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Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and Air Peace, West Africa’s largest airline, have signed an interline agreement that connects the two carriers’ networks, opening 20 destinations across Nigeria, West and Central Africa to Etihad’s guests.

Under the agreement, Etihad guests will be able to travel on a single ticket beyond Lagos and Accra onto Air Peace’s extensive network.

That includes major Nigerian cities such as Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Enugu, Benin City, Owerri, Warri and Asaba, as well as regional destinations across West and Central Africa, among them Abidjan, Dakar, Banjul, Freetown, Monrovia, Conakry, Bamako, Douala and Libreville.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and one of its largest economies; business between the two countries has accelerated since the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was signed in January 2026, and a fast-growing Nigerian community lives and works across the Emirates.

For Etihad, the partnership supports the African expansion announced in April, which includes a daily service between Abu Dhabi and Lagos. Once those flights begin, guests will be able to book journeys through Abu Dhabi and continue onward on Air Peace’s network across Nigeria and West Africa.

Arik De, Chief Commercial and Revenue Officer, Etihad Airways, said: ‘Our ambitions in Africa are long-term, and Nigeria sits at the centre of them. This agreement gives our guests access to one of the continent’s most extensive domestic and regional networks. Partnerships like this are how we grow: with strong airlines that know their markets better than anyone.’

Nowel Ngala, Chief Commercial Officer, Air Peace, said: ‘Air Peace has always been about opening doors for Nigerian and West African travellers.

‘Working with Etihad Airways extends that ambition, giving our customers convenient access to Abu Dhabi on Etihad’s services once the new routes begin, while bringing Etihad’s guests to the many destinations we serve across the region. We look forward to welcoming travellers from both networks.’

Across West Africa, cities are expanding faster than infrastructure. Wetlands that once absorbed floodwaters have been built over. Natural waterways have narrowed under unplanned development. Drainage systems designed for smaller populations now serve millions more people. Climate change has intensified rainfall, but poor placement has multiplied its consequences.

Lagos State, like several others this year, was on the national news diet. You can trust that it was for the wrong reason.

Every rainy season, we say the same things: ‘The rain was too much.’ ‘Flood everywhere.’ ‘It happened unexpectedly. What do we do now?’ Then, perhaps the waters recede. The television cameras leave. Relief materials are distributed. Promises are made. Committees are formed.

Whenever another rainy season arrives, the story begins again. It may be time to admit an uncomfortable truth. Floods do not merely reveal the force of nature. They reveal the society we have built.

As communities across Nigeria and Ghana mourn the lives lost, families displaced, businesses destroyed, and livelihoods washed away, our first responsibility is compassion. I grieve with those who have lost loved ones, homes, farms, businesses, and the memories attached to them.

No editorial can restore what has been lost. I pray that those affected find comfort, strength, and the support needed to rebuild their lives.

Our second responsibility is honesty. Flooding is not new to West Africa. Climate change has increased the intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall, but heavy rains alone do not explain why disasters repeatedly become humanitarian tragedies. Human decisions often determine whether rainfall becomes an inconvenience or a catastrophe. Across West Africa, cities are expanding faster than infrastructure. Wetlands that once absorbed floodwaters have been built over. Natural waterways have narrowed under unplanned development. Drainage systems designed for smaller populations now serve millions more people. Climate change has intensified rainfall, but poor planning has multiplied its consequences. Floods are becoming disasters because exposure and vulnerability have increased alongside the rain.

Water exposes what already exists. It exposes blocked drainage systems. It exposes buildings constructed on waterways. It exposes poor urban planning. It exposes projects existing in budgets but never fully materialise on the ground, drainage systems left unfinished, and environmental regulations enforced selectively rather than consistently.

It exposes weak enforcement of environmental regulations. It exposes neglected infrastructure. It exposes governments that prepare only after disaster strikes. And it exposes citizens who sometimes contribute to the very conditions that later threaten their own communities. That is why floods are not only environmental events. They are governance events. They are public health events. They are development events. And they are moral events.

The United Nations estimates that climate-related disasters are becoming more frequent and severe globally. Across West Africa, rapid urbanisation, inadequate drainage infrastructure, informal settlements in flood-prone areas, and changing rainfall patterns have significantly increased flood risks. Nigeria has repeatedly experienced devastating floods over the past decade, including the nationwide floods of 2022 that affected millions of people and caused widespread destruction. Ghana, too, continues to face recurring floods that disrupt lives and livelihoods, particularly in densely populated urban areas. These tragedies should no longer surprise us. They should educate us. Too often, our response begins and ends with government.

