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Sir: In 1975 at Dodan Barracks, an iconic photo was taken. In that frame stood three young men already carrying the weight of the nation on their shoulders: Adamu Ciroma, 41, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, 37, Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, and Murtala Muhammed, 36, Head of State.

They were young, sharp, ambitious, and responsible. Just five years before that moment, Nigeria had fought a brutal civil war. At only 33, Obasanjo took the surrender of Biafra. And even earlier, Yakubu Gowon became Head of State at just 31. These were young Nigerians who carried heavy responsibilities with courage.

Mr. President, where are we today?

At age 30, millions of Nigerian youths are jobless, roaming the streets with certificates that mean nothing. Many of us have no employable skills because our education system is broken. Some have fallen into crime-cultism, fraud, kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism. Others risk their lives crossing the desert or drowning in the sea, chasing the Japa dream, only to end up stranded in foreign lands.

We are not lazy. We are simply lost in a system that has failed us. We are tired of being called the leaders of tomorrow when our today has already been stolen.

We are trapped in bad schools and poor education, hospitals without medicine or equipment, insecurity that keeps farmers from their land and families from sleeping in peace, darkness because of lack of electricity, hunger everywhere-more than 85% of Nigerians cannot afford three meals a day, and joblessness-over 95% of youths have no chance to grow or contribute to this country

This pain is real, Mr. President. It is why crimes keep rising. It is why peace is broken. It is why our youths are angry, desperate, and hopeless.

I am almost 30, and I write this with tears as a voice for millions of young Nigerians. We believe in your Renewed Hope agenda. Your Excellency, every day it seems life only gets harder.

We need action, not promises. We need jobs, not slogans. We need food, not hunger. We need schools that work, hospitals that heal, and electricity that stays on, and leaders who care.

Mr. President, history has given you this chance. Please do not fail us. We need a rebirth of Nigeria. We need discipline, education, patriotism, and above all, leadership that put people first.

Sir, hear our cry. Hear the cry of your youths. If Nigeria fails us again, the future will be lost. But if you act now, history will remember you as the leader who saved a generation.

Nigeria must rise again.

Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries+ (OPEC+) has agreed to raise oil output from November by 137,000 barrels per day (bpd), opting for the same fairly modest monthly increase as in October amid persistent worries over a looming supply glut.

The group comprising the OPEC plus Russia and some smaller producers has so far increased its oil output targets by more than 2.7 million bpd this year, equating to about 2.5 per cent of global demand.

At the virtual meeting yesterday, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman reaffirmed their commitment to market stability on current healthy oil market fundamentals and steady global economic outlook and adjust production.

The eight OPEC+ countries, which previously announced additional voluntary adjustments in April and November 2023, namely Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman met virtually yesterday to review global market conditions and outlook.

Available outcome of the meeting uploaded on the OPEC website shortly after the meeting and monitored by The Nation, indicated that in view of a steady global economic outlook and current healthy market fundamentals, as reflected in the low oil inventories, the eight participating countries decided to implement a production adjustment of 137,000 barrels per day from the 1.65 million barrels per day additional voluntary adjustments announced in April 2023.

This adjustment will be implemented in November 2025. The 1.65 mbpd may be returned in part or in full subject to evolving market conditions and in a gradual manner. The countries will continue to closely monitor and assess market conditions and in their continuous efforts to support market stability, they reaffirmed the importance of adopting a cautious approach and retaining full flexibility to pause or reverse the additional voluntary production adjustments, including the previously implemented voluntary adjustments of the 2.2 mbpd announced in November 2023.

The eight OPEC+ countries also noted that this measure will provide an opportunity for the participating countries to accelerate their compensation. The eight countries reiterated their collective commitment to achieve full conformity with the Declaration of Cooperation, including the additional voluntary production adjustments that will be monitored by the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC).

They also confirmed their intention to fully compensate for any overproduced volume since January 2024. The eight OPEC+ countries will hold monthly meetings to review market conditions, conformity, and compensation. The eight countries will meet on November 2, 2025.

