Category: The Nation – Nigeria

You recently turned 74. When you look in the mirror today, whom do you see: the footballer millions of Nigerians remember, or a completely different Segun Odegbami?

People constantly remind me of my relationship with football, to the extent that I look at most of life through the prism of football. Even in maturing into the person that I am today, football (as a part of sport) has been at the core of my life’s journey – my work, my pastime, my social engagements, my projects, most things around me.

You recently described this stage of your life as the ‘evening’ of your journey and every additional day as a bonus. Has turning 74 made you think differently about mortality, legacy and the things that truly matter?

As I get older, and refuse to acknowledge the increasing numbers in my age group that stare at me, physically, my slowly ‘withering’ body makes me acknowledge mortality, the increasing aches and pains, the small health conditions, and more ageing and dying colleagues around. There is no ‘whole lifetime ahead’ anymore, as I used to think in my younger days. Getting things done NOW, not prevaricating over issues, seeing the positives and opportunities in most things around me now, has become my response to the constant reminder of the inevitability of mortality.

What do you understand about life today that you wish the 30-year-old Segun Odegbami had understood?

I spent too much time ‘enjoying’ life in the least important ways, instead of building a solid career early in a field I was passionate about. I should have been a fine artist, painting, writing poems and illustrating them. Those were my natural gifts till I was 17. Instead, following the reality of my life in and after football, I was led to follow a life always related to football. Everybody saw me as a footballer. It took me a while to discover that everything in life could actually be seen and experienced through sport. Since then, life has been good. I learned to chart a course in life through Sport!

You have been famous for almost half a century. What has fame given you, and what has it taken away?

The only thing it took away from me is my privacy. I cannot hide to do anything. That’s why my life is an open book. Outside that, it has been very kind to me, very beneficial, opening doors of opportunity, meeting people, getting things done easier than usual, and so on.

Of all the matches you played for Nigeria, which one still plays in your head when you are alone?

I don’t really replay old matches in my head. I don’t miss the game. I had my fill of it. When I watch football these days, I just wonder how I survived the physicality, the pressures, the pains. I don’t want to relive them again.

If the Segun Odegbami of 1980 were playing today, with European salaries, endorsements and modern sports marketing, how big do you think ‘Mathematical’ would have become?

Ah, very big, I believe.

I could have approached my football career differently, not just as an object of passion and for national service, but as one that had the power to take care of me for the rest of my life! I would have given it my all deliberately, and played more intentionally, packaged and marketed myself better. I ‘sold’ my career too cheaply!

You belonged to a generation that became national heroes before football began producing today’s extraordinary fortunes. When you see what present-day stars earn, do you ever think: I was born too early?

Not necessarily. I don’t spend any time longing for what is past. I was born at the right time. My popularity in Nigeria then was as much as I would have got now. I was a household name all over Africa. It was beyond whatever I could have imagined. We visited Guinness Nigeria Plc with three of my football colleagues after our 1980 success. The factory closed down that day due to the throng of fans at their plant in Ikeja.

If President Bola Tinubu handed you Nigerian football tomorrow and simply said, ‘Segun, fix it,’ what are the first three things you would change?

I will do exactly what he has started to do in the past week- clean the ‘dirty’ stable (the football association), reform and reset the buttons of administration of Football; and get quality persons from various fields to join me to empower Nigerian youths to hone their talent to take the game to the highest levels in the world, and to join the massive global sports industry for national development.

People know almost everything about Segun Odegbami the footballer, but surprisingly little about Segun Odegbami the husband, companion and lover. Was that deliberate?

No, that aspect of me reflects the life I lived after sports.

You were married to Jumoke Tejumola Odegbami. Looking back today, what happened to that marriage, and what did its breakdown teach you about yourself?

I don’t like to look back at that period.

My young family moved abroad and started to live there. I did not move abroad with them. The time spent apart from family stretched to several years. It created irreversible damage. Living alone in Nigeria, with all the fame I had, created a gap that I could not fill as the years rolled by.

Let me ask you very simply: were you a good husband?

No, I was not.

I could not manage the situation I created for myself well enough.

Could you please clarify when your first marriage ended and when the divorce was officially finalised?

I married Jumoke Tejumola in February 1978. We were together for many years, but somewhere along the line, the marriage broke down, and we started living apart. Eventually, I had to take the legal steps to formally bring that chapter of my life to a close. On June 21, 2012, the High Court in Ibadan granted the decree nisi for the dissolution of the marriage. It was a long and important chapter of my life, but sometimes relationships simply run their course. You accept it, learn from it and move on with your life.’

Football gave you extraordinary fame while you were still relatively young. Did fame make marriage and perhaps fidelity more difficult?

It was more the separation by distance that did the most damage. Not the game. I learned to live alone and got used to it. That ‘freedom’ allowed me to endure all the hardships I encountered because I was by myself, accountable to no one. I had to pay a high price for that for the rest of my life.

You once publicly clarified that you are a monogamist and not a polygamist. Why was correcting that perception important to you?

Because I was never a polygamist. There may be a perception out there in public that I have been married more than once. Since my divorce, I have not remarried. I was going to try again, but it never happened.

Having experienced marriage and relationships, do you think you understand women better today than you did 30 or 40 years ago?

No. I can’t claim such authority. Women are complex. My life is complicated too.

At 74, what does companionship mean to you? Do you still believe in marriage?

To me now, companionship is having a friend you can share good times with.

I do not see marriage in the picture. I cannot cope with the complexities of multiple relationships in the family. So, no marriage for me again.

Chief, let me take you somewhere a little more personal. For years, your name and that of businesswoman Oyin Adeyemi were romantically linked, with different accounts of exactly what the relationship was. So, let us hear it from Segun Odegbami himself: what exactly was Oyin Adeyemi to you?

