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Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has emphasised that future leaders must adopt transparency, evidence, and data-driven decision-making as core principles of effective governance.

Speaking at the maiden edition of the CBN Governor’s Lecture Series hosted by the Lagos Business School (LBS) on Friday, Cardoso noted that leadership in monetary policy is inseparable from nation-building.

‘Thought leadership requires dialogue,’ he added, highlighting the importance of open discourse in policy development.

In her welcome address, Professor Olayinka David-West, Dean of Lagos Business School, described the event as a significant step in bridging the gap between academia, public policy, and the private sector.

‘This stage has long served as a platform to inform, educate, and engage,’ David-West said. ‘Today, we are proud to host Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, as we inaugurate the CBN Governor’s Lecture Series, a bold step toward fostering accountability, transparency, and deeper public understanding of monetary policy.’

Nigeria has been taking steps to overhaul its education system through skills development as part of efforts to tackle high youth unemployment.

The new curriculum for Nigeria’s education system is a welcome step towards making education more relevant to work. But Germany’s experience shows that building a sustainable apprenticeship system requires deep investment, industry collaboration, and constant renewal.

If Nigeria can embed these principles, vocational training could move from being a stopgap to becoming a cornerstone of economic growth, producing not just job seekers, but skilled workers and innovators ready to shape the country’s future.

The press release by the Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria highlighted the new vocational subjects that were added to the basic education curriculum. Trade subjects for non-technical schools were streamlined from over thirty to six practical areas: Solar PV installation and maintenance, fashion design and garment making, livestock farming, beauty and cosmetology, computer hardware and GSM repairs, and horticulture and crop production. In addition, the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) will now administer 28 revamped trade subjects for technical colleges. WAEC and NECO subjects were aligned to reflect the revised structure, focusing on core areas and relevant trades. Speaking on the reform, Tunji Alausa, minister of education, said the new curriculum will allow children to learn in a more focused and functional way without the burden of too many subjects, while teachers will benefit from a simpler structure, and government resources can be better directed toward building a stronger, skill-driven education system.

Yet, while the direction is promising, successful implementation requires more than policy declarations. Germany’s apprenticeship model, regarded as the ‘gold standard’ of vocational training, provides both inspiration and cautionary lessons.

What Germany’s model shows

For decades, Germany’s ‘Ausbildung’ system formed the backbone of its industrial success. It operates as a dual training model as apprentices spend part of their time in vocational schools learning theory and the rest gaining hands-on experience in a workplace.

It had its roots in the medieval guild system but was formally codified and standardised with the passage of the Vocational Training Act in 1969.

Crucially, apprentices earn wages while training, reducing financial barriers to participation.

The system historically supplied industries such as engineering, manufacturing, and hospitality with skilled workers, helping Germany maintain one of the lowest youth unemployment rates in Europe. At its peak, for every 100 university students, there were 75 apprentices, reflecting the system’s prestige and popularity.

But challenges emerged. A 2024 survey by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry revealed that nearly half of companies offering apprenticeships could not fill their slots. In some sectors, like construction and hospitality, positions remain vacant despite labour shortages.

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training noted that despite 350,000 apprentices in the craft sector in 2024, the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) reported over 20,000 unfilled positions. This shortage is concerning, as many of the 130 recognised skilled crafts apprenticeships are crucial for driving technological change.

The challenges point to demographic pressures, cultural shift towards university education, and slow curriculum adaptation to digital industries, which are all eroding the model’s effectiveness.

For Nigeria, these struggles are instructive. The lesson is clear: a strong apprenticeship framework must adapt quickly to technological shifts and demographic realities, or risk losing relevance. Adapting the framework to Nigeria

Nigeria already has a National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) to standardise technical training, but its reach is limited. A German-style dual system could build on this by formally linking schools, industries, and government in a three-way partnership. Employers would need incentives to take on apprentices, while schools would be tasked with delivering industry-relevant curricula.

Nigeria’s high-growth sectors, renewable energy, ICT, construction, agriculture and health, could become the testing ground. For example, just as Germany built strong apprenticeship tracks in engineering and automotive industries, Nigeria could prioritise structured training for solar technicians, software developers, and agro-processors. These are roles likely to expand with domestic demand and global trends.

The teacher’s challenge Teachers sit at the centre of both Germany’s and Nigeria’s systems. Germany has 3,600 vocational schools, but educators there now complain of outdated curricula and uneven classroom standards. In some schools, cohorts are increasingly mixed, ranging from school-leavers to university graduates and migrants with limited German proficiency. Teachers argue that this has made it difficult to maintain consistent quality.

Nigeria faces a sharper version of this problem: a projected shortfall of 30 million teachers by 2030. As Abdullahi Bature, CEO of Schoola, stressed, ‘We need big investment around supporting teachers. They need digital literacy, and more importantly, artificial intelligence (AI) literacy.’ If Germany, with its long-established infrastructure, is struggling to keep teacher quality high, Nigeria cannot afford to neglect teacher training at this critical stage. Pay, mobility and incentives

Another lesson from Germany lies in pay and mobility. Apprentices in Germany earn between pound 500 and pound 900 a month, depending on the sector and size of the firm. While not high, this wage makes training more accessible. Nigerian apprenticeships often pay little or nothing, discouraging participation. Without financial incentives, the system risks being seen as exploitative rather than empowering.

