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Perituza concludes second AI workshop

Perituza Software Solutions, a Houston-headquartered technology company with operations in Colombo and New Delhi, has successfully concluded the second edition of its Applying AI in Corporate Workflows workshop series, this time focusing on sales operations.

Following the inaugural workshop, which brought together professionals from the advertising, PR, media buying and agency sectors, the latest session turned its attention to corporate sales teams, bringing together professionals from banking, FMCG, tourism and other industries to explore how artificial intelligence can optimise sales workflows.

The workshop was held recently at Bistro des Marées, Cinnamon Life, and focused on proven strategies for applying AI within corporate sales functions. Rather than concentrating solely on emerging tools and their capabilities, the session examined how organisations can maximise their AI investments, determine whether to buy vs. build software tools, and establish a strategic foundation for AI adoption.

Live demonstrations, ranging from off-the-shelf AI tools to customised CRM integrations, AI agents, and automated workflows, illustrated practical use cases that deliver immediate ROI. Additionally, the session showcased how organisations can optimise their existing Microsoft 365 subscriptions, leveraging tools such as SharePoint and Teams, to build cost-effective alternatives to third-party SaaS platforms.

‘Showing people what AI can produce is not the same as making AI work for an organisation,’ said Perituza APAC Co-CEO and General Manager Yuka LaTulippe said: ‘For us, the starting point is defining the value that AI implementation is expected to deliver, whether it’s reclaiming hours lost to administrative work, shortening sales cycles, or enhanced capabilities such as real-time revenue forecasting. That focus on value ensures AI is applied where it generates true ROI. The purpose of this workshop was to help participants understand how AI can help their corporate sales teams scale and win in the marketplace.’

A central theme of the workshop was the gap between AI interest and meaningful business results. Participants explored why investing in software does not automatically translate into return on investment, and why organisations need to identify expected outcomes before determining where technology can create value. The session also emphasised the importance of comprehensive change management, from resolving workflow bottlenecks to targeted upskilling and updated employee job descriptions.

Solutions Ground supported the event as a strategic partner.

Solutions Ground CEO Lakshan Madurasinghe said: ‘Businesses are looking for results, not another abstract discussion on AI capabilities. Bringing professionals from different industries into one room made it clear that, although their sales environments are different, many of the underlying challenges are similar. The value of a workshop like this is in helping participants look at their own processes differently and identify where AI can improve the bottom line.’

The workshop reflects Perituza’s broader approach of ‘Pragmatic Technology, Measurable Impact.’ The company’s capabilities include AI-driven sales automation and sales intelligence, alongside custom technology platforms, Microsoft Dynamics 365 consulting, Microsoft 365 consulting and legacy system modernisation.

Perituza also works with organisations on AI assessments and readiness, digital transformation support, Microsoft Dynamics 365 consulting, and technology training, supporting businesses from strategy through to execution.

From factory floor to global buyer: SLCGE Design Hub could widen door for Sri Lanka’s apparel SMEs

Sri Lanka’s apparel industry has built a strong global reputation over several decades. Yet access to international buyers remains uneven.

Large manufacturers have dedicated merchandising teams, design capabilities, established buyer relationships and the resources to participate in international trade fairs. Many small and medium-sized manufacturers do not have the same reach. They may have skilled workers, specialised machinery, quality systems and spare production capacity, but still remain largely invisible to overseas buyers.

The proposed SLCGE Design Hub seeks to address this gap.

On 28 May 2026, the Sri Lanka Chamber of Garment Exporters presented the proposal to Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe. The concept is to transform the existing SLCGE office from an administrative space into a central platform where member companies can display products, present their capabilities and meet international buyers. SLCGE could also work with the Export Development Board to direct visiting buyer delegations to the Hub.

The real problem is market access

The main constraint facing many apparel SMEs is not production capability. It is access to buyers.

