Category: Business Day

Flight operations were disrupted across Nigeria on Tuesday as aviation unions intensified industrial action, with major airlines reporting cancellations and rescheduling while the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) moved to contain the impact on passengers and airport operations.

The disruption followed picketing and barricading of airport terminals by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), affecting access to terminals in Lagos and Abuja.

Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest airline by fleet size, said its operations had been temporarily disrupted after its terminals were picketed, preventing passengers and flight crews from accessing departure facilities.

The airline said the entrances to its departure terminals at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1, comprising the Alpha and Zulu terminals, Terminal 2 in Lagos, as well as the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport terminal in Abuja, were barricaded.

‘The ongoing industrial action has resulted in the barricading of the entrances to our departure terminals at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 (Alpha and Zulu Terminals) and Terminal 2 in Lagos, as well as the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Terminal in Abuja,’ Air Peace management said in a statement.

The blockade restricted access to the terminals and prevented scheduled flights from Lagos and Abuja from departing, leaving passengers stranded and disrupting onward connections across the airline’s network.

A Lagos flight scheduled for 6:30am was among those unable to depart as the labour action took effect.

Air Peace apologised to affected passengers, saying it was contacting travellers scheduled to fly later in the day and providing updates as the situation evolved.

The airline said it continued to monitor developments and would issue further information as necessary.

The disruption also affected Enugu Air, which announced that some of its flights would be rescheduled following the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as a result of the industrial action.

The airline said union workers had denied staff access to the airport terminal, forcing a temporary suspension of operations at the airport.

‘Please be informed that due to an ongoing industrial action at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where union workers are denying staff access into the airport terminal, operations at the airport have been temporarily suspended,’ Enugu Air management said.

The airline advised passengers to check their emails, text messages and official social media platforms for updates before travelling to the airport.

It also asked affected passengers to contact its customer service team for assistance with rebooking and enquiries.

Amid the disruptions, the NCAA appealed to aviation unions to exercise restraint and suspend the industrial action pending the return of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.

In a statement signed by Chris Ona Najomo, Director General of Civil Aviation, the regulator said it was aware of the impact of the industrial action on passengers and other aviation stakeholders.

The NCAA said Keyamo had been actively working towards resolving the issues that triggered the dispute and urged the unions to sheathe their swords while efforts continued.

According to the regulator, a meeting convened by the minister last week to address the issues could not be held because airline operators failed to honour the invitation.

‘The matter would have been addressed at the meeting convened by the Honourable Minister last week, but the meeting could not hold as the airline operators failed to honour the invitation,’ the NCAA said.

The authority called on all parties to return to dialogue and cooperation, expressing confidence that the dispute would be resolved shortly.

It also sought to calm concerns over aviation safety, assuring passengers that the industrial action had not compromised flight safety oversight.

‘Flight safety remains uncompromised,’ the NCAA said, adding that it continued to exercise its statutory safety oversight responsibilities.

The regulator also apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers and expressed confidence that normal flight operations would resume as soon as practicable.

FAAN, which is responsible for the management of federal airports, said it was closely monitoring developments and working with aviation agencies, airlines, security agencies and other stakeholders to minimise the impact of the industrial action.

The authority said it recognised the legitimate role of organised labour while supporting efforts by Keyamo and other stakeholders to reach an amicable resolution.

‘In the interim, FAAN is working closely with the relevant aviation agencies, airlines, security agencies and other stakeholders to minimise the impact of the industrial action and ensure that airport operations are not disrupted,’ FAAN said.

The airport authority also disclosed that earlier operational challenges affecting the movement of some flights within the airside environment had been addressed through inter-agency coordination.

It said measures were being sustained to support the orderly continuation of flight operations.

FAAN assured travellers that airports remained safe, secure, functional and accessible, while advising passengers to maintain contact with their airlines for real-time information about their flights.

The industrial action is linked to a dispute involving labour unions and Air Peace over the airline’s relationship with the trade union movement.

A source familiar with operations at Abuja airport said the unions had been engaging Air Peace over its registration or recognition within the relevant aviation trade union structure.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the unions had repeatedly raised the issue with the airline and that the dispute had persisted despite previous engagements.

