Category: PM News

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

President Bola Tinubu will on Wednesday depart Abuja for a two-nation working visit to South Africa and Angola, where he is expected to join global leaders for two major international summits.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President will first travel to Johannesburg to participate in the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit, before heading to Luanda for the AUEU Summit.

Onanuga said the invitation to Tinubu was extended by South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, who currently heads the G20.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa invited his Nigerian counterpart to participate in this year’s edition,” the statement read.

He added that the gesture followed a similar invitation extended in 2024 when Brazil’s then-G20 president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, asked Tinubu to attend the summit in Rio de Janeiro.

The G20 meeting, scheduled for November 2223 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, will bring together leaders of the world’s largest economies, as well as the European Union, African Union and key global financial institutions.

Onanuga explained that this year’s summit, themed “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” will focus on some of the most pressing global issues.

“The two-day summit will afford participants the opportunity to deliberate extensively during three plenary sessions devoted to inclusive and sustainable growth, leaving no one behind, trade, development financing, the debt burden, disaster risk reduction, climate change, just energy transitions, food systems, and a fair and just future for all,” he said.

President Tinubu is also expected to hold a series of bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the summit.

Onanuga noted that these meetings will be held “in furtherance of the Renewed Hope Agenda, as well as to discuss regional and international peace, security, and development.”

Once the G20 engagements conclude, Tinubu will proceed to Luanda for the 7th African UnionEuropean Union Summit, slated for November 2425, 2025. The forum will gather leaders from both continents to deepen cooperation on strategic priorities.

According to the Presidency, the AUEU meeting will feature extensive consultations with youth groups, civil society organisations and innovators.

“The summit will bring together young leaders, innovators and Civil Society Organisations to brainstorm on shared challenges,” Onanuga said, adding that deliberations will centre on “climate change, inclusivity in development, infrastructure, the digital economy, the creative industry, manufacturing, and agribusiness.”

President Tinubu will be accompanied by senior government officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.

The President is expected back in Nigeria at the conclusion of the two meetings.

By Joy Akinsanya

Police have have rescued a fake soldier, Robinson Godday, 31, from an angry mob after he allegedly stole phones in the Olomore area of Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.

The rescue followed a distress alert intercepted by the police command’s cyber centre, indicating that a man dressed in full military camouflage had been surrounded by a mob and was on the verge of being lynched.

The command’s Spokesperson, CSP Omolola Odutola who confirmed this in a statement said following the alert, police SWAT operatives raced to the scene, prompting the crowd to disperse as soon as they saw the officers, and allowing for the safe evacuation of the suspect.

“The suspect, Godday allegedly snatched two mobile phones from a young man in the area before he was chased and apprehended by residents.

“He sustained an injury on his right leg after being beaten by the mob, while the stolen phones were recovered and returned to the owner” she said

Odutola added that the suspect confessed during interrogation that he was not a soldier, and that he stole the military uniform from a serviceman attached to the Ojo Military Barracks, Lagos, currently deployed in the North-East.

She said the suspect remains in custody as investigations continue, to uncover the extent of his alleged activities and identify possible accomplices.

However, Ogun Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, condemned the mob attack and ordered intensified raids and stop-and-search operations in the Olomore corridor to prevent similar incidents.

Ogunlowo urged residents to desist from jungle justice and to hand over all apprehended suspects to the nearest police formation for proper investigation and prosecution.

(NAN)

A transformative chapter in African trade is unfolding as AfreTrade, a pioneering digital gateway for global commerce, launches on 18 November 2025 at the MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos. Designed to transform how African businesses access international markets, AfreTrade is positioning itself as a critical catalyst for activating the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and expanding Africa’s footprint in the global economy.

The invitation-only official launch brings together government leaders, industry executives, innovators, development partners, and members of the diplomatic and business communities to Nigeria’s commercial capital. The event will unveil AfreTrade’s integrated platform built around the “3Ts”: Trade, Talent, and Training, a model created to strengthen competitiveness across the continent.

