The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • How agri-tech is rewriting Nigeria’s farming future

    How agri-tech is rewriting Nigeria’s farming future

    A disruptive transformation is reshaping Nigeria’s agriculture—and it’s powered by innovation. From vertical farms and hydroponics to AI-driven mechanisation and clean energy, groundbreaking technologies are transforming how food is grown, distributed and consumed. At the forefront are bold entrepreneurs and forward-thinking institutions, arming young Nigerians with the tools to drive sustainable change. As food security concerns grow, Nigeria is fast-tracking a bold new vision for farming, reports DANIEL ESSIET.

    A quiet revolution is transforming Nigeria’s agricultural landscape, driven by groundbreaking technologies and innovative approaches. These advancements are not only boosting farm efficiency and productivity but also offering renewed hope for food security and economic growth across the nation. From soilless cultivation to digital mechanisation platforms, the future of agriculture looks promising — and stakeholders are taking notice.

    Leading this transformation is Samson Ogbole, a social impact entrepreneur and Team Lead at Eupepsia Place Limited (Soilless Farm) in Ogun State. Ogbole is passionate about equipping young Nigerians with the skills to drive agricultural innovation. His Soilless Farm Lab in Kurere Village, Awowo, showcases the power of vertical and climate-smart farming. Through the Enterprise for Youth in Agriculture (EYiA) — a Mastercard Foundation-funded project — Ogbole’s team is training 12,000 youths (70% women) over three years. The focus: soilless farming (hydroponics, aquaponics, aeroponics), protected cultivation, and cutting-edge irrigation systems.

    “EYiA, funded by the Mastercard Foundation, is empowering young individuals to take the reins in the burgeoning horticulture sector. Our programme goes beyond traditional farming practices, incorporating cutting-edge technologies and sustainable approaches to ensure long-term success,” Ogbole explained. 

    So far, over 9,000 young Nigerians have been trained in modern agricultural practices through the Soilless Farm Lab’s Enterprise for Youth in Agriculture (EYiA) initiative. These participants are equipped with skills in farm management, setup, and produce sales, preparing them for diverse roles in the evolving agribusiness space. At the helm is Samson Ogbole, a passionate social entrepreneur and mentor with i-FAIR — an innovation programme by the Israeli Embassy in Nigeria. Inspired by Israel’s food-water-energy model, Ogbole promotes year-round vegetable cultivation using minimal water resources.

    The impact of EYiA is already evident in inspiring stories like that of Odey Eucharia, a young entrepreneur from northern Nigeria. Initially drawn by the agricultural training, she discovered invaluable business management skills that transformed her cosmetics venture, Euckays Industries Enterprises. In November last year, Eucharia secured N1 million through Soilless Farm Lab’s Deal Room initiative, revitalising her brand, now flourishing with a growing line of haircare products. Her journey highlights the holistic impact of EYiA — blending agricultural innovation with entrepreneurial development to empower youth across sectors.

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    Recently, Soilless Farm Lab deepened its commitment to innovation by partnering with the University of Lagos (UNILAG). The collaboration aims to revolutionise urban agriculture using vertical farming technologies. During a strategic meeting, Ogbole pledged full support, including curriculum input, hands-on training, and expedited implementation of a proposed urban agriculture centre. A ₦5 million donation by Soilless Farm Lab kickstarted the partnership. Professor Bola Oboh, UNILAG’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research), reaffirmed the university’s commitment, revealing plans to establish a Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, and the UNILAG Centre for City Agriculture. She underscored the urgency of the project, aiming for a functional demonstration centre within 12–18 months.

    Meanwhile, innovators like Adebowale Onafowora, CEO of Bic Soilless Technology Farms in Abeokuta, are leveraging hydroponics to produce maize fodder for livestock — showcasing how agricultural technology is addressing food system challenges from crop to cattle. In the face of rising climate challenges and water scarcity, innovative agricultural practices are becoming increasingly vital. According to Onafowora, hydroponics, a method of growing plants without soil, is emerging as a leading solution, offering superior resource efficiency and high-quality yields. He explains that hydroponics ensures efficient use of water and resources while delivering consistently high-quality yields, making it especially suitable for water-stressed regions. “While traditional methods may offer short-term gains, hydroponics provides long-term sustainability,” Onafowora notes. He adds that crops like lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, and strawberries thrive under hydroponic systems, meeting both local and international market demands for freshness and quality.

    In 2017, BIC Farms partnered with Landmark University (LMU), Omu-Aran, Kwara State, to drive a soilless farming revolution. Onafowora underscores the urgency of adapting to urbanisation and dwindling arable land, pointing out that hydroponics makes agriculture more appealing to the younger generation — a crucial factor as Nigeria’s farming population ages. Dr. Samson Odedina, former Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture and past Rector of the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, echoes this urgency. He advocates for integrating technology into farming, stating: “The sector faces challenges that demand fast-paced, scalable innovation to transform agri-food systems.”

    One such innovation is Tractrac, a cloud-based platform founded by Godson Ohuruogu. The platform crowd-sources and crowd-funds access to agricultural machinery, providing affordable mechanisation services to over 135,000 smallholder farmers across Nigeria. “Mechanisation isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity for agricultural progress,” Ohuruogu says. His platform, TracTrac-Plus, allows real-time booking of farm equipment, helping farmers improve productivity and reduce manual labour. Together, these innovators reflect a new wave of solution-driven agriculture, harnessing technology to drive sustainability, youth engagement, and food security in Nigeria’s evolving agricultural landscape. “The company is also actively working to address gender and youth gaps in mechanisation by supporting women and young entrepreneurs in setting up sustainable mechanisation businesses.

    The Chief Executive of SMEFUNDS, Femi Oye is championing the urgent need for communities to be “powered up” through decentralised renewable energy projects. His conviction is that these initiatives are not merely about electricity, but are a vital weapon in the fight against hunger, particularly in the country’s most remote rural areas. Oye highlighted the potential of harnessing renewable energy to revolutionise food security.

    With rising temperatures threatening food production, he emphasised the importance of clean energy sources such as solar and biomass. His Green Energy United project, which produces bio-ethanol gel from water hyacinth and sawdust for clean cooking, exemplifies innovative solutions that bridge energy and food security.

    Oye is a strong proponent of kick-starting rural development and promoting food security by deploying solar-powered pumps and irrigation systems. He emphasised that these technologies can reach extremely remote villages, unlocking agricultural potential that has long been hampered by a lack of reliable power. He believes that renewable energy can power various aspects of the agricultural value chain, from processing and storage facilities to providing lighting for extended working hours, all contributing to a more robust and resilient food system.

    Lagos has unveiled plans to enhance the adoption of next-generation agritechnologies through pilot training programmes designed to deepen workforce specialisation levels. Indeed, the state is emerging as a vibrant hub for AgTech, driven by a robust entrepreneurship ecosystem and supportive governmental initiatives. The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food System, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, underscored the positive policy environment for the agritech sector, recognising its strategic significance in addressing food security and driving economic growth.

    “We established the Lagos Innovation Club as a platform for young business owners in the agri space,” Olusanya noted, emphasising the government’s role in facilitating private sector-led initiatives and fostering collaborations.

    Across Africa, countries are looking towards Israel as a model for developing smart technology to improve food security. The Chief Executive Officer of the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr Olufemi Oladunni, urged the Federal Government to cooperate with Israel, particularly in leveraging their expertise in advanced agricultural technologies such as drip irrigation. “Israel is a desert place where everything is green. Their experience in transforming the desert into green land is legendary,” Oladunni observed, highlighting the potential for Nigeria to combat desert encroachment and enhance food production with Israeli knowledge.

    The Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, in a recent event, expressed his country’s pride in partnering with Nigeria to develop its economic and business landscape, emphasising Israel’s readiness for business collaborations. Israeli startups are utilising technology across the entire food supply chain, from agricultural production to the development of nutritious and sustainable food. With over 750 companies driving innovation in the agrifood tech sector, Israel’s advancements in data analysis, Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and biological sciences offer invaluable lessons for Nigeria.

    The Head of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Bruno Gerard, believes Africa’s agricultural landscape stands at a critical juncture, brimming with potential yet facing significant challenges. However, according to him, universities hold the key to unlocking this potential and forging a better future for the Continent’s farmers. Gerard emphasised that these institutions are not just centres of academic learning, but vital engines for innovation, research and capacity building–all essential ingredients for transforming African agriculture.

    According to him, UM6P is ready to partner with Nigerian universities to shape a better Africa for farmers. He sees the university providing incubators for the next generation of agricultural leaders, researchers and extension workers who will drive sustainable practices and food security across the Continent. He highlighted several critical ways the university contributes to this vision. These include developing climate-resilient crops and sustainable farming techniques tailored to Africa’s diverse agro-ecological zones. The research, according to him, is crucial for increasing yields, reducing post-harvest losses and adapting to the impacts of climate change. His insights underscore a compelling vision where academic excellence translates directly into tangible benefits for the millions of farmers who are the backbone of Africa’s economy.

    Early this year, the European Union (EU) reiterated its dedication to revolutionising agriculture in Nigeria and other Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) nations through digitalisation. The commitment was highlighted during a field mission for the EU’s DIGISOL project in Owerri. The Head of Cooperation for the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Massimo De Luca, emphasised the EU’s resolve, stressing that the DIGISOL project aims at equipping rural farmers with essential digital tools and training.

    The initiative is set to significantly improve agricultural practices across the country. Luca extended his gratitude to the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (UAES), Umuagwo, Imo State, for its effective collaboration in training farmers throughout the state. He also acknowledged the support of the Imo State Government, stating that the DIGISOL project will enhance food security and improve livelihood. “The EU DIGISOL project is about digital solutions and the transformation of lives through food sustainability. It’s about ensuring that Nigerian farmers have the tools that they need to thrive in an era of climate change,” Luca stated.

    The project’s Team Lead, Mr Chris Addy-Nayo, explained that the initiative focuses on supporting digital production, processing and the sharing of trade knowledge. He reported that the project has already engaged 100 farmers in Imo, 200 in Kwara and 300 in Ogun states. Addy-Nayo assured farmers of the EU’s continued commitment to optimising agricultural productivity through digital processes. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (UAES) Umuagwo, Prof Christopher Eze, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to environmental sustainability and climate action through technical education, agriculture, human capital development and food security.

  • Inside LUTH’s infrastructure renaissance

    Inside LUTH’s infrastructure renaissance

    Once synonymous with failing infrastructure and interrupted care, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, is now undergoing a striking rebirth. Backed by unprecedented federal funding, sweeping renovations and new medical equipment, the institution is repositioning itself as a true centre of healthcare excellence. But even as members of staff and patients embrace this new dawn, persistent challenges—especially erratic power supply and the exodus of health professionals—remain pressing concerns, reports Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF.

    A gentle hum of monitors and clinical beeps once filled the wards at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH)—steady, reassuring sounds that signalled life and routine care. But all too often, that calm was shattered by the deep, mechanical cough of a failing generator. The lights would flicker. Machines paused. And for a few heart-stopping seconds, nurses and doctors held their breath, waiting for backup power to kick in.

    Before the hospital’s ongoing infrastructure renaissance, this scene was painfully familiar—especially in intensive care units and operating theatres, where even a moment’s delay could be critical.

    Like many public health institutions across Nigeria, LUTH—once a flagship of Nigerian healthcare — battled unreliable electricity supply for decades. Wards were lit by torchlight. Surgeries sometimes proceeded under the glow of mobile phones. Generators ran around the clock, guzzling diesel that drained budgets and blackened the air. The cost—both financial and human—was steep. “Sometimes, we lost more than power,” one nurse recalled softly. “We lost time, we lost patience, and in rare, heart-breaking moments—we lost lives.”

    A new dawn sweeping across LUTH

    These days, that dark chapter is giving way to a brighter, more reliable era. In the last few years, LUTH has undergone a transformation that speaks to the larger story of renewal unfolding across Nigeria’s healthcare system. The hum of monitors is steadier now. The flickers are fewer. And the once-ominous silence that followed a power cut has been replaced by confidence in more sustainable and dependable energy sources.

    At the heart of this transformation is a wave of unprecedented federal investment in teaching hospitals — a surge in infrastructure funding that has risen by over 900 per cent under the current administration. This injection of resources has become the lifeline powering LUTH’s renaissance, reshaping it into a model of resilience and modern healthcare delivery.

    According to the LUTH Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo, Nigeria is witnessing an infrastructural revolution in its teaching hospitals unlike anything seen in living memory. “Teaching hospitals’ infrastructure funding has increased by over 900 per cent,” he told The Nation in an exclusive interview; his voice carrying both conviction and optimism following a guided tour across LUTH’s sprawling premises and newly upgraded facilities.

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    “The government is allocating lots of money to upgrade infrastructure here. We have never witnessed anything close to this in over 40 years. Aside from the physical transformation, we’re also getting new medical equipment. If the Federal Government sustains this trend in the next five years, all our teaching hospitals will become world-class,” he said.

    Those words are not just a boast—they echo through the very walls of LUTH currently. Where once peeling paint, leaky ceilings and crumbling wards defined the patient experience, new scaffolding, fresh tiles and humming machinery now tell a different story.

