Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

A real estate firm, Akmodel Homes and Properties, said it has expanded its foothold to the United Kingdom (UK), Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

The company which is celebrating its fifth anniversary of resilience, innovation and commitment to excellWnce in the Nigerian real estate sector already has presence in Lagos, Awka, Uyo, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ilorin, and Enugu.

Its CEO, Dr. Abdulhakeem Odegade, said in the few years of the company’s existence, it has expanded its portfolio with strategic projects, modern estates, empowered realtors, and strengthened its reputation as a brand with vision.

According to him, the company’s growth story is a testament to consistency, dedication and the belief that Nigeria’s real estate industry can thrive when excellence is placed at the center of service, he added.

He expressed gratitude to their loyal clients, partners, realtors, staff and supporters whose trust and commitment have fueled its journey.

Odegade said the company remained committed to raising industry standards, creating more opportunities, building sustainable communities and shaping the future of real estate in Nigeria.

From a humble beginnings, Akmodel Homes and Properties has grown into a trusted and influential brand, known for delivering quality housing solutions, fostering meaningful partnerships, and contributing significantly to economic development. Over the past years, the company has maintained its focus on integrity, professionalism, customer satisfaction and community impact values that continue to guide its operations.

The appearance of two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) each claiming to have the authority to represent General Hydrocarbons Limited (GHL) yesterday stalled proceedings in the suit filed by the company against the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and others.

The matter is before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The confusion arose when the two lawyers – Dr. Abiodun Layonu (SAN) and Mr. Oluseye Opasanya (SAN) each announced appearance for the claimant.

Layonu informed the court that he was representing GHL.

Opasanya, who AMCON appointed as the Receiver/Manager over the company, also clamed to be the lawful legal representative of the claimant, given the company’s status in receivership prior to the commencement of the action which was not disclosed to the court.

The dual appearances triggered a prolonged legal argument over who was the proper counsel authorised to speak for the company.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa repeatedly sought clarification, asking both senior lawyers to identify the authentic representative of the claimant in view of the pending receivership.

With no resolution in sight, the court directed both counsel to file formal written addresses on the issue of representation. The matter was adjourned till December 3.

The disagreement over legal representation also frustrated the contempt proceedings initiated by GHL against AMCON.

The contempt application was predicated on earlier interim orders in which Justice Lewis-Allagoa had restrained AMCON and its agents from taking any recovery steps against the company, interfering with its assets, or appointing a receiver pending the hearing of a motion.

The underlying suit concerns Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 120 and 121, which were granted within a structured commercial and regulatory framework aimed at assisting First Bank of Nigeria to recover a substantial non-performing loan issued to Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited.

To safeguard the repayment of the loan, described as Outstanding Exposure, the former Department of Petroleum Resources (now NUPRC) considered permitting a qualified operator to run the assets and apply production revenues towards the debt.

It was in this context that GHL proposed to operate the two assets.

The Tripartite Agreement signed by GHL, First Bank, and AMCON expressly stated that one of GHL’s key considerations was resolving the Outstanding Exposure, while advancing Nigeria’s economic interests. GHL undertook financial commitments and received support from First Bank and later AMCON.

Under this framework, GHL became responsible for operating OMLs 120 and 121 and for applying production proceeds toward repayment of the exposure.

But AMCON and First Bank later alleged serious operational and financial misconduct by GHL’s former management, including revenue diversion, chronic non-payment of contractors, operational breakdowns, and the imminent risk of demobilisation of the FPSO operator-conditions that threatened the assets with shutdown and possible licence revocation.

Acting under sections 34 and 48 of its Act, AMCON appointed a Receiver over GHL on September 18. The appointment, by law, suspended the powers of GHL’s former directors from that date.

Despite this, the former directors initiated the present suit in the name of the company, allegedly without lawful authority, in what AMCON describes as an attempt to obstruct the receivership.

Since the Receiver assumed control, steps have been taken to stabilise operations and safeguard the assets. However, instead of recognising the receivership, the former directors have been accused of attempting to weaponise interim court orders obtained after the Receiver’s appointment, framing a restructuring measure as contempt aimed at undermining the Receiver and his counsel.

