Category: Daily Trust

Chairman of First HoldCo Plc, Femi Otedola, has revealed plans to increase his shareholding in the financial services group to more than 51%, saying majority ownership is essential to executing the reforms needed to transform the institution into a world-class banking franchise.

In an interview with Nairametrics, Otedola disclosed that he has invested more than N600 billion of his personal wealth in First HoldCo, describing the commitment as a reflection of his confidence in the group’s long-term prospects rather than market speculation.

‘I am sure that you can see from my antecedents that my investment threshold is always over and above 51 per cent,’ he said.

According to Otedola, firm shareholder control, while protecting minority investors, provides the support needed to implement difficult reforms and restructuring programmes that ultimately create value for all stakeholders.

The billionaire investor currently owns about 25.8% of First HoldCo and is its largest shareholder.

Just last week, he invested a fresh N222billion in the holding company which is a parent company of First Bank.

In the interview with the editorial team of Nairametrics, Otedola said his strategy mirrors the approach he adopted in previous investments, including Forte Oil Plc and Geregu Power Plc, where he gradually increased his ownership before successfully repositioning the businesses.

‘I am on the same trajectory with First HoldCo Plc,’ he said.

Otedola said he initially invested in the company because he recognised the strength of its franchise despite its legacy challenges.

According to him, the group’s extensive customer base of more than 30 million, nationwide branch network, deposit franchise and pan-African operations represented significant untapped value, even as governance failures and deteriorating asset quality had pushed the institution to the brink of regulatory intervention.

He described First HoldCo as ‘an institution on the brink’ before the Central Bank of Nigeria intervened in 2021, citing weak governance, mounting non-performing loans and a compromised capital position.

The businessman said the board embarked on an extensive turnaround programme that included cleaning up the balance sheet through a one-off N1.7 trillion impairment charge, strengthening governance, recapitalising the institution and improving risk management and credit controls.

According to him, the bank has impaired more than N3 trillion in bad loans over the past decade while reinforcing a stronger credit culture to support sustainable growth.

He noted that the transformation has begun to deliver measurable results, with the group reporting an 83.5% year-on-year increase in profit before tax to N653.4 billion in the first half of 2026 and return on average equity of 30.4%.

Otedola also dismissed suggestions that his investment in First HoldCo could follow the same exit path as some of his previous turnaround investments, describing the financial institution as a long-term generational commitment.

Unlike investments in the oil and gas and power sectors, he said First HoldCo’s 130-year history, systemic importance and role in financial intermediation make it fundamentally different.

‘First HoldCo is a long-term generational commitment unlike my previous involvements,’ he said.

On shareholder returns, Otedola reiterated the board’s ambition to achieve a dividend payout ratio of about 60%, while maintaining sufficient capital to support future growth.

He argued that stronger earnings, improved capital adequacy and disciplined capital allocation would enable the group to reward shareholders without compromising expansion plans across retail banking, digital infrastructure and its pan-African operations.

Otedola also maintained that Nigerian banking stocks remain undervalued compared with their African peers, despite delivering strong returns on equity, attributing the valuation discount to foreign exchange volatility, macroeconomic uncertainty and governance concerns.

He believes First HoldCo’s recent re-rating, which has seen the stock trade above book value, demonstrates that the market is beginning to recognise the institution’s intrinsic value following its turnaround.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has confirmed the release of Nigerian girls who were detained in Mauritius, saying they are on their way back to Nairobi.

The commission announced their release in a statement issued by its Digital Media Unit following public concern over a viral video showing the girls in detention.

The video, widely shared on social media, alleged that the girls had been held at Mauritius airport since 31 July, prompting calls for the Nigerian government to intervene.

‘Relief has come for families back home as the Nigerian girls previously detained in Mauritius have now been released and are on their way back to Nigeria,’ the statement on the NiDCOM Facebook page said.

‘The development follows days of diplomatic engagement between Nigerian authorities and officials in Mauritius. The girls were confirmed to have been safely released in Nairobi, Kenya, where arrangements were made for their onward journey to Nigeria,’ it said.

According to NiDCOM, its Chairman/CEO, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has been in close contact with the Nigerian Embassy, which formally took up the case with Mauritian authorities to ensure accountability and to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

I thought my part two on gas was my final word – until readers challenged me at the end to clarify one critical question: What is the level of infrastructural preparedness to receive gas for distribution to consumers? They demanded that I go beyond the grand visions of pipelines and hubs and examine whether Nigeria is actually ready to take delivery of the gas and get it to the people who need it. I, therefore, crave the indulgence of my readers to allow me to come back and finish the business as they require of me. This is that answer.

