Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have announced record revenue of pound 837 million for the 2024/25 season, driven by their historic UEFA Champions League triumph and strong commercial growth, marking the highest financial performance in the club’s history.

The Qatar-owned club described 2024/25 as a historic season on both sporting and economic fronts, after clinching their maiden Champions League title with a dominant 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final, alongside a domestic double. According to PSG’s financial report released on Tuesday, commercial revenue reached pound 367 million, boosted by six new sponsorship deals, while matchday income climbed to pound 175 million, a record for the French champions. Total turnover rose from pound 806 million in the previous campaign. ‘This performance shows the maturity of the project since the arrival of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and confirms the strength of the club’s economic model, now among the most successful in the world,’ the club stated.

When QSI took over in 2011, PSG’s turnover stood at just pound 99 million. The latest figures cement the club’s position among football’s financial elite, trailing only Real Madrid and Manchester City in Europe’s revenue rankings.

In May, Forbes valued PSG at $4.6 billion, ranking them as the seventh most valuable football club globally, behind Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Barcelona.

PSG’s record-breaking financial year underscores both their growing global brand appeal and the sporting success that has long been the club’s ultimate ambition under Qatari ownership.

Africa CDC has been at the forefront of promoting youth inclusion in public health. Can you talk about the agency’s youth-focused initiatives and its new youth engagement strategy?

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), through its dedicated youth arm, Africa CDC Youth, has continued to demonstrate a strong commitment to youth inclusion in public health.

We regularly convene sessions that spotlight the rise of youth leadership in health innovation, policy engagement, and global health participation. At CPHIA 2025, we will host a diverse group of young professionals working across different areas of public health.

I must say that one of our most symbolic milestones in recent times is the development of the Youth Engagement and Participation in Global Health Strategy (YES!Health 2025-2028), a landmark policy framework designed to position young people not merely as beneficiaries of health policies but as active partners in shaping and advancing public health across Africa. The official unveiling of this framework will take place during CPHIA 2025.

The theme for CPHIA 2025 is ‘Moving Towards Self-reliance to Achieve Universal Health Coverage and Health Security in Africa.’ What does this mean, particularly for African youth?

The conference theme re-emphasises the longstanding fact that African nations and people need to take control of their health. For young people, this is primarily about access to quality and affordable health care, provided under a self-reliant universal health coverage on the continent, which is critical for youth in terms of education, livelihood and productivity.

Youth participation in CPHIA 2025 underscores the Africa CDC’s commitment to youth inclusion in health systems and decision-making processes. Africa CDC is ensuring that the youth demographic, which makes up 65-70 percent of the African population, is actively involved in all its programmes and initiatives. From problem identification to solution creation and implementation, young people must be involved.

The youth participation also means advancing Africa CDC’s investment in skills, leadership and entrepreneurship building for young people to be able to bridge the gaps in public health on the continent. This is central to the theme and objective of the conference, which underscores the need to shift from the donor-dependent model of health financing to becoming independent and self-reliant.

For this, we need to look at how, as a continent, we are financing our health and investing in it. Young innovators and health-tech founders have a critical role to play here. CPHIA 2025 is, therefore, very important not only for the youth but also for the continent and the world at large.

What is the youth agenda at CPHIA 2025, and what programmes are there to achieve the agenda?

Unlike the previous editions of CPHIA, where we had youth pre-conferences, this edition is quite unique. In addition to one of the conference tracks focusing on women and youth, as a matter of priority, we have special sessions coming up to amplify how youth-focused initiatives empower young people to improve health systems and drive change from community to global levels.

Examples of such, to mention just a few, include the Africa CDC Bingwa Initiative, which was successfully deployed by Africa CDC to drive vaccination uptake on the continent during the COVID-19 pandemic and has now morphed into Bingwa Plus, an incubator and accelerator programme offering funding, mentorship and resources to young health innovators across Africa.

Another initiative is the Youth Advisory Team for Health (YAT4H), a team of young health professionals representing the youth within the Africa CDC to foster youth inclusion in public health governance and co-creation of health solutions with youth perspectives in consideration.

