Nigeria

By Maji Bappa Maina

What happens when markets are no longer treated as isolated projects, but as interconnected pieces of an economic system?

That question becomes interesting when we look at the spread of modern and ultra-modern markets being developed across Yobe State under Governor Mai Mala Buni.

From the Yobe City Mall in Damaturu to markets in Yunusari, Potiskum, Nguru, Gashua and Ngalda, and from Geidam, Buni Yadi, Machina and Jajere to Ngelzarma, Sabon Garin Nangere, Yusufari, Jajimaji, Bumsa and Gir Gir, the locations tell a story that goes beyond the construction of individual market buildings.

They suggest a broader attempt to create an economic network across the state.

To understand this, perhaps we need to change the way we look at a market.

A market is not simply a place where people come to buy and sell.

It is where farmers meet traders, where goods move from producers to consumers, where transporters find business, where small enterprises grow, where money circulates and where economic relationships are created.

In development planning, therefore, the location of a market can be just as important as the structure itself.

Consider Geidam.

Its proximity to Nigeria’s border with Niger Republic gives commercial infrastructure there a significance that extends beyond the immediate community.

A functional market in such a location can potentially serve local commerce while also connecting Yobe to wider patterns of regional trade.

Then consider Nguru, Gashua and Machina.

These are important points within Yobe’s commercial geography.

When modern trading facilities are introduced in such locations, they can help distribute economic activity across different parts of the state rather than concentrating everything around the capital.

Then there is Potiskum, with its long-standing reputation as one of the major commercial centres of Yobe.

And in Damaturu, the Yobe City Mall introduces another form of commercial infrastructure, one associated with a more formal and modern retail environment.

But perhaps the more interesting part of the strategy is found outside these major centres.
Ngalda. Buni Yadi. Jajere. Yusufari. Sabon Garin Nangere. Jajimaji. Bumsa. Gir Gir.

Why invest in markets across such a wide geographical spread?
Because development does not become inclusive simply because a state has a few major commercial centres.

Economic opportunity has to be connected to where people actually live and produce.

A farmer in a rural community needs somewhere to sell.
A trader needs somewhere to operate.

A transporter needs somewhere goods can be aggregated.
A small business needs customers.

And consumers need accessible places where goods and services can be exchanged.

This is where Governor Buni’s market strategy becomes interesting from a public-policy perspective.

The question is no longer simply how many markets are being constructed.

The more important question is:

What economic relationships can these markets create when they begin functioning as a network?
Imagine the possibility.
A farmer produces in one community.

The produce moves to a nearby market.
From there, traders aggregate it and transport it to a larger commercial centre.

From a major centre, goods can move toward other parts of Yobe or beyond the state.

At the border, commercial activity can potentially connect with regional markets.

Along the way, transporters, wholesalers, retailers, financial institutions and small businesses participate in the same economic chain.

That is how infrastructure begins to function as an economic ecosystem.
And there is another important dimension.

For a state that has experienced prolonged disruption to economic activities in some communities, rebuilding commercial infrastructure can also contribute to restoring normal economic life.

A market can become a sign that people are returning to ordinary economic activity.
Traders return.
Customers return.

Farmers have somewhere to sell.
Young people can establish small businesses.
Communities begin to reconnect economically.

In that sense, the market becomes part of a wider process of economic recovery and reintegration.

But there is a deeper lesson here for public administration.

Government projects should ultimately be judged not only by what is constructed, but by the systems they help create.

A beautiful market that remains empty is infrastructure without sufficient economic function.

A functioning market, however, can generate activity far beyond its walls.

That is why the next phase becomes just as important as construction itself.

Will traders occupy the shops?
Will farmers gain easier access to markets?
Will storage facilities reduce post-harvest losses?
Will transport networks connect the markets efficiently?
Will financial services follow the commercial activity?
Will the markets create employment?
Will they contribute to sustainable internally generated revenue?
These questions will determine whether the buildings become genuine economic assets.

And this is perhaps the most interesting way to understand the direction Governor Mai Mala Buni appears to be taking with market infrastructure.

The strategy is potentially bigger than building markets.

It is about creating places through which economic activity can move.

From Damaturu to Geidam, from Potiskum to Nguru, from Gashua to Ngalda, and from the larger towns to smaller communities, these projects can be understood as nodes within a wider economic geography.

