Real Madrid are reportedly considering making a move for Napoli forward Victor Osimhen during this summer’s transfer window.
The Nigeria international has been in excellent form on loan at Galatasaray during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring 28 times and registering five assists in 32 appearances in all competitions.
Osimhen, as it stands, will return to Napoli this summer, but he is widely expected to leave the Italian giants on a permanent basis, with a number of clubs believed to be interested in his signature.
Manchester United continue to be heavily linked with the 26-year-old, who has scored 76 goals and registered 12 assists in 133 appearances for Napoli in all competitions since his arrival from Lille in 2020.
However, according to Fichajes, there is also interest from Real Madrid, with Los Blancos considering making a move for the Nigerian during this summer’s transfer window.
The report claimed that Real Madrid view Osimhen as a possible replacement for Vinicius Junior, as the Brazilian continues to be linked with a big-money move to Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Juventus are reportedly stepping up their pursuit of Napoli forward Victor Osimhen ahead of the summer transfer window.
According to TEAMtalk, the 26-year-old has also emerged as a priority target for the struggling Serie A giants.
It’s understood Juventus will face serious competition from several Premier League clubs, along with those in the Saudi Pro League.
The Nigeria international has been in electric form in Turkey, scoring 28 goals and providing five assists in his 32 games across all competitions
Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has been in London this past week.
It’s been suggested that Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has been in England to meet with Chelsea and Manchester United about the future of Osimhen, according to Il Mattino.
Osimhen’s contract with Napoli carries a €75m buyout clause, which can be triggered this summer.
Juventus are also interested, though Napoli would prefer to see Osimhen not return to Serie A.
Chelsea failed in an attempt for Osimhen in January and will try again as they seek a new centre-forward signing. United are also interested, though must sell before buying this summer.
A video that has attracted a lot of attention online depicts soldiers asking a woman to take off her camouflage trousers.
The woman was caught wearing military-style pants by the soldiers.
As a consequence, they told her to remove the trousers in front of people passing by
A viral video shows soldiers asking a woman to take off her camouflage pants.
The woman was seen wearing military trousers when she was confronted by the soldiers.
As a punishment, they ordered her to remove the pants in front of bystanders. Fortunately, she had shorts on underneath when she complied.
They told her to drop the trousers on the ground and then gave her a serious warning about her behavior.
The video has led to varied responses; some people are debating its authenticity, while others are discussing the appropriateness of the soldiers’ request.
Check out the reactions below…
almancho1 wrote: “See wetin I Dey wear for abroad anyhow”
qwinomoruyi stated: “Man day suffer sha if na man now nor be small beating e go collect.”
official_sojaqueen opined: “These are content creators joooor, make e remain for Facebook. we soldiers are very loving and kind”
vivianmercy92 remarked: “Imagine say na me wey no Dey wear tights under trousers😭😭😭😭”
charleselibeofficial noted: “This doesn’t make any sense at all, those officers should be sacked and prosecuted immediately!”
officialkelvinpower said: “Why una no open faces ?”
noni_lingerie remarked: “Who wears tights under a Jean when she’s not a plus size. Try another content”
optimist.ibk stated: “This is not acceptable in a sane and lawful country. You guys are meant to protect the country and civilians.”
2027: PDP chieftain backs Tinubu’s re-election, clashes with Diri over coalition plans.
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alabh George Turnah, has declared that a second term for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 is vital for Nigeria’s unity and stability.
Turnah, who serves as the PDP South-South zonal secretary, made this known during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday.
He revealed that his opposition to forming a coalition aimed at fielding a northern presidential candidate to challenge Tinubu has led to a rift between him and Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri.
According to Turnah, Diri is allegedly positioning himself for a vice-presidential slot in the proposed alliance—whether or not the PDP participates.
Turnah further disclosed that talks about Diri’s vice-presidential ambitions began circulating within the governor’s inner circle shortly after his second-term inauguration.
“I expressed my concerns about this idea, advocating that the South be allowed to complete its eight-year two-term tenure.
“Pursuing this ambition would represent a disservice to President Tinubu, whose supporters had just helped secure Diri’s re-election.
“I opined it would be a return of ingratitude to Mr President, and unknown to me, my colleagues secretly recorded me and shared the recording with the Governor, who became very upset and vowed that I would not receive any appointments or favours from his administration in the second term,” Turnah said.
He alleged that true to Diri’s word, he was entirely left out while his colleagues’ aides were quickly reappointed.
He said: “I spent nearly a year without any appointment in the second term. Just as I was contemplating distancing myself from the Diri political dynasty, the Governor ordered my reappointment letter to be issued, which I ultimately declined.
“At this time, plans to seize control of the Party (PDP) structure from the Zone to the National level to pursue his Vice Presidential ambition were already being finalised.
“Several meetings took place between February 25th and 28th, 2025, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, involving high-profile figures, particularly from Northern Nigeria.
“Notably, aside from the meetings of the Governors’ forum, the gatherings with senior PDP leaders were kept away from the media’s gaze.
“I can confidently say that it was in Yenagoa where the plot to impose Rt. Hon. S.K.E Udeh Okoye was conceived.
“Billions of naira were allocated to this plan, with the National Financial Secretary of the Party, a Diri ally, tasked with lobbying NWC members to support the initiative.
“Part of the agreed strategy included introducing Udeh Okoye to Governors across PDP states as the new National Secretary.
“This was the origin of the recent National Secretaryship crisis embroiling the Party. It’s crucial for Nigerians to understand that Governor Diri, not Wike, was behind this crisis.
“Furthermore, billions in taxpayers’ money from Bayelsa State were squandered to support this agenda, covering everything from hiring jets for NWC members to logistics and legal expenses.
“Additionally, I must disclose that the entire effort to impose Okoye as the National Secretary aims to facilitate the inclusion of the PDP in a proposed merger and establish a coalition party that will field a northern presidential candidate, with Governor Diri as running mate, aiming to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
“During a recent visit by the PDP NWC to Governor Diri’s home in Sampou, he explicitly stated his support for a coalition, indicating his involvement in forming a coalition party separate from the PDP to contest against President Tinubu.
“I was therefore not surprised when the former Head of Service in Rivers State mentioned Governor Fubara discussing the emergence of a coalition political party that would feature a northern presidential candidate, with the vice-presidential ticket allocated to the Ijaw people.
“Governor Diri is about the only prominent Ijaw figure of today capable of pursuing such an ambition, albeit potentially at the cost of Bayelsa State’s treasury, development and well-being.
“Bayelsans and Ijaw people must know that capital-intensive projects like the new Secretariat building, the sports stadium and others hurriedly embarked upon by the administration seem to be planned to finance this questionable vice-presidential quest.
“Let it be clearly stated that I dissociate myself from this misguided ambition, which threatens to undermine the anticipated eight years of a Southern presidency, an essential step for national unity and political stability of the country.
“The Southern part of the country deserves the opportunity to complete a full eight years in leadership, akin to President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
“I earnestly urge the political leadership of Northern Nigeria to discourage the move to present a presidential candidate of Northern extraction for 2027.
“Supporting an uninterrupted eight-year presidency for the South, currently being held on our behalf by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is crucial for the unity and stability of our nation.
The Nigerian populace should remain vigilant and informed regarding these developments,” Turnah said.
According to him, the recent events leading to the press conference, particularly the unwarranted outburst by Governor Diri, were clearly intended to unjustly pitch him against the people of Bayelsa State and the Ijaw nation at large by placing his life and that of his family in serious jeopardy and security risk.
He expressed gratitude to the youth of Bayelsa State and the Ijaw nation, saying, “Out of respect and regard for my person, they have refrained from any violent actions against me or my interests since the controversial video in which Governor Diri attacked me emerged.”
He appealed to the youths to continue to stand by him even as he would also support them.
He also urged security agencies, especially the office of the National Security Adviser, to recognise the threat to his life allegedly posed by Governor Diri’s actions and to ensure his safety from this point forward.
He added: “I am thankful to God for the journey I have experienced in this world. I am not afraid of death; after all, it is appointed for everyone to die once, after which judgment.
“Should I die today, I would do so content, having spoken my truth and championed the cause of unity and political stability in this great nation, which I cherish deeply.
“Mr President, sir, if anything were to happen to me because of the truths I’ve shared, the ambitions and schemes I’ve revealed, and my defence of the South’s right to an 8-year presidency, please take care of my family.
“I plead that you ensure my wife and children do not suffer or regret my absence; they are my utmost priority and why I live.”
Nigeria has no cause to over react to the wave of new import tariffs introduced by the Trump administration in the United States, economic experts warned yesterday.
The experts spoke as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) moved to safeguard the economy from the effects of the new tariff regime.
The apex bank announced its intervention at the foreign exchange market with the sale of US$197.71 million to authorized dealers to boost liquidity and maintain orderly market functioning.
The naira had suffered a blow in the foreign exchange market on Friday, closing at N1,625 against the US Dollar, down from N1,570 recorded the previous day.
The slide is blamed on the US new import tariffs regime.
Other financial markets across the world are also affected in one way or the other.
Assessing the US tariff onslaught last night, Nigerian economist, Dr. Muda Yusuf, said Nigerians have little to worry about the signals from Washington.
“There is very little to negotiate about because when we compare the tariff imposition on Nigeria to the tariff imposition on other countries, even in Africa, we’ll see that Nigeria has one of the lowest in terms of this Trump tariff imposition,” Yusuf told The Nation.
“Secondly, in terms of our direct exposure, in terms of export trade, export destination, our export exposure to the United States is just about 10% or less. So we are not too strategically dependent, or we are not strategically dependent on the United States.
“For most of our exports, I think, even as we speak, Europe is our major trading partner. Then, of course, we have Asia. So it’s not actually that strategic but I’m not saying that percentage is something that we should dismiss.
“But what I’m saying is that unlike many other countries, the United States is not such a strategic trade partner to Nigeria.
“Thirdly, most of our exports are oil and gas. About 90% of our exports are oil and gas. And, of course, lately, fertiliser. Now, from what we have read about this trade, Trump trade tariff, energy products are exempted from this tariff.
“So the basket of our exports that accounts for 90% of exports is already exempted, because they are energy products.”
Yusuf, who is the Chief Executive Officer at the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), however warned that nothing should be taken for granted.
He would not rule out the possibility of a change of heart by Trump at some point.
He said: “We are still seeing a lot of retaliatory measures that are being rolled out. There’s a lot of resentment from Americans themselves.
“The U.S. Congress has not spoken properly on this. So there’s even a possibility for a review, because there’s likely to be pushback both from the major trading partners and from the citizens and from the American corporate or business community.
“A lot of pushback is likely to happen, which may cause a review of this tariff policy. So we need to give them time to sort themselves out, to see the kind of actions and counter reactions before we even begin to talk about any form of discussion at all.
“But I don’t see any basis for us to worry so much about this war. What we need to worry about is the implications for the global economy, the implications for crude oil price.
“And we should also be looking at the opportunities that it creates, because this crisis is also creating opportunities, because those who are having problems with the United States may be looking for other countries through which they can trade.
“So that is part of the things we should be looking at.”
Besides, he noted that the trade war and the subsequent retaliatory tariffs would trigger inflationary pressures in the United States.
This, according to him, may result in elevated costs for imports into Nigeria from the United States.
Mr. Olawale Falolu, an international trade analyst, shared Yusuf’s views.
His words: “I can tell you without any iota of doubt that Nigeria’s total merchandise export from the USA as at last year was valued at $50.4 billion and Nigeria’s export to the United States the same year was $5.7 billion. So it is unlikely to cause a major upset in the Nigerian economy.”
Other major export destinations for Nigeria products are Spain, France, Netherlands, and Italy oil and gas products account for close to 90% of Nigeria’s exports.”
