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As Nigerians seek opportunities to overcome the economic challenges in the country, Real Estate Cashback Housing Cooperative Society has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to real estate investment and long-term wealth creation for its members.

According to the organisation, it will continue to pursue its vision of making real estate investment more accessible, enabling members to participate in property-backed opportunities while working towards their individual financial goals.

Speaking at the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM), Oluwatosin Olatujoye, President of the Cooperative, said the organisation was established on the belief that real estate wealth creation should be accessible to more people through collective participation.

Olatujoye said that the Real Estate Cashback Housing Cooperative was established on a fundamental belief: that the opportunity to build wealth through real estate should not be limited to a select few.

He said that by bringing people together through collective ownership and participation, RECB is creating opportunities for more individuals to take meaningful steps towards financial security and lasting wealth.

Olatujoye added that the cooperative’s growth came with a responsibility to remain accountable to its members and focused on sustainable value creation. ‘Every investment, every development, and every milestone reinforces our responsibility to remain focused on our mission and be accountable to the people who make this cooperative what it is.

‘As we look to the future, our focus remains on strengthening our investment portfolio, expanding opportunities for our members, upholding responsible investment practices, and building a cooperative that continues to create value for generations to come,’ he stated.

Presenting the cooperative’s milestones over the past year, the Treasurer, Prosper Emapkor, outlined its investment activities and the breadth of its property portfolio, operating under the philosophy of ‘Building Wealth, Empowering Members, Creating Legacies

He said that RECB has developed a portfolio spanning residential estates, commercial developments and other real estate assets through its partnership with Zylus Homes. Projects highlighted at the meeting included Arizon Estate, Tiwa Commercial Hub, Tiwa Gardens, Tiwa Gardens II, Lekki Pride II, Lekki Pride III, Zylus Court and its extensions, and Lekki Avana.

Collectively valued at over ?115 billion, the portfolio reflects the scale of the cooperative’s real estate interests and its focus on property-backed investment opportunities. The presentation allowed members to review the cooperative’s investment footprint and consider how its portfolio supports its broader mission of creating opportunities for collective participation in real estate.

Beyond the figures and portfolio updates, member testimonials provided a personal dimension to the 2026 AGM, allowing participants to share their experiences and perspectives on their journeys with RECB. The testimonials highlighted members’ motivations for joining the cooperative, their aspirations for property ownership and wealth creation, and their experiences participating in a community built around collective real estate investment.

Bukola Olatujoye, Chief Executive Officer of Zylus Homes, in her closing remarks emphasised the relationship between effective real estate development, member confidence and the delivery of long-term value.

She highlighted that the role of a development partner extends beyond providing investment opportunities to delivering projects, supporting sustainable communities and maintaining the standards required to serve the interests of property investors.

The 2026 AGM marked another milestone in RECB’s ongoing effort to strengthen its investment community, review its progress and reaffirm its commitment to accessible real estate participation. With a growing international membership and a substantial property portfolio, the cooperative’s next phase will continue to centre on member engagement, responsible investment practices and opportunities for long-term wealth creation.

The meeting brought together members and stakeholders to review the cooperative’s progress, examine its real estate portfolio, and reflect on the opportunities and responsibilities of building wealth through collective participation.

JMC-Alliance Co-operative Society Limited recently raised expectations in the cooperative enterprise community as it stepped into the future of this enterprise with the launch of Digital Cooperative Enterprise and Grassroots Financial Empowerment.

The launch is a foray into a new era of cooperative enterprise and has positioned JMC-Alliance as a digital-first public cooperative, redefining how communities access shared resources, financial empowerment and collective growth.

By combining technology with grassroots engagement, the cooperative seeks to build a legacy of trust and innovation that resonates with Africa’s next generation of leaders.

At the launch, the cooperative emphasised three pillars: inclusive growth, financial inclusion and financial security. What makes JMC-Alliance unique is its dual approach.

On one hand, it is fully digital, designed to empower tech-savvy youth with micro-lending and wealth-building tools accessible through smartphones. On the other, it deliberately incorporates traditional, offline methods to ensure market traders and grassroots communities are not left behind.

Whether through mobile apps or physical registers at the market square, the cooperative promises accessibility for all.

Joseph Onwuka, JMC-Alliance chairman, explained that the model was inspired by the need to merge traditional cooperative structures with digital innovation.

‘We are adopting a more pragmatic and market-driven model. The objective is not to abandon the traditional approach but to combine it with digital innovation so we can build a more flexible, accessible and sustainable business for the future,’ he said.

Technology is central to the cooperative’s vision. Onwuka noted that digital platforms will enhance transparency, member participation and sustainability. Members will be able to monitor their accounts, access services and resolve issues remotely, ensuring continuous communication and responsiveness.

Mary Okafor, a director at the company, highlighted the cooperative’s role in connecting the diaspora to local opportunities. She said structured channels would allow Nigerians abroad to invest earnings back home, supporting market women and small business owners with responsible loans that enable sustainable growth.

‘Instead of simply giving people money, we can provide responsible loans that enable market women and other small business owners to stock their businesses, keep trading, increasing their turnover and ultimately growing their enterprises,’ she explained.