Before placing an order, an international buyer needs to assess production capacity, minimum order quantities, compliance, certifications, lead times, sampling capability and financial reliability. Searching for this information across many individual SMEs takes time and increases transaction costs.

A Chamber-backed platform could make that process easier. Instead of searching for suppliers separately, buyers could compare several manufacturers through one trusted channel.

A JAAF analysis published in 2021 estimated that the SME apparel segment accounted for around 20,000 direct jobs. It also found that about 80% of apparel SMEs at the time obtained business through larger exporters rather than directly from overseas buyers. These figures are a historical benchmark rather than a 2026 estimate, but they highlight the structural market-access challenge.

The wider export trend reinforces the case for finding new buyers. Sri Lanka’s textile and apparel exports were approximately $5.07 billion in 2021 and $5.59 billion in 2022. They fell to $4.54 billion in 2023 before recovering to $4.76 billion in 2024 and $5.02 billion in 2025.

For an SME, even a few additional orders can make a difference. Higher volumes improve factory utilisation and spread fixed costs over a larger production base. This can support worker retention, new investment and product development.

However, the national benefit depends on whether the Hub creates additional exports. Moving an existing order from one Sri Lankan factory to another does not increase national export earnings. The stronger economic case is to attract new buyers, generate new orders and expand total production. Furthermore, if small and medium-scale apparel manufacturers are able to directly access smaller-volume orders placed by international buyers, they would be better positioned to maintain higher profit margins. These additional returns could then be reinvested in innovation, upgrading technological capabilities, maintaining international standards, and adopting more efficient production practices. In turn, this would also help SMEs in the apparel sector expand their production capacity and strengthen their competitiveness.

From exports to regional employment

Sri Lanka’s apparel industry directly employs around 350,000 people. SME factories matter because they can operate beyond the country’s main industrial centres and create employment closer to regional communities.

This creates a possible link between apparel exports, regional incomes and poverty reduction. But the connection should not be overstated.

A Design Hub by itself will not reduce poverty. The economic chain must be clear: buyer introductions should generate new orders; new orders should increase production; higher production should support sustainable jobs and incomes.

The geographic dimension is important. Sri Lanka’s first official National Multidimensional Poverty Index, based on the 2019 Household Income and Expenditure Survey, found that 16% of the population was multidimensionally poor. The rate was 16.6% in rural areas, 4.4% in urban areas and 51.3% in estate areas. More than 80% of people identified as multidimensionally poor lived in rural areas. These are 2019 figures, not current 2026 poverty rates, but they show why the location of new economic opportunities matters.

Employment quality matters as much as numbers. Sustainable gains require decent wages, safe working conditions, skills development and opportunities for progression.

The Hub should therefore track not only export orders, but also jobs created or retained, the location of production, participation by women and young people, training provided and incremental export revenue.

More than a showroom

The Design Hub should not become simply a room displaying garments.

Its physical showroom should be supported by a verified digital platform. A buyer examining a product should be able to see the manufacturer’s production capacity, certifications, machinery, minimum order size, lead time and product-development capability.

Products could also be organised by category – such as sportswear, children’s wear, uniforms, intimates, workwear and specialised products – rather than only by company. This would allow buyers to identify suitable suppliers quickly.

A digital version would extend the Hub beyond Colombo and allow overseas buyers to explore Sri Lankan SMEs without travelling to the country.

In economic terms, this reduces information gaps between buyer and supplier. In commercial terms, it makes SMEs easier to discover and easier to buy from.

The unanswered question: who pays?

The proposal explains what the Hub should do, but it still needs a sustainable financing model.

The 2027 Budget process provides a useful policy opportunity. Budget 2026 already established precedents for public support to improve export market access, including Rs. 250 million for the EDB’s National Export Brand Promotion Plan and a further Rs. 250 million for trade fairs, certification, digital marketing and support for export-oriented SMEs to meet international buyer requirements.

A blended financing model would be more practical than relying on a single source.

