In Recap of IMF/World Bank Meetings, Uzoka-Anite Says Global Partners Excited with Nigeria’s Reforms
Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, has
recounted Nigeria’s participation at the just-ended IMF/ World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington D.C, United States
of America, saying across all forums of the global gathering, there was a consistent acknowledgement that Nigeria’s reform
agenda was yielding results. In a statement titled, “Postmeetings Recap from H.M., Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite,” which
she personally endorsed, the minister said, “The 2025 World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings in Washington D.C. have Continued on page 9
come to a close, and I leave with deep optimism about
Army Mourns Officer, Soldiers Killed on Duty, Senate Pledges Stronger Support... Page 9
www.thisdaylive.com
MINISTERIAL LUNCHEON ON THE OCCASION OF CREATION AFRICA 2025...
L-R: Managing Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Adaora Umeoji; Chairman, Coronation Merchant Bank, Tunde Folawiyo; President, France-Nigeria Business Council (FNBC) and Chairman, Access Holdings Plc, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot; Secretary General, France-Nigeria Business Council, Jean Haas; and Group Managing Director/CEO, Access Holdings Plc, Innocent Ike, at the ministerial luncheon on the occasion of Creation Africa 2025, which held in Lagos… recently
France Announces €410m Deal with Lagos to Enhance Waterways Transportation
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr Jean-Noël Barrot, has announced a €410
Continued on page 8
Tinubu: No Person or Group Can Accuse
Us of Shielding Anyone from Law
Urges judiciary to be steadfast, impartial, incorruptible Discloses EFCC records 7,000 convictions, recovers N500bn in 2 years
FLAG-OFF CEREMONY OF CONSTRUCTION OF 600 CAPACITY HOSTELS IN THE NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL...
L-R: Chairman, Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige; Minister of state, FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud; FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi; Director General, Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu; and Ag. Head, FCTA Civil Service, Mrs. Nancy Nathan, at the flag-off ceremony of the construction of 600-capacity hostels in the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja, on Monday
GRADUANDS OF GRADUATE MANAGEMENT ACCELERATED PROGRAMME OF UBA...
L-R: Directorate Head, North Bank, Abdulai Ibrahim; Executive Director, Abuja & North Central, Alex Alozie; Group Deputy Managing Director, Muyiwa Akinyemi; Group Chairman, United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu; Group Deputy Managing Director, Chukwuma Nweke; Group Head, Human Capital Management, Modupe Akindele; and Company Secretary, Bili Odum, flanked by graduands of the 2025 Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP) class of United Bank for Africa (UBA), at the graduation ceremony held for over 700 trainees from across Africa in Lagos, at the weekend
FG to Create 20,000 Jobs Annually as
Shettima Flags Off NJFP 2.0,
Inaugurates project steering committee
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Nigeria is targeting the creation of no fewer than 20,000 jobs annually through the launch of the second phase of the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) aimed at connecting high-potential graduates with real-world work experience, training, and mentorship.
To spearhead the initiative in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Vice President Kashim Shettima, will this Wednesday, in Abuja, flag off the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) 2.0 and declare open a High-Level Policy Dialogue on Job Cre- ation with the theme, “From Skills to Jobs and Enterprises: Driving Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in Key Economic Sectors.”
Ahead of the flag-off, the Vice President, yesterday, inaugurated the Project Steering Committee of the NJFP 2.0, with a charge to members to make sure the programme is inclusive, ensuring that the opportunity reaches every part of the country.
The NJFP, a flagship initiative of the federal government being coordinated by the Office of the Vice President, is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and funded by the European Union (EU).
Launched in 2022 to bridge the gap between skills, jobs, and enterprise, the programme has already empowered over 14,000 young Nigerians through the 12-month paid fellowships that build experience, confidence, and lasting career opportunities.
Inaugurating the Project Steering Committee, Shettima noted that the goal of the NJFP was to bridge the transition gap between learning and earning for thousands of young graduates with the required education but no job opportunity.
The programme, he said, represents, “a deliberate attempt to translate the nation’s demographic strength into productive economic power, demonstrating that when government provides structure, partnership, and purpose, young Nigerians rise to the occasion.”
Maintaining that the NJFP is
a Nigerian programme, shaped by national priorities and the nation’s sense of purpose, the Vice President told members of the committee, “to deepen that ownership, strengthen coordination across our institutions, and ensure that NJFP remains accountable to the ambitions of this administration.”
Imploring the committee to
Policy Dialogue
work towards tangible outcomes and ensure inclusivity, Shettima said, “As we deliberate today, I encourage us to think not in terms of targets or figures alone, but in terms of outcomes that matter; young people whose lives change because this system works as intended.
“We have an opportunity here to demonstrate what
partnership done right can achieve: where government leads with clarity, partners contribute with confidence, and results speak for themselves. Therefore, let us approach our work with that understanding.
“In scaling NJFP 2.0, inclusivity must remain at the heart of our design. Our young people are not a homogenous group;
they live in different realities across regions, genders, and social backgrounds. We must ensure that this opportunity reaches every corner of the country — and that place- ments are tied to the sectors that will shape Nigeria’s future: agriculture, digital technology, renewable energy, manufacturing, and the creative industries.”
Nigeria Will Take Global Lead in Responsible Communication, Says Information Minister
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Nigeria has declared its readiness to lead the global movement for ethical and responsible communication, with the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, describing the country’s hosting of the 2026 World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) as a defining moment for national and global dialogue.
Idris stated this at the national unveiling of the event in Abuja,
yesterday.
He said Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was positioning itself as “the biggest, brightest, and boldest voice for ethical and responsible communication in Africa and beyond.”
The minister said the WPRF Abuja 2026, themed “Respon- sible Communication: The Voice of the World,” would not only showcase Nigeria’s communication capacity but also reassert the country’s leadership in shaping global narratives anchored on
truth, empathy, and service to the public good.
“This is not just another event on the communication calendar; it is a defining moment for Nigeria’s leadership in global dialogue on responsible communication,” Idris declared.
He emphasised that communication, though powerful and transformative, can also be destructive when misused, warning that “the speed of information has surpassed the speed of reflection,” making responsible communication
more critical than ever. According to him, responsible communication lies at the heart of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to rebuild trust between the government and the people through openness, engagement, and shared purpose. Idris said, “The Renewed Hope vision seeks to rebuild trust between government and the people, trust anchored on openness, engagement, and shared purpose. Communication is the lifeblood of that trust.”
Umahi Gives 14-day Termination Notice to CCECC on Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Minister of Works, David Umahi, has reprimanded the poor construction meth- odology deployed by China Civil Engineering Construction Company Limited (CCECC) on the rehabilitation works on the Aba bound portion of the rehabilitation of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, contract No. 6252.
A statement in Abuja by the minister’s spokesman, Uchenna Orji, said that this was in ac- cordance with Umahi’s avowed determination to entrench the new construction codes and regulations in the method of construction works under the Federal Ministry of Works. The minister, who was on a routine supervision of
ongoing road projects within South-south and South-east on Sunday , expressed displeasure over the ‘recalcitrance’ of the contractor in complying with the new construction codes and regulations which are aimed at building enduring road infrastructure for the nation.
Speaking during the inspec- tion visit, Umahi decried the state of the 43-km Aba-Port Harcourt inherited ongoing
project handled by CCECC, which he said was on the verge of total collapse.
He thereafter directed that a 14-day notice of termination be issued to the contractor, having regard to the various warning letters issued to the contractor over its poor construction performance on the said job. He further directed that the Port Harcourt bound portion of the project be ‘descoped’
and re-awarded to a competent contractor.
He said: “If you get to the Port Harcourt end, which they did about two years or thereabout, the entire road has almost totally failed. We have been writing them to maintain this road. They have refused, and so I have to take responsibility and make a decision. Number one, the Port Harcourt bound is descoped,
no longer going to be done by“ICCECC. will direct the Ministry of Works to scout out for very qualified indigenous contractors to handle the Port Harcourt bound. They should be the contractor that will start work immediately while we sort out funds for them. Number two, for the site handled by CCECC, they should issue them 14 days notice of termination of the job.
NIGERIAN MODERNISM EXHIBITION IN LONDON...
L-R: Co-owner of Tresco, Amisha Chellaram; Founder of Lagos Gallery Kó, Kavita Chellaram; Director of Tate Modern and Tate Britain, Maria Balshaw CBE; Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, Executive Vice Chair of Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation; Chairman of Coronation Group and Access Holdings, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede CFR; novelist and poet, Ben Okri OBE FRSL; Chairman of Chellarams Plc and art collector, Suresh Chellaram; and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Coronation Group, Ngozi Akinyele, at the opening of the Nigerian Modernism Exhibition at Tate Modern, London, a showcase of Nigeria’s creative excellence and artistic heritage… recently
FIRS, RMAFC Inaugurate Consultants to Drive Recovery of Unremitted Revenues
James Emejo in Abuja Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, yesterday inaugurated “Engaged Consultants for the Revenue Recovery Exercise”, to drive the recovery of unremit- ted revenues across the economy.
The exercise also seeks
to boost accruals into the federation account.
Adedeji inaugurated the body in Abuja alongside Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr. Mohammed Shehu.
Adedeji reaffirmed FIRS’ commitment to effective collaboration with RMAFC in realising the objectives of
the recovery programme. Represented by FIRS Coordinating Director, Mr. Shettima Tamadi, Adedeji said, “Nigeria has a huge revenue gap, but with stronger collaboration between agencies and partners, we can bridge that gap and achieve sustainable fiscal growth.”
In his remarks, Shehu
also reaffirmed the commission’s determination to strengthen fiscal governance and ensure that all revenues due to the federation were fully accounted for and remitted into federation coffers.
He said, “This exercise is not a routine administrative action but a deliberate, result-oriented innovation
Ademola Osinubi Celebrates 70th Birthday with Thanksgiving Service in Lagos
Sunday Ehigiator
Former Managing Direc- tor and Editor-in-Chief of PUNCH Nigeria Limited, Sir Ademola Osinubi, marked his 70th birthday with a thanksgiving service held yesterday at Methodist Cathedral of Peace and Excellence, Opebi, Lagos.
The event brought together prominent media personalities, including publishers, editors-in-chief, and managing directors, as well as family members and well-wishers.
Among those in attendance
were Editor-in-Chief of Leadership Newspaper, Azubuike Ishiekwene; former MD/Editor-in-Chief, Punch Nigeria Limited, Adeyeye Joseph; former Chairman, Punch Nigeria, Chief Ajibola Ogunsola; and Publisher, Vanguard Newspaper, Sam Amuka-Pemu (CON).
Others were Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso; and National President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, and Editor of Vanguard Newspaper, Mr. Eze Anaba.
The occasion, which
mainly featured singing of thanksgiving hymns, Bible readings, and songs of praise to God Almighty, was officiated by Bishop of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Ijebu Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. SolomonDeliveringAdegbite. his sermon at the thanksgiving service, Ad- egbite reflected on Osinubi’s journey, describing it as one marked by divine favour and purpose.Drawing from Lamenta- tions 3:22, he said, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
Polio: Rotary Club Harps on Four Immunisation Pillars Against Mutant Strains
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
Rotary International District 9127 has called on the government and health partners to maintain the present momentum of a free polio nation in ensuring that the wild virus never gets into Nigeria again.
Rotary has said that the mutant strains which are still
prevalent can cause polio-like symptoms and pose a threat to the country’s progress, and to combat this, the Nigerian government, along with partners like Rotary, needs to focus on the four pillars of polio eradication which includes routine immunization, mass immunization, surveillance, and quick response to new cases with focus on health
centers across the country. Speaking yesterday during a press briefing in commemoration of the forthcoming 2025 Polio Day, the District Governor, Rotary International District 9127, Dr. Joy Nky Okoro, said while the virus has been eliminated, the threat of vaccine-derived polioviruses remains in under- immunized communities.
“The celebrant is a living testimony of this scripture. Many born in his time are no longer here, but God has kept him for Himself, not just to live, but to live purposefully.”
The bishop, who recalled officiating at Osinubi’s 50th birthday service two decades ago, said it was a “divine coincidence” to once again be part of the thanksgiving ceremony 20 years later.
designed to strengthen fiscal governance and ensure every recoverable naira due to the Federation is transparently remitted.”
He explained that the engagement of consultants was a strategic initiative aimed at plugging revenue leakages, enhancing transparency, and boosting the fiscal capacity of the three tiers of government, in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement by Head, Information and Public Relations Unit, RMAFC, Maryam Umar Yusuf, Shehu said the initiative aimed to identify and re- cover unremitted revenues across all sectors of the economy.Secretary to the commission, Mr. Joseph Okechukwu, urged the consultants to work diligently to complete the assignment within the stipulated six-month timeframe.
Okechukwu stressed that consultants must ensure that all identified recoverable revenues were promptly returned to the federation account to support national development priorities.
In his acceptance speech on behalf of the consultants, the lead consultant, Mr. Temitayo Ojeleke, described the engagement as a national call to duty. Ojeleke assured RMAFC and FIRS of their commitment to professionalism, transparency, and measurable results.
He said, “We accept this assignment as partners in Nigeria’s economic renewal, ready to deliver results that will strengthen the nation’s revenue base.”
The inauguration marks a significant milestone in RMAFC’s ongoing effort to enhance inter-agency collaboration, improve accountability, and maximise revenue generation for the collective benefit of the federation.
Akume Urges CEOs of Federal Agencies to Uphold Accountability, Transparency, Integrity in Public Service
Funmi Ogundare
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, yesterday, urged Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of federal government agencies to uphold the highest standards of accountability, transparency, and integrity in the performance of their duties.
Akume stressed that leadership in the public service was a sacred trust exercised on behalf of the Nigerian people. He made the assertions at
the opening ceremony of the 13th Cohort of the Mandatory Training Programme (MTP) for chief executive officers of federal agencies, organised by Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) in Badagry.
Akume stated that the CEOs were appointed based on their track records, saying they are expected to help drive the president’s vision of rebuilding and repositioning Nigeria through effective governance and institutional reform.
The SGF stated, “Leadership in the public service is funda-
mentally about stewardship, accountability, and impact.”
He said, “Every public officer holds office in trust for the people and must therefore demonstrate integrity, transparency, and commitment to service.”
He reminded the partici- pants that as chief executives, they were the points of contact between government and citizens, stressing that their agencies’ responsiveness, ef- ficiency, and quality of service shape public perception of government performance.
SympoSium
to
CommEmoratE yEar 2025 World trauma day...
L-R: Director, Administration and Human Resources, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Ms. Morenikeji Oki; Medical Director, Lagos State Accident and Emergency Center (LASAEC), Dr. Adeolu Arogundade; Lagos Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Kehinde Hamzat; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health; Dr. Olusegun Ogboye; State Auditor General, Dr. Muyiwa Adetola; Director, Medical Services, Lagos Health Service Commission, Dr. Olawale Adegbite; Senior Special Assistant to Governor on Health, Dr. Oluwatoni Adeyemi, at a Symposium to Commemorate Year 2025 World Trauma Day held in Alausa, Lagos ... recently
To Curb Fraudulent Practices, Customs Launches Vehicle Verification Scheme
Adeniyi: Era of misinformation over
James Emejo in Abuja
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, yesterday, launched Customs Vehicle Verification Management System (CVMS) to “eliminate fraudulent practices by bad actors who have long exploited loopholes in the system”.Adeniyi disclosed that the new system empowered the public and strengthened the integrity of the service by promoting transparency and reducing fraud.
Speaking at the ceremony in Abuja, he said the platform will provide a centralised digital system where vehicle records could be verified and confirmed within minutes.
He said that would enhance the efficiency of customs enforce- ment units — from federal operations to area commands and every relevant arm of the service.
According to him, the platform
million deal with Lagos state for the enhancement of water transportation, which will see an additional 100,000 Lagosians use the state’s waterways as against road and rail transport.
Speaking with Arise Televi- sion, Barrot also backed Africa’s quest for a permanent seat in the United Nations, noting that aside from that, President Emmanuel Macron was also interested in exploring other areas of coopera- tion with Nigeria.
He stated that the “Omi Eko” Project in Lagos will see the deployment of 75 electric boats and open 15 new waterways across 140 kilometres in Lagos, providing decarbonised water transport, reduced carbon emis- sions, and adaptation to rising sea levels.
“Now, implementation will be key, and it will be in the
democratises access to verified information and enables people to make informed decisions, thereby contributing to a cul- ture of transparency in vehicle importation and trade.
Adeniyi said the unveiling was in pursuit of order and sanity in the system, and in support of the present administration’s commitment to transformation.
He stated, “For years, vehicle import verification relied on fragmented and outdated systems. These systems created room for misinformation, fraud, and revenue leakage, costing the country significantly — and causing widespread frustration.
“Recognising the urgent need for change, the Nigeria Customs Service, in partnership with the Trade Modernization Project and our digital technical partners, developed this innovative and transformative solution.
“With CVMS, we now have a simplified, user-friendly platform
hands of the Nigerian authorities. But what’s very important is to see what the outcome will look like. Seventy five electric boats serving 15 new routes, 140 kilometers, allowing people that live remotely, that live far away from the centre of Lagos, to have access to public transportation.
“This will remove, if I may say, 100,000 people from road transportation or rail transportation onto waterways transportation. For the city of aquatic splendor, it is in some way very natural to see the water and the lagoon as an asset to make the life of Lagosians better.
“So this is a question that needs to be addressed to the agency in charge of the implementation of the project. But what’s for sure is that we’ve achieved a major step
where vehicle duty payments can be easily verified.”
He said, “Today marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to modernise the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service.
“You may recall that I made a commitment to anchor our policy direction on three key
In Rome,
pillars - strengthening collabo- ration with the private sector, consolidating previous gains, and delivering innovative solutions to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.”
Adeniyi explained, “The launch of the CVMS today is a clear demonstration of that commitment. This platform will
redefine how vehicle verification is conducted across the customs ecosystem — and across Nigeria as a whole.
“ It is another achievement in our pursuit of data-driven transformation.”
He said the system brought transparency and ease of access, adding that for the first time, in-
dividuals can verify the clearance status of any imported vehicle directly from customs — with no intermediaries, no delays, and no uncertainty. He said the new system gave citizens confidence, eliminated fraud, and ensured that every purchase was backed by verified customs data.
FG Courts FAO to Boost Food Security, Employment Opportunities for Nigerian Farmers
James Emejo in Abuja
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has sought continuous collaboration and partnership with United Na- tions Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to boost agricultural productivity, employment opportunities,
by securing the final deal for this to become a reality. Now, of course, implementation is key, but it was long due,” he stated, while answering a question on the commencement and completion of the project.
Having just returned from the Omi-Eko event, he stated that the inauguration of the major project will help in decarbonation of transport on waterways in Lagos and lower the transportation times for citizens and make the city more resilient in the face of rising sea level.
As the largest country in Africa, Barrot noted that Nigeria remains a key partner on the continent, highlighting the nation’s role in global affairs.
As a follow-up to last year’s meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Macron, the French Minister for Europe and Foreign
and sustainable development.
Kyari spoke at a bilateral meeting with Director General, FAO, Dr. QU Dongyu, on the side-lines of the 2025 World Food Forum (WFF), held in Rome, Italy.
He said enhanced partner- ship with FAO will enable Nigeria to achieve food and nutrition security.
Affairs, stated that France has a clear position on what its relationship with Nigeria should look like.
“France has a very clear position. France is a permanent member of the Security Council, and France calls for the creation of two seats of permanent members going to African countries with all associated prerogatives.
“In this effort, leading to the reform of the Security Council to allow the two African countries to become permanent members, we see Nigeria as playing a dominant role. In practice, what is needed to reform the Security Council is that the General Assembly of the United Nations adopts a resolution expressing the details, the parameters of the reform, and then for the Security Council
The minister said the ministry will strengthen collaboration with FAO in expanding irrigation systems to improve water management and resilience for smallholder farmers, and enhance year- round agricultural production.
He stressed the need to strengthen agricultural mechanisation initiatives in
itself, and for the permanent members in particular, not to oppose such a resolution.
“And we have spearheaded efforts bringing together coun- tries that, like France, support the reform of the Security Council to make 2026 the year of this reform, because it is long due and it is necessary to rebalance our international institutions, to allow Africa to play the role that it should play in order for these institutions to be more legitimate, more robust and more resilient,” he stated.
In terms of cooperation at the cultural and creative levels, he mentioned the Fela Kuti exhibition, describing it as the largest ever exhibition organised on the late musician, who he said is loved back in France.
On why the collaboration is necessary, he said: It’s very
order to improve efficiency, productivity, and value ad- dition among rural farming communities.
Kyari emphasised the im- portance of FAO’s support in establishing a comprehensive national farmers’ database to aid policy planning, resource allocation, and programme monitoring.
simple. France is at the forefront of creative and cultural industries in Europe. And Nigeria is at the forefront of cultural and creative industries in Africa.
“So it is very natural that we would co-organise this second edition of the Forum Création Africa. It is the largest forum, business forum, dedicated to creative and cultural industries on the continent, bringing together a thousand participants from 42 African countries, of which 80 are Nigerian participants.
“These people are excelling in video games, webtoons, cinema, fashion, digital design, and will connect and find an opportunity to accelerate their projects and to scale them up, basically. This is what we agreed with the Nigerian authority. This is what President Macron promised President Tinubu,” he added.
Fr
Deloitte: Despite 60% Share of W’Africa’s $80bn Oil Market, Nigeria’s Cost of Drilling Highest Among Peers
Region expected to grow 6.5% from 2025 to 2033
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Despite controlling at least 60 per cent of West Africa’s $80 billion oil market, Nigeria’s cost of drilling per barrel is about 40 to 50 per cent higher than its peers, a report by Deloitte, a global firm which provides audit, consulting and financial advisory services across various industries, has said. Besides, the report stated that the West Africa oil and gas market is projected to achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5 per cent from 2025 to 2033.
