GAVI, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, is said to have provided over $732 million to Nigeria for vaccine procurement, cold chain infrastructure, and health systems strengthening over the last 24. With this and billions of naira committed by previous governments towards local production of vaccines, Nigeria still depends on international help to get millions of its citizens, especially the children immunized. Following massive cuts in global funding for vaccination, the die appears cast for Nigeria as thousands of children may not have access to vaccination in coming years. There are concerns that the country may witness a spike in preventable diseases and deaths if nothing drastic is done to address this challenge. Innocent Duru reports.
• Global cut in funding of vaccines puts thousands of Nigerian children’s lives in danger
• How corrupt official ate innocent children’s future
• Questions trail multi-billion naira investment in local vaccine production
In 2017, May and Baker Plc, an indigenous pharmaceutical industry reportedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government, to immediately begin local production of vaccines.
Under that agreement, Nigeria was expected to roll out its first locally produced vaccines by July 2019, beginning with the drugs against Yellow fever, Tetanus Toxoid and Hepatitis B.
To ensure that the firm being floated to achieve this target, Biovaccines Nigeria Limited, met the target May and Baker said it would need to invest $50 million (N18.5 billion) to resuscitate a manufacturing line at the defunct National Vaccine Production Laboratory (NVPL) in Yaba, Lagos, which it had acquired.
According to the MoU, the project, which is being handled through Biovaccines, will build local capacity in vaccine production as well as develop a centre of excellence for research and development of vaccine technology and other biologics.
May and Baker, confirming its involvement in Nigeria’s quest to produce vaccines locally, said on its website that it “ began an aggressive expansion and diversification programme since 2005 which has culminated in the creation of new businesses and subsidiaries. In 2005, Biovaccines, a local vaccine production subsidiary was set up in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria. In 2006, the company constructed a multi-billion naira food processing factory, constructed a local plant for the production of anti-retroviral drugs in Nigeria while the construction of a World Health Organization Standard Pharmaceutical production facility was completed and commissioned on June 27, 2011.”
However, eight years after the signing of the MoU, Nigeria is yet to start local production of vaccines. It still spends billions of naira annually to import vaccines highly subsidized by international organisations like GAVI.
A Public Health Physician, Dr Rotimi Adesanya says there will be grave consequences should Nigeria have challenges accessing vaccines as it has always done.
“The implication is that our infant mortality rate will worsen. All the things that the minister of health said are already improving will continue to get worse,” he told The Nation.
“Many of these diseases that vaccines prevent are deadly.”
Dr Adesanya recalled that the GAVI funds that would have benefitted the health sector was lost to corruption.
His words:“ The GAVI issue is in the public domain. We read about how corruption affected how those funds were utilized. GAVI actually supports immunization programme all over the world but in our own situation, the experience we had with GAVI is that corruption came in and many of the people that were programme managers, those who were in charge, allowed that money to be embezzled.
“Corruption set in and the money was not judiciously used. This led to why many funders had to withdraw because there was no transparency in the policy regarding how the money was used. Corruption made it impossible for us to use the GAVI funding very well. Corruption destroyed the stability of the programme.”
Dr Adesanya’s assertion was corroborated by reports of how Professor Oyewale Tomori, the distinguished virologist and former Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University informed the world of the way in which avarice and ineptitude combined to undermine the effectiveness of Gavi’s interventions in Nigeria, thereby putting the lives of millions of children at risk.
In an article entitled “The Shame of Nigeria’s Stalled Transitioning from Gavi Support,” he explained the brazen manner in which a total of US$7.6 million in Gavi funds were misappropriated. The organisation had undertaken an extensive audit of its programmes in Nigeria between January 2010 and March 2015, and found that $2.2 million and $5.4 million had gone into irregular or ineligible use.
After prolonged discussion, Nigeria agreed to return the misused funds to Gavi. An initial $5.4 million was paid; payment of the balance of $2.2 million became a condition for Gavi to consider Nigeria’s proposed request to extend its transition from Gavi support to 2028.
Alarmed by the development, Tomori reportedly asked: “How come a nation so rich with enough resources to fully vaccinate every child and more, is asking for such a long extension?”
Nigeria produced vaccines between 1940 to 1991
Time there was when Nigeria never depended on international organisations for supply or getting subsidized vaccines. The country produced its own vaccines to take care of its citizens.
Between 1940 and 1991,it was not only producing vaccines for smallpox, yellow fever, and anti-rabies vaccines, but also exported to Cameroon, Central African Republic and a few other countries.
However, in 1991 the Federal Vaccine Production Laboratory (FVPL) in Yaba, Lagos, stopped production ostensibly because the government wanted to reactivate and upgrade the facility, which never happened.Also, Nigeria spends over N8 billion annually importing vaccines into the country, with about 80 percent cost of vaccines being subsidized by Global vaccine initiative (GAVI).
Reacting to our question regarding the defunct centre, Dr Adesanya said: “The federal vaccine centre in Yaba was producing vaccines but not all the vaccines. Inconsistency in government policy affected the production of vaccines. This minister will come and bring a different policy, that one will come and bring his own policy. The fact that the country went through recession and all that affected the centre.
“But like I said earlier, such centres are heavily funded by non-governmental organisations and by the government in order for it to succeed. Inconsistency in policy affects funding for such centre.”
Continuing, Dr Adesanya said: “our population has increased. In those days, we were able to produce vaccines for the population but now the population has increased. The kind of population we have now especially for the paediatric age is very high. So, it will take a lot to be able to produce vaccine to meet that population.
“Our younger population is one of the highest in the world. We need a lot of resources to make such a place to be active. You can see how funding came during Covid 19. Oil companies, philanthropists and others put money together to curtail that pandemic that happened that time. Things like vaccine and vaccination go through a lot. Funding, unstable government, inconsistency in policy is what has affected the vaccine centre.”
FG releases N10b for vaccine production
The Federal Government in January 2021 announced the release N10 billion to support domestic vaccine production.
The then Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, during a briefing by the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 in Abuja said N10 billion was released by the Ministry of Finance to explore “options for licensed production in collaboration with recognised institutions.”
Dr Adesanya clarified that the N10 billion released by the federal government was just a seed money and not all that was needed to embark on local vaccine production.
“Production of vaccines involves a lot. If you look at a place like the US, apart from the funds that the government will put on the ground, there are different foundations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the rest that will also put their money into that research to make sure that they are able to produce quality vaccines that are safe for the environment,” he said.
“The funds that the Federal Government gave that time may not actually be enough to assist. This money given was for programmes. A lot of logistics are also involved. Things like paying royalty, flying experts from one country to the other, paying volunteers , then recruiting people. By the time they start putting money in different places that they are meant to be, it may not achieve much.”
Continuing, the physician said: “As I have said, in a place like the US, there are many foundations that inject funds into all these beyond what the government has done. We may not yet be there but if you look at the budget, it is not yet up to the 15 percent that is globally expected for health. Whatever the federal government gives, is still part of the health budget. The health budget in Nigeria is less than 10 percent,whereas WHO prescribes that 15 percent of a nation’s total budget should go to health.”
Fresh global health crises loom
WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, during World Immunization Week in April, warned that outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis and yellow fever are rising globally, and diseases like diphtheria, that have long been held at bay or virtually disappeared in many countries, are at risk of re-emerging. In response, the agencies called for urgent and sustained political attention and investment to strengthen immunization programmes and protect significant progress achieved in reducing child mortality over the past 50 years.
“Vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past five decades,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Funding cuts to global health have put these hard-won gains in jeopardy. Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases are increasing around the world, putting lives at risk and exposing countries to increased costs in treating diseases and responding to outbreaks. Countries with limited resources must invest in the highest-impact interventions – and that includes vaccines.”
The world bodies noted that measles is making an especially dangerous comeback. They stated that the number of cases has been increasing year on year since 2021, tracking the reductions in immunization coverage that occurred during and since the COVID-19 pandemic in many communities. Measles cases reached an estimated 10.3 million in 2023, a 20% increase compared to 2022.
The agencies warned that this upward trend may continue.
In the past 12 months, 138 countries have reported measles cases, with 61 experiencing large or disruptive outbreaks – the highest number observed in any 12-month period since 2019.
The agencies equally observed that meningitis cases in Africa also rose sharply in 2024, and the upward trend has continued into 2025. In the first three months of this year alone, they said, more than 5500 suspected cases and nearly 300 deaths were reported in 22 countries. This follows approximately 26 000 cases and almost 1400 deaths across 24 countries last year.
The statement further said that yellow fever cases in African are also climbing, with 124 confirmed cases reported in 12 countries in 2024. This comes after dramatic declines in the disease over the past decade, thanks to global vaccine stockpiles and use of yellow fever vaccine in routine immunization programmes. In the WHO Region of the Americas, yellow fever outbreaks have been confirmed since the beginning of this year, with a total of 131 cases in four countries.
These outbreaks, the agencies regretted, came amidst global funding cuts. A recent WHO rapid stock taking with 108 country offices of WHO – mostly in low- and lower-middle-income countries – shows that nearly half of those countries are facing moderate to severe disruptions to vaccination campaigns, routine immunization and access to supplies due to reduced donor funding. Disease surveillance, including for vaccine-preventable diseases, is also impacted in more than half of the countries surveyed.
At the same time, the agencies said the number of children missing routine vaccinations has been increasing in recent years, even as countries make efforts to reach children missed during the pandemic. In 2023, an estimated 14.5 million children missed all of their routine vaccine doses – up from 13.9 million in 2022 and 12.9 million in 2019. Over half of these children live in countries facing conflict, fragility, or instability, where access to basic health services is often disrupted.
“The global funding crisis is severely limiting our ability to vaccinate over 15 million vulnerable children in fragile and conflict-affected countries against measles,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Immunization services, disease surveillance, and the outbreak response in nearly 50 countries are already being disrupted – with setbacks at a similar level to what we saw during COVID-19. We cannot afford to lose ground in the fight against preventable diseases.Continued investment in the ‘Big Catch-Up initiative’, launched in 2023 to reach children who missed vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other routine immunization programmes will be critical.”
NAFDAC still hoping to achieve local production
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has continued to speak of its commitment to the commencement of local production of vaccines.
In 2021, the agency said it was being audited by the WHO to prepare Nigeria for local production of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Director-General of the NAFDAC Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye told stakeholders at a hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations in Abuja that the agency takes the issues of health, safety and environment seriously.
NAFDAC supervises 165 pharmaceutical industries, over 45, 000 food manufacturing industries and over 5000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the food and drug industry.
“The WHO is carrying out an audit of NAFDAC, which will enable the country to start manufacturing vaccines” Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director of Planning Research and Statistics, NAFDAC, Fori Tatama, said.
Four years after, NAFDAC is still hoping that the country will one day start local production of vaccines.
In October this year, Prof. Adeyeye, challenged pharmaceutical manufacturers in Nigeria to make bold investment decisions that will make the local production of human vaccines a reality.
She warned that Nigeria must not wait for another pandemic before getting prepared.
“When COVID-19 struck, we were at the mercy of other countries because we depended entirely on foreign supplies for vaccines. That experience should never repeat itself,” she said.
According to her, NAFDAC has strengthened its regulatory system through a major restructuring process in line with WHO’s global benchmarking standards to pave the way for vaccine manufacturing in Nigeria.
The agency, according to her, achieved WHO Maturity Level 3, ML3, in 2022 for medicines and imported vaccines, a global recognition that qualifies it as a functional regulatory authority.
She said that in November 2024, NAFDAC established a new Directorate of Vaccines, Biologics, and Medical Devices, following approval by the Head of Service of the Federation, to align with international best practices and ensure effective oversight.
“For NAFDAC to be benchmarked for vaccines and biologics, we needed a dedicated directorate,” she said.
“We are now operating at the same level as advanced countries.”
Expressing optimism that Nigeria would soon begin manufacturing its own vaccines, Adeyeye said:
“It will be exciting news for me if, before I leave office, Nigeria begins vaccine production. We’ve been producing veterinary vaccines since 1924, yet we still depend on foreign countries for human vaccines. That must change.”
She noted that Nigeria fulfilled nine WHO Global Benchmarking Tool modules, with NAFDAC responsible for eight of them, and has achieved ML3 for seven—except for locally manufactured vaccines, which are yet to begin.
“We are working towards ML3 for locally manufactured vaccines. WHO has verified our vaccine Lot Release indicators; what remains is local vaccine production, which will allow us to carry out facility inspections,” she added.
Adeyeye also revealed that NAFDAC is the only National Regulatory Agency (NRA), in sub-Saharan Africa with an in-house laboratory for vaccines, biologics, and medical devices.
“The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has a vaccines lab, but it’s outsourced. Ours is fully in-house,” she said.
Speaking further, she urged manufacturers to seize the moment, noting that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda encourages local manufacturing across sectors.
“We have capable scientists and a strengthened regulatory framework. We can start with the ‘Fill and Finish’ stage while developing full-scale manufacturing. Now is the time to get it done,” she said.
Corroborating the NAFDAC DG’s position, Mrs. Khadijah Ade-Abolade, Director of Vaccines, Biologics, and Medical Devices Registration and Regulatory Affairs, said the federal government is already playing a strategic role to ensure that vaccine production takes off in Nigeria.
“The regulatory framework is already established and functional for imported vaccines, and it will be applied to locally produced ones once manufacturing begins,” she explained
Ministry yet to respond
Effort to get the reaction of the Ministry of Health on why the country has not commenced local vaccine production was unsuccessful.
The spokesperson, Alaba Balogu, was yet to respond to our inquiry at press time.
Last year’s over-riding theme for the culture sector was: Art–conomy. True to Type, artists, stakeholders, culture technocrats and so on, worked within the ambiance of this theme. It was a year when artists keyed into that dream to allow their profession attract dividends to them. Edozie Udeze takes a retrospective insight into all the programmes that made culture entrepreneurs thrive and smile to the banks.
The year 2025 was aptly tagged the year of Art-conomy. And it truly came to pass, well fulfilled. The year was full of boisterous art and cultural activities, programmes and events that recreated the economy. From the private sector to the state and federal parastatals and agencies within the armbit of the culture sector, events were purposely created and organized to create jobs, to regenerate arts that encouraged artists to grow in all aspects of their professional endeavour.
In the beginning, the National Troupe of Nigeria, the Federal government’s apex dance ensemble, organized a five day training for children drummers. It was five days of intensive training that even traversed drumming into stage, dance, filmmaking, costuming and scripting. Undertaken by core professionals in the sector, the children who came out beaming with a smiles have since taken drumming as a way of life. Some of them beat to earn a living.
Also the National Gallery of Art (NGA), custodians of modern art pieces and relics and properties, finally presented reports of the art inventory which it did in collaboration with Goethe, German Cultural Centre in Nigeria and Julius Berger. The event showed that over 2,000 art pieces often forgotten by previous administrations have been retrieved and refurbished as national treasures. The art works were done by both the first generation and subsequent generations of Nigerian art masters. Today, the works are safe as they have been preserved as some of Nigeria’s richest art pieces ever recorded in history. Some of the works also generate income, money, for government and for the owners. Thanks to Ahmed Sodangi, the DG of NGA for his meticulous way of articulating ideas that generate revenue for the sector and for government.
In the main, some of the federal parastatals and agencies that sidelined paucity of funds kept the sector ever aglow. While the National Troupe made several trips abroad to represent Nigeria in international cultural and dance festivals, the National Gallery kept the home front alive. In February, the Gallery put together one of the most classical and colourful exhibitions that showcased love, love across tribes, love across boundaries and across barriers. It was tagged wealth and lovers’ art. Artists therefore made financial gains.
At the National Museums and Monuments, Onikan, Lagos, some stolen works and artefacts repatriated to Nigeria were officially handed over to Nigeria. They were showcased as they are said to worth millions of dollars. Oba of Benin was there, so also were all the top notch of the Federal Ministry of Culture, Art, Tourism and Creative Economy. The works glittered in their full blooms as they adorned the huge galleries. The Benin monarch beamed with satisfaction as the works eventually returned to Edo State as part of national collection.
It was a year of books, books and more books. Books that x-rayed the nation through thought-provoking narratives. Sam Omatseye surprised the sector with Juju Eyes. Juju Eyes is a catchy title and talks to the leadership cadre of the nation. Juju Eyes punctures the reckless life style of runs girls, politicians and pastors. The book tour took Omateye to parts of Nigeria to sensitise people about the exigencies of a troubled society now distilled within the bowels of a fictional offering.
Also Olatunji Ololade bestrode the sector with his book titled, of gods and their clay toys. In it, you encounter the powerful narrative voice of a Journalist who has vowed to elevate story-telling to a crescendo. In the book sector, the Nigerian Literature Prize last year seemed to have been exclusively reserved for only Nigerian authors in the Diaspora. Right from the longlist of eleven to the shortlist, it was their exclusive preserve. But the truth of the matter is that NLNG presented the highest number of entries last year than the previous years. This has indeed added unprecedented colours and value to one of worlds highest literary prizes ever.
The private sector was the one that kept the tempo streaming with total art-conomy. Art Miabo who invented the title Art-conomy for last year’s art programmes eventually hit the nation with an exhibition with same title. She came to Nigeria from her base in South Africa. She came with many foreign artists. She equally blended with the local ones to have a festival of arts that lasted for five days. It took place in Victoria Island, where her works also done mainly from discarded objects blended beauty with artistic acumen that for those remarkable days visitors came in from far and near to view and buy. Art Miabo is a phenomenon when it comes to art.
Through the intervention of Emmanuel Macron, the French Prime Minister, a group of people with the French Embassy in Nigeria brought global culture to Nigeria. The result was a week-long international conference held in Victoria Island and titled Cultural and Creative Industries Forum – Forum Creation Africa Lagos. It brought the world to Nigeria. And Macron rightly accepted that Nigeria has the largest concentration of cultural properties in Africa to create high level jobs, to renew hopes and to change lots of lives.
True to type, the conference taught people how to produce world class films, animations, cartoons, scripts and art works. It also redirected attention to gastronomy and the relevance of music in all spheres of human life. Afrobeat was taken as an ample example. Finally, the National Theatre, the Apex Culture House of Nigeria was handed over to government. The renovations took four years or so to complete. Today, the edifice stands like a new bride. The former glitter has come back. On the day of the reopening, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described it as the cultural icon and pride of a nation. The social amenities now function to the fullest. However, the artists and workers are yet to have access to it.
