That's share tokenism in my view. Travelers are in reality supposed to pay FULL fares under normal circumstances in order to keep NRC afloat and also to make profits. Period. Except if the trains have already been configured to run on CNG fuel like the NRC boss (the well-read former Lagos State Commissioner of Transportation) stated that they planned to do last year, then this reduced 50% fares would have made more sense to me.
ThompsonJoo: Fresh details have emerged following the abduction of teachers and students during an attack on schools and nearby communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo.
The victims were reportedly kidnapped by armed assailants who invaded the area last Friday, targeting Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.
Community sources disclosed that no fewer than 46 persons were abducted during the attack, including seven teachers and 39 students.
Among those reportedly taken away by the attackers was a two-year-old girl identified as Christianah Akanbi.
Residents further revealed that the gunmen also carted away four motorcycles from Yawota community and the Community High School area during the operation.
The incident has thrown the affected communities into anxiety, with parents and residents expressing growing concern over the safety of the abducted victims.
Families of the victims are said to be awaiting updates from security agencies as efforts continue to secure the release of those abducted and restore calm in the area.
Below is the comprehensive list of the kidnapped victims:
S/N Name Details / Age 1 Mrs. Alamu Folawe Principal, Community High School Ahoro-Esinele 2 Mr. Ojo Jonathan Vice Principal 3 Mr. Olatunde Zacchaeus Teacher 4 Mr. John Olaleye Teacher 5 Mr. Michael Oyedokun Teacher 6 Mrs. Oladeji Teacher 7 Mary Akanbi Teacher, Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School 8 Rashida Tajudeen 11 years 9 Ahmed Ramoni 8 years 10 Abdulsalam Toyib 4 years 11 Baraka Abioye 16 years 12 Fatimo Jimoh 15 years 13 Hassan Azeez 14 years 14 Joshua Adeleke 13 years 15 Samuel Oyedele 7 years 16 Emmanuel Oyedele 4 years 17 Idowu Taiwo 4 years 18 Christianah Akanbi 2 years 19 Juwon Sunday 7 years 20 Sikiru Salami 3 years 21 Soliu Salami 4 years 22 Ojo Joseph 8 years 23 Lydia Adewole 8 years 24 Testimony Jacob 5 years 25 Kehinde Kaosara 7 years 26 Sewa Seyi 7 years 27 Waliya Bello 4 years 28 Lydia Olohunloluwa 7 years 29 Damilare Oderinde 8 years 30 Deborah Adebowale 5 years 31 Aisha Oguntowo 10 years 32 Lege Taiwo 12 years 33 Balkis Ayanwale 8 years 34 Asa David 10 years 35 Shuaibu Aliyu 10 years 36 Ahmed Aliyu 7 years 37 Muiz Aliyu 5 years 38 Jomiloju Ogunlola 6 years 39 Agune Noah 8 years 40 Elizabeth Abadi 5 years 41 Tosin Abadi 9 years 42 Pius Stephen 5 years 43 Hannah Ojo 14 years 44 Habidat Ayanwale 7 years 45 Mary Gabriel 6 years 46 Jacob Gabriel Age not specified
NaijaHelper1: Bola Ahmed Tinubu has crossed all political Ts and dotted all strategic "I"s required to win an election. He has consolidated State power through conversion of governors, installation of cronies in key election machinery positions, and elimination of loopholes opposition can take advantage of.
However just like a business SWOT analysis where you can control weaknesses but not Threats, the Iran-US war will prove to be the major decider of the coming elections. The Iran war has resulted in a paradox, the government is cashing in on oil revenue due to the closing of the strait but the people are suffering due to rising inflation creating a huge chasm between the economic position of the government and the realities of the people. That is to say, the people are suffering but the government installed to govern them is enjoying massively. More so, the fact that some superpowers such as the US itself, China and Russia are greatly profiting from the war has reduced the chances of this war coming to an end quickly inorder to restore normalcy. With the way world economy is going, and the fact that Nigeria has nothing to fall back on, the situation will likely escalate to the point where hardship will be so severe that the people will revolt right around the election circle. This will be the final nail in the coffin.
The screen grabs without the videos say more than a thousand words. Background checks and further education on the rules of etiquette by domestic staff are needed for these kinds of in-house jobs.
[quote author=franchasng post=139493192]Musk highlights Chinese railway station spanning 170 football fields!
Elon Musk, ranked the world's richest man by Forbes with a net worth of US$807.7 billion, spotlights China train station's vast multi-story structure, sprawling glass-roofed halls and integrated transport network, attracting more than 56 million views online.
