Category: Business Day

In Nigeria’s fast-paced world where vehicles are not just a convenience but the lifeblood of movement, trade, and connection, engines are the unsung heroes. From taxis weaving through Lagos traffic to long-haul trucks powering interstate commerce, the performance of an engine can mean the difference between efficiency and frustration. And at the heart of every great engine lies one essential element: quality lubrication.

This is where Ardova PLC, one of Nigeria’s foremost energy companies, and Shell Lubricants, a global pioneer in advanced motor oils, converge in a partnership that has redefined engine care in the country with the creation and distribution of Shell Helix motor oil. Ardova is the sole distributor of Shell Lubricants in Nigeria.

A Meeting of Expertise and Innovation

As part of our efforts to increase visibility and drive relevance for Shell Lubricants in Nigeria, we have organized two editions of the Power Conference to engage with industry players in the power sector, and position Shell Lubricants as a leader in that space.

We have also launched the ‘Keep It Running’ campaign, alongside other marketing efforts, to further strengthen this commitment.

The Science Inside Every Bottle

What sets Shell Helix apart isn’t just the brand name, it’s the technology within. Formulated with active cleansing agents, Shell Helix motor oils are designed to go beyond basic lubrication. They:

– Actively clean and prevent sludge build-up.

– Reduce friction for smoother performance.

– Protect against wear and corrosion, even under Nigeria’s demanding driving conditions.

Think of it as giving your engine a spa treatment ,cleansing, protecting, and rejuvenating it with every drive.

Why This Matters for Nigerian Drivers

Nigeria’s driving environment can be unforgiving. Heavy traffic, fluctuating weather, rough roads, and long-distance journeys all put engines to the test. Cheap or substandard oils often fail under these conditions, leading to breakdowns, higher fuel consumption, and costly repairs.

With Shell Helix, the Ardova-Shell Lubricants partnership provides a lubricant engineered to withstand these pressures, ensuring engines run smoother, last longer, and give drivers peace of mind.

More Than Oil: A Promise of Reliability

When motorists pick up a bottle of Shell Helix from an Ardova or Enyo filling station, they’re not just buying motor oil. They’re investing in a promise: the promise of a cleaner engine, improved performance, and the backing of two trusted names in the energy sector.

It’s a promise that every journey whether it’s the daily school run or a cross-country delivery will be powered by excellence.

Shell Lubricant Solutions

Shell offers a wide range of Lubricants across all industries, from automotive, fleet, general manufacturing, construction, mining and quarrying, agriculture, marine to power. Following decades of collaboration with the businesses that help shape our global industrial sectors, located across every corner of the world, we’ve come to help unleash untapped sources of power: potential.

At Shell Lubricant Solutions, we help unleash this potential:

– The potential for equipment to perform better and last longer

– The potential for people to face new challenges and stay safe

– The potential for businesses to adapt to change and for industries to be both profitable and responsible.

We believe in the potential for positive change, by empowering businesses, reducing negative impact, and improving lives.

Because potential is only a promise until you add action, we’re committed to helping you transform your own business, so we can all make a real difference to the world.

Our mission is to put potential in motion and that drives everything we do.

The Road Ahead

The Ardova-Shell partnership reflects a shared vision to elevate the standard of machine/ equipment care in Nigeria. By marrying innovation with accessibility, they’ve turned Shell into more than just a lubricant, it’s a movement toward smarter, more sustainable operations.

For Nigerians, this means every turn of the key isn’t just the start of an engine, but the continuation of a journey powered by trust, science, and collaboration.

Shell Lubricants are formulated for passenger cars, heavy duty engines, gas engines, hydraulic systems, industrial gears, turbines, compressors, transformer oil and marine applications.

Available nationwide in Ardova and Enyo filling stations as well as through authorized reseller stores.

As Nigeria marks its 65th year of independence today, the nation’s political journey invites a quiet introspection. Beneath today’s celebrations lies a system that shuns and treats political conflict as a threat rather than the lifeblood of genuine democracy. And despite being conflict averse, Nigerian politics in the six and a half decades, has often resembled a battlefield where opposition signals enmity.

Consider a key basis upon which the Murtala/Obasanjo military regime decided to abandon the British parliamentary model for an American presidential system. They sincerely wanted to engineer unity through institutional design. General Olusegun Obasanjo, then second-in-command to General Murtala Mohammed, captured the thinking of politicians: ‘In most Nigerian languages, the word for opposition is the same word for ‘enemy’. And what do you do with an enemy? You crush him; you do not spare anything.’ This explains the approach to politics for most Nigerian politicians: ‘crush-or-be-crushed’.

