Category: The Nation – Nigeria

A massive crowd of All Progressives Congress (APC) youths and other supporters, on Wednesday welcomed the party’s deputy governorship candidate in Oyo State, Adesoji Adedeji, and his entourage to Saki, Ogbomoso, Iseyin and Oyo.

While he was in Ogbomoso and Saki on Wednesday, his train moved to Iseyin and Oyo yesterday with crowds of APC youths and supporters thronging venues of the engagements.

An elated Adedeji took the opportunity to outline key areas the APC administration would prioritise if elected in 2027.

The gatherings, held at Saki City Hall and Soun Ogunlola Town Hall, Ogbomoso, on Wednesday, was organised under the theme: ‘Building APC Youths for Electoral Success in Oyo State,’ and formed part of the party’s ongoing grassroots mobilisation and engagement ahead of the 2027 general election.

The venues were enlivened by political and solidarity songs as APC members and stakeholders from Saki and Ogbomoso converged to receive Adedeji and discuss strategies for strengthening the party’s grassroots structures, particularly through increased youth participation. The experience was the same at the MKO Events Centre in Iseyin and Labamba Hotel, Oyo yesterday.

Addressing the crowds at the venues, Adedeji thanked the party leaders, candidates and members for their support, urging APC youths to take a more active role in grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.

He stressed the need for the party to strengthen its presence beyond Ibadan, noting that Ogbomoso, Oyo, Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun are important components of the state, whose contributions should be reflected in the party’s political and development strategies.

Adedeji likened the strength of the party to a forest, stressing that ‘a single tree cannot make a forest,’ and called for collective efforts among party members across the various zones.

He commended the youth for their commitment and resilience, stressing that they are the cornerstone of the APC.

He added that the party prioritised youths in the planning and execution of party manifesto and other activities.

The deputy governorship candidate highlighted some of the policy priorities which the Alli-Soji ticket would pursue if elected, with particular emphasis on functional local government system, workers’ welfare, education and youth development.

According to him, education and youth development would receive priority attention because of their importance to human capital development and the overall progress of the state.

He promised that the APC administration would intensify efforts to attract investors to Oyo State, with the aim of expanding economic activities, creating opportunities and improving the welfare of residents.

On workers’ welfare, Adedeji said the proposed administration would give attention to payment of salaries, allowances, gratuities and pensions, stressing that the welfare of workers is an important component of Oyo AHEAD agenda.

His emphasis on education, investment and workers’ welfare adds to previous public statements from the APC ticket outlining priorities, including infrastructure, health care and agriculture.

Adedeji urged the youth to take the Oyo AHEAD agenda to the grassroots across the state to enable people key into it.

Party leaders addressed the gatherings, including the APC candidate for Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South and Oriire Federal Constituency, Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala, who commended the party’s leadership and youths for their continued commitment.

Alao-Akala urged members to remain united and sustain their mobilisation efforts towards the forthcoming elections.

The APC Youth Leader, Remi Adepoju, assured the gathering that the youth wing was prepared to intensify its mobilisation activities, while appealing to party leaders to continue supporting young members.

Other speakers at the programme expressed support for the Alli-Soji ticket and called for greater mobilisation across the various communities in the state.

In Ogbomoso, a minute silence was observed in honour of the late former Oyo State governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, followed by special prayers.

Among those present were Odedunmi Bunmi Olubukunmi, Glory Olalekan, Sayo Ifatoki, Alhaji Wasiu Olukan and Ajagbe Ibrahim, as well as other APC leaders, women leaders and members of the City Boys Movement.

At Saki, the APC deputy governorship candidate visited the Olere of Saki, Oba Khalid Olabisi.

The zonal engagements underscore APC’s continuing effort to strengthen its grassroots structures and deepen youth participation ahead of the 2027 elections.

That he won a Western Regional government scholarship to pursue his secondary school education is illustrative of his early scholastic promise and brilliance. Yet, the precocious youngster was thrown out of the Gbongan-Odeomu Anglican Grammar School, Gbongan, Osun State, in form 2, his scholarship withdrawn, following the political crisis in the region in the First Republic.

His father’s political affiliation had thrown into potential jeopardy the nascent educational career of Adebayo Biala Alamu Williams who had his primary school grounding at Saint Luke’s Anglican Primary School, also in Gbongan.