Time-bound Government or EDB support could finance the initial fit-out, digital platform, sample library and buyer-promotion infrastructure. Recurring costs could gradually shift towards SLCGE member contributions and income from product displays, training, buyer programmes and market-information services.

Industry partnerships could also support equipment, technology and buyer events. Development-partner programmes could help with export readiness, sustainability, digitalisation and skills development. Closer coordination with EDB buyer missions could also reduce duplication in export promotion.

The principle should be simple: public support, where available, should help establish the platform, but the Hub should progressively build its own operating income.

Measure it from day one

The Hub should have clear performance indicators from the beginning.

It should report the number of international buyers introduced, SMEs connected with them, samples requested, quotations issued, orders confirmed, incremental export revenue generated and jobs supported outside the Western Province.

SLCGE could also create a confidential baseline covering member employment, export turnover, production capacity and geographic distribution. This would make it possible to measure the Hub’s contribution over time.

Ultimately, the Design Hub should be judged by one question, does it connect capable Sri Lankan SMEs with buyers who would otherwise not find them?

If it does, the gains can extend beyond individual factories. New orders can support export earnings, regional employment, household incomes and stronger local economies.

That is where the real value of the SLCGE Design Hub lies.

Malaysia’s Ng, Subramaniam book LA28 Olympics berth with Asian Games gold

Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng and Sivasangari Subramaniam have made history by becoming the first squash players to qualify for the 2028 Olympics after winning gold medals at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

The defending champions won the men’s and women’s singles finals on Sunday and earned a ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Games, where squash will make its Olympic debut.

Squash is among a handful of sports at Aichi-Nagoya where a gold medal serves as automatic qualification for the next Olympics.

Both Ng and Subramaniam successfully defended their titles without dropping a single game in their campaigns. Their victories gave Malaysia its fifth and sixth gold medals.

World number 18 Ng thrashed India’s Abhay Singh 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 in 33 minutes at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena and became the first Malaysian to qualify for the Olympics.

World number five Subramaniam joined her compatriot soon after when she made quick work of the women’s final against India’s Anahat Singh.

She demolished Singh, ranked 17th in the world, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 in just 23 minutes to clinch gold.

DFCC named Sri Lanka’s Best Cash Management Bank for 2026 by The Asian Banker

DFCC Bank has been named the Best Cash Management Bank in Sri Lanka for 2026 by The Asian Banker, recognising the bank’s growing transaction banking capabilities and its continued investment in secure, digitally enabled solutions that give businesses greater visibility and control over their financial operations.

The recognition reflects DFCC Bank’s progress in helping businesses simplify payments and collections, automate reconciliation, manage liquidity and working capital, and make more informed financial decisions.

Central to this proposition is DFCC iConnect, the bank’s integrated payments and cash management platform for corporate, multinational, and small and medium enterprise (SME) customers. The platform enables businesses to manage local and international payments, payroll, supplier settlements, collections, and account information through a secure digital environment.

DFCC iConnect also supports integration with enterprise resource planning systems, automated identification and reconciliation of receipts, real-time account visibility, customised reporting, multi-level authorization, and mobile transaction approval. These capabilities help finance and treasury teams reduce manual processes, strengthen control, and respond more quickly to changing business requirements.

Deputy CEO Shamindra Marcelline said: ‘Being named the Best Cash Management Bank in Sri Lanka is an important recognition of the proposition we have built around the real operating needs of businesses. Payments, collections, and liquidity are central to how an organisation functions every day. Our role is to make those processes simpler, faster, and more secure, while giving customers the visibility and control they need to make sound decisions. This recognition reflects the trust our customers have placed in us and the commitment of the teams who serve them.’

DFCC Bank’s cash management proposition combines digital capability with transaction banking expertise and relationship-led service. This allows the bank to understand the operational requirements of individual businesses and develop solutions suited to their transaction volumes, approval structures, reporting needs and wider financial objectives.