According to the source, the action was not primarily about flight safety but a labour dispute concerning union recognition and engagement.

However, the source also said the disruption in Lagos was having a knock-on effect on operations in Abuja and other airports because Lagos serves as a major hub for Air Peace’s network.

While the source said the situation at Abuja was not identical to the disruption reported in Lagos, the effects of the Lagos shutdown were being felt across the network as aircraft and crew movements became affected.

Reports of the labour action in Lagos included the disruption of access to airline facilities and airport operations, further complicating the movement of passengers and aircraft.

The latest disruption highlights the exposure of Nigeria’s aviation industry to labour disputes, particularly where industrial action affects access to airport infrastructure rather than only the internal operations of an airline.

For airlines, a prolonged shutdown can create costs beyond cancelled passenger journeys. Aircraft and crew schedules can be thrown out of sequence, leading to cascading delays across multiple routes, while airlines may incur additional accommodation, rebooking, handling and customer compensation costs.

Passengers also face missed connections, additional travel expenses and uncertainty, while airports, ground handlers and other service providers can lose revenue when flight schedules are disrupted.

The concentration of major airline operations around Lagos and Abuja further increases the potential for disruptions at either airport to spread across domestic networks.

The regulatory response by the NCAA and FAAN therefore goes beyond restoring individual flights. It also reflects the need to prevent a labour dispute involving particular operators or unions from developing into a wider disruption to Nigeria’s air transport system.

For the regulator, maintaining safety oversight while allowing legitimate labour negotiations to continue remains critical, particularly as airport access and aircraft movements are affected.

The NCAA and FAAN have consequently urged stakeholders to return to dialogue, while Keyamo’s intervention is expected to provide the platform for resolving the underlying dispute.

Until an agreement is reached, however, airlines have advised passengers to confirm their flight status before heading to the airport, as schedules remain subject to change.

Workers and pensioners in Osun State have called for a violence-free governorship election on August 15, urging political actors and security agencies to ensure that residents can exercise their constitutional rights without fear or intimidation.

The call was made on Monday by the leadership of organised labour during a mini congress held at the State Government Secretariat, Osogbo.

Christopher Arapasopo, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), expressed concern over reports of thugs allegedly moving around and shooting, urging the police to protect the citizens and property of Osun State.

Arapasopo appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call the Osun chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to order, stressing that the election should not be turned into a war.

Also speaking, Olamilekan Adediran, the state chairman of the Joint Negotiation Council, urged civil servants, pensioners and other residents to go to their polling units with their voter cards and vote for candidates of their choice without tension or fear.

Adediran said political power should not be treated as a do-or-die affair, stressing that residents knew the type of government they wanted and should not have leadership imposed on them.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 10,000 personnel for the August 15 Osun State Governorship election as the State Command warns its officers against partisanship and directs them to maintain professionalism throughout the electoral process.

Igbalawole Sotiyo, the state commandant, gave the directive at a strategic meeting with Area Commanders, Divisional Officers and Tactical Commanders at the command headquarters in Osogbo.

Sotiyo, in a statement by ASCI Kehinde Adeleke, the stats command’s Spokesperson, said the personnel deployed for the election would be led by Ahmed Abubakar Audi, commandant general of the Corps.

He emphasised that the credibility of the corps and public confidence in its personnel would depend largely on their conduct throughout the electoral process.

He therefore warned personnel of the command against actions capable of undermining the integrity of the Corps or compromising the peaceful conduct of the election.

Indonesia has shared its anti-corruption success story with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), stressing that sting operation is key to fighting corruption.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, Bambang Suharto, made the submission on Monday in Abuja at the ICPC second edition of the International Diplomatic Dialogue, themed ‘Experience Sharing in Anti-Corruption Strategy: The Indonesian Perspective.’

The ambassador, represented by the Minister Counselor for Political Affairs, Tuty Dityawanty, spoke at the dialogue organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the research and training arm of the ICPC.

Suharto credited his nation’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), with arresting and convicting hundreds of ‘untouchable elites’ through sting operations, institutional reforms and public trust-building, while acknowledging that corruption remains a major challenge.

