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2026/2027 NPFL season fixtures draw holds today in Ibadan

The fixtures draw for the 2026/2027 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season will be held today, August 7, on the sidelines of the league body’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The AGM serves as the official business assembly of the NPFL, where the board and club leadership review the concluded season and ratify the policy direction for the incoming campaign.

The gathering will be held at the Professor Theophilus Ogunlesi Events Hall, opposite the University College Hospital in Ibadan.

Over the past four seasons, NPFL Chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye has steadied the affairs of the top-flight league, establishing a reliable calendar that sees the season kick off in August and conclude in May.

Reflecting on this progress, Elegbeleye noted, ‘Our modest achievement includes putting the NPFL on a stable calendar since the 2023/2024 season. It is a major shift from the era of never knowing when the season will be concluded.’

He also highlighted his initial promise to ensure live broadcast coverage of the league, stating, ‘We have succeeded to a large extent in this direction, but still have much more work to do.’

Meanwhile, during the AGM, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Davidson Owumi will present the technical and operations report, while GTI Asset Management will present the financial report.

Following the conclusion of these presentations and the earlier announcement of the official kick-off dates, the highly anticipated fixtures draw for the 2026/2027 season will take place.

Trade order sparks boom for Kabale service providers as property owners rush to rebuild

As authorities continue to enforce the trade order directive, owners of dilapidated and illegal buildings in Kabale town are rushing to demolish and rebuild, and the ripple effect is putting money in the pockets of surveyors, architects, hardware dealers, masons and timber traders.

According to Kabale Deputy Town Clerk Mr Eric Sunday, all affected property owners must first have their plots surveyed and secure approved building plans before they can construct new structures.

‘The construction of the new houses must follow the physical development plans of our municipality where places designated for commercial, residential and industrial must serve the intended purpose,’ Mr Sunday said.

The directive has boosted local businesses as residents scramble for services and materials. It has also created an unexpected income stream for LC1 chairpersons who earn from witnessing and signing land sale agreements, as some affected owners opt to sell their plots rather than meet the urban authority’s building standards.

Mr. Joram Bwambale, proprietor of Macro Hardware and Macro Engineering Services in Kabale town, says demand for cement, iron bars, iron sheets and nails has nearly doubled.

‘The customers for building materials have almost doubled and I believe it is related to the implementation of the trade order as the affected people buy them to construct houses that meet the required standards of the municipal council authority. Before the implementation of the trade order we used to get about 50 customers for building materials but after the implementation of the trade order customers for building materials almost doubled,’ Mr. Bwambale said.

Masons are also feeling the surge. Mr. Rodney Muhwezi, a senior mason in Kabale town, says their services are now in high demand.

‘The payment for a mason per day ranges between Shs 50,000 and Shs 25,000 depending on the seniority while that of the porters ranges between Shs 20,000 and Shs 10,000 depending on their expertise. Although the trade order implementation disorganized local residents because of its abrupt implementation, it has helped some service providers to earn an extra income,’ Mr. Muhwezi said.

Professional fees have also gone up. Architects are charging between Shs 1 Million and Shs 2 Million to produce building plans depending on size and location, while surveyors demand between Shs 2 Million and Shs 3 Million to process land titles.

The trade order has had mixed effects on other groups. Kabale District Khadi Sheikh Kabu Lule said roadside timber traders were initially hit hard, but the municipal council’s decision to allow them to rent a 2-acre piece of Muslim land has helped.

‘After the Kabale municipal council authorities allowed us to rent out our 2-acre piece of land to the timber traders that were affected by the trade order, we get about Shs 100,000 per month from these dozens of traders currently using our land. If they can remain operating on our land for about 3 years, the Mosque administration will get some good money that can be used to support other development projects of the Islam,’ Sheikh Kabu Lule said.

Timber trader Mr. Erasmus Tumuhekye said relocation from the road reserve was disruptive, but rebuilding has revived sales.

‘There is scarcity of timber in Kabale town not necessarily because of the trade order implementation but also issues related to fuel price increases globally. The price of a piece of timber that measures 4×2 increased from Shs 3,300 to Shs 4,000 while that of 6×2 increased from Shs 4,300 to Shs 5,000,’ Mr. Tumuhekye said.

Kabale District Staff Surveyor Ms. Prosper Aheisiibwe noted a slight rise in land title applications in municipalities where the trade order is being enforced, though rural sub-counties remain largely unaffected.