The bank supports large corporates, multinational organisations, Government institutions, and SMEs, recognising that businesses of different sizes require different levels of functionality, integration, and assistance.

Senior Vice President and Head of Wholesale Banking Ishani Palliyaguru said: ‘Effective cash management is ultimately about helping a business know where its money is, move it securely and put it to work more efficiently. That requires more than processing transactions. It requires real-time visibility, automation, strong controls and solutions that connect with the way each organisation operates. We have continued to develop these capabilities while working closely with our clients to reduce complexity and improve their day-to-day financial management.’

The recognition comes as businesses place greater emphasis on digitising financial processes, improving working capital efficiency, and strengthening their ability to operate through changing economic conditions.

DFCC Bank will continue to advance its transaction banking capabilities, using technology, data, and customer insight to help businesses improve efficiency, strengthen financial resilience, and keep growing.

SLAITO Chief calls for level playing field, stronger policy role

Newly elected Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) President Bobby Jordan Hansen has called for a formal role for the Association in shaping tourism policy, a genuine level playing field across the industry, and a more targeted approach to marketing the country internationally.

Hansen, who became the second woman to lead the SLAITO at the 46th Annual General Meeting last Friday, said the Association must evolve with an industry that has expanded significantly since its establishment in 1975, while ensuring the concerns of predominantly small and medium-sized operators are reflected in national tourism policy.

‘As Sri Lanka considers the future structure of tourism and a new Tourism Act, we believe the SLAITO should have a formal and meaningful role in tourism policy, planning, development, and promotion,’ she stressed.

She asserted that the call was not for preferential treatment but recognition of the SLAITO’s longstanding experience and international market networks.

‘Our members are the bridge between Sri Lanka and the international tourism marketplace. We know what overseas markets want, what tourists experience here, and what needs to change. We want to bring that knowledge into shaping the future of Sri Lankan tourism,’ Hansen said.

The veteran tourism professional, who said she has spent over five decades in the industry across inbound tourism, hotels, tour operations, airlines, and related services, noted the sector’s scale today demanded a corresponding evolution in its institutional framework.

‘Sri Lanka welcomed over 2.36 million tourists in 2025 and generated around $ 3.2 billion in tourism earnings,’ she said, highlighting the sector’s growing importance to the national economy.

Hansen’s second priority was establishing what she termed a ‘genuine level playing field,’ particularly as formal tourism businesses face competition from an expanding informal economy.

‘Registered operators invest in employees, pay taxes, and comply with regulatory and quality requirements, while some unregistered businesses operate outside the same framework,’ she added.

Welcoming the Government’s stated intention to empower the Tourism Police to identify unregistered businesses, Hansen stressed that the objective should be formalisation rather than punishment.

‘Our objective here should not be to punish these operators-it should be to bring them into the formal economy. So they become compliant and everybody benefits,’ she said.

She called for clearer and more consistent rules covering accommodation, tours, transport, and other tourism services, including businesses selling through online platforms.

‘The principle is simple. Competition is healthy, unfair competition is not,’ Hansen said, arguing that greater compliance would improve standards and consumer protection, while broadening the tax base.

On destination marketing, the new SLAITO Chief said Sri Lanka needed to move beyond broad promotional messaging and adopt a more sophisticated, segmented approach reflecting changing traveller behaviour.

‘Too often, our general ‘Sri Lanka’ message doesn’t fully communicate everything this country has to offer; whether that’s culture, wildlife, surfing and diving, or nature,’ she said.

Hansen called for marketing strategies tailored to specific markets, traveller segments, and experiences, noting that the expectations of solo travellers, multigenerational families, luxury tourists, and budget travellers differed substantially.

She also cautioned against treating social media and influencers as substitutes for a coherent national marketing strategy.

‘The objective isn’t simply to inspire someone to visit Sri Lanka; it’s to turn that interest into a booking and to ensure the safety, the value, the cultural experience, and ultimately the outcome all deliver on that promise,’ she explained.