Deji Elumoye and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has declared that his administration cannot be accused of protecting any individual or group from legal consequences on account of political affiliation, or obstructing crime investigation and prosecu- tion by the authorities, as the government has neither shield laws nor engages in concealment of people’s involvement in crime.
Tinubu said a Nigeria corruption-free was possible if everyone committed to doing the right thing in their respective spheres of influence.
He charged the judiciary to remain steadfast, impartial, and incorruptible in dispensing justice.
The president spoke yesterday in Abuja while declaring open
According to the report, Nigeria and Ghana are leading contributors, accounting for around 80 per cent of the market’s value, underscoring West Africa’s vital role in Africa’s energy landscape and its growing significance in global oil and gas supply.
The report added that the sector faces five major challenges, including limited access to funding for independent producers, persistent cost premiums (with Nigeria’s operating costs 40–50 per cent higher than global averages), ongoing security threats, regulatory hurdles,
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and National Judicial Institute (NJI) Workshop for Justices and Judges.
He warned that the breakdown of any society began when those entrusted with interpreting its laws became compromised. Tinubu said his administration was committed to improving the welfare and working conditions of judicial officers, stating that recent remuneration reviews are part of a broader effort to strengthen judicial independence.
The president, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the moral foundation of the Nigerian nation rested on the integrity of its judicial system.
“We draw our moral distinction as a people from the judiciary, and we owe it
and inadequate infrastructure.
Addressing these issues, Deloitte said, is critical for unlocking the full potential of Africa’s oil and gas industry, as Nigeria holds 60 per cent; Ghana 20 per cent, while others hold the rest 20 per cent.
While some of the issues are structural, Deloitte stated that others have been exacerbated by new political, economic, and energy transition dynamics. Together, the report stated that these challenges define a uniquely African landscape for 2025, one that demands adaptive thinking to resolve.
the reverence and autonomy to remain the last sanctuary of our collective conscience,” he said.
The president addressed growing public concerns about delayed adjudication in high-profile corruption cases while cybercrime matters were resolved more swiftly.
He said, “The theme of this year’s workshop, ‘Enhancing Justice in the Fight Against Economic and Financial Crimes,’ will resonate among many in this audience, coming at a time when conversation in the fight against corruption evokes anger over delayed adjudication of high-profile matters while cases involving cybercrime masterminds are determined with“Theredispatch. is also a certain level of consternation over decisions
However, it said that strategic reforms such as Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the establishment of the $5 billion Africa Energy Bank (AEB) aim to improve regulatory certainty and funding access, with oil and gas companies increasingly investing in digital tools and data analytics to boost efficiency and reduce costs.
These innovations, alongside collaborative public-private part- nerships, it said, are essential for sustainable growth and energy security in the region.
“West Africa is one of the
of courts in serious corruption matters that engender feelings that society is being left with the wrong end of the stick.”
Defending his non-interferenceadministration’s in matters of the court and fight against graft, he stated, “There is no person or group who can accuse this administration of shielding political actors on account of their affiliation to this govern- ment or the political party. We have allowed both the judiciary and the anti-graft agencies to exercise their constitutional and statutory powers.”
Tinubu highlighted achieve- ments in the anti-corruption drive, revealing that EFCC “has recorded over 7,000 convictions in the first two years of my administration and recovered assets in excess of N500 billion”.
He added that the recovered
Army Mourns Officer, Soldiers Killed on Duty, Senate Pledges Stronger Support
Sunday Aborisade and Linus Aleke in Abuja
The High Command of the Nigerian Army has expressed deep grief over the passing of the Commanding Officer of the 202 Tank Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Saidu Paiko, along with several other valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives in defence of Nigeria.
This was as the Senate Committee on Army has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Paiko and others, pledging stronger legislative backing for the Nigerian Army.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, on behalf of the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased.
A statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, said the Commanding Officer and others died in the line of duty while fighting to thwart a planned terrorist attack on Bama Local Government Area
of Borno State.
“Troops of Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai successfully located and destroyed identified Boko Haram camps around the Kashimri general area of Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, thereby frustrating the terrorists’ plans to attack civilians and disrupt socio-economic activities in the area.
During the operation, the troops engaged the terrorists in a fierce gunfight, neutralising several, while others sustained injuries.However, the encounter took its toll on our side, as the Commanding Officer of the 202 Tank Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Saidu Paiko, and a few other valiant soldiers paid the supreme price.
“These brave heroes fought for the peace of our great nation, and their legacies shall endure forever,” the statement stated.
The Nigerian Army, she said, would continue to honour the weight of their sacrifices, as their loss served as a reminder of the troops’ unyielding resolve
to stamp out the scourge of terrorism from Nigeria.
Oluyede, however, reaffirmed Army’s unwavering resolve to relentlessly pursue all terrorist elements until total peace and normalcy were restored in the region and the nation at large.
“In the spirit of respect and compassion, members of the public and the media are kindly advised to refrain from sharing or publishing images of personnel who have paid the supreme price during operations, until their next of kin have been duly informed.
“This is to preserve the dignity of such fallen heroes and protect the privacy of their families,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the Senate, in a condolence message to Oluyede, described the deceased officers as national heroes who demonstrated uncommon courage, professionalism, and patriotism in the defence of the nation.
Senate Committee Chairman, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua, said, “On behalf
most expensive regions in the world to drill, making it more challenging for African producers in Nigeria to compete globally. This cost premium stems from a confluence of factors.
“Nigeria’s operating costs are estimated to be 40 to 50 per cent higher than in comparable oil producing jurisdictions.
Factors include: insecurity in production regions, complex procurement rules, local content requirements, high insurance costs for foreign contractors,” the Deloitte report added.
The report explained that
proceeds were being chan- nelled into social investment programmes, including the Students Loan and Consumer Credit Schemes.
Addressing the technological challenges facing the judiciary, Tinubu observed the evolution from simple email evidence to complex block-chain analysis in financial crime cases.
“How does one do justice in a cryptocurrency fraud case except one is grounded in such matters? Learning and relearning is no longer a buzz phrase but an essential undertaking for continued relevance in this digital age,” he said.
The president reminded judicial officers that corrup- tion affected everyone equally, saying, “Your vantage position on the Bench does not insulate you from the consequences of corruption. There are no special roads, hospitals, or communities for“Ajudges.Nigeria free of corruption is possible if we all commit to doing what is right in our respective spheres of influence.”
of the Senate Committee on Army, I extend our heartfelt condolences to you, the Nigerian Army, and the families of the gallant officers and soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.”
Nigeria’s trajectory and the renewed confidence of our global partners.
“Led by the Central Bank Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, our delegation presented a unified front — fiscal and monetary authorities working hand in hand to deliver macroeconomic stability, discipline, and inclusive growth.
“The message resonated: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforms for Nigeria are working.
“Over the week, we engaged multilaterally and bilaterally — from meetings with the Islamic Development Bank and the World Bank’s Managing Director of Operations, to the G24 and Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action.
“Across all forums, there was
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri
these premiums add significantly to project costs, often without a corresponding return in productivity or efficiency.
growth and stability of Nigeria. Kekere-Ekun charged judicial officers to be deliberate in apply- ing the relevant constitutional tools at their disposal while exercising firm control over proceedings.
She emphasised that the strength of the judiciary lay in the trust reposed in judges by the Nigerian people, urging them to ensure that justice is neither delayed nor partial.
Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, maintained that the decisions of judicial officers had a profound impact on the
a consistent acknowledgement that Nigeria’s reform agenda is yielding results. Inflation is moderating, the exchange rate is stabilising, investor confidence is returning, and foreign reserves are strengthening.”
The minister said she was particularly encouraged by IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva’s words, “Thank you, Nigeria, for showing the world that reform does work.”
Uzoka-Anite stressed, “This sentiment captures what we have all worked towards — proof that tough but necessary reforms are positioning Nigeria for sustainable growth.
“Our engagements also opened new doors for partner- ship in infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture, and climate
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Sen- ate Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno, stressed that while corruption was an enemy of the state, the fight against it required action from the legislature, a vigilant citizenry, and a coura- geousAkpabiojudiciary.assured that the National Assembly would continue to play its part in equipping law enforcement agencies to combat crime so that corruption would find no place to hide in Nigeria. Administrator of the NJI, B.A. Adejumo, stated that the gather- ing had become a significant milestone over the years in the quest to fight corruption, adding that “no nation can develop without tackling corruption”. Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede (SAN), disclosed that the landmark decision
Continued on page 29
finance — areas that align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and our national priorities of job creation, poverty reduction, and economic diversification.
“We return home from Washington not only with stronger partnerships, but with greater resolve. The world is watching Nigeria’s reform story unfold — and it is one of resilience, innovation, and hope.”
She stated, “The task ahead remains clear: to deepen reform, unlock private investment, and ensure that growth translates into prosperity for every Nigerian.”Uzoka-Anite added, “We are on the right path, and the best is yet to come.”
20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CONFERENCE...
L-R: Founder/Director of SCGN, Prof. Fabian Ajogwu, OFR, SAN; Head of Corporate Governance, NCC, Pankan Eze; President of SCGN, Mr. Muhammad K. Ahmad; Commission Secretary/Legal Adviser, PenCom, Mr. Muhammed Sani Muhammed; Coordinating Director, Directorate of Corporate Governance and Directorate of Inspections & Monitoring, Mr. Titus Osawe; and former Director of SCGN, Mr. Tijjani Borodo, LLM, during the 20th anniversary of the Corporate Governance Conference organised by the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria (SCGN) held in Lagos… recently
Alausa Outlines FG’s Reforms to Enhance Education Quality Nationwide
NLC extends deadline to resolve dispute with unions by one month
Emmanuel Addeh
Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has listed a raft of reforms to overhaul the country’s education system, ex- pand access, and raise standards across all levels of learning.
In a note on the ministry’s recent achievements, Alausa said the changes are part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to align Nigeria’s education sector with global benchmarks and prepare young citizens for a technology- driven economy.
In the note, he described the new student loan scheme as one of the government’s most significant achievements. The initiative, managed by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), offers interest-free loans to students in public univer- sities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. It was established under the Students Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act of 2023, later amended in 2024 to make the system more inclusive and flexible.
According to the minister, the policy ensures that no qualified Nigerian student is denied higher education due to financial constraints. The loans cover tuition and other academic expenses.
Alausa also noted that History has been restored as a compulsory
subject in the basic education cur- riculum, saying the decision was taken to promote national identity, unity, and civic responsibility. “As of today, History is fully back as a core subject in schools,” he said.
On infrastructure, the minister explained that the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) is rehabilitating schools nationwide through the School- Based Management Committee Improvement Programme. The projects include building classrooms, drilling boreholes, providing toilets and desks, and fencing schools, particularly in rural areas.
He added that the government has raised annual admission capacity in tertiary institutions from 750,000 to one million students and is harmonising tuition policies through NELFUND to ensure fair access.
Alausa pointed to the launch of the Nigeria Education Sec- tor Renewal Initiative (NESRI) Roadmap as a key step in transforming the sector. The six-pillar plan focuses on technical and vocational training, school infrastructure, girls’ education, reintegration of out-of-school children, curriculum reform, and digital learning.
He said ongoing initiatives include a nationwide teacher development plan, a curriculum review that reduces subject overload and prioritises entre-
preneurship and digital literacy, and a digital data system to track schools, teachers, and students.
The minister also mentioned the expansion of the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, which provides conditional cash transfers, upgrades school facili- ties, and equips girls with life and digital skills to overcome social and financial barriers.
Other policies, he said, include a proposed 12-year uninterrupted basic education structure, plans to phase out the Junior WAEC examination to curb dropout rates, and the upgrade of technical colleges nationwide. Under the new model, students will receive free tuition and stipends, with training weighted 80 per cent towards practicals and 20 per centAlausatheory. added that the government has launched the National Education Data System, introduced a new basic education curriculum, intensified teacher training and sensitisation, and expanded the national school feedingAccordingprogramme. to him, the scheme now uses digital registries linked to the National Identity Man- agement Commission (NIMC) to ensure transparency and accountability.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has extended its
MTN Restates Commitment to Empowering, Uniting Nigerian Youths Through Entertainment
Bassey Inyang in Calabar
Telecommunications gi- ant MTN has once again expressed its commitment at empowering, and con- necting young Nigerians by supporting their talents and creativity in the entertainment industry.
MTN gave fresh vent to its resolve in promoting the cul-
ture of entertainment among the Nigerian youths as the telecoms service provider sponsored a two-day “Cala- bar Entertainment Conference and Festival” staged recently in partnership with Hit FM located in the city. The MTN featured as a sponsor of the entertain- ment event held at the Hogis Royale Hotel and
Apartment; and the Mirage Hotels in Calabar, on Friday, and Saturday, respectively. Represented by Chibuzor Akuchie, Regional Manager, MTN, Calabar, Cross River State, the telecommunications service provider indicated that the company would continue to support the entertainment industry in Nigeria.
deadline by four weeks for the resolution of issues between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the federal government as the warning strike embarked upon by the union enters its second week.
Going forward, it said trade unions under its umbrella would no longer go into any form of negotiation with representatives of the government that have no official mandate.
The apex labour centre had a week ago threatened to call all its affiliate unions to join the strike in solidarity with the university teachers if the federal government failed to address their demands within two weeks.
However, after a meeting with ASUU and other university-based unions, NLC said it was extending the deadline to the federal government by four weeks.
Addressing journalists after a two-hour meeting with the unions at the Labour House in Abuja, yesterday, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said that they have developed a framework for negotiating the implementation of outstanding agreements towards sustainable funding of education.
“The NLC after extensive deliberation with the unions in
the tertiary institutions on finding solutions to the perennial problem in that sector have resolved to work with the unions to make sure that we find a lasting solu- tion to the problem that we have been facing all these years.
“We decided to establish a framework for engagement towards implementation of outstanding agreements and towards sustainable funding of education in line with UNESCO principles and recommendations – that is 26 per cent funding of education and the review of wage structures and allowances in tertiary institutions as well as respect of trade union rights on collective bargaining,” he said.
Ajaero also said the meeting addressed issues relating to the government’s neglect of agree- ments reached through collective bargaining.
“In this regard, we discovered that those that the government sent to meetings go there without mandates. Henceforth, the trade unions either in the tertiary institutions or other places will not go into any meeting with government representatives who don’t have mandates.
“But to conclude it, we have decided to give the federal gov-
ernment four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector. They have started talks with us, but the problem in this sector goes beyond us or one union. All other sectors, all other unions are equally involved.
“That is why we are extend- ing this to four weeks. If after four weeks this negotiation is not concluded, the organs of the NLC will meet and take a nationwide action that all workers in the country, all unions in the country will be involved so that we get to the root of all this. The era of signing agreements and threatening the unions involved, that era has come to an end,” he said.
While echoing the posi- tion read out by Ajaero, the leadership of all the university based unions including, ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) Non Academic Staff Union of Universities, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) said they were ready to stand in solidarity with other affiliate unions to ensure the federal government does not take issues of welfare of the workers and funding of the universities for granted.
SSDC Visits LPV Technologies, Seeks Regional Training Hubs for Capacity Building
The South-South Development Commission (SSDC), yesterday, visited the produc- tion facilities of LPV Technologies, the local manufacturers of industrial embedded solar panels, located in Ikotun, Lagos, seeking partnership for the establishment of training hubs at various regions in the country. Managing Director of SSDC, Usoro Akpabio, who led the visiting team,
expressed satisfaction about the automated manufacturing and assembling plants of LPV Technologies, as well as the quality assurance and control in the factory. She also assured its management of a partnership that would lead to the establishment of training hubs in some regions of the country, where LPV Technologies will train Nigerian youths on skills development and skills transfer in the area of clean energy, in line with the Renewed
Hope Agenda of President
“Nigeria is keen at driving local content, and at the same time, transiting to clean energy, which LPV Technologies is promoting. The mandate of the SouthSouth Development Commission is to enhance regional economic development, and this aligns with a drive for industrialization, youth and women empowerment, with focus on clean energy for a safe environment.
Emma Okonji
Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
LAWYER
Nigeria’s Political Defections: The Road to a One-Party State?
Quotable
‘We have entered a lull…An immeasurable progress has been made, not that insecurity is over. We are in a fairly better place, but, there’s still a lot of work to be done in the area of security…It is evidence of a rot that crept into this country, over a long period of time.’ - His Grace, Most Reverend Dr Matthew Hassan Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese
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Pardon, Justice and Inmates Audit
“Justice is a three-way traffic - for the Appellant accused of a heinous crime of murder….for the victim, the murdered man…..and finally, for the society at large” - Godwin Josiah v The State 1985 1 NWLR Part 1 Page 125 per Chukwudifu Akunne Oputa, JSC
My piece last week, “Pardon: A Coat of Many Colours” elicited so many responses, that I am constrained to say more about this controversial topic of the grant of Pardons. The public believes that the pardons granted by President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, don't meet the standard set by Oputa, JSC in Godwin Josiah v The State (Supra), as they serve the interest of only the convicts, and not the victims or society at large. A perusal of the list however, appears to support this assertion only in possibly less than 10% of the pardons, some of which I shall discuss below, and not majority of them.
Guidelines for the Grant of the Prerogative of Mercy Before I go into some of cases that stand out, three of which I mentioned last week, it is apposite for me to discuss the Working Guidelines of the Ekiti State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy drawn by Ekiti State Ministry of Justice during the tenure of Olawale Fapohunda, SAN as Attorney-General, on the general principles guiding the exercise of the prerogative of mercy by the Governor, under the hand of immediate past Governor, Kayode Fayemi (Guidelines) - see Sections 175 & 212 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)(the Constitution).
Paragraph 4.1 of the Guidelines lists the approved sources of application for the consideration for clemency: including the Nigeria Correctional Services and the Courts. Paragraph 4.4 thereof then provides for the “Eligibility for recommendation for clemency by Council (a) Convicts for capital offences (murder, armed robbery etc) who have spent fifteen years in prison custody (b) Convicts for felonies attracting life imprisonment who have spent 10 years in prison custody (c) Convicts for other offences who have s p e n t one-quarter of the imposed prison term in the Correctional Centre (d) Ex-Convicts with proof of rehabilitation, reformation and reintegration into society, after release or completion of term in the Correctional Centre”.
Paragraph 5.1 of the Guidelines allow a derogation from the Guidelines by the Council in certain circumstances, meaning that even if they do not fit into the Paragraph 4.4 criteria, they may still qualify under the following: “(a) Young convicts between ages 18 and 21 years (b) Elderly convicts (non-habitual offenders) above 70 years (c) Convicts with terminal illness (d) Convicts with contagious and infectious diseases (e) Convicts for offences that are subject to a specific government policy in force”.
The Guidelines allow the Council to cancel, inter alia, an application that is found to be fraudulent. In one of the reactions to my aforementioned piece of last week, a State Attorney-General told me of an application from a Correctional Centre for the pardon of a convict who was said to have terminal cancer (see Paragraph 5.1(c) of the Guidelines). When the AG decided to contact the State Teaching Hospital to verify the authenticity of the medical report submitted by the Correctional Facility in support of the application for pardon, the Hospital wrote back to say it was a forgery that wasn’t issued by their establishment. This leads to the irresistible conclusion that, the Correctional Facilities sometimes appear to ‘connive’ with convicts, and submit applications for pardons for those who are not qualified for clemency. Surely, by the time an inmate has terminal cancer, it would be apparent that the convict/patient is critically ill, and it would be the Correctional Facility that would take such individual to the hospital for treatment. This could only mean that the Correctional Facility used false pretences to secure clemency for an undeserving convict, by hatching a joint plot for the convict to feign terminal sickness. It also seems that attending National Open University, has also become a blanket reason for granting pardons to perpetrators of violent crimes in Nigeria. While in other countries getting an education while incarcerated may be a positive sign of personal growth and rehabilitation, in Nigeria, it’s probably just used by smart criminals as a ‘get out of jail free card’. The circumstances of each case must therefore, be well considered. Other factors must be taken into consideration apart from remorse, accountability and good behaviour; the nature of the offence, public interest and safety, that is, whether there is a likelihood that the convict may offend again.
Some of the Cases: Using the Ekiti Guidelines as the Template 1) Maryam Sanda and Lina Kusum Wilson Maryam Sanda was sentenced to death for killing her husband, and has been incarcerated for 6 years 8 months. Paragraph 4.4(a) of the Guidelines, shows that Sanda hasn’t met the condition of serving at least 15 years imprisonment for a capital offence. There is no extenuating circumstance that entitles Sanda to a derogation, under the criteria set by Paragraph 5.1 of the Guidelines. She is 37, outside the 18-21 or over 70 age brackets for young and old offenders; she isn’t said to be terminally ill, or plagued by an infectious disease. The victim, Bilyaminu Bello’s biological father who is said to be in support of Sanda’s pardon, a factor which has been used to defend the grant of her pardon, if the circumstances weren’t so sad, I would have referred to his support of Sanda’s pardon sarcastically, as laughable. As we can see from some of the publications of the last
onIkePo BRAIThwAITe
onikepo braithwaite
onikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive. com onikepob@yahoo.com
“The public believes that the pardons granted by President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, don’t meet the standard set by Oputa, JSC….. A perusal of the list however, appears to support this assertion only in possibly less than 10% of the pardons….the irresistible conclusion that, the Correctional Facilities sometimes appear to ‘connive’ with convicts, and submit applications for pardons for those who are not qualified for clemency….Sanda and Wilson appear to be ineligible…. A case in view for pardon, is also that of Sunday Jackson…. This is one of the cases being used abroad, to perpetuate the narrative of Christian genocide in Nigeria”
few days, Bilyaminu’s biological father’s case is akin to that of a parent who puts his child up for adoption at birth, and is never seen throughout his life. Then suddenly, 40 plus years later, the parent reappears, to not just claim a child that he has never had contact with, as his, but, to take important decisions relating to his life. There must be a reason for this reappearance and claim, and in this case, it appears to be self-interest. Here, the words of the biological parent who shares absolutely no bond of affection with the child and proceeds to spout nonsense about forgiveness, must be taken with a pinch, no, a 50kg bag of salt, and not as the gospel truth that is over and above the words of his adoptive parents who brought him up as their own child, and who are the ones the child knows as his Parents! Pray tell, who are the family of the child in true sense of the word? The biological father, who is nothing more than a sperm donor, or those whom the child grew up with all his life, who nurtured him? These days, ladies pick up sperm samples of men unknown to them from fertility clinics, and use them to father their children!