The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) had as its convention title last year: Nigerian writer and the urgencies of a nation-state. The theme was adopted to address all the inanities in a state in a quagmire. The convention held in Abuja was not only heated, it brought into it Africa’s first nobel laureate in literature Professor Wole Soyinka to the writer’s village for the first time. ANA is consistently progressive, no doubt. Soyinka’s presence re-ignited the euphoria and the electrifying nature as the gathering suddenly became more accelerated.
The year ended with variety of stage plays, including Itan, The story by Ayo Jaiyesimi. There were also musicals, art exhibitions, etc. that saw stakeholders smiling to the banks. Indeed economy and culture were truly in harmony.
The outgoing year claimed the lives of many prominent people within and outside the country. Former President Muhammadu Buhari and Catholic Pontiff Pope Francis were among notable people who passed on in the course of the year. Gbenga Aderanti writes.
January
RABI’ATU SIFAWA
While many were still celebrating the New Year, the sad report of the death of the daughter of the Sokoto State Secretary to the State Government (SSG), broke early in the year.
The incident the state into a mourning mood turned into a mourning mood on Monday, January 6, when the report of the death of the Sokoto SSG’s daughter, children, and maid was confirmed.
The victims were said to have died in a fire accident.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Sokoto State Governor Abubakar Bawa, “The victims of the unfortunate incident include Rabi’atu Sifawa and her three children – Fatimatu, Maryam, and Abubakar – as well as their house help, Aishatu Muhammad,” Bawa stated.
AJOSE ADEOGUN
Six day after the tragic event in Sokoto, the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC), lost one of its elders. A member of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Chief Ajose Adeogun, passed on January 12, after a brief illness.
The Lagos State governor, Olusola Babajide-Sanwo-Olu, described the late GAC member as a great loss to Lagos State, particularly the ruling party, considering his unique position as a retired public servant and one of the great mobilisers in the ruling party.
Ajose was a prominent figure in Lagos State politics. His influence and contributions to the party and the state were widely acknowledged.
As a seasoned administrator, Ajose also served as the Lagos State Head of Service when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the Lagos governor.
ADEWUNMI ORIYOMI ONANUGA
The House of Representatives was plunged into a deep grief, following the death of the Deputy Chief Whip of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, on January 15.
Until her demise, Onanuga was representing the Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun State.
Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Rep. Akin Rotimi Jr., confirmed her death in a statement.
“It is with profound sorrow that the House of Representatives announces the passing of Rt. Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, who,
until her demise, served as the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, representing the Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun State.
“She passed away earlier today, January 15, 2025, after a brief illness,” the statement said.
EDNA IBRU
Ex-Miss Nigeria and former First Lady of Delta State, Mrs Edna Ibru (nee Park), died on Saturday, January 18.
Ibru, wife of Olorogun Felix Ibru, the first civilian Governor of Delta State between 1991 and 1992, died in a London hospital after a brief illness.
The deceased, who was Miss Nigeria 1964 and the first Nigerian/African to represent Nigeria at Miss Universe, had two children for Ibru.
The Ibru family of Agbarha-Otor Kingdom in Delta State confirmed the death of the former first lady in a statement issued by her son, Dr Paul Ibru.
“Our amazing mother passed into glory on Wednesday 15, January 2025, after a brief illness, ” the statement partly read.
It continued, “Until her death, she was full of life, and we never expected her to leave us so soon, but we cannot question the will of God in her precious life.
“She was a lover of people, a mediator, a mother to many, outrageously humorous, deeply caring, down to earth, full of stories all the time, and we will miss her very dearly.”
JEREMIAH TIMBUT USENI
Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Lieutenant
General Jeremiah Timbut Useni died on Thursday, 23 January 2025, at 82, after a brief illness.
He was the FCT Minister under the Sani Abacha military regime.
Useni first rose to national prominence in 1984 when he was appointed Military Governor of the then-defunct Bendel State, which was later split into Edo and Delta states.
He was also Nigeria’s Minister for Transport and Quarter-Master General of the Nigerian Army.
He was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
ADEMOLA AMBODE
Lagos was thrown into grief again on January 31, when Ademola Ambode (Dodo), the brother to the former governor of Lagos State, Akinwumi Ambode passed on.
Ademola died in Sugar Land, Texas, USA.
Dodo was a dedicated politician and grassroots mobilizer.
His contributions to community development and governance were widely acknowledged, particularly within Ikorodu, where he was held in high esteem.
February
HORST KOEHLER
The first death that was recorded in the month of February was that of the former German president, Horst Koehler. He ruled from 2004 to 2010.
He died on February 1 at the age of 81.
Born in 1943 in German-occupied Poland, Koehler spent most of his early years living in refugee camps with his family before settling in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg.
Köhler was little known to most Germans and a stranger to front-line politics before he won the presidency. His nomination was greeted by the mass-circulation daily Bild with the headline “Horst Who?”
SAM NUJOMA
The Founding president of Namibia, Sam Nujoma, died at 95.
Nujoma had been hospitalised for three weeks in Windhoek before succumbing to an undisclosed illness.
He died Saturday, February 8.
Sam Nujoma, the revolutionary leader who guided Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and served as its first president for 15 years.
SOLOMON AYODEJI-OTEGBOLA
Former Chairman of the Federal Housing Authority and former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Solomon Ayodeji-Otegbola, died on Feb 15, 2025, at the age of 92.
Ogun State governor described the late Otegbola as “a man of deep intellect, service, and patriotism.”
AYO ADEBANJO
Afenifere leader Ayo Adebanjo died Friday morning on a Valentine’s Day, February 14 2025, at 96, at his Lekki, Lagos State.
The family confirmed his passing in a statement.
“With a heart full of gratitude for a selfless life spent in the service of God, the nation and humanity, we announce the passing on of our beloved patriarch, Chief Samuel Ayodele Adebanjo.
“He died peacefully this morning, Friday, February 14, 2025, at his Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria home at the age of 96,” the family statement read.
Adebanjo, a lawyer, a radical politician and a nationalist of Yoruba extraction, was born in Isanya Ogbo, a village near Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, South-West Nigeria, on April 10, 1928.
He was originally a journalist before going to the United Kingdom to study law. After completing his studies, he was called to the English Bar in 1961.
Chief Adebanjo started politics at an early age, joining the struggle in 1943 as a Zikist, a follower of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
However, in 1951, he became a member of the youth wing of the Action Group, and a mentee and political disciple of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
ROBERTA FLACK
Regarded as soul queen, Roberta Flack, died February 24, at the age of 88.
A Grammy Award-winning artist and educator, she was one of the essential voices of the 70s, with her smooth, soft-spoken, slow-burning soul style. Her song ‘Killing Me Softly’ was remixed by the Fugees, and became an instant success when it was released in 1996.
She remained a dominant force in the music industry in America throughout that decade, and her popularity extended somewhat into the ’80s and even the ’90s.
CHIEF EDWIN CLARK
Even death, the Ijaw people are stilling missing their down to earth leader, Chief Edwin Clark.
The former National Commissioner and an Ijaw leader, died on February 17 at the age of 97.
The Ijaw Nation will remember him for his role in protecting the interests of the oil-producing states and the Ijaw people in general.
Though he had no office while former President Goodlick Jonathan was in the saddle, the late Clarke played a prominent role.
The family confirmed his demise in a terse statement, signed by his brother, Prof. C. C. Clark and son, Penawei Clark “The Clark-Fuludu Bekederemo Family of Kiagbodo Town, Delta State, wishes to announce the passing of Chief (Dr.) Sen. Edwin Kiagbodo Clark OFR, CON on Monday, 17th February, 2025.
“The family appreciates your prayers at this time.
“Other details will be announced later by the family.”
TOM ADABA
Father of Nigerian broadcasting and the first Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Professor Tom Adaba, passed away at the age of 83 on February 22.
He was in 1980 appointed the first Principal of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Television College, Jos, established to provide training in television production and journalism to meet the needs of the country’s expanding television industry. In 1992, he was appointed the pioneer Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the regulatory body responsible for the country’s broadcast licence and codes.
March
DOYIN OKUPE
The former Presidential spokesperson to former Presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Dr Doyin Okupe, died early Friday of March 7.
He was said to have been battling with health issues until he eventually died on that Friday morning.
Okupe was on medication for 40 years, a source said.
He was also a former Director-General of Peter Obi’s 2023 Presidential Campaign.
GEORGE FOREMAN
Legendary boxer and businessman George Foreman passed away at 76, on Friday, March 21.
After retiring as a boxer, he became a preacher.
Many will remember him for his fight with his arch-rival, Muhammad Ali, a bout held in Kinshasa, Zaire, dubbed ‘Rumble in the Jungle,’ when he was dethroned as the world heavyweight champion by Muhammad Ali in the eighth round.
Foreman’s family announced his demise on an Instagram account.
“Our hearts are broken.
“With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr., who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose.
“A humanitarian, an Olympian, and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he was deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name — for his family. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and kindly ask for privacy as we honour the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own.
NKECHI NWEJE
Nollywood actress Nkechi Nweje died on March 22 after a brief illness.
Confirming her demise, a movie producer, Stanley Ajemba, popularly known as Stanley Ontop, while paying tribute to Nweje, described her as a vibrant actress and his best friend.
He wrote, “Nollywood in tears as we lost one of our vibrant Nollywood actresses, @nkechi.nweje, after a brief illness.
“Couldn’t post since morning because it was like a dream to me. Ezigbo Nwanyi Onitsha.
“Rest in peace, ma’am. My best friend always called me on the phone, advising me. The last time we spoke was during the Queen’s saga. She said, ‘Ontop, stop.’ I’m still speechless.”
Another veteran Nollywood actress, Rita Edochie, shared a candlelight with a dark background via her Instagram on Friday with the caption, “This world is really not our home.”
SHAKA SSALI
The host of Straight Talk Africa, Voice of Africa, Dr Shaka Ssali, also known as Kabale Kid, died March 27, at the age of 71, in Virginia, following a surgery.
Ssali was born in Uganda and began his journalism career in the 1970s.
He worked as a reporter and editor for several newspapers in Uganda before joining the Voice of America in 1994.
Ssali hosted, ‘Straight Talk Africa” from its inception in 2000 until his retirement in 2023.
Ssali left an instruction to be cremated, and half of his ashes were scattered in the River Potomac in Washington DC. Then the remainder of the ashes should be flown back to his native Kabale in Uganda’s southwest.
RAPHAEL BASSEY
A former commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Raphael Bassey, passed away at the age of 54 on March 29.
Bassey, who served as the Commissioner for Housing under Governor Umo Eno, reportedly died after a sudden health crisis during which he vomited blood.
He was said to have contributed significantly to the educational sector, serving as a member of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and as a supervisor before that role.
His dedication to community development and governance left an indelible mark on the areas he served.
April
YEKINI ADEOJO
The people of Ibadan, Oyo State, and members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are yet to to get over the death of their chieftains, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo.
Adeojodied in the early hours of Friday, April 4.
He was a top grassroots politician and one of the pillars of the PDP, particularly in Nigeria’s Southwest region and Nigeria in general.
Adeojo was an astute industrialist, politician, and statesman who contributed immensely to the economy of Oyo State and Nigeria.
He contested the gubernatorial election on the platform of the PDP in 1999.
OMOLOLU OLUNLOYO
Two days afte the death of the late Adeojo, Ibadan lost another illustrious son in the person of the former governor of Oyo State and a Mathematician, Dr Chief Omololu Olunloyo.
The former governor died at the age of 89 years, on April 6, just a few days before his 90th birthday.
Olunloyo governed Oyo State for just three months.
He was the Balogun of Oyo and Otun Bobasewa of Ife, Osun State.
Olunloyo’s death was confirmed in a statement signed by Barrister Oladapo Ogunwusi.
PASCAL DOZIE
The Founder of Diamond Bank and ex-MTN director, Pascal Dozie, died at 85 April 8, a day before his 86th birthday.
He played a defining role in the development of Nigeria’s modern banking and telecommunications industries.
Announcing his transition in a statement, his son, Uzoma Dozie, described him as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a man of unwavering Catholic faith.
“With deep sorrow, but with gratitude to God for a life well spent, we announce the passing of our beloved father,” the son said.
“His life was marked by service—to God, his family, and his country.”
CHRISTIAN CHUKWU
Former Green Eagles captain Christian Chukwu died four years after it was rumoured that he had died.
In 2021, false reports of his death had circulated widely, prompting Chukwu to publicly deny the rumours during his 70th birthday celebration.
“I am terribly embarrassed by this news that I am dead,” Chukwu had said. “Several people have been calling me from across the world since the news broke. I am still investigating the source of the story.”
He did not actually die until Saturday, April 10, at 74.
The news of his demise was announced by one of his colleague during his active playing days, Segun Odegbami.
Chukwu was the captain of Green Eagles that won the Africa Nations Cup in 1980.
He also served as the head coach of the Super Eagles in the early 2000s.
POPE FRANCIS
Pope Francis transitioned on April 21, on Easter Monday, at the age of 88, at Domus Sanctae Marthae in Vatican City.
Pope died of a stroke and subsequent heart failure. Twice, he was hospitalised with severe pneumonia.
His death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo, in a broadcast by Vatican Media.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow, I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God,” Farrell said.
May
KOLADE AKINDAYOMI
Pastor Kolade Akindayomi, the first son of the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pa Josiah Akindayomi, passed away on May 4, 2025, at age 75.
He died 45 years after his father passed on. He lived away from media attention.
The late Kolade, who fought in the Nigerian civil war, was said to have left the Army without fulfilling his dreams to rise in rank, raising suspicions that his military career floundered because his father was not happy with his choice of the khaki job.
OMONIYI CALEB OLUBOLADE
Former Military Administrator of Bayelsa State and retired naval officer, Navy Captain Omoniyi Caleb Olubolade (rtd), passed on in the second week of May at the age of 70.
His death was announced in a statement signed by his first daughter, Oluwayemisi Akinadewo.
The statement reads, “He drove himself to the facility to play lawn tennis in the evening and slumped while playing. Efforts were made by medical officers around to revive him to no avail.
“He was immediately rushed to Obisesan Naval Medical Hospital, Apapa, where he was pronounced dead.”
NGUGI WA THIONG’O
Regarded as the giant of African literature, Ngugi wa Thiong’o has died at the age of 87.
On May 29, his daughter announced his demise via her Facebook account. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad, Ngugi wa Thiong’o.”
At the time of his death, Ngugi was reportedly receiving kidney dialysis treatments, but his immediate cause of death is still unknown.
Born in Kenya in 1938, Ngugi will be remembered as one of Africa’s most important postcolonial writers. Formative events in Ngugi’s early life included the brutal Mau Mau war that swept British-ruled Kenya in the 1950s.
June
OBISIA NWAKPA
One of the best boxers to have come out of Nigeria, Obisia Nwakpa, died in the early hours of July 3, at the age of 75.
In his last days, battled with dementia and other health issues.
In September 2024, he made a rare public appearance at the National Gym in Surulere, Lagos, accompanied by his wife and children.
During that visit, his daughter spoke on his behalf, revealing that the once-vibrant champion was no longer able to speak or recognise familiar faces due to severe memory loss.
Nwankpa won gold at the 1973 All-Africa Games in Lagos and the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand, both in the light-welterweight category.
His professional career was equally distinguished: he became the Nigerian Lightweight Champion, African Boxing Union (ABU) Lightweight Champion, and Commonwealth Lightweight Champion.
At his peak, he was the number one contender for the World Boxing Council (WBC) Light-Welterweight Title, challenging American champion Saoul Mamby.
Over his professional career, Nwankpa fought in 29 bouts, winning 23, including 16 by knockout, and losing 6.
Following his retirement from the ring, Nwankpa transitioned into coaching, serving as the Head Coach of the Nigerian Boxing Team.
DANIEL DANTSOHO ABUTU
June was unfair to those in the judiciary. Early in the month, precisely, June 3, Hon. Justice Daniel Dantsoho Abutu, a former Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, died at the age of 79.
The Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Sulaiman Hassan, announced Abutu’s death in a statement.
Abutu served as chief judge of the court from September 2009 to March 2011.
Hassan described the late former chief judge as a jurist who served the court and the nation with “distinction, integrity, and unwavering commitment to justice.
JIBRIL AMINU
Former Education Minister, Jibril Aminu died June 5 at the age of 85.
He served as the pioneer Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and a former vice-chancellor of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID). He was also a petroleum mineral resources minister.
In his condolence message, Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda said Mr Aminu embodied the finest qualities of leadership, scholarship, and public service that have long distinguished the North.
MOHAMMED LAWAL UWAIS
Death played another cruel joke on the judiciary again three days after the late Abutu passed on. On June 6, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, passed on.
The former CJ died at the age of 88.
He was described as a phenomenal jurist and statesman who served Nigeria with honour, courage and exceptional integrity.
His tenure as Chief Justice of Nigeria, from 1995 to 2006, remains one of the most defining periods in the history of the nation’s judiciary. As the second-longest-serving Chief Justice, he was a staunch advocate of judicial independence, ethical discipline on the Bench, and the preservation of democratic principles.
During his tenure as the CJN, he championed judicial reforms aimed at improving the administration of justice in Nigeria.
He was also instrumental in establishing the National Judicial Council, which plays a critical role in maintaining the independence and integrity of the judiciary.
In retirement, he headed a panel to investigate the conduct of Nigeria’s elections.
He led the panel to produce a critical report that contained a detailed prognosis of our electoral system.
MIKE EJEAGHA
Highlife legend, Mike Ejeagha, joined the class of Nigerian artistes who died in June.
The veteran highlife musician and Igbo oral tradition custodian died at 95 after battling with prostate cancer for 16 years.
He passed away at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 6, at the 32 Garrison Hospital in Enugu, according to his eldest son, Emma Ejeagha.
His 2024 remix of the classic hit ‘Gwogwogwo’ by comedian Brian Potter reignited interest in his music among younger audiences.
SOLAPE ABOLARIN
The wife of the Orangun of Oke Ila, Oba Dokun Abolarin, Olori Solape, died on June 9.
