Category: Business Day

Nigeria’s cassava processing offers a compelling investment opportunity, but many small and medium-sized processors are struggling to raise capital to build or scale operations.

Weak investment readiness is the main barrier, according to findings from the Nigeria Cassava Investment Accelerator. In engagements with commercial banks, development finance institutions and impact investors, the Nigeria Cassava Investment Accelerator (NCIA) said processors often fail to provide evidence that their businesses can support the financing they seek.

The gap shows up in four areas: market feasibility, commercial viability, operational capacity and financial health. It is compounded by incomplete business plans and unaudited accounts.

To address the issue, NCIA outlines how processors can close the gaps to meet investor requirements. In no particular order, they are:

Market feasibility

The first step is establishing a viable market opportunity, anchored in verifiable evidence on market size, growth, substitutes and product competitiveness.

This analysis should be undertaken at the derivative level, as HQCF, starch, ethanol and other cassava products each have distinct buyers, pricing dynamics and commercial economics. Competitiveness against substitutes must be shown on price and quality together.

NCIA engagements with off-takers suggest price alone rarely wins the switch; what converts a buyer is consistent quality, demonstrated by securing the off-taker’s specifications and validating the product through trials.

Commercial feasibility

Two of the most common constraints to closing cassava deals sit on the commercial side: unsecured demand and unreliable feedstock. On demand, funders look for commercial commitments covering a substantial share of output.

According to NCIA, learnings from engagements with equity investors and lenders, commitments above 60 percent of planned production, with defined volumes, specifications and terms, give confidence that projected revenue rests on identifiable customers, while a single buyer accounting for more than 30-40 percent of sales leaves the business materially exposed if that relationship is delayed or lost.

On the supply side, feedstock reliability is key as cassava has high perishability (48-72 hours post-harvest, FAO). Thus, commercial lenders place significant weight on structured sourcing, typically expecting a processor to produce around 40 percent of its own feedstock, with the balance secured through outgrowers or aggregators rather than the spot market.

Operational feasibility

Funders discount a processor that cannot demonstrate capability to execute. A credible operating model has its critical technical functions already in place, staffed by experienced production, quality, maintenance and feedstock personnel with demonstrated cassava expertise.

Product scope also informs how funders read the operational risk: greenfield projects, which they approach more cautiously, are better served launching with one or two core derivatives before expanding into more technically complex lines.

Consistent quality must be underwritten by proper standardisation, permits secured or well advanced, and standards such as SON, NAFDAC, HACCP and ISO 22000, where relevant, embedded through documented quality systems, testing protocols and standard operating procedures.

Financial health

The final barrier is financial credibility, and it is where readiness gaps show most plainly: many processors approach funders without audited financial statements or the records needed to assess performance.

Demonstrating readiness starts with providing credible financial documents including financial models, before focusing on attractive returns.

NCIA engagements with development finance institutions also reveals that meaningful sponsor equity is important, as it signals commitment and cushions early setbacks.

Where a greenfield project has no historical performance to show, projections should be evidenced through feasibility studies, supplier quotations, pilot results and comparable operating benchmarks.

Investment readiness is the financing barrier that sits within a processor’s control and closing that gap is achievable.

The evidence across these four areas comes together in a single instrument: a credible, evidence-backed business plan that shows the market can absorb the output, that demand and feedstock are secured, that operations can deliver, and that the economics hold.

Processors who demonstrate this level of readiness are better placed to meet investor expectations and secure the capital they need to grow.

The federal government and digital platform MyCityApp on Monday launched a 100-day tourism campaign aimed at turning Nigeria’s annual festive-season boom into a $100bn economic opportunity.

Tagged ‘Ember to Remember’, the campaign will run from September to December across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The initiative brings festivals, concerts, cultural events, food fairs, fashion shows, hospitality, and destination experiences into a single national tourism calendar.

National Strategy Aligns Creative Industry with Growth Goals

The initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s broader $1tn economy ambition, with the federal government targeting more than 2 million jobs in the creative and tourism industries.

Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Minister Hannatu Musawa told delegates at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja that Nigeria could no longer afford to treat tourism as merely a December entertainment season.

‘Nigeria is much bigger than December alone,’ Musawa said. She noted that tourism spending generates income for airlines, hotels, restaurants, transport operators, retailers, banks, telecommunications companies, event organisers, and local communities.

Data Infrastructure and Capital Assets Set for Upgrade

Beyond promotion, Musawa said the government was working to close Nigeria’s tourism data gap.

The ministry is collaborating with the National Bureau of Statistics to measure spending generated by tourism activities, while its D30 Data Platform is expected to strengthen data collection across the sector.

The federal government’s wider tourism agenda includes the rehabilitation of Obudu Resort and Yankari Game Reserve, the development of Abuja Creative City, and plans to install 5,000 cinema screens nationwide.

Private Sector Alignment Drives National Calendar Launch

The ministry is working with the National Council for Arts and Culture to align the campaign with its Niger Season, aimed at creating a year-round national tourism calendar. Musawa acknowledged support from MTN Nigeria and Providus Bank while calling for stronger private sector investment.

Musawa stressed that the success of the campaign would be measured by visitors attracted, hotel rooms occupied, jobs created, businesses supported, community incomes generated, and investments unlocked.

MyCityApp Chief Executive Officer Ifeoma Mbonu said the organisation would provide the digital platform for the campaign, allowing domestic citizens, members of the diaspora, and international visitors to discover events across the country from September to December.