Germany also demonstrates the value of mobility within training. Some companies now experiment with ‘micromobility’, offering apprentices short-term projects across departments. This builds adaptability and keeps young people curious. Nigeria could adopt similar approaches, encouraging apprentices to rotate between roles, for instance, in ICT, between coding, product design and data analysis to broaden skills and resilience.

Policy and funding consistency

Funding remains a major stumbling block for Nigeria. Technical training requires costly equipment, workshops, and industry partnerships. Germany’s model is expensive, but consistent state investment, employer buy-in, and strong union involvement helped sustain it for decades.

For Nigeria, the priority must be agility: reforms must be regularly reviewed and updated to keep pace with labour market needs. How Germany is closing the gap and what Nigeria can learn from

While international comparisons are valuable, Nigeria must ultimately define its own pathway. Bature insists, ‘I don’t believe we need our content to be global standard. It should be our own Nigerian standard.’ This means tailoring vocational training to Nigeria’s demographic realities, cultural expectations, and economic strengths.

Germany’s apprenticeship model remains a powerful example, but it is not a blueprint to be copied wholesale. Nigeria can learn from its strengths, structured partnerships, earning while learning, and prestige attached to technical skills, while avoiding its current pitfalls of demographic decline, outdated curricula, and waning appeal among the youth.

For example, Germany’s shortage of apprentices was due to image issues, lack of early exposure, weak recruitment by small firms, and stereotypes.

Now the country is working to close gaps in skilled craft apprenticeships by engaging young people earlier and modernising the sector’s image, which Nigeria can learn from.

Some of its initiatives are ‘Small hands, big future’ (Kleine Hände, grosse Zukunft) and ‘Make something!’ (Mach was!) introduce children and pupils to crafts through practical projects.

Digital and in-person formats like ‘MasterPOWER’ and ‘Crafts mobile’ (Handwerksmobil) combine learning software with hands-on workshops. The ‘Crafts go to school’ (Handwerk macht Schule) programme also links craft themes with school curricula.

To inspire young people, campaigns such as ‘Power People in Skilled Craft’ (Power People im Handwerk) and ‘Skilled Craft Makers’ (Handwerks Macher:innen) use influencers to promote diversity and challenge stereotypes, while the ‘Skilled Crafts Miss and Mister’ (Handwerks Miss and Mister) event selects ambassadors for the sector. Creativity is showcased through the ‘Design Talents in Crafts North Rhine-Westphalia’ (DesignTalente Handwerk Nordrhein-Westfalen) competition.

Nigerians can learn from these measures, which aim to spark early interest, highlight diversity and creativity, and present crafts as modern and future-oriented careers.

As the two days of high-level, extensive discussions on the future of development, investment, and financing in Northern Nigeria come to an end, one question lingers: what next?

Every great idea begins with conversation. Honest dialogue helps people gain clarity, build consensus, and chart a shared vision. But dialogue without action is nothing more than another round of sweet speeches-comforting to the ears, but dangerous if it soothes us into complacency while our region burns. The initiative of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) would, understandably, attract both scepticism and criticism, given its history of political clashes with the northern political elite. Yet NEF must not be seen as an adversary but as a partner in our collective quest for progress. Ego and vested interests must be abandoned. The North cannot afford a zero-sum game where egos win and the people lose.

For what it’s worth, the Northern Investment and Industrialisation Summit has lit a spark-from the Ladi Kwali conference hall in Abuja to Maiduguri and down to the confluence in Kogi. A sense of direction, passion, and optimism now fills the air. But without the administrative and political weight of the Northern Governors’ Forum, the captains of our collective destiny, this spark may die out. Blueprints do not build bridges; bold leadership does.

The first obstacle to northern development remains insecurity. Banditry, terrorism, and communal clashes continue to bleed the region of its people, its resources, and its future. No investor will put capital in a war zone. You cannot plant prosperity in the soil of fear. To overcome this, governors must treat insecurity not as an isolated state problem but as a collective regional emergency. A Northern Security Compact should be created, modelled after the U.S. Emergency Management Assistance Compact. States could pool resources to set up a Joint Security Task Force with shared intelligence, coordinated patrols, and a regional command structure to respond quickly to crises affecting the region. Each state does not need to buy drones, armoured vehicles, or train counter-insurgency units alone. Pooling resources reduces costs, eliminates duplication, and strengthens capacity. Just as the Amotekun Corps has worked in the South-West, a Northern Security Network funded collectively and backed by regional legislation can deliver results. When insecurity respects no borders, security must be built without borders.

But security alone will not build prosperity. Development requires capital. This is where a Northern Development Bank (NDB) becomes indispensable. The NDB could be jointly owned by the 19 states, with initial capitalisation drawn from a portion of monthly federal allocations. The bank would focus on financing large-scale infrastructure such as irrigation systems, mechanisation, agro-processing plants, industrial parks, and transport infrastructure that individual states struggle to fund alone. To ensure sustainability, the NDB must be professionally run, with private sector participation and strong governance structures. For instance, states can provide seed equity, while international development banks such as Afreximbank, AfDB, or the Islamic Development Bank can be invited to co-invest.

