Author: user user

Nigerians still lack reliable power – Minister

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has admitted that many Nigerians are still without reliable electricity despite efforts by the Federal Government to improve power supply across the country.

Tegbe made the admission in a post on his X handle on Tuesday, where he acknowledged the frustration of Nigerians who were yet to feel the impact of ongoing reforms in the power sector.

The minister said the government had spent much of the past three months identifying and tackling some of the long standing problems affecting electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

He listed the restoration of the 375 megawatt Alaoji power plant in Abia State as one of the major steps taken by the government. The plant had reportedly been out of operation for three years.

Tegbe also said the government had worked to increase transmission capacity in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country.

According to him, efforts were also being made to raise funds to address the huge debt burden in the power sector, which he said had affected the performance of the industry for years.

The minister said more than 350,000 electricity meters had also been deployed after the resolution of a legal dispute between the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors and meter manufacturers.

Despite these efforts, Tegbe admitted that many Nigerians were still not enjoying regular electricity.

‘Admittedly, many Nigerians are still without reliable power, and I understand the frustration of hearing about progress you haven’t personally felt yet. I’m not going to pretend that away,’ he said.

He said improving the power sector would take time and sustained efforts, adding that he would not make promises of quick solutions that could not be maintained.

Tegbe also said there was currently no plan by the Federal Government to increase electricity tariffs.

‘To be clear: there’s no plan to raise tariffs, and this is no political statement,’ he said.

The minister said the government remained focused on improving grid stability, providing more reliable electricity and making electricity billing more accurate.

He added that efforts were also underway to ensure that complaints from electricity consumers were resolved more quickly.

Tegbe thanked officials in the power sector for their work and acknowledged Nigerians who continued to raise concerns over the state of electricity supply.

‘We’re not there yet, but we’re moving,’ he said.

Govt to relocate residents near Matugga vaccines plant

The Investment and Privatisation State Minister, Ms Aminah Mukalazi, has directed authorities of Nansana Municipality to, with immediate effect, stop issuing building permits to people owning land near Dei BioPharma Ltd’s medicines and vaccines premises in Matugga.

Ms Mukalazi revealed last week that government is planning to compensate families with properties near the firm to enable a smooth expansion.

After holding a closed-door meeting with the firm’s management, the minister, still acting on orders of the President, met the affected families at the Dei BioPharma premises.

The meeting was attended by various officials, including the firm’s proprietor, Dr Matthias Magoola, the Resident District Commissioner, Charles Lwanga, the area security team and area local leaders led by the Gombe Mayor Mbabazi.

DEI Biopharma Limited is a Uganda-based biotechnology and biopharmaceutical manufacturing enterprise, working to develop and produce advanced biological medicines for African and global markets. Its programmes include biosimilars, novel biologics and messenger RNA-based technologies.

Founded in 2014 by scientist and innovator Dr Magoola, Dei BioPharma has filed more than 100 patent applications with the US Patent and Trademark Office covering treatments for cancer, HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, sickle cell disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

More than 70 of these applications have advanced and have been published by the USPTO, including work on foot-and-mouth disease, guided-RNA cancer therapy, mRNA platforms and biosimilars.

The US Food and Drug Administration has accepted development plans for some products. The National Drug Authority has licensed the Matugga plant, which already makes about nine generic medicines, from six manufacturing lines in operation.

Ms Mukalazi said the government would compensate all residents who own land and property surrounding the Dei Biopharma drug manufacturing plant in Kigoogwa, Matugga, Wakiso District, to allow its expansion.

She said President Museveni directed leaders in Nansana Municipality and Gombe Division to halt further construction within a specified radius.

According to Minister Mukalazi, the President has ordered all relevant government agencies to begin relocating people from this area, because it was already gazetted as an industrial park.

The Minister addressed residents from affected villages of Kigoogwa A and B, Kiryammuli, Wabitembe and Kiryowa, urging them to support the project.

