Technology entrepreneur and public analyst, Israel Ihaza, has warned that repeated damage to Nigeria’s fibre-optic infrastructure could have consequences far beyond telecommunications, disrupting businesses and essential services across the country. Ihaza, founder and Chief Executive Officer of PropTech company Oikus, spoke during an appearance on the TVC Breakfast Show against the backdrop of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s disclosure that more than 5,000 fibre-cut incidents were recorded in the first half of 2026. The NCC attributed the incidents largely to road construction, excavation and related civil works. According to Ihaza, Nigeria’s increasing dependence on digital systems means that connectivity has become…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
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The Federal Government has unveiled a new US$12 million entrepreneurship and innovation centre in Abuja as part of efforts to strengthen the pipeline from skills development and job creation to enterprise growth, innovation and investment for young Nigerians. The Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship (ACE), funded by the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), is being developed by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday at SMEDAN’s Idu Industrial Development Centre in Abuja, marking the transition of the…
Nigeria must move beyond treating climate change as an environmental challenge and begin converting its climate financing needs into green jobs, investment opportunities and sustainable economic growth, stakeholders at the Climate Change and Circular Economy Africa 2026 conference have said. The call was made on Thursday at the National Engineering Centre, Abuja, where participants urged the Federal Government to strengthen policies, attract private capital and develop locally driven solutions to the country’s growing climate and waste-management challenges. The conference, themed, “Pioneering Natural Solutions for a Sustainable Future,” brought together policymakers and stakeholders who said Nigeria could not afford to remain…
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Sweden, Lola Akande, has formally assumed her diplomatic responsibilities in the Scandinavian country, presenting her Letters of Credence to King Carl XVI Gustaf at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. The ceremony, held on Wednesday, 16 September, 2026, marked the formal accreditation of Akande as Nigeria’s representative to the Kingdom of Sweden and opened a new phase in bilateral engagement between the two countries. Akande was accorded ceremonial honours, including a corps marshal and formal procession, in keeping with Sweden’s diplomatic traditions, before presenting her credentials to the Swedish monarch. The presentation of Letters of Credence is a…
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has arrived in Canada to pursue strategic partnerships with Canadian institutions and industries in technology, education, agriculture, skills development and investment, as the state intensifies efforts to rebuild its economy and expand opportunities for its people. The visit, according to a statement by the Governor’s media team , is aimed at securing technical support, facilitating knowledge transfer and attracting foreign direct investment to Borno, with engagements scheduled with Canadian universities, technology hubs and agricultural research institutions. Zulum is expected to use the visit to explore scholarship opportunities for Borno students and develop vocational training programmes…
Persons with disabilities and other vulnerable Nigerians continue to face discrimination, poor communication and difficulties accessing services in government hospitals, stakeholders have warned, calling for urgent reforms to make public healthcare more inclusive. The stakeholders, who spoke at the first roundtable meeting of Project Kampe Bodi in Abuja, demanded the establishment of disability help desks equipped with assistive technology, accessible telemedicine services and stronger enforcement of the Patients’ Bill of Rights. They said the barriers confronting vulnerable patients were not merely issues of convenience but impediments to their ability to obtain timely, dignified and quality healthcare. The meeting, organised by…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has sensitised Baales on the Mainland and chiefs of Igbobi-Sabe on domestic violence, sexual violence and child abuse, as part of efforts to take the campaign against gender-based violence to the grassroots. The programme was held on Friday, 18 September, 2026, at the palace of the Oba of Igbobi-Sabe His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyemi Adeniyi. The monarch invited all Baales across the Mainland, together with the chiefs of Igbobi-Sabe, so that the message would reach every community. The agency’s Community Engagement Officer, Mr Adenuga Adeleke, said the…
The Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Government of China, UNAIDS and the Global Health Innovation Institute (GHII) have agreed to advance regional pharmaceutical manufacturing as part of efforts to reduce dependence on imported medicines and strengthen health security across Southern Africa. The agreement followed a joint assessment of pharmaceutical and vaccine production facilities in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, South Africa, where the partners reviewed existing capabilities in biotechnology, genomics, diagnostics and the manufacture of quality-assured health products. The exchange, which took place amid renewed international calls for stronger South-South cooperation, identified opportunities to connect Southern Africa’s growing manufacturing…
The North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has unveiled a 20-year development roadmap aimed at transforming the region into an integrated economic hub through coordinated investment in infrastructure, agriculture, mining, human capital, security and the digital economy. The proposed North Central Development Plan 2027–2046, presented at the commission’s Road Map and Stakeholders’ Development Summit in Abuja, seeks to move the region beyond fragmented projects by concentrating resources on catalytic programmes capable of generating jobs, expanding productivity, improving public services and attracting investment. The two-day summit, held from September 14 to 15, brought together 862 physical participants and 49 online attendees, including…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola An International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris has rejected a $680 million claim by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited against the Federal Republic of Nigeria over disputes arising from the stalled Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State. The tribunal delivered the ruling in favour of Nigeria on Thursday, 17 September, 2026, dismissing Sunrise’s claim for $680 million in settlement and interest in connection with a separate arbitration in which the company is seeking more than $2.7 billion in compensation and interest over the project. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a statement…