Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo has said that actions and decisions of President Bola Tinubu is moving the country towards economic stability and growth

Governor Okpebholo, in a statewide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary, said the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President was true reflection of independence.

The Edo Governor said he has remained focused on the journey to rebuilding Edo State into a land of peace, opportunity, and progress.

He said his administration has worked hard to make Edo safer as well as rebuilding roads, upgrading schools, hospitals, and creating opportunities for the youths.

According to him, ‘This is just the beginning, but they show that Edo is moving forward.

We are grateful to the President and Commander-in-chief, our father, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his efforts to reposition Nigeria for greatness.

‘Within just two years of the President Tinubu administration, Nigeria has been freed from the chaos of long fuel queues, and from the satanic subsidy rackets who siphoned our national wealth and leaving the masses in abject poverty.

‘The Renewed Hope has also expanded our economy and freed the states from having to queue for bailouts in Abuja before they could pay workers’ salaries. That era is over. We can only be grateful for these and several other interventions of the Tinubu administration.

‘Mr. President, Edo stands with you.

Dear compatriots, Independence is not only about freedom from foreign rule. It calls for unity and teamwork in order to maximise the opportunities that come with freedom. We must always remind ourselves that we can achieve more if we come together as Edo people.

‘To our youths and children: You are the heartbeat of this state. Do not give in to despair. Your energy and talents are the key to our future, and this government will continue to invest in you.’

Singer Victor Okafor popularly known as Mr. Real has expressed regret over featuring Idowest on his hit track ‘Legbegbe’, claiming it limited the song’s potential and his career growth.

In a recent interview on Hip TV Trending, Mr. Real revealed that he wished he had released the record as a solo project, stating that it would have elevated him to the same status as some of Nigeria’s biggest stars, including Wizkid and Burna Boy.

Mr. Real claimed that a potential remix collaboration with Wizkid on ‘Legbegbe’ was scrapped due to complications allegedly involving D’banj.

He said the missed collaboration with Wizkid would have significantly boosted ‘Legbegbe”s success both in Nigeria and globally.

‘Legbegbe’ released in 2017, became a huge hit across Nigeria, catapulting Mr. Real to fame.

However, the singer stated that certain choices made during its rollout prevented him from fully capitalising on the song’s success.

Mr. Real stated: ‘I regret bringing Idowest into that song. I wish I had sung that song alone. If I had sung that song alone, I’d be on the same level as Burna Boy and Wizkid.’ He added that Wizkid’s remix plan didn’t materialize ‘all because of D’banj.’

As an ocean of green and white sweeps across our streets, Independence Day reminds us that this day is not a mere ritual of rejoicing, but a solemn renewal of our covenant as a people.

My thoughts return each October 1 to the words of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa in 1960: ‘This is a wonderful day, and it is all the more wonderful because we have awaited it with increasing impatience.we have acquired our rightful status, and Nigeria now stands well-built upon firm foundations.’

His words remain alive today, urging us not to rest in nostalgia but to labour with courage toward the destiny they envisioned.

Independence Day offers Nigeria a rare opportunity to pause and reflect. It is a moment to honour our profound history, but more importantly, to look ahead to the next chapter in our great story.

Despite the challenges of today, I remain optimistic when I consider the strides our country has made since 1 October 1960. Nigeria has grown from a population of about 45 million at independence to more than 237 million which is the largest in Africa and the 6th largest in the world today. We have moved from just a handful of universities in 1960 to more than 260 tertiary institutions today.

Our creative industries are global forces, with Nollywood supporting hundreds of thousands of direct jobs and, by broader estimates, over 1,000,000 direct and indirect jobs, and contributing roughly N1.9-N2.0 trillion to the economy.

Yet optimism alone will not carry us forward. For the twenty-first century will be the African Century, and it is not a question of if, but of when.

The true test is whether Nigeria will rise as the continent’s vanguard or stumble as a colossus with feet of clay. Without justice, scale becomes spectacle; and without equity, abundance breeds misery. Nowhere is this clearer than in the poverty that scars our land.

The National Bureau of Statistics’ Multidimensional Poverty Index revealed that 63% of Nigerians, some 133,000,000 men, women, and children, are deprived of health, education, and decent living standards.

The World Bank confirms that nearly one in three Nigerians live below the global poverty line of $2.15 a day. Humanitarian agencies further warn that about 31 million of our people face acute food insecurity, while a third of children under five suffer stunted growth. These are not abstract figures; they are broken lives, and they demand a national response as urgent as war.

