Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, yesterday declared that the Nigerian economy had been transformed in the past two years, driven by bold
with the naira continuing to
www.thisdaylive.com
Bala Mohammed: Crisis in PDP Fuelled by Wike’s Impunity, Arrogance
Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Demo- cratic Party (PDP) Governors’
Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, yesterday blamed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for the crisis in the PDP. MohammedallegedthatWike has vowed to ensure the PDP does not form the next govern- ment in 2027, describing the
governor’s attack
FG: Tinubu Depressed By Students’ Kidnap, Brigadier-General Uba’s Death
GovernorIdris:failuretoactonintelligencemadekidnappossible,saysit’ssabotage,accusesunnamedagency Northern governors express outrage, demand urgent, coordinated rescue operations Story on page 39
CAMARADERIE AMONG SENATORS...
L-R: Senators Patrick Ndubueze, Osita Izunaso, Adams Oshiomhole, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau; Senators Asuquo Ekpeyong and others, at Plenary, yesterday
ChuksOkocha inAbujaand SegunAwofadeji inBauchi
Jim Ovia , CFR Founder & Chairman, Zenith Bank Plc
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji , OON Founding Partner, Future Africa David Kpakima Co‑Founder, Rasab Group, Sierra Leone
Aisha Tofa Board Chair, Startup Kano Center for Innovation Development
MOGHALU IN WASHINGTON...
L-R: Kingsley Moghalu,
Institute for Governance and Economic
ee, at lunch in Washington DC, yesterday
After Winning 2 Oil Blocks in 2024, Total Signals Interest in Fresh Licensing Round
Hails NUPRC for delivering transparent mini-bid round Era of regulatory ambiguity in upstream oil sector over, says Komolafe Insists Nigeria making steady progress in upstream despite challenges
EmmanuelAddehinAbuja andPeterUzohoinLagos
After winning two oil and gas blocks at the mini-bid round conducted last year, French energy major, TotalEnergies, has again signalled its strong interest in participating in the forthcoming 2025 licensing roundscheduledtocommence from December 1.
The President, TotalEnergies Exploration and Production, Mr. Nicolas Terraz, made the company’s intention known yesterday in Abuja when he led a high-level delegation from the company on a visit to the Chief Executive Of cer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr. Gbenga Komolafe.
Last September, TotalEnergies and its partner, South Atlantic Petroleum, signed the
Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for the Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPLs) 2000 and 2001 exploration licenses offshore Nigeria, which were awardedtothemfollowingthe 2024licensingroundconducted by the commission.
During the meeting with Komolafe, Terraz, who was accompaniedbytheManaging Director/Chief Executive of TotalEnergies Upstream Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Mathieu Bouyer,andotherseniorexecutives, applauded NUPRC for delivering a transparent 2024 mini-bid round, signalling an interestintheforthcoming2025 licensing round scheduled to commence next month.
In his remarks, according to a statement by the Head of Media and Strategic Com- munication at NUPRC, Eniola Akinkuotu, the TotalEnergies exploration and production
president praised the NUPRC for the transparency and credibility displayed during the 2024 mini-bid round.
He expressed con dence that the 2025 round would bene tfromtheCommission’s reform-driven processes and enhanced governance framework.
Terraz said the company remains optimistic about new opportunities in Nigeria, not-
ing that the clarity and fairness exhibited in the previous round had strengthened investor con dence. He added that lessons learned from the 2024 exercise will positively shape expectations for the 2025 Licensing Round.
Terraz reaf rmed the company’s long-term commitment to Nigeria’s upstream sector, describing the country as a strategic hub in its global
portfolio.
He emphasised TotalEnergies’ readiness to align with NUPRC’s vision for a more competitive, transparent, and investment-driven oil and gas industry.
“Drawing from the 2024 bid round, the 2025 edition would be positive,” he said, stressing that TotalEnergies is “optimistic about the new bid round.”
In his remarks, Komolafe reiterated NUPRC’s commitment to a predictable regulatory environment. He noted that the Commission was not only a regulator but a strategic business enabler in line with the provisions of the Petroleum IndustryAct (PIA) 2021. According to him, the era of regulatory ambiguity in Nigeria’s upstream sector is over.
UBA Foundation Names 13-year-old Igando Student Youngest-Ever Essay Competition Winner
NumeEkeghe
A 13-year-old Lagos student, Ebunoluwa Seth Oluwatimilehin, has become the youngest laureate in the 15-year history of UBA Foundation National EssayCompetition,amilestone that also ended an eight-year streak of female winners.
The Senior Secondary (SS2) student from Igando Community Senior High Schoolemergedoverallwinner yesterday at the grand nale held in Lagos, rising above
Senate Leadership Retreats as Plan to Curb Contest for Presiding Offices Sparks Revolt
SundayAborisadeinAbuja
The senate leadership, yester- day, suffered an unexpected setback in its bid to amend the chamber’s Standing Orders to further tighten the rules governing the emergence of presiding of cers. The proposed amendments, presented by Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara South), on behalf
of Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), immediately ran into resistance on the oor, forcing the leadership to withdraw the document.
At the heart of the controversy was a new hierarchy introduced into the eligibility criteria for contesting the of ces of Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
The amendment sought to demote ranking senators,
traditionallythemainpoolfrom which presiding of cers were selected, to the fourth tier of eligibility.
The proposal placed former Senate Presidents at the top of the eligibility list, followed by former Deputy Senate Presidents, and, then, former principal of cers. Only after these three catego- ries would ranking senators, based on years of service, be
considered. Below them would be senators with prior service in the House of Representatives, and, nally, rst-term senators.
The draft provision stated, “Nomination of Senators to serve as Presiding Of cers shall be in accordance with the ranking of Senators and shall be strictly adhered to,” before listing the new hierarchy that signi cantly altered the long-standing tradition.
thousands of entries from public and private schools nationwide.
His victory was particularly notable for a public-school participant, given the competition’s longstanding tilt towards candidates from more privileged backgrounds.
Master Ebunoluwa’s feat earned him a N10 million educational grant, which he is free to deploy at any higher institution in Africa, when he begins his tertiary education.
An elated Ebunoluwa expressed joy, saying, “I am incredibly grateful and overwhelmed.Thiscompetition has shown me that passion and hard work truly pay off. It has been an amazing journey that has deepened my love for writing and expressing myTheideas.”second-place winner, Njoku-Kelechi Emerald of Christian International High
School,Owerri,receivedaN7.5 million educational grant, while the third-place prize of N5 million educational grant was awarded to Bayero, FatimaAuwal of Cornerstone Montessori Schools, Gudu, Abuja.
In addition to the monetary grants for the top three win- ners, all 12 nalists were given brand-new laptops and other educational materials to sup- port their academic pursuits.
The 2025 edition got several thousand entries, with signicant participation extending beyond major cities, into rural communitiesacrossthecountry.
UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Of cer, Oliver Alawuba, who commended the foundation’s 15-year commitment to the initiative, explained the competition’s strategic role in reviving the culture of reading and writing among the youth.
President,
Transformation (IGET); Elizabeth (Liz) Lewis Boyle, Senior Policy Adviser; and John “JT” Tomaszewski, Senior Professional Staff, Office of the Chairman of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Commi
Launch of Linkageprotect MobiLe app powered by Linkage assurance...
L-R: Chief Marketing Officer, Linkage Assurance Plc, Mr. Anthony Saiki; Chief Financial Controller, Linkage Assurance Plc, Emmanuel Otitolaiye; Executive Director (Technical), Linkage Assurance Plc, Mr. Okanlawon Adelagun; Group Managing Director, Wetherheads Group Advertising, Mr. Abiodun Iderawunmi; Managing Director/CEO, Linkage Assurance Plc, Mr. Daniel Braie; former Commissioner of Finance, Bayelsa State, Mr. Ebitare Otrofanowei; and Chief Human Capital Officer/Head Management Services, Linkage Assurance Plc, Mr. Humphrey Ozegbe, during the launch of Linkageprotect Mobile App powered by Linkage Assurance Plc in Lagos, ….yesterday
Oduwole
Reaffirms FG’s Commitment to Unlock
New Markets, Strengthen Bilateral Trade with UK
JamesemejoinAbuja
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, yesterday, said the federal government was committed to unlocking new markets, strengthening bilateral trade, and ensuring that Nige-
rian women, the backbone of the economy, were equipped to compete and excel globally.
Speaking at the opening of the UK–Nigeria Trade Mission - SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme inAbuja, Oduwole said the event formed part of a broader national vision
under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to diversifytheeconomy,empower SMEs, and elevate the country as a global leader in non-oil exports.
She said, “This platform is expanding market access in real time and equipping our
women-led businesses with practical, actionable knowledge ofUKentryrequirements-from fresh produce and processed agri-foods to beauty and wellness.
“This is the kind of insight that empowers Nigerian prod- ucts to meet global standards
Global Internet Outage as Cloud are Experiences Prolonged
emmanueladdehinAbuja
Internet infrastructure company, Cloud are, was yesterday hit by an outage that knocked several major websites and services of ine for several hours.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT, ecommerce platform Shopify, music streaming platform, Spotify, Facebook and Elon Musk’s social media platform X were among the sites impacted by the Cloud are issues.
ACloud are spokesperson said the company had identi-
ed the “root cause” of the outage, noting there’s no evidence it was caused by an attack or malicious activity.
However, many sites came back online within a few hours. In an update to itsstatuspage,Cloud aresaid it had implemented a x to resolve the outage, though it noted some users may still experience issues accessing its online dashboard.
“We are continuing to monitorforerrorstoensureall services are back to normal,” the company added.
Job search engine Indeed,
Anthropic’s Claude chatbot, President Donald Trump’s Truth Social and X were also among the sites impacted by the Cloud are issues, according to Downdetector, which itself could not be accessed brie y for some users. Some of New Jersey Transit’s digital services were brought down by the outage.
OpenAI’s status page indicated ChatGPT and its Sora short-form video app werefullyrecoveredafterthey experienced issues due to a “third-party service provider.”
The Cloud are spokesper-
Ogun to Institutionalise Oko’Wo Dapo into Women Empowerment Trust Fund
JamessowoleinAbeokuta
TheOgunStateGovernmenthas announced plans to institutionalize the State Women Empowerment Scheme (Oko’wo Dapo) as a State-backed Women’s Trust Fund Policy, as part of efforts to further strengthen women’s economic empowerment across the state. The scheme was planned
to complement the gains of the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up (NFWP-SU), a federal government-led women empowerment project aimed at empowering 105,000 women bene ciaries across the four implementing local government areas. TheCommissionerforWomen Affairs and Social Development, Hon.MotunrayoAdijatAdeleye,
statedthisduringtheof cial agoffoftheNFWPScale-Upphase, held in Awujale Interregnum, Awujale’s Palace Ijebu-Ode.
She explained the institutionalization of Oko’wo Dapo would guarantee continuity, sustainability, and transparency for women-focused initiatives, ensuring that empowerment programmes remain active and impactful beyond political cycles.
son said the “root cause” of the outage was an automatically generated con guration le used to manage threat traf c that “grew beyond an expected size of entries,” which triggered a crash in the software system that handles traf c for several of its services. The company said it began to observe a “spike in unusual traf c” around 5:20 a.m. ET.
Oduwole also pointed out that the mission was elevating the visibility and global positioning of Nigerian brands on international platforms, especiallywithintheUKmarket.
She said, “As we all know: visibility is power. When Nigerian brands are seen, they are valued. And when valued, they attract investment, win market share, and unlock new pathways for growth.
“To the Nigerian brands here today your resilience, creativity, andentrepreneurialspiritinspire this nation. You are not merely participatinginglobaltrade;you
are de ning Nigeria’s global footprint.
“Wearenotmerelyfacilitating transactions, we are opening doors for livelihoods, and for economic transformation across our continent.”
Ayeni:wehavecreatedaplatformwhereNigerianwomen-ledbusinessescanaccessglobalmarkets,buildcapacity,scalesustainably and continue for quality, safety, and“Second,identity.we are witnessing thestrengtheningofmeaningful partnerships between Nigerian entrepreneurs and UK import- ers. These connections are not just introductions they are the seeds of future collaborations, supplier agreements, and long- term commercial relationships thatwillscaleourexports,create jobs,andbuildlastingprosperity for women-led MSMEs.”
signiTheministeracknowledgeda cant milestone in bilateral relationship with the UK. She stated that in October, UK offered Nigeria tariff relief on almost3,000productsunderthe Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).
According to her, “This is a major opportunity for Nigerian exporters, particularly women-led businesses to scale production,reducemarket-entry costs, and expand into one of the world’s most competitive markets.”
In her remarks, Executive Director/Chief Executive, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, said the council had cre- ated a platform where Nigerian women-led businesses could access global markets, build capacity, and scale sustainably.
A Professor of Practice and Global Advisor on Climate Finance and Sustainable Infrastructure, Patrick Ogunnowo, yesterday maintained that with a proper framework, Nigeria can earn as much as N1 trillion from climate action and carbon markets.
Speaking in Abuja while brie ng the press, Ogunnowo stated that beyond
aspiration, this is a realistic, data-aligned opportunity waiting to be structured, veri ed, and monetised by WestAfrica’s most populous nation.
According to the Founder/CEO of UK Trade and Infrastructure Enterprise Limited (AUKTIE)-a UKregistered consultancy shaping renewable-energy deployment and carbon- market readiness across Africa, the UK, and the
UAE,Nigeria’snextcompetitive advantage lies not only in generating clean power but in measuring, certifying, and monetising the carbon savings behind it.
“Nigeria can unlock over N1 trillion in new annual revenue from climate action and carbon markets alone. This is not an aspiration, this is a realistic, data-aligned opportunity waiting to be structured, veri ed, and monetised,” he pointed out.
MTN Nigeria Communications PLC invites qualified financial service providers, fintech companies, and licensed lending institutions to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) for partnership in the provision of Airtime and Data Loan Services to MTN customers. This initiative is aimed at enhancing customer experience and promoting financial inclusion through seamless, secure, and automated access to airtime and data credit.
Scope of Services:
• Finance airtime and data loans for prepaid customers.
• Deploy automated credit scoring and real time decision making systems.
• Enable flexible repayment models with API integration to MTN systems.
• Provide dashboards for loan performance and portfolio analytics.
• Ensure risk management, fraud prevention, and full regulatory compliance.
Eligibility Criteria:
• Demonstrated experience in digital lending or telecom related financial services.
• Capacity to finance high volume microloans.
• Strong technical integration and data security capabilities.
• Must be duly licensed, registered, and in good standing with all relevant regulatory and statutory authorities governing telecommunications, digital financial services, non traditional lending, data privacy, and consumer protection in Nigeria as specified by law.
• Evidence of compliance with all applicable laws, sector regulations, and consumer protection frameworks relevant to airtime and data lending services.
Submission Details:
Applicants should submit in PDF format:
• Company profile and relevant experience.
• Proposed service model and technical approach.
• Proof of registration and ownership of the intellectual property rights in the airtime and data loan service as registered worldwide;
• Financial capacity and risk management framework.
Subject Line: EOI – Airtime and Data Credit Services – MTN Nigeria
Deadline: Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Note: Only shortlisted applicants will proceed to the Request For Proposal (RFP) stage.
Wholly Nigerian owned entities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Dr. Bala Bello,
Mr. Lucky Adaghe,
Mr. Gbenga Alade,
Dr. Aminu Mukhtar Dan’amu,
Mr. Adeshola Lamidi,
Oluseyi Akinwunmi SAN,
Bidemi Ademola Bello SAN,
Ade Adedeji SAN,
Mr. Gbenga Alade,
Mr. Lucky Adaghe,
Dr. Aminu Mukhtar Dan’amu,
Mr. Adeshola Lamidi,
Oluseyi Akinwunmi SAN,
Dr. Bala Bello,
Gbenga Alade,
Mr. Adeshola Lamidi,
Mr. Lucky Adaghe,
Dr. Aminu Mukhtar Dan’amu,
Ade Adedeji SAN,
Bidemi Ademola Bello SAN,
Oluseyi Akinwunmi
Amid rising operating expenses in the nancial sector, seven big banks in the country spent an estimated N839.9 billion on Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) expensesintheninemonths of 2025.
This represents about 38.4 per cent increase over
N607.09billionspentbythe seven banks in the same period in 2024. Thesevenbanksare:First Holdco Plc, Zenith Bank Plc,GuarantyTrustHolding CompanyPlc(GTCO),and UnitedBankforAfricaPlc (UBA), Wema Bank Plc, StanbicIBTCHoldingsPlc, and Access Holdings Plc.
THISDAY analysis of thebanks’ nancialresults showed that AMCON levied the seven banks N605.06 billion, in nine
months of 2025, about 41.8percentincreasewhen comparedtoN426.1billion in nine months of 2024, while Deposit Insurance Premium moved from N180.99 billion in nine monthsof2024,upby30.3 per cent to N235.9 billion reported in nine months of 2025.
Bankingsectorresolution cost represents the Corporation levy, which is applicable on the total balance sheet size of the
Bank.Thecurrentapplicable ratebasedonAMCONAct of 2015 is 0.5 per cent of total assets plus total off balance sheet assets.
Owingtotheimportance of the nancial services sector, involving public funds, there is a need for buffers to protect public fundsincaseofbankfailure or liquidation, hence, the needfordepositinsurance.
Deposit insurance and AMCON levy are part of layers put in place to
protect public funds and ensure the stability of the banking sector.
Deposit Insurance Premium is a statutory payment by deposittaking banks that ensures that NDIC as an insurer guarantees the payment of deposits up to the maximum limit (Now N5 million) in accordance withitsstatuteintheevent of failure of an insured nancial institution.
Typically, banks with
Nume Ekeghe
Experts in the nancial servicesectorhaveprojected thatNigeria’sin ationwill continue its downward trajectory in the coming months, supported by stronger macro-economic fundamentals,easingfood prices, and a more stable energy environment. Thisoutlookfollowsfresh datashowingthatheadline in ation moderated for
the seventh consecutive month in October, falling to16.05percentfrom18.02 per cent. Food in ation slowed sharply to 13.12 per cent from 16.87 per cent, while core in ation eased to 18.69 per cent from 19.53 per cent—clear signsthatunderlyingprice pressures are cooling after a prolonged period of volatility.
Thebroad-baseddecline has reinforced market
con dence, especially as global rating agencies continuetosignalimproving sentimentaroundNigeria’s macrooutlook.InOctober, Fitchaf rmedthecountry’s ‘B’ rating with a Stable Outlook, while S&P maintained its ‘B–’ rating but revised its outlook to Positive. Analysts note that the dif cult reforms introduced across 2023 and 2024—particularly in FX, energy pricing, and
monetarypolicy—arenow transitioning into a payoff phase in 2025, producing morestableandpredictable macro conditions.
In its latest macroeconomic update, Comercio Partners, which authored the report, underscored that the disin ation trend is now rmer than at any point in the past two years.
The rm emphasised that the improvements
re ect both fading cost shocks and increasingly favourablemonth-on-month in ationdynamics,despite temporary hiccups driven by fuel and gas supply disruptions in October. AheadoftheNovember MPC meeting, Comercio Partnersexpectsa100-basispoint rate cut—supported byaconsistentdisin ation pattern, stable FX conditions,andimproving reserve buffers.
the largest deposits pay the most premium to NDICintermsofabsolute numbers. However, some banks pay higher relative to their deposits. Meanwhile, Access Holdings paid the highest AMCON levy in nine months of 2025, while Zenith Bank recorded the highest Deposit Insurance Premium in the period under review.