‘Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi or KPK achieved success in prosecuting high-profile officials. It arrested and convicted hundreds of untouchable elites, including ministers, governors, lawmakers, and judges.’

He, however, acknowledged that Indonesia’s fight against corruption remained ongoing, particularly in areas such as bribery in public services and business licensing.

The envoy said KPK was established in 2003 with a mandate covering four key areas: coordination and supervision, investigation and prosecution, prevention of corruption, and monitoring of state governance.

According to him, the KPK use of intelligence-led investigations and sting operations in uncovering suspected bribery cases and that such operations were conducted within the country’s legal framework and supported by investigative evidence.

‘One of KPK’s most effective tools has been the sting operation, legally backed by Law.

‘The law allows the commission to apprehend suspects caught in the act during ongoing intelligence and wiretapping operations, with prior approval from KPK’s internal Supervisory Board.

‘Operations require prior case-building, investigative data validation, and sufficient preliminary evidence rather than random instigation or pure entrapment,’ he said.

Suharto added that corruption offences were punishable by life imprisonment or jail terms of between four and 20 years.

He also highlighted Indonesia’s State Administrator Asset Report system (LHKPN) managed by KPK.

‘The system requires civil servants, state-owned enterprise executives and high-ranking officials to declare personal wealth before taking office, annually during tenure, and after leaving office, including assets of immediate family members.’

He traced the roots of corruption in Indonesia to the royal era and the Dutch colonial period under the VOC, which she described as the ‘seeds of modern corruption’ through plunder of resources, arbitrary taxes and personal enrichment by officials.

He noted that KPK had won public trust not only because it jailed powerful offenders, but also because it portrayed a vision of an Indonesia where public business can be done without corruption.

‘As we look back at this journey, we see that success was not an accident but the result of persistence and smart choices,’ he said.

The Chairman of ICPC, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN in his opening remarks said international cooperation and learning from best practices remained critical to strengthening Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight.

Aliyu, represented by the Secretary to ICPC, Clifford Oparaodu, said the theme was ‘both relevant and timely’ given that corruption remains a major impediment to sustainable development, economic growth, social justice and public trust in institutions.

He noted that corruption was a worldwide phenomenon afflicting nations in varying degrees, with devastating effects on political, socio-economic and developmental strides of countries that allow it to thrive unchecked.

According to him, Nigeria has much to learn from Indonesia, particularly through its anti-corruption body, the KPK.

‘The commission will be glad to share from the strategies, policies, including institutional and legal reforms, as well as the enforcement actions adopted by the Indonesian government to fight corruption in the country, and that is why we are here today to learn from their experience,’ he said.

The ICPC boss disclosed that the commission had earlier hosted the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency, Ambassador Isaac Parashina, where both countries exchanged knowledge on how corruption is being addressed in Kenya.

He added that ‘as Nigeria deepens its anti-corruption efforts, there is much value in understanding comparative experiences and identifying innovative approaches that can be adapted to local realities.’

Aliyu commended the Provost of ACAN, Sheriff Ibrahim, and his team for conceptualizing the dialogue, noting that the Academy continues to play a critical role in research, training, advocacy and capacity development in support of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agenda.

The provost in his remarks said Indonesia pioneered the fight against colonialism and corruption in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and remains a model for Global South nations.

Ibrahim linked Indonesia’s anti-corruption experience to the 1955 Bandung Conference, which brought together 29 Asian and African countries and promoted principles including sovereignty, equality and international cooperation.

He said Indonesia’s experience offered useful lessons for South-South cooperation, noting that its anti-corruption strategy combines preventive education, asset disclosure and criminal prosecution, particularly in areas such as licensing, public financial management and bureaucratic reform.

Ibrahim, while stressing that Indonesia remained the cradle of liberation and anti-corruption in the South, urged countries to revive the ‘spirit of Bandung’ to strengthen solidarity and fight corruption.

When organisations talk about inclusion, the conversation often begins and ends with one word: belonging.

We hear leaders say they want people to feel welcome, accepted and part of the team. While that is undoubtedly important, belonging alone does not create an inclusive workplace.

Someone can feel that they belong while simultaneously feeling unable to express who they truly are.

