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Political and community leaders in Kogi East Senatorial District of the state on Tuesday said they would remain eternally grateful to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Usman Ododo for the socio- economic infrastructural development the zone has witnessed in the last three years.

The Chairman of Ankpa Local Government Area in the state, Alhaji Ademu Muhammed Yahaya, led the commendation of President Tinubu and the state government as the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and the Presidential Communications Team continued their inspection of federal and state governments’ legacy projects in the state.

In Ankpa Local Government Area, the team inspected a 12-kilometre internal road, with a 24-kilometre double -side drainage network undertaken by the Governor Ododo Administration.

Addressing the team, Kogi State Commissioner for Environment and Ecological Management, Engr Joseph Oluwasegun, said the road network was a legacy project implemented by the state government through the Agro – Climatic Resilience in Semi Arid Landscape (ACReSAL) – a World Bank counterpart-funding project.

The commissioner, who also chairs the state ACReSAL, said the project comprising land reclamation, stabilization and channelization is a strategic intervention by the state government to reclaim degraded environment, control erosion and free more land for agricultural and other economic purposes, thereby enhancing food sufficiency and security.

‘I want to first commend Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo for always according to counterpart funds for ACReSAL projects across the state utmost priority.

‘The World Bank will only release its funds when the state government provides its counterpart funds for compensation and other ancillaries.

‘Governor Ododo is one of the governors that do not default in the provision of counterpart funds,’ the commissioner said.

He added that the project has improved livelihoods in the area and reduced poverty in no small way through the micro-loan component, which rural farmers and cooperative groups have immensely benefited from.

Engineer Oluwasegun described the intervention as a campaign promise to the people of Kogi East, which Governor Ododo has kept, adding that similar projects are ongoing in other senatorial zones of the state because of its impact and the multiplier effect for the citizens.

Oluwasegun said over $2m has been disbursed to cooperative groups in the community through the intervention, thereby reducing poverty and improving their livelihoods.

Earlier, the Executive Chairman of Ankpa Local Government described the erosion control intervention project in the area as the largest government project ever conducted in the local government.

‘Ankpa Local Government is an old local government. It was in the Benue-Plateau State and later in the old Kwara State before the creation of Kogi State. But I can categorically say the project is the biggest and most impactful by any administration for this local government.

‘We cannot thank the Governor and President Bola Tinubu enough. We will show our appreciation fully during the polls,’ he said.

Also, a community leader and Secretary of Olubojo Community, Elder Yahaya Samuel, said the project had relieved them of years of hardship and economic loss arising from erosion menace and dilapidated road.

He expressed profound gratitude to the state government for the intervention and promised President Tinubu and other All Progressives Congress candidates in the area of massive votes in the 2027 polls.

At the Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, the team inspected the new College of Health Sciences building undertaken by TETfund under its 2024 Intervention as well as the university’s new Senate Building under the tertiary education intervention agency’s 2024 High Impact Intervention at the cost of N643m and N3.1bn, respectively.

Similarly, the team inspected the Iyale-Ogane-Enugu Road – a 60-kilometer rural road under construction in Dekina Local Government Area.

The State Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr Timothy Ojoma, said the road construction is a reflection of the state government’s determination to open up agrarian rural areas, boost production and enhance commerce in the state.

Yiaga Africa has raised concerns about the credibility of the upcoming Osun State governorship election, warning that the poll could be affected by voter inducement.

In its pre-election report, the organisation said its observers recorded an increase in the sharing of cash and gift items by politicians and their supporters during campaign activities and community visits.

The report, based on observations carried out between June 14 and June 29, 2026, said many of the items were presented as charity or social support, but their timing close to the election could influence how people vote.

Yiaga Africa said incidents were reported in Irepodun, Ola-Oluwa, Olorunda and Osogbo Local Government Areas.

According to the report, a group known as the ITK Sisters shared cash, garri, beans and other food items with residents in Ilobu and Erin in Irepodun LGA. Similar distributions were also reported in Ekerele-Iwara in Ola-Oluwa LGA, as well as parts of Olorunda and Osogbo.

The organisation also reported a more advanced form of voter inducement in Ife South LGA. On July 7, 2026, some residents of Ara Joshua Village in Osi Ward reportedly received electronic transfers of N10,000 with the description, ‘Renewed Hope Ambassadors/APC EPYT.’

