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The Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed that the senior men national team, Super Eagles, will take on Venezuela and Colombia in the United States of America during the FIFA window for international friendly matches in the month of November 2025.

NFF’s FIFA Match Agent, Jairo Pachon of Eurodata Sport, said the Super Eagles will be up against Venezuela on Friday, 14th November 2025 at the Shell Stadium in Houston, Texas, with kick-off billed for 8pm Texas time.

On Tuesday, 18th November 2025, the three-time African champions will confront the Los Cafeteros of Colombia at the Citi Field Stadium in Flushing Meadows, borough of Queens, New York with kick-off billed for 8pm Eastern Time (1am Wednesday, 19th November in Nigeria).

In their last sojourn in the United States of America, in the summer of 2022, the Super Eagles played against Mexico at the AT and T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, losing narrowly 1-2, with Nigeria’s goal coming off a powerful header by Cyriel Dessers. It was the first match in charge for Portuguese Coach José Peseiro.

The Eagles also took on Ecuador’s La Tricolor in New Jersey, losing by the odd goal.

Nigeria ‘s ace golfer Sunday Olapade on Sunday, September 28, won the professional round of the 2025 Lakowe Lakes Golf Classic with an impressive ten-under par score in 54 holes to win the event.

Golf Manager of Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estate, Femi Olagbenro, said Olapade had a brilliant spell at the event and came close to breaking the course’s 54-hole record held by Vincent Torgah.

‘I believe every player showing up at Lakowe Lakes Golf Club puts in an extra effort to match the pedigree of the course and the tough field that is always on parade during at each Lakowe Lakes Golf Classic event.’

The 2025 event paraded some of the best professional players across West Africa, including Emos Korblah and Barry Yaw from Ghana, Oche Odoh, Kamalu Bako, Gift Willy, Godwin Okoko, Michael Ubi, and Francis Epe. This year’s event is supported by Oando Nigeria, GAC Motors, Providus Bank, ARM Holding Company, Mixtafrica, Newmark, International Breweries, were among others.

Olapade rounds were 69, 65, and 72 for the three days to beat Korblah with a five-stroke margin and pocket the 5 million naira purse and an additional ARM champion bonus of 2.5 million totalling 7.5 million for his victory.

‘This is a very satisfying win, given the effort I have put into my game in the past few months. I have just come back from a training round in Kenya. It’s been a very challenging routine, which is why this is satisfying. I want to thank everyone who has supported me this while, and believe in me.’

Youngster Godwin Okoko, also made the winner’s list with a third-place finish in the professional round while also leading his amateur team members to be crowned the Team Event winners. The members included Ikechukwu Boniface, David Maji, and Frances Omaruaye.

In the Team Event, Kingsley Oparaku led Roland Alexander, Terry Paul and Abe Ayodeji to the runner-up position.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Chairman of Lakowe Lakes Golf Estate Deji Alli said that the game of golf has impacted on his person, and outlook of business for Lakowe Lakes project, despite the challenges of running a world-class facility like Lakowe Lakes Golf Club.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday said Nigeria’s prosperity cannot be separated from the future of the northern part of the country.

President Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, spoke yesterday in Abuja at this year’s edition of the Nigeria Investment and Industrialization Summit (NNIIS) organised under the leadership of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).

Edun said the Tinubu administration was embarking on critical industrialisation projects for the North to develop and progress.

He hailed the NEF for its determination to change the narrative and the efforts to place the region in its rightful place.

The NEF announced that the theme of the summit: Unlocking Northern Nigeria’s Mining, Agricultural and Power Potentials (MAP2035), is based on a 10-year blueprint for the transformation of the region.

The forum described it as a framework designed to reposition Northern Nigeria as a hub of innovation, industrialisation, and inclusive growth.

President Tinubu said: ‘The future of Nigeria’s prosperity is inseparable from the future of northern Nigeria. If we unlock the north’s minerals, we secure a new era of industrial competitiveness. If we unlock the North’s agriculture, we guarantee food security and global export leadership. If we unlock the north’s power, we ignite a wave of industrialisation that will employ millions of Nigerians.’

Edun noted that President Tinubu’s economic vision is geared towards building a strong, stable, and inclusive economy, for which the government clears obstacles out of the way, where the private sector provides the engine of growth and where every Nigerian can rise.

He added: ‘The North is not just a part of the country; it is the engine of the country. So, together, let us seize this moment to transform northern Nigeria into the powerhouse of Nigeria’s prosperity.

‘I warmly commend the Northern Elders Forum, the 19 states of Northern Nigeria, for convening this historic summit. The theme: Unlocking Strategic Opportunities in Mining, Agriculture, and Power, MAP for short, could not be more fitting because these sectors do represent the backbone of Nigeria’s economy and indeed the foundation for industrialisation.’