‘The advantage of having your land titled is that there is proof of land ownership with defined boundaries, helps in organized development and urbanization, securing a mortgage among others. Bureaucracies involved in getting the land title should be reduced if the people are to be timely served. Why should the members of the area land committee come from the sub county yet the LC1 chairman and his committee can do the same work with ease since they are all residents of the same area that can tell who owns what in the village,’ Ms. Aheisiibwe said.

WBD Q2 results miss expectations amid revenue decline

Warner Bros. Discovery reported second-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of $8.7 billion on Thursday, down 11% compared with the same period last year and below analysts’ expectations, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

The company posted net income of $149 million, a sharp decline from $1.58 billion a year earlier. According to Warner Bros. Discovery, the results were significantly affected by $1.1 billion in pre-tax acquisition-related costs, including the amortization of intangible assets, content valuation adjustments, and restructuring expenses.

Diluted earnings per share (EPS) fell to $0.06, compared with $0.63 in the second quarter of fiscal 2025.

Despite the weaker financial results, the company highlighted the strong performance of its streaming business. Warner Bros. Discovery said the return of HBO Max hits Euphoria and House of the Dragon attracted large audiences and helped drive a significant increase in subscriber numbers.

In its shareholder letter, the company emphasized that HBO Max continues to strengthen its position by offering high-profile original content that resonates with global audiences and supports long-term subscriber growth.

Following the earnings release, Warner Bros. Discovery shares rose 0.42% in premarket trading to $26.08, suggesting investors responded positively to the company’s streaming momentum despite the decline in revenue and profits.

The latest results underscore the ongoing transformation of the media industry, where traditional television businesses continue to face pressure while streaming platforms remain the key driver of competition and future growth.

Delay is not denial

Sri Lanka has climbed more than 65 places in Startup Genome’s ranking of emerging startup ecosystems, the largest improvement recorded by any country! It is an achievement worth celebrating.

But for me, the more important story is not the ranking itself. It is what happened before the ranking.

During Sri Lanka’s financial crisis, I shared a short message on LinkedIn: Delay is not denial. Keep believing.

At the time, those words were easier to write than to live.

Hatch had an investor willing to invest $ 2.5 million. We had spent months building the relationship, explaining the opportunity, and working through the process. We had a term sheet signed and believed the investment would help us scale what we had spent years building.

Then the crisis happened.

The investor pulled out.

Nothing about our mission had changed overnight. The team was still there. The entrepreneurs we supported still needed us. The potential we saw in Sri Lanka had not disappeared.

But the environment had changed, and something that had felt almost certain was suddenly gone. At the time, it did not feel like resilience. It felt like rejection.

We often celebrate resilience after the breakthrough, but while we are living through it, resilience often looks like failure. It looks like returning to work after losing an investment you believed was secured. It looks like supporting founders when your own future feels uncertain. It looks like continuing to build while almost every external signal tells you that the timing is wrong.

During the crisis many founders spoke to me personally and asked if they should quit. And while it’s different for each founder, most we advised that their time will come and delay is not denial.

From the outside, consistency can look like momentum.

From the inside, it often feels like doing the same work repeatedly without knowing whether it is making a difference. But ecosystems, like startups, are rarely built through one investment, one policy decision, or one extraordinary year.

They are built through founders who continue when capital is scarce. Investors who remain engaged when exits are limited. Mentors who give their time without recognition. Teams who return to work after disappointment. Institutions that keep creating opportunities when progress is difficult to see.

Hatch continued. Sri Lanka’s founders continued. Investors, mentors, policymakers, and ecosystem builders continued.

And now, years later, the world is beginning to recognise what had been compounding quietly beneath the surface.

The ranking did not create Sri Lanka’s progress. It revealed it. There is a lesson here for every entrepreneur.

We often imagine success as a decisive moment: the investor who says yes, the customer who transforms the business, or the product that suddenly takes off. But success is often less dramatic.

Sometimes it is the accumulated result of staying in the game, learning, adapting, and remaining faithful to the mission long enough for the opportunity to catch up with you. Of course, resilience does not mean refusing to change. There is a difference between staying committed to the mission and becoming trapped by the model.

Resilience without reflection can become denial. But reflection without resilience can make us abandon the mission too early. That is the tension every entrepreneur must learn to hold.

Sri Lanka’s rise does not mean the work is finished. We still need more risk capital, stronger exits, better policy, and more globally scalable companies.

