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Walson Jack Bows Out, Hands Baton to Enitan as Federal Civil Service Turns a Page

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The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has formally handed over leadership of the Federal Civil Service to Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, following her retirement upon attaining the statutory retirement age of 60. The handover took place in Abuja, following Enitan’s swearing in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House, with his appointment as Head of Civil Service, effective August 27, 2026, having been announced by the Presidency on August 19, 2026. Walson Jack expressed deep gratitude to President Tinubu for the privilege of serving at the highest level of the Federal Civil Service, describing her two years in office as a journey marked by significant achievements and formidable challenges, and thanked Permanent Secretaries, Directors and civil servants across the Service for their support throughout her tenure. She stressed that the transformation of the Civil Service was never about individuals but about Nigeria’s collective responsibility to deliver quality public service. Responding, Enitan thanked President Tinubu for the confidence reposed in him and commended Walson Jack for laying a strong foundation for continued progress, pledging to build on existing reforms while strengthening the Service’s EPIC culture of Efficiency, Productivity, Incorruptibility and Citizen Centredness. He called for the continued cooperation of Permanent Secretaries, Directors and the wider workforce, stressing that the Civil Service’s success depends on collective ownership of its mandate and a shared determination to deliver better outcomes for Nigerians. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Police to VeryDarkMan: Show Us Proof of Kidnapper Checkpoint Collusion Claims

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The Nigeria Police Force has challenged social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to provide credible evidence for his claim that some police officers at highway checkpoints pass travellers’ information to kidnappers and bandits. The Force described the allegation as serious, stressing that checkpoint officers are deployed to prevent crime and protect citizens, and noted that police personnel themselves have suffered attacks from kidnappers, terrorists and other criminals. Police said any officer found compromising his duty would face disciplinary action and prosecution, but warned against blanket accusations that could erode public trust in the institution. The Force urged Nigerians to report alleged police misconduct through appropriate investigative channels, stressing that credible criticism strengthens accountability while unverified claims risk undermining public confidence and national security. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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ECOWAS Honours Peacekeeping Heroes as It Unveils Playbook for Regional Security

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ECOWAS has unveiled a series of strategic publications in Abuja designed to preserve institutional memory and strengthen evidence based approaches to peace and security across West Africa, drawing on three decades of regional peace interventions and mediation efforts. The launch brought together an influential gathering of policymakers, defence leaders and diplomats, including Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Gwabin Musa, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs Ambassador Abdel Fatau Musah, and members of the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives Committee from across West Africa. Discussions centred on preserving regional knowledge and leveraging lessons from past interventions to strengthen responses to terrorism, violent extremism and other evolving security threats confronting the region, drawing participation from UNOWAS, WANEP, WACSI and the Centre for Democracy and Development. At the occasion, former ECOMOG Commanders, their deputies and journalists who reported on regional civil wars from the frontlines were honoured for their sacrifices to West Africa’s peace and stability. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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NDDC Moves Fast, Begins Reconstruction of Failed Benin Sapele Road Within Days

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Barely two days after announcing an intervention in the failed sections of the Benin Sapele axis of the Benin Asaba Sapele Road, the Niger Delta Development Commission has commenced work, with reconstruction flagged off at the Amukpe Roundabout in Delta State. Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori led the flag off ceremony alongside NDDC Governing Board Chairman Chiedu Ebie, the Commission’s Executive Director for Projects and other directors, with Edo State’s NDDC representative Patrick Aisowieren, Senator Ede Dafinone and House Committee Chairman Erhiatake Ibori Suenu also in attendance. The intervention follows a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of Federal Government efforts to urgently address critical infrastructure challenges facing communities and road users across the Niger Delta. Representing Governor Oborevwori, Commissioner for Works Charles Aniagwu commended the NDDC for demonstrating strong partnership with the governors of the nine Niger Delta states, as the Commission mobilised China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and Ronan and Flann Limited to execute the project using a rigid pavement design. The NDDC has already scoped approximately 15.4 kilometres covering the stretch from Benin through Ologbo Junction to Sapele, describing the swift start as proof of its commitment to translating presidential directives into tangible outcomes for the Niger Delta. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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El Rufai Brothers Clash Publicly Over Loyalty to Kaduna Governor

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Bashir El Rufai, son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El Rufai, has launched a public attack on his brother, Bello El Rufai, accusing him of prioritising political interest over family loyalty following Bello’s defection to the African Democratic Congress. Bello, who represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency, remained in the APC after their father left the party in March 2025, before defecting to the ADC on May 7, 2026, to join his father in opposition. In a series of posts on X, Bashir accused his brother of staying loyal to Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani until he realised he was being sidelined, questioning where Bello’s family loyalty had been until that point and describing his conduct as purely self serving. Bashir further alleged that his brother had maintained neutrality while others criticised Sani and had previously asked him to tone down his own criticism of the governor, describing Bello as a hypocrite. The exchange adds to ongoing political and legal tensions surrounding the El Rufai family, with Nasir El Rufai remaining in custody since February 2026 over alleged financial impropriety linked to his tenure as Kaduna governor, an allegation he denies. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Moody’s Turns Positive on Nigeria, Citing Stronger Reserves and Easing Inflation

