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The New Era Foundation for Yoruba Festival and Culture Intervention has celebrated the sixth Olokun Festival, with a renewed commitment to preserving and promoting Yoruba culture and traditional heritageat Debojo Beach, Eleko, Lagos State.

It attracted members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) New Era, traditional rulers, cultural enthusiasts and other Yoruba a and daughters. President of OPC New Era, Rasak Arogundade, described the festival as a yearly gathering for celebrating Yoruba culture.

He said the festival provides an opportunity for Yoruba people to come together in prayer and thanksgiving, likening the gathering to the way Christians travel to Jerusalem and Muslims travel to Mecca for religious observances.

He further said the feast was also an avenue for people to pray for prosperity, peace and progress in their communities.

Arogundade urged members of association to remain calm, peaceful and committed to protecting Yoruba heritage and interests of their communities. Also, the Chairman, OPC New Era, Oyo State, Rotimi Olumo, said those who did not attend the celebration had missed an important cultural gathering.

Olumo emphasised that the festival was not exclusively for OPC members, but for all Yoruba people interested in celebrating and preserving their cultural heritage.

He said the gathering was also an opportunity to pray for prosperity, long life, peace and the continued progress of the Yoruba people.

Olumo prayed for the traditional rulers who participated in the festival, asking God to grant them long and peaceful reigns.

He also prayed for Arogundade, asking God to grant him good health, wisdom and strength to lead OPC New Era to greater heights.

The festival featured prayers, cultural activities and traditional observances, with several participants collecting water to take home as part of their personal spiritual and cultural practices.

Musical entertainment was provided by Ibadan-born musician Taye Currency, who thrilled participants with his performance and added colour to the celebration.

The organisers said the annual festival would continue to provide a platform for promoting Yoruba identity, cultural values, unity and peaceful coexistence.

Abia State Government has begun full payment of gratuity to verified pensioners in the state civil service and local government councils, who retired between 2001 and 2010.

Information Commissioner Prince Okey Kanu told our correspondent on the sidelines of the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti that the Council carefully considered the report of the committee constituted to review and develop a sustainable framework for the payment of outstanding gratuity owed to retirees at the state and local government levels.

He said the review established the total outstanding gratuity liability at N61.8 billion, comprising N7.2 billion accumulated between 2001 and 2010, N43.6 billion incurred between 2011 and May 2023, and N10.9 billion accumulated from May 2023 to date.

The commissioner said the review also showed that payments made by successive administrations, particularly the administrations of former Governors Theodore Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu, covered less than 0.01 per cent of the gratuity owed to retirees who exited the service between 2011 and May 2023.

He said given the magnitude of the liability, the committee considered the prolonged hardship faced by retirees, the responsibility of government as a continuum, the state’s financial capacity and the need to sustain ongoing development programmes.

‘The government is committed to addressing this challenge in a responsible and sustainable manner.

‘We cannot realistically clear the mess of 24 years within three years, namely the misrule and maladministration that brought us as a state to this sorry past.

‘But, we are determined to establish a system that guarantees continuous payment and prevents the accumulation of fresh areas,’ Kanu said.

He added that the committee recommended the incorporation of the annual financial implications of the gratuity payments from 2026 to 2031 into the state’s Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and subsequent annual budgets.

The commissioner said the arrangement would ensure sustained payment of gratuity while preventing the recurrence of the huge backlog inherited by the present administration.

He further disclosed that payments would be made directly to verified beneficiaries through a dedicated gratuity payment platform linked to the State Treasury Single Account, with biometric validation to prevent duplication, fraud and other irregularities.

Kanu said the retirees’ database would also undergo further cleaning and validation, noting that some records relating to years of service and previous payments were still in analogue form.

He stressed that subsequent payments would prioritise the oldest arrears and beneficiaries considered to be experiencing the greatest social impact, assuring retirees that the government remained committed to protecting their interests.

‘This administration recognises the sacrifices made by our retirees and understands the difficulties the prolonged non-payment of gratuity has caused.