In his own assessment of the situation, Prof. Jonathan Aremu, economist and international trade expert, said: “If somebody is making you his enemy, there are so many other friends in the global economy. Because the USA is behaving that way, many other countries will be looking for partners as well.
“So, this can be a coincidence of wants in which Nigeria can have a better partner to be able to sell things that will be profitable.
“It’s all the countries in the world that the USA is doing that. So, you are going to be seeing a lot of realignment of trading partners, realignment of economic partnership agreement, realignment of economic integration agreement, and in the end, a reshaping of the world trade organisation we imagine. So, Nigeria should not actually keep silent.
“What America is doing is going to lead to a lot of realignment. Realignment is that we need to find new partners. Not to actually throw away our national priorities and opportunity because of the fact that America is trying to actually put a ban or something from import duty on our product and then our product will not be able to go there.
“Because, I repeat, and I repeat again, in the global economy, nobody gives you what you deserve. You only get what you negotiate.
“So, in negotiating our new partners, either in economic integration, regional partnership, or in a partnership agreement outside the US into other countries of the world, whether it is Australia, whether it is Asia, or whether it is South Africa, we must make sure that we negotiate properly.”
Managing Director, Economic Associates, Dr. Ayo Teriba, said while Nigeria was not specifically targeted by the Trump administration’s new import tariff regime, it should not move solely to react and sanction US over the tariffs.
Teriba said Nigeria should get on the table with other African countries and make a block demand on the US on how the tariffs should be reversed.
He said: “As long as Nigeria was not singled out on the tariffs hit, Nigeria should not single itself out with its reactions. Such move could lead to massive deportation of Nigerians from the US, and other adverse impact.”
Teriba said the question should be what can Africa do, and Africa should respond as a block, adding that Nigeria should not hasten to respond or worry, because the tariffs may likely be reversed as the impact hits the American economy.
He said: “What Trump is doing is not economics. He is fighting a political war with tariffs and taxes. America is already feeling the impact, as seen in the decline in stock and oil prices, prompting the thinking that what he is doing may likely be reversed by the US court, or Senate”.
Speaking on the impact on local banks, he said drop in equities prices could lead to major losses for Nigerians with investment in global companies, and as more people sell off their stock, that could lead to global recession.
Teriba said foreign investors with portfolio investment in Nigeria may pull out their funds, to cover losses at home.
He said some Nigeria banks with investment in US stocks, would also record huge losses as global equities prices nosedive.
On his part, an economist and Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismark Rewane, said oil prices have slipped as Trump’s higher-than-expected tariffs are expected to reduce demand.
Rewane explained that a decrease in oil prices will reduce oil revenue and deplete external reserves for Nigeria. Also, an increase in price of PMS and diesel will increase transportation and logistics costs, thereby stoking inflationary pressures.
He said the new tariffs could weaken oil demand and further reduce prices.
Already, Nigeria’s net external reserves stood at $23.11 billion in 2024, as gross external reserves declined by 6.24 per cent year-to-date to $38.33 billion.
Rewane however said rising prices of cocoa will raise Nigeria’s export earnings and improve cocoa farmers’ income.
Analysts at Cordros Securities said global stock markets extended losses last week, as US President Trump’s sweeping tariffs on most imports into the United States reignited fears of a full-blown trade war and a global economic slowdown.
At present, US equities dropped significantly, reflecting selloffs in blue-chip names, such as Apple, Amazon and Nike, as higher levies on key production hubs, most notably China and Vietnam, stoked concerns around input cost pressures and potential earnings erosion.
Similarly, European equities were on track for their steepest weekly decline in three years, as risk aversion intensified following Washington’s reciprocal tariff measures on the region.
President Trump himself yesterday warned Americans of pain ahead on account of his tariff regime.
He was however optimistic of historic investment and prosperity.
“We have been the dumb and helpless ‘whipping post,’ but not any longer. We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He added: “This is an economic revolution, and we will win. “Hang tough, it won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic.”
Effective Wednesday, April 9, around 60 trading partners — including the European Union, Japan and China – will face even higher rates tailored to each economy.
Although Nigeria and some other African countries are not on Trump’s supplementary list, the 10% baseline tariff on imports from all countries still affects them.
The tariffs are expected to boost America’s manufacturing and punish other nations for what Trump claims are years of unfair trade practices.
Trump announced a 10% baseline tariff on all imports into the U.S. from all countries. However, countries with trade surpluses with the U.S. will have higher rates.
The CBN, in an update yesterday, acknowledged that the US tariff measures have sparked volatility across international markets and the effects of these protectionist policies are becoming evident in the performance of several currencies in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs).
“The recent announcement of new import tariffs by the United States government on imports from several economies has triggered a period of adjustment across global markets,” the CBN said.
Between April 3 and 4, 2025, movements in Nigeria’s foreign exchange market reflected broader global macroeconomic shifts, the bank explained.
As part of its routine monitoring, the CBN said it observed increased pressure on the local currency, influenced by not only tariff-related disruptions but also a significant drop in crude oil prices.
Dr. Omolara Omotunde Duke, Director of the Financial Markets Department at the CBN, said the prices of crude oil, Nigeria’s top foreign exchange earner, has fallen sharply in recent days.
“Crude oil prices have also weakened — declining by over 12 per cent to approximately US$65.50 per barrel, from the projected US$75 per barrel — thus presenting new dynamics for oil-exporting countries such as Nigeria,” she said.
The combined effects of lower crude oil prices and shifting capital flows have placed additional strain on Nigeria’s exchange rate environment. In response to the mounting pressure, the CBN intervened in the market on Friday with the sale of US$197.71 million to Authorised Dealers to boost liquidity and maintain orderly market functioning.
“This measured step aligns with the Bank’s broader objective of fostering a stable, transparent and efficient foreign exchange market,” Dr. Duke said.
The intervention represents the CBN’s proactive approach to calming the market amid a turbulent international economic backdrop. It also signals the bank’s intention to shield the Naira from further abrupt swings while providing the necessary support to ensure that genuine foreign exchange needs are met.
The CBN spoke of its readiness to continue observing developments in both global and domestic markets and assured stakeholders that Nigeria’s foreign exchange framework was designed to respond to fundamental changes and remains robust enough to withstand ongoing economic shocks.
While confidence remains in the resilience of the FX framework, the CBN asked Authorized Dealers in the country “to adhere strictly to the principles outlined in the Nigeria FX Market Code and to uphold the highest standards in their dealings with clients and market counterparties.”
The company operates 3,558 centres across 158 countries, processing approximately 100,000 visa applications daily.
If you've ever applied for a visa, chances are you've interacted with VFS Global, the world's largest visa and passport services provider.
At the helm of this colossal enterprise is Zubin Karkaria, a visionary entrepreneur who transformed the cumbersome visa application process into a streamlined global operation. In the 1990s, while working with the Swiss travel company Kuoni in India, Karkaria observed significant inefficiencies in the visa application process.
Applicants endured long waits at embassies, often travelling across cities and queuing overnight to submit their documents. Embassy staff were equally overwhelmed with administrative tasks, leading to delays and frustration on both sides.
This birthed VFS Global. Mr Karkaria was determined to find a way to make the process more efficient and systematic. So he approached the US embassy in Mumbai and for 18 months tried to convince them to outsource the administrative part of the work to his company. He went to the head of the visa section at that time and said:
"Let's work out a process where you still remain in control of the decision-making. But the way we do it is we scan everything and do all the administrative parts of your work... your visa officer gets the documents one day before, we do appointment scheduling that means you know who's coming at what time … so you spend 90 per cent of your time in decision making."
The proposal worked, and VFS began operations in 2001, still a part of Kuoni, to support embassies with their administrative tasks including collecting documents, scheduling appointments and managing the logistics of delivering passports.
The company did not charge the embassy for its services but created a business model of receiving a service fee from individuals to make the entire process more efficient. The process was far from easy due to the complexities involved in terms of security, privacy and government approvals But having the US embassy as a client helped VFS bring other governments on board.
To build trust, Karkaria implemented robust security measures and demonstrated VFS Global's capability to manage complex processes across diverse cultures. He made significant investments in technology to ensure that the visa application process became more accessible and secure for applicants worldwide.
He explained that after the person at the counter collects the documents from the applicant, there’s a huge process that takes place at the back end. He said:
"We have to make sure that every passport goes with the right documentation. Every upload that has happened has to be 99.9 per cent accurate because there cannot be a mistake – even if your passport number, there’s a slight mistake, when you're entering a country, you might be asked to go back. So, we can't take a single risk."
From a single center in Mumbai, VFS Global experienced exponential growth over the next two decades. As of 2024, the company operates 3,558 centres across 158 countries, processing approximately 100,000 visa applications daily. To date, VFS Global has handled over 303 million applications and partners with 69 governments globally.
VFS Global's success attracted significant investment interest. In October 2021, Blackstone Inc., a leading global investment firm, acquired a majority stake in the company. By 2024, VFS Global was valued at approximately $7 billion, underscoring its dominant position in the visa services industry.
Despite its impressive growth, Karkaria sees substantial potential for further expansion, noting that 65% of visa processing is still not outsourced. To capitalize on emerging technologies, VFS Global plans to establish Artificial Intelligence hubs in the UAE, Mumbai, Berlin, and Silicon Valley, aiming to enhance and innovate the visa application experience.
Mr Karkaria is confident that the market potential is massive. He says at this point, outsourcing visa services is “no longer an option” for governments.“
Govt must be informed before rallies in Bayelsa – Diri.
The Governor of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri, has said his administration is not against rallies in the state.
Diri said this ahead of a rally organised by a group to celebrate President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, in Bayelsa.
According to him, proper protocol for such rallies should be followed, which includes informing the state government just as wife of the President and First Lady had done before her visit to the state on Thursday on the invitation of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Diri stated this on Wednesday at the 158th state executive council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
The governor explained that his administration would not stop any group from holding rallies in the state but emphasised that it would be unwise and counter-productive at a time lasting peace was being sought to address the political crisis in Rivers State.
He noted that Rivers and Bayelsa were sister states and that whatever happened in Rivers had a ripple effect in Bayelsa.
“We are not yet in a political season. l am not stopping anybody from exercising his fundamental human rights but as the chief security officer of the state and with information at my disposal, we must keep the peace of the state. Nobody should come and rock the peace and security of this state,” he added.
While receiving the interim report of the steering committee on resolution of the protracted crisis in Bassambiri community, in the Nembe Local Government Area of the state, Diri warned that any errant chief not ready for peace would be disrobed.
The chairman of the committee, Vice Admiral Victor Ombu (rtd), said the panel looked into the remote and immediate causes of the community’s prolonged crisis, conducted interviews and received memoranda as well as visited some sites to see damaged property.
He noted that the committee was in the process of achieving peace and had recorded genuine reconciliation efforts.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Wednesday, announced the reconstitution of the 11-man Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) board, with Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari named as the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), and Ahmadu Musa Kida, non-executive chairman.
The two are replacing Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, and Chief Pius Akinyelure both of whom were GCEO and board chairman respectively.
The presidential spokesman, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, announced this in a statement issued in Abuja.
According to the statement, Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Isa Ajiya as the chief financial officer last November, was also appointed as part of the new board by the president.
Six board members, non-executive directors, represent the country’s geopolitical zones.
They are Bello Rabiu (North West), Yusuf Usman (North East), and Babs Omotowa, a former managing director of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), representing the North Central zone.
Also, the statement named Austin Avuru, David Ige and Henry Obih as non-executive directors from the South-South, South-West, and South-East respectively.
