Queer icon ‘Zsazsa Zaturnnah’ returns to stage in 2027

Nearly two decades after Carlo Vergara introduced Zsazsa Zaturnnah to Filipino readers, the iconic superheroine is set to return to the stage in a revival of ‘Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal’ in 2027.

The musical will run from April to June 2027 at Shooting Gallery Studios under Wishbone Collective.

Zsazsa Zaturnnah first appeared in Vergara’s 2006 graphic novel ‘Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah.’

The character follows Ada, a gay beautician who transforms into the powerful and glamorous superheroine Zsazsa Zaturnnah after swallowing a magical stone from outer space.

Beyond its superhero premise, the story explores issues involving the LGBTQIA+ community, women, love, family and discrimination through humor and fantasy.

In 2020, Vergara said the themes explored in the graphic novel have remained relevant over the years.

‘May timeless quality siya. A lot of the concerns sa libro about LGBTs, not just LGBT, but also about women, about love – favorite topic natin ‘yung love – nandiyan pa rin siya. Hindi siya nawawala,’ he said.

‘Sad to say, habang nandiyan pa rin ‘yung mga problema, hindi talaga mag-eexpire ‘yung relevance ni Zaturnnah,’ Vergara added.

Ada’s experiences as a gay man are central to the story, including his search for love and struggles with homophobia from society and his family.

The character has also become associated with Filipino queer culture and drag. Zsazsa’s visual identity has drawn inspiration from drag queens, while the character herself has influenced performers in the local drag scene.

Over the years, Zsazsa Zaturnnah has appeared in various adaptations, including the 2006 film ‘Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah,’ starring Zsa Zsa Padilla, as well as stage productions of the musical.

The character’s humor is also rooted in Filipino culture, particularly the ‘bakla’ humor that runs through many of the story’s situations.

‘Siguro comedy…that’s how we deal sa mga problema, concerns,’ Vergara said in the 2020 interview. ‘So in a way, it’s a means for us to process things.’

For the 2027 revival, the production will feature an all-star creative team led by playwright Chris Martinez, who will handle the theatrical adaptation; award-winning composer and lyricist Vincent A. De Jesus, who will serve as musical director; and director Chris Millado, former artistic director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

‘Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal’ is scheduled to run from April to June 2027 at Shooting Gallery Studios.

Jobless Filipinos drop to 2.77 million in August

The number of jobless Filipinos in August this year declined to 2.77 million, indicating a 5.3% drop in the unemployment rate from July’s 6%.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday, October 6, that the number of unemployed individuals in the country dropped from July’s 3.14 million but remains higher than the record from the same period last year.

According to the state’s data agency, the unemployment rate in August 2025 stood at 3.9%, or 2.03 million jobless individuals.

National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said in a press briefing on Wednesday that the decline was driven by fewer individuals entering the labor force.

‘In terms of new entrants, mas konti ngayong pumasok ng August kaysa sa pumasok noong Hulyo,’ Mapa said.

(In terms of new entrants, fewer people entered in August than in July.)

Compared with July, when 1.5 million Filipinos entered the labor force, only about 897,000 individuals joined the workforce in August. Of this, 470,000 became employed, while 427,000 were unemployed.

The statistics agency also recorded a higher labor force participation rate in August at 64%, higher than the rate in July, which stood at 63.6%.

The labor force refers to individuals 15 years old and above who are either employed or unemployed. The labor force participation rate in August translates to a total of 52.56 million Filipinos, slightly higher than the 52.36 million in July and the 52.13 million in the same month last year.

Higher employment rate

The employment rate, meanwhile, slightly increased to 94.7% in August compared to July’s 94%.

The rate translates to 49.79 million Filipinos having jobs, which is higher than the 49.21 million recorded in July.

The data agency noted, however, that it is lower than the 96.1% record, or 50.10 million individuals, in August 2025.

Most of the employed individuals came from the services sector, with a 61.7% share, or 30.72 million individuals, followed by the agriculture sector with 20.9%, or 10.43 million people, and the industry sector with 17.3%, or 8.64 million Filipinos.