‘We will continue to do everything within our means to ensure verified beneficiaries receive what is due to them,’ Kanu said.

The commissioner disclosed that beneficiaries had already started receiving their gratuity payments across the state, describing the commencement of payments as part of the administration’s broader commitment to responsible governance and workers’ welfare.

To address complaints and challenges that may arise from the payment process, the government has established a dedicated helpline through the Abia State Citizens Contact Centre.

The helpline 0800-0000232, the commissioner said, would be available from 8am to 4pm on working days, while complaints can also be submitted through an email address – [email protected], which will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Uwaoma Ukandu, confirming that the gratuity being paid currently covered 2001 to 2010, said the state government intended to defray the gratuity in phases as the amount involved was a huge sum that couldn’t have been paid once.

The latest information from the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) has identified the Dangote Petroleum Refinery as the key driver behind a seven-fold increase in Nigeria’s seaborne petroleum product exports since 2023.

The U.S. agency disclosed that Nigeria’s seaborne petroleum product shipments averaged 561,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter of 2026, a significant increase from the annual average of 79,000 bpd recorded in 2023.

According to the EIA, the growth in exports has strengthened Nigeria’s position in the international petroleum products market at a time when supplies from several other regions have faced constraints.

The agency noted that the increase was largely underpinned by the commencement of operations at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in January 2024.

Data from energy intelligence firm Vortexa showed that of the 561,000 bpd shipped during the second quarter of 2026, about 350,000 bpd were exported, compared to an annual average of 46,000 bpd in 2023.

The EIA stated that increased production from the refinery has transformed Nigeria’s petroleum products market by reducing dependence on imports and boosting domestic supply.

‘With increased supply of petroleum products from the country’s largest refinery, imports fell, exports increased, and Nigeria became more self-sufficient in refined petroleum products,’ the agency said.

Before the start-up of the Dangote Refinery, Nigeria’s state-owned refineries collectively shipped less than 100,000 bpd of petroleum products, both domestically and internationally. The EIA observed that shipments rose significantly following the refinery’s commencement of operations and received a further boost after maintenance and expansion activities were completed in February 2026.

The agency explained that the refinery’s crude distillation capacity increased from 650,000 bpd to 700,000 bpd following the completion of the expansion programme, enabling higher output and greater product availability.

According to the report, total petroleum product shipments increased further as supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz created additional demand for alternative sources of refined products.

The EIA reported that intra-Nigerian shipments reached 211,000 bpd in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 81,000 bpd in 2025 and 33,000 bpd in 2023, reflecting the refinery’s growing role in supplying fuel across the country.

By providing refined petroleum products to different regions of Nigeria, the Dangote Refinery has significantly reduced the nation’s reliance on imported fuels. Nigeria, which imported nearly 400,000 bpd of petroleum products in 2023, saw seaborne imports decline to less than 130,000 bpd by the second quarter of 2026, according to the report.

The EIA also highlighted growing demand for Nigerian petroleum products in international markets. Vortexa data cited in the report showed that exports to Europe averaged 130,000 bpd in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 40,000 bpd in 2025 and 15,000 bpd in 2023.

The report underscores the increasing importance of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in enhancing Nigeria’s energy security, supporting regional fuel supply, and positioning the country as a major exporter of refined petroleum products to global markets.

Recalled that Dangote Refinery has announced plans to bring an additional 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) of fully complex refining capacity on stream by the end of 2028. This would be added to its current capacity of about 700,000 bpd, potentially taking total capacity to around 1.4 million bpd. The refinery’s CEO, David Bird, said long-lead equipment has already been procured and construction contracts are being awarded.

The National Addressing Council (NAC) has approved a preliminary framework for the establishment of a digitised national addressing system designed to locate every Nigerian household and legitimate business and strengthen security, financial inclusion, emergency response and social interventions.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who chairs the council, said the initiative would provide Nigeria with an addressing architecture capable of supporting effective planning, commerce and public service delivery while ensuring the protection of citizens’ privacy.

