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The Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, says in spite of certain policy uncertainties, 72 per cent of world trade still goes on under the Organisation.

Okonjo-Iweala said this in Abuja at the ongoing 7th Africa Emerging Markets Forum.

The forum was jointly organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Emerging Markets Forum (EMF) and the Centre for the Study of Economies of Africa (CSEA).

According to Okonjo-Iweala, in modern terms, world merchandise trade grew by 4.6 per cent as surging demand for AI-related goods offset weaknesses linked to tariff increases trade policy uncertainty.

‘Services trade grew by 5.3 per cent again in modern terms, and within that, trading digitally delivered services grew even faster, at almost six per cent. Most countries continue to trade on rules-based WTO terms. Around 72 per cent of global goods trade continues to flow on core WTO-most-favoured-nation tariffs. Additional 16 per cent goes on terms within the wider WTO framework, mostly tariff preferences arising from bilateral and regional trade agreements that are built on WTO foundations,’ she said.

She said that global goods trade volumes in 2025 were over 12 per cent higher than in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic, while services trade volumes were 31 per cent higher.

According to her, countries are responding to the Strait of Hormuz crisis with more trade facilitating than trade-restrictive measures.

‘They are lifting trade restrictions, facilitating trade in oil and gas products, finding alternative routes to get oil and fertiliser out of the region. These measures have not been enough to compensate for the closure of the strait which has hit the world, and especially vulnerable African countries with higher energy, fertiliser and food prices. They have not built resilience and prevented a situation that could have been considerably worse for the global economy. On the whole, while active strategic competition is affecting some sensitive products and bilateral relationships, the repeal practise of most countries seems to be for continued interdependence, albeit within concentric circles of relatively closer or looser integration,’ she stated.

She said that the Global South offered a case in point, adding that the share of South-South trade in the global total had increased from under one-tenth in 1995 to about a quarter today.

‘They are keeping their trade diplomats busy. Of the 384 existing regional trade agreements that have been formally notified to the WTO, 49 per cent are among developing countries. Among the eight additional agreements that have not been notified, the South-South share appears to be even higher, and 22 economies still outside the 166 from the WTO are working hard to accede to it,’ she added.

A 35-year-old man, identified simply as Samuel, was on Thursday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly breaking into his former lover’s apartment and damaging property valued at N650,000.

Samuel, whose residential address was not provided, is facing three counts bordering on malicious damage, unlawful entry and conduct likely to cause inconvenience.

The prosecutor, SP Josephine Ikhayere, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offences on July 16 at No. 1, Segun Durojaye Close, Pako Bus Stop, Ikotun, Lagos.

Ikhayere alleged that Samuel unlawfully entered the apartment of his former lover, Oluwatoyin Olamide, and damaged three doors and three keys valued at N650,000.

She said the defendant also conducted himself in a manner likely to cause inconvenience to the complainant.

According to the prosecutor, the alleged offences contravene Sections 157(e), 308(1) and 339 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Samuel pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The magistrate, Mr Lateef A. Owolabi, granted him bail in the sum of N400,000 with two reliable sureties in like sum.

Owolabi adjourned the case until August 25 for hearing.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticised former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, over his recent comments against the party’s leadership, insisting that the era of a few influential figures determining its direction has ended.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, the PDP described George’s television interview as the reaction of someone unwilling to accept the party’s current direction.

It said the party had moved beyond what it called the era of ‘self appointed power brokers.’

According to the statement, George’s remarks reflected frustration over the emergence of a leadership focused on internal democracy, transparency and generational renewal.

The party argued that his appearance on television was marked by anger, resentment and personal attacks instead of constructive contributions to national and party affairs.

The PDP said a politician of George’s age and experience should have demonstrated restraint and statesmanship, adding that his comments fell below the standard expected of an elder statesman.

Defending its National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, the party said he had provided inclusive and transparent leadership despite inheriting political and legal challenges.

It also credited the current leadership with conducting what it described as one of the smoothest primary election processes in the party’s recent history, creating opportunities for thousands of members seeking elective offices ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The opposition party dismissed George’s criticism as an attempt to undermine efforts aimed at repositioning the PDP.

On the lingering legal disputes within the party, the PDP maintained that the courts had already settled the issues surrounding its leadership.

It said judgments delivered by the trial courts, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court remained valid and binding, adding that the recognition of Abdulrahman Mohammed as National Chairman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) followed compliance with existing court decisions.