For a person of lesser fettle, determination, courage and persistence, that traumatic disruption of his educational trajectory could have had irretrievably terminal implications for his scholastic dreams and aspirations. Indeed, it is a measure of the tenaciousness that was later to define Williams’s life that, as he later narrated, ‘I made a vow that my colleagues would not take their GCE O’ Level School Certificate ahead of me. I made another promise that if they were ever going to the university at all, they would not get there ahead of me, and I was able to fulfill it. So I started training myself from 1966′.

Today, the son of Late Pa Johnson Bolarinwa Williams and late Mama Maria Oyedun Williams, born in the then rustic Gbongan community of Osun State, is one of Nigeria’s most respected Professors of the Arts and Humanities. His 75th birthday on September 9 attracted widespread attention, both within and beyond Nigeria.

Admitted into the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in 1971, Williams obtained his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from the institution, earning a PhD degree in the Theory of African Literature in 1983.

Easily one of Nigeria’s most prolific and incisive public intellectuals, Professor Williams is a widely published scholar, a consistently brilliant, provocative and audacious journalist and an academic of global repute and influence. The virility and pungency of his written word demonstrates and vindicates the oft-cited aphorism that ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’.

Not content to bury his head in the safe obscurity and anonymity of the ivory tower, Professor Williams was one of those intellectuals who deployed his cerebral endowment in the struggle against the unjust annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, brutally oppressive military dictatorship and for the restoration of democratic governance to Nigeria.

It is in recognition of his sacrificial role in this regard that the President Bola Tinubu administration conferred on him the National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

His active involvement in journalism over the last five decades has served as the connecting link between his ideas and theories adumbrated in learned peer-reviewed journals and his articles published in newspapers and magazines accessible to the general public.

Even though he communicates through his journalism with a mass, largely non-scholarly audience, the sophistication and profundity of his popular writings still shine through. This is why the military dictatorships against which he wielded his pen did not hesitate to hound him into exile. Even then, it is a testimony to his courage and daring that he opted to return to the country to continue to participate in the struggle for democratic restoration before the expiration of military rule.

Professor Williams’s journalism has seen him writing brilliant and hard-hitting columns over the years for diverse mediums, including the Nigerian Tribune, Guardian, Newswatch, The News, Tempo, Africa Today and now The Nation newspaper. An accomplished novelist, his creative works, ‘The Year of the Locusts’ and ‘The Remains of the Last Emperor’ won the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) prizes for 1988 and 1995, respectively. His last novel was titled ‘Bulletin from the Land of Living Ghosts’. He was the winner of the Odunewu Prize for Informed Commentary in 1993 and 2000.

His stellar academic career encompasses Professor Williams serving for over two decades as a senior academic and professor at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, teaching and researching as Professor of Liberal Arts, Savannah College of Arts and Design, Georgia, USA, and research appointments at the University of Birmingham, England, and the African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands. He has also held the Amy Freeman Lee Distinguished Chair of Fine Arts at the University of the Incarnate Word, Texas, USA.

He had offered public service leadership at various times as Director-General of the Africa Policy Group, a London-based think tank; Chairman, Lagos State Electoral Reform Panel; member, Board of Trustees, Obafemi Awolowo Institute of Governance and Public Policy, and Chairman, Lagos State Gubernatorial Advisory Committee.

In his native Gbongan that sprang him, he holds the revered traditional chieftaincy title of Asiwaju Otun Olufi of Gbonganland.

We agree that Professor Williams is long overdue to be conferred with the Honorary Fellowship of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL).

There was celebration yesterday in Oke-Oyi community, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, as Federal Government launched 581 kilowatt of interconnected mini grid acceleration scheme (IMAS).

The solar power project will supply 24 hours electricity to Oke-Oyi and neighbouring communities.

Scores of elated villagers chanted ”President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for second term.”

The community said the project had renewed its confidence in the commitment of the Federal Government for rural development, adding that Oke-Oyi was not left behind.

The project, developed by Nayo Tropical Technologies Limited, with support from German Cooperation and European Union through GIZ, is designed to expand access to reliable electricity, while supporting economic activities and improving livelihoods at Oke-Oyi community, the Federal Government has said.

