Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Thursday warned that uncertainty over the legal framework for the 2027 general election could unsettle the commission’s preparations.

Speaking while receiving a delegation of the European Union Election Observation follow-up mission to Nigeria, Yakubu appealed to the National Assembly to expedite action on the electoral reform proposal currently before it.

He said, ‘Election is a process governed by law. Many of your recommendations require the review of our electoral laws. For this reason, the Commission had interfaced with our National Assembly, including a retreat with the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters (Senate and House of Representatives).

‘We appeal to the National Assembly for an expeditious consideration of the electoral reform proposal. An early passage of law is critical to our planning for the elections. Uncertainty over the legal framework for the election can unsettle the work of the Commission as election draws nearer.’

The INEC boss said, ‘this is the third time that the present Commission is receiving such a mission. I recall that in 2017, we received Mr. Santiago Fisas who led the EU Election Observation to Nigeria’s 2015 General Election. Similarly, in 2022 we hosted Maria Arena who led the EU Election Observation Mission to Nigeria in 2019. Today, we are glad to receive Mr. Barry Andrews who led the EU Mission to the 2023 General Election.

‘In 2019, the EU EOM made 30 recommendations out of which 11 were specifically addressed to INEC. Three of them were identified as priority recommendations while 8 were categorised as general.

‘By comparison, your 2023 report made 23 recommendations out of which 8 (34.8%) require action by INEC of which only one recommendation was listed as priority. The remaining 15 (65.2%) recommendations, of which five were categorised as priority, require action by other entities in the executive, legislature and the judiciary as well as political parties and multiple stakeholders such as civil society organisations, the media and professional bodies.

‘The Commission has carefully considered all the 8 recommendations specifically addressed to us in your report. Action has been taken on aspects of the recommendations that only require administrative action to implement.

‘Similarly, action is being taken on cross-cutting recommendations that require collective action between INEC and other bodies and stakeholders while waiting for the conclusion of the ongoing legal review by the National Assembly on the recommendations that require legislative intervention.

‘To this end, the Commission has prepared a detailed response on each one of your direct observations which we shared with you at this meeting. If time permits, we can go over each of the recommendations seriatim.

‘I must also add that your recommendations, along with similar reports from other national and international election observers, were the subject of wide-ranging consultations with critical institutions and stakeholders during our own review of the 2023 General Election.

‘The review report contains 142 recommendations for electoral reform. In addition, the Commission has published our main 2023 General Election report over a year ago. The two reports are available from our website.

‘We look forward to the next EU EOM for the 2027 General Election. As you are aware, international Election Observation Missions are deployed on the invitation of the Commission. I want to reassure that we will continue to engage with you.

‘Very soon the Commission will send out invitations to the EU as well as the Commonwealth, the African Union and ECOWAS for the 2027 General Election. We believe that the recommendations arising from your observation of our election and electoral process help to improve the quality of our elections and electoral activities.’

The head of the delegation, Barry Andrews said the mission was pleased with the implementation of their recommendations from the 2023 general elections, but insisted that Nigeria must move beyond half-measures and guarantee transparency if democracy is to survive.

He said election observation is not about interference; it is about strengthening democracy in Nigeria, in Africa, and across the world.

He warned that reforms in the judiciary, administration, and constitution remain too slow, with transparency in result publication still unresolved.

Minister of Works David Umahi said that President Bola Tinubu has ordered continuation of all road projects previously funded by the NNPCL tax credit.

Umahi, who acknowledged funding challenges following the suspension of the NNPC tax credit funding, said President Tinubu remained focused on delivering durable roads despite criticism from some quarters.

The NNPCL, in 2021, launched the first phase of funding road projects with N621.24bn for the reconstruction of 21 roads across the six geopolitical zones.

Roads affected were the Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa/Bokani Junction Road (Sections I and II) in Kwara and Niger States, the Suleja-Minna Road, and emergency repairs along Mokwa-Makera-Tegina toward the Kaduna state border.