The government carries an enormous responsibility and should be held accountable. Citizens rightly expect functioning drainage systems, effective urban planning, early warning systems, emergency shelters, enforcement of building regulations, and disaster preparedness. Leaders should be judged not only by whether or not they visit disaster sites, but also by how effectively they reduce the number of disasters that become national tragedies. Compassion is not measured by the number of condolence messages issued after floods. It should be measured by the number of lives protected before they occur. But the government cannot do everything.

Flood resilience begins much closer to home. It begins with us. Every rainy season, countless drainage channels become clogged with plastic bottles, food containers, nylon bags, and household waste. Refuse dumped into gutters does not disappear. It waits.

Then, when the rains arrive, it returns to us as floodwater. Environmental responsibility is not merely an environmental issue. It is an act of protecting human life. Families also have responsibilities. Many households prepare for weddings. They prepare for funerals. They prepare for Christmas. Far fewer prepare for emergencies.

Every family should know what to do when floodwaters begin to rise. Parents should teach children basic flood safety. Families should identify safer locations, protect important documents, maintain emergency contacts, and know which elderly relatives or neighbours may need assistance during an evacuation.

Preparedness saves lives. Communities matter too. Strong communities do not wait for disaster before organising. Residents’ associations can coordinate drainage cleanup before the rainy season begins. Community leaders can identify vulnerable households. Volunteers can check on older adults, persons living with disabilities, and families who may struggle to evacuate quickly. Disaster resilience is built long before disaster arrives. Schools have responsibilities. Do students know what to do during severe flooding? Do schools have evacuation procedures? Do they monitor weather alerts? Can parents be reached quickly during emergencies?

The same questions should be asked of hospitals, churches, mosques, markets, universities, and businesses. Preparedness should become part of institutional culture rather than an afterthought. There is another lesson these floods should teach us. Poverty magnifies disaster.

The wealthiest families rarely lose everything to floods because they often live in safer neighbourhoods, possess stronger buildings, have insurance, and recover more quickly. The poorest frequently live where land is cheapest, often in flood-prone areas lacking adequate drainage, waste management, and resilient infrastructure.

This means flooding is also a justice issue. Climate hazards do not affect everyone equally. They punish vulnerability. That is why reducing flood risk requires more than sandbags. It requires reducing poverty, improving housing, expanding access to insurance and strengthening public infrastructure. Planning cities around people rather than political convenience. This is where governments must move beyond promises and camera lights.

Disaster response should not end with distributing relief materials for the evening news. Families need temporary shelter. Children need to return safely to school. Small business owners need support to rebuild. Farmers need assistance restoring livelihoods. Communities need functioning roads, drainage, healthcare, and clean water. Recovery is measured months after the cameras leave. Not while they are still recording.

There is also a lesson for faith communities. Churches and mosques often become places of refuge during disasters. They should also become places of preparedness. Faith leaders can educate congregations about disaster readiness, encourage environmental stewardship, organise volunteer response teams, and support affected families long after public attention has faded. The media also has a responsibility. Too often, flood coverage ends when the water disappears. Yet recovery takes months and sometimes years. Journalists should return after the headlines fade to ask whether displaced families have been rehoused, whether promised relief has arrived, whether damaged schools have reopened, and whether governments have fulfilled their commitments.

Accountability should not end when the cameras leave.

Perhaps the greatest lesson is this. Floods do not discriminate. They do not ask whether you voted for the ruling party or the opposition. They do not ask your ethnicity. They do not ask about your religion. They do not recognise national borders. The floodwaters that overwhelm communities in Ghana carry the same message as those that devastate communities in Nigeria. Nature is impartial.

Our preparation has not been. If there is hope in this tragedy, it is that every flood teaches us something. It teaches governments where infrastructure failed. It teaches engineers where cities need to be redesigned. It teaches communities where solidarity matters. It teaches families where preparation was missing. It teaches citizens that every plastic bottle thrown into a drainage channel has consequences far beyond a single household. The measure of a society is not whether floods come. No nation possesses that power. The measure is whether fewer people die the next time. Whether fewer homes are destroyed. Whether children return safely to school. Whether families recover more quickly. Whether governments learn. Whether communities organise. Whether

citizens accept that caring for public spaces is also caring for one another.