But it reminds me of what I wrote during one of the most difficult periods in our journey.

Delay is not denial.

The $ 2.5 million investment did not happen. The crisis delayed many of the ambitions we had for Hatch and for Sri Lanka’s startup ecosystem. But it did not deny the possibility.

Sometimes resilience is simply refusing to mistake a difficult chapter for the end of the story.

Keep believing. Keep building.

Avoid inflammatory comments, AMBO tells governor

The Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun state, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), has cautioned Governor Ademola Adeleke against making inflammatory statements that are capable of undermining the forthcoming election.

He equally described the recent public outcry of Governor Ademola Adeleke as a sign of imminent defeat in the upcoming polls.

AMBO at a voters’ education event in Osogbo, warned the Governor to refrain from any inflammatory comment and action capable of desecrating constituted authorities particularly, the number one citizen of Nigeria – His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He condemned unguarded utterances, directed at the eminent personalities in the APC, saying on no account would the party tolerate any form of irreverent and denigrating comment against his party’s leaders and members.

Oyebamiji who described the Governor’s comment as reckless and unbecoming noted that his action was a clear indication of palpable failure.

‘Well, I feel sorry for the Governor because he knows that he is losing already and I want to advise him to start packing his luggage as soon as possible and it is obvious that he is jittery.

‘Let me tell you, we have visited 27 Local Government Areas and people came out en masse to support us and tell us that they are yearning for a new Governor and a party that rules the nation – the APC and its candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.

‘I am not surprised by the outburst because he knows he is losing already and there is no way for him, and you can see how he was talking.

‘So, automatically, come August 15th, 2026, APC is winning the election and I, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji AMBO will become the governor-elect.’

Current national policy on education and school dropout

The current National Policy on Education in Nigeria adopts the 9-3-4 (6-3-3-4) system of education, comprising nine years of basic education, three years of senior secondary education, and four years of tertiary education. Proponents of this structure argue that the transition between junior and senior secondary education creates opportunities for learners to make informed educational and career choices. At the completion of the nine-year basic education programme, students who may not wish to pursue the conventional senior secondary pathway are provided with opportunities to enrol in technical colleges, vocational and entrepreneurial institutions or other specialised training programmes. This flexibility is intended to promote human capital development by aligning learners’ interests, abilities, and labour market demands while reducing excessive pressure on university education.

Another argument advanced by supporters of the 9-3-4(6-3-3-4) system is that the transition point enables learners from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to reassess their educational aspirations in line with available financial resources. Families unable to bear the cost of prolonged academic education may encourage their children to acquire vocational or technical skills that provide immediate employment opportunities and financial independence. Consequently, the policy is viewed as a mechanism for reducing poverty by equipping young people with employable skills while allowing them to pursue higher education later through alternative educational pathways. This approach reflects the principle of lifelong learning and recognises that tertiary education is not the only route to personal and national development.

Furthermore, advocates maintain that the policy contributes significantly to economic development by promoting skill acquisition and entrepreneurship. The separation between junior and senior secondary education creates room for students to develop competencies in agriculture, information technology, construction, manufacturing, creative industries, and other vocational trades that are essential for national productivity. As more young people acquire practical and entrepreneurial skills, the economy benefits from increased self-employment, reduced youth unemployment, enhanced industrial productivity, and a broader skilled workforce capable of driving sustainable national development.

Despite these perceived benefits, several scholars argue that the transition between junior and senior secondary education inadvertently encourages school dropout. They contend that every additional transition point in the educational system presents another opportunity for learners to discontinue schooling, particularly among children from low-income households. Empirical evidence suggests that many students who successfully complete junior secondary school do not proceed to senior secondary school because of financial hardship, early marriage, child labour, insecurity, and inadequate access to schools. According to the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report (2022), educational transitions remain critical stages at which dropout rates increase substantially in many developing countries, including Nigeria.

Similarly, evidence from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF, 2023) indicates that Nigeria continues to record one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally, with transition from basic education to senior secondary education remaining a significant challenge. Many adolescents leave school after completing junior secondary education because households cannot afford the direct and indirect costs of continuing education. Studies have also shown that learners in rural communities are particularly vulnerable due to the limited availability of senior secondary schools and longer travelling distances, thereby increasing the likelihood of permanent withdrawal from school.