Nigeria sits on 210 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves – the largest in Africa and the ninth largest in the world. Yet, despite this abundance, the country has only about 2,500 kilometres of gas pipelines. Algeria, with a population nearly five times smaller, has 13,000 kilometres. France, with a population nearly four times smaller, operates 37,000 kilometres. This is not a resource problem. It is a distribution problem. The question that readers have rightly demanded I answer is this: even if the gas is produced, even if the AKK and OB3 pipelines are completed, is Nigeria’s infrastructure ready to receive that gas and distribute it to consumers across the 36 states? The answer, like most things in Nigeria, is complicated. There is progress – genuine, measurable progress. But there are also gaps so wide that they threaten to swallow the entire ambition of the Decade of Gas.

To understand just how inadequate 2,500 kilometres truly is, we must do the arithmetic. Nigeria’s population is approximately 220 million people. That gives us roughly 11.4 kilometres of gas pipeline for every one million Nigerians. Algeria, by contrast, with a population of about 45 million and 13,000 kilometres of pipeline, has 289 kilometres per million people – 25 times more pipeline coverage per capita than Nigeria. France, with 37,000 kilometres for 68 million people, has 544 kilometres per million people – nearly 48 times more. Even if we use the higher estimate of 7,000 kilometres sometimes cited by industry observers, that still gives Nigeria only 31.8 kilometres per million people – still less than one-eighth of Algeria’s per capita coverage. To match Algeria’s per capita pipeline coverage, Nigeria would need over 30,000 kilometres of pipelines – more than ten times our current network. The NNPC itself has acknowledged this, stating in its Gas Master Plan 2026 that the current network, ‘spanning over 2,500km, is a significant foundation but remains insufficient to meet the nation’s burgeoning industrial and power demands’.

The Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline is the single largest gas pipeline project in Nigeria’s history. Spanning 614 kilometres at a cost of $2.8 billion, it is designed to transport 3,500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day from Ajaokuta in Kogi State to Kano, traversing Abuja and Kaduna. By July 2026, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited reported that the pipeline had reached 98 per cent completion, with the main line laid from Ajaokuta to Kano. The River Niger crossing – a technically complex feat – was successfully completed in June 2025. But here is the catch. Six years after the project was flagged off in 2020, and despite multiple completion deadlines, the pipeline is yet to function. The NNPCL has said it is considering September 2026 for commissioning. Meanwhile, checks show that major gas stations and terminals to be constructed along the pipeline’s corridor are yet to start, with the exception of the Ajaokuta axis. The Gwagwalada station is projected to be completed within the next 12 to 16 months. In other words, the pipe is laid, but the off-take infrastructure that will actually deliver gas to consumers is not ready. The OB3 pipeline, which connects the Eastern gas network to the Western network, has also achieved its River Niger crossing. With a capacity of two billion standard cubic feet per day, it serves as a backbone linking the East to the West and extending connectivity to the North through the AKK. But the OB3 has been under construction for more than 13 years, and as of August 2025, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources was still describing it as ‘nearing completion’.

Pipelines are only half the story. Before gas can flow through pipes, it must be processed. Nigeria’s total installed gas processing capacity reached 17.2 billion standard cubic feet per day as of October 2025. But the average operating capacity was only 3.94 billion standard cubic feet per day, representing a utilisation rate of just 64.7 per cent. This gap between installed capacity and actual utilisation is a red flag. It means that even when the gas is available, the plants are not operating at full capacity. Nigeria currently commercialises only about 60 per cent of its total gas production, with the remaining volumes either reinjected for oil recovery or lost to routine flaring. Nigeria ranks as the 7th largest gas-flaring nation in the world. South Africa, by contrast, with no significant natural gas reserves of its own, has invested heavily in gas import infrastructure and distribution networks. If a country with no gas can build pipelines, why can a country with abundant gas not do the same?

If the pipelines and processing plants are the arteries of the gas economy, the distribution networks are the capillaries that deliver gas to the end consumer. And here, the picture is alarming. The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has raised concern over the country’s slow pace in developing compressed natural gas infrastructure, saying there are fewer than 50 compression stations across Nigeria. There are just 3,000 cooking gas refilling plants across the country. For a nation of over 200 million people, these numbers are woefully inadequate. By October 2025, the Presidential CNG Initiative had commissioned its 58th CNG refuelling station, extending the network to cover 28 of Nigeria’s 36 states. This is progress, but it is progress from a base so low that it barely registers. The government has announced plans for 500 CNG stations over the next three years, but even 500 stations for 200 million people is a ratio that would be considered inadequate in any serious industrial economy.

