Category: Business Day

Maruf Tunji Alausa, minister of education has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to aligning education with labour market realities.

He noted this during a side event in New York themed: ‘Skills-to-Jobs: Strengthening Nigeria’s workforce systems for economic growth’ which was geared towards reaffirming Nigeria’s leadership in global workforce and education transformation.

‘Our vision is to ensure that every Nigerian learner is not only acquiring knowledge but also future-ready skills that unlock decent work opportunities. By strengthening the connection between classrooms and careers, we are laying the foundation for inclusive growth and national prosperity,’ Alausa said.

The side event was organised by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE) in partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Tech4Dev, Semicolon Africa, and Avaara Partners, the high-level gathering convened policymakers, private sector leaders, development partners, and innovators to showcase Nigeria’s bold steps in linking education, skills, and employment for sustainable growth.

65% of Nigerian employers cite skills gap as a barrier to organisational transformation

Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, minister of State for Labour and Employment, also emphasised the government’s determination to deliver systemic workforce reform.

‘The future of work demands bold action. Our ministry, is investing in systems that prepare young Nigerians for the jobs of tomorrow, building bridges between skills providers, employers, and industries to ensure that no talent is left behind,’ she stated.

The first high-level panel explored policy reforms, digital infrastructure, and opportunities in the creative and green economy.

The key contributors included Rimamskeb Nuhu, special assistant to the vice president on Strategy and Policy, Moriam Ajaga, special adviser to the president on Art and Culture, Barr. Ismaeel Ahmed, executive chairman, Presidential CNG Initiative, Olumbe Akinkugbe, executive director, Galaxy Backbone and Sam Immanuel, CEO, Semicolon Africa.

A second panel examined skill-to-job linkages with insights from Rosy Fynn, country director, Mastercard Foundation Nigeria, Victoria Strokov, program manager, Partnership for Economic Inclusion at HSPGE), Oladiwura Oladepo, executive director, Tech4Dev and Sanyade Okoli, special adviser to the President on Finance and the Economy. Okoli stressed that reforms must translate into livelihoods, noting,

‘Finance must show up on payslips, not just in statistics. That is why we are linking innovation, credit, and social protection directly to employment outcomes so that every investment fuels opportunities for young Nigerians.

The event featured an interactive dialogue featuring youth voices, development partners, and private sector leaders. Discussions reinforced Nigeria’s commitment to closing the training-to-employment gap, strengthening cross-sector partnerships, and advancing reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

By aligning education, skills development, and labour policies, Nigeria is not only positioning its youth for the jobs of tomorrow but also cementing its influence in shaping the global future of work.

As fuel prices fluctuate, the foreign exchange market remains volatile, and government policies shift with little notice, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria remain uncertain of their next move.

Despite accounting for 96 percent of all businesses, contributing 48 percent to national GDP, and providing 84 percent of employment, SMEs face a complex and demanding operating environment.

Long-term survival remains a significant challenge, with only 5 to 20 percent making it past the five-year mark, according to the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN). These pressures continue to constrain the growth potential of one of the country’s most vital economic segments.

Sopirinye Millar-Jaja, management systems analyst at Phillips Consulting Limited, said, ‘This is where business continuity becomes essential. It’s more than just disaster recovery; it’s a proactive approach to ensure critical operations continue, even in the face of unexpected disruptions.’

‘Whether it’s a power outage, cash crunch, or policy change, continuity planning helps businesses bounce back quickly with minimal downtime. Simply put, it’s about ensuring the company keeps going, no matter what,’ she said.

Many Nigerian SMEs operate without safety nets, emergency funds, or backup systems. The impact of the recent naira redesign, fuel shortages, and sudden regulatory shifts has demonstrated just how vulnerable small businesses are.

To build resilience in this unpredictable environment, SMEs must take small but deliberate steps. Continuity planning is about knowing your business well enough to protect what matters most. Here are six lessons that offer a practical path forward for SMEs seeking to prepare, adapt, and stay operational amid uncertainty:

Understand and map your critical operations: The first step is awareness. SMEs must identify the parts of their business they can’t afford to lose. This Business Impact Analysis (BIA) doesn’t have to be complex; it’s listing key products, services, people, and processes, and asking: If this stopped today, how long could I stay afloat? For instance, a logistics business should have a fuel backup plan or alternative transport options mapped out to maintain delivery timelines during scarcity.

Don’t rely on just one source: In a volatile economy, diversification is a survival tactic. Over-dependence on a single supplier, payment method, product, or major client is a fast track to collapse. SMEs should source from more than one vendor, offer multiple payment options (bank transfer, POS, USSD, QR codes), explore alternative sales channels like WhatsApp storefronts, and look into digital exports if their offerings have diaspora appeal. Business continuity means having options and flexibility.

Embrace technology for flexibility: Simple digital tools can make a significant difference during disruptions. Technology ensures businesses stay connected, remain organised, and can continue service delivery even when things are unplanned. SMEs can leverage WhatsApp Business for orders, Google Drive for business records, and diverse digital payment methods like USSD and POS (now used by 45 percent of Nigerian adults for digital transactions) to keep operations fluid. Medium-sized businesses can benefit from cloud tools like Microsoft 365 or basic accounting platforms for remote financial tracking.

Build a financial buffer, even if it’s modest: Since disruptions come with immediate costs (repairs, stock replacement, salary coverage), a small financial cushion can be the difference between shutting down and staying open. SMEs should set aside a portion of profits monthly, cut back on non-essential spending, and explore cooperative or micro-savings platforms. Being financially equipped is essential for handling unexpected challenges.

Train your people and build leadership depth: A plan is useless without people who can execute it. Operations should not pause just because the founder is unavailable. SMEs must cross-train staff, enabling them to step into each other’s roles. This includes creating a basic crisis communication plan (who notifies customers/partners), sharing access to key tools with trusted team members, and fostering a culture of responsibility. Prepared systems are important, but so are prepared people.

Document and communicate your continuity plan: A disruption often escalates because teams are unsure what to do. The plan doesn’t need to be technical; it can be a simple checklist outlining steps for common disruptions like payment platform failures, staff absence, or inflation-driven price hikes. What matters is clarity. Who to contact first? What are the backup options? Where are essential documents stored? The plan must be shared, understood, and easy to activate by staff, partners, and vendors to be effective.

After 65 years of independence, Nigeria’s over-dependence on imports has stalled its transformation from an agrarian economy to an industrial one.