Brent prices fell below $65 per barrel on Friday, as most analysts predict a supply glut in the fourth quarter and in 2026 due to slower demand and rising U.S. supply. Prices are trading below this year’s peaks of $82 per barrel but above $60 per barrel seen in May.

In the run-up to the meeting, Russia and Saudi Arabia, the two biggest producers in the OPEC+ group, had different views. Russia was advocating for a modest output increase, the same as in October, to avoid pressuring oil prices and because it would struggle to raise output owing to sanctions over its war in Ukraine.

Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, would have preferred double, triple or even quadruple that figure – 274,000 bpd, 411,000 bpd or 548,000 bpd respectively – because it has spare capacity and wants to regain market share more quickly.

OPEC views the global economic outlook as steady and market fundamentals as healthy because of low oil inventories, it said in a statement on yesterday.

Consequently, it is expected that oil prices may rise today by up to $1 per barrel as the November production increase turned out to be modest.

‘OPEC+ stepped carefully after witnessing how nervous the market had become . The group is walking a tightrope between maintaining stability and clawing back market share in a surplus environment,’ said Rystad Energy said analyst, Jorge Leon.

OPEC+ output cuts had peaked in March, amounting to 5.85 million bpd in total. The cuts were made up of three elements: voluntary cuts of 2.2 million bpd, 1.65 million bpd by eight members and a further 2 million bpd by the whole group.

The eight producers plan to fully unwind one element of those cuts – 2.2 million bpd – by the end of September. For October, they started removing the second layer of 1.65 million bpd with the increase of 137,000 bpd.

The eight producers will meet again on November 2, 2025.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris took time out last week to interrogate characterisations in sections of the foreign media of religion-induced attacks and violence in the country. He was piqued by claims from some international platforms and online commentators that terrorists in Nigeria were carrying out a systematic genocide against Christians.

Though he named neither the offending social media platforms nor the commentators, the minister considered their claims so grave that he had to issue a statement to correct the wrong impressions created.

‘The federal government strongly condemns and categorically refutes recent allegations by certain international platforms and online influencers suggesting that terrorists operating in Nigeria are engaged in a systematic genocide against Christians. Such claims are false, baseless, despicable, and divisive’, he said.

He sees as misrepresentation of reality, the portrayal of Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group and that though Nigeria is faced with security challenges, couching the situation as a deliberate, systematic attack on Christians is inaccurate and harmful. He is largely right.

The minister’s position seems to find further support in subsisting incidences of such attacks across the country. So, when he said the criminals target all who reject their murderous ideology regardless of faith, he is backed by facts.

But that is not all there is to the matter. Yes, the criminals target all those who reject their ‘murderous ideology’ without regard to faith. They attack Muslims who do not identify with their own brand of teaching. They also attack Christians because they belong to a different religious fate. If other people who do not belong to any of these two religions are attacked, they were caught in the course of the onslaught on the two dominant religious groups. But what is this murderous ideology? And who are its purveyors in our circumstance?

Answers to these posers may chart the part to the misinterpretation and mischaracterisation of the security challenges in the country by the foreign media. And they may well be located in the way religion-induced violence and attacks on worship places budded and escalated in the last couple of years.

The first bomb attack on worship places surfaced around 2011 when the Boko Haram insurgents attacked St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla near Abuja on a Christmas day leaving in its trail deaths, sorrow and awe. More than 30 worshippers were killed, many others injured and properties of inestimable value destroyed.

This was followed very closely by bomb blasts at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church Jos, Plateau State and another at a Church in Gadaka, Yobe State. Those attacks were received with mixed feelings given their targets. But Boko Haram was later to begin attacks on Mosques following mounting suspicions on its motive.

The situation became complex when the so-called bandits whose motivation has not proved different from that of Boko Haram joined the fray. In the last two months or so, bandits are known to have mounted attacks on Mosques in the northern parts of the country bringing in their wake the death of innocent Muslim worshippers.

Bandits struck in August this year, during prayer time at Anguwar Montau Mosque in the Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State. At least 32 worshippers were killed in reprisal for the killing of their commanders by villagers the previous weekend. Malumfashi youths were so aggrieved by the attack that they took to protests blocking the Malumfashi-Funtua highway.

