Category: Daily Trust

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has announced a 24-man squad for Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup African Play-off Tournament in Rabat, Morocco – with the major talking point being the return of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye after a long absence from international duty.

His recall comes amid growing calls for current first-choice Stanley Nwabali to be dropped following a dip in form.

Chelle’s list includes captain William Troost-Ekong, talismanic striker Victor Osimhen, defenders Bright Osayi-Samuel and Calvin Bassey, and midfield stalwarts Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, and Alex Iwobi, who boasts 89 caps.

Forwards Samuel Chukwueze, Ademola Lookman, and Spain-based Chidera Ejuke also feature, alongside newcomers Benjamin Fredericks, Raphael Onyedika, Tolu Arokodare, Jerome Akor Adams, and Olusegun Olakunle.

Nigeria will face Gabon in the first semi-final on 22 November at the 22,000-capacity Complexe Sportif Prince Héritier Moulay Al Hassan in Rabat, while Cameroon meets DR Congo in the second semi-final at El-Barid Stadium.

The squad will assemble in Morocco on 10 November, arriving from their various club bases across Europe and beyond.

Okoye’s return marks a significant moment for the 25-year-old, who made his senior debut for Nigeria in 2019 and was the country’s first-choice goalkeeper at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Following a costly mistake in the Round-of-16 loss to Tunisia, he faced intense criticism and quietly stepped away from the national team. For nearly two years, he was overlooked as Nwabali took over the gloves.

Now thriving at Udinese Calcio in Italy’s Serie A, Okoye’s resurgence has earned him a recall from Chelle – a move viewed as both a reward for his form and a challenge to Nwabali’s hold on the No. 1 spot.

His comeback also follows a brief two-month suspension in Italy earlier this year for breaching betting regulations, though he was cleared of any match-fixing allegations.

As the Super Eagles prepare for Morocco, attention will focus squarely on the goalkeeping battle.

Okoye’s return has reignited competition for Nigeria’s most scrutinized position – and could redefine the team’s path to the 2026 World Cup.

Below is the full list of players invited:

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Maduka Okoya (Udinese FC, Italy)

Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes FC, France); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Benjamin Fredericks (Dender FC, Belgium)

Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium)

Forwards: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham FC, England); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain); Tolu Arokodare (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain); Olakunle Olusegun (Pari Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)

Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, has called on United States President Donald Trump to withdraw his recent threat against Nigeria and issue a public apology for describing the country as ‘disgraced.’

He said Trump’s comments – which included a warning of possible U.S. military action over alleged persecution of Christians – were ‘unacceptable, un-American, and a violation of international law.’

Speaking in reaction to Trump’s remarks, the Deputy Senate President said Nigeria, as a sovereign nation, would not tolerate any form of intimidation or interference.

‘For the president of the United States to come out and say, ‘Nigeria is a disgraced country, and we are going to attack you,’ is quite unacceptable,’ Barau said in a viral video released on Friday. ‘He should understand, retract that statement, and apologise to Nigeria.’

Barau maintained that Trump’s utterances breached diplomatic norms and international law.

‘It’s against international law. Whatever you feel about our country, follow the legal route. Go to the United Nations, get a resolution, and act in line with that. To bypass that process is quite un-American,’ he said.

The lawmaker insisted that Nigeria would not be cowed by Trump’s rhetoric, stressing that national sovereignty and mutual respect must guide international relations.

‘We are not scared to speak the truth. If Trump were here, I would tell him directly that he has gone against international law and that his approach is wrong,’ he added.

The Federal Government in partnership with the Lai Labode Heritage Foundation, has announced plans to host the maiden African Global Fashion Games (AGFG) – a groundbreaking fashion ‘Olympics’ designed to I the continent through creativity, culture, and enterprise.

The announcement was made during a press conference on the African Fashion Renaissance, themed Afroliganza – Confederation of African Fashion and African Global Fashion Games (AGFG), organized by the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy in collaboration with the Foundation.

