Author: Anule Emmanuel

By Ademola Oshodi The international environment is placing a heavier responsibility on Nigeria. Regional security cooperation has weakened, competition for energy finance and technology has intensified, and humanitarian funding is contracting even as domestic needs increase. Three developments this week show why Nigeria must combine leadership with discipline, strengthening its capacity to act without assuming obligations it cannot sustain. On 14 July, the United Nations Security Council reviewed the political and security situation in West Africa and the Sahel. The following day, Nigeria’s Permanent Representation to the UN convened a discussion on energy access and just transitions during the UN…

Governor of Borno State Professor Babagana Zulum led a high-profile delegation from the Northeast on Thursday to the Presidential Villa, pledging robust support for the joint presidential ticket of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 general election. Speaking during a meeting with President Tinubu and leaders from the region, Professor Zulum said the Northeast would “massively deliver” votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket, describing the endorsement as a response to ongoing security and reconstruction efforts in the region. Governor Zulum thanked President Tinubu on behalf of the region for renominating one of their…

Imo State Governor and Chairman South East Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has disclosed that the five governors of the South-East have resolved to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, citing what he described as the President’s unprecedented commitment to the development of the region through landmark infrastructure and economic initiatives. Uzodimma said the Governors have reviewed the performance of the Tinubu administration as it affects the development of the South-East and unanimously agreed that the region would continue to identify with the President and the Renewed Hope Agenda because of the tangible dividends already delivered. Speaking during…

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday  lauded President Bola Tinubu’s “decisive” approach to combating terrorism in a letter that praised the Nigerian leader’s efforts to protect communities and bolster stability. “It is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against these terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous,” Trump wrote, singling out measures he said were aimed at the violence afflicting Christian communities. The message underlines a period of deepening cooperation between Washington and Abuja on security matters. Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President Bayo Onanuga in a…

Several State Governors are publicly praising President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, declaring that the measures aimed at ending fiscal distortions have now unlocked resources that are financing roads, schools and other high‑profile projects at the subnational level. The Governors from both ruling and opposition parties point to two signature moves by the President – removal of the long‑standing petrol subsidy and the unification of multiple exchange rates as the principal engines behind an uptick in Federal allocations and Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) that have reduced borrowing and accelerated project rollouts. “The process of getting out of a very bad economy…

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday received the final report for the World Bank–backed $500 million Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains for Growth Programme, known as AGROW, marking the end of the scheme’s design phase and the start of implementation. The Vice President announced this at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after formally receiving the National Technical Working Group’s report on behalf of Nigeria. He said the programme aims to “shorten the distance” between farmers and the national systems that set prices, policies and market access. The initiative, he said, restores “the farmer to the centre of our national economic reasoning.” Developed…

Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo on  Tuesday said he will neither negotiate with nor tolerate “bandits” in his State, echoing directives he attributed to President Bola Tinubu. Speaking to State House Correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Ododo, joined by Senator Smart Adeyemi credited the Federal Government’s security strategy for recent gains and said his approach aligns with Tinubu’s stance against bargaining with criminals. “He told me when I assumed office, ‘Look, don’t negotiate with criminals. Negotiating with criminals indirectly empowers them against you,’ and that is what we are doing. Today in Kogi…

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Tuesday pledged N2billion to support production at Akwete, the hand‑woven fabric long associated with South-Eastern textile craft. The First Lady said the move aims to preserve cultural heritage and boost local industries. Speaking during a visit to Akwete’s weaving site in Abia State, the First Lady described her intervention as both cultural preservation and an economic opportunity for women weavers and younger generations. “The tradition of the Akwete handmade fabric is dear to the hearts of the women who make it,” she said, urging families to pass the craft to youth and encouraging wider adoption…

The Federal Government on Tuesday said it has paid about ₦333.12 billion to eight electricity Generation Companies (GenCos) settling obligations tied to 17 power plants under the first phase of a broader power-sector debt resolution program. Special Adviser to the President on Energy Olu Verheijen, disclosed this at an investor forum for the ₦729 billion Series II bond offering of the Presidential Power Sector Financial Reforms Programme (PPSFRP). The programme aims to clear verified legacy debts across the electricity value chain and attract private capital to Nigeria’s power sector. Verheijen said the government previously deployed roughly ₦501 billion under Series…

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) said Tuesday it is intensifying efforts to cut the average time cargo sits at Nigerian ports from about 21 days to seven. The council told State House Correspondents at a press briefing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja that the target is to lower logistics costs and boost the nation’s competitiveness. PEBEC Director‑General Princess Zahra Audu said prolonged clearance times are a major constraint on trade, particularly when compared with neighbours such as Ghana and the Republic of Benin. “We were tasked to bring down our cargo dwell time from 21 days to seven…