Chairman, Oke-Oyi community, Alhaji Oseni Elemoso, said: ‘Today is a day of joy for the people of Oke-Oyi community. We are honoured to welcome you all as we celebrate the inauguration of this 581 kilowatt interconnected mini-grid project implemented by Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

‘For many years, we have longed for reliable electricity to improve our lives and economic activities.

”This project has renewed our confidence in the commitment of the government and its partners to rural development and has shown that Oke-Oyi is not forgotten.”

The local government Chairman, Luqman Agbelere, says community members will now have access to electricity to grow their businesses.

Represented by Head, Department of Administration, Abdulkareem Kolapo, Agbelere said ‘the provision of reliable electricity remains an important driver of economic and social development.”

The Federal Government inaugurated the project through REA under the Rural Electrification Fund.

The project has a total installed capacity of 581kWp, comprising 1,336 solar panels and 84 batteries, with approximately 10 kilometres of distribution cables and transformers supporting the electricity distribution network.

The project serves a community with an estimated population of 13,000 people, with electricity connections extended to residential and productive users.

Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, said the inauguration reflected Federal Government’s commitment to expanding electricity access and ensuring that energy investments translated into improved livelihoods and economic opportunities.

Said he: ‘The purpose of electrification is ultimately to improve lives and create opportunities. What we are inaugurating today at Oke-Oyi is an investment in the productive capacity of the community. When electricity enables a welder to expand his business, a grain miller to operate more efficiently or a new enterprise to emerge, we are seeing the direct connection between energy access and economic development.’

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq welcomed the intervention and noted the importance of reliable electricity to economic activities and community development.

Represented by Speaker of the House of Assembly, Yakubu Salihu, the governor said: ‘For Kwara State, every intervention that expands reliable electricity access to our communities is an important step towards creating a more conducive environment for enterprise, employment and improved livelihoods.

”We appreciate the Federal Government, REA and all development and private-sector partners for this investment at Oke-Oyi and look forward to its continued contribution to the development of the community.’

The Presidential, National Assembly and State House of Assembly Campaign Council in Edo State, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to establish the Nigerian Army’s 83 Division headquarters in Benin City is one of the reasons Edo people will reelect him next year.

Director of Media of the campaign council, Mr John Mayaki, who hailed Governor Monday Okpebholo for accelerating preparations for the take-off of the Division, said Edo people understand the strategic value of the military formation and the significance of the cooperation between the Federal and state governments.

President Tinubu approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions, including the establishment of the 83 Division in Benin City, with responsibility for Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states. The Presidency said the restructuring was intended to improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making and enable faster responses to emerging security threats.

Mayaki said: ‘When some people ask what President Tinubu has done that directly affects our state, the 83 Division is one concrete example we should put on the table.

‘This is not merely another military barracks. We are talking about a major Army command headquartered in Benin City and covering Edo, Delta and Bayelsa.

‘For a state confronting kidnapping and other security challenges, the significance of strengthening military command, coordination and response capacity should not be underestimated.’

Mayaki thanked Tinubu for the decision, saying Edo should not take the establishment of the Division for granted.

He also praised Okpebholo for what he described as the governor’s determination to ensure that the presidential approval was translated into an operational military formation.

The Edo government provided a temporary facility at Teboga in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, where rehabilitation of existing structures, environmental clearing and other preparatory works have been undertaken.

During an earlier inspection, Okpebholo gave contractors two weeks to prepare the facilities, while the Commander of 4 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Balogun, said the work was in furtherance of Tinubu’s directive for the operationalisation of the Division.

Mayaki said: ‘I commend Governor Okpebholo because he understands that presidential approval must be followed by state preparedness.

‘Mr President has made the strategic decision. Governor Okpebholo is providing the enabling environment to ensure that Edo takes full advantage of it.

‘The governor is not sitting in Government House celebrating an announcement. He is going to the site, inspecting the work and pushing for the facilities to be ready.

‘That is the kind of Federal-State partnership that Edo needs.’

Mayaki said the interest shown by Delta State in hosting the headquarters should further encourage Edo people to appreciate its strategic importance.

Delta Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has appealed to Tinubu and the Nigerian Army to locate the headquarters in Delta, arguing that his state was strategically positioned to host it and offering land, temporary facilities and other support.

Mayaki said Delta should not be criticised for advocating for its interests, adding that Edo people should instead learn from the seriousness with which its neighbour was pursuing the military formation.

