Category: Nigerian Tribune

AS campaigns towards the 2027 general elections gather momentum, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has said it would remove billboards, not approved by the agency, while individuals or corporate bodies, behind the installation of such billboards, will be prosecuted.

Giving the warning in a statement signed by its Director General, Dr. Lekan Fadolapo, on Monday, the apex regulatory body in the nation’s advertising sector, added that every campaign signages must be approved by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), as stated by the nation’s Advertising Law, before being exposed to the public.

It expressed concerns at the activities of some politicians, political parties, support groups, advertising agencies and media owners, who engaged in the exposure of unapproved adverts, some of which have been found to violate religious and ethical guidelines.

The agency, therefore, enjoined all actors in the nation’s political and advertising sectors to exercise caution and ensure that all advertising, advertisement and marketing communications activities align with the nation’s Advertising Law and other relevant extant laws.

It warned that the exposure of unapproved advertisements on the traditional and online media platforms without approval of the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), constitutes an offence under Section 34(3) of the ARCON Act No 23 of 2022.

‘All political parties, elective political office aspirants, political campaign organisations, advertisement agencies and media owners are hereby advised to immediately cease and desist from exposing advertisements without prior approval of the ASP as required by the ARCON Act,’ the agency added.

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has acknowledged growing reservations about the direction of the Nigerian economy.

At a policy roundtable held in Abuja on Tuesday and organised by the All Progressives Congress Professional Forum, the APC Chairman assured Nigerians that the present administration would soon shift its focus from macroeconomic stability to microeconomic prosperity.

Checks revealed that amidst growing external reserves, an increase in Gross Domestic Product, and relative stability in the foreign exchange rate, Nigerians have continued to groan over poor purchasing power.

Professor Yilwatda, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the event to present the scorecards of his administration, declared that the next phase of Renewed Hope would translate to more food, stronger purchasing power for the average Nigerian.

He said: ‘A good GDP number does not automatically put food on a family’s table. Stronger reserves do not pay school fees. A stronger stock market does not automatically put money into the pocket of a market woman.

‘Therefore, we are in the next phase of Renewed Hope which must translate macroeconomic stability into microeconomic prosperity: more food, more jobs, lower inflation, affordable credit, reliable power, more manufacturing, greater exports and stronger purchasing power.’

In a veiled allusion to the declaration by the Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, to return to the fuel subsidy regime, the APC National Chairman advised Nigerians to pick between consolidation of the progress in the economy and a return to the years of fiscal pressures.

He said: ‘As we approach 2027, Nigerians will hear many promises. Some will promise to reverse the reforms; others will promise prosperity without confronting the structural problems that brought us here. The question is whether we go backwards or consolidate and improve the progress we have begun.

‘Do we abandon infrastructure investment or accelerate it? Do we discourage investors or make Nigeria one of Africa’s preferred investment destinations? Do we allow our ports to serve our domestic economy or position Nigeria primarily as a maritime gateway to the wider African hinterland?

‘For the All Progressives Congress, the answer is clear. We choose progress, productivity, investment, infrastructure, innovation, Nigerian enterprise, exports, human capital, and we choose President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And we choose the ambition of a $1 trillion Nigerian economy by 2030 by Mr President for our common prosperity.

‘We must power our industries, develop our digital economy, educate our young people and mobilise the private capital required to transform our productive capacity. Above all, we must begin to see Nigeria differently, not merely as a large domestic market, but as a potential maritime, industrial, digital and logistics powerhouse for Africa.

‘The foundation has been laid. The opportunity is before us. The work has begun. Now we must take Nigeria from reform to results, from results to growth, from growth to prosperity, and from prosperity to a $1 trillion economy by 2030.’

Stretching further the narrative of the gains of the present economic policies, the APC National Chairman listed the establishment of social investment programmes such as NELFUND and CREDICORP, which he cautioned must not be reversed.

‘We are investing in the future of our young people because they are the greatest asset of the Nigerian economy. Through NELFUND, we are expanding access to higher education so that financial circumstances do not prevent young Nigerians from acquiring the knowledge they need to succeed. We are also supporting young people in technical and vocational education through grants and skills-development opportunities, while programmes to train young Nigerians in digital technologies are equipping a new generation with the skills required for the global digital economy.

‘At the same time, through initiatives such as CREDICORP, we are expanding access to responsible credit so that workers, entrepreneurs and businesses can acquire productive assets, grow their enterprises and create jobs. This is not simply social investment; it is an investment in the productive capacity of Nigeria and in the young Nigerians who will ultimately build and drive our $1 trillion economy.’

Leadership is often confused with authority. A promotion can give someone a title, a team and the power to make decisions, but none of those things automatically make that person a good leader.

Real leadership shows up when a problem has no obvious solution or when a difficult decision has to be made and someone has to take responsibility for the outcome.