Security remains the greatest test of our generation. Banditry, insurgency, and communal violence have sown terror across our land, displacing millions and crippling markets. United Nations data shows more than 2.3 million Nigerians internally displaced by the end of 2024.

Conflict trackers record thousands of violent incidents that have shattered livelihoods and hope. No nation can prosper while its people live in fear. Peace is not optional; it is the precondition for progress, the anchor of prosperity, and the oxygen of national renewal.

Closely linked to insecurity is Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit, which the African Development Bank estimates at over $100 billion. Our power sector is a glaring example. While South Africa generates more than 40,000 MW of electricity, Nigeria struggles with less than 4,853.69 MW on average for a population four times larger. Our roads tell the same story: more than 30% of federal roads are in poor condition, and only 1 in 5 rural communities is linked to an all-season motorable road. Broadband penetration stands at just 45%, far below global averages. This infrastructure gap is not an abstract figure; it is the barrier that prevents farmers from getting produce to market, prevents young entrepreneurs from accessing digital opportunities, and prevents patients from reaching hospitals in time. Infrastructure should be our launchpad into greatness, yet it has become the chain holding us down.

Corruption makes this tragedy complete. When public funds become private spoils, classrooms stay empty, hospitals remain broken, and electricity never flows. Illicit financial flows bleed our treasury of billions that should be building schools, clinics, and power plants. This is not merely inefficiency; it is treason against our future. Nigeria is estimated to lose $18 billion annually to illicit financial flows, funds that could have built hospitals, schools, and power plants. Instead, they are siphoned into private pockets, deepening poverty and eroding trust in government. Corruption does not only weaken our institutions; it undermines the very belief that progress is possible.

However, even in the midst of these staggering challenges, hope is not extinguished. If we can forge peace, everything else becomes possible We can still bend the arc of history if we commit to three urgent tasks. First, to place security at the heart of national renewal: forging a unified, accountable doctrine that integrates military force, intelligence, policing, and community peacebuilding, while safeguarding human rights. Second, to launch an infrastructure revolution which will be financed with transparency, driven by public-private partnership, and executed with the discipline of a nation on a mission. Third, to uproot corruption with finality, ensuring that every naira is traceable, every contract enforceable, and every official accountable, regardless of station.

Above all, we must lift the young. With over 70% of our people under 30, Nigeria’s future stands in classrooms, vocational centres, farms, and tech hubs. We must bind education to enterprise, scale digital and vocational training, and direct meaningful budgetary commitments to youth employment and innovation. This is not welfare. it is the master strategy for national greatness.

On this day, as the words of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa echo in my head, I remain unshaken in my optimism. For Nigeria to take its next great step forward, any government of the future must place security at the very heart of its agenda. Without peace, nothing else can flourish. We must develop a coherent national security strategy, one that unifies the military, police, and intelligence services under a single coordinated doctrine, and equips them with the modern tools of surveillance and response, from drones to satellites, that will allow us to outsmart insurgents and restore peace to our land.

Peace will unlock the infrastructure we so urgently need. It will allow roads and railways to connect our towns and cities. It will enable power grids to light up homes and factories, and digital networks to support a modern economy. It will allow schools to reopen without fear and hospitals to function without interruption. But this will only be possible if we also confront corruption head-on, ensuring that every naira budgeted for development is accounted for. Citizens must be able to track public spending openly, and no official must be above the law.

Nigeria has never shied away from its challenges. Our history is full of obstacles that once seemed insurmountable, yet we overcame them. In each season, we rose because we chose courage over fear, unity over division, and hope over hopelessness. The urgent task before us now is to build a Nigeria where no Nigerian is left behind, and where no community is consigned to despair. If we meet this test, we will awaken the Nigeria of our dreams: a nation where schools and hospitals are beacons of service, where roads and railways stitch our land into unity, where power grids illuminate every home, where digital networks link us to the world, and where we can banish and say a total farewell to hunger and poverty not as slogans, but as lived reality.

This is the true promise of independence. This is the noble vision our founding fathers entrusted to us. This is the vision we must dare, together.

Nigeria is 65. She struggled for her independence, but never fought for it. That has made all the difference in her appreciation of her nationalism, unity and democracy. Also, Nigeria fought a civil war to stay united, but because the agonizing consequences of that war were not equally felt, the appreciation of the war’s underpinning value varies.