As a trusted digital gateway for global trade, AfreTrade gives users and investors the confidence to engage with emerging markets by derisking transactions and strengthening trust. The platform enables verified businesses and talent to discover and connect with legitimate, fully verified opportunities for new markets, partnerships, and investment — all while supporting export readiness and sustainable growth.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), African SMEs account for 8090 percent of all businesses on the continent, yet remain locked out of global trade due to significant financing gaps, regulatory complexity, and fragmented logistics. Banks on the continent often charge interest rates of 2025%, and only a fraction of SMEs can secure formal credit. In East Africa, technical regulations and non-tariff barriers, such as sanitary standards or certification requirements, block nearly half of potential exports.

As such, many SMEs lack real-time market data, cross-border networks, and capacity-building support to navigate standards and compliance. AfreTrade directly addresses these obstacles by offering a unified digital gateway to empower SMEs by verifying partners, facilitating skills-based training, and democratizing trade opportunities with transparency and ease.

With Africa’s share of global trade estimated at 3.3% aAccording to Afreximbank, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has argued that Africa must tackle high intra-African trade costs by activating the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), investing in infrastructure, reducing logistics burdens, and fostering value addition in manufacturing and digital trade to boost this relatively small share.

Speaking ahead of the platform launch, AfreTrade’s leadership emphasized that Africa’s transformation hinges on building digital infrastructure that empowers people and businesses to compete globally, with Founder and CEO Mr. Lekan Salaam noting that “AfreTrade identifies viable businesses and talent, verifies and amplifies them. The way we envision Afretrade is to bridge the economic gap on the African continent, create an environment of collaboration without subordination, and unlock the continent’s full potential.”

Echoing this vision, AfreTrade’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Charly Lemaasi, cited that “Africa’s renaissance is the responsibility of her own children. It will take Africans to rebuild Africa, and true transformation demands a renewed consciousness. Only a new mind can unlock a new African narrative,” insisting that true transformation requires a renewed mindset capable of redefining how Africa connects, trades, and competes on the world stage.

Reinforcing this strategic shift, Afretrade’s Chief Product Officer, Mr. Jubril Gbajabiamila, added that while “nobody is going to create a hundred million jobs in Africa, the AfreTrade platform can enable a hundred million businesses to flourish–each employing five to ten people–thereby powering job creation through widespread entrepreneurship.

The Afretrade initiative arrives at a pivotal moment as African economies strive for diversification, digital transformation, and greater integration into regional and global value chains. The AfreTrade platform is expected to support policymakers’ efforts to create a more enabling environment for exports, investment flows, job creation, and talent development. Stakeholder participation is essential to scale the Afretrade platform’s impact and ensure that the continent’s businesses can fully leverage the historic opportunities of the AfCTA.

AfreTrade is calling on government institutions, private sector leaders, investors, chambers of commerce, exporters, talent hubs, and development organizations to support and join the movement to redefine Africa’s role in global commerce.

AfreTrade is a trusted digital gateway for global trade, providing African businesses with seamless access to markets, skills, and capacity-building solutions. Combining Trade, Talent, and Training into a single ecosystem, AfreTrade is committed to driving economic inclusion, export expansion, and sustainable development across Africa.

The Ogun State Police Command says operatives of its Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit stepped in to save a man impersonating a soldier after he was almost lynched by an angry crowd in the Olomore area of Abeokuta.

Police spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, made the development known in a statement on Tuesday. She explained that the command’s Cyber Centre had picked up an emergency alert indicating that a mob had cornered a man dressed in military camouflage and was preparing to mete out jungle justice.

SWAT officers were immediately deployed to the scene, and their arrival dispersed the crowd, allowing the suspect to be taken into protective custody. AAccording to the police, the suspect had already been beaten and sustained an injury to his right leg.

Preliminary findings revealed that the man, identified as 31-year-old Robinson Godday, had allegedly stolen two mobile phones from a resident in the neighbourhood. Local youths reportedly chased him down after the theft, realising he was an impostor despite his camouflage outfit.