Yiaga Africa said the payments were linked to an earlier exercise in March 2026 when individuals collected voters’ Voter Identification Numbers (VINs) and National Identification Numbers (NINs). The same people later returned in June to collect beneficiaries’ bank account details before sending the money.

The organisation warned that this method of influencing voters is more difficult to detect because it happens long before election day and leaves little evidence compared to traditional vote buying at polling units.

Yiaga Africa also expressed concern over the low level of voter education for women, young people and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

It said voter education programmes for women were only reported in Irewole and Ola-Oluwa LGAs. Youth-focused campaigns were conducted by INEC in Irewole and Ola-Oluwa, while a civil society organisation carried out a similar programme in Ede South LGA.

For Persons with Disabilities, Yiaga Africa said only INEC organised targeted voter education, and this was limited to Ola-Oluwa LGA.

The organisation called for greater efforts to protect the integrity of the election and ensure all eligible voters receive proper civic education before the governorship poll.

The Organized Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN) has cautioned the Federal Government and the National Pension Commission (PenCom) against plans to increase mandatory pension contributions, warning that the proposal could undermine job creation, suppress wage growth and threaten business sustainability.

The OPSN, comprising the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), and 25 other sectoral employer associations, described the proposal as a potential ‘Greek gift’ to Nigerian workers.

The warning follows comments by PenCom Director-General, Omolola Oloworaran, on plans to increase mandatory pension contributions and introduce an additional annual contribution equivalent to three per cent of employers’ total wage bills.

While acknowledging the need to strengthen Nigeria’s pension system, the OPSN argued that introducing additional statutory payroll costs amid prevailing economic challenges would place further strain on employers and workers alike.

According to the group, Nigeria’s current mandatory pension contribution of 18 per cent-comprising 10 per cent from employers and eight per cent from employees-is broadly comparable to the 18.8 per cent average mandatory contribution rate among OECD countries.

It insisted that any proposal to increase the contribution rate must be backed by comprehensive actuarial evidence demonstrating that the current rate is inadequate and that higher contributions would not negatively affect employment, wages, compliance or business survival.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Director-General of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, faulted the timing of the announcement, saying it was premature to signal an increase while stakeholder consultations were still underway.

‘The OPSN supports efforts aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s pension system and improving retirement outcomes for workers. However, announcing that contribution rates will increase while consultations are still ongoing risks prejudging the outcome of the process and reducing subsequent stakeholder engagements to a mere formality,’ he said.

Oyerinde stressed that previous pension reforms followed extensive consultations involving government, employers and organised labour, adding that any future review should emerge from credible economic assessments and transparent social dialogue.

The Director-General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, warned that manufacturers are already grappling with soaring energy costs, high interest rates, exchange-rate volatility, multiple taxes and weak consumer demand.

According to him, imposing additional employment costs could force businesses to freeze recruitment, delay salary reviews, reduce workforce numbers, suspend expansion plans or pass the increased costs to consumers through higher prices.

‘The proposed increase may directly raise employee contributions, but its broader consequences could include weaker wage growth, fewer employment opportunities, job losses and higher prices,’ he said.

Also expressing concern, NACCIMA Director-General Sola Obadimu said the proposal contradicts ongoing government efforts to improve the business environment through economic reforms.

He argued that introducing new statutory financial obligations at a time businesses are struggling to recover could erode the gains of recent fiscal and tax reforms.

Similarly, Director-General of NASSI, Ifeanyi Oputa, warned that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) would bear the heaviest burden.

He noted that many small businesses are already operating on thin margins amid rising operating costs, adding that higher pension obligations could force more businesses into informality and weaken compliance with the pension scheme.

The OPSN urged the Federal Government to focus on tackling inflation, preserving workers’ purchasing power and creating a more enabling environment for businesses before considering any increase in pension contributions.

It also called for a comprehensive economic and employment impact assessment, genuine stakeholder consultations and greater consideration of the proposal’s implications for investment, job creation, inflation and enterprise sustainability.

The group maintained that while it supports reforms aimed at improving retirement security, sustainable pension reforms must strike a balance between protecting workers’ future benefits and preserving the businesses and jobs that fund the pension system.

‘A strong pension system cannot be built on weakened enterprises, declining formal employment and rising business closures,’ the OPSN said, warning that any reform that increases employment costs without addressing current economic realities would ultimately amount to a ‘Greek gift’ to Nigerian workers.