Author: Gift Ifeanyi

Nigeria is set to become the epicenter of African medical innovation as the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) prepares to host the 2026 SPARK Africa Translational Research Bootcamp and Scientific Conference. Scheduled for February 2–7, 2026, in Abuja, the event marks a high-profile collaboration with Stanford University’s SPARK Global program. The summit aims to dismantle the traditional barriers between academic laboratories and clinical practice, ensuring that Nigerian and African scientific breakthroughs reach the patients who need them most. From Lab Bench to Bedside: A Global Standard The SPARK framework—pioneered two decades ago by Stanford’s Professor Daria Mochly…

The Nigerian Presidency has issued a firm rebuttal to social media speculation regarding President Bola Tinubu’s health, following a widely circulated video of the President losing his footing during his official reception in Türkiye. Official spokespersons clarified that the President is in “excellent spirits” and maintains a rigorous schedule during his state visit to Ankara. The Incident: Logistics, Not Health The brief stumble occurred on Tuesday as President Tinubu arrived for a formal welcome ceremony. According to the Presidency, the slip was the result of a technical oversight in the venue’s setup—specifically a poorly laid blue carpet—rather than any underlying…

In a move that fundamentally rewrites Nigeria’s digital trade narrative, global payments giant PayPal has officially reactivated inbound payments for Nigerian users. Rather than a solo entry, the Silicon Valley veteran has integrated directly with Paga, Nigeria’s fintech pioneer, effectively ending two decades of “send-only” restrictions that had long frustrated the nation’s digital workforce. Announced in January 2026, the partnership allows Nigerians to link PayPal accounts to Paga wallets, enabling them to receive global funds and withdraw them instantly into Naira—a first in the platform’s history in the country. The Paga Bridge: Turning Global Gains into Local Liquidity The “PayPal-through-Paga”…

As of January 1, 2026, a sweeping overhaul of Nigeria’s fiscal landscape has officially commenced. The Nigeria Tax Administration Act of 2025 represents one of the most significant shifts in the country’s economic policy, specifically engineered to shield low-income earners and ignite the engines of small-scale enterprise. Moving away from aggressive collection, the new framework prioritizes “welfare-centric” taxation. Here is how the 2026 reforms transform your finances: 1. Paycheck Protection: Personal Income Tax (PAYE) The new law effectively creates a “tax-free zone” for the nation’s most vulnerable workers. Zero Tax for Minimum Wage: Anyone earning the national minimum wage or…

In a volatile economic climate where “efficiency” is the survival word for Nigerian enterprises, TajomBG is emerging as a critical architect of business stability. By fusing Information Technology with Human Resources, the firm is tackling the two most volatile variables in any organization: systems and people. TajomBG isn’t just a service provider; it’s a growth partner for the full spectrum of the economy, from agile startups and mid-market SMEs to sprawling corporations. The Dual-Engine Strategy Most firms specialize in either the “machine” or the “mind.” TajomBG’s edge lies in its integrated model, which treats IT and HR as a single,…

Bankfields ICL Consulting & Management Services is solidifying its role as a vital architect for Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. By leveraging its official accreditation as a Business Development Service Provider (BDSP) for the Bank of Industry (BOI), the firm is now directly connecting SMEs with the institutional capital required for scale. Beyond traditional advisory, the firm recently unveiled a trio of digital platforms at its “Unwrapping Innovation” summit in Lagos, signaling a bold transition into the consumer-tech space for 2026. 1. The Gateway to Growth: BOI Partnership For many Nigerian entrepreneurs, the path to low-interest government funding is blocked by complex…

For a decade, Nigeria’s “engine of growth” has been running on an empty tank. A startling analysis of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) data from 2014 to 2023 reveals that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) secured a mere 0.51% of total private sector credit. While the private sector received a staggering ₦199.63 trillion in total loans over the ten-year period, the nation’s 41 million small businesses were left to fight over a relatively tiny ₦1.01 trillion. A Decade of Marginalization The credit flow to SMEs has not only been low but highly volatile, reflecting a banking system that remains deeply…

As 2026 unfolds, Nigeria is witnessing a quiet but profound industrial shift. No longer just a buzzword for big tech, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become the “Swiss Army knife” for the Nigerian Small and Medium Enterprise (SME). Driven by the harsh realities of infrastructure gaps and economic headwinds, local businesses are adopting AI with a level of pragmatism that rivals global tech hubs. This isn’t about prestige; it’s about resilience. Here is how AI is being “localized” to solve Nigerian problems in real-time. 1. “Vibe Coding”: The Death of the Developer Bottleneck The era where a small business needed a…

Junior Chamber International (JCI) Nigeria has issued a clarion call to the Federal Government, advocating for a robust overhaul of national policies to better support the burgeoning ecosystem of young entrepreneurs. Speaking at a media parley in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, JCIN Amb. Fatimat O. Usman, the 2026 Chairperson of the Creative Young Entrepreneur (CYE) Awards, emphasized that without deliberate intervention in power supply, taxation, and administrative accountability, the potential of Nigeria’s youth-led startups will remain stifled. The CYE Mission: Scaling Ideas into Impact The CYE Awards is not merely a competition but a strategic launchpad designed to transition raw innovation…

The Paul J. Peters Foundation, led by founder Jide Peters, has launched a transformative documentary series titled “A New Nigeria Is Here.” Moving beyond the dominant narrative of economic hardship, the series serves as a high-definition lens into the country’s “hidden” successes, showcasing how synergy between the public and private sectors is driving a quiet industrial revolution. The project is more than just a broadcast; it is a strategic effort to rebuild national confidence and prove that sustainable development is already occurring at the community and corporate levels. Innovation Spotlight: From Drones to Solar Energy The documentary features a new…