The choice of Nigeria becoming a democracy was not one made by Nigerians. It was a convenient and not-so-hard choice made on their behalf by colonial masters. As surmised by one writer, ‘Nigeria is a nation that insists on playing in the theatre of democracy, while the script is being written elsewhere.’ Nigeria’s present ethnic composition, defaults respectively to the feudal, monarchical, and republican system. If Nigeria was predicated purely on linguistic and ethnic considerations, there would have been, perhaps, five nations: Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw, and Fulani. Other smaller ethnicities might have also qualified as confederations. Efik-Ibibio would be one such nomenclature.

Because some things only happen in Nigeria, the nation is what it is, by expedient experimental foreign design. That is the stark reality. A corollary, is that in Nigeria, the defence of democracy or lack thereof, is quite often driven her fractured nature, systemic ethnic biases and by the ever-present irony of ignorance. Oftentimes, these ironies border on political idiocy. Nigeria is a perfect case study of a nation that has experienced colonial rule, self-rule, authoritarianism, military anti-politics and a dual subset of participatory democracy; as a parliamentary system and now, a presidential system.

The debate about Nigeria’s trajectory as a united nation has always been animated. Historically, Nigeria has tethered on the brink, but hardly ever reaching the tipping point. The presumptive basis for consolidated nation building has been dissected in all forms and manner, usually under the rubric of restructuring. Not even the Aristotelian dictate that emphasizes equality amongst equals and proportionality amongst the unequal seems to have helped.

As a nation of over 250 languages, with many ethnic groups and a surfeit of minorities, the dominant Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo tribes (WAZOBIA), have held the leadership sway since her independence in 1960. Yet, as unlikely as it seemed, by a twist of natural attrition and constitutional fiat, a member of a minority tribe, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, fortuitously led the nation as president in the Fourth Republic.

Yet, discussing past, present, and future of democracy in Nigeria inevitably yields mixed results. Why? Because Nigerians covet democracy, but seem incapable of living up to its ideals. Some now even consider the military era, as more constructive, productive and cost-effective in developmental terms. Perhaps, democracy in Nigeria calls for putting new eyes on old ideas and controversies that hobble the nation.

The practice of democracy in Nigeria tends to negate the concept ‘of government predicated on the principle that power should be vested in the people.’ Also, democracy for Nigerians is no longer predicated on political beliefs as much as it’s driven by ethnic and social identities. Such identity paradox creates unending dissonance in democratic politics and governance. By extension, it amplifies Nigeria’s ‘growing distrust of and frustration with democracy.’ But then, Nigeria is not by any means the only nation where democracy has caused hyper-divisions in her political landscape.

A recent op-ed I wrote elicited the following rebuttal from an octogenarian, who was born in pre-independent Nigeria, lived in Biafra and served in her army, and consequently served as a career Nigerian Foreign Service Officer, rising to the rank of ambassador. His words: ‘If this Nigeria doesn’t die, a rebirth of a new Nigeria might be a hoax.’ His perspective is Biblical and Botanical.

Biblically, we read about destroying the temple and rebuilding it in three days, which for believers, is epitomized by the consequent death and rise of Jesus Christ. Botanically, seeds die in order to regenerate and germinate and bring forth new plants and growth. Another interlocutor asked: ‘How will Nigeria not die or be saved when Nigerians are afraid to die or even make sacrifices for the sake of saving her.’

These observations are beyond rhetoric. The debate about Nigeria’s fate and future tends to be schizophrenic: blunt and dodgy at the same time. Nigerians covet democracy but are unwilling to make sacrifices that underpin its efficacy, robustness and survival.

The desirable quest for a New Nigeria is aimed at amplifying and consolidating her democracy, with its consequential rights, liberties and equality for all. The defence of democracy in Nigeria is all about finding common cause and equity in an egalitarian society. Ironically, that quest is frequently subsumed and subjugated by the notion that democracy works well, only when a certain ethnicity is in charge. As such, various ethnicities are fixated on the notion that Nigeria only work well, if not better, under their leadership. Again, such ironical thoughts negate the fundamental notion that democracy is the government of the people by the people. Such ironies are born of ignorance or primordial considerations.

