Category: Business Day

The television network, Business Day, is famous for its episodes aimed at enlightening purposes for entrepreneurs, improving financial literacy, and providing business updates at a timely period. Its recent high-profile panelized session formed an episode themed ‘Passion to Profit: Balancing Work and Entrepreneurship,’ featuring five eminent thought leaders who were invited to discuss the realities involved in combining full-time jobs with running individual businesses.

The speakers included Mr. Damola Richard, Ms. Temitope Okesenyin, Ms. Nkechi Alade and Mr. Peter Michael Ajassi. However, the voice that particularly resonated throughout the conversation was that of Ms. Ebunoluwa Opelami – a blistering professional whose footprints in formulating business strategies, driving talent performance, and engineering business growth continue to shape Nigeria’s entrepreneurial landscape.

Opelami counseled business owners to start with thorough self-awareness when asked about effective techniques that could enable professionals to reconcile their nine-to-five employment with side hustles. She pointed out that the basis of long-lasting equilibrium is an honest assessment of one’s own strengths, shortcomings, and objectives.

‘Know yourself and know what works best for you. Ask for assistance when necessary; you cannot do all – the more cause you have to support creative networking,’ she said.

Her advice captures a reality many professionals ignore: entrepreneurship is seldom a solitary endeavor. Burnout is rather common when one tries to juggle everything on their own while working full-time. Entrepreneurs can strike the balance required to create companies with learning how to use professional networks, outsource when necessary, and remain true to individual ability. undermining either their job advancement or their health.

The conversation quickly turned to one of the most vexing issues for entrepreneurs: financial instability. Many aspiring founders eventually end up siphoning their income from their traditional jobs to keep their businesses alive when they don’t have a clear sustainability plan. Opelami challenged that default experience by stating that money is not always the biggest challenge that entrepreneurs face.

‘Instead of pulling everything from your savings into your business, make sure you go through the rigorous cycle of being resourceful,’ she said.

She designed resourcefulness as being greater than capital. Entrepreneurs ‘can maximize their networks, trade with their peers, and get innovative as a way of solving operational bottlenecks,’ so they avoid the dangerous habit of over-financing a business out of their pockets. ‘The cycle of resourceful networking,’ Opelami explained, ‘is a great way to take capital out of the equation, while also building trust and a future to work together.’

Her argument was a thoughtful addendum to Ms. Temitope Okesenyin’s earlier point that entrepreneurs should make themselves the ‘face of their brand.’ Temitope had stated that high-value personal attributes attract clients more than aesthetics related to the brand style. Opelami extended this logic to funding, reminding us that funding generally racks up value in ways that promote behavior.

According to Opelami, ‘The truth is funding follows value. If you lack the value needed, funding might become extremely difficult. Focus on building the value.’

This statement highlighted the main point of her contribution: entrepreneurs need to focus on creating real value propositions before they look for money. Instead of obsessing over getting investors or loans, focus on making something that fixes a problem and keeps delivering results.

She pointed out the usual blunders small business owners trip over, especially getting hung up on branding that doesn’t really matter. A lot of founders spend loads of time and cash on making logos, picking out looks, and making their social media look cool, but they forget about the nitty-gritty value that actually keeps their business abuzz.

Opelami warned that with all the flashy social media stuff, too many entrepreneurs miss out on making their brands solid, which means they’re up against a lot of incompetence. For her, the real test for any entrepreneur is not how they look on paper but how they perform after the deal is done. Brand markers like PR campaigns and digital polish can be handy, but they should never take the spotlight away from the real deal, which is substance.

Apart from value and resourcefulness, Opelami shared additional important lessons for people trying to balance a career and a business. These include:

? Constructing distinct boundaries: Entrepreneurs must defend their time and energy from having their work encroach on their personal space and wellbeing.

? Establishing a self-care regimen: Balancing employed work and entrepreneurial activity calls for purposeful breaks and mental wellbeing.

? Mastering the skill of saying ‘No’: It’s important to understand that not all opportunities are worth pursuing; a level of selectivity enhances concentration.

? Delegating and Outsourcing: External assistance must be embraced to ensure the business is not stalled by individual constraints.

? Deliberate practice: Discipline and unremitting improvement, not sporadic effort, are the yardsticks for measuring growth.

Opelami was emphatic that these practices ought to be integrated within the core of entrepreneurial service. They are not optional extras but bedrock for bolstering entrepreneur’s resilience and enhancing business performance over the long term.

