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A Nigerian passenger, in the early hours of yesterday, died onboard British Airways flight, which departed London Heathrow Airport for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

The passenger, who was identified as a retired Air Vice Marshal, was said to be ill before departing London for Abuja, but died on board less than two hours after departure.

The incident forced the pilot to make an emergency landing at the El Prat Airport, Barcelona, Spain, at about 1:10 a.m.

The six-hour flight departed from Heathrow London Airport on Sunday at 11:30 pm.

It was learnt that the octogenarian was being brought back to Nigeria for further treatment by his family because of the illness.

The incident caused chaos on the flight and reportedly led to a pregnant woman also falling unwell.

I didn’t get any more information on her condition.

A new flight was scheduled for the remaining passengers who arrived in Nigeria later on Monday evening, and the airline has issued an apology.

Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State is attending the third high-level ministerial meeting on rice self-sufficiency holding from October 7 to 9, 2025, in Cairo, Egypt.

This is contained in a statement by Hamisu Mohammed Gumel, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, and made available to newsmen on Monday in Dutse.

According to the statement, the meeting, themed ‘Towards Rice-Based Agri-Food Systems Transformation and Delivering on Rice Self-Sufficiency through Peer-to-Peer Learning: The Case of the Arab Republic of Egypt,’ is jointly organised by the Egyptian ministry of agriculture and land reclamation, AfricaRice, the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development (AOAD), and other key continental partners.

‘This high-level gathering brings together African Ministers of Agriculture, State Governors, and agricultural leaders to share practical experiences on achieving rice self-sufficiency and agricultural transformation.

‘The event will showcase Egypt’s remarkable progress in achieving rice self-sufficiency despite its limited water and land resources, offering valuable lessons adaptable to other African contexts.

‘Governor Namadi is participating alongside top policymakers, agricultural experts, and private sector players from across Africa to discuss innovations, policy reforms, and strategic investments aimed at strengthening food security and transforming the agricultural sector on the continent.

‘Over the three-day programme, delegates will engage in high-level ministerial sessions, technical discussions, and a field visit to Egypt’s renowned Rice Research and Training Centre (RRTC) in Sakha.

‘Jigawa State’s participation in this important forum underscores the state’s commitment to agricultural transformation, food self-sufficiency, and consolidating Jigawa’s position as one of Nigeria’s leading hubs for rice production and agribusiness development.

‘The meeting is expected to conclude with a Ministerial Declaration setting a continental roadmap for achieving rice self-sufficiency through collaborative research, policy coordination, and targeted investment across the rice value chain.

‘Governor Namadi is accompanied by senior officials from the Jigawa State Ministry of Agriculture and related agencies’, the statement read.

A new report by SBM Intelligence has exposed how repeated peace agreements between northern state governments and armed bandit groups have consistently broken down, contributing to the escalation of insecurity across the region.

Over the past five years, states including Zamfara, Katsina, and Kaduna have pursued dialogue and negotiated truces with non-state armed groups.

These efforts, often launched with fanfare, media coverage, and public declarations of amnesty, were intended to reduce violence and reintegrate combatants into society. But in most cases, the agreements collapsed within months, leaving communities more vulnerable than before.

According to SBM Intelligence, while each deal brought a temporary lull in violence, the lack of credible follow-through-such as delayed or failed rehabilitation programmes-fueled disillusionment among both fighters and local communities. In several cases, armed groups used the ceasefires not to disarm, but to regroup and expand their influence.

One of the most striking examples cited in the report occurred in July 2022, when Zamfara State reached what was hailed as a breakthrough peace deal with dozens of armed groups across Tsafe, Shinkafi, and Maru.

The government offered amnesty and assurances of safety in exchange for disarmament. Attacks fell significantly, farmers returned to their land, and markets reopened. But by early 2023, the accord had unraveled. Some factions accused security forces of violating the agreement, while others simply resumed raids and kidnappings, leading to a sharp return of violence.

