Opposition lawmakers: Nigerians losing confidence in budget process, decry poor performance Group lampoons National Assembly over budget extension, says it encourages fiscal indiscipline
Our partnership anchored on shared values, concrete results, says Brazilian VP
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday applauded the over $1 billion Green Imperative agricultural initiative between Nigeria and Brazil, saying it marked a milestone in both countries’ renewed strategic alliance, grounded in mutual respect and practical cooperation.
Specifically, Shettima said the partnership represents a shared dream between two major democracies committed to practical outcomes and mutual prosperity.
Speaking during the opening session of the 2nd Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism at the State House, Abuja, the Vice President said the longstanding relationship between both countries was not defined by geography but by common ambition.
Shettima had earlier received the Brazilian Vice President, Geraldo Alckmin, his wife, Maria Lúcia Alckmin, and members of the Brazilian delegation shortly after their arrival in Abuja for the SDM.
According to Nigeria’s Vice President, “Brazil and Nigeria are not bound by geography, but by a shared dream. Two large, diverse democracies. Two economies with immense natural and human capital. Two nations with the right to dream and the ability to build.”
He emphasised the transformational impact of the Green Imperative Project, jointly developed by both nations, which aims to deploy over $1 billion to deliver mechanised farming equip-
ment, training, and service centres across Nigeria.
“This project will create jobs, raise productivity, and help secure Nigeria’s ambition to feed itself and others.
The Green Imperative is a flagship of this partnership, and one we are determined to deliver,” he said.
Shettima also used the occasion to reaffirm the President Bola Tinubu administration’s commitment to economic reforms that are reshaping Nigeria’s investment landscape.
His words: “Fuel subsidies have been removed. The exchange rate has been unified. A new business facilitation regime has come into force. These decisions are not without cost, but they are restoring credibility to our markets and discipline to public finance.”
The Vice President explained that Nigeria was laying the foundation for a N1 trillion economy by 2030, with reforms spanning agriculture, energy, education, and public finance.
He said: “We are moving from subsistence to scale in agriculture, and in energy, we are taking long-overdue steps to attract serious investment into gas production, refining, and renewables. We recognise Brazil’s experience in biofuels and renewable technologies and see clear opportunities for joint ventures, knowledge transfer, and co-investment.”
Shettima called for enhanced cooperation in security, health, education, and innovation: “In health and education, our priorities are straightforward. We want to
promote access, quality, and inclusion.
From the rollout of a student loan scheme to digital learning platforms and expanded vocational training, we are investing in the minds and talents of our young people.
“The Memoranda of Understanding before our sister nations today speak to the breadth of this cooperation. But memoranda are only as meaningful as the follow-through they inspire. We must resist the temptation to confuse signing with solving.”
Urging both sides to agree on practical steps to measure and enforce progress, the Vice President said, “Let this Strategic Dialogue
Mechanism not be remembered as a formal reunion, but as a decisive pivot—from aspiration to execution, from promise to proof.”
Also speaking, Brazil’s Vice President, Alckmin, said the strengthening of the Brazil-Nigeria partnership was anchored on shared values and a concrete results agenda, noting that “it is with great satisfaction that we witness the important results achieved in several fronts of cooperation.”
Alckmin, highlighted Nigeria’s presence in the 2nd Brazil-Africa dialogue on food security held in Brasilia last May, pointing out areas where the two countries have strengthened
partnership and cooperation.
He said, “In the signing of Memoranda of Understanding in areas of agriculture and security, which will boost our cooperation, our partnership has been strengthened also by the frequent high-level visits such as President Bola Tinubu’s recent participation in the G20 and the upcoming BRICS meeting in July.”
On climate issues, the Brazilian Vice President said his country has the largest tropical forest in the world, which is a powerhouse in the green and low-carbon economy, just as he stated that it is impossible to discuss the energy transition without including
Brazil.
“I invite Nigeria, a country that also plays a leading role in these agendas, to come to COP30 in Belém at the end of this year. We must cooperate on these crucial issues for our countries and the world, and we have made a lot of progress,” he added. Earlier in his opening remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, said the event marked the epoch of Nigeria-Brazil bilateral relations and a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation with mutual understanding through people-to-people exchange between both countries.
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
Senior representatives of the United States and Nigerian governments, along with business leaders from both countries’ private sectors, have convened in Abuja to officially launch the working group meetings of the United States–Nigeria Commercial and Investment Partnership (CIP). This landmark partnership, established under a five-year Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2024 by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and
The House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drug Administration and Control directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to present a full breakdown of all fines collected from traders found guilty of selling fake or substandard drugs during recent enforcement actions in open markets across the country.
The directive was issued by the committee, chaired by Acting Chairman Hon. Uchenna Harris Okonkwo, during a session in which NAFDAC’s Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, was summoned to address
claims that the agency had extorted money from traders at the Onitsha Bridge Head Market. The move followed a motion raised by the committee, which expressed concern about reports that NAFDAC had collected N700,000 each from numerous traders during operations carried out in Lagos, Anambra, and Kano States.
Instead of the DG, NAFDAC was represented at the session by Shaba Mohammed, its Director of Investigation and Enforcement, and Dr. Lyon Obi Martins, South East Director for the agency.
While Okonkwo acknowledged NAFDAC’s efforts to eliminate counterfeit drugs from Nigerian
markets, he said the committee had received multiple petitions from stakeholders regarding recent nationwide operations against open drug markets, particularly in Lagos, Anambra, and Kano.
Among the grievances raised were accusations that the Onitsha Bridge Head Market—the largest drug market in West Africa—was shut down for failing to comply with the N700,000-per-shop fine.
Traders also alleged that the fee had been increased from N500,000 to N700,000, and that in Lagos’ Idumota market, an additional N2 million was being charged for violations related to improper drug storage and handling.
Nigeria’s former Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, aims to deepen bilateral commercial cooperation and expand economic opportunities in both nations.
According to a statement yesterday, by US Embassy, four senior U.S. and Nigerian officials led the dialogue U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Richard Mills; Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Department of Commerce, Julie LeBlanc; Nigeria’s Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Amb. Nura Rimi, U.S. Ambassador Richard M. Mills, Jr., in his remarks during the inaugural session said: “The Commercial and Investment Partnership, or CIP, is one
of the top priorities of my tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, so it gives me immense pleasure to see the launch of the working groups come to fruition.
“The CIP underscores the United States’ strong commitment to further enhancing our bilateral commercial and investment ties, fostering economic growth, and creating opportunities that benefit people across both our great nations.”
The inaugural discussions focused on three working groups: agriculture, the digital economy, and infrastructure.
The working groups – comprised of U.S. and Nigerian private sector participants – began their work by nominating group leads and identifying non-tariff barriers to trade and investment.
Their goal is to foster job creation, encourage private sector engagement, and recommend solutions to policymakers to address key challenges in these critical sectors.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Middle East and Africa, Thomas Bruns stated that, “The U.S.-Nigeria Commercial and Investment Partnership reflects our shared commitment to deepening economic ties, fostering innovation, and expanding opportunities for businesses in both nations.
“The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration is proud of its work to foster international commerce and, as the U.S. Government’s voice for the U.S. private sector, we are thrilled to launch these working groups with our Nigerian counterparts.
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Works yesterday began the training of its highway engineers, technologists, and technicians, warning them against any act that could land them in the hands of Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies.
At the event in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Olufunsho Adebiyi, called on civil servants to recommit to professionalism and integrity in the discharge of their duties, stressing that any misconduct and loss of focus within
the system may damage their image and that of the ministry.
During the opening ceremony of the three-day training session for the Batch 1 beneficiaries in the North-central Zone, held at the Pavement Evaluation Unit (PEU), Sheda, Kwali Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Adebiyi noted that while political office holders come and go, civil servants remain accountable for operational lapses and questionable decisions.
“When the EFCC begins investigations, it is not the politicians but civil servants that are invited. That
is the reality we must confront,” Adebiyi stated. Adebiyi urged ministry staff to change the current public perception by embracing ethical conduct, discipline, and technical excellence, stressing the importance of a performance-based career structure within the ministry.
“Some officers are promoted beyond their capacity, and others have remained in the same location for 20 to 30 years. That must change. We are now rotating officers across different departments and regions, so they develop well-rounded expertise.
L-R: Chairman, Senate Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru; Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jubrin; Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations; Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Tahir Monguno; Chairman, Senate Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa & NEPAD, Senator Nasiru Zangon-Daura; and Chairman, Senate Committee on Steel Development, Senator Patrick Ndubueze, at the resumption of plenary to commence the new legislative year at the Senate Chamber, National Assembly Complex, Abuja, Tuesday
Deji Elumoye and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has applauded the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for opening the nation’s capital for investment and housing through the numerous projects currently embarked upon by the FCT Administration.
The President, who was represented by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, said this yesterday, at the inauguration of the right-hand service carriage of Inner Northern Expressway (INEX).
Also yesterday, Tinubu emphasised the importance of expanding Nigeria’s dairy and livestock economy, noting that with the country’s growing population, the sector holds enormous potential for job creation, rural development, and food security.
The President described the 16-kilometer INEX that runs from Ring Road 3 and connects Idu to Zuba as a critical piece of the FCT Masterplan.
He said the road was designed to ease traffic flow, enhance connectivity, and improve urban mobility for millions of commuters, residents and businesses in Abuja.
The President commended the
FCT Administration led by Wike for his vision, commitment to quality and timely execution, saying he had contributed to something larger than the roadway and the future of the nation’s capital.
“This vital carriageway we commissioned today is not just a road. It is a symbol of progress and a reflection of the administration’s Rehabilitation Agenda.
“An agenda committed to
Airline carried 1.7mn passengers in two weeks
Emirates’ Airlines has announced that its passengers experienced minimal disruptions to their travel plans on Monday in cognisance of the Middle East crisis, but regularly scheduled flights resumed yesterday.
A statement by the airline said it quickly activated its robust contingency and disruption plans, with no diversions, only a small number of cancellations and a few flights experiencing longer flight paths due to airspace congestion.
“Despite rapidly evolving regional developments, it’s been business as usual across the Emirates network.
In the past two weeks, Emirates has maintained scheduled services by rerouting flights to avoid conflict zones, successfully serving over 1.7
million passengers on more than 5,800 flights across its global network and delivering certainty to their travel plans when they needed it the most, while upholding its commitment to safe, reliable travel.
“The airline took immediate action by suspending flights only to areas directly impacted by conflict while maintaining operations to all other destinations. Services to Amman and Beirut were briefly suspended but resumed quickly, demonstrating Emirates’ ability to nimbly adapt its operations while prioritising safety, and helping thousands of families start their summer holidays,” the airline said.
It also noted that the safety of Emirates’ passengers and crew was its absolute priority, and the airline
would never fly if it was not safe to do so.
“Emirates continuously monitors developments, coordinates with aviation authorities, and assesses every potential risk to ensure all flights are safely rerouted away from conflict zones, all the while meeting the most stringent regulatory requirements.
“Throughout the last two weeks, the airline kept customers informed with regular operational website updates as well as on its social media channels, and reservations teams helped re-accommodate affected customers,” the airline further said in the statement.
It added that as it gears up for the busy summer travel season, it would continue to actively monitor developments in co-ordination
The House of Representatives yesterday announced its intention to investigate implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) across Nigeria. This resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Billy Osawaru at plenary on Tuesday. He expressed serious concern about widespread public dissatisfaction with the scheme and highlighted the various operational issues confronting Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs).
During the debate, Hon. Osawaru reminded the House that the NHIS, originally set up in 1999, was designed to give Nigerians access to quality healthcare services and shield families from financial strain caused by high medical costs.
He also pointed out that the 1999 NHIS Act has since been replaced by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act of 2022.
“This new law mandates health insurance for all Nigerians and legal residents, aiming to achieve universal health coverage nationwide. The updated legislation lays out a
framework for a healthcare system that is affordable, accessible, and comprehensive.
“Its primary goals are to promote and regulate health insurance programs, integrate various schemes, and guarantee access to quality healthcare for everyone.”
He further noted that “NHIS collaborates with HMOs to deliver healthcare services to beneficiaries, including federal and state government employees, private sector workers, and other Nigerians. In turn, these HMOs contract hospitals and clinics to provide care.”
with the relevant authorities, and the airline’s priority will always be to ensure safe and smooth operations, by adapting quickly and appropriately, so that customers can travel with confidence.
“For decades, the airline has successfully navigated challenges while maintaining its commitment to connecting customers to their destinations safely, efficiently and comfortably all while delivering exceptional service on-board and on ground.
building infrastructure that serves the people, unlocks economic potential, and support sustainable development.
“As traffic volume increases in the FCT, and across the satellite towns. It has become imperative for the continuous expansion and maintenance of critical routes.
“This road will not only congest key junctions, but also facilitate safer, faster movement within Abuja transportation corridors.
“It will open more opportunities for businesses, housing, and investment in the adjoining districts.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is quite apt to say that projects like these are a testament to what we can achieve when planning, execution and leadership are aligned with purpose,” Tinubu said.
He expressed the determination of the government to replicate similar facilities in every part of the country with roads, bridges, railways, and more by ensuring that no region is left behind.
In his remarks, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, appealed to the federal government to expedite approval of tax rebate for the contractor of the right-hand service carriage of INEX to facilitate the completion of the left-hand section of the road.
He urged the fast-tracking of the tax concession application by
the company to the Ministry of Finance, stating, 40,000 indirect jobs would be created in the corridor, which houses the Idu Industrial zone.
“But we believe we will solve it. But the point we are making is that these are the kind of things that nobody should waste time supporting.
“The contractors could not get approval to cross the rail line, for they to complete this job. And I hope, Mr. President, you will go through this way, and go to Zuba Road, and go back to Abuja. Road infrastructure is the driver of any economic growth.
“When we came, and we saw that it was a problem, a setback, I immediately ordered that the C-of-O should be given to them. And that had been done within two weeks at that time. “Today, go to that place. Mr. President, I will encourage you. That will create not less than 40,000 direct jobs,” Wike said.
He noted that the road that was awarded in 2014 at the cost of N7 billion, cost N31 billion to complete, stemming from inflation and variations.
He added it had been the policy of the President under the Renewed Hope Agenda to continue with projects that would be impactful on the lives and economy of the people.
Nigeria, Benin Republic Sign Pact to Strengthen Regional Democracy Through Parliamentary Partnership
In a significant stride toward deepening parliamentary cooperation and democratic consolidation in West Africa, the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Nigeria, and the Parliamentary Institute of Benin (IPaB) has held a landmark workshop on the implementation of their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), in Cotonou, yesterday.
Speaking on the occasion, the Director-General of NILDS, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, in his speech made available to our correspondent yesterday in Abuja, underscored the importance of the gathering.
He described it as “a milestone in our shared journey of institutional cooperation and parliamentary development.”
The workshop, he noted, aims to develop, validate, and adopt a three-year work plan that will guide the actualisation of the MoU signed between the two institutions in November 2024 in Abuja.
Sulaiman expressed gratitude to the National Assembly of Benin and the leadership of IPaB for their hospitality, particularly singling out IPaB Director, Dr. Sèdami Medegan Fagla, for her leadership and commitment to the partnership.
“The scope and ambition of this collaboration,” Professor Sulaiman stated, “speak directly to the pressing need to strengthen legislative institutions across our sub-region,” he said.
He added the pact would “build capacity, foster democratic resilience, and contribute to peace, development, and regional integration
through knowledge exchange and institutional synergy.”
He further emphasized the importance of aligning the proposed work plan with the evolving needs of both countries’ legislatures and the expectations of the citizens they serve.
He called for joint programmes in research, training, legislative support, and parliamentary diplomacy, adding that NILDS was fully committed to implementing the MoU through staff exchanges, technical assistance, joint publications, and policy dialogue. Also speaking at the event, the Director of IPaB, in her speech made available to our correspondent, noted the workshop was the culmination of sustained collaborative efforts dating back to January 2025, following the Beninese Parliamentary Council’s recommendation to expedite the implementation of the bilateral MoU.
Teacher of the Year Competition held in Lagos, yesterday PHOTO:
The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu has reinforced Nigeria’s pivotal role in shaping Africa’s energy future through high-level engagements at the 2025 Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, South Africa.
Adelabu, at the event, argued that despite the current energy transition, Nigeria’s vast natural resources remain vital for the growth of the nation’s economy, a statement in Abuja by the minister’s spokesman, Bolaji Tunji, stressed.
The minister also participated in a closed-door ministerial roundtable where he shared Nigeria’s strategies for aligning policy, regulation and financing to drive efficiency and unlock investments in critical energy infrastructure.
The session brought together public and private sector leaders to accelerate project implementation and harmonize private sector capabilities with national energy priorities, Tunji added.
During a panel discussion on energy transition, Adelabu emphasised Nigeria’s pragmatic approach, stating that while committed to decarbonisation, the country’s vast hydrocarbon resources remain vital for economic and energy security - a stance aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s vision.
He asserted that no transition
agenda can succeed without a well-structured policy framework, highlighting Nigeria’s recently approved National Integrated Electricity Policy as a blueprint for harmonising power generation, transmission and distribution, including gas-to-power and renewable expansion.
Adelabu outlined key investment priorities including grid modernisation to enhance reliability, increased renewable energy integration, and decentralised energy solutions such as mini-grids and solar home systems.
“Nigeria is open for business across the entire energy spectrumfrom hydrocarbons to clean energy,” Adelabu declared, sending a clear message to global investors.
The minister also held strategic bilateral talks with key stakeholders, including South Africa’s Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, where both leaders agreed on the need for a stronger African voice in global energy forums like the G20.
They explored market reforms including Nigeria’s privatisation experiences, grid expansion financing through public-private partnerships, and potential collaboration between regional power pools for a more integrated continental grid.
The minister also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening energy ties with the UK in discus-
sions with the country’s Deputy Trade Commissioner for Africa, Ben Ainsley.
With the International Finance Corporation, he discussed expanding support for Nigeria’s energy
compact covering both on-grid and off-grid electrification. Further engagements with Canada’s Ambassador and Siemens Energy focused on trade opportunities and grid modernisation respectively, the
statement added. Through these engagements, the minister reinforced Nigeria’s leadership in driving a resilient, inclusive and sustainable energy future for Africa, Tunji stressed.
“Our goal is clear - energy access, sustainability and prosperity for Nigeria and the continent,” Adelabu stated, concluding a series of impactful discussions at the forum.
Peter Uzoho
Heirs Energies Limited and Renaissance Africa Energy Company have expressed their mutual commitment to strategic collaboration aimed at driving Nigeria’s oil and gas development and ultimately boosting hydrocarbon production by enhancing capacities and opportunities of indigenous operators.
The two independent producers made their resolve known during a high-level courtesy visit by the leadership of Heirs Energies led by its Chief Executive Officer, Osa Igiehon, to Renaissance’s team led by the Managing Director, Mr. Tony Attah.
According to a statement issued yesterday by Heirs Energies, the landmark meeting, which marked the first formal engagement between the two companies after the successful takeover of Shell Petroleum Develop-
Julius Berger Pays N5.2bn as Total Gross Dividend to Shareholders
Bennett Oghifo
Julius Berger Plc., said it paid N5.2billion to its shareholders amounting to N3.25 per 50 kobo ordinary share.
This is as the shareholders, at the 55th Annual General Meeting, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, expressed excitement at the assumption of duty of the Board Chairman, Engr. Goni Sheikh and the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Engr. Dr, Peer Lubasch, both of whom presided over their first AGM of the company since their appointments into their respective new offices.
The Managing Director said since he assumed office months ago, the company is successfully navigating the headwinds of challenges in its line of duty.
Lubasch said the broader socioeconomic environment continues to present significant challenges
shaped by a range of persistent and compounding pressures like currency devaluation, ongoing foreign exchange scarcity, escalating construction costs, surging inflation, increased fuel prices, high lending rates, global market uncertainties and domestic security concerns.
Stressing that the foregoing factors combined to create a tough and unpredictable business landscape, especially for the construction sector and Nigeria in particular, he added that in line with the company’s mission statement, “we continue to transform these challenges into tangible opportunities.
“As a company, we have continued to demonstrate resilience, navigating headwinds by adapting with an eye towards efficiency and sustainable growth.”
Lubasch added the company achieved record-high revenue, expanded its asset base and maintained stability across both
new and ongoing projects within the reporting year.
He said the success of the company in the year under review stemmed from the well-established and forward-looking strategy which integrates core business strengths, the collaboration and contributions of the growing group of subsidiaries alongside a deliberate diversification policy which has largely defined the success story of the company.
On diversification, Lubasch said: “We are already taking significant steps forward with our regional diversification strategy, with two contracts in the Republic of Benin, and assured the excited shareholders of greater success “even in these hard times,” which he attributed to, “the well-disciplined execution of our strategy, our agile leadership, the dedication of our teams and the power of our fundamental values of excellence, responsibility, courage and collaboration.”
ment Company (SPDC) by Renaissance, focused on mutual priorities and shared commitment to advancing Nigeria’s oil and gas sector through indigenous leadership and innovation.
Speaking at the meeting, Igiehon emphasized the significance of indigenous companies leading Nigeria’s energy transformation.
“We are happy to connect with the leadership of Renaissance and congratulate them on their successful deal and transition.
“As indigenous firms, we all have a duty to the continued development of the industry. The thinking and how we approach things will be different now, as we’re both indigenous companies committed to Nigerian excellence and driving unprecedented production growth”, he said.
The Heirs Energies’ CEO highlighted the natural synergy between the two organizations and the transformative potential of their collaboration.
“Heirs Energies and Renaissance are closely linked, and we’re looking forward to continued collaboration that
will not only benefit our companies but fundamentally reshape Nigeria’s energy landscape.
“Together, we have the capability and commitment to accelerate production across our assets and drive the kind of innovation that will position Nigeria as a global energy leader”, Igiehon added.
In his remarks, Attah expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating: “We are happy to connect and engage with Heirs Energies. This collaboration represents a significant step forward as we pursue our shared vision for the industry.”