In a professional environment where funding often seems elusive, Opelami’s perspective re -explains the conversation; instead of pursuing capital as a golden ticket, she asks for a deep commitment to value construction, resourceful networking and personal clarity.

Entrepreneurs who focus perfectly on raising capital without a solid value risk ending with branded but hollow enterprises. Conversely, people who prioritize value, nurture the network, and embrace resources, often find that funding – whether from investors, partners or customers – naturally flows more.

Ebunoluwa Opelami’s message is straightforward but profound: value comes before funding. The lesson is obvious for entrepreneurs. Make sure your brand offers real, consistent, and significant value before chasing investors or draining savings. Create networks, assign tasks sensibly, and stay away from the distractions of flimsy branding. In today’s cutthroat business environment, resilience and growth are ultimately guaranteed by the strength of your value rather than the size of your capital.

Following recent attacks on communities in Kogi and Kwara States by bandits, Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, has called for urgent and practical reforms, including complete overhaul of intelligence-gathering strategies, accountability from security agencies or personnel who ignore intelligence reports, decisive action against illegal mining believed to be funding terrorism.

Jare Ajayi, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, in a press statement, decried the surge in banditry and violence in the North Central region, calling for Investigation and prosecution of suspected collaborators among locals and security personnel, temporary movement restrictions (as in Kwara) must be backed by long-term security solutions, enhanced aerial and land surveillance using kinetic and non-kinetic methods, Immediate rollout of State Police and greater use of local security structures, Increase in security manpower and modern equipment deployment, speedier trials for crimes related to insecurity, and Broader welfare reforms to address root causes of unrest.

While acknowledging President Tinubu’s Independence Day address promising stronger action on insecurity, the Pan-Yoruba organisation, warned that the situation posed a growing threat to the South-West and other parts of the Country.

Ajayi stated, ‘These are part of a wider agenda by terrorists, territorial expansionists, and anti-state actors to destabilize Nigeria and create illegitimate chiefdoms to the detriment of indigenous populations. The sacking of communities in Kogi, Kwara, and other Middle Belt areas are grim reminders that terrorism is advancing toward the South West.

‘These are not just criminal elements looking for ransom. Their operations, weapons, and tactics point to powerful sponsorship, both locally and internationally. Kwara, known as the ‘State of Harmony’, has recently witnessed violent incursions, resulting in the loss of lives, destruction of property, and severe disruption to socio-economic activities.’

The sophistication of the attackers, Ajayi pointed out ‘suggests they are beyond herdsmen or bandits seeking pasture. The type of weapons they use, the derring-do manner with which they attack, and the intensity of the damage they inflict show clear evidence of serious backers. These could include so-called illegal miners and powerful interest groups,’ he said. He also cautioned that those enabling or supporting the attackers should remember they are not immune to the chaos they are helping to unleash.

‘What is happening in Afghanistan today and what has been happening in Libya since the murder of Muammar Gaddafi should serve as clear warnings. When a country is destabilized, no one is safe – not even the sponsors’, he added.

Ajayi referenced the ongoing human rights crisis under the Taliban regime, noting that over 70 decrees had been passed in Afghanistan since 2021, many of which severely restrict the rights of women and girls.

The organisation however recommended deployment of high-capacity, well-constructed boats for public use, strict enforcement of water transport safety regulations, provision of buses and taxis to reduce reliance on risky water travel, exploration of rail line development to improve land transport, and lroactive flood prevention and stronger emergency response infrastructure.

Ajayi emphasised the need to ‘reign in the terror in human beings’ and called on both the government and the public to nurture the values of compassion and humanity. Government must find ways to tame the brutality in society and encourage citizens to embrace the good in them. Our survival depends on it.’

Afenifere however extended condolences to victims of recent boat mishaps and floods in Kogi and Niger States, urging both State Governments to implement preventive measures.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, has revealed that plans are underway to deploy additional security personnel and establish a new Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) post to enhance surveillance, and rapid response capabilities in and around Kirawa town in Gwoza local government area of the state.

Recall that BusinessDay had earlier reported that terrorists invaded the border town of Kirawa forthnight ago, killing two people and abducted many others.

Zulum announced the approval on Friday during an assessment visit to the community which was recently affected by violent extremists attack. The governor sympathised deeply with residents over the tragic incident and condemned the attack in the strongest terms.

Beyond the provision of new infrastructure, the governor announced concrete steps that can improve security in the area.