That is where many organisations unintentionally fall short.

One of the most influential models in organisational psychology, developed by Lynne Shore and colleagues, helps explain why. The framework suggests that inclusion is built on two equally important dimensions: belongingness and the value placed on uniqueness.

In simple terms, every employee is asking two questions.

Do I belong here?

Can I be myself here?

Only when the answer to both questions is yes can we truly say an organisation is inclusive.

Understanding the four experiences of inclusion

The framework describes four very different employee experiences.

Excluded: Neither accepted nor valued

This is perhaps the easiest situation to recognise.

People feel disconnected from the organisation and believe their contributions are overlooked. They are rarely invited into meaningful conversations, their perspectives carry little influence, and, over time, they begin to withdraw.

Imagine joining a new organisation where your ideas are consistently ignored, your colleagues rarely seek your opinion and opportunities seem to pass you by. Eventually, you stop contributing-not because you have nothing to offer, but because you no longer believe your voice matters.

This is exclusion.

The cost extends far beyond the individual. Organisations lose innovation, engagement and valuable talent.

Assimilated: Accepted-but only if you fit in

This quadrant is far more common than many leaders realise.

People feel welcomed and accepted, but only on the condition that they adapt to the dominant culture.

They quickly learn what is acceptable to say, how they are expected to behave and which parts of themselves should remain hidden.

A colleague may feel pressure to soften their accent, avoid discussing their disability, minimise aspects of their cultural identity or withhold perspectives that differ from the majority.

They belong-but only after leaving part of themselves at the door.

This is not inclusion.

It is assimilation.

Organisations may celebrate diversity on paper while unconsciously rewarding conformity in practice.

Differentiated: Valued for difference but not fully included

This experience is less frequently discussed, yet it is remarkably common.

Here, people are recognised because they are different, but they never quite become part of the team.

They become the person expected to represent an entire community, advise on every diversity issue or provide insight whenever inclusion is discussed.

While their unique perspective is appreciated, they remain outside the informal networks where relationships, influence and career opportunities are often developed.

They are visible-but not fully included.

Being invited to contribute occasionally is not the same as belonging consistently.

Included: Where belonging and uniqueness meet

The final quadrant represents what every organisation should aspire to create.

People feel accepted, respected and psychologically safe.

Equally important, they know they do not have to compromise their identity to succeed.

Their different perspectives are welcomed because they strengthen decision-making rather than threaten it.

In inclusive organisations, diversity is not simply represented.

It is actively valued.

People contribute with confidence because they know their ideas-not just their presence-matter.

Why this matters more than ever

Too often, organisations invest heavily in activities designed to improve belonging.

Team-building events.

Wellbeing initiatives.

Recognition programmes.

These all have value.

Others celebrate diversity through awareness campaigns, heritage months and cultural events.

Again, these initiatives matter.

However, neither belonging nor diversity alone creates inclusion.

Without belonging, people disengage.

Without valuing uniqueness, people conform.

Neither creates the conditions for innovation, psychological safety or sustainable organisational performance.

Research consistently shows that organisations benefit when employees can contribute authentically, challenge thinking constructively and bring different perspectives to complex problems.

That is precisely where inclusive leadership becomes a strategic advantage.

The leadership question

Inclusion is not created by policy alone.

Nor is it achieved through a single training programme.

It is built through everyday leadership behaviours.

Every meeting.

Every recruitment decision.

Every conversation.

Every opportunity to listen.

Leaders should regularly ask themselves four simple but powerful questions:

Do people in my team genuinely feel they belong?

Do they feel safe to express different opinions?

Do I reward authenticity, or do I unconsciously reward conformity?

What am I doing to create an environment where people can both belong and be themselves?

The answers to these questions often reveal more about organisational culture than any employee survey ever could.

One analogy has always stayed with me.

Imagine a choir.

Exclusion is being left outside the building.

Assimilation is being invited to sing-but only if you sound exactly like everyone else.

Differentiation is being asked to perform a solo because your voice is unique, yet you are never being invited to join the choir.

Inclusion is something altogether different.

It is being welcomed into the choir because your unique voice makes the entire performance richer.

