Category: Business Day

Predge, an Africa-focused earned-media technology platform, has launched with a mission to challenge the traditional public relations model by creating a direct digital channel between organisations with newsworthy stories and journalists looking for relevant information.

Owned by Predge Media Tech Limited, the platform is designed to change how organisations distribute news, campaigns and story opportunities, while giving journalists a dedicated workspace to discover verified stories, connect with sources and manage editorial opportunities.

Predge is positioning itself as a technology layer between communications teams and newsrooms at a time when both sides are under pressure to work faster, operate digitally and make media engagement more measurable. Rather than relying primarily on conventional press-release distribution and broad media outreach, the platform uses a matching approach designed to connect stories with journalists based on their reporting interests and beats.

Gloria Agbomadzi, founder and CEO of Predge, said the platform was developed to address inefficiencies that persist in the relationship between organisations and the media.

‘Public relations has evolved, but much of the technology supporting it hasn’t kept pace,’ Agbomadzi said.

She said Predge was designed to reduce the amount of time organisations spend pursuing coverage and the time journalists spend searching for relevant stories.

‘With Predge, we have built a more intentional and efficient way for both sides to share and discover relevant information,’ she said.

The platform is currently in beta, with features including structured story submissions, journalist discovery, campaign management, relationship tracking, story-interest management and collaboration tools.

Predge said these tools are intended to give organisations greater precision when reaching media contacts while allowing journalists more control over the stories they choose to pursue.

The company is targeting a potential pool of more than 1,000 media houses across sub-Saharan Africa and is onboarding organisations from sectors including fast-moving consumer goods, finance, fintech, business, agriculture, creative industries, manufacturing and energy.

The scale of the ambition places Predge in an emerging category of African media technology seeking to digitise an area of communications that has traditionally depended heavily on personal contacts, email pitches, press releases and manual relationship management.

Akinkunmi Obakeye, non-executive director at Predge, said technology could help address longstanding trust and relevance problems between journalists and communications professionals.

‘Predge will build trust, relevance and efficiency for both communicators and journalists by adopting technology in an ever-evolving ecosystem,’ Obakeye said.

He added that the platform could help reduce misunderstandings between the two sides by reshaping how stories are discovered, verified, reported and distributed.

The technology underpinning the platform includes a matching algorithm, real-time live chat and analytics, alongside structured, role-specific onboarding, according to Olanrewaju Balogun, technical co-founder of Predge.

Balogun said the development team built the platform around the practical workflow of journalists searching for stories and communications professionals seeking more effective ways to distribute information.

‘This is just the beginning. We will learn, iterate and improve as we deliver value to both sides of the exchange for journalists and communications professionals,’ he said.

Predge’s launch comes as organisations increasingly seek measurable returns from communications spending, while newsrooms contend with tighter resources, growing information volumes and the need to identify credible and relevant stories quickly.

The platform’s proposition therefore goes beyond simply providing another channel for press releases. Its longer-term ambition is to become what the company describes as an ‘operating system’ for modern earned-media relations, incorporating newsroom collaboration, media intelligence, analytics and relationship management.

The company, however, is entering the market while still in beta and says it is continuing to refine its features based on how organisations and journalists use the platform. Predge said registration is now open to organisations and journalists as it begins expanding its network across Africa.

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that about 40 of its members have been killed in election-related violence ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, while condemning fresh attacks in Esa-Oke and Atakumasa East.

The party also condemned the alleged killing of Ayegbo Oladale, nephew of Oluwole Oke, Director-General of the APC Governorship Campaign Council, who was reportedly shot alongside Taiwo Oluwadele around Oke’s family compound in Esa-Oke.

Remi Omowaiye, Head, Media and Publicity of the APC Campaign Council, who disclosed this on Thursday, said Oladale died from the attack, while Oluwadele remained in critical condition.

Omowaiye also alleged that an associate of Sanya Omiri and three other APC members were shot in Atakumasa East on Thursday morning. He identified those allegedly attacked as Adebayo Dada, Idowu Laide, Ebuke Emmanuel and Adebiyi Ebenezer, adding that Dada sustained severe injuries.

Omowaiye said the latest incidents were among a series of attacks allegedly targeting APC members in the state, adding that five people were shot during preparations for the party’s planned final campaign rally in Ilesa, with four reportedly killed and another receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of a teaching hospital.

‘It is sad that we are being killed while the governor is playing the victim’s card. As I speak, we have lost about 40 of our members, and nothing has been done to stop this,’ Omowaiye said.

He also alleged that a few days earlier in Ilesa, one of the prisoners released by the government was responsible for a killing in the area, although he did not provide further details.

