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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, directed investors to explore opportunities in Abuja’s satellite towns and emerging development corridors, saying the next phase of the capital’s growth would extend beyond the traditional high end districts.

Represented by the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, Wike said ongoing infrastructure projects across the territory were opening new areas for residential, commercial and industrial investment.

He spoke at the opening of the Abuja Business and Investment Expo (ABIE 3.0) organised by Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL) in Abuja.

‘The next phase of Abuja’s development will not be restricted to Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse or the Central Business District. It will include communities and investment opportunities across the entire Federal Capital Territory,’ he said.

Wike said roads, bridges and other infrastructure being developed across the six Area Councils were creating new investment corridors and improving access to communities, markets, schools and healthcare facilities.

He explained that the projects were aimed at opening up more districts for development while spreading economic activities beyond the city centre.

The minister urged investors to take advantage of opportunities in emerging districts, agricultural communities and satellite towns, saying they would play a key role in Abuja’s next phase of growth.

He identified real estate, transportation, agriculture and agro processing, tourism, healthcare, education, renewable energy, technology, digital services, entertainment, waste management and urban infrastructure as sectors with investment opportunities.

Wike said the FCT Administration was also strengthening land administration, expanding digital processes and simplifying approval procedures to improve the investment climate.

‘We are working to simplify applications and approval processes so that investors can obtain accurate information and receive timely decisions,’ he added.

He noted that while the administration would continue to support investors, compliance with regulations remained a condition for doing business in the territory.

‘We will support and protect genuine investors, but we will not protect land speculators, fraudulent developers or businesses that disregard the law,’ he said.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama, said the capital market could provide long term financing for infrastructure projects needed to support Abuja’s expansion.

He said strengthening collaboration between the FCT Administration and the capital market would help mobilise funds for infrastructure and broaden investment opportunities in the territory.

Earlier, the Group Managing Director of Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL), Amb. Maureen Tamuno, said the expo was designed to connect investors with opportunities across key sectors of the FCT economy.

She said participants would engage in investment forums, exhibitions, business networking sessions and policy dialogues covering infrastructure, real estate, technology, renewable energy, solid minerals, sports and the creative economy.

Tamuno added that the expo was expected to facilitate partnerships between government and private investors to support economic activities in the Federal Capital Territory.

To buttress the point permit me to share the words of Mr. Kio Amachree, a Stochkholm-based Nigerian writer.

On 13th July he wrote the following on X.

‘I do not know a Nigerian who would sell his soul the way the anti-immigrant mobs of South Africa have done this past month. Every unreconstructed apartheid nostalgist is laughing behind his locked gates at how easily these movements were turned against their fellow Africans, doing the dirty work of division for free and making the power grab of others so much easier’.

He added:

‘Ask the obvious question. Who is writing the cheques? March and March charters buses across provinces, prints shirts by the thousand, stages press conferences and floods social media with coordinated campaigns, yet its own public crowdfunding raised barely thirteen thousand rand. Researchers at Wits University say plainly that this is not a grassroots movement of the unemployed, that there is external funding. A Stellenbosch professor calls the movement inorganic, coordinated and amplified by people with a political agenda, with money moving in ways no one can trace. Former President Thabo Mbeki calls it what it is, a funded counter-revolutionary project that does not come from the people. Somebody with deep pockets is bankrolling the spectacle of Black South Africans hunting fellow Africans, and every day the financiers stay hidden, the beneficiaries of a divided, burning South Africa sleep more peacefully behind their locked gates. Follow the money and you will find the true authors of this shame’.

He added:

‘The movement is led by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, a former radio presenter enjoying her fifteen minutes of fame, flanked by Zulu regiments and regional agitators like Mthokozisi Gumede in KwaZulu-Natal. This is not patriotism. It is a political project wearing the stolen clothes of liberation. Stockholm Syndrome is too weak a term for what ails this movement. Its foot soldiers appear to have been taught to hate themselves, and they have no regard for the sacrifice of the thousands of freedom fighters, many sheltered and armed by the very African nations they now terrorize, who gave them the right to breathe as free men and women’.

He concluded with the following:

‘Meanwhile those who dreamt of the good old days of white rule watch Black South Africans do to fellow Africans what apartheid once did to them, and they could not have scripted it better themselves. Every burnt shop, every checkpoint, every whip raised against a Zimbabwean domestic worker or a Nigerian trader is a gift to those who always said Africans could not govern themselves. The freedom fighters who died from Sharpeville to Soweto did not die for this. South Africans deserve to know whose money is buying their liberation back from them, rand by rand’.

Amachree is right.

