Category: Nigerian Tribune

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has described his Allied Peoples Movement (APM) counterpart, Seyi Makinde, as qualified to become Nigeria’s president.

Obi made the declaration on Monday at the inauguration of Makinde’s presidential campaign office in Abuja, where he called for greater unity among political actors ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The former Anambra governor said the contest should not be driven by desperation or political hostility, but by the desire to build a better country.

‘We want a Nigeria of unity, inclusion; we have a candidate who is contesting for President today, my dear brother Makinde. Is he qualified to be President? Yes, he is qualified,’ Obi said.

He also pledged to support whoever emerges as the winner of the 2027 presidential election, provided the victory was achieved through a free, fair and credible process.

‘What we are doing today, for us, is not about desperation, but we want Nigerians to make their choice. All of us should come together to build a new Nigeria. We can’t continue the way we are going; our people are hungry and poor.

‘Whoever wins genuinely from a free, fair, and credible election, we will all work together to save this country from collapse,’ he said.

Obi urged politicians to move away from politics centred on personal disagreements and instead focus their energy on addressing the challenges confronting Nigerians.

He said his presence at the inauguration was intended to demonstrate solidarity and promote a new approach to political engagement.

‘That’s why I’m here to show solidarity and assure you that we are changing the system, we don’t want politics of quarrel, politics of disagreement. Let our quarrel be to feed our people, we want a Nigeria where the child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody,’ Obi added.

He said the country needed political leaders capable of putting the welfare of citizens above personal and partisan interests, stressing that Nigerians should be allowed to freely choose their next president.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) has charged newly inducted HR professionals to prioritise competence, continuous learning, ethical conduct, and measurable impact as they take on greater responsibilities in their ministry and communities.

The charge was given by the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of CIPM, Mallam Ahmed Ladan Gobir, at the Institute’s 72nd Induction Ceremony, held virtually, where a total of 57 professionals from the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) were inducted.

The new inductees, comprising one through the Executive Route and 56 through the HR Practitioners’ Route, reflect the Church’s commitment to strengthening professional competence and excellence among its workforce.

Mallam Gobir, at the event themed ‘Building High-Impact Competencies for Effective Service and Ministry’, described the induction as not just an admission into a professional body, but a call to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the HR profession, their ministry, and society.

According to him, the changing nature of work makes continuous learning, professional development, and adaptability essential for HR professionals seeking to remain effective and relevant.

On the theme of the event, Mallam Gobir drew a distinction between being busy and being impactful, stressing that competence, character, and service must come together to produce meaningful results.

He urged the new inductees not to be overly focused on titles and positions, but to concentrate on the value they bring to their organisations.

He further reminded the inductees that their CIPM qualification carries responsibilities beyond professional recognition, urging them to uphold the Institute’s standards, maintain their membership in good standing, participate actively in CIPM activities, and commit to continuous learning and development.

The Guest Speaker, Dr. Oluyemi Adeosun, stressed the importance of competence as a foundation for effective service and professional excellence.

He described competence as the combination of knowledge, skills, and behaviour that enables individuals to perform a role consistently and to a high standard.

‘Ministry requires more than passion. It requires competence, character, and capacity. Passion may inspire the calling, but competence enables effective delivery,’ he said.

According to him, effective professionals must understand the competencies required for their roles, assess their current capabilities, identify gaps, and deliberately bridge those gaps through learning and development.

The Nigerian equities market extended its bullish run yesterday, with market capitalisation surging to a record N160.60 trillion, following the listing of 8.09 billion new ordinary shares of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX).

The development pushed total market value higher by 0.65 per cent, significantly outperforming the 0.29 per cent gain recorded by the NGX All-Share Index, which closed at 247,699.78 points.

The latest advance lifted the market’s year-to-date return to 59.18 per cent, underscoring the strength of the equities rally despite increasingly weak breadth.

The sharp rise in market capitalisation was largely driven by the additional Dangote Sugar shares admitted to trading, rather than a broad-based appreciation in equity prices.

Monday’s trading session revealed a widening disconnect between the headline index and underlying investor sentiment. Forty-three stocks declined against only 12 gainers, producing a weak market breadth of 0.3x.

