Category: Business Day

The Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the Allied People’s Movement, APM Presidential candidate on Thursday said that he would work actively with like-minded politicians to ensure a better Nigeria come 2027.

Makinde who was formally elected as the Presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement, APM said he’s well prepared to lift the millions of Nigerians out of the poverty level, which has ravaged the land even more in the past three years as a result of poorly implemented policies.

Speaking at the party’s National Convention, which took place at the Rilwan Adamu Square in Bauchi on Thursday Makinde said it is not a coincidence that today’s epoch-making event is taking place in Bauchi, the home state of the first Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

His Presidential running mate is Lawal Musa Daura, the former Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) between 2015 and 2018, whom he said was deliberately chosen to solve the security situation of the country.

FACTS

General Hydrocarbons Limited (‘the Appellant’), having been granted Oil Mining Lease (OML) 120 by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources for a term of twenty years, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with First Bank of Nigeria Limited (‘the 1st Respondent’) for the funding, development, operation, and optimal exploration of the oil block. Under the arrangement, the 1st Respondent undertook to finance the Appellant’s operations, while the Appellant agreed that the parties would share the profits from the sale of crude oil produced from OML 120 in the ratio of 50:50. As part of the financing structure, the Appellant was required to domicile the proceeds of all crude oil sales from OML 120 into a designated collection account maintained with the 1st Respondent. The parties further agreed that the loan facilities advanced by the 1st Respondent would be repaid from the proceeds of crude oil sales paid into the account before the balance was applied in accordance with the parties’ profit-sharing arrangement.

The relationship between the parties subsequently deteriorated when the Appellant accused the 1st Respondent of failing to honour its funding obligations under the agreement and frustrating its efforts to obtain alternative financing for the development of the oil block. The dispute eventually resulted in arbitral proceedings and separate proceedings before the Federal High Court, Lagos, where preservative orders were granted in aid of the ongoing arbitration.

Dissatisfied with those orders, the 1st Respondent appealed against the decision of the trial court and also sought a stay of execution, alleging that the Appellant had failed, refused, and neglected to remit the proceeds from the 2024 lifting and sale of crude oil into the designated collection account despite repeated demands. While those proceedings remained pending, the 1st Respondent commenced a fresh action seeking to enforce the Appellant’s contractual obligation to domicile the proceeds of crude oil sales into the designated account pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding and the facility agreement. In the suit, the 1st Respondent also filed an ex parte application for an order arresting, attaching, and placing a lien on the entire cargo of crude oil aboard the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel Tamara Tokoni. The trial Federal High Court granted the application and ordered the arrest, attachment, and lien over the cargo.

The Appellant and the other Respondents challenged the ex parte orders by filing preliminary objections and applications to set them aside on the grounds that the orders were obtained through material misrepresentation, concealment of pending proceedings, and constituted an abuse of court process. The trial court upheld the objection, declined jurisdiction, dismissed the suit, and vacated the arrest order. On appeal, however, the Court of Appeal reversed that decision, restored the arrest order, and further directed that the crude oil cargo be sold, with the proceeds paid into an escrow account pending the determination of the substantive dispute.

Dissatisfied with that decision, the Appellant appealed to the Supreme Court. The issue raised by the Supreme Court suo moto for the determination of the appeal was: Whether in the circumstances of this case, the trial court had the subject matter jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

ARGUMENT

Learned Senior Counsel for the Appellant contended that the transaction between the parties was purely a financing arrangement governed by the Memorandum of Understanding and the facility agreements. He argued that the dispute did not concern the ownership, possession, or carriage of crude oil, nor did it involve any proprietary or possessory interest in the cargo aboard the vessel. Rather, the complaint was simply that the proceeds realized from the sale of crude oil had not been paid into the designated collection account as agreed by the parties.

According to the Senior Counsel, the claim arose solely from an alleged breach of the financing agreements and was, in substance, a debt recovery claim founded on contract and argued that the arrest and detention of the crude oil cargo were unwarranted because the Bank had no legal interest in the cargo itself. He submitted that neither the Memorandum of Understanding nor the facility agreements created a mortgage, charge, assignment, or any other security interest over the crude oil. The 1st Respondent’s Bank’s rights were limited to receiving payment into the designated account, and those contractual rights could not transform an ordinary commercial dispute into an admiralty claim.

In response, learned Senior Counsel for the 1st Respondent argued that the Appellant had deliberately breached its contractual undertaking by diverting the proceeds of crude oil sales instead of paying them into the designated collection account. Having provided the funds for the development and production of the crude oil, the 1st Respondent was entitled to seek the arrest and preservation of the cargo to protect its financial interest and prevent the dissipation of assets pending the determination of the dispute. He submitted that the reliefs sought, including the preservation of the crude oil cargo and recovery of the diverted proceeds, were sufficient to invoke the admiralty jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

DECISION OF THE COURT

In resolving the issue, the Supreme Court held that:

A claim founded on the breach of a contractual obligation to pay proceeds from the sale of produced crude oil into a designated account, and to recover any diverted proceeds, is not a maritime matter and does not fall within admiralty jurisdiction merely because the crude oil is stored aboard a vessel at sea.