The floodwaters will recede. The grief will not disappear so easily. The question is whether our memory will last longer than the water. Because if we forget these lessons once again, the next flood will not simply be another natural disaster. It will be another reminder that we failed to build the society we already knew we needed. Floods are often described as acts of nature. In truth, the scale of their destruction is often an act of policy, planning, preparation, and collective responsibility. Rain will continue to fall. The question is whether we will continue building societies that turn rainfall into mourning. The floodwaters will recede. What must not recede with them is our resolve to build differently.

Nigeria handed out 37 oil and gas blocks to 31 companies on Tuesday, capping a licensing round that regulators say marked the first time frontier basins far from the country’s traditional Niger Delta heartland drew serious investor appetite.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said 143 firms lodged 200 bids for the blocks on offer in Abuja, though only 37 of the 50 available assets attracted any bids at all.

The remaining 13 will go back to the drawing board for further technical work before returning to market, according to the commission.

The bulk of the winning blocks sit in familiar territory with 16 in the Niger Delta onshore and 18 in the shallow water, plus a single deep-offshore block.

But the round’s headline was the interest shown in acreage the industry has long treated as unproven: three blocks in the Benin Basin, four in the Anambra Basin, four in the Chad Basin and four in the Benue Trough.

‘This is the first time in Nigeria’s energy history that frontier basins would attract such level of investor interest,’ the commission said in a statement.

Among the winners are SSonic Petroleum, Dutchford E and P, Attabanson Global Company, Rosem Energy, Pivot-GIS, Network E and P, Asharami, LexOil, Gupsco Energy, Concept-Reel Petroleum Services, Clinton Oil Field, Blackrock Holdings and Highban Resources, along with more than a dozen other companies that picked up single or multiple blocks across the terrains on offer.

Conditional awards

None of the allocations is final yet, as Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, chief executive of NUPRC, said winners will only receive their formal awards once they pay the applicable signature bonus and secure sign-off from the Minister of Petroleum Resources, as required under the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021.

Eyesan said each winning bidder must satisfy post-bid conditions, including guarantees, the signature bonus, first-year rent and execution of contractual documents, within 90 days of receiving an offer letter, or forfeit the asset entirely. Companies that miss the deadline will see their blocks passed to reserve bidders in order of ranking.

‘The government is not seeking speculative holders of acreage; it is seeking partners with the capacity, discipline and commitment to deliver measurable production and economic value,’ Eyesan said.

She added that the commission would also hold firms to a ‘drill or drop’ standard once assets are handed over, meaning companies that sit on undeveloped licenses risk losing them.

Regulators framed the 13 blocks that drew no bids as a reflection of their frontier status rather than a setback.

‘Frontier means that they have not yet been de-risked, and so we were not surprised when we saw that some of these assets returned with no bidders,’ Eyesan said, adding that the commission would carry out further studies before relisting them.

Reserves and output targets

The commission estimates the awarded acreage could add roughly 500 million barrels to Nigeria’s reserves, which currently stand at 37.01 billion barrels of crude and condensate alongside 215.19 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Eyesan said the blocks are expected to contribute a minimum of 300,000 barrels per day of crude and condensate production within three years of development, a contribution she called central to Nigeria’s push to reach 3 million barrels a day of output by 2030.

‘These projections represent more than additional barrels; they represent increased government revenue, improved foreign-exchange earnings, greater utilisation of infrastructure, opportunities for indigenous service companies, employment creation, technology transfer and broader economic growth,’ she said.

Ekperikpe Ekpo, minister of state for petroleum resources (gas), said the round underscores Nigeria’s push under its ‘Decade of Gas’ initiative, with new upstream investment expected to expand domestic gas supply and support industrialisation.

Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum (oil), argued the assets are especially valuable now given the standoff between Iran and the U.S., which he said has elevated the strategic worth of Nigeria’s position along the Gulf of Guinea.

He also welcomed the fact that the Petroleum Industry Act stripped ministers of discretionary powers to hand out blocks directly, saying the licenses awarded should function as working assets rather than trophies.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State have shared their thoughts on the impact of crude oil production in Nigeria 70 years after it was discovered in commercial quantities.

The duo and other stakeholders spoke on Monday about the cost and gains of crude oil exploration in the Niger Delta region at the opening of the 2026 Sweet Crude Dialogue held at the Conference Centre of the Nigerian Content Towers in Yenagoa.

