The Nation Newspaper

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  • Nigerian, Pakistani navies partner to upscale shipbuilding capacity

    Nigerian, Pakistani navies partner to upscale shipbuilding capacity

    • Pakistan Navy Senior Staff Course participants visit Lagos

    The Nigerian Navy has entered into a partnership with its Pakistani counterpart to boost indigenous shipbuilding and strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

    The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha, announced this while hosting members of the 55th Pakistan Navy Senior Staff College Course currently in Lagos on a study tour.

    Mustapha said the delegation would visit the Naval Dockyard Limited (NDL) in Lagos to discuss how to take the Nigerian Navy’s shipbuilding capabilities to the desired level, based on the long-standing relationship between both countries and their military.

    The FOC said Nigeria has over the years acquired multi-role fighter aircraft from Pakistan, adding that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) also operates the Super Mushshak trainer aircraft supplied by Pakistan.

    “The Nigerian Air Force has acquired multi-role combat fighter aircraft, including the JF-17, as well as Super Mushshak training aircraft. These platforms have proven to be critical enablers and game changers in our operations.

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    “The Nigerian Army has also benefited through the acquisition of communication equipment and anti-drone jammers, some of the best of which were sourced from Pakistan.

    “In the area of training and capacity building, both nations maintain exchange programmes involving staff and war colleges, which have continued to yield positive results. There has also been collaboration in doctrine development through joint exercises, covering basic, safety and consolidation training in maritime operations.

    “On shipbuilding, Nigeria is exploring opportunities for deeper collaboration with Pakistan. The visiting commodore and his team are scheduled to visit the Naval Dockyard Limited to identify areas of partnership aimed at strengthening local shipbuilding capacity.

    “Nigeria already possesses indigenous shipbuilding capability and is currently undertaking the construction of Seaward Defence Boats (SDB) 5 and 6. With Pakistan’s technical expertise and experience, both countries hope to identify areas of collaboration that will further enhance Nigeria’s shipbuilding capacity,” he said.

    Addressing his guests, Mustapha noted that defence cooperation between both countries rests on three major pillars: equipment procurement, capacity building/training, and intelligence sharing.

    The FOC said the training exchange had not been fully sustained.

    “Nigeria has trained several officers at Pakistan’s military academy. One of our finest Generals was trained in Pakistan and has demonstrated exceptional professionalism. In fact, the few officers who trained there have all distinguished themselves, reflecting the high quality of training provided.

    “Although we have yet to establish training collaboration with the Naval Academy, the impact of Pakistan’s military training institutions remains significant.

    “We also maintain cooperation at the Staff College level, with Nigerian officers currently undergoing training there.

    “There have also been exchanges at the War College level, although I am unsure if that programme has been sustained. However, participation in Pakistan’s National Defence University courses has remained consistent. The programme is globally comparable and highly rigorous, and our officers who attend return with immense professional value.

    “Because of its demanding nature, we are careful in selecting personnel for the course.

    “Strategically, this partnership remains strong, and we look forward to further strengthening it,” Mustapha added.

    The leader of the Pakistani delegation, Commodore Muhammad Zalid Zaheer, applauded the exceptional qualities of Nigerian Navy officers who have schooled or attended trainings in their country, describing them as very disciplined and intelligent.

    Zaheer, who is the Commodore Training Ashore at the Headquarters Command in Karachi, said the course comprised 102 officers with 28 from foreign nations, including one Nigerian officer.

    He said they were open to more areas of collaboration with the Nigerian Navy, adding that they visited Nigeria with an open heart.

    At the event were the Chief Staff Officer (CSO) WNC, Rear Admiral Nnamdi Ekwum; Pakistan’s Defence Attache (DA), Col Kanran Mushtag as well as other senior officers on both sides.

  • Zulum cuts leave short to host envoys, UN coordinator in Maiduguri

    Zulum cuts leave short to host envoys, UN coordinator in Maiduguri

    Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum on Tuesday cut short his annual leave to host the envoys from India, Egypt, Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey, Malaysia, and Qatar in Maiduguri.

    The delegation was accompanied by the United Nations (UN) Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohamed Malick Fall, and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bernard Doro.

