Category: Business Day

OpenAI has officially launched ChatGPT Atlas, a web browser built around its flagship generative AI, with the goal of reshaping how we navigate the web and putting pressure on the likes of Google Chrome.

This browser built around ChatGPT was released globally on October 21, 2025 for macOS users.

ChatGPT Atlas replaces the traditional address bar paradigm with a browser interface centered on the ChatGPT experience itself. Rather than toggling between tabs or copying and pasting text, users can interact with ChatGPT continuously while browsing, receiving context-aware assistance.

An optional agent mode available to users on paid tiers (ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business), enables the AI to perform searches, analyze content, and even automate tasks based on the browsing context.

Behind the scenes is a feature called ‘browser memories,’ which allows ChatGPT to remember and recall contextual information from sites visited if the user elects to enable it.

To ease adoption, OpenAI lets users import bookmarks, saved passwords, and browsing history directly from their current browsers upon first use.

In September 2025, Google Chrome commanded approximately 71.9 percent of global browser market share.

OpenAI’s rollout of Atlas arrives amid an aggressive growth and capital expansion phase. At its DevDay event earlier this month, it disclosed that ChatGPT now has 800 million weekly active users, up from 400 million earlier in 2025.

To bolster its product and infrastructure ambitions, OpenAI has also made notable acquisitions as the AI coding tool company Windsurf (formerly Codeium) in a deal worth $3 billion, and the product-testing firm Statsig for $1.1 billion.

It further secured a $300 billion, five-year cloud computing arrangement with Oracle to support its AI workloads.

OpenAI plans to roll out Atlas to Windows, iOS, and Android devices in the near future.

MTN Nigeria has appealed to customers for patience and understanding as 101 network sites across Adamawa, Borno, and Kano States will experience temporary downtime on Saturday, October 25, 2025, due to a scheduled network maintenance exercise.

The planned intervention, which will run from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM, is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability and long-term network performance.

According to a statement from the company, the activity involves a fibre cutover operation along the AFCOT-Bawo Village route, targeting 101 network sites spread across 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The upgrade, MTN explained, is a major step in its broader programme to eliminate damaged fibre spans, reduce multiple joints, and improve overall optical and network stability.

‘This planned maintenance is a continuation of the restoration work we began in August 2025 along the same route. The exercise will ensure stronger, more resilient connections for our customers in the affected regions,’ the company said.

The affected LGAs include Nasarawa in Kano State; Girei, Song, Mubi North, Hong, Gombi, Fufore, Mubi South, Madagali, Michika, Maiha, Chibok, and Yola North in Adamawa State; and Askira/Uba and Shani in Borno State.

MTN noted that because the fibre route is linear and unprotected, services including 2G, 3G, 4G, and some enterprise solutions will experience temporary downtime during the two-hour maintenance window.

While acknowledging the potential inconvenience, MTN Nigeria appealed for customer patience and understanding, stressing that the upgrade is essential for long-term service quality and resilience in the region.

‘We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate our customers’ understanding as we work to deliver a more stable and efficient network experience,’ the statement added.

The exercise is part of MTN Nigeria’s broader network modernization and infrastructure optimization programme, which has seen the company expand its fibre footprint, deploy advanced optical technologies, and improve redundancy across major routes nationwide.

By executing this latest cutover, MTN aims to significantly reduce service disruptions caused by fibre faults and improve overall data and voice quality across the affected states.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has dismissed his national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, ending months of speculation over growing tensions at the top of Israel’s wartime leadership.

Hanegbi announced his removal in a statement on Tuesday evening, saying Netanyahu had informed him ‘of his intention to appoint a new head of the National Security Council.’

‘In light of this, my term as national security adviser and head of the National Security Council ends today,’ Hanegbi said.

Shortly afterwards, the prime minister’s office confirmed that Gil Reich, currently the deputy head of the National Security Council, will take over as acting head.

‘Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanks Tzachi Hanegbi for his service as head of the National Security Council for the past three years, and wishes him great success in his future endeavours and good health,’ the statement read.

The announcement comes amid reports of deep disagreements between the two men over Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza. According to Al Jazeera, Israeli media had long speculated about Hanegbi’s departure, citing friction over his opposition to a full military takeover of Gaza City and his preference for pursuing a partial deal with Hamas.

In his farewell statement, Hanegbi called for a ‘thorough investigation’ into the security and intelligence failures that allowed Hamas’s October 7 2023 assault on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed.