My best friend. From when we first met until now.

She was very young and very innocent. She didn’t even know I was famous, or anything like that. Because of my outdoor lifestyle and because she was really a very private person, it took a long time for her to realise the implications of a serious relationship with me and to run away.

We became so close that we even had a family introduction ceremony that probably would have led to marriage. But it never did.

When our son came, it was like a wake-up call for her.

You know, she is sure-footed, strong-willed, and very focused. She knew what she wanted in life and went after it. I was a distraction for her, away from where she was heading.

That’s why she is such a very successful woman, succeeding so well in a man’s world. She has always been a deep thinker and scholar, very knowledgeable and very well-read academically. On top of that, she is very beautiful.

So, we just became very good friends with some romance. A son came into the picture wonderfully.

We are not married. We will not be married. We settled that matter over a decade ago.

At one point, there were reports that the relationship was heading toward marriage. How close did the two of you actually come to getting married?

It could have ended in marriage, but it obviously wouldn’t have worked out well. We were better off being just very good friends.

In a way, we complemented each other.

Opposite ‘poles’ attracting.

What was it about Oyin that first attracted you to her?

She was (and still is) a very beautiful woman. Most men will salivate when they see her. At the same time, she is very intelligent. Don’t listen to her talk on any subject because you will be enamoured with the depth of her knowledge and intellect.

And she is a very, very private person.

She blew my mind the first time I met her.

Two highly accomplished and strong-minded people can love each other deeply and still discover that building a life together is another matter entirely. Was that ultimately what happened between you and Oyin?

You can put it that way.

I understand her very well.

I don’t know if she understood me that well, but we complemented each other at the time because we were very different in almost every way.

Yet, she is an amazing person.

Our wide age difference was also a hindrance, I think. She always makes fun of me for it!

Reports subsequently suggested that the relationship ended. Without intruding unnecessarily into her privacy, what happened between the two of you?

We just ended the romantic relationship a long time ago, well over 10 years now. But we kept our friendship. Nothing happened. It was as if we both knew we had to give up the romance for the friendship to survive, and for the son we both love deeply in between.

Was losing that relationship painful for you?

Painful?

We are still very good friends.

People naturally concentrate on what went wrong when relationships end. Let me turn that around: what went right between Segun Odegbami and Oyin Adeyemi? What beautiful memories remain?

It was a beautiful relationship. We’re no longer in a romantic relationship, but we are still the best of friends. That’s the kind of person she is. She is steely on the outside, but soft and tender inside. A great mother to our son.

Do you and Oyin still speak today?

Of course. We are still very good friends.

If Oyin were sitting opposite you now-not the businesswoman, not the woman people wrote about, just Oyin-and you had one completely private minute with her, what would you say?

Thank you for everything you have been to me, and done for me.

Did loving her change anything about your understanding of women, relationships or marriage?

Everybody is different. She is a different being completely. She does not fit the profile of the women that I have encountered in my life.

Is that different from the father you believe yourself to be?

No. My children are my best friends.

Is there anything you wish you had done differently when your children were younger?

I wish I had spent more time with them.

What has fatherhood taught you that football never could?

To love unconditionally. In football, you have to ‘hate’ your opponent a little to inflict the pain of defeat on them. And then you make up after. Unreal!

When people discuss Segun Odegbami, football inevitably dominates the conversation. Is there another part of your life you fear history may overlook?

My life is an open book.

Modern search engines on the information superhighway will reveal things about me that I may not even realise are part of my story. That’s how much the world has changed. Nothing is hidden any more.

If you were permitted to live your life again from the age of 18, knowing everything you know today, the triumphs, mistakes, heartbreaks and consequences, would you still choose football?

That’s all I really know, seeing the world through the lens of football. What I see is virgin territory of opportunities in a vast wilderness of football waiting to be discovered and exploited to make the world a better place for everyone.

If you could sit beside the young Segun Odegbami for five minutes before he became ‘Mathematical,’ what would you warn him about?

Fame is sweet, fleeting, and ephemeral. Education is the key and a security. The two are paradise.

When the final whistle eventually blows, and hopefully many years from now, what would you like Nigerians to say Segun Odegbami stood for?

He stood for integrity and a good name. He came, he saw, and he made the world around him a better place!

African ministers of agriculture and livestock have called for increased investment in livestock innovations, regional trade and value-chain development as part of efforts to reduce the continent’s dependence on food imports and unlock its growing agribusiness market.

The ministers and their representatives from eight African countries made the commitment at a livestock ministerial roundtable held during the Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.

The discussions focused on how to mobilise financing, strengthen livestock productivity, expand markets and trade, and create conditions for private-sector investment across the continent’s livestock value chains.

The push comes as Africa spends an estimated $70 billion to $100 billion annually on food imports, despite its significant agricultural resources and livestock population.

Africa accounts for about one-fifth of the world’s cattle but produces only about five per cent of global milk output, highlighting what stakeholders described as a major productivity and investment gap.

At the same time, demand for animal-source foods is projected to increase by 280 per cent by 2050, creating a potentially huge market for African producers, processors and investors.

Director-General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Appolinaire Djikeng, said bridging the gap between what Africa produces and imports could help unlock the continent’s estimated $1 trillion annual agribusiness potential.

He said the priority was to move beyond proven innovations to the investment and regional trade arrangements required to deploy them at continental scale.

The private sector also stressed the importance of creating commercially sustainable livestock systems.

‘Clearly Africa doesn’t lack solutions for its livestock sector. What it lacks is scale and productivity,’ Djikeng said.

