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Maternal health experts and partners from across Africa have called for the rapid scale-up of innovations, evidenced-based and stronger collaboration to reduce the continent’s high rates of maternal and newborn deaths.

Despite global progress, Africa remains off track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target of reducing maternal mortality to fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), maternal deaths in Africa have dropped by 40 per cent, from 727 to 442 per 100,000 live births between 2000 and 2023. However, the region still accounts for 70 per cent of global maternal deaths.

It said to meet the SDG target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 by 2030, Africa must accelerate progress twelvefold, as an estimated 178,000 mothers and one million newborns still die yearly from largely preventable causes.

The experts, including Prof. Hadiza Galadanci, Director of the Africa Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy at Bayero University, Kano, described the region’s maternal mortality rates, ranging between 500 and 900 deaths per 100,000 live births as alarming and in urgent need of coordinated action.

The experts made the call in Abuja during the inaugural meeting of the Accelerating Implementation for Maternal, Newborn, Child Nutrition and Health (AIM MNCH) project, where Galadanci said, ‘We now have clear proof that with innovation for postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) prevention and treatment, we can crush maternal mortality.

Scaling up PPH interventions, which account for up to 28 percent of maternal deaths, will also help tackle other leading causes such as eclampsia and severe anaemia’.

She highlighted several promising solutions ready for deployment, including new eclampsia treatment innovations, Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS), and Intravenous Iron (IVON).

On her part, Prof. Zahida Qureshi of the University of Nairobi, Kenya, noted that the Abuja retreat aims to accelerate the adoption of the E-MOTIVE approach across Africa, saying it offers countries a chance to move directly into implementation.

‘When we share experiences from Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria, we learn valuable lessons from each other,’ Qureshi said. ‘Every country will leave with a clear plan for scaling up these innovations.’

Prof. Taiwo Omole, Deputy Director of Research at the Africa Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy and a senior official at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, described the meeting as a turning point for maternal health in Africa.

‘Many interventions operate in silos. Our goal is to promote shared learning and collective implementation,’ he said. ‘Evidence from Kano State shows that maternal mortality dropped from over 2,000 to about 500 per 100,000 live births. If Kano can achieve this, Nigeria and Africa can too.’

Dr. Ekenem Isichei, Deputy Director of Programme Advocacy and Communications at the Gates Foundation, said the themed of the project, ‘Regional Think Tank’ aligns with Nigeria’s quest for innovative solutions to issue, would help Nigeria address persistent maternal and newborn health challenges.

‘We want mothers and children to live healthier lives because healthier families mean a healthier nation. The E-MOTIVE innovation has proven to save lives – the question now is how to ensure every health facility in Nigeria has access to it.’

He stressed that access, availability, prioritisation, and investment remain the major barriers, noting that while the E-MOTIVE bundle is already being produced in Kano, many primary health centres still lack essential supplies.

‘This responsibility belongs to all of us – as individuals, partners, and as a nation committed to protecting women and children,’ he added.

Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, highlighted the government’s progress through stronger partnerships with donors and implementing agencies.

‘Nigeria is large, and our needs are significant. But we now have strong systems and readiness to receive and deploy commodities efficiently,’ he said, through a representative, Dr. Samuel Oyeniyi, Director of Reproductive Health at the Federal Ministry of Health.

Pate also noted that recent updates to the Federal AMC Guidelines now include maternal blood pressure monitoring to improve detection of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, while UN data shows a slight decline in Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio-from 1,047 to 993 per 100,000 live births.

‘While challenges remain, leveraging local innovations, strengthening partnerships, and accelerating commodity distribution will further improve maternal outcomes. When we act collectively, we save mothers, babies, and futures.’

The meeting marks a crucial step in establishing the Regional Think Tank, designed to fast-track research-to-policy translation, large-scale implementation, and sustainability of maternal and newborn health innovations across Africa.

The Think Tank, according to the organisers serves as a high-level advisory and technical body to guide and strengthen national efforts in implementing evidence-based maternal, newborn, and child health interventions.

It also aims to bridge the gap between research and policy, helping governments and partners translate proven innovations into local realities.

Saudi Arabia will no longer stage the inaugural Esports Olympics scheduled to be held in 2027, according to the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC and the Saudi National Olympic Committee ‘mutually agreed that they will end their cooperation on the Olympic Esports Games’, a statement said.

