Category: Daily Trust

Stakeholders have urged Nigeria to harness the creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial potential of its youthful population to accelerate economic growth and national development.

They spoke on Thursday at the IDCL Global Conference ’26 in Abuja, where they also called for improvements in electricity supply, reforms in the justice system and greater investment in an environment that enables young Nigerians to create businesses and employment opportunities.

The conference, themed, ‘A New Nigeria,’ brought together entrepreneurs, business leaders, development experts, youth advocates and other stakeholders to discuss economic growth, innovation, governance and national development.

Speaking at the event, the Convener of the Made in Abuja Creative and Entertainment Industry Conference and Award, Gabriel Obochi, said Nigeria must create an enabling environment for young people to turn their ideas into viable enterprises.

Obochi said exposure to productive and innovative people could encourage more young Nigerians to embrace entrepreneurship and creativity.

‘The environment inspires a whole lot of innovation and creativity. When you come into the midst of people who create, who produce, who virtually create anything, it inspires you to start creating or wanting to go into creating as well,’ he said.

He also urged young entrepreneurs not to be discouraged by business failures and other setbacks, saying risk remained an unavoidable part of entrepreneurship.

‘Everything in life is a risk. If you are pulled down by it, you will never get to achieve anything,’ he said.

According to him, successful entrepreneurs are often those who remain focused despite losses and build businesses capable of surviving difficult economic conditions.

Obochi also identified inadequate electricity supply as a major constraint to businesses and called for further liberalisation of the power sector to allow more players to participate in electricity generation.

‘The power sector should be democratised and allow some other smaller companies or ventures to also generate power. That is the only thing that will help us stabilise the power problem and electricity generation in Nigeria,’ he said.

Earlier, the Convener of the IDCL Global Conference ’26, Oluwakemi Olorode, said the gathering was aimed at encouraging Nigerians to play active roles in changing the country’s development trajectory.

‘It’s A New Nigeria. That’s the topic, where Nigerians, as individuals and collectively, are making an impact and changing the narrative,’ she said.

Olorode said the conference provided a platform for business owners, professionals and young people to exchange ideas, establish partnerships and explore solutions to some of the country’s development challenges.

‘So, it’s not a one-person narrative. It’s a narrative for everybody,’ she added.

She also identified electricity supply as an area requiring greater attention, saying businesses and households continued to struggle with inadequate power.

‘We still don’t have 24-hour electricity, even with Band A. We are still pleading with the government to help us make sure that Nigeria is thriving and becomes a success story,’ Olorode said.

Speaking during a panel session, the Executive Director of the Private and Public Development Centre, Mrs Lucy Abagi James, called for greater emphasis on implementing existing policies rather than developing new frameworks.

Abagi, who focused on reforms in the justice sector, said the digitisation of courts would improve efficiency and access to justice.

‘There are already policies. There is no need for another policy framework again. We need to advocate more for judges to be able to digitise their courts,’ she said.

She also urged Nigerians to become more knowledgeable about their legal rights, including the right to legal representation and speedy trial.

According to her, weaknesses within public institutions contribute significantly to corruption and inefficiency in the justice system.

‘One of the problems we are having with corruption is system failure,’ she said.

Abagi said increased digitisation of court processes, alongside stronger public advocacy and awareness, could improve access to justice and strengthen accountability.

Also speaking, development advocate Aisha Sabo said Nigeria’s human capital and the capacity of its people to develop solutions should be regarded as more important to the country’s future than its natural resources.

‘I don’t even believe that minerals are our greatest asset. Our greatest asset and resource is actually our imagination,’ she said.

Sabo urged young Nigerians to think beyond existing limitations and explore innovative solutions to development challenges.

Citing Rwanda’s deployment of drone technology to deliver medical supplies, she said countries could overcome infrastructure and geographical challenges by embracing innovation.

‘The landscape didn’t change, but the way people imagined it did,’ she said.

