Category: Daily Trust

The UEFA Champions League has given football fans countless unforgettable moments, goals that live forever in memory and highlight reels. From stunning volleys to last-minute winners, the competition continues to define greatness on the biggest stage, year after year.

One of the most iconic goals came in 2002 when Zinedine Zidane produced that legendary left-foot volley for Real Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen, a strike that remains a symbol of elegance, technique, and precision. It wasn’t just a goal; it was art in motion. Then there’s Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s dramatic stoppage-time winner in 1999, completing Manchester United’s historic treble in the most thrilling fashion imaginable, a moment that still sends chills down every fan’s spine.

Fast forward to 2019, and Liverpool’s comeback against Barcelona reminded the world why football is a beautiful game. A quick-thinking corner from Trent Alexander-Arnold found Divock Origi, who coolly finished to complete one of the greatest turnarounds in Champions League history. And, of course, who can forget Cristiano Ronaldo’s stunning bicycle kick against Juventus, a goal so extraordinary it earned a standing ovation from rival fans.

These moments capture what makes the Champions League so special, the energy, emotion, and unpredictability that keep millions of fans glued to their screens every matchday. For Nigerian football lovers, EasyWin Nigeria brings that same global excitement closer than ever before. On the EasyWin betting site, fans can follow live Champions League action, track top odds, and place smart bets with confidence.

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As another Champions League season unfolds, new heroes will rise, new records will be broken, and more unforgettable goals will be written into history. Yet no matter how many years pass, those legendary strikes from Zidane’s volley to Ronaldo’s brilliance, will always remind us why the Champions League remains the pinnacle of world football. On EasyWin Nigeria you get fast payout and instant withdrawal, every winning bet feels just as magical as the moments that made football great.

Mr. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, the former Governor of Rivers State / Former Minister of Transportation, President WimAfrica, Mrs. Rollence McCoy and VME Emmanuel Evue Chairman Emalsson Ent. Ltd will headline the 2025 Almond Insurance Industry Awards in Lagos.

Organizers of the Annual Almond Insurance Industry Awards, Almond Productions Limited Unveiled some of the guest Presenters in a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer Ms. Faith Kesiena Ughwode.

The Award night according to the statement is the biggest social event in the Nigerian Insurance Industry which brings together Insurance Stakeholders, Policymakers, Individual and Corporate Clients of Insurance Companies, Paramilitary Forces, Entertainers and the General Public in an atmosphere of fun and relaxation.

According to Ms. Ughwode, Guest Presenters were meticulously Chosen from Critical Sectors of the economy in a bid to broaden the horizon of Insurance operations for better understanding and appreciation as no economy can survive without the risk transfer mechanism which Insurance provides.

The Epoch making event which started in 2018 to reward Change Makers and Innovators in the Insurance eco-system is scheduled to hold on Friday November 7th at the Stable Event Center, Bode Thomas, Surulere, Lagos by 4pm Red Carpet, 7pm Awards Starts.

The shortlisted categories this year are:

* Insurance CEO of the Year

* Insurance Woman of the Year (Insurer or Broker)

* Life Insurance Company of the Year.

* General Insurance Company of the Year

* Insurance Broker of the Year

* Insurance Broking Company of the Year

* Takaful Company of the Year

* Micro Insurance Company of the Year

* Most Valuable Insurance Customer of the Year

* Insurance Life Achievers Award (Insurer or Broker)

* Special Recognition Award 2025 (Within and Outside the Industry).

Israeli forces on Wednesday intercepted a new Gaza-bound aid flotilla, days after thwarting another maritime convoy that had tried to break Israel’s blockade on the war-battered Palestinian territory.

The Global Sumud Flotilla first reported that three of its vessels had been ‘attacked and illegally intercepted by the Israeli military’ in the early morning, 220 kilometres (about 140 miles) off the coast of Gaza.

It later said all nine of the latest flotilla’s vessels had been intercepted, including one, the Conscience, carrying more than 90 journalists, doctors and activists.

Israel has blocked several international aid flotillas in recent months from reaching Gaza, where the United Nations says famine has set in after two years of devastating conflict.