Bad weather, less work hours. The average weekly working hours of employed individuals in August also went down to around 39.2 hours from around 40.6 hours in July and 41 hours in August 2025.

Mapa said that among the main factors that contributed to the shorter weekly work hours in August were inclement weather conditions and flooding that led to work suspensions.

‘Ang malaki talaga na rason ay ‘yung bad weather. So medyo bumaba ‘yung hours worked per week ng mga employed persons dahil ni-reason nila na bad weather and alam natin noong August masyadong maraming araw na malalakas ang ulan at meron tayong pagbaha,’ Mapa said.

(The main reason was really bad weather. So, the hours worked per week of employed persons declined because they cited bad weather as the reason, and we know that in August, there were many days of heavy rains and flooding.)

Health summit puts Tanzania’s self-reliance to the test

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has been urged to build a health system that can rely more on domestic resources, with the government also called upon to ensure increased funding translates into better services and measurable results for citizens.

The call was made on Monday, at the 13th Tanzania Health Summit in Dar es Salaam, where the Government said it was reducing reliance on external funding by increasing domestic revenue, strengthening Universal Health Insurance and promoting local production of medicines and health products.

The discussion raised questions about accountability, particularly whether increased domestic allocations are reaching health facilities and producing the intended results.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Tanzania Dr Alex Gasasira said the organisation’s support should focus on strengthening local systems rather than replacing the Government in delivering health services.

‘Our aim is to build capacity within the country, both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar. We want to strengthen institutions, including universities, to build a strong health system,’ he said.

Dr Gasasira also called for better coordination among development partners to ensure their support aligns with Government priorities.

The minister for Health Mohamed Mchengerwa, who opened the summit on behalf of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, said 74.2 percent of the government budget was financed by domestic revenue, while the Ministry of Health had been allocated Sh1.8 trillion for 2026/27.

He said thegovernment was also introducing new health financing sources, including levies on imported tobacco and sugar products to support the Universal Health Insurance Fund. The Government aims to increase local production of medicines and health products to 80 percent of national demand by 2030, Dr Mchengerwa said.

He said the Medical Stores Department had been directed to prioritise locally produced products that meet Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority standards.

African Public Health Foundation expert, Dr Ambrose Talisuna, said Africa would struggle to achieve health security while depending on external financing, medicines and medical supplies. He called for greater investment in research, innovation, local production and sustainable health financing. Laerdal Global Health chief executive, Karoline Myklebust Linde, said investment in technology should be matched by investment in health workers.

‘Digital programmes and artificial intelligence tools cannot replace skilled health workers,’ she said.

WomenLift Health East Africa programmes head, Judith Anyona, said women should have a greater role in decisions on health financing and resource allocation, noting that women make up a large proportion of the global health workforce but remain under-represented in senior leadership.

The summit is taking place amid declining development assistance, rising non-communicable diseases and growing pressure to build health systems that can be sustained through domestic resources and institutions.

Fuel prices rise in October as petrol and diesel become more expensive

Dar es Salaam. Motorists will pay more for fuel in October after the price of a litre of petrol in Dar es Salaam rose by Sh261 to Sh4,057, while diesel increased by Sh209 to Sh4,086, according to new prices issued by the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (Ewura).

The increases, effective from 12:01am on Wednesday, October 7, represent a sharp rise from the September cap prices of Sh3,796 for petrol and Sh3,877 for diesel.

The increases vary across the country, with motorists in some inland markets now paying more than Sh4,300 for a litre of petrol.

At the Port of Tanga, petrol has increased by Sh251 to Sh4,123 per litre, from Sh3,872 in September, while diesel has risen by Sh199 to Sh4,152 from Sh3,953.

In Mtwara, petrol has increased by Sh261 to Sh4,170 per litre, from Sh3,909, while diesel has risen by Sh209 to Sh4,199 from Sh3,990.

EWURA attributed the increases to renewed tensions in the Middle East, which affected oil production, supply and shipping worldwide.

The authority said the tensions contributed to a significant increase in international prices of refined petroleum products during September.

The new monthly cap prices come as global oil markets remain sensitive to geopolitical developments, with changes in international product prices feeding through to Tanzania’s domestic fuel pricing system.