In September 2022, Zamfara initiated another round of talks, this time involving traditional rulers under the Gusau Emirate. A renewed deal offered ‘safe corridors’ for surrendering fighters. The peace proved short-lived again, as armed groups resumed operations within weeks. Analysts cited in the report argue that many groups never intended to fully disengage and instead viewed these negotiations as opportunities to buy time and rearm.

The cycle repeated in Katsina in March 2023, where the government initiated a peace dialogue along the volatile Birnin Gwari-Faskari corridor. Several commanders initially agreed to lay down arms.

However, the failure to deliver on promised reintegration packages quickly bred frustration. By mid-2025, attacks had resumed in Danmusa and Safana, and yet another round of negotiations was launched-only to end in another collapse.

Kaduna State saw similar efforts in 2026, this time led by local communities and traditional leaders in the southern region. Initial signs were encouraging: attacks along the Kagarko-Kafanchan road declined, and economic activity began to recover.

However, intercommunal violence between herders and farmers flared up again by 2027, reigniting conflict and erasing previous gains.

The report also noted the failure of a federal-led disarmament initiative launched in September 2028. Though framed as a comprehensive push to end rural violence, it quickly lost traction following a wave of kidnappings in Giwa and Birnin Gwari, which exposed the fragility of the initiative.

SBM Intelligence attributes the repeated failures to several underlying factors, including rushed negotiations, inadequate monitoring mechanisms, and the near-total absence of long-term reintegration frameworks.

Many former combatants who surrendered received little to no support to rebuild their lives. In the absence of viable alternatives, some returned to crime or joined more organised criminal networks.

Security analysts say these deals often reflect desperation rather than strategy, especially as local leaders, overwhelmed and under-resourced, agree to truces in the hope of short-term relief for terrorised communities. They argue that without institutional backing, enforcement, or economic support, such efforts are destined to fail.

The consequences are visible across the North-West, with tousands displaced, schools shuttered, farmlands lie fallow, and trade routes, increasingly unsafe.

Billions of naira, the report recalls have been spent on peacebuilding and security operations, yet rural populations continue to live under the shadow of violence.

While the federal government has insisted on a ‘comprehensive approach’ that blends military pressure with dialogue, the report warn that unless the root causes-poverty, youth unemployment, illegal mining, and the unchecked flow of small arms-are addressed, peace will remain a mirage.

As the region heads into another dry season, a period when attacks typically surge, communities across the North-West are growing weary of promises, handshakes, and broken truces, the report emphasized.

Three United States based scientists have won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for research that helped turn one of science’s most mind-bending theories into practical technology, the kind now powering the next generation of computers.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Tuesday awarded the prize to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for their discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit.

In simpler terms, their experiments showed that the bizarre rules governing the subatomic world – where particles can appear to pass through barriers and exist in two states at once – also apply to larger, man-made systems like electrical circuits. That realisation, made through painstaking work in the 1980s, laid the foundation for modern quantum technology, from ultra-secure communications to quantum computing.

A theory brought to life

Quantum mechanics explains how the tiniest building blocks of the universe behave, often defying classical logic. It is the reason electrons can jump between energy levels and why light behaves as both a wave and a particle.

For decades, these strange principles seemed confined to the realm of theory and microscopic experiments. But Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis showed they could be observed and controlled in everyday electrical circuits.

Their findings proved that ‘quantum tunnelling’ – the process by which particles slip through barriers that should be impenetrable – could be made visible and measurable on a macroscopic scale. This breakthrough has since become the cornerstone for technologies such as superconducting qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers.

‘This is something that leads to the development of the quantum computer,’ said Professor Clarke, speaking by phone moments after learning of his award. ‘Many people are working on quantum computing – our discovery is in many ways the basis of this.’

From Cambridge to California

Clarke, born in Cambridge, United Kingdom, is now a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Devoret, born in Paris, France, teaches at Yale University, while Martinis is a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The trio will share prize money of 11 million Swedish kronor (about £872,000). The award will be formally presented by Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

‘To put it mildly, it was the surprise of my life,’ Clarke told reporters, calling his fellow laureates’ contributions ‘overwhelming.’

