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Gas explosions now top cause of burn deaths at UCH

Domestic gas explosions have become the leading cause of burn-related deaths at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, with victims increasingly arriving with extensive burns and severe inhalation injuries, a leading burns specialist has said.

Dr Olukayode Iyun, a plastic surgeon and consultant in charge of burns at UCH, said the trend had become a growing public health concern as more Nigerians switch to domestic gas for cooking.

He stressed that he was referring specifically to deaths from burn injuries, rather than the overall number of burn cases treated at the hospital.

Iyun, immediate past president of the Nigerian Burn Injuries Society and president-elect of the Pan-African Burn Society, said UCH sees severe gas-related burn cases almost every week.

‘Almost every week we have at least one new burn patient. Sometimes you have two,’ he said.

Some of the victims, he added, do not survive because of the extent of their burns and associated inhalation injuries.

He said the danger is amplified when an explosion occurs inside a home, as victims can suffer burns over a large percentage of the body while simultaneously inhaling hot gases and smoke.

According to him, in one of the latest cases, nine members of a family and other occupants of a building were caught up in a gas-related incident. The victims included a child, mother, grandmother, and tenants living upstairs.

‘This week we had a family of nine. I think two weeks ago we had two people. The week before we had another; it just goes on and on. It just doesn’t seem to be stopping,’ he said.

The specialist also warned that the high cost of treating severe burns is putting survival beyond the reach of many victims. He cited a case presented at a professional meeting in which treatment at a private facility in Lagos reportedly cost almost N40 million for one patient.

‘If you have to spend so much resource just to manage one patient, you realise that most of them will most likely not be able to afford it,’ Iyun said.

Iyun said authorities must urgently establish whether the rising incidents are linked to faulty cylinders, compromised safety standards, gas quality, improper installation, or unsafe handling.

He also expressed concern about the growing use of portable ‘camp’ gas cylinders inside homes, warning that when gas cylinders are placed close to cooking areas, an explosion can expose occupants directly to the blast and flames.

‘We really want to know, is it the gas, the standards that are being compromised in one form or the other, or are people just being ignorant about it?’ he said.

Iyun called for tougher enforcement of existing safety and building regulations, alongside stronger public education.

He urged regulatory agencies to ensure that gas cylinders meet required standards and warned households against using faulty or improperly refurbished cylinders.

‘If you are going to use a camp gas, then it has to be from certified places where they know that the cylinders are actually of standards,’ he said.

Faulty equipment, he added, should be replaced or properly repaired rather than ‘managed.’

He also advocated safer gas installations that, where possible, separate the gas source from the point of ignition.

Iyun said other causes of burns recorded at the hospital include scalds, fires, road crashes, and unsafe attempts to ignite refuse, with scalds more common among children, particularly those below five.

He recalled a case involving a child who used petrol to start a fire and was caught in the resulting flames.

With Nigeria increasingly dependent on domestic gas for household cooking, Iyun said preventing further deaths requires concerted action from government, regulators, industry, and consumers.

The burns specialist urged the government to ensure that safety standards are not merely written into law but are effectively enforced.

He also urged households to use certified gas equipment, replace or repair faulty cylinders promptly, and ensure that gas installations are safely positioned and, where possible, properly separated from points of ignition.

Take your matriculation oath seriously, EKSU VC tells students

The Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, Professor Joseph Babatola Ayodele, has charged newly-admitted students of the institution’s sandwich programme to regard their matriculation oath as a solemn commitment to academic discipline, integrity, responsible citizenship and strict adherence to the university’s rules and regulations.

Professor Ayodele gave the charge at the 2026 bi-modal matriculation ceremony for the sandwich students, held at the EKSU campus, Moba Grammar School, Otun-Ekiti.

Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Williams Adebayo, the Vice-Chancellor urged the students to see their admission not as the end of an ambition but as the beginning of a demanding academic journey.

He said the students had been admitted because they demonstrated the potential to succeed, urging them to convert the opportunity into tangible achievements through discipline, diligence, determination and hard work.

‘Your admission is not a destination; it is the beginning of a journey. What you do with the opportunity before you will determine the quality of the destination you eventually reach,’ he said.

