Category: Business Day

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured voters in Osun State that adequate security measures have been put in place to enable them to participate peacefully in Saturday’s Governorship election, urging them to vote wisely.

President Tinubu, who was represented by Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President at the All Progressives Congress (APC) mega rally in Osogbo on Thursday, urged the people of Osun State to remain peaceful, assuring them that nobody would be harassed or intimidated during the election.

‘Feel free to go out and vote for the candidate of your choice. Feel free to go out and ensure that you vote for the party of your choice. But my advice would be: choose wisely,’ Akpabio said.

He said Tinubu’s commitment to democracy was reflected in his decision to ensure that citizens were able to participate freely in the election, urging voters not to allow social media attacks or intimidation to discourage them from going to the polling units.

He also urged voters to go out and vote for the candidate and party of their choice, but advised them to choose wisely.

The Senate President also used the rally to appeal to voters to support Oyebamiji, arguing that there was a need to link Osun State with the Federal Government, while noting that more than 30 governors were already members of the APC.

Similarly, Hope Uzodinma, Governor of Imo State and Chairman APC National Campaign Council for Osun State Governorship Election, appealed to the people of Osun State to vote for Oyebamiji, saying the APC is not known for violence, trouble or intimidation but was built on a good ideology.

Governor Uzodimma also urged the people to support President Tinubu in his efforts to build a better Nigeria.

A major development at the rally was the declaration of support for Oyebamiji by Chris Imumolen, Professor and factional National Chairman of Accord Party.

He said that the National Working Committee of the party had endorsed the APC candidate.

‘We have stated our support for Oyebamiji. Today, we declare our support for Oyebamiji. Come Saturday, all Accord members in Osun State should go to their polling units and vote for Oyebamiji’, he stated.

The rally attracted several APC leaders and political figures, including Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; former APC National Chairman, Adebisi Akande; former Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Ekiti State Governor, Abayomi Oyebanji; Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo; Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma; APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda; Adams Oshiomhole; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; Godswill Akpabio; the Senate President; Sarafadeen Alli, Oyo APC Governorship candidate and several other party leaders and supporters.

Nigeria has taken a significant step towards building a more coordinated national skills system following the formal transfer of responsibility for coordinating the Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and implementing the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

The transition, undertaken in line with the directive of the National Council on Skills, seeks to address a longstanding challenge in Nigeria’s skills ecosystem: fragmented institutional responsibilities, overlapping mandates and weak coordination between government, industry, training institutions and professional bodies.

For employers, the issue goes beyond institutional structure. Nigeria’s ability to build a productive workforce depends on whether the skills being taught, assessed and certified correspond with what industries actually need.

The handover therefore places greater emphasis on an industry-led, demand-driven skills architecture, with occupational standards, assessment and certification expected to become more closely aligned with the requirements of employers and international labour markets.

The ceremony at ITF Skills House in Abuja brought together representatives of the Presidency, ITF, NBTE, National Council on Skills, Sector Skills Councils, industry, professional bodies, regulators, training institutions, development partners and the artisan community.

Participants described the transition as an important institutional reset for Nigeria’s skills development system.

Why the Sector Skills Councils matter

More than 20 Sector Skills Councils have been established across priority areas of the economy. Yet the progress report presented at the ceremony showed that only a limited number are fully operational.

Funding constraints, weak sector ownership, limited institutional support, inadequate monitoring and coordination gaps have restricted the effectiveness of several councils.

Where they are functioning, however, the councils have demonstrated their potential. They have supported the development of occupational standards, engaged employers and training providers, promoted occupational assessment and certification, and created stronger links between industry and the skills system.

The challenge now is to move from establishing councils to making them effective institutions with measurable industry outcomes. Under the new arrangement, the priority will be stronger governance, sustainable financing, monitoring, quality assurance and closer industry participation.

The bigger economic question

The reform comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy. Participants argued that achieving such an ambition requires more than capital investment and policy reform. It requires a workforce equipped with skills relevant to manufacturing, construction, technology, services, creative industries and other productive sectors.

This makes occupational standards increasingly important.

Qualifications need to demonstrate what a worker is capable of doing, while employers need confidence that certification reflects genuine competence. Aligning Nigerian standards with international benchmarks also has implications for labour mobility and Nigeria’s ability to participate in global value chains.

A new framework for artisans

One of the more consequential proposals discussed at the meeting was the development of a national licensing framework for artisans and technicians. Under the proposed approach, professional practice would increasingly be linked to recognised occupational qualifications, competency assessments and certification.

The objective is broader than regulation. A credible licensing system could improve service standards, strengthen consumer confidence, create clearer career pathways and make Nigerian artisans more competitive in domestic and international markets.

For an economy with a large informal workforce, the formal recognition of occupational competence also has the potential to improve workforce mobility and create a more structured skills marketplace.