“The MPC is scheduled to hold its 303rd meeting on the 24th and 25th of November2025.Giventhe signi cantimprovementin in ation and the relative stability of the exchange rate, we anticipate that the Committee will implement a 100-basis point rate cut, which would mark the second rate cut this year.
KayodeTokede
Okeke: Second Citizenship Guarantees Wealth Retention, Global Access
At a recent interactive session with select business editors, Executive Director, Business Development at Optiva Capital Partners, Africa’s leading investment immigration rm, Ambassador Amaka Okeke, spoke extensively about the transformative power of second citizenship, real-life client success stories, and Optiva’s holistic approach to wealth retention and global access solutions. Also, she offered not just facts and gures, but heartfelt stories of transformation - from clients who found freedom and safety through second citizenship to entrepreneurs who expanded their businesses globally with Optiva’s guidance. Excerpts
Many Africans still ask: why is a second passport necessary? Can you break down the benefits in the simplest terms for our readers?
The bene ts of a second passport cannot be over-emphasized - one, greater global mobility, the freedom, exibility to travel freely, to live, work, do businesses in different countries, that is a game-changer, and visa-free access on arrival saves you time applying for visa applications, and this is priceless to business owners.
The second is access to quality healthcare. Health is wealth rings true. The access to timely, quality, affordable, and in most cases, free healthcare facility cannot be over-emphasised as well. Our clients are empowered to prioritise their well-being without thinking of nancial burdens, thinking about limitations. The third is access to quality education and reduced university fees. Primary and secondary education are free for citizens and residents, and for the university fees, you are paying as a domestic student rather than as an international student because the dream of parents is for their children to go to the best schools.
The fourth bene t is family legacy. These passports are passed down across generations, guaranteeing better future for their families. Fifth is Tax bene ts, it saves you millions of dollars because you are exempted from income tax, inheritance tax, capital gains, and so you can use your money for a lot more things. Then there is also wealth retention. Clients want to retain their wealth. Over the years we have seen billionaires and millionaires whose wealth have evaporated due to bad/ poorly conceived investments, uctuations in currency that have affected a lot of businesses.
Our well-crafted investment opportunities help clients to navigate diversi cation of assets across currencies, asset classes, and across jurisdictions. There are also job opportunities, new markets are opened to our clients if you obtain a second passport because you talk about expanding your business globally, to different countries and earn in foreign currencies. A second passport helps you achieve all of these Health emergencies, and there is no time for visa. Second passport gives you unlimited options for countries of treatment. You may not even have the visa for the countries that best treat that ailment. Also, most countries are now frowning at going for medical treatment with visitors’ visas, so you will need a medical visa even if you have a visitor’s visa or you may be barred from entering the country next time.
Beyond visa-free travel, what are the lesser-known advantages of holding a second citizenship or
permanent residency?
Most people always talk about the visa-free access that a second passport gives them but forget global acceptance. What is the pro ling of your passport, recognition worldwide, when you submit your passport at airports? You have people stranded in one country or the other because their passport doesn’t allow them to cross when they have lay-over ights. Online there was this publication about a woman who was stranded for twenty-one hours at an airport. People in front of her presented their passports and they were allowed to pass but she was not allowed to enter the country because her country’s passport doesn’t give her access to multiple countries.
In terms of crisis or emergency plans, the United Nations is only mandated to lift citizens and residents of a foreign country. So where will your family be if you are basing your whole plans on visas which are by the way, temporary. So in times of crisis and emergencies, with a second passport, you are exempted from visa restrictions.
Can a second passport also serve as an investment strategy,not just a lifestyle decision?
Yes. Optiva Capital Partners is a wealth retention and investment advisory company. We understand
the need to invest. Wise investors diversify across jurisdiction, currencies, and asset classes and a second passport positions you to invest in a foreign country, take advantage of the opportunities of that country. So, yes it’s a strategy to invest and earn returns on your investment, to ensure that your money keeps working for you, not just a lifestyle.
Could you share a few success stories where investment immigration completely changed the trajectory of a family or entrepreneur?
This is an interesting question. October this year marked my twelfth year with Optiva Capital Partners. Over the years I have seen how a second passport transformed lives, individuals, families. Couple of years ago, we lost a client, may his soul rest in peace, and this affected his family. However, we had processed their permanent residency before then. The wife and children were able to travel to Canada. Imagine what would have happened, but today the dreams of the deceased lives because his children are currently attending some of the best schools in the world while enjoying free education and access to quality healthcare. This shows that whether you live, die or become disabled, your dreams for your family will be actualized.
There is also the case of our client, who, by obtaining a second passport opened a Multi-billion Dollar tile factory in the Middle East, where he employs nationals from different countries, and he repatriates foreign exchange to Nigeria. So when you talk about wealth retention, growth and development of our country, bringing in foreign exchange back to Nigeria, it is by being global.
We have another client that fell sick and she needed urgent medical attention. The good thing was that she had a second passport and could travel immediately. When she came back, she was crying because it dawned on her that if at that point she needed to start looking for a visa to travel, she may have lost her life. So, the experiences are life changing because it has impacted a lot of people in many different ways.
What are the most common aspirations of Nigerians and Africans who approach Optiva for a second passport?
The most common aspiration is that clients want to be global, they want to travel for vacations with their families, they want to travel for quality medical attention, so they need a second passport. Global access is one common aspiration for clients. Another aspiration is that they want their money to be working for them, they don’t want to be broke, be bankrupt, or lose their wealth. So they want structures that will earn them foreign currency, because they are paying bills, paying school fees in foreign currency, so the bulk of their money should be in the currency of their liability, so they want structures that enable them earn in the currency in which they incur liabilities. So we have passive income streams set up already. We have international real estate, we have investment immigration, investing in different countries and based on your investment you are accorded a second passport. Second passport is one arm, but investment is the main deal, that is what clients come here for.
How do you tailor solutions to match the unique needs of each client, given that no two families are alike?
Optiva Capital Partners is a wealth retention company, we provide bespoke solutions, not one size ts all. Clients come with unique needs and based on their evolving needs, their family structure, we are able to recommend solutions. Some clients may say I want to travel but I don’t want to relocate because my businesses are here and I am making so much money so I don’t want to hear anything about relocation. Now, what do you offer them – programs that give citizenship by investment.
Okeke
RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT
PORT HARCOURT WATER CORPORATION
SPECIFIC PROCUREMENT NOTICE (SPN)
Invitation for Bids [IFB] Goods (One-Envelope Bidding Process
1. TheFederalRepublicofNigeriahasreceivedFinancingfrom the African Development Bank towards the cost of Urban Water Sector Reform and Port Harcourt Water Supply and Sanitation Project. It is intended that part of the proceeds of this loan will be applied to eligible payments under the contract for the Procurement of Bulk Chemicals for the PortHarcourtWaterCorporation
2. The Port Harcourt Water Corporation now invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for the execution of the Procurement of Bulk Chemicals for the Port Harcourt Water Corporation
3. Bidding will be conducted through the Open Competitive Bidding (National) (OCBN) procedures as specified in the Bank's [African Development Procurement Framework Bank, Standard Bidding Document Goods (Two-Envelope Bidding Process)August 2021] and is open to all Bidders as definedintheProcurementFramework.
4. Interested eligible Bidders may obtain further information from Chief Ibibia O; Walter with email address: watsanworks.phwssp@gmail.com and inspect the Bidding document during office hours (8:00 A.M. - 4 P.M.) on weekdaysonlyattheaddressgivenbelow.
5. The Bidding document in English may be purchased by all eligible Bidders upon payment of a nonrefundable fee of NGN600,000.00 or an equivalent of US$400.00 . The method of payment will be in Cheque or Bank Draft, made out in favor of PORT-HARCOURT WATER CORPORATION. The document will be sent by courier on demand.
6. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before Wednesday December 17, 2025 at 10:30 AM. Electronic
Biddingwillnotbepermitted.LateBidswillberejected.Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the Bidders' designatedrepresentativesandanyonewhochoosestoattend at the address below on Wednesday December17, 2025, at 11:00 AM.
7. AllBidsmustbeaccompaniedby BidSecurityof:
8. Attention is drawn to the Procurement Framework requiring the Borrower to disclose information on the successful bidder's beneficial ownership, as part of the Contract Award Notice, using the Beneficial Ownership Disclosure Form as includedinthebiddingdocument.
9. Theaddressreferredtoaboveis:
The Managing Director Attention: Chief Ibibia O' Walter JP Port-Harcourt Water Corporation, 6 Water Works Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
E-mail: watsanworks.phwssp@gmail.com
RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT
PORT HARCOURT WATER CORPORATION
SPECIFIC PROCUREMENT NOTICE (SPN)
Invitation for Bids [IFB] Goods (One-Envelope Bidding Process
Contracttitle: PROCUREMENT OF LABORATORY EQUIPMENT, REAGENT, APPARATUS AND OTHER ACCESSORIES FOR THE RUNNING OF THE PORT FOR THE PORT HARCOURT WATER CORPORATION
1. The Federal Republic of Nigeria has received Financing from the African Development Bank towards the cost of Urban Water Sector Reform and Port Harcourt Water Supply and Sanitation Project. It is intended that part of the proceeds of this loan will be applied to eligible payments under the contract for the Procurement of Laboratory Equipment, Reagent, Apparatus and Other Accessories for The Running of the Port f or the Port Harcourt Water Corporation
2. The Port HarcourtWater Corporation now invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for the execution of the Procurement of Laboratory Equipment, Reagent, Apparatus and Other Accessories for The Running of the Port f or the PortHarcourtWaterCorporation
3. Bidding will be conducted through the Open Competitive Bidding (National) (OCBN) procedures as specified in the Bank's [African Development Procurement Framework Bank, Standard Bidding Document Goods (Two-Envelope Bidding Process) August 2021] and is open to all Bidders as definedintheProcurementFramework.
4. Interested eligible Bidders may obtain further information from Chief Ibibia O; Walter with email address: watsanworks.phwssp@gmail.com and inspect the Bidding document during office hours (8:00 A.M. - 4 P.M.) on weekdaysonlyattheaddressgivenbelow.
5. The Bidding document in English may be purchased by all eligible Bidders upon payment of a nonrefundable fee of NGN600,000.00 or an equivalent of US$400.00 . The method of payment will be in Cheque or Bank Draft, made out in favor of PORT-HARCOURT WATER CORPORATION. The document will be sent by courier on demand.
6. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before Wednesday December 17, 2025 at 10:30 AM. Electronic Biddingwillnotbepermitted.LateBidswillberejected.Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the Bidders' designatedrepresentativesandanyonewhochoosestoattend at the address below on Wednesday December 17, 2025 at 11:30 AM.
7. AllBidsmustbeaccompaniedby BidSecurityof:
8. Attention is drawn to the Procurement Framework requiring the Borrower to disclose information on the successful bidder's beneficial ownership, as part of the Contract Award Notice, using the Beneficial Ownership Disclosure Form as includedinthebiddingdocument.
9. Theaddressreferredtoaboveis:
The Managing Director Attention: Chief Ibibia O'WalterJP Port-Harcourt Water Corporation, 6 Water Works Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
E-mail: watsanworks.phwssp@gmail.com
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IT’S TIME FOR STATE POLICE
Uba Sani reckons that state police has become an imperative, writes JOSIAH AMUKPAI
ENDING OPEN DEFECATION
From Malawi to Cameroun, and Tanzania, many elections on the continent are increasingly becoming a charade, contends CHIDI ANSELM ODINKALU
FORTY-FIVE DAYS THAT CHANGED ELECTIONS IN AFRICA?
An unlikely coincidence of ballots in a 45- day period from the middle of SeptembertotheendofOctober2025has castanewlightonthestateofdemocratic governance in Africa and now threatens to unscramble the ritual hollowness that has become the fate of elections on the continent under the indi erent watch of the African Union and other regional institutionsinAfrica.Howthecontinent’s leaders and institutions handle the a ermathcouldhaveseriousimplications for the stability of the continent.
On 16 September, Malawi went to the pollstoelecttheirpresident. elasttime the country did that in 2019, it produced results that were so transparently rigged that ve judges of the Constitutional Court of Malawi wearing bullet-proof vests were needed to set aside the result declared by the electoral commission. at was only the second time in Africa’s history that a court would nullify the declared outcome in a presidential election.
e annulled result had favoured then incumbent and h president of the Republic, Peter Mutharika (a longserving law professor and brother of Malawi’s third president, Bingu wa Mutharika), in a contest against Lazarus Chakwera, a theologian and pastor with theAssembliesofGodChurchinMalawi.
In the re-run that followed the judicial nulli cationin2020,Chakweraprevailed and the people ousted Peter Mutharika from the presidency.
e contest in September 2025 pitted 85- year-old Peter Mutharika in a sequel against his nemesis, Lazarus Chakwera. In the preceding ve years, President Chakwera had managed to implausibly squander the considerable civic goodwill that powered him into o ce. Despite being 15 years younger than President Mutharika, President Chakwera lost resoundingly to his older opponent who secured 56.8% of the vote.
Malawi may have vindicated the trust of both the voters and of the candidates in a test of the will of the people but it is an outlier in a continent that has grown used to seeing elections as charades. is reluctance for credible ballots was evident when the central African country of Cameroon went to the polls nearly one month later on 12 October 2025, to electtheirpresident. eincumbent,Paul Biya, was a 92 year-old whose sojourn in Cameroon’s government dates back to his appointment as Chief of Sta in the cabinet of the Minister of Education in 1964. In 1975, President Ahmadou Ahidjo made him Prime Minister. On 6 November 1982, two days a er the resignation of President Ahidjo on
groundsofill-health,Biyaascendedtothe presidency and has ruled the country for 43 years since.
At 92, Paul Biya is the oldest serving president in the world, only outlasted in o ce by Teodoro Obiang, president of the neighbouring Equatorial Guinea, who has been in o ce since he toppled his uncle, Macias Nguema, in August 1979 before executing him. In the election this year, his main opponent was Issa Tchiroma, a 35-year veteran in the cabinet of President Biya, who stepped down from the ruling Cameroon Peoples’ Democratic Movement (CPDM) and from the Cabinet in order to run against his former boss.
It took the Constitutional Council 15 days to tabulate the gures in an election which had 8.1 million registered voters with an average turnout of about 68.5%. Wheniteventuallydeclaredthatoutcome on 27 October, the Constitutional Council announced Biya as winner with 53.66% of the votes in disputed results and in an election in which he was unable to campaign because of in rmity. Independentanalystswhohaveexamined the o cial numbers insist he “couldn’t have won.
With the result, Biya – who was born one month a er Adolf Hitler assumed o ce as German Chancellor and in the month preceding the inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the president of the United States of America - entered upon his seventh presidential term in a country in which the median age belongs to children who were born in 2006. By the time of the next election, he will be nearly one century old. In the wake of the announcement, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, pointedly declined to extend congratulations to President Biya, instead focusing his attention on the need for a “thorough and impartial investigation” of the “post-electoral violence and…. reports of excessive use of force.”
Paul Biya can at least claim that he had a genuine contest against a genuine opponent. In Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa,
thecontesttwoweekslateron25October 2025pittedincumbentpresident,Alassane Ouattara - whose ambitions drove the country to the brink of fragmentation at the beginning of the millennium - against no one.
When the result was announced, President Ouattara, a child of the Second World War, having been born on New Year’s Day in 1942, contrived at 83 years to award himself nearly 90% of the vote and a fourth term in o ce in an election from which he barred every credible competition. at was indeed a generous four percentage points lower than the 94% of the votes that he awarded himself in 2020. In power since 2010, Ouattara was supposed to be term-limited a er two terms of ten years in o ce. At 83, he expects to rule until at least he is 88, which would still be ve years younger than President Biya’s current age. e election in Tanzania four days a er Côte d’Ivoire’s took place in a graveyard. e incumbent and candidate of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Party of the Revolution) was Samia Suluhu Hassan, who inherited the o ce when herprincipal,JohnPombeMagufuli,died in March 2021.
Ahead of the contest, however, it became evident that Samia would not tolerate a contest. Under her leadership, the government unleashed what Amnesty International described as a “wave of terror” designed to make her candidacy unopposed and the ruling party unchecked in its march to a predetermined seventh decade in power. On the day of the contest on 29 October, protests unexpectedly erupted in key cities, such as Dar-Es-Salaam, Arusha, Mbeya, and Mwanza. Under cover of a media blackout complemented by an internet shutdown imposed on the day of the ballot, Samia’s government orchestrated a campaign of targeted mass murder in population centres suspected to be opposition strongholds.
President Samia’s electoral commission declared her winner with 87% voter turnout and nearly 98% of the vote. As Tanzaniansindi erentpartsofthecountry wokeupto ndbodiesontheircourtyards withfatalinjuriesfromunknownpersons and morgues over owing with fresh cadavers reportedly being disappeared under instructions of the government, President Samia turned up at a military base in new capital city, Dodoma, where onthefourthnightfollowingthevote,she wasstealthilyinauguratedforanewterm.
A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tu s.edu
Uba Sani reckons that state police has become an imperative, writes JOSIAH AMUKPAI
IT’S TIME FOR STATE POLICE
Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, on November 12, 2025, delivered a compelling lecture titled “ e Role of State Governments in Overcoming Insecurity in Nigeria.” is event, the secondinNigerianInstituteofInternational A airs (NIIA)'s Distinguished Lecture Series, saw Governor Sani reiterate his long-standing call for the establishment of state police, framing it not as a mere policy suggestion but as a “national imperative.”
e lecture hall was packed with dignitaries, including former Minister of Foreign A airs and Chairman of the Governing Council of NIIA, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, who doubled as the chairman of the occasion; former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and former Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunibe Mamora; in addition to academics, research fellows, and others.
NIIA Director-General, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, while welcoming Uba Sani and the other guests, disclosed that the rst Distinguished Lecture Series was delivered by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. In his speech, Prof. Akinyemi praised Governor Sani for his consistency as a fellow pro-democracy and human rights activist, and recalled their shared struggles in the trenches and expressed con dence in his vision for Kaduna and Nigeria.
GovernorSani’saddresscameatatime when Nigeria continues to grapple with multifaceted insecurity, from banditry and kidnapping in the North to insurgency and communal clashes across majority of regions. His emphasis on decentralizing policing resonates deeply in northern states which have borne the brunt of violent attacks, displaced communities and sti ing economic growth.
Uba Sani argued that the centralized policing system, while well-intentioned, is “increasingly inadequate for addressing Nigeria’s diverse, localized, and rapidly evolving security threats.” He urged the nation to summon the political will to amend the 1999 Constitution, allowing for state police forces and corresponding service commissions.
For Governor Sani, this is not a new call. He has positioned himself as the foremost advocate for state police, a role rooted in his legislative e orts during his tenure in the 9th Senate.
Governor Sani’s journey toward push-
ing for multi-tiered policing began well before his governorship. As a Senator representing Kaduna Central from 2019 to 2023, he sponsored several key constitutional amendment bills aimed at reforming Nigeria’s security architecture. Notably, he introduced the Constitution Alteration Bill (SB592), which proposed the creation of state police forces alongside reforms to the federal police structure and oversight mechanisms. In total, Uba Sani sponsored four such bills focused on decentralizing policing, envisioning a multi-level system where states could address local threats more e ectively while maintaining national coordination. ese bills advanced through key stages in the Senate, garnering support for their potential to enhance responsiveness and accountability in security operations. However, they ultimately stalled due to a lack of national consensus at the time, highlighting the political hurdles that have long plagued security reforms in Nigeria.
