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FirstBank boosts Africa’s creative industry through talent development

FirstBank Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to the growth of Africa’s creative industry by investing in talent development and supporting artistic innovation through its FirstArts initiative.

The bank recently sponsored Prideland, a three-part musical production staged as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Eko Hotels and Suites, underscoring its commitment to promoting artistic expression and preserving African culture.

Speaking after the performance, the Director of Sales and Marketing at Eko Hotels and Suites, Dr. Iyadunni Gbadebo, described FirstBank’s support as a critical investment that has helped nurture creative talents and sustain theatre productions.

‘Theatre is very expensive, and it takes bold, Afrocentric and culturally conscious brands to invest in it. The investment is not just in theatre but in the lives and future of the artists,’ she said.

According to Gbadebo, FirstBank has consistently provided a platform for creatives to showcase their talents while contributing to the preservation of Africa’s rich cultural heritage.

She noted that the creative industry remains one of Africa’s strongest cultural exports, adding that Eko Hotels has deliberately transformed its stages into world-class theatres to support the growth of performing arts.

‘Theatre is one of the most prestigious and culturally profound ways of documenting African culture and legacy. We are intentional about ensuring our productions meet the highest standards of excellence,’ she added.

The production’s Creative Director, Ice Nweke, also praised the bank for its unwavering support for the arts, saying the musical would not have been possible without FirstBank’s backing.

‘FirstBank has always demonstrated that it believes in authentic art that speaks to people. Without its support, this production would not have happened,’ he said.

Nweke explained that Prideland was designed to promote values such as love, sacrifice, family and the importance of listening to wise counsel.

He also stressed the importance of continued investment in Nigeria’s creative ecosystem, noting that sustained support would encourage talented artists to build successful careers at home.

‘We are using Nigerian talent because we believe there is immense creative potential in this country. You don’t need to travel abroad to find world-class talent; we can develop and celebrate it here,’ he said.

Through FirstArts, FirstBank continues to position itself as a key supporter of Nigeria’s creative economy, providing opportunities for artists while helping to preserve and promote African culture through the performing arts.

PBBM seeks ‘reset’ in talks with Beijing after sea clash

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has sought a ‘reset’ of talks with Beijing to prevent future violent confrontation between the Chinese Coast Guard and members of the Philippine Army during his meeting with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan earlier this week.

This, after two members of the Philippine Navy were hurt by people onboard a Chinese Coast Guard vessel at the Ayungin Shoal last Monday.

Marcos condemned the incident, which prompted him to summon the Chinese Ambassador.

‘Whatever issues exist between China and the Philippines, he [Marcos] wants a reset in those discussions. The Chinese ambassador heard him, and the President also heard [the position of the] Chinese ambassador; so, hopefully, this leads to a better outcome,’ Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing on Thursday.

Castro declined to give further details about the meeting, which lasted an hour and 20 minutes at the Palace, but she said its outcome appears to be positive.

As to the Chinese embassy’s claim that the Ayungin incident happened after the Philippines allegedly violated the terms of a supposed 2024 arrangement between Manila and Beijing by doing construction work in BRP Sierra Madre, Castro said she has no information on the matter. The DFA has denied there was such an arrangement.

BRP Sierra Madre is a Philippine Navy ship, which was intentionally ran aground in the Ayungin Shoal to allow the country maintain its territorial claim in the area.

Castro challenged the Chinese embassy to release a copy of the said 2024 agreement.

The Presidential Communications Office undersecretary said the Philippine government is still open to holding future talks with China despite its repeated efforts to encroach on parts of the West Philippine Sea.

‘We should always act in good faith. We should always have in mind that we are dealing with people who will also be in good faith. It is difficult to [make a] deal when you immediately think that the person you are talking to is lying,’ Castro said.

In a related development, Marcos visited the two Philippine Navy members who were hurt from the Ayungin mishap, at the Camp Ricarte Station Hospital sa Puerto Princesa City in Palawan on Thursday.