What this means for Nigeria’s fashion industry

For the Nigerian Fashion Council (NFC), the transition has particular significance. The NFC serves as the Sector Skills Council for the Fashion, Leather, Accessories and Textile (FLAT) sector, one of the country’s largest employment ecosystems, with an estimated 40 million people engaged across its value chain.

The sector’s challenge has never been a shortage of talent. It has been the absence of sufficiently structured systems for defining skills, validating competence, professionalising practice and connecting training with industry demand.

The NFC says its five standing committees are already developing foundational frameworks covering skills, certification and professional practice across the sector. The transfer to ITF therefore provides a stronger institutional platform for taking this work from framework development to implementation.

What happens next

The immediate test is execution. The new structure will need to translate institutional realignment into functioning Sector Skills Councils, validated occupational standards, credible assessment systems, recognised certification and stronger employer participation.

For the NFC and other councils, the opportunity is equally clear: move from representation to measurable industry impact.

If successfully implemented, the reform could give Nigeria something its skills system has long lacked – a more coherent link between what industries need, what institutions teach, what workers can demonstrate and what employers are prepared to recognise and reward.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) is weighing a domestic petroleum swap deal designed to optimize supply chain networks and deepen crude delivery to local refineries.

Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, Commission Chief Executive, NUPRC, disclosed this move during a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in Abuja.

The move according to Eyesan aims to streamline fulfillment of Domestic Crude and Gas Supply Obligations by allowing producers to trade delivery locations, thereby reduce cost and increase availability of products in the country.

Eyesan noted that once all the modalities are finalised, there would be an improved compliance with the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation (DCSO) and the Domestic Gas Supply Obligation. This, she said, would also be coordinated along with the Gas Aggregation Company Nigeria Limited (GACN).

Latest statistics by the Commission showed an improvement in domestic crude supply to local refiners, with a total of 53.7 million barrels of crude oil supplied to local refiners between April and June, showing an overall performance of 97.4 percent for Q2 2026.

She said, ‘How the swap works is that I have an obligation somewhere and I am close to an export facility. Somebody else has an obligation inland and his own (facility) is close to a domestic offtaker.

‘So, instead of trying to move from one end to the other, we just agree on a swap arrangement and there is a mechanism for them netting off.’

The NUPRC boss noted that in the case of crude oil, discussions were still at an early stage, adding that the commission will deepen collaboration with the NMDPRA in the overall interest of the sector.

In his remarks, Rabiu Umar, Authority Chief Executive, NMDPRA, commended the Commission’s effort that led to a seamless and credible 2025 licensing round.

He also lauded the NUPRC for the improvement in the enforcement of the domestic crude supply to local refiners, adding that even though the Petroleum Industry Act stipulates that all transactions will be done on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, issues of pricing remain a major factor.

Umar further pledged the support of the NMDPRA towards the creation of strategic reserves which will boost energy security and ensure price stability.

Peter Okoye has turned the intense public attention on his ongoing family dispute into measurable commercial success for his clothing line. In a post on X on 9 August 2026, the singer known as Mr P announced that nearly 3,000 units of the red ZR cap he wore throughout his multi-part Instagram video series had sold within seven days.

At a retail price of N20,000 each, the reported figure places sales for Zipp Republic at more than N60 million in that short window, with orders still arriving. He described the response as unexpected and asked customers for patience while the brand worked to fulfil every request. The post also signalled plans to expand into gym wear, sportswear and possible children’s items.

The red cap became a visual constant in the videos Peter released in early August, videos in which he detailed alleged financial irregularities involving his brothers Jude and Paul Okoye and the companies linked to the P-Square brand.

Viewers watching the series repeatedly for more than a week saw the same branded accessory, creating an immediate association between the story and the product.

The resulting spike in demand illustrates how a personal narrative, when sustained across multiple instalments, can drive direct consumer action for an associated brand. Whether the outcome was planned as a deliberate marketing sequence or simply followed from the visibility of the videos, the numbers show a clear commercial effect.

Psquare feud and the missing documentation that turned family trust into court battles

That commercial moment sits against the deeper structural problems that the same videos and related court proceedings have exposed. The long-running dispute among the Okoye brothers over Psquare earnings, brand control and company structures offers a clear lesson in what happens when family businesses operate for years without precise written agreements.

Peter and Paul Okoye burst into the Nigerian music industry in the early 2000s as a twin duo with singing prowess and well-choreographed dance steps. With records like Omoge mi and Señiorita, they hit the airwaves and fan base long before the era of digital streaming.

Psquare, under the Square Records label, managed by their elder brother Jude Engees Okoye and his company Northside Entertainment Limited, went on to give Nigerians hit songs over the next decade. Songs like Do Me, Ifunnanya, Alingo, Personally, No one like you, Chop my Money, and others across six albums together became household music and became classics.

