Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Ghana’s Jospong Group of Companies-has positioned itself as one of the continent’s strongest advocates for a circular economy that transforms garbage into economic opportunity.

It is reshaping how Africa manages its waste. What began as Ghana’s response to a growing urban waste crisis has expanded into a continental model that cleans cities, creates jobs, and generates wealth from materials once regarded as useless.

Founder and Chief Executive Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, said the Group’s mission is rooted in the belief that waste should not be seen as a burden but as an asset that can drive industrialization and prosperity. ‘We built this company on the idea that waste is not a nuisance to be discarded but a resource to be harnessed. Every plastic bottle, food residue, or electronic component has economic value if handled properly,’ he stated.

As cities across Africa face mounting environmental challenges, Jospong has built a system that treats waste management as a full-value chain-from collection to recycling and re-use. The group’s flagship company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, is now one of Africa’s largest waste management firms.

With a vast fleet of trucks and thousands of sanitation workers, Zoomlion operates across all 16 regions of Ghana, ensuring that cities remain clean while waste is converted into raw materials for new industries.

‘Our philosophy is simple: to turn a problem into an opportunity,’ Dr. Agyepong said. ‘By integrating technology and manpower, we are not just cleaning up our environment-we are building a sustainable economy that benefits everyone.’

How have you been able to put working and schooling together?

First, it all depends on your wish and passion. My father always tells us that my fortune is in my palm. He said all the lines in my palm aren’t there for nothing. You have to catch up to realise who you are and if what you’re doing is right. It’s just like rechecking if you’re still on track.

Did you actually pick up a banking job after your studies, as speculated in some quarters?

About the bank, let me clear the air. What happened is that I worked with an organisation, and they were into properties, they were into real estate. I was an ambassador, and I did skits for them. That’s where I dressed like a baker, and the internet picked it up, saying I had become a chartered accountant, and if you want to borrow money, come to me. I had to tell them I’m still an actor and a thespian. Banking is good, but it’s not my way.

How true is the tale that you owned a bakery?

I have a bakery. I had a bakery from the onset, even before I became popular in 1996. The bakery is still there in Surulere. It’s called ‘Kososi’ bread. People still patronise. I opened another one at Shomolu last year, so there are two bakeries now. The name of the first bakery was Kososi because that was my nickname then, Saheed Osupa and Femi Branch still even call me that name, 80% of people call me Kososi.

You have been involved in both film and stage productions. What are your experiences?

The film and stage are the same act, but not in the same form being presented. In movies, you go to many locations, but in a stage play, everything happens in one place, even though we still have one locale. The stage play can be converted to different places and it’s more tasking than the film. Screen actors can’t act on stage. Stage acting isn’t just for anybody; the difference between the two is there. If there are mistakes in a screen acting, you can still say cut and re-act and even edit during post production but you can’t do that in stage acting. If anyone makes a mistake in a stage play, that means you have spoiled everything. In a stage play, I have to know my lines and also know my colleagues’ lines in case one person misses their line, so I can always cover for them. Opera is also a type of stage play where actors sing and act. They perform musically in a practical setting. As a director, I also have a music director who would also write in musical language. The actors have to sing in a unique way to make it more professional. Some plays are westernised, and so we have to match them up and make them more traditional, so it’s tasking.

Was your background originally theatre? What’s the plan going forward? Are you planning to go into stage performances or back to movies?

I started from the stage with my boss, Dagunro Alakija. I have been in his group for years. He took me to places, including Cameroon. The influence of school/academics is different because it’s a formal setting. What I didn’t realise before I got back to school, there were some theories that had to go with some movements. Schooling also made me realise the genres of stories I used to write that I didn’t know about before, like satire, unknowingly. There were some movies I wrote about that I didn’t really know about. I wrote ‘Omo Ni Kara’ where Funsho Adeolu acted like an imbecile, I acted as his junior brother, it was satire too, I didn’t know that was the genre. It was school that made me realise that. School made me know the theoretical aspect of it. I graduated from the OAU, and so my first job was a stage play. A professor called me, saying that he wanted to direct a stage play and he wanted me to be a part of it. The professor gave me a role that challenged me. One thing I like about myself is that I love facing challenges, and if I don’t face challenges, I won’t conquer them. Challenges prevent you from being stagnant.

What is the full pronunciation of your name?

Muyideen Ademola Kososi. My parents named me that.

So, what is the story behind the Kososi?

We had a family friend who used to cure all types of diseases. He used to stay in Ilorin then, Alhaji Dauda. Anytime he came to our house, my dad would give him all the room upstairs to attend to his patient. His name was Alhaji Dauda Kososi, and during my naming ceremony, he said he wanted to give me one of his names, so he named me Kososi. Since then, that’s how I was called that name. For Lala, it was from a movie I got the name from, during a Funke Akindele movie. People like the name, so I now produced another movie, and I used the name again, but the very first movie was ‘Ekuro.’ Another person was actually meant to be given the role, but I got it. They were going to remove me because they wanted to give it to another person. I got angry and just went to another location in Osogbo. Funke insisted I’d play the role. She cried and insisted that I would act the role; my mind had even already shifted from it, but they started calling me, and I didn’t pick up. Then Funsho Adeolu called and asked where I was. I told him I was in Osogbo. He asked me to come to Lagos the following morning, as Funke insisted I had to act that role. I told my friend Afod I had to be in Lagos. I drove back to Lagos. When I got to Lagos, I just stayed in my car and didn’t talk to anyone. In the movie, I was to act as a hooligan, and I had to say exactly what was in the script. I couldn’t say anything outside the script, but fortunately, my character was free, so I had to just flow. When I was about to play, I did it so well and said something I wasn’t meant to say, which got the director angry, but we were able to handle it in a fun way.

The journey was relatively smooth as the commercial bus we boarded in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital navigated the popular Aba Road and later maneuvered the various link roads criss-crossing communities in Akwa Ibom State until we approached the Calabar-Itu Road; a major artery linking all road users from the south to Cross River State.