Similarly, the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya, will represent the ministry on the new board, while Aminu Said Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
“All the appointments are effective today, April 2. President Tinubu, invoking the powers granted under Section 59, subsection 2 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, emphasised that the board’s restructuring is crucial for enhancing operational efficiency, restoring investor confidence, boosting local content, driving economic growth, and advancing gas commercialisation and diversification.
“President Tinubu also handed out an immediate action plan to the new board: to conduct a strategic portfolio review of NNPC-operated and joint venture assets to ensure alignment with value maximisation objectives.
“Since 2023, the Tinubu administration has implemented oil sector reforms to attract investment. Last year, NNPC reported $17 billion in new investments within the sector. The administration now envisions increasing the investment to $30 billion by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030.
“The Tinubu administration targets raising oil production to two million barrels daily by 2027 and three million daily by 2030. Concurrently, the government wants gas production jacked to 8 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 10 billion cubic feet by 2030.
“Furthermore, President Tinubu expects the new board to elevate NNPC’s share of crude oil refining output to 200,000 barrels by 2027 and reach 500,000 by 2030,” the statement added.
Three Americans convicted for their role in a failed coup in Democratic Republic of Congo last year have had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment, the presidency has said.
They were among 37 people sentenced to death last September by a military court.
The three were accused of leading an attack on both the presidential palace and the home of an ally of President Félix Tshisekedi last May.
The overturning of the sentences comes ahead of a visit to DR Congo by the newly appointed US senior advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos.
Boulos, father-in-law to President Donald Trump's daughter, Tiffany, is expected to arrive in Kinshasa on Thursday on a trip that will also take him to Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda.
The US has not declared the three Americans to be wrongfully jailed in DR Congo but the State Department said previously there have been talks between the countries over the matter.
The three were convicted of criminal conspiracy, terrorism and other charges, which they denied.
The suspected leader of the plot, Christian Malanga, a US national of Congolese origin, was killed during the attack, along with five others.
In total 51 people were tried in a military court, with hearings broadcast on national TV and radio.
Fourteen people were acquitted and freed, with the court finding they had no connection to the attack.
Death sentences have not been carried out in DR Congo for roughly two decades and convicts who receive the penalty usually serve life imprisonment instead.
The government lifted this moratorium in March this year, citing the need to remove "traitors" from the nation's dysfunctional army. However, no death penalties have been carried out since.
On Tuesday, President Tshisekedi signed orders to commute the Americans' death sentences, his spokesperson Tina Salama said in a televised statement.
The three - Marcel Malanga Malu, Tylor Thomson and Zalman Polun Benjamin - were granted "individual clemency," by the president, according to Salama.
Ckiness Ciamba, one of Malanga's lawyers, told Reuters news agency that the "presidential pardon is a first step that promises major changes in the future".
Jean-Jacques Wondo, a dual Congolese and Belgian citizen who was also sentenced to death, was in February transferred to Belgium due to ill-health. It is unclear if the Americans could also be sent home to serve out their sentences.
It is also not clear if the other convicts, who include a Briton, a Belgian and a Canadian national, will also have their sentences commuted.
The attempted coup began in the capital, Kinshasa, in the early hours of 19 May, when armed men first attacked parliamentary speaker Vital Kamerhe's home, before heading to the president's official residence in the capital.
Witnesses say a group of about 20 assailants in army uniform attacked the palace and an exchange of gunfire followed.
The National Identity Management Commission has recorded a total of 117 million registrations for the National Identity Number as of February 28, 2025.
According to the latest enrolment statistics from the NIMC dashboard, 66,281,803 (56.5%) of the registered individuals are male, while 51,079,521 (43.5%) are female.
The data also reveals that Lagos State has the highest cumulative enrolment figure with over 12.6 million registrants, while Kano State followed with 10.2 million registrants.
“NIMC’s enrollment figures as of February 28, 2025, currently stand at over 117 million unique records. The highest cumulative enrollment figure of over 12.6 million was recorded in Lagos State. Regional figures indicated an almost equal distribution across the North and South,” the report stated.
Bayelsa, Ebonyi, and Ekiti states ranked as the three states with the lowest enrollment figures.
Bayelsa recorded a total of 758,111 registrations, with 416,015 males and 342,096 females. Ebonyi followed with a total of 990,775 registrations, comprising 537,939 males and 452,836 females. Ekiti had a total of 1,143,102 registrations, with 566,229 males and 576,873 females.
Other states with low NIN registration include Cross River, which recorded 1,397,233 registrations; Taraba, with 1,768,754; Yobe, with 1,857,532; Kogi, with 1,912,382; Enugu, with 1,946,464; Kwara, with 2,004,667; and Imo, with 2,024,423.
Lagos recorded the highest enrollment figure with 12,612,334 registrations, consisting of 6,870,915 males and 5,741,419 females.
Kano followed with 10,246,055 registrations, including 5,924,126 males and 4,321,929 females.
Kaduna had 6,945,818 registrations, with 3,832,083 males and 3,113,735 females. Ogun recorded a total of 4,926,721 registrations, comprising 2,567,102 males and 2,359,619 females. Oyo had 4,539,340 registrations, with 2,361,100 males and 2,178,240 females.
Other states in the top 10 include Katsina, with 4,019,964 registrations (2,369,071 males and 1,650,893 females); the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, with 3,795,690 registrations (2,213,061 males and 1,582,629 females); Rivers, with 3,532,787 registrations (1,923,311 males and 1,609,476 females); Delta, with 3,198,779 registrations (1,691,182 males and 1,507,597 females); and Bauchi, with 3,078,996 registrations (1,927,994 males and 1,151,002 females).
It was once customary for Premier League players to be gifted a bottle of champagne as reward for winning man of the match.
Times have moved on since then, with players now receiving a small trophy in recognition of their display.
But Norwegian club Bryne FK - where Manchester City forward Erling Haaland started his career - have come up with a novel approach by awarding eggs to their player of the match.
The club, based in the south-west of Norway close to the city of Stavanger, were promoted back to the top-flight last season for the first time since 2003.
They were beaten 1-0 by Europa League quarter-finalists Bodo/Glimt in their first fixture back in the top division on Sunday.
But they were kept in the match by goalkeeper Jan de Boer, who pulled off a string of fine stops and saved a second-half penalty.
The Dutchman's reward? Four trays of eggs, of course.
The prize is a nod to the club's ties with local agriculture, which is dominated by meat and dairy production.
Such is the association with farming, supporters are often heard chanting "we are farmers and we are proud of it" at matches, and there are 'VIP' tickets on sale for fans to watch games from a pitchside tractor.
But any Bryne player hoping to get their hands on eggs next week will be disappointed because the club say their player of the match against Kristiansund on 6 April will be given cartons of local milk.
According to Business Insider, the latest trade data compiled by the United States-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) indicated that Kenya imported used clothing worth Sh38.5 billion ($298 million), a 12.45 percent increase from the previous year.
The rise highlights Kenya’s growing reliance on affordable second-hand garments, known locally as “mitumba,” which include underwear, dresses, shirts, trousers, jackets, shoes, bedding, towels, and curtains.
An analysis of MIT’s observatory of economic complexity indicates that Kenya’s imports of second-hand clothes and textiles in 2022 were nearly equal to Nigeria’s at Sh34.5 billion ($265 million), with South Africa ranking third at Sh33.76 billion ($261 million).
In 2021, South Africa was the leading importer of used clothes and textiles, though the country restricted such imports, except for specific purposes such as manufacturing industrial wiping rags or donating to registered charities.
In 2023, Ghana ranked as the second-largest importer of second-hand clothes, with imports valued at Sh30.4 billion. South Africa followed at Sh29.4 billion, with Uganda at Sh27.2 billion and Nigeria at Sh27 billion.
Despite Nigeria’s larger population and official ban on used clothing imports, Kenya now leads the continent in the trade.
Recent tax policy changes, including the removal of the import declaration fees (IDF) and the railway development levy (RDL), are expected to further increase mitumba imports in Kenya. Manufacturers have kicked against these changes, arguing that they undermine local industry.
Donald Trump has said he is "not joking" about wanting to serve a third term as US president.
The US Constitution says that "no person... shall be elected more than twice", but some Trump supporters have suggested there could be ways around that.
Why is Trump talking about a third term?
Trump was asked in an interview with NBC about the possibility of seeking a third term and said "there are methods which you could do it".
"I'm not joking... a lot of people want me to do it," he added. "But, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it's very early in the administration."
Trump, who would be 82 at the end of his second term, was asked whether he would want to keep serving in "the toughest job in the country".
"Well, I like working," he replied.
These were not his first comments on the topic. In January, he told supporters that it would be "the greatest honour of my life to serve not once, but twice or three times or four times". However, he then said this was a joke for the "fake news media".
What does the US Constitution say?
On the face of it, the US Constitution seems to rule out anyone having a third term. The 22nd Amendment states:
"No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice, and no person who has held the office of president, or acted as president, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected president shall be elected to the office of the president more than once."
Changing the constitution would require a two-thirds approval from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as approval from three-quarters of the country's state-level governments.
Trump's Republican Party controls both chambers of Congress but does not have the majorities needed. Additionally, the Democratic Party controls 18 of the 50 state legislatures.
How could Trump be president for a third term?
Trump supporters say there is a loophole in the constitution, untested in court.
They argue that the 22nd Amendment only explicitly bans someone being "elected" to more than two presidential terms - and says nothing of "succession".
Under this theory, Trump could be the vice-presidential running-mate to another candidate - perhaps his own vice-president, JD Vance - in the 2028 election.
If they win, the candidate could be sworn into the White House and then immediately resign - letting Trump take over by succession.
Steve Bannon, the podcaster and prominent former Trump adviser, said he believed Trump would "run and win again", adding there were "a couple of alternatives" in determining how.
Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican in the House of Representatives, introduced a resolution in January calling for a constitutional amendment to allow a president to serve up to three terms - as long as they were not consecutive.
This would mean that only Trump of all former surviving presidents would be eligible - Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush all served consecutive terms, whereas Trump won in 2016, lost in 2020, and won again in 2024.
However, the high bar for constitutional amendments makes Ogles' proposal a pipe dream - although it got people talking.
Who opposes a Trump third term?
Democrats have deep objections.
"This is yet another escalation in his clear effort to take over the government and dismantle our democracy," said Daniel Goldman, a New York Representative who served as lead counsel for Trump's first impeachment.
"If Congressional Republicans believe in the Constitution, they will go on the record opposing Trump's ambitions for a third term."
Some within Trump's party also think it's a bad idea.
The Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, of Oklahoma, said in February he would not back an attempt to put Trump back in the White House.
"I'm not changing the constitution, first of all, unless the American people chose to do that," Mullin told NBC.
What do legal experts say?
Derek Muller, an election law professor at the University of Notre Dame, said the Constitution's 12th Amendment says "no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of president shall be eligible to [quote]that of vice-president of the United States".
That means serving two terms in office disqualifies anyone from running as a vice-presidential candidate, in his view.
"I don't think there's any 'one weird trick' to getting around presidential term limits," he said.
Jeremy Paul, a constitutional law professor at Boston's Northeastern University, told CBS New there were "no credible legal arguments" for a third term.
Has anyone served more than two terms?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected four times. He died three months into his fourth term, in April 1945.
The Great Depression and the Second World War coloured Roosevelt's time in office - and are often cited for his extended presidency.
At that time, the two-term limit on US presidents had not been written into law - it was instead a custom followed since George Washington refused a third term in 1796.
Roos0evelt's extended stewardship led to the tradition being codified into law in the 22nd Amendment in 1951.
For days, I have gathered my thoughts, searching for the right words to describe a man whose legacy speaks for itself. How do you define a leader whose influence has transformed governance in Nigeria? What can truly capture the greatness of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a visionary, a master strategist, a political leader whose impact is visible across Nigeria’s leadership and development?