Looking ahead, Onwuka said the cooperative’s legacy would be measured by the people it empowers. ‘We are going further into the grassroots, reaching people directly and creating opportunities that can make a real difference in their lives.

‘Our vision is to become a major player in Nigeria’s financial sector. Very soon, you will see JMC -Alliance everywhere, across Nigeria,’ he assured.

The launch signals a new chapter in cooperative development, one where digital transformation meets grassroots empowerment. JMC-Alliance is positioning itself not just as a financial association but as a community vehicle designed to drive inclusive prosperity and build a trusted nationwide brand.

Its ambition is to create a cooperative that is both modern and deeply rooted in the realities of everyday Nigerians, ensuring that financial inclusion is not just a slogan but a lived experience for millions.

In a bid to drive investment and boost enterprise growth in the Nigerian tourism industry, Aliyu Ajayi Badaki, president, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), has called for the adoption of clear-cut institutional responsibilities, regulation and professional development, among others.

The above, Badaki stated, is a sure pathway to attracting investment and unlocking Nigeria’s tourism potential, which is hugely untapped.

According to him, the top agenda of the FTAN, which is the umbrella body for private sector operators in tourism, is still to be a meaningful voice in tourism policy formulation and implementation.

In his address at the 20th International Conference and Annual General Meeting of Hospitality and Tourism Management Association of Nigeria (HATMAN), which held in Awka, Anambra State, Badaki declared the need for clear institutional responsibilities, appropriate regulations, professional development, and an enabling environment that encourages investment and enterprise growth cannot be overemphasized.

”One of FTAN’s major priorities is ensuring that the organized-private sector has a meaningful voice in tourism policy formulation and implementation in Nigeria,’ he said at the Awka gathering.

”The private sector drives much of the daily activity within our industry. Our hotels, tour operators, travel agents, restaurants, event managers, and other tourism professionals understand the realities of operating tourism businesses.

”Their experiences and recommendations must therefore inform the policies and regulations that affect them.”

To achieve the above, according to him, requires FTAN to engage relevant government institutions on issues affecting the industry, including the implementation and harmonisation of the NTDA Act 2022 and the NIHOTOUR Act 2022.

”Our position is not opposition to regulation. We seek policies that promote professionalism, protect standards, and support the sustainable growth of tourism businesses.

”Tourism policies must be developed with the industry, not merely for the industry.

”Government must recognise the organised private sector as a strategic partner, not simply a stakeholder to be informed after decisions have been made,” he said.

Badaki, who is also chairman, Board of Trustees, HATMAN, called for partnership as the only means of achieving the desired end of tourism development and promotion.

”No single institution can transform Nigeria’s tourism industry alone. We need the government, professional associations, educational institutions, investors, technology providers, and tourism operators working towards common objectives.

”Through the Tourism Transformation Mandate, FTAN will continue to promote constructive engagement, stronger collaboration among associations, and evidence-based advocacy to ensure that the concerns and recommendations of tourism operators receive appropriate consideration.

”I call on HATMAN and other tourism associations to strengthen this collective effort. A united, organised, and professionally credible private sector will be better positioned to influence policy and contribute meaningfully to national tourism development.”

He commended the resilience of HATMAN’s members for their dedication to the sustenance of the association in the past 20 years, noting that two decades of sustaining the professional platform demonstrate HATMAN’s commitment to advancing hospitality and tourism in Nigeria.’

Speaking earlier on the theme of the conference, ‘Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Agenda: Implications for Global Transformation in Hospitality and Tourism’, he noted that it is timely as artificial intelligence and digital technology are changing how people go through the journey of discovering and experiencing destinations. ‘For Nigeria, these developments present opportunities to improve service delivery, reduce operating costs, expand market access, attract investment, and create employment,” Badaki said.

For a thriving and sustainable tourism industry, he called for skilled manpower development, infrastructure and collaboration among others.

”However, technology alone cannot transform our industry. We need skilled professionals, reliable infrastructure, supportive policies, and stronger collaboration among stakeholders.

”Our task is to combine technological innovation with the warmth of Nigerian hospitality, the richness of our culture, and the professionalism required to compete globally.”

He reiterated his commitment to the need for a more coordinated, structured, and result-oriented approach to tourism development.

”This informed my commitment to the Tourism Transformation Mandate (TTM)-a vision focused on strengthening tourism associations, promoting investment, improving professional standards, enhancing destination visibility, and building stronger partnerships between government and the private sector,” he said.

With the conference theme aligning with his TTM agenda, Badaki said: ”I therefore encourage HATMAN to prioritise digital skills development, the adoption of affordable technology by hospitality businesses, improved professional standards, and partnerships with educational institutions and technology providers.

”We must prepare our members not merely to adapt to technological change but to use it as a tool for growth and innovation.”

Badaki further disclosed: ”Through the Tourism Transformation Mandate, FTAN will continue to promote constructive engagement, stronger collaboration among associations, and evidence-based advocacy to ensure that the concerns and recommendations of tourism operators receive appropriate consideration.

”I call on HATMAN and other tourism associations to strengthen this collective effort. A united, organised, and professionally credible private sector will be better positioned to influence policy and contribute meaningfully to national tourism development.”

