Category: Business Day

Nigeria and the Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis recently entered into a reciprocal visa-free travel agreement, allowing citizens of both countries to visit each other for up to 90 days without the need for a visa.

This arrangement, which came into effect in this September 2025, marks the first time Nigeria has extended such privileges to a country outside Africa.

The agreement is widely seen as a strategic move to deepen ties between Africa and the Caribbean, with implications for tourism, trade, and cultural exchange. Entry requirements and travel implications

The visa waiver follows a series of high-level engagements between President Bola Tinubu and Terrance Drew, prime minister of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Their meetings held earlier this year in Abuja and later in Saint Lucia, laid the groundwork for broader cooperation with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean states

The waiver applies to holders of ordinary, official, and diplomatic passports, although travellers are still required to meet standard entry conditions. These include presenting a valid passport, proof of onward or return travel, and completing arrival documentation upon entry.

Travel information to St. Kitts and Nevis

Getting a flight to St. Kitts and Nevis from Nigeria can be challenging for Nigerian passport holders, as it typically requires two or three layovers or stopovers in Europe that necessitate Schengen visas, or a layover in North America that requires transit visas.

Also, direct flights between Nigeria and St. Kitts and Nevis are rare.

However, a recent charter flight from Abuja to Basseterre marked a historic milestone, establishing the first direct air link between West Africa and the Caribbean nation.

Air Peace also made headlines in June this year with a 10-hour non-stop flight earlier this year, signalling growing interest in bridging the two regions.

For those planning on visiting St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN), here’s what you need to know:

St. Kitts and Nevis uses the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$ or XCD), pegged at a fixed rate to the USD. As of today, 1 EC$ is around N549.

Flights from Lagos (LOS) to Basseterre (SKB) averages $1,175-$1,852 (about N1.8m-N2.9m at current rates), depending on the season and airline.

For a single person, the monthly expenses are around EC$3,500-5,000 (around N1.9m-2.8m), covering rent, food, and basics.

Cultural exchange and shared celebrations Travellers from Nigeria can consider visiting St. Kitts in December and January during the Sugar Mas carnival, while Nevis can be visited in late July for Culturama.

These festivals, are similar to Nigeria’s own cultural events such as the Calabar Carnival and the Osun-Osogbo Festival, and involve music, dance and masquerade. The best time to visit the islands is during the dry season, which runs from December to April, coinciding with peak tourist activity and major cultural events.

Citizenship, residency and long-stay options

For Nigerians considering longer-term opportunities, St. Kitts and Nevis has a popular and established Citizenship by Investment programme.

This scheme allows individuals to obtain citizenship through financial contributions to government-approved projects or real estate investments.

When you acquire citizenship under the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship program, you and your family enjoy full citizenship for life, which can be passed on to future generations by descent.

Applicants can include a spouse, children under 26, and parents aged 55 and over, as well as to add dependents after citizenship has been granted to the main applicant.

St. Kitts and Nevis is a member of the Commonwealth, which entitles its citizens to certain privileges in the UK and other Commonwealth countries

There is no minimum stay required.

Requirements

To qualify for citizenship, the main applicant must be over 18 years of age, meet the application requirements, and select one of the following options:

Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC)

A non-refundable contribution of $250,000 to SISC for an applicant and up to three qualifying dependents

$50,000 for each additional qualifying dependent over 18

$25,000 for each additional qualifying dependent under 18

A minimum non-refundable contribution of $250,000 to a public benefit unit in an Approved Public Benefit Project

The purchase of real estate with a minimum value of $325,000 from an approved real estate development, or a minimum of $325,000 for a condominium unit or $600,000 for a single-family private dwelling. The real estate purchased under both options can be resold after seven years under certain conditions

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has introduced its One-Stop-Shop (OSS), a project expected to reduce cargo clearance time to 48 hours.

The unveiling happened in Abuja, where Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller General of Customs, met with senior officers to discuss the Service’s modernisation agenda.