Crucially, the bank should finance based on comparative advantage: Sokoto could build leather clusters, Kano could expand textiles, Borno could invest in solar energy, Plateau could invest in solid minerals, and Benue could invest in agro-processing. By aligning loans with each state’s strengths, the bank would create regional value chains, reduce unemployment, and boost exports. Prosperity grows fastest where states compete in excellence, not in poverty.

The removal of subsidies has poured unprecedented resources into state coffers. The excuse of scarcity has expired. What remains is the courage to act.

Northern development is not just a regional aspiration; it is a national emergency. The summit has given us direction, but it is the governors who must now deliver. They can either rise as visionaries who turned dialogue into development or go down as leaders who looked on while their region burned.

Finally, the North is watching. The nation is watching. And history will not be kind to those who make speeches for solutions.

Oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta region are poised to tap the benefits of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to ensure rapid and sustainable development of the region.

Stakeholders from the region spoke in Ekpan, Uvwie council area of Delta State, on Thursday at an event, the Bridges Project roadshow/townhall series, focused on building awareness and capacity for the effective implementation of Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs).

Organised by the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), the roadshow, which brought together a wide range of participants, including settlor representatives, regulators, civil society organisations, and community leaders, was to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of the HCDT registration process and ensure the equitable distribution of oil industry resources to host communities.

The Bridges Project aims to promote transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in the implementation of the PIA, which provides allocation of three per cent of oil companies’ operational expenditure for the development of host communities.

Speaking at the launch, Chuks Ofulue, PIND’s advocacy manager, stressed that awareness is key to unlocking the Act’s full benefits.

‘The PIA opens doors for communities to take charge of their development. But awareness is key. With the right knowledge, communities can ensure transparency, demand accountability, and actively shape projects that benefit them,’ Ofulue said.

Signed into law in 2021, the PIA introduced far-reaching reforms to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, including the establishment of HCDTs to drive community-led development. Yet, many host communities remain unfamiliar with how the trusts work or how they can actively engage.

Reiterating PIND’s vision, Ofulue added, ‘The PIA is not just a law-it is an opportunity.’

‘By demystifying the Act and the HCDT framework, we are putting knowledge directly in the hands of the people who matter most. This empowers communities to engage constructively, prevent conflict, and ensure that projects truly reflect their priorities,’ he added.

The awareness drive combines roadshows, town hall meetings, and media outreach to reach thousands of stakeholders.

Local leaders described the initiative as both timely and transformative.

Sylvester Okoh, chairman of the Delta state multi-stakeholder platform (MSP), called on more HCDTs to join the platform for a collaborative approach to the new development framework for the oil-bearing communities.

‘We’ve been bringing the leadership of the various Delta HCDTs together, sharing experiences, and addressing issues of concern,’ Okoh said. ‘The HCDTs are at a point where the General Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) stopped, but because the HCDTs are now backed by law, there are clear directives that will ensure better outcomes for our communities.’

Pender Agwarive, BOT Chairman of Uherevie HCDT and member of the Bridges Project’s Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), said, ‘For years, our communities have heard about the PIA but didn’t really understand how it affects us.’

‘What PIND is doing here gives us clarity. Now we know the questions to ask and how we can actively participate so our communities truly benefit from this law.’

The campaign also spotlighted the Bridges Project’s MSP model, which fosters dialogue, collaboration, and sustainability in host community projects.

Rachael Misan-Ruppee, PIND’s PIA consultant, said with the awareness so far created across the five project states – Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, and Ondo – ‘we are confident that communities are now better equipped to implement and manage development projects. We want to see active and responsible HCDT managers.’

Sheriff Mulade, national coordinator of the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice, emphasised the importance of transparent governance in managing resources derived from the HCDTs.

‘The key to the success of HCDTs is accountability. This is the only way we can ensure that projects truly benefit our communities,’ he said.

Stella Ejeh from the Olomoro community in Isoko south LGA, said the townhall offers renewed hope for tangible development.

‘In my community, we have seen many uncompleted and abandoned projects, but with platforms like this, we believe that we can finally see real changes,’ she said.

Board of Trustees leaders of HCDTs such as Mrs Bayai Ekomieyefa (Chairperson, Ogulagha Tora-Abade HCDT), Ademola Doris (acting chairperson, Warri Kingdom Coastal HCDT) and Satu Peters (Chairman, Ogulagha-Ibe Agbonu HCDT) also expressed appreciation for the programme.

Ademola Doris, acting chairman of the Warri Kingdom Coastal HCDT, highlighted the value of the experience: ‘This has been a time well spent. We have gained valuable insights into the PIA, from the registration process to the project execution stages. We are now better positioned to address any gaps and improve where necessary.’

Misan-Ruppee concluded the workshop with a reaffirmation of the project’s goals.

‘The Bridges Project has laid a solid foundation, but we are just getting started. Our goal is to see the full operationalisation of HCDTs, with stakeholders working together in concerted efforts to ensure that the Niger Delta fully benefits from the Petroleum Industry Act,’ she said.

