2027: Kwankwaso seeks support for ticket with Obi

Former Kano State Governor and Vice Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has urged Nigerians to back the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket in the 2027 general elections, saying the country was at a critical crossroads.

In a message on his X handle, Kwankwaso said rising food prices and living costs had pressured families, while millions of young Nigerians were without jobs and businesses struggled with high operating costs amid insecurity.

‘Too many families have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violence,’ he said, stressing the need to secure farmlands, schools and communities.

He called for urgent investment in education and healthcare, improved infrastructure, stronger institutions and greater transparency in managing public resources, adding that the country is endowed with the people and resources to build a prosperous, secure nation.

‘What we need is leadership with the competence, courage and commitment to put the interests of Nigerians first,’ Kwankwaso said.

Explaining his alliance with former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, Kwankwaso said the partnership was driven by national interest rather than region, religion or personal ambition. He said their partnership was built on a vision where government serves the people and every citizen has a fair chance to prosper.

He urged young people, women, workers, farmers, entrepreneurs and professionals to join the movement, calling on Nigerians to reject divisive politics and demand accountability and results from public office holders.

Kwankwaso described the 2027 election as an opportunity for Nigerians to choose a new direction, urging support for the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket and other NDC candidates while appealing for peaceful, issue-based campaigns.

‘Together, we can build a stronger nation and Nigeria will be OK,’ he said.

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.

Oyetola: Lagos, Eastern ports to complement each other

The Federal Government has said it is working towards developing a balanced national port system where Lagos and the Eastern ports complement one another in handling Nigeria’s maritime traffic.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, stated this yesterday in Lagos at the Annual General Meeting and Conference of the League of Maritime Editors.

Oyetola, who was represented by the ministry’s Director of Press, Mrs Anastasia Ogbonna, said the concentration of cargo and vessel calls at Lagos ports, while Eastern ports remain underutilised, was no longer sustainable.

Speaking on the theme: ‘Lagos / Eastern Ports: How to Reverse Existing Imbalance in Disproportionate Cargo Vessel Calls,’ the minister said the imbalance had implications for national logistics costs, regional economic development, infrastructure utilisation, investment and the competitiveness of Nigeria’s maritime sector.

According to him, Lagos ports, particularly Apapa and Tin Can Island, have historically handled the bulk of the country’s seaborne cargo because of their importance and the concentration of commercial activities in Lagos.

He, however, said the resulting pressure had led to congestion, longer cargo dwell and vessel turnaround times, increased demurrage and logistics costs, pressure on road infrastructure and other inefficiencies across the supply chain.

Oyetola said the Eastern ports, including Onne, Port Harcourt, Warri and Calabar, had considerable strategic and economic potential that could be harnessed to serve the South-East, South-South and parts of the North-Central.

He said their proximity to major industrial, agricultural, energy and commercial activities gave them a natural advantage in handling cargo for large portions of the country’s hinterland.

The minister noted that the ports could support regional industrial clusters, facilitate exports, promote agro-allied value chains and stimulate economic activities across the Eastern and Niger Delta regions.

He, however, identified draft limitations, infrastructure deficiencies, navigational constraints, security concerns, poor hinterland connectivity, inadequate equipment, operational costs and unpredictable services as some of the factors affecting the ability of the Eastern ports to attract regular vessel calls.

Oyetola described the need to reverse the imbalance as a national economic imperative rather than a regional demand.

He said the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, had adopted a strategic approach to transforming Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure and making the sector a stronger driver of economic growth.

He said the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and its agencies were committed to developing an efficient and interconnected port system in which Lagos and the Eastern ports would complement each other.

‘Modernisation and rehabilitation of the Eastern ports are integral parts of the Federal Government’s port development strategy,’ he said.

According to him, government’s plans include improving channel depths and navigability, rehabilitating critical port infrastructure, enhancing navigational safety, upgrading cargo-handling facilities and strengthening security.

He also cited the reconstruction of breakwaters and channel-management interventions, including works along the Escravos Channel, as part of efforts to improve the nation’s maritime infrastructure.

The minister said government was encouraging greater private-sector participation in port development, noting that the scale of investment required could not be borne by government alone.

He said the objective was to make every viable Nigerian port capable of competing for cargo on the basis of efficiency, reliability, cost and quality of service.

Oyetola also addressed concerns over the Federal Government’s current focus on major physical modernisation activities at the Western ports, particularly Apapa and Tin Can Island.

He said the attention given to Lagos was not based on preferential treatment but on ‘operational urgency, economic necessity, project readiness and responsible sequencing.’