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, at 73, your influence remains undeniable. You have consistently made bold decisions, unshaken by critics. You have introduced one of the biggest reforms in Nigeria’s history, driven by your strong belief that it will benefit all Nigerians.
Since assuming office, you have removed the fuel subsidy that had drained national resources for decades, a step many feared but one necessary for fiscal stability. You unified the foreign exchange market to promote transparency and attract investment. You initiated policies to revive local industries, boost production, and reduce over-reliance on imports and crude oil.
Your administration has made progress in infrastructure development with the push for better roads, railway expansion, and improved power generation. You have prioritized security by equipping security agencies and strengthening collaboration to combat terrorism and banditry. Boko Haram’s activities have reduced, because who dares when Asiwaju is in power? You have also empowered states through fiscal reforms, allowing them to generate more revenue and reduce dependence on the federal government.
Your ability to see solutions where others see only roadblocks has redefined governance and economic growth in Nigeria. What many thought was impossible, you turned it into reality, proving that true leadership is not about words but about vision and decisive action.
Your legacy is not just in the policies you have championed but in the leaders you have nurtured. From the North to the West, the East to the South, your fingerprints are evident in the corridors of power. If we were to gather a hundred (100) of Nigeria’s most influential figures today, ninety-nine percent would trace their growth and political success back to Jagaban.
At 73, you remain the oracle of Nigeria’s political evolution, the sage of our time, and the architect of modern governance. Today, I celebrate not just a man but an institution, a movement, a force that has redefined leadership in Nigeria.
Happy birthday, JAGABAN. May your days be long, and may your vision for a greater Nigeria continue to manifest.
Best wishes to the number one citizen of our nation. On your mandate, we stand.
The Akwa Ibom State Government has approved a modern city bus transportation system for Uyo, designed to provide safe, reliable, and eco-friendly transport while enhancing accessibility and driving economic growth.
The announcement was made by Governor Umo Eno via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday.
According to the governor, this decision was one of the major resolutions reached during the recent Executive Council meeting, presided over by him alongside the Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, and other key officials.
“Yesterday, I presided over the Executive Council meeting alongside the Deputy Governor, Sen. Akon Eyakenyi, the Secretary to the State Government, the Head of Civil Service, Commissioners, and Special Advisers. After extensive deliberations, we reached key resolutions aimed at enhancing governance and improving the lives of the Akwa Ibom people.
Some of the major decisions include:
“Approval of a modern City Bus transportation system for Uyo metropolis to provide safe, reliable, and eco-friendly transport, boosting accessibility and economic growth,” Gov. Eno’s tweet read in part.
The governor, however, did not provide further details on the approved modern bus transportation system to be implemented in the capital city of Uyo.
The timeline for the rollout of the modern city buses, along with specific implementation details, is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
More insights
The approval of the city bus system was one of several key resolutions made during the recent Akwa Ibom State Executive Council meeting, aimed at advancing development across critical sectors.
Gov. Umo Eno highlighted plans for the renovation of the Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort, which is set for a comprehensive overhaul to restore its status as a world-class hospitality destination.
• He also announced the extension of Julius Berger’s contract to maintain the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, ensuring it remains a top-tier facility and the home of the Super Eagles.
• The council approved a pensioners’ verification exercise starting April 1, 2025, to ensure accurate records and seamless payments. Another resolution focused on the Eket International Market, with an inter-ministerial committee tasked to deliver a detailed report within one month to align the project with the needs of the people.
• Additionally, Gov. Eno noted that the council reaffirmed the strict enforcement of the prohibition of motorcycles in Uyo metropolis and restrictions on tricycles in designated areas to enhance public safety.
He further expressed gratitude to the NDDC for selecting Akwa Ibom as the host of the upcoming Niger Delta Sports Festival, which he described as a proud moment for the state.
Bill Gates says AI will replace humans in most tasks except for these three professions.
Bill Gates says despite AI exceling at certain jobs, we will still need humans in some fields.
Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT back in 2022, artificial intelligence has reshaped the way we think and do things. For the most part, AI chatbots like Gemini, Copilot, DeepSeek and others are still being used as tools for work, but professionals are concerned as AI might replace several jobs in different sectors.
Last month, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates predicted that AI would replace humans for most things, and now that the technology is being adopted by organisations worldwide, the multi-billionaire shared more insights on what he thinks will be future-proof in the upcoming years.
While several reports and tech leaders including NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff think coders will be the first ones to lose their jobs in the near future, Gates believes humans will have an important part to play in the process.
The 69-year old also added that AI won’t be able to replace biologists, but serve as an useful tool for doing things like disease diagnosis, DNA analysis as it lacks the creativity for scientific discoveries. Gates also said that AI won’t replace energy experts as the field is still too complex to be fully automated.
With generative AI becoming more powerful with each day passing by, several leaders have reiterated the fact that the technology will have a huge impact on how we work, with AI surpassing human intelligence in some sectors.
AmazingGenius: In 2015, 17-year-old Harold Ekeh achieved what many students could only dream of as he was accepted into all eight Ivy League universities. But that wasn’t all. Out of the 13 schools he applied to, including prestigious institutions like MIT and Johns Hopkins, every single one offered him a spot.
Faced with an enviable dilemma, Ekeh leaned toward Yale, where he built a lasting freindship with students which in a way shaped his college aspirations. As a young boy, he showcased his selfless act which embodies the true spirit of Nigeria, when he founded a college mentoring programme to held more students gain admission into top universities.
A journey from Nigeria
Ekeh was born and raised in Lagos and moved to the United States with his parents and siblings when he was eight. The transition wasn’t easy as he struggled with U.S. history classes and often questioned why his family had left their comfortable life back in Lagos. However, his parents always reminded him that they moved for one reason: opportunity.
That opportunity, along with Ekeh’s relentless drive, led him to become his school’s salutatorian with a remarkable 100.5% GPA. Despite his early struggles with history, he eventually aced the AP History Exam, proving that perseverance pays off.
A passion for science and medicine
While his academic achievements were impressive, Ekeh’s true passion was in science as he had planned to major in neurobiology or chemistry, to become a neurosurgeon.
His research on the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on Alzheimer’s earned him recognition as a 2015 Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist. Ekeh noted that one of his proudest moments was rushing home to share his research findings with his family, knowing he was working on something that could make a real difference.
A shift in passion
While Ekeh enrolled at Yale University, initially with ambitions of studying neurobiology, he delved into political science and government after discovering a deep interest in healthcare policy and civil rights.
A pivotal moment came during his sophomore summer when he worked as a legislative fellow with the Congressional Black Caucus. There, he learnt about the weakening of the Voting Rights Act and the policy implications for marginalised communities.
This experience ignited a passion which redefined his career. In 2017, Ekeh co-founded Every Vote Counts (EVC), a student-led, nonpartisan organisation focused on increasing voter turnout and expanding voter access. EVC quickly grew to over 50 college campuses, advocating for civic engagement, voter education, and pro-democracy reforms.
Ekeh’s impact extended beyond activism. His writings on voting rights and policy have been published in The Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, The Hill, and Real Clear Policy, while his work has been cited by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times Editorial Board, and USA Today.
He currently serves as the special assistant to the president at the Brennan Center for Justice, working on legal and policy initiatives aimed at protecting voting rights.
AmazingGenius: On behalf of the entire TEXEM, UK family, we proudly celebrate and warmly congratulate Lagos state government and Dr. Obafemi Hamza, an exemplary alumnus, on the successful launch of the Lagos App—a groundbreaking innovation that holds immense promise for improving governance, enhancing service delivery, and advancing inclusive nation-building in Nigeria.
Dr. Hamza, a dynamic and forward-thinking public servant, is a proud alumnus of TEXEM’s highly acclaimed programme, “Strategic Leadership Redefined: Thriving in This Digital and Disruptive Era.” His participation in this programme reflects his deep commitment to continuous learning and adaptive leadership in an increasingly complex world. With a strong background in technology, public administration, and strategic governance, Dr. Hamza has consistently demonstrated an ability to translate bold ideas into impactful realities. The launch of the Lagos App is a compelling testament to this.
At a time when the effectiveness of governance is increasingly tied to the speed and quality of service delivery, this App is a strategic response to the digital demands of modern society. It signals a turning point in how citizens interact with government—offering a seamless, centralised platform through which vital public services can be accessed quickly and transparently. From accessing transportation schedules to paying utility bills and receiving emergency notifications, the Lagos App stands as a digital bridge between the government and its people.
This achievement is particularly significant when considered within the broader context of Nigeria’s nation-building journey. With a population of over 200 million—70% of whom are under the age of 30—the country urgently needs scalable, accessible, and smart solutions that speak to the needs of its youthful, tech-savvy populace. The Lagos App does just that. It brings government to the fingertips of the people and amplifies the voice of every citizen by enabling feedback and participation in governance.
Beyond making governance more accessible, the Lagos App contributes meaningfully to economic growth and productivity. By reducing wait times, eliminating inefficiencies, and minimising red tape, it allows citizens and businesses alike to focus on innovation, enterprise, and wealth creation. In the long run, such efficiency is bound to bolster Lagos State’s competitiveness and drive Nigeria’s GDP upward.
At TEXEM, UK, we are particularly proud that one of our own is playing such a pivotal role in shaping the future of governance through innovation. Dr. Hamza’s work reflects the values at the core of our mission—strategic foresight, inclusive leadership, and impactful action. His success is an inspiring reminder that with the right mindset, knowledge, and network, individuals can make meaningful contributions to society.
In recognition of this outstanding feat, the Founder of TEXEM, UK, Dr. Alim Abubakre, shares the following thought:
“Dr. Obafemi Hamza’s outstanding contribution through the Lagos App is a shining example of how TEXEM alumni can be catalysts for transformative change. I encourage every TEXEM alumnus to emulate his courage, foresight, and patriotism. In this digital age, let us embrace technology as a tool for nation-building and remember that true leadership begins when we ask, not what our country can do for us, but what we can innovatively do for our country.”
Dr. Hamza, your visionary leadership is an inspiration to many, and your legacy will no doubt influence future innovations across Africa and beyond. We celebrate you, we applaud you, and we look forward to seeing even greater strides in your journey of service and impact.
Once again, congratulations on this historic milestone.
In 2015, 17-year-old Harold Ekeh achieved what many students could only dream of as he was accepted into all eight Ivy League universities. But that wasn’t all. Out of the 13 schools he applied to, including prestigious institutions like MIT and Johns Hopkins, every single one offered him a spot.
Faced with an enviable dilemma, Ekeh leaned toward Yale, where he built a lasting freindship with students which in a way shaped his college aspirations. As a young boy, he showcased his selfless act which embodies the true spirit of Nigeria, when he founded a college mentoring programme to held more students gain admission into top universities.
A journey from Nigeria
Ekeh was born and raised in Lagos and moved to the United States with his parents and siblings when he was eight. The transition wasn’t easy as he struggled with U.S. history classes and often questioned why his family had left their comfortable life back in Lagos. However, his parents always reminded him that they moved for one reason: opportunity.
That opportunity, along with Ekeh’s relentless drive, led him to become his school’s salutatorian with a remarkable 100.5% GPA. Despite his early struggles with history, he eventually aced the AP History Exam, proving that perseverance pays off.
A passion for science and medicine
While his academic achievements were impressive, Ekeh’s true passion was in science as he had planned to major in neurobiology or chemistry, to become a neurosurgeon.
His research on the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on Alzheimer’s earned him recognition as a 2015 Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist. Ekeh noted that one of his proudest moments was rushing home to share his research findings with his family, knowing he was working on something that could make a real difference.
A shift in passion
While Ekeh enrolled at Yale University, initially with ambitions of studying neurobiology, he delved into political science and government after discovering a deep interest in healthcare policy and civil rights.