Nigeria has taken a step towards decarbonising its ports with a new partnership between APM Terminals and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to chart a roadmap for electrifying container freight.

The agreement, signed on Monday at the Dutch Consulate in New York during the Global African Business Initiative, will see APM Terminals commit $60 million to fund the collaboration. Under the plan, Onne Port in Rivers State will become Nigeria’s first green port.

‘We believe Nigeria is ideally situated to lead West Africa’s transition to low-carbon logistics by electrifying its container transport sector,’ said Frederik Klinke, chief executive of APM Terminals Nigeria. He said that the country could leapfrog fossil-fuel infrastructure by adopting proven electric technologies, with a phased roadmap for container logistics already being designed.

Abubakar Dantsoho, managing director of the NPA, said the move would position Nigeria as a continental leader in sustainable port operations.

‘By this development, the Onne Port will be the first green port in Nigeria, thereby promoting the decarbonisation efforts within the transportation ecosystem,’ he said.

The MOU builds on a study presented by APM Terminals at the Decarbonising Infrastructure in Nigeria Summit in July, which concluded that electrified container freight could unlock private investment, create skilled jobs and deliver more reliable energy supply.

But the report stressed that coordination between public and private actors will be essential to make the transition work.

Jeethu Jose, managing director of the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) in Onne, said the partnership was about long-term growth.

‘Our investments are for our shared future and for the people living in the region, and we look forward to driving this project with our stakeholders in the port industry.’

Premier Oiwoh, managing director and chief executive officer, Nigeria’s Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), has announced plans to eliminate transfer fees on the NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) platform in a bid to accelerate the country’s transition from cash-heavy transactions to a smart, digitally driven economy.

He disclosed this at the Globus Bank Fintech Summit 2025 in Lagos while delivering a keynote address themed ‘From Cashless to Smart Economies: Shaping the Next Frontier of Financial Innovation.’

‘By next year, we’ll be starting a program towards the complete elimination of the NIP fee, making it zero cost into a subscription model. The general idea is to promote innovation around it,’ Oiwoh said.

‘Our biggest competition is not fintechs or banks; it is cash on the streets. Eliminating fees will make digital payments more attractive to everyday Nigerians,’ he added.

According to Oiwoh, the future of Nigeria’s financial ecosystem hinges on strengthening national payment infrastructure, deepening interoperability, and building resilient systems that can withstand fraud, cyber threats, and operational failures. He noted that while India and China had deliberate national strategies to bring the unbanked into the financial system, Nigeria still operates largely in silos. He called for a coordinated action plan led at the highest levels of government to drive true financial inclusion, stressing that opening bank accounts without ensuring economic inclusion is insufficient.

Oiwoh also praised the resilience of Nigeria’s regulators, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for driving standards such as the adoption of ISO 20022 messaging, which will align Nigeria’s payment systems with global benchmarks. On the role of AFRIGO, Nigeria’s national card scheme, Oiwoh revealed that the platform has processed over N70 billion worth of transactions in 2025 alone, with over one million cards in circulation. He described Afrigo as the only card globally enabling instant credit on point-of-sale (POS) transactions, a feature that has driven strong adoption among merchants.

He further announced that the upcoming National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) multipurpose ID card will carry the Afrigo payment rail, ensuring that millions of Nigerians can access financial services directly through their national ID.

Touching on fraud and cybersecurity, the NIBSS boss urged banks and fintechs to invest more in robust monitoring systems, warning that insider collaboration remains one of the biggest threats to digital trust. He cited the NIBSS Hawk platform as a major tool that has already helped foil multiple fraud attempts across the industry.

‘We must never put profitability above compliance,’ Oiwoh cautioned. ‘One regulatory sanction or a single fraud incident can wipe out years of profits. Building resilient, trusted systems is non-negotiable if we want Nigerians to embrace digital payments.’

He also emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among banks, fintechs, and payment service providers, noting that true adoption will come when solutions compete not against each other, but against the dominance of cash. With government-backed initiatives such as geo-tagging, demo days for fintechs, and innovative payment methods including QR, NFC, and biometric solutions, Oiwoh expressed optimism that Nigeria is on the cusp of becoming a smart economy powered by digital payments.

‘Payments are not the destination,’ he concluded, ‘but the foundation for building a vibrant digital economy where innovation, inclusion, and trust drive prosperity.’

If you are a leader in a Nigerian organisation, you have possibly felt the pressure to stay relevant and to succeed. The race for efficiency, the demand for innovation, and the relentless pace of global competition all add pressure to the way and manner in which businesses thrive in Nigeria. Certainly, you have also heard of the buzzword: Artificial Intelligence. But what if I told you that AI is even far more than a trendy tech term? It’s the most powerful lever we have in the world today that helps to achieve true organisational performance in this new era we have found ourselves in – the Tech Revolution.

Data doesn’t lie, as can be seen from recent reports, indicating that over 70 percent of Nigerians are already using generative AI tools, and a staggering 93 percent of businesses are adopting AI technologies. The train has left the station. The question for Nigerian leaders is no longer if you should get on board, but how you can use AI tools to drive your business to its desired destination of peak performance.

