2022 was the year Kwara recognised my work under the administration of His Excellency, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq(CON). At the Kwara State Government Dinner and Awards, I was honoured as Best Media Personnel in Kwara State—a milestone that validated years of promoting, portraying, and helping structure how government work reaches the people. The night was a magical one—lights, laughter, colleagues and mentors in one room—and the feeling that the path to more prosperity will come with ease settled in my chest and hasn’t left.
To every young person reading this: your dreams are valid. I never imagined receiving such a prestigious acknowledgement from my home state, and that recognition convinced me there is a level playing field for anyone willing to strive under this administration. Four years on, the aura of that evening still feels fresh, like a recent memory rather than a distant plaque on a shelf. Looking back makes one thing clear: I’m capable of driving organic, impactful engagements in Kwara and beyond—and the runway ahead is open. The shared dream is achievable; we can build it in layers—community by community, story by story—until the small rooms we started in become platforms that carry others.
To my fellow media professionals, thank you for your unwavering support over time. Your camaraderie, your critiques, your late-night edits and early-morning shoots—those are the invisible scaffolding behind any public recognition.
His Excellency, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (CON), thank you for the recognition and for creating the space for merit to be seen and rewarded. Your administration’s emphasis on opportunity and performance gave my work a stage; I’m grateful for the trust and for an environment where effort can translate into impact.
As the chess master reminds us, we can achieve Greater things from a Small Place—and Kwara is proof.
In February 2026, the Nigerian Navy was recognised by the Global Firepower Index as the African Navy with the strongest fleet. February 2026 also marked one year since Nigeria entered into a historic agreement with the African Union, for the Nigerian Navy to provide strategic sea-lift services to the AU’s peacekeeping, disaster response, humanitarian aid, and personnel movement operations across the continent.
Similarly, March 2026 marks four years since Nigeria officially exited the International Maritime Bureau’s list of piracy-prone countries. And then in June 2026, the Nigerian Navy-led Gulf of Guinea Combined Maritime Task Force (CMTF) will take off, coinciding with the Navy’s 70th anniversary.
The new Force is a landmark, ready-to-deploy, multinational force capable of rapid, coordinated regional maritime security responses, with the objective of tackling the complex security threats in the Gulf of Guinea. A Nigerian Navy officer is already serving as its pioneer commander.
All of the above, along with other maritime security successes and milestones championed by the Nigerian Navy – including the establishment in 2025 of the Nigerian Navy Marine Corps and the Nigerian Navy Special Operations Command (NNSOC) – did not happen by accident. They have all been the product of deliberate effort, vision, and leadership, under successive Chiefs of the Naval Staff.
The vision of the incumbent Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, a decorated Above Water Warfare (AWW) specialist who assumed office as Nigeria’s 25th Chief of the Naval Staff on October 30, 2025, is “to develop a modern, agile, and professional naval force dedicated to securing Nigeria’s maritime interests and advancing national security objectives in synergy with other security agencies.”
From operational engagements to strengthening local and international partnerships, the new Navy Chief has demonstrated his resolve to build upon a proud and storied legacy that turns seventy this year. His very first official visit was to Makurdi, where the Nigerian Navy’s newest formation, the Special Operations Command, is taking shape on the banks of the River Benue. Vice Admiral Abbas stated that the choice of Makurdi as first port of call was deliberate, given the strategic role the new Command will play in tackling security challenges in the North Central region.
The Nigerian Navy is active across the length and breadth of the country, playing major roles in various internal security operations in no fewer than 30 States. In the Northeast, the Naval Base Lake Chad in Baga, Borno State, has become a vital hub in the anti-insurgency campaign. Vice Admiral Abbas visited the base on New Year’s Day 2026 to spend time with troops and to reflect on ongoing successes that have helped open critical waterways and bolster the livelihoods of farmers, fishermen, traders, transporters, and other residents.
The new Naval Chief has also taken international engagements to a new level, demonstrating a clear understanding of the role of multilateral cooperation in ensuring national, regional, and continental security. In January 2026, he led a delegation to the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference, hosted by the Qatar Armed Forces. In February, a Nigerian Navy delegation visited Egypt for a bilateral engagement with the Egyptian Navy, focused on deepening cooperation across training, and operational and technical capacity, with a return visit from the Egyptian Navy planned for April 2026. In March, the Navy received visits from the United States Special Operations Commander for Africa, and the Danish Ambassador to Nigeria, among others.