Nigerian lawyer Benedicta Wokocha has examined the P-Square dispute from a contractual perspective and identified the documentation gaps that allowed ordinary family disagreements to escalate into years of litigation and public confrontation. Her analysis begins with a basic fact confirmed in court: when Jude Okoye took on the role of manager around 2004 or 2005, after earlier managers had worked with the group, there was no written contract or formal letter of employment setting out his duties, remuneration or limits of authority.

An MOU later produced by Jude outlined income shares of 30 percent each for Peter and Paul, 25 percent for Jude as manager, and 15 percent for projects and staff of Northside Entertainment. Even that document has not resolved competing claims about whether the percentages applied to gross or net revenue, whether they covered later streaming royalties, or how they interacted with new corporate structures.

When Northside Music Limited was incorporated with Jude and his wife as directors and the wife holding a substantial shareholding, the absence of a clear prior agreement on the relationship between the original group entities and any new company left open the question of where royalties properly belonged.

Wokocha’s central observation is that family trust cannot replace paper. Brothers who begin a business together frequently assume shared understanding about bank access, transfer authority and exit rights. In this case the early years appear to have operated on that assumption. Jude functioned as primary manager and signatory for extended periods.

Peter and Paul were later added as Category B signatories on certain Northside Entertainment accounts, yet Peter has testified that he never personally signed cheques. Bank mandates and statements later placed before the court show transfers that each side interprets differently. Without a single governing agreement that fixed decision-making thresholds, reporting obligations and equal access to financial records, each brother could later reconstruct events according to his own recollection.

A second missing element is an effective dispute-resolution clause. When disagreements arose over property division, catalogue access and royalty statements, the parties had no agreed private process that required mediation or arbitration before petitions or public statements. The result was a sequence of open videos, cross-allegations and parallel court cases that have continued for years.

A properly drafted partnership or shareholders’ agreement normally contains a staged mechanism for resolving deadlocks, appointing independent valuers and protecting the brand while differences are sorted. The absence of that mechanism turned every disagreement into a contest of public narrative and legal endurance.

Ownership of the intellectual property and the brand name itself remained similarly unsettled. Jude has asserted rights that would restrain Peter from performing certain songs. Peter has maintained that the catalogue belongs to the performing twins. Company registrations, bank mandates and contracts with digital distributors exist, yet they do not form a complete chain that settles every claim.

When income was directed into a similarly named company, the challenge could only be mounted after the fact through investigation and litigation rather than by reference to a pre-existing prohibition or consent requirement.

The commercial success of the red ZR cap therefore sits in instructive contrast to the contractual failures that produced the dispute itself. One brother used the visibility of his account of events to generate immediate sales for a personal brand. The underlying conflict, however, continues because the original business relationship lacked the written framework that would have defined roles, money flows and exit paths from the start.

Wokocha warns that artists and managers who work with family or close friends should treat the P-Square experience as a practical warning. Register the company early and record exact shareholdings. Execute a written management agreement that states the manager’s duties, remuneration, reporting frequency and limits on authority.

Include a shareholders’ agreement that covers capital contributions, profit distribution, intellectual-property ownership, brand use, and what happens on death, disability or exit. Insert a dispute-resolution clause that requires good-faith negotiation, then mediation, before any party may go to court or the press.

Keep every bank mandate, royalty statement and third-party contract in a shared repository so that no one can later claim surprise. Update the documents whenever the business model changes, for example when streaming replaces physical sales or when a new company is formed to hold specific assets.

These steps do not eliminate conflict. They do, however, convert conflict into a process with known rules and known evidence. The Okoye brothers built one of Africa’s most successful music brands while relying largely on blood ties and informal understandings. When those ties frayed, the missing paperwork left each side free to reconstruct history in its own favour.

Other artists can avoid the same outcome by insisting on clear contracts from the first day money or rights begin to move.

Yiaga Africa has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to activate contingency logistics arrangements to prevent delays in the distribution of revised ballot papers and result sheets ahead of Saturday’s Osun governorship election.

Asmau Maikudi, Chairman of the 2026 Osun Election Observation Mission, Yiaga Africa, made the call on Thursday while presenting the organisation’s pre-election assessment of the election in Osogbo.

Maikudi said INEC must ensure timely delivery of the revised election materials to all Registration Area Centres and polling units before voting begins, following the late inclusion of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on the ballot.

She also urged the Commission to strengthen coordination within the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to ensure proper security for polling officials deployed to Registration Area Centres ahead of election day.

On election technology, Maikudi called on INEC to resolve all outstanding technical issues with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), warning that failures could cause ‘disenfranchisement, delays, and other operational disruptions arising from technical failures.’

‘Immediately activate contingency logistics arrangements to mitigate delays arising from the late arrival and redistribution of revised ballot papers and result sheets, ensuring timely delivery of materials to all Registration Area Centres and polling units before the commencement of polls,’ Maikudi said.