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Moody’s Ratings has revised Nigeria’s sovereign credit outlook from stable to positive while affirming the country’s long term foreign and local currency issuer ratings at B3, a move the Federal Ministry of Finance says reflects the tangible impact of government’s macroeconomic reforms over the past three years. The agency attributed the improved outlook to a markedly stronger external position, citing sizeable current account surpluses projected to widen to about 6.1 per cent of GDP in 2026, alongside rising foreign exchange reserves that have climbed to $53.30 billion as of August 26, 2026, according to Central Bank of Nigeria data. Moody’s also pointed to stronger than expected economic performance, with real GDP growth reaching 4 per cent in 2025 against earlier projections of about 3 per cent, and inflation easing to 15.4 per cent in July 2026 from 25.3 per cent a year earlier. The rating action follows FTSE Russell’s confirmation of Nigeria’s reclassification to Frontier Market status on August 27, 2026, and comes after S&P Global Ratings upgraded Nigeria to B from B minus in May 2026 and Fitch affirmed the country at B with a stable outlook. Minister of Finance Taiwo Oyedele described the development as external validation of difficult reforms including the removal of fuel subsidy, exchange rate unification and tax reforms, saying government’s medium term ambition remains placing Nigeria firmly on the path to investment grade through sustained revenue mobilisation and debt management. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Shettima Heads to Angola to Represent Tinubu at AU Peace Summit

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Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Luanda, Angola, where he will represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, focused on conflict resolution and lasting peace across the continent. Shettima, accompanied by senior defence and security officials, will join African leaders converging on the Angolan capital to discuss practical solutions to regional security challenges and strengthen collective efforts toward preventing and resolving conflicts. Nigeria, which has continued to play a strategic role in peacebuilding across Africa, is expected to contribute to deliberations on strengthening continental mechanisms for conflict prevention and sustaining peace. The Vice President will deliver President Tinubu’s address at the summit, outlining Nigeria’s position on the issues under consideration and reaffirming the country’s commitment to continental peace and stability, before returning to Nigeria at the conclusion of his engagements. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Interior Minister to Atiku: Nigeria’s Borders Were Never Closed to Reopen

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The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, has pushed back against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s pledge to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected President in 2027, stating plainly that the borders in question are not closed and therefore cannot be reopened. Tunji Ojo said Seme, Illela, Maigatari and Mfum were reopened as far back as December 2020, with Idiroko and Ikom following in April 2022, and Kamba and Tsamiya in Kebbi State reopened under the current administration in February 2026, linking Nigeria to Niger Republic and Benin Republic respectively. On the Cameroon border crossings at Banki and Amchidé, the Minister said their prolonged closure had nothing to do with a 2019 trade policy, tracing it instead to 2014, when Boko Haram forced their shutdown for security reasons, with Fotokol and Gambaru reopening in 2021 following joint military efforts by Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad. He said folding this separate security driven history into a single 2019 shutdown wrongly conflates two distinct issues, trade regulation and counter insurgency, arguing that tighter control at some northern crossings reflects a deliberate security judgement given ongoing banditry rather than neglect. Tunji Ojo said modern border management requires balancing security, documentation and customs compliance rather than choosing between total closure and unrestricted movement, urging Atiku to present a concrete new proposal rather than rewriting recent history for political gain. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Beyond Prayers and Rituals: IHR Wants NAHCON to Overhaul Pilgrims’ Training Ahead of 2027 Hajj

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Independent Hajj Reporters has urged the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria to introduce a mandatory, standardised pilgrims’ enlightenment curriculum for states and tour operators ahead of the 2027 Hajj, arguing that current preparation focuses too narrowly on spiritual tutoring while leaving pilgrims underinformed on practical matters. The group said the proposed curriculum should cover registration procedures, updated Hajj timelines, travel and security guidelines, prohibited activities in Saudi Arabia, and regulations governing the carriage of prescription and controlled medications, alongside proper conduct during Hajj rites, insisting pilgrims must clearly understand the difference between their rights and mere privileges during the pilgrimage. IHR flagged Saudi Arabia’s regulations on transporting prescription drugs as an area needing particular attention, calling for pilgrims to be informed about requirements including electronic clearance and prior approval through relevant Saudi authorities where necessary. The organisation also pressed NAHCON, state pilgrims welfare boards and tour operators to educate intending pilgrims on Saudi Arabia’s strict restrictions against politicising Hajj activities, warning that political flags, sectarian banners and similar displays are prohibited at the holy sites and could attract serious consequences under Saudi law. IHR urged NAHCON to work with state welfare boards, licensed tour operators, religious scholars and security agencies to build a comprehensive enlightenment framework that prepares pilgrims spiritually while equipping them with the legal, security and administrative knowledge needed for a safe pilgrimage. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Idris to Senior PR Practitioners: Your Wisdom Should Not Retire With You

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The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged senior public relations practitioners to pass on their knowledge and experience to younger colleagues, describing mentorship as one of the truest measures of professional success. Idris spoke at the maiden Bashir Adamu Chedi Annual Memorial Lecture and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Kaduna State Chapter, describing the event as an enduring platform for mentorship and a fitting tribute to the late Chedi, whose greatest legacy, he said, was not the positions he held but the practitioners he influenced. The Minister stressed that no profession can endure if every generation is forced to start from scratch, calling for experience to be transferred and institutional memory preserved so yesterday’s mistakes become tomorrow’s lessons. He said young practitioners bring energy and knowledge of emerging technology while senior practitioners bring judgement and wisdom, urging both sides to see these strengths as complementary rather than competing. Idris called on practitioners to uphold truth, credibility and integrity, particularly as artificial intelligence and social media continue reshaping communication, saying Chedi’s life should remind professionals that their most enduring legacy lies in the values and knowledge they pass on to others. The event drew a wide range of dignitaries including NIPR Vice President Prof Emmanuel Dandaura, PRCAN Chairman Dr Nkechi Ali Balogun, NAN Managing Director Ali M Ali, NTA Director General Abdulhamid Dembos and FRCN Director General Dr Mohammed Bulama, among others. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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