Hansen said the SLAITO’s members were well placed to support this effort because of their daily engagement with international tour operators and travel agents.

She also placed the tourism workforce at the centre of the Association’s agenda, warning that the migration of experienced hospitality workers to overseas markets was affecting service standards.

The SLAITO, she said, could expand its contribution to training and knowledge-sharing while working with the Government and the private sector to create more attractive career pathways for younger people.

Hansen asserted that the SLAITO sought partnership rather than confrontation with the Government.

‘We want to work with the Government, not against it. Around 95% of our members are small and medium operators. What we ask, on behalf of this industry, is that everyone operates under clear and fair rules, and that we bring our experience and international networks to bear in support of the country’s tourism development,’ she said.

Hansen said the SLAITO’s next chapter should focus on creating greater value for visitors while ensuring tourism benefits businesses, workers, communities, and the wider economy.

‘That is the future the SLAITO and I are committed to building,’ she said, ending her address with the Association’s rallying call: ‘SLAITO Jaya Wewa!’

EU to allocate pound 710 million to support displaced people in Africa

The European Union will provide almost pound 710 million in support for displaced people and host communities in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as emergency assistance to people affected by crises around the world.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the funding as part of Global Citizen’s 2026 campaign, according to the European Commission.

The funding package includes measures to support vulnerable migrants and displaced people in sub-Saharan Africa, including assistance related to migration, protection, voluntary return and reintegration. A separate portion will address humanitarian needs linked to conflicts, food insecurity, malnutrition and climate-related shocks.

The European Commission said the package also includes funding for the response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries.

Von der Leyen said the EU support would benefit displaced communities across Africa and the communities hosting them, while also providing assistance to communities affected by war and other crises.

The announcement was made during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York and formed part of international advocacy organization Global Citizen’s 2026 campaign.

The new funding is intended to strengthen humanitarian assistance and support communities facing displacement, conflict and other crises, with a significant share directed toward sub-Saharan Africa.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the art of political engineering

WHAT does it mean to be a good political leader? This is one fundamental question that straddles political philosophy and political science. Political theorists have always been concerned with the idea of the political community and how its leadership can facilitate social harmony for further socioeconomic development. This makes the question of leadership a very critical one for democratic theory, and the determination of the essence of democracy and good governance. All across the world, there are series of indices by which the characteristic features of good leadership are determined. For instance, the human development index references a composite achievement of political leadership in terms of the living standards of the citizens. For many years, the top positions have always been the preserves of the Scandinavian and European countries, from Finland and Norway to the Netherlands and Germany. The highest-performing African countries are not only interspersed within the index, they also constitute the bulk of the countries that make up the bottom rung of the list.

Such indices and indicators of poverty and prosperity make the determination of leadership even all the more interesting and sometimes confounding, especially in a country like Nigeria that carries the burden of geopolitical, regional and continental possibilities and challenges. Since her return to democratic experimentation in 1999, Nigeria’s search for a good political leader has become redoubled, especially given that Nigeria’s postcolonial and post-independence predicaments have become even more grinding for millions of average Nigerians. As we drive slowly and steadily towards another general election in 2027, the discourse around leadership and the future of Nigeria has become even more accentuated. The apprehension about the impending democratic decision process is not only palpable but also fundamentally existential. Millions are asking whether their political and electoral choices this time around would be defining enough to swing Nigeria’s political, and hence economic, fortunes.

