Star girl Ogwumike set for WNBA bow after stellar career

Eleven-time WNBA All-Star and Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) president Nneka Ogwumike has announced that she will retire at the end of the 2026 season, bringing the curtain down on a magnificent 15-year career.

The 36-year-old forward, who was born to Nigerian parents in Texas, revealed her decision during an interview with Taylor Rooks for Boardroom Talks, explaining that her realization came during this spring’s training camp.

‘I feel very fulfilled with the 15 years that I’ve been able to play and compete at such a high level,’ Ogwumike said. ‘Even though I didn’t know what kind of player that I could be in this league, I never thought that I would play this long.

‘It’s a little bit my body. I still feel very good, but I also feel the comfort of slowing down a little bit. I find myself grateful, fulfilled, and at peace with everything this game has given me and everything I’ve poured into it.’

Drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2012, Ogwumike established herself as one of the most dominant forces in modern basketball. She led the franchise to a WNBA championship in 2016-the same year she claimed league MVP honors. Across her 15 seasons, including 12 years with Los Angeles and a two-year stint with the Seattle Storm before returning to the Sparks on a one-year deal, Ogwumike holds Sparks franchise records for most points, field goals made, steals, and double-doubles.

Over her storied career, the future Hall of Famer has averaged 16.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while earning eight All-WNBA selections.

Beyond her on-court dominance, Ogwumike’s legacy as WNBPA president has transformed the sport off the court. She spearheaded historic collective bargaining negotiations, including a landmark deal yielding over $1 billion in projected player salaries and benefits over seven years.

‘Nneka will retire at the end of this season leaving the WNBA much better than she found it – a testament not only to the player she has been, but to the person and leader she is,’ WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.

Echoing those sentiments, WNBPA Executive Director Terri Jackson added: ‘Her leadership has been extraordinary. As President for the last decade, Nneka understood that leadership was not simply about having a seat at the table; it was about using that seat to move the game forward for every player.’

If the Sparks miss the postseason, Ogwumike’s final professional appearance will take place on September 24 against the Golden State Valkyries at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

‘I don’t want to treat any transition or any change like the end,’ Ogwumike reflected. ‘I am very proud and fulfilled in what I’ve been able to do on the court, but there are so many doors that will allow me to discover myself and transition on my own terms.’

2027: IG warns politicians against use of youths for violence

Politicians have been warned by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu against using youths to fight battles against their opponents.

Disu said during the National Youth Leadership and Security Dialogue in Abuja yesterday that the recruitment of youths to perpetrate violence destroys their future while politicians end up reconciling.

To the youths, he counselled them to deploy their influence positively by engaging in entrepreneurship, technology, education, creativity, public policy and community development rather than engaging in political thuggery.

The dialogue, themed ‘Different Contexts, Common Aspirations ‘ was organised by the Nigeria Police Force to commemorate International Youth Day 2026.

The campaign for the event was ‘My Future is Greater than Political and Digital Thuggery.’

Disu’s warning came against the backdrop of preparations for the 2027 electoral cycle.

The police chief, who urged youths to resist being manipulated by politicians, said that Nigeria’s diversity in ethnicity, religion, geography, culture and political affiliation should not obscure the common aspirations of young people.

His words: ‘Politicians contest elections, but you(youths) live with the consequences of those elections.

Nigeria cannot build a secure and prosperous future by destroying the generation that is expected to inherit that future.’

He pointed out that the Police recognise the constitutional rights of citizens to participate in political activities, support political parties, express their views and campaign for candidates of their choice.

The IGP assured that the police would not only protect Nigerians but also facilitate peaceful campaigns, secure candidates, campaign venues and safeguard the electoral environment.

He said apart from not tolerating the recruitment or mobilisation of youths for violence, anyone found using weapons for electoral purposes, attacking political opponents, intimidating/destroying public and private property would not be dealt with.

‘The law will take its course against anyone who crosses that line. And this message is not directed at one political party or one political interest. It is directed at everyone,’ Disu said.

He also identified social media as a new frontier of political conflict, warning that violence could now begin from smartphones before spilling into the streets.

Disu warned that misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, cyberbullying, impersonation, deepfakes, online intimidation and coordinated digital attacks have the capacity to inflame communities and undermine confidence in democratic institutions.

Disu urged Nigerians to always verify information before sharing and to consider the consequences of inflammatory online activities.

‘Think before you click. Verify before you share. Pause before you post,’ he said.

Disu said history would judge the current generation of Nigerian youths by how they responded when the country needed them, urging them to choose peace, innovation, responsible citizenship and democratic values.

‘I want history to remember this generation as the generation that refused to be used,’ he said.

He added that a Nigeria with educated, skilled, innovative and productive youths would be stronger, while a country whose young people were manipulated into violence, criminality and hatred would be the ultimate loser.

The IGP also urged Nigerian youths to protect, build and own their future, declaring that their future was greater than the challenges of today and should be used to build a safer, more peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.

· Also yesterday, Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mariya Mahmoud, urged religious leaders to use their influence to promote peace, tolerance and national unity ahead of the general election .

· Delivering a goodwill message at the Interfaith Prayers for Nigeria and President Bola Tinubu, in Abuja. Mahmoud said Christian and Muslim leaders should reject hate speech, violence, extremism and intolerance in their sermons and public engagements.

· She also called on churches, mosques and other places of worship to remain sanctuaries of peace, moral instruction, compassion and unity, stressing that religious differences must not become instruments of division.

Tax Ombud, OGFZA collaborate to deepen investor confidence

As part of efforts to increase Nigeria’s tax-to-Gross Domestic Product ( GDP) ratio, the Office of the Tax Ombud and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) have agreed to explore inter-agency collaboration aimed at attracting more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country’s oil and gas free zones, by addressing tax and fee-related grievances through effective and efficient mediation services provided by the country’s foremost tax dispute-resolution institution.

The resolution was reached when the Tax Ombud Chief Executive, Dr. John C. Nwabueze visited OGFZA on Wednesday.