The Youth in Digital Health Network (YiDHN) is another strategic initiative focused on fostering youth-driven innovations and participation in digital health.

Speaking of agenda, we have four main events at the conference – the exhibition booth where we will showcase Africa CDC youth initiatives, two side events where we amplify how youth are shaping the future of health care in Africa and, on top of these, a special session for the official launch of the Africa CDC Strategy for Youth Engagement and Participation in Global Health (YES!Health 2025 – 2028).

This is an important milestone for Africa CDC and indeed African youth. The process commenced at the last Youth Pre-Conference in Lusaka, Zambia, where 250 youth delegates were immersed in co-designing a youth engagement strategy that is developed by young people themselves.

After a series of processes, I mean consultation sessions, a survey and a professional workshop, I am particularly excited today that Africa CDC, together with partners like the Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Office to the African Union (GIZ-AU), has created not a paper document but a roadmap and an actionable blueprint that we have started implementing already.

Indeed, Africa CDC has moved from commitments to institutionalised youth inclusion and leadership through various initiatives under the Africa CDC Youth Programmes.

Apart from the youth programmes and initiatives under your leadership, what is the level of youth participation in CPHIA 2025 in terms of research (abstract submissions), speaking engagements, project launch, etc.?

Beyond the young people hosted under the Africa CDC Youth Programmes, it is encouraging to see that many youths have also been selected to present abstracts at the conference.

This underscores the growing importance and recognition of youth involvement in diverse areas of health research. Young people are already taking the lead in this space, and I’m delighted to have met and interacted with a couple of them.

Besides, there are other young professionals here present who are working not only with the Africa CDC but also with other prominent organisations.

I have seen many young people who are part of state delegations. Clearly, youth involvement in health systems is gaining significant momentum, not just among nations but also within organisations that play critical roles in Africa’s health landscape, as they have young people in key positions.

This growing visibility of young leaders serves as further encouragement for us at Africa CDC to continue the good work we’re doing.

What is the next direction for youth engagement and participation in global health by the Africa CDC?

The next step is to strengthen further the pillars and parameters of the institutionalised youth engagement by the Africa CDC. Not only through the various initiatives that we have started implementing but also the flagship projects in the Youth Engagement Strategy.

Yesterday, for instance, we had a conversation with the Director-General of the Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya, on creating a fellowship program that will provide a new environment for young people to support the Africa CDC and, most importantly, gain significant career benefits.

Hence, a fellowship programme is one of the initiatives under consideration for next year’s programmes. We are also having the second edition of Bingwa Plus next year. The Youth Advisory Team for Health (YAT4H), with its first cohort entering its second year, will also have a second cohort by next year.

Last week at the Africa Health Tech Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, we made new commitments with young people in the Youth in Digital Health Network (YiDHN), along with our partners and member states, to continue supporting and strengthening the flagship initiative that is providing support for young innovators applying technology to create public health solutions at scale.

Two other initiatives that the Africa CDC would like to unveil are support for youth-led entrepreneurship in public health.

We are aware of the many young innovators striving to scale up their ideas, and we’re eager to support them. One of our plans is to collaborate with universities to establish an exchange programme between the Africa CDC and academic institutions, aimed at advancing training and capacity building for young talent.

At Africa CDC, the Youth Programme’s core mandate is to ensure that young people are given opportunities to learn, grow, and emerge as leaders capable of making a meaningful impact. We remain steadfast in this commitment because the Africa we want can only be realised through the energy, innovation, and leadership of its youth.

Nigeria’s House of Representatives has passed for second reading a bill seeking to establish the Fintech Regulatory Commission, aimed at regulating the country’s fast-expanding financial technology industry.

The bill, sponsored by Fuad Laguda, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker representing Surulere I Federal Constituency of Lagos State, seeks to create a dedicated agency to oversee fintech operations, set industry standards, and protect consumers.

Leading debate on the bill during Tuesday’s plenary, Laguda said the proposed commission would ‘provide a clear regulatory framework’ for the fintech sector, which has become central to everyday financial transactions in Nigeria.