She said Africa’s youthful population presented a major development opportunity, but stressed that the potential would have to be properly harnessed through skills, innovation and opportunities.

Financial market trader and public speaker, Paschalene Chiemela, similarly urged young Nigerians to develop skills and create opportunities rather than depend solely on government interventions.

‘It doesn’t always have to revolve around the government or policies. It can start with us,’ she said.

Chiemela said young people should develop valuable skills and build credible personal brands to improve their prospects in an increasingly competitive economy.

‘I know the general saying is, ‘There’s no job.’ But what can you do? Build a brand. What can you offer?’ she asked.

She said creating value, developing relevant skills and looking beyond immediate challenges would help more young Nigerians take advantage of emerging economic opportunities.

The Kano State Government has suspended its Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention, SMC, programme activities and constituted a committee to investigate its implementation.

Public Relations Officer of the state’s Ministry of Health, Nabulisi Abubakar Kofar Na’isa, said this in a statement.

According to him, the suspension is to allow for a comprehensive review of the planning, distribution and implementation processes of the SMC programme in the state.

The statement further directed that all ongoing field operations, distributions and community engagement activities under the programme be suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

The ministry said the investigative committee will examine programme operations, documentation, personnel records and all related implementation activities.

According to the statement, the committee is chaired by Director General of the State AIDS Control Agency, SACA, Usman Bashir, with Salisu Ahmad Ibrahim: Director General, State Primary Healthcare Management Board, (SPHCMB); Ghali Sule, Director General, Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency, (DMCSA); Mansur Mudi Nagoda, Executive Secretary, Hospitals Management Board, (HMB); Muhammad A. Abbas, Director General, Kano Centre for Disease Control, (KNCDC); Fatima Usman Zahradden, Executive Secretary, Kano Health Trust Fund, (KHETFUND); Rahila A. Mukhtar, Executive Secretary, Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, (KSCHMA) and Khadijah Hussein Said, Acting Director General, Private Health Institutions Management Agency, (PHIMA) as members while Nazeer Tanko Kyaure, Director Administration and General Services, Ministry of Health will serve as Secretary.

The ministry also directed the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, implementing partners and other stakeholders to report to the ministry headquarters with approved work plans, distribution records and candidate lists for verification.

The government reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability in health programmes, and assured development partners and the public that the review was aimed at strengthening programme delivery.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the order freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.

In a statement he personally signed on Thursday, the president said while he was not opposed to the EFCC’s exercise of its statutory powers, the timing of the action raised some concerns.

The EFCC on Wednesday froze the account of the Osun State Government, citing alleged fraudulent handling of ecology funds, intervention funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11 billion.

The anti-graft agency took the action ten days to the state’s governorship election.

Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord party is contesting against two major candidates: Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Adeleke, who addressed journalists in Osogbo, the state capital, said the freezing of the account was unconstitutional because no court order was obtained before the directive was issued.

But the EFCC explained that the state government’s account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.

The commission, in a statement by its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said some officials of the state had earlier been quizzed by investigators of the commission, saying what precipitated the freezing was the unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.

I feel embarrassed – President

President Tinubu said he feels embarrassed by the EFCC action because the timing could create the impression that the Federal Government is interfering in the state’s forthcoming governorship election.

Tinubu said actions taken by federal institutions were often attributed to him as President, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them.

He said, ‘I must state that I feel deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the agency’s action.

‘This is so because every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action.

‘Since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference.

‘I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law.

‘As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers.

‘While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene.

‘Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election.

‘Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process.

‘Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard.’

EFCC unfreezes account

Efforts to get an official update from the EFCC were futile as several calls to the spokesman of the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, were not answered.

But a senior official at the commission confided in Daily Trust that another official letter has been sent to the management of the First Bank conveying the President’s directive to the bank.

The official, who did not want his name in print because he wasn’t authorised to speak, said: ‘A letter has been sent to the banker to remove the PND restriction on the state government’s account following Mr President’s directive. Nobody should view this from the perspective of the fact that EFCC is not independent.’

