leadership and commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, as well as the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her consistent advocacy for women, families, and national development.

THISDAY • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026

TUESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Atlético Coach Defends Misﬁring Ademola Lookman, Says It’s a Phase Warns that Red Devils sluggish EPL form not reason to be taken for granted Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report Ahead of tonight’s UEFA Champions League league phase clash between Atlético Madrid and Manchester United at the Metropolitano, Head Coach of the Spanish outfit, Diego Simeone, has come to the defence of his misfiring Nigerian international, Ademola Lookman. The Argentine gaffer stressed that what Lookman has been passing

U E FA C H A M P I O N S L E AG U E through while another player (Álex Baena) is excelling is nothing unusually. “Every player goes through their own phases, obviously, I don’t think there’s a player who can maintain a level of 10 all the time,” Simeone explained. “There’s always a dip, and it’s clear that Ademola Lookman is going through a phase where he’s

not performing as he’d like to and as we’d like to see him, because he’s shown us what he’s capable of, but he works every day to become that player, the dribbler. Simeone however restated that the Super Eagles forward must strive to be at his best after this phase this season. “He needs to keep dribbling,

he needs to lose the ball, he needs to keep pushing forward, because he’ll do well, because he’s got what it takes and because he’s a goalscorer,” emphasised the coach. He poured encomiums on Baena for keeping the flag flying at Atlético. “Álex Baena, on the other hand, comes from a different situation: a season marred by injuries, perhaps not as consistent as he would have liked in his first season,” Simeone

continued. “(He’s since demonstrated) a world-class performance, confidence, assurance, a great run of form, and (I’m) trying to manage the best moments of each player for the good of the team.” On tonight’s clash with Manchester United, Simeone speaks on why Atlético need to pick up points in the Champions League “We know the difficulties of this competition. This format means you have to try to pick up points, whether at home or away, in the first match or the last. We need points, just as every team that wants to stay in this competition does.” “I think, as I was saying after Saturday’s match, we read the game very well. We played well on Saturday and tomorrow (Tuesday) we’ll be facing an opponent who apply great pressure in your half, very good pressure, very aggressive, very

TODAY Lens v Sporting CP Sabah Baku v Sl’Prague Arsenal v Lille Atlético v Man Utd Galatasaray v Barca Inter v C’Brugge RB Leipzig v PSV Viking v B’Munich Villarreal v Napoli

intense, with very precise movements to buy time when pressing high. And they’ve got quick players, as Dávid Hancko rightly pointed out; regardless of the results, which have mostly been draws for them so far this season, they’re producing the same kind of performance they did last year. It’s Manchester United, a strong side, but we’ll have to steer the match in a direction where we believe we can cause them problems.

Nigeria to Host World Polo Championship Qualiﬁers in Abuja November Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

Ademola Lookman (left) receiving pep talk from Diego Simeone at the weekend.

Arsenal Fans Club Nigeria Set for Official Launch in Abuja Kanu, Saraki, Emir Sanusi, Dino Melaye, other supporters lined up to grace the ceremony Marvelous David Arsenal Fans Club Nigeria is set to be officially unveiled in Abuja this weekend, as the organisation prepares to strengthen the club’s fan base and promote community development through football. Amongst the high profile personalities lined up for the unveiling ceremony include, business leaders, celebrities and notable Arsenal supporters like former Gunner, Kanu Nwankwo, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Senator Dino

Melaye amongst others. The unveiling will form part of a two-day programme beginning on Friday, October 16, with delegates from state and city chapters expected to converge on the nation’s capital for the club’s second Annual General Meeting (AGM). According to a press release issued on Monday by the organisation, the celebrations will feature sporting activities, a community sanitation initiative and a formal launch event attended by prominent personalities and Arsenal supporters.