Checks showed that in 2023, the NNPCL got approval to invest N1.9 trillion in the reconstruction of 44 federal roads including the East-West Road, the Port Harcourt-Onne Junction upgrade, the Eket bypass, and the construction of the Nembe-Brass Road in Bayelsa State.

Umahi, who was accompanied by Governor Monday Okpebholo, spoke in Benin City during an inspection of the Benin-Warri dual carriageway bypass.

Umahi announced that President Tinubu has approved that the 100-kilometre stretch of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway pass through Edo State.

Edo was not originally included in the highway’s alignment.

Other States benefitting from the project include Lagos (100km), Ogun and Ondo (82km), Akwa Ibom (65km), and Cross River (27km).

Umahi said: ‘Mr. President has directed that 100 kilometres by two lanes of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway must now pass through Edo. This is a special gift to the people of Edo.

‘But the President, impressed by your governor’s commitment to infrastructure, insisted that the state must benefit. It’s a reward for loyalty, leadership, and performance.’

He said Tinubu’s road projects were designed with reinforced concrete technology to last between 50 and 100 years

He said the appalling condition of federal roads in Edo State was tragic and unacceptable.

He commended President Tinubu for his swift intervention and commitment to reversing decades of infrastructural decay, saying no motorist could travel 100 kilometres on federal roads nationwide without encountering major challenges.

‘President Tinubu met an overwhelming situation in terms of roads and bridges. You can’t travel 100 kilometres on federal roads without encountering serious difficulties. But the President is showing resolve, and Nigerians are already commending his efforts.’

The Minister commended Governor Okpebholo for intervening in critical failed portions of the Benin-Warri highway after the termination of a contract earlier awarded to Levante Construction Company under the NNPC Tax Credit Scheme.

He explained that Levante executed only four kilometres of reinforced concrete pavement in stable sections of the road, neglecting the worst segments despite repeated warnings.

Umahi further appealed to Governor Okpebholo to extend his intervention to an additional nine kilometres, praising his willingness to collaborate.

‘The contract was terminated after months of delay and poor work. We appealed to Governor Okpbholo to take over the first 23 kilometres, which he promptly awarded to CBC. The quality of their work is commendable.’

I have written many times deprecating the phenomenon of African heads of state or government rushing in and out of major metropolitan centres like London, Paris, Washington, Beijing, Tokyo and others to provide them comic relief and inviting African heads of government or state to come and make serious people laugh at their penury and global jamboree. It will soon be New Delhi, Lisbon, Madrid, Moscow and any global power that needs funny African rulers wearing what to them looks funny.

Recently 52 or so African heads of state and government assembled as they do annually in Beijing to meet With President Xi Jinping in a one-way dialogue in which the Chinese are presented with a list of requests on developmental projects spanning civil and military spheres of life. Most of the African countries are already indebted to China and they are not really in positions of serious binary negotiations. Sometimes, the African countries are just like Oliver Twist asking for more and more without understanding Chinese oriental mentality of asking for their last pint of blood from them and their children when their loans mature.

Orientals are generally not in the habit of forgiving creditors their debts. It is not just in their character and I am afraid that Africans will in future learn to their own detriment that the Chinese like other Orientals are incredible taskmasters not because they are wicked but because it is in their blood. There is no free lunch anywhere in the world! Whatever loans the Chinese are giving out now will be collected with interest in future or assets will be seized when the debtors are not able to pay. The experience of Sri Lanka which took generous Chinese loans for the development and modernisation of their ports and when they could not pay the Chinese simply seized the ports in lieu of the money owed.

I hope the African states will open their eyes when taking Chinese loans or any loans at all because they are not grants. Many of the projects the Chinese funded like the TANZAM railways running from Zambia to Tanzania built between 1970 and 1975 as the ‘UHURU RAILWAY’ is now not running and is virtually out of commission and has gone into a state of almost total disrepair and is being repaired with another loan of $1 billion provided by the Chinese. In our own case in Nigeria, the Kaduna- Abuja railway has been rendered hors de combat because of terrorists attack and bureaucratic thefts and it thus cannot pay its way. The Lagos-Ibadan railway is hardly a tale of success and the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport in Abuja runs fitfully and not always and only God knows the fate of the Kano-Katsina-Zinder railway all built with Chinese money. The intercity railway in Lagos stands as a case of success if the bureaucratic shenanigans and corruption are minimized.