The vice chancellor also cautioned them against being discouraged by the challenges associated with university education, noting that they might encounter difficult courses, demanding assignments, examinations and competing responsibilities.

‘I, therefore, encourage you not to be intimidated by the challenges that may arise during the programme. There may be difficult courses, demanding assignments, examinations, competing responsibilities and moments when you may feel discouraged.

‘When such moments come, remember that success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. Remain focused. Keep moving forward. Seek help when necessary, learn from your mistakes and never lose sight of the reason you began this journey,’ he said.

Speaking on the philosophy behind the sandwich programme, Professor Adebayo said it was established to provide teachers, professionals, workers and other members of the working population with opportunities to acquire university education while pursuing their careers and other responsibilities.

He urged the students to turn their working experience into an academic advantage rather than regarding it as a disadvantage.

‘Your experience in the workplace, your interaction with society and your responsibilities outside the classroom can enrich your learning experience,’ he said.

Adebayo charged the matriculants to make excellence, integrity and responsibility the three pillars of their academic journey, while advising them to use their time wisely and remain willing to learn from their lecturers and fellow students.

He further appealed to them to uphold the reputation of EKSU and avoid conduct capable of undermining the values and traditions of the institution.

The deputy vice chancellor commended the Oore of Otun-Ekiti, HRM Oba Adekunle Adeayo Adeagbo, the people of Otun-Ekiti, and the management and staff of Moba Grammar School for their cooperation and support for the University’s activities in the community.

He assured the people that EKSU would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to maintain its academic standards, discipline, values and traditions at the Otun-Ekiti campus.

In separate goodwill messages, the Oore of Moba Land, Oba Adekunle Adeayo Adeagbo, and the President of Egbe Omo Otun Ekiti, Elder Ezekiel Olalere, urged the matriculants to remain focused and avoid distractions capable of derailing their academic pursuits during the period of their studentship.

The bi-modal nature of the ceremony enabled newly admitted students from affiliated institutions to participate virtually.

Among the participating institutions were the Federal College of Education, Okene, Kogi State; Ipere College of Education, Agyaragu, Nasarawa State; Moje College of Education, Erin-Ile, Kwara State; and Topmost College of Education, Ipaja, Lagos State.

The ceremony was attended by principal officers of the University, including the acting registrar, Mr Olukayode Akindele; the Bursar, Mrs Janet Ojobanikan; and the University Librarian, Mrs Aduke Aboyade, as well as other dignitaries from the Faculty of Education and the Directorate of Continuing Education Programmes.

Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC – Rs. 5 Billion Debenture Issue Oversubscribed on Opening Day

Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC announced that its maiden listed, rated, unsecured, senior redeemable debenture issue was oversubscribed on its opening day, 15th September 2026.

The Company sought to raise Rs. 3 billion through an initial issuance of 30 million debentures at Rs. 100 each, with an option to issue a further 20 million debentures in the event of oversubscription of the initial issue, increasing the total issue size to Rs. 5 billion.

The Company said it had received applications for more than 50 million debentures, the full amount on offer, prompting the issue to close at 4:30 p.m. on the opening day (15).

The basis of allotment will be announced to the Colombo Stock Exchange as per regulatory requirements in due course.

Go, Padilla shed tears upon seeing ‘Father Digong’ appear at ICC chamber

Sen. Robin Padilla and Senator Christopher ‘Bong’ Go shed tears of joy after former President Rodrigo Duterte made his first in-person appearance before the International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III on Wednesday.

It has been a year and a half since Duterte attended his proceedings in the Hague, which he previously only attended through online video conferencing.

‘I was happy to see Father Digong again, at least in photos and on television, after more than a year since he was taken to The Hague. But I was sad and my chest was tight,’ Go said in a statement.

‘I was unable to control my tears because I consider him more than a real father,’ the senator said. ‘It’s still sad to see our beloved leader far away from us, our father who loved us with all his heart,’ the lawmaker went on to say.

Go highlighted how noticeable the 81-year-old chief executive’s physical weakness showed, believing that it was due to ‘intense sadness from being away from our beloved country.’

The senator said given the former president’s old age, Duterte would have ‘difficulty to stand trial.’