The road is laden with numerous trailers, trucks and other articulated vehicles that ply it on a daily basis due probably to quarries that dot Cross River.

The state has large deposits of limestone. The quarries belong to licensed companies in the business of excavating and supplying limestone to end users. Therefore, Calabar-Itu Road provides the major gateway to the quarries, especially for customers coming from the southern axis. It has always been a death trap as previous governments never took its rehabilitation seriously. Consequently, the road, despite its commercial and social importance, has been in a decrepit condition for more than a decade. In fact, the projects from contracts awarded on it in the past were abandoned.

So, it was with fear and despair that we approached the road characterised by chains of craters. In many sections, it has become a chasm which drivers have to go through near death situations to navigate.

The entire stretch till the tip of the popular Itu Bridge was marshy and muddy. The vehicles crawled and at many areas lined up in a harrowing gridlock that lasted for hours. But there was a glimmer of hope as signs emerged that the road was receiving some attention from the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The reconstruction of the road was ongoing with concrete pavement of the Minister of Works, Dr Dave Umahi, already installed in some places. Those areas brought some relieves during the journey as we made our way to Calabar.

The journey to Calabar was undertaken out of curiosity. It was an inquiry into the state of the Lagos-Calabar Highway Project, prompted by the claims in some quarters that the project, a big ticket investment of the Tinubu administration, was only receiving attention at the Lagos end. Some persons even insinuated that no ground had been broken for the project at the Calabar end. Therefore, the desire to know the true situation of the road in Cross River informed the trip.

The inquiry started a day after we arrived in Calabar from Port Harcourt, with the Cross River State correspondent of The Nation, Gill Nsa, as my tour guide. Nsa is from Cross River State and understands the politics, the economy and culture of the state having worked in the area as a journalist for many years. The next day, Nsa took me to Akamkpa Local Government Area not far from Calabar. We drove through the popular Calabar-Ikom Road. The road also leads to Ogoja and can be used to access Benue and other northern states. However, the road is also in bad shape and has been undergoing reconstruction for many years. The current administration is also paying attention to it.

The tour guide suddenly pulled over at the right side of road close to a police checkpoint. He called the place Awi. And opposite us was the Calabar corridor of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Project. In fact, it was not difficult to know that a major project was ongoing. Sounds of heavy duty machines saturated the atmosphere. The new highway begins from the Awi thick forest in Akamkpa.

Already the shape of the road had been carved. Two signposts hoisted opposite each other tell the story of an ambitious developmental project, the first of its kind in the Niger Delta region in a long while.

The signposts bear the picture of President Bola Tinubu. Of course, he was the one who mustered the courage to brace the tape. Details of the project were contained on the signboards. The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is in charge of it through the Ministry of Works. They further identified the axis as Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Section 3A/3B CH. 65+000-CH.0+000 C/NO.8784.

The signposts further identified the contractor as M/S HITECH Construction Company Limited and gave the duration of the project as 36 months. We were allowed to drive through the passable section of the road. At some points, we abandoned our vehicle and trekked for some kilometres to observe the ongoing work.

In fact, constructing the road from the Calabar axis is not a tea party. From the beginning were hills, followed by rocky mountains and swampy marshy terrains. We saw that trees were felled and the Mangrove was cleared as the workers made frantic efforts to link it to the Akwa Ibom section of the road. Over 15 earth-moving equipment performing various construction roles were seen on ground. The humming, buzzing sounds of the excavators and swamp buggies, among other equipment, told even the blind that a major developmental project was ongoing.

As at the time we toured the project, earthwork on the road was still ongoing. Only about five kilometres could be driven or walked on. The concrete pavement and the meridian had not been installed but clearing and excavation had gone far into the forest.

Although the terrain appeared cumbersome, the contracting firm was pursuing the project with determination and diligence, bulldozing the hills and cracking the rocks to get to the required level. It was painstaking but it slowly led to a paved road. With admiration, we stood and watched the workers undertake their various tasks.

One of the workers, who identified himself simply as John, told us that work on the road was an everyday affair. ‘We resume here every day. You can see the terrain is difficult. But work is progressing. The white men doing the excavation have gone far with it. They take off every morning accompanied by soldiers, and they don’t come back till the close of work’, he said.

One of the expatriate workers, who said they were not allowed to talk to people, identified the major challenge of the project as the rainy season. ‘We are working, but he rains are disturbing us. Most of the days, the rains fall heavily. Some days when we resume, the weather will look friendly. But before you know it, boom, the rain begins to fall and stop the work.

‘But as you can see we are making progress,’ he said.

Indeed, we could see a world of difference between the construction from the Calabar axis of the coastal road and the Lagos section. The topographies are not the same. While the Lagos axis appeared faster because of the table nature of most part of the land, the Calabar section seemed slow but steady following the rocky, hilly and marshy nature of a significant portion of the land.

We took our time to gauge the opinions of passersby, especially commuters and drivers plying the Calabar-Ikom road, and most of them could not hide their joy. They commended the President Tinubu-led Federal Government for daring to undertake the new road project. They recalled that previous administrations avoided it despite the cries of the people.

A resident of Akamkpa, Prosper Emmanuel, described it as a thing of joy. Emmanuel said the project had compelled him to join the mass mobilisation for the President’s second term. He said the project would only be completed if President Tinubu remains in office beyond 2027.

Emmanuel disclosed that actual construction began in the area about two months ago. Emmanuel said President Tinubu deserved commendation for undertaking a project of such magnitude adding that other administrations lacked the courage to embark on such legacy projects.

Emmanuel said: ‘I am an indigene of Akamkpa Local Government. It is a thing of joy to have a project of this magnitude around this area. Everybody prays for development. The rate at which the contractors are going about it if they keep it up, it will soon be delivered and it will be commendable.