Governor Sani’s Senate initiatives were driven by rsthand experiences with insecurity in Kaduna, a state plagued by banditry, farmer-herder con icts, and ethno-religious tensions.
During his lecture, he re ected on these e orts, stating that, “As a member of our nation’s 9th Senate, I sponsored a number of key constitutional amendment bills seeking to decentralize policing and establish a multi-tiered security framework.” He lamented the limitations of the centralized model, where federal police o en struggle with vast terrains and cultural nuances unfamiliar to o cers deployed from afar.
In Kaduna, for instance, the governor has implementedinnovativelocalmeasureslike the Kaduna Peace Model, which integrates community dialogues, economic empowerment, and intelligence-sharing to reduce con ict. He highlighted how this model shi edthestate’ssecuritystatusfrom‘red’to ‘amber,’ demonstrating the e cacy of stateled initiatives. Yet, without constitutional backing for state police, such e orts remain supplementary rather than systemic.
Expanding on the rationale for state police, Uba Sani in his lecture painted a vivid picture of Nigeria's security landscape. e country faces a mosaic of threats: Boko Haram remnants in the Northeast, separatist agitations in the Southeast, oil the in the NigerDelta,andrampantkidnappingalong highways. A one-size- ts-all approach, reliant on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) with itsapproximately370,000o cersforapopulationexceeding200million,isinadequate and under-resourced.
Governor Uba Sani contended that state police would enable localized recruitment, training, and deployment, fostering community trust and quicker response times. “Properly legislated and regulated state police forces are not threats to unity but guarantees of it,” he asserted, emphasizing safeguards like federal oversight to prevent abuse.
Amukpai, a security consultant, writes from Lagos
ENDING OPEN DEFECATION ELVIS
EROMOSELE argues for increased investment in toilet infrastructure at all levels
If you have crossed the overhead bridge along the Alausa/Magodo Expressway recently, you may have noticed a bold sign squarely sitting on the median. It reads both in English and Yoruba: “Do not urinate or defecate here. O enders will be prosecuted.” e message is stern. But what is even more striking is that such a sign is needed at all, right in the heart of Lagos,thenation’scommercialcapital.
To the discerning, the sign is more than a warning; it is a mirror. It is a mirror that re ects the uncomfortable truth of our sanitationreality:opendefecationremains anunresolvedchallengeinNigeria.
November 19 marks World Toilet Day 2025,underthetheme“We’llAlwaysNeed the Toilet.” So it is an excellent time for re ecting upon what that sign represents. To my mind, it's a story of infrastructure or the lack thereof. It also tells a story about behaviour, about dignity, and about the complexities of sanitation in a fastgrowing,climate-stressednation.
For many, however, open defecation is simply the result of inadequate toilet facilities. Today, millions of Nigerians across rural communities, riverine areas, and even into certain parts of major cities lack functional toilets. At other places, public toilets are out of reach, poorly maintained, or too expensive to use. Where the nearest functional, clean toilet is kilometres away, the environment becomesanunfortunatefallbackoption.
Yet infrastructure only tells half the story. ere is also a strong behavioural dimension. Not only do many households lack toilets, but even when toilets exist in communities, they may go unused. ere are deep-rooted practices, weak sanitation culture, misconceptions about public toilets, and low awareness about hygiene. Quite sadly, some people simply prefer open spaces, having grown up in environments where toilets were either lackingorinadequate.
It's a big, circular problem. We need more toilets, yes, but we equally need people to use and maintain those already available.Itcallsfordualresponsibility.
All this brings us back to this year's themeforWorldToiletDay:"We'llAlways Need the Toilet." Simple in phrasing, almost self-evident in concept, but carrying a depth of meaning. No matter how fast the world urbanises, no matter how fast our population grows, no matter howfastclimatechangeworsens,thetoilet will always be needed. Healthy societies depend on toilets. e environment depends on toilets. Above all, human dignitydependsontoilets.
Ending open defecation is a necessary step forward for the country. It requires urgentandsustainedaction.
First, we must build more toilets. ere is a genuine need for an increase in public toilets in our markets, schools, bus stops, motor parks, and densely populated areas. It is not enough to have toilets. ese toilets have to be accessible, a ordable, clean, safe, and have proper connections
for disposing of waste. A dirty toilet, a er all,isjustasbadasnotoilet.
However,alongwiththeconstructionof toilets,wemustinvestdeeplyineducation. Here, I’m thinking of the creation of continuous awareness among Nigerians on why open defecation is dangerous, how diseases spread, why toilets must be maintained, and why ownership of sanitation spaces by every community is necessary.
More importantly, we must recognise that sanitation is not a privilege. It's a humanright. erefore,nowomanshould ever have to fear for her safety simply because she has to relieve herself. No child should ever have to get sick because there isn't a toilet at his/her school. No community should have to drink water contaminated by human waste. Access to safe toilets is fundamental. It's the rst line ofdefenceinpublichealth.
is year, the campaign emphasises three truths that Nigeria must urgently internalise:
First, the demand for toilets does not change with the way the world is evolving. Second, we must look into climate-resilient sanitation systems that can withstand oods, droughts, and other kinds of pressures from climate change. irdly, access to sanitation is a right, and the poorest and most vulnerable must not bele behind.
What should Nigeria do, therefore? We have to increase investment in toilet infrastructure at all levels. e Federal Government has taken the lead here by setting a target of 2030 to end open defecationnationwide.
In addition, we must continue to encourage private sector participation in sanitation solutions. A number of companies are already doing good work in this space. Reckitt Benckiser, makers of Harpic, consistently partners with state and federal governments to refurbish and donate public toilets to communities across the country. Similarly, Nestle Nigeria supports improved sanitation through donations of water and hygiene facilitiesunderitsNestleforHealthierKids (N4HK)programme.
Eromosele, a corporate communications expert and sustainability advocate, writes from elviseroms@gmail.com
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA
Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
TACKLINGMALNUTRITIONINNIGERIA
Government must do more to alleviate poverty
The disclosure by the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Country Representative, Ahmed Aldikhari, that the highest number of children a ected by acute malnutrition are in Nigeria should worry health authorities and other stakeholders. In 2024 alone, according to the MSF (Doctors Without Borders), nearly 300,000 children with severe acute malnutrition were admitted in outpatient units across northern Nigeria—more than half of its global caseload. Unfortunately, this is a recurring challenge that health authorities in the country seem not to be paying a serious attention to. As far back as 2008, the report of the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) had indicated that one out of every three children under the age of ve in the country is stunted and su ering from chronic malnutrition.
Stunted growth implies a marked increase in the child’s susceptibility to infections and contributes to child mortality. Invariably, pregnant women who are not adequately nourished eventually give birth to babies with low weight thus putting their survival at risk. “Behind every number is a real child, a real family struggling to survive,” said the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, who also admitted that malnutrition remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing health challenges, especially in the Northwest. Political commitment is thus necessary to ensure advocacy on the adverse implications of malnutrition and how to avoid its devastating consequences. Partnership with civil society and academic institutions with a focus on food and nutrition is also an imperative. Such commitment could come by way of mapping out clear strategies for up-scaling nutrition in the public sphere. This should consist of clear roles and responsibilities for the various stakeholders, with milestones for mainstreaming nutrition into agriculture, fortifying basic foods with essential minerals or vitamins, mobilising com-
When a nation’s child suffers from stunted growth, his future becomes stunted
munities for action on growing more bene cial foods, and the perils of malnutrition, and of not meeting any of the enumerated indicators. Indeed, the situation is dire with the con rmation by Vice President Kashim Shettima that Nigeria loses an estimated $56 billion in human capital every year due to malnutrition, equivalent to 12.2 per cent of the nation’s income. “When a nation’s child su ers from stunted growth, his future becomes stunted. When a mother lacks the nutrition to sustain herself and her unborn child, it is a collective indictment of our social system,” Shettima said at a conference on ‘Mobilizing Against Malnutrition in Northwest Nigeria,’ organised by the MSF in Abuja. Beyond rhetoric, what is needed is an urgent action to protect the most vulnerable a ected by an unprecedented food and nutrition crisis.
T H I S D AY
EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU
DEPUTY EDITOR WALE OLALEYE
MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO
DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU
CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI
EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN
THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA
GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU
DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE
DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com
In a country blessed with arable land and natural resources, Nigerians deserve a life free from hunger. But today, hunger is both a cause and consequence of poverty, as people on low incomes tend to have worse diets, while people who lack adequate nutrition struggle harder to extricate themselves from poverty. For e ective health and social protection, mothers must be encouraged to adopt exclusive breastfeeding habits for their babies in the initial six months of their lives. Thereafter, complementary feeding can be introduced for 24 months, and the consumption of various nutrients such as Vitamin A, Iodised salt and zinc, amongst others.
Our governments, at all levels, need to sit up and confront malnutrition with resolute decisiveness if the future of our children is to be secure. They must address the crushing indices and causes of malnutrition that have continued to deprive over half of our children (and mothers) of a healthy and productive life span. They have an obligation in ensuring that the future of Nigerian children is secured by tackling those things inhibiting their proper upbringing and social welfare.
Le ers in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-300 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such le ers along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-wri en and should also not be longer than (750- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with photograph, email address and phone numbers of the writer.
RURAL NIGERIA AND GRIM CYCLE OF INSECURITY
Nigeria has entered another grim cycle -one that feels painfully familiar to communities that have become unwilling front-liners in a war they neither invited nor understand. In the last four days alone, at least 145 Nigerians have been abducted across Kebbi, Zamfara and Niger states. Twenty- ve schoolgirls kidnapped before dawn in Kebbi. ree villagers killed and 64 others seized in Zamfara. Sixteen vigilantes murdered and 42 people abducted in Niger. e headlines are numbing, yet the stories beneath them are even more unsettling: a country whose rural heartlands are slowly being dissolved by fear, abandonment and the normalisation of criminal violence.
For many Nigerians, these incidents are not isolated tragedies. ey are part of a vicious pattern stretching back years. In 2023, during the tense pre-election months, at least 792 Nigerians were abducted in only the rst quarter,
according to veri ed data. Today, as political parties warm up again for the 2027 contest, the shadows are lengthening once more. Insecurity rises, rhetoric rises, promises rise but communities continue to fall.
e Kebbi school attack is particularly symbolic. Once again, the targets were schoolgirls. Once again, a perimeter fence proved more ceremonial than protective. Once again, armed men walked into a public school as though strolling through an unguarded market. According to the police, the bandits arrived at about 4:00 a.m., ring into the air and overpowering the school’s security before escaping with 25 children. A sta member, Hassan Makuku, was killed. A guard was shot. And the students vanished into the vast, unregulated forests that now function as safe havens for armed groups.
e Federal Government has condemned the attack as
governments always do calling it “reprehensible,” promising swi rescue, and directing security agencies to “locate, rescue and ensure justice.” e Minister of Defence described the incident as “totally unacceptable.” ese statements are necessary, but they do little for the parents who now spend their days staring at empty bunks and silent uniforms.
Zamfara’s case is no less alarming. Entire families were carted away from Tsafe and Maru LGAs, with reports conrming three deaths and at least 64 abducted in one attack alone. Communities such as Zurmi, Shinka , Maradun, Maru and Bungudu have lived under this shadow for years. ey pay levies. ey negotiate to farm. ey bury loved ones. ey ee at night.
Abdulhamid Abdullahi Aliyu, Abuja
Human Rights Group Charge FG to Improve Nation’s Security Architecture
segun James Humanrightsorganisation, Centre for Public Accountability and Coalition of Civil Society Organisations has charged the federal government on the need to improve the security architecture of
the country, saying it to tookthethreatofAmerican President Donald Trump for issue to be seen as a wake- up call.
The human rights body also called on the United States(US) government to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and work
Diabetes, Not Death Sentence, Says Hospital CMD
sundayOkobi
Amedical expert has stressed the need for a healthy lifestyle as a sure parameter in engendering a healthy community among the Nigerian public, saying that diabetesisnotadeathsentence but it is preventable.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Mother and Child Specialist Hospitals and Advanced Diagnostic Centre, Owa-Alero, Ika North-East Local Government Area of DeltaState,Dr.MartinsEgbase, stated this during a one-day health walk organised by the hospital.
Dr. Egbase, while underscoring the importance of the health walk, said it was aimed at creating public awareness on the health implications of untreated diabetes.
While saying that diabetes is not a death sentence as it is preventable, the CMD outlined measures that could be adopted by the public to avoid deteriorating condition of the ailment, which included late arrival to hospital and unchecked health conditions by the public, and has always resulted in the increasing rate of morbidity and mortality in the nation’s health institutions.
SeplatEnergyTrainsJournalistsinImo
ambyUnezeinowerri
Seplat Energy Plc, a leading Nigerian indigenous energy company, has continued its tradition of empowering the media with knowledge and tools for professional growth through a two-day capacity-building workshop for journalists in Imo State.
The training, held in Owerri, brought together 25 journalists from both print and electronic media across the state for an intensive learning experience designed to enhance communication, writing, and digital storytelling skills.
In his opening remarks on behalf of the Director,
External Affairs and Social Performance, Chioma Afe, the Manager Corporate Communications, Stanley Opara, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to nurturing media partnerships that promote transparency, accountability, and national development.
He emphasised Seplat Energy’s role in supporting journalists to adapt to the fast-evolving digital and technological landscape.
“We consider excellence as cardinal in everything we do. The critical role of the media in shaping narratives and culture makes it very important to embed global best practice in its delivery. “
with the country through diplomacy, intelligencesharing, and development partnerships — not threats of military force.
Brie ngthepressinIkeja Lagos, the spokesperson of the body Declan Ihekiare
stated that while it is right that there is insecurity in the country, they reject any attempt to use religion to divide the country as claimed by America president that the attack was a genocide on the Christians.
“We reject any foreign threat to our sovereignty. We reject narratives designed to weaken our collective resolve.
“Weaf rmthatNigeria’s security challenges, though grave, are surmountable, and we remain con dent thatwithsustainedreforms, responsible leadership, and strong citizen cooperation, our nation will rise out of this crisis stronger than ever.
A political management consultant, Mr Joe KorkaWaadah, has called on the Canadian Government to grant asylum to Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, the
clergy who exposed the alleged killings of Christians in the Northern parts of Nigeria.
Dachomo, a clergy based in Plateau State and Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in
Barkin Ladi, has been in the news for the past months, following his cries for intervention in the gruesome killings of Christians and destruction of church properties in the northern areas.
He told journalists in
Jos on October 24, that Islamic extremists have allegedly marked him for assassination for calling on the Nigerian and United States governments to help protect Christians against genocide.
House Moves to Block Billion-Dollar Oil Revenue Losses
Juliet akojeinabuja
TheHouseofRepresentatives
Ad hoc Committee on Pre-shipment Inspection of ExportsandNon-remittance of Crude Oil Proceeds has raised the alarm over Nigeria’s economic stability, highlighting serious revenue leakages
that could jeopardise the nation’s development.
In a workshop held in Abuja yesterday, the Committee’sChairman,Hon.
Seyi Sowunmi (LP-Lagos), warnedthatNigeriaislosing billionsofdollarseveryyear due to unveri ed crude oil shipments, underreported exports,andfailuretoreturn
foreign earnings. These issues, he argued, were depriving Nigerians of vital public services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
Sowunmiemphasisedthat the loss is not just nancial and that the leakages represent lost futures for millionsofyoungNigerians.
He stressed that it is the constitutional duty of the Nigerian parliament to protectthecountry’srevenue system from such breaches. The ad-hoc committee was created following the “alarming evidence” of widespreadnon-compliance with export and preshipment regulations.
X3MIdea’sFounder InspiresatNigerianMarketingAward
Raheem akingbolu
It was palpable silence on Saturday at the Nigerian Marketing Award, when one of the country’s most successful advertising icons, Steve Babaeko, shared a heart-touching story of his grass to grace
journey in the marketing communications industry. His agency, X3M Ideas, clinched notable awards in various categories at the event.
Delivering a keynote addresstitledWhispersthat MovesMountains,Babaeko held guests spellbound as they listened keenly to a man whose life, style, and business achievements have become morale boosters for young and upcoming entrepreneurs, especially in the marketing communications industry.
Babaeko spoke with the cadence of a motivational
speaker and the artistry of a poet. His words carried rhythm and weight, weaving together history, determination, and faith. He took his listeners on an odyssey that revealed his humble background, his daring spirit, and the guiding hand of God.
VFDGroupPlc,afast-growing principal investment firm, has announcedthesuccessful,timely redemptionofitsN12.83billion Series5CommercialPaper(CP), issuedunderitsN20billionCP Programme.
2025,demonstratingthegroup’s unwavering commitment to market discipline.
Moreimportantly,theprompt redemption of the CP, the companyexplained, reinforces thestrongliquidityandefficient balance sheet management of the group.
Commenting, Executive
Director Finance & Investor Relations for VFD Group, Mr. Folajimi Adeleye said: “The timely redemption of the Series 5 CP is non-negotiable proof of VFD Group’s robust liquidity and commitment to every stakeholder who entrusts us with capital. The redemption action, which
achieved a tangible reduction in the group’s short-term debt obligations, directly improves VFD’s funding structure. This performance contrasts sharply with prevailing fixed-income trends, positioning VFD as a premium issuer, capable of navigating current high-yield environments.”
L-R: Violinist and Grooming Talent Hunt (GTH) Winner, Ikwuazom; Soul and Melody Artist, Precious Mac; Project Coordinator of the GTH Programme, Michael Adoghe; Chief Executive Officer of EG Studios Limited, Elma Godwin, and Spoken word Artist, Yusuf Alabi Balogun, at the EG Studios Fi h Anniversary event held in Lagos…recently
The 2025 IPMC ESG Ratings Report has revealed that Zenith Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, and Access Holdings Plc led the Nigeria’s nancial sector as strongest performer in governance maturity.
IPMCinthereportdisclosed that a framework was used to evaluate a company’s sustainability and ethical impact.
According to the report, the three banks recorded the highest levels of structured sustainability integration, board-level oversight and transparent ESG reporting, even as the sector continues to lag in key climate-risk disclosures required under IFRS S2.
“Thesectordemonstratesthe strongestgovernancematurity, withnearuniversaldisclosure of board composition, risk management policies, and audit procedures. However, only 12 per cent of disclose nanced emission or climaterelated credit exposures, creating a major blindspot under TFCD and IFRS 52 principles. Progressive
banks are beginning to adopt green lending frameworks, but without a harmonised taxonomy or veri cation.
“The Financial Services sector demonstrates Nigeria’s highest ESG integration maturity, with clear evidence of governance discipline and structured sustainability reporting. LeadingInstitutions such as Zenith Bank, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, and Access Holdings show measurable progress in embedding ESG principles into corporate strategy, risk oversight, and disclosure,” said the report.
The report revealed that Zenith Bank got an overall ESG score of 39 per cent with a balanced Environmental (14 per cent), Social (18 per cent and Governance (39 per cent) performance. Following was Stanbic IBTC Holdings with an overall ESG Score of 34 per cent as it showed strong alignment with the ISSB principles through sustainability-linked nance and transparent governance reportingandAccessHoldings gotanoverallESGScoreof32 per cent. The report said that Access Holdings integrates ESG at the enterprise level, linking it to lending criteria
and customer engagement.