‘The need for this regulation has grown exponentially in recent years, with millions of Nigerians now depending on digital payment platforms, mobile money services, and other fintech products,’ Laguda said.

‘However, the lack of a coherent framework has raised concerns over consumer protection, financial stability, and the prevention of financial crimes’, he added.

He further explained that the proposed body would ensure operators comply with industry standards while safeguarding users through fair, transparent, and secure practices. The Lawmaker said it would also promote innovation while minimising systemic risks to the financial system. Nigeria’s digital finance ecosystem has expanded sharply over the past decade, driven by the rise of mobile payments and online lending platforms. The rapid pace of growth has pushed regulators, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to explore new approaches to supervision and consumer protection.

In October 2024, the SEC said it would begin enforcing new rules in the fintech ecosystem to curb fund mismanagement and ensure compliance with existing regulations.

Emomotimi Agama, director-general of the SEC, noted that a sound and predictable regulatory environment was critical to harnessing technology for Nigeria’s economic transformation.

Airtel Africa has kicked off its 2025 financial year with an impressive rebound, reporting a 375 percent surge in profit after tax to $376 million for the half-year ended September 30, 2025.

The telco’s turnaround was driven by explosive growth in data and mobile money usage, alongside improved currency performance in key markets like Nigeria and parts of Francophone Africa. The company’s report marks a significant shift from traditional voice-led earnings to a digitally anchored business model that is now paying off.

For the first time in its history, data revenue overtook voice to become Airtel Africa’s largest earnings driver. Data income rose 37 percent in constant currency to $1.16 billion, powered by an 18.4 percent increase in active data users to 78.1 million.

Smartphone penetration reached 46.8 percent, while average monthly data consumption hit 8.2GB per user, reflecting both rising affordability and growing digital engagement across the continent.

‘Data is now the heartbeat of our business. We have made strategic investments to ensure that our customers experience superior connectivity, and this has translated directly into stronger financial performance,’ Sunil Taldar, Airtel Africa’s CEO, said in a statement.

Voice revenue still grew 13.2 percent in constant currency, buoyed by an 11 percent increase in subscribers to 173.8 million, but it now trails behind data as consumer behaviour shifts towards digital platforms, streaming, and online transactions.

The telco’s Airtel Money platform also delivered strong results, with revenue up 30.2 percent to $623 million. Its customer base grew 20 percent to 49.8 million, while the total annualised transaction value jumped nearly 36 percent to $193 billion.

This momentum has turned Airtel Money into a key pillar of Airtel Africa’s diversification strategy, now contributing 21 percent of group revenue. The company said preparations for a planned IPO of Airtel Money remain on track for the first half of 2026.

Beyond payment transfers, the platform has expanded into micro-lending, savings, and merchant payments, reflecting Africa’s growing appetite for digital financial services.

Airtel Africa’s largest market, Nigeria, was the standout performer, delivering a 49 percent rise in revenue in constant currency terms. Data revenue in the country surged 62 percent, while EBITDA margin climbed to 56 percent supported by improved network capacity and currency appreciation of the naira.

In East Africa, revenue rose 15.6 percent to $1.05 billion, while Francophone Africa posted a 14.5 percent gain to $749 million, helped by tariff adjustments and stronger CFA franc performance.

Across its 14 markets, Airtel added over 2,350 new network sites, expanding its footprint to 38,300. The company said 98.5 percent of its sites now have 4G coverage, with 5G rollout underway in five countries.

Fibre capacity also grew by 4,000 kilometres to over 81,000 km, reinforcing the network backbone behind its data and fintech push.

Airtel Africa’s EBITDA climbed 33.2 percent to $1.45 billion, raising its margin to 48.5 percent from 45.8 percent a year ago. The company attributed this to cost efficiency measures, lower finance costs, and the absence of the heavy foreign exchange losses that dented last year’s performance.

Finance costs dropped to $304 million, down from $528 million a year earlier, while 95 percent of Airtel’s operating debt is now in local currency, reducing exposure to FX volatility.

Operating cash flow jumped 46.5 percent to $1.13 billion, while leverage improved to 2.1x, from 2.3x last year. The board also declared an interim dividend of 2.84 cents per share, up 9.2 percent.