Assuming without conceding that Bilyaminu’s father was his father in the true sense of the word, and supported Sanda’s pardon, but every other member of his family, his grandparents, mother, siblings, cousins opposed the pardon, should the Committee not take the feelings of the other family members into consideration, as well as other criteria to make an informed decision? That Sanda hadn’t served the requisite 15 years in prison; that it is against public interest to pardon Sanda now, because it sends a wrong message to the society - that it is possible for a premeditated, heinous offence in which there was a cover-up attempt to obstruct justice, to easily be reduced to little more than a misdemeanour, if the right buttons are pressed; that there are two types of justice, one for the privileged and connected, the other for the common man. What about the morale
of the law enforcement agents who gathered enough evidence to secure the conviction, and the Judiciary that wasted valuable man hours spanning three courts?
Wilson also sentenced to death for culpable homicide had only spent 8 years in prison, meaning that, using Paragraph 4.4(a) of the Guidelines, she is also ineligible to be considered for a pardon.
Finding: Presently, Sanda and Wilson appear to be ineligible for a pardon. 7 others who had spent a longer periods of time on death row, unlike Sanda who is said to be in a Medium Security Correctional Facility, had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment. This is more understandable, seeing as the world is moving away from capital punishment.
2) Bukar Adamu
He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in 2019 for advanced fee fraud. His prison term was reduced drastically from 20 years to 9 years, by more than half. Why?
Finding: Though Adamu has served over one-quarter of his 20 year sentence (see Paragraph 4.4(c) of the Guidelines), the reason for the drastic reduction in his sentence is unknown. It is not automatic that a person who serves one-quarter of their sentence, must be released.
3) Kelvin Onairah Ezigbe, Frank Azuekor and Chisom Francis Wisdom
While nothing is known about Azuekor and Wisdom, except for the fact that they were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with effect from 2013 and 2018 respectively for kidnapping, and their sentences have been reduced to 12 years, in the case of Azuekor, for good behaviour and attending Open University, Ezeigbe was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with effect from 2013, for kidnapping, and has served over half of his 20 year sentence. He is reported to be the one who kidnapped Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, amongst others, while it is alleged that others were killed in his captivity. Reducing his
sentence to 13 years means he will probably be ready to go home now, since one prison month is said to be 20 days. The reason for his release, is that he showed remorse and attended National Open University! Really?
A kidnapper in whose custody people were alleged to have been killed, and was only sentenced to 20 years imprisonment instead of the death sentence, is rather lucky. Should he not then be made to complete his sentence, for such terrible crimes? It seems that all those years ago, the penalty for kidnapping was not as severe as it is today. Presently, many States have enacted laws that if a kidnap victim dies in captivity, the punishment of the kidnapper upon conviction will be death, while kidnapping now attracts a life sentence. See for instance, the Edo State Kidnapping Prohibition (Amendment) Law 2025 which provides much stiffer penalties for different aspects involved in the crime of kidnapping, with the intention of addressing the whole chain from providing logistics support (14 years imprisonment) to aiding and abetting (21 years imprisonment); Section 2 (2) & (3) of the Lagos State Kidnapping Prohibition Law 2017.
Finding: With the scourge of kidnapping in Nigeria, Ezeigbe, Azuekor and Wisdom should be left to complete their sentences, to show that Nigeria has zero tolerance for kidnappers. Is it fair to Ezeigbe’s victims who are still very much alive, to pardon him because he attended Open University, after the suffering and fear that they endured in his clutches? I think not. This reprieve serves only Ezeigbe’s interest, and neither that of the victims, dead or alive, nor public interest. Just as detainees are tutored by inmates to deny the voluntariness of their confessional statements necessitating a trial-within-trial, inmates are probably shown that attending Open University may earn them an early release from prison.
4) Dr Nwogu Peters
Looking at Paragraph 4.4(c) of the Guidelines, Peters is serving a 17 year jail term for fraud since 2013. He has served most of this sentence, but is said to have other outstanding cases, yet to be determined. How would the pardon work?
Finding: The issue of the other charges pending against Peters, is extremely relevant. As a result of this, Peters may not be eligible for a pardon, which would obviously be only for the offence that Peters was convicted for. Paragraph 6 of the Ekiti Guidelines provides for the cancellation of the remedy, if information in the application is found to be fraudulent or the conditions under which they are granted, are breached. Surely, non-inclusion of the fact that other charges are pending against a convict would be fraudulent, as it is amounts to withholding material facts that would obviously influence the outcome of the application. Similarly, the fact that such charges are pending, would probably breach the conditions under which such pardon is granted.
5) Nweke Francis Chibueze and Chukwukelu Sunday Calisthus
Nweke and Chukwukelu are both serving life sentences, for drug offences. We are not told what type of drug Chukwukelu was involved in, but Nweke is for cocaine related offences. Chukwukelu has been in prison since 2014 (11 years), while we don’t know how long Nweke has spent in prison, whether up to 10 years to make him eligible him for a pardon under Paragraph 4.4(b) of the Guidelines as Chukwukelu appears to be, or whether there are other reasons like age or terminal illness, but Section 11 of the NDLEA Act 2004 tells us that Nweke must have been involved in either the production, manufacture, importation or trafficking and selling of cocaine, to bag a life sentence.
Finding: Not enough information was provided on the list of pardonees that was disseminated, to make an informed decision as to whether Nweke and Chukwukelu are deserving of pardons.
6)Aluagwu Lawrence
Aluagwu was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2015, for being in possession of 220 grammes of cannabis, and has spent 10 years in prison.
Finding: Not only is Aluagwu eligible under Paragraph 4.4(b) of the Guidelines having spent 10 years in prison, his sentence appears to have been unnecessarily harsh. About 20 others on the list of pardonees who were caught with larger quantities of cannabis, were sentenced by courts to 3-15 years imprisonment, and they have served half to three-quarters of their sentences (see Paragraph 4.1(c) of the Guidelines). The sentences of many of drug related pardonees, were reduced by some years. In some countries such as Germany and Canada, the recreational use of cannabis is now legal.
Finally
A comprehensive audit of inmates in all the Nigerian Correctional Facilities is required, so that many more who are awaiting trial, or convicted with options to pay fines but are unable to pay, and so on, can be addressed, in order to decongest the prisons. A case in view for pardon, is also that of Sunday Jackson v The State SC/CR/1022/2022 per Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju, JSC, in which Her Lordship, in her dissenting judgement accepted Jackson’s plea of self defence, a complete defence, and recommended him to the Governor of Adamawa State for the prerogative of mercy (see Paragraph 4.1(b) of the Guidelines). This is one of the cases being used abroad, to perpetuate the narrative of Christian genocide in Nigeria. Paragraph 5.1(e) of the Guidelines, may be applicable in Jackson’s case.
Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
Appropriate Procedural Rules Applicable to Admiralty Actions
Facts
The Appellant commenced an action before the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division by a Writ of Summons dated 3rd April 2013, claiming against the Respondents jointly and severally, liquidated damages and general damages for losses sustained by the 1st Appellant as a result of a fire incident on board the 1st Respondent while berthed at the Lagos Port. The Appellants alleged that the fire incident was caused by the Respondents’ negligence. In reaction, the Respondents filed a motion of notice in which they sought an order of court striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction. The basis of the Respondents’ application was that the Appellants failed to obtain the leave of the court to issue and serve the originating process on the 3rd Respondent who is resident outside the jurisdiction of the court. The Appellants opposed the application. In a ruling delivered on 3rd October 2013, the trial Court dismissed the Respondents’ objection and ordered the Respondents to file their defence. Dissatisfied, the Respondents appealed to the Court of Appeal, which allowed the appeal and struck out the Appellants’ Writ of Summons. Aggrieved by that decision, the Appellants appealed to the Supreme Court. Counsel for both set of parties filed and exchanged respective briefs of arguments on behalf of their clients.
Issue for Determination
In determining the appeal, the Supreme Court adopted the sole issue distilled by the Appellants and adopted by the Respondents as follows: Whether in the circumstances of this case, the writ of summons was issued and served in compliance with the law.
Arguments
Counsel for the Appellants argued that the issuance and service of the writ of summons was in accordance with the law. Counsel submitted that service on a ship within jurisdiction in an action in rem suffices as good service for the 3rd Respondent as designated on the face of the writ. He argued further that the originating process in the action against the 3rd respondent being an action in rem was prepared, issued and served within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court in Lagos as none of the Respondents was outside jurisdiction and thus leave of court was not required. Counsel contended that by the Admiralty Jurisdiction Act 1991 (“AJA”) and the Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules 2011 (“AJPR”) which are the applicable laws for admiralty actions, service of a writ of summons in an action in rem would be said to be effectively executed when it has been served on a ship or any property which at the time of service of the writ is on board the ship. Counsel maintained that the Sheriffs and Civil Processes Act is not applicable for admiralty actions in rem and that no leave is required for issuance and service of a writ in an admiralty action in rem. Counsel further argued that the inclusion of the 3rd Respondent (“Owners of the MV Kota Manis”) does not transform the action to an action in personam that requires the leave of court for service outside jurisdiction especially since the 3rd Respondent is not named or specifically identified.
In response, counsel for the Respondent argued that the Appellants ought to have sought and obtained the prior leave of the Federal High Court to issue and serve the writ of summons on the Respondents, particularly the 3rd Respondent who are ordinarily resident abroad, outside the jurisdiction of the trial court, in line with the mandatory requirements of the Sheriffs and Civil Processes Act (SCPA) and the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2009 (FHCR). Counsel argued that the Appellants’ failure to
Stephen Jonah Adah, JSC
In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at abuja
On Friday, the 25th day of april, 2025
Before their lordships
Ibrahim Mohammed Musa Saulawa emmanuel akomaye agim Chioma egondu Nwosu-Iheme
(Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Stephen Jonah Adah, JSC)
meet the condition precedent to serve the 3rd Respondents who is outside the jurisdiction of the trial court was fatal to the Appellants’ case as it stripped the trial court of jurisdiction to entertain the suit. Counsel further argued that the 3rd and 4th Respondents who are neither ships nor maritime assets, but separate corporate entities automatically change the nature of the Appellants’ claim from an action in rem to an action in personam. Counsel maintained that in admiralty matters where an action in rem is combined with an action in personam, it is the provisions of the FHCR, AJPR and sections 97-99 of SCPA
“Admiralty law follows its own set of procedural rules distinct from general civil procedure rules, and the Admiralty Jurisdiction Act (AJA) and Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules (AJPR) are specialised and peculiar legislations that govern with Admiralty actions…..it is the intendment of the law for the AJA and AJPR to govern Admiralty Causes, and not the Federal High Court Rules….the Sheriff and Civil Process Act has no applicability to admiralty claims, brought before the Federal High Court”
and Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules (AJPR) are specialised and peculiar legislations that govern with Admiralty actions. The Apex Court held that these legislations allow for an action in rem which is a legal proceeding against a vessel or maritime property itself and an action in personam which is a legal proceeding initiated against a specific individual or entity, such as a ship owner, charterer or operator.
The Supreme Court held that the AJA and AJPR are custom made laws and rules enacted by the legislature for the purpose of regulating Admiralty causes, and there is no specific reference to the application of other rules of court to Admiralty matters. The Apex Court held further that while Sections 1 and 2 of the AJA prescribes the extent of the Admiralty jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Order 3 of the AJPR prescribes the form and commencement of an admiralty action and how originating processes used to commence as admiralty actions are issued and served, referring specifically to Rules 6, 7., 8, 9, 11 and 12. The Apex Court found that the Court of Appeal was thus, in error, for applying Orders 12 Rule 8; Order 3 Rules 19 and 20 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009 which had no application to Admiralty actions.
The Apex Court held further that Section 7(1) of AJA provides that a writ in a proceeding commenced as an action in rem in the court may be served on a ship or other property, while Order 6 Rules (1) and (2) of the AJPR also elaborately deals with service of writs in actions in rem or in personam in every circumstance; and there is no provision in both the AJA and AJPR that requires a party commencing an admiralty action to resort to the Sheriff and Civil Process Act or the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules. The Apex Court held that the provisions of the AJA and AJPR are clear and elaborate and it is the intendment of the law for the AJA and AJPR to govern Admiralty Causes, and not the Federal High Court Rules.
The Apex Court also referred to its decision in SAMUEL v APC (2023) 10 NWLR (PT. 1892) 195 and PDP v UCHE & ORS (2023) LPELR – 59604 (SC) in which it unequivocally held that the provisions of Sections 95, 96, 97 and 98 which contained provisions requiring leave to serve a writ issued by the High Court of the State of the Federal Capital Territory but to be served on a party in another state, are not applicable to the Federal High Court. Referring also to its decision in HAJIA UMMA MUKTAR AHMED MOHAMMED v NIGERIA DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORP. SC/958/2015 (UNREPORTED), the Apex Court emphasised that the processes of the Federal High Court whose territorial jurisdiction covers the entire country are exempted from the operations of Sections 97 and 98 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act.
that are applicable. Counsel argued that service on the 3rd Respondent, a corporate entity resident outside Nigeria through the 4th Respondent cannot be deemed to be proper service. Relying on the case of OWNERS OF THE MV ARABELLA v NIGERIA AGRICULTURE INSURANCE CORPORATION (2008) 11 NWLR (Pt. 1097) 182, counsel for the Respondents urged the Apex Court to hold that both the Sheriffs and Civil Processes Act and the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2009 are applicable to issues relating to the issuance and service of summons in civil matters including admiralty actions and non-compliance with their provisions rendered the Appellants’ writ incompetent.
Court’s Judgement and Rationale
The Supreme Court held that the law and practice of admiralty law is regarded as sui generis (“of its own kind”) and in the Nigerian legal context, admiralty is treated as a specialised and distinct area of law that does not entirely conform to the general principles governing other branches of law. The Court held that Admiralty law follows its own set of procedural rules distinct from general civil procedure rules, and the Admiralty Jurisdiction Act (AJA)
The Court held that for the sake of clarity, it is important to emphasise that the Sheriff and Civil Process Act has no applicability to admiralty claims, brought before the Federal High Court. The Apex Court found that the Court of Appeal thus had no business referring to and applying the Sheriff and Civil Process Act in determining the objection raised by the Respondents which bothered on the issuance and service of the originating process in an admiralty action filed at the Federal High Court. In conclusion, the Supreme Court found that the suit was rightfully commenced by the Appellants under Section 7 of the Admiralty Jurisdiction Act and Order 6 of the Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules. Appeal Allowed. Case file remitted back to the trial court for hearing on the merit. Cost of N20,000,000.00 awarded in favour of the Appellants against the Respondents.
Representation
Dr Emeka Akabuogu with Victor Oyegbado for the Appellants. Paul Omaidu for the Respondents.
Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR)(An affiliate of Babalakin & Co.)
The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) and the Nigeria Police Force have agreed to review the tinted permit policy, to ensure it aligns with public interest and national security objectives.
Chairman of NBASPIDEL, Prof Paul Ananaba, SAN disclosed this in Lagos during an interactive session held ahead of the NBASPIDEL 2025 Conference, explaining that the decision followed weeks of engagement between both parties, after complaints of harassment of motorists by Police officers enforcing the tinted glass permit directive.
“Following our discussions with senior Police officers, we agreed that enforcement of the tinted permit should be suspended while a joint review Committee
is constituted”, Prof Ananaba said. He stated that the Committee, made up of representatives of NBASPIDEL and the Nigeria Police, will examine the legal and security implications of the policy and propose new regulatory guidelines. According to him, NBASPIDEL’s engagement with the Police was not confrontational,
but aimed at promoting accountability and justice in public administration.
Prof Ananaba, added that the Association had also filed a suit against the Police over alleged discriminatory enforcement of the policy, stressing that such actions were necessary to uphold the rule of law. He further announced that the NBA-SPIDEL 2025 Conference which
will hold in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State from December 1- 5, 2025, will be focusing on justice reform, governance, and international cooperation for human rights promotion. At the same event, the Vance Centre for International Justice, a non-profit arm of the New York City Bar Association, proposed a partnership with NBA-
SPIDEL to institutionalise pro bono legal services and strengthen public interest law across Africa.
Director of the Centre’s Africa Initiative, Adaobi Egboka, said the collaboration would help develop a structured pro bono framework, create a database of participating law firms, and establish standards for measuring legal aid
contributions. She also urged the Nigerian Bar to support a proposed “Pro Bono Declaration for Africa”, which would commit law firms to dedicating specific hours annually to free legal services for the underprivileged.
“Our goal is to build a stronger, data-driven, and institutionalised pro bono culture across Africa”, Egboka stated.
“Law Must Lead Economic Growth”, Osinbajo Charges Nigeria at AELEX 19th Lecture
In a stirring Keynote Address at the AELEX 19th Annual Lecture themed “Rule of Law and Economic Development: The Nigerian Experience”, former Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo, GCON, SAN, urged Nigeria’s leaders and institutions to recommit to legal certainty, institutional integrity and people-centred governance as the bedrock for sustainable economic transformation. The event, held at the Ecobank Pan African Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, drew an array of legal, business, policy, and
civil society stalwarts.
Osinbajo began with a precise working definition of the rule of law, laws that are “clear, fairly applied, and equally enforced”, and insisted that without enforcement, even the best laws amount to paper tigers.
“To be credible, disputes must be resolved by independent courts, bound by laid-down precedents and legislation. No one, not even the Government or its agencies, is above the law”.
He underscored the symbiosis of rule of law and economic development: strong legal frameworks
reduce uncertainty, lower transaction costs, and encourage investment, while weak execution and delays drive capital and talent away. Citing Lagos State’s experiment in mediation centres for landlord–tenant cases, Osinbajo illustrated how resolving legal logjams revived investor confidence in housing financing.
Yet, the former Vice President did not shy away from hard truths. He drew on recent empirical findings, to highlight that a typical commercial dispute in Nigeria takes about 13 years from filing to final
Supreme Court resolution, if all appeals are pursued.
This chronic delay, Osinbajo argued, cripples business confidence and thwarts growth.
On the Panel session, moderated by Mr Opeyemi Agbaje, SAN, Panelists including Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN; Dr Chinyere Almona and Mr Bismarck Rewane, mirrored Osinbajo’s urgency. They called for reforms in regulatory consistency, stronger arbitration regimes, and modernisation of institutions, to reduce human discretion and curb
Stakeholders Urged to Embrace the Advertising Offences Tribunal
In a bid to deepen understanding of Nigeria’s evolving advertising regulatory framework, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), in partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association’s Lawyers in the Media (NBA-LIM), held a critical Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, themed “The Nigerian Advertising Law: The Role of the Advertising Offences Tribunal (AOT)”. The event, held at the Sheba Events Centre in Ikeja, drew legal luminaries, industry practitioners and regulatory stakeholders, to deliberate on enforcement, compliance, and innovation in the advertising
sector.
The Keynote Address was delivered by Chief Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, who framed the challenges and opportunities inherent in transitioning from a primarily voluntary compliance regime, to one anchored by judicial backing through the AOT. He called on all stakeholders’ advertisers, legal practitioners, regulatory agencies and the media, to see the tribunal not as a punitive instrument, but as a mechanism for fairness, accountability, and industry growth.
In the Panel discussion that followed, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, Director-General of ARCON, affirmed that
the Council sees stakeholder engagement as foundational not optional. “This Town Hall Meeting is part of our broader effort to institutionalise dialogue, transparency, and compliance across the entire advertising value chain”, he said. He emphasised that the AOT must balance deterrence with due process, and that the regime should foster an environment where creativity is protected, but consumer rights and public interest are not compromised.
Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, representing the NBA and legal stakeholders, underscored the Judiciary’s pivotal role in legitimising regulatory action under the law. He
urged courts to uphold the tribunal’s judgements, and urged ARCON to ensure robust procedural safeguards. Barrister Charles Odenigbo, from the Centre for Media Law and Development, cautioned that the enforcement mechanisms must not stifle freedom of expression, or disproportionately penalise emerging voices in media and advertising.
Mr Lanre Adisa, Chairman of the Heads of Advertising Sectoral Groups (HASG), brought the perspective of industry practitioners. He welcomed the AOT as a step toward clarity and predictability in regulatory enforcement, but stressed
that fairness, consistent application, and stakeholder inclusion would be key to its acceptance. However, he also voiced concern over the exclusion of some major industry bodies from the event, remarking that the absence of direct representation could weaken the legitimacy of any outcomes. The consensus was that the AOT, if properly operationalised, could raise the credibility and effectiveness of Nigeria’s advertising regulation regime. As one senior attendee put it: “We move today not just toward enforcement, but toward a more mature, accountable advertising sector”.
corruption.