The chief executive recognized the bravery and faithful service to the nation, and conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu upon the two soldiers and awarded them financial assistance of P100,000 each.

Uzodimma: Southeast governors resolve to back Tinubu in 2027

The five Southeast governors have resolved to work for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election next year, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma said yesterday.

Uzodimma, who chairs the South East Governors’ Forum (SEGF), spoke at a meeting with the Imo State Council of Elders and Council of Traditional Rulers at the New EXCO Chambers, Government House, Owerri.

He cited infrastructure projects initiated in the zone by the administration, saying the governors’ decision was based on ‘verifiable facts’ of the administration’s record in the Southeast.

Uzodimma cautioned against attempts by some politicians to use the region as a platform for anti-government sentiment, nothing that President Tinubu signed the South East Development Commission Act into Law in July 2024 and inaugurated its board in February 2025.

He described it as the first of such commission for the zone, adding gosh the Port Harcourt-Aba rail line was also inaugurated in May 2024 and handed over to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in November 2024.

The governor also announced a $3 billion allocation, which he said the President approved for the wider Eastern Rail Corridor project linking Port Harcourt to Maiduguri through the South East.

On roads, the governor pointed to ongoing work on Phases 2A and 2B of the Second Niger Bridge access roads, flagged off in March 2025, and two newly approved roads linking Anambra, Imo and Abia states to the North Central region and the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

He said the zone also benefited from nationwide policies including the student loan scheme, higher federal allocations to states, and cuts in vehicle import duty.

Uzodimma said the South East governors, including some outside the All Progressives Congress (APC), had publicly acknowledged the administration’s record, and predicted the zone would back Tinubu at the polls in 2027.

Turning to Imo State affairs, Uzodimma urged the Elders Council and Council of Traditional Rulers to support the implementation of the Imo Charter of Equity, which provides for power rotation among the state’s three zones.

He said the bill establishing the Elders Council originated from his administration and asked the council to grant him a mandate on a successor, taking into account rotation and the candidate’s readiness to sustain his administration’s achievements.

The governor said his administration inherited a divided Imo State and had worked to restore order through inclusive governance, and called on political leaders to reject divisive politics ahead of the 2027 elections.

He also disclosed plans to reshuffle his cabinet and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment.

The traditional ruler of Isiama Autonomous Community in Isiala Mbano, Eze Oliver Ohanweh, urged Uzodimma to prioritise development in Okigwe zone, including completion of a proposed university, before the end of his tenure.

Elders’ Council member Chief George Egu commended the governor for improvements in infrastructure and healthcare in the state.

Other speakers, including the Chairman of the Imo State Council of Elders, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, and the Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Emmanuel Okeke, expressed support for the governor’s leadership and the Charter of Equity process.

The Deputy Governor, Chinyere Ekomaru; the Secretary to the State Government, Cosmas Iwu; and the Chief of Staff, Nnamdi Anyaehie, attended the meeting alongside members of the state executive council.

World Cup: The beautiful game and ugly politics

Before the first ball was kicked at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, FIFA compelled Haiti, making its first appearance in the tournament, to alter its World Cup kit because it featured an illustration of the 1803 Battle of Vertières. The reason, FIFA argued, is that the war scene violated its regulations prohibiting political, religious or personal messages or slogans. Yet what FIFA, or the rule, ignored is that the World Cup is the ultimate theatre for nationalism, geopolitics and even religious expressions. If anything, this World Cup demonstrated that perhaps more than previous ones.

FIFA’s attempt to sanitise football from politics rests on a contradiction. The World Cup is not merely a football tournament. It is a gathering of nations. It begins with flags, anthems and national symbols. It stirs patriotism unlike almost any other global event. Politics is not an intrusion into the World Cup. It is woven into its fabric.