Thereportaddedthatbanks andother nancialinstitutions exhibitthehighestgovernance disclosure levels among Nigerian corporates, with theirboardindependenceand audit transparency aligning closely with the guidelines of the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“However, nanced emissions,acriticalcomponent under IFRS S2, are disclosed by only two institutions (= 12 per cent), and none have external assurance of climaterisk data. Social disclosures (employee training, customer protection, and nancial inclusion) are improving. while gender diversity at senior management level remains below 25 per cent. Environmental aspects are emerging mainly through green-lendingframeworksand participationinclimate- nance initiatives.
“The sector is policy-strong but evidence-light, reporting frameworksexist,butassurance and Scope 3 accounting must evolve for Nigeria’s nancial sector to achieve regional parity with Kenya and South Africa, ”it said.
The FATE Institute has called for a rethink of Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda, urging policymakers to put micro,small,andmedium enterprises(MSMEs)atthe heartofthenation’sgrowth strategy.
Thecallcomesaheadof the 2025 Policy Dialogue Series (PDS) themed, ‘From Enterprise to Industry:UnlockingMSME Potential for Nigeria’s Industrialization.’
Speaking, the Director of the Institute, Amaka Nwaokolo, said the FATE Institute was established tobridgethegapbetween
evidence and policy by producing data-driven insightstoshapeNigeria’s entrepreneurshiplandscape.
According to her,“Entrepreneurship is the engine of inclusive growth.Byunderstanding therealitiesofsmallbusiness owners, we can co-create policiesthatremovebarriers andunlocktheirpotential.”
However,theChairperson of the PDS Technical Committee, Cecilia Akintomide,saidNigeria’s industrialsuccessdepends on how productive its millionsofsmallbusinesses become.
“We can’t keep treating entrepreneurship and industrialization as
separate things,” she noted. “Industrial policies mustmakeroomforsmall businesses to grow and scale.”
Senior Research Fellow at the FATE Institute, Dr. Wilson Erumebor, revealed that Nigeria’s entrepreneurship index rose slightly to 0.47 in 2025,the rstincreasesince inception.Youth-led rms showedresilience,with65.8 percentreportinggrowth, whilefemale-ledbusinesses outperformedmalesat69.2 per cent.
“This tells us that when womengetevenafraction of the support they need, they deliver remarkable results,” Erumebor said.
Oyebanji,Others Set for Rotary District 9111FoundationDinner
Ekiti State Governor, Mr BiodunOyebanji,corporate titan, Chief Samuel Bolarindeandaccomplished administrator, Dr. ‘Dere Awosika are set to lead celebrated Nigerians who arebilledtoattendthe2025 RotaryInternationalDistrict 9111FoundationDinner& Dance.
Scheduled for Saturday, November 29, 2025 at MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, the event themed: The Royal Gala, is in honour of Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi,Doyenof Rotary in Nigeria, former Minister of Health, and Founder of Juli PLC.
According to the District Governor, Rotary International District 9111, Rtn (Prince) Henry Akinyele,theevent,which would also be attended by Rotary International President Elect, Yinka Babalola and The Rotary FoundationTrustee,Ijeoma Pearl Okoro, is dedicated to commemorate and celebratethe85thbirthday of former Health Minister and Doyen, Past District Governor, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyiandwould also witness the launch of The Rotary Foundation Named Gift Endowment in his honour. Akinyele stated further, “This dinner is more
than a social gathering; it is an opportunity to make a difference. As we honour our revered Rotarian (Prince) AdelusiAdeluyi,wealsorecommitto Rotary’scause—supporting peace, promoting health, empoweringcommunities, andcreatinglastingchange. Together, we can make an impact that echoes beyond thatnight.”
On his part, Michael Olawale-Cole,describedPrince JuliusAdelusi-Adeluyi,asa shining light in the Rotary family,andtheEndowment Fund in his honour is to celebratehissel essservice, dedication,andcommitment toRotaryideals.
Saharan Blend (Algeria), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic
Iran), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).
Cowrie 25 scholarshhip beneficiaries (some standing & squatting) with officials of the club, Head Education C’ttee, Dr. Toni Ogunbor; Secretary Education C’ittee, Engr. Osa Owieadolor and other guests including Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu (in white Fez cap), Prof. David Izekor, representative of VC, Uniben, at the Tertiary scholarship award ceremony held at the University of Benin, Benin City…recently
Stock Market Maintains Downward Momentum, Drops by N110bn
KayodeTokede
The Nigerian stock market yesterday extended its downward trend with a decline of N110 billion amid investors persistent pro t taking continued to weigh on overall performance.
Speci cally, the Nigerian Exchange Limited All Share
Index (NGX ASI) dropped by 173.26 basispointsor0.12 per cent to close at 144,986.51 basis points. Also, market capitalisation declined by N110 billion to close at N 92.219 trillion. Marketsentimentremained slightlyweak,evidencedbya marginally negative market breadthof27gainersagainst28 losers. NCR Nigeria recorded
the highest price gain of 9.95 per cent to close at N30.95, per share. University Press followed with a gain of 9.80 percenttocloseatN5.60,while Tantalizers grew by 9.79 per cent to close at N2.58, per share.
CavertonOffshoreSupport Group up by 9.57 per cent to close at N5.15, while Union Dicon Salt rose by 9.52 per
cent to close at N6.90, per share.
On the other hand, Living Trust Mortgage Bank led the losers’ chart by 9.90 per cent to close at N3.73, per share. McNichols followed with a decline of 9.00 per cent to close at N2.73, while Livestock Feeds declined by 7.75 per cent to close at N6.55, per share.
Regency Alliance Insurance depreciated by 6.56 per cent to close at N1.14, while UPDC declined by 6.14 per cent to close at N5.96, per share. Meanwhile, the total volume traded rose marginally by 5.72 per cent to 381.234 billion units, valued at N16.717 billion, and exchanged in
21,827 deals. Transactions in the shares of Tantalizers topped the activity chart with 58.777 million shares valued at N145.991 million. Sterling Financial Holdings followed with 31.413 million shares worth N242.418 million, while Universal Insurance traded 28.100 million shares valued at N35.814 million.
SOStainabilityWeekly
Edited by Oke
TrendsandThreads
Nigeria’s construction sector is blind to the climate — and no one is talking about it
Nigeria is building at a pace we haven’t seen in decades. New highways, estates, industrial zones, and public works are reshaping the country’s landscape, and the construction sector is right at the centre of that momentum. But as the physical structures rise, something far less visible becomes impossible to ignore: most of the companies driving this growth are saying verylittleabouthowtheyintendtooperateina climate-constrainedfuture.
This gap is not a minor detail. Construction and cement production are some of the most emission-intensive activities in the country, and their choices directly in uence whether Nigeria can meet its climate commitments. Yet a search for the policies, reports, targets, or governance structuresonhowthesecompaniesarepreparing for the transition ahead paints a picture that emerges as thin, uneven, and, in many cases, completelyabsent.Itisagapthatraisesquestions about readiness, long-term competitiveness, and whether climate risk has truly entered the boardroominasectorthisimportant.
TheSOStainabilityVisibilityScan(SVS)…
Our assessment applied the SOStainability Visibility Scan (SVS) to ten major rms across Nigeria’s building, construction, and cement manufacturing sectors. These companies were selected because they shape the country’s built environment at scale and in uence a signi cant share of national emissions. The dataset includes multinational engineering rms such as Julius Berger,Arab Contractors, and CCECC; indigenous rms such as Cappa & D’Alberto, ELALAN, Dantata & Sawoe, RCC, and Costain; and Nigeria’s three largest cement producers— Dangote Cement, Lafarge Africa, and BUA Cement.
The methodology used is intentionally strict. A company receives credit only for what it publicly displays on its of cial website. No weightisgiventoinformationsharedinformally, mentioned on LinkedIn, or described by insiders.Alldatausedinthisscanwasobtained strictly from information that each company has chosen to publish online. This approach aligns with the Climate Change Act, which places transparency at the centre of national climate governance through relevant provisions on carbon budgets, public access to climate information, and corporate responsibility to disclose environmental data. If a climate policy is not visible, it cannot in uence market signals. If reporting is not accessible, it cannot support accountability. If governance roles are not disclosed,theycannotbevalidated.
The SVS evaluates visibility across four dimensions: Climate Policy, Climate Reporting, Target Setting, and Climate Governance, each scored from 0 to 3 for a total possible score of 12. The scores determine whether a company is Achieving Expectation, Approaching Expectation,BelowExpectation,oraNon-Starter. These categories re ect visibility only, not a statement on the completeness and quality or a validationofanycompany’sclimateclaims.
Within the Achieving Expectation category are Dangote Cement and Julius Berger Nigeria. Bothcompaniespublishstructuredsustainability content, make reports available, and disclose identi able governance arrangements. Dangote Cement provides annual sustainability reports and a de ned sustainability leadership role, whileJuliusBergerpublishesrecentreportsand outlines board-level oversight. The main gaps relate to the absence of prominently displayed, time-bound, climate-speci c targets on their public-facingwebsites.
The Approaching Expectation category includes Lafarge Africa, Arab Contractors and CCECC. Lafarge Africa provides substantive sustainability content, including measurable CO₂-related gures, though the information is hardertoaccessasitsitswithinsub-pages.Arab Contractors publishes a sustainability policy and expresses environmental ambitions, but its reporting is not recent and measurable targets are limited. CCECC has a long-span CSR report and general CSR statements, but lacks current climate-focusedpolicies,targetsandgovernance
disclosures. These companies demonstrate partial progress but require clearer, more recentandmorestructuredvisibility.
The Below Expectation category comprises BUA Cement, Dantata & Sawoe, Cappa & D’Alberto and ELALAN. BUA Cement publishes general sustainability content withinitsAnnualReport,butdoesnotprovide standalone climate reporting, measurable targets,oradisclosedsustainabilitygovernance structure. Dantata & Sawoe references environmental responsibility in broad terms, but does not present structured policies or reporting, and governance information is limited to HSE. Cappa & D’Alberto and ELALAN publish high-level environmental statements but lack dedicated sustainability policies,climatereports,measurabletargets,or identi able governance roles. Visibility across these rmsremainslimitedandfragmented.
The Non-Starter group includes CGC,
RCC Nigeria, and Costain West Africa. These companies do not maintain functional corporate websites with sustainability or climate-related information, making it impossible to assess their visibility or alignment with the transparency expectations oftheClimateChangeAct.
A sector racing to build, yet failing to decarbonise
One of the clearest insights from the scan is the limited visibility across much of the construction sector. Although the industry contributes signi cantly to emissions through cement production, diesel-powered equipment, and resource-intensive construction processes, many operators provide little public information on how they are approaching climate risks. This creates a noticeable contrast: a sector central to Nigeria’s infrastructure expansion is not yet
disclosing how it intends to operate within a climate-constrainedeconomy.
This gap goes beyond communication. It suggests that climate considerations are not yet embedded in operational or strategic decision-making for many rms responsible for roads, bridges, industrial works, and large-scaleinfrastructure.Asglobalandnational expectations shift, transparency is increasingly linked to access to nance, procurement quali cation, and regulatory compliance. Limited disclosure, therefore, is not merely a visibility challenge; it may indicate insuf cient preparation for the emerging policy landscape and market requirements under the Climate ChangeActandotherrelevantlegislation.
The disconnect between rapid construction activityandminimalclimatetransparencyisnot incidental.Nigeriaisexpandingitsinfrastructure at an unprecedented pace, yet most companies contributing to this growth are not publicly demonstrating how they intend to manage the emissions associated with their operations. This creates a sector that is advancing quickly in physical terms while remaining static in climate readiness—an imbalance with implications for thecountry’stransitionefforts.
These concerns become even more relevant whenviewedthroughthelensofmajornational projects. The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway illustrates this reality clearly. While a draft Environmental and Social Impact Assessment exists for one section of the project, the full emissions pro le for the entire 700-kilometre route has not yet been made publicly visible. Similarly, contractor-level climate disclosures relating to how the project aligns with national mitigation objectives are not available on company websites. This does not suggest that assessments may not have been conducted, but it highlights the ongoing challenge of ensuring that climate-relevant information is readily accessible to the public. Projects of this scale carry substantial environmental and climate considerations, yet the visibility of how these are being addressed remains limited. These are issues that require closer examination, and we willreturntotheminasubsequentreview.
The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com
SOStainabilityWeekly
Edited by Oke Epia | e-mail:
Washingandhushing
Echoes from Belem: When nature should not be exchanged for cash
Nigeria’s Vice President, KashimShettima,ignited a debate on climate nance when he called for new nancial mechanisms to harness the “economic value of nature” at COP30 in Belem, Brazil. While some have hailed his statement as a bold leap in the quest for climate nance, Nigeria’s environmental rights community considersittroubling.Tothem,this posturing portends a future where nature is appraised like real estate, where forests become investment portfolios, and where the people closest to the land disappear into themargins.
Acoalitionofcivilsocietygroups, comprising CAPPA, HOMEF, ERA/FoEN, SocialAction, and the Lekeh Development Foundation, was the rst to raise the alarm in a statement released in Port Harcourt last week. The groups expressed fears grounded in the lived experiences of decades of mineralextractionthathaveturned vibrantecosystemsintodeadzones and pushed rural communities into cycles of dispossession. They warn that such monetization of nature has historically led to displacement: smallholder farmers and indigenous communities are pushed off their lands, local food systems collapse, and traditional roles of custodianship are eroded. Their message was simple: “commodifying the environment risks commodifying the people whodependonit,andasacountry still wrestling with the legacy of resource exploitation, Nigeria cannot afford to make that mistake again.”
Connecting the dots: A shared struggle for inclusion
Meanwhile, in Belem across
Spotlight
Accountability is a double-edged sword. It can cut both ways. More often than not, issues of the Niger Delta are discussed from the perspective of supply-side accountability. It was therefore refreshing to hear a different tone – a calling out of communitiesandtheirleaderson thehottopicofaccountability.
Last week, the chairman of the House of Representatives CommitteeonHostCommunities, Hon. Dumnamene Dekor, reportedlyexpressedreservations on how some communities have utilised or failed to utilise billions of naira deposited in the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) funds. He lashed out that a few years after the operationalisation of the funds,
the Amazon, indigenous protesters blocked the COP30 entrance, demanding protection for territories threatenedbyextractivemegaprojects. Their frustration mirrored the same pattern: decisions about land being made by people who may never set foot on it. While their story unfolded on a different continent, it cast a revealing shadow over Nigeria, reminding everyone that exclusion is not an accident but rather a deliberate choice.
Environmental nance frameworks are often negotiated in conference rooms, far removed from the villages they aim to transform. Policies are drafted with good intentions but lacking the lived insights of riverine communities, forest custodians, and agrarian households who understand theirenvironmentsnotasabstractions but as memory, identity, and livelihood. When nancial models speak louder than community voices, rural people are reduced to footnotes
rather than partners. These two moments,echoingfromCOP30,arenot separate stories: Nigeria’s civil society criticizing the alleged commodi cation of the climate, and indigenous people asserting their rights through protests at the Belem talks. They are deeply connected, bound by a shared concern: who gets to decide, and who pays the price.
Monetizing nature is not just an economic shift; it is a political one. It risks deepening the silence around communities already struggling to be heard. It risks reinforcing the idea thatpeoplewhodonotwield nancial power do not deserve environmental power either. But the greatest risk is more subtle: once nature is assigned market value, those without market in uence lose their ground and can onlycountonresilience.Theirancestral relationships become irrelevant in a world obsessed with returns on investment. The grandmother who knows the medicinal secrets of a
forest becomes less important than the investor whose portfolio depends on carbon credits extracted from that forest.
Nigeria must imagine a different path
This moment demands an approach that recognizes rural communities not as passive bene ciaries of climate nance but as co-authors of national climate action. Their knowledge must actively shape climate policy. Their voices must in uence negotiations before agreements are signed, and not after. Their rights must be more than ceremonial acknowledgments in policy documents. Nigeria’s rural and indigenous communities (for instance, in the Niger Delta or forested regions) must be recognized not merely as bene ciaries of tokenistic nance, but as rights-bearing stewards. If nature-based nance becomes the dominant paradigm, there’s a risk that people lose more than they gain. The future Nigeria deserves is one where climate strategy is not designed forruralpeoplebutwiththem.Afuture where environmental stewardship is not outsourced to global markets, but restored to the communities that have practiced it for generations. A future wherenatureisvaluedbutneverpriced inwaysthaterasethehumanitywoven into every tree, river, and shoreline. Nigeria stands at a crossroads. One road leads toward a shiny but fragile illusion that markets alone can save us. The other leads toward a grounded, people-centered future - slower perhaps-butmorestable,morejust,and moresustainable.Ifweareboldenough tochoosethesecondroad,thenwemust center the rural communities that have carried the weight of environmental loss for far too long. Their stewardship is not a nancial asset. It is a national treasure. And the future we are trying to build cannot stand without it.
somecommunitieshavebeenunable to execute any project. This is even though some N373 billion has been made available for the funding of projects under the HCDT legislated
bythePetroleumIndustryAct(PIA).
Dekorcautionedthattheparliament wouldnotfolditsarmsandallowsuch situationtopersist.Hesuggestedthat changes in the leadership of some
of the trusts which have received fundingbutyettoexecuteprojects may be a solution. This may sound like a plausible solution but isn’t the issue more complex than leadership? The structure of the trusts provides for some checks-and-balances to make for good governance, inclusive participation, community oversight and other leadership accountability mechanisms that need to be thoroughly examined. Seekingchangeofguardalonemay not solve the systemic problem of corruption and community compromise that is now stalling remediation and development effortsinoil-bearingcommunities. But the call for community accountability is certainly a good start. Let the conversation be broadened.
•Gbenga Komolafe, CEO Nigeria UpstreamPetroleumRegulatory Commission,NUPRC
•Vice President Kashim Shettima in a handshake with the President of Brazil, LuizLulaDaSilvaatCOP30inBelem…recently
•Hon. Dum Dekor, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities
COURTESY AND WORKING VISIT TO THE OLU OF WARRI...
L-R: Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Dr. Abiola Arogundade, and the Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, when she paid a courtesy and working visit to the royal father to discuss the strategic empowerment of Delta State youth through the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), with Delta State being one of the six pilot states to benefit from intensive vocational training, entrepreneurial development and direct pathways to sustainable livelihoods, in Abuja, on Monday
WHO: Antimicrobial Resistance
Claimed 250,000 Lives in Africa in 2021
OnyebuchiEzigboinAbuja
World Health Organisation (WHO) said 250,000 deaths were directly attributed to drug-resistant infections in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2021.
A message from WHO to marktheWorldAntimicrobial Resistance (AMR)Awareness Week 2025 said drug-resistant infections were increasing, but the awareness, nancing, investment and actions remained inadequate.
It stated, “Globally, in 2021 alone, AMR was associated with an estimated 4.71 million deaths, while 1.14 million were directly attributable and 1.05 million indirectly, with 250,000 deaths directly attributed to AMR in subSaharan Africa.
“An estimated 178 million DALYs are lost due to AMR and will cost nearly US$1 trillion annually to the global economy, if left unchecked.”