Lawyers, CSOs fault Tinubu’s directive

Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong said President Tinubu’s directive to the EFCC to unfreeze Osun State Government accounts undermined the commission’s independence and raised concerns about political interference.

‘Whatever decision the EFCC takes, they may have taken it as an independent arm of government. The President cannot be directing the unfreezing or freezing of accounts. Even though the EFCC is an agency of the executive arm of government, it is created as an independent agency under the law,’ Effiong said.

According to him, the EFCC Establishment Act does not confer supervisory authority on the President over the commission’s statutory responsibilities.

‘What this does is undermine the independence and integrity of the EFCC, and it speaks to political interference,’ he said.

Effiong questioned whether similar presidential directives had been issued in other investigations without public knowledge.

‘If the President is now giving directives in respect of the Osun matter, how many other cases has he given such directives that the public does not know about? We cannot simply trust the President to do what is right when he has a clear partisan interest in matters,’ he said.

Another lawyer, Victoria Adaji, urged the President to demonstrate impartiality by allowing the justice system to function without interference.

‘The President should prove to Nigerians that he is neutral by ensuring justice is served in matters that require so in the country,’ Adaji said.

She maintained that the EFCC’s statutory independence should have been respected.

‘The EFCC is an independent institution, and the President should have understood that better rather than interfering in the matter,’ she added.

Also reacting, Human Rights Lawyer, Udochukwu Onoh, questioned both the President’s authority to issue such a directive and the legal process through which the court granted the order freezing Osun State’s accounts.

Udochukwu also argued that the state government ought to have been given a fair hearing before the order was granted.

‘When we view it from the angle of infringement on fundamental human rights, how could a court grant such a motion without a fair hearing on both sides? The Osun State Government should have been invited to court and granted a fair hearing,’ he said.

He warned that even a temporary freeze on a state’s accounts could cripple governance and essential public services.

Describing the President’s intervention as political interference, Udochukwu said the EFCC should be allowed to discharge its statutory mandate without external influence.

‘Tinubu’s directive strange, eroding trust’

Also, a constitutional lawyer, Basil S. Kpenkpen, Esq., argued that the President’s directive has significant legal consequences for both the directing authority and the investigative Institution.

‘It’s very strange and undemocratic, the order constitutes a severe violation of the right to fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, and it carries significant legal consequences for both the directing authority and the investigative institution.

‘What the Federal Government has done in law amounts to speculation, suspicion and doubt which cannot stand,’ the senior lawyer told one of our correspondents.

On his part, another senior lawyer, Peter Abang, called on the EFCC to put its boots on the ground and assure Nigerians of its independence and accountability in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

According to him, the directive may have tainted the independent image of the commission, arguing that anyone would, after this event and a series of other actions taken by the EFCC, be justified to hold the view that the commission cannot do anything except as directed by the Executive.

But Mustafa Adedibu, another constitutional lawyer, said the president should be commended for dousing the tension in the state.

Adedibu said, ‘The directive by Mr President for the EFCC to unfreeze Osun State Government’s account is, in my honest opinion, supposed to be a bit of relief to the nation as a whole.

‘The action of the EFCC to freeze the account of the state, however well-intended, is truly ill-timed, as the President rightly posited, and the President has just done the right thing.’

Also, civil society organisations criticised President Tinubu’s directive, warning that the intervention could undermine the anti-graft agency’s independence and public confidence in anti-corruption efforts.

The Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, Friday Odeh, and the Chancellor of the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR), Jackson Omenazu, separately argued on Thursday that any concerns arising from the EFCC’s actions should be resolved through the courts rather than executive intervention.

Odeh, who spoke to Daily Trust, said Tinubu’s directive left Nigerians with ‘two readings,’ both of which, according to him, cast the EFCC in a negative light.

‘Nigerians are left with two readings, and both are bad. One, the EFCC acted on its own and is now overridden by Aso Rock, which means it has no operational independence. The second assumption is that the EFCC did not act on its own, and the reversal is damage control,’ he said.