The Supreme Court explained that a dispute concerning the alleged diversion of proceeds from produced and lifted crude oil, in breach of a financing arrangement, is essentially a banking and commercial dispute. The fact that the subject matter involved crude oil did not, without more, convert the claim into an admiralty claim. According to the Court, the Appellant’s promise to pay sale proceeds into a designated account created, at most, a contractual right in favour of the 1st Respondent and does not give the 1st Respondent ownership of the crude oil, nor did it make the crude oil security for the financing provided. Consequently, although the 1st Respondent financed the production of the crude oil and was entitled to recover the facility from the proceeds of sale paid into the designated account, that entitlement did not confer any right to seize or detain the crude cargo itself.

Issue resolved in favour of the Appellant.

Dr. A. I. Layonu, S.A.N, Chika Osolu Ojukwu, S.A.N, with them, Yakubu O. Galadima, Esq., Doherty Taiwo, Esq., S.A. Liman, Esq., Usman Munirat Musa and Maxwell C. Ukomah, Esq.For Appellant(s)

Babajide Kuku, S.A.N, with him, Kehinde Wilkey, Esq. and Buchi Ofolue, Esq. – for 1st Respondent

Onome Okodiya, Esq., with him, Emmanuel Esedo, Esq., and E. Erewa, Esq. – for 2nd to 4th Respondents

This summary is fully reported at (2026) 7 CLRN in association with ALP NG and Co.

The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for the submission of memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation to 5pm, Friday, August 21, 2026.

Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to the president, and chairman, Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, revealed this on Thursday.

The Group had earlier fixed August 13 as deadline for the submission of memoranda and contributions to the National Policing Bill.

But Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, said the ‘extension is intended to provide stakeholders with additional time for thorough preparation and ensure that interested individuals, institutions and organisations have adequate opportunity to make well-considered contributions to the proposed legislation.’

He stated that the Presidential Working Group is committed to ensuring that the process of developing the National Policing Bill benefits from broad consultation and the informed perspectives of Nigerians and relevant stakeholders.

The proposed legislation is intended to provide the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework necessary for an effective policing architecture that responds to Nigeria’s evolving security needs while providing appropriate safeguards for accountability, professionalism and the protection of citizens’ rights.

‘Given the significance of the proposed reform to the future of policing and internal security in Nigeria, the Working Group considers it important that stakeholders are afforded more opportunity to make substantive and technically sound contributions to the process’.

He called on legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and interested members of the public to ‘take advantage of the extended period to submit their memoranda and position papers.

‘All submissions must be made on or before 5:00 p.m. WAT on Friday, August 21, 2026, exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal, nationalpolicingbill.com’.

Gbajabiamila also noted that the Working Group recognises that developing an effective policing framework requires careful consideration of critical issues, including sustainable funding, command and control structures, recruitment and training standards, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency coordination, accountability mechanisms and safeguards against political interference or abuse.

‘These considerations underscore the importance of robust stakeholder engagement in developing a framework that is effective, accountable, sustainable and responsive to the peculiar security needs of communities across the Federation’

At the conclusion of its assignment, the Presidential Working Group is expected to present a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onward legislative processing.

He expressed the Working Group’s appreciation to the stakeholders who have already made submissions and encourages others intending to participate in this important national process to take advantage of the extension.

Africa’s private sector entered the second half of the year on firmer footing, with business activity rising to its highest level in seven months in July as stronger demand and easing inflation supported growth across several economies.

BusinessDay’s analysis of Purchasing Managers’ Index data from S and P Global across eight African economies shows that the average PMI rose to 51.0 in July, its highest level since January, from 50.5 in June.

Six economies recorded an expansion in private-sector activity, the highest number since March, while two remained in contraction.

The improvement points to a broadening recovery in the continent’s private sector after a weaker June, when three economies recorded contractions. Ghana, Egypt, Zambia, Kenya and Mozambique all recorded improvements in their July PMI readings, while Uganda retained its position as the strongest-performing economy with a PMI of 55.5. Egypt remained the weakest at 46.8.

A PMI reading above 50 signals an expansion in business activity from the previous month, while a reading below 50 indicates contraction. The index is closely watched because it provides an early indication of changes in output, new orders, employment and business confidence.

But the stronger July performance comes with an important caveat: much of the improvement was recorded before renewed tensions in the Middle East began to intensify towards the end of the month.

‘July’s data were collected over a period during which a tailwind from lower oil prices and improved prospects for the situation in the Middle East, including increased shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz, supported businesses,’ said Chris Williamson, business economist and executive director at S and P Global Market Intelligence.

‘But that tailwind went into reverse toward the end of the month, with oil prices rising sharply again amid renewed hostilities and escalating disruptions to shipping.’

The timing could prove critical for African economies.

Last month’s PMI data capture a period when businesses were benefiting from stronger demand, relatively stable currencies and easing inflation in several markets. The latest escalation in the Middle East, however, raises the risk that some of those gains could be eroded in the months ahead.

