Category: Daily Trust

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has stated that the remaining sections of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway will be completed by November.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by Executive members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Umahi disclosed that more than 80 per cent of the N752bn for the project has been paid.

Umahi said the government was also installing solar-powered streetlights along the highway and would deploy what he described as ‘superhighway guards’ to protect the road from vandalism after observing attempts by some people to remove sections of the concrete pavement.

According to him, the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano route covers 375 kilometres in one direction, translating to 750 kilometres when both carriageways are considered.

He explained that the Federal Government had previously spent more than N200bn on the portion of the road handled by Julius Berger, with the contractor completing 240 kilometres on each carriageway, amounting to 480 kilometres.

Umahi also disclosed that 118 kilometers of concrete pavement has been completed on the Abuja-Kaduna Highway with 164 kilometres, 82 kilometres by 2, left to complete the job, adding that the government has paid 80 percent of the N752bn the project would cost.

He urged the NANS to see themselves as future leaders and begin to get involved in the running of Nigeria by clearly taking stands rather than standing on the fence.

Umahi also vowed that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be completed regardless of the attacks, stressing that over 50 percent of the entire stretch has already been completed.

Earlier the President of NANS, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, who named the minister of works, Engr. Dave Umahi as the Grant Patron of the association said the award was in recognition of his hard work and commitment to excellence.

A Framework for Conversation, Refinement and Possible National Adoption As Nigeria approaches another important season of political choices, perhaps we should begin a different conversation about leadership.

For decades, we have interrogated those seeking public office largely around promises: What will you build? How many jobs will you create? Which roads will you construct? What will you do about education, healthcare, security and the economy?

These are legitimate questions.

But perhaps they are no longer enough.

Behind every manifesto lies a more fundamental question: what kind of governing system will the candidate leave behind?

Nigeria’s experience suggests that good intentions are not enough. Good people can become ineffective leaders. Strong leaders can produce impressive results while in office, only for those achievements to disappear after they leave. And institutions that depend upon exceptional individuals are not yet truly strong institutions.

Perhaps, therefore, our leadership conversation should move beyond simply asking:

‘Are you a good person?’

or even:

‘What will you do for us?’

to asking:

‘What will you build that can outlive you?’

The following ten questions are therefore proposed not as a finished national template, but as a framework for conversation, criticism and refinement and perhaps, if we can build sufficient consensus around it, eventual adoption as one of the instruments through which Nigerians interrogate those who seek the privilege of governing them.

THE TEN QUESTIONS

1. THE INSTITUTIONAL LEGACY TEST

Which institutions within your responsibility will be demonstrably stronger when you leave office than when you entered and how should citizens measure that improvement?

The question is not merely what the candidate will personally accomplish, but what institutional capacity will remain.

2. THE SUSTAINABILITY TEST

Which of your major reforms should still be working five years after you leave office, and what will you do to make them survive you?

Projects may deteriorate and administrations will change. Serious reforms should become embedded in systems, laws, professional routines and institutional culture.

3. THE SELF-RESTRAINT TEST

Which powers presently dependent upon personal discretion will you convert into transparent, rule based processes?

One measure of institutional leadership is the willingness to replace ‘Oga must approve’ with rules, systems and processes that work irrespective of who occupies the office.

4. THE INDEPENDENCE TEST

Which institutions will you strengthen sufficiently to investigate, audit, challenge or sanction your own government, associates and political allies where necessary?

It is relatively easy to build institutions that constrain one’s opponents. The real test is whether those institutions can also constrain one’s friends and oneself.

5. THE COMPETENCE AND MERIT TEST

How will you ensure that competence, rather than patronage, increasingly determines who enters, advances and leads within the public service?

No government can permanently outperform the quality of the state machinery through which it governs.

6. THE PERFORMANCE TEST

What few measurable outcomes should citizens use to judge whether your government is actually succeeding?

Not speeches. Not activities. Not the number of committees inaugurated. What outcomes should citizens independently track?