A couple of days ago, armed bandits stormed a Mosque in Yandoto community, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State killed at least five people and abducted several others. The attack came less than a week after gunmen abducted worshippers during morning prayers at a mosque in Gidan Turbe village also in Tsafe LGA of the same state.

Before this time, a bomb attack and mass shooting during mass service at St, Francis Catholic church, Owo, Ondo State had left more than 50 people killed. The Nigerian security agencies then fingered ISWAP for the dastardly killings. Four of the masterminds have since been arrested and are facing prosecution.

Yet, herdsmen attacked St Paul’s Catholic Church, Aye-Twar, Katsina Ala, Benue State last August. Chairman of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA) Katsina Ala, Rev. Fr. Samuel Fila gave a disturbing account of the attack. According to him, ‘the attack has finally shut down all pastoral activities since all the 26 outstations have been occupied by herdsmen long before now.

The malevolent attach left in its wake the desecration and destruction of the parish church, destruction of the parish secretariat, the burning to ashes of the Father’s House, destruction of household items, pastoral logistic vehicles in addition to many other items’ the NCDPA chairman recounted.

All these seem to reinforce Idris’ argument that the terrorists operating in the country attacks Muslim and Christian places of worship and therefore puts a lie to the narrative of a systematic genocide against Christians. What could have then, led the foreign media outfits and commentators to their conclusion? Could it be a deliberate voyage on mischief or the general biases and ignorance that sometimes blur western media perception of events in Africa and the less developed nations?

Even as the motivations of western media platforms remain a matter of conjecture, it would appear they were deceived by the profile of the terrorists. Who are these terrorists operating in Nigeria and what is their mission?

Top on the list is the Boko Haram insurgents. They are opposed to western education and propelled by the weird desire to institute an Islamic state. Islamic State for West Africa Province ISWAP is another. It broke away from Islamic State (IS) another radical religious group linked to Al-Qaida. Its name gives out its doctrinaire.

There are also the bandits whose motivations are yet to be clearly decoded. At one time, they share the same characteristics with the killer herdsmen. And at another, it is difficult to draw a line between them and the Boko Haram insurgents or other terrorist groups masquerading around. They are largely responsible for the attacks in Katsina and Zamfara among other states in the north.

Attacks on worship places also come from the insurgency of the herdsmen ranked by Global Terrorism Index as the fourth most deadly terrorist group in the world. The case of Katsina Ala is just a tip of the iceberg of such attacks and despoliations. Of course, there are other less effective ones like the Lukarawa. The proliferation of these terror groups propelled by strange religious ideological leanings could obviously send wrong signals.

There are other forms criminalities in and around the country. But their purveyors are not engaged in mounting attacks on places of religious worship. So, it is not unlikely that the profile of these insurgents, doctrines and their preoccupation with attacks on places of worship may have influenced the foreign media platforms.

They may not have captured the real situation on ground. But the fact that such attacks could lend themselves to misinterpretation outside our shores, illustrates most poignantly the danger in the activities of insurgency groups propagating religious beliefs that run at cross purposes with the secularity of the country. That is the issue to contend with.

Admittedly, the government has been waging a relentless war against the insurgency of these extremists. In recent times, arrests of key leaders of the insurgent groups have been made. There are also copious reports of their being neutralised in huge numbers by the security agencies.

But the resurgence of the attacks as the tempo of the 2027 general elections draw nearer raises suspicions of political colouration. Data collected by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project shows there have been 43 separate attacks on Church premises this year.

This should instruct a re-assessment of the current strategy in prosecuting the war against terrorism to secure total defeat. As long as the terror groups pursue their weird religious doctrines, so long will their motivations lend themselves to misinterpretation.

One hundred and five Nigerian innovators, selected from 3,000 entries, will gather at Hilton London Paddington for the grand finale of the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2025.

The innovators, from all 36 states and FCT, will pitch revolutionary solutions in HealthTech, AgriTech, FinTech, Clean Energy, Artificial Intelligence, and IoT before investors, policymakers, and development partners.