That, for me, captures the essence of inclusion.

It is not simply about ensuring everyone has a seat at the table.

It is about creating workplaces where people feel they belong because of who they are-not despite it.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has apologised to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerians following the Super Falcons’ failure to secure automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup at the ongoing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, in a statement issued on behalf of the federation’s Executive Committee and the Super Falcons, expressed regret over the quarter-final defeat and acknowledged the disappointment it caused supporters across the country.

‘We recognise the disappointment this result has caused millions of Nigerians who passionately support and identify with the Super Falcons,’ Gusau said.

‘The team went into the competition carrying the hopes of the nation and the enormous goodwill and support of the Federal Government, and we regret that we were unable to deliver the result expected at this stage.’

NFF apologises to President Tinubu

The federation issued a special apology to President Tinubu, highlighting his support for Nigerian sports and women athletes.

‘Mr President has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to Nigerian sports and, particularly, to the development and welfare of women in sports,’ the statement said.

The NFF recalled the substantial rewards, national honours, houses and reception given to the Super Falcons following their previous WAFCON triumph, alongside the Federal Government’s continued support for the Super Eagles.

‘It is therefore with genuine humility and regret that we acknowledge that we have not been able to repay that confidence with the outcome expected at this stage of the competition,’ the NFF said.

‘We sincerely apologise to Mr President and deeply appreciate his continued interest, encouragement and investment in Nigerian football.’

Super Falcons still have World Cup route

Despite missing out on automatic qualification, the NFF stressed that Nigeria’s World Cup hopes remain alive through the CAF play-off route.

The federation said the Super Falcons would now regroup and focus on securing one of the two available CAF play-off places before pursuing qualification through the FIFA play-off tournament.

‘A window of opportunity remains through the CAF play-off pathway, and the Super Falcons are determined to fight for one of the two available CAF play-off tickets and subsequently pursue qualification through the FIFA play-off tournament,’ the NFF said.

‘We must now regroup, learn from this setback and focus completely on the opportunity that remains. The NFF, technical team and players are committed to doing everything within their power to secure Nigeria’s place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.’

Federation extends apology to stakeholders

The NFF also extended its apology to the National Assembly, National Sports Commission, sponsors, football stakeholders and Nigerian supporters at home and abroad.

The Super Falcons’ failure to reach the WAFCON semi-finals ended their bid for an automatic World Cup ticket and means the defending champions must now navigate the play-off route to keep their hopes of featuring at the 2027 tournament alive.

The federation said it remained committed to supporting the team and ensuring Nigeria takes advantage of the remaining qualification opportunity.

The Federal Fire Service (FFS) has extinguished a fire involving a petroleum tanker laden with about 60,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at AYM Shafa Filling Station in Area 3, Garki, Abuja.

The incident occurred while the tanker was discharging its petroleum product at the filling station, located beside the FCT Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) office along Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti Way.

The fire also affected part of an adjoining three-storey building belonging to the FCT-IRS before firefighters deployed coordinated emergency response operations to bring the situation under control.

The FFS, in a statement issued by Paul Abraham, spokesperson, Deputy Controller of Fire (DCF) , said four adult males sustained various degrees of injuries in the incident.

According to the Service, the injured persons were immediately evacuated from the scene by an ambulance operated by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

It said the four victims received medical attention and were subsequently discharged from the hospital.

‘The Federal Fire Service (FFS) confirms that the fire incident involving a petroleum tanker at AYM Shafa Filling Station, beside the FCT-IRS Office, along Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti Way, Area 3, Garki, Abuja, has been successfully extinguished,’ the statement said.

The Service disclosed that Olumode Adeyemi, Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, who served as the Incident Commander, personally coordinated the firefighting and emergency response operations at the scene.

Adeyemi, according to the FFS, remained at the location until the early hours of Friday to ensure that the fire was completely brought under control and that the area was safe.

Firefighters deployed multiple firefighting appliances, medium water jets and foam compounds during the operation to prevent the fire from spreading and to contain the petroleum-related blaze.

Following a thorough inspection of the scene after the fire had been extinguished, the FFS said its personnel confirmed that there was no further outbreak of fire and no additional casualty.