The Yobe City Mall represents one end of that commercial spectrum.

The border communities represent another.

The modern markets scattered across the state provide the connecting points in between.

And when those points begin functioning together, something more important than individual buildings can emerge: a more connected local economy.

Perhaps, therefore, the real measure of this strategy will not be the number of markets opened.

It will be the number of economic opportunities that begin moving through them.

Because in development, infrastructure matters most when people can use it to move goods, services, ideas, income and opportunity.

That is where a market stops being merely a building.
It becomes part of the development system.

Maji Bappa Maina is a Political Writer | Voice of Development, Leadership & Public Insight

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Federal Government has begun consultations with provosts and other stakeholders in the North-East as part of efforts to address challenges that could affect the implementation of the Dual Mandate Policy for Colleges of Education.

The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education, Dr Angela Ajala, disclosed this on Thursday at a stakeholder engagement held in Gombe.

Ajala said the engagement was designed to enable the commission to understand the specific difficulties confronting institutions in the region and work out practical measures before the policy becomes fully operational.

She explained that the consultations formed part of a wider engagement with Colleges of Education across the country, with the aim of strengthening teacher education and ensuring that graduates acquire both professional qualifications and practical skills.

Under the new policy, students of Colleges of Education are expected to have the opportunity to earn the National Certificate in Education, a Bachelor of Education degree and a skills certificate.

“We are here to know their challenges and how they can be solved. If it is what the colleges can solve on their own, what NCCE can solve or what the government needs to intervene,” she said.

Ajala added that issues beyond the capacity of individual institutions or the NCCE would be taken to the appropriate authorities for intervention.

She said challenges that require government action would be presented to the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, while the commission would also seek the support of development partners where necessary.

According to her, the skills component of the policy is expected to equip graduates with abilities that can help them become self-reliant and develop solutions to problems within their communities.

Speaking on the theme, “Dual Mandate of Colleges of Education: Challenges, Opportunities and Expectations,” a former Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, Dr Ali Adamu, listed inadequate funding, a shortage of qualified personnel and insufficient infrastructure among the major concerns that could affect the policy’s implementation.

Adamu, however, said the Dual Mandate Policy could create opportunities for improved career progression, revitalisation of Colleges of Education, better teacher quality and stronger human capital development.

He urged the government to provide more funding, improve infrastructure and sustain staff development programmes to support the successful implementation of the policy.

The Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, Dr Mohammed Abdulhamid, commended the Federal Government and the NCCE for their efforts to reposition teacher education in Nigeria.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has rescued victims of a multiple-vehicle crash on Otedola Bridge, inward Berger, with no death recorded.

The accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon and involved five vehicles, including two trucks, a trailer, a white Honda and a Lexus.

LASEMA said its LRT Tiger Squad stationed at C3 was alerted to the incident at about 1:18 p.m. following a distress call. The team arrived at the scene about 10 minutes later.

The vehicles involved included a truck carrying a generator, a containerised truck with registration number ENU 135ZG, a loaded trailer with an unknown registration number, a white Honda with registration number LSR 870BF and a Lexus with registration number KTU 682HX.

Preliminary findings at the scene indicated that the containerised truck developed a mechanical fault while in motion. The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which then crashed into three other vehicles.

Another truck later collided with the vehicles, causing further damage and creating a multiple-vehicle pile-up.

Following the incident, LASEMA activated its emergency response procedures and took charge of the rescue operation in collaboration with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Nigeria Police Force.

Traffic control and safety measures were introduced at the scene to protect motorists, prevent additional collisions and manage the situation.

LASEMA paramedics provided immediate medical attention to the affected victims before they were taken to the Trauma Centre for further treatment.

The agency said recovery operations were still in progress, with private towing vehicles and a crane deployed to clear the damaged vehicles and help restore normal traffic flow along the route.

The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, praised the emergency responders and partner agencies for their swift response.

He advised motorists, especially drivers of heavy-duty and articulated vehicles, to maintain their vehicles regularly, observe road safety rules and exercise caution on major highways.

LASEMA also urged members of the public to report emergencies through the toll-free 767 or 112 emergency numbers.

By Anwar Usman

The Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has appointed Barr. Hafsat Kutama as the Acting Chairperson of the state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission.

This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Social Media, Ibrahim Adam, on his verified social media handle on Wednesday.