The dialogue with the theme: Through the Python’s Eye: 70 years of Oil and Gas Production in Nigeria brought together industry experts, academia and government officials, as they called on stakeholders to chart a better future for the region.

Jonathan, who chaired the event, in his remarks, said Nigeria could only make appreciable progress in the oil industry if most of the requirements for oil production are locally sourced.

He pointed out that the export of crude oil cannot result in economic diversification or adequate job creation in the country.

‘If we cannot develop or produce some of these things used in the oil industry within the country, we will not achieve anything significant in the oil industry. It is not just about selling crude oil.

‘Yes, we earn money from that, but that does not diversify the economy and create enough jobs. What will diversify our economy is the industrial aspects of the operations of the oil industry.

‘That’s why I am happy with the local content board law my administration enacted in 2010 and the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021. With these two pieces of legislation and if they are followed to the letter with amendments where necessary, I believe things will be much better,’ Jonathan said.

Governor Douye Diri, who was represented by Peter Akpe, his deputy, decried the level of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta and called on well-meaning organisations to work towards achieving justice for the region.

Diri said about 13 million barrels of crude oil were spilt between 1958 and 2010, quoting from the report of the defunct Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission led by John Sentamu, an archbishop.

He described the Commission’s findings as sobering, stressing that what happened to the state is ‘nothing short of an environmental genocide.’

The governor therefore urged De Mangrove Conversations and other environmental advocacy groups to collaborate with the state government to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the commission.

Ibibia Worika, a Professor of Comparative Petroleum and International Law and Policy, said 70 years of oil production had generated unprecedented wealth for Nigeria, but also exposed structural weaknesses in governance.

Worika added that the Niger Delta, which bears the brunt of oil production, has little to show for its contribution, stressing that environmental justice for the region is ‘a constitutional, moral and developmental imperative.’

Sheriff Oborevwori, Governor of Delta State, represented by Johnson Erijo, his Chief of Staff, was among those who delivered goodwill messages at the two-day event.

The session was moderated by Franklin Osaisai, a Professor of Nuclear Engineering and former Director General of the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission.

Nigeria is seeking to turn more than $50 billion in investment commitments into actual factories, businesses and jobs as the government shifts focus from attracting investors to delivering economic output.

Jumoke Oduwole, minister of industry, trade and investment, said Nigeria’s priority was now ‘conversion’, ensuring that investment commitments, government policies and reforms translate into production, exports and enterprise growth.

Speaking at the 17th meeting of the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment (NCITI) in Enugu on Wednesday, the minister said Nigeria’s next phase of economic reforms must focus on ‘conversion’, moving from policies and commitments to actual business expansion.

‘Our priority this year as mandated by Mr President is conversion, turning our commitments, policies and reforms into scaling businesses through financing into production, and training into jobs and enterprise growth,’ Oduwole said.

She added that competitiveness would determine whether Nigeria could transform its resources and investment opportunities into stronger production, exports and shared prosperity, particularly as the country seeks to benefit from regional markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The minister said Nigeria’s industrial and trade ecosystem had recorded progress, citing approximately $6.1 billion in non-oil exports, N636 billion in Bank of Industry (BOI) disbursements, 527,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) captured in the national database, and 289,000 Nigerians supported through skills programmes.

However, analysts say converting investment announcements into actual projects remains a major challenge for Nigeria, where investors have historically cited infrastructure gaps, regulatory bottlenecks, foreign exchange constraints and policy uncertainty as barriers to execution.

According to Oduwole, the government is working to address these challenges through improved investment facilitation, stronger trade processes and industrial development initiatives.

She said the Nigeria Investment Policy was providing a framework to attract, facilitate and retain capital, adding that investor issues raised during the 2025 Domestic Investment Summit were being addressed more quickly.

‘At the 2025 Domestic Investment Summit, 75 percent of investor issues were resolved on-site and all outstanding matters within five working days,’ she said.

The minister also highlighted ongoing efforts to improve export competitiveness through the Export Track of the National Single Window, which she said would reduce the time, cost and uncertainty associated with trade processes.

She said Nigeria must take advantage of market access opportunities, including the United Kingdom’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme, to increase exports of products such as cocoa, cashew, shea, sesame, soybean and cowpea.

On industrial development, Oduwole said the government was focused on expanding manufacturing, agro-processing, industrial clusters, special economic zones, technology and skills development.

She said initiatives such as the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP) were aimed at positioning Nigerian workers for global services exports, while the implementation of the National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy would support innovators and creative businesses in protecting and commercialising their assets.