The queen was often described as the strongest pillar of Oba Abolarin. She was said to have stood by the monarch through thick and thin.
Solape breathed her last in an Ibadan hospital.
JESUTEGA ONOKPASA
Like Olori Solape, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jesutega Onokpasa, also passed on June 9.
Announcing his demise on his X account on Tuesday, a pro-APC crusader, Okezie Atani, said the prominent political commentator was survived by his wife and children.
He wrote, “We lost Barr. Jesutega Onokpasa, may his soul rest in perfect peace.”
He contributed greatly to the APC as a member of the APC Publicity Committee and the APC Presidential Campaign Council in 2023.
He gained national attention for his political commentary and staunch support for President Bola Tinubu, often appearing on TV to defend the administration.
Many will remember him for his bust-up with one of the anchors of a morning programme, Arise, Rufai Oseni.
FREDERICK FORSYTH
Also on June 9, best-selling author Frederick Forsyth, known for thriller novels including ‘The Day Of The Jackal’, died at the age of 86.
He died after a brief illness.
He was said to have published more than 25 books.
Many Nigerians would remember him for his novel, ‘Biafran Story’, a fictional story on the Biafran war with Nigeria.
His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, said: “Still read by millions across the world, Freddie’s thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire. He leaves behind a peerless legacy which will continue to excite and entertain for years to come.”
CORNELIUS OLATUNJI ADEBAYO
Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, former governor of Kwara State and minister of communications, was one of the VIPs who passed on in June.
Releasing an official statement about his demise, the son of the former minister, Oluwasegun, said Adebayo passed on June 25, at 84.
“With profound sadness but gratitude to God, we announce the passing of our father and grandfather, Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo. Born on 24 February 1941, he died in the early hours of today, June 25,” the statement read.
“He was at various times a lecturer at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), a Second Republic Senator and later Governor of Kwara State and Minister of Communications and Transportation between 2003 and 2007.
“Throughout his life, he was a dedicated public servant who served with distinction and integrity,” Oluwasegun said.
The deceased was born in Igbaja in the Ifelodun Local Government Area to parents from Oke-Onigbin in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State.
A former commissioner for education in Kwara between 1975 and 1978, he was elected senator in 1979 under the opposition Unity Party of Nigeria upon Nigeria’s return to civil rule under the Second Republic.
July
JIMMY SWAGGART
The controversial American televangelist, Jimmy Swaggart, passed away on July 1.
His death was announced on his public Facebook page. A cause wasn’t immediately given, though at 90, he had been battling health challenges.
He was said to have been involved in prostitution, an act that tainted his thriving ministry.
“I have sinned against you,” Swaggart told parishioners nationwide. “I beg you to forgive me,” said, admitting his sin to his congregation in 1988.
He announced his resignation from the Assemblies of God later that year, shortly after the church said it was defrocking him for rejecting punishment it had ordered for “moral failure.” The church had wanted him to undergo a two-year rehabilitation program, including not preaching for a full year.
Swaggart’s messages stirred thousands of congregants and millions of TV viewers, making him a household name by the late 1980s. Contributors built Jimmy Swaggart Ministries into a business that made an estimated $142 million in 1986.
PETER RUFAI
Peter Rufai, with the moniker, Dodo Mayana, was the Nigerian goalkeeper and darling of the lovers of the Super Eagles.
He had the Africa Nations Cup to his credit, a competition he won in 1994.
He died on July 3 at 61 in a Lagos hospital.
He had been ill for some weeks before finally passing about 6 a.m. (West Africa Standard Time) .
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau described his death as a huge loss for Nigerian football. “I saw him about a week ago, and he was looking lean. When I asked him if all was well, he said he was okay,” Gusau told a news agency.
Rufai captained Nigeria during the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., the Super Eagles making their first appearance at the global tournament, and he retained the No. 1 jersey at France ’98.
MONDAY SINCLAIR
13 days after Dodo Mayana passed away, the death of the former Green Eagles coach, Monday Siclair was announced.
Regarded as the godfather of Nigerian football, finally bowed to death at 88, after battling with diabetes for many years.
He mentored stars like Peter Rufai and Taribo West and coached various Nigerian clubs. He was the coach of the Super Eagles in 1999.
Reports said the ex-international died July 16.
Coach Sinclair was widely respected for his football acumen, tactical intelligence, and commitment to grassroots development. His playing days spanned the 1960s, but his coaching legacy extended far beyond.
HULK HOGAN
American wrestling star, Hulk Hogan died July 24 at 71.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea was a two-time WWE Hall of Fame and former world champion died at the age of 71.
He died of acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, according to a copy of Hogan’s cremation report obtained by a news agency.
He had a history of atrial fibrillation and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
AMINU DANTATA
Alhaji Aminu Dantata, a philanthropist and businessman, died July 28 at 94.
His aide, Mustapha Junaid, announced his passing early Saturday morning, July 28.
“Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun. It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of our beloved father, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata. May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdaus and forgive his shortcomings,” he wrote.
He was a member of the illustrious Dantata trading dynasty of Kano. Aminu was the fifteenth of seventeen children in a family whose roots in commerce stretched back generations. His grandfather Abdullahi and great-grandfather Baba Talatin were prominent merchants who, after migrating from Katsina to Madobi, laid the foundations for what would become one of West Africa’s most enduring business legacies.
August
DOYIN ABIOLA
Dr Doyin Abiola and wife of the June 12, 1993, presidential election winner, Chief MKO Abiola, passed away at exactly 9.15 pm on August 5 after an illness.
She was aged 82.
She was the first Nigerian woman to become editor-in-chief of a national daily newspaper.
She would be remembered as a fearless journalist, a mentor to generations of women in the media, and a symbol of integrity and resilience in Nigeria’s democratic journey. Dr Abiola spent over three decades in the media industry, breaking barriers and shaping public discourse through journalism.
AUDU OGBEH
Two days after the death of Doyin Abiola, the media was awash with the news of the death of the Former Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh.
Ogbeh died on August 7 at the age of 78 years.
He was the pioneer National Coordinator of the FRSC Special Marshals, and a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
He served as the Chancellor-Designate of the Proposed Legend Metropolitan University, Abuja.
He died peacefully in his sleep, a family member had told a journalist.
“He told us that he wanted to rest. After that, he went to lie down in the early hours of that day (Saturday). He peacefully left,” his daughter-in-law, Ann Ali, told The Nation.
Before his demise, Ogbe recently granted an interview to a national newspaper, which was published on the day he died. In the interview, he expressed concern about the future of the country.
MUHAMMADU BUHARI
While Nigerians were still mourning Doyin Abiola, the news of the passing away of the former Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, threw many off balance, though many people were aware that the former president was in a hospital in London recuperating, it never crossed anybody’s mind that the former general would not come home alive.
As the president of Nigeria, he was abroad number of times for a medical treatment.
On August 13, the news of the death of the ex-president was made public.
In a terse statement by the late President’s media aide, Garba Shehu, the 82-year-old former leader died in a London clinic after a brief illness.
“President Buhari died today in London at about 4:30 pm (15:30 GMT) following a prolonged illness,” President Bola Tinubu’s spokesperson announced on Sunday via the social media platform X.
Buhari will be remembered for an anti-corruption drive.
SIKIRU KAYODE ADETONA
Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona joined his ancestors in August at the age of 91.
The monarch passed on Sunday, July 13, just hours after the death of his longtime friend and former president, Muhammadu Buhari, was announced.
Adetona ascended the throne on April 2, 1960, and reigned for over 64 years, making him one of the longest-serving traditional rulers in Nigerian history.
In 1983, shortly before Muhammadu Buhari’s military coup, then Ogun State governor Olabisi Onabanjo had signed a formal order to depose Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona. The removal was set to take effect on January 2, 1984.
However, the military coup of December 31, 1983, which overthrew Nigeria’s civilian government, abruptly halted the plan. In a twist of fate, Buhari’s intervention inadvertently safeguarded Awujale’s throne.
TERENCE STAMP (Superman)
Terence Stamp, the English actor who played the arch-villain General Zod in the original Superman films, died Sunday, August 17, at the age of 87.
The Oscar-nominated actor starred in several films, including ‘The Adventures of Priscilla’, ‘Queen of the Desert’, ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ and ‘Valkyrie.’
According to a statement by his family members, “He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and a writer, that will continue to touch people for years to come,” they said.
During his heyday in the 1960s, Stamp was known for his good looks, fashion sense and high-profile girlfriends, including actress Julie Christie, who he later starred alongside in Far From the Madding Crowd, and sports and supermodel Jean Shrimpton.
ISYAKU IBRAHIM
Consummate businessman, politician and a sport enthusiast, Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim, joined the league of the VIPs who passed on Saturday, August 18, at t a private hospital in Abuja.
He was 88.
The late Ibrahim was one of the founding leaders of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and a close associate of the Second Republic Nigerian President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. He nominated Shehu Shagari as the NPN presidential flagbearer, as leader of the Plateau delegates.
He was one of the founding fathers and a financier of the Peoples Democratic Party, and was the campaign manager of the late former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, when he vied for the PDP presidential ticket against then President Olusegun Obasanjo at the party’s primaries in 2003.
He was the founder of the Mighty Jets Football Club of Jos in the 70s and the first Nigerian to hire a foreign coach from Brazil to manage the club.
He was also one of the first Nigerians to own a private jet, a symbol of his success as a businessman and his reputation as a forward-thinking figure. He once served as president of the Nigeria Universities Games Association (NUGA) and was active in parliament before Nigeria’s first military coup in the 1960s.
REGINALD CARROLL
American Comedian Reginald Carroll died at 52, in Mississippi at 52, on August 24.
He was said to have been shot during a tour with Cat Williams.
Carroll was known for his series, ‘Knockout Kings of Comedy,’ while also making guest appearances in programs such as ‘Showtime at the Apollo’ and ‘The Parkers.’
Carroll was a well-known fixture on Baltimore’s comedy scene who toured nationally with big names.
“He’s one of those personalities that you never think about not having around. And so that was my brother, and I love him,” comedian Larry Lancaster said.
A 38-year-old Tranell Marquise Williams, who was working as a security guard, was arrested in connection with Carroll’s murder.
AHUJA BELLO
A day after the American comedian was killed, the entertainment industry in Nigeria lost one of the finest juju musicians, Ahuja Bello.
The Juju maestro and one of the contemporaries of King Sunny Ade, passed away on August 25, a day after his 83rd birthday.
Last year, during an interview with The Nation, he revealed that many had thought he was dead. “In the thinking of some people, Ahuja Bello is dead. I remember during one of my shows last year, a man came to the stage to touch me. He said: ‘Are you truly Ahuja Bello? Or are you his younger brother? It was rumoured that you passed on some time ago.’ But I thank God I am alive. I don’t do studio albums anymore. I do live shows when I get invitations. But I know things could be better than this,” he said with infectious stoicism.
SOLOMON ARASE
The 18th Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, who also served as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, passed on August 30 at 69.
Arase died in the early hours of August 30, at Cedarcrest Hospital, Abuja, after a brief illness
He was appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission in January 2023 by the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
He was known to have brought transformative reforms to the Nigeria Police Force, prioritising citizen-centric policing and human rights protection. His establishment of the Complaint Response Unit was a landmark initiative, ensuring swift responses to public complaints and fostering accountability within the police.
September
GRACE ADAYILO
The death of the pioneer and first female Head of Civil Service for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mrs. Grace Adayilo, was a shock to many.
She was said to have slumped and passed away suddenly, shortly after attending church services on Sunday, August 31, 2025, where she ministered. She passed on September 1 at 57.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike described the deceased as a hardworking woman, stating that he had petitioned to extend her tenure due to her exceptional work ethic.
“The late FCT Head of Service, Grace Adayilo, was very hardworking. I pleaded with President Tinubu to extend her tenure due to her hard work.
“If I had gotten the information on the demise of the FCT Head of Service, I would have put off this media chat. Her death is really sad,” Wike said.
LEILA FOWLER
Chief Leila Euphemia Apinke Fowler (MFR), the proprietor of Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, passed on September 6, at 92.
Fowler, who was born in 1933, is a recipient of a national honour. She also had a traditional honour in her kitty, bestowed on her by the late Oba of Lagos, Adeyinka Oyekan.
Born in Lagos on March 23, 1933, Fowler (née Moore) was educated at CMS Girls’ School in Lagos and later at Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, where she obtained her Senior Cambridge Certificate in 1951.
She served as a councillor in the Lagos City Council from 1978 to 1980, and was said to be actively involved with the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Red Cross, and the Corona Schools Trust Council.
OLOROGUN OSKAR IBRU
Well-known within and one of the scions of Ibru’s family, Olorogun Oscar Ibru, died at the age of 67. He died September 24, according to a statement by his family, after a brief illness.
A billionaire industrialist and chairman of the Ibru conglomerate, he was instrumental in sustaining and expanding the conglomerate established by his late father, Olorogun Michael Ibru, whose business empire covered shipping, oil and gas, real estate, and commerce.
His passing came less than a decade after the death of the family patriarch, Michael Ibru, in 2016.
October
CHRISTOPHER KOLADE
The late Christopher Kolade belonged to the class of well-respected Nigerians within and outside the boardroom.
A business luminary, teacher, and broadcaster died on October 8, aged 93. While condoling with his family members, the governor of the late Kolade’s home state, Osun, Ademola Adeleke, Dr, in a tribute wrote:
“Throughout his life, Dr Kolade made integrity his watchword in all his dealings, and his commitment to excellence attracted people from far and near. As a public officer, he never used public office for personal benefits, and as a businessman, he championed integrity through his chairmanship of organisations such as Integrity Organisation Ltd GTE and The Convention on Business Integrity Ltd GTE.
“As much as his passing represents a huge loss, I ask that everyone touched by this incident be consoled by the life of services and contributions that defined Dr Kolade’s time on Earth, and to also work to preserve his good legacy to keep him in the minds of the people forever.”
The late boardroom Czar was born in Erin-Oke, Osun State, Nigeria, in 1932. He was the Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, Chief Executive and Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, and formerly the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
UMA UKPAI
Until he succumbed to the cold hand of death, the late Uma Ukpai enjoyed a cult following, especially among the people from the Southern part of Nigeria.
He founded the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association (UUEA). Born January 7, 1945, he died October 6, at the age of 80.
UUEA is a non-denominational ministry focused on revival and unity across churches, though it has a base fellowship called Victory Cathedral in Uyo, and the association is building a large prayer cathedral/city. He intentionally avoided establishing a church to serve as a bridge for other denominations, conducting massive interdenominational crusades globally.
RAILA ODINGA
Even in death, former Kenyans Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, was highly celebrated.
Described as a veteran opposition leader, Odinga was said to have suffered a heart attack and died on October 15 2025, at age 80 years, at Devamatha Hospital, Koothattukulam, India.
He was a prominent figure in Kenya’s struggle for democracy. He also served as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013.
He is the leader of Azimio la Umoja–One Kenya Coalition Party, who ran unsuccessfully for the presidency five times.
NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS
Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the wife of the former Ghanaian president, Jerry Rawlings, passed on October 23 at the age of 76. She died in Accra after a short illness.
Her husband, Jerry John Rawlings, died five years earlier in November 2020.
November
IFEOLUWA AKINDAYOMI
Ifeoluwa Akindayomi, the lastborn of the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, was the first Nigerian VIP to exit the world in November.
He died on Sunday, November 2, at the age of 62.
According to a source, his death came about 45 years after that of his father and seven months after the transition of his elder brother, Pastor Kolade Akindayomi, who died on May 4 this year.
His death came about 45 years after that of his father and 7 months after the transition of his elder brother, Pastor Kolade Akindayomi, who died on May 4 this year.
A source said the late Ifeoluwa Akindayomi’s death was shocking and too sudden. “Nobody would have thought he would die barely 24 hours after he was chairman of a wedding ceremony.
The source said, “he was very okay and had no sign of any illness. For him to have served as chairman of a wedding a day before he died was a clear indication that he was okay to many of us. But the unexpected did happen.”
He was also said to have gone for a prayer walk on Sunday morning and came back to his house at the RCCG Camp, and was about to prepare for the Sunday service when he missed his steps and fell headlong, hitting his head on a sharp object in the house. He sustained an injury from the fall and passed out. Before he could be helped to the hospital, the worst had happened.”
Until his death, Pastor Ifeoluwa Akindayomi was an Assistant Provincial Pastor of Ogun Province 5 of the RCCG. He also owned a vibrant printing press.
His wife and children have since relocated abroad, according to the source, “Leaving only him in Nigeria.”
ABDULLAHI MOHAMMED
Major General Abdullahi Mohammed (retd.), a former Chief of Staff to ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’Adua, transited on Wednesday, November 5, in his home in Abuja.
He was buried on Wednesday, 5th November 2025, at the National Cemetery, Abuja.
He has the credit of helping establish the NSO, NIA, and DIA, and served as the governor of the defunct Benue-Plateau state from 1975 to 1976.
SARKIN MAFARAN SHAGARI
At a time when the death of the former governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, was being denied, Sarkin Mafaran Shagari, wife of the late Nigerian President, Shehu Shagari transited at the age of 79.
In a terse statement by the family, signed by the Sarkin Mafaran Shagari, Capt. Bala Shagari, the matriarch of the Shagari family, died on Monday November 10.
Hajia Sarkin was the last surviving wife of the former President Shehu Shagari.
Sutura died at about 3 p.m. after a prolonged illness.
“With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Hajiya Saratu Shagari, the last surviving wife of former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, GCFR, Turakin Sokoto.
“Hajiya Saratu was an embodiment of grace, humility and quiet strength who lived a life of dignity,” Shagari said.
DAN AGBESE
Even in death, the foremost journalist and one of the founders of NewsWatch Magazine, Dan Agbese, has continued to court controversy.
He died on Monday, November 17, 2025, at the age of 81.
An innocuous tribute by one of his colleagues set social media abuzz recently.
One of Agbese’s former colleagues, Ray Ekpu, wrote a tribute for Dan Agbese; part of the piece did not go down well with Babafemi Ojudu.
Ekpu wrote that the late journalism icon, Agbese, not an apostle of guerrilla journalism because he knew that guerrilla journalism was fraudulent propaganda, not fit to be touched by any self-respecting journalist.