The message was signed
by WHO Representative and Head of Mission to Nigeria, Dr. Pavel Ursu.
Ursu alerted that AMR could claim up to 39 million lives by 2050, as per recent projections in 2021.
Ursu said over 60,000 lives had been lost each year since 1990 in Nigeria due toAMR.
WHO stated in the message, “In 2021 alone, an estimated 50,500 (36,900-64,100) deaths were attributed, and 227,000 (167,000-286,000) were associated with bacterial AMR, with the largest number of deaths occurring among under ve age group.
“These alarming estimates and projections underscore the urgency for collective action with a whole-ofgovernment and society approach; an urgent need to integrateAMR with Primary Health care to accelerate AMR response, achieve UHC guided by the WHO people-centred approach,
with broader SWAp, food security, and climate change initiatives.
“From 18 to 24 November, we join with the AMR stakeholders and the community to mark WorldAMR Awareness Week, under the theme-ActNow:ProtectOur
Present, Secure Our Future.”
WHO said the theme of this year’s event underscored the urgent need for bold, coordinated, cross-sectoral action to address AMR as a present danger that demanded immediate, sustained action.
Ursu added, “Building on the momentum of the 2024 United Nations General AssemblyHigh-levelMeeting onAMR and Nigeria hosting 5th global high level min- isterial AMR conference in Abuja in June 2026; and on occasion of WAAW week, I urge all stakeholders, including governments, civil society, health-care providers, veterinarians, farmers, environmental actors and the public to translate the political commitments into tangible, accountable, life-saving interventions.
Tinubu Departs Abuja Today to Attend G20 Leaders’Summit in South Africa
Also billed for AU-EU meeting in Angola next week To hold bilateral meetings in courseofsummitstodiscussregionalandinternationalpeace,security,anddevelopment
DejiElumoye inAbuja
President Bola Tinubu will today depart Abuja for a two- nation visit to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola.According to a release is- sued yesterday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s rst stop is Johannes-
AfCFTA: Firm Moves to Promote Investment Among African Countries
Says Nigeria’s
quest for $1 trillion economy achievable
Onyebuchi EzigboinAbuja
A private sector investment promotion organisation, Style De Vie, has expressed the desire to create a platform that would enable African countries to attract investments and boost their economies.
Style De Vie said Nigeria stood to gain from promoting partnerships and harnessing Africa’s investment potential to actualise its ambitious $1
trillionSpeakingeconomy. to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Creative Director of Style De Vie, Mrs. Rebecca Tabe, said her organisation was seeking to foster trade and investment partnerships among African nations in line with the expectations of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is meant to create a free trade agreement and drive a single continental market for goods and services.
Tabe saidAfricans held the key to economic emancipa- tion of the continent. She said the organisation was planning to hold a premium diplomatic and investment networking event in Abuja that “will bring together Ambassadors of African nations, top tier investors, and government representatives for an evening of sophistication, dialogue, and opportunity”.
burg, where he will attend the 20th summit of the G20 leaders, before proceeding to Angola for theAfrican Union-European Union (AU-EU) summit.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is the current President of the G20 group, invited his Nigerian counterpart to participate in this year’s edition. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil had, during his Presi- dency of the group in 2024, equally invited Tinubu to Rio
de Janeiro.
The summit, scheduled to take place from Saturday, November 22, to Sunday, No- vember 23, at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, brings together leaders from the world’s top 20 economies, including the European Union, the African Union, and nancial institutions, among others.
Themed, “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” the two-day summit will afford participants the opportunity
to deliberate extensively dur- ing three plenary sessions devoted to: Inclusive and Sustainable Growth, Leaving No One Behind: Building our economies, the role of trade, Financing for development and the Debt burden; A Resilient World-the G20’s Contribution to Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate Change; Just Energy Transitions; Food Systems and A fair and Just Future for All: Critical Minerals; Decent Work; Arti cial Intelligence.
Controversial Air Peace Runway Incursion Report: NEFGAD Canvasses Sack of NSIB DG
Michael Olugbode inAbuja Network for the Actualization of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD), a civic organisa- tion, has asked President Bola Tinubu to sack with immediate effect the Director General of the Nigerian Safety and Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Mr. Alex Badeh Jr., over the recent
controversy surrounding a toxicologyNEFGAD,report.during a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, said the recent controversy surrounding the toxicology report released by the Nigerian Safety and Investigation Bureau (NSIB), and the subsequent strong denial issued by Air Peace, has further deepened concerns about the cred-
ibility, professionalism, and operational integrity of the Bureau under its current leadership.
It then called on President Bola Tinubu to sack with immediate effect, the Director General of the NSIB, Mr. Alex Badeh Jr, to pave the way for thorough investiga- tion in a bid to restore public con dence in the air safety agency.
Aisha Oyebode: My Father’s Assassination Was Painful, But I Never Felt Bitter against Nigeria
ChiemelieEzeobi
Dr. Aisha Oyebode, nee Muhammed, rst daughter of the late Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, yesterday said that despite the pain of losing her father to a brutal assassination 49 years ago on February 13, 1976, she has never held any bitterness towards Nigeria.
In an exclusive interview with THISDAYafter a meeting with the Director General Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, she said she also never doubted that his sacri ce for the nation was worth it.
Oyebode, who heads the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, was at the NIIAwith her team to esh out the activities lined up for the forthcoming 50th anniversary of the late general’s death.
She said: “His loss was painful, but I never felt bitter against Nigeria and I never doubted that his sacri ce was worth it. Nigeria has given me everything that I have. I love thisGeneralcountry.”MurtalaMuhammed was killed in Lagos barely seven months after assuming of ce, in what remains one of the darkest episodes in the country’s political history.
Re ecting on his death, Oyebode said the passage of time has only deepened her understanding of the values he represented and the expectations Nigerians still place on leadership.
She said: “I am humbled by myfather’slegacy,”addingthat the impact of his short admin- istration continues to shape national conversations, thus the activities being planned ahead of the 50th anniversary ofhisassassinationareexpected to highlight his contributions to national development and foreign policy.
Dr. Oyebode emphasised that her father’s memory
remains an in uence on her personal outlook and work, insisting that her commitment to public service is tied to the values he instilled.
On the anniversary, she said the remembrance will be held in partnership with the Nige- rian Institute of International Affairs with a group event and an exhibition will take place at the Institute.
She said: “A book on MurtalaMuhammed’sinternational policies is being prepared for release. Several biographies are being worked on, including one on his domestic policy and another on his international policy. A couple of documen-
taries will be released around the“Ananniversary.international conference will be held to discuss whether Africa has come of age and what needs to be done for its progress. The Cenotaph in Lagos, where he was killed, will be refurbished for a public commemoration.
“There will also be a com memoration in Abuja, at the site where the Foundation Centre is meant to be built.
Additional events are planned at his homestead in Kano.
“An essay writing competi- tion will be organised for students to engage younger generations in his legacy.
Fg: TInuBu DePreSSeD BY STuDenTS’ kIDnAP, BrIgADIer-generAl
Thepresidencyyesterday stated that President Bola Tinubu was depressedbytheabductionof25 students of Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/ Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, and the execution of Brigadier-General
on the opposition political party as impunity and insisting that it was not rubbing off well on the Bola Tinubu administration. spokeMohammed,alongsideothers, at the PDP Secretariat in Abuja, where the two groups within the party clashed while attempting to take over control of the party’s headquarters ahead of the parallel meeting reportedly scheduled for the same venue by the faction that held its national convention in Ibadan at the weekend.
This was as the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde,statesthattheongoing ghtwas about the future of democracy in Nigeria. He also disclosed the reason behind his fallout with Wike, saying the issue was centeredaroundpartydiscipline andtheneedtoupholdtherules of the PDP.
At the same time, theAfrican DemocraticCongress(ADC)has condemned what it described as a “disturbing and danger- ous assault on democracy” following the attack on the National Secretariat of the PDP inAbuja by armed men under the command of senior of cials of the ruling party, warning that the country’s democracy was under siege.
Curiously, the factional National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDPloyal to Wike has rati ed the expulsion of the Governors of Oyo, Bauchi and Zamfara States, Seyi Makinde, Bala Mohammed and Dauda LawalIncludedrespectively. on the list were chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, Senator Adolphus
Musa Uba by terrorists following his capture. This was after he got a full brief by the military authorities on the two separate incidents. The President was quoted as saying he is “depressed that heartless terrorists” have interrupted the education of innocent children. Tinubu, however, assured parents and guardians of the kidnapped schoolgirls that the government would ensure their quick release and safe return.
Wabara,SenatorKabiruTanimu Turaki, Deputy National Chair- man (South), Taofeek Arapaja and Chief Olabode George, among others, for alleged anti-party activities.
Bauchi Governor Slams Wike over Alleged Impunity, Gangsterism
Bala Mohammed also called out Wike for working for the rulingAll Progressives Congress (APC) to destroy the opposition, describing the FCT minister’s attack on the PDP as immoral.
He stated that the so-called splinter group within the PDP is the sole creation of Wike, pointing out that the ongoing showdown is a ght between ‘goodandbad’,andmaintaining that the former Rivers governor was ‘polluting’ the political space.“The showdown you are seeing is a showdown between good and bad. The convention has already dissolved their own term. This (crisis) is a creation of one man called Wike, who thinks that he can continue to pollute the political space by showing gangsterism, ‘animism’, and hooliganism and charlatanism.
“And by doing so, he is not helping even the present administration. I’m talking about what is causing all this. Weshouldgobytherules.(This is) arrogance and impunity. This is our secretariat. If they want to saytheyhaveaso-calledfaction, they should go somewhere.All the governors are here,” the Bauchi governor maintained.
The president asked Vice President Kashim Shettima to visit the state today to sympathise with the state government and the parents of the students.
In a statement by hisAdviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the president also sent his condolences to the military over the death of the gallant soldiers and Brigadier-General Musa Uba, who paid the ultimate price while on active duty ghting
According to the PDP gover- nors’ forum chairman, the plan oftheFCTminister,whohesaid is working for the APC, is to ensure that the PDP does not have a presidential candidate, winelectionorformgovernment in 2027.
“They should go and leave us alone. Must they be with us? This man (Wike), where is he working? Is he not working with theAPC? Why didn’t you ask him? Is it moral for him to say that he will be in APC to destroy us? Is it moral for him to say so? Is it normal that he is working for somebody (else) and he said we will not produceagovernmentin2027?” the Bauchi governor queried.
Besides, the Bauchi governor insisted that the Wike-led group lacks the legal backing to hold a Board of Trustees (BoT) or National Executive Council (NEC) meeting or use the party’s building.
He added: “We don’t believe there is any BoT because that is an illegality. I think the media should also educate and inculcate a sense of orderliness in the political space, so that people will know precisely what you believe in, because the shenanigans the perception should be positive.
“We had a convention where somepeoplewereexpelled,and then, of course, even INEC does not recognise them, and they are being backed by the police to come and do a charade BoT meeting.
“BoT is constituted by the NWC. They don’t have NWC and they don’t have a
insurgents in Borno State. Tinubu expressed sadness over the abduction of the schoolgirls, despite intelligence warnings about a possible strike byHebandits.commended Governor Mohammed Idris for the efforts made to try to avert the kidnapping.
While decrying the security breach that led to the abduction of the girls from their boarding school, the president urged communities across the
constitution. Our constitution says it all. If I’m expelled, I’m expelled,anditisnotmeorSeyi Makinde, or any person, it is the convention of over 20 states of the federation,” he averred.
On whether the new PDP Chairman, Kabiru Turaki is recognised by the Independent
Continued on page 43
strengthen, while the spread between the of cial and bureau dechangerateswerebelowtwo per cent.
Speaking at the 20thAnniver- sary Colloquium Lecture of the Monetary Policy Department (MPD) in Abuja, Cardoso said the stability had restored investorcon denceandreduced uncertainty for households and rms.
Vice President Kashim Shettima stressed Nigeria’s readiness to do business with the rest of the world, saying ongoing reforms undertaken by the administration of President Bola Tinubu across different sectors are opening new opportunities for investment.
Shettima spoke when he receivedinaudienceadelegation fromAdvancedEnergyPartners (AEP), led by Chairman of the consortium, Senator Abu Ibrahim, at State House,Abuja.
Thevicepresidentsaid,“There is no better time to invest in Nigeria. You have come at the right time, where we have been blessed with committed leadership.”
He outlined the abundant
country,especiallyinareasfacing security challenges, to share information and intelligence that would help the military, the police, and Department of State Services (DSS) to make the communities safe.
He stated that the security forces could not perform optimally without the support of Nigerians and local communities.
According to him, “As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am depressed with the tragic death of our soldiers and of cers on active duty. May God comfort the families of Brigadier-General Musa Uba and other fallen heroes.
“I am also depressed that heartless terrorists have disrupted the education of innocent schoolgirls. I have directed the security agencies to act swiftly and bring the girls back to Kebbi State.
resources and potential across Nigeria, saying the Tinubu administration, through speci c policies and interventions, is cre- ating an enabling environment for the economy to grow and attract foreign direct investment (FDI).
Shettima told the delegation, “Be rest assured that you have invested your trust in the right nation. Nigeria is ready for business. We have crossed the Rubicon and are now on the path of sustainable development.”
Cardoso stated that in ation had moderated signi cantly to 16.05 per cent in October 2025, from a peak of 34.6 per cent in November 2024, marking seven consecutive months of disin ation, the lowest in three years.
coreTheCBNgovernoraddedthat in ation had also begun to soften, suggesting that the cumulative effect of tight policy settings is transmitting through theHeeconomy. said the foreign reserves had risen to $46.7 billion, as of November 14, 2025, providing 10.3 months of import cover in
Aisha Oyebode
Foundation also plans to identify all monuments named after him, both in Nigeria and abroad, including streets in Angola, Algeria, and Namibia.”
“Our security forces cannot succeed in protecting us if the peopledon’tcooperateandshare information that will help them keep our communities safe.
“I urge community leaders and our compatriots across the country, especially those in the theatres of operations, to share useful information. Your cooperation is crucial in our ght against these security challenges.”
Gov Idris: Failure to Act on Intelligence Made Kidnap Possible, Says It’s Sabotage Kebbi State Governor, Mohammed Idris, yesterday, disclosed that failure to act on credible intelligence provided by Department of State Services (DSS) made the abduction of the schoolgirls possible. Idris said DSS had revealed a clandestine plot
Continued on page 45
goods and services, supported by sustained in ows and re- newed investor participation across various asset classes.
Cardoso said, “This accretion re ects investor con dence in ourpoliciesleadingtoimproved oil receipts, stronger balance of payments, and renewed foreign portfolio in ows.
“On the back of this con dence, all the three top international ratings agencies upgrade Nigeria, with the latest by S&P Global Ratings, which revised our sovereign outlook from stable to positive.
“This recognition re ects the impact of sustained reforms that have placed our economy on a more resilient path.”
Represented by CBN Deputy Governor, Economic Policy Directorate, Dr. Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, Cardoso said theprogresswascomplemented by Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List, marking another signi cant milestone in restoringinternationalcon dence in the nancial system.
Continued on page 44
BAlA MoHAMMeD: CrISIS In PDP FuelleD BY WIke’S IMPunITY, ArrogAnCe
The
10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF OLUWO’S ASCENSION TO THE THRONE...
L-R: Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Media and Special Duties, and Ba’aroyin of Iwoland, Alhaji Tunde Rahman; Olori Firdauz Adeola Akanbi; Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi Telu; and Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jubrin Barau, during the 10th anniversary celebration of Oluwo’s ascension to the throne, on Sunday in Iwo, Osun State
Gov Mbah, Owo Community Kinsmen on Edge as Army Moves to Evict Inhabitants
Army claims it owns Enugu governor’s hometown Inhabitants insist they live on ancestral land
them homeless.
A cloud of fear and uncertainty has enveloped Owo Community in Nkanu East Local Government of Enugu State following the plan by the Nigerian Army to evict the inhabitants and render
The Army has for years been laying claim to own- ership of the entire land on which Owo community is situated, a move the Counsel to Owo Community, Igwenagu Ngene has called military conquest.
If the Army eventually
carries out its threat of eviction and demolition of the community, the Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Peter Mbah, who is from Owo, and all his kinsmen and residents would lose their homes.
With the uncertain fate staring them in the face the people of Owo rose in protest
yesterday, decrying the alleged invasion of their ancestral land by the TheyArmy.called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and save the community from the threat of being thrown out and rendered homeless from their age-long habitation.
President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep grief over the passing of veteran journalist, prose stylist, author, and co-founder of the trailblazing Newswatch weekly magazine, Chief Dan Agbese.
Agbese, who was the Awan’Otun of Agila town in Ado LGA of Benue State, died on Monday at the age of 81 in Lagos.
The President, in a statement issued on Tuesday by
his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Agbese’s death as painful and a profound loss to Nigeria’s media industry and the country as a whole.
Tinubu said Agbese, alongside his colleagues at Newswatch, helped pioneer a new era of investigative and interpretative journalism in Nigeria, transforming media practice and setting standards for ethical and courageous reporting.
“Dan Agbese was not just a journalist; he was an institution. His pen shaped
public opinion, strengthened democratic discourse, and inspired a generation of media practitioners. He served Nigeria with integrity, courage, and commitment to truth and justice. His contribution to the evolution of the modern Nigerian press will be remembered forever.
“I join his family, particu- larly his wife, children, and the entire media community, in mourning. May his legacy continue to guide the noble calling of journalism in our nation,” he stated
Also, the Governor of
Constitutional Reforms: CSLSTasks National Assembly on Merit Based Appointment System for Judges
AlexEnumahinAbuja
Assuggestionscontinuetopour in towards giving Nigeria a workable and people oriented Constitution, the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) has called on the National Assembly to put in place a system that would ensure appointment of judicial of cers are based purely on merit.
President of the CSLS, Prof Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, made the call on Tuesday, at a Capacity Building Workshop on Constitutional Impediments to Access to Justice in Nigeria, which held in Abuja.
The senior lawyer, who pointed out that there are a lot of things in the Constitution that are hindering the progress of the nation, also called on
all Nigerians to get involved in the ongoing constitutional reforms.
“There are many provisions which need to be reformed so as to remove them from being obstacles to access to justice. One of the most important one is chapter two which deals with fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy.
Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has mourned the death of the renowned journalist, describing his death as a colossal loss to the media industry in Nigeria.
Sanwo-Olu, in a condolence message issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr GboyegaAkosile, said the death of the ace columnist and journalism icon was painful and heartbreaking.
community leaders, village heads, women, youths, and even the elderly trooped out as early as 8.00am singing songs of grievance and brandishing placards depicting their mood.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: “Remove soldiers, restore peace”; “Owo land is not barracks”; “Stop the invasion”; “Respect the constitution”; “Say No to Military Land Grabbing,” “President Tinubu, save us from military intimidation”; “Army, leave our land alone”. They also alleged acts of intimidation by theArmy, and misusing of security assets entrusted to them by the constitution, to create tension in the community despite a subsisting court injunction.
But the spokesman of NA 82 Division, Enugu, Lt Col Olabisi Ayeni, who was contacted over the land disputewithOwocommunity, said that he would investigate the issues raised. He also
demanded evidence of the alleged harassment and intimidation of Owo people. However, the traditional ruler of Owo community, Igwe Godwin Okeke Arum, could barely control his tears when he spoke with journal- ists at his palace, narrating the sad experience of his people. He alleged that Army operatives have been molest- ing his subjects, and also demolishing ongoing projects as well as chasing investors away from the community.