Omowaiye said the alleged attacks had continued despite the proximity of the election, adding that the party expected authorities to take steps to protect its members and supporters.

He said, ‘Yesterday, the nephew of the Director-General of our campaign council, Honourable Oluwole Oke, Ayegbo Oladale and Taiwo Oluwadele were shot around Honourable Oluwole Oke’s family compound in Esa-Oke.

‘Unfortunately, we lost Ayegbo Oladale while Taiwo is still in a very critical condition.

‘Just this morning again, an associate of Honourable Sanya Omiri and three others were attacked. They were shot. Adebayo Dada’s own was severe. All members of the APC at Atakumosa East were shot at.’

When contacted, Abiodun Ojelabi, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) confirmed the attack.

Choplife, the entertainment and technology company founded by Nigerian musician and entrepreneur Oluwatosin ‘Mr Eazi’ Ajibade, has expanded its operations into the Itana Digital Special Economic Zone.

This is as it seeks to build and scale African creative and technology businesses from Nigeria to global markets.

The move positions Choplife within Itana, described as Africa’s first digital special economic zone, and reflects the company’s broader strategy of bringing its entertainment, media, gaming, technology and intellectual property businesses under a more centralised operational structure.

Choplife has interests spanning music, events, gaming, sports and other forms of intellectual property.

According to Mr Eazi, the company began as a music business through Empawa Africa before expanding into events, gaming and sports.

‘Since 2021, we started with music as a company via Empawa Africa, and as that progressed to the broader sort of line of entertainment, which has gone to events with Dirty Rave,’ Mr Eazi said during an interview.

He said Choplife subsequently moved into gaming, where it initially acquired and licensed intellectual property before developing its own brands and technology.

The company has also expanded into sports through One v One Africa, creating what Mr Eazi described as a broader platform for African entertainment intellectual property.

‘We are not just creating tech IP. We’re creating digital gaming technology, media and in real life, very important in real life, IP,’ he said.

Why Choplife chose Itana

Mr Eazi said the decision to establish Choplife within Itana was driven by the need to reduce the administrative and operational friction associated with running a Pan-African business from multiple jurisdictions.

He said that while African businesses have traditionally considered offshore jurisdictions such as Delaware and London when setting up global operations, Choplife wanted a structure that allowed it to remain firmly rooted on the continent.

‘For us, coming to Itana was the logical step, in the sense that we then have this sort of centralised, sovereign, digital-first operational hub that is very important to us directly on the continent,’ he said.

Mr Eazi said the choice was particularly relevant because most of what Choplife creates is produced on the continent, even though its products and intellectual property are consumed globally.

He estimated that between 80 percent and 99 percent of the company’s activities are created in Africa and distributed across the continent and beyond.

‘It’s an opportunity for us to leverage and centralise our operations, and very important to us that it’s on the continent,’ he said.

Itana offers a digital-first business environment, simplified cross-border operations, streamlined compliance processes and access to a growing ecosystem of technology companies.

Businesses can complete incorporation remotely, potentially within two weeks, while benefiting from the incentives and operating framework of its free zone.

Tackling cross-border business friction

For Mr Eazi, one of the biggest advantages of the Itana model is its potential to address the friction involved in moving capital and operating businesses across African markets.

He said businesses operating across countries often have to navigate different banking systems, foreign exchange rules, tax structures, licensing regimes and corporate regulations.

‘One of the issues around capital lock and cross-border capital friction is when you are a business that has to operate with our accounts, we have to move money from different jurisdictions and we are very digital-based,’ he said.

He added that Choplife’s operations would benefit from having a centralised digital regulatory hub rather than repeatedly dealing with different regulatory and corporate structures in each market.

The challenge is pronounced in Africa, where businesses can face substantially different requirements even when operating between geographically close markets.

Mr Eazi cited the example of Nigeria and neighbouring Benin Republic, noting that a company seeking to operate in both markets can encounter completely different processes.

‘If I want to do my tech business in both countries, it’s an entirely different process, and I have to do it every time,’ he said.

According to him, this can prevent entrepreneurs from taking advantage of opportunities because regulatory processes may take so long that the opportunity disappears before the company can enter the market.

He argued that greater regulatory cooperation and licence passporting across African countries could help create a more integrated digital economy.

Choplife already employs Nigerian engineers

The expansion into Itana is not purely a future plan as Mr Eazi revealed that Choplife has already begun building its local technology operations.

He said the company currently has more than 21 engineers working from Nigeria.

‘I think we already have over 21 engineers working out of Nigeria and building locally,’ he said.

Mr Eazi said he sees an opportunity to create a physical campus at Itana where engineers, entrepreneurs, creatives and other members of the Choplife ecosystem can work and interact.