After gaining independence in 1960, the Nigerian government implemented the Import Substitution Policy to curb import dependency, create jobs, and preserve foreign exchange, marking a strategic shift towards industrialisation.

This was seen as a diametrically superb policy that was targeted at transforming the country from an agrarian to an industrial economy.

However, the policy failed because early policy-makers believed that protectionism was a cure-all for the country’s fledgling economy.

Since then, past governments have adopted various policies aimed at reducing over-dependence on imports, creating a high number of local jobs and saving foreign exchange. Some of the policies are the Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Decree, Structural Adjustment Policy, Small and Medium Industries Equity Investment Scheme, National Industrial Revolution Plan, National Automotive Policy and the Export Expansion Grant.

But lack of implementation and continuity in the policies has slowed the progress of the country’s industrial revolution.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), growth in the manufacturing sector grew to 1.6 percent in the second quarter of 2025 from 1.28 percent in the same period in 2024.

Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, director-general of the Raw Materials, Research and Development Council (RMRDC), said that Nigeria must reduce its dependence on imported raw materials by at least 60 percent within the next five years if it is to become an industrial nation.

‘Over 70 per cent of manufacturing inputs used in our economy are imported. These data points expose a structural weakness,’ Ike-Muonso said in August at MAN’s equipment expo in Lagos.

‘We export our raw materials in their crude form, import in refined quality, and surrender jobs and value offshore before we have even begun,’ he said.

He argued that the country has the potential to industrialise rapidly, with over 120 commercially viable solid minerals, vast agricultural resources, and a large youthful population.

But Ike-Muonso reiterated that what is missing is ‘strategic coordination, bold implementation, and technology-backed commitment.’

While industrialisation has been a cornerstone of transformation in developed nations, Nigeria still lack the bustling facilities and vibrant industrial landscapes that characterise strong economies, despite its significant manufacturing capability and promising trajectories.

The availability of adequate infrastructure is also a major determinant of the success of every country’s industrial sector; however, Nigeria does not have adequate infrastructure to grow businesses, especially developed transport systems such as roads and railways connected to the nation’s seaports.

From Agbara industrial cluster in Ogun to Apapa in Lagos, roads are bad or inaccessible. Access roads to Apapa and Tin Can ports – Nigeria’s two main ports have continued to be nightmares for manufacturers and exporters. It is impossible to talk about infrastructure without discussing power. Energy is a key element of the production process. Nigeria’s inability to supply and distribute sufficient electricity has left businesses at the mercy of generators powered by diesel and petrol, whose prices have surged in recent months.

This raises the production costs for manufacturers significantly and forecloses their chances of competing with international peers.

According to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), manufacturers spend 40 percent of their total production cost on generating energy for their businesses.

Nigerian manufacturers suffered from a long-running shortage of foreign exchange and a sharp devaluation in 2024, which made doing business in the country complicated.

In 2024, the naira lost 40.9 percent of its value against the dollar in the official market despite notable growth in external reserves within the period, according to BusinessDay analysis.

The floating of the naira increased the official exchange rate from N463.38/$ on June 9 in 2023, to N1,500/$ as of October 3 in 2025.

The high cost of dollars and the implementation of a 7.5 percent value added tax on diesel imports have pushed its pump price to as high as N1,200 per litre.

The number of registered manufacturing firms with the MAN dropped from 4,850 in the early 1980s to 2,000 in 2010. From 2017-2024, more than 50 manufacturing companies have shut down.

Some of them are Surest Foam Limited, Mufex, Framan Industries, MZM Continental, Nipol Industries, Moak Industries, Stone Industries, Procter and Gamble, and GlaxoSmithKline, among others.

Regulation is a major issue hurting the sector. In Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, agencies of the government work at cross-purposes.

For instance, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) does not accept tests done by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and vice versa. Worse still, their responsibilities overlap. Similarly, local or state governments do not accept agreements by the Federal Government, particularly when it has to do with money or taxes.

Nigeria is cash-strapped due to low oil prices and high debt servicing. This is hurting the country’s capacity to fund projects and critical sectors.

However, the pool of funds from the CBN and development finance institutions is stashed in banks, which are sometimes unwilling to lend to businesses due to what they call the ‘high-risk level’ of lending to businesses in Nigeria.

Consequently, several manufacturers have complained that they cannot access most funds advertised by the government.

While some manufacturers have accessed funding from the CBN, Bank of Industry and others, however, the funds are not easily accessible by all players.

Sarah Mullally has been named the new Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to lead the Church of England in its nearly 1,500-year history.

Her appointment, confirmed on Friday by King Charles III after a formal selection process, marks a watershed moment for the Anglican Communion, which counts around 85 million members worldwide. Mullally, 63, will serve as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, succeeding Justin Welby, who stepped down earlier this year following a damning abuse scandal.

‘The responsibility is huge, but I feel peace and trust in God to carry me,’ Mullally, a former nurse and later Bishop of London, said in her first public statement after the announcement. Prime minister Keir Starmer welcomed her appointment, describing the Church of England as ‘part of the fabric of our communities’ and expressing confidence that Mullally would play ‘a key role in our national life.’

Mullally’s elevation comes at a turbulent time for the Church. Her predecessor, Welby, resigned after an independent inquiry found that senior church figures had covered up decades-old abuse by John Smyth, a barrister who ran evangelical summer camps in the 1970s and 1980s. At least 130 boys and young men were said to have suffered at Smyth’s hands. He died in South Africa in 2018 while under investigation, never facing criminal charges.

The scandal has fuelled calls for deep reform within the Church of England, whose supreme governor is the British monarch. Once the spiritual backbone of national life, the Church now counts around 20 million baptised members but fewer than one million regular worshippers. Mullally’s appointment also signals the Church’s evolving stance on women in leadership. The Church of England began consecrating women bishops in 2014, following decades of debate, although other Anglican provinces, such as the United States, had taken this step decades earlier. Mullally herself became the first female Bishop of London in 2018, the third-highest post in the English hierarchy. Mullally is a former cancer nurse who worked as England’s Chief Nursing Officer in the early 2000s, while also being ordained as a priest in 2002. She became one of the first women to be consecrated as a bishop in the Church of England in 2015.

‘There are great commonalities between nursing and being a priest. It’s all about people, and sitting with people during the most difficult times in their lives,’ she once told a magazine.

She has advocated for creating an open and transparent culture in churches which allows for difference and disagreement, and has spoken on issues including the cost-of-living crisis, healthcare, and social justice.