The Nursing Leadership Conference, themed ‘Developing the Next Generation of Quality Leaders,’ held on 10th November 2025 and hosted by Dr. Malvis Humphrey of the London Professional Training Centre, offered a transformative experience for over 500 nurses nationwide, attending both physically and virtually at no cost. The event was designed to inspire nurses while equipping them with practical leadership skills to enhance patient care and foster professional growth.

Attendees benefited from the expertise of a distinguished line-up of speakers, including the Director of Nursing Services of Lagos State, the Head of Nursing at the University of Lagos Medical Centre, and other prominent nursing leaders. Presentations provided insights into effective leadership practices, quality care delivery, and the evolving responsibilities of nurses in modern healthcare systems, emphasising how strong leadership can improve patient outcomes and institutional efficiency.

A blend of training sessions and interactive panel discussions allowed participants to engage directly with speakers, ask questions, and tackle real-world challenges. Nurses reported that these sessions helped them reflect on their leadership styles, identify areas for growth, and learn strategies for team and resource management. Peer-to-peer interactions fostered knowledge exchange and expanded professional networks beyond the conference. All participants received Certificates of Participation, with three additional days of follow-up training providing actionable tools for leadership, decision-making, and team management. Many nurses highlighted networking and mentorship opportunities as key benefits, noting that learning directly from seasoned leaders would enhance their immediate practice.

Afrobeats singer Tems has opened up about her alternative career paths if music hadn’t worked out.

During an interactive session with fans on X, she revealed she’d have been an accountant or a mathematics teacher.

‘If music didn’t work, what else do you think you would be doing today?,’ a fan asked.

Tems responded, ‘I might have been an accountant or a mathematics teacher.’

Before rising to fame, Tems worked as a digital marketer, a job she left in January 2018 to focus on her music career.

Just a few months later, she released her debut single ‘Mr Rebel’ in July 2018, which gained traction in Nigeria.

Tems’ breakthrough came with her feature on Wizkid’s 2020 single ‘Essence’, which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after the remix with Justin Bieber.

Sir: The recent warning from the World Food Programme about rising hunger in northern Nigeria confirms a reality many of us who study and report on this crisis have been following closely for years. Terrorist attacks and the widening insecurity across the region are now pushing nearly 35 million people toward severe food shortages as the 2026 lean season draws closer.

This figure is not inflated; it reflects conditions that have been building quietly across rural communities where violence, displacement, and economic strain collide every day.

In Borno State, where the Boko Haram conflict began, the situation is even more troubling. I grew up in this region and witnessed the early stages of this war. The estimate that around 15,000 people are heading into famine-like conditions is consistent with what local monitors, aid workers, and community leaders have been worried about for months.

When entire villages lose access to farmland because of IEDs, ambushes, and shifting control between ISWAP and JAS, hunger stops being a risk and becomes a certainty.

The conflict has already claimed more than 40,000 lives and displaced close to two million people. Yet the crisis has expanded well beyond the northeast. The spread of armed groups into the northwest and north-central, commonly called ‘banditry,’ although their tactics now resemble insurgent operations, has opened a second front.

The recent mass kidnappings in Niger, Kebbi, and Kwara states are not isolated. They fit a clear pattern of criminal and terror networks blending forces, extending influence, and testing the state’s capacity to respond.

While the war is not as intense as it was in 2015, the pace of attacks has risen sharply this year. From my own fieldwork across Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, and Katsina, it is evident that security agencies are stretched thin.

Reinforcements often arrive late, community warnings go unheeded, and local vigilante groups that once helped stabilize villages are now worn out or deliberately targeted.

Economic hardship is adding more pressure. The lean season has always been difficult, but inflation has stripped families of the little safety net they once relied on. In many rural towns, the cost of staple grains has more than doubled, forcing households to depend on aid that is itself shrinking.

The WFP’s reduced capacity is already visible on the ground. Nearly a million people rely on their support in the northeast, yet funding cuts have shut down hundreds of nutrition centres.

In Jibia, Damasak, Zurmi, and Sabon Birni, families now walk long distances seeking help, only to find that the nearest facilities have closed. When a fragile system loses a third of its capacity, a surge from ‘serious’ to ‘critical’ malnutrition is the natural outcome.