She also urged INEC to uphold transparency and strict compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 and its Regulations and Guidelines on results management, while guaranteeing accredited party agents, observers and media practitioners unhindered access to collation centres at all levels.

Maikudi further called for proper and consistent communication between INEC and transport unions and companies providing logistics support for election-day deployment, including contingency plans where transport providers withdraw from contracts or fail to deploy.

On security, she urged security agencies to maintain strict neutrality and professionalism in securing the election and sanction personnel who violate rules requiring impartiality, objectivity and non-partisanship.

‘Maintain strict neutrality and professionalism in securing the election, and sanction any security personnel who violate the rules of engagement requiring impartiality, objectivity and non-partisanship,’ she said.

She also called on security agencies to respect the rights of citizens, media practitioners and accredited observers, including their freedom of movement on election day, and urged better coordination with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in tackling vote buying.

On political parties and candidates, Maikudi urged them to commit to the terms of the Peace Accord, ensure peaceful engagement and call on their supporters to remain peaceful before and during the election.

‘Political parties, candidates and their supporters must refrain from vote-buying and the related practice of compromising the ballot’s secrecy and undermining the value of the vote so that the voters of Osun State are free to vote their preference for governor,’ she said.

Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals has officially opened its first medical facility in Alaro City, a master-planned residential and light-industrial settlement situated on the outskirts of Epe.

The globally accredited healthcare provider serves the Alaro community through a new outpost clinic offering general outpatient and emergency services.

Speaking at the commissioning of the new clinic in Lagos, Olubisi Oyeniran, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals, said the move reflects the organisation’s commitment to strategic expansion across key parts of Nigeria.

He noted that the partnership with Alaro City aims to plan essential infrastructure ahead of the future health demands of the 2,000-hectare city.

‘This clinic will function as one of our outposts and one of the doors into the Lagoon healthcare system and Iwosan Healthcare, which is also made up of Paelon Memorial Hospital, Euracare, and Iwosan Wellness,’ Oyeniran said.

‘If there is any reason to provide further care, we then get you into the bigger group from this outpost. As the city and healthcare demand grow, our vision is to build secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities here in Alaro City. We are working with the development plan of the city.’

Strategic expansion aligns with master plan

Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals, one of Nigeria’s largest private tertiary healthcare providers, secured its fifth Gold Seal of approval from the Joint Commission International (JCI) in 2024, recognising its commitment to high-quality, safe patient care.

Ngozi Onyia, Managing Director of Paelon Memorial Hospital, performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony and noted that the launch of Iwosan Lagoon’s Alaro City facility is a strategic effort to integrate essential healthcare directly into new urban developments.

She stated that Iwosan Lagoon brings a track record of top-tier quality standards to the development, highlighted by its historical distinction as the first hospital in Nigeria to achieve JCI accreditation, alongside industry benchmarks like SafeCare Level 5 standards and collaborative partnerships with institutions such as the US-based Mayo Clinic.

To sustain and expand such high-standard operations, Onyia emphasised the need for continued enabling environments from the Lagos State Government, alongside favourable policies, targeted tax relief, and dedicated funding to support healthcare as a viable business.

Scaling up to full-service hospital care

While operations are beginning with a local clinic, the project is designed to scale into a major hospital providing end-to-end medical care for residents, according to Oluwatomi Kogo, Managing Director of Iwosan Lagoon Outpatient Clinic and Iwosan Wellness Centre.

‘Within the next 12 months, we intend to develop into a larger hospital. This means we will have at least 10 beds to admit, a full laboratory, and a radiology unit,’ she said.

‘We are going to offer 24-hour emergency care, general outpatient services, comprehensive annual health checks, and family medicine. Specialists will come from time to time to see people with underlying conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. People who require more specialised care will then be transferred.’

In line with their vision for a fully integrated community, Oluwaseyi Ashade, Head of Corporate Affairs for Alaro City, highlighted that the master plan relies on building infrastructure ahead of market demand rather than waiting for population growth to trigger development.

She noted that an eight-lane main boulevard was completed before residents began moving into the area, assuring that the Iwosan Lagoon clinic will ensure immediate access for incoming families rather than delaying services until the city matures.

‘For a city that is growing, healthcare is important. If we are building a community where families can go to work and go to school, you need a partner like Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals that understands that shared vision where you are building infrastructure ahead of demand,’ Ashade said.

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has launched the Freedom 250 initiative, a new platform aimed at strengthening agricultural trade, investment and technical cooperation between the United States and Nigeria.

The initiative, which featured a speaker programme held in Abuja from August 10 to 13, 2026, brought American agricultural expertise closer to Nigerian agribusiness leaders, policymakers, government officials and young people, with a particular focus on livestock development, agricultural technology and commercial partnerships.

The programme featured Gregg BeVier, a United States livestock development expert and business executive, who engaged stakeholders on opportunities for improving livestock productivity and expanding private-sector collaboration between American and Nigerian businesses.

