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Why Nairobi is an ideal hub for setting up these wealth preserving institutions

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in July revealed that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Kenya hit Sh413 billion in 2025, more than doubling figures recorded three years ago.

According to the report, the rise is partly attributed to both external factors, such as investors seeking new frontiers amid growing geopolitical tensions in other economies, as well as internal factors, such as wide-ranging reforms Kenya has instituted in its capital and money markets.

While the growth has been commendable, Kenya still lags countries like Egypt and South Africa, and the emergence of other economic powerhouses including Ethiopia and Rwanda has raised the competitive stakes.

This has prompted the exploration of other avenues to channel new investment into the country, and one of these emerging options for Kenya is family offices, favoured by high net worth individuals (HNWI) to professionalise the management of their estates.

Family offices are private wealth management advisory firms that serve ultra-HNWIs.

Family offices offer a wider range of financial services than most wealth management shops. For example, in addition to investment planning and management, many family offices manage their clients’ budgets, insurance, charitable giving, wealth transfer planning, tax services, and more.

The private family offices have grown in popularity among HNWIs looking to diversify their investment income, formalise the running of their family businesses, and manage and safeguard their financial legacies.

A report by UBS Global Wealth Management released in June this year, looking at 307 family offices with an average net worth of $2.7 billion, found that family offices continue to diversify across assets, currencies and regions.

Currently, North American assets and developed markets remain the backbone of most portfolios, with UBS indicating just a fraction (1 percent) of regional asset allocation by HNWIs is directed at Africa. This presents an opportunity for Kenya to position itself as a preferred destination for wealthy families to set up shop.

In the first place, the traditional perception of family offices serving as avenues to protect wealthy oligarchs who park assets in offshore accounts and low-tax jurisdictions is changing.

Family offices today are becoming more professional and diversified in their portfolios as more and younger individuals enter the HNWI bracket.

The institutions today are characterised by higher levels of external expertise as opposed to close relatives and a family lawyer making all the decisions. In addition, increased connectedness in the global economy facilitated by technology has presented new avenues and asset classes available to portfolio managers.

This is where Kenya comes into the picture. Kenya’s economy is much more diversified and connected to the global economy. Recent reforms in corporate governance, legal practice, investor protection fiscal policy also make Nairobi an ideal hub for setting up family offices.

Gleaning insights from protracted legal wrangles over the estates of deceased patriarchs, more business leaders today are actively developing and reviewing their succession plans to future-proof their legacies.

Family disputes, including divorce, lack of succession planning, or the sidelining of younger heirs from key decisions have been identified as some of the leading threats facing these institutions. Private family offices serve to professionally navigate the challenges outlined above, and for many HNWIs, they serve a crucial function in safeguarding their investment priorities despite economic headwinds.

Why UK removed Nigeria-trained teachers from QTS application

The United Kingdom (UK) recently excluded Nigeria, Ghana and India from the list of countries whose teachers are eligible to use its direct application service for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) to strengthen their prospects for teaching jobs in the UK.

The change followed difficulties verifying applicants’ work history, as more than 70 percent of applications from teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana use public-domain email addresses such as Gmail and Hotmail for references, according to the UK’s Department for Education (DfE).

QTS is the professional status required to teach in many schools in England and is preferred by most schools when recruiting teachers. For this reason, the government said it must be confident that information provided by overseas-trained teachers is genuine, as QTS is intended to ensure that teachers entering England’s schools have the necessary skills and experience.

India was excluded for a different reason, as the UK government said the country does not have a national regulator capable of confirming teachers’ professional standing, one of the conditions now required for countries to remain eligible for the QTS application service.

According to the DfE, the use of public email addresses creates additional verification work for assessors. Its publication states: ‘Our data shows that more than 70 percent of applications from teachers in Ghana and Nigeria include work history references that use public email addresses, such as Gmail or Hotmail, rather than a school’s official email domain. This means assessors spend additional time and resources trying to verify information provided in applications.’

The exclusion does not affect teachers trained in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, Switzerland, Ukraine, Hong Kong and countries in the European Economic Area. Teachers trained in Jamaica, Singapore and South Africa can also apply if they are working in a valid teaching role in England and meet the other requirements.