The North has been the biggest loser in Nigeria’s gas story. Over 90 per cent of domestic gas consumption takes place in the South. The AKK pipeline is supposed to change that. But the question remains: even when the pipeline is completed, will the North have the infrastructure to receive and distribute the gas? Ten gas distribution licences were issued in 2025, with licensed networks currently serving about 430 customers. But 430 customers is a drop in the ocean. The North has been promised gas for decades. The people of Kano, Kaduna, and Abuja have heard about the AKK pipeline for years. Until the gas actually flows, until the distribution stations are built, the North will remain an energy desert.

There is a direct link between gas infrastructure and national security. When a region has no power, no industry, and no jobs, the young men of that region have three choices: starve, migrate, or turn to crime. If the AKK pipeline is completed, it will supply gas to power plants in Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano, generating 3,600 megawatts of power. That power can run factories. Factories can employ thousands. Those thousands will not join bandit groups. Farmers can go to their fields without fear of kidnapping. Crime will decrease. This is not theory. It is cause and effect. The solution to Nigeria’s insecurity is not foreign weapons or mercenaries. It is not spurious excuses like ‘Christian genocide’ or any other diversionary narrative. These excuses are lies – designed to turn citizens against one another while the real culprits walk free. A young man who has not eaten in two days does not care about the religion of the person he robs. He cares about survival.

So, is Nigeria ready to receive and distribute its gas? The honest answer is: not yet. The pipelines are being built, but they are not finished. The processing plants exist, but they are not fully utilised. The distribution networks are expanding, but from a base that is embarrassingly low. With only 2,500 kilometres of pipeline for 220 million people – a mere 11.4 kilometres per million Nigerians – the gap is a chasm. This is not a counsel of despair. It is a call to urgency. Nigeria has made genuine progress, but progress is not the same as completion. The solution is not external. It is not in foreign aid or foreign intervention. It is in Nigerian pipelines, Nigerian gas, and Nigerian political will. The gas is already there, waiting to be delivered. The only question is whether Nigeria will deliver it – or whether, like so many other projects, it will be left to rust. The six geopolitical zones cannot wait. The North cannot wait. The youth cannot wait. Every day that the gas does not flow is a day that another young Nigerian picks up a gun or a laptop to steal. The gas is there. The technology is there. The investment is there. The only missing ingredient is governance. If Nigeria can get that right, the gas will flow. The factories will run. The jobs will come. The insecurity will recede. The final answer to my readers is this: Nigeria is not yet ready. But it can be. The question is whether we will choose to be ready – or whether we will continue to wait, as we have waited for decades, for a future that never arrives.

Air Peace has commenced flight operations on the Lagos-Conakry-Bamako route, as part of its regional expansion strategy and strengthening air connectivity across West Africa.

The inaugural flight departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Saturday, August 1, 2026, linking Nigeria’s commercial capital with Conakry, Guinea, and Bamako, Mali.

The airline said the new service is aimed at boosting trade, tourism, investment, cultural exchange and business travel while advancing its vision of connecting more African cities through a seamless route network.

Upon arrival at Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport in Conakry, the Air Peace delegation, led by Chief Commercial Officer, Nowel Ngala, and Director of Flight Operations, Captain Augustine Kamano, was received by Guinea’s Minister of Transport, Ousmane Gaoul Diallo, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Guinea, Umaru Kamfu, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority, Thiam Oumar Sekou, and members of the Nigerian community.

Speaking at the reception, Diallo described the new route as an important development that would strengthen bilateral relations between Nigeria and Guinea while facilitating greater movement of people, trade and economic opportunities.

The Director of Guinea’s Civil Aviation Authority, Thiam Oumar Sekou, also welcomed the airline, saying improved air connectivity would support aviation growth and regional integration across West Africa.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Guinea, Umaru Kamfu, commended Air Peace for expanding its African network, noting that the new service would provide more convenient travel options for Nigerians, Guineans and other regional travellers.

Ngala said the launch represents another step in Air Peace’s commitment to building a robust African route network.

According to him, the Conakry and Bamako services will enable passengers from the airline’s domestic destinations to connect through Lagos to regional and international destinations, including London and the Caribbean.

Following its stop in Conakry, the inaugural flight proceeded to Modibo Keita International Airport in Bamako, where the delegation was welcomed by officials of Assistance Aéroportuaire du Mali and members of the Nigerian community.

Deputy Director of Assistance Aéroportuaire du Mali, Abdrahamane Farota, said the new route would strengthen connectivity between Nigeria and Mali while creating additional opportunities for trade, tourism and economic cooperation.