And at the very heart of that democratic apprehension is the possibility that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will return to political power for another four years. Or that the opposition will be able to wrest power from him either jointly in strategic concert or singly through individual political and charismatic appeal. We must concede: within the force-field of the typical gains and pains that necessarily attend a root-and-branch brand of structural adjustment-grounded reforms, things are very difficult in Nigeria. The indices for multidimensional poverty are depressing. Millions have also been traumatised by insecurity from banditry and insurgency. Then there are the severe macroeconomic expressions of a governance system that is struggling to make sense of Nigeria’s oscillating fortunes. No one can envy any political leader who makes the decision to take on the heavy burden of shouldering Nigeria’s predicament at this moment in time. I do not envy such a leader given my background in governance, policy, and institutional reform. While I have been trying to make sense of the Nigerian civil service system, the President of Nigeria is trying to make sense of the political and economic dynamics of making Nigeria work. That is enormous. But then, people can argue that those who present themselves for leadership positions cannot be pitied because they had a sense of what it would entail, and they presumed that they had what it takes to steer the nation out of her challenges. This is a good argument that must be put in proper context.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu knew the task involved in managing the affairs of Nigeria. He has been involved at several political levels of Nigeria’s unfolding for decades; from being in the trenches of the pro-democracy movement, locally and in exile, to being in the legislative arm as a senator, to governing a state, and in the management of party politics and its combustible dynamics at challenging times, and participating as a core stakeholder in geopolitical policymaking at the highest levels through numerous but disruptive transitions. When he brazenly insisted that it was his turn to get to that highest level of overseeing Nigeria’s fate-when he served the notice to all political agents that ‘Èmi lókàn’ (it’s now my turn)-we have all missed the courage embedded in that political decision. And this for me is where we must start in our reflection on President Tinubu’s performance after four years in office, and whether or not his administration deserves a second term.

Given the heat of Nigeria’s pressing situation, we often gloss over the provenance and complexity of current predicaments. Nigeria did not become the way it is under Tinubu. In other words, Nigeria under the Tinubu administration is already a composite of complex and complicated dysfunction and debilitation. From independence to date, the political and developmental circumstances of the Nigerian state have kept fluctuating so much so that millions of Nigerians have been the worse for it. The commencement of the democratic experiment has not brought much relief. The issue is not to therefore articulate platitudes and excuses on why the Tinubu administration could not be considered to be magicians who are expected to transform Nigeria overnight. On the contrary, the critical analysis lies elsewhere.

This is where my interest in political philosophy enables an analysis that deepens the understanding of Bola Ahmed Tinubu beyond the usual political commentaries that often dissolve into petty and abusive vitriols. How does political philosophy enable us to figure the political style and leadership dexterity of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the president of the Nigerian state at this moment in time? One critical lens derives from the trajectory of his political evolution from a pro-democracy agitator to the sitting president of Nigeria. This alone is sufficient to necessitate an astute study of his political tenacity. In this regard, he has earned a space among the political avatars that have bestraddled the Nigerian space. Only a few leaders ever could survive Nigeria’s chaotic and violent political space, not to talk of ascending to the zenith of its governance structure. My interest, however, is not just taking on a measure of his political unravelling. Rather, I am intrigued by what his over three decades of political actions could reveal to us in terms of a distinct framework of political leadership, a schema of political power and the dynamics of nation-building.

It is very clear to me that, as a Tinubu acolyte, Western political understanding and global parameters of leadership will sit uneasily on Tinubu. This is not something to be lamented, because a leader is a function of the confluence of context, ideology, temperament and temporal situatedness. There is a level of unfairness in judging a postcolonial leadership by the parameters of Western political theory or democratic institutionalism. I will hazard the hypothesis further that, compared to Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Tinubu will still not be able to measure up in terms of a leadership grounded in value credentials. This is because Tinubu is already bedevilled by serious reputational negatives that derive from his political rising. However, the crucial difference between Awolowo and Tinubu is simply that the latter is at the helm of affairs of the Nigerian state at a time when it is most difficult to be a president. And this is doubly so for him because he has not only a running knowledge of the dynamics of the Nigerian predicaments; he also specifically asked to be president.