To the average person, ‘macroscopic quantum tunnelling’ might sound like the stuff of science fiction. But it has very real-world implications.

‘Even mobile phones, cameras, and fibre-optic cables rely on quantum mechanics,’ noted the Nobel committee in its announcement. ‘There is no advanced technology used today that does not.’

Olle Eriksson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said it was ‘wonderful to be able to celebrate the way that century-old quantum mechanics continually offers new surprises’.

Lesley Cohen, Associate Provost of Physics at Imperial College London, said the recognition was ‘well deserved’.

‘Their work has laid the foundations for superconducting qubits – one of the main hardware technologies for quantum technologies,’ she said.

The Nobel Prize in Physics is widely considered the most prestigious in its field. Its past recipients include Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Niels Bohr and Max Planck – names synonymous with the birth of modern physics.

Last year’s physics award went to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton for pioneering work that helped fuel today’s artificial intelligence revolution.

The 2025 Nobel season continues this week, with the chemistry prize announced on Wednesday, followed by the literature, peace and economics awards in the coming days.

For Clarke and his colleagues, the recognition caps decades of quiet work that has transformed how humanity understands – and harnesses – the strange rules of the quantum world.

As Clarke put it, still dazed by the news: ‘Exactly where this fits in right now isn’t entirely clear to me. But one of the underlying reasons that cellphones work is because of all this work.’

Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power has announced that the federal government, in the last two years secured over $2 billion to enhance Nigeria’s access to electricity.

Adelabu disclosed this at the Nigerian Economic Summit (NES31) in Abuja. According to him, the Federal Government is leveraging bilateral funding and development finance to de-risk investments and attract private participation for access expansion across underserved and unserved communities, educational institutions, healthcare facilities and government institutions.

A breakdown of the total fund showed that $750 million was from World Bank DARES program for off-grid and mini-grid expansion, $500 million NSIA RIPLE platform to unlock private capital for renewables, and the $190 million JICA fund to complement DARES.

He said, ‘In the past two years, over $2 billion has been mobilized through key facilities, including the $750 million World Bank DARES program for off-grid and mini-grid expansion. the $500 million NSIA RIPLE platform to unlock private capital for renewables, and the $190 million JICA fund to complement DARES.

‘Collectively, these interventions are accelerating renewable energy deployment and expanding reliable, affordable power across the country.’

He explained that in the area of infrastructure development, the Federal Government has introduced targeted national programs aimed at accelerating the viability, expansion, and modernization of the national grid.

The minister noted that under the phase zero of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), the transmission capacity has been enhanced to achieve grid stability, and overall system reliability, with over 700MW of additional transmission capacity already achieved.

He explained that under phase one of the PPI, contracts have been signed with Siemens Energy, CMEC, Elswedy Electric, and Power China with financing arrangements underway to support implementation.

Phase one is planned to add 7000MW operational capacity to the grid. ‘In parallel to the grid expansion, generation capacity is being expanded through the rehabilitation of existing NIPP plants to unlock about 345MW, alongside the successful integration of the 700MW Zungeru Hydropower Plant into the grid.

‘Collectively, these interventions have helped sustain an average generation capacity of approximately 5,300MW in 2024 up from 4,200MW recorded in 2023.

‘Additionally, the Federal Government has operationalized the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) to close the national metering gap and improve sector viability. Already, N700 billion has been secured from FAAC to deploy 1.1 million meters by end of 2025, and 2 million annually over the next five years under the PMI.

‘This complements the 3.2 million meters being procured through the World Bank’s DISREP program, positioning Nigeria to close the metering gap within five years and strengthen transparency and revenue assurance across the value chain,’ he added.