What QTS means for overseas teachers

QTS does not guarantee a teaching job or give an overseas-trained teacher the right to work in England. Applicants must still secure employment separately and have the appropriate visa or immigration status to work in the country.

For teachers who remain eligible, QTS applications are assessed against mandatory requirements covering academic qualifications, professional recognition and teaching experience.

Applicants must generally hold a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a UK undergraduate degree, have full professional status to teach in the country where they trained, meet the mandatory training and induction requirements of that country and have no conditions or restrictions on their teaching practice.

They must also be qualified to teach children aged five to 16 and have completed teacher training that meets prescribed standards, including the equivalent of at least one year of full-time English initial teacher training.

Applicants must demonstrate at least the equivalent of one school year of teaching experience after obtaining their teaching qualification.

That experience must have been gained in mainstream compulsory education and involve unsupervised teaching of primary or secondary pupils. Teachers must have been responsible for planning, preparing and delivering lessons, as well as assessing and reporting on pupils’ progress.

The UK government will contact applicants’ references to verify their work history, making the quality and verifiability of professional references an important part of the application process.

Other routes remain open

For Nigeria-trained teachers who can no longer use the QTS application service, the change does not mean that all routes into teaching in England are closed.

Affected teachers may still qualify through assessment-only while those who need further training can undertake an approved teacher-training programme in England. Teachers living outside the UK can also pursue International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS), which allows them to train in their country of residence and leads to English QTS upon successful completion.

In addition, qualified overseas teachers may be able to teach in England for up to four years provided they meet the conditions of the four-year exemption and secure the necessary employment and immigration status. QTS is also not required for every teaching role, with some independent schools, academies, further education and early-years schools are able to employ teachers without the status.

Teachers who hold Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) and are members of the Society for Education and Training can also work as qualified teachers in schools in England, subject to the requirements of the individual school or local authority.

The September 2026 change therefore restricts the direct QTS application route for Nigerian-trained teachers but does not eliminate all pathways into teaching in England.

SOCAR enters Africa continent with Baleine stake in Côte d’Ivoire

Azerbaijan’s state oil company, SOCAR, has moved into Africa’s offshore energy scene by picking up a stake in an oil and gas field off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire. The company has finished acquiring a 10% ownership interest in the Baleine oil and gas field development project in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, after securing all the required approvals and meeting the necessary conditions.

SOCAR put it this way: “Our participation in Baleine, one of the largest oil and gas discoveries made in West Africa in recent years, marks an important step in our long-term strategy to diversify our investment portfolio and expand the geographical reach of our international operations.”

Baleine, operated by Italy’s Eni, was discovered in 2021 and began production in 2023. Its operator describes it as Africa’s first net-zero emissions offshore oil and gas project. Now that the deal has closed, the ownership stands as follows: Eni holds 37.25%, Vitol 30%, Petroci 22.75%, and SOCAR 10%.

Buying into Baleine lets SOCAR enter the oil and gas exploration and production market in Africa, and it lines up with the company’s long-term plan to grow its international activity in that sector. The acquisition also marks SOCAR’s entry into Africa’s upstream sector and points to the company’s long-term strategy of widening its global upstream footprint. That same intent showed recently when it increased its stake in a Caspian Sea oilfield by buying out Itochu Corporation’s participating interest, as the Japanese trading and investment group exited the project.

Behind that small share sits a much bigger process: SOCAR is stretching the geography of its international assets beyond the Caspian region and building a portfolio where projects with already-proven reserves and active production can play a growing role. The deal with Italy’s Eni is especially telling because SOCAR isn’t buying into an exploration play with uncertain prospects – it’s stepping into an asset that already works and can be scaled up.

Before this, SOCAR’s expansion abroad mostly developed around the Caspian region, Trkiye, the South Caucasus, Europe, and the Eastern Mediterranean. Baleine in West Africa adds a completely new direction to that map. That’s why the deal is worth looking at not only through the volume of future production, but also through the question of what the next geography of SOCAR’s international business might be.