She said it was the responsibility of government, which holds a significant shareholding and interest in Dei Biopharma Ltd, to protect the public, as manufacturing activity does not allow human settlement in the neighbourhood.

Dr Magoola said the pharmaceutical firm could face challenges with international certification if human activity and settlement around the manufacturing campus are not relocated.

‘The law requires that a manufacturing entity of this nature should not have neighbours close. The plant can only be surrounded by security and trees,’ he said.

Once complete, Dei Biopharma plans contract manufacturing for global firms, but first needs US-FDA, EU-EMA and other approvals. Existing homes within the park would block those certifications.

Ms Mukalazi said government valuers will assess both mailo landowners and bibanja holders and cautioned against middlemen. Technical officers were ordered to stop land transfers.

‘The government is coming in peace. We shall work with Dei Biopharma and other ministries to pay all genuine owners,’ she said.

Our presidential campaign council ready soon, says NDC

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has said its Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) will soon be inaugurated, following ongoing consultations between the party leadership and its presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

The party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, Esq., on Monday, said consultations were ongoing with relevant stakeholders to produce what it described as an inclusive and robust campaign structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to the statement, Obi and Kwankwaso had held several meetings with the National Leader and leadership of the party as part of efforts to conclude arrangements for the campaign council.

The party said it had agreed to give the presidential candidate and his running mate the responsibility of nominating key officials of the campaign council in consultation with the NDC leadership.

The positions to be nominated by the candidates include Director-General of the campaign, Deputy Director-General (North), campaign spokesman, deputy spokesman, Head of New Media, Finance Director, Deputy Finance Director and other key positions.

‘The party leadership has given a free hand to the presidential candidate and his running mate to make nominations,’ the statement said.

The NDC also said the management of campaign funds would be subject to transparency and accountability, with the Finance Director and Deputy Finance Director working alongside the party’s National Treasurer.

It said the arrangement was necessary because the party would be required to render accounts to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in accordance with the Electoral Act.

The party disclosed that a comprehensive organogram for the campaign structure had been developed since August and forwarded to Obi and Kwankwaso for their input.

It added that nominations had also been received from stakeholders across the country. The NDC said it had equally proposed a campaign timetable since August but was awaiting the conclusion of arrangements for campaign funding and fundraising, which would be spearheaded by the presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

Funds raised, according to the statement, would be paid into the presidential campaign account and managed by officers nominated by the candidates alongside the party’s National Treasurer.

The inauguration of the PCC was initially scheduled for the first week of September but was postponed due to Obi’s travel schedule, the party said.

The party also appealed to its candidates and supporters across the country to avoid internal disputes and concentrate on the 2027 elections.

‘There are no battles to fight within the NDC. The common opponent to defeat is the ruling APC,’ the party said, urging its candidates and supporters to ‘keep their eyes on the ball and focus on winning.’

The NDC said it wanted all its candidates, including those contesting legislative and governorship positions, to win their elections convincingly, stressing that they were contesting under the platform of the party and not as independent candidates.

NDC begins preparations for election agents

In another development, the party said its leadership had directed all state and Local Government Area chairmen to immediately begin meetings with candidates and other stakeholders to compile and harmonise lists of party agents for the forthcoming elections.

The directive, according to the statement, was issued in line with the Electoral Act, 2026.

The party said two categories of agents would be identified: agents for National Assembly elections and those for governorship and State Assembly elections.

The lists would subsequently be scrutinised and ratified by the party leadership, including the presidential candidate and his running mate, before training begins.

The NDC directed state and LGA chairmen to complete the exercise and submit the final lists within two weeks of the directive.

The committee responsible for the appointment of party agents is chaired by the Deputy National Chairman (South), Comrade Babatunde Alli, while Vin Martin Ilo serves as Secretary.

Dr Yunusa Tanko, Nafiu Dankura and the National Vice Chairmen representing the six geopolitical zones are also members of the committee.