The controversy over the academic records of Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, took a new twist on Monday after his media aide, Robert Ngwu, accused Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, of being behind what he called a ‘sponsored smear campaign’ to destroy the minister’s reputation.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Ngwu denied claims that his boss forged his university and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates, describing the allegations as politically motivated and meant to tarnish Nnaji’s image. He said Governor Mbah was using his influence to sponsor negative stories against the minister because of political rivalry.

According to Ngwu, ‘All these sponsored events are being coordinated by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State. The governor has made Chief Uche Nnaji the scapegoat for all his problems.’

He alleged that Mbah, who is reportedly seeking a second term in office, sees Nnaji as an obstacle to his rumoured plan to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ngwu also claimed that Nnaji had formally applied to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), to release his academic transcript to clear his name, but the institution allegedly refused to comply, even after a court order. He said they received information that the minister’s academic file was being held in the office of the Vice-Chancellor, Simon Ortuanya.

‘Why would the file of a serving minister of the Federal Republic be sitting in your office under lock and key?’ Ngwu asked.

He also addressed concerns over differences in the names on Nnaji’s documents ‘Nnaji Uchenna’ and ‘Uche Geoffrey Nnaji’ saying the variation was normal in Igbo culture. He explained that ‘Uchenna’ and ‘Uchechukwu’ mean the same thing, ‘the will of God,’ and are often used interchangeably.

Ngwu insisted that Nnaji graduated from UNN in 1985 and said the university confirmed this in writing in December 2023.

However, this claim contradicts a BusinessDay investigation released recently, which reported that Nnaji submitted forged university and NYSC certificates to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial screening in 2023.

It was reported that UNN had disowned the degree certificate the minister presented, saying that though he was admitted in 1981, he did not complete his studies and was never awarded a degree.

In a response to a Freedom of Information request dated October 2, UNN’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, confirmed that the university had no record of Nnaji graduating. This contradicted an earlier letter from the university’s Registrar, Celine Nnebedum, in December 2023, which had confirmed his graduation but was later withdrawn in May 2025 when the university said it could not find his name in the 1985 graduation records.

The investigation by BusinessDay also revealed that in a court affidavit, Nnaji himself admitted that UNN never issued him a degree certificate and that he ‘never collected one.’

In September, Nnaji filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court against the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), UNN, and its Vice-Chancellor. The minister asked the court to stop the university from ‘tampering’ with his academic records. The case came up for hearing on Monday, with Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sebastian Hon, representing Nnaji.

Meanwhile, the Enugu State Government has denied any involvement in the controversy. Speaking through the Director of Information in the Ministry of Information and Communication, Chukwuemeka Nebo, the government said Nnaji should face his own issues instead of dragging the state into his personal troubles.

‘The honourable minister must carry his own cross and clear his name before Nigerians,’ Nebo said, dismissing claims that Governor Mbah was sponsoring any campaign against him.

He criticised Nnaji’s decision to send his aide to speak on his behalf, saying it raised more suspicion. ‘Why would a man accused of forging his academic certificates call a press conference and fail to show up?’ Nebo asked. ‘If he truly has nothing to hide, why send proxies who cannot answer basic questions?’

The Enugu government also listed a number of questions the public expects Nnaji to answer particularly about his degree and NYSC documents.

Among them were whether Nnaji truly presented a UNN degree certificate to the Senate during his screening, despite admitting in court that the university never issued him one. The statement also questioned the authenticity of his claim that he graduated in July 1985 when records showed he was retaking a course called Virology (MCB 431) as late as 1986.

It cited letters from UNN showing that he failed the course twice and applied again in January 1986 to retake it, paying a resit fee of four naira.

The government also raised doubts about his NYSC certificate, noting inconsistencies in the document. According to them, Nnaji’s NYSC certificate indicated he began service in April 1985 three months before his supposed graduation and served for 13 months instead of the standard 12.

The document was reportedly signed by Col. Animashaun Braimoh, who was not even NYSC Director-General at the time. The numbering on the certificate also appeared suspicious because it contained an alphabet, which NYSC certificates issued in 1986 reportedly did not have.