That aspect of the tribute apparently irritated some apostles of guerrilla journalism, including Babafemi Ojudu, journalist, politician and farmer, who co-founded TheNEWS and Tempo Magazines in 1993.
Born on May 12, 1944, Agbese’s early life was in Benue State and later his studied at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.
But it was in 1984, when he joined Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu and Yakubu Mohammed to found Newswatch, that his legacy became cemented. Together, the quartet created what became Africa’s most influential weekly newsmagazine, consistently challenging power and reshaping investigative reporting in Nigeria.
SEGUN AWOLOWO
Segun Awolowo, who died at 62, was one of the great minds Nigeria has ever produced. Cool and calm, the grandson of the late sage, and a nationalist, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
He passed away on 20 November
Segun was the former Director General of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, from 2013 to 2021
He was said to have had a surgery abroad due to a health condition, ‘he never made a complete recovery as he kept emaciating.”
Announcing his demise in a statement, the family said, “With extremely heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather- Olusegun Awolowo.
“He was the world’s most phenomenal husband, father and grandfather – steady, wise, endlessly loving, and the constant anchor of our family. A painfully loyal servant to Nigeria, he dedicated his life to the service of his country with vision, integrity, passion, and unwavering commitment.
“He was a true family man, a great friend, a wonderful servant of God, and a deeply beautiful human being. He loved his family. He loved his work. He loved his country. And he lived every day with purpose, humility, and a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him.
“We are shattered by this loss, but forever grateful for his life, his legacy, and the love he poured into all of us. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”
BAYO OSIYEMI
Chief Bayo Osiyemi, former Chief Press Secretary to the first Lagos State governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, was a journalist to the core. His pen never ran dry, even till the last hours of his death.
Until the column was rested, he was a columnist with the Widest Circulating Newspaper in Nigeria, The Nation.
Osiyemi, a journalist, passed away on November 21 at the age of 75.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, husband, grandfather, and esteemed community leader, Prince Bayo Osiyemi.
“While we mourn his loss deeply, we also celebrate his well-lived life and the countless individuals he touched. Further details on funeral arrangements will be announced shortly,” the family said while officially announcing his demise.
Popularly known as the “Charming Prince,” Osiyemi was a respected figure in Lagos politics and journalism. He previously served as Chairman of Mushin Local Government and was at various times Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Matters to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Osiyemi also made his mark in the media industry as Editor of Lagos News, Chief Executive of Penby Communications, and a long-running weekly columnist with The Nation newspaper.
NEMUEL ABUBAKAR BABBA
The former Archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN), Archbishop Emeritus Most Rev. (Dr.) Nemuel Abubakar Babba also died on November 24 at the age of 73.
He was laid to rest on Monday, December 15, after a funeral service at The Lutheran Church, Rituvík, Faroe Islands, Denmark.
Like many people of his age, Babba passed on after a prolonged illness.
He requested to be buried in the Faroe Islands, where his wife comes from.
JIMMY CLIFF
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, one of the Jamaican all-time greatest reggae artists and a contemporary of that icon, Bob Nesta Marley, passed away at the age of 81 on November 24, 2025, due to complications from a seizure and pneumonia.
Cliff’s wife, Latifa Chambers, broke the news on his official social media handle.
Apart from excelling in music, many Nigerians still remember him for his brush with a Nigerian promoter over a show deal in 1974. He was in jail for three days before a court dismissed the baseless case, an experience he later detailed in his song. Cliff was briefly detained in Nigeria during the brouhaha, but reprieve later came for him, and he returned to Jamaica.
Cliff was a global music icon known for hits like “The Harder They Come,” “Many Rivers to Cross,” and “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” helping to popularise reggae worldwide and leaving behind a rich legacy in music and film.
You can watch this video for a tribute to the life and career of Jimmy Cliff.
ADEGBOYEGA FAMODUN
Four days after the death of that reggae icon, Jimmy Cliff, the traditional ruler of Igbajo and former Chairman of the APC in Osun State, Oba Gboyega Famodun, also passed on.
What started like a rumour was finally confirmed on November 28, 2025. Before then, the former Osun Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Owa of Igbajo, Oba Philip Adegboyega Famodun III, was alleged to have been seriously indisposed.
Some of his admirers had dismissed this, regarding it as the handiwork of mischief-makers, but when the news of the passing of Oba Falodun was confirmed via a press statement signed by Prince David Adekunle Famodun on behalf of the royal family, it put paid to initial speculations.
Oba Falodun died at 67.
The statement said, “On behalf of the Gbeleru Royal Family of Igbajo, I write with a deep sense of loss and gratitude to Almighty God to notify you of the passing of our revered traditional ruler and the 30th Owa of Igbajoland, Oba Philip Adegbogbega Famodun III. He passed away on Friday, November 28, 2025, after a brief illness.”
December
SIYAN OYEWESO
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Professor Abdulgafar Siyan Oyeweso, passed on at the early hours of Tuesday, December 2, at the age of 64.
The news of his passing was announced on Tuesday via X (formerly Twitter) by Olalekan Badmus, Special Assistant to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Digital Media.
In his post, Badmus expressed sadness over the loss, writing, “Rest in power, Prof. Siyan Oyeweso. An illustrious son of Ede, Osun State, and Nigeria. What a sad loss!”
TVC also reported that the professor’s younger brother, Olawale Oyeweso, confirmed his
JOHN AJAYI
On Wednesday, December 10, the news of the demise of the Founder and Publisher of MARKETING EDGE, John Ajayi, threw the media industry in Nigeria into mourning.
He passed on at 62 on Wednesday, December 10, at around 3 am.
A source said he had been battling an ailment before he finally succumbed to the cold hand of death on that early Wednesday morning.
At the time of writing this report, his colleagues in the media were still mourning him with tributes all over social media
His demise has thrown the brand and marketing communications industry into mourning.
Ajayi was a respected journalist and one of the foremost voices in the nation’s integrated marketing communications space.
He left behind a legacy that profoundly shaped, and will continue to shape, the industry he passionately served.
Through MARKETING EDGE, he championed ethical practice, elevated professional standards, and built a respected platform that provided insight, analysis and thought leadership for practitioners and institutions within the sector.
LAWRENCE EWHRUDJAKPO
The way of man is different from the way of God. This aptly captures the passing of the late deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
He died on Thursday, December 11.
He was preparing to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) before death struck.
Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has directed that an autopsy be carried out to reveal the cause of the death of the state’s deputy governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
Diri, in a statement, paid glowing tribute to the memory of the deceased, describing his death as “profoundly shocking”, adding that the deceased “was active and carrying out official duties earlier in the day”.
Ewhrudjakpo died on Thursday after collapsing in his office. The late deputy governor was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
In a statement on Thursday night, the national spokesperson for the PDP, Ini Ememobong, described the death of the deputy governor as “devastating and an inexplicable loss.”
Mr Ewhrudjakpo chose to remain in the PDP when his boss, Governor Diri, dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC) last month. Mr Ewhrudjakpo’s decision to break with the governor and his camp on the defection fuelled speculations of a plot to remove him from office and replace him with a compliant candidate that will share the same party with the governor.
TUNDE PONLE
Founder of Micom Golf Ada, Pa Tunde Ponle, Dies at 85 December 14
Business mogul Prince Michael Ayantunde Ponnle, Chairman of Miccom Golf and Country Club situated at Ada, and the husband of former Deputy Governor, Mrs Grace Titilayo Ponle, has passed away at the age of 85.
The renowned philanthropist owns a popular golf course in his hometown, Ada, in the Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State.
He reportedly died on Sunday at the age of 85.
TANKO MUHAMMAD
While many were still smarting over the death of Tunde Ponle, the news of the death of Nigeria’s former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) filtered in.
He died two weeks before his 72nd birthday. He was 71 years old.
Before he passed on, he was on admission in a private hospital
in Saudi Arabia. He would have been 72 on December 31.
Muhammad hailed from the Doguwa in Giade Local Government Area of Bauchi.
His death came nearly three and a half years after he abruptly resigned from office on health grounds on 27 June 2022.
His resignation in June 2022 was 18 months earlier than his scheduled retirement at age 70 on 31 December 2023.
Muhammad was Nigeria’s 17th chief justice.
His assumption of office followed the controversial suspension of his predecessor, Walter Onnoghen, in January 2019.
PETER NWAOBOSHI
Nigerians were thrown into mourning as the news of the demise of the former Delta Senator, Peter Nwaoboshi, was announced.
The former Senator, who died at 68 on December 19, was said to have been indisposed for a while before he finally passed away.
He represented the Delta North Senatorial District and was a one-time chairman of the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta.
AMINU SA’AD UNGOGO AND SARKI ALIYU DANEJI
On Christmas eve, the Kano State House of Assembly was thrown into mourning following the death of two of its members within one hour.
According to a report, the first to die was Hon. Aminu Sa’ad Ungogo, who represented Ungogo Local Government Area in the Assembly.
Ungogo was said to have been at the Assembly earlier in the day where he attended committee meetings before news of his death broke.
Lawmakers and staff were still grappling with the loss when, barely an hour later, another member, Hon. Sarki Aliyu Daneji, who represented Kano Municipal Constituency, was also confirmed dead.
The Director-General, Media and Public Relations to Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf, Malam Sanusi Bature, confirmed Daneji’s death in a statement issued shortly after the announcement of Ungogo’s demise.
The sudden deaths have sent shockwaves across the Assembly and the state.
As at the time of filing this report, the causes of their deaths were yet to be officially disclosed.
Global cut in funding of vaccines puts thousands of Nigerian children’s lives in danger
How corrupt official ate innocent children’s future
Questions trail multi-billion naira investment in local vaccine production
GAVI, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, is said to have provided over $732 million to Nigeria for vaccine procurement, cold chain infrastructure, and health systems strengthening over the last 24. With this and billions of naira committed by previous governments towards local production of vaccines, Nigeria still depends on international help to get millions of its citizens, especially the children immunized. Following massive cuts in global funding for vaccination, the die appears cast for Nigeria as thousands of children may not have access to vaccination in coming years. There are concerns that the country may witness a spike in preventable diseases and deaths if nothing drastic is done to address this challenge. Innocent Duru reports.
IN 2017, May and Baker Plc, an indigenous pharmaceutical industry reportedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government, to immediately begin local production of vaccines.
Under that agreement, Nigeria was expected to roll out its first locally produced vaccines by July 2019, beginning with the drugs against Yellow fever, Tetanus Toxoid and Hepatitis B.
To ensure that the firm being floated to achieve this target, Biovaccines Nigeria Limited, met the target May and Baker said it would need to invest $50 million (N18.5 billion) to resuscitate a manufacturing line at the defunct National Vaccine Production Laboratory (NVPL) in Yaba, Lagos, which it had acquired.
According to the MoU, the project, which is being handled through Biovaccines, will build local capacity in vaccine production as well as develop a centre of excellence for research and development of vaccine technology and other biologics.
May and Baker, confirming its involvement in Nigeria’s quest to produce vaccines locally, said on its website that it “ began an aggressive expansion and diversification programme since 2005 which has culminated in the creation of new businesses and subsidiaries. In 2005, Biovaccines, a local vaccine production subsidiary was set up in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria. In 2006, the company constructed a multi-billion naira food processing factory, constructed a local plant for the production of anti-retroviral drugs in Nigeria while the construction of a World Health Organization Standard Pharmaceutical production facility was completed and commissioned on June 27, 2011.”
However, eight years after the signing of the MoU, Nigeria is yet to start local production of vaccines. It still spends billions of naira annually to import vaccines highly subsidized by international organisations like GAVI.
A Public Health Physician, Dr Rotimi Adesanya says there will be grave consequences should Nigeria have challenges accessing vaccines as it has always done.
“The implication is that our infant mortality rate will worsen. All the things that the minister of health said are already improving will continue to get worse,” he told The Nation.
“Many of these diseases that vaccines prevent are deadly.”
Dr Adesanya recalled that the GAVI funds that would have benefitted the health sector was lost to corruption.
His words:“ The GAVI issue is in the public domain. We read about how corruption affected how those funds were utilized. GAVI actually supports immunization programme all over the world but in our own situation, the experience we had with GAVI is that corruption came in and many of the people that were programme managers, those who were in charge, allowed that money to be embezzled.
“Corruption set in and the money was not judiciously used. This led to why many funders had to withdraw because there was no transparency in the policy regarding how the money was used. Corruption made it impossible for us to use the GAVI funding very well. Corruption destroyed the stability of the programme.”
Dr Adesanya’s assertion was corroborated by reports of how Professor Oyewale Tomori, the distinguished virologist and former Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University informed the world of the way in which avarice and ineptitude combined to undermine the effectiveness of Gavi’s interventions in Nigeria, thereby putting the lives of millions of children at risk.
In an article entitled “The Shame of Nigeria’s Stalled Transitioning from Gavi Support,” he explained the brazen manner in which a total of US$7.6 million in Gavi funds were misappropriated. The organisation had undertaken an extensive audit of its programmes in Nigeria between January 2010 and March 2015, and found that $2.2 million and $5.4 million had gone into irregular or ineligible use.
After prolonged discussion, Nigeria agreed to return the misused funds to Gavi. An initial $5.4 million was paid; payment of the balance of $2.2 million became a condition for Gavi to consider Nigeria’s proposed request to extend its transition from Gavi support to 2028.
Alarmed by the development, Tomori reportedly asked: “How come a nation so rich with enough resources to fully vaccinate every child and more, is asking for such a long extension?”
Nigeria produced vaccines between 1940 to 1991
Time there was when Nigeria never depended on international organisations for supply or getting subsidized vaccines. The country produced its own vaccines to take care of its citizens.
Between 1940 and 1991,it was not only producing vaccines for smallpox, yellow fever, and anti-rabies vaccines, but also exported to Cameroon, Central African Republic and a few other countries.
However, in 1991 the Federal Vaccine Production Laboratory (FVPL) in Yaba, Lagos, stopped production ostensibly because the government wanted to reactivate and upgrade the facility, which never happened.Also, Nigeria spends over N8 billion annually importing vaccines into the country, with about 80 percent cost of vaccines being subsidized by Global vaccine initiative (GAVI).
Reacting to our question regarding the defunct centre, Dr Adesanya said: “The federal vaccine centre in Yaba was producing vaccines but not all the vaccines. Inconsistency in government policy affected the production of vaccines. This minister will come and bring a different policy, that one will come and bring his own policy. The fact that the country went through recession and all that affected the centre.
“But like I said earlier, such centres are heavily funded by non-governmental organisations and by the government in order for it to succeed. Inconsistency in policy affects funding for such centre.”
Continuing, Dr Adesanya said: “our population has increased. In those days, we were able to produce vaccines for the population but now the population has increased. The kind of population we have now especially for the paediatric age is very high. So, it will take a lot to be able to produce vaccine to meet that population.
“Our younger population is one of the highest in the world. We need a lot of resources to make such a place to be active. You can see how funding came during Covid 19. Oil companies, philanthropists and others put money together to curtail that pandemic that happened that time. Things like vaccine and vaccination go through a lot. Funding, unstable government, inconsistency in policy is what has affected the vaccine centre.”
FG releases N10b for vaccine production
The Federal Government in January 2021 announced the release N10 billion to support domestic vaccine production.
The then Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, during a briefing by the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 in Abuja said N10 billion was released by the Ministry of Finance to explore “options for licensed production in collaboration with recognised institutions.”
Dr Adesanya clarified that the N10 billion released by the federal government was just a seed money and not all that was needed to embark on local vaccine production.
“Production of vaccines involves a lot. If you look at a place like the US, apart from the funds that the government will put on the ground, there are different foundations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the rest that will also put their money into that research to make sure that they are able to produce quality vaccines that are safe for the environment,” he said.
“The funds that the Federal Government gave that time may not actually be enough to assist. This money given was for programmes. A lot of logistics are also involved. Things like paying royalty, flying experts from one country to the other, paying volunteers , then recruiting people. By the time they start putting money in different places that they are meant to be, it may not achieve much.”
Continuing, the physician said: “As I have said, in a place like the US, there are many foundations that inject funds into all these beyond what the government has done. We may not yet be there but if you look at the budget, it is not yet up to the 15 percent that is globally expected for health. Whatever the federal government gives, is still part of the health budget. The health budget in Nigeria is less than 10 percent,whereas WHO prescribes that 15 percent of a nation’s total budget should go to health.”
Fresh global health crises loom
WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, during World Immunization Week in April, warned that outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis and yellow fever are rising globally, and diseases like diphtheria, that have long been held at bay or virtually disappeared in many countries, are at risk of re-emerging. In response, the agencies called for urgent and sustained political attention and investment to strengthen immunization programmes and protect significant progress achieved in reducing child mortality over the past 50 years.
“Vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past five decades,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Funding cuts to global health have put these hard-won gains in jeopardy. Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases are increasing around the world, putting lives at risk and exposing countries to increased costs in treating diseases and responding to outbreaks. Countries with limited resources must invest in the highest-impact interventions – and that includes vaccines.”
The world bodies noted that measles is making an especially dangerous comeback. They stated that the number of cases has been increasing year on year since 2021, tracking the reductions in immunization coverage that occurred during and since the COVID-19 pandemic in many communities. Measles cases reached an estimated 10.3 million in 2023, a 20% increase compared to 2022.
The agencies warned that this upward trend may continue.
In the past 12 months, 138 countries have reported measles cases, with 61 experiencing large or disruptive outbreaks – the highest number observed in any 12-month period since 2019.
The agencies equally observed that meningitis cases in Africa also rose sharply in 2024, and the upward trend has continued into 2025. In the first three months of this year alone, they said, more than 5500 suspected cases and nearly 300 deaths were reported in 22 countries. This follows approximately 26 000 cases and almost 1400 deaths across 24 countries last year.
The statement further said that yellow fever cases in African are also climbing, with 124 confirmed cases reported in 12 countries in 2024. This comes after dramatic declines in the disease over the past decade, thanks to global vaccine stockpiles and use of yellow fever vaccine in routine immunization programmes. In the WHO Region of the Americas, yellow fever outbreaks have been confirmed since the beginning of this year, with a total of 131 cases in four countries.