”As chairman, Board of Trustees, I encourage HATMAN to translate the knowledge gained from this conference into practical programmes that benefit its members.

”Let us equip our professionals with relevant digital skills, support small and medium-sized hospitality businesses, encourage innovation among young people, and strengthen collaboration with FTAN and relevant government agencies.

”Above all, let us measure our progress by the results we achieve-not merely by the conferences we organise or the policies we announce.

”Nigeria possesses enormous tourism potential. What we need is the collective commitment to convert that potential into investment, jobs, business growth, and sustainable economic development.”

He also reaffirmed his commitment, both as chairman of the Board of Trustees of HATMAN and president of FTAN, to advancing a more competitive, innovative, and professionally organised tourism industry.

”Let HATMAN champion professional excellence and digital readiness. Let FTAN strengthen private sector coordination and advocacy. Let the government provide an enabling policy environment and also take cognisance of the provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to avoid conflicts.

”And let all stakeholders work together to build a tourism industry that is inclusive, investment-ready, and globally competitive.

”The future of Nigerian tourism depends not only on the technology we adopt but also on the policies we implement, the partnerships we build, and the value we create for our people.”

Shoprite Nigeria is planning to open standalone neighbourhood stores as part of efforts to revive its retail operations, moving away from its traditional reliance on large shopping malls. Adekunle Adebiyi, Investments Executive Director disclosed this during an interview on Nairametrics where he discussed the retailer’s financial challenges, restructuring efforts and recovery plans.

According to Adebiyi, three Shoprite stores have reopened following a temporary shutdown of operations to allow the company to negotiate with suppliers and address its financial obligations.

‘We took a very, very drastic decision to just shut everything down whilst we negotiated with suppliers. Now three stores are back open,’ he said.

He explained that the company intends to expand through smaller, standalone neighbourhood outlets rather than depending primarily on shopping malls, a strategy he described as consistent with its original business plan.

‘We’re going to be opening standalone neighbourhood stores, which was always the plan,’ Adebiyi said.

He noted that the strategy would allow Shoprite to concentrate on retail operations without committing substantial capital to property development. Adebiyi explained that the traditional supermarket model relies on leasing suitable commercial properties rather than acquiring buildings outright. He said retailers could negotiate long-term leases, sometimes extending to 10 years, and invest primarily in shelves, refrigeration equipment and other operational infrastructure.

According to him, this approach differs from the expectations of Nigerian banks, which typically favour businesses with substantial fixed assets that can serve as collateral. He disclosed that MBO Capital encountered difficulties securing bank financing during the acquisition of Shoprite Nigeria because lenders struggled to identify sufficient tangible assets against which to provide credit.

Despite Shoprite generating billions of naira in revenue, its business model did not fit conventional asset-backed lending requirements. Consequently, the investors turned to alternative funding arrangements to complete the acquisition. Adebiyi also identified foreign exchange volatility as a major factor behind Shoprite Nigeria’s financial difficulties.

He revealed that approximately 17 of the retailer’s 28 stores had dollar-denominated rental agreements at the time of the acquisition. The subsequent depreciation of the naira significantly increased rental obligations, placing additional pressure on operating costs. According to him, rent should ordinarily account for approximately 8% to 10% of a supermarket’s revenue. However, some Shoprite locations experienced substantially higher rental costs.

Beyond foreign exchange pressures, Adebiyi acknowledged operational shortcomings, including weaknesses in inventory management and the loss of access to the former parent company’s enterprise resource planning system. He said replacing the system required billions of naira in additional investment, diverting funds that could otherwise have supported the business.

The proposed neighbourhood-store expansion represents the next phase of that recovery strategy, although the company has not disclosed the number of planned outlets, their locations or an opening timeline. As previously reported by Nairametrics, Ketron Investment Limited, a consortium led by Persianas Investment Limited, completed the acquisition of Shoprite Nigeria in June 2021, following the South African retailer’s decision to exit direct ownership of the Nigerian business.

The transaction saw Retail Supermarkets Nigeria Limited take over operations under a franchise arrangement, with MBO Capital Management Limited among the advisers involved in the acquisition. In June 2024, Nairametrics reported that Shoprite announced the closure of its Wuse store at Novare Wuse Central Mall in Abuja, citing the prevailing business climate and the outlet’s financial performance.

The retailer’s challenges continued into 2025, with reports of temporary store closures and operational disruptions linked to working capital constraints, electricity costs and other expenses. However, in March 2026, Shoprite told Nairametrics that it was not exiting Nigeria but implementing a phased restructuring programme that began in August 2025 Bunmi Adeleye,Retail Supermarkets Nigeria Limited Chief Strategy Officer disclosed plans to reopen outlets at The Palms Shopping Mall and Circle Mall in Lagos while exploring smaller neighbourhood store formats to reduce rental, electricity and diesel expenses.

Trade, investment and cooperation initiatives are opening new possibilities for all three economies. Whether they lead to shared prosperity or simply reproduce familiar patterns of dependence will depend on how value chains, financing and risks are organised.