According to him, Lagos remains Nigeria’s principal maritime gateway and handles the largest concentration of import and export cargo.

He said addressing congestion and infrastructure constraints at the busiest ports would provide the quickest opportunity to reduce systemic inefficiencies and deliver immediate economic benefits.

Oyetola said carrying out major reconstruction simultaneously across the Western and Eastern gateways without adequate alternative capacity could disrupt cargo movement and expose the national supply chain to unnecessary risks.

He explained that the Lagos port modernisation programme attained financial and contractual readiness earlier, enabling implementation to begin ahead of some interventions in the Eastern ports.

He stressed that the sequencing should not be interpreted as neglect of the Eastern ports.

‘The long-term objective of the government is not simply to improve the Lagos ports. Our objective is to create a multi-port system in which cargo owners and shipping lines have viable alternatives,’ he said.

The minister added: ‘We are not developing Lagos at the expense of the East. We are strengthening Lagos while building the capacity of the Eastern corridor to assume a greater and more strategic share of national maritime traffic.’

He said improved infrastructure alone would not automatically lead to the redistribution of cargo and vessel calls, noting that shipping lines consider factors including draft, berth availability, cargo volumes, turnaround time, security, tariffs, hinterland connectivity and operational predictability.

To make the Eastern ports more attractive, Oyetola said the ministry was pursuing complementary reforms in maritime security, operational and commercial incentives, digitalisation, hinterland connectivity and public-private partnerships.

He said the government would continue to support measures aimed at improving security along the Eastern maritime corridor and building confidence among shipowners, operators and cargo interests.

On digitalisation, the minister said the National Single Window, Port Community System and other digital initiatives were designed to reduce unnecessary physical interactions, improve information sharing, enhance transparency and make cargo clearance more predictable.

He also stressed the importance of road, rail, inland waterway and barge connectivity to the competitiveness of ports.

‘A port is only as competitive as the logistics network that connects it to its market,’ he said.

Oyetola said stronger multimodal connections to the Eastern ports would be crucial to unlocking their potential and expanding their market reach.

He added that government would continue to create an enabling environment for private investment in port infrastructure, terminal operations, logistics and related services.

The minister also urged maritime journalists and editors to contribute to the transformation of the sector through objective and evidence-based reporting.

He described the media as an important stakeholder capable of shaping public understanding, attracting investment, promoting accountability and drawing attention to challenges requiring government intervention.

Oyetola said the imbalance between Lagos and the Eastern ports was the result of decades of infrastructure, investment, operational and historical factors and could not be corrected overnight.

‘But it can be corrected, and it must be corrected,’ he said.

He said the government’s approach would involve strategic policy, infrastructure investment, private-sector participation, digital transformation, improved security and stronger multimodal connectivity.

Oyetola said the ultimate objective was to build a Nigerian port system in which Lagos would remain a major maritime gateway while Onne, Port Harcourt, Warri, Calabar and other viable ports handle a greater and more diversified share of national and regional trade.

‘Our vision is a Nigeria where cargo moves through the gateway that provides the greatest efficiency, reliability and value, irrespective of its geographical location,’ he said.

According to him, achieving the objective would reduce logistics costs, strengthen regional economies, attract investment, create jobs, improve trade competitiveness and reinforce Nigeria’s position as a leading maritime and logistics hub in West Africa.

Galadima hails Military over rescue of 18 kidnap victims in Taraba

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate for Wukari/Ibi Federal Constituency of Taraba State, Mukhtar Galadima, has commended the military and other security agencies for rescuing 18 kidnapped victims in Ibi Local Government Area of the state.

Galadima, in a statement reacting to the development, described the operation as a major boost to efforts to restore peace and confidence in communities threatened by kidnapping and other criminal activities.

He specifically praised troops of Sector 3 deployed in Ibi for their swift response to reports of kidnapping at Kwatan Bajji in the early hours of August 18, which led to the recovery of the victims.

The PDP candidate said the successful operation should reassure residents of Wukari/Ibi Federal Constituency that the nation’s security forces remain committed to protecting lives and property and to confronting criminal elements operating in the area.

He congratulated the rescued victims and their families, urging security agencies not to relent until all criminal networks responsible for attacks in the area are identified and brought to justice.

Galadima, however, called for stronger collaboration among the military, police, and other security and intelligence agencies, particularly in intelligence gathering and information sharing.

According to him, effective intelligence remains critical to preventing attacks, tracking criminal networks, and disrupting their operations before they can unleash violence on communities.

He also advocated stronger legislative and institutional support for the Armed Forces and other security agencies to improve their operational and intelligence-gathering capabilities.

