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A new report has delivered a damning verdict on the state of transparency in Nigeria’s public sector, showing that only six out of 517 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) met the minimum benchmark for accountability in 2025. The shocking figure leaves 511 agencies nearly 99 percent stuck in what the report describes as the ‘red zone,’ where lack of transparency, poor integrity measures, and weak compliance systems dominate.

The findings, contained in the 2025 Transparency and Integrity Index (TII), paint a bleak picture of governance and raise fresh questions about how public institutions handle taxpayers’ money, implement projects, and interact with citizens. For ordinary Nigerians, the figures are more than just statistics. They point to a broken system that directly affects livelihoods, service delivery, and public trust.

‘I am not surprised at all,’ Maryam Yusuf, a secondary school teacher in Kaduna who has struggled for over a year to get her pension processed told BusinessDay. ‘When you go to these offices, it feels like you’re begging for what belongs to you. Files disappear, people hint at bribes, and there’s no one to hold accountable. This report only confirms what Nigerians already know.’

Her story mirrors the frustrations of millions who encounter inefficiency and corruption in everyday dealings with government agencies from passport applications and driver’s licenses to healthcare and education services. The 2025 TII ranked MDAs on key indicators such as transparency in budgeting, adherence to ethical codes, disclosure of information, implementation of anti-corruption policies, and public accessibility of data. Out of 517 agencies assessed, only six crossed the minimum benchmark required to be considered ‘transparent and accountable.’ The remaining 511 were classified in the ‘red zone,’ a category that highlights severe gaps in integrity practices. Experts say this is not just a governance issue but also a drain on Nigeria’s economic potential.

‘An institution in the red zone is one that cannot give citizens confidence about how resources are managed,’ explained Michael Daramola, a governance analyst based in Abuja. ‘When you have 99 percent of agencies in this state, it means wastage, corruption, and inefficiency are almost systemic. The effect is poor service delivery, stalled development projects, and public distrust.’

The timing of the report is particularly striking. Nigeria is facing rising unemployment, mounting debt, and growing pressure to deliver on basic services such as healthcare, education, and security. Yet, public institutions remain bogged down by opacity. Citizens in rural communities often lament abandoned projects. A farmer in Ogun State, James Olaleye, recalled how his community was promised irrigation support under a federal program launched three years ago. ‘They came, took pictures, made announcements, but nothing followed,’ he said. ‘We never knew what happened to the funds. Reports like this show why projects vanish and the system itself hides the truth.’

The poor performance of MDAs also feeds into the broader problem of declining trust between citizens and the government. According to surveys, fewer Nigerians believe that government institutions work in their interest. Transparency experts warn that this growing distrust could weaken democracy. ‘When citizens cannot access information or demand accountability, the gap between the government and the governed widens,’ said Prof. Amaka Nwosu, a political scientist. ‘This report underscores that reforms are not optional, they are urgent.’

The six agencies that managed to scale the benchmark were not named in the initial summary, but analysts note that these institutions tend to have stronger leadership commitment to transparency, greater use of technology, and external pressure from civil society. Their performance shows that improvement is possible if deliberate steps are taken. Civil society groups have been quick to highlight this. ‘We cannot just dwell on the failure of the 511,’ said Hassan Bello, director of a Lagos-based accountability NGO. ‘The success of the six agencies should be studied and replicated. It means transparency is not impossible in Nigeria. It only requires willpower and systems that are open to scrutiny.’

The TII recommends reforms such as digitizing service delivery, enforcing compliance with existing transparency laws, strengthening whistleblower protections, and making budget and procurement information easily accessible to the public. For citizens, however, the call is simple: they want institutions that work. ‘We don’t want to read about billions allocated every year while hospitals have no drugs and schools have no chairs,’ said Yusuf, the teacher. ‘Let government agencies be open. Let them show us where the money goes.’

Observers say that unless urgent action is taken, the cycle of corruption and inefficiency will continue. Beyond publishing reports, they argue, there must be consequences for agencies that consistently fail to meet standards. ‘Transparency is not a luxury; it is the foundation of development,’ said . Daramola. ‘If Nigeria wants to reduce poverty, attract investment, and rebuild public trust, then integrity in MDAs must become non-negotiable.’

Kenyon International, an indigenous oil and gas servicing company, has celebrated its 10th anniversary with a pledge to push Nigeria’s crude oil production beyond three million barrels per day, building on its track record of reviving idle and abandoned wells.

At the anniversary event held in Lagos, Victor Ekpenyong, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, said Kenyon had grown from its establishment in 2015 into a trusted partner in the energy industry by focusing on brownfield development and deploying advanced technologies to restore output.

‘Today, Nigeria produces over 1.5 million barrels of oil per day, and that continues to grow. We are proud that Kenyon has been part of this progress. Our mission is to continue reviving idle and ‘dead’ wells, introduce flexible evacuation technologies, and ultimately help Nigeria surpass 3 million barrels per day,’ Ekpenyong stated.

‘I believe that Nigeria’s hydrocarbons are the backbone of our industrial growth’, he added. ‘Our vision at Kenyon is to harness these resources responsibly by investing in technologies that allow us to process them locally, reduce dependence on exports, and create real opportunities for our people. This is how we intend to build energy security today while preparing for the cleaner alternatives of tomorrow’.

Looking ahead, he emphasised that Kenyon’s focus for the next decade will be innovation and collaboration, particularly in addressing production and evacuation challenges. He spotlighted the company’s deployment of Interwell MSAS technology, which restored more than 7,000 barrels per day without production disruption, delivering over 2 million barrels to date.