He emphasized Renaissance’s commitment to driving transformational change across the energy value chain:
“Renaissance is on a journey to drive increased production and development across the entire value chain, and partnering with like-minded indigenous companies like Heirs Energies is fundamental to achieving these objectives”, Attah noted.
The collaboration between the two big indigenous energy companies
signals a new era of homegrown expertise and innovation in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
According to the statement, “Both companies bring complementary strengths and shared values that position them to accelerate production growth through innovative approaches, develop local capacity and expertise across the energy value chain, drive sustainable industry practices that benefit Nigerian communities, leverage indigenous knowledge and understanding of local operating environments, and create synergies that enhance operational efficiency and market competitiveness.”
Heirs Energies Limited is Africa’s prominent indigenous-owned integrated energy company, committed to meeting Africa’s unique energy needs while aligning with global sustainability goals. Having a strong focus on innovation, environmental responsibility, and community development, Heirs Energies leads in the evolving energy landscape and contribute to a more prosperous Africa.
The Ogun State Government is set to spend N2 billion on intervention projects at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta. Governor Dapo Abiodun disclosed this during the institution’s 15th combined convocation ceremony held at its Ojere Campus in Abeokuta. Highlighting some of the intervention projects, Abiodun mentioned a 500-seater ultramodern hall, the construction of the road leading to the institution’s auditorium, the construction of a building for the Department of Accountancy, the construction and equipping of a new library, and a new bus to commemorate the 15th convocation ceremony.
Abiodun who said he was impressed with the achievements of the school since its inception, announced a cash gift of N2.5 million for each of the best graduating students from the 2015 to 2024 sets.
He said: “We will be building a 500-seater ultramodern lecture theatre. We will be constructing the road leading to the auditorium of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic. We will also be constructing a building for the Department of Accountancy.
“We will be constructing the new SBMS block and equipping a modern library as well. This total intervention amounts to about N2 billion, so we will invest about N2 billion worth of interventions in this institution.
“In our usual manner, we will be celebrating the best graduating students over the years. That means that we have a list of the best graduating students from 2016 onwards.”
The institution, the governor noted, has produced thousands of graduates who have contributed to the development and growth of the state, country, and wherever they find themselves, adding that the decision to bring back the defunct Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, which was turned into Ogun State Polytechnic and moved to Ipokia, is yielding results, just as the ecosystem of the school, which was in a comatose state, has been revived.
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Oil prices tumbled by as much as 6 per cent yesterday after Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Iran after nearly two weeks of conflict, in a peace deal for which US President, Donald Trump, has claimed credit.
Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, fell to $67.29 a barrel after hitting almost $80 earlier, even though Iran and Israel accused each other of violating the ceasefire within hours.
Prices had spiked in recent days as concerns grew that Tehran could disrupt global supplies by blockading the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil and gas. Stock markets in the US, the UK and Europe rose and held steady after Trump told
Israel on social media not to drop bombs after it accused Iran of breaching the ceasefire.
However, the situation remains a mixed bag for Nigeria. While it is expected to slash federal government’s earnings from export of crude oil, it will also lead to reduced petrol prices in Nigeria.
For ordinary Nigerians, cheaper fuel means reduced transportation costs, which in turn lowers the price of food and other essential goods.
This can help slow inflation, especially in a country where logistics costs are deeply embedded in the pricing of everyday commodities. For small and medium enterprises, lower fuel prices improve profit margins and operational efficiency, allowing for expansion or job creation
in sectors like retail, logistics, and informal trade.
Already, the Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) had raised petrol prices, sending a strong signal across the country’s energy and economic landscape.
At the core of the price hike were a mix of global and local factors. Rising international crude oil prices, driven in part by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, increased the cost of feedstock for refineries. Dangote, which supplements domestic crude with imports, responded by passing those added costs downstream.
The deregulated nature of Nigeria’s fuel market also meant that other players, including NNPC and private marketers, had little
choice but to match the new pricing structure or risk unsustainable losses.
But just hours earlier, Trump had declared the ceasefire was “now in effect”, after which Israel confirmed that it had agreed to the move. Oil prices had soared to as much as $81 a barrel since the missile strikes began, stoking fears that the cost of living could increase as petrol, diesel and business expenses grew.
The fall in prices narrowed as Israel claimed that Iran had violated the ceasefire after accusing Tehran of launching a missile strike. Stock markets in the US opened higher.
The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were ahead nearly 0.9 per cent while the Nasdaq rose by more than 1 per cent.
The Middle East conflict had
pushed global energy prices higher, which if sustained would have a knock-on effect on energy bills and petrol prices.
Last Monday, Iran had launched missiles at a US military base in Qatar in retaliation for American strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites.
The recent rises in oil prices had led to fears that increased energy costs could make everything - from petrol and food to holidays - more expensive around the world.
But the ceasefire remains on shaky ground with Trump accusing both Israel and Iran of violating it just hours after it was announced.
Brent was on track for its lowest settlement since June 10 and WTI for its lowest since June 6, both before Israel launched a surprise attack on
The resolution followed the consideration and accelerated passage of a bill to amend the 2024 Appropriation Act during plenary.
The bill scaled through first, second, and third readings in a single legislative sitting.
Leading the debate, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West), justified the extension.
He said it was necessary to prevent project abandonment and ensure continued funding for critical infrastructure across the country.
“Given the limited fiscal space and challenges in fund disbursement, the extension is essential to guarantee the continuity of key national projects and safeguard resources already committed,” he stated.
The original 2024 Appropriation Act earmarked N9.995 trillion for
capital expenditure, N8.768 trillion for recurrent spending, and N1.742 trillion for statutory transfers out of an aggregate N28.77 trillion.
President Bola Tinubu subsequently forwarded a N6.2 trillion supplementary appropriation bill, which sought to boost capital spending by an additional N3.2 trillion and recurrent expenditure by N3 trillion.
The capital budget was initially extended in late 2024 from December 31, 2024, to June 30, 2025.
The first extension followed a presidential request aimed at optimising the implementation of ongoing projects. However, with the June deadline now imminent and many projects still far from completion, lawmakers deemed another extension was unavoidable. This development
implies that Nigeria will now operate two parallel budgets, which are the extended capital budget for 2024 and the already approved 2025 budget.
This is coming barely four months before Tinubu is expected to present the 2026 spending proposal to the National Assembly.
The Senate’s decision also reflected broader concerns among lawmakers over persistent delays in fund releases and slow execution of capital projects.
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi criticised the centralised payment system controlled by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, describing it as a major bottleneck to budget execution.
“Contractors have completed their work but remain unpaid. Ministries are not receiving funds. This undermines the credibility of
the government,” Abdullahi warned. He urged the Senate leadership to engage directly with the President to resolve the crisis.
Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) backed the extension but demanded a thorough review of systemic failures hindering implementation.
“We can’t keep extending without accountability. Let the Appropriations Committee return in two weeks with a full report on the issues,” he said.
Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), expressed concern over the waning public confidence in the budget process.
“Even contractors with the capacity to pre-fund projects are reluctant. The opaque and delayed payment system is hurting development,” he observed.
Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West) echoed calls for an urgent probe, decrying the poor performance of the capital budget, especially in contrast to the timely disbursement of recurrent allocations.
“The capital budget, which delivers real dividends to citizens, remains unimplemented, while recurrent spending is fully paid.
There’s too much focus on politics ahead of 2027, and governance is taking a backseat,” Dickson lamented.
The Senate is expected to monitor budget performance closely in the coming months, even as pressure mounts on the Executive to improve transparency, accelerate project delivery, and rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s fiscal governance framework.
key Iranian military and nuclear facilities on June 13.
On Monday, both oil contracts settled more than 7 per cent down. They had rallied to five-month highs after the U.S. attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend.
— ‘2024 Budget’, for instance — is not merely semantic. It reflects a constitutionally defined fiscal year, which ends on December 31 of the given appropriation year.”
NEFGAD further noted that this constitutional framework was not arbitrary, but a deliberate measure by the drafters of the constitution to promote transparency, accountability, and fiscal discipline.
NEFGAD further said: “A budget is a financial estimate prepared by the executive with the presumption that adequate needs assessments and due diligence have been conducted. If implementation fails, it is the National Assembly’s duty to demand accountability, not to extend timelines endlessly.”
Says Nigerians deserve answers, not more confusion on Tinubu’s curious classmate
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has sent a note of caution to the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration that the 2027 elections would be tough and that the coalition being formed to sack the APC from power “is not a joke”.
According to a statement he posted on social media yesterday, Atiku spoke while addressing the delegation of Kannywood and key North West opinion leaders, who paid him a courtesy visit.
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) told the delegation that “the opposition coalition being put together is not a joke, and it will soon be unveiled.
in line with the yearnings and aspirations of the people.”
Atiku said the North West stakeholders in the new media industry informed him that they were building a coalition ahead of 2027 to back the opposition coalition of political leaders.
“Dr Aslam Aliyu, a top Zamfara politician, who leads the PAA 2027, NEW MEDIA & DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS FORUM, a coalition of digital media stakeholders, led the delegation.
“The forum is comprised of members of Kannywood, Zamfara TOP 10, and other groups.
who played roles in the election of the President Tinubu-led APC government expressed deep regrets about foisting an incompetent and clueless leadership on Nigeria and expressed a commitment to back the ongoing coalition efforts of opposition leaders.
“I assured the forum that 2027 will not be business as usual,” the statement added.
In another statement by the Atiku media office, he queried President Tinubu’s curious school mates.
the claim has triggered more questions than answers, particularly regarding the president’s long-contested academic history. A basic review of publicly available information immediately calls the President’s claim into question.
Meanwhile, the Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD), a public procurement and fiscal responsibility advocacy group in Nigeria, has criticised the National Assembly over what it described as a dangerous trend of encouraging fiscal indiscipline through the repeated extension of national budgets.
In a statement in Abuja, yesterday, the Country Head of NEFGAD, Mr. Akingunola Omoniyi, expressed concern over the National Assembly’s consideration of another bill seeking to extend the implementation of the 2024 Appropriation Act.
The group emphasised that the existence of the 2025 Appropriation Act renders any prolonged implementation of the 2024 budget irregular, unconstitutional, and misleading.
It called on the National Assembly to either discontinue the extension or revise the nomenclature accordingly, as continuing to refer to it as the “2024 Appropriation Act” beyond its legal expiration date of December 31, 2024, is both deceptive and unlawful.
NEFGAD argued that a further extension undermines the constitutional structure of public finance management in Nigeria.
“I told the visiting forum that the envisaged coalition is a deliberate effort to recover and rebuild Nigeria
Atiku further said, “The forum informed me that their commitment is predicated on a review of the outcome of the 2023 polls and the voter awareness and information gaps identified.
The media office stated that, ‘’During the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Mechanisation Programme in Abuja yesterday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made what appeared to be a lighthearted revelation — that a certain Mr. Alex Zingman was his classmate at Chicago State University (CSU).
“Mr. Alex Zingman, a Belarusian businessman whose name features prominently in controversial dealings across Africa — including allegations of arms trafficking and financial improprieties in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo — is listed in various reports as being born in 1966.
The statement read: “The National Assembly’s oversight responsibility on public finance is being badly compromised. National budgets, by design and as enshrined in the Constitution, are time-bound instruments. Their nomenclature
“Some members of the forum,
“But rather than evoke confidence,
Resource Centre, was formally sent back to the House of Representatives with a letter from the president, explaining his decision which was read during plenary session on Tuesday by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen. Although President Tinubu acknowledged the bill’s positive objectives, he expressed concerns over specific sections that he believes conflict with existing federal laws and administrative
frameworks.
“The bill is driven by noble goals, but some parts contradict current legal statutes and government policies,” Tinubu wrote in the letter.
Among the areas of concern are how the proposed funding mechanism affects institutions under the National Assembly, issues surrounding federal taxation, public sector salary structures, and stipulations about age and service tenure.
John Shiklam in Kaduna and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) condemned the recent killing of travellers in Mangun, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. CAN called on the authorities to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Northern Elders Forum (NEF) also condemned the massacre, calling the atrocity a chilling reflection of the country’s deepening security crisis and failure of leadership.
On Friday, 12 travellers from Zaria, Kaduna State, travelling in a bus for a wedding in Qu’anpan, Plateau State, were killed in an attack by a mob in Mangun community. Several others were injured in the attack said to have occurred around 8pm.
In a statement on Tuesday in Kaduna, Secretary General of Northern CAN, Elder Sunday Oibe, described the killings as barbaric and called for justice for the victims.
The statement said, “Northern CAN is deeply saddened and outraged by the dastardly act. According to reports, the victims, who hailed from Zaria in Kaduna State, were en route to Qu’anpan Local Government Area in Plateau State on Friday June 17, 2025, to attend a wedding ceremony.
“Tragically, after missing their way, they stopped in Mangun, Mangu LGA of Plateau state, around 8:00 p.m. to seek directions, only to be violently attacked.
“We unequivocally condemn this heinous and senseless act of violence.
NEFGAD added that its position was without prejudice to the constitutional power of the National Assembly to amend laws of the federation, but argued that such power in itself was not without limit which must be exercised in line with national interests, constitutional provisions and principles, urging the National Assembly to recommit to its constitutional mandate and uphold the principles of fiscal responsibility and institutional discipline, which are critical to Nigeria’s economic stability and democratic accountability.
The statement acknowledged the security challenges currently bedevilling communities in Mangu Local Government Area, but maintained, “There can be no justification whatsoever for such a beastly and ungodly act.”
The association acknowledged the deteriorating state of security in the country, and lamented that the impunity with which criminals operated was deeply alarming. It said, “Nigeria is sliding dangerously towards an abyss, and the silence and inaction of leadership at various levels only embolden those who seek to plunge this country into chaos and bloodshed.
“We call on the government – both at the federal and state levels and all security agencies – to act swiftly and decisively.
“This barbaric and inhuman action reflects the worst of human nature and must not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
L-R: Senator Bukola Saraki; Governor of Plateau State, H.E. Caleb Mutfwang; Governor of Zamfara State, H.E. Dauda Lawal; Governor of Oyo State, H.E. Oluseyi Makinde; and Governor of Bauchi State, H.E. Bala Mohammed, during a stakeholders’ meeting between INEC and PDP in Abuja, yesterday
Says what happened to el-Rufai was payback for what he did to Amaechi Urges president to fire aide who compiled June 12 honourees list Insists senate no longer a place of deliberation, but place of approval
Ex-Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, yesterday night told President Bola Tinubu to surround himself with people who will tell him the truth, rather than having ‘yes men’ all around him, having been a kingmaker for years before he became Nigerian leader.
Speaking on Arise Television last
night, Ndume stated that Tinubu has filled his government with ‘dependants’ who cannot look him in the face, stating that the situation portends a bad omen for the country.
Ndume also stated that ex-Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai, deserved the treatment he got from the President after he was dropped as minister, having also abandoned the camp of former Governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi, who came second during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries in 2023.
stand up to him and tell him the truth. This is now what is lacking in this government.
“You don’t form your government with dependents. And worst of all, is that the president was a kingmaker. So when a kingmaker becomes a king, then there is a problem which he must identify by himself. This is so that he can have people that will
“And I still stand on it until there is a change, that this is a government of ‘Kakistocrats’ and kleptocrats,” Ndume stated.
During the interview, Ndume, who was the campaign manager of the Amaechi presidential campaign in 2023, stated that the APC may capsize, as
Lauds his consistent commitment to Lagos growth and development
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has felicitated
Governor Babajide Olusola SanwoOlu of Lagos State on attaining age 60 on Monday, June 25, 2025.
it is being currently overloaded by all kinds of characters.
He stressed that after the nomination of Tinubu, Amaechi agreed to work with him, but noted that despite scheduling a meeting to meet with the Amaechi camp, the meeting never held, a development that led to the total breakdown of whatever remained of the relationship between the former Rivers governor and the current president.
“We had 315 votes. We gave them a good fight. And then after that, we thought things would go on fine. Because I remember vividly that Tinubu, the governor of Lagos and the current minister of defence, called to say he wanted to come and meet with myself and Amaechi. So we agreed.
side. And somehow, you know, he moved over. And I think this is part of the things that are annoying him or frustrating him.
“He was on our side, Amaechi’s side. He made up his mind to support Tinubu. And Tinubu, as he rightly said, that he should not leave and that he should come on board. So since then, I’ve not been that close to El-erufai because he abandoned our group and went to support Tinubu fully.
“He really mobilised and he did a lot. Then Tinubu asked him to join the government. But somehow up till now, I don’t understand what happened between el-Rufai and Tinubu, but that is not my business.
Sanwo-Olu, the sixth democratically elected Governor of Lagos State, began his political career under President Tinubu’s mentorship and his extensive public service includes distinguished roles as Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos State Property Development Corporation and as a three-time Commissioner across key ministries: Economic Planning and Budget; Commerce and Industry; and Establishments, Training, and Pensions.
Governor’s steadfast commitment to Lagos State’s growth and development, noting his alignment with the transformative master plan established during the President’s tenure as Governor (1999–2007).
President Tinubu, in a release issued on Tuesday night by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, commended the
According to the President: “Your execution of this vision is exemplified by landmark achievements, including completing the Blue and Red Rail lines and the ongoing preparations for the Purple Line,
Osun LG: Obey Court Judgment, Evacuate Illegal Council Officials, HURIWA Tackles Tinubu, Fagbemi
Alex Enumah in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, have been urged to submit themselves to court judgments by evacuating members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who are illegally occupying council secretariats of Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Osun State.
Rights group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) made the appeal on Tuesday at a press conference in Abuja.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, warned the continued failure of federal authorities to enforce the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the electoral victory of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP’s) chairmen and councilors, risks deepening the nation’s descent into lawlessness and signals tacit endorsement of impunity.
Onwubiko, who argued that the rule of law is the cornerstone of any democratic government and must be protected at all costs, emphasized that, “The refusal of federal security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, to act in accordance with the appellate court’s judgment validating the PDP-led local governments in Osun is unacceptable. President Tinubu must now choose between honouring his oath to defend the constitution and bowing to partisan political interests.”
HURIWA recalled that on June 3, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Akure dismissed a motion filed by the APC seeking to relist its earlier appeal against the judgment of the Osun State High Court, which had nullified the May 2022 local
government elections conducted by the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
The High Court had declared the electoral process illegal and invalidated all seats purportedly won by the APC. The appellate court upheld this decision, warned against creating judicial confusion, and affirmed the legitimacy of the PDP-led councils.
HURIWA expressed dismay that despite this unequivocal judicial pronouncement, the APC-aligned operatives, under the protection of heavily armed police officers, continue to occupy council secretariats in Osun, and thereby effectively preventing the duly elected PDP chairmen and councilors from assuming office.
The group, accordingly called on Fagbemi as the Chief Law Officer of the country to act decisively in the interest of justice.
which will serve the vital Lekki corridor. I urge you to sustain this trajectory by prioritising impactful projects for Lagosians, notably the long-awaited Fourth Mainland Bridge and the Freedom Way to Victoria Garden City (VGC) Road”. “I also wish you continued good health, longevity, and many more years of invaluable service to Lagos State and Nigeria”, President Tinubu further stated.
“And at that time, I remember I was to go for Hajj. And so the President said, look, we want you to come on board and let’s work together. And we agreed. And then we agreed that we will meet after I come back. And that meeting did not hold. That was how they abandoned Amaechi. So it’s not his fault.
“But you know, as you see, Amaechi worked for the president. I can tell you that after he lost, he was part of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC). And many others joined us. El-rufai was supposed to be on our
“And I sometimes say, okay you did that to us too. It’s payback to yourself. But I cannot understand, up to now, I was the chief whip. El-Rufai came to the chamber and we asked him to take a bow and go or even to just lay out some plans. I’m not Erufai’s fan or friend or anything, but the truth must be told. You see, that was where Mr. President got it wrong,” he added.
In addition, Ndume said that the government has been personalised, especially with the current situation where the National Assembly has almost fused with the executive, expressing the fear that a little criticism could again land him in trouble.
Wale Igbintade
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has fixed June 24, 2025, to rule on the application of former Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele seeking Forensic Review of WhatsApp Evidence in $4.5bn Fraud
Emefiele had asked the Lagos Special Offences Court for permission to engage a forensic expert to examine a handset device used to extract WhatsApp conversations presented as evidence in his ongoing trial for alleged $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud.
Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo SAN, make the application on permission to call a forensic expert to examine both the phone - identified as an “iPhone 2” - and the printed conversations.
The prosecution counsel, C. C. Okezie, in her arguments told the court that by virtue of the rules of evidence and practice, once evidence of this nature has been admitted as exhibit, the court becomes the custodian of that exhibit and retains same until the conclusion of trial.
That the essence of it is for the documents to remain in the actual form and it was presented before the court.
She stated further that the defence counsel have not stated the name of the lab, their expertise and experience of the personnel that will conduct the examination of the device.
Her words: “What is more, the defendants ought to have presented options of forensic labs stating their competence for the court to pick from, we pray the court to nominate the director of forensic department in the commission to select a lab for the exercise.
“In making the order the court should direct that the examination be conducted in the presence of a person with such vast experience and knowledge to be nominated by the prosecution.
“Also, there must be proper chain of custody to ensure the device isn’t tampered with, and is returned to the court upon conclusion of the exercise.
“The duration of the forensic exercise was also not stated in their application”.
Emefiele, alongside his co-accused Henry Omoile, faces a 19-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on allegations of money laundering and fraud totaling $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion.
The court adjourned the matter till September 15, 2025 for ruling.