Speaking at the event, Minister Hannatu Musa Musawa described the initiative as ‘a turning point for Africa and the world at large,’ noting that it represents Nigeria’s formal adoption of the Afroliganza vision – a continental framework for fashion diplomacy, trade, and cultural exchange.

‘The initiative unites African nations through fashion, culture, and creative enterprise, with a mission to build a structured, values-driven fashion economy rooted in African heritage, led by African institutions, and positioned for global impact,’ Musawa said. She added that ‘fashion will now serve as a strategic instrument for building cultural ties, influencing global narratives, and asserting Africa’s creative sovereignty.’

As part of the initiative, the Federal Government also announced the establishment of the Nigeria Fashion Federation, which will collaborate with state governments and stakeholders to promote Nigerian fashion in line with the continental framework.

Founder of the Lai Labode Heritage Foundation, Dr. Balogun Lai Labode, revealed that the African Global Fashion Games will debut in 2027, featuring a nine-day celebration that includes a parade of nations, runway shows, a trade fair, an industry summit, and an awards ceremony.

‘The African Global Fashion Games will showcase the very best of African fashion while connecting the continent to global markets and investment opportunities,’ Labode said.

On Friday, October 31, 2025, US President Donald Trump put Nigeria on a list of ‘Country of Particular Concern,’ summarily finding the country guilty over what he claims to be deadly persecution of Christians. This is serious because under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), it means Nigeria is now a country ‘engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom.’ And unless there is a presidential waiver for national security reasons, this could trigger diplomatic censure, targeted sanctions or aid restrictions.

Trump heightened the already heated situation with the undiplomatic threat that his country could ‘go into that now disgraced country, guns-a-blazing,’ signalling readiness for military intervention. His singling out Nigeria for religious freedom violations is not new as he designated the country in his first term. Obviously, this is an issue that resonates strongly with parts of his right-wing, evangelical political base.

His statements have caused a sharp, widening gap in US-Nigeria relations, a relationship that was historically built on pragmatic partnership. What he has chosen to forget is that so much is at stake between both countries and nothing should be done to jeopardise them, especially as US is the largest foreign investor in Nigeria, largely concentrated in oil and gas, wholesale trade and services sectors with bilateral trade surpassing $13 billion in 2024.

Nigeria ranks among the top African markets for US exports. Moreover, America also provides strategic security support, including military training, counterterrorism assistance and limited arms sales to Nigeria in the fight against terrorism and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

The current bickering is ultimately resulting in further disengagement, which is uncalled for. Already, there is a diplomatic vacuum as Nigeria does not have an ambassador in Washington DC. President Bola Tinubu was also conspicuously absent when Trump met with five West African leaders at the White House in July 2025, although some pundits believed that the circumstances of the engagement are different.

Violence in Nigeria is a complicated issue. Nigeria’s religious landscape includes significant populations of Muslims, Christians and adherents of traditional African religions, coexisting within a nation’s space. Terrorists kill clerics, farmers, women, children, politicians, civil servants, teachers, health workers and traditional leaders, simply because they support secular authorities, irrespective of religion. So, we advise Trump to get a better briefing on the nature of this conflict.

Daily Trust is dismayed at the excessive and uncontrolled emotion that has come with the threat of sanctions and military action. The very idea of addressing Nigeria as a ‘disgraced country’ is gutter, wrong, uncalled for and very repulsive. The US president’s attitude is divisive and self-serving.

We counsel that this situation should not result in a major diplomatic crisis or breakdown. This is not time for grandstanding. We urge that restraint and resolve guide both nations’ actions as they pursue a new partnership built on cooperation, shared intelligence and institutional strengthening. We warn that in no way should Nigeria be allowed to become a diplomatic or military battleground in the contest for regional influence and control or any assertiveness.