Mbonu listed festivals, concerts, culture, food, fashion, nightlife, homecomings, carnivals, and destination experiences among the core activities driving the festive period. The Ember to Remember National Stakeholders Conference, scheduled for September 14, 2026, in Lagos, will unveil the national tourism calendar to aggregate activities for operators and tourists.

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that the leadership of the party is currently studying the results of the just-concluded governorship election in each of the 332 wards across the state with a view to exploring further the allowed constitutional window of opportunity in this regard.

The party, in a statement made available to journalists on Monday in Osogbo by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, said, ‘We are not unaware of the fact that an election is a process which begins at the registration of the voters through the primary election to the election proper which extends to the Tribunal, the Appeal Court and terminates at the Supreme Court.’

According to him, ‘an election cannot be said to have been concluded without having explored all these constitutionally allowed legal opportunities to correct anomalies observed in the process of the election as enshrined in the Electoral Act 2026 as amended.’

Olabisi said further, ‘We commend the steadfastness, sagacity and loyalty of the numerous members and supporters of our party for their contributions in getting to this juncture in the political history of the state.

‘We make it bold to state categorically that as a progressive party which is founded on the unalloyed principle of the rule of law, fairness and justice, we shall not hesitate without further delay to explore the window allowed by the extant Electoral Act after the due consultation with the team of our lawyers based on their professional advice.

‘The new development is a beauty of democracy with reference to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s declared governorship election results in the state, which would not propel us to deviate from embracing the culture of the rule of law.

‘As a result of the foregoing, we are imploring our ever loyal members and supporters to remain cool and calm while they carry on with their businesses and refuse to respond to any provocative action or inaction from any of the members of the ruling party across the state.

‘It is necessary to assure our members and supporters not to despair about the current situation and have it in mind that it is not over until it is over.

‘While we are appealing to the Nigeria Police Force to come to the aid and rescue of our members and supporters who are being needlessly molested by the ruling party, we are assuring them that we won’t have any cause or reason to abandon them.

‘The current situation in the political history of the state is a passing phase which will soon become part of history as justice shall be done accordingly.’

Introduction

Music has always been more than organised sound; it is a vessel of memory, identity, emotion, and shared human experience. Across generations, it has carried humanity’s hopes, fears, triumphs, and spiritual longings. Yet in this digital epoch-defined by rapid technological acceleration and global connectivity-the making of music has undergone a profound transformation. No longer confined to instruments or traditional studios, music now emerges from a fusion of technology, digital communities, and emotional engagement. In this new landscape, the essence of music extends beyond performance: it resides in what is felt, how it resonates, and the meaning it creates across interconnected global ecosystems.

The digital reordering of musical creation

For centuries, musical creation was shaped by geography, privilege, and access. A gifted composer in a remote village might never reach a global audience. A talented singer without the backing of a powerful label might remain unheard. Instruments, studios, and distribution channels were once the gatekeepers of musical destiny.

The digital revolution has dismantled these barriers with remarkable force. A young creator armed with a laptop, smartphone, and internet connection can now compose, edit, refine, distribute, and promote music to millions. Digital audio workstations, cloud-based collaboration tools, and streaming platforms have democratised creativity. The studio is no longer a physical room; it is a digital space accessible to anyone with imagination and determination.

This democratisation has expanded creative horizons. Producers can layer hundreds of sonic textures, simulate orchestras through software, and manipulate sound with precision unimaginable in previous eras. Artificial intelligence-once a distant concept-is now a creative partner. AI systems can assist with composition, mastering, sound design, and personalised listener recommendations. Machine learning can analyse patterns across genres, helping creators discover new structures and styles.

These tools do not replace human creativity; they amplify it. They allow artists to spend more time expressing emotion, refining ideas, and exploring new sonic territories. Technology has become a creative companion, not a competitor.

The emotional architecture of music

Despite technological sophistication, the enduring power of music remains rooted in emotion. Neuroscientific research consistently shows that music activates regions of the brain associated with memory, reward, empathy, and social bonding. A familiar tune can transport an individual back decades. A worship hymn can ignite spiritual fervour. A national anthem can unify millions in shared identity.

Music’s emotional potency has become even more vital in an age marked by stress, uncertainty, digital fatigue, and social fragmentation. Around the world, individuals increasingly turn to music as a coping mechanism for anxiety, loneliness, grief, and emotional exhaustion. During global crises, virtual concerts, curated playlists, worship recordings, and digital choirs became sanctuaries of comfort and resilience.

Music provides an emotional language where words often fail. It becomes a refuge, a companion, and a healer.

Music as therapy and restoration

The field of music therapy offers compelling evidence of music’s healing power. Healthcare professionals employ music-based interventions to support patients experiencing trauma, depression, neurological disorders, and cognitive decline. Research shows that music can regulate mood, reduce stress responses, improve communication, and enhance overall wellbeing.

In dementia care, familiar songs often unlock memories and emotional recognition even when verbal communication becomes difficult. For individuals recovering from emotional wounds, music becomes a bridge between pain and healing.

The digital age has amplified access to these therapeutic benefits. Streaming platforms place millions of songs within immediate reach. Wellness applications, guided meditation soundscapes, and therapeutic playlists are available to diverse audiences regardless of location. People curate personal soundtracks for concentration, relaxation, prayer, exercise, and recovery.

Music has become a tool for emotional self-management-an accessible form of daily therapy.

Music as social glue in a fragmented world

Music continues to unite people across cultural, ethnic, and generational boundaries. Digital platforms have created unprecedented opportunities for collaboration and cultural exchange. Artists from different continents can produce songs together without ever meeting physically. Listeners can explore diverse traditions through a single device.