“It is disheartening that a whole community will be asked to quit to nowhere for no reason other than the fact that some people are wielding guns and jackboots bought with taxpayers’ money,” he lamented.
According to him, a team from theArmy came to Owo “sometime in 2015 and started mounting billboards around the entire community, asking us to quit, that this is Army land”.
EU,CSO Unveil New Entrepreneurship Initiative to EmpowerYoung People in North West
A civil society organisation, Search for Common Ground (Search), with funding from the European Union (EU) and support from the federal government, has unveiled a groundbreaking youth entrepreneurship and peace-building initiative codenamed the Hustle Reality Show (Buge Buge). Search explained that the programme is designed to empower young Nigerians in Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states through innovation, collaboration and enterprise.
Speaking at the of cial unveiling in Abuja on Tuesday, the Country Director of Search for Common Ground Nigeria, Karno Ouattara, stated that the 24-month EU-funded project seeks to reinforce peace and socialcohesionintheNorthWest by supporting young people to build socially impactful businesses that provide alternatives to violence, strengthen economic resilience and promote inclusive development. He revealed that Hustle will bring together young aspiring entrepreneursaged18to35from the three target states to engage
in innovative, team-based business challenges.
Participants, he said, will receive training, mentorship and seed capital to launch or expand their enterprises, with a focus on businesses that create social impact and foster coexistence. In his remarks, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, said the unveiling of the initiative marks the beginning of an exciting journey that shifts young people away from the drivers of con ict and positions them as agents of change.
LinusAlekeinAbuja
EmmanuelUgwu-Nwogoin Umuahia
GEnoCidE ClAim rEAChEs Un...
Alleged Christian Genocide: Tuggar, Dachomo Differ as Nicki Minaj Addresses UN Panel
Minister says Trump misinformed Plateau cleric insists Christians targeted
ChiemelieEzeobi
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has reiterated that there’s no Christian genocide in Nigeria, maintaining that the data being thrown around by certain interests, especially in the West, was grossly inaccurate.
Speaking during the airing of ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’, Tuggar stated that Nigeria does not want to become ‘another Sudan’, stressing that the renewed ‘love’ for Nigerian by some Western elements was suspicious.
Also yesterday, U.S. rapper, Nicki Minaj, declared that “no group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion”. She spokeduringapaneldiscussionat the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
Minaj delivered her remarks at an event hosted by the U.S. Mission to the United Nations on “Combating Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in
Nigeria”.
The programme, held at 799 United Nations Plaza, NewYork, NY 10017, featured her as part of a panel discussion following an invitation by Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, “for an in-depth discussion about what our administration is doing to protect Christians’ freedoms all over the world”.
However, Tuggar stated that Nigeria remains a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, maintaining that the constitution guaranteesthefreedomtopractice any faith of their choice and pointing out that it is unfortunate that President Donald Trump has been ‘misinformed’.
Contrary to the gures thrown around alleging that over 100,000 Christians had been killed and over 18,000 churches attacked, Tuggar stated that nothing could be further from the truth. He insisted that in the last few years, 102 churches had been attacked
bytheterrorists,whilethenumber killed was far less than the gure in the public space.
However, he maintained that death tolls are usually not counted on the basis of the religion victims belong, alleging
that those who were pushing the Christian genocide agenda were taking lessons from a familiar playbook, like the one they used in Sudan.
In the same vein, vocal Christian cleric, Ezekiel Da-
chomo, who also appeared on the same platform, disputed Tuggar’s position, stating that persons of Christian faith were being speci cally targeted for annihilation.
The prominent Plateau State-
basedpreacher,toldPiersMorgan, the popular British journalist, that he has conducted mass burials over 70 times, following what he described as the ‘massacre’ of Nigerian Christians by Islamic extremists.
At 34th Anniversary, Leemon Ikpea Says Lee Engineering Group May Go Public in Future
The Chairman and Chief Executive of Lee Engineering Group and Allied Companies Limited, Dr Leemon Ikpea, yesterday stressed that the management of the organisation was working to ensure it goes public in the future.
Speaking at the 34thAnniversary Town Hall meeting of Lee Engineering and Construction Company, themed: “Sustaining
Eminent legal icon and Founder ofAfe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), AareAfe Babalola, has issued a powerful national warning over the rising number of illegal and substandard private universities in Nigeria. According to him, the trend poses a direct threat to the country’s future, workforce quality, global
competitiveness, and national development.
Speaking in Ado-Ekiti while receiving the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN)Accreditation Team, the elder statesman urged the federal government and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to immediately revamp accreditation procedures and clamp down on unlicensed institutions.
Babalola said Nigeria
“deserves the best” and must no longer tolerate a system that allows fake universities and poorly equipped private institutions to ourish.
His words: “There is a long list of illegal private universities in Nigeria today,” he warned. “The NUC must close them down and prosecute their owners. This country deserves quality and functional education; anything less is dangerous for our future.”
Excellence, Deepening Legacy, and Shaping the Future,” he stated that to secure the longterm leadership and stability of thegroup,theBoardhadrecently approved the appointment of new Chief Operating Of cers for some of its subsidiaries.
In the same vein, he stressed thatthecompanywasempowering existing COOs to take greater ownership and responsibility for driving their businesses under the umbrella of the Group.
Thirty-four years ago, he recalled that the company began the journey in a mod- est 40-foot container — armed with faith, determination, and an unyielding vision, but said that today, through hard work, resilience, and divine grace, Lee Engineering has grown into a multi-subsidiary enterprise with strong footprints across Nigeria andThisbeyond.remarkable transformation, he pointed out, was made possible by employees’ dedication, professionalism, and loyalty.
“Our story remains one of vision, persistence, and purpose. From our humble beginnings to our current position as a leading indigenous engineering group, we have shown that integrity, innovation, and teamwork are
the true foundations of enduring success.
“As we celebrate this 34th anniversary, we must also look to the future with renewed commitment. The future belongs to those who plan for it. This is why our focus remains rmly on: Building pro table and sustainable growth across all subsidiaries ensuring ef ciency, competitiveness, and operational excellence.
“(We are) strengthening corporate governance to secure the long-term leadership and stability of the Group.
“In line with this, the Board has recently approved the appointment of new COOs for some of our subsidiaries, whileempoweringexistingCOOs
to take greater ownership and responsibility for driving their businesses under the umbrella of the Group.
“This marks a deliberate step in nurturing the next generation of leaders, fostering accountability, and ensuring that Lee Engineering continues to thrive well into the future. (We are) preparing for the future of the LeeGroup—includingexploring pathwaysthatwill,inthedecades ahead, position the company to go public, while preserving our ownership philosophy and values,” he stated.
In the same vein, he noted thatthecompanywasexpanding its frontiers, explaining that the subsidiaries — Lee Engineering and Construction Company Ltd, Lee International Machinery and Services Ltd, TrebetAviation Ltd, Trebet Travels and Tours Ltd, and KIZI Oil and Gas Services Ltd continue to create value, contribute to national development, and sustain its reputation for quality and innovation.
TheAmaniba Oil Field Project being handled by KIZI, among others, he explained, stands as a testament to overall capacity and bold vision to break new grounds in the Nigerian business environment.
EmmanuelAddehinAbuja
U.S. rapper Nicki Minaj yesterday when she addressed a panel at the United Nations headquarters in New York City over the alleged killing of Christians in Nigeria
Leemon Ikpea
Presentation of the innovative Bank of the Year award to the alternative Bank... L-R: Executive Director (South), The Alternative Bank, Korede Demola-Adeniyi; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Exchange Limited, Mr. Jude Chiemeka; Internal Shariah Auditor, The Alternative Bank, Mr. Lukman Seriki; and Conference Chair, African International Conference on Islamic Finance (AICIF), Ummahani Ahmad Amin, during the presentation of the Innovative Bank of the Year award to The Alternative Bank at the 7th AICIF Conference held in Lagos... recently
Technology Has Ended Era ofVoter Impersonation, Says Amupitan
Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, has declared that the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has effectively
solved the protracted challenge of identity theft in Nigeria’s elections.
Amupitan made the declaration while speaking at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions,
held recently in Abuja, organised by National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
In his keynote address, the INEC chairman, who was represented by a Na-
tional Commissioner, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, stated that the era of multiple voting and identity fraud was over.
Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Dayo Oketola, quoted Amupitan, in
Mbah, Adeleke, Kwara First Lady, Balogun, Akpani Honoured at 28th Zik Awards
sundayehigiator
Five eminent Nigerians have been honoured at the 28th edition of the Zik Prize in Leadership Awards in Lagos for their immeasurable contributions to the development of the nation, their industries and humankind.
The ceremony, organised by the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC) to honour individuals who have demonstrated excellence in public service, governance, humanitarian work, and business leadership, in line
with the ideals of the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s rst president, held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos yesterday night.
During the combined 2024/2025 awards ceremony, the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah and his Osun State counterpart, Senator Ademola Adeleke, were recognised for good governance, while the First Lady of Kwara State, Amb. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, was honoured for humanitarian leadership. Also, the founder/CEO of
Northwest Petroleum and Gas Ltd, Dame Winifred Akpani, and the CEO of Chapel Hills Denham, Mr. Bolaji Balogun, received Professional and Entrepreneurial leadership awards, respectively.
The former Board Chairman of PPRAC, late Prof. Jubril Aminu, was honoured with a posthumous award.
Aminu, Nigeria’s former Education and Petroleum Minister, died June 5, 2025, at the age of 85.
The Chairman of the event, the Asagba of Asaba in Delta State, Prof. Epiphany Azinge,
while delivering his speech, warned that Nigeria stands at a crossroads and risks squandering its vast potential unless urgent economic and political reforms are pursued to reclaim the nation’s trajectory.
“It is with deep humility and great pride that I stand before you tonight”, theAsagba said, while addressing an audience of diplomats, governors, business leaders and policymakers.
a statement, to have said BVAS signposted a milestone in the country’s democratic history, having become a “foolproof mechanism” for veri cation.
“The BVAS device has become our frontline defence against identity fraud, ensuring that only the rightful, eligible voter can be accredited at the polling unit,” Amupitan said.
He added, “With the biometric safeguards now in place, voter impersonation has been effectively eliminated from our electoralStandingsystem.” before a diverse audience of tech innovators, policy makers, and civil society actors, Amupitan backed his assertion with BVAS data from the recently concluded Anambra State governorship election.
According to the INEC boss, the 6,879 BVAS devices con gured and deployed for the Anambra poll recorded a
highly commendable performance.
He said over 99 per cent of polling unit results were uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on Election Day.
The INEC chairman told the gathering, “These outcomes con rm that the deployment of BVAS and IReV is no longer experimental but an entrenched part of Nigeria’s electoral architecture.
“The gure announced at the polling units is the same gure visible to the public. Technology has safeguarded the vote.”
Amupitan reminded the audience that previous tech- nologies, while innovative, lacked the “teeth” of the law, leaving the commission vulnerable to technicalities in election tribunals. He said that situation shifted with the Electoral Act 2022.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for urgent continental action to end the rising epidemic of road crashes across Africa, describing the deaths and injuries as a “silent epidemic” that steals lives and potential.
Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, President Tinubu’s message was delivered at the International Road Crash VictimsAfrica Conference(IRCVAC)2025,organized by the Kwapda’as Road Safety Demand (KRSD) Foundation in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and international partners. Themed “Gathering Africa and the World for Road Crash Victims,” the conference brought together survivors, African policymakers, private-sector leaders, and global road-safety advocates in Abuja to develop strategies aimed at reducing traf c-related fatalities.
Hundreds of aged, beleagured, and visibly traumatised pensioners of the defunct national telecommunications company--NITEL-MTEL- took to the streets ofAbuja, Tuesday in protest over their unpaid 35 months pension arrears.
Armed with placards bearing touchy inscriptions, they besieged the Federal Ministry of Finance, passionately appealing to the
federal government to treat them as senior citizens who rendered meritorious service to their country during their prime.
Some of the inscriptions read: “NITEL-MTEL pensioners are dying by the day. Pay Us Our 35 months pension arrears,” and What’s your reason for exempting“NITEL-MTELfrom N32,000 pension increment,” among several others.
In an interview with journalists, the spokesman of
the NITEL-MTEL pensioners, Comrade Okey Ifepe, in a voice laden with emotion, passionately appealed for President Bola Tinubu’s intetvention, urging him to direct relevant ministries and agencies of government to expeditiously act. Ifepe called for a humane consideration from the federal government, adding that the pensioners as senior citizens rendered meritorious service to their country in their prime.
Flag-OFF OF laSHMa’S EKOSHa RuRal HEaltH ScHEME...
L-R: Vice Chairman Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Hon. Yomi
and
National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mohammed said: “Yes, he is. He’s recognised by INEC because it’s a legal issue.” tionAccordingtohim,thespeculathat the new chairman is not recognised by INEC just because the electoral umpire was not present at the Ibadan convention does not hold water.
“After the convention, we have already sent all the reports to INEC, INEC is not obliged or forced to attend any convention or any political party. Have you ever seenAPC doing any convention? Did you ask them? But they have leaders, and they are recognised by INEC. Why must we be the only people that you assess?”
“The Constitution does not force INEC to be there, but we must give them notice. We gave them notice, and they accepted and acknowledged. We have the acknowledgement that they got the notice. If they decided not to come, that is their own free volition, but certainly we have documents that we have noti ed them duly and they accepted.
“So convention is legal, because all the court orders have been set aside by the courts. Because we have already made a plea and it has been put aside. So people should know the process of our legal system,” Mohammed argued.
Later, the Bauchi governor took to his of cial social media handle to react to the incident at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja alongside Makinde, Turaki and others.
He wrote: “As Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, I must state clearly: enough is enough.ThePeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) does not belong to any individual, it belongs to Nigerians.
“Regarding the troubling police blockade of our party’s national secretariat, I reaf rm that the PDPGovernors’ Forum will not stand by and watch the party be dismantled by those who neither understand its founding principles nor respect its future.”
Headdedthattheywerefully
committed to working with the newly constituted National Working Committee (NWC) to safeguardthenationalsecretariat, uphold internal democracy, and protect the integrity of the party.
“We shall do so with unity, strategic coordination, and an unshakable commitment to the rule of law. Let me be clear: the PDP will not be cowed, harassed, or silenced. We have weathered greater storms and emerged stronger. This moment will be no different. We will rise from it more united and more determined.
“I must also caution the presidency: it is a dangerous precedenttoempowerindividuals who lack both character and commitment to democratic values, individuals who misuse state power to settle internal political disputes. Such actions do not serve our country, and they certainly do not serve the PDP.Rather,theyunderminethe very institutions that bind our democracy together,” he said.
Chaos in PDP Secretariat
But there was chaos at the PDP secretariat yesterday as the factionloyaltoWike,temporarily took over the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza,Abuja. The takeover was ahead of the parallel meeting reportedly scheduledforthesamevenueby the faction that held its national convention in Ibadan at the weekend.
But the takeover warranted the intervention of Governors Makinde of Oyo State and Mohammed of Bauchi State who immediately arrived at the party’s secretariat to confront the Wike’s faction.
This was followed by police throwing several Cannister of tear gas to disperse the surging party
ThemembersTuraki-led National Working Committee (NWC) elected at the Ibadan national convention had scheduled its inaugural meeting with party stakeholders at 10 a.m. at the PDP national secretariat.
Also the Abdulrahman-led factionofNWChadsummoned
emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) meetings for 11a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, at the same venue.
The factional chairman, Mohammed, was already at the secretariat building, which had beenunderlockandkey.Armed security operatives were also deployed to the party secretariat to maintain peace as the police took over all the roads leading to the PDP secretariat with 15 Hilux vans.
The operatives, comprising personnel of the Mobile Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Department of State Services (DSS), were stationed at the entrance gates of the party and other strategic locations within thepartypremisesandenvirons.
There were also security patrol vehicles stationed along the roads leading to the party secretariat, aimed at forestalling any breakdown of law and order, as the PDP factions lay claim to of ces within the premises.
SecretaryWhilethesuspendedNational of the party, Samuel Anyanwu, had already gained access to the party secretariat, withaccreditationongoingahead of their 103 NEC meeting in progress, the Turaki faction had yet to
Also,arrive.
theanti-Turakiprotesters wereseencarryingplacardsbearing inscriptions such as “No to Turaki” and “Turaki must go”, dancing to the music provided by a team of drummers.
Anyanwu described the security deployment at the party secretariat as routine security arrangements whenever the party was holding its BoT or NEC“Anytimemeeting.we’re having a BoT meeting or NEC meeting, we usually invite the security because of the people who are around, so they don’t embarrass our members. So, usually we write to all the security agencies for them to give us security to protect the of ce. That’s why you see the police here. It’s not the rst time.
“Well, rst of all, I wrote to
all the security agencies on the 14th of November, 2025, that we are going to have a BoT at the NEC meeting, the largest NEC meeting here. I wrote to INEC as well, which they have managed,andtheyhavebeenon the news, and they have put it ontelevisionandinnewspapers.
“I’m the National Secretary of the party. My of ce is still running until Dec. 8. So, undoubtedly, I’m doing my function. I want the BoT acting chairman who is here, who has membersoftheboardoftrustees who are here, who have come for their meeting.
“You can see there’s no problem. So if we start our meeting and they come here to disrupt our meeting, they become intruders, because we’re alreadyhere.Idon’tseeanybody sensible enough to come and disrupt a meeting that’s going on. If anybody wants to meet, they can meet anywhere. It’s allowed, but we’re here,” Anyanwu said.
As the tension increased amid teargas, Makinde, Mohammed, and Turaki, arrived at the party secretariat and a clash ensued with the Wike faction over control of the secretariat.
Makinde, Bala Mohammed, and Turaki forced their way into the PDP NEC hall to hold their NEC meeting. The governors’ faction however overpowered the Wike faction from the party secretariat.
As tension rose, Wike arrived in a convoy amidst heavy tear- gas by police led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police. At that point, Bala, Makinde, Turaki, Kosheodo, and other newly elected NWC barricaded the main entrance to the party.
They prevented Wike, his entourage, and other supporters from entering the premises to attend the NEC meeting. It becamesorowdythatthepolice, again, swung into action again.
Bauchi governor decried the situation, saying usurper and interlopers are now occupying their Secretariat. He then called on President Donald Trump of the United States and the international community to
wade in and save democracy inInNigeria. the same vein, Turaki expressed regrets about the whole drama, saying, “ We won’t give up our secretariat, and we shall defend it with our lives.”
Makinde: Its Fight for Democracy, Explains Fallout with Wike
Governor Makinde in his intervention, stated that the current altercation was not about him, but a ght for the future of democracy in Nigeria. He disclosed the reason behind his fallout with Wike, saying the issue was centered around party discipline and the need to uphold the rules of the PDP.
Makinde emphasised that Nigeria should be a multi-party democracy, allowing Nigerians to have options when choosing their leaders. He stressed that the party’s founding fathers envisioned a system, where multiple parties could thrive, ensuring citizens have a say in governance.
Asked why he was no longer friends with Wike who was a member of the G-5, Makinde said, “Small minds talk about people,averagemindstalkabout events. We will rather talk about issues. What’s the issue? The issue is we don’t believe in one party in Nigeria.
fathers“Webelievethatourfounding gave us a multi-party democracy.Wemustsustainitso that Nigerians can have options when they are choosing their leaders. That is the issue. I don’t want to talk about individuals, and I don’t want to talk about events.”