Airtel Africa’s transformation from a traditional telecom operator into a digital services company is now evident in both numbers and strategy. With rising data consumption, fintech expansion, and deeper investments in fibre and 5G, the company is positioning itself as a techco rather than just a telco.

‘Our strong half-year performance gives us confidence to raise our capex guidance,’ Taldar said, noting that the company plans to invest up to $900 million in FY2026 to accelerate digital growth and network modernisation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rewriting the playbook of cybercrime, and Africa, once seen as a peripheral target, has become a testing ground for some of the world’s most advanced digital attacks.

This is the stark reality outlined in Microsoft’s 2025 Digital Defence Report, which paints a sobering picture of the continent’s evolving cyber threat landscape. The report details how attackers are deploying AI to craft more convincing phishing campaigns, generate lifelike deepfakes, and even automate entire attack chains that once required human oversight.

‘Africa isn’t just a target; it has become a proving ground for the latest cyber threats. We are witnessing attackers harness AI to craft phishing messages tailored to local languages and cultural contexts, impersonate trusted individuals, and exploit the very platforms we depend on. Many of these advanced tactics are first tested right here on the continent,’ Kerissa Varma, Microsoft’s chief security advisor for Africa, revealed.

AI supercharges cybercrime

Microsoft’s findings show that the rapid integration of AI into cybercriminal operations has fundamentally changed the threat landscape. Traditional phishing emails, once riddled with grammatical errors, have given way to messages so realistic they can fool even the most vigilant employees.

According to the report, AI-enhanced phishing campaigns now achieve a 54 percent click-through rate, 4.5 times higher than conventional methods and can boost the profitability of attacks by up to 50-fold.

Attackers are also leveraging autonomous malware that can move laterally across networks, escalate privileges, and exfiltrate data, all without human control.

Beyond phishing, the rise of deepfake technology and voice cloning has given cybercriminals powerful new tools for deception. Fraudsters can now convincingly mimic executives, customer service agents, or even family members to manipulate victims or authorise fraudulent transfers.

The report notes a 195 percent global increase in AI-generated identities, which are being used to bypass identity verification systems, exploit free trials, and create fake accounts for financial or espionage purposes.

Africa’s expanding attack surface

The scale of these threats is immense. Microsoft processes more than 100 trillion daily security signals, giving it a global view of cyber activity and a clear indication that Africa’s digital growth has made it a magnet for attackers.

While financial motivation remains the main driver, the sophistication of attacks targeting African organizations is rising sharply. In 80 percent of cyber incidents investigated by Microsoft’s security teams last year, the attackers’ primary goal was data theft, not intelligence gathering.

The World Economic Forum’s Cybercrime Impact Atlas 2025 underscores the trend: arrests linked to cybercrime increased across 19 African countries, yet the total financial damage soared from $192 million to $484 million in one year. The number of recorded victims also jumped dramatically, from 35,000 to 87,000.

‘Critical cyberattacks often unfold beyond the reach of traditional endpoint detection. Early warning signs like credential theft should be treated as indicators of potentially larger breaches,’ Varma warned.

Business email compromise tops list

Among the various threats plaguing African businesses, Business Email Compromise (BEC) stands out as the most financially devastating. Although it represented just two percent of overall attacks observed, BEC accounted for 21 percent of successful breaches, surpassing even ransomware.

In these attacks, criminals infiltrate email systems through phishing or password spraying, then manipulate inbox rules, tamper with multi-factor authentication, and hijack legitimate email threads. The result is a high-trust fraud that often goes unnoticed until significant financial damage is done.

According to the report, South Africa emerged as a global hotspot for BEC infrastructure setup and money mule recruitment. A detailed case study highlights Storm-2126, a Nigerian-origin threat actor operating out of South Africa since 2017. The group’s transnational operations have targeted U.S. real estate firms, law practices, and manufacturing companies, illustrating how African-based actors are becoming major players in global cybercrime.

