Category: Politics

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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Riyadh Envoy Visits Defence HQ as Nigeria, Saudi Arabia Widen Military Ties

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The Defence Headquarters has received the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, Yousef bin Mohammed Al Balawi, on a courtesy visit aimed at deepening bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries. Chief of Defence Staff General OO Oluyede welcomed the Ambassador, stressing the importance Nigeria attaches to its relationship with Saudi Arabia and the need to expand existing channels of cooperation that would strengthen the professional capacity of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Al Balawi described Nigeria as an important partner in Africa and reiterated the Kingdom’s readiness to support closer engagement, particularly in defence and security, with both sides agreeing that stronger institutional links between their armed forces would help address shared security challenges. Oluyede thanked the Ambassador for the Kingdom’s continued goodwill toward Nigeria and expressed optimism that the discussions would translate into concrete areas of cooperation going forward. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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From Handouts to Hope: FG Unveils $1 Billion Plan to Break the Cycle of Poverty

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The Federal Ministry of has unveiled the $1 billion Household Prosperity and Economic Social Protection Project, themed From Palliatives to Pathways, alongside reforms aimed at overhauling Nigeria’s social protection and humanitarian response systems. First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, unveiling the initiative at the Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja, commended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction Dr Bernard M Doro for shifting humanitarian interventions from temporary assistance toward sustainable pathways to recovery, empowerment and self-reliance, noting the initiative aims to improve targeting of vulnerable households and strengthen coordination across programmes. Dr Doro said the launch marks a strategic pivot from palliatives to pathways, placing vulnerable households rather than individual programmes at the centre of government intervention, addressing years of fragmentation and duplicate registries through a unified national architecture linking identification, needs assessment, protection and poverty graduation. Central to the reform is the One Humanitarian, One Poverty Response System, which will bring humanitarian response, social protection and poverty reduction under a single coordinated framework supported by unified registries, digital delivery and real time intelligence. Other initiatives unveiled include an Emergency Shock Responsive Cash Transfer scheme and a Humanitarian First Magazine documenting the impact of interventions on beneficiaries. Permanent Secretary Olubunmi Olusanya said the true measure of success would be the tangible difference made in the lives of vulnerable Nigerians, with goodwill messages delivered by Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum on behalf of other governors, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Abubakar Bagudu, and representatives of the European Union and World Bank. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Tinubu Names Yari, Uzodimma to Steer 2027 Reelection Machine

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the constitution of the for the 2027 elections, with the President and Vice President Kashim Shettima serving as chairman and vice chairman according to a list released Saturday morning. Party Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda joins as vice chairman, while former Zamfara Governor Senator Abdulaziz Yari takes the role of director general. Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma will serve as secretary, supported by APC National Secretary Senator Ajibola Bashiru and Hadiza Bala Usman as deputy and assistant secretaries. Tinubu will also lean on a body of advisers including Chief Bisi Akande, Chief Segun Osoba and Senator Rochas Okorocha. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abass and Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni have been assigned as deputy director generals for the south and north campaign zones, while Senator Adams Oshiomhole takes charge of mobilisation. James Abiodun Faleke returns as deputy director general for election planning, working with zonal directors across all six geopolitical zones. The legal directorate will be led by Muiz Adeyemi Banire, while Information Minister Mohammed Idris Malagi coordinates media and strategic communication alongside Dele Alake, Bayo Onanuga and Lanre Issa Onilu. Segun Dada returns as Director of New Media, a role he held in the 2023 campaign, and the council has named five spokespersons led by Dele Alake. Tinubu charged all council members to work tirelessly to deliver victory in the January 2027 elections, urging them to showcase the administration’s economic record and reach out to party members not formally listed to join the effort. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Osun Was the Test, 2027 Is the Exam: INEC and Canada Chart Path to Credible Polls

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The Canadian High Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 General Election, with Chargé d’Affaires David Sproule leading a delegation on a courtesy visit to INEC headquarters in Abuja. Sproule said Canada remained committed to countries strengthening democratic processes and pledged continued support in areas including electoral participation, women’s inclusion, public awareness, technical assistance and election observation, describing credible elections as a shared objective between the two countries. INEC Chairman Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan described Nigeria Canada relations as a longstanding partnership rooted in democratic values and good governance, thanking Canada for its support on civic education, institutional strengthening and gender inclusion. Amupitan pointed to the recently concluded Osun State Governorship Election on August 15, 2026 as a benchmark, noting that 94.5 per cent of polling units opened for accreditation and voting by 8.30am alongside smooth BVAS performance and result uploads, calling it the gold standard guiding preparations for 2027. He disclosed that campaigns for the 2027 elections officially began on August 19, 2026, and that INEC had taken part in a National Peace Accord signing by presidential candidates the day before, while identifying five priorities ahead of the polls, consolidating technology gains, deepening inclusivity, strengthening institutional capacity, countering misinformation and running a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026. The mock exercise, he said, would put the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and other equipment through rigorous field testing ahead of the general election. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Shettima to Nigerians: A Nation Gets Congested When Opportunity Does