Dr Almona zeroed in on the imperative of public–private synergy, urging that laws and regulations across sectors finance, trade, energy, and land align to avoid contradictory rules that deter investment. Mr Rewane warned that, in a fragile legal climate, investors would demand steep risk premiums, slowing capital inflows and stalling economic revival. The lecture’s tone was not merely diagnostic, but aspirational. Osinbajo closed by emphasising that Nigeria’s problem is rarely a dearth of laws, rather, the gaps lie in weak institutions, inconsistent policy application, and human discretion. He urged an intentional sit-down among the executive, judiciary, legislature and private sector, to collaboratively chart a path forward. As the curtains fell on the 19th AELEX Annual Lecture, the message resonated: for Nigeria to unlock its economic potential, the rule of law must not just be enshrined, it must be lived. The challenge ahead is not for lack of ideas, but for the discipline to turn them into action.
L-R: Rebecca Ebokpo; Chairman of the occasion, Opeyemi Agbaje; Partner, AELEX, Theophilus Emuwa; Dr Chinyere Almona; former Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN; Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN; Tiwalola Osazuwa and Chinyerugo Ugoji
Nigeria’s Political Defections: The Road to a One-Party State?
The recent mass exodus of top Nigerian politicians from opposition parties to the ruling all Progressives Congress (aPC), has had an unsettling effect in the polity. as at the last count, the Peoples democratic Party (PdP) was almost depleted, with some of its Governors moving to aPC one after the other. Party officials from other parties, have since joined the bandwagon, Legislators too. What could be the reasons behind this unprecedented movements? Is Nigeria headed towards a sycophantic One-Party State? What does it portend for Nigeria’s fledging democracy? Jibrin Samuel okutepa, SAN, Segun Talabi and Dr Mudiaga odje examine these issues, in this edition
Party Defections: Consequences for Democracy
Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, SAN
Worrisome Gale of Defections
The gale of political defections in Nigeria as of now, are worrisome. It is nauseating to see politicians jumping from one political party to the other political parties without qualms, not because of the interest of the people but because of their self-centred interests. There are many instances where Governors have abandoned the political parties on whose platforms they were elected or selected into
office, to another political party that they had said so much against. The choices of the people at the polls, were based on the political parties that such decampees stood election. Nigerian politicians are just not working for the people, in most cases. They work for
"We must do away with this mentality of changing parties, just because of self-serving partisan interests"
themselves, and the interests of their political godfathers and godmothers. Political decency has been thrown overboard. Political ideologies, do not matter to them. What matters, is their selfish political partisan agenda. While it is correct to say that the Nigerian Constitution allows freedom of expression and association, it is high time we examine the legality of the cross-carpeting of our political class, in sabotage of the choice of the people.
Sycophancy
The level of political sycophancy in Nigeria, is becoming too alarming and dangerous for the comfort of any reasonable Nigerian. Nigerian politicians in most cases, are like fish. They cannot survive outside of the water of political corruption. That is why they are not ready to build permanent political structures, within their political parties. They, in most cases, engage in political prostitution polluting as it were, democratic principles.
Today, instead of governance, most Governors act as house helps of the President. The President has become so powerful, that they adore him and worship him like God. The other day, I heard a Governor saying that a particular dress said to be the President’s dress, is the only dress to be worn in the Exco meeting in that state. What kind of level of nauseating sycophancy is this? With these kinds of sycophantic leaders across the States, how can Nigeria develop?
The President will not be told the truth, about underdevelopment. Nigerian politicians have become the enemies of the people. They stand truth on its head, and sycophancy has replaced patriotic commitments to speak truth at all times. Nigeria is doomed. When you look at most of the political parties in Nigeria, you will notice the lack of internal democracy in them. These political parties are just vehicles. There are no political parties that perform the duties of political parties, in Nigeria. These political
Nigeria’s Political Defections: The road to a one-Party State?
parties are just political entities, being controlled by those who have the means of production. No member of the parties, can question the excesses of these godfathers and godmothers of Nigerian politics.
Political power has become an instrument of oppression in Nigeria. We must do away with this mentality of changing parties, just because of selfserving partisan interests. Even when the Constitution prohibits cross-carpeting, our politicians are doing so with audacity of impunity. Those who are to hold them accountable, have refused to do so for pure commercial interests. We need a democracy that tolerates truths. Enough of sycophantic praise-singing leaders, who have nothing to offer the people. Those who leave their political parties for another party, are the reason we are where we are in our retarded democratic journey since 1999.
Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, SAN, Abuja
Party Defections: Risk of a One-Party State
Segun Talabi
The Nigerian political scene has changed significantly since the APC, originally an opposition coalition, took power in 2015 by defeating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As of October 2025, we have seen many defections from opposition parties to the APC, including notable Governors and lawmakers. This trend, while convenient for those switching sides, challenges the principles of our constitutional democracy. Legally, defection is not an unrestricted right; it is limited by rules designed to prevent opportunistic party-switching that undermines the voters’ choice. As the Supreme Court stated in a key case, defection can be "painful, unconscionable and immoral", yet, the law includes ways to enforce accountability.
Constitutional Provisions
The 1999 Constitution specifically addresses political defection in Sections 68 and 109, which relate to the National Assembly
and State Houses of Assembly, respectively. These sections were added to curb the rampant party switching that affected earlier governments, and to ensure elected officials stay accountable to the platforms on which they were elected. Section 68(1)(g) states that a member of the Senate or House of Representatives must vacate their seat if they switch to another political party before their term ends, having been elected on the platform of a political party. However, there are exceptions: if the defection stems from a division within the original party or a merger of two or more parties or factions, including the one that sponsored the member, the vacation does not apply. This requirement is also found in Section 109(1)(g) for members of State Houses of Assembly, helping to maintain consistency across Federal and State legislatures.
The reasoning behind these sections is based on the principle of representative democracy outlined in Section 14(2)(c) of the Constitution, which asserts that people must participate in government. By linking an elected official's tenure to their
"Nigeria must address the legal and ethical issues around political defections, to maintain the credibility of its democratic institutions"
sponsoring party, the law aims to uphold the voters’ choice. Allowing unrestricted defections would make party primaries and elections irrelevant, enabling a "backdoor" reshaping of legislative majorities without voter input.
Sections 68(2) and 109(2) of the Constitution describe how to enforce these rules, requiring the presiding officer (Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, or Speaker of a State House of Assembly) to act on the vacation when appropriate evidence is provided. This process is not automatic; it requires verification to avoid arbitrary decisions. In practice, these sections intend to promote party discipline and political stability. However, challenges arise in implementing them, especially regarding what qualifies as a "division" or "merger".
For executive positions, like the President or Governor, the Constitution does not specify rules regarding defection, leading to judicial interventions. Sections 137(1)(i) and 182(1)(i) disqualify candidates with certain party affiliations, but post-election defection for executives has been viewed differently.
Judicial Interpretations: Court of Appeal and Supreme Court Decisions have been crucial in interpreting anti-defection rules, often balancing freedom of association (Section 40 of the Constitution) with the need for electoral integrity. The Judiciary’s approach has changed, with earlier decisions allowing broader interpretations of "division", while later rulings narrowed those definitions. A landmark case is Attorney-General of the Federation v Atiku Abubakar (2007) 3 NWLR (Pt. 1022) 601,
where the Supreme Court addressed then-Vice President Atiku Abubakar's switch from the PDP to the Action Congress. The court found that defection by an executive office holder does not automatically count as "gross misconduct" for impeachment under Section 188, as the Constitution does not explicitly forbid it for executives. Justice Niki Tobi, who wrote the lead judgement, argued that while defection may be politically wrong, it is not constitutionally impermissible for non-legislative offices. This ruling highlighted a distinction: stricter rules for legislators, than for executives.
For legislators, the case of Abegunde v Ondo State House of Assembly (2015) 8 NWLR (Pt. 1461) 314 is significant. The Appellant, a Labour Party member in the House of Representatives, defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria, claiming a division in his original party. The Court of Appeal initially ruled against him, and the Supreme Court upheld this decision, determining that the "division" must be at the national level, rather than just factional or local. Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad stressed that allowing localised divisions to justify defection, would undermine the Constitution’s intent.
In Abaribe v Abia State House of Assembly (2007) 16 NWLR (Pt. 1059) 175, the Court of Appeal decided that defecting without a qualifying exception automatically leads to a seat vacancy, dismissing intra-party dispute arguments as insufficient. The appellate court clarified that "merger" requires formal party congress resolutions, not casual alliances.
Recent cases from the Rivers State crisis, provide further insight.
Nigeria’s Political Defections: The road to a one-Party State?
In Edison Ehie & Ors v Rivers State House of Assembly (2024), the Court of Appeal ruled that 27 lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the APC lost their seats under Section 109(1)(g), because no national division in the PDP was demonstrated. This ruling was appealed to the Supreme Court in Rivers State House of Assembly v Governor Siminalayi Fubara (2025), where the Apex Court reserved judgement, but suggested it might uphold the anti-defection rule, restating that defections weaken democracy. Justice Kudirat KekereEkun, in a side note, pointed out the need for legislative reforms to fix the loopholes.
These decisions collectively establish that defection leads to an automatic seat vacancy unless exceptions are strictly met, with courts demanding solid evidence like party resolutions or court declarations of division. Across these cases, the Judiciary has consistently placed the electorate's mandate above individual ambitions, although enforcement remains uneven, likely due to political pressures.
The Risk of the Emergence of a One-Party State
Legally, a one-party State is a system where a single party holds total control over governance, either through constitutional bans on other parties or through the suppression of opposition via laws, force, or electoral advantage. The Nigerian Constitution, in Section 222, requires a multi-party system, mandating that parties register with INEC and follow democratic principles. Therefore, a one-party State would breach Sections 40 (freedom of association) and 221 (prohibition of non-party candidates), making it unconstitutional.
A situation where only one major party exists does not automatically mean it is a one-party State, if other parties are legally allowed. However, it can appear as de facto dominance, if oppositional parties are sidelined through defections or misuse of state resources. Legally, this undermines the diversity intended in Section 14(2)(a), which provides that sovereignty lies with the people through democratic involvement. Clearly, a one-party State goes against democratic values. Democracy involves competitive elections, rights for opposition, and accountability - key elements missing from oneparty systems. The Supreme Court's ruling in Amaechi v INEC (2008) 5 NWLR (Pt. 1080) 227 reinforced that democracy relies on choice, indicating that monopoly restricts it. While some claim one-party States can be "democratic" through internal
diversity (such as in candidate picking), Nigerian law does not support this; Section 223 requires parties to hold democratic congresses, but a domination by a single party violates the intent of Sections 15(1) (national integration) and 17(2)(a) (equal opportunities).
The Current Defection Wave to APC:
The APC, which began in 2013 as an opposition group, now faces allegations of creating a one-party system through widespread defections. From 2024 to 2025, Governors like Peter Mbah (Enugu) and Douye Diri (Bayelsa), along with over 64,000 members and lawmakers from the PDP, switched to the APC. Legally, these defections for executives are allowed after the Atiku case, but, for legislators, they activate Section 109(1)(g) unless the exceptions apply. This contradiction (where former ruling party members join the party that defeated them), reveals flaws in the law. While not unconstitutional, it risks creating a de facto one-party system, as the PDP and ADC have warned. Courts need to actively enforce anti-defection rules, to maintain multi-party democracy. Ultimately, democracy depends not just on having multiple parties, but also on the integrity of political processes and the accountability of those in power. Nigeria must address the legal and ethical issues around political defections,
"So, these defections will forever continue in Nigeria, nay Africa, where the primary practice of politics is the desperate concern for building only the Infrastructure of the stomach!"
to maintain the credibility of its democratic institutions.
Segun Talabi, Legal Practitioner, Lagos
Defection, Effects and Consequences Under Nigerian Law
Dr Akpo Mudiaga Odje
Introduction
Some Causes of Defection
Politics in Nigeria is essentially, self interest and self service.
This gail and hail of the avalanche of political defections in our political parties, has raised a terrain for suspicion that the nation is heading to a oneparty State, or State capture. This discourse examines the legal implications of defections in the legislature and executive, in the light the 1999 Constitution as amended, and concludes that parliamentary defection has consequences, whilst executive defections regrettably have no legal consequence, except moral violation and electoral betrayal.
Defection Started as CrossCarpeting Under the I963 Constitution
In retrospect, defection from one party to another surfaced in the 1960s under our parliamentary system of government. Indeed, under that system, a defection in parliament to another party ought to automatically forfeit the seat. It was called cross-carpeting at that time. And, it caused pandemonium in parliament, that a clause was inserted in the I979 Constitution to legally sanction defection in parliament.
That is the bitter truth. No politician, especially in Nigeria, nay Africa, puts the electors first in any choice or decision making process. They put their interests and themselves first, even above God, the Nation, their Political Party and their Electors. In that light, they are ready to even sacrifice anything to protect their interests, hence, they swing and dangle like a pendulum in search of protecting their interests. A typical politician, whilst we think of building the nation, is thinking of winning the next election. So, any party whose leadership can determine his chances of winning, becomes a natural target for defection. Specifically some reasons for defections include:-
1. Fear of losing the next election and losing relevance.
2. Need to join the winning party.
3. Alignment with Federal might and power.
4. More influence and more cash.
5. Security of present and future political seat.
6. Warding of investigation and prosecution for past, present and future acts of corruption and abuse of office.
7. Division in a political party, and no more cohesion within same.
8. Pressure from political leaders.
9. Collapsing into mergers or political alliances.
10. Scheming for political appointments.
The above are some of the specific reasons for defections, which are now hitting and heating the polity.
As we can see, only item 7 above can be said to be a genuine reason which the Constitution in Section 68 recognises as an exception to, or justification for defection.
That Section 68 (1)(g), provides that "A member of the Senate or of
Nigeria’s Political Defections: The road to a one-Party State?
the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the house which he is a member if(g)..being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected :
Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties of factions by one of which he was previously sponsored;"
The above sets out exceptions or the justification for defection of a member of the National Assembly in our polity.
The same also applies to members of a House of Assembly of the States of the Federation, Section 109 (g) thereof.
Defection of Consequence in Law
Indeed, from the above provision, and in view of the history of cross-carpeting, the law only understandably sanctions defections in Parliament of any level, whether national or State. This was based on the experience that defections mainly occurred in parliament, and not in the executive arm as well. And, as such, sanctions were focused on parliament alone. That is why I classified this as a defection without legal consequences.
If the legislator fails to show that his defection falls within the exceptions stated in the Constitution, he shall forfeit his seat forthwith.
Who Declares a Seat Vacant?
INEC, Political Party or Parliament?
This has been a troubling and vexed issue, as to who declares a seat vacant in law.
Initially, it was thought INEC had the final say, hence, INEC received a lot of petitions to that effect. Later, it shifted to the courts, to so declare. However, in one of the series of Governor of Rivers State v Rivers State House of Assembly in 2025, the Supreme Court ruled unequivocally that, it is only parliament itself that can declare a seat vacant in Nigeria.
Final Answer!
This judgement, even though makes a lot of legal and logical sense for the separation of powers, and parliamentary independence, it is nevertheless prone to practical abuse by a parliament that wants to self perpetuate or outrightly wants to be mischievous. A member may defect in fact, without being declared as
such by parliament. He can then be used to destabilise the house by joining a different political party to vote against his own party, whereas, his seat is yet to be declared vacant in accordance with the Supreme Court judgement!
This is a real and present danger, in the application of the Supreme Court judgement. We thus, require an urgent constitutional amendment to include and authorise INEC and the Court, to also declare seats vacant. This will offer checks and balances, to this worrisome new trend of de facto defections.
Defection of No Consequence in Law
As adumbrated earlier, the sanctions by the Constitution for defection was focused on parliament alone and not the executive, because of the past history of cross-carpeting in the 1960s. Like in Nigeria, any bad thing is a new style worthy of replication, hence, defection has now firmly berthed ship in the executive starting from the office of the Vice President.
We recall Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as Vice President elected under the PDP, defected before the expiration of his tenure to the then Action Congress. This startled and rattled President Olusegun Obasanjo and the PDP, who challenged the same by contending that Atiku has forfeited his seat like a legislator, under the
"If the legislator fails to show that his defection falls within the exceptions stated in the Constitution, he shall forfeit his seat forthwith"
Constitution. However, the court discountenanced that view, and held firmly that Atiku's defection had no legal consequences under Nigerian law. And, that the court has no remedy for the apparent recalcitrant actions of the erstwhile Vice President to his boss.
A fortiori, it became lucid that the sanctions of the law on defection in Nigeria, not apply to the executive arm of government.
The Fear of Nigeria Sliding into a One-Party State Politics, like we hitherto highlighted, is solely a game of interest. A politician is first a politician, even before being a human being, if you permit me to exaggerate this point. I am only trying by that hyperbole to emphasise how a politician believes only in himself, and himself alone! To this end, anywhere his interest lies, there he goes and belongs. If the interest moves, he moves. If the interest stays, he stays.
So, these defections will forever continue in Nigeria, nay Africa, where the primary practice of politics is the desperate concern for building only the Infrastructure of the stomach!
Nigeria, will likely not slide into a one-party State, only if the electors are determined to vote wisely and protect their votes. It's the power of patriotic votes and protection of the same, that can determine whether Nigeria is skidding into a one- party State, and not for the defectors to so determine. As at 2015, 22 Governors adopted President Goodluck Jonathan for the President.
Did Nigeria Slide into a One-Party State as at then? On the contrary the man was even defeated in the 2015 Presidential elections.
The Way Forward
1. The electorate, if truly patriotic and well coordinated, should determine the outcome of elections, rather than the defectors
2. Getting our PVCs is the first power, and voting with them is the second power.
3. We must then protect that vote, the final power.
4. INEC and the Courts should be included as institutions that can also declare seats vacant, in case of defections.
5. The legal sanctions of defections, should be extended to cover the executive arm as well. Both should be done by constitutional amendments
6. In the meantime, electors can still use and deploy the power of recall by virtue of Section 69 of the Constitution, to recall any such defector.
7. We, the so-called still onlooking and siddon look elites, all need to now participate in government and governance. We should no longer leave it to politicians alone. We should join and encourage others to participate too, so that moral compass, rather than law, will regulate our polity, and make Nigeria great again.
Conclusion
This issue of defection, no matter how we ignore it, may obfuscate the prospect of a fledging democracy for Nigeria, and indeed, Africa. Once, we, the electors, are incapable of not only choosing our leaders, but also incapable of truncating a slide to a one-party State, then it's our collective electoral Nunc Diminitis. And, like the rain maker, Majek Fashek renditioned in one of his consciousness hit tracks to wit: "We been sitting down for too long, so long, and too long".
Dr Akpo Mudiaga Odje LLD, LLM (Merit) (London) BL; Member, British Council; Constitutional Lawyer
APc National chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda
PDP National chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum
Introduction
The recent letter, dated 4 October, 2025, issued by the Director of Legal Services in the Legal Unit of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), challenging the validity of a pre-action notice authored by Hon. Kene Nnadi on the ground that it bore a 2024 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) stamp and seal instead of 2025, has sparked a significant professional debate. Trending news reports on 7 October, 2025, indicate that the University formally questioned Hon. Nnadi’s pre-action notice, effectively demanding that he “establish your 2025 practising status” by providing proof of his current right to practise, rather than relying on what OAU perceives as an outdated seal. The letter, signed by Yinka Ayantola, Esq., Director of Legal Services, and copied to key University officials, reads in part:
"Re: Pre-action Notice Pursuant to Section 49 of the Obafemi Awolowo University Act 2019. I refer to your letter to the Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, (the University) referenced KFN/ PH.CH/2025/ VOL.J/00063 and dated 11/09/2025 on the above-captioned subject. It is our observation that the seal you affixed to your letter under reference is your 2024 seal. As you are aware, you have a duty to pay your practising fee for 2025 to enable you to write as a Lawyer. It is therefore, our request that you establish your right to practise as a Lawyer for the year 2025 as required by the relevant regulations or rules. I have the instructions of the University to request you to do the needful. Thank you. Signed, Yinka Ayantola, Esq., Director, Legal Services".
OAU’s position is that the use of a 2024 seal implies that Hon. Nnadi has not renewed his practising status for 2025, casting doubt on his legal capacity to issue the notice. The University frames the matter as one of professional legitimacy and procedural propriety, asserting that any Lawyer engaging in legal processes must demonstrate a valid, current practising licence, rather than rely on a prior seal. With due respect, the current author submits that this stance reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the legal purpose, scope, and effect of the NBA stamp and seal, as well as a failure to distinguish between the distinct functions of the NBA seal and the Annual Bar Practising Fee (BPF). This essay seeks to restate, with precision and supporting authority, the proper legal and professional position on the matter.
Position of the Courts
Nigerian appellate courts have conclusively addressed the question of whether an expired NBA stamp or seal invalidates a legal process. Two decisions are directly on point: CBN v Ekpo & Anor (2021) LCN/15155 (CA) and Emechebe v Ceto Int’l (Nig.) Ltd. (2018) 11 NWLR (Pt. 1631) 520 at 534, paras. B–C (per Abubakar, JCA). In Emechebe, the Respondent’s originating process bore an expired NBA stamp. The Court of Appeal declined to strike it out, holding that such insistence would amount to pushing technicalities too far. The Court held that the purpose of the NBA stamp and seal is not to determine the validity of legal documents, but to protect the integrity of the legal profession by preventing quacks, impostors, and meddlesome interlopers from masquerading as Lawyers and deceiving unsuspecting litigants. The Court of Appeal reaffirmed this position in CBN v Ekpo, emphasising that the use of an expired seal does not invalidate a legal process. Until and unless a later decision of the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court overturns these decisions, Emechebe and Ekpo remain binding precedents.