About this time last year, Ambassador Geert Muylle’s reflections on the pressures reshaping Belgian industrial supply chains prompted me to examine the possibilities of moving from dependency to partnership. The argument was that Europe’s search for economic resilience could meet Africa’s demand for greater productive participation. Both needed to reconsider the terms of their engagement. As we approach the Nigeria Belgium Luxembourg Business Forum in Brussels on 28-30 October, the question has become more demanding. What would demonstrate that partnership is changing the distribution of opportunity?

My stake in both Europe and Africa makes that question personal. I want Nigerian businesses to retain more value from what they produce. I also want Belgian and Luxembourg enterprises to secure dependable returns from partnerships that last. Fair trade must make those ambitions compatible. Seven developments offer a useful basis for judging the possibilities. They include changing commercial flows, investment decisions and new cooperation initiatives. Their significance lies in the connections between them.

A contraction that should change the conversation

The first development is uncomfortable for an otherwise celebratory forum narrative. The Belgian Foreign Trade Agency’s May 2026 bilateral note records Belgian goods exports to Nigeria falling from approximately pound 4.09 billion in 2024 to pound 1.27 billion in 2025, a decline of 68.9 per cent. Belgian goods imports from Nigeria also fell, by 14.6 per cent, to pound 474.9 million. These are Belgian-reported merchandise figures, rather than a complete account of investment or services. The figures challenge the assumption that diplomatic activity automatically produces expanding commerce. They also invite a more useful question than how quickly the old totals can be restored. Which parts of the relationship should grow next?

A relationship built around supplying finished products can generate substantial turnover while leaving limited productive capacity with the buyer. A smaller flow of equipment, engineering and investment could, under the right conditions, help establish enterprises that support decades of exchange. Falling trade is no achievement in itself. But restoring dependence should not become the measure of recovery.

Refining is changing the direction of opportunity

The second development supplies an important part of that context. The US Energy Information Administration reported in August that Nigeria’s seaborne petroleum-product exports to Europe averaged 130,000 barrels a day in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 40,000 in 2025. It links the broader expansion in Nigerian product shipments to the Dangote refinery. These are Europe-wide flows; they should not be presented as exports specifically to Belgium. Nor do they explain every movement in bilateral trade.

Their strategic meaning is nevertheless substantial. Nigerian processing capacity is changing what the country can offer international markets. For Belgian businesses, the response can include engineering services, industrial maintenance, storage, emissions management and partnerships in downstream manufacturing. Nigeria gains more when industrial expansion develops local suppliers and technical competence. Belgian firms gain when their expertise becomes part of a productive system with continuing demand.

The fair-trade test also applies within Nigeria. Domestic refining must deliver competitive markets, environmental responsibility and public value. Replacing external dependence with excessive domestic market power would leave an essential part of the task unfinished.

Cocoa opens a different bilateral future

The third development is the growing prominence of cocoa in the relationship. In its December 2025 account of the previous forum, Nigeria’s Ministry of Livestock Development reported the observation of Ambassador Pieter Leenknegt that cocoa had overtaken crude oil as Nigeria’s leading export to Belgium. This is a meaningful change in the composition of engagement, although commodity rankings alone cannot establish an industrial transformation. Cocoa gives both countries a reason to think beyond the shipment of beans. Nigerian fermentation, quality control and processing could be linked more deliberately to Belgian food manufacturing, technical expertise and distribution.

Each proposed investment would still need to establish its commercial case, including reliable power, competitive costs and applicable market-access conditions. Yet that is precisely the discussion worth having. How much processing can take place competitively in Nigeria? Which skills and equipment are required? What purchasing commitments would make investment credible? Fairness begins to become tangible when the producer can negotiate a larger role in the value chain, and the buyer obtains a more reliable, higher-quality supply.

Sustainability rules are becoming a test of partnership

The fourth development is the approaching application of the EU Deforestation Regulation, with the European Commission identifying 30 December 2026 as the application date. Cocoa is among the commodities covered. European operators’ obligations create information demands throughout their supply chains, including evidence about where commodities were produced.

This matters directly to Nigerian suppliers and Belgian buyers. Forest protection is a shared interest. But the distribution of compliance costs will influence whether the transition strengthens the relationship or excludes smaller producers. A fair response would combine purchasing commitments with practical support for farm mapping, traceability and producer training. Nigerian authorities and exporters must strengthen their own systems; European buyers should consider how their procurement terms can sustain that effort. Compliance could become a field of joint investment, including opportunities for Nigerian technology firms. It should also improve farmers’ ability to participate in formal markets. A system that can trace a bean back to a poor household should be capable of asking whether that household receives enough to sustain responsible production.

Livestock cooperation now needs investable projects

The fifth development is explicitly trilateral. The Ministry of Livestock Development reported that the 2025 forum endorsed a Nigeria-Belgium-Luxembourg Livestock Investment and Cooperation Platform, intended to advance partnerships, technology transfer, capacity building and bankable projects. Endorsement establishes an institutional opening; it does not establish that investment has closed or facilities are operating.

The opportunity is to turn that opening into a small portfolio of credible ventures. Cold-chain services, feed production, veterinary provision and dairy processing deserve appraisal against actual demand and operating conditions.

Nigeria can bring producers, enterprise and markets. Belgian partners can contribute relevant equipment and technical capabilities. Luxembourg’s financial ecosystem could help structure suitable investment vehicles and connect qualifying projects with investors.

