Category: Nigerian Tribune

Managing Director/CEO of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr Kayode Opeifa, has revealed that anytime a rail track vandalisation leads to train accident, the country replaces such rail tracks with about N300 million, aside the operational and human lives that are lost during such incidents.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, Dr Opeifa explained that most of the electric cables along the rail tracks are what attracts vandals to remove the rail tracks, leading to derailment and accidents.

He said the criminal elements keep coming back, having been able to escape from possible arrest and prosecution.

Dr Opeifa lamented the injurious cost of rehabilitation after such theft and a ct of vandalism of rail track.

According to the NRC boss, ‘Stealing or vandalising rail track material has become an addiction for some people. Once they steal the rail assets, and make some money from it without being caught, they will keep coming back for it.

‘But this is coming at a cost to the NRC, and by large, the country. The cost can be cash that is wasted to replace these stolen rail assets. The cost can also be time wasted due to the derailment and the time announced for train operations suspension. The cost can also be human lives that are lost when an accident happens and is fatal.’

‘For example, when we had the Warri-Itakpe accident just after Abraka last year, we had to get new rails, new clips. These two are not too expensive to replace, but when the accident happened, it also damaged the rails, and we had to replace the rails,’ he added.

‘The accident also damaged the concrete slippers, which we don’t produce in Nigeria. But luckily for us, we had concrete slippers in store. Those concrete sippers weigh almost 200 pounds each.

‘The NRC had to provide convenient accommodation for the stranded passengers to sleep over at the station. We had to provide diesel to power the generator overnight.

‘The following day, we had to give each passenger N10,000 each to complete their trips, even though they paid N5,000 each.

‘We also provided breakfast for them before they departed. So, when you look at the cost incurred by the NRC after the Warri-Itakpe train accident, it is very difficult to quantify the losses,’ Dr Opeifa said.

‘So, when you look at the vandalisation of rail clips which cost around N10m each, it would have cost the NRC about N300 million to replace those stolen clips.

‘Don’t forget that the period when the trains are not working due to train accident caused by rail track vandalisation, the NRC is losing revenue. At the end of the day, the NRC could have lost about N300 million revenue due to train suspension and will still have to replace vandalised rail assets with another N300 million.

‘So, when you count the cost, you will realise that the cost the NRC incurs to replace vandalised rail assets is higher than the revenue lost on a monthly basis due to train suspension that follows such accidents.

‘The cost is unquantifiable at times. It can even lead to security implications. It’s better we don’t have rail asset vandalism than allow it to happen.’

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has called on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to close ranks and work together for the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other candidates of the party.

Aiyedatiwa made the call on Monday while addressing the APC Elders Council meeting at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Akure, where he unveiled a mobilisation plan aimed at strengthening the party across the 18 local government areas of the state.

The governor declared that the APC remained one united political family in Ondo State, warning against any attempt to factionalise the party or create parallel structures.

‘APC is one. There are no two APCs in Ondo State. APC is one, All Progressives Congress,’ Aiyedatiwa said.

He directed the activation of the Elders Council across the 18 local government areas, saying the move would enable elders to contribute more effectively to the party’s mobilisation and electoral strategy without necessarily travelling to Akure for every meeting.

The governor also urged party members to support all APC candidates contesting the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly elections, stressing that victory in 2027 must not be limited to any particular candidate.

‘The first thing is to bring everybody together under one umbrella; the umbrella of APC. We have only one party, and we have only one chairman,’ he said.

Aiyedatiwa said attempts to create another faction of the Elders Council should be discouraged, urging those involved to return to the mainstream party.

‘We don’t want to leave anybody out. Even those who are trying to create another faction, we are talking to them that APC must remain one,’ he added.

He said the development of the state was a collective responsibility, noting that while he bore the constitutional responsibility of governing Ondo State, he needed the support and counsel of elders, women, youths and other stakeholders.

‘I need the support of everyone: the elders, the women, the youth, everyone,’ the governor said.

Aiyedatiwa equally rallied support for President Tinubu, saying APC members must unite and mobilise voters for the President in the 2027 presidential election.

According to him, the reforms of the Tinubu administration had increased the resources available to state governments for the execution of development projects and programmes.

He described Tinubu as a very courageous and ‘very bold’ leader for taking what he called difficult decisions aimed at repositioning the country.

The governor, however, said the party’s mobilisation should extend beyond the presidential election, stressing the need to secure victory across the 18 local governments, 203 wards and 3,933 polling units in the state.

Highlighting his administration’s achievements, Aiyedatiwa disclosed that over 6,000 workers had been recruited into the state public service since he assumed office, including teachers, health workers, agricultural personnel and primary healthcare workers.

He also disclosed that about 500 additional personnel had been recruited into the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun.