    The visit was aimed at assessing the humanitarian situation in Borno State, which has faced insurgency for over a decade.

    During the visit, the delegation toured selected education, health and human capital development projects executed by the Zulum administration.

    The tour was led by Acting Governor Umar Usman Kadafur.

    Fall lauded the state government’s development efforts, noting that the state had made remarkable progress despite security challenges.

    “Beyond the headlines around security issues, there are transformative developments taking place in Borno State,” he said.

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    The UN coordinator highlighted education programmes, the girl-child education initiatives, vocational training centres and malnutrition treatment facilities as key interventions addressing the root causes of the crisis.

    Doro also expressed satisfaction with the level of development recorded in the state, despite the years of conflict.

    “I am happy with what I have seen. Considering the crises the state has faced for over 10 years, the level of development is commendable,” he said, adding that the vocational training centres and comprehensive schools visited were equipped to empower beneficiaries and support poverty reduction.

  • Strategic partnership key to tackling West Africa’s insecurity, says COAS

    Strategic partnership key to tackling West Africa’s insecurity, says COAS

    • Shaibu hosts French Defence Attaché

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has restated the need for a well-coordinated partnership to overcome the insecurity in West Africa.

    The COAD said Nigeria’s defence partnership with France remained critical to the country’s broader efforts to counter security threats in the West African region.

    Shaibu said this when he hosted the French Defence Attaché to Nigeria, Colonel Stéphane Useo, at the Army Headquarters yesterday in Abuja.

    A statement by the Army spokesperson, Colonel Apollonia Anele, said the high-level engagement focused on strengthening operational cooperation between the Nigerian Army and the French Armed Forces in response to evolving regional and global security challenges.

    The COAS hailed France for its continued collaboration with the Nigerian Army, particularly in the areas of intelligence sharing, professional military training and support for operational readiness.

    He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to continuous professional development across all corps and emphasised the need for sustaining mutually beneficial bilateral defence cooperation with Nigeria’s allies.

    Shaibu expressed optimism that a long-term partnership with France with a focus on capacity building, advanced training, and enhanced operational effectiveness, was in line with contemporary security realities.

    The French Defence Attaché applauded the resilience and dedication of the Nigerian Army in dealing with emerging security challenges.

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    Useo particularly praised the Army for successfully recovering operations in the Republic of Benin and called for expanded access to strategic professional military courses, especially in Public Relations and Aviation.

    He described the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information as one of the best institutions in Africa, established to train army personnel in civil-military affairs and enhance information and communication management.

    Useo reiterated France’s commitment to deepening defence cooperation with Nigeria, emphasising shared responsibility in promoting regional stability, countering emerging threats and building sustainable military capacity.

    He described the partnership as mutually reinforcing, enhancing the defence capabilities and professional standards of both nations.

  • Firm challenges court ruling on over N1b Customs duty

    Firm challenges court ruling on over N1b Customs duty

    Orlean Invest Africa Limited has formally appealed the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja that ordered the seizure and forfeiture of a Bombardier BD-700 Global 6000 aircraft, based on the the acceptance of the Customs Duty Assessment of over N1 billion , saying the trial court presumed the figure to be correct without any evidential foundation.

    The company insists that the decision was reached without evidence and amounts to a serious miscarriage of justice.

    The firm argues that the interim order was granted on the basis of bare and unsubstantiated claims by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and that the order was obtained through misrepresentation or concealment of material facts.

    The company maintains that compelling legal and factual reasons to discharge the order were placed before the court but were wrongly ignored

    The company has filed for a stay of execution of the Federal High Court judgment.

    The notice of appeal, it was learnt, was filed on 23 January 2026 by the company’s lead counsel, Mr. Ama Etuwewe (SAN), a day after the Federal High Court delivered its ruling.

    The appeal, now before the Court of Appeal, sets out seven grounds challenging both the factual findings and legal conclusions of the trial court.

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    At the heart of Orlean Invest Africa’s appeal is the argument that the Federal High Court wrongly concluded that the aircraft was imported into Nigeria by the company and remained in the country without payment of customs duties.