A pivotal moment came during his sophomore summer when he worked as a legislative fellow with the Congressional Black Caucus. There, he learnt about the weakening of the Voting Rights Act and the policy implications for marginalised communities.
This experience ignited a passion which redefined his career. In 2017, Ekeh co-founded Every Vote Counts (EVC), a student-led, nonpartisan organisation focused on increasing voter turnout and expanding voter access. EVC quickly grew to over 50 college campuses, advocating for civic engagement, voter education, and pro-democracy reforms.
Ekeh’s impact extended beyond activism. His writings on voting rights and policy have been published in The Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, The Hill, and Real Clear Policy, while his work has been cited by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times Editorial Board, and USA Today.
He currently serves as the special assistant to the president at the Brennan Center for Justice, working on legal and policy initiatives aimed at protecting voting rights.
On behalf of the entire TEXEM, UK family, we proudly celebrate and warmly congratulate Lagos state government and Dr. Obafemi Hamza, an exemplary alumnus, on the successful launch of the Lagos App—a groundbreaking innovation that holds immense promise for improving governance, enhancing service delivery, and advancing inclusive nation-building in Nigeria.
Dr. Hamza, a dynamic and forward-thinking public servant, is a proud alumnus of TEXEM’s highly acclaimed programme, “Strategic Leadership Redefined: Thriving in This Digital and Disruptive Era.” His participation in this programme reflects his deep commitment to continuous learning and adaptive leadership in an increasingly complex world. With a strong background in technology, public administration, and strategic governance, Dr. Hamza has consistently demonstrated an ability to translate bold ideas into impactful realities. The launch of the Lagos App is a compelling testament to this.
At a time when the effectiveness of governance is increasingly tied to the speed and quality of service delivery, this App is a strategic response to the digital demands of modern society. It signals a turning point in how citizens interact with government—offering a seamless, centralised platform through which vital public services can be accessed quickly and transparently. From accessing transportation schedules to paying utility bills and receiving emergency notifications, the Lagos App stands as a digital bridge between the government and its people.
This achievement is particularly significant when considered within the broader context of Nigeria’s nation-building journey. With a population of over 200 million—70% of whom are under the age of 30—the country urgently needs scalable, accessible, and smart solutions that speak to the needs of its youthful, tech-savvy populace. The Lagos App does just that. It brings government to the fingertips of the people and amplifies the voice of every citizen by enabling feedback and participation in governance.
Beyond making governance more accessible, the Lagos App contributes meaningfully to economic growth and productivity. By reducing wait times, eliminating inefficiencies, and minimising red tape, it allows citizens and businesses alike to focus on innovation, enterprise, and wealth creation. In the long run, such efficiency is bound to bolster Lagos State’s competitiveness and drive Nigeria’s GDP upward.
At TEXEM, UK, we are particularly proud that one of our own is playing such a pivotal role in shaping the future of governance through innovation. Dr. Hamza’s work reflects the values at the core of our mission—strategic foresight, inclusive leadership, and impactful action. His success is an inspiring reminder that with the right mindset, knowledge, and network, individuals can make meaningful contributions to society.
In recognition of this outstanding feat, the Founder of TEXEM, UK, Dr. Alim Abubakre, shares the following thought:
“Dr. Obafemi Hamza’s outstanding contribution through the Lagos App is a shining example of how TEXEM alumni can be catalysts for transformative change. I encourage every TEXEM alumnus to emulate his courage, foresight, and patriotism. In this digital age, let us embrace technology as a tool for nation-building and remember that true leadership begins when we ask, not what our country can do for us, but what we can innovatively do for our country.”
Dr. Hamza, your visionary leadership is an inspiration to many, and your legacy will no doubt influence future innovations across Africa and beyond. We celebrate you, we applaud you, and we look forward to seeing even greater strides in your journey of service and impact.
Once again, congratulations on this historic milestone.
Niger's military ruler has been sworn in as the country's president for a transitional period of five years.
Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani has led the country since 2023, after he deposed Niger's elected President, Mohamed Bazoum.
On Wednesday, Gen Tchiani took the presidential office under a new charter that replaces the West African country's constitution.
He was also promoted to the country's highest military rank of army general, and signed a decree ordering that all political parties be dissolved.
During a ceremony in the capital, Niamey, Gen Tchiani said of his new military rank: "I receive this distinction with great humility... I will strive to live up to the trust placed in me."
The transition to democratic rule is in line with recommendations that a commission made following national discussions.
This five-year time period is "flexible" depending on the country's security status, the new charter says.
Niger has been plagued by jihadist attacks for many years - one of the issues junta leaders cited when staging their coup.
The military takeover followed a string of others in the region - neighbouring Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso are also run by juntas.
All four countries have severed ties with former colonial power France and forged new alliances with Russia.
And all except Guinea, have pulled out of Ecowas, the West African regional bloc.
Niger's relations with Ecowas broke down when the junta proposed a three-year transition period to democratic rule straight after the coup.
Ecowas called this plan a "provocation" and threatened to intervene with the use of force, before later backing down.
Gen Tchiani's administration is prosecuting former President Bazoum on allegations of committing high treason and undermining national security.
Bazoum is still being held in the presidential palace with his wife, while his son was granted a provisional release last January.
According to state-run news agency ANP, Gen Tchiani said that Niger's new charter was in line with traditional constitutions but also takes "unprecedented measures to protect our natural resources so that Nigeriens truly benefit from the exploitation of their wealth".
Plane forced to turn back just two hours into journey after passenger loses phone mid-flight.
Passengers were only a quarter of the way into the 4,200-mile flight from Paris to the Caribbean.
A plane was forced to return home two hours into its journey after a passenger lost their phone mid-flight.
Air France flight AF750 was last Friday set to travel from Paris to Pointe-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe — a French archipelago in the Caribbean Sea — in what should have taken 9 hours.
But the aircraft’s pilot was forced to turn its 375 passengers and 12 crew members back to France around a quarter of the way into the 4,200-mile trip.
According to AirPlusNews, the Air France flight was ordered back to Paris as a safety precaution after a passenger said they lost their mobile phone.
Having departed from Paris Orly Airport at 12pm local time, FlightRadar24 data revealed that the Boeing 777 looped off the west coast of France before making the U-turn.
After returning to Paris Orly at 3.25pm that day, flight AF750 took off for Guadeloupe 20 minutes later.
AirPlusNews reported that the incident came a month after the same plane was made to turn back after a holidaymaker dropped their phone into an air vent ‘and ended up in an inaccessible area'.
Airlines impose strict rules on the usage of electronic devices such as phones, tablets and laptops on flights for safety reasons.
Most airlines encourage passengers switch off their electronic devices during takeoff and landing because signals interfere with the aircraft's navigational equipment.
Recently, in a move to ramp up in-flight safety, providers including Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways have banned the use of portable chargers during flights.
Power banks are classed as lithium batteries which pose a potential fire risk as they are capable of generating extreme heat. Last November, more than 100 passengers were forced to evacuate a Southwest Airlines flight from Denver to Houston after a phone battery burst into flames, causing a seat to catch fire.
The Federal Aviation Administration said there have been at least 500 incidents involving lithium batteries causing smoke, fire or extreme heat on US flights since 2006.
Former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, has said he cannot chose the suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, over President Bola Tinubu.
Dokubo had been one of the vocal supporters of Fubara before he got suspended by President Tinubu.
He also stood by Fubara amid his feud with his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The feud, which almost got Fubara impeached by the Rivers State House of Assembly, led to his suspension and the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers by the President.
After the suspension, Dokubo, a long time friend of Tinubu, was left to chose between the President and the suspended governor.
In a video sighted by MyNigeria, the former militant leader could be seen picking Tinubu over Fubara.
Giving reasons, he said, "When you have a friend, it becomes difficult to part with him because you have to look back at yesterday. The memories of yesterday will keep on playing in your head.
"In my darkness of time, Ahmed Bola Tinubu stood by me. I can't forget it so easily, no matter what happens."
Explaining the cause of the years-long power outage, Semando said that the cable supplying electricity to the community had been repeatedly destroyed by some individuals.
He noted that the cable was located near the Igbaji-Seme Bridge and had been vandalised and repaired twice.
Semando explained, “There was a time when the state government repaired it, but it was stolen again. They mentioned that they do not want to lay the cable underground anymore; instead, they plan to use a mast to carry the cable.
“At one point, some representatives from the Lagos State Ministry of Works and the House of Assembly visited and agreed that the cables should be passed through a mast, as it would be more difficult for people to destroy them. Since then, however, no action has been taken.
“We do not even have an office for the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, and this is really affecting us.”
Reps weigh in
Reacting to the matter, the Lagos State House of Assembly Member representing Badagry Constituency 1, Hon. Solomon Bonu, confirmed that the Kweme and the whole of Badagry West Local Council Development Area had been without power for years.
He said, “The issue was raised on the floor of the house. The Committee of Energy was charged with visiting Badagry West along with the Ministry of Energy.
“Maybe I sent you to the committee chairman on Energy so you can have more information.”
Also, efforts to reach the House of Representatives member, representing Badagry Federal Constituency, Hon. Sesi Whingan, and Chairman, Badagry West LCDA, Gbenu Henugbe, proved abortive.
They did not pick up our correspondent’s call and were yet to reply to the text messages sent to their line as of the time of filing this report.
Power crucial to development— Expert
Lending his voice, a United States-based energy expert, Abayomi Oladapo, said it was troubling that in 2025, many communities in Nigeria still lack access to such a basic resource, particularly when the country continues to supply electricity to neighbouring Benin Republic.
The energy expert highlighted that the situation reflects poor governance and a misalignment of priorities within the country’s energy sector.
He said, “The impact of this prolonged power shortage is far-reaching. Electricity is the cornerstone of modern economic and social development, and without it, local businesses in the Kweme community struggle to survive.
“Entrepreneurs—barbers, welders, tailors, and shop owners—are forced to rely on expensive and inefficient generators, increasing operational costs and reducing profitability. This results in lost income, job stagnation, and an overall decline in economic activity. When businesses fail, entire communities suffer, and poverty deepens.”
Oladapo expressed dissatisfaction with the impact of the power crisis on education in the Kweme community, emphasising that it would leave students at a severe disadvantage. He also noted that the healthcare sector was equally affected by the ongoing power issues.
“Reliable electricity is crucial for medical facilities, enabling the refrigeration of vaccines, the operation of life-saving equipment, and the delivery of critical care. Without stable power, these services become unreliable, endangering lives and exacerbating health disparities,” he said.
“Security is another growing concern. Prolonged darkness fosters an environment where crime thrives, making residents more vulnerable to theft, violence, and other threats. The lack of power for security infrastructure undermines public safety, heightening the community’s vulnerability and eroding stability.”
The energy expert further stated that it was shameful for Nigerians to travel to the Benin Republic in search of electricity.
He said, “The fact that Nigerian residents in this community must cross into the Benin Republic to charge their phones or run their businesses underscores the Nigerian government and the Ministry of Power’s failure to provide basic infrastructure. Nigeria’s continued export of electricity to Benin, while its own communities remain in darkness, is a glaring contradiction.
“While international power agreements may have economic benefits, no responsible government should prioritise external obligations over the needs of its own citizens. This is a clear failure of energy policy that must be addressed immediately.
“To resolve this crisis, the Nigerian government, the Ministry of Power, Lagos State authorities, and private energy companies must focus more on meeting the country’s domestic energy needs. Power export agreements should be renegotiated to ensure that underserved communities like Kweme are given priority.”
Oladapo urged the state government to take immediate action in resolving the power crisis in the region.