Nwabueze told the OGFZA Managing Director, Alhaji Usman Bamanga Jada, that the proposed collaboration was a panacea for promoting fair, transparent, predictable and investor-friendly tax administration within Nigeria’s oil and gas free zones.

‘I am very much aware that OGFZA regulates and coordinates activities in the zones, grants permits and licences, administers incentives and resolves disputes among stakeholders.

The Office of the Tax Ombud complements these functions by providing an independent channel for reviewing and resolving complaints relating to taxes, levies, regulatory fees, customs duties and excise matters.’

He said the two government agencies could collaborate in areas, including taxpayer complaint resolution, clarification of tax incentives, review of systemic complaints, and the promotion of transparency and accountability. These efforts, he said, would contribute to increased voluntary tax compliance and engender a higher tax-to-GDP ratio, which is critical to national development and consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

Responding, Jada said that investors in Nigeria’s oil and gas free zones have benefited from incentives, tax exemptions and customs duty concessions, deliberately introduced by the Federal Government to encourage sustainable FDI inflows into the country, as well as private-sector-driven infrastructure development and employment generation.

He said that collaboration with the Office of the Tax Ombud will advance OGFZA’s mandate, adding that the visit was timely, as it would help build investor confidence and promote business activities, particularly within the special economic zones that the Authority is championing across the country.

As part of efforts to translate the proposed collaboration into concrete action, both government agencies have appointed liaison officers to coordinate the relationship and facilitate the achievement of the desired objectives within the shortest possible time.

FRSC promotes 7,472 personnel, orders decoration of new ranks

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has approved the promotion of 7,472 personnel, comprising 2,134 officers and 5,338 marshals.

According to a statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, Osondu Ohaeri, on Friday, the promotion aims to strengthen professionalism, leadership and operational effectiveness in road safety management.

He said the promotion was also part of the Corps’ human capital development programme and was intended to reward merit, competence, discipline and commitment to service, while injecting fresh capacity into its leadership and operational structure.

Osondu said the affected personnel would begin wearing their new ranks following decoration ceremonies to be conducted by heads of departments, corps officers, heads of special units and commanding officers from Wednesday, August 26, to Friday, August 28, 2026.

‘The decoration is to be carried out in line with the Administrative Instruction on the Decoration of Newly Promoted Officers and Marshals,’ he said.

Osondu said the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, had described the promotion as both a reward for service and a call to greater responsibility.

‘He charged the newly promoted personnel to justify their elevation through higher standards of professionalism, accountability, leadership and service delivery to the Nigerian motoring public,’ he said.

Mohammed said the strength of the FRSC was not determined solely by its patrol vehicles, technology or enforcement architecture, but fundamentally by the quality, character and commitment of its personnel.

He congratulated the promoted officers and marshals, urging them to regard their new ranks as a mandate to do more and lead better.

‘Every additional stripe, pip or insignia represents increased expectations from the Corps, the Federal Government and the Nigerian people,’ he said.

The Corps Marshal also stressed the need for the promotion system to remain an instrument for building a professional, responsive and performance-driven institution capable of responding to the changing demands of road safety management.

He urged the newly promoted personnel to demonstrate discipline both on and off the road, treat members of the public with dignity, uphold the integrity of the Corps and remain committed to reducing road traffic crashes.

Eko Akete Co-operative holds 64th AGM

Eko Akete (Mainland) Cooperative Multipurpose Society Limited has held its 64th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Annual Report in Ikotun, Lagos.

President of the society, Victor Olusanjo Falemi, lamented the inflation and attendant hardship in the country, but stated the Management Committee’s resolve to ‘stay focused on the cooperative’s mandate, cushion the hardship through savings, affordable credit, and viable investment for our members’.

The president announced that the society recorded an increase in total income compared to 2024, driven by higher loan portfolio turnover, loan recovery and diversified income streams from investment outlets. He also announced that the society achieved a significant increase in net surplus for the year ended December 31, 2025.

He pledged that the management would remain prudent in the deploying of funds into low-risk high return ventures.

The Treasurer, Fredrick Olufemi Onabanjo, said the society realised a total income of N679,425,398.06, and N277,181,075.13 in expenditure; culminating in a net surplus of N402,244,322.93.

This was against N651,931,372.65 in 2024 – an increase of N27,494,02.41.

Onabanjo said the total expenditure in 2025 stood at N277,181,075.13, as against N267,604,768.43 in 2024, an increase ofN9,576,306.70, which he ascribed to rising operating and overhead costs.

Notably, loan interest was also raised from eight to 10 per cent from August 19.

The president cited the economic situation for the hard decision.

He informed members of plans to digitalise loan applications, to enable easier online application by members.

Six teachers arrested after student allegedly beaten over poor mock exam results dies

Bunda. Six teachers at Makongoro Secondary School in Bunda District are being held by police following the death of a Form Six student who allegedly collapsed and later died after being beaten over poor performance in a mock examination.

The deceased, identified as 23-year-old Peter Marire, was studying Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) at the school.

Mara Regional Police Commander Pius Lutumo confirmed the incident to Mwananchi on Friday, August 21, 2026, saying police and medical experts were investigating the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.

‘Indeed, the incident occurred and we are already holding six teachers. Investigations are ongoing, so we urge students and members of the public to remain calm,’ Commander Lutumo said.

He said police were conducting a thorough investigation, with medical experts working to establish the exact cause of Marire’s death.

Police were also deployed to the school to strengthen security after students became distressed and reportedly threatened to cause unrest.

According to information from the school, Marire was among students who performed poorly in the mock examination and were subjected to corporal punishment.

A source who asked not to be named said individual subject teachers punished students who had performed poorly before other teachers also joined in.

The source said Marire complained that he was feeling unwell and asked to rest, but his request was allegedly ignored. He later collapsed and lost consciousness while the punishment was continuing.

‘His fellow students were later instructed to take him to the dormitory, but his condition continued to deteriorate,’ the source said.