    The appellants maintain that there was no evidence whatsoever before the court to support such a finding. They contend that the aircraft does not belong to Orlean Invest Africa Limited and that no proof was presented to establish ownership or importation by the company.

    According to the appeal, the aircraft was flown into Nigeria strictly on a charter basis as a visiting aircraft and never remained permanently in the country.

    The company further argues that the aircraft has at all times been registered on the Malta Aircraft Registry and was never transferred to Nigerian registration. It insists that unchallenged evidence before the trial court showed that the aircraft last entered Nigeria in 2018, contradicting the court’s conclusion that it was imported and remained in Nigeria.

     Orlean Invest Africa says the judge substituted speculation for proof and delivered a decision unsupported by the record.

    The appellants also challenge the order of final forfeiture, arguing that there was no evidence before the Federal High Court to justify condemning the aircraft to the Federal Government. They insist that the trial judge wrongly held them liable for customs duty on an aircraft they neither own nor imported, and that no law or evidence supports such liability.

    A further ground of appeal contests the refusal of the trial court to set aside the ex-parte order of seizure and detention made in June 2025.

    Orlean Invest Africa argues that the interim order was granted on the basis of bare and unsubstantiated claims by the Nigeria Customs Service, and that the order was obtained through misrepresentation or concealment of material facts. The company maintains that compelling legal and factual reasons to discharge the order were placed before the court but were wrongly ignored.

    The appeal also challenges the acceptance of the customs duty assessment of over one billion naira, saying the trial court presumed the figure to be correct without any evidential foundation. In addition, Orlean Invest Africa contends that the trial judge wrongly held that the Nigeria Customs Service proved its case, despite what it describes as a complete absence of supporting evidence.

    The company states that the entire judgement is against the weight of evidence presented during proceedings at the Federal High Court.

    The firm is therefore seeking an order of the Court of Appeal allowing the appeal, setting aside the Federal High Court’s judgement delivered on 22 January 2026, and dismissing in full the Nigeria Customs Service’s application for forfeiture and condemnation of the aircraft.

  • Green Africa, Access Bank partner on aircraft acquisition

    Green Africa, Access Bank partner on aircraft acquisition

    Green Africa Airways has unveiled the acquisition of its second owned aircraft packaged with asset financing partnership with Access Bank

    The incoming aircraft, an ATR 72-600 with manufacturer’s serial number 1064 and registration mark 5N-GAC, according a statement by the carrier will help it increase capacity on its existing routes across the country.

    The aircraft, the airline said is expected to enter into service shortly after customary regulatory approvals.

    The statement reads:” As with the carrier’s first aircraft acquisition, Access Bank, one of the largest financial institutions on the continent, provided the naira debt facility to partly fund this strategic fleet expansion.”

    Founder & CEO of Green Africa, Babawande Afolabi, said: “We are delighted to welcome our second owned aircraft (5N-GAC) to the fleet.

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    The addition of 5N-GAC will help strengthen a sustainable foundation for Green Africa to grow and deliver on its promise to provide safe, reliable, and affordable air travel to a broader group of customers in the country and across the continent at scale.”

    Managing Director/CEO of Access Bank, Roosevelt Ogbonna, said: “At Access Bank, we are committed to empowering businesses that drive economic progress and create long-term value for society. Our partnership with Green Africa reflects our confidence in visionary enterprises that are transforming critical sectors of the economy. Following the strong performance of Green Africa’s first aircraft acquisition, we are proud to extend our support for this second aircraft, which will further enhance capacity and accelerate growth. We remain steadfast in our mission to provide innovative financial solutions that enable businesses to scale, thrive, and contribute meaningfully to Africa’s development.”

  • Committee backs Customs 40% clearance time

    Committee backs Customs 40% clearance time

    The Customs Consultative Committee (CCC) has backed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as it moves to cut cargo clearance time at the ports by 40 per cent, a reform driven by digital integration and projected to unlock up to N3 trillion in annual cost savings for the economy.

    The CCC threw its weight behind the initiative, describing it as a data-driven shift that could reposition the country’s ports within global supply chains, reduce demurrage losses and hardwire efficiency into customs administration through deeper digital integration.