The Purpose and Legal Effect of the NBA Seal
The NBA seal is a professional identifier: a mark of authenticity that verifies that the person affixing it is duly called to the Nigerian Bar and enrolled to practise as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Its core objective, is to prevent unauthorised persons from presenting themselves as Lawyers. Once a genuine NBA seal is affixed to a document, it conclusively confirms that its author is a legal practitioner. If, as in Hon. Nnadi’s case, there is no allegation of forgery or counterfeit, then the seal has effectively performed its purpose. The year inscribed on the seal, is secondary to its authenticating function. Thus, whether the seal bears “2024” or “2025” does not affect its validity, or the legal effect of the document to which it is affixed.
Sylvester Udemezue
Effect of Expired NBA Seal on Validity of Legal Documents
This article by Sylvester Udemezue, draws a distinction between the NBa Stamp and Seal and the Bar Practising Fee (BPF), and what roles they play for Lawyers, concluding that while the former plays an evidentiary role, authenticating the qualification of a Lawyer, the latter functions as a licence renewal, giving lawful authority to the Lawyer to practise by paying the BPF annually, and consequently, using an expired seal cannot invalidate court processes or documents, supporting his position with two Court of appeal decisions
Does this Principle Apply Only to Court Processes?
Some Lawyers have observed that the judicial authorities cited relate to court processes, whereas Hon. Nnadi’s document is a pre-action notice: letter, not a pleading. With due respect, that distinction is legally immaterial. The courts’ reasoning in Emechebe and Ekpo is not limited to the type of document, but extends to the purpose of the seal itself: to authenticate the professional identity of the author. The seal’s function is the same whether it appears on a writ of summons, affidavit, contract, or letter: it signifies that the document emanated from a Lawyer duly called to the Bar. If an expired seal does not invalidate a court process (a document that directly invokes judicial jurisdiction), it cannot logically invalidate a pre-action notice or any other letter.
Rule 10 of the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) 2023: Scope and Interpretation
Rule 10 of the RPC 2023 provides that "A Lawyer, acting in his capacity as a legal practitioner, legal officer or adviser of any government department or Ministry or any corporation, shall not sign or file a legal document unless there is affixed on any such document a seal and stamp approved by the Nigerian Bar Association.” Subrule (2) defines legal documents broadly to include pleadings, affidavits, agreements, deeds, legal opinions, letters, memoranda, and reports. Subrule (3) further states that any such document signed or filed without a seal “shall be deemed not to have been properly signed or filed”. Importantly, the rule does not require that the seal must correspond to the current practicing year. Judicial interpretation (especially in Emechebe and Ekpo) makes it clear that an expired seal satisfies the purpose of Rule 10: authentication of the author’s status.
To interpret Rule 10 otherwise, would contradict these appellate authorities, and exalt administrative
“Failure to affix an NBA seal may raise an evidential question, that is, whether the document indeed, emanated from a Lawyer. But, once a genuine seal (even if expired) is affixed, that evidential gap is cured…The Court of Appeal’s position makes this clear: the seal’s function is evidentiary, not jurisdictional. It confirms identity and authorship, not the subsistence of a practising licence”
formalism over substantive justice.
Distinguishing NBA Seal from the Annual Bar Practising Fee (BPF)
A clear distinction must be drawn between the NBA Seal and the Bar Practicing Fee (BPF), as the two serve entirely different purposes under the Legal Practitioners Act (LPA) and the RPC.
(a) The Bar Practising Fee (BPF): Licence to Practise: Payment of the BPF authorises a Lawyer who has already been called to the Bar, to engage in active legal practice for a specific year. It functions as a licence renewal, conferring the right to practise law for that year. Failure to pay the BPF does not erase one’s qualification as a Lawyer; it only means the person may not lawfully practice during that year until payment is made.
(b) The NBA Seal: Proof of Qualification: The NBA seal, by contrast, authenticates qualification, not annual licensing. It confirms that the bearer is a Lawyer duly called to the Bar and enrolled under Sections 2, 22, and 24 of the LPA. The seal serves as protection against quackery, not as proof of current practising licence. Thus, even if the seal bears a previous year’s date, it continues to fulfil its core evidentiary function: identifying the author as a bona fide legal practitioner. It's my respectful submission that, an expired seal does not (and cannot) render a legal document void.
Verification: Status vs Current Practising Right
If a third party seeks to verify whether the author of a legal document is a Lawyer, the NBA seal suffices as conclusive evidence that the person is a Lawyer. If, however, the concern is whether the Lawyer holds a current practising licence, the correct reference is not the seal but the BPF receipt, or the Bar Practising Certificate for that year. The NBA’s internal policy that one must first pay the BPF before obtaining the seal is, I submit, an administrative convenience (a revenue and compliance mechanism), not a statutory requirement. Accordingly, a Lawyer’s qualification and authenticity cannot be impugned, merely because the seal used bears a previous year’s mark.
Evidential vs Substantive Defects
Failure to affix an NBA seal may raise an evidential question, that is, whether the document indeed, emanated from a Lawyer. But, once a genuine seal (even if expired) is affixed, that evidential gap is cured. It is not a substantive defect, that nullifies the document. The Court of Appeal’s position makes this clear: the seal’s function is evidentiary, not jurisdictional. It confirms
identity and authorship, not the subsistence of a practising licence.
On Professionalism and Collegial Courtesy Professional courtesy and mutual respect, are hallmarks of the legal profession. Publicly questioning a colleague’s professional status or the validity of his work product over an expired seal (especially without alleging forgery or misrepresentation), is inconsistent with both the spirit of collegiality and the dictates of fairness. As a Lawyer has noted, one may, as a matter of prudence, reissue a fresh letter bearing a current seal to avoid unnecessary debate. However, the absence of a current seal does not, in law, invalidate the earlier document. In this context, the action of the OAU Director of Legal Services (querying Hon. Nnadi’s letter on such a tenuous basis) appears legally misconceived, professionally avoidable, and administratively unnecessary. A simple, courteous request for confirmation of current practising status (via BPF receipt or practising certificate), would have sufficed.
Qualification vs Licence: The Legal Foundation
A look at the Legal Practitioners Act (LPA), particularly Sections 2, 22, and 24, reveals the distinction between being qualified to practise and being licensed to practise in a given year. Qualification arises once a person is called to the Bar, and enrolled as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court. Licence to practise arises upon payment of the Annual BPF for the relevant year. The NBA seal confirms the former; the BPF receipt confirms the latter. They are not interchangeable, and serve distinct legal purposes.
Conclusion
The law and logic are both clear: (a) The NBA seal authenticates identity and qualification as a Lawyer; the BPF confers the right to practise for the year; (b) The use of an expired NBA seal does not invalidate any legal document, as firmly established by the Court of Appeal in Emechebe v Ceto Int’l and CBN v Ekpo; (c) Rule 10 of the RPC 2023 does not require that the seal must correspond to the current practising year; (d) The OAU Director’s objection to Hon. Nnadi’s pre-action notice on the basis of a 2024 seal is, with respect, misconceived, unfounded, and professionally uncharitable. If OAU wished to verify Hon. Nnadi’s current practising status, the appropriate approach was simply to request his 2025 BPF receipt or Practising Certificate, not to impugn his status or the validity of his pre-action notice. The better view (legally, ethically, and practically) is that an expired NBA seal doesn’t invalidate a document, whether a court process, a legal opinion, or a pre-action notice.
Sylvester Udemezue
BUSINESS WORLD
RATES AS AT Oc TO b ER 13, 2025
NNPC Rakes In over N800bn from 30% Management Fee, Frontier Fund in Nine Months
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has reported a combined N801.3 billion from Management Fees and Frontier Exploration Funds within the first nine months of 2025, representing 56.5 per cent of the N1.42 trillion budgeted for both streams this year.
The data, drawn from the company’s September 2025 revenue and distribution report to the Federation Accounts Allocation
Committee (FAAC), indicated that each of the two categories recorded N400.667 billion in the period under review.
Both items are derived from 30 per cent apiece of the profit oil and gas under the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) arrangements.
While the figures suggested modest progress, they also exposed a significant shortfall against projections as each of the two lines showed a variance of N264.4 billion below expectation for the first three quarters of the year, reflecting the wider fiscal pressures confronting
the oil and gas sector despite production recovery efforts.
The NNPC management fee, a charge representing the corporation’s entitlement from managing PSCs on behalf of the federation, recorded a variance of N132.233 of its annual projection. The same applied to the frontier exploration fund, a dedicated pool for financing hydrocarbon search and development in underexplored or virgin basins across the country.
However, the N801.3 billion combined inflow nonetheless signalled a
measure of consistency in upstream cash generation through PSCs, which have become the backbone of Nigeria’s crude output in recent years.
Besides, a breakdown of the NNPC report to FAAC showed that year-to-date the company distributed N1.335 trillion from PSC operations to FAAC over the nine-month period, against an annual budget of N2.368 trillion.
This translated to 56.3 per cent performance, leaving a deficit of over N440 billion in the nine months under consideration. Out of this,
30 per cent went to NNPC’s management fee, another 30 per cent to the frontier exploration fund, and the remaining 40 per cent as the federation’s direct share.
This means that for every N100 earned from PSC profits, N30 was retained by the company as its management entitlement, N30 was set aside for frontier exploration, and N40 was remitted into the federation account.
However, the pace of remittance highlights the slow rebound of Nigeria’s upstream output and the continued gap between
target and actual production. Average crude oil output in 2025 has hovered around 1.6 million barrels per day, below the official benchmark of 2.06 million bpd in the country’s budget for this year.
The frontier exploration fund, in particular, continues to attract attention given its strategic role in expanding Nigeria’s reserve base. Statutorily, it is managed by NNPC to finance exploration in frontier basins such as the Chad, Bida, Sokoto, Dahomey, and Benue troughs.
The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com
Nigeria’s electricity supply in September 2025 remained heavily concentrated among a handful of generation stations, with just 10 of the 26 grid-connected power plants accounting for 81 per cent of total energy produced during the month.
This is according to the latest
Operational Performance of Power Plants factsheet released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The report paints a picture of a power sector still struggling with uneven performance, with only a few plants driving the bulk of generation while several others contributed little or nothing.
Out of a total installed capacity of 13,625 megawatts
(MW), only 5,200MW was available on average, representing just 38 per cent plant availability. Despite this low figure, the national load factor stood at 78 per cent, showing that plants in operation were generally running close to their generation potential.
Leading the pack was Zungeru Hydro, which operated at full capacity, posting a 100 per cent plant availability
factor but only managing a 51 per cent load factor, generating 355 megawatt-hours per hour (MWh/h). Egbin, the country’s largest thermal station, followed with a strong 90 per cent load factor and an average hourly generation of 546MWh/h, despite a plant availability rate of only 46 per cent.
Other top performers included Kainji (91 per cent load factor), Jebba (73 per cent),
Delta (83 per cent), Shiroro (68 per cent), Ihovbor (86 per cent), Okpai (87 per cent), Geregu (86 per cent), and Afam II (99 per cent). Together, these 10 plants, a mix of hydro and gas-fired stations, formed the backbone of national electricity generation in September.
Among the lower-tier plants, the performance was more uneven, as Olorunsogo II, with an installed capacity of 750MW,
achieved only 26MW average availability, translating to a dismal 3 per cent availability factor and 37 per cent load factor. Similarly, Sapele Steam (720MW) operated at just 3 per cent capacity, though its 100 per cent load factor suggested that the little power it produced was consistently dispatched.
The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
LASAA Hosts Legislative Delegation, Vows Commitment to Visual Order, Safety
The Managing Director/ CEOof Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), Fatiu Akiolu has reiterated the agency’s
commitment to visual order and safety in the state.
He stated this when he welcomed a high-powered delegation from the house committee on environment of the Lagos State House of Assembly, led by its Chairman,
Oil Sees Third Weekly Loss Amid Signs of Glut
Oil prices managed small gains through last week, but notched its third straight week of losses as traders grew increasingly concerned about over-supply.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded at $57.54 per barrel, while Brent futures settled at $61.29 per barrel at their lowest level since May. WTI and Brent closed out the week down nearly 3 per cent. As of yesterday morning, WTI had fallen further to $57.11, while Nigeria’s benchmark, Brent, fell to $60.88.
Among others, the back-and-forth tariff issue between the US and China and a recent deescalation of
tensions in the Middle East have weighed on the energy markets over the past week.
Any progress toward ending the war could unlock more Russian crude onto global markets, intensifying supply concerns. US crude stockpiles have also increased for a third straight week, also raising concerns about too much oil in the world market.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) reinforced that view last week, trimming its demand forecast while raising its surplus expectations for 2026 as production from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies increases.
NNPC Mentors 150 Final-year Students in Unilag
To empower Nigeria’s next generation of female professionals, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Shell Production Sharing Contract (PSC), together with Ascent Club and the University of Lagos, have hosted the inaugural career clinic: ‘Career Readiness Skills for the Real World’.
The event welcomed 150 final-year female students for a day of mentorship, career guidance, and direct engagement with industry leaders, the NNPC said in a statement.
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Head, Business Services, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Nkechi Anaedobe, in her keynote speech, noted that the event provided a golden opportunity to pay forward the mentorship which helped her grow in her career.
She reiterated that mentoring does a lot for the individual and the company, and society. “It is a tool that is never too late to learn to use, and I am glad I was able to contribute to this while soaking up even more,” she added.
The visit served as a statutory oversight function, providing a critical platform for detailed engagement on the agency’s performance and regulatory adherence.
The LASAA management team, headed by Akiolu, engaged the Committee in extensive discussions that spanned the agency’s
activities, its performance metrics and compliance with regulatory responsibilities. The meeting fostered productive conversations focusing on strategic policies and ongoing projects aimed at developing an organised, safe and visually appealing outdoor advertising space across the state.
Akiolu seized the opportunity to express his profound gratitude to the
Committee for their time, unwavering support and valuable guidance.
“We are deeply committed to upholding best practices in outdoor advertising regulation,” Prince Akiolu stated. “LASAA’s mission is to contribute meaningfully to the sustainable development of Lagos State’s visual environment, a goal we pursue rigorously for the
benefit of all residents and visitors.”
In his remarks, Honourable Shabi Rasheed Adekola delivered a glowing assessment of LASAA’s operational efficiency. He particularly praised the agency’s efforts in maintaining a cleaner and safer Lagos through effective signage control and regulation under Prince Akiolu’s leadership.
Komolafe Raises Alarm over Fake Social Media Accounts
Stories by Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has cautioned members of the public against falling victim to fraudulent social media accounts purportedly bearing the name and photo of its Chief Executive, Gbenga
Komolafe.
The NUPRC said Komolafe has no social media handle on X, Facebook, Instagram or TikTok and advised members of the public to be wary of such accounts and avoid having any interactions with such pages.
“For the sake of clarity, the commission
chief executive has no social media accounts.
Members of the public are therefore advised against interacting with such pages in order to avoid being defrauded,” the commission said in a statement by the Head, Media and Strategic Communication, Eniola Akinkuotu.
The NUPRC advised
members of the public to rely on its official social media handles and its website, www.nuprc.gov.ng for authentic information on statistics and activities of the upstream regulator.
“The public is enjoined to be wary of the antics of impersonators while efforts are being made to bring fraudsters to book,” the commission stated.
FG Reaffirms Commitment to Railway Workers’ Housing Needs
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has played host to the leadership of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) workers union on a visit to his office in Abuja.
The minister, in his remarks, reiterated the commitment of the federal government to providing affordable housing for Nigerian workers, including
staff of the NRC, a statement from the Director of Press and Public Relations, Badamasi Haiba, said.
Dangiwa commended the union for the visit and for prioritising the welfare of their members through advocacy for home ownership, noting that under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the ministry is determined to ensure that every committed Nigerian worker has access to
decent and affordable housing before retirement.
“Our goal is to make home ownership a reality for all categories of workers, including those in the Nigerian Railway Corporation. No worker should retire without a roof over their head,” the minister said.
He further directed the leadership of the union to compile and submit a comprehensive list of its
members of staff interested in the housing opportunities under any of the ministry’s housing programmes for proper consideration.
Earlier, the Chairman of the NRC Workers Union, Kazeem Yusuf, informed the minister that the purpose of the visit was to seek collaboration with the ministry in securing housing allocations for railway workers in Abuja and other major cities.
MANTRAC Nigeria, the exclusive authorised dealer for Caterpillar (CAT) products in the country, has officially opened a state-ofthe-art Digital Service Centre in its Ikeja, Lagos office, with the aim of redefining aftersales support and operational reliability across Nigeria and the West African subregion.
The new facility represents a major investment in remote
diagnostics, telematics, and predictive maintenance technology.
Speaking to journalist at the oficial launch event and facility tour, the company’s Managing Director, Emad Adeeb noted that, “This facility reflects our long-term vision to redefine after-sales service in the market.
“By combining Caterpillar’s world-class technology with local expertise, we’re ensuring customers get immediate,
intelligent support, no matter where they are.
This is about empowering productivity and building stronger partnerships.”
Describing the launch as a “major milestone” for the broader group, Chief Operating Officer of Mantrac Group, Nigel Lewis said the centre embodies the company’s commitment to digital innovation.
Also speaking at the launch, Director of Distribution for Eastern
Africa at Caterpillar Inc., Stephane
commended the initiative as a forwardlooking investment in customer service.
“Digital service solutions are transforming how we support our customers globally, and this new centre ensures that Nigerian and West African businesses can maximise equipment performance, productivity, and uptime with the latest Caterpillar technology,” he said.
Oriarehu Bonny
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Latini,
Honourable Shabi Rasheed Adekola.
UBA Empowers Next Generation of Leaders as 700 Youths Join GMAP Initiative
Kayode Tokede
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, continues to demonstrate its commitment to youth empowerment and leadership development as 700 young professionals joined the bank through the Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP), signalling a major investment in the next generation of leaders who will continue to drive the continent’s economic and financial transformation.
At the graduation ceremony held in Lagos, the bank celebrated graduates from Nigeria and across African countries where
the bank operates.
UBA’s Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu; Deputy Group Managing Director, Chukwuma Nweke, and other Board Members, Executive Management, faculty members, were on ground to receive the newly graduated professionals into the UBA Tribe.
In his speech, Elumelu, who referred to the graduands as “lions and lionesses”, reiterated the bank’s commitment towards raising the next generation of passionate and competent leaders on the continent.
“We are happy to have you as part of this tribe. At UBA, we strongly believe in the transformative power
of young people, and that is why we designed this programme that allows us to transfer the baton of knowledge and experience onto others,” he said. “A few decades ago, I started out just like you fresh out of the university, and I am glad that this organisation is providing for you that same opportunity that I got, and I look forward to seeing you guys prove your worth.”
Also speaking at the event, Deputy Managing Director, Chukwuma Nweke, who represented the Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba, celebrated the graduates’ perseverance and reaffirmed the bank’s belief in human capital development.
NGX Group, LASG Expand Care to Over 120
Kayode Tokede
Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Health and Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), has expanded its flagship community nutrition intervention, Project BLOOM (Bringing Life to Our Overlooked Minors), to Ajegunle under Lagos State Health District V, reaching over 120 children with their mothers and caregivers.
The outreach, held at Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Secretariat in partnership with the Lagos State Health District V, builds on the success and measurable impact of the pilot held at Yaba’s Aiyetoro Primary Health Centre, where hundreds of children were screened and over 61per cent were found to need urgent medical intervention.
Commenting on the impact, Group Managing Director/CEO of NGX Group, Temi Popoola, said: “Seeing 48.8 per cent
of the children identified with malnutrition now in recovery, and others who were once at risk steadily improving, has been truly inspiring. It affirms that our partnership with Health Emergency Initiative and Lagos State Government, is driving real, measurable change in our communities. For us at NGX Group, building strong capital markets goes hand in hand with building strong communities, because inclusive growth and social well-being are the true foundations of a resilient economy.”
Executive Director of HEI, Dr. Pascal Achunine, described the expansion as a vital response to the realities revealed by the pilot: “The first outreach showed us the depth of the malnutrition crisis and the power of swift, coordinated intervention.
The results prove that when public and private sectors work together with urgency and compassion, we can save lives and restore hope.”
Director Planning
Children, Others
Research and Statistics, Dr Oladeinde Ebenezer Oluwaseun representing the Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Health District V, Dr. Oladapo Ashiyanbi, commended NGX Group and HEI for their “unwavering commitment to restoring hope to vulnerable families,” noting that the initiative aligns perfectly with the Lagos State Government’s ongoing nutrition and child health programmes.
At the Ajegunle outreach, children received Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs) and comprehensive health checks, while mothers and caregivers participated in practical nutrition education sessions focused on preparing low-cost, nutritious meals and maintaining proper hygiene. Initial screening results revealed that 69 children were moderately malnourished, 29 were severely malnourished, and another 24 were at risk of becoming malnourished.
CIBN Pledges Inclusiveness, Sustained Growth
Oluchi Chibuzor
The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Lagos State branch, has pledged to reposition the Lagos branch for sustainable growth, inclusiveness, and professional excellence.
Speaking at his inauguration in Lagos, recently, the new executive chairman, Akinwunmi Lawal, would focus on membership drive, financial sustainability, and the construction of the proposed Lagos Bankers’ House that would serve as a learning hub. According to him, “Our chosen theme,
Repositioning the Lagos State Branch for Sustainable Growth, Inclusiveness, and Professional Excellence, is both deliberate and forward-looking. For over six decades, the CIBN has remained the beacon of professionalism, ethics, and capacity building within Nigeria’s financial sector. Here in Lagosthe nation’s financial heartbeat-our branch has consistently set the pace. My administration’s commitment is to build upon this proud legacy and to chart new frontiers that position our members and the Institute as indispensable contributors to
the future of Lagos’ business and financial landscape.”