The party stressed that while George and others were free to pursue lawful legal remedies, they could not overturn judicial pronouncements through media appearances.

‘The facts remain sacred, and no amount of rhetoric can alter the settled legal position,’ the statement said.

The PDP also accused George of resisting generational renewal within the party, arguing that every enduring political institution must create opportunities for younger leaders instead of allowing a few individuals to dominate its affairs indefinitely.

It further questioned George’s political record in Lagos State, claiming that despite spending more than two decades in the PDP, he failed to deliver electoral victories for the party in the state.

It added that he was eventually expelled from the party for misconduct, a decision it claimed he acknowledged during the television interview.

The party also criticised George over his widely publicised promise to relocate to Ghana if President Bola Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election, noting that although he made the declaration repeatedly before and after the election, he never fulfilled it.

According to the PDP, the inconsistency weakened the credibility of his criticism of both the party leadership and national issues.

The statement also reminded George of what it described as an existing court order awarding costs of ?10 million against him and his co plaintiffs in a lawsuit the party described as frivolous and vexatious, insisting that compliance with the order remained a legal obligation.

Reaffirming its commitment to internal discipline, the PDP said sanctions or expulsions could only be reviewed through the constitutional processes of the party and not through media campaigns or public criticism.

The party said it would continue to defend the integrity of its decisions, the authority of its duly constituted organs and the rule of law while focusing on preparations for the 2027 general elections.

‘History is moving forward. The PDP is moving forward. Those unwilling to embrace that reality are free to remain behind,’ the statement concluded.

The Edo State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mitchell Ofoyeju, has expressed worry over alleged upsurge in the number of women involved in drug trafficking offenses in the State.

Ofoyeju stated this on Thursday in Benin at the decoration of 73 newly promoted officers of the NDLEA.

He lamented what he described as a shift in the socio-economic vulnerability of women and a breakdown of traditional family stability.

‘We have observed that females top the list of persons arrested, with 29, while males are 20. This is concerning, as it highlights a shift in the socio-economic vulnerability of women and a breakdown of traditional family stability,’ he said.

Ofoyeju who disclosed that the Command is strategizing on re-orientation of family values to address this negative development, however noted the assessment of the seizures clearly shows that NDLEA is winning the war against narcotics with unprecedented harvest of arrests and seizures in the State.

‘The Command’s efforts have not gone without recognition, as it successfully secured convictions in four notable drug cases during the month. Additionally, in its commitment to addressing drug abuse, 24 individuals with drug use problems were counselled and reunited with family members, illustrating the agency’s holistic approach towards combating drug-related issues within the community,’ he said.

Commenting on the decoration of the newly promoted operatives, Ofoyeju noted that promotion in the NDLEA is not automatic, but earned as a reward for diligence, integrity, and outstanding performance in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.

‘This yearly promotion culture established by Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohmed Buba Marwa (RTD) CON has optimised the operational results of the agency. The morale of officers is now high as they are enthusiastically poised to take on the most daring drug cartels,’ he said.

Gov. Hyacinth Alia has commended President Bola Tinubu for approving a new division of Nigerian Army with headquarters in Makurdi, the Benue state capital to boost security and stability nationwide.

Alia gave the commendation in a statement signed by Mr Tersoo Kula, his Chief Press Secretary and made available to newsmen in Makurdi.

According to the governor, the division will strengthen military operations through improved command and control, quicker responses to security threats, and enhanced protection of lives and property regionally.

The governor said the approval demonstrated Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and addressing security challenges nationwide.

He stated that the new division, created through expansion of the Nigerian Army’s operational structure from eight to 12 divisions, would cover Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states.

Alia expressed confidence the development would complement his administration’s efforts to combat criminality, safeguard farming communities, and restore lasting peace in parts of Benue facing security challenges.

He also applauded Tinubu for approving recruitment of 28,000 additional Nigerian Army personnel while sustaining investments in military equipment, troop welfare, and operational readiness across the country.

The governor said the measures reflected the President’s determination to build a well-equipped, highly motivated armed forces capable of safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty and protecting citizens from security threats.

Alia reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to collaborating with the Federal Government and security agencies toward achieving lasting peace, improved security, and sustainable development across Benue State for all.

Former Osun Commissioner For Information and Strategy, and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Oluomo Sunday Akere, has accused the Governor Ademola Adeleke administration in the state of awarding the Oke Fia and LAMECO bridges which have shown signs of defects to a fertilizer distribution company and not a construction firm.