The students subsequently took him to Bunda District Council Hospital, located near the school, where he later died, according to the source.

Family receives devastating news

Marire’s father, Everest Marire, told Mwananchi that the incident occurred on August 19 and that the family was informed that his son had been admitted to hospital after allegedly being assaulted by some teachers.

He said he and other relatives travelled from Musoma to Bunda, but on arriving at the hospital, they were told that Marire was in critical condition and was being prepared for referral.

‘I was later called inside and asked whether my son had any underlying health problem. I told them he had none, and that was when I was informed that he had already died,’ he said.

Marire’s body was taken to Musoma for a post-mortem examination as the family awaits the findings.

His sister, Sherida Marire, said the family was devastated by his death, particularly because their mother died in April this year.

She said Marire appeared to have gone through a difficult period following their mother’s death, which the family believes may have affected his academic performance.

However, she said he had previously performed well at school, having completed Form Four with Division One and 11 points.

The investigation is continuing as police and medical experts work to establish the circumstances and cause of the student’s death.

Lissu has case to answer in treason trial, High Court of Tanzania rules

The High Court has ruled that Chadema chairman Tundu Lissu has a case to answer in his treason trial, requiring him to present his defence.

The ruling was delivered on August 21, 2026, by Judge Dunstan Ndunguru, who chaired a three-judge panel comprising Judges James Karayemaha and Ferdinand Kiwonde.

Judge Ndunguru said the court had considered the prosecution’s evidence and the defence’s submissions before determining that the prosecution had established a case requiring an answer. Lissu faces a treason charge under Section 39(2)(d) of the Penal Code, Revised Edition 2023.

The charge stems from remarks he allegedly made during a Chadema meeting at the party’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam on April 3, 2025, concerning the party’s opposition to participating in the 2025 General Election and its alleged intention to prevent the poll from taking place.

The prosecution alleges that, as a Tanzanian citizen, Lissu incited the public to stop the election through statements intended to pressure the Government.

Among the remarks attributed to him are: “If they say this position amounts to rebellion, it is true … because we are saying we will stop the election, we will mobilise rebellion … that is how we will bring change … we are going to make things happen … we will disrupt this election for real … we are going to make things happen very badly.”

Judge Ndunguru said the court’s task at this stage was limited to deciding whether the prosecution’s evidence, if left unchallenged, could sustain a conviction.

He said the court was not required to make a detailed assessment of the evidence or determine its credibility at this stage of the proceedings.

The judge said the court considered the key elements the prosecution was required to establish, including whether the accused owed allegiance to the United Republic of Tanzania.

He noted that this element was not disputed because Lissu had acknowledged being a Tanzanian citizen.

The court also considered testimony from prosecution witnesses, including the 17th witness, who was present at the meeting where the alleged remarks were made.

According to the judge, the prosecution’s evidence sufficiently linked Lissu to the allegations contained in the charge sheet.

“Therefore, this court finds the accused has a right to defend himself against the evidence presented by the prosecution,” Judge Ndunguru said.

The case will now proceed to the defence stage.

Tanzania’s unified national agenda to fix youth skills gap

Tanga. Tanzania is replacing fragmented efforts with a coordinated national skills agenda as the government seeks to institutionalise policies, strategies and programmes to ensure education keeps pace with the changing world of work.

The shift reflects growing recognition that Tanzania does not lack frameworks to address the skills mismatch.

The challenge has been effective implementation, supported by stronger collaboration among government, universities, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions and industry.

This was the central message at the National Education, Skills and Innovation Week in Tanga yesterday, where policymakers and education leaders said the focus must shift from identifying problems to delivering measurable employment outcomes.

More than 800,000 young Tanzanians enter the labour market annually, yet only about 21 percent of the workforce has at least secondary education, while TVET enrolment stands at 4.2 percent.

The result is a persistent gap between the skills employers require and those possessed by graduates.

However, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Prof Carolyne Nombo, said Tanzania has already developed comprehensive frameworks to address the challenge.

‘The issue is no longer whether we have policies. We should see how we can implement the already existing frameworks which are well articulated to improve competence at all stages of education,’ she told delegates.

The government’s approach is anchored in six complementary instruments covering different parts of the skills ecosystem.

The Tanzania Development Vision 2050 positions human capital, science, technology and innovation as foundations of a competitive, knowledge-based economy.

The Education and Training Policy 2014, 2023 Edition, promotes competence-based learning and curricula aligned with national development priorities, employment and entrepreneurship.

The Second National Skills Development Strategy targets sectors with high employment potential, including ICT, construction, transport, tourism, agribusiness and energy, while strengthening links between training institutions and labour-market demand.

The National Framework for Academia-Industry Collaboration brings employers into curriculum design, internships, work-based learning and graduate assessment.

The Tanzania Qualifications Framework creates pathways between vocational, technical and university education, enabling learners to progress without unnecessarily repeating qualifications.

Meanwhile, the TVET Quality Standards 2025 require providers to strengthen industry partnerships, regularly review curricula and ensure instructors keep pace with technological change.

Together, the frameworks form what education experts describe as a single architecture for skills development rather than isolated initiatives.

At the Tanga forum, Tanzania Commission for Universities Executive Secretary, Prof Charles Kihampa, said relevance should become the defining measure of educational quality.

‘We have to balance local relevance with international competitiveness,’ he said, warning that an education system could meet domestic expectations while falling short of regional and global standards.

University of Dodoma Vice Chancellor, Prof Lughano Kusiluka, also called for structured collaboration that brings industry professionals into universities.

‘Collaboration should not depend on occasional meetings. It must become a continuous process through which curricula, teaching and graduate preparation are regularly reviewed,’ he said.

Implementation is being accelerated through the Second Education and Skills for Productive Jobs Programme (ESPJ-II), a six-year initiative worth Sh780 billion ($300 million).

According to ESPJ-II Coordinator, Dr Erick Mgaya, the programme is expected to benefit more than one million Tanzanians and is being implemented by 19 institutions in partnership with ministries and the private sector.