One widely circulated comment under the video read, "Welcome to the future! China now operates the world's most extensive high-speed rail network."
The station in Chongqing's Nan'an District commenced operations in June 2025 alongside the opening of the Chongqing East - Qianjiang section of the Chongqing - Xiamen high-speed railway. The line is designed to support trains traveling at speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour, according to Chinese news site CGTN.
The station houses 15 platforms and 29 tracks, built to handle up to 16,000 passengers every hour, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The station building spans eight floors with a total construction area of 1.22 million square meters, equivalent to 170 standard football fields. Its roof covers approximately 120,000 square meters and weighs 16,500 tonnes.
What is most shocking about this world's largest railway station is the fact that it was built in just 38 months on a mountain! 38 months that countries like Nigeria would have wasted in clearing the site after over inflating the project cost to enable government officials steal more than enough through the project
abc115: Ordinarily, a stakeholders’ meeting involving aspirants for the House of Representatives and the Senate should be peaceful, organized, and focused on unity. Yet, what played out turned into a complete tug of war in FCT.
The Chairman of the Electoral Committee responsible for conducting the ADC primaries in the FCT convened a stakeholders’ meeting involving House of Representatives aspirants, Senatorial aspirants, and party leaders, including the sitting Senator, to witness the distribution of sensitive electoral materials.
If an ordinary party primary could descend into such disorder, tension, and confusion, are these truly the people Nigerians should trust with the leadership and future of the nation?
Nigeria is Tinubu.
Ordinarily, a stakeholders’ meeting involving aspirants for the House of Representatives and the Senate should be peaceful, organized, and focused on unity. Yet, what played out turned into a complete tug of war in FCT.
ogododo: The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, NALPGAM, has raised alarm over the soaring cost of cooking gas in the country, warning that the continuous increase in price could spark public outrage against operators of gas filling stations.
The association disclosed that cooking gas now sells between N1, 500 and N1, 700 per kilogram, while marketers pay between N25.2 million and N26.2 million for a 20-metric-tonne truck of liquefied petroleum gas, depending on location.
Speaking on the development, NALPGAM National President, Mr. Edu Inyang, appealed to the Federal Government to urgently intervene and stabilise the supply and pricing of the product to prevent further hardship on Nigerians.
According to him, the current situation has placed millions of households, food vendors, small businesses and low-income earners under severe pressure, as many Nigerians can no longer afford cooking gas for daily use.
“It is sad and rather very pathetic to inform the general public that Nigerians have woken up to buy cooking gas, which should be a social item, at a prohibitive cost of over N1,500 per kilogram. We feel that if the situation is not immediately checked, citizens may rise against owners of gas filling stations”, Inyang said.
He attributed the rising cost of LPG to persistent supply shortages, high depot prices, logistics bottlenecks and escalating operational costs faced by marketers nationwide.
Inyang warned that the development was undermining years of progress recorded in Nigeria’s clean energy drive, noting that many households were already reverting to firewood and charcoal due to the high cost of cooking gas.
According to him, the trend poses serious risks to public health, environmental sustainability and the country’s clean energy targets.
He further warned that failure to urgently address the crisis could worsen food inflation, lead to job losses, cripple small LPG retail businesses and reduce investor confidence in the sector.
NALPGAM therefore called on the Federal Government, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), NNPC Ltd., domestic producers and other stakeholders in the LPG value chain to take immediate and coordinated action to stabilise the market.
The association recommended increased domestic supply allocation, transparent product distribution, removal of bottlenecks in importation and distribution, as well as strategic interventions to make cooking gas more affordable and accessible to Nigerians.
zoedew: Truth is, the typical Igbo outside his homeland does not live his life in quiet humility like his Yoruba, Hausa and Edo counterparts do. Such lifestyle engenders a feeling of distrust from their hosts especially when moves are made to install themselves as traditional chiefs in parts belonging to others. Most Igbo will vehemently challenge my optics on this matter but it doesn’t matter. Chinua Achebe a prominent Igbo and a global literary icon had this to say about The Igbo, his kith and kin -"There is no doubt at all that there is a strand in contemporary Igbo behaviour that can offend; by its noisy exhibitionism and disregard for humility and quietness."
SeaTrade: So I just got this truck as man's getting older and practical and I'm loving it,maybe early excitement though,I don't know.
Things I noticed: This thing burns a lot of gas,I mean a lot!15.5-15.6L/100km na em dey for dash steady ,used to be 14.3L/100km,don't know why it jumped.