As the war drags on, solidarity with the Palestinians has grown globally, with activists, protesters across the world and increasingly governments condemning Israel for its conduct.

Israel confirmed on Wednesday it had intercepted boats entering waters it says fall under its blockade of Gaza.

‘Another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone ended in nothing. The vessels and the passengers are transferred to an Israeli port,’ its foreign ministry said on social media.

‘The passengers are expected to be deported promptly,’ it added.

The pro-Palestinian activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition said the boats were carrying ‘vital aid worth over $110,000. in medicines, respiratory equipment, and nutritional supplies that were destined for Gaza’s starving hospitals’.

Turkey’s foreign ministry accused Israel of carrying out an ‘act of piracy’, describing the intervention against the flotilla as ‘an attack on civil activists, including Turkish citizens and members of parliament’.

Israeli authorities detained Belgian rapper Youssef Swatt’s aboard one of the boats, his lawyers said.

Irene Khan, UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion, said Israel was obliged to ‘ensure the rights of all those being arbitrarily detained’.

‘This attack against unarmed civilians on the high seas is yet another violation of international law by Israel,’ she said in a statement.

Last week, Israeli naval forces stopped another flotilla of 45 vessels from the Global Sumud campaign that was carrying politicians and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.

The federal government has launched an independent data platform for the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to ensure timely and accurate reporting of solid minerals revenue across the states.

The commission said the platform aims to eliminate discrepancies in figures submitted by government agencies and operators in the solid minerals sector.

It explained that the new system will serve as a reliable, discrepancy-free data source for verification, comparison and attribution of revenues generated from the solid minerals sector into the Federation Account.

Speaking in Abuja during a one-day sensitization exercise on the implementation of a new solid minerals data rendition template for effective revenue monitoring, the Chairman of RMAFC, Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu-represented by Hon. Ibrahim Shettima, the Federal Commissioner representing Niger State-said the system was designed to close existing information gaps and promote transparency in revenue reporting.

It would seem that Nigeria is afflicted by paper tiger syndrome in which potential public office holders desire to pack as much punch on their qualifications, without the requisite veracity to those claims.

The last three administrations in the country have been tainted by significant certificate forgery scandals that have caused the removal or resignation of senior public officials in a storm of allegations and counter-allegations.

This week, another Nigerian minister has been outed as a paper tiger, with a CV backed by degrees and certificates that are allegedly falsified, and continuing a tradition that has dogged the Fourth Republic since 1999 but, in reality, goes back to the First Republic.

Since the media broke the news accusing Mr. Geoffrey Uche Nnaji of forging his academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates, a storm of allegations and counter-allegations has followed, darkening the political landscape with a distraction that the country did not need. Lots of finger-pointing and buck-shifting have occurred. In the end, after unwittingly admitting that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, never issued him a certificate in a court document, Mr. Nnaji chomped on humble pie and resigned.

It was rather disappointing to see that the president, Bola Tinubu, in accepting his resignation, ‘thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours.’

Personal relationships aside, Mr. Nnaji had somehow tainted this administration, which seems to be offering him the sort of soft landing former finance minister Kemi Adeosun got when she was also forced to resign from the previous administration’s cabinet.

Adeosun resigned in 2018 from the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari after a Premium Times investigation revealed that her NYSC exemption certificate that allowed her to be appointed to the office was forged. Perhaps even more disappointing for Adeosun was that the forgery was completely needless, as a Federal

High Court ruled in 2021 that having graduated at age 22 as a British citizen, she was not required to participate in the NYSC, thereby legally clearing her to serve as minister.

Unaware of this at the time, she took a falsified document and occupied public office with the help of that document. These are strikes against both the Tinubu and Buhari administrations.

Many years earlier, there was Ndi Okereke-Onyuike, who was appointed the president of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) until she was ushered out in a cloud of scandals.

Okereke-Onyuike claimed to have obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) as well as a Doctor of Administration in Finance and Securities Market from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. However, there is no university record confirming that she attended the programme or was awarded these degrees. Still, she fashioned herself a ‘professor of Capital Markets’ at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and wormed her way into prominent positions.