This interconnected musical ecosystem strengthens global cultural dialogue and fosters appreciation of diversity.

Social media has further reshaped the relationship between artists and audiences. Music is no longer a one-directional broadcast. Fans remix content, create dance challenges, share interpretations, and contribute to the viral success of songs. Communities now co-create meaning, shaping the cultural and emotional impact of music.

Audiences have evolved from passive consumers into active participants.

The challenges of digital abundance

Yet the digital transformation of music is not without challenges. The sheer abundance of content can overwhelm creators and listeners alike. Algorithms increasingly influence discovery and consumption patterns. Musicians may feel pressured to prioritise visibility, virality, and engagement metrics over authenticity.

There is also concern that excessive reliance on automated systems could encourage formulaic production. These challenges remind us that technology must remain a servant of creativity, not its master.

Authenticity therefore becomes a critical value. Regardless of technological sophistication, audiences respond most strongly to music that communicates genuine human experience. The songs that endure are those rooted in truth, vulnerability, and emotional honesty.

Music and faith communities

For faith communities, music occupies a sacred space. Worship music has long served as a vehicle for spiritual reflection, communal identity, encouragement, and transformation. In the digital era, congregations can access worship resources from around the world. Live-streamed services, digital choirs, and online worship gatherings extend spiritual participation beyond physical buildings.

Music continues to nurture faith, strengthen devotion, and connect dispersed communities through shared spiritual experience.

Educating the next generation

Young people are particularly shaped by the convergence of music, technology, and digital culture. Educational institutions therefore have a responsibility to integrate digital literacy, musical creativity, and emotional intelligence. Teaching students how music influences cognition, behaviour, and wellbeing can support healthier relationships with technology and culture.

Music education must evolve to reflect the realities of the digital age.

The future: Immersive, intelligent, and human

Looking ahead, the future of music will be increasingly immersive. Virtual reality, augmented reality, spatial audio, and intelligent creative systems are already redefining musical experiences. Audiences may soon participate in interactive performances that adapt in real time to emotional responses.

Yet even within these advanced environments, the essence of music will remain fundamentally human. Technology may shape the experience, but emotion will define its meaning.

The call to society

Ultimately, the making of music in the digital age extends far beyond technical performance. It encompasses emotional expression, social connection, cultural exchange, psychological well-being, and spiritual enrichment. The most important question is not merely what instrument is played, but what experience is created, what emotion is communicated, and what healing is inspired.

As society advances deeper into the digital era, musicians, educators, technologists, policymakers, faith leaders, and listeners must recognise this broader significance. When technology amplifies human creativity, when communities use music to strengthen social bonds, and when individuals employ music as a pathway to emotional healing, society benefits immensely.

The making of music is therefore not only about what you play. It is about what you feel, what you share, and what you help others become.

Conclusion

The digital age has expanded music into a multidimensional force that heals, connects, and inspires. Technology may accelerate production and broaden access, but emotion remains the essence of musical impact. As artificial intelligence and immersive platforms evolve, authenticity and human experience will continue to define the music that endures. Ultimately, the making of music is not only about what is played; it is about what is communicated, shared, and transformed in the lives of listeners. In embracing this broader vision, society strengthens creativity, emotional well-being, and collective connection.

At night, when traffic thins and the streets become quieter, some parts of Lagos acquire a different set of workers.

They move through refuse dumps, construction sites, railway corridors and major roads, searching for anything that can be sold as scrap metal. A discarded nail is worth picking. A piece of iron is worth carrying. A section of railing, a manhole cover, a cable or a metal reinforcement buried inside concrete can become a source of income.

From scavenging to vandalism

For some young people living on the margins of Nigeria’s expanding cities, scrap metal collection provides a source of income. But the line between scavenging and vandalism has increasingly become blurred.

Public infrastructure has become an attractive target because its metal components can be sold quickly.

Railway infrastructure has been particularly vulnerable. In March 2026, the Nigerian Railway Corporation arrested a suspected track vandal in Lagos after he was allegedly found with 15 pandrol clips and iron fasteners believed to have been removed from the railway corridor at Alagomeji.

The NRC warned that removing such components could compromise track stability and increase the risk of derailment.

In April, the Nigeria Police Force announced the arrest of two suspects in Nasarawa State and the recovery of about 60 tonnes of vandalised railway tracks and sleepers, valued at more than N400 million.

In July, three suspected members of a railway vandalism syndicate were arrested in Oyo State, with stolen rail tracks estimated at about N200 million recovered.

These cases point to an organised market rather than isolated acts of opportunistic theft.

Lagos feels the pressure

The problem is particularly visible in Lagos, where rapid urbanisation has placed enormous pressure on infrastructure.

The state government recently arrested suspects allegedly chipping away concrete from the newly constructed Festac-Alakija Bridge to steal iron rods, steel reinforcements and cables.

At Kosofe Bus Stop around Mile 12, thieves were also arrested after allegedly removing structural iron components from concrete road barriers.

Along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, newly established Coastal Highway Guards have arrested suspected thieves allegedly cutting sections of the road’s clear-view fence and barbed wires.

The attacks are happening even as governments spend billions of naira constructing new roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure.

For every damaged structure, the government must spend again on repairs or replacement. That means vandalism deepens the infrastructure deficit it is already costing the government to address.

When the streets become dangerous

The consequences are not limited to government budgets.

A missing manhole cover can become a death trap, particularly during heavy rainfall when floodwater hides the opening.

Damaged road barriers and missing railings increase risks for motorists and pedestrians, while vandalised railway components can threaten the safety of passengers.