The encouraging part is that leadership is not reserved for people who seem naturally confident or charismatic. It can be developed through deliberate practice, with honest feedback and experiences that stretch the way you think.

A recent report on developing leadership skills through an entrepreneurial mindset similarly emphasises the value of initiative, problem-solving and learning to recognize opportunities rather than waiting for them to appear.

Therefore, if you want to become a stronger leader, you do not have to wait until someone gives you a management position. Hence, Tribune Online recommend these practical things you can start doing.

Take ownership when you notice problems

One of the clearest signs of leadership is the ability to see beyond your job description. If something is slowing down your team, frustrating customers or wasting resources, you can either wait for someone else to deal with it or take the initiative to understand what is happening.

Suppose customers keep complaining about delayed responses. Instead of forwarding every complaint to your manager, examine where the process is breaking down. Speak to the people involved, identify the bottleneck and suggest a realistic improvement. Even if your solution is not perfect, the exercise teaches you to think in terms of outcomes rather than simply completing assigned tasks.

This is also where an entrepreneurial mindset becomes useful. You begin to ask better questions: What problem are we actually trying to solve? What can I change? What happens if my first solution fails? That habit of taking initiative can make you more valuable long before you receive a leadership title.

Make use of feedback

Self-confidence can become a weakness when it prevents people from recognizing their blind spots. You may believe you communicate clearly while your colleagues find your instructions confusing. You might think you are giving your team independence when they actually feel unsupported.

Honest feedback can expose those gaps, which is why it is an important part of leadership development. Research from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) found that coaching, peer feedback and 360-degree feedback were frequently identified by participants as valuable elements of leadership development, particularly because they improve self-awareness.

You do not need a formal assessment to begin. Ask someone you trust, ‘What is one thing I could do differently to become a better leader?’ Then resist the temptation to explain yourself immediately.

Not every criticism will be accurate, but patterns matter. If several people identify the same weakness, it deserves attention. More importantly, feedback should lead to action. If you interrupt people too often, practice listening. If your instructions are unclear, slow down and confirm expectations before ending important conversations.

Volunteer for challenges that stretch you

You cannot learn leadership entirely from books, podcasts or seminars. Eventually, you need situations that force you to make decisions, coordinate people and deal with consequences.

Look for opportunities that are challenging without being reckless. Lead a small project, coordinate an event, mentor a junior colleague, handle a client presentation or volunteer to improve a process that has been frustrating your team. These assignments create a safe but realistic environment for developing judgment.

You may discover that delegation is difficult because you want to control everything. Perhaps difficult conversations make you uncomfortable, so you avoid them until the problem becomes larger. Maybe you become indecisive when people with different opinions are involved.

Those discoveries are useful. Leadership development is partly about identifying weaknesses while the consequences are still manageable. CCL’s leadership-development research also emphasizes on the importance of applying learning through experience, feedback and real-world challenges rather than treating development as something that happens only inside a classroom.

Find people who will challenge your thinking

The right mentor, coach or experienced colleague can shorten your learning curve because they can see things you may miss. A good adviser should not simply praise your progress; they should be willing to ask difficult questions and challenge your assumptions.

For example, after a difficult meeting, a mentor might ask why you responded defensively to criticism. A coach might help you understand how your behavior affected the team and develop a different approach for the next meeting. CCL’s research on coaching, similarly highlights its role in helping leaders reflect, set goals and apply what they learn to their actual work.

It is also worth building relationships with people who think differently from you. Leadership becomes harder as responsibilities increase because decisions rarely involve one perspective. Learning to listen to disagreement without becoming defensive can therefore be just as important as learning how to speak with confidence.

Leadership starts before the promotion

The best time to develop leadership skills is before you desperately need them. Take responsibility when problems appear, ask for feedback even when it may be uncomfortable, volunteer for work that stretches your abilities and surround yourself with people who challenge your thinking.

You do not become a leader simply because your business card says so. You become one through repeated decisions, responsible action and the ability to help other people perform better.

A title may give you authority, but your behavior determines whether people are willing to trust your leadership.

All On and Energise Africa (EA) have invested a total of $4 million in the development and deployment of solar-powered mini-grids across 19 communities in Jigawa and Bauchi states.

The investment is aimed at expanding access to renewable energy and providing reliable electricity to underserved communities in the two states.

The project will be executed by Maskh Nigeria Limited, a company comprising professionals in renewable energy, construction, engineering, electrification and procurement services.

Speaking on the investment, the Chief Executive Officer of All On, Caroline Eboumbou, said the project would provide reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity to households, businesses and public institutions currently without dependable access to electricity.

Eboumbou said the investment was being made under the Demand Aggregation for Renewable Energy Technology (DART) Programme.

She added that the project was expected to impact about 100,000 people, while supporting local enterprise development, improving access to essential services and reducing dependence on traditional energy alternatives.

