Author: Gift Ifeanyi

In a country where prosthetics are often either unavailable or unaffordable, a breakthrough from Uyo, Akwa Ibom, is offering new hope. Nigerian firm Immortal Cosmetic Art has developed the Ubokobong Bionic Arm—a hyper-real prosthetic designed to both function and blend seamlessly with African skin tones. Unlike most static prosthetics on the local market, the Ubokobong Arm operates with electromyography (EMG) signals, responding to brain activity to move like a real hand. The innovation has already attracted attention not only across Nigeria but also in the United States, Britain, Australia, and Ghana. “They are not just static, but functional and human-like.…

In Baltimore, the aroma of Nigerian spices is drawing crowds—not from a restaurant, but from the side of a food truck. Behind the wheel and the stove is Jemimah Yakubu, better known as Chef Mimah, who swapped her path to law school for a passion that began in a college dorm room. While studying to become an attorney, Yakubu often cooked for friends. Their enthusiastic feedback sparked a realization: her culinary skills could be more than a hobby. In 2023, she hit pause on her legal ambitions to launch Mimah’s African Cuisine, a food truck serving favorites like Jollof Rice…

Nigeria is sitting on a massive $227.5 billion in untapped oil and gas reserves, according to new data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). Valued at an average benchmark of $65 per barrel, the reserves dwarf the nation’s 2025 budget of ₦54.9 trillion—by more than 600%. Yet, despite this enormous potential, Africa’s largest oil producer is still running a deficit of ₦13.08 trillion in its fiscal plan, relying heavily on borrowing to fund government spending. Budget Strains vs. Idle Wealth Nigeria’s 2025 budget earmarks: ₦13.64 trillion for recurrent expenditure ₦23.96 trillion for capital projects ₦14.32 trillion for debt…

In Osun State, the Federal College of Education (FCE) Iwo has thrown open its gates for the 2025/2026 academic session, but this is no ordinary admission drive. The institution is pushing a bold vision that fuses technology with entrepreneurship, reshaping how future teachers are trained in Nigeria. Unlike traditional colleges that simply churn out classroom instructors, FCE Iwo is positioning its students as educators who can also innovate, create jobs, and thrive in a digital-first economy. The registrar, M.A. Yusuff, explained that the refreshed curriculum is designed to produce graduates who are as comfortable navigating ICT tools as they are…

Nigeria’s equities market is experiencing its strongest rally in nearly two decades, with transactions on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) surging to N6 trillion between January and July 2025. This performance not only doubles the entire value of equities traded in 2024 (N3 trillion) but also marks the highest level since 2007. July stood out as a defining month. Investors exchanged a massive N1.815 trillion worth of equities, making it the busiest month on record. Domestic players dominated the scene, responsible for over 91 percent of trades (N1.669 trillion), while foreign investors contributed just 8 percent (N1.459 billion). The NGX…

When Aliko Dangote recalls his early days in business, he doesn’t speak first of billions but of small daily earnings. Trading cement in the 1990s gave him about 7,000 naira a day—enough to buy his first Mercedes and lay the foundation of an empire. Few could have imagined that those modest profits, funded by a $3,000 loan from his uncle, would one day evolve into Africa’s largest private refinery. Dangote’s entrepreneurial instincts were shaped long before his own ventures began. His great-grandfather amassed wealth trading peanuts and other commodities with colonial Britain, creating a family tradition of risk-taking in markets…

Nigeria’s solid minerals industry is gaining momentum, with rising production of gold, limestone, and bitumen fueling job creation and local economic growth. The milestone was highlighted in Abuja as the Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) announced the 10th edition of Nigeria Mining Week, a flagship gathering that has shaped the nation’s mining trajectory for nearly a decade. Scheduled for October 15–17, 2025, the conference will run under the theme “Mining from Progress to Global Relevance.” Organized by MAN in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and VUKA Group, the event is expected to host more than 3,500 participants, including global investors, policymakers,…

Nigeria’s agricultural sector is set to take the spotlight globally as preparations intensify for the 7th Nigeria International Agriculture Expo (NIAEXPO 2025), scheduled to hold in Abuja. The event is expected to highlight the nation’s agribusiness capacity, attract investments, and strengthen trade relations across continents. According to Mr. Abiodun Olaniyi, Project Coordinator of NIAEXPO, the 2025 edition themed “Showcasing Nigeria’s Agricultural Potential on a Global Stage” will go beyond exhibitions to serve as a hub for innovation, knowledge-sharing, and international collaboration. He noted that the expo would spotlight solutions to challenges that have long limited the sector’s growth, including post-harvest…

Every groundbreaking movement starts with a simple question: “What if things could be better?”For years, Nigerian exporters asked this question but never found the answer. That was until Nduka Udeh, an export consultant who has spent more than a decade guiding African entrepreneurs, decided to stop listening to the same complaints and start rewriting the story. He had worked with over 5,000 businesses. He had seen first-hand the brilliance of African products—from cassava flour and shea butter to handmade jewelry and contemporary fashion. But he had also watched those products rot in local markets while their owners drowned in endless…

Nigeria’s business leaders rolled out the red carpet in Lagos as they welcomed a high-powered delegation from the California–Africa Climate and Economic Partnership, signaling the start of a bold new chapter for trade and collaboration across film, technology, renewable energy, and climate innovation. At a private dinner, executives spotlighted the stabilizing effect of ongoing reforms and pointed to priority sectors ripe for foreign direct investment. Figures shared by PwC’s Kolawale Odunlami underscored the momentum: Nigeria’s stock market capitalization has climbed beyond ₦90 trillion, oil output has improved to 1.55 million barrels per day, and reserves now top $40 billion. “The…