The minister examined the state of the economy and some of the achievements of the Tinubu administration since it assumed office 28 months ago.

He said: ‘In the second quarter of 2025, that’s just this last quarter, April to June, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Nigeria grew by 4.23 per cent, the strongest growth in a decade except for the COVID rebound era. The strongest growth in a decade, and since 2023, year-on-year growth has consistently been above three per cent, outpacing two per cent of the five to eight years previously.

‘More critically, industrial growth, where jobs are created, doubled year-on-year, while agriculture and services also expanded robustly. Inflation has begun to ease, 20.12 per cent in August, and it’s consistently, month after month, the last five months have been coming down.’

Edun said: ‘Our trade surplus, $7.4 trillion; reserves have risen to $42 billion. As we know, the naira has not only stabilised, it has even strengthened. But this progress is not by chance; it is a result of deliberate, intentional, and strategic policies anchored on the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, and the Renewed Hope Agenda is anchored on economic transformation, inclusive growth, and national prosperity, but it recognizes the interconnected roles of finance, public policy, and technology in unlocking Nigeria’s full potential.

‘The key focus areas have been stabilizing the macroeconomic environment, creating jobs, reducing poverty, mobilising private sector investment, whether domestic, and focused on digital and financial innovation.

‘That’s why the President’s administration’s strategic reforms place mining, agriculture, and power in the North at the heart of our growth agenda. What are those opportunities? As we have just heard, the North holds some of the most valuable mineral deposits in Africa. Gold, lithium, tin, zinc, limestone, and coal are all available in the North, and new reforms are formalising artisanal mining, attracting credible investors, as we have heard earlier today in lithium, for example, and ensuring that host communities benefit directly.

‘And that is critical, ensuring that host communities benefit directly, thereby avoiding some of the problems that can come from when host communities feel left out.

‘So, we are building value chains so Nigeria no longer just exports raw materials, but also processes those raw materials into batteries, cement, and industrial inputs. Let me turn to agriculture.

‘With 70 per cent of Nigeria’s arable land located in the North, agriculture is both the region’s heritage and its future, and key to unlocking that agricultural potential is really the world. It’s things like the infrastructure that was referred to by the Chairman.

‘Key infrastructure, such as the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, will link so many states and their dams and their ability to provide irrigation, as well as link it all the way down to the South, all the way down to the ports. It’s that kind of transformational infrastructural development that is being undertaken under Mr. President’s Review of Hope agenda.

‘These are the things that are being done differently that give us tremendous optimism that at last some of the discussions which the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) was undertaking in the 1090s are now coming to fruition. The goal is to build agro-industrial corridors where crops don’t just feed the market but supply flour mills, textile factories, and export hubs.’

Speaking of efforts on energy revolution for the North’s industrialisation to attract investors, Edun noted that the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano-AKK Pipeline, protected when completed, would make the north an industrial hub.

‘Looking at power and industrialisation, energy, of course, is the oxygen of industrialisation. Without power, there can be no factories, no agro-processing, and no jobs at scale, which is what Nigeria needs. Of course, we now have the Ministry of Livestock Development, and that’s an important innovation that retains great value. But in terms of going back to power, we do have the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano-AKK-Pipeline. That is a strategic project.

‘It is almost completed, it will deliver natural gas for power generation and industrial use across the whole of northern Nigeria, and coupled with the Mission 300, which, as I said earlier, is unlocking about $32 billion in energy and industrial investment, we are laying the foundation for a northern Nigeria that is fully powered and industrialized.

‘Imagine a northern Nigeria where textiles in Kaduna, cement in Sokoto, fertiliser in Bauchi, agro-processing in Kano, and mining in Zamfara, are all powered by reliable and affordable energy.’

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal called for serious action to tackle the current insecurity bedeviling the region to attract investors.

He said; ‘The question before us, as leaders, is not what needs to be done but how we must collectively act to transform potential into prosperity, to attract the investment we so desperately need and to industrialise our region for the benefit of the entire nation. We must move beyond rhetoric and embrace a new paradigm of collaborative action.

‘Firstly, we must collectively secure people and investments. Security is the fundamental prerequisite for any meaningful development. Investors, both domestic and international, are not philanthropists; they are realists.

‘They will not commit capital where it is not safe. We, as leaders across the 19 northern states, must deepen our collaboration beyond politics. We must integrate our security architectures, share intelligence in real-time, and foster greater community policing to create a secure and predictable environment. A safe North is a bankable North.