‘They have been on site for two months now and work has been on a high level. This road is a plus to this administration because many administrations had come and gone and something big like this has never happened’.

Emmanuel highlighted the advantages of the project saying it would go a long way to empowering the locals economically. He told persons doubting the project’s commencement from the Calabar section to bury their thoughts.

He said: ‘This is a heavy and serious project. It will go a long way to help our people economically and politically. It will reduce the burden of road transport. Some people have been asking me whether this road has started here and I keep telling them that it has started in ernest.

‘This is not even the only place the job is ongoing. It is in segments. The jobs are going on simultaneously in other sections and I want to categorically say that the level of work is high and serious. In fact, because of this road I have started campaigning for the President’s second term’.

A driver plying the Calabar-Ikom Highway, who identified himself simply as Kingsley praised the President for the ongoing job at the Calabar axis of the road. Kingsley said since the company conquered the entrance to the project, they had continued to work at the site on daily basis.

‘This project is massive and it is not easy because of the terrain of this area. Since they started this project from this axis, they work here every day and the road is progressing. We are happy that the President is undertaking this kind of project. We are grateful to him,’ he said.

When we approached HITECH officials at their administrative office, located a few kilometres after the project site, one of them, who identified himself simply as Engr. Elias, said they had no authority to speak to the media about the project.

He said: ‘We don’t have any authority to speak to anybody about the project. We don’t even talk to ministry officials. You can come to the project site and see what is happening. If you need anything, go to our head office.’

But he later added: ‘We have gone far on the project. If you come in a few weeks time, you will see more.’

To gauge the pulse of the state government, we spoke to the Commissioner for Works in Cross River State, Ankpo Pius Edet. He told doubters that the project was ongoing at point 001 in Cross River, describing it as evidence of the Renewed Hope Agenda in Cross River State.

Edet said President Tinubu had demonstrated his creative mind by opening up an area that had no road before.

He said: ‘For us in Cross River, we are delighted and pleased to have the implementation of the Renewed Hope Initiative in our state.

‘It is only in this administration that the government is creating road where there is no road.

‘Within the state here the governor had emulated the renewed hope agenda of President Tinubu by opening a road that had never existed before. President Tinubu opening over 700km of road from Lagos to Calabar is unbelievable.

‘Others think it is a mirage that will never come to be. But today it is a true testimony of a creative mind for this to happen. The eyes can see today. The other section in Lagos was partially inaugurated and this stretch from Calabar is presently ongoing.

‘What will the critics say again? For Cross River, all we can say is a big thank you to President Tinubu. Within two years in office, what President Tinubu has done, many Presidents have not done it.’

Edet further commended the Minister for Works, Dr. Dave Umahi, for revolutionising road construction through his concrete pavement technology, which he said was adopted for the Lagos-Calabar project. He said the state government was always ready to give support to the project

Addressing those who claimed they did not know the value of the project, Edet said: ”Anybody who says he doesn’t know the value of the road is ignorant. I don’t blame them.

‘But to us, that road is a game changer for the economy of the South-South, the economy of the country, because Cross River is the agricultural hub of this country. So the linking of the Lagos-Calabar highway will transfer agricultural products from Cross River to the west.

‘It is a game changer and ice breaker for us and the people of Nigeria. It is something that we are grateful to the President for.’

The Commissioner further hinted on how the project would stimulate the state’s economy. He said the road is aligned to the area where the state government is designated for the Special Agro Processing Zone (SAPZ) and the Bakassi Deep Seaport.

He said: ‘The Lagos-Calabar Highway Project is a game changer. A lot will happen. It will blossom the economy of the state and revolutionise agriculture.

‘So, a lot of things are in store, and I tell those that were ignorant before to wake up from their slumber because the game changer has come.’

Edet also commended the Federal Government and Minister Umahi for their choice of contractor, saying HITECH had demonstrated its seriousness and commitment for the project with the equipment it had so far deployed at the project site. He asked persons doubting the commencement of the project at the Calabar section to wake up from their slumber.

He said: ‘A lot is happening from this axis. The project is seriously ongoing and HITECH is doing their best.

‘I commend his Excellency for the choice of HITECH. With the robotic availability, that is the equipment they have on ground and the technical exposure they had shown within the space of this time, and with what I have seen as a qualified civil engineer, they are doing very well.

‘The standard of the road and the thickness of the reinforcement here are accurate. I commend the President for the choice of company. They are giving us the best.

‘I want to talk to the whole Nigeria that it is not true that the Calabar section of Lagos-Calabar is not ongoing. It is presently ongoing. We are feeling it.

‘In less than a week, we should be able to connect the other side in Akwa Ibom. But like I said earlier, there are always critics in democracy.’

Edet x-rayed the challenges of the project from the Calabar axis identifying the weather and the difficult terrains as major obstacles.

But he classified them as natural, noting that they could only affect the timeframe for the project delivery.

He added that HITECH, having existed in the state for over 20 years, was equal to the task of dealing with the challenges.

He said the people of the state were happy with the employments generated by the project observing that in application of local content, the contractor gave jobs to many people from the state

He said: ‘The weather has remained the greatest challenge of the road construction. This period is the rainy season and we are in the mangrove where water table is always high and the rainfall is heavy.

‘The major challenges are the swampy nature of the place, the mangrove sections that require high level of filling with sharp sound.

‘These challenges will affect the timeframe of the project. They are natural and inevitable. But they are pushing.

‘People should understand the differences in terrains. The contractor is also complying with the local content aspect of the project because our people are participating in the project.

‘The people of Cross River are also participating in the project. Some are supplying sand and others are artisans.

‘HITECH has been here for over 20 years, so they understand the terrain.’

Undoubtedly, the Calabar axis of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has started and it is progressing. It is not only the Calabar section that has commenced, the Akwa Ibom part of the road is also progressing. Some Niger Delta stakeholders recently toured the Akwa Ibom section. Stakeholders from the Movement for the Survival of Izon Ethnic Nationalities in Niger (MOSIEND) and the Niger Delta Youth Coalition for Peace and Progress (NDYCPP) after their tour hailed the progress of the project.