The growing presence of jihadist groups adds another layer of concern. The recent claim by JNIM, a group rooted in the Sahel, marks a troubling shift. Their operations reaching into Nigeria suggest the slow merging of the Sahel and Lake Chad conflict zones; an escalation that regional analysts have anticipated for years.

The situation described by the WFP matches what communities across the north have been living through daily: shrinking farmland, repeated attacks, volatile markets, and aid pipelines drying up just when they are needed most. People who once showed remarkable resilience are now reaching breaking point.

As 2026 approaches, the humanitarian outlook is shaping into one of the hardest seasons since this conflict began. The numbers tell part of the story, but those of us from these areas have seen how hunger takes hold long before the statistics reflect it. The warning is credible, and it deserves urgent attention.

New International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Kirsty Coventry fought back tears as she urged nations to come together in the 2026 Winter Games, as the torch relay set off from ancient Olympia in Greece.

Addressing guests during the torch ceremony at the Olympia archaeological museum, as the first woman to head the Olympic movement, a tearful Coventry stressed the power of sport to unite.

‘I wasn’t supposed to get emotional, but this place is very special,’ the 42-year-old Zimbabwean, who is also the first African to lead the IOC, added to applause. ‘In a divided world that we live in today, the Games hold a truly symbolic place. It is our duty, our responsibility, to ensure that the athletes from around the world can come together peacefully,’ she said.

The former swimmer and Africa’s most successful Olympic athlete with seven medals from Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, Coventry repeatedly veered from her prepared speech to stress her emotional connection to the Games.

‘The Olympic Games will always continue to exist, to break down walls that are put in our way,’ said Coventry, who was elected 10th IOC chief in March.

‘The flame we light today, carries not just the hopes of the athletes, but the dreams of all of those who believe in the power of sport,’ she added.

She later told reporters that the Olympics bring out ‘the best of humanity’.

‘We have to really fight very hard to ensure that the Olympic movement and the field of play remains neutral for all athletes to be able to compete, and for them to live out their childhood dreams,’ she said.

The torch was carried initially by Greek rower Petros Gaidatzis, a bronze medallist in Paris 2024, and then jointly with Italian cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo, a two-time Olympic champion, as the relay began the countdown to the Milan-Cortina Winter Games, which will open on February 6.

The pair ran from the museum to the grove in Olympia, the birthplace of the ancient Games, where the heart of modern Olympics founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin is kept, and handed over the torch to Italian luge great Armin Zoeggeler, another double Olympic champion.

The flame ceremony was flanked by sculptures from the Temple of Zeus, the patron god of the ancient Olympics – and also rain.

The ceremony to light the Olympic flame is usually held among the ruins of the 2,600-year-old Temple of Hera, near the stadium where the Olympics were born in 776 BC.

But a rainy weather forecast – which proved mistaken – raised concerns that the sun’s rays would not be able to sufficiently heat up the parabolic mirror used by actresses dressed as ancient priestesses to light the flame.

That forced organisers to head indoors for Wednesday’s ceremony where they used a flame lit on Monday, during an outdoor rehearsal under the sun.

In addition to the venue change, organisers also had to switch the first runner after their original choice – Greek-American alpine ski racer AJ Ginnis – was injured during training last week.

Following a December 4 handover ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, where the first modern Olympics were revived in 1896, the flame will head to Rome for a 63-day, 12,000-kilometre (7,500-mile) course through Italy’s major cities and the archaeological site of Pompeii.

Giovanni Malago, President of the Organising Committee for Milano-Cortina, said the relay will respect the ‘classical heritage’ of Greece and Italy by passing through sites such as Rome’s imperial monuments, Pompeii and parts of Magna Graecia.

Organisers were forced to head indoors for the Olympic flame ceremony due to a rainy weather forecast

The Games themselves will take place at various venues spanning a vast area from Milan to the Dolomite mountains in Italy’s north-east.

Ice sports will be held in Milan while Bormio and Cortina will host alpine skiing.

Across the Dolomites, the biathlon will be in Anterselva and Nordic skiing in Val di Fiemme, with Livigno in the Italian Alps hosting snowboarding and freestyle skiing.

