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Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, has hinted that many major ongoing projects in the state will be completed next year by the current administration led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Omotoso made this known at the weekend during an interactive session with newsmen, saying that Governor Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, were striving hard to ensure no project was abandoned in the state.

The commissioner listed the projects to include roads, the Opebi-Mende Link Bridge, which he said would be commissioned before the end of the year, the new Massey Hospital, the General Hospital in Ojo, the food hubs, and a school project in Ajegunle, which he noted would be the biggest of its kind in West Africa, among others.

‘All of the beautiful projects that you see that we have started, we are going to complete them. The new Massey Hospital is almost completed.

‘What is left is what I can call finishing touches. And you know, it’s not just the building that makes a hospital. You must equip it. That is where I feel that we really have a lot of work to do. But all I know is that by next year, that hospital will be commissioned.

‘And it’s not just the new Massey Hospital. Then the General Hospital in Ojo, that one too is going to be completed. Some of our food hubs are already completed, and we will commission them very soon. Early next year, if not later this year, early next year, it’s going to be the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa.

‘And to tell you the kind of excitement that we have over it, it is the kind of hub that can store food. God forbid, if there is famine in the land, it can feed like five million people at least for three months. And if there is so much food inflation, prices are going up, if you release some of the items that you have in the logistics, it can reduce prices. So it’s a kind of facility that should excite all of us.

‘So I am talking about some other projects, like roads that we have started. All of them are going to be completed. I do not see anyone that may be so, so, so big that we won’t be able to complete.

‘Very soon, we are going to commission what I can call the biggest school anywhere in West Africa. Very soon, and it’s going to be commissioned in a place that all of you know, that you may not even feel that you will ever have that kind of facility in Ajegunle. It’s a massive school, that is something that one can describe as amazing, as wonderful, as magical. So there is no project that will be left undone,’ Omotoso stated.

Speaking further, the commissioner disclosed that the second phase of the Blue Line Rail and the Red Line now under construction would be completed before Governor Sanwo-Olu leaves office, adding that efforts were on to commence work on the Green Rail Line, on which he assured appreciable progress would be made, ‘if not completion before we leave office.’

On housing, the commissioner, while recalling that Governor Sanwo-Olu commissioned the one in Badagry a few days ago, said those at Odo-Onosa and Sangotedo were almost ready for commissioning.

According to him, projects embarked upon by Governor Sanwo-Olu are ones his administration is proud of and, therefore, cannot abandon them, adding: ‘It’s not in the DNA of the APC administration to abandon projects.’

‘The housing project, you guys were with us about a week ago in Badagry, where we commissioned the Ajara housing project. Odo-Onosa is also ready. Sangotedo is almost ready.

‘So all of these projects, they are not projects that we can abandon. It’s not in the DNA of the APC administration to abandon projects. And they are projects that we are very proud of, and the government is going to complete them.

‘Either in housing or in health or in infrastructure, talking about roads and the rest of them. So no project is going to be abandoned,’ the commissioner assured.

President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has revealed that the planned expansion of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery from 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.4 million bpd will be financed through the company’s cash flow and strategic investors.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos on Sunday, Dangote explained that the expansion work, which is set to commence immediately, would be carried out in phases and completed within three years.

He revealed that, ‘The expansion is expected to be completed in three years,’ he said.

‘Sometimes next year (2026), we should be at 700,000 bpd and the balance will be in phases.’

Speaking on how the expansion will be financed, he said, ‘Yes, we will be financing through cash flow. We also have strategic investors that we are going to carry along with us. So that is how we are going to finance it.’

According to him, the project will not only make the refinery the largest in the world upon completion, surpassing India’s Jamnagar Refinery, but will also significantly enhance Nigeria’s refining capacity and create about 65,000 jobs, 85 per cent of which will go to Nigerians.

Dangote said the refinery would also upgrade its production to Euro VI fuel standards to meet the highest global environmental benchmarks.