The first Esports Games was originally slated to be held this year in Riyadh but were postponed in February.

The Saudis were guaranteed the hosting of the Games for 12 years from 2025, when the agreement was first announced by the IOC in July last year.

Then-IOC president Thomas Bach had been influential in the creation of the event but has since been replaced at the helm by Kirsty Coventry.

Olympic Esports Series competitions, smaller virtual sports events run by the IOC, were held in 2021 and 2023. They were widely panned by gaming critics over the lack of traditional esports titles however.

‘Recently, the two parties and the Esports World Cup Foundation sat down again and reviewed this initiative,’ the IOC statement added. ‘They mutually agreed that they will end their cooperation on the Olympic Esports Games. At the same time, both parties are committed to pursuing their own esports ambitions on separate paths.’

The first two editions of the Esports World Cup, which includes many of the world’s most popular games, were held in 2024 and earlier this year in Riyadh. It is organised by Saudi Arabia.

‘This approach will be a chance to better fit the Olympic Esports Games to the long-term ambitions of the Olympic movement and to spread the opportunities presented by the Olympic Esports Games more widely, with the objective of having the inaugural Games as soon as possible,’ the IOC said.

The Esports Games will now have to start from scratch, without a host country or deadline, despite several challenges posed by trying to integrate esports into the Olympic movement.

Negotiations with game publishers, establishing national teams and anti-doping programmes have all also proved difficult.

The IOC’s ‘non-violence’ criteria also means that many of the most popular games cannot be used.

Saudi sports events are routinely accused of being used as a distraction from human rights violations, a practice dubbed ‘sportswashing’.

The kingdom has invested heavily in sport over the last few years, though critics, including women’s rights groups and members of the LGBTQ community, allege it is using its Public Investment Fund (PIF) to sportswash its human rights record.

The country denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents one of the most ambitious and promising undertakings in Africa’s integration agenda as critically espoused in the African Union’s Agenda 2063. With its potential to unite 55 countries into a single market of over 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP exceeding $3.4 trillion, it is a bold step towards achieving the long-held dream of Pan-African economic self-determination. It promises to dismantle artificial barriers, facilitate the return of intra-African trade, promote industrialization, and generate millions of jobs, especially for our vibrant youth that accounts for 70% of our population.

This forum is our modest contribution to ongoing efforts at ensuring that intra-African trade grows at an annual average rate of 6.6% between 2025 and 2027 and that Nigeria and other African countries achieve the revised annual GDP growth rate of 8% and that expedient steps are taken to ensure that the realisation of our collective optimism is not dampened by pervading global uncertainties.

The very great economic heights that the 55 member nation AfCFTA might attain if Africa’s economy could be fully integrated were highlighted recently by the globally renowned development economist, Professor Jeffery Sachs at the Unstoppable Africa Forum which was one of the side events of the United Nations General Assembly last month in New York. According to Sachs, AfCFTA nations with a combined population of 1.4 billion could have their integrated GDP of $3.4 trillion grown considerably like those of China and India with $18 trillion GDP and $13 trillion GDP respectively and with comparable population of 1.4 billion like that of Africa, if Africa’s economy could be fully integrated rapidly. He explained that the resultant connectivity and other benefits would enable African entrepreneurs produce more competitively at scale, boost intra African trade and increase Africa’s contribution to global trade beyond the paltry 3%.

As promising as the prospects of AfCFTA are and its catalytic impact on the realization of AU’s Agenda 2063, Nigeria has been vested with responsibility of leading Africa’s renaissance by leading development experts and even great African leaders. Nelson Mandela, the president of South Africa, 1994-1999 said ‘The world will not respect Africa until Nigeria earns that respect. The black people of the world need Nigeria to be great as a source of pride and confidence’. In the same vein, Patrice Lumumba, first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 1960-1961 also said ‘The day Nigeria wakes up, Africa will never be the same again’

These are some of the important considerations that underscore the significance of this High Level Forum as well as its theme and why it was convened by NEPAD Business Group Nigeria with the full support of national and subnational governments and the Chief Executive Officer/National Coordinator AUDA/NEPAD Nigeria Honourable Jabiru Salisu Abdulahi as well as private leaders and Nigeria’s development partners.