He approved the immediate construction of a new hospital, water facilities, and other essential infrastructure for the people of Kirawa. Zulum assured the people of his administration’s commitment to their safety and well-being. Zulum travelled to Kirawa by road in company of the commander of 26 Task Force Brigade, Brigadier General N. I. Abdullahi, State and National Assembly members and other senior government officials.

Meanwhile, Governor Zulum charged the Nigerian Armed Forces to scale up military operations in Borno State to avert the possibility of terrorists reversing the gains recorded so far. ‘I am appealing to the Nigerian Armed Forces to be more committed. Above all, we need military operations. For sometime, military operations were not conducted in Borno State. This has been instrumental to the renewed insurgency. We need to take note of one very important thing, continued military operations. There is need for us to sustain our military operations,’ Zulum said.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), popularly known as cooking gas, prices have continued to climb across Nigeria, leaving many households frustrated, BusinessDay’s checks revealed.

According to the survey, the prices of cooking gas have gone as high as N3200 per kilogramme in parts of the country. Indicating a 100 percent increase from the N1600 per kg recorded three days ago.

Earlier, BusinessDay reported that cooking gas prices had already risen by 33 percent in key cities, forcing families to ration consumption.

This is coming days after the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) suspended its strike against Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

The industrial action, which disrupted gas supply chains and triggered a spike in costs, was officially called off earlier this week following government intervention.

However, prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) remain elevated, with checks showing wide disparities depending on location.

In Lagos, residents reported sharp increases. Ahmed said gas now sells for N1,600 per kilogramme in Orile, while Oyin noted prices had climbed to N2,000 in Ikorodu.

Fadeke Popoola, who lives in Sabo Yaba, close to the University of Lagos, said she paid N3,200 per kilogramme of cooking gas, more than double the price from just weeks ago.

Across the country, a 12.5kg cylinder now retails for between N16,500 and N18,000, up from N12,750 barely a week ago, according to market checks and data. The unrelenting surge has sparked outrage online, with many lamenting how the crisis is squeezing household budgets.

‘If you see anyone selling cooking gas as a means of livelihood, hug them and press money in their palms. The price of LNG has risen and it’s difficult to even get to buy. Which kain country be this? No gas and no sales,’ wrote @Macazeee on X.

Another user, @Zoyablooms, posted, ‘I truly hate being Nigerian. Cooking gas being scarce is not okay. This place makes me sick.’

@_realkingsley also shared a photo of a queue in Sabo, Ikorodu, asking, ‘Cooking gas scarcity. No gas in my area. Again I ask, is the Dangote vs PENGASSAN war touching Nigerians already?’

@Azizolurhemmy added, ‘Please, how much is cooking gas in your area? This price I am hearing is like they want to sell the gas plant to me.’

Despite the truce, industry stakeholders say supply remains constrained.

Olatunbosun Oladapo, the National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), told newsmen that the strike crippled gas plant operations, especially in the southwest.

‘Dangote, our major supplier in terms of availability and affordability of the product, is yet to release loading invoices to our members who have pending products with the company for more than three weeks, forcing marketers to buy from other competitors at a high rate,’ he said.

Other suppliers reportedly took advantage of the supply gaps to increase their prices, compounding the situation for retailers and consumers.

President Bola Tinubu has secured a powerful endorsement from Nigerian-American billionaire and global infrastructure titan, Adebayo Ogunlesi, a development that could mark a turning point for Nigeria’s investment story.

Renowned for overseeing the acquisition and management of landmark assets including London’s Gatwick and City airports, Ogunlesi- the founder and chairman of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), now a unit of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager- has revealed plans to channel billions of dollars into Nigeria’s energy, aviation, and port sectors.

His backing signals a growing conviction among heavyweight investors that Tinubu’s sweeping economic reforms are not only restoring confidence, but repositioning Africa’s largest economy as an emerging magnet for private capital.

Ogunlesi said the country is at a point where it needs to encourage international investors, adding that there are ‘lots of investment opportunities in Nigeria.’

‘We’re making investments in Nigeria. We’re exploring additional opportunities. Nigeria is now a place that’s exciting to invest in,’ Ogunlesi, who’s worth $2.5 billion said after meeting with President Bola Tinubu Tuesday.

‘We will invest in energy, renewables. The aviation sector is also an area of interest to us. We’re also looking at bringing ports to Nigeria.’