The President of MOSIEND, Amb. Kennedy Tonjo-West, who led others on an inspection tour of sections of the project in Akwa Ibom State, said they were happy that it was quietly taking shape and that the progress was steady and impressive.

West said the massive infrastructural project being undertaken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remained one of the most ambitious in Nigeria’s recent history.

‘Stretching through key southern states, it is designed to open new corridors of trade, tourism, and connection across the coast,’ he said.

He said their investigations revealed that in Akwa Ibom State, work had continued despite the relentless rainy season, describing it as a sign of genuine commitment from both government and contractors.

He commended the contractor handling the Akwa Ibom axis of the project, Hitech Construction Company Limited, and Mr. Joseph Matar, who serves as the Project Manager, supported by Drycet International Ltd, led by Mr. Karim Aleeds.

He said during the tour, they observed that the Hitech’s teams kept a near round-the-clock schedule, working even on weekends to meet the Federal Government’s delivery targets.

West said: ‘During the recent inspection tour of the Akwa Ibom corridor, from Channel One in Okobo/Nsit-Atta to Channel 31 in Uruan, we were deeply impressed by what we saw.

‘We saw firsthand the heavy machinery, skilled workers, and constant activity on site even on weekends’.

One of the MOSIEND’s leaders, Dimieri Pepple, said: ‘It cleared every doubt and gave us renewed confidence in the Federal Government’s sincerity. We saw the project’s growing impact on local livelihoods.’

One of the leaders of NDYCPP, Ini Udo Idiong, said: ‘Our formerly unemployed youths are now gainfully engaged. Small businesses are springing up around the sites, and communities are becoming vibrant again.’

He appealed to politicians to stop politicising the coastal road, describing it as ‘a project for all Nigerians.’

‘This road isn’t about party lines; it’s about people. It will boost commerce, link communities, and unlock opportunities across the region’, Idiong said.

Idiong commended Governor Pastor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State for aligning his state’s development priorities, especially youth empowerment and infrastructure, with the Federal Government’s vision.

He further acknowledged Senate President Godswill Akpabio for his continued push to strengthen development initiatives through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other federal programs.

Idiong said: ‘With over three decades of experience in heavy civil engineering and marine infrastructure, Hitech Construction Company Ltd remains one of Nigeria’s most trusted indigenous firms.

‘The company says it is proud to play a part in ‘building the nation’s coastline and connecting its people to new possibilities.’

Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru has explained why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be re-elected in the 2027 poll.

He described the president as a courageous, visionary and transformational leader, whose reforms are bearing fruits.

Abiru lauded the bold reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy, unification of the foreign exchange market, and redirection of resources to key sectors, which have restored economic stability and fiscal discipline.

He spoke at the endorsement of the president by the All Progressives Congress (APC) faithful in Lagos.

Justifying the call for continuity, Abiru said: ‘Two years ago, Nigerians entrusted him with the leadership of our nation at one of the most difficult moments in our modern history. The economy was distressed, public confidence shaken, and our national direction uncertain.

‘Yet, true to his courage and visionary spirit, President Tinubu chose the harder but more honourable path: the path of reform, restructuring, and renewal.’

Abiru, who represents Lagos East District in the Senate, highlighted key achievements of the administration, including, the NELFUND educational loans for over 510,000 students, CrediCorp loans worth ?30 billion to 150,000 Nigerians, the new ?70,000 minimum wage, and Project Bridge, a 90,000km fibre optic network powering digital transformation.

He applauded the synergy between the National Assembly and the Executive, noting that landmark laws, including the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025, Student Loan Act, Electricity Act Amendment, Data Protection Act, and Police Reform Bill, Security Agency Acts, Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (Amendment) Bill and Startup Act implementation framework, both aimed at deepening innovation, protecting local content, and nurturing tech ecosystem; and Revenue Administration Harmonisation Bill, have strengthened the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said: ‘These legislative interventions are the backbone of the President’s reforms, providing legal and institutional stability.’

Abiru, who is the Chairman of the Southern Senators’ Forum, reaffirmed Lagos’ historic role in progressive governance, recalling how President Tinubu’s era as Lagos governor set the foundation for fiscal innovation and inclusive growth, which is now replicated nationwide.

I’ve never met billionaire sports entrepreneur Soname face-to-face for any reason. But I’ve followed his antecedents in sports business with bated breath to see if he can be trusted. Yes, my discreet submission on Soname is that he is an honest businessman who doesn’t punch above his weight. I was bowled over by the fact that he owned a club in Portugal and was deeply involved in the business of football at the nursery level. I probed further and realised that he wasn’t in the nursery business to pluck flowers. He chose to build structures which created the platform to discover, nurture and expose the budding talents that litter the streets in the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the country.

It isn’t ease to run soccer business in an environment like ours where the administrators run the game by their hunches. The game needs proactive businessmen and women such as Soname to look at the game from the prism of giving back to the community where he has chosen to make his abode. Who won’t choose the community of his birth like Soname has done. Indeed, the tiny Remo land has international acclaim each time Remo FC plays a game either within the country or as our soccer ambassadors. But what thrills me the most is that analysts can at least say that Beyond Limits FC is the genuine nursery of Remo FC both in theoretical terms and practical terms.

The difference between Remo Stars and Beyond the Limits FC is that the owner, Soname faces the latter with all the trappings of any thriving business concern, leaving Remo Stars FC as the platform to give back to society – create a means of getting young Nigerians and the older active ones to earn a living, which is sacrosanct. But there appears to be a growing conflict between Remo Stars and Beyond the Limits FC which only Soname can resolve.