The terms matter. Producers need transparent pricing and dependable payments. Investors need enforceable contracts. Projects need responsible land arrangements, animal-health safeguards, and workable community relationships. Those conditions are part of commercial durability.

Ports determine whether productive ambition travels

The sixth development concerns the infrastructure connecting these possibilities. Reporting on an April 2026 meeting between the Nigerian Ports Authority and Belgium’s ambassador described discussions on Belgian participation in Nigerian port modernisation, including infrastructure and operational efficiency. The public account supports an emerging cooperation agenda; it should not be treated as evidence of a completed financing package.

For an exporter, port performance can determine whether a good product reaches its buyer competitively. For an equipment supplier, delays and uncertainty can undermine an otherwise viable investment. Belgian maritime expertise therefore has value well beyond an individual construction contract. Partnerships should be judged by measurable improvements in clearance, cargo movement, and service reliability, alongside local maintenance and operational competence. Nigerian agencies must deliver the regulatory coordination that physical investment requires.

A fair corridor must serve businesses at both ends. More efficient movement of European imports alone would leave its productive promise incomplete. Nigerian exporters also need predictable access to the route.

Development finance is offering another opening

The seventh development is a concrete financing decision. In July 2026, Belgium’s development finance institution BIO approved a US$5 million investment in Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund II. Nigeria is among the fund’s ten target countries. This is a regional fund investment, rather than a US$5 million allocation to Nigeria, but it identifies a route through which eligible Nigerian agribusinesses could access support.

Its relevance is the connection between agricultural resilience and investable enterprise. Productive partnerships need finance that recognises the costs of building supply systems and adapting to climate risk. Entrepreneurs still need sound governance and credible business models. Investors need to distinguish risks that can be reduced through technical support from those that require guarantees, different financing terms or a decision not to proceed. Calling a project promising cannot substitute for this work.

Luxembourg belongs in the financing discussion

Across these developments, Luxembourg’s contribution should be made specific. There is already a financial bridge to build upon: Nigerian Exchange records its 2019 cooperation agreement with the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the subsequent cross-listing of Access Bank’s ?15 billion green bond. This is an earlier institutional foundation, not a newly announced 2026 transaction.

Its importance today is practical. Suitable Nigerian projects could be prepared for sustainable-finance markets through credible use-of-proceeds frameworks, external assessment and continuing reporting. Smaller ventures may first require aggregation or intermediary finance. A Luxembourg listing would neither guarantee affordable capital nor remove foreign-exchange risk. Projects earning Naira need financing structures that can withstand currency movements. Transparency about fees, ownership, and tax treatment must accompany any international structure. Luxembourg gains through financial services and investable opportunities; Nigeria gains only if the underlying assets become productive and financially sustainable.

The conversion platform the relationship needs

Taken together, these developments suggest a possible transition towards a relationship in which Nigeria participates more fully in production, Belgium earns returns from industrial and logistical expertise, and Luxembourg helps connect viable ventures with appropriate capital. The outcome will depend on choices still to be made.

Fair trade does not require identical trade balances or equal gains from every transaction. It requires meaningful room for each economy to develop capabilities, transparent allocation of risk and rewards, and commercial arrangements that can endure public scrutiny. Nigeria must improve its investment conditions. European partners must be willing to support productive participation as well as market access for their own firms. This is the context in which the Nigeria Belgium Luxembourg Business Forum is positioning itself as an indispensable conversion platform. Convened under the CBL-ACP Chamber, the 2026 edition combines plenary engagement with targeted business meetings and company visits. The forum programme places commercial priorities and implementation pathways at the centre of that approach.

The strongest contribution of the Business Forum is to bring the people who own an opportunity into direct discussion with those who can resolve its financing, technical or regulatory obstacles. A cocoa processor should leave with a clearer route to equipment, quality assurance and buyers. A livestock venture should establish what must happen before an investor can commit. A logistics proposal should identify the agencies and firms responsible for delivery.

To make this role indispensable, the forum is maintaining a disciplined process after Brussels: named project owners, agreed next steps and reviews at realistic intervals. A ninety-day review could distinguish opportunities that have advanced, those requiring further preparation and those that should be discontinued. Commercial confidentiality can be protected while aggregate progress is reported.

As someone involved in this work, I believe that is the standard we should welcome. The forum’s importance will grow through the transactions it helps make viable and the trust earned when participants follow through. Last year’s challenge was to recognise the opening for partnership. This year’s task is to organise the conversion into shared value. Brussels can become the place where the three economies turn that intention into commitments they can implement, measure and sustain.

‘The Igbo have no king, as the saying goes, and that absence of a central authority figure has allowed us to flourish in some ways while limiting us in others. Ohanaeze was meant to fill that void, to be the voice that speaks when the people cannot speak as one. But a voice that is silent when it should speak, that is absent when it should be present, that allows impostors to hijack its message without consequence, is a voice that is slowly strangling itself’ (Agbeze Ireke Kalu Onuma’s ‘Ohanaeze at 50,’ p. 236).