The framework, ratified at a meeting of the council in Abuja, places the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation as the secretariat of the NAC, with responsibility for coordinating technical implementation, systems integration, interoperability and standards.

Shettima said the initiative was part of the President Bola Tinubu administration’s drive under the Renewed Hope Agenda to build institutions capable of responding to the mobility and economic energy of Nigerians.

‘Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, our duty is to build institutions that match the energy and mobility of our people. We must build a system that locate every community, support enterprise without barriers and stregthen government without compromising privacy.

‘Our objective should be simple for Nigerians to understand, wherever a citizen lives, wherever a business operates, wherever help is required, Nigeria should find the address. This is the standard before us and I am confident that the council will deliver,’ he said.

According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, the vice president said the national addressing system must be designed to serve rural communities as effectively as major cities, stressing that geographical location should not exclude Nigerians from government services and economic opportunities.

He described a reliable address as a critical link between citizens and government, businesses and opportunities, as well as identity and access to services.

‘Address is more than just a description of where a person lives or where a business operates. It is a point of connection between the citizen and the state; between the enterprise and opportunity; between identity and service.

‘A country that cannot consistently locate its people and businesses carries an avoidable weakness into planning, commerce, security and social protection,’ Shettima said.

He said the modern system would have to interact securely with Nigeria’s digital identity infrastructure, government databases and other components of the country’s digital public infrastructure.

‘When a verified identity can be linked securely to a verified address, the gains extend across financial inclusion, social interventions, logistics, planning and emergency response,’ VP Shettima said.

He also assigned responsibilities to relevant institutions, saying the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) would handle individual verification and authentication, while the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) would support verification of business addresses.

The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), he said, would retain responsibility for postcode administration and postal infrastructure.

He said states and local governments, working through the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), would be crucial to implementation at community level, particularly local addressing and proof of address.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and organised private sector are also expected to contribute according to their respective mandates.

‘No institution can own a system whose usefulness depends on participation across our federation,’ Shettima said.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, described the addressing initiative as foundational to Nigeria’s economic transformation, saying a reliable system would help unlock the potential of Nigerian entrepreneurs and strengthen investor confidence.

According to him, successful implementation would signal to investors that Nigeria was moving away from established inefficiencies.

‘I think also that if the news of this initiative goes out, there will be a lot of incidents in terms of investors, knowing fully well that it’s no more business as usual but business unusual. I want to encourage all members of Council; let’s give our best to this,’ Tunji-Ojo said.

Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, said the Vice President’s intervention had transformed the process from one characterised by institutional disagreements to greater collaboration among agencies.

He pledged that the ministry would discharge its responsibility as secretariat with discipline and a sense of purpose.

‘Before now, it was sort of crisis management but with coordination, we are now working as one nation and one people focused on doing this very critical assignment that should have been done decades ago – standardising address, proof of address and digital address,’ Udeh said.

Director-General of NIMC, Dr Abisoye Coker, also identified lack of coordination and disagreements among participating agencies as some of the initial obstacles to the initiative, saying the Office of the Vice President had helped harmonise the different interests.

ALGON President, Mr Bello Lawal, said the addressing system would strengthen national security and citizen identification, deepen financial inclusion and improve planning and revenue generation at the grassroots.

He said the system would also help ensure that every Nigerian could be properly accounted for within their local community.

Special Assistant to the President on ICT Policy in the Office of the Vice President, Dr Salihu Ibrahim-Dasuki, said the National Addressing Policy of 2017 had become obsolete because of subsequent institutional, statutory, constitutional and technological changes.

According to him, the existing framework was largely centred on mail delivery, postcodes and postal infrastructure and contained institutional misalignments, including assigning citizen address verification responsibilities to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

He added that business address verification was excluded from the old arrangement, while some of its institutional structures were anchored on ministries that no longer reflected the current configuration of government.

Technical teams from NIPOST, NIMC and ALGON made presentations at the meeting.