The biggest losers were led by Caverton Offshore Support Group, Omatek Ventures, Consolidated Hallmark Insurance, Sunu Assurances Nigeria and Daar Communications, while Zichis Agro-Allied , Aradel Holdings, Nascent Technologies, International Breweries and MTN Nigeria recorded the strongest gains.

Sectoral performance was equally mixed, with gains concentrated in selected sectors. The Oil and Gas Index led the advance, rising 5.90 per cent, followed by the Commodity Index, which gained 4.04 per cent, while the Consumer Goods Index rose 0.79 per cent.

These gains offset declines across the Insurance, Banking and Industrial Goods sectors.

Trading activity, however, weakened considerably. Total volume traded fell by 81.81 per cent to 407.85 million shares, while market turnover dropped 62.88 per cent to N27.25 billion.

Despite the sharp decline in volume and value, the number of transactions increased by 22.51 per cent to 52,322 deals, suggesting continued participation even as the value and volume of shares exchanged moderated.

Market analysts said the immediate outlook remains positive, particularly as foreign-investor interest could improve following Nigeria’s confirmed return to the FTSE Russell Frontier Market universe, effective September 21.

The oil and gas sector is also expected to remain a major driver of sentiment, supported by firmer crude oil prices and heightened geopolitical tensions arising from the United States-Iran conflict.

However, the breadth figures indicate that the market’s record-level performance is yet to translate into widespread gains across listed equities.

With the All-Share Index now up 59.18 per cent year-to-date, investors may increasingly focus on whether the rally can broaden beyond a relatively narrow group of stocks and sectors as the market approaches Nigeria’s return to the FTSE Russell Frontier Market classification.

For now, the NGX continues to break higher, but Monday’s session showed that the strength of the headline market masks a considerably more selective investment environment beneath the surface.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed concern over the Federal Government’s level of domestic borrowing, noting that it may be limiting credit available to Nigerian businesses at a time of rising oil prices.

Reacting on Monday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the borrowing trend deserved public scrutiny given improvements in oil revenue in 2026.

‘At the beginning of this fiscal year, the Federal Government budgeted on an oil benchmark of $64.85 per barrel. Crude oil prices have since risen substantially above that benchmark,’ Atiku stated.

He noted that despite the higher revenue, government borrowing from the domestic market between January and August 2026 reached N24.7 trillion, which is 90.5 per cent higher than the N12.98 trillion borrowed in the same period in 2025.

Atiku said the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the exchange rate had resulted in higher nominal government revenues, and asked for clarity on how the additional resources and subsidy savings are being applied.

‘What Nigerians need to know is how the increased revenues are being deployed, and why borrowing has continued to rise despite the improved fiscal position,’ he said.

The former Vice President also cited data showing faster growth in credit to government compared to credit to the private sector.

‘Credit to government grew by 43 per cent, while credit to the private sector grew by 9.6 per cent. When government takes a larger share of available credit, it can make borrowing more expensive for businesses,’ he stated.

Atiku argued that access to affordable credit is critical for manufacturers, agro-processors and entrepreneurs to expand, create jobs and reduce production costs.

‘Nigeria’s economy grows when businesses can access capital to invest, produce and employ. Government should create fiscal space for the private sector to thrive,’ he said.

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) outlined that an ADC administration would focus on fiscal discipline, cutting waste, prioritizing productive expenditure, and gradually reducing reliance on domestic borrowing.

‘After three years of economic reforms, Nigerians deserve to see the impact of subsidy savings, additional revenues and higher oil earnings in their daily lives through lower costs and more opportunities,’ Atiku added.

He called on government to provide a transparent account of revenues, savings and expenditures, and to take steps that ensure the private sector has adequate access to credit.

Big Brother Naija Season 11 housemate, Joshua Alekewumu, popularly known as Tram, has emerged as the Head of House for Week 7 of the reality TV show.

Tram secured the position after emerging victorious in the Head of House arena challenge game.

His victory means he takes over from Abi, who served as the Head of House in Week 6.

As the new Head of House, Tram is guaranteed immunity from this week’s eviction nominations. He will also enjoy exclusive access to the Head of House suite throughout the week.

Following his victory, Tram was given the opportunity to select a housemate to join him in the luxury suite.

He chose Flora as his loft mate, meaning the duo will share the Head of House suite and its privileges for the week.