‘The OSS initiative will not only shorten clearance time from 21 days to 48 hours, but it will also strengthen trader confidence, restore transparency, and make our operations more business-friendly,’ the CGC said.

He said that under the OSS framework, all Customs Units will work jointly on flagged declarations, eliminating multiple checks and reducing delays. Consignments cleared under the OSS will not be subject to re-interception. Adeniyi said the project is in line with global best practices and the federal government’s Ease of Doing Business policy. He stressed that the reform is designed to ‘sanitise operations, reduce duplication of efforts, and ensure predictability in Customs procedures.’

The meeting included discussions about the Service’s accountability framework, including a new central dashboard that tracks clearance times, interventions, and stakeholder satisfaction.

Adeniyi assured the Customs Area Controllers that the reform would be piloted at Apapa, Tin Can Island, and Onne Ports before being rolled out nationwide, adding that the initiative is fully supported by the NCS Act 2023 and aligned with the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

A framework for understanding how Nigeria’s economy works and why it doesn’t work

A stagnant economy, specifically the lack of innovation, is Nigeria’s disease, and its richest men are the most prosperous symptom. They profit not by solving problems, but by profiting from them. To continue our discussion on this lack of innovation, I would like to propose a framework to unpack this very paradox.

As a lowly accountant, not an academic, I offer this with the appropriate disclaimer: may I present, for your consideration, the Framework of Opportunity, Oligopoly, and Distortion? You can call it the F.O.O.D. framework – because if you follow the framework, you are guaranteed to eat well.

The framework unfolds something like this:

Someone somewhere outside of Nigeria comes up with an idea, innovation or invention.

That idea, innovation or invention turns out to be something that Nigerians find useful because it solves an existing problem for them.

Nigerians then begin to import a product that is the embodiment of that idea, innovation or invention, proving that there is a market for it in the country.

At this point, the well-connected Nigerian ‘entrepreneur’ spots an ‘opportunity’ and gets to work on ‘import substitution’.

The case is made that this thing that was invented elsewhere and has proven to be a solution to a problem Nigerians had is costing the nation ‘scarce foreign exchange’ and ‘exporting jobs’ while at the same time ‘importing poverty’ (to be fair to the entrepreneur, Nigerians also fall for this argument and even amplify it themselves).

The ‘opportunity’ is straightforward – since the thing being imported is already proven to have a market, the goal is to ban or tariff the imports while replacing it with your own ‘locally manufactured’ version.

If all goes well (especially if the product is not easy to smuggle), you will make a lot of money because the price of the imported product plus the high tariffs you’ve lobbied government to place on them will determine the price of the local version of the product, i.e., price of local version = price of foreign version + import tariffs and duties. In other words, Nigerians will see no benefit from the product being manufactured close to them at home, other than some nebulous ‘foreign exchange savings’ or local pride.

The problem lies not just in the disease but in the flawed cure. While import substitution is not itself a major crime, it becomes one when it is held up as the primary path to wealth. This creates a dangerous psychological signal: when the richest men profit from protectionism rather than innovation, they become the aspirational models for a generation. The result is a vicious cycle where this self-replicating behaviour stagnates the entire economy.

Case study for F.O.O.D.: BUA Foods Plc

A few weeks ago, Nigerian newspapers were awash with the news that BUA Foods Plc, owned by one of the nation’s richest men, Abdulsamad Rabiu, had become the most valuable listed company in the country by market capitalisation:

Market capitalisation of BUA Foods Plc, owned by Nigeria’s second richest man, Abdul Samad Rabiu, has soared to N10.3 trillion as of Friday, August 8, following an 8.7 percent rise in its share price to N574.9, making it the most valuable stock on the country’s bourse.

This historic feat came barely one week after the fast-moving consumer goods giant recorded the highest profit in six years, supported by a 36 percent rise in revenue to N913 billion and a stable naira that returned the manufacturer to FX gain after swimming in losses in the past year.