‘Secondly, we must harmonise and simplify our policies. The current landscape, where investment policies and regulatory frameworks differ-and sometimes conflict-from one state to another, creates confusion and discourages large-scale, regional investment. We must work towards a ‘One-North’ Investment Policy. This would include harmonized land administration, streamlined approvals for mining and agriculture, and uniform tax incentives for strategic sectors. By presenting a united, predictable, and business-friendly front, we become a more attractive destination than any single state could be if it were to act alone.

‘In line with the above, I propose that the Northern States’ Governors’ Forum constitute a committee of our state investment promotion agencies to draft a unified Investment policy and regulatory framework which will be submitted to the NSGF secretariat for review and ratification.

‘Thirdly, we must commit to building enabling infrastructure, particularly in Power. No nation or region has ever industrialized with generators. The power sector is the engine room of industrialisation. Taking advantage of the Electricity Act 2023, we must pool our resources and political will to develop a Northern Power Strategy. This involves not just connecting to the national grid but aggressively investing in embedded generation from solar, hydro, and gas to create industrial clusters with dedicated, reliable power.’

He also stressed that; ‘Our fortunes are intertwined. Therefore, my call to action today is for a Northern Nigerian Economic Compact. A binding commitment among the 19 states to: Speak with One Voice on security and economic matters; Create a Single Window for major investors looking to do business across the region; Co-invest in critical infrastructure like power, rail, and fibre optics that connect our states.

‘By doing so, we will not only be unlocking the strategic opportunities in mining, agriculture, and power; we will be unlocking the immense potential of our people. We will create jobs for our youth, create wealth for our people, and contribute meaningfully to the food security and economic resilience of our nation, Nigeria.’

The Convener/NEF Chairman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, who was represented by Air Marshal Al’amin Daggash (retd.), underscored the importance of the summit.

He noted that one of the major challenges that have impeded the industrialisation of the region is lack of critical infrastructures.

According to him, the summit is not political, nor is it ceremonial, but a mission for prosperity, a rallying call to action, and a decisive step toward building a sustainable economic future for Northern Nigeria.

He said: ‘We cannot delay any further. The resources are here, the people are ready, and the time is now. Let us be clear: if the North rises, Nigeria rises. If Nigeria rises, Africa rises

This summit marks the beginning of a decade-long journey. The North must walk it with determination, unity, and vision.

‘The backbone of Northern Nigeria’s economy, from colonial times through the early years of independence, was agriculture and an extensive network of rail lines. These facilitated the movement of groundnuts, cotton, hides and skins, and solid minerals to the coastal states-predominantly Lagos-for export.

‘That legacy demonstrates two enduring realities: The North has always been the engine room of Nigeria’s productive economy.

‘Our challenge has always been infrastructure to link our vast resources to markets.

‘Today, those realities remain unchanged. Northern Nigeria is blessed with abundant mineral wealth, fertile land, and vibrant human capital. But without modern infrastructure-railways, roads, power, and storage-the full value of these resources cannot be realized. This explains the growing preoccupation of government agencies and stakeholders with exploiting our region’s tremendous mineral resources.

‘Yet, as elders, we must stress: without corresponding infrastructure, these efforts will remain sub-optimal

Call for Deliberate Action; We, as elders, strongly believe that for government policies to deliver meaningful impact, there must be deliberate commitment to the mining sector and its related services.

‘Imagine the multiplier effect-industrial growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and renewed prosperity for our people-if mining is properly harnessed, linked to value chains, and supported by strong infrastructure.’

But the NEF boss also called for favorable financial inclusion of northern entrepreneurs in terms of project financing.

‘The Question of Finance. It is also pertinent to bring to the fore the issue of project financing.

‘We must express our continuous concern that unless the government and financial sector review their policies, businesses based in Northern Nigeria will remain disadvantaged.

‘The current practice where entrepreneurs can only access substantial credit if they hold properties in Lagos or Port Harcourt is unjust and exclusionary.’

SAFA have responded to the news of Bafana Bafana being docked points by FIFA on Monday.

Bafana have been docked three points for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, against Lesotho in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on 21 March 2025.

The South African football governing body have acknowledged their error and apologised the supporters.

‘The South African Football Association (SAFA) acknowledges a ruling by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee which sanctioned the Association for erroneously fielding midfielder Teboho Mokoena during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Lesotho played on 21 March 2025,’ the statement read.

‘In terms of the decision, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee declared the match to have been forfeited by Bafana Bafana by the score of 3-0. The Association has also further been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10,000, while Mokoena has been issued with a warning.