Tram’s new position could also influence the alliances and relationships within the house as other housemates seek to secure their places in the competition.

The officials can consider the applicant’s knowledge of the role, relevant experience, knowledge of the UK sponsor and explanation of how they were recruited.

Therefore, that makes UK skilled worker visa interview preparation less about sounding impressive and more about showing that your application makes sense from beginning to end. Your qualifications, work history, job offer, Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), salary and understanding of the employer should tell the same story.

In this article, Tribune Online discusses the UK skilled worker visa interview preparation that can be your guide to achieve your goal.

Why the Home Office might interview you

It is crucial to know that a Skilled Worker application does not automatically lead to an interview. The guidance says further checks are not usually necessary, but a caseworker can ask for an interview where concerns arise about the genuineness of the role or your ability to do it.

Under Appendix Skilled Worker, you must genuinely intend and be able to undertake the sponsored role. An interview can therefore form part of a broader credibility assessment.

Know your job beyond the title

The first thing a consular officer wants to establish is whether you understand the job you have accepted.

Do not stop at the title on your CoS. Be able to explain what you will actually do, who you will report to, the main responsibilities and how your previous experience prepares you for those duties.

The Home Office guidance expressly allows caseworkers to consider knowledge of the role and relevant experience of the skills required. Your answers should demonstrate familiarity, not a rehearsed definition.

Understand your UK employer

It is very crucial to also know who is sponsoring you as an applicant.

Be ready to explain the employer’s name, what the business does, where it is based and how your position fits into its operations. And do not invent details if you do not know them. If you are unsure, say so rather than guessing.

The Home Office specifically lists knowledge of the sponsor as a factor that may be considered when assessing genuineness.

Current sponsor-compliance scrutiny also makes it important that the job description, occupation code and actual employment line up.

Lewis Silkin’s immigration team noted in its 2026 analysis that sponsor guidance places stronger emphasis on ensuring the sponsored worker’s actual role matches the information provided to the Home Office.

Explain how you got the job

Also, you should know your recruitment journey. Did you apply through the company website, LinkedIn, a recruitment agency or a referral? Did you have an interview? What stages did the process involve?

The Home Office allows the decision-maker to consider how you were recruited. Your account should match your application and, where applicable, what the employer can confirm.

Similarly, specialist immigration barrister Georgina Griggs of Richmond Chambers has highlighted the importance of recruitment evidence, including how an employer identified and selected a sponsored worker.

Do not create a sophisticated story because you think it sounds better. A simple, truthful explanation is safer.

Connect your experience to the role

You do not need to prove that you are the best professional in your industry. You need to show that you can genuinely undertake the sponsored role.

Review your CV, employment history, certificates and application form before the interview. Identify the experiences that directly relate to the new position. If you are changing sectors or moving into a more senior role, understand how you will explain that transition.

The Immigration Rules allow the Home Office to examine whether the applicant has the appropriate skills, qualifications and experience for the sponsored job.

Know the key details on your CoS

Your Certificate of Sponsorship is central to the application. Know the job title, occupation code, salary, working hours, start date and sponsor details recorded on it.

The current caseworker guidance confirms that an applicant applying for entry clearance needs a valid Defined CoS for the specific job and salary shown. The Home Office also checks the sponsor’s licence status and the information attached to the certificate.

If your answer about salary, duties or working hours conflicts with your CoS or employment documents, that inconsistency can raise questions about the application.

Explain why the job makes sense

An officer may want to understand why the UK job fits your career. Explain the professional logic: why does it fit your experience, what attracted you to it, and what skills will you use?

Avoid answers that make the sponsored job sound like a convenient route into the UK rather than genuine employment. The rules require you to genuinely intend to perform the sponsored role.

Do not memorise model answers

Memorized answers often sound unnatural, especially when an officer asks a follow-up question. Learn the facts instead, then explain them in your own words.

If you do not understand a question, politely ask the officer to repeat or clarify it. If you do not know an obscure detail about the company, do not manufacture an answer. Accuracy is more valuable than confidence without substance.

A useful principle from specialist immigration practice is to prepare the evidence and narrative rather than rely on a scripted performance. Richmond Chambers, for example, has emphasized proactively addressing genuineness concerns through clear evidence of the role, responsibilities and business structure.