The initiative, spearheaded by National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) in partnership with UKALD London, is a defining moment in Nigeria’s push towards becoming a global leader in innovation diplomacy.

Launched on May 28 in Abuja by Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, the challenge has evolved into ‘a national innovation movement’.

MBTI Director General, Dr. Kazeem Raji, said the country is not exporting talent but amplifying African solutions to the world.

He said following rigorous vetting, led by Prof. Hari Mohan of London South Bank University, the top 105 showcased their innovations at the National Showcase in Abuja on July 9, before top leaders, diplomats, and investors.

Some standout innovations expected to capture global attention, he said are: Bra-X: A smart wearable for early breast cancer detection; Multi-patient ventilator: Capable of supporting six patients simultaneously; AI-powered drones for precision farming and pest control; Clean energy solutions tailored for underserved communities and Next-generation FinTech platforms for inclusive financial access.

He said London was chosen due to its position as a hub of global capital, innovation, and diaspora investment networks.

According to him, the event will provide a platform for Nigerian innovators to connect with venture capitalists, diaspora investors, and European industry leaders, while unveiling strategic partnerships and bilateral opportunities.

Key features, he added, include: Live pitches from 105 finalists; Consortium Project Showcase: Including Interface Africa, Ogoni Land Renewal, and $1 billion Innovate Africa Israel/BIPVco Solar Project.

Others are launch of Lagos coastal areas as world’s safest innovation and leisure spot.

‘Global spotlights from SpinLab (Germany), Innovate UK, and Commonwealth Roundtable. Awards and recognition for standout innovators and partners’.

He said the event will deliver results, such as: signing of renewable energy and clean growth MOUs, among others.

Speakers and guests are Dr. Shambhu Pokharel, of Tesla, Europe; Amanda Haber, of Global Development at Innovation: Africa; Eric Weber, of SpinLab; top officials from UK Department of Business and Trade; Commonwealth Group; and local UK mayors.

He added that investor organisations expected at the event include Tesla Europe, UNDP, DP World Dubai, Innovate UK, BIPVco Wales, SpinLab Germany, Africa House London, Middlesbrough University, Kerna Ventures, Kudy Financials USA, and several African and European business chambers.

Speaking further, he said the movement enjoys the backing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose Renewed Hope Agenda is credited with reviving Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.

He however added that entries for the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026 will open in the first quarter of next year, alongside new training and e-learning platforms designed to scale commercially viable projects nationwide.

The 762.5 per cent leap, said Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), indicates renewed investor confidence in the nation’s energy sector.

NUPRC, in a statement highlighting its successes in the last four years, expects the number of rigs to increase in the coming months.

The commission, however, revealed that it identified 400 dormant oil fields during the period.

The statement yesterday by its spokesman, Eniola Akinkuotu, was titled: ”Rising Rig Count: As a testament to the renewed vigour in Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas sector.”

NUPRC also explained that it approved 79 Field Development Plans (FDPs) between 2024 and 2025, with estimated investments valued at $39.98 billion. This comprises $20.55billion in 2024 and $19.43billion in 2025.’

The commission, which put current crude oil production at 1.65mbpd, projected the figure to 2.5 Mbpd in 2027.

It added that crude oil theft has dropped by 90 per cent with the combined efforts of ”General Security Forces and a private security contractor, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.

The statement partly reads: ‘The latest rig count of 69 which comprises 40 active rigs, eight on standby, five on warm stack, four on cold stack and 12 on the move, represents a 762.5 per cent increase in barely four years.”

On dormant oil fields, the commission said: ‘We successfully identified 400 dormant oil fields and have also propelled complacent oil companies to take quick action.’

NUPRC explained that its successes in the past four years align with the charge of President Tinubu that Nigeria is ready for business and that the right investment climate prevails now in the Nigerian upstream sector.

NUPRC listed 16 high-impact post-Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) successes, saying they were attained despite challenges it inherited from the pre-Petroleum Industry Act era.

One of the achievements was surpassing the revenue targets.

The commission said that in 2022, 2023 and 2024, it surpassed its revenue target by 18.3 per cent, 14.65 per cent and 84.2 per cent, respectively.