‘Is it true that Nnaji’s NYSC certificate bears the number A231309, which includes an alphabet, when certificates from that period only had six-digit numbers?’ Nebo asked.

He added that Nigerians deserve to know how the minister obtained the certificate he submitted to the Senate if, as he claimed in court, the university never issued him one.

‘These are the clarifications Nigerians are asking for,’ Nebo said. ‘If the minister truly has nothing to hide, he should face the nation and clear his name instead of accusing others.’

Triumph Against Odds is a podcast where Africa’s toughest business leaders share how they’ve weathered failure, disruption, and uncertainty.

From advertising to e-commerce and now education, Shagaya has built ventures that tested both his vision and his resilience. Konga, once Nigeria’s flagship e-commerce platform, was a casualty of the 2015 currency crisis. uLesson, his edtech startup, was rattled by the 2023 reforms that shrank family incomes. Both moments threatened collapse. Yet each time, Shagaya rebounded, a spirit he credits to his military upbringing, where discipline and stamina were forged early.

That resilience now fuels Miva University, one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing tertiary institutions. For Shagaya, entrepreneurship is about more than profit: it is about shaping an ascendant Nigeria. At 50, he sees the country entering a new phase of growth, and his own journey moving toward new frontiers in education, industry, and service.

In this first episode of Triumph Against Odds, Shagaya reflects on setbacks, pivots, and why building in Nigeria is to bet on its future.

People often describe you as someone who, no matter how many times you fall, you get back up. Where does that resilience come from?

The closest thing I can think of is my military background. My father was a career officer, and I attended Nigerian Military School, Zaria. It was tough, regimented, and very disciplined. We were running cross-country races, spending days in the bush. Looking back, those experiences really instilled resilience in me.

You’ve built in tech, advertising, and now education. What really drives you?

A deep desire to see Nigeria move forward. It’s not only about financial independence or family pride. At some point, it becomes about building this country. That’s what keeps me going.

What moments stand out when it felt like the dream was slipping away?

The first was at Konga. We were doing well until 2015’s devaluation hit. It was a macroeconomic earthquake. The version I ran couldn’t survive, and it took me years to regroup.

The second was in 2023. After reforms, family incomes shrank and demand for uLesson slowed.

For a while, I thought: this is happening again. But that same year we received our licence to launch Miva. Education proved far more resilient. So while uLesson slowed, Miva took off.

Did you ever think of walking away from entrepreneurship?

Yes. But what kept me here is a thesis I hold deeply: I believe Nigeria will be ascendant in my lifetime. Culturally, militarily, economically, it will rise. To be from here is a privilege. I refuse to not participate in that story.

uLesson was founded just before COVID. How did you survive?

COVID became a tailwind. Schools shut down and demand for digital learning exploded. On the operations side, we innovated: renting houses in Jos as mini studios so work continued despite lockdowns. That creativity paid off.

What unique challenges came with launching Miva?

Trust. Choosing a university is a life-changing decision. We invested heavily in community, success advisors, peer networks, structures that keep students engaged. We admitted our first students just six months after securing our license. Today, we’re approaching 20,000 students, and our aspiration is to build a million-person institution.

If the next five years of your life were a book, what would the title be?

Either Heavy Industry or Public Service. I feel there are other ways to contribute to Nigeria’s growth beyond technology. Think about industrialists who built banks or projects like the Dangote Refinery, those are also acts of service.

And what do you see ahead for Nigeria?

I think Nigeria is entering a period of long-term growth. Inflation is trending down, the stock market is strong. Of course, daily realities are still tough, but if you study other countries, growth often shows up in corporations first before trickling down.

I believe bigger companies will emerge here, especially in agriculture and heavy industry. These are capital-intensive but transformative. That’s the type of arc I see in Nigeria’s next chapter.

Looking back at your early startups and where you are now, what’s one piece of advice you wish someone had whispered in your ear at the beginning?

Do not second-guess your instincts. Especially don’t let others, who may not have the same information you do, cause you to second-guess them.