NEPAD Business Group Nigeria is of the strong conviction that the private sector remains the engine of Africa’s transformation. Through this Forum, we aim to build actionable strategies that will strengthen Africa’s economic resilience, promote cross-border trade, and ensure inclusive prosperity for all.

We are also of the view that the true dividends of AfCFTA will only be realized if all African countries build internal capacities that would enable them engage competitively and sustainably within the African market and beyond. This is why this forum has been designed to place emphasis on Mobilising and Strengthening Africa’s Private Sector to Become Globally Competitive, which is a call to boost our productivity and competitiveness towards enhancing intra-African trade and Africa’s participation in global trade beyond the depressingly low average figure of 3%.

Prerequisites for accomplishing these laudable aspirations include the prevision of enabling business environments and the required infrastructure, human capital development to equip our youths with requisite skillset that would also enhance their capacity to innovate as well as substantial financial resources 70% of which should be mobilised domestically as enunciated under the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

While taking bold steps that are designed to accelerate the realisation of the bright prospects of AfCFTA, we must not be oblivious to external threats that could undermine its implementation. From global economic volatilities characterised by tariff wars, dwindling external financial support, to geopolitical tensions, Africa must fortify itself against disruptions that can reverse our gains and prevent us from accomplishing the targets set in AU’s Agenda 2063, Nigeria’s Agenda 2050 as well as our respective developmental and entrepreneurial aspirations. These threats require strategic foresight, policy coherence, and above all, continental solidarity amongst other considerations.

To quote a professional colleague, friend and brother Adedotun Suleiman who at his presentation at the Annual Directors Conference of the Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria wisely counselled that:

‘As we look ahead, we must also prepare for future disruptors, artificial intelligence, cyber risks, global trade fragmentation, protectionism, and climate transitions. Each will test the governance systems we build today.

So, let us lead with foresight.

Let us invest in resilience as deliberately as we invest in growth.

Let us make adaptability our competitive edge.

Because in a world where disruption is inevitable, resilience is the ultimate advantage.

The task of leadership is to build organizations resilient enough to absorb shocks and still function, adaptive enough to learn and transform, and strong enough to own their future. And as Nigerian directors, we are the architects of that resilience.’

This also explains why we have today brought together policy makers, private sector leaders, financial institutions, development agencies, and academicians from within and outside Africa to chart practical pathways for maximizing the immense opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) – the largest trade bloc in the world- and articulating strategies for mitigating the external threats to its implementation. Our discussions should please be frank, pragmatic, and solutions-driven. This gathering is an opportunity to forge stronger partnerships, generate actionable recommendations, and align our strategies for collective progress.

Let us seize this moment to reaffirm our faith in Nigeria’s ability to shape its own destiny towards achieving the $1 trillion GDP within the context of an integrated African Market whose current GDP of $3.4 trillion is projected to reach $8.87 trillion by 2043 and possibly exceed $10 trillion by 2063 which is the terminal date of the African Union’s master plan, Agenda 2063. Let us be bold, visionary and collaborative. The road ahead may be challenging, our collective goal, a prosperous, self-reliant, and globally competitive Nigeria and African continent, is well within our reach.

Bashorun Randle, FCA, OFR, chairman, NEPAD Business Group Nigeria delivered this paper at the High-Level Business Forum on Harnessing the Private Sector for Africa’s Economic Renaissance, at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos.

Prince Arthur Eze, Group Chairman of Atlas Oranto Petroleum International Ltd, has endorsed Tinubu Young Generation Forum’s (TYGF) vision and manifesto, stating that young people are instrumental to shaping the nation’s future.

Eze, a renowned oil magnate and philanthropist made the endorsement during a roundtable meeting with delegates on Tuesday in Abuja.

He praised the forum’s dedication to promoting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasizing the importance of youth participation in governance and nation-building initiatives.

He stated that he firmly believes that the forum’s efforts will foster national unity and development while urging more young people to get involved in shaping Nigeria’s future, citing the need for collective action towards progress.

As a prominent figure from the South East, Eze reaffirmed the region’s support for President Tinubu’s administration, calling for his re-election in 2027.

He described Tinubu as ‘God’s gift to Nigeria,’ highlighting his commitment to inclusivity, development, and national unity.