On transparent bid rounds, NUPRC recalled that before its establishment, licensing rounds were clouded by political influence.

NUPRC said in line with the PIA and with the support of President Tinubu, it began implementation of the ‘Drill or Drop’ policy which prescribes that unexplored acreages are to be relinquished.

The commission added: ‘ We approved divestments running into billions of dollars in 2024. From the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to Oando Energy Resources; Equinor to Chappal Energies; Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited to Seplat Energies; and Shell Development Company Nigeria Limited to Renaissance Africa Energy.

‘The divestment is about investor portfolio re-ordering to focus on deep-offshore development.”

To give meaning to the intent of the PIA, the commission, in consultation with stakeholders, developed 24 forward-thinking Regulations out of which 19 have been gazetted.

On gas flare commercialisation, NUPRC said it has completed awards of flare sites to successful bidders under the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP).

The programme is aimed at eliminating gas flaring and attracting at least $2.5 billion in investments.

It also said that Host Community Development Trusts have remitted N122.34billion and over $168.91 million as of the first week of this month to oil host communities.

NUPRC added that it was currently overseeing at least 536 projects, including schools, health centres, roads and vocational centres in the oil host communities.

The projects, according to the commission, are being funded by the trust fund.

Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on September 9, which was, to all intents and purposes, an epochal event. Built across the Nile, it is the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa, with the capacity to supply a whopping 6000 MW of electricity to the energy-starved nation. The country is expected to earn billions from sales of electricity across the border to Kenya, Djibouti, South Sudan, Sudan, and Eritrea. It is betting on the GERD to transform its economy and invigorate its agricultural sector through irrigation.

The Nile is composed primarily of two tributaries: the White and Blue Nile, with both converging at Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, before flowing to Egypt and then the Mediterranean. Ethiopia is upstream where the Blue Nile flows. Other upstream sources are from East Africa, where the White Nile originates. The amount of water from the White Nile pales in comparison with the Blue Nile, which accounts for 80-85% of the River Nile.

The massive hydroelectric infrastructure was birthed amidst vociferous opposition from the downstream countries-Egypt and Sudan. Egypt has always been apoplectic over the idea of a dam. The Nile is its blood. The preponderance of its water resources is derived from the Nile, and about 97% of the Egyptian population resides along the Nile River, where some of the fertile farmland exists. It is said that a 2% reduction in Nile water will lead to the loss of about 200,000 acres of farmland, which means the loss of about one million jobs.

Rising temperatures are inducing evaporation, increasing the requirement for more water to grow crops in the Nile and its canals. In light of this, the country has significantly cut back on areas used for water-consuming crops like rice in an attempt to save a huge amount of water. There is also concern for the Aswan Dam, Egypt’s hydroelectric dam, which depends on the Nile.

Egypt is relying on a colonial-era treaty and a 1959 agreement with Sudan, which ceded the bulk of the Nile water to Egypt without the consent of the upstream countries. Therefore, Ethiopia believes the old agreement is not binding on them. Sudan has its grievances too. Notwithstanding, it stands to benefit immensely. The GERD will help provide needed electricity, manage floods, and reduce alluvium, ensuring large hectares of land become available for cultivation through irrigation.

It is often said that war in the 21st century will be fought over water. Nowhere is this assertion truer than on the Nile. In fact, in 2019, the International Crisis Group-an organization that works to prevent wars-warned of the possibility of armed conflict. The Egyptians were already talking tough before opting for diplomacy. To the Ethiopians, the Nile is not only a valuable resource that must be harnessed but also an exercise of their sovereign right. It is a fast-growing economy with a growing population.

The scale and cost of the GERD were a huge test of the resolve of the Ethiopians, especially with international funding proving difficult to come by. Since Emperor Haile Selassie, Ethiopian leaders have flirted with the idea of harnessing the Nile’s upstream power. However, it was the former Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, who decided to take the plunge. He was imbued with strong passion, unflagging conviction, and the courage to walk the talk in delivering what merely existed in the realm of dreams and aspirations.