The Paralympic Winter Games will be held from March 6-15.

More than 90 percent of Italy’s ski slopes use artificial snowmaking systems, according to an April report by Legambiente, and organisers of the Milan-Cortina Games are stockpiling artificial snow, just in case.

A December 2024 study published in the International Journal of Climatology indicated snow cover in the Italian Alps had decreased by half in the past 100 years.

A resolution urging the Federal Government to review the firearm laws to allow responsible citizens to own guns was yesterday passed by the Senate.

The Red Chamber’s decision was triggered by the escalating insecurity in Kwara, Kebbi and Niger states.

The resolution followed consideration and adoption of a motion titled: ‘Urgent need to address escalating insecurity in Kwara, Kebbi and Niger States.’

In his lead debate, Deputy Senate Leader Senator Lola Ashiru (APC, Kwara South), who sponsored the motion, highlighted recent attacks on schools, worship centres, and rural communities.

He noted the November 18 attack on Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, where two worshippers were killed and 38 others abducted.

The worshippers were released on Sunday.

In their contributions, senators urged immediate action to curb the rising wave of banditry, kidnapping and violent crimes.

They warned that mass school abductions and persistent raids have forced closures of schools, including 47 unity schools, disrupting the education of thousands of children.

The lawmakers commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for cancelling foreign trips to coordinate security responses, which led to the release of 38 abductees in Kwara and the 24 Kebbi schoolgirls.

The Senate also called on communities in the affected states and across Nigeria to remain vigilant, united and supportive of security agencies while resisting internal collaborators who undermine national safety.

According to the senators, the firearm laws should reflect current security challenges, similar to over 175 countries where responsible citizens are permitted to legally own guns.

Expressing concern over the worsening insecurity across the land, they urged the executive to act decisively against terrorists, bandits and kidnappers, who continue to unleash terror on communities.

The lawmakers insisted that internal sabotage within security agencies must be investigated without delay.

Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) raised the alarm over alleged security failures, citing Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris’ revelation that troops were withdrawn from a community shortly before 24 schoolgirls were abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga.

‘What Nigerians want to know is – who ordered the withdrawal?’ Abaribe queried.

‘If I were the President, I would summon the commander immediately. Someone must account for that decision.’

Adams Oshiomhole, who hailed Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening the armed forces, warned that Nigeria must adopt fresh strategies.

He also demanded the disclosure of the identity of the officer who authorised the withdrawal of troops from the attacked Kebbi school.

Oshiomhole said: ‘Nigerians are entitled to know who issued that order. The President is doing his best, but we must do things differently.’

Henry Seriake Dickson lamented the killing of Brig.-Gen. Musa Uba by terrorists, describing it as evidence of internal compromise within security operations.

‘It is not ordinary to lose a Brigadier-General. Our country is losing prestige, and public trust in military operations is declining.’

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, urged swift reforms of Nigeria security architecture, warning that time was running out.

‘Yes, we are relieved that 38 abducted victims from Kwara have been rescued, but we are not celebrating – the kidnappers are still roaming free,’ Bamidele said.

He added that the Senate must also review and reposition its Committee on Security and Intelligence for greater effectiveness.

Bamidele rejected suggestions that the National Assembly should shut down to signal seriousness, saying such an action would amount to abandoning responsibility.

‘This is no time for theatrics. Lives are at stake,’ the Senate leader said.

Barau drums up support for Tinubu

Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau commended the President’s decisive and sustained efforts toward curbing insecurity. He urged states, corporate bodies and citizens to actively support the ongoing fight.

Barau argued that the security challenges are not the responsibility of the Federal Government alone and require collective action to achieve lasting results.

He said: ‘Mr. President is doing extremely well. All his efforts should be complemented by all Nigerians – state governments, private organisations, even ordinary citizens.

‘This is an issue for every Nigerian to admit and confront. With the trend and effort the President is putting in, we shall surmount this problem.’

He particularly called on state governments to invest in surveillance infrastructure, intelligence channels and operational logistics to support federal security agencies.

According to him, insecurity can be defeated faster if every state builds systems to monitor forests and communities within their jurisdiction.