On infrastructure, the governor said road construction was ongoing across the 18 local government areas, alongside urban renewal projects and the Akure flyover.

He also listed ongoing investments in the health sector, including a 250-bed hospital in Ondo town and 100-bed facilities in Okitipupa, Ikare and Irele, saying contractors had been mobilised to site.

According to him, the state had also procured critical medical equipment, including MRI and CT scan machines for the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo, noting that the state had never procured an MRI machine since its creation.

Speaking, the APC State Chairman, Kolawole Babatunde, said the experience of the elders remained indispensable to the growth and stability of the party.

Babatunde noted that the current State Working Committee was relatively young compared with those who had built the political structures that evolved from the Alliance for Democracy (AD) through the Action Congress (AC) to the APC.

He said the APC constitution recognised the Elders Council as an integral part of the party structure, with responsibilities including offering advice, ensuring stability, initiating policies, regulating proceedings and formulating a code of conduct.

The chairman said the party would make greater progress by drawing on the experience and wisdom of its elders, adding that the achievements of the Aiyedatiwa administration in infrastructure, health, security and water would provide the APC with issues to campaign on ahead of 2027.

Earlier, the Chairman of the APC Elders Council, Senator Nimbe Farukanmi, called for unity among members and urged them to support both Aiyedatiwa and Tinubu.

Farukanmi described the meeting as an important opportunity for party leaders from the three senatorial districts to reconnect and deliberate on the progress of the state.

He described Aiyedatiwa as an open-minded leader who had reached out to him on issues relating to cooperation among party leaders.

Other elders, including Senator Tayo Alasoadura, Hon. Joseph Akinlaja, Pastor Segun Ayerin and Mrs Jumoke Anifowose-Ajasin, commended the governor and the party chairman for convening the meeting.

They identified key areas requiring attention within the party and urged members to rally behind all APC candidates for total victory in the 2027 general elections.

Stanbic IBTC Holdings, a member of Standard Bank Group, successfully hosted the 2026 edition of its Together4ALimb Walk recently.

This year’s event attracted a significant turnout, with employees, beneficiaries, families, partners, and members of the public coming together for a commemorative awareness walk in the heart of Victoria Island, Lagos.

Now in its 12th year, Together4ALimb continues to make impactful changes in the lives of children living with limb loss. This year, the initiative welcomed 50 additional children – each receiving a custom-designed prosthetic limb along with a Stanbic IBTC Education Trust fund each valued at ?1.5 million. In total, Stanbic IBTC has increased the total number of children supported since the programme’s inception to an impressive 250 beneficiaries.

Under the theme ‘Be Un’limb’ited’, the walk celebrated the achievements of beneficiaries while raising awareness. It underscored the message that losing a limb does not equate to losing one’s future – a sentiment echoed by many attendees who participated wholeheartedly.

Speaking during her keynote address, Dr Ibijoke Claudiana Sanwo-Olu, the First Lady of Lagos State, represented by Mrs. Ola Ibitoye, emphasised the importance of this initiative. She stated that every child deserves the opportunity to live, learn, dream, and succeed, regardless of their physical condition.

According to the First Lady of Lagos State, as delivered by Mrs Ibitoye, ‘As a mother and as a woman who cares deeply about the well-being of children, I understand how much support can mean to a child and to the entire family. A prosthetic limb can help a child move more freely, return to school, play with friends, and take part in everyday activities with greater confidence. Educational support also gives these children a chance to build a better future for themselves.

‘This is why initiatives like this are so important. They remind us that inclusion is not simply about giving people support. It is about creating an environment where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential, he said.

I therefore commend Stanbic IBTC for using its Corporate Social Investment programme to address a real need in society.’

Speaking at the event, Chuma Nwokocha, Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, highlighted the importance of investing in youth and children as a crucial driver of economic progress. ‘Supporting the education and development of our younger generations is not just an ethical imperative, but an essential activity for economic growth,’ he stated. ‘Through Together4ALimb, we are removing barriers to mobility and education, demonstrating that collaborative efforts are vital for fostering sustainable growth and securing a brighter future for the next generation.’

Similarly, Wole Adeniyi, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank, emphasised the significance of unity in community efforts. ‘Together4ALimb embodies the power of collaboration in our communities. It is through unwavering engagement and shared efforts that we can create meaningful advancements. As we unite our voices and resources, we uplift one another and foster transformative changes that improve the quality of life for all,’ he remarked.

Since its inception in 2015, Together4ALimb has made significant strides, providing prosthetic limbs and more than ?300 million in scholarship funding to beneficiaries. The total benefits offered through this initiative now exceed ?800 million. The programme has a broad reach across educational levels, as illustrated by its scholars: one child in creche, 23 in nursery, 97 in primary school, 55 in junior secondary school, and 38 in senior secondary. Notably, seven students have successfully completed secondary school education; eight are in universities; and two beneficiaries are receiving specialised support in special schools.