Meanwhile, governance experts have adduced three kinds of democracy: ‘Constitutional democracy – governed by a constitution. Defensive democracy – a democracy that limits some rights and freedoms in order to protect its existence. Deliberative democracy – in which authentic deliberation, not only voting, is central to legitimate decision making.’ Nigeria has dabbled, I believe, in the first two and now seeks to find her grounding in deliberative democracy. General Ibrahim Babangida unwittingly, foisted a defensive democracy on Nigeria, with a restricted two-party system inclined ‘a little bit to the left, and a little bit to the right.’ That system flopped, courtesy of its originating dubious intent.

Still, it should matter little, who leads a nation in a true and vibrant democracy, if the leaders abide strictly to the rule of law, and give primacy to respecting the constitution, its dictates and legitimate decision-making processes. One of the beauties of democracy, is the holding of periodic, genuine and credible elections, in which the citizens decide who should rule them. Voting and transparently electing who should rule in accordance with the extant laws, is a form of defence for any democracy. Inherent in that process, is what ought to be the unfettered ability to vote out bad and underperforming leaders. Ironically, out of ignorance, miseducation, poor orientation, or blinkered bigotry, Nigeria’s voting population continue to default to ethnic considerations or financial inducement and other set of ironies predicated on ignorance.

A major challenge dogging Nigeria’s present day democracy is the seeming inability of her leaders to abide by constitutional dictates and legitimate decision making processes. Not only are constitutional rights eroded routinely, the pillars of any true democracy, the separation of powers are also holistically ignored. Above all, the core principle of making the people’s vote count has never been accorded priority, despite existing laws to that effect. It is this reality that has led to the endless quest for restructuring and electoral reform.

However, because the culture of impunity and sectionalism has eaten every reform and restructuring strategy (apologies to Peter Drucker), change has remained elusive. It is the culture eating strategy that has technically, emasculated political opposition and weakened national democratic institutions. Today, Nigeria is not only insecure, physically, fiscally and psychologically, the nation is progressively on a lawless boil. This is what makes Nigeria an ‘undemocratic democracy.’

Some Nigerians now advocate for a return to the parliamentary system. Their thesis is that the system ensures proportional representation in government based on votes won. The objective is to overcome the prevailing myth of representation that is essentially lineal and skewed unapologetically in favour of the winning party. The attraction of this proposition, beyond its cost-effectiveness, is that it ensures opposition’s concerted role within and outside the government. But it does not ensure the fealty of the system’s operators within and outside the corridors of power. It is this nexus between political idiocy and irony of ignorance, which quite often are fungible that compounds the lack of political will and shirking of sacrifices required for true nation building.

Whereas our democracy has advanced in numerical years, it is stultified in concrete terms and still operationally nascent. As such, Nigeria’s unchangeable past will consequentially instruct and define her unknowable future. Meanwhile, democracy is hard work. We have to work hard at it. But we can’t do so with the present cadre of political leaders, who are not only short-sighted, but utterly indifferent to the fundamentals ethos that undergird any sustainable democracy. Happy Independence!

As Nigeria marked its 65th Independence anniversary on Wednesday, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabir Masari, senior special assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on political and other matters, called on citizens to embrace unity and faith in the nation’s future.

In a statement, Masari expressed ‘unalloyed joy’ over how far Nigeria has come despite its diversity and challenges. He invoked the symbolism of the ‘broom principle’ to stress the importance of togetherness.

‘A strand of broom is easily broken, but a bunch of brooms is hardly broken. The important thing is that we are better and stronger together,’ he said, urging Nigerians to contribute positively towards the dreams of the nation’s founding fathers.

Masari praised President Tinubu’s leadership, describing the Renewed Hope Agenda as transformative.

‘Our faith in a collective Nigeria where everyone’s future is assured should remain unshaken, more so as the leadership of the country under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown strong capacity and commitment to returning the country to a path of progress with the Renewed Hope Agenda that is working beyond belief,’ he said.

He pointed to what he described as more inclusive governance, with development projects and appointments spread across political zones. ‘This is a time that all Nigerians are being carried along. so the spirit of divisiveness should die a natural death,’ Masari declared.

Highlighting improvements in education, security, infrastructure, health, finance, and the economy, Masari asserted that Tinubu’s administration had ‘brought back the coaches of our national derailment back on track.’

He encouraged citizens to rally behind government efforts to accelerate growth and catch up with developed nations.

Warning against political distractions, Masari urged Nigerians to remain steadfast. ‘Every scheme to draw us back by any political consideration should not only be thwarted but resisted,’ he said, before assuring that better days lie ahead.