During the laying of the foundation stone in 2011, Meles asserted that ‘no matter how poor we are, in the Ethiopian traditions of resolve, the Ethiopian people will pay any sacrifice.’ Ethiopia was compelled to have recourse to domestic financing, which was quite innovative. Ethiopians from all walks of life contributed through bonds, salary deductions, and donations from the diaspora. Patriotism and unity were whipped up to muster citizens’ support as national interest bridged the gaping political and ethnic chasm.

Meles Zenawi demonstrated a brand of leadership that has continued to elude Africa. He walked right into a huge storm of opposition without flinching, unscathed by criticisms and unfazed by the cold shoulder from international lending institutions. He proved that, as a leader, taking tough and unpopular decisions is sometimes necessary. The delivery is what matters. In the case of the GERD, it came to a successful conclusion, which has now attracted effusive praise and ignited national pride.

Interestingly, Meles evinced an inspiring power of persuasion-a quality that enabled him to logically and clearly articulate the vision and convince the people to own the project. It basically brought to the fore the importance of inclusive and people-centred governance.

He didn’t see the turbines spin owing to his death in 2012, a year after he laid the foundation stone. Nonetheless, the seed he planted didn’t die. His successors watered it. They refined the plans and kept driving the construction forward. The continuity of the project was essentially a result of the huge buy-in by everyone.

Through him, Africa saw the possibility of looking inwards in financing projects; while it imposes financial strain, it enables independence by precluding the tall and restrictive conditions that accompany external funding. The GERD is a monument to strategic foresight. It reinforces the importance of visionary leadership in shaping the destiny of a nation and rallying people around a development agenda.

Security has been beefed up at local government secretariats across Osun State, as factional council workers will resume today after eight-month strike over control crisis between All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Nation recalls that members of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) embarked on strike since February 17, when the Appeal Court reinstated APC chairmen, which PDP kicked against, hence, council election was held, and members of the latter emerged.

Since February, councils have been shut, until recently when the Federal Government recognised the APC chairmen by releasing six months of withheld allocation to the local governments’ accounts opened by the reinstated executives.

The development made workers under the auspices of Association of Concerned Local Government Workers to fix October 6 to resume duty.

Osun State Police Command through its spokesman, Abiodun Ojelabi, speaking with The Nation yesterday, said: ‘We won’t have a repetition of February 17 incident in Osun State again on October 6.

‘Even before the issue of the release of funds, we have been on the alert, especially at our local governments. I have spoken with the Commissioner of Police, who has ordered our men to ensure there is no breakdown of law and order.’

After 10 unbroken years as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s tour of duty comes to an end next month. But as his last days in the national assignment gradually draw close, his tenure for a record 10 years remains unprecedented in the nation’s democratic history.

A one-time lecturer and professor of Political History and International Studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) as well as former executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Yakubu was first appointed head of the electoral umpire by late President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2015.

He assumed office on November 9, the same year, and after the first five years, his appointment was renewed in 2020 for another five-year term. His reappointment came a year after the highly disputed 2019 presidential election.

For the records, INEC was established in 1998 to oversee elections in Nigeria. The commission, as presently configured, was preceded by different electoral bodies at various times, such as the Electoral Commission of Nigeria (ECN) in 1958 and the Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) in 1960, which organised elections in the formative years of Nigeria’s independence.

Under the military, different commissions managed elections, but were dissolved after change of governments.

In 1995, the late Gen. Sani Abacha’s regime created the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON), but it was later replaced by INEC in 1998 under the then head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd).

The outgoing INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, who incidentally became the fifth INEC chairman since 1998 has not only become the longest serving head of the electoral umpire, he has the distinction of presiding over two general elections (2019 and 2023).

He also superintended over multiple off-cycle elections for governorship, state and National Assembly polls, among others.

In executing these assignments in the past 10 years, many have questioned the competence and neutrality of the electoral umpire and its leadership. This is especially so among politicians when things don’t go their own way.

In 2019, the outcome of the presidential election was highly contentious and the final winner, the late President Buhari’s mandate had to be validated by the apex court.

The 2023 polls, particularly the outcome of the presidential election drew even greater umbrage from a large segment of the populace. In the eyes of many, the infamous ‘technical glitch’ appeared to have diminished the innovations and achievements of the Mahmood Yakubu leadership of INEC.