Representing the Director General of Mali Airport, Technical Director Bahide Konandji described the service as a positive development for the country’s aviation sector and regional integration.

Members of the Nigerian community in Mali also welcomed the direct connection, saying it would improve travel convenience and strengthen ties between both countries.

With the addition of Conakry and Bamako, Air Peace now operates services to 13 regional destinations across West Africa, further expanding its footprint within 11 years of commencing commercial operations.

The airline said the expansion reinforces its commitment to positioning Lagos as a major aviation hub and improving connectivity across Africa and beyond.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) chapter, has disclosed that its members are yet to receive salary payment alerts despite the Ondo State Governor approval of a special intervention fund of over N1.1 billion to offset outstanding salary arrears owed to workers in the institution.

The union said the ongoing indefinite strike, which has grounded academic activities at the university since July 10, 2026, will not be suspended until lecturers and other affected workers receive payment notifications in their bank accounts.

Chairman of ASUU-AAUA, Comrade Bolu Oshodi, said the union had been informed that the state government released the intervention fund to the university, but the institution was still awaiting the credit of the funds into its account.

‘As we speak now, the latest information is that the government has released the money to the university, but then the university is still waiting for the money to drop into its account. They said the problem is with the bank, but as far as we are concerned, what our members are waiting for is the alert,’ Oshodi said.

The lecturers are currently owed three months’ salaries covering May, June and July, a development that triggered the industrial action.

Oshodi stressed that ASUU would not rely on assurances or promises, insisting that the strike would only be suspended after members confirm receipt of their outstanding salaries.

He, however, noted that the salary arrears dispute is only one aspect of the challenges facing the university, warning that another round of industrial action may be imminent over the Ondo State Government’s failure to implement the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU agreement on the new salary structure for university lecturers.

According to him, the agreement, which took effect in January 2026, has already been implemented in federal universities and several state-owned institutions, including Ekiti State University (EKSU), Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology (BOUESTI), Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), and Kwara State University (KWASU).

Oshodi lamented that lecturers in Ondo State-owned universities, including AAUA, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), and the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), have yet to benefit from the new salary package.

He also expressed concern over what he described as inadequate monthly subvention to the university, revealing that while the institution receives about N223 million monthly from the state government, its salary obligation stands at about N550 million.

‘The N223 million has never been enough for salaries alone. The salary bill is about N550 million. The university has consistently been forced to source additional funds to bridge the gap,’ he said.

The ASUU chairman appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to not only ensure prompt payment of the outstanding salaries but also implement the new salary structure and settle arrears dating back to January 2026.

‘It is more depressing and annoying that all the universities around us are already enjoying the new package. We are passionately appealing to the governor to do the needful. We are not asking for anything extraordinary; we are asking for what is due to us,’ Oshodi stated.

He disclosed that the AAUA chapter of ASUU has concluded internal consultations regarding a possible fresh strike over the non-implementation of the 2025 agreement and is awaiting approval from the union’s national leadership before taking further action.

A former Nigerian international squash player, Longdi Dasbak, on Monday has called for increased efforts to encourage girls to take up squash, saying female participation in the sport remains very low.

Dasbak made the call on Monday during the second edition of the Squash Premier League at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Package B, in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the week-long tournament, themed ‘Breeding the Next Generation of Champions,’ began on Monday and will end on Aug. 8.

Dasbak described the league as a positive initiative that would significantly contribute to grassroots development and the growth of squash in Nigeria.

‘I would say this is a very good development, especially for grassroots squash, because that is where every successful sport begins.

‘We want to develop young players who will take the game to the next level while making squash more popular across the country. This league is another important way of promoting the sport,’ she said.

She said that participation had increased considerably since the league was introduced in 2025, adding that the growing number of children taking part showed that awareness of the sport was improving.

‘The first edition did not attract this number of participants, but now you can see many more children taking part. That shows awareness is increasing, and I believe it is a very positive development,’ she said.

Dasbak, who participated as one of the instructors at the coaching and officiating clinic organised by the tournament, said it was her first time that she will be speaking at the event.

She said she established the Dasby’s Sports Development Association in Plateau to create opportunities for girls, particularly those from less privileged backgrounds, to participate in sports.

According to her, the association also runs Dasby’s Squash Academy, where boys and girls aged six years and above receive training, with special emphasis on encouraging female participation.

‘Female participation in squash is still very low, and we have very few women actively playing the sport. That inspired me to establish the foundation in Plateau State,’ she said.(NAN).