Barau said: ‘State governments should help with necessary hardware and surveillance. If each state creates facilities to monitor activities in forests and local areas, the military can respond more effectively.

‘When this is replicated nationwide, the results will come quickly.’

Describing Tinubu as ‘a leader working daily to secure the country,’ Barau referenced the President’s decision to shelve his trip to South Africa for the G20 Summit to focus on national security – an action he said contributed to the recent rescue of abducted victims in Kebbi State.

‘The President is serious about ending insecurity. He inherited this problem, but he is committed, and with collective support, this challenge will be addressed in a short time,’ he added.

On the Senate’s resolutions regarding national security, Barau said the leadership of the Senate would meet with the President to convey the urgency of the decisions taken.

He expressed confidence that Tinubu would give full attention to the recommendations.

Barau also weighed in on renewed calls for state police, stating that the priority should be funding, training and equipping security personnel rather than the label attached to the structure.

‘It is not about the nomenclature. Even the federal police need better training and funding – which the President has begun addressing. What matters is capacity, not just naming.’ he said.

In the conference hall of the Sheraton Lagos Hotel, as Nigeria marked this year’s World Children’s Day, the 71st globally, the air carried an unusual mix of hope and urgency. Editors in crisp suits and Ankara sat shoulder to shoulder with schoolchildren in bright uniforms. A visually impaired teenager who had taught himself to code prepared to take the microphone. A diplomat from the Netherlands struggled to steady his voice. The UNICEF Country Representative declared that the real bosses in the room were the children. For one morning, almost everyone present seemed to agree.

The symposium, themed ‘Equipping the Nigerian Child for the Future: How Prepared Are We?’, was jointly organised by UNICEF, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence. While the event celebrated World Children’s Day, it felt less like a festival and more like a national reckoning. Mr Eze Anaba, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, did not mince words. ‘Nigeria is in a state of emergency,’ he said. ‘At no other time in our history, except during the civil war, has the condition of our children been this uncertain.’ He cited school abductions, 10 to 20 million out-of-school children-the highest number in any country-millions of zero-dose children who have never received a single vaccine, persistent malnutrition, and the recruitment of minors by armed groups. ‘What happens to our children happens to Nigeria,’ he added, and the line resonated across the room.

Ms Wafaa Saeed, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, presented the stark numbers. Under-five mortality, once near 200 per 1,000 live births in 1990, now sits around 100-still among the highest globally. Full immunization coverage has tripled in two decades, yet more than two million children remain unvaccinated annually. Birth registration has improved, but millions of children still do not legally exist. Three out of four children who reach age ten cannot read a simple text. Forty-eight million Nigerians still practice open defecation. ‘We have made progress,’ she said, measured but firm, ‘but if we continue at this pace, we will lose generations.’

The mood shifted when schoolchildren performed Unstoppable. As the last note faded, Tinafi Akawo, a seventeen-year-old visually impaired coder and child-rights activist, walked to the stage. ‘Thank you very much. Good to see you,’ he said, smiling at an audience he could only discern. Tinafi spoke of artificial intelligence and blockchain as the backbone of the child’s future. He outlined AI-based security systems capable of detecting anomalies and alerting authorities before school kidnappings occur. ‘Imagine a system that alerts authorities before any attempt happens,’ he said. ‘This could significantly reduce the number of kidnappings in our country.’

He also highlighted digital exclusion, urging policies that train young Nigerians in AI and machine learning to place the country on the global map. ‘I am visually impaired. I developed an app that lets blind people navigate using a smartphone camera. This is just me. There are thousands more children with ideas that never leave their rooms.’ He closed by urging the media to be the voice of children and push the government to nurture talent. As Cobhams Asuquo’s Unstoppable played again, Tinafi left the stage to sustained applause, crystallising the central theme: Nigerian children are unstoppable if given the opportunity.

A panel moderated by Dr Chinonso Egemba (Aproko Doctor) pressed duty bearers to account for daily gaps. Ronak Khan, UNICEF Deputy Representative, explained that interventions follow data, not sentiment. About 90% of Lagos households have clean water access, compared with less than 10% in Kebbi. ‘No child chooses where they are born. A child in Maiduguri deserves the same chance as a child in Lagos,’ he said.