    The support follows the recent unveiling of the Time Release Study (TRS) by Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the 2026 World Customs Day celebration on January 26.

    The study, conducted at Tin Can Island Port with technical backing from the World Customs Organisation (WCO), quantified how coordinated reforms across agencies could dramatically shorten cargo dwell time.

    Speaking in an interview, CCC’s Secretary Dr Eugene Nweke, said the findings mark a transition point for Nigeria’s trade ecosystem—from merely measuring delays to converting data into economic impact.

    “In an era where competitiveness is measured in hours, not intentions, the TRS positions the NCS as a modern customs administration capable of diagnosing bottlenecks with precision,” he said.

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    The TRS, a globally recognised customs performance tool, measures how long it takes cargo to move from arrival to final release at ports and border points. According to the Tin Can Island findings, harmonised digital processes and stronger inter-agency coordination alone could deliver a 40 per cent reduction in clearance time, freeing capital trapped in delays and improving supply-chain predictability.

    Nweke cautioned, however, that the study must not be misinterpreted as an indictment of institutions.

    “For the NCS to achieve its reforms, the TRS should be seen as a diagnostic tool, not a fault-finding exercise; and a source of process intelligence, not institutional blame,” he said.

    From a maritime business perspective, the implications extend beyond customs operations. Faster cargo turnaround, he said, directly influences vessel scheduling, terminal productivity, freight rates and Nigeria’s attractiveness as a trans-shipment and destination market in West and Central Africa.

    According to Nweke, the TRS aligns squarely with Adeniyi’s reform pillars, particularly trade facilitation and port efficiency.

    “It does that by identifying systemic dwell-time drivers, ease of doing business through measurable improvement indicators, alongside integrity and transparency by reducing discretionary bottlenecks,” he said.

    He added that the real value of the study lies not in the data itself but in the institutional response it triggers—policy refinement, process simplification, automation optimisation and structured stakeholder compliance education.

    “Without this bridge, even the best data becomes a missed opportunity,” Nweke said.

    The CCC also argued that embedding TRS benchmarks into management scorecards and key performance indicators could strengthen revenue performance, accountability and reporting to oversight bodies, including the Presidency, the Ministry of Finance and international development partners.

    “The WCO-endorsed TRS is not an end in itself. It is a strategic national asset. When leadership drives the response and collaboration is structured rather than noisy, measurement translates into progress,” Nweke said.

    He added: “As Nigeria deepens its trade facilitation and port efficiency reforms, the message is clear that measurement creates clarity and leadership turns clarity into progress.”

    At the unveiling, Adeniyi described the TRS as a cornerstone of Customs’ modernisation agenda, aimed at making Nigeria’s trade gateways “secure, efficient, predictable and globally competitive.”

    He said the service would institutionalise the TRS as a continuous diagnostic tool rather than a one-off exercise, signalling a long-term commitment to evidence-based reform in port operations.

    For shipping lines, terminal operators and cargo owners, the success of the 40 per cent clearance-time cut could mark the difference between the country remaining a high-cost port environment, or emerging as a regional logistics hub with measurable efficiency gains.

  • Why govt’s refineries are not working, by Ojulari

    Why govt’s refineries are not working, by Ojulari

    The Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Bayo Ojulari, yesterday said operations of the government-owned refineries had to be stopped after it was glaring that continuing to operate the facilities was destroying value and draining public resources.

    The NNPC boss, while speaking at a fireside chat at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES), said after an internal review by the NNPC, it discovered that continuing to run the refineries amounted to monumental losses, low utilisation rates and the absence of a credible path to profitability, despite huge financial commitments sunk into them; hence the decision to shut down the refineries temporarily.

    “There’s no way in NNPC, with the structure we are in, we can run it positively. We don’t have the capacity right now. We need to bring in additional capacity to complement what we have,” Ojulari said.

    He blamed the state of the facilities on a fundamental flaw in the operational model which placed excessive focus on financing and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), while neglecting long-term operational excellence.

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    “To make a refinery work, you need three things: financing, a competent EPC contractor, and world-class operational capacity. Unfortunately, we focused on the first two and ignored the third,” Ojulari explained.