Prof Nombo said it would expand skills training for unemployed and vulnerable youth, strengthen TVET governance and increase private-sector participation.

The government has also launched the Mama Samia skills recognition and certification programme, targeting 80,000 artisans by 2027 through Recognition of Prior Learning.

The initiative recognises and certifies skills acquired outside formal education, enabling experienced workers to obtain nationally recognised qualifications.

’People who lost properties, INCLUDING relatives, shall be aptly compensated’

We have a bagful of linguistic gems we are sure will fill this space to the brim, which is why we shall skip our usual introductory blah-blah and move on to share out the goodies with you. Here we go…

On Page 1 of Bongo’s senior-most broadsheet of Saturday, August 15, there is a Page 1 story entitled, ‘TZ strong GDP growth to CREATE WEALTH, REDUCE POVERTY-AfDB.’

The headline’s content is reiterated in the intro, with the scribbler writing this: ‘Tanzania’s strong economic growth has the potential to CREATE WEALTH and REDUCE POVERTY, with the real gross domestic product expanding by 6.0 per cent in 2025…’

This is a really ‘feel good story,’ what with the continental lender telling us that things are not as bad as they may look to some. Bongo is not just getting by; it is getting on! Our concern, however, is the idea of talking about wealth creation and poverty reduction as if they are different things.

Our view is, by creating wealth, you are in effect reducing (if not eradicating) poverty in society. A certain linguistic guru we contacted in regard to the headline said, actually, for his part, saying ‘strong GDP creates growth creates wealth and reduce poverty is stating THE OBVIOUS, and that is not what newsmen and women are employed to do!

The lead story for Page 4 is entitled, ‘Plans afoot to revive monkey trade,’ and for his intro, the scribbler writes: ‘The Government has finalised plans to revive COMMERCIAL BUSINESS in baboons and monkeys, WITH AIM to reduce their numbers in residential areas…’

Commercial business in…? Why not, simply, ‘COMMERCE in…’ or just ‘BUSINESS in…’. And, we don’t say ‘with aim to…:’ we say, ‘with THE aim to…’

Towards the end of the story, our scribbling colleague purports to quote a minister as saying: ‘People who lost their properties INCLUDING RELATIVES will get compensation…’ Oh, Lord, nope! Relatives are NOT properties; they are persons; human beings. We are certain the minister said this: ‘People who lost properties AS WELL AS RELATIVES will be compensated…’

Page 18 of the broadsheet treats readers with a refreshing photo spread, entitled ‘Kizimkazi festival in pictures.’ One of the eight independent photos has a caption whose headline reads: ‘Participants enjoying THE performance.’

The reader is certain to ask, ‘What performance?’ Yes, what with the use of definite article ‘the’ instead indefinite article ‘a.’

Finally, we move on to share what obtains in Bongo’s huge and colourful broadsheet of Monday, August 7, whose Page 3 has a story thus headlined: ‘Norwegian church AID steps in to provide lifesaving HIV treatment following AID disruption in northern Tanzania.’

We consider using the word ‘aid’ twice in a headline unnecessary! Monotonous. How about a rewrite that would eradicate the monotony? Here it is: ‘Norwegian DONOR steps in to provide lifesaving HIV treatment following AID disruption…’

Then, in his intro, the scribbler says: ‘Thousands of individuals living with HIV in northern Tanzania have expressed PROFOUND gratitude to Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) for providing emergency funding and medical support following termination of funding from the United States…in 2025.’

We have said it before in this space; let us say it again today: the role of a news scribbler is to report bare, measurable facts, avoiding emotionally-charged words.

He casts away words that only a PR officers for an organisation may use liberally in press releases he sends to newsrooms. In this particular case we would have suggested a deletion of the adjective ‘profound.’

Ah, this treacherous language called English!

How I will close Lagos infrastructure gap, by Hamzat

There is the notion that Lagos State is rich. However, it still has a lot to do in terms of infrastructure. What’s your plan in this regard?

As you build infrastructure, so also is the need to maintain that infrastructure. So, for example, now, we have a new Massey Hospital, Lagos Island. We have the new Ojo General Hospital. So those hospitals will require maintenance, those hospitals will have equipment. So, to say that Lagos is rich, well, we are doing well, but it could be better. But, let us look at other cities that we should be comparing ourselves with. The city of New York is eight million people. The state of Lagos is 24 million people – that’s three times. Our budget is N4.4 trillion, it’s about $3.2 billion. But the budget of the city of New York is close to $600 billion. The New York Police Department has a budget in 2025 of about $6 billion – just the police. So, far back as 2011, when I became Commissioner for Works, the first budget that I put together in 2014 was about N260 billion. And in Lagos, when we move people, or cars, we also move water. For example, the drain in Wemco is taller than me. So I went in, people have to pull me out. And it’s because everything coming from Agege is passing through that, all the way to Odo Iya Alaro. So if it’s not that deep, it’s a challenge. So for a lot of the road, the cost of the drainage is about 40 per cent. And so it must be solid. So, when we say we must do this, we must do that, we look at high-traffic roads, we look at roads that lead to market, we look at roads that leads to schools. Our bill was about N260 billion. At the time, the budget of Lagos was about N490 billion, the whole budget. So, the governor asked how do we fund it? So, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure got N68 billion, which was interesting, because the budget of the federal government was N22 billion to do roads in Nigeria. So, Lagos got N68 billion, and it’s not enough. So when we say we are rich, well, we are rich, but we need to be richer. And the way to do that is how do we build our economy. And those are the type of infrastructure on a national scale that Mr President is doing. Imagine Badagry to Sokoto. That’s a 1,000-kilometer road. On that road, we have 64 farm settlements that is today moribund. We have about 46 dams that is totally useless, projects over the years. So building that road is not just to move cars, it’s to lift economic activities across our country. So when those happen, your resources go up. You’re able to have more money and be able to do more.