And Baleine isn’t only an oil project. The gas side carries particular weight for Côte d’Ivoire itself, since a significant share of the gas is meant for the country’s domestic market and its power sector. The oil, by contrast, is aimed mainly at export. As a result, the field creates an export stream and strengthens the state’s domestic energy base at the same time.

For SOCAR, that also means taking part in a project that matters not just for the partners’ revenues but for the host country’s energy strategy. Assets like these can be especially interesting for an international oil and gas company, because they build a more durable link between the investor, the operator, and the state. If SOCAR’s later investment decisions confirm its interest in the region, Baleine could turn out to be not the end point, but the first foothold.

Earlier, Togrul Kocharli, head of the international business development department at SOCAR Trading, said at a business forum during the 28th annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) in Baku that SOCAR Trading is currently studying opportunities to enter the markets of Africa and Southeast Asia.

“We are looking closely at Africa, at Southeast Asia – at countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, India. These are huge markets that are a little further from us, but they nevertheless represent an interesting opportunity,” the SOCAR Trading representative said.

Strategically, SOCAR’s involvement in African projects gives Azerbaijan another lever in its energy diplomacy. By setting foot on the continent, the company gets closer to the players that actually matter there, helps tie African oil and gas into the wider supply chains that feed global markets, and opens up room for joint bets on cleaner energy down the line. For Europe, it means an extra source of oil and gas with a minimal carbon footprint, which improves the continent’s energy security at a time when world markets are unsteady.

The retail side of the story deserves just as much attention. Right now the SOCAR network runs 564 stations across Austria, Switzerland, Ukraine, Georgia, Romania, and Trkiye. Moves like these grow the Azerbaijani company’s weight on international markets, raise brand recognition, and build infrastructure bridges for energy integration between regions. In a nutshell, the company shows that it can combine global ambition, innovation, and sustainable development by shaping Azerbaijan’s energy brand on the world stage and laying the groundwork for a safer, more sustainable future in global energy.

Azerbaijan postpones Armenia meeting citing recent tensions

Azerbaijan has postponed meetings between Armenian and Azerbaijani experts that were scheduled to take place in Armenia as part of the “Bridge of Peace” initiative, Azerbaijani sources reported.

This decision was due to the recent escalation of anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric in Armenian society.

An information campaign targeting Azerbaijan has intensified in recent days, involving foreign lobbying and expert circles.

According to the information, Baku believes that territorial claims against Azerbaijan and attempts to interfere in matters related to its sovereignty have received significant support from Armenian state institutions.

Against this backdrop, the Azerbaijani side considered holding another meeting in Armenia inappropriate and decided to postpone it.

Fraud-linked QVSE owner returns with new scheme

The person behind the QVSE investment scheme, which has been cited in court for fraud, is recruiting Kenyans on a new platform, soliciting deposits to purportedly unlock money frozen in the previous scheme.

Carl Grindan, popularly known as ‘Prof Carl’, is asking investors to deposit $400 (Sh51,800) into a new investment scheme called Apollo, with the promise that it will allow investors access to funds estimated to be close to Sh1 billion locked in QVSE accounts.

Grindan has given the over 12,000 Kenyan investors up to September 25 to deposit the Sh51,800 or lose the cash locked in QVSE accounts, according to notices sent to them through the secretive text message app, BonChat, seen by the Business Daily.

This emerged on a day when two local agents of the QVSE investment scheme were charged with fraudulently inducing trading in securities and operating an investment scheme without a licence from the Capital Markets Authority (CMA).

‘Ruth Mueni Kimeu and Mary Katuma Mwangangi, on diverse dates between 15th January 2026 and 17th September 2026 at an unknown place within the Republic of Kenya, jointly with others not before court, fraudulently induced members of the public to subscribe for and trade in securities through QVSE/GIG by publishing statements and making promises which were deceptive,’ reads the duo’s charge sheet at a Nairobi court.

Ms Kimeu, an employee of Machakos County, and Ms Mwangangi, a primary school teacher, denied two counts of collecting investments and fraudulently inducing investment in securities.

Prosecutors allege that they got Kenyans to trade in securities through QVSE by publishing deceptive statements and making false promises.