Nigeria has undergone a series of reforms including phasing out fuel subsidies, liberalising the foreign exchange market and overhauling its tax laws, moves that resulted in ‘fundamental transformation’ of the economy, according to Ogunlesi.

The Nigerian economy is fast becoming a magnet for foreign investments as macroeconomic stability continues to grow, giving investors the needed confidence to pour in scarce capital.

Hakeem Bello-Osagie who doubles as chair, Metis Capital Partners and FSDH Group said President Tinubu’s policies have made Nigeria ‘investable’, urging Nigerians both home and abroad to invest in the country.

‘I think when Nigerians in Nigeria and Nigerians in the diaspora invest in Nigeria, it can only be a great signal for the international community to invest in us and make our country greater,’ Bello-Osagie said.

The economy expanded at its quickest pace since 2021 in the second quarter of this year at 4.23 percent. The naira which is prone to volatility has become more stable and predictable than at any time in the past two years.

Prices are equally moderating, easing for the fifth consecutive month to 20.12 percent in what’s given monetary authorities a leeway to cut interest rates by half point to 27 percent to boost economic growth amid record tightening in borrowing costs.

Andry Rajoelina, Madagascar’s president has promised to ‘listen and find solutions’ to the mounting problems facing the island nation, but stopped short of bowing to protesters’ demands that he step down.

For nearly two weeks, the country has been gripped by youth-led demonstrations – the biggest wave of unrest in years – drawing inspiration from ‘Gen Z’ protest movements in Kenya and Nepal. What began as anger over worsening water shortages and crippling power cuts in the capital has spread into broader calls for accountability in a country long dogged by poverty and corruption. The United Nations estimates that at least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the early days of the protests, though the government disputes those figures. Security forces have repeatedly fired tear gas to disperse crowds, as fresh demonstrations resumed in Antananarivo on Friday following a one-day pause.

Rajoelina, speaking in a nationally broadcast address on Facebook, urged restraint.

‘No one benefits from the destruction of the nation. I am here, I stand here ready to listen, ready to extend a helping hand, and above all, ready to bring solutions to Madagascar,’ he said.

The president also suggested, without offering evidence, that some politicians were attempting to exploit the unrest and had even considered a coup while he was in New York last week for the UN General Assembly. Earlier this week, Rajoelina dismissed his government in a bid to ease tensions. The move has done little to calm anger among protesters who say decades of poor governance have left one of the world’s most resource-rich countries mired in deep poverty.

Despite vast reserves of minerals, fertile farmland and extraordinary biodiversity, Madagascar remains one of the poorest nations globally. The World Bank says per capita income has fallen by 45 percent in real terms since independence in 1960, blaming the decline on entrenched elites who control the economy, a lack of competition and widespread corruption. Rajoelina himself is no stranger to political upheaval. He first came to power in 2009 after leading mass protests that toppled his predecessor, before winning elections years later. Now, he faces a generation of young people deploying the same tactic against him.

‘Criticism of existing problems does not necessarily have to be expressed in the streets; it should be done through dialogue,’ the president argued.

But with protesters demanding nothing short of his resignation, and with frustration over decades of decline running deep, Madagascar’s path out of the current crisis remains uncertain.

Nigeria has just attained the grand age of sixty-five.

If the nation were to be a person, he would be coming to the age of ‘Retirement’ in many countries of the world. Some people at that age feel that their most productive years are already behind them. They may suffer an existential Depression. Some others, freed from the tedious burden of a routine career, may see themselves released into a new lease of life, where the best is yet to come.

A ‘Nation’ is, of course, not the same as a person.

‘While politicians mouth platitudes in public, the reality is that every group has an agenda, and those agendas all too often dictate actions and alliances.’

This brings up the first issue in a close examination of the Nigeria project.

Is Nigeria a ‘Nation’ – yet?

A dictionary definition of the noun ‘Nation’ would read as follows:

‘A body of people united by common descent, history, culture or language, inhabiting a particular territory.’

It would be immediately obvious to any discerning eye that Nigeria at inception was not a ‘nation’ by this definition. It was an agglomeration of many nations – more than two hundred ethnic nationalities cobbled together in a ‘geographical expression’. Even the name ‘Nigeria’ was the product of a whimsical inspiration from the consort of a certain Lord Lugard, a servant King George V of Great Britain.

Sixty-five years ago, Nigeria took on the responsibility of self-government. It has struggled since to become a nation, despite the flag and other appurtenances of nationhood.