He said: ‘I do not quarrel with the Governor of Delta State. He is fighting for what he believes will benefit his people. That is what governors are expected to do.

‘But Edo people should ask themselves a simple question: if this Division is insignificant, why does another state want its headquarters? Why is it prepared to provide land, facilities and other support?

‘The answer should make us appreciate the strategic value of what has been designated for Edo.

‘Sometimes, you understand the value of what you have when you see how determined somebody else is to have it.

‘What others consider important enough to compete for, Edo should not take for granted.’

Mayaki said the establishment of the Division should also be viewed from the perspective of ordinary Edo residents rather than merely as a military administrative arrangement.

According to him, security affects farmers, traders, transporters, investors and rural communities and remains fundamental to economic development.

He said: ‘A farmer who cannot safely reach his farm cannot produce. A transporter who is afraid of the highway cannot efficiently move people and goods. Investors will naturally consider the security of an environment before committing their resources.

‘No one should pretend that one Army Division will solve every security problem. But stronger military coordination and quicker response to threats are among the objectives the Federal Government has given for creating the additional divisions.’

Mayaki said the development provided another issue on which Edo voters could assess the relationship between the Tinubu administration and the Okpebholo government.

He added: ‘Our campaign will not ask Edo people to make political judgments on slogans alone. We will put the record before them.

‘When people ask what President Tinubu has done for Edo, we will point to decisions such as this and explain what they mean.

‘When they ask what Governor Okpebholo is doing with the opportunity, we will show them Teboga and the work being done to make the Division operational.

‘Then the people can make their judgment on the evidence.

‘For us, the principle is straightforward: what comes to Edo must be understood; what is approved for Edo must be followed through; and what can strengthen the security and economy of Edo must be translated from an announcement into something that works for our people.

‘We thank President Tinubu for the decision to establish the 83 Division in Benin City. We commend Governor Okpebholo for moving to ensure its take-off.

‘These are among the concrete issues we will place before Edo people as they assess the record of the President and the partnership between Abuja and Benin ahead of 2027.’

The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, said a second term for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will allow the administration to deepen its transformation of Nigeria.

Momoh said this at Nomeh Unateze, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, where the South East Development Commission (SEDC), in partnership with the Enugu State Government, flagged off a 200-hectare integrated agricultural development project.

The minister said the project was an example of the implementation of policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration, particularly in food security, regional development, and economic transformation.

He said the administration had embarked on changes aimed at improving the country, adding that another opportunity for President Tinubu would mean ‘complete transformation’ of the sectors his administration has been turning around.

‘Another opportunity for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu means transformation. Another opportunity means complete transformation of all the things that have been happening,’ Momoh said.

The minister explained that the SEDC project conforms with the policies of the Federal Government and the presidential priorities, particularly the priority on food security.

‘What you are doing here today conforms with the ministry’s policy and the Federal Government’s policy. We are transforming policy into implementation now,’ he said.

Momoh praised the SEDC for what he called its capacity, vision and commitment to translating the objectives for which regional development commissions were established into concrete projects.

The minister cited the SEDC and the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) as two of the newly established commissions that have demonstrated capacity and vision.

He urged other commissions to accelerate the implementation of their mandates.

According to him, the commissions were established as government institutions to drive development and were expected to work in accordance with government policies and regulations.

The minister also praised SEDC’s Managing Director Mark Okoye for his consultation and engagement with various stakeholders before embarking on major interventions.

He said the agricultural project would incorporate food processing and other aspects of the commodity value chain.

‘It is not just sufficient to develop the land, but we must go beyond that to embark on processing,’ Momoh said.

The minister noted that the initiative could help to revive the commodity ecosystem for which the Southeast was historically known.

The 200-hectare project, which is the pilot component of SEDC’s Southeast Agro-Development Programme, is designed to integrate agricultural production with mechanisation, processing, training and market access. The commission says the project is intended as a model for wider agricultural interventions across the five Southeast states.

Momoh hailed Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah for providing the land for the project and applauded the cooperation between the state government, the SEDC, and communities in the state.

The minister said the collaboration demonstrated the importance of state and regional institutions working together to bring development initiatives closer to the grassroots.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries for the National Assembly seats in Ondo State may have come and gone. Still, the controversies that greeted the outcome of the exercise remain unabated.