Earlier, Wike had accused Makinde of orchestrating a breachoftrustandundermining party unity. Wike claimed that Makinde’s actions, including promoting Ude Okoye as National Secretary, were a betrayal of their agreements.
The feud between Makinde and Wike had led to a heated standoff at the PDP National Secretariat, with both factions attempting to assert control
over the party. The situation remained volatile, with fears of violence and unrest.
ADC Decries Attack on PDP Secretariat
The ADC has condemned what it described as a “disturbing and dangerous assault on democracy” following attack on the PDP National Secretariat, warning that the country’s democracy was under siege. In a statement by its National PublicitySecretary,MallamBolaji Abdullahi, the ADC criticised the Tinubu administration for employing violence in its bid to take control of another political party.The party warned that such actions were a direct threat to multiparty democracy and ad- vanced the ruling party’s desire to entrench a one-party rule in Nigeria. The party condemned what it described as the brazen invasion and violent takeover of the PDP national secretariat by agents of the APC federal government.
According to the statement, ‘’The incident, without doubt, is a dangerous assault on Nigeria’s democracy, which must be condemned by everyone, regardless of party af liation. ‘’Based on its various actions and machinations since coming topower,thisgovernment’santidemocratic credentials are no longer in doubt. However, this latest assault represents a new and dangerous low, even by the already-worrying standards of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
‘’With this action, the gov- ernment is sending a chilling message that it would do anything and employ any means, including acts of terror, to advance partisan political interests.
“If the government could send armed agents to enforce factional control of an opposition headquarters, what stops it from doingthesametolabourunions, press organisations, student movements, or peaceful protest groups?
Ganiu; The Oloruba of Oruba Agboyi II, Oba Taiwo Lamina Opeifa; Permanent Secretary Lagos Health District II, Dr. Dayo Lajide; Permanent Secretary Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr. Emmanuella Zamba; and the Olu of Agboyi Kingdom, Oba Monsuru Abimbola Oladega, at the Flag-Off of LASHMA’s EKOSHA Rural Health Scheme
Launch of the Scheme’s Mobile Clinic at Agboyi Ori-Omi Community, Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Lagos ... yesterday
BAlA MoHAMMeD: CrISIS In PDP FuelleD BY WIke’S IMPunITY, ArrogAnCe
CONFERMENT OF FELLOWSHIP AT AIMAS...
L-R: Registrar, African Institute of Management and Administrative Science (AIMAS), Dr. Ibrahim Simon; Chief Administrative Officer, Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, Taraba State/Awardee of Fellow at AIMAS, Andenira Punarimam Danjuma; and Legal Officer, Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, Taraba State, Miss. Fxafatirimen Adenira, during the conferment ceremony by AIMAS in Abuja, yesterday
Your Call for Foreign Invasion of Nigeria Reckless andUnpatriotic, APC Tells PDP
AdedayoAkinwaleinAbuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the call for foreign invasion of Nigeria by the new Chairman of the PeoplesDemocraticParty(PDP), Tanimu Turaki, as reckless and unpatriotic.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, in
He said, “This achievement demonstrates our full alignment with global standards on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism nancing, further unlocking opportunities for foreign investment and trade nance.
“Together, these measures have created a more competi- tive currency, improved trade balances, and strengthened the foundation for inclusive development.”
He added, “While we acknowledgethesecontributions, the department must remain agile and forward-looking. capacity,“Itshoulddeepenitsanalytical strengthen modelling tools, and continue to embrace innovation to ensure that the bank is well-positioned to respond effectively to emerging macroeconomic challenges.
“This includes leveraging technology, big data, and advanced analytical techniques to improve policy outcomes.”
a statement, said, “for a man declared National Chairman barely 72 hours ago by a faction of his deeply fractured party, Turaki looked and sounded desperate, at his wit’s end, confused,incoherent,andgrossly lacking in stamina and capacity to manage his party’s crisis.”
The ruling party stressed that under the PDP 16 years
in power, with its ruthless subversion of opposition par- ties, there was never a call for foreign invasion of Nigeria as a solution to the crisis within opposition parties of that era.
Morka noted: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) strongly condemns the call for foreign invasion of Nigeria by the new factional Chairman of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tanimu Turaki.
“While addressing the press todayoverthecrisisravaginghis party, Turaki called on foreign powers to intervene in Nigeria tosavethecountryfromalleged ‘Christian genocide’ and to protect democracy. Turaki’s call for foreign invasion of Nigeria is reckless and unpatriotic.
“Nigerians expected that Turaki would set himself on an urgentpeace-buildingmissionto bringhisparty’swarringfactions together in dialogue towards nding possible pathways to peace and “Instead,reconciliation. Turaki’s rst of cial act as factional chairman was his call for foreign invasion of Nigeria as a solution to the self-
in icted internal crisis of his PDP. That is as shameless as it is a dangerous threat to national security and sovereignty.” Morka stressed that Turaki’s call was not only an admission of the party’s incapacity to manage its internal contra- dictions, it must be taken as a nal certi cation of the PDP’s demise.
He said, “In ation targeting will enhance transparency, im- prove credibility, and strengthen the effectiveness of monetary policy transmission.
“I also commend the depart- ment for organising this lecture and for the choice of the topic. It underscores the importance of continuous learning and intellectual engagement in shaping policy.
“I expect that the insights sharedwillinspirerobustdiscussions and inform strategies that willguidethebankinnavigating the next phase of its evolution.”
He added, “As we celebrate this milestone, let us remember that our ultimate goal extends beyond technical achievements.
It is about building a resilient economy that fosters growth, creates jobs, and delivers shared prosperity.“Monetary policy must remain credible, coherent, and adaptive to changing realities.
“To the monetary policy department, I say: congratula- tions on this anniversary. Your contributionshavebeenvaluable, but the journey ahead requires even greater commitment, creativity, and collaboration.
“Continue to innovate, continue to strengthen coordination, and continue to uphold the highest standards of profes-
The central bank governor stated that one of the most signi cant tasks ahead was successful transition to a full in ation-targeting regime. He said this was not merely a technical adjustment, but a strategic imperative for anchor- ing expectations and sustaining priceHowever,stability. Cardoso commended the MPD for its efforts in this direction and urged that these efforts be accelerated.
sionalism.
“To our partners, past and present staff, and all stakehold- ers, thank you for your support and dedication. Together, we will ensure that the central bank remains a beacon of stability andCardosoprogress.”said, “As we mark 20 years of the Monetary Policy Department, let this occasion serve as both a celebration and a call to action.
“The challenges ahead are formidable, but with discipline, foresight, and unity of purpose, we will overcome them.”
In his remarks, CBN Director, MonetaryPolicyDepartment,Dr. Victor Oboh, said the occasion was more than a celebration of two decades of existence. Oboh said it was also an opportunity to re ect on the evolution of monetary policy in Nigeria, acknowledgethecontributionsof the pioneering department, and chart a path for the future amid an increasingly complex global and domestic environment.
He said, “The economic landscape is evolving rapidly. We continue to face persistent in ationary pressures, exchange rate volatility, and structural imbalances, all compounded by external shocks such as geopolitical tensions and commodity price swings.
“These realities demand continuous reassessment and
re nement of our monetary policyObohframework.” stated, “The theme of today’s lecture, ‘Monetary Policy in Nigeria: Past, Present, and Future,’ is therefore, particularly apt. It invites us to take stock of our journey over the past two decades, examine the current realitiesshapingmonetarypolicy, andanticipatethechallengesand opportunities that lie ahead.”
He said this underscored the dynamic nature of monetary policy and the imperative for continuous evolution and adaptationinresponsetoemerging macroeconomic shocks and globalObohdevelopments. added, “The Monetary Policy Department occupies a central role in the Bank’s institutional architecture. Its work underpins the formulation and coordination of monetary policy.
“Over the years, the depart- ment has provided robust technical support to committees—includingstrategic the Monetary Policy Committee, the Monetary Policy Techni- cal Committee, and the CBN Board—ensuring coherence in policy deliberations and decision-making.
“Its contributions have resulted in landmark achievements, including introduction of theMonetaryPolicyRate(MPR) in 2006 as the primary signaling instrument for monetary policy
stance, replacing the Minimum RediscountRate,therebyenhancing clarity and Meanwhile,communication.” the leader of the AEP delegation said the team was in Nigeria to, among other things, explore major opportunities for investment in the upstream oil industry and sectors of the economy.
Vice President of China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO),MrQiangWenyu, said the visit was in furtherance of an earlier meeting with Tinubu in September 2024 in Beijing.Wenyu reiterated his company’s commitment to collaborating with Nigerian partners in key sectors of the country’s economy.
He said the company was prepared to ful l its earlier pledge to deepen cooperation and expand its operations in Nigeria, stating that “for the past one year, we have been acting on that”.
He listed NORINCO’s core areas of operation to include energy, oil and gas, defence industries and mining, among others.
Wenyu stated that the company’s annual turnover grew last year to $30 billion, maintaining a strong reputation in its core elds of operations.
CEO of Horizon Energy,Abu
Dhabi, Ms. Mahra Rashed Al Suwaidi, applauded the leader- ship of President Bola Tinubu, attributing the company’s renewed interest to invest in Nigeria to the country’s current leadership.
Suwaidi added that the rm’s con dence in the current administration was re ected in the management of key institu- tions, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
UAEAmbassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Musabbeh Al Shamsi, urged the consortium to waste no time in investing in Nigeria, describing the country as the “right place” for foreign investment.
Stating that the Tinubu administration was the “right government,” Shamsi said the government had strengthened Nigeria’s economic and bilateral ties with the UAE, leading to non-oil trade between both countries amounting to $4.3 billion in 2024.
Also present at the meeting were CEO of AEP, Mr Shakiru Olayinka; Mr Abiye Membere from AEP; Mr HU Keyu from ChinaZhenhuaOilCorporation; Mr XU Yongfeng from Beijing Auxin Chemical Technology Corporation; and Mr LIANG Hongda from NORINCO African Dept, among others.
PhOTO: ENOCK REUBEN
CArDoSo: FX STAbIlITY, DISInFlATIon, ForeIgn reServeS
PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE PREMIERE IMMIGRATION REAL ESTATE...
FG: TInubu DepreSSeD bY STuDenTS’ KIDnAp, brIGADIer-GenerAl ubA’S DeATH
to attack Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga.
Expressing frustration over the incident, Idris said the failure of intelligence was a clear case of sabotage. He accused an unnamed security agency as being responsible for the sabotage.
The governor announced the establishment of a special investigation panel to determine how,despitetheDSSintelligence and efforts by the state government, the kidnappers were still able to strike.
He said the panel, which will also oversee the safe return of the kidnapped students, would be headed by the state DSS director.
Suspected bandits had attacked the school in the early hours of Monday, shooting dead the vice principal and kidnapping 25 female students. Three of the students managed to escape.
Atop security source revealed that Idris, who arrived at the school about 6:45pm on Monday, accused unnamed security agencies of sabotaging security efforts being made by his administration.
He stated, “This is clear sabotage. We received credible intelligence from the DSS that this school was likely to be attacked. The DSS further advised that we convene an emergency Security Council meeting, which we did. The decision was that we would provide round-the-clock protec- tion for the students.”
Thegovernorsaidhetookthe DSS report seriously, bearing in mind that the failure to act on similar intelligence had led to the December 2020 kidnapping of over 300 pupils from a school in Kankara, Katsina State. He lamented that deployments had been made to secure the school.
“The heavily armed security personnel spent time taking photographs with the students, only to abandon them 30 minutes before the attack,” Idris revealed.
One of the teachers, who
managed to escape, said given the presence of several armed uniformed men deployed to the school on Sunday, who spent considerable time interacting with the students and teachers, and teaching them emergency drills, he was shocked at the tragic turn of events.
The teacher, who was not named for security reasons, said, “The heavily armed security personnel spent the entire night guarding the school. Sadly, for reasons yet to be determined, they reportedly left the school before dawn. About 30 minutes after they withdrew,thekidnappersstruck, abducting the students.
“I believe it was the accuracy and credibility of the intelligence supplied by the DSS on the school that led Governor Idris to appoint their director to head the special committee he set up.
“The good news is that there is suf cient reason to believe that the girls were kidnapped, not killed. With ongoing efforts by the federal and state govern- ments, we are hopeful that they will all be rescued.”
Northern Governors Outraged, Demand Urgent, Coordinated Action to Rescue Students
Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) condemned the attack on Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, and demanded a coordinated action to rescue the students.
Reacting to the incident, Chairman of NSGF and Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Muhammadu Yahaya, described it as tragic, senseless and utterly unacceptable.
Yahaya said the continued targeting of schools posed a grave threat to the region’s stability and the country’s educational future.
In a press release by Director- General, Press Affairs, Ismaila Misilli, Yahaya, on behalf of his colleagues, commiserated with the government and people of Kebbi State, especially the
familiesoftheabductedstudents and those who lost their lives in the attack.
He assured Idris of the forum’s solidarity and support during this dif cult moment.
Yahaya said schools must be sanctuaries of learning, not targets of violence, warning that continued assaults on educational institutions threatened to reversegainsmadeinimproving school enrolment and curbing the out-of-school crisis in the region.
He expressed deep concern over the trauma the abducted schoolgirls would be facing, and called for an immediate and well-coordinated operation by the security agencies to ensure their safe rescue and the arrest of the perpetrators.
Reaf rming the commitment of NSGF to collaborate with the federal government and security institutions, Yahaya stated that the safety, education and welfare of young Nigerians remained a top priority for the forum.
He prayed for the safe and early return of the students, while extending his heartfelt sympathies to the affected families, and urging communities to remain vigilant and cooperative with security agencies in the collective effort to rid the region of criminality.
First Lady
Says Incident Heartbreaking, Signifies Attack on Values of Safety in Schools
First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, expressed sadness over the abduction of the Kebbi sudents and killing of the school’s vice principal.
Mrs Tinubu, in a statement, declared that the heart-breaking incident was not only an attack on the innocent girls and dedicated educators, but also an assault on the values of safety and learning that schools represented.
She stated, “I am deeply saddened by the news of the abduction of the 25 students of the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary
School, Maga, Kebbi State, and the tragic killing of the Vice Principal.
“This heart-breaking incident is not only an attack on innocent girls and dedicated educators, but an assault on the values of safety and learning that schools embody.
“Mr. President has already ordered our security agencies to ensure the quick and safe return of the abducted girls and to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
The rst lady added, “My heart and prayers are with the families, friends, loved ones and schoolmates at this time. I pray Almighty God grants quick rescue to the abducted girls and may the soul of the departed Vice Principal rest in Aljannah Firdaus.”
UNICEF Criticises Abduction, Killing ofVP
Nigeria’s Country Of ce of the United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF)condemnedthe attack on the Kebbi students, which resulted in the death of the school’s vice principal and the reported abduction of 25 students.
UNICEF called for the swift release of the abducted children, saying those responsible for the incident should be held to account in accordance with national and international standards.
In a press statement, UNICEF stated, “We stand with the affectedcommunityatthisdif cult time, our heartfelt condolences go to those who have lost their loved ones, and we wish a full recovery for those injured.
“This tragic incident is yet another stark reminder of the urgent need to protect children, schools and the personnel they rely upon to learn safely.
“Students, education facilities, and their personnel should be protected under international law from any form of attack, and those responsible for this incidentmustbeheldtoaccount in accordance with national and international standards.”
UNICEF called on all relevant stakeholders to continue efforts to implement the Safe Schools Declaration in Nigeria.
UNICEF said it was working with the government, partners, civil society, and communities to strengthen child protection systems and promoted safe and inclusive learning environments across the country.
“These systems and environ- ments must be reinforced to prevent future tragedies. No child should be put at risk while pursuing an education,” Sussan Akila,CommunicationSpecialist, UNICEF Nigeria, stated.
COAS
Orders Troops to Intensify Rescue Effort
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, directed troops of Operation Fansan Yamma to intensify efforts to secure the release of the abducted students.
A statement by Media Information Of cer of Operation Fansan Yamma, Captain David Adewusi, revealed that the COAS issued the directive during his operational tour of Kebbi State.
Addressing frontline commanders and troops, Shaibuchargedthemtoconduct intelligence-driven operations and maintain a relentless, day-and-night pursuit of the abductors.
“We must nd these children. Actdecisivelyandprofessionally on all intelligence. Success is not optional,” he stated.
The COAS also engaged local vigilantes and hunters, describing them as critical partners in the operation.
He urged the vigilantes to leverage their knowledge of the terrain, in collaboration with troops, to locate and neutralise criminal elements.
“Together, we will restore peace and ensure children can attend school safely,” Shaibu said.
Earlier, Shaibu paid a con- dolence visit to the traditional ruler of Danko,AlhajiAbubakar Ibrahim Allaje, and Principal
of GGCSS Maga, Hajiya Rabi Musa Magaji. He assured them of the military’s unwavering commitment to rescuing the abducted students unharmed. Advising troops to remain resilient and professional, the COAS urged them to act within the rules of engagement while remaining responsive, disciplined and resolute in restoring peace to Kebbi State and surrounding areas.
CAS Tells Air Component Commanders to Take Fight to Terrorists from Air Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, ordered the Air Component Commanders of the Joint Taskforce, North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, to take the ongoing ght against terrorism to the terrorists’ domain through smart andcoordinatedairinterdictions.
Aneke gave the charge while addressing frontline personnel during his operational visit to Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base, Maiduguri, according to a statement by Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters,Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame. He praised the resilience, courage and professionalism of the Air Component of Op- eration Hadin Kai and the 105 Composite Group, describing them as “a driving force in our ght against insurgency and terrorism”.
TheCASstressedthat,despite recent challenges, air operations remained central to degrading terrorist capabilities, dismantling theirnetworksandsafeguarding communities.
Hesaid,“Wemuststayonthe offensive and keep taking the ght to the enemy from the air. The nation sees your sacri ce and stands behind you.”
Aneke emphasised that his visit was aimed at assessing real-time conditions, engaging with personnel, and addressing factors that in uenced combat effectiveness.
L-R: Chairman of the Premiere Immigration Real Estate and Advisory, Chief Austin Albert; CEO of the Premiere Immigration Real Estate and Advisory, Dr. Jane Kimemia; and Executive Director of the Premiere Immigration Real Estate and Advisory, Mr. Oludare Shobajo, during a press conference held at the company’s office in Victoria Island, Lagos…recently
Osimhen LeadsAjibade,Nnadozie,Others inTonight’s CAFAwards in Morocco
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Nigeria and Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen, who will undergo an MRI scan to determine the severity of the injury he suffered during the 2026 World CupAfrican Playoff nal against DR Congo last Sunday, will also today know if he has been voted for the second time as continent’s best player in Morocco.
The CAFAwards will begin at 19h00 local time (18h00 GMT)
in the Moroccan capital of Rabat this Wednesday night.
Osimhen was voted 2023 Africa’s Best Player after helping Italian side Napoli to win the Scudetto for the second time in over three decades. He’s also in the running for the 2025 award with stellar performance for Galatasaray that include both league and cup double for the Istanbul giants. He’s also the leading scorer in the UEFA Champions League on six goals
...Taribo, Oparanozie, Mustapha Hadji, Other Legends Expected at the Ceremony
A host of African football legends that include Nigerian duo of Taribo West and Desire Oparanozie are expected to grace the CAF Awards 2025 in the Moroccan city of Rabat this Wednesday night, bringing star quality to the glittering event and a reminder of the continent’s legacy of talent.