Together4ALimb remains a cornerstone of Stanbic IBTC’s wider commitment to economic development and financial inclusion. Through sustained investments in the health, mobility, and education of vulnerable children, Stanbic IBTC is making strides to create a more equitable society. As the initiative continues to grow, its impact reverberates throughout the community, reaffirming the message that every child deserves a chance to thrive, regardless of their circumstances.

As Stanbic IBTC reflects on this year’s achievements, the organisation looks forward to building on this foundation, creating more opportunities for empowered futures for children affected by limb loss, and enhancing their trajectory towards success.

There is an old Nigerian joke about Noah and the Ark; author unknown. God warned Noah that a flood was coming and gave him six months to build an ark. But this Noah was a Nigerian. Before he could cut the first plank, Nigeria happened to him.

How did it start?

‘And the Lord spoke to Noah and said: ‘I will give you six months to build Me an Ark. At the end of six months, I will send rain to cover the entire earth and destroy all bad people. However, I want to save a few good people, and the animals, two of every kind. So I am ordering you to build an Ark for Me,” said the Lord.

And in a flash of lightning, He delivered the specifications for an Ark.

‘No problem,’ said Noah, trembling in fear and fumbling with the blueprints.

‘Six months, and it starts to rain,’ thundered the Lord. ‘You’d better have my Ark completed, or learn how to swim for a very long time.’

And six months passed. The skies began to cloud over and rain began to fall. The Lord saw that Noah was sitting in his front yard, weeping. And there was no Ark.

‘Noah!’ shouted the Lord. ‘Where is my Ark?’

A lightning bolt crashed into the ground next to Noah.

‘Lord, please forgive me,’ begged Noah. ‘I tried. Oh, I tried! You cannot imagine the trouble I have been through. They told me I needed a certificate of occupancy before I could build the Ark. I went to the Ministry of Lands so many times that I became exhausted. Then I realised that what they really wanted was money, so I gave them all the money I had. After that, the Ministry of Works came in with their own demands. I borrowed money and settled them. Then they mercifully told me to add extra windows for ‘cross ventilation’ and to separate the toilet from the bathroom so that if one person was using the toilet, another person could take a bath.

‘Lord, I tell you, I am exhausted. Just the other day, a tax collector came and said I had not paid my tax and that they were going to arrest me. I told them I had paid my tax last year. They said I had to pay this year’s tax in advance. By then, I had spent all the money I had on settling officials.

‘Anyway, I looked for more money and I paid an engineer to modify the plans for me. After I had finished with that, I went to the forest to get wood. The villagers told me I could not cut any wood without a permit from the Forestry Department. So I went to the forestry officials, and eventually they said I could cut the wood.

‘When I got back to the village, however, the villagers refused to let me cut any wood. They said I had to give them their share because a wealthy man from the city had previously come there, cut down all their trees for export and paid them no compensation. What a country! And I had thought the government did not even allow us to export wood. Finally, when it looked as if they were going to fight me, I quickly settled the village chief, and they agreed to let me take the wood.

‘Before I could transport the wood home, there was trouble at every point on the road. I settled the police, I settled the soldiers, I settled Customs, I settled Immigration, I settled the tax officials and I settled the local government officials. Then, when I finally reached home, the truck driver and his boys said that unless I settled them too, they would not help me unload the wood. I settled them.

‘As soon as I started building the Ark, task-force officials arrived and marked an ‘X’ on it. They said I was not permitted to build the Ark there. They asked whether I did not know that the environmental sanitation law prohibited such a structure within the town.

‘Anyway, I suspect it was my neighbour who reported me. The man is terribly jealous of me. What could I do?

‘While I was building the Ark, NDLEA officials came and arrested me and took me to prison for questioning. They said they had received information that I intended to use the Ark to smuggle cocaine and Indian hemp to America. Later, they discovered that I was not the person they were looking for, so they released me. I had not even reached home when the SSS arrested me for further questioning. They said they had heard that I was a member of the opposition, an enemy of the government and a hater of the president, and that I planned to use the Ark to smuggle guns and bombs into the country to overthrow the Nigerian government. Eventually, I convinced them that I did not even know what opposition was. They released me but ordered me to report to their headquarters every day.

‘When I started gathering the animals, FEPA sent me a letter saying I had not submitted an environmental impact assessment covering the animal waste and the flood You, God, intended to send. I told them that You, the Lord, were the one planning to send a flood to cover the whole world. They were not impressed at all. They told me that nobody, including You, the Almighty, could undertake that kind of project without their permission. Then their chief engineer demanded that I show him exactly where the flood would begin. I gave him a map of the world. He still was not satisfied, so I had to settle him too.