Hard steering ,maybe because it's coming from someone that have been driving sedans for a while now and some CUVs.
Large turning space and poor manoeuvrability,Hilux no follow you manage space oo,you go reverse tire.
Sturdy suspension,you no dey feel anything.
Slow truck,crawls its way up to 170kph and stays there,sucks!
And I get free service for 20,000km or one year whichever comes first from the dealership at no cost.
Car came at 677km
Expensive purchase no doubt but worth it.
That's an impressive purchase and it looks rugged. But you have to configure it to run on CNG as well from Nipco or other sources to complement the gasoline usage and save the cost on high gasoline purchases till things normalize globally due to the ongoing U.S./Israel vs Iran War.
FuglyGurl: Mike Arnold Calls Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket As ‘National Disaster’
A former United States mayor, Mike Arnold, has rejected any potential political alliance between former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, describing such a ticket as a “national disaster.”
Arnold accused Kwankwaso of links to terror and extremist networks, extremism in Sharia enforcement policies, and alleged involvement in a series of corruption scandals.
Arnold made the controversial remarks in a lengthy statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday night, May 25, 2026, where he declared that he would oppose any Obi-Kwankwaso presidential ticket in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
“No, I am not ok with Obi-Kwankwaso — and you shouldn’t be, either,” Arnold wrote. “I like Peter Obi. I am not sold on him yet, but he has potential, and I have an open mind.
“What will close my mind instantly, without any wiggle room, is an Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.”
The former mayor argued that Nigeria did not need what he described as another recycling of old political forces under a new alliance.
“Nigeria does not need more of the same. It does not need different gasoline running through the same engine. It does not need a different conductor on the train — not when the train has to follow the same damnable tracks,” he stated.
Arnold further accused Kwankwaso of maintaining unwavering loyalty to the Sultanate establishment despite moving across multiple political parties over the years, describing the former Kano governor as “a sniveling bootlicker to Sokoto.”
“Why am I against Kwankwaso? Simple. He is the Sultan's man. Most inside of the inner circle. A sniveling bootlicker to Sokoto in a five-decade career arc that has changed parties five times — PDP to APC to NNPP to ADC to NDC — but never once strayed from fealty to the throne,” he alleged.
He also made controversial claims regarding the activities of the current Sultan of Sokoto during the post-9/11 war on terror era.
Arnold alleged that sensitive operations involving countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia were known to only a few top Nigerian officials, including Kwankwaso, who was the Defence Minister at the time.
“When the future Sultan was — as a senior officer of an OIC nation — operating in the shadows during the war on terror, his assignment from the Nigerian government was to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Every active jihadi theater of the post-9/11 era.
“One Nigerian Defense Attache who is a descendant of Muhammed. Five radical Islamic countries. Three years.
“There are only two other people in the Nigerian government who knew what he was up to. The President. And Kwankwaso, who was serving as Defense Minister at the time,” Arnold claimed.
Arnold further referenced the 2006 military aircraft crash that killed senior Nigerian Army officers and another crash involving the late Sultan Muhammadu Maccido and members of his family, suggesting there were unresolved questions surrounding both incidents.
“Incidentally, when the future Sultan returned from this post in 2006, not long after, the top ten reform-minded generals of the Nigerian Army died in a plane crash. The committee Obasanjo had assembled to clean up the military, gone in one flight,” Arnold said.
“A few weeks later, the sitting Sultan, his son and heir Senator Badamasi Maccido, and several grandchildren were killed in another plane crash. The Abuja airport radar was turned off when their plane went down.
“The Aviation Minister declared it a pilot error within 24 hours. The President ordered the arrests of aviation officials within 48 hours. Question closed,” he alleged.
Arnold also criticised the emergence of Sa’ad Abubakar as Sultan after the death of Maccido.
He alleged, “The future Sultan was turbaned four days later. Record time. Skipping past Maccido's surviving adult sons and past dozens of older brothers in the line, Sa'ad Abubakar was the youngest of 52 children of Sultan Siddiq Abubakar III.
“The Sultanate Council reached past all of them. And not long after that, all those terrorist groups from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia started showing up in Nigeria, where they have been slaughtering Christians and raping the land ever since.”
He claimed Kwankwaso’s tenure as Kano governor was equally troubling, citing the implementation of Sharia law and the creation of the Hisbah Board.
“As Governor of Kano State, Kwankwaso formally declared Sharia law on June 21, 2000, and established the Hisbah Board — the religious enforcement agency that has been arresting Kano residents for 'improper dress' and 'indecent mixing of the sexes' ever since,” Arnold stated.