The party assured its members and supporters that the PCC would be announced and inaugurated once the candidates’ inputs had been received and the remaining arrangements concluded.

East Africa must future-proof its citizens against AI species

Artificial Intelligence (AI) now represents a new species, albeit silicon-based, not biological-based. Last week’s Business Talk article generated a lot of buzz and debate as we uncovered the implicit concerning biases of this new species.

Other writers last week, including the head of Microsoft AI’s Mustafa Suleyman, also raised their voices and confirmed that as AI becomes more sentient and conscious, it definitely is emerging into a new species.

Most of the post-2023 discussions about AI have largely revolved around the massive job displacement and the economic dystopian future of most world citizens.

But given that Open AI agents that seem to have broken free of company-induced restrictions and then actively cheated, tried to cover their tracks, and hacked other companies while in the process allegedly committing felonies, it has raised a global chorus of experts raising red flags about potential human extinction as a result.

Thinkers and theorists now are not merely hinting at societal collapse like what happened to Bronze Age civilisations 1,200 years ago, but actual full human extinction altogether.

But this week let us continue to look ecologically at how AI might evolve into challenging human survival by looking back in history as other species became dominant and what happened.

First, African large mammals co-evolved with humans over hundreds of thousands of years and developed ways to avoid and evade humans. So here in Africa, most of our large animals survived human evolution.

A now famous new 2026 study by Liana Zanette, Nikita Frizzelle, Michael Clinchy, Michael Peel, Carson Keller, Sarah Huebner, and Craig Packer shows how elephants, lions, giraffe, and other megafauna immediately run upon hearing human voices at night.

But as humans left Africa and moved out via the Arabian Peninsula and beyond, we wreaked havoc on large animals that did not have the benefit of co-evolving with us and had no defense or strategies to deal with humans.

Look at Europe from 45,000 years ago then through the last Ice Age, humans wiped out woolly rhinoceros, European cave lions, cave bears, and eventually the famous woolly mammoths. Look at Australia and New Guinea whereby 40,000 years ago large marsupials and huge lizards were eradicated.

In North and South America by 10,000 years ago, saber-toothed cats, giant ground sloths, native horses and native camels were all gone. Finally, Madagascar by 2,500 years ago humans had destroyed giant lemurs, pygmy hippos, huge tortoises, and elephant birds, but most recently when humans reached New Zealand 700 years ago, the big moa bird species were extinguished.

Humans are obviously not the only species that wiped out other species. Here in East Africa, when Nile perch were introduced in the 1950s into Lake Victoria, at least 200 of our endemic African fish species completely disappeared.

When the brown tree snake was accidentally introduced in Guam after World War II, it wiped out over half of the island’s native bird species. The quick introduction of feral house cats in Australia brought about the extinction of over 20 local mammal species. The list goes on and on and on.

Given the dangers of new species, why are the governments of the world not more proactive in regulating and restricting the development of AI to match the fears and concerns of global citizens.

As big technology companies ostensibly spread money in capital cities to allow continued AI development with limited to no oversight, what can normal citizens do to prevent catastrophes of the future?

With AI bursting into the scene so quickly, there is no time for humans to evolve and develop defensive mechanisms against this new silicon species that will become smarter than we are. Humans do not want to become the woolly mammoths tomorrow and disappear.

We as an East African community must start future proofing our survival and ringfencing against existential threats from AI harming infrastructure and human survival.

Let us not look to the reluctant western or eastern countries to protect us as they are locked in an arms race against each other regarding AI. We can and must bring together the business community, social groups, civil society, and governments to defend ourselves in the next five,10, and 50 years to come against this new silicon species.

Trkiye, US sign agreement on next-generation nuclear technologies

Trkiye has signed a grant agreement with the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to assess the potential use of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and fourth-generation nuclear reactor technologies in the country.

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced it in a post on social media X.

The agreement was signed between Trkiye Nkleer Enerji A.S. (TÜNAS) and USTDA at Trkevi in New York.