However, under Yakubu, many have also applauded the technologies introduced by the electoral commission that greatly improved the credibility and outcome of several elections across the country.

One of the most significant technological tools is the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

In 2020, the electoral umpire also introduced INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), an online platform designed to promote transparency in the electoral process during the Edo State governorship election.

IReV allows for the easy dissemination of polling unit results, making the electoral process more transparent and accountable to citizens. The portal also provides accessibility for the general public to access and view official election results in real-time. The IReV provides an easy way for citizens to verify the results, increasing the credibility and preventing electoral malpractices in the electoral process.

Under Yakubu, there has been an increased participation of the civil society in real electoral process.

As part of efforts to promote electoral integrity, civil society organisations like Yiaga Africa have been involved in deploying statistics and information technology as part of its Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) election observation interventions. The PVT deploys citizen observers to sampled polling units while providing accurate and timely information on the process through the feedback received via coded text messages and analysed via a technological database. Thus, the PVT can also verify the accuracy of election results that will be released by the electoral commission. This methodology has been used in multiple elections in Nigeria, including the 2019 presidential and other off-circle elections.

There are claims in some quarters that Nigerians have lost confidence in INEC. Such assertions may be unsupported by empirical facts.

In recent times, INEC has faced criticisms from various civil society and religious organisations, which raised concerns over what they perceived as growing public disillusionment with the electoral process.

Responding to these criticisms recently, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi argued that the evidence points in a different direction-highlighting robust public engagement in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise.

‘The notion that Nigerians have lost confidence in the electoral process is more of a myth than a reality, as those who proclaim it lack convincing evidence to support it,’ Oyekanmi said.

He hinged his argument on what he described as the high level of participation, particularly among young Nigerians, in the current voter registration drive as a strong indicator of public trust.

‘On the contrary, the high level of participation by Nigerians, especially the youths, in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, which began on August 18 this year with online pre-registration, shows that citizens still have confidence in the process,’ he added.

Despite its pitfalls, Oyekanmi said the 2023 polls marked a major improvement in the country’s electoral system, particularly in terms of diversity.

‘The 2023 general election, more than any other election, demonstrates this fact. The election produced the most diverse National Assembly since the restoration of democracy in 1999,’ he said.

He buttressed this further with statistics, adding that in the Senate, seven political parties secured seats: All Progressives Congress-59, Peoples Democratic Party-36, Labour Party-eight, New Nigeria People’s Party -two, Social Democratic Party-two, All Progressives Grand Alliance-one, and Young Progressives Party-one. In the House of Representatives, eight parties won seats: APC-177, PDP-117, LP-35, NNPP-19, APGA-five, African Democratic Congress-two, SDP-two, and YPP-two.

That pattern, he noted, continued at the state level, with nine parties winning seats in state assemblies. These included APC-533, PDP-355, LP-38, NNPP-29, APGA-20, YPP-eight, SDP-seven, A-one, and ADC-one. In the gubernatorial elections, APC won 16 states, PDP-10, LP-1, and NNPP-1.

The recent bye-elections were proof that ‘Nigerians have kept faith with the electoral process,’ he stated.

What Oyekanmi did not lose sight of was what he described as a contradiction in the behaviour of some INEC critics.

‘Ironically, some of the most ardent critics of INEC are also in the forefront of calling for electoral reform to transfer Local Government elections to the same commission. Surely, they cannot continue to walk on both sides of the road,’ he said.

There has never been perfection in any human enterprise, including INEC.

There are certainly grey areas in the electoral ecosystem and elections management that need to be improved upon, but INEC under Yakubu has recorded remarkable successes in the last 10 years.

Many have suddenly forgotten that it was under him that an INEC returning officer, Prof. Peter Ogban was convicted by a High Court in Akwa Ibom State last year.

Over the years, the job of an INEC chairman has become (as we say in this part of the world) a thankless job. Yakubu is not an exception. He has laid the building blocks for greater credibility in the electoral umpire.