Somehow, we believe that Nigerians should thank Trump for waking Nigeria up; after all, nobody supports the country being a continuing killing field where shedding of blood has become almost the norm. For one, his outbursts have once again shown how far the political class has failed Nigerians, such that we have been made a laughing stock by the very elite who have been entrusted to lead us to respectability.

The US leader has inadvertently reminded us that beyond rhetoric, the deficit in governance has all along been shrouded by excuses, whereas insecurity has been largely fuelled by local grievances over poor governance and economic marginalisation.

Trump’s unexpected direct hit should be a diplomatic alarm bell for Nigeria to put its house in order.

We insist that all lives matter, irrespective of religious, ethnic or geographical location. Nigeria must be retrieved from terrorists, bandits and other non-state actors. A situation where tens of armed men ride in a motorcycle convoy into a community, kill and maim people and destroy property and ride away without any hindrance is unacceptable. These killings have been so normalised. All the perpetrators of acts of violence must be arrested and persecuted and justice must be served to every victim. The general complacency and impunity in handling of security issues must stop as this has harmed Nigeria’s credibility at home and abroad.

And in tackling the ongoing classification of Nigeria as CPC and the accompanying threats, the government should abandon media diplomacy and pursue a dignified foreign-policy response. There should be more contacts with the Trump administration, especially through back-channel relationship.

Towards this, we urge President Tinubu to ensure that the management of this crisis does not endanger any ongoing security cooperation, including military training and intelligence sharing. Nigeria must establish and project its influence and presence as the world’s largest black democracy through robust diplomacy.

More so, Nigeria must cultivate an atmosphere of transparency that allows citizens and multilateral partners, including the United Nations and African Union, along with greater access for journalists, civil society organisations and independent researchers to have first-hand information on the efforts being made to secure the lives of the populace.

We implore Nigerian leaders to see the current situation as an urgent opportunity to fulfill their constitutional mandate of protecting the lives and property of all citizens.

The Trump salvo wouldn’t have come if the letters of aection 14(2) of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (b) which state that ‘the security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government’ is seen as sacred.

This is time to strengthen Nigeria’s governance model by prioritising the welfare of the citizens, unifying the people while confronting insecurity with unprecedented resolve and fairness. Leaders must demonstrate true leadership through thoughtful actions guided by truth, justice and mutual respect.

We also implore Nigerians across the divide to be more honest to one another and fear God in both private and public conduct as it is this dishonesty that is fuelling injustice. This way, no foreigner will find an opening to denigrate our country.

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has trained smallholder soybeans farmers in Adamawa State on modern techniques to boost production for export.

Speaking at a one-day workshop on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for smallholder farmers in soybeans value-chain, held in Yola, North-East Regional Coordinator of NEPC, Mr Anani Ben Egon, said the workshop was designed to build the capacity of the small-holder farmers.

He explained that the farmers have been profiled and organized into clusters for the training, to help them to adopt modern good agricultural practices.

He stated that as soybeans is the alternate product selected for adaptation and development in Adamawa state, under the One State One Product Initiative, (OSOP) of the NEPC, it became imperative to build the capacity of the stakeholders for improved production and yield.

According to him, the GAP enhances productivity, ensures sustainability and improves compliance with export quality requirements of final markets.

Mr Egon told the participants that the workshop is not a one-off initiative, ‘it forms part of a sustained and structured engagement by the NEPC to strengthen the soybeans value chain in Adamawa state and beyond.

‘The training also aligns with NEPC’s broader mandate of ensuring that Nigeria’s agricultural products including soybeans meet good agricultural and manufacturing practices benchmarks, thereby reducing cases of export rejections and enhancing global competitiveness.’

The coordinator said the NEPC is working closely with the Soybeans Association of Nigeria (SBFMAN), to organise and develop farmers into well-coordinated clusters.

‘Through these ongoing collaborations, we aim to build the productive capacity of these clusters, improve access to export markets and ensure that farmers are fully equipped to meet international standards in both quality and quantity demand,’ Mr Egon said.