He argued that the President’s intervention had weakened whatever case the commission intended to pursue over the alleged mismanagement of ecological funds in Osun State.

Odeh also called for reforms governing the freezing of government accounts, saying any post-no-debit order on a state’s statutory allocation account should require a publicly disclosed court order, a defined duration and safeguards to protect workers’ salaries and pensions.

Similarly, Omenazu said the President lacked constitutional authority to interfere in an ongoing EFCC investigation or direct the agency on matters already before it.

‘The President does not have the constitutional authority to interfere in an ongoing EFCC investigation or direct the agency on matters that are before it. He should allow the law to take its course and respect the independence of institutions established by the Constitution and the laws of Nigeria,’ Omenazu said.

He maintained that the EFCC, being a statutory body, was expected to discharge its responsibilities independently and without executive interference.

‘The EFCC is a creation of statute and is expected to discharge its responsibilities independently, without executive interference. The President can only exercise powers that are expressly conferred on him by the Constitution and other extant laws. He cannot override the law or substitute his personal directive for due legal process,’ he said.

Omenazu added that any dispute arising from the commission’s actions should be resolved through the courts.

Free El-Rufai too, Atiku challenges Tinubu

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Tinubu to direct the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to release former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, arguing that if the president could order the EFCC to vacate its freeze on Osun State’s government account, he has no basis to claim powerlessness over El-Rufai’s continued detention.

Atiku, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said: ‘Having now demonstrated that he can issue direct operational directives to anti-corruption agencies whenever he considers it expedient, President Tinubu owes Nigerians an explanation as to why he cannot exercise the same authority in the case of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai,’ Atiku said.

ADC: President’s directive on Osun curious, unusual

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said the President’s admission that he directed the EFCC to discontinue the action undermines claims of the agency’s independence or neutrality, thereby confirming that the President actually directs the operational conduct of the anti-graft agencies.

In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, the party claimed that the reversal was a response to sustained public outrage rather than a voluntary act of restraint, noting that the anti-graft agency would not have acted so recklessly in the first place if it did not presume the authorisation of the federal government.

It said: ‘What we find most curious about the statement is the President’s repeated reference to an alleged court order authorising the freezing of the Osun State Government’s accounts. This is a remarkable new twist. In all of its public statements on this matter, the EFCC never once claimed that it had obtained a court order.

‘The Commission consistently defended its actions on the basis of its statutory powers and what it described as ‘preventive mandate.’ At no point did it inform Nigerians that a court had authorised its actions.’

Denge Josef Onoh, Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly and former Southeast Spokesman for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has tackled the African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Dino Melay.

In a strongly worded press release, Onoh accused Melaye of attempting to ‘play God’ and weaponize mortality against a sitting president for cheap political mileage.

Onoh said that the viral social media post by the former Senator for Kogi West maliciously invoked death of the late military ruler, General Sani Abacha, as a prophecy against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Melaye claims that ‘God picked His phone and called Abacha,’ implying that a similar fate awaits President Tinubu.

Onoh said that if the Almighty were as swift to wrath as Dino’s bitter imagination suggests, Melaye himself would long ago have been answering queries before the divine throne.

Onoh said for the records of the public, he feels compelled to remind Nigerians of the ‘very actions Dino Melaye perpetrated against the State-actions that the same merciful God chose to overlook, giving him time to repent, an opportunity he has clearly weaponized into arrogance’.

Onoh said that as a member of the House of Representatives, Melaye led a free-for-all physical brawl that disrupted legislative proceedings, resulting in torn clothes, broken bones, and his eventual suspension.

Onoh said that Melaye theoretically undermined the institutions of state security by physically jumping out of a moving police vehicle to evade arrest, followed by a dramatic ‘collapse’ onto the asphalt, and later hiding in a hospital and up a tree.