A similar thing happened very early on in the Fourth Republic when it was discovered that the very first Speaker of the House of Representatives, Salisu Buhari, had falsified both his age and his qualifications, indicating that he had graduated from the University of Toronto in Canada, on the basis of which he was elected into the National Assembly. He was only a year short of eligibility to run for parliament but slathered on another six. It was a misadventure that ended in disaster, as he was forced to resign and prosecuted for his crimes.

His case set a precedent for public accountability regarding politicians’ credentials in the country. It remains a reference point for subsequent forgery scandals and efforts to enforce verifications. But not in a good way. Buhari was given a slap on the wrist for his crime and a laughable option of a fine, which his supporters laughed off and slapped on the court desks as the verdict was delivered. He was subsequently pardoned by President Obasanjo.

Since then, it seemed like certificate forgery at the highest level has been excused, unleashing these invasive species of paper forgers into public offices. It could cost one a plum position if outed by the pesky media, not the DSS, which somehow keeps dropping the ball on this, but it won’t cost one any significant jail term.

This is the reason why Mr. Nnaji is blaming the incident on ‘political opponents’ who have targeted him for ‘blackmail,’ as contained in the presidency statement, as if making excuses for him.

Of course, it is convenient for the presidency that this problem goes away as quickly as possible. No one really wants it. Certainly not the president, who has been battling allegations of certificate falsifications himself for years. Having a cabinet member who is challenged in this manner will suddenly refocus attention on the president’s case, which his opponents have been harping on for long.

This over-reliance on certificates drives some ambitious people to pursue the papers, falsifying them if needed, without the requisite knowledge, which has cost us a lot. Often, we have found ourselves unhealthily preoccupied with the veracity of the qualifications of public office seekers in the country rather than how they can tackle our country’s challenges. From Buhari to Atiku to Tinubu, and even Jonathan, we have been spending an insane amount of time trying to verify documents and qualifications that shouldn’t take too long to verify.

It has also had other forms of repercussions. So while someone like Salisu Buhari, for instance, was adjudged by his colleagues to have been a promising leader of the House of Representatives in 1999, and Nnaji, who in his capacity as Minister of Science and Innovation is credited with launching the National Cleantech Innovation Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (CIEE), initiating the ‘Tech Advantage Nigeria’ programme to empower Nigerian youth with digital skills, apprenticeship opportunities, and entrepreneurship support across the federation, and facilitating the establishment of a Solar PV Module Assembly Plant in Enugu State to boost local solar energy technology manufacturing, the greatest matter he will be remembered for is his alleged falsification of documents.

Sadly, this tradition has a long history. From way back, Nigerian public officials have been presenting documents and qualifications that have raised suspicions. There have been early indications of some of these scandals that were blatantly ignored, like Nnamdi Azikiwe’s decision to ignore the damning forgery allegations and fraud claims against Nwafor Orizu to give him the political platform that made him the Senate president in the First Republic.

To curb the culture of our invasive species of paper tigers, Nigeria must use Nnaji’s case to set a marker by conducting a thorough investigation to gather evidence proving whether the documents in question were forged and whether there was intent to defraud. If sufficient evidence exists, formal criminal charges should be filed, as forgery is a criminal offence punishable under the law.

Already, Nnaji, like others, has suffered reputational damage. However, that is not enough if convicted. Sanctions stipulated by the laws, including fines and imprisonment, must be brought to bear, as well as further repercussions that might include disqualification from public office, forfeiture of benefits, and potential civil suits if harm was caused.

There is no point in having strict laws against crimes like forgery and document falsification if the law is going to be unequally applied based on one’s proximity to power. The application of this law is meant to deter other certificate forgers waiting to claw their way up the system and encourage honest achievements by future leaders of the country. Now would be a good time to dissuade future paper tigers and forgers from obsessing over this paper tiger syndrome and actually working to obtain the requisite qualifications for real. It would be best for their futures and the future of the country.

Nigeria’s political scene in 2025 is a dramatic stage where the intense pre-2027 election maneuvering often overshadows the serious business of governance, creating a spectacle ripe for comical analysis. The opposition is attempting a ‘super-team-up’ that resembles a poorly coordinated Kannywood blockbuster, while the government chases political mirages, all as the populace grapples with a relentless cost-of-living crisis.