(94,047,179)(218,467,757)(80,973,258)(214,572,408) 96,360,654(96,011,708)92,230,260(100,136,616) (73,081,788)(30,871,489)(69,154,626)(29,941,855) (26,308,249)106,204,578(27,255,507)106,078,458 (99,390,037)75,333,089(96,410,133)76,136,603 (3,029,383)(20,678,619)(4,179,873)(24,000,013) 69,799,10254,101,75470,006,04253,584,717 2,361,880(5,648,590)2,361,880(4,321,034) 68,229(304,669)75,194(304,669) (21,126,450)(6,380,819)(21,126,450)(6,380,819) 51,102,76141,767,67651,316,66642,578,195 (155,508,309)(33,078,327)(155,412,474)(33,078,327) 102,154,7149,043,330102,081,6189,043,330 (53,353,595)(24,034,997)(53,330,856)(24,034,997) (5,280,217)(2,945,940)(6,194,063)(5,456,815) 104,688,09268,967,682104,688,09168,633,371 (5,896,191)(3,635,899)(3,441,300)(2,575,585) (19,935,625)(7,917,707)(17,915,647)(5,871,583) 73,576,05954,468,13677,137,08154,729,388 (1,194,705)(1,100,460)(779,916)(868,715) 72,381,35453,367,67676,357,16553,860,673 (3,133,811)(107,826)(3,133,811)(107,826) 69,247,54353,259,85073,223,35453,752,847
11,207,7147,215,00911,207,7146,997,091 -590,249590,249 (60,479)220,220(60,479)217,918 3,891,0709,211,690-623,159438,270623,159438,270 15,661,46417,675,43811,770,3948,243,528 84,909,00770,935,28884,993,74861,996,375
69,099,81853,227,33873,223,35453,752,847 147,72532,512-69,247,54353,259,85073,223,35453,752,847
84,761,28370,901,64784,993,74861,996,375 147,72433,641-84,909,00770,935,28884,993,74861,996,375 533533732538 692533732538
We are a co-educational international school established in 2007, with state-of-the-art resources and facilities. Our students are exposed to the educational and social experiences needed in a competitive and global world. We place emphasis on the core values of Discipline, Truthfulness, Self-Reliance, and Creativity. We are renowned for academic excellence, having proudly nurtured over 1,000 students and fostered a legacy of knowledge, innovation, and character. With a strong commitment to deliver exceptional support to our students.
non-academic positions at our campuses in Abuja, Ibadan and Osogbo as listed below:
1. Principal/ Head of School
(Three positions available for each of the campuses)
The Principal/Head of School will lead and directly supervise teaching and mission and vision in coordination with other Deputy Heads of School. He/She will also provide leadership in all areas of teaching. This includes curriculum and instruction, educational technology, student assessment, use of data, and learning support. He/She will also be required to drive and implement business development initiatives to boost student population.
study;
leadership role in a reputable International School;
·Familiar with and have cognate experience in administering British curriculum;
·Strong background in curriculum development;
·Knowledge of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) trends;
·Will be responsible for managing projects and delivering them within set timelines;
·Will be the main point of contact, representing interests and ensuring that the project meets the expectations of the school Board;
·Ability to inspire and motivate others through quality leadership;
·Commitment to teamwork as well as the ability to work independently;
·Demonstrate modern leadership skills and be familiar with the use of stateof-the-art educational enterprise resource planning applications and modern information and communication technology tools;
·Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines;
·Hardworking, able to multi-task, and work long hours.
·Results-oriented, with demonstrated skill in using data to inform and improve student learning and school programs;
·Self-motivated, energetic, and creative;
·Ability and experience to conduct business development and grow the population of a school;
·Familiar with modern social media platforms and be able to deploy them for
·Ability to initiate, supervise and review the creation of content for an international school;
(Three positions available for each of the campuses)
The Heads of Section are responsible and accountable for all aspects of the vision in collaboration with the Head of School and other deputy principals. study;
•A minimum of 8 years of teaching experience and 5 years in senior leadership role in a reputable international school;
•Familiarity with the British curriculum.
•A strong background in curriculum leadership;
•Knowledge of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) trends;
•The ability to inspire and motivate others through leadership;
•Demonstrate commitment to teamwork as well as being able to work independently;
•Be a technology expert, with a strong understanding of the role of technology in 21st century learning environments;
•The ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines;
•Hardworking, able to multi-task and work long hours;
•Ability to motivate and collaborate with other administrators, teachers, and leadership team members;
•Results-oriented, with demonstrated skill in using data to inform and improve student learning and school programs;
•Self-motivated, energetic, and creative.
for the role and highlighting relevant experiences, accompanied by a single document containing their curriculum vitae and credentials. Applications should be sent to thecvs.recruitment@gmail.com The deadline for submission of applications is 21 July, 2025.
Candidates must specify the position and campus they are applying to in the “Subject” of their email e.g Principal/Head of School- ABUJA CAMPUS.
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Following the need to bridge the 2025 budget deficit, the federal government through the Debt Management Office (DMO), raised a sum of N2.86 trillion from the Bond market in the first half (H1) of 2025, THISDAY analysis of trading numbers has revealed
While the debt office in the period offered to raise N1.85 trillion, total subscription crossed the N4 trillion mark to N4.37 trillion to underline demand for government risk-free instrument.
The government in H1 2024, raised a sum of N4.13 trillion from the Bond market out of the N4.66 trillion offered to the investing public.
In H1 2024, the total subscription nearly reached the N5 trillion mark to N4.89 trillion as investors were
Ebere Nwoji
The National Pension Commission (PenCom), has said that pension assets in the first quarter 2025 witnessed N820 billion growth to N23.33 trillion as at March 31, 2025 from N22.51 trillion as at December 2024.
The commission disclosed this at a press briefing organised in Lagos where the PenCom Director General, Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, assured
aggressively partaking in government security to hedge against double inflation rate and unstable naira at the foreign exchange market.
The federal government projected to borrow approximately N13 trillion via FGN bonds in 2025 to finance its projected budget deficit, with a significant portion expected to be raised in the first half through a mix of new and re-opened bonds.
DMO in its latest FGN auction result for June 2025 said it successfully allotted a total of N100 billion (across two re-opening issues— 19.30% FGN APR 2029 (Re-opening, 5-Year Bond) & 17.95% FGN JUN 2032 (NEW, 7-Year Bond).
The DMO in its announcement revealed that a total of N100 billion was successfully allotted across two bond offerings.
The auction, held on Monday, June
contributors into the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) that her regime in PenCom was a new dawn in the pension industry.
She said her administration was making every effort to ensure smooth operation and flow of the CPS.
According to her, in a move to clear the accrued pension of workers who retired from federal civil service, the federal government has, so far, settled about N1.2 trillion of its arrears to the concerned retirees
23, 2025, featured two separate bonds with face values of N50 billion each.
The first instrument offered was a five-year re-opening bond with a coupon rate of 19.30 per cent, set to mature on April 17, 2029. The bond attracted 30 bids totalling N41.685 billion in subscriptions, signalling strong investor demand. However, only two bids were successful, with a final allotment of N1.050 billion.
The second instrument, a newly issued seven-year bond carrying a 17.95 per cent coupon rate and maturing on June 25, 2032, garnered 209 bids, with subscriptions amounting to N561.170 billion. Out of these, 41 bids were accepted, and N98.950 billion was allotted.
This brought the total funds raised through the auction to N100 billion, aligning with the DMO’s stated target.
across the country.
The PenCom boss said this was the total amount of Accrued Rights paid by the sector since the inception of CPS in 2004.
The accrued rights is the benefits to which a contributing worker into the CPS and a contributor is entitled, to as of right, under an occupational pension scheme. Such rights include pension awards already received and pensionable service built up so far based on
Despite the marginal rate for the five-year bond being lower than the coupon rate, the DMO clarified that the original coupon rate of 19.30% will remain in effect.
Each unit of the bonds is priced at N1,000, with a minimum subscription amount of N50,001,000. Additional subscriptions must be made in multiples of N1,000.
Although the coupon rates are predetermined, successful bidders at the auction pay a price based on the yield-to-maturity that clears the offered volume, along with any accrued interest from the last interest payment date up to the settlement date.
Interest on both bonds is payable semi-annually, providing bondholders with regular income during the tenor of the instruments.
The bonds will be repaid in full
a particular pension age.
The unpaid accrued pensions have over the years denied retired federal workers access to their contributions as accrued rights must be paid into workers’ Retirement Savings Account (RSA), before they can be allowed to draw a monthly pension. This system denied most retirees access to their pension benefits when indeed they have money in their RSA.
However, PenCom said in the last
on their respective maturity dates through bullet repayment, meaning the principal will be paid back in a single lump sum.
According to the DMO, the bonds were issued as part of the government’s strategy to finance the 2025 national budget and manage public debt obligations through domestic borrowing.
The FGN bond continues to attract strong participation as Nigerians seek safer and more predictable returns amid broader market uncertainties.
FGN bond is issued with a minimum subscription of N50,001,000.00 + multiple of N1,000.00 thereafter.
Before now, DMO in the January 2025 auction had successfully raised a total of N669.94 billion, with N601.03 billion allotted across three bond tenors. The debt management had
two years, the federal government has paid over N700 billion pension arrears, in its determination to clear the pension backlog that has negatively affecting the new scheme.
This means that federal government has now cleared the backlog till March 2025, leaving only April and May backlog to be attended to.
In a related development, the commission said the government has also floated N750 billion pension
sought investors’ support to raise N450 billion.
The January 2025 FGN bond auction had marked another significant milestone in the government’s bid to finance critical infrastructure projects and support budgetary needs through domestic borrowing
The DMO said the robust subscription levels highlight continued investor confidence in the government’s debt instruments, driven by attractive yields and Nigeria’s stable credit ratings. Experts stated that the lower bond yields typically indicate that investors perceive reduced risks and are willing to accept lower returns in exchange for safety.
The PenCom DG also said she has introduced Pension boost into the CPS.
According to her, this is an initiative that is expected to commence this month of June, 2025 with about 223,000 retirees expected to witness increases in their RSAs, thereby increasing the monthly benefits payment from N8.2billion to N11.2 billion.
nL-R: Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho; Executive Director E&TS, Ibrahim Abba Umar; Gene ral Manager Finance, Mr. Rabiu Danbatta and General Manager Corporate Communications, Ikechukwu Onyemekara when the management of the NPA appeared before the National Asse mbly for the presentation of its 2024 Budget Performance and Defence of the 2025 Proposals
Governments at both federal and states have been urged to give maximum encouragement to small
Ebere Nwoji
holder farmers and processors in their policy frameworks towards the attainment of food security and enhancement of agribusiness.
A renowned expert in food engineering, Professor Michael Ngadi
gave the advice in a public lecture he delivered at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU), entitled, “Modernising Smallholder Agrifood Systems.”
He said smallholder farmers and
processors are central in global food systems particularly in developing and transition countries, hence the need to give them maximum support. Ngadi, who is a professor of Bioresource engineering and Director,
The National Pension Commission (PenCom), has said that henceforth, any entity without a valid Pension Compliance Certificate (PCC) would be blacklisted and barred from engaging in any pension-related business with licensed pension fund operators regulated by PenCom.
The Director-General National Pension Commission, (PenCom) Omolola Oloworaran, who stated this at a press conference in Lagos said that full pension compliance is now an existential requirement for all stakeholders in the industry.
Oloworaran stated that with immediate effect any entity without a valid Pension Compliance Certificate
(PCC) will be blacklisted and barred from engaging in any pension-related business with licensed operators regulated by PenCom.
She said this directive applies to organisations such as banks, investment partners, parent companies of pension firms, and shareholders linked to licensed pension entities. According to her, all affiliated entities must enforce compliance and submit annual attestations.
“We are drawing a red line. Pension compliance is no longer optional, it is existential. Only those who value the future of their employees can participate in this ecosystem,” she declared. Oloworaran also announced
during the conference that Contributory Pension Scheme retirees up to March 2025 have now been fully paid their pension entitlements, marking a near-total clearance of long-standing pension arrears.
This achievement, she said, was as a result of the consistent release of funds for accrued rights since November 2024, made possible by the decisive leadership of President Bola Tinubu.
“We are just few steps away from eliminating pension arrears entirely, a historic milestone that restores credibility to the Contributory Pension Scheme,” she said.
Similarly the commission broke another uplifting news which is the launch of Pension Boost 1.0, which
takes effect from June 2025. Under this initiative, monthly pension payments under the Contributory Pension Scheme will rise from N8.3 billion to N11.9 billion, driven by strong investment performance and a revised pension enhancement template.
She emphasised that this is not a token increase but a strategic leap backed by robust economic reforms and enhanced RSA fund performance.
She said President Tinubu’s approval of a N750.8 billion bond to clear outstanding pension liabilities underscores the administration’s commitment to ensuring a secure and dignified retirement for Nigerian workers.
Integrated Food and Bioprocessing programme, Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University Montreal, Canada, noted that agriculture is largely practiced in Nigeria at smallholder level.
He stated, “There is something good about the smallholder farming system as practised by over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population, which traditionally provide food for the people over the years.”
However, Ngadi said smallholder operators (still), “struggle with limited resources, market access, and outdated practices that severely limit or hinder their enormous potential.
“There is urgent need to transform the agrifood systems to function at scale in the light of other cross linking and exacerbating pressures of population growth, poverty, climate change, energy and sustainability,” he said.
The bioresource engineer said that with “appropriate scale technologies (the smallholder actors operators) would be equipped with “tools that will enable them to optimize their resources and compete effectively”.
Ngadi, who has posted over 30 years experience in food engineering and specialises in developing advanced emerging technologies for monitoring and controlling agri-food processing systems, stated that the smallholder farming cannot be easily phased out. Instead, what is needed is the restructuring of the smallholder farming system, “to benefit from modernisation of the value chain”. This, according to him, is because Nigeria’s smallholder farming system entails large population with small farm sizes and low outputs as against small population with large farm sizes and high outputs as obtainable in developed countries.
In his remarks, the ViceChancellor of MOUAU, Professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, pointed out that there was no denying the fact that innovation is the way forward in the nation’s quest for food security.
“We must find a way to improve what we do in the whole gamut of farming,” he said.
Prudential Zenith Life Insurance has said that is partnering with the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), for an impactful environmental clean-up campaign along the Ozumba Mbadiwe waterfront. The company said this is art of activities to mark its celebration of the World Environment Day 2025.
It further said it was using the partnership and the accompanying
environmental activities to reinforce its commitment to a cleaner, greener Lagos.
The underwriting firm said this is in line with this year’s global theme for environmental day celebration which is, “Beat Plastic Pollution,” The initiative brought together over 50 volunteers, including staff from Prudential Zenith Life, LAWMA, and LASWA who gathered at the Five Cowrie Creek for a coastal clean-up and public awareness drive.
Managing Director/CEO of Prudential Zenith Life Insurance,
Funmilayo Omo, emphasised, “Sustainability is fundamental to how we deliver value. At Prudential Zenith Life, protecting lives means more than offering insurance; it means safeguarding the planet we all share. We are proud to stand alongside LAWMA and LASWA to demonstrate the power of partnerships in driving positive environmental change.”
She said the initiative was part of Prudential Zenith Life’s broader goal to build resilient communities in the areas where it operates, creating a more sustainable, inclusive, and
responsible future.
Speaking, Head Marine Department, LAWMA, Lanre Shashore, underscored the need for collective action in addressing environmental challenges. “Today, we didn’t just clean–we educated and inspired.” he said.
Also, LASWA General Manager Mr. Damilola Emmanuel also said, “Our waterways are vital to Lagos’ identity and economy. This collaboration is a meaningful step toward preserving them for future generations.”
The fourth edition of Insurance
Meets Tech (IMT), one of West Africa’s leading conferences focusing on the convergence of insurance and technology, is scheduled for September, 2025.
The event will take place at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton, Ikeja, Lagos. According to the event organiser, Modion Communications, the year’s edition with the theme, “Innovating
for the New Trybe,” will convene stakeholders across the financial, tech, and creative ecosystems, redefining how insurance meets digital innovation, lifestyle, and Africa’s future economy. It said this year’s edition would once again deliver a powerful dualexperience format: IMT 4.0, the flagship C-suite and policy-focused discourseI MT Redefined 2.0, the youth-forward segment exploring the convergence of insurance, culture, and innovation.
Statement said the 2025 headline speaker was Per Lagerström, a global thought leader, an insurtech innovator, financial expert, and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience across financial services, technology, FMCG, and strategy consulting. A former Partner at McKinsey & Company, he founded BehaviorTech, a ground breaking field that merges behavioural science, AI, and innovation to deliver transformative outcomes for people, businesses, and society.
As CEO of Yellowspot, an Irelandbased venture studio, he leads the development of disruptive ventures focused on financial planning, education, longevity, and humancentred digital transformation. Known for navigating complexity with clarity, Per has advised boards and executives across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. His work is driven by an unrelenting passion for unlocking potential at the intersection of science, technology, and human insight.
SanlamAllianz, Nigeria’s leading insurance conglomerate formed from the merger of two foremost global and African insurers, Allianz and Sanlam, said it has begun an unprecedented 12-city nationwide roadshow, following the brand’s recent official introduction to the Nigerian market.
The campaign, which kicked of Monday June 23, will run across key cities across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
It formed part of the company’s strategic effort to deepen customer engagement, raise awareness about the brand and insurance, and demonstrate its commitment to making wealth creation and financial protection capabilities more accessible to individuals and businesses.
SanlamAllianz said the roadshow would span major commercial and regional hubs, including Lagos, Ibadan, Akure, Warri, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri, Kano, Jos, and Abuja.
It said the initiative marked one of the most expansive customer-facing campaigns ever undertaken in Nigeria’s insurance sector, positioning
SanlamAllianz as a brand that is not only Pan-African in strength but also locally attentive in approach.
Speaking on the initiative, the Managing Director SanlamAllianz Life Insurance, Tunde Mimiko, said: “This nationwide campaign signals the scale of our ambition and the depth of our commitment to the Nigerian market. At the heart of insurance is trust, and trust begins with presence. Reaching customers where they are, is fundamental to how we are building SanlamAllianz he said.
Speaking further he said, “This roadshow is a strategic move to bridge the gap between perception and reality, allowing us to engage directly with our customers and Nigerians in general, challenge long-held misconceptions, and position insurance as a practical tool for thriving in financial confidence, building resilience and long-term financial security.”
According to him, as part of the roadshow, SanlamAllianz will hold customer engagement forums in each of the twelve cities. The inperson sessions allow customers to interact directly with the company’s leadership and frontline teams.
Bennett Oghifo
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has called on everybody to take action in the fight against plastic pollution, because they handle plastic in their spaces daily.
The Director General of NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja stated this during the commemoration of the 2025 World Environment Day in Lagos, recently. The theme of the World Environment Day 2025 is Beating Plastic Pollution.
Onoja said, “It is very important that we all come together and the importance of this cannot be overstated, because sometimes we normally look at government we look at organisations to see that they are the ones who do the work of beating plastic pollution, but it lies on individuals. So I want to call on individuals, each individual, what are you doing to be able to beat plastic pollution in your space?
The first thing to do is for us to refuse to use plastic. If we cannot, if we must not, then we shouldn’t, and that is why I’m happy with the Lagos State Government that has banned
the single use plastics, and that is why we have a lot of people using shopping bags to go for groceries and so on.”
He said, “If we cannot refuse and we must use it then we should be able to recycle it, after we’ve used it.”
Using plastic bags, he said, doesn’t make anyone an elite, but that elites know that they should use recyclable plastic always.
He condemned people who throw plastic bottles and bags out of their car windows while driving, saying it is a primitive way of doing things.
“Sometimes you find yourself driving behind a posh car, a car that you think that the person driving is enlightened, all of a sudden you see that they wind down their window and throw out plastic bottles. You just wonder what planet that person came from.
“I’m saying all of this so that we know that it is an individual responsibility not just the cooperate organisation, not just the government, but each and everyone of us have a role to play in beating plastic pollution.”
However, he said there is a good thing about plastic crisis which is that it is turning into an economic opportunity because people are making money out of it.
“I’m looking forward to a day when people would see plastic on the ground, they will rush to pick it up because that is money going there, and we have a lot of social enterprise coming up turning plastics or recycling it into very useful materials.”
He urged everyone to reflect on how to use plastic “to create innovative solution to some of the challenges that we are having. So, there lies an opportunity because once you provide a solution to a challenge and you are able to scale it then you will be in money. Let us join hands to beat Plastic Pollution because it’s not just for the environment, it’s for us. I use to tell people that the environment does not need man, man needs the environment. The environment will thrive without us, so if we pollute the environment, the environment will pollute us, and we will not be able to live the lives that we should live.”
He noted that while the school children were making their presentation during event, they said “imagine that you open your fish and you see plastics in it, you will not be able to eat that fish, but there are micro plastics
that have embedded themselves into the fish tissue that we are consuming that ends up on our plates. So, it is our responsibility to take charge of our future by ensuring that our food don’t have micro plastics in them and don’t
affect us. That is why we have different kinds of cancers these days that we can’t even trace to anything. Sometimes they are due to some of these things that we’ve already ingested into our system.”
Bennett Oghifo
A real estate company, PWAN Plus, has said that it pays landowners, collects Deeds
of Assignment, and processes Governor’s Consent for all its estates in the country. They also said they have their share of challenges
like every other business in Nigeria, but that they tackle these challenges head-on.
Professor Julius Oyedemi, the Managing Director/CEO of
PWAN Plus Business Concerns Ltd, owners of all Cedarwood Estates in Nigeria stated this while debunking claims that they owe landowners, among other things.
Prof. Oyedemi said I was a founding chief servant of this organisation, PWAN Plus Business Concerns Limited, the owners of Cedarwood Estates all across Nigeria. It’s eight years plus as of today that we’ve been in this business. We are an affiliate member of the PWAN Group. Under the PWAN Group, we have 63 affiliate companies that are independent, registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. And the PWAN Group is a group of companies bound by integrity. The PWAN Group is 13 years in the real estate market here in Nigeria.
“First, I want to admit the fact that there is no business
without challenges. We all are Nigerians. We know how challenging running a business in Nigeria can be in an environment where you are not given the enabling support. But what is the vision of PWAN Group? The vision of PWAN Group is to empower as many Nigerians by making their dream a reality. I want to say it openly here that PWAN feeds thousands of people. PWAN has taken thousands of people out of the street through this real estate network marketing idea.”
