Month: August 2026

Beyond Ribbon Cuttings: FG Launches RAMCO to Keep the Lights On for Good

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The Federal Government has launched the Renewable Asset Management Company in Abuja, a new institution built to professionalise how Nigeria manages its power infrastructure and end the pattern of energy assets declining in performance shortly after commissioning. Announcing the launch, officials said the country has too often measured success by ribbon cuttings alone, with RAMCO designed to shift that culture toward stewardship, governance discipline and measurable performance, protecting existing infrastructure and ensuring every naira invested in energy projects produces sustained service for Nigerians. The government said its ambition extends beyond simply ending darkness, framing electricity as a tool for building prosperity, making Nigeria competitive for manufacturing, powering the next generation of digital infrastructure, supporting hospitals, modernising agriculture and expanding opportunity in rural communities. Officials credited the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the collaboration of partners including the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, Infracorp and the Rural Electrification Agency for making the launch possible, positioning RAMCO as the custodian responsible for maintaining solar hybrid and other power installations across the country going forward. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Tinubu Orders Sweeping Reform of Nigerian Football After Years of Heartbreak

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football following repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments, describing the country’s football results as falling short of what Nigerians should expect. In a statement titled Protecting Football, Restoring National Pride, the President said football occupies a special place in national life, bringing Nigerians together across generations and communities, even as the country has never lacked talent, passion or support for the game. He said the problems plaguing the sport are structural and require a response that addresses governance, stakeholder representation, accountability and the rebuilding of development pathways. Tinubu noted that since the sports sector was reset under the re-established National Sports Commission and its RHINSE philosophy, other sports have recorded meaningful progress, and football, as the country’s most popular sport and biggest beneficiary of public support and investment, must now follow suit. He has directed the Chairman of the National Sports Commission to work with the NFF Secretariat and relevant football stakeholders to ensure continuity in essential football administration while facilitating a broad and consultative reform process, including appropriate engagement with FIFA and CAF to safeguard Nigeria’s obligations within the international football framework. The President called on all football stakeholders and Nigerians to support the transition and work together to build a stronger, more accountable football system worthy of the country’s talent and passion. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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RMAFC, NEITI Pledge Deeper Ties to Tighten Grip on Nigeria’s Extractive Revenue

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The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, has called for greater collaboration between RMAFC and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative to strengthen transparency and revenue mobilisation in Nigeria’s extractive industries, speaking when NEITI Executive Secretary Musa Sarki Adar paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja. Shehu described the relationship between both institutions as longstanding and strategic, commending NEITI for providing credible information on the operations and financial flows of the extractive sector that has strengthened public understanding and accountability in the management of Nigeria’s natural resources. He congratulated Adar on his appointment as Executive Secretary, describing it as well deserved and expressing confidence in his ability to lead NEITI to greater achievements, while assuring the organisation of RMAFC’s continued support in data sharing, research and revenue monitoring. In his remarks, Adar said the partnership between both institutions must now move to a higher level, highlighting RMAFC’s role in monitoring revenues accruing to the Federation Account and noting that NEITI’s independent reconciliation of financial and physical flows provides valuable data on payments, production and company activities across oil, gas and mining. He said NEITI’s reports could support RMAFC’s work in revenue verification, policy analysis and measures to improve mobilisation, pointing to Nigeria’s participation in the ongoing 2026 Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative implementation as an opportunity to demonstrate measurable progress in strengthening governance across the sector. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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FG Deploys 500,000 Vaccine Doses as Diphtheria Outbreak Hits Katsina, Kano Children