Higher oil prices could increase fuel and transportation costs across the continent, while disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz could push up shipping and insurance costs. For economies that rely heavily on imported fuel, food and industrial inputs, those pressures could quickly feed into domestic inflation.

That, in turn, could complicate the task facing African central banks. While improving inflation and stronger business activity could create room for policymakers to support growth, a renewed increase in energy and imported costs could force them to keep monetary policy tighter for longer.

Brent crude has retreated from wartime highs above $120 a barrel to close to $90, but markets remain sensitive to developments around the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass.

Oil futures had risen by more than $3 a barrel after Iran reviewed legislation that would ban US and Israeli vessels from the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the sensitivity of energy markets to developments in the region.

For African businesses, the immediate concern is therefore not simply whether activity remains above the 50-point PMI threshold, but whether stronger demand can translate into sustained output and investment without renewed energy, shipping and inflation pressures undermining the recovery.

The data offer an encouraging start to the second half of the year. But whether the improvement becomes a durable recovery will depend increasingly on how long African economies can withstand another external shock.

Demand provides a lift

The strongest common factor across the July surveys was an improvement in demand.

Kenya returned to expansion after several months of weak activity, while Zambia and Mozambique also moved back into growth. Nigeria maintained its expansion, and Uganda continued to record robust growth.

The improvement was also visible in business confidence. In several markets, firms reported stronger expectations for future activity, increased hiring intentions and higher purchasing activity.

But the recovery was not uniform.

Ghana remained in contraction, although the pace of deterioration slowed. Egypt also remained below the 50-point threshold despite a sharp improvement in business confidence, while South Africa recorded only marginal growth.

That divergence matters because it shows that Africa’s recovery is not being driven by a single regional cycle. Instead, individual economies are responding differently to domestic demand, inflation, exchange-rate movements, monetary policy and commodity prices.

Ghana: contraction loses pace

Ghana’s private sector remained under pressure last month, but the downturn weakened considerably.

The West African nation’s PMI increased to 49.2 from 47.7 in June, remaining below the 50-point threshold for a second consecutive month.

New orders declined again as customers struggled to secure funds to pay for purchases, but employment continued to rise and business confidence improved.

‘Ghana’s private sector began the second half of the year in much the same fashion as it ended the first, with firms facing challenges securing new work as customers struggled to secure the necessary funds to commit to new projects,’ said Andrew Harker, economics director at S and P Global Market Intelligence.

He noted that sustained job creation and stronger confidence could support a recovery in business activity as the second half progresses.

The improving inflation picture provides some support for that outlook.

Annual inflation fell to 4.6 percent in July from 5.3 percent in June, its first decline after three consecutive monthly increases, according to the country’s statistical agency. Food inflation slowed to 3.1 percent from 3.9 percent, while non-food inflation eased to 6.1 percent from 6.3 percent.

The Bank of Ghana kept its benchmark rate at 14 percent after pausing in May following five consecutive rate cuts.

However, renewed Middle East tensions could complicate that benign inflation picture if higher oil and shipping costs begin to feed through to domestic prices.

Egypt: confidence returns before activity

Egypt offers another example of improving sentiment ahead of a full recovery in business activity.

Business confidence among Egyptian firms rose to a three-year high in July, even though the non-oil private sector remained in contraction for a seventh consecutive month.

The PMI increased to 46.8 from June’s 46.0, meaning the pace of deterioration slowed but operating conditions remained weak.

S and P Global said early third-quarter PMI data were broadly consistent with annual GDP growth of about 4 percent, following stronger-than-expected expansion in recent quarters.

Africa’s second largest economy grew five percent in the first quarter of 2026, up from 4.8 percent a year earlier, according to the Central Bank of Egypt.

‘The non-oil private sector witnessed a notable uplift in business sentiment in July, despite operating conditions remaining firmly in contraction territory,’ the PMI report said.

The improvement in confidence is encouraging, but inflation remains a constraint. Annual urban inflation accelerated to 14.9 percent in July from 14.3 percent in June.

The Central Bank of Egypt therefore extended its monetary policy pause, leaving its benchmark interest rate at 19 percent for a third consecutive meeting.

The Arab nations’ challenge is to convert improving confidence and stronger economic growth into a sustained recovery in private-sector activity without allowing renewed energy and imported price pressures to derail progress.

Zambia and Kenya return to growth

Zambia’s private sector returned to expansion, ending three consecutive months of contraction.

The PMI rose to 50.7 last month from 49.9, supported by a recovery in output and new orders, stronger employment growth and improved supplier performance.

The expansion was modest, but business confidence reached its highest level in eight-and-a-half years.

‘The country’s private sector returned to growth in July 2026, with the PMI rising to 50.7 from 49.9 in June, driven by a recovery in output and new orders, stronger hiring, improving supplier performance, while also recording the highest level of business confidence since December 2017,’ said Musenge Komeki, head of sales at Stanbic Bank.

It’s inflation remained at 6.5 percent in July, within the Bank of Zambia’s 6-8 percent target range, providing policymakers with some room to support growth.

Kenya also returned to expansion after four months of stagnation or decline.