He reiterated that the approach reflects the Council’s long-term commitment to creating sustainable value chains that contribute to Nigeria’s non-oil export growth and sustainable development.

Also speaking, Adamawa Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Industry, Ishaya John Dabari represented by Mrs Sosa Bison Permanent Secretary of the Ministry , revealed that Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri had approved and sponsored the registration of 150 prospective exporters across the three senatorial zones of the state.

‘His Excellency, Governor Fintiri, has graciously paid for the registration of 150 people, 50 from each senatorial zone to encourage participation in export business.

‘We urge farmers and traders to take advantage of the free registration offered through the NEPC, as export certification does not require complex procedures.

‘It doesn’t take much to export. The process is free. All you need is to form a cluster of about 10 people, clean and package your soya beans properly, and link up with marketers,’ Danari said.

He warned farmers against selling their produce cheaply to middlemen from other states, stressing that such practices deprive them of profit and economic value.

Earlier, the National President of SBFMAN, Dr Dahiru Waziri, said soybean is a strategic commodity in Nigeria, whose value is reflected in nutrition, livestock feed, oil production and industrial processing among others.

He, however, stated that the benefit of the value-chain can only be realised when the quality is assured from cultivation to final packaging.

‘As such, this training will focus on strengthening farmers’ capacity to produce, process, mould, and package soybean that meets both national and international quality standards.

‘It would help us mitigate inconsistent post-harvest handling; moisture control issues, grain contamination and non-standard moulding and packaging practices, mechanisms that will reposition our production system to meet global expectations,’ Dr Waziri said.

He added that the association is also committed to promoting good agricultural and processing practices among its members.

‘We would strengthen farmer’s training and extension support, encourage investments in cleaning, sorting, moulding, and packaging facilities.

‘And work closely with NEPC and relevant institutions to align with export-ready standards, thereby ?move our industry from production for volume to production for quality and competitiveness,’ he added.

A 95-year-old woman, Unoigbo Nnagboo, has cast the ballot at the ongoing governorship election in Anambra State.

Speaking at Awkuzu Ward I, Polling Unit 007, the nonagenarian who turned out early to cast her vote, said she has always participated in elections with the hope of better governance.

‘I’ve always been coming to vote because I want good governance. And this is my farmland,’ she told journalists.

Despite the absence of security personnel, voters conducted themselves orderly at the polling unit.

When asked about the absence of security agents, a voter, Ikegbunam Kenechukwu Cyprian, said there was no cause for concern.

‘There’s no need for security agents because everything is going on smoothly. We know each other and already know who is going to win,’ he said.

One of the INEC officials declined speaking with journalists when asked about situation at the Polling Unit.

Voting went on peacefully, and residents commended the calm conduct of the exercise, only the Labour Party agent was on ground at the venue as at 10:50am.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has expressed deep concern over the increasing wave of terrorist attacks across parts of the region, including Nigeria, warning against misinformation that could inflame divisions among communities.

US President Donald Trump had claimed that Christians in Nigeria are facing systematic persecution and mass killings and subsequently declared it a Country of Particular Concern.

He had threatened to take some steps, including cutting all aid and possible military intervention to save Christians in Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu had rejected the claims, insisting that the country remained a democracy grounded in constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and belief.

But Trump, unconvinced, had asked the US Department of War to prepare for possible action in Nigeria, to which the military responded by drafting contingency plans for potential strikes in Nigeria.

Speaking formally on the issue for the first time, President Tinubu, shortly before the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday said: ‘The most important thing is the fact that despite the political headwinds and the fear of our people, we will continue to engage with partners.

‘We are engaging the world diplomatically, and we assure all of you that we will defeat terrorism in this country.

‘The task ahead is immense, but it is our resolve to move forward with unity and purpose, guided by the Renewed Hope Agenda to build a prosperous, inclusive and resilient Nigeria.’