Also in attendance were Chief Executive Officer of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji; Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi; Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Abdullateef Shittu; Managing Director of PalmPay and representative of the Fintech Association of Nigeria, Mr Chika Reginald Nwosu; Managing Director of OPay and representative of the association, Dr Maxwell Loko; Vice President of OPay, Olabode James; and Managing Director of Digital Addressing Platform, Dr Olusola Sayeed Ayoola, among others.

A United Kingdom-based All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Chief Adelami Ojomo, has called for a review of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) membership.

He urged the APC leadership to review the list and redress what he called the deliberate pain inflicted on all committed members of the diaspora chapters of the APC.

‘We are not going to fold our arms and allow this unfairness to go without challenging it,’ he stated.

Ojomo, in statement yesterday, faulted the party leadership for allegedly sidelining prominent members of the diaspora chapters in the campaign council.

He expressed concern over the newly constituted council, saying members of the 15 diaspora chapters of the APC were unhappy with the development.

He described it as the highest level of unfairness to all dedicated members of the party in the diaspora.

The APC chieftain said members of the group should channel their grievances to the Presidency and party leadership for review and possible redress.

He noted that the individual appointed as Deputy Director for Diaspora Affairs has relocated to Nigeria, has no record of engagement with the diaspora chapters, and previously initiated legal action against the party on issues already resolved by the leadership.

‘We are surprised that none of our members in the diaspora made the list of the 223-member council constituted as the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

‘Despite our commitment and efforts at driving the ideals of the party in the diaspora, it is reasonable for the leadership of our great party to choose any of our members based on merit and our previous outstanding records of service and commitment to the party.

‘We are constrained to make our position known that the level of such unfairness and misrepresentation cannot stand as we look forward to a formidable outing in the coming elections,’ Ojomo said.

By 2030, mobile’s contribution to the global economy will reach $11.3 trillion, or 8.4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), driven by the improvements in productivity and efficiency brought about by the continued expansion of the mobile services and the growing adoption of digital technologies, such as the fifth generation (5G), Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), according to telecom industry group, global system for mobile communication (GSAM).

The GSMA, with about 1000 members including Globacom, MTN and Airtel is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry and society thrive.

According to the industry group, towards the end of the decade, mobile’s contribution is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4per cent, three times the expected growth in global GDP for 2026-2030 (CAGR of 2.6 per cent).

‘This highlights the importance of mobile and digital technologies as key components in promoting innovation, shaping the future of the digital economy and serving as a means of development and progress for the least developed countries,’ the report entitled: The Mobile Economy 2026, noted.

It also found that the fiscal contribution of the mobile ecosystem reached $810 billion last year, noting that taxes constitute the major share of government revenues around the world.

‘In 2025, global tax revenue reached $23 trillion, an increase of 2.3per cent compared to the previous year. The biggest contribution came from HICs (high income countries) at $17 trillion, representing 23per cent of their GDP, while LMICs (low income countries) contributed almost $6 trillion, representing 14per cent of their GDP.

‘In 2025, the mobile sector made a substantial contribution to the funding of the public sector, with more than $800 billion raised through taxes on the sector. The largest contribution was from employment, taxes and social security ($270 billion).The fiscal contribution of the mobile ecosystem represented 3.5per cent of the total tax revenue,’ the GSMA noted.

Beyond its direct contribution, it added, the mobile sector can enable a more efficient collection of tax revenue by enhancing tax processes across the economy. Digital payments represent one channel for achieving this.

‘Another method involves leveraging mobile platforms for tax filing and payment. High compliance costs are a significant barrier discouraging individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from paying taxes. In response, governments are rolling out mobile apps for filing and paying taxes to reduce friction and improve compliance rates,’ the report noted.