‘The objective is to automate repetitive operations so that our team may focus on more creative, strategic, and human-centred work. It is essential to create a robust digital economy in Nigeria.’

The Nigerian reality: A landscape ripe for AI

Let’s be honest. We have particular challenges. Nigeria faces significant obstacles to the deployment of AI, including unstable power, infrastructure limitations, and a shifting legal environment. However, we lose sight of our unique advantages when we only focus on these challenges. Our government is moving ahead with ambitious plans like the Nigerian National AI Strategy, our fintech sector is among the very best in the world, and our teeming populace is very young, dynamic, and tech-savvy.

This is the moment. AI aims to enhance our distinct human spirit rather than replace it. The objective is to automate repetitive operations so that our team may focus on more creative, strategic, and human-centred work. It is essential to create a robust digital economy in Nigeria.

From manual grind to automated growth

What does this change actually look like in real life? From abstract to actionable, let’s go. Taking the robot out of the human by relieving your team of time-consuming, repetitive duties is frequently the first step in using AI solutions.

Imagine your HR department using solutions like SeamlessHR to automate payroll, or your finance staff no longer drowning in manual invoicing. This dream is not a pipe dream. For example, Cancel.ai reduces turnaround time by more than 50 percent for Nigerian financial institutions involved in processing high transaction volumes. The effect is evident: automation has resulted in considerable time and cost reductions for 75 percent of Nigerian enterprises.

The first step towards productivity driven by AI is this. It’s about changing roles, not losing your job. It’s about increasing the efficiency, effectiveness, productivity and capability of your team.

Data-driven decision-making: The new superpower

The table above highlights a critical shift. The most significant advantage of AI might be its power to turn data from a buried asset into your most strategic counsel. This is where we move from efficiency to excellence.

Across our key sectors, AI in finance/agriculture/healthcare/education is proving its worth:

Finance: Companies like Carbon and CapitalSage use AI for real-time fraud detection and smarter credit scoring, expanding financial inclusion.

Agriculture: Smallholder farmers are using AI for yield prediction, leading to crop improvement of up to 40 percent.

Healthcare: AI models are helping to halve blood delivery times and combat the scourge of counterfeit drugs.

Education: AI-enabled edtech platforms are boosting student test scores by an average of 32 percent.

Case study 1:

AI-powered SaaS solutions are intended to identify and reduce internal hazards in businesses. Across HR, legal, and compliance activities, its platform offers intelligent compliance management, real-time risk detection, and insights into employee engagement. While Risk-HR employs AI to evaluate ethics and integrity in hiring and workforce management, the E-Commander application assists organisations in preventing and managing human hazards at scale. Through early risk identification, organisational integrity protection, and resilience enhancement, these solutions provide immediate return on investment. Kreeno Consortium helps Nigerian companies implement cutting-edge AI risk management solutions that improve security, compliance, and trust. To learn more about this, send an email to [email protected].

Case study 2: GROK as a tool for peak performance

Grok, developed by xAI, is built for peak performance in AI-assisted tasks, offering real-time data access for up-to-date insights, superior reasoning for complex problem-solving, and reliable high-volume performance even under heavy usage. It personalises responses by adapting to user preferences, boosting efficiency in specialised domains like creative writing or strategic planning. With multimodal capabilities including image analysis, coding, and interdisciplinary tasks, Grok seamlessly supports diverse professional needs. Its chain-of-thought architecture ensures logical, step-by-step solutions, making it especially powerful for STEM and enterprise applications. By combining adaptability, speed, and accuracy, Grok empowers users to optimise workflows, research, and decision-making. Available to SuperGrok and Premium+ subscribers, Grok positions itself as a top-tier AI tool for developers, researchers, and professionals aiming for maximum output quality.

This is the essence of peak performance with AI – making smarter, faster, and more impactful decisions that were previously impossible.

Your roadmap to leveraging AI tools

Feeling inspired but wondering, ‘How do I start?’ The journey to business automation in Nigeria doesn’t have to be daunting. Here’s a simple, phased approach:

1. Diagnose and prioritise: Audit your operations. Where are the biggest bottlenecks? Which tasks are highly repetitive? Start there.

2. Get your data house in order: AI runs on data. Begin by ensuring your data is clean, structured, and secure, with an eye on compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).

3. Start with a pilot project: Don’t boil the ocean. Choose one department or a single process for your first AI initiative. A small win builds confidence and provides proof of concept.

4. Invest in your people: The future of work in Nigeria is human-AI collaboration. Partner with training hubs like AI Saturdays Lagos to upskill your team. Encourage a culture of education rather than fear.

5. Pick the correct partners: You don’t need to perform all the work yourself. Work together with reputable AI companies like Zoho or regional experts who are aware of our situation, like Zummit Africa.

Taking responsibility for your steps

We must accept accountability along with this authority. The use of AI responsibly cannot be compromised. This entails:

Being ethical: Make sure your AI systems are impartial, equitable, and subject to human supervision. Preserve privacy by following data privacy regulations and being open and honest with clients about the use of their data.