The problem of these railways is that only sections are complete. For example the Lagos – Ibadan railway is the southern portion of the line going to Kano. Without its completion, it can hardly be expected to pay its way.

We also have the problem of Nigerians not willing to pay for infrastructural modernisation because they think government owes them a living! Toll roads and bridges are objects of protest and damage in Nigeria whereas in the civilised parts of the world, people are made to pay for new roads, railways and other means of modern transportation and communication. There is a need for civic education to inculcate into our people the primary responsibility of citizens to pay tax. Bill Gates on a recent visit to Nigeria pointed out that Nigerians do not pay taxes. Of course, it is generally known that only salary earners pay taxes while business people hardly pay taxes no matter how wealthy they are. They simply bribe their ways through. The complaint is that taxes are routinely stolen.

I am afraid we have come to a point in our country when we have to put our feet down and say no more stealing and police the state to prevent arrant looting after all, thieves are people not spirits. If we are serious we can do it. China that we run with begging hats and plates in hand to was one of the most corrupt societies in the world. China and India used to struggle with each other about which country was worse than the other until China of Mao Tsetung decided to deal brutally with any rogue pilfering from state coffers. Anyone pilfering was met by bullets. People sat up and this severe retribution continues till today.

Until we do this, corruption will continue until it destroys this country. The China we all run to borrow money was within my lifetime abjectly poor until the Chinese revolution in 1949. The country continued to engage in life and death struggle with poverty until Deng Xiaoping took power and ruled the country between 1978 and 1989 and completely transformed the country from being in the backwoods of development in the world into what it is today as the second most powerful country in the world, second to the United States and on the cusp of overtaking it in the next decade or two, all things being equal. The phenomenal development of China within a living memory should be what our people should try to emulate. Borrowing money and opening our markets to all kind of junks was not the Chinese way to development. The way the Chinese mobilised its huge population for development should be an example which a country like Nigeria should follow rather than importing all kinds of Chinese goods into our country.

Instead of wasting our time and the little money we have on constitutional debates and writing and rewriting our constitution, we should take our ploughs, hoes and cutlasses and go to farms with the aim of not only feeding ourselves but the rest of the world as Americans do.

I am opposed to all the presidents of Africa queuing up in foreign countries to beg for assistance when we are endowed with available land, sunshine, water, air, minerals underneath the earth and flowing water that can be harnessed for hydroelectricity. It is not just the humiliation in Beijing that I am opposed to; I am also opposed to all African presidents going to Paris as begging children every year for France – Africa powwow. The same goes for the similar phenomenon in London, Washington, Tokyo, in New Delhi, Berlin with Madrid and who knows when even puny Lisbon will follow.

These African rulers will fly in their executive jets costing millions of dollars to purchase, to beg for money which is sometimes not up to the cost of their planes. We are told that the Chinese is sharing $50 billion among the 52 African states assembled in Beijing. This means some of these presidents would go home with less than $1 billion when prorated. It just doesn’t make sense when the monarch of Britain, heads of state and government in Germany, France, Spain, and Italy rents planes from their national airlines when they want to fly and make an impression. No one can begrudge the United States, Russia and even France for using executive personalised aircraft’s for their trips abroad, after all, they make them and can afford them without borrowing or breaking the backs of their people to buy them

If there is need for all African countries to meet with these powerful countries for assistance, let the OAU decide that as from now onwards, African ambassadors would represent their countries in bilateral relations one on one and if they have to be met as a collective, there should be no problem and for the countries that have no ambassadors in these major capitals, they should be represented by neighbouring countries’ ambassadors or those of regional organisations like Economic Community of West Africa – ECOWAS or SADC or such regional bodies. This annual jamborees reminds me of what the late President George Walker Bush said about such International jamborees. He said the smaller countries speak longer than the bigger and more important participants representing important countries and that their long speeches are simply ignored. I hope this is not the case with these African jamborees simply providing comic relief for the government leaders of busy and serious countries!