“He lost his re-election in 2003 anyway, for being insufficiently Islamic for the Kano clerical establishment. Obasanjo handed him the Defence Ministry the same year.”
Arnold also referenced allegations of financial misconduct against Kwankwaso, including claims involving pension funds and pharmaceutical procurement contracts.
“When he returned as Kano Governor from 2011 to 2015, he left behind allegations that he misappropriated roughly N10 billion in pension contributions from Kano state workers,” he said.
“The EFCC interrogated him over it in 2021 and sealed his property. The investigation has stalled.
“A separate panel found that the EFCC chairman at the time had personally directed his operatives not to investigate Kwankwaso.
“Today, his nephew Musa Garba is under criminal investigation in Kano for a multi-billion-naira pharmaceutical procurement fraud allegedly tied to a contract awarded to his company without due process. Kwankwaso is publicly accused of interfering with the investigation to protect him.”
Arnold insisted that any presidential ticket involving Kwankwaso would be unacceptable to him, regardless of who emerged as the presidential candidate.
He said, “Sharia. Hisbah. Pension funds. Pharmaceutical contracts. The defence ministry during a genocide. A different party every cycle. And now the vice presidency.
“That is why I will actively oppose any ticket with Kwankwaso on it. No matter who is on top.
This dude called Peter ain't politically savvy at all. He was WARNED ahead of time because Kwankwaso (whose father was the Head of the Fulanis or the Sarkin Fulani of Kwankwaso village in Kano) has a massive security baggage as revealed by the United States Government led by President Donald Trump yet he went ahead and picked him in the greed and desperation to be a 1-term Nigerian President.
That's a huge error of judgement on Peter's part and it shows that if Peter mistakenly gets into that executive office as the Nigerian President, he'll commit more heavy-duty political blunders and then get edged out after 1-term for a Fula to come back in a worse-case scenario. Period.
TimeManager: Obidients are so predictable. You don't have to deny Mike Arnold now, since you have been butt.. licking him over his attacks against the Administration in power and also when he was pushing the narrative of Christian Genocide until the US Government bought into it and acted on the agenda.
The same man has assured you that he's also going to make sure the US Govt respond strongly against Obi/Kwankwaso ticket.
You cheered him on in the past, so keep the energy and don't turn around like a chameleon.
ytdivine: God bless the individual that unveiled the idea of yam-in-sack farming. I put up my first trial, the result is amazing. If you're among the people that post account number here, begging for money, gather here, I have low cost business idea for you. If you're NYSC member looking for how to boost savings during the service year, please come onboard. If you're still searching for job and none on sight, your attention is needed here. For those looking for side business, I have one for you. If you're praying and believing God for financial breakthrough but have nothing doing, enter here, I have something to show you.
Yam-in-sack farming is untapped hidden Gold for Nigerians. This has the potency of turning Nigeria economy around. The market can never be saturated. What about exporting this product? the demand is very high. Am going to be posting pictures
Ireportlive: Sack farming is fun and less stressful, without requiring too much space or capital....
It allows people to grow crops in their backyards, and other places. With sack farming, crops can be grown anywhere. Sack farming encourages people to grow crops in small areas.
For me sack farming started like an adventure and out of curiosity from a YouTube video I watched last year, I decided to take up the challenge, since I basically work remotely
Setting up was the hardest part..
*Each Sack cost #50 naira,
*Filling of sack with quality sand cost 200 per sack (you can contract bricklayers and labourers)
* I got seedlings for free
* I got fertilizer for free
*Herbicide cost 6k ( but I used it majorly for a different purpose)
Nature took it over everything and I hardly wet the crops through out the rainy season
IyaTola: Decision: Send my brother to Canada or invest in business in Nigeria? Which one makes more sense?
I need honest opinions because this one is not small matter.
I have about 15 million naira, and I’m stuck between two strong options:
1. Use it to support my brother’s relocation to Canada
2. Use it to start a business for him here in Nigeria
People around me are divided, so I want to hear unbiased thoughts.
On one hand, Canada looks like “better future guaranteed” — education, stability, better income potential, and long-term residency possibilities. Some people are saying if I miss this chance, I may regret it forever.
On the other hand, others are saying “why send talent abroad when you can build something here?” 15M can actually start a solid business in Nigeria if managed well — maybe importation, logistics, tech services, or food supply chain. But then again, Nigeria business environment is not exactly friendly… risk is high, consistency is harder.
The concerning part is this:
Some people say sending him abroad is basically “exporting success”, while others say investing locally is “building generational wealth at home”.