Her words: ‘For communities across Jigawa and Bauchi where energy access remains limited, decentralised energy infrastructure can play an important role in enabling economic and social activity. Through the deployment of solar-powered mini-grids, the project will extend reliable electricity to homes, schools, health facilities and small businesses, while creating opportunities for productive use of energy and strengthening local economies.

‘Energy access is not simply about connecting communities to electricity; it is about creating the conditions for people and businesses to thrive. This investment demonstrates All On’s commitment to backing indigenous energy companies that can deliver practical, scalable solutions to some of Nigeria’s most persistent energy access challenges. This is the kind of catalytic investment that can help move Nigeria’s energy transition forward in practical and meaningful ways.’

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Energise Africa, Ray Coyle, said the investment would support lasting social, economic and environmental benefits in the beneficiary communities.

Coyle stated that by helping to bring clean and reliable electricity to 19 communities across Jigawa and Bauchi states, UK investors were supporting an initiative that would benefit thousands of Nigerians.

On his part, the Director of Operations, Maskh Nigeria Limited, Qaim Mahmood, expressed appreciation to All On and Energise Africa for entrusting the company with the project.

He said the project would contribute to the development of underserved communities while strengthening the capacity of the indigenous company.

‘We are deeply moved to play such an instrumental role in bringing clean, reliable power to underserved communities across Jigawa and Bauchi.

‘As an indigenous company, we are proud that these 19 mini grids will impact almost 100,000 people, helping businesses thrive, improving essential services and creating opportunities for the next generation. This investment also marks a transformative step for Maskh, strengthening our capacity, creating jobs and positioning us for greater opportunities. We are deeply grateful to All On, EA and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) for their trust and partnership,’ Mahmood said.

Parents have been urged to build strong friendship with their daughters to enable them speak freely about challenges confronting them.

Speaking during the first edition of the empowerment programme, for 105 girls between the ages of 10 and 17 in Ilorin, Kwara State, the organiser of the ‘She, Legacy, Girls Empowerment Summit’, Olayinka Ajani Ajibade, popularly known as Omidan Olayinka, said the summit was designed to educate, empower and enlighten young girls, while equipping them with confidence to make informed decisions, protect themselves and speak up whenever they encounter danger or wrongdoing.

She said the programme seeks to raise a generation of girls who are confident to use their voices, courageous enough to stand up for themselves and others, and prepared to pursue their dreams.

‘We want them to know that they can build whatever they set their mind to become. We want them to know that they can speak up when they are in danger and always have a trusted adult they can rely on in times of need,’ she said.

Olayinka added that many girls are made to feel inadequate by society, adding that the summit was aimed at helping them recognise their worth and understand that their voices matter.

She explained that although the organisation had previously reached families, mothers and children through a weekly women’s programme on Diamond 88.7 FM, the summit marked its first major physical engagement with girls.

The organiser said the choice of participants between 10 and 17 years was deliberate, since girls within the age bracket are considered capable of understanding discussions on health, education, personal safety and other issues affecting their development.

She disclosed plans to organise another edition for younger children between the ages of five and nine.

Olayinka called on parents to avoid creating an atmosphere of fear at home, warning that children who see their parents as threats may find it difficult to open up when they are facing problems.

She urged parents to listen more to their daughters and create an environment where they could freely discuss their concerns, just as she said, effective communication between parents and children remain essential to helping young girls navigate the challenges of growing up and make safer and better-informed choice.

Few hours after resigning from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Sokoto State Chairman of the party, Muhammad Bello Aliyu Goronyo, has been appointed as the Director-General of the governorship campaign organisation of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Manir Muhammad Dan’Iya.

The appointment was announced by the ADC campaign organisation on Monday, shortly after Goronyo’s resignation became public.

Goronyo announced his resignation from the PDP in a letter dated August 30, 2026, addressed to the chairman of the party in his Goronyo Ward, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

Congratulating him on his appointment, Dan’Iya described the decision as a strategic one, saying it reflected the confidence of the ADC leadership and stakeholders in Goronyo’s political experience and capacity.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Aminu Abdullahi, Dan’Iya described Goronyo as ‘a seasoned civil servant, experienced politician and accomplished public administrator’.

He said Goronyo’s previous experience as the former PDP state chairman and former commissioner under the administration of former Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal would strengthen the ADC campaign.

Dan’Iya said: ‘His understanding of governance, public administration and political mobilisation will be valuable to the ADC campaign.’

He expressed confidence that Goronyo would use his experience to unite the party’s structures, strengthen grassroots mobilisation and promote the ADC’s programmes across the 23 local government areas of the state.

The ADC governorship candidate urged party leaders, stakeholders, youths, women and supporters to cooperate with the new campaign DG, saying the 2027 contest would require unity and collective effort.

He added that the campaign would focus on key issues affecting residents, including security, education, healthcare, agriculture, employment, infrastructure, civil service reform and economic empowerment.