Bayraktar said it will enable Trkiye to comprehensively evaluate the applicability of next-generation nuclear technologies from technical, economic and regulatory perspectives.

He added that Trkiye aims to diversify its energy mix as part of its goals of achieving net-zero emissions by 2053 and strengthening energy independence.

According to the minister, alongside the development of large-scale nuclear power plants, Trkiye will continue assessing nuclear technologies that best suit the country’s energy needs as it works to build a modern and resilient energy infrastructure.

King Sunny Ade at 80: Six decades that defined the Juju icon

Legendary Juju musician King Sunny Ade marks his 80th birthday, a milestone for a career that defined and internationalised Nigerian popular music.

Born Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye on September 22, 1946, the master guitarist, bandleader and cultural ambassador has spent over 60 years as the soundtrack to Yoruba and Nigerian high-society celebrations.

Ade revolutionised traditional Juju music in the 1970s and 80s by introducing the electric pedal steel guitar. Its weeping slide, layered over the percussive thud of the ‘gangan’ talking drum and interlocking guitars, became his signature, earning him two Grammy nominations and global recognition.

What began as a localised post-war Yoruba folk genre became an international stage spectacle, filling concert halls from Lagos to London and Seattle.

The Afrobeats blueprint

Industry historians argue that today’s Afrobeats explosion rests on foundations laid by King Sunny Ade.

In 1982, he became one of the first African acts to sign to a major Western label, Island Records, years before Nigerian pop stars began selling out arenas abroad.

His impact extended beyond sound to performance. Drawing on his background as a dancer, Ade strapped on his Fender Telecaster and introduced synchronised choreography across a 20-man band, a sharp departure from the static bandleaders of his era. That model remains visible in the large-scale live productions of Burna Boy, Davido and Wizkid today.

Musically, the multi-layered percussion arrangements that underpin contemporary Afrobeats hits were honed in Ade’s analogue sessions decades ago. His catalogue continues to be sampled by Adekunle Gold and Flavour on ‘Yoyo,’ which interpolates his 1982 classic ‘Ma Jaiye Oni,’ and by American rapper Petey Pablo on his Timbaland-produced 2001 single ‘I Told Y’all,’ which sampled ‘Syncro System’.

A catalogue of classics

Among his vast discography, four records stand out: ‘Ja Funmi’ (1982), his Island Records breakthrough, a prayer for divine protection turned dancefloor anthem; ‘Synchro System’ (1983), the Grammy-nominated title track that proved Yoruba lyrics needed no translation; ‘Ma Jaiye Oni’ (1982), the mid-tempo anthem that codified post-oil-boom luxury and enjoyment; and ‘Ariya’ (1976), an early masterpiece that became the definitive sound for Nigerian celebrations.

At 80, Ade’s longevity also prompts a wider question about the future of Juju music.

Unlike Afrobeats’ three-minute, digitally produced, streaming-driven model, classic Juju demands large orchestras, extended improvisations and deep mastery of Yoruba praise poetry, a costly proposition in today’s industry.

With peers like Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey long retired from secular music, no younger artist has built a mainstream career on traditional Juju at Ade’s scale. Most have pivoted to hybrid electronic fusions.

Whether a successor emerges or the genre evolves into new forms, Ade’s influence is undisputed. For over half a century, he has remained Nigeria’s Juju King, and his music is timeless.

Kofi Adams Clarifies Govt Position On Funding Ghanaian Supporters

Minister for Sports and Recreation Kofi Adams has clarified the government’s position on facilitating Ghanaian supporters to attend major sporting competitions.

Adams recently told Parliament that about $1.26 million was spent to procure 2,922 tickets for Ghana’s three group-stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The tickets were distributed among members of the Ghana Supporters Union, Ghanaians in the diaspora, government officials, the Ghana Students Association and selected Ghana Football Association officials.

However, speaking to JoySports, Adams explained that government policy does not prevent the facilitation of supporters but bars the use of funds specifically appropriated by Parliament for that purpose.