‘As SAFA, we are deeply disappointed with this unprecedented outcome noting that it was delivered by a single-member panel without reasons, and without affording the Association an opportunity to present legal arguments. The Association confirms that we have requested written reasons for the judgment and intend to lodge a formal appeal with the FIFA Appeals Committee within the prescribed 10-day period under FIFA’s disciplinary rules.

‘Despite the outcome, the Association emphasises its continued commitment to supporting Bafana Bafana in their qualification campaign. The players and the technical team have worked extremely hard to reach this stage, and we remain focused on ensuring they secure maximum points in the matches ahead. We apologise to the nation for this administrative oversight and will reflect on the steps to take at the conclusion of our qualifying campaign. Finally, we call on all South Africans to rally behind the team during this final and crucial stage of the qualifiers.

‘Bafana Bafana will next face Zimbabwe at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on 10 October 2025, followed by a clash against Rwanda at the Mbombela Stadium on 14 October 2025. Both matches will kick off at 18h00.’

President Jonathan’s last Thursday close-door meeting with David Mark, the ADC chairman in Abuja, was reported by The Nation and a couple of other newspapers. Jonathan wanted to be reassured he could secure the ADC presidential ticket before joining the party. Jonathan’s current gamble must have been encouraged by his several years of political engagement during which he has always had his palm kernel cracked for him by a benevolent spirit (apology to Chinua Achebe).

Jonathan is a man who has always had all his battles fought on his behalf. He has never been called to take responsibility even for his follies. He was minding his business as a fishery lecturer in the university when he was summoned to come and become deputy governor. Not long after, with the impeachment of his principal, he became governor by providence. Just as he was settling down in his new position, he was named vice president by Olusegun Obasanjo.

And when the Yar’Adua front led by Chief James Ibori raised the question of propriety about his becoming acting president following Yar’Adua’s illness , Pastor Tunde Bakare and a host of other civil society groups took over the street of Lagos and Abuja, forcing the National Assembly to come up with the ‘doctrine of necessity’. He became president in spite of resistance from the north because Obasanjo was on ground to carry him on his back across the north probably to assure them Jonathan would do only one term. Of course, the south rallied round him because they saw in Jonathan an underdog being bullied by an overbearing north with their usual sense of entitlement. If Jonathan made any contribution at all, it was his almost inaudible s shriek cries ‘I am a shoeless school boy from Otuoke village; I know your pains because I have been there’.

In a nation where the national question has been compounded by the dominant ethnic groups, their political parties and their politicians who insisted no one gets what they cannot get, Jonathan changed the paradigm. He secured an electoral victory without having to be adopted by any of the dominant groups. Obasanjo his godfather had little or no electoral value in his home base where he could not win in his polling booth. On their part, the owners of PDP in the north- Generals Ibrahim Babangida, Aliyu Gusau, Adamu Ciroma and Atiku Ababakar built an alliance of opposition against Jonathan on the eve of an election. Of course the age-long rivalry between the southeast and south-south affected his level of support in the two zones. Added to these challenges was PDP, Jonathan’s platform which had become more of a liability than an asset, having misgoverned the country for 12 years. There was no doubt Jonathan won the election in spite of PDP.

Unfortunately because others have always fought Jonathan’s wars, he was unable to manage victories that came his way so cheaply. His first political debacle was his appointment of secretary to government. It did not take time for his government to start taking an ethnic colouration. Even the ministry of finance office of our revered Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was taken over by one ethnic group and when confronted, she said her people got their positions on merit.

President Jonathan unfortunately was unable to manage or confront the hijackers of his government. He could not do more than writhe his hands as Diezani Alison-Maduekwe, his minister of petroleum stole the country blind. There were institutional reports that questioned the aviation minister’s handling of the $360 subsidy to the airlines and the $500m Chinese loan out of which 30 brand new aircraft were to be bought for the ailing airlines. But to President Jonathan, Princess Stella Oduah who later accompanied him on a pilgrimage to Rome, remained untouchable.

Depending on whose figure you are adopting between President Yar’Adua, Speaker Dimeji Bankole, Power Minister Lyel Imoke, government spent between $6billion and $16billion on unbundling of PHCN. Under Jonathan administration, the unbundled companies were sold as discos to PDP stalwarts including his serving minister of power and others who knew next to nothing about electricity. A bank owner who later donated N3b to Jonathan’s presidential campaign fund bought one of the discos. Another went to a professor of Geography who had spoken for every government in power since Shehu Shagari’s 1979 presidency. He served as the head of delegation of new disco owners seeking bail-out and equity participation from a government that had just privatized the discos while setting aside $500m for support.

It is also on record that President Jonathan only paid lip service to fighting corruption. He had in fact dismissively said ‘if they have succeeded in fighting, corruption, corruption would not have been with us today’.