The problem is therefore not simply about stolen property. It is a public safety issue. It also contributes to the proliferation of informal settlements.

Along major highways in Lagos, shanties and makeshift structures have become increasingly common. During a recent enforcement exercise along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, environmental officials uncovered a makeshift clinic operating from a roadside shanty around Barracks Bus Stop, with a patient reportedly receiving treatment there.

The discovery demonstrates how informal activities can become entrenched when public spaces are poorly controlled.

The touting economy

Street miscreants are also increasingly associated with harassment and extortion.

Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos State deputy governor, recently described the practice of individuals stopping luxury vehicles along the Lekki-Epe Expressway as criminal.

‘That is criminal and therefore, we will not allow it. We will take a lot of them off the streets,’ he said during an appearance on Nigerian Info.

Hamzat said surveillance cameras along the road had helped security agencies identify suspects and that some had already been arrested.

The controversy intensified after a video circulated on X showing street urchins and touts allegedly harassing celebrities for money.

Tokunbo Wahab, Lagos commissioner for Environment, said the state had repeatedly dislodged such groups but argued that public patronage was helping them return.

‘The State Government has consistently apprehended and dislodged these street urchins from various locations across the state,’ Wahab said.

He added that financial support from ‘some influencers, celebrities, and members of the public’ could encourage the groups to view the activity as a livelihood.

Poverty or a breakdown of control?

Poverty and unemployment are often cited as major drivers of street crime and scavenging.

Nigeria’s major cities attract young people from across the country looking for jobs and opportunities. Many arrive without stable accommodation or employment and are absorbed into informal economic networks.

Some observers argue that Lagos, as the country’s commercial hub, is carrying a disproportionate burden created by population movement from other states.

But poverty alone does not explain infrastructure vandalism. The existence of buyers for stolen materials is equally important.

A vandal can only profit if somebody is willing to purchase the stolen metal. This makes scrap dealers, middlemen and transporters an important part of the enforcement chain.

Arresting the person caught removing a railway component may not solve the problem if the market waiting for the stolen material remains intact.

Punishment versus rehabilitation

There are growing calls for a combination of enforcement and rehabilitation.

An X user, Uche Rochas, recently suggested that Lagos establish a large correctional rehabilitation centre where offenders could receive vocational training and engage in farming while serving their sentences.

He also called for continuous monitoring and regular reshuffling of law enforcement personnel to reduce compromise.

Wahab, however, pushed back against the suggestion, arguing that Lagos could end up bearing the cost of problems originating elsewhere.

‘Do well to propose this to other state governors so they can fund it, as we would most likely be inheriting their problems. Thank you!’ he said.

The exchange captures one of the central difficulties in tackling street crime in Lagos: the state must enforce its laws while managing a population that is constantly expanding through migration.

Protecting what Nigeria builds

Nigeria’s infrastructure challenge is usually discussed in terms of what the country needs to build. Increasingly, attention must also be paid to what it needs to protect.

Government can construct more roads, bridges and railway lines, but if their components are routinely stolen, the country will continue spending money replacing what it has already paid for.

A comprehensive response would require stronger surveillance of vulnerable infrastructure, faster prosecution of offenders, tighter controls around the scrap-metal trade and intelligence-led operations targeting buyers and middlemen.

Employment and vocational programmes also have a role, particularly for young people who depend on informal scavenging for survival. But rehabilitation cannot replace enforcement.

The government must make it clear that stealing a manhole cover, railway component or bridge reinforcement is not petty theft. It can endanger lives and impose additional costs on millions of Nigerians.

Nigeria is already struggling to close its infrastructure gap. Allowing vandals to dismantle what has been built risks turning that deficit into a permanent cycle: build, vandalise, repair and build again.

Ashoka Africa has hosted its pilot programme, the Educator Innovation Showcase 2026.

It said it was in its determination to inspire public school teachers in Lagos State to develop scalable ideas that can transform their classrooms and surrounding communities,

According to the organisation, the initiative also aims to shift traditional educational paradigms by funding public school teachers who are actively instilling crucial ‘changemaking’ skills in their students.

The programme culminated in a dynamic pitch event where five finalist teachers presented evidence-backed initiatives to secure substantial implementation grants.

At the end of the pitch, Adeyanju Adeyoola, a teacher from Lagos State Model Junior College, Kankon, Badagry, emerged the first-place winner with the project BKind, an Anti-Bullying Game Initiative for Health, Well-being and Inclusion. He was awarded a cash prize of N3.5 million for the implementation of the project.

Felix Alabi, a teacher from Abule-Eko Community Junior Grammar School, emerged second for his project, the ClassSync Education Innovation (Mathematics Education/Peer Learning. He received a cash prize of N3 million, while Abraham Lawal, Lagos Progressive Junior Secondary School, came 3rd and received a cash prize of N2.5 million to implement his project, Student Leadership for Future of Work Student Agency and Future Skills.

Fourth place: Abiola Alabi, Aguda Junior Grammar School, Surulere, with the project Waste to Worth Environmental Sustainability and fifth-place finalist Aderinoye Temitope, a teacher in Reservation Junior Secondary School, Tolu Schools Complex, Ajegunle, Lagos, with the project Transforming Basic Science into Entrepreneurship: Empowering Students Through Petroleum Jelly and Liquid Soap Production. Student Agency and Future Skills also received

Three outstanding ideas from the broader pool of candidates also received consolation prizes and recognition.

Angelou Ezeilo, co-president of Ashoka Africa and CTEACH director, while speaking to journalists, said that the ultimate goal of the challenge was a fundamental mindset shift for both educators and youth.