As Nigeria enters 2026, the startup ecosystem is undergoing a fundamental shift from “growth at all costs” to “resilient innovation.” While 2025 saw a 17% decline in total funding—dipping to $343 million amid currency volatility—the underlying digital economy is on a trajectory to nearly double its 2021 valuation, reaching a projected $18.3 billion by year-end. 1. The 2026 Market Outlook The narrative of 2026 is defined by maturity. Despite the “funding winter” of the previous year, the maturation of cloud services, fintech infrastructure, and nationwide connectivity is creating a more stable foundation for high-value enterprises. 2. Four Strategic Pillars for…

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Mastercard Foundation have officially concluded Phase I of the Innovative Youth in Agriculture (I-Youth) initiative. Since its launch in 2020, the program has emerged as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s agrifood transformation, generating over 90,000 employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for Nigerian youth, women, and persons with disabilities. 1. Scaling the Agrifood Ecosystem The program targeted five key states—Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Jigawa, and Adamawa—focusing on bridging the gap between traditional farming and modern agribusiness. Agribusiness Creation: The initiative facilitated the establishment of 36,053 youth-led agribusinesses. Infrastructure: Development of agribusiness parks, innovation hubs, and…

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced a strategic shift in the nation’s energy and agricultural landscape. Following recent facility inspections at major industrial sites like Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals, the Authority has signaled that Nigeria is on the verge of ending fertilizer imports entirely. 1. The 2028 Export Timeline According to NMDPRA Chief Executive Saidu Mohammed, Nigeria is positioning itself to become a primary hub for value-added oil and gas products. Ending Imports: The continued importation of urea and fertilizers is no longer considered justifiable given the surge in domestic production capacity. Urea Export…

Launched in Abuja, Paypaxe is a new financial management platform designed to solve two of the most significant challenges facing the Nigerian workforce: the complexity of business payroll compliance and the high barrier to entry for homeownership. Founded by Ms. Belema Mary Maxwell, the platform aims to move Nigerian SMEs away from informal “manual” systems toward a structured, automated future. 1. Modernizing the SME Payroll Lifecycle Many Nigerian businesses still rely on bank officers or ad hoc spreadsheets to manage salaries, which often leads to errors in tax calculations and non-compliance with national laws. Paypaxe addresses this through: Automated Deductions:…

As Nigeria enters a transformative fiscal period marked by the comprehensive tax reforms of January 1, 2026, a new technological solution is emerging from the academic and tech corridors of Kano. Professor Aminu Bello Usman, an Associate Professor of Computer Science at York St John University, has unveiled WAZOBIA-Invoice, a platform specifically engineered to bridge the gap between traditional trading and modern tax compliance. 1. The 2026 Tax Context The recent reforms mandate that even micro and small enterprises (SMEs) maintain verifiable digital footprints of their transactions. For many Nigerian traders—from the markets of Sabon Gari to the boutiques of…

As of early 2026, the Nigerian economic landscape presents a stark paradox: while nominal wages have reached historic highs, the “real” value of the average worker’s take-home pay has suffered a multi-trillion naira erosion. This report analyzes the divergence between the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) figures and the lived experience of the Nigerian workforce. 1. The Real Value Deficit Recent data reveals that Nigerian workers lost approximately ₦2.79 trillion ($1.97 billion) in purchasing power over the recent review period. Nominal Growth: Employee salaries increased nominally by 18.43%, rising to ₦75.59 trillion in 2024 from ₦63.83 trillion in 2023. Real…

As of January 20, 2026, Seplat Energy PLC, in partnership with the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), has officially achieved “First Gas” at the ANOH Gas Processing Plant. Located in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, this $700 million project represents one of the most significant domestic gas developments in Nigeria’s history. 1. Operational Launch and Infrastructure The project reached this milestone following the completion of the 11km Indorama gas export pipeline and formal regulatory approval from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). Technical Specifications: Processing Capacity: Designed to process 300 million standard cubic feet per day…

At the Lagos Province 35 Economic Summit of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) on Saturday, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, delivered a stark warning: Nigeria’s vast population is a “pressure point” rather than an asset if it remains decoupled from industrial productivity. The Minister’s address centered on the Nigeria-First policy, a strategic mandate introduced by President Bola Tinubu in 2025 designed to force a shift in the nation’s economic DNA—from an import-dependent consumer base to a rule-based production powerhouse. 1. The Power of the Purchase Order Minister Owan Enoh identified government procurement as…

In the volatile world of Nigerian retail, surviving five years is a feat; reaching ten is a masterclass in resilience. As Rifugio (Italian for “Refuge”) celebrates a decade of operations, its leadership reflects on a journey that transformed a “pet project” into a 25-outlet powerhouse. In a candid retrospective on the electronics industry in 2026, the brand’s architect breaks down the myths of “cheap imports,” the reality of operating costs, and why Nigeria remains a “rose bush” worth the scars. 1. The Price Myth: Why “Cheaper in China” is a Fallacy A common grievance among Nigerian consumers is that smartphones…

In a landscape where over 60% of urban workers rely on informal transport systems, the “commuter stress” of Lagos and other Nigerian cities has become a silent drain on national GDP. Milon Express, a technology-driven mobility company, has officially launched its suite of solutions designed to transform the daily commute from a physical struggle into a seamless experience. The Problem: The Hidden Cost of the 9-to-5 Co-Founder Olowofela Olabode (CFA) highlights that for the average Nigerian worker, the workday begins long before they reach the office. Between unpredictable fares and overcrowded buses, employees arrive at work mentally and physically exhausted.…