In a communiqué issued in Abuja, the regional bloc urged the United Nations and international partners to intensify support for member states battling terrorist groups, whose activities have caused widespread devastation and loss of lives.

ECOWAS in the communiqué dated November 4, 2025, noted that extremist groups in the region have continued to target innocent civilians of all faiths – Muslims, Christians, and followers of other religions – stressing that such violence does not discriminate by religion, ethnicity, gender, or age.

The Commission dismissed as false and dangerous claims suggesting that terrorists are carrying out a genocide against any particular religious group, warning that such narratives could undermine social cohesion and exacerbate insecurity.

‘ECOWAS strongly rejects these false and dangerous claims that seek to deepen insecurity in communities and weaken social cohesion in the region,’ the statement read.

The regional body called on the global community to stand in solidarity with West African nations in their collective fight against terrorism and violent extremism targeting all communities.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent approval of the establishment of the Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe, Lagos State, has continued to stir controversy, especially given the Federal Government’s standing seven-year moratorium on creating new tertiary institutions. Many Nigerians see the move as a contradiction of the government’s own policy, raising questions about consistency, fairness, and governance ethics.

The announcement was made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Thursday’s plenary session, where he disclosed that President Tinubu had signed the Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe (Establishment) Bill 2025 into law. ‘It is my honour to announce that the Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe establishment bill 2025 has been assented to by Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,’ Akpabio said.

Ordinarily, the creation of a new university should be a cause for celebration – an indication of the government’s commitment to expanding access to higher education and fostering innovation. However, Tinubu’s decision comes barely months after his administration, through the Federal Ministry of Education, announced a seven-year ban on establishing new public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. The rationale behind the ban was clear: to enable government consolidate and strengthen existing institutions, many of which are struggling with poor funding, inadequate infrastructure, and staff shortages.

That the same administration has now gone ahead to establish a new university, and in the President’s home state of Lagos, makes the development both puzzling and troubling. It smacks of inconsistency. Critics have described the move as a policy somersault that undermines the credibility of the government’s own directives.

The question that arises is simple: if the Federal Government has declared a moratorium to control the proliferation of tertiary institutions, why make an exception – and why now? The optics are particularly poor because it appears that the ban only applies to others, while the President’s home state enjoys preferential treatment. Such actions erode public confidence in government policy and give room for accusations of nepotism and selective implementation of national decisions.

Nigeria currently has over 60 federal universities, many of which face severe challenges from inadequate funding to crumbling infrastructure, incessant strikes, and overcrowded classrooms. University administrators have consistently called for better funding and management autonomy rather than creating new institutions that would further stretch limited resources. Even the National Universities Commission (NUC) has repeatedly cautioned against establishing new universities without addressing the financial and administrative crises of the existing ones.

By approving a new federal university despite the ban, Tinubu’s administration risks sending the wrong signal that, government policies are flexible when political or regional interests are involved. This perception weakens the moral authority of the administration to enforce compliance when others violate its policies. If a seven-year ban exists to ensure stability and consolidation, then creating exceptions for political convenience defeats the purpose of that policy.

The situation also raises fairness concerns. If Lagos can have a new federal university under the guise of special approval, why should other states or regions be denied similar opportunities? What is good for the goose should equally be good for the gander. Other states with pending requests for new universities – some of which have waited years for approval – would naturally feel shortchanged.

Rather than approving new universities, the government should focus on strengthening existing institutions by improving their funding, research capacity, infrastructure, and quality of teaching. Nigeria’s educational challenges are not rooted in a lack of institutions but in the poor state of those already established.

President Tinubu’s decision, though perhaps well-intentioned, represents a misstep in policy consistency. Leadership requires not only making rules but also leading by example in adhering to them. By creating an exception for Lagos, the government risks reinforcing the narrative of preferential treatment and undermining its own reform agenda in the education sector.