‘The terrible failure . must be thoroughly investigated to ensure that the appropriate lessons are learned and to help restore the trust that has been shattered,’ he wrote, adding that he shares responsibility for the events leading up to the attack.

Netanyahu’s government has yet to establish an independent inquiry into the disaster, despite growing pressure from the opposition and sections of the public. Critics accuse the prime minister of delaying the process to avoid political fallout.

Gadi Eisenkot, former Israeli army chief and opposition politician condemned Hanegbi’s dismissal, writing on X that it ‘is an expression of the continued evasion of responsibility by all Cabinet members and the Prime Minister of the October 7 debacle, in order to replace them with yes-men.’

Aliko Dangote, founder of Dangote Group, has revealed plans to sell a minority stake in his multi-billion-dollar refinery as part of a plan to double its capacity, transforming it into the world’s largest refining complex.

Speaking in an interview with SandP Global, Dangote said the move will mirror the approach adopted for Dangote Cement and Dangote Sugar Refinery – the same sentiment shared at BusinessDay’s 17th CEO Forum in July.

The founder said that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery plans to sell 5 percent to 10 percent of its stake on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited within the next year.

‘We don’t want to keep more than 65 percent-70 percent,’ Dangote said. According to him, the shares would be offered gradually, depending on investor appetite and market depth.

The billionaire added that the group is exploring strategic partnerships with Middle Eastern firms to help finance the refinery’s expansion and a new petrochemicals venture in China.

‘We have to build the refinery again, either here or somewhere else. But really, somewhere else is not possible because we’d have to go and spend so much building infrastructure, and we have the infrastructure already here,’ Dangote said in an exclusive interview with Platts.

Initially designed with room for growth, the refinery, already boasting the world’s largest crude distillation unit and a custom-built port, is set to increase its capacity from 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 700,000 bpd by the end of the year.

The new goal, however, is to double production to 1.4 million bpd, surpassing Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar refinery in India, currently the world’s largest at 1.36 million bpd.

Engineers at the Lekki complex said the expansion could involve constructing a second refinery with a similar configuration, potentially adding a vacuum distillation unit to enhance yields.

Dangote also disclosed plans to expand polypropylene capacity from 1 million to 1.5 million metric tonnes annually and to pursue new petrochemical ventures, including linear alkylbenzene and base oils projects.

Despite global forecasts by the International Energy Agency suggesting an oversupply of refining capacity by 2030, driven mainly by China and India, Dangote insists that Africa must not remain dependent on imported fuel. ‘Most African governments will not have the capacity to build a refinery,’ he said, describing smaller projects like Angola’s Cabinda refinery as ‘a drop in the ocean.’

He added, ‘In places where interest rates are 30 percent, some countries 20 percent, the cost of funding is high. And the infrastructure is zero.’

The Dangote Group recently secured a $4 billion financing agreement in August, easing previous debt concerns. However, the expansion plan requires additional funding, prompting the company to seek strategic partnerships, particularly from Middle Eastern investors.

‘Our business concept is going to change. Now instead of being 100 percent Dangote-owned, we’ll have other partners,’ Dangote said, noting that collaboration will help drive the refinery’s next phase of growth.

As part of the strategy, Dangote revealed plans to list between 5 percent and 10 of the refinery’s shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange within the next year.

‘We don’t want to keep more than 65 percent-70 percent,’ he said, explaining that shares would be offered gradually, depending on investor interest and market depth.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) currently holds a 7.2 percent stake in the refinery, having trimmed its earlier interest.

Dangote said the state oil company could increase its holding in the future, but only after the next stage of expansion is underway.

‘I want to demonstrate what this refinery can do, then we can sit down and talk,’ he said. The expansion announcement comes amid efforts to stabilise operations after a string of technical setbacks. The refinery’s residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC), critical for gasoline production, was briefly taken offline in September following a three-week turnaround in August.

Devakumar Edwin, Vice President overseeing refinery operations, confirmed the RFCC restarted around October 7 and would soon return to full capacity. ‘We have resolved most, not all, but most of the problems,’ Dangote said, adding that another maintenance window is being considered.

Supply concerns have also eased following a crude-for-naira swap deal with NNPC, which provides the refinery with 14 crude cargoes in exchange for refined products. Additionally, Dangote’s upstream assets, Oil Mining Lease (OML) 71 and 72, are expected to start production this month, adding up to 40,000 bpd to the refinery’s crude feedstock.

Nigeria’s reform momentum gains traction as market value approaches N100 trillion mark, while NGX All Share Index crosses 153,000 points.