Dr. Jephter Akaehie, founder, Afroganiks Industries Limited and President, Young African Business School of Manufacturing, speaks with NURUDEEN ALIMI, on why it is important for Nigeria to explore technologies to address, agricultural challenges, biodiversity and Africa’s manufacturing future. Excerpts:

You recently made a statement that: ‘when you disconnect a living organism from its natural environment or source of life, you gradually weaken it.’ What exactly do you mean by that?

I am using nature to provoke a deeper conversation about humanity. A fish removed from water eventually dies. A tree separated from its roots eventually withers. The principle is simple: living systems depend on the environments that sustain them. My concern is that human beings are increasingly disconnecting themselves from biological diversity-from diverse foods, indigenous crops, medicinal plants and traditional knowledge that have sustained communities for generations.

I am not suggesting that humans should reject modern civilisation or science. Quite the opposite. I believe we need more science, but science that helps us understand nature rather than disconnect ourselves completely from it.

Are you saying GMO foods are dangerous?

I would be irresponsible to make such a blanket statement. My position is more nuanced. The World Health Organisation does not say that all genetically modified foods are inherently dangerous. GM foods are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and currently approved GM foods have not been demonstrated to cause human-health effects in the populations consuming them.

So, my concern is not simply, GMO is bad, My bigger concern is biological diversity and resilience. When agricultural systems become increasingly dependent on uniform varieties, we need to ask what happens to indigenous varieties and genetic diversity.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation has previously estimated that about 75 percent of crop genetic diversity was lost during the 20th century.

That is a serious issue, because diversity is not just about having different-looking crops. Diversity is insurance.

One variety may tolerate drought. Another may resist disease. Another may survive poor soil. Another may possess nutritional or genetic characteristics that could become extremely valuable in the future.

When we lose biological diversity, we may be losing options for future generations.

But, isn’t agricultural uniformity sometimes necessary to feed a growing population?

Absolutely. Productivity matters. Farmers need crops that can produce sufficient yields. We need technologies that help us address food insecurity, climate change and agricultural challenges. The answer is not to reject technology. The answer is to combine productivity with biodiversity and resilience.

We should be asking: How do we improve yields without destroying indigenous genetic resources, How do we use biotechnology responsibly while preserving local varieties, How do we modernise agriculture without making farmers completely dependent on a narrow range of biological resources, Those are much more intelligent questions than simply arguing whether GMO is good or bad.

You are also a strong advocate for herbal medicine. Are you suggesting that Africans should abandon conventional medicine and return to herbs?

Absolutely not. I have never advocated abandoning hospitals or modern medicine. Not every herb is medicine. Not every traditional claim is scientifically validated. Some herbal preparations can interact with medicines or be unsafe when improperly prepared or dosed.

What I am saying is that we should not confuse lack of research with lack of potential. Africa possesses enormous botanical knowledge. Our responsibility is to subject that knowledge to scientific investigation. We need to identify active compounds, establish appropriate dosage, investigate safety, conduct clinical studies where appropriate, standardise formulations and establish proper quality-control systems.

That is where the future lies, not herbs versus hospitals, not tradition versus science. But traditional knowledge meeting modern scientific validation.

Why is this issue particularly important to you personally?

Because I am a manufacturer. My work has taken me beyond simply asking what products can be sold in the market. I have become increasingly interested in the question:

What can Africa manufacture from what Africa already possesses?

Through Afroganiks Industries, we work at the intersection of nature, science and manufacturing, particularly around herbal and wellness products. But, I don’t want Afroganiks to be viewed simply as another company putting herbs into capsules or bottles, The bigger vision is to demonstrate what is possible when African natural resources are approached with modern manufacturing, quality systems, research and commercial discipline. That is what excites me.

What exactly should African manufacturers be doing differently?

We must move from raw-material thinking to value-chain thinking. For too long, Africa has exported raw materials and imported finished products. We export agricultural commodities, we export minerals, we export biological resources.

Then, we import products made from those same resources at significantly higher value.That model cannot create the Africa we desire. We need to ask: Why can’t African universities research our plants? why can’t African laboratories identify their active compounds? why can’t African farmers cultivate them sustainably? why can’t African manufacturers process them? why can’t African companies develop intellectual property around them? why can’t African brands export the finished products globally, That is how you build an industrial economy.

So, in your view, Africa’s biodiversity could actually become an industrial asset?

Absolutely, I believe Africa’s biodiversity is one of the continent’s underappreciated economic assets, But biodiversity must be protected first, you cannot destroy the resource and then talk about industrialisation, We need sustainable cultivation, conservation, documentation and responsible commercialisation.

Imagine an ecosystem where farmers cultivate medicinal plants commercially, universities conduct research, laboratories validate compounds, manufacturers develop standardised products and African companies export them globally. That is not simply herbal medicine, that is an industrial value chain, And it can create jobs, intellectual property, export revenue and opportunities for young Africans.