It is therefore not difficult to understand why James Ibori who sponsored the Yar’Adua and Jonathan’s presidential ticket in 2007 served jail terms in London for the same offence over which he secured reprieve from an Asaba High Court; why Edo governor, Lucky Igbinedion got a slap on the wrist for running the finances of Edo State aground and why a convicted felon who converted 70% of his state resources to personal use got presidential pardon in order to, in the words of Doyin Okupe ‘make more contributions to the development of his fatherland’.

Under Jonathan, KPMG’s report on NNPC; the report on fuel subsidy regime; pending cases against prominent PDP members in the banking sector, those of oil subsidy fraudsters; the $10b NNPC missing fund President Jonathan said would be unravelled through forensic inquiry and the $30b from excess crude account consistently raised by governors Adams Oshiomhole and Rotimi Amaechi remained stalled because the ‘wheel of justice according to the president grinds slowly’.

Jonathan who has always overcome challenges through luck must have taken note of all the above personal failings before convincing himself that that today, fate beckons on him as the only one who can bring back PDP years of the locust. Although all those earnestly praying for the return of President Jonathan including Bauchi governor Bala Mohammed and the embattled disco owners who for lack of technical knowhow and financial muscle, have lost their cherished discos to banks, have not denied being driven by self-interest. Jonathan however believes he is the one ordained to bring back the glory PDP lost as a result of their endless violent family dispute over the sharing of our resources.

But just as Jonathan who is now convinced he has been called upon by destiny to trade his earned status of African statesman to joining the current toxic Nigerian political environment where an unthinking mob called ‘Obidients’ threaten to visit violence on critics of their leader who daily mouth democracy without a demonstration of democratic ethos such as congratulating a victorious opponent, let me call his attention to the implication of his rejection of the voice of reason.

He will be haunted by the legacies of his five years of maladministration covering incompetence, his alleged sponsorship of militant groups as governor of Bayelsa and his mishandling of the power sector privatization which according to Punch newspaper ‘transferred most of the generation and distribution companies to untested, incompetent domestic consortia that have saddled Nigeria with a legal quagmire’.

There was the report of an international judicial probe that claimed that Nigerian government was defrauded to the tune of $1.1bn through the Malabu oil field scam. The case of Jonathan’s unconstitutional removal of Lamido Sanusi as CBN governor for alerting Nigerians of missing $20b from NNPC account and the heavy price Nigeria paid for replacing him with unqualified, incompetent and a man without character like Godwin Emefiele .Of course, Jonathan will be reminded as soon as he joins the political fray that he an ethnic jingoist who came to Lagos to appeal to non-Yoruba residents to vote out the resourceful Lagos State governor; traded Obasanjo he had earlier described as ‘after God and his father, Obasanjo is the next’, for Chief Edwin Clark, his fellow Ijaw man, and his deployment of the leadership of the Ijaw militant groups he had empowered through award of multibillion dollar contracts to unleash ‘verbal terrorism’ on the leadership of the Hausa Fulani.

Finally, Jonathan will be haunted by his failed attempt to write his own account of his ‘five years of corrupt-ridden administration’ dismissed by a Punch newspaper editorial as ‘a potpourri of falsehoods, hypocrisy and lame excuses’. And of course there was the London Economist’s damning verdict that Jonathan was the ‘most corrupt, most clueless government in Nigeria’s history’.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF)’s Component of Operation Fansan Yamma (OPFY), Sector 3, has conducted successful airstrikes on hostile elements in Kwara State.

Its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said this in a statement yesterday.

According to the statement, the air component carried out multiple coordinated missions on Sunday across Kakihun, Oke-Ode, Babanla, and surrounding areas.

Reconnaissance and close air support operations were launched to deter threats, targeting hostile elements spotted east of Babanla.

Ejodame added that concurrent surveillance flights covered key settlements and military positions, gathering vital intelligence to support ground operations.

‘These missions reaffirm NAF’s commitment to protecting troops and civilians, maintaining air superiority, and sustaining pressure on hostile actors.

‘All operations were completed successfully,’ he said.

He further assured Nigerians of the Air Force’s resolve to defend the nation’s territorial integrity and protect communities from threats.

‘Citizens are encouraged to remain confident, vigilant, and supportive of the Armed Forces as decisive actions continue to restore lasting peace and security across the country,’ he added.

Also, the Kwara State Police Command, in collaboration with the National Forest Security Service (NFSS), has started manhunt for the killers of 12 persons in Kwara community.

Gunmen suspected to be bandits last Sunday invaded Oke-Ode community, Ifelodun Local Government Area and shot dead a monarch and 11 vigilance members.