Kenyon International is an indigenous oilfield service company established in 2012, specialising in well intervention, completion, and control solutions. Providing services such as drilling completion support, wellhead maintenance, idle well management, and emergency blowout response, Kenyon has a proven track record in restoring production, including stabilising collapsing wells.

Meanwhile, Francis Nwaochei, Chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Council, applauded Kenyon as a top supporter of SPE’s vision, particularly in advancing technology dissemination and youth development.

‘Kenyon has truly distinguished itself, not just through technical excellence but through a genuine commitment to people and industry growth.

‘Their support has helped us empower students, professionals, and the wider community, and I am confident that they will keep raising the bar for innovation and excellence in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry,’ he said.

As part of its anniversary initiatives, Kenyon International awarded scholarships to outstanding university students, reinforcing its commitment to youth empowerment and capacity building in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

Aniete Udoh, one of Nigeria’s most respected communications leaders, has stated that the future of branding will not be defined by the loudest voices but by the most authentic storytellers.

Udoh, who is the divisional director at Marketing Edge, argues that in a world where consumers are increasingly skeptical and quick to challenge brands, credibility and cultural grounding must sit at the heart of modern communications.

‘Your story is your brand. If you are not telling it, someone else is, or worse, nobody is hearing it at all. You don’t need to wait to become rich or famous before telling your story. Start now. Start where you are. With what you have,’ Udoh said.

With nearly two decades of experience across journalism, PR, brand strategy and marketing, Udoh has played a central role in elevating Nigerian creativity onto the global stage. Under his leadership, Marketing Edge evolved from a trade journal into one of Nigeria’s most influential communications platforms, becoming the first Nigerian media partner at global events such as Cannes Lions, the Loeries, and the New York Festivals.

His own expertise has also earned international recognition. In 2025 alone, Udoh was named to the PR Power List and appointed as juror for the Effie Awards South Africa, the AME Awards Grand Jury, and the Native Advertising Awards Global Panel. These appointments mark a shift in how Nigerian professionals are viewed on the world stage – as credible voices shaping, not just following, global trends.

Udoh has been a leading advocate for treating storytelling not as a marketing tactic but as a strategic foundation. He has pushed brands and agencies to recognise the value of micro and nano influencers, whose cultural fluency and grassroots credibility make them powerful communicators.

Data shows that Nigerian brands now dedicate up to 35 percent of their budgets to influencer campaigns, a development Udoh helped frame as an investment in authenticity rather than a passing trend.

Equally central to Udoh’s philosophy is ethics. He cautions against the temptation to chase short-term visibility at the expense of credibility. ‘The lesson is clear: long-term credibility trumps short-term visibility,’ he said.

In a country where public trust in institutions is fragile and social media backlash can be immediate, Udoh insists that campaigns must be rooted in cultural authenticity and social responsibility.

For young Nigerian professionals entering a N605 billion ($725 million) advertising industry still battling uneven growth and regulatory hurdles, Udoh’s career offers both a roadmap and a challenge. His rise shows that professionals can build platforms at home that meet global standards, gain recognition abroad without losing local grounding, and redefine branding through authentic, ethical storytelling.

As he puts it: ‘The future will not belong to the loudest people. It will belong to those who can tell their truth well.’

On October 1, 1960, Nigeria raised its green and white flag, declaring political independence. Yet independence has always been about more than politics; it is also about economics. From the trading magnates of the colonial era to the industrialists and financiers of today, Nigerian entrepreneurs have shaped the nation’s economic destiny.

As we commemorate Independence Day, it is worth reflecting on the business empires that emerged before independence, those that rose after independence, and the lessons they offer for a new generation of entrepreneurs.

The pre-independence Pioneers

In colonial Nigeria, indigenous entrepreneurs built fortunes against formidable odds. With little access to capital and markets dominated by European trading houses, they relied on vision, grit, and trust.

The following 10 figures, presented in alphabetical order, are not ranked or rated. They are highlighted as sources of inspiration for the next generation of Nigerians:

Chief Emmanuel Akwiwu – A transport entrepreneur from the Eastern Region, who built one of the early indigenous lorry fleets before independence.

Sir Mobolaji Bank-Anthony – Business magnate and philanthropist. Invested in real estate, aviation, insurance, and shipping from the 1940s and 1950s.

Chief Candido Joao Da Rocha – Lagos-based businessman of Brazilian descent; invested in real estate, water distribution, and banking.

Chief G.O. Adebayo Doherty – One of the first Nigerians to venture into shipping and maritime commerce, breaking a European monopoly.

Chief Hamzat Subair (Oyo) – Pioneer cocoa farmer and merchant, contributing to Nigeria’s global prominence in cocoa exports.

Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu – Transport, textiles, and real estate tycoon; widely regarded as Nigeria’s first millionaire and founding president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola – From cocoa trading to sawmilling, tyres, and manufacturing, he became one of Nigeria’s first industrialists.

Chief Igbinedion Okaigben Idahosa (Esama of Benin) – Started in timber and produce trading, later expanding into transport and hospitality.

Sir Alfred Rewane – Industrialist and political financier; combined commerce with activism in Nigeria’s independence struggle.

Chief Olatunde Johnson Shonibare – Prominent businessman and philanthropist who invested in real estate and supported educational institutions.

These pioneers proved that vision, trust, and boldness could create wealth even under colonial constraints.

The post-independence titans

Since 1960, Nigerian entrepreneurs have had to navigate military rule, policy shifts, oil booms, and global competition. Out of this turbulent context emerged titans whose influence extends across Africa and, in some cases, the world.