‘Happy Independence Anniversary to all Nigerians,’ he concluded.

Big Brother Naija star Cross Okonkwo popularly known as Cross Da Boss proposed to his girlfriend Chinonso on Tuesday.

The romantic proposal was witnessed by friends and fellow BBNaija alumni, including Liquorose, who shared clips from the event.

Cross got down on one knee and popped the question, and Chinonso said yes.

After the proposal, the couple celebrated with an intimate dinner with their guests.

Cross shared his joy on Snapchat, posting a video with the caption, ‘Guys, my love of my life said yes’.

He also expressed gratitude to God, captioning another post, ‘The most happiest man alive. Thank you Jesus’.

This comes after he announced last year that he had been ‘arrested by God’ and dedicated his life to Jesus Christ, stating that God had called him to do His work and build His Kingdom.

Erica Nlewedim, another BBNaija star, also congratulated the couple via FaceTime, sharing a video of the moment.

Fans and colleagues have taken to social media to offer their best wishes to the lovebirds as they prepare for marriage.

The national coordinator of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) Door-To-Door Movement, Sunday Adekanbi Asuku, has praised the President’s role in sustaining Nigeria’s unity.

Speaking during a peace walk in Lagos through the southwest coordinator to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day on Wednesday, Asuku said Nigeria’s journey is born out of sacrifice, vision, and the unyielding determination of the country’s founding fathers.

Asuku said, ‘On this glorious occasion of Nigeria’s Independence, we raise our voices in a thankful renewed hope for the journey of our great nation, a journey born out of sacrifice, vision, and the unyielding determination of our founding fathers.

‘Sixty-five years ago, our founding fathers stood tall with courage and hope, sowing the seeds of freedom so that generations unborn could inherit a land of dignity, pride, and boundless opportunity. Today, their legacy lives in us.

‘Nigeria is more than just a nation; Nigeria is the heartbeat of Africa, a tapestry of over 250 million resilient people whose strength lies in diversity, beauty in its culture, and whose destiny is greatness. From the sweat of our farmers to the brilliance of our innovators, from the courage of our youth to the wisdom of our elders, Nigeria continues to rise as a nation destined to lead.

‘We salute President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT), the people’s president, whose Renewed Hope Agenda is rekindling faith in a stronger, more prosperous Nigeria.

‘We recognise the tireless efforts of our governors across the federation, who are working day and night to turn dreams into reality at the grassroots. Their leadership, together with the resilience of the Nigerian people, is a testament that the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain.

‘PBAT Door-to-Door Movement under the distinguished leadership of High Chief Dr. Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo (Alias Tompolo, GOC) remains committed to carrying this message of hope, unity, and progress to every household, every street, every community, until every door in Nigeria enjoys the dividend of democracy.

‘For we believe that the true strength of a nation is not only found in its leaders, but in the collective will of its people to build, to endure, and to triumph.

‘Today, we renew our faith in Nigeria. We pray for enduring peace, divine wisdom for our leaders, and prosperity in our economy, security in our land, and unity in our diversity. Let this Independence Day be a reminder that though our challenges may be many but our destiny is certain.

We will together build a Nigeria that stands tall among the nations of the earth. Happy Independence Day to all Nigerians at home and in diaspora!’

Kaduna-based NNL side, Ranchers Bees FC, will continue their build up to the upcoming Nigeria National League season with friendly games with EFCC and City FC in Abuja .

As part of their meticulous preparations, the team has scheduled two high-profile pre-season friendly matches in Abuja with the test game against EFCC FC coming up on October 4th before the tie with City FC the following day.

The game would help to fine-tune the team skills and build team cohesion ahead of their NNL opener against Gombe United in November.

The team’s top hierarchies, backed by Super Eagles striker Sadiq Umar and Lawmaker Bello El-Rufai, have spared no effort in providing the necessary resources to ensure a smooth transition into the new season.

With Sadiq Umar’s decade-long experience playing professional football in top European leagues, including Croatia, Italy, Holland, Serbia, and Spain, the team is poised to showcase a high level of professionalism.

Football enthusiasts in Kaduna State and beyond can expect an exciting season from Ranchers Bees FC, as they aim to make a strong impression in the NNL.

