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Lekki Gardens Again???

Nigerian real estate has an interesting dynamic everyone knows by heart. You find a project, you buy off plan at a good price and wait for the developer to complete it. You even get to pay in instalments, sometimes for years, and you wait. By the time the keys are finally yours, you have paid full price for a home you have never set foot in.

Lekki Gardens looked at that script and decided it did not have to be the only one. Typical of them, always wanting their customers to get more value.

Across its group of companies, the offer now on the table is almost unheard of in this market: move into a fully built home for less than half its value, and finish paying while you are already living in it. A standing, finished house, in a location people already fight for, available in days rather than years? Who does that?!

It sounds almost too simple to be a strategy, which is perhaps why so few developers have tried it. Building ahead of demand requires the kind of balance sheet, governance and long-term thinking that a market defined by half-finished sites and disappearing developers does not exactly reward. Lekki Gardens has spent a few years building precisely that kind of stability and obsessing over the customer’s win instead of its own.

The homes themselves are already priced below what comparable properties fetch elsewhere, location for location, house type for house type. Layer a flexible payment plan for a completed asset on top of that, and the deal no longer looks less like a discount and more like a miracle. For families who have watched property prices climb further out of reach every year, it is a rare instance of a developer absorbing the pressure instead of passing it on. For investors buying in bulk, it is an even simpler equation: enter at a price the market has not caught up to yet and enjoy even higher returns at exit.

What makes this more than a one-off promotion is how far it stretches across the group. In Abuja, it runs through Villas De Paradis, known to most people simply as VDP, with completed homes ready in Durumi, in Dakibiyu just minutes from Jabi, and in Gudu near the Diff hospital axis. In Lagos, it runs through Horizon Estates in Oniru, the address many now call Victoria Island Extension, through Paradise Court along the Orchid Road and Chevron corridor, and through Meridian Luxury Park in Ajah.

Different brands, different cities, same underlying decision: hold the finished asset, absorb the risk, and let the customer walk in first and pay later. It is not the industry standard. In a sector where ‘off plan’ has quietly become shorthand for ‘wait and hope,’ Lekki Gardens is changing the standards.

Richard Nyong, the CEO of Lekki Gardens has said for years that a housing purchase is the single largest financial decision most people will ever make, and that the customer must never get the wrong end of it. This is that philosophy with a price tag attached. Move in on roughly half the cost. Live in the home while you complete the rest.

So yes, Lekki Gardens again. Still finding new ways to make buying a home feel less like a gamble and more like a win.

Janashakthi Life marks 32 years of protecting lives and building trust

Janashakthi Life, a leading brand in the insurance industry and a flagship brand of JXG (Janashakthi Group), marked its 32nd anniversary, celebrating more than three decades of protecting generations of Sri Lankans and building lasting trust and loyalty among its customers. The anniversary celebration was held in the presence of Founder and Chairman Emeritus, C. T. A. Schaffter, honouring the legacy on which the company was built.

Janashakthi Life commenced commercial operations in 1994 as Sri Lanka’s first specialised life insurer and has since spent more than three decades evolving with the changing needs of its customers, while building a trusted brand through innovative protection solutions and a strong focus on customer needs.

The company has pioneered specialised protection solutions, introduced covers such as COVID Cover, AIDS Cover, and Military Cover, while also expanding access to life insurance for customers aged 70 and above, with coverage available up to age 80.

Today, Janashakthi Life has surpassed Rs. 41.1 billion in assets and maintains an A- rating from Lanka Rating Agency, reflecting its financial strength and stability. Its equity base of Rs. 16.7 billion further supports its ability to meet its long-term commitments to policyholders.

The strength of the Janashakthi Life brand has also been recognised through several accolades in 2026, including recognition among Sri Lanka’s 50 Best Workplaces, Top 20 Women-Friendly Workplaces, and Sri Lanka’s 20 Great Workplaces for Young Talent. The brand was also recognised among Sri Lanka’s Top 5 Most Loved Life Insurance Brands and Brand Finance’s Sri Lanka 100 Most Valuable Brands.