Onoh said that during the 2023 presidential election collation at the National Center in Abuja, Melaye acted as a chief agent of destabilization, trying to aggressively halt a constitutional process because the results did not favor his principal.

Onoh said that Melaye openly brought the hallowed chambers of the Senate into disrepute by physically threatening and using deeply misogynistic language against Senator Oluremi Tinubu (now the First Lady).

Onoh said, If Dino Melaye truly understands the ‘God factor,’ he would realize that God is a God of long-suffering and patience. It is that divine patience that kept Melaye alive when he was jumping out of police trucks, jumping from political party to political party, and flaunting unexplained luxury while his constituents wallowed in poverty’.

Onoh said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is focused on the difficult, systemic economic reforms needed to undo the decades of rot that politicians contributed to.

Onoh went further to state that the 2027 election will be decided by the democratic will of the Nigerian people at the ballot box, ‘not by malicious, superstitious curses masked as spiritual insights’.

He advised Melaye to drop his ‘self-appointed role as a divine prophet of doom’, look into the mirror, and ask God for forgiveness.

The President of the Kaiama Development Association (KDA), Yakubu Salihu, has disclosed that only 163 of the 176 people earlier confirmed abducted by terrorists from communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have regained their freedom.

Salihu, who spoke in an interview with Daily Trust on Thursday, said the association was yet to ascertain whether the missing 13 victims died in captivity or were not among those released.

He urged security agencies to establish their whereabouts.

His disclosure comes after the Federal Government secured the release of 308 captives from terrorist camps in the Kainji forest axis spanning parts of Kwara, Niger and Kebbi states.

According to him, the freed victims have been moved to the military cantonment in Wawa for preliminary screening and are expected to be transferred to Ilorin for comprehensive medical evaluation before reuniting with their families.

‘We hope that between tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday, they will be reunited with their families,’ Salihu said.

Speaking on the controversy surrounding the number of abductees, the KDA president maintained that both the terrorists and the victims had confirmed that 176 people were taken away during the attacks.

‘What they told us, and what the abductees themselves confirmed at the time they were kidnapped, was that they abducted 176 people. But when they were returned yesterday, only 163 were confirmed.

‘So, we have a shortfall of 13 people. We are still at a loss as to whether those people died in captivity or whether the original figure was incorrect. We want the security agencies to help us determine exactly what happened to the 13.’

Salihu stressed that the association’s position had never been about disputing statistics but ensuring that everyone held by the terrorists was rescued.

The KDA president said preliminary information from those who had visited the victims indicated that many of them were in poor physical and emotional condition after months in captivity.

‘They are not in the best of health because of the trauma they went through. One of the women gave birth while in captivity, while some others are maybe still pregnant.

‘We are hopeful that when they arrive in Ilorin, the state government will ensure they receive proper medical attention and that all their health needs are taken care of,’ he noted.

Salihu also dismissed reports that ransom was paid by the community to secure the captives’ freedom.

According to him, although residents made efforts to raise funds, the amount realised was insignificant and was never handed over to anyone.

He described the release as a huge relief to the affected communities after months of anguish.

While commending the Federal Government and security agencies for securing the release, Salihu warned that the success would be short-lived unless the root causes of insecurity in the area were addressed.

Transcorp Power Plc, a subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp Group) and one of Nigeria’s leading power generation companies, has reaffirmed its readiness to partner with the Delta State Government to close the state’s power supply gaps and unlock its full economic potential.

Speaking as a panelist at the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit 2026, themed Energy Ecosystem in Delta State, held in Asaba, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Power Plc, Engr. Peter Ikenga reiterated the earlier submission of Transcorp Plc’s Group Chairman, Mr Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, that every developmental aspiration for Delta State needs to be powered.

At the 3-day event hosted by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Transcorp Power CEO reaffirmed commitment to powering Delta State to greater prosperity.

‘We own a nearly 1,000-megawatt-capacity power plant in Ughelli, Delta State, capable of powering two million homes, industries, schools and hospitals. We are heavily vested in powering the state to greater prosperity,’ he said.