There was once a clamour for special status for Lagos, before Bola Tinubu became President. That agitation seems to have slowed down…

It has not slowed down. Let us look at it. We are the only subnational in the world, that has done rail infrastructure on her balance sheet. Look at London, look at New York, look at everywhere, Caracas in Venezuela. In fact, in Caracas, it was the Venezuelan government that funded it 100 per cent. So we are the only subnational doing such rail. The rail in the city of New York, the Federal Government put in 48 per cent a few years back. They are building a tunnel that links the city of New York to Long Island, the one that President Trump is saying he’s going to stop because he wants it named. The point is, it’s going to stop because Federal Government is funding it. Both cities are within the state of New York, but enormous amount of people know that Manhattan is the financial capital of the United States. A lot of people live in Long Island, and therefore, moving them on a daily basis is very important. And Federal Government embarked on it. Do we do that here? So, creating a special status of Lagos is an economic necessity for the development of our country. So we are pushing it. But you have to convince everybody across the country to make sure that that is possible.

What is your plan for agricultural development in a state where land availability is an issue? For example, what is happening to the Imota rice mill?

We have to look at our advantages. We have water, so fishing, that economy is something that we need to build. For Imota rice mill, we don’t have the size of land to grow rice. So we must still work with other states. And that’s why we have the N500billion agricultural project that we are doing, to say that if you produce it, we guarantee it. So we have offtakers that will go around. We wanted to buy 2,000 CNG trucks that can load from Lagos to Taraba and come back without refilling, to say that if you produce the paddy. So, we will have people going around to say, as long as you produce to this quality, these are the seeds that you must use. The moment we test it, whatever you produce, we will buy. So we are paying you. So instead of what happens today where farmers supply and it takes three months to get their money because they give it to Mr A. Mr A brings it to Ketu market. He sells, and then after some time, pay people back. This is different. The moment you offload, you get your money, and then we deal with it. That is why we are building the logistic hub that can house rice, that can house everything. It also allows us to track, to say that for example we have 3,000 herds of cattle that comes to Lagos every day. Our veterinary doctors are doing an unbelievable job. But today, if a cow or a cattle is not healthy, they take it out, kill it, and burn it off so that it doesn’t affect others. But the challenge is we are not able to say, this one is from this state, and for the next two months, we are stopping any herd coming from this state because of this issue. We go there to help them solve the problem. With that logistics hub, we will be able to track where they are coming from, track diseases better, and be able to control. And it makes it easier for people to buy. The middlemen will take a share but the ordinary consumer will buy it cheaper. We consume a lot of food but we can’t produce but at least let us manage the supply to make sure that we are able to do the right things.

How do you stem japa syndrome in the health sector?

As someone who also relocated abroad, I look at it from that perspective. What we need to do, which is part of our master plan, is to be the human capital of the world. We should be able to train more doctors, nurses. That is why we say we are building a University of Medicine and Allied Sciences. With the nature of our country, you can’t stop people from going anywhere they want to go to, as long as they are not doing anything illegal. What you can do is to train more. That is why we are talking to the medical council. Today, our Lagos College of Medicine graduates just about 300 every year, that is ridiculously small. If we have the capacity to build a 1,000, then let’s do it, let’s train more. If you recall, who are the doctors that sustained the health system in England? They are the Indians. But they went back home because, at a stage, you will realise that you have to go back home. The reality is we must train more doctors, nurses. And ultimately, after some time, a lot of them will come back. Of course, some will leave. But, how many do you train in a year? So, let us increase that. Lagos can start by saying it wants to increase its own by fivefold. If other states increase theirs, good. There must be that national coalition to increase the number of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and medical workers generally. It applies to other sectors too. Our banks are squeezing themselves because the IT guys are also leaving. So we must train more. We are a very huge country. We can serve the world. We can do a lot of outsourcing in Nigeria. We just need to change the attitude.

There is also the challenge of housing. Do you consider having the housing scheme of the state tailored to the needs of the poor?

It is important that we start thinking along the line of how we build houses for our vulnerable people. Today, we subsidise our homes by 35 per cent, but is it sustainable? You build this one, how do you build the next one? They say low-cost housing, but there’s no low-cost cement, there’s no low-cost sand, there’s no low-cost steel. The cost is still the same. So, the question is, how do you make sure that you have a revolving fund to be able to do it? We all say that, education should be 15 per cent; health should be this per cent, environment should be this percent. So, what is for housing? And that is the struggle for a state government. As a people, they say that it takes an average of 17 years for a typical African to build a house. And in trying to build a house, they mortgage the children’s education, mortgage their own health, because whatever money he sees, today, he buys block, in the process, everything suffers. This means we cannot continue to build houses the way we buy rice in the market. So, it is mortgage. We must find a way. It is the same way for health insurance. It must be mortgage. Most Europeans, most Americans, the biggest investment in their life is their house. That’s what they refinance to send their children to school. That’s what they refinance to go on vacation. So, for most of them, it’s about their houses. Therefore, we must get into that principle of how to build a sustainable model? And that’s what we started, but it is struggling because our banks must key in, Central Bank of Nigeria must key in, everybody must key in. That is why we started building Lagos State Residents Registration Agency so that I can evaluate you to say that, Mr Adeola borrowed 10 naira to buy shoes and he’s paying me back. He’s not a debtor, therefore, I can give him a mortgage. I said it initially that we need to organise. If you don’t organise, you can’t manage what you can’t measure. So, we need as a people, as a state, as a country, as West Africa to be better organised. We are not organised enough. If we are organized, a lot of things will start to be in place. But it takes all of us to change attitude. And it’s gonna be tough because we are used to disorganisation. So, it will be a challenge to organise. But, we have to do it for the future of our grandchildren.

What’s the plan to manage both the issue of modernisation of Lagos and also managing slums? Anytime you try to move people away from slums, there is a lot of outcry, for example, the recent Makoko scenario.