The political arena is dominated by alignments and re-alignments for the 2027 presidential elections. Here’s a look at the main actors and their storylines:

‘Super Alliance’ that can’t super-size: The main opposition parties-PDP, Labour Party, and NNPP-are trying to form a coalition to challenge the ruling APC. However, internal divisions make this effort look like trying to build a mansion with crumbling bricks. The alliance is so fractured that only some factions are likely to join forces, creating a ‘political Frankenstein’s monster’ that is far from formidable. The central comedy revolves around the two leading opposition figures, Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, who are stuck in a classic ‘who will be the oga at the top’ standoff, making any meaningful union unlikely.

The defection derby: In a classic display of ‘if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,’ lawmakers from the struggling opposition parties are expected to defect to the ruling APC in a rush. The Labour Party is projected to be the biggest loser, potentially going into the 2027 elections with less than half the National Assembly seats it won in 2023. This political migration is a surefire way to further weaken an already disorganized opposition. The Governor Fubara saga: The political crisis in Rivers State surrounding Governor Siminalayi Fubara provides its own dramatic subplot. According to a close personal friend from Rivers, the chances of a second impeachment before the end of 2025 is said to be very high, promising more legal battles and political intrigue that could escalate into localized unrest.

Chasing the elusive 25%: From a strategic standpoint, one of the most amusing plots is the alleged obsession of President Tinubu’s camp with winning 25% of the vote in the South-East. A satirical commentary aptly compares this to ‘expecting a Kannywood actor to win an Oscar because he received an endorsement from his mai-shayi joint pals.’ The piece argues that after the 2023 presidential results, where the APC managed only 4% of the vote in the region, this hustle is like ‘trying to woo someone who has clearly made up their mind to give out his daughter’s hand to someone.’ The author suggests that focusing on tangible governance would be a more fruitful strategy than chasing elite endorsements that don’t translate to votes.

Amidst the political chess game, the nawaos and realities of governance and the economy present their own ironic twists:

The ‘official’ vs ‘unofficial’ health bulletin: One of the biggest open secrets is the state of President Tinubu’s health. It’s common knowledge he is unwell and frequently travels abroad for treatment, but the nature of his illness remains unclear. The comical element is the refusal to formally hand over power to the Vice President during these absences, creating a perpetual state of ‘he’s in charge. but is he really?’

The running mate tango: Tensions are simmering between President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. The 2023 ‘Muslim-Muslim ticket’ was a calculated move to appeal to voters in the North. However, with Tinubu’s popularity waning in the region due to economic policies, there’s talk he might ditch Shettima for a Christian running mate from the North in 2027. This has set the stage for a classic political drama of loyalty and betrayal, increasing tensions at the highest level of government.

The INEC chair musical chairs: President Tinubu is expected to appoint a new Chairman of INEC in November 2025. The expectation is that he will appoint someone loyal from the Southwest, ensuring a friendly umpire for the 2027 elections. The joke is that efforts to amend the Electoral Act are expected to drag on, resulting in only token changes that won’t fundamentally alter how elections are conducted. It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same.

While the politicians play their games, the reality for everyday Nigerians is no laughing matter, though the government’s responses can sometimes seem like a dark comedy.

A parade of crises: The country is grappling with severe security challenges, including bandit attacks in the Northwest, separatist agitations in the Southeast, and the persistent Boko Haram conflict in the Northeast. The security forces have also been accused of human rights abuses, including responding to protests with violence and making arrests under the Cybercrimes Act to crack down on critics and journalists.

The economy and the ‘Jet’ set: The country is facing its worst cost-of-living crisis in 30 years, with high inflation pushing many deeper into poverty. In a move that sparked public outrage, the government’s 2024 spending priorities included the purchase of a new presidential jet, unveiled in August. The image of a government buying a luxury jet while its citizens struggle to eat is a satire goldmine, highlighting a stark disconnect.

But the curtain hasn’t fallen yet.