Prepare for consistency, not perfection

The strongest preparation is a line-by-line review of your application.

Read your CoS, employment contract, job description, CV and supporting documents together. Check dates, salary, job title, duties and employer information. Think through anything that could reasonably require explanation, including gaps in employment, career changes or differences between your CV and the new role.

A useful final check is to ask yourself whether a stranger reading your documents would understand why this employer hired you for this specific role. If the answer is yes, your interview preparation is on the right track.

The Home Office can request additional evidence and require an applicant to attend an interview. Failure to attend without a reasonable explanation can lead to refusal.

For Nigerian applicants, the practical lesson is straightforward: do not prepare as though you are trying to impress a stranger. Prepare as though you are explaining a real job you have genuinely accepted.

That is what the Home Office’s guidance ultimately tests: whether the person applying is genuine, understands the role, has the relevant ability and has a credible connection to the sponsoring employer. If those elements are consistent across your documents and answers, you are in a much stronger position.

Immigration rules can change, and individual cases turn on their facts. Applicants with unusual circumstances or previous refusals should seek advice from a properly regulated UK immigration adviser or qualified barrister.

The First Lady of Kogi State, Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo, has distributed cash gifts and food items to 500 elderly women as part of activities marking World Charity Day 2026.

Hajia Ododo, who led a charity roadwalk from Obasanjo Square to the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja, also extended support to women, groups, elderly persons, roadside hawkers, and other vulnerable residents.

The event was attended by government officials, women’s groups, community leaders, and residents and highlighted the importance of compassion, generosity, and collective responsibility in building an inclusive society.

Speaking during the celebration at the Government House, Hajia Sefinat Ododo said every citizen’s future matters and no individual should be left behind in the pursuit of development and prosperity.

She said through her humanitarian platform, the Ohunene Empowerment Initiative (OEI), she would continue to support the less privileged and contribute to improving their well-being.

The gesture, she said, was aimed at providing relief and demonstrating love to those who were not relenting in ensuring self-sustainability.

According to her, charity should not be viewed as a one-day event but as a continuous commitment to uplifting others and strengthening communities.

Hajia Sefinat also appealed to privileged Nigerians to embrace the spirit of charity, make acts of kindness a regular part of their lives, and use their resources and influence to positively impact vulnerable members of society.

She appreciated the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her sustained humanitarian interventions and commitment to improving the welfare of women, children, and disadvantaged persons across the country.

Mrs Ododo described the president’s wife as a source of inspiration whose efforts continue to touch lives nationwide.

She called on women leaders in government and those occupying positions of authority to emulate the good works of Nigeria’s First Lady by initiating programs that directly improve the living conditions of ordinary citizens, stressing that genuine leadership should be measured by the ability to uplift vulnerable people and offer hope to those in need.

‘Together, we can build a state where no one is forgotten and where every citizen has the opportunity to live with dignity and hope,’ she said.

Various speakers at the occasion, including the CMD, Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, Doctor Oluseyi Bamidele Folagbade, and other personalities, commended Mrs Ododo’s generosity and advised citizens to support her initiatives as well as the government of Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.

Representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, NSCDC, FRSC, NDLEA, women’s associations, and groups, among others, attended the program.

Beneficiaries of the Charity Day program expressed gratitude for the generosity of the First Lady and her concern for the less privileged, noting that the support would help ease some of their immediate challenges.

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2027 general elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has pledged to reduce the prices of petrol, cooking gas and aviation fuel (Jet A1) to N200 per litre within his first year in office if elected president.

Adebayo made the promise on Sunday while speaking during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Personality Interview Series in Abuja.

The SDP standard bearer said the proposed price reduction would be achieved by reviving Nigeria’s existing refineries and creating an enabling environment for modular refineries to operate.

According to him, Nigeria’s refineries, despite being decades old, remain serviceable. He cited refineries in the United States that are more than 100 years old and still operating, arguing that age should not be used as a reason to abandon the country’s local refining plants.

Adebayo also promised to restore what he described as the ‘original subsidy arrangement’, under which 450,000 barrels of crude oil were reserved for domestic consumption.

According to him, ‘all other derivatives from the 450,000 barrels like naphtha, heavy fuel oil, diesel, kerosene, etc. will be sold and the money used to maintain the regime price’.