‘Then I began gathering the animals, and I ran into another problem. The people who eat dogs (the 404 people) refused to let me take the dogs because they said dog meat was a delicacy. The bush meat sellers and poultry people would not cooperate either. Even the people who eat Isi Ewu (goat head) pepper soup became angry with me. They asked whether I did not know how expensive meat had become and why I wanted to take away the little meat that was still available. So, Lord, I must tell You now that I could not find dogs, chickens, goats or bush meat. In fact, I only just managed to get some cows. One Aboki, a Fulani herdsman, nearly stabbed me when I tried to take the cows.

‘And the reason I am crying is that the trouble simply never ends. The chairman of the local government where I live accused me of being tribalistic. He said almost all the carpenters and labourers working for me came from my village. He said I had to employ some of the local boys. I told him to send them to me, but he refused. Instead, every day he sent ‘area boys’ to come and cause trouble. They threatened to destroy the little part of the Ark I had managed to build. They would not allow us to work. Every day they came, I had to give them money; otherwise, they threatened to scatter the Ark.

‘Just when I told myself that I should hurry and finish the Ark, the carpenters helping me announced that they would not continue working unless I paid them more money.

‘I was surprised when they told me they had heard that the Ark was a big government contract with plenty of money in it. To cut a long story short, I settled them too. Anyway, there are now plenty of people supposedly building the Ark, and apprentices are everywhere.

‘To tell You the truth, Lord, I don’t think I can finish this Ark even if You give me another five years,’ Noah wailed.

The sky began to clear. The sun began to shine. A rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up and smiled.

‘Lord, you mean You are no longer going to send the flood to destroy the earth?’ Noah asked hopefully.

‘Wrong!’ thundered the Lord. ‘But being Lord of the Universe has its advantages. I fully intend to smite the Earth, but with something far worse than a flood. Something man invented himself.’

‘What is that?’ Noah asked God.

There was a long pause, and then the Lord announced what He would now use to destroy the world. And what is that? ‘Government.’

Originally written in pidgin by an unknown author, the above story was found on the Internet by Emeritus Professor J. F. Ade Ajayi and sent to Chief Bola Ige in April/May 1998. The second republic governor of Oyo State found it apt for his era and published it as written (in pidgin) on May 3, 1998 in his Sunday Tribune’s Uncle Bola’s column. Here, I, with some modifications, have retold it in real English, as my teacher taught me.

Now, if the Nigeria of 1998 was choky for Ige and Ajayi, you and I know that, right now, it is agonisingly asphyxiating on an epidemic scale.

Religion says God used flood to destroy the first world. This one, how will it end? I consult Robert Frost and his 1920 poem, ‘Fire and Ice’: ‘Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice / From what I’ve tasted of desire / I hold with those who favour fire.’ My generation was told in the days of our innocence that the next destruction would be by fire. That fire, I now know, is the government. Ill-digested policies, implemented irresponsibly, have proven more devastating than the flood of Noah’s time.

Government is a flood of fire. In Ebonyi State, the wildfire video of a senator is trending. The lawmaker went to ask a community for 2027 votes but could not physically reach the people because a river stood between him and them. Across that river, there is no bridge; the senator, his governor and his minister of works have not graciously granted those stranded people the privilege of one. What did the senator do? He stood on one bank, on dry land, the terra firma, and summoned the voters to stand on the other. Then, from across the water, he flung his campaign message at them. They dared not spurn his offering. They grabbed it.

Government people are magicians. The senator could not cross the river to reach the people, but his magic made their assurance of votes jump the river and land in his pouch. They will vote for him and his party of piety next year.

Between that big man and the people was a bridgeless river. And in that river without a bridge, the failure of government is made graphically visible. Aristotle defined justice partly as the duty of power ‘not to give too much to himself and too little to his neighbour’. On that riverbank, there was too much on one side and much too little on the other. And we think there will be peace between the Villa and the village. Machiavelli warned the Prince against becoming ‘hated and despised’. Nothing builds that hatred quite like the wretched watching power prosper comfortably from the other bank.

Back to the Nigerian Ark. In the biblical story, the flood overwhelmed the people and Noah built an ark. In the Nigerian story, government itself has become the flood; the obstacle citizens must cross to live meaningful lives.

Between President Bola Tinubu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, there is a renewed war over subsidy, petrol prices and the misery in the land. Atiku, with his nimble political fingers, is cashing out on Nigerians’ mass poverty and mass suffering, and Tinubu is responding to him, panting. Neither side will let us be, and they should let us be. They are òkúta ìsàl?` and òkúta òkè (the lower and upper grinding stones). Ask the kernel between them which one is its friend.