Emphasising augmentation: Don’t just replace your staff; use AI to elevate them. Make a commitment to redeploying and retraining talent.

The future is now

Artificial intelligence for business in Nigeria is not a distant future; it is the present-day key to unlocking unprecedented growth, innovation, and competitiveness. The tools are here, the talent is emerging, and the success? stories are already being written.

The call to action for every Nigerian leader is clear. Stop viewing AI as a complex IT project. Start seeing it as a strategic partner for achieving peak performance with AI. Let’s automate the mundane, analyse the profound, and empower our people to do what they do best via innovate, connect, and lead. Let’s build a future where Nigerian organisations aren’t just participants in the global economy but front-runners.

An unconfirmed number of people have died in a tanker fire accident that broke out around 1am on Friday along the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway in Ogun State.

Babatunde Akinbiyi, spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), said the incident occurred after a 33,000-litre petrol tanker overturned due to excessive speeding and spilt its contents on the highway. The impact of the crash triggered a fire that spread to nearby vehicles and electric poles, destroying a truck, a tow vehicle, and a power cable supplying electricity to Mowe and surrounding communities. ‘Though the casualty figures cannot be ascertained presently, rescue and emergency services made up of TRACE, Ogun State and Nestlé PLC Fire Service, FRSC, and the Police are still on the ground to restore normalcy and orderliness after quenching the fire and carrying out the decantation process,’ Akinbiyi said.

He added that traffic in the area had been diverted to a single lane as responders worked at the scene, urging motorists to remain calm and cooperate with diversions and rerouting put in place by TRACE, the police, fire service, FRSC, Amotekun, and the NSCDC. ‘Any inconveniences as a result of this unfortunate incident are highly regretted,’ he said.

Nigeria marks 65 years of independence with a health system once celebrated as a beacon of modern medicine now drained of the very healers needed to keep it alive. Citizens are left to navigate a system that can’t even provide even the most basic care.

At independence, health institutions such as the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan were proud examples for medical advancement, attracting patients from West Africa and beyond. However, that image is fading fast.

From primary healthcare centres to teaching hospitals, healthcare providers such as doctors, nurses, and specialists are leaving in droves. Over 15,000 nurses migrated to the UK in the last five years, while nearly 20,000 doctors exited the system between 2005 and 2024, according to the National Association of Resident Doctors. The result is that Nigeria now has just 2.9 doctors per 10,000 people, a fraction of the World Health Organization’s recommended 17 per 10,000.

The exodus reflects the rot that has long plagued the sector-dilapidated infrastructure, obsolete or absent equipment, poor welfare, and harsh working conditions. Primary healthcare centres, the backbone of care delivery, often lack electricity, clean water, and even essential medicines.

‘The health sector has retrogressed significantly. In the 60s, we had quality medical services that were affordable, and even free. A medical doctor on employment was given a car. What I see now is shocking,’ said Olayinka Oladimeji, former director, Primary Healthcare Systems Development.

Brian Deaver, chief executive officer of African Medical Centre of Excellence, put it more bluntly. ‘Nigeria will struggle to deliver healthcare for citizens if health professionals remain unappreciated and burned-out. If we want a system that heals, we must start by building environments where caregivers thrive,’ he told a BusinessDay health conference.

Experts argue that these deficiencies are symptoms of decades of underfunding, underinvestment and lack of political will from the very leaders who choose foreign healthcare, which costs the nation about $2 billion in annual losses.

According to Adetolu Ademujimi, technical advisor, Health Financing, APIN Public Health Initiatives, the loss of workforce is currently the biggest challenge, but the foundational challenge remains the funding structure.

According to him, the constitution gives the federal government more funds, while states and local governments with the largest population of healthcare needs take barely 20 percent and 18 percent respectively.

Experts believe this underfunding has created a system highly dependent on household spending, making healthcare more expensive for citizens and pushing millions into poverty.

Over 70 percent of healthcare costs are borne by patients, placing the country among the highest globally, and demonstrating government’s failure to achieve the Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Health insurance coverage is crawling with barley 20 million Nigerians covered out of the estimated 220m citizens. Public health financing remains at around 5 percent of total expenditure, far below the 15 percent target.

Consequently, a 2024 World Bank report noted that health-related expenses pushed over one million Nigerians into poverty yearly. For millions, seeking care means deciding whether to buy drugs or pay school fees

The country has one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates, as women delay antenatal visits or deliver at home to avoid fees. Patients with diabetes or hypertension ration drugs or abandon treatment to avoid catastrophic spending.

Only about two million indigent Nigerians have financial protection under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund out of the over 83 million identified as vulnerable population.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, reflecting on the country’s healthcare last month, lamented the cost of care.

‘Our most critical challenges are access to quality and affordable health care for all. When I reflect on the Nigeria we envisioned at independence, and even more so during my years of service in government, health care was never meant to be a luxury. It was to be a fundamental right, accessible 365 days. This was what was envisaged for Nigeria. Yet, we know the truth,’ he said.

Not all gloom

But it’s not all gloom and doom. Nigeria has seen some growth in private healthcare and investment, having attracted more than $4.8b billion particularly in local pharmaceutical manufacturing, boosted by government policy incentives, according to the presidency. The cut in international aid is also forcing the government to rethink health financing, and deepen partnership with the private sector.