He noted, “Regulatory agencies must also enforce accountability within the power sector. Privatising electricity distribution was intended to improve efficiency, yet millions of Nigerians still lack reliable power. Distribution companies like EKEDC and IKEDC must be held accountable for service failures, and penalties should be imposed for negligence.
“The people of the Kweme community deserve better. Access to electricity is not a luxury; it is essential for economic growth, education, healthcare, and security. The government’s failure to address this issue reflects broader inefficiencies within Nigeria’s energy sector.”
Vandalism to blame for problem— Eko Disco source
An official of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, who requested anonymity, told our correspondent that the main challenge behind the power outage in the region was the frequent vandalism of cables passing through the Seme Bridge, which connect Badagry West.
The source said, “These cables are repeatedly cut and stolen, and they are very expensive. Efforts have been made to restore electricity, but the power problem in Badagry West is beyond the Badagry office’s control. The major solution can only come from the Lagos headquarters. The project is a significant one.”
Efforts to reach the Eko Disco spokesperson, Babatunde Lasaki, were unsuccessful. He did not answer our correspondent’s calls and had not responded to messages as of the time of filing this report.
In an additional attempt, our correspondent called the Eko Disco customer care line, but the representative was unfamiliar with the issue.
She asked, “Do you have a bill number? When was the last bill issued? Can you find any bill with an account number so I can use it to file a complaint?”
Our correspondent also sent an email to the customer care address, but as of the time of filing this report, no response had been received.
In this report, MUHAMMED LAWAL delves into the daily struggles of residents in a Lagos-Benin Republic border community, where years of power outages have left them without basic necessities
The journey along the dusty roads leading to Kweme Community, located near the Nigeria-Benin border, was an arduous one.
As dusk settled over the community, many individuals turned to various alternatives they had devised to cope with the harsh reality of living without electricity for years.
Our correspondent, who had set out on the journey, struggled to understand how many youths in the area managed to charge their mobile phones to stay connected with the rest of the country and the world.
“Is it true that Nigerians travel to Benin Republic just to charge their phones and fetch water?” the reporter asked a Beninese trader in the area.
The trader, who introduced himself as Misi, explained through a interpreter, “As I speak to you, we have stable power supply, and most Nigerians come here to charge their phones, fetch water, and take care of other needs.
“They patronise us because they do not have electricity, and Nigerian vendors who sell frozen foods cannot preserve their goods,” he added.
As our correspondent arrived in the Kweme community, the quiet, sun-drenched village came into view, with residents fanning themselves outside their houses.
Kweme is an ancient town in the western part of the Badagry Local Government Area in Lagos State.
It is situated along the Nigeria-Benin Republic border at Seme and has political and administrative influence over several villages, including Akoko, Asipa, Irosu, Gedu, Pengo, Topa, Asgbe (Owode), Farasinme, Shito, Gbethrome, Yekeme and Pashi.
Sunday PUNCH learnt that most of these communities have seen little to no significant development in the past decade.
Since 2017, Kweme residents have lived without electricity, leaving thousands of homes in darkness and forcing them to navigate an existence that feels increasingly detached from the modern world.
Aside from Kweme, other border communities such as Farasinme, Asheri, Pashi, Ganme, Alobaten, Gedu and Irosu have also been plunged into total darkness, pushing many residents to find alternative ways to cope with the crisis.
This prolonged blackout has not only negatively impacted residents’ quality of life but has also crippled local businesses.
‘We charge our phones in Benin Republic’
As our correspondent went through Kweme community, it was observed that although the houses lining the streets were inhabited, an unsettling stillness hung in the air.
It was gathered that many Beninese subtly mock their Nigerian neighbours over their prolonged struggle with electricity—humour that underscores the stark energy disparity between the two countries.
“Your government cannot do anything about power supply in your country, yet you call yourselves the ‘Giant of Africa,’” a businesswoman in the community told our correspondent in a sarcastic tone.
Sitting quietly beneath a gazebo was a woman who introduced herself as Hawawu Raji. She explained to our correspondent how the daily hardships caused by the persistent lack of electricity had taken a toll on residents.
“I pay N200 to charge my phone there, and sometimes I take a motorcycle or beg motorists to help me get to the country,” Raji said in a sorrowful tone.
“Benin Republic has an uninterrupted power supply, and whenever they plan to disrupt it, they send a notification to everyone and restore it without delay.”
Hawawu noted that residents in the border community felt like outsiders in their own country.
“There are no companies here for our husbands to work in. We want to start working to support them so that we do not become burdens to them,” she added.
She further disclosed that her business had shut down because it relied entirely on electricity, adding that even her fridge had been damaged after being without power for seven years.
“Women in the community have been forced into businesses they shouldn’t have been involved in, just to feed their families,” she said.
An ironic twist
An investigation by Sunday PUNCH revealed that while Nigeria struggles with power outages, it remains a key supplier of electricity to Benin Republic.
Benin, classified under international bilateral electricity customers, receives a constant power supply from Nigeria.
These bilateral electricity customers refer to companies or entities from neighbouring countries that purchase electricity directly from a power grid in another country through a bilateral agreement—essentially buying electricity on a one-on-one basis between the two nations involved.
Last year, the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Sule Abdulaziz, disclosed that Nigeria supplies 24-hour electricity to neighbouring countries Benin and Togo, even as the country faced widespread discussions following a recent power grid collapse.
“We supply Benin, Togo, and Niger. They get power from Nigeria on a 24-hour basis, and they are paying for it,” Abdulaziz stated.
That same year, the Federal Government revealed that Benin and Togo owe Nigeria $14 million for electricity.
While Benin enjoys stable power supply, many parts of Nigeria, including Kweme, continue to experience chronic power outages.
This power disparity has fuelled frustration among Nigerian citizens, who, despite belonging to a power-producing nation, remain deprived of the basic services they desperately need.
Crumbling businesses
The local business community, particularly those selling frozen food, has been devastated by the constant lack of power.
A frozen food vendor in Kweme, Abdullahi Roimot, spoke about the endless difficulties she faced.
“I can barely afford 20 litres of fuel a week just to keep my fridge running and preserve fish,” she noted.
The high cost of fuel is crippling, and often, her goods spoil before she can sell them.
“I have never made a profit,” Roimot admitted, her voice tinged with a mixture of pain and resignation.
Her story is not an isolated one, as the lack of electricity has forced countless business owners into debt while they struggle to keep their businesses afloat.
Without power, there are no sales, no income, and no hope for improvement. Many, like Roimot, have found themselves at a breaking point.
“The debt I incurred means I can no longer afford to buy frozen foods. Imagine that the foreign exchange rate is unfavorable, and yet one still loses money,” she said tearfully.
She also shared her recurring medical condition with this reporter.
“I have a health issue that affects me from time to time. The one I experienced recently could have taken my life. There is no power. I was sweating profusely in discomfort, feeling like I was suffocating.”
Roimot’s condition, which often leaves her weak and overheated, becomes a serious threat when there is no electricity, depriving her of the cooling relief of a fan.
“I got up from the bed and lay on the floor, hoping for some relief. But it was still unbearable. The heat just wouldn’t go away,” she said.
According to Roimot, the absence of power makes an already difficult situation even worse.
“If there was electricity, I might not have had to go through all of this. There was no light to power the fan, and without it, everything became much harder to bear.”
Roimot added, “We are only waiting for God to help us out of this situation. There’s nothing more we can do.”
No clean water
According to one of the residents, “The most heartbreaking part of this ordeal is that we are forced to drink from wells due to the lack of pipe-borne water.”
She added that the lack of electricity affects more than just phone charging—it extends to the basic necessity of clean water.
Explaining the extreme measures they take to make their water drinkable, Bashir Abdullahi said, “We drink water from the well, either boiling it or adding alum to purify it.”
Many mornings, they wake up at 3 a.m. to fetch water before the well dries up.
“We also fetch water from Benin Republic because the water here is not drinkable. We have no choice but to boil well water or add alum before drinking it,” he stated.
Similarly, a teacher at one of the public primary schools in the area, Abdullahi Semando, described how the school was equipped with computers meant to enhance learning, but without electricity, the resources remained entirely useless.
He lamented that the children, once hopeful for a brighter future, were left without the tools to succeed.
“Due to the lack of power, we have not been able to use the computers to teach the children, and this is affecting their education. The computers are just sitting in the place where we put them,” Semando said, despair evident in his voice.
Semando further stated that they often travel to Benin Republic to take care of almost everything because of the reliable electricity supply there.
“We charge our phones over there too. We are going through a lot. The government is not focusing on us, as if we are not Nigerians,” he added, his tone filled with hopelessness.
Another resident, Owolara Saheed, described the situation as nothing short of heartbreaking.
“This electricity situation is baffling,” he said, his voice heavy with frustration.
“We have more than 1,000 houses, and they have not had power for eight years. The impact of this ongoing power outage is felt in every aspect of daily life, and the toll it takes on the people is impossible to ignore.
“For many, the only option to survive is to rely on petrol-powered generators. But with the high cost of fuel, even this temporary solution is out of reach for most.”
“We cannot afford to run a generator overnight, considering the minimum wage,” Saheed noted, the weight of his words sinking in.
‘We need govt help’
Lending his voice to the matter, the General Secretary of the Kweme Elders Forum, Awesu Oluwafemi, confirmed to our correspondent that the communities had been without power since August 2017.
The general secretary mentioned that residents travel to Benin Republic to charge their phones and take care of other basic needs.
Oluwafemi added that they rely on well water, as the borehole constructed by the government for the community is no longer functional.
He said, “We do not even have enough social amenities. I do not turn on my television regularly; it is only when my child, who works at a filling station, gives me fuel to power my generator that I turn it on—and that happens only once every two weeks.
“Our king has also spoken on our behalf, but till now, we have not seen any of the promises fulfilled. We have to travel as far as Cotonou or Lagos to buy things like frozen food, and they come at expensive prices. Life is not easy at all. Our roads are also in terrible condition.”
Corroborating the elder’s point, the Youth President of Kweme Kingdom, Raji Uthman, expressed dissatisfaction over the sight of Nigerians forming long queues just to charge their phones in a neighbouring country.
The youth president bemoaned the persistent lack of power in the communities.
He said, “If we had power, there would be no need for us to go to this neighboring country. We have been without electricity in Badagry West for years. As I speak, many youths have relocated from these areas because the power outage has severely impacted their businesses and daily lives.
“Imagine that I have not been able to use the electric appliances in my house for years. Buying fuel is now extremely expensive. Whenever someone manages to afford fuel, the entire community gathers there.
“People are poor and cannot afford to run their generators, which is why they seek alternatives everywhere. Business owners have been severely affected by the lack of power—many have shut down completely and are now struggling to survive.
“The government should come to our aid, as some communities in the state have electricity while we remain in darkness. It feels as though we are not even considered part of Nigeria. Power is crucial for the growth and development of every community.”
Criminals run rampant
Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Lagos West, Davis Sunday, stated that the entire Badagry West had been in darkness for years.
He added that several efforts had been made to restore electricity, but all had been unsuccessful.
Sunday said, “Some of the communities close to Benin Republic go there to charge their phones and take care of other basic needs. This is a fact. Although stakeholders have made efforts to restore power, the Lagos State House Committee on Energy also visited the site of the electricity issue and inspected areas around Igbaji Bridge, where vandals had cut cables.
“We’ve been promised that something would be done soon, but till now, we haven’t seen any action. The darkness is really affecting us. We don’t have good roads or electricity. There’s no government intervention, except for what the local government provides.”
Sharing his displeasure, another youth leader, Agbomenu Sejiro, lamented the worsening situation.
“The lack of electricity has made it easy for criminals to steal cables,” he stated.
A social advocate in Badagry community, Manoah Kikekon, noted that since the power was disconnected, vandals had been targeting communities, stealing transformer cables and other electrical components.