First, the issue of Makoko is a bit different. The issue is that people started expanding it to the high tension. And we went there three times. We all agreed with the residents that we should come and take it off by 24th December 2024. But for some reason, we didn’t go there to take it off at that time. Generally, to your question, we cannot develop on the back of the poor. A society gets better by elevating the poor, not killing them. So, the major question for me is how do we move people out of poverty? I recall in Badia, when we were trying to clean up Badia, years back, some people wrote to the United Nations Ombudsman, and all of a sudden, the governor at the time, Raji Fashola just called me to his office and said, we have this lady from United Nations, we want to go and see Badia. And we were so lucky. When we got there, we saw a heap of waste. And on top of it, somebody said, two bedroom apartment for rent. The woman could not believe it. I said, this is why you came all the way from New York. Will your people live here? Is this a livable environment? She couldn’t believe it. So, it is the responsibility of government to also save people from themselves. Whether you like it or not, if you live in a dump site, your health will suffer. And the implication for health facility is a challenge. And that’s what we are seeing. So, the essence is not to take out. The essence is, how do we elevate people? A lot of our politicians misguide us. A lot of public commentators misguide us, because how do you build a nation where the wealth is not there? So, unless we are able to elevate ourselves, we will keep talking about these problems. So it’s not about emotion. It’s about what we work for this country to stop this cycle of poverty that we put ourselves in.

The word on the street of Lagos is that you are a no-nonsense, very disciplined, and strict leader, and that there would be the need for people living in Lagos to tighten up their belts under an Hamzat government.

The truth of the matter is that we all have one aim. Every decent Nigerian wants Nigeria to be better. And nobody, that is sane, wants to be a chairman of the government or a governor, a president, to go and fail. All of us want to succeed. The challenge is, when the pressure comes, hopefully it will not consume leaders. So, for me, I think, like I said, it’s that let us even organize. So when we build roads and there is a walkway, let’s use it for a walkway. That’s all. That’s what we built it for. So when we say this is a market, let it be a market so that I know that, I want to buy this, this is the way to go. I can plan my life. So if we say this is what we want to use this for, let us use it for that purpose. That’s all. So people say discipline. We have to be disciplined as a people. Even God said it. So we have to be disciplined. So, for me, I think we have the blessing of God, we have everything to be a great country. So we must do whatever it takes to get to that. If not, God will ask all of us.

Before you emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the 2027 election, you were touted as candidate in the process leading up to the emergence of former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and current Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. If you did not emerge this time, would you have described it as a betrayal of some kind? Did you ever imagine not emerging again this time?

Well, the truth of the matter is that my spiritual belief is that it’s God that chooses leaders. We don’t know God’s plan, so you must try. If you are canvassing to be a candidate and the party says no, it shouldn’t be a fight. I tried; I gave it everything that I have. Of course, you must try. And God made it happen this time. Our leaders agreed. So, I’m grateful for that, but I must justify that confidence. And that’s all. So, if it’s not, it is not. The reality is that, at a time there can only be one governor.

Is there any agreement that you are going to spend one term?

Agreement! No, there’s no agreement.

Lagos also battles recurring incidents of collapsed buildings. How is this to be addressed?

There are two types. There are old buildings. There are very old buildings that can also collapse. I think the way to avoid that is to keep checking. But, Lagos is a big place. We have over 890,000 buildings. So, it becomes difficult.

How many are the civil servants that are checking? So, what we rely on, a lot of the time, is people within the community, and then we go and do structural tests. So, old buildings can collapse. The ones that we are trying to totally eliminate is new constructions. There is no reason in the world why we should allow new constructions to collapse. And that’s why we are doing the Certified Accreditors Programme. And then when we zone the whole of Lagos into 10 zones or 20 zones, and then we have all these registered CAPs. If you want to build, they’ll be there. So, these are the people that will do the certification. So that we know. So, if anything happens, those private companies will be held responsible because you are supposed to be an engineer. So, the challenge also is to make sure that we don’t build the way we build. Like I said earlier, just building block by block here and there, just getting one person in the corner to do your drawing. No. You must be certified so that you don’t build something that will kill you. But as government, we also know that the city is developing at a very high rate. We cannot be using civil servants to monitor everything. Let us even give out a big component to private sector, register them, and that process is almost completed.

Local Government autonomy, despite the Supreme Court judgment of about two years ago, still is yet to be fully implemented in many states, how do we empower local government administrations to be more effective?

For Lagos, the autonomy ruling does not really affect us because we have never touched their resources. We collaborate because of inherent problems that we have had before. Local government pays primary school teachers so at a time, they were owing. But our President, when he was governor, said this must stop, because when the news comes out, it is Lagos State owes primary school teachers. So, we said, let us do this as first line charge. So, the moment your money comes, we take out teachers’ salaries. We collaborate also on different areas like land use charge, ground rent, neighbourhood charge with some to be collected by state and others by local government. So, we decided that rather than an individual receiving three bills from government, we give just one bill and we divide behind the scene. There is a board to do this that includes local government chairmen. We collaborate to make it easier for our citizens. We don’t actually do anything with their money. Now that the resources are higher, we need to make sure that we work together because we are serving the same citizens. And for the state, anything we do is in one local government or the other. Part of what we will be doing is creating a new approach where we will be meeting on a monthly basis to do peer review, do assessment and giving ourselves assignment as a team. And we can see who is achieving what we agreed on or who is not, and we call ourselves to be more responsive to the needs of our people.

What factors led to the choice of your running mate?

The moment I emerged, I know that it is important that the deputy is a Christian, since I am a Muslim; and a lot of our women leaders have been saying they have tolerated us men for eight years, we must have a female. And we agreed that it made sense. And a lot of other people also said that we needed younger minds. Also, I am from the East; the current governor is from Central; so we said let it go to the West. So, all those came together. And Damilola Sonayon-James emerged. She was the Deputy Women Leader of our state. She was a supervisor in Badagry and then we looked at everything she had been doing, and she emerged.