The following list of 10 names is again presented in alphabetical order, not as a ranking, but as inspiration for today’s entrepreneurs:

Mike Adenuga (Globacom and Conoil) – Indigenous telecom giant expanded into Ghana, the Benin Republic, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Folorunsho Alakija (Famfa Oil, Rose of Sharon) – Oil and gas exploration pioneer and a global advocate for women in business.

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede (Access Bank, Coronation Group) – Transformed Access Bank into a pan-African powerhouse; now expanding influence in finance and insurance.

Aliko Dangote (Dangote Group) – Cement, sugar, flour, and now petroleum refining; operations across more than 10 African countries.

Tony Elumelu (UBA, Heirs Holdings, TEF) – Banking footprint in 20 African countries, London, Paris, and New York; mentor to thousands of African entrepreneurs through the Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Mitchell Elegbe (Interswitch) – Fintech pioneer; expanded electronic payments across Africa with global partnerships.

Cosmas Maduka (Coscharis Group) – Built Coscharis into a pan-African conglomerate in autos, agriculture, and technology.

Femi Otedola (Forte Oil, Geregu Power) – Moved from petroleum marketing to power generation; active investor in capital markets.

Jim Ovia (Zenith Bank) – Founder of one of Africa’s largest financial institutions, with a presence in Ghana, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and the UK.

Benedict Peters (Aiteo Group) – Built one of Africa’s largest indigenous energy companies; diversified into power, mining, and agriculture.

These titans illustrate that Nigerian businesses are no longer confined to Lagos or Kano-they compete across Africa and influence the global economy.

Sidebar: From Pioneers to Titans – Shifts and Continuities

Pre-Independence Pioneers

Post-Independence Titans

Lesson for today’s SMEs

-Relied heavily on trust and personal reputation

-Built institutional brands with continental reach.

-Start with credibility, then scale.

-Operated within colonial restrictions, limited finance.

-Benefited from liberalisation and capital markets.

-Engage policy and position for global opportunities.

-Focused on trading, agriculture, transport.

-Expanded into industrials, finance, telecoms, fintech.

-Anticipate new frontiers (digital, renewable energy, AI).

-Wealth often stayed local or regional.

-Wealth is now continental and global.

-Design businesses to cross borders.

-Emphasised community trust and philanthropy.

-Emphasise foundations, CSR, and legacy.

-Business success is incomplete without social impact.

Lessons for the New Age

Integrity is capital – Pre-independence pioneers thrived on trust. In today’s transparent markets, credibility remains priceless.

Diversify intelligently – From Ojukwu’s ventures to Dangote’s empire, spreading risk while deepening expertise is key.

Leverage policy and partnerships – Both generations aligned with government priorities while seeking strategic alliances.

Build legacy, not just wealth – Many saw business as a platform for nation-building, not just profit-making.

Think continental, act global – Today’s entrepreneurs must see Africa as one market and the world as the next frontier.

Conclusion

At 65 years of independence (1960-2025), Nigeria is still navigating the journey from political to economic self-reliance. The stories of these 20 entrepreneurs, pioneers before independence and titans after, show that boldness and vision are timeless virtues. The pioneers built resilience out of scarcity; the titans scaled bold visions into global footprints. The next generation must combine the values of the past with the strategies of today.

The African proverb reminds us: ‘Until the lion tells his side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.’ Our entrepreneurs, past and present, are the lions telling Nigeria’s economic story, not as victims, but as empire builders.

For today’s business owners, the message is clear: honour the lessons of the past, adapt to the realities of the present, and build enterprises bold enough to shape the future. That is the true spirit of independence.

The ongoing accusation gaining traction in the north, that Tinubu is short-changing the region in terms of project allocation, as well as political appointments, is driven heavily by partisan politics, says Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Presidential aide on Print Media.

According to him, the Tinubu administration has been very considerate with the region, as several high-profile projects are in various stages of completion in most of the Northern states; this is something the people in the region should be grateful for.

Abdulaziz stated this recently in Kano, while interacting with members of the Kano `Correspondents` Chapel, noting that President Tinubu has also been magnanimous enough to continue with several projects started by the Buhari administration.

‘Of late, we have been hearing some people saying What is the president doing in the north? Beyond new projects, which there are many of them to count, when President Tinubu came, there were so many projects in the northern part of Nigeria. A lot of them were at a very early stage of commencement. I tell people, if this man is wicked or doesn’t like the north, he could leave these projects to be abandoned.

‘He can also withhold financing. If there is no financing, these projects will stagnate, and they will die naturally. But none of these projects that he inherited, which are massive, have actually stopped. And these projects are in billions of dollars.

‘If you look at the very important energy projects for northern Nigeria. The Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline, the AKK, was something that when we came, was not up to 50%. It has been continued. We are nearing completion.

‘This is somebody who is faithful. As I said, if he had wished, he could have sabotaged the funding for it or redirected the money to something else. If you look at the Kolmani oil prospecting, it’s ongoing. It’s something that was at an infancy level when this government came, but it’s continued.

‘If you look at the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road, it is a very important road. If not because of the altercation with Julius Bega that led to cancellation, revocation of the contract and the re-award, otherwise, it would have been completed by now.

‘But now, I drive from Abuja to Kaduna to Kano. At different points, you see the projects going on. The portion that remains between Zaria and Kano is almost completed. They are laying asphalt. If you come from Suleja, from the Suleja axis, you see work is ongoing on reinforced concrete. That is iron and concrete. That is very durable work that has been done. This project, the government devoted over N400 billion to complete it.

‘If you come to the Kaduna-Kano rail line, it was a stage when this government came in. But this government has continued. So many other projects like that. The Kano-Katsina-Maradi rail line is ongoing at a very speedy pace.