During the visit, the National President of TYGF, Hon. Prince Kevin Timothy, who is also the CEO of Kev-Crave Global Ltd, led the Regional Manager of AVIC Aviation Industry to present the newly launched C919 and C909 aircraft models to his mentor and father figure, Engr. Arthur Eze.

Kevin applauded the endorsement and commitment of the Prince’s commitment to what young people are doing in Nigeria while highlighting discussions on business opportunities and investment prospects in Nigeria.

‘Through dedication and hard work, the youths remain the foundation of national development and I recommend that AVIC Aviation industry should consider establishing aircraft hangars and aviation training facilities in the SouthEast region.

‘As a consultant for AVIC Aviation industry, I took the honour of extending a special invitation to Prince Engr. Arthur Eze to visit the Comac Airstand at the upcoming Nigeria International Air Show, scheduled for 2nd-4th December 2025.’

‘I am confident that this event will provide a unique platform for networking and exploring collaborations that can drive growth in Nigeria’s aviation sector.’he said.

Bayer Leverkusen winger Nathan Tella will not be available for Super Eagles selection for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs.

In just over two weeks, the Super Eagles will resume international duty. They will take on Gabon in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup playoffs. If they survive, they will then face the winner of the game between DR Congo and Cameroon a few days later.

Going into those games, coach Eric Chelle would need all the quality he can get, as Nigeria’s World Cup qualification is on the line.

But according to , Soccernet.ng reports, the Franco-Malian tactician will be missing the services of one of Nigeria’s finest attackers Nathan Tella.

This is as Bayer Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand has stated that the Super Eagles star is yet to recover from a knee injury, which he has been struggling with since last month.

‘With Nathan Tella, the injury was more difficult and complicated than we first thought,’ Hjulmand said per Werkself Xtra. ‘I think he’ll need the international break as well. It’s looking better and better, but I can’t say when he’ll return exactly.’

Tella’s absence will be a minus for the Super Eagles is a blow, as it limits coach Eric Chelle’s attacking options.

But he won’t really be missed, provided the other Nigerian attackers like Samuel Chukwueze, Ademola Lookman, and Moses Simon are fit and ready to go.

Tella will be hoping to heal quickly and return to action for Bayer Leverkusen soon enough.

When the Ogun State government launched the Ogun Land Administration and Revenue Management System (OLARMS), it was rightly hailed as a landmark in governance reform, a digital leap designed to make land registration faster, more transparent, and less vulnerable to human interference. In a state celebrated as Nigeria’s industrial capital and gateway to Western civilization, where land is the lifeblood of industrial and urban expansion, this initiative was both necessary and visionary.

Yet as digital innovation meets legal tradition, a crucial question emerges: how can Ogun State ensure that its march toward efficiency does not trample upon professional ethics, the rule of law, and the sanctity of property rights?

No one disputes that OLARMS and the Bureau of Lands’ digitization efforts are progressive.

Digitization reduces red tape, curtails corruption, improves accessibility, and accelerates service delivery. However, a worrying operational practice has emerged.

The platform and Stamp Duties Office currently permit the upload and processing of payment receipts, commonly described as family land receipts, as part of the documentary requirements for issuing a Certificate of Occupancy. While convenient, this practice is legally and professionally problematic.

A receipt is evidence of payment, it is not a land instrument. The statutory and professional framework that governs land transactions, including Section 22(1) of the Legal Practitioners Act and Rule 10 of the Rules of Professional Conduct 2007, reserves the preparation and attestation of instruments affecting land to qualified legal practitioners and requires that documents intended for registration bear the appropriate legal formalities, including franking, proper execution and where applicable, professional stamps and seals. Substituting properly prepared conveyances, assignments, leases or deeds with mere receipts undermines those protections and in practice is chasing legal practitioners out of the vital role of drafting, vetting and preparing land instruments.

The courts have consistently reminded us that formal requirements are not empty technicalities. In Okafor v. Nweke, the Supreme Court held that processes signed by unqualified persons are fundamentally defective.

By logical extension, documents that do not meet the formal criteria for registrable instruments cannot safely or legitimately be made the principal evidence of title. Treating receipts as equivalent to instruments increases the risk of fraud, fosters uncertainty of title, and sets the stage for future litigation.