These outbreaks, the agencies regretted, came amidst global funding cuts. A recent WHO rapid stock taking with 108 country offices of WHO – mostly in low- and lower-middle-income countries – shows that nearly half of those countries are facing moderate to severe disruptions to vaccination campaigns, routine immunization and access to supplies due to reduced donor funding. Disease surveillance, including for vaccine-preventable diseases, is also impacted in more than half of the countries surveyed.
At the same time, the agencies said the number of children missing routine vaccinations has been increasing in recent years, even as countries make efforts to reach children missed during the pandemic. In 2023, an estimated 14.5 million children missed all of their routine vaccine doses – up from 13.9 million in 2022 and 12.9 million in 2019. Over half of these children live in countries facing conflict, fragility, or instability, where access to basic health services is often disrupted.
“The global funding crisis is severely limiting our ability to vaccinate over 15 million vulnerable children in fragile and conflict-affected countries against measles,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Immunization services, disease surveillance, and the outbreak response in nearly 50 countries are already being disrupted – with setbacks at a similar level to what we saw during COVID-19. We cannot afford to lose ground in the fight against preventable diseases.Continued investment in the ‘Big Catch-Up initiative’, launched in 2023 to reach children who missed vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other routine immunization programmes will be critical.”
NAFDAC still hoping to achieve local production
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has continued to speak of its commitment to the commencement of local production of vaccines.
In 2021, the agency said it was being audited by the WHO to prepare Nigeria for local production of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Director-General of the NAFDAC Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye told stakeholders at a hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations in Abuja that the agency takes the issues of health, safety and environment seriously.
NAFDAC supervises 165 pharmaceutical industries, over 45, 000 food manufacturing industries and over 5000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the food and drug industry.
“The WHO is carrying out an audit of NAFDAC, which will enable the country to start manufacturing vaccines” Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director of Planning Research and Statistics, NAFDAC, Fori Tatama, said.
Four years after, NAFDAC is still hoping that the country will one day start local production of vaccines.
In October this year, Prof. Adeyeye, challenged pharmaceutical manufacturers in Nigeria to make bold investment decisions that will make the local production of human vaccines a reality.
She warned that Nigeria must not wait for another pandemic before getting prepared.
“When COVID-19 struck, we were at the mercy of other countries because we depended entirely on foreign supplies for vaccines. That experience should never repeat itself,” she said.
According to her, NAFDAC has strengthened its regulatory system through a major restructuring process in line with WHO’s global benchmarking standards to pave the way for vaccine manufacturing in Nigeria.
The agency, according to her, achieved WHO Maturity Level 3, ML3, in 2022 for medicines and imported vaccines, a global recognition that qualifies it as a functional regulatory authority.
She said that in November 2024, NAFDAC established a new Directorate of Vaccines, Biologics, and Medical Devices, following approval by the Head of Service of the Federation, to align with international best practices and ensure effective oversight.
“For NAFDAC to be benchmarked for vaccines and biologics, we needed a dedicated directorate,” she said.
“We are now operating at the same level as advanced countries.”
Expressing optimism that Nigeria would soon begin manufacturing its own vaccines, Adeyeye said:
“It will be exciting news for me if, before I leave office, Nigeria begins vaccine production. We’ve been producing veterinary vaccines since 1924, yet we still depend on foreign countries for human vaccines. That must change.”
She noted that Nigeria fulfilled nine WHO Global Benchmarking Tool modules, with NAFDAC responsible for eight of them, and has achieved ML3 for seven—except for locally manufactured vaccines, which are yet to begin.
“We are working towards ML3 for locally manufactured vaccines. WHO has verified our vaccine Lot Release indicators; what remains is local vaccine production, which will allow us to carry out facility inspections,” she added.
Adeyeye also revealed that NAFDAC is the only National Regulatory Agency (NRA), in sub-Saharan Africa with an in-house laboratory for vaccines, biologics, and medical devices.
“The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has a vaccines lab, but it’s outsourced. Ours is fully in-house,” she said.
Speaking further, she urged manufacturers to seize the moment, noting that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda encourages local manufacturing across sectors.
“We have capable scientists and a strengthened regulatory framework. We can start with the ‘Fill and Finish’ stage while developing full-scale manufacturing. Now is the time to get it done,” she said.
Corroborating the NAFDAC DG’s position, Mrs. Khadijah Ade-Abolade, Director of Vaccines, Biologics, and Medical Devices Registration and Regulatory Affairs, said the federal government is already playing a strategic role to ensure that vaccine production takes off in Nigeria.
“The regulatory framework is already established and functional for imported vaccines, and it will be applied to locally produced ones once manufacturing begins,” she explained
Ministry yet to respond
Effort to get the reaction of the Ministry of Health on why the country has not commenced local vaccine production was unsuccessful.
The spokesperson, Alaba Balogu, was yet to respond to our inquiry at press time.
Afrobeats has transcended borders, transforming from a Lagos-born sound into a global cultural force. Through streaming milestones, sold-out arenas, and international collaborations, Nigerian artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, and Rema have redefined global pop music. This is more than music—it is influence, economy, identity and pride. Afrobeats now shapes festivals, charts and lifestyles worldwide, proving that what began as local rhythms is today a commanding, worldwide phenomenon, reports ADENIYI ADEWOYIN.
At was an arresting spectacle, the kind that stills the breath before it steals the heart. A living, breathing constellation of music lovers stretched endlessly beneath the lights of the 32,000-capacity Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan. A sea of heads, swaying and shimmering, as though the night itself had learned how to dance.
More than 30,000 people—Black, white, Hispanic, French, English, and everything in between—gathered shoulder to shoulder, their differences dissolving into one shared rhythm. Voices rose in unison, singing every lyric at the top of their lungs, surrendering fully to the mellifluous beats pouring from the stage. In that moment, the music did not merely play; it possessed. It fused souls, blurred borders, and rewrote geography.
Then came the glow. Thousands of phones lifted skyward, flashlights blazing like stars summoned on command. It was more than spectacle; it was affirmation. An unfiltered declaration of love for a Nigerian artist commanding one of the world’s most iconic arenas—deep in Midtown Manhattan, in what many still call “God’s own country.” For any Nigerian in that hall on that electrifying night, pride was unavoidable. This was not just a concert. It was a coronation.
Afrobeats—once dismissed, misunderstood, and confined to local airwaves—had arrived. No, it had conquered. But like all great triumphs, this moment was born of improbable beginnings. What now feels inevitable once seemed impossible, even absurd. For decades, Nigerian music barely whispered beyond Africa’s shores. International recognition was a distant mirage, shimmering but unreachable. When early pop acts like Eedris Abdulkareem, under Kennis Music—the powerhouse label of Nigeria’s early-2000s pop era—travelled to the United States and released visuals for his hit single “Live in Yankee (Marry Me)”, it felt monumental. Almost mythic. Yet, in reality, it was modest. No stadium tours. No global chart domination. No sold-out arenas. Just a trip, a video, and a daring dream. Still, that moment mattered. It marked the fragile first steps of a genre that would later run, leap, and soar. Afrobeats—an evolution inspired by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Afrobeat—did not sprint into global relevance. It crawled. It dragged. It endured. And then, against all odds, it rose.
From the streets of Lagos to the grandest stages on earth, Afrobeats transformed itself into one of the most powerful cultural forces of modern pop history. Today, it does not knock on the doors of global music; it owns the keys. It anchors stadium tours, shatters streaming records, and shapes the sound and style of contemporary pop culture. From Lagos to London, New York to Paris, Dubai to Toronto, the Nigerian sound now defines moments that matter. It fills arenas, headlines festivals, and commands the world’s attention with confidence earned, not borrowed. It was destiny fulfilled. Afrobeats is no longer emerging. It has arrived—and the world is singing along.
The numbers that tell the story
In the streaming era, global music dominance is no longer debated through opinion or hype; it is measured by numbers. How often people hit “play,” and where those streams come from—whether in Lagos, London, New York, or faraway Germany—has become the most objective proof of cultural reach. By that standard, Afrobeats is no longer knocking on the doors of global pop. It is firmly inside, shaping listening habits across continents.
Afrobeats now sits comfortably among the world’s biggest streaming records. Rema’s “Calm Down,” both the original version and the remix featuring Selena Gomez, has become the most-streamed Afrobeats song of all time, surpassing two billion streams on Spotify alone—a milestone achieved by only a handful of global pop anthems. It is a figure that places a Nigerian-born sound at the very centre of worldwide music consumption.
CKay’s “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” also carved its name into history, crossing one billion Spotify streams and becoming the first solo Nigerian song to reach that landmark. What began as a soft, emotionally charged track recorded far from global spotlights grew into a viral phenomenon, embraced across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and beyond.
The story deepens when albums are considered. Rema’s Rave & Roses has amassed over 3.1 billion streams, while Burna Boy’s African Giant and Love, Damini, Omah Lay’s Boy Alone, and Ayra Starr’s The Year I Turned 21 have each crossed the one-billion-stream mark on Spotify. These are not isolated successes; they represent a sustained, catalogue-wide global appetite for Nigerian music.
By early 2025, Rema topped global streaming charts among Nigerian artists with 223 million streams in a single period, followed closely by Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Davido, Wizkid, CKay, and Asake. Together, they underline not just star power, but depth—evidence that Afrobeats is driven by a generation, not a single name. Crucially, these figures reflect organic engagement. Each stream represents a conscious choice: a fan pressing play on a phone, tablet, or computer somewhere in the world, including markets as distant as Asia. Collectively, they speak with clarity—Afrobeats has become a pillar of global pop culture.
From arenas to stadiums Afrobeats’ global live music takeover
Over the years, these massive streaming numbers have crystallised into fiercely loyal global fan bases and, ultimately, into commanding live performances that fill arenas and stadiums around the world. Today, Afrobeats stars routinely sell out arenas and stadiums once reserved exclusively for the biggest American and European acts, completing the journey from digital playlists to historic global stages.
By the time Wizkid stepped onto the stage at London’s O2 Arena in 2021, Afrobeats had already crossed borders. What happened next confirmed it had conquered them. Tickets for his Made in Lagos concert—20,000 seats—vanished in just 12 minutes. The demand was so overwhelming that the show expanded into a three-night run, transforming what was meant to be a single performance into a landmark moment for African music in Europe. It was not merely a concert; it was a declaration that Afrobeats had arrived, loudly and irreversibly, on the world’s biggest stages.
Two years later, that declaration grew even bolder. In July 2023, Wizkid became the first African artist to sell out London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, drawing roughly 45,000 fans. With that feat, he entered a rarefied space occupied by global titans such as Beyoncé and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was no longer a question of representation or novelty. Afrobeats was now competing—and winning—on the same commercial and cultural terrain as the most powerful forces in global pop.
Wizkid is not alone. Davido, another pillar of the movement, has repeatedly demonstrated the genre’s live-performance power. He has sold out the O2 Arena three times—2019, 2021, and 2024—and has moved more than 300,000 tickets across major international venues. From the Ziggo Dome in the Netherlands to New York’s Barclays Center, Paris’s Accor Arena, Kigali Arena in Rwanda, and back again to the O2 in London, Davido’s tours read like a map of global relevance. He has headlined Madison Square Garden and performed at the closing ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar—platforms reserved for artists whose appeal transcends borders, languages, and cultures.
Then there is Burna Boy, whose ascent has been as commercially potent as it has been culturally resonant. His sold-out show at Paris La Défense Arena—capacity 36,585—stands as the second highest-grossing single concert by an African artist globally, earning an estimated $2.86 million in ticket revenue, second only to Congolese superstar Fally Ipupa. In 2024 alone, Burna Boy’s sold-out Capital One Arena concert in Washington, D.C., generated over $1.7 million. These numbers underscore a crucial truth: Afrobeats is not only a sonic force; it is a financial one.
What makes this era particularly significant is the audience itself. Nigerian artists are no longer performing solely for African diaspora communities nostalgic for home. They are selling tickets to local audiences—Americans, Europeans, Asians—who have fully embraced the music on its own terms. Afrobeats concerts today are melting pots, spaces where cultures collide, sing along, argue, celebrate, and claim ownership of the experience.
A striking example of this cultural shift emerged during Burna Boy’s recent concert in Denver, where he stopped his performance and asked two American concertgoers to leave after one appeared to be sleeping. The incident ignited a fierce debate across American social media. Critics accused the artist of disrespect, while others defended his demand for engagement and respect from the audience. Calls for boycotts followed, and reports suggested lower turnout at some U.S. venues afterward—a sharp reminder that global stardom comes with heightened scrutiny and expectations.
Whether seen as disciplinary or excessive, the episode reveals something profound. Nigerian artists are no longer operating on the margins of global entertainment. They are fully embedded within it. Their actions, choices, and missteps now ripple across continents, sparking debates far beyond Africa’s shores. They are judged by the same standards as any global act, because they are global acts.
At its core, this evolution signals something deeper than ticket sales or streaming records. Afrobeats has grown large enough to be lived, contested, and defended by non-African fans as part of their cultural reality. It is no longer just music from Nigeria—it is music of the world. And in arenas and stadiums filled with tens of thousands of voices singing every word, Afrobeats continues to prove that its rise is not a moment, but a movement.
Diversity in fans and global adoption: The data speaks
One of the clearest signs of Afrobeats’ global dominance is its audience diversity. Streams and concert stats show that this music is no longer confined to Nigerians or Africans abroad—it has reached every corner of the world. Football stars, party-goers, and pop culture icons alike have been caught vibing to Afrobeats. Global football icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, and Lamine Yamal have been seen moving to Afrobeats in dressing rooms, private celebrations, and behind-the-scenes moments—showcasing the genre’s irresistible, cross-cultural appeal.
Even former Manchester United player Jordan Sancho shared the stage with Burna Boy during a Wireless Festival weekend in London, while Pogba joined him backstage and even hit the stage after a Manchester United win. Afrobeats’ influence isn’t limited to football either—England women’s national team manager Sarina Wiegman was caught singing along word for word when Burna Boy surprised her team during their Euro 2025 victory parade.
Streaming analytics paint a similarly vivid picture. Millions of monthly listeners from Europe, the U.S., Asia, and Latin America tune in every week on Spotify, Apple Music, Audiomack, Tidal, Deezer, and YouTube. Wizkid’s Essence, Davido’s Fia, Burna Boy’s Last Last, Rema’s Calm Down, and CKay’s Love Nwantiti have climbed charts in countries with predominantly non-Black, non-African audiences, including multiple Billboard entries and top European pop chart placements.
Then there’s Asake, whose music—mostly sung in Yoruba—has sold out arena shows in the U.K., France, Germany, and Portugal. His audiences, largely unfamiliar with Yoruba and Pidgin, sang along flawlessly, proving Afrobeats transcends language barriers. This level of cross-cultural adoption is a testament to Afrobeats’ mainstream appeal. No longer a niche export or diaspora phenomenon, it has become a global genre, embraced across races, regions, and cultures, and in the process, reshaping what modern pop music looks and sounds like worldwide.
The artists at the heart of the Afrobeats revolution
Few names in African music resonate with the kind of consistency and charisma that Davido carries. Born in Atlanta but raised in Lagos, he returned to Nigeria with a fire for music and an instinct for connection. Davido isn’t just about hits—though he has a lot of them—he’s about creating bridges. His collaborations are a masterclass in cross-cultural chemistry, pairing Nigerian sounds with global stars seamlessly. In 2018, at the BET Awards, he won Best International Act and didn’t just take a bow. He made a statement, a warm and direct invitation: “Visit Africa, eat our food, wear our clothes.” That wasn’t a casual remark—it was a manifesto. Davido has positioned himself as a cultural ambassador, an artist who understands that music is only part of the story; the rest is sharing the heartbeat of Africa with the world.
Wizkid’s influence, by contrast, is quieter, almost understated, but no less transformative. He is the architect behind Afrobeats’ entry into the global mainstream. The 2015 remix of his song “Ojuelegba” with Drake introduced the genre to a new, vast audience, but it was his hand in the 2016 mega-hit “One Dance” that truly cemented Afrobeats on the global map. Since then, the roll call of international stars he has collaborated with reads like a who’s who of contemporary music: Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Selena Gomez, and 21 Savage. Wizkid didn’t just participate in a trend; he quietly engineered the movement, making African sounds inseparable from today’s global pop landscape.
Then there’s Burna Boy, widely known as the African Giant, whose influence stretches far beyond album charts. Burna Boy is not merely an artist; he’s a global brand. With over three billion views on YouTube, stadium tours that span continents, and unforgettable performances at events like the UEFA Champions League, he embodies Afrobeats’ transition from regional favorite to worldwide phenomenon. His music carries both political depth and irresistible groove, proving that commercial success and cultural significance can exist hand in hand.
Rema represents a new generation of Afrobeats stars who are redefining the rules. His remix of “Calm Down” with Selena Gomez didn’t just climb charts; it rewrote streaming records. Rema’s music has a youthful, playful energy that transcends borders, turning him into a cultural icon whose influence reaches far beyond Africa. In many ways, Rema embodies the fearless experimentation and digital-era savvy that will define Afrobeats’ next chapter.
Some songs arrive quietly and then explode, and CKay’s “Love Nwantiti” is a perfect example. What began as a catchy tune became a global sensation, a viral moment that took over TikTok feeds, dance challenges, and playlists worldwide. CKay’s success illustrates the organic appeal of Afrobeats, a genre whose rhythm and melody naturally resonate with a global audience, sometimes even before radio and mainstream channels catch on.
While the veterans command attention, the next generation is quietly reshaping Afrobeats from within. Asake, Ayra Starr, Tems, and BNXN bring fresh voices, bold experimentation, and a willingness to blur genre lines. They ensure that Afrobeats doesn’t stagnate, giving it a sonic depth and global adaptability that guarantees its longevity. These emerging stars are not just followers—they are innovators, carving out new spaces within a sound that has already conquered the world.
Afrobeats and global music culture
Today, Afrobeats is not a niche curiosity. It stands alongside Hip Hop, RnB, and Reggae as a defining sound of contemporary global music. Its rhythms dominate festivals from Coachella to Glastonbury, inspire major international tours, and attract brand partnerships with the likes of Roc Nation, Burberry, Martell, and Coca-Cola. Afrobeats isn’t just being heard; it’s being lived, celebrated, and monetized worldwide.