Today, more than 40 of England’s 108 bishops are women, with women making up a similar proportion among priests. The office of the Archbishop of Canterbury is one of Britain’s most historic. The first incumbent, Augustine of Canterbury, was appointed in the late sixth century. The role became central to national life after King Henry VIII established the Church of England in the 1530s, thereby breaking with the Roman Catholic Church.

Mullally’s selection was the outcome of a lengthy process led by a committee under a former head of MI5, reflecting the position’s political as well as spiritual weight. Her leadership will stretch far beyond England, with the Archbishop of Canterbury regarded as the symbolic head of global Anglicanism.

The challenge before her is twofold: to restore trust in an institution shaken by scandal and to offer direction in a society where faith holds a diminished but still powerful role.

The National Leadership Conference (NLC) is proud to announce a high-impact strategic partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nigeria at the just concluded National Leadership Conference 2025. This collaboration defines a shared commitment to developing leadership capital, promoting inclusive economic growth, and driving sustainable development across the nation.

The partnership with the UNDP, a leading global development organization, brings a focus on poverty eradication, reducing inequalities, and building resilience to the NLC platform, complementing the recently announced alliance with the European Union. By joining forces, the NLC and the UNDP created a formidable alliance to accelerate Nigeria’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through transformative leadership.

About the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with a broad network of experts and partners in over 170 countries, the UNDP helps nations to build integrated and lasting solutions for people and the planet. In Nigeria, the UNDP is a trusted partner for development, working across governance, inclusive growth, and climate resilience to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ms. Elsie Attafuah Delivers Key Insights

The Conference was honored to host the graced presence of Ms. Elsie Attafuah, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Nigeria. Ms. Attafuah’s participation signifies the high-level commitment of the UNDP to this partnership and the importance of the conference’s theme in shaping Nigeria’s future.

Ms. Attafuah, a visionary leader with over two decades of global experience in programme development, strategic management, and partnerships brokering, delivered a compelling keynote address. Her extensive background spans sectors including climate change, green growth, good governance, youth, and gender empowerment. Her expertise in international financing mechanisms and her strategic approach to organizational development make her a powerful voice on how to transition development ideas into impactful policy and action.

UNDP’s Contribution to Leadership and the Nigerian Ecosystem

The UNDP’s engagement with the NLC is intrinsically linked to its core mandate of supporting Nigeria’s efforts to achieve its national development priorities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The organisation’s contribution is centered on building a new generation of leaders who are equipped to address complex, interconnected development challenges.

The UNDP drives thought leadership through initiatives such as the biennial Human Development Report and its focus on structural transformation, which advocates for building a culture of innovation, catalysing the green economy, and strengthening good governance. Through programmes like the Integrated Smart States Programme (ISSP), the UNDP supports:

Youth Empowerment and Innovation: By investing in innovation hubs and skills development, the UNDP is creating a national pipeline of talent and empowering young Nigerians to become entrepreneurs and problem-solvers, thereby transforming the innovation ecosystem.

Good Governance and Institutional Capacity: The UNDP supports efforts to build legitimate institutions, promote transparency, and enhance leadership skills across public and private sectors to ensure development is inclusive and effective.

Economic Diversification and Green Growth: The organisation is instrumental in supporting the transition to a sustainable, diversified economy, leveraging clean energy and other green solutions as a catalyst for job creation and resilience.

In line with the conference’s focus on leadership capital, Ms. Attafuah spoke on the UNDP’s global and local experience – on how bold, visionary, and service-oriented leadership is essential for structural transformation in Nigeria. Her address highlighted the need for leaders who can promote a culture of cooperation, bridge societal divides, and champion human-centered development, making her insights indispensable for all conference delegates.

This partnership with the UNDP solidifies the National Leadership Conference 2025 as the premier platform for promoting transformative leadership and charting a course for a more prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable Nigeria.

As food inflation continues to bite and nutrition gaps widen, workplace wellness may hold the key to strengthening food security and productivity in Nigeria.

For decades, compensation in Nigeria’s corporate sector has been measured almost entirely by salary. However, with rising food prices, paychecks alone are no longer enough to guarantee that workers can afford healthy diets.

Food experts warn that this has direct consequences for employee health, absenteeism, and long-term productivity.

Globally, corporate wellness initiatives – such as workplace meal plans, nutrition workshops, and preventive health care – are increasingly being adopted as strategic investments in food security and employee well-being.

But in Nigeria, these practices remain at an early stage, leaving many workers struggling with stress, burnout, and limited access to affordable, nutritious meals.

Recent initiatives are beginning to address this gap. To make wellness a daily workplace reality for Nigerian companies and employees, Country Life Corporate Wellness is bridging this nutrition gap through flexible and innovative packages that help companies invest in the health of staff. ‘Our mission is simple,’ says Samuel Ajani, founder of Country Life, and a passionate health enthusiast. ‘We want to bring wholesome wellness into the workplace because preventive care is better than curative care. Wellness shouldn’t be an afterthought; it should be part of everyday corporate life.’ According to him, such interventions could also ease pressure on household food security. With more than 70 percent of workers spending a huge chunk of their salaries on food, providing balanced meals at the workplace could reduce dependence on expensive, less nutritious street food.

‘A workforce that feels energised and cared for is the foundation of any thriving business. In Nigeria, employees spend more time at work than at home, while many remote workers lead sedentary lifestyles that harm long-term health. This makes workplace wellness interventions not just relevant, but urgent,’ Ajani noted.

For him, adopting corporate wellness will cause employees to increasingly choose employers that invest in their well-being, and healthy employees are more focused and productive.

Some of the packages provided include fresh seasonal fruits and nutritious alternatives delivered directly to the office, balanced, energising meals and wellness bundles that support focus and productivity, as well as expert-led sessions inspiring healthier lifestyle choices.

In today’s competitive landscape, corporate wellness is no longer a perk; it is a strategic business decision that strengthens culture and drives long-term growth.

Ajani said that as corporate jobs continue to evolve, the definition of compensation must expand. Salary is important, but salary alone is no longer enough.

‘Employees want to feel valued not only for their output but also as individuals with physical, nutritional, and mental health needs,’ he said

Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, better known as Jandor, says President Bola Tinubu will face no serious challenge in the 2027 presidential election, while also confirming that he will once again contest the governorship of Lagos State.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, the former Lagos PDP governorship candidate, who recently returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC), said Tinubu’s political influence had grown stronger since 2023, making another upset unlikely.