7. THE TRANSPARENCY TEST

Which important government processes will you make sufficiently transparent that ordinary citizens can interrogate them without privileged access?

Budgets, procurement, expenditure, appointments and project performance should progressively become matters of public information rather than insider knowledge.

8. THE CONSEQUENCE TEST

What happens when someone in your government breaks the rules including someone politically important to you?

Rules become institutions only when consequences cease to depend upon the identity of the offender.

9. THE SUCCESSION AND CONTINUITY TEST

How will you ensure that government does not suffer institutional amnesia whenever leadership changes?

A functioning state should preserve knowledge, capability and continuity across administrations rather than repeatedly returning to the starting line.

10. THE SYSTEM TEST

What safeguards will you build so that an average, incompetent or even self-interested successor cannot easily dismantle what works or inflict extraordinary damage?

Perhaps this is the ultimate institution building question.

A successful system should enable good leaders to accomplish extraordinary good while preventing bad leaders from doing extraordinary damage.

FROM QUESTIONS TO A NATIONAL CONVERSATION

The usefulness of these questions will depend less on who originated them than on who eventually uses them.

For citizens and young Nigerians, they could provide a way of looking beyond charisma, rhetoric, identity and campaign theatre. Do not merely applaud the speech. Ask the questions. Record the answers. Return to them after the election.

For the media, they could help move political interviews and debates from rehearsed talking points towards institutional competence. Imagine presidential and gubernatorial debates in which candidates are required to explain not simply what they intend to do, but what systems they will build to ensure that their achievements survive them.

For civil society and professional organisations, the questions could become the foundation for an independent Institution Building Leadership Scorecard through which commitments are recorded before elections and performance assessed periodically afterwards.

For political parties, they could become part of the process for evaluating aspirants before nomination. Manifestos should tell us what a party wants to achieve; institutional questions should tell us whether its candidates understand how sustainable government is built.

For business and organised private sector groups, the framework could help shift engagement with candidates beyond requests for particular policies towards questions of regulatory predictability, institutional continuity, rule of law and the durability of economic reforms.

For traditional, community and faith leaders, whose voices continue to carry considerable influence in shaping public expectations, the framework could provide another language for encouraging citizens to assess leadership beyond ethnicity, religion, geography and immediate political patronage.

And for universities, think tanks and policy institutions, perhaps the framework can be challenged, researched, improved and eventually transformed from ten interesting questions into a credible instrument for measuring institutional leadership.

That is why this document is deliberately being circulated as a conversation framework rather than a concluded proposition.

The questions themselves should be questioned.

Are these the right ten?

Are some more important than others?

Can candidates answer them meaningfully?

Can the answers be independently measured?

Should some questions carry greater weight?

Could we eventually construct a 100 point Institution Building Leadership Score?

And, most importantly, can sufficient consensus emerge among credible Nigerian institutions for something of this nature to become part of how we interrogate leadership?

Perhaps changing Nigeria’s leadership outcomes must begin partly by changing the questions we ask of those who seek to lead us.

Our politics has become highly sophisticated at evaluating who can win elections.

We may now need to become equally sophisticated at evaluating who can build institutions after winning them.

The objective is therefore not to find another perfect Nigerian.

It is to identify leaders who understand that their greatest legacy may not be the power they exercise while in office, but the institutions they leave behind when that power is gone.

Perhaps every candidate seeking significant public authority should ultimately confront one simple question:

If Nigerians give you power today, what will you build that will make Nigeria less dependent on finding another person like you tomorrow?

That is the conversation this framework seeks to begin.

Not the final word.

Hopefully, the beginning of a better question.

The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Nenadi Usman, has called on political parties seeking to form a coalition ahead of the 2027 elections to collapse their structures into the Labour Party.

She said this is because LP remained the only opposition party with a realistic presence across the 186,000 polling units in the country.