Go was previously tagged as co-perpetrator to Duterte’s cases of crimes against humanity. He served as Duterte’s executive assistant as the latter was waging a war against illegal drugs.

Meanwhile, Padilla also expressed his reaction upon seeing the former president’s appearance before the international court.

‘I was shocked and unexpectedly shed tears of joy when I saw him. But I was also filled with sadness because I knew that Father Digong is a strong man,’ Padilla said in a text message to the media.

‘He embodied courage and compassion, but his 81-year-old body could no longer handle the prison,’ he added.

Padilla is among the lawmakers who opposed Duterte’s arrest.

He has repeatedly asserted that a local court should have tried the former president, instead of a foreign tribunal.

Likewise, Sen. JV Ejercito admitted that he felt sad after seeing Duterte’s seemingly frail appearance.

‘I felt a little sad when I saw him for the first time in a long while. Of course, he looked like skin and bones, right? Very thin. Very frail. With long hair too…’ Ejercito told the media.

‘I have to admit I felt a little sad when I saw him in his current situation,’ he confessed.

Ejercito was among the supporters of Duterte’s administration, specifically in its infrastructure program ‘Build! Build! Build!’

Duterte previously characterized the senator as a ‘friend and partner’ of his administration during the 2022 polls.

Duterte appeared in person before Trial Chamber III for the third status conference of his case, ahead of his trial on November 30.

The former president faces two counts of murder as crimes against humanity, and one count of murder and attempted murder as a crime against humanity, in relation to his administration’s war on illegal drugs

Arewa Youth urges APC govs to embrace unity ahead 2027 polls

The Arewa Youth for Peaceful Coexistence has urged governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to embrace unity, inclusiveness and collective responsibility ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The group made the call while reacting to a recent statement by the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), led by Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, distancing itself from the Rainbow Coalition.

In a statement signed by its National Chairman, Haruna Bature, the group described the PGF’s position as unfortunate, alleging that it was driven by political jealousy over the rising influence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

The Arewa youth group said the APC and its stakeholders should prioritise the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu above personal political interests, stressing that all support groups working for the success of the administration should be encouraged.

It said Wike had remained one of the committed and result-oriented pillars of the Tinubu administration, citing his dedication to the Renewed Hope Agenda, his achievements in the FCT and his bridge-building capacity across party lines.

According to the group, the Rainbow Coalition and other support groups were complementary efforts that could expand the President’s support base ahead of 2027, rather than initiatives that should be undermined through political exclusion.

The statement warned that divisive actions by party stakeholders would not serve the interest of the APC or the nation, urging the Progressive Governors Forum to support a united approach to the task of securing victory for President Tinubu.

‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu needs all hands on deck,’ the group said, calling on the APC leadership, governors and other party faithful to embrace unity, inclusiveness and collective responsibility in the interest of the party and the country.

Red Cross food truck fleet gets boost

WHEn disaster strikes, food is among the first and most immediate needs of affected communities. To help bring hot meals to people when regular food supplies are disrupted, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has received a P1.7-million Toyota Tamaraw food truck from Metrobank Foundation, bringing PRC’s nationwide food truck fleet to 42.

PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Gordon said the food truck is not only a disaster-response asset, but can also help address hunger and malnutrition.

‘This is another inch of survival against hunger. We are not just giving people food; we are easing their hunger and giving them the assurance that there will be food when they need it. This is not only for disasters. We can also bring it to communities where children are malnourished. If a child is malnourished, he is not going to learn much and his growth will be stunted,’ Gordon said.

The locally produced Toyota Tamaraw can navigate narrow streets in Metro Manila and other key cities while reaching far-flung rural communities. The P1.7-million donation covers its conversion into a fully equipped mobile kitchen, including cooking, water, sanitation, power, and LPG systems.

PRC’s hot meals program incorporates nutrition, with volunteer nutritionists and dietitians from different PRC chapters helping develop menus for food truck operations.

‘Natutuwa kami dahil ito ang unang donation ng Metrobank na food truck. And this is another colorful chapter in our continuing story with the Philippine Red Cross, and we look forward to more collaborations in the years ahead,’ Metrobank Foundation President Philip Francisco U. Dy said.

PRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang shared the same sentiments, emphasizing the value of the partnership in addressing community needs and gaps. She also expressed PRC’s appreciation to the Metrobank Foundation for its continued support.

The donation builds on the longstanding partnership between PRC and the Metrobank Group, which has provided P65 million in support over the past decade. Under the leadership of Metrobank Chairman Arthur Ty and GT Capital Holdings Vice Chairman Alfred Ty, and building on the legacy of their father and Metrobank founder George Ty, the Group and its foundations have continued to support initiatives that respond to critical needs and strengthen communities.

Why family businesses struggle to survive beyond the founder

Family wealth built over decades can be wiped out by a single generation when business owners fail to plan who takes control, experts have warned.

Disputes among family members over ownership, inheritance, management and access to family assets have been turning successful businesses into battlegrounds, threatening both family relationships and enterprises that took years to build.

According to a South Africa-based Sirdar Group, less than 30 percent of African family businesses survive to the second generation, while under 10 percent of such businesses survive to the third generation. While several factors could account for the high failure rates of family businesses, failure in leadership succession has been cited as critically affecting the survival of family firms.

The reminder emerged during a generational wealth and family governance engagement hosted by Stanbic Private Banking, recently, where family business practitioners and experts reminded family business owners to start succession conversations before death, retirement or family disputes force them to do so.

The experts sensitized on clear succession plans, family constitutions, defined ownership structures and early preparation of the next generation can help families protect wealth from becoming a source of conflict.

They mentioned that a common assumption among the majority of the business founders is that their successors- usually children- will naturally know what to do with the businesses they inherit.

For Co-founder and Senior Partner of South Africa-based Sirdar Group, Mr Tim Holmes, ‘family governance should begin while the founder is still alive and the family is united.’

‘Rather have it in place before the family blows up and has all kinds of disagreements,’ Holmes said.

A family constitution, Mr Holmes said, can help establish common principles on issues ranging from decision-making and responsibilities to how family resources should be used to support children.

‘Without such agreements, decisions that appear minor during the founder’s lifetime can later become flashpoints,’ he insisted.

The objective of planning, therefore, is to ensure that the principles for making such decisions are understood and accepted before disputes arise.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Noesis Strategic Institute, Mr Murtaza Virsi, says families often make the mistake of believing that children automatically acquire the skills required to manage wealth simply because they were born into a wealthy family. They do not.

Leadership, discipline and responsibility, he argues, must be cultivated long before a child is expected to assume responsibility for a family business or its assets.

‘Money has to have its ways of flowing into the family as well,’ Mr Versi said. He said even seemingly ordinary responsibilities in childhood can help develop the habits needed later in life.

‘These are the skills for leadership: discipline, consistency,’ he said.

Mr Versi also encourages families to expose children to business early and create an environment where they can ask questions and challenge established ideas.

The traditional approach in which ‘the dad speaks, the child listens’, he said, may not adequately prepare the next generation to lead in an increasingly complex business environment.

For him, preparing successors means allowing them to develop their own judgement rather than simply expecting them to reproduce the founder’s way of doing things.

‘A child may inherit shares, property or other assets without having the experience, interest or skills required to manage a complex business. This is where succession planning intersects with professional governance,’ he affirmed.

For Stanbic Private Banking, which hosted the engagement, the discussion reflects a wider challenge facing families that have successfully accumulated significant wealth: ensuring that the systems that created that wealth are strong enough to sustain it beyond the founder.

Stanbic Head of Private Banking, Ms Shangwe Kisanji, said the purpose of bringing families and specialists together was to encourage them to look beyond wealth creation and consider what happens to their assets, businesses and values when control passes to the next generation.

She said succession should not be treated as an issue to be addressed only when a founder is approaching retirement or when a family member dies, but as a process that requires early conversations, preparation and structures that can withstand changes in family circumstances.

‘From simply creating it to ensuring that it survives the transition between generations,’ Ms Kisanji said, describing the shift families need to make in their approach to wealth.

Her remarks placed the workshop in the context of a broader question confronting family-owned businesses: whether wealth that took one generation decades to build can remain intact when leadership changes.