‘In 2023, Jandor and his Lagos for Lagos movement were outside, but now we are back inside. So, it won’t be the same thing you witnessed in 2023,’ he said. According to him, the president’s hold on politics has gone beyond Lagos. ‘2027, not only in Lagos but in the entire country, is going to be a walkover for the man whose courage has given us a lot in this country today,’ Jandor added.

Jandor had left the APC in 2022 to run under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos. He came third in the March 2023 governorship election behind incumbent Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC and Labour Party’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour. But in March this year, he made a surprise return to the ruling APC, saying the party was better positioned to win elections regardless of the candidate. His defection ended months of speculation about his next political move after his defeat in 2023.

Now firmly back in the APC fold, Jandor has wasted no time in declaring his interest in contesting the 2027 Lagos governorship election. ‘What you heard yesterday is for us once again to express our can-do ability and give another shot to the same seat that we went for during the last electioneering process,’ he said. ‘There is no vacancy in Aso Rock till 2031. If not, maybe the next thing would have been me running for president. For now, the focus is on Lagos, and I have so declared my intention to run again.’

Jandor’s declaration is already setting the stage for what may become another heated Lagos governorship contest. His renewed loyalty to the APC also puts him in a complex position, competing for the ticket in a party dominated by the political machinery of President Tinubu. But Jandor insists he is not worried. Instead, he has openly welcomed the idea of competing against Tinubu’s son, Seyi, should the younger Tinubu enter the race for governor. ‘He is eminently qualified to run,’ Jandor said. ‘And if the party gives him the ticket, I will give him my full support.’ For political watchers, Jandor’s confidence about Tinubu’s re-election chances in 2027 is not just about loyalty but also strategy. By aligning himself closely with the president, he positions himself as a loyal APC member who can be trusted with the party’s ticket in Lagos. Tinubu, who lost Lagos to Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the presidential election last year, is widely expected to strengthen his political base ahead of 2027. Jandor seems certain that history will not repeat itself. ‘In 2023, the opposition had unusual strength. But now, things are different. The president has consolidated, and I believe it will be a landslide in 2027,’ Jandor declared.

Jandor’s first gubernatorial run was marked by high expectations. Backed by the ‘Lagos for Lagos’ movement, he promised to break the APC’s dominance in the state. But his inability to galvanise enough votes left him far behind Sanwo-Olu and Rhodes-Vivour. After the elections, analysts said his defection from APC to PDP may have weakened his grassroots ties, while the Labour Party’s rise in Lagos further squeezed his chances. Now, by returning to APC, Jandor is effectively betting on the ruling party’s structure to give him a second shot.

Even though the 2027 elections are still nearly two years away, the battle for the APC’s Lagos governorship ticket promises to be intense. Party insiders say Jandor’s chances will depend not just on his popularity but also on how much trust he can rebuild with Tinubu’s loyalists, who once viewed him as a defector. But Jandor appears prepared for the long haul. ‘We are keeping our eyes on the ball, doing the needful, and galvanising support for the party across the state,’ he said. Political analysts believe his willingness to back whoever emerges as the APC’s candidate could help him avoid being sidelined, even if he loses the ticket.

For Jandor, aligning with Tinubu and the APC’s political machinery could either pave the way for his ambition or keep him in the shadow of more powerful figures within the party. Still, he maintains that his focus is clear: ‘For Jandor, I am running in 2027, and I have so declared.’

With this, Lagos politics looks set for another round of drama-where loyalty, strategy, and the shadow of Tinubu will once again define who sits in the seat of power at Alausa.

Can you tell us about the work HortiNigeria Programme has done in Nigeria’s horticulture sector?

The initiative commenced in 2021 with the goal of strengthening Nigeria’s horticulture sector in four states – Kano, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo, focusing on key priority crops: okra, onions, pepper, and tomatoes.

Our focus is on increasing productivity and income for 60,000 smallholder farmers, including 40 percent women and 50 percent youth in the north.

We help improve market linkages, support climate-smart technologies, facilitate access to finance and investments, pilot innovative production systems for 2000 entrepreneurial farmers, such as protected horticulture and regional diversification in the south, while building a more enabling policy environment for the sector.

So far, we’ve trained over 76,237 smallholders and entrepreneurial farmers on good agronomic practices, increased yields in key crops by an average of 93 percent, and increased farmers’ incomes by over 205 percent.

We have also mobilized over pound 4.14 million in finance and investments, contributed to reducing post-harvest losses in key intervention areas to an average of 83 percent, and facilitated over 106 business-to-business linkages.

We’ve also co-developed the National Strategy for Sustainable Management of Tuta Absoluta, Nigeria’s tomato leafminer pest, with FMAFS, NIHORT, and NATPAN to safeguard national tomato production.

How has the programme impacted the country’s agricultural sector?

We’ve demonstrated that Nigeria’s horticulture sector can be both commercially viable and socially inclusive. Yields for tomatoes, peppers, onions, and okra have increased by 30-50 percent in our target areas.

We’ve established over 100 business linkages between farmer groups and buyers and helped agro-input dealers reach thousands of new customers with quality products through structured agribusiness clusters and hubs.

Our work is also feeding into policy dialogue – state ministries of agriculture and private associations are now referencing data from HortiNigeria to plan investments and align regulations, such as our weekly price index, which is strengthening the sector beyond the program’s direct beneficiaries.

We’ve helped close Nigeria’s estimated 13 million metric ton vegetable supply deficit by increasing productivity and reducing losses.

Post-harvest losses, previously as high as 50-60 percent, have been reduced in some program clusters to 17 percent, thanks to cold rooms, crates, market linkages and training.

By engaging NIRSAL and commercial banks, we’ve started to bridge the N440-N660 billion (pound 1.06-1.6 billion) horticulture finance gap, training banks to develop horticulture-specific loan products. This has catalyzed private sector participation in areas previously viewed as too risky.

We’ve also improved key policies such as the Tomato Policy, Seed Policy, Organic Agriculture Policy, and pushed for Credit Risk Guarantee increases (30?50 percent) for local plastic crate production to reduce post-harvest losses nationwide.

To what extent would you say the HortiNigeria Programme has contributed towards solving Nigeria’s food security problems?

HortiNigeria is not a silver bullet, but it has provided a model for boosting fresh vegetable production, reducing losses, and improving nutrition.

By expanding access to high-yielding seed varieties, introducing efficient irrigation, and connecting farmers to stable markets, we’re reducing dependence on imports and improving availability of nutrient-dense foods. Nigeria faces food inflation and supply shocks – in 2024, tomato prices rose 320 percent year-on-year.