On his part, the immediate past branch chairman, Adeyemo Adeoye, revealed that while in office, the branch’s income peaked at N54.82m in 2024 from N27.19m when he took over, representing 101.65 per cent growth.
According to him, “Under my leadership, cash balances also grew by over 30 per cent. The figures recorded in the year under review are the best in the branch’s performance in the last 12 years, and we are encouraged to believe that this trend will be sustained.”
Saharan Blend (Algeria), Djeno (Congo),
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Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic
Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).
Transcorp Hotels Grows Profit Before Tax to N22.4bn in Q3
Kayode Tokede
Transcorp Hotels Plc, yesterday announced its unaudited results for the third quarter (Q3) ended September 30, 2025, recording outstanding performance across key metrics.
In the result and accounts posted on the Nigerian
Exchange Limited (NGX), the hospitality subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc declared N22.4 billion profit before tax in Q3 2025, about 36 per cent increase over N16.44 billion in Q3 2024, while profit after tax closed Q3 2025 at N14.8 billion, an increase of 45per cent from N10. 24billion posted in Q3 2024.
The Company delivered N72.31 billion in revenue, a 49per cent increase from N48.49 billion in Q3 2024. Cost of sales moved from N14.2 billion in Q3 2024 to N17.3 billion in Q3 2025 to bring gross profit to N55.06 billion, about 60.4per cent increase over N34.33 billion declared in Q3 2024.
On this, Transcorp Hotels
gross profit margin, however, expanded to 76per cent in Q3 2025, up from 71per cent in Q3 2024 — driven by operational efficiency and superior service delivery.
From the balance sheet position, total assets of Transcorp Hotels stood at N154.25 billion as of September 2025, up by nearly 10 per cent from
N140.7billion declared in 2024 full financial year.
This strong performance reflects Transcorp Hotels’ sustained focus on operational excellence, cost efficiency, and customer-centric innovation, reinforcing its leadership in Nigeria’s hospitality sector.
With a future-ready growth strategy anchored
on sustainability and innovation, the Company continues to unlock exceptional value for shareholders. The recently commissioned 5,000-seat Transcorp Centre is fast positioning Nigeria as Africa’s hub for worldclass Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE).
Acting Group Politics Editor DEJI ELUMOYE
Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com
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How Procedural Breach Halts Electoral Reform Bill’s Debate in Senate
sunday Aborisade, in this piece, captures how a mild drama that unfolded at Senate plenary last Thursday stalled a debate on Nigeria’s Electoral Reform Bill.
In what turned out to be one of the most dramatic moments of Nigeria’s 10th Senate, the upper chamber was thrown into confusion last week when the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio ordered that the controversial Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025 be stepped down, citing the shocking absence of the bill’s text for circulation among Senators.
The bill, described as a “holistic reform package” aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system, was scheduled for second reading. But what began as a routine legislative procedure quickly degenerated into a tense procedural standoff that rekindled questions about the integrity of Nigeria’s lawmaking process.
When Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau presided over the session in Akpabio’s temporary absence, the chamber was set to debate the far-reaching amendments proposed by Senator Simon Lalong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters.
But before the discussion could begin, several Senators raised a crucial point. They had not been given copies of the bill.
“It’s not attached,” one Senator protested from his seat. “How do we discuss a bill we’ve not seen?”
Unfazed, Barau urged his colleagues to proceed, arguing that the debate was only about the “general principles” of the bill and not its details.
He said, “The nitty-gritty of the bill is not necessary at this stage. We are only required to discuss its general principle before the second reading.”
However, the chamber quickly descended into confusion as Senators murmured, visibly uncomfortable debating a law they hadn’t read. “It’s like holding a town hall on a law that doesn’t yet exist,” one lawmaker quipped off the record.
The discomfort intensified when some Senators pointed out that the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters had already held a public hearing on the bill, a move many saw as a breach of parliamentary order.
“How can you gather public opinion on a bill that hasn’t even been presented?” another lawmaker asked rhetorically.
When Senate President Akpabio returned to the chamber, he immediately sensed the tension. Taking control of the proceedings,
he cut through the confusion with firm authority. “This Senate will not discuss what it has not seen,” Akpabio declared to a loud applause.
“You cannot debate a document that is not before you. We must be guided by procedure, not assumption,” he insisted.
The statement effectively reversed his deputy’s earlier directive, bringing the proceedings to a decisive halt.
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, quickly moved a motion for the bill to be stepped down to allow for “further consultation and proper circulation of the text.” Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, seconded the motion, emphasizing that the matter required “deeper engagement” before debate.
Akpabio then put the motion to voice vote. The “ayes” had it. “The time today is not auspicious to proceed,” Akpabio said. “We have a loaded agenda, and Nigerians expect us to conduct ourselves with transparency and diligence. Let us not debate an unseen bill.”
While the official explanation for the chaos was the missing text of the bill, insiders hinted at deeper procedural lapses within the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters.
According to legislative observers, committees are only empowered to hold public hearings after a bill has passed second reading, not before.
Critics described the episode as “putting the cart before the horse,” arguing that such lapses undermine public confidence in the legislative process.
“The Senate hasn’t even considered the bill; how then do you gather public opinion?” a lawmaker asked. “That’s not how lawmaking works.”
Despite the confusion, the content of the proposed Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2025 remains one of the most ambitious reform efforts in recent memory.
Lead sponsor, Senator Simon Bako Lalong described the bill as “a holistic reform package” designed to close loopholes exposed during the 2023 general elections.
“If we get it right, we will restore public trust, reduce post-election disputes, and strengthen INEC to function without interference,” Lalong told his colleagues while presenting the bill for consideration.
Among its key objectives are the early release of election funds to the Independent National Electoral Commission, clarity on electronic transmission of results and the creation of a digital voter register with QR-coded IDs.
It also contains stronger internal democracy in political parties with tighter rules for primaries and candidate substitutions, harsher penalties for vote-buying, falsification of results, and other electoral crimes.
It equally included a review of campaign finance limits to curb money politics, and greater institutional independence for INEC, insulating it from executive interference.
Lalong said the bill seeks to make elections more credible, competitive, and reflective of the people’s will.
“This bill is about more than Election Day. It’s about strengthening the very foundation of democracy,” he clarified.
In a rare moment of candour, Akpabio delved into his personal experience during the 2019 general elections, a case that was later annulled by the courts.
He said, “I was cheated in the 2019 elections. The court annulled the election because
By stepping down the bill, Akpabio may have delayed the conversation on electoral reform. But in doing so, he also reinforced the principle that democracy must not only deliver credible elections, it must also be built on credible lawmaking.
the mutilations were terrible and ordered that the returning officer be prosecuted. But instead of prosecuting the real offenders, the Resident Electoral Commissioner and his collaborators, they went after a professor who merely announced results.”
Akpabio argued that any genuine reform must make INEC more accountable for infractions, not just its field officers.
“INEC must take responsibility. We cannot continue punishing lower officers for crimes directed from the top,” a visibly angry Akpabio declared.
He also raised concerns about extended campaign timelines and governance disruptions caused by prolonged electioneering seasons.
“You can’t have ministers or public officers abandoning their duties for nearly a year just to campaign. Governance suffers when politics consumes everything,” he insisted.
Thursday’s episode exposed more than a procedural blunder, observers noted that Akpabio’s action was rare in Nigeria’s Senate history.
“Akpabio was asserting control,” a Senator told THISDAY after the plenary. “It was as much about the bill as it was about authority,” he added.
The move also reaffirmed Akpabio’s grip on the chamber, reminding his colleagues and perhaps the executive, that legislative processes must follow due order, especially on politically sensitive reforms like elections.
Analysts believe the incident underscores the Senate’s ongoing struggle to balance speed with scrutiny in the reform process. Dr. Samuel Olasope, a political analyst in Abuja, said the episode “reflects the persistent institutional weakness in Nigeria’s legislature.”
He said, “How can a major national reform bill reach the stage of public hearing without members having copies? That speaks to an alarming breakdown in legislative coordination.”
Olasope noted that while Akpabio’s intervention was necessary to preserve procedure, “it also exposes how easily the process can be compromised if leadership vigilance lapses.”
Akpabio
Barau
Bamidele
How Fragile National Power Grid is Holding Nigeria Back
Ayomide Oladapo
Atailor in Lagos leaves half- finished clothes on her table. The lights are out again. Her small generator has run out of fuel, and the cost of refilling it is too high. Another day’s income is lost.
At the other end of the spectrum, a fintech keeps its servers running by diverting capital into generators. A leading Nigerian fintech CEO recently wrote on X about the “unproductive use of capital” his company has endured: the cost of buying, fuelling, and maintaining generators for 16 years. It is a cost, he noted, “none of my peers in developed countries have to worry about.”
From the market stall to the corporate office, the story is the same: unreliable power forces businesses to scale back ambitions and focus on survival.
More than 90 million Nigerians live without electricity, the largest access deficit in the world, according to the World Bank. Even for those connected, reliable power remains elusive. A representative survey of rural and peri-urban households found that the average grid-connected household receives just 6.6 hours of power a day. A nation cannot be Africa’s economic powerhouse if its homes and businesses remain powerless.
Fragile Grid, Failing Growth
Nigeria’s electricity grid has never carried more than six gigawatts. For context, Bangladesh, a smaller country and, until recently, a poorer one, transmits nearly three times as much. The comparison is not exact. Bangladesh invested heavily in imported gas and in industrial clusters, creating a robust market for power generation. But the gap highlights how little progress Nigeria has made.
When the grid collapses, electricity cannot flow from producers to consumers. Distribution companies are left with less power to sell, and generation companies earn less for the electricity they produce. With weak revenues and delayed payments, producers hesitate to invest. The result is a cycle of under-supply and under-investment that keeps the grid fragile.
To cope, businesses fall back on self-generation, often through diesel generators. According to the Nigerian Energy Commission, Nigerians spend approximately $22 billion annually on generators and fuel. Larger firms can pass some of that cost on to customers. Smaller firms often cannot. The barber trying to keep his clippers running or the cassava processor relying on cold storage loses business. Every failure is local. Together, they add up to a national crisis.
Pathways to Progress
There is no single switch that will fix Nigeria’s power problem. But some steps can begin to turn the tide.
Decentralisation is one. Until 2023, only the federal government could operate the grid. That monopoly was altered by two key reforms: a constitutional amendment in March 2023 and the subsequent Electricity Act 2023, which granted states the legal authority to generate, transmit, and
distribute power. This matters because demand is uneven.
Lagos alone accounts for over 20 per cent of national demand, according to PwC. With the new framework, states no longer have to depend entirely on federal action. If Lagos, Rivers, or Kano expand supply, they could show reform in practice.
Diversification is another. For decades, the national grid was the only option. Now, solar mini-grids power villages and markets that were never reached by transmission lines. The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) estimates that more than 100,000 households and small businesses rely on these solar systems.
For a family, this can mean a fan running through the night so children sleep instead of swatting mosquitoes. For a seamstress, it means steady power for her sewing machine and hours of paid work gained. These off-grid systems work for households, schools, and small enterprises. Heavy manufacturers, though, still need large-scale supply. Nigeria’s untapped gas reserves could provide a tailor made solution.
Financing and regulation are also critical. Electricity is capital-intensive, but investors lack confidence that they will be paid. The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) still carries significant unpaid obligations to generation companies. The World Bank estimates that inefficiencies and unreliable supply cost the sector about $25 billion each year. Distribution companies also lose up to 50 per cent of the total power generated due to technical faults, theft, or non-payment.
PwC highlights non-cost-reflective tariffs and weak contract enforcement as top concerns for investors. Clearing arrears,
reducing losses, and enforcing payment discipline would send stronger signals to capital markets.
Other countries demonstrate what is possible. In Kenya, a feed-in tariff policy guaranteed predictable prices for renewable producers, while a Geothermal Development Company absorbed early- stage risks. These measures encouraged private capital and shifted the energy mix. Today, nearly 90 per cent of Kenya’s electricity comes from renewable sources, making the supply more reliable and affordable.
South Africa faced the opposite: an ageing coal fleet and a state-owned utility, Eskom, unable to meet demand. To break the cycle, the government launched the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) in 2011. Through competitive auctions, private developers bid to supply renewable power under long-term contracts, giving investors confidence. The programme has since contracted more than 6 GW of capacity and attracted over $16 billion in investment. Even amid rolling blackouts, transparent, rule-based reforms delivered measurable results.
Each case shows the same lesson: reliable power draws investment, reduces costs, and unlocks growth. It also illustrates how bespoke solutions, considering the unique factors within Nigeria, can be applied to sustainably solve our power challenges. A lot of which has already commenced. Nigeria has never lacked ideas. It has lacked execution.
Cost of Staying Powerless
The cost of failure is measured in both micro and macro terms. On the micro level, the tailor stops work, the farmer
loses chilled produce, and the fintech pays a diesel premium. PwC’s 2024 MSME Survey reports that unreliable power is the highest operational cost for small businesses, with one in five citing it as a significant barrier to growth. For a small shop, that margin can decide whether it survives. For a start-up, it can mean delaying hiring or shelving expansion.
On the macro side, unreliable power weakens Nigeria’s competitiveness and pushes investment elsewhere. Despite its size and talent pool, Nigeria has struggled to anchor global investment. For example, in 2019, Microsoft opened Africa Development Centre sites in both Nigeria and Kenya.
However, by 2024, it had closed the Nigerian office and shifted its focus to Kenya, where it is now building a $1 billion geothermal-powered data centre in partnership with G42. The Kenyan project emphasises renewable baseload power, underlining the importance of reliable energy to long-term investment decisions.
The result is that opportunities Nigeria might have claimed are realised elsewhere. UNCTAD data shows that Nigeria attracted only $1.87 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 2023, far behind peers with smaller markets but more reliable infrastructure. Meanwhile, the World Bank estimates that inefficiencies in Nigeria’s power sector cost about $25 billion annually, a figure nearly 14 times greater than the country’s FDI inflows. In Enterprise Surveys, firms consistently cite electricity as one of the most severe obstacles to doing business in Nigeria.
The hidden costs also include environmental and social impacts. A SEforALL and Lagos State analysis estimates that nearly 4.5 million generators in Lagos emit approximately 39 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually. This underscores the environmental toll of Nigeria’s reliance on diesel. Hospitals and schools lose hours of service. Food supply chains break down. Every outage erodes both livelihoods and lives.
Powering Homes, Powering Hope
Nigeria’s future as Africa’s economic powerhouse depends on powering its homes and enterprises first. Reliable electricity is the foundation on which entrepreneurs build and the current on which industrial growth runs.
Signals of leadership would include a state government backing SME-focused mini-grids under the new Electricity Act, a federal decision to clear the debts that have hindered investment, and a regulator that enforces contracts with consistency and transparency. Each step would show that light is delivered, not merely promised.
The lesson is clear. A fragile grid holds Nigeria back. A stronger one would power homes, businesses, and growth. To be Africa’s powerhouse, Nigeria must first overcome the grid that holds it down.
•Oladapo is Director of Business Development at Elektron Energy, a leading developer of prime energy infrastructure projects across West Africa
Oladapo
MOU BETWEEN BPP AND CIFCFIN ON DEEPENING TRANSPARENCY IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT...
L-R: Director, Civil Infrastructure Department, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Engr. Nasir Bello; DG, BPP, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun; Founder/Chairman, Governing Council, Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN), Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki; and Director, Compliance, Certification and Monitoring, Engr. Yusufu Isaiah, with copies of the MoU between BPP and CIFCFIN on deepening transparency in public procurement in Nigeria, at BPP’s corporate headquarters, Abuja, on Friday
DRASA Launches N15bn Endowment Fund for Infectious Disease Control
Ten years after her singular act of heroism literally saved millions of people in Nigeria from the deadly Ebola, late Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh’s memory was again relived with the unveiling of a N15 billion endowment fund to tackle emerging infectious disease epidemic.
The fund, an initiative of Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh Trust Fund (DRASA), a nongovernmental organisation named after the late physician, was launched at a ceremony marking the 10th Anniversary of the organisation in Abuja onTheMonday.launching of the endow- ment fund came just as the federal government raised alarm over the rising threat of drug-resistant infections, which it said were now, “a silentSpeakingpandemic”. at the event, Managing Director of DRASA, Mrs. Niniola Williams, said the endowment fund will help the
organisation in its drive to im- prove the country’s emergency response preparedness in the health sector.
Williams said DRASA had made a lot of impact in the last 10 years of its existence, training over 15,700 health workers in infection prevention and control; and establishing and developing 96,800 Health Champions, who were actively promoting hygiene, improving sanitation practices across nation.
She said the organisation was planning to build an academy with target training of addi- tional 50,000 health workers to help boost infectious disease intervention in the country.
Director of Port Health Services, Nse Akpan, who represented Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, identified what he described as rising threat of drug-resistant infections in Nigeria.
He said, “The rising threat of drug-resistant infections is a silent pandemic. If we
fail to act now by investing in strengthening infection control in hospitals, promoting responsible use of antibiotics in communities, and embedding hygiene practices in schools, then we risk undermining the very foundations of modern medicine.
“Through DRASA’s support to the government in develop- ing and launching Nigeria’s second One Health AMR National Action Plan and their
work training nearly 16,000 health workers in infection prevention and control, we see what is possible when prevention is prioritised.”
The minister said DRASA’s grassroots-to-government approach was evidenced by how they had mobilised nearly 100,000 Health Champions in communities, schools, health facilities, and government institutions and how they had supported policies, like
National Patient Safety and Care Quality Strategy.
He also praised DRASA’s role and contributions in key technical platforms, such as the SWAp Health Security Technical Working Group and National Antimicrobial Resistance, adding that such partnerships have strengthened the bond between government and civil Directorsociety.General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Jide Idris, said the centre had worked collaboratively with DRASA in carrying out intervention programmes to check spread of infectious diseases around the country. According to Idris, NCDC and DRASA are currently engaged in the effort to drive awareness and other intervention measures to address the rising cases of antimicrobial resistance in the country.
Wole Olanipekun: Why NASS Should Stay Action on 1999 Constitution Amendment for Now
Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
Legal luminary and former President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has advanced reasons why the National Assembly should stay action on the ongoing amendment of the 1999 Constitution. Olanipekun said this was for fundamental
In Meeting with FG, UN Population Fund Vows to Support Reproductive Health, Gender Equality
Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, in Abuja.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), yesterday reaffirmed its commitment to promote population management, reproductive health, and gender equality in the country, working with the federal government.
and significant reasons.
He made the appeal on Monday at Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), while delivering the institution’s 13th convocation lecture, with the theme, “Nigeria - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Impera- tive of a Sober and Definitive Recalibration.”
The former Chairman, Body of Nigerian Benchers, and current Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, University of Lagos, said rather than a mere amendment exercise, which might not
achieve the desired results, the constitution needed complete rebranding and substitution.
Olanipekun, who is also Chancellor of the Ekiti Stateowned Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, said, “Call it autochthonous constitution, or any other name, it has to be a renegotiated document that will pave the way for a new social order.
“We cannot continue to live by the 1999 Constitution, which haunts us as a military albatross.
“Let us borrow a golden
leaf from other countries of the world, and determine to live together, an appreciable terms and conditions.”
According to him, “By suggesting to the National Assembly to stay action on any constitutional amendment for now, one is not advocating a state anomie, or normlessness.
“Rather, I am proposing a transition period, of between now and 2031, a phase that will give us sufficient time, to reflect on the ills, plaguing, or that have plagued our previous constitutions to date.”
Bagudu: Our focus is to spend better Says driving licence will be seamless moving
She commended the ministry for its enduring partnership, describing it as a relationship that has remained strong for over five decades.
The newly appointed UNFPA Resident Represen- tative, Ms Muriel Mafico, gave the assurance during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Budget and Economic
She specifically commended Bagudu’s leadership, noting the agency’s willingness to keep supporting Nigeria’s population and development agenda.
Mafico said, “Context matters - we must design programmes that are
culturally sensitive and community-owned. Our focus is to ensure that women, girls, and young people are not left behind.”
She further assured that UNFPA remains committed to supporting Nigeria’s reform objectives and the national census exercise, describing it as a vital tool for evidence-based planning.
The minister, however, welcomed the delegation and praised UNFPA for its ongoing support to Nigeria’s development priorities.
Ahead of November Launch, FRSC Introduces Contactless Biometric System to End Temporary Licences
and long waiting periods.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Monday in Abuja disclosed that obtaining a driver’s licence in Nigeria will now be faster and more seamless following the introduction of a contactless biometric capture system, designed to eliminate the use of temporary licences
The Corps Marshal, FRSC, Shehu Mohammed gave the hint during the inspection of the biometric screening centre in Abuja.
Speaking on the sidelines shortly after also flag-offing of the 2025 Ember Months Public Enlightenment and Sensitisation Campaign, Mohammed, said the new
system is part of efforts to fully digitalise FRSC operations and simplify the driver’s licence process nationwide.
The FRSC boss, further explained that the Corps has already upgraded its printing facilities to handle increased production and clear existing backlogs ahead of November 2025.
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
PHOTO: KINGSLEY ADEBOYE
Kasim Sumaina in Abuja
James Emejo in Abuja
ENDORSEMENT RALLY...