He presented many Deeds of Assignment, saying, “We all know that for you to enjoy transfer of ownership in real estate, you must have your Deeds of Assignment. We have been running this firm for eight years and we have several cedarwood estates.
And for the purpose of the two he mentioned, I didn’t
just come with two Deed of Assignment. I came with over 80% of all the Deeds of Assignment for all the estates we have purchased. This is the Deed of Assignment, duly signed by those who sold to us. We have for Cedarwood Park and for Cedarwood Gardens, as well. These are transfer of ownership duly signed by families to us.
“And for benefit of doubt to all our customers out there, most of the properties they bought from us were fully paid for. These are the Deeds of Agreement. This Cedarwood Court Estate is fully paid for. This Fairfield by Cedarwood, fully paid for. Cedarwood Bay, fully paid for. Cedarwood Maisonette apartments Ikoyi, fully paid for. This comes with the Governor’s Consent. We have perfected the Governor’s Consent.
In response to global crises, Global Affairs and Sustainable Development Institute (GASDI), Osun State University, recently held the 2025 International Sustainable Development Dialogue. The event brought together global and local experts to explore how science, humanities, and local knowledge can collaboratively advance sustainable and equitable development in an increasingly unstable world. Funmi Ogundare reports
Against a backdrop of global uncertainty from climate change to political instability and economic inequality scholars, policymakers, and development practitioners from around the world, recently converged in Osun state University for the fifth International Sustainable Dialogue (ISDD) organised by Global Affairs and Sustainable Development Institute (GASDI).
Themed, ‘Sustainable Development in the Age of Crisis: Humanities, Science and a More Equitable World’, in collaboration with Rosa Luxembourg, South Africa, the 2025 edition of the conference offered more than just academic deliberations. It emerged as a critical platform for cross-sector dialogue, promoting collaboration between science and the humanities to chart a more just and resilient future.
It had the objectives of fostering inter-sectoral collaboration, strengthen policy implementation,
and addressing inequality with urgency and empathy as the world races toward the 2030 SDG deadline amid growing global crises, the conference convened scholars, policymakers, and development practitioners.
Earlier in his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Odunayo Clement Adebooye described the theme as a timely response to a world plagued by insecurity, conflict, and economic disruption.
“There is no nation that is completely immune from crisis; only the magnitude and degrees of consequence may vary,” he warned. “This dialogue is crucial because crisis-related challenges are fundamentally interconnected and transcend national borders.”
A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.
An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the
floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
GUIDE TO DATA:
Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 23 June-2025, unless otherwise stated.
Sunday Ehigiator
In a significant step toward transforming the maritime and blue economy landscape in West and Central Africa, the Management of the Regional Maritime Development Bank (RMDB) met with top officials of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and key stakeholders from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja. The meeting focused on aligning national efforts toward maritime sector growth and infrastructure development.
The session featured a comprehensive presentation by the President and Chief Executive Officer of RMDB, Mr. Adeniran Aderogba, who outlined the bank’s implementation strategy and priority areas, triggering a series of robust discussions and stakeholder input aimed at
fostering institutional synergy.
Aderogba disclosed that the RMDB’s strategic focus includes the development of a national shipping carrier, cabotage vessel financing, shipbuilding and repair facilities, port construction and modernisation, inland waterways transportation, and multimodal logistics integration. He emphasised the importance of these interventions in enhancing Nigeria’s position as a maritime hub in West and Central Africa.
“At RMDB, we envision a maritime industry that drives sustainable economic growth, regional trade competitiveness, and job creation,” Aderogba stated. “Our implementation plan addresses critical gaps in maritime infrastructure and capacity, with a sharp focus on building a national carrier to assert Nigeria’s presence in international shipping, financing
cabotage vessels to promote indigenous participation, and investing in shipbuilding and repair yards that reduce capital flight. This is not just about financing projects; it’s about creating a legacy of maritime excellence, resilience, and regional integration. Collaboration with all relevant government agencies and private sector actors is central to our mission.”
The meeting brought together key maritime and economic development stakeholders including officials from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
A frontline manufacturer of industrial gases, Industrial & Medical Gases (IMG) Nigeria Plc, at the weekend, secured its shareholders’ approval to float a N6.5 billion Rights issue.
Also, the shareholders endorsed an estimated N400 million dividend proposed by the company’s board, which translates to 80 kobo per share and a bonus issue of one new Ordinary Share of 50 kobo for every 10 ordinary shares held.
The company’s Chairman, Aminu Ado, who addressed an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) immediately after the company’s 65th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, explained, “IMG Board is poised to prioritize capital investments,
diversification of market and production expansion, cost efficiency and customer-centric innovation.”
Corroborating him, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ayodeji Oseni stated that amid the macroeconomic challenges, the company delivered strong financial results. “Our Revenue grew by 38%, from N6.064 billion in 2023 to N8.376 billion in 2024 and Profit After Tax increased from N850 Million to N1.62 billion. Our performance reflects the strength of our strategy, financial discipline, and organisational resilience in a demanding environment.”
Shareholders commended the board and management for the stellar performance and promised to reciprocate
the dividend declared and bonus shares by taking their rights issue fully whenever the offer is announced.
“I commend the Board and Management for a good result. We should show our appreciation to General Theophilus Danjuma’s bail -out by taken our rights issue and ask for more,” said a shareholder, Oladiji Mustapha.
Echoing him, the National Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association (PSA), Boniface Okezie, noted that rather than work for banks through borrowing, the IMG’s proposed plan to float rights issue would be more beneficial to the company and shareholders. Okezie also urged all shareholders to participate fully when the offer is floated.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), has urged best practices in accounting profession, noting that its district societies across the country have been pivotal in advancing the institute’s objectives within the financial sector.
President of the institute, Haruna Nma Yahaya reiterated this during the investiture ceremony of the fifth Chairman of ICAN Ilupeju/ Gbagada & District Society (ICAN IGDS), Dr. Titilayo Fowokan in Lagos, noting that expectations are high of ICAN to enhance transparency in financial transactions.
Represented by ICAN IGDS Coordinator, Ezekiel Alaga , the ICAN President further charged newly sworn-in chairman and other elected executives to stay true to the ideals of the profession and not to compromise the virtues which qualified them to lead the district.
He reminded Fowokan on the need to maintain the standard that set the district apart, especially in inspiring younger accountants, stating that eyes are on the over 90 ICAN district societies to effectively drive the institute’s national mandate at the local level.
He said, “District societies are vital to the national body,
identifying and addressing members’ professional needs. They provide quality leadership to ensure that ICAN remains a beacon for the accounting profession.
“To ensure broader impact, they undertake corporate social responsibility projects, including the ‘Catch them young’ program to inspire the next generation of accountants. New executives should sustain this trend to maintain ICAN’s position as a global leader.”
In her acceptance speech, Fowokan thanked the institute for the privilege reposed in her to serve, pledging her dedication to advancing the institute’s common vision.
The Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, has reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to driving infrastructural development through well-structured Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
Goronyo spoke when he participated in the Nigeria Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) Summit 2025, held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, a statement by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Maryam Sanusi, stated.
The summit, themed: “Unlock-
ing Nigeria’s Potential: The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda”, was organised by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), drawing key players across government and private sectors.
The minister, speaking during a panel discussion, highlighted the strategic efforts by the Federal Ministry of Works to leverage PPP models in the road sector, particularly through the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI). The initiative, he said, aims to improve the
L-R:
quality and management of federal highways by attracting private investment. He further emphasised the ministry’s commitment to national interest.
Goronyo raised concerns about certain clauses found in some concession agreements, describing them as “offensive” and skewed disproportionately in favour of concessionaires.
“We can not mortgage the future of our country and that of our children. Concessionaires must come to the table with agreements that create a win-win situation for all parties,” he added.
Kayode Tokede
The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) extended its upward trend yesterday, closing above the N75 trillion threshold for the first time as strong investors demand for stocks of BUA Cement plc and 60 others led to a N764billion boost in market capitalisation.
As the stock price of BUA Cement appreciated by 4.66 per cent or N4.10 per share to close at N92. 00 per share, the market
capitalisation moved up by N764 billion or 1.02perc ceent to close at N75.576trillion from N74.812 trillion it opened for trading.
The stock market had commenced trading this week on a positive note, as gains in Presco Plc and 45 others pushed the overall capitalisation up by N278 billion. Consequently, the NGX All-Share Index ended the session 1.02 per cent or 1,211.17 basis points higher at 119,790.82 basis points from 118,579.65 basis points, with the
Month-to-Date and Year-to-Date returns settling at +7.2per cent and +16.4per cent, respectively.
Sectoral performance was broadly positive, as the NGX Industrial Goods index advanced by 3.1per ccent, NGX Consumer Goods index added two per cent, NGX Banking index appreciated by 0.9per cent and NGX Insurance index gained 0.1 per cent, while the NGX Oil & Gas index depreciated by 1.5per cent.
Market breadth remained firmly
positive, with 61 stocks recording gains compared to 23 decliners. Beta Glass, Dangote Sugar Refinery, Okomu Oil and UPDC recorded the highest price gain of 10 per cent each to close at N333.95, N44.00, N748.00 and N3.30 respectively, per share.
Champion Breweries followed with a gain of 9.98 per cent each to close at N9.92, while Ellah Lakes and CWG rose by 9.90 per cent each to close at N6.44 and N10.55 respectively, per share.
On the other hand, Daar Communications led the losers’ chart by 7.81 per cent to close at 59 kobo, per share. Prestige Assurance followed with a decline of 5.56 per cent to close at N1.02, while Industrial and Medical Gases Nigeria declined by 4.30 per cent to close at N33.40, per share.
NPF Microfinance Bank depreciated by 4.25 per cent to close at N2.03 and Aradel Holdings declined by 4.06 per cent to close at N515.00, per share.
The total volume traded advanced by 35.27 per cent to 868.680 million units, valued at N23.709 billion, and exchanged in 22,207 deals. Transactions in the shares of LivingTrust Mortgage Bank topped the activity chart with 112.269 million shares valued at N415.675 million. Royal Exchange followed with 103.584 million shares worth N113.796 million, while Fidelity Bank traded 83.928 million shares valued at N1.634 billion.
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SANWO-OLU’S WEALTH CREATION INITIATIVES
OMOBOLAJI
EGBEWUNMI contends that many youths in Lagos are being empowered through multiple interventions
See page 21 Wednesday June 25, 2025
OBSTACLES TO BROADBAND PENETRATION
The projected 70 per cent penetration is unrealistic, argues SONNY ARAGBAAKPORE
See page 21
EDITORIAL VANDALISM OF THE TCN TOWERS
The Senator representing Kogi West District is committed to empowering his people, writes TUNDE OLUSUNLE
It is the period of "midterm" assessment by Nigeria's politicians and public officers inaugurated into four-year offices as stipulated by the Nigerian constitution as enunciated in 1999. The first quarter of every quadrennial, every four years that is, is usually the regular electoral season when presidential, gubernatorial, national and state elections, are all held. A midterm review in our electoral circumstances therefore relates to elections held within the stipulated season in 2023. In the course of the continuing evolution of Nigeria's 26-year-old Fourth Republic, judicial adjudication in contentious gubernatorial polls in select states, have precipitated "off cycle" elections in eight states. These are: Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun States. The trend is more noticed in Nigeria's South where seven states are involved.
Thursday May 29, 2025, Nigerians were awakened by the broadcast of President Bola Tinubu. He highlighted the achievements of his administration within the "first half" of his fouryear mandate, 2023 - 2025. Governors of 28 states who were equally elected during the window of the scheduled cycle of national polls in 2023, have also been tendering their spreadsheets before their electors. Senators and Members of the House of Representatives have not been left behind in stewardship accountability. The probing eyes of their people, whose ears have been apprised of the volume of resources made available to them by the state, has triggered renewed expectations in service delivery, across the land. They therefore want to hear from the mouths of their ambassadors in the bicameral national parliament.
I've regularly interrogated the endeavours of federal legislators, including some from Kogi State. Indeed, Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe and Austin Akobundu, both from Abia State, feature amongst my subjects, same way as Leke Abejide and Dickson Tarkighir, Members Representing Yagba and Makurdi/Guma federal constituencies in Kogi and Benue States. I am from Kogi, the "confluence state" where Nigeria's two largest rivers, the Niger and Benue are conjoined. I therefore have residual knowledge of the state. Developments across the state, my senatorial district and my federal constituency, expectedly are of prime importance to me. I should note here, that my post - National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC) working life began as a schoolteacher in a primordial rural community, *Ponyan,* in my local government area, Yagba East, within my present day federal constituency. In the course of my career in journalism, I was recalled on a number of occasions, to avail my state, Kogi State, of my experiences.
I was privileged to serve in the administrations of Prince Abubakar Audu, (of evergreen memory); Colonel Paul Omeruo and Colonel Bzigu Afakirya, (who, sadly, is no longer with us). I toured Kogi State, severally and serially, around and about with my various Principals. Every new chief executive desired speedy acquaintance with his people to filter their challenges and needs. This was usually with a view to providing speedy, spontaneous succour and remediation, which could be provided or executed within the limits of available resources at the time. State budgets those good old were not like today's dizzying 10-digit billions, nay the scarier trillions. We travelled, with Audu, Omeruo and Afakirya, majorly by road. We equally crossed the River Niger with pontoons in instances, notably between Lokoja the state capital and
Shintaku in Bassa local government area in Kogi East. We toured all the 21 local government areas in the state again and again and again. You will be correct to say that I know the state like the "lines on the palms of my hands," deriving from the age-old Yoruba proverb.
Saturday June 7, 2025, the Senator representing Kogi West District, Sunday Karimi, took his turn at the lectern, in the spirit of representational report. The venue was the Kogi State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ), which hosted him in Lokoja. Karimi had with him generous quantities of a 20-page commemorative newspaper, *The Crusader,* with the cover page lead headline: *Sunday Steve Karimi: A Two-Year Harvest of Achievements.* The tabloid, copies of which were freely distributed to his audience, captured his multisectoral endeavours in words and visuals, as verifiable testament to impactful performance. He received applause from his listeners some of whom were either direct beneficiaries of his initiatives, or who could attest to the genuineness of his claims.
Karimi in recent months has sought to advance the argument for the establishment of a federal university in the Okun-speaking area of his catchment. Advocacy for the upgrading of the *College of Agriculture Kabba,* affiliated to the Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU), Zaria, to the status of a university, has been on the front burner of parliamentary discourse over time and season. Successive federal parliamentarians from Okunland have repeatedly foregrounded the quest and Karimi has since joined in the push. To be sure, Member Representing Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency between 2011 and 2023, Tajudeen Yusuf, once ensured the passage of the Bill by the "Green Chambers." Other Okun-blooded representatives, notably Salman Idris, successor to Yusuf; Leke Abejide, second-term representative of Yagba federal constituency, and Biodun Faleke, representing the Ikeja, (in Lagos State) federal constituency, are also on the case. More recently, they collaborated to ensure the passage of the same Bill by the House of Representatives, in 2024.
Karimi's immediate predecessor in the Senate, Smart Adeyemi, a three-term Senator, advanced the Bill to the third reading, during his sojourn in the ninth assembly. Dino Melaye before him, progressed the same document to the phase of its second reading. The Bill has also profited from the enthusiasm of Okun elements in the bureaucracy of the National Assembly. Whenever it is eventually birthed, it could well be designated a *Federal University of Agriculture,* just like those in Abeokuta, Akure, Makurdi, Ishiagu, Umuahia, and so on. Such calibration of the envisioned university,
will fast-track Nigeria's food sufficiency and food security desires, given the sheer expanse of arable land in Kogi State. At the same time, Karimi believes that Egbe, his hometown, where the old *Sudan Interior Misson, (SIM)* built a hospital which once served as a referral facility, can be stepped up into a *Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences.* Given the unquenchable thirst of Karimi's constituents and people from adjoining states for university education, both universities will be well served by applicants and students.
In a gesture which shocked his listeners at his media interface, Karimi spoke of his plans to further ameliorate the blood pressures of parents struggling to meet up with the school fees of their children and wards. Recalling bursary scheme which he initiated in 2024, Karimi said the programme will be sustained this year, and would indeed be extended to the other senatorial zones. According to him, "Last year, I made N100m available for the 85 electoral wards in Kogi West, which provided bursaries of N100,000 each to 1000 recipients." Continuing, Karimi said: "We are expanding the scope henceforth. We will be making available N139m to Kogi West this year, in response to the applause and appreciation which greeted the experimental disbursement. We have 96 wards across the nine local government areas in Kogi East and my office will be making available the sum of N100m to be disbursed evenly at N100,000 per student. There are 57 wards in Kogi Central and my office will be availing that zone N61m, to be appropriated along the lines of our existing template. He summed up that the expansion of his direct philanthropy by way of bursary awards to students in tertiary institutions this year would cost N300m.
Karimi equally wants to help temper the challenges encountered by Nigerian youths, in finding centres where to participate in the recently instituted *Computer Based Tests, (CBT),* by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, (JAMB). He believes the present arrangement which prescribes CBT centres for his people in other senatorial zones or neighbouring states is not good enough. He is active in the renovation of the archival library of his alma mater, *Titcombe College,* Egbe for this purpose and has procured 275 laptops. Alumni of the iconic institution include literary giants like Emeritus Olu Obafemi, and the much younger sadly departed Pius Adesanmi who was Obafemi's student at the University of Ilorin. He is equally providing a 30Kva solar powered inverter; securing the library; internet connectivity and installation of a 45Kva diesel-powered generator, to activate the centre. Karimi is equally upgrading the water system of Titcombe College to make for improved learning conditions for youths in his district. He tells you that his intervention in giving a face-lift to his old school, will cost him close to N200m.
Beyond these figures, however, is the conscientiousness of Sunday Karimi in helping to build the educational capacities of his people as the key to unlocking a promising future. He has intentionally differed from the style of some of his colleagues, in his chosen approach to empowering his folks.
Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), is an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja
Over the past six years, the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration has executed a series of integrated programmes designed to bridge the gap between skills and opportunities, strengthen micro and small enterprises, support artisans, and empower vulnerable groups.
Through a strategic blend of public-private partnerships, capacity building, and access to finance, the government is actively shaping a more inclusive and prosperous Lagos.
This write-up examines some of the government’s laudable initiatives aimed at creating wealth and generating employment.
The Graduate Internship Placement Programme (GIPP) is a structured employability pathway for unemployed graduates that addresses a fundamental gap in the labour market, which is the lack of workplace experience among degree holders.
In 2024 alone, 2,383 interns were onboarded into the programme, which commenced with a three-week intensive training in essential soft skills, such as communication, emotional intelligence, teamwork, decision-making, and workplace ethics. These training sessions were held in strategic locations across the state, including Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Epe, and Lagos Island.
Post-training, interns were placed in 696 private sector organisations for three-month internships. By the end of the programme, 1,014 interns completed the full internship period, with 58 securing permanent jobs, while 65 were retained by their host organisations. This initiative not only enhances graduate employability but also injects fresh talent into Lagos’s private sector, reinforcing the economic ecosystem.
To expand access to employment opportunities, the government has institutionalised the Lagos State Job Fair, a talent marketplace executed in partnership with Human Capital Partners.
In 2023, the fair hosted 636 participants; this figure quadrupled to 2,373 participants in 2024, reflecting rising confidence in the platform. The job fair allows job seekers to interact directly with recruiters, submit resumes, and even undergo preliminary interviews on-site. Participants were drawn from a cross-section of industries, including technology, retail, finance, and manufacturing.
The fair is a key element of the State’s workforce strategy, ensuring that educated, skilled, and willing candidates are given a direct pathway into meaningful employment.
Recognising that technical knowledge must be paired with soft skills for holistic employment, the government launched several upskilling programmes in collaboration with key stakeholders.
Through a partnership with the West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE) Academy, 180 unemployed youth across four selected LGAs/LCDAs, namely Ikeja, Egbe-Idimu, Otto-Awori, and Isolo, were trained.
Participants had a two-week intense training on time management, teamwork, problem solving, and customer service, followed by a one-month job shadowing placement. Over 1,450 individuals have passed through this WAVE programme, with 60% matched to job platforms.
In addition, a collaboration with Jobberman led to the training of 681 job seekers in Agric-tech, digital skills, and creative sector tools. These sessions were conducted in Ikeja, Ifako-Ijaiye, Epe, and Ifelodun, expanding the digital footprint of employable youth in Lagos.
Furthermore, 200 youths were enrolled in a specialised ICT training programme facilitated by MacTay Consulting. Participants received Microsoft certification and business-startup laptops, empowering them for global remote work and freelance opportunities.
Entrepreneurship is a critical factor for job cre-
ation and economic diversification. The government, in collaboration with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan African University and the MasterCard Foundation, trained 2,000 youths engaged in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The initiative, targeting 10,000 youths, provides business training, mentorship, and access to digital tools for scaling operations.
Similarly, 100 MSME operators received hands-on business development training alongside seed grants to support expansion. Participants were drawn from varied sectors, including agro-processing, textiles, creative industries, and technology.
Complementing these efforts is the near-completion of the Lagos Industrial Leather Hub in Matori, Mushin. The 95% completed facility will offer artisans and leather entrepreneurs access to shared production equipment, training halls, and retail space, creating a complete value chain for leather processing and manufacturing in Lagos.
The industrial hub entails creating a congregation of related enterprises in an identified location for enhanced productivity, wealth creation and business development through the provision of access to business accommodation, workshops, standard equipment and infrastructural facilities at affordable costs. A multiplier effect is to create value chains in enterprises such as Leather works.
The informal economy is a major driver of employment in Lagos. The government has deepened support for this sector through multiple interventions, such as the training and equipping of 1,200 artisans in partnership with the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB).
In 2024, the government celebrated Tradesmen and Artisans Day, giving these workers visibility, recognition, and a platform to showcase their skills. These events elevate the profile of artisans, attract clients, and stimulate demand for local craftsmanship.
The government’s inclusion strategy is robust, spanning social protection, entrepreneurship, and training for vulnerable groups.