The CAF Awards 2025 expectedtobeginat18h00GMT promises to be a memorable celebration of talent, legacy and achievement, bringing together some of the continent’s most iconic names.
A constellation of African Legends will grace the red carpet to celebrate the stars who have shaped the game. Among them are illustrious
gures such as Morocco’s Mustapha Hadji, Gervinho, Rabah Madjer, Mohamed Sis- soko, Idriss Kameni, Shikabala, Patrick Mboma and Taribo West.
Women’sfootballwillalsobe proudly represented by icons including Janine van Wyk, Desire Oparanozie, Clementine Toure and Bernadette Anong.
Their presence in Rabat will symbolise the enduring bond between generations and the heritage of a football culture that continues to evolve and inspire.
The evening will not only celebrate excellence but also mark a moment of connection betweenthecontinent’spioneers and its new heroes.
GOtv Boxing Night 34:‘Expect War’, Happy Boy Warns Tiny Ahead of Title Bout
Sodiq “Happy Boy” Adeleke has promised to unleash a war when he ghts Durotimi “Tiny”Agboola for the national super bantamweight title on 26 December at GOtv Boxing Night 34.
Adeleke,themostrecentwinner of the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy for Best Boxer at GOtv Boxing Night 33, enters the contest seeking to dethroneAgboola, the defendingchampionattheshowbilled for the Tafawa Balewa Square. Attheimmediatepasteditionof the show,Adeleke went home withN1mattachedtothebetter boxer prize. The young boxer is expected to be one of the night’s major attractions. to“Tiny(Agboola)willbemade look tiny. I cannot afford to lose this ght. I will not lose. I am sure. This is my rst title attempt and I have to make it count. It will be war. Real war. He cannot escape,” he threatened.
Other key contest on the night include the national light- weight challenge clash between Segun “Odi” Gbobaniyi and Tobiloba “Smiling Assassin” Ijomoni, light welterweight clash between Sodiq “Smart Lion”SuleimanandEmmanuel “Ability”AbimbolaandEzekiel “Touch” Seun’s duel with Toheeb “Full Tank” Hassan in the super bantamweight division, while Sadam “Baby Boxer” Oladipupo faces Imole “System” Oloyede in an eight- round lightweight contest. GOtv Boxing Night 34: Jams Festival, organized by Flykite Productions, will take place on Boxing Day and will feature live music and entertainment alongside the night’s bouts. Speaking about the event, Bamidele Johnson, Chief Operating Of cer, Flykite Productions, said the boxing and entertainment will provide a thrilling year-end package for Lagosians.
this season after match-day four.
At the CAFAwards ceremony in Rabat this evening, Osimhen who along with his Super Eagles teammates missed qualifying for the Intercontinental Playoffs scheduled for March next year after losing 3-4 to DR Congo, has Egypt and Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah and Morocco and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi to contend with for the continent’s Best Player Award for 2025.
However, despite optimism of an Osimhen picking the top honour,mostpunditsarepointing in the direction of right-back
Hakimi who was outstanding as Paris St Germain lifted the UEFA Champions League title last season.
Hakimi was also pivotal to PSG winning the French Ligue 1, Coupe de France and UEFA Super Cup. He also played in the nal of the FIFA Club World Cup while also helping Morocco to FIFA World Cup 2026 quali cation.
Also tonight, Nigerian ladies who dominate most of the women’s categories of the 2025 CAF Awards will know if they will reign for the next 12 months.
Super Falcons’ Captain, Rasheedat Ajibade is to battle out Morocco and Al Hilal star, Ghizlaine Chebbak, for the 2025 Women’s Player of the Year award.
Another Moroccan lady who plays for AS FAR, Sanaa Mssoudy, is the third lady in the running for the top honour.
For the CAF Goalkeeper of the Year category, Nigeria and Brighton safe hands, Chiamaka Nnadozie, will be aiming to win the award for the third consecutive time. The Nigerians shot stopper will be looking at
earning her third CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year Award, following her 2023 and 2024 recognition. Also in the run- ning for the top award is South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper, Andile Dlamini. The two-time CAF Women’s Champions League Goalkeeper of the Year winner, Dlamini, secures her nomination through her exceptional consistency and unwavering presence for both club and country. Morocco’s Khadija Er-Rmichi who plays for AS FAR is the third goalkeeper in the nal shortlist.
IRAQ SECURE SPOT IN INTERCONTINENTAL...
Iraq scored a dramatic penalty winner in the 17th minute of added time to claim a dramatic win over the United Arab Emirates and keep their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup alive. Amir Al-Ammari scored from the spot in the 107th minute to seal a 3-2 aggregate win and secure Iraq’s place in the intercontinental play-offs next year.
Golf: Governor Fubara Says CIO Classic Proof of Safety in Rivers
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was the special guest at the closing ceremony of the 6th CIO Golf Classic at the Python Golf Club, Port Harcourt, last Sunday, where he acknowledged the positive impact of having seven countries gather in the Garden City for the event.
“We need to nd a way to put events like this in the spotlight. The successful hosting of this event underscores the safety and hospitable character of Rivers State.”
The CIO Classic, in its sixth edition, staked a total purse of N75million (approximately $50,000 USD), the largest total purse for professional golfers this year.
This effort, according to the Chairman of the sponsoring company, Ikenna Okafor, aligns with the globalization goal of the event.
“Today, this event is the biggest professional prize purse event in West Africa,” he noted. He stressed further that the CIO
Classic has secured a strategic alliance with the Safari Tour of Kenya to co-sanction the event.
“What that does is to give leverage to all the Nigerian players at this event to get other international opportunities. This clearly positions CIO Classic as the single most important tournament for all West African professionals to step onto the
global stage,” Okafor added with enthusiasm.
Governor Fubara, who praised Keeves Global Leasing managementforinitiatingandsponsoring the event from inception, added that the importance and pedigree the event has attained makes it onethatthestatewillbewillingto work alongside the organisers in deepening the values everybody
L-R: Ikenna Okafor, Chairman of Keeves Global Leasing, Presenting Champion’s Trophy to Francis Epe, winner of the 6th CIO Golf Classic at Python Golf Club last weekend in Port Harcourt, Rivers State
derive from it.
“The state will be willing to work with the organisers in the future for the bene t of all,” pledgedtheRiversStategovernor. Meanwhile, Nigeria extended her dominance at the event with Francis Epe, the number oneranked player, exerting himself over the eld of 107 professional players that competed at the event.
Epe, from Ikoyi Club 1938, in Lagos, shot 11 under par for the four days to pocket the N15 million winner’s cheque. He was three shots ahead of Udom Sateer from the host club (-8 in 72 holes), while Vincent Torgah from Tema Golf Club in Ghana nished at -7 to claim the third prize.
Epe, multiple winner on the Nigerian Tour and current leader on the Nigeria’s Professional Golfers’ Association’s Order of Merit (Ranking System), said he came to the event with a positive feeling that the week would go well for him.
45 DAYS THAT CHAngeD eleCTIonS In AfrICA?
Macias Nguema, in August 1979 before executing him. In the election this year, his main opponent was Issa Tchiroma, a 35-year veteran in the cabinet of President Biya, who stepped down from the ruling Cameroon Peoples’ Democratic Movement (CPDM) and from the Cabinet in order to run against his former boss.
It took the Constitutional Council 15 days to tabulate the gures in an election which had 8.1 million registered voters with an average turnout of about 68.5%. When it eventually declared that outcome on 27 October, the Constitutional Council announced Biya as winner with 53.66% of the votes in disputed results and in an election in which he was unable to campaign because of in rmity. Independent analysts who have examined the of cial numbers insist he “couldn’t have won.”
With the result, Biya, who was born one month after Adolf Hitler assumed of ce as German Chancellor and in the month preceding the inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the president of the United States of America - entered upon his seventh presidential term in a country in which the median age belongs to children who were born in 2006. By the time of the next election, he will be nearly one century old. In the wake of the announcement, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, pointedly declined to extend congratulations to President Biya, instead focusing his attention on the need for a “thorough and impartial investigation” of the “post-electoral violence and…. reports of excessive use of force.”
Paul Biya can at least claim that he had a genuine contest against a genuine opponent. In Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, the contest two weeks later on 25 October 2025 pitted incumbent president, Alassane Ouattara, whose ambitions drove the country to the brink of fragmentation at the beginning of the millennium - against no one.
When the result was announced, President Ouattara, a child of the Second World War, having been born on New Year’s Day in 1942, contrived at 83 years to award himself nearly 90% of the vote and a fourth term in of ce in an election from which he barred every credible competition. That was indeed a generous four percentage points lower than the 94% of the votes that he awarded himself in 2020. In power since 2010, Ouattara was supposed to be term-limited after two terms of ten years in of ce. At 83, he expects to rule until at least he is 88, which would still be ve years younger than President Biya’s current age.
The election in Tanzania four days after Côte d’Ivoire’s took place in a graveyard. The incumbent and candidate of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Party of the Revolution) was Samia Suluhu Hassan, who inherited the of ce when her principal, John Pombe
Magufuli, died in March 2021. Ahead of the contest, however, it became evident that Samia would not tolerate a contest. Under her leadership, the govern- ment unleashed what Amnesty International described as a “wave of terror” designed to make her candidacy unopposed and the ruling party unchecked in its march to a pre-determined seventh decade in power. On the day of the contest on 29 October, protests unexpectedly erupted in key cities, such as Dar-Es-Salaam, Arusha, Mbeya, and Mwanza. Under cover of a media blackout complemented by an internet shutdown imposed on the day of the ballot, Samia’s government orchestrated a campaign of targeted mass murder in population centres suspected to be opposition strongholds. President Samia’s electoral commission declared her winner with 87% voter turnout and nearly 98% of the vote. As Tanzanians
geJ: KuDoS To A MAn of TIMeleSS legACY AT 68
transitions across Africa. In country after country, from Zambia to The Gambia, from Kenya to Cote d’Ivoire, his presence has brought hope, con dence, and moral authority, cementing his reputation as one of the most respected elder statesmen on the continent.
Jonathan’s continuing mediation engage- ments represent a logical progression of the diplomatic excellence that distinguished his tenure. In the Jonathan years, Nigeria’s presence in the world blossomed with a calm and steady brilliance, as the nation’s voice gained clarity and its reputation gathered a new, digni ed glow. At a time when the country’s global standing needed credible leadership, he provided exactly that, with Nigeria even chairing the United Nations Security Council twice under his presidency. His diplomatic poise, calm statesmanship, and ability to unify diverse interests earned him admiration from leaders around the world.
Yet Dr. Jonathan’s contributions are not con ned to diplomacy alone. His years in of ce remain a reference point in Nigeria’s developmental journey. When we speak of the Jonathan Presidency, the records speak loudly. Through the Transforma- tion Agenda, he ushered in policies that stimulated growth, institutional reforms, and economic modernization, leading to Nigeria being recognized as the largest economy in Africa at the time. The era also witnessed single-digit in ation, unprecedented Foreign Direct Invest- ment, and bold industrial policies that laid foundations for future innovation.
It is important to point out that beyond all these macroeconomic achievements, Jonathan’s heart was always with the people. His commitment to education and human capital development produced some of the most impactful programmes in Nigeria’s recent history. The Almajiri Education Programme created the environ- ment to give dignity and opportunity to
millions of children, especially in Northern Nigeria. It was designed to address with courage and compassion, a decades-old, deep-seated societal malaise and bring an end to the nation’s embarrassing specter of out-of-school children.
The Presidential Special Scholarship for Innovation and Development (PRESSID) was his foresight in action, designed to give Nigeria a critical technological edge
in different parts of the country woke up to nd bodies on their courtyards with fatal injuries from unknown persons and morgues over owing with fresh cadavers reportedly being disappeared under instructions of the government, President Samia turned up at a military base in new capital city, Dodoma, where on the fourth night following the vote, she was stealthily inaugurated for a new term.
Initial estimates putting the casualty count in the hundreds were quickly eclipsed by more updated tallies of over 3,000 killed in under 72 hours. Fresh reporting by the New Humanitarian put the number over 5,000 and suggests that the casualty count may indeed be over 10,000. Around the country, initial trepidation gave way to alarm at the scale of the massacre. That alarm has now been ousted by outrage.
Meanwhile, for the rst time in their histories, of cial election observer missions deployed by the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) both concluded separately that the election in Tanzania “did not comply with AU principles.” This caught many people unprepared. Now both institutions are scrambling to gure out what to do. There is an emerging consensus that President Samia is illegitimate. The leaders of both institutions must articulate consequences and citizens have a right to expect them to do so clearly.
The consensus is also growing around the urgent need for an independent, international investigation and accountability. Meanwhile, Tanzania’s young people prepare for nationwide protests on 9 December 2025. The symbolism is signi cant: it is World Anti-Corruption Day; it is the anniversary of the adoption of the Genocide Convention; and it is Tanzania’s Independence Day. •A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu
conventional politics, built not on the noise of power, but on the substance of character.
Humble, simple, humane, and utterly sel ess, Dr. Jonathan is the embodiment of authenticity. What you see is truly what you get. He carries power lightly, speaks with gentleness, and leads with a sincerity that is increasingly rare in public life. His patriotism is rm; his commitment to good governance unquestionable; and his belief in the inherent goodness and potential of every Nigerian remains unshaken.
In the decade since he left of ce, he has lived a life that proves, beyond doubt, that there is indeed life after the presidency. He has shown dignity, relevance, and value in service outside of power, reminding the world that true leadership has no expiry
Today,date.many who confess that they miss the Jonathan Presidency do so not out of mischief, but out of a deep sense of nostalgia. Not merely for the calm, stability, and economic direction his presidency offered, but for the unique style of governance de ned by listening, humility, inclusion, empathy, and respect for institutions.
Such longing is not lost on students of power and politics for they know that humanity will always crave the ideal where power is under control, where leadership is humane, modest, and focused on national progress.
in the modern world by nurturing our best and brightest minds to that end. But beyond the public achievements lies the man I have been privileged to know personally. To many, he is a former President and icon of peace. To those of us who have worked closely with him, he is a study in the power of quiet strength. His life and career are a compelling narrative that challenges the very foundations of
As he turns 68, I celebrate a man who has consistently placed Nigeria above himself; a man who has given Africa a model of leadership rooted in peace; and a man whose name will forever be associated with statesmanship, sacri ce, and service.
His legacy is secure, his impact im- measurable, and his example timeless.
•Eze is Special Adviser on Media and Communications to Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Jonathan
Tanzanian President Hassan
pRESS confEREncE on inTERnATionAL fRAUD AwAREnESS wEEK 2025...
L-R: Police Service Commission (PSC), Representative on the Governing Council, Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN), Barr. Babatunde Dada; Registrar , (CIFCFIN), Dr. Isa Salifu; Founder/Chairman, Governing Council, Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki; Chairman, CIFCFIN Abuja chapter, Mrs.
Chi D i ANSeLM ODINkALu
guEST COLumNIST
45 Days that Changed Elections in Africa?
An unlikely coincidence of elections in over a period of 45 days period from the middle of September to the end of October 2025 has cast a new light on the state of democratic governance in Africa and now threatens to unscramble the ritual hollowness that has become the fate of elections on the continent under the indifferent watch of the African Union and other regional institutions in Africa. How the continent’s leaders and institutions handle the aftermath could have serious implications for the stability of the continent.
On 16 September 2025, Malawi went to the polls to elect their president. The last time the country did that in 2019, it produced results that were so transparently rigged that ve judges of the Constitutional Court of Malawi wearing bullet-proof vests were needed to set aside the result declared by the electoral commission. That was only the second time in Africa’s history that a court would nullify
the declared outcome in a presidential election.
The annulled result had favoured then incumbent and fth president of the Republic,
Peter Mutharika (a long-serving law professor and brother of Malawi’s third president, Bingu wa Mutharika), in a contest against Lazarus Chakwera, a theologian and pastor with the Assemblies of God Church in Malawi. In the re-run that followed the judicial nulli cation in 2020, Chakwera prevailed, and the people ousted Peter Mutharika from the presidency.
The contest in September 2025 pitted 85-year-old Peter Mutharika in a sequel against his nemesis, Lazarus Chakwera. In the preceding ve years, President Chakwera had managed to implausibly squander the considerable civic goodwill that powered him into of ce. Despite being 15 years younger than President Mutharika, President Chakwera lost resoundingly to his older opponent who secured 56.8% of the vote.
Malawi may have vindicated the trust of both the voters and of the candidates in a test of the will of the people but it is an outlier in a continent that has grown used to
seeing elections as charades. This reluctance for credible ballots was evident when the central African country of Cameroon went to the polls nearly one month later on 12 October 2025, to elect their president. The incumbent, Paul Biya, was a 92 year-old whose sojourn in Cameroon’s government dates back to his appointment as Chief of Staff in the cabinet of the Minister of Education in 1964. In 1975, President Ahmadou Ahidjo made him Prime Minister. On 6 November 1982, two days after the resignation of President Ahidjo on grounds of ill-health, Biya ascended to the presidency and has ruled the country for 43 years since.
At 92, Paul Biya is the oldest serving president in the world, only outlasted in of ce by Teodoro Obiang, president of the neighbouring Equatorial Guinea, who has been in of ce since he toppled his uncle,
guEST COLumNIST continued on page 47
GEJ: Kudos to a Man ofTimeless Legacy at 68
Today, I join millions of Nigerians, Africans, and friends around the world in celebrating a statesman whose name has become synony- mous with peace, humility, patriotism, and democratic excellence. As Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan marks his 68th birthday, I re ect not only as his media and com- munications adviser over the years, but as one who has been privileged to witness, up close, his extraordinary humanity, his quiet strength, and the moral clarity that guides his every action.
Dr. Jonathan is, without question, one of Africa’s most consistent and passionate champions of peace. Long before global institutions regularly called on him to mediate con icts, he had already declared
a philosophy that would de ne his legacy: “My political ambition is not worth the
blood of any Nigerian.” Those words were not political platitudes. They were not cleverly scripted soundbites. They were the authentic rendition of his soul. The unforced expression of his persona as a peace enthusiast. This singular statement, made at a time of political tension, continues to echo across the continent as a profound lesson in leadership, reminding all who wield power that the sanctity of human life must always come before personal or partisan interest.
Perhaps the most de ning moment of his democratic credentials came in 2015, when he chose to concede the presidential election while votes were still being tallied, a historic act of statesmanship that averted potential unrest and set a democratic
benchmark for Africa. That phone call, which later became a global reference point, remains one of the greatest lessons in political maturity and love for country. In doing that he was simply walking his talk that only a reformed and functional electoral system could redeem a poorly governed country and set it on a path of transformation.
His post-presidency engagements have only deepened this legacy. As Founder of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation and Chairman of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), he has devoted his time and intellect to promoting peaceful elec- tions, political stability, and democratic
on page 47
Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan a ercastingtheballotforhercontroversial re-election in Octobor 2025
Former President Goodluck Jonathan
Petu Joyce Aina; and Council member, Dr. Christian Chigbu; during the Institute’s press conference on International Fraud Awareness Week 2025 in Abuja ....recently