Group Chief Executive Officer of CKL Africa, Mucai Kunyiha, said attracting private investment would require governments, producers, manufacturers, veterinarians and regional institutions to work together, particularly in areas such as animal health.

Using livestock vaccination as an example, Kunyiha said the challenge was no longer simply producing vaccines but establishing sustainable systems capable of delivering them consistently.

‘Vaccination is a system, not an event,’ he said, arguing that such systems would help create the conditions necessary for sustained private-sector investment.

The ministers identified livestock-specific financing as one of five priorities for accelerating transformation, with calls for patient capital and financing terms that reflect the biological production cycles of livestock.

Other priorities include opening borders to livestock and animal products through harmonised standards and certification, improving animal identification and traceability, strengthening livestock representation within government and regional trade frameworks, and expanding peer learning between African countries.

Ethiopia’s dairy sector was cited as an example of what targeted investment and policy intervention could achieve.

The country’s milk production reportedly increased from 7.1 billion litres in 2022 to 15.7 billion litres in 2025/26, representing a 122 per cent increase.

The growth was attributed to the government’s Yelemat Tirufat initiative, which supported more than 36,000 new dairy villages and 5,000 dairy clusters, alongside new cross-border trade agreements.

However, Ethiopia’s representative identified feed production as a major constraint to further expansion, despite feed production more than doubling during the period.

Chair of Council at Zimbabwe National University of Science and Technology and Co-Chair of the Food Planet Prize, Professor Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, said Africa’s challenge was no longer a lack of livestock resources, farmers, scientific knowledge or demand, but the inability to connect these assets and deliver solutions at scale.

‘Africa’s livestock priority is no longer recognition. It is delivery,’ she said.

The meeting also highlighted the need to link livestock production with regional trade and governance rather than treating them as separate policy issues.

The Integrated Regional Livestock Value Chain (IRLVC) programme, led by the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), is already supporting more than 30 regional projects, including dairy and poultry health initiatives, with backing from institutions including the European Union, IFAD and the World Bank.

Director of AU-IBAR, Dr. Huyam Salih, said harmonised policies and cross-border trade would be critical to scaling successful livestock interventions.

The participants recommended institutionalising the ministerial platform as a political and learning mechanism for implementing the 10-year Integrated Regional Livestock Value Chain programme to 2035, with reporting through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Biennial Review.

The platform is expected to provide ministers with a continuing role in driving investment and implementation, rather than limiting engagement to annual discussions at the Africa Food Systems Forum.

The ministers also agreed that resolving the question of who pays for animal health, alongside stronger financing, trade, data and governance systems, would be critical to attracting investment and making Africa’s livestock sector more commercially viable.

There were heightened efforts yesterday by some state governments to contain diphtheria outbreak following the spread of the deadly scourge.

The death toll had risen to 1,767 in Kano and Plateau states as off yesterday. The recorded cases in Kano, Plateau and Nasarawa states stood at 32, 797.

By yesterday, about 30 local government areas of Katsina state had been hit by the dreaded diphtheria attacks, with Funtua listed among the high-burden areas.

Other council areas severely affected include Kankia, Bakori, Katsina, Mashi and Daura.

Diphtheria is a serious, contagious bacterial infection that mostly affects the nose and throat.

As part of measures to contain the spread, the state government has launched a reactive vaccination campaign, targeting 15 high-risk wards in Bakori, Charanchi, Funtua, Mashi and Kankia.

The Nation learnt that within the first three days of the campaign, 67,670 eligible people had received Td vaccines, while 24,103 children received pentavalent vaccines.

The state, which has established three additional isolation centres to complement the NCDC-supported facility at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina, also secured an additional 650,000 doses of diphtheria-containing vaccines for high-risk communities.

The authorities were reported to be strengthening active case searches.

Yesterday, health workers in the Northwest state declared a seven-day warning strike beginning from midnight of September 8, a development that could further strain the state’s healthcare system as it battles an ongoing diphtheria spread.

The Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (AHAPN), comprising several health workers’ unions, announced the planned industrial action in a notice addressed to the Office of the Head of Civil Service, Katsina State.

The notice, dated September 1, was jointly signed by leaders of the Association of Hospital and Health Care Professionals of Nigeria (AHAPN), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), and Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN).

The planned industrial action comes at a critical time for Katsina’s health sector, with suspected diphtheria cases reported across 29 of the state’s 34 local government areas.

The unions said the decision followed the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum issued to the state government on August 11, without what they described as any serious commitment towards resolving the issues involved

It said over the years the state has been in this struggle as the state government has never demonstrated any form of seriousness over their cause

Poor vaccine uptake threatens fight against scourge

Assistant Director of Epidemiology at the Katsina State’s Primary Healthcare Agency (SPHA), Dr. Aminu Lawal identified poor vaccine uptake as a major challenge threatening efforts to contain the scourge in the state

Lawal further disclosed that despite the availability of vaccines and government’s interventions to control the disease, many parents and caregivers were still failing to take their children for vaccination.

He dropped the hint at a media dialogue on the Promotion of Nutrition Behaviours and Sensitasation on Diphtheria Outbreak, where he urged participants and residents to take advantage of the free vaccination programme provided by the government.

According to him, diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable bacterial disease that can cause severe complications when not prevented or treated promptly.

He explained that bacteria produces toxins capable of affecting vital organs, including the heart, kidneys and lungs, while also causing paralysis and obstruction of the airways.

He said: ‘The vaccine is available, but our problem is the uptake. The ultimate goal is for people to get vaccinated because diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease.

‘Parents must ensure their children receive the recommended doses of diphtheria-containing vaccines through routine immunisation, because completing the vaccination schedule is essential for adequate protection.