In the grand Kannywood production that is Nigerian politics, 2025 is the season of the prequel. setting the stage for the 2027 blockbuster. The political manoeuvring, defections, and alliance-building provide endless material for a comical, if somewhat cynical, analysis.

As one commentator wisely noted, the real solution isn’t in chasing elusive endorsements but in ‘governance. If by 2027, Nigerians across all regions can point to tangible improvements in their daily lives. then even the most skeptical voters will reconsider their stance.’ For now, the show goes on, and all the public can do is watch, laugh, and hope for a better script in the next season.

Will the opposition ever unite? Will the chase for the South-East vote prove fruitful? Stay tuned for the next episode of Nigeria’s political melodrama. It’s going to be a blockbuster. or your money.

Nigeria has lost one of its most respected elder statesmen, diplomats, and thought leaders, Dr. Christopher Kolade, who passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at the age of 93.

His family confirmed the news in a statement expressing gratitude for his life of service, faith, and integrity.

‘We are thankful for his incredible life of faith and service, and are grateful for God’s abundant blessings,’ the family said+.

Born on December 28, 1932, in Erin-Oke, Osun State, Dr. Kolade’s life embodied excellence, humility, and an unwavering commitment to public good.

The son of an Anglican missionary, he received his early education at Government College, Ibadan, before proceeding to Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he studied the humanities.

Dr. Kolade’s illustrious career spanned broadcasting, corporate leadership, diplomacy, academia, and public service.

He began as a broadcaster and rose to become Director-General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), where he helped shape the country’s early broadcasting standards.

Transitioning to the corporate world, he served as Chief Executive and later Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, guiding the company through a period of growth and modernization.

In the late 1990s, Dr. Kolade was appointed Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, a role in which he represented the nation with dignity and distinction.

Upon his return, he continued to contribute to national development through teaching and mentoring. At the Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos, he taught Corporate Governance and Human Resource Management at the Lagos Business School, and Leadership and Conflict Management at the School of Media and Communication. He also served as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, helping to shape the university’s academic and ethical standards.

Beyond academia, Dr. Kolade’s influence extended across several professional and faith-based organizations. He chaired the Nigerian Institute of Management, the Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, the International Institute for Communications, and the World Association for Christian Communication.

When Gbenga Komolafe, chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), assumed the role of interim chairman of the newly launched African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF), many across the continent’s oil and gas sector hailed it as a watershed moment. His elevation was not just a personal milestone but a recognition of Nigeria’s growing influence in shaping the governance of Africa’s energy future. Yet, even as praise pours in, questions linger about capacity, politics, and the sustainability of the project.

The launch and charter-signing of AFRIPERF took place on September 18, 2025, during Africa Oil Week in Accra, Ghana. Sixteen African countries participated, and eight of them – including Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia, Gambia, Madagascar, Sudan, Guinea, and Togo – formally endorsed the AFRIPERF Charter. Seven others pledged to join after domestic consultations. Komolafe was unanimously selected as interim chairman, a role that effectively positions Nigeria at the forefront of continental oil and gas regulation.

The forum’s objective is ambitious but urgent: to harmonise petroleum laws, standards, and regulatory practices across Africa. Over the decades, differences in national legislation, fiscal regimes, and licensing procedures have discouraged cross-border investments and weakened collective bargaining power. AFRIPERF is conceived to bridge those divides by creating a platform for knowledge exchange, peer review, and regional cooperation.

According to its charter, AFRIPERF will operate through an Executive Committee of national regulators, a Technical Committee of industry experts, and a rotating Secretariat to coordinate activities among member states. The framework builds on Nigeria’s earlier leadership in regulatory reform under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021.

Komolafe, who first proposed the idea of a continental regulatory network in 2023, has long argued that Africa must ‘own its resources with efficiency and integrity’ rather than compete in isolation. The Abuja Declaration, introduced during Nigeria Oil and Gas Week in 2024, laid the philosophical foundation for AFRIPERF – emphasising transparency, environmental responsibility, and collaboration. The Accra meeting in 2025 marked the institutional birth of that vision.

