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Nigeria Needs to Mobilise Investments, Says Obasanjo

Nigeria Needs to Mobilise Investments, Says Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said Nigeria needs to mobilise private sector investments to fast-track sustainable economic advancement.

He said this in Bauchi on Wednesday at the inauguration of the International Conference Centre (ICC), constructed by Bala Mohammed’s administration.

The centre was named after the first Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello.

Obasanjo highlighted that both local and international investments must be mobilised to accelerate national economic growth.

“With what we have; we can show the world that we are part and parcel of the world. What others have and pride themselves about, is not more than what we have.

“Some people don’t even have half of what we have. We have a world packed centre which can be developed and be made one of the tourist attractions in Nigeria.

“The people that will be coming here, will be able to stay in the hotels, interact, have discussions and conferences in this ICC, and make Bauchi a centre of attraction and tourism for Nigeria.

“Not only are we commissioning this, we are starting with a conference to talk about investment, and what do we need in Nigeria today? We need to mobilise investments from local and from the international,” he said.

Obasanjo also promised to showcase Bauchi to the world with a view to attract investments to the state.

Mohammed said the ICC was initiated to attract local and international businesses to invest in the state.

Also, Reuben Okoya, the contractor handling the project, said the centre was designed to accommodate 3,000 people, adding that 10 separate events could take place simultaneously at the centre.

The event was attended by Vice -President Kashim Shettima, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno; Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; deputy governors of Oyo and Plateau, Bayo Lawal and Josephine Piyo, among others. (NAN) 

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said Nigeria needs to mobilise private sector investments to fast-track sustainable economic advancement. He said this in Bauchi on Wednesday at the inauguration of the

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Repairs: Lagos Diverts Traffic for Adeniji Adele Interchange Junction to CMS 

Repairs: Lagos Diverts Traffic for Adeniji Adele Interchange Junction to CMS 

The Lagos State Government has issued a traffic advisory ahead of  repair works on the Adeniji Adele Interchange Junction to CMS.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

Osiyemi said the repair would take place between 11.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m. daily, commencing on Sunday, October 12 and ending on Sunday, November 23 — a duration of six weeks.

“To minimise traffic disruptions, only one lane will be closed at a time, while the remaining lanes will be open to motorists,” he said.

Osiyemi assured motorists that traffic management personnel would be deployed in the affected area to reduce inconvenience and manage vehicular movement during the repair works.

He urged motorists to comply with the directives of traffic officers on the ground to ensure smooth traffic flow.

“Motorists are implored to be patient,” he said. (NAN)

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The Lagos State Government has issued a traffic advisory ahead of  repair works on the Adeniji Adele Interchange Junction to CMS. The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi,

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States Must Deepen Commitment to Achieve SURWASH Targets, Says FG

States Must Deepen Commitment to Achieve SURWASH Targets, Says FG

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has urged state governments to show greater commitment to implementing the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme.

He said this would help accelerate access to safe water and improved sanitation across the country.

Utsev made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while declaring open the Fourth Federal Steering Committee Meeting of the World Bank assisted SURWASH programme.

He said the meeting was convened to review progress in the seven implementing states of Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina, and Plateau and to consider their revised work plans for approval.

The minister expressed concern over delays in the submission of state work plans, saying it was one of the major factors affecting the pace of implementation.

”We must all show stronger ownership and commitment at both the federal and state levels if we are to achieve the desired impact of this programme.

”The first phase of the SURWASH restructuring completed earlier this year has improved disbursements to states through the achievement of key results under the Disbursement Linked Indicators.

”We are now in the second phase of restructuring, which aims to strengthen programme institutions, improve accountability, and onboard new states into the SURWASH initiative,” he said.

Utsev said the Federal Government was working with the World Bank to onboard 10 additional states, bringing the total number of participating states to 17.

He stated that other states would be included in subsequent cycles to ensure nationwide coverage.

”Our vision is for all 36 states and the FCT to eventually benefit from SURWASH interventions, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for universal access to water and sanitation,” he added.

Earlier, the National Programme Coordinator of SURWASH, Mr Abdulhamid Gwaram, said the meeting was crucial to finalising and harmonising work plans from the implementing states for federal approval.

Gwaram assessed the performance of the programme as “very good and modest,” noting that while institutional strengthening had recorded significant success, service delivery was still improving under the performance-based funding model.

”In Result Area One, which focuses on strengthening institutions, we are doing very well.