Ezeilo noted that Ashoka previously hosted student-focused ‘pitch-a-thons,’ but shifted to empowering teachers after realising educators were bubbling with scalable ideas to change their classrooms and surrounding communities.

Olamide Christianah Adeboye, Project Lead, CTEACH Changemaker Teachers Challenge, while commenting on the multiplier effect of the initiative, said if one teacher is empowered, this can inspire hundreds of students.

Adeboye said that the programme moves beyond traditional academics to teach four core changemaking skills: conscious empathy, shared leadership, changemaking practice, and collaboration.

She noted that rather than applying temporary charitable fixes, Ashoka focuses on addressing root causes. The funded classroom projects reflect this ethos. Standout ideas included ‘Be Kind,’ an engaging anti-bullying game that fosters teamwork, and an innovative basic science curriculum that teaches students how to manufacture Vaseline, effectively bridging the gap between classroom theory and real-world entrepreneurial skills.

To ensure long-term impact, all funded ideas must be highly replicable and scalable. Winners will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ashoka Africa, requiring them to provide strict accountability reports detailing their budgeting, supply purchases, and classroom impact. Furthermore, successful teachers will be expected to train other educators both within and outside their schools to adopt these methodologies.

Looking ahead, Ashoka Africa plans to leverage the data gathered from this pilot to advocate for widespread policy changes. The organisation is actively engaging with the Ministry of Education and global funders with the ultimate ambition of integrating this changemaker framework directly into the national curriculum.

The challenge was specifically targeted at teachers from the six education districts in Lagos State, with a strategic focus on underserved public schools. Beginning with an initial pool of over one hundred applications, the programme narrowed the field down to 20 semifinalists. These educators were tasked with implementing their innovative ideas in their classrooms over four weeks to gather concrete, evidence-backed data proving their concepts worked before the final five were selected.

NNPC/Seplat Energy Joint Venture (JV) has conducted a graduation ceremony for its first cohort of teachers in Imo State under the Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP), equipping 127 teachers and education evaluators with digital skills, STEAM-focused teaching techniques/approaches and alternative income-generation skills to strengthen their professional development.

The maiden Imo State edition brought together teachers from communities across the State for an intensive training programme over a 3-month-period, designed to go beyond conventional classroom instruction.

Participants received practical training in digital learning, communications, entrepreneurship and skills development, with a focus on empowering them to apply the knowledge gained in their classrooms and communities.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Chioma Afe, Director of External Affairs and Social Performance, Seplat Energy PLC? represented by Esther Icha, the General Manager, Corporate Social Investment and Social Performance, said that the Joint Venture’s investment in education was driven by its belief that empowering teachers is one of the most effective ways to create lasting impact in communities.

She noted that the STEP programme had previously been implemented in Edo and Delta States, where more than 2,000 teachers had been trained and empowered, adding that the Imo edition marked the programme’s first intervention in the state.

According to Afe, the programme was deliberately designed to extend beyond conventional teaching skills by equipping teachers with digital competencies to integrate technology into teaching and learning, improve productivity and better prepare students for an increasingly digital world.

She also highlighted the programme’s focus on alternative sources of income, noting that economic empowerment could strengthen teachers’ financial resilience, encourage entrepreneurship and provide opportunities for additional income beyond their primary profession.

To the graduating teachers, Afe urged them to view their certificates not as the end of their journey, but as the beginning of a greater responsibility to apply their knowledge and share it with others.

‘Take the digital skills you have acquired into your classrooms, share your knowledge with fellow teachers, encourage your students to learn, explore and innovate,’ she said.

She challenged the teachers to become examples of responsible entrepreneurship and financial empowerment in their communities, stressing that the true measure of the programme would be the impact created after the graduation.

‘The true measure of this programme will be in the impact you create after today, the students you inspire, the colleagues you support and the communities you influence,’ Afe added.

Olanrewaju Igandan, Chief Upstream Investment Officer, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), who was represented by Chizoba Onyike, Subsurface Operations Advisor, NUIMS, said the graduation represented more than the completion of a teacher-training programme, describing it as an investment in the future of host communities.

He noted that teachers serve as critical channels through which knowledge and opportunity are transferred to younger generations.

‘Today is not just the graduation of trained teachers; it also means our impact in host communities. Because we very well know that if you educate the teachers, you empower the community,’ Igandan said.

He thanked the partners, facilitators, government representatives and other stakeholders who contributed to the success of the programme and wished the graduating teachers success in their future endeavours.

The Bank of Industry (BOI) Financing SPV Plc has successfully closed its series 1 N250bn fixed-rate bond after achieving full oversubscription within five working days. Issued under the bank’s $1bn multi-currency instruments programme, the landmark transaction was driven by significant demand from a broad range of local institutional investors.

Strong institutional anchors, such as the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and the International Finance Corporation, backed the issuance alongside pension fund administrators, commercial banks, and corporate entities. The outcome reflects expanding capacity within the domestic financial framework to convert institutional savings into patient, long-term capital.

Commenting on the results, Olasupo Olusi the BOI Managing Director noted that the response serves as a firm endorsement of the institution and the national financial market. He emphasised that the capital raised will be directed towards supporting industrial expansion, strengthening local value chains, and fostering job creation.

Olusi acknowledged executive intervention as a key catalyst, noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu granted specific incentives to stimulate investor participation. Additionally, an approved N100bn fund allocation will be utilised to blend pricing on the bond, effectively cushioning high prevailing interest rates for commercial borrowers and manufacturers.