But as the CMA and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) continued to probe QVSE and its parent firm Global Investment Group (GIG), associated with American Marc Hudon, the person behind the illegal investment scheme opened a new firm and continued business as usual.

Grindan has created Apollo Exchange and has promised investors it will transfer their frozen funds from QVSE to the new entity upon payment of the Sh51,800.

He reckons investors will withdraw both their transferred QVSE balances and the new deposit from September 25 in a scheme that promised investors a daily return of $12 (Sh1,554).

‘This is equivalent to us opening up a brand-new safe withdrawal channel for everyone on the new platform, bypassing the old channel to safely redeem the money that rightfully belongs to you,’ Grindan said in a message to investors seen by the Business Daily.

‘The principal and earnings in every member’s account exist in the backend.’

Since January, QVSE has attracted thousands of Kenyans, including teachers, small-scale traders, professionals and boda boda operators, with promises of large returns from trading in US stocks, like Apple, Nvidia and Tesla.

The model relied on copy trading, where a signal provider like Grindan alerts investors to start trading using their digital capital, which is apportioned to mirror the preferred trades of QVSE.

The investors’ cash is stored in stablecoins, and they are expected to cash out via trading the cryptos on Binance.

Investors were required to deposit $500 (Sh65,000) or $1,000 (Sh130,000) to their QVSE accounts, and Grindan sent trading signals through BonChat, which listed 12,005 investors.

Kenyans who deposited $500 got $6 (Sh777) per trade, while a $1,000 account earned $12 (Sh1,554) per trade. Grindan sent signals twice daily, allowing investors to double their returns.

On September 5, Grindan froze the QVSE accounts, accusing some members of creating multiple accounts to increase their trading limits.

He then asked investors to make additional deposits equal to their initial principal – Sh65,000 or Sh129,000 – for their accounts to be activated, a promise that turned out to be false.

A week later, on September 12, the CMA listed both QVSE and GIG among 15 entities the regulator said were operating illegally in Kenya and lacked permits to support their businesses.

‘These entities are the subject of active investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in collaboration with the Capital Markets Authority and other law enforcement agencies,’ the CMA said.

‘The Authority strongly cautions the public against dealing with entities and persons disguising their fraudulent activities as investment opportunities.’

But Grindan dismissed the regulator’s warning and told investors to put more money on the platform, claiming that the CMA’s notice lacked substance.

‘The content is merely performative and lacks real substance; it is simply a way for them to signal to the public that they are taking action, rather than being based on anything tangible,’ read a message sent on BonChat.

Apollo is the latest investment platform Grindan is running under GIG after the QVSE landed in trouble and an earlier scheme known as PCEX, which the CMA said operated in Kenya illegally.

PCEX used a similar copy-trading model, and investors deposited $500.

The scheme encouraged members to recruit more people by awarding them bonus signal transactions to boost their account holdings

PCEX initially announced a temporary closure on April 16, 2025, citing internal issues and pending regulatory processes. Grindan told investors they could not withdraw their cash until January 2026, when it would complete a ‘review of all funds’.

However, the company did not reopen, and it is unclear how much money Kenyans lost.

Grindan has used a photograph of a white, middle-aged Caucasian man in a dark grey plaid blazer and white Oxford shirt.

The Business Daily has since conducted a reverse search of the photograph, which showed it was first uploaded on the internet in September 2021 under a Norway-based photographer’s portfolio alongside five other shots.

A similar picture apparently from the same shoot is currently the LinkedIn profile picture of a business executive at a major Norwegian automotive group.

Regulatory filings show GIG was incorporated in Colorado, United States, in June 2025. Its registered agent was listed as Marc Hudon, and the company has not made any filings since.

CBN slashes rate in record cut as benchmark catches up with market

Nigeria’s central bank surprisingly delivered its biggest single interest-rate cut on record, slashing the benchmark by 350 basis points to 23 percent as money-market rates had already fallen well below the previous policy rate.

The decision follows a three-month continuous cooling of inflation to 15.39 percent in August, down from 15.43 percent the previous month. And a subsequent decline in food prices to 19.57 percent, the first slowdown in about six months.