For more than three decades, Janashakthi Life has built its reputation through a commitment to protecting lives, responding to changing customer needs, and creating relationships founded on trust. Its 32-year journey reflects the enduring confidence placed in the brand by generations of Sri Lankan families.

Yanga and GU embroiled in a who-did-what contest

Young Africans have reportedly filed a counter-complaint against Gaborone United (GU) with the Confederation of African Football (CAF). ‘Yanga,’ as the team is known, accuses GU of mistreatment during the first leg of their CAF Champions League tie in Botswana.

The Tanzanian club’s complaint comes after GU submitted a complaint to CAF over what the Botswana champions described as poor treatment during the second leg in Tanzania on September 12.

GU lost the match 2-1 at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam, with Yanga progressing 3-2 on aggregate after the first leg ended 1-1 in Gaborone. According to reports, Yanga’s counter-complaint includes allegations about events surrounding the first leg in Botswana. The Tanzanian club is also reported to have raised concerns over activities on the pitch before the match, which it considers to have been unsanctioned.

The complaint reportedly relates to incidents that attracted attention before and during the September 5 match at the National Stadium in Gaborone. Yanga had earlier spoken about concerns over the pitch and preparations for the game.

Yanga coach Manqoba Mngqithi said after the first leg that weather and pitch conditions affected his team’s preparations. Heavy rain and thunderstorms had also disrupted the Tanzanian side’s plans to hold its final training session at the match venue before the game.

There were also reports and social media footage of GU players gathering on the pitch before kick-off and sprinkling powder on the playing surface. The latest development has now turned the CAF Champions League tie into a who-did-what contest, with a possible disciplinary hearing looming to decide claims by both sides.

GU’s complaint followed the second leg in Tanzania, where the Botswana club alleged that members of its delegation were harassed and denied access to parts of the stadium.

GU head of operations Herbert Letsebe told Mmegi Sport that the club had raised concerns about the treatment of its delegation. The allegations included claims that security personnel denied access to dressing rooms to members of the kit, security and medical teams and that the club was prevented from carrying out a routine pitch inspection.

GU also alleged that members of its delegation were assaulted before the match. The club said the incidents included an alleged attack on its coach and other members of the travelling party. These remain allegations contained in GU’s complaint.

The two clubs had a competitive tie on the field. GU took the lead in the first leg through Ambrosius Amseb before Yanga equalised late to secure a 1-1 draw. In the return match, Peter Shalulile gave Yanga an early lead before the Tanzanian side eventually won 2-1.

GU’s elimination ended its CAF Champions League campaign, while Yanga moved into the second preliminary round. As of late September, there is no publicly released final CAF disciplinary ruling on the reported complaints from either club. The allegations by both sides should therefore be treated as claims until CAF completes its process and issues an official decision.

The latest counter-complaint adds another chapter to a tie that has continued beyond the final whistle, with both clubs now seeking CAF’s consideration of events surrounding their two matches.

Metro Manila minimum wage hike takes effect

MINIMUM wage earners in the National Capital Region (NCR) started receiving a P60 daily wage increase on September 26, as Wage Order NCR-28 took full effect, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) said.

The increase raised the minimum wage for non-agricultural workers to P755 per day from P695, while workers in agriculture, small retail and service establishments, and small manufacturing establishments now receive P718 from P658.

Dole said about 1.1 million minimum wage earners in Metro Manila are covered by the wage adjustment.

The new rates cover workers in agriculture, as well as retail and service establishments employing 15 workers or less and manufacturing establishments regularly employing fewer than 10 workers.

Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino in announcing the wage increase said, ‘This shows the significance of the tripartite mechanism, where the government, employers’ groups, and employees’ groups come together to advance the dignity of Filipino workers.’

Tolentino said the mechanism also demonstrates that cooperation among the three sectors can help promote a sustainable economy in the NCR.