So I want to ask plainly:
If it was your 15M, what would you do? And why?
Be honest — no emotional answers, just real-world thinking. Decision: Send my brother to Canada or invest in business in Nigeria? Which one makes more sense?
mohbadliveson: Lagos APC: What Desmond Elliot Should Learn From Hakeem Masha’s Political Fate by mohbadliveson(op): 4:30am On May 22 At last, the long-awaited All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Surulere Constituency I has been concluded. The outcome, however, delivered one of the biggest upsets in Lagos politics ahead of the 2027 general election. Desmond Elliot, actor-turned-lawmaker and three-term member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, lost his bid for a fourth term after Barakat Odunuga-Bakare defeated him in Wednesday’s primary election.
Odunuga-Bakare, who is believed to enjoy the backing of Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, polled 11,385 votes, while Elliot secured just 270 votes.
Despite the wide margin, Elliot has rejected the process and vowed to challenge the outcome through the party’s appeal mechanism. “We are appealing, and as I say, it is not a do-or-die affair. I’m here to serve the people. That’s my home. They come to my house,” Elliot told reporters after the exercise. “The only person who can ask me to step down is the party. If the party says Desmond go down, that is when I will step down because I’m a party person.”
Interestingly, after my recent article titled ‘Surulere Constituency I: Can Elliot do what Ambode couldn’t?’, one of the lawmaker’s aides reached out to defend his principal’s decision to remain in the race despite losing political backing within the party structure.
His argument was simple: the APC leadership under Tinubu never categorically asked Elliot to withdraw. He also claimed denying Elliot another term would be detrimental to Surulere because the lawmaker stood a strong chance of emerging as a principal officer in the assembly — possibly even speaker — thereby attracting more projects to the constituency.
While that argument may sound logical on the surface, it ignores the deeper realities of Lagos APC politics.
Following the failed removal of Mudashiru Obasa as speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly — a move eventually reversed after Tinubu’s intervention — it became increasingly clear that many lawmakers perceived to have contributed to the crisis would struggle to secure return tickets.
Tinubu is too experienced politically not to understand Obasa’s excesses, including his frosty relationship with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Yet, the president chose stability over escalation because Lagos remains his political base. For Tinubu, preserving political order in Lagos is non-negotiable. After all, if one cannot manage political tensions at home, questions may arise about managing the country and this may be hugely detrimental to securing a fresh term in office.
Elliot’s situation became even more complicated after he was seen weeping openly when Mojisola Meranda stepped down as speaker to pave the way for Obasa’s return. Many within the party interpreted the emotional reaction as quiet disapproval of Tinubu’s directive restoring the status quo.
That perception alone weakened his standing. Even after Gbajabiamila openly backed Odunuga-Bakare, Elliot continued campaigning with Tinubu-branded materials while promising to work for the president’s re-election.
But the obvious question remained: in what political capacity? Can anyone realistically claim to be more politically valuable to Tinubu in Surulere than Gbajabiamila, his chief of staff and one of his closest allies?
In practical political terms, if Gbajabiamila rejects a candidate publicly, it is almost impossible to separate that position from Tinubu’s broader political thinking. Had the president genuinely wanted Elliot to continue, Gbajabiamila would most likely not have endorsed another aspirant so openly. Elliot also reportedly argued that returning to the assembly for a fourth term would position him for principal office and allow him attract greater development to Surulere.
Again, that argument raises another question: what projects can a principal officer in the Lagos assembly realistically deliver that would surpass what Gbajabiamila — a former speaker of the house of representatives and current chief of staff to the president — already attracts to Surulere?
Within APC politics in Surulere, Gbajabiamila remains the undisputed political authority. Only Tinubu himself — and perhaps the First Lady — can override his political decisions in the constituency.
History supports this reality. Years ago, Tajudeen Ajide, former chairman of Surulere local government, engaged Gbajabiamila in a fierce supremacy battle over control of the council’s political structure.
In an interview I conducted with Ajide at the time, he openly accused Gbajabiamila of fueling the crisis in the local government. Eventually, Gbajabiamila prevailed and ensured that his loyalist, Sulaimon Yusuf — then vice-chairman to Ajide — emerged as council chairman.
Ironically, Elliot later described Yusuf as his friend, yet complained on national television that Yusuf intimidated his supporters while campaigning vigorously for Odunuga-Bakare. But what else should anyone have expected in such circumstances?
Politics, especially in Lagos APC, is ultimately about structure, loyalty and alignment with established power blocs.
