The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • NCC: impact of spectrum opening coming

    NCC: impact of spectrum opening coming

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has provided further insights on the opening of two spectrum bands to deepen operations in the telecommunications industry and boost the digital economy.

    Speaking with reporters shortly after the conclusion of the two days Consultative Forum with Stakeholders at the Digital Economy Complex, Mbora, Abuja, on the opening of the Spectrum Roadmap 2025 to 2030, the Commission’s Head of Spectrum Administration, Atiku Lawal said the infrastructures might be delivered before the end of this year.

    He said with the deployment of the infrastructures, digital communications activities in the industry would take upward swing with the concomitant improvement on the nation’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP).

    He emphasised that the current Stakeholders engagements are expected to bring about a robust roadmap for seamless experience, delivery of quality services, and expansion of networks through the use of satellite technology among others.

    Lawal said: “What we are trying to do is to increase Spectrum resource capacities so that more investments and activities will come on board. If we attain high capacity, you have a better experience, and better quality of service.

    “So we are opening the bands, not only to improve the quality of service but also to allow for innovations as we see because it is not only the connection. All of us are making some bank transactions, we are doing some businesses other than just calling our relatives, I believe.

    Read Also: Tinubu boldly steering Nigeria toward sustainable future — Okowa

    “So in order to make sure that Nigerians become more productive, do a lot of businesses, innovations, think about health and others.

    “We have doctors in remote places and they should actually connect from that village to National Hospital if possible in Abuja to talk to a consultant without that consultant going into those remote villages.

    “However, it cannot happen without the spectrum. So all these are what we are doing here. We come here in order to make sure we put more spectrum into the telecommunication sector of the industry.”

    He said Nigerians would begin to experience the impacts of the Spectrum bands faster than expected.

    “I cannot give time, but from experience I can say before the end of this year you can see all these services are being used in the country,” he added.

  • ‘Nigeria’s carbon market can generate $3.8b’

    ‘Nigeria’s carbon market can generate $3.8b’

    Nigeria’s champion of Climate Change, Sam Onuigbo has said that the country’s carbon market has the potential of generating more than $3.8 billion in revenue.

    He disclosed that the unveiling of Nigeria’s Carbon Market Framework, which was hailed by stakeholders at the recent Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) in the United Arab Emirates, as a positive indicator in Nigeria’s climate action agenda, was a direct outcome of President Bola Tinubu’s determined effort to ensure that the country was well positioned as a key player in the emerging world green economy.

    Onuigbo, who spoke to some journalists after returning from the week-long Climate Change event, noted that right from his inaugural speech at the Eagle Square on May 29, 2023, the President has made it a point of duty to propel the country on the path of energy transition and climate sustainability.

    He said successes recorded by Nigeria during the ADSW should be attributed to President Tinubu’s incremental initiatives in energy transition.

    Onuigbo, who is also a member of the Governing Board of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), therefore urged international investors to take advantage of Nigeria’s huge market, adding that with the leadership shown by President Tinubu, the country would achieve great heights and attain financial prosperity in the emerging global energy economy.

    According to the former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Climate Change, by aligning the country’s climate action with energy access, Nigeria would achieve a great economic goal and social development.

    Read Also: Tinubu boldly steering Nigeria toward sustainable future — Okowa

    He therefore extolled President Tinubu’s exploits in attracting the hosting of Investopia in Lagos State next month alongside the United Arab Emirates as co-host, stressing that that event would further enhance the country’s efforts to attract global investors and accelerate sustainable investment inflows into the country.

    While noting how the President attended many high-level committee meetings on the side of the lines of the ADSW, Onuigbo who sponsored Nigeria’s landmark legislation, the Climate Change Act 2021, praised the President’s consistent attendance on such strategic global meetings on Climate action.

    “You will recall that while taking over as Nigeria’s leader on May 29, 2023, President Tinubu invited domestic and foreign investors to take advantage of Nigeria’s huge market assuring that the investors and foreign business will easily repatriate their dividends and profits home.

    “And, barely one week after taking office, the President signed into law the Electricity Act, where he promised speedy actions in energy renewal to ensure that the sector creates job opportunities for the youths,” he stated.

  • ‘Food waste costs to hit $540b’

    ‘Food waste costs to hit $540b’

    The global financial cost of food waste is expected to reach $540 billion this year , up from $526 billion in 2025, according to a study published in early January by labeling and packaging solutions provider Avery Dennison.