Policies without a human face destroy without a physical deluge. Their casualties are as uncountable as the sea of heads in IDP camps – or, more appropriately, as the grains of sand on the seashore. Check: the business that closes, the worker who loses his job, the child withdrawn from school, the pensioner who cannot afford his BP medicine, the family that cuts three meals to one. That is a deluge. You may not see the water rising; there may be no ark floating and no bodies washing ashore. If you care to look and see beyond your nose, you will see devastation dispersed across millions of homes but buried by the government in statistics.

I hear the government and its explainers. I hear Atiku’s sudden bursts of pro-welfare rhetoric. If I were not a coward, I would tell both sides to stop talking political statistics to a starving mass of skeletons. Economic policy should be judged by its measurable effects on human welfare, not by government claims or opposition rhetoric.

The government is busy pushing back against the poisoned arrows from Atiku, veteran of electoral intrigues. Should we or should we not listen to Abuja and its experts? How do we measure the truth here? Measure inflation against real wages; measure household hunger and business mortality; measure school enrolment and unemployment; measure maternal mortality, food insecurity, poverty and life expectancy. Measure life and death. My political economist says those measurements are the oracle that tells us whether government policy is medicine or poison.

Police Command in Katsina has arrested a 19-year-old man for alleged impersonation and attempted robbery.

The Command spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Katsina.

Sadiq-Aliyu said that the suspect was arrested following a report received by the police on Aug. 22 at about 7:00 pm.

He said that the suspect was allegedly seen chasing a yet-to-be-identified person while pointing a toy pistol at the victim in an attempt to rob him.

‘Consequently, in collaboration with members of the local vigilante group, police operatives swiftly responded and arrested the suspect at about 8:00 p.m. at Kofar Sauri, Katsina,’ he said.

According to the spokesman, a black toy pistol was recovered from the suspect during a search.

He said that the suspect was currently in police custody while investigation continued.

According to him, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ali Umar-Fage, commended members of the community and the local vigilante group for their vigilance and cooperation.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.

The commissioner said that sustained collaboration between security agencies and members of the public was vital to tackling crime and criminality in the state.

I write to appeal to the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to kindly give urgent attention to the completion and rehabilitation of the Adegbayi-Ajia Road in Egbeda Local Government Area.

Since assuming office, Governor Makinde has embarked on several projects that have positively impacted the lives of residents across Oyo State. The construction of the Adegbayi-Ajia Road was particularly welcomed with great excitement by residents, who had endured years of neglect and found the road largely inaccessible.

The intervention initially brought tremendous relief. It improved movement within the communities and enabled commercial motorcyclists and tricycle operators to return to the route. Residents, artisans, traders and workers could travel more easily to their places of business and work, while economic activities in the area received a boost.

The road also provided an alternative route for travellers from neighbouring states, including Osun, Ekiti and Ondo, especially those seeking to avoid traffic congestion around the Iwo Road axis.

Unfortunately, the road is now in a terrible condition and has become difficult for motorists to navigate. Many vehicle owners incur significant expenses repairing damage caused by the bad portions of the road. During heavy rainfall, the situation becomes even worse, as parts of the road become flooded and virtually impassable, forcing motorists to seek alternatives that are also not easily accessible.

Completing the project will restore the relief, economic opportunities and improved mobility that residents initially enjoyed.

Oyetola Oluranti writes from Ibadan.

The Federal Government has unveiled the ‘Hire from Nigeria’ campaign, an initiative aimed at positioning the country as a preferred global destination for skilled talent and digitally delivered professional services.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the official press conference for the campaign, saying the initiative was designed to place Nigeria’s human capital at the centre of the country’s economic engagement with the world.

Idris said the global economy had evolved beyond the traditional export of physical commodities, stressing that knowledge, skills, creativity and professional services could now cross international borders without the movement of goods.

He said Nigeria was well positioned to take advantage of this transformation, given its large and youthful population, growing pool of professionals, entrepreneurial culture, English-language proficiency, favourable time zone and expanding capabilities in technology, creative industries, business support and other digitally delivered services.

According to him, the Federal Government has set an ambition of creating one million export-linked jobs over five years as part of efforts to make Nigeria a major hub for talent and services exports.

The minister, however, stressed that having a large pool of talent was not sufficient, as global employers must also be aware of the capabilities of Nigerian professionals and have confidence in the quality of services they provide.

‘That is why communication is central to this campaign,’ Idris said, adding that the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation would deploy its communication platforms, agencies and partnerships to give the initiative visibility both nationally and internationally.

He said the ministry would work to ensure that the story of Nigerian talent was communicated ‘clearly, credibly and consistently’ to employers, investors and businesses around the world.