She said the combined strength of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), which she described as constitutional members of the LP, had positioned the party to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Usman stated this in Bauchi on Tuesday while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue, according to a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa.

The 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue, themed, ‘Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?’, attracted former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice-President Namadi Sambo and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, among other dignitaries.

The LP national chairman said Nigeria’s democracy survived the 2015 political crisis because former President Goodluck Jonathan sacrificed his political ambition by conceding defeat in the presidential election.

She urged Nigerian politicians seeking elective offices in 2027 to emulate Jonathan’s non-violent approach to politics and respect democratic rules.

Usman said Jonathan’s decision to concede defeat before the final results of the 2015 presidential election were fully announced was unprecedented in Nigeria’s political history.

According to her, the former president had consistently maintained that neither his election nor remaining in office was worth the blood of any Nigerian.

‘Democracy in Nigeria is still in place today because of the sacrifices of President Jonathan,’ she said, while questioning whether politicians seeking the presidency in 2027 would be willing to make similar sacrifices in the interest of the country.

In attendance were former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, former Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Ben Nwoye, and the Emir of Bauchi, Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu.

The Police Command in Ondo State has arrested a 27-year-old man in connection with the alleged defilement of a 15-year-old girl in Omifon, Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.

DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the command’s spokesperson, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Akure, said the case was reported at the Odigbo Divisional Police Station by the victim’s guardian on Aug. 2.

Jimoh said the case was subsequently transferred to the Gender-Based Offences Unit of the command for discreet investigation due to the sensitive nature of the allegation.

‘The victim’s guardian reported that the 15-year-old girl, who was a domestic worker in her household, on several occasions, left home without permission.

‘According to the report, the girl was questioned about where she usually went whenever she left.

‘The victim allegedly disclosed that the suspect had been taking her to his late mother’s residence in Omifon, where he allegedly engaged in unlawful sexual intercourse with her.

‘Following the report, police operatives commenced investigation and subsequently arrested the suspect.

‘The victim has also been placed under appropriate care and necessary steps are being taken in accordance with established procedures for cases involving alleged sexual offences against minors,’ he said.

Jimoh also said the Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, directed the Gender-Based Offences Unit to conduct a thorough and professional investigation into the matter, with a view to establishing the facts and ensuring that justice was served. (NAN)

A member of the Kano State House of Assembly representing Tudun Wada constituency, Sule Lawan Shuwaki, has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaker of the Assembly, Ismail Falgore, read Shuwaki’s resignation letter during plenary on Tuesday.

In the letter, Shuwaki said his decision followed ‘deep reflection and consultations’ with political associates, supporters and family members.

He thanked APC leaders at all levels for the support he enjoyed while in the party but noted that he had chosen a new political path that aligns with his principles.

Confirming the move, Shuwaki disclosed that he had joined the PDP months earlier but delayed formal announcement due to political consultations.

He also appreciated his former associates and supporters in Tudun Wada, urging residents to maintain unity and cordial relations despite political differences.

The Speaker explained that the Assembly leadership had received the resignation letter about two months ago but held back its reading while engaging Shuwaki to confirm his position.

The Taraba State Government has debunked reports suggesting that the state’s debt portfolio had risen to N1.2 trillion.

The State’s Commissioner of Finance, Dr Sarah Adi Enoch, while reacting to the report during a press briefing in Jalingo, said the report does not reflect its officially recognised debt stock, which was contained in the latest available records of the Debt Management Office (DMO).

She revealed that the state domestic debt stood at N85.51 billion as of December 31, 2025, and not N1.2 trillion as claimed by reports sponsored by some mischief makers.

According to her, the current domestic debt figure of N85.51 billion represents a reduction of about N2.45 billion from the approximately N87.96 billion reported before the administration of Governor Agbu Kefas came into office.

She explained that the DMO had clarified that the Taraba debt figure contained in its March 2023 publication was actually based on the state’s position as of September 30, 2022.

Dr Sarah stated further that the latest DMO data showed that the state’s domestic debt stock as of December 31, 2025, was approximately N85.51 billion.