The military viewed parliamentary debates as breeding grounds for violence. The solution seemed easy: eliminate opposition politics to eliminate political violence and forge unity by minimising confrontation. What they saw as a solution overlooked the simple truth that true unity emerges from shared experiences, not decrees; they could not legislate harmony any more than one can force roots into unwilling soil.

The logic revealed a profound misunderstanding of democracy itself; they expected a pluralistic, multi-ethnic society to function without opposition voices. They mistook external uniformity for genuine unity. What they created was not harmony but a system that drove conflict underground, where it festered and waited for opportunity to erupt in more destructive forms time and again. Aversion to conflict was deeply woven into the fabric of post-colonial governance.

The 1914 amalgamation by British colonial administrators created a geographical entity, not a unified nation. Ethnic nationalities were bundled together for administrative convenience, their diverse loyalties ignored in favour of resource extraction. Independence in 1960 inherited this corporatist mindset, much like a boardroom takeover, where the state became a prize for the victorious.

Politicians, echoing colonial overseers, treat public office as personal enterprise. Elections become zero-sum games of winner-takes-all. This mentality creates what might be called vagrant authority – power without purpose, office without vision. Leaders oscillate between inherited military authoritarianism and civilian chaos because they lack authentic governance models rooted in the Nigerian realities. They cannot imagine politics as anything other than warfare between enemies.

Such dynamics silence voices and shrink democratic space. And when opposition is equated with treason, losers retreat into ethnic strongholds, nursing grudges that fuel cycles of unrest and violence. As crackdowns are visited on protesters, dialogue gives way to distrust.

The 1993 annulment of Moshood Abiola’s presidential victory exemplifies this: a moment of potential national consensus shattered by military fiat, deepening divides that persist today. Silencing dissent does not build resilience; it erodes the very foundations of collective progress. History shows that political antagonism diminishes us, but it needs not define us. Perpetual bitterness, evident in the ethnic tensions that boiled over during the 1967-1970 civil war, continues to shadow modern politics. From separatist agitations to the Niger Delta militancy over resource control, to northern banditry and grievances about neglect, these conflicts reveal unaddressed wounds. But enmity is not inevitable, and politics need not be perpetual war.

Chantal Mouffe’s concept of agonistic pluralism offers a compelling alternative framework. She reframes political struggle as a contest between adversaries, not enemies. In her view, democracy thrives when passions are channelled into managed disagreement, preventing apathy or explosive violence. The goal of democratic politics should be transforming enemies into adversaries, treating opponents with respect rather than seeking their destruction.

Imagine politics as a football match, between Enyimba International FC, unarguably Nigeria’s most successful club, and Kano Pillars FC which also commands significant support. Supporters cheer fiercely for their side, yet the game ends with handshakes, not bloodshed. Victory brings joy, defeat prompts reflection, but the sport endures because rules ensure fairness.

Nigerian politics could adopt similar principles. Opposition parties would compete vigorously, not a death match. Media outlets would provide balanced platforms for different viewpoints rather than serving as partisan weapons. Electoral bodies would referee contests impartially. Winners would govern inclusively while losers would critique constructively.

For a multi-ethnic, multi-religious nation like Nigeria, agonism feels tailor-made. Mouffe points out that in diverse societies, consensus is often illusory; instead, we need space for dissensus while maintaining respect. Through vigorous debate and competition, societies test ideas, expose weaknesses, and discover better solutions.

Adapting agonism means practical steps. Constitutional reforms could embed proportional representation, ensuring minority voices influence outcomes, much like Switzerland’s federal cantons balance linguistic divides. Education curricula might emphasise civic dialogue, teaching young Nigerians to view debate as strength, not weakness. And leadership selection could prioritise those who bridge divides, as Ellen Johnson Sirleaf did in Liberia by including former rivals in her cabinet.

The root of our disunity lies not in diversity itself, but in systems that force conformity over accommodation. By embracing conflict as integral to politics, we open doors to authentic unity, one grown organically, not imposed. Antagonism can evolve into agonism, turning perpetual war into productive rivalry.

After sixty-five years of trying to engineer conflict-free politics, perhaps it is time to learn how to manage conflict productively. This Independence Day, let us commit to a politics that uplifts, where winning serves the people, not just the victors.