“His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has appointed Barr. Hafsat Ada’u Kutama, as the Acting Chairperson of the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), Kano State,” he said.

“Until her appointment, Barr. Hafsat served as the Secretary of the Commission,” he added.

The Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Saidu Yahaya, was reported to have resigned his appointment on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

Yahaya was appointed chairman of the PCACC in August 2025, following the expiration of the tenure of the former chairman, Muhuyi Rimin Gado.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Award-winning Nigerian journalist Zainab Bala, a former presenter of GIST Nigeria, has recounted the difficulties she said she faced after wearing her hijab while presenting the current affairs programme jointly produced by BBC Africa and Channels Television.

Bala, who spent about nine months with the BBC, spoke about her experience during an appearance on the second episode of The HSM Tribe, a YouTube platform focused on Muslim women. The episode was aired on August 28, 2026.

According to Premium Times newspaper, she said the issue began after she was recruited in 2023. She said she wore her hijab during the recruitment interview and was asked whether she would continue to cover her head if she got the job.

“I said yes because this is how I dress,” she said.

Bala later moved from Abuja to Lagos after receiving an offer from the BBC. She underwent training and subsequently recorded her first episode at the Channels Television headquarters in Lagos.

She said the programme was not broadcast for several weeks, while episodes presented by another member of the team continued to air.

According to Bala, her editor later informed her that discussions had taken place with Channels Television over her appearance.

“The reason why my programme was not aired was that they had been having a back-and-forth with Channels, and that’s because Channels said they do not project a hijab-wearing person on their screens,” she said.

She said the situation made her feel “stereotyped” and demoralised.

Bala said she had expected the matter to have been resolved before her recruitment because she had already made her position clear during the interview.

“I don’t think this is something to debate about,” she said.

She said the BBC later sought an arrangement with Channels Television that would enable her to remain on the programme while wearing a head covering, although she alleged that certain restrictions were attached to her appearance.

Bala said she initially considered leaving the programme. She eventually decided to stay because she believed her continued presence could create opportunities for other Muslim women.

“I stayed because I realised that this was deeply rooted, and there hasn’t been any conversation around this,” she said.

During her time on the programme, she presented several editions and said her background as a Muslim woman from northern Nigeria influenced some of the subjects she brought to the show. She particularly highlighted stories involving women who challenged stereotypes associated with northern Nigeria.

Bala Cites Other Reasons For Leaving

The journalist said the disagreement over her hijab was not the only factor behind her departure from the BBC.

She alleged that she experienced what she described as “mental and emotional bullying” from her editor. Bala said the experience contributed to her decision to leave, despite her earlier intention to move between BBC teams and continue her career with the organisation.

“I just left for my peace of mind. It was the most depressing nine months of my life,” she said.

She also alleged that other members of the team had raised complaints about the editor’s conduct.

Channels Television Denies Discrimination Claim

Channels Television rejected the allegations through its Assistant General Manager, Operations, Kingsley Uranta.

“For clarity, Channels Television does not discriminate based on religion. We respect Nigeria’s religious diversity and are committed to the principles of fairness, inclusivity, and equality that underpin our journalism and organisational culture,” Mr Uranta noted

Uranta also disputed Bala’s account that Channels Television told the BBC it did not allow people who wore hijabs to appear on its screens.

He further rejected the allegation that Bala was asked to change her appearance so that she would not look “too Muslim”.

BBC Says Hijab-Wearing Presenters Appear On Its Programmes

The BBC also responded to questions about Bala’s account of her recruitment, the delay in airing her first programme and whether restrictions existed on presenters wearing hijabs.

Robin Miller, Head of Communications, BBC News, responded on behalf of the organisation.

Miller initially questioned the premise of the enquiry, pointing out that the BBC had evidence that Bala had appeared on GIST Nigeria wearing her hijab.

“This contradicts much of what you have put to us in your questions below,” he said.

The publication subsequently clarified that its questions concerned the form of hijab Bala wore, including the discussions surrounding her appearance and allegations that she was asked not to “look too Muslim”.

The BBC was also asked about Bala’s allegation of mental and emotional bullying by her editor.

On September 10, Miller provided a photograph of Bala wearing a hijab while presenting a report, alongside the BBC’s response.

“The BBC strives to be an inclusive workplace where every colleague feels respected, supported and able to do their best work.”