‘The government had made vaccines available free of charge at health facilities, while additional support was being provided to encourage residents to access immunisation services.’

He appealed to community leaders and other stakeholders to intensify awareness campaigns and encourage parents to present their children for vaccination.

The epidemiologist said the government had also provided drugs, healthcare workers and isolation centres for the management of suspected and confirmed diphtheria cases across designated health facilities.

He, however, stressed that treatment alone could not end the outbreak without increased vaccination coverage.

Lawal advised residents to take precautionary measures against the spread of the disease, including avoiding overcrowded places, maintaining personal and environmental hygiene, wearing face masks when appropriate and avoiding close contact with suspected cases.

He said diphtheria spreads through respiratory droplets, similar to other respiratory infections, and urged anyone showing symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, difficulty swallowing, change in voice, neck swelling and excessive drooling to seek medical attention immediately.

According to him, a thick greyish-white membrane in the throat is another important warning sign associated with diphtheria and requires urgent medical attention.

He called on residents to cooperate with health officials and vaccination teams, warning that the presence of vaccines would have little impact if people did not utilise them.

Scourge hit Plateau hard

The disease has claimed the lives of 23 people, with 143 others suspected to have contracted the disease in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Health Commissioner Nicholas Baamlong told reporters yesterday that the outbreak is mainly concentrated in Jos North, while the government is working to prevent its spread to neighbouring local government areas.

He said: ‘There is actually an outbreak of Diphtheria in the state. As of today, we have 143 suspected cases and we have lost 23 patients.

‘Some of the patients are receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and Plateau State Specialist Hospital.

‘We have made a lot of effort to stabilise the situation and to prevent further escalation. Rikkos community is majorly affected. The most unfortunate is that there’s no anti-toxin for treatment, so we use antibiotics. It spreads through coughing, sneezing and contact with the person that is affected.’

Earlier, Baks Bulus, the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer for Jos North Local Government said 15 deaths occurred within three days of the outbreak and warned that additional cases could arise if urgent preventive measures were not adopted.

He said the development came barely two days after a family in Jos reportedly lost two children to the suspected infection.

Explaining the mode of transmission, Bulus said diphtheria is a bacterial infection that can spread rapidly from one person to another, particularly among close contacts.

He added that people who share personal items such as utensils and towels with infected persons are at risk of contracting the disease.

Bulus said: ‘It keeps spreading when people come in close contact with an infected patient. For children, who have been vaccinated, the effects may not be much and may not lead to death. But for a child, who has not been vaccinated or has not completed the required doses, it can be deadly,’ he said.

Kano battles severe outbreak, rallies monarch

The Kano government continued to its battle against its worst-ever diphtheria outbreaks, with 32,633 confirmed cases and 1,744 deaths recorded across all 44 local government areas.

In the last few weeks, the disease swept through homes in Rano, wiping out multiple children in a single household. Most victims were under 10.

It often starts like catarrh: fever, sore throat. Parents buy drugs from chemists. By the time the neck swells and breathing becomes difficult, it is usually too late.

‘We buried my daughter, then my brother’s. My daughter died within a week after she got sick. That was after my brother’s daughter died a week before. My neighbour also lost a child,’ Ibrahim Lawan of Rano said.

He stated that ‘the first sign as swelling after fever. A chemist gave them medicine. Two days later, the swelling moved to her neck, followed by vomiting with a foul smell. By the time we put her on drip, she was gone,’ he said.

Rurum Village Head Ado Yusuf said that every compound in his domain have been living in fear.

He said: ‘Just yesterday, a five-year-old girl died. We thought it was catarrh. The native healer tried. When they finally decided to go to hospital, it was late.’

Another resident, Umar Sadi, said: Rano Clinic is only 20km away but the road is bad and there is no money for transport. Even those who get there are often referred to Kano City, where many give up.

‘Most of the children who died had not been vaccinated. Many were first treated at home. Some were taken to traditional healers who cut the membrane from the child’s throat, spreading the bacteria further’.

Worried by the toll, the Kano State Government set up a special committee and reactivated its rapid response team.

The State House of Assembly also urged Governor Abba Yusuf to intervene urgently. The member representing Rano, Ibrahim Muhammad, told plenary that Ridin and Sabuwar Kaura areas have been the hardest hit, with over 50 children dead.

‘Emergency drugs and health workers have been deployed,’ he said, ‘but more is needed.’

The Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) also moved. Yesterday, it engaged district heads under the Kano Emirate Council to intensify community sensitisation and drive vaccine acceptance.

Director-General of the KNCDC, Prof Muhammad Adamu-Abbas, urged royal leaders to help halt the spread through increased vaccination and prompt reporting.

‘Many of the diphtheria cases recorded in the state involve children who had not received routine immunisation, sought treatment from chemists or traditional healers, or were brought late to health facilities,’ he said.

15 cases recorded in Nasarawa

Nasarawa State has recorded 15 cases of diphtheria outbreak with majority of them in Keffi local government area.

Director of public health in the state ministry of health, Dr. Peter Attah who confirmed the cases said three local government areas were affected with ages ranging from 2 months to 11 years.

He said: ‘Most of the cases are in Keffi, out of the 15, one case is from Wamba, and then three from Lafia and the remaining 11 cases are all from Keffi.’

Attah said, the affected children were not immunize, adding that failure of parents and caregivers to present children for routine immunization is responsible for the outbreak.

He added that despite the affected cases, no death has been recorded as the affected children are undergoing treatment as vaccines and treatment had been deployed to FMC Keffi, Federal University Teaching Hospital Lafia and other facilities to handle such cases.

He advice parents and other caregivers to take advantage of the free routine immunization available at all Primary Healthcare Centers across the State.