On the contribution of 5G and its ecosystem, it said the economic impact of mobile technologies will increasingly come from the pace and depth of technology adoption among consumers and enterprises. ‘Countries equipped with advanced digital infrastructure, a highly skilled workforce and sustained investment in emerging technologies are positioned to benefit the most from 5G and AI. In contrast, developing regions are likely to experience more gradual but broad-based benefits as mobile technologies diffuse across their economies,’ according to the report.

However, the report noted that realising these gains depends on complementary policy frameworks – particularly in spectrum allocation, taxation and service-quality regulation that support ICT capital formation and enable firms to develop new digital products and services.

While mobile technologies will influence all sectors, the scale of impact will vary according to each industry’s capacity to integrate 5G, IoT and AI into production processes.

‘The economic value of digital transformation will arise from two primary channels: the creation of new revenue opportunities and business models that expand markets and generate additional demand (external value creation); and the measurable improvements in productivity, cost efficiency and operational performance within firms (internal value enhancement).

‘Between 2025 and 2030, the services and manufacturing sectors are projected to account for roughly half of all growth attributable to mobile-enabled technologies, reflecting their relatively high readiness to absorb and deploy advanced digital tools,’ the report added.

Isaacs Kekemeke, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial candidate for Ondo South in the 2027 general election, has affirmed that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is supporting his political ambition.

Kekemeke, a former National Vice Chairman, South-West, of the APC, also dismissed reports of a rift between him and the governor, describing the claims as unfounded.

He spoke in a video footage obtained by The Nation on Wednesday where he also dismissed allegations that the governor was working against the interest of the party or involved in anti-party activities.

Kekemeke said his relationship with Aiyedatiwa remained cordial, adding that the governor had assured him of his support for his aspiration and the party.

According to him, there was no disagreement between him and the governor, contrary to speculations in some quarters.

‘I have been assured by the party that there’s nothing like anti-party activities. Mr Governor (Aiyedatiwa) has spoken to me and has assured me as a leader of the party that he’s with me and the party.

‘I look forward to celebrating victory in January, but it’s not over until it’s over. Let us keep working ‘ he said.

The clarification came amid growing speculation over the relationship between Kekemeke and Aiyedatiwa following reports that the governor may have shifted his support in the Ondo South senatorial race.

The reports gained traction after some APC leaders in the district backed Matthew Oyerinmade, a former APC chieftain, who is now seeking the seat on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, Kekemeke maintained that there was no friction between him and the governor and insisted that Aiyedatiwa remained supportive of his candidacy.

He further said that he remained focused on his campaign despite the allegations and negative reports surrounding his ambition.

‘I’m not distracted by anything that is negative. I’m more encouraged; the more people are supporting me. I want to plead with our party members that let us work together.

‘As a pioneer chairman, I need you. Those of us who built the party together, I need you. For the people of Ondo South, you need a great voice.

‘I am willing to give you that voice in the National Assembly and in Nigeria. What I ask for is: give me the microphone, and I’m going to speak into the microphone,’ Kekemeke said.

He, however, vowed to use his position, if elected, to draw attention to the challenges confronting the people of Ondo South, particularly environmental degradation and limited opportunities for young people.

‘Talking about the problems that face our people on a daily basis, the environmental challenges, lack of opportunities for our young men and young women, I’m going to speak for you.

‘I’ll be a good voice for you. Send me, and you can be sure that I’ll deliver,’ Kekemeke said.

Works Minister David Umahi and Minister of State for Works Bello Goronyo were on the field yesterday. They were in Edo and Ekiti states to address the worsening conditions of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Highway and the Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti road.

The two roads have become nightmares to commuters, whose complaints informed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for immediate intervention.

Umahi, who was in Benin City for an on-the-spot assessment of the road, berated the contractor handling the Benin-Asaba Highway Consession Company (BAECC) over poor performance.

In Ekiti, Goronyo assured that the gridlock occasioned by the deplorable road linking Ekiti and Kwara states, would disappear within 24 hours.

Umahi said BAECC lacked the technical know-how to embark on road construction, wondering why it removed existing asphalt without building side drains before embarking on road construction.