First Lady Mrs Oluremi Tinubu yesterday urged Nigerians to play their part in building the country of their dreams.

She stressed that no sacrifice made in the service of the nation will be in vain.

In her Independence Day goodwill message to mark the nation’s 65th anniversary, the First Lady said every citizen has a role to play in shaping the future of the country.

‘Let us all play our part to build a Nigeria we all want to see. Your sacrifice will never be in vain. Happy 65th Independence Anniversary. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria’, she said.

Mrs. Tinubu underscored the importance of patriotism and selflessness, drawing inspiration from global and historical figures who had urged citizens to put national service above personal gain.

Quoting Gebran Kalil Gebran’s 1925 essay, The New Frontier, she observed: ‘Are you a politician, asking what your country can do for you or a zealous one, asking what you can do for your country? If you are the first, then you are a parasite, if the second, then you are an oasis in a desert.’

She also recalled the famous words of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who in his 1961 inaugural address urged citizens to ask what they could do for their country and, collectively, for humanity.

Mrs. Tinubu said the celebration of Nigeria at 65 should not merely be about looking back but about committing afresh to the hard work of national development.

The rush and craze for university admission among youths is no less encouraging. Many students see it as avenue to upgrade their status, others see it as an opportunity for learning and new experience. For some it is an opportunity to be certificated in certain fields, and start earning through knowledge gain. However, once they start rounding off their course of study, it is not uncommon for students to start thinking of the next thing.

Speaking to CAMPUS LIFE, Amuwa Olufemi, a 400-Level student, at Redeemer’s University, said: ‘After graduation, I plan to focus on my automobile business

I’ve always been passionate about cars, and I’m excited to build a business that will make a lasting impact on the industry and provide exceptional services to my customers.

‘I want to be my own boss and create something from scratch, I’m excited to take the risks and challenges that come with starting a business, and I’m confident that with hard work and determination, I can achieve my goals.

I also believe that my business will be successful because I’m passionate about cars and I’m committed to providing excellent customer service.’

Omowumi Olawale, an HND 2 student, at Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) said after completing her studies, she planned to further her education.

‘I believe that education is key to unlocking my full potential, and I’m determined to achieve my goals and make a positive impact in my field.

‘I’ve always been interested in learning new things, and I believe that education is a lifelong process, and I’m excited to continue learning and growing.

‘I want to use my skills and knowledge to make a difference in the world, and I’m excited to contribute to my community and help others achieve their goals.

‘I believe that furthering my education will give me the opportunity to achieve my goals and make a positive impact in my field,’ she said.

Esther Emedom, a 400-Level student, at Caleb University, Lagos, said: ‘I plan to start up a small business. I want to be my own boss and create something from scratch.

I’ve always been interested in business, and I believe that starting my own business will give me the freedom and flexibility to pursue my passions and achieve my goals. I want to be a successful entrepreneur and make a positive impact in my community,’ she said.

For Anozike Alexander, a 400-Level student at Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, he wants to use his skills to help businesses and individuals achieve their goals.

‘I believe that social media is a powerful tool for communication and marketing, and I’m excited to use my skills to help businesses and individuals achieve their goals.

‘I’ve been managing social media accounts for student organisations and creating content for various projects, and I can build a successful career in social media and achieve my goals.

I want to use social media to build relationships and achieve goals, I’m excited to help businesses and individuals succeed in the digital age,’ he said.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said coal mining is becoming one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing sectors.

He said coal mining recovered dramatically from a 22 per cent decline in the first quarter to 57.5 per cent growth in the second quarter, becoming one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing sectors.

The President said this in his national broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary yesterday.

He noted that the solid mineral sector has become pivotal in Nigeria’s economy, encouraging value-added production of minerals extracted from its soil.

President Tinubu said his administration inherited a near-collapsed economy caused by decades of fiscal policy distortions and misalignments, which had impaired real growth, but remained determined to change the situation.

