Author: Gift Ifeanyi

On Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, the United States military launched a series of “powerful and deadly” airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) targets in northwestern Nigeria. President Donald Trump announced the operation on Truth Social, framing it as a direct response to what he described as the “slaughtering of Christians” by “ISIS terrorist scum.” The strikes, which took place in Sokoto State, represent a significant escalation in U.S. military involvement in the region and follow months of threats from the Trump administration to intervene “guns-a-blazing” if religious violence in Nigeria was not curtailed. Key Details of the Operation According to…

In a strategic move to capture the massive “inbound” value of the Nigerian diaspora, fintech leader Nomba has expanded its payment stack to support Apple Pay across both physical and online storefronts. This integration is particularly timely, arriving as the company targets the “Detty December” season—a peak period when international visitors bring foreign-issued cards and a preference for contactless biometrics to Nigeria. While Apple Pay has seen limited adoption in Nigeria due to regulatory and infrastructure hurdles, Nomba’s merchant-focused approach bypasses these by enabling local businesses to accept payments from global users’ iPhones and Apple Watches. Key Features of the…

Sun King, a global leader in off-grid solar energy, has officially expanded its “Pay-As-You-Go” (PayGo) ecosystem in Nigeria to include smartphones. By leveraging the same flexible payment model that helped millions access solar power, the company aims to dismantle the high upfront cost barrier that prevents many Nigerians from participating in the digital economy. The initiative is now active across all 36 states and the FCT, targeting students, small-scale entrepreneurs, and low-income households who require mobile connectivity for education, work, and financial services. The PayGo Smartphone Model: How It Works The program follows a simple, deposit-based structure designed to fit…

At a high-level fireside chat hosted by the Lagos Business School (LBS) Breakfast Club, Nigeria’s foremost industrialist, Aliko Dangote, and renowned economist Bismarck Rewane converged to outline a roadmap for transforming Nigeria into Africa’s premier manufacturing and services hub. The event, themed “Challenges and Opportunities for Making Nigeria the Leading Manufacturing and Services Hub in Africa,” provided a data-driven look at the 2026 economic landscape and the structural shifts required for long-term industrial sovereignty. The Pillars of Sustainable Industrialization Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, emphasized that Nigeria’s path to becoming a regional powerhouse depends on two critical strategies:…

Nigeria’s procurement landscape in 2025 remains a complex web of informality, structural deficits, and economic volatility. While the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) holds immense promise for regional integration, the practical reality for many Nigerian SMEs is a cycle of delays and unpredictable costs. To transition from a reactive, manual system to a proactive, technology-driven hub, Nigeria must address the critical “trust gaps” and physical infrastructure failures that currently derail procurement cycles. The Informality Trap: Why Data is the New Trust A defining hurdle in Nigerian procurement is the lack of a unified, vetted vendor database. In a market…

In a significant recognition of its rapid expansion and market impact, Rolad Properties & Allied Services Limited has been listed on the prestigious 2025 BusinessDay Top 100 Fastest Growing SMEs list. The ranking identifies Nigeria’s most dynamic small and medium enterprises based on metrics including revenue growth, scalability, innovation, and business sustainability. Founded in September 2018 by Dotun Oloyede, the firm has evolved from a startup with a vision for affordable housing into a major player in the real estate sector, operating across multiple states and international borders. A Vision for Structured Property Ownership Rolad Properties was established to solve…

In a landmark end-of-year ceremony on December 23, 2025, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma empowered over 10,000 artisans and SME operators, charging them to lead a revolution in Nigeria’s construction and services industries. The event, held at Ndubuisi Kanu Square in Owerri, marked the graduation of the Renewed Hope Empowerment Initiative, a program designed to turn vocational skills into sustainable economic independence. Describing the exercise as the “best Christmas and New Year gift” for the state, the governor emphasized that the initiative is a strategic move to address the shortage of competent local labor. Reclaiming the Market from Foreign Labor…

In a strategic evolution of its corporate social responsibility, Leadway—a premier Nigerian financial services and wellbeing provider—has announced the launch of Media Dash 3.0. This year’s edition is headlined by the first-ever Leadway Lifestyle Fair, a physical marketplace designed to provide young Nigerian entrepreneurs with the visibility and community engagement needed to scale their businesses. Moving beyond digital advertising, the initiative transforms into a two-day immersive experience scheduled for December 27–28, 2025, at the L’eola Hotel in Maryland, Lagos. From Ad Slots to Physical Market Access For years, Leadway’s “Media Dash” has been a frontline support initiative, where the company…

The 16th Meeting of the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment concluded in Lagos with a powerful mandate: Nigeria must “produce what it consumes” to survive the current global economic shift. Hosted by the Lagos State Government, the council gathered top policymakers to move beyond policy declarations and into the “relentless implementation” of strategies that support local manufacturing and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Under the theme “Accelerating Diversification to Rebuild Prosperity by Leveraging Industry, Trade and Investment for Shared Prosperity,” leaders emphasized that diversification is no longer just a policy goal—it is an imperative for national survival. The…

Nigeria’s economic landscape is undergoing a structural transformation, fueled by a high-impact partnership between domestic commerce hubs and international expertise. Under the Partners in Transformation (PIT) framework—funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and executed by sequa gGmbH—Nigerian chambers of commerce have evolved from mere administrative bodies into powerhouse engines of private-sector growth. This initiative aligns directly with the national development agenda, proving that when institutional governance meets global standards, the entire economic ecosystem thrives. Rebuilding the Institutional Backbone The first phase of this collaboration focused on internal revolution. By overhauling governance structures and service…