He said BBC presenters and correspondents regularly appear on television in hijabs, “and this includes whilst presenting GIST Nigeria.”

“We do not comment on individual HR matters; however, as a general principle, we take complaints about bullying very seriously, and where allegations are made, they are fully investigated,” he added.

Bala Disputes BBC’s Evidence

After receiving the photograph from the BBC, Bala told Premium Times that the image did not show her presenting GIST Nigeria.

“This is a report, not a presentation of the show,” she said.

She also said she did not believe footage existed that showed her presenting the programme in the full hijab she normally wore.

Bala acknowledged that other Muslim women had presented BBC programmes while wearing hijabs. She suggested, however, that her circumstances may have been different because GIST Nigeria was jointly produced with Channels Television.

“I am hoping other Muslim women who come to these platforms are allowed to present shows without making compromises,” she said.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Presidency has challenged the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, to honour his pledge to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if claims that he left Anambra State with outstanding financial liabilities are established.

The challenge was issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, in a post on X on Wednesday. It followed a fresh exchange between Obi and the Anambra State Government over the financial position of the state when he left office as governor in 2014.

Onanuga said Obi had previously claimed that he handed over Anambra without debt and had also pledged to stop his presidential campaign if evidence emerged to the contrary.

“Peter Obi claimed he left Anambra with a clean slate of debt and even threatened to quit the presidential race if his claims were proven otherwise.”

He said the Anambra State Government had now presented what it described as records of liabilities linked to Obi’s tenure.

“Now, the Anambra government has confronted him with facts and figures showing he owed Water Corporation workers, teachers, and pension and gratuities, and had also borrowed for frivolous things,” Onanuga said.

“The ball is back in his court. Will he follow through on his threat by quitting the race?” he asked.

The latest development came after the Anambra Government disputed Obi’s response to allegations that his administration left behind debts and other financial obligations.

Obi had maintained that his administration cleared more than ₦35bn in historical gratuities and arrears before leaving office. He also rejected claims that the state owed salaries, pensions, gratuities or contractors for duly completed and certified projects.

One of the major points of disagreement concerns an alleged ₦2.13bn ecological fund. Obi said the money was left untouched in a First Bank account for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis.

The Anambra Government, however, disputed the description of the account and the amount claimed. Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, said a certified statement obtained by the government showed that the account was an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account rather than an ecological fund account.

Mefor said, “We have obtained a certified printout of the account from inception to date. The account is an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account, not an ecological fund account.”

He further stated, “From 2011 when the account was opened until date, there has never been any such amount—whether as inflow or balance—in the account.”

The state government also disputed Obi’s account of outstanding loans and arrears. According to Mefor, eight external loans remained after Obi left office, with their combined balance put at ₦127.4bn as of June 30, 2026, at the official exchange rate.

The loans listed by the government relate to projects in areas such as healthcare, education, erosion control, agriculture and community development.

The government also said it had addressed inherited gratuity arrears and alleged outstanding salary obligations involving some workers, including retired teachers and former Water Corporation employees.

On the Water Corporation workers, Mefor said, “salary arrears lingered through the Obi administration and were eventually settled under the Soludo administration, with the first two of three instalments already paid.”

He also said, “The Obi administration verified/certified 16 months of salary arrears for primary school teachers but paid only five months.”

The state government further questioned Obi’s claim that his administration left more than ₦75bn in savings.

Mefor said, “We will not engage in nebulous creative accounting. If there were ₦75 billion in savings, as claimed, where are the records?”

Obi, however, has challenged anyone who can establish that his account of Anambra’s finances was incorrect.

“If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning,” Obi said.

The dispute has therefore shifted from competing statements about Anambra’s finances to a demand for supporting records, with Obi and the state government maintaining different accounts of the state’s financial position at the end of his administration.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Nigerian actor and social commentator, Adebowale Adedayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, has explained his decision to reduce his public criticism of the government, citing exhaustion from repeating the same concerns, attacks from Nigerians and threats to his life.

Mr Macaroni made the clarification after Wazobia FM shared a video on Tuesday in which he discussed threats he received during the #EndSARS protests.

In a series of posts on X on Wednesday, the actor noted that the interview was conducted more than two years ago. He, however, maintained that the issues he raised during the interview remained relevant.