History proves as much. FIFA has frequently ignored human rights concerns and lent itself to sportswashing, the practice where dictators and tyrants use FIFA-organised events (or other sporting events) to launder their image. It awarded the hosting rights to Italy in 1934 because the country’s fascist leader, Benito Mussolini, wanted to whitewash his despotic regime. They had no problem with the 1978 World Cup being used by the Argentine junta to launder its image. This is an organisation that awarded the FIFA Under-20 World Cup to Nigeria under Abacha, first in 1995, before withdrawing the rights at the last minute over health concerns, and again in 1999. It was glaring that Abacha wanted to use that event to sportswash his regime. Sadly, he died suddenly months before the 1999 event and never got to achieve his goals. He did leave Nigeria with some decent usable stadiums that quickly fell into ruin. Even the 2022 Qatar World Cup was awarded against the backdrop of corruption allegations and human rights concerns in the Middle Eastern country.

It is therefore remarkable that the 2026 World Cup is being talked about in the same breath as the one in Qatar four years ago, and the previous one in Russia in 2018, with human rights concerns, corruption allegations and serious questions about the geopolitics of the host country. This one was dogged by questions of whether Iran, which legitimately qualified for the tournament, would be allowed to enter the United States. While Trump bullied the Iranian national team, denied some of their officials visas, FIFA stood aside and watched, offering paperweight platitudes with no consequence. In the end, Iran was allowed to play, but they were tossed about so much it was clear that the United States was using a FIFA event to torment a team FIFA itself had invited to participate in a tournament for which it had legitimately qualified.

The irony, then, is that FIFA chooses to police symbolism when it is politically inconvenient while ignoring politics when it serves commercial or institutional interests.

The final between the brilliant Spain and the outclassed Argentina was a ballet played out to the musical score of global geopolitics, much of it external to the players taking to the pitch. The Israel-Palestine war took centre stage, with Israel’s propaganda openly declaring for Argentina because the Spanish government and many Spaniards have been outspoken about Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Images of Spanish star Lamine Yamal hoisting the Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s title celebration in May, and of Lionel Messi visiting Jerusalem’s Western Wall in 2013 or being pictured with Benjamin Netanyahu, became central to the conversation.

However, the narrative ignored Messi’s photographs with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas from the same visit, ‘The Peace Tour’ organised by FC Barcelona, featuring Messi and the club’s other players. It ignored that he held a football clinic for Palestinian and Israeli children to promote peaceful coexistence. It ignored that Messi and the Argentine national team cancelled a friendly with Israel in 2018 for political and safety reasons.

Ignoring obvious facts is not new to the World Cup. While in this case it has largely come from fans, or if one is to believe the allegations, from an orchestrated disinformation campaign against Argentina, FIFA itself has long entrenched a culture of ignoring inconvenient facts for mercantile reasons. In December 2025, FIFA decided to ignore the war rhetoric coming from the United States, and the country’s role in the genocide in Gaza, to award a completely made-up ‘FIFA Peace Prize’ to President Donald Trump, who exactly a month later would attack another FIFA member country, Venezuela, and kidnap its president.

There was politics in the treatment of Iran, which FIFA condoned. Which makes it ironic that it decided to ban Haiti’s kit or threatened to sanction Argentina for holding up a banner claiming the Falkland Islands, which it has long contested with England, after defeating the Three Lions in the semi-final. Clashes such as England versus Argentina and the United States versus Iran will always carry politics, not as an undertone, but as the very stage upon which such games are played.

Football may be the beautiful game, but it has always been tied to ugly politics. So, while FIFA claims to sanitise the game from politics, it continues to embed politics in some of the controversial decisions it makes. When Russia invaded Ukraine, football leagues across Europe made political statements. They banned Russian teams, displayed Ukrainian flags and illuminated stadiums in blue and yellow. When the conflict in Gaza began, that solidarity and overt display became noticeably muted.