‘That is wonderful news,’ I hear you say, not least for the owner who pocketed an incredible N216 billion in dividends ($135 million) out of this performance (even though the company is ‘listed’ on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Abdulsamad Rabiu owns 95% of its shares, a story for another day).

So what does this company actually do? Here, taken from the company’s own website, is a list of the products it sells:

This list is as much about what is on it as what is not on it. But let’s start with what is on there. Sugar – sits behind up to 70% duties, made up of 10% import duties (ID) and 60% Import Adjustment Tax (IAT) plus VAT. These tariffs apply to raw cane and refined sugar. Chapter 17 (PDF, page 71)

Flour – sits behind 70% duties (20% import duties plus 50% IAT) plus VAT. This applies to wheat and meslin flour and is an ‘improvement’ from the previous 100% tariff. Chapter 11 (PDF, page 55)

Pasta – Spaghetti and noodles are actually on the Nigerian Customs import prohibition list (number 7), i.e., they are banned. However, on the tariff list, pasta sits behind 20% import duties plus VAT. Chapter 19 (PDF, page 76)

Edible Oils – These are palm and vegetable oils, and they sit behind 10% import duties and 25% IAT for crude palm oil and other types of palm oils, i.e., a total of 35% tariffs. Refer to Chapter 15 (PDF, page 65). Refined vegetable oils are on the banned list above (number 4).

Rice – Semi-milled or wholly milled rice and broken rice sit behind 60% tariffs (10% import duties and 50% IAT), while brown rice sits behind 30% tariffs (10% import duties and 20% IAT). Chapter 9 (PDF, page 53).

This case study of BUA Foods perfectly illustrates the F.O.O.D. framework. The company has built a vast empire by only concerning itself with products shielded by heavy government tariffs. This strategy reveals everything: the real blueprint for their success is best understood by noting what is not on their product list – and why those unprotected goods will likely never be.

Consider the humble Nigerian yam. This is a product and sector desperately in need of innovation, plagued by endemic problems from planting to harvest. The scale of these challenges is vividly captured in an NPR report from a few years ago:

But in the past few years, Nigeria’s yam yield has dropped to its lowest level in two decades, according to the United Nations, even though the area of land under cultivation is rapidly rising.

‘For a large number of farmers, seed yam is a big problem,’ said Robert Aseidu, West Africa research director for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), a nonprofit research organisation based in Nigeria. ‘It’s only now that we’re seeing how big a problem this could become.’

The trouble stems from the way yam is grown by Nigeria’s small farmers. New tubers grow directly from planted pieces of old ones, rather than from seed. Traditionally, farmers will set aside the smaller yams from each harvest to use as seed yams for the next season and take the bigger ones away to eat or sell. Having a big enough harvest to be able to keep your own seed yams is a mark of a farmer’s competence; buying them at the market is considered bad luck.

At the same time, yams are clonal, meaning that each tuber is genetically identical to its ‘parent’. So farmers are essentially planting the same yams over and over again, with none of the routine genetic mutation that typically occurs between generations to help ward off pests and diseases. And because farmers tend to set aside the worst yams as parents, they’re unintentionally practising a kind of anti-Darwinian ‘survival of the scrawniest’.

‘When you have this recycling over so many years, then they keep accumulating pests and diseases, and then productivity keeps reducing until you get to a stage where it’s no [longer] economical to plant anything,’ says Beatrice Aighewi, a yam specialist at IITA.

That cycle is reaching a crisis point, forcing a reconsideration of the longstanding stigma against buying seed yams. Adaikwu opened her business a few years ago to take advantage of the emerging market. She sources good seed yams from around the country and reproduces them in her field. One of her first big hits was a high-yielding, disease-resistant variety that earned the nickname ‘Mecca Approaches’ because of a reputation that it could help farmers earn enough money to make the pilgrimage to Islam’s most holy site.

Nigeria leads the world in both the production and consumption of yams. Yet it still struggles to meet its own demand, hampered by systemic issues throughout the supply chain, such as the ones listed above. It is therefore profoundly telling that one can build the country’s largest and most valuable food company without ever touching a product so central to the Nigerian experience.