The symbolism is significant. Nigeria remains one of Africa’s most experienced hydrocarbon producers, and its reform-driven regulatory commission has been widely seen as a model of post-PIA transformation. Komolafe’s emergence as the forum’s interim head therefore reinforces the view that Nigeria can export regulatory expertise in addition to crude oil.

Nigeria’s Reformist Reputation Meets Continental Expectations

Komolafe’s tenure at NUPRC offers clues about what to expect from his new continental assignment. Since assuming office, he has pushed reforms to digitise upstream licensing, streamline approvals, strengthen host community engagement, and curb oil theft through tighter metering systems. Under his leadership, the Commission has prioritised data transparency, community participation, and gas monetisation – themes that resonate with AFRIPERF’s founding principles.

But moving from national regulation to continental coordination is an entirely different challenge. Africa’s oil-producing nations operate under vastly different fiscal models, political pressures, and institutional capacities. Some have mature frameworks with digital monitoring systems; others still rely on paper records and manual audits. Aligning these disparities will test both Komolafe’s diplomatic skill and the credibility of the new forum.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Pan-African Regulatory Excellence Forum (PAREF), an industry think tank, commended Komolafe’s appointment as ‘a fitting recognition of Nigeria’s reform trajectory and the strength of his leadership.’ The statement, signed by its executive director, Dr Aisha Njoroge, described the AFRIPERF chairmanship as ‘an opportunity to turn the rhetoric of regional cooperation into measurable results’.

According to her, ‘The success of AFRIPERF will depend not on the size of its membership but on the quality of its deliverables. It must demonstrate practical value by harmonising gas measurement standards, emissions regulations, and digital compliance systems. Otherwise, it risks becoming another talk shop’.

Dr Njoroge urged the interim chair to prioritise inclusivity and transparency in early decisions, ensuring that smaller or less-resourced countries are not marginalised. ‘Regulatory convergence should not become regulatory domination,’ she added.

Beyond institutional design, several issues now dominate the agenda. The first is capacity disparity. Many African regulators lack technical manpower, laboratory infrastructure, and stable funding. Without a plan for shared resources or training exchanges, the forum could reinforce existing inequalities. The second is the question of authority. AFRIPERF’s recommendations are currently advisory, not binding, which may limit their impact unless member states voluntarily adopt harmonised frameworks.

Another pressing challenge is financing. Sustaining the forum will require predictable revenue – either through member dues, donor partnerships, or cost-sharing arrangements. Overreliance on external funding, especially from Western partners with decarbonisation agendas, could tilt priorities away from Africa’s own developmental needs.

There is also the matter of political independence. Regulators in several countries remain vulnerable to executive interference, particularly during licensing rounds and fiscal negotiations. Komolafe’s reputation for professionalism and non-partisanship at NUPRC will be critical in keeping AFRIPERF free from political capture.

The Road Ahead for Africa’s Energy Governance

Meanwhile, energy transition pressures loom large. Global investment in fossil fuels is tightening amid climate-related restrictions, yet Africa still relies on hydrocarbons for more than 70 per cent of government revenue in producing countries. AFRIPERF will need to navigate this paradox – promoting efficiency and environmental stewardship while defending the continent’s right to exploit its resources responsibly.

For Komolafe, the ultimate test will be turning vision into execution. The first set of deliverables expected from AFRIPERF include harmonised reporting templates for production data, a regional petroleum data repository, and shared capacity-building programmes for regulatory staff. Progress on these fronts will determine whether the forum becomes a genuine platform for transformation or fades into the background of African bureaucracy.

In his remarks at the Accra signing ceremony, Komolafe was clear about his priorities. ‘This is not just about creating another institution,’ he said. ‘It is about aligning Africa’s regulatory systems with the demands of a new global energy order – one that rewards transparency, innovation, and sustainability.’ He pledged that under his leadership, the forum would set measurable goals and enforce accountability through peer review.

Nigeria’s oil reforms have already strengthened its domestic regulatory identity. If Komolafe can translate that momentum into continental cooperation, AFRIPERF could become a defining institution for Africa’s late-oil era – a forum that speaks with one voice in global energy diplomacy while setting common rules for its own internal market.