‘The official DMO figures do not support suggestions that Taraba State’s domestic debt profile rose to N1.2 trillion. That claim is not only false but a calculated attempt by mischievous groups to paint the Taraba government black,’ she said.

Speaking further on the state’s external debt, the commissioner said that the DMO had placed Taraba’s external debt at approximately $46.47 million as of December 31, 2022, compared with $48.04 million as of December 31, 2025.

Dr Sarah, however, described the movement in the external debt position as relatively modest and acknowledged the exchange rate risks associated with foreign currency obligations.

She said the Taraba State government would continue to ensure that external financing remained within the limits of fiscal sustainability and its repayment capacity.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ (FOU ‘A’), Ikeja-Lagos, has intercepted 220 consignments of prohibited and smuggled goods with a combined Duty Paid Value of N3.24 billion and recovered N728.98 million in lost revenue.

The seizures, recorded during intelligence-led operations, included 4,956 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 12 foreign-used vehicles, 2,683 parcels of synthetic cannabis weighing 1,439.9kg, 240,000 tablets of Tramadol and 12,000 tablets of Hypnox.

The unit also intercepted 24,100 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 686 cartons of foreign poultry products, 414 bales of used clothing, 2,947 used tyres, foreign vegetable oil, 22 elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg and other prohibited items.

Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, head of FOU ‘A’, who made the disclosure on Monday said the N728.98 million revenue recovery demonstrated the unit’s efforts to tackle leakages arising from under-declaration, false declarations and other customs fraud.

He urged importers, exporters and licensed customs agents to make accurate declarations and comply with customs regulations, warning that the unit would sustain its crackdown on smuggling and revenue evasion.

Aliyu said the interception of restricted food products and other imports would help protect local industries, support food security and safeguard legitimate government revenue.

He added that the seizure of illicit drugs and pharmaceutical products would help protect public health, while the recovery of elephant tusks supported efforts to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.

According to him, improved intelligence gathering, risk profiling and collaboration with sister agencies were central to the unit’s recent enforcement successes.

Eleven firms listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) posted a combined profit of N3.06 trillion in the first half (H1) of 2026, Daily Trust reports.

An analysis of the unaudited half-year results of the companies across the banking, manufacturing, telecommunications, energy, aviation handling, consumer goods and insurance sectors showed improved earnings momentum despite persistent economic pressures.

Experts identified geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures, exchange rate volatility, inadequate electricity supply, energy costs, cybersecurity concerns, intensifying fintech competition and global economic headwinds as some of the challenges companies battled while striving to remain profitable.

Banking

FirstHoldCo Plc reported another outstanding financial performance for the half-year ended June 30, 2026. Most notably, profit before tax rose by 83.5 per cent to N653.5 billion. Gross earnings increased by 16.7 per cent year-on-year to N1.93 trillion from N1.66 trillion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, while operating income grew by 25.8 per cent to N1.38 trillion.

The company said the results underscore its transition from recovery to sustainable growth and long-term value creation.

Profit after tax climbed by 81.6 per cent to N526.1 billion from N289.8 billion in the previous year.

Group Chairman of FirstHoldCo Plc, Femi Otedola, described the results as a significant achievement in the group’s transformation journey.

United Capital Plc also released its H1 2026 results, reporting a profit before tax of N24.78 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2026.

This represents a 79.62 per cent year-on-year increase from N13.79 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Profit after tax rose by 77.45 per cent to N21.10 billion from N11.89 billion, while basic earnings per share increased by 77.27 per cent to 234 kobo from 132 kobo.

Manufacturing

Dangote Cement Plc, BUA Cement Plc and HBM Nigeria Plc posted a combined profit after tax of N1.17 trillion in the first half of 2026.

The three companies generated an additional N337.65 billion in net profit during the six months ended June 30, 2026.