Nowhere in BUA Foods Plc’s 2004 annual report is there a single mention of yams. The document similarly omits any dedicated research and development function or a clear RandD line item in its financial statements – a vague reference to ‘research funding’ on page 79, tied to education, is the most you’ll find. Under ‘Product Innovation’, the company describes adding premium pasta and semolina as its method of ‘staying ahead of industry trends’. Let me be clear: this is not merely Nigeria’s largest food company. It is the most valuable company in the country, full stop.

Should a foreign innovator ever solve yams’ production problems, the local ‘entrepreneur’ would swiftly leverage government connections to seize the opportunity. This is the very model of innovation outsourced and rent-seeking domesticated. The business model is to use tariffs to inflate the price of imports, then price their own local product at the same level (or even above) to secure outsized profits. We’ve seen this before. When China developed waste-heat innovation for cement, the benefits weren’t passed to Nigerians; they were captured by middlemen who charged rent for the privilege of access. The F.O.O.D. framework can be observed in the country’s palm oil industry, as the players make vast profits, while you can still see palm oil production in Nigeria that looks like something from the nineteenth century.

It is for this reason that someone can get very rich in Nigeria while the country remains very poor – a malnourished economy on a diet of outsize profits. The incentive structure within Nigeria’s nominal market economy is fundamentally broken. The psychological toll is immense, as a generation learns the demonstrated truth that improving lives is optional for acquiring wealth – the F.O.O.D. framework is all that is required. Even investors and fund managers, resigned to a lack of better options, validate this model in their pursuit of returns.

When this is an economy’s only sustenance, the nation is guaranteed to starve.

When Nigeria gained independence in 1960, its founding fathers envisioned a nation that would stand tall, healthy, and prosperous.

The University College Hospital, Ibadan, stood as a beacon of modern medicine on the continent, attracting patients from West Africa and beyond.

Six and a half decades later, that dream has dimmed for many Nigerians.

Today, the health sector is at once a story of progress and paradox.

There are centres of excellence, revitalised primary health care facilities, and pioneering projects that have saved countless lives.

Yet, millions still die from preventable causes; families are pushed into poverty by medical bills, and doctors depart in droves for greener pastures abroad.

As Nigeria marks 65 years of independence, the question is clear: how is the health sector faring?

Experts say that Nigeria’s health system has evolved through alternating waves of reform and neglect.

In the 1970s and 80s, the Federal Government expanded teaching hospitals and established facilities across regions.

Following the Alma-Ata Declaration in 1978, the country embraced Primary Health Care (PHC) as the backbone of service delivery.

By 2001, African leaders, including Nigeria, signed the Abuja Declaration, pledging 15 per cent of national budgets to health.

Yet, more than two decades later, Nigeria still spends less than six per cent.

The National Health Insurance Scheme, inaugurated in 2005 and transformed into the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in 2022, sought to improve financial access.

The Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), introduced in 2014, provided a lifeline for PHCs.

In spite of these efforts, underfunding, poor governance, and a haemorrhaging workforce remain persistent challenges.

Muyi Aina, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), said 901 PHCs had been fully revitalised, while 2,700 more were undergoing upgrades, with a target to reach all 17,000 wards nationwide by 2030.

He noted that for communities where women previously delivered babies under torchlight, skilled attendance at birth and timely referrals had been instituted.

Dr Kelechi Ohiri, Director General, NHIA, said enrolment under the scheme had grown from 16.7 million to about 20 million Nigerians.

According to him, special funds such as the Vulnerable Group Fund and the Catastrophic Fund provide financial cover for cancer treatment, dialysis, and other costly care.

‘In Lagos and Kaduna States, maternal deaths dropped by 58 per cent across 32 facilities under Project Aisha, a programme combining health worker training, midwifery kits, and free caesarean sections.

‘Nationally, more than six million pregnant women have received essential micronutrient supplements,’ he said.