Research conducted within Nigeria further supports this position. For example, Aja-Okorie and Adali (2020) found that financial constraints, inadequate educational facilities, and weak transition support mechanisms contribute significantly to dropout after junior secondary education. Likewise, Okeke and colleagues (2021) observed that although the Universal Basic Education programme has improved access to basic education, progression to senior secondary education remains relatively low in many states because numerous learners disengage from schooling immediately after completing the compulsory basic education cycle.

Nevertheless, attributing school dropout solely to the structural transition embedded in the 9-3-4(6-3-3-4) system would be an oversimplification. Numerous studies have demonstrated that poverty remains the strongest predictor of school dropout in Nigeria. Children from poor households are more likely to withdraw from school to engage in income-generating activities or domestic responsibilities irrespective of the educational structure. Household income, parental educational attainment, unemployment, and family size have consistently been identified as significant determinants of educational participation and completion.

In addition, insecurity and socio-cultural factors continue to influence school retention across different parts of Nigeria. Armed conflict, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, early marriage, teenage pregnancy, and cultural beliefs limiting girls’ education have forced many learners to abandon schooling. These factors operate independently of the educational structure and would continue to affect enrolment, retention, and completion even under alternative educational systems. Consequently, school dropout should be understood as a multidimensional problem requiring coordinated social, economic, and educational interventions rather than merely a consequence of the transition between junior and senior secondary education.

Overall, while the transition between junior and senior secondary education may create an additional point at which some learners discontinue schooling, available evidence suggests that dropout is influenced by a complex interaction of economic, institutional, and socio-cultural factors. The 9-3-4 (6-3-3-4) system remains highly preferred because it broadens educational opportunities, promotes technical and vocational education, supports entrepreneurship, and provides flexible pathways for learners with diverse abilities and aspirations. Rather than abandoning the policy, greater attention should be devoted to strengthening transition support, expanding financial assistance, improving the security in the country, imposing severe sanctions on child trafficking offenders and improving access to senior secondary education. The services of professional counsellors will be of great value in enlightening the society on the importance of education. With all these, all things being equal, the objectives of the National Policy on Education can be realised.

Court arraigns car dealer over alleged false report

An Abuja-based businessman, Ibrahim Garba, has been arraigned before the Chief Magistrates’ Court, Wuse, for alleged criminal defamation of one Shehu Abdullahi, a businessman in the same premises.

Garba, a car dealer, was said to have intentionally and spitefully given the Police false information about a car that was stolen while standing.

The prosecution counsel, Simeon Wujat, informed the court that the complainant, Shehu Abdullahi of the same address, brought the matter to the court on June 24, 2026.

The prosecutor said that on June 17, 2026, the complainant came into his business premises and parked his Honda Civic car in front of his business space.

Wujat said that on that same day at about 8:04 pm the complainant was surprised when he saw a team of well-armed and fiercely looking police officers with a road safety towing van, attempting to tow his car.

The counsel said that upon making a peaceful inquiry, the complainant was told by the team leader of the squad that the defendant had reported to the police that the car was a stolen vehicle.

The prosecutor said that his client was embarrassed and was made to write a statement in respect of his own car, which was maliciously reported and declared by the defendant as a stolen vehicle.

Wujat informed the court that the complainant provided a certified true copy of the said vehicle at the police station on June 17 with the copy of his proof of ownership and registration particulars.

The prosecution told the court that upon careful investigation by the Police, it was found that the defendant intentionally and spitefully gave the Police false information about the car.

According to him, the act inevitably distracted, maligned and defamed the complainant’s good reputation, within and outside his business.

He alleged that the defendant’s malicious and false information, which he gave to the Police against the complainant and his car, had portrayed him as a car thief.

Wujat explained that the act also portrayed his client as a criminal, thereby tarnishing his unassailable good reputation and goodwill.

The prosecutor said the offence was contrary to sections 391 and punishable under section 392 of the Penal Code Act 9060.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.

The defendant’s counsel, Hamza Dantani, applied for bail for the defendant, citing sections 158 and 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), saying bail is at the discretion of the court.

Ruling on the application of the defendant, Magistrate Faridah Ibrahim granted the defendant bail in the sum of N3 million, in like sum with a surety.

She ordered that the surety, in couple with that to the defendant, submit his call to bar certificate and an undertaking to provide the defendant whenever he is needed in court.

She also said that the counsel to the defendant will be made to face the disciplinary committee should he fail to produce the defendant and adjourned the matter to August 10th, 2026.