New tactics: ClickFix and AI impersonation

The Digital Defence Report also reveals a shift toward multi-stage attack chains that combine social engineering, technical exploitation, and infrastructure abuse. One rising technique, dubbed ClickFix, tricks users into manually executing malicious code under the guise of resolving IT issues.

Attackers are also increasingly exploiting collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams, impersonating technical support or system administrators to gain remote access. These methods blur the line between trust and threat, exploiting employees’ willingness to cooperate with supposed authority figures.

The rise of deepfake era

Perhaps the most unsettling development is the rise of AI-generated media, including fake videos, cloned voices, and synthetic images, that can be weaponised for fraud, disinformation, or manipulation.

In several documented incidents, cybercriminals used deepfake audio to impersonate company executives and authorize high-value wire transfers. Others have used synthetic identities to apply for loans, launder money, or infiltrate corporate systems through fake recruitment profiles.

These attacks are particularly dangerous in regions where digital verification systems are still developing and where trust in online communication remains high.

Building Africa’s digital resilience

Despite the grim statistics, Microsoft insists that Africa can become a frontline leader in cyber resilience if organisations act decisively. The company’s Secure Future Initiative, described as its largest cybersecurity engineering project ever, aims to help African enterprises strengthen their defences and adopt AI-powered protection frameworks.

The initiative rethinks how Microsoft designs, builds, and operates its products to achieve the highest possible standards for security. It also supports African businesses and governments in implementing advanced threat intelligence, multi-factor authentication, and zero-trust models.

‘Defenders must fundamentally rethink their approaches to cyber resilience. Relying on trust alone is no longer enough as familiar platforms and tools can be turned against us,’ Varma emphasised

Experts say awareness, training, and regional cooperation are equally critical. Many of Africa’s most damaging cyber incidents have exploited human error or lack of preparedness rather than purely technical vulnerabilities.

A Turning Point for African Cybersecurity

The Microsoft report leaves no doubt: the age of AI-driven cyber threats has arrived, and Africa is at the center of it. The continent’s growing digital economy, youthful population, and rapid cloud adoption make it both a target and a testing ground for new attack techniques.

Yet, with these challenges come the opportunities to build smarter defences, invest in cybersecurity talent, and shape the global response to AI-enhanced threats.

‘By leveraging AI responsibly and investing in comprehensive cybersecurity strategies, Africa can transform from a proving ground for attackers into a model for digital resilience,’ Varma affirmed.

Nestoil Group has moved to reassure stakeholders after police sealed its Lagos headquarters on Monday following a court order authorising the takeover of its assets over a $1 billion debt dispute.

The federal high court in Lagos had, on October 22, issued a Mareva injunction empowering First Trustees and its subsidiary, FBNQuest Merchant Bank, to assume control of the company’s properties.

Justice D. I. Dipeolu granted the order against Nestoil Limited, its affiliate Neconde Energy Limited, and the firm’s principal promoters, Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi and Nnenna Obiejesi. In a statement on Tuesday via LinkedIn, Nestoil described the receivership as a ‘commercial matter’ currently before the court and said the enforcement action does not affect its operations. ‘Constructive discussions are ongoing, and we remain confident that these engagements will result in a fair and lasting resolution.’

Nestoil stressed that it remains financially strong and operationally stable, adding that all subsidiaries and projects across oil, gas, power, and infrastructure sectors are ‘continuing without disruption’.

‘Proactive measures have been implemented to protect our workforce, sustain operations, and uphold our obligations to clients and partners,’ the company said.

The group added that further updates will be communicated through verified channels as discussions with lenders continue.

What does it take to ensure every Nigerian child can read, write and articulate at grade level? For decades, this question has lingered in the corridors of education policymakers, where the learning crisis is both widespread and urgent.

According to UNESCO’s latest Global Education Monitoring Report, a quarter of a billion children and youth worldwide are out of school. Yet the crisis goes beyond those who never enter classrooms.

A 2022 World Bank Global Report estimates that 70 percent of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries are unable to read and understand an age-appropriate text.

Similarly, UNICEF reports that 70 percent of Nigerian children in primary school cannot read with meaning or solve simple math problems, and millions of children remain out of school.