The impact is more pronounced in some inland markets, where transport and distribution costs add to the prices charged at the pump.

Kyerwa District in Kagera Region has the highest petrol cap at Sh4,370 per litre, while diesel is capped at Sh4,399.

In Karagwe, petrol is capped at Sh4,364 per litre, while Misenyi has a cap of Sh4,356.

In Geita Region, petrol is capped at Sh4,319 per litre in Chato and Sh4,336 in Mbogwe. Diesel is capped at Sh4,348 and Sh4,365 respectively.

EWURA said the Government was monitoring developments in the global market and taking measures to safeguard fuel supplies and keep prices affordable.

The published figures are maximum retail prices rather than mandatory pump prices. Oil marketing companies can sell below the cap to compete for customers, provided they do not breach the applicable floor price.

The regulator also requires petrol stations to display prices prominently and indicate any discounts, promotions or other incentives offered to customers.

Consumers have been urged to demand electronic fiscal receipts for every fuel purchase. EWURA said the receipts can serve as evidence when lodging complaints over prices above the approved cap or concerns about fuel quality.

2027: Idele to lead APC Women Presidential Campaign Council

Dr Mary Idele, the National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said she has been appointed Director-General of the APC Women Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections.

Idele, who disclosed this while speaking with newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, said the announcement was made by the First Lady of Nigeria, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, during the pre-inauguration of the Women Mobilisation Directorate.

She said the appointment had placed her at the forefront of the party’s women mobilisation efforts as the APC prepares for the 2027 presidential election and seeks to secure the re-election of President Bola Tinubu.

‘As Director-General, I am expected to coordinate and provide strategic direction for the APC’s women-focused campaign structures across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

‘I will also lead efforts to mobilise women voters and party members at the grassroots, strengthen women’s participation in the campaign.

‘I will communicate the administration’s policies, programmes and achievements to women across the country.’

Idele said the Women Presidential Campaign Council under her leadership would engage women’s groups, market associations, professional bodies, community organisations and other grassroots networks in support of Tinubu’s re-election bid.

She explained that the council would also work to counter misinformation, promote issue-based campaign messages and highlight policies of the administration considered beneficial to women, families and communities.

The APC National Women Leader said she had already been contributing to efforts to strengthen women’s participation in the party and promote greater inclusion of women in political activities.

She said the new assignment would therefore build on the existing women mobilisation structures of the APC and transform them into an effective grassroots campaign network ahead of the 2027 general elections.

‘The initiative is also expected to give women a central role in the APC’s campaign strategy, particularly in voter mobilisation, political sensitisation and community-level engagement,’ Idele said.

She said her emergence as Director-General would further consolidate the APC’s efforts to harness the numerical strength and organisational capacity of women,

She added that the campaign council would work with APC women leaders and stakeholders nationwide to mobilise support for Tinubu, strengthen grassroots party structures and encourage women to actively participate in the electoral process.

Ogun governorship: APC’s Adeola affirms origin, blames ‘jesters’ for controversy

The candidate of All Progressives Congress for the Ogun 2027 governorship election, Sen. Solomon Adeola Yayi, has again dismissed those disputing his state of origin.

Adeola, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, said this while affirming that he is from Ogun State.

‘My father is from Ogun State, my mother is from Ogun State. I am from Ogun State. Those who claim I am from Ekiti are jesters,’ Adeola said while speaking with journalists in Lagos on his governorship ambition.

He also debunked the claim that his father was buried in Ekiti.

According to him, his late father was buried in the house he built at Ogunsola Street in Alaguntan in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos.

‘My father was not buried in Ekiti; my father was buried in the house he built at Ogunsola Street at Alaguntan in Alimosho,’ he said.

He said the claims were mere political gimmicks, which, according to him, would not succeed.

‘They are just playing politics with the ridiculous claims and they will not succeed,’ he said.

Adeola said his governorship ambition was driven by passion to serve and develop Ogun and not for personal enrichment.

‘My ambition to be the governor of this state is not based on personal interest or plan to enrich myself or to be in that exalted office to be called governor, but based on passion to serve, passion to serve the people of Ogun,’ he said.