He compared the idea to the energy he experienced at technology campuses such as Facebook’s, where people from different backgrounds can work in the same environment.

He also said Choplife could use its presence at Itana to develop film, media and other creative content.

‘Being able to come in and out and feed into the energy because I am very big on energy and I think that is the next one,’ he said.

Mr Eazi calls for more creative infrastructure

Beyond technology and regulation, Mr Eazi said Africa’s creative economy needs significantly more physical infrastructure, particularly smaller and mid-sized entertainment venues.

Drawing from his experience as an artist, he said smaller venues played an important role in his development before he began performing in major arenas.

‘The lifeblood and what brought me to global notoriety was this sort of small venues,’ he said.

According to him, Africa needs more venues with capacities ranging from about 250 to 1,000 people, rather than focusing predominantly on large arenas.

He argued such venues would enable Nigerian and other African artists to tour their home markets more consistently while also giving international African artists spaces to perform.

He also called for investment in professional sound stages where films, music videos and other productions can be created with appropriate lighting, security, changing rooms and production infrastructure.

‘There’s still the opportunity to build smaller, mid-size venues in Nigeria across Nigeria where artists can tour internally,’ he said.

‘I’m hoping we see people invest in that, not just the big headline ones, but the smaller ones that are really the lifeblood of the industry.’

Itana sees Choplife as a proof point for Nigeria

For Itana, Choplife’s expansion is also an opportunity to demonstrate that creative companies can build globally from Nigeria.

Victor Famubode, Itana’s business and compliance director, said Choplife fits the zone’s target profile because it is both locally rooted and internationally focused.

‘One thing that is critical is thinking about how to build locally and also think globally,’ Famubode said.

He said Choplife’s presence could provide evidence that companies in the creative economy can establish operations in Nigeria while scaling into international markets.

Itana also sees the company as a potential contributor to job creation and foreign investment.

Famubode pointed to Choplife’s more than 21 Nigerian engineers as an example of how global-facing businesses can contribute directly to the local economy.

‘We want to be able to tell that story. How does all of this come back to the average Nigerian? How does everything come together in terms of creating jobs, bringing FDIs into the economy and just improving the overall economic competitiveness within Nigeria?’ he said.

Itana targets African creative economy

Famubode said the creative economy is becoming an important part of Itana’s long-term strategy because of Africa’s growing exports of culture and intellectual property.

He said creative businesses need jurisdictions that can provide certainty around incorporation, licensing and other post-incorporation requirements.

‘For us, it becomes really critical how that sort of aligns to our own strategy. We are looking at a long-term strategy that ensures that we can increase value by ensuring that local domination can also increase at the same time,’ he said.

According to him, Itana is positioning itself as a one-stop platform that goes beyond incorporation to provide access to services and partners required by companies as they grow.

The zone’s offering includes digital incorporation, access to multicurrency banking arrangements, cross-border services and connections to regulatory and licensing partners.

Minimum share capital and foreign ownership

Famubode said companies seeking to establish themselves within Itana must meet incorporation and regulatory requirements, including a minimum share capital of $100,000.

Businesses are also required to submit documents such as a feasibility study as part of the incorporation process.

For foreign-owned companies, he said, the framework permits 100 percent foreign ownership, while businesses in regulated sectors such as fintech would still need to meet relevant sector-specific licensing requirements.

Itana’s model is designed to help companies navigate those requirements through its network of vetted partners and access to regulators.

Choplife and the possibility of an NGX listing

Mr Eazi also expressed openness to eventually listing Choplife or one of his companies on the Nigerian Exchange.

Responding to questions about calls for Nigerian technology companies and unicorns to list locally, he said, ‘The answer would always be, yes, why not? But there’s always a sequence.’

He said older generations of Nigerian entrepreneurs had demonstrated that it was possible to build companies in Nigeria, expand globally and eventually give Nigerians an opportunity to invest in those businesses through the local capital market.

Mr Eazi, who said he already invests in the Nigerian market, described a future local listing of a technology or intellectual-property company as potentially significant.

‘It would be beautiful to be able to do that, and I think I’m just at the beginning of that process,’ he said.

He added that the timing would depend on the development of the business.

‘It will be a pleasure to do that when the time is right,’ he said.

Building an African company from Africa

Mr Eazi said his immediate focus is not on where Choplife will be in 10 years, but on building an African company with global standards.

He said he wants Choplife to be ‘truly African from top to bottom’ in its operations, registration and composition while maintaining high standards of integrity.

For Itana, the Choplife expansion represents more than the arrival of another company. It is a test of whether Nigeria can become a credible base for globally oriented African creative and technology companies.