He said, “An example is Wayingbeme, a community just after Suntan Beach. The power lines before the community have been removed, and the community’s transformer is now practically empty, as all valuables have been stolen.
“Over time, concerned residents have raised the alarm, but nothing has been done because it is believed that the area will not generate the required revenue. That’s why there has been no response to our requests.”
Sowore condemned the removal of democratically elected officials in Rivers State, accusing Tinubu of not only acting as a godfather but also abusing his position as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Human rights activist and #RevolutionNow convener, Comrade Omoyele Sowore, has predicted that the political crisis in Rivers State and President Bola Tinubu's alleged impunity in declaring a state of emergency and suspending elected officials could mark the beginning of the downfall of more political "godfathers" in Nigeria.
"What President Bola Tinubu did was characteristic of godfathers, who 'take absolute control of the space whenever they are granted the opportunity to do so,'" Sowore said while featuring on an Arise Television programme on godfatherism in politics with Ruth Osime.
Sowore condemned the removal of democratically elected officials in Rivers State, accusing Tinubu of not only acting as a godfather but also abusing his position as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
"He's not just doing it as a godfather; he's abusing his position as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," Sowore emphasised.
Sowore pointed to a conspiracy behind the situation, claiming that all arms of government are controlled by three major godfathers: FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who he said influences the Nigerian judiciary; Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who controls the legislative arm; and President Tinubu, who leads the executive.
"These three individuals were former governors and senators who had risen through the ranks of impunity and made it to the top, which is why Nigeria is in trouble," Sowore explained.
Sowore recalled that when Tinubu was governor of Lagos State, he had warned the then-President of Nigeria that declaring a state of emergency in Lagos would spell the end of democracy. Now, as president, Tinubu has done exactly that—exercising absolute power and daring Nigerians to challenge him.
He said, "Don't forget, this same President Tinubu, when he was Lagos State governor, promised the president of Nigeria then that if he declared a state of emergency in Lagos, that would be the end of democracy.
“He's president now, and he has done it, and he has done it with absolute power, daring the Nigerian people to challenge him or do anything about it.
"This is very unfortunate but as you have seen, this might as well be the beginning of the downfall of more godfathers."
When asked whether Nyesom Wike aspired to replicate Tinubu's model of political dominance, Sowore stated that their interests were the same.
"What you must understand is that Wike, Tinubu, and Akpabio are all interested in controlling Nigeria's most lucrative states, including Rivers, Lagos, and Akwa Ibom, and that their goal is to hijack resources, silence opposing voices, and consolidate their control," Sowore explained.
Sowore described it as "state capture," a form of criminal control over the political, social, and economic landscape.
The price of liquefied natural gas (LPG), also known as cooking gas, has once again been reduced, according to a market survey by Legit.ng.
Nigerians have also taken to social media to share the new prices at which dealers are selling cooking gas, expressing a sigh of relief.
New data showed that 1kg of cooking gas prices which was previously sold at N1,500/kg in some retail outlets in Ogun and Lagos states now sells for N900.
New data showed that 1kg of cooking gas prices which was previously sold at N1,500/kg in some retail outlets in Ogun and Lagos states now sells for N900.
Punch in October reported that the average price for refilling a 12.5kg cooking gas cylinder was N17,000, a new price check showed it has now dropped N13,750.
During a market survey, some dealers who spoke to Legit.ng on Friday, March 14 confirmed the new prices.
Kunle Ajami, a manager of a cooking gas plant in Lagos said that the price adjustment started a month ago.
"There is a massive drop compared to what people were paying last year. We, cooking gas retailers, sell based on how we buy from marketers. If the price is high, we adjust."
Cooking gas prices are even cheaper in Kaduna
In a Facebook post by Inside Kaduna, it was also revealed that the price of 1kg has dropped to N950.
The post reads: 'Happy to share that the price of cooking gas has dropped from N1,400 to N950… Make e drop reach N300 abeg. Make everything continue to dey drop."
He also shared a snapshot of the latest cooking gas price in Kaduna sold by Eegoja Oil and Gas.
1kg - N950
2kg - N1,900
3kg - N2,900
4kg - N3,800
5kg - N4,800
6kg - N5,700
7kg - N6,700
8kg - N7,600
9kg - N8,600
10kg - N9,500
11kg - N10,600
12kg - N11,600
12.5kg - N12,000
15kg - N14,500
20kg - N19,500
25kg - N24,300
30kg - N29,500
40kg - N40,000
50kg - N48,000
FG moves to fix cooking gas prices
In a related development, the federal government has announced a move to adopt a new pricing formula for cooking gas in Nigeria.
The Minister of State For Petroleum Resources (Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo, disclosed this in a recent two-day LPG Expo in Lagos.
According to Ekpo, the government is implementing targeted policy interventions to accelerate LPG adoption by removing hassles hindering investment in the industry.
Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai has said the All Progressives Congress, APC, should have expelled him from the party.
El-Rufai said he quit the APC and asked them to “eat the party if it is food.”
Recently, El-Rufai defected from the APC to the Social Democratic Party, SDP.
The former governor blamed the misalignment between his personal values and the current direction of the APC for his defection to the SDP.
El-Rufai expressed disappointment with the APC leadership, stressing that the ruling party strayed from the progressive ideals of its founding members.
In an interview with BBC Hausa Service, El-Rufai said his expulsion from the APC would have saved him from the inconvenience of explaining himself.
According to El-Rufai: “Well, it would have been better for me if they expelled me. I have stated many times that APC would be my last political party.
“Had they expelled me, they would have saved me the troubles of explaining why I left the APC. As I said, I have not left the APC, but the APC rather left me.
“What next? I quit their party, and challenged them to eat the party if it is food.”
Atedo Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, has criticised the suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi Central.
In an X post on Sunday, Peterside described the suspension as illegal, adding that it is also disrespectful to the senator’s constituents.
“The most disturbing aspect of the Nigeria senate hullabaloo around @NatashaAkpoti is that the Senate Leadership must be aware that her suspension for 6 months is ultra vires and also disrespectful to her constituents in Kogi State, but they don’t care,” he wrote.
BACKGROUND
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the senate for six months on March 6 after a heated dispute with Godswill Akpabio, the senate president.
The conflict began on February 20 when she protested a reassignment of her seat, calling it an attempt to sideline her.
She accused Akpabio of discriminatory treatment, leading to a heated exchange.
Days later, she told Human Rights Radio that the senate leadership was planning to suspend her to silence her.
The saga took a heavy turn when on February 28, Akpoti-Uduaghan went on Arise TV, accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment.
She claimed he made inappropriate advances toward her in 2023 and, after she refused, began blocking her motions and orchestrated the seat change as retaliation.
Akpabio denied the allegations, and his wife, Ekaette, sued Akpoti-Uduaghan for defamation, demanding N350 billion in damages.
The senate committee on ethics, privileges, and public petitions, chaired by Neda Imasuen, eventually recommended her suspension for six months, citing “gross misconduct” and violations of senate standing orders related to the seating dispute, not the harassment claims.
Her petition against Akpabio on sexual harassment was dismissed for procedural reasons, including that she signed it herself, violating senate rules.
Akpoti-Uduaghan rejected the suspension as “unjust” and “illegal.”
In a March 7 Facebook post, she said it undermines natural justice and vowed to keep representing her constituents.
Meanwhile, Akpoti-Uduaghan has taken the fight to court, filing a N100 billion defamation lawsuit against Akpabio.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Olukoyede, disclosed that he turned down offers of about N500m from various individuals during his mother’s funeral in 2019.
Olukoyede spoke at the 38th Anti-Corruption Situation Room in Abuja on Thursday with the theme: Ethics, Integrity, Corruption Risk Assessments and Anti-Corruption at National and Sub-National levels: Sustaining the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
The programme was organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda Resource Centre, Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission, ICPC, and EFCC with the support of the MacArthur Foundation.
He explained that the substantial gifts, which included cheques and drafts, were sent to him by ministers, permanent secretaries, directors, and other high-ranking officials.
At the time, Olukoyede was serving as the Secretary of the EFCC.
He recounted that upon his return to his family home in Ekiti State, where the funeral took place, he discovered numerous cheques in a carton.
After reviewing the cheques, which amounted to nearly N500m, he decided to return them.
The chairman narrated, “I lost my mother in the year 2019 (in Ekiti State). We went to the funeral. I was the secretary of the EFCC then. People came. So I went to my place a day before the funeral service. By the time I got to my small compound, which I built several years ago before I joined the EFCC, I saw about 17 cows in my compound, including pregnant ones.
“When I got home, my gate man presented a box (carton) to me and inside it, I saw so many cheques and drafts from ministers, permanent secretaries, directors, DGs of agencies, etc.
“And so, I went in and showed it to my wife. She said, Praise God. I said, Praise God for what? By the time we put all the cheques together, it counted close to N500m.”
Reflecting on the situation, Olukoyede expressed concern about the potential consequences if he had deposited the cheques into his account, particularly given his role in investigating the individuals who had sent them.
He explained that had the cheques been found in his bank account, it could have been used against him during investigations and cast doubt on his integrity.
He emphasised the importance of maintaining ethical conduct and transparency, especially in his position at the EFCC.
“I did the burial in September 2019. By July 2020, I was under investigation. Now, assuming all those cheques were paid into my account as traditional gifts and some of the MDAs that we were investigating in the EFCC, some of their directors and their DGs and their ministers sent cheques to me.
“Ordinarily, I mean for burial, some gave me one million, 20 million and all of that. Even though that would not have influenced my decision if I was in a position to determine what would happen to their investigations, how would I have explained before a panel that they saw cheques paid into my account?
“So, assuming they found those cheques paid into my account, wouldn’t it have been a good defence for me to say it was my mother’s burial? when they were looking for me to roast. For me, that is what you call integrity. When you go beyond a level of expectation,” the EFCC boss said.
Olukoyede also shared an example of rejecting bids from family members for auctioneering services during his tenure as EFCC Secretary.
He explained how both his brother-in-law, an international auctioneer, and his elder brother sought to participate in a government auction of forfeited assets. Despite the personal connections, Olukoyede insisted on adhering to conflict-of-interest rules, rejecting their applications.
He said, “My chairman then, we agreed that we should select a committee. So, we selected an assets forfeiture committee of about six directors, including myself as the chairman of the committee and a few other staff.
“We advertised for auctioneers. So, they applied. We were able to shortlist about 11 of them. My brother-in-law happens to be an international auctioneer. He applied. His application came to me. I saw it, and I shredded it. So, my PA, who knew him, called him and told him what I did, and for six months, he did not talk to me. So we did the auction.
“One of my elder brothers called me. ‘I heard you are doing an auction. I needed a truck for my business. I said, ‘Sir, go and read what we published.’ Conflict of interest. No staff of EFCC or immediate family members are allowed. He said no, they would use another name. I knew they could do that. I told him that I was not interested.
“After about eight months down the line, they set up a panel to investigate activities of the EFCC. My chairman and I were placed on suspension. They began to investigate what we did in the office. They investigated the particular auction I did in Port Harcourt. Now, assuming they found the name of my brother-in-law as one of the auctioneers. What could have been the result? Probably I may be in jail by now,” Olukoyede said.
Protest In US As Nigerian Investors Call For Probe Of Works Minister Over N375b Investments.
Nigerian investors based in the United States of America, under the aegis of Association of Nigerians in Diaspora, have cried out to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over their multi-billion investments in Nigeria allegedly destroyed by the Minister of Works, Engr. David Nweze Umahi.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the investors, who were joined by their Black American partners, in an Open Letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also called for his “quick intervention” over the $250 million investments in Nigeria which were under threat following the diversion of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in the Okun Ajah area of the Lagos State.