The APC chieftain, who was responding to a question put to him by a member of the panel of journalists on Osun NUJ Guest Platform on Wednesday over the allegation by the ruling Accord Party in the state that the APC sent agents to vandalise the bridges in order to tarnish government’s image, said APC had nothing to do with the defects noticed on the bridges.

The Osun State Coordinator, Tinubu Renewed Hope Ambassadors and Pioneer Governor of Lions International Club, District 40486 Nigeria, Akere, said rather than awarding the construction projects to qualified engineers, the Adeleke administration chose to award them to a fertilizer distribution company and a tie and dye firm.

‘Our party has nothing to do with the damage noticed on the structurally defective overhead bridges constructed by the administration of Gov Ademola Adeleke. When you want to do a job, it is always very good that you give the job to a person who has adequate knowledge, the wherewithal. When the Adeleke administration announced that they wanted to do high brides at Oke Fia and LAMECO, our party came out to alert the people of Osun State on the likely danger inherent in giving an overhead bridge to a company that is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC as a distributor of fertilizer. Our party protested that the government was giving the LAMECO Bridge to a company registered with CAC as a tie and dye producer. They said we were spreading propaganda and that we were talking rubbish. Eventually, the people of Osun can see it clearly now.

‘I belong to a platform on social media and there were arguments there yesterday (Tuesday 28 July 2026) on how they came about the defective nature of the overhead bridge. One man argued that ‘they accuse the government of giving the job to a tie and dye company and for doing it by direct labour, was it not direct labour that Oyetola used to construct the Olaiya Bridge during his tenure?’ and I laughed. An elderly person came there and challenged the man that if he did not know anything, everybody in Osun knew that Olaiya Bridge was awarded to a renowned construction company that has done more than five bridges like that in Delta. He is the one that the Federal Government just awarded the dualisation of Osogbo-Iwo-Ibadan Road to. That is to tell you the competence that the man has. But the boy was arguing, ‘No, he only put the company’s name for coverage, the job was done by direct labour.’

‘Assuming it was even done by direct labour, the people that are supposed to do this work are in the ministry and they are supposed to be qualified engineers. Why the defects? This bridge was commissioned less than two months ago. We said it when they were doing Oke Fia flyover, the day they brought a big roller there, as the roller was going on top of the bridge the structure was shaking. They had to remove the big roller. All of us are not strangers to things that happen in Osun. They had to remove the big roller and bring a smaller one that would not affect the structure. The job they did is defective. They knew that they didn’t do a thorough job. Of what benefit will it be to us as a party to now go to the bridge and start destroying it?

‘Some few days back, we were in Ife and I saw the overhead bridge that they said they were doing at Lagere, the bridge looked bent and by the time there is a noticeable error again, they will say it’s the opposition. Personally, I keep saying it, a party in government that cannot effectively construct a podium for the governor to stand and campaign cannot tell you that it can do an overhead bridge. The governor climbed the podium to campaign, the podium collapsed. Is that the people who would do an overhead bridge for us? We have nothing to do with the errors noticed. Instead of them to accept responsibility, they are lying. Government is continuum. Both assets and liabilities left behind by a government will be inherited by the one that is coming. So, we have nothing to gain from destroying it. They should be bold enough to accept responsibility that they are doing bad jobs.

‘Several of the roads that they said they are doing are bad. Last week Monday we were in Ila-Orangun for campaign, the 4-lane road that they said they are doing there, when you drive over it, the vehicle will be dancing. That road, after a few weeks the asphalt will start peeling. They are not doing a good job and we have the right as a party, as a citizen of this state to air our complaints, to air our opinion because Osun deserves the best,’ Akere said.

He also condemned the spate of insecurity in the state and said the security agencies in the state were putting measures in place to tame it. He urged the electorate not to be afraid of coming out to vote on Election Day, saying mechanism had been put in place to ensure security before, during and after the August 15 election.

Akere also said the governorship candidate of his party, APC, Asiwaju Munirudeen Oyebamiji would bring good governance to the state.

Oyo governor, Seyi Makinde on Thursday announced that he has set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the abduction of pupils and teachers from Esinele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

The setting up of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry was announced in a statement by Dotun Oyelade, Oyo State the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation in a statement on Thursday in Ibadan.

According to the statement, the commission was expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the abduction and identify the factors that led to the security breach.

He said that the panel which would be inaugurated on Friday was also tasked to make recommendations to prevent a recurrence.