From red tape to red carpet: Why Sri Lanka needs a world-class single window for investment

As Sri Lanka navigates its post-crisis economic recovery, the national conversation frequently circles back to an urgent, undeniable reality: the country must aggressively attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and spur domestic capital formation to secure sustainable, export-led growth. While the Government has recently invited proposals and accelerated frameworks to roll out digital single window infrastructure, public and policy discussions have largely remained confined to the narrow mechanics of procurement.

This is a missed opportunity. A single window for investment is not merely an IT procurement project or a software upgrade. It is a (i) foundational governance reform, (ii) a productivity multiplier, and (iii) an investment competitiveness make-or-break. To transform Sri Lanka’s economic landscape, we must view the Single Window not as a digital database, but as a total re-engineering of how the state interacts with (i) capital, (ii) entrepreneurship, and (iii) risk.

Why this reform matters now

Sri Lanka stands at a historic crossroads. Recent policy initiatives by the Ministry of Finance and the Presidential Secretariat underline a national push to streamline trade and investment. Yet, capital is globally mobile and fiercely selective. Investors today do not choose destinations based on potential alone; they choose them based on (i) friction, (ii) predictability, and (iii) execution speed.

Fragmented bureaucratic clearance systems impose a heavy “hidden tax” on every enterprise seeking to set up operations. By linking the upcoming Single Window initiative to broader structural adjustments, Sri Lanka can signal to international markets that it is moving past legacy bureaucracy and entering a new era of transparent, rules-based economic governance.

High cost of the current system

“Time is the scarcest resource, and unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed.” – Peter Drucker

Under the status quo, launching a major project in Sri Lanka often requires navigating a maze involving (i) multiple regulatory bodies (ii), line ministries, and (iii) approval-granting agencies. Investors routinely have to deal with up to a dozen or more separate entities-spanning (i) environmental authorities,(ii) local government bodies, (iii) utility providers, (iv) revenue departments, and (v) sector-specific regulators.

This labyrinth generates critical economic costs:

Prolonged time-to-market: Delays in obtaining construction permits, environmental clearances, and import licenses push back project commercialisation by months, sometimes years.

Administrative uncertainty: Discretionary decision-making and conflicting departmental mandates breed opacity and corruption risks.

Opportunity cost: Global investors operating on tight timelines bypass Sri Lanka entirely in favor of regional peers where approvals are swift, digital, and predictable.

The economic cost of these delays is (i) measurable in lost jobs, (ii) foregone export revenues, and (iii) stagnant productivity.

What is a single window for investment?

A single window for Investment is a centralised digital and institutional mechanism that allows parties involved in trade and investment to lodge standardised information and documents with a single entry point to fulfill all regulatory requirements.

Rather than an investor submitting separate dossiers to 10 or 15 different agencies, data is submitted once. The system acts as a central intelligence and routing hub, concurrently distributing requirements to (i) participating Government agencies (PGAs), (ii) tracking progress, (iii) managing approvals, and (iv) issuing unified digital certifications. It replaces (i) physical queues, (ii) paper files, and (iii) repetitive bureaucratic touch points with seamless interoperability.

Lessons from international success stories

Global benchmarks demonstrate that successful investment facilitation relies on political will, institutional integration, and uncompromising digital execution.

Beyond technology: Reforming institutions

As institutional economist Douglass North noted, the rules of the game dictate economic performance. Technology alone cannot fix a broken administrative process; digitising a bad process merely accelerates inefficiency.

True reform requires three parallel tracks:

Legal reauthorisation:

Enacting a comprehensive umbrella statute for electronic commerce and digital governance that supersedes legacy statutory mandates requiring physical seals, wet-ink signatures, and paper-based archiving is foundational to this reform. This requires explicitly granting legal validity to automated “deemed approval” mechanisms, ensuring that if a regulatory agency fails to review and respond within a legally mandated Service Level Agreement (SLA), the digital system automatically issues the clearance. Furthermore, it involves harmonising conflicting sectoral laws across the 16+ approval-granting bodies to resolve legal contradictions where older statutes vest absolute discretionary power in individual officials, while simultaneously establishing robust data protection and cybersecurity frameworks to safeguard proprietary investor data. Finally, empowering an apex oversight authority with statutory teeth is essential to legally bind all participating Government agencies to the digital workflow and penalise any unauthorised offline procedural demands.