This successful transaction signals a strategic pivot in the bank’s long-term capitalisation model. While BOI maintains an established footprint across international capital markets, this domestic offering establishes a repeatable mechanism for securing long-term local funding.

Proceeds from the issuance will expand BOI’s capacity to assist eligible enterprises operating in high-priority economic sectors. Though final allotment figures remain subject to regulatory approval, the competitive pricing and quality of participating investors confirm deep liquidity for robust domestic assets.

Language does more than describe reality. It shapes how we perceive it.

Every enduring discipline eventually develops its own vocabulary. Law has its language. Medicine has its language. Economics, engineering, diplomacy and computer science all possess conceptual vocabularies that enable practitioners to describe phenomena with greater precision than ordinary language permits.

Journalism is no exception.

Yet the vocabulary of journalism has largely remained rooted in the 20th century. We continue to speak of newsrooms, reporters, editors, publishers, news cycles and audiences-concepts that remain important but no longer fully capture the realities of a profession transformed by digital technology, artificial intelligence, data science and knowledge production.

If journalism itself is changing, then its language must also evolve.

Throughout this series, I have argued that the 21st-century newsroom should no longer be understood merely as a producer of news but as a knowledge-producing institution. That institutional transformation inevitably requires a corresponding conceptual transformation. New realities require new language.

A Note on the definition of the Sundiata Post Model

In Part 1 of this series, I defined the Sundiata Post Model as an institutional framework for media-based knowledge production. The development of the Model across the subsequent parts has, however, clarified its institutional character and conceptual architecture. I therefore refine that original definition here and assert the following as the canonical definition:

The Sundiata Post Model is an institutional model for media-based knowledge production in which an independent newsroom systematically integrates journalism, original research, conceptual innovation, and scholarly dissemination to produce original analytical constructs that contribute to public understanding, academic inquiry, and policy discourse within the global knowledge ecosystem. Its conceptual framework sets out the principles, structures, processes and mechanisms through which such a newsroom can become a knowledge-producing institution and sustain that capacity over time.

The Sundiata Post Model (SPM) therefore proposes not simply an institutional model but also a vocabulary through which its conceptual framework can be understood and communicated.

This vocabulary should not be viewed as rigid terminology imposed upon the profession. Language evolves through use rather than decree. Some concepts will prove useful. Others may be revised or replaced. Ultimately, the value of any terminology lies not in its novelty but in its capacity to illuminate reality more clearly.

What follows is therefore an emerging lexicon for 21st-century journalism. It gives language to the ideas developed throughout this series.

Knowledge-producing institution

Perhaps the central concept within the SPM is the Knowledge-Producing Institution.

Traditional media organisations produce journalism. A knowledge-producing institution produces journalism while simultaneously generating research, analytical frameworks, datasets, policy knowledge and institutional memory. It informs today’s public while contributing to tomorrow’s understanding.

This distinction represents the philosophical foundation upon which the entire model rests.

Dual engine architecture

The Dual Engine Architecture describes the internal structure through which journalism and knowledge production become mutually reinforcing.

The Media Operations Engine generates journalism, public engagement and commercial activity.

The Knowledge Operations Engine converts that journalistic activity into research, intellectual frameworks, datasets, publications and institutional knowledge.

Together they create a continuous cycle in which journalism enriches research and research strengthens journalism.

Media operations engine

The Media Operations Engine is the institution’s public-facing operational system.

It encompasses reporting, editing, verification, multimedia production, audience engagement, commercial publishing, conferences, public events and other activities through which the institution serves society while generating the resources necessary to sustain its mission.

Knowledge operations engine

The Knowledge Operations Engine is the institution’s intellectual infrastructure.

It conducts research, develops theories, constructs analytical frameworks, curates datasets, preserves institutional memory and maintains standards for methodology, research quality and knowledge governance. It transforms information into enduring knowledge.

Institutional intelligence cycle

The Institutional Intelligence Cycle describes the continuous movement of knowledge between journalism and research.

Reporting generates observations.

Observations generate questions.

Research transforms those questions into structured knowledge.

That knowledge subsequently enriches journalism, producing deeper reporting and more informed public discourse.

The cycle then begins again.

Knowledge therefore accumulates rather than disappears.

Institutional memory

Institutions do not become enduring simply because they survive. They become enduring because they remember.

Institutional Memory refers to the organised preservation of knowledge generated through journalism, research, governance and public engagement. It ensures that experience accumulates across generations rather than disappearing with personnel changes, the passing of news cycles or successive algorithmic transformations.

Knowledge stewardship

Creating knowledge is only the beginning.

Knowledge Stewardship concerns the responsibility to preserve, organise, govern and transmit that knowledge responsibly across generations.

It treats intellectual assets not as temporary outputs but as permanent institutional resources.

Knowledge governance

If knowledge is to become an institutional asset, it must also be governed.

Knowledge Governance refers to the principles, systems and standards through which institutions ensure methodological integrity, research quality, documentation, accessibility, preservation and responsible use of knowledge.

It provides order to institutional intelligence.

Realm of the long term

Every institution eventually reaches the point where immediate performance gives way to long-term stewardship.

The Realm of the Long Term describes that stage in institutional development.

Here, management shifts its attention from short-term success to enduring relevance.

Leadership becomes stewardship.

Growth becomes continuity.

Performance becomes permanence of purpose.

The seven pillars

The Seven Pillars constitute the institutional foundations upon which the Realm of the Long-Term rests: Financial Sustainability,

Human Capital and Leadership, Knowledge Stewardship, Governance, Innovation and Adaptation, Trust and Reputation

Mission Continuity; together they provide a practical philosophy for institutional endurance.