The minister stressed that competitiveness must extend beyond major commercial centres, urging states to convert their comparative advantages into productive clusters and investment-ready projects.

‘States must convert their comparative advantages into productive clusters, bankable projects and viable routes to market, working in partnership with the private sector and development partners to deliver measurable economic value,’ she said.

Nigeria’s AfCFTA push was also central to the minister’s address, as she said the country had gazetted its Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions and was advancing implementation of the Digital Trade Protocol.

Oduwole said Nigeria’s role as chair of African ministers responsible for trade for 2026/2027 would require stronger coordination to ensure the country’s leadership translated into commercial opportunities.

She urged states to prepare investment-ready projects ahead of major continental trade events, including CANEX WKND 2026 and the Intra-African Trade Fair 2027.

The minister said outcomes from the council must move beyond resolutions, with each commitment requiring a clear owner, timeline and measurable outcome.

‘The 17th NCITI must mark a decisive shift from policy to production, investment interest to projects, and market access to transactions,’ she said.

Nigeria is steadily emerging as one of Africa’s most promising lithium frontiers, with growing investor interest in the strategic mineral raising expectations that the country could unlock billions of dollars in export earnings, attract fresh industrial investments and accelerate its transition from an oil-dependent economy to a diversified mining powerhouse.

Industry analysts, speaking with BusinessDay on Monday, estimate that, if Nigeria develops a fully integrated lithium value chain-from exploration and mining to refining and battery component manufacturing-the country could realise several billions of dollars annually in export revenues over the long term.

Global demand for lithium is projected to increase sharply over the next two decades as electric vehicle production, renewable energy storage and consumer electronics continue to expand.

According to the International Energy Agency, demand for lithium could grow by more than 40 times by 2040 under ambitious global clean-energy scenarios, placing countries with commercially viable deposits in a strategic position to benefit from the energy transition.

Geological experts say Nigeria’s lithium resources, largely concentrated within the Nigerian Basement Complex, present a significant opportunity to diversify government revenue, generate employment, attract foreign direct investment and boost non-oil exports, provided exploration, value addition and regulatory oversight are effectively managed.

Lithium, often referred to as the ‘white gold’ of the clean energy transition, has become one of the world’s most valuable strategic minerals because of its critical role in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, smartphones, laptops, energy storage systems and other electronic devices.

Unlike fossil fuels, whose long-term demand is expected to decline as countries adopt cleaner energy sources, lithium demand is forecast to remain on an upward trajectory as governments and manufacturers invest heavily in battery technologies.

Nigeria’s known lithium occurrences are predominantly found in rare-metal pegmatites-coarse-grained igneous rocks formed during the final stages of magma crystallisation millions of years ago. These pegmatites are naturally enriched with lithium-bearing minerals alongside other valuable rare metals, making them attractive targets for commercial mining and mineral exploration.

Umaru Ibrahim, an industry player based in the commercial city of Kano, said Nigeria’s geological setting positions it among Africa’s emerging destinations for critical mineral development at a time when global competition for battery minerals is intensifying.

The country’s most prospective lithium belts are concentrated in the North-Central and South-West geopolitical zones, although occurrences have also been identified in several other states.

Nasarawa State hosts significant deposits around Keffi, Kokona, Nasarawa-Eggon and Wamba. In Ekiti State, lithium mineralisation has been identified in Ijero-Ekiti, Ido-Osi, Aramoko-Ekiti and Ikole-Ekiti.

Other notable occurrences are found in Kwara State, particularly around Share, Ifelodun, Oke-Onigbin and Kaiama, while Kogi State has identified deposits in Egbe, Okoloke, Kabba and Isanlu.

Kaduna State also ranks among the country’s major lithium-bearing states, with occurrences reported in Kachia, Kagarko, Birnin Gwari and Jema’a. Additional deposits have been documented in Niger State, including Suleja, Shiroro, Minna and Borgu, as well as in Oyo State around Iseyin, Saki, Igbeti and Olorunsogo.

Geologists say the most economically viable lithium resources are associated with pegmatite belts that cut across the Nigerian Basement Complex, where continued exploration has revealed promising mineralisation.

The principal lithium-bearing minerals identified in Nigeria include spodumene, lepidolite, petalite and amblygonite. These minerals are recognised globally as important commercial sources of lithium and are processed into battery-grade materials used in electric vehicles and other high-technology industries.