You have repeatedly spoken about manufacturing as a pathway to African prosperity. Why are you so passionate about manufacturing?

Because Africa cannot consume its way into prosperity, we must produce. Manufacturing forces us to solve problems, it creates technical skills, it creates supply chains, it creates employment, it creates intellectual property, it creates markets for farmers and raw-material suppliers, it creates opportunities for engineers, scientists, technicians, marketers and entrepreneurs.

And most importantly, manufacturing allows us to capture more value from the resources we already have.

That is why I believe the future of Africa is not merely in having resources.

The future is in what we can transform those resources into.

What does this mean for Afroganiks specifically?

Our ambition is to contribute to a new generation of African manufacturing where nature and science work together.

We want to continue developing herbal and wellness products through proper manufacturing processes, quality control and scientific thinking.

But beyond our own products, I want Afroganiks to demonstrate that African companies can build serious manufacturing capabilities around natural resources.

We need to move away from the perception that herbal manufacturing is informal, primitive or incapable of meeting international standards.

It can be modern, it can be scientific, it can be highly regulated, it can be technologically advanced. And it can become a major African industry.

What is your biggest concern about Africa’s current approach to natural medicine?

We have knowledge, but too little structured documentation, we have resources, but too little scientific investigation, we have farmers, but inadequate value chains.

We have traditional practitioners, but insufficient integration with research institutions.

We have manufacturers, but many struggle to access the technology and capital required to scale.

And perhaps most importantly, we sometimes undervalue what we already have.

Someone in Africa discovers that a particular plant has traditionally been used for generations, and our first instinct can be to dismiss it as primitive.

Then someone elsewhere researches it, standardises it, patents a process around it and brings a finished product back to Africa. That cycle must end.

What role should government play?

Government has a major role. We need policies that encourage research into indigenous crops and medicinal plants.

We need stronger collaboration between universities, research institutes, farmers, traditional knowledge holders and manufacturers.

We need appropriate regulation that protects consumers without unnecessarily suffocating legitimate innovation.

We need incentives for local manufacturing, we need intellectual-property frameworks that protect indigenous knowledge and ensure communities are not exploited.

And we need serious investment in laboratories, biotechnology, agricultural research and advanced manufacturing.

Government cannot do everything, but government can create the environment in which African entrepreneurs and researchers can do extraordinary things.

What would you say to young Africans who want to enter into this sector?

Don’t just look for something to sell, look for something Africa needs to manufacture, study science, study manufacturing, understand regulations, understand markets, learn technology, learn quality management.

And most importantly, learn how to convert African problems into African businesses.

The young African entrepreneur of the future should not simply ask, What can I import and sell? We should increasingly be asking: ‘What can I research, develop, manufacture and export?’ That shift in mindset can change the continent.

On a final note, if you had to summarise your philosophy in one statement, what would it be?

Let me say this; Africa must not merely be the place where nature is found. Africa must become the place where nature, science and manufacturing meet. Nature has given us extraordinary resources. Science gives us the tools to understand them. Manufacturing gives us the ability to transform them into value. Our responsibility is to connect all three. That is the Africa I believe is possible.

And that is the kind of manufacturing future I am committed to building through my work at Afroganiks and through my broader advocacy for African manufacturing.

We do not need to go backward to embrace nature. We need to move forward with a deeper understanding of it.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has questioned the legal basis for the continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, demanding that the Federal Government immediately list and hear his pending appeal or face an election boycott across the South-East and other parts of ‘Biafraland’.

The group gave the Federal Government 14 days to act, saying it would consider mobilising for a boycott of the 2027 general election if Kanu’s appeal against his conviction and life sentence was not heard within the stipulated period.

IPOB’s demand followed renewed concerns from Kanu’s family over the delay in the hearing of the appeal.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, said Kanu had written to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President of the Court of Appeal, seeking the immediate listing and hearing of his pending cases.

The group questioned why the Federal Government, which it accused of moving swiftly to prosecute and convict Kanu, had yet to file a respondent’s brief or appear before the Court of Appeal to defend the conviction.

The statement read, ‘IPOB is giving the Federal Government 14 days to list and hear Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s appeal. If they refuse, we will consider boycotting the coming elections across Biafraland and beyond. A government that cannot face its Court of Appeal has no right to demand our votes.

‘The Federal Government has not filed a respondent’s brief; it has not listed the appeal, and it has not come to court. A country that rushed to convict is now too frightened to defend the conviction.

‘The Federal Government was in a hurry to prosecute and convict Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Now that the conviction is before the Court of Appeal, that same urgency has disappeared. No meaningful progress. No urgency to defend the conviction.

‘Nigeria must answer two simple questions: Under which extant written law was Mazi Nnamdi Kanu convicted on November 20, 2025? What specific crime, cognisable under Nigerian law, justifies his continued detention after nearly six years?’