The impact of Afrobeats goes far beyond streaming numbers. In Lagos, “Detty December” has transformed the city into a global destination, drawing tourists, boosting local economies, and sparking a wave of brand investments. Globally, Afrocentric fashion, dance, and lifestyle are no longer fringe—they are central to contemporary culture. Afrobeats is shaping the way we see Africa, not as a distant idea but as a vibrant, dynamic force. Looking ahead, the trajectory is clear. More Grammy wins, more global visibility, and a permanent place for Nigerian music in the cultural consciousness are inevitable. Afrobeats is no longer a genre; it’s a global phenomenon, defining creativity, commerce, and identity across continents. The beats of Lagos, Lagosians, and Nigeria are now part of the soundtrack of the world—and they are here to stay.
Beyond the painted gates and manicured compounds, Lagos’ rental market exacts invisible tolls. Single women face repeated rejections, inflated rents and invasive questions from landlords, making independence a liability and honesty a burden. Despite financial capacity, safety and dignity, they are often forced to navigate a system where housing is not a right but a prize contingent on marriage—and conformity to entrenched stereotypes. AFIONG EDEMUMOH examines how these biases turn housing into a tool of control in a state with a housing deficit of 3.4 million units
The gate is freshly painted black. The compound is quiet, lined with potted plants. Electrical/Electronics engineer and social justice advocate, Sefa Ikpa, stands outside a two-bedroom flat in Oko-Oba, clutching documents that testify to her financial capability—employment letter, bank statements, six months of payslips. She is ready to pay N1.1 million that very day. The caretaker reviews her bio-data form—tribe, workplace, marital status. His eyes linger on the last entry. He lowers his voice. “Madam, the landlord is asking—are you married?” She answers honestly: no.
The next morning, the rent is N1.3 million. She agrees. By afternoon, it climbs to N1.5 million. Three days later, a male friend, married with a son, calls the same caretaker about the same flat. The price: N1.1 million. The penalty for being single and female: N400,000 annually.
From Akowonjo to Surulere, Ijesha to Ogudu, the question “Are you married?” has become the gatekeeping mechanism that dictates who sleeps where. Behind freshly painted gates and manicured compounds, landlords are turning away financially capable women, inflating rents to drive them off, or forcing them to fabricate spouses just to secure basic shelter. What emerges is a rental market where constitutional guarantees of equality collide with entrenched gender bias—where independence is punished rather than celebrated.
Rejected at the gate
Ikpa’s housing search spanned six months and included at least four documented rejections. Each followed a predictable pattern: initial interest, routine screening questions about tribe and employment, then the pivot point—marital status. In Ogudu, landlords asked deeply personal questions before deeming her “unacceptable.” “Agents remained indifferent—their fees were guaranteed regardless. It was landlords who imposed the criteria, probing marital status with more scrutiny than they applied to income verification,” she said.
The Oko-Oba incident, along the Agege–Abule Egba axis, remains her biggest trauma. Exhausted from international travel, she had cut short a trip to attend the landlord’s meeting. She answered every question, filled out forms, and demonstrated financial readiness. The rent inflation that followed felt calculated, a thinly veiled attempt to drive her away. “They told the agent to inform me that they had moved the rent again to N1.5 million. Remember, when I first saw the house, it was N1.1 million. And I said, even if it’s N1.5 million, I will pay—I just needed a place to stay. I really liked the house, even though I was going to do some work on it.
“So, finally, when I said I was willing to pay N1.5 million, I already suspected it was because I was a lady. I asked a friend to go undercover and inquire. A male friend went, and the house was still valued at N1.1 million. That confirmed it—the landlord only hiked the rent because he didn’t want to give the house to a woman,” Ikpa recounted.
When her male friend’s inquiry confirmed the original price, the agent admitted the truth: landlords relied on familiar stereotypes—single women are “not responsible, they don’t renew their rent, and men keep trooping in and out.”
Even after securing her current apartment along the same axis, the stigma lingered. During move-in, a facility manager, unaware she was listening, launched into a rant about single female tenants, predicting disputes and conflicts. Ikpa had already paid in full. When introduced as the tenant, the man backtracked, but the episode confirmed how reflexive the bias had become among estate gatekeepers.
The endless cycle of rejection
Social commentator and event planner Grace Okonta experienced a similar pattern. In Akowonjo alone, she was turned away ten times. Each time, landlords reviewed her documents, verified her ability to pay a year’s rent upfront, then delivered the same verdict: “We don’t give houses to single ladies.” The phrase, repeated with unsettling certainty, sounded less like a personal choice and more like an unwritten law.
“After the tenth rejection, I realised it didn’t matter who I was or what I earned,” Okonta lamented. “I was a working professional with references; I could pay a year’s rent upfront. But the moment they heard I was single, the conversation ended. I was told outright, ‘We don’t give houses to single women.’” Exhausted and desperate, she resorted to deception. She presented a fictitious fiancé to gain access. “Even then, I lived in constant fear—fear of being exposed, fear of eviction, fear of questions I couldn’t answer. It was exhausting, humiliating, and broke something in me. Housing should not require a performance or a lie to access.”
For the eleventh viewing, Okonta enlisted her friend Kunle to pose as her fiancé. The strategy worked. The landlord, reassured by Kunle’s presence, approved the tenancy: “Your fiancé is a responsible young man. You both can move in,” he said. The relief, however, was temporary. Two years later, when the promised marriage failed to materialise, the landlord’s attitude shifted. Warmth turned to contempt. Okonta was issued a six-month notice to quit, the reason familiar and blunt: “This house is not for single women.”
A systemic challenge
From Ikpa to Okonta, these stories reflect a broader systemic bias. Across Lagos and beyond, single professional women face structural obstacles in accessing housing, regardless of their financial capacity. Agents, caretakers, and landlords rely on entrenched stereotypes, manipulating rent or denying access outright. Women are compelled to fabricate partners, pay inflated rents, or risk endless rejection—effectively penalised for independence.
As Nigerian cities expand, and more women pursue professional and social mobility, this discriminatory practice not only infringes constitutional guarantees of equality but also undermines urban development and social cohesion. Housing, a fundamental right, has become a gatekeeper for gender bias, revealing a market where independence is punished and tradition outweighs merit. The stories of Ikpa and Okonta demonstrate how informal barriers—fuelled by perception, stereotypes, and discriminatory practice—can inflict real financial, emotional, and social costs. They highlight the urgent need for policy, advocacy, and societal shifts that protect tenants, enforce anti-discrimination statutes, and recognise women’s autonomy in accessing housing without compromise.
Risky tenants’ conundrum
In a three-bedroom apartment in Surulere, Mr. Tunde Akomolafe, a retired civil servant managing his late brother’s property, sits behind a desk cluttered with tenant files. On the reluctance of landlords to rent to single women, Akomolafe explained: “It is not that we hate women. But when you give a house to a single lady, you don’t know who will be coming in and out. Neighbours complain. People start talking. Before you know it, the house has a reputation.”
His words reveal the underlying logic: a woman’s independence is assumed to invite male visitors; male visitors spark gossip; gossip tarnishes the compound’s reputation. In this framework, unmarried women living alone are presumed promiscuous, regardless of their behaviour. Landlords pre-empt potential conflict by excluding women entirely. For some, the concern is financial pragmatism rather than morality. A female property owner of four mini-flats in Ijesha, identified only as Mrs. Comfort, explained: “A married woman has a husband to support her. A single lady, if she loses her job, who will pay the rent? I don’t want stories that touch.”
This assumption persists despite the fact that many rejected women are salaried professionals with verifiable income. The cultural belief that men provide financial backup often outweighs economic logic. Estate agent Festus offered another perspective: “When it is a man, you can confront him. But women, they can cry or bring human rights people. It’s stress we want to avoid.” His comment reflects a broader anxiety: women are perceived as unpredictable, emotionally volatile, or litigious. Men, by contrast, are assumed straightforward.
Coleman Nwafor, a property owner, articulated the bias explicitly to BBC Africa in August 2018: “Most single ladies are under the responsibility of their lover or their parents. You can never tell what will happen after the first year. Most single ladies are not working. There are more jobs for men than women in Nigeria. That is just the way it is.”
A real estate associate in Apapa, Ariyo Bamidele, stated that his former office maintained a “policy of not renting properties to single women” unless they provided male references. He justified this with “bad experiences,” recounting an unverified anecdote where a woman allegedly turned a leased duplex into a brothel. One isolated story became the basis for profiling an entire demographic as “risky tenants.”
Not all landlords uphold these views. A younger property owner in Lekki, speaking anonymously, said he rents to single women without hesitation: “Times have changed. Women are independent now. The only thing I care about is rent being paid. If she can afford it, why not?” His perspective signals a generational shift, particularly among urbanised landlords in professional settings. Yet even personal tolerance can yield to societal pressure. A landlord in Isolo, preferring anonymity, admitted: “They will say I am encouraging waywardness if I give my house to single ladies. To avoid trouble, I just reject them.”
Sociologist Clement Agbor contextualises the trend as gendered gatekeeping: “It’s not about rent, it’s about control. Landlords act as moral guardians, deciding who is respectable enough to occupy space. In our society, women without men are often deemed suspicious by default.” Across Lagos and beyond, these perceptions create systemic barriers for single women seeking housing. Economic capacity, references, and professionalism often count for little when gendered stereotypes shape access to shelter. As women pursue independence and professional mobility, housing—a fundamental right—remains a gatekeeper for societal bias, reflecting broader patterns of gendered control and cultural expectation.
Deceit as a survival strategy
The pressure to misrepresent marital status is relentless. Throughout her housing search, Sefa Ikpa faced repeated suggestions to lie. Agents encouraged her to present male relatives as husbands—a tactic widely reported among women navigating Lagos’ rental market. Friends borrowed wedding rings, invented overseas spouses, or brought cousins to inspections. But for Ikpa, it was a non-negotiable: tying her income to a man’s presence felt humiliating and unjust.
That refusal came at a steep cost. Apartments she could afford slipped away. Inspection fees accumulated. Months passed. Yet she remained firm: she would not rent from landlords imposing tribal restrictions, and she would not pretend to be married. Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of the human rights organisation Spaces for Change, warned that such deceptions carry grave risks. At a policy dialogue, a woman recounted securing a flat by asking a male colleague to pose as her husband. The strategy worked—but the colleague, emboldened by frequent home access, later attempted sexual assault.
“Discriminatory housing practices set off dangerous chain reactions,” Ibezim-Ohaeri explained. “By compelling women to misrepresent their marital status, the system pushes them into situations where personal safety is compromised. In cases of sexual violence, such misrepresentation can undermine access to justice, as earlier claims of a spousal relationship may discredit testimony or blur consent boundaries.” The strategy of lying often festers. Women who fabricate husbands face ongoing pressure to maintain charades—producing men for landlord meetings, explaining prolonged absences, or risking eviction when fictions unravel.
The scale of the problem is staggering. A 2019 Guardian Nigeria survey found 83.3 per cent of Nigerian women experienced housing discrimination as single adults. Ebosetale Okoduwa, writing in Medium, interviewed ten women aged 23 to 28 across several states. Every single one had been denied accommodation because landlords refused to rent to single women or doubted their ability to pay, despite steady employment. Some were asked to present husbands or male guarantors before their applications could be considered.
Resistance pays off
Not every woman accepts defeat quietly. In 2023, corporate lawyer Beatrice Essien successfully challenged discriminatory treatment in Surulere—not in court, but with knowledge and authority. When a landlord insisted her husband must be present to sign a lease, Essien arrived with printed copies of Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution, which prohibits sex-based discrimination, and the 2011 Lagos Tenancy Law, which does not require tenants to be married. “I told him politely but firmly: ‘If you proceed with this requirement, I will file a constitutional rights enforcement action and notify the media,’” she recalled. Within 24 hours, the landlord relented.
Essien acknowledged, however, that her success required privilege. “I’m a lawyer. I knew my rights and could afford litigation. Most women can’t.” She now volunteers with an NGO educating women on legal options but remains realistic: “We’ve trained hundreds. Maybe five have successfully pushed back. The power imbalance is too great.” Some women find refuge in female-friendly estates—newer developments in Lekki Phase 1, Ajah, and similar areas where management companies enforce non-discrimination policies. “But these are rare and expensive,” Essien noted. “They’re not accessible to average-income earners.”
The pattern behind the prejudice
According to Ibezim-Ohaeri, Lagos records Nigeria’s highest levels of tenant-based discrimination, cutting across gender, ethnicity, and religion. Comparative fieldwork across the Niger Delta, Southeast, Federal Capital Territory, and northern states such as Kaduna and Kano revealed stark contrasts: in many regions, housing decisions are driven primarily by economic considerations—ability to pay rent. In Lagos, however, social identity, moral judgment, and personal bias shape access in both affluent and low-income neighborhoods. Landlords openly impose restrictive criteria, with some posting exclusionary notices on gates: “Igbos not allowed,” “Married couples only,” or “Single mothers not allowed.”
Gender-based discrimination is particularly pervasive. When landlords reject “female tenants,” it rarely targets unmarried women alone. It extends to married women whose husbands do not live with them, categorising all women living alone as undesirable. These issues were central to a memorandum submitted by Spaces for Change at the August public hearing on the proposed Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill 2025, intended to regulate landlord-tenant relationships. The group situates the bill within Lagos’ estimated 3.396 million housing deficit, warning that without stronger tenant protections, rising rents, discriminatory practices, and unchecked agency fees will push low-income residents into overcrowding and homelessness.
For Ikpa, being single narrowed her options beyond discrimination. Safety was non-negotiable. She avoided areas without security, stable electricity, or enclosed estates. Living alone, she prioritized well-lit environments and reliable services—features already scarce. When landlords excluded single women outright, the housing pool shrank further, transforming straightforward transactions into prolonged struggles.
For single women, discrimination compounds already difficult searches. The Roland Igbinoba Real Foundation’s State of Lagos Housing Market Report notes the housing deficit has grown 15 per cent since 2016. Over 70 per cent of Lagosians are tenants, many spending 40–60 per cent of income on rent, far above the UN’s 30 per cent affordability benchmark. In such an environment, deceit emerges as both a strategy and a symptom: women navigating Lagos’ rental market are forced to balance financial independence, safety, and societal expectations, often at great personal and emotional cost.
A law that exists only on paper
On paper, Nigeria’s legal and international commitments appear unequivocal. Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex, ethnicity, religion, or circumstances of birth. Internationally, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and Article 25 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognise access to adequate housing as a fundamental human right. Together, these frameworks ostensibly provide robust protection against exclusion in the rental housing market.
Yet, as Ibezim-Ohaeri observes, rental discrimination—particularly the exclusion of women—constitutes a direct violation of these guarantees. From this standpoint, landlords who deny housing based on gender or marital status are not exercising personal discretion; they are breaching constitutionally protected rights. The act of exclusion, she insists, crosses from private preference into unlawful conduct. In practice, these constitutional protections remain largely theoretical. Discrimination persists with little fear of consequence, as landlords and agents operate in a regulatory vacuum where bias is rarely punished. In its August 2025 submission to the Lagos State House of Assembly, Spaces for Change described this gap between law and lived reality as the central failure of tenancy regulation. The organisation urged lawmakers to explicitly prohibit discriminatory practices in the proposed Tenancy Bill and back such provisions with enforceable sanctions, including fines, suspension of estate agents’ licences, and temporary restrictions on landlords found guilty of violations.
Beyond prohibition, the memorandum stressed the need for institutional mechanisms that make redress possible. Spaces for Change called for clear reporting channels for victims of discrimination, incident-tracking systems, and defined penalties for offenders. According to Ibezim-Ohaeri, the strength of reform lies not only in punishment but in norm-setting. When discriminatory conduct attracts legal consequences, it generates compliance pressure and signals a broader societal shift about what behaviour is acceptable.
The organisation’s intervention also extended to structural cost drivers within the rental market. It flagged the widespread practice of exorbitant agency fees, noting that landlords and agents often charge commissions even where no intermediary is involved, sometimes collecting fees from both parties. While the Bill proposes reducing agency fees from 10 per cent to 5 per cent, Spaces for Change warned that agents may attempt to circumvent the cap by inflating ancillary charges such as inspection, search, or file-opening fees.
Similarly, the group highlighted persistent abuse around professional fees, where landlords or agents compel tenants to pay for lawyers or valuers they did not engage. Although prohibited under previous tenancy laws, enforcement has been weak due to the absence of meaningful penalties. Spaces for Change therefore called for strong sanctions, including mandatory refunds and punitive fines, to curb the abuse.
Even among legal practitioners, there is broad agreement that reform is overdue but fraught. Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba, has described the Tenancy Bill as necessary but imperfect. While it seeks to curb exploitative practices and standardise eviction procedures, he notes deep fault lines in perception: tenants see it as long-overdue protection, while landlords fear it could disrupt investment incentives in the property market.
Underlying these tensions is a familiar enforcement dilemma. Estate agent Seun Ademoye recalled the fate of rent restriction policies introduced during the former Lagos State governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration. “Landlords told prospective tenants, ‘We don’t have Fashola’s house here; go and meet him for houses at his prescribed rate,’” he said. With few alternatives, tenants often returned, resigned to paying whatever was demanded. “It was a catch-22.”
For Ebosetale Okoduwa, the deeper issue lies in Nigeria’s fragmented regulatory framework. The absence of a single, codified tenancy law applying uniformly nationwide means each state operates its own rules, creating inconsistencies that allow abusive practices to thrive unchecked.
Lagos’ experience underscores this weakness. The 2011 Tenancy Law sought to regulate the market by capping advance rent at one year, mandating rent receipts, and outlining eviction procedures. Yet, according to property lawyer Abraham Anyanwu, the law quickly proved ineffective. “It was a paper tiger,” he said. “There was no dedicated enforcement agency, penalties lacked deterrent force, and judicial redress remained slow and costly. Crucially, the law made no mention of discrimination, leaving those denied housing on the basis of identity with no clear legal remedy.”
The cost of independence
For Ibezim-Ohaeri, consequences extend beyond financial exclusion. Denial of housing directly undermines women’s safety, dignity, and access to justice. When excluded from safe, affordable housing, women are forced into precarious arrangements—cohabiting with men they distrust, remaining in abusive relationships, or settling for unsafe environments lacking basic infrastructure.