Introduction

A new Colonial Master looms large on the economic horizon of 21st Century Igboland. He is the militant Arab expansionist, hand in glove with the Islamist Nigeria, that captured the Ohaji/Egbema gas fields through the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, NMGP, also known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, AAGP. His resource terrorism against Ndigbo has been going on since 2016. Once completed, the pipeline will place the economy of Ndigbo in the hands of Morocco for as long as gas powers human civilisation. What has Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the apex socio-cultural group representing some 80 million Igbos, done to halt the construction of this illegal pipeline?

It is also instructive that in September 2026, days before Ndigbo gathered in Lagos to receive Agbeze Ireke Kalu Onuma’s major work, ‘Ohanaeze at 50: The Burden of Memory. The Politics of Relevance,’ overwhelmed Igbo traders in Lagos protested against the new Chinese economic conquistadors. Ohanaeze should have known a day would come when Asian retailers would enter Nigeria. The same traders demonstrating against the Chinese allowed Lebanese syndicates to operate gambling machines in Igbo markets targeting our apprentices (see my ‘The Igbo Apprentice Addicted to Gambling and Other Matters: Open Letter to Leaders of Igbo Traders’ Associations’).

In ‘Capitalist Nigger,’ Chika Onyeani warned us the economy was everything because an economically self-reliant black community could never be easily dominated politically. He forewarned Ohanaeze about how the Chinese Spider-Web Economic Doctrine operates: China would enter Nigeria, sell everything to Nigerians and buy nothing from Nigerians. In the past two decades, the powerful Lagos chapter of Ohanaeze did not address the possibility of Asians dislodging Igbo traders. Instead, it consumed itself with infighting. Asian retailers are here, and our response is carrying placards. That is weakness.

Ohanaeze appears not to understand the Igbo problem because it is still trapped in the post-bellum mindset of the 1970s. It lost the plot refusing to look at the global scene. Any discourse on Ohanaeze must avert intellectual foreclosure by looking at the big picture to understand the place of Ndigbo in the economic timetable of the 21st Century. Limiting ourselves to the actions and inactions of the association will ensnare one into the treadmill Ohanaeze found itself. Onuma escapes this trap by admitting the Igbo Diaspora in his argument. He also gives the Igbo economy the attention it deserves (Onuma: 387).

Understanding the Onuma Argument

Onuma examines the deployment of mechanics of power by the Ohanaeze leadership (human factor) and how the monolithic body became the elephant in the room (institutional failure). He believes the association suffers a crisis of legitimacy due to poor performance. Legitimacy is not a permanent certificate. It is renewable with every milestone covered. The moment Ohanaeze stops performing, it loses legitimacy before Ndigbo. It suffers a crisis of legitimacy because its elite leadership suffers from a survivalist complex; just as Ndigbo, especially young Igbos, it serves have their own resistance complex.

The founding fathers formed the association in 1976 as ‘a response to deep trauma. The founders were reacting to the anti-Igbo pogroms, the horror of the civil war, the dislocation and suffering that followed…. They preferred negotiation to confrontation, because survival required it’ (Onuma: 245). Their survivalist complex meant they ‘see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil’ in a hostile Nigeria if they must remain alive and serve Ndigbo. Their collective self-abnegation was typical of any marginalised group.

In ‘Souls of the Black Folk,’ W. E. B. Du Bois identified a survivalist complex in the emancipated Negro living in the racist southern part of the United States. He called this survivalist complex ‘patent defence,’ first noticed in the Medieval Jews living in anti-Semitic Europe. The marginalised Southern Negro resorted to flattery and deception to survive white racism. Onuma agrees with Du Bois on how a violent environment emasculates the individual. Such a victim is alienated as a mental exile. He is in an environment yet does not feel he belongs, as many young Igbos feel about Nigeria (Onuma: 203). The victim’s response is either acquiescence or resistance. For Igbos who experienced the war, their response is acquiescence conditioned by their survivalist Complex. But for the latter generations, their resistance complex aims to factionalise Ohanaeze or secede from Nigeria.

‘Deep trauma,’ ‘Igbo Psyche,’ ‘horror,’ ‘war,’ ‘dislocation’, and Suffering’ constitute a unique register indicating abnormal conditions. ‘Ohanaeze at 50’ engages Psychology of Oppression, defined as the abnormal behaviour oppression produces in the victim, consistent in Frantz Fanon’s ‘Black Skin, White Masks;’ Steve Biko’s ‘I Write What I Like’ and Onyeani’s ‘Capitalist Nigger.’ Fanon diagnosed the colonized did not aspire for self-liberation but to be assimilated into the white dominant culture. Biko saw the same syndrome in those blacks he called ‘non-whites,’ who aspired to be whites instead of being proud of their black identity. He reminded them that by trying to be whites, they were insulting the intelligence of God who created them blacks. Onyeani ridiculed those blacks prepared to pay any price to live among whites instead of fixing their degraded black neighbourhoods. Onuma sees the ambivalence in Ohanaeze appeasing the rabidly anti-Igbo establishment instead of confronting it.