While some people agitated for the Independence that eventually arrived on 1st October 1960, it would be historical falsehood to deny the fact that some people fought against it. An early quote from Sir Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa is instructive here. On the floor of the Northern House of Assembly in 1952, he said

‘.Since the amalgamation in 1914, the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country, but the Nigerian people are different in every way, including religion, custom, language and aspiration.the fact that we’re all Africans might have misguided the British.’

He was not being extreme, only frankly realistic. From the beginning, the self-views and aspirations of the different peoples were only in sync in a very superficial way. One group believed they ‘owned’ the nascent nation by virtue of an aborted ‘jihad’ that had swept through much of its territory and imposed hegemony in precolonial times. Another group believed that their people, known for energy and enterprise, were ‘superior’ to others, and it was their destiny to lead – not just Nigeria, but all of Africa. Yet another group wanted to build on their antecedents of a historical empire plagued with internecine warfare that wreaked carnage and left few monuments to construct a modern nation along the new ‘Western’ model, using the instrumentality of Western education. And then there was a huge block of others, the ‘Minorities’ – several nationalities strong, who felt their very future threatened by the overbearing presence of the ‘Big Three’ nationalities.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge in sixty-five years. Constitutions have come and gone. There has been a Civil War, and there have been long stretches of military rule. The country is in its fourth iteration of life as a ‘Federal Republic’ – an unhappy polyglot entity with a Unitary system of governance.

A lot has been said and written about how and why Nigeria has failed to achieve its great potential so far.

From the standpoint of Psychology, it seems odd that there has been no intentional effort to acknowledge and ‘work through’ the fundamental psychological incongruencies of the constituent parts of the nation, and harmonise, or at least modulate, them. These group mindsets have often determined the outcomes of major national issues. While politicians mouth platitudes in public, the reality is that every group has an agenda, and those agendas all too often dictate actions and alliances. There is a predatory ‘grabbing’ instinct in most inter-group interactions, and a paranoid mind-set in which everyone is suspicious of the intentions of the others. Lies, chicanery, betrayal, horse-trading – these have been the order of the day.

It may seem simplistic and reductionist, but the problems of Nigeria – including corruption, insurgency, kidnapping, economic woes, rampant poverty, the largest population of out-of-school children in the world – may be viewed, and possibly solved, through the prisms of the Moral and the Structural.

There is no agreed system of Values operational in the country. Right and wrong are not clearly demarcated. There is no consensus about doing right. Law-making as it is practised is substantially irrelevant to the daily realities of the people’s lives. Law enforcement is a joke. There is virtually no consequence to obvious wrongdoing, and impunity is rampant. This cannot continue, and there is a need for an intentional effort at national cleansing and reinvention of institutions.

The Unitary structure of the country, where national life consists of a desperate rush to outdo others and grab the ‘national cake’, is calculated to bring out the worst in the psychology of all the ‘federating’ peoples of Nigeria. It is necessary to restructure and devolve power and responsibility to the base, and to create functional aggregations and collaborations between existing states to reduce waste and maximise efficiency.

Nationalistic slogans that have always exhorted Nigerians to be ‘brothers and sisters’ should be practicalised with conviction. Nobody should feel preyed upon by any other in terms of territory or anything else they hold dear. Everyone must formally renounce any notion of being ‘superior’ to anyone else. There needs to be a common version of History taught to the next generation. There are no out-and-out ‘Saints’ or ‘Sinners’ in the Nigerian story. Indoctrinating the next generation with hubris or victimology or imbuing them with the entitlement mentality of ‘ownership by conquest’ will not create citizens of a great nation.

Nigeria remains a tantalising possibility and a compelling lodestone for Nigerians to work towards. A determined ‘Retirement’ from old habits of mind is a necessary first step on the journey.

Nigerians mark the 65th independence anniversary of their beloved country this Wednesday; few will disagree that, amidst the myriad of unnerving socio-economic and security challenges facing the nation, Nigeria remains a great country still waiting to happen. October 1, therefore, signals another opportunity to ponder on the state of the nation and the failure of leadership that has largely defined the country’s misfortune. To that extent, no patriotic Nigerian can pretend to be satisfied with the development and progress of this country 65 years after independence. Yet, it is not misguided optimism to argue that the nation’s best days are still ahead.