”However, in service delivery, we are modest because the Programme-for-Results (P4R) model is new to Nigeria. We have faced challenges but are now consolidating and seeing faster progress,” he said.

He added that some states initially misunderstood the funding structure but had since embraced the performance-based approach.

”States now understand that SURWASH is not a repayment programme but one that rewards performance, the better you do, the more support you get.

”We appreciate their growing commitment and urge them to continue working diligently to ensure the programme’s success,” he added.

The SURWASH programme, supported by the World Bank, seeks to increase access to water, sanitation and hygiene services, strengthen sector institutions, and promote sustainable management of water resources in participating states. (NAN)

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The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has urged state governments to show greater commitment to implementing the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene

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INEC Extends Ward-level CVR Exercise In FCT

INEC Extends Ward-level CVR Exercise In FCT

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the extension of the ward-level Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Director, Voter Education and Publicity Department, Victoria Eta-Messi, in a statement issued Wednesday, said the exercise has been extended by four days.

She said the decision was taken at the commission’s third quarterly meeting with resident electoral commissioners (RECs) held on Tuesday.

Messi noted: “Following the review, the commission approved a four-day extension of the ongoing Ward-level CVR exercise in the FCT.  Consequently, the exercise which was earlier scheduled to end today, Wednesday, 8th October 2025, will now continue until Sunday, 12th October 2025.

“As of 7th October 2025, a total of 55,346 new voter registrations had been recorded in the FCT, comprising 38,528 online pre-registrations and 16,818 completed physical registrations. 

“This impressive turnout underscores the growing civic awareness among residents and the effectiveness of devolving the exercise to the grassroots.”

Eta-Messi said as earlier announced, the online pre-registration option in the FCT remained suspended to enable all pre-registrants to complete their registration in person at the designated centres. 

This measure, she added, ensured the validity of their records in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

The commission appealed to all eligible citizens who have not yet registered to take advantage of the extension. 

It reiterated that registered voters, who wish to transfer their registration to the FCT, or within the FCT, are also encouraged to do so within this period. 

The commission reminded the citizens that multiple registration is a punishable offence under the law.

It said the list and addresses of all registration centres remained available on the commission’s website and official social media platforms.

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Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the extension of the ward-level Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The Director, Voter

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FG Appeals to ASUU To Shelve Planned Strike, Vows to Address Pending Demands

FG Appeals to ASUU To Shelve Planned Strike, Vows to Address Pending Demands

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

As a result of the threat of industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Federal Government has assured the union of its commitment to addressing all outstanding demands raised by the lecturers.

It said unlike in the past where separate committees handled negotiations for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, the government has now adopted a unified approach to ensure efficiency and coherence in the process.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the plea in Abuja on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the progress of ongoing negotiations between the Federal Government and the university-based unions.

Alausa disclosed that the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee has been reconstituted and inaugurated to fast-track talks with both academic and non-academic unions in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

According to him, “We are finalising the components of the condition of service that ASUU has proposed. Our counterpart committee is also working to conclude its response and hopefully by the end of today or tomorrow, the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Committee will present the Federal Government’s counter-offer to ASUU.”

He explained that President Bola Tinubu has given clear directives that all efforts must be made to avoid another disruption in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

“The president has mandated us to do everything humanly possible to avoid strike. People at the highest level of government have been working several hours behind the scenes to come up with a robust but affordable response to the union’s demands. These issues have dragged on for over 10 to 15 years, but this administration is determined to resolve them once and for all,” he said.

“In the past, we had three different committees working; one for universities; one for polytechnics, and one for colleges of education,” he explained. “But that was not an efficient way to negotiate. Now, we have one expanded negotiating committee that engages all tertiary institutions and all unions, both academic and non-academic, to ensure a holistic understanding of their needs.”

According to Alausa, about 80 per cent of the union’s requests are similar across the tertiary subsectors, while the remaining 20 per cent relate to peculiar career and institutional needs.

“We have seen all the requests, and we understand their peculiarities. The new committee has started work already and will continue to engage the unions expeditiously to reach a mutually beneficial agreement,” he said.

The minister also urged ASUU and other unions to embrace dialogue as a first option rather than resorting to industrial action.

“We know you have been patient, but please don’t use strike as your first resort. These are issues that have lingered for decades. President Tinubu has shown genuine political will and benevolence towards education. We will resolve this matter comprehensively, respectfully, and in a way the government can afford.”