Nigeria has rolled out the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine, expanded Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, and unveiled pilot programmes for the malaria vaccine; campaigns have averted outbreaks and improved coverage.

Training has also expanded, with enrolment into nursing programmes jumping from about 28,000 to more than 115,000 in just a few years.

More community health workers are being deployed to underserved areas.

In 2025, Nigeria allocated N2.48 trillion to health, just 5.18 per cent of the national budget.

This falls far below the 15 per cent Abuja Declaration target and remains inadequate to fund infrastructure, staff salaries, and essential medicines.

In spite of this, the country remains one of the most dangerous places to give birth.

According to UN estimates compiled from 2023 figures, no fewer than 82,000 women die annually from pregnancy-related causes, accounting for 19 per cent of global maternal deaths.

Life expectancy stands at around 55 years, well below the African average of 64 and far behind Ghana (64), Kenya (67), and South Africa (64).

The doctor-patient ratio in Nigeria is estimated at 1:5,000, compared to the WHO recommendation of 1:600.

Health spending per capita hovers around 55 dollars far short of the 86 dollars minimum recommended for delivering basic services.

Regional disparities remain stark; in northern Nigeria, women are more than twice as likely to die in childbirth as those in the South. In rural communities, many facilities operate with a single nurse, compared to urban centres where specialist care is available.

Wealth also determines survival; families with insurance or savings can afford treatment, while millions of poor households must sell assets or borrow to pay hospital bills.

Simon Agwale, the Chief Executive Officer of Innovative Biotech, warned issued a warning.

‘Equity must be put first.

‘This means tailoring interventions to the needs of northern states, rural communities, conflict-affected areas, and marginalised groups who are often left behind in national health programmes,’ Agwale said.

At a PHC in Kwali Area Council, Sarah Aso, a young mother of three, sits on a wooden bench clutching her malnourished toddler.

She narrated how she had walked four kilometres to the facility, only to find the nurse absent and essential drugs out of stock.

‘For me, health care is still a gamble,’ she said.

Meanwhile, at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, 32-year-old Ms Blessing Alaba undergoes chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Alaba explained that her treatment costs nearly a million naira, but under the new Catastrophic Fund, half her bills were subsidised.

‘Without this support, I would have given up,’ she said.

A young doctor at the same facility, who requested anonymity, said he was preparing to write exams for a licence abroad.

‘Most of my colleagues have left; we are passionate about serving, but the pay and conditions cannot sustain us,’ he said.

Nigeria’s underfunding of health persists despite repeated promises.

Critics ask why the Abuja 15 per cent pledge remains unmet, and why leakages in procurement and mismanagement of donor funds continue unchecked.

Civil society organisations argue that health financing must go beyond international donors.

Mercy Adeojo, founder of Women Strengthening Women (WSW), was frank.

‘Nigeria must commit domestic resources and address inequities head-on; donor-driven health gains are not sustainable,’ he said.

Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, maintained that reforms were on course.

‘We are working to revitalise PHCs, expand insurance, and strengthen governance; the road is long, but we are determined,’ Pate said.

Dr Solomon Chollom, a virologist and public health expert, insisted that deliberate reforms must follow.

Chollom urged the government to move closer to the Abuja 15 per cent target, strengthen PHCs, and retain health workers by offering rural incentives and better working conditions.

Maimuna Abdullahi, a Health Economist with the African Health Budget Network (AHBN), provided further insights.

‘Expanding insurance so that coverage becomes truly universal, especially for the poor and vulnerable, is non-negotiable.

‘At the same time, prevention must be prioritised, clean water, sanitation, nutrition, and public health measures will save more lives than treatment alone,’ she said.

Stakeholders also point to new opportunities: digital health innovations, telemedicine to bridge urban-rural gaps, and Nigeria’s participation in the African Medicines Agency to boost local manufacturing.

At 65, Nigeria stands at a crossroads; the health sector has seen pockets of progress revitalised PHCs, expanded insurance coverage, and measurable reductions in maternal deaths in some areas. Yet systemic weaknesses continue to claim lives and deepen inequalities.