By boosting production, improving the cold chain, and stabilizing supply, we’re directly improving the affordability and availability of vegetables.

Equally important, we’ve built skills and infrastructure that will outlast the project – such as agribusiness clusters and community field trainers. We have also built innovation hubs and business champions who will continue supplying farmers and developing the sector after the program ends.

Can you share any notable success stories from the program so far?

In Ogun and Oyo States, youth hubs piloted open cultivation systems and doubled yields within a season, creating new seedling and irrigation service businesses.

Also, notably recorded huge success in the regional diversification of onion production in the south. Currently, our young entrepreneurial farmers are growing onions in a large scale in the south, which has reduced over dependence on the north for supply.

Also, protected cultivation, greenhouse farming, has been included in the training curriculum at FUNAAB, which will increase youth participation in protected cultivation production systems.

In Kano and Kaduna, women processors trained by HortiNigeria adopted low-cost drying and packaging technologies, cutting post-harvest losses by 40 percent and doubling incomes in less than a year.

Our female business champions, such as SIMKAY foods, Beta Tomato, Mix Condiment, and Tomato Jos, are off-taking vegetables from our smallholder farmers and creating value, which is contributing to income and post-harvest management.

Nationwide, we have advocated for the use and adoption of plastic crates to replace raffia baskets, which have contributed to post-harvest losses experienced by farmers and contributed immensely to environmental health challenges in major markets, such as Mile12 in Lagos.

Our efforts have resulted in advocating for a CRG increment for plastic production from 30-50 percent, which is currently approved by the National Council of Agriculture and Food Security and fully implemented by our partner NIRSAL.

This will attract investment and increase the production and circulation of plastic crates in the sector and further reduce post-harvest losses.

We’ve also successfully piloted solar pump irrigation systems for entrepreneurial and smallholder farmers, particularly women.

This innovative initiative has significantly enhanced farm operations by providing a reliable and sustainable water source, thereby improving crop productivity.

Additionally, the adoption of solar-powered irrigation systems has played a pivotal role in mitigating the effects of climate change, offering farmers a resilient solution to irregular rainfall patterns and water scarcity.

What are the greatest threats to Nigeria’s horticulture sector, and how can it be fixed?

These are key standouts: climate variability and water scarcity, insecurity and logistics disruptions, weak policy and regulatory frameworks, land access and labour constraints, especially for women in the North and farmers in the South and pest and disease pressures like Tuta absoluta causing up to 80-100 percent yield losses.

Others are: high post-harvest losses due to weak cold chain infrastructure, limited access to finance, with a N440-N660 billion funding gap for the horticulture sector, and a weak digital farmer database for the horticulture sector.

We need sustained investment in irrigation, cold storage, and rural infrastructure; a stronger role for private-sector logistics; and predictable government policies that encourage investment.

Public-private partnerships, embedding eco-efficient pest management, introducing financial guarantees, and piloting protected farming systems to buffer against climate shocks like those piloted under HortiNigeria, show the way forward.

What were the strategies implemented by the programme to support farmers in reducing their post-harvest losses, and how did it measure their effectiveness?

We’ve installed solar-powered cold rooms and aggregation hubs with partners like Ecotutu, Soilless Farm Lab, and NIHORT, shifted farmers from raffia baskets to plastic crates with standardized designs, introduced on-farm training on harvesting, grading, and transport practices and developed market linkage contracts to shorten time-to-market and empower female business champions to process those vegetables to powder and puree.

Effectiveness is measured via baseline and follow-up loss assessments. In some program locations, post-harvest losses fell from >50 to ~17 percent in some locations, and income rose by over 200 percent. We also injected 33,000+ crates into the Mile 12 market to professionalize handling.

What are the opportunities in the Nigerian horticulture sector?

The opportunities are significant: expanding production of high-value vegetables for domestic and export markets, investment in cold chain logistics and processing (purees, dried vegetables, frozen produce), greenhouse farming and drip irrigation services, digital platforms for input supply and market access and youth- and women-led agri-enterprises in aggregation, storage, and transport.

Nigeria’s growing urban population, changing diets, and regional trade agreements make horticulture one of the most dynamic parts of agriculture.

What have been some of the biggest challenges faced by the HortiNigeria program, and how were they addressed?

Challenges included insecurity, inflation, climate variability, removal of fuel subsidies, and rising CBN interest rates from 18.75 to 27.50 percent, which hit MSME access to credit.

Women faced land- access barriers in the North; in the South, urban expansion squeezed arable land and labour availability.

We adapted by relocating training hubs to safer areas, piloting digital extension, introducing home gardening and seedling production specifically for women, and engaging financial institutions to co-develop credit products. We also mobilized grants to pilot innovative models before scaling them commercially.

Now that the HortiNigeria Programme is coming to an end, is there any framework in place to ensure its sustainability beyond the initial funding?

Yes. From the beginning, we embedded sustainability in our approach. We’ve developed Agribusiness clusters in the north and Hubs in the south – local actors who will continue delivering services. We’ve strengthened input dealer networks, linked them to finance, and

established vegetable learning sites at the Center for Dryland Agriculture, BUK Kano, ABU Zaria and Saadatu Rimi College of Education, Kano, in collaboration with the institution managements.

We’ve also nurtured partnerships with Dutch companies like East-West Seed, Rijk Zwaan, Syngenta and Afri Agri, and with Nigerian financiers to co-invest in cold chain, protected agriculture, and pest management systems.

This is all about moving from aid to trade and investment, ensuring continuity beyond donor funding.

What lessons have been learned from implementing the programme, and how have these informed future plans?

We’ve learned that inclusion must be intentional; women and youth only benefit when programs are designed specifically for them.

We’ve also seen the power of integrating formal, informal, and semi- formal networks – for example, linking farmer cooperatives with private off-takers and including government agencies.

Five core lessons stand out: Inclusion must be intentional – reaching 40 percent women and 50 percent youth requires targeted design.

Infrastructure investments amplify impact – cold chain, irrigation and mechanization must be integral. Integrated pest management can be institutionalized nationally – using the Tuta absoluta model. Finance requires de-risking – guarantee schemes and blended finance unlock private capital. Aid-to-trade transition is viable – early engagement of Dutch and Nigerian businesses yields sustained investment.

Looking forward, we’re advocating for a National Horticulture Policy, exploring expansion of our Agribusiness Clusters, and scaling eco-efficient pest management and protected agriculture nationwide.

