Author: Gift Ifeanyi

Ondo State has taken another step toward becoming a digitally driven economy, signing a strategic partnership with telecommunications giant Globacom to deploy advanced digital solutions across governance, education, security, and commerce. At a meeting in Akure, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa described the collaboration as central to his administration’s vision of technology-powered governance and inclusive growth. “Digital tools are no longer optional; they are essential for driving transparency, efficiency, and citizen engagement,” the governor said. He highlighted the state’s recently launched iOndo platform—an electronic tax collection system that simplifies payments—as a model of how technology can eliminate red tape, reduce human…

The spotlight will be on Ogun State this September as the Youth Sustainable Enterprise Challenge Programme (YSECP) concludes with a pitch competition and final event in Abeokuta. Organised by the British Council, with King’s Trust International as technical partner and NerdzFactory Company Limited as delivery partner, the competition will take place on September 9, 2025, at the bH3 Events Centre. The initiative, designed to empower young entrepreneurs between ages 18 and 35, has provided weeks of training, mentorship, and enterprise development for 80 participants, with deliberate inclusion of women and persons with disabilities. At the finale, 16 finalists will present…

Toronto’s High Park community has a new culinary hotspot with the opening of Greelz on Bloor, a restaurant blending the smoky allure of Nigerian street food with contemporary global dining trends. The venture is led by Chef Tolu Okojie, widely known as Chef TEE, whose Afro-fusion brand, Greelz Inc., has already gained recognition for reimagining African cuisine with creativity and flair. At Greelz on Bloor, staples such as beef suya and jollof rice are transformed into modern favourites, including suya wraps, Agege suya burgers, and vibrant bowls. This inventive menu caters to adventurous diners eager to discover African flavours, as…

A new women’s empowerment initiative is injecting fresh energy into Nigeria’s grassroots economy, as 18,500 women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory receive business grants of ₦50,000 each. The programme is funded through a ₦1 billion endowment from the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), designed to support women traders and small-scale entrepreneurs who play critical roles in sustaining households and local communities. At recent empowerment ceremonies in Lafia, Nasarawa State, and Calabar, Cross River State, state first ladies representing Senator Oluremi Tinubu emphasized that the initiative was not a loan but direct financial support to help women recapitalize…

Nigeria is working to anchor its economic future on stability, resilience, and investor confidence, with banking reforms and tighter monetary policies taking center stage. At the heart of this effort is the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recapitalisation mandate, designed to produce stronger institutions capable of financing growth while withstanding shocks. Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso, speaking at the Eurocham Nigeria C-Level Forum in Lagos, said the country’s financial system has regained stability, and the priority now is to consolidate those gains while addressing inflation and unlocking fresh investment inflows. “Our goal is to sustain stability while ensuring banks remain strong…

Walk through the streets of Lagos or scroll through TikTok, and you’ll find a quiet revolution underway. A generation once dismissed as distracted or unserious is now piecing together a new economic order—one that owes little to the traditional pillars of Nigeria’s job market. Government work, oil money, or corporate titles no longer define success. For Nigeria’s under-30s, income isn’t tied to a desk, a suit, or even a CV. Their wealth comes from the hustle: a mix of digital creativity, peer-to-peer enterprise, and a relentless refusal to wait for opportunity. The Digital-First Generation Born into smartphones and broadband, Gen…

Nigeria is making a renewed pitch to global Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) firms to re-enter its oil and gas sector, promising that the obstacles that once drove them away have been dismantled. Speaking at the EPC Deepwater Investment Roundtable in London, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, assured international operators and contractors that the country’s oil environment had been “reset” through policy reforms, regulatory clarity, and attractive fiscal terms. Rebuilding Confidence in a Once-Troubled Market For years, leading EPC contractors scaled down or exited Nigeria due to regulatory uncertainty, cost recovery disputes, project insecurity, and inefficient…

The future of Nigeria’s built environment will take centre stage this September as the Association of Facilities Management Practitioners of Nigeria (AFMPN) hosts its annual industry conference in Lagos. With the theme “Facilities: Harnessing Technologies for Smart Cities and Workplaces,” the two-day gathering is positioned as more than an industry meet-up — it is a call to action for stakeholders to redefine facilities management as a driver of economic growth, sustainability, and workplace efficiency. Rethinking Facilities Management in a Smart Economy According to AFMPN President, Olumide Aina, the conference is designed to spark a collective rethink of the sector’s role…

West African leaders, scientists, and health officials have gathered in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, for the 2025 Lassa Fever International Conference (LIC) — an event positioned not just as a medical summit, but as a turning point in the region’s fight against epidemics. Organised by the West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO), the four-day gathering carries the theme “Beyond Borders: Strengthening Regional Cooperation to Combat Lassa Fever and Emerging Infectious Diseases.” Its message is clear: West Africa can no longer afford fragmented approaches to public health threats. From Outbreak Response to Long-Term Preparedness Unlike past gatherings that focused largely on emergency response,…

Fidelity Bank Plc is taking Nigeria’s international trade ambitions to a global stage with the 2025 edition of its Nigeria International Trade and Creative Connect (FNITCC), set to hold in Atlanta, United States, from September 18–20, 2025. The three-day summit is expected to bring together over 3,000 participants — including investors, trade agencies, exporters, diaspora professionals, and policymakers — with a target of facilitating more than $500 million in trade and investment transactions. Lagos State Leads the Charge Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will head Lagos State’s delegation, leveraging the forum to highlight Lagos as Africa’s largest economy while exploring partnership opportunities…