Since he assumed office on May 29, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has placed infrastructure at the centre of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. In two years, his administration has committed resources to roads, bridges, rail, ports, airports and power; signalling a determination to move beyond a past marked by stalled projects and unmet promises. The effort is aimed at reconnecting the country’s regions and laying firmer foundations for economic growth.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, stretching 700 kilometres across nine states, captures the scale and audacity of this ambition. With N15 trillion committed and the first 30 kilometres inaugurated in Lagos in May 2025, it is designed not merely as a road but as a new backbone for commerce, tourism and coastal development. Yet, it is only the flagship of a broader drive. From the near-complete Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the advancing Abuja-Kano dual carriageway to resurgent ports and a power sector that, in 2025 achieved record generation, the government is rewriting the story of national infrastructure.

Roads and bridges reconnecting a nation

Nowhere is this transformation more visible than on Nigeria’s roads. The Federal Ministry of Works reports that over N2.2 trillion has been invested in road projects since May 2023, with 440 projects ongoing, 260 palliative works completed, and 29 legacy initiatives have been undertaken.

The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a 127-kilometre corridor central to Nigeria’s road network, is now between 90 and 92 per cent complete as of September 2025. When the Tinubu administration took office in May 2023, the project, first awarded in 2013, stood at roughly 70 to 75 per cent, with major sections of the Lagos-Sagamu axis still under reconstruction. Since then, progress has accelerated under a tighter funding schedule and closer supervision by the Federal Ministry of Works.

Currently, all main carriageways are fully open, cutting average travel time from three to four hours down to roughly two to two-and-a-half hours, a reduction of up to 35 per cent. What remains are about 10 to 15 kilometres of service lanes, four to five pedestrian bridges, toll plazas, street lighting and landscaping, with final delivery targeted for the first quarter of 2026.

The Abuja-Kano dual carriageway, covering 375 kilometres, is 65 to 70 per cent complete. Section 2 (Kaduna-Zaria, 73 km) is fully operational, Section 3 (Zaria-Kano, 137 km) is nearing 90 per cent, while Section 1 (Abuja-Kaduna, 165 km) is 30 per cent complete. During his September 2025 inspection, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, assured Nigerians that ‘the progress is steady, and this road will soon match international standards.’

In the East, the Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway (190 km) is 75 to 80 per cent delivered, with the Umuahia-Aba section opened in June 2025 and the Enugu-bound section scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2026. The Lokoja-Benin corridor (253 km), re-launched in February 2025 with N305 billion, has reached between 60 to 65 per cent completion, while the Kano-Maiduguri Road (540 km), long delayed, is now over 55 per cent, with key sections projected for completion in 2028.

Landmark bridges have also featured prominently. The Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos underwent emergency repairs from November 2023 to April 2024 at a cost of N21 billion. In August 2025, a N3.8 trillion structural overhaul began, with Section 1 targeted for completion in mid-2026.

The Second Niger Bridge, inaugurated in May 2023, had its access roads flagged off in March 2025 to ease connectivity between Anambra and Delta states. Across the Southeast, projects such as the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, the Abakpa Flyover and Akpoha Bridge are in various stages of rehabilitation.

Rail: Linking regions by steel

Nigeria’s rail development has gathered pace under the Renewed Hope Agenda. The Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Railway (157 km), operational since 2021, continues to expand freight capacity, with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and APM Terminals flagging off a new container service from Apapa Port to the Moniya Freight Yard in Ibadan in February 2025. The cargo trains, running three times a week, can haul up to 35 wagons of 40-foot containers or 70 wagons of 20-foot containers; a development which NRC Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa said would ‘enhance import and export activities, providing a more efficient and convenient mode of transportation.’

In 2024 alone, NRC recorded 362,327 tons of containerised freight moved via both narrow and standard gauge systems. This underscores the sector’s renewed momentum. Alongside this, the Abuja-Kaduna line has undergone track doubling and signal upgrades since 2024.

The $1.8 billion Kano-Maradi Line (284 km) is 60 per cent complete with the Kano-Daura section targeting 2026 delivery timeline, while rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Rail Line (1,400 km) has accelerated since 2023, with Sections I-IV aiming for a 2028 finish.

In August 2025, the Federal Government announced a proposal for a high-speed rail network connecting Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt covering over 2,500 kilometres, with $60 billion in funding discussions led by the Asian Development Bank.

Reforms in the maritime sector have doubled port revenues from N424.2 billion in 2023 to N893.6 billion in 2024. The Tin Can Island Port Complex is undergoing a $1 billion reconstruction to integrate with Apapa and Lekki ports, while Onne, Calabar and Warri ports are being modernised.