With the right investment environment, Nigeria could double horticulture exports to $500 million by 2030, drastically reduce post-harvest losses, and create thousands of jobs.

I pen this article with a humble sense of responsibility, hoping to contribute to this critical national discourse of proffering actionable insights to nation-building. This article is informed by insights gleaned from my engagements with more than 1,000 leaders globally in the past year and close to a gross of this number, fifteen years after I founded These Executive Minds (TEXEM) in the UK.

Sixty-five years after independence, Nigeria stands at a crossroads that is both sobering and promising. The sobering part is familiar. Too many citizens experience public services that arrive late or are not up to par. Firms face a cocktail of inflation, logistics friction, and regulatory uncertainty. Civil society carries heavy loads where formal systems falter. The promising part is quieter but powerful. In the past year, I have sat with more than a thousand leaders in ministries, agencies, boardrooms, factories, start-ups, cooperatives, and classrooms from Kano to Lagos to Abuja and cities in other emerging and developed countries. The appetite I have encountered is not for new slogans. It is for practices that produce compounding improvements that citizens can feel. My contention is that the leaders who will move Nigeria forward in the next decade will practise three disciplines with rigour: reflection that rebuilds trust and sharpens judgement, reinvention that converts constraints into design choices, and winning that scales what works and protects it from erosion.

‘In Nigeria, we can replicate the principle, if not the exact model, by choosing the lever we will own, whether identity rails for SMEs, last-mile logistics in a large state, or a vocational pipeline that gives investors confidence.’

Reflection must come first because progress without trust rarely survives the news cycle and, more importantly, does not lead to sustainable, inclusive impact. In many of our institutions, there is an inherited deficit of confidence. People discount statements before they hear them. Officials are assumed to be evasive until proven otherwise. In this context, the most strategic act a leader can take is to make the logic of decisions visible and testable. I have watched permanent secretaries and chief executives shift the temperature in a room by explaining the trade-offs behind a policy or a pivot in two pages of plain English, then inviting challenges before the implementation plan is final. That small ritual does more than inform. It signals that citizens and staff are not audiences but partners in judgement. Rwanda’s experience with public performance contracts for officials is instructive because it illustrates how visible targets and steady follow-through can change the relationship between leaders and citizens. Nigeria does not need to copy the mechanism to embrace the principle. We can begin with published choice notes that state priorities, the reasons for those priorities, and the measures by which success will be judged.

Reflection also requires safety for truth. In utilities, hospitals, and agencies, I often meet talented professionals who knew trouble was coming but said nothing because it did not feel safe to do so. The cost of that silence is measured in failed projects, service outages, and avoidable controversy. A modest institutional habit can reverse this dynamic. Start formal meetings by asking for the pieces of bad news that no one has voiced. Reward the messenger rather than the fixer. In a northern water board, I watched how this practice reduced the number of last-minute crises and improved relationships with suppliers who were finally hearing about risks early enough to help. Psychological safety is not a fashionable idea. It is a governance advantage.

Strategy is the next frontier of reflection. Plans that attempt to please everyone end up straining everyone. Strategy is not an inventory of hopes but the courage to choose. What distinguishes Ethiopia’s early industrial zones, despite all the imperfections, is not simply the infrastructure but the choice to concentrate on a small number of sectors where jobs could be created quickly and learning could compound. Nigeria has too often pursued breadth without depth. A commissioner who commits to a two-page statement of where the state will compete in transport or health, how it will win there, and what will be left aside this year has already advanced execution. The power of this clarity lies in how it enables other actors to align. Suppliers, investors, and civil society can only complement a public agenda that they can see.

Foresight completes reflective leadership. Oil shocks, currency swings (though the latter two have been quite stable in the past six months), import disruptions, and climate stress are not surprises. They are conditions of the game. The organisations that navigate them well do not predict the future. They rehearse it. In Vietnam, which has climbed the manufacturing ladder over the past two decades, routine scenario exercises allowed managers and officials to pre-commit to responses when supply chains wobbled. In our context, the same discipline means agreeing on three or four numbers that, if breached, trigger specific actions within a week. It means deciding in advance which contracts can be slowed without losing capability, which social programmes must be protected under any scenario, and which suppliers or ports will be used if a route closes. When senior teams practise these drills quarterly, they do not eliminate volatility. They convert volatility from a reason to panic into a reason to act calmly and quickly.

Once reflection has cleared the fog, reinvention can proceed with precision. Reinvention in Nigeria must start with an unflinching acceptance of constraints. Capital is tight. Power is unreliable in too many places. The skills we most need are scarce and globally mobile. Rules sometimes move midstream. These constraints do not forbid innovation. They shape it. The leaders who make headway begin by asking what job the citizen or customer is hiring the service to do. In one health programme I observed, teams stopped designing features and started listening to mothers who simply wanted certainty about vaccination days. A low-cost text system that reminded families and local clinics of fixed days in each ward lifted attendance without expensive infrastructure. India’s Aadhaar system, whatever one thinks of it in the round, succeeded because it focused on a minimal identity layer that others could build upon. Kenya’s M-Pesa was born because the banking system ignored the unbanked. Both cases show the payoff from designing for the job, not for the institution.

Reinvention demands learning before scale. In too many Nigerian settings, pilots are a performance rather than a process. They lack a falsifiable question, a clear owner, and a path to either stop or scale. The fix is not complicated. Any initiative expected to touch a large population should be tested in two locations, with one sharp question set in advance and a date by which a scale or stop decision will be made. The results should be published in the language citizens understand. Failure then becomes an investment rather than a secret. I saw a state education agency kill three shiny ideas quickly and redirect funds into a teacher coaching model that improved learning outcomes because it treated the pilot as an experiment rather than an announcement.

Reinvention gains momentum when public institutions become conveners of ecosystems rather than providers of every function. Big problems arise when government, private firms, and civic actors share accountability for outcomes that citizens feel. Bangladesh offered a vivid lesson. Partnerships between the government, a major telecom, microfinance institutions, and social enterprises created rural digital kiosks run by women that offered identity, market information, and payments. The result was a commercial model that advanced connectivity and income at the same time. There was no philanthropic afterthought. Incentives were aligned at the design stage. Nigeria’s agriculture and health sectors can embrace the same logic. Shared cold chain investment for vaccines, joint platforms for farmer data, and managed marketplaces for produce are all areas where no single actor can win alone, yet every actor can win if the rules of cooperation are clear.