The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) senatorial candidate for Lagos Central, Bamofin Ladipo Johnson, has warned that low voter turnout could make the 2027 general elections more vulnerable to manipulation, urging Nigerians to come out in large numbers and ensure their votes count.

Johnson said this at the 37th anniversary celebration of God First Ministry International in Lekki, Lagos, where he also called for greater citizen participation in governance and a more empathetic approach to tackling the country’s security and economic challenges.

According to him, Nigerians should not stay away from the electoral process because of the belief that their votes would not count.

He said a large turnout would make it more difficult for electoral malpractice to take place, while voter apathy could have the opposite effect.

‘I have always said to people that notwithstanding what you have been told or what you believe about what’s going on in this country, you have to do something about it.

‘Do your own part. Play your part. Go out. Vote. And do your best to make sure that your vote counts,’ Johnson said.

He added: ‘If there is a large turnout of voters, the election will be more difficult to rig or to be influenced adversely.

But if people stay at home, thinking and feeling that their votes do not count, then their not voting will count the other way. It’s as simple as that.’

The NDC candidate said the party would spend the months leading to the 2027 elections presenting its programmes to Nigerians and seeking their mandate to bring what he described as positive change to the country.

He said the outcome of the election would ultimately depend on the willingness of citizens to participate in the democratic process.

Johnson also criticised what he described as the growing disconnect between government and citizens, particularly over insecurity and the state of the economy.

He said although government spending on defence had increased over the years, Nigerians were yet to see a corresponding improvement in their security situation.

‘We know we have problems. We know that the government has increased over the years spending on defence, amongst other things. Yet, the people in the country cannot seem to marry both.

‘They say, okay, we’re spending more, we’re not getting something better,’ he said.

Johnson argued that tackling insecurity required more than increased funding for security agencies, stressing the importance of rebuilding public trust in government and security institutions.

He said citizens would be more willing to provide useful security information when they believed that government genuinely cared about their welfare.

‘You need the cooperation of the average citizen to get your plan or your various plans regarding improving the insecurity or the security situation,’ he said.

‘If the citizens do not believe that you care, if the citizens do not trust you or do not trust, for one reason or the other, the police or the military, then you would not get the information you require to snuff out little problems before they become big problems.’

On the economy, Johnson said there was a growing gap between official claims that economic conditions were improving and the experiences of Nigerians who were facing rising prices and other hardships.

He said some of his contacts in government had questioned whether his criticism of the administration was simply opposition politics.

Johnson, however, maintained that Nigerians on the streets could provide a clearer picture of the economic situation.

‘I have people who are in the government who are friends, who will call me and say, but really, aren’t you just speaking as opposition? Is this really true? I say, you don’t know it’s true. But go and talk to the people on the streets. You’ll see that it’s true,’ he said.

The senatorial candidate also called for a more compassionate style of governance, saying government officials must demonstrate empathy when responding to citizens affected by insecurity, poverty and other crises.

According to him, citizens cannot be expected to fully cooperate with a government they believe does not understand or care about their difficulties.

He cited an incident involving the President’s reported visit to a state affected by insecurity, saying the manner in which government officials engage with victims matters in building public confidence.

‘It isn’t good. You need the cooperation of Nigerians. You need the cooperation of the average citizen,’ he said.

Johnson further said the country’s high level of religiosity should translate into practical action and responsible citizenship.

Speaking on the theme of the anniversary, ‘Jesus, The Desire of All Nations,’ he said religious faith should encourage Nigerians to show empathy, support one another and contribute to the development of their communities.

He noted that despite Nigeria being a deeply religious and prayerful country, the country continued to grapple with insecurity, inflation, unemployment and drug abuse, particularly among young people.

‘We are one of the countries with the most prayerful people, yet we see where we are with insecurity, rising inflation, unemployment and the drug problem, especially with a lot of our younger ones.

‘These are not things that are indicative of a prayerful people. So we all have a lot of work to do towards improving that situation,’ he said.

Johnson also alleged that the removal and covering of his campaign banners was inconsistent with democratic principles.

‘Democracy for us is not when I had my banners being taken down and being removed and covered the other day. We don’t want to start to whine, but that is not democracy,’ he said.

He urged Nigerians of different religious backgrounds to combine their faith with civic responsibility, particularly by participating in elections and holding elected officials accountable.

Johnson said the responsibility for determining the country’s political future ultimately rested with the electorate, urging citizens not to surrender their influence by refusing to vote.

Lagos State House of Assembly, through its House Committee on Public Accounts (Local), has begun consideration of the 2024 Statutory Audit Inspection Report of the Auditor-General for Local Governments on the accounts of the 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

The two-week exercise, which commenced with the appearance of officials from Alimosho, Amuwo-Odofin, Badagry, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Ikeja, Oriade and Ifako-Ijaiye local governments, is aimed at scrutinising the financial activities of the councils for the year ended December 31, 2024, with a view to promoting accountability, transparency and prudent management of public funds.

Speaking at the beginning of the exercise, the Chairman of the committee, Prince Nureni Akinsanya, said the exercise was part of the committee’s statutory responsibilities to scrutinise the Auditor-General’s report and ensure public funds entrusted to the councils were accounted for.

Akinsanya said the chairmen of the local governments and LCDAs, alongside relevant officials, would be required to respond to outstanding issues raised in the audit report and provide the committee with the necessary documentary evidence to support their submissions.

He said the exercise was not intended to witch-hunt anyone, but rather to enable the committee discharge its statutory responsibilities objectively, transparently and without bias.

The chairman said the committee would ascertain whether revenues accruing to the councils during the period under review were judiciously utilised and properly accounted for, while expenditures would also be subjected to thorough scrutiny.