The move by Governor Olayemi Cardoso and the Monetary Policy Committee on Tuesday marks a sharp recalibration of the CBN’s policy framework, bringing the Monetary Policy Rate closer to prevailing Treasury bill, OMO and interbank rates rather than signalling a broad shift toward cheap money.

The MPC also narrowed its asymmetric corridor to plus 50 basis points and minus 300 basis points, while cutting the Standing Deposit Facility to 20 percent and the Standing Lending Facility to 23.5 percent.

Analysts said the MPR ‘reset’ reflects the significant disconnect that had emerged between the 26.5 percent benchmark rate and prevailing market rates, particularly Treasury bills and Open Market Operations (OMO) yields, which had already traded below 20 percent.

Razia Khan, managing director and chief economist, Africa and Middle East Global Research at Standard Chartered Bank, said the 350-basis-point cut came as a surprise, although the changes to the corridor blunt its overall impact.

‘Against expectations, the Central Bank of Nigeria cut its policy rate by 350bps, to 23.0 percent, from 26.5 percent. Changes were also made to the asymmetric corridor around the policy rate, to +50bps/-300 bps, from a previous +50bps/-450bps,’ Khan said.

She noted that the new SLF rate is now 23.5 percent, compared with 27 percent previously, while the theoretical floor on interest rates, represented by the SDF, has fallen to 20 percent from 22 percent.

Khan said the CBN, while highlighting the downtrend in inflation as a consequence of earlier monetary tightening, was presenting the decision less as conventional monetary easing and more as a recalibration aimed at strengthening the transmission mechanism.

‘Policy will remain ‘restrictive’ going forward, and geopolitical risks could slow the ‘normalisation’ of policy,’ she said.

According to her, OMO yields were already around the level implied by the new floor on rates and had since moved lower, although modestly.

She added that some commentators had linked the move to the new memorandum of understanding establishing cooperation between the fiscal and monetary authorities, arguing that it could boost demand for longer-duration securities and ultimately lower Nigeria’s debt-service costs.

Others, she said, had raised concerns over Nigeria’s reliance on portfolio inflows and whether the CBN could ease meaningfully when the United States Federal Reserve is expected to tighten.

Khan said she believes the CBN can ease despite these external considerations, although petroleum product prices could put pressure on inflation beyond the harvest months.

She said there remains scope for further monetary easing next year after the elections.

Ayodele Ebo, chief executive officer of MDU Capital, said the governor’s description of the decision as a ‘recalibration’ suggests that the CBN is bringing the MPR closer to prevailing money-market and fixed-income rates.

He said the MPR had previously been significantly above market rates, creating a disconnect and reducing its effectiveness as a policy signal.

‘The immediate impact on fixed-income yields may be limited because market rates had already adjusted, but the decision should support lower borrowing costs over time and improve sentiment in the equities market,’ Ebo said.

He added that the adjustment was positive for the market but did not signal a return to cheap money.

Adebowale Funmi, head of Research at Parthian Securities, said the CBN governor’s description of the decision as a recalibration rather than conventional easing reflected the significant disconnect between the 26.5 percent MPR and prevailing market rates.

‘The CBN governor’s description of the decision as a recalibration, rather than conventional easing, reflects the significant disconnect between the 26.5 percent MPR and prevailing market rates, with Treasury bills and OMO yields trading below 20 percent,’ Funmi said.

She said the adjustment was therefore aimed at bringing the policy rate closer to actual market conditions and improving the transmission of monetary policy to the broader economy.

‘For the market, the recalibration should strengthen the signalling role of the MPR and provide greater alignment between the policy rate and funding conditions. It could also support credit growth and economic activity at the margin,’ she said.

However, Funmi said the adjustment should not be interpreted as the beginning of an aggressive easing cycle, as the CBN is likely to remain guided by the inflation trajectory, liquidity conditions and the extent to which market rates respond to the adjustment.

Ayodele Akinwunmi, chief economist at United Capital Plc, said the CBN was seeking to align the MPR with interbank rates and other market rates.

‘What the CBN governor is trying to communicate is that the decision to reduce the MPR to 23 percent with the asymmetric corridor of +0.5%/-3.0 percent around the MPR is to align the MPR to where the interbank rates and other market rates are,’ Akinwunmi said.