The final discipline is winning. By winning, I do not mean a one-off success that makes a good copy. I mean the craft of scaling what works, protecting it from erosion, and compounding advantage. The first move is to pick a narrow transformation where citizens will feel the difference within months, ‘a low-hanging fruit’. A permit workflow, a claims process, a land registry, or a targeted procurement system are good candidates. The rule is simple. The process must be completed end-to-end in a single digital flow. A named leader must own service levels. The model that drives decisions must be monitored so that it does not drift. Small wins matter because they change expectations. Once a citizen experiences a permit that takes days rather than months, tolerance for delay declines across the board. Indonesia’s progress on e-procurement and tax administration, while uneven, shows how patient systems can raise revenue and trust at the same time. We should be stubborn about this kind of boring progress because it pays compound interest.

Winning also requires decision-making that treats a downturn as a time to prune and plant rather than to freeze. The instinct in a crisis is to cut across the board. The better move is to cut visible waste, protect muscle, and pre-fund two moves that will pay off when others are distracted. When India’s Tata Group bought Jaguar Land Rover in the depths of the 2008 crisis, it was not a gamble on prestige. It was a calculated bet on future capability. In Nigeria, the equivalent in the public sphere could be a state securing a long-term power arrangement for critical social infrastructure when prices soften. In the private sphere, it may look like acquiring a distressed logistics asset that reduces the cost to serve essential goods. These are not headline moments. They are compounding moves.

The strongest forces in emerging economies are often social and institutional as much as technological. A company that ties its profit engine to a farmer’s gain by reducing post-harvest losses creates an affinity that is difficult to copy. A ministry that becomes the trusted orchestrator of identity or payments in a sector makes duplication wasteful for others and partnership sensible. Vietnam’s rise in manufacturing is instructive here. Once clusters matured and supplier development programmes took root, firms preferred to deepen rather than exit. In Nigeria, we can replicate the principle, if not the exact model, by choosing the lever we will own, whether identity rails for SMEs, last-mile logistics in a large state, or a vocational pipeline that gives investors confidence.

Every serious proposal invites counterarguments. The first is that our constraints are too severe. Indeed, power, security challenges, still-high inflation and an undervalued Naira shape the feasible frontier. Yet they rarely block the first disciplined step. Narrowing focus, publishing choices, and testing cheaply are possible even in tough conditions. The second counterargument is that pilots never scale here. That is not a law of nature. Pilots fail to scale when ownership is vague and money is episodic. Tie each pilot to a named leader with a budget gate and an adoption target. If the target is met by a stated date, the next release triggers automatically. If not, the idea is retired without controversy because the condition was agreed upon up front. The third objection is that openness hands an advantage to rivals or invites misuse. Opacity is more expensive. Clear interfaces, shared dashboards, and pre-agreed escalation channels protect the public interest while letting private actors bring energy and ingenuity. The fourth objection is that our context is unique and therefore resistant to lessons from elsewhere. Culture and politics matter. So does execution. The underlying disciplines of reflection, reinvention, and winning have travelled across Asia, Africa, and Latin America because they are grounded in human behaviour and institutional incentives rather than in fashion.

Actionable suggestions matter most when they become routine. A practical rhythm helps leaders avoid performative announcements. Each quarter, senior teams should meet for a candid review of trust, choices, and scenarios. The output should be three objectives with dates and owners that are shared with staff and, where appropriate, with citizens. Each month, the organisation should pilot two new practices and retire one legacy habit that no longer serves. A one-page learning note in plain English should capture what moved, what did not, and what will be changed as a result. Each week, leaders should review a single measure that protects their moat, whether adoption, cost to serve, or ecosystem leverage, and then remove one blocker that slows progress. This cadence is not a ritual for its own sake. It is the mechanism through which reflection feeds reinvention and reinvention feeds winning.

The independence anniversary invites a final reflection. Nations and subnationals do not become trustworthy because they declare it. Companies do not become competitive because they wish to. NGOs do not become impactful because they are earnest. Trust grows when leaders expose their logic to scrutiny and follow through. Competitiveness grows when organisations choose a place to compete and then refine how they win there through fast learning. Impact grows when coalitions form around measurable outcomes that citizens experience in hours saved, income gained, and safety improved. I have seen these habits in pockets across Nigeria. A cooperative that became a disciplined buyer and seller on behalf of its members and cut their losses. A state-owned entity that digitised a creaking process and recovered weeks for small businesses. A private firm that opened its platform to complementary services and grew by letting others create value. These are not miracles. They are crafts. Crafts improve with practice.

Examples from other emerging economies are not medals to hang on a wall. They are reminders that the work is doable. Rwanda’s visible performance contracts demonstrate how public accountability can reset expectations after trauma. Aadhaar in India shows that a minimal, interoperable public good can unlock many private innovations when designed with restraint. Kenya’s mobile money revolution proves that leapfrogging can occur when a clear job is served on a platform people already use. Vietnam’s steady climb through manufacturing illustrates how clusters, supplier development, and predictability attract commitment. Indonesia’s progress on tax administration and procurement shows how patient system building raises revenue and trust together. Bangladesh’s rural digital models illustrate the power of aligned incentives across public, private, and social actors. None of these examples is a blueprint. Each is a provocation to ask what the Nigerian equivalent would look like under our constraints and with our strengths.

As we enter the sixty-fifth year of independence, the choice before Nigerian leaders is not between idealism and realism. It is between a loud cycle of fresh promises and a quieter craft of institutional improvement that compounds. The second path is less dramatic, yet it is how countries change without fanfare. It begins with leaders who listen before they speak and who effectively communicate the reasons that informed their choices. It gains speed with teams who test efficiently, measure honestly, and stop what does not work. It consolidates with organisations that scale what works, protect their edge, and reinvest in capability in good times and bad. I wrote earlier that the mood is sober and promising. It will remain promising only if it becomes disciplined.

The most powerful sentence I have heard in the past year came from a nurse in a secondary hospital who said that the only thing that had changed her day was a new process that meant a critical drug arrived on Wednesday without fail. It made her sound less like a hero and more like a professional. That sentence is the heart of development. When essential functions become reliable, professionals emerge, and citizens begin to trust. The path to that sentence is neither glamorous nor impossible. It asks us to reflect with candour, to reinvent with humility, and to win with patience. If we make those verbs our habit in the year ahead, the country we will write about at seventy will look less like a set of crises to manage and more like a system that works. That would be an independence worth celebrating.

How will refining capacity directly impact Africa’s long-term energy security under the summit’s theme, ‘Refining – Key to Energy Security in Africa’?