The Lagos State Government has faulted comments made by former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over the demolition of structures at the Trade Fair Complex, insisting that the affected buildings had no valid approvals.

In a statement issued by Gbenga Omotoso, the commissioner for information and strategy, the government dismissed Obi’s remarks as ‘misinformation and disinformation.’

The commissioner accused Obi of attempting to ‘mislead the public by misinformation and disinformation’ after the former governor visited the complex and described the demolitions as ‘a test of impunity, justice and compassion.’ Omotoso insisted that the state’s Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development had followed due process.

‘The owners of the building have no approval. They got ample time to regularise their papers when the state government declared last year a general amnesty, which was extended several times. The owners shunned the offer,’ he said.

According to the commissioner, attempts by government officials to enforce planning laws at the complex were met with resistance. ‘When Physical Planning officials visited the complex, the gates were locked against them; they were beaten up. The police rescued them. When the government called the owners for talks, they said they would not come; they did not come,’ Omotoso noted.

He stressed that while the Trade Fair Management Board, a federal body, can administer leases and commercial activities within the complex, it lacks the legal authority to approve building projects.

‘The board. does not have powers to approve or regulate building developments within the complex independent of Lagos State Government,’ he said.

Citing the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act (1992) and a 2003 Supreme Court judgment, the commissioner reaffirmed that states have the authority to regulate development control within their territories, including federal lands, except for core areas such as military formations.

Omotoso concluded by framing the issue as a choice between the rule of law and political grandstanding.

‘We must decide the kind of society we want, one governed by law or one run by emotions, fueled by political interests,’ he stated.

Irrespective of the time of the year, the social media in Nigeria is abuzz with conversations about the housing conditions in the country. From complaints about the rising cost of house rents across the country, to many sharing some sour experiences in the hands of shylock landlords, and greedy agents.

When the rainy season arrives, as it has already, another question arises. How does the money paid for rents translate into security from the impact of the rains and their attendant floods? BusinessDay’s September TalkExchange Poll aims to capture the reality behind the social media conversations around housing in Nigeria. What is the real cost of housing in Nigeria, and what are the biggest challenges to housing in Nigeria?

The Alternative Bank, in partnership with the Sterling Sustainability Working Group, has donated plastic waste bins to Wuse Market, Abuja, as part of its efforts to address Nigeria’s solid waste problem.

Mohammed Abdull, Divisional Head (North) The Alternative Bank, presented the waste bins to the management of Wuse Market after a sensitization walk from Yoruba Mosque in Wuse 11 to Wuse Market. Abdull said the donation is part of the bank’s Walk4ZeroPlastic campaign, an initiative aimed at reducing plastic pollution through awareness and community participation. He explained that the donation marked the end of the Walk4ZeroPlastic march, which mobilized over 300 volunteers and recovered several tonnes of plastic waste from the environment.

He said the bins, placed across Wuse Market, are intended to support waste collection efforts by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and promote better waste management practices among traders and visitors. Abdull stressed the role of community involvement in addressing environmental issues. ‘This initiative is about more than just cleanup,’ he said. ‘It’s about building habits that will have a lasting impact.’ The campaign promotes responsible waste management, encouraging behavior change based on the principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

Volunteers held awareness sessions with marketgoers on proper waste disposal, reinforcing responsible consumption. ‘Our commitment goes beyond a one-time effort,’ Abdull added. ‘Our staff continue to engage traders daily to keep education and sustainability at the forefront.’ The campaign highlights the need to address plastic pollution at its source. ‘Markets are major points of plastic use and disposal,’ a campaign spokesperson said. ‘Plastic never truly degrades-it accumulates in water, food, and even in our bodies as microplastics, which pose health risks.’ Plans are underway to launch waste-to-value programs to empower traders to exchange collected plastic waste for money. The Alternative Bank will also introduce banking products to help traders manage and grow their earnings.

Balarabe Lawal, Minister of Environment, called for united efforts to tackle Nigeria’s plastic waste problem, noting that the country generates over 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually, with plastics accounting for more than 15%. Lawal, represented by Dangowa Orume, Assistant Director of Solid Waste Management, said, ‘Unmanaged plastic waste threatens public health, the economy, and the environment.’ ‘Campaigns like Walk4ZeroPlastic support national policies such as the Plastic Waste Management Policy, Solid Waste Management Policy, and the Nigeria Circular Economy Roadmap,’ he added. The minister emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing waste management solutions. ‘The time to act is now,’ he said. ‘Together, we must reduce plastic waste and build a cleaner, sustainable future.’