Sefa Ikpa, an Electrical/Electronics engineer and social justice advocate, explained: “As a single woman living alone, safety is non-negotiable. Already, options are narrow, and then even narrower when landlords have closed off their housing.” Ikpa questioned why landlords feel entitled to probe her private life in ways male tenants never face. She had proven financial capacity and employment status, yet her character was judged solely on marital status. The financial implication stung: accepting the inflated Oko-Oba rent meant paying N400,000 extra annually simply for being a woman.
Owning property may expand options for some women, but it is not a cure-all. Ikpa revealed that she was also rejected by a female landlord, underscoring that patriarchal attitudes are not limited to male property owners. Without regulation, access remains subject to personal bias. Her argument is uncompromising: she was not seeking welfare or special consideration; she had the means to pay. She insisted that financial capacity should be the sole criterion in any functional rental market. “Until tenancy laws are tightened and discrimination explicitly addressed, single women in Lagos will continue being priced out, scrutinised, and pushed to the margins of a city they can afford, but are routinely denied the right to call home,” she said.
Still standing at the gate
Ikpa eventually secured an apartment, but the victory feels fragile. She knows other women are still being turned away, inflating budgets to accommodate gender penalties, borrowing rings, and inventing husbands to pass inspection. Grace Okonta, evicted after her charade collapsed, has returned to the exhausting cycle—scanning listings, fielding invasive questions, bracing for the next “We don’t give house to single ladies.” She recently viewed another flat in Akowonjo. The compound was gated, well-maintained. The caretaker was polite until he asked the question. When she said she was single, his expression shifted. “Let me check with the landlord,” he said, already reaching for his phone.
Both women fear what comes next—not because they lack resilience, but because the system they navigate is designed to exhaust it. Ikpa worries about her next lease renewal, whether lingering suspicion from facility managers will translate into unreasonable demands. Grace fears being displaced again, forced to choose between lying and homelessness. In a city where housing is treated as a privilege contingent on marital status rather than a right earned through payment, independence remains precarious. Until the law intervenes, women like Ikpa and Okonta will continue standing at gates, waiting for doors that may never open—not because they cannot afford to enter, but because they refuse to lie about who they are.
Nigeria’s march toward a digital economy is being undermined by fragile infrastructure and frequent network disruptions, with real consequences for everyday life. From rural traders and roadside diners to banks, schools, and hospitals, connectivity failures ripple across commerce, education, and healthcare. With an average 1,100 fibre cuts, 545 access denials and 99 thefts of telecom equipment weekly, the promise of e-learning, telemedicine, digital jobs and GDP growth increasingly looks fragile, reports Assistant Editor LUCAS AJANAKU.
Regina Elehinafe is a rural, small-scale trader whose livelihood depends on the steady circulation of everyday food items—yam tubers, garri, and locally processed rice known in the southwest as ofada, prized for its distinctive aroma. For years, her business ran on cash, guided by familiarity and trust across market towns in Ekiti State. That routine was abruptly disrupted by the chaotic implementation of the cashless policy ahead of the 2023 presidential election, an episode that forced many informal traders like Regina into an unplanned digital transition.
Reluctantly at first, she embraced mobile banking, aided by the rapid spread of fintech platforms that allow phone numbers to function as bank account identifiers. Today, Regina, a mother of two based in Ilawe-Ekiti, moves from one market town to another, timing her journeys to coincide with local market days. Digital transfers have become central to her trade, replacing the cash that once changed hands without incident.
In May this year, she travelled to Erinjiyan-Ekiti on one of her regular supply trips to purchase ofada rice and other foodstuffs. The transactions went smoothly until it was time to pay her supplier. Multiple attempts to complete the transfer via a Point of Sale (PoS) terminal failed. Each declined notification deepened the anxiety. With goods packed and no cash alternative, Regina found herself stranded between trust and technology. “I became confused. I didn’t know what to do,” she recalled. Years of business dealings ultimately saved the day. Her supplier, relying on their established relationship, allowed her to leave with the goods on trust. It was a reprieve, but not an experience she describes lightly. “It was not funny,” she said.
Regina was fortunate. Carlos Reginald was not. His own encounter with network failure unfolded in a modest local restaurant in Lafenwa, Ogun State, where he had stopped to eat amala, ewedu soup, and goat meat while waiting for a friend. Lafenwa, separated from Ayobo in Lagos by a severely degraded road, already bears the scars of infrastructural neglect. When it came time to pay, the PoS terminal failed repeatedly. With no cash and no network, embarrassment set in. A resident of Agege, Lagos, Carlos depended on the kindness of a stranger. A fellow diner with liquid cash paid his bill. They exchanged phone numbers and bank details. Later that day, after returning to Ayobo, Carlos walked into a First Bank branch and used a self-service kiosk to transfer the money back. “Without that man, I would have been stuck,” he said.
These experiences, though personal, reflect a broader national challenge. Across Nigeria, network failures and service degradation routinely disrupt voice calls, internet access, and digital banking transactions. Often driven by vandalism of telecom infrastructure, these disruptions expose the fragility of a system that now underpins commerce, trust, and daily survival. As Nigeria pushes toward a digital economy, the reliability of its telecommunications backbone is no longer optional—it is essential.
When vandalism becomes a national threat
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecommunications sector continues to grapple with widespread vandalism and infrastructure sabotage, despite the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Order, 2024, signed into law on June 24, 2024, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Rather than abating following the Executive Order, the menace has assumed what industry stakeholders describe as a cancerous scale—spreading from isolated pockets to a nationwide phenomenon that now threatens service reliability and Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions.
The NCC disclosed that telecom operators are battling persistent incidents of wilful vandalism, theft of diesel, generators and inverter batteries, fibre cuts, and systematic denial of access to base transceiver stations (BTS) by non-state actors. These challenges, the Commission said, have continued unabated, undermining network stability and quality of service across the country.
Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, acknowledged that while stakeholders have made concerted efforts to safeguard infrastructure, several critical challenges persist. Providing a snapshot of the scale of the problem, he revealed that the industry records an average of about 1,100 fibre cuts weekly, alongside 545 cases of access denial and 99 theft incidents. “Access denial, vandalism, fibre cuts and theft remain bitter experiences within the industry,” Maida said, stressing that these incidents directly translate into service disruptions, prolonged downtimes and poor customer experience.
Earlier in July, the industry’s umbrella body, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), raised the alarm over what it described as an alarming escalation in vandalism within the telecom space. According to the association, between May and July 2025 alone, multiple incidents were recorded across cell sites in Rivers, Ogun, Osun, Imo, Kogi, Ekiti, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, among other states.
“These acts of sabotage have significantly disrupted network services, causing widespread connectivity blackouts, degradation of service quality and severe inconvenience to millions of subscribers,” ALTON said. The association noted that the affected infrastructure primarily belongs to its members, other network operators, and critical institutions that depend on telecom networks for connectivity.
ALTON Chairman, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, explained that critical components such as power cables, rectifiers, fibre optic cables, feeder cables, diesel generators, batteries and solar systems are routinely vandalised or stolen from active sites. “These are not mere materials. They are the backbone of our digital economy, security architecture and national communications grid,” he said. He expressed deep concern over the frequency, intensity and geographical spread of the attacks, noting that states such as Delta, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Lagos, Kogi, Kaduna, Niger, Osun, Kwara and the FCT have recorded particularly high levels of infrastructure sabotage. “These attacks have led to prolonged downtimes, network congestion, widespread blackouts and significant degradation of service quality,” Adebayo added.
Dr Maida identified denial of access to telecom sites as one of the most significant contributors to service downtime, explaining that it prevents operators from carrying out routine operations and critical maintenance activities. He also cited vandalism, fibre cuts and theft of site equipment, cables and diesel as major operational challenges. With a large proportion of BTS still dependent on diesel-powered systems, the cost of operations remains high, further straining operators’ resources.
Beyond vandalism, the NCC boss pointed to long-standing structural bottlenecks that continue to slow network expansion and compromise service quality. These include challenges around securing Right-of-Way (RoW), multiple taxation and access delays across states, all of which hinder fibre rollout. He also lamented the suffocating delays in securing permits for new telecom builds, noting that complex and time-consuming approval processes in some jurisdictions have created infrastructure gaps that complicate efforts to improve quality of service.
Other emerging threats include cybersecurity risks, particularly as over-the-top (OTT) platforms and Internet of Things (IoT) usage expand. In addition, the prevailing security situation in parts of the country has made the deployment, operation and maintenance of communications infrastructure increasingly difficult. Meanwhile, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) say they have responded to recent government interventions with unprecedented investment commitments. Following the Federal Government’s approval of a 50 per cent tariff adjustment on voice calls and internet services earlier this year, operators say they have ramped up spending on network optimisation and capacity upgrades.
According to ALTON, new systems are being deployed, transmission equipment modernised, power systems overhauled, and thousands of kilometres of fibre optic networks are currently being laid and expanded nationwide. “Our industry has not seen this scale of investment in recent years. We are working round the clock to improve quality of service, and we cannot afford these setbacks,” the association said.
Compounding the sector’s woes is the emergence of itinerant scrap merchants searching for so-called “condemned iron,” often aided by local collaborators. Adebayo warned of a thriving market for stolen telecom equipment, including power cables and rectifiers sold openly, batteries repurposed for home and office inverters, solar panels resold to unsuspecting households, and diesel siphoned from sites and traded on the grey market. As stakeholders argue, without decisive enforcement of the CNII Order and coordinated action across federal, state and community levels, the gains of Nigeria’s digital transformation risk being steadily eroded by sabotage and neglect.
How network outages stall growth
The impact of these disruptions is profound and far-reaching. Across Nigeria, entire communities endure prolonged network outages that sever access to markets, education, healthcare and financial services, effectively rendering them “invisible and incommunicado” in an era defined by digital connectivity. Rural and underserved areas bear the brunt of the damage, as repeated fibre cuts—averaging about 1,100 weekly—delay repairs, often complicated by community demands for compensation before access is restored. In May 2025, subscribers on MTN and 9mobile networks experienced peak disruptions caused by fibre damage and power failures, bringing voice calls, data services and economic activities to a standstill.
The economic consequences are equally severe. Network outages trigger billions of naira in revenue losses, customer compensation payouts and repair costs. Industry estimates put losses at about N14.6 billion in 2023 alone, with trends in 2025 pointing to even weaker returns on investment (RoI) for mobile network operators (MNOs) and their shareholders. For households and small business owners like Regina Elehinafe, the disruptions translate directly into lost income as e-commerce, remote work and digital banking grind to a halt. The result is a deepening of poverty in a sector that contributes about 14.4 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Beyond lost revenue, outages routinely shut down USSD banking platforms, telemedicine services and digital commerce channels, causing daily income shortfalls for traders, artisans and gig workers. In May 2025, widespread fibre cuts in parts of northern Nigeria stalled business transactions for several days. Vulnerable users, particularly those reliant on feature phones, were forced to travel long distances to access physical banking services, incurring additional costs and compounding economic hardship in already fragile communities.
Globally, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has consistently emphasised the importance of resilient digital infrastructure as a catalyst for shared prosperity. The organisation notes that fifth-generation (5G) network coverage remains deeply uneven, with about 84 per cent of people in high-income countries having access to 5G services, compared with just four per cent in low-income countries. Nonetheless, ITU estimates that 5G networks will cover roughly 55 per cent of the world’s population in 2025, reflecting strong momentum in advanced mobile technologies—momentum made possible by robust, well-secured infrastructure.
According to the ITU’s Facts and Figures 2025 report, digital infrastructure, affordable services and skills training are critical to ensuring that populations can truly benefit from emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, underscored this imperative, noting that “in a world where digital technologies are essential to so much of daily life, everyone should have the opportunity to benefit from being online.” She added that today’s digital divides are increasingly defined by speed, reliability, affordability and skills—factors that must be prioritised to achieve universal connectivity.
In Nigeria, however, the digital divide continues to widen, largely driven by persistent vandalism of telecom infrastructure that stifles broadband expansion and entrenches both rural and urban poverty. Broadband penetration, as of October–December 2025, stands at 49.89 per cent, while active internet subscriptions reached about 142.6 million by October 2025. Yet only about three per cent of these subscribers—just over four million users—are connected to 5G networks. Fourth-generation (4G) services remain dominant at 44.96 per cent, followed closely by 2G at 43.53 per cent, with 3G trailing at 9.32 per cent. Fixed broadband penetration is even more limited, hovering at approximately six per cent nationwide.
Under the National Broadband Plan (NBP), the Federal Government set a target of 70 per cent broadband penetration by the end of 2025. Current figures indicate that Nigeria will miss this benchmark by roughly 20 percentage points, reflecting a combination of infrastructure vandalism, regulatory bottlenecks, security challenges and investment constraints. This shortfall carries significant economic implications. The World Bank has established a strong positive relationship between broadband penetration and GDP growth, finding that a 10 per cent increase in broadband access boosts GDP growth by about 1.21 per cent in developed economies and approximately 1.38 per cent in developing countries. While the Bank notes that broadband’s full impact depends on complementary investments in education and healthcare, it argues that connectivity drives innovation, improves market efficiency and accelerates digital transformation—provided digital divides are addressed to ensure equitable benefits.
Nigeria currently has about 228 million mobile subscriptions, representing roughly 110 million unique users across networks operated by MTN, Airtel, Globacom, T2 and others. Disruptions have been most acute in northern states and rural zones, affecting an estimated 20 to 30 per cent of users weekly through recurrent fibre cuts. With households typically holding two to four subscriptions, between 25 million and 50 million people—or 10 to 15 million homes—have faced outages, particularly MTN and T2 customers during the May disruptions. This occurred despite a local roaming agreement between the two operators, a strategic move by T2’s management aimed at reclaiming lost subscribers.
ITU’s Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau, Cosmas Luckyson Zavazavam, maintains that achieving universal connectivity will require sustained and well-targeted investment in infrastructure, digital skills and data systems. “By working together and directing resources where needs are greatest, we can ensure that no one is left behind and that everyone benefits fully and safely from the opportunities of the digital age,” he said.
Despite these challenges, the telecom sector remains a critical pillar of Nigeria’s economy, contributing about N4.4 trillion in the third quarter of 2025 alone—representing 84.5 per cent of the N5.2 trillion generated by the broader information and communications technology (ICT) sector.
Why protecting infrastructure is central to economy
According to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector—which includes telecommunications, broadcasting, sound and media production, and publishing—accounted for 9.1 per cent of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the third quarter (Q3) of 2025. This represents a decline from the 11.8 per cent recorded in the previous quarter. Despite the drop in quarterly share, the sector posted a year-on-year growth rate of 5.78 per cent, underscoring its continued relevance as a driver of economic activity.
The data reinforce the centrality of mobile network operators (MNOs) to the performance of the ICT sector. Indeed, the broader digital economy—encompassing telecommunications and financial institutions—contributed about 11.8 per cent to real GDP, translating to roughly N6.7 trillion of Nigeria’s total GDP of N57 trillion during the period under review. This highlights the extent to which digital connectivity underpins commerce, finance and service delivery across the economy.
A closer breakdown of the NBS report shows that broadcasting contributed N430.7 billion, representing 8.2 per cent of ICT sector output, while sound and media production accounted for N379.2 billion, or 7.2 per cent. Publishing, by contrast, remained marginal, contributing just N9 billion—about 0.1 per cent of the total. Overall, Nigeria’s GDP grew by 3.98 per cent in Q3 2025, slightly below the 4.23 per cent growth recorded in Q2 2025, but higher than the 3.86 per cent posted in the corresponding quarter of 2024.
Encouragingly, MNOs appear to be on a gradual path to recovery after a turbulent period marked by currency volatility, rising energy costs and infrastructure-related disruptions. MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest operator, reported a pre-tax profit of N419.61 billion in Q2 2025, a sharp turnaround from the pre-tax loss of N179.60 billion recorded in the same period a year earlier. Airtel Nigeria also posted strong performance, generating $333 million in revenue for the quarter ended June 30, 2025—a 30 per cent year-on-year increase.
Yet industry leaders caution that sustaining this recovery requires urgent and coordinated action to address structural threats to telecom infrastructure. Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, said resolving the challenges confronting the sector goes beyond regulatory enforcement alone and demands inter-agency cooperation, legislative backing, private sector responsibility and sustained public awareness. “To ensure the sustainability of our communications sector and the security of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), the way forward must rest on five pillars,” Maida said. Chief among these, he stressed, is public awareness and community ownership. “We must scale campaigns that sensitise citizens to treat communications infrastructure as national assets. Community-based surveillance programmes can complement state-led enforcement,” he added, noting that the media has a critical role to play in shaping public consciousness. Other pillars outlined by the NCC boss include stronger inter-stakeholder collaboration on CNII protection, improved coordination between players in the communications industry and other critical sectors, and enhanced information sharing among stakeholders to enable faster response to threats and incidents.
For their part, MNOs have appealed directly to the public to remain vigilant and to refrain from purchasing suspicious or stolen telecom equipment. “If you buy stolen telecom equipment, you are not just complicit—you are part of the crime,” operators warned in a joint statement. They urged Nigerians to join the fight against infrastructure vandalism, stressing that telecom assets enable banking systems, national security operations, emergency response, education, healthcare and everyday communication. “An attack on telecom infrastructure is an attack on our economy and our security,” the statement said.
The operators also raised alarm over a second, recurring and deeply troubling issue: the widespread damage to underground fibre optic cables caused by road construction and other civil works along highways and urban roads. According to ALTON, such activities have resulted in significant service outages and substantial financial losses, further undermining network reliability. Consequently, the industry body appealed to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to urgently deploy resources to protect telecom infrastructure and avert a potential breakdown of communications nationwide.
However, consumer advocates argue that MNOs must do more to carry subscribers along in their advocacy efforts. The Association of Telephone, Cable TV and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS Nigeria) faulted what it described as the operators’ top-down approach. Its National President, Sina Bilesanmi, said consumer groups possess grassroots reach that can help embed a culture of infrastructure protection within host communities. “Our members are in every state of the federation. The MNOs should carry ATCIS along in their campaign to halt vandalism,” Bilesanmi said. “We know how to transmit the message to our members to take ownership of the infrastructure. Telecom infrastructure is at the jugular vein of our national economy, providing services to national security, banking, education and other sectors. Let the MNOs carry our members along in their advocacy crusades.”