He added that the findings and recommendations of the committee would subsequently be presented before the House for consideration and appropriate action.

The chairman therefore urged the council officials to cooperate with the committee and ensure prompt provision of requested documents, records and explanations throughout the exercise.

Members of the committee present at the commencement of the exercise included Suraju Tijani, Bonu Solomon, Ganiyu Sanni, Ogundipe Stephen and Femi Saheed.

Other local governments and LCDAs are scheduled to appear before the committee for consideration of their audit reports as the exercise continues.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has declined the request by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the detained self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), for bail and access to medical attention.

Instead, in a ruling on an ex parte application by Adeyemi, Justice Obiora Egwuatu ordered the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to grant Adeyemi access to his lawyers.

Justice Egwuatu also ordered the IGP, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the AGF to show cause, within 72 hours, why the other reliefs sought by Adeyemi, including bail, should not be granted.

The judge then adjourned the matter until September 9 for the respondents – IGP, NPF and AGF – to show cause.

Following an application by the police on July 14, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

Justice Umar adjourned until September 30 for a report on police activities related to the arrest order and possible arraignment.

The police later claimed, also on July 14, to have arrested the alleged ‘fake DG’ at his hideout in Osun State.

The police have since November 27, 2025, filed an eight-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, against Adeyemi, accusing him of forgery, fraud, and impersonation.

OYO State Acting Governor, Bayo Lawal, has reiterated the administration’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property by strengthening collaboration with security agencies and relevant stakeholders.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Musibau Babatunde, Lawal made this declaration on Tuesday at a workshop on awareness, intelligence gathering, and institutional response to emerging threats linked to illicit financial flows in Agodi, Ibadan.

The acting governor emphasised that the state government has intensified partnership with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prevent the exploitation of humanitarian funding platforms and other financial channels for terrorism financing and criminal activities.

The Oyo State government has commenced the enforcement of the house-to-house waste collection policy, with environmental officers of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources embarking on inspections of residential buildings, business premises and other facilities to ensure compliance with proper waste management regulations.

The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Ademola Aderinto, stated this during the kick off of the exercise on Tuesday, explaining that the measure was in line with the laws of the state mandating residents, businesses and other establishments to have proper arrangements for the disposal of their waste.

He noted that the enforcement was necessary to address the environmental, aesthetic, economic and public health challenges associated with improper waste management.

According to him, the exercise involves inspecting premises to ascertain whether occupants have appropriate waste bins and are registered with approved and designated waste consultants assigned to their locations

He said buildings found without the required waste bins or proper waste collection were being served abatement notices and given a 48-hour grace to comply.

Aderinto stressed that failure to comply within the stipulated 48 hours would attract enforcement action, including the closure of defaulting premises, noting that the government would continue the exercise across the state until the required level of compliance is achieved.

The commissioner urged residents to cooperate with the government by obtaining appropriate waste bins and engaging only approved waste consultants designated to their areas.

He advised residents to report any accredited waste collector who fails to evacuate waste as required to the Ministry or the Oyo State Solid Waste Management Authority (OYOWMA), assuring that such consultants would face appropriate sanctions, including revocation of their licences.

He noted that the evolving security situation in the Southwest, particularly recent incidents of kidnapping, underscores the need for stakeholders to adopt stronger measures against unconventional threats. According to him, criminal networks are increasingly deploying sophisticated methods to raise and move funds, including misuse of crowdfunding platforms, humanitarian interventions, NGOs, and informal financial systems.

‘While humanitarian assistance remains critical to supporting vulnerable communities, there is a need for improved regulatory frameworks, proper documentation, and effective monitoring to ensure such platforms are not hijacked by individuals or groups with criminal intentions,’ Lawal stated.

He further stressed that strengthening financial intelligence and enhancing coordination among government agencies will be pivotal in disrupting criminal networks.

The acting governor urged participants from relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to deepen their understanding of terrorism financing trends and develop proactive strategies for early detection and prevention.

He also called for the establishment of dedicated desks in MDAs to facilitate intelligence sharing, monitor suspicious financial activities, and ensure prompt responses to emerging security challenges.

The workshop provided a platform for experts and stakeholders to exchange best practices in countering terrorism financing, strengthening institutional capacity, and protecting legitimate humanitarian interventions from abuse.

At the event were the Commissioner for Energy, Prof. Dahud Shangodoyin; Commissioner for Investment, Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Prof. Solihu Adelabu; Commissioner for Works and Transport, Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola; permanent secretaries, directors, and other top government officials.

Riders using Uber, a ride-hailing service, in Nigeria woke up yesterday morning to an unexpected information on the company’s app:’No ride available.’

And shortly after, the firm announced its exit from the Nigerian and Ugandan markets effective September 2, 2026.

Uber operated in Nigeria for 12 years.

Head of Communications, Uber in East and West Africa, Ms Lorraine Onduru, in a statement in Lagos, said that the decision followed a review of its evolving business priorities and investment focus across Africa.

According to her, the company’s decision was not connected to the recent Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) directive concerning e-hailing operations at Nigerian airports.

The exit, she said, is driven by its broader review of business priorities and investment focus across the continent.

She stated that the resolution was limited to Nigeria and Uganda, and would not affect its operations across the rest of Africa.

‘Uber remains deeply committed to Sub-Saharan Africa, where we continue to see robust growth and long-term opportunity,’ Onduru said.

She said that its immediate priority was supporting affected drivers, riders and employees throughout the transition.

Onduru said that Uber had begun communicating directly with affected employees, drivers and riders on arrangements following the discontinuation.

She said that active drivers would receive a token of appreciation as they transitioned out of the platform.