‘In fact, they are working literally 24 hours. Because I pass by the places on weekends and I see them working. If you go just outside Kano, around Janguza, once you cross the bridge from BUK, you will see them working up to now, as we speak. And so are so many other places and other projects like that.

‘I say the greatness of a government, for me, is in the way it continues with the project it inherited. The norm, usually in Nigeria, is that every government tries to do something new. So that it will be praised for doing this. Yet billions and billions of Naira get wasted in abandoned projects. But this president has strong faith in Northern Nigeria. And he is a nationalist. And that is why he has devoted a lot of attention and resources to ensure that projects in Northern Nigeria are not halted because a southerner is now the president.

‘No, he sees them as Nigerian projects. And coming to the new roads and other infrastructure, everywhere there are roads dotting Northern Nigeria and other infrastructure that the president is doing. If you look at it, people complain about the coastal highway.

‘But look at the Sokoto-Badagry Road. It’s a bit longer than the coastal highway. Only the coastal highway, because of the terrain, may be more expensive. But this one is a virgin road that is connecting communities, connecting businesses, connecting social interactions between the farthest place in the north to the creeks down south.

‘And along the road, there are economic activities that are being carried out along with the road, including dams, farming clusters, and all that. And this is why it is a very noble project. Over 60% of it is in Northern Nigeria.

‘And the work is ongoing on that. And work is ongoing from different sides, so that no part is left behind. In fact, on the northern plank, I think right now there are about three lots that are concurrently taking place. From Sokoto, it has started. From Kepi, it has started. So, this shows that the government is serious about. It’s not something that is just a name. It’s something that the government is doing to bring prosperity among our people and to also ease the movement of goods and services. That is a very important corridor for livestock and also goods from the south.

‘And on the other side, you know, there is the other road from Lagos to Abuja that is also being done, which is also connected. And then the Port-Harcourt -Maiduguri Rail line, the government has gotten funding for it, and work is starting. And that is also one very massive project that is to the advantage of Northern Nigeria.

‘So, talks about lopsided projects and all that, as I said earlier, are largely political. And the people saying those are not genuine. They say that those who advance their own political causes do so not because they mean what they say. Because any objective analyst, as I just pointed out, any objective analyst will see the economic benefits of this.

‘Sometimes people are myopic about issues like this. A country is not built in a fragmented arrangement. You can’t develop an economy in fragments. It has to be holistic. And some things are done not because maybe the president is from Kano or the president is from Ibadan, but because Kano or Ibadan is important and therefore needs to be developed along that line. For example, there were talks about when the Federal Executive Council approved the upgrade of Abuja and Lagos airports.

‘People were saying all manner of things. But any objective person would know, especially any modern educated person, that anywhere in the world, there are hubs. And you can’t say that you develop your airport or ports at the same rate because they don’t have equal importance. You can say because you say you like equity or you approve equity. And you say you will go and spend N300 billion to develop an airport based on equity. When nobody goes there, when there is no economic activity there.

‘But Lagos is a hub for Nigeria. Not even for Nigeria, you can say, even for West Africa. But modestly, we can say that for Nigeria, it is an airport that carries more than 70% of our passenger traffic. More than 70% of our passenger traffic is in Lagos. So why don’t you develop it? If you go to the UK, they have Heathrow in London. And Heathrow is not the same as maybe the airport in Sheffield or the one in Liverpool. It can be. If you go to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, people sometimes, especially people who are not really educated, don’t even know that Dubai is a city in a country called the United Arab Emirates.

‘But because the authorities understand the importance of having a hub and developing it, and that hub will end up servicing the country. So, Dubai is developed deliberately so that it keeps attracting money for the rest of the country. There are other cities. Even the capital, Abu Dhabi, is not a hub compared to Dubai.

So, in Niger, it’s the same thing. What is the percentage of our revenue coming through the artery of Lagos? It’s a lot. So why don’t you develop it? Because it’s just like a milking cow. If you have a cow that gives you a lot of milk, you should also take care of it so that you will get more milk from it. You can’t say that because the cow is this or is that, I won’t take care of it.

Because the most important thing is that when you feed it well, you will also get a lot of milk. So, if our airport is an ISO, and this is our major entry point, and then some investors or some people are not keen on coming because they feel we don’t have the right facilities, and some airlines cannot land, we are losing. So we ought to be very patriotic and genuine in terms of assessing some of these things’, he explained.

Morolake Emokpaire is the Marketing Lead of Cadbury Nigeria Plc. Morolake, who assumed office in 2021 and loves, lives, and breathes marketing, is taking the 60-year-old resilient Cadbury Nigeria to greater heights. In this interview, Morolake, whose principle is to grow the next generation of marketing leaders, said her purpose is to create brands that are timeless and bigger. Daniel Obi brings the excerpts.

Cadbury Nigeria recently clocked 60 years; kindly take us through this milestone from a brand perspective.

Hearing the word ’60’ literally gives me joy because it speaks to so many things. It speaks to stability and resilience. A 60-year-old man or woman in our culture has entered the League of Elders. They are also the custodian of culture and a custodian of wisdom and tradition.

For us at Cadbury Nigeria Plc, it is beyond just the group of brands. We have been a part of Nigerian families across generations. Our brands hold stories. I have heard consumers tell me that the first time they encountered a TomTom brand was from their grandmother’s handbag.

Just last month, I met a lady who mentioned to me that Cadbury Nigeria actually supported her through school, through a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme in the 80s, when students of indigent parents were supported with our products’ lunch packs.