The landscape of Nigerian commerce is shifting, requiring a blend of historical grit and modern agility. At the recent 10th Annual Entrepreneurs Conference and Expo in Lagos, the message from the nation’s industrial titans was clear: the era of “business as usual” is over. To survive the current economic climate, founders must embrace the RISE philosophy—Reinvent, Innovate, Strategise, and Expand. The Evolution of the Entrepreneurial Mindset True commercial greatness is rarely a gift of inheritance; it is a product of high-pressure environments and the courage to pivot. Industry veterans emphasized that staying competitive in a volatile market requires more than…

Ihifix Digital Technologies has announced a bold mission to establish Africa’s most expansive business movement after successfully training over 15,000 entrepreneurs in 2025. The milestone was unveiled at the Afriscale 2025 Conference in Kaduna, where a diverse assembly of investors, tech leaders, and policymakers explored the future of the continent’s economy under the theme: “Scaling with Intelligence: How AI Is Powering Africa’s Next-Generation Businesses.” The movement aims to prove that African enterprises are already globally competitive, provided they bridge the gap between manual operations and automated systems. The Afriscale Philosophy: Optimization Over Entry-Level Unlike traditional workshops, Afriscale 2025 targeted established…

If Nigeria is to secure its position as the undisputed energy powerhouse of Africa, it must shift from a decade-long planning cycle to a 36-month execution window. This is the core message from seasoned energy expert Canice Emeka, who has outlined a strategic roadmap consisting of seven non-negotiable steps to revitalize the nation’s power sector and turn it into a multi-billion dollar export engine. The strategy focuses on eliminating “estimated billing,” professionalizing distribution, and leveraging Nigeria’s potential as a regional energy hub. The 36-Month Metering Challenge One of the most significant bottlenecks in the current system is the “metering gap,”…

WACT–APM Terminals Nigeria has marked a major milestone in its community development efforts by graduating 600 beneficiaries from the fourth and fifth cohorts of its WACTpreneur programme. This initiative underscores the terminal operator’s dedication to fostering self-reliance and inclusive economic growth within its host communities of Onne and Ogu in Rivers State. The graduation follows six months of intensive entrepreneurship training and mentorship designed to turn local talent into sustainable business owners. Cultivating the Entrepreneurial Spirit The WACTpreneur programme is more than just a training course; it is a strategic investment in human capital. During the ceremony, representatives from WACT…

As the digital economy accelerates, the Afriscale 2025 Conference in Kaduna has marked a significant milestone, training over 15,000 entrepreneurs from Nigeria and the diaspora. The event served as a critical forum for discussing how artificial intelligence (AI) and technology-driven systems can move African businesses from survival mode to global competitiveness. Themed “Scaling with Intelligence: How AI Is Powering Africa’s Next-Generation Businesses,” the conference shifted the focus from basic skills to high-level organizational optimization. Moving Beyond the Basics: Systems and Structure Convener Emmanuel Odeh Adikpe emphasized that the 2025 initiative was specifically designed to help established business owners refine their…

In a significant move for Nigeria’s indigenous energy sector, Heirs Energies has secured a $750 million financing facility from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). The deal, signed in Abuja, is set to be a catalyst for the company’s upstream expansion, with the goal of doubling its current production capacity to meet national energy demands. The financing is structured to support Nigeria’s broader industrial growth by scaling crude oil production to 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) and increasing gas output to 250 million cubic metres. Strategic Expansion and Debt Refinancing The facility utilizes a five-year reserve-based lending (RBL) framework. According to…

In a stinging rebuke of administrative negligence, the ECOWAS Court of Justice has ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to investigate the 1978 military seizure of assets belonging to 94-year-old entrepreneur, Mr. Kolawole Koiki. The ruling puts an end to decades of legal limbo regarding Mr. Koiki’s 46% stake in the New Nigeria Salt Company Limited, which was confiscated without compensation during the Obasanjo military junta. Beyond the investigation, the court slammed the government with a ₦5 million fine for violating the octogenarian’s right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time—a breach of the African Charter on Human and…

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed a dramatic shift in Nigeria’s trade relationship with the United States. In the first nine months of 2025, Nigeria’s trade balance with the U.S. swung from a surplus of N1.57tn in 2024 to a staggering deficit of N3.15tn. This reversal is largely attributed to a sharp decline in Nigerian exports and a concurrent doubling of imports from America, fueled by a new “reciprocal” tariff regime introduced by the U.S. administration. The Numbers: A Sharp Contraction in Exports The trade data highlights a worrying downward trend for Nigerian goods entering the…

As Nigeria prepares to implement a sweeping overhaul of its fiscal system in January 2026, the Federal Government has moved to reassure current investors. The 149 companies presently benefiting from the Pioneer Status Incentive (PSI)—which grants total exemption from corporate income tax—will be permitted to maintain their tax holidays for at least another two years. Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Tax Reform Committee, announced this grace period during a briefing at the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC). The extension is designed to act as a buffer, preventing market shocks and maintaining investor trust while the country transitions to a…

Nigeria’s telecommunications sector faces a potential nationwide shutdown as workers under the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association (PTECSSAN) have issued a formal seven-day strike notice. The industrial action, set to begin on Monday, September 9, 2024, targets 39 companies, including industry giant Huawei Technologies Nigeria Limited, over what the union describes as “precarious and modern-day slavery” working conditions. General Secretary Okonu Abdullahi stated that the move was prompted by persistent anti-labour practices and the refusal of several employers to recognize the constitutional right of workers to unionize. Key Demands of the Union PTECSSAN has laid out a clear…