The US Mission said the programme was designed to underscore Washington’s priority of expanding two-way trade and investment opportunities with Nigeria, while supporting the development of a more favourable business environment in one of the country’s most important economic sectors.

As part of the programme, BeVier participated in the All-Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture in Abuja, with support from the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

During the conference, he also held discussions with officials of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and members of the Livestock Reforms and Implementation Committee on the role American private-sector partnerships could play in advancing Nigeria’s livestock industry.

The discussions centred on the potential for collaboration in areas including livestock productivity, animal husbandry, technology transfer, investment and the development of commercially viable agricultural value chains.

The US Mission said the engagement was intended to expose Nigerian stakeholders to American experience and expertise while creating practical opportunities for businesses in both countries to establish partnerships.

It noted that the Freedom 250 programme also extended beyond government and industry leaders, with BeVier connecting with audiences through the network of 30 American Spaces across Nigeria.

The mission said the engagements focused particularly on opportunities for young Nigerians to participate in livestock development and contribute to improving productivity through technology, innovation and modern agricultural practices.

‘The initiative also featured the US-Nigeria Livestock and Feed Connect, a business-to-business platform that brought together American and Nigerian companies operating in the livestock and animal-feed sectors.

‘The event provided an opportunity for businesses from both countries to explore commercial relationships, exchange information and identify areas for potential investment and joint ventures’, the Embassy noted.

The US Mission said bringing private-sector operators together was central to the initiative because sustainable growth in Nigeria’s agricultural sector would require stronger links between businesses, government institutions, technical experts and investors.

The embassy also said the programme formed part of broader efforts to advance shared prosperity by supporting a more favourable business climate in Nigeria, particularly within the agricultural sector.

‘It linked the initiative to the US government’s flagship Commercial and Investment Partnership, through which Washington seeks to deepen economic engagement with Nigeria and identify opportunities for increased trade and investment.

‘The programme also builds on existing US-Nigeria people-to-people and professional exchange initiatives, including the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI)’, it noted

According to the embassy, the new agricultural networks created through Freedom 250 could lead to additional exchanges and professional development opportunities, including possible future Fulbright and IVLP programmes focused on agricultural finance and trade.

The approach reflects an effort to move beyond traditional development assistance towards stronger commercial relationships in which Nigerian and American businesses can jointly identify opportunities, mobilise investment and expand agricultural production.

According to the US, BeVier, who served as the US expert for the programme, brings more than 37 years of experience in livestock development and agricultural business management.

‘He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of ST Genetics and Chief Executive Officer of Fast Genetics.

‘Before his current roles, he managed the livestock portfolio at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a Senior Programme Officer.

‘His previous positions include President of PIC, Senior Vice President of Livestock Operations at Premium Standard Farms and Head of the Production Animal Global Enterprise at Merial.

‘BeVier holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Science, a Master of Science in Animal Science, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a Master of Business Administration, all from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign’, it mentioned.

The US Mission said the Freedom 250 programme was part of an effort to deepen economic and commercial ties with Nigeria by connecting local businesses and policymakers with American expertise.

For Nigeria, the engagement comes as the government seeks to accelerate livestock development, attract private investment into agriculture and improve productivity across the sector.

The programme therefore provides a platform for Nigerian businesses and policymakers to gain access to technical knowledge and commercial networks, while creating opportunities for American companies to explore Nigeria’s large agricultural market.

The embassy’s emphasis on two-way trade and investment also signals a broader shift towards partnerships capable of generating commercial opportunities for businesses in both countries.

Through the Freedom 250 initiative, the US Mission said it hopes to strengthen relationships among government officials, agribusinesses, investors, young professionals and technical experts, while laying the groundwork for sustained cooperation in agricultural technology, livestock development, finance and trade.

Insecurity is emerging as a major operational risk to Kaduna State’s efforts to expand agricultural production and attract agro-industrial investment, after at least nine farmers were killed and several others abducted in an attack on farmland in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.

The July 4 attack occurred around Kakangi as farmers worked on their fields during the wet-season farming period. Security information cited in reports on the incident recorded at least nine deaths, while several people were also reported abducted.

The incident came as the Kaduna government intensified agricultural support, with Governor Uba Sani flagging off the distribution of 500 truckloads of free fertiliser to 150,000 smallholder farmers across the state’s 23 local government areas, alongside mechanisation support.

The intervention followed the distribution of 400 truckloads of fertiliser to 100,000 farmers in 2025, while the state government said more than 500 truckloads were distributed in 2024.

The scale of the intervention highlights the importance of agriculture to Kaduna’s economic strategy, but also exposes a central challenge: lowering farmers’ input costs will have limited effect if insecurity prevents them from consistently accessing their fields, completing production cycles and moving harvests to markets.

Agricultural production requires continuity. Farmers need access to their fields not only for planting but also for weeding, applying fertiliser and other inputs, monitoring crops and harvesting.