Nigeria remains a country of diverse nationalities, cultures, religions and values and has defied all doomsday predictions to remain a united nation. This is enough reason for self-congratulation and hope of a better future. On balance, however, there is little to celebrate about Nigeria at 65. As the depressing indices show in areas such as security of life and property, food production, industrial output, quality of education and healthcare, economic diversification and productivity, there is indeed cause for worry. Not only do Nigerians eat the bread they do not produce, wear clothes they do not weave, and drink wine imported from other countries, but they now import almost everything, including toothpicks.

Nigerians today read books, quote facts and figures about their country from foreign sources and parrot models of development designed by outsiders with vested interests. Sixty-five years after independence, many are even wanting to blame the present parlous state of the country on British colonialists who left over six decades ago. At 65, Nigeria has much catch-up to do. And let no one be deluded that 65 years is a short time in the life of a country. The Nigerian economy is in dire straits, with the potential to get worse if sound political and economic judgement is not brought to bear on the affairs of state.

As the nation marks 65 years of self-government, it is not too late for Nigerian leaders to change and make democracy work for the people. Too much pain has been inflicted on Nigerians, and now is the time for Nigerian leaders to focus more on the Nigerian promise – notably what is standing in the way of realising that promise. At independence in 1960, there was a groundswell of euphoria and hope in the Nigerian project. It is sobering that, 65 years later, the anticipated gains of nationhood envisaged by the founding fathers are still being awaited. Not a few have marvelled at the exemplary character of Nigeria’s founding fathers: the simplicity of Tafawa Balewa, the selflessness of Ahmadu Bello, the nationalism of Nnamdi Azikiwe and the enduring vision of Obafemi Awolowo, all of which tower above their personal ambitions. Despite the sense of foreboding that the new multi-ethnic nation was unworkable, Nigerians envisioned a great and bountiful country.

Today, Nigeria is so greatly afflicted that some wonder at her prospects. The trouble with Nigeria, noted famed author and intellectual icon Chinua Achebe, is a failure of leadership. This failure has resulted in shattered hopes, broken promises, missed opportunities, and unfulfilled aspirations. A nation, it has been said, rises or falls on the quality of its leadership. Nigeria is a terrible victim of the poverty of good leadership, but most destructively, political leadership. Good leaders must show strength of conviction and character. What poor leadership in Nigeria has done is to create 200 to 250 million passive citizens who have no voice.

Every citizen must therefore share the blame, one way or the other, for the Nigerian condition. There has never been a shortage of speeches by Nigerian leaders in favour of good intentions to govern in the best interest of the country and its people. Over the years, Nigerians have heard, to the point of being deafened, that the government is committed to promoting good governance. The inaugural addresses of elected leaders and military coup plotters reveal uncanny similarities in promises. Yet, as the quality of successive leadership deteriorated, Nigeria has regressed in terms of the truly important yardsticks for measuring the progress of nations. All these notwithstanding, it is pointless to look back with regret and anger at lost opportunities.

Since the return to democracy in 1999, the political class has shown impetuous and irresponsible behaviour at the expense of the people. The looting and the waste going on in Nigeria in the name of governance have no parallel anywhere else and are responsible for breeding an angry and alienated citizenry that sees no dividend in this democracy. On all accounts, Nigeria at 65 is yet to fulfil her destiny. The current structure of Nigeria today, which is anything but federal, holds down the country, stunts its growth, truncates its progress and actually threatens its unity.

Indeed, Nigeria is positioned as a leader on the continent due to its great range of cultures, languages, and customs. Its abundant natural resources-crude oil in particular-have supported the economy and brought in large sums of money. Nigeria has become increasingly influential on the international scene as a result of its cultural exports, such as Nollywood and Afrobeats, which have gained widespread acclaim.

The giant is still mostly inactive in terms of development despite these advantages. Significant segments of the populace are still beset by unemployment, poverty, and economic inequality, and daily worries about infrastructure and security get worse. The 1960s independence held us the prospect of wealth, but it hasn’t materialised completely.

At 65, insecurity continues to be one of Nigeria’s biggest problems. While banditry, kidnapping, and inter-communal violence have expanded throughout the nation, the Northeast area is still struggling with insurgency, mostly from Boko Haram and ISWAP. In addition to resulting in fatalities, these security problems have also hampered business operations, uprooted thousands of people, and fostered terror.

The nation’s complicated security environment is made more tense by the escalating separatist movements in the South-East. Nigeria’s social and economic progress has been hampered by the incapacity to address these issues successfully.