Unlike Fanon and Biko, however, Onuma stops short of lampooning those Igbos who aspire to be Binis while repudiating their Igboness as a burden. Instead, he turns his attention to the fragmentation of the association and the resistance complex that produced such schism: ‘When nothing changes, when the suffering continues, when the roads are still bad, when the schools are still neglected, when the appointments still bypass the Southeast, people lose faith’ (Onuma: 245). Alienation forces impatient young Igbos to take their destiny into their own hands. Welcome to the factional Ohanaeze and separatist Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

Onuma concedes that the two self-defeating mindsets/complexes put the association and Ndigbo under serious stress. It is like the proverbial falcon no longer hearing the falconer. He wonders if Ohanaeze is actually a socio-cultural entity, a political lobby group or what? This is because an amorphous Ohanaeze creates identity and audience problems for itself and Ndigbo:

Is Ohanaeze a cultural association that is inward-looking or a pressure group that is outward-looking? In the former, success is in the number of children who can speak Igbo, and in the latter, the number of policies positively influenced. If political broker success is in the number of appointments and contracts secured. Each role requires different structure, incentive, form and accountability. You can’t be all three without creating institutional contradiction and atrophy. Ohanaeze has tried to be all, only to end up being none’ (Onuma: 431).

Fear on the part of Ohanaeze leadership and anger on the part of its followership lead us to a deadlock: If Ohanaeze moves fast in ameliorating the Igbo condition as demanded by young Igbos, the suspicious Nigeria could proscribe it. But if it goes slowly about it not to alarm the establishment, Igbo youths could opt for factionalism, if not outright secession. Things are not helped, as Ohanaeze must not only remain a single entity but also keep Ndigbo in Nigeria. Failure could dent the Igbo man’s leadership credentials, a prospect the association can ill afford. Onuma’s solution, inter alia, is democratising the Igbo traditional philosophy of ‘ako-na-uche,’ or wisdom and intelligence, to make the association more responsive.

My point of divergence with Onuma is his aversion to factionalism. The author is against a parallel Ohanaeze even when elections are rigged and the constitution is violated. He favours an in-house arbitration mechanism like the Committee of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops on Peace and Conflict Resolution. The problem is that none take this committee seriously. Did former President-Generals Dr Joe Irukwu and Professor George Obiozor/successors respect episcopal arbitration in 2006 and 2023?

I conscientiously believe in the necessity of some form of counter-force to Ohanaeze if Ndigbo must see the light of the next fifty years. Socio-Cultural includes the economy, oil, gas, banking, Maritime, etc., which Ohanaeze is not addressing. The association was created to serve Ndigbo and not the other way round. The day it abdicates this crucial duty, or dallies when Igbo lives and properties are at risk, then Ndigbo must fashion out an alternative best suited for the challenge at hand.

My modest enquiry is to examine Onuma’s treatment of power within the context of Social Contract. He believes his reforms could set Ohanaeze on the true path of becoming the proactive entity envisaged by our founding fathers, namely, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Eze CC Nwuche (Ekpeye), Chief CD Orike (Ogba), Okogbule Wonodi (Ikwerre), Emmanuel Agwuma (Ikwerre), Obidike Nwonodi (Ikwerre), Francis Ellah (Ogba), Akanu Ibiam, Michael Okpara, Dr Obi Wali (Ikwerre), etc. Citations from the primary text are lifted from the soft copy version.

Mutable Reality Vs Immutable Ohanaeze

Ohanaeze could have been a solution in 1976 when it was established. But the same entity can be the new problem in 2026. This is because no condition is permanent. Professor Donald Nwoga reminded us that every reality changes not only within itself but from one form of reality to another. He simply meant that within five decades, the problem of Ndigbo in Nigeria not only changed in content but also in form. Onuma’s claim that the association suffers identity and audience problem must be understood within the ambit of a changing reality.

An ossified Ohanaeze, trapped in the 1970s political inclusion mindset, when the challenge today is economic terrorism, in my view, is a stumbling block. In this age of Information Revolution that heralds the social media, Ohanaeze has proven itself the elusive ‘Pater remotus,’ or remote father. It is nowhere seen; and when seen is silent. There is nothing like Ohanaeze for Ohanaeze’s sake. Any pragmatic measure within or without the association capable of serving the Igbo interests, I truly believe, must be considered.

I agree with the author’s presentation of the factors that coalesced to reduce Ohanaeze to an albatross. But when you apply deductive calculations to his solutions, you tend to see the same old Ohanaeze emerge at the end of his reforms- an inverted Ohanaeze populated by squabbling elites, patronage network specialists who benefit from the rot, the contractors, the fixers, the gatekeepers who have learned to profit from a weak and distant Ohanaeze (Onuma: 371).

SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria says it has reached approximately 650 households in Edo State through a three-year development intervention, as it prepares to build on the gains with a new project focused on strengthening the resilience of children, young people, families and communities.

Eghosa Erhumwunse, Country Director of SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria, disclosed this during a stakeholder engagement in Benin City to review the achievements of the outgoing project and consolidate its impact in partnership with the Edo State Government, community leaders, development partners and beneficiaries.

Erhumwunse said the intervention prioritised vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, particularly families and children often excluded from mainstream development programmes, while strengthening the capacity of communities to support their welfare and long-term development.

He said the project covered 400 households in its first phase and another 250 in the second phase, bringing the total to approximately 650 households. Based on an estimated average of four persons per household, the intervention potentially reached about 2,600 people.