He, however, noted that the adjustment still represented a form of policy easing because banks would now place excess funds with the CBN at 20 percent, compared with 22 percent previously, while borrowing from the central bank as lender of last resort would cost 23.5 percent, compared with 27 percent previously.

The CBN retained the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 45 percent for Deposit Money Banks, 16 percent for Merchant Banks and 75 percent on non-Treasury Single Account public-sector deposits.

The unchanged reserve requirements indicate that while the CBN has adjusted the price of money and narrowed the policy corridor, it has not simultaneously relaxed the existing liquidity controls on banks.

Ubah Jeremiah, chief investment officer of VNL Capital Asset Management, described the 350-basis-point reduction as a significant surprise, saying the scale of the move indicated that the CBN was responding to changes in inflation, naira stability and external reserves.

He said the stronger naira and healthier external reserves had provided the CBN with room to reduce the cost of credit without necessarily loosening liquidity conditions indiscriminately.

For the real economy, Jeremiah said a lower MPR should begin to filter through to lending rates, potentially reducing working-capital costs, improving access to consumer credit and easing debt-servicing costs.

He said the magnitude of the reduction suggested that the CBN was seeking to move the benchmark rate closer to the prevailing economic and market conditions rather than adjusting it incrementally.

The next MPC meeting is scheduled for November 24, 2026.

Mbappe confident of Ballon d’Or chance after record World Cup

Kylian Mbappe believes his individual performances have strengthened his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or after finishing as the top scorer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and setting a new tournament scoring record.

The France captain scored 10 goals at the World Cup and also finished as the leading scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League last season, despite ending the campaign without a major trophy with France or Real Madrid.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place in London on October 26.

Mbappe backs individual record

Mbappe said individual performances should carry significant weight in determining the winner of the prestigious individual award.

‘They won’t announce a team in the envelope; they will announce a player,’ Mbappe told RFI radio.

‘The ability to perform individually and produce eye-catching moments, that’s what stands out to people for an award like this.

‘I was top scorer in all the biggest competitions, and I think that this could be a good year for me, and I really feel it.’

The 27-year-old Real Madrid forward scored 25 La Liga goals last season and added 15 in the Champions League before scoring 10 at the World Cup.

His World Cup tally took his career total in the competition to 22 goals, making him the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.

Mbappé faces strong competition

Mbappé’s individual numbers come despite a trophyless campaign.

France were eliminated in the World Cup semi-finals, while Real Madrid finished second in La Liga and were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.

He faces competition from several players who combined individual performances with major team success in 2026.

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres won La Liga and the World Cup, while Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia won Ligue 1 and the Champions League.

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane also enjoyed a successful campaign after helping the German club win the Bundesliga.

The Ballon d’Or winner will be announced in London on October 26, with Mbappé’s individual scoring record set to form a central part of his case.

2027 elections: NOA reaffirms commitment to peace-building

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has reaffirmed its commitment to peacebuilding using the Structures Platforms Strategies and Coordination (SPSC) Framework of the Director-General, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu.

The assertion was made by the Ag Director of the Bauchi State office of NOA, Adamu Umar Sarkinyara, as Guest of Honour and newly invested Ambassador of Peace, at the 2026 International Day of Peace celebration at MHWUN Conference Hall, Federal Secretariat, Bauchi, organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Bauchi State Directorate, in collaboration with Universal Peace Solutions and Ambassadors of Peace.

He also stressed that there is a renewed commitment to sustainable peace before, during and after the 2027 general elections.

He outlined NOA Bauchi’s three-phase strategy, stating that for pre-election campaigns, NOA Bauchi, through its Community Orientation and Mobilisation Officers (COMOs) across the 20 LGAs and its 10 departments, will intensify sensitisation on Continuous Voter Registration and PVC collection and campaign against Sara-Suka thuggery, drug abuse, hate speech, fake news and vote buying.

It will also engage traditional rulers, religious leaders, Miyetti Allah, market associations and motor parks to preach peace, as well as the promotion of the Nigerian Identity Project and National Values Charter.