Onduru also said that rider support would remain available for 21 days after operations ceased, to address outstanding and transition-related issues.

She said that Uber for Business services in Nigeria would also be discontinued as part of the exit, and partners were being contacted over the transition.

On data privacy, Onduru said that rider information would continue to be handled, in line with applicable data protection laws, privacy requirements and its data protection policies.

She said that data retention would be limited to legally required periods, while appropriate security controls would remain in place. Reacting to the announcement, a FAAN cab man, Eyo Christian, described the exit as a welcome development. He spoke on national television.

Christian said Uber and Bolt should be banned in Nigeria because their services are not sustainable for me as a driver.

According to him, their commission denied Nigerian drivers good profit.

‘I used to work for Uber, Bolt and inDrive. When they take their commissions, what is left for drivers is paltry. Many drivers have complained to them to reduce their commissions, but they refused. The vehicles used by the ride-hailing firms are below standard,’ he said.

But two other Uber drivers interviewed by The Nation, contradicted Christian’s narrative.

Hakeem Adebajo, who worked with Uber for two years, described their service as the best.

He said Uber takes care of the security of both drivers and passengers by proper monitoring.

He added that drivers make better profits on Uber than Bolt and inDrive. Also, Olanrewaju Shittu said Uber paid many drivers more money than others.

Besides what the drivers earn, Shittu, who has been on Uber Service for three years, said the firm gives drivers N70,000 allowance weekly. This, he said, other ride-hailings don’t do.

He said two things that could have led to Uber exiting the country are dishonesty among the drivers and competition from other service providers.

‘Drivers keep short-changing Uber by telling clients to cancel their bookings and pay offline.

Also, Uber competitors, especially, inDrive gives more power to clients. Unlike Uber, clients can reduce the service. This made many leave Uber for inDrive,’ he said.

He argued that drivers’ business would be miserable by Uber’s exit because they wouldn’t have enough money to maintain their vehicles.

According to him, Uber deducts 33 per cent, Bolt – 25 per cent while inDrive takes off 13 per cent commissions from drivers’ earnings.

In a related manner, Trevor Noah, a South African comedian, writer and political commentator, said: ‘Uber went from country to country expanding its operations by offering incentives to drivers in every market they entered. The deal was simple: if you picked up a passenger from the airport and completed the ride, Uber would give you a bonus worth twice the normal fare. It worked in most countries, but in Nigeria, drivers found a way to game the system. They signed up for Uber Bookings, then booked themselves, drove to the airport without picking up any passengers, and still collected the bonuses. Once Uber discovered what was happening, they had no choice but to cancel the incentive program across all the countries where it was running.’

Weighing on the matter, Akin Olaoye, said he wasn’t surprised by the firm’s decision.

He wrote on X ‘This market punishes platforms that assume trust. The company built the marketplace, while the driver shows up and asks the rider to go offline, keeping the full fare. Zero work locating the passenger! 100 per cent of the money treated as entitlement.

‘This is not government or economy or market forces; it’s culture! We are too comfortable circumventing the system that made the transaction possible.

Bolt, inDrive and others will inherit the demand and the same leak. Uber also never gave riders a reason to stay honest, no real loyalty, no rewards. For example after 10 trips, a free trip. Customers were not incentivised for refusing side deals. Localise or die! They obviously chose not to. Sad, but predictable!’

Responding to Olaoye’s message, another X user, Enigma, wrote: ‘The deeper issue is incentives, not just culture. When going offline is more profitable than staying on-platform, people will bypass the system. Uber failed to close that loophole or make loyalty more rewarding. A marketplace survives when both sides have a reason to play by the rules. Culture and incentives go hand in hand. If you want people to do the right thing, reward them for it and make cheating less attractive. That’s how you build trust and loyalty.’

Transportation through Nigerian inland waterways has recorded many tragic accidents. From Sokoto to Bayelsa, Lagos to Rivers, the tragedies have been recurrent.

Accidents are often inevitable but governments at local, state and federal levels have the responsibility of making sure measures are taken to prevent or minimise such accidents, especially when the causes are not due to natural occurrences that are beyond man’s control.

The recent loss of more than 50 lives in Gorau area of Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State comes as one accident too many. This tragedy is reportedly the eighth boat accident since 2020, with almost 100 lives lost in what many see as rough official estimates from locals who often lack correct data of victims.

Again many victims are often hurriedly buried according to Islamic rites, thereby giving little room for autopsy or official documentation.

There are known causes of most of the recorded boat mishaps across the country. There have been reported cases of poorly maintained old boats and canoes, overloading, lack of life jackets and poorly supervised operators. These lapses in the operation of water transportation in Nigeria are all human errors. Across the world, water transportation has become a very lucrative business and technology makes it even easier.

We are curious about the effective roles of the ministries of transportation, marine/blue economy, water resources and agriculture. All these ministries ought to play direct complimentary roles that can maximise the use of Nigerian inland waterways.

Many of the recent victims of the Sokoto boat mishap were women and children going to farms. The infrastructure for water transportation are as inadequate as they are archaic.

There is no reason state governments across the country cannot invest in water and road transportation in a 21st century world.

We are surprised that a number of states are investing in local airports and airlines without investing in the inland waterways transportation that inarguably serves more of the informal sector that contributes a huge percentage of the country’s GDP. Some of the airports in most states cost billions, are elite-focused and are often economically unviable.

We wonder the research and economic projections that often informed such elephant projects.

Transportation has become a huge problem in Nigeria because of the huge amounts required for functional road networks. We therefore feel that this latest tragedy in Sokoto should be a wake-up call for all tiers of government, especially states with prospects for viable water transportation, to take that sector more seriously. The constant loss of lives on our waterways is a huge socio-economic loss to the nation.