Alausa highlighted several steps already taken by the government to demonstrate its commitment, including the release of N50 billion for earned academic allowances and the provision of N150 billion in the 2025 budget for the revitalisation of tertiary institutions.

“The president has kept his promises. We have addressed promotional arrears, and the issues of wage awards and allowances have been resolved. By next year, all arrears will be fully cleared, including the 2025 wage award. The government is sincere and committed,” he added.

He assured the union that discussions on the new conditions of service would soon be concluded, noting that this was the final component of the ongoing negotiation process.

“We have resolved most of the concerns raised by the unions, and we are now at the final stage — the conditions of service. We are pleading for patience. The government is truthful and genuinely interested in resolving this crisis once and for all,” he said.

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Kuni Tyessi in Abuja As a result of the threat of industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Federal Government has assured the union of its

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Detty December: AWARI Secures Funds to Empower Businesses

Detty December: AWARI Secures Funds to Empower Businesses

Nigeria’s lifestyle discovery platform, AWARI, has made a case for the need to support lifestyle businesses across Africa following the impressive revenue generated from the 2024 Detty December season. The Lagos State government had disclosed that it generated $71.6 million in revenue from tourism, hospitality, and entertainment sectors during the 2024 Detty December.

According to the state government, hotels contri-buted over $44 million, while short-let apartments accounted for $13 million of the total earnings.

Ahead of the 2025 festive period, AWARI said  it has secured a new round of bridge funding aimed at empowering lifestyle businesses and deepening innovation in the sector.

The organisation said the  funding round, which surpassed the company’s previous pre-seed raise, was led by the Lagos Angel Network (LAN), and supported by a network of strategic investors.

Founded by entrepreneur Tannaz Bahnam, AWARI connects users with local lifestyle businesses such as restaurants, spas, gyms, shops and events, while providing business owners with tools for visibility, bookings, loyalty management and data-driven growth.

Speaking on the new funding, Bahnam said the investment would help the company deepen its impact and strengthen its role in supporting urban living and SME growth.

“AWARI was built to transform the way people experience their cities while helping lifestyle SMEs grow sustainably,” she said.

“With the support of the LAN and other visionary investors, we are doubling down on developing tools to strengthen communities, empower businesses, and improve everyday urban life. And with Detty December quickly approaching, now is the ideal time for businesses to join AWARI and gain visibility during Nigeria’s peak lifestyle season.”

According to the company, the new funding would be used to scale its event ticketing platform and loyalty programme, drive business engagement and user downloads ahead of Detty December, and enhance its technology and content operations as it prepares to expand into Ghana, Morocco, and Qatar within the next year.

Meanwhile, Chairperson of the LAN, Yemi Keri, described the company’s growth as a positive sign for Africa’s digital and SME ecosystem.

Keri said: “We are excited to support AWARI as it shapes the future of urban discovery in Africa. AWARI is creating real value for SMEs by helping them increase visibility, attract new customers, and thrive in competitive urban markets.”

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Nigeria’s lifestyle discovery platform, AWARI, has made a case for the need to support lifestyle businesses across Africa following the impressive revenue generated from the 2024 Detty December season. The

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Why Nigeria’s Youth Must Be Employed

Why Nigeria’s Youth Must Be Employed

By Ugo Inyama

Nigeria’s youth are not just the future — they are the present. With more than 70% of the population under 35, the nation’s destiny depends on them. Yet millions of young Nigerians wake up each day to nothing — no jobs, no opportunities, no clear path to progress. This isn’t by accident. It’s the direct consequence of a broken system that rewards connections over competence and mediocrity over merit.

What we face today is not merely unemployment — it is a national betrayal.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, more than 73% of Nigerians aged 15–34 are unemployed or underemployed. That’s not just a figure; it’s a mirror reflecting the failure of leadership and policy. Behind every statistic lies a wasted dream, a graduate selling phone chargers on the street, a skilled artisan idle because there’s no power, a coder forced into cybercrime for survival.

Every year, Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and vocational schools produce over half a million graduates. Yet, the system absorbs almost none in percentage terms. Government after government makes speeches about “job creation” but builds no industries, reforms no curricula, and enforces no accountability. Education in Nigeria has become a conveyor belt of frustration producing certificates, not skills; graduates, not problem-solvers.