During election, the COMOs will be deployed to polling units and collation centres as peace monitors and voter educators to preach calm, obedience to INEC and security agencies, and acceptance of election outcomes.

He assured that NOA will partner with BRC, Globe FM, NTA Bauchi and social media influencers to counter fake news in real time under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

On post-election, he assured that NOA Bauchi, COMOs and critical stakeholders will immediately commence peacebuilding and reconciliation in communities affected by electoral divisions, engage winners and losers to use lawful channels, and work with the Bauchi State Peace Building Agency, traditional institutions and faith leaders to heal wounds and sustain peace.

Adamu Umar Sarkinyara stressed that sustainable peace in Bauchi State under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu requires addressing root causes of conflict through NOA’s CLHEEAN campaign, Early Warning and Early Response mechanism, Peace Clubs in schools and Weekly Situation Reports.

Also speaking at the event, Chairperson of Zangon Kataf LGA, Engr Joseph Gaya Bege, commended Kaduna State Governor, Sen Uba Sani, for his security efforts since the Zangon Kataf crisis, noting that national orientation is critical to national cohesion ahead of 2027.

Other stakeholders who committed to partner with NOA Bauchi under the SPSC Framework include the representative of the Emir of Bauchi, Dankaden Bauchi, Alhaji Aminu Yakubu; Keynote Speaker, Engr Ron Sashi; Ambassador Emmanuel U. Durkwa; Conservator-General Bauchi State, Dr Mohammed Nasir Yusuf; and representative of Nigeria Police Zone 12, Mohammed Abubakar Jalinge.

They all pledged to take peace messages to markets, schools, worship centres and communities across Bauchi State.

The summit, chaired by Chairman of Zangon Kataf LGA, Kaduna State, Engr Joseph Gaya Bege Nakowa, and co-chaired by Chairman of Toro LGA, Bauchi State, Hon Abubakar Ibrahim Dembo, focused on investing in peace at all levels as a prerequisite for national development.

2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Speed enthusiasts take part in Pit Lane Walk

Excitement is building in Baku as the 10th anniversary race of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix approaches. A range of activities have been organized for fans from the first days of the race weekend. One of them is the traditional Pit Lane Walk, which gives fans an opportunity to get closer to the world of Formula 1.

Fans walked along the pit lane, passed in front of the teams’ garages and watched closely as the cars were prepared for the race. The garages of Ferrari, Red Bull Racing, Mercedes and other teams were among the most popular stops for fans. Getting a close look at the cars, meeting the drivers and taking photos with them were among the highlights of the walk.

Meanwhile, life in the pit lane continued as usual. The sound of engines, the work of the mechanics and preparations inside the garages made it clear that only a few hours remained before the race. From just a few metres away, fans were able to follow these activities and see another side of Formula 1 beyond the track.

Fans left the Pit Lane Walk with memorable impressions after an atmosphere filled with excitement. Attention now turns to the main action at the Baku City Circuit.

President Ilham Aliyev sends congratulatory letter to King of Saudi Arabia

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King of Saudi Arabia.

“My Dear Brother,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my most sincere congratulations and best wishes to you and, through you, to all your people on the occasion of September 23 – the Proclamation of the Kingdom.

We are delighted by the upward trajectory and dynamic development of Azerbaijan-Saudi Arabia intergovernmental relations and cooperation, which are built on shared moral values, religious and cultural roots, traditional friendship, and brotherhood.

We attach great importance to the comprehensive development of our relations based on mutual trust and support. Today, our cooperation across a number of fields serves the interests of our countries and the well-being of our peoples, bringing them even closer together. Our partnership with ACWA Power, your country’s leading company in the priority areas of energy, including alternative and renewable energy, is expanding year by year and gaining new substance.

I would particularly like to emphasize our fruitful cooperation and mutual support within international organizations, especially the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Of course, active political dialogue at the highest level has created a favorable foundation for all of this.

I am confident that the brotherly relations and interaction between our peoples will further deepen in the coming years through our joint efforts for the prosperity of our countries, and that our partnership will be enriched with new achievements.

On this festive day, I wish you robust health, long life, and success in your high office, and the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia lasting peace and prosperity.”