Take Konga as an example. It was growing fast, but we held too much infrastructure ourselves, warehouses, inventory, logistics. My instinct was to build an asset-light, digital infrastructure platform, like Alibaba. They don’t own bikes, warehouses, or inventory; they simply provide the software and coordination.

I had that instinct, but out of respect for the board, whose experience was grounded in Western markets, I set it aside. In hindsight, if we had focused only on digital infrastructure, the story would have been very different. We would have weathered 2015 better, margins would have been stronger, and the burn rate lower.

At least nine out of every 10 Nigerians will no longer have to pay the Pay as You Earn (PAYE) tax Taiwo Oyedele, the chairman, presidential fiscal policy and tax reform committee has said. He also added that Nigerians will start enjoying benefits of new tax laws, beginning from January 2026.

Oyedele who spoke at the ongoing Nigerian Economic Summit (NES31) in Abuja on Tuesday, said that about 98 percent of the Nigeria’s population will no longer pay the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax.

He emphasied that the new tax laws are targeted at protecting the low income earners or those at the poverty line.

‘We cannot tax poverty, about 97 to 98 percent of Nigerians will no longer pay the PAYE, but the 2 percent will pay more as high income earners,’ he said.

The federal government has vowed to recover all public funds still lying outside the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), as part of efforts to sanitise public finances and boost transparency.

Speaking on Monday night during a dinner on Fiscal Policy at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, revealed that despite longstanding directives, substantial government funds remain outside the TSA and are not domiciled at the CBN.

‘It is our determination to make sure we bring in every single penny,’ Edun said. ‘There’s federal government money lying outside the TSA, lying outside of the Central Bank, and it requires enforcement, consensus and the right use of technology.’

According to Edun, plugging fiscal leakages and improving public financial management are at the heart of President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, which is being implemented in three phases – stabilisation, recovery, and growth.

As part of this effort, Edun disclosed that the federal government implemented a central billing system from October 1, enabling real-time reconciliation of payments, which he described as a ‘game changer’ for revenue collection.

‘Before now, if you paid part of your bill, there was no way to reconcile it. Now, if you pay 20 out of 100, the system tracks the 80 receivable. That’s the difference technology can make,’ he said.

The Minister also made a stunning revelation that until August 1, 2024, the government lacked full visibility into its own finances at the CBN.

‘Despite all the efforts, it took us till August 1 this year to have a situation where we could see the federal government’s accounts at the CBN,’ Edun said. ‘Such is the political economy of bureaucracy and governance.’

This lack of access, he explained, severely constrained planning and monitoring, and was a major barrier to credible public finance reform.However, he added that technology is now enabling a rapid turnaround.

The Tinubu administration’s economic reform agenda has focused on correcting long-standing distortions – particularly the unification of exchange rates and the removal of petrol subsidies – which Edun described as ‘market corrections’ necessary for restoring macroeconomic stability.

‘Confidence has risen and the economy is largely stable at this stage,’ Edun said. ‘The data does not lie. Inflation is easing, the naira is relatively stable, industrial growth is above 7 percent, and agricultural production is on the rise.’

He acknowledged, however, that inflation remains high at around 20 percent and noted that further fiscal and monetary tightening will be needed to bring it under control.

He emphasised that the social cost of reform – especially on the poor – is being addressed through direct cash transfers and social investment programmes.

‘We’ve targeted 15 million households, and 8.1 million have already received direct transfers,’ he said, reiterating President Tinubu’s insistence on a gold-standard system that ensures each beneficiary is biometrically verified and paid digitally.

Edun also touched on expenditure reforms, noting that the government is prioritising capital projects and cutting down on waste.

He revealed that discussions with the National Assembly are ongoing to ensure a timely return to the January-December budget cycle – a key step to restoring budget discipline.

‘We are working with the National Assembly to return to the January-December budget cycle,’ he said. ‘No more extensions of budgets into the next year, which cause dislocation and confusion.’