Motorists were trapped on the highway for several days due to several failed sections of the road.

The highway was consessioned to BAECC last year. It got a mandate develop it to a 10-lane highway.

In October last year, the firm said it would complete construction of the 10-lane highway within the stipulated time.

But Umahi said the concessionaire would have been arrested for destroying public property, accusing it of manipulating the process to get the job.

He said: ‘I commend Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo for his intervention on lots of federal roads across the state. He is not saying this is federal or state road. I apologise to commuters plying this road.

‘The NDDC is willing to intervene. I am disappointed with the Concessionaire. I take full responsibility for their misdeed and destruction of public assets.

‘The Ministry of Work does not allow removal of asphalt by contratctors. We beg them not to remove it. The concessionaire should have been arrested for destroying public property.

‘This road was not like this when it was handed over. I am instructing the ministry to arrest any concessionaire that remove asphalt from existing roads.’

Turning to BAECC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Samuel Daramola, the minister said: ‘You manipulate the process to get the job. You have no knowledge of road construction. You don’t know what you are doing. You have no technical staff or competence.

‘The President has directed us to do whatever is possible to fix this road. The law is there in overiding public interest. It is also the fault of government for not finding out the competency of concessionaires. You are learning how to do construction on our road. This is dangerous. This is provocation at its highest level.

‘It is a pity when people cannot pass the road. We have competent contractors who we will beg to restore the road. We will be asking CCECC to fix the bad spot in Asaba.

‘I am disappointed. The President has directed me to redesign all roads from Kogi to Warri and around Edo State. They are to be done with concrete pavement. We need total reconstruction of this road and not this palliative.’

Daramola blamed slow pace of work on heavy rains, adding that the heavy vehicular traffic on the highway prevented the firm from construct the side drains.

He said: ‘We expanded the road. We have expanded to eight lanes. We did palliative work for some months. We are wrestling with weather as much as we want to keep to the scope of work.

‘We expected our palliative work to have been completed long ago. We have to choose between doing side drains and combating heavy traffic.

We were compelled to open the road when it is yet to cure. We have to do the work over again. This is consession road and we are funding this road with our money.

‘How do we start with drains when there is heavy traffic. We have tried to engage all parties and communities. We are determined to ensure we complete this road. We have reputation to maintain.’

Chairman, House Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, urged President Tinubu to revisit the agreement with the concessionaire.

He said: ‘We should review all such contract. We cannot afford Concessionaires who can be giving us issues. The people want to see good roads. There must be a palliative measures. Let us come up with a solution where people can move.’

Okpebholo said President Tinubu’s prompt response of showed he cared about the people’s plight.

After inspecting the Ado-Ifaki-Kabba road, Goronyo expressed concern over the hardship being faced by motorists who have been stranded for days.

Promising immediate remedial repair on the failed portion of the road, the minister assured motorists and residents that the government would not fold its arms and leave any federal road impassable.

The minister reiterated the federal government’s commitment to fixing the Ifaki/Oye-Kabba Road within the shortest possible time.

Goronyo said, the road, which links the Southwest with northern part of the country, is a critical economic corridor that requires urgent intervention.

He said that the contract for the rehabilitation of the road was awarded to Gamji last year and that the contractor had been mobilised but was complaining of inadequate funding.

The minister said that the Federal Government would review the funding arrangement and ensure adequate mobilisation of the contractor

Goronyo said the government has commenced immediate intervention through the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), adding that equipment and materials had already been deployed to the affected section.

He said that the Ministry of Work plan to expand the road to four-lane to improve traffic flow and provide easier movement for motorists using the corridor.

Appealing to motorists for patience, Goronyo restated government’s determination to complete the intervention within the shortest possible time.

‘We want to appeal to all the people concerned that they should be patient with us, and we’ll make sure that we put this road to use very, very soon,’ he said.

The minister also spoke of government plan to restrict the movement of articulated vehicles from the affected section from the Ifaki-Ekiti end during the palliative work.