Engr. Ikenga observed that Delta State is uniquely endowed for power generation, with huge gas reserves and a total grid-installed generation capacity of almost 3,000 megawatts, a significant asset if fully revived and operated at maximum potential.

He identified the key gaps as the need for continuous investment in gas feedstock to power the state’s thermal plants, and the extension of transmission and distribution infrastructure across the state.

‘Transcorp can bring its experience to develop an integrated power strategy for Delta State, all the way from gas production and generation to investments in transmission and distribution, to power the state to progress,’ he said.

‘We are ready to collaborate with Delta State, to work with the government to close the gaps and deficiencies, and to bring our systems and processes to play to meet the state’s transformation objectives.’

Engr. Ikenga expressed strong confidence in the state’s prospects, describing Delta as capable of becoming a leading economic force on the continent. ‘Delta State can be the number one economic engine in Nigeria, and indeed in West Africa, and Transcorp is poised to help make that a reality,’ he concluded.

The Delta State Economic and Investment Summit 2026 convened government officials, global business leaders, investors and development partners to explore strategies for accelerating industrialisation and positioning Delta State as a leading investment destination in Nigeria. Transcorp Power’s participation underscores the Group’s enduring commitment to driving inclusive economic growth across Nigeria through reliable and sustainable power.

The seventh edition of the Adegboyega Efunkoya National Cadet Table Tennis Championship will be held from Aug. 11 to Aug. 15 in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event will take place at the Indoor Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The annual championship is organised by the Efunkoya Sports Foundation in partnership with the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF).

The Chairman of the foundation, Mr Femi Olugbile, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.

He said the event continued to serve as a platform for discovering and developing young table tennis talents in the country.

Olugbile said many players who recently represented Nigeria at the ITTF Africa Youth Championships and Cup in Accra, including Matthew Kuti and Favour Ojo, began their careers through the championship.

The chairman said Kuti had since progressed to become a member of Nigeria’s senior national table tennis team.

He said the tournament remained focused on discovering and grooming future stars while also encouraging participants to combine sports with education.

‘Our focus is on development because identifying players early allows us to give them the skills they need to succeed.

‘This year, we are placing special attention on female players because Nigeria’s women’s team has fallen behind other countries in Africa.

‘The first two days of the programme will be dedicated to intensive training under qualified coaches,’ he said. (NAN).

The UK Government has announced the appointment of Ms Vicky Seymour as Deputy High Commissioner, Abuja.

Ms Seymour succeeds Mrs Gill Lever OBE, who completed her posting in June 2026.

Ms Seymour has now taken up her role in Abuja, where she will support and strengthen the UK’s partnership with Nigeria, which spans economic growth, security, migration, development, international collaboration and the links between people of the two countries.

Ms Seymour brings more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, international development and government.

Most recently, she served as Head of the East Africa Department at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), a position she held since 2023.

Prior to this, she led the FCDO’s Trade Diplomacy Department and served as Development Director in Mozambique.

Her career has included senior leadership roles across Africa, including Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in Afghanistan, as well as positions focused on climate, security and economic development.

Before joining the civil service, she worked in the not-for-profit sector with a focus on migration.

Vicky Seymour said: ‘I am delighted to be taking up the role of Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja. I look forward to getting to know this extraordinary country, meeting people from across Nigeria’s diverse communities, and building on the strong partnership that already exists between our two countries. Together, I hope we can continue creating opportunities for greater collaboration and links between our people in the years ahead.’

The Police Service Commission (PSC) on Thursday handed over 50,000 newly recruited police constables to the Nigeria Police Force for training.

In a statement, the commission’s spokesperson, Torty Kalu, said the handover was presided over by Commissioner I, retired Justice Paul Galumje, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive and relevant statutory provisions.

Galumje thanked the President for supporting the recruitment exercise and formally presented the successful candidates to the police for training at designated police colleges and other approved institutions.