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The Federal Government has activated an emergency task force to contain a diphtheria outbreak among children in parts of Katsina and Kano States, deploying immediate measures to strengthen surveillance, close immunisation gaps and ensure timely access to treatment. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, issued the directive, with the Federal Ministry of Health working alongside the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, affected state governments and international health partners to form a multi agency response team. The task force, co-chaired by the NCDC Director General and the Director of Public Health, includes representatives from Katsina, Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto States, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF, and has been directed to act on three fronts, outbreak investigation and immunisation, expanded treatment access, and emergency support for referral care. As part of the immediate response, NPHCDA has deployed 500,000 vaccine doses to Katsina and Kano States to support intensified immunisation in affected and at risk communities, while the Katsina State Government works with the task force to establish treatment annexes across the state’s three senatorial districts, Katsina, Daura and Funtua. The Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, the principal referral centre for the state and neighbouring areas, will receive urgent support including Diphtheria Antitoxin, intravenous antibiotics, additional clinical personnel and protective equipment, with the task force set to provide weekly progress updates to the Coordinating Minister. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Nigeria’s Capital Market Wins Back Frontier Market Status After Three Year Exile

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The Federal Ministry of Finance has welcomed confirmation by global index provider FTSE Russell that Nigeria’s capital market will be reclassified from Unclassified to Frontier Market status, effective from the open of trading on Monday, September 21, 2026. The reclassification marks Nigeria’s return to the global Frontier Market universe nearly three years after its exclusion in September 2023, when persistent difficulties in capital repatriation and foreign exchange execution had made the market inaccessible to international investors. The Ministry said the decision follows sustained improvements in foreign exchange liquidity, capital repatriation and market accessibility, reflecting the cumulative impact of the Federal Government’s macroeconomic and structural reform programme, describing it as an important validation of Nigeria’s reform trajectory and a foundation for the next phase of capital market development. It commended the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Exchange Group, the Central Securities Clearing System and other capital market stakeholders for their coordinated efforts spanning regulatory reform, market infrastructure modernisation and investor engagement. Looking ahead, government reaffirmed its commitment to deepening liquidity, broadening participation and strengthening investor protections, with the medium term goal of positioning Nigeria for progression to Emerging Market status. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Cheaper Fuel, Cheaper Fares: Tinubu, Governors Strike Deal to Cut Transport Costs From October

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced that state governors have resolved, on their own initiative, to bring down the cost of transportation nationwide by leaning on the cost advantages of CNG and electric vehicles, with a target of lower transport fares taking effect from October 1, 2026. The President said the Federal Government has already converted over 120,000 vehicles nationwide through the Presidential CNG Initiative, with more than 100,000 additional conversion kits in the pipeline, while continuing to expand conversion centres and refuelling infrastructure across the country. Through the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, government is currently financing more than 100 gas projects nationwide, including 15 CNG mother stations and 86 daughter stations, with four projects already commissioned in Lagos, Abuja and Owerri in May, among them a 15 station refuelling network in Lagos and an Abuja facility able to serve 1,000 cars and tricycles and 50 trucks and buses daily. Tinubu said he has directed the rollout of another 500 CNG refuelling stations nationwide, in addition to 500 ordered earlier in the year, bringing the total programme to 1,000 stations across the country, noting that a vehicle running on CNG spends 60 to 80 per cent less on fuel than one running on petrol. The President said a joint Federal and State committee will begin implementing the fare reduction measures immediately, stressing that intra state transport is where Nigerians feel fuel costs most directly and where states hold the greatest leverage to pass on the savings. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Nigeria, Germany Move to Update 16 Year Old Aviation Pact as Lufthansa Eyes Expansion

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Nigeria and Germany have agreed to review and ratify their existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement, first signed in 2010, following talks between officials and a Lufthansa Group delegation in Abuja focused on strengthening aviation ties between both countries. The delegation comprised Alexandra Dietzen-Zill, Senior Manager for Aeropolitical Relations and Traffic Rights at Lufthansa Group, and Walid Mahmud, Sales Executive at Lufthansa Technik Aero Alzey, with discussions centred on updating the agreement to reflect current realities in the Nigeria Germany aviation relationship. Both sides agreed the BASA is overdue for review and worked out modalities to begin the process immediately, alongside plans by the German aviation group to further expand its operations within Nigeria. The engagement adds to ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to modernise the country’s air services agreements with major international carriers and aviation partners. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Tinubu Swears In Enitan as Nigeria’s New Chief Administrative Officer