    At the centre of this renewal is the comprehensive renovation of LUTH’s largest and busiest wards—E3, E5 and E7. Collectively, these three wings stretch across three floors and accommodate a total of 240 beds, serving as the hospital’s workhorses for decades. Together, they house 90 individual wards and receive some of the highest patient inflows in the entire facility.

    “These are the busiest wards in the hospital, and their upgrade will significantly boost our capacity to serve patients,” Prof. Adeyemo, a maxillofacial surgeon and professor at University of Lagos, further explained. What makes the renovation remarkable is not just its scale, but its source. “It is fully funded by the Federal Government,” he stressed. “That shows a clear policy shift. The government is no longer patching holes; it is making long-term, transformational investments.”

    As the CMD said during the tour, the work is painstaking. Walls are being reinforced. Worn-out plumbing and electrical systems are being replaced with modern fittings. Each ward is being redesigned to reflect international standards of patient comfort and infection control. The result will be a more dignified, efficient and safe environment for patients and caregivers alike.

    Beyond the general wards, LUTH is also breaking new ground by investing in a dedicated three-storey geriatric centre—a first of its kind in Lagos, and among the few in Nigeria. For Prof. Adeyemo, who graciously acknowledged the solid infrastructural strides of his predecessor, Prof. Chris Bode, the symbolism could not be more powerful. “Elderly people don’t always need treatment; what they need is a place where they can live with dignity among their peers,” he explained.

    “Facilities of this kind are scarce in Lagos, so this will make a huge difference,” he also said. The geriatric centre is designed not only as a medical hub but as a sanctuary for ageing Nigerians, reflecting an emerging recognition that health planning must keep pace with the country’s changing demographics. With Nigeria’s elderly population growing, he said LUTH’s investment is both timely and visionary.

    The transformation does not stop with the main wards. Other critical points of care—often the first or last line of defence in life-and-death situations—are also receiving a facelift. Renovations are underway in additional medical and surgical wards, including E6, while major upgrades are progressing in the labour ward, neonatal intensive care units and the Accident and Emergency (A and E) complex.

    “These upgrades will have a direct impact on patient outcomes. From maternal health to accident response, LUTH will be better equipped than ever,” he said.

    In practical terms, this means mothers in labour will no longer deliver under flickering lights or amid faulty equipment. Accident victims rushed into the A and E will receive care in a modernised environment designed to save precious seconds. And fragile new-borns will have a better fighting chance, shielded by reliable power and state-of-the-art incubators.

    While the government funding has been the catalyst, private philanthropy is quietly expanding the margins of LUTH’s transformation. One striking example is the recent upgrade of the Physiotherapy Department, financed by a philanthropic family determined to make a lasting impact. Through the remarkable benevolence of Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and his family, what was once a modest bungalow in LUTH has been magnificently transformed into a striking three-storey complex equipped with world-class facilities. Recently inaugurated, the new Wole Olanipekun Physiotherapy Centre is being hailed as a landmark addition to the nation’s health infrastructure—one that blends architectural brilliance with a deep sense of service to humanity. Solar-powered and future-ready, the centre embodies a seamless mix of elegance and functionality. Within its walls are a hydrotherapy pool designed to aid recovery and rehabilitation, gyms specially created for both adults and children, spacious seminar halls for training and knowledge exchange, and a fully equipped radiology centre to support advanced diagnostics. Spread across three expansive floors, the complex also boasts eight treatment cubicles, making it capable of serving a large number of patients at once while providing specialised physiotherapy services that meet international standards.

    The facility, estimated to have cost well over N1.5 billion, is already being touted as by far the most advanced physiotherapy centre in Nigeria—and indeed West Africa, capable of delivering comprehensive rehabilitation services to patients recovering from stroke, injury, or chronic illness.

    According the CMD, the centre was donated by Mr. Bode Olanipekun (SAN) and his wife, in honour of the Olanipekun family’s enduring legacy of giving back to society. More than just bricks and mortar, the facility represents a philosophy of compassion and commitment to community renewal.

    The outpatient building as a game-changer

    At the heart of LUTH’s ongoing renaissance is one of its boldest undertakings yet—the transformation of its outpatient services. For decades, the hospital’s old outpatient building struggled under the weight of sheer demand. Long queues, crowded waiting areas and inadequate consulting spaces often defined the patient experience.

    But now, a revolutionary redesign is changing that story. One of the flagship projects in the pipeline is the renovation of the old outpatient building and its integration with a state-of-the-art outpatient complex situated just across the road. Linking the two facilities is a sleek, glass-panelled skywalk—an architectural solution that does more than bridge two buildings.

    The CMD enthused that it symbolises LUTH’s determination to reimagine patient care and workflow for the 21st Century.

    The new outpatient centre, a massive five-storey edifice, is set to be inaugurated by President Tinubu—a move underscoring its national importance as a model of federal investment in healthcare. LUTH’s Chief Medical Director described the project as “a bold redesign of hospital architecture to improve patient flow.”

    In his words, it is not just about new bricks and mortar, but about creating an environment where efficiency, dignity and accessibility are at the core of service delivery. The facility will feature 254 consulting rooms—an unprecedented leap in capacity that promises to drastically cut down waiting times.

    Each room is being purpose-built to enhance the consultation process, ensuring doctors and patients have adequate space and privacy. The building also incorporates wide ramps, modern lifts and other accessibility features, making it user-friendly for elderly patients and those with disabilities.

    For a teaching hospital that sees thousands of outpatients daily, this project is a potential game-changer. It represents not only an infrastructural upgrade but a philosophical shift: patient care must be efficient, dignified, and uncompromised by the failings of the past.

    Parallel to the outpatient expansion, LUTH is constructing a three-storey Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) Centre dedicated to tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. For a country that still carries one of the highest TB burdens in the world, the significance of this cannot be overstated.

    Equipped with modern laboratories, isolation wards and consultation rooms, the DOT Centre will serve as a referral hub not only for Lagos but for the wider West African sub-region. It reflects the reality that world-class healthcare is not just about treating heart attacks and cancers, but also about controlling communicable diseases that continue to claim thousands of lives each year.

    For Prof. Adeyemo, the challenge now is sustainability. “If the government sustains this pace for another five years, our teaching hospitals will stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world,” he said.

    How it all began: FG’s renewed focus on the health sector

     For decades, Nigeria’s health sector has wrestled with deep-seated challenges: a rise in non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and hypertension; limited access to healthcare and essential medicines; and hospitals weighed down by inadequate infrastructure and outdated equipment. These shortcomings have often translated into unnecessary deaths, medical tourism, and a growing lack of confidence in the nation’s capacity to deliver world-class care. Successive administrations promised reform, but progress was often piecemeal—leaving patients, health workers and policymakers yearning for decisive, coordinated action.

    That tide began to turn in February 2024, when the Federal Government signalled a bold new chapter for the sector. In a move described as one of the most ambitious health investments in the country’s history, the Federal Executive Council approved $1.07 billion for health sector reforms under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) programme. This sweeping initiative was conceived not merely as an intervention, but as a systemic overhaul designed to tackle both immediate needs and long-term structural weaknesses.

    The reforms were wide-ranging. Alongside the HOPE programme, the government also approved a N4.8 billion allocation specifically targeted at HIV treatment, prevention and care. The combined effort reflects an understanding that Nigeria’s health burden is twofold: communicable diseases such as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis remain stubbornly prevalent, even as the country battles the rising wave of non-communicable conditions that now account for an increasing share of hospital admissions and mortality.

    To finance the HOPE programme, Nigeria secured two concessional loans of $500 million each from the International Development Association (IDA), complemented by $70 million in grant funding from international partners. Speaking on the package, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, explained that the facility was structured to ease repayment pressure while unlocking critical resources needed to reverse decades of underfunding in the health sector.For Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, the HOPE programme goes to the heart of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. More than just injecting funds into infrastructure, he stressed, the initiative is about investing in people. Already, as Prof. Adeyemo put it, institutions such as LUTH are beginning to feel the ripple effects of this renewed focus. The reforms are translating into both structural and physical transformations, gradually reshaping Nigeria’s apex healthcare centres into true centres of excellence—marked by upgraded infrastructure, modern equipment, and environments increasingly aligned with global standards.

    Recall that the President had, in February 2024, directed that the infrastructure and equipment of 16 selected institutions be comprehensively upgraded across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, marking a decisive step in his administration’s commitment to overhaul the nation’s healthcare system.

    Among them are the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba and the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria. Six of these teaching hospitals have been earmarked for the establishment of oncology and nuclear medicine centres, with each facility expected to be delivered within 12 to 18 months.

    According to a statement from the Presidency titled ‘President Tinubu Approves Immediate Upgrade of Key Health Infrastructure Across Nigeria’s Six Geo-Political Zones,’ the modernisation drive is “in line with his administration’s vision of overhauling the health and social welfare sector… to ensure that world-class cancer diagnosis and care is accessible to all Nigerians.”

    In addition to LUTH and ABUTH, other beneficiaries of the oncology and nuclear medicine expansion are the University of Benin Teaching Hospital in Edo State, the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Enugu State, the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina and the University of Jos Teaching Hospital in Plateau State.

    Beyond oncology, President Tinubu also approved the expansion of critical healthcare services—including radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology, as well as cardiac catheterisation—in 10 hospitals nationwide. These are: Reference Hospital, Kaduna (Northwest), which will benefit from new facilities in radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology; Medical Diagnostic Centre Complex, Enugu (Southeast), slated for similar upgrades; and Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto (Northwest), which will receive diagnostic and interventional radiology, clinical pathology, and cardiac catheterisation services.

    Others are University College Hospital, Ibadan (Southwest), which will see expansions in diagnostic and interventional radiology, clinical pathology, and cardiac catheterisation; University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (Southsouth), marked for improvements in radiology and clinical pathology; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi (Northeast), also set for radiology and clinical pathology upgrades; and Federal Medical Centre, Asaba (Southsouth), which will undergo similar expansions.

    The list continues with Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre Complex, Ilorin (Northcentral), earmarked for radiology and clinical pathology; Jos University Teaching Hospital (Northcentral), also scheduled for upgrades in the same areas; and Federal Medical Centre, Nguru (Northeast), which will equally benefit from new radiology and clinical pathology facilities. The Presidency explained that the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, working in collaboration with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), will implement the upgrades. These include comprehensive improvements in cancer-treatment infrastructure, alongside the renovation and expansion of existing facilities, with the aim of broadening access to quality healthcare nationwide.

    Poor remuneration and power supply crisis persist

    Now, the palpable mood inside LUTH reflects a new sense of optimism. For decades, staff and patients had grown accustomed to leaky roofs, peeling walls, overcrowded wards, and frequent equipment breakdowns. For the CMD whose colleagues describe as tireless, the transformation is nothing short of inspiring. “The pace of infrastructure renewal here is refreshing,” he told The Nation. “Members of staff morale is high and patients are already beginning to notice improvements. For the first time in many years, there is genuine hope that LUTH is reclaiming its pride of place.”

    The CMD appealed for the Federal Government’s support to replicate in Lagos what was done in Maiduguri, where the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital now enjoys a 12-megawatt solar hybrid power supply from the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

    “A similar intervention here at LUTH would transform our capacity. It would guarantee uninterrupted power for our theatres, ICUs, laboratories and diagnostic centres—ultimately improving patient outcomes and enabling us to deliver world-class care,” he explained.

    While electricity remains the most pressing infrastructural headache, another equally urgent challenge threatens the future of LUTH and the wider Nigerian health system: the unrelenting wave of medical brain drain, popularly known as japa.

    Nigeria has one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios in the world, and the exodus of skilled professionals to Europe, North America and the Middle East has only worsened the crisis. For teaching hospitals like LUTH, where training the next generation of healthcare workers is central to its mandate, the human resource gap is particularly devastating. “The federal government has made efforts to increase the number of doctors and other medical professionals trained annually,” Prof. Adeyemo acknowledged. “But the main issue is not just the numbers—it is retention. If you train 1,000 and most of them leave within a year, what have you gained?”

    The CMD argued that the root of the exodus lies in poor remuneration and working conditions, a reality that has become more glaring in recent years.

    Prof. Adeyemo insists that the solution is clear: competitive pay and better welfare packages. “If the government can address the issue of poor remuneration, many healthcare workers will stay. They are not just leaving for better facilities abroad; they are leaving because they want to be valued here. Until we fix this, infrastructure upgrades will not achieve their full impact.” For him, the picture is one of both progress and caution. The wave of federal investment in LUTH and other teaching hospitals is laying the foundation for centres of healthcare excellence that can rival peers across Africa. But without sustainable power and a committed workforce, the dream could falter. “The reforms are not merely cosmetic,” the CMD stressed. “They are foundational. If we sustain them, LUTH will not only serve Nigeria—it will serve the world.”