Which raises uncomfortable questions. If Lamine Yamal had, in that moment of youthful defiance and celebratory euphoria, raised a Ukrainian flag instead of a Palestinian one, would the world have batted an eye? Would the English national team, which lit Wembley Stadium in Ukraine’s colours, have been outraged that Argentina raised a banner about a matter with profound historical significance for its own country?

The decision by many Africans not to support South Africa, and even to celebrate its elimination, is rooted in the politics of migration and xenophobia playing out in that country. This politics of identity is woven so deeply into the fabric of football and the fan experience that it cannot be separated from it and the banter that drives the sport-Argentina has too many white players, France has too many blacks.

FIFA’s feeble attempts to divorce politics from football will always fail because FIFA itself is political. It acts on certain political provocations, endorses others and quietly ignores others, largely because of the inconvenience of those views or its own mercantile considerations. After all, FIFA is perhaps the world’s most powerful government that nobody voted for.

Politics is inherent in human nature. FIFA can ban Haiti’s jersey, prohibit an armband or threaten sanctions over a banner. What it cannot do is remove the politics that gives international football its emotional force. The World Cup is not football interrupted by politics. It is football played on the grand stage of politics itself.

Air transport prices in Cyprus down by 1.8%, according to Eurostat

Prices of air transport services in Cyprus fell by 1.8% in June 2026 compared with June 2025, according to data published on Thursday by Eurostat.

Based on Eurostat data, prices of air transport services in Cyprus had increased by 7.8% in May, while in April they had decreased by 0.7% and in March by 0.4%, on an annual basis.

In the EU, the average price of air transport services, including plane tickets, has fluctuated significantly since January 2025. According to Eurostat, this volatility reflects travel demand, seasonality and recent geopolitical events.

Between January 2025 and June 2026, the highest increase in prices of air transport services in the EU was recorded in April 2025, at 13.7%, compared with April 2024.

This increase was followed by fluctuations, with modest rises during the summer months.

The year 2026 began with a year-on-year decrease, followed by increases in February and March and a sharp drop of 4.7% in April.

In May, prices of air transport services in the EU rose by 8.1% compared with May 2025, while in June they recorded an increase of 3.1%.

Laughter and satire: Catch ‘Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 4’ on July 30

GET ready for an evening of sharp wit, local artistry, and non-stop laughter as the hit satirical franchise officially takes over the live stage.

The hilarious meta-comedy Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 4: Oh Sh*t! It’s Live sa Cheter! is coming to the PETA Theater Center in New Manila, Quezon City, and you can catch the performance on July 30 at 7:30 pm.

Starring the iconic Eugene Domingo alongside a brilliant ensemble cast, the production skewers the chaotic, passionate world of the performing arts-making it a perfect, relatable night out for theater lovers and newcomers alike.

The July 30 performance is brought to the stage by showbuyer Lendl Fabella, made possible through the invaluable support of platinum partners, Sen. Bam Aquino and Synchronize11 Productions, alongside community partners, Step Up Travels, Abundo Psychological Clinic, Toyota Commonwealth, and Gratia Psychological Services.

Gather friends, family, and colleagues for a memorable night at the theater. Tickets are available via TicketWorld.

NSCDC arrests six suspects over pipeline vandalism, petrol theft in Abuja

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, has arrested six suspects for allegedly vandalising petroleum pipelines and stealing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Gwagwalada Area Council of Abuja.

The FCT Commandant of the Corps, Dr Olusola Odumosu, disclosed this while parading the suspects at the vandalised pipeline site in Pagada I, Dobi Ward, Gwagwalada, according to a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Monica Ojobi, on Thursday in Abuja.

Odumosu said the suspects, all males aged between 20 and 32, were apprehended following credible intelligence and a tip-off received by the Command’s Anti-Vandal Squad about suspicious activities around the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) pipelines.

According to him, the operatives caught the suspects while they were scooping and loading PMS into jerrycans and plastic bags from pipelines that had been punctured using drilling machines.