He said his journey to securing the Ogun governorship ticket had not been smooth.

Adeola recalled that his first attempt to return home from Lagos to contest was met with ‘a brick wall’, forcing him to return to Lagos West where he won the senatorial seat.

He said his second attempt to succeed former Gov. Ibikunle Amosun also met stiff resistance, which again took him back to the Senate.

According to him, it was on the third attempt that God answered his prayers when he later secured the Ogun West ticket and won, and now the governorship ticket.

The lawmaker said that with 24 years in the legislature – eight years in the Lagos State House of Assembly, four years in the House of Representatives and 12 years in the Senate – he had acquired the requisite experience to govern the state.

He said what Ogun needed now was consolidation and continuity.

‘I strongly feel that the next person in line must come to consolidate on the gains we have made in the last seven and a half years as a state,’ Adeola said.

He said Gov. Dapo Abiodun had laid a solid foundation for economic development.

‘Under the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun, Ogun has done extremely well, and that I can testify to,’ he said.

Adeola explained that governance was about the seen and the unseen, stressing that while the seen were physical infrastructure such as roads, schools and hospitals, the unseen were economic foundations that would give birth to the seen.

He cited the 7-billion-dollar deep seaport project whose ground-breaking is scheduled for November and the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport as some of the unseen investments in the state.

Others, he said, were the proposed dairy farm in Ilaro with 5,000 cows and a polymer manufacturing company.

The senator said Ogun remained the most industrialised state in Nigeria under Abiodun, with its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) growing from less than N100 billion to about N300 billion annually.

He added that the state was on the verge of becoming an oil-producing state with exploration activities at Tongeji Island in Ogun West and the signing of the OK Gas project at Ewa.

‘All of this coming together, they are the unseen. and so for me, I would say that Dapo Abiodun has laid a very solid foundation in the area of economic development of our state,’ he said.

Adeola acknowledged public concerns about roads, but explained that over 65 per cent of roads in Ogun were federal roads, adding that refund for state intervention was always difficult.

He promised to prioritise strategic roads that would open up economic corridors and improve intra-state connectivity.

The candidate said he had promised continuity, noting that his emergence would mean the first time power would be transferred from a friendly outgoing governor to a friendly incoming governor.

‘I have promised continuity to the people of Ogun State, and this is the first time we are attempting as a state to have a transfer of power from a friendly outgoing governor to a friendly incoming governor,’ he said.

Adeola said his blueprint was anchored on nine pillars encapsulated in his ITESIWAJU slogan – governance that works for everybody.

He listed the pillars as Infrastructure, Tourism and Culture, Education and Environment, Security and Law Enforcement, Inclusive Health and Well-being, Women and Youth Development,

Agriculture, Job Creation and Industrialisation, and Urban Renewal and Fiscal Planning.

He clarified that continuity would not be blind.

‘ITESIWAJU doesn’t mean that I want to take everything that this administration is doing.

‘Rather, areas that I need to continue, I will continue, and areas I need to improve upon, I will improve upon. Also areas I need to change, I will change completely,’ he said.

Adeola also noted that Ogun West had never produced a governor since the creation of the state 50 years ago.

He said it was only fair that Ogun people supported his governorship bid, being from Ogun West, adding that with his experience, he would reposition the state for greater prosperity.

Ladi Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is another major contender for the number one seat in the state.

NDRRMC: Over 428,000 individuals affected by El Niño so far

The effects of El Niño affected over 428,000 individuals across the country so far, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Wednesday.

In its latest report, the NDRRMC said that 428,687 individuals or 115,246 families have been affected by the phenomenon. The affected population came from Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Bicol Region, and Caraga.

The phenomenon also placed 106 cities and municipalities under state of calamity. Of this figure, 66 came from Cagayan Valley, 23 from Caraga, 12 from Bicol Region, four from Calabarzon, and one from Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City).

The agency said that P45,493,054.06 worth of assistance was provided to 34,649 families, which is equivalent to 73.74 percent of families needing assistance.