Elliot undoubtedly has the constitutional right to seek legal redress or continue contesting the outcome internally. However, he must also understand the political culture of the Lagos APC. Defying entrenched party directives is often interpreted as mutiny, and the consequences can be severe — sometimes leading to long-term political isolation.
Perhaps Elliot should study the political fate of Hakeem Masha, former lawmaker who represented Lagos Island Constituency I in the Lagos assembly between 2011 and 2015.
In 2015, Masha sought re-election, but the party leadership preferred Wasiu Eshilokun, particularly because the speakership was expected to be zoned to Lagos Central.
At the primary election, Eshilokun polled 186 votes against Masha’s 70. Masha rejected the outcome, and the dispute eventually ended up in court.
The legal battle dragged on for months before Justice Ibrahim Buba ordered INEC to recognise Eshilokun as the APC candidate while restraining Masha from parading himself as such. Masha proceeded to the court of appeal but eventually withdrew the case.
The political outcomes afterward were instructive. Eshilokun later became deputy speaker of the Lagos assembly and is now a senator and has just secured the party’s ticket for reelection to the senate. Masha, on the other hand, gradually disappeared from mainstream Lagos politics. Since that dispute, he has neither won elective office nor secured any significant political appointment both in Lagos and at the federal level.
Just few weeks ago, he reportedly attempted a return to the Lagos assembly but was advised to step down.
The lesson for Desmond Elliot is straightforward. In Lagos APC politics, victory is not determined merely by popularity or ambition. It is often determined long before the ballot by alignment with the party’s dominant political structure.
And when that structure moves against you, resistance may satisfy personal pride — but history suggests it rarely ends well.
Former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is today a member of the influential Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body in Lagos APC, largely because he accepted defeat gracefully after losing the governorship primary to the party’s preferred candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Rather than defect or head to court, Ambode congratulated Sanwo-Olu and pledged loyalty to the party. Desmond Elliot should take a cue from that example.
Akinsuyi, former group politics editor of the Daily Independent writes from the United Kingdom. He can be reached at shabydayo@gmail.com
naptu2: FG clears five deep seaports for investment to reclaim 70% cargo traffic
By : Adaku Onyenucheya Date: 20 May 2026
The Federal Government has completed approvals, certifications and compliance processes for five proposed deep seaport projects for investment and implementation as part of efforts to reposition the country to reclaim the over 70 per cent of Nigerian-bound cargo transported to Africa.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, listed the approved projects as the Badagry Deep Sea Port in Lagos State, Olokola Deep Sea Port in Ondo State, Ibom Deep Sea Port in Akwa Ibom State, Bakassi Deep Sea Port in Cross River State and Bonny Deep Sea Port in Rivers State.
Dantsoho disclosed this on Wednesday at the close of a three-day Meeting of Managing Directors of Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), Member Ports and the Port Statisticians Network held in Lagos.
Dantsoho, who is also the President of PMAWCA, explained that although negotiations with investors were still ongoing due to the huge financial commitments required for such port projects, the government had already laid the regulatory and administrative groundwork necessary for implementation.
“In terms of approvals, certifications and compliance issues, we have taken care of five different deep-sea ports in Nigeria,” Dantsoho said.
He said the planned port projects are expected to improve Nigeria’s ability to receive larger cargo vessels, expand trade capacity and strengthen regional logistics, noting that the country’s growing population, expanding economy and strategic role in servicing neighbouring landlocked countries make investment in deepsea ports inevitable.
According to Dantsoho, Nigeria currently accounts for over 70 per cent of cargo traffic within the West and Central African sub-region, while countries such as Niger, Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso also depend partly on Nigerian ports for international trade access.
Dantsoho further stated that the government was pursuing a combination of short, medium and long-term strategies to improve port efficiency, including rehabilitation of existing ports, deployment of technology-driven systems and development of new deep-sea infrastructure.
Speaking at the President of PMAWCA, Dantsoho added that countries across the sub-region, including Ghana, Senegal and Benin Republic, were also modernising their port facilities in response to rising global shipping demands and competition.
Dantsoho said member countries are intensifying investments in port infrastructure, technology and deep seaport development to strengthen trade facilitation and position the region as a major global maritime hub.
The PMAWCA president stressed that ports across the sub-region must undergo aggressive modernisation to remain competitive with other global maritime hubs, cautioning that delays in infrastructure renewal could leave Africa behind in global shipping and trade.
Speaking on the resolution of the meeting, Dantsoho said member states had resolved to deepen the deployment of technology-driven solutions, including the National Single Window platform and Port Community Systems, to improve cargo clearance processes and reduce delays at ports.