‘Your SWOT analysis helps you identify key things to do over the next three to five years. You then build strong plans that you constantly review or track to see where you have shifted. You execute and you track, and then you put control measures in place to check.’

Today, those students are mums, and they hold those memories about our brands.

Another thing that is very critical to point out is the fact that our journey is also synonymous with trust. Wherever you see the Cadbury logo, you know you can trust the brand. When you also hear the word ‘Cadbury’, the first word that comes to mind is ‘legacy’. The legacy of snacks that are here to delight you and beverages that sustain you during the morning – and we have seen this across products, across brands and across people.

I hear some people say that Cadbury Nigeria, and especially its Bournvita brand, are considered elitist brands. Do you agree?

In brand-building, we tend to be aspirational. Aspirational in the sense that we give consumers something to look up to, but we are also quite accessible. This year, we were in the Southeastern states for the August Women’s Forum, going into the grassroots to give the women a taste of the product, rejoicing with them, and sitting as they deliberated on the future of their communities. So, I don’t agree with the word ‘elitist’. We reflect what we aspire to be. Maintaining accessibility is critical through our consumer engagements. During holidays, we partner with mums to keep their children active through Bournvita Tech Boot Camp. Also, there is a size of Bournvita for every pocket.

Do you worry about competition in the Nigerian market?

It is not about worrying about competition, but if you do not get competition, you will fall into the trap of complacency. I wouldn’t use the word ‘worry’ as much as our competition reminds us of the challenges that we still need to surmount or overcome. But we are quite confident in our strengths across the brands. We are confident in the support we have from our investors and our parent company, which is Mondelez International.

We are also quite confident in the legacies that our brands have left and the handholding that is going across one generation to another. As we are relevant to the Baby Boomers, we have solid programmes and initiatives with the Millennials.

You would see some of our brands reaching out to the Gen Zers. We have products that are also reaching out to the Alphas. That is where our strength lies-the ability to stay relevant to whatever generation of Nigerians, and even West Africans-and that is where we draw a lot of our confidence from as well.

What has kept TomTom so enduring and lasting for over 50 years in the Nigerian market?

It is basically an inspirational essence. TomTom leverages its ability to inspire Nigerians to breathe better. For instance, if you had to sing, you would need TomTom to clear your throat and to refresh your breath. It does not stop there; the functionality of breathing is rational.

When you tell people to breathe, it is asking them to push through their challenges. We are asking them to take a pause and take a deep breath. When you are faced with challenges, when you are faced with tension, you need to breathe, have confidence, refocus and then go ahead to take on that challenge again. We have partnered with you to breathe and to inspire you.

As CMO of a multinational organisation, what does it take to build a lasting brand?

It starts with a timeless vision. A strong ambition that is even larger than the brand itself. For instance, TomTom’s purpose is to inspire Nigerians to breathe better. It looks like just simple words, but it literally guides everything we do on the brand. Brand-building has critical touch points-analysing the market, the competition, and your SWOT analysis. Your SWOT analysis helps you identify key things to do over the next three to five years. You then build strong plans that you constantly review or track to see where you have shifted. You execute and you track, and then you put control measures in place to check.

The brand vision itself has to be timeless. It guides the pillars of building an ideal product mix, from your product formulation to your pricing, to the distribution, to communication, and across the critical parts of building strategy up until execution. But you must start with a compelling vision.

Government agencies are coming up with policies that affect marketing. To what extent have some policies influenced the market-based strategy of companies?

We appreciate our regulators. They help ensure sanity within the system, but not without some discomforts. For instance, taxation directly affects a lot of our strategies and our budgets.

You would see that over the past couple of years, the price of packaged goods has been on the rise because organisations are in business to make profits. A lot of pressures eventually get passed down to the consumers. You have seen some multinationals exit the country in the last five years. For those of us who remain committed, we are under pressure to continue to do it sustainably. High taxation also limits the amount we can spend to excite and delight the consumers.

There is increasing scrutiny on nutrition communication as well, involving sugar content and other ingredients. With that, it forces us to be more discriminatory in how we build our products.

A lot of our ingredients are quite expensive. Sometimes, we have to take the hits on our margins, which then affects what we are also able to do. We are looking forward to continued collaboration with our regulatory bodies and partners to see how many of these initiatives could be done in transition, or if there could also be relief.

There is a policy against foreign models in Nigerian brand communication. Do you see that as punitive?

I am very passionate about Africa. I think that a united Africa and an empowered Africa position us to be a global force. I am passionate about using our brands to showcase our culture, using our brands to showcase our people, and using our brands to tell the story of Nigeria and Africa to the world. We use local models to drive our brand communication.

Many brands are adopting influencers in marketing. What role does influencer marketing play in shifting perception about brands and driving sales?

They do create a halo effect or positive association with the brands. But I must also call out the need to exercise caution in the identification and the deployment of influencers because a couple of them have gone awry. When choosing influencers for us in Mondelez, the first thing that we look for is the brand fit. The ability of that influencer to embody the ambition of the brand and to humanise the brand.

When we are looking for an influencer, we ask ourselves: if TomTom were a human being, would this individual fit? Is this individual able to humanise the brand? The second question is also looking at the ethical considerations or the ethical influence of that influencer.

For each of our brands, when we break out our brand story, we look for individuals who can help us tell that story vividly and reach their own follower base.

Would you consider AI adoption in marketing as a disruption or an opportunity?

It is an opportunity because most successful brands today will need to understand how to leverage AI and traditional marketing to have the ability to blend. AI enables us to deliver hyper-personalisation. We can deliver tailored content to scale. The algorithm helps us to learn user behaviour and understand preferences at a rapid rate. What traditional marketing helps do is to deliver that warmth and the understanding and the context of culture that AI cannot replicate.