He said proceeds from the sale of the other derivatives would be used to equalise prices and ensure that petrol, cooking gas and Jet A1 do not exceed N200 per litre under an SDP government.

‘SDP will pick cooking gas, petrol and Jet A1; those three, we will put them under a regime where the price does not go past N200,’ he further stated.

Adebayo argued that the national debate over fuel subsidy had distracted attention from what he described as the real problem – inadequate domestic refining capacity.

He said subsidy was not a government economic programme and argued that Nigerians would not need to debate the issue under his administration.

According to him, ‘the priority should be to develop adequate domestic refining capacity instead of relying on imported petroleum products sold at international prices’.

The SDP candidate linked cheaper fuel to wider reforms in transportation, housing and social welfare.

He promised to expand public transportation and rail services to reduce Nigerians’ dependence on private vehicles.

According to him, workers and students would be able to access public transport with identification cards without direct payment, while employers would contribute six per cent of workers’ salaries towards transportation.

He also proposed capping housing costs at seven per cent of workers’ salaries, alongside free education and healthcare, while placing greater emphasis on agriculture to ensure food affordability and security.

According to him, ‘the summary of it is that transportation costs cannot go more than six per cent of your salary and housing costs should not be more than seven per cent of your salary; education and healthcare should be free,’.

Adebayo said the combination of cheaper fuel, improved public transportation and expanded rail services would reduce the cost of movement and stimulate economic activities.

He maintained that Nigeria had a major advantage in its crude oil reserves and existing refining infrastructure, which he said an SDP administration would fully harness.

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, says no woman should remain in an abusive, harmful, or toxic marriage under Islamic law.

Gumi made this known in a message on Monday in Kaduna.

He said Sharia provides several lawful avenues through which women can exit harmful marriages.

He said Islamic teachings also promised relief and better provision for couples who separated righteously when reconciliation became impossible.

Gumi identified mutual consent divorce, khul’, judicial annulment, delegated divorce and arbitration as some lawful options available to women.

He explained that mutual consent divorce allowed spouses to end their marriage amicably through agreed terms on finances, custody and the waiting period.

According to him, khul’ enables a woman to initiate divorce by returning her dower or offering compensation to her husband.

He said Khul’ could be pursued when a woman disliked the marriage but could not establish specific harm or fault.

Gumi, however, noted that judicial intervention could become necessary where a husband unreasonably refused a legitimate request for Khul.

He said judicial annulment, known as faskh, allowed a woman to seek dissolution without returning her dower where valid grounds existed.

He listed physical, emotional or psychological abuse, failure to provide maintenance and prolonged abandonment among grounds that could justify faskh.

Other grounds, he said, included serious illness preventing marital relations, certain defects in the marriage contract and a husband’s apostasy.

Gumi also identified delegated divorce, or talaq al-tafwid, where a husband transfers divorce authority to his wife under specified conditions.

He explained that such conditions could include preventing a wife from lawful education or employment, or taking another wife.

He stressed that delegated divorce must be expressly included in the marriage contract or subsequently agreed upon by the spouses.

The cleric said Islamic law also encouraged arbitration and mediation between spouses before divorce, where reconciliation remained possible.

He cited Qur’an 4:35, which directs that arbitrators be appointed from both families when a breach between spouses is feared.

Gumi said where reconciliation failed, the arbitrators could recommend dissolution, subject to formalisation by the appropriate judicial authority.

He, however, expressed concern over challenges confronting some Sharia courts in Nigeria, including corruption, case backlogs and procedural delays.

He also cited stringent evidentiary requirements and limited legal awareness among women as factors affecting access to justice.

According to him, such challenges could leave vulnerable women trapped in abusive or untenable marriages for prolonged periods.

Gumi said women who qualified for fault-based judicial annulment sometimes resorted to khul’ simply to secure faster release from abusive marriages.

He explained that such women could forfeit their dower despite potentially having grounds to retain it under judicial annulment.

The cleric argued that the gap between Islamic legal principles and courtroom realities undermined the protective objectives of Sharia.

He, therefore, called for effective access to justice and greater awareness of lawful options available to women facing abusive marriages.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, is attending the inauguration of the presidential campaign of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) candidate, Mr Seyi Makinde.

Obi arrived at the venue of the event at about 12:31 p.m.