Prior to his appointment as Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Abbas served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Heritage Centre in Abuja – a testament to his intellectual inclinations. This came further to the fore in a lecture he delivered to Course 34 participants at the National Defence College, Abuja, in February, titled “Maritime Power and National Security: The Nigerian Navy in Perspective.”
Vice Admiral Abbas has stressed his determination to ensure that the Navy’s mission and vision are in full alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Among his stated priorities for the year ahead is the intensification of Nigerian Navy efforts to sustain and grow Nigeria’s oil production through increased patrols and surveillance.
Over the last two years, Nigeria’s average daily oil production has grown by over 300,000 barrels per day, with the Navy playing a significant role in that achievement. As Vice Admiral Abbas highlighted in his National Defence College address, Nigeria’s maritime environment – one of the most fertile hydrocarbon regions in the world – contributes approximately 8 percent to national GDP and accounts for 77 percent of total exports. The stakes, in other words, could hardly be higher.
As 2026 gathers momentum, it promises to be a landmark year for the Nigerian Navy – the platinum anniversary in June, which will be one of the defining moments of Abbas’ tenure. Among the highlights of the weeklong celebrations will be the formal take-off of the Gulf of Guinea Task Force. There will also be the sixth edition of the Sea Power for Africa Symposium, as well as an International Fleet Review presided over by Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
In all, this anniversary will be a fitting stage for Africa’s leading Navy, and for an Admiral widely regarded as a welfare-oriented, people-centric leader – one who has hit the ground running and shown, in the early months of his command, outstanding vision and purposeful resolve.
As conversations around the 2027 governorship election in Kwara State slowly gather momentum, a curious narrative has begun to circulate: that the Ilorin Emirate faces a difficult political dilemma because two of its prominent sons may eventually contest the same office from different political platforms.
It is an argument that sounds dramatic at first hearing. But on closer examination, it appears more like an oversimplification of a far more complex political landscape.
The claim essentially suggests that the Ilorin Emirate could find itself emotionally torn between Senator Saliu Mustapha of the ruling APC and Engr. Suleiman Bolakale Kawu of the PDP, two respected sons of the Emirate whose names are increasingly mentioned in conversations about the 2027 race.
Both men undoubtedly command respect. Both are known within the Emirate’s social and political circles, and both have built reputations through public service and philanthropy. But reducing the political future of Kwara State—or even that of Ilorin Emirate itself—to a supposed clash between just two personalities stretches the argument beyond what the political reality supports.
Kwara politics has never been that narrow.
If anything, the attempt to frame the coming contest as a “two sons” dilemma ignores the fact that the Ilorin Emirate has historically produced multiple political actors at the same time, many of whom have competed vigorously within and across political parties without turning such contests into communal crises.
For instance, where does one situate the political weight of Yahaya Seriki, the Ajia Balogun of Ilorin and a well-known grassroots mobiliser within the APC? How should the experience of Moshood Mustapha, a former federal lawmaker with longstanding involvement in Kwara’s political evolution, be placed within this conversation? And what of Ali Ahmad, whose tenure as Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly positioned him as a notable figure in the state’s legislative and political landscape?
These are all Ilorin sons with recognisable political structures, influence and ambitions of their own. Their existence alone complicates the simplistic narrative that the Emirate is about to be forced into choosing between only two options.
Beyond these names skirting the race as it were, there are also persistent whispers within political circles about additional aspirants—some respected technocrats and political actors from Ilorin—who may yet enter the race as the political season unfolds. In contests of this nature, so-called dark horses are never entirely out of the equation. They often emerge quietly before suddenly reshaping the dynamics of the race.
Seen in this broader context, the notion of a tidy “two-man dilemma” begins to look less like serious political analysis and more like an overly convenient storyline.
More fundamentally, the argument rests on another questionable assumption: that Ilorin must always act as a single political bloc. That idea is historically inaccurate.
Even during the era of the late political titan Olusola Saraki, political competition among Ilorin sons was not uncommon. The Emirate’s political vitality has never depended on rigid unanimity but on its ability to produce leaders capable of contesting power while maintaining communal cohesion.
In other words, Ilorin’s strength has never been the absence of rivalry. It has been the ability to manage rivalry without allowing it to degenerate into lasting division.
Democracy, after all, is designed to accommodate ambition. It is not a coronation ceremony where communities anoint a single candidate and expect the rest of the electorate to simply endorse the choice.
Equally important is the fact that the governorship of Kwara State is not decided in Ilorin alone. While Kwara Central remains politically influential, the electoral arithmetic of the state requires candidates to build meaningful alliances across Kwara North and Kwara South. No aspirant