The Service also confirmed that all firefighters and emergency responders who participated in the operation, as well as the firefighting appliances deployed to the scene, returned safely to their respective stations.

The FFS commended residents, motorists and other members of the public for their patience, cooperation and compliance with safety directives issued during the emergency operation.

It said the cooperation of the public helped emergency responders to carry out their duties effectively and minimise the risk of further incidents during the firefighting operation.

The Service also acknowledged the contributions of other emergency response agencies that participated in the operation, particularly the FCT Fire Service, NEMA and the Nigeria Police Force, as well as other supporting organisations.

The FFS said the collaboration among the agencies was instrumental to the successful management and containment of the incident.

The Controller-General also commended the firefighters and other emergency responders for what he described as their courage, professionalism, discipline and commitment to protecting lives and property.

Meanwhile, the Federal Fire Service said an investigation had commenced to establish the immediate and remote causes of the incident.

The investigation, it added, would examine the circumstances surrounding the fire and provide information needed to strengthen preventive measures and reduce the possibility of similar petroleum-related emergencies in the future.

The Service reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives, property and critical national assets through prompt, professional and coordinated emergency response operations.

It also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and comply with established safety measures, particularly around filling stations and other facilities where petroleum products are stored, handled or dispensed.

Solar power has emerged as a crucial lifeline in Nigeria, plugging electricity gaps the national grid and diesel generators cannot fix. Yet, in a country where roughly 87 million people lack access to electricity, the panels keeping homes and businesses lit almost entirely come from abroad.

The country wants the jobs and industrial upside that come from manufacturing solar equipment domestically, but it cannot afford to slow down the imports currently sustaining the sector.

‘Nearly all solar panels and accessories are imported,’ David Terungwa, executive director of the Global Initiative for Food Security and Environmental Protection (GIFSEP), told a gathering of officials, financiers and researchers at an event in Nigeria’s commercial capital.

He called the sector ‘an all-comers affair’, largely unregulated, and dependent on supply chains Nigeria doesn’t control.

The government’s answer is to try to become a manufacturer, not just a customer.

‘Countries such as China, India and Vietnam have demonstrated that long-term prosperity comes from manufacturing clean energy technologies, not simply consuming them,’ said Olamide Fagbuji, senior special assistant to President Bola Tinubu on climate technology and operations.

Nigeria, he said, needs ‘deliberate industrial policy’ to become ‘a producer, assembler and exporter of renewable energy technologies.’

Nigeria has floated import restrictions before, on other goods, to force local production loose from foreign suppliers. Some in the solar sector want the same treatment. Terungwa isn’t one of them, not yet.

‘Are we ready for a solar ban now? No,’ he said. ‘Banning solar imports now would be like removing lifelines in a crisis.’ Move too early, before local manufacturing exists to fill the gap, he warned, and the result would be more energy poverty, not less.

Terungwa recommended incentives for local production, support for assembly plants, and cheaper financing for clean-energy systems, balancing ‘local manufacturing and energy access,’ as he put it, instead of picking one over the other.

He pointed to lithium battery plants recently commissioned in Zamfara and Nasarawa states, and to early efforts by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure to get domestic solar-panel production off the ground.

Daniel Awolaja, co-founder of the Africa Energy Tracker, which has logged more than 3,500 disclosed energy investment projects across the continent since roughly 2006, told the forum that Nigeria pulled in nearly $100 billion in energy investment over the past ten years, second on the continent only to South Africa, across 422 tracked projects.

The problem is where that money landed. About 92 percent of it went to oil and gas, Awolaja said, leaving renewables, grid infrastructure and storage to split what remained.

Generation capacity grew by roughly three gigawatts in 2025 alone, one of the strongest annual gains anywhere in Africa, but transmission and distribution investment hasn’t kept pace, so new power plants don’t reliably translate into power that reaches a home or a shop.

Nigeria currently has about 14 gigawatts of installed generation capacity, Awolaja’s research shows, but only around five gigawatts of it reaches the grid reliably.

He credited All On, an impact investment firm, with an early bet that reshaped the market: treating solar as a business proposition rather than a charity project or corporate goodwill exercise, a shift he said helped catalyse Nigeria’s current solar sector.