“Forget about the threats. My issue with us as Nigerians is how we move on quickly. We complain and move on. There is nothing I will say now that I haven’t already said hundred times over. Until we as a people are ready to fight for what is ours, saying the same thing over and over again is just TIRING,” he wrote.

He also referred to a statement he made in March 2026, in which he described President Bola Tinubu’s administration as “the Most Useless Government in the history of Useless Governments.” He said that period marked the point at which he decided to step back from political commentary.

According to him, a limited number of politicians continue to affect the lives of more than 200 million Nigerians “so brazenly without any resistance.”

He further argued that Nigerians must move beyond a “survival mentality” and demand conditions that allow citizens to thrive.

“then we are truly not ready,” he added.

Addressing the perception that he had become less vocal, Mr Macaroni said his reduced commentary should not be interpreted as a withdrawal from the issues he previously raised.

“I have been persecuted and vilified since I started speaking up against Government. Threats are a usual occurrence. Please don’t mix things up. I am only tired of saying the same thing over and over again. When Nigerians are finally ready, I will be ready too! But till then, please let me continue enjoying my break by redefining myself and Art, which I love as dearly as I love Nigeria.”

In the earlier Wazobia FM interview, the actor spoke about the personal consequences of his activism and the criticism he received from some members of the public.

He said his outspoken position often made him appear to be the source of trouble, even when he believed he was speaking on behalf of Nigerians.

“Nigeria is a very funny country. Nigerians are also very funny. And I say this with all seriousness, because I’m not so happy about how things have been. And you keep talking, and it seems like you are the troublesome person. It seems like na you be the—the same Nigerians that you speak for turn against you. They start to fight you,” he said.

Mr Macaroni also said he had no interest in becoming a politician. He expressed disappointment over the political careers of some individuals he once admired.

He recalled people he looked up to during his secondary school and university years who later entered politics and, in his view, harmed the reputations they had previously established.

On his activities after the #EndSARS protests, the actor said he continued to speak publicly despite receiving threats and facing pressure from his family.

“So, you know, End SARS came at risk to my life, threats here and there, serious threats. My family, no time, they were every time calling me, crying, ‘Debo, please. Debo, please.’ Every—every blessed time, my mother. Every blessed time. It was so bad they wanted to fly me out of the country. I said, ‘For what? I’m not running anywhere,’” he said.

He also recalled his involvement in the 2023 general election, when he urged Nigerians to vote wisely while publicly stating the candidate he intended to support.

“And I didn’t—I didn’t go silent after End SARS. I still came out. I said, ‘We must vote wisely.’ I did series of videos, series of tweets, series of—and not only me, a lot of other people too did, saying, ‘Vote wisely. Do this, do that wisely.’ And I said, ‘Okay, this is the person me I will vote for.’ I did not say vote—everybody should go and vote for this person,” he said.

According to him, his decision to identify his preferred candidate drew insults and verbal attacks from some Nigerians.

“See curse, see insult. ‘You are a omo ale, you are this one, you are that one.’ Now, everybody—people vote. Whether, uh, rig, I no know, there no rig, e—e no concern me, but president dey, yes or no? E dey,” he said.

Mr Macaroni said the experience surrounding the election also affected his willingness to continue making repeated political statements.

“Now, everything don dey as e be. Is affecting me too. But what—okay, okay, oya, what should I come and say again now?” he said.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Workers of the Federal Ministry of Education on Wednesday shut the entrance to the ministry’s headquarters, stopping the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and the Acting Permanent Secretary, Dr Folake Olatunji-David, from accessing their offices.

The workers assembled at the ministry’s entrance as a motorcade reportedly carrying the minister arrived at the premises.

A video shared on X showed the protesters occupying the entrance to the ministry. The workers were heard chanting, “Alausa must go,” as they prevented access to the premises.

The protest is linked to an unresolved disagreement between the ministry’s workers and the Federal Government over several issues, including the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos.

The workers’ unions had earlier called for the minister’s removal and rejected the reported plan to grant a 35-year concession of the college to its old boys’ association.

Apart from the King’s College concession, the unions have raised concerns about staff welfare and other administrative matters within the ministry.

Wednesday’s action suggests that the disagreement between the workers and the ministry’s management has continued despite recent engagements aimed at addressing the issues between both sides.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has linked part of the high cost of petrol in Nigeria to the continued smuggling of the commodity into neighbouring countries.