  • Agwai urges trust, knowledge sharing to tackle Africa’s security challenges

    Agwai urges trust, knowledge sharing to tackle Africa’s security challenges

    The Vice President of the Board of the International Institute for African Defence, Security and Governance (IIADSGOV), Gen. Martin Agwai (retd.), has stressed that trust and knowledge sharing are crucial to addressing insecurity and promoting peaceful coexistence across Africa.

    Agwai, a former Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Staff, made the call on while addressing members of the Association of African Defence Attachés in Washington, D.C., United States.

    IIADSGOV is an independent, pan-African defence and security training and research institute headquartered in Washington, D.C., with a country office in Nigeria serving as its ECOWAS regional coordination centre. 

    It is registered with the U.S. Department of State and Department of Defence as a broker of defence articles, services, and training under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

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    In his speech, Agwai charged the defence attachés to remain focused in confronting challenges such as banditry, kidnapping, and other forms of criminality threatening stability on the continent.

    “True leadership in defence is rooted not just in capacity and strength but also in integrity, discipline, and the unwavering commitment to serve our nations and peoples.

    “It is incumbent upon us to foster trust, enhance cooperation, and share knowledge to build resilient security architectures across Africa.”

    He noted that Africa’s security landscape demands innovative, collaborative, and adaptive solutions, stressing the need for partnerships with institutions like IIADSGOV.

    Agwai also aligned his remarks with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a unified and peaceful continent driven by “African solutions to African problems.” 

    He emphasised that indigenous leadership and regionally tailored policies are key to building resilient institutions, strengthening sovereignty, and reducing reliance on external actors.

    “Africa is a continent brimming with potential, rich in resources, vibrant in culture, and resilient in spirit. Yet, it faces persistent challenges, from peacekeeping and counter-terrorism to sustainable development and good governance,” he said. “Our collective responsibility is to transform these challenges into opportunities for the good of our people.”

    He urged the defence attachés to act as connectors between their governments and the international community, while also promoting IIADSGOV’s programmes within their countries to strengthen regional peace and security.

    Responding, the Dean of the Association, Brig. Gen. Philip Nyamali, who is also the Defence Attaché of Malawi in Washington, D.C., commended Agwai’s commitment to advancing Africa’s defence and security agenda. 

    He pledged the association’s readiness to partner with IIADSGOV in facilitating training and information-sharing initiatives for member states.

  • Repositioning Nigeria as industrial hub for local paper production

    Repositioning Nigeria as industrial hub for local paper production

    Tucked away in the heart of Nigeria’s industrial sector, lies an often-overlooked opportunity — the local paper manufacturing industry. It’s not as glamorous as oil or as headline-grabbing as fintech, but it holds the potential to transform the Nigerian economy, ALAO ABIODUN and DAVID BOLARINWA write.

    The paper sector, once considered a robust component of Nigeria’s industrial base, is now characterised by low capacity utilisation, rising production costs, and limited support from the government.

    However, stakeholders believe the paper industry especially the moribund paper mill sector can work, it can thrive, and it can rescue Nigeria from both unemployment and a high-spending import system — if only the government and the people would believe in it.

    Over the years, Nigeria, one of the largest consumers of paper in Africa, has continued to pour billions of dollars into importing nearly 90–95 percent of its demand for white-grade paper, while local producers struggle to keep afloat.

    Meanwhile, stakeholders in the manufacturing industry believe the paper industry could find hope in the Nigeria First Policy of President Bola Tinubu’s recent initiative to prioritise locally made goods in public procurement.

    The Nigeria First Policy, signed by President Tinubu and designed to prioritise locally made goods and services in public procurement, has been hailed as a bold step towards reducing import dependence and promoting job creation.

    The Policy mandates that all ministries, departments, and agencies prioritise locally made goods, with any procurement of foreign products requiring a formal waiver certifying the non-availability of local alternatives. But industry leaders argue this requirement is not being applied in the printing and publishing sectors.

    These stakeholders urged the Federal Government to implement bold policies that will reposition the nation as West Africa’s industrial hub for paper production, warning that the dominance of cheap imported paper continues to destabilize local pricing, distort competition, and weaken Nigeria’s paper value chain.

    A Local Industry with Global Cost

     According to a report from Nairametrics, In 2021, Nigeria imported over $600 million worth of paper and paper-related products. That’s $600 million in foreign exchange leaving the country annually for a product that Nigeria can mostly produce locally.

    Similarly, paper prices in Nigeria in the last five years have surged by over 300 per cent, driven by foreign exchange crisis, transport bottlenecks and rising production costs. As a result, many local printers, despite having invested in high-capacity equipment, are battling low patronage.

    Some key stakeholders argued that Nigeria’s local mills are already producing international-grade 50gsm and 60gsm paper, suitable for exercise books, publishing, and commercial printing.

    However, unless the government increases import tariffs on finished paper and supports local procurement, the sector’s growth will be stifled.

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    A stakeholder in the paper production industry, Williams Sun who spoke with The Nation said: “We are building something great in Nigeria, but we are also facing an uneven playing field. The influx of underpriced and often inferior foreign paper is sabotaging local industry confidence.

    “We’re not asking for a blanket ban, but for fair policy that encourages Nigerian content. If we import everything, we export jobs and import poverty.

    Sun praised recent investments that have stabilized paper pricing and expanded job creation, particularly in the education sector.

    According to him, the consistent local supply of writing paper has already led to more affordable exercise books and improved access for low-income students.

    Looking at the broader socio-economic value of the industry, the local paper production is reviving communities, promoting technical skill development, and contributing to Nigeria’s climate goals through wastepaper recycling and sustainable forestry practices.

    From Cassava to Printing Press

     One might not expect to find cassava farmers and timber contractors playing a vital role in paper production, but in Nigeria, they do. “Cassava starch, when processed, becomes a type of gum we use in making paper,” Sun explained. “It’s one of our most important materials. The value chain involves thousands — farmers, transporters, machine operators, wood contractors — everyone benefits.”

     In many rural areas, people are now beginning to understand the economic value of trees beyond furniture or firewood. “Now they know their tree roots can produce paper,” Sun added. “Even in rainy seasons, they keep working because they earn, that’s the impact.”

     This transformation of local raw materials into industrial input is what industrialization looks like at the grassroots. It’s not just about factories and machines; it’s about people, families, and communities woven into a fabric of productivity.

    Nigeria can shift away from import dependency and focus toward localized, inclusive industrial growth driven by investment, policy, and innovation.

    The revitalization of the local paper manufacturing is crucial for economic diversification, job creation and the preservation of foreign exchange so as to foster a self-reliant and robust domestic industry.

     The Bureaucracy of progress

     Despite the human capital and natural resources at play, stakeholders lamented about the frustrating system, highlighting the issue of slow policy processes, difficult engagements with customs, and loopholes that benefit importers at the expense of local manufacturers.

     Also, there are the essential inputs — materials like long-fiber pulp, peroxide, and caustic soda that are not produced locally due to climatic or industrial limitations. 

    The environmental benefits of investing in the paper industry are equally compelling. For years, Lagos streets were littered with plastic and paper waste, contributing to pollution and clogged drainages. But in recent times, there’s been a visible reduction in this trend — thanks to the rise in recycling efforts.

    Yet, the problem isn’t just about paper — it’s about mindset, policy, and a system that inadvertently punishes local efforts while rewarding foreign imports.

    Another stakeholder, Rajeev Kumar, warned that the unchecked dominance of imports would strangle local investment. He said many entrepreneurs who invested heavily in local production are unable to recover their investments.

    Way forward

    To recalibrate the progress in local paper industry, the government can consider tax incentives for local manufacturers, access to forex for equipment upgrades, access to BOI (Bank of Industry) loans at a cheaper interest rate and the classification of paper manufacturing as a priority sector within Nigeria’s industrial policy.

    Most importantly, the establishment of a Paper Industry Council to serve as a liaison between government, industry, and investors, enabling real-time policy feedback and technical collaboration on sustainability and innovation can help reposition the country’s status.

    The sector currently supports more than 7,000 direct and indirect jobs across three regions and could double that figure by 2026 with the right policy framework.

    A Call to Action

     Beyond the bureaucratic challenges and unfair competition from cheap imports, the local paper mill sector needs validation — from government and the Nigerian public. Publishers, educational institutions, and printers have been called upon to use Nigerian-made paper.

     This repositioning vision isn’t far-fetched. In a country where paper is still essential — from education and publishing to packaging and branding — building a thriving paper industry isn’t just industrial policy; it’s economic survival.

  • Bauchi, Gombe mothers strike home-grown solutions to child malnutrition

    Bauchi, Gombe mothers strike home-grown solutions to child malnutrition

    • Millet, sorghum, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes to the rescue

    When funding for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) began to dry up in Bauchi and Gombe, leaving malnourished children stranded, mothers turned to their farmlands for answers. In Kaltungo (Gombe) and Toro (Bauchi) local government areas where nearly every household now cultivates orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, women are planting hope alongside food—deploying homegrown solutions to prevent stunting and wasting among their children, DAVID ADENUGA reports.

    Malnutrition is still a major crisis in Nigeria’s North-East, with Bauchi and Gombe states among the worst affected. Thousands of children under five continue to suffer from stunting, wasting and being underweight, leaving health experts alarmed.

    According to the 2021 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), Bauchi ranked as one of the states with the highest stunting rate, with over 50 per cent of children under five affected.

    Gombe also has similar figures, with more than half of its children chronically malnourished, according to NDHS and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).

    Also, Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centres are still struggling with frequent stockouts of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) that have  left many children untreated.

    Under CMAM, children aged six months to five years with acute malnutrition are placed on RUTF for about two months until recovery.

    The programme was introduced in Nigeria in 2009 by the United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF) in 12 northern states, with governments expected to provide counterpart funding. But despite allocations in state governments’ budget, only little money is released, leaving centres unable to buy the needed supplies.

    A visit to five centres in Bauchi  — Baima PHC (Warji), Miri PHC (Bauchi), Bununu (Tafawa Balewa), Madara PHC (Katagum), and Gamawa Township Maternity — confirmed that RUTF has been out of stock for weeks.

    At Miri Health Centre, a worker revealed that supplies had not arrived for almost a month. “We contacted the state nutrition officer who said a memo was written for UNICEF to send more, but nothing has come. We now teach mothers how to prepare local substitutes like *tamowa*, made from groundnut and other foods,” he explained.

    According to a report by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), 23,000 cases of severe malnutrition were recorded in Bauchi between January and June 2024 — a 120 per cent increase from the same period in 2023.

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    It also noted that malnutrition across Nigeria rose by 40 per cent. “Poverty is a factor, but not the only reason numbers are rising,” MSF’s medical coordinator, Thierry Boyom, said.

    MSF, which has supported Bauchi since 2022, admitted its centres are overstretched.

    Additionally, UNICEF data shows Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, with malnutrition linked to nearly half of deaths of children under five.

    In Gombe, UNICEF raised the alarm over worsening state of malnourished children.

    At a recent advocacy workshop in Jos in April 2025,  its Bauchi Field Office Chief, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, said more than 50 per cent of children in the state are stunted, while many also suffer wasting and micronutrient deficiencies such as iron and vitamin A. Exclusive breastfeeding rates remain low, further compounding the crisis.

    Dr. Rafique urged stronger commitments at the local government level. She highlighted the importance of investing in exclusive breastfeeding, improved feeding practices, and use of diverse, locally available foods. She also commended Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for contributing to the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), which matches state funding with donor support.

    Yet, despite this progress, UNICEF said a ₦4 billion funding gap remains in Gombe, leaving over 54,000 malnourished children at risk without treatment.

    Community women in Bauchi and Gombe step up to fight malnutrition

    Local women’s  groups and health volunteers in both states are now stepping up with simple, community-driven solutions to tackle the crisis.

    They rely on local foods and basic nutrition education to help mothers improve their children’s health.

    The effort is led by local women’s groups with support from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) like Action Against Hunger and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

    They work with state health agencies and traditional leaders. Female volunteers go door to door, helping mothers spot signs of malnutrition and teaching them how to prepare healthy meals from local foods.

    Mothers are also trained to use a simple tool, the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC), which are available through UNICEF Supply Division.

    MUAC tapes are used to measure the upper arm circumference of children and also that of pregnant women, helping identify malnutrition.

    Mothers are turning to local foods such as millet, sorghum and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes to fight child malnutrition, with support from UNICEF.

    Residents say the intervention has improved children’s health, boosted energy levels and even reduced cases of cataracts.

    A visit to Kalorgu Primary Health Care centre in Kaltungo Local Government Area showed that more women are adopting preventive practices, planting potatoes in household farms and sharing knowledge with neighbours.

    In the Kaltungo community,  the fight against child malnutrition is yielding results — thanks to a blend of local food solutions, exclusive breastfeeding campaigns, and the use of simple diagnostic tools like MUAC tapes.

    According to Talatu Fadafeso, officer in charge of the Kalorgu health facility, over 600 children were admitted for malnutrition in July alone. “Out of the 627 children, the number has drastically reduced to 300,” she said.

    She explained that this is due to regular weight checks and MUAC (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference) measurements and introduction of local nutrition methods.

    Talatu said the introduction of local nutrition methods, such as food demonstrations using corn, millet, groundnut and soya beans, has made a visible impact.