Furthermore, Nigeria’s disease surveillance capacity has improved with the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System and the establishment ofPublic Health Emergency Operations Centres. Laboratory infrastructure has also been upgraded, with advanced molecular technologies enabling quicker identification of pathogens. The country’s Joint External Evaluation score under International Health Regulations rose from 39 percent in 2017 to 54 percent in 2023, a sign of progress.

For Oladimeji, the low-hanging fruit lies in decentralising the system and revamping primary healthcare facilities for immediate impact.

Can you tell us about the work HortiNigeria Programme has done in Nigeria’s horticulture sector?

The initiative commenced in 2021 with the goal of strengthening Nigeria’s horticulture sector in four states – Kano, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo, focusing on key priority crops: okra, onions, pepper, and tomatoes.

Our focus is on increasing productivity and income for 60,000 smallholder farmers, including 40 percent women and 50 percent youth in the north.

We help improve market linkages, support climate-smart technologies, facilitate access to finance and investments, pilot innovative production systems for 2000 entrepreneurial farmers, such as protected horticulture and regional diversification in the south, while building a more enabling policy environment for the sector.

So far, we’ve trained over 76,237 smallholders and entrepreneurial farmers on good agronomic practices, increased yields in key crops by an average of 93 percent, and increased farmers’ incomes by over 205 percent.

We have also mobilized over pound 4.14 million in finance and investments, contributed to reducing post-harvest losses in key intervention areas to an average of 83 percent, and facilitated over 106 business-to-business linkages.

We’ve also co-developed the National Strategy for Sustainable Management of Tuta Absoluta, Nigeria’s tomato leafminer pest, with FMAFS, NIHORT, and NATPAN to safeguard national tomato production.

How has the programme impacted the country’s agricultural sector?

We’ve demonstrated that Nigeria’s horticulture sector can be both commercially viable and socially inclusive. Yields for tomatoes, peppers, onions, and okra have increased by 30-50 percent in our target areas.

We’ve established over 100 business linkages between farmer groups and buyers and helped agro-input dealers reach thousands of new customers with quality products through structured agribusiness clusters and hubs.

Our work is also feeding into policy dialogue – state ministries of agriculture and private associations are now referencing data from HortiNigeria to plan investments and align regulations, such as our weekly price index, which is strengthening the sector beyond the program’s direct beneficiaries.

We’ve helped close Nigeria’s estimated 13 million metric ton vegetable supply deficit by increasing productivity and reducing losses.

Post-harvest losses, previously as high as 50-60 percent, have been reduced in some program clusters to 17 percent, thanks to cold rooms, crates, market linkages and training.

By engaging NIRSAL and commercial banks, we’ve started to bridge the N440-N660 billion (pound 1.06-1.6 billion) horticulture finance gap, training banks to develop horticulture-specific loan products. This has catalyzed private sector participation in areas previously viewed as too risky.

We’ve also improved key policies such as the Tomato Policy, Seed Policy, Organic Agriculture Policy, and pushed for Credit Risk Guarantee increases (30?50 percent) for local plastic crate production to reduce post-harvest losses nationwide.

To what extent would you say the HortiNigeria Programme has contributed towards solving Nigeria’s food security problems?

HortiNigeria is not a silver bullet, but it has provided a model for boosting fresh vegetable production, reducing losses, and improving nutrition.

By expanding access to high-yielding seed varieties, introducing efficient irrigation, and connecting farmers to stable markets, we’re reducing dependence on imports and improving availability of nutrient-dense foods. Nigeria faces food inflation and supply shocks – in 2024, tomato prices rose 320 percent year-on-year.

By boosting production, improving the cold chain, and stabilizing supply, we’re directly improving the affordability and availability of vegetables.

Equally important, we’ve built skills and infrastructure that will outlast the project – such as agribusiness clusters and community field trainers. We have also built innovation hubs and business champions who will continue supplying farmers and developing the sector after the program ends.

Can you share any notable success stories from the program so far?

In Ogun and Oyo States, youth hubs piloted open cultivation systems and doubled yields within a season, creating new seedling and irrigation service businesses.

Also, notably recorded huge success in the regional diversification of onion production in the south. Currently, our young entrepreneurial farmers are growing onions in a large scale in the south, which has reduced over dependence on the north for supply.

Also, protected cultivation, greenhouse farming, has been included in the training curriculum at FUNAAB, which will increase youth participation in protected cultivation production systems.

In Kano and Kaduna, women processors trained by HortiNigeria adopted low-cost drying and packaging technologies, cutting post-harvest losses by 40 percent and doubling incomes in less than a year.

Our female business champions, such as SIMKAY foods, Beta Tomato, Mix Condiment, and Tomato Jos, are off-taking vegetables from our smallholder farmers and creating value, which is contributing to income and post-harvest management.

Nationwide, we have advocated for the use and adoption of plastic crates to replace raffia baskets, which have contributed to post-harvest losses experienced by farmers and contributed immensely to environmental health challenges in major markets, such as Mile12 in Lagos.