The number of boat mishaps across the country ought to have had consequences. Even the Sokoto incident seems very disappointing as there are no definite official details about either the victims or the causative factors.

We wonder why in all the past accidents, there have been no reports of investigations that can lead to the arrest and prosecution of those whose actions or inactions might have caused those accidents.

In spite of the efforts of a state like Lagos, we still have incidents of loss of lives due to boats capsizing, especially in the riverine areas whose only means of transportation into the city is through water transportation.

The loss of any life should bother both individuals and governments. There have been cases where individuals who board the boats deliberately disobey safety measures, thereby endangering not just their lives but the lives of others, especially vulnerable children whose survival depends on the carefulness and guidance of adults.

More than six decades after independence, institutions in the country must be made highly functional, given the value of human capital to development. Ministries and agencies at all levels must be held to account for certain acts of negligence. Ironically, many of the leaders of these ministries and agencies travel to other countries, including fellow African countries, and experience functional infrastructure. The fact that the number of the Sokoto victims is merely speculative is a loud statement about data management in the country.

That the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) can’t even account for the victims shows there is poor information/communication management at that level. Nigeria must reconsider its attitude to statistics and numbers. National planning cannot make sense if the population is not known and data are either unavailable or non-existent.

Rescue infrastructure must be made more available to an area such as the water transportation sector to save lives. Every life must be accounted for at all times. Negligence at all levels must be punished as a deterrent to others.

The Presidency on Thursday dismissed reports portraying an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation in the United States as a criminal case against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting that the proceeding is strictly a civil dispute over access to government records.

It said the remaining issue before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia is whether redactions made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to records already released are lawful under American law.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, clarified in a statement against the backdrop of renewed public debate over the litigation instituted by Aaron Greenspan.

‘For clarity, the matter is a civil records-disclosure dispute under the United States Freedom of Information Act. It is not a criminal case against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, nor has the court found him guilty of any criminal wrongdoing,’ the Presidency said.

It recalled that 23 years ago, in a letter dated February 4, 2003, the American Consulate in Lagos informed the then Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, that an FBI records check found no criminal arrest records, warrants or warrants for Tinubu, who was then governor of Lagos State.

Giving a chronology of the current litigation, the Presidency said Greenspan submitted FOIA requests to several US government agencies in 2022 seeking records relating to Tinubu.

It alleged that Greenspan is known to work with Nigerian opposition figures, including David Hundeyin and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

According to the statement, after some of the US agencies withheld certain records or declined to confirm or deny their existence, Greenspan commenced Civil Action No. 23-1816 before the US District Court for the District of Columbia in 2023.

The court subsequently allowed Tinubu to participate in the proceedings as an intervenor.

The Presidency explained that during the proceedings, some of the defendant agencies invoked what is known as the ‘Glomar defence,’ which allows an agency in certain circumstances to neither confirm nor deny the existence of particular records.

‘It simply means the government agency is not ‘in a position to deny or admit’ the existence of an investigation. It protects government personnel and the techniques and sources law enforcement agencies use to investigate and prosecute crimes,’ the statement said.

It said the court consequently granted summary judgment in favour of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA), Department of State, Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS), removing them from the proceedings.

The claims involving the FBI and DEA, however, remained for further consideration.

According to the Presidency, the FBI and DEA subsequently complied with the court’s orders by producing 399 pages of records, although portions were redacted pursuant to exemptions contained in US law.

Greenspan then challenged the decision to redact portions of the documents, prompting the FBI and DEA, through the United States Department of Justice, to defend the redactions.

The Presidency said the agencies cited several legal grounds for withholding portions of the records, including protections covering grand jury proceedings and information relating to pen registers or trap-and-trace devices under FOIA Exemption 3.

It said the agencies also relied on privileges covering attorney work product and attorney-client communications, including instances in which FBI and DEA agents sought or received legal advice from Justice Department attorneys.

Other grounds cited included protection of law-enforcement materials and information whose disclosure could constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

The Presidency said the agencies further argued that releasing some information could reveal the identities of confidential sources or compromise investigative techniques used by law-enforcement authorities.

It added that Tinubu, acting on the advice of his lawyers, had also asserted privacy rights guaranteed under FOIA Exemption 7(C).

The statement said Greenspan has until September 11, 2026, to file any opposition and reply to processes filed by the defendants and Tinubu as intervenor.

The FBI, DEA and Tinubu, it added, have until September 18 to respond to any processes subsequently filed by the plaintiff.

‘The release or withholding of records under FOIA does not, by itself, establish criminal liability. The case concerns access to government records and the proper application of statutory exemptions,’ the Presidency stressed.

It said the outcome of the litigation rested exclusively with Judge Beryl A. Howell of the US District Court, who would determine the issues on the basis of the evidence, applicable law and arguments presented by the parties.

According to the Presidency, the outcome would not be determined by ‘the wishful preference of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar or his agent, Mr Von Batten.’

It also faulted recent public comments by Karl von Batten, saying neither he nor his client was a party to the litigation.

‘Recent public commentary by Mr Karl von Batten has inaccurately portrayed him and his client as central to the proceedings. Neither is a party to the case.

‘The litigation is a civil records-disclosure dispute under FOIA. It does not constitute a criminal charge, trial, or judicial finding against President Tinubu. The FBI and DEA have produced records with redactions, and the remaining question is whether those redactions are lawful.

‘The United States District Court will decide that issue based on the filings and applicable US law, not political commentary,’ the statement said.

The Presidency urged Nigerian media organisations and the public to distinguish between verified developments in the US court proceedings and partisan interpretations of the litigation.