And yet, Tinubu has converted his political position into a stance of strength. His enigma persona, I insist, derives from his capacity for political engineering. This is an amorphous term that I need to unravel to capture my measure of respect for someone I consider to be a typology of a good leader. The rise of Tinubu from pro-democracy activist to governor of LAGOS State to political kingmaker and ultimately to president reveals a Machiavellian streak that speaks to his capacity to balance shifting alliances, strategically navigate complex and fragmented ethno-regional landscapes, and preside over an immense political machinery that manoeuvres between loyalists and rivals. He has become the ultimate Machiavellian strategist who is not just passively deft in deflecting oppositions, allegations and controversies. On the contrary, his strategic competences and alliances are meant to forge a pathway for rethinking Nigeria’s future.

This is a political persona that defies easy location in existing populist or bureaucratic leadership typology. We have a leader who has to ride through the rough and tough waters of the Nigerian political terrain and democratic context to be able to lay the foundation of a new Nigeria. This demands not just a visionary and ideological framework but also a transactional realism that demands systematic patronage structures which leverage the assistance of loyalists and experts around whom nation-building and political engineering can be facilitated. In the political discourse literature, the apt term for this patronage is political gardening-a framework of harnessing competences, expertise and alliances that could be deployed for political and non-political objectives. What makes Tinubu’s political rising fascinating and formidable is the emergence of a political machinery founded on political gardening, his capacity to headhunt political, economic and technocratic capacities that transcend generational and regional limitations.

This political machinery has not been founded for the sake of merely obtaining power for the sake of power. This is a difficult argument to sell given the generations of political powerbrokers who have passed through Aso Rock and left Nigeria worse than they met it. But then, why headhunt a critical mass of technocratic brainpowers if the endgame was simply to seize and exploit political power? If this harnessing of technocratic competence worked in his grand modernising plan for Lagos State, why would Nigeria be any different with the same strategy? This is where the Machiavellian label deserts our characterisation of Tinubu. This is because Machiavelli’s understanding of political power was for the maintenance of the state’s boundaries; Tinubu’s understanding of political power dwells at the very tight juncture where institutional patronage and strategic resilience must meet visionary policymaking, and power consolidation must be balanced by political engineering.

Four years are not sufficient for balancing power play while trying to inject structural reform into the Nigerian system. But what is more, for a nation-state that has been run into a complicated national dysfunction, there is no gainsaying the urgent necessity of swallowing hard pills of stringent policies like the fuel subsidy removal, the unification of the foreign exchange rates and the tightening of the monetary policy in ways that seek to eliminate price instability as an act in economic stabilisation that has crystallised. These are a few of the policies already put in place to alleviate the policy errors of the past and achieve fiscal growth and accountability.

Let us return to the critical comparison between Awolowo and Tinubu. We are all apprised of the legacy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, especially in terms of human and infrastructural development. Tinubu’s legacy is still in the making, and the quest for a second term in office will go a long way not only to douse the immediate threat of political opposition (directed towards reputational damage) but to also allow freer avenue for the consolidation of the foundations of transformational policies. To secure a spot in the annals of political leadership in Nigeria, Tinubu is faced with the challenge of converting his political strategies and pragmatic orientation towards not just stabilising the fractured Nigerian state but also laying a policy architecture of economic recovery and growth.

How Lagos syndicate diverted ?20bn goods for 19 years

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested six suspected members of a syndicate accused of diverting imported goods worth more than ?20bn over a period of 19 years.

The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit following complaints from importers over missing consignments.

Those arrested were identified as Lateef Jamiu, Abubakar Amadu, Aliu Olanshile, Opeyemi Oyewale, Hassana Malami and Hassana Haruna.

A police source said Jamiu and Amadu were allegedly leaders of one of the most organised goods diversion syndicates operating in the country.

According to the source, the group allegedly targeted importers at Lagos ports by offering transportation services for the movement of goods to different parts of the country.

The suspects allegedly collected consignments after securing transportation contracts, before diverting the goods and cutting off communication with the owners.

‘They hang around the ports in Lagos and search for people in need of transportation for their imported goods to be moved to the North, East and other parts of Nigeria,’ the source said.