Mrs Mariam Fitumi Shaibu, Deputy Director of Child Development at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, highlighted initiatives with nationwide potential: the National Commission on Out-of-School Children, the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) in eighteen states, the Lumina Project linking maternal economic empowerment to girls’ education, and the forthcoming national policy on menstrual health and hygiene management.

Mr Henshaw Ogubuike, with editors Ehi Braimah and Ijeoma Popoola, reminded the room that political will and implementation, not policy, remain the biggest gaps. In 2025, some SS3 students still sit on bare floors. Laws alone cannot replace intentional parenting or combat poverty and cultural pressures pushing girls into early marriage. Michel Deelen, Consul General of the Netherlands, delivered a pointed message. ‘Macroeconomic numbers can look better,’ he said, ‘but as long as schools have no roofs, no water, no teachers, nothing goes better. That is a disgrace.’ He noted that part of the Netherlands’ UNICEF funding supports water, sanitation, hygiene, and adolescent entrepreneurship initiatives. ‘The future is bright. The future is you. But we must steer it in the right direction.’

By morning’s end, editors made public commitments. Mr Anaba vowed to keep child rights on the front burner. Mr Braimah pledged dedicated columns and investigative reporting. Beneath the pledges lay a sober truth: by 2050, Nigeria will have the third-largest child population globally. If today’s out-of-school children become tomorrow’s unemployed, traumatized, or radicalized adults, the consequences will extend far beyond Nigeria. The children have demonstrated talent and determination. The challenge now falls on adults to provide the policies, resources, and guidance that will ensure Nigerian children remain truly unstoppable. This version keeps the narrative, the voices of participants, and the statistics intact, while smoothing sentence structure, adding transitions, and keeping it around 800 words, making it suitable for publication. If you want, I can also create a more feature-style, emotionally compelling version that emphasizes the children’s voices and the sense of urgency even more, perfect for a newspaper or magazine audience. Do you want me to do that?

Ito Progressive CDA in Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area has lauded Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, for rural development projects reshaping their community.

Speaking during a project inspection, Prince Taiwo Dosunmu, chairman, said the community is witnessing ‘a new dawn’ under Sanwo-Olu.

He noted that Ito, once plagued by infrastructural neglect, is experiencing improvements that directly enhance the standard of living for residents.

Dosunmi said the governor’s interventions is a commitment to ensuring that rural communities are included in the state’s development agenda.

‘What we are seeing in Ito is dividends of democracy reaching the grassroots,’ he said.

‘Sanwo-Olu shows that every community matters.’

Chair of Ito Project Committee, Alhaji Bika Moshuru, also praised the government for a combination of essential and life-enhancing projects delivered in a short period.

He listed key interventions, such as installation of a new transformer, establishment of a water scheme, and installation of solar-powered streetlights.

A notable project is grading and rehabilitation of 3.8-kilometre Ito Road, for long a major concern for residents.

Bika said the road, once nearly impassable during rainy seasons, is being reshaped into a more accessible route that will enhance transportation, encourage business, and connect the community to neighbouring areas.

Dosunmu lauded Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, describing him as a dependable pillar in implementation THEMES Plus Agenda. He said his technical expertise and support have strengthened rural-based projects.

He praised Special Adviser to the governor on Rural Development, Nurudeen Agbaje’s engagement with Ito.

He disclosed that every request submitted by Ito Progressive Community had received the Special Adviser’s attention, following thorough on-the-spot evaluations conducted by his office.

These assessments, he said, ensured that interventions were well-informed, relevant, and timely.

‘Residents of Ito say the projects have begun to yield significant benefits, including improved access to basic services, reduction in community-level hardships, and enhanced local security’.

‘Many community members expressed optimism that the new infrastructure will help attract investment, encourage youth productivity, and stimulate socio-economic growth in the area.’ He added

Other executives of the CDA described the Sanwo-Olu administration as ‘listening, responsive, and inclusive,’ pledging to continue supporting government initiatives aimed at rural transformation

The House of Representatives recently set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the over 11,800 abandoned federal government properties and projects across the nation. The properties are estimated to be worth nothing less than N20trn in market value today. The motion that seemingly set off the alarm was raised by the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, representing Obio/Akpor federal constituency of Rivers State.