    “We tell mothers not to depend only on government support but to prepare their own packs at home. The results have been very encouraging,” she added.

    Talatu is among the Health volunteers trained by UNICEF who go from door-to-door and even testing children during community gatherings.

    “Our main work is outreach. They meet households, administer MUAC tests, and guide mothers on feeding practices. They also hold weekly meetings with women,” Talatu said.

    Before UNICEF’s intervention, Aisha Muhammed Aiyu, in an interview with our reporter, had said she mainly relied on corn for her children’s meals. “I used to pre-grind the corn before cooking, but UNICEF taught us that it should only be freshly ground.

    “They also introduced us to orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. We use the leaves for soup, dry them, and mix them with corn to make swallows for the children. Since then, I’ve seen real improvements,” she explained.

    According to her, the change in her children’s health has been remarkable. “Their energy levels are better, their brains are sharper, and even eye problems like cataracts have reduced after adding the potatoes to their meals.”

    Though some neighbours initially doubted the method, Aisha said she used her own children as proof.

    “At first, people said it would not work. But when they saw the difference in my family, they accepted it. Now, I even share potato seeds with them so they can grow their own.”

    Her motivation, she noted, comes from wanting to help other women. “Many mothers don’t know about these foods that can improve their children’s health. That is why I joined the fight against malnutrition — to show them where to get support, how to feed their children better, and even take them to the hospital when needed.”

    Aisha also uses the MUAC tape to detect malnutrition. “If a child is weak, has yellowish hair and no energy, we check with the tape. If the reading is 6 or 7, it is red and shows danger. A healthy child should measure 12 or 13.”

    At home, she prepares meals with millet, sorghum, corn, rice, and potatoes. “I harvest the potatoes, peel, wash, dry, and grind them. I use them for swallow and pap,” she said.

    For Aisha, the knowledge she gained from UNICEF is not just for her family but for the entire community. “They taught me how to improve our food and identify malnourished children. I feel very happy sharing this knowledge with other women, and when they learn, they also teach others.

    “This way, we can all grow our food and feed our families without depending on the market.”

    However, she said, despite progress, mothers still face the challenge of water supply, climate change and inadequate support from government.

    For Hannatu Dodo, a mother from Kaltungo, the solution lies in combining traditional meals with new nutrition practices. “Before, we relied on Tom Brown made from soya beans or millet, but now we add orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. The difference is clear — the children are healthier, more active, and playful,” she said.

    Motivated by her love for children, Hannatu teaches other mothers how to prepare Tom Brown and incorporate potato flour. “Sometimes, I even make it for them and show them how to cook it. The husbands are supportive; some even send their wives to buy millet or corn,” she explained.

    She added that cases of malnutrition in her area have dropped significantly. “The rate is going down, and we are happy with the progress,” she said.

    Hannatu said they had received little or no support from the government, adding that poor water supply and climate change are making farming harder for families.

    She said sometimes heavy downpours even wash away farmlands, but orange-fleshed sweet potato has become an important option because it grows well even in harsh conditions.

    “It needs less water than many other crops, matures quickly, and provides essential nutrients like vitamin A.

    “For many households, planting sweet potatoes has become a practical way to cope with changing weather while fighting child malnutrition,” she said.

    The model has also brought economic benefits. Hannatu  noted that many mothers have turned homestead farming into small businesses.

    “We sell vines, make drinks, process the powder, and even bake cakes by mixing sweet potatoes with soybeans,” she said.

    What started in three LGAs has now spread to six — Balanga, Billiri, and Shongom among them. Men are also joining, planting sweet potatoes to boost food security in their homes.

    In Toro Local Government Area, women are also  stepping forward to lead the battle against malnutrition, relying on local foods and simple tools to protect children’s health.

    Halimatu Abdullahi, chairperson of the Toro women volunteers, said she organises meetings every two weeks to educate mothers on nutrition and health.

    “We cannot wait for our husbands, the government, or other organisations ttodo everything for us. We farm, raise livestock, and must support our families ourselves,” she explained.

    For Halimatu, her motivation comes from personal experience. “I once had an eye problem that made it difficult to read without glasses. But when I started using sweet potato in my meals, my sight improved. Now I can read without glasses,” she said, adding that the crop is now part of nearly every meal in her home.

    Armed with MUAC (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference) tapes, Halimatu and her team move from house to house, checking children for signs of malnutrition. “At first, many children tested yellow, showing danger signs. But now, after mothers adjusted their diets, we hardly see that anymore,” she said.

    She explained that families are also adapting their traditional meals such as danwake (made from millet, beans, and cassava flour) by adding potato starch and vegetables like baobab leaves and spinach.

    “This way, mothers don’t need expensive food to keep their families healthy,” she added.

    Fathers in Toro, Kaltingo LGs embrace sweet potato to tackle malnutrition

    Findings made by our reporter revealed that the fight against child malnutrition in Toro Local Government Area of BBauchi State and Kaltungo LGA in Gombe is no longer driven by mothers alone. Fathers are stepping up, learning new feeding practices and embracing the cultivation of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes to protect their children’s health.

    For Umar Isah, the shift began with new knowledge. “Before, we thought malnutrition was just fever or diarrhea. But we later learned it comes from food and our environment,” he admitted.

    Today, his family meals are fortified with sweet potatoes and traditional vegetables like rama. He explained that potato flour is now added to local dishes such as gwate and pap made from kamu, making them richer and healthier for children.

    He acknowledged that while farming sweet potatoes was initially a challenge, the community has embraced it fully. “At first, we didn’t know how to grow it. But once it was explained to us, we took it seriously. Now we evensensitise women on its benefits,” he said.

    Another father, Yau Muhammad Mukhtar, said his motivation to grow sweet potatoes is both personal and communal.

    “I saw how it makes children healthier and smarter, so I’m not playing with the seeds. In two or three months, I will harvest and share with others,” he explained.

    Yau said he can easily identify malnutrition by observing children’s behaviour. “You see it in their voices, their faces, and their eyes,” he said.

    His advice to mothers is simple: “Always give children nutritious food. This potato has helped us a lot. It even improves breast milk for mothers and makes children stronger. Women should eat food that builds the body.”

    Malam Muhammadu, a traditional ruler in Toro Local Government Area, said he regularly advises women to practice what they have been taught by health workers and volunteers.

    “If you are taught something and you do not continue to practise it, you can forget it. That is why I remind mothers daily to hold on to the lessons they’ve received,” he said.

    He stressed that while communities are cooperating, more government support is needed. “What we want is for the government to help us with a hospital and a facility that will provide nutritious food,” he said, pledging to continue sensitising his people on the dangers of malnutrition.

    Another community member, Nuhu Zaki, said his contribution has been through farming sweet potatoes, one of the crops introduced by UNICEF and health partners to improve household nutrition.

    “We harrow the land, cut the seed into pieces, and after three months, we harvest.

    “My children said they had never seen this type of potato before. When my wife fried it, it was very delicious, soft, and sweet,” he recalled.

    He added that he has continued to cultivate and even purchase sweet potatoes from the market when his supply runs out, with support from neighbours who also produce the crop.

    How UNICEF Introduced sweet potato model to tackle malnutrition in Bauchi, Gombe

    UNICEF is stepping up action to fight malnutrition in Bauchi and Gombe states, using a community-based approach that relies on local foods like orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. The programme is helping mothers improve their children’s diets and prevent stunting, wasting, and underweight among children under five.

    Philomena Irene, UNICEF’s nutrition specialist of the Bauchi Chief Field Office, which also covers Gombe State, said the move followed worrying data from the two states.

    Philomena  revealed that a total of 16,862 caregivers were reached with Maternal, Infant and Young Child Feeding (MIYCF) counselling across four Local Government Areas (LGAs) — three in Gombe State and one in Bauchi State.

    She further noted that 9,580 children were admitted for the treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) within the intervention period.

    Providing state-specific indicators, she explained that orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, which are rich in vitamin A and other nutrients, have been widely accepted by mothers. Women are learning to grow them in their backyards, cook them in different recipes, and even use the leaves for soups and porridge.

    “The women have noticed great improvements in their children’s health, especially their skin and eyes. Sweet potato is already a common food here, so it was easily accepted,” Irene said.

    The state governments, she added, have supported the project by contributing over ₦175 million to the Child Nutrition Fund and providing agricultural extension workers to train women and monitor backyard farms. These workers also teach households how to improve the cultivation of vegetables such as tomatoes, okra and pepper.

    Irene stressed that prevention is cheaper and more effective than treatment.

    “We have twice as many children moderately malnourished compared to those severely malnourished.

    “Preventing malnutrition is nine times cheaper than treating it. It costs ₦21,000 to prevent malnutrition in a child, but ₦190,000 to treat one child with severe malnutrition,” she explained.

    She added that prevention allows UNICEF and partners to reach more children and stop them from becoming severely malnourished.

    “It is cost-effective, locally available, and sustainable. With simple local foods, families can protect their children before the problem gets worse,” she said.

    The UNICEF official believes the sweet potato model is a lasting solution, not only to fight food poverty but also to empower households.

    The combination of prevention, backyard farming, and small-scale businesses is also helping families to feed their children better and secure healthier futures.

    RUTF is unsustainable

    The Chairman, BSPHDA, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, said the procurement of RUTF was not sustainable.

    Speaking in an interview with our reporter, he said the government was looking at preventive measures in tackling acute malnutrition rather than being reactive since it has not been able to meet up with its counterpart financial obligation to UNICEF.

    One of the measures, he said, is providing mothers with weaning foods which they can give their children to augment breastfeeding.

    ”We only have 21 C-MAN centres in just 9 out of 20 local government areas. We are only managing because RUTF is too expensive.

    “To get the money to buy it is another problem. It’s actually supplied by UNICEF but it has not been forthcoming because we have not been able to meet up with counterpart funding,” Mohammed said

    This story was supported by Nigeria Health Watch and the Solutions Journalism Network.

  • Epidemic looms in Lagos’ largest estate as re-commissioned water project fails

    Epidemic looms in Lagos’ largest estate as re-commissioned water project fails

    • Residents shut wells contaminated by petrol, spend fortune buying water
    • Fear of disaster mounts as boreholes litre estate
    • Some residents still getting water supply —LWC

    In Abesan, the housing estate reputed as the largest in Lagos, public water taps have once again gone dry, worsening unsanitary conditions and dropping quality of life among residents. For more than two decades, the residents had battled environmental and other forms of challenges following the collapse of the mini water works. The moribund water plant was rehabilitated and elaborately re-commissioned in December 2023 by the Lagos State Water Corporation (LWC) and projected to provide two million gallons of water per day. Unfortunately, the project ceased to function few months after, plunging the residents, especially the aged retirees, back to the horrifying experiences of the past, INNOCENT DURU reports.

    PA Shola Fate, a retiree, lived in Ikoyi, a high brow area on Lagos Island during his service years. While in Ikoyi, he enjoyed constant supply of potable water and never had any reason to worry about contracting water borne diseases as a result of exposure to contaminated water.

    “After retirement, I moved into Abesan Estate because of reliable water supply. At the time I moved in, the public waterworks was working perfectly and everybody enjoyed it.

    “I ran my pipe from the ground floor to my flat on the middle floor. Whenever the corporation opened their plant, water would run directly into my flat,” he said.

    After some time, however, the water supply ceased and every resident resorted to self-help. Pa Fate and his co-residents consequently put their faith in a well sunk by their block of flats.

    Unfortunately, the well could not provide the expected solution as the underground water mixed with petrol. Numerous water tanks in the area have become an eyesore as they have been corroded by the effects of the petrol.

    Residents said the challenge cuts across sector one to three in the estate.

    “Petrol smells in the water till now,” Pa Fatile said.

    “There was a time I would fetch water from the well, pour it on grasses, lit the matches and it would burn because of the petrol content in the water.”

    The dark complexioned man said he limited the use of the polluted water to washing and flushing.

    “It is not drinkable. We used it to bathe. The quality of your bathing soap would determine whether the petrol will smell on your body.”

    Asked if the harsh smell of petrol was affecting the children, he said: “My brother, it is only when you have an alternative that you can say this one is good and that one is not.

    “I am from Ilaje, Ondo State. In my place, we drink water from streams.  Somebody could be defecating there, and you would be collecting water.

    “So, we are used to it. We have adapted to the situation. And when we go fishing, while you are fishing, you just part the stream and take water to drink.”

    Pa Fate said it portends grave danger using the polluted water in the kitchen, “especially because we use gas for cooking. But by God’s grace, no calamity was recorded.”

    Pa Fate said because of the risk associated with using the contaminated water, the residents were compelled to lock up the well.

    That decision, he said, has had a telling implication on his pocket as he now spends his paltry monthly pension buying water from vendors.

    “I buy 10 kegs for N1, 200 and use up everything within three to four days.

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    “I am the only person living in my house. I spend more when my children are around.

    “For myself, I spend an average of N6,000 a month buying water. That is too much for me as a retiree, of course, but there is nothing I can do.

    “Even if I am working and getting a monthly salary of say N70,000, by the time you remove the money for buying water,  the whole money is gone.