The source alleged that members of the syndicate also joined transport-related WhatsApp groups where importers advertised their need for trucks.

‘Once they get the offer, they disappear with the goods and erase every trace that could lead to their whereabouts by changing their phones and SIM cards,’ the source added.

The police source said the suspects had allegedly been involved in similar operations in the past and had been arrested and prosecuted before their release.

He alleged that Jamiu and Amadu were released from prison earlier in 2026 before they allegedly returned to the same activities.

In their latest operation, the suspects allegedly diverted goods including forklifts, fabrics and imported plates valued at about ?3bn.

The source said the group allegedly collected goods meant to be transported from Lagos to Kano but diverted the consignment to Ojota, Lagos, where it was allegedly offloaded and sold.

One of the suspected leaders, Jamiu, reportedly admitted that the goods were diverted.

‘It is true that we agreed to help the importer move the goods from the port in Lagos to Kano. We negotiated and loaded the goods at the port, but instead of going to Kano, we diverted to a place in

Ojota, where we offloaded them and sold them to our receivers,’ he was quoted as saying.

Amadu also reportedly admitted to working with Jamiu for about 19 years after they met while working as truck drivers.

The police said investigations led officers to trace some of the alleged diverted fabrics to a market in Agege, Lagos, where the importer identified them.

The operation also led to the arrest of alleged receivers of the goods and some truck drivers linked to the diversion.

Confirming the arrests, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, described the operation as a major breakthrough by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit.

She said investigations were ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate and recover more allegedly diverted goods.

2,000 Jigawa academics endorse Tinubu, Namadi for second terms

More than 2,000 academics under the Jigawa State Academic Forum have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, for second terms in office.

The academics announced their endorsement during an interactive session with Governor Namadi at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Dutse.

Chairman of the forum, Prof. Haruna Birniwa, said the decision followed an assessment of the achievements of the Tinubu administration at the federal level and the Namadi administration in Jigawa State.

‘Those of us here physically present, about 2,000 plus, and others who are unavoidably absent, make an unflinching support for our amiable President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Malam Umar Namadi to continue for a second term,’ Birniwa said.

During the session, Namadi highlighted the achievements of his administration in education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, economic empowerment and employment under its 12-Point Agenda.

He also outlined policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration, which he said had positively impacted Nigeria and Jigawa State.

Speaking with reporters after the endorsement, Namadi said the meeting was initially expected to attract about 700 academics but recorded an attendance of more than 2,000.

He said, ‘After all the presentations we made to them, they were able to appreciate what Mr President has done for Nigeria and what he has done also for Jigawa State.

‘They were very happy with what we have done and they were also happy with the President. So, at the same time, they endorsed both the President and myself for the second term.’

Namadi said the endorsement demonstrated that the academics were closely following developments in the country and assessing government performance.

He assured them that his administration would continue to improve the lives of the people and would not disappoint them.

Also speaking, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Alhaji Ibrahim Masari, described the endorsement as significant and urged the academics to continue supporting programmes that improve the lives of Nigerians.

He also called for sustained improvement in the performance of both administrations over the past three years.

DA backs ‘phased’ pork tariff hikes

To support Filipino hog raisers, the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday said it is seeking to restore pre-African swine fever tariff levels for imported pork through staggered increases.

The proposal follows the agency’s discussions on Sept. 24 with industry stakeholders, who called for the move as farmgate pork prices continue to drop.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said he has taken up this matter with President Marcos. He said they had proposed the initial return from a 25-percent to a 35-percent tariff.

Then by Jan. 1, hopefully 40 percent, back to (the original) rate. So, that alone can help,’ Tiu Laurel said.

As of August, farmgate prices of pork dropped to P150 per kilogram, lower than P215 in June 2025.

The DA is also seeking a tariff line for frozen pork jowls, which have become a major import due to their lower tariff treatment, increasingly competing with local pork in the retail and food service sectors.