The problem isn’t the youth. It’s the system that has failed them — a system that refuses to grow industries, neglects infrastructure, and suffocates small businesses under the weight of erratic policies, multiple taxation, and corruption.

Insecurity, banditry, and cybercrime are not born in a vacuum. They are the offspring of economic exclusion. When a nation locks its young people out of opportunities, it opens the door to despair. And despair has consequences.

Employment gives purpose, pride, and peace. A working youth is a hopeful youth. A job is more than income -it is identity, dignity, and belonging. Without work, that same youth becomes vulnerable to manipulation, to crime, to hopelessness.

No nation can rise when its most vibrant generation is stuck in survival mode. Countries that made the leap from poverty to prosperity — China, Vietnam, South Korea did so by investing in their youth, building industries, and aligning education with national goals. Nigeria, by contrast, keeps recycling excuses and importing what it should be producing.

It’s time to stop pretending. Job creation must become the heartbeat of governance. It must shape education, infrastructure, and fiscal policy. Instead of endless subsidies that feed corruption, channel those billions into youth enterprise funds, innovation hubs, and industrial clusters that create real jobs.

The private sector too must be unleashed, not strangled. SMEs employ over 80% of Nigeria’s workforce but face crippling taxes, epileptic power, and no access to credit. Government must stop treating businesses as cash cows and start seeing them as engines of growth.

And education must return to purpose. The gap between classroom and career is now a canyon. We need vocational and digital training that matches the demands of the 21st-century economy. A degree without skill is a ticket to frustration.

Above all, there must be political will not slogans. We must measure progress not by committees and conferences, but by one metric: how many jobs were created, sustained, and scaled this year?

Nigeria’s youth have already shown their brilliance in technology, music, film, fashion, and sports—industries thriving not because of government, but in spite of it. Imagine what could happen if that same ingenuity received structured support, investment, and trust.

The real crisis isn’t that young Nigerians are unemployed; it’s that they are losing faith in the system, in the idea of merit, in their country itself. And when a nation’s youth stop believing, the future collapses long before the economy does.

Nigeria must act urgently and honestly. It must dismantle the barriers that keep its youth jobless and rebuild the structures that make work meaningful. Not as a favour, not as charity but as survival.

Because when young people work, the nation grows. But when they are abandoned, no amount of oil wealth or empty rhetoric can save it.

The message is clear and urgent: Employ the youth — or lose the nation.

*Ugo Inyama writes from the African Digital Governance Centre, Manchester, UK.
www.africandgc.org

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By Ugo Inyama Nigeria’s youth are not just the future — they are the present. With more than 70% of the population under 35, the nation’s destiny depends on them.

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Edo NDLEA Arrests 54 Suspected Drug Traffickers, Destroy 66,000kg Drugs

Edo NDLEA Arrests 54 Suspected Drug Traffickers, Destroy 66,000kg Drugs

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The Edo State command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 66,078.57kg of skunk cannabis, while 54 suspected drug traffickers were apprehended with 1,506.57kg of various narcotic in the month of September.

Edo State NDLEA Commander, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this  while presenting the scorecard of the command in Benin City, saying  it recorded significant successes in its September operations.

He said: “Our intelligence-led operations led to the significant arrest of 54 suspected drug traffickers, comprising 43 males and 11 females. In a proactive measure to curb cannabis cultivation, six illicit plantations spanning over 26.43 hectares were destroyed. They were located at Ugbogui Forest, Ovia South West LGA; Ataroro Forest, Owan West LGA; Urohi Forest, Esan West LGA; and Ogu Forest, Iguiben LGA, of Edo State with an estimated yield of 66,078.5715 kg of skunk cannabis. 

The command also intercepted 1,506.57kg of illicit drugs.” 

He listed the breakdown of seized drugs as follows: “Cannabis Sativa 1,502. 26 Kg, psychotropic substances 4.27kg including tramadol 3.964kg, nitrazepam 0.087kg, Swinol 0.0445kg, Danabol (Molly) 0.1163kg, methamphetamine 0.0184 Kg, cocaine 0.028 Kg and heroin 0.014kg.”

According to him, “Some of the interesting cases include the interception of a truck along Wareke-Auchi Road, conveying 82 bags of cannabis concealed in bags of charcoal with a total weight of one thousand and twenty-five kilograms (1,025kg). Two suspects, Kabiru Abdulahi, 35 years old, male, from Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara, and Anas Safiyanu, 20 years old, male, from Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, have been apprehended in connection with the drug seizure.