For many small businesses in Nigeria, growth in the digital space has been both a blessing and a risk. With WhatsApp shops, online payments, and email invoicing now part of everyday trade, entrepreneurs are increasingly exposed to cyberattacks they are often ill-equipped to handle. This digital dilemma is what sparked a new partnership between Kaspersky, one of the world’s leading cybersecurity firms, and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN). Both organizations have signed an agreement to give Nigeria’s SMEs the kind of cybersecurity guidance that has long been missing from mainstream business support. Instead of treating…

For Nigeria’s Gen Z, podcasts are no longer just background noise during commutes—they’ve become compact, real-world classrooms driving entrepreneurial growth. With production costs low and expert voices widely accessible, young founders now see podcasts as a practical substitute for crash courses in business. Instead of passively consuming, they’re actively applying what they hear: from testing marketing strategies over the weekend to refining pricing models the same day. The appeal lies in how podcasts deliver bite-sized, up-to-date knowledge that feels less like theory and more like a playbook. Here’s how they’re making it work: From stories to strategiesEpisodes featuring startup founders,…

Nigeria is reshaping the way sustainability reporting is understood—no longer treating it as a bureaucratic checkbox but as a tool to attract capital, lower financing costs, and boost investor confidence. At the 2nd Regulatory Roundtable on ISSB Standards in Abuja, Rabiu Olowo, Chief Executive of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), underscored this shift, noting that the country intends to demonstrate how transparent, high-quality disclosures can give businesses a competitive edge. “This is not about filling out forms,” Olowo emphasized. “It is about credibility, competitiveness, and building an economy that investors can trust.” Nigeria has become the first African…

Africa’s race to attract global capital and establish itself as a hub for large-scale infrastructure is being championed by one of Nigeria’s rising business figures, Oluwaseun Olatunji. Through his fast-growing conglomerate, Brookfield Group Holdings (Africa), Olatunji is building a cross-continental enterprise while pushing for policies that give local entrepreneurs the freedom to compete on the world stage. Though born in Ile-Ife but originally from Ijebu-Ode, Olatunji’s story reflects grit and foresight. After earning a diploma in Computer Science from Obafemi Awolowo University, he expanded his career in the UK, Canada, the US, and the Middle East before returning to Nigeria…

Nigeria’s ambition to hit 5% GDP growth in 2025 is running into one of its toughest challenges: logistics costs that swallow up as much as three-quarters of a product’s value — nearly ten times the global average. But global food giant PepsiCo and logistics powerhouse DP World believe they’ve found a way to tackle that obstacle while creating jobs and boosting manufacturing. Their latest move: a $20 million expansion of PepsiCo’s Lagos facility, which now produces Cheetos, one of the world’s most popular snack brands valued at over $1 billion annually. Launched officially on August 20, 2025, the new plant…

A new wave of opportunity is opening for young Nigerians as the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, in partnership with Investonaire Academy, rolls out a large-scale financial education initiative set to train 100,000 youths annually. The programme aims to transform how young people engage with money, business, and investment by offering free access to practical lessons in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and global trade. Beyond theory, participants will explore the dynamics of global markets—ranging from commodities and gold to equities and foreign exchange—while sharpening their skills in portfolio management, risk evaluation, and long-term wealth creation. Training will be delivered primarily online…

Agriculture-focused enterprises across Africa are set to gain new momentum following a $10 million investment into the Social Enterprise Fund for Agriculture in Africa (SEFAA). The funding comes from the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund and is administered by Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), Mauritius, reinforcing a shared vision of driving inclusive growth across the continent. Managed by Sahel Capital, SEFAA was created to unlock capital for small and medium-sized agribusinesses that are typically underserved by traditional finance institutions. These enterprises are the backbone of rural economies and food systems, yet they often struggle to secure funding despite their strong…

Nigeria has become the heartbeat of Africa’s fintech story. The country now hosts more than 430 active fintech firms, and the industry expanded by nearly 70 percent in the past year. Yet, beyond the excitement of rapid growth, the real challenge is how these companies adapt to the financial habits, trust concerns, and day-to-day realities of Nigerians. Sustainable progress in the sector will depend on intentional consumerism—a deliberate focus on designing products that truly serve users. Building trust in a sceptical market Decades of fraud, Ponzi schemes, and failed financial promises have made Nigerians cautious. Many still approach digital banking…

As Nigeria positions itself for stronger foreign investment, the conversation is shifting beyond policy and infrastructure to a more fundamental driver—human capital development. At the heart of this movement is Associate Professor Humphrey Akanazu, Executive Principal of Docenti Global Business School, who is championing international-standard education tailored to Nigeria’s realities. Akanazu, who helped introduce the Rome Business School model into Nigeria before co-founding Docenti, believes that quality education is a strategic investment tool. Instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars abroad and uprooting careers, Nigerians can now access globally recognized qualifications and skills at home—without disconnecting from their professional…

Nigeria’s ambition of transforming into a $1 trillion economy by 2030 may be more fantasy than forecast, according to investment analysts at Afrinvest. The firm warns that unless the country dismantles its most persistent barriers—runaway inflation, crippled oil output, and chronic power shortages—President Tinubu’s trillion-dollar promise will remain out of reach. Reform measures such as subsidy removal, currency liberalisation, and aggressive revenue drives have opened a path for growth, but Afrinvest argues that progress is crawling at 3–4% annually, far below the 7% momentum required to hit the 2030 mark. The message is clear: without deeper, targeted reforms in energy,…