The nation’s founding vision of ‘health for all’ remains within reach, but only if bold reforms are sustained and matched with political will, adequate funding, and accountability.

‘A healthy nation is a wealthy nation,’ the saying goes.

For Nigeria, observers say the next decade will determine whether its health sector can finally deliver independence, a system that truly cares for its people

The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the arraignment of Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, to October 27.

Justice Mohammed Umar granted the adjournment on Tuesday to allow Sowore time to prepare his defence.

Sowore, who contested the presidency under the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 elections, is facing a five-count charge.

The Department of State Services (DSS), acting on behalf of the Federal Government, filed the case against Sowore, X Inc. (formerly Twitter), and Meta Platforms Inc. (owners of Facebook), naming them as the first, second, and third defendants.

The case, numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, was filed on September 16.

Sowore is alleged to have made a defamatory statement about President Bola Tinubu, referring to him as ‘a criminal’ in posts shared on his Facebook and X accounts. When the case was called on Tuesday, Sowore and Meta’s legal representative were present in court, but no counsel appeared for X.

DSS counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, requested that the charges be read to the defendants to enable them to enter their pleas. However, Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, objected.

He argued that the charge had not been formally served on his client and noted that all defendants must be represented in court, especially in a case involving multiple parties.

He added that the second defendant, X, must be represented to confirm proper service. The judge noted that court records showed both Meta and X had been served electronically via email.

The DSS counsel then sought permission to serve the charge on Sowore in open court. Justice Umar granted the request, as there was no objection from either Abubakar or Meta’s counsel, Mofesomo Tayo-Oyetibo, SAN.

Abubakar also requested an adjournment to give Sowore time to prepare his defence in accordance with Section 282(6) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

The court granted the request and adjourned the arraignment to October 27.

The charge was filed shortly after the DSS asked Sowore to remove the alleged defamatory posts from his Facebook and X accounts.

Sowore is accused of violating the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.

In the first count, the prosecution alleges that on or about August 25, Sowore used his X account, @YeleSowore, to post the following message:

‘THIS CRIMINAL @ OFFICIAL PBAT ACTUALLY WENT TO BRAZIL TO STATE THAT THERE IS NO MORE CORRUPTION UNDER HIS REGIME IN NIGERIA. WHAT AUDACITY TO LIE SHAMELESSLY!’

The message is alleged to be false and intended to incite public disorder, particularly among individuals with differing views about the president.

The alleged offence contravenes Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, among other provisions.

Industry leaders in Nigeria’s maritime say collaboration among all key sectors of the economy and engagement from all levels of government is necessary if Nigeria must compete globally.

‘It’s a multistakeholder issue that requires collaboration across various stakeholders. The silo approach does not work,’ stated Mfon Usoro, National President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria, during BusinessDay’s maritime conference in Lagos in 2025.

This year, the marine and blue economy sector introduced an ambitious ten-year policy aimed at achieving an annual growth target of 7 percent and creating 100,000 new jobs each year.

Usoro proposed a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to integrated planning and execution. She explained that this strategy would involve incorporating the blue economy into national and local government policies and programs. ‘It has to be regarded as a national project for it to become a reality,’ Usoro emphasised. She added that it is the responsibility of every sector to view the maritime sector as an ‘enabler’ of growth in other areas. ‘All stakeholders need to come together to take action,’ she noted.

Regarding funding, as Nigeria looks to bonds to relieve a constrained budget, experts suggest that collaborative support from other ministries is essential. ‘I’m not sure that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) can independently raise a bond. If the NPA cannot do it alone, then the Ministry of Finance, for example, must be involved. This also includes the Minister for Trade. All these elements need to work together,’ said Oluwafikayo Ogunrinde, representing Echefu Ukattah, head of Maritime Practice at Olaniwun Ajayi LP.

‘Our call for new funding is in cooperation with the relevant agencies, ministries, and government bodies, so we can start advocating for improvements,’ she added.