Wage Order NCR-28 was issued through the wage-setting process conducted by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-NCR and subsequently confirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission.

With the order now fully effective, employers are required to implement the new minimum wage rates and reflect the increases in their payroll and compensation systems.

Tolentino called on employers to strictly comply with the wage order, while Dole said it will continue to monitor its implementation and provide guidance to workers and employers.

Campi remains optimistic despite slide in auto sales

The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) said the double-digit decline in vehicle sales last August is a ‘temporary setback’ and that the auto industry’s performance will return to positive territory in the succeeding months.

Data from Campi and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) showed that their member brands sold 29,611 vehicles in August, down from 37,319 units in July and from the 36,714 units recorded a year ago.

In January to August, Campi-TMA member brands sold 271,336 vehicles lower than the 305,381 units in the same period last year.

For the entire industry, estimated year-to-date sales reached 300,550 units as of August, Campi said.

‘We’re still optimistic that vehicle sales will bounce back over the next few months through yearend,’ Campi President Jose Maria Atienza said, noting that demand should recover as operating conditions normalize.

The decline was broad-based across vehicle categories, based on industry data. Passenger-car sales fell 10.3 percent to 55,030 units from 61,358 units a year earlier, giving the segment a 20.09-percent share of total industry sales.

Commercial vehicles, which accounted for 79.91 percent of the market, declined 11.4 percent to 216,306 units from 244,023 units.

Asian utility vehicles and multipurpose vehicles, both within the commercial-vehicle segment, fell 10.6 percent to 48,515 units from 54,292 units.

Light commercial vehicles slid by 11.3 percent to 161,676 units from 182,240 units. Campi-TMA figures also showed that light-duty trucks and buses declined by 16.4 percent to 3,765 units from 4,503 units, while medium-duty trucks and buses dropped 14.4 percent to 1,967 units from 2,298 units.

Heavy-duty trucks and buses recorded the steepest decline, with sales plunging 44.5 percent to 383 units from 690 units a year earlier.

Among Campi-TMA member brands, Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. led the pack in August with 14,594 units, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with 3,570 units and Suzuki Phils. Inc. with 1,350 units.

EV sales

Data from Campi-TMA also showed that electric vehicles (xEVs) accounted for 34.5 percent of the market in August, bigger than their share in the same month last year and second only to April’s 37.2-percent peak.

Sales of electric vehicles, covering battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), reached 45,403 units during the eigh-month period, up 146.2 percent from 18,439 units a year earlier.

Their share of total industry sales more than doubled to 16.73 percent from 6.04 percent.

In August alone, 7,066 xEVs were sold or 214.9 percent higher than last year’s 2,244. However, this was 0.3 percent below July’s 7,089 units.

‘The continued growth in xEV adoption highlights the strong potential of the market,’ Atienza said.

HEVs remained the largest xEV segment in the eight-month period, with sales rising 62.9 percent to 23,764 units from 14,585 units. BEV sales jumped 293 percent to 12,883 units from 3,278 units, while PHEV sales soared to 8,756 units from just 576 units.

In August, HEVs accounted for 42.46 percent of xEV sales, followed by BEVs at 34.66 percent and PHEVs at 22.88 percent.

The figures cover BEVs, HEVs and PHEVs recognized by the Department of Energy as of September 8.

Why Africa needs long-term capital for health, nutrition – MDF

Africa needs more long-term investment in health and nutrition to reduce its reliance on emergency responses to hunger, disease and humanitarian crises, the Mary Dinah Foundation (MDF) has said.

Mary Dinah, founder and CEO of MDF, made the call during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York, where she participated in discussions on child survival, nutrition and health financing.

She said while short-term aid remains important during emergencies, it cannot address the underlying challenges that leave children and families vulnerable to hunger, malnutrition, conflict and displacement.

‘Africa’s challenges cannot be addressed through short-term interventions alone,’ Dinah said. ‘We need to move from responding to crisis to building systems that enable communities to withstand crisis in the first place.’