Items recovered from the suspects included two motorcycles, two locally fabricated firearms, four 25-litre jerrycans filled with PMS, two empty jerrycans, a shovel and hand drills.

The commandant revealed that preliminary investigations showed that the suspects had carefully studied the terrain and identified the exact locations of the buried pipelines containing petroleum products.

He further disclosed that an indigene of Pagada I Village had allegedly recruited two of his friends from the Lambata area to participate in the illegal operation.

Odumosu also alleged that three members of a local vigilante group were involved in the crime, providing security cover for the vandals to carry out their activities without interruption.

He said efforts were ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the criminal syndicate who were still at large.

The commandant added that the Nigeria Petroleum Storage Company had been notified to take the necessary steps to seal the damaged pipelines and prevent further leakage.

Reaffirming the Corps’ commitment to protecting critical national assets, Odumosu warned that the NSCDC would not tolerate pipeline vandalism, petroleum theft or any act of economic sabotage.

He noted that the Corps was also intensifying efforts against the destruction of other public infrastructure, including manhole covers, crash barriers, bridge aluminium, streetlights, armoured cables, transformers and railway sleepers.

According to him, such criminal activities not only undermine the nation’s economy but also contribute to fuel scarcity, environmental pollution and the risk of fire outbreaks, thereby endangering lives and agricultural activities in affected communities.

Odumosu warned that anyone caught vandalising public infrastructure would face the full weight of the law.

He appealed to residents to support security agencies by providing timely and credible information on criminal activities, assuring them that all information received would be treated confidentially.

‘When you see something, say something, and we will do something,’ he said.

Also speaking, the councillor representing Dobi Ward, Gado Shuaibu, commended the NSCDC and members of the community for their efforts in tackling pipeline vandalism.

He urged residents to desist from acts of vandalism, stressing that he would not intervene on behalf of anyone arrested for such offences.

Similarly, the Village Head of Pagada I, Abubakar Ibrahim, pledged the community’s continued cooperation with security agencies to protect public infrastructure and rid the area of criminal activities.

Cyprus proposes Commonwealth centre of excellence on economic dimension of sport

Cyprus proposed the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on the Economic Dimension of Sport at the 12th Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting, held in Glasgow on Wednesday as part of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, according to an announcement by the Cyprus Sports Organisation.

Cyprus was represented by the Organisation’s Acting Director General, Dr Vassos Koutsioundas, on behalf of Education, Sport and Youth Minister Dr Athena Michaelidou.

Discussions focused on cooperation among Commonwealth member states, integrity and good governance, economic growth and investment, as well as the contribution of sport to social inclusion and public health.

During the meeting, Koutsioundas supported the further strengthening of the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport and presented Cyprus’ initiatives in the areas of good governance and athlete safeguarding.

He also proposed the creation of a Centre of Excellence on the Economic Dimension of Sport, aimed at improving the assessment of sport’s contribution to the economy and encouraging investment in the sector.

Koutsioundas placed particular emphasis on reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and formally integrating mental health into sports policy.

He also highlighted the need for a holistic approach combining athlete safeguarding, mental health and dual-career opportunities.

According to the Cyprus Sports Organisation, Cyprus reaffirmed through its participation its commitment to promoting sport that is fair, safe, inclusive and socially responsible.

Our candidate will be on ballot for 2027 elections, says Turaki PDP camp

The Tanimu Turaki camp of the Peoples Democratic (PDP) on Thursday allayed the fears of candidates sponsored by it on whether or not they will be able to contest the 2027 general elections, insisting that they will be the ones that will fly the party flag in National and state elections.

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting in Abuja, Turaki said emphatically that nobody will be able to kill the PDP, while assuring that the party was on course and will participate in the elections.