    “Besides, you have to pay electricity bill and also for transportation and feeding.

    “I don’t have money to dig a borehole.  Even if I do, digging a borehole now is not easy. It’s a lot of money.

    “The area where the newly elected chairman of this local government lives is also affected by the oil spill.

    “The pollution in their area, Sector 1, is worse than Sector 3 here. 

    “I told her that the most important thing in the estate now is water. Give us good water to drink. The best for the government to do is to let the mini waterworks work.”

    Also decrying the ugly development, a neighbour to Pa Fate said: “I spend a lot of money filling my water tank every day. The vendor brings water from a long distance.

    “He has just told me that the price has changed and that I will have to pay more. That is really disturbing.

    “The public water is not working. Unfortunately, the well that we could have relied on is contaminated.

    “I learnt that there was pipeline vandalisation around Baruwa area and that affected our groundwater.”

    Findings showed that exposure to petrol-contaminated water can cause various short-term and long-term health issues in humans. The short-term effects may include gastrointestinal problems like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It could also result in skin irritation, headaches and dizziness.

    “Long-term exposure could lead to more severe health problems, including liver and kidney damage, increased cancer risk and developmental or reproductive issues,” the search result said.

    The traditional leader of Fatade area of Alimosho, High Chief Kamorudeen Amao, attested to this during the re-commissioning of the water project in 2023.

    He said: “Personally, each time I bathed with it (polluted water), I always had challenges with my skin.

    “There have been reported cases of skin irritation by people who use the water.”

    Environmental pollution rocks other sectors

    Apart from the contamination of water sources in Sectors 1 to 3, water crisis in the estate is said to have compounded sewage management in some other sectors.

    A resident of Sector 5, Alhaji Akintunde, said: “Generally, poor water supply has affected the estate seriously, because without water, there’s nothing you can do.

    “In this our type of building, if there is no water in any flat, when you enter that flat, they don’t need to tell you before you know. Odour will pervade the whole place and ooze into your mouth.

    “Odour from the toilet or bathroom, if it hits you once, you will know what I am saying.”

    Regrettably, he said, “there is nothing we can do, because the majority of us are retirees and  poor people. We just have to cope.”

    Speaking specifically about environmental challenges in his sector, he said: “The sanitary situation in our sector is very poor. But we thank God because early this year, the sewage people came and attended to some of the problems that we have.

    “There was a blockage along the pipeline, but they came, rectified it and now it is functioning better than before.

    “Before they came to rectify it, the situation was very pathetic, because it was spilling and gushing out. There was odour all over with flies everywhere. But now it is better.”

    Continuing, he said: “We don’t have water from Lagos Water Corporation.

    “Well, most of us did not apply for it. But those who applied did not get, so there was no need wasting our time.

    “We use borehole. Yes, we have community borehole.

    “In my own area, some of us give people free water.

    “Water is life, you know that. If there is no water, the moment you enter the house, you will know.

    “Most of us give to those who don’t have water. Some people go for community water supply and pay a token amount per month, for servicing them.” 

    Sector bars residents from further sinking boreholes

    Sequel to the self-help adopted by the residents, the estate is now littered with boreholes.

    Much as it is helping the residents to have access to potable water, leaders have put a stop to it, fearing that it may trigger natural disaster.

    Alhaji Akintunde said even though he does not know the implications of having too many boreholes in an area, “people who are in that line said too many boreholes can cause an earthquake.

    “We have not experienced one since we have been living here. But in my sector, we have put a stop to it.

    “We have said that nobody should dig boreholes anymore so that we don’t have disasters in the community.”

    Fetching water upstairs, a herculean task

    While it could be tolerable for people living on the ground floor to fetch water for use in their houses, residents who live upstairs described it as a herculean task.

    A resident who gave his name simply as D1 said: “The vendors don’t charge the same amount for fetching water for people living down stairs and those living upstairs. Those on the ground floor pay the least, those on the middle floor pay more and those above pay the most.

    “If you can’t afford the charges, you will have to go fetch the water by yourself and endure the attendant pains.”

    D1 added that when parents, especially the vulnerable ones lack money to buy water from vendors, their children suffer a great deal. “This is worse if they have to fetch water before going to school.

    “Imagine burning all your energy fetching water upstairs and later going to school.

    “You can be sure that the concentration will be poor.”

    We’re tired of LWC’s promises -Estate President

    President of the Abesan Estate Residents Association, Pa Michael Aderemilekun Kehinde, said their efforts to get the corporation to fix the problem have always been met with fruitless promises.

    He said: “The water is still not working. It hasn’t been working for some years now. Maybe it worked for about two, three months before it stopped functioning.

    “It just stopped functioning and the people who are connected to it were no longer being serviced.

    “We are just hoping and praying that the place will get attention sometime.”

    Asked if the estate has made their plight known to the corporation, the president said: “The only link we have is to their head office at Ijora, and they kept on promising the place will get attention, and it has not gotten any attention.”

    The management of LWC had last year told us that contractors working in the area “spoiled most of our pipes and we need to fix them.

    “We have spent so much on that site and we need to generate money from there as well.

    “It is to our own advantage if water supply is back in Abesan.

    “The people should rest assured that in very short time to come, the water will be back.

    “They are working on the reticulation and channelization in the area.

    Asked if the estate authorities were in the know of such development, the president said: “I am hearing that for the first time. I am not aware of that.

    “In the first place, how many trailers and trucks do we have plying this estate?

    “Neither did any construction work affect the water scheme.

    “If there is any construction work going on, that is the construction work (pointing to it) and in fact, water supply from the water scheme had ceased functioning ever before that construction work commenced.

     “So certainly, that could not have been the cause.

    “I want to believe that their problem is with their own system or so.

    “They’ve not got it right.”

    Corroborating the estate president’s position, Pa Fate said:  “Actually, there’s a mini waterworks for the estate, but it only worked for about two or three months when it was revived, and after that, it stopped working.

    “We have not been getting water from there ever since.”

    Worried by the development, he said: “I’ve been to their office here and the one at Ijora. What they were saying sometimes was that the problem was because of NEPA.

    “At other times they would tell me it is because of diesel. But the major problem, I’m going to be frank with you, is that people are afraid to talk.

    “Me, I’m not afraid. I don’t care.”

    Water challenge distressing association members

    Lamenting the predicament of his members, the president said: “Our people in the estate have a huge challenge coping with the situation on ground.

    “That is why you find that in our estate, there are so many boreholes and so on and so forth.

    “Everybody’s trying to provide to meet their needs. Here you find two, three people coming together or a sector coming together to provide water, to get a borehole and begin to provide for themselves.

    “It is based on some kind of self-help.

    “When there’s no means, I mean power supply, to pump water from the boreholes, you will have another problem at hand.

    “I mean, that’s another challenge. It happens just like that. Once there is no power to pump water, all we need to do is to queue.”

    He emphasised that “the water crisis affects sanitary conditions in the estate.  There is no way it will not affect it. That is why we are not having what we are supposed to have sanitary-wise.

    “We don’t have a water system that will carry the waste away. It is all our own little efforts that we rely on. And that is why, in fact, the central waste system is also not functioning.

    “There is no water to carry the waste down there. There are sewage leakages around the estate.

    “Oh, if that is what you want, I can take you to where the leakages are. There are some sectors you will visit and you won’t be able to stay there.

    “My elder sitting down here laughing, if I take his sector you won’t be able to stand the stench.

    “In fact, the Environmental Committee of Lagos State House of Assembly came here. When they got to his place, they called me and asked if people were staying in that place.

    “I said are you asking? These are the people staying there, and this is our plight. It could have been better if there was water supply. I want to believe so.

    “Some residents in some sectors buy water because their water is polluted by fuel. This affects sectors 1 to 3.

    “They buy water, and they don’t have any other means. You will see that their tanks have become coloured because of the fuel erosion.”

    Estate jubilant day water project was re-commissioned

    When the mini water project was re-commissioned in December 2023, with the flag off of reticulation extension in Baruwa area of Alimoso Local Government Area of the state, the people were jubilant, hoping that it would end their misery. But their joy was short-lived and they have since gone back to living the difficult way.

    Addressing the gathering at the re-commissioning of the plant in 2023, the General Manager of Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), Engr Mukhtaar Tijani expressed joy that the project saw the light of day in spite of challenges facing the corporation.

    His words: “I stand before you today with great joy and enthusiasm as we gather to witness a significant milestone in the provision of potable water to our communities.

    “Before delving into the details of the Abesan Mini Waterworks project, let me briefly speak on some of the challenges faced by the Lagos Water Corporation today.

    “Lagos, with its status as one of Africa’s most densely populated cities, serves as Nigeria’s economic hub, boasting a population of over 21 million inhabitants.

    “The Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), tasked with providing potable water in the state, has encountered hurdles over the years, including aging infrastructure, energy shortages, and operational limitations.

    “Now, let’s shift our focus to the reason we are here today, the Abesan–Baruwa Water Supply Scheme.

    “Recognising the immediate need to address water supply challenges in the Abesan Housing Estate, the Lagos Water Corporation embarked on a targeted approach to solve this problem in the most efficient manner possible.

    “Two key water sources, Mosan Okunola 2MGD Waterworks in Abesan Estate and the Adiyan Phase I Waterworks, supplied water to this area.

    “Knowing that Adiyan Phase I waterworks is currently undergoing rehabilitation and will be unable to operate at optimal capacity until the conclusion of the rehabilitation, we shifted our focus to the non-operational Mosan Okunola Plant.

    “The restoration of the plant became a priority for us. The extensive rehabilitation work done on the plant includes but is not limited to the rehabilitation of existing electro-mechanical infrastructure such as pumps, drilling of new boreholes and power equipment upgrades including a new transformer and earthing system.

    “I am pleased to announce that through the hard work and collaborative efforts of the contractor Aquadrill Nigeria Ltd and the project team led by Engr Lawal of LWC, the operational capacity of the Mosan Okunola 2MGD Waterworks has been successfully restored.

    “In addition to this, the 5km reticulation network around the estate is now energised, as we have carried out significant repairs to the pipe network over the past six weeks and as we speak we have over five metered customers receiving water from this water treatment plant in Abesan Estate.

    “At the Abesan Estate Gate on Ipaja Road, we have connected this water treatment plant to the Baruwa community who has suffered significant ground water issues in recent times.

    “The successful linkage of the Mosan Okunola Plant with Baruwa community now allows us to supply water to specific areas, including Baruwa compound, Taiwo close, Fatade Road, Sule Street, Oyewole Street, and Pipeline Road.

    “Looking ahead, we plan to extend the pipe reticulation within Baruwa, covering approximately 3km. This expansion will positively impact areas such as Asalu Lawal Street, Ajibola Street, Remilekun Street, Odubakin Street, Adebanjo Street, Kareem Street, and more.”

    Elated by the development, the traditional leader of Fatade area of Alimosho, High Chief Kamorudeen Amao said: “We thank God for what the Lagos State Government has done. I am very happy that they have intervened in our situation. Our prayer is that God will give them the grace to maintain it.”

    Prior to the revival of the water plant, Chief Amao said: “We have been having water challenges for the past 25 years. Petrol sipping into the ground was affecting our water.

    “When we fetch water from our boreholes, it is petrol that we would get from it. The polluted water was affecting our people.

    “Personally, each time I bathed with it, I always had challenges with my skin. There have been reported cases of skin irritation by people using the water.

    “Instead of using the water, we would rather travel some distances to fetch water.”

    Also speaking at the re-commissioning in 2023, the traditional leader of Baruwa, Alhaji Halid Baruwa said: “We thank God for what the Lagos State Government has done with this project.”

    He went down memory lane to relive the hardship they had suffered as a result of not having access to clean water.

    “Our water was polluted by petrol since 1998. We were always buying water. As retired civil servants, we were buying water using the meager pensions we are receiving.”

    Some residents still getting water supply -LWC

    The Lagos Water Corporation,  in reaction to our enquiry, through the spokesperson, Kehinde Fashola, said some of the residents were getting water supply because “they agreed to pay our tariff, which is N200 per cubic metre while some said that they can only pay N1000 per month as bill for water.

    “We made them realise that water production is already subsidised by government and that is why we are collecting N200 per cubic metre.

    “The residents should understand that water production is very expensive these days coupled with the increase in the cost of electricity supply.

    “I am sure majority of them are spending more than N1000 per day to get potable water that cannot even match the standard of water produced by LWC.

    “Please investigate from the residents, especially those residing very close to the gate. They are the People enjoying our services.

    “If others agreed to go by our tariff, we will surely connect them.

    “In addition, let them realise that for sustainability, it is important for the Corporation to generate revenue.”

    Effects of indiscriminate sinking of boreholes

    Online checks showed that while boreholes can provide access to water, especially in areas with limited surface water, indiscriminate drilling can lead to both ecological and public health problems.

    “Excessive or poorly planned borehole drilling can lead to a significant drawdown of groundwater levels, impacting both human water supply and the environment.