For Choplife, the move is an attempt to consolidate a diversified business while keeping its operational base close to the market, talent and intellectual property that underpin its growth.

The company joins other businesses operating from Itana, including Reliance Infosystems, Circular Energy, MasteryHive, Udu Technologies and Yamify.

Itana is backed by the Africa Finance Corporation, which is providing development funding and leading financing for the first phase of the project, with a stated project value of $100 million.

The Bayelsa State Government has lamented that petitions by Bayelsans to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) are more than those from other states.

Peter Akpe, Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, who made the comment on Tuesday in Yenagoa, cautioned the people against writing frivolous petitions to anti-graft agencies.

A statement by Doubara Atasi, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Deputy Governor, said the Bayelsa State Number Two citizen reaffirmed the zero tolerance for corruption posture of the state government.

According to the statement, Akpe made the comments while receiving Ekere Usiere, the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, in charge of Bayelsa and Rivers States, in Yenagoa.

Akpe said the general perception of those in politics has always been that of corruption, but noted that the position of the Governor Douye Diri-led Prosperity Administration is not tolerant towards corruption.

He frowned at Bayelsans, who are in the habit of writing unfounded petitions against individuals and groups, saying the heap of petition files from Bayelsa State at the ICPC was several times higher than those from any other state in the country.

Akpe reminded residents that writing unjustifiable petitions to anti-graft agencies is not only a bad culture, but also attracts jail penalty, assuring the ICPC of the state government’s support to improve public enlightenment.

‘Our government is a government that believes in zero tolerance for corruption; that is why we are always open to interact with you and other anti-graft agencies.

He said, ‘Usually, there is this issue of negative perception of politics and politicians. But it is not true that every politician is corrupt. We have a good number of people in politics that are not corrupt. And we believe that a good percentage of them are in this government.

‘The issue of petitions at the ICPC: What we observed was that the heap of files from Bayelsa were 10 times higher than the ones from even Lagos, and 15 more times than the ones from Sokoto and other States.

‘That is quite disturbing. More so, most of those petitions were frivolous. From a personal experience, I can tell you that most of the petitions are extremely frivolous. While we will never tolerate corruption, our people should also know that such frivolous petitions can land them in jail.’

Earlier in her remarks, Ekere Usiere, ICPC Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner in charge of Rivers and Bayelsa States, highlighted the statutory mandate of the ICPC, stressing that its mission is to carry out sensitisation on the ills of corruption in the country.

Usiere expressed concern at the volume of petitions currently before the ICPC emanating from communities in Bayelsa State over the management of the PIA funds.

She also expressed the commission’s desire to partner the Bayelsa State Ministry of Information, Orientation and Strategy to carry out sensitisation programmes to discourage the people from writing frivolous petitions.

Usiere was accompanied on the visit by Evans Peters, Assistant Chief Superintendent, Emmanuel Akpor, Principal Superintendent, Tamaraudoubra Ebebi, Assistant Superintendent, and Frank Yileaziba, Administrative Officer.

Odeyemi Olayiwole, chief executive officer of Inspired2Lead, has called on organisations to make leadership development a continuous part of their operations, saying sustainable growth depends on the capacity of people leading organisations.

Olayiwole made the call while sharing his leadership impact story at the Global Leadership Network studios in the Chicago area during the 2026 Global Leadership Summit recently held in South Barrington, Illinois.

The summit brought together thousands of leaders in person from dozens of countries and sectors, while its proceedings were also broadcast to hundreds of host sites.

Reflecting on his 16-year participation in the summit, Olayiwole said the experience had provided him with a structured approach to leadership development and contributed to his personal and professional growth.

According to him, what began as an opportunity to learn developed into a long-term leadership journey that has shaped his work with individuals, executives and organisations.

He said leadership development should not be treated as a one-off intervention, noting that leaders must continuously acquire knowledge, apply what they learn, reflect on their experiences and improve their capacity.

‘No organization can outgrow the leadership capacity of its key leaders,’ Olayiwole said.

He argued that organisations seeking sustainable growth must therefore deliberately invest in developing leaders across different levels of their operations.

Olayiwole said his experience over the past 16 years demonstrated the importance of consistency in personal development, adding that sustained exposure to leadership learning had influenced his approach to developing people and organisations.

His participation at the 2026 summit also provided an opportunity to reflect on the impact of years of intentional learning on his leadership journey.

As CEO of Inspired2Lead, Olayiwole leads leadership development and management consulting initiatives covering leadership and human capital development across different sectors and institutions.