ALTON, meanwhile, commended the NCC for its proactive efforts to safeguard national telecom infrastructure, particularly the establishment of a dedicated reporting portal that allows citizens to report vandalism or suspicious activity via protect@ncc.gov.ng or by dialling 622. The association described the initiative as a forward-thinking step toward strengthening the resilience and security of Nigeria’s communications network. “This is a desperate and urgent hour. The industry cannot fight this battle alone,” the operators warned. “We need coordinated national action by security agencies, governments at all levels, regulators, the media, civil society and the public. Our national security, economic stability and digital future depend on it.”
Nigeria’s digital‑finance transformation is fostering innovation while safeguarding stability across the payment ecosystem. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently extended the Payment System Vision roadmap to 2028, an ambitious commitment to modernise payments infrastructure and strengthen cybersecurity. The push for contactless payment, revised agent banking guidelines and improved integration across switching companies are creating seamless opportunities for the payment markets, reports Assistant Editor COLLINS NWEZE
The ongoing payment infrastructure modernisation is an indicator that Nigeria is making significant progress in the e-payment space. Already, more than 12 million contactless payment cards are now in circulation while the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)-instituted regulatory sandbox has expanded to over 40 fintech innovators, enabling safe experimentation and responsible scaling of new digital‑finance solutions.
The revised agent‑banking guidelines have tightened anti‑money‑laundering controls, including geo‑fencing of high‑risk areas, while improving consumer protection at the last mile. The integration across switching companies has improved, bringing Nigeria closer to seamless domestic interoperability. CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, disclosed recently that supported by these measures, Nigeria today stands among Africa’s most advanced digital payments markets, with a dynamic fintech ecosystem that has produced eight of the continent’s nine unicorns.
He explained that by mid-2025, leading fintech apps had surpassed 10 million downloads each, with one surpassing 50 million downloads, reflecting deep consumer adoption. “In parallel, our engagement with the global fintech community has been a further significant supportive mechanism. The Strategic Fintech Dialogue at the IMF Fall Meetings brought together policymakers, innovators and investors, culminating in a consultative report that will guide Nigeria’s next phase of fintech evolution,” Cardoso said during the Annual Bankers’ Dinner recently held in Lagos.
He explained that as digital assets, tokenisation and stable coins become critical topics for central banks worldwide. “Our stance remains clear: we will lead thoughtfully, with discipline and clarity of purpose. Innovation must proceed responsibly, anchored in consumer protection and financial stability,” he said.
Crucial moves to boost e-payment
In banking, convenience and security are crucial in securing customers’ trust and satisfaction. That explains why the CBN is taking measures to ensure that Nigeria’s e-payment space is safe and secured. The implementation of new rules on Point of Sale (PoS) terminals and other payment systems reaffirms CBN’s commitment to leveraging digital channels in enhancing access to finance and credit, particularly for under-served populations. It is also a step towards improving transaction monitoring and bolstering consumer protection for the population.
The CBN raised the innovation bar with the release of a new e-payment guidelines titled: “Migration to ISO 20022 Standard for Payment Messaging and Mandatory Geo-Tagging of Payment Terminals”. The policy aligns with CBN’s move to entrench transparency, compliance and secured e-payment space. According to Cardoso, the Nigerian payments ecosystem has been ahead of many advanced economies, yet has not always received the recognition it deserves. “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 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.
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 sensitise 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.”
President, Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Dr. Aminu Gwadabe, reiterated the benefits of improved technology and digitisation to seamless services in the financial sector. He said that the future of financial services delivery, is digital and all layers of financial sector should embrace technology in their services delivery to the people.
According to data from the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), since their introduction in 2013, PoS terminals have become a primary source of cash access for many Nigerians, with an average of about 1,600 operators per square kilometre. As of March 2025, there were 8.36 million registered PoS terminals, of which 5.90 million were active or deployed. Transactions through these terminals reached N10.51 trillion in Q1 2025, representing a 301.67 per cent increase from Q1 2024. In 2024, NIBSS was mandated to develop a geofencing plan to prevent PoS terminals from being used outside their registered deployment addresses. Under this directive, any terminal moved beyond its certified location will be automatically disabled.
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).
Regulatory insights and instant payments in Nigeria and beyond
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.
Nigeria and Africa’s digital payments landscape is expanding at an unprecedented pace, signalling a shift toward more inclusive and interoperable financial systems. Currently, 36 instant payment systems (IPS) operate across 31 African countries, with five launched in the past year alone. Collectively, these systems processed 64 billion transactions valued at nearly $2 trillion in 2024, highlighting the continent’s rapid adoption of digital finance.
Nigeria’s Instant Payments (NIP) system became the first in Africa to achieve full inclusivity on the AfricaNenda Inclusivity Spectrum, while ten other systems have reached “progressed” levels. Beyond person-to-person (P2P) transfers, many systems now support person-to-business (P2B), government-to-person (G2P), and cross-border payments, broadening economic participation.
The State of Inclusive Instant Payment Systems (SIIPS) 2025 Report, released by the AfricaNenda Foundation in partnership with the World Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), underscores how IPS are driving financial inclusion, innovation, and economic opportunity across the continent. Dr. Robert Ochola, CEO of AfricaNenda, said: “Inclusive instant payments are transforming how African economies connect. SIIPS 2025 shows clear progress—more countries are adopting instant payment systems, and more people are gaining access to digital financial services that support livelihoods, trade, and growth.”
The World Bank acknowledged this progress but stressed that more work is needed, urging countries without fast payment systems to implement them and those with existing systems to enhance inclusivity, innovation, and affordability. Dr. Mactar Seck, UNECA’s Chief of Innovation and Technology, added: “Inclusion must be intentional. SIIPS 2025 provides policymakers and regulators with the evidence needed to design ecosystems that serve marginalised communities, including women, youth, the informal sector, and rural populations.” The report highlights further growth opportunities through digital public infrastructure integration, G2P payments, and cross-border interoperability.
Partnership for seamless payments
A financially stable Africa’s financial system comes with great benefits for the continent. Aside creating a larger single market, increasing intra-African trade, boosting productivity and competitiveness, a financially stable Africa will help in attracting more foreign direct investment to the continent. That explains why the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bank of Angola recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for bilateral technical cooperation.
The partnership further extends to payment, clearing and settlement systems management, financial sector development, banking supervision and regulation as well as Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism. Cardoso, who signed on behalf of the Bank alongside the Governor of the Central Bank of Angola, Manuel Antonio Tiago Diaz, noted that the MoU aligns with Africa’s broader goals of economic integration and financial stability. Both apex bank leaders said the partnership marks a critical development between the two institutions in their efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation and technical exchange. Both institutions are by the MoU expected to establish a bilateral forum for the reciprocal exchange and sharing of technical assistance between the authorities, to enhance capacity in the execution of their respective Central Bank functions. They are also expected to cooperate and collaborate in the cross-border supervision of authorised institutions and exchange of cybersecurity information between them.
According to them, the institutions are to partner on licensing, supervision, resolution planning and implementation of resolution measures for cross-border financial establishments. They are also to ensure transparent and smooth periodic exchange of Information as well as define procedures for exchange of information. The cooperation will also extend to exchange control, financial markets and foreign reserves management, currency management and economic research.
Building stronger banks with technology
Nigeria’s banking sector is navigating one of the most pivotal moments in its history. On March 28, 2024, the CBN announced a comprehensive two-year bank recapitalisation exercise, which officially commenced on April 1, 2024. The initiative, designed to fortify the resilience of the financial system and prepare banks for a rapidly growing economy, sets new minimum capital thresholds across all banking tiers.
Under the recapitalisation plan, commercial banks with international, national and regional licences are now required to maintain minimum capital of N500 billion, N200 billion, and N50 billion, respectively. Merchant banks are expected to hold N50 billion, while non-interest banks with national and regional licenses must maintain N20 billion and N10 billion, respectively. The programme provides banks a 24-month window to comply, ending on March 31, 2026.
From the outset, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the CBN has acknowledged the stability and soundness of Nigeria’s banks. At its 303rd meeting in Abuja, the committee observed with satisfaction the sustained resilience of the banking system, noting that most financial soundness indicators remain comfortably within regulatory thresholds. The MPC also highlighted the substantial progress in the ongoing recapitalisation exercise, reporting that 16 banks have already achieved full compliance with the new capital requirements. Committee members underscored the importance of continued regulatory support to ensure a successful conclusion of the programme.
With less than four months remaining to the end of the exercise, the CBN Governor has confirmed that the recapitalisation is firmly on track. Speaking at the recent Bankers’ Dinner in Lagos, he revealed that several banks have already met the new thresholds, while others are steadily advancing and are well-positioned to meet the March 31, 2026 deadline comfortably. “To date, 27 banks have raised capital through public offers and rights issues, and sixteen have already met or exceeded the new requirements—a clear testament to the depth, resilience, and capacity of Nigeria’s banking sector,” Cardoso stated. He added that recent stress-testing further confirms that the sector remains fundamentally robust, with key financial soundness indicators overwhelmingly satisfying prudential benchmarks.
The ongoing recapitalisation underscores the importance of sound regulatory oversight and the determination of the Cardoso-led CBN to support the Federal Government’s goal of a $1 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030. The Policy Advisory Council report on the national economy outlines clearly defined strategies for achieving this ambitious target, highlighting the critical role of a well-capitalised banking sector in mobilising resources, financing investment, and supporting economic expansion.
In this context, Governor Cardoso has called on banks to prepare for future rounds of recapitalisation, ensuring they maintain sufficient capital to support Nigeria’s economic ambitions. “Will Nigerian banks have sufficient capital relative to the financial system’s needs in servicing a $1 trillion economy in the near future? In my opinion, the answer is ‘No!’ unless we take action. That action is the ongoing recapitalisation, designed to prepare banks for expansion and attract big-ticket transactions that can drive economic growth,” he emphasised.
While the recapitalisation exercise continues, the CBN has reassured depositors, investors, and other stakeholders that the Nigerian banking sector remains resilient, safe, and sound. “The CBN affirms that it continues to monitor all financial institutions under its regulatory purview and maintains robust frameworks for early warning signals and risk-based supervision. These mechanisms ensure that any emerging issues are promptly addressed to protect the integrity of the financial system,” the apex bank stated. Governor Cardoso reiterated the CBN’s commitment to fostering a secure banking environment where depositors can have full confidence in the safety of their funds. The bank will continue to monitor financial institutions closely, adapt strategies as needed, and safeguard the interests of all Nigerians and stakeholders in the financial system.
As Nigerian banks meet the new capital requirements, the sector is not only strengthening its resilience but also positioning itself for a new era of growth, innovation, and participation in high-value transactions that can drive the country toward its economic goals. With recapitalisation and regulatory vigilance working hand in hand, Nigeria’s banking system is being transformed into a more robust and technologically empowered engine for national development.
What the law says
The 2007 Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act charges the apex bank with a clear mandate: to promote the stability of Nigeria’s financial system. This legal foundation positions the CBN not only as a regulator but also as a guardian of public confidence in the banking sector. Through a combination of banking sector reforms, enhanced access to finance, institutional capacity building, and the enforcement of sound corporate governance practices, the CBN works to ensure that financial institutions operate safely, efficiently, and transparently.
Analysts note that maintaining stability in the financial and banking system is critical. The failure of banks or other financial institutions can erode public trust, trigger sudden contractions in money supply, reduce savings and investment, and even destabilise the payment system—all of which have direct consequences for the real economy. In response, the CBN has, over the years, implemented a series of reforms designed to strengthen the resilience and operational effectiveness of the banking sector.
Beyond safeguarding confidence, a stable financial system is essential for the effective transmission of monetary policy. When banks are sound and the financial infrastructure reliable, policy measures such as interest rate adjustments or liquidity management are more likely to achieve their intended outcomes. Stability thus underpins the CBN’s primary objective of price stability while creating a foundation for sustainable economic growth. In essence, a secure and well-regulated banking sector is not only a regulatory goal but also a critical enabler of broader macroeconomic stability in Nigeria.
For Kikelomo Christiana Akinluyi, it was a life well spent. As at the time she passed on to eternal glory on April 1, 2024 at age 60, this Ikere Ekiti born fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), had almost completed the cycle. A former General Manager (Controls) at Ibile Holdings, an investment company of the Lagos State Government, Akinluyi, excelled in everything she laid her hands on while in this part of the divide.
At Ibile Holdings, she was regarded as a torchbearer because she inspired her team to work towards the targeted goal of the organisation. When she left the company in 2013 and established her own enterprise – Blue Ribon Events & Hall – many people thought she would slow down, but they were all proved wrong. Indeed, it was here her leadership and managerial attributes became more pronounced. Till her last day in office, Mrs. Akinluyi gave her workers and clients the best they could get.
But to the late Kikelomo’s family and friends, especially her darling husband, Mr. Olaoluwa Akinluyi, also a Chartered Accountant, the best of the late compassionate woman, was the time and resources she dedicated in lifting others and bringing smiles into the faces of many people who encountered her. This explains why the husband rallied members of his immediate family, friends, and a few colleagues of his late wife to conceptualize Kikelomo Christianah Akinluyi Charity Foundation (Kaycee Foundation) immediately Mrs. Akinluyi was buried.
In line with the biblical record of honoring the memory of loved ones, even after their death, as demonstrated by David while mourning Saul and Jonathan, and Jeremiah who composed laments for King Josiah, Laolu Akinluyi believes that Kaycee Foundation would enable him and those that believe in what his late wife stood for, to sustain her good spirit through lifting others and keeping hopes alive.
As part of the activities being put in place to immortalise and continue with the various humanitarian gestures of Mrs. Akinluyi, the foundation was recently inaugurated to provide relief and support programmes for members of the public.
Speaking at the inauguration of the foundation in Aramoko Ekiti, Mr. Akinluyi announced that a N250 million endowment fund has been earmarked for the foundation. He further stated that the foundation would provide relief and support for residents of Aramoko-Ekiti community and other members of the public.
He explained that the foundation was established to immortalise Mrs. Akinluyi, to preserve her values, compassion, and humanitarian spirit.
The Chartered Accountant, an indigene of Aramoko-Ekiti, said that the KAYCEE Foundation was a memorial project and not a springboard for political ambitions.
Akinluyi explained that the foundation’s interventions would focus on four pillars including health, education, feeding and economic empowerment with the aim of supporting students, youths, the aged, widows and other vulnerable groups in the town.
As part of its first humanitarian gestures, the Foundation had earlier installed hand-pump boreholes in five primary schools across Aramoko and distributed 250 packs of 25kg food items to 250 widows and aged women.
Reflecting on the journey leading to the establishment of the NGO, he revealed that the idea had been conceived 15 years ago, a joint initiative between him and his wife but following her demise, the family resolved to transform it into a memorial foundation.
He added that the N250m endowment fund would generate about N50 million annually through interest and dividends, which would be dedicated to the running of the foundation’s programmes as well as administrative operations.
The Bishop of the Anglican Church, Ekiti West Diocese, Rt. Rev. Cornelius Oludare Adagbada described the project as a rare gesture that would bring relief to many households.
Earlier, the chairman of the event and childhood friend of the late entrepreneur, Dr. Janet Agbaje had called on friends, former schoolmates, and former colleagues of her late friend to support the Akinluyi family in achieving the objectives of the foundation. “I want us all to rise up and give Kaycee Foundation the attention it deserves because were she to be alive, Kikelomo would do more for friends and even acquaintances,” Agbaje stated.
Also, at the event, a book of Tributes, ‘HeartPrint’, edited by Akin Oluwadare Jnr, a banker and leadership coach, was unveiled. In the foreword of the book, Tawakalitu Adeyinka Yusuf, a bosom friend of late Kikelomo, aptly described KC Foundation as a testament to her friend’s enduring legacy. May the beautiful soul of Mrs. Akinluyi continues to rest in peace.
Speaking at the third edition of the annual banquet, Deaconess Oborevwori expressed gratitude to God for the opportunity to once again celebrate with market women, whom she described as the backbone of local commerce and critical drivers of Delta State’s economy.
Items presented by Deaconess Oborevwori to the 250 market women delegation, including their leader, comprised 251 bags of rice, 251 sets of kitchen utensils, and cash support to assist their families during the festive season.
She explained that the initiative, which commenced in 2023, was conceived to recognise and uplift market women who are often overlooked despite their vital role in sustaining families and driving grassroots economic activities.
Highlighting specific outcomes of the programme, the Delta State First Lady disclosed that 250 market women benefited from the 2025 banquet, with participants drawn from all 25 local government areas of the state, representing 10 beneficiaries from each local government.
Deaconess Oborevwori further underscored her administration’s commitment to empowering market women through initiatives such as the International Women’s Day trade fairs held over the past two years. She noted that the most recent trade fair showcased the skills of market women across the state in the packaging and preservation of indigenous produce for export, demonstrating the potential of local markets to become major drivers of economic growth in a rapidly evolving global economy.
Commending the resilience of the women, she acknowledged the challenges they face in managing businesses while simultaneously raising families, describing them as a true reflection of the strength and perseverance of womanhood.
Reassuring the traders of sustained government support, Deaconess Oborevwori said the MORE Agenda of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration fully accommodates the interests of market women.
She cited the Widows Empowerment Scheme, which benefited over 10,000 widows earlier in the year—many of whom are market women, as evidence of the administration’s commitment to inclusive economic empowerment.
The First Lady also lauded the Coordinator of the Market Women Association, Mrs Kate Onah, and her team for their efforts in coordinating market activities across the state.
She urged the association to intensify sensitisation on the importance of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), encouraging traders to actively participate in governance.
She emphasised that the banquet was designed as a moment of celebration and appreciation rather than lengthy speeches, adding that food, drinks and take-home tokens were provided for all participants as a gesture of gratitude.
Deaconess Oborevwori assured the market women that the end-of-year banquet had come to stay and encouraged them to remain intentional in their businesses and relationships with customers.
Speaking on behalf of the market women, the President of the Market Women Association in Delta State, Chief Kate Onah, commended the sustained recognition of market women over the past two years by the Governor’s wife.
She pledged their continued support for the implementation of the MORE Agenda and promised to mobilise women across the state to register for their PVCs ahead of the 2027 general elections.