Abubakar Dangana, Market Secretary of the Wuse Market Association, thanked The Alternative Bank for the donation, noting its potential to improve sanitation and encourage better waste disposal within the market.

The Walk4ZeroPlastic campaign continues to promote environmental responsibility through education, advocacy, and collaboration, showing that collective action can make a difference in addressing Nigeria’s solid waste challenges.

Irrespective of the time of the year, the social media in Nigeria is abuzz with conversations about the housing conditions in the country. From complaints about the rising cost of house rents across the country, to many sharing some sour experiences in the hands of shylock landlords, and greedy agents.

When the rainy season arrives, as it has already, another question arises. How does the money paid for rents translate into security from the impact of the rains and their attendant floods? BusinessDay’s September TalkExchange Poll aims to capture the reality behind the social media conversations around housing in Nigeria. What is the real cost of housing in Nigeria, and what are the biggest challenges to housing in Nigeria?

Nigeria’s U20 side, the Flying Eagles, will take on Saudi Arabia in their second match of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Talca on Thursday night.

After a 1-0 defeat to Norway in their Group F opener, the seven-time African champions are eager to bounce back and keep their hopes of advancing alive.

Despite dominating possession and creating several chances in the match against Norway,

Nigeria was unfortunate not to find the equalizer in the second half. The Flying Eagles were denied two penalty appeals by the referee, leaving them frustrated in what was otherwise a promising performance. A win against Saudi Arabia will boost Nigeria’s chances of progressing to the Round of 16, especially with a tough match against Colombia coming up on Sunday.

Head coach, Aliyu Zubair, remains confident that his team has recovered from the disappointment of the Norway defeat.

His focus now is on ensuring the squad delivers the right result against Saudi Arabia. With all key players available,

Zubair is expected to stick with his preferred 4-3-3 formation, emphasizing attacking play and ball possession.

Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited (MESL), in a bid to advance the Nigerian energy landscape, has signed an agreement with Granville Energy (PTY) Limited to design, build, finance, and operate a 100 megawatt (MW) floating solar power plant at the Kainji hydro power plant.

Speaking during the signing ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, Sani Bello, Chairman, Board of Directors, Mainstream Energy Solutions, said that the project is a significant step forward in the company’s mission to transform Nigeria’s energy landscape.

He explained that when fully operational, the project will provide thousands of Nigerian homes and businesses with clean, reliable energy, supporting economic development while minimising environmental impact.

‘We are proud to partner with Granville Energy (PTY) Limited to design, build, finance, and operate a 100MW floating solar power plant at the Kainji hydro power plant. This pioneer project embodies our unwavering commitment to increasing power generation in Nigeria while promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions.

‘As an organisation. We have consistently demonstrated our commitment to renewable energy, aligning this with our mission statement and the focus areas of our Corporate Social Responsibility interventions. This MOU signing is a testament to our resolve to drive positive change and contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth.

‘This aligns perfectly with our core objective: powering Nigeria’s economic growth in an environmentally responsible manner,’ he said.

In his remarks, Abba Aliyu, Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA) noted that Nigeria currently have the highest number of people without electricity, with most of these people located in the rural and urban areas of the country.

For him, the most economically viable means of providing them with electricity is through distributed renewable energy, through the deployment of renewable sources.

‘For us to have an opportunity where 100 megawatts of renewable energy can be injected into the grid, for us, this is a huge and significant increase in the renewable mix of the country. I will say that apart from the Azura, which was 450 megawatts that was added as a Greenfield, and Zungeru, which mainstream is very much active in managing that, there is no significant renewable capacity that has been added to the grid.

‘Initially, the Rural Electrification Agency is currently working on injecting about 188.4 megawatts through interconnected mini-grids, one of which we intend to be the first to will do the floating solar in the University of Lagos, where we will put the panels by the side of the lagoon to power the University of Lagos.

‘But definitely, the commitment of the mainstream and the partners, Granville Energy, is something that the federal government will always have pleasure in and will always key into it.

He said that Nigeria needs to increase the generation capacity, hence the need to deploy more renewable resources and an innovative model like this that harnesses the space around the hydro and creates a floating solar.

He also advised the companies that the project should come with its own distribution network, SCADA system, and full meters to enhance the commercial viability of the project, adding that without these, the commercial viability of the renewable project can never be sustained.