Patricia Igwebuike, Commissioner for Transport in Anambra State, stated that her office is also contributing to this effort. ‘Most of the imports into the eastern parts of Nigeria come through Anambra State. We recognize the poor condition of our roads. Everyone must work together to ensure that Onitsha River complements the other ports in Nigeria,’ she explained. Usoro agreed, saying, ‘We don’t have adequate road infrastructure to connect terminals to manufacturers, markets, and farms. As a result, we invest in dredging that ultimately does not benefit us. The Minister for Works needs to be involved, and even security must be part of the conversation.’

Usoro noted the lack of Nigerian ownership in seagoing vessels. In 2021, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) reported that 4,100 vessels called at the nation’s ports, but ‘none of them flew the Nigerian flag,’ she stated. ‘These are markets that Nigeria must enter.’

Experts agree that a comprehensive approach is necessary to enhance competitiveness in shipping. They suggested that import taxes imposed on shipowners be eliminated. Just as zero import taxes have benefited the aviation sector, the same should apply to shipping.’

Anambra state’s ambition to train one million young people in digital skills has received global validation, with its flagship Solution Innovation District (SID) named among the top three winners at the Inspiring Solutions Awards 2025 during the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) World Conference in Beijing.

The recognition, announced at the conference’s gala dinner, specifically highlighted the Anambra Digital Tribe initiative as a transformational, inspiring, and impactful blueprint for building a sustainable, homegrown innovation economy.

Chinwe Okoli, special adviser to Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, on innovation and business incubation, represented the state at both the Triple Helix Association and CASSSP Innovation Summit and the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) 42nd World Conference held in Beijing, China, this September. Okoli’s presentation, ‘The Anambra Story – From Theory to Transformation,’ detailed how Soludo’s vision is being executed through the Triple Helix model, strategically aligning government, academia, and industry.

She showcased the SID as a practical, homegrown application of global best practices, already delivering impressive outcomes, which include 80,000+ citizens trained in various digital skills, building a future-proof workforce and talent for technology development; dozens of new startups launched, catalysing a new creative and digital economy and over $2 million in ecosystem investment secured, demonstrating early international investment confidence. Building on this momentum at the 42nd IASP World Conference, Okoli delivered a presentation titled ‘Bridging Continents Through Innovation: SID and the Power of International Collaboration.’ She detailed Soludo’s strategy of using the SID as a gateway for global partnerships, emphasising that tackling Africa’s digital growth and youth unemployment requires cross-border cooperation.

The IASP Inspiring Solutions Award, announced during the conference’s gala dinner, specifically recognised the Anambra Digital Tribe and its ambitious goal to train one million youths, celebrating it as a transformational, inspiring, and impactful blueprint for building a sustainable, homegrown innovation economy. ‘This award is a powerful testament to Soludo’s foresight and firm commitment. His strategic investments in technology infrastructure and youth empowerment have proven that emerging economies can not only participate in but excel on the global innovation stage. Our message in Beijing was clear: Anambra is building global bridges for talent, technology, and capital, and this award confirms that the world is taking notice. Anambra is open for business and ripe for strategic investment,’ Okoli stated.

The presentations in Beijing highlighted key investor-friendly attributes of the Anambra ecosystem, driven by the governor’s policies including a clear, government-backed vision, proven partnerships with Meta, Microsoft, Connekt Broadband, Circum Technologies etc signposting opportunity for future partners and the one million Anambra Digital Tribe initiative directly addresses the talent needs of the global digital economy, creating a deep pool of skilled developers, creatives, and tech entrepreneurs.

A form of uproar seems to have taken over the Rivers State University (RSU) over alleged exorbitant fees charged for the 2025 graduation ceremony.

The first information report on the matter accused the university of charging N220,000 for graduation. The university immediately clarified that the N220,000 was not for all graduating students but only for the doctorate graduates.

The clarification did not however seem to douse the agitation as a groundswell has continued to build up against the fees.