Refining capacity is central to Africa’s long-term energy security. Despite being a major crude oil producer, the continent’s reliance on imported fuels exposes economies to price volatility, supply disruptions, and foreign exchange pressures. By refining more at home, we can ensure a consistent supply, reduce import dependency, and retain significant economic value locally. Expanding refining also stimulates industrialisation, job creation, and regional trade under AfCFTA. For Nigeria and Africa, building modern, efficient refineries is not just about energy; it is about sovereignty, stability, and sustainable growth. The summit will focus on mobilising collaboration to make this vision a practical reality.

What specific policy reforms are most urgent to unlock the growth of both modular and large-scale refineries in Nigeria?

To unlock Nigeria’s refining potential, urgent policy reforms must focus on creating a stable, transparent, and investor-friendly environment. Firstly, fiscal incentives such as tax reliefs, access to credit, and guarantees are critical to de-risk investments. Secondly, ensuring crude oil supply at competitive pricing is essential to sustain operations. Ultimately, policies must foster public-private collaboration, promote local content development, and align with global environmental standards. These reforms will not only attract capital but also accelerate Nigeria’s journey toward energy self-sufficiency and regional refining leadership.

How is CORAN working with the government to ensure investor-friendly policies that balance local capacity building with global competitiveness?

CORAN is actively engaging the government at multiple levels to shape policies that make Nigeria’s refining sector attractive to investors while safeguarding national interests. We advocate for a regulatory framework that guarantees ease of entry, fair competition, and reliable access to crude. At the same time, we emphasise local capacity building by promoting skills development, indigenous technology adoption, and participation of local firms in the value chain. Through continuous dialogue, policy recommendations, and joint task forces, we ensure reforms align with global best practices while fostering an environment where investors thrive and Nigeria strengthens its refining and energy security base.

What innovative financing or de-risking strategies will the summit highlight to attract local and international investors to capital-intensive refining projects?

Refining requires significant capital, and attracting investment means addressing risk head-on. At the CORAN Summit 2025, we will spotlight innovative financing models such as blended finance, public-private partnerships, and long-term offtake agreements that provide certainty for investors. We are also engaging development finance institutions and regional banks to create de-risking instruments, including credit guarantees and insurance frameworks. Importantly, policy clarity and reliable crude supply will be highlighted as non-financial enablers of investor confidence. By combining financial innovation with regulatory reforms, we aim to unlock both local and international capital flows into Nigeria’s refining sector, accelerating self-sufficiency and energy security.

How can private sector participation be scaled up, and what role does CORAN play in bridging investors with regulators and operators?

CORAN is actively engaging the government at multiple levels to shape policies that make Nigeria’s refining sector attractive to investors while safeguarding national interests. We advocate for a regulatory framework that guarantees ease of entry, fair competition, and reliable access to crude. At the same time, we emphasise local capacity building by promoting skills development, indigenous technology adoption, and participation of local firms in the value chain. Through continuous dialogue, policy recommendations, we ensure reforms align with global best practices while fostering an environment where investors thrive and Nigeria strengthens its refining and energy security base.

What opportunities exist for integrating petrochemicals and refining to maximize value addition locally?

Integrating petrochemicals with refining presents a tremendous opportunity to maximise value addition in Nigeria. Beyond producing fuels, modern refineries can generate feedstocks for petrochemical industries that support plastics, fertilisers, textiles, and pharmaceuticals. This integration diversifies revenue streams, reduces import dependence, and fosters industrial growth across multiple sectors. For Nigeria, it means creating jobs, stimulating SMEs, and positioning the country as a regional hub for energy and industrial products. At CORAN, we are driving conversations on policies and investments that encourage the co-location of refineries and petrochemical plants, ensuring we capture full value from our crude oil resources for sustainable development.

With the AfCFTA in place, how do you envision regional cooperation shaping Africa’s refining landscape beyond Nigeria?

The AfCFTA presents a unique opportunity to build a truly integrated African refining and energy market. By reducing trade barriers, harmonising standards, and encouraging cross-border investment, we can create a regional value chain that benefits all. Nigeria, with its refining capacity, can supply neighboring markets, while also importing specialised products from other African countries. This cooperation will reduce reliance on overseas imports, stabilise supply, and strengthen intra-African trade. CORAN envisions partnerships where infrastructure, financing, and expertise are shared, making Africa self-reliant in energy. The summit will highlight how regional collaboration can accelerate growth and secure the continent’s energy future.

What role can Nigeria realistically play in positioning itself as the refining hub of Africa?

Nigeria is uniquely positioned to become Africa’s refining hub, given its vast crude oil reserves, growing private investment in refineries, and strategic geographic location. With both modular and large-scale refineries coming onstream, Nigeria can not only meet domestic demand but also serve regional markets under AfCFTA. To achieve this, we must ensure consistent policy support, reliable crude supply, and competitive operating conditions. CORAN’s role is to align industry stakeholders and government toward this shared vision. By scaling capacity, driving efficiency, and promoting regional partnerships, Nigeria can realistically anchor Africa’s refining transformation and strengthen continental energy security.

Beyond energy security, how will increased refining capacity create jobs, build skills, and drive broader economic benefits for Nigerians and Africans?

Increased refining capacity goes far beyond energy security-it is a catalyst for economic transformation. Every refinery project creates thousands of direct and indirect jobs, from construction to operations and supply chains. It drives demand for skilled labor, encouraging training, research, and capacity development in engineering, technology, and management. Beyond jobs, refining stimulates local industries by providing feedstocks for petrochemicals, fertilisers, plastics, and other value-added products. This strengthens SMEs, boosts exports, and reduces import dependence. For Nigerians and Africans, the broader benefit is inclusive growth-more opportunities, stronger industries, and a resilient economy anchored on sustainable local value creation.

As the world transitions toward cleaner energy, how is CORAN ensuring that Africa’s refining growth aligns with sustainability and climate goals?

CORAN recognises that Africa’s refining growth must align with global sustainability and climate goals. We are advocating for investment in modern, cleaner refining technologies that minimise emissions, improve efficiency, and reduce environmental impact. At the same time, we encourage integration of renewable energy and carbon-reduction practices within refinery operations. Through policy engagement, we emphasise balancing energy security with climate commitments, ensuring that refining expansion does not come at the cost of sustainability. By driving innovation, promoting best practices, and collaborating with international partners, CORAN is ensuring Africa’s refining future is both economically viable and environmentally responsible.