Dinah spoke at a side event titled ‘Our Children Cannot Wait: Leadership, Solidarity and Action for Child Survival and Nutrition,’ hosted by King Letsie III of Lesotho in partnership with Nutrition International and the Government of Canada.

The event brought together leaders, including Kenya’s President William Ruto, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Qu Dongyu, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), to discuss child survival and nutrition.

MDF said its position is informed by its work with communities in West and Central Africa.

The foundation said it has provided more than 125 million meals to people affected by hunger and crises across the region. It also works to improve access to healthcare and protection services and supports children, women and families affected by conflict and displacement.

Dinah also participated in a Concordia roundtable titled ‘Rethinking Global Health Finance: Mobilizing Private Capital for Health Outcomes.’

The discussion examined how private investment can support health services and solutions developed with local communities.

According to MDF, Africa needs financing that extends beyond emergency relief and supports health and nutrition systems capable of helping communities withstand future crises.

This includes investment in healthcare, nutrition, women and children, as well as local systems that can respond to emergencies.

Dinah said governments, businesses, philanthropists and communities need to work together to develop and scale solutions.

‘Investing in nutrition, health, women and children’ is part of building stronger communities, she said.

MDF’s participation at UNGA81 is part of its effort to bring the experiences of communities affected by hunger, malnutrition and displacement into global discussions on health and development.

The foundation said the focus should not only be on raising more funds but also on directing financing towards long-term solutions that can reduce the impact of future crises.

bp completes subsea intervention campaign at Deepwater Gunashli

bp has successfully completed a multi-well subsea intervention campaign at the Deepwater Gunashli section of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.

Russell Morris, bp’s Vice President for Wells in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Trkiye, said the company had launched the multi-well subsea intervention campaign at Deepwater Gunashli in October last year.

‘Today, I am pleased to note that the campaign has been successfully concluded, all intended goals have been achieved in compliance with safety regulations, and the operation was completed approximately one month ahead of schedule,’ Morris said.

According to him, the campaign covered seven subsea wells that had previously been considered difficult to access using traditional intervention methods.

‘By completing intervention work on these wells, we were able to conduct effective monitoring, identify opportunities for reservoir pressure management and increased production, which contributed to revealing additional potential of the field,’ he said.

Morris noted that the manner in which the campaign was carried out made the achievement particularly significant.

‘The campaign represented the first application of lightweight well intervention (RLWI) technology in bp’s Caspian operations. To achieve this, the subsea construction vessel Khankendi was successfully transformed into a lightweight well intervention vessel (LWIV) in just a few months, an impressive achievement for the teams involved,’ he said.

A key element of the transformation was the installation and commissioning of a moonpool system aboard the Khankendi. Positioned near the vessel’s centerline, the moonpool creates a protected vertical passage through the hull, allowing subsea equipment, remotely operated vehicles and intervention tools to be safely lowered directly to the seabed.

According to Morris, Oceaneering’s BORIS system, or Blue Ocean Riserless Intervention System, was at the heart of the operation.

‘This is an advanced subsea mechanical cable intervention system that enables access to subsea wells without the need for a traditional drilling RLWI. Despite weighing approximately 50 tonnes, BORIS was successfully deployed on board the vessel and provided well control, pressure maintenance and full subsea management, protecting multiple independent well barriers throughout the intervention operations,’ he said.

Morris said the technically complex project brought together bp and several of its major contractors, including Saipem, Oceaneering and SLB.

‘This highly complex project has brought together the expertise of bp and some of our main contractors, including Saipem, Oceaneering and SLB, in engineering, subsea technologies, vessel operations, production, logistics and well services, on a single platform,’ he said.

The bp vice president emphasized that the project had demonstrated new ways of accessing and managing subsea infrastructure and could provide greater flexibility for future operations in the Caspian.