Chinda recalled that in 2000, the Presidential Implementation Committee on Federal Government Properties was set up but sadly, two and a half decades later, the committee is yet to submit its final report. In his opinion, nothing speaks so eloquently about the lack of accountability and transparency when it comes to national assets than this act of non-responsiveness of such a committee.

It is sad that a report by the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors had identified 11,866 abandoned federal projects across the country, representing approximately 63 per cent of all projects initiated since independence. Some of these properties are: the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos; the Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi, Lagos; the Nigerian International Hotel Suleja, Niger State; Millennium Tower, Abuja; the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) building in Abia State; the National Library Headquarters, Abuja; the Nigeria Newsprint Manufacturing Company, Kaduna; the Kaduna Textile Building; the Nigerian Aluminium Smelting Company, Delta State.

We are amazed at the array of iconic and valuable projects that have suffered neglect and abandonment across the country. This says everything negative about the value successive governments in this country have placed on national assets and projects across the nation.

In many countries, the preservation of such iconic assets is taken very seriously because in most cases such historically relevant assets represent not just history. They are preserved as national treasures not just as beautiful edifices but for the value they add to the socio-economic lives of the people.

A place like the National Stadium in Lagos today stands as a national disgrace. The stadium didn’t just represent a great geographic space; it stood as a national rallying point that the citizens have a sense of attachment to. It represented a rallying point for sporting activities in the nation and had in the past been the flagship for national, sub-regional, continental and even global sports competitions. Beyond sports, it provided spaces for other socio-political activities due to its centrality and accessibility. Today, the stadium has become home to street urchins and parts of it have been occupied by some private individuals who are reaping profits from national assets.

Today, the most popular sports, football competitions, are now mainly hosted by Akwa Ibom State’s Godswill Akpabio Stadium built by the present Senate President when he was governor. This puts to shame the successive governments at the federal level that could not renovate the National Stadium for the same function, given the employment and revenue that would definitely accrue from its functionality.

Today, Morocco, a smaller African country, has seemingly overtaken Nigeria with its huge investment in sports infrastructure. They have been hosting several FIFA-organised games. They hosted the FIFA Women World Cup; they would be hosting AFCON this December. They are on their way to co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain.

The investment in sports infrastructure by Morocco has become a huge inspiration for the country’s youths and a huge source of national pride and global relevance. Their national team made history at Qatar 2022 World Cup by reaching the semi-finals, becoming the first African and Arab country to reach the 4th place in a World Cup. Their government has shown understanding of the power of infrastructural development and maintenance. There are no disadvantages to valuing national assets.

We feel that a huge part of the responsibility of governments’ taking care of the security and welfare of citizens comes from the way national assets are handled. This is because most of the abandoned projects like the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI) buildings built by the former military leader, Ibrahim Babangida’s administration across the country have all become enclaves for miscreants and robbers that are a menace to communities. Even if many analysts felt that the buildings were poorly thought out, as long as they had been built, the onus is on every government to improve on the buildings and increase their functionality for the people.

We consider the abandoned assets and keep wondering how successive governments never thought of making those buildings functional: federal secretariat, aluminium smelting plant, national library, hotels, and textile companies etc. in a country that has been in dire financial straits since the end of the oil boom in the 1970s.

It amounts to crass irresponsibility and financial recklessness to keep building new elephant projects that are often abandoned by opposition governments while ignoring solid structures that are of huge economic and social value.

However, while we commend the House of Representatives for pointing a torch at those valued national assets, they must do more than that. They have committees that can collaborate to see that the right things are done. Being in the House should not be all about raising matters of urgent national importance. The real work is in following through and for each member to focus on the assets in their own states and make sure their oversight function covers such projects. They are national legislators for a reason. While they come from specific constituencies, their larger constituency is the nation.

The relevant ministries like those of works, sports, education and housing must work together to track and account for all the thousands of assets across the nation. In cases where some unscrupulous civil servants or politicians have either appropriated or sold some or parts of those assets, the relevant government agencies must not just retrieve them but also prosecute the offenders. National assets always stand in history as generational legacies with a stamp of care for posterity. Nigeria’s case cannot be different.