Olayiwole said the increasingly complex environment in which organisations operate makes continuous leadership development more important, urging emerging leaders and organisations to treat leadership capacity as a long-term investment.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons will miss the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history after suffering a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in Thursday night’s high-stakes CAF play-off in Casablanca.

South Africa strike against the run of play

Following their quarter-final exit to Cameroon at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), the play-off in Casablanca represented Nigeria’s final route to the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil through the Inter-Confederations play-off.

Despite dominating possession in the early stages at the Moulay Rachid Stadium, Nigeria were unable to convert their opportunities as South Africa remained compact and dangerous on the counter.

Banyana Banyana broke the deadlock in the 56th minute when star forward Thembi Kgatlana found the net against the run of play.

The goal forced the Super Falcons to push forward in search of an equaliser, but South Africa continued to frustrate Justin Madugu’s side.

Jane doubles South Africa’s lead

South Africa strengthened their advantage in the 77th minute through captain Refiloe Jane.

Jane reacted quickest to a rebound before her effort took a deflection off Nigeria substitute Christy Ucheibe and found its way into the net to make it 2-0.

The Super Falcons refused to surrender and continued to press for a way back into the contest.

VAR gives Falcons late lifeline

Nigeria’s hopes were revived in the 89th minute when a VAR review determined that Jane had handled a goal-bound header from Michelle Alozie inside the penalty area.

The referee awarded Nigeria a penalty and showed Jane a second yellow card, reducing South Africa to 10 players.

Ucheibe stepped up and converted the spot-kick to reduce the deficit to 2-1.

With South Africa down to 10 women, Nigeria mounted intense pressure during stoppage time but could not find the equaliser, as Banyana Banyana held on to secure a historic victory.

of Nigeria’s remarkable World Cup runThe defeat brings an end to Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and ends one of the longest records in women’s international football.

The Super Falcons have won the WAFCON a record 10 times in 13 editions and have qualified for every FIFA Women’s World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1991.

Thursday’s defeat to South Africa has now closed the final route, meaning the Super Falcons will not be present at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Infrastructure investments intended to improve connectivity and stimulate economic growth are increasingly driving up property costs in parts of Abuja, forcing households and small businesses to relocate as rising property values fuel a wave of speculation across the capital.

The Abuja property market is recording strong price growth as infrastructure projects by Nyesom Wike, Minister Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration, are increasing the value of previously underserved districts.

New roads, bridges, interchanges and other public infrastructure are driving demand for land and housing, while raising concerns about affordability.

Areas that were once considered far from the city centre, including Katampe, Guzape, Jahi, Karsana, Idu, Lugbe, Kuje and parts of Karshi, are attracting more developers and investors as access improves.

The change is most visible in districts that had little infrastructure a few years ago. Property professionals say road construction has become one of the biggest drivers of land appreciation, with prices rising as soon as major projects begin.

Findings by BusinessDay show that major public projects, including new road networks and landmark developments, have significantly increased land values in surrounding communities, triggering steep rent hikes that are putting pressure on residents already grappling with high inflation and rising living costs.

The development underscores the unintended consequences of infrastructure-led urban growth, where improved accessibility and investment opportunities are also accelerating housing costs, particularly in rapidly developing districts of the Federal Capital Territory.

Among those affected is Jumoke Oluwaseun, Head Teacher of First Land International School, Abuja, who said she is preparing to relocate her school after rents in her neighbourhood increased by more than fivefold within a year.

‘Do you know that the cost of renting a three-bedroom apartment in my estate is now N5 million? This was the same estate where a four-bedroom apartment rented for about N800,000 before prices suddenly went up.

‘It was like landlords were waiting for the completion of the African Medical Centre and the Apo Road project,’ she said.

According to her, newly completed apartments in the area are now commanding rents of up to N12 million, making it increasingly difficult for small businesses and long-term residents to remain in the community.

‘I run my school in a three-bedroom apartment and I don’t think I can keep up anymore. I have to pay my teachers while ensuring school fees remain affordable.

‘If you increase fees by just N10,000, parents complain because there are many schools competing for the same students.

‘These rising rents are pushing us away. I will have to move somewhere else and start all over again,’ she added.

Her experience reflects a growing trend across parts of Abuja where infrastructure upgrades, while improving mobility and attracting investment, are also driving demand for property and encouraging speculative rent increases.

The impact of new infrastructure is also evident in Abuja’s land market, where developers are rapidly adjusting prices in anticipation of increased demand.

A case in point is the Innovation City-Apo development, located opposite the $350 million African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE), which was commissioned in June 2025 and benefits from the recently completed Apo-Wasa road infrastructure.

A review by BusinessDay of the estate’s pricing shows how infrastructure investments have significantly increased land values within months.