Edun called for collaboration between the public and private sectors, stressing that sustainable growth and poverty reduction can only be achieved through a combination of innovation, investment, and targeted social support.

‘Nigeria is becoming more and more investment-ready,’ he said. ‘And the evidence is pointing in that direction. What is being rewarded now is innovation and productivity, not privileged access to distortions.’

This transition marks a major moment for the firm. What does it represent internally, and how do you see it playing out in the market?

Our leadership transition at Aluko and Oyebode is a natural progression of our succession plan and governance strategies.

Internally, it demonstrates our commitment to developing our lawyers as legal subject matter experts, providing a depth of sector and service expertise to clients that our competitors cannot match and developing our partners into impactful leaders.

This also demonstrates the versatility of career opportunities for our senior partners to ensure continuity as the firm cements its position as a consistent market leader.

We are honored to be a foremost law firm in Nigeria and privileged to have earned the respect of peers and deep trust of our clients and stakeholders. Our seamless leadership baton changes secure the firm’s long-term sustainability.

Three decades in law have taken you across sectors from telecoms to energy, business and private clients. Which experiences do you expect to draw on most in this new role?

I expect that all my sectorial experiences will be of use and of significant value in understanding future market demands for legal services.

As a general counsel, I sat on the client’s side of the table and understood the pressures of making tough decisions. As external counsel, I also have a clear understanding that businesses want commercially astute legal solutions, and I have helped clients manage risk and unlock opportunity.

However, perhaps more than technical knowledge, it is the relationships built over the years with clients, colleagues, regulators, and partners across industries that I expect to draw on most. Those connections, rooted in trust, will be invaluable in leading the firm.

Aluko and Oyebode has been behind some of Nigeria’s most defining corporate transactions. Where do you see the next wave of opportunity?

Yes, indeed we have. We pride ourselves on delivering ‘first of a kind’ services and being at the forefront of business and legal innovations. After the economic headwinds of the last two years, the Naira attained some stability in 2025.

The overall impact of the government’s monetary and fiscal policies is still unfolding before investors will fully explore potential opportunities. Nigeria is a resilient nation, and we are therefore hopeful and expectant.

Our firm is clear that all sectors will be powered or facilitated by technology in this age that is defined by rapid technological advancement and global interconnectedness, therefore local and international investments in technology and communication are likely to continue.

We expect that the Nigerian energy sector will continue to evolve, with increasing focus on gas and renewables as we transition and present new opportunities.

I also think, having noted the infrastructure deficit in a nation of an estimated 250 million citizens and looking at some of the policies of government, that infrastructure development is an imperative and is required to catch up with and support continued growth, therefore government spending will continue in this area and spin off private sector opportunities.

On the back of this, food security is another area of keen focus for government that brings large scale agriculture to the forefront, and next, the mining sector is also seeing efforts to organize and introduce effective reforms that should lead to structured exploration and harnessing of Nigeria’s significant solid mineral resources.

Finally, Financial services, strengthened by banks’ recapitalisation, will be key in channeling funding into these areas. Our role as a firm is to stand beside clients as they navigate these opportunities, helping them turn vision into reality, even in complex times.

ESG, data privacy, and regulatory compliance are areas where demand is growing fast. How is the firm positioning itself to stay ahead?

This is an area I am particularly passionate about and I work alongside several highly skilled colleagues who support clients in those spaces where regulations are fast evolving, and regulators are exercising increasing powers that significantly impact businesses.

In data protection compliance, we are not only a licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisation conducting audits, providing advisory services, and training, but we also represent several clients as counsel in the Nigerian Data Protection Commission’s inquires and investigations.

We are adept at guiding clients through every aspect of regulatory and compliance procedures. Starting with onboarding new businesses through our Business Advisory unit and also working through our governance, risk and compliance unit, we understand that regulatory prescriptions can be at the heart of a company’s business from its license to operate, to avoiding fines and penalties, maintaining a positive market perception and good reputation.