Meanwhile, in its first bulletin issued last September 26, the Department of Agriculture said that El Niño has already affected 223,214 farmers in 14 regions in the country, with damage in the agriculture sector already reaching P6.87 billion.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that El Niño may reach a very strong state by the end of 2026 and will continue until the first half of 2027.

Pagasa on Wednesday also said that more areas are expected to experience drought conditions from October 2026 to March 2027.

Leviste says he’s more worried about others than arrest order

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste said on Wednesday that the arrest order issued against him by the Makati Regional Trial Court was a small matter to deal with, compared with difficulties other people are going through.

Leviste made the statement in a Facebook post following reports that the Makati Regional Trial Court had issued warrant for his arrest.

‘Salamat sa lahat ng sumusuporta. Huwag niyo akong alalahanin, maliit na bagay lang ito kumpara sa ibang nangyayari. Kayo ang inaalala ko,’ Leviste said.

(Thank you to all those who have supported me. Do not worry about me, this is a small matter compared to the other things happening. I am more concerned about you.)

Earlier, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed that branch 235 of the Makati RTC had issued an arrest order against Leviste on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, over alleged violation of Section 25 of the Public Service Act.

Signed by Presiding Judge Ricardo Moldez II, the warrant set a bail at P72,000.

Section 25 of the Public Service Act, as amended by Republic Act No. 11659, states that any person ‘who shall knowingly and willfully neglect, fail, or omit to do or perform, or who shall knowingly and willfully cause’ a public service corporation or company to neglect, fail, or omit to do or perform its functions will be penalized.

Leviste has faced criticism over unfinished solar energy projects linked to his company, Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc. He has rejected comparisons to so-called ghost projects, saying such a situation would arise only if the government had paid him and he failed to deliver.

The Department of Energy earlier said it had terminated 163 power projects over failure to meet agreed timelines. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said 64 percent of the canceled projects were handled by Leviste’s company and that the projects carried a combined P24 billion penalty.

Garin said the canceled contracts under Leviste’s firm include 33 that were secured under the Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP), as well as some agreements outside GEAP reached between 2014 and 2019.

Still on soaring poverty

THE latest assessment of the Nigerian economy by the World Bank strongly indicates that poverty is soaring. The government points to stronger foreign reserves, improved macroeconomic indicators and renewed investor confidence, yet millions of Nigerians continue to struggle with the elementary business of survival. The World Bank’s 2026-2032 Country Partnership Framework and its accompanying diagnostic identified widespread poverty, high informality, weak job creation and serious energy and infrastructure deficits as persistent constraints on Nigeria’s development. This appraisal should be treated as a summons to concrete action. The framework’s central proposal is unmistakable: Nigeria must create more, and better, private-sector jobs to achieve durable poverty reduction. The diagnostic puts 33 percent of Nigerians in the category of the ultra-poor, 61 percent below the poverty line, and 79 percent as either poor or vulnerable to falling into poverty. The Bank’s current country profile also shows that about 123 million Nigerians lived in extreme poverty in 2025. These figures are chilling. Behind them are parents eating less so their children can eat; graduates wandering from one unsuccessful job application to another; farmers unable to cultivate their land because of terrorist attacks; small businesses suffocating from energy costs; and workers becoming broke almost as soon as they are paid.

Reforms such as petrol subsidy removal, exchange rate normalisation, tighter monetary policy and tax review, among others, may have been necessary. The World Bank itself acknowledges that recent reforms have contributed to macroeconomic stabilisation. But such stabilisation must not become the final destination. It is not enough for the government to say that challenging reforms have been undertaken. The purpose of economic reform is to make citizens’ lives better. As John Steinbeck wrote in The Grapes of Wrath, ‘Wherever there’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there.’ Reforms should be beneficial for all. The Federal Government must move beyond conditional cash transfers as a response to mass deprivation. Social protection has its place, particularly during periods of severe economic dislocation or public health emergency. But no country can sustainably lift its citizens out of poverty through cash disbursement alone. Nigerians must ultimately earn their way out of poverty through productive work. Disturbingly, there lies another paradox: Nigeria is not short of people willing to work; it is short of an economy capable of productively employing them. Three to four million young Nigerians reportedly enter the labour market every year. The World Bank projects that about 60 million young Nigerians will join the labour force over the next decade. At the same time, one in four Nigerian youths is neither employed, educated, nor trained. What happens when millions of young people discover that there is no place for them in the formal economy? Government must answer that question with urgency.