The campaign, he explained, is a public-private collaboration involving the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Education, National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), Bank of Industry’s iDICE programme, Tech-for-Dev and other domestic and international private-sector partners.

Idris said the initiative would receive further global visibility ahead of its planned global launch during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

He said the campaign would communicate to the international community that Nigeria was ‘open for business’ and had skilled people ready to compete, collaborate and contribute to the global marketplace.

Nigerians can work globally from home

The minister also urged young Nigerians to take advantage of opportunities created by the digital economy, noting that geographical location was no longer necessarily a barrier to participating in the global workforce.

He said young Nigerians could acquire the necessary skills, work from within the country and provide services to clients and employers around the world.

‘With the right skills, infrastructure, professional standards, and access to markets, Nigerians can live and work and earn here at home, while providing valuable services to clients and employers worldwide,’ he said.

According to him, the model could generate foreign exchange inflows and tax revenues for Nigeria while expanding the country’s skills and knowledge base.

Idris described the initiative as a practical expression of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on job creation, economic diversification, skills development, global integration and youth empowerment.

He called for stronger cooperation among government institutions, the private sector, training institutions, employers, technology companies, young professionals and international markets to translate the campaign’s ambition into sustainable opportunities.

‘The future of Nigeria’s economy will increasingly be driven by the talent, creativity, skills and productivity of our people,’ the minister said. He added: ‘Nigeria is ready to compete on the global stage. Nigerian talent is ready to work. And the world should look to Nigeria.’

Idris commended the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, the NATEP team, Tech-for-Dev, iDICE and other partners for their contributions towards the campaign.

He urged stakeholders to ensure that ‘Hire from Nigeria’ evolves beyond a publicity initiative into a sustained global platform for showcasing the skills, creativity, professionalism and potential of Nigerians.

The Nigerian equities market staged a dramatic end-of-month recovery on Monday, adding N1.91 trillion to its market capitalisation in a single session, as aggressive buying in banking, consumer goods and oil stocks helped the market claw back some of its August losses.

The late rally, however, was not enough to erase the damage from a three-week sell-off that left the NGX All-Share Index down 0.44 per cent in August, underscoring a sharp shift in investor sentiment after months of strong gains.

The All-Share Index advanced by 1.20 per cent on Monday to close at 244,199.39 points, lifting its year-to-date return to 56.93 per cent, while total market capitalisation rose to N157.74 trillion from the previous session’s N155.83 trillion.

The rebound was broad-based, with 43 stocks advancing against 16 decliners, resulting in a strong market breadth of 2.7x.

Banking stocks provided the biggest boost, with the sector surging by 3.11 per cent, while Consumer Goods gained 1.72 per cent and Oil and Gas rose 1.35 per cent. Commodity and Insurance stocks also advanced by 0.88 per cent each. Industrial stocks bucked the trend, declining by 0.65 per cent.

Omatek Ventures, Ikeja Hotel, Sovereign Trust Insurance, Sunu Assurances and Royal Exchange emerged among the biggest gainers, while Abbey Mortgage Bank, Africa Prudential, FTN Cocoa Processors, Tantalizer and Consolidated Hallmark Insurance recorded notable losses.

The strong finish came after a bruising period for equities investors. The market had rallied to a monthly high of 248,556.30 points on August 10 but subsequently entered a prolonged sell-off as investors took profits across several heavily appreciated stocks.

The decline accelerated from August 11, when the index fell by 0.74 per cent, followed by a 1.12 per cent drop on August 12. Further losses on August 13 and 14 extended the downturn, while selling pressure persisted through the following week.

By August 20, the index had fallen to 240,037.80 points, representing a loss of more than three per cent from its August 10 peak. The weakness continued into the final week of the month, with the index touching 238,682.92 points on August 26.

The market subsequently mounted a recovery, gaining 0.20 per cent on August 27 and 0.90 per cent on August 28 before Monday’s stronger 1.20 per cent advance.

Despite the month’s overall decline, trading activity remained robust, reflecting continued investor appetite for Nigerian equities. On Monday, trading volume rose by 0.17 per cent to 606.19 million shares, while turnover jumped by 29.56 per cent to N38.70 billion. Deal count also increased by 39.17 per cent to 53,471 transactions.

The month-end rebound also coincided with renewed optimism following the confirmation of Nigeria’s return to the FTSE Russell Frontier Market universe.

FTSE Russell’s decision, effective September 21, is expected to increase the visibility of Nigerian equities among international investors and potentially improve foreign portfolio flows into the market.

For investors, however, the August performance presents a mixed picture. The market’s 56.93 per cent year-to-date gain remains exceptionally strong, but the month’s negative return and prolonged mid-month sell-off indicate that investors are becoming more selective after the sharp appreciation recorded in the first seven months of the year.