Its PMI rose from 50.0 in June to 51.3 in July, driven by the strongest increase in new orders since January.

Employment expanded at its fastest pace of the year, while business optimism reached its highest level since February 2023.

But the improvement was constrained by weak output, elevated input costs and supply-chain disruptions.

‘Kenya’s PMI increased in July as conditions in the private sector improved,’ said Christopher Legilisho, economist at Stanbic Bank. ‘The headline gain was mainly driven by stronger new orders and modest short-term hiring, implying that firms are responding to pockets of demand and near-term workload pressures.’

The annual inflation in East Africa’s biggest economy edged up to 6.5 percent in July from 6.4 percent in June.

The Central Bank of Kenya kept its benchmark rate at 8.75 percent on Tuesday, its third consecutive hold, saying the current policy stance remained appropriate for maintaining price and exchange-rate stability.

Mozambique posts strongest improvement in three years

Mozambique recorded one of the most notable improvements in the July survey.

Its PMI rose to 51.4 from 50.0 in June, marking a return to growth after three months of stagnation and the strongest improvement in business conditions in three years.

New business grew at its fastest pace in eight months, while output expanded at the joint-fastest rate in three years.

Business confidence also reached its highest level since October 2022, with 59 percent of firms expecting activity to increase over the next year.

Yet the east African nation illustrates the vulnerability of the recovery to higher energy costs.

The survey recorded the sharpest increase in input prices since May 2022, driven by fuel shortages and supply constraints.

‘The July PMI reflects positive performances across most PMI sub-indices, including output and new orders. However, the employment sub-index slid below 50 for the first time since May 2025, implying still fragile growth,’ said Fáusio Mussá, chief economist for Mozambique at Standard Bank.

Mozambique’s annual inflation had already accelerated to 7.51 percent in June, the highest since May 2023.

The central bank kept its benchmark MIMO rate at 9.25 percent for a third consecutive meeting while tightening liquidity through a higher reserve requirement on local-currency deposits.

Uganda leads the expansion

Uganda remained the strongest-performing economy in the survey, with a PMI of 55.5 in July.

Although the reading eased from 56.5 in June, it marked an 18th consecutive month of improvement in private-sector conditions.

Growth was supported by sustained increases in output and new orders, while employment continued to rise.

But input and purchase prices increased as firms faced higher fuel and staff costs.

‘Ugandan firms reported a further improvement in demand in July, which underpinned robust output,’ said Christopher Legilisho, economist at Stanbic Bank.

The country’s annual inflation rose to 4 percent in July from 3.7 percent in June. Its strong private-sector performance therefore stands out in a region where several economies are still struggling with weak demand and elevated costs.

Nigeria maintains momentum

Nigeria’s private sector continued to expand in July, although growth moderated.

The PMI fell to 52.5 from 53.4 in June but remained above the 50-point threshold for a sixth consecutive month.

New orders continued to increase strongly, supported by new product launches, competitive pricing and improving customer demand.

Output and employment also increased, while input costs rose at their slowest pace in five months.

‘Businesses reported improved customer demand in July while better pricing and new product launches also helped them to capture new orders arising from the increase in demand,’ said Muyiwa Oni, head of equity research for West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank.

Annual inflation was little changed at 15.91 percent in June from 15.93 percent in May, helped by relative naira stability.

The Central Bank of Nigeria kept its benchmark rate at 26.5 percent in July after raising it by 50 basis points in February.

South Africa remains fragile

South Africa barely remained in expansion territory in July, highlighting the uneven nature of the regional recovery.

The S and P Global PMI for the continent’s biggest economy stood at 50.3, down slightly from 50.5 in June, as a return to output growth was offset by weaker employment growth and renewed stock drawdowns.

Businesses benefited from easing cost pressures, but weak demand, political instability and supply-chain disruptions continued to weigh on activity.

‘South African businesses enjoyed more breathing room in July, following the cost squeeze over the second quarter, as a drop in fuel prices helped to lower the rate of input price inflation and reduce second-round wage effects,’ said David Owen, principal economist at S and P Global Market Intelligence.

But he warned that the recovery remained fragile, with new orders and business confidence still weak.

The country’s inflation accelerated to five percent in June, its highest level in two years, driven largely by transport and fuel costs.

The South African Reserve Bank kept its benchmark rate at 7 percent last month, balancing inflation risks against a fragile economic recovery.

The recovery faces its biggest test yet

The July PMI data provide a cautiously positive picture of Africa’s private sector.

Demand is recovering in several economies, businesses are becoming more optimistic and employment is strengthening in some markets. The average PMI has moved further into expansion territory, while economies such as Uganda and Mozambique are recording particularly strong improvements.

But the recovery is far from secure.

The biggest immediate risk is that renewed Middle East tensions could reverse some of the favourable conditions businesses enjoyed during the first half of July.

Higher oil prices would raise fuel and transportation costs across the continent. Disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz could increase shipping costs and delay imports, while renewed imported inflation could force central banks to keep interest rates higher for longer.

That would be particularly challenging for economies such as Kenya, Mozambique, Egypt and South Africa, where inflationary pressures are already constraining policy choices.