National President of Arsenal Fans Club Nigeria, Charles Ojugbana, said the organisation draws inspiration from the achievements of Nigerian-descent footballers, including former Super Eagles striker Kanu Nwankwo and current stars Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze. The former General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) said the club aims to improve the football fan experience while expanding support for Arsenal across Nigeria. Activities scheduled for Saturday include aerobic sessions and a novelty

football match before members proceed to Wuse Market for a clean-up campaign. As part of the outreach, the club plans to donate refuse bins and other sanitation materials to the market’s leadership, in line with its commitment to philanthropy and community development. Arsenal Fans Club Nigeria operates through a governance structure comprising a Board of Trustees, a National Executive Committee and a General Assembly, which serves as the organisation’s highest decision-making body.

The Nigerian Polo Association (NPA), has disclosed that it will host the World’s Polo championship qualifications in Nigeria between November 9 and 16, 2026, in Abuja. The NPA Chairman, Suleman Abubakar, made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja when he and his team paid a courtesy call on the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Malam Shehu Dikko, to intimate him on the hosting right given to Nigeria. Abubakar said the hosting right was given to Nigeria because of the efforts made by the Association and Nigeria. “The Nigerian Polo Association, I think the world has recognised the efforts of our administration, and they have granted us the right to host the

World Polo Championship qualifiers for the first time in over 120 years of polo in Nigeria. “This is a result of the efforts of our association and in recognition of the efforts that the chairman and his team, and indeed the country are making around the world. So, it is an announcement that indeed the world is taking note of Nigeria and the progress we are making, and they have granted us an opportunity,” he said. The championships will take place in Abuja at the Guards Polo Club. Participating countries include; India, Iran, Pakistan, and the host nation, Nigeria in the constituted Zone E of the Federation of International Polo. “There are 12 member-countries in Zone E, but only four of us have achieved this sort of level of advancement in our polo development to qualify at a graded handicap of 14 handicaps,” Abubakar explained.

Super Falcons Set to Seal Ticket to Third Round as Basketball Africa League Unveils Refurbished Morocco Awaits Nigeria

Courts in Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal The Basketball Africa League (BAL), last weekend announced that the league is unveiling six newly refurbished basketball courts in Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal in support of NBA Africa’s commitment to build or renovate 1,000 courts across the continent over the next decade. Collectively, the courts are expected to reach thousands of youth and community members annually. The first two courts were unveiled Sept. 30 in Saint-Louis, Senegal, in collaboration with Senegalese national oil and gas company Société des Pétroles du Sénégal (PETROSEN), and Oct. 3 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in collaboration with Wave Côte d’Ivoire. Additional courts will be unveiled through December in Dakar, Senegal, in collaboration with Ville de Dakar; in Joal, Senegal in collaboration with Woodside

Energy; and in Guédiawaye, Senegal, and Owerri, Nigeria, in collaboration with Qatar Foundation. Each court features upgraded playing surfaces, spectator seating and new basketball stanchions, with select sites

also featuring modernized changing rooms, sanitation facilities, and lighting. “These newly refurbished courts reflect our commitment to investing in communities and making the game more accessible to young people across

Africa,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall. “Together with our partners, we are creating spaces where the next generation of African basketball players, fans, and changemakers can grow, connect and thrive,” he stated.

Basketball Africa League (BAL) set to support Africa with 1,000 basketball courts.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons expect to seal a place in the third of the five-round African qualification series for the 2028 Olympics Women’s Football Tournament when they confront Comoros senior women national team for the second time in four days time. Goals by defender Michelle Alozie and forward Uchenna Kanu earned the 10-time African champions a 2-0 win on Friday, leaving them with an advantage as they push for a second successive appearance at the Olympics, after participating at the Paris 2024 Games – their first in 16 years. The Indian Ocean islanders’ lack of a CAF-approved venue for international matches meant Nigeria have home advantage for both games of the fixture, at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo.

LA2028 OLYMPIC RACE On Friday, interim Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen and his assistants opted to deploy Chiamaka Nnadozie in goal, with Glory Ogbonna and Michelle Alozie as wing-backs, and Christy Ucheibe and Shukurat Oladipo as centre-backs. Debutant Joy Igbokwe, Toni Payne and Jennifer Echegini were in midfield and captain Rasheedat Ajibade, Gift Monday and Uchenna Kanu were at the fore. On Tuesday, the coaching crew may decide to try youngster Christiana Uzoma in goal, with the likes of Farida Abdulwahab and Tumininu Adeshina also available for defensive duties. Suliat Abideen was impressive when she came on in the second period on Friday, and could be given a starting role this time.