A flagship initiative targeted at Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) trained 750 individuals in entrepreneurial skills for five weeks across Ikorodu, Alimosho, and Amuwo-Odofin. Each participant received a start-up kit to launch their micro-enterprise, reducing economic dependence and promoting dignity through work.
In collaboration with the World Bank and the Federal Government, the government implemented the NG-Cares Social Transfer Programme. In 2023 and 2024, a total of 4,825 vulnerable residents, including the aged, chronically ill, and urban poor, received monthly stipends of N10,000. The upcoming NGCares 2.0 phase will see an increase in both the number of beneficiaries (5,500) and the monthly stipend (N20,000).
Egbewunmi is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja
The projected 70 per cent penetration is unrealistic, argues
SONNY ARAGBA-AKPORE
Despite efforts packaged for it,actualising 70% broadband penetration by the end of 2025 may be unrealistic.
By the Nigeria Broadband Plan (NBP) of 2020–2025 ,the target was to achieve 70% by the turn of 2025 to boost internet connectivity which still wobbles in the country.
As at May 2025, broadband penetration stood at approximately 47.73%, with 103.5 million broadband subscriptions, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This figure falls short of the National Broadband Plan (NBP 2020–2025) target.
As a desperate move to increase broadband penetration,the government launched an ambitious move for building 90,000 km optic fibre across the country through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with $2billion proposed for that.
Through a tripartite arrangement of Public-Private Partnerships(PPP),it is expected that this will boost the fibre optic coverage from its current 35,000km to 125,000km when the 90,000km proposed comes on stream.
But this is only a proposal which Communications,Innovation and Digital Economy Minister,Bosun Tijani said in August 2024 when it was initiated that it will flag off within six months.
Nearly 10 months after,the proposal remains on the drawing board indicating that if 70% broadband penetration was to depend on this,then its realization is not near.
There have been identified drawbacks and hinderances to the realization of the NBP 2020–2025 part of which the National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria (NBAN) listed.
But in spite of the broad identification,so much work is left undone. Industry players say achieving the 70% broadband penetration target by the end of 2025 appears increasingly unlikely without substantial improvements in infrastructure, affordability, and digital literacy. While initiatives like the Nigerian Broadband Alliance show promises, addressing the systemic challenges will be crucial for bridging the broadband divide in Nigeria.
Regulatory and Policy Issues which include Multiple taxation and bureaucratic hurdles impede the swift deployment of broadband infrastructure.
The Nigerian Broadband Alliance (NBAN) aims to address these challenges by streamlining regulatory processes and incentivizing private-sector investment.
It says the high cost of Right of Way (RoW) fees remains a significant barrier, with only seven states having waived these charges.“Additionally, the absence of local smartphone assembly plants has resulted in high device costs, limiting access for many Nigerians .”
There are infrastructure gaps which impede broadband infrastructure that is predominantly concentrated in urban areas, leaving about 31 states underserved or unserved. And this disparity hampers nationwide coverage . By its own assessment,poor and limited digital literacy and the high cost of devices restrict broadband adoption, particularly in rural areas where only an insignificant populace has direct or partial access to devices and by implication the internet.
This means that a very large percentage of the country’s population with no access to the internet joins the 2.6B global population that is offline and for whom the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) thinks could be covered under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030.
Minister Tijani in August 2024 said that the funding partners for the 90,000 km fibre optic broadband backbone include the World Bank adding that the country was finalizing arrangements for the project’s financing. “The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the SPV that will deliver on this project, and our development funding partners are currently finalizing the SPV structure to ensure the aggregation of funding required for the effective deployment of the
fibre-optic network,”the Minister said in August 2024.“Our target is for this deployment to start within the next 6 months.”
In May 2024,Tijani had announced the approval of the SPV by the Federal Executive Council noting that“it would be modeled in governance and operations similar to some of the best Public-Private Partnership setups in Nigeria, such as the Nigerian Inter Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) arrangements.
He said the government will be working with partners and stakeholders from the government and private sector to build the additional fibre optic coverage required to take Nigeria’s connectivity backbone to a minimum of 125,000km, adding that the project would also help in increasing broadband internet penetration in Nigeria to over 70% and reduce the cost of access to the internet by over 60%.
Through the project, Tijani said,Nigeria would achieve the inclusion of at least 50% of the 33 million Nigerians currently excluded from access to the Internet.
“It is also expected to deliver up to 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth per capita raising GDP from $472.6 billion (2022) to $502 billion over the next four years.”
The Minister had explained that the project to build the 90,000km optic fiber will be structured as a Public- Private Partnership where the Nigerian government will be a partner with a shareholding of not less than 25% but capped at 49% in the SPV established for the Project.
The SPV will be managed independently as a limited liability company, with a competent board of directors with expertise in telecommunications, infrastructure, finance and other relevant industries and managed by an independent management company.
This initiative provides an opportunity for strategic investors to play a critical role in developing, financing, operating, and managing Nigeria’s broadband infrastructure.”
The Ministry then issued an invitation to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in the project’s implementation and private sector engagement. “This investor consultation that followed aligned with expectations of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) Act, 2005, the National Policy on Public-Private Partnerships and other relevant Nigerian procurement laws and regulations,” the Ministry document said.
Bidding by would be participants closed on April 29,2025 and evaluation of applications is ongoing.
Aragba-Akpore is a member of Editorial Board of THISDAY
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA
Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
All the stakeholders must do more to protect the nation's assets
The nation’s economy is seriously threatened as industries are being shut down and employees laid
because companies cannot meet production target as many operate below their installed capacity
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
DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI
SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI
CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI
DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO
TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com
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On their way to a wedding somewhere in Plateau State, a busload of passengers travelling all the way from Zaria was attacked by armed men somewhere in Mangu. About a dozen passengers including women and children were killed and many others injured.
There is no context that can justify such an iniquitous act of injustice, but Mangu, the hometown of Governor Caleb Mutfwang, and the local government where he was once chairman,
In 2023, after particularly heated and close elections during which Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party and Nentawe Yilwatda of the All Progressives Congress ran neck to neck, the PDP clinched a victory that was subsequently contested all the way to the Supreme Court.
But even before the matter went to the election petition tribunal in Plateau State, Mangu Local Government where Mutfwang hails from became the venue of many deadly attacks. The intensity and frequency of the attacks, which were later brought under control seemed to suggest that they were as much about insecurity as about politics.
The killings that came on the heels of the election quickly died down, but the deadly attacks which erupted out of nowhere against helpless, hapless and defenceless passengers exposed Mangu, Plateau State and Nigeria as a whole as a country without justice.
In what sort of country do citizens feel so secure in their abominable criminality that they attack innocent travelers and set their vehicle ablaze with them in it? In what kind of country do people travel with their hearts in their mouths, painfully aware that any moment could be their last as a result of insecurity?
It is incredible how many Nigerians have lost their lives in agonizing circumstances in the last few years, and just how lost the government appears to be in obtaining justice for them and
From Yelewata in Benue State to Mangu in Plateau State, killers seem to lurk everywhere, locked into shadows stretched by injustice and insecurity. Yet, the Nigerian state presumes it has a social contract with Nigerians, which it demonstrably milks only when convenient.
There is also a lot not going for Nigerians at the moment. If
the country is falling at the hands of a failing government, must citizens also turn on themselves and become killers of one another? Has Nigeria’s dark preclination to kill those it loves most fashioned killers out of Nigerians?
It is inconceivable that Nigerians would return to the Hobbesian state of nature where life was short, brutal and nasty. The shameful failures of the Nigerian state to secure the country and enable citizens to sleep with both eyes close should not be morph into cold, heartless and ruthless killers. When crimes are committed and there is no accountability leading to justice, it is usually only a matter of time before the criminals who have not been put away strike again. Injustice only ever breeds more injustice.
As for those who kill because of politics, religion and ethnic never detract from the sanctity or inviolability of human life or from the fact that they will pay with as much in the near future.
Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com
By Gboyega Akosile
Many qualities define a leader, whether in politics or in the corporate world but integrity, humility and loyalty tower above all. A cursory look at the life and times of successful leaders often reveals these qualities and why such leaders are celebrated by their subjects. Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s life and career trajectory can be said to have been solidly built over the years upon these virtues.
As he clocks 60 today, a careful study of his life is enough lesson for the next generation of leaders who wish to leave a legacy. Until he was invited to throw his hat into the ring for the Lagos State Governorship contest in 2019, only a few Nigerians knew his antecedents. But to his leaders and colleagues, within the inner caucus of Lagos State politics and government, Sanwo-Olu was a quintessential leader and administrator in the making that had a lot to offer. This was the beginning and six years after, he has continued to make his leaders and patrons proud through his activities and deliverables.
Arguably his greatest achievement and leadership trait since he assumed office, have been his ability to visualize the qualities of a successful, mega status of Lagos, and maintaining a life-long focus on the four intertwined challenges that he believed must be collectively addressed for the commercial city to achieve success as a state. Unlike most politicians, who believe in showmanship and unnecessary razzmatazz, Sanwo-Olu’s approach to delivering quality leadership is wrapped in humility. As a team leader, he has, through this, inspired many of us on how best to serve the people. Like Mahatma Gandhi, Sanwo-Olu believes that the most meaningful goal of leadership is to inspire. Not to demand or command, but to inspire. This explains why his administration has been rancour free, especially between him and his deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat.
distinguished himself through his tireless efforts to promote justice, accountability, and the rule of law.
The last six years have been marked by significant strides in nation-building, building on the success of his predecessors and leaders, with an indelible mark on Lagos State development.
selfless service and the importance of prioritizing the welfare of citizens.
In the last 30 years of his being in the saddle of leadership under tested mentors and role models till the time he assumed office as Lagos Governor, SanwoOlu has recorded several landmark achievements as a man of integrity, loyalty and humility.
I write this to pay a fitting tribute to Mr. Governor not because he is my boss, not because he is a first rate administrator and an acknowledged expert in financial services; not because of the present position he occupies as the Governor of Lagos State; not because of his status as a distinguished fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Training and Development (NITAD) and certainly not on account of his past distinguished public service record that is widely acknowledged by all and sundry and many more of such accomplishments that one may have lost count, but significantly because of the huge difference our most humble, unassuming leader of people with direction and vision has brought to the character of governance. He has done this without undermining his political leaders and without losing his calm and humility.
Sanwo-Olu has always impressed me even before he rose to his present height with his commitment to core values, uncommon humility and administrative skills and because of his uncommon passion for service and humanitarian causes.
As one of his lieutenants, I am also impressed by his commitment to standards and excellence in whatever he does, a trait he has refreshingly brought to governance.There is also the element of his famed integrity which has continued to soar in spite of exposure to public resources and sensitive high places.
After the General Elections of 2007, Mr Sanwo-Olu was appointed commissioner for establishments, training and pension by Governor Babatunde Fashola. He was later in 2016 made Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) by Governor Akinwumi Ambode. Some of his notable public sector achievements include the supervision of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) Privatization projects. He set up and was the pioneer Board Chairman of Lagos Security Trust Fund. The LAGBUS System and the Control and Command Centre in Alausa, Ikeja, were subsequently established under his directives.
History has taught us that the leaders most respected for leaving their mark on the world, their countries, or their organizations have been those who have inspired people to act and perform. Sanwo-Olu fits into this category of leaders because his leadership was characterized by his commitment to truth, loyalty, and service, emphasizing empowerment over power and inspiring change through example. He believes in leading by example, living a life consistent with the values he espoused and inspiring others to follow suit. His leadership style is focused on moral authority, ethical conduct, and self-discipline.
As Governor, Mr. Sanwo-Olu has consistently
At 60, his legacy is characterized by his selflessness, dedication to the public good, fostering a sense of unity and inclusiveness among Lagosians and Nigerians as a whole. Beyond Lagos, which is a natural pacesetter for infrastructural development and economic growth in Nigeria, today’s birthday boy has worked assiduously to mobilize citizens towards a common goal of building a just and peaceful society.
His leadership style, his calm demeanour in the face of serious challenges is notable for its emphasis on good and responsive governance for people of Lagos State. These values continue to serve as a benchmark for good governance and leadership in Nigeria.
As the world celebrates him today, no doubt the fact that his contributions, both in corporate Nigeria and public service have aroused our consciousness on the need for leaders to serve with the mindset of putting forward a transformative power of
Though an alumnus of the John F. Kennedy School of government, the London Business School and the Lagos Business School, I have argued over the years that these qualifications, including the B.Sc in Surveying and an MBA he acquired from the University of Lagos, have only served as foundation for the knowledge he has garnered over the years under prominent and distinguished leaders, especially, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As a man of foresight, one of Tinubu’s greatest gifts is his ability to recruit quality leaders. It was under this scenario that Tinubu and his team of wisemen met prior to the 2019 election and concluded that Sanwo-Olu should be encouraged to govern Lagos. The rest is history.
Sanwo-Olu’s political career is arguably the most inspiring in recent Nigeria’s history. The journey to Lagos government house, debuted six years ago, of course, it started 16 years earlier when he was appointed Special Adviser on Corporate Matters to the then deputy governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro.
Born on June 25, 1965, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu was the treasurer at the former Lead Merchant Bank from 1994 to 1997 after which he moved to the United Bank for Africa as the head of foreign money market. He then proceeded to First Inland Bank, Plc (now First City Monument Bank) as deputy general manager and divisional head. He was the chairman of Baywatch Group Limited and First Class Group Limited and a board member of the Department for International Development (DFID/DEEPEN) Fund and Audit committee of Caverton Offshore Service Group, Plc. Looking back, one can conclude that his background as a technocrat of note has impacted so well on his career as politician and public servant. A man of peace, Sanwo-Olu’s approach to politics has been very inspiring and progressive. Under him, Lagos has not only witnessed developments, the city has been rated by a global agency as one of the best cities in the world. Early this year, Time Out ranked the state as one of the world’s best cities for 2025, joining Cape Town and Marrakech as the only African cities on the global list. The ranking, based on residents feedback and experts input, highlights Lagos for its vibrant culture, ease of social connection, and growing creative scene. See the new rankings and find out what makes these cities stand out.
As one of the lieutenants of Governor SanwoOlu, I am very proud of all his accomplishments. I salute his tenacity and resilience in standing tall and working vehemently for the cause of the masses. My boss has surely presented himself as a peacemaker and an advocate of good governance within the Nigerian political space. This is not a small feat. As he climbs the 6th ladder, I congratulate him and wish him God’s abundant blessings as we look forward to more successful years in good health. May his strength be renewed to continue to enjoy God’s favour and live well. Sixty hearty cheers to the man I call “the BOS of Lagos” and a blessing to the State of Excellence and the Nigeria nation!
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) is steering a thoughtful shift to return dignity, visibility and value to Nigeria’s elderly citizens through programmes that reconnect them to the heart of national life, writes... These are not isolated events. Across towns, state capitals, and rural communities, the NOA is working to make sure that growing old in Nigeria means growing respected, not forgotten.
It began with a deepening partnership between NOA and the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), established under the 2018 Senior Citizens Act. Recognizing the marginalization (social isolation, economic exclusion, and neglect) many older Nigerians face, both agencies agreed that a nation that ignores its elders loses its moral anchor.
“Too many of our older citizens are excluded from development programmes. They must be seen, heard, and valued,” said NOA Director-General, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu. His counterpart at NSCC, Dr. Emem Omokaro, echoed a similar sentiment. “Older people have rights, not just to be protected but to be involved in shaping the society they helped build,” he said.
From late 2023, this shared vision began to manifest across Nigeria, especially in the South-West and South-South. In community halls in Ibadan, Calabar, Abeokuta, and Uyo, the NOA hosted “Elders’ Roundtables”, platforms where senior citizens could voice their concerns and experiences.
In Ibadan, one of the sessions saw retirees share stories about their youth, debate current civic challenges and even guide National Youth Service Corps Members (NYSC) members through lessons in patience, responsibility, and service. It was not just a listening session, but also a reactivation of wisdom.
In Calabar, women in their seventies and eighties recounted the impact of market reforms, healthcare changes and family structure evolution. Their views, once tucked away in silence, were shaping civic discourse.
One of the key pillars of NOA’s revived civic campaign has been the promotion of values enshrined in the National Value Charter (NVC), formally launched in October 2024. Among them is respect for elders.
In Osun and Ogun states, the agency translated this value into vibrant grassroots campaigns. Under the slogan
“Iyi fun agba” (respect for the elderly), town halls in Osogbo and Abeokuta transformed into theatres of remembrance. Youths performed plays about ageing, primary school students recited oaths pledging care for their grandparents, and traditional rulers reminded communities that respect for the old is the soul of any moral society.
In Ogun, elderly residents received free healthcare checkups during values week. In Osun, elderly farmers were given civic commendation certificates, which were acknowledgments of lives spent in service.
One of NOA’s most ambitious steps has been ensuring that digital inclusion is not reserved for the young. In partnership with NSCC, the agency introduced senior citizens to tools like the Mobiliser app, an innovation launched in early 2024 that allows citizens to give feedback on government programmes, report civic issues, and access key information.
In Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Uyo, training workshops brought older adults face-to-face with smartphones and tablets. With support from local NOA officials and youth volunteers, they learned how to use voice commands, read civic bulletins, and connect with
health and welfare services online.
Also part of the tech outreach is CLHEEAN, NOA’s AI-powered civic assistant. Once reserved for tech-savvy users, it is now being introduced to seniors as a voice-responsive tool they can access by phone. As against treating senior citizens as passive recipients of care, the NOA is positioning them as mentors, wisdom-carriers and guides. Through a programme called “Golden Guardians,” selected elders are being trained as peer counsellors and community civic educators.
In Calabar, one such elder-led circle meets monthly to discuss health rights, pension benefits, and personal safety. Meanwhile, secondary schools in Ogun and Cross River are welcoming older Nigerians as guest speakers. One woman, Mama Raliat in Abeokuta, told stories of life during Nigeria’s independence era, sparking awe in teenagers who had never imagined such times.
During the 2024 National Values Week, NOA’s efforts reached a joyful crescendo. In Uyo, senior citizens led the national pledge in Efik. In Ibadan, centenarians were paraded through town and honoured with civic medals. Across social media and radio, their stories
became part of the national narrative. One post read: “We honour our elders not just for living long, but for living well—for building the roads we now walk.”
In a country where old age is often seen as a burden, these moments were both symbolic and revolutionary. NOA and NSCC are not slowing down. Plans for 2025 include regional “Elders’ Congresses” where senior citizens will contribute to national policy dialogues, the rollout of more rural digital literacy hubs for elders, and the launch of “Heritage Clubs” in schools where seniors mentor children in local history, moral values, and civic pride. “These aren’t welfare programmes,” Issa-Onilu reminds us. “They’re civic empowerment strategies. We’re not helping elders out—we’re putting them back where they belong: at the centre of community life.”
In the quiet dignity of a grandmother leading a national values recital, or an old farmer learning to report civic issues on a tablet, something profound is taking root. Through the work of NOA and its partners, Nigeria is slowly learning to value age not as an ending, but as a legacy in motion.
Acting Group Politics Editor DEJI ELUMOYE
Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com
08033025611 SMS ONLY
At 60 today, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, deserves his flowers for his service and love for the state. Olawale Olaleye writes.
Whether for his selfless service, disposition to peace and development, or mesmeric generosity and kindness, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has already earned his leadership placement in the political artery of the state.
Dealing with an insatiable society is already a lot to contend with. But striving to do good by everyone is a tad too much to embody, especially in an environment where the entitlement culture is prevalent.
From day one, Sanwo-Olu has tried to be different, with effort to create his own niche and without rubbing it in anyone’s face. Operating in a Lagos environment – a totally cosmopolitan society with its peculiar shortcoming – is not a child’s play.
With the many tendencies competing for attention almost endlessly, the Lagos governor is the natural class captain for his peers, whether or not they earn more from the federation account.
As the nation’s melting pot and her commercial nerve centre, Lagos shoulders more burden than it can ordinarily contain. But it has continued to bear this burden with grace and timelessly.
This, perhaps, was why Governor Sanwo-Olu wanted to be as natural as possible in office, despite security mapping of his life as a “property of the state”.
Dropping the title, His Excellency for Mr. Governor was an idea he thought would create a leveler with the people, bring them closer to governance and leadership, and also engender an open-door policy.
Being accessible is another distraction he’s had to deal with in spite of his otherwise stiff schedule, a development that has crept into other spheres of his life and work. Although it’s been tough blending the forces, it is equally compelling for him because of the path he had chosen.
Sanwo-Olu’s deliberate decision to always say yes to nearly everyone is as good as it is overwhelming. There’s hardly anyone who has made a request of the governor and returned with a no for an answer. No one cares to ask if the decision was easy for him. He always plays liberal leadership, just so everyone is happy.
Quite often, this part of him is taken for granted as many entitled folks have created an industry with this. But for his personal peace, he sees these things and pretends all his well. Much as he cannot satisfy everyone or meet everyone’s needs, the effort to balance things is obvious and therefore cannot be used against him.
Leaving state responsibilities to intervene in people’s personal matters is often seen as doing too much by some. But a leader who understands the broken window theory and is able to critically analyse it beyond what it immediately represents will see the logic in the path the Lagos governor has always chosen.
From the first day at his desk, SanwoOlu has had to fight many battles –either in administration, policies, or enforcement – but he has also carried on with such equanimity that betrays no emotions. Yet, he is human and should feel the weight of the pressure from all sides.
Taking stock of his life at 60, there have been obvious challenges, particularly in the last six years of his
governorship, but not as much as the reasons to celebrate and thank God for the mercies so far extended to him.
There’s no doubt that God has brought him very far with a promising future to behold. Sanwo-Olu, for the love of the state his people, has had to
undergo unusual yet intense baptism of fire, watching over Africa’s largest economy as its chief security officer and ‘financial adviser’.
Although this could have either consumed him or undermined his efforts, that he is standing tall, firm and strong is not entirely his doing or machination but a mix of grace and the capacity to deliver, having learnt and risen through the ranks.