The Kakangi attack demonstrates the direct security risks facing farmers in some parts of Kaduna. It does not, however, establish how many hectares have been abandoned across the state or how much agricultural output has been lost as a result of insecurity.

An attack on a farming community demonstrates vulnerability but does not, on its own, establish a statewide decline in agricultural production or justify assigning a specific monetary value to the economic damage.

The more immediate concern for policymakers and businesses is production reliability.

Farmers operating under persistent security threats may face greater uncertainty over where and when they can cultivate. For aggregators and processors, the concern is whether sufficient volumes of agricultural commodities will reach collection centres and processing facilities when required.

For investors, repeated disruption can increase uncertainty around raw-material availability, logistics and operating costs.

The security challenge comes as Kaduna seeks to move agriculture beyond primary production through the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme.

The Kaduna SAPZ initiative is designed to strengthen connections between farmers, aggregation centres, processors, infrastructure and markets, with the broader objective of increasing value addition and attracting private investment into agriculture.

The Kaduna programme has set targets of more than $200 million in investment, 20,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs.

These are programme targets, not realised investment or employment figures.

The commercial success of processing infrastructure depends heavily on reliable agricultural supplies.

Processors need sufficient volumes of raw materials to maintain operations. Aggregators must be able to reach farming communities and assemble commodities. Transporters need to move produce from farms and collection points to processors and markets.

Farmers, in turn, need access to buyers and functioning markets.

Insecurity can disrupt those connections even where the underlying agricultural potential remains strong.

There is no verified statewide estimate of the financial losses suffered by Kaduna’s agricultural businesses because of insecurity. The risk should therefore be treated as an operational and investment constraint, rather than a quantified economic loss.

The Kaduna government has substantially increased its intervention in agricultural production.

Sani said the state purchased fertiliser at about N56,000 per bag but decided to distribute it free rather than sell it to farmers at a subsidised price of N20,000.

The governor also said agricultural funding increased from N1.48 billion in 2023 to N23.4 billion in 2024 and N74.02 billion in 2025, while more than N100 billion was allocated to agriculture and food security in the 2026 budget.

Sani further said improved security had allowed farmers to return to previously affected areas and that about 5,000 hectares of farmland had been reclaimed with community and Federal Government support.

The fertiliser price, agricultural spending figures and reclaimed farmland are government-reported figures and should be understood as official claims rather than independently audited outcomes.

The policy challenge for Kaduna extends beyond getting fertiliser and equipment to farmers.

The state is addressing one part of the production equation by reducing input costs. But agricultural output also depends on access to farmland, labour, transport, storage and markets.

Security therefore affects the effectiveness of agricultural spending.

A farmer who receives subsidised inputs but cannot safely access a farm may not be able to obtain the full benefit of that intervention.

Similarly, tractors and other mechanisation equipment can increase productivity only when farmers are able to use them throughout the production cycle.

The implication is that security and agricultural spending, although separate government responsibilities, are economically interconnected.

For businesses, insecurity can affect the agricultural value chain beyond the farm gate.

If farmers cannot reach production areas, supplies available to aggregators may fall or become less predictable. Processors dependent on local commodities can then face difficulties planning production.

Transporters may also encounter greater uncertainty when moving goods through insecure rural areas, while traders may become more cautious about sourcing from affected communities.

The result can be a less predictable supply environment.

For an agricultural processor, this matters because plant capacity is built around assumptions about the availability and timing of raw materials.

A processor that cannot secure sufficient commodities may operate below capacity, while higher procurement or transportation risks can increase operating costs.

The same principle applies to agricultural finance. Lenders and investors need confidence that farmers and agribusinesses can produce and sell enough commodities to sustain operations and meet financial obligations.

These are potential commercial effects. Available evidence does not establish a specific naira value for such losses in Kaduna.

The state government has linked improved security to the return of farmers to areas previously affected by attacks.

Sani said thousands of farmers had returned to their farms and that 5,000 hectares of farmland previously affected by insecurity had been reclaimed through cooperation between communities and government.

The figure remains a government-reported claim and has not been independently audited.

Its economic significance, however, lies in what happens after farmland is reclaimed.

For agricultural investment to generate returns, farmers must be able to cultivate the land throughout the season, harvest their crops and transport them to markets.

Simply restoring access to farmland does not guarantee sustained production if security threats return.

Kaduna’s agricultural performance also matters to food supply beyond individual rural communities.

The state has extensive farming activity and is pursuing greater commercialisation of agriculture. Disruptions in important production areas can therefore affect the availability of commodities for traders, processors and consumers.

However, available evidence does not establish that the Kakangi attack, or insecurity generally, has caused a specific increase in food prices in Kaduna.

Food prices are influenced by several factors, including input costs, transport expenses, weather, exchange-rate movements, storage, market demand and the availability of commodities.