An answer lies in agriculture, it must become a genuine business rather than a slogan. Nigerian farmers cannot produce food when insecurity prevents them from reaching their farms. Government must decisively address insecurity in farming communities, expand irrigation and storage, improve rural roads and provide access to affordable finance. Besides, there is a direct relationship between energy and prosperity. A factory that cannot operate for 24 hours cannot compete effectively. A manufacturer forced to depend heavily on diesel cannot produce cheaply. A small enterprise spending an enormous portion of its income on electricity cannot employ many people. Nigeria cannot defeat poverty without solving its energy problem. Emphatically, the word ‘subsidy’ must not be treated like a profanity. Every serious government uses subsidies, incentives or strategic support to nurture sectors vital to national development. Nigeria should consider targeted fuel or energy support for productive enterprises. The question is not whether government should subsidise. It is what should be subsidised, who should benefit and what measurable public good should result.

Government must also confront its own appetite. Why is ‘bold reform’ so frequently invoked when the subject is subsidy removal, but less enthusiastically applied when the discussion turns to corruption, waste and the extravagant cost of governance? Fighting corruption, reducing official extravagance, recovering stolen public funds and making government procurement deliberately favourable to competent Nigerian producers are also bold reforms. In this context, Malaysia offers a useful lesson. Its government maintains structured policies governing official and departmental vehicles, while its wider industrial policies have supported domestic automotive production. Nigeria should similarly examine how public procurement can be used more deliberately to strengthen domestic manufacturing, provided local products meet reasonable standards of quality, safety and value. Nigerian automobile manufacturers, for their part, must rise to the occasion. Patriotism cannot compel Nigerians indefinitely to buy inferior products. ‘Buy Nigerian’ must be driven by the mantra: ‘Make Nigerian products worth buying.’

There is another elephant in the room: local government. How does Nigeria intend to fight poverty at the grassroots when the tier of government closest to the people is weakened by political interference? The Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment affirmed the constitutional status and financial autonomy of local governments and held that state retention of local-government funds was unconstitutional. The Federal Government subsequently established an inter-ministerial committee to facilitate implementation. The matter must not end there. The President should engage the governors and insist, through sustained political dialogue, that local governments become functional institutions of grassroots development. As in the advanced economies, the local council should drive rural development. A local government controlled from the governor’s office cannot truly be the government of the people. The challenge in Nigeria today is not merely who occupies political office, but whether those in office possess the imagination and courage to build institutions that work beyond political convenience. Yet Nigerians themselves must also look inwards. They cannot demand integrity from leaders while celebrating corruption when it benefits them. A society eventually gets the leadership culture it tolerates.

There is another challenge: Artificial Intelligence (AI). The world of work is changing rapidly. Automation and AI will create opportunities, but they will also displace certain categories of jobs. Nigeria cannot afford to prepare millions of young people for an economy that no longer exists. Digital skills, technical education, vocational training and entrepreneurship must become central pillars of national economic policy. Above all, government must remember that not every Nigerian should be thrown naked into the international market and told to swim. Is a teacher earning ?100,000 not entitled to drive a modest Corolla? Must every ordinary worker bear the full weight of inflation while government continues to protect its own privileges? The country cannot return to square one after asking its citizens to endure painful reforms. Nigeria needs reform, certainly, but reform with a human face.

The true measure of economic success is not the comfort of the balance sheet in Abuja. It is whether the farmer can safely reach his farm; whether the factory can run through the night; whether the teacher can live with dignity; whether the graduate can find productive work; whether the family can afford food; and whether a young Nigerian can look into the future without despair. The World Bank has sounded the alarm. Government must now listen, for ultimately, the economy exists for the people, not otherwise. The fight against poverty must become the defining economic struggle of the moment.