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STRATEGIC MEETING WITH WORLD BANK PRESIDENT IN BANGKOK...

L-R: Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele; President of the World Bank, Mr. Ajay Banga, and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, following the Nigerian delegation’s strategic engagements with the World Bank Chief on the sidelines of the ongoing Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank holding in Bangkok, Thailand…yesterday

GLORIAFRASER GUEST COLUMNIST

The Revenue Reset: Following The Subsidy Savings From Reform To Results The African Development Bank, referring to Nigeria’s fuel-subsidy and foreign-exchange reforms, observed: “These bold and often difficult decisions represent essential groundwork for unlocking investment and restoring fiscal space.” Restoring fiscal space is only half the journey. The other half is converting it into measurable improvements in Nigerians’ lives.

“We believe that democracy must be felt in the pocket.” — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Democracy Day Address, June 12, 2026»

THE ECONOMIC HARVEST

conomic reform is like clearing an overgrown farm. The first season can be painful: old structures are uprooted, the ground is disturbed and the harvest is not immediate. But when sacrifice is demanded, citizens have a legitimate question: what did the reform eventually produce? Few reforms have tested Nigerians more severely than petrol-subsidy removal. Petrol, transportation and production costs rose sharply, feeding into household expenses and business costs. Three years later, the debate has therefore moved beyond whether reform was necessary to the accountability question Nigerians have repeatedly asked:

THE OTHER N10.4 TRILLION

HOW WERE THE SUBSIDY SAVINGS USED?

President Bola Tinubu

N15.8 TRILLION — UNDERSTANDING THE NUMBER Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele acknowledged the legitimacy of that question: “I’ve heard this question so many times, and guess what? It’s a valid question.”» Between June 2023 and December 2025, subsidy reform was estimated to have mobilised approximately N15.8 trillion in additional resources for the Federation. This was not N15.8 trillion deposited into a special Federal Government account. Approximately N5.43 trillion accrued to the Federal Government, N6.52 trillion to states and N3.88 trillion to local governments. Almost N10.4 trillion—about two-thirds—therefore went to states and local governments. Accountability for the reform dividend belongs to all three tiers of government.

wage, debt, infrastructure and social obligations.

FOLLOWING THE FEDERAL SHARE The Federal Government’s N5.43 trillion formed part of a wider financing picture. Government recorded approximately N3.12 trillion in additional independent revenue and N11.85 trillion in incremental borrowing, bringing incremental federal resources to roughly N20.4 trillion. Additional federal expenditure pressures were estimated at N30.64 trillion. This should not be read as expenditure financed solely from subsidy savings; it represents broader spending pressures confronting the Federal Government during the reform period. Major components included N9.39 trillion for wage adjustments, minimum-wage increases and allowances; N9.37 trillion in increased external-debt servicing costs; N6.47 trillion for strategic infrastructure; and N3.14 trillion in additional electricity-subsidy costs. The figures tell a more complicated story than a giant subsidy-savings account. Reform created fiscal space, but that space entered a budget already carrying substantial

FROM SUBSIDY SAVINGS TO RESULTS The numbers become meaningful only when they translate into visible outcomes. The reform period has coincided with several measurable interventions. NELFUND student-loan disbursements exceeded N303 billion by August 2026, widening access to tertiary education. Nearly 3,000 primary healthcare centres were reported revitalised under the IMPACT programme, strengthening frontline healthcare across the six geopolitical zones. The Federal Government also reported more than 10,000 housing units across 14 states and the FCT under Renewed Hope Housing and FHA programmes. Beyond these examples, approximately N9.39 trillion in additional expenditure went to wage adjustments, the new minimum wage and allowances, while N6.47 trillion was identified for strategic infrastructure. Social transfers reportedly reached more than 10 million households. Infrastructure spending is also visible in major corridors, including the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano Road, Sokoto– Badagry Superhighway, East–West Road and continuing access-road works connecting the Second Niger Bridge, alongside numerous federal road rehabilitation projects nationwide. These outcomes cannot each be attributed naira-fornaira to a separate subsidy-savings account. Rather, they provide examples of how the wider fiscal space created by reform, increased revenues and government financing has been translated into public expenditure and development interventions. Oyedele has cautioned that presenting the reform scorecard was “not to declare victory.” That distinction is important. Results are emerging, but hardship has not disappeared.