    “Improperly constructed or maintained boreholes can create pathways for surface pollutants (like pesticides, fertilizers, or sewage) to contaminate the underlying aquifer, potentially affecting the quality of drinking water.”

    The search added that drilling activities and the subsequent changes in groundwater levels can disrupt local ecosystems, affecting vegetation, soil moisture, and the habitats of various species, adding: “While not a primary concern, some research suggests that large-scale borehole drilling can, in certain geological conditions, increase the risk of minor seismic activity.”

  • Succession uppermost in my heart at 80 – Bishop Okonkwo

    Succession uppermost in my heart at 80 – Bishop Okonkwo

    • Explains how he avoided scandals in 50 years of full-time ministry
    • ‘Why I’ve not founded a university’

    At 80, Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) Bishop Mike Okonkwo has seen it all. He speaks on his life, growing up, ministry, the nation and a myriad of other issues in an explosive interview with select journalists, including Online Editor Sunday Oguntola. Excerpts:

    What does being 80 mean to you?

    Well, you know the only giver of life is God. He’s the giver of life, and life is a mystery. There are those who were born while some died in the womb, some come as stillbirth and some were born and didn’t come of age to attain whatever dreams they have and they die. So for God to keep me alive to this age is a blessing. That’s all I can tell you.

    I consider myself blessed. God has allowed me in His infinite mercy to come to this age not falling apart, healthy and strong and still be able to be active. So there’s no way I can quantify my gratitude to God.

    It’s something I do every day. One of my regular sayings is that when you wake up in the morning and you are able to go to the bathroom yourself, you are able to dress yourself, you are able to go and urinate, it’s something that you should say ‘Lord, I thank you’.

    But  many times, we as human beings want to take such things for granted. We think oh, it’s normal to ssleepand wake up. There are many who have gone to sleep and they never woke up. So I really have nothing to say other than to say thank you to the Almighty God.

    At 80, what are you looking forward to?

    At 80, what I’m looking forward to is to ensure that there is continuity. This is because it is not enough to live life for yourself. There must be continuity, especially in my situation. Having been used by God to establish a global administration, it must not die in my hands.

    There must be continuity. The whole essence is to impact lives. And so I’m looking forward that what God has used me to establish will continue even if I’m not here.

    So how was your growing up like as a child?

    My parents were disciplinarian. My father was a civil servant and my mother was a trader. I was born in Enugu and, of course, I think by the time I turned four or about five, my father, who was working in the Ministry of Telecommunication, they called it PRT then in the Ministry of Post and Telegraph, before it turned to telecommunications, was transferred to Lagos. So I lived most of my life in the West.

    In Lagos, we were living in a house in Ebute-Meta West. We were living in Brickfield, Ebute-Meta. And I was attending Ijero Baptist School as a small boy.  I grew up there with my parents. My father was very fluent in Yoruba. I remember my siblings, very fluent in Yoruba.

    And then after a while, I think I then turned four or so, my father sent me to stay with my uncle, who was a lecturer in Offa Grammar School. So I was there attending primary school at St. Mark’s Primary School, Offa. Then it was from Offa, I took the entrance examination into Mayflower Grammar School. The school was just in its embryonic stage then. So they had not even taken their first school cert at that time. That was how I grew.

    And then I remember I was also growing up in Lagos. I used to sell bread for my mother. My mother used to sell this at Agbada and Ankara in Oyingbo. She would go to buy them in Onitsha and then sell. They had a stall in Oyingbo Market. So I used to assist. We also sold bread. So we’d go to the bakery. I remember the street, close to the Catholic Church in Oyingbo. I would collect bread and sell on the streets of Lagos.

    We used to go to Okobaba to go buy firewood, because then, we were not using stove or gas cooker; it was firewood.

    My father made sure that we were very disciplined and hardworking and to know that hard work pays. These are some of the values he inculcated in us to make us know that nothing comes cheap. You must not do the wrong thing in order to achieve results in life.

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    Growing up, I had watched my father. Because he later became a senior civil servant, he was in a very good position to help people secure jobs, which he did quite a lot. A lot of people were employed under him. And people wanted to come and show gratitude.

    I remember a time somebody came to our house. My parents were not in, and they came with turkey to show gratitude. We collected it as young people, you know, growing up. My father came back and said we should go and look for the person wherever he was. He said you don’t collect gratitude because you did something for somebody. It is not like what is happening today. Young people grow up and they are bringing all kinds of things to the house and no one is asking questions. Not in our house.

    You could not bring things into the house and my parents would not ask where you got them from. So I lived under a very strict disciplinarian life.

    And, of course, Mayflower helped to shape my life because the late Dr Tai Solarin was a disciplinarian. Although he was not a Christian, he was very upright. That also helped in moulding my character.

    All that must have helped in your relationship with God at a very early age?

    Of course, I was going to church, but I won’t say I had a personal relationship with God. I was only religious. In other words, I was born into a Christian family and my father insisted that we must go to church. And not just go to church but get involved. I was singing in the choir. Then, we attended Saint Jude. The church is still there.

    So, yes, I was tilted towards God, and I guess that also might have helped me. Finally, the war ended for me to finally have a personal encounter with God. So that is the difference. But I would say that It helped in a way.

    How was your encounter with God?

    My encounter with God was very strange, I must tell you. Because when the war ended, there was a revival in the entire East and everyone was seeking God. So, some young people were getting through Scripture Union (SU) and getting saved on varsity campuses and all the stuff. And there was a friend of ours that, I knew they were attending SU, and I began to watch their lives, both males and females. I saw their lives were totally different from mine, so I wanted what they had.

    I remember entering a room. No one came to witness to me in general. I went there to sleep. I knelt down. I mean all of us were together in that very flat somewhere in Oyajuwon Estate. I remember when we came to Oyajuwon Estate, the two people, when we wanted to retire, decided to go and pray on their own. And they didn’t invite me because, to them, I was not a part of them. I felt isolated.

    So what I did, on my own, was to tell God, look, if there was anything He was going to do with my life, I surrender to Him. And that changed everything. We were visiting from Enugu. When I went back to Enugu, I went into a church. That was where I really began to be exposed to God and understand what it is to have a relationship with God. I totally surrendered my life.

    How did the TREM vision begin?

    You know I was attending a church in Enugu. That is where I would say that I got into a relationship with God personally. It was called United Church of Christ. It was one of the popular churches when the war ended. A lot of young people were coming there to be part of the work and they were opening churches all over. But somewhere along the line, we noticed that the there was something more than what we were doing. And through interaction and reading and other churches that were coming up, like the Church of God Mission under (the late) Archbishop Benson Idahosa. By then he was not even a bishop. We watched on the television and saw how his churches were running and all that, and we began to feel somehow that something was not quite missing.

    Then the Lord began to minister to me that I was not going to stay long in that church. I thought that I had come to my final bus stop as far as UCC was concerned, but He began to minister to me that there was more, and the subsequent events that happened within the church led to a lot of crisis, forcing some of us, young people, to exit. Some of them are in the US now.

    I didn’t know what I was going to do, because I was not in any way planning to start a church. Where am I going to start from? I had not received a formal training. In those days, there were no Bible schools. There were no examples you could copy apart from Foursquare and Assemblies of God. Those were what you might call living churches that existed. And then the Church of God Mission. There were no Bible schools. It was an on-the-job training. So where was I going to start from? I was not even good at the scriptures.

    So, you were going to start a church, and not just start, you were going to lead a church, how? I was confused, to be honest with you. So I was just waiting. I didn’t know what I would do.

    Then the Lord showed me in a vision that I was going to be the founder of a church. I was in Lagos, not going to any church. The Church I was attending in Enugu was sending people to plead with me to return to them. I really put my life in that place and did the best I could do. And I was specifically told I should not go back. So what would I do?

    By then, Deeper Life had started doing their Monday Bible study on the campus, because (Pastor) Kumuyi was still teaching in the university. They had not started a church. It was just a fellowship. So I went to meet him and said, look at my experience and all that. And he said I should keep on praying; that there will be clarity and all that. But as for going back, I should not. I also met one of the founders of Four Square Gospel Church, Dr. Boyejo. He is late now. He was living in Akoka then. So I met with him and he also said no, don’t go back.

    So I was waiting until God now began to say you are going to start a ministry and I am going to guide you step by step. That was what happened. So by 1979 to 1980, we began to hold few meetings with the few people who were with me. And by the end of ’80, we came up with the name of the church through prayers.

    So I was reading different newspapers, different magazines, Christian newspapers, Christian magazines. And I saw in the newspaper that Morris Cerrulo was giving scholarships to Africans to come to the US for training and stuff. Wow! I just applied.

    I was not expecting that anything would come up when I applied. But lo and behold, I was offered. All I needed to do was to find my flight ticket and be there. Accommodation fully paid, everything fully paid. To God be the glory, that was settled.

    By 1981, TREM was established officially. I think the next day or two days after, I travelled to the US with the School of Ministry. Then, there in the School of Ministry, of course, I was exposed to a lot of other mega ministries. I also went to the Rhema Bible College in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In fact, anyone who was involved in charismatic ministry, who had not attended or got involved in Rhema, had not started. That’s Kenneth E. Haggins. So, I went to their Bible college, ordered all their lectures, all their materials, everything taught and brought them back to Nigeria. I also got registered in a Baptist theological seminary, so as to be balanced. So, those things helped to train me.

    I had the opportunity to remain in America like my colleagues who were with me in the former church. Some of them are still there. One of them is in Canada. Some of them are in the US. I had the opportunity to remain there, and it was something attractive. But once there is a call on your life, you are not thinking of your comfort. You are thinking of the call. That was what motivated me to return even when I knew that there was really nothing on ground, no attraction, no form of comeliness or beauty that anyone would desire other than vision. So, see what God has done.

    TREM is anchored on ‘Power in the word’. How did you come about it?

    With my training, having gone to Bible school, I found that everything hinged on the word of God and there’s the tendency to bring this and create this in addition to what God has already done. And so, that’s how the inspiration came that there is power in the word of God.

    Everything was created through the word of God. And so, whatever the word of God cannot give to you, you don’t need it; it doesn’t even exist. So, the focus is to make people to depend absolutely on God’s word. If you decide to build yourself and your foundation on God’s word, you won’t get involved in any nonsense, because there is no ambiguity in the word of God. It is clear. Except you want to add some drama, because some people like it when there is drama. But God is not dramatic. He is not mysterious as people think. In fact, He is the one who came to us to show us who He is. So, He is not hiding Himself from us.

    What would you consider your greatest testimonies at 80?

    My greatest testimony is that I live a life of character and integrity. I have zero per cent level of tolerance for people who have no values and character, stand for anything and fall for anything and just do anything to make it happen in life. No. I mean, why would I say I’m serving God? If God is not big enough to be able to provide for me and take care of me, then why am I going to serve Him? I should better forget about Him and do what every other person is doing. That’s me.

    Then I’ve proven him that he is… I was working in the bank. I had a future in the bank, in the African Continental Bank, when the war ended. But when I received the call, it was like going from the known to the unknown. I didn’t even know where I was going. Here was I earning good money. It is not now that people, everyone want to jump into ministry because you see that now they drive Jeep or they wear this and so you think that’s an easy way to get established. No, I was not looking for remuneration or payment. In fact, one of the things I say to myself is if money will be the motivating factor for me to be in ministry, I don’t need it.

    So, whatever you are seeing in my life now, if there is anything that… I would just say it’s God’s grace. Not because I manipulated or cheated or put my membership under pressure, push them, you must do it or else God will kill you. No. If God doesn’t do it, forget it. That means that it’s not supposed to be done.

    So, for me, that life alone, that I can walk the streets and they will point at me and say this one is among them and package miracle. If He doesn’t do it, let Him leave it. It is His work. I’m relaxed. I’m not under any pressure to make people call me. I’m not supposed to be anything. Only God is supposed to be something.

    You’ve been in full-time ministry for over 50 years without any scandal. To what will you attribute the scandal-free ministry that you have?

    One is the grace of God. I must tell you, it is not because I am stronger than any person. Two is the decision to live according to values. If I begin to pursue money, I’m going to also stain myself. You see if I pursue money as I must get money, there is no way I can be free. And the scripture is very clear. It says the love of money is the root of all evil.

    When you see people doing something, trace it, along the line, money is involved. So, I would say God’s grace has kept me and the values that I’ve built for myself, you know, boundaries, I can’t escape this. I am not going to play God, because I am not God. He is God, I am not. So, I won’t play him to impress people in ministry.

    In those days, if you had not invited a white man to your church, you were not doing anything. You had not started. So, I was the first who decided to do a major programme and I did not invite any white person. I looked for preachers within the country and brought them together, and we had a good meeting. After that, others began to do that.

    So when you begin to put your hands to impress people, you will run into problems. I can guarantee you, it is a matter of time, you are going to run into problems.

    Has anything changed about the ministry between the time you started and now?

    Of course, a lot of things have changed. I was a product of my background. My background was a very, very strict religious, because I won’t call that Christianity. When you were coming to my church, the women sat differently, the men sat differently. Even if it was your wife, both of you would not sit together in church until the service was over. Women could not leave their hair open. In fact, they must cover it completely. You couldn’t wear make-ups, earrings and all the stuff. In fact, I was so strict that when I came to church with scissors, if I saw you with your hair, I would cut it. Yes, it was as bad as that.