L-R: Kogi State Deputy Governor, Comrade Joel Salifu; Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo; and former Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, during an endorsement rally for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ododo for a second term in office in 2027, in Lokoja, on Sunday
FRSC Records Reported 6,858 Road Crashes in 9 Months
Says
3,433 persons killed, 22,162 injured out of a total number
As
Niger
FRSC
records 674 road accidents 688 deaths in 20 months
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Monday revealed that 3,433 persons were killed and 22,162 persons injured out of a total number of 6,858 reported road crashes between January and September, 2025. It added that 2024 Operation Zero (15 December, 2024 - 15 January 2025) crash statistics reveal that 432 persons were killed; 2,070 persons were injured out of 533 reported cases of road crashes.
showed a decrease in number of deaths recorded within the same period.
FRSC said the report
The Corp Marshal, FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, gave the hint during the flag-off of the 2025 Ember Months Public Enlightenment and Sensitisation Campaign in Abuja.
In another related development, FRSC, Niger State, has said that not less than 674 road crashes were recorded across Niger State between January 2024 and August 2025 while 688 lives were lost.
The Sector Commander Aishat Saadatu told newsmen in Minna on Monday
N152m Property Dispute: Trial Stalled Over Lack of Technical Support
The trial in the suit filed by property developer, Mr. Olukayode Olusanya, and his company, Oak Homes Limited, against engineer,Nigerian-American Mr. Anthony Ug- bebor, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was yesterday stalled due to the absence of a technical team required to facilitate the virtual participation of the first defendant.
At the resumed hearing before Justice Akingbola George of the Lagos State High Court, Tafawa Balewa
Square, the court was informed that the team responsible for setting up the Zoom connection was not Counselpresent. to the first defendant, Mr. Nasiru Salau, reminded the court that it had earlier granted permis- sion for the first defendant to participate virtually in the proceedings.
Salau explained that all necessary arrangements and payments for the virtual session had been made, and the connection link was sent to the first defendant ahead of the hearing. He said he had contacted the
technical team before the sitting began and was informed, they were on their way to the court.
He added that another trial scheduled for 10:00 a.m. also required the same virtual setup.
The defence counsel then applied for a brief stand down to allow time for the technical team to arrive.
However, counsel to the claimants, Mr. Adeleke Agboola (SAN), opposed the application, noting that the delay could not be estimated.
“I am objecting to the stand down. The first defendant has been attending proceedings virtually, and the court sits
Imo Gets 4th State University, As NUC Canvasses Standard, Good Research, Others
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The University of Innovation, Science and Technology, Imo State, has been formally recognized by the National Universities Commission (NUC)as the fourth state university in Imo State. This brings the number of federal and state-owned universities in Imo to 8 and 70 state universities in total.
Governor Hope Uzodinma while presenting documents at the National Universities Commission, NUC, said the recognition is a significant milestone for the state, and which aims to provide quality education and equip young people with digital skills, innovation, and technology. He said the university’s vision is to create a platform that fosters entrepreneurship,
job creation, and economic growth through its part- nership and a mentoring agreement with the Berkeley University of California.
“The University of Innova- tion, Science and Technology is set to become a hub for innovation and entrepreneur- ship, providing students with the skills and knowledge needed to create jobs and become employers of labor.
at 9 a.m. even when there is no power supply. If they are not ready, I will be asking for costs for today,” Agboola submitted.
In response, Salau stated: “The objection of the SAN is a misconception. It is not for us to set up the Zoom link. The court has always been the one setting up the Zoom. We made payment last week and a link was sent to us. I will not be conceding to costs.”
the accidents also left 3075 people injured during the same period.
Giving a breakdown of the statistics Aishatu Saadatu said 419 crashes were recorded in 2024, and 253 accidents between January and August this year adding that 439 lives were lost last year and 245 dead in the first 8 months of this year.
Meanwhile, the Corp Marshal, FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, noted the records also showed the major causes of those crashes were linked to driver fatigue, overloading of persons, conveyance of persons in haulage vehicles and traveling with fuel in plastic containers.
According to him, “It is my pleasure to address you at this press conference which marks the flag-off of our 2025 Ember Months road safety sensitization campaign.
“The Ember month campaign is a yearly tradition through which the Federal Road Safety Corps intensi-
fies its advocacy and public awareness on the need for safer road use.
“As we are all aware, the ember months is a season marked by increased travel, higher traffic volume and attendant rise in road crash injuries and fatalities.
“The theme reinforces the view that human factor is one of the major causes of road crashes. It also draws attention to the fact that drivers are largely responsible for crashes on our highways. Apparently, driver behaviour is a fundamental element in determining safety on our highways.
“It is expected that the 2025 End of year campaign will create the needed awareness and sensitisation for drivers to take up the issue of safety more“Therefore,seriously. the choice of the 2025 End-of-Year campaign theme Taking Responsibility for Your Safety was deliberate and well thought-out.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State yesterday reiterated the commitment of his administration to ensure innovation, transparency, and efficiency in public service delivery.
AbdulRazaq stated this in Ilorin on Monday during the launch of the Kwara State Geographic Land Informa- tion Service (KW-GIS)-based digital land information system. The new automation
system according to him would enable applicants to get titles for their land between two weeks and 30 working days once all conditions have been met.
AbdulRazaq said, “Today marks another bold step in our commitment to innovation, transparency, and efficiency in public service delivery,” the Governor said at the launch of the Kwara State Geographic Land Information Service (KW-GIS)-based digital land information system, in Ilorin.
“For decades, the process of land administration in many states, including Kwara, has been characterized by manual records, inefficiencies, and delays that discourage inves- tors, slow down property transactions, and create room for abuse.
“Our administration made a decision to change that nar- rative. The KW-GIS Digital Land Information System represented a complete transformation in how land records are managed in Kwara State.
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Wale Igbintade
Kasim Sumaina in Abuja and Laleye Dipo in Minna
EuCharist sErviCE tO mark 70th birthday Of Osinubi at mEthOdist ChurCh...
Former Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of Punch Nigeria Limited, Sir Ademola
and Eucharist service to mark the 70th birthday of Osinubi, at Methodist Church, Ikeja Diocese, Opebi, Lagos…. yesterday.
ADC Cautions FG Against Use of Alleged Coup Plot to Silence Opposition Politicians
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cautioned the federal government against using the recent news of an alleged coup plot as a pretext to clamp down on opposition leaders and begin extra-judicial surveillance on voices that do not agree with the government.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC viewed any threat to Nigeria’s democratic order with utmost seriousness. But it warned that the federal government must not exploit the moment to instil fear, silence dissenting voices, or engineer political advantage under the guise of national security.
ADC said it had been monitoring closely the reports of an alleged coup plot involving arrested military officers and subsequent media claims that a former southern governor was under investigation for allegedly funding the suspects.
According to Abdullahi, ‘’While we vehemently oppose any effort to undermine Nigeria’s constitutional order, we are equally concerned about the potential misuse of such allegations to justify political witch-hunts, suppress dissent, or manipulate public sentiment.
‘’We are particularly concerned about the conflicting signals coming from government sources, especially as the Defence Headquarters has publicly denied ever mentioning a coup plot, despite widespread media reports to the contrary.
“Such inconsistency raises serious fears that the coup narrative may have been politically engineered.”
The statement said, “ADC is particularly concerned that the federal government has not deemed it fit to make a categorical statement on this very serious matter, especially after the military authorities had repeatedly denied that there was such a threat to
the government. By keeping quiet, the government has deliberately allowed the coup story to fester for whatever reason.
“What is clear, however, is that the government is exploiting the coup story to divert attention from the real issues of misgovernance in the country and to curry sympathy. Even more significantly, subsequent
unattributed media reports purportedly implicating unnamed politicians in the so-called plot now provide a pretext for the government to clamp down on opposition figures or mount undue surveillance on them.”
ADC added, “We understand that the APC government is desperate. But such desperation must never be
allowed to endanger our democracy or undermine the democratic rights of citizens.”
ADC called on the federal government to immediately clarify the true nature of the alleged coup.
It said, “Government has a duty to decisively quash the swirling rumour. Conversely, if indeed there has been any such threat to national security,
the government has a duty to be transparent about it and brief the nation “Governmentaccordingly. must desist from weaponising national security as a pretext to silence opposition and political dis- sent. The ADC is resolute in its opposition to dictatorship of any form, whether military dictatorship or its civilian variant.
Journalism Clinic to Celebrate Nigeria’s Media Elders
The Journalism Clinic, a hub for high quality journalism capacity building and sustainability in Nigeria, has concluded plans to celebrate and appreciate Nigeria’s media elders, who are 70 and above for their contributions to the profession. In a statement by its Founder and Director, Taiwo Obe, titled, “From Stories to Legacy: A Day of memories and thanksgiv- ing for Nigeria’s news media
Idris: FG Aware of Dangers Posed to Economic Growth, Social Lives by Banditry
Reiterates commitment to protecting lives, property of Nigerians
Despite the continued assault on the citizens by insurgents and bandits, the federal gov- ernment, weekend, said it was not oblivious of the dangers posed to economic growth and social lives by banditry and others, just as it renewed its pledge to protect the lives and property of Nigerians.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi,
made the renewed pledge in Bida, weekend, during an interactive meeting with members of the All Progres- sives Congress (APC) in Niger South Senatorial district of the state.
The minister said the government was putting all the security forces in position to check the influx and activities of bandits and other undesirable elements in the country. At the interactive meeting held ahead of the November
1 local government election in the state, he said government was aware of the dangers posed to economic growth and social lives by the bandits and would do everything to put them in check .
He, therefore, urged Ni- gerians to continue to have faith in the administration of President Bola Tinubu’s ability to transform the national economy and improve the condition of living of the people.
elders”, the event is tagged “Appreciation Day”.
Billed to hold tomorrow, Wednesday, October 22, the statement stated that occasion would be “a day of remem- brances and reunions as dozens of Nigeria’s news media elders (aged 70 and above) converge on the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Lagos.”
Giving the reason for the gathering, Obe states that, “It’s simply to thank these elders – around 68 of them – for working, over the years, to inform, educate and entertain
our people, with little regard for celebrating themselves.”
Apart from the elderly media personalities, other guests, including the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Information and National Orientation Minister Alhaji Mohammed Idris and Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commissioner, Dr Aminu Wada Maida – whose late father, Wada Maida, was an editor-in-chief of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) – are also expected at the ceremony.
Maida has been identified to deliver the keynote address.
“We also invited some current media leaders and media scholars to the event, with the hope that they can learn a few lessons from the reflections of the elders,” notes Obe.
The Centre for Research Information Management and Media Development (CRIMMD) Library and Museum will stage a mini exhibition of some works of some of the elders.
“It will be a day of nostalgia and thanksgiving,” Obe added.
No Plan to Join APC, Says Adeleke
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, said he has no plan either now or in the near future leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adeleke, who is the Deputy Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee of the PDP, also said the party would come out of its crisis stronger.
The governor, who spoke
shortly after the inaugural meeting of the Sub-CommitteeAccomodation of the convention, said everything would be sorted out so that the convention could proceed smoothly.
“Some people say I might be planning to join the APC because I have friends there or have been seen attending their events. I’m a very civilised person. If I have friends in the APC and they invite me to a wedding or social function, I will attend. That doesn’t mean
I’m joining them.
“As we speak, I am the Deputy Chairman of our convention, which holds on the 15th and 16th of October, and I remain a loyal member of the PDP. I also chair the Accommodation Committee.
“The PDP does not believe in propaganda or endless talk. Many people from other parties are also defecting, that’s politics. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, but everyone has the right to do as they wish.
Osinubi (fourth from left), his wife, Lady Wemimo Osinubi, and their children at a thanksgiving
PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN.
Laleye dipo in Minna
COCKTAIL IN HONOUR Of ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT-ELECT...
L-R:
Regina Daniels’ Brother Debunks Alleged Drug Abuse, Declares No Perfect Marriage
Senator’s brother says it’s a family matter Odinkalu, Regina’s Nollywood
Samuel Daniels, a brother to Nollywood actress Regina Daniels, has debunked allegations linking his sister to drug abuse or misuse.
Samuel Daniels, popularly known as Sweezy, was responding to allegations made on Sunday by his sister’s husband, Senator Ned Nwoko, who accused the actress of dabbling into drugs and consequently destroying
his property.
Taking to social media, Sweezy shared a post on his Instagram page where he addressed the issues surrounding Regina’s marriage to billionaire politician and senator, Nwoko.
Sweezy said the actress had never been involved in substance abuse.
He also hinted at challenges within the marriage, but maintained that he had deliberately
chosen not to speak publicly about them.
He wrote, “No marriage without problems, but remember I decided not to speak. There’s no perfect couple.
“Regina Daniels is not affiliated with (sic…) any drug abuse or misuse. She is not granting any useless interview or trying to (sic…) feed y’all timelines!
“Anything that (sic…) goes up must come down. Shoutout to
y’all for your concerns, love, text and checkups. None is being taken for granted!”
The post sparked widespread discussion across the social media, with many fans commending him for standing up for his sister and seeking to protect her image.
While Sweezy did not go into further details about the issues in Regina’s marriage, he emphasised that the actress was not involved in any negative behaviour, contrary
PDP Welcomes Investigation by Security in Forgery Allegation, Insists Anyanwu Signed
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The National Working Com- mittee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yester- day, tasked the Department of the State Security Services (DSS) and the Inspector General of Police to unearth the veracity of the allegations made by its embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu that his signatures were signed in correspondences to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by someone else.
Anyanwu had in a protest letter to the security agencies and INEC claimed that his signature was forged.
Addressing a press confer- ence where the PDP refuted the forgery allegations, the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, called on the DSS, Police to investigate the forgery allegations by Anyanwu against the Ologunagbaparty.accompanied by members of the NWC, insisted that Anyanwu signed four letters for the national convention on August 25, 2025.
“How come Anyanwu woke to claim that letters he signed almost 60 days ago became forged?” the PDP stated.
He insisted Anyanwu signed the said letters in the presence of governors of Adamawa, Oyo, Osun, Zamfara, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu; the party’s National Legal Adviser, Ajibade Kamaeudeen; and former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Taminu.
The spokesman of the PDP said, Anyanwu signed four let- ters for the National convention holding in Ibadan, including one for his aides that was acknowledged.
He explained the letters were written in line with the resolutions of the 101 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party.
Ologunagba queried why Anyanwu would claim that his signature was forged whereas as the chairman of the sub-committee for contact and mobilisation for the national convention, he wrote a letter requesting for the approval for the budgets for the sub committee.
Quoting the chairman of the PDP governors forum, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Ologunagba said, ‘’Why is Anyanwu claiming now that his signature was forged when the governor
said all correspondences to INEC for the convention has been signed.
He described the allegation of forgery by Anyanwu as a plot to detail the national convention.
‘’There are differences between facts and propaganda. There is no alternative to falsehood. Facts are scared and opinions are free,’’ he said.
He, therefore, tasked security
agencies to investigate the allegations of forgery made by Anyanwu and let the due processes of the law to take place.
Ologunagba said the allega- tions of forgery was nothing but a calculated attempt to detail the November 16 national convention of the party, saying, “Forgery is a serious allegation that should not be ignored.
I nubu: n o Per S on or Grou P
colleagues slam senator over allegations to what her husband had alleged.
As of press time, both Regina Daniels and Nwoko had yet to issue any official statement on the matter.
The senator’s brother, Dr. Michael Nwoko, said the issue on ground was a private family matter that would be resolved internally.
He wrote on his Instagram page, “I respectfully crave the indulgence of all fans and people of goodwill to be calm and continue to demonstrate understanding as whatever is happening between Distinguished Senator Prince Ned Munir Nwoko and his dear wife, Mrs. Regina Daniels Nwoko, is a private family matter. It would be resolved internally. Thank you all, and God bless.”
Lawyer, human rights activist, and former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, criticised the senator over his public response to allegations of domestic violence made by his wife.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Odinkalu wrote, “Even
if every claim here were to be true, the question remains whether this is an appropriate way to handle this. Your children will read this. I hope u will on reflection realise that this your post is a disgrace and have the good sense to take it down.”
Several Nollywood personalities, including actress Yvonne Jegede, condemned those mocking Regina, saying, “If she were married to a poor man and he was beating her, would that make a difference? We all have a story. Once violence is involved, leave…”
Actress Georgina Onuoha, also wrote, “There’s nothing fancy about you, you marry these young, impressionable and vulnerable children and after a while they start revolting.
“I blame her (sic…) mother who sold her daughter at the altar of an old ancient of days because of money. Your wife and siblings are peddling drugs under your roof and you didn’t report them, you’re irresponsible even as a law maker. You should step aside...”
An Y one from lAw of the Supreme Court, which upheld the commission’s anti- corruption mandate, had further strengthened anti-corruption institutions.
“The record of 4,111 convictions and humongous asset recoveries could not have been achieved by a lazy or ineffective judiciary,” Olukoyede added.
In a related development, Tinubu approved the construc- tion of a new auditorium for the Nigerian Law School, Abuja Campus, to enhance legal educa- tion infrastructure nationwide.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, disclosed the approval yesterday during the flag-off ceremony of a 600-capacity student hostel at the Law School campus in Bwari,WikeAbuja. stated that the president
approved the new project after he expressed concerns over limited space in the existing auditorium following a private discussion.
He said, “When I told Mr. President that the current auditorium may not accommodate all students once the new hostels are ready, he immediately directed me to ensure that another auditorium is built.
“This shows that when issues are properly presented to the right authority, a responsive leader, like Mr. President, will always act swiftly.”
Wike added that the project also demonstrated the Tinubu administration’s resolve to enhance legal education and improve students’ learning environment.
He lauded the Attorney
General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), for reforming the justice sector and for his role in initiating the ongoing digitisation of the FCT High Courts.
Wike stated he would ensure that the hostel was completed within 12 months, without delays or contract variations.
Earlier, Fagbemi expressed gratitude to Tinubu and Wike for their unprecedented interventions in legal education, describing the projects as a true reflection of the Renewed Hope Agenda in action.
He said, “It is an understatement to say I am happy, I am elated. This marks the fourth major intervention for the Law School and Council of Legal Education under this
administration. What we are seeing today is real leadership that delivers results.”
The justice minister also praised Wike for his enduring contributions to the Nigerian Law School, recalling his part in the building of what has been described as the best law school campuses in Yenagoa and Port Harcourt.
“From staff quarters to student hostels, every intervention has made teaching and learning easier. This is what true service and responsible governance look like,” he said.
Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Profes- sor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, thanked Tinubu for approving the project and the FCT minister for his sustained support for legal education.
Chiemelie Ezeobi
Doyen of Rotary International District 9110 and Past District Governor, Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi; Governor, District 9111, Rtn Henry Akinyele; Rotary International President Elect, Rtn Olayinka Babalola; and Governor, District 9112, Rtn Lanre Adedoyin at a press briefing and cocktail in honour of Rotary International President-elect in Lagos, at the weekend
unveiling ceremony of the World Public relations forum...
L-R: Senator Osita Izunaso; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; President of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, other top government functionaries and stakeholders, during the unveiling ceremony of the World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) which is to be hosted by Nigeria in 2026 in Abuja…yesterday
FG to Protesters: Justice Resides in Courts, Not in Public Agitation
Wants Kanu’s counsel sanctioned for participating in protests Security forces arrest IPOB chief’s lawyer, brother Police: Why we used teargas on protesters NSCDC condemns invasion of national headquarters Umuahia, Aba in total lockdown, markets shut in Ondo
deji elumoye, chuks okocha, olawale ajimotokan, michael olugbode, linus aleke in Abuja, fidelis david in Akure and emmanuel ugwu-nwogo in Umuahia
The federal government yesterday reacted to the ‘free Nnamdi Kanu’ protests in parts of the country, urging the protesters to focus on the Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) leader’s cases in the courts, rather than wasting time on street demonstrations.
Also, lawyer to Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, and his brother, Em- manuel Kanu, were arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police during the protest in Abuja.
In the same vein, the police defended the use of teargas by officers deployed to provide security and prevent hoodlums from hijacking Omoyele Sowore’s ‘Free Nnamdi Kanu’ protest in the federal capital. However, the Force maintained a studied silence on the trending allegations that officers fired live bullets at protesters.Conveying the federal govern- ment’s response, presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, called on legal authorities to sanction Ejimakor, one of the lawyers representing the detained leader of the IPOB, for ‘unethical conduct’ during the agitation.
Onanuga, in a post on his veri- fied X handle, @aonanuga1956, expressed surprise seeing Ejimakor among protesters led by publisher of Sahara Reporters and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Sowore.
He wrote: “I spotted Aloy Ejimakor, one of Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers, among the small group of protesters mobilised in Abuja by Omoyele Sowore. I wonder what Mr. Ejimakor was thinking when he decided to join this shambolic protest”.
The presidential media aide argued that as a legal practitioner, Ejimakor should be mindful of the principle of sub judice, particularly as Kanu’s ongoing treason trial is still before the court.
“The prosecution has con- cluded its case, and it is now incumbent upon Mr. Ejimakor and the other lawyers to mount a strong defence for Kanu,” he added.
He added that rather than focusing on legal strategy, the lawyer had “resorted to extra-legal tactics” by joining “a career anarchist to influence theTheprocess.”presidential spokesper- son described the protest as “shambolic” saying Ejimakor’s action “questions his adherence to professional ethics,” urging the relevant legal bodies to “consider appropriate sanctions for the unethical conduct of the beardedBesides,lawyer.” Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, cautioned rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Sowore, against using street protests to influence judicial proceedings, saying matters of justice are resolved in courtrooms, not through public agitation.
Reacting to the protest in Abuja led by Sowore, Dare, in a post on his verified X handle, @SundayDareSD, described such demonstrations as “counterpro- ductive” and inimical to the rule of law.
“Protests, threats, attempts at mob actions, and inflammatory rhetoric do not aid the judicial process. Instead, they hinder it, creating unnecessary tension and undermining the rule of law,” he stated.