If I were in Soname’s shoes, I will shop for either a credible buyer(s) for Remo Stars or get a business-minded management committee of sports loving people to run it as a thriving concern while I sit back with the Beyond Limits cradle which already has international acclaim in Portugal. If I were Soname, I will get Remo Stars very good Portuguese coaches who would also function as trainers of our domestic league clubs during the off seasons. If I were Soname, I will recruit Barrister Amobi as the CEO of Remo Stars with one resolve – win the CAF Champions League diadem in 2030. I will suggest, dear Soname, the recruitment of Toyin Ibitoye to work with Ameobi to rebrand Remo Stars. I would have suggested Davidson Owumi but he is with NPFL as the C.O.O. We need a few teams to serve as models for other Nigerian clubs to emulate, if we truly want the game to be a beauty to watch across league venues weekly.

I’ve chosen to write about Remo Stars and Beyond the Limits FC because of the unacceptable 5-1 drubbing Remo suffered in the hands of Mamelodi Sundowns FC of South Africa, which has caused uproar among the uniformed. Truth be told, Mamelodi Sundowns and Remo Stars are no mates. Only two weeks ago, the South African side spent $1 million in the transfer of a player. How many Nigerian sides can do that? Certainly not with a shrewd business mogul as Soname who can trade one exceptional good kid from his academy for six or more times that one million dollars.

Nigeria’s champions in the league shouldn’t be beaten 5-1 and we want people to just sigh over it or rein curses. I would rather proffer solutions without trying to curry anyone’s favour. I like the way Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt is been run.

However, I was taken aback by Soname’s claim about the Nigerian economy. I ask the proprietor if his club is quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange? Or is that task also burdened by the country’s economy, Sir? Has the proprietor bothered to find out what European clubs in football crazy nations contribute to their respective country’s economy? They took a plunge into the money spinner that the game is based on well thought out plans. For these clubs, it wasn’t a case of guesswork. Clubs in Europe didn’t wait on their federations’ promptings to seize the bull by its horns. The private sector talk in Nigeria is cheap. The Americans own clubs all over Europe.

According to agency reports: ”In the 2023/24 season, the Premier League generated a record £6.35 billion in revenue, contributing to England’s economy through job creation, significant tax contributions, and substantial investment in the football pyramid, according to reports from theesk.org and the Premier League. This record turnover was driven primarily by rising commercial and matchday income, with commercial revenue surpassing £2 billion for the first time. This financial success allows for reinvestment, supports grassroots football, and maintains the league’s global competitiveness.’

”In the 2023/24 season, La Liga’s standardised revenue exceeded pound 5 billion, a record high that signifies a strong post-pandemic recovery and a significant boost to Spain’s economy. This revenue growth was driven by record stadium attendance, strong commercial income from new sponsorships, and broadcast revenue. The increased financial performance contributes to the sustainability of the Spanish football ecosystem through club investment, but also saw the league’s net debt rise, largely due to long-term financing deals.’

The story is almost the same in other European nations; growth in soccer.

When in 1990 some respected Nigerian soccer administrators conceptualised the Nigeria Professional League body, they were responding to the new trends in the beautiful game in other climes. These men couldn’t stomach the mediocrity associated with the Nigerian game. They wanted a departure from the tardy past to embrace the new dawn where very good players could earn a living outside the country. The wise men foresaw the future where with a new mentality to matches, the country could one day play at the senior World Cup.

The quasi-professional league witnessed a lot of improvement, except that the ownership structures didn’t quite change, with most of the teams owned by the government. The few private clubs (Leventis United FC of Ibadan, Abiola Babes FC of Abeokuta, New Nigeria Bank FC of Benin City, Flash Flamingoes FC of Benin City, Julius Berger FC of Lagos, Iwuanyanwu Nationale FC of Owerri, etc) left their marks, although they were eventually emasculated by the government teams which had tremendous cash which their administrators used to corrupt the system. The thought of having four teams in Benin City didn’t excite the fans as much having only their darling team in the elite class. The private clubs’ owners soon dropped their sponsorship initiatives when they couldn’t cope with the malfeasances of the league.

The conspiracy against the privately-owned teams brought back the sharp practices of the competition, leading to the dearth of new talents. These private clubs couldn’t enjoy the support of the fans in those cities where the state-owned teams operated. Leventis had to manage its relationship with the Ibadan fans. Flash Flamingoes FC went through hell playing inside the Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin. The fans’ favourite was Bendel Insurance FC. The defunct New Nigeria Bank FC had a similar problem of acceptance. In fact, games involving these teams and their traditional local rivals threatened public peace, as the security operatives had to be at their best for peace to reign before, during, and after matches. In one of such needless skirmishes, Bendel Insurance FC’s chairman, the late Major Ojo lost his life in a car crash very close to the stadium while trying to rescue the match referees from being lynched by irate fans. Gallant soldier, if you ask me. May his soul continue to rest in peace.

The day was Thursday, August 14, 2025. The time was 3pm. The venue was the Rev. Chris Oyakhilome Auditorium of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria. The event was the 133rd in the inaugural lecture series of the over four and a half decades old institution established by the administration of the former governor of the then Bendel State, Professor Ambrose Alli, in the Second Republic. The lecturer was none other than the revered scholar of Comparative Politics and Strategic Studies, Professor Babatunde Olusegun Agara. The intriguing topic of his intellectual disquisition was ‘The Nigerian State: A Country Without Countrymen’ and for nearly two hours he held the audience spellbound with his penetrating interrogation of the dilemmas, uncertainties and challenges of the contemporary Nigerian condition.

Professor Agara kicked off his cerebral offering with a declaration of the credos constituting what he described as ‘My three guiding principles in life’ stating directly, unpretentiously and unrepentantly that: ‘In religion, I am a Christian and hence I believe passionately in God, the Almighty; In politics, I am a radical humanist, I believe in bringing about radical change that positively affect the masses through the instrumentalities of violence (if need be); In economics, I am a committed Marxist and hence I believe in revolutions’. His affirmation of belief in and support for revolutionary change in society if necessary may sound sacrilegious to conservative defenders of the establishment and advocates of continuity of the status quo. But inherent in variants of Marxist theses is the belief that it is only rational to respond to what is perceived as the disguised and structural violence imposed on society by a ruling class or elite with a counter violence designed to engender a more just, equitable and fair social order.