The accountability trail cannot stop at Abuja. States received approximately N6.52 trillion and local governments N3.88 trillion from the estimated subsidy-related fiscal space. Increased Federation revenues strengthened the resources available across these tiers for salaries, pensions, infrastructure and essential public services. But greater resources require greater accountability. The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association has called on states and local governments to account for the approximately N10.4 trillion received. Federal transparency cannot answer a federation-wide question. Every tier that received additional resources must account for the development those resources produced.

These results do not erase continuing cost-of-living pressures. They change the accountability question from simply asking whether anything was done to asking: Were the additional resources used transparently, efficiently and with sufficient measurable impact on citizens?

THREE PROVERBS FOR THE RESET Yoruba: “Bí a bá gé igi ní igbó, a ó rí ibi tí ó ubú sí.” When a tree is felled in the forest, we should know where it landed. Public resources should leave a visible trail. Hausa: “Ruwa baya tsami banza.” Water does not turn sour without a cause. Every fiscal outcome has an explanation that should be open to scrutiny. Igbo: “Aka nri kwoo aka ekpe, aka ekpe akwoo aka nri.” When the right hand washes the left and the left washes the right, both become clean. Reform and accountability must reinforce each other.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT “A necessary reform earns public trust only when sacrifice is shared, savings are visible and promised relief becomes lived experience.” — Princess Gloria Adebajo-Fraser, MFR»

REFORM EXPERIENCES FROM OTHER NATIONS

THE NATIONAL PATRIOTS’ POSITION

Indonesia: Fuel-subsidy reforms were accompanied by targeted cash transfers and expanded social assistance for vulnerable households, while resources were redirected towards development priorities. India: Cooking-gas subsidy reforms increasingly used direct transfers linked to bank accounts and identification systems, improving targeting while reducing reliance on blanket price support. Dominican Republic: Energy-subsidy reform evolved towards targeted household transfers, directing assistance towards eligible families rather than relying principally on generalised price support. Across these experiences, fiscal reform was strengthened when transparent accounting, targeted protection and visible benefits accompanied citizens’ sacrifice.

The National Patriots recognises the fiscal case for ending a petrol-subsidy regime that had become increasingly difficult to sustain and commends the emerging evidence of increased investment in infrastructure, education, healthcare, wages and social intervention. The next stage should be institutionalised transparency. The National Patriots proposes an Annual Subsidy Reform Fiscal Statement, written in accessible language and showing resources released by reform, distribution among the three tiers of government, major expenditure categories, projects delivered, beneficiaries reached and measurable outcomes. States and local governments should publish corresponding accounts of their increased revenues. Social protection must also progress from temporary relief towards sustainable empowerment through food production, affordable transportation, skills, small businesses and productive employment.

OPPOSITION VIEW Labour and opposition voices argue that the hardship from subsidy removal was immediate while improvements in household welfare have taken longer to materialise. The Nigeria Labour Congress has particularly highlighted weakened purchasing power and continuing pressure on workers. The fiscal record nevertheless shows that the reform dividend did not simply disappear. Resources were distributed among all three tiers of government and absorbed into wages, debt obligations, strategic infrastructure, electricity support and social interventions, with visible examples including student financing, primary healthcare investment, housing and major road projects.

FINAL WORD Nigeria has paid a high price for economic reform. The justification cannot end with a spreadsheet showing trillions saved, distributed or spent. The story must continue to students financed, vulnerable households supported, healthcare strengthened, roads built, workers paid, businesses sustained and homes provided. Where results are visible, they should be acknowledged. Where they remain inadequate, accountability must follow. •Princess Gloria Adebajo-Fraser, MFR President, The National Patriots

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