The government has come up with a ‘Nigeria First policy’. How would that help in driving local consumption and help Cadbury Nigeria?

One of the things Mondelez is committed to is that we say ‘local first’ but not ‘local only’. In terms of our strategy and product direction and innovation, it is always local first. In terms of content, a lot of flexibility has been given to generate campaigns of content based on local insight. So, localisation is a big deal for Cadbury Nigeria.

Africa has made a bold declaration on the global stage: the continent will no longer wait for external approval to power its future. That was the resounding message from the inaugural Africa Energy Investment Summit (#AEInvest2025), held this week in New York alongside the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The gathering, convened by the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO), drew African energy ministers, global investors, financiers, and industry leaders with a central goal: to position Africa at the heart of the global energy transition.

‘Why New York and not Africa?’ asked Omar Farouk Ibrahim, APPO Secretary General, opening the summit. ‘Because UNGA brings all our leaders and investors together, making it the ideal platform to connect, engage, and unlock funding for Africa’s energy future.’

Ibrahim highlighted Africa’s energy paradox: vast reserves of oil, gas, and renewable resources on one hand, yet more than 600 million people living without access to electricity. He announced that the long-anticipated African Energy Bank – an institution designed to finance African-led energy projects – has officially been established.

‘Three years after we began the African Energy Bank initiative, I am proud to say it is now a legal entity,’ Ibrahim said. ‘Member countries have deposited equity, the charter has been signed and ratified, and we have raised enough capital to begin operations.’

Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources (oil), pointed to signs of renewed investor confidence in Africa’s energy sector. ‘Nigeria’s production rose from one million to 1.8 million barrels per day, and our goal is 2.5 million. American companies are already showing strong interest in investing in Nigerian oil blocks,’ he said.

Lokpobiri argued strongly for continued fossil fuel investment, insisting Africa must chart its own course in the energy transition. ‘Africa must not be deceived into abandoning fossil fuels while the West continues to expand production. Our hydrocarbons will finance our transition – not charity, not aid,’ he said.

Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Hydrocarbon Mining Development, H.E. Antonio Oburu Ondo, speaking on behalf of Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, underscored the urgency of reclaiming financial sovereignty. ‘Africa holds 40% of the world’s natural resource discoveries yet remains at the mercy of financiers in London, Paris, and New York,’ he said. ‘Energy finance is a question of sovereignty. We must build the African Energy Bank, mobilise our sovereign wealth and pension funds, and secure Africa’s rightful place as a global energy leader.’

James Shindi, CEO of Brevity Anderson, producers of #AEInvest2025, said the New York event marked just the beginning. ‘This is the first in a series and we will be back next year, even bigger and better,’ he said.

As the summit closed, one theme resonated from the halls of New York to capitals across Africa: the continent intends to take ownership of its energy destiny – on its own terms.

Civil society organisations, opposition party figures, and economic experts have applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing it as a landmark initiative capable of transforming Nigeria’s infrastructure and boosting economic growth.

The commendations came during a project inspection tour in Lagos, led by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, where stakeholders noted the quality of execution and urged Nigerians to rise above political divides in supporting developmental projects.

Umahi disclosed that the first section of the 750-kilometre coastal highway-stretching from Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, to Eleko, Lagos-would be completed by May 2026. He said 35 kilometres had already been delivered, leaving 12 kilometres to finish the initial 47-kilometre segment. Work, he added, had also commenced on the second section from Eleko to Ode-Omi, Ogun State.

The minister highlighted the government’s efforts to save properties such as the Landmark Centre, clear refuse to a depth of 10 metres, and deploy concrete technology to ensure road durability. ‘Emerging economies like India have adopted concrete for enduring roads, and Nigeria must follow suit,’ he said.

Otunba Segun Showunmi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and convener of The Alternative, stressed the need for national consensus on development. ‘Beyond our political ideological differences, we need to, as a nation, breathe in and out to explore how to achieve consensus to develop our nation,’ he said. Drawing on global examples, he added: ‘When you look at countries like Singapore, India, and UAE, their achievements have come through building consensus for national development. A nation at 65 must be in a hurry to link its infrastructure to model after globally competitive economies.’

Olufemi Awoyemi, Chairman of Proshare Group, described the coastal highway as a ‘test case’ for financing large infrastructure projects. ‘This is an alternative, providing a primary route for cross-country connectivity, away from congestion, and a test case for big infrastructure projects and their financing,’ he said. According to him, the project has the potential to open new trade routes, ease transport bottlenecks, and stimulate investment in adjoining communities.

Leaders of more than 20 civil society organisations also joined the tour. Declan Ihekaire, one of the representatives, welcomed the government’s decision to involve stakeholders in monitoring the project. ‘We, as CSOs, must not condemn every time. When we see where they are getting it right, we should talk so that we encourage them. Ultimately, the beneficiaries of good initiatives are the people,’ he said.

Umahi also addressed concerns about properties allegedly affected by the highway. He assured that due process would be followed, promising investigations into issues around WinHomes and claims of $200 million in diaspora real estate investments. ‘We will involve the EFCC and DSS to investigate the matter alongside civil society organisations,’ he said, adding that the ministry would provide regular briefings to ensure transparency.

Beyond the coastal highway, Umahi outlined three other ‘legacy projects’ under Tinubu’s administration: the 477-kilometre Trans-Saharan Highway linking Calabar to the FCT, the 422-kilometre Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Expressway, and the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway. ‘Roads and bridges are the infrastructure that build the GDP of every nation,’ he said. ‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has this knowledge; he demonstrated it as Governor of Lagos State, which today is an economy within an economy.’