Awolaja noted Nigeria adopted mini-grid regulations and duty exemptions on imported solar equipment as far back as 2015, among the most comprehensive frameworks anywhere in Africa at the time, and passed climate legislation into law through an Act of Parliament, a step few African countries have matched.

He told a story of how a Nigerian energy expert travelled to Brazil to study its mini-grid rules, only to find Brazilian officials were still building systems Nigeria had already put on paper years before.

‘Nigeria’s regulatory framework for mini-grids was significantly more advanced than their own,’ Awolaja said the Brazilian officials told him, a framework Nigeria still hasn’t fully put to work at home.

The Electricity Act 2023, which handed states the power to set up their own electricity markets, has already helped unlock more than $1.3 billion in commitments for distributed renewable energy, channelled through programs including the Nigeria Electrification Project and the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up program, according to Fagbuji.

A United States (US) embassy in North Africa has revoked more than 100 visas tied to ‘birth tourism’ operations, targeting parents accused of traveling to the US primarily to secure citizenship for their children.

As noted by the Department of State in a post on X the embassy in the North African country not mentioned, revoked these number of visas enforcement.

Federal officials confirmed on Monday that the administration has revoked more than 175,000 visas in 2026. That pace represents over 10,000 cancellations per month this year, a sharp acceleration from 2025, when total revocations numbered slightly over 100,000.

The indicates a dramatic escalation in US State Department continuous vetting operations.

The enforcement action forms part of a massive, ongoing campaign by the Trump administration to cancel travel privileges for foreign nationals suspected of policy violations, financial fraud, or criminal activity.

Under the direction of President Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, secretary of State federal authorities are framing the widespread cancellations as a necessary safety measure to ensure foreign visitors abide by US law.

State Department officials stated that the vast majority of cancellations stemmed from routine law enforcement encounters involving offenses ranging from assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug charges to financial crimes such as fraud and embezzlement.

This policy shift impacts Nigerians in four key ways:

Active visa revocations

The US is continuously tracking active visa holders. Multi-year visas can be cancelled remotely at any time if past travel or records show policy violations.

Crackdown on birth tourism

Traveling on a tourist visa primarily to give birth is a violation. Unapproved birth travel, unpaid US medical bills, or concealing pregnancy intent can lead to immediate visa cancellation and permanent travel bans.

Intense border and interview scrutiny

Pregnant travelers face strict questioning about financial self-sufficiency and travel motives. Misrepresenting intentions on visa forms guarantees a fraud charge and entry refusal.

Low tolerance for infractions

The threshold for cancellation is lower as minor legal issues, unresolved financial disputes, or application discrepancies now trigger swift visa revocations.

Department officials countered that foreign national privileges remain conditional, citing foreign policy grounds and public safety mandates for their actions.

US federal authorities have increasingly cited foreign policy and national security considerations to justify deportations and visa cancellations.

They also maintain that continuous vetting will remain a permanent mechanism for foreign oversight, signaling that they will continue using local investigations such as birth tourism probe to identify and invalidate visas before policy abuses occur.

The European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS has confirmed that it will deploy an Electoral Expert Mission (EEM) for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, dismissing reports that it had rejected an invitation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to observe the polls.

The EU said the reports, which circulated on Monday, inaccurately claimed that the bloc had declined INEC’s invitation because of the worsening security situation in Nigeria and alleged hostile treatment of its observers and officials following the release of its final report on the 2023 general elections.

In a statement issued in Abuja by Gautier Mignot, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, the delegation said it was ‘surprised’ by the reports, describing the alleged reasons attributed to the EU as speculation.

The delegation clarified that INEC formally invited the EU to deploy observers for the 2027 elections in a letter dated April 17, 2026.

According to the EU, it responded to the invitation on July 28, 2026, thanking the electoral commission and informing it that the bloc would deploy an Electoral Expert Mission comprising between two and four independent experts.

The experts, it said, would be formally accredited as observers by INEC.

The EU explained that an Electoral Expert Mission, like a conventional Electoral Observation Mission, assesses whether an electoral process is conducted in accordance with international, regional and national obligations and commitments on democratic elections to which the country is a signatory.