Dangote Cement maintained its position as the industry’s largest player after posting a profit after tax of N638.53 billion, representing a 22.69 per cent increase from N520.46 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Revenue grew by 21.35 per cent to N2.51 trillion from N2.07 trillion, while profit before tax rose by 34.43 per cent to N981.39 billion from N730.03 billion.

HBM Nigeria Plc also delivered a strong performance, with profit after tax rising by 57.03 per cent to N208.30 billion from N132.70 billion. Revenue increased by 31.23 per cent to N678.4 billion from N516.90 billion, while profit before tax climbed by 59.08 per cent to N317.73 billion from N199.74 billion.

BUA Cement recorded the strongest profit growth among the three manufacturers, with profit after tax surging by 79.59 per cent to N324.88 billion from N180.9 billion. Revenue rose by 25.61 per cent to N728.93 billion from N580.3 billion, while profit before tax advanced to N384.44 billion from N214.8 billion.

Telecommunications

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc recorded a profit before tax of N1.09 trillion for the first half of 2026, representing a 75.4 per cent year-on-year increase and its highest-ever half-year performance.

The strong result was driven by robust data demand, improved operating efficiency and lower borrowing levels.

The telecommunications giant also posted a 25.9 per cent increase in revenue to N2.99 trillion despite the challenging macroeconomic environment.

Profit after tax rose by 70.6 per cent to N707.5 billion. Consequently, the Board approved an interim dividend of N26 per share, payable on September 7, 2026, to shareholders on the register as of August 20, 2026.

The company’s balance sheet also strengthened during the period, with shareholders’ equity rising by 69.6 per cent to N930.6 billion, while earnings per share increased by 70.6 per cent to N33.76.

Chief Executive Officer Karl Toriola attributed the strong performance to sustained commercial momentum, improved profitability and robust cash generation despite persistent macroeconomic pressures.

Energy

Seplat Energy Plc reported a 498 per cent increase in profit after tax to $164 million during the period under review.

Revenue grew to $1.82 billion from $1.398 billion year-on-year, while cash generated reached $985.9 million.

Production averaged 139,509 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) in H1 2026, up four per cent from 134,492 boepd recorded in H1 2025 and within the company’s 2026 production guidance of 135,000 to 155,000 boepd.

Gross profit rose by 68 per cent to $815.9 million from $484.6 million.

The company also announced an agreement with NNPC Limited to sell a 10 per cent interest in the NNPCL-SEPNU Joint Venture, a move expected to enhance shareholder returns and bring total expected dividends for 2026 to 68.3 US cents per share.

Chief Executive Officer Roger Brown said the company’s first-half performance benefited from favourable commodity prices, strong cash generation and disciplined balance sheet management.

Oando Plc also reported a strong financial and operational performance for H1 2026.

Revenue rose by 20 per cent to N2.1 trillion, while profit after tax increased by eight per cent to N68.6 billion. Gross profit surged by 331 per cent to N101 billion.

Average daily production rose by 16 per cent year-on-year to 42,789 boepd from 36,836 boepd in the corresponding period of 2025.

Aradel Holdings Plc recorded a 576.88 per cent increase in revenue to N2.49 trillion from N368.08 billion. Profit before tax stood at N752.71 billion, while profit after tax was N191.05 billion.

Aviation

Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc sustained its growth trajectory in H1 2026, recording a 22 per cent increase in profit.

Gross revenue rose to N35.36 billion from N32.33 billion, while operating profit increased by 25.4 per cent to N14.59 billion.

Profit before tax improved by 21.8 per cent to N14.37 billion, while profit after tax rose by 22.2 per cent to N10.85 billion from N8.88 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Insurance

AIICO Insurance Plc reported a 14.53 per cent year-on-year increase in insurance revenue to N74.93 billion from N65.43 billion.

Profit before tax rose by 20.63 per cent to N15.05 billion, while profit after tax increased by 18.94 per cent to N13.40 billion, reflecting improved underwriting margins and stronger investment income.