‘The commission will examine the events leading to the kidnapping, assess the response of relevant authorities, and recommend measures to improve security and safeguard schools and communities across the state,’ Oyelade said.

He further explained that the setting up of the panel was in line with the governor’s commitment to ensuring a thorough and independent investigation into the incident.

The abduction occurred on May 15, while the abducted pupils and teachers were rescued after 56 days in captivity.

Makinde had earlier called for independent probe of the abduction of children and teachers in a broadcast he made immediately after their release

He solicited the help of international human rights and accountability mechanisms, including those within the United Nations system to investigate the matter.

According to him, the circumstances of the abduction are sufficiently grave and unusual.

He said that such scrutiny was intended to reinforce public confidence that the truth would be established.

He added that Nigerians deserve a full and transparent account of what happened, including whether there were institutional failures, negligence, or collusion.

‘The reunion of these children and teachers with their families does not mark the end of this painful chapter.

‘It marks the beginning of another responsibility: our collective responsibility to establish the truth,’ he said.

The governor stressed that the call was not about politics ‘but about justice for the victims, reassurance for our people, and restoring public confidence that every Nigerian child can go to school without fear’.

The Body of Benchers (BoB) has announced plans to introduce stricter controls over admission into Nigeria’s legal profession, warning that the growing number of lawyers is eroding professional standards and fuelling the emergence of so-called ‘charge-and-bail’ practitioners.

The legal profession’s highest regulatory body said it was determined to preserve the integrity of the Bar by ensuring that only qualified candidates are admitted each year.

The position was made known during the three-day Call to Bar ceremony in Abuja, where 6,010 graduates of the Nigerian Law School were admitted into the profession. The ceremony, held from July 7 to July 10, further increased Nigeria’s lawyer population, estimated at about 250,000 before the latest induction.

Addressing the new lawyers, Chairman of the Body of Benchers and Life Bencher, HRM Albert Akpomuje, SAN, attributed many of the profession’s current challenges to the excessive admission of law students by some universities.

According to him, several accredited institutions routinely admit far more students than the quotas approved for their law faculties, creating a ripple effect that overwhelms the Nigerian Law School and the profession itself.

To address the problem, he disclosed that the Body of Benchers had established a committee to determine appropriate annual limits for candidates to be called to the Bar.

He said the shortage of employment opportunities for the ever-growing number of graduates had contributed to a decline in professionalism.

‘The Body of Benchers cannot afford to produce lawyers when there are not enough jobs to accommodate them, hence the need to regulate and put a benchmark on those to be called in any given year.

‘This will also take care of situations where members of the Bar, after call, tout for briefs with no office, at the Magistrate Courts, waiting at the police stations, and earn the embarrassing name popularly known as charge-and-bail lawyers.’

The chairman stressed that the legal profession must never become open to everyone without regard for quality.

‘As a regulatory body, we owe a duty to the Government, the people of this country, and, in particular, the noble profession of law, to ensure that admission into this honourable profession does not become an all-comers affair, as this will inevitably have the propensity to reduce the standard expected from this noble profession.

‘Apart from just calling persons to the Bar, the Body of Benchers is very concerned with the quality and standard of those admitted to the Bar to practise law in Nigeria.

‘For those of us already privileged to practise law, and by extension those of you being accorded the rare honour today of being called, we are very much aware of the fact, with no iota of apology, that our noble profession is number one in the world.

‘As such, it is expected that aspirants to the Bar must be the best of the best and further ensure that, after being called, that standard of being the best is maintained either in character or in learning.’

Akpomuje said investigations by the Body of Benchers showed that many universities were responsible for the growing backlog of law graduates awaiting admission into the Nigerian Law School.

‘The Body of Benchers has observed, from the committee set up to address this issue of the astronomical increase in the numbers of those wishing to be admitted to the Bar as lawyers, and from information gathered particularly from the Nigerian Law School, that the greatest challenge stems from the deliberate act of the faculties of law of some of the universities accredited to graduate law students, exceeding the maximum quota of students allocated to the university that can be admitted to read law.

‘With all due respect, this is an affront to the constituted authority that prescribed the quota for admission, but, worse still, it is an act of indiscipline on the part of those who are required to show good example to the students who aspire to be members of this noble profession of law.

‘The backlash or consequence of some of the universities not keeping within the limit of their quota has resulted not only in lowering the standard expected of the students admitted but also in causing a backlog of students not getting into the Nigerian Law School after graduation.