The defensible economic argument is that insecurity introduces another source of uncertainty into food production and distribution.

Kaduna’s agricultural strategy combines two objectives: supporting smallholder farmers and attracting investment into processing and value addition.

The fertiliser programme targets 150,000 farmers, while the SAPZ programme targets more than $200 million in investment, 20,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs.

The two initiatives address different stages of the same agricultural economy.

Input support is intended to strengthen production. Agro-industrial infrastructure is intended to create markets, processing capacity and additional value.

Security connects the two.

Farmers must be able to cultivate. Commodities must be aggregated. Transporters must move them. Processors must receive sufficient raw materials. Finished products must reach markets.

A disruption at any stage can weaken the commercial efficiency of the wider value chain.

For investors, security is therefore not simply a law-and-order issue. It is part of the operating environment that determines whether agricultural businesses can plan, invest and operate predictably.

The Kakangi attack does not establish that Kaduna’s agricultural output is declining, nor does it provide evidence for a specific financial loss to the state’s agricultural sector.

It does, however, demonstrate the vulnerability of farmers in communities where insecurity persists.

That vulnerability is particularly significant as Kaduna increases public spending on agricultural inputs while seeking private investment in agro-processing.

The success of those policies will ultimately depend on whether farmers can convert government support into sustained production and whether businesses can reliably move commodities from farms to processors and markets.

For Kaduna, the measure of its agricultural strategy should therefore extend beyond the number of farmers receiving fertiliser, hectares reclaimed or investment targeted.

It should include whether farmers can cultivate safely, harvest consistently, transport their produce and participate in functioning commercial markets.

Without a sufficiently secure operating environment around farming communities and the rural routes connecting farms to markets, Kaduna’s growing agricultural and agro-industrial investments will remain exposed to disruption.

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has identified election logistics, misinformation and the conduct of security agencies as key risks that could undermine the credibility of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.

The organisation said the final test for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would not be the completion of its pre-election timetable but its ability to deliver a transparent voting and collation process across the state.

In a pre-election assessment released on Friday ahead of the poll, CJID said INEC must ensure the timely opening of polling units, availability of correct election materials, effective voter accreditation and transparent counting and collation.

It also urged the commission to communicate promptly when operational challenges or disputed claims arise.

The warning comes after the late inclusion of the Social Democratic Party candidate following a Federal High Court order, bringing the number of candidates in the election to 15.

CJID said the development had created an additional logistical burden for INEC, which must ensure that ballot papers and result sheets reflecting the full list of candidates reach polling units without disruption.

The organisation said INEC had identified 385 security flashpoints and about 200 difficult-to-access locations through its risk assessment, urging the commission and security agencies to base their deployment on documented risks and terrain.

Misinformation threatens election credibility

CJID also warned that the information environment could become a major battleground during and after voting.

It identified false claims about voting procedures, security incidents and INEC decisions, as well as manipulated and synthetic media, as issues requiring close monitoring.

Of particular concern, it said, were attempts to falsely label authentic content as AI-generated, which could undermine legitimate evidence emerging from the election.

The organisation urged journalists to verify election-related claims before publication and avoid amplifying inflammatory or unverified information.

It similarly asked voters to verify information before sharing it.

CJID said digital platforms should strengthen measures against coordinated manipulation, impersonation and manipulated media while protecting legitimate political expression.

Security conduct under scrutiny

The organisation said security remained a major concern, citing 13 verified fatal incidents of election-related violence documented between May 2026 and August 13.

It stressed that the figure reflected its own verified reporting window and should not be directly compared with casualty figures from other organisations because of differences in coverage and attribution.

CJID said recent incidents included an attack on a party office in Ilesa, a shooting around a political gathering in the Igbogi area and an alleged attack on a governorship candidate’s convoy in Ife Federal Constituency.

More than 25,000 personnel from the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are expected to participate in the security operation.

But CJID said the size of the deployment alone would not determine whether voters feel safe.

‘Public confidence will depend on the conduct, neutrality, proportionality and responsiveness of deployed personnel,’ it said.

The organisation called on security agencies to protect voters, electoral officials, journalists and observers while ensuring that enforcement against vote buying and political violence was impartial.

It also urged candidates and political parties to restrain their supporters, reject violence and use lawful channels to challenge disputed results.

CJID said the responsibility for a credible election extended beyond INEC to political parties, security agencies, voters, journalists, civil society organisations and digital platforms.

‘The responsibility for a credible election does not rest with INEC alone,’ it said.

The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC) has urged auditors and other stakeholders in the financial reporting ecosystem to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) while ensuring that its adoption does not compromise professional judgment, auditor independence and public trust.

Rabiu Olowo, executive secretary and chief executive officer of the FRC, made the call at the 2026 Audit and Assurance Summit hosted by the council, noting that the rapid adoption of AI and other emerging technologies was transforming the audit profession.