If the goal is truly to expand educational opportunities, then the Federal Government must review the ban transparently and apply new policies uniformly across all states, not selectively. Anything less would make the creation of the Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe, not just a contradiction, but a clear misnomer in the pursuit of equitable governance.

Alphonsus, a public affairs analyst wrote from Guzape, Abuja

As BRICS deepens its role in global governance, generative artificial intelligence is emerging as both an instrument and a risk for collective state communication and how states manage this technology will shape influence, legitimacy and development outcomes across the Global South.

Colleagues, policy makers and friends; I write from the perspective of a Nigerian scholar who engages in comparative work on media, governance and digital technologies. At the recent conference on BRICS strategic communication titled: ‘BRICS Strategic Communication in Global Governance’, which held on 31st October, 2025 at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Science (RAS), I presented a study titled: ‘Interoperable and Ethical GenAI: A Staged Model for BRICS Strategic Communication’ (GenAI stands for Generative Artificial Intelligence). The study combined documentary analysis with fifteen expert interviews across selected jurisdictions, and it produced findings that are important for Nigeria, whether we remain a partner or aspire to full membership.

First, the stark truth: capacity is uneven. Some actors possess mature domestic AI ecosystems, routine multilingual monitoring and procurement resilience. Others, including many African-facing institutions, confront limited compute, sparse language corpora and donor dependence. This asymmetry is not merely technical; it shapes choices about vendors, the ability to pilot interoperable tools, and the credibility of collective responses to information crises. For Nigeria, which currently engages BRICS as a partner, this finding is critical. It shows that without deliberate investments we risk being a passive consumer of services rather than a co-designer of the communication architecture.

Second, we found a persistent principle-practice gap in standards and provenance. Summit communiqués and institutional statements often affirm ethical AI and responsible use, yet operational metadata schemas, model-cards and provenance stamps rarely move from paper to practice. In pilot settings where partners did adopt simple provenance protocols, joint validation and rapid alert exchange became feasible. This is the pragmatic part: standards work, but only when coupled with incentives to adopt them.

Third, delegation matters. Pilots that operated with a clearly mandated lead or a small secretariat, sometimes hosted within multilateral finance bodies, integrated standards and dashboards much faster.

Delegated coordination reduces transaction costs, enables pooled procurement and institutionalises training pathways. Finally, ethics count only when translated into tools. Interviewees repeatedly emphasised that model documentation, human-in-the-loop checks and transparent provenance increase stakeholder trust in ways that abstract guidelines do not.

What do these findings imply for Nigeria? Several concrete gains flow from an intentional engagement with BRICS mechanisms. As a partner we already access forums and finance channels; as a full member we could exercise greater voice in setting standards, shape pooled procurement arrangements, and secure resources for corpus-building in our national languages. Practically, full membership would facilitate the negotiation of preferential terms for access to models, investment in local compute, and the chance to host pilot projects that build national capacity. For Nigeria’s media sector, universities and public institutions, this could mean more rapid localisation of tools, improved translation for Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo, and better resilience against AI-enabled disinformation.

At the same time, we must be candid about risks. Greater access to generative AI without commensurate governance invites epistemic harms, mistranslation and reputational vulnerability. Nigeria must therefore bind benefits to safeguards. To that end, I propose five immediate, practicable steps.

One; commission a joint baseline assessment of national capacities, language corpora and vendor dependencies. The New Development Bank is well placed to finance such an audit and to broker pooled procurement where economies of scale matter.

Two, prioritise corpus-building for our major languages, and allocate grants to universities and public broadcasters to develop annotated datasets. Language is not a luxury; it is central to credibility and to preventing harmful mistranslations.

Three, adopt simple, interoperable provenance and metadata templates and pilot them in tightly scoped projects with regional partners. Model-cards and provenance stamps are low-cost, high-value instruments.

Four, establish a lightweight national AI communications cell that coordinates across ministries, the public broadcaster and civil society. This cell should focus on standards, training and incident response rather than centralised content control.