No doubt, the results of APC primary polls sent from the state to the national Secretariat of the party were overturned by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party when they were eventually released.

Several members of the party, who were declared winners of the primaries in the state but later dropped by the NWC, have approached the court to seek redress, while some have defected to other political parties to pursue their ambitions.

It is obvious in the state that the party is divided between those who were winners at the state level and those declared winners by the NWC. The aggrieved contestants are not in agreement with the decision of the party’s leadership, as they insisted that the conduct of the primary polls followed due process.

One of the constituencies that is currently under legal contention is the Akoko South-East/South-West Federal Constituency, where the incumbent member of the House of Representatives, Adegboyega Adefarati, Dr. Victor Olusegun Ategbole, and Ajongbolo Seun contested for the ticket of APC to be able to contest in the general elections.

One of the contestants in the primaries, Dr. Victor Olusegun Ategbole, who participated in the May 16, 2026 APC primaries for Akoko South-East/ Akoko South-West Federal Constituency, has approached the court seeking redress on the final decision of the party’s national leadership on the result of the election.

In Suit No: FHC/A79/CS/59/2026 filed at the Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital, by Ategbole, he is interested in the interpretation and application of Sections 84, 85 and 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 as well as other relevant laws for the determination of whether the party’s NWC has power to replace the initial results with another.

Also, Ategbole faulted the claim that he was disqualified from participating in the primary, as he was screened and cleared to contest the primary election. In the report from the National leadership, his name is on number 45, just as his name was sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He insisted that there was no time he was disqualified from participating in the party’s primary as Ategbole’s name was reflected on the APC documents forwarded to INEC for the conduct of the primary election for the Federal Constituency on 16 May 2026 Relevant documents had been duly certified by INEC to confirm the eligibility of Ategbole for the primary election.Ategbole lawfully participated in the election on 16 May,2026 as declared the winner by the Returning Officer having scored 1,2011 valid votes .

The respondents in the suit filed by Ategbole through his team of lawyers led by Dr Remi Peter Olatubora included the All Progressives Congress (APC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Gboyega Adefarati.

In the originating summons Ategbole, raised four questions for determination, which included whether having regard to the provisions of sections 84, 85, 86 and 88 of the Electoral Act 2026, Articles 19.6, 20.1, 20.3 and 20.4 constitution of All Progressives Congress (APC) and the first respondent’s guidelines for the nomination of candidates for the 2027 general elections, the first respondent’s National Assembly Primary Election Committee has the power to make a second result declaration, superseding the declaration and return of the plaintiff, by the APC’s Federal Constituency Returning Officer, as the winner of the House of Representatives Primary Election held on May 16, 2026 in Akoko South-East/Akoko South-West Federal Constituency as declared by Hon Akin Aibinuomo, the returning officer.

Likewise, with reference to the same sections of the Electoral Act and Articles of his party, Ategbole is asking the court whether his party’s NWC has the power to make Adefarati, who came second as the party’s candidate.

His third question is whether, as the winner of the primary, he ought not to have been returned as the party’s candidate.

Lastly, he wants to know whether the declaration of third respondent, Gboyega Adefarati, as the winner of the primary election is ‘not illegal, unlawful and contrary to the provisions of Section 36 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and sections of the Electoral Act and the Articles of the party.

Consequently, Ategbole sought five reliefs from the court. He wants the court to make a declaration that he is the winner of the House of Representatives Primary Election for Akoko South-East/Akoko South-West Federal Constituency.

Also, he is also seeking an order directing his party, APC, to issue a Certificate of Return to him as the winner of the primary election for the federal constituency, just as prayed for an order restraining his party, APC, from forwarding Gboyega Adefarati’s name to INEC.

Alternatively, Ategbole sought an order directing his party, APC, to retrieve the name of Adefarati from INEC and submit his name as the candidate of APC for the 2027 House of Representatives election in the federal constituency.

In proving his case beyond reasonable doubt, Ategbole had approached INEC to obtain certified true copies of the results as declared at the federal constituency collation centre, Saint Patrick Secondary School, Oka-Akoko. In a true certified copy of the INEC report signed by G.D. Dung on the conduct of the primary election stated that INEC staff went out to monitor the primary election and filed reports. INEC further confirmed that the primary election took place in all 26 RA/Wards Collation Centres in the federal constituency on Saturday, 16th May 2026, and that the party’s primaries commenced as scheduled in the federal constituency.