At the inauguration of the Lekki Deep Sea Port Access Road in May 2025, President Tinubu declared: ‘We are changing the story of infrastructure development in Nigeria through the execution of tangible projects across the country.’ The port, with a capacity of 2.7 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) is positioned as a central hub for West African trade. Kano and Kaduna inland ports also resumed operations in 2025, easing trade for the northern region.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola affirmed in May 2025 that ‘Nigeria’s seaports have been repositioned as engines of economic growth.’

The power sector has seen notable progress. In March 2025, generation peaked at 5,713 megawatts. The Presidential Power Initiative with Siemens has added over 700 megawatts since 2023, targeting 4,000MW by 2026.

The N700 billion Presidential Metering Initiative; delivered 300,000 smart meters by 2025, with World Bank support, while the African Development Bank committed $1.1 billion to off-grid electrification in Northeast; targeting five million new connections by 2026.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu said in April 2025: ‘This government has brought renewed clarity, vigour and urgency to power sector transformation.’

Airports: Modernising gateways

Airports have also been prioritised for modernisation. The Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA, Lagos) inaugurated its domestic terminal in 2023 and began $500 million rehabilitation in July 2025 under a 10-year concession, targeting 2027 completion.

In Abuja, work has progressed on the second runway of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, backed by N10 billion in federal allocations. Upgrades are ongoing at Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Maiduguri, and Benin airports, covering runway works, terminals and utilities.

Agriculture: Mechanisation infrastructure

In June 2025, President Tinubu launched the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme with 2,000 tractors, 10 combine harvesters, 12 mobile workshops and 9,000 implements supplied under the Belarus partnership. The initiative, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, is designed to cultivate over 550,000 hectares, generate two million metric tons of food and create 16,000 jobs.

The tractors will be distributed through a service provider model to ensure smallholder farmers gain access, while workshops and spare part depots are being set up as supporting infrastructure.

Looking ahead

The administration recognises the hurdles. Funding gaps, security concerns and the challenge of maintaining new infrastructure continue to shadow progress. Yet, the political will behind the Renewed Hope Agenda has given momentum to projects that once languished.

As President Tinubu declared in September 2025, ‘infrastructure projects will cover all regions, as no Nigerian is second-class and no region is left behind.’

From the concrete pavement of highways to the cranes reshaping seaports and the new sub-stations lighting up communities, Nigeria is on the path of renewal. The journey remains long, but the foundation for a modern infrastructure landscape is being laid steadily and in some cases, audaciously.

On Friday, last week, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu turned his gaze south-westward to the sprawling city of Ibadan. Over two years since his assumption of office, this would be the president’s first berth in Ibadan, the political and spiritual capital of the Yoruba nation. Just as Kaduna spoke to his national reach the week before, Ibadan speaks to his Southwest base. It is a return not merely to a city, but to a crucible of Yoruba identity, politics, and destiny.

Ibadan is no ordinary city. It is the heartbeat of Yoruba politics and identity, a vast urban sprawl steeped in tradition, intellect, and culture. Here, history drips from every corner – from Mapo Hall, where nationalist firebrands once roused the masses, to Cocoa House, the towering emblem of the Western Region’s prosperity and vision.

Ibadan was the capital of the old Western Region, the epicentre of progressive leadership from where Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his contemporaries presided over the affairs of the region with revolutionary zeal and pioneered free education, agricultural revolutions, and industrial transformation. To the Yoruba, Ibadan is both fortress and fountain – a city where politics is born, nurtured, and projected onto the national stage.

It is into this arena of weighty symbolism that the president arrived to witness the crowning of Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland. The Olubadan stool is unlike any other in Yorubaland – a uniquely structured succession line that embodies the Yoruba love of order, merit, and patience. That Tinubu stood in solidarity with the people at such a sacred moment is itself a reaffirmation of his bond with tradition and with the Yoruba nation.

In Ibadan, tradition met power. Serving Southwest governors showed up from Oyo, Ekiti, Osun and Ondo. Former governors and political heavy weights also showed up. The Sultan of Sokoto and very prominent Yoruba first class monarchs from the Alaafin to the Soun and of course Oba Elegushi of Lagos.

Politics without bitterness: Tinubu and Ladoja

The crowning of Rasheed Ladoja as Olubadan carries a personal resonance for President Tinubu. Two decades ago, when then President Olusegun Obasanjo orchestrated Ladoja’s illegal impeachment in 2003, using only a handful of lawmakers, it was Tinubu – then governor of Lagos – who stood against that brazen assault on democracy.