But ambition alone will not suffice. The forum’s success depends on political will across capitals, not just the competence of its chairman. Africa has seen many grand alliances fade for lack of sustained follow-through. As one senior industry observer put it, ‘Komolafe’s leadership gives AFRIPERF credibility; now it must earn legitimacy.’

The months ahead will reveal whether Nigeria’s stewardship can turn this continental experiment into a lasting framework for energy governance. For now, the mood within the sector is one of cautious optimism – and a growing sense that, at least this time, Africa’s regulators might finally be speaking the same language.

Dan is an oil and gas expert writing from Port Harcourt.

The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has expressed its commitment to raise the industry standards in line with Nigeria’s trajectory of skills transfer.

The agency’s Director-General, Dr. Abisoye Fagade, stated this during a stakeholders forum, pledging the agency’s readiness, as the national Sector Skills Council, to champion initiatives that professionalize the sector.

The tourism sector is transitioning from informal apprenticeship systems to the more structured National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), which stakeholders say is an evolution which underscores a national shift toward fostering economic growth, empowering youth, and building a skilled workforce for the future.

Fagade welcomed the commitment of stakeholders in the Travel, Tourism, Hospitality and Allied Trades sector to skills development and capacity building initiatives, as he pledged his agency’s readiness, as the national Sector Skills Council, to champion initiatives that professionalize the sector and raise industry standards. Fagade reiterated the critical importance of skills acquisition over reliance on academic paper qualifications, particularly in the travel, tourism, and hospitality value chain.

Equipping young people with employable skills, he noted, is key to diverting them from social vices, strengthening national security, and addressing pressing challenges such as unemployment, poverty, social instability, and insecurity.

A further boost to the skills agenda came with the circular issued by the Head of Service of the Federation last year, which conveyed the approval by the National Council on Establishment for the inclusion of National Skills Qualification (NSQ) Levels in the Scheme of Service across all public service sectors.

This policy recognizes that persons trained in any skill area, with qualifications from Levels 1-6, are employable and can be placed on salary grades corresponding to their certified competencies.

Explaining the framework, the DG highlighted that the NSQF is anchored on National Occupational Standards (NOS), statements of competence and performance required in specific job roles, alongside the necessary underpinning knowledge.

This, he noted, reinforces the vital role of the Sector Skills Council (SSC) and Awarding Bodies (ABs) in workforce development for travel, tourism, hospitality, and allied trades.Established in 2015, the Hospitality and Tourism Sector Skills Council of Nigeria (HTSSON), coordinated by NIHOTOUR, is mandated to engage employers and industry stakeholders to identify skills gaps, develop, validate, and implement NOS nationwide.

The DG disclosed further that 12 key areas have been identified and their NOS developed and approved by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for the sector. These, he added, include: Airport and Passenger Service Operations, Event Handling Operations Food Preparation, Packaging, and Dispatch, Food and Beverage Production, Food Safety Services, Food and Beverage Service, Front Office Operations, Housekeeping Operations, Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Operations, Tour Operations, Travel Agency Operations, Travel and Tourism Advisory Services.

Head Coach Eric Sekou Chelle will have 20 players in camp for the Super Eagles’ second training session on Wednesday in Polokwane, as preparations intensify for Friday’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Crocodiles of Lesotho.

As of Tuesday night, 18 players were already at the team’s base, The Ranch Hotel, with Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal) and Jerome Akor Adams (Spain) expected to join on Wednesday. Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, who plays in the United States, is due to arrive in South Africa on Thursday (today).

Chelle has made a few adjustments to his initial squad following injuries to Bright Osayi-Samuel and Cyriel Dessers, replacing them with Zaidu Sanusi and Christantus Uche of Crystal Palace. A separate injury to wing-back Felix Agu earlier reduced the list from 23 to 22 players.

However, Russia-based winger Olakunle Olusegun is yet to receive his South African entry visa, potentially leaving Nigeria with 21 available players for the encounter.

The Matchday 9 fixture will take place at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Friday, October 10, 2025, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. local time (5 p.m. Nigeria time).

Chelle and his technical crew are expected to fine-tune tactical and fitness details in the final sessions before Friday’s clash, as the Super Eagles aim to secure vital points in their World Cup qualifying campaign.