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sworn in Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan as the new Head of Civil Service of the Federation, succeeding Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who retired after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60. The brief ceremony took place at the State House, Abuja, marking the official start of Enitan’s tenure as the country’s Chief Administrative Officer, following his nomination by President Tinubu as the most senior Permanent Secretary on August 19, 2026. Born on December 12, 1966, and an indigene of Osun State, Enitan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Lagos and a Master’s in Public Policy Analysis from Nasarawa State University, Keffi. He joined the Federal Civil Service in 1998 as a Senior Operations Officer at the now defunct Family Economic Advancement Programme. He went on to serve at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and later at the Office of the Vice President, rising from Chief Administrative Officer to Director between 2010 and 2018, before his appointment as Permanent Secretary in December 2018, with postings across the Federal Civil Service Commission and the Ministries of Environment, Police Affairs, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, and Education. President Tinubu congratulated the new Head of Service and urged him to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, accountability and efficiency across the Nigerian Civil Service, with former HoCSF Walson-Jack among the dignitaries in attendance. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Edo Turns 35: Youth Group Salutes Heritage, Demands Bigger Stake for Young People

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Benin City — The Youth Structure for Asiwaju, a recognised APC support group known as Asiwaju Boys and Girls, has congratulated the government and people of Edo State on its 35th anniversary, celebrating the state’s heritage and resilience while pressing for greater investment in young people. The goodwill message was delivered by High Chief Godfrey Omoarebu Ogbeide, Secretariat Director of YS4A, on behalf of Dr Michael Nwoko, Convener and National Coordinator of YS4A and Zonal Coordinator for Contact and Mobilisation, South South, Cityboy Movement, alongside the group’s leadership and membership. YS4A felicitated with Governor Monday Okpebholo, the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II, traditional institutions and the people of Edo State, with Ogbeide describing Edo at 35 as an occasion to celebrate the state’s achievements while renewing commitment to education, youth empowerment and economic opportunity. He said the state’s youth remain the bridge between its heritage and its future, and must be given room to participate, contribute and prosper. Ogbeide commended Dr Nwoko’s leadership in advancing YS4A’s grassroots mobilisation efforts across Nigeria, including his role with the Cityboy Movement in building, consolidating and validating grassroots structures ahead of the 2027 general elections, work he tied to the group’s declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other APC candidates across the South South. YS4A urged stakeholders to work together toward an inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Edo State where young people can meaningfully shape its future, closing with a message of unity for the state’s anniversary. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Beyond Crude and Rice: Shettima Pushes Nigeria Thailand Ties Into Strategic Territory

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Nigeria and Thailand have committed to deepen relations across technology, agriculture, commerce and renewable energy, with Vice President Kashim Shettima pressing for a review of the bilateral partnership at a strategic level, moving beyond decades of trade limited largely to crude oil and rice. The commitment emerged from a meeting between Shettima and a Thai delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where Nigeria pushed to leverage Thailand’s strength in deploying intermediate technology for agriculture and related sectors. Speaking on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Shettima said Nigeria’s large market, young workforce and abundant natural resources present enormous opportunities for partnership and investment in agriculture, ICT, renewable energy and solid minerals, urging Thailand to continue doing business with Nigeria given its strategic position on the continent. Phuangketkeow, on his first trip to Africa, praised Nigeria’s ongoing transformation under the Tin ubu administration, describing the country as a strategic partner and a strong voice in the Global South. He unveiled Thailand’s proposed Thailand Africa Initiative, aimed at strengthening people to people ties and economic cooperation, with agriculture, universal health coverage and tourism among its key focus areas. The Deputy Prime Minister described Nigeria as an important gateway for deepening Thailand’s ties with West Africa, framing the bilateral relationship as central to the broader continental strategy. The meeting also drew Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, and Thailand’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Thirapath Mongkolnavin, alongside senior officials from both countries’ foreign ministries. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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