That said, the reality of general practice must be acknowledged.

Families will continue to issue receipts. The remedy is not to criminalize private receipts but to ensure they are not elevated into mandatory or determinative documentary requirements for registration.

At a minimum, receipts should be optional supplementary evidence of payment, admissible to show consideration where relevant, but never a substitute for properly executed legal instruments or for the professional due diligence that lawyers provide, including searches at the Lands Registry, the Surveyor General’s Office, CAC checks, compliance with Governor’s Consent requirements, correct stamping and other statutory compliance. In short, digitization should improve access to services without displacing the legal safeguards that protect property rights and preserve the role of legal practitioners in land conveyancing.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, land and property disputes account for nearly 65% of civil litigation in many states’ high courts, while the Bureau of Lands in Ogun has publicly acknowledged significant backlogs in title regularization caused by defective documentation.

A digital platform that does not integrate professional safeguards risks amplifying these problems rather than solving them.

For this reason, the Bureau of Lands must adopt a firm policy of rejecting informal instruments such as handwritten receipts, unsealed agreements, or ‘acknowledgment’ notes as evidence of ownership or as the basis for processing a C of O. Such documents, often prepared by non-lawyers, lack legal validity under the LPA and established case law. A receipt merely acknowledges payment; it does not convey legal title.

A valid conveyance or assignment, properly drafted, stamped, and registered, remains the only legal instrument that can transfer an interest in land. When registries accept informal documents, they inadvertently encourage quackery, enable fraud, and generate a flood of disputes that clog both the courts and administrative systems.

Speaking of instruments, The Land Instruments Registration Law of Ogun State provides in Section 2 that: ‘Instrument’ means a document affecting land in the State whereby one party confers, transfers, limits, charges or extinguishes in favour of another any right or title to or interest in land in the State and includes (a) an estate contract, (b) a certificate of purchase, (c) a power of attorney under which any instrument may be executed, and (d) a deed of appointment or discharge of trustees containing expressly or impliedly a vesting declaration and affecting any land to which section 27 of the Trustee Law extends, but does not include a will. By this definition, a receipt does not and cannot qualify as a registrable instrument.

It merely acknowledges payment; it does not confer or transfer an interest in land. The continued collection or upload of land purchase receipts as registrable documents, even during preliminary assessment at the Bureau of Lands or Stamp Duties Office, is inconsistent with the spirit and letter of this law. The practice not only trivializes land documentation but also invites abuse, fraud, and title disputes.

Global best practices reinforce this approach. In the United Kingdom, the HM Land Registry operates a highly digitized land registration system that enhances public access to property information. However, only solicitors and licensed conveyancers are authorized to prepare and lodge instruments electronically. The reasoning is clear: conveyancing is a legal process, not a clerical one, and professional accountability ensures the integrity of the register.

Similarly, in Ontario, Canada, the Teraview electronic registration system grants the public access to property data but allows only accredited lawyers and licensed conveyancers to submit instruments. In Kenya, the Ardhisasa digital platform, widely regarded as a model for African innovation, lets the public monitor transactions and verify ownership, but restricts the preparation and uploading of instruments to registered advocates, surveyors, and licensed professionals. Across these jurisdictions, a consistent pattern emerges: public transparency and professional control are complementary pillars of trust.

A system that opens its windows to the public while keeping its doors safeguarded by professionals achieves both accessibility and accountability.

Closer to home, Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) provides a useful domestic analogy. While the CAC portal allows anyone to search the company register, only accredited professionals, lawyers, accountants, and chartered secretaries, are permitted to make filings or effect company registrations. This dual structure protects the integrity of the corporate register. It is therefore both logical and necessary that land documentation, an area even more prone to fraud and disputes, should maintain similar professional safeguards within OLARMS. By ensuring that only duly verified, lawyer-prepared instruments enter the system, Ogun State can prevent the digitization process from becoming a breeding ground for future litigation.

Ultimately, the reform of OLARMS is not a struggle for dominance among professions but a defence of institutional integrity. Land documentation and registration lie at the intersection of law, governance, and economic development. When handled by unqualified persons, they breed fraud, litigation, and public distrust. But when managed by trained professionals under a transparent, digital framework, they foster investor confidence, protect state revenue, and promote justice.