In the same report, INEC stated that ‘Accreditation of party faithfuls was done by checking party membership registration cards while in queue. A copy of the party’s area register had earlier been submitted to the state office. In the declaration of results, according to the INEC report at the end of the collation exercise at St. Patrick’s College.

It further stated that the exercise came to a close amidst jubilation by party members. In its conclusion, INEC wrote that ‘The Party Primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was successfully conducted in all the Registration Areas within Akoko South-West Local Government Area without any controversy.’

One of the documents obtained from INEC showed a list of the Local Government Planning Committee to include Hon. Agbede Sunday (chairman), Hon. Ibitayo Olusegun (Secretary) and Barr. Felix Alonge (member). The INEC Registration Area monitor for the local government is Akeredolu Adewale.

In a separate document, which contained the INEC report on the same APC primary election in Akoko South-East Local Government Area, a true certified copy of which was signed by Dimas F. Emmanuel, at INEC headquarters, Abuja, on July 7, 2026, the commission stated that ‘The primary election was conducted through direct primaries using Option A4 at the Registration Areas level.

Results from the various RAs were collated at the Local Government level before being forwarded for constituency collation. The primary election was well organised and conducted in accordance with the party’s guidelines.’

In the declaration of results, according to the INEC report, ‘At the end of the collation exercise at St. Patrick’s College, the votes scored by each of the contestants are as follows: Mr. Ajongbolo Segun scored 74 votes, Mr. Adegboyega Adefarati scored 1,965 votes, and Dr. Olugbenga Victor Ategbole scored 12,011 votes as declared by the returning officer for the federal constituency.

The Nigerian Polo Association (NPA) has achieved a major milestone in its drive to elevate national polo, with preparations officially underway to host the Federation of International Polo (FIP) Zone E World Cup Playoff. Scheduled for November 9-16, 2026, in Abuja, the tournament marks the first time FIP has selected Nigeria-and the African continent-to host the zonal playoff event.

The playoff winner will earn a spot alongside global qualifiers at the FIP Polo World Cup Finals in Uruguay, scheduled for early 2027. The newly expanded Zone E features competing nations across Africa and Asia, including South Africa, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, India, and host nation Nigeria.

NPA Chairman Suleiman Abubakar confirmed that the hosting rights have received full backing from the Federal Government through the National Sports Commission (NSC). To maximize the host nation’s performance and secure the World Cup qualification ticket, Nigeria is finalizing player selection processes and pursuing a foreign coach to lead the national squad.

Highlighting the selection of an international-standard facility in Abuja, NPA Chairman Suleiman Abubakar stated:

‘NPA is thrilled and honoured to be hosting this world-class event in Abuja. With the expected support of all stakeholders and enthusiasts of the noble game in the country, we are looking to show off the best Nigerian polo has to offer.’

NPA Secretary General Henry Tobi added: ‘We view this as a great opportunity for Nigerian polo to witness world-class polo up close. We are proud to play a role in the overall advancement of polo in the world and plan to have our facility in top-notch shape for the tournament.’

This tournament marks Nigeria’s return to World Cup qualifying action for the first time since 2011, when Life Chairman of Nigerian Polo, Emir of Katsina HRH Dr. Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, led the national team captained by Mohammad Babangida to the Zone D playoffs in Malaysia. The tournament further aligns with FIP’s broader mission-established by founder Marcos Uranga in 1982 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)-to expand the sport globally.

The Chairman Eti-Osa Local Government, Lagos State Omo’oba Adeola Alimot Adetoro, has inaugurated three roads as part of activities to mark her one year in office.

The roads are Ogunyemi Road, Itedo; Ibrahim Atere Road, Gbara and Murphy Adetoro Road, Igbo-Efon.

At the ceremony, which attracted All Progressives Congress (APC) Apex Leaders, councillors, traditional rulers, community leaders, party faithful and residents, the chairman expressed joy and fulfilment at delivering on her campaign promises.

‘We thank Almighty Allah (SWT) for this glorious achievement. A year ago, we promised that infrastructural development would be paramount. Roads are not just pathways; they are lifelines of commerce, access to healthcare, education and community development. What we are witnessing today is a fulfilment of that promise,’ she said.