From the time he joined politics in 2003 and appointed special adviser on corporate matters to former deputy governor of the state, Femi Pedro, Sanwo-Olu, has left no one doubt about his capacity. Even when he was later made the acting Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget until 2007, he showed capacity through the understanding of his office.
As Commissioner for Commerce and Industry under President Bola Tinubu as then governor of Lagos, Sanwo-Olu brought his private sector experience to bear and tailored it to suit his new portfolio.
His appointment as the Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions by Governor Babatunde Fashola in 2007 was yet another testament to the saying that the reward for hard work is more work.
Later appointed the Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) by former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in 2016, before his eventual emergence as the governor in 2019, Sanwo-Olu has kept a clean record of performance and diligence, solid enough to guarantee any future imaginable.
If life truly begins at 40, maybe it is recalibrating for Sanwo-Olu at 60, and he appears prepared for whatever future that life is ready to ship his way.
Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila is 63 years old today but disposed to a rather quiet day, writes Olawale Olaleye
Talk about a man, who understands his beat very well and has learned enough on his current job to last him a lifetime, the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, readily comes to mind.
The Aso Villa gatekeeper and president’s minder, Gbajabiamila, came to the job with his regular enemies. Those who want his job. The people who envy him. And, of course, there are those who see a future he can’t see and are determined to stop him. So, his first few months in office were fraught with battles of sorts.
But none of these could stifle him from functioning to capacity. Quietly, he has been doing his thing and at the same time touching base with his constituency being the political leg of his responsibilities.
Gbajabiamila, by virtue of his office, is pivotal to the Villapower construct. Lawyer and politician with many years of legislative exposure, his career path has seen the best of days after six terms in the House of Representatives.
From being an ordinary floor member to becoming Minority Leader, Majority Leader and eventually Speaker, his 24 years of deep legislative experience comes handy in his current posting as he shuffles through the president’s calendar, controling access, managing appointments, and
coordinating intergovernmental communications. Sixty-three years today, the engine room of the Bola Tinubu presidency would rather he was allowed a quiet time than indulge in any form of merriment. Above all, he is both thankful and grateful for where he is today.
David-Chyddy Eleke reports that Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State seems unperturbed as the November 8, 2025 gubernatorial election sets in, especially as he is being endorsed by all and sundry including Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, business leaders and traditional rulers.
As the November 8, 2025 date for the Anambra governorship election draws close, one candidate in the election who is pretty sure of victory is the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof Chukwuma Soludo. Soludo is also the incumbent governor of Anambra State and has been adjudged to have performed creditably well by citizens of the state.
He will be on the ballot to seek re-election for a second term in office as constitutionally allowed in Nigeria.
His assuredness for a second term stems from the number of endorsements he has garnered from all parts of the state, both from youth bodies, socio-cultural organisations, business community, traditional institutions and market organisations among others. Finding have shown that over 100 support groups rooting for Soludo’s re-election exist in Anambra State. While some are youth based, others are community based, while some are professional groups, all seeking his re-election.
Above all these, prominent among the endorsements the governor has received in the journey for a second term are from pan socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, business leaders in Anambra, youths of the state and traditional rulers.
Elder statesmen in the state have also endorsed him, but the most recent seemed to be that of President Bola Tinubu, during a one day working visit in the state. At the weekend, Anambra North zoned organized what they called the mother of all rallies to endorse him too.
During the visit of the president, Soludo received more than just the president’s endorsement as some of the speakers including former deputy governor, Chief Emeka Sibeudu, who is secretary general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, who also spoke for the group; former secretary general of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku who spoke for elder statesmen of the state, Chairman of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), South East
Branch, Mrs Ada Chukwudozie who spoke for the business community and Chairman of Chrome Group, Chief Emeka Offor, who spoke for captains of industries, all eulogized the governor, pledging support for his re-election and also urging the president to ensure his election for the fulfillment of the dreams of the people of the state. Each of them practically urged Tinubu to work for Soludo’s return, which was another way to beg him not to interfere in the election or to try to favour the candidate of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu.
Without disappointing, Tinubu left the huge crowd roaring with excitement when he took the microphone and stated that Soludo was not a stranger to him. He proclaimed Soludo to be his long time friend, describing him as an intelligent individual, who his government long spotted and have been working with.
He said: “Two years ago, I stood here as a presidential candidate of my party to seek for your votes. I’m
thankful for your support and I am happy to be here to commission some legacy projects. I salute the enterprise of the South east and her people, and your unwavering commitment to success, not just to the South east but to Nigeria as a whole.
“Soludo your son is my friend and still remains my friend. He is a brilliant man, he has the brain and he knows the way and we will work together. We will work together to bring prosperity back and put Anambra on the rise. I have just commissioned several landmark projects today, this are bold statements and they point to his ability as a leader. I remember when he (Soludo) wanted to consolidate banks and many people said it was impossible, but he did it and today we are benefiting from that action. We will continue to partner with the states and the South east to protect our people. I have taken note of the appeals, especially about Anambra being the gully erosion capital of the South east, we will assist through the ecological funds and that will be rectified.”
Those words by the president have been highly extolled by APGA faithful, who have been sharing them everywhere on social media. Soludo has garnered several other endorsements from people outside his party.
For Soludo, even though he is not new to endorsements, what seemed like the icing on the cake are plans by the three senatorial zones to endorse him for the election. Last weekend, the first Senatorial Zone, Anambra North held an endorsement rally for the governor, where all the prominent individuals, traditional rulers, youth groups and even faith based groups came together to proclaim him the winner of the next election.
In March when the Minister of works, Senator Dave Umahi came to Anambra to inspect some federal government projects, he endorsed Soludo. He had said: “I’m elated by what I have seen. The quality of your roads; and you know I was a governor for eight years and registered significant achievements in roads construction, but I’m impressed by the quality of your roads. I don’t see anyone that can challenge you in the election. No one. Who is that, I don’t see any,” Umahi concluded.
Also, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former member of House of Representatives, Hon Ifeanyi Ibezi, shortly after the APC governorship primary election endorsed Soludo. He said: “Soludo must go for a second term. I went on inspection of his projects and I know he is doing well. If your party is not doing well, what will you do, is it not to switch support to a better party? Do you want to be stagnated for the next eight years? I know what to do, if you have been my follower all these years and you have not learnt politics, then you are not intelligent. I will advise you to stop coming to political meetings in my house.
“Our support will move immediately to Soludo. We will start with the 710 polling units in Idemili North and South. The same way I delivered the zone to Tinubu in 2023, the same way I gave it to Soludo in 2021, that is how I will package the votes of the zone in November and deliver it to Soludo again this year.”
For Soludo, even though he is not new to endorsements, what seemed like the icing on the cake are plans by the three senatorial zones to endorse him for the election. Last weekend, the first Senatorial Zone, Anambra North held an endorsement rally for the governor, where all the prominent individuals, traditional rulers, youth groups and even faith based groups came together to proclaim him the winner of the next election.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi
received the Queen
Wale Igbintade
The President of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro, has urged member states to intensify efforts in enforcing the court’s judgments and upholding the rule of law, warning that the court’s authority and effectiveness hinge on collective commitment across the region.
He noted that despite the legally binding nature of the court’s decisions under Article 15(4) of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty, enforcement remains low among member states.
Justice Monteiro issued the call in his closing remarks at the end of the inaugural Meeting of Competent National Authorities responsible for the enforcement of ECOWAS Court judgments, held in Lagos.
The high-level, two-day meeting convened national legal representatives and justice sector leaders from across West Africa to explore strategies for strengthening compliance with the Court’s decisions.
“With a deep sense of accomplishment, and a measure of nostalgia, we draw the curtain on this landmark gathering,” Justice Monteiro said.
“This meeting has not only marked a new beginning, but has also laid the foundation for stronger collaboration between the court and national authorities.”
Held under the theme “Enhancing
the Role, Relevance, and Effectiveness of the ECOWAS Court of Justice: Strengthening Synergies Between the Court and Competent National Authorities”, the conference focused on ways to address persistent challenges surrounding the enforcement of the court’s judgments, an issue Justice Monteiro described as a “critical concern.”
He noted that despite the legally binding nature of the court’s decisions under Article 15(4) of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty, enforcement remains low among member states.
“The effectiveness of the ECOWAS Court of Justice hinges on the goodwill and commitment of Member States,” he said, invoking the principle of ‘pacta sunt servanda’ - that agreements must be kept, as fundamental to both international law and regional cooperation.
Justice Monteiro called on member states that have yet to designate a Competent National Authority for the receipt and execution of judgments, as required by Article 24(4) of the Court’s Supplementary Protocol, to do so without further delay.
He also underscored the urgent need for domestication of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty and the Court’s Protocols into national legal systems, especially in dualist jurisdictions where international instruments lack automatic domestic effect.
“Without domestication, the enforce-
ability of the Court’s judgments is significantly hindered,” he warned, urging legislative action to bridge this gap.
During the technical sessions, participants identified practical and actionable steps to improve compliance, including enhanced technical capacity, harmonization of national
enforcement procedures, and better coordination between the court and domestic judicial institutions.
Justice Monteiro praised the atmosphere of openness and innovation throughout the discussions, noting that the meeting had “strengthened the bonds of cooperation” and moved the court closer to ensuring that its
decisions bring real justice to the people of West Africa.
“The Community Court of Justice is a cornerstone of our integration process,” he emphasized. “By reinforcing its authority, we uphold the rule of law and promote the fundamental rights of our citizens.”
In his closing acknowledgments,
Justice Monteiro thanked all delegates, the organizing committee, interpreters, rapporteurs, and media representatives for their contributions to the meeting’s success. He concluded on a hopeful note: “May our shared commitment to justice and cooperation continue to inspire and guide our work in the years ahead.”
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
In a bid to accelerate the growth and diversification of Nigeria’s economy through the solid minerals sector, the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development has called for deeper collaboration between the federal and state governments.
The call was made during the committee’s oversight visits to Enugu and Ebonyi States, where they met with Governors Peter Mbah and Francis Nwifuru, respectively.
Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Ekong Sampson, who led the delegation according to a statement by his panel, emphasized
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Stanley Inye Lawson (SIL) Foundation has said that one of the best ways to reduce the vulnerability of widows is to empower them with relevant skills that can help sustain their families.
It also said that assisting the widows with financial grants to support business start-ups will go a long way to restoring hope and stability in their homes.
Speaking at an event to mark this year’s International Widows Day, the Chief Executive Officer of SiL Foundation, Mrs. Ubile Charity Lawson, said most women are vulnerable when they lose their husbands and needed encouragement to forge ahead.
Lawson further said most of
what these widows needed are not mere empathy but strong support in terms of refocusing themselves to become breadwinners to be able to train their children.
Lawson hailed the recent initiative by the federal government to offer free medical services to vulnerable Nigerians including indigent widows.
Speaking on the major challenges facing Nigerian widows, she said that “a lot of the women face serious financial problem, and how to cope with the training of their children at school.
For instance, she said a lot of widows will like to do business on their own in order to train their children but they lack the funds.
Lawson said: “SiL pays school fees of quite a number these
children as well the hospital bills of the sick ones. For those who want to start businesses of their own, we encourage them by giving them grants and helping them to acquire skills”.
In terms of budget for grants and other assistance, she said that SiL Foundation has over the years expended over N10 million annually.
“Today we gathered widows in commemoration of this year’s International Widows Day. Our Foundation uses the event as an opportunity to reach out to widows that registered with us, organizing empowerment training and give them food items.
“It’s a day that we try to put smiles on the faces of widows. The theme of this year’s programme is - “Thriving as Widows” - she said.
the critical role the solid minerals sector can play in reshaping Nigeria’s economic trajectory.
He described the sector as “full of potential and endowments,” stressing that its full exploitation would require active synergy among federal, state, and local authorities.
He said: “We are here on oversight duty to assess mining activities in Enugu and Ebonyi States.
“These visits are part of our broader mission to gather insights, engage stakeholders and make robust policy recommendations to the Senate on how to revamp the mining sector.”
The delegation included Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Kabeeb Mustapha; Deputy Senate Majority Whip, Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi, and Senators Anthony Ani, Kelvin Chukwu, Diket Plang, and Okechukwu Ezea.
Sampson praised the federal government’s renewed interest in the sector under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He noted the proposed allocation of N1 trillion to solid minerals in the 2025 budget is a clear indicator of political will and strategic direction.
He said: “This marks a strong departure from the past,” he said.
“We are now witnessing a clear road map for developing the sector.
“With such a bold financial commitment, the government is signaling its seriousness about mining and solid minerals as a pillar of economic transformation.”
During the visit to Enugu, Governor Peter Mbah welcomed the Senate team and reiterated the immense potential of the solid minerals sector in boosting Nigeria’s economy.
He stressed the urgency of addressing longstanding challenges such as outdated or inadequate
geological data, lack of private sector investment, and poor institutional coordination.
“The truth is, Nigeria is sitting on vast mineral wealth,” Mbah said. “Yet we often struggle to tap into it due to fragmented responsibilities and a lack of credible data.
“That is why your committee’s work is of great national importance.”
Mbah advocated greater state participation in the regulatory and operational aspects of mining, noting that the ongoing review of the Mining Act presents a unique opportunity to recalibrate the governance framework of the sector.
“If we are to attract serious investment, there must be clear responsibilities and measurable benefits for all stakeholders. We need a data-driven strategy that allows for better planning and risk mitigation for investors,” he added.
Bassey
Inyang in Calabar
The Cross River State Government, and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have reaffirmed their commitment to strategic collaboration in advancing infrastructure and social development across the state.
The refreshed pact was made during a courtesy visit by the NDDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, and his management team to Governor Bassey Otu at
the Executive Council Chambers, Calabar.
While welcoming the NDDC team, Otu described the visit as timely, and necessary for deepening synergy between the state, and the federal development agency.
“Cross River is a state eager to develop, but often constrained by limited resources. We turn every available intervention, be it from the Federation Account or agencies like NDDC, into impact-driven projects that uplift our people,” the governor said.
Otu expressed appreciation over the renewed partnership, and the willingness of the commission to re-engage stalled or abandoned projects.
The governor also advocated greater state inclusion in project planning, and execution.
“We do not have any issues with the NDDC. What may have occurred in the past was a breakdown in communication, which we are now set to fix. Our approach is lawful, organised, and people-centered,” Otu said.
projects inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu during his visit to the state were initiated and completed by his administration. Tinubu had during his visit to
Kaduna on Thursday, June 19, 2025, inaugurated some projects believed to have been executed by Governor Uba Sani.
However, El-Rufai had claimed in
an interview on Arise News Television that most of the projects being commissioned were initiated by his administration and had reached 90 percent completion by the time his
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Chief Executive Officer of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative, Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi, yesterday, said Nigeria flares no less than one billion cubic feet of gas daily while injecting three billion into wells and exporting three billion to develop other places.
He revealed that only 1.3 billion cubic feet of gas is utilised domestically, with barely any going into transport, which would change now as they commit to this mission through the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) and the Nigerian Army.
Stating that “Nigeria is a gas country that happens to have some oil,” Oluwagbemi said Nigeria has 208 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas in 30 of 36 states.
The PCNGI boss stated during a handing-over ceremony of five
brand-new CNG buses to the Nigerian Army at Army Headquarters in Abuja.
He said, “Natural Gas has four primary traditional uses – for power, for cooking and heating, for gas-based industry, including the making of fertilisers and urea to improve our food security, and for transport, which is our business today. “But I would be remiss not to mention a new use of gas, which we have in abundance, given that I’m with the Army, which is the bedrock of innovation and excellence in our country. Today, the US, Costa Rica and China are building cryptocurrency reserves by doing crypto mining, much like mining gold and diamond, to support their currency with strategic crypto reserves leveraging cheap, stranded energy sources like gas and geothermal.”
He stated that Nigeria could do the same with thousands of stranded gas wells and build a stronger naira
to make the Nigerian Army’s work easier.
He noted that about a year and six months ago, the Nigerian Army led the way when this programme was still very new, making itself available as the pilot institution for the noble initiative to make life better for all Nigerians by offering sustainable transportation leveraging natural gas.
He stressed that the donation marked a furtherance of a robust and strategic partnership between PCNGI and the Nigerian Army.
He said in addition to the buses, the presidential initiative announced a comprehensive support package that includes, “free CNG conversion incentives for Army personnel vehicles, which includes the supply of free kits to Army Conversion Centers and full participation of those centers in our Conversion Incentive Program to ensure 5,000 Army personnel get their vehicles converted to CNG in
The first phase of Glo Skillbridge programme, a skills training initiative of Glo Foundation for sweepers of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), began in various locations in Lagos last week.
The programme is meant to equip staff of LAWMA with soft skills which will enable them have more streams of income and bridge income gaps.
At a special day held recently in celebration of LAWMA staff and sweepers in Lagos, the Foundation had announced plans for an empowerment and skills acquisition programme for the sweepers. These include Fashion Designing, Bead Making, Baking and other vocational trainings.
The scheme took off last week with about 150 selected sweepers being trained in Fashion, Bead Making, Baking and Digital skills at partner training centres across Lagos.
Some of the beneficiaries of the programmes expressed happiness
for the opportunity created for them.
Glo Foundation, in a statement released over the weekend, expressed joy at the progress the trainees were recording, and lauded them for their focus on making the most of the opportunity to broaden their knowledge in new areas that would enable them to make extra income.
The fashion and bead making training, holding at YetrosLane, Atunrase Estate, Gbagada, Lagos, was a convivial atmosphere last week as the trainees from LAWMA were seen learning the procedures.
Some of them were already donning the beads they made by the third day of training.
One of them, Amusat Mopelola Airat, was full of praise for Glo Foundation and the management of LAWMA for giving her the opportunity. The same sentiment was echoed by another trainee, Liadi Fatimoh.
Similarly, the atmosphere at the Bakery Initiatives, Yaba, Lagos, location for the baking training
programme was very lively.
Mrs Busari Adebanke Busayo, a supervisor, said she and other trainees were enjoying learning under friendly trainers and making rapid progress.
“It will be of huge benefit to me and my family. I’ve learnt how to measure and weigh flour for various baking products and a lot of other things”.
Mr. Williams Oladipupo, who is based in Ikorodu, commended Glo Foundation for putting in place the digital skills training at ALX, Costain, Lagos. He said this would boost his personal business and also help him in bringing up his children who were already learning coding.
Miss Udoh Blessing Endurance Francis, a 22-year-old sweeper who is also attending the digital skills training classes, appreciated Glo and its partners for putting in place the initiative. She noted that the world is going digital and only those who are prepared will be able to cope.
The four-week intensive training programme will end in July.
the coming months.”
Others, he said, included dedicated daughter station allocation to serve military formations and capacity development programmes to empower soldiers and their families with technical skills and economic opportunities in the emerging green economy, among others.
“By embracing CNG, we are not only cutting down the cost of operations but also taking bold steps towards reducing carbon emissions, improving public health, and building a resilient and energy-diverse transportation ecosystem. The Nigerian Army is known for always being ahead in innovation and logistics,” he said.
tenure ended.
In a statement yesterday, spokesperson to Sani, Ibraheem Musa, said El-Rufai’s assertion was not only misleading but a blatant distortion of the truth.
“The attention of the Kaduna State Government has been drawn to the bare-faced lies disseminated by the former Governor of Kaduna State, His Excellency, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, regarding the projects recently commissioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his visit to Kaduna.
“In a widely circulated television interview, Malam El-Rufai falsely claimed that all the projects commissioned by Mr. President (on Thursday, June 17) were initiated by his administration. This assertion is not only misleading but a blatant distortion of the truth. It is imperative to set the record straight.”
According to Musa, during Tinubu’s visit to Kaduna, three major projects were inaugurated - Institutes of Vocational Training and Skills Development; The Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital, and 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Buses.
The statement explained that the Specialist Hospital, named after President Tinubu was originally conceived by the administration of
former
“At the commissioning ceremony, Vice President Namadi Sambo openly acknowledged that three successive administrations failed to complete the hospital, and commended Governor Uba Sani for his leadership and resolve in finally delivering the project,” Musa said.
He added that, “Upon assuming office, Governor Uba Sani met the hospital at just 53 per cent completion. The structure had no medical equipment, despite the huge sums that had allegedly been spent. The uncompleted facility had become a symbol of waste, mismanagement, and abandonment.”
According to the statement, upon assumption of office, Sani made the completion of the hospital a top priority to revitalise the health sector, adding that the completion of the hospital stood as a signature achievement of the Sani administration.
“The project’s successful completion has earned widespread acclaim, and President Tinubu was effusive in his praise of Governor Uba Sani’s transformative impact on the healthcare sector,” the statement said.
The Edo State Government through the Edo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (EDSPHCDA) with support from Development Partners like WHO, UNICEF and others is set to commence the second round of National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) Vaccination Exercise. This second round of Polio Vaccination is for children aged 0 to 5 years and will hold from 28th June to 3rd of July 2025.
During this period, vaccination teams will be visiting homes, schools, churches, mosques and all structures where children can be found in communities, to administer 2 drops of the Oral Polio Vaccine to all eligible children regardless of previous immunization status.
Parents and guardians are urged to take the vaccination card of their eligible children to the nearest Primary Healthcare Centre as polio vaccine and other routine vaccines will be available across the State to ensure no child is left behind.
Before the commencement of vaccination, personnel of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), UNICEF, and
other partner organisations paid a state entry visit to the Executive Secretary, Edo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (EDSPHCDA), Dr. Coulson Oahimire Osoikhia, at his office in Benin City. The team led by Mr. Justice Igbokwe of the NPHCDA, was also accompanied by Dr. Eseigbe Efeomon, Director, Disease Control and Immunization, the State Immunization Officer (SIO) Mrs. Elfrida Omogun, EDSPHCDA Health Education Officer, Mrs. Irene Uabor and other partners.
The purpose of the visit was to introduce the team to the Executive Secretary and present the goals of the upcoming Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign slated to commence in the State on January 2026.
During the visit, Mr. Igbokwe informed the Executive Secretary that the Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign would begin nationwide between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. Edo State falls under the second phase, which will be carried out in the first quarter of 2026.