The police added that the recovered phones were handed back to their owner before officers intervened. During questioning, Godday allegedly admitted he was not a member of the armed forces and claimed he had stolen the uniform from a soldier stationed at Ojo Military Barracks in Lagos, who is currently deployed to the North-East.

The Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, has ordered intensified patrols and stop-and-search operations around Olomore to deter similar incidents. He also condemned the attempted mob justice and appealed to residents to allow the police to handle criminal cases lawfully.

The suspect remains in custody as investigations continue.

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has postponed the planned reception for the Governor of Taraba State, Dr Agbu Kefas, earlier scheduled for Wednesday, 19 November 2025, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the APC said the event was shifted “as a mark of honour to members of the armed forces and citizens killed recently by forces of terror,” as well as in respect for victims of ongoing abductions, particularly the schoolgirls kidnapped in Kebbi State.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the situation in the country required sober reflection rather than celebration.

According to him, “The postponement was made as a mark of honour to members of the armed forces and citizens killed recently by forces of terror, and respect for victims of related incidents of abductions especially of innocent students in Kebbi State by enemies of the state.”

The party paid tribute to Nigeria’s security personnel who continue to confront insurgents and bandits at great personal risk.

“We salute the courage and sacrifices of our men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line in defence of our liberty and security,” the statement added.

While expressing deep sympathy to families affected by killings and abductions, the APC prayed for the safe return of the abducted schoolgirls.

“As we mourn the death of our dear compatriots, we pray for the safe return of our innocent students taken from their families by forces of evil. Our great Party commiserates deeply with families of victims of these incidents,” Morka said.

He reaffirmed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to defeating insurgency and restoring peace across the country.

“The President Bola Tinubu-led administration remains determined to stamp out the menace of insurgency and banditry within our borders, and bring these despicable perpetrators to justice,” the statement read.

A new date for Governor Kefas’ reception will be announced later, the APC confirmed.

The Ogun State Police Command says it has taken a suspected cult member into custody after a targeted operation in the Igbesa area of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area.

The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Sulaiman Laja, was arrested by officers who had reportedly been monitoring his movements. Police spokesperson, CSP Omolola Odutola, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday.

According to the command, officers acting on intelligence trailed Laja to a hideout where he was allegedly attempting to evade detection. A subsequent search of the location led to the recovery of a functional single-barrel firearm, which investigators believe may have been used in criminal activities affecting the community.

Odutola said the arrest marks another milestone in the command’s efforts to curb cult-related violence across the state. She noted that Laja confessed to belonging to the Aiye confraternity and had been linked to several disturbances around Igbesa and surrounding communities.

She added that the suspect has also provided investigators with information on other members of the group who are currently on the run, prompting the launch of a manhunt to track them down.

The police said Laja, along with the recovered weapon, will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further enquiries and prosecution.

The command reassured residents that ongoing operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks would continue until peace and safety are fully restored.

By Christian Ogbonna

Mr Christopher Igwe, the younger brother to Mr Uchenna Igwe, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters in Ebonyi State has been shot dead by suspected armed robbers.

Igwe was shot dead around Ishieke axis in Ebonyi Local Government Area at about 10 p.m on Monday night, the Ebonyi Police Command confirmed in a statement on Tuesday

In the statement signed by SP Joshua Ukandu, the Command’s Spokesman in Abakaliki, the state capital, police said Igwe was killed by gunmen who were shooting sporadically after operating at a shop selling cooking gas in the area.

“Yes, the incident occurred on Monday night at about 10 p.m along Ishieke area.

“The armed robbers, after operations at a cooking gas selling store, began to shoot and, unfortunately, the brother to the commissioner was shot dead,” he said.

Ukandu said that the men of the Ebonyi command had already launched an investigation into the matter for the possible arrest of the hoodlums.

He, therefore, urged residents to provide available and useful information to ensure that the perpetrators of the crime were brought to book.