He also handed over the list of successful candidates to the police authorities in a flash drive.

Receiving the recruits on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, DIG Isyaku Mohammed, who heads the Force Training and Development Department, commended the PSC for conducting what he described as a transparent recruitment process.

He assured that training would begin simultaneously across the country once funds for the exercise were released.

Also speaking, Director of the Police Service Department at the Ministry of Police Affairs, Ibrahim A. Muhammad, described the recruitment exercise as credible and transparent.

PSC Secretary, Onyemuche Nnamani, attributed the successful completion of the exercise to the collaboration of all stakeholders, saying it reflected effective teamwork.

President Tinubu had, on November 26, 2025, declared a national security emergency and approved the recruitment of 50,000 police officers to strengthen internal security.

The recruitment portal opened on December 15, 2025, and closed on February 8, 2026, after a two-week extension. The exercise was concluded about seven months later.

The dangerous practice of travelling on top of trailers from the southern part of the country to the North and vice versa is becoming a fast-growing habit among some carefree Nigerians, many of whom are young people. Such persons are frequently seen sitting on trailers fully loaded with cattle or other goods as they travel to either the North or the South. This practice has resulted in the loss of many young lives.

Notably, most of those who engage in this practice are cattle sellers, commercial okada riders, or operators of various petty businesses who travel to the South to carry out their activities. Apparently, the desire to reduce the financial cost of such journeys drives them to recklessly use trailers as a means of transportation.

It is clear that those who, for instance, travel from Sokoto to Port Harcourt and vice versa on top of trailers expose themselves to grave danger. Their continued indulgence in such reckless behaviour demonstrates the extent to which many ordinary Nigerians have, regrettably, continued to undervalue their own lives.

Furthermore, the persistence of this dangerous practice indicates both a tendency among such travellers to violate existing transportation laws and the failure of relevant authorities and operators within the transport sector to enforce those laws. It is the combination of passengers’ recklessness, the greed of trailer drivers, and the complicity of some officials of traffic regulatory agencies that has allowed this hazardous practice to persist.

Daily Trust not only condemns this practice but also calls for the immediate adoption of effective measures to bring it to an end. Public sensitisation and strict enforcement of transportation regulations are undoubtedly necessary steps in this regard.

We, therefore, urge relevant government agencies, as well as transport associations and unions, to consider this unwanted practice as a challenge that requires urgent and sustained attention. Concerted efforts by these agencies and organisations will certainly help to eliminate this ugly trend.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in particular, as the agency mandated to ensure compliance with traffic regulations and ascertain the roadworthiness of vehicles, should regard the widespread use of trailers for passenger journeys as a serious challenge requiring immediate action. Few violations of transportation laws demonstrate as clearly the failure of enforcement as the continued sighting of passengers on top of trailers.

Similarly, organisations such as the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) must ensure that their members comply with the laws guiding transportation. Restoring sanity to our roads and, by extension, the transport sector, can only be achieved if these bodies play their roles effectively.

Another important way to facilitate the movement of persons, cattle, and goods is the expansion of the rail transport system, which remains too limited to meet the country’s critical economic needs. The absence of an efficient and extensive rail network has made the use of trailers and other heavy vehicles for transporting cattle and goods an attractive option.

This newspaper recognises the immense benefits of a functional railway system to the national economy and, therefore, calls for the rapid transformation of the existing network to meet the demands of a modern Nigeria. Rail transport is arguably the most suitable means for hauling cattle and heavy goods because of its capacity to accommodate large volumes.

The safety and convenience provided by rail transport make it highly suitable for the movement of cattle. Significant financial costs, security challenges, and other risks associated with long journeys can be reduced if trains become the preferred means of transporting animals and heavy goods.

Meanwhile, even before the rail system is adequately upgraded, travelling on top of trailers must be completely banned. The FRSC should collaborate with all relevant agencies and stakeholders to ensure that this dangerous practice comes to an immediate end.