Last month’s numbers therefore represent an encouraging start to the second half of 2026, but they do not yet signal a decisive turning point.

The more important question for the months ahead is whether stronger demand can translate into sustained increases in output, investment and employment before higher energy costs and geopolitical uncertainty begin to erode the recovery.

For now, Africa’s private sector has momentum. The challenge will be keeping it.

Anambra state has set a 2030 deadline to digitise every government entity in the state as it seeks to move more public services online and extend digital access to rural communities.

Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, managing director and chief executive officer of the Anambra State ICT Agency, said the state’s next phase of digital transformation would focus on e-governance, smart government, digital infrastructure and the use of emerging technologies to improve public services.

‘My core vision is that we would have digitised every single government entity in Anambra State,’ Agbata said during an online media engagement on Thursday.

The target marks a shift in the state’s technology strategy from building basic digital infrastructure to using it to deliver government services, support businesses and improve how residents interact with government.

Agbata said the agency, under its 2.0 agenda, is building websites for ministries, departments and agencies while adding functions that allow residents to access actual government services online.

‘We are building websites for all the MDAs. We are also automating them to be able to carry out services and give government support and government services through their websites,’ he said.

The move is intended to reduce the need for residents to travel to Awka or other government offices for services that can be initiated or completed online.

Early usage of the Smart Anambra platform is already pointing to demand for such services. Agbata said the platform recorded about 14,000 visits between July 9 and July 29, an average of about 700 visits a day, despite limited publicity.

The platform is being connected to services spanning hospitals, schools and other government processes, with the goal of allowing residents to start applications remotely, complete forms online and only appear physically where necessary.

‘What the data is already showing us is that we really need to build a system that allows people to actually get government services remotely,’ Agbata said.

Rural connectivity remains a hurdle

The state’s 2030 digital ambition, however, faces a major infrastructure challenge outside urban centres.

Agbata said rural connectivity remained weak because telecommunications operators are often reluctant to invest in communities where the commercial returns do not justify deployment costs.

The state is therefore considering partnerships that could allow it to use Federal Government infrastructure and support from the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to extend connectivity to underserved communities.

‘We understand what digital inclusion means because we are dealing directly with these communities,’ he said.

The push is important to the state’s digital-government strategy because online public services cannot reach residents who lack reliable access to mobile networks or broadband.

Anambra wants rural residents to benefit from digital government regardless of where they live, making connectivity a key part of the state’s broader digital transformation programme.

SMEs targeted

The government is also linking digitalisation to business formalisation, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the state’s major markets.

Agbata said the ICT Agency was working with the Ministry of Commerce to explore ways of bringing more informal businesses into the formal digital economy.

‘One of the biggest challenges that we have is that SMEs are not formalised enough,’ he said.

The strategy could make digital platforms a gateway for businesses to interact with government, access support and participate more fully in the formal economy.

The agency also plans to deepen digital skills and education programmes, including initiatives linked to Smart Schools and broader capacity development.

Paperless government to come gradually

While the State Executive Council already operates a paperless system, Agbata said the government was unlikely to declare the entire civil service fully paperless immediately.

He said selected ministries, departments and agencies could instead serve as pilots for deeper digital transformation, with paper and digital processes operating alongside each other during the transition.

‘What might happen is a dual situation,’ he said.

Cybersecurity and public trust will also be important as more government services move online, according to Agbata.

He said the state’s transformation would require cooperation among government agencies, technology companies, telecommunications operators and local technology manufacturers.

He cited the procurement of about 2,000 computers from indigenous technology company Zinox as an example of the state’s engagement with local technology providers.

For Anambra, the challenge over the next four years will be to turn its digital infrastructure into services that residents can actually use, while solving the connectivity, skills, funding and trust gaps that could slow adoption.

Agbata said the ultimate goal was to create a state where residents and businesses can increasingly interact with government digitally and where technology plays a larger role in economic development.

The 2030 deadline now gives the state a clear benchmark against which its digital-government progress can be measured.

Brand Nigeria has huge potential but inconsistent execution. From your experience in narrative and market positioning, what is your honest diagnosis, and what would genuine repositioning require?

Brand Nigeria does not have a visibility problem. It has a narrative problem. I say that with conviction because I see the same pattern in businesses every day. Nigeria is one of the most visible countries on the planet. Our music is on global charts. Our films are on international streaming platforms. Our diaspora is in boardrooms, hospitals, and universities across major cities around the world. We are not invisible. We are simply not telling a coherent story about what we stand for. And when that gap exists, the world fills it with whatever narrative is most available, which is rarely the one that serves us.

A defined narrative, told consistently and pushed through the right channels, does more than inform people. It shapes perception, creates interest, and can attract investment. Investment creates businesses and industries. Industries create employment and economic activity. That is the compounding return on narrative investment, and it applies at both state and national levels.

So, what would an actual Brand Nigeria repositioning look like? First, a decision, not a committee, not a rebrand exercise. A genuine decision about the story Nigeria is choosing to own, built around our real, demonstrable strengths: our market size, talent density, creative output, and resilience.