The changing demands of the global economy, accelerated by the disruptions of COVID-19, have reinforced the urgent need for education systems that move with the times.

To prepare learners for the future, innovative instructional approaches are required, methods that go beyond traditional, often static classroom practices.

These challenges are even more pronounced in Nigeria, where cultural diversity, linguistic complexity, and uneven economic development complicate efforts to deliver equitable learning opportunities.

It is estimated that less than 30 percent of the Nigerian population can be reached using the English language. With the continent’s youth population expected to constitute 42 percent of the global total by 2030, the urgency to close these gaps has never been greater.

Global efforts to address the learning crisis

The question, then, is no longer whether children are learning, but whether the right approaches are being applied to reverse the learning crisis.

Encouragingly, global conversation has begun to shift from intuition-driven programmes to evidence-based interventions, initiatives designed, tested, and refined based on measurable outcomes.

Countries such as the Philippines, Ghana, and Uganda have adopted strategies like mother-tongue instruction, early-grade reading interventions, and structured remedial programmes to accelerate foundational learning.

In Uganda, a U.S.-supported programme introduced structured instruction in nine local languages, paired with trained teachers and age-appropriate materials.

Within three years, reading scores rose sharply while dropout rates declined, demonstrating the effectiveness of combining mother-tongue instruction with systematic pedagogy.

These experiences reaffirm that when children are taught in a language they understand, and instruction is tailored to their level of learning rather than grade, they acquire foundational skills faster and more effectively.

Nigerian case of LEARNOVATE-FLIP:

Oando Foundation has championed a mixed-methods approach that combines preventive and remedial interventions to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy.

The foundation recently launched two reports highlighting the impact of its Foundational Learning Improvement Programme, following the successful completion of its pilot phase across 80 schools in Adamawa, Ebonyi, Plateau and Sokoto States.

The programme combined two complementary approaches. Early Grade Reading (EGR) introduced structured instruction in both mother tongue and English for pupils in Primary 1-3, strengthening literacy at the point where it matters most, and Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) supported Primary 4-6 pupils who had progressed without mastering basic skills, providing targeted remedial lessons in literacy and numeracy.

Together, these approaches ensured that children at different stages of learning were not left behind: younger pupils built strong foundations, while older learners were allowed to catch up.

Within just six months of implementation there were large, measurable gains: in Hausa paragraph reading the share of paragraph readers rose from 19 percent at baseline to 43 percent at endline (+24 percentage points); in English paragraph reading the share rose from 18 percent to 45 percent (+27 points); and learners able to solve two-digit subtraction increased from 13 per percent to 48 percent (+35 points).

At the same time, the share of non-readers fell sharply (Hausa non-readers dropped by 34 points; English non-readers fell by 35 points).

On the preventive side, the EGR model improved reading achievement for Primary 1-3 pupils across 60 schools, prioritising the use of mother-tongue instruction where appropriate while transitioning learners into English.

This pilot aims to demonstrate that an integrated approach to school support can significantly improve reading achievement for pupils in P1-3 classes. EGR materials and assessment tools in the mother tongue were deployed in Ebonyi and Sokoto, while materials in English were used in Plateau State as a control state.

A combination of robust, scripted early reading lessons in languages children understand, paired with materials and teacher mentorship support, was the foundation of the rapid gains in early literacy achieved in this project.

The two approaches address the twin problems that impede learning in many Nigerian classrooms: language barriers and heterogeneous learning levels.

Also recognising that teacher capacity and community engagement are pivotal, the Foundation embedded training and resource support into the programme to ensure sustainability.

Across all four states, the programme enrolled over 5,160 out-of-school children, provided 2,000 back-to-school kits, and strengthened classroom instruction through the training of 416 teachers.

To sustain improvements, the foundation distributed over 40,800 teaching and learning materials while also establishing 120 community reading hubs that directly benefited 10,800 learners. 60 school-based management committees (SBMC) were also activated, mentoring 1,140 members.

These achievements reflect the Foundation’s broader LEARNOVATE strategy, which prioritizes innovation, foundational learning, and sustainability within the education system.