The mission will also produce a final report containing recommendations on how Nigeria can improve its electoral framework and future electoral processes.

The EU said the report would be shared with the Nigerian government and could subsequently be made available to the wider public if the government agreed to its release.

‘The EU Delegation confirms that it received a formal invitation (not a request) from the INEC, dated 17 April 2026, to deploy observers for the 2027 General Elections.

‘In its response dated 28 July 2026, this Delegation thanked the INEC for its kind invitation and informed that the EU will field an Electoral Expert Mission (EEM), composed of two to four independent experts, who will formally be accredited as observers with the INEC’, Mignot said.

The EU Ambassador specifically rejected reports that the bloc had cited Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation and alleged hostility towards its officials after the 2023 election report as reasons for declining an invitation.

Mignot said neither of the alleged reasons appeared in the EU’s July 28 response to INEC.

‘The EU Delegation further underlines that the two alleged reasons mentioned in the press reports do not appear in the letter: these are pure speculations,’ he said.

He explained that the EU makes annual decisions on electoral missions to partner countries that invite it to observe elections, with the nature and scale of each mission determined by the circumstances in the individual country and the resources available.

‘It is on this basis that the decision to conduct an EEM in Nigeria has been taken and will be further consulted with the relevant Nigerian authorities for its implementation,’ the statement said.

The EU’s clarification comes as preparations intensify for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with electoral stakeholders expected to step up consultations on the conduct, monitoring and credibility of the polls.

The delegation also stressed that its decision to deploy a smaller Electoral Expert Mission should not be interpreted as a withdrawal of EU support for Nigeria’s democratic and electoral processes.

According to Mignot, the decision would not affect the continued implementation of the EU-funded Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria project.

The project, he said, would continue, including its component focused on supporting Nigeria’s electoral process.

The EU has historically deployed election observation missions to Nigeria, including during the 2023 general elections, with its assessments and recommendations attracting significant attention from political parties, civil society organisations and electoral stakeholders.

The EU said the EEM would assess the electoral process against Nigeria’s obligations and commitments while providing recommendations aimed at strengthening future elections.

The delegation also appealed to Nigerian media organisations to verify reports concerning EU positions directly with its press and communication office before publication.

Mignot said the clarification was necessary to prevent inaccurate information about the bloc’s position on Nigeria’s 2027 elections from gaining traction.

‘The EU Delegation respectfully reminds members of the esteemed media community that, to avoid issuing such misleading information about positions or statements of the EU, they can simply check their accuracy with the press and communication office of the EU Delegation,’ he said.

The mission’s implementation, according to the EU, will be subject to further consultations with the relevant Nigerian authorities.

Avon Healthcare Limited, a Nigerian health management organisation, has partnered with the Lagos Food Bank Initiative (LFBI) to provide nutrition support, health screening and maternal health education to vulnerable pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

The intervention, held as part of activities marking World Breastfeeding Week 2026, was delivered through LFBI’s Nutritious Meal Plan Intervention for Vulnerable Mothers and Children.

Participating mothers received health checks, nutrition counselling and guidance on balanced diets, breastfeeding, hydration, and other practices aimed at supporting maternal and child health. The beneficiaries also received nutritious food packages and essential care items.

Breastfeeding mothers require additional energy, protein and essential micronutrients to support milk production, recover from childbirth and maintain their own health. Poor maternal nutrition can undermine a mother’s wellbeing and her ability to care for her infant, making access to adequate nutrition an important component of maternal and child health.

‘At Avon HMO, we believe every child deserves the healthiest possible start in life, and that begins with supporting the mother,’ said Zainab Olagunju, public relations officer at Avon Healthcare.

‘Through this partnership with the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, we are extending healthcare beyond the hospital by providing women with the knowledge, nutritional support, and preventive care they need to make healthier decisions for themselves and their families.’

Maume Agbaosi, fundraising senior officer at LFBI, said the partnership would help vulnerable mothers access both nutritious food and credible health information.

The collaboration forms part of Avon HMO’s broader focus on preventive healthcare and community-based interventions, according to the company.