In his closing remarks, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, reiterated the need for stronger regional cooperation, strategic investment and inclusive development to drive the transformation of the ports and the entire maritime sector across West and Central Africa.
Oyetola, who was represented by the Director of Maritime Services, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Oyinloye Meshack, said deliberations during the three-day gathering highlighted the importance of collaboration among African countries and joint action in addressing emerging challenges and opportunities within the ports and logistics ecosystem.
The minister said the conference theme, “Ports of the Future: Combining Logistical Resilience with Inclusive Community Development,” provided strategic direction for enhancing the competitiveness and future readiness of ports in the region.
He said the visit by delegates to the Lekki Deep Sea Port demonstrated what could be achieved through strategic investment, innovation and effective public-private sector collaboration.
Oyetola further stressed the need for African countries to work together in addressing supply chain disruptions, climate-related pressures and the transition towards greener shipping systems.
naptu2: The truth that many people do not want to hear is that you don't need a seaport in the east.
A lot of the problems of Nigeria have already been solved by our elders, but we've forgotten about them because of politics.
The problem with river ports in the east is the need to constantly dredge them in order to remove silt. This is very expense.
The sensible solution is to revive the dry port in Aba and link it to the Bonny Port by standard rail.
Succinctly stated.
I absolutely agree with your emphasis on the Aba dry port linkage by standard rail to the impending Bonny Deep Sea Port. Anything short of that would be a waste of time. It's like the Ibadan dry port which would decongest and divert more cargo traffic from the Lagos ports.
On the other hand, I keep seeing highly uninformed, random posts on NL and YouTube videos online calling for a "seaport" in the South East to be located in Abia which is ridiculous because Abia State does NOT share boundaries with the sea (or Atlantic Ocean) despite the fact that the Imo River flows out through Akwa Ibom State into the sea. NO Ibo State shares boundaries with the Atlantic Ocean so how can those random posters and paid YouTubers be calling for a "seaport" in the East. It's ONLY river ports such as Onitsha river port [which require constant, and expensive yearly desilting via dredging] that can be built in the South East and NOT any deep sea port.
[quote author=Ra.coo.n post=139482806]"What I found after travelling to Peru to verify drug baron allegation against Peter Obi" - Omokri
Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has revealed details of his trip to Peru to investigate allegations linking Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, to drug trafficking.
Omokri made the disclosure in a statement shared on X on Wednesday while responding to allegations made by former Niger Delta militant leader Asari Dokubo that Obi was involved in drug trafficking activities linked to a woman imprisoned in Peru.
According to him, his findings showed that the allegations against Obi were false after he visited a women’s prison in Lima and met with authorities in Peru during the investigation.
He explained that the trip to Peru came shortly after he travelled to the United States in September 2022 to verify the academic records of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at Chicago State University.
Omokri stated that, despite the findings being against his political interests at the time, he publicly released videos, documents and statements confirming that Tinubu attended and graduated from the institution.
He added that after concluding his investigation in Chicago, he proceeded to Peru to probe allegations that Obi sponsored a female drug courier who was later arrested and allegedly implicated him during trial proceedings.
According to him, he visited the prison facility in Lima with a witness and also interacted with authorities in the South American country while carrying out the investigation. Omokri further stated that he later contacted Dokubo and advised him to stop repeating the allegations because there was no evidence to support them.
He also urged political actors ahead of the 2027 election to avoid recycling claims he said had already been debunked. Omokri maintained that he personally funded the investigations out of what he described as patriotism and commitment to justice.
The statement partly reads, “I proceeded to Peru to investigate this claim you just made against Peter Obi. I went to the women’s prison in Lima, Peru, with a witness who is still alive and a video camera. I also visited authorities in that country, and confirmed that the story that Peter Obi is a drug baron who sponsored a female drug mule to Peru, and that the girl was arrested, tried, and implicated him during her trial is false. I also granted an interview to Arise TV right from Cusco, Peru. This was on Tuesday, November 22, 2022.
“I thereafter called you on the phone and told you not to make the allegation anymore, because it was not true, and it is morally wrong to accuse a man of a crime he is innocent of. You may recall that you agreed with me.
“As we approach the 2027 election, please can we all refrain from recycling these allegations, which I have already debunked. I spent my money and time to establish the facts. Nobody gave me a dime. I did this because of patriotism and commitment to justice, even when it is against my political interests. So it is rather disconcerting to see these allegations being recycled.”
An alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply.
This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes.