Ladoja, hounded from his office by Obasanjo and denied justice, found sanctuary in Lagos. President Tinubu not only gave him refuge but also lent him the courage and political cover to resist. Against the odds, with President Tinubu’s backing, Ladoja fought his way back through the courts, and the judiciary eventually restored him to power.

This bond, forged in the fire of political persecution and resilience, now finds symbolic closure in Ibadan. Tinubu did not arrive merely as president; he arrived as an old ally, standing with the Olubadan Ladoja on the day of his ultimate elevation to the Olubadan throne.

At the event on Friday at the historic Mapo hall, President Tinubu made remarkable revelation reminiscent of the Abeokuta ‘Emilokan’ declaration. He described the ascension of Oba Ladoja to the throne of his forebears as another ’emilokan’ moment. The message was not lost. Just as the comparison was obvious. His journey to be Olubadan took him 33 years to climb on the long succession ladder just like the President’s journey to the Presidency: the fight for democracy, the sacrifices, the people he built, the many twists and turns and eventually now, the Presidency.

Ibadan was also significant on the coronation day. From the hills of Mapo, President Tinubu delivered a powerful political message of renewed hope. ‘Today, I am honoured to bring the cheering news that our economy has turned around and there is now light at the end of the tunnel.’ Coming from the Commander-in-Chief, the man who knows and calls the shots, it was an important message. It was a validation of the reforms mantra of this administration and the positive impacts of the reforms.

The political capital of the Yoruba Nation

Ibadan represents more than just politics; it is spirit and identity. It has produced poets, warriors, intellectuals, and statesmen whose reach extended far beyond Yoruba land. In every era, Ibadan has stood as the Yoruba voice in Nigeria’s political orchestra. From the days of Adegoke Adelabu’s fiery ‘penkelemesi’ populism to the statesmanship of Lam Adesina and the reformist zeal of governors like Ladoja himself, Ibadan has set the rhythm of Yoruba political expression.

President Tinubu’s presence at the coronation of Olubadan therefore carried the weight of cultural affirmation. It told a people that their heritage matters at the highest levels of power, and that the leader of the nation stands not above tradition, but within it.

Politics of bridges, not walls

Like Kaduna in the north, Ibadan has been the crucible of alignments and re-alignments in the southwest. It was here that old rivalries found resolution and fresh alliances were born, shaping the destiny of the Yoruba within the federation. The president’s return to this theatre of history is a reminder that politics is not about conquest but connection; not about drawing lines, but building bridges.

For the Yoruba political elite, Tinubu’s presence is validation – proof that the son of Lagos remains attuned to the heartbeat of his cultural kin, even as he governs the entire federation. For ordinary Ibadan people, it is a reassurance that their president, despite the burdens of national office, has not forgotten the city that remains the Yoruba axis of history and destiny.

The city of Ibadan was on lock down. The streets lined with excited Oyo citizens and Nigerians welcoming and cheering on President Tinubu. To Mr. President, Oyo State Resounded Loud and Clear- ‘Ekaabo o’.

Ibadan’s genius has always been its ability to marry tradition with progress, culture with politics, history with modernity. Its monarchy is as revered as its intellectual traditions. Its politics, though fiercely competitive, has often found equilibrium in Yoruba solidarity. President Tinubu’s visit, then, was not just ceremonial. It is a subtle but profound embrace of this heritage – a signal that his politics remains grounded in the values of loyalty, patience, and cultural continuity that the Yoruba hold dear.

The significance of the moment

In Kaduna, Tinubu broke myths and dissolved doubts, receiving resounding political validation. In Ibadan, he affirmed cultural solidarity, paid homage to tradition, and consolidated his role as both President of Nigeria and a proud son of the Yoruba nation. The crowning of Rasheed Ladoja as Olubadan provided the perfect canvas for this: a celebration of continuity, loyalty, and unity.

And just as Kaduna reminded Nigeria of northern political sophistication, Ibadan offered the world a lesson in Yoruba resilience, heritage, and leadership. In Ibadan, loyalty met tradition, politics embraced culture, and history came full circle. And in that convergence, Tinubu’s leadership was reaffirmed once more – not by force of power, but by the enduring power of friendship, loyalty, sacrifice and heritage.