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the Chief Executive Officer of Fine and Country West Africa, Mrs. Okonjo Udokanma, to pay Providus Bank Plc the sum of $97,982.19.

It affirmed that she fully utilised an overdraft facility linked to her World Elite Card.

The suit, FHC/L/CS/901/2025, filed by Providus Bank, centred on whether the defendant accepted and utilised an overdraft facility under the account-opening terms and whether the bank was entitled to recover the outstanding balance with interest.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa held that Mrs. Okonjo voluntarily executed her Account Opening Form, agreeing to Clauses 12 and 23A-B, which authorise the bank to grant and recover overdrafts with interest.

Her repeated withdrawals in excess of her account balance, the court said, confirmed full acceptance and use of the facility.

The court upheld the bank’s claim of indebtedness but described the 26 per cent interest rate sought as excessive, reducing it to 10 per cent per annum until the debt is fully liquidated.

Justice Lewis-Allagoa observed that while banks are entitled to charge interest on overdrafts, ‘courts will intervene where rates become unnecessarily exorbitant.’

The judge agreed with the submissions of counsel to Providus Bank, Mitchel A. Aribisala, that the defendant’s consistent use of the World Elite Card and failure to dispute her account statements amounted to an acknowledgement of the overdraft facility and its attendant obligations.

A related application by Fine and Country International Realty (West Africa) Ltd, seeking to lift a post-no-debit (PND) restriction on its account linked to the defendant’s Bank Verification Number (BVN), was dismissed.

Relying on the UK Supreme Court’s decision in JSC BTA Bank v. Ablyazov [2015] UKSC 64, the court held that even where assets are not legally or beneficially owned by a debtor, they may still be frozen if the debtor exercises direct or indirect control over them.

Justice Lewis-Allagoa reasoned that Mrs. Okonjo, as CEO of Fine and Country, exercised control over the company’s funds; hence, the freezing order was valid and constitutional.

Christiana Kayode, popularly known as Berbiedoll, has reaffirmed the vision behind her athleisure brand, BerbieBeauty, as she celebrates a decade of success with the launch of its 10th official collection, Drop 10.

For the CEO and creative force behind the brand, BerbieBeauty goes far beyond clothing.

‘It’s not just fashion, it’s energy,’ she explained. ‘When a woman wears BerbieBeauty, she feels like that girl. Every piece is made to flatter, empower, and turn heads.

‘But beyond the clothes, women resonate with the journey. They’ve seen me build this from scratch – being transparent, vulnerable, and real. They see themselves in me, and that connection has made our community one of the strongest I’ve ever seen.’

Launched as both a celebration and a milestone, Drop 10 reflects BerbieBeauty’s evolution from humble beginnings to a global brand embraced by women across continents. ‘Drop 10 is everything to me,’ Berbiedoll said. ‘It reminds me how far I’ve come – from sketching designs and hand-packing orders to seeing thousands of women around the world wear BerbieBeauty. It feels like a reward for not giving up.’

Since its inception, BerbieBeauty has distinguished itself with bold, trend-setting athleisure pieces that not only inspire confidence but also foster community. Each collection has sparked viral moments, embraced by women seeking to feel powerful and effortlessly stylish. With Drop 10, Berbiedoll believes she has captured the very essence of the brand while setting new standards in athleisure and lifestyle fashion.

The growth of BerbieBeauty, she noted, has been entirely organic – driven by word of mouth, reposts, tags, and unwavering support from women who see the brand as a reflection of themselves. ‘That’s the most beautiful kind of growth,’ she added.

Looking ahead, Berbiedoll envisions BerbieBeauty as more than a fashion label. To her, it is a legacy. ‘I want BerbieBeauty to remind people that dreams are valid – especially the big, scary, ‘how dare she think she can do that?’ kind of dreams,’ she said. ‘I want women, especially African women, to know we can build luxury, global brands from the ground up. We don’t have to water ourselves down to fit in. We can slay and succeed.’

With Drop 10, BerbieBeauty not only celebrates ten years of persistence, vision, and cultural impact but also positions itself for the future – a future where fashion meets empowerment, and style becomes a statement of resilience, ambition, and self-belief.