He said, ‘I want to say, without fear of contradiction, that PDP, your party is on course. The essence of every political party is to legitimately capture power in a given polity. You cannot capture power unless you are on the ballot. I want to tell you that PDP shall be on the ballot for all rounds of the 2027 elections, from the presidential down to the states houses of assembly election PDP, this PDP shall be on the ballot’.

He commended those who have kept fate with the group for their tenacity, for your loyalty, for your conviction, for your belief in democracy, and for your resoluteness in working towards ensuring that democracy that believes in a multi-party system survives in our country.

Turaki said ‘there comes a time in the life of a human being when challenges, ups and downs become the order of the day. But as the saying goes, when the going gets tough, it’s only the tough that ultimately gets going.

‘For us in PDP, we’ve seen all seasons. We’ve seen the good times. We’ve also seen the bad times. We’ve seen days of prosperity, just as we’ve also seen days of adversity. We’ve seen successes, and we’ve seen challenges. For us, the kind of challenge that the People’s Democratic Party is facing today is not something that is new to us.

‘People may recall a time in the past when attempts were made by some charlatans to take the leadership of our party and then give it in the hands of some impostors, and when the party and the party leadership rose in unison and said, ‘We will not allow anybody to run away with our party’, a caretaker committee was set up under the leadership of His Excellency Senator Ahmed Mohamed Makarfi.

‘Those who were there and those who are conversant with what happened during that period of serious challenge, will appreciate that what we are now witnessing in our party is even a child’s play. By the special grace of God, we shall overcome. We will overcome. Indeed, we are overcoming.

‘Today we are witnessing in Nigeria, a time that is different from what we all are used to seeing. There are a lot of tension. There are a lot of crises. There are a lot of upheavals in the domain of most of the opposition political parties. It’s regrettable, indeed very sad and unfortunate, that when you begin to trace the genesis of those crises, that they will take you back to the footsteps of the party in government.

‘We used to think that more than any other person, that people in government, people who are on the surgeon of leadership, should prefer peace to reign than crisis in their domain. But for us in PDP, while other political parties are having existential threat, while their existence is threatened and their lives is shaking, nobody, and I dare say, nobody can kill the PDP.

‘PDP will continue to live. There may be challenges here and there regarding the leadership of our party. Again, for us in PDP, this is nothing new. We will overcome. We shall overcome. We are overcoming.

He said the party intend to discuss the judgement of the Federal High Court on the suit instituted by its Board of Trustees against the Independent National Electoral Commission on the leadership of the party and ‘agree on where we need to get to, for the purpose of taking our people and our nation out of the woods, and then we will maybe when we get into the private session, discuss exhaustively what our strategies would be’.

Former Niger state Governor, Babandiga Aliyu regretted that the crisis rocking the party came from within the party, regretting that those he called fugitives and nomadic politicians have been using the party for their own selfish.

He said however that those who thought they could kill PDP by running away to another party, are the ones who suffering more, and don’t even know what is there on the ground for them.

He said, ‘It is unfortunate that people are not patient enough. It is unfortunate that some people try to play god by taking decisions that really belongs to God. We have seen many of them jumping from one party to the other, for every election that has been conducted, but they forgot the success is not only in their effort.

‘Success is also in the way your heart functions, because our creator judges you by what is in your heart, not what is in your pocket or what is in your mouth. So, if you have clean heart, He knows it, and He will reward you at the end of the day. Believe me, we will be rewarded, and we will be surprised by our creator on the way and manner He is going to reward those of us who have stayed tenaciously to ensure that there is justice in our country.

‘Whatever is happening now, let us see it as a temporary way of making people understand that we messed up as we were coming along. If I will borrow from our creator, whatever you do, you will reap it, you will get it back. We will get yourselves back. You will get our party back, and we will succeed in the final analysis. We want people to be alive to see when we succeed. We will not laugh at them, but at least they will also learn some lessons as we go along.