Dangote said petrol sells for between 30 and 50 per cent more in some neighbouring countries than in Nigeria, a price difference he said encourages traders to move the product across the borders for higher returns.

He made the remarks during an interview aired on Arise TV on Tuesday, where he discussed petrol prices, domestic supply and the possible impact of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

Addressing concerns over the cost of petrol in Nigeria, Dangote said the price should be considered alongside what consumers pay in neighbouring countries.

“You know, expensive is relative. In the sense that today, maybe, you know, a lot of them, there’s ignorance also. What they need to do is ask, what is the neighbour’s price?”

The businessman said the price gap had continued to encourage the movement of locally produced petrol out of Nigeria.

“I don’t know if you know that there’s still a lot of smuggling of the same petrol we are producing to our neighbouring countries.”

Dangote explained that petrol prices in neighbouring countries were significantly higher than those in Nigeria, making cross-border sales attractive to traders.

“Because those neighbouring countries are about 30 to 50 per cent more expensive than Nigeria. So, it’s not actually like for like.”

He cited Niger as an example, saying petrol sold at N1,350 in Nigeria could fetch between 20 and 25 per cent more across the border.

“And people can now go and ask, okay, fine, what is the price of, even now at N1,350? Okay, the price in Niger is 20 to 25 per cent more than Nigeria,” he said.

Dangote questioned what other legitimate business could offer such an immediate return.

“So, what business are you going to do that will make you have an instant 25 per cent return?” he asked.

He also described how petrol intended for the Nigerian market could be diverted towards border communities for resale.

“So, it means that, yes, you take the [petrol], you go and take it across the border. You pretend you are taking it to Sokoto, you go and just take it to Ilela, and you sell.

“Actually, they don’t have.”

According to Dangote, the cross-border movement reduces the amount of petrol available within Nigeria because traders can obtain higher returns outside the country.

Beyond the issue of price, Dangote warned that the ongoing crisis in the Middle East could create a different challenge for Nigeria’s petroleum market.

He said the major concern could shift from the cost of petrol to the availability of the product.

“And the problem now, going forward, I must also warn that this crisis in the Middle East is not even about price; it’s about availability,” Dangote said.

He, however, assured Nigerians that his refinery would continue to supply the domestic market despite possible disruptions in the international energy market.

“We will deliver to Nigeria. Nigerians don’t need to worry. There will not be any shortage from our own part.

“There won’t be any shortage. There will not be any queues. We will make sure that we keep satisfying the market, despite all odds,” Dangote added.

His comments came shortly after the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals opened its N2.15tn initial public offering (IPO) on the Nigerian Exchange.

The IPO comprises 4.1 billion ordinary shares priced at N525 each, with a minimum subscription of 10 shares worth N5,250. The offer is open to retail, institutional and eligible African investors and is scheduled to close on October 13, 2026.

By Anwar Usman

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has planned to fully decentralise registration of prospective corps members (PCMs) starting in 2027, to enable eligible graduates to complete the process remotely from their homes.

Director-General of the NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, revealed this on Monday in Abuja, at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Pre-Orientation Workshop.

The DG said the proposed arrangement would solve the challenges of prospective corps members queuing at cybercafés for registration and make the process easier and more seamless.

Foreign-trained graduates are also expected to benefit significantly, as some currently have to travel to Nigeria for registration, return abroad and make another trip for their national service.

“In the coming year, the management is considering completely decentralising the registration process to enable prospective corps members to register from the comfort of their homes, eliminating the challenges of queuing at cybercafés to register.

“It will equally make registration easier and seamless for our foreign-trained PCMs, some of whom have to travel into the country to do registration and sometimes travel back before returning to the country to serve their fatherland. We feel that it is a needless journey and a relief for parents,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government appreciate security personnel for the rescue of 15 kidnapped corps members and renewed its warning against night journeys.

Nafiu further stated that, the Batch ‘C’ Pre-Orientation Workshop would enable the NYSC management, partners and stakeholders to review previous orientation exercises, examine emerging challenges and develop strategies to improve the scheme.

He identified new technologies, socio-economic uncertainties, misinformation and insecurity among challenges requiring the NYSC to continually review its operations.

The Director General reiterated the need for sustained collaboration among federal and state governments, security agencies, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to assess risks, take preventive measures and ensure the safety of corps members throughout the service year.