Goronyo said: ‘My appeal to the agitated motorists is that they should please bear with us. We are deploying materials to this place and they should create a conducive atmosphere for the contractor to be able to do this work within 48 hours.’

‘We are going to block the entrance from the Ifaki to ensure that no articulated vehicles ply this road again until this project, I mean this palliative arrangement, is completed.’

Goronyo, who also inspected the failed portion on the Efon-Iwaraja Road, assured residents and motorists that the Federal Government would undertake immediate remedial work to restore access and ease the hardship being experienced by road users.

He said that the intervention was part of the broader directive by President Tinubu to address critical road failures across the country and ensure free flow of traffic.

The minister said the Tinubu-led administration inherited 26,000 road projects nationwide, many of which were in various stages of deterioration.

He listed major projects being undertaken by the administration to include: the Illela-Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which he said stretched about 1,068 kilometres, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, covering about 750 kilometres and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road. The minister said that the massive investment in road infrastructure was necessary because roads were central to virtually every aspect of the economy.

‘Once you have roads, you have security, you have employment generation, you have agriculture, you have healthcare. You have everything. Roads lead to prosperity,’ Goronyo said.

He said the Federal Government was determined to complete ongoing projects and use improved road infrastructure to stimulate commerce, industries, employment and food security.

‘There is no president in the history of this nation that has given priority to road infrastructure like President Bola Tinubu,’ he said.

Afrobeats singer Ayra Starr has made her Billboard debut as her third studio album, Starrgirl, entered the World Albums chart at number four.

The feat was confirmed on the Billboard World Albums chart for the week of August 29, 2026.

Released barely two weeks ago, the album sits behind three K-pop acts.

Stray Kids’ This and That holds the No. 1 spot, followed by CORTIS’ GREEN GREEN at No. 2 and ATEEZ’s Golden Hour: Part.5 at No. 3. South African star Tyla’s APOP rounds out the top 5 at No. 5.

Starrgirl was released on August 14 through Mavin Records and Republic Records.

It is Ayra Starr’s first project since The Year I Turned 21 in 2024 and 19 and Dangerous in 2021.

The 16-track album features a mix of Nigerian and international collaborators, including Wizkid, Rema, Zayn, Leon Thomas, kwn, Danny Ocean and Theodora.

Beyond the US, the album has also performed strongly on global charts and streaming platforms.

The Billboard World Albums chart tracks the top-selling world music albums in the United States each week based on sales data.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Intellectual Door-to-Door Awareness and Mobilisation Forum (IDAF) has endorsed the re-election bids of Kano State Governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in 2027.

The group made the declaration on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya.

Speaking during the visit, IDAF Chairman Comrade Salisu Alhassan Dantata said the forum is committed to supporting the ‘Kano First’ agenda of the Yusuf administration and President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He added that IDAF is prepared to take its awareness and mobilisation campaign to communities across the state, focusing on grassroots engagement to inform citizens about the policies, programmes, and achievements of both the Kano State Government and the Tinubu administration.

Dantata also reaffirmed the forum’s determination to strengthen public awareness and mobilise support for the government’s development agenda.

As part of the visit, the forum announced the appointment of Commissioner Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya as its Grand Patron.

In his response, Waiya commended the leadership and members of IDAF for their commitment and initiative. He assured them of the state government’s readiness to collaborate to promote public awareness and ensure effective grassroots engagement.

He stressed that collaboration, constructive communication, and grassroots mobilisation are key to achieving government objectives and securing victory in the 2027 general elections.

The meeting underscored a shared commitment between government and citizens to strengthen grassroots engagement, promote government programmes, and create awareness of policies, aimed at advancing the wellbeing of Kano people.

IDAF is a forum comprising members from academia, the grassroots, and community engagement sectors. It was established to promote intellectual engagement, public awareness, grassroots mobilisation, and constructive participation in governance and development.

The forum seeks to bridge the gap between government and the people by taking relevant information, policies and programmes to communities across Kano State.