During its pre-sale phase in February, plots designated for terrace homes measuring 170 square metres sold for N5 million, while plots for semi-detached houses, penthouses, luxury duplexes, mansions and blocks of flats were priced at N7.5 million, N13 million, N17 million, N24 million and N35 million, respectively.

By July, however, prices had doubled across most categories. A 170-square-metre terrace plot now sells for N10 million, while plots for semi-detached homes rose to N15 million, penthouses to N26 million, luxury duplexes to N35 million, mansions to N50 million, and blocks of flats to N70 million. Large-scale one-hectare plots are now priced at N350 million.

The sharp appreciation highlights how major public investments, including new transport corridors and strategic developments such as the African Medical Centre of Excellence are reshaping Abuja’s property market.

While these projects improve connectivity and attract private investment, analysts say they are also fuelling land speculation, increasing development costs and ultimately pushing rents and home prices beyond the reach of many low- and middle-income households.

Housing experts say the situation highlights the need for governments to complement infrastructure development with policies that protect housing affordability and expand the supply of affordable rental accommodation.

Benjamin Onigbinde, founder and chief executive officer of Sigvent Industrial Cluster Limited said road infrastructure is the biggest trigger for real estate appreciation in Abuja.

According to him, infrastructure investment is changing Abuja’s property market by opening new areas for development.

‘For years, areas such as Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse and Garki dominated Abuja’s property market because they had better roads, electricity, water supply and access to government institutions. Today, the story is changing.

New infrastructure projects are opening previously overlooked districts and turning them into attractive investment locations,’ he said.

Nigeria’s biggest development problem may no longer be identifying what is wrong. It is the country’s persistent inability to turn what it knows into institutions and systems that work.

The evidence is everywhere. Power shortages have been studied for decades. Youth unemployment remains a recurring policy concern. Public hospitals struggle with inadequate infrastructure and personnel. Roads deteriorate faster than they are repaired. Food insecurity persists despite repeated interventions. Education reforms come and go while learning outcomes remain weak.

The country has produced policies, committees, task forces, and research and development plans to address these failures. However, too many interventions end when political priorities change, funding is exhausted or the officials behind them leave office.

Nigeria therefore suffers less from a shortage of ideas than from a failure of execution.

‘Nigeria has initiatives that work in individual communities, institutions or states but fail to become national models. A pilot project demonstrates possibility; a functioning system demonstrates capacity.’

This distinction is important because development does not occur when a government correctly diagnoses a problem. It occurs when a diagnosis produces a workable policy, the policy is properly funded, implementation is monitored and the resulting institution continues to function after its political sponsors have moved on.

That chain repeatedly breaks in Nigeria. Successive administrations often launch reforms without building the institutional capacity needed to sustain them. Agencies can duplicate responsibilities, budgets can be poorly implemented, data can be inadequate and political transitions can interrupt programmes before their results become measurable. The country then returns to the same problems with a new policy document and a new implementation committee. This is institutional amnesia disguised as policymaking.

Criticism remains essential as journalists must investigate corruption and waste; researchers must expose policy failures; civil society must challenge the government and citizens must protest when institutions refuse to listen. But criticism becomes less useful when it ends with exposure.

The more difficult task is building solutions that survive. A solution is not simply a promising idea or successful pilot. It must be capable of implementation, measurement, financing and replication. Nigeria has initiatives that work in individual communities, institutions or states but fail to become national models. A pilot project demonstrates possibility; a functioning system demonstrates capacity.

The government must create the conditions in which successful solutions can scale. That requires reliable infrastructure, predictable regulation, transparent procurement, credible data, effective public services and access to finance. It also requires public institutions that can implement policies consistently beyond individual political tenures.

Government programmes should be judged by outcomes rather than announcements. How many children learned? How many patients received better care? How many businesses gained reliable electricity? How many kilometres of road remained usable? How many jobs were sustained? These questions matter more than the size of a programme or the number of beneficiaries announced at launch.

Accountability must also move closer to citizens. National politics receives disproportionate attention, yet many of the services that determine everyday life are delivered at state and local levels. Roads, drainage, waste management, primary healthcare, markets and schools are not abstract policy issues. They are the infrastructure of daily life.

Young Nigerians and civil society organisations should therefore pay closer attention to local budgets, procurement, contracts and project delivery. Continuous monitoring can be more effective than periodic outrage because it follows public spending from allocation to implementation.

The private sector also has a role, but its capacity to contribute depends partly on the quality of the environment in which it operates. Businesses create value when they provide reliable services, productive employment and technologies that solve real problems. But unreliable infrastructure, regulatory uncertainty and weak institutions raise the cost of doing business and limit the ability of successful solutions to scale.