The spokesperson of the state Police Command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said: ‘Manhunt operations are ongoing, and the command assures residents that those responsible will be brought to justice.’

The state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the spate of killings and kidnappings.

The party expressed ‘our deepest sorrow and outrage over the gruesome massacre of innocent citizens in Oke-Ode community by heartless bandits.

‘To us, this is a despicable and senseless act and it is the height of man’s inhumanity to man which must be condemned by all people of conscience,’ PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, said in a statement.

Adewara added that ‘the PDP condoles with the entire Oke-Ode community, particularly the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in this callous onslaught by criminals that appear to have overpowered the Kwara State Government and are tactically taking over the state.

‘Our hearts are broken for the families and friends of those brutally killed and the many now struggling in hospitals. The gruesome videos of the casualties circulating online make it look like Kwara is at war.

‘It is painfully clear that these criminals have overpowered the Kwara State Government and are basically taking over our state. What makes this tragedy even worse is the casual, ‘levity hand’ way the Kwara State Government is treating the whole situation.

‘A responsible and responsive leader should visit Oke-Ode, stand with the mourners, and assure citizens of decisive action.’

‘Sadly, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has chosen to focus his energy on attacking the opposition, particularly Senator Bukola Saraki, rather than confronting the deepening insecurity ravaging the state.

‘We re-echo the voice of our leader: the opposition is not the governor’s problem. His real challenge lies in his own incompetence, nonchalance, and confused handling of the state’s worsening security situation.

‘Under the governor’s watch, terror is reigning, kidnappers are taking over rural villages and nowhere is safe again

‘What Kwara is experiencing is unprecedented, unfortunate, and a monumental leadership failure.

‘While we pray for the repose of the souls of those killed in this senseless attack and wish the injured quick recovery, we urge Governor Abdulrazaq to wake up from his slumber and stop dismissing every call for action as mere politics.

‘The protection of lives and property is the primary responsibility of the government, and any leader who fails in this duty has failed woefully in every other area of governance.’

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu ‘to urgently disclose details of the selection and appointment process for the successor to Prof. Mahmood Yakubu whose tenure as the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will end in November 2025.

SERAP urged him ‘to disclose the number and names of candidates for INEC chairman and whether the Council of State has been consulted or would be consulted in making the appointment, as constitutionally required.’

SERAP also urged him to use the opportunity of the appointment of a new INEC chairman to reconsider your appointment of at least three alleged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the INEC and to nominate non-members of a political party as replacement.

Professor Mahmood Yakubu will leave office as INEC chairman in November, having completed his two-term tenure of 10 years. President Tinubu is expected to appoint his successor soon, subject to a Senate confirmation.

In the letter dated September 27, 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: ‘The selection and appointment process for Mr Yakubu’s replacement cannot and should not be ‘a closed shop.’ A transparent and accountable process would serve legitimate public interests.’

SERAP said there is a strong correlation between transparency in the selection and appointment process of INEC chairman and the ability of the commission to perform its constitutional and statutory duties in an independent and impartial manner.

According to SERAP, ‘INEC plays a crucial role in Nigeria’s democratic process. Openness and transparency in the selection and appointment process would improve public trust in the commission’s independence and impartiality and citizens’ participation in the electoral process.’

The letter, read in part: ‘Transparency in the process would also ensure that competent and impartial people are appointed and reduce the risks of conflict of interest. It would allow Nigerians to scrutinise, monitor, and engage with the process.

‘In electoral management, perception matters greatly. It is more important for the selection and appointment process to be objective and fair and to be seen to be objective and fair.

‘The manner in which elections are managed, including how officials managing elections are chosen, would contribute significantly to the sustenance of a democratic culture in the country.

‘A transparent selection and appointment process would strengthen democratic and electoral processes. Making the procedural details public would improve public confidence in the process.

‘Secrecy in the selection and appointment process would be inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations. It would undermine the independence, autonomy and accountability of INEC and the right of Nigerians to a free and fair election.

‘Electoral body is independent where it has administrative and financial autonomy; and offers sufficient guarantees of its members’ independence and impartiality.

‘Openness and transparency in the selection and appointment process for Mr Yakubu’s replacement and the appointment of a competent, independent and impartial chairman would also help to address the perception of bias which characterised the operations of INEC including during the 2023 general elections.

‘Section 154(1) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] provides that the Chairman of INEC ‘shall be appointed by the President and the appointment shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate.’

‘Subsection 3 provides that in exercising his powers to appoint a person as Chairman of INEC, ‘the President shall consult the Council of State.’

‘Section 153(1) (f) of the Nigerian Constitution provides that ‘There shall be established for the Federation the following bodies, namely – (f) Independent National Electoral Commission.