As the nation celebrates its 65th independence anniversary, questions and more questions have cropped up. Has the country come of age? Is there a need for celebration? Are there hopes of a better tomorrow? So as the 65th anniversary continues, Nigerians look forward to the actualisation of the dreams and visions packaged by the founding fathers of this country. They also look forward to seeing a realistic improvement on the inherent inadequacies that have stood in the way of attaining peace, harmony, tranquillity, progress and unity, in the first instance, and the accomplishments of all the tasks that will make room for true attainment of a Nigerian nation.

QNET, a global leader in lifestyle and wellness direct selling, celebrated its 27th anniversary with the transformative V-Malaysia 2025 convention in Penang, a five-day event that inspired over 10,000 independent distributors from more than 30 countries.

Partnered with Tourism Malaysia and held at the SPICE Arena, the convention became a vibrant hub of empowerment, sparking dreams and equipping entrepreneurs with the tools to shape their futures.The event embodied QNET’s mission of RYTHM – Raise Yourself To Help Mankind – offering a global stage for individuals from Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia to connect, share stories of personal triumph, and embrace their potential.

It was a powerful reminder of QNET’s role in transforming lives through entrepreneurship, fostering resilience, and building a supportive community that uplifts dreamers worldwide.

A defining moment came through the keynote address by Sparsh Shah, a global youth icon and motivational speaker who has overcome Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle Bone Disease). Blending his original music with a heartfelt narrative, Sparsh captivated the audience, urging them to redefine their limitations through mindset and determination. His message resonated deeply, inspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their ambitions with unwavering resolve.

Trevor Kuna, chief marketing officer at QNET said, ‘Having Sparsh Shah share his incredible story was a deeply moving experience for our global community. He embodies the very essence of RYTHM, rising above circumstances to inspire others. His presence reminded us all that entrepreneurship is not just about business success, but about the power of the human spirit to overcome any obstacle.’

V-Malaysia 2025 also introduced innovative wellness and lifestyle products designed to empower entrepreneurs and enhance lives. These launches, which include Harmoniq-Snooze, an adhesive bio-signaling patch designed to promote deeper, restorative sleep and Qwik-Vibe, a clean, fast-acting oral strip for instant energy and mental focus, provided practical tools for attendees to improve their health and financial independence while offering solutions to their customers.

‘For 27 years, QNET has given people the means to dream bigger. This convention is where those dreams take flight,’ Kuna said.

Looking ahead, QNET announced its next major convention, V-Africa 2026, set for early 2026 in Ghana. This move underscores QNET’s commitment to empowering entrepreneurs in Africa, where direct selling is creating pathways to economic independence.

‘Our conventions are more than just meetings; they are economic partnerships with host nations. The success of V-Malaysia demonstrates how business tourism creates a positive ripple effect. We are thrilled to build on this legacy and bring the same energy and opportunity to Ghana with V-Africa 2026, further solidifying our commitment to empowering entrepreneurs across the African continent,’ Kuna added.

The latest in the line of foreign shipping companies to sail vessels powered by alternative energy into Nigeria’s seaports is Gold Star Line, which berths its first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containership, the MV Sapphire, at APM Terminals in Apapa, Lagos.

The vessel, built in 2024, sails under the flag of Singapore, with a capacity of 7,800 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

Todd Rives, managing director of Lagos and Niger Shipping Agency Limited (LANSAL), which represents Gold Star Line in Nigeria, said the arrival of the MV Sapphire is part of efforts to reduce voyage costs, promote operational efficiency, and reinforce environmental sustainability.

The Gold Star Line, incorporated in 1958, is one of the oldest shipping agencies operating in Nigeria. Rives said the vessel starts off a new era in Nigerian maritime trade, with an expectation that sister ships would also call at the port in the near future.

Kayode Daniel, commercial manager of APM Terminals Apapa, explained that shipping lines globally are working together to reduce emissions, in line with international sustainability targets, appreciating LANSAL for deploying LNG-powered vessels in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Adebowale Lawal, the port manager of the Lagos Port Complex Apapa, said that LNG vessels are critical in addressing the challenges of climate change, while at the same time reducing costs and driving economies of scale. He assured stakeholders that of the Nigerian Ports Authority’s full involvement in the development.

The arrival of the MV Sapphire comes just months after Apapa welcomed its first LNG-powered vessel, the Kota Oasis, a 260-metre containership with a gross tonnage of 77,850.