The equities market rose to a new high this week, extending its rally on the back of broad economic reforms and improving investor sentiment.

The NGX All-Share Index (ASI) advanced 1.50 percent on Wednesday to close at 153,736.25 basis points, pushing market capitalisation to N97.58 trillion.

The index has now gained 49.37 per cent year-to-date, underscoring the strength of demand in blue-chip stocks across key sectors.

The market’s advance underscores renewed investor confidence and the resilience of Nigeria’s capital markets amid a shifting macroeconomic environment.

Analysts noted that the rally reflects sustained demand for blue-chip stocks in the banking, industrial, oil and gas, and consumer goods sectors, a trend buoyed by reform-led optimism, improving foreign exchange liquidity, and a more stable economic outlook. The rebound coincides with a broader policy reset that has redefined Nigeria’s economic outlook. Measures such as the liberalisation of the naira, the removal of fuel subsidies, and closer coordination between fiscal and monetary authorities have begun to restore a degree of macroeconomic stability, even as inflation remains elevated.

These themes dominated discussions at the Financial Times Africa Summit 2025 in London, where Temi Popoola, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NGX Group, joined a panel titled ‘Nigeria’s Economic Journey: Crisis, Recovery, and Risk.’

Popoola noted that much of the market’s resilience can be traced to a ‘wave of coordinated reforms’ that have rebuilt confidence in the country’s financial architecture.

‘The strength we’ve seen in the market has been driven largely by reforms, from the President’s economic agenda to decisive actions by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), PENCOM, and other regulators,’ he said. ‘These efforts have created the right foundation for investor confidence and renewed market activity.’

Emomotimi Agama, Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), echoed similar sentiment, pointing to the Investments and Securities Act 2025 as a turning point for governance and regulatory transparency in the market. ‘The new law was crafted to reflate the economy by providing clarity, certainty, and discipline in our markets,’ Agama said. ‘Robust regulation has been central to restoring market integrity and investor trust, providing the transparency required to anchor long-term capital formation in Nigeria.’

Other participants, including Patience Oniha, Director-General of the Debt Management Office, and Will Straw, Chief Executive of King’s Trust International, observed that the next phase of Nigeria’s reform journey lies in ensuring that the gains in stability and capital inflows translate into broader, inclusive growth for households and businesses.

The summit underscored that Nigeria’s near-term trajectory depends on maintaining reform discipline and deepening private sector participation. For investors, the stock market’s recent performance signals renewed conviction that Nigeria’s policy realignment is beginning to yield results.

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has named Abubakar Malami, former Attorney-General of the Federation, as one of the witnesses in his ongoing trial for alleged terrorism.

In a motion signed by Kanu and filed before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, he expressed readiness to begin his defence as directed by the court.

The motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015 and dated October 20, was filed on October 21. It is titled: ‘Notice of Number and Names of Witnesses to be Called by the Defendant and Request for Witness Summons/Subpoena and the Variation of the Time Within Which to Defend the Counts/Charges against the Defendant.’ Kanu cited a court order from October 16, 2015, which instructed him to open his defence on October 24, 2025.

He informed the court of his intention to call 23 witnesses, divided into two groups: ‘material’ witnesses and ‘compellable’ witnesses.

He requested the court to issue summonses to the latter under Section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011.

He also asked for a 90-day period to conclude his defence, considering the number of witnesses.

Kanu stated that he would testify in his own defence, providing a sworn account to deny the allegations and explain the political context of his actions and statements.

Among those listed as compellable witnesses are: Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, former Minister of Defence, Theophilus Danjuma; former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma. Others include: Dave Umahi; Minister of Works,former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu; former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; and former Director-General of the State Security Service, Yusuf Bichi. He also noted that some witnesses would remain unnamed for now.

Kanu said he would provide sworn statements from all voluntary witnesses and notify the prosecution in due time.

He assured the court that proceedings would not be unnecessarily delayed and emphasized the importance of ensuring justice is both done and seen to be done.

This application follows a preliminary objection filed by Kanu challenging the court’s jurisdiction to continue with the trial. The objection was submitted the same day a medical panel appointed by the court declared him fit to stand trial.

In a related development, a magistrate court in Abuja ordered the remand of Kanu’s special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, and 12 others arrested during a protest led by activist Omoyele Sowore on Monday, opposing Kanu’s continued detention and trial.