    Titled Making the Invisible Visible: Unlocking the Hidden Value of Food Waste to Drive Growth and Profitability, the report is based on a survey of nearly 3,500 leaders in the global food retail sector, combined with economic modeling by the UK-based Centre for Economics and Business Research.

    The research revealed  that expenses linked to food waste currently represent an average of 33 per cent  of total revenue across the retail supply chain, covering everything from post-farm processing through to the point of sale. While 54 per cent  of leaders report that waste-related costs have risen between 2022 and 2025, the ability to track where and how waste occurs remains limited.

    Meat is projected to account for nearly one-fifth of global food waste in 2026, representing losses of about $94 billion, and is identified as the biggest challenge by 72 per cent  of supply chain managers in the sector. Fresh produce is expected to be the second-largest source of waste, at $88 billion, followed by ready-to-eat meals ($80 billion), dairy products ($79 billion), and bakery goods ($67 billion).

    Read Also: Tinubu boldly steering Nigeria toward sustainable future — Okowa

        More than half of surveyed leaders, 51  per cent , attribute food waste primarily to poor inventory management and overstocking. In addition, 56  per cent  acknowledged limited visibility into losses occurring during transportation.

         The study noted that 54 per cent of leaders say the cost of food waste has increased over the past three years due to rising food inflation and geopolitical instability, creating a double loss effect. Retailers face higher input costs while also missing opportunities to convert wasted products into potential sales.

        The firm argued that food waste is not only an environmental and social issue, but also a measurable drag on growth and profitability. It said  retailers are well positioned to drive change by improving product-level visibility and strengthening collaboration across supply chains.

        The company estimated that broader adoption of these measures could reduce projected food waste-related costs by up to $3.4 trillion by 2030, while improving operational resilience and delivering lasting environmental and social benefits.

  • Summit to focus on manufacturing growth

    Summit to focus on manufacturing growth

    West Africa’s growing intra-African trade and renewed push for industrial expansion will take centre stage at the West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing & Trade Summit and Exhibition (West Africa IMT 2026), scheduled for March 3 to 5, 2026, in Lagos.

    The summit comes amid signs that regional trade integration is beginning to reshape the sub-region’s industrial outlook. Recent data from the Nigeria Customs Service shows that Nigeria’s exports to African markets rose by 14 per cent to N4.82 trillion, with more than 60 per cent destined for West Africa. In Ghana, early gains from the government’s 24-hour economy policy have been recorded in pilot industrial zones, including the Tema light-manufacturing belt, where output and night-shift employment have increased.

    Organisers say these developments underscore both the opportunities and the pressure facing West Africa to convert rising trade flows into sustained industrial capacity, jobs and investment. West Africa IMT 2026, endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and organised by dmg Nigeria events, is positioned as a platform to address how policy alignment can translate into tangible manufacturing growth.

    Speaking on the significance of the event, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh, said industrialisation remained central to Nigeria’s economic future and regional prosperity.

     “Industrial growth is not just an economic imperative; it is the foundation for job creation, skills development and sustainable prosperity,” he said, adding that the summit aligns with Nigeria’s industrial agenda and the broader objective of strengthening regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

    Read Also: Tinubu boldly steering Nigeria toward sustainable future — Okowa

    The three-day gathering is expected to draw policymakers, manufacturers, investors and infrastructure providers from across West Africa and beyond. Discussions will focus on expanding industrial capacity, improving trade facilitation, delivering critical infrastructure and mobilising long-term financing needed to support value-added production.

    According to the portfolio director for Africa at dmg Events, Wemimo Oyelana, the summit is designed to prioritise execution over rhetoric. “This is not a forum for conversations without consequence,” she said. “The goal is to align policy, private sector capability and capital in ways that deliver real industrial capacity, stronger value chains and measurable economic impact for West Africa.”

    As West African countries seek to shift away from dependence on raw material exports, challenges such as infrastructure gaps, logistics bottlenecks, evolving tariff regimes and global competition for manufacturing investment remain significant. Organisers say West Africa IMT 2026 aims to confront these issues by bringing decision-makers together around practical, project-focused solutions.