During the campaign, children aged (9 months to 14 years) will
be vaccinated to help protect them from measles and rubella. After the campaign, the vaccine will be included in the routine immunization schedule.
The Executive Secretary was also informed that 3 LGAs (Egor, Igueben and Owan East) were selected in Edo for a rapid assessment survey to create awareness, sensitize and to get an in depth understanding of the public’s perception toward measles and rubella infections, their vaccines and other vaccines in general.
In response, Dr. Osoikhia appreciated the efforts of the NPHCDA, and partners, commending them for their support in promoting public health and ensuring the wellbeing of children in Edo State.
He also acknowledged the commitment of Governor Monday Okphebholo of Edo State who is passionate about child health and has shown strong political will in supporting all immunization programs in Edo State.
The Executive Secretary assured the visiting team that EDSPHCDA will fully support the upcoming assessment and work closely with all partners to ensure its success.
L-R: Chief Marketing Officer, AXA Mansard Insurance Plc, Adebola Surakat; General Counsel and Human Resource Director, AXA Mansard Insurance, Omowunmi Adewusi; Chief Client
Mansard Insurance, Rashidat Adebisi; Chief Executive Officer, AXA Mansard Investment, Deji Tunde-Anjous; and Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence
Adeniyi, during the 2025 AXA Week for Good Rally Against Domestic and Sexual Based Violence, in Lagos…recently
There were conflicting claims, yesterday, over alleged revocations of the traditional title of Waziri Adamawa hitherto held by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar by the Adamawa State Government.
While the government cited a new policy requiring that all titleholders and council members within emirate councils must be indigenes of the respective chiefdoms, the Chief Press Secretary to the Adamawa State Governor, Mr. Humwashi Wonosikou, last night, dismissed the reports as untrue.
In a circular dated June 20, 2025, and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs, Mrs. Adama Felicity Mamman, the directive stemmed from the recent restructuring of traditional institutions following the creation of new chiefdoms in the state by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
Traditionally, the Waziri Adamawa was regarded as the second most senior figure in the Adamawa Emirate, after the Lamido of Adamawa.
According to the circular, only indigenes of the Yola
South, Yola North, Girei, Mayo-Belwa, Song, and Zumo districts would henceforth be eligible to serve as kingmakers or council members in the Adamawa Emirate.
Unfortunately, this new policy automatically excluded Atiku, who hailed from Jada Local Government Area, part of the Ganye Chiefdom, from holding the title any longer. Apart from Atiku, the development also affected other traditional titleholders outside the new indigeneship requirements.
This, nonetheless, the government has maintained that the move was in line with administrative reforms tied to the restructuring of traditional institutions.
But when contacted, the Chief Press Secretary, Wonosikou, denied the reports that Atiku was stripped of the title.
At the same time, political observers had linked the timing to a rift said to be growing between Fintiri and Atiku.
The two leaders were members of the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2023 elections, they were believed to be on opposing sides of emerging
political realignments now.
Lately, Atiku has been associated with talks involving political figures like Nasir El-Rufai, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Aishatu Binani,
Fintiri’s arch rival during the last general election, ahead of the 2027 elections.
In addition to this emerging development, a new bill was said to be currently before
the Adamawa State House of Assembly. The bill seeking to give the governor powers to depose traditional rulers considered unfit to rule and to appoint
successors directly, has begun to raise more concerns. Already, critics have warned that the proposal could concentrate too much authority in the executive.
Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
As part of its troubleshooting efforts in the lingering national secretary crisis, the national leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, met with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The meeting, which took place at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, started at 2.30pm.
Immediately after the opening ceremony, the PDP and INEC officials proceeded into a closed door section.
The meeting came after the opposition party wrote a letter to INEC inviting it to its 100th NEC meeting scheduled for June 30.
PDP had on May 30, in a letter signed by its acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, invited INEC to its 100th NEC meeting.
Lagos LG Polls: Sanwo-Olu Tasks APC Candidates, Party Chairman Reads Riot Act
Segun James Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has charged candidates of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming local government elections to hold strong President Bola Tinubu’s political values, which ensured development for all people.
The advice came as the APC chairman in the state, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, threatened to sanction any recalcitrant council chairman.
Ojelabi said those who failed to fall in line would face the consequences of truancy.
The local government elections in Lagos State is slated for July 12.
Speaking at the 2025 Local Government Election Stakeholders’ Parley at State House, Marina, Sanwo-Olu asked every APC member to work
assiduously for the victory of the party.
He said, “I acknowledge God Almighty that has made today a glorious day. The turnout is interesting. This is the real stakeholders’ engagement.
“Our leader, Mr President, has asked me to tell you to continue to hold his base and he wants to hear good things from you.
“He asked me to tell you, every election is local. Don’t take anything for granted, don’t say you are at the centre; go and engage, let the people know the candidates they want to vote for.
“It is an election you must not take for granted, go out from tomorrow, you are to move from ward to ward and knock at the doors to ensure victory.”
Underscoring the importance of unity, Sanwo-Olu said, “All of us have united, irrespective of our political groups. We are to be fair, for the greater good.
“With our uniforms, it shows we are a party that is committed. The candidates should not disappoint all the leaders that have come out in large numbers to validate their candidacy. We will all obey the guidelines that have been set by LASIEC.”
Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon Mudashiru Obasa, who was represented by his deputy, Hon Mojisola Meranda, urged the party members to work together in the interest of the party.
“Let’s put grudges behind us. Let’s use reconciliation and let’s work for the victory of the party,” she said.
But in its reply dated June 13, the electoral body notified PDP that its letter was not in compliance with the requirements of part 2(12)3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
The commission maintained that both the national chairman and national secretary of the party should jointly sign the notices for conventions, congresses, conferences or meeting and submit to the commission.
Speaking at the meeting, Damagum said they were at the INEC headquarters to interact with the commission to guide the party in decisions regarding the national secretary position.
Damagun stated, “We are here today, as you are aware that we have issues pertaining to the status of our national secretary.
“We’ve gone into litigation, I think, from the beginning of last year until when the Supreme Court made a pronouncement of which INEC was a party to that litigation.
“We are here today to discuss and interact with you sincerely, because we
had NEC and there was a decision of NEC, which mandated me to sign a letter to avoid controversy.
“I have received your reply to that letter, urging us to be guided. So I think we are here to interact sincerely with you off-camera so that it will guide us when we get back to have a position that would further help us in taking these positions that we found ourselves.”
Damagum told newsmen after the meeting that the PDP leadership would go and meet with the larger stakeholders on the discussion from the meeting and come back to INEC on Thursday.
Responding, INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, stated that the meeting was at the instance of PDP, saying that as the regulator of political parties, INEC’s doors were always open to their leaders.
Yakubu stated, “You may recall that not long ago we received similar visitors from the Labour Party. So when the PDP said they were going to visit, we welcomed them.
“The acting chairman has stated
the purpose of the meeting, to discuss the status of the party’s national secretary, particularly regarding the letter we sent to the party on the request for us to monitor their 100th NEC meeting, which was only signed by the chairman and not the chairman and secretary as provided in our regulation.
“I am glad that the meeting was the 100th meeting of the NEC of the party, meaning that 99 times in the past you fully complied by inviting us by means of a letter signed by the chairman and secretary of the party.
“So, there are issues to discuss. And we look forward to this important clarification from the party as to who is the secretary.” Yakubu recalled that in the last couple of months the commission received about five letters from PDP rearding the party’s secretary. He said, “In the last couple of months, we received letters from the party saying one Mr Sunday Udey-Okoye was the secretary. Thereafter, the party changed its mind and said it was Anyanwu.
Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
A northern group, Arewa Empowerment Coalition (AEC), has come out against the proposed All Democratic Alliance (ADA), reportedly being championed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar alongside prominent political figures, such as Nasir El-Rufai, Chibuike Amaechi, and Babachir Lawal.
In a statement yesterday by the AEC leader, Sulaiman Sani, the coalition described the proposed alliance as a “misguided political misadventure” by “a cohort of
disgruntled opportunists” attempting to hijack Nigeria’s democratic aspirations for personal gain.
Sani stated, “We view this coalition as a poorly calculated decision that reflects a profound misunderstanding of the current political landscape and the aspirations of the Nigerian people.
“Atiku Abubakar’s attempt to forge this alliance is not only misguided but also indicative of a broader trend of political miscalculations that have plagued his career.
“The AEC believes that this initiative will yield negative consequences and fail to achieve
its intended outcomes, primarily due to the misjudgement of public sentiment, underestimation of the opposition, and a lack of foresight regarding the potential repercussions of their policies.
“The Arewa Empowerment Coalition believes that the north would not be deceived by the antics of the Atiku-led coalition.
“The political arena in Nigeria is not merely a chessboard for the ambitions of a few; it is a complex tapestry woven from the hopes, dreams, and frustrations of millions. Atiku and his allies appear to have overlooked this fundamental truth.”
L-R: Chairman of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), John Olajide; Chief Executive Officer/ President, CCA, Florizelle Liser, and Angola’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rui Miguen De Oliveira, at cocktail, sponsored by CAVISTA Holdings, during the 17th US-AFRICA Business Summit in Luanda, Angola...recently
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
TThe presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has reiterated his position that poverty, more than any other variable, was behind rising crime rate in Nigeria.
Obi commended Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for coming to terms with that reality.
The former presidential candidate wrote on his X handle that the more people were pulled out of poverty, the fewer crimes there would be in society.
Bassey Inyang in Calabar
Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has raised concerns over the growing humanitarian burden caused by the influx of refugees into the state, a situation he said is taking a toll on the state government.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Chief of Mission to Nigeria, Ms. Dimanche Sharon, at the State Executive Council Chamber in Calabar, Governor Otu described
the situation as increasingly unsustainable. He disclosed that Cross River is currently hosting over 50,000 refugees, mostly from neighbouring Cameroon, placing severe pressure on already limited state resources.
“Migration may come with opportunities globally, but in our context, it’s a heavy humanitarian and economic burden. Cross River has become a refuge for thousands fleeing conflict and we are struggling to keep up,” the governor said.
Wilmar International Limited, the Singapore-based food company, plans to boost its palm oil business in Nigeria attracted by policies that have helped stabilise the naira and bolstered the availability of dollars in Africa’s most populous nation.
The company, led by billionaire Kuok Khoon Hong, last week announced a plan to acquire all the shares in a palm oil venture with PZ Cussons for $70 million. Wilmar also acquired 8,500 hectares (21,004 acres) of old rubber plantations
to grow crop that will produce edible oil, according to Santosh Pillai, chief executive officer of Wilmar’s African unit.
The investment shows confidence that the steps President Bola Tinubu has taken to revive economic growth and improve government finances may be working. Nigerian foreign exchange reserves have increased, inflation has moderated and the naira has stabilized. In May, Moody’s Corp. upgraded the country’s foreign currency debt rating.
A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Makarios Initiative for Health and Humanitarian Development, has initiated a move to combat moral decadence and health challenges among
I, formerly known and addressed as BOROKINNI NIFEMI JOANNA, now wish to be known and addressed as AKOMOLAFE NIFEMI
JOANNA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.
schoolchildren in Lagos State.
As part of move to actualise this idea, Makarios gathered about 1,000 Lagos school children to mark International Day of the African Child (IDAC). The event took place at Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Main Auditorium, Dominion Sanctuary, Ikeja.
With the theme, ‘Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress since 2010 with a book lau nch, Kika’s Examination by Lauretta Patrick-Nwachi, the children are taught and motivated on the right attitude to greatness.
He stated, “I have consistently maintained that the more we pull people out of poverty, the more we reduce criminality, and
the reverse is also true. You cannot separate security from human development. They are inextricably linked.
“The criminality we
witness in Nigeria today is not a coincidence or an accident. It is the cumulative outcome of decades of misplaced priorities, the
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described claim by the state governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo to deliver 2.5 million
votes to President Bola Tinubu in 2027 election as comical.
The party said the promise coming from someone who could barely manage 300,000 votes for himself in the governorship election that was marred by heavy
direct consequence of poor governance, mismanagement of public resources, monumental corruption, and systemic neglect.
Million Votes in 2027
militarisation and backed by full weight of All Progressives Congress (APC) governors, the Senate President and members of the National Executive Council among others is not only laughable but an outright
insult on the intelligence of Edo people.
Okpebholo had in at a town hall meeting at Irrua, Esan Central LGA of the state while receiving some defectors from PDP to APC, made the promise.
Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city
The Kogi State Command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested now fewer than 129 suspects for alleged abuse off illicit drug and trafficking in the state.
Similarly, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command, have disclosed the arrest of 209 suspected drug traffickers.
The Kogi State Commander of the NDLEA, Umar Mustapha
Yahuza, disclosed this while speaking in Lokoja at a press conference in commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and illicit trafficking.
He explained that the Command also seized 282.314 kg of hard drugs.
The commander noted that these include Cannabis sativa, Cocaine, Tramadol, Opioids and other psychotropic substances, adding that these drugs are meant to be sold to youths in Kogi State while others are being transported to other parts of the country.
Sunday Okobi
A new survey of 1,126 Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 44 has revealed a stark tension between financial aspirations and daily economic realities in the country. The survey report was sourced
Laleye DipoinMinna
from the Nigeria Financial Habits Survey 2025, conducted by Column, a United Kingdom-based research firm.
According to the report, while 79 per cent of respondents actively try to save, nearly one-fifth (19 per cent) cannot save at all due to low or unstable incomes. The findings underscore how inflation, high living costs, and fragmented financial tools hinder effective money management for young Nigerians.
Conducted in May 2025, the study targeted digitally engaged youths, a group critical to Nigeria’s
economic future. The key insights in the study include: “Survival-Driven Spending: Essentials dominate budgets, with 72 percent prioritising food, 46 per cent airtime/data, and 37 per cent transport. Only 9 per cent list nonessential subscriptions.
Fidelis David in Akure
In addition the government also approved the establishment of security checkpoints for the institution.
Following the attack by armed robbers on the IBB University Lapai, Niger State, leading to the death of Abdulwahab Jafar a 200 level Chemistry Student on Monday the government has deployed 200 armed men of the local vigilance to the university campus to restore adequate security.
A statement by the Deputy Registrar Information, Mr. Baba Akote, said the decisions were part of steps taken by the government and the institution to restore normalcy to the university after a stakeholders meeting.
Other steps taken include: “ stricter landlord regulations to ensure secured student accommodations, collaboration with the Niger State Urban Development Board to address unapproved lodges, provision of a new transformer to restore power supply, logistical supports for security patrols as well as coordinated patrols and setting up of student security committees in addition to mandatory possession of student identity cards.”
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approved the payment of three months arrears of salary being owed the staff of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo. Governor Aiyedatiwa on Monday gave the approval for
the payment of the three months salary arrears following his intervention in the labour dispute between the management and staff of the institution.
The governor equally met with the leadership of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, (JUSUN) Ondo State branch, to resolve the issues
that led to the strike of the union.
The judiciary workers had embarked on an indefinite strike on June 13, 2025 over what they called the failure of the state government to implement parts of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) granting financial autonomy to the state judiciary. However, after a lengthy discussion on the lingering issues, particularly on the implementation of the financial autonomy, the governor directed the setting up of a committee to work out the modalities regarding the release of funds to the state judiciary.
Hammed ShittuinIlorin
Three persons have been killed in a bloody kidnap attempt incident in Okuta community of Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State. Also, a community leader at
Okoro-Okegbo community in Ifelodun Local Government Area, Femi Odeyemi, has been abducted by gunmen.
THISDAY checks revealed that the two incidents in the affected communities happened on Sunday.
It was gathered that the kidnap victim at Okuta community, a vigilance and the suspected kidnapper, who reportedly died in a gun battle with vigilance group.
Acommunity leader, who sought anonymity, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Ilorin yesterday stating:“The deadly attack took place on Sunday night, June 22, 2025, around 10:00 p.m, when a group of heavily armed men stormed the residence of Alhaji Dauda Ismaila.”
of government has the right to seal off any premises without first obtaining a valid court order. This is rooted in Sections 36, 43 and 44 of the 1999 Constitution which guarantee the fundamental rights of citizens to fair hearing, right to privacy of their homes, right to acquire and own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria and right not to have interest in any such property acquired compulsorily in any part of Nigeria except in the manner and for the purposes prescribed by a law. Similar rights are protected by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Ratification and Enforcement Act.
Under the defunct military junta, the courts kicked against the practice of sealing off premises. It was the position of the courts that the occupier or owner of a property was entitled to be notified, heard, and subjected to judicial scrutiny before any action could be taken by public authorities and private bodies or individuals. Since the premises of newspaper houses were regularly sealed off under the defunct military junta, a couple of examples are hereunder reviewed.
Concord Press of Nigeria Limited v Attorney- General of the Federation (unreported suit FHC/L/CS/608/94)
In the case of the National Concord Newspaper v Attorney-General of the Federation, the Applicant’s premises along the airport road, Ikeja in Lagos State were sealed off by armed soldiers. In defending the action, the legal notice submitted to the court stated that the premises of the newspaper were “sealed up”. Our law firm sued the military junta on the instructions of the publisher of the newspaper, the late Bashorun M.K.O Abiola.
The presiding Judge, Justice James Oduneye agreed with my submission that since the enabling decree provided that the premises of offending newspaper could be sealed off the legal notice was illegal as it stated that the premises be “sealed up”. The action was also faulted on the grounds that the Applicant was not afforded the opportunity to make a representative to the authorities before the military invasion of the premises. Consequently, the court awarded damages of N500,000 and ordered the immediate reopening of the newspaper. The Court
warned against punitive actions taken by government authorities without affording the target an opportunity to be heard
Attorney-General of the Federation & ors v. Punch Nigeria Ltd & Anor (2019) LPELR-48142(SC):
On July 29, 1994, a combined team of soldiers and police personnel invaded and sealed off the premises of the Punch Newspaper in Ikeja, Lagos State. The editor of the newspaper, Bola Bolawole who was on duty at the material time was arrested and detained. On behalf of the newspaper, Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN challenged the action of the Sani Abacha military junta at the Federal High Court.
In his epochal judgment, Justice T.A. Odunowo condemned the actions of the security agencies and the state for failing to follow due process. The Court held that the rule of law must be observed by the State even under a state of emergency. As the respondent could not justify the reckless abuse of power, the court ordered the respondents to vacate the premises and pay damages of N25 million to PUNCH and an additional sum of N100,000 to the editor, Mr. Bola Bolawole for his unlawful detention.
The appeals filed by the Federal Government against the judgment were dismissed with costs by both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. It was the view of both appellate courts that the appeals were lacking in merit.
Sealing off premises under a democratic government
Under the current political dispensation, the premises of any house or business cannot be sealed off without a court order and without affording the owner or occupier the opportunity of fair hearing. In Bamgboye v. University of Ilorin (1999) 10 NWLR (Pt. 622) 290, the Supreme Court emphasized that no authority or institution can take adverse action against a citizen’s property or rights without affording him an opportunity to be heard in accordance with Section 36 of the Constitution.
Unilateral sealing off premises amounts to construc- tive expropriation or deprivation of property. It is a tortious interference with possessory rights.
Margaret Thatcher.
In Eze v. Spring Bank Plc (2011) LPELR-CA/ PH/255/2009, the Court of Appeal reaffirmed that forcibly locking up premises, denying access, or disrupting possession without judicial authorization constitutes trespass and a violation of the right to property. The Court emphasized that the proper procedure is through court processes, not administrative fiat.
The right to fair hearing is sacrosanct. When a government agency seals off a property without informing the owner or securing judicial approval, it breaches the constitutional guarantee. In Ayo Fayose v. EFCC (unreported Suit No. FHC/IB/CS/47/201), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sealed off the Ibadan residence of the Applicant during an investigation. However, it did so without obtaining a court order.
The Federal High Court in Ibadan ruled the action illegal and awarded N10 million in damages against the EFCC for violating the claimant’s constitutional right to property. The Court emphasized that investigative bodies—even those empowered to tackle financial crimes—must operate within constitutional limits. The ruling set a strong precedent against sealing off premises without a court order.
Unlawful sealing of business premises represents institutional disregard for the rule of law. In Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria v. Nigeria Customs Service, (unreported Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1233/2021), the Federal High Court (per Akintayo Aluko J.) ruled that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) was liable for sealing off over 400 car dealerships in Lagos without judicial authorization. The dealers sued for unlawful invasion, and the Court found that the NCS acted outside the bounds of its statutory authority by sealing off the auto shops arbitrarily. In awarding N500 million in general and aggravated damages, the Court condemned the “high-handed and illegal” conduct of the agency, reaffirming that the rule of law cannot be sacrificed on the altar of administrative convenience.