Stakeholders at the inspection agreed that Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges required collective action rather than political rivalry. ‘Consensus is the key,’ Showunmi reiterated.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, projected at 750 kilometres, is one of the most ambitious road projects in Africa. With sections already underway and the first stretch due in 2026, the project has attracted rare bipartisan praise-suggesting that infrastructure could be the bridge for consensus in Nigeria’s divided political landscape.

The addresses delivered by global leaders, including the compelling statement from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, at the September 2025 UN General Assembly, served as a resounding admittance that the objectives of SDG 16 on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions are yet to be met and a collective demand for change, directly linking the world’s most acute security and economic failures to the UN’s institutional stagnation. Far from focusing on traditional, isolated challenges, these speeches uniformly confronted the modern global threat matrix-a terrifying convergence of asymmetric conflict, climate-driven instability, systemic economic inequity, and digital warfare. Every nation, regardless of size, acknowledged that the 1945 security paradigm is broken. This shared diagnosis positions the Pact for the Future not merely as a diplomatic aspiration but as a viable strategic roadmap for survival, committing the UN and its member states to the necessary institutional reforms, from financial justice and governance modernisation to the New Agenda for Peace, required to regain strategic relevance in a dangerously complex new world order.

The 80th session of the UN General Assembly opened on 9 September 2025. The first day of the high-level general debate started on Tuesday, 23 September, under the main theme: ‘Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights’. This year’s UNGA is its 80th and coincides with a time when the world body is facing a crisis of strategic relevance. Its foundational security doctrines, designed for a post-World War II world of state-on-state conflict, are failing to adapt to a new global threat matrix. The UN’s foundational commitment, a pledge by the world’s governments to collaborate harmoniously and address shared challenges, faces an unprecedented array of pressures. Ancient, persistent challenges, such as the spectre of oppression, the pursuit of extraterritorial ambition, and the deep-seated roots of conflict, are now intertwining with a new wave of disruptive forces. The challenges are not merely political; they represent a fundamental failure of the collective security apparatus to counter the complex, asymmetric, and hybrid threats that define our era.

This realisation is precisely why member states adopted the Pact for the Future in September 2024. The Pact is the UN’s operational attempt to shift its security paradigm, moving from reactive management to proactive anticipation. President Bola Tinubu’s address was a direct and unflinching assessment of this reality, positioning Nigeria’s national security imperatives as a blueprint for the Pact’s implementation, particularly through its New Agenda for Peace.

‘The core of President Tinubu’s message is that the UN must shift its strategic doctrine. The pact for the future is not just a diplomatic document but the strategic blueprint for this shift.’

The most glaring vulnerability in the UN’s architecture is the paralysis of the Security Council. Its veto-wielding structure has transformed it from a decisive command-and-control centre into a forum for gridlock. This paralysis creates a dangerous vacuum, a permissive environment that state-sponsored proxies and violent non-state actors exploit to expand their influence and capabilities.

President Tinubu directly addresses this systemic failure, aligning perfectly with the Pact’s Pillar 5: Transforming Global Governance (the Pact’s five pillars are indicated in the table below). He unequivocally called for a permanent African seat, arguing that a council that fails to reflect the world’s demographic realities cannot effectively govern it. By demanding a seat at the table, Nigeria is seizing the momentum of the Pact’s governance reform commitments to push for a necessary strategic adjustment, ensuring the Council is more agile and responsive to the security realities of the Global South.

The new threat matrix facing the world can be broken down into five interlocking areas:

1. Hybrid and asymmetric conflict comprising Non-State Actors (NSAs) as primary combatants and the challenge of convergent threats where criminality and ideology are merging, as well as the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), a critical destabilising factor, facilitating everything from gang violence to regional insurgencies.

2. Climate change as a threat multiplier is a trigger for resource wars, forced migration, border stress and state erosion.

3. Digital Vulnerabilities and Weaponisation, including cyber warfare and critical infrastructure, information disorder (disinformation and AI) and the digital divide.

4. Systemic Economic Inequality and Vulnerability, such as the debt-security spiral, illicit financial flows (IFFs) and fragile supply chains.

5. Institutional Fatigue and Fragmentation, including multilateral decay and the rise of nationalism and singularity (quoting President Donald Trump) and lack of foresight (anticipatory governance).

The UN’s traditional security model is ill-equipped to deal with the ancient, persistent challenges and the asymmetric threat matrix that define our time. President Tinubu brought this into sharp focus by directly naming terrorism, banditry, and insurgency as existential threats, echoing the spirit of the Pact’s Pillar 2: International Peace and Security.

This intersection is where the economic meets the operational security:

1. Funding the conflict: Tinubu’s emphasis on fighting illicit financial flows (IFFs) and recovering stolen assets is a direct operational countermeasure. These IFFs are the lifeblood of criminal and extremist groups. By disrupting these illicit pipelines, he argues, the international community can cripple the financial lifelines of instability. This strongly supports the Pact’s Pillar 1: Sustainable Development and Financing, which seeks to reform global finance to create stability, thereby removing the economic oxygen from conflict actors.

2. Root causes and prevention: Tinubu’s insistence on addressing poverty, hunger, and exclusion as the roots of conflict is a textbook application of the Pact’s New Agenda for Peace. The Pact prioritizes prevention over intervention. Nigeria’s demand for economic equity and debt relief, a core part of the Pact’s reform agenda, is framed as a primary defence measure, investing in ‘freedom from want’ to achieve ‘freedom from fear’.