The logic of the long term

The Logic of the Long Term is the principle that enduring institutions are sustained not by isolated organisational strengths but by the interaction of mutually reinforcing capabilities. Within the SPM, it explains why the Seven Pillars operate as an integrated institutional system rather than as independent functions.

Institutional success

Within the SPM, institutional success extends beyond commercial performance. It encompasses four progressively deeper levels.

Operational Success measures present performance.

Institutional Success measures organisational endurance.

Civilisational Success measures the institution’s enduring contribution to society’s accumulated stock of knowledge.

Legacy measures Generational Influence-the extent to which an institution’s ideas, values, methods and contributions continue shaping future generations.

Success is therefore measured not only by what institutions produce, but ultimately by what continues because the institution existed.

The triple institutional architecture

The SPM is not only an institutional model. Its development has also generated an emerging institutional architecture through which its principles can be expressed in practice.

That architecture consists of three complementary institutions: Sundiata Post Media Ltd., the Sundiata Post Intelligence Unit (SPIU), and the Sundiata Post Foundation.

Sundiata Post Media Ltd. constitutes the media and public-information institution. Its primary function is journalism: reporting, investigation, verification, public engagement and the dissemination of knowledge to society. The Sundiata Post Intelligence Unit (SPIU) constitutes the research and knowledge institution. Its function extends beyond journalism into original research, conceptual innovation, analytical constructs, datasets, policy research and scholarly dissemination. The development of The Insecurity Triad, the Trinity of Sovereignty Decay (TSD) and the Decoupling Sovereignty Index (DSI) demonstrates the potential for this research function to generate original intellectual contributions rather than merely reproduce existing knowledge.

The Sundiata Post Foundation constitutes the social-impact and civic-engagement institution within the wider ecosystem.

Together, these institutions form a Triple Institutional Architecture:

Media-Knowledge-Social Impact

The three institutions are distinct in function but complementary in purpose. Their differentiated institutional roles create distinct but mutually reinforcing pathways for sustaining public value.

This architecture also extends the Dual Engine Architecture of the SPM beyond the internal structure of a newsroom. The Media Operations Engine and Knowledge Operations Engine remain the core internal mechanisms of the knowledge-producing institution, while the Triple Institutional Architecture shows how those functions can connect to a wider institutional ecosystem in which journalism, research and social impact reinforce one another.

The four original constructs developed through the Sundiata Post intellectual project provide an initial proof of concept for the knowledge-producing capacity underlying this architecture.

The Triad demonstrates the capacity to develop an original analytical lens. The TSD demonstrates theoretical innovation. The DSI represents an attempt to translate theory into an empirical measurement system. The SPM itself provides the institutional model through which such knowledge can be generated, preserved and disseminated.

The significance, therefore, lies not in the existence of four ideas or three institutions independently, but in their interaction.

The constructs demonstrate intellectual production. The institutions provide organisational embodiment.

The architecture connects knowledge production to public value.

Beyond journalism: Strategic management and organisational theory

The SPM sits at the intersection of journalism and media studies, organisational theory, and strategic management.

From journalism and media studies, it draws on the tradition of public service-a profession dedicated to informing society, strengthening democracy, and contributing to public understanding.

From organisational theory, it draws on the study of how institutions are designed, governed, sustained and renewed over time, emphasising organisational structure, institutional memory, culture, stewardship and long-term continuity.

From strategic management, it draws on the principles of institutional endurance-financial sustainability, governance, human capital development, innovation, knowledge stewardship and mission continuity.

These are not separate concerns. The SPM argues that journalism cannot fulfil its public purpose without institutional strength, and that institutional strength cannot be built without understanding journalism’s unique mission.

This interdisciplinary foundation is reflected throughout the Model-in its Dual Engine Architecture, its Seven Pillars, its measures of institutional success, and its proposed vocabulary. Each element integrates the concerns of both fields, offering a framework that is both mission-driven and institutionally grounded.

A living vocabulary

No vocabulary is ever complete.

The language proposed in this series should therefore be understood as a living intellectual framework rather than a finished dictionary. As journalism evolves, new concepts will emerge. Existing concepts will be refined. Some terms may disappear altogether while others become widely adopted. That is how intellectual traditions develop.

History reminds us that new ways of understanding the world often begin when someone gives language to a previously unnamed reality. Once that language gained acceptance, the underlying ideas became easier to understand, debate and improve.

The SPM aspires to make a similar contribution. Its value will not be determined by whether every term survives unchanged, but by whether this vocabulary helps journalists, scholars, media executives and researchers think more clearly about what the newsroom of the 21st century can become.

If that conversation continues beyond these pages-if these concepts are questioned, tested, adapted and applied-then the language will have served its purpose.

Because institutions are built with systems.

Ideas are built with language.

The future of journalism will require both.

Across these seven parts, I have defined the problem, formulated a new institutional model, proposed its architecture, articulated its guiding principles, developed measures of success, and finally given it its own vocabulary. Together, these elements give the SPM its internal coherence and completeness.

A philosophical triad of enduring influences

With humility, drawing on decades of experience at the forefront of the African media industry, a fellowship at the highest level of the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management (CIHRM), foundational membership in the Institute of Strategic Management Nigeria, and from my desk at Sundiata Post in Abuja, I release these ideas-the Sundiata Post Model-into the world. Their future is no longer mine to determine. If they endure, it will not be because I insisted upon their importance, but because others found them worth questioning, testing, adapting and building upon.