No fewer than 21 persons were feared dead, 37 others abducted, while thousands of residents fled their homes after heavily armed bandits launched an attack on Tsamaye community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The attack, which lasted from about 9:00 p.m. on Monday until after 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, also left two homes burnt, livestock stolen and the entire community deserted, witnesses told Daily Trust.

Residents said the attack also triggered another tragedy when scores of villagers attempted to escape across a river after receiving information that the bandits were approaching.

According to locals, the overloaded boats capsized, with about 25 people, mostly women and children, swept away by the water. While seven persons were rescued alive, 18 others are feared to have drowned, as families continued searching for their missing relatives.

One resident, who was preparing to flee from the village, told Daily Trust that the attackers themselves disclosed that they had abducted 37 people after relatives called the victims’ phones.

‘When we called our relatives, the bandits answered the phones and told us they were the ones who abducted them. They said they had taken 37 people,’ he said.

He explained that while some victims were seized inside the village, many others were captured in nearby farms where they had gone to sleep for fear of recurring attacks.

‘Because of the frequent attacks, many people no longer sleep in the village. They spend the night in farms and bushes to avoid being attacked. This time, the bandits searched through the farms, woke people up and took them away.

‘Most of those abducted were women and children. I personally saw three infants placed on the ground by the bandits while they led their mothers away.’

The resident lamented that despite informing security personnel about the invasion, no reinforcement arrived before the attackers completed their operation.

‘We excused them during the previous attack because the bandits had surrounded them and were firing at them. But this time, they were informed early enough, yet nobody came to rescue us.’

Another resident who fled to Sokoto metropolis in the early hours of Tuesday said their village had been completely dispersed and everyone ran for their lives.

‘We fled to Sokoto because we have never experienced terror like what happened on Wednesday night. About 40 of us escaped here, and everyone is now staying with relatives.’

A local vigilante member, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said the bandits first entered the village around 8:00 p.m., moving from house to house while forcing residents to identify wealthy households and locations where livestock were kept.

‘Some people managed to escape and alerted us. We informed the security operatives stationed in our village and asked them to support us so that we could confront the bandits, but they told us they did not have adequate equipment. We also contacted our traditional leader, but there was little he could do apart from sympathising with us.

‘When the gunfire intensified, we had no option but to hide.’

According to him, the security personnel urgently require Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to effectively respond to attacks across the difficult terrain.

He added that fewer than 20 residents now remain in the community after the attack, with over 100 vehicles transporting displaced villagers from yesterday evening to now.

‘From yesterday until today, nobody has eaten because of the trauma and panic caused by the attack,’ he said.

Residents also said the bandits razed two houses belonging to Lawwali Ta’u Mai Chaji and Hassan Hasken Halara, a vigilante member.

‘Our colleague was with us defending the village when his house was burnt. We only found ashes afterwards. We cannot even determine how many members of his family or livestock died in the fire because everything was reduced to ashes.’

Those confirmed killed during the attack, according to residents, include Kabiru Mallam Tanimu, Ayuba Mallam Hashim and Yakubu Mu’azu, while many others remain missing.

The attack has also forced residents from numerous surrounding settlements to flee. The affected communities include Borai, Tsululu, Garin Tudu, Bukka Hamsin, Turkawa, Rumbukawa, Dutsin Na Umma, Zangon Mu’azu, Arawa, Kuru, Zangon Mallam, Mai Hurde, Zugun, Gidan Na Birni, Mashaya, Marina and several others.

The displaced residents appealed to the federal and Sokoto State governments to urgently deploy additional security personnel and provide APCs to enable security operatives reclaim the area and allow displaced families to return home safely.

The Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government Area, Ayuba Hashimu, confirmed that the incidents occurred but said he could not independently verify the casualty figures.

‘The incidents indeed happened, but I was not there myself. Therefore, I have to verify the figures before I can confirm them,’ he said.

The spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, confirmed the attack, saying additional security personnel had been deployed to restore peace and prevent further attacks in the affected communities.

Daily Trust recalls that on Wednesday, bandits attacked Tsamaye community in the same local government area, killing eight residents, including three worshippers inside a mosque, highlighting the worsening insecurity in Sabon Birni Local Government Area.

Sabon Birni remains one of the worst-hit local government areas in Sokoto State and the wider North-West, where armed groups have continued to carry out deadly attacks, mass abductions and widespread displacement despite ongoing security operations.

Someone, somewhere, is pressing his palm against his chest right now after a meal. He tells himself it will pass. It usually does. So he eats the same way tomorrow and the next day. After a few years, he quietly accepts the burning as part of his life. He is not alone. Across the world, hundreds of millions do the same, reaching for antacids the same way others reach for paracetamol. They manage a condition they rarely name and almost never treat properly.