Your party was hit by a calamity of monumental proportion in the 2023 election when President Bola Tinubu lost the presidential election in Lagos, what is your party doing to avert this in the 2027 election?

We did some sort of an autopsy to see what happened, and we saw many things. We saw that we assumed many things. We didn’t take care of a lot of things, as a party. We didn’t move a lot of the pillars that we normally move, in terms of talking to people here and there, and we have tried to correct that so that this time around, it will be better.

There are still grievances from the last primaries of the party, what is your agenda for them?

That is ongoing; if not for this interview, I will be meeting some people now on that issue. So, the Constitution of our country states that you cannot run for election unless you are nominated by a political party. So the political party is supreme because you are representing that brand, and as such, there are many factors that come in in the selection of where the party moves. In some cases, we say the number of females is not enough, let us get more females, and if you settle down on a constituency or an area, the men there will complain. There are so many factors. I was meeting with many aspirants and I said, in 2019, I took my form two days before Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu but the leaders called me and said, ‘You are a Muslim; Asiwaju was a Muslim for eight years; BRF was a Muslim; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is not coming back; let a Christian go; and I said, fair enough.’ And I did a press conference and stepped down. And they looked at that and took me as deputy. It is because they talked to me and I listened. So, maybe if I didn’t listen then, today would not have arrived. So people must learn from that, because there would be many factors that we would have to consider. Unfortunately, when it comes to the emergence of the king of a community, even siblings have issues, but there can only be one king at that time. So, we tell ourselves that, if it doesn’t happen now, you don’t know tomorrow. So, let’s calm down. That process has started and hopefully we will be able to get everybody to understand that things will get better for all of us.

How is the party also handling the Justice Forum/Mandate Movement blocs amid fears that one group may be sidelined if you become governor?

I have met with the two groups. The truth of the matter is that the mother and the father is the Justice Forum. What happened was that it was a group set up by the leadership then to meet because politics was banned by the military. So, it predates 1999. And I have asked the question, what is the philosophical difference between the two? It is zero. So, let us calm down. Don’t let’s use what doesn’t exist to divide ourselves. People make the argument that even in advanced democracies like the United States, that there is the Black caucus, there is the Freedom caucus in the Republican. But there are philosophical differences. The Freedom caucus believes that even in case of incest and rape, a child should be born. Others say they don’t like abortion but in the case of incest, rape. So, there are philosophical differences. Here, what are the philosophical differences? Nothing. So, we cannot be a political party that runs after crumbs and fight ourselves. No. We must rise above that. And I think that everybody seems to understand that now.

If it comes down to stepping on toes, including party leaders, in the interest of moving Lagos ahead, will you do that?

The reality is, you need the collective will of the people to move a state forward. You can’t fight people and say you are just fighting everybody, you will lose. You can’t fight many battles. You can fight some battles but is it not better when you let people see what you want to do. We are all human beings and we have different opinions. Some people might genuinely believe that that goal is wrong. So, it is not a question of crushing their leg but it is to say that it is for the greatest good for the greatest number of people. As a human being, we will never be perfect but this is what my brain can take and this is the direction that we want to go, and you go. But, as much as possible, I think it is better to convince people to let people see why you want to do something. Remember, human beings are naturally selfish, that thing might not be good for that person personally and he might not see the bigger picture. So, it is the responsibility of the leaders to let people see the bigger picture for their children and grandchildren. Hopefully, you are able to convince nine out of 10 people, and then you move.

Talking about organisation, how do you deal with the issue of louts, touts across the city and clearing the blocked waterways which have structures on it without stepping on toes?

What separates us from the so-called developed nations are the rule of law and technology. Part of what you talk about is the rule of law. The organisation is this is where you should be, but you are here. And the rule of law is to say this is where you should be and that is where you would be. You must think about the common good. I recall when we were building the Okota main road. It would have been a lagoon today. But today, the place is clear. When we go there to campaign, I will tell them, it will be unGodly not to vote for our party in that place because those who know what it was and what we went through on that project. We were in court for nine months. We were building the road, we expanded it, we were building massive drains. We have the drain about 1.2 kilometres beyond the road because we can’t go further. It will be too destructive. As we were building, a house was obstructing the road construction. We promised compensation, the building owner declined. He went to court. We were to pay N60 million as agreement but the court said N12 million. Then we demolished and paid him N12 million. Even the neighbours said they told him. Today, they are driving freely in Okota, without issue of flooding. It is about the common good. That road connects many communities. So, because of one building, we must still go ahead and do what we have to do.

In a number of states, there have been cases of successor/predecessor rift. Do you rule out such crisis happening in Lagos State?

Our own is a bit different because the governor is my principal. If we didn’t fight all these years we have been working together, why would we disagree when we are handing over? If the goal is to run a state, then what is the problem? The responsibility is so huge that you can’t do it alone, that is why you have Commissioners, Special Advisers, Special Assistants. Even with that, there are still gaps. So, what is the fight about? That doesn’t mean we don’t have disagreements about issues. And it is about, we want to do this, should we do it this way? At the executive council meeting, we argue, fight, abuse each other. But at the end of the day, we conclude and move on. Governor Sanwo-Olu and I have been friends for years. When I came back, became Commissioner, Governor Sanwo-Olu was already a Commissioner. The current CBN Governor left the administration as Commissioner for Economic Planning. So Governor Sanwo-Olu was the acting Commissioner for economic planning when I joined the cabinet. For some reason, the day I was to be sworn in, it was Governor Sanwo-Olu that was taking me round and showing me the offices and MDAs in the Secretariat before I went to my own Ministry of Science and Technology. And that was the first time I would meet him, and we have been friends since then. Thankfully, we don’t have that crisis in Lagos.

Deputy Governors have this tag of being ‘spare tyres’ and only function at the mercy of their principal. Would you canvass for Constitutional roles for Deputy Governors?