Process re-engineering (BPR): Executing rigorous Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) requires radically trimming redundant bureaucratic steps by systematically mapping and purging obsolete, overlapping clearance requirements that currently force investors to jump through unnecessary hoops. This transformation involves replacing sequential, siloed departmental reviews with concurrent digital processing workflows, enabling multiple regulatory bodies to evaluate applications simultaneously rather than waiting in a sluggish line. Furthermore, it demands establishing strict, legally binding service level agreements (SLAs) for every participating agency, complete with clear tracking metrics and administrative accountability for unwarranted delays. To ensure continuous optimisation, the BPR framework must integrate feedback loops from private sector users to routinely audit and streamline bureaucratic touch points. Ultimately, this structural overhaul re-engineers the state apparatus from a bottleneck of obstruction into an efficient, streamlined engine of investment facilitation.

Cultural transformation: Achieving a profound cultural transformation requires fundamentally shifting the mindset of public officials from traditional gatekeepers of bureaucratic control to proactive facilitators of national wealth creation and economic dynamism. This cultural reset must be driven from the top down through leadership alignment programs that redefine public service success not by how many proposals are blocked or delayed, but by how rapidly legitimate investments are operationalised. Furthermore, it necessitates dismantling entrenched risk-averse behaviors by instituting institutional protections that encourage responsible decision-making rather than penalising officials for exercising legitimate administrative discretion. Integrating modern performance management frameworks and incentive schemes-where career advancement, departmental commendations, and resource allocations are directly tied to responsiveness and investor satisfaction scores-will further reinforce this ethos. Ultimately, cultivating this service-oriented culture transforms the public sector into an engaged, empathetic partner for the business community, ensuring that state institutions actively champion rather than hinder national competitiveness.

Roadmap for Sri Lanka

To build a world-class Single Window, Sri Lanka should adopt a phased, pragmatic implementation strategy:

Phase 1: Legal and process baseline (months 1-6): Finalise the legislative framework, map out regulatory bottlenecks across agencies, and establish the overarching governance structure backed by the Ministry of Finance.

Phase 2: Core platform development and integration (months 6-18): Procure and configure the digital architecture, connect core regulatory agencies (such as the Board of Investment, Inland Revenue, Registrar of Companies, and Central Environmental Authority), and conduct rigorous user acceptance testing.

Phase 3: Pilot launch and change management (months 18-24): Roll out the system for key sectors (e.g., export manufacturing and high-tech IT investments), backed by intensive training for public servants and private sector users.

Phase 4: Full scale-out and continuous optimisation (month 24 onward): Integrate secondary municipal and utility approval bodies, introduce AI-driven tracking analytics, and tie agency performance metrics to processing speeds.

Making Single Window cornerstone of economic transformation

“The secret of economic growth is simple: improve productivity.” – (Paraphrasing Paul Krugman)

Dismantling regulatory friction unleashes trapped private capital, empowering domestic entrepreneurs and foreign investors alike to scale operations rapidly without losing momentum to administrative inertia. Cutting through red tape drastically compresses the gestation period of capital projects, allowing high-value manufacturing and technology ventures to generate economic value and revenue much sooner. Streamlined digital processes eliminate opportunities for discretionary rent-seeking and corruption, fostering a predictable, rules-based market environment that attracts sophisticated global enterprises. Accelerating business entry and expansion directly multiplies high-skilled employment opportunities, keeping domestic talent within the country and reversing destructive brain drain trends. Transforming state machinery into a lean, efficient facilitator creates a virtuous cycle of sustained productivity growth, permanently elevating national competitiveness and fiscal resilience.

Conclusion

The decision to establish a National Single Window for Investment transcends standard bureaucratic modernisation; it stands as arguably the most consequential structural intervention available to Sri Lanka since the broad economic liberalisations and institutional shifts of the late 1970s. By dismantling legacy legal roadblocks, re-engineering siloed workflows into concurrent digital paths, and fundamentally transforming the public service mindset from control to facilitation, this reform creates an ecosystem where capital can thrive. Success will ultimately depend on treating this initiative not as a routine IT procurement project, but as a historic, uncompromising mandate for national institutional renewal-moving decisively from red tape to red carpet to rewrite Sri Lanka’s economic narrative for generations to come.