Adetoro noted that the projects were driven by her administration’s HEYIGA Agenda – a commitment to Holistic development, Empowerment, Infrastructure, Grassroots governance and Accountability.

According to her, the completion of the three roads will ease vehicular traffic, boost local businesses, improve property values, and enhance the quality of life for residents of Itedo, Gbara and Igbo-Efon.

She assured residents that the commissioning marks the beginning of more developmental projects, pledging more roads, schools, primary healthcare centres and empowerment programmes in the second year of her administration.

The Chairman expressed sincere gratitude to her Vice Chairman, the Executive and Legislative Arms, Supervisors, Special Advisers, the Council Manager, management, staff, and the good people of Eti-Osa for their support, patience and cooperation.

‘It is now my honour to officially commission these roads for public use, to the glory of God, for the benefit of mankind and in particular the good people of Eti-Osa,’ she declared.

The event ended with jubilation by residents who commended the Chairman for her people-oriented leadership.

The United States government has announced a new visa restriction policy targeting foreign citizens who travel to the country to give birth to secure automatic U.S. citizenship for their children, as well as individuals and entities that facilitate the practice.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the policy, stating that the restrictions are being invoked pursuant to Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

He added that certain immediate family members of individuals targeted under the policy may also be subject to the visa restrictions.

The policy specifically targets owners, operators, and managers of commercial birth tourism operations, as well as visa ‘fixers’ and facilitators who coach applicants to submit fraudulent documents or misrepresent their travel intentions.

Foreign medical providers who knowingly aid such travel schemes and any other individuals supporting commercial birth tourism networks are also covered under the rules.

The announcement comes after recent operations by U.S. authorities that dismantled international birth tourism networks operating across West Africa, North Africa, and Europe, resulting in the revocation of hundreds of visas.

In one instance, a U.S. embassy in West Africa uncovered a network involving over 100 foreign nationals using fraudulent documents and fixers to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children.

The State Department confirmed that the newly established Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force, working alongside the Department of Homeland Security, will continue to analyse records worldwide to revoke visas and dismantle commercial operations profiting from immigration fraud.

Official statements emphasised that the policy aims to protect the integrity of the U.S. immigration system and prevent the exploitation of American citizenship.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday reassured investors of his commitment to providing enabling environment for long-term investments as Ogun State Government and DP World MEA FZE signed a $7 billion deal for the development of Gateway Deep Sea Port and Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone.

At the signing ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Paris, France, President Tinubu said the Federal Government remains committed to providing regulatory clarity, policy stability and a predictable business environment to support long-term investment in Nigeria.

He said the Federal Government would continue to support states across the federation to unlock their immense potential, describing the Ogun State-DP World MoU as evidence of such collaboration and a reaffirmation of his government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said: ‘These agreements envisage an initial investment of more than $7 billion in the Nigerian economy. At full development, the projects are projected to create more than 50,000 direct jobs and many additional indirect opportunities, while generating substantial non-oil export earnings from Nigerians’ creativity and productivity across the value chain. This is economic diversification made tangible. This is industrialisation made visible. This is Renewed Hope in action’.

President Tinubu assured investors that the Federal Government would provide the necessary regulatory and institutional support to move the projects seamlessly from agreements to implementation.

‘This is cooperative federalism as envisaged by our Constitution: subnational vision supported by federal facilitation.

‘We will facilitate road, rail and power connectivity; strengthen investment security and our maritime domain; and remove unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles,’ President Tinubu said.

He highlighted the strategic importance of the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone, noting that the zone has already started attracting interest from leading global manufacturing and industrial companies.

He said: ‘Within the zone, imported inputs will be transformed into finished goods, Nigerian raw materials will be processed for export and, most importantly, our young men and women will find dignified, productive and sustainable employment.

‘The Gateway Deep Seaport is the critical infrastructure that will support the zone’s viability. A port moves cargo; a port integrated with a special economic zone helps to build an economy. Each reinforces the other’.

He said the Federal Government would continue to work with Ogun State and other subnational governments to remove unnecessary bottlenecks and facilitate investments that create value for Nigerians, while respecting the country’s laws and regulatory requirements.

According to him, strengthening the maritime economy remained a key part of the Federal Government’s broader economic diversification strategy as Nigeria strives to position itself as the continental hub for global trades and investments.