    Those were my background until one day I was leaving the service and I stopped. I looked at the bus stop and I saw the same people who came to service. They had removed their hair covers and had put back their makeup and all that. I was frustrated, wondering what was wrong. Then the Lord said to me, ‘you cannot legislate righteousness.’ That righteousness is a gift that He gives to us at the time of a new birth, when we are born again. It’s a gift. Even holiness, we are made holy by Him. And by accepting it, then you live holy.

    Everything that God does is a gift. It is not because you are strong. So if you hear people say I did this and therefore God did this for me, that person is a religious person. He is not somebody preaching the gospel.

    So I went back to the scriptures to find out, and I found that some of the things we were doing were as a result of the culture of some of the people in those days. They don’t have anything to do with your relationship with God. So those people are not going to go to heaven? So all those things, I had to go back and study the scriptures and then began to bring scriptures to prove. So I began to teach line upon line.

    I remember I was the same person who was strict on the people. I had to go back and began to teach in the church and make them know. Because ffromthe outset, I made them know that I have a sincere heart to make sure that everyone that God draws to me meets the Lord on the last day. And therefore, if there is anything I have taught that is contrary to the scripture, I will not be embarrassed to come back to revisit it. And that’s what we have been doing over time. And so we have had a lot of transitions as far as our worship experience is concerned.

    So what that does to you, it helps you to be at the cutting edge. You are not obsolete, doing things like that. This is how it must be, whether we like it or not. Do I quarrel with people who want to remain where they are? No. I don’t have any quarrel with them. The three basic principles that guide me: We have what is called unity in fundamentals of faith. Jesus Christ is Lord. He died for our sins. He was buried and He rose again, triumphant over death, hell, and grave. If you don’t subscribe to that truth, you are not a Christian. I don’t care how much you go to church.

    I can fellowship with the Catholic, the Anglican, the Methodist, the Presbyterian, the Aladura. In fact I’ve preached for Aladura Church, one or two times. That does not stain me, you see. So, that’s it.

    Your other brothers in the Lord have established private universities. What is stopping you from having one?

    Talking about establishing universities, ministry is ongoing. You may have dreams and visions, but many times, some of these dreams and visions will outlive you. One of the things that have helped me, like I said, is never to put myself under any pressure. I’m not in competition with any person.

    No. I’m not doing something because of others because those are some of the things that will lead you into doing the wrong thing. They make people go into competition. You feel like because your friend started a university and is doing well, then you must start one. Did God tell you? So, this is me.

    University is a good thing. Ministry is ongoing. If you noticed the ministry of Elijah, it continued after him. There were certain things God told Elijah to do, which were completed by Elisha. So, even though I might have that it’s a good idea, I’m not putting myself under pressure to do it. That is partpartthe coming generation. Let them do it. I can’t complete everything. Because if I complete everything, then what’s the next thing to do? So, let those ones do it. I won’t put myself under any pressure to do anything. You see. And when you go and begin to do things that God didn’t tell you, you generate the money by force. So, I’m not putting myself under that pressure.

    How do you assess Nigeria having seen the years before?

    To be honest with you, I’m thoroughly disappointed. I feel embarrassed. And I’ve said it in many places. How can we have these numbers of churches in the country without much impact?  I don’t think there is any place in the world with such number of gatherings. God has raised dynamic strong leadership yet our nation is the way it is. It embarrasses me as a leader in the body of Christ that the country is not where it should be.

    Then our political leaders have learnt nothing. They used to say the military spoilt everything, but now that we have democracy what has changed? A politician comes into office today, what he is thinking about is the next election. What does he do? He doesn’t care about performance, not knowing that when you perform, the masses will beg you to run. When you give them the basic things they need, the dividends of democracy, they will be for you. Is it not a shame that a politician will make a road and paint the road and we are clapping? What is his job, as a politician? What is his job?  We have done nothing.

    Somebody recently was having an interview and telling us how much it will cost to run different offices. It will cost this billions to run this one and that one. And I said how can we have a new Nigeria with such arrangement? It will never happen, because if it will cost me billions to run for an office, won’t I look for the money when I get there? I must look for my money.

    Why will we not put things in place? What are we doing? We are not there, and let me tell you, it will take a long time. We are playing politics with people’s lives. So if somebody becomes a councillor, he’s building a mansion. Where did you get the money from? Let me tell you, our politics requires a drastic surgery. I just pray God will give us a leader that will have the will of God to perform this surgery for us.

    But the church has not done any better for the nation, has it?

    But I think it’s strictly on the fact that we have not concentrated on the hearts of the people. We are looking at them outwardly. It is what is in your heart that you are going to manifest. So I am in agreement with you that the church in a way has failed. The church failed in the sense that we were busy concentrating on outward appearance and not inward. God looks at the heart. Because if the heart is not changed, the outward will not change. I said it somewhere that those stealing money in the government are James, John, Martha and Mary; basically religious people.  They go to our churches. That’s the truth. I agree with you. That puts a lot of responsibilities at the doorstep of the church.

    Truth to be told, many churches are not preaching the gospel. They are preaching their opinions. What is the gospel? It is about the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. That all of us are sinners, headed for hell and that the wages of sin is death. And that if you fail to receive Christ into your life, you will end up in hell. But the good news is that Christ has already paid even before you were born. Will you accept his offer? So that is why God will not be blamed for anyone who goes to hell.

    He is not telling you to pay any price for your sin. It’s all paid. It’s a question of do you receive it? So many people are preaching heresies. When you go to church, instead of preaching Christ you are preaching stop wearing earrings. You are a sinner, you fornicated yesterday, you drank alcohol. What would that do to the person? What change would happen?

    You think that I come to your church you are telling me I’m fornicating, I’m committing adultery, I’m stealing. It won’t change me because I already know. You are not telling me any new thing. I already know that’s what I’m doing. It is when you give me the solution that it is the gospel.

    And so what do we preach? Most of our churches preach sin rather than righteousness. We are preaching sin to the people. We are preaching their crimes to them. We are preaching their evil to them. So you are telling me what I know. You are further empowering me. That’s all. It doesn’t change me. I may cry, I may roll on the floor but I will still get up and go back to what I’m doing. We are preaching all manner of things. Come and receive miracle, come and receive healing, come and receive. After that, what happens? How has it affected your lifestyle? So that’s where we are.

    Is age telling on you already having clocked 80?

    It’s a natural phenomenon otherwise we are going to live on this earth forever. It’s a natural thing. You may not be as strong. There are things you want to do but your strength cannot carry you to do it as you used to. You want to stand but you cannot stand. You want to do and you cannot. So you take your time. Of course, some of our people, preachers like me, have lied. They’ve told a lot of lies as if they are invincible. It’s a bloody lie; we also fall sick.

    They say stuff like ‘I’ve not been sick for 35 years’; ‘I don’t take drugs, I don’t take medication.’ And yet they will go for medical check-ups. They all have private medical check-ups and all that inside their jets. And so some people just die for nothing because of what they heard on the pulpit. No. It’s not true.

    What do you tell younger Nigerians who have given up and want to get into power to also carry on with looting?

    That is the natural way to think. At the end of the day leaders have failed to understand that they are sowing seeds that will germinate in the future. If we think legacy there are things we will not do as leaders. Most of our leaders have destroyed young people for nothing.

    I wouldn’t blame them. What do you want them to do? They struggle, go to schools and graduate with nothing. And you still want them to be morally upright. The only way it can happen is God. That’s the only way. Human beings have failed them. That’s why the church has a whole lot of responsibilities to ensure that whatever you can do for young people do it for them. Otherwise, if they are to follow the examples they see outside, I can guarantee you there’ll be no future.

    How have you managed the home front in over 50 years of full-time ministry?

    When the ministry was starting, I wouldn’t tell you it was easy to manage family. That’s where agreement between you and your wife comes in. There are things she had to take on. But it’s not going to be permanent. For instance, I had to do a lot of travels when the ministry was growing up, a lot of travelling which she would not even go with me. So you need to put that in place and put that in your mind set.

    But every given opportunity, you must get back to your family. You see, it is family first before the pulpit. That’s one of the things people don’t understand. They think that it is pulpit. ‘I’m doing the Lord’s work’, and you ignore your family. No, no, no. It’s family first before the pulpit. So if your family is not in order, you are going to run into problems.

    I say to young pastors when I teach in Bible school that ‘one of the things you must guard jealously is about your marital life. Don’t jump into marriage because of what you see by eyesight.’

    You must pray to God to guide you with somebody who will understand your vision. Otherwise, you are not going to make it. If you marry wrongly, half of your ministry is gone. I can tell you that for free. You will never maximize the call of God upon your life.

    Yesterday, I was just telling them that I can’t thank God enough for my wife. Her patience, resilience, commitment, dynamism and understanding of what she has done in my life because I don’t think I would have been able to survive. Truly, I don’t think I would have been able to survive in the ministry. So she has been of tremendous help. So every opportunity, you must always reflect back.

    Don’t take your family for granted. You see when your wife begins to agitate because of neglect and other things don’t think that she’s committing sin. You have negated your responsibility. That’s why it happens. So every opportunity, we sit as a family and just enjoy ourselves. Let down our hair and enjoy what family people used to do. We argue and quarrel among ourselves and continue with life. So that helps you.

    You see I don’t live in euphoria. I’ve heard some people say ‘I have never quarrelled with my wife. Not one day of quarrel’. It’s a lie. You see the lie that people tell on the pulpit is a lot. I will shamefully admit. Are you not a human being? I mean, we are human beings. We are all surviving by God’s grace.

    So there will be times like that of disagreements and quarrels. But the beautiful thing about Christianity is there is always a bounce back that God has given to us to get on back and keep going. We are an on-going work in process.

    We are not yet complete. It’s an on-going work that is draining us. By the time we see him face to face, the work will be completed.

  • LASG restates mandatory EIA approval for development projects

    LASG restates mandatory EIA approval for development projects

    The Lagos State Government has reiterated that no development project will be allowed to commence in the state without first securing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, stated this on Wednesday at a Stakeholders’ Engagement Workshop on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for practitioners in the real estate sector and project developers held at Watercress Hotel, Ikeja.

    Rotimi-Akodu stressed that the EIA approval is “not negotiable,” noting that estate development projects such as five-floor buildings and above, eight housing units and above, shopping malls, filling stations, industrial facilities, sand mining, dredging, and land reclamation must undergo the process before construction begins.

    “The Lagos State Government will not hesitate to enforce compliance in the overriding interest of ensuring public safety and sustainable development when necessary,” he said.

    He explained that Lagos remains Nigeria’s most preferred destination for investors due to its growing population, modern infrastructure, and sound policies.

    However, he cautioned that unchecked real estate expansion, industrialisation, and land reclamation carry significant environmental risks, including air, land, and water pollution, as well as potential irreversible degradation.

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    The Special Adviser described the EIA as a critical management tool for identifying both beneficial and adverse impacts of projects, with measures to mitigate negative outcomes.

    According to him, the state’s adoption of the EIA process is in line with global best practices aimed at safeguarding the environment and public health.

    The Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Tajudeen Gaji, said the workshop was timely, stressing that development projects, while beneficial, also pose environmental and social risks if not properly managed.

    “If everyone ignores these impacts, we would expose the already fragile ecosystem of the state to further degradation and, by extension, jeopardise public health and safety,” he warned.

    The Lagos State Government urged stakeholders in the real estate and development sector to embrace the EIA process as part of their commitment to sustainable development.

  • Troops kill terrorists, arrest 15, rescue 15 hostages in crackdown

    Troops kill terrorists, arrest 15, rescue 15 hostages in crackdown

    • ISWAP fighter surrenders, military arrests collaborators in Kano, Lagos, others

    • Military not paying ransom to bandits, says DHQ

    TROOPS of the Nigerian Army have killed scores of terrorists and arrested 15 others in a series of operations across the country.

    A military source told The Nation on Monday night that troops also rescued 15 kidnap victims during onslaughts conducted from August 29 to 31.

    According to the source, troops recovered a large cache of high calibre weapons, ammunition, explosives, and illegal refined petroleum products.

    The source indicated that in the Northwest zone, troops of 17 Brigade in Katsina State and 1 Brigade Combat Team in Zamfara State rescued 12 kidnap victims from terrorists’ captivity.

    They also rescued some people in the Northcentral and Southeast, with Operation Whirl Stroke in Nasarawa State and 34 Artillery Brigade troops in Imo State.

    Also, an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighter has surrendered to troops of 242 Recce Battalion, Nigerian Army, in Monguno Local Government Area of Borno State.

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    Troops also arrested several terrorist and criminal collaborators in Kano, Plateau, Taraba, Lagos, and Rivers states, recovering weapons and ammunition.

    According to the source, a preliminary investigation into the surrendered ISWAP fighter showed that he had been with the group since 2013 but abandoned the insurgency due to hardship and internal divisions.