    With regional trade gaining momentum and AfCFTA implementation gathering pace, the summit is expected to test how far West Africa can move from policy ambition to industrial delivery, at a time many see as pivotal for the region’s economic transformation.

  • Alleged $13m fraud linked to Achimugu’s firm: Court rules March 25 on EFCC’s final forfeiture request

    Alleged $13m fraud linked to Achimugu’s firm: Court rules March 25 on EFCC’s final forfeiture request

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled ruling for March 25 on a motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the final forfeiture of $13 million linked to Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Limited, a firm associated with businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu.

    Justice Emeka Nwite chose he date on Monday after EFCC’S lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), and Oceangate’s lawyer, Darlington Ozurumba, made their final submissions.

    Last year, the court issued an order for the interim forfeiture of the funds, which the EFCC claimed were proceeds of unlawful activities.

    The court ordered the anti-graft agency to publish the interim order in a national daily for any interested party to show why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

    In response to the publication, Oceangate filed an affidavit claiming ownership of the money.

    The company, among others, rejected EFCC’s allegation that the funds formed proceeds of unlawful activities.

    It also claimed that the funds were legitimately sourced to pay for its interest in two oil licences – PPL 302 and PPL 3007 – which it won sometime in 2024.

    But in its response to Oceangate’s affidavit to show cause, the EFCC gave details of its investigation, claiming that the $13 million was from unlawful sources.

    The commission also claimed that part of the money was contributed by contractors engaged by the Lagos State government.

    Read Also: IMF raises Nigeria’s 2026 growth forecast to 4.4%

    On September 15, last year, the same court granted similar motion by the EFCC for the final forfeiture of $7 million, which it claimed to have recovered from a commercial bank branch in Ikoyi, Lagos, but which nobody came forward to claim.

    A company, Felak Group, later issued a statement to dismiss reports linking its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Aisha Achimugu, and its subsidiary, Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas, to a controversial $7 million cash transaction allegedly tied to the commercial bank.

    In its response to Oceangate’s affidavit to show cause, the EFCC said: “In the course of our investigation, we found that Iliya Wakil, the deponent of the respondent’s affidavit to show cause, was a mere nominal director with no shareholding in Oceangate Engineering Oil and Gas Limited and an employee of Felak Concept Limited, a company incorporated on May 5, 2000.

    “On March 31, 2014, a company, known as Felak Concept Group Limited, with Registration Number 1181455, was incorporated at the Corporate Affairs Commission by Felak Concept Limited, Altex Engineering Oil and Gass Limited, Wishwhich Koncept Limited, Ay-Dol International Limited, and Oceangate Engineering Oli & Gas as shareholders. “

  • We’re ready for FCT Area Council polls, says INEC

    We’re ready for FCT Area Council polls, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is fully ready for the February 21 Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the electoral body, Malam Aminu Kasimu Idris, announced this yesterday in Abuja.

    The REC said the commission had begun the distribution of about 128,396 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) at the ward level across the territory ahead of the polls.

    Read Also: ‘Tinubu taking Nigeria out of the woods’

    According to him, the PVC collection (in-person) will run from tomorrow (January 22) to Monday, January 26, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily, across all 62 Registration Areas (wards) in the six Area Councils of the FCT.

    The REC explained that the PVC collection will continue thereafter at the INEC Area Council offices.

    He said the PVCs available for collection include cards for newly registered voters, voters who transferred their registration within or into the FCT, those who requested replacements for lost or defaced PVCs, as well as cards from previous registration exercises yet to be collected.

    Idris said the PVCs remain the only valid document for voter accreditation, in line with Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended).

  • Mutfwang to military: treat terrorists as enemies of state

    Mutfwang to military: treat terrorists as enemies of state

    Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has urged the Nigerian Armed Forces to treat terrorists as criminals and enemies of the land.

    Mutfwang said this when he hosted the Chief of Army Staff (COA), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shuaibu, at the Government House in Jos, the state capital.

    The governor congratulated the COAS on his appointment, saying Plateau had enjoyed relative peace since the inception of his tenure.

    He urged the military to treat terrorists and bandits appropriately and not downplay their offences.

    Mutfwang noted that visible changes had been recorded in the security sector since the COAS assumed office.

    Read Also: Tinubu boldly steering Nigeria toward sustainable future — Okowa

    The governor urged the military hierarchy not to relent but intensify efforts towards a safer Nigeria.