Agency to prosecute maritime offenders

The Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) has vowed to apply the full weight of its new law against infractions and disruptions of maritime activities, including imposing fines and pursuing criminal prosecution where necessary.

Director-General of NPERA, Dr Pius Akutah, disclosed this when the executive members of the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) visited the agency’s headquarters in Lagos.

Akutah said the NPERA Act 2026 had vested the agency with extensive powers to sanitise the maritime sector, establish a level playing field for port users and service providers, protect investments, regulate tariffs and improve the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.

He said the agency would not target any particular maritime service provider or port user, but would operate as an impartial regulator to ensure compliance with established rules.

The NPERA boss also said the new regulatory framework would enable the agency to generate revenue for the government through fines imposed on those who breached the law, while some offences could attract criminal prosecution and imprisonment.

He said the objective of the agency was not to create a ‘monster’ administration, but a deterrent regime capable of discouraging practices that negatively affect the logistics chain and trade.

‘The potency in the law is to help to sanitise the sector and we will have to apply the full weight of this law. That is the only time that deterrent regime will work to protect the investments that are made there,’ he said.

Akutah said the law would also strengthen alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in the maritime sector, particularly in view of the lengthy and costly nature of litigation.

According to him, the legislation would further help Nigerian ports compete with their counterparts globally by promoting excellence among service providers and port users.

He said this was also in line with the Federal Government’s target of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

The director-general disclosed that NPERA was working with other government agencies to eliminate overlapping responsibilities in the maritime sector.

He said the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, played a critical role in preventing inter-agency rivalry during the development of the NPERA law.

According to Akutah, heads of relevant agencies were brought together by the minister to review the proposed legislation paragraph by paragraph and line by line before a common version was agreed and submitted to the National Assembly.

He said the agency heads signed every page of the agreed document before it was forwarded to the National Assembly, ensuring that the version eventually passed reflected the consensus reached by the agencies.

Akutah further disclosed that the agency had commenced the process of handing over the Inland Dry Port development function to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), in line with the minister’s directive.

He expressed optimism that other agencies would also hand over responsibilities that were purely regulatory in nature, adding that the ministry was coordinating the transition to ensure that agencies operating within and outside the ministry were carried along.

The NPERA boss commended MARCON for its partnership with the agency and urged maritime journalists to continue to educate the public on the provisions of the new law and its implications for the sector.

Also speaking, MARCON President, Ismail Aniemu, commended Akutah and his team on the enactment of the legislation, describing it as a major development for the country’s maritime industry.

He acknowledged the efforts and sacrifices made by the agency in securing legislative backing for the new regulatory framework, noting the challenges involved in getting legislation through the National Assembly.

Aniemu said the achievement should not be treated as an ordinary accomplishment, adding that the NPERA Act provides a statutory framework for economic regulation of the ports.

He said the law, if properly implemented, would give the maritime industry and the wider economy a boost.

Aniemu urged Akutah to ensure that the new law translated into effective regulation capable of improving port competitiveness, reducing inefficiencies, supporting economic growth and positioning Nigeria as a maritime hub in West and Central Africa.

The MARCON president also commended Akutah’s efforts in maritime dispute resolution and promotion of fairness in the sector, expressing optimism that he would lead the authority through reforms capable of improving the performance of Nigerian ports.

When Nyesom Wike sinned in APC Governors’ eyes

The political camaraderie between some bigwigs in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), may be heading for the rocks.

Although the FCT minister is promoting the work of the government, in the eyes of the governors, he appears to have crossed the red line. He is not only getting too powerful; he is seen to be eating their lunch. Chai!

Wike and APC’s ‘indigenisation’ factor

It seems that time has come for everybody to answer his father’s name. Those who left their original father and have been comfortably calling another man ‘Papa’, are perhaps being fiercely told to go for a possible Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) test to ascertain their true paternity.

It appears that some of those who hide in the mixed multitude that chant ‘Na our papa bi this o, we don’t have another one’ are now being advised to go find their true papa.

The political popularizers of ‘Enye ndi ebaa, enye ndi ebaa’ music are now being told in an unmistakable term that the time of that acrobatic dance may be over.