‘With this expansion, the refinery transitions from producing Euro V to Euro VI fuel standards, meeting the highest global environmental benchmarks,’ he stated.

He further noted that the facility’s power generation capacity would be increased from 500 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts to support the project.

Dangote also disclosed plans to list the refinery on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 2026, giving Nigerians an opportunity to own shares in the multi-billion-dollar facility.

He also expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his continued support.

President Bola Tinubu has commissioned several newly completed projects at the University of Ilorin as part of activities marking the institution’s 40th convocation ceremonies.

The projects include the Faculty of Social Sciences building, a block of four lecture halls for the Faculties of Social Sciences and Management Sciences, the Department of English Drama Studio in the Faculty of Arts, the renovated Blocks 1-10, the renovated Department of Geography and Environmental Management building, the remodelled Unilorin Innovation Hub, and the Technical Entrepreneurship Centre road.

Speaking at the event, President Tinubu, who was represented by the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Professor Adenike Temidayo Oladiji, said the newly commissioned projects underscored the essence of a true university system dedicated to the service of humanity.

The President charged the university authorities to ensure proper maintenance and monitoring of the facilities, emphasising that his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda remains committed to advancing education and infrastructural development across Nigeria.

‘These projects symbolise the spirit of progress and innovation we envision for our nation. I urge Nigerians to believe in the Renewed Hope Agenda and support efforts to move the country from grass to grace.’

President Tinubu also commended the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, and his management team for their dedication to transforming the university and aligning its vision with national development goals.

Also speaking, the Chancellor of the university and Emir of Katsina, Alhaji (Dr) Abdulmumin Kabir Usman, CFR, who was represented by the Waziri of Katsina, Senator Ibrahim Idah, lauded Unilorin’s commitment to academic excellence and a conducive learning environment.

He described the commissioned projects as ‘worthwhile initiatives’ that would enhance teaching, learning, and research, adding that the university’s focus on skill development will prepare students for life beyond the classroom.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Egbewole, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for honouring the institution’s invitation and supporting its infrastructural growth.

‘We remain committed to continuous improvement and will ensure the university grows stronger and better each day,’ he said.

Dignitaries present at the ceremony included the university’s Pro-Chancellor, Surveyor Abiodun Jacob Aluko; principal officers of the university; and well-wishers from within and outside the institution.

Men of the Ondo State Police Command have uncovered a suspected baby factory and human trafficking syndicate operating in Ore, Odigbo local government area of the state.

The discovery followed a swift investigation by operatives attached to the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Unit after a young pregnant girl escaped from captivity and reported the case to the police.

The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olusola Alayande, who disclosed this, said the baby factory was discovered after a 17-year-old girl, from Ikot Ekpan in Akwa Ibom state, reported at the Ore Police Division.

According to him, the young girl reported that she was trafficked to Ondo state under the false promise of employment, but said upon arrival she was taken to a clinic, which later turned out to be a baby factory where several other pregnant girls were kept against their will.

He explained that the young girl recounted how she and other victims were subjected to inhumane treatment and were being exploited by the operators of the illegal facility.

The girl recounted how the owner of the establishment, identified as one Ada Clement (female), instructed that she be taken to another hospital for a medical scan, but she said she escaped and reported the matter at the police station.

Ayanlade said men of the state police command swung into action and worked in collaboration with the officers of the Command’s Gender-Based Violence Unit, saying ‘they stormed the suspected location in a well-coordinated operation’

The police spokesperson said the raid led to the successful rescue of five pregnant girls and a baby boy, believed to have been born within the facility.

The police further disclosed that one of the victims had already given birth and is currently receiving postnatal care at the General Hospital, Ore.

‘The remaining rescued victims are now in safe protective custody of the Command, where they are receiving medical attention, counselling, and necessary support.