ESG is important to us. Not only do we advocate and celebrate diversity, but we set a high standard in our commitment to environmental impact and good governance. We apply and advocate the same standard in our work with clients.

We understand that proactive regulatory and ethical compliance are important measures for businesses to be sustainable in the long term and that these form part of a company’s ESG strategy, which is how it measures itself and records its performance under each of the ESG pillars.

We believe compliance is not a burden but an enabler of long-term sustainability. Our role is to help clients anticipate change, adapt quickly, and position themselves as leaders in their industries.

We also recognize the rising importance of ESG to companies particularly in fund raising or in accessing certain types of funding or markets and we advise and support businesses to prepare and position themselves to meet these requirements.

Being part of ALN opens up reach across 15 African jurisdictions. What does that mean in practical terms for clients and your growth agenda?

Being part of the ALN Network means that we are able to easily provide coordinated support for clients across sub-Saharan Africa’s key jurisdictions.

We have clients that have subsidiaries across the continent, and we are able to lead and coordinate lawyers that provide legal support to them in countries where they operate or wish to. We take a large burden off the hands of the in-house counsel to find, screen and appoint external counsel in new territories that they are not familiar with.

Our ALN membership has also been a significant avenue to develop the skills of and bring greater exposure to our lawyers through ALN Network events, trainings and secondment programs.

The cross pollination has been enriching and we leverage our shared resources to bring improvements and operational efficiencies to our firm and those of other ALN member firms.

Our membership of the ALN Network is a strategic positioning rooted in our belief that in Africa, there is a gradual economic revolution where Nigerian businesses in particular will increasingly seek out business opportunities with its neighbours on the continent.

Looking back on your career so far, what guiding principles will you bring into this chapter of leadership?

My guiding principles are consistent with those of the Firm so it’s incredible to have that alignment from the start. We work hard and work smart with integrity, we value people and relationships forged along the way, we bring sector depth and legal expertise to our clients and stakeholders. We keep learning, evolving, and solving difficult problems. My approach is to lead by serving.

What does success look like for this leadership transition a year from now?

Success will be continued growth in the firm in all areas – service delivery, client satisfaction and their growth, lawyer development, revenue growth, achievement of strategic imperatives – all building on the incredible work done by the previous leadership.

In what ways do you see the firm shaping conversations around Nigeria’s role in Africa’s economic integration, particularly under the AfCFTA framework?

AfCFTA presents a historic opportunity for African businesses, and Nigeria must be at the heart of it. Our role is twofold: first, to advise clients who are expanding across borders on the legal and regulatory complexities they will face; and second, to contribute thought leadership on how the framework can work best for Nigeria and for Africa as a whole.

Through our work and utilizing our ALN partnerships, we aim to ensure that Nigerian businesses can take full advantage of the opportunities AfCFTA creates.

Many foreign investors see Nigeria as both high-opportunity and high-complexity. How does the firm help clients navigate these complexities while unlocking value?

Nigeria keeps working on its ‘ease of doing business’ reputation and reality and while this evolves, our Firm has always helped investors find their fee and unlock value. We see opportunities in every situation, and work with clients who are willing to take risks to realise their ambitions.

We help them to articulate the compendium of requirements and support them to comply with said requirements until they can set up in country or do business here.

As I had said, we solve difficult problems and help clients address challenges that they encounter. We are a full-service law firm with a deep bench of highly skilled partners across all sectors delivering corporate and commercial legal services, and dispute resolution services including producing six senior advocates of Nigeria.

For us, complexity is not a deterrent; it is where our value as advisers truly shows.

Finally, what role do you see your firm playing in strengthening Nigeria’s reputation as a safe and attractive destination for business?

We are strong believers in Nigeria’s potential. Clients have placed great trust in us to help them make a safe entry into the country and to help them navigate the evolving legal terrain.

To remain in good standing over the decades, we have continued to effectively keep them abreast of legal and regulatory developments, guiding them through change, and providing solutions that enable them to succeed.