By investing in teacher capacity, providing high-quality learning materials, and fostering community engagement, the Foundation ensures that children are taught in languages they understand and at levels appropriate to their abilities.

As Nigeria works towards 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goal 4 of inclusive and equitable quality education, the evidence is clear: solutions exist that can rapidly and measurably improve foundational learning.

The findings from our LEARNOVATE-FLIP pilots demonstrate that with the right mix of early grade support, remedial interventions, teacher capacity building, and community engagement, learning poverty can be reduced.

Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has called on Nigerian entrepreneurs and small business operators to take full advantage of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) to expand their reach across West Africa and strengthen regional economic integration.

She made the call in Enugu on Tuesday while declaring open a Sensitisation Workshop on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) at the International Conference Centre.

The event, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with ECOWAS, brought together policymakers, business leaders, and trade experts to explore ways to enhance the participation of Nigerian SMEs in regional trade.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu described the workshop as ‘a timely initiative that speaks directly to the urgent task of deepening regional integration, expanding cross-border trade, and empowering our SMEs to take their rightful place in the West African market.’

She commended Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, Governor of Enugu State, and his administration for hosting the event and for their ‘forward-looking commitment to innovation, enterprise, and inclusive growth,’ which, she said, aligns with the spirit of the ECOWAS integration agenda. According to the Minister, the choice of Enugu for the workshop was deliberate, as the state has become ‘a beacon of economic transformation in the South-East.’

She emphasised that small and medium enterprises remain the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, serving as key drivers of employment, innovation, and shared prosperity.

‘Strengthening our SMEs is not merely a local concern but a regional imperative. Enugu today stands as a model for how local dynamism can align with continental ambitions’, she said. Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted the ETLS as one of the oldest and most strategic pillars of West Africa’s economic integration, facilitating the free movement of goods and services within the subregion.

She added that the scheme complements the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and supports the broader framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

‘ETLS is not just a technical instrument, it is a gateway and a test case for Africa’s economic renaissance,’ she noted.

The Minister underscored Nigeria’s pivotal role in driving regional trade, noting that while leadership from Abuja and Lagos is essential, true success will depend on how well local entrepreneurs, traders, and manufacturers across the country can access and benefit from the regional market.

‘This workshop is about democratizing opportunity, equipping our SMEs with the knowledge, skills, and networks to transcend local boundaries and embrace the wider West African market,’ she said.

She urged participants to fully engage in discussions, share their experiences, and leverage the platform to form business partnerships that can boost competitiveness beyond Nigeria’s borders.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to economic diplomacy and trade facilitation, emphasising that the ultimate goal of Nigeria’s foreign policy is the prosperity of its people.

‘Regional integration is not an abstract idea, it is about people, jobs, markets, and opportunities. It is about transforming promises into tangible benefits for every Nigerian entrepreneur,’ she said.

According to a statement by Kimiebi Ebienfa, Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event forms part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to promote economic cooperation within the ECOWAS framework and ensure that Nigerian businesses, especially those in emerging regions like the South-East, are not left behind in the evolving landscape of African trade.

Airtel Africa Plc has released its results for half year (H1) period ended September 30, 2025. The company report profit after tax (PAT) of $376million in H1’25, from $79million in H1’24, representing year-on-year (YoY) increased by 375.3 percent.

Airtel revenue rose by 25.8 percent in the H1’25 period to $2.982billion from $2.370billion in H1’24.

In the review period, Airtel Africa capex of $318million was in-line with the prior period. Capex guidance for FY’26 has been increased to between $875million and $900million as they company looks to accelerate its ability to capitalise on the significant opportunity across its markets.

Airtel continued with its debt localisation programme aimed at reducing its foreign currency debt exposure with around 95 percent of its operating company (OpCo) debt (excluding lease liabilities) now in local currency, up from 89 percent a year ago.

The company’s leverage has improved from 2.3x to 2.1x, with lease-adjusted leverage also improving to 0.8x from 1.0x a year ago, primarily driven by the improvement in EBITDA. Airtel Africa is currently executing its $100million share buy-back programme which remains on track to complete on or before March 31, 2026.