‘Under Section 6(4) of the Electoral Act 2022, ‘The appointment of a Resident Electoral Commissioner shall be in compliance with section 14 (3) of the Nigerian Constitution.

‘The nomination, confirmation and appointment of the alleged APC members as RECs for INEC is a breach of Section 6(4) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Section 156(1)(a) and Paragraph 14 of the Third Schedule of the Nigerian Constitution.

‘Article 13(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party guarantee the right of every citizen to participate freely in the government of his/her country, either directly or through freely chosen representatives.

‘The combined effect of the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act and international standards is the requirement that elections must be organized by a truly independent and impartial electoral body.

‘The status, powers, independence of INEC, and the impartiality with which it acts and is seen to be allowed to act, are fundamental to the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and effectiveness of citizens’ democratic rights. INEC ought to be the primary guarantor of the integrity and purity of the electoral process.

‘Your government has the constitutional responsibility to ensure openness and transparency in the selection and appointment of INEC chairman. The credibility and legitimacy of elections depend mostly on the independence and impartiality of those appointed to manage the process.

‘Without an independent and impartial INEC, the democratic rights of Nigerians would remain illusory.

‘Anyone to be appointed as INEC chairman must clearly be non-partisan, independent, impartial and neutral. INEC chairman and other officials ought to be able to discharge their legal duties and implement the Electoral Act without fear or favour.

‘Nigeria’s electoral body must enjoy independent from direction or control, whether from the government or any other quarter. It must be accountable to the electorate, and act accordingly.

‘We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.

‘Public perception of the independence of INEC is also essential for building public confidence in the electoral process. Where Nigerians have doubts about the independence of INEC, they are more likely to have less confidence in the electoral process, thereby undermining democracy.

‘The Nigerian Constitution, Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s anti-corruption and human rights obligations rest on the principle that citizens should have access to information regarding their government’s activities.

‘These constitutional provisions, international standards and commitments impose a fundamental obligation to ensure transparency and accountability in the selection and appointment process for a new INEC chairman.

‘According to our information, the tenure of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu will end in November 2025, having completed his two-term tenure of 10 years. His successor is expected to assume office immediately.’

‘SERAP also notes that messrs Etekamba Umoren; Isah Shaka Ehimeakne; Anugbum Onuoha; and Bunmi Omoseyindemi were part of the ten persons nominated by you and confirmed by the Senate on 25th October, 2023 as RECs of INEC.’

The President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) Chief Emeka Obegolu said in the past 20 years of the chamber’s existence it has facilitated billions of naira in trade deals, investment, partnerships and provided visibility for SMEs by enabling them to access new markets.

Obegolu disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the 20th Abuja International Trade Fair with the theme: Sustainability, Consumption, Incentives and Taxation, stating that, this is not just the opening of another fair, it is the celebration of a historic milestone, 20 years of consistent commitment to trade, investment, innovation, and economic diplomacy in Nigeria and Africa.

He said: ‘The Abuja International Trade Fair has grown from a modest local exhibition into Nigeria’s most influential multi-sectoral trade platform, one of Africa’s most recognised trade events.

‘Over the past two decades, the Fair has hosted over 2,500 exhibitors from Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. It has attracted more than 1.5 million visitors across multiple sectors, facilitated billions of naira in trade deals, investments, and partnerships.

‘It has provided visibility for SMEs, enabling them to access new markets, strengthened collaborations with over 40 diplomatic missions, trade agencies, and international business associations.

‘These achievements underscore the pivotal role of the AITF as a catalyst for Nigeria’s economic growth and Africa’s integration into the global economy.’

He explained that the theme of this edition: ‘Sustainability: Consumption, Incentives, and Taxation,’ reflects the country’s collective resolve to address pressing economic and environmental challenges. As Nigeria’s economy expands, our priority must be to ensure that growth is sustainable, inclusive, and innovation-driven.

This Fair will serve as a platform for policymakers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and development partners to examine how consumption patterns, incentives, and taxation can be strategically aligned to promote responsible production, attract investment, and encourage environmental stewardship.

The National President Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Jamil Ibrahim applauded ACCI for sustaining this platform and reaffirming NACCIMA’s shared commitment to positioning Nigeria as a $1 trillion sustainable economy by 2030.

Nigeria he said has made progress with the Business Facilitation Act the BFA 2023 which is for the ease of doing business as much more is needed to strengthen competitiveness and full alignment with AfCFTA.

Which he added as unlocking a continental market of 1.4 billion people deep reforms under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement to improve Nigeria’s low ranking on cross-border trade indicators and ensuring all policies reflect a Nigeria-first agenda.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the closure of the application portal for the 2024/2025 academic session from today.