    He explained that financiers and EPC contractors are paid and exit, while the refinery must be operated for 20 to 50 years — a responsibility that NNPC was not adequately equipped to handle on its own.

    “The system was designed for everyone to take from it, not to put anything into it,” he said.

    According to him, crude oil cargoes were supplied regularly to the refineries, but utilisation hovered between 50 and 55 per cent, while operating and contractor costs continued to rise. Yet, the refined products coming out were often of lower value compared to the crude fed into the system.

    “At the end of the day, we were leaking value with no clear line in sight on how losses would turn into profits,” he said.

    The NNPC boss disclosed that it is no longer looking for contractors to run its refineries but experienced global operators with proven track records. This, he noted informed the NNPC’s Board to take a major decision to “stop the rot” by halting refinery operations and conducting a comprehensive review.

    Admitting political pressure to keep the refineries running was intense, Ojulari said the firm insisted on applying strict commercial logic.

    He disclosed that the commencement of operations by the Dangote Refinery provided critical breathing space which has allowed the NNPC to reassess its assets and pursue a more sustainable strategy.

    “Whether you love Dangote or not, thank God it is a Nigerian refinery, built in Nigeria and working in Nigeria,” he said, adding that NNPC is also a shareholder in the Dangote refinery.

    For now, investors have continued to show interest in the refineries. “They are visiting one of the refineries as we speak, one of them is a major Chinese company with one of the largest petrochemical plants in China and there are a few other companies as well. Negotiations on equity size are still ongoing; I won’t tell you more than that for now.

    “What matters to us is not just that the refinery works; but it must work sustainably. We are not selling Nigeria, but we are open to selling some equity, as much as required, to secure sustainability.

    “Our solution is to put a sustainable structure in place, one where the refinery can finance itself and run like a proper business,” he concluded.

  • Fed Govt urges IOCs to shore up oil output

    Fed Govt urges IOCs to shore up oil output

    Determined to attain its 2.5 million barrels per day (mbpd) crude oil production output target by 2027, the federal government yesterday challenged International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the country to take decisive and concrete steps to ramp up their oil production capacity.

    Making the charge while speaking at a panel session at the ongoing 9th edition of the Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES), the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, said the performance of the petroleum industry is basically tied to the success of upstream operators, especially as the country’s economy remains largely dependent on foreign exchange earnings from the sector.

    Besides, he noted that the government has created an enabling environment for oil companies to operate effectively; therefore, they should not be an excuse not to meet the target.

    “I have always maintained that the success of the oil and gas industry is largely dependent on the success of the upstream. From upstream to midstream and downstream, everything is connected. If we do not produce crude oil, there will be nothing to refine and nothing to distribute. Therefore, the success of the petroleum sector begins with the success of the upstream.

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    “I am also happy with the team I have had the privilege to work with, a community of committed professionals.”

     From the government’s standpoint, it is important to state clearly that there is no discrimination between indigenous producers and other operators.

    “You are all companies operating in the same Nigerian space, under the same law. The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) does not differentiate between local and foreign companies. While you may operate at different scales, you are governed by the same regulations. Our expectation, therefore, is that we will continue to work together, collaborate, and strengthen the upstream sector for the benefit of all Nigerians,” Lokpobiri said.

    He assured that of government’s continued support for the industry through reforms, tax incentives and regulatory adjustments aimed at unlocking the sector’s full potential.

    “We have provided extensive incentives to unlock the sector’s potential through reforms, tax reliefs and regulatory changes. Now is the time for industry players to reciprocate by investing, producing and delivering results,” he said, adding that Nigeria’s success in the upstream sector would have positive spillover effects across Africa, while failure would negatively impact the continent’s midstream and downstream segments.

  • Elumelu-backed Redtech mulls $100mcash raise, transactions hit N30 trillion

    Elumelu-backed Redtech mulls $100mcash raise, transactions hit N30 trillion

    A Nigerian financial-technology company backed by Nigerian businessman, Mr Tony Elumelu, Redtech Limited, is planning to raise about $100 million cash in the next two years to expand its footprints across Africa.

    This comes as it announced processing N30 trillion ($20.6 billion) in total transactions over the 2025 financial year, over 100 per cent more than the N12 trillion achieved in 2024, placing the company among the highest-volume processors in Nigeria.