IPOB also challenged the Supreme Court’s decision which overturned Kanu’s discharge and acquittal by the Court of Appeal.

The group alleged that the apex court exceeded its constitutional powers by pronouncing on individual counts that had already been quashed by the Court of Appeal.

According to IPOB, the Federal Government must now defend not only Kanu’s conviction but also the jurisdictional foundation upon which his resumed trial was based.

The group’s position comes as the delay in the appeal has become a major point of contention between Kanu’s supporters and the Federal Government.

IPOB said its proposed election boycott should not be viewed solely through the argument that non-participation could facilitate electoral malpractice.

It maintained that refusing to participate could itself constitute a political statement against a system it believes has failed to deliver justice.

‘At some point, people must ask whether repeatedly participating in a process they believe is structurally incapable of delivering justice is itself the definition of political progress.

‘A collective refusal to participate sends its own message: a people have withdrawn their consent from a system they no longer trust.’

Chief Daniel Osi Orbih, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ally of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, has died.

Orbih reportedly died on Monday, 31 August 2026.

The death was announced by the Orbih family in a statement signed by Francis Udukhomoi Orbih, Esq., on behalf of the family.

The family described the announcement as one made ‘with profound sadness and a heavy heart but in total submission to the will of the almighty God.’

Orbih is survived by his wife, Mrs Florence Orbih; his children, Ms Winifred Anwosiobor Orbih and Dr Mildred Omonemi Orbih; his brothers and sisters; and other members of his extended family.

The family also appealed to relatives, friends and well-wishers to support them with prayers as they mourn his death.

‘At this difficult time, we ask family members, friends and well-wishers to remember the entire family in their prayers as we mourn this painful loss,’ the statement read.

The family said further information, including details of his funeral arrangements, would be released in due course.

Nigeria’s security forces killed 1,614 terrorists and other criminal elements, arrested 1,688 suspects and rescued 1,160 kidnapped victims between July and August 2026.

The figures were disclosed on Tuesday at the monthly security press briefing coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), where various security and emergency management agencies presented their operational reports for the two-month period.

The Director, Defence Information (DDI), Major General Samaila Uba, said the Armed Forces of Nigeria conducted 7,062 security operations across the country, neutralising 1,487 terrorists and insurgents, arresting 354 suspects and rescuing 777 kidnapped victims.

He said the operations, conducted across the six geopolitical zones, included clearance operations, intelligence-led raids, rescue missions and targeted arrests against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, arms traffickers, oil thieves and other criminal elements.

According to him, the operations covered Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Katsina, Kwara, Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, Niger, Oyo and Kaduna states.

Troops also recovered 91 firearms, 1,331 rounds of ammunition and 44 improvised explosive devices, which were safely detonated.

Major General Uba said a major highlight of the operations was the rescue of 777 kidnapped victims from a terrorist enclave.

He added that 309 Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province fighters were neutralised during the operations, while 354 suspects were arrested.

The operations also led to the recovery of weapons, motorcycles and livestock, as well as the dismantling of terrorist operational bases.

The military, he said, also conducted nine dialogue and peace-building initiatives and 15 stakeholder engagement meetings with traditional and religious leaders.

He added that 137 press releases were issued during the period, while 13 items of misinformation were identified and countered.

Major General Uba disclosed that 93 security personnel casualties and 249 verified civilian casualties were recorded during the period.

He, however, said no major border or transnational incident, critical infrastructure vandalism, prison break or threat to pipelines, railways and highways was recorded.

Police arrest 1,334 suspects, rescue 383

The Nigeria Police Force reported the arrest of 1,334 suspects and the rescue of 383 kidnapped victims during the period under review.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said police operatives recovered 175 firearms, including AK-47 rifles and pump-action guns, as well as more than 3,790 rounds of live ammunition.

He said 93 vehicles and rustled cattle were also recovered, while at least 127 suspected criminals were neutralised during engagements with security forces.

CSP Iniedu said that in one operation, police tactical teams engaged about 240 bandits in a gun battle after intelligence indicated plans for a large-scale attack on a community.

He said the confrontation resulted in the deaths of 10 police officers and 17 bandits, while two civilians were killed in the crossfire.

He added that police rescued 32 kidnapped victims, comprising six adult males and 26 females, most of them children, after a gun battle with bandits at Maikujera village in Rabah Local Government Area.

In another operation at Amla-Cho Forest, 13 kidnapped victims were rescued after bandits abandoned them and fled following pressure from joint tactical teams.

Other operations, he said, resulted in the rescue of 76 kidnapped victims in separate incidents.

CSP Iniedu also disclosed that police intercepted suspected arms traffickers and recovered hundreds of rounds of AK-47 ammunition, including 551 rounds and 10 loaded magazines, from a female suspect along the Doma-Yelwa road.