Olufemi John, a business analyst based in Kaduna, said Nigeria’s expanding profile in the critical minerals sector presents an opportunity to attract substantial foreign direct investment, create thousands of jobs and significantly increase export earnings. He, however, cautioned that the country would derive only a fraction of the potential value if it continues exporting raw ore rather than developing domestic processing capacity.

John notes that while raw lithium ore commands relatively modest prices in international markets, refined lithium chemicals and battery-grade materials are worth several times more, highlighting the economic importance of establishing local refineries and downstream manufacturing industries.

Experts have therefore called for sustained investments in lithium refining plants, battery component manufacturing, research and development, power infrastructure and transport networks to enable Nigeria capture a larger share of the global battery value chain.

They also emphasised the need for stronger environmental safeguards, transparent licensing procedures and responsible mining practices to ensure lithium development benefits host communities while minimising ecological degradation.

With international demand for battery minerals expected to remain robust over the coming decades, stakeholders believe Nigeria’s abundant lithium resources could become one of the country’s most valuable solid mineral assets, contributing significantly to economic diversification, industrialisation, foreign exchange earnings and government revenue.

As governments and manufacturers around the world compete to secure reliable supplies of critical minerals, Nigeria’s expanding lithium resources are increasingly being viewed as a strategic national asset. Industry players maintain that sustained geological exploration, transparent regulation and aggressive investment in downstream processing will determine whether the country successfully transforms its vast lithium potential into a multi-billion-dollar industry capable of reshaping the nation’s economic future.

Governor Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir of Bauchi State has dissolved the management committee of the Wikki Tourist Football Club.

In a statement signed by the governor’s adviser on media and publicity, Mukhtar Gidado and made available to journalists in Bauchi, the governor said that the dismissal of the management was because of a lack of performance in the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season, which culminated in its relegation to the Nigeria National League (NNL).

He said that the decision reflects the government’s determination to reposition Wikki Tourist Football Club, restore public confidence in the management of the Club, and lay a solid foundation for its immediate return to the elite division of Nigerian football.

He further said that throughout the season, the State Government provided the Club with the necessary financial and administrative support to enhance its competitiveness and improve its performance.

‘In addition to meeting its obligations to the Club, the government, as a final effort to avert relegation, constituted a Rescue Team during the closing stages of the season to complement the work of the Management Committee and guide the Club towards survival. Unfortunately, these interventions did not produce the desired outcome, as the Club was ultimately relegated.

‘In view of this development and in the overriding interest of the Club, His Excellency has approved the appointment of Alhaji Haruna Bako, former Bauchi State Director of Sports, as the Interim Sole Administrator of Wikki Tourist Football Club pending the constitution of a substantive management.

‘The Interim Sole Administrator is expected to immediately assume responsibility for the administration of the Club, oversee the handover of all operations, assets, records, and liabilities, and initiate measures aimed at repositioning the Club for improved performance and a successful campaign in the forthcoming Nigeria National League season,’ it stated.

While expressing its appreciation to the outgoing Management Committee, led by Salmanu Abubakar, for their services to the Club and wishes its members success in their future endeavours, Governor Abdulkadir said that Bauchi State Government remained firmly committed to the revival of Wikki Tourist Football Club and will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure that the Club regains its status as one of Nigeria’s leading football teams and returns to the Nigeria Premier Football League at the earliest opportunity.

The Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority (OYRLEA) has impounded 19 cows in Iseyin Local Government Area following a petition from a farmer over repeated destruction of farmlands by grazing cattle.

Acting on the petition, OYRLEA’s enforcement team carried out an early morning anti-open grazing operation to intercept the herders and their cattle before they exited the affected farms.

A total of 19 cows were apprehended and taken into the custody of the Authority in line with the provisions of the law. Efforts are ongoing to identify the owners for appropriate legal action.

Aderonke Aderemi, retired judge and the Chairperson of OYRLEA reaffirming the authority’s mandate, said the operation is part of ongoing efforts to protect farmers, safeguard food production, and ensure strict compliance with the laws of Oyo State.

She warned herders to desist from grazing on farm settlements and cultivated lands, noting that violators will face the full weight of the law.

Aderemi also assured residents and farmers across the state of OYRLEA’s commitment to prompt response to petitions. She urged members of the public to continue reporting cases of illegal grazing and other acts that threaten public peace and farmers’ livelihoods.

OYRLEA will continue to enforce the law without fear or favour.