Chronic indigestion, known medically as functional dyspepsia, is not a fancy term for overeating. It is a persistent, recurring condition affecting the upper digestive tract. It is characterised by pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen, uncomfortable fullness after meals, early satiety, and sometimes nausea. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis published in Scientific Reports put the global prevalence in adults at approximately 8.4%. That translates to hundreds of millions of people. Yet functional dyspepsia remains underdiagnosed, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where symptoms tend to be blamed on stress, bad food, or spiritual causes rather than investigated properly.

Now, part of what makes this condition frustrating is that it does not always manifest the same way. For some people, it is a distressing, burning sensation in the middle upper abdomen, which shows up without an obvious cause. For others, it is a heaviness that starts before a meal is even done or a bloating that lingers for hours afterwards. Most people feel consistently uncomfortable in a way that is difficult to explain to a doctor, especially when the endoscopy comes back normal.

By definition, functional dyspepsia is diagnosed when structural abnormalities like active Helicobacter pylori infection or ulcers have been excluded. It is categorised as a disorder of gut-brain interaction. The brain amplifies signals from the gut in ways that produce real pain without any visible tissue damage. A scan does not detect any of that.

In Nigeria, the picture is complicated by one particularly striking fact. According to data cited by the World Gastroenterology Organization, Nigeria has the highest recorded prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection globally, at approximately 87.7% of the population. This is driven by poor sanitation, contaminated water, and overcrowded living conditions. The bacteria do not always produce symptoms, but when they do, they are clinically indistinguishable from functional dyspepsia without proper testing. In most Nigerian primary healthcare facilities, testing is simply not available. This means many people with a curable infection are instead handed antacids and sent home.

Diet matters too, though not in the way people assume. Traditional Nigerian ingredients are not the problem. The issue is habit. Eating quickly. Going long hours without food and then eating a very large meal in one sitting. Lying down within an hour of eating. Drinking heavily carbonated drinks with meals. All of these impose real mechanical and chemical stress on the stomach. So does the widespread, unguided use of ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs sold cheaply and without prescription across the country and taken routinely for pain and fever. Most people who take them do not know that they are a significant risk factor for upper gastrointestinal irritation.

Psychological stress is another factor that gets overlooked. The gut-brain axis is highly sensitive to anxiety and chronic mental strain. Research coordinated through the Rome Foundation, which sets international standards for diagnosing gut-brain disorders, has consistently shown that people with untreated psychological distress are significantly more likely to experience persistent digestive symptoms. In a context where mental health support carries stigma and is largely out of reach for most people, it creates a loop that is difficult to break without addressing both ends.

Now, none of this means chronic indigestion is entirely a systemic failure, though the system does fail people. The specialist shortage is real. Diagnostic equipment is scarce. Primary care is overstretched. However, functional dyspepsia is also, in a meaningful part, a lifestyle condition and a matter of personal choices. Eating smaller meals more frequently reduces the burden on the stomach. Chewing slowly gives digestive enzymes time to work before food reaches the stomach. Not eating within 2 to 3 hours before lying down reduces the incidence of acid reflux. Cutting back on alcohol and carbonated drinks removes common chemical irritants. None of this requires a prescription or a hospital visit.

The self-medication problem deserves particular attention. Many Nigerians take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), antacids, or H2 blockers daily for years without medical guidance, managing symptoms they have never properly investigated. Long-term unsupervised use of proton pump inhibitors carries real risks. The US Food and Drug Administration has issued formal warnings about low magnesium levels associated with prolonged use of PPIs, and there is growing evidence of links to intestinal infections, including Clostridium difficile. More fundamentally, suppressing symptoms without addressing their cause leaves treatable conditions untreated. Helicobacter pylori, which affects nearly 9 in 10 Nigerians, can be cured with a short course of antibiotics. However, many people are living with it without knowing it.

The truth is that knowing when to see a doctor is itself a form of personal responsibility. New indigestion in someone over 55, or symptoms that come with unintentional weight loss, difficulty swallowing, blood in vomit, or black, tarry stools, are red flags that need urgent medical attention. They may point to something far more serious. Nigeria has among the lower recorded incidence rates for gastric cancer in sub-Saharan Africa, but the disease exists here, and patients overwhelmingly present with advanced disease. The years of self-treatment that precede that presentation are not secondary to this outcome.