South African Minister of Justice, Mamoloko Kubayi hit the nail on the head when she said ‘foreign entities are stoking unrest in South Africa’.

The truth is we do not have to dig too deep to know just who those foreign entities are when we consider the words of an essay written by Israeli columnist Grant Arthur Gotchin that was published on January 2nd 2026 in the Times of Israel in which he argued that ‘Africa must fragment and South Africa must be the first to fragment’.

The objective is clear.

It is an imperialistic and neo-colonialistic design and construct whose purpose is to destroy, divide and rule us ALL.

Outside of that permit me to ask Minister Ntshaveni and those that think like her the following questions.

Are the majority of Nigerians in South Africa not properly documented, hard working, responsible, decent people who have major investments there?

Is it fair for you to suggest that the majority of Nigerians in South Africa are undocumented and illegal immigrants, drug dealers and criminals who ‘live in shacks’ when you know very well that this is not the case?

Is it Nigerians that bring drugs into your country through your ports and borders?

Is it Nigerians that manufacture drugs there?

Is it Nigerians that make up your police force, customs and law enforcement agencies that colluded with the drug dealers to bring drugs in and sell them?

Is it Nigerians that consume drugs in your country or force others to consume them?

Are Nigerians the only ones that are involved in the drug trade in South Africa?

Are 98% of the people in South African prisons South Africans and not Nigerians?

Is it not a fact that, as South African Minister of Correctional Services Dr. Pieter Groenewald recently confirmed, there are only 28,000 foreign prisoners in South Africa and that less than 300 of them are Nigerians?

Does this not torpedo the absurd notion that all Nigerians that reside in South Africa are criminals, scammers and drug dealers?

Have any Nigerians been implicated or accused in the ongoing Madlanga Commission of Inquiry which is probing allegations of corruption and drug related crimes or is it only South Africans including South African law enforcement and Government officials?

There was a 2 billion rand (120 million USD) drug bust in South Africa recently which involved South Africans and nationals of a South American country. There were no Nigerians involved.

The two former Heads of the South African Police that were prosecuted for drug trafficking and the suspended head of the South African Police that is under investigation for drug trafficking and corruption today are NOT Nigerians but South Africans.

All these events and facts speak volumes and clearly point to the fact that the commission of crimes in South Africa and elsewhere are not the exclusive preserve of Nigerian nationals.

There is no doubt that there is a drug and crime problem in South Africa in which some Nigerians are involved and we hold as much contempt and disdain for them as you do for indulging in such heinous crimes that brings so much misery to South African families.

We urge you to deal with such criminals decisively within the confines of your laws and we will assist you in this in any way that we can.

To however allege or imply that ALL Nigerians and ONLY Nigerians are involved in such criminality is disingenious and false.

Was a South African woman who was carrying her three year old child not arrested at Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos in early July smuggling large amounts of cocaine into our country?

Was another South African not caught smuggling 7.5 kilograms of heroine in Thailand a few days later?

Does this mean that all South Africans are drug dealers?

Surely not!

Did the South African Ministers that treated Ireti Bakare Yusuf with such contempt and accused her of being rude and disrespectful simply because she asked Minister Ntshaveni whether she thought she ought to apologise to Nigerians for suggesting that we were all drug dealers do the right thing?

Was treating a female journalist that asked a legitimate question in that way and even subjecting her to threats of being thrown out of the hall and being manhandled by aggressive and hostile security officers not unacceptable?

Is this the way to build bridges between our two countries and does this attitude and behaviour towards a respected Nigerian journalist reflect the fact that many in South Africa, including some in Government, view our people as nothing but criminals?

There are thousands of documented Nigerians in your country lawfully who are doing a great job in numerous responsible professions and spheres of human endeavour, who are adding immense value to your community, who are employing and providing essential legal, medical and academic services for your people and who are hardworking, proud and law-abiding citizens.

Many have even married South African nationals and are raising their children in your country.

They are indeed your guests and we expect you to treat them as such and not set them up for persecution and villification by referring to them as drug dealers and criminals.

I take strong objection to this mischaracterisation of our citizens and it is indeed painful that a country of 250 million people that contributed so much to your liberation struggle and that has opened its markets and borders to your companies and nationals for so many years can be referred to and treated in this way.

I call for caution and restraint.

Permit me to add the following.

Some have tried to frame the hostility, violence, challenges and insults that black African foreign nationals, including Nigerians, are facing in South Africa as a consequence of a ‘migration problem’.

I respectfully disagree.

According to census figures the number of documented and undocumented foreigners living in South Africa is 3 million.

3 million out of a population of 64 million can hardly be described as a migration crisis.

The problem that South Africa has is one of wealth creation and distribution and not migration.