The agency said the closure would enable it to conclude the processing of pending applications and upkeep payments.

It said the loan portal will reopen in the second week of October for fresh applications and remain open until January 2026.

NELFUND’s Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr announced this while addressing rporters yesterday in Abuja.

The agency boss also announced the timelines for the 2025/2026 academic cycle, in line with NELFUNDs mandate to expand access to higher education through interest-free student loans.

Sawyerr said: ‘NELFUND remains committed to removing financial barriers for students and working with institutions to ensure that no eligible student is left behind.

‘These timelines provide clarity for students, parents, and institutions to plan ahead and participate fully in the process.’

The managing director directed institutions to update their students’ records on the Student Verification System (SVS) to enable applicants to access the scheme.

He said all unverified applications for 2024/2025 would be automatically cancelled after October 8, adding that affected students would be required to reapply under the new session.

Sawyerr warned that institutions that failed to verify students’ records risk being publicly listed for non-compliance.

Commenting on the upkeep stipends for students, the NELFUND boss explained that payment for the 2024/2025 session would continue until November.

According to him, students are expected to reapply for the 2025/2026 to continue receiving payments.

Sawyerr stressed that the scheme remained interest-free, with repayment to begin two years after the students would have completed their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), while employers would deduct 10 per cent of beneficiaries’ salaries.

The NELFUND managing director expressed concern over arbitrary hikes in tuition and ancillary fees by some institutions.

He said a committee set up by the Minister of Education was working with regulators to harmonise and standardise fee structures nationwide.

Responding to concerns about upkeep stipends, the NELFUND boss said the current N20,000 monthly allowance would not be increased immediately.

Sawyerr announced that an ongoing review of cost-of-living indices across regions could lead to weighted adjustments in the future.

If all Enugu State is getting from the country’s national grid now is a paltry 70MW, then there is nothing wrong in describing the state government’s proposed target of 1,000MW as ambitious. This is 300MW over and above the 700MW that the government had in mind as at last year.

But that was then. The dream is even bigger today, with the state government eyeing about 1,000MW generation capacity.

What is more? The proposed 1,000MW is expected to be powered with coal, a mineral resource that the state has not only in abundance, but also of a high quality.

Governor Peter Mbah disclosed the new plan as guest of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) ‘Meet The Governor Series,’ where he presented a business case for investing in Enugu State. The event held in Lagos on September 25.

‘Our target is to see how we can use our coal to generate at least 1,000 megawatts of power. We do have technology today that makes coal utilisation less adverse to the environment. Essentially, that is the direction for us’, the governor said at the forum.

Enugu State may not be the first state in the country to take advantage of the further liberalisation of the power sector by the immediate past Muhammadu Buhari administration, and consolidated with the Bola Tinubu government’s Electricity Amendment Bill.

But the state, particularly under the Mbah administration, has shown so much enthusiasm in the power sector.

One critical factor that the state government wants to leverage on is its abundant coal deposits. This is significant in two ways: one, it speaks to the diversification of the source of power supply in the country, a thing many power consumers have always craved for.

Second, it puts into use a nearly-forgotten mineral resource that the south eastern part of the country was renowned for: coal. And the governor has rightly noted that they would no longer treat the resource as a ‘stranded asset’ without adequate compensation.

We are happy to note Gov. Mba’s efforts to get his state off the national grid which has become antiquated and inadequate to cope with the demands of a power-starved country like ours.

It was this passion that drove the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) to come up with its own template on power tariffs, a thing which led to brickbats between the agency and, by extension, the state government, on one hand, and the generating and distribution companies, on the other.

The two entities disagreed with the EERC tariff template on the basis that the agency could not determine the price of power it does not generate.

This would sound a reasonable argument but it does not wholly explain the situation. Not a few Nigerians see exploitation, incompetence, corruption and bad faith in the modus operandi of the present players in the power sector, all of which Nigerian consumers are fated to pay for.

So, it would not be a bad idea for people who want genuine transformation in the power sector and are indeed desirous of determining the tariff, to go into actual power generation.

This is part of the beauty in the Mbah 1,000MW proposal.

Enugu State government should press on with the proposal. Indeed, power generation should be a major component to consider by any investor who truly wants to be in charge in the power sector.

We have said it several times; and it bears restating that Nigeria cannot go far with its ambitious programmes if things are left entirely in the hands of the present players in the sector. If 13 years after the so-called liberalisation of the sector we are where we are, we need no expert to tell us to change tactics.

We can understand Gov. Mbah’s plight: he has ambitious programmes to grow the state’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion in eight years. Here, power supply is key.

The governor needs all the support and encouragement. Others should emulate him.