‘Preliminary findings revealed shocking details of the illicit operation. The prime suspect, Ada Clement, and some of her accomplices reportedly confessed that the facility was being used as a baby factory, where young pregnant girls were kept until they delivered.

‘The newborns were then sold to individuals seeking children through illegal means. The suspects allegedly sold baby girls for ?400,000 and above, while baby boys were sold for ?600,000 and above, depending on negotiations with prospective buyers,’ he said.

The PPRO said the state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, has ordered a comprehensive and discreet investigation into the case to ensure that all members of the trafficking ring are apprehended and prosecuted accordingly.

ýHe said that frantic efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate, who are currently being trailed by detectives from the Command’s Gender-Based Violence Unit.

ýMeanwhile, the command also disclosed that the state command has smashed a kidnapping gang notorious for terrorising travellers along major highways in the southwest.

ýAyanlade said the command apprehended one Abdullahi Ibrahim, aged 20, and resident in Ore, following credible intelligence and said ý’ upon interrogation, the suspect made a confessional statement admitting to being part of a kidnapping gang responsible for several abductions along the Benin-Ore Expressway as well as other criminal activities on the Sagamu-Lagos Expressway.

ý’He further confessed that the gang’s operations cut across several states in the southern region of Nigeria, operating strategically along state lines to evade detection.

ý’His confession provided valuable leads that guided operatives of the State Anti-Kidnapping Section (SAKS), Akure, to Benin City, Edo State, where two additional suspects linked to the syndicate were arrested,’ he said.

ýHe said the suspects are currently in custody and assisting investigators with information aimed at tracking down other members of the gang believed to be operating between Lagos and Edo States.

The Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals has disclosed that 65,000 workers will be employed for its planned expansion to increase capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day.

The President of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Alhaji Aliko Dangote, announced this during a press briefing in Lagos on Sunday.

Speaking alongside the Chairman of First Bank, Mr Femi Otedola, Dangote said the project would make the refinery the largest in the world.

‘We are expanding the Dangote Petroleum Refinery from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day.

‘Upon completion, this will make it the largest refinery in the world, surpassing the Jamnagar Refinery in India,’ he said.

He explained that 85 per cent of the 65,000 workers to be engaged during the construction phase would be Nigerians. He said, ‘The sustainability at the local content, over 85% of our workforce would be Nigerian, with the ongoing investment in skills and technology transfer.’

Dangote added that the refinery’s power generation capacity would increase from 500MW to 1,000MW and that it would begin producing Euro 6 standard fuel, up from the current Euro 5.

He also revealed that the refinery would be listed on the stock exchange in 2026 to give Nigerians an opportunity to invest.

Dangote expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support, noting that the expansion project is expected to be completed in three years.

Senator Uba Sani became Governor by divine intervention in order to heal Kaduna State of the carnage, mistrust, and open discrimination against Christians in the recent past.

Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, made this known at the Diocese of Kafanchan, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) Synod 2025 35th Anniversary on Saturday.

He said that there was a time when the 17 security chiefs in the country were Muslims from the North, and Christians were discriminated against because of their faith, especially in Kaduna State.

According to the former Minister, with the coming of Governor Uba Sani into office, the situation has started to change for the better in Kaduna State, adding that ‘what he is doing should serve as an example to the rest of the country.’

‘The Governor that you have today came as a consequence of prayer. I have known him for many years. He is one of my closest friends. He is not an ordinary person,’ he said.

‘There was a time on this very ground, you had a Governor who despised Christians. I use the word ‘despised’ advisedly and with a capital ‘D’. He treated Christians with contempt and disdain.’

Fani-Kayode recalled that 25th December 2016 will forever remain in his memory because of the gruesome murder of Christians in four local governments in Southern Kaduna.

The former Minister reminded that he wrote extensively about the carnage, spoke out against it all over the country, and paid a price for that, ‘but that doesn’t matter.’

According to him, 800 people of Southern Kaduna extraction in four local governments were killed in one day ‘by terrorists from outside who came and butchered them. Defenceless men, women, and children were slaughtered as a Christmas Day present.’