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has unveiled plans to privatise 91 state-owned enterprises as part of renewed efforts to boost efficiency, attract investment, and generate new jobs. Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, BPE Director General, Mr. Ayodeji A. Gbeleyi, disclosed that two Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) and one Generation Company (GenCo) are being prepared for Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) on the Nigerian Exchange. He noted that details of the firms and expected revenue remain confidential at this stage to maintain transaction integrity. According to Gbeleyi, the Nigerian power sector represents a strong candidate for stock market listing,…

Nigeria’s cement sector is about to see fresh competition as MSM Group prepares to establish a massive production plant in Kebbi State valued at $600 million. The initiative, championed by the group’s chairman, Muazzam Mairawani, is expected to inject new energy into a market currently dominated by Dangote Cement and BUA Cement. The upcoming facility is projected to produce 12 million tons annually. While that figure trails BUA’s 17 million and Dangote’s 52 million, analysts say the development signals the beginning of stronger competition in the country’s construction materials industry. Global Expansion Meets Local Investment Mairawani, who hails from Kano,…

Ghana has emerged as a new supplier of crude oil to Nigeria’s $20 billion Dangote Refinery, marking a significant expansion of the plant’s sourcing strategy as it seeks to stabilise operations and maintain output growth. The inclusion of Ghana’s Sankofa crude, a medium-sweet blend, reflects the facility’s decision to secure more flexible feedstock arrangements. Recent data show the refinery processed around 610,000 barrels per day in August, approaching its maximum capacity of 650,000 bpd — a notable jump from early-year levels near 400,000 bpd. Diversification Beyond Nigerian Crude Although the refinery was originally expected to rely almost entirely on Nigerian…

At the maiden Brand Handlers Summit and Awards, SO&U’s Group Managing Director, Udeme Ufot, challenged Nigeria’s marketing community to rethink its foundations by embracing collaboration, ethics, and innovation as the drivers of sustainable brand growth. Speaking as Chairman of the summit, Ufot argued that while Nigeria’s advertising industry has won global recognition for creativity and resourcefulness, the ecosystem remains too fragmented to fully unlock its potential. “We are witnessing an industry that is dynamic and alive, yet inconsistent. The promise is clear, but the performance still falls short,” he told participants. Collaboration Over Competition Ufot stressed that success in marketing…

Nigeria stands at an inflection point. With the International Monetary Fund forecasting a 3.4% GDP expansion in 2025, the nation is edging toward renewed stability after years of volatility. Yet, the bigger question remains: who will convert this momentum into long-term prosperity? One company making that bet is AA&R Investment Group, an indigenous investment powerhouse established in 2017. Under the leadership of Abdullahi Haske, the group has steadily grown from a modest venture into a diversified conglomerate with footprints across oil and gas, agribusiness, logistics, maritime, aviation, and information technology. Building Beyond Oil Nigeria’s reliance on imports and crude exports…

Lagos, Nigeria – Once known mainly for its commerce and ports, Lagos is fast becoming Africa’s proving ground for large-scale digital transformation, with policymakers and global tech leaders converging on the city to outline pathways toward Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy. At the GITEX Nigeria Tech Expo and Future Economy Conference 2025, the spotlight was not only on gadgets and startups, but on Lagos’ role as a laboratory where government vision, private capital, and youthful talent are shaping Africa’s digital future. A City Outgrowing Old Labels Financial Times recently listed 23 Lagos-based firms among Nigeria’s fastest-growing companies, a recognition Governor Babajide…

In Nigeria’s economic landscape, one force stands out not through size or visibility, but through sheer impact — small and medium enterprises (SMEs). They employ the majority of the nation’s workforce, generate nearly half of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and stretch across every corner of society, from informal traders in rural villages to ambitious start-ups in tech hubs. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria is home to more than 39 million small businesses, accounting for 96 percent of enterprises nationwide. Their dominance highlights an unspoken truth: while oil revenues grab headlines, it is SMEs that sustain…

Nigeria is preparing to overhaul its education system with a national curriculum designed to integrate digital learning, technology, and entrepreneurship into classrooms across the country. The framework, unveiled by the federal government, is scheduled to take effect in September 2025. The announcement was shared by Presidential media aide Dada Olusegun, who posted the full breakdown of the subjects for Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) on Wednesday. Junior Secondary: Early Introduction to Coding At the lower secondary level, students will continue with traditional core subjects such as Mathematics, English, Integrated Science, Social Studies, Languages, Creative Arts, and…

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Tochi Wigwe, Director of The HOW Foundation, has wrapped up the final edition of the Town Hall Series under the TW Entrepreneurship 2030 Agenda (#TWEAGENDA) — a transformative five-year program committed to equipping over 5,000 micro and small business owners with innovative, non-financial tools for long-term growth. A Listening Platform for Business Voices Launched as part of a nationwide effort to understand the real struggles of Nigeria’s entrepreneurs, the town halls created a space for open dialogue. While each event was designed for 100 participants, the grand finale on August 2, 2025, drew 150 entrepreneurs, reflecting the…

What if every Nigerian village operated its own business? It sounds deceptively simple, but the potential impact on employment, productivity, and national prosperity could be revolutionary. Nigeria’s economic structure has long leaned on government enterprises and large corporations. The federal government owns NNPC, Lagos runs Ibile Holdings, Akwa Ibom operates Ibom Air, while other states maintain hotels, plantations, and joint oil ventures. If governments can successfully run enterprises, then communities can too — and with potentially greater reach. The Numbers Behind the Vision Nigeria has more than 80,000 villages by some estimates. If only half of these communities established a…