    The milestone was driven by strong growth across its payment platform, RedPay – including point of sale (PoS) network, merchant collections, and digital payment channels.

    Its Chief Executive, Mr Emmanuel Ojo, said the milestone marks a decisive shift from capability building to operating at national scale, reflecting sustained trust in Redtech’s infrastructure under high-volume conditions, alongside consistent adoption across sectors.

    “This milestone reflects trust from businesses that rely on us to collect and move money at scale, and from partners who expect reliability every single day.” We have built Redtech around durability, strong governance, and regularity alignment, so SMEs, enterprises, and regulated clients can grow on our rails without worrying about downtime or friction. With that foundation in place, we are ready to take this approach into more African markets,” he said.

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    A statement explained that the firm’s transaction volumes have been driven by a mix of SMEs, enterprise customers, and financial institutions across retail, hospitality, insurance, energy, public-sector-linked services, and banking.

    This highlights Redtech’s ability to support complex transaction flows, including batch processing, reconciliations, and always-on uptime across different sectors.

    Redtech plans to expand beyond Nigeria into 29 African countries by January 2027, building towards an Africa-wide payments capability that can support businesses operating across borders, sectors, and payment types.

    The company will then consider the Series A funding round, Mr Ojo told Bloomberg.

    The startup has so far deployed more than 30,000 point of sale devices and started a payment gateway which helps businesses move money at scale through secure, reliable, and scalable systems that reduce payment failures, downtime, and reconciliation failures while meeting the compliance needs of enterprises and regulated sectors.

  • Dangote Refinery denies fuel importation

    Dangote Refinery denies fuel importation

    Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals (DPRP) yesterday denied reports suggesting that it imports finished petroleum products. The firm described the claims as incorrect and based on a misunderstanding of global refinery operations.

    It said DPRP refines crude oil and processes intermediate feedstocks into premium petroleum products and petrochemicals that meet the highest international standards.

    Speaking at a media briefing, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, DPRP, David Bird, explained that processing intermediate or semi processed materials is a standard practice within the global refining industry.

    He clarified that this practice does not amount to importing finished petroleum products.

    Bird highlighted that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery operates using a European and Asian merchant refinery model, which integrates advanced refining, blending and trading systems designed to meet modern quality and environmental benchmarks.

    “DPRP produces high quality fuels aligned with international environmental and health standards. Our gasoline is lead free and MMT free with 50 parts per million sulphur, while our diesel meets ultra low sulphur specifications.  These standards help reduce emissions, protect engines and safeguard public health,” Bird stated.

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    Displaying samples of both intermediate feedstocks and fully refined products, Bird reaffirmed that the Dangote Refinery supplies only fully refined, market ready products, adding that semi finished fuels are unsuitable for vehicles and are therefore not released into the Nigerian market.

    Bird further noted that the refinery was established to end years of exposure to substandard fuel in Nigeria by providing products that meet stringent global standards. He added that DPRP’s products are now exported to international markets, highlighting their quality and competitiveness.

    Intermediate materials—such as naphtha, straight run gas oil, vacuum gas oil (VGO), reformate, alkylate and isomerate—serve as feedstock for additional refining into finished fuels like petrol and diesel, as well as petrochemicals.

    Bird stressed the refinery’s commitment to transparency in its operations and engagements with regulators. He urged the media to help properly educate the public on the clear distinction between intermediate products and finished fuel.

    “It is unfortunate that some individuals are deliberately spreading misleading narratives about a refinery that has transformed Nigeria and the West African region from a dumping ground for substandard fuels into a hub for high quality products,” he said, adding that the refinery’s flexible design allows it to process a diverse mix of crude oils and intermediate feedstocks into premium finished fuels.

    Bird assured Nigerians of sustained product availability, noting that the refinery has contributed significantly to easing fuel scarcity, stabilising the naira, and reducing pressure on foreign exchange.

    Group Chief Brand and Communications Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, Anthony Chiejina, urged journalists to be precise in their choice of terminology, warning that inaccurate reporting could misinform the public and create unnecessary panic.