‘To put the icing on the cake, the local hospitals were closed. And nobody listened to you from Government House, so that you would suffer all the more. And that kept on happening, community after community.’

Chief Fani-Kayode further said that Christian traditional rulers were killed and their subjects were treated like filth, adding that the plight of the people of Southern Kaduna touched Christians all over the country.

The ex-Minister noted that the shabby treatment that Christians were subjected to acted as a ‘catalyst for them to stand against it, fight against it, and say ‘we shall not accept this.”

‘To be a Christian is not to be a second-class citizen, is not to be a slave, is not to be a nobody. To be a Christian is to be everything – a child of the living God, a believer,’ he maintained, adding that Christians ‘suffered under the leadership of that individual.’

The former Minister, who is the Saduakin Shinkafi, recalled that Christians prayed for God’s intercession, and He answered their prayers because they do not believe in violence.

According to him, God raised a humane Governor in the person of Senator Uba Sani, a candidate whom some people thought would not coast to victory, adding that even his so-called backer thought he could manipulate him.

‘One of the first things that Uba Sani did when he came in – and he told me he was going to do this – was to bridge the division between Christians and Muslims. And he honoured that promise. Kaduna is now for both Christians and Muslims as well.’

The Ekiti State Government has disclosed plans to award contracts for the construction of no fewer than 15 rural roads across the State through the State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) as part of strategies aimed at ensuring food security.

The Project Coordinator of Ekiti State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), Sunday Adunmo, disclosed in Ado Ekiti while fielding questions on a radio programme at the weekend.

The project coordinator, who said plans are already in top gear for the award of the roads, said the project targets the completion of 14 of the 18 existing road contracts by February next year.

Adunmo, who said some of the 15 roads to be awarded include Ikere-Ijare road, Alajo-Itawure road, Odo Ayedun-Ipao road, Omu-Itapaji road, Ogotun-Ipole road, Ayebode-Eda Ile road, Aramoko-Ile Ona road and Isan-ipere, among others.

He said the government of Ekiti State under Governor Biodun Oyebanji is passionate about providing rural access for farmers, as the government has increased its budgetary provision for the agriculture sector by almost 400%.

The project coordinator also hinted that construction of the roads would not only address food shortage but also help the State in curbing insecurity, particularly along the border communities.

Adunmo also added that the project is working towards upgrading five of its six demonstration earth roads, which were awarded during the administration of the former governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to asphalt-surfaced roads.

He listed the roads to include Ago Aduloju-Kajola road, Imesi-Kosomolate-Ipole road, Ogotun-Alagbede road, Itaji-Orisunmibare road and Iyin-Odooro-Aroto road.

The coordinator who lauded the State Governor for keying into the RAAMP initiative said many of these roads, particularly Ogotun-Alagbede road and Ogotun-Ipole road, connect each other, and would help actualise the rural connectivity that would boost economic activities and provide shorter transport routes for farmers and traders in the state.

While providing updates on the 18 existing roads, Adunmo said two of them have been completed, while others are at different stages of completion.

He disclosed that asphalting would, on Thursday, commence on the Ara-Ekameta road, which connects the Ijero-Epe-Araromi-Iporora road, which is currently being asphalted.

The project coordinator who called on Ekiti people to continue to support the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji said the ongoing road construction revolution in Ekiti State has confirmed that the Oyebanji-led administration is driven by vision and passion for the citizens.

He said the continuity of RAAMP by the Oyebanji-led government is a clarion call to the Ekiti people that the governor should be allowed to complete two terms of 8 years so that the developmental projects embarked upon by the governor would be completed.

NARD President, Mohammad Suleiman, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the directive followed the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government over unresolved demands.

The announcement came after a five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) held on Saturday.