Second is consistency. The government, the private sector, and the diaspora all need to show up within that story rather than telling competing versions of it.

Third is measurement: treating Brand Nigeria like a campaign with defined outcomes: investment attracted, trade expanded, tourism increased, and talent retained or returned. Not like a PR exercise.

Nigeria does not need a rebrand. It needs a narrative it is willing to commit to and the discipline to tell it everywhere, over time, without flinching.

That is what turns perception into economic value. At a national scale, that value looks like investment, tourism, trade, and the best of our people choosing to build here.

Nigeria has world-class creative talent, yet that creative excellence rarely translates into world-class brand building for Nigerian businesses. Why is the disconnect happening, and how do we fix it?

This is one of the most important questions the industry is not asking loudly enough. We have proven to the world that Nigerian creativity travels. Afrobeats is a global genre. Nollywood is the second-largest film industry by volume on the planet. Our fashion designers are on international runways.

Our content creators are shaping culture across continents. The creative muscle is not in question. The disconnect is that creativity and brand building are being treated as separate disciplines when they are fundamentally the same thing. A hit record is a narrative. A film that moves people is a narrative. But when Nigerian businesses sit down to build their brands, they abandon that instinct entirely and reach for the most generic, safest version of themselves. They stop being storytellers and become announcers. The fix is not complicated, but it requires a mindset shift.

‘But here is what nobody expected: when people came for that meal, they did not just buy that meal. They bought everything else on the menu too, and sales on every other day improved because the energy around that one narrative created a ripple through the entire business.’

Brands need to approach their identity the way our best creatives approach their craft: with a distinct point of view, a willingness to be specific, and the conviction that the right story told powerfully will find its audience. The businesses that make that shift are the ones that will build brands the world remembers.

If I get you right, most businesses don’t have a visibility problem but rather a narrative problem. Could you break that down?

Take any competitive industry – dental clinics, restaurants, financial services – every brand in that space is showing up, posting content, showcasing work, attending events, and running ads. They are visible, but visible is not the same as chosen. We worked with a restaurant once. My first question when we came on board was simple: what is your best-selling meal? What do people actually come here for? They told us. And I said, ‘Fine.’ Let us build a day around that meal. Declare it. Create a moment. When we did, footfall on that specific day increased significantly.

But here is what nobody expected: when people came for that meal, they did not just buy that meal. They bought everything else on the menu too, and sales on every other day improved because the energy around that one narrative created a ripple through the entire business. That is the difference between visibility and narrative. Visibility gets you seen. Narrative gets you chosen. And in a market this competitive, being seen is no longer enough.

What is the conversation that should be happening instead of digital marketing, ad spend, and follower counts?

A brand came to us with a brief that I hear in different forms constantly: ‘We want one million followers on social media in our first year.’ New brand, new to market, no existing audience. Before responding, I quietly checked the social media following of the most established brand in their industry. A brand that has been operating for over seven years, investing heavily in digital, with a strong team. Their following was under one million. So, I told this client plainly, You are not going to cook your followers and eat them. One million followers is not a business goal. It is a vanity metric. The real question is, what does one million followers actually do for your business? Does it drive awareness? Does it convert to sales? Does it attract the right partners?

When you answer that question honestly, everything changes. You stop chasing numbers and start building with purpose. And the growth follows, because you are playing the bigger game. The conversation that needs to happen in boardrooms is not how many people are seeing us. It is what people understand about us when they see us. Reach without clarity is just noise with a budget.

What are the specific, observable signs that a business has a narrative problem, and why do so many mistakes lead to a visibility or sales problem?

We worked with a brand in the aesthetics space. On their social media bio, they had a line that was genuinely powerful: ‘We improve confidence in women.’ Strong, differentiated, memorable. But when you scrolled through their content, that line existed nowhere else. Not in the stories they told, not in how they celebrated their clients. Not in how they described their services. The narrative was in the bio and nowhere else. And yet this brand was active, posting consistently, attending events, and known within their industry.

By every surface measure, they looked like a brand that had it together. But they were not the first name that came to mind when someone needed to make a decision in their category. That is a narrative problem. And it was being treated as a sales problem, with more campaigns, more spend, and more content. But you cannot spend your way to being the first choice. You earn that through consistency of story. Here is what most brands miss: ‘Narrative has a long game.’

Someone who encounters your story today and does not buy will eventually have a need. And when that moment comes, they will remember. They will search for that brand they saw once that said exactly the right thing. That is what a strong narrative does. It keeps working long after the campaign has ended.

Most business leaders think about the brand after they have built the product; what do you consider a more progressive approach?

If your goal is to build a healthy meal restaurant, the customer has to exist in your thinking from day one: who they are, where to find them, what to say when you do, and why this matters specifically to them. Too many brands launch and then ask – now how do we get people to care? But if you build the narrative from the beginning, people start falling in love with what you are building before it even opens. They feel like they are part of something. That is not marketing; that is architecture. The brands that enter a market and immediately feel inevitable, the ones that seem to have always belonged, did not get there by accident. They defined who they were building for before they built a single thing. And every decision after that was made through that lens.