‘You might think you are cheating me if you collect bribe to get me down. For you, you think you have made something, but believe me, you will pay both here and in the in the hereafter. So please let us continue patiently, and let us try to continue to at least organize properly.’

Experts frown at flight dispatchers’ redundancy rate

GROWING unemployment among licenced flight dispatchers has became a major concern for aviation stakeholders, warning that Nigeria is wasting a significant pool of safety-critical professionals despite increasing demands for safe and efficient airline operations.

The concern was raised, at the 2026 Annual Conference of the Flight Dispatchers Association of Nigeria (FLIDAN) held at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Annex Training Hall in Lagos under the theme: ‘Safety and Efficiency: The Flight Dispatcher’s Role.’

Delivering the keynote address, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and Second Vice President of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), Dr. Alexander Nwuba, described flight dispatchers as integral to operational control, stressing that aviation safety and operational efficiency converge in the dispatch office.

Dr Nwuba, who was represented by the general secretary, ASRTI, Mr Olumide Ohunayo, stated that dispatchers are far more than support personnel, and noted that every flight release signed by a dispatcher represents a commitment to passenger safety.

‘Safety and efficiency are not competing goals. Efficiency without safety is recklessness, while safety without efficiency is unsustainable. The dispatcher’s daily responsibility is to maintain both in balance on every flight,’ Nwuba said.

He expressed concern over what he described as the country’s underutilisation of certified flight dispatchers, revealing that although Nigeria has licenced about 1,500 flight dispatchers, fewer than 500 are currently employed.

He noted that many dispatchers lose the validity of their licences within five years because they are unable to secure employment that allows them to maintain operational competency.

Describing the situation as a major loss to aviation safety, Nwuba said the country was wasting nearly two-thirds of its trained and certificated safety workforce.

He assured participants that AOPA and the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative would continue to advocate improved recognition, welfare and regulatory status for flight dispatchers while supporting FLIDAN’s engagement with the NCAA on issues, including aircraft type ratings, dispatcher logbooks and enforcement of duty-time limitations.

Nwuba also projected significant opportunities for the profession beyond conventional airline operations, citing the emergence of centralised and remote operations control centres, business aviation, humanitarian and energy flight support, charter operations, as well as the growing unmanned aircraft and advanced air mobility sectors.

He said with sustained investment in recurrent training, modern flight planning technologies and structured career development, Nigeria possesses the capacity to become West Africa’s operational control hub by training, certifying and exporting highly skilled flight dispatch professionals.

Earlier in his welcome address, FLIDAN president Mr. Daniel Ayuba, described flight dispatchers as strategic partners in airline operational control whose contributions directly influence every safe departure, efficient flight plan and successful arrival.

He said the conference theme reflected the increasing complexity of global aviation, where technological innovation, evolving regulatory requirements, environmental concerns and rising passenger expectations demand continuous professional development.

‘The role of the Flight Dispatcher is no longer viewed merely as a supporting function. We are strategic partners in operational control,’ Ayuba stated.

He maintained that safety remains the foundation of aviation while efficiency ensures resources are utilised responsibly without compromising operational standards.

He said the annual conference serves as a platform for knowledge sharing, innovation, collaboration and professional development aimed at strengthening airline operations across Nigeria.

Ayuba reaffirmed FLIDAN’s commitment to promoting professionalism through improved training, stronger Operations Control Centres, competency-based development, implementation of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and increased recognition of flight dispatchers within Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem.

He called on industry stakeholders to ensure that recommendations emerging from the conference translate into practical improvements across airlines, regulatory institutions, training organisations and Operations Control Centres.

The FLIDAN president also urged the aviation industry to accelerate implementation of ICAO Document 10106, strengthen Safety Management Systems (SMS), embrace modern operational technologies and expand competency-based training programmes to enhance both safety and efficiency.

He commended the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the NCAA, airlines, Approved Aviation Training Organisations (AATOs), airport operators and other aviation service providers for supporting professional development and safety oversight within the sector.