We will not solve the problem of chronic indigestion by building more endoscopy units alone, though we need them. We will not solve it by training more gastroenterologists alone, though we need them too. A large part of the solution lies in how we respond to our own bodies. This includes understanding that persistent discomfort is not a character test to be endured, making different choices at the dinner table and the chemist counter, and not letting pride stand between us and a clinic.

If you constantly press your palm to your chest after a meal, it is high time you looked for a lasting solution. The means to improve your situation exist, many of them free and many of them within your reach. You just have to listen to your stomach and act urgently on the message you get.

Ojenagbon, a health communication expert and certified management trainer, lives in Lagos.

An artificial intelligence (AI) expert and Chief Executive Officer of Investonaire UAE, El-Yakub Audu, has said wider adoption of AI could transform Nigeria’s estimated 39 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), boost productivity and strengthen the country’s economy.

Speaking on Business Daily on Trust TV, Audu said AI could improve productivity, deepen financial inclusion and help move more businesses from the informal to the formal sector if backed by the right infrastructure and policies.

‘The idea is that once AI is integrated into how we do business and run our economy, it can bring a lot of advantages to institutions, countries and private businesses,’ he said.

He said Nigeria had made progress in AI adoption but still required greater investment in broadband infrastructure, digital skills and regulations to maximise the technology’s benefits.

‘If Nigeria not only invests in the infrastructure and regulations that are needed but also cooperates with private sector players, I believe there’s a lot of room for growth in the economy, particularly transitioning people from the informal sector to the formal sector,’ he said.

Audu said MSMEs would benefit from AI through improved access to financial literacy, digital services and business support, adding that the technology would enable institutions to reach more businesses efficiently.

‘We have about 39 million MSMEs in Nigeria. If institutions like SMEDAN adopt AI, it allows them to reach more users and offer opportunities that help migrate businesses from the informal to the formal sector,’ he said.

He said AI should also be integrated into tertiary education to equip graduates with skills needed in an increasingly technology driven economy.

‘We have over 2.5 million people graduating from tertiary institutions every year in Nigeria. Being able to incorporate financial literacy training into their curriculum would help transition more people from the informal to the formal sector,’ he said.

On employment, Audu acknowledged concerns that AI could replace some jobs but said it would also create new opportunities for workers willing to acquire new skills.

‘There is one aspect that certain jobs will be lost because of the advent of AI, but at the same time there are lots of new jobs that will be created. People should upskill because AI is here to stay,’ he said.

Speaking on agriculture, he said AI would improve productivity through data driven decision making, precision farming and the use of drones to improve crop yields.

‘Knowing whether your soil will give you the kind of yield you want depends on data. AI, even with drones, can improve productivity, crop yields and food production,’ he said.

Audu also said AI could strengthen the financial sector through improved credit profiling, financial inclusion and fraud detection, but warned that it could also be exploited for cybercrime.

‘AI does not come without concerns. There are risks around scams and cyber attacks, so investment in cybersecurity and public awareness will remain important,’ he said.

On healthcare, he said AI could support faster and more accurate diagnosis by analysing large volumes of medical data, particularly in underserved communities.

He urged organisations to invest in staff training and capacity building, saying businesses that fail to adopt AI risk losing competitiveness.

‘If you want to remain competitive, the best thing you can do is learn about AI and integrate it into what you are doing to help you do it better,’ he said.

On 30th July, 2026, the Ministry of Defence convened the maiden South East Regional Security Summit in Umuahia, Abia State to explore and adopt various non-kinetic strategies in addressing the security concerns in the South East region. It was the first in the series lined up for all the geopolitical zones in the country. The decision to kickstart the campaign in the South East was strategic and borne out of the need to send a strong message to those behind the insecurity in the region that moving forward in the South East, it would be a regime of ‘Udo adawala n’ala Igbo’ (Peace is being restored in Igboland). These were my thoughts, and they came from a deep commitment to the security of lives and property in the South East.

We elected to start with the South East because it is a region that holds great prospects for the country, and also due to the fact that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is passionate and committed to entrenching sustainable peace and tranquillity in the region beyond the ongoing infrastructural projects. The need to ensure that the region remains peaceful for sustainable growth and development was not lost on us at the Ministry of Defence.

The theme of the summit was ‘Collaborative Approaches to Strengthening Regional Security and Stability.’ This was evocative and corroborated the maxim that ‘two heads are better than one’ and that winning the war against insecurity requires a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies. I was impressed with the attendance list, which ranged from traditional rulers, political administrators, clergy, unions, youth groups, security and intelligence operatives, teachers, students, artisans, and others, including veterans from the region.