Finally, what is the most significant result Innoventure has produced in two years, and what was the narrative shift behind it?

Two results stand out. The first was a healthcare support company that had been trying to expand into a new market for some time but kept stalling. When we came in, the problem was clear; they had not yet made their authority unquestionable in their existing market. You cannot export strength you have not yet established at home. We sharpened their narrative, reinforced their market leadership, and then led their entry into a new country. The expansion landed. Their revenue reflected it, their industry positioning reflected it, and the calibre of conversations they were having at a sector level changed entirely.

The second was a government project that came to us framed as a digital advertising campaign. I redirected that early. You cannot put fire into the market without a story behind it; people do not respond to activity, they respond to meaning. We built the narrative first, then executed. We exceeded the campaign target by over 400%. That is what narrative does when it is right. It does not just support the campaign. It is the campaign.

President Bola Tinubu has assented to a bill establishing the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), bringing to a close more than a decade of attempts to give port regulation a statutory footing.

Pius Akutah, executive secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), disclosed the development on Thursday in a Facebook post. ‘Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026. Thank you Mr President for making it a reality,’ he said.

Since the Nigerian Senate passed the bill on April 28, anticipation had peaked for final approval.

The legislation is intended to replace the regulatory arrangement under which the Nigerian Shippers’ Council has overseen the economic side of Nigeria’s ports since 2014, when the Federal Government designated the council as the interim port economic regulator following the port concessions of 2006.

The council’s role has rested largely on presidential directives and regulations rather than a dedicated Act of Parliament. The new law is intended to give the port economic regulator statutory powers over areas including tariffs, rates and charges, competition, service standards and commercial disputes.

The legislation has taken a long route to enactment. Successive National Assemblies had considered bills to establish a dedicated port economic regulator, but attempts in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth assemblies did not produce a law.

The current legislative effort, initially titled the Nigerian Shipping and Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill 2023, was introduced in the House of Representatives in February 2024 and passed second reading the following month. The bill sought to repeal the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act and replace it with a new statutory framework.

Its passage was not straightforward.

The bill attracted objections from other maritime agencies over the potential duplication of regulatory powers.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), for instance, raised concerns about provisions covering shipping regulation, licences, fees and charges, while the Nigerian Ports Authority questioned potential overlaps with its role as landlord and concessioning authority.

After eventually passing through the National Assembly, the legislation reached the Presidency but did not receive immediate assent. The bill was returned to lawmakers for amendments, including issues concerning its mandate and conflicts with the Nigerian Tax Administration Act 2025. The House subsequently revised the legislation, with the Senate also reconsidering its earlier passage before the amended version cleared the legislature in 2026.

By March, Akutah said the revised bill was awaiting Senate concurrence before being retransmitted to Tinubu. In April, the Senate considered the revised legislation as part of the process that eventually put it back before the President.

The significance of Thursday’s assent therefore settles, at least in legislation, the question of who should regulate the commercial relationship between port operators and users, and on what legal authority.

For importers, exporters, shipping lines, terminal operators and other port users, the practical impact will depend on how the new regime is implemented. The key questions now include when the Act takes effect, how its powers will be transferred and what happens to the existing NSC’s current structure.

The earlier version of the legislation provided for the repeal of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act, but the precise institutional and transitional arrangements under the final 2026 Act will determine whether the council is effectively converted into the new regulator or whether a separate institutional transition takes place.

The Renewed Hope Ambassadors in Osun State have said voters are ready for a change of government at Saturday’s Governorship election, saying residents are tired of what it described as ‘dancing’ and want a governor ready to work and deliver the dividends of democracy to them.

Sunday Akere, the State Coordinator of the Group, stated this during the ‘Walk for AMBO’ organised in support of Bola Oyebamiji, the Governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said, ‘The people of Osun are tired of dancing, dancing, dancing, and they are ready for a governor who is ready to work and deliver the dividends of democracy to them.

‘You can see the support of the people. The people of Osun want us, they love us, and they desire change. They know that what we have been witnessing in the last almost three and a half to four years is nothing but mediocrity.’

He added that the Renewed Hope Ambassadors had a structure of more than 95,000 members across Osun, adding that only a fraction of the structure was mobilised for the walk within 18 hours.

‘APC is a party that is loved and adored by the people of Osun State, and you can see within 18 hours, we mobilised the structure of Renewed Hope Ambassador. If you want to mobilise the entirety of our structure, it’s over 95,000 in Osun. But we just said a few should come around and show their support to Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, and that is what we are witnessing here today’, he noted.

Akere expressed confidence that voters would support Oyebamiji on August 15, saying the APC was loved and supported by the people of the State.

He also described President Bola Tinubu as a father to all, saying the group was working towards victory for Oyebamiji at the poll.

Adebowale Azeem, an APC chieftain dismissed claims that the party is relying on federal might to win the election, saying the turnout for the mobilisation was evidence of support for the APC.

Also, Amos Adekunle, the Director of Security of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in Osun, appealed for a peaceful and violence-free election, urging residents to come out and vote.