The migrants are simply the scapegoats for what is essentially the failure of the state to effectively fight poverty and better the lives of its citizens.

The sooner the poverty problem is solved the sooner Afrophobia and the murderous hate and violence that goes with it will cease.

That should be the focus and objective of South African Government officials and the South people and not the demonisation and mischaracterisation of Nigerian nationals, or any other African nationals, that reside in their country.

We want to have a productive and mutually respectful relationship with South Africa which will enhance trade and strong strategic relations with our country and not one of disrespect and recriminations.

As a Nigerian that has immense respect and profound admiration for the struggles and sacrifices of your heroes past like Nelson Mandela, Oliver Thambo, Walter Sisulu, Steve Biko, Chris Hani, Thabo Mbeki, Govan Mbeki,

F.W. De Klerk, Desmond Tutu, Alan Boesak, Tokyo Sexwale, Joe Slovo, Winnie Mandela, Jessie Duarte and so many others I sincerely hope and pray that we can achieve this.

Wisdom and diplomacy insists that sovereign nations must treat one another with respect in order to strengthen and build strong bilateral relations.

This is especially so when there is so much at stake.

Thankfully for every repugnant expression of racism, arrogance, ignorance and hate from the likes of Jacinta Ngobese- Zuma and others we have expressions of fraternity, understanding, appreciation and Pan-African solidarity from seasoned and experienced South African leaders and diplomats like Minister Firoz Chachalia and Mr. Zane Dongor and therein lies the hope for the future.

Extremists and racists that are working for a foreign power and that have a hidden agenda from both sides of the divide shall not prevail and shall not set us apart.

Whatever our challenges and our concerns about one another may be we will sit down, work them out and stay together all for the sake of our respective nations and the benefit of Mother Africa.

As High Commissioner of Nigeria to South Africa it is my primary duty to strengthen ties between our two great nations and ensure that our relationship remains strong, respectful, mutually beneficial and cordial.

In addition to that I have a duty to protect the interests of every Nigerian in South Africa that is properly documented and that abides by the law.

I shall not fail in these duties or be found wanting.

Responsible diplomacy and law enforcement is the way out of the challenges that South Africa are facing with illegal migration and drug related crimes and not the blanket villification of a fellow African nation.

This is especially so given the fact that that African nation offers nothing but support and good tidings for the Government and people of South Africa, a country we have loved and respected for many years.

(END OF PART 5)

(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is a former Minister of Culture and Tourism, a former Minister of Aviation and the Ambassador-Designate of Nigeria to South Africa)

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.

A petrol-laden tanker exploded on Thursday night while discharging its contents at the AYM Shafa filling station in Garki Area III, Abuja, triggering a major fire that spread to nearby buildings.

Eyewitnesses said the explosion occurred at the point where the tanker was dispensing petrol into the station’s storage tanks, engulfing the filling station in flames and causing panic among residents and motorists in the area.

The fire reportedly affected one of the buildings belonging to the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS), located close to the filling station.

‘The tanker exploded while discharging petrol into the filling station. The fire spread very fast and has affected nearby buildings,’ a witness said.

Confirming the incident to Daily Trust last night, the Chief Superintendent of Fire with the FCT Fire Service, Ibrahim Muhammad Tauhid, said firefighters had been deployed to the scene to bring the situation under control.

‘Our men are on the ground fighting the fire. It is a serious incident, and some of the surrounding buildings have been affected,’ he said.

Tauhid also disclosed that a number of people were affected by the incident but said it was too early to confirm the number of casualties or the extent of injuries.

As of the time of filing this report, emergency responders were still battling to extinguish the fire.

The 46th session of the King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorising, Reciting and Interpreting the Holy Qur’an kicked off in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday.

The competition is being held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman.

The competition that runs through Rabi Al-Awwal 6, corresponding to Aug. 19, is organised by the Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance.

A total of 334 male and female contestants from 133 countries are participating in the event, marking the largest turnout in the competition’s history.

The competition aims to encourage young Muslims to memorise, comprehend, and reflect upon the Holy Qur’an, foster honourable competition, and highlight Saudi Arabia’s efforts in serving the Qur’an and honouring its memorisers.

In a historic first, independent competitions for female participants will be held at the Makkah Hilton Hotel and Convention, while male category finals and the closing ceremony will take place at the Grand Mosque.

The competition comprises five categories, with a total prize pool of SR10,260,000 (N3.7bn), the highest since the competition’s launch. (Saudi Gazette)

The Kano State Government has suspended its Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention, SMC, programme activities and constituted a committee to investigate its implementation.