‘As a new administration, we faced a simple choice: continue business as usual and watch our nation drift, or embark on a courageous, fundamental reform path.

‘We chose the path of reform. We chose the path of tomorrow over the comfort of today. Less than three years later, the seeds of those difficult but necessary decisions are bearing fruit, he said.

The President asserted that under his leadership, Nigeria’s economy was fast-growing and its reforms were yielding tangible results.

‘In the second quarter of 2025, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4.23 per cent, Nigeria’s fastest pace in four years, and outpaced the 3.4 per cent projected by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

‘Inflation declined to 20.12 per cent in August 2025, the lowest level in three years,’ he said.

President Tinubu said his administration was working diligently to enhance national security to ensure that the economy experienced improved growth and performance.

According to him, security agencies are working tirelessly and making significant sacrifices to secure Nigeria and are winning the war against terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, had, in 2024, constituted the Mining Marshals, a security unit drawn from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

It is aimed at securing mining sites across the country following a surge of illegal mining activities..

The minister, during the one-year anniversary of the security outfit in March, said the unit had arrested 327 suspects for illegal mining, with 143 prosecuted and reclaimed 98 mining sites.

Alake also introduced the value addition policy, where mining companies were required to present clear plans for value addition to minerals before they could obtain mining licences.

The Federal Government has unveiled a Communications Strategy and Framework (2025-2027) to strengthen information sharing, public trust and accountability nationwide in the education sector.

The Framework was developed with the support of Partnership for Learning for All in Nigerian Education (PLANE) and UK International Development.

Speaking at the unveiling in Abuja, Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, described the framework as a turning point in how it ‘will communicate reforms, achievements and challenges in education.’

The minister also said learners are expected to benefit from clearer information on free and inclusive education opportunities, as well as improved access to STEMM and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes that directly connect to jobs.

He said it would provide journalists and other stakeholders with clear, fact-based information while countering misinformation and ensuring wider public engagement.

The strategy, which runs from 2025 to 2027, sets out a roadmap for how the ministry and its agencies will deliver unified messaging, foster transparency, and highlight reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said: ‘The Communication Strategy we are launching today is not a document to be shelved. It is our blueprint for telling Nigeria’s education story with clarity, credibility and consistency.

‘It unites all our departments and agencies under one framework, establishes standards for transparency and stakeholder engagement, and serves as a social contract with the Nigerian people: that every reform, policy, innovation and success story will be shared, understood, and celebrated.’

He added: ‘For parents and caregivers, the new communication system promises safer schools through anti-bullying campaigns and girl-child initiatives. It also offers simplified updates on school enrolment policies, feeding programmes, and re-entry schemes, alongside digital tools to track children’s progress.

‘The media will also gain timely access to press briefings, fact sheets, and media kits, making it easier to track reforms and communicate them to the public while Teachers and school leaders will gain more opportunitie0s for professional development and regular updates on quality assurance standards, supported by digital teaching resources to improve classroom delivery, amongst others.’

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, explained that the new strategy is designed to present its policies and programmes in clear, accessible language and strengthen two-way communication and feedback channels, and build trust and collective ownership around critical initiatives.

She urged stakeholders to take ownership of the framework and use it actively as it moves forward.

The minister added that ‘together we can create a culture of open, timely and effective communication that accelerates results and improves learning outcomes for every Nigerian child.’

Erstwhile Green Eagles captain and respected sports administrator, Segun Odegbami, has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his commitment to sports development, describing his administration as the most supportive of Nigerian sports since 1979.

Fielding questions at The Platform Lagos, a thought-leadership forum themed ‘Rebuilding Our Nation’ , Odegbami stressed that sports hold a ‘spiritual power that can unify the country, transform lives, and cut across every sector of development.’

He said the country’s bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games is in the right direction, adding sports have become a good tool in reshaping the society as evidenced in many climes.

He said matter-of-factly: ‘With the preparations taking seven years and what it impacts cutting across the whole spectrum of life, we need to take sport more seriously.