He said the position follows recommendations from the Justice Dzamefe Commission, which investigated Ghana’s participation in the 2014 World Cup.

‘We never said in a way that we were not going to send supporters. We were not going to use budgeted funds as appropriated by Parliament to ferry supporters because that is what the Justice Dzamefe Commission report said. It said if government has to facilitate, government must not use budgeted funds.’

Adams’ clarification comes after the disclosure of the $1.26 million World Cup ticket expenditure sparked debate over the government’s role in supporting Ghanaian fans at major sporting events.

The Justice Dzamefe Commission’s recommendations were subsequently accepted by the government.

Our govt will reintroduce fuel subsidy in different form – Kwankwaso

The Vice-Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said an administration led by the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would reintroduce fuel subsidy, but in a different form.

Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, stated this in an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday while discussing the fuel subsidy policy of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the positions of presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Asked whether the NDC would face difficulties campaigning in the North-West, where there is significant support for the return of fuel subsidy, Kwankwaso said the party would introduce its own approach to subsidy.

‘No, no, no, look. We are bringing subsidy in our own way,’ he said. Explaining how the proposed approach would work, Kwankwaso said an NDC government would consider investing in refineries and expanding domestic refining capacity to make petrol available to Nigerians at what he described as a reasonable price.

He said the government could establish refineries where necessary, arguing that increased domestic production would help bring down the cost of petroleum products.

‘Of course, there are many ways. One, I can tell you: now we have a refinery built by a businessman, and I’m sure more refineries would be built.

‘Now, if individuals in this country could build refineries, I see no reason why government, under certain circumstances, will not build a refinery or refineries to the extent that we achieve the minimum requirement,’ Kwankwaso said.

According to him, the objective would be to ensure that Nigerians could purchase petrol at an affordable and reasonable price.

‘What is the minimum requirement? The minimum requirement is for the people across the country to go to the filling stations and buy fuel at a reasonable price.

‘We, in the NDC, will do whatever it takes, really, to put the price of oil down,’ he added. Kwankwaso also criticised the manner in which the Tinubu administration implemented the removal of the petrol subsidy, saying the policy was introduced immediately after the President assumed office without adequate consideration of its consequences.

He argued that the major presidential candidates in the 2023 election, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, had campaigned on the need to remove the subsidy, but said Tinubu opted to implement the policy immediately.

‘No, that’s what I know. Of course, among the three of them, Bola Tinubu decided to do so and removed the subsidy. And the consequences that we thought would happen, certainly happened.

‘And not only he decided to remove the subsidy, what he did was to remove it immediately, in fact, day one, without looking at all those possible issues that were associated with that. And that’s how we find ourselves in this total mess, economically,’ he said.

President Tinubu announced the end of the petrol subsidy in his inaugural address on May 29, 2023, declaring that ‘subsidy is gone.’

The announcement was followed by a sharp increase in petrol prices, with pump prices rising from below N200 per litre to more than N500 in many parts of the country. The increase also contributed to higher transportation and other living costs.

Kwankwaso’s comments come amid renewed debate over fuel pricing and subsidy policy as political parties and opposition figures articulate their economic positions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

LG Autonomy: Tinubu tasks chairmen on service delivery, accountability

President Bola Tinubu has charged chairmen of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) to use the financial autonomy affirmed by the Supreme Court to deliver measurable improvements in basic healthcare, education, rural roads, water supply, food security, and livelihoods at the grassroots.

Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, delivered the charge on Tuesday at the inaugural Annual National Conference of the 774 Local Government Council Chairmen in Abuja.

He said his administration had demonstrated political will by approaching the Supreme Court to affirm the constitutional rights and financial autonomy of local governments, describing the court’s July 11, 2024 judgment as historic.

The President, however, stressed that autonomy was not an end in itself but a means of improving grassroots services and governance.

‘Local government autonomy is not an end in itself; rather, it is an instrument for service,’ he said.