Sealing off premises is inherently coercive and falls under judicial power. Administrative bodies that bypass courts violate separation of powers. In Union Bank of Nigeria Plc v. Alhaji Adams Ajabule & Another [2011] NGSC 5 (15 December 2011), the Supreme Court emphasized that no person or authority is permitted to resort to self-help in enforcing any right, regardless of how legitimate the underlying claim may be. The bank’s attempt to enforce
HOW FESTUS KEYAMO STUMBLED AT A CRITICAL AVIATION JUNCTION operations on October 1, 1958. However, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo hastily liquidated the airline in the year 2003 because he was overwhelmed by the management challenges confronting the airline which could easily have been addressed by a restructuring, recapitalization, and the possible dilution of government ownership interest, for the emergence of a better performing airline. Former president Obasanjo is always a military man in a hurry. Recently, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, openly declared that its aviation industry was a strategic part of its national economic transformation agenda. India has a population of 1.438 billion people, and its national flag carrier is Air India, which was established by the Tata Group of India in 1935 and goes on domestic and international operations. The Indian government acquired a 40% stake in the airline in 1945 and thereafter it became India’s national flag carrier. In 2022, after 77 years of state participation, Air India was privatized, and it is now owned by the Tata Group and Malaysian airlines, and it continues to function as the country’s flag carrier. Despite the recent crash of Air India’s Boeing 787, the airline continues to thrive. Similarly, IndiGo airline, is India’s largest airline by market share, privately owned, and began operations in August 2006. IndiGo has a fleet of 437 aircraft, operates domestic/international flights and has approximately 37,200 employees. Many other airlines operate in India, but these two airlines constitute India’s flag carriers. China has a population of 1.416 billion people and its three major airlines – Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines are the most prominent of the many governments’ owned airlines. These three airlines constitute the Chinese national flag carriers, and all three airlines fly both domestic and international routes, projecting the strength and image of the government and people of China. There are many also privately owned airlines in China. The government owned Ethiopian airlines began operations in 1946, and it is one of the highly efficient airlines in the world, with a reputable, and unfettered management, dependable, significant, strategic and robust. When Ethiopian air flies into a country, the reputation of the country and people of Ethiopia go with it. It is a shame, that Nigeria, a country of over 200 million people, continues to depend on foreign airlines to fly its people and government officials to other countries of the world both for business and while on vacation. But what does a flag carrier do? A flag carrier makes access possible to the various categories of flight ticket prices in each of the three classes - First, Business and Economy, for its home passengers. Nigerians currently get this advantage from Air Peace on its Lagos/London/Lagos route. But not on the other airlines where only the expensive tickets are sold to Nigerians. Even now, Nigerians fly to Accra, Ghana, to buy cheaper tickets and board other foreign airlines from there. A flag carrier opens a country for easy accessibility. With a flag carrier tourism is boosted because anyone flying into the country knows that the national airline will be available to take them in and out. A national flag carrier embodies the reputation of its country and so the many countries into which it flies accord that carrier adequate recognition. A national flag carrier can acquire aircraft more easily, leases aircraft more easily, accesses both local and foreign funding much more easily and attracts specialized skills, more easily. A flag carrier is a major contributor to job creation as by its operation it creates direct and indirect jobs in their thousands. The story of British Airways is one that Minister Festus Keyamo may find interesting. It did not start in its present form. It was only privatized in 1987 by the government of former Prime Minister
a claim without recourse to judicial adjudication was roundly condemned.
The judgment reiterates that judicial process must precede any enforcement action, and any bypass of the courts amounts to executive lawlessness and abuse of power. This decision is critical in strengthening the argument that regulatory or enforcement bodies cannot unilaterally seal premises or properties without judicial backing.
Conclusion.
It is crystal clear from all the decided cases that the courts have ruled that individuals, financial institutions and government agencies, are not permitted to engage in the collection of rents, levies and taxes without strict compliance with legal and procedural rules. Where the law empowers regulatory agencies to seal off the premises of defaulters, the right of such defaulters to fair hearing must be respected in strict compliance with section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution. Enforcement agencies must act within the bounds of the law by applying for court orders before sealing off the any premises of any person.
Finally, it is pertinent to draw the attention of governments and citizens to the case of Attorney-General of Lagos State vs. Attorney-General of the Federation (2004) 18 NWLR (PT 904) 1 at 127-128, where the Supreme Court enjoined governments and citizens to always resolve disputes by seeking redress in court and refrain form resorting to self help. According to Niki Tobi JSC of blessed memory: “In a society where the rule of law prevails, self help is not available to the Executive or any arm of government. In view of the fact that such a conduct could breed anarchy and totalitarianism, and since anarchy and totalitarianism are antitheses to democracy, courts operating the rule of law, the life blood of democracy, are under a constitutional duty to stand against such action. The courts are available to accommodate all sorts of grievances that are justiciable in law and section 6 of the Constitution gives the courts power to adjudicate on matters between two or more competing parties. In our democracy all the Governments of this country as well as organizations and individuals must kowtow to the due process of the law and this they can vindicate by resorting to the courts for redress in the event of any grievance.”
The British Airways was formed in 1974 through the merger of an airline which was known in the 1950s and 1960s, as British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways (BEA), an airline that covered European cities only. Two smaller airlines, Cambrian Airways and Northeast Airlines, were part of the merger arrangement. This merger established the United Kingdom’s national flag carrier, the British Airways, and was fully owned by the UK government. British Airways unified the Uk’s aviation operations under one carrier, and it has maximized the strategic benefits that laid in wait for it. Today, British Airways is one of the biggest 20 airlines the world over, with over 35,000 employees and a fleet size of 285 aircraft and operates 509 daily flights worldwide and 43 daily flights to the United States alone. Any tourist or business visitor traveling to the UK thinks first of British Airways but if the country has a national flag carrier, an alternative is then possible. In 1984, the British government licensed a second but privately owned flag carrier, Virgin Atlantic International, which has 8,000 employees, flies to 35 destinations across five continents plus over 300 partnership connections. Several other national governments have spent money creating their airlines or in propping them up. Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Emirates, Qatar airways, South African Airways, Turkish Airlines, Korean Air, Russian national flag carrier - Aeroflot, Air Canada, Air Algeria, Royal Air Maroc, Rwandair, Cathay Pacific, and several others have significant government interests. The statement by Keyamo that Nigeria is not willing to spend a ‘dime’ on a national flag carrier is not encouraging. The previous APC government approved its equity participation in such an airline and on assumption of office, President Bola Tinubu must have been agreeable to creating one after the botched attempt by Hadi Sirika’s ministry and so mandated the aviation minister to work out its desirability. The action Keyamo ought to have taken was to squeeze Sirika to account for the funds that may have been improperly deployed, dismiss the aviation ministry personnel used to defraud Nigeria via a ‘rented’ Ethiopian airline aircraft paraded as a Nigerian aircraft, sanction Ethiopia airline for allowing itself to be used to defraud fellow investors on the Air Nigeria deal,
and design a proper structure for a thriving national flag carrier. The current myopic school of thought, led by the World Bank and IMF, that public enterprises or government owned companies should be demonized in Africa has led Nigeria astray since 1986. This school of thought is poised to keep African personnel jobless at home by criminalizing public enterprises. Yet countries in Europe and Asia have used public enterprises to develop themselves, empower their people, and used such enterprises to provide the wherewithal needed by their people. Such excellent results can also be achieved in African public enterprises by penalizing impunity in public enterprises, deploying standard management practices in the operations, employing skilled personnel, punishing infractions, and rewarding efficiency. By implementing world class standards in managing such public enterprises we simply expose the lie behind the lazy World Bank concept that ‘government has no business in business’. By adopting the current world bank frame of mind, millions of trained Nigerian personnel have emigrated after remaining jobless or underpaid for several years because the jobs that should have been created by federal, state and local governments are not created and the private sector that is poorly capitalized, shallow, self-serving and narrow cannot also create them. Many important sectors that government agencies would need to intervene in are neglected despite the constitutional provisions permitting state enterprises to participate in economic and production activities. In that way, the economy has been left empty and hollow. Anyway, the argument here is that the strength of a national government is needed to raise the profile of a flag carrier.
In world aviation history, only the United States of America has relied exclusively on the private sector to build its aviation sector. Such gigantic airlines as Delta Air, United, Southwest airlines, American Airlines, and former PANAM were all created by private enterprise. But these privately owned airlines continue to receive myriads of incentives from the US government that encourage them to fly to underserved communities and get state subsidies to cushion inflationary pressures on their global operations. In today’s world, the barriers to entry into the aviation industry have escalated and cost has become exponential. These barriers account for why private airlines, going alone, cannot achieve significant success in developing scale economies. To give a new flag carrier a boost, a national government can invest minimally in such an airline, and make provisions for an exit corridor, whereby after a period of 10, 20, 30 years or more, the government can publicly sell off its shareholding and exit the investment. The Nigerian privately owned Air Peace which was founded in 2014, has remained small despite the efficiency of its management and the prudence of its owner. Air Peace is the largest airline in Nigeria, a staff strength of 2,300, fleet of 30 aircraft and has huge capacity constraints. An airline without adequate capacity is operationally weak. Other Nigerian private airlines like Arik, Aero, Dana, Ibom Air, Max Air, Green Africa, United Nigeria etc. tremble in the face of competition. Ibom Air is a small Akwa Ibom state government-owned airline. The lack of capacity in the Nigerian aviation industry has created an oligopolistic market situation where participants collude to fix prices and sometimes malpractices become commonplace. That is why passengers pay excessively high prices, particularly now, with a much-devalued currency, to fly in Nigeria and yet flights are routinely delayed, canceled and are unavailable to several destinations due to capacity constraints. The problem of capacity locally in Nigeria is immense and the absence of a
national flag carrier with domestic and international operations exacerbates the challenge. Capacity is a competitive feature of airlines. The bigger the capacity, the more routes the airline can cover. If Nigeria Airways had survived the 2003 guillotines, things would have been different. A Nigerian flag carrier with government interest can amass capacity quickly because with several flights within Nigeria and to strategic African countries, USA, UK and EU in one day and many more to Asian, Middle Eastern and Latin American countries will give it an edge. Population is on the side of a Nigerian flag carrier; business executives are always in the air and students fly often too. Robust airlines have huge fleet sizes and a world of employees. Delta Air has 985 aircraft and about 101,000 employees. American Airlines has 991 planes and 132,000 staff. Ethiopian airline has a fleet size of 156 and employee strength of 25,000. China Southern airline has 98,000 staff and 862 aircraft while China Eastern airline has 800 operating aircraft and 81,780 employees. Emirates airline has a fleet size of 269 and employees total of over 120,000, Qatar airline has 233 aircraft and staff of 55,000, Etihad has 97 aircraft and 53,000 employees. Many African countries have keyed into the aviation sector for jobs and tourism earnings. These airlines may be small now but would grow. Royal Air Maroc with 56 aircraft, employs 6,000 staff and covers 90 destinations of which 56 are international. Kenya Airways employs over 5,900 staff, with 35 aircraft and serves 54 destinations of which 44 are international. TAAG Air Angola is the national flag carrier of a fellow oil rich country, state owned, founded in 1938 as DTA, renamed TAAG in 1973, has 26 aircraft with three more Boeing 787 expected, with over 5,700 employees and flies to several Angolan cities and 15 African, Latin American and European cities, including London. Following its restructuring, South African Airways, previously fully state-owned now has government minority stake, remains the flag carrier of South Africa, operates a fleet of 20 aircraft, flies into several local, regional and international destinations with staff strength of over 2000 employees. Air Nigeria can muster 100 aircraft, be corruption free like the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas company (NLNG), can create over 10,000 jobs, all in five years, with very skilled Nigerian managers to draw from. Nigeria needs an opportunity to develop its aviation sector, create jobs, fly its citizens to more cities in and out of the country, generate local and foreign earnings and grow its fleet. Nigerians need jobs, good paying jobs. Setting up a national flag carrier will be a low hanging fruit for President Tinubu’s government. All the preliminaries have been put in place for the Nigerian flag carrier by the previous APC government and government is a continuum. Keyamo should return to the drawing board, correct the blueprint by Hadi Sirika, adopt the NLNG ownership/shareholding model, if necessary, by getting more than one strategic investor, and then seek a private audience with the president to table the proposal once again before him. Any combination of diverse ownership interests with government participation, a strong board and effective management with a watchful EFCC and ICPC can very well serve such a new airline. As things stand, Minister Keyamo needs to finish his assignment by presenting the proper arguments before the president to enable him to approve the creation of Air Nigeria and write his name in gold. Air Peace and Air Nigeria can gladly serve as Nigeria’s flag carriers, an adequate response to the aviation world.
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Super Eagles forward, Moses Simon has completed medical and is set to join newly pro-
moted Paris FC in a three-year deal till 2028 worth €7million.
According to top transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, Simon’s six-year romance
The Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, yesterday received Super Eagles and Udinese FC goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, during a courtesy visit to the Government House, Enugu.
Okoye, a native of Enugu State, expressed excitement at returning to his roots and announced plans to launch a charitable foundation and establish a football academy in the state.
He said these initiatives aim to give back to society, inspire young talents, and nurture future stars.
“I’m truly excited to be back home. Enugu is my origin and I carry it with pride everywhere I go. I look forward to giving back by setting up a foundation for humanitarian causes and a football academy to mentor and train aspiring players,” he said.
Responding, Governor Mbah commended Okoye for making Enugu State proud on the national and international stage. He applauded the goalkeeper’s commitment to youth development and announced that
the state government would appoint him as an Ambassador of Enugu State, describing him as a role model who would inspire young people, particularly pupils in the state’s Smart Green Schools.
“Maduka Okoye represents the best of Enugu talent on the national and global stage,” Governor Mbah said. “As a state, we are proud of his achievements and inspired by his desire to give back. We are appointing him as an Ambassador of Enugu State, and we believe he will be a great source of motivation for the next generation of talents in our Smart Green Schools and communities”, he stated.
The governor further pledged to support Okoye’s football academy initiative, announcing that the state would provide land for the project.
He also shared plans to revamp and upgrade the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium to meet FIFA standards, and invited him to participate in the next edition of the Enugu International Marathon, which will attract elite runners from around the world.
Udo-Obong: We Are Giving MKO Abiola Stadium Facelift to Host Worldclass CAA U18/U20 Championships
The MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State, venue of the 2025 Confederation of African Athletics U18/U20 Championships is having a makeover ahead of the competition billed for July between 16 and 20, 2025.
Chairman of the Technical Sub-committee of the Local Organising Commitee (LOC), Enefiok Udo-Obong, said on Tuesday that the stadium, which hosted the 22nd National Sports Festival in May 2025, will get a facelift to conform with world standard track and field competition venues.
During the visit by CAA delegation to the complex shortly before the Gateway Games, the
warmup tracks and throwing pitch were tipped for facelift.
Udo-Obong, a gold medallist in the 4x400m relay at Sydney 2000 Olympics, said work is currently ongoing in the area adding that it will be completed soon for the provision of the two important facilities.
“The stadium and throwing pitch in particular are taking a new face lift. Construction of new and world-class throwing area are underway. There is also a very conducive warm up area taking shape.
“I want to make sure it is done in a standard that can host the best of athletics competition anywhere,” he said.
“Moses Simon has just completed his medical at Paris FC today after deal done with Nantes for €7m,” the transfer expert wrote on
his @FabrizioRomano handle on X yesterday.
Apart from the €7million agreed with Nantes, Moses Simon has also reached personal terms believed to be worth double what he currently earns.
The Nigerian international winger who currently earns around €38k per week at Nantes will get double that figure at about €75k per week – the highest pay Cheque he has ever received in his career. Simon who will clock 30 years next month has been a key figure for Nantes since joining them from Levante — initially on loan in 2019 before making the move permanent a year later.
He has amassed 201 appearances for the Canaries, scoring 33 goals and providing 42 assists — a club record for combined contributions in all competitions.
Last season, Simon scored eight goals and 10 assists in 32 Ligue 1 matches, playing a vital role in helping Nantes avoid relegation. However, with just a year left on his current deal and no agreement reached over a contract extension, both club and player appear ready to part ways.
Despite interest from other Ligue 1 sides and clubs across Europe and the United States, Simon is reportedly drawn to Paris FC’s ambitious project. Confidants of the Benue State born footballer told THISDAY last night that Moses is particularly interested in remaining in France because he’s on the verge of securing the French citizenship which will give him dual nationality.
Lagos, Nigeria’s vibrant commercial capital, is set to host over 150 of the continent’s finest fencers for the 23rd African Fencing Championships, taking place from June 25 to 29, 2025. This prestigious five-day, 12-event tournament will unfold at Charterhouse Lagos, the first British independent school in West Africa.
The event will be officially declared open today by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-
This year’s championship promises high-stakes drama and elite competition, with 50 women and 100 men from 18 nations vying for continental glory.
It also marks another milestone for Charterhouse Lagos, which successfully hosted Nigeria’s first Fencing World Cup in 2024.
The action kicks off today at the Centre of Excellence, with athletes competing in both individual and
team events. The tournament will feature a thrilling mix of regional, continental, Olympic, and world champions.
Preliminary rounds will build up to intense medal showdowns, highlighting a dynamic blend of rising stars and seasoned veterans.
Meanwhile, top officials from the International Fencing Federation (FIE) are set to grace the 23rd African Fencing Championships,
taking place in Lagos, Nigeria. Leading the FIE delegation are Vice President Novak Perovic and Secretary General Gulnora Saidova, alongside other global dignitaries. The five-day, 12-event tournament will be hosted at Charterhouse Lagos in Lekki, with Olympic and World Champions expected to compete. The event underscores Nigeria’s growing prominence in the international fencing community.
Members of the Lagos Legends Club (LLC), a group of over 3,000 retired footballers and sportsmen were hosted to an unforgettable evening last Friday by the CEO of JOF Nigeria Limited, Dr. Segun Olugboyegun .
The event wasn’t just another corporate gathering—it was a reunion of legends. Led by their Chairman, Engr. Waidi Akanni, ably assisted by Spokesperson, Monday Kanu, members of the LLC, many of whom had given their best years to Nigerian national football teams, were treated to a night where their contributions were truly celebrated.
There were laughs, old stories, and even a few emotional moments
as these veterans of the game felt seen and valued again.
Dr Olugboyegun who runs JOF Nigeria Limited, a thriving manufacturing and logistics company with its headquarters in Oregun, Lagos, was also a former footballer himself, who laced his boots for Aquinas College, Akure, Ondo State, He understands the power of the game. That was why, through his company’s CSR initiatives, Dr Olugboyegun has been organizing Under-13 football competitions for years, giving kids not just a chance to play, but to dream big. But last Friday, he went beyond this. Having realized that many of Nigeria’s ex-footballers, after years of
thrilling fans on the pitch, often face struggles after retirement, decided something much more remarkable.
He opened the doors of his corporate office to host some these legends of the Beautiful Game in the country to an evening of warmth, good food, and heartfelt appreciation.
His effort put smiles on the faces of some of these ex internationals, majority of who struggle with health issues, finances, or simply fading into obscurity after retirement.
And in appreciation of what the JOF Nigeria Limited CEO has done in recognizing their contributions to the game in the country, the Lagos Legends Club members made Dr Olugboyegun a patron of the LLC.
Across Nigeria, commercial and residential premises are sealed off by government agencies in a purported execution of regulatory or tax mandate. Some private bodies equally seal off the houses of fellow citizens on grounds of non-payment of debts. Even landlords seal off apartments for failure of tenants to pay rents as and when due. However, when premises are sealed off without first obtaining a court order, it is tantamount to self-help—an unlawful method of exercising power without recourse to judicial process. Nigerian courts have consistently condemned this approach on the grounds that it is crude, illegal and unconstitutional. Self-help refers to actions taken by a person or authority to enforce their alleged rights or claims without judicial authorization. Self-help is particularly unlawful when it involves force, intimidation, or interference with rights without legal sanction. The Supreme Court in the case of The Military Governor of Lagos State v. Chief Emeka
emphasizing that even the State must abide by the rule of law because it rules by law.
Ground rent collection and presidential intervention.
Recently, the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, justified his decision to seal off offices including the PDP secretariat and the FIRS office in Abuja for alleged violations of urban planning regulations. The controversial nature of the action, executed without prior judicial orders, drew widespread condemnation as critics argued that it represented another instance of executive overreach and self-help by state authorities. The incident highlights the ongoing tension between administrative enforcement and constitutional rights and underscores the urgent need for judicial oversight in property-related sanctions.
Following widespread public concern, President Bola Tinubu intervened in the extrajudicial move by the Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) to enforce ground rent defaults by granting a 14-day grace period before sanctions would apply. This step not only
reflected public sensitivity to enforcement actions but also demonstrated the importance of procedural fairness and notice. It further emphasized the role of dialogue and legal compliance over coercive measures like sealing off properties without judicial input.
Judicial decisions on sealing off premises without Court Order
Several statutory frameworks empower authorities to regulate premises—such as the Urban and Regional Planning Act (1992), Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Regulations, Local Government Laws, tax and health laws. However, enforcement must comply with procedural safeguards such as issuance of notices and provision for hearing, failing which the action is void.
In many cases, Nigerian courts have held that no agency
The recent statement by Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister, Festus Keyamo, that the Nigerian government was not ready to spend a ‘dime’ on a state sponsored national flag carrier is an unfortunate anti-climax. What the aviation community expected was an announcement on when the Air Nigeria project would commence operation. The minister may therefore have clearly misunderstood the mandate he was given in 2023 on the federal government interest in a national carrier, when he assumed duty as a minister. To the Nigerian public, his assignment was clearly to review where Alhaji Hadi Sirika, the aviation minister under former president Muhammadu Buhari, went wrong in the implementation of the project for a rebirth of a national airline and ensure that a proper groundwork was laid to achieve the desired outcome. The minister had spent two years traveling round the world, visiting foreign airlines in their metropolitan
and
Embraer of
and Boeing in the
United States, and the rich lessons he gathered from these trips were meant to make the Air Nigeria project feasible. Added to these trips was the fact that Festus Keyamo was part of the cabinet of former president Buhari where the initial presidential approval to establish the airline was given. To now relegate the idea of a national carrier with Nigerian government participation to the status of non-starter is perplexing. As every watcher of the Nigerian aviation sector knows, the foreign airlines are always very uncomfortable when the idea of a Nigerian national flag carrier is mentioned, and they fear the stiff competition they would face with the operation of such a formidable airline. It is very possible that these foreign airlines may have mounted pressure on officials of the aviation ministry to kill the Air Nigeria project so that their market share is not disturbed by a new Nigerian flag carrier. In summary, Keyamo’s statement on the national flag carrier is not
a proper understanding of what Nigerians desire and it overlooks the huge opportunities available to such a flag carrier. Keyamo should know that he is one of a few of President Tinubu’s ministers, Nigerians look up to raise the profile of Nigeria in ministries they manage. A good look into the future of a Nigerian flag carrier, will show the tremendous benefits the Nigerian aviation sector will reap form such a carrier. To miss such an opportunity at this time of President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, will be akin to paradise lost.
The operation of a flag carrier with the ownership interest of a national government has been the vehicle used by several countries to achieve dominance and sustenance in the aviation industry. Nigeria realized this early in its march to nationhood when on August 23, 1958, Nigeria Airways was founded and began full
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