‘Some of them wait up to three years or more before gaining admission into the Nigerian Law School due to lack of space to accommodate them in the school, based on the quota of all the universities wherein provision is made by the law school to admit students.

‘In sympathy with some of the students, the law school, in collaboration with the Body of Benchers, had to bend over backwards to have two streams of admission into the Nigerian Law School, with lecturers overstretched beyond limit, apart from the financial and logistical implications associated with it.’

He also dismissed suggestions that the Nigerian Law School deliberately denied qualified graduates admission.

‘The distinguished body wishes to clarify a misconception and notify the general public and Nigerians that the Body of Benchers will not deliberately deny qualified students admission to the Law School.

‘The problem, as highlighted earlier, is that some of the universities admit over the quota allocated to them, and some universities not yet accredited produce law graduates even before applying to be so accredited.

‘Furthermore, every professional body is regulated with respect to the number of those to be admitted into the profession in any given year and time, based on the needs of society.

‘For the legal profession, the Body of Benchers and the Council of Legal Education are guided by the needs for legal services in the country, which form the basis of the quota allocated to universities, including the facilities on ground and the ability of the faculty of law to produce law students of the highest standard to be called to the Bar by the Body of Benchers.’

Akpomuje added that the Body of Benchers would begin maintaining detailed records of law admissions in universities and monitor compliance with approved quotas to prevent institutions from exceeding their limits.

The President General of the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Comrade Aliyu Kankara has commended the Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for his commitment to the welfare of civil servants and urged him to consider employing more hands to strengthen the third tier of government.

Kankara made this known on Wednesday, 28 July 2026, in Lokoja at the inauguration of the new Kogi State executive of the union. The inauguration followed the successful election conducted by the leadership of the union during its 8th Quadrennial State Delegates Conference, which was held in the state capital.

The new state executives are: Mohammed Inyanya-President, Bala Ibrahim- Deputy President, Mohammed Kaka – Chairperson, State women Committee, Okoliko Musa- Treasurer, Umar Yakubu- Trustee, Kayode Sule – Trustee and Wada Omale- Auditor.

Others are Omotugba Femi- State Auditor, Adejoh Ali – State Publicity Secretary, Tahirudeen Abdullahi -Welfare Officer, Musa Yusuf – Welfare Officer,Jeremiah Emmanuel- Welfare officer and Ogbana -State Young Welfare officer.

The Secretary General of NULGE, Comrade Isah Gambo, who administered the oath office, commended the outgoing members for conducting a seamless election while charging the new officials to serve the union with dedication and integrity.

Comrade Inyanya, in his acceptance speech, lauded governor Ododo for his workers-friendly policies and promised his willingness to continue to cooperate with the government in moving the state forward.

‘The prompt payment of salaries and the decentralization of the promotion exercise have reduced bottlenecks and brought government closer to the people. We pledge our continued support to the administration of Governor Ododo.’

Governor, Ododo who was represented by the Special Adviser on Labour Matters and the immediate past state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Comrade Onu Edoka called for collaborative efforts from the local government workers in tackling the insecurity.

Ododo pointed out that his administration is committed to the welfare of workers in Kogi State, noting that he was once a civil servant and knows what it takes to get paid at the end of the month.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has rejected the campaign advertising fees imposed on candidates by the Abia State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency, ABSSAA.

Under the new fee regime, presidential candidates will pay ?200 million, while governorship candidates will pay ?150 million for outdoor campaign advertising in the state.

Senatorial candidates are required to pay ?100 million, while House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates will pay ?50 million and ?20 million respectively.

Abia ADC Chairman, Kalu Kalu Agu, protested against the charges when the agency unveiled them in Aba on Wednesday.

Agu, who attended the event alongside the ADC House of Assembly candidate for Arochukwu Constituency, Francess Ogbonnaya Tabitha, described the fees as outrageous.

He questioned whether the charges complied with the campaign expenditure limits provided under the Electoral Act.

‘Has it not exceeded the election expenses that are provided by the Electoral Act?’ Agu asked.

The ADC chairman warned that the fees could weaken opposition candidates financially and undermine fair competition during the 2027 general elections in Abia.

He urged ABSSAA to review the charges and adopt rates that political parties and their candidates could afford.

Agu also warned the agency against introducing policies that could conflict with the Electoral Act or give the ruling party an advantage over opposition parties.

ABSSAA, however, dismissed claims that the policy was targeted at any political party.

The agency maintained that the fees would apply equally to all parties and candidates participating in the 2027 elections.