Ogun State stands at a defining moment. Its digital transformation efforts can set a national benchmark for transparent and efficient governance if implemented with precision and respect for professional boundaries. A system that accepts only lawyer-prepared and duly verified instruments, rejects informal documents, operates under professional oversight, and provides predictable, transparent processing timelines will not only streamline registration but will secure the very foundation of property rights in the state. That is what true transparency means, not a portal open to all hands, but a process anchored on legality, professionalism, accountability, and trust.

Producer and music executive Michael Collins Ajereh popularly known as Don Jazzy has revealed why he nearly abandoned the music industry and relocated abroad following the 2012 collapse of Mo’Hits Records, the label he co-founded with singer D’banj.

In an interview with ‘Rolling Stone’, Don Jazzy disclosed that the abrupt dissolution of Mo’Hits, triggered by irreconcilable differences between him and D’banj, left him convinced his career was over.

‘When Mo’Hits ended, I thought that was it. I almost packed up to move abroad. But friends encouraged me to stay and start again, and Mavin Records was born. Since then, I’ve learned not to let anything break me’, he said.

The split marked the end of one of Afrobeats’ most successful partnerships, which had produced hits like ‘Tongolo,’ ‘Why Me,’ and ‘Fall in Love.’

Following the breakup, Don Jazzy founded Mavin Records in May 2012, quickly signing former Mo’Hits artists including Wande Coal, Dr SID, and D’Prince, alongside new talents such as Tiwa Savage, Reekado Banks, Korede Bello, and Di’Ja.

Under Don Jazzy’s leadership, Mavin evolved into a powerhouse, launching global stars like Rema whose 2022 hit ‘Calm Down’ became the most-streamed African song on Spotify and Ayra Starr, whose 2023 single ‘Rush’ earned a Grammy nomination.

The label’s current roster includes Rema, Ayra Starr, Ladipoe, Crayon, Magixx, Boy Spyce, Bayanni, Johnny Drille, and DJ Big N.

In 2024, Universal Music Group (UMG) announced a majority investment in Mavin Global, a deal widely seen as validation of the label’s influence in the global rise of Afrobeats.

Gospel singer Nathaniel Bassey has reiterated his refusal to monetise the official YouTube channel for the Hallelujah Challenge, an online prayer movement he launched in 2017.

Speaking during a live session, Bassey warned participants that fraudulent channels are illegally cloning the official stream from NathanielBasseymain, the only verified page to siphon viewers and generate ad revenue.

‘There are people who join Hallelujah Challenge from fake pages on YouTube. Let me tell you why. Because of my personal concentration of not monetising ‘Hallelujah Challenge’, some criminals, crooks, and scams clone and pick the feed from our page to air it just to make money,’ he said.

The Hallelujah Challenge convenes twice annually, featuring prominent gospel artists and clergy in extended worship and prayer sessions that attract global participation.

Bassey acknowledged the criticism he faces on both sides on accusations of profiteering if he enables monetisation, and charges of pride when he does not.

‘They have dragged me all you can. When you monetise, they would say you are doing ministry for money. When you do not they would say you are trying to be proud. We will not monetise it. I am not led to do it. God will bless us some other ways,’ he added.

He urged viewers to verify the channel name and avoid unofficial links, emphasising that the initiative remains a free spiritual offering, not a commercial enterprise.

‘So, if you find out as you are watching this now and you are not on NathanielBasseymain. That is the official YouTube page. Any other page is a scam. Just trying to merchandise the grace of God’, he said.

Organisers have urged participants to report suspicious pages and stick strictly to the official handle.

Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is partnering with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) to accelerate national fish production and close Nigeria’s estimated 2.2 million metric ton supply gap through a coordinated policy that will produce a National Fish Production Acceleration Roadmap (NFPAR).

Speaking at the opening of a two-day Round Table Discussion on Accelerating National Fish Production in Lagos, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, said the collaboration with NIPSS marked a critical step in implementing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises food security, job creation, and economic diversification.

‘Current output meets only about 38.9 per cent of the 3.6 million metric tons of fish required annually; this leaves a deficit of over 2.2 million metric tons, forcing Nigeria to rely heavily on imports. This trend is unsustainable – economically, nutritionally, and environmentally,’ Oyetola said.