(NAN)

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

President Bola Tinubu has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to travel to Kebbi State on Wednesday to commiserate with the state government, meet families of the kidnapped schoolgirls, and assure them of the Federal Government’s determination to secure the girls’ immediate release.

The directive follows the abduction of schoolgirls from a boarding school in Maga, Kebbi State, as well as the killing of several soldiers, including Brigadier General Musa Uba, during an anti-insurgency operation in Borno State.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu expressed deep sorrow over both incidents, noting that he had been fully briefed by military authorities.

“As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am depressed with the tragic death of our soldiers and officers on active duty. May God comfort the families of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other fallen heroes,” the President said.

Tinubu also lamented the school abductions, especially after intelligence warnings indicated a possible strike.

He commended Governor Mohammed Nasir Idris for efforts made to avert the attack, even as he condemned the “security breach that led to the regrettable abduction of girls.”

The President described the attack as an assault on children’s right to education and gave firm assurances of rescue efforts already underway.

“I am also depressed that heartless terrorists have disrupted the education of innocent schoolgirls. I have directed the security agencies to act swiftly and bring the girls back to Kebbi State,” he stated.

Tinubu appealed to communities, particularly those in security-challenged regions, to work more closely with security agencies and provide actionable intelligence.

“Our security forces cannot succeed in protecting us if the people don’t cooperate and share information that will help them keep our communities safe. I urge community leaders and our compatriots across the country, especially those in the theatres of operations, to share useful information. Your cooperation is crucial in our fight against these security challenges,” he said.

Vice President Shettima is expected to meet with state officials, security commanders, traditional rulers, parents, and affected communities during the visit, as part of efforts to reassure citizens and strengthen coordination for the safe return of the abducted schoolgirls.

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has raised alarm over what it describes as a growing and dangerous trend of using the Nigeria Police Force to settle political scores, following the recent confrontation at the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, the CNPP faulted the presence and actions of police officers during the PDP’s internal dispute, describing their involvement as “a gross violation of democratic norms and an abuse of state power.”

The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately put an end to the politicisation of security agencies, insisting that the Commander-in-Chief has a constitutional duty to ensure the neutrality and professionalism of the police.

“Anything short of this endangers Nigeria’s democratic architecture and erodes public trust ahead of the 2027 general elections,” the CNPP warned.

The umbrella body representing all registered political parties also cautioned warring factions within the opposition PDP to refrain from actions capable of destabilising the country or compromising the integrity of the political process. It stressed that internal party disputes must be resolved through established mechanisms rather than through force or state-backed intimidation.

“No political actor has the right to drag public institutions into partisan conflicts,” the statement added.

The CNPP further urged all political parties to adhere strictly to their constitutions and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It emphasised that due process, rule of law, and internal democracy remain essential to stabilising the nation’s political landscape and preventing needless crises.

Reaffirming its commitment to defending democracy, the CNPP maintained that political contests in Nigeria must remain peaceful, lawful, and fair.

“Nigeria’s democracy must not be sacrificed on the altar of political desperation,” it said.

A coalition of global public health and climate justice experts has urged governments across the world to take stronger measures against corporate interference as countries hold critical negotiations on climate action and tobacco control.

The appeal, made by Corporate Accountability, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), and the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), stresses the need for “urgent, accountability-driven responses” to counter the tactics of big tobacco, big food, and big oil corporations.

Their warning comes as two major intergovernmental meetings: the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and COP30 to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), gets underway in Geneva, Switzerland and Belem, Brazil.

The secretariat of the WHO FCTC, the world’s first corporate accountability and public health treaty, ratified by 183 parties, recently cautioned governments that tobacco corporations are attempting to influence negotiations beginning November 17, 2025.

As the treaty marks 20 years of implementation in 2025, experts say maintaining its integrity is more urgent than ever.

Prof. Judith Mackay, a veteran tobacco control advocate and senior advisor to the WHO and Global Centre for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC), emphasised the centrality of Article 5.3 of the treaty, which bars tobacco industry interference in public policy.