Efficient urban transportation and real estate value

BEYOND facilitating the movement of people and goods from one location to another, roads, rail lines, waterways, pedestrian corridors, and other modern transit systems enhance wealth creation and distribution. This is how cities and human communities work, and this is what makes them thrive. Efficient urban transportation stimulate economic growth, influence patterns of development, create employment opportunities, raise property values, and generate substantial tax revenue for governments. From Lagos to Abuja, Port Harcourt to Kano, transportation remains one of the most important determinants of urban prosperity. While housing, commercial activities, and industrial development are often regarded as the engines and drivers of economic growth, transportation is the indispensable factor that sustains them all. Urban transportation has existed for centuries, evolving alongside human settlements and economic activities.

Equally connected and inseparable, positively and economically are transportation and real estate. In the world of real estate, accessibility is value. Properties situated near major highways, rail stations, ferry terminals, and commercial centers often command significantly higher values than properties located in poorly connected areas. That is how it works in every part of the world. Buyers and investors are naturally attracted to locations that provide quick and easy access to workplaces, schools, hospitals, markets, and recreational facilities. Just take a look at areas where transportation infrastructure is provided or expanded, you will find out quick transformation of the communities. Areas that are once regarded as peripheral settlements have become thriving residential and commercial hubs, simply because they become more accessible. This trajectory is particularly evident in some parts of Lagos, where improvements in road networks and water transportation systems have contributed significantly to land appreciation. It is the construction of the 3rd Mainland bridge that first opened up places like Gbagada, Ketu and other communities along the corridor. The same pattern has emerged in Abuja, where the development of major expressways have accelerated commercial and residential development. Efficient transportation system no doubt enhances accessibility and convenience, drives real estate development, value appreciation and rental income, and ultimately expand government’s revenue.

It is quite unfortunate therefore that in Nigeria, where road transportation accounts for approximately ninety per cent of freight and passenger movement, poor infrastructure remains one of the main problems of road transport. Very few cities in Nigeria have modern smart highways, underground tunnels, footbridges, flyovers, advanced traffic management systems, intelligent transport management solutions, project monitoring information systems, etc. Most paved road networks have poor drainage systems and have lost their asphalt surface, making it difficult to drive on roads with uneven surfaces and potholes, especially during rainy seasons. Poor road maintenance, allocation of insufficient money for roads, low-quality materials used for repairs highly contributes to poor road transport infrastructure in Nigeria. Most main road networks made in the 80s and early 90s are old and worn out, but the government keeps turning a blind eye to them.

Yet, the efficiency of the transportation system largely determines the nation’s wealth and quality of urban life. The nation cannot afford to continue to struggle with inadequate public transport systems, deteriorating roads, persistent traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and ineffective urban planning.

Consequently, transportation investment should be viewed not merely as a social service but as a strategic economic asset. The government should urgently look into problems of road transportation in Nigeria. It is among the most affected means of movement in the country. A poor road transportation system slows a nation’s economic, cultural, and social development. The government should combat corruption in the road transport sector. Government should frequently repair roads before damages worsen to avoid high maintenance and repair costs. Private investors and the government should invest more in roads, and in alternative modes of transport like railways, and encourage people to use them to reduce road demand and traffic congestion. It should also concentrate on developing quality and modern roads that last long. Modern technology and skills will help us to construct proper drainage facilities, footbridges, underground tunnels, flyovers, and other modern infrastructure on roads.

Efficient transportation systems will provide governments with a powerful mechanism for increasing internally generated revenue. When property values rise, governments benefit through higher collections from property taxes, land use charges, development levies, capital gains taxes, registration fees, and various forms of business taxation. Increased commercial activity likewise leads to greater collections from value-added tax, company income tax, licensing fees, toll charges, and fuel taxes. Urban transportation therefore creates a multiplier effect. Improved roads attract businesses. Businesses attract workers. Workers require housing. Housing stimulates construction activities. Increased economic activity generates additional tax revenue, which can subsequently be reinvested in further infrastructure development. This cycle has been successfully demonstrated in many developed economies, where transportation investments have consistently produced long-term economic returns that far exceed the initial capital expenditure.