Universities face a similar challenge. Nigeria produces substantial research, but knowledge has limited developmental value when it remains disconnected from government, industry and communities. Research institutions should be judged not only by publications but also by how effectively their findings improve policy, products, services and public practice.

Young Nigerians are central to this shift. A large youth population becomes an economic advantage only when young people have the skills, health, capital and institutional opportunities to participate productively. The objective should not be to turn every young person into an entrepreneur. It should be to create pathways into productive employment, enterprise, research, professional practice and public service.

The same principle applies to advocacy. Social media has made it easier to expose failure and mobilise public anger. But visibility is not an influence: a viral post can identify a problem; lasting influence requires knowing what should change, who has the authority to change it, what the reform will cost, how it will be implemented and how its results will be measured.

That is the harder work of citizenship. Nigeria does not need fewer critics. It needs criticism connected to consequences. It needs journalists whose investigations trigger institutional scrutiny, researchers whose findings influence decisions, entrepreneurs whose innovations can scale and public servants who leave stronger systems behind.

The country already knows much of what is broken. The question is whether it can develop the institutional discipline to fix what it has spent decades diagnosing.

Nigeria’s next phase of development should therefore be measured not by the number of policies announced, but by the quality of systems built, the results they deliver and their ability to endure beyond political cycles. The country already possesses the knowledge and talent required to address many of its challenges. What is needed now is the institutional discipline to turn that knowledge into practical solutions, strengthen what works and sustain progress over time.

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has urged the club’s hierarchy to strengthen his squad further, admitting the Red Devils need more quality and depth to challenge for the Premier League title and compete in the Champions League.

United have spent around £85 million ($114 million) on Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow since the end of last season, but their investment pales in comparison with fellow title contenders Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Carrick believes United must continue pushing in the transfer market if they are to end their wait for a first English league title since 2013.

Carrick demands more signings

Ahead of his first full season as permanent manager following a successful interim spell last season, Carrick made clear that United’s recruitment is not finished.

‘I think we’ve done really good business, and we’ve got some really top, top, top players,’ Carrick told reporters.

‘We’re delighted with that. We always want to improve. We want more; we need more, we keep looking for how we can do that. That never stops.’

United have never paid more than £89.5 million for a single player, the club-record fee spent on Paul Pogba in 2016.

Carrick guided United to third place in the Premier League after replacing the dismissed Ruben Amorim and secured Champions League football for the club.

However, their relatively modest spending has frustrated some supporters, particularly with the new season approaching.

United lag rivals in spending

United have reportedly spent less this summer than newly promoted clubs Coventry City and Ipswich Town, increasing pressure on the club to make further additions.

‘Money’s money, I get that. It’s still about the football, and that’s where the competition lies,’ Carrick said.

‘Certainly the situation is what it is as well, whether that’s finances or whatever. For now, we’ve got to make the most of it, but we’ve got to keep pushing and push everything and every boundary that we can to be able to win again.’

Asked why United had not matched the spending of their rivals, Carrick admitted he did not have a clear answer.

‘To be honest, I haven’t got the answers for that. We’re working with pushing everything that we can to make the best of it,’ he said.

Rashford future remains unclear

Carrick also addressed Marcus Rashford’s return to United following his loan spell at Barcelona.

Barcelona opted against exercising their purchase option on the 28-year-old England international, leaving his future at Old Trafford uncertain.

Carrick, however, remains open to Rashford staying.

‘He’s our player, and he’s a good player, and he gives us something a little bit different in the group,’ he said.

‘Marcus can offer us so much. He has done, and he can do again, so in that respect it’s quite exciting.’

Carrick targets title challenge

Several United players have backed the club to dethrone reigning champions Arsenal, and Carrick is refusing to rule out a title challenge.

‘We’ve definitely got the potential to achieve something really special,’ he said.

‘I’m not hiding from the fact, and we should aim to do that, but I can’t give you a definite answer on that.

‘It’s certainly what we’re pushing to do because we have to, because that’s the club we are.’

A new independent policy analysis released today (July 7, 2026) draws on sixty years of demographic data to show how Nigeria’s child stunting crisis – largely concentrated in the North West and North East – could cost the country $412 billion in foregone GDP by 2043 if current trends continue.

Stunting, explained: Stunting is chronic malnutrition in early childhood – typically beginning before birth and continuing through a child’s first two years – that leaves children measurably shorter than the healthy average for their age. Low height is the visible marker; the more consequential and largely irreversible damage is to brain development, immune function, and lifelong learning and earning potential.