‘This is an ingenious, complex framework that must be encouraged, and for the Rural Electrification Agency, we would like to be part of this initiative, key into it, support it, and in any way also learn from how we will do that, how we will deploy it at this level of capacity,’ he added.

Also speaking, Tabi T. Tabi, Chief Executive Officer, Granville Energy, said that the MOU commits both parties to the development of the Kainji Floating Solar Plant, which is intended to reach a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts (1 Gigawatt).

He explained that the immediate focus is the rapid deployment of phase one, which will add 100 MW of hybrid renewable power to the grid. ‘This multi-gigawatt vision is a testament to what is possible when two African giants-Nigeria and South Africa-collaborate,’ he said.

Tabi noted that by deploying high-efficiency solar panels directly onto the surface of the Kainji reservoir, the project will deliver a powerful hybrid system. This synergy, he said, ensures that when the sun shines brightest, it generates solar power; and when it sets, or when water flow fluctuates, the stabilised output of the hydro plant and the power from the battery energy storage systems step in, providing consistent, reliable power to the national grid.

‘Floating solar is a win for water management. By covering a section of the reservoir, we drastically reduce water evaporation-a critical benefit for a nation balancing energy production with agricultural and domestic water needs.

‘This first 100 MW phase is the down payment on a larger vision that will, upon completion, provide 1,000 MW of new, clean capacity, dramatically cutting carbon emissions and cementing Nigeria’s commitment to the goals of the Paris Agreement and its long-term climate targets,’ he said

Peter Obi, Labour Party (LP) candidate in the 2023 general election, has urged governments at all levels to act with compassion, fairness, and a deep sense of justice when dealing with issues affecting the people, especially at this difficult time.

Obi stated this on Wednesday after visiting the Lagos International Trade Fair site that was recently affected by demolition in Lagos

Obi, writing on his X handle, noted that many of the affected traders invested heavily – often through loans – in the hope of securing their livelihoods and contributing to the wider economy.

‘To destroy such legitimate investments without due process is not only unjust but also economically destructive.

‘Today, alongside Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Victor Umeh, Col. Austin Akobundu, Tony Nwoye, Honourable Members of the House of Representatives, Segun Sowonmi, George Adegeye, Labour Party Lagos State Gubernatorial candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and coordinator of the Obidient Movement Tanko Yunusa, we visited the site of the demolished ASPAMDA Market at the Trade Fair in Lagos, where plazas were pulled down despite traders having obtained the requisite approvals.’ He commended the traders for their remarkable restraint and calm in the face of such painful loss.

This is as he equally commended the senators and the House of Representatives members who pledged to investigate this matter thoroughly and bring to light the circumstances that led to the development, and most importantly, ensure that the situation does not occur in the future.

Obi noted that ‘a society that seeks to make progress must protect enterprise, encourage productivity, and defend the dignity of its citizens.’

According to him, ‘Incidents like this should have no place in a nation that aspires to fairness, stability, and shared prosperity.’

ýAs a way of encouraging start-ups floated by youths in the State, the Administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has distributed the sum of N800 million to distributed to business owned by youths.

The special intervention programme flagged off on Tuesday, in Kano, is said to be designed at supporting young entrepreneurs to start and expand their businesses.

Governor Abba said that the disbursement of the money is with immediate effect, across the 44 Local Government Areas of the State.

Governor Abba gave the directive, while launching the programme that a total of 5,384 young men and women selected as beneficiaries of the programme are to received ?150,000, each.

He noted that the programme was initiated as part of the administration’s commitment to improving the lives of young people in the State.

ýGovernor Yusuf noted that the initiative was designed to help youths become active members of the business community and contribute to societal progress.

ýHe urged the beneficiaries to make the best use of the funds to grow their ventures and secure a better future.

ýHe also appealed to those who are still on the waiting list to remain patient, assuring them that the second tranche of the programme will be released soon.

ýThe governor reaffirmed that his administration would continue to prioritise policies and programmes that empower young people and create sustainable livelihoods across Kano State.

Sources told BusinessDay that the bulk of the beneficiaries of the programme were picked from among the hundred of youths that were rehabilited from being political Tmthugs across the State.

Kano, Nigeria ‘s most populated State has been experiencing escalation in youths restifuness in the recent times, due to what experts attributed to mounting unemployment among the youths in the state.

The disbursement of the money to the beneficiaries, who are mostly street boys, is expected to reduce the escalation in urban crimes, largely been driven by the unemployed youths