The core of President Tinubu’s message is that the UN must shift its strategic doctrine. The pact for the future is not just a diplomatic document but the strategic blueprint for this shift.

Tinubu’s call for empowering youth and addressing the digital divide also supports the Pact’s Pillar 3 (Digital Cooperation) and Pillar 4 (Youth and Future Generations). In a security context, this means:

? Countering extremism online: Closing the digital divide and establishing digital governance is essential for countering radicalisation and disinformation campaigns that fuel instability.

? Anticipatory governance: The Pact’s commitment to ‘anticipatory governance’ aligns with Nigeria’s need to predict and mitigate climate-driven conflicts (like farmer-herder clashes) before they escalate.

President Tinubu’s forceful, security-oriented stance thus positions Nigeria not as a passive beneficiary of the Pact for the Future, but as an essential and highly motivated partner in building a more secure and adaptable international order, using the Pact’s own language and framework to advance its national security interests. To do this and to ensure that the well-commended speech does not remain an aspiration as previous ones did, Nigeria should build on the outcome of the strategic dialogue on Nigeria’s commitments to the Pact held on August 29, 2025, at the UN Nigeria Office in FCT Abuja.

Technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate, and terms like ‘machine learning’, ‘deep learning’, and ‘neural networks’ are no longer confined to research labs or Silicon Valley boardrooms. They are shaping how banks approve loans, how telcos manage customer churn, how oil and gas firms optimise drilling, and even how governments plan infrastructure.

For business executives and the general public, it is crucial to demystify these buzzwords. Understanding them doesn’t mean becoming a data scientist, but it does mean knowing enough to see opportunities, ask the right questions, and avoid costly mistakes.

What is machine learning?

Machine learning (ML) is the foundation of modern artificial intelligence. It’s about teaching computers to learn from data and improve over time without requiring explicit programming.

Using the banking sector as an example. A Nigerian bank handling millions of Naira transactions daily must constantly be vigilant against fraud. Instead of relying on static rules, such as flagging only large transfers, it should adopt dynamic approaches. Machine learning models can spot subtle anomalies, such as a customer suddenly making multiple small transfers late at night or unusual login behaviour from an unknown or foreign device. The system improves and becomes more effective the more transactions it analyses.

For executives, machine learning means transitioning from ‘rules-based’ systems to adaptive ones that evolve in tandem with the business environment.

What is deep learning?

Deep learning is a specialised branch of machine learning inspired by how the human brain processes information. The term ‘deep’ refers to the use of many layers of interconnected processing units. Each layer learns something more complex than the previous one.

Think of it like how a telco manages its vast customer base. A telecom operator with 50 million subscribers wants to predict which customers are likely to switch to competitors. A basic machine learning model might look at call frequency or data usage. However, a deep learning model goes further; it analyses dozens of data points, including network quality, customer complaints, payment patterns, and even social sentiment. With this, the telco can not only predict churn but also design tailored retention offers, saving millions of Naira in lost revenue.

For businesses, deep learning brings a significant change in what’s possible: automating tasks once thought to require human intelligence.

‘For business leaders, the importance of machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks lies in their potential to unlock efficiency and competitiveness.’

Neural networks explained

The engine behind deep learning is the artificial neural network (ANN). Modelled loosely on the human brain’s network of neurones, an ANN consists of nodes (neurones) connected by links. Each connection carries a weight, and as data passes through the network, these weights adjust, strengthening or weakening connections until the system produces reliable results.

In the oil and gas industry, neural networks are already being utilised to enhance exploration and drilling efficiency. Consider an upstream operator analysing seismic data. The data is massive and noisy, but neural networks can learn to detect subtle patterns that point to the presence of oil or gas reserves. The technology helps geologists reduce guesswork, saving millions in drilling costs and minimising environmental risks.

A simple way to think about neural networks is how children learn. If a child touches a hot stove, they quickly avoid it next time. Neural networks operate similarly; they ‘learn’ from errors and improve decisions over time.

Why these matter for business leaders

For business leaders, the importance of machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks lies in their potential to unlock efficiency and competitiveness. Companies that harness these tools can:

Automate repetitive processes, from banking compliance checks to telco billing queries.

Predict market trends by analysing vast volumes of structured and unstructured data.

Enhance customer experience through hyper-personalisation, tailored offers, and faster service.

Reduce risks through fraud detection in finance, predictive maintenance in telecoms, and drilling safety in oil and gas, among others.

At the same time, there are challenges, including data privacy concerns, ethical issues, high implementation costs, and the risk of overhyped expectations. Not every problem requires deep learning; sometimes simpler machine learning approaches work well.

The Human Element (Human in the Loop)

It’s easy to get carried away with the technical jargon, but ultimately, these technologies are tools. They don’t replace human judgement, creativity, or strategic thinking. Instead, they augment them. The best results come when executives combine human insight with machine-driven intelligence.

For example, a retail CEO doesn’t need to code a neural network, but they should know what to ask:

Do we have enough quality data to train an algorithm?

How will AI-driven insights affect customer relationships?

What guardrails do we need to ensure fairness and transparency?

Bottom line

Machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks are not abstract scientific concepts; they are practical tools shaping the present and future of business. From banks tightening fraud prevention to telcos retaining customers to oil and gas companies reducing exploration costs, the applications are tangible and measurable.

The key is not to fear the complexity but to engage with it. Executives who understand the basics will be better positioned to steer their organisations through the ongoing wave of digital transformation.

Just as electricity once transformed industries, intelligent systems powered by machine learning and neural networks are poised to do the same in our time. The question is: will your business adapt early and lead, or lag?