Five, insist on independent evaluation and civil-society participation. Transparency builds trust, and registries of deployed AI tools with public audit reports will strengthen both domestic legitimacy and international credibility.

Finally, for those of us in the academy and in the media, there is an obligation to keep this conversation public and evidence based. We must avoid platitudes and focus on operational steps. The gracious acceptance

by ‘Daily Trust’ newspaper to publish on this subject is timely. Newspapers, universities and policy centres can help to demystify GenAi, to map realistic timelines and to hold institutions to account.

Moreover, permit me now, to offer a brief account of the other important papers delivered at the BRICS strategic communication conference in Moscow, and to draw out what these contributions mean for Nigeria and our region. The conference, which was organised by RAS Institute of Philosophy in collaboration with the Department of Eastern Philosophies, UNESCO Chair, among others, convened scholars from 23 countries and showcased 55 presentations that traversed institutional reform, public diplomacy and the mounting influence of artificial intelligence. The official conference report provides the programme and abstracts.

Professor Guihong Zhang of Fudan University urged delegates to prioritise areas where institutional influence matters most, notably reform of global financial governance. His argument is practical: strategic communication supports efforts to rebalance IMF and World Bank representation and to lessen dependence on a single reserve currency. For Nigeria this is relevant because economic sovereignty is central to our development options.

Professor Greg Simons from Bangladesh reminded us that BRICS must combine defensive resilience with proactive narratives. He argued that members should both guard against attempts to fragment the group and offer a credible alternative for Global South countries. This dual posture aligns with our national interest. We must defend our informational space while also presenting positive policy options that attract cooperation and investment.

From Tehran, Professor Ehsan Rasoulinezhad highlighted how BRICS offers states under heavy external pressure an avenue for meaningful engagement. His paper showed that membership or partnership can reframe narratives of isolation into those of sovereign partnership. This has a direct bearing on Nigeria, where reputational management and diversified diplomatic ties matter for trade and security, especially this time as Nigeria struggles to contain President Trump’s ‘country-of-particular-concern’ threat.

Professor Rajan Kumar presented an Indian perspective that highlighted BRICS’ transformation into a broader coalition of the South. He noted the group’s stance on key international crises and emphasised the political meaning of membership expansion. The lesson for Nigeria is clear: engagement with BRICS is not merely transactional. It involves positioning, narrative-consistency and readiness to contribute constructively.

Professor Evgeny Pashentsev’s presentation on AI was especially timely. He combined optimism about AI’s potential with sober warnings about widening technological inequality and the risks posed by malicious uses. His call for ethical responsibility, and for institutional safeguards, echoes the research findings I presented on interoperability and provenance.

In conclusion, engage BRICS strategically: assess capacities, build language assets, pilot standards, delegate coordination, and ensure transparent and accountable AI-governance to strengthen development, communication and democratic-resilience.

Dr Ibrahim is of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, and wrote in from Geidam, Yobe State

Despite the ongoing governorship election in Anambra State, commercial activities continued at Nkwo Awkuzu Market, on Saturday, with traders and residents going about their normal business.

The usually busy street was filled with vehicular movements, while stalls displaying foodstuffs, provisions, and other goods remained open.

Some traders told journalists deployed by CJID that they had chosen business over voting.

Polling Unit 007 where other citizens were seen exercising their franchise.

One trader, Amarachi Obina, said she had no intention of voting because the election is predictable, adding that whether ‘I vote or not, it won’t change the result’.

Another trader, Abuchi Emeka Nwafor, said she planned to vote later in the day but needed to sell first.

‘I have to fend for my family. From past experience, whether we vote or not, the hardship affects everyone,’ she said.

Another market woman who spoke on condition of anonymity observed that such attitudes reflected the persistence of voter apathy in the state.

‘All these are pointing to persistence of voter apathy. It’s not only for security reasons but also economics. We need to put our daily income first before we think of voting. We have even lost confidence in the process,’ she said.