Sunil Taldar, chief executive officer, Airtel Africa said ‘Our strategy has been focussed on providing a superior customer experience and the strength of these results is testament to the initiatives that we have been implementing across the business.

‘Digital innovation is a core focus, and we’re pleased to see the growing adoption of MyAirtel app as we seek to deepen customer engagement and simplify the customer journey. Furthermore, our network continues to scale as we build additional capacity to facilitate the rise in both digital and financial inclusion. The increase in smartphone penetration to 46.8percent reflects the substantial demand for data services across our markets but also highlights the scale of the opportunity to further develop the digital economy,’ Taldar said.

He said ‘Airtel Money continues to gain momentum, with our customer base nearing 50 million and annualised total processed value approaching $200bn, up over 35 percent year-on-year. The acceleration in customer growth and continued growth in engagement on the platform reflects our success in driving digital adoption and innovation to enhance the ecosystem. The preparation for the IPO remains on course for a listing in the first half of 2026’.

‘The strength of our revenue performance – up 24.5percent in constant currency – and further cost efficiency initiatives has continued to support a further increase in Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) margins to 49percent in Q2’26, and we will continue to focus on further incremental margin improvements, subject to macroeconomic stability. This strong performance gives us the confidence to increase our capex guidance for this financial year to between $875million and $900million, as we accelerate our investments to capture the full potential across our markets and deliver long-term value for all stakeholders,’ Taldar said.

Across the Group, mobile services revenue grew by 23.1 percent in constant currency, driven by voice revenue growth of 13.2percent and data revenue growth of 37 percent. Data revenues of $1.161million has now surpassed voice as the biggest component of revenue for the Group. Mobile money revenues continue to benefit from its increased scale and higher levels of engagement to deliver a 30.2 percent growth in constant currency.

EBITDA grew by 33.2 percent in reported currency to $1.447million with EBITDA margins expanding further to 48.5percent from 45.8 percent in the prior period driven by continued operating momentum and sustained benefits from Airtel Africa’s cost efficiency programme.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has reiterated that the state remains an undisputed stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and is fully loyal to the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The governor made this assertion on Monday during the flag-off of the APC Northeast e-registration workshop held in Maiduguri.

The event, which brought together members of the national leadership of the party, state executives, local government chairmen, and legislators at both national and state levels, was convened to drive the APC’s membership e-registration exercise as part of the party’s ongoing digital reform process.

Addressing the gathering, Governor Zulum said, ‘I want to assure you that the Government of Borno State, under my leadership, will provide the necessary support to ensure the success of the APC membership e-registration exercise in the North-East.’

‘Our party members in states governed by other political parties will also be supported to get captured,’ he added.

Zulum further stated, ‘Let there be no doubt in anyone’s mind, Borno State is 100 percent for the APC. Our loyalty to the party and its leadership is absolute.’

He continued, ‘Let us be frank and remember our recent history. Before the APC came to power, Borno State was on its knees. Our local governments were under siege, our economy was shattered, and our people were living in fear.

‘But look at where we are today. The narrative is changing, and this transformation is the result of the relentless efforts and massive support from the APC-led federal government.

‘Under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, we received unprecedented support in our fight against terrorism. We also witnessed the establishment of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), which has played a crucial role in rebuilding our communities and infrastructure.

‘Now, under our leader, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this support has not diminished, it has been strengthened. The President has demonstrated a deep commitment to the final restoration of peace in Borno and the entire North-East. The federal government is actively collaborating with our administration to ensure the safe resettlement of our people and the rebuilding of their livelihoods.

‘The evidence is clear for all to see. The APC-led government at the federal level has been a true partner in our journey from turmoil to stability. For the first time, our son became the Vice President of Nigeria under the APC,’ he said.

Governor Zulum concluded by urging the people of Borno State to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 general elections.

‘I wish to reiterate my call to the good people of Borno State to join me in supporting the re-election of President Tinubu in 2027. Let us begin to build that momentum now. Let us work together to ensure his visionary leadership continues to guide our nation forward,’ he declared.