I was impressed with the various presentations at the summit. I identified an uncommon commitment from the audience. The conversations centred around the way forward. The summit also afforded me the opportunity to have a first-hand understanding of the dynamics at play in the region regarding security challenges. As the Minister of Defence, it indeed placed me on a pedestal of greater understanding that will shape future defence policies in the country. This is a pledge.

Lessons from the Elders

My boss, mentor, and father, General Ike Omar Sanda Nwachukwu, GCMG, CFR, COM, psc+, mni, finiia, among others, availed us of his esteemed presence at the summit. His presentation indeed touched on the very essence of collaborative approaches to strengthening regional security and stability. My takeaway from his presentation was that ‘military force is indispensable, but military force alone has never permanently solved a political, economic, or social problem.’ He also highlighted that security cannot remain the exclusive responsibility of the Armed Forces or other security agencies. Security succeeds when citizens become participants rather than spectators. I thank General Nwachukwu for taking time out of his revered schedule to attend the summit. It was highly appreciated.

My boss and former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika, CFR, indeed put a smile on my face with his presence and the quality of his presentation as the keynote speaker. In his characteristic manner, he spoke eloquently on the necessity that ‘institutional success should be measured not only by operational achievements, but also by whether citizens experience greater freedom, confidence, and predictability in their daily lives. Delivering such outcomes, however, requires a clear understanding of the threats, networks, and conditions that continue to disrupt normal activity across the region.’

He capped his presentation with a nugget: ‘For collaboration to produce meaningful results, it must therefore begin with a shared and accurate understanding of the threat. Without a common diagnosis, institutions may pursue conflicting priorities, duplicate effort, or apply responses that fail to address the underlying problem.’ This was a very clear message that was received wholeheartedly. I wish to use this medium to extend my heartfelt gratitude to him for his presence.

I must not fail to mention that my brother and friend, Dr. Alex Otti, the Executive Governor of Abia State, was such a wonderful host. He was very instrumental to the success of the summit. His contributions were vital, and his presence from the beginning to the end of the programme was reassuring that he is a worthy partner in progress in our quest to achieve regional stability in the South East. Also, the representatives of other governors of the South East who were present added color to the summit with their vital contributions.

A Shared Responsibility

The maiden South East Regional Security Summit was a success. This much was captured in the communiqué with the reaffirmation by participants on the importance of sustained partnership among stakeholders in the region towards a peaceful, secure, and prosperous South East. This was reassuring, and I left Umuahia with assurances that the various stakeholders in the region have elected to take ownership of the security initiatives in place towards sustainable peace and security.

This is the collaboration that we seek at the Ministry of Defence, not just in the South East, but in other regions of the country. Direct feedback is necessary in the sense that there is no universal security strategy in Nigeria. Nigeria is a plural country, and the causation of insecurity varies from region to region. This can only be identified through the gathering of stakeholders. It could also pass for a town hall meeting because there were no restrictions on the participants list. It was broad and holistic, as mentioned earlier, and it was deliberately intentioned to gather as much feedback as possible.

Security is everyone’s business. This is the reality that we must embrace, and it is the reason why we are taking collaborative approaches to strengthening regional security and stability across the various regions of the country. With this, we are embarking on a paradigm shift-a shift that emphasizes the ‘Whole-of-Society Approach’ towards addressing our security challenges adopted by the Ministry of Defence under my watch.

The highlight of the summit as captured in the communique was the resolution that the five South-East States collaborate with relevant federal security and intelligence institutions to deepen coordination and develop more effective mechanisms for addressing security threats that transcend state boundaries. Also, security agencies were specifically tasked with the responsibility of deepening sustained engagement with communities through dialogue, confidence-building measures and appropriate civil-military cooperation initiatives aimed at strengthening trust and public participation. This is the essence of collaborative approaches in the critical security architecture in the country.

I must add that beyond the eloquence of the presentations at the summit, the political authorities in the South East states must as a matter of urgency designate appropriate focal points to facilitate coordination, implementation and follow-up on the resolutions of the summit, and an appropriate mechanism for periodic review of progress in implementing agreed actions towards addressing the security challenges across the South-East.

Thank you

The next destination is the North Central, and others will follow suit in no particular order. The overarching objective is regional security and stability. This is the marching order of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and it is introspective and reflective of his passion and commitment to addressing the security challenges in the country. I want to use this medium to thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his leadership strides, especially his keen interest in the security of the lives and property of Nigerians across the country.

My appreciation also goes to all who contributed to this milestone, particularly the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South East) for her dedicated collaboration. And most importantly, to the good people of the South East region, I say ‘Daal?, Nd?da ?w?wa Anyanw?.’ (Thank you, South East).