He said technologies such as machine learning, predictive analytics, intelligent automation, data analytics and continuous auditing were changing how financial information is generated, processed, analysed and reported.

According to Olowo, AI is already enabling auditors to analyse significantly larger volumes of data, improve fraud-risk assessment and enhance the efficiency and coverage of audit engagements.

‘This development presents enormous opportunities. Artificial intelligence can enable auditors to analyse significantly larger volumes of data. In fact, I think at a conference last week, the concept of sampling is no longer a thing.

‘They process large volumes of data, almost 100 percent of the population because it can be done. This enhances fraud risk assessment, improves audit efficiency, and provides a deeper analytical insight and coverage.’

However, he warned that the increasing use of technology also presents significant risks, particularly around professional skepticism, bias, inaccurate reporting, manipulation and cybersecurity.

Olowo challenged auditors to ensure that AI complements rather than replaces professional judgment.

‘How do we preserve professional skepticism in an increasingly automated audited environment? How do we ensure that technology complements rather than replaces professional judgment? How do we address the risks of our governing bias, inaccurate reporting from big data, manipulation, and the big elephants in the room, cybersecurity threats?’

FRC flags threat to auditor independence

The FRC chief executive also raised concerns about the growing overlap between financial statement preparation and independent auditing, warning that such practices could undermine auditor independence.

‘The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria has observed with increasing concern practices that blur the professional boundaries between the preparation of financial statements and independent audits of those same statements. Where auditors become involved, directly or indirectly, in the preparation of financial statements, the subsequent audits, significant self-review threats may arise.’

He emphasised that management, rather than auditors, remains responsible for preparing financial statements and maintaining appropriate internal controls.

‘The auditor is not responsible for creating the financial statement.’

Olowu said preserving that distinction was critical to maintaining accountability and confidence in Nigeria’s financial reporting system.

He also identified the audit expectation gap as another major challenge facing the profession, noting that the public sometimes expects auditors to detect every instance of fraud, prevent every corporate failure or guarantee the financial soundness of companies.

He argued that management, boards, audit committees, auditors, regulators and investors all have distinct but complementary responsibilities in maintaining the integrity of the financial reporting ecosystem.

‘Restoring public trust cannot be achieved by auditors alone, it is a collective responsibility.’

According to him, stronger audit quality and credible financial reporting are particularly important as Nigeria seeks to attract investment and achieve its ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.

‘These are not the exception capitalists, those who bring FDIs into our country unless they have sound and significant reliance on the credibility of financial statements coming into this country, and that’s why we owe a duty to our country to ensure that this is so.’

Also speaking, Chris Isogu, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, who represented Jumoke Oduwole, the minister, said credible financial reporting was essential to attracting investment, supporting economic growth and strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness.

Isogu said technology was transforming financial analysis, risk assessment, fraud detection, internal controls and audit processes, creating opportunities to improve the efficiency and timeliness of assurance.

‘However, as machines become increasingly capable of generating and analysing financial information, ensuring the continued trustworthiness of that information must remain a fundamental priority,’ he said.

He said technological advancement must not weaken the fundamental principles underpinning the audit profession.

‘Technology may change in terms of assurance, but it must never change the principles upon which assurance is built. Integrity, independence, professional skepticism, transparency, and accountability must remain at the centre of the audit discussion, irrespective of how advanced technology becomes.’

The permanent secretary noted that reliable financial reporting provides investors, banks and governments with the information required to make sound economic decisions.

‘A credible financial report reduces uncertainty, strengthens confidence, and enables better economic decisions which supports investment, expands productivity capacity, creates jobs, promotes export, and strengthens sustainable economic growth.’

He said audit quality and credible financial reporting were directly linked to the Federal Government’s objectives of economic diversification, industrialisation, trade expansion, investment promotion and job creation.

Isogu, however, cautioned that the benefits of AI must be balanced against risks including poor-quality data, algorithmic bias, opaque decision-making and cybersecurity threats.

‘AI should enhance, they should not replace professional judgment, skepticism.’

The summit brought together regulators, professional accounting bodies, audit firms, financial reporting practitioners, investors, technology experts and other stakeholders to discuss the impact of AI and emerging technologies on audit and assurance in Nigeria.

Olowo said the FRC would continue to work with stakeholders to strengthen audit quality, corporate governance, compliance with standards and ethical requirements.

He said the future auditor would likely rely on more sophisticated technological tools and analyse larger volumes of data, but would still be required to exercise judgment, challenge management and demonstrate professional skepticism.

‘The future of assurance will undoubtedly be shaped by artificial intelligence, but trust in financial reporting will always depend fundamentally on human integrity, ethical leadership, and self-professional judgment.’

He urged participants at the summit to move beyond identifying challenges and develop practical recommendations that would strengthen audit quality, reinforce auditor independence and improve confidence in Nigeria’s financial reporting architecture.