‘The report highlights Obafemi Awolowo’s 1955 Western Region free education scheme – funded from regional resources, not loans – as a working domestic model for investing in people ahead of infrastructure.’

Key findings:

Historical scale: An estimated 119 million Nigerians were born stunted between 1960 and 2025; approximately 76 million are alive today.

State-level concentration: Jigawa (57%), Kebbi (54%), and Zamfara (50%) report the nation’s highest stunting rates; Lagos (13%), Anambra (17%), and Enugu (18%) report the lowest. Using WHO/UNICEF’s harmonized classification (20-29% = ‘High,’ =30% = ‘Very High’), 33 of Nigeria’s 37 states and FCT fall into one of these two highest-concern categories.

2043 projection: Absent intervention, an estimated 39% of Nigeria’s future workforce will carry the effects of childhood stunting, with the North West approaching 45%.

Fiscal cost: The Institute for Security Studies projects a $412 billion GDP gap by 2043 between a no-action and an investment scenario.

Active crisis: 40% of Nigerian children under five are currently stunted, confirming this is an ongoing rather than purely historical problem.

A national, not regional, political dynamic: Nigeria’s health surveys show child stunting has held between 37% and 43% in every survey since 1990. Applied to Nigeria’s voting-age population nationally, this suggests a plausible 37-50 million voting-age Nigerians alive today were stunted as children – a figure the report deliberately does not attribute to any state, region, or ethnic group. The report links this to political vulnerability through poverty and reduced adult earnings (per established global research on childhood stunting), not through any claim about impaired judgment.

Poverty, not health status, drives patronage politics: Nigeria’s 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index shows child poverty above 90% in the North West/North East, versus 74% in the South East and 65% in the South West – the report’s basis for why patronage politics is most effective where it is.

A precedent for a different choice: The report highlights Obafemi Awolowo’s 1955 Western Region free education scheme – funded from regional resources, not loans – as a working domestic model for investing in people ahead of infrastructure.

Investment cannot be sequenced after infrastructure: Medical science treats the first 1,000 days as the critical, largely irreversible window for preventing stunting. Cost-benefit research finds nutrition investment in this window returns approximately $45 for every $1 spent – roughly 10 to 30 times the typical return on large infrastructure projects – making delayed or secondary investment in child nutrition both biologically costly and economically irrational.

The developmental window extends to age five, not just age two: Roughly 90% of brain development is complete by age five, with ages two to five remaining critical for language and cognitive skill formation. The report’s central recommendation is a national early childhood (pre-K) feeding and stimulation program, extending nutrition support and structured learning through pre-primary school entry rather than stopping at infancy.

The crisis begins before birth: low birth weight, driven by maternal undernutrition and anaemia, carries roughly a threefold higher risk of later stunting. Nigeria’s own data show 63% antenatal care coverage, only 24% first-trimester ANC initiation, and an estimated 61% maternal anaemia prevalence – a figure the report identifies as a plausible upstream driver of the 40% child-stunting rate. The report’s revised lead recommendation is maternal and antenatal nutrition investment, sequenced ahead of postnatal programming. The report explicitly rejects the narrative that blames Nigerian voters for ‘selling’ their votes for short-term gain, arguing that this framing exonerates the leadership decisions – sustained underinvestment in nutrition, health, and education across six decades – that created the poverty being exploited in the first place.

Elite corruption and vote-selling are different mechanisms, not the same problem at different scales: the report argues that elite extraction persists because gains are concentrated and immediate while costs are dispersed across the population, and because elites often retain exit options (private healthcare, private security, foreign residency) that insulate them from the consequences – a different calculation entirely from a poor voter with no such exit accepting a certain, immediate payment. The report further identifies a self-reinforcing cycle: vote-selling contributes to electing leaders with weaker delivery records, which reinforces the rational case for discounting future political promises, which sustains the conditions for further vote-selling – meaning poverty reduction alone will not break the cycle without parallel mechanisms to make political promises credible and enforceable.

The report explicitly cautions against using this data to characterize any Nigerian demographic or regional group as biologically or cognitively diminished, noting that such framing would replicate the exact racist narratives the report’s author seeks to counter. ‘The data is a map of policy failure, not a map of any people’s capability,’ the author said. ‘The entire argument of this report is that the outcome is reversible – that’s the point.’

The report also corrects a claim common in earlier public discussion linking the 1967-70 Civil War specifically to today’s South East stunting rates, noting that the war’s blockade-driven famine affected the South-South as heavily as the South East, and that current state data does not support the war as an explanation for present-day regional variation within the South.

State-level data shows the crisis concentrated in the Northwest and Northeast; the report warns against misuse of findings.