    The Armed Forces have restated their opposition to the payment of ransom to bandits and criminal groups.

    Speaking on national television yesterday, the Chief of Defence Operations, Maj.-Gen. Emeka Onumajuru, said experience had shown that ransom payments do not work and only embolden criminals.

    “The Armed Forces of Nigeria do not support the payment of money to criminal groups. The armed forces of Nigeria are not part of that arrangement,” he stated.

    According to the source, a team comprising 1 Battalion Rear of the Army, other security forces, and vigilantes intensified crackdowns on suspected collaborators and logistics suppliers of criminal groups in the Northwest, raiding criminal hideouts in Kebbi and Sokoto states, where they arrested six suspected members of the notorious Lakurawa terrorist group and seized their items and cash.

    He said: “In Kano and Kaduna states, troops recovered empty ammunition shells and other evidence after encounters with fleeing terrorists,” the source said.

    “In Taraba State, three impostors posing as security personnel were apprehended and handed over to the Police for further investigation.”

    The source reported a significant success against IPOB/ESN fighters in Imo State, where troops dismantled and destroyed their sentry posts and an improvised explosive device (IED) factory, and disposed of explosives on major routes.

    “They also recovered IED detonators, CCTV cameras, and metal fragments prepared for bomb-making.”

    In the Niger Delta, the troops destroyed illegally refined products, arresting two suspects with over 2,500 litres of stolen petroleum products in Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.

    In Imo State, troops discovered illegally refining sites containing more than 700 litres of crude oil and refined products, which were destroyed in line with standard procedures.

    According to the source, troops have also intensified arms recoveries, “arresting two armed suspects in Delta State who were found with two local pistols, a pump-action rifle, cartridges, and mobile phones.”

    The source stated that the rescued victims were handed over to the appropriate authorities for reunification with their families, assuring that “the Army will continue to dismantle criminal networks, creating a safer environment to boost agriculture and support the Federal Government’s food security.

    In a related operation, troops of 8 Division Garrison killed a terrorist at Gidan Garkuwa in Tureta Local Government Area of Sokoto State, recovering an AK-47 rifle and rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

    “Similarly, troops of 1 Brigade made contact with armed groups at Magazu in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, leading to the recovery of motorcycles and military uniforms,” the source said.

    The source noted that the coordinated operations have “significantly weakened terrorist mobility and logistics”, fostering a safer environment that will enhance agricultural activities in the region.

    According to the source, the troops’ onslaught in the Northcentral region has prevented criminals’ free movement and secured major roads for commuters.

    “Accordingly, troops thwarted criminal activities in Plateau State by foiling armed robbery on the Jos-Bauchi Road and responding to attempted cattle rustling in Mangu Local Government Area.”

    Onumajuru explained that instead of ransom, the military operates a national Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the National Security Adviser, designed for repentant fighters who surrender and show readiness to reintegrate into society.

    According to him, the DDR programme is coordinated under Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe State for the Northeast and in Zamfara State for the Northwest “to provide an alternative route for bandits who want to abandon criminality. They undergo detailed profiling to determine their culpability. Those found guilty face the law, while others are transferred to DDR centres for rehabilitation’’.

    Onumajuru added that some individuals were conscripted by criminal groups and may not be culpable. Such cases, he said, are handled with care through the profiling.

    He stressed the need for border communities to play an active role in securing the nation’s frontiers. “Communities must feel a sense of belonging and responsibility to help strengthen Nigeria’s borders,” he said.

  • Expanding e-payment efficiency with PoS policy for cardholders, merchants

    Expanding e-payment efficiency with PoS policy for cardholders, merchants

    Merchants and cardholders stand to benefit immensely from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) new Point of Sale (PoS) policy unveiled last week. Beyond boosting convenience and security in transactions, the policy strengthens confidence in the e-payment space and underscores regulatory commitment to deepening financial inclusion. It also enhances access to credit, improves transaction monitoring, and reinforces consumer protection, writes Assistant Editor COLLINS NWEZE

    The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) cashless policy, reinforced by the rapid adoption of mobile banking, created the fertile ground for Point of Sale (PoS) services to thrive. Today, PoS terminals dot both urban centres and remote villages, offering the banked, unbanked, and underbanked unprecedented access to financial services. Millions of agents now serve as critical bridges, enabling cash withdrawals, deposits, fund transfers, and bill payments daily.

    This grassroots penetration reflects CBN’s broader vision of reducing reliance on cash while deepening digital payments that bring financial services closer to the people. To strengthen this ecosystem, the apex bank recently unveiled new e-payment guidelines: “Migration to ISO 20022 Standard for Payment Messaging and Mandatory Geo-Tagging of Payment Terminals.”

    The reform, Governor Olayemi Cardoso explained, not only enhances transparency, compliance and security but also reinforces Nigeria’s leadership in digital payments—a system often ahead of many advanced economies, though under-recognised. “Many innovations that other countries are only now experiencing have been part of our system for years. We must celebrate these successes, as they contribute to building our global reputation. Nigeria’s dynamic fintech ecosystem has driven financial inclusion and positioned the country as a hub of innovation in Africa,” he said.

    Cardoso explained that despite a challenging external environment, Nigerian fintechs continue to shine, attracting significant foreign investment and several have achieved global unicorn status this year. Their innovations, alongside other financial service providers, have fuelled growth in transactions and made financial services more affordable and accessible for many more Nigerians. “We must continue to leverage this channel to enhance access to finance and credit, particularly for under-served populations. However, I urge fintech companies and banks to ensure their platforms are not exploited for fraudulent activities. Strengthening the KYC onboarding process is essential to prevent malicious actors from exploiting our financial system.

    “Additionally, these institutions must prioritise improving transaction monitoring and bolstering consumer protection measures to ensure that digital channels remain safe, especially for the most vulnerable segments of our population,” Cardoso said.

    The CBN boss added that while the apex bank continues to lay the foundation for price stability and foster a conducive policy environment, the role of banks in this journey remains crucial. “At the Central Bank, we have intensified surveillance of market activities to ensure compliance. Together, we must build a market based on strong governance and transparency. As regulators, we will maintain a zero-tolerance approach to compliance violations,” he said.

    X-ray of e-payment rules for PoS operators

    The new circular-“Migration to ISO 20022 Standard for Payment Messaging and Mandatory Geo-Tagging of Payment Terminals,” signed by CBN Director of the Payments System Supervision Department, Rakiya Yusuf, directed banks, fintech companies and other licensed payment operators to install Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking on all Point of Sale (PoS) terminals.

    The move aligns with the apex bank’s bid to tighten oversight of electronic payment transactions in the country. By this policy, all PoS devices must have “native geo-location services enabled, with Double-Frequency GPS receivers for reliable geo-location service.” The operators are also required to register each terminal with a payment terminal service aggregator and provide accurate coordinates of the merchant or agent’s business location.

    It further requires that every PoS machine must capture and transmit its location data at the start of a transaction. Activity outside a 10-metre radius of the registered business or service point will be flagged, while terminals that are not geo-tagged will be barred from processing payments.

    The regulator said existing machines must be tagged within 60 days, and new devices must be tagged before certification and activation. “Geo-location data must be captured at transaction initiation and included in the message payload as a mandatory reporting field: Terminals not directly routed to a PTSA are not permitted to transact.

    “All existing terminals and newly registered terminals must ensure strict adherence always to approved MSC code per sector: All existing terminals must be geo-tagged within 60 days of this circular; new terminals going forward must be geo-tagged before certification and activation,” it said.

    The measures come amid a surge in the use of PoS machines across Nigeria. Once considered an alternative, PoS agents have become a central part of the country’s cash economy, handling millions of payments daily as banks cut branch networks and ATMs often run dry. But rise in PoS usage also raised the risks associated with the business, including rising fraud complaints involving PoS agents. The CBN also directed payment companies to adopt a new global standard for transaction messages, known as ISO 20022, by 31 October.

    The ISO 20022 was designed to create a single global language for transactions, and aligns Nigeria with SWIFT’s migration timeline. However, the biggest move from the regulator is geotagging, which means that every PoS device will now be tied to exact GPS coordinates. The standard, developed by SWIFT, is expected to improve the quality of transaction data and make both domestic and cross-border payments more secure and efficient.

    All PoS devices must run on Android version 10 or higher to integrate with the National Central Switch, which will host the software kit for geolocation monitoring and geo-fencing. “All payment transaction messages exchanged domestically or internationally must be formatted in ISO 20022 in line with CBN and SWIFT specifications. All Institutions shall ensure complete and accurate population of mandatory data elements, including payer/payee identifiers, merchant/agent identifiers, and transaction metadata. All in-scope institutions must complete migration activities and be fully compliant not later than October 31, 2025,” it said.

    Speaking during CBN Fair in Lagos, CBN Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, explained that as a means of protecting banks’ customers and ensuring that they are not short-changed, the CBN launched the Unified Complaints Tracking System (UCTS), aimed at streamlining and improving the management of consumer complaints against financial institutions. The system, alongside a USSD code (*959#) for verifying licensed institutions, enhances transparency and consumer protection in the Nigerian financial sector. “The core objective of this engagement, therefore, is to sensitize members of the public on how the bank’s policies and innovations can enhance their lives and livelihood and contribute to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy,” she said.

    Branch Controller, Central Bank of Nigeria, Lagos, Sunday Daibo, said the apex bank is taking steps to ensure more people are brought into the digital payment network. He said: “In a world where technology is reshaping economies and redefining how people interact with financial services, alternate financial services have emerged not as an option, but as a necessity. They are the bridges connecting the underserved populations to the formal financial system,” he said.

    Industry statistics

    According to Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) data, since their 2013 introduction, PoS terminals have become the go-to for cash for many Nigerians, with about 1,600 PoS operators per square kilometre. There were 8.36 million registered PoS terminals, with 5.90 million active/deployed as of March 2025. Transactions hit N10.51 trillion in Q1 2025, a 301.67 per cent increase from Q1 2024. In 2024, that the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) had been mandated to develop a geo-fencing plan to prevent terminals from being used outside their deployment addresses. Under this latest directive, NIBSS will disable a terminal that has been moved beyond its certified location.

    To ensure compliance, the CBN has ordered all payment terminals to be registered with a Payment Terminal Service Aggregator (PTSA) —NIBSS or Unified Payment Services Limited — with accurate latitude/longitude coordinates indicating the merchant/agent place of business/service and status. Terminals not directly routed to a PTSA are not permitted to transact, and all operators must ensure that their PoS terminals and applications are certified by the National Central Switch (NCS).

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    Understanding PoS operations

    Presently, the PoS terminal operators and kiosks managers are taking over the market, stepping in to make cash available to customers at premium prices. Daily earnings from a PoS business vary depending on the location, the number of customers, and the services provided. Potential earnings range from N5, 000 to N50, 000 or more, depending on one’s business strategy and execution. With a well-planned and executed business model, the PoS operator can achieve significant daily earnings.

    Tinuke Adebola, a PoS Aggregator based in Lagos, said: “PoS terminals are taking over the financial landscape. Banks are not ready to absorb rising costs of maintaining ATM terminals that require power, security, cash movement; cash handling charges and so on. Banking is profit-driven and ATM terminals are no longer meeting the profit needs of banks.”

    Another PoS Aggregator, based in Central Lagos, Oloye Adigun, said that network quality, availability of PoS machines and cost of the machines are crucial in the business. He disclosed that: “Outright PoS machine (smart version) purchase costs N110,000 while the button version costs N65,000; lease costs N45,000 for smart version, while the button brand costs N25,000.” He said bills payment, bank to bank transfer, cash receipts and payment to third parties, among others are key transactions carried out with PoS machines.

    President, Bank Customers Association of Nigeria, Uju Ogubunka, said banking is fast becoming what one does and not where one goes to “Brick/mortar banking, is giving way to digital banking where transactions are completed in seconds, saving costs and providing convenience to bank customers. Consumers are looking for simple technology-driven solutions customised to meet their everyday needs,” he said.

    Regulatory position

    For the CBN, digital innovations ranging from self-service technologies like cell phones, online and mobile banking, Artificial Intelligence, big data, blockchain technology, distributed ledgers, among others, have greatly challenged orthodox systems and helped improve the operational efficiency of financial institutions as they respond to customer demands for more innovative services.

    Recognising the growing importance of consumer protection in an increasingly digital financial landscape, Cardoso embarked on a comprehensive review of consumer protection regulations. This review sought to upgrade the regulatory framework to address emerging risks posed by the rapid growth of Fintech and digital banking solutions. The goal was to enhance customer service standards and increasing engagement with formal financial institutions, ensuring that consumers have access to reliable, efficient, and secure financial services.

    Cardoso further explained that financial inclusion offers equity and opportunity for all Nigerians.  “Our goal is to ensure that 80 per cent of adults are financially included by 2026. Through partnerships with banks, fintechs, agent banking, and targeted support for women and rural communities, we will create a financial ecosystem that leaves no one behind.

    “Our journey ahead demands trust, and trust is built on transparency and accountability. As regulators, we will continue to engage openly with stakeholders, providing regular updates on policy outcomes and adjusting our strategies based on empirical evidence.”