Galadima said the government must invest more in modern surveillance equipment, intelligence infrastructure, logistics, and the welfare of security personnel to enable them to confront emerging security threats effectively.

He stressed that security operations should move beyond responding to attacks after they occur to developing a proactive system capable of detecting criminal movements and preventing attacks before they happen.

The candidate also urged residents of Wukari/Ibi to support security agencies by providing timely and credible information on suspicious activities in their communities.

He appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders, youths, and other residents to strengthen cooperation with security agencies, noting that community-based intelligence could play a crucial role in preventing kidnapping and other crimes.

Galadima cautioned residents against withholding useful information out of fear, stressing that early reporting of suspicious movements could prevent crimes and save lives.

He also urged security agencies to protect the identities of credible informants and strengthen confidence in community intelligence networks.

While commending the Federal Government for supporting security operations, Galadima said that sustained investment in security personnel, equipment, intelligence and operational capacity remained essential to achieving lasting peace in Taraba State.

He expressed optimism that stronger inter-agency cooperation, improved legislation, community participation and sustained government support would significantly reduce kidnapping and other forms of crime across Wukari, Ibi and other vulnerable communities in the state.

Osun election: Adeleke’s aide commends Ile-Ife voters for 75,758 votes

The Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Sustainable Development Goals and Multilateral Relations, Bamikole Omisore, has commended the people of Ile-Ife for their support for the governor in the just-concluded Osun State governorship election.

Omisore, in a statement on Friday, said the four local government areas that make up the Ife Federal Constituency collectively delivered 75,758 votes to Adeleke.

He described the result as a demonstration of the people’s confidence in the governor’s leadership during his first term.

According to him, Ife East recorded 27,201 votes, Ife Central 21,171, Ife North 13,879 and Ife South 13,507 votes for Adeleke.

Omisore attributed the result to what he described as Adeleke’s performance and growing political support in the ancient city, particularly in Ife East, where the governor’s margin, according to him, rose from a deficit of 1,282 votes in 2022 to 27,201 votes on August 15.

‘This unified support of 75,758 votes from all zones of Ile-Ife demonstrates the people’s confidence in Governor Adeleke’s vision and leadership,’ Omisore said.

‘The victory we are celebrating is not Ile-Ife’s alone. It belongs to all the sons and daughters of Osun State who believed in Governor Adeleke’s vision and worked tirelessly to deliver this mandate,’ he added.

The governor’s aide also commended youths, students, traders, farmers, professionals, political leaders and community elders in Ile-Ife for their contributions to the election.

He commended the traditional institution in Ile-Ife, particularly the Ooni of Ife, for what he described as its contribution to a peaceful and orderly electoral process.

Omisore expressed optimism that Adeleke would use his second term to implement projects and policies aimed at improving infrastructure, economic opportunities and youth empowerment in Ile-Ife.

He urged residents of Ile-Ife and Osun State to sustain the unity displayed during the election, stressing that the mandate had placed a responsibility on the re-elected administration to deliver on its promises.

Northern senators demand urgent implementation of state police

The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) has urged the federal government, state governors and Houses of Assembly to fast-track the establishment and implementation of state police, saying worsening insecurity across the country has made decentralised policing necessary.

The senators expressed concern over recent terrorist attacks in Adamawa and Sokoto states, which they said claimed more than 36 lives, including security personnel and worshippers.

In a statement on Friday, Chairman of the forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina Central), called on the Presidential Working Group chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, state governors and Houses of Assembly to expedite action on the State Police Bill awaiting ratification.

The forum said the prevailing security challenges required urgent reforms rather than prolonged bureaucratic processes.

‘Decentralised policing is critical to improving response time and intelligence gathering at the grassroots.

‘We cannot continue to lose innocent lives to insurgents while bureaucracy delays critical security reforms. The time to act is now,’ the senators said.

The forum condemned the attacks on the Gaya community in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State and Ungushi village in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

It said more than 36 Nigerians, including security personnel and worshippers, were killed in the attacks.

‘The Northern Senators Forum strongly condemns the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Gaya community, Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State and in Ungushi village, Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State, which have claimed the lives of over 36 Nigerians, including security personnel and innocent worshippers,’ the statement said.

The lawmakers commiserated with the families of the victims and prayed for the repose of their souls, while wishing those injured speedy recovery.

Beyond state police, the senators urged state and local governments to strengthen community vigilante groups, describing them as important partners in intelligence gathering for the police and military.

They said closer collaboration between security agencies and local communities would strengthen early warning systems and enable authorities to respond more quickly to emerging threats.