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Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the Federal Government is deliberately spreading infrastructure and economic opportunity beyond major cities to ease congestion, expand jobs and promote balanced development nationwide, speaking while inaugurating the Elele Umudioga Egbeda Ubimini Akpabu Ikiri Omoku Dual Carriageway in Rivers State on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The 33.5 kilometre road runs through Ikwerre, Emohua and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government areas, linking communities along a key agricultural, commercial and oil and gas corridor leading to Omoku, widely known as the state’s Gas City. Shettima said the project reflects the Renewed Hope Agenda’s push to extend security, welfare and economic opportunity beyond the centre, arguing that people migrate to cities when roads, markets, jobs and services fail to reach them. He described roads as among the most democratic tools of development, connecting farmers to markets, workers to jobs, students to schools and patients to healthcare. The commissioning adds to a string of infrastructure projects the administration has rolled out in the Niger Delta region this year. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Obi Opens 2027 Bid: Nigeria Can Work, and Nigeria Must Work

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Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has formally kicked off his campaign for the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections, marking the official start of the campaign season on August 19, 2026, with an address to Nigerians and the press. Obi called the moment a defining test for Nigerian democracy, giving citizens a chance to weigh the records and plans of those seeking their mandate at a time of what he described as grave global uncertainty, entering the race with the conviction that Nigeria can and must work. He pointed to sobering figures to frame the stakes, citing IMF data showing 63 per cent, over 140 million Nigerians, living at or below the poverty line, alongside estimates that 35 million people will need food assistance during the 2026 lean season and 3.6 million Nigerians remaining internally displaced due to conflict. Drawing on his private sector background and his record as Anambra Governor, Obi said leadership must be measured by outcomes, not intentions, describing his running mate Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s focus on education and human capital development as a complementary governing experience despite their different backgrounds. He framed the campaign around a simple test for voters, whether Nigerians are better off than four years ago, whether businesses can produce and expand, and whether young people and farmers can find productive opportunity. Obi said fixing Nigeria requires more than reactive reforms, calling for disciplined management of public resources and sustained investment in the country’s people as the foundation for economic recovery. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Idris to North Central: Let TETFund Turn Your Classrooms Into Economic Engines

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The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said the Federal Government’s investment in tertiary education through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund will help unlock the North Central region’s vast agricultural, mineral and energy potential, speaking at the 2026 TETFund North Central Zonal Town Hall Meeting in Lokoja, Kogi State. Idris said universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the zone must be tied directly to its development needs, producing scientists, engineers, agricultural experts, technicians and entrepreneurs capable of unlocking the region’s opportunities. He pointed to the 2026 TETFund intervention as proof of that commitment, with roughly N2.53 billion allocated to each public university, N1.87 billion to each polytechnic and N2.06 billion to each college of education. He described the figures as more than budget lines, representing laboratories that can be equipped, lecture halls that can be built and research that can be supported, while pressing institutions to focus not only on churning out graduates but on research, innovation and job creation. He also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, technical education and digital skills programmes as tools widening opportunity for young Nigerians, calling education both an economic and a national security investment. Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo said tertiary institutions must move beyond producing graduates to becoming centres of practical solutions, calling for research that tackles real problems in agriculture, mining, healthcare, manufacturing and renewable energy rather than staying confined to theory. Idris urged TETFund to keep its intervention funds transparent and closely monitored and called on stakeholders to ensure the town hall’s recommendations translate into measurable action. The meeting drew the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, represented by Prof Babatunde Bernard, former Kogi Governor Captain Idris Wada, and TETFund Board of Trustees Chairman Rt Hon Aminu Bello Masari, among other dignitaries. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Defence Chief Tours Kaduna Ordnance Factory, Bets Big on Made in Nigeria Weapons

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The Chief of Defence Staff, General OO Oluyede, has visited the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Ordnance Factory in Kakuri, Kaduna, as part of efforts to build up Nigeria’s local defence production capacity and reduce reliance on foreign military hardware. The visit included a tour of the Corporation’s production and research facilities, where the CDS was briefed by Director General DICON, Major General BI Alaya, on the factory’s manufacturing capabilities, ongoing projects and future plans. General Oluyede inspected key production lines and received updates on efforts to expand local output and support the Armed Forces. At DICON’s Research and Development facility, several indigenous products were put on display for the CDS. He commended the management and workforce for their commitment to advancing the country’s defence technology and manufacturing base. General Oluyede said the Federal Government’s renewed push for local defence production is key to improving operational readiness, cutting dependence on foreign equipment, conserving foreign exchange and securing sustainable logistics for the military. He reaffirmed Defence Headquarters’ commitment to helping DICON grow into a world class defence manufacturing institution capable of meeting the needs of the Armed Forces and other security agencies, calling local production a strategic priority for a more self sufficient military. The CDS was accompanied on the visit by the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Major General OT Olatoye, the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Major General ASM Wase, and other senior officers. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Ahead of 2027, INEC Opens Its Books to American Election Watchdog

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to a free, fair and credible 2027 General Election as it hosted a delegation from the International Republican Institute on a Pre Election Assessment Mission in Abuja. The delegation, led by IRI President Dr Dan Twining, is in Nigeria from August 11 to 21, 2026, to evaluate INEC’s state of readiness and identify areas where foreign technical support could strengthen the electoral process. INEC Chairman Prof Joash Amupitan, SAN, called the visit timely, arriving just days after the Osun State off cycle governorship election and on the eve of campaigns for the 2027 polls. Amupitan said the Commission had treated recent off cycle elections and legislative by elections as live tests, using them to sharpen its electoral technology, logistics and security coordination ahead of the bigger contest. The engagement forms part of a broader pattern of international scrutiny and support as Nigeria’s electoral body works to shore up confidence before the next general election. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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