‘The NEC has marshalled out minimum demands, strike monitoring directives, and ‘no work, no pay/no pay, no work’ resolutions needed for a successful execution of this action,’ the statement reads in part.

According to Suleiman, the NEC reached its decision after extensive deliberations on the government’s failure to meet the association’s requests.

‘Today, after a 5-Hour Extra-Ordinary National Executive Council Meeting, the Members of NEC have issued out new marching orders to us once again.

‘The NEC has unanimously directed us to declare a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action to commence on Friday 31st October 2025 at 11:59pm.’

He said the National Officers Committee (NOC) had been directed to ensure total compliance and enforce strike monitoring across all centres.

Suleiman added that all centre presidents and general secretaries were instructed to convene emergency congress meetings to brief members on the NEC resolutions.

‘We have reported to NEC, and NEC has decided. The NOC will carry out this directive to its latter and in full compliance.

‘NEC has also decided that centre Presidents and General Secretaries shall go back and call Emergency Congress Meetings to brief Members on the details there-in.’

The NARD President accused some government and non-government actors of ‘evil and exploitative plans’ against resident doctors, adding that the union would ‘collectively resist’ such moves.

He also urged members to use the coming days to hand over patients, engage community and religious leaders, and sensitise the public ahead of the industrial action.

The planned strike is expected to disrupt medical services nationwide, as resident doctors form the backbone of clinical care in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

On September 26, NARD had issued a one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government to address issues affecting the welfare and training of resident doctors and medical officers across the country.

Among the association’s grievances are excessive work hours, non-payment of arrears from the 25 and 35 percent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), and the dismissal of five resident doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.

NARD also cited the non-payment of promotion arrears to medical officers in several federal tertiary hospitals, and the government’s failure to pay the 2024 accoutrement allowance despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Health.

Other issues raised include bureaucratic delays in upgrading resident doctors’ ranks after postgraduate examinations, exclusion from the specialist allowance, and the omission of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme.

The association further condemned the downgrading of newly employed resident doctors from CONMESS three Step three to CONMESS two Step two, which it said has resulted in reduced pay and unpaid salary arrears across various federal hospitals.

A two-term member of the Kwara State House of Assembly and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state, Hon. Saheed Popoola, on Sunday defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alongside other members of the APC in Offa, Offa local government area of the state.

Speaking at the event, Popoola, who represented Offa constituency in the Kwara State House of Assembly, said his decision to join the PDP followed deep reflection on the direction of the ruling party.

‘I was the first person to contest under the APC platform in 2013 in Nigeria. We started the APC together with a vision of justice and prosperity, but over time, the party lost its soul. Loyalty became to individuals, not the people.

‘I’m joining the PDP not as a desperate politician but as a believer in fairness, justice, and equity. The PDP is peaceful and remains the only viable opposition in Nigeria,’ Popoola added.

He declared confidently that, ‘the PDP would reclaim power in Kwara come 2027.

‘The PDP is going to take over the government and governance of Kwara State in 2027’, he said to loud cheers from the crowd.

Receiving the defectors, the state PDP chairman, Hon. Issa Bawa, described Popoola’s defection as ‘a homecoming’, saying his return would strengthen the party’s base ahead of the 2027 elections.

‘What we have seen today shows clearly that PDP is regaining its momentum. Offa is for PDP in 2027. Offa will rise again and be great again’, Bawa said.

He commended Popoola’s courage, describing him as a ‘man of integrity and conviction’, and urged other former party stalwarts to return.

‘Senator Bukola Saraki asked me to remind the people of Offa to compare what the PDP did for them with what the APC has done. The difference is clear,’ he said.

Reacting to the defection, the Kwara state APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Waheed Babatunde, dismissed Popoola’s exit as inconsequential.

‘The party won’t miss Saheed Popoola because his presence was never felt. He left long before the last general election and is only making it official today,’ Babatunde said.

‘Offa has always been progressive and will remain so. The people will continue to support Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and the APC to retain power in 2027.’