The clarification showed that certificate degree graduands would pay N68,000; first degree would pay N97,000, postgraduate degrees were to pay N145,000; and doctorate degree category would pay N220,000. Sources in the university say the 2025 fees were clearly far above the rates for previous years, but the office of the Public Relations Officer headed by Victor Banigo remained silent to inquiries all of Monday, September 29, 2025.

The concern for alleged high fees seems to escape into the town where groups have begun raising alarms. An activist, Darlington Nwauju, has gone on radio to condemn the fees, saying commercialisation of education in the State has gone to a new level.

The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in the state has also stepped into the matter, demanding a reversal.

In fulfilment of its promises and commitment to socio-economic development, the Kwara State Government has executed over 100 projects within one year.

Abdulrasheed Oluwafemi Yusuf, Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area, disclosed this while briefing journalists on his one-year stewardship at the News Keg personality programme, organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Correspondents’ Chapel in Ilorin.

He noted that from inception, his administration set out to complement the efforts of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in ensuring that development reaches every part of Ifelodun, the largest local government in the State. ‘Our administration has touched more than 100 communities through infrastructural and social projects that have improved lives, enhanced security, and strengthened community development,’ Yusuf said.

Among the projects executed are the installation of solar-powered streetlights in over 20 communities; provision and rehabilitation of more than 30 solar-powered boreholes and hand pumps across wards in Atanda, Apara, Adio, Anita, Eleyele, among others. He also listed the construction and renovation of primary healthcare centres in Oke-Ode, Labaka Oja, Adanla, Ofarese, Ijaya-Share, and Ajapa; provision of medical equipment and essential drugs to health facilities; as well as sponsorship of 41 students for health-related courses at the Kwara State Polytechnic of Health Technology, Offa, with plans for their absorption into the local health sector.

On infrastructure, the council rehabilitated several roads, including Isanlu-Isin, Kajola, Oke-Oyan, Umupo, Chahiyan, Igbaja, Ofarese, Oke-Ode, Afon Junction, and Oro-Ago. In the agricultural sector, Yusuf revealed that the council refurbished four abandoned tractors to near-new condition and added them to two existing ones, along with another from ACReSAL, bringing the total to seven functional tractors for farmers.

The council also procured five ridgers to promote mechanised farming, organised step-down training for 500 livestock farmers, and supported them with necessary machinery.

Looking ahead, the Chairman pledged more transformative projects in the council’s second year, particularly in road construction, education, healthcare, and security.

Dave Umahi, minister of works, says a refuse dump more than 50 years old and over 10 metres deep delayed work on the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway for four months.

Umahi spoke in Lagos on Monday during an inspection of the project.

‘We also encountered a refuse dump that had been over 50 years old and had over 10 metres depth and spanned two kilometres,’ Umahi said.

‘When we encountered it, we had to stop the work for more than four months.’

Landmark Beach spared after route redesign

The minister said the project initially faced hurdles at kilometre zero, where Landmark Beach and other properties stood in the highway’s path.

‘We decided as a responsible ministry to vary the design of the project,’ Umahi said, explaining that the road alignment was altered to avoid demolishing the beach infrastructure.

He stressed that, contrary to public perception, Landmark Beach was not demolished-only the surrounding shanties were cleared. The six-lane highway was instead split into three lanes on each side to protect the beach.

N15 billion spent on ‘unexpected challenges’

Umahi disclosed that the federal government spent about N15 billion to tackle the unforeseen obstacles.

‘I have directed that all the videos and drawings must be exposed because additional works are involved, and I want those documentaries to be intact,’ he added.

Dany Abboud, managing director of Hitech Construction Company Ltd., the contractor, said the eastbound and westbound lanes were split at kilometre 2.7 to avoid demolitions and later rejoined at kilometre 5.

He added that extensive waste deposits were found between kilometres 3 and 9, with the largest dumpsites at kilometres 4 and 9.

‘We had to excavate to a very big depth and replace it with sand,’ Abboud said.