“If a government introduces new pack warnings, it tells the industry, ‘These are the rules; this is what you must do.’ But when it comes to policymaking, the industry must remain entirely outside the room,” she said.

Contrary to the perception that tobacco giants are too powerful to challenge, Prof. Mackay maintained that global precedents show otherwise.

She cited Uruguay’s landmark victory over Philip Morris International after the tobacco giant sued the country for its strict packaging laws.

“Public health won before profits. They are not undefeatable — they are, in China, what we would call paper tigers,” she said.

Her views were echoed by Daniel Dorado Torres, a lawyer and Tobacco Campaign Director at Corporate Accountability, who underlined the power of Article 19 of the treaty, which allows governments to pursue civil, criminal, administrative, and other liability actions against tobacco corporations.

“In 20 years, governments have built tools to strengthen national laws and hold the industry accountable. The FCTC Secretariat now maintains an expert database and a civil liability toolkit precisely for this purpose,” he explained.

Dorado added that COP11 delegates in Geneva are expected to consider a report outlining over 30 recommendations on how governments can expand liability measures against tobacco companies.

Nepal offers a stark illustration of how far tobacco companies go to undermine public health policy.

Dr Tara Singh Bam, Asia Pacific Director at Vital Strategies, recalled that Nepal’s comprehensive tobacco control law — which included then-unprecedented 75% graphic warnings — was delayed for years due to litigation.

“It took nearly three years of court battles before the law could be implemented in 2013,” he said.

Even after the country increased pictorial warnings to 90% in 2015 and then 100% in 2025 — the largest in the world — the industry filed fresh lawsuits, delaying implementation.

Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of CAPPA Nigeria, argued that climate and tobacco control struggles are linked by a deeper problem: the ability of powerful industries to infiltrate policy spaces.

“COP30 on climate and COP11 on tobacco control are dealing with corporations whose activities harm public health and the planet. Whether Big Oil or Big Tobacco, the tactics are the same — infiltration, deception, and obstruction,” he said.

Oluwafemi warned that fossil fuel lobbyists now occupy climate negotiation spaces with alarming ease.

“Governments go into UNFCCC and FCTC meetings only to find industry representatives sitting at the table, directly or by proxy. We need stringent rules to stop abusive corporations from capturing public policy,” he said.

Rachel Rose Jackson, Director of Climate Research and Policy at Corporate Accountability (United States) and a leading figure in the Kick Big Polluters Out Coalition, said the parallels between climate and tobacco treaty spaces are unmistakable.

“The blockers of action in both UNFCCC and FCTC are the same abusive industries. They use the same playbook to delay, distract, and derail progress,” she said.

Jackson said the absence of strong conflict-of-interest rules in the climate treaty — unlike the FCTC — has allowed fossil fuel interests to deeply shape climate negotiations for decades.

“Last year alone, more than 1,700 fossil fuel lobbyists flooded the climate talks in Baku. We have seen polluter corporations financing climate talks. This is why, year after year, negotiations fail to deliver meaningful action,” she said.

The consequence, she warned, is catastrophic: “Millions of lives and livelihoods are at stake.”

In response, over 450 organisations have jointly launched the Kick Big Polluters Out Coalition, demanding robust liability and accountability mechanisms in the UNFCCC.

Jackson noted one recent victory: for the first time in 30 years, all non-state participants at UNFCCC summits must now publicly disclose who funds their participation and confirm alignment with climate goals.

“It’s a small but historic step toward acknowledging and addressing Big Polluters’ influence,” she said.

Across the board, experts agreed that decisive action is needed to prevent corporate capture of global health and climate policy.

They urged governments attending COP11 and COP30 to strengthen conflict-of-interest rules, adopt and expand liability measures, ensure corporations cannot shape public policy and uphold public health and climate justice priorities.

As the world confronts escalating climate crises and persistent tobacco-related deaths, advocates say the stakes could not be higher.