Our efforts have resulted in advocating for a CRG increment for plastic production from 30-50 percent, which is currently approved by the National Council of Agriculture and Food Security and fully implemented by our partner NIRSAL.

This will attract investment and increase the production and circulation of plastic crates in the sector and further reduce post-harvest losses.

We’ve also successfully piloted solar pump irrigation systems for entrepreneurial and smallholder farmers, particularly women.

This innovative initiative has significantly enhanced farm operations by providing a reliable and sustainable water source, thereby improving crop productivity.

Additionally, the adoption of solar-powered irrigation systems has played a pivotal role in mitigating the effects of climate change, offering farmers a resilient solution to irregular rainfall patterns and water scarcity.

What are the greatest threats to Nigeria’s horticulture sector, and how can it be fixed?

These are key standouts: climate variability and water scarcity, insecurity and logistics disruptions, weak policy and regulatory frameworks, land access and labour constraints, especially for women in the North and farmers in the South and pest and disease pressures like Tuta absoluta causing up to 80-100 percent yield losses.

Others are: high post-harvest losses due to weak cold chain infrastructure, limited access to finance, with a N440-N660 billion funding gap for the horticulture sector, and a weak digital farmer database for the horticulture sector.

We need sustained investment in irrigation, cold storage, and rural infrastructure; a stronger role for private-sector logistics; and predictable government policies that encourage investment.

Public-private partnerships, embedding eco-efficient pest management, introducing financial guarantees, and piloting protected farming systems to buffer against climate shocks like those piloted under HortiNigeria, show the way forward.

What were the strategies implemented by the programme to support farmers in reducing their post-harvest losses, and how did it measure their effectiveness?

We’ve installed solar-powered cold rooms and aggregation hubs with partners like Ecotutu, Soilless Farm Lab, and NIHORT, shifted farmers from raffia baskets to plastic crates with standardized designs, introduced on-farm training on harvesting, grading, and transport practices and developed market linkage contracts to shorten time-to-market and empower female business champions to process those vegetables to powder and puree.

Effectiveness is measured via baseline and follow-up loss assessments. In some program locations, post-harvest losses fell from >50 to ~17 percent in some locations, and income rose by over 200 percent. We also injected 33,000+ crates into the Mile 12 market to professionalize handling.

What are the opportunities in the Nigerian horticulture sector?

The opportunities are significant: expanding production of high-value vegetables for domestic and export markets, investment in cold chain logistics and processing (purees, dried vegetables, frozen produce), greenhouse farming and drip irrigation services, digital platforms for input supply and market access and youth- and women-led agri-enterprises in aggregation, storage, and transport.

Nigeria’s growing urban population, changing diets, and regional trade agreements make horticulture one of the most dynamic parts of agriculture.

What have been some of the biggest challenges faced by the HortiNigeria program, and how were they addressed?

Challenges included insecurity, inflation, climate variability, removal of fuel subsidies, and rising CBN interest rates from 18.75 to 27.50 percent, which hit MSME access to credit.

Women faced land- access barriers in the North; in the South, urban expansion squeezed arable land and labour availability.

We adapted by relocating training hubs to safer areas, piloting digital extension, introducing home gardening and seedling production specifically for women, and engaging financial institutions to co-develop credit products. We also mobilized grants to pilot innovative models before scaling them commercially.

Now that the HortiNigeria Programme is coming to an end, is there any framework in place to ensure its sustainability beyond the initial funding?

Yes. From the beginning, we embedded sustainability in our approach. We’ve developed Agribusiness clusters in the north and Hubs in the south – local actors who will continue delivering services. We’ve strengthened input dealer networks, linked them to finance, and

established vegetable learning sites at the Center for Dryland Agriculture, BUK Kano, ABU Zaria and Saadatu Rimi College of Education, Kano, in collaboration with the institution managements.

We’ve also nurtured partnerships with Dutch companies like East-West Seed, Rijk Zwaan, Syngenta and Afri Agri, and with Nigerian financiers to co-invest in cold chain, protected agriculture, and pest management systems.

This is all about moving from aid to trade and investment, ensuring continuity beyond donor funding.

What lessons have been learned from implementing the programme, and how have these informed future plans?

We’ve learned that inclusion must be intentional; women and youth only benefit when programs are designed specifically for them.

We’ve also seen the power of integrating formal, informal, and semi- formal networks – for example, linking farmer cooperatives with private off-takers and including government agencies.

Five core lessons stand out: Inclusion must be intentional – reaching 40 percent women and 50 percent youth requires targeted design.

Infrastructure investments amplify impact – cold chain, irrigation and mechanization must be integral. Integrated pest management can be institutionalized nationally – using the Tuta absoluta model. Finance requires de-risking – guarantee schemes and blended finance unlock private capital. Aid-to-trade transition is viable – early engagement of Dutch and Nigerian businesses yields sustained investment.

Looking forward, we’re advocating for a National Horticulture Policy, exploring expansion of our Agribusiness Clusters, and scaling eco-efficient pest management and protected agriculture nationwide.

With the right investment environment, Nigeria could double horticulture exports to $500 million by 2030, drastically reduce post-harvest losses, and create thousands of jobs.