Police charged the group with criminal conspiracy, disobedience to lawful order, inciting disturbance, and public nuisance, contrary to Sections 152, 114, and 113 of the Penal Code.

The defendants, named in two separate First Information Reports (FIRs), include: Ejimakor, Kanu’s brother Emmanuel Kanu, Joshua Emmanuel, Wilson Anyalewechi, Okere Nnamdi, Clinton Chimeneze, Gabriel Joshua, Isiaka Husseini, Onyekachi Ferdinand, Amadi Prince, Edison Ojisom, Godwill Obioma, and Chima Onuchukwu.

The court ordered their remand at Kuje Correctional Centre pending arraignment on October 24.

The Federal High Court in Abuja will on December 8, 2025, in the trial of Emmanuella Eteta Ita, Head of the Stakeholders Unit at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and her company, Surestart School Limited, who are facing charges of alleged N2 billion fraud.

Giwa Ogunbanjo, Presiding Judge fixed the date after both parties adopted their final written addresses on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.

Ita and her company were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 25-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation, diversion of funds, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering involving about N2 billion. During the proceedings, Ita’s counsel, Paul Erokoro, urged the court to dismiss the case, arguing that the EFCC failed to prove its allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.

He referenced his final written address dated December 10, 2014, and a reply filed on June 13, 2025, adopting both as the defendant’s response to all issues raised by the prosecution. Erokoro further asked the court to acquit his client and order the EFCC to refund N19.5 million allegedly recovered from Ita so she could repay her lenders.

However, prosecuting counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, countered the defence’s argument, maintaining that the prosecution had established its case beyond a reasonable doubt. He pointed the court to the prosecution’s final written address filed and adopted on January 10 and June 16, 2025, respectively, urging the court to convict the defendants accordingly.

Iheanacho also objected to portions of the defence’s reply which, he argued, attempted to re-argue issues already canvassed in their main address.

According to a statement by Dele Oyewale, Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, after hearing both sides, Ogunbanjo adjourned the case until December 8, 2025, for judgment.

An Abuja High Court on Wednesday adjourned the trial of Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) until November 27 to rule on the eligibility of a witness from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF) to testify in the case.

Justice Hamza Muazu made the ruling following objections raised by Emefiele’s defense team regarding the prosecution’s attempt to call the witness.

Emefiele is being prosecuted by the OAGF in case number CR/577/2023 on an amended 20-count charge including criminal breach of trust, conferring corrupt advantage, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence, and obtaining money by false pretence during his tenure as CBN governor.

He is accused of using his position to award six contracts for the supply of vehicles worth N1.2 billion to April 1616 Investment Ltd., a company in which Sa’adatu Ramalan Yaro, a CBN staff member, is a director and shareholder. Emefiele has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

At the resumed hearing, Mathew Burkaa SAN, Emefiele’s counsel, objected to the prosecution’s 11th witness, Alvan Grumman, testifying in the case.

Burkaa argued that Grumman’s name was included in an additional proof of evidence dated October 15, 2024, which the court had struck out in a ruling on March 20.

He stated that the prosecution had appealed the March 20 decision and, as such, the witness should not be allowed to testify, describing the prosecution’s attempt as an abuse of court procedure for pursuing both vertical and horizontal proceedings simultaneously.

In response, Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, prosecution counsel said the March 20 ruling only pertained to witnesses Tommy Odama and Ifeanyi Omeke and did not mention Grumman. He said Grumman is the lead investigator who holds material facts essential to the case and urged the court to reject the defense’s objection.

After hearing both sides, Justice Muazu adjourned the matter until November 27 to decide on the admissibility of Grumman’s testimony and the continuation of the trial.

Earlier, Oyedepo informed the court that the prosecution had filed two separate applications to subpoena Tommy Odama and Ifeanyi Omeke, who hold information important to the case. Emefiele’s counsel opposed the applications, arguing that the March 20 ruling remains binding and that since the prosecution has appealed, they cannot return to the lower court to seek the same requests.

He also noted that the subpoenas were filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), not the OAGF, which is prosecuting the case.

Justice Muazu has reserved ruling on these subpoena applications.

The House of Representatives says its interest is to protect strategic economic investments in the country from adversarial unionism with economic sabotage undertone.

The house’s resolution was made following a motion under urgent national importance by Rep. Alhassan Doguwa representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency, Kano State and seconded by Rep. Abdussamad Dasuki for Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency of Sokoto State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was a rift between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Refinery, Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos which resulted to strike action recently.

The strike disrupted the operations at the 20 billion dollars refinery, the largest single-train refinery in the world.