The era of abusing our nation’s immigration system is over.
Department of Homeland Security
The Trump administration is moving to close what it describes as a loophole that allows migrants to remain in the United States while awaiting permanent residency.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Friday new guidance directing immigration officers to treat the transition from temporary nonimmigrant status to permanent immigrant status under Section 245(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act as a process that should generally take place outside the United States, according to a document obtained by the Daily Caller. (RELATED: An Incredible Share Of Migrant Households Use Welfare, Study Finds)
Under the guidance, individuals seeking lawful permanent residency would typically be required to return to their home country, complete screening procedures and obtain an immigrant visa through the U.S. Department of State before reentering the U.S. as immigrants.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow emphasized the Trump administration is reinforcing the distinction between temporary entry and permanent residence in a statement to the Caller.
“Under President Trump, USCIS is returning to the original intent of the law and reinforcing the proper distinction between temporary admission and permanent residence. Aliens who come to the United States temporarily and later seek permanent residency should pursue an immigrant visa through the proper channels in their home countries before being admitted as immigrants.”
The document further states that individuals should only be allowed to remain in the United States and complete the adjustment of status process domestically in “extraordinary circumstances,” with vetting conducted by USCIS officers rather than through the standard immigrant visa process abroad.
The agency instructs immigration officers to weigh all relevant factors on a case-by-case basis when determining whether someone qualifies for this type of administrative relief.
Under Section 245(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, it states that the status of an individual who was “inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States” may be adjusted to lawful permanent resident status at the attorney general’s discretion, provided the individual applies for adjustment, is “eligible to receive an immigrant visa,” is admissible for permanent residence, and that “an immigrant visa is immediately available” at the time the application is filed.
The administration’s new guidance argues that these provisions should be interpreted more narrowly, emphasizing immigrant visa eligibility and overseas processing rather than allowing applicants already in the United States to complete adjustment of status domestically except in certain circumstances.
USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said individuals in the United States on temporary status who seek lawful permanent residency should generally complete that process from their home countries. (RELATED: Trump Admin Escalating Denaturalizations Of Americans Who Fraudulently Scored Citizenship)
“We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly. From now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” Kahler told the Caller in a statement.
“This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes. When aliens apply from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to slip into the shadows and remain in the U.S. illegally after being denied residency,” he continued in part. SOURCE
naptu2: The main issue (and the reason for the construction of all these ports) is that a large amount of the goods that are imported into Nigeria actually go through Cotonou and Lome ports. This means that Nigeria is losing out on revenue that should have come to the country if the goods were imported directly through Nigerian ports.
The reasons why goods come in through Lome and Cotonou include:
⚫️ Their ports are deeper.
⚫️ Apapa Port is congested
⚫️ Cheaper port charges
Etc.
These new ports are being built to take traffic from Lome and Cotonou.
Indeed, YOU have made very valid points there @Naptu. In the grand scheme of things, the Western Ports of Ibeju-Lekki, Badagry and Olokola deep sea ports would LARGELY benefit more here since they are closer to Lome, Cotonou, and Ghana. It's a fact that a lot of the cargos and containers coming into Nigeria are LARGELY meant for industrial hubs in the West of Nigeria (Lagos, Ogun, Ibadan industrial hubs) and the North with theire huge populations. There is also the famous LAKAJI trade hub which receives to-and-fro the BIGGEST trade cargos between Lagos/Kano/Jibia hence the name LAKAJI.
For those traders in the South East of Nigeria who like to complain about being underserved despite having a river port in Onitsha, they already have the 2 ports in Rivers State and with Ibom, Bakassi and Bonny deep seaports, they already have indirect access to the sea.
There are International standard of naming Seaport, it must be named after the Location. Then Gov Udom thought otherwise, so he effected the name change, he even moved the original site to his Federal Consistency that isn't suitable and deep as Ibaka, shortchanginging and undermining Oron people who are highly Cerebral. Ibaka has a natural deep water without dredging, located along the massive Nigeria-Cameroon Atlantic trade sea route, linking several Central Africa countries, I saw this first hand when i criuse thru this corridor on a business trip to Cameroon a couple of years ago.
Oron Chiefs, Stakeholders ensued a lawsuit, the Chinese investors saw genuine reasons with them after fact finding and ran away, saying they can't spend their hard earn money on shallow waters that will require frequent dredging
Travel › Lagos Blue Line Phase 2: Mile 2 to Okokomaiko by AlphaTaikun(op): 10:08pm On May 26
,used to be 14.3L/100km,don't know why it jumped.