    “Let me first congratulate you on your appointment as COAS and to say wholeheartedly that we wish you a very successful tour of duty.

    “You are in our prayers, that during your tenure, we will witness a significant reduction in all the challenges that have confronted the Nigerian nation.

    “There have been challenges. There have been times when people have asked questions about the insecurity, but I must say that your presence has allowed many communities to sleep with their two eyes closed.

  • We know those who won’t fly PDP’s flag in 2027, says Turaki

    We know those who won’t fly PDP’s flag in 2027, says Turaki

    •‘Ex-VP Sambo remains our member’

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki has said the party already knows those who will not be allowed to fly the party’s flag as its presidential candidate in next year’s general election.

    Turaki also reaffirmed the party’s decision to zone the PDP presidential ticket to the South.

    He said: “We don’t know who our candidate will be, but we know those who will not be (our candidate).”

    Turaki, who addressed reportersafter a meeting with former Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo at his Abuja residence last night, said the former number two citizen reaffirmed his membership in the PDP.

    He said: “We are happy that those who keep the party a success are still with us.

    Read Also: Tinubu boldly steering Nigeria toward sustainable future — Okowa

    “We came to introduce the newly elected members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to him. They were elected in our last National Elective Convention that took place in Ibadan.

    “Those who came with us also included members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the chairman of the BoT; founding fathers and mothers, members of the National Assembly, state chairmen, former ministers, former governors, former members of the National Assembly, and indeed other major party stakeholders across the country.

    “We met with His Excellency and we’ve had a very, very useful discussion with him. We told him the prospects and the challenges we’ve been facing since our election in Ibadan and generously proffered advice and guidance on the way forward as a winning platform for Nigerians.

  • Okowa: Tinubu steering Nigeria towards sustainable future

    Okowa: Tinubu steering Nigeria towards sustainable future

    Former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is courageously steering Nigeria towards a more sustainable and stable economic future, despite the pains associated with ongoing reforms.

    Okowa spoke yesterday in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area, at the groundbreaking ceremony of the N59 billion Agbor/Uromi Junction Flyover, performed by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.

    Okowa, also an erstwhile senator representing Delta North in the National Assembly, said the Agbor project was too significant to ignore.

    “What I see here gives me peace. Delta State is on the right path because Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is doing the right things,” he said.

    The ex-governor applauded Oborevwori’s leadership, describing him as a man of trust who has converted vision into concrete results.

    He noted that the spread and scale of infrastructure across the state reflected the governor’s purposeful governance.

    Calling the Uromi Junction Flyover “monumental,” Okowa said it was one of several transformative projects underway in Delta North.

    The former governor cited the Ugbolu–Okpanam Road, valued at about N30 billion, and the Aboh–Akara concrete road as further proof of balanced development across Delta State.

    “Deltans should celebrate this governor. Many projects have moved swiftly from ideas to reality,” he said.

    Okowa noted that his peace as a former governor stems from Oborevwori’s sincerity, continuity, and calm leadership style.

    Read Also: ‘Nigeria ready for front seat in global economy’

    “When I spoke of this vision in 2021, people doubted it. When it began to unfold in 2022, they mocked it. But today, Governor Oborevwori is proving that vision right,” he said.

    Turning to national affairs, Okowa urged Nigerians to look beyond present hardships and judge President Tinubu’s reforms with fairness.

    The ex-governor insisted that the policies were already laying the foundation for long-term economic stability.

    “People may choose not to acknowledge it, but the truth is that Mr. President is engineering the Nigerian economy in the right direction,” he said.

    Drawing from his experience in public administration, Okowa noted that states and local governments across the country now pay salaries more regularly, while pensions and gratuities previously owed are being cleared.

    According to him, these improvements are the direct outcomes of the Federal Government’s economic policies.

    He also praised Oborevwori for aligning Delta State with the Federal Government, describing the decision as bold, strategic, and beneficial to the people.

  • Printer commits to community welfare

    Printer commits to community welfare

    Veteran Printer and Publisher, Elder Kehinde Odeshola, who celebrated his birthday on January 12, has said he is committed to the welfare of his Egba people.  Odeshola is the financial secretary of Lishabi

    Read Also: ‘Nigeria ready for front seat in global economy’

    Club, a premier socio-cultural and philanthropic club devoted to development of the Egba in Ogun State.