He said, ‘We just want it to be a violence-free and peaceful election. Everybody should come out and vote. Security will be provided for everybody that needs to come and vote. Rest assured that it’s going to be peaceful. Security will be there, the votes will be counted, and the votes will count.’

Dr Romoke Abiola, a member of the group, urged women in the 30 local government areas and one area office to vote for the APC candidate.

‘My advice for women is that their time has come for prosperity, if you look at the agenda of Bola Oyebamiji, you will see that he has plans for the women, microcredit programme, our primary healthcare for women and the children, when we talk about productivity Oyebamiji is there so the women should expect prosperity,’ Abiola stated.

If you follow Facebook or other social media platforms, you would be tempted to believe that Port Harcourt, once the garden city of highlife, is now the refuse capital of Nigeria.

Those who now berate Port Harcourt’s image may have a big point. From whatever point you enter the city; from Eleme on your way from Uyo and Calabar; from Aba into Oyigbo; from Choba on your way from Warri; or into Rumokoro from Owerri, you will get a ‘warm’ welcome from heaps of refuse, and some ‘warm’ stench.

Before now, Port Harcourt competed in the ‘Cleanest City’ category in Nigeria along with Minna and Owerri. Now, it may be competing in the dirtiest city category.

Records say ‘Port Harcourt earned its legendary title as Nigeria’s ‘Garden City’ through its lush tree-lined streets, peaceful neighbourhoods, and vibrant recreational spaces.’

Green spaces were evident; ‘And the city was historically celebrated for its well-maintained parks, quiet residential layouts, and fresh air coming off the creeks.’

This must be earned from the flowers in the now Old GRA and the well-ordered streets in the Aggrey area of old Township. Now, most of those trees or former flowers now appear to be threats to buildings. There seems to be no replacement and replanting system as part of urban planning.

It is always said that older residents remember an era defined by slow evening strolls, friendly neighbourhoods, and a tranquil pace of life; this was before rapid industrialization.

There were iconic leisure spots, topped by the Port Harcourt Tourist Beach located in the old township of Borokiri. Residents trooped into this place on public holidays and at weekends. Port Harcourt Tourist Beach was established along the Kolabi Creek in 1988, and was once a bustling weekend destination for live traditional music, picnicking, and boat rides.

It died a long time ago, only to be recently replaced by the Port Harcourt Pleasure Park, a modern, expansive open-air facility featuring lakes, fitness trails, and family entertainment. The place seems to rekindle the memories of leisure and picnics. Most weekends these days, crowds swarm into the Park on Aba Road, lapping up every inch of entertainment they can find.

Port Harcourt people love open-air dining, an open ravish of dress and bonding that reflects the cultural lineages that cluster to create the vibe of the Garden City.

This snowballs into a local flavour and lifestyle that make Port Harcourt unique; what with evening outings traditionally involving relaxing with fresh palm wine or enjoying the city’s famous street-side roasted plantain and fish, a delicacy known as bole.

The city is also indicated as blending a bustling maritime and petroleum economy with a relaxed, welcoming social scene.

Now, what the city offers seems to be mountains of refuse from all angles. Vultures and other ugly birds arrive for a feast every now and then.

The Govt House says it discharges its monthly financial obligation. The Ministry of Environment says it’s the agency responsible for the evacuation of rubbish that may be holding the state capital hostage. Many say this is a sign of a system in an almost comatose state.

The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) has adopted a smart waste collection initiative aimed at tackling growing refuse heaps and environmental concerns in the state.

Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has, since last year, experienced steadily growing heaps of refuse along major roads and in suburban centres, heightening calls for an environmental audit.

In a bid to tackle the refuse heaps, RIWAMA, led by Ibimina Wokoma, its managing director, adopted the smart collection initiative, which is expected to kick off in October this year.

The smart waste collection initiative, a technology-driven system aimed at making refuse collection more organised, traceable and responsive, was initially scheduled to begin in May 2026.

The project, which will begin in Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor and surrounding areas, uses real-time data and digital monitoring to optimise collection routes and monitor waste movement from households to approved dumpsites.

Harry Sotonye Henry, RIWAMA’s Head of Media and Advocacy, said in a radio interview on Wednesday that the agency and its technical partners were completing training for vendors and other stakeholders expected to participate in the project.

Explaining the delay in starting the new waste collection initiative, Henry said the agency was also working to fix some problems identified during the test run.

He said: ‘The initiative is fully on course. It goes through a process. You get the vendors, you profile them and take them through sessions. That process is what we have been doing over the past week. The last one we had was the practical session. So, hopefully, before the end of next month-let’s say in October-we should be using the smart collection app.’

Sotonye Henry said the delay in deploying about 25 newly acquired waste trucks was because the agency was putting safety measures in place before they were used. He said the trucks were expected to be deployed on the roads by September.

‘This is meant to boost the refuse collection system in the state. Since the purchase of these vehicles, we have overhauled them and also examined how we could customise them by installing tracking systems and other relevant gadgets. These vehicles will be going to distant places, so there is a need to put proper security and safety measures in place,’ he said.

The growing heaps of refuse on road medians across the state capital have become a major environmental crisis, with civil society groups calling for a state environmental audit.