The forum maintained that the recent attacks underscored the need for comprehensive security reforms, warning that further delays could expose more communities and Nigerians to terrorist attacks.

NSC affirms Lagos choice for maiden National Intermediate Games

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has revealed that Lagos State was awarded the hosting rights for the inaugural National Intermediate Games, tagged EKO 2026, due to its established grassroots sports architecture, strong infrastructure, and proven track record of executing major sporting events.

The Games were conceived under the Commission’s Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy (RHINSE) to bridge the developmental gap between grassroots participation and elite sports. The initiative creates a structured pathway for athletes aged 15 to 18, an age bracket identified by the NSC as a critical stage where promising young talents require proper competition, monitoring, and support to progress to the national stage.

Director-General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, described Lagos as the natural choice to host the maiden edition, praising the state’s proactive system of developing athletes from school competitions into elite performers.

Speaking at the recent unveiling of the Games’ logo and mascot, Olopade stated that Lagos has consistently demonstrated the capacity to lead from the front. He noted that he and NSC Chairman Malam Shehu Dikko intentionally selected the state because it possessed the required structure to solve the long-standing talent transition gap in Nigerian sports.

Beyond the competition, the event is designed to reflect a strong local identity. The official logo incorporates cultural and sporting symbols, including the Eyo cap, Opambata, the ‘Eko’ inscription, and three ascending stars, alongside an official mascot named Lasgidi.

The NSC highlighted that Lagos’ vast array of sporting facilities was another major factor in the decision. The Teslim Balogun Stadium will serve as the main arena, complemented by the National Stadium in Surulere, Rowe Park Sports Centre in Yaba, Agege Township Stadium, Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan, and the Elegbata Sports Complex. The state has also secured institutional facilities, including the Lagos Tennis Club, TBS Cricket Oval, Yaba College of Technology, and the University of Lagos.

Preparations are already underway following Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s inauguration of a Local Organising Committee (LOC) to oversee project delivery. The LOC is chaired by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sam Egube, alongside co-chairmen Lekan Fatodu, Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission, and Mobolaji Ogunlende, Commissioner for Youth and Social Development. The NSC maintains that EKO 2026 will lay the foundation for a new tier in Nigeria’s sports development architecture.

Bolt Send expands to Owerri, offers residents convenient delivery service

Bolt, a global mobility platform, has expanded its on-demand delivery service, Bolt Send, to Owerri, Imo State, allowing residents and businesses to send and receive packages across the city through the Bolt app.

The expansion enables users to request courier services directly on the platform to pick up and deliver packages to specified destinations, eliminating the need to make separate transportation arrangements.

Bolt Send was introduced in Nigeria in 2023 and allows individuals and businesses to send items including documents, clothing, small gifts, personal belongings and small business parcels.

Senior General Manager, Bolt West Africa, Teddy Appa-Dankyi, said the expansion to Owerri was driven by growing demand for convenient, on-demand delivery services.

‘We are excited to officially announce Bolt Send in Owerri and give more people access to a convenient way to move packages around the city,’ Appa-Dankyi said.

He said the service would enable residents to send documents, personal items and small business parcels without making separate transport arrangements.

‘Bolt Send is designed to make everyday deliveries easier and more accessible. We also encourage users to follow the service guidelines so that every delivery is safe, seamless and reliable for everyone involved,’ he said.

According to the company, users must package and seal their items properly and provide accurate pickup and drop-off information.

Bolt said packages must comply with the service requirements, including a maximum weight of 25kg and a maximum value of ?50,000.

It advised customers against sending prohibited, hazardous, highly fragile or highly perishable items through the service.

To use Bolt Send, customers open the Bolt app, select the delivery service, enter the pickup and drop-off locations and provide the relevant package details. A courier partner is then assigned to collect and deliver the package.

The company said the expansion would improve access to on-demand delivery services in Owerri while providing individuals and small businesses with a flexible option for moving packages within the city.

Bolt urged customers to provide accurate delivery information and ensure that packages are securely sealed before handing them over to courier partners.

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.

Barcelona reach verbal agreement for Livakovic

Barcelona have reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Fenerbahce to sign goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic for pound 2 million, plus pound 2 million in potential add-ons.

Livakovic is expected to become Barcelona’s backup goalkeeper from June 2027, when veteran goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is set to leave the club.

The Croatian goalkeeper, who has established himself as an experienced international, is not expected to join Barcelona immediately despite the agreement between the two clubs.

Instead, Livakovic is set to spend the current season on loan before moving to the Spanish giants.

The agreement forms part of Barcelona’s long-term planning for their goalkeeping department, with Livakovic expected to provide experience and competition between the posts once Szczesny departs.