The spat between the governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, seems to revolve around ego and pure bad blood.

Both groups have gone public with invectives, and what seems to be the question on the lips of many watchers is, ‘is the house dividing against itself?’

But from what the governors are saying, it would seem that they have never ever recognised Wike as a member of the house. They were just allowing the minister to humour himself all along?

What is playing out reminded Yours Sincerely of a singsong in my village in Abia State in those days that no matter what a male concubine does for the children of his female friend, the woman’s children will never call him father. Even if he kills himself for them!

The FCT minister has done a lot for the APC government. He has even put his life on line to promote the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Yet, he is being seen as an outcast, as it were.

The minister has left no one in doubt of his mission in the APC. He has repeatedly said that he was not in President Tinubu’s cabinet to become a party member, but to fulfil the promise he made to him that he would work for his re-election.

Wike has used his influence to cow many of the opposition members. His large-heartedness, especially to the members of the bench, has won the hearts of those in that profession for the current administration.

Recently, he recovered the FCT from the grip of the opposition. His brash nature has been an asset for the ruling APC. But it would seem that the chickens have come home to roost.

It is not a secret how Wike, through the G-5 group he founded in the run-up to the 2023 general election, openly worked against the then presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over the internal crisis that arose from the party’s primaries in 2022.

Wike had, unapologetically worked in favour of the then APC candidate, Bola Tinubu, and delivered Rivers State to the Jagaban.

He also swore to completely make the PDP unviable for any national election going forward. Although he has remained in the PDP, the soul of the party has since left, remaining mere carcass.

For his great exploits in Rivers in 2023, and perhaps, in the expectation for a repeat feat in 2027, he was rewarded with one of the juiciest ministerial portfolios.

Over time, he has made that office an envy of every politician. He carries himself with the air of importance and opulence tantamount to the luxury that surrounds Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and prime minister of the United Arab Emirate (UAE), whose personal net worth is estimated between $14 billion and $18 billion.

Wike, a total stranger in the APC family, has become so influential in the party that he commands high respect in and outside the Presidential Villa. He routinely engages in past times that no other minister or even governors dare to.

For instance, not long ago, his penchant for cruising around Abuja in a high-end 2024 Rolls-Royce Ghost with a 2024 Bentley Flying Spur as his escort vehicle, left many bigwigs in the APC tongue-tied. They froze in a mixture of utter amazement and raw anger.

Whereas President Tinubu does not believe in monthly media chat, Wike shadows him with an outlandish razzmatazz.

As a minister, there seems to be no-go-areas for him. In recent times, he mounted a month-long project commissioning ceremony. He is unarguably the President’s man Friday.

The manner he has chosen to go about his work and the air of importance around him may have made the original ‘?m? APC’ green with envy. Hence, the ongoing slanging match.

While he is reigning supreme in the APC, where he was invited to ‘come and chop’ (apologies to the late Sunday Afolabi, a former minister of Internal Affairs in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, who said that he, and Bola Ige, were invited to the PDP government to ‘come and chop’), Wike has refused to dump the PDP. Observers said that he may be using the highly factionalised umbrella association as a bargaining chip in 2027.

Sajith meets German Bundestag delegation

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, met members of the South Asian Parliamentary Group of the German Bundestag on 15 September.

The discussion focused on strengthening Sri Lanka-Germany parliamentary relations and developing a more forward-looking partnership based on investment, technology, skills, knowledge and innovation.

Premadasa highlighted the importance of Sri Lanka moving towardsproductivity-led economic growth, stronger technological and vocational capabilities, renewable energy, climate resilience, sustainable development and greater use of the country’s strategic position in the Indian Ocean.

The two sides also discussed opportunities for cooperation in skills and technology, green transformation, maritime and blue-economy development, and the strengthening of parliamentary dialogue between Sri Lanka and Germany.

Premadasa emphasised that Sri Lanka should seek partnerships that create productive capacity, employment, technology transfer and long-term economic value, while protecting the country’s natural heritage and strengthening national resilience.

The meeting was held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere, with both sides expressing interest in continued engagement between the two parliaments.