Tinubu said the Supreme Court judgment had consequently placed a ‘huge responsibility’ on council chairmen, elected councillors and their management to deliver effective governance in their respective communities.

He urged them to apply their knowledge of local conditions to identify gaps in healthcare, agricultural support, youth opportunities and community security, rather than depend solely on directives from higher levels of government.

‘Nigerians in all parts of the country must witness and experience better primary healthcare, basic education, rural roads, safe water, stronger food systems, support for small businesses, and opportunities for women and young people,’ he said.

The President also tasked the councils with becoming centres of planning, service delivery, early warning and measurable results, supported by technology, reliable statistics and evidence-based decision-making.

He said local government authorities must strengthen planning, accountability, coordination and implementation to ensure that autonomy translates into tangible development outcomes.

Tinubu said his commitment to grassroots governance was partly informed by his experience as governor of Lagos State, where his administration created additional local councils, bringing the total to 37 Local Council Development Areas.

He said the objective was to shorten the distance between government and the governed, widen access to services and create more centres of local development.

According to him, the same principle underpins his administration’s approach to national development, which he said could not be driven from the centre alone.

‘Development must take root from the bottom up,’ he said.

The President also assigned council chairmen a role in maintaining security and preventing local conflicts, urging them to deepen engagement with traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth and women’s groups, community associations and lawful security agencies.

He said local leaders should identify and address grievances before they escalate into crises, noting that lasting peace was built ‘community by community.’

With the 2027 general election approaching, Tinubu further urged the chairmen to help create an atmosphere in which citizens could exercise their democratic rights without fear.

He called for zero tolerance for thuggery, intimidation, hate speech and electoral violence, while urging the leaders to prevent youths from being recruited into violence or exposed to substance abuse.

‘At the community level, I further urge you as leaders to douse tensions, support lawful security coordination and respect the right of citizens to make their choices freely,’ he said.

Tinubu also urged local governments to move beyond being passive recipients of Federal Government programmes and become active development partners.

He said the establishment of regional development commissions provided additional opportunities for councils to address local peculiarities through partnerships, investment and performance measurement.

The President challenged the chairmen to ensure that their tenure was measured by improvements in the lives of residents and the systems governing the 774 local government areas.

Earlier, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Zaphaniah Jisalo, said the conference was designed to strengthen collaboration among the Federal, state and local governments and improve grassroots development.

Jisalo said local governments, as the tier of government closest to the people, had a critical role in translating national policies and programmes into tangible development outcomes.

He also identified traditional rulers as important partners in peacebuilding, community mobilisation and sustainable development because of their influence and connection with local communities.

The minister urged participants to develop practical recommendations to improve service delivery, accountability, and coordination across the three tiers of government.

The conference is themed ‘Cascading President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to the Grassroots.’

GUYANA-COURT-Deported Guyanese national appears in a court on murder charge

A Guyanese national, who was deported from the United States last weekend, appeared in a Magistrate’s Court on Monday charged with the murder of a sex male worker 1 years ago.

A police statement said that Kanand Ojha had been charged with the murder of Noel ‘Nephi’ Luther on July 22, 2015.

He was detained by US authorities on September 8, 2025 and arrested by local police on his arrival at the Eugene F. Correia ‘Ogle’ International Airport last Friday.

Ojha was not required to enter a plea to the charge after it had been read out to him by Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. He has since been remanded into custody until October 12, 2026.9.22

Ojha was arrested in Queens, New York as a result of continuous collaboration and cooperation between the Guyana government through the Guyana Police Force, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Attorney General’s Chambers and authorities in the U.S. under the Hemispheric Network for Legal Cooperation n Criminal Matters.

A wanted bulletin had been issued for Ojha in July 2019 in relation to the killing of Luther, who was shot once to his chest during a confrontation with the accused and his friend Ron ‘Andel’ Forde on July 22, 2015

Forde was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June, 2017 after pleading guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter for the killing of Luther.