Moving the motion, the lawmaker recalled with dismay the recent nationwide strike embarked upon by the PENGASSAN which impacted negatively on the Dangote Refinery and on the nation’s economy.

He said there is the need for national cognisance of the economic role and importance of Dangote Refinery to Petroleum production and distribution.

The lawmaker warned against industrial actions that are capable of impeding economic development and eroding public trust.

‘Note that the industrial action led to a disruption in Nigeria’s crude oil production, with a reported daily loss of approximately 200,000 barrels over a period of three days.

‘Further note that the disruption worsened the fuel supply situation across the country, resulting in scarcity and long queues at filling stations in several states, thereby causing severe hardship for ordinary Nigerians,’ he said.

The lawmaker who described Dangote Refinery as one operating under Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), called for compliance with the NEPZA Act.

‘Section 18(5) of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Act clearly states: ‘Employment in the Free Zone shall be governed by rules and regulations made by the Authority and not subject to the provisions of any enactments relating to employment matters.’

The Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu who presided over the plenary, referred the motion to relevant committees for further legislative action.

Nigeria today has left many people in crippling agitation. The events that occasion this feeling are the everyday experiences of hapless fellow compatriots. Kidnapping, robbery, Ponzi schemes and other nefarious dealings stare the common man in the face. So, in a country stormed by insecurity, one cannot but raise an alarm at any situation that signals an impending doom. This provides a narrative landscape for the recent altercation between an Uber driver and his passenger.

Netizens on WhatsApp took to an aggressive reposting of the report made by one X (formerly Twitter) user, Nevermind (@Big_Itohan), against an Uber driver named James Oluwatosin Ogunsanwo. The former posted that Nigerians should beware of the latter, as he uses his Uber service to provide victims to a syndicate of area-boy robbers. She went further to give details of how his indescribably faulty car is a scheme in the notorious business. However, as luck would have it, a live chat between a concerned reposter and a neighbour of James’s was leaked. In the conversation, the godsend persuasively dispelled the rumour with repulsion at the defamation of James’s character.

Whatever our evaluation of this drama may be, there is no ‘victor or vanquished’. In this situation, John Donne’s all-time pithy poem No Man Is an Island is timely. The closing lines of the poem, which read, ‘. never send to know for whom the bell tolls;/It tolls for thee,’ bespeak the empathy behind Miss Nevermind’s action. Granted that she made a wrong judgement of her robbery experience in the course of her travel in Mr James’ car, her reaction was a response to what the nation has done to you and me. Nowhere is safe. No one can be trusted. And in times like this for that matter. Everywhere is precarious. And as it is believed in a street prognosis, a dangerous person does not bear the mark of their identity on their forehead. So, @Big_Itohan did what was right because the country presently teeters on the edge of insecurity. She raised the right alarm, albeit on a wrong judgment.

In the same way, those who spread the message like wildfire were right in their action. The bell tolls for everyone in today’s Naija. The message and false accusation could have been true anyway. And that single support of the finger could have saved my own family member, whose next Uber trip would have carted them to the prickling number of missing persons. In that wise, their action starkly justifies Niyi Osundare’s rhetoric in his poem Not My Business. If they had minded their own business, that most likely would have given vent to the subterfuge of road banditry. Nigeria’s insecurity issue is past taking lying low. In fact, there is logically no way anyone could have treated such a heartbreaking message with indifference. On this note, let us bury the hatchet and withdraw the boiling contempt.

There should also be an immediate dismissal of prejudice. In the presumption that the complainant is to be sued for defamation, let no one hijack the argument for ethnophobic claims. That has plagued us enough as a nation. We are quick to tender reductionist views. Our binary alternatives mentality has hampered critical thinking: it is either this or that or nothing else. But this matter on the ground is more sensitive than our parochial perception of it. We are also very obsessed with sensational stories.

Emotions should not supersede reasoning. This is not a matter of the woman fingering manhood for gender malice. That would be an outright evasion of the truth that two aggrieved Nigerians are psychologically molested by a failed system. We cannot dispute the obvious fact that this nation is toying with its citizens’ mental well-being.

An unchecked use of social media can put society asunder. We should stay conscious of that drawback and learn to fact-check every alarm raised. In the name of the cruise, issues have got out of hand. Nigerians should learn to control their emotions: not every item of news on the internet is true. To this end, the courts of the internet should temper justice with mercy. Finally, our unreserved apology goes to the transportation company whose image seems tainted.