“In another raid operation at a drug flashpoint along Wire Road, Benin City, one suspected male drug trafficker, Etiosa Bazuaye, 43 years old from Uhumwonde Local Government Area of Edo State, was apprehended with 98 pinches of crack cocaine weighing 13 grams hidden in a wooden stool.

“As a result of the annual court vacation, one conviction was secured in drug-related cases, while four additional cases have been charged and 118 cases are ongoing at the Federal High Court in Benin City,” Ofoyeju concluded.

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Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City The Edo State command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 66,078.57kg of skunk cannabis, while 54 suspected drug traffickers were apprehended with

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Alleged Imposition of Chairmen, Diversion of LG Fund by FG, Assault on Democracy, Says Osun ADC Caucus

Alleged Imposition of Chairmen, Diversion of LG Fund by FG, Assault on Democracy, Says Osun ADC Caucus

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Osun Omoluabi Progressives Caucus of the African Democratic Congress ( ADC) has decried the attitude of the All Progressive Congress ( APC) led federal government on the Imposition of illegal chairmen and diversion of local government fund, saying democracy in Osun and Nigeria is under direct attack.

Speaking at a press conference addressed by the Chairman of Omoluabi progressives, Azeez Adesiji noted that the Omoluabi progressives viewed with grave concerns the ongoing brazen assault on democracy, rule of law, and the sanctity of the Constitution by the APC- led federal government.

He posited that by the operation of law, those parading themselves as council chairmen and councillors had no lawful mandates, no constitutional backing, and no electoral legitimacy.

According to Adesiji, “APC’s attempt to build legality on the election it conducted based on technical victory over pre-election matter at the expense of a judgment that nullified the election outrightly is laughable and the height of political rascality.”

He remarked that “Yet, the Federal government, instead of upholding the law, has chosen to perpetrate fascism by starving duly elected local government executives of their statutory funds and diverting billions of naira into an illegal account opened in the name of these Yes or No illegal chairmen. This is not only unconstitutional but a direct theft of the people’s resources and political brigandage. “

“This unconscionable act amounts to a declaration of war against the Nigerian Constitution and against the people of Osun State in particular. It is a dangerous precedent where federal government acting with impunity, disregards valid court judgments in order to entrench his party’s rejected cronies in power.”

“We condemn in the strongest terms this overbearing character of the Federal Government who has shown by this conduct that he will stop at nothing to manipulate institutions, desecrate the courts, and subvert the will of the people. This same pattern of lawlessness is already being woven into the fabric of Osun politics in the build-up to the forthcoming Osun elections, and Nigerians must take note of what this portends for 2027.”

The Omoluabi Progressives however called on all democratic forces, civil society, labour unions, opposition parties, and the international community to resist this creeping authoritarianism.

He posited that the struggle for local government autonomy must not be perverted into an APC scheme for political capture and financial looting.

Adesiji also stressed that “the federal government and his collaborators must be held accountable for this reckless abuse of power. The Yes or No illegal chairmen must stop disturbing the peace of Osun immediately, and Osun’s local government funds must be released to the legitimate, constituted authorities.”

“Our people will not surrender their hard-won democracy to fascist dictates, neither in Osun, nor in Nigeria. We align our position with that of the NBA with a view of upholding judicial authority and its enforcement, the lawful LG chairmen in Osun are no longer open to political argument under the law.”

He however said “we the Omoluabi Progressives, say clearly the Yes or No illegal chairmen must not touch the money paid into their illegal accounts. Doing so is criminal and it will be revisited now or later.

“Local government funds must be released to legitimate and constitutional authorities. By any accounting procedure, government allocation cannot be paid directly or indirectly into any government functionary’s account. Doing so would amount to an egregious violation of financial regulation which the ICPC should address with the required urgency.”

“The federal government must stop treating Osun people’s resources as the APCs political war chest, All professional and democratic forces—NBA, NLC, civil society, labour unions, opposition parties, and the international community must come together to resist this creeping authoritarianism.”

The Chairman however noted that “Osun people are watching. Nigeria is watching. the world is watching. Our democracy was not won to be handed over to fascist dictates. We will resist this abuse of power, we will defend the law, and we will stand for the dignity of Osun people.”

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Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo Osun Omoluabi Progressives Caucus of the African Democratic Congress ( ADC) has decried the attitude of the All Progressive Congress ( APC) led federal government on