The country director said the organisation considered community ownership essential to the sustainability of development interventions, stressing that families and communities must be empowered to maintain the gains made after a project ends.

He explained that the completion of the three-year programme would not signal the end of the organisation’s activities in Edo, as it was preparing to introduce a new initiative, Seed of Change, to address broader challenges affecting children, young people, families and their communities.

According to him, the new project, also supported by the German government, would build on previous interventions by strengthening resilience and promoting systemic changes that can sustain development outcomes beyond the period of donor funding.

Erhumwunse described the organisation as an implementing partner that facilitates collaboration between the donor and communities in Edo, noting that the progress recorded depended on the collective contributions of government institutions, community leaders, families, young people and other development partners.

Joy Irenonsen Ihensekhien, Permanent Secretary of the Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, who represented the commissioner, Eugenia Abdallah, commended SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria for its partnership with the state government and its support for vulnerable women, children and communities.

Ihensekhien said the ministry contributed to the programme through manpower, training facilities and other forms of support for capacity-building activities designed to empower beneficiaries and improve their ability to become self-reliant.

She expressed the state government’s appreciation for the collaboration, noting that partnerships between public institutions and development organisations remained important in helping vulnerable households cope with prevailing economic pressures.

The ISO World Summit, a premier annual platform dedicated to advancing organisational

performance and raising awareness about the vital importance of ISO compliance in business operations, will soon convene key stakeholders in Nigeria.

The event is confirmed to hold on October 29, 2026, at the Sheraton Hotel, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos.

The summit will bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and compliance experts to advance

dialogue, foster learning, facilitate networking, and drive practical action on global ISO frameworks.

This year’s summit, themed ‘Quality Creates Trust, Trust Builds Brands’, is organised by ISO World Consult Limited, a leading consulting firm that helps businesses translate international ISO standards and Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE) compliance into everyday workflows.

A vital objective of the 2026 summit is driving full alignment with ISO standards and compliance.

To achieve this, organisers and participating institutions are focusing on upgrading documentation, refining organizational write-ups, and embedding a deep-rooted culture of quality across all operational levels.

Discussions at the ISO World Summit 2026 will focus on inspiring organisations to view quality not merely as a compliance obligation, but as a strategic business culture capable of strengthening brands, improving performance, and creating sustainable value.

Another major highlight of the event will be the International Quality Certification Awards. This prestigious ceremony will recognise exceptional organizations and individuals making measurable

contributions to advancing ISO standards, quality management, brand trust, and operational

excellence across Nigeria.

To deliver a truly robust and immersive quality gathering, ISO World Consult Limited has proudly

partnered with AFRIBIS for this year’s edition. A key feature of this collaboration will be the presentation of authentic gold-sealed certificates and golden plaques to 51 confirmed leading organisations.

Mirroring the summit’s core commitment to global ISO standards, the entire awards process guarantees absolute credibility and transparency, with all nominations undergoing rigorous evaluation by an independent panel of certified auditors.

Valentine Onyeka Ogunaka, Nigerian storytelling diplomat, poet, and development communications professional, has introduced a new framework aimed at transforming how refugees and vulnerable communities are represented in development communications, while warning that today’s narratives could become tomorrow’s artificial intelligence biases.

Speaking at the Communications for a Better World Conference, which was held in New York and virtually, Ogunaka presented Framing for a Cause (FFAC), a framework developed through his work with Ecrafti and years of field documentation in displacement and migration contexts.

His presentation, ‘Development Narratives Diplomacy: The Framing for a Cause Framework for Dignifying Refugee Portfolios and the Future of Storytelling as AI Listens,’ argued that many humanitarian narratives continue to portray vulnerable populations primarily through crisis, dependency, and need, often overlooking their capabilities, aspirations, and contributions.

‘People should not have to trade their dignity to be seen,’ Ogunaka told participants. ‘Behind every refugee portfolio or displacement story is a person with identity, agency, skills, and dreams.’

Developed from field experience across Nigeria, FFAC is built around four pillars: identity, agency, contribution, and possibility. The framework encourages communicators to move beyond deficit-focused storytelling and present refugees and vulnerable communities as active participants in shaping their own futures.

A central theme of the presentation was the growing impact of artificial intelligence on global communications.

‘If our development narratives consistently portray vulnerable populations through deficit, crisis, and dependency, what happens when machines learn those narratives and reproduce them at scale?’ Ogunaka asked.

The question resonated with ongoing global conversations around AI ethics, representation, and responsible communication.

He currently serves as Communications Coordinator for the ARRIVES Project at the International Trade Centre (ITC) and has contributed to communications initiatives involving migration, displacement, and refugee communities, including work connected to UNHCR. He is also internationally recognised for using poetry and storytelling as tools for social change and development advocacy.

The New York presentation marks a significant milestone for Ecrafti, bringing a framework developed from African field realities into international discussions on development communications, human dignity, and the future of AI-informed storytelling.

As institutions increasingly seek ethical approaches to communication, Ogunaka believes the challenge is no longer simply telling stories about vulnerable populations, but ensuring those stories reflect the full humanity of the people at their centre.

‘How we frame people today may shape how societies and AI understand human dignity tomorrow,’ he concluded.