He said the round table aims to produce a National Fish Production Acceleration Roadmap that will guide strategic investments and reforms in the fisheries and aquaculture subsector.

He noted that new policies and legal frameworks, including the Fisheries Bill and the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, are being developed to strengthen sustainability and governance.

He also highlighted digital reforms within the Ministry, including the automation of fisheries operations and the establishment of a Blue Data Bank in partnership with the World Bank’s PROBLUE Programme. He said initiatives such as the Green Money Project are already empowering youth and women to engage in aquaculture through input support and training.

In his address, Director-General of NIPSS, Prof Ayo Omotayo, reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to supporting evidence-based policymaking that can help Nigeria achieve fish self-sufficiency. He said NIPSS would continue to work with the ministry to translate the outcomes of the round table into actionable strategies.

The two-day forum, which has experts, operators and other stakeholders in attendance, is expected to generate recommendations that will inform national policy and investment decisions aimed at boosting fish production, reducing imports, and promoting sustainable growth within Nigeria’s Blue Economy.

Another sporting history beckons as the Federal Capital City, Abuja, bubble ahead of the maiden international African Chovken championship billed to hold between November 5 and 8.

Chairman of the African Region of the International Chovken Federation (ICF), Nura Sani Kangiwa , stated that Nigeria has been selected to host the maiden regional continental championship-a milestone event expected to attract teams from across the continent and spotlight the country’s equestrian sports capabilities.

Kangiwa listed continental sporting power houses like Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and Ghana as the other countries expected to vie for honours during the four days African festival in Nigeria.

He also confirmed that the sporting fiesta would hold at the foremost Guards Polo Resort in Abuja, stating that choice of Nigeria as first ever African host of the glamorous event, follows the country’s sterling performance at the maiden International Chovken Championship held in Baku, Azerbaijan last year, where Nigeria finished third in pool of 10 countries from across the world.

‘Hosting this championship will not only boost Nigeria’s image internationally but also stimulate interest and investment in equestrian sports across the country,’ Kangiwa said. ‘Countries like Kenya, and several others have already expressed readiness to participate.

‘We are working with private and public stakeholders to ensure a seamless hosting experience. This is a legacy project that could redefine equestrian sports in Nigeria and indeed Africa,’ he added.

Kangiwa pointed out that since the game of Chovken resonates with Nigeria’s globally revered rich cultural and heritage, the organizers would be devoting a whole day during the event as Cultural Day where all the participants, invited dignitaries ICF officials and thousands of enthusiasts and tourists would witness the best of Nigerian cultural displays.

The proprietor of NSK Polo Ranch who recently led a delegation on a courtesy call to the leadership of the National Sports Committee (NSC) as part of the build up to this continental event, said championship will bring together the finest riders and teams from across the continent and beyond, showcasing the pinnacle of equestrian excellence.

NSC Chairman, Alhaji Dikko who received the delegation pledged the commission’s support, noting that hosting such an event aligns with the federal government’s goal of expanding the country’s sporting portfolio beyond mainstream events.

‘We are pleased to see a traditional and culturally rich sport like Chovken gaining ground in Nigeria,’ the NSC boss said. ‘This championship is not just a sporting event-it’s an opportunity to showcase our hospitality, talent, and readiness to engage with global sporting communities.’

Chovken is an equestrian team sport with historical roots and striking resemblance to the popular Polo sport. The game is played by two teams of four horse riders who drive a small leather ball into an opponent’s goal using curved wooden mallets.

It is a fast-paced, strategic equestrian team sport with ancient roots -and a legacy that predates and inspired modern Polo.

While Polo became globally known through colonial expansion, Chovken evolved organically in the Caucasus and Central Asia, preserving its authenticity, ceremonial richness and deeper cultural resonance.

A typical Chovken match features two teams of four horse riders competing to score goals with a small leather ball and curved wooden mallets. It is played in two 15-minute halves. The sport was recently added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, further elevating its global profile.

What distinguishes Chovken from Polo is its allowance for closer physical contact, open-field freedom, and more cultural expression in play, offering a sport that is both athletic and ceremonial.

Get ready for an unforgettable celebration of speed, skill, and tradition as the Nigerian team perfect strategies to conquer the continent and write country’s name on the sands of times as the first ever winner of the inaugural Chovken African championship