For many years, my life journey and the arc of my interdisciplinary thinking have been shaped by a philosophical triad of enduring influences. The first is Sigmund Freud’s insight that ‘immortality means being known by many anonymous people’-which, to me, revealed the possibility that ideas can outlive their creators and that the truest measure of intellectual work lies not in personal recognition but in the enduring life of ideas.

The second is Edward Said’s vision of the intellectual as one who engages society’s most pressing questions with independence, integrity, and moral courage.

The third is Antonio Gramsci’s conception of the organic intellectual, which helped me see journalism as far more than the reporting of events. It reframed journalism for me as an intellectual vocation-one that interprets reality, organises knowledge, frames public understanding, and contributes to society’s accumulated stock of learning.

Together, these three influences have shaped my conception of journalism not merely as a profession, but as an intellectual vocation and a means of creating knowledge that can outlive its creator.

If, through the development of four original constructs-The Insecurity Triad, the Trinity of Sovereignty Decay, the Decoupling Sovereignty Index, and now the Sundiata Post Model-I have made a meaningful contribution in that tradition, I am content to leave the judgment to history and to those who engage with these ideas in the years ahead.

This series is concluded.

Trust is sacred. Stay seasoned.

Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, has instituted a fresh N10 billion fundamental rights action against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged denial of access to his wife and son while in custody.

El-Rufai, in the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, alleged that the anti-corruption commission repeatedly prevented his wife, Aichatou Asabe, and his son, Abba El-Rufai, from visiting him at the ICPC detention facility.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026, was filed on August 13, 2026, through his counsel, Ubong Akpan.

The ICPC Chairman and the Attorney-General of the Federation were joined as the second and third defendants respectively.

In the suit, the former governor is seeking nine reliefs, including declarations that his fundamental rights guaranteed under Part IV of the 1999 Constitution remain enforceable despite his detention by the commission.

El-Rufai is also asking the court to declare that the alleged repeated denial of access to his family members, particularly where such access was required to enable them provide him with food, medication and other necessities, amounted to a violation of his constitutional rights.

He specifically relied on Sections 34 and 37 of the Constitution, dealing with the right to dignity of the human person and privacy and family life, respectively, as well as Articles 5 and 18 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The former governor further alleged that officers of the ICPC physically restrained and intimidated his wife and son during an incident on July 7.

He described the alleged action as an arbitrary interference with his spousal and filial relationships, arguing that the commission had no lawful basis for restricting his access to members of his immediate family.

El-Rufai is asking the court to declare that the respondents’ continued denial of family access without lawful authority was unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.

He is also seeking an order compelling the respondents to grant him ‘unhindered and reasonable access’ to his family members and legal representatives throughout the period of his detention, in line with an earlier order of the Federal High Court.

According to the former governor, the restriction had gone beyond a mere limitation on visitation, as it allegedly prevented his wife and son from supplying him with essential items, including food, medication and other personal necessities.

He alleged that the situation had subjected him to humiliation, emotional trauma, anxiety and psychological distress.

‘The respondents acted arbitrarily, unlawfully and in a manner inconsistent with Sections 34, 37 and 46 of the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,’ the former governor alleged.

He further contended that the alleged conduct of the ICPC constituted ‘an unjustifiable interference with the applicant’s dignity and family life’ and was therefore unconstitutional.

In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, Mohammed Shaba, El-Rufai’s Principal Secretary, said the former governor was being detained at the ICPC office in Abuja.

Shaba said the facts contained in the affidavit were supplied to him by El-Rufai’s wife, Asabe, on July 12.

He stated that Asabe had personally taken responsibility for providing her husband with food, clothing, medication and other personal necessities required for his comfort, health and general well-being while in custody.

According to the affidavit, Asabe had regularly visited El-Rufai before July 7 and had been able to deliver meals and other essential items to him without obstruction.

Shaba alleged that the situation changed after the July 7 incident, when access by the former governor’s family members was allegedly restricted.

He argued that the restriction was particularly significant because El-Rufai remained in custody while facing criminal proceedings and was entitled to retain the constitutional protections available to detainees and accused persons.

The affidavit also referred to an existing criminal case against El-Rufai, identified as FHC/KD/73C/2025, pending before the Federal High Court in Kaduna, in which the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the complainant.

Shaba recalled that Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Kaduna Division had, on April 1, ordered the ICPC to allow the defendants access to their counsel and personal physicians whenever they required their services.

He argued that the order underscored the principle that persons in detention should not be held incommunicado and that the conditions of their detention remained subject to judicial oversight.

‘Clearly, this order reflects the settled principle of law that detainees are not to be held incommunicado and that the ICPC is subject to judicial oversight regarding the conditions of detention,’ Shaba stated in the affidavit.

He further maintained that El-Rufai continued to enjoy his fundamental rights under the Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, including the right to humane treatment and reasonable access to members of his family.

The latest action therefore seeks not only monetary compensation but also specific judicial orders compelling the ICPC to restore family and legal access to the former governor while his detention continues.

The N10 billion action is the latest in a series of lawsuits filed by El-Rufai against the ICPC since the commission commenced investigations involving the former governor.

In February 2026, El-Rufai instituted a separate N1 billion fundamental rights suit against the anti-corruption agency over an alleged unlawful search of his Abuja residence.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, challenged the validity of a search warrant issued by a Chief Magistrate of the Federal Capital Territory Magistrates’ Court.

El-Rufai had alleged that the warrant was used by the authorities to raid his residence, arguing that the search violated his constitutional rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy.

Those rights are protected under Sections 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution.

The N1 billion suit was subsequently amended, with the former governor removing the magistrate who issued the warrant from the list of defendants.