The final-day rally suggests that bargain hunting and renewed institutional interest may be emerging at lower valuations, particularly in banking and other liquid sectors.

With the FTSE Russell reclassification now providing a fresh potential catalyst, market attention is expected to shift to whether the late-August buying momentum can be sustained into September.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over an alleged attempt to prevent the release of records concerning his past, saying the Presidency must exemplify integrity, accountability and transparency.

Obi made the remarks in a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Sunday, where he expressed concern over what he described as the direction of the country under the present administration.

The former Anambra State governor said he was profoundly embarrassed that a sitting Nigerian President was asking a foreign court to withhold records relating to his past, particularly matters he described as being of legitimate public interest.

According to Obi, political leadership requires the courage to confront one’s history rather than shield controversial aspects of it from public scrutiny.

‘Leadership, in my humble view, demands the courage and humility to confront one’s history, to acknowledge mistakes, provide candid explanations where questions arise, and, where necessary, apologise and seek forgiveness,’ he said.

He argued that accepting responsibility for mistakes would strengthen rather than diminish the authority of a political leader.

Obi’s comments come amid ongoing public interest in questions surrounding President Tinubu’s educational history and records. He said such questions, particularly those relating to primary and secondary education, should be resolved through clear and verifiable explanations rather than primarily through legal proceedings.

‘This becomes particularly important when questions concern educational credentials. Issues surrounding foundational schooling, primary and secondary, should not remain unresolved or be addressed primarily through legal proceedings,’ Obi said.

He maintained that Nigerians deserved ‘clear, credible, and verifiable explanations,’ particularly where information had previously been submitted in official records.

The NDC presidential candidate said his major concern was not only the controversy itself but also the example it could set for Nigerians, especially young people.

‘My deepest concern is the example this sets for more than 200 million Nigerians, particularly the over 30 million young people in schools,’ he said.

According to him, the highest political office in the country should demonstrate the values of integrity, accountability, transparency and ethical leadership.

Obi also urged political leaders to recognise that personal ambitions are temporary, while the Nigerian nation is enduring.

He said an imperfect past should not necessarily define an individual, arguing that what matters is the willingness to confront past mistakes with honesty and humility, make amends where necessary, and place the national interest above personal ambition.

‘When will our political class fully appreciate that individual ambitions are temporary, while the nation endures?’ he asked.

‘The Presidency is an office held for a season; the moral standards established by those who occupy it can influence generations.’

Obi, who is seeking the presidency on the NDC platform ahead of the 2027 general elections, concluded by stressing that Nigeria’s interests must take precedence over those of any individual.

‘Nigeria is greater than any one person, and the integrity of the Republic must always come before the interests of the individual,’ he said.

DOES President Bola Tinubu know that Alhaji Aliko Dangote says the cement he exports from Nigeria is cheaper than the cement he sells to Nigerians at home? If he does, has anyone in his government satisfactorily explained to him why? We, the people, demand an explanation.

These questions have become necessary following disturbing findings by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). After a three-month cross-border investigation, the Commission says its preliminary findings suggest possible manipulation of cement prices in Nigeria. It compared Nigeria with Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria, examining limestone availability, population, production capacity, consumption and retail prices. This deserves urgent attention. Readers will therefore permit this necessary digression from the electricity-sector series we began last week.

Our advantage begins beneath our feet

Limestone is not a scarce mineral in Nigeria. Commercial deposits occur across the country’s sedimentary basins, including the Benue Trough, Dahomey Basin and Sokoto Basin, supporting major cement-producing centres from Ogun and Cross River to Benue, Gombe and Sokoto states. The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency estimates the country’s limestone resources at about 10.6 billion tonnes, including 568 million tonnes of proven reserves.

Nigeria therefore possesses enormous domestic reserves of the principal raw material for cement production. Our installed cement-production capacity exceeds 60 million metric tonnes annually, against estimated domestic consumption of approximately 25-30 million tonnes. Nigeria consequently possesses substantial excess installed capacity and is a net exporter of cement to other African countries. Ordinarily, abundant raw materials, substantial excess production capacity and competition among producers should exert downward pressure on prices. Instead, the opposite appears to be happening.

Will somebody explain the price disparities?

According to the FCCPC, a 50kg bag of cement selling for between ?9,300 and ?9,700 in January 2026 had risen to ?10,500-?13,000 by mid-year and ?13,000-?15,000 in some locations by July.Now consider what consumers elsewhere in Africa are paying. Among the comparative prices published by the FCCPC, a bag sells for approximately ?7,344 in Kenya, ?6,528 in Tanzania and ?9,180 in Togo. How does this make economic sense, especially when Nigeria itself is a net exporter of cement?