Centre destroys 1,419 illicit weapons

The Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), under ONSA, DIG Johnson Kokumo (rtd), said the centre publicly destroyed 1,419 illicit weapons during its Second Quarter Arms Destruction Exercise held on July 30 at Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja.

He said the exercise brought the cumulative number of illicit weapons destroyed by the centre since 2022 to more than 19,000.

The centre also recovered 5,050 illicit, unserviceable, decommissioned and obsolete automatic weapons from the Nigeria Police Force in June.

It subsequently received 399 JOJEF automatic guns intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service on August 17.

DIG Kokumo disclosed that individuals linked to illegal firearm and ammunition manufacturing in Minna, Niger State, were being investigated and prosecuted.

NDLEA arrests 3,705 suspects

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it arrested 3,705 suspects between July 1 and August 21, comprising 3,346 males and 359 females.

The agency charged 574 cases to court and secured 471 convictions.

It said 990 drug users received counselling, treatment and rehabilitation under its demand-reduction programmes, while its War Against Drug Abuse initiative reached 225,500 people through 399 advocacy and sensitisation campaigns.

The NDLEA also conducted 2,298 targeted operations, dismantled 90 major criminal gangs and destroyed more than 1,200 drug joints.

It seized 53,980.27kg of illicit drugs during the period and recovered N8 million, £2,800 and pound 7,750 in cash.

The agency also secured court orders freezing bank accounts containing more than N9.8 billion linked to cartel operations.

In a major enforcement operation on August 17, the NDLEA destroyed 329,865.58kg of seized illicit substances valued at N301.058 billion in Lagos.

It said its personnel recorded zero casualties during the period. Among the major drug trafficking cases was the dismantling of a transnational cocaine syndicate following the seizure of 184.5kg of cocaine at a courier facility in Lagos.

The agency arrested a DHL Lagos employee, Lawal Mujab Kehinde, over alleged involvement in packaging and routing cocaine consignments.

The alleged mastermind, Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as ‘KC Luxury’, was arrested at the departure gate of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Paris.

Customs collects N1.38trn

The Nigeria Customs Service reported revenue collection of N1.38 trillion in July and August with N784.656 billion generated in July while the service raked in N595.581 billion in August.

The Apapa Area Command recorded N323 billion in revenue in July, its highest monthly collection, before setting a new single-day revenue record of N28.1 billion on August 18.

Customs also reported seizures with a combined Duty Paid Value exceeding N61.3 billion.

In a major arms trafficking breakthrough, the service intercepted 399 Jojef pump-action rifles and 535 assorted firearm components at Tin Can Island Port.

The weapons were subsequently handed over to the NCCSALW, while two suspects were remanded for further investigation.

At the Seme border, Customs also intercepted 3,300 cartridges of explosives and handed them over to the police.

NFIU tracks criminal financial networks

The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) said it intensified efforts to trace financial networks supporting organised crime, terrorism financing, money laundering and other serious offences.

The unit strengthened collaboration with security and law enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS) and National Counter-Terrorism Centre.

It said financial intelligence was increasingly being used to identify financiers, facilitators, beneficiaries and criminal assets linked to kidnapping, drug trafficking, cybercrime, human trafficking, illegal mining and terrorism.

The NFIU disclosed that Nigerian reporting entities submitted more than 41.7 million Currency Transaction Reports, 42,082 Suspicious Transaction Reports and 10,513 Suspicious Activity Reports in 2025.

It said tax crimes and fraud accounted for 51 per cent of intelligence reports disseminated across the top 10 designated offences.

NEMA assists 24,625 households

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said it provided relief assistance to 24,625 households, representing 147,750 people, during July and August.

The agency intensified flood early-warning activities and monitored high-risk areas as part of preparations for the 2026 flood season.

NEMA also activated its National Emergency Operations Centre in August to improve coordination, information management and analysis of data on flooding and other climate-related emergencies.

The agency said it had no evidence of an immediate threat of a possible collapse of the Kagini Dam in Kaduna, contrary to viral social media reports.

It also continued monitoring water levels at the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon because of the potential implications for communities along the River Benue.

NEMA said it received 2,466 Nigerian returnees from other countries during the two-month period.

FRSC records 740 road crashes

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said its rescue teams responded to 740 road traffic crash scenes involving 4,497 people during July.

According to its spokesperson, Osondu, 2,295 injured victims were evacuated to medical facilities, while 314 fatalities were recorded.

He said the Corps arrested 4,691 offenders during Operation Guduma II, a specialised five-day operation targeting dangerous mix-loading, vehicle identity fraud and severe loading violations.

Another 7,876 commercial operators were arrested for overloading, while the nationwide Zonal Intervention Special Patrol recorded 14,287 traffic offenders for 15,928 safety violations.

The FRSC also recovered four stolen vehicles through its National Vehicle Identification Scheme database.