You can’t legislate common sense. So, even if you say legislation gives roles, it doesn’t prevent crisis. You cannot legislate simple good behaviour. If you have people who are jointly on a ticket, it is clear that you must work together. But, thankfully in Lagos, Deputy Governors have various responsibilities in ministries. I think Senator Oluranti Adebule was in charge of Ministry of Education, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire was in charge of Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Adebisi Sosan was also in charge of Education, I am in charge of Works, and Science and Technology. So, for Works, Science and Technology, before the governor approves their memo, it must be signed by me. So, I’m certainly not a spare tyre and I will not treat my deputy as a spare tyre because she is not. She is an intelligent woman that establishes herself well. And the component that we really need to work on is our youth. How do we develop their future? We have issues of youth engagement, development, employment creation. Can a governor do all these by himself? One of the books I love reading is ‘Ego is the enemy.’ Ego is the problem. Wars were started by ego. Great companies collapse because of ego. If you are able to manage your ego in life, all the crisis will not happen. We have a job to do. It is a lot of work. So, if you have someone supporting you to do the job, what should be the problem? You must even encourage that person to help you do more.

What is your plan for the three terminals at Oshodi? At the outset, it was organised but it has now become a shadow of what former Governor Akinkunmi Ambode did.

Interestingly, as Commissioner for Works, I designed that place. I did it with Prof Olusanya of the University of Lagos. The essence is to develop similar things across different parts of Lagos. For example, in London, when you want to go to New York, you go to 34 Street. So, why is it that we have about 260 locations where you can take buses to get out of Lagos? It is disorganisation. Again, let us organise. It is for safety. If everybody queues in Oshodi, and there are manifests, Mr A is going to Osogbo, he takes this bus. If something happens, we know whom to ask. It’s being used but we need to better organise it. And it’s being used not just for buses going outside Lagos, but also intra transportation. That’s the decision we need to make. Do we totally separate intra from inter transportation? Those are the discussions that will have to happen. And we need to have, maybe nothing as big as that, in other areas of the state, like hubs. This is so that, if I am coming from Epe, I should be able to go somewhere, park my car and move and come back and meet my car, even if I have to pay.

There remains the issue of voter apathy. In the interest of democracy, what must be done to improve voter turnout in the next election?

It’s a really bad situation. In most local governments in Lagos State, the highest turnout in the last election was about 18 per cent, which I think was Ikorodu LGA. It is horrible and we need to improve on it. People have given all sorts of reasons for voter apathy, like lack of trust, people don’t see the benefit of democracy. In the United States, most people don’t pay attention to election until maybe three, four weeks. If you are in New York City, and gather 100 people who are New Yorkers and ask them who their governor is, 80 per cent don’t know their governor, because they don’t see it as their business. A lot of them are one issue voter. One is voting only because a candidate is pro-life, the other is voting a candidate because of Israel. You therefore realise that democracy, in itself, has limitations, as a wise man’s vote is the same as a not-so-wiseman’s vote. Therefore, we must get to everybody to convince them on the need to vote. A lot of people aggrieved won’t do anything that is why it is important you let people feel part of the process. But, of course, I will encourage people to vote for me and my party. If we can raise it from 18 per cent to 35 per cent, I’m sure that our votes will be very high.

Why do you think Nigerians should re-elect President Bola Tinubu?

There are a lot of reasons. But you must also look at the people he’s contesting against. Mr Peter Obi has been governor, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has been Vice President, Rabiu Kwankwaso has been governor. The question is what have these people done? What has Peter Obi done as a governor that you think he will do well as a President? The President was building his political party. Even in the last election, Tinubu fought his party, and didn’t leave. I recall during campaign in Abeokuta when Tinubu said, ‘They may choose to money, food scarce, we’ll still go for the election and win.’ Compare that to a man who will be a member of a party in the morning and another at night. He will be catastrophic as a President. If you can’t fight for something, you will fall for anything. You want to rule a nation of 200 million people and you can’t stand for something! APGA in the morning, PDP at night! Look at other nations. President Donald Trump fought in the primaries. Where will you run to, as President, when you have challenges? Will you run away or you will confront it just like the President is confronting it today? When it comes to saving the state, what are you willing to do? The President confronted the issue. He said, let’s remove subsidy. Do we remember why our refineries don’t work? Was it not because we said let’s introduce subsidy in 1992? And all our refineries were dead. It was supposed to be short term, but look at what we did to ourselves. I have been talking to young men in the private sector and what they tell me is that, because the macro has improved, their businesses are doing extremely well. One of them told me that, the company was started 15 years ago, and they were about 48, but within the last two years, they are now 400 employees. I challenged him for not speaking out and he said they are businessmen out to make profit and they are not politicians. They all promised then that subsidy will go. I recall then that former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar said subsidy will go; Mr Peter Obi said subsidy is a scam. And when implementation started, we started hearing something different. You can’t do that, as a leader. Our oil production is going up. We are said to have had the highest production in 74 months of about 1.7 million barrels a day. When President Tinubu took over, it was about 800,000 barrels. It is now almost double. There is Technical and Vocational Education and Training. If you go to London, you see plumbers, and other artisans, they don’t have shops, they just have trucks, with their phone numbers asking you to call them for their services. That is how they built their country. The President is building the fundamentals. Nobody says it will be easy. If you have malaria, most medications are bitter. If you’re injured, you go for surgery, it is painful. There must be rehabilitation. Before now, we all heard of airlines shut down, Emirates did not come to our country for two years because they couldn’t get their money. The N23 trillion Ways and Means has been cleared. So, what will these people do different? They can’t even manage a political party. How will they manage this country? For me, it is a very easy choice. I also meet him, discuss with him and I can see his vision. You may say I am biased but we can all see what he is doing. The President is embarking on an enormous amount of infrastructure, across our country: Sokoto-Badagry road; Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. I remember in 2023, they asked me this same question and I said, how can you compare a goat to a lion? Comparing them is a no-brainer. I am sure Nigerians will vote for him. There are many distractions and political liars all over the place but when people actually see what is happening, I am confident that President Tinubu will come back again, and the country will be better for it.