Consumer Goods

Unilever Nigeria Plc recorded a turnover of N119.9 billion during the period under review, representing a 22 per cent increase from N98.1 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Gross profit grew by 30 per cent to N54.7 billion from N42.1 billion, while net profit increased to N15.6 billion from N14.4 billion.

Oghenegaren Esiovwa-Thompson made history at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships, winning Nigeria’s first-ever gold medal in the men’s U-23 epee.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event took place at Rugby School Nigeria in Atlantic City, Lagos.

The 16-year-old stunned the field, brushing aside three Indian opponents on his way to the podium.

His triumph sparked jubilation among fans and marked a defining moment for Nigerian fencing.

To claim the crown, Esiovwa-Thompson produced a masterclass in the final, defeating Asian champion Lokesh Vemani of India 15-6.

The Nigerian teenager showed composure and class against his more experienced rival, while India’s Godwin Natarajan and Ashwini Shaurya settled for bronze medals.

His path to glory was impressive, beginning in Pool 4, where he went unbeaten to top the group and earn a bye into the round of 16.

He defeated South Africa’s Karabo Mathobela 15-7 before overwhelming India’s Shivaansh Kapoor 15-2 in the quarterfinal.

The semifinal brought another Indian opponent, Ashwini Shaurya, but Esiovwa-Thompson held his nerve to win 15-11 and set up a final showdown with Vemani.

Speaking after his victory, Esiovwa-Thompson said he was delighted to have achieved the feat in Nigeria in front of his family and home supporters.

‘I’m just happy that I’m in Nigeria. I won in Nigeria in front of the Nigerians, in front of my grandma and grandpa,’ he said. (NAN).

The Daily Trust Foundation has commenced a workshop on multimedia journalism for senior editors and news managers from the Zamfara State Media Corporation.

The workshop, which began on Monday, is designed to help participants gain practical knowledge of multimedia journalism and emerging digital media trends.

The workshop will run until Friday, August 21, 2026, at the Daily Trust headquarters in Abuja.

Chief Isiaq Ajibola, who represented the Chairman of the Daily Trust Foundation at the opening ceremony, urged journalists to embrace emerging digital technologies while maintaining the credibility and professional standards of journalism.

Chief Ajibola said the rapid transformation of the media industry had made continuous training necessary for journalists to remain relevant in the profession.

He said the media landscape had changed significantly over the past two decades, with news now reaching audiences instantly through digital platforms.

According to him, the training would provide participants with an opportunity to interact with modern newsroom facilities and understand how different media platforms operate together.

He noted that the programme would expose the journalists to the practical aspects of multimedia journalism, adding that the Daily Trust newsroom had evolved into a multimedia platform where newspapers, radio, television, digital platforms and social media work together.

He said, ‘The new media is changing every day,’ stressing that journalists must continuously update their knowledge to keep pace with developments in the industry.

He described the training as an opportunity for experienced journalists to refresh their knowledge, exchange ideas and gain a better understanding of emerging trends in journalism.

Also speaking at the event, Alhaji Ahmed Sani Tsafe, the Director of News and Current Affairs of Zamfara State Media Corporation, told participants that the state government decided to build the capacity of senior editors through the training as a way of repositioning the media in the North-West state.

He said the state had been collaborating with the Media Trust Group over the years and will continue to do so.

The training programme focuses on digital-first newsroom strategies, multimedia storytelling, audience engagement, social media governance, fact-checking, data journalism, data visualisation, audio and video editing, digital safety for journalists and platform-specific content production.

The programme also includes practical sessions and visits to different departments within the Daily Trust multimedia newsroom, where participants will learn how digital content is produced and distributed across various platforms.

The training is aimed at strengthening the capacity of journalists to produce credible, engaging and multimedia-driven content while maintaining professional and ethical standards in an increasingly competitive digital media environment.

The lead facilitator at the workshop is Dr Abdullahi Tasiu Abubakar of St George’s City University of London.