Public Relations Officer of the state’s Ministry of Health, Nabulisi Abubakar Kofar Na’isa, said this in a statement.

According to him, the suspension is to allow for a comprehensive review of the planning, distribution and implementation processes of the SMC programme in the state.

The statement further directed that all ongoing field operations, distributions and community engagement activities under the programme be suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

The ministry said the investigative committee will examine programme operations, documentation, personnel records and all related implementation activities.

According to the statement, the committee is chaired by Director General of the State AIDS Control Agency, SACA, Usman Bashir, with Salisu Ahmad Ibrahim: Director General, State Primary Healthcare Management Board, (SPHCMB); Ghali Sule, Director General, Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency, (DMCSA); Mansur Mudi Nagoda, Executive Secretary, Hospitals Management Board, (HMB); Muhammad A. Abbas, Director General, Kano Centre for Disease Control, (KNCDC); Fatima Usman Zahradden, Executive Secretary, Kano Health Trust Fund, (KHETFUND); Rahila A. Mukhtar, Executive Secretary, Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, (KSCHMA) and Khadijah Hussein Said, Acting Director General, Private Health Institutions Management Agency, (PHIMA) as members while Nazeer Tanko Kyaure, Director Administration and General Services, Ministry of Health will serve as Secretary.

The ministry also directed the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, implementing partners and other stakeholders to report to the ministry headquarters with approved work plans, distribution records and candidate lists for verification.

The government reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability in health programmes, and assured development partners and the public that the review was aimed at strengthening programme delivery.

She said an assessment of nominal rolls obtained from several federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) showed that Nasarawa had yet to attain its expected level of representation in many institutions.

Ahmadu-Jabiru said the commission’s fifth board, under the leadership of its Executive Chairman, Hon. Ayo Hulayat Omidiran, had rolled out reforms aimed at strengthening transparency and compliance with the Federal Character principle.

She said one of the reforms was the launch of the commission’s website, where MDAs intending to recruit are expected to advertise vacancies to ensure qualified Nigerians have equal access to federal employment opportunities.

‘From the nominal rolls we have assessed across a number of MDAs, Nasarawa State is still underrepresented. Our responsibility is to ensure that future recruitments reflect the Federal Character principle and that every state gets its fair share,’ she said.

She noted that recruitments conducted before the inauguration of the current board could not be reversed but said the commission would ensure future exercises complied with the law before issuing Certificates of Compliance.

‘We cannot reverse recruitments that were done before this board came into office, but going forward, we will ensure that every recruitment complies with the law before Certificates of Compliance are issued,’ she said.

Ahmadu-Jabiru explained that the FCC does not recruit workers but monitors recruitment exercises conducted by federal MDAs to ensure compliance with constitutional provisions on fairness and equity.

‘The commission does not employ anybody. Our duty is to monitor the process and ensure compliance with the Federal Character principle before approving recruitment exercises,’ she explained.

She urged qualified applicants from Nasarawa State to take advantage of vacancies advertised on the commission’s website, saying failure to apply could further affect the state’s representation in federal employment.

She also thanked President Bola Tinubu for appointing her into the commission and Governor Abdullahi Sule for nominating her to represent Nasarawa State.

Participants at the Second International Conference to Combat Discrimination Against Islam and Muslims have called for stronger regional and international cooperation to tackle the growing threat of Islamophobia and translate recommendations into practical programmes that promote dialogue, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

The two-day conference, held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, was organised by the Arab League and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO).

It brought together government officials, international organisations, religious leaders, civil society groups and youth representatives under the theme, ‘Muslim Communities in the West and Their Role in Confronting Islamophobia.’

Arab League Assistant Secretary-General for Oversight Affairs, Ambassador Hussein Hindawi, described freedom of religion and belief as a fundamental right protected by international conventions.

He warned that Islamophobia had evolved from isolated incidents into a wider social and political challenge.

Citing data from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Hindawi said 47 per cent of Muslims in 13 EU member states reported racial discrimination in 2024, up from 39 per cent in 2016.

He said 39 per cent experienced discrimination while seeking employment, 27 per cent faced racist harassment and four per cent suffered physical attacks, while only six per cent reported such incidents to authorities.

He blamed stereotypes linking Muslims with terrorism, crime and irregular migration for fuelling hostility and urged governments, religious institutions, educational bodies, the media and civil society to work together against hate speech.

The conference also launched the Permanent Multilateral Institutional Platform to Combat Discrimination Against Islam and Muslims to strengthen international coordination and turn previous recommendations into concrete action.

Participants also discussed the role of education, religious institutions, civil society and youth in promoting tolerance and mutual respect. (The Arab Weekly)