It is thus not surprising that Professor Agara ‘s lecture is suffused through and through with concerns about the challenges over the years of inept governance, paucity of leadership vision, structural inequities and debilities among others contributing to what he perceives as the deepening fragility of the Nigerian State even if it is yet to degenerate to the condition of total state collapse. On his choice of the topic of the inaugural, he explains that ‘The Nigerian State is seriously under a siege being plagued by what I have referred to as ‘the evil triad’ of insecurity, threats of secession and herders’ invasion. All these are simply due to the fact that we, Nigerians, do not see ourselves as countrymen, rather primordial sentiments and loyalty have created a divisive fault-line among us. Our argument is that it is our inability to see ourselves as countrymen that have not only brought the evil triad, but is escalating them on a daily basis’.

Critical to Professor Agara ‘s characterization of the Nigerian State as a country without countrymen is the stalled progression of the polity from mere statehood to a more cohesive sense of nationhood. Can Nigeria be said to be any more organically viable today than she was when the great statesman and first Premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, described the country nearly eight decades ago as ‘a mere geographical expression’? Are there not still many Nigerians who would not disagree with the reference by Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Nigeria in the First Republic, to the colonial amalgamation as ‘the mistake of 1914’? With virtually every component of the country seeing themselves as marginalized and some groups advocating the outright breakup of Nigeria through secession, can it be plausibly contended that ours is indeed a country without countrymen?

When he speaks of the absence of countrymen in a country, Agara obviously refers to a deficient emotional bond between citizen and state and the lack of patriotic commitment of the vast majority of Nigerians to the structural entity known as Nigeria. While noting that what he describes as ‘the evil triad’ – insecurity, threats of secession and herders’ invasion – have reached an international dimension, he states that the situation is complicated and worsened by ‘the domestic problems of governance with virtually no opposition party, recycling of wasted political elites, lack of ideological convictions and a lack of political accommodation for the minorities within the state as it is presently structured’.

This, he argues, ‘has led to some questioning the legitimacy of the state and consenting to the fact that a state thus construed and not in total control of the means of violence added to the fact of its gross inadequacy in ensuring the security of its populace, is already a weak state on the path of being a failing, failed or collapsed state. These are the informing motifs for the choice of this topic’. Professor Agara interrogates the subject through an exhaustive examination of the concept of nationalism which, he states, ‘implies a national sentiment be it political, economic, religious or symbolic that unifies a people together and for which they are ready to sacrifice anything to sustain’.

Some of the dimensions of nationalism x-rayed by the lecturer include cultural nationalism which ‘stresses the need to defend or strengthen a national language, religion, or a way of life rather than achieve overt political ends’; liberal political nationalism predicated on the belief that, just like the individual, all Nations have a moral status and right to self-determination; conservative political nationalism which stresses social cohesion, public order and deployment of the sentiment of national patriotism in defence of traditional values and institutions; ethnic nationalism which ’emphasizes the commonality of ancestral heritage thereby implying a stronger and perhaps more intense sense of distinctiveness and exclusivity’ and expansionist nationalism rooted in a chauvinistic world outlook and value system difficult to distinguish from racism.

The political scientist sheds light on the notion of a country without countrymen when he submits that ‘Within a federal pluralist society filled with much sentiment of ethnic differences and more heterogenous factors than homogeneous, ethnic consciousness and differentiation becomes ‘natural’ and is ‘real’. In cases where some set of people feel that they are marginalized and that the political arrangement and structure does not provide enough or sufficient political accommodation for them to feel that they ‘belong’, primordial instinct of identifying with their ‘kind’ kicks in and national loyalty is transferred to ethnic loyalty expressed through ethnic identification and nationalism. Thus, ethnic nationalism and identification becomes an intellectual response to political, social and cultural problems of integration and legitimacy’.

One of the theoretical frameworks or anchors through which Professor Agara analyses his subject is that of political accommodation which is particularly central to federalist theory and practice. Thus, he posits that in a complex, ethnically, culturally and religiously plural society, the adequacy of the arrangements for political accommodation and coexistence of diverse groups in the polity are critical to the achievement or otherwise of harmony, peace and stability. He submits that federalism as a political format provides a framework for managing differences and that ‘political accommodation is only possible within a context where competing demands and claims by constituent groups are reconcilable and the various groups making up the federation are agreed to stay together’.

Critical to the viability of sustainable and productive political accommodation, the professor points out, are the mode of allocation or distribution of material and fiscal resources among component groups of the polity which must be reflective of justice particularly with reference to contributions to the polity’s collective resources; the opportunities offered the diverse component groups for peaceful, systemic and Judicial articulation and resolution of their demands as well as the imperative of achieving a balance between national cohesion and the desire for autonomy and self-determination by the federating units.

The second theoretical framework around which Professor Agara’s thesis revolves is that of contentious politics and violence which encapsulates such concepts as contentious collective challenge, contentious political behavior and social movements. He explains that contentious collective action through aggravated social movements comprising complex underlying social networks offers a critical avenue through which ‘the oppressed can draw an unresponsive state’s elites’ attention to their plight, or better articulate their grievances and confront the better equipped opponents or the state. Contentious collective action brings ordinary people together under the same umbrella, for the same purpose and to confront opponents, elites’ or authorities’.

In this regard, Professor Agara cites ethnic militias as examples of a form of social movements mobilized to pursue or undertake a collective challenge against state authorities for failing to address collective grievances of, for example, the peoples of the Niger Delta or the Igbo nationality of the Southeast region. He avers that the easiest and readiest recourse of components of aggrieved social movements desirous of social change is ‘the power of disruption’. According to him, ‘Social movements employ the power of disruption basically because this draws attention to them; enables the social movement to spread uncertainty while giving them the necessary leverage they need against powerful opponents such as the state’.