Fire Service responds to 426 incidents

The Federal Fire Service said it responded to 426 fire incidents during July and August, saving 585 lives.

One civilian death and 39 civilian injuries were recorded, while no firefighter was injured.

The service said property worth approximately N107.98 billion was protected, while property valued at N35.89 billion was lost.

Residential buildings accounted for 195 fire incidents, representing 45.8 per cent of the total, while electrical faults remained the leading cause, accounting for 251 incidents or 58.9 per cent.

The Federal Fire Service also took delivery of two additional firefighting trucks and signed an agreement with the Nigeria Customs Service to strengthen fire safety arrangements at Customs facilities.

NAPTIP rescues over 80 trafficking victims

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said it secured nine convictions against human traffickers during July and August and rescued more than 80 suspected victims.

The agency said it uncovered trafficking ‘muster points’ around the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, where victims were allegedly held before being transported abroad.

NAPTIP also warned of a rise in cyber-enabled human trafficking, with criminal networks using social media, encrypted messaging platforms and fake online job portals to recruit Nigerians for supposed employment in Southeast Asia.

The agency said some victims were instead forced into online fraud, romance scams and cryptocurrency-related criminal activities.

NAPTIP is also investigating the alleged fraudulent removal and illegal adoption of 54 children from Loko Community in Nasarawa State.

The children were allegedly taken from displaced parents under the guise of a ‘Back to School Initiative’ and trafficked to illegal orphanages and unauthorised adoption brokers.

The agency urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious overseas job offers, unauthorised child recruitment schemes and unregistered care facilities.

The security briefing highlighted the increasing use of intelligence-led operations, inter-agency collaboration, financial intelligence, technology and community engagement in efforts to tackle terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, organised crime, drug trafficking and other threats to national security.

NGX market cap hits N158.96trn as ASI gains 0.77%

_: The Nigerian equities market sustained its bullish run on Tuesday, adding N1.22 trillion to investors’ wealth as strong buying interest across key sectors pushed the benchmark index higher.

The NGX All-Share Index (ASI) rose by 0.77 per cent to close at 246,082.63 points, lifting its year-to-date return to 58.14 per cent, from 56.93 per cent in the previous session.

Consequently, the total market capitalisation of listed equities increased by N1.22 trillion, from about N157.74 trillion to N158.96 trillion.

The broad-based rally was driven by renewed demand for large-cap and selected mid-cap stocks, with gains in Aradel Holdings, Nestlé Nigeria and First HoldCo helping to outweigh losses recorded in Tripple Gee, ABC Transport and Nahco.

Aradel Holdings led the major gainers, appreciating 8.83 per cent, while Nestlé Nigeria gained 5.83 per cent and First HoldCo rose 1.17 per cent.

At the top of the gainers’ chart, FTN Cocoa Processors advanced by the maximum 10 per cent, followed by other strong performers including MC Nichols, SUNU Assurances, Sovereign Trust Insurance and Caverton Offshore Support Group.

On the decliners’ side, Tripple Gee and Company led with a 9.72 per cent decline, followed by ABC Transport, which shed 9.52 per cent, and Nahco, which dropped 9.22 per cent. Transnational Corporation and RT Briscoe were also among the notable losers.

Market breadth remained firmly positive, with 40 stocks gaining against 19 decliners, translating to a breadth ratio of about 2.1x. This indicated a strong dominance of buying interest over selling pressure during the session.

The positive performance was also reflected across the major sectoral indices, with Oil and Gas emerging as the best-performing sector, rising 3.87 per cent.

The Insurance sector followed with a 3.34 per cent gain, while the Commodity sector advanced 2.58 per cent. Banking and Consumer Goods indices each gained 0.87 per cent, while the Industrial Goods sector appreciated 0.71 per cent.

Trading activity strengthened during the session, although the number of transactions declined. Total volume traded increased by 7.44 per cent to 651.32 million shares, while transaction value rose 5.35 per cent to N40.77 billion.

Access Holdings dominated trading by volume, accounting for 129.89 million shares, while MTN Nigeria topped the value chart with transactions worth N4.69 billion.

However, the total number of deals fell by 18.16 per cent to 43,760 transactions, suggesting that the increase in market turnover was concentrated in relatively larger trades.

Analysts said the market’s renewed strength was supported by improving investor sentiment following the confirmation of Nigeria’s return to the FTSE Russell Frontier Market universe, with investors positioning for increased foreign participation and improved market visibility.

With the ASI now up 58.14 per cent year-to-date, the equities market continues to outperform its previous-year trajectory, as investors remain focused on earnings, corporate fundamentals and the potential impact of Nigeria’s reclassification on capital inflows.

The sustained rally also comes as investors reassess valuations and reposition ahead of the expected implementation of the FTSE Russell reclassification, which is expected to enhance Nigeria’s visibility among global frontier-market investors.