(The author, among many, served as the Special Advisor to the Office of the President of Namibia from 2006 to 2012 and was a Senior Consultant with the UNDP for 20 years. He was a Senior Economist with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (1972-1993). He can be reached via asoka.seneviratne@gmail.com.)

References

International Monetary Fund (IMF): Selected Issues Papers on Governance, Structural Reforms, and Investment Climates in Emerging Markets.

World Bank Group: Doing Business reports and diagnostic studies on Regulatory Governance and Single Window Implementation Frameworks.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Policy Framework for Investment and Guidelines on Investment Facilitation.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): Global Investment Reports and Investment Policy Reviews.

Country Case Studies: Enterprise Singapore (Business Grants Portal); Invest KOREA (One-Stop Service guidelines); Rwanda Development Board statutory frameworks; Estonia Information System Authority (X-Road architecture).

Alake calls for calm amid Abuja earth tremor

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, has urged residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to remain calm following the earth tremor recorded in parts of Abuja.

He assured them that there is no immediate threat to lives and property.

Alake directed Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) to provide him with hourly updates on seismic activities around Abuja for continuous assessment and, where necessary, escalation to relevant government agencies.

The minister, who is in Washington, D.C., United States, engaging American investors in joint venture opportunities in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, said proactive measures had already been activated to safeguard residents and critical infrastructure.

His directive followed a report by NGSA confirming that an earth tremor shook several buildings in Abuja on Tuesday.

The agency said the seismic event was detected by its Seismic Monitoring Station in Utako at exactly 11:23:27 am.

It said the tremor originated from a depth of one kilometre and travelled about four kilometres within five seconds.

NGSA described the incident as a light earth tremor, measuring between I and II on the Mercalli Intensity Scale.

The agency says the tremor is characteristic of a minor surface seismic event that poses no danger to lives or property, besides temporary shaking and public anxiety.

Alake assured residents that NGSA would continue to closely monitor the situation and provide timely updates, while encouraging the public to go about their activities without fear or panic.

FG targets $3.4bn red meat export market

The Federal Government has unveiled an ambitious plan to transform Nigeria’s livestock industry into a major export-driven sector, identifying Cross River State as a strategic hub capable of supplying the South-South region and international markets.

Minister of Livestock Development, Hon. Idi Muktar Maha, disclosed this during a visit to Cross River ahead of the commissioning of Nigeria’s first Livestock Control Post and Guarantee Facility at Mfum in Ikom Local Government Area.

Maha said the facility, the first of 12 planned along Nigeria’s international borders, is designed to strengthen livestock health certification, prevent the entry of diseased animals into the country and enhance confidence in Nigeria’s livestock value chain.

He said the Federal Government was determined to build a modern livestock economy capable of creating thousands of jobs while boosting non-oil exports, noting that Nigeria’s red meat export market is valued at about $3.4 billion.

According to the minister, Cross River is strategically positioned to become the country’s livestock export gateway because of its coastal location, proximity to Gulf markets and ongoing investments in transport infrastructure.

‘We believe Cross River can dominate the red meat industry in the South-South. With Calabar’s access to the coast, we are only a few hours away from Gulf markets,’ he said.

Maha disclosed that the ministry plans to establish a modern abattoir ecosystem in the state capable of processing about 500 cattle daily, a project expected to generate about 10,000 direct and indirect jobs through meat processing, transportation, cold-chain logistics, feed production and other value chain activities.

To address supply challenges in the poultry sector, the minister announced plans to facilitate the importation of about 60 million hatchable eggs as a short-term intervention while licensing more operators to reduce delays experienced by livestock farmers.

He also urged investors to explore opportunities in commercial fodder production, including Napier grass, alfalfa and ryegrass, saying demand for quality animal feed remains high in Gulf countries.

He added that the proposed Obudu livestock facility would incorporate cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and a dairy centre in partnership with a university.

Maha further disclosed that the ministry would inspect the Obudu Ranch and other livestock assets during the visit to evaluate investment opportunities and accelerate the development of the state’s livestock sector.

Responding, Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu, represented by Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Odey, reaffirmed the state’s readiness to partner the Federal Government.

He said the Obudu Cargo Airport, now about 85 per cent completed, together with ongoing investments at Obudu Ranch, would support livestock exports and position the state as a major agricultural and trade hub.

The Livestock Control Post and Guarantee Facility at Mfum is expected to play a critical role in safeguarding animal health, facilitating cross-border livestock trade and supporting the Federal Government’s broader economic diversification agenda through agriculture.