However, the deployment of the coercive apparatus of the state including the police, military and intelligence services to contain escalation in disruptive activities of social movements and eliminate their offensive capabilities tend to split the latter into two – moderate elements who tactically withdraw from the struggle and the more extremist and militant who resort to continuously intensifying acts of outright violence. Professor Agara makes profuse references in the literature to demonstrate that (1) political violence tends to progress from the onset of mild discontent to the politicization of discontent and ultimately the actualization of violence against political actors and structures; (2) political violence challenges the monopoly of force which is the defining essence of state authority while destabilizing normal political processes and (3) political violence tends to be directed not just at incumbent governments and their functionaries and facilities but also opposing political actors, forces and groups thus constituting a threat to the extant political order.

In this inaugural lecture, we have a most exhaustive and rigorous analytic interrogation of the various incendiary and destabilizing groups running rampant in Nigeria today including terrorist organizations, separatist agitators, extremist religious proselytizers, invading expansionist herdsmen and criminal cartels with detailed examination of their comparative organizational structures, internal value orientation, diverse modes of operation, assorted psychological motivations, extraterritorial organizational linkages as well as inter-organizational relationships.

A new agricultural platform, Farmlinkup, has been launched to connect farmers, consumers, and industrialists across Nigeria and beyond.

The founder, Omoyele Omonira, explained that the platform is designed to empower farmers by providing a marketplace to showcase and sell their produce, while also connecting consumers to fresh and nutritious farm products.

Speaking at a briefing in Ibadan, Omoyele noted that the platform is a farmers’ hub which ensure farmers sell their products faster, noting that most agricultural products are perishable products, which often cause huge loss to effort put into production by the farmers, if not sold early enough.

He said the platform will help reduce market inefficiencies, promote youth inclusion in farming, and advocate for government incentives and soft-loan support to foster a thriving agricultural sector.

With features like logistics coordination and transparent pricing, Farmlinkup aims to revolutionise the agribusiness value chain and digitize agriculture.

Omoyele emphasised the importance of empowering Nigerian youths to thrive in agribusiness and called for partnerships with government and private firms to promote the agricultural sector through seminars and trainings for farmers.

He also expressed optimism about the platform’s potential, stating that Farmlinkup could make Africa the food basket of the world within the next five years.

He stated that the platform which have over 50, 000 subscribers, encourages consumers and all citizens through the patronage of nutritional, fresh from farm products, agricultural equipments and services.

He added the organisation which was recently honored in recognition of his contributions to the agricultural sector, by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Oguwusi, during the Oodua Special Recognition Award, OSRA, was created as a marketplace for farmers where they can link up or project their farm produce and services to the world.

He further added that the platform is also meant to bring together agric entrepreneurs, farmers and industrialists in need of farm produce or equipment within and the country and beyond together.

Omoyele however noted that the initiative is an avenue to create a space for younger generations to go into agriculture.

While seeking partnership with government and private firms in promotion of the agricultural sector through seminars and trainings for farmers, he urged Nigerian farmers and other farmers in africa to join in a bid to boost their profit margins.

‘We are revolutionising the agricultural system whereby a farmer can take pictures of his farm produce and upload, put his phone number and address and anybody in need of the product will call such a farmer for it to be delivered.

‘This platform is an online marketplace that brings together farmers, service providers, and consumers across Nigeria. Its core mission is to  link up the farmers, agricultural service providers and the consumers, creating a seamless, secure space where producers can showcase and sell fresh, nutritious produce while buyers enjoy transparent pricing and easy access

‘Beyond commerce, Farmlinkup seeks to  revolutionise  the agribusiness value chain, promotes youth inclusion in farming, offers tools for logistics coordination, and advocates for government incentives and soft-loan support to foster a thriving, digitally-enabled agricultural sector.

‘In essence the platform aims to digitise agriculture, reduce market inefficiencies and empower Nigerian youths  to thrive in agribusiness 

‘We are seeing farmlinkup in the next five years as a platform which will ensure africa is the food basket of the world,’ he explained..

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Saturday led dignitaries to pay glowing tributes to the late Deaconess Eno Nnana Usoro, mother of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Ms. Emem Nnana Usoro, describing her as a woman whose life was defined by faith, service, and devotion to family and community.

Speaking at the funeral reception at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Shettima said the late Deaconess Usoro lived a life that epitomised grace and prayer, raising children whose accomplishments reflect her sacrifices.

According to a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said ‘the exemplary Ms. Emem Nnana Usoro is a daughter she couldn’t have been prouder of. She stands today as a symbol of a mother’s dream fulfilled-a story defined by sacrifice, prayer, and perseverance’.

The Vice President described Ms. Emem Usoro’s rise to the CBN Deputy Governor’s position as a testament to her mother’s refusal to settle for mediocrity and her belief in excellence anchored in faith.

‘The height that Ms. Usoro has attained in public service, as a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, tells the story of a mother who refused to settle for mediocrity, who believed that her child could compete with the best of the world’s minds and still remain anchored in faith,’ he said.

VP Shettima emphasised that Deaconess Usoro was more than a mother to her family, serving as a pillar of her church, a mentor to women, and support for the less privileged.

He noted that she exemplified humility and compassion while raising her family to understand that excellence without empathy is emptiness.

‘When we celebrate the Late Deaconess Eno Nnana Usoro’s achievements, what readily comes to us are the stations of those she left behind. When we celebrate them, we are in truth celebrating the woman who shaped their character-the mother who toiled in silence, whose sacrifices were the scaffolds upon which their destiny was built,’ the Vice President noted.

He added, ‘Those who live in the service of others never truly die. They are resurrected in every act of goodness that continues in their name.’

On behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government, VP Shettima extended condolences to the Usoro family, describing the deceased’s life as ‘a sermon, her kindness a ministry, her legacy an inheritance that will outlive her.’

The Vice President urged Nigerians to draw inspiration from the late matriarch’s example, noting that success in life stems from being nurtured by love, discipline, and prayer.

‘Let us not say that Mama is gone. Let us say that she has returned home to rest from her labours,’ VP Shettima said, while praying for divine strength for the bereaved family.

Earlier, the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, paid glowing tribute to the deceased and expressed deep sympathy to the bereaved family, praying for the repose of the soul of late Mama Eno Nnana Usoro.

‘When we came to the world, a few of us came very quietly, but when you leave and the ovation is high, it shows the lives you have touched. So, I know that you must be happy that God has helped you give your mother this honour. You have brought Nigerians, standing to send her home in glowing bliss.’

The Governor thanked God for her life and, on behalf of the Government and people of Akwa Ibom State, welcomed all guests, and commended Vice President Shettima for honouring the invitation to visit Akwa Ibom State, saying ‘it shows the love he has for the Akwa Ibom people and for the family.’

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said the deceased lived a life worthy of emulation, noting that ‘today heaven is happy to receive an angel in the late Eno Nnana Usoro.’

‘My dear sister, the Deputy Governor of CBN, Emem Usoro, let me thank you for doing Akwa Ibom proud, let me thank you for the resounding applause and ovation with which you have sent your beloved mother to heaven,’ Senator Akpabio said.

‘I thank you and your brothers and sisters for this wonderful tribute. I thank God Almighty for your life and the lives of your family and, like I said in the Church, may the peace of the Lord which surpasses all understanding, console you and take care of you now and forever.’

The Senate President, who appreciated the Vice President for his presence at the event, noted that the people of Akwa Ibom State hold the Vice President in high esteem.

Other dignitaries at the event included the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom Senator Akon Eyakenyi; Rep. Abdulmumini Ari; members of the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council; captains of industry; staff members of the Central Bank of Nigeria; members of the State and National Assemblies; chief executives of banks; and other top government functionaries.

A former Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, has hailed President Bola Tinubu and his Economic Management Team for what he described as a rebound and upward swing of the economy.

Noting that it would amount to loss of professionalism for anyone who fail to recognise the ongoing efforts of the current administration, Adeduntan noted that although, there is room for improvement, there is no doubt that economy has been turned around.

The business executive and financial expert spoke while featuring as a guest at the state-owned Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), Bashorun, Ibadan live television and radio show which was monitored by The Nation.

Appearing as the Guest of the Month, the interview focused on the state of the Nation.

Adeduntan, who is also the Pro-Chancellor, Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, however urged the President not to lose focus but keep accelerating on the mission of transforming the economy.

He added that, people at the grassroots will feel the direct impact of the Economic improvement when the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) doubles.

According to him: ‘There is being a rebound in the economic. One will loss his professionalism if you fail to recognise what is going on with the economy.

‘One must give a lot of credit to what has been achieved by the current administration. The economy is on an upward swing.

‘There are areas for improvement but you can’t but acknowledge President Bola Tinubu and his team efforts on the economy. They are ding a lot and improving the economy despite challenges.

‘For the country to fully feel the impact of the growth, we need to do like the rate of GDP growth.

‘The Federal and State Governments have both been involved in massive constructions all around. Their policy choices, sequences could be a challenge but the directions need to be harmonised.

‘What has been done is pushing growth beyond where it has been over there years. When we start growing at eight or nine percent, we will see more impact. The growth rate is stronger now than what it used to be.’

Speaking on the agriculture and other sectors, Dr Adeduntan also noted that, the country has made significant progress in the sector, noting that years back, the country spend huge foreign exchange (forex) on rice importation, but that production, especially in rice cultivation has improved.

‘In truth, the country has made significant progress in agriculture. Some 10 to 15years ago, we spend huge forex on rice importation, but in the last few years, we have improved our production especially in rice cultivation.

‘A number of the transformation ongoing are not short term basis but medium and long term so we may not have started feeling the impact. The journey into diversification Is what will take time, but the good things is that the journey has started and we are on course.

‘I agree with the direction the government is going. What I think that the President needs to do more is to keep Accelerating and remain focus. The government has been pushing aggressively policies that are right,’ he added.

He urged the government to allow more price liberalisation than price control.

‘Parts of that needs to happen is price realisation, not regulation. liberalisatuon of prices as it relates to subsidy removal and currency harmonisation is that people now have the privilege to enjoy realistic gains.

‘I have seen significant returns come to people in the agricultural sector. Our agriculture is not where it should be but it is not where it used to be.

‘Things are moving forward even though we need to move faster. If government can replicate what has been done done with rice sector of agricultural, things would be lot better. Our agriculture needs to be done at industrial scale and the government is also a bit more into the livestock sector.’

Former Big Brother Naija housemate Tsakute Ladi Jonah popularly known as Saskay has opened up on her experiences navigating the differences between the Nigerian and European education systems.

Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Global Security and Strategy at the Brussels School of Governance in Belgium, Saskay revealed that she faced significant challenges adapting to the new academic environment.

In a recent social media post on X, Saskay highlighted the stark contrast between the two systems, noting that Nigerian students are often taught to memorise and reproduce lessons in exams, whereas European students are encouraged to think critically, explore knowledge beyond the classroom, and apply it to real-life scenarios.

She wrote: ‘Schooling in Nigeria made me learn exactly what I was taught and spit it out in tests/exams.

‘Schooling in Europe says I need to learn what I’m taught, read more outside of school work and apply that knowledge to real life situations in texts/exams.

‘It’s a bit of a struggle tbh especially since I’ve never learnt how to do the latter.’

Speaking of challenges, Saskay in the past, revealed that she had waited five years for the opportunity to pursue her Master’s degree, facing moments of doubt and uncertainty along the way.

She explained how she had almost settled for a course that wasn’t her passion before this opportunity arose.