They also called on the Honourable Minister of Works to either ‘honourably resign’ his appointment or be removed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Managing Director, Winhomes Global Services Limited, Engr. Stella Ifeoma Okengwu, who coordinated the direct investments in Nigeria, read the letter to newsmen during a protest in Houston, Texas ,USA and which was monitored online.
The open letter titled, “Address to the President: An Indictment of Minister Engr. David Umahi” called for quick intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rescue their over $250 million in foreign direct investment in Nigeria, which in Naira is about N375 billion invested in acquiring and developing 17.03 hectares of land in Okun Ajah, Etiosa LGA, Lagos State. Engr Umahi was said to have initiated the demolition of properties, claiming that the investments of $250 million are merely a ‘bare land’.
The open letter read: “I, Engr. Stella Ifeoma Okengwu, Managing Director of Winhomes Global Services Limited, hereby present a grave indictment against Engr. David Umahi, the Minister of Works, and the Federal Ministry of Works of Nigeria”.
“The actions of this Minister reveal a disturbing pattern of illegal demolition, abuse of power, bribery, corruption, manipulation, and witch-hunting.”
The letter further read: “Winhomes, a leading real estate company, has made significant contributions to Nigeria’s economy, repatriating $250 million in foreign direct investment”.
“Our efforts align with your Renewed Hope agenda, encouraging Nigerians in the diaspora to invest at home.
“Despite our compliance with all legal requirements, including obtaining the necessary certifications and approvals, we have faced unjust treatment at the hands of the Ministry of Works.”
“In the first quarter of 2024, we were shocked to learn that Minister Umahi had ordered an illegal diversion of the coastal road into our investment property—an action that defies the original alignment earmarked by your administration. This blatant disregard for the law, coupled with the Minister’s selective demolition practices, raises serious concerns about integrity within the ministry.”
“We suspect that these actions of Engr. Umahi appear to be driven by personal agendas and corrupt dealings, as evidenced by credible reports of bribery linked to the Ocean Bay Estate.”
“It is alarming that those who have illegally encroached upon the coastal road are spared, while law-abiding citizens like us face unwarranted punishment.”
“Furthermore, the Minister has publicly attacked me, labeling me a land grabber and issuing threats against my person, while denying the legitimacy of our investments. His insistence that our estate is merely “bare land” after demolishing our structures is blatant falsehood.”
“Recent developments, including his instructions to alter another alignment for personal gain, exemplify the selective manipulation of law and resources under his watch.”
“The Minister disregarded the rule of law by not following the directive of the Federal High Court of Lagos State by Justice Aluko which says: “I will enjoin all parties to respect Court processes and do not engage in any act capable of foisting a fait accomplishing on the court or render the outcome of the case nugatory shows his track record of abusing power”.
The Nigerian Diaspora investors also continued that, “This pattern of impunity cannot be ignored. Engr. Umahi is undermining your administration’s efforts to foster investment and development in Nigeria. His disregard for the law and the rights of citizens is a threat to the very principles of governance that you advocate”.
“We call for his immediate removal or honourable resignation. The people of Nigeria deserves a Minister who embodies the Renewed Hope vision, not one who perpetuates corruption and abuse. We implore you, Mr. President, to take swift action to uphold the rule of law and restore faith in our nation’s governance.”
The investors also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to look into Minister David Umahi’s handlings and activities in the Ministry of Works as regards the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Roads Projects.
They asked that the ongoing land grabbing and illegal demolition by David Umahi be stopped and then well probed so that cases of using excuses to destroy legal projects be properly looked into to ensure that the Government begging investors to come to the country wouldn’t be destroying investors, investment and thereby scaring away other investors from our dear country.
The investors also asked that the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Assembly, to look into making laws that will protect foreign investors and their investment so that many other Nigerians and foreigners can stop being afraid of coming to Nigeria to invest.
They charged that no one in Nigeria should be above the law of the land where applicable and that government should fully return back to investors all that have been taken from them. And that the Nigerian government should respect law and order while fully repay all demolished and grabbed lands from diaspora investors, whose investment were illegally grabbed or demolished by the Ministry of Works under Engr. David Umahi
“We, Nigerians in diaspora, want to rebuild and make our dear nation, Nigeria great again; but we need the enabling environment and assurance from our government that our investments would be secured and safe” the investors stated.
Kimberly Starks, Athenia Moris and Dr Malik Sanders, who are all American citizens, also called on President Bola Tinubu to protect their investments in Nigeria and ensure that the rule of law prevails.
Athenia Morris said, “Let us be absolutely and crystal clear: this selective demolition, carried out in Okun Ajah is not just a bureaucratic oversight, it is a blatant violation of the rights of the community and the investors, who deserve protection,under the law”.
“It smacks corruption, favoritism, abuse of power, and a complete disregard to due process.”
He also added, “As we advocate for the removal of Engr. Dave Umahi from his position, we do so with the collective strength of the community and investors affected by this callous act.”
Kimberly Starks, while speaking during the protest said, “Engr Dave Umahi and his ministry are conducting illegal demolition. and diversion affecting our legitimate investments”.
She pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove Engr Dave Umahi from his position to restore faith in governance and uphold the rule of law.
The President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has hinged Nigeria’s industrialisation challenges on unstable electricity.
Dangote said running a business abroad is 30 per cent cheaper than running the same business in Nigeria and other African countries due to stable electricity supply in developed countries.
Africa’s richest man stated this recently while hosting the Zambian Minister of Energy, Makozo Chikote, at the Dangote refinery in Lekki, Lagos State.
He said the group’s most profitable cement factory is the one in Ethiopia because of its stable power supply.
According to him, he had carried out research before going into industrialisation to ascertain why others who attempted it failed in the past, including his grandfather.
He disclosed finding out that one of the challenges is a lack of electricity.
He explained, “If there’s no power, there won’t be growth. For example, anything I’m going to do abroad will cost me maybe 30 per cent cheaper than here, because abroad is plug-and-play. You just go, no infrastructure construction. You just build a factory, and you connect to the network; that’s all.
“That’s why, if you look at it today, I tell you that our most profitable cement factory is in Ethiopia because there’s no investment in power. They gave us power at the same rate for five years. So, we plan, it’s a one-price electricity continuously.”
In Nigeria, Dangote said the group had to invest a lot in generating electricity for the refinery and other factories, saying this does not happen in developed nations.
Aside from electricity, Dangote also blamed inconsistent government policies for Nigeria’s failure to industrialise.
“One of the problems of industrialisation is inconsistencies in government policies, where, just like a footballer, you’re about to score the goal, and the government will remove the goalpost and point behind you that the goalpost is behind. So, you have to now turn. Once you turn back, you have a lot of challenges to get to that goalpost again,” he stated.
The businessman noted that the best way to reduce the inconsistencies is to explain to the government that when industrialisation happens, the government is a major shareholder, especially with the collection of taxes.
“For example, in our cement, every N1 we turn around, 52 kobo go to the government in various taxes—30 per cent corporate tax, 7.5 per value-added tax, two per cent for education, and one per cent,for health. When money is being made in the company, if you want to take the money, all the shareholders will have to pay the government 10 per cent as withholding tax again. This is for the Federal Government. When you add the state and the local government, everything now is something else,” he stressed.
Dangote maintained that if a business shuts down, one of the major losers is the government, stressing that industrialisation is key to national development.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on Wednesday said it seized 87 truckloads of banned, expired and substandard medicinal products, including USAID and UNFPA-donated antiretroviral drugs, male and female condoms, among others.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who revealed this on Wednesday, added that counterfeiters were after her life and those of her workers.
Adeyeye, who briefed State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said, “I told you about the attempted murder about six months ago. One of our staff members in Kano had his child kidnapped because he was doing his job. Fortunately, the child escaped.
“For me, I have two policemen living in my house 24/7 in Abuja and Lagos. I don’t have a life.
“I can’t go anywhere without police escorts. That’s not my way of living, but I don’t have a choice because we must save our country. Nonetheless, I also use common sense.”
NAFDAC is currently on a nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trade, which saw it raiding the country’s three major open drug markets of Ariaria and Eziukwu in Aba, Bridge Head Market in Onitsha and Idumota Drug Market in Lagos.
The campaign is part of NAFDAC’s National Action Plan 2.0 (2023-2027) to eliminate counterfeit medicines, improve regulatory compliance and safeguard public health.
She affirmed that the operation uncovered shocking violations of drug storage and distribution regulations, including diverted donated medical supplies, large quantities of USAID and UNFPA-donated antiretroviral drugs and condoms meant to support Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS response were found expired and repackaged for sale.
These life-saving medications, she added, were either improperly stored or deliberately resold for profit, undermining global efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.
While the integrity and legality of some of the products were not in question, the storage environment was harsh and could denature the products, she explained.
“Some of the products (seized) are large quantities of donated antiretroviral drugs, expired female, and male condoms by USAID, UNFPA.
“Large quantities of pharmaceutical products, including vaccines, prescription-only medicines, etc. These products were discovered stacked in toilets, under the staircase, and on the rooftop at very high temperatures without consideration for cold chain storage requirements.
“Oxytocin injection and several thermolabile products stored under extremely hot temperatures, enough to denature any genuine pharmaceuticals.
“The problem is not only about the originality of the products but about the environment and storage. Products recommended to be stored at -8°C, -2°C to 8°C were found in this environment,” she noted.
Among the discovered goods were large quantities of controlled drugs such as TAFRADOL (recently banned in India after BBC undercover exposure of the company manufacturing and exporting various illicit drugs to Africa, including Nigeria), Tramadol, Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), Nitrazepam and Diazepam.
“The volume of narcotics and controlled substances seized from each of these locations is enough to destabilise the country security-wise,” she added, saying the agency also found vast quantities of banned, unregistered, expired products in the plumbing and wood plank sections of the Head Bridge.
“Warehouses filled to the brim with such drugs listed above, without windows, and where the temperature could be as high as 40°C, a high potential for chemical degradation of the products into less effective and toxic degradants,” the NAFDAC DG explained.
Adeyeye, who described the operation as the agency’s most significant in history, put the value of drugs seized at N1tn, saying post-assessment figures could be much higher.
“It is N1tn. It may be an underestimation for now, but when we finish the operation, we will have a good idea,” she clarified.
Commencing on February 9, 2025, it involved 1,100 security operatives, including military personnel, police, and Department of State Services agents.
According to her, the security forces cordoned off the markets to prevent traders from concealing or smuggling illegal products. So far, 40 arrests have been made, with suspects facing prosecution.
“During this exercise, NAFDAC succeeded in removing from circulation 87 truckloads of banned, expired, unregistered, suspected falsified and substandard medical products from the three markets removed from over 7,000 shops screened as of today, February 26, 2025.
“A database of these shops and the offences committed has been created for further steps. More than 40 arrests have been made, which will be followed by prosecution,” Adeyeye said.
She explained further details of the operation, saying: “The screening of shops ended on Tuesday, February 25, in Idumota and Aba as shops with non-violative or non-NAFDAC regulated products are being reopened. Owners of such shops are being asked to sign undertakings agreeing to relocate to the designated Coordinated Wholesale Centre on completion.
“Meanwhile, the operation continues in Onitsha Head Bridge until next week, when a similar process of opening the shops to non-violative shop owners and charging the violative ones accordingly will commence.
“After the operation, NAFDAC and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria plan the relocation of these markets within the next one year to the scheduled Coordinated Wholesale Centres. There will be six such CWCs across the country, representing one per geopolitical zone.”
The anti-drug chief said her efforts had put her and her staff members in the line of assassins’ fire.
She called on security agencies to protect them amid hazards as she advocated the death penalty for those producing and selling fake drugs in the country.
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