‘The power in it is almost spiritual. When a goal is scored, it’s just a goal, but the whole country celebrates as if it’s a victory for everyone. That is power we must convert into something positive.’

The 1980 AFCON winner described sport as more than just entertainment, noting its influence on health, agriculture, engineering, law, and the media. He, however, lamented that Nigeria has continued to underutilize this vast potential.

Dwelling further on the bid for the Centenary Commonwealth Games, Odegbami acknowledged past failures such as the ‘reckless spending’ on the 2003 African Games, but expressed optimism under the current administration.

‘I have seen that President Tinubu has injected more money than any other president since 1979 into sports,’ he said. ‘He has brought in two young people(leadership of the National Sports Commission in Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade), with a vision we can identify with. If they put in place a proper board with respected Nigerians, there is a very good possibility that the Commonwealth Games could open up opportunities such as we never had before.’

Beyond sports development, Odegbami also reflected on Nigeria’s broader potential, urging citizens to believe in the country’s ability to lead Africa and the world.

‘Nigeria could be the greatest country in the world,’ he declared. ‘The evidence is all around us. Afro musicians are dominating the world, and the future belongs to Africa. We must believe it can be done.’

As Nigeria marks 65 years of independence, the ex-international also called on Nigerians to rally behind the Super Eagles ahead of their World Cup qualifiers.

‘It is unthinkable that in the past two years we have produced the two greatest players in Africa, yet we cannot qualify for the World Cup. Let’s support the Super Eagles. Let’s believe in them,’ noted Odegbami who earned the nickname ‘Mathematical’ for his precision in front of the goal post and brilliant style of play.

Works Minister Dave Umahi also congratulated Nigerians and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the country’s 65th Independence anniversary. Umahi described the occasion as a moment for reflection on the nation’s past struggles and present progress.

Umahi said Independence Day serves as a reminder of Nigeria’s founding fathers’ sacrifices and vision, while inspiring citizens to commit to building a more united and prosperous nation.

He praised President Tinubu’s leadership, noting that the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ had repositioned Nigeria on the development path.

The Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) has announced an operating profit of N30.47 billion for the financial year ended 2023, more than double the N13.75 billion recorded in the previous year.

A statement from the bank described the performance as a testament to its financial resilience and operational efficiency.

Managing Director of NEXIM, Mr. Abba Bello, said the bank had stepped up its support for the non-oil export sector, with disbursements exceeding N495 billion.

He noted that these interventions have created and sustained more than 36,000 direct and indirect jobs across different sectors of the economy.

According to him, ‘NEXIM has continued to expand its role in stimulating non-oil exports, providing financing that not only boosts trade but also supports value addition in agriculture, manufacturing, solid minerals, and services.’

Reflecting its improved financial condition, NEXIM Bank was recently assigned a ‘BBB+’ rating by the leading credit rating agency, Agusto and Co. Limited. The agency cited the bank’s strong capacity to meet obligations and its solid position among development finance institutions (DFIs) in Nigeria.

Owned equally by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), NEXIM was established to promote Nigeria’s non-oil exports and support import-substituting businesses. In recent years, the bank has maintained strong liquidity and capital adequacy ratios while growing its loan book and equity instruments.

The bank is currently driving several initiatives to expand Nigeria’s trade footprint. These include: the Regional Sealink Project, a public-private partnership aimed at improving maritime logistics across West and Central Africa; promotion of factoring services by providing alternative financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in export; and the Joint Project Preparation Fund (JPPF), developed in partnership with Afreximbank to enhance the bankability of export-oriented projects.

In addition, NEXIM said it is designing tailored financing schemes for the mining industry, such as contract mining, equipment leasing, and buyers’ credit/export credit agency (ECA) financing. ‘These schemes are intended to unlock export potential in solid minerals and improve Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings,’ the statement said.

NEXIM Bank reiterated its commitment to supporting local processing capacity and ensuring that Nigeria moves up the commodity value chain. ‘Our focus remains on driving value addition, increasing non-oil export revenues, and strengthening Nigeria’s participation in global trade,’ NEXIM said.