The presidential media aide said Sowore’s “pastime of PR agitation and courting of public
sympathy to interfere with judicial proceedings is outdated and counterproductive in a modern democracy,” stressing that such actions would not be tolerated in any law-abiding society.
“You cannot employ protest and civil unrest to demand the release of someone accused of terrorism and whose case is still in court. Not even in America,” Dare said.
He clarified that the case of the leader of the proscribed IPOB predates Tinubu’s administration and remains strictly under judicial consideration. According to him: “This administration respects the independence of the courts and will not interfere in ongoing legal proceedings.”
While reaffirming the Presi- dent’s commitment to justice and constitutional order, Dare warned that freedom and democracy “have their limits,” adding that “testing these limits will invite the full application of the laws as clearly stated.
“The judiciary should be left alone to do its work without interference. President Tinubu remains committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice is served fairly and transparently”, he said.
Police Arrest Kanu’s Lawyer, Brother
Also yesterday, Ejimakor, and his Kanu’s brother, Emmanuel Kanu, were arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force. The incident was confirmed in a post by human rights activist and convener of the Take It Back movement, Sowore, who demanded their immediate release.
“The PoliceNG team deployed to brutalize #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s brother, and his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, as
well as innocent bystanders. They were beaten and taken to the FCT command. The police must release them immediately,” he stated.
Ejimakor also posted on Monday: “We’ve just been ar- rested. Myself, Prince Emanuel and others. We are at FCT command CID. Myself, Fine Boy and others. No 1 Zaria Street, Garki 2, Abuja.”
Kanu, who is facing a seven- count charge on terrorism and treasonable felony, has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021. The IPOB leader was first arrested in 2015, granted bail in 2017, and fled after a military invasion of his home in Abia State.
Despite several court rulings ordering his release, the federal government has yet to comply, a situation that continues to stir public outrage and renewed agitation.
Police: Why We Used Teargas
The Nigeria Police Force defended the use of teargas by officers deployed to provide security and prevent hoodlums from hijacking Sowore’s Free Nnamdi Kanu protest in Abuja. However, the Force maintained a studied silence on the trending allegations that officers fired live bullets at protesters.
The former presidential candi- date in the 2019 general election and protest organiser, Sowore, was seen in a viral video fleeing from officers allegedly firing live rounds at demonstrators.
The Force Spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, in a post titled “correction” on his verified X handle, explained: “Police teargassed protesters attempting to approach Aso Villa in clear contravention of a court order
restricting protests around the Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square and Shehu Shagari Way.“We are the country’s foremost law enforcement agency. We carried out our mandate. And we did not block the road but cleared it after it was blocked by the protesters. This was to enable other Nigerians easy passage to their respective destinations.”
Speaking earlier, the protest convener stated that #FreeNnamdiKanu protesters did not provoke the security operatives who dispersed the demonstration onSoworeMonday.explained that the security operatives stormed the protest venue with about 10 trucks, some of which were gunHetrucks.stressed that the protesters were attacked without provoca- tion, saying: “I was talking to them. They didn’t particularly have any leadership. There were about 10 trucks — some of them gun trucks — that arrived as soon as we started the protest and people were gathering.
“So, there was no provocation on our part. We had promised an orderly protest — it was peace- ful — but it was an unprovoked attack by the police force and a combined team of security operatives in the city.”
In an earlier post on X, Sowore had called on citizens to take to the streets in peaceful protest: “Good morning, wherever you may be this morning, do not stop moving. Carry a sign, sing a song, make a statement!,” he urged prospective protesters.
Sowore Flees, Roads Blocked
The convener of the Free Nnamdi Kanu protest, Sowore and other protesters beat a retreat
to avoid being arrested after security operatives tear-gassed protesters yesterday near the road leading to the Presidential Villa on day protest impacted human and vehicular movements in major parts of Abuja.
The protesters, who were barricaded from accessing the Eagles Square, were about to march on to the Presidential Villa in defiance of the warning by security personnel, comprising the army and the police, when they came under attack.
Although the Federal High Court in Abuja had last Friday approved the protest, it was with restrictions placed on certain locations where gatherings would not be allowed.
The ruling prohibited pro- testers from assembling near sensitive government areas including the Presidential Villa, the National Assembly, Force Headquarters, the Court of Appeal, Eagle Square and Shehu Shagari Way.
However, in defiance of the court order, the organisers, led by Sowore, proceeded with the planned protest by maintaining that they had not been officially served any court order.
Major parts of Abuja were on lockdown mode yesterday with many commuters going to work, in the morning stranded in heavy traffic arising from road blocks, mounted by security forces aimed at circumventing the planned protest called by activists for the release of the leader of IPOB, Kanu.
The Abuja- Keffi Road was blocked for several hours, leaving several commuters stranded as early as 5a.m, while access to the Federal Secretariat and Three Arms Zone, leading to the National Assembly and Supreme Court was also totally blocked.
Our main concern is how the emerging global trend is all too present and alive in Nigeria. The state either in Peru, Madagascar, Lagos or Abuja acts out of fear. In Lagos, to mark the fifth anniversary of #EndSARS alleged massacre in Lagos (please note that the word alleged is used allegedly), Opeyemi Adamolekun, a seasoned civil society activist who runs an active group known as Enough is Enough (EiE), yesterday had brought a bouquet of flowers to lay as a wreath at the Lekki Toll Gate in memory of those who fell at that location in 2000. Security operatives harassed her, and asked not to lay any wreath. No flowers. She was not carrying any weapon. Just flowers. But the state operatives of Nigeria were afraid of ordinary bush shrubs. What could have been frightening about ordinary flowers? The state is so scared it cannot even deal with ordinary symbolism. They pushed the poor lady. They asked her to get lost with her flowers. Flowers oh. The assailants wore brown uniform. There are so many agencies whose officials wear all kinds of uniforms in Nigeria, it is difficult to keep count or know their true identity. Can someone please help? Have they created an anti-flower bearing squad in Lagos? What part of state law makes it a crime to hold flowers on the streets of Lagos? They grabbed the flowers from Adamolekun and shared among themselves. Did they think the leaves would make good addition to their wives’ pots of soup? It is a crazy country, and the people in uniform are the most afflicted. They are victims themselves. They are poorly and rarely paid. When they retire, they rarely receive their pensions, but the moment they wear that uniform of whatever colour, their quick instinct is to oppress their fellow citizens.
The same drama played out in Abuja yesterday at the protest summoned by Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC). Sowore is a professional civil society activist and pro-democracy campaigner. In the past week, he had tried to mobilise all categories of citizens to come forward to campaign for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu - the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who has been standing trial since 2015, for criminal charges relating to terrorism, treason, defamation, and conspiracy to commit violence. He was released from detention in 2017, and was later re-arrested in Kenya in June 2021 by Interpol and extradited to Nigeria. He has been in state custody since then. He was accused of jumping bail. Sowore wants him released: #ReleaseNnamdiKanu. His plan was to put one million people on the streets of Abuja on Monday, October 20, to protest from
the Transcorp Hilton, the convergence point, to be joined by “all online protesters, activists, citizens, and allies everywhere to turn every platform into a space for truth and resistance”.
In a tone reminiscent of the youth rebellion in Nepal, Sowore wrote: “From today, the internet becomes our rally ground, a united digital front for freedom and conscience. We are online, we are everywhere, and we are unstoppable”. Those words are ominous. A week ago, Sowore had announced that he had the consent of prominent national figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, President Goodluck Jonathan, Femi Falana SAN, and Senator Shehu Sani. He also called on South East leaders: Mr. Peter Obi, and the Governors - bCharles Chukwuma Soludo (Anambra) Alex Otti (Abia), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi) Peter Mbah (Enugu), Hope Uzodinnma (Imo), Ndigbo in general and other voices of conscience. He asked Igbo leaders and others to turn rhetoric into action. Yesterday, the protest held. As early as 6.30 am, the protesters had trooped onto the streets of Abuja: the Three Arms Zone, Transcorp Hilton, Jabi and elsewhere, they were out in their numbers.
Nobody sighted any prominent Nigerian among the protesters, but Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s counsel was among them. Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Presidential Spokesperson, has complained about the ugliness of a lawyer who is representing his client in a pending matter in a court of law also resorting to self-help
T H e Con TI nue D e volu TI on o f m one Y African economies to their colonial metropoles.
Following independence, several African na- tions established their own currencies to assert monetary sovereignty. Ghana introduced the cedi in July 1965, replacing the Ghana pound as part of Kwame Nkrumah’s Africanization agenda. Nigeria launched the naira on January 1, 1973, transitioning from the Nigerian pound to a decimalized system that reflected national identity. Kenya, after gaining independence in 1963, introduced the Kenya shilling in 1966, replacing the East African shilling. These transitions ...
CRYPTOCURRENCIES, STABLECOINS AND TOKENIZED ASSETS: REDEFINING VALUE AND OWNERSHIP
The emergence of Bitcoin in 2009 is challenging conventional monetary systems and reshaping the very foundation of global finance. Its decentralized model introduces a new paradigm — trust in codes and rails rather than in traditional institutions. Across the world, regulators and central banks are being compelled to rethink monetary sovereignty, payment infrastructure, and the future of digital trust.
Beyond Bitcoin, stablecoins and digital assets have emerged as pivotal bridges between traditional finance and the blockchain ecosystem. Pegged to fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar or the euro, stablecoins such as USDC and USDT combine the programmability of blockchain with the stability of conventional money. They are increasingly being used for international settlements, cross-border trade, and decentralized finance — signaling the gradual blending of banking and blockchain.
In El Salvador, Bitcoin became legal tender, signaling bold experimentation. In Africa, startups such as Yellow Card and Bundle Africa are leveraging
blockchain to facilitate cross-border remittances and reduce transaction costs. Meanwhile, Afreximbank and AfCFTA are exploring tokenized trade and asset settlement platforms to eliminate currency bottlenecks and deepen intra-African commerce.
AFRICA AND THE FUTURE OF VALUE EXCHANGE
Africa’s youthful population and technological adaptability position it at the forefront of financial transformation. The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), launched by Afreximbank, enables cross-border payments in local currencies, reducing dollar dependency. Through AfCFTA’s digital trade initiatives, Africa is poised to create a unified digital economy anchored on homegrown financial infrastructure.
on the streets. It is indeed an infamous act of a high proportion, and the whole exercise, by that objective fact alone, would seem like an attempt to intimidate and overwhelm the court. Nnamdi Kanu has an on-going case at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The Court of Justice James Omotoso had ruled, most recently that Kanu has a case to answer in response to a “No Case application” by his lawyers; on the basis of which his trial is scheduled to begin on Thursday. On the surface of it therefore, the judicial process in the matter has not been exhausted. But this is also what makes the matter delicate and complicated. There is an even an international dimension. Nigeria has a Mutual Legal Assistance pact with other countries including Finland where Simon Ekpa, associated with the Kanu charges has now been convicted. Should Nigeria abort the trial of Kanu, midway, on the basis of street sentiments?
The state security services felt obliged to defend the city of Abuja against the protesters. They barricaded the streets and unleashed cannisters of tear gas on the protesters, It has even been reported that when that was not enough, they resorted to live bullets. The protesters ran so fast in all directions, many of them lost their footwears. Abuja residents became hostages in their own city. Vehicular movement and businesses were affected. It must be re-emphasised that the right to protest, the right to assemble and the right to express an opinion are constitutional rights. The expression of those rights should not be met with bullets. By the same token, however, the same rights should be exercised within the bounds of reason and sanity. The protesters reportedly called for revolution and change. At this time, there had been speculations about the threat of coup-making, coup-thinking in Nigeria. This then would seem like the very wrong time to suggest anything remotely revolutionary. Nonetheless, that would not justify the excessive use of force even as dire as the situation in the Federal Capital Territory may have been: the 5th anniversary of #EndSARS and the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest, both converging as potent threats to the seat of government on the same day. There were no open protests elsewhere, but the entire South East was quiet. In Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, and Imo, the markets were closed. People stayed at home. In Abuja, the police harassed the protesters and arrested many, including journalists. Journalists do not deserve to be demonized, harassed or punished for doing their work. They should be released immediately. The protesters should be allowed to go too: non-violent protest is not a crime and there is nowhere in the books where a peaceful protest is a threat to the state. The security
THE HORIZON: FROM MEDIUM OF EXCHANGE TO MEDIUM OF INTELLIGENCE
Money’s future is not just digital — it’s intelligent. Artificial Intelligence and blockchain are merging to create programmable currencies that carry data, compliance, and purpose. In the near future, tokenized assets such as carbon credits will contain embedded ESG metadata, while smart contracts will execute financial transactions autonomously — verifying compliance before settlement.
CHALLENGES AND HOW TO ADAPT
As the concept of money continues to evolve, several challenges emerge. First, the digital divide remains a major barrier, particularly in developing economies where internet access and financial literacy lag behind innovation. Second, cybersecurity risks are rising — digital currencies, while efficient, expose societies to hacking, data theft, and fraud on a scale never seen before. Third, regulatory uncertainty and fragmented legal frameworks threaten to slow the adoption of transformative technologies. To adapt, policymakers and financial institutions must build inclusive digital ecosystems that integrate education, regulation, and innovation. Governments should invest in financial literacy and digital infrastructure to close the gap between technology and society. Central banks must evolve from regulators to enablers, balancing innovation with stability. Partnerships between fintechs, traditional banks, and development institutions will be essential to ensure that the next chapter of money does not wi...
agencies can claim that they did not want a blow out, and having achieved that, they should allow the detained persons to go.
Two more things. The first is that there is a touch of irony to the Sowore-inspired protest. Sowore is an Ilaje Yoruba man, Arogbo-Ijaw from Ondo State. In this country, the politics of ethnicity and regionalism is at the heart of almost every relationship. His involvement in the Kanu struggle shows that the struggle for justice is above ethnic or regional considerations. It also exposes the contradictions at the heart of Igbo politics and the hypocrisy of the Igbo leadership elite. On the Nnamdi Kanu question, Igbo leaders are very good at diplomacy and rhetoric, none of them will ever dare identify pro-actively with Sowore’s revolutionary tactics. They would rather toe the line that I had identified earlier: that Nigeria has an obligation not to be seen to be sabotaging a live judicial process, or supporting mob action to truncate a judicial process. The court says Nnamdi Kanu has a case to answer, and that he is healthy enough to stand trial: Would it not be a better idea to wait for the process to run its course and then insist on Presidential pardon subsequently?
Secondly, this in itself is a proposal that many would pooh-pooh because we have reached a point in this country where nobody, including those running the same government, trusts government anymore. This is borne out of the haphazard manner in which government is run. In the days to come, the Tinubu administration is likely to be reminded that the argument about legal process and international legal co-operation cannot stand coming from a government that has just pardoned or commuted the prison sentences of 175 persons in line with Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution. The correlation between the number of pardoned persons and the actual section of the law shows a curious juvenile reasoning behind the exercise, made worse by the fact that most of the persons on the list are convicted murderers, drug traffickers, kidnappers, drug addicts, economic saboteurs and human rights criminals. President Tinubu is therefore confronted with a moral question: why not Nnamdi Kanu, since this is a season of clemency, and he, the President has the powers within the Constitution to turn black into white, and make persons whole again? This is the urgent question of the moment in the eyes of Sowore and his band of protesters. But they may have to wait till sometime close to the 2027 general elections when President Tinubu may decide to use the Kanu matter as a potent political game changer in Nigeria’s game of chess and opportunism.
CONCLUSION: FROM CAVE TRADE TO CODED TRUST
When archaeologists unearthed ancient barter tokens in a Neolithic site near the Euphrates River, they discovered markings on clay tablets — symbols of grain, goats, and debts owed. Those primitive records were humanity’s first attempt to assign, record, and preserve value. Centuries later, the same instinct drives us to code financial value into digital ledgers, smart contracts, and tokenized assets. The tools have changed, but the purpose endures.
From the Stone Age barter to the blockchain ledger, humanity’s concept of money has always been about one enduring principle — trust. When early traders exchanged animal skins and grains, they relied on personal trust. When kingdoms minted coins, trust moved to the state. When banks arose, trust became institutional. And today, in the digital age, trust has been encrypted — codified in algorithms, decentralized networks, and programmable currencies. Yet, beneath every transformation lies the same human impulse — the need to exchange, to collaborate, and to create value. The instruments may have changed, but the essence has not. The cowrie and the cryptocurrency are separated by millennia, yet both serve a single timeless purpose: to bridge human aspiration with economic reality. Money, therefore, is more than a medium; it is civilization’s mirror — reflecting our progress from primitive barter to intelligent finance. As we stand between the memories of the Stone Age and the marvels of the digital age, we are reminded that even as the form of money evolves, its heartbeat remains human — a testament to trust, ingenuity, and the unending search for value and meaning.
Sowore An D T H e n n A m DI K A
Cardoso
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu
ABATI
Sowore And The Nnamdi Kanu Protest
Yesterday was October 20, the fifth anniversary of the Lekki Toll Gate Massacre, aftermath of the #EndSARS youth protest in Lagos. Scores of young persons were reportedly killed, maimed, made to inhale tear gas, or jump into the Lagoon and till date there has been no full closure on that event, despite attempts by the Federal and state governments to investigate what exactly happened, and make some form of restitution in some of the states. It was the equivalent of a Gen Z protest in Nigeria, an expression of youth affirmation and protest, similar to what has now happened in Nepal in September 2025. In Nepal, angry youths practically removed a government from office after protesting over social media ban and government corruption. The Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli had to step down. Other government officials fled. Those who tarried were humiliated. There have been similar protests by young people in recent times in Madagascar, Peru, and Morocco. As in Nepal, the government in Madagascar was also toppled,
providing an opportunity for the military to seize power, yet another major setback for democracy in the continent.
In the face of these youth-led protests in Africa, Asia and South America, the governments are frightened. The issues may differ: police violence and misconduct in Nigeria, social media ban and corruption in Nepal, economic disempowerment in Bangladesh in 2024, misplaced priorities, need for social services reforms as stated by the GENZ212 movement in Morocco, tax bill and cost of living crisis in Kenya, election issues, inequality, corruption in Mozambique in the words of GENZ Mozambique, and demand for better wages and pensions in Peru. A common denominator is the rise of youth power, and the determination by young people who constitute the majority of the populations in Africa, Asia and South America seeking to take charge of their own destinies, and demand the exit of non-performing governments. They ask for transparency, accountability, good governance, reforms and change. They come across as leaderless, a movement using both their voices and technology to get heard, and reject traditional political systems. In Nigeria, the slogan was “Sorosoke”
(speak out loud and be heard), Moroccan youths used their country’s international dialling code: 212. The youths of the world seem to be taking cues from each other, inspiring a wave of global protests. They remind us afresh of Occupy Wall Street in 2011, the Arab Spring in 2010 -2012; the Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong in 2014, and the all-dominating power of social media. Are the leaders listening, frightened as they appear to be? Not quite. In Peru, one person died, 100 were injured; 72 persons were killed in Nepal in September, persons also died in Morocco (more than 3) and Mozambique (more than 33 killed, 15 injured) and in Madagascar, more than 22 persons were killed. The standard response of the incumbent authoritarian governments is to meet the people’s revolt with accustomed high-handedness. This raises concerns about the destiny of democracy and the fortunes of leadership and governance in otherwise representative systems.
The Continued Evolution of Money
Thousands of years ago, deep in the Stone Age, early humans bartered in caves and open plains — exchanging animal skins for obsidian tools, grains for salt, and livestock for labor. There were no coins, no ledgers, only trust and need. Yet even in that simplicity lay the seed of civilization’s greatest innovation — the creation of value, and the means to exchange it. From those primitive trades emerged not just economies, but societies built on cooperation, trust, and a shared understanding of worth.
As humankind evolved, so did money — from the tangible to the abstract, from barter to blockchain. Each era has transformed how we assign, measure, and move value — shaping commerce, power, and human connection.
THE ORIGINS: TRUST, TRADE, AND TANGIBILITY
Money began as tangible value — gold, salt, livestock, and cowries. These early mediums of exchange symbolized both wealth and credibility.
In pre-colonial West Africa, cowries became the dominant means of trade, linking communities from the Niger Delta to the Sahel. Gold dust from Mali was exchanged for salt and textiles from North Africa — proof that trust-based trade could connect civilizations across deserts long before the advent of banks.
PAPER MONEY AND THE AGE OF BANKING
The Tang Dynasty in China pioneered the use of paper notes, marking a shift from physical commodities to government-backed instruments of trust. Centuries later, the Medici family of Florence revolutionized European finance with the first bills of exchange and ledger systems. The Bank of England formalized paper money issuance in the 17th century, institutionalizing trust in the state rather than in gold. This innovation laid
the groundwork for the global banking system.
FIAT CURRENCY AND THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL ORDER
When the United States abandoned the gold standard in 1971, the world entered the era of fiat money — currency backed by confidence rather than tangible assets. The U.S. dollar emerged as the world’s reserve currency, setting the tone for global monetary policy.
In Africa, currency systems had existed long before independence, though they were largely extensions of colonial economies. The West African pound, East African shilling, and Nigerian pound circulated widely under British administration, while the CFA franc served French territories. These currencies facilitated trade but anchored
Sowore
CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso
L-R: Director, Global High Jewellery & Exceptional Creations, Piaget, Mr. Christophe Bourrie; Global Chief Executive Officer, Piaget, Mr. Benjamin Comar; Executive Director, Polo Luxury, Ms. Jennifer Obayuwana; and Chief Executive Officer, Polo Luxury, Mr. John Obayuwana, during the welcoming ceremony marking Comar’s first official visit to Nigeria at Polo Luxury Head Office, Lagos... weekend