‘This now gives us greater flexibility for future subsea interventions in the Caspian. It is also a shining example of how advanced technology, collaboration and operational excellence can help maximize production from mature assets such as ACG, which is part of the bp CCAT (Caspian, Central Asia and Trkiye) region,’ Morris said.

Kallas: Europe must rearm faster to hit 2030 target

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas stressed during a press conference on Monday that in order to reach its 2030 target, Europe must be quicker and more effective in rearming itself.

“Europe needs decisive change in the scale and pace of defense investment, capability development, innovation and industrial capacity,” she noted.

Meanwhile, talking about Ukraine, she shared that the member states agreed on a pound 6.6 billion European peace facility fund. Kallas mentioned that while missile agreements are in place, the production of the weapon takes time. She called on the EU member states to supply Ukraine with missiles from their own stockpiles “in exchange for later replacements, financed by Ukraine support loans.”

APM demands Okpebholo’s resignation over N3000 fuel price comment

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called for the resignation of Monday Okpebholo, the Edo State Governor, over his reported justification of the rising pump price of petrol, accusing him of being insensitive to the economic hardship confronting Nigerians.

The party, in a statement issued on Sunday by Abubakar Yusuf, its National Publicity Secretary, rejected the current petrol price of over N1,500 per litre and described Okpebholo’s comparison of Nigeria’s fuel price with the cost of petrol in the United Kingdom as inappropriate.

The APM argued that comparing petrol prices in Nigeria with those in the UK without considering differences in wages, purchasing power and public infrastructure was misleading.

It said, ‘It is therefore reckless and irresponsible of Governor Okpebholo to state that Nigerians should not complain about the N1,500 per litre cost of fuel in the country because it is cheaper than an average N3,000 per litre cost in the United Kingdom, without taking into consideration the per capita income and purchasing power of an average Nigerian in comparison to that of a British citizen.’

The party said the governor’s position was particularly insensitive given the disparity between the earnings of Nigerian workers and their counterparts in Britain.

According to the APM, ‘It is to say the least callous for a state governor to attempt to benchmark petrol price in Nigeria with that of the UK where the purchasing power of an average wage earner is over £2,636 (N4.6 million) monthly compared to the paltry N70,000 monthly minimum wage earned by their peers in Nigeria.’

It further contrasted the earnings of teachers in both countries, saying while an average Nigerian teacher earns about N70,000 or less monthly, a starting salary for a teacher in the UK could be about £2,839, which it put at approximately N4.9 million.

The party also cited differences in public transportation systems, arguing that the impact of fuel prices could not be assessed solely by comparing pump prices across countries.

‘While an average Nigerian wage earner is subjected to an informal, chaotic, heavily and expensive public transportation, the public transport system in the United Kingdom is structured, highly regulated, and heavily subsidized by the British government for the benefit of citizens,’ the statement said.

The APM said Okpebholo also failed to account for fuel prices in other oil-producing countries, citing Libya and Iran as examples.

‘What Governor Okpebholo failed to tell Nigerians is the fact that in other oil producing countries such as Libya and even Iran, which is presently at war, petrol is sold at an average of equivalent of N41 to N52 per liter,’ it said.

The party described the governor’s comparison with the UK as ‘completely irrational and highly provocative,’ warning that such comments could deepen public anger over the rising cost of living.

‘It is therefore completely irrational and highly provocative for APC Governor Okpebholo to attempt to compare the situation in the UK to that of Nigeria,’ the statement said.

The APM further expressed concern that the governor’s comment could be interpreted as an indication of further increases in petrol prices.

‘This is especially coming against the backdrop of public apprehension that the comment by the Edo State governor could be a test ground of the APC administration to justify a further increase in the pump price of petrol as part of the APC’s plot to inflict more hardship on Nigerians,’ the party alleged.

It also warned that continued increases in the price of petrol could worsen economic pressure on households and businesses.

The party said, ‘The APM strongly condemns the punishing increase in the pump price of fuel to over N1,500 per liter at a time Nigerians are eagerly expecting a reduction, describing it as a brutal assault on the citizens by Tinubu administration.’