The FCCPC is therefore right to investigate whether these prices result entirely from legitimate production costs or whether coordinated behaviour, abuse of market power, restriction of domestic supply or anti-competitive distribution practices are involved. Three major producers reportedly account for more than 90 percent of Nigeria’s installed cement-production capacity. Such concentration does not establish collusion, but it makes vigorous competition regulation indispensable.

Dangote’s tax explanation

Alhaji Aliko Dangote has provided an explanation that President Tinubu’s government should take seriously. In December 2025, during an interview with Business Insider Africa, Dangote argued that cement exported from Nigeria could be sold more cheaply because exports escape some domestic taxes and levies. He specifically mentioned 30 percent company income tax, two percent education levy, one percent health levy, 7.5 percent VAT and 10 percent withholding tax, arguing that avoiding these burdens enables exported Nigerian cement to compete with products from Turkey, Russia and China.

Dangote’s argument deserves interrogation.

Nigeria implemented major tax reforms from January 2026. The reforms were advertised as simplifying taxation, eliminating multiplicity, improving the business environment and reducing distortions. Some of the taxes and levies Dangote identified in December 2025 have since been altered or consolidated. Moreover, company income tax is imposed on taxable profits, VAT operates differently from income tax, and withholding tax is principally a tax-collection mechanism. They cannot simply be added together as though every percentage represents an additional tax directly imposed on the production cost of each bag of cement.

Questions for Tinubu’s cabinet members

Is Dangote’s explanation still correct under the new tax regime? Mr Taiwo Oyedele, who led Tinubu’s tax-reform programme before becoming Finance Minister, should tell us. How much tax is actually embedded in a 50kg bag of cement? NRS Chairman Dr Zacch Adedeji should publish the effective tax burden per bag of cement at the ex-factory price.

Let us have the numbers. Which taxes and levies apply when cement is sold domestically? Which disappear when it is exported? How much do they add to the factory-gate price?

These questions extend beyond cement. If Nigerian manufacturers generate much of their own electricity, provide some of their own infrastructure and still carry a tax burden sufficiently heavy to make their products more expensive at home than abroad, something is fundamentally wrong with our industrial system.

This is why the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, must explain why decades of backward-integration policies have not produced the expected consumer dividend. Nigerians accepted years of protection for the cement industry on the promise that domestic capacity would eventually deliver self-sufficiency and competitive prices. Capacity came. Exports came. Why have lower prices not followed?

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, complained that high cement prices were putting pressure on federal infrastructure projects and encouraging contractors to demand contract variations. He said the Federal Government would begin engaging manufacturers from July 1. Did those engagements take place? What was the outcome? The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr Muttaqha Rabe Darma, should also explain how government intends to address Nigeria’s enormous housing deficit without addressing the cost of one of its most important building materials. These ministers cannot operate in silos while Nigerians bear the consequences. Mr President, coordinate your team and confront the cost of cement head-on.

FCCPC must finish what it started

The FCCPC must demonstrate that it is an economic regulator and not another Nigerian institution that announces investigations only for the matter to disappear when public attention moves elsewhere. Its investigation should establish the ex-factory price of cement, manufacturers’ production costs and margins, distributors’ and retailers’ margins, capacity utilisation, domestic dispatch volumes, export volumes, transportation costs and the actual tax burden embedded in domestic cement prices. The Commission says all the major manufacturers except one cooperated by making their records available. Who refused? The FCCPC should tell Nigerians and use its lawful powers to obtain the necessary information.

Most importantly, this investigation must distinguish between government-created costs and market-created costs.If taxes are the problem, Oyedele and Adedeji should fix them. If manufacturers are restricting domestic supply, coordinating prices or abusing market power, the FCCPC should establish the evidence and sanction them. If distributors are imposing excessive margins, expose them.

The President must show leadership in this

President Tinubu should take charge because cement is not a luxury product. It sits at the foundation of houses, roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and factories. Its price eventually appears in rents, house prices, infrastructure contracts and government expenditure. This is therefore not merely a dispute about what Dangote Cement, BUA Cement, HBM Nigeria or their distributors charge for a bag of cement. It is a test of Nigeria’s taxation, industrial policy, competition regulation, infrastructure policy and housing strategy.

Oyedele should tell us whether Dangote’s tax explanation remains valid under the new tax regime. Adedeji should quantify the tax burden on a bag of cement. Umahi should tell us what became of government’s promised engagement with manufacturers. Darma should explain what expensive cement means for affordable housing. Oduwole should explain where the consumer dividend from decades of cement-industry protection has gone.

And the FCCPC must follow the evidence wherever it leads.

Nigeria has the limestone, the factories and excess installed capacity. Nigerians should notpay more for Nigerian cement than consumers in countries to which we export it.