It added that the increase was coming at a time when Nigerians were already struggling with the effects of high living costs.

‘The increase at this time is a huge recipe for crisis as Nigerians are already overburdened and cannot bear its suffocating effect on their lives,’ the statement said.

The APM consequently demanded Okpebholo’s resignation, saying his comments did not reflect the economic realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.

The party, however, urged Nigerians not to lose hope, linking the hardship to the 2027 presidential election.

It said the election would provide an opportunity for Nigerians to choose what it described as ‘a humane, transparent, people-based and efficient leadership,’ embodied in its presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde.

‘Under a Makinde/Daura Presidency and our Reset Agenda, the interest and wellbeing of all Nigerians will be the top priority of government,’ the party said.

The APM added, ‘Nigerians do not deserve this level of intolerable suffering that the APC-led administration has subjected them to given the enormous resources at the disposal of the government.’

It urged Nigerians to remain committed to what it described as a new political beginning under the APM ahead of the 2027 elections.

Madibelatlhopho softens stance on China

The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) appears to have softened its posture towards China. A recent visit to Beijing by a party delegation displayed a markedly warmer tone than criticism previously expressed by figures associated with the coalition and its election-monitoring arm, Madibelatlhopho.

According to a report published this week by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, a UDC delegation led by Deputy Minister of Communications and Innovation Shawn Ntlhaile met CPC Vice-Minister Ma Hui in Beijing on September 22.

During the meeting, Ma said the CPC was prepared to ‘maintain close inter-party exchanges with the UDC, enhance political mutual trust’ and ‘continue to firmly support each other on issues involving respective core interests and major concerns.’

The Chinese report further quoted Ntlhaile as praising China’s development record, saying the UDC ‘regards the CPC as a true partner’ and was ready to learn from the ruling party’s experience in governance and state administration. Ntlhaile also reportedly expressed a desire to strengthen cooperation with China in economic and trade matters, science and technology, as well as cultural exchanges.

The remarks stand in contrast to statements made by prominent Madibelatlhopho leader Michael Keakopa in 2025, when he publicly raised concerns with Chinese Ambassador Fan Yang over the conduct of some Chinese companies operating in Botswana.

At the time, Keakopa said concerns had been raised regarding alleged corruption linked to major projects awarded to Chinese contractors, the exclusion of local companies from economic opportunities, and the quality of some infrastructure projects delivered by Chinese firms

For much of the period before and after the 2024 General Election, Madibelatlhopho positioned itself as one of the most vocal critics of what it described as the close relationship between the former Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) government and Chinese business and political interests.

UDC electoral watchdog repeatedly linked alleged corruption in public procurement to Chinese contractors that secured major government infrastructure projects during the BDP era.

Madibelatlhopho argued that Botswana’s relationship with China had become skewed in favour of politically connected foreign companies at the expense of local businesses and taxpayers. They alleged that large-scale construction and infrastructure tenders awarded to Chinese firms were often associated with inflated costs, poor value for money and the marginalisation of citizen-owned contractors.

Madibelatlhopho has also repeatedly amplified longstanding allegations that elements within the former BDP leadership benefited politically from close ties with Chinese business interests. The group cited historic claims that the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese-linked entities had provided various forms of support to the BDP over the years.

The watchdog further accused some Chinese business figures operating in Botswana of seeking to preserve influence accumulated during the previous administration. In social media statements and public commentary, Madibelatlhopho warned against what it described as attempts to cultivate relationships with the new government in order to protect commercial interests established under former president Mokgweetsi Masisi’s administration.

These concerns extended to government-to-government agreements. Madibelatlhopho publicly questioned several major Botswana-China cooperation arrangements signed after the 2024 election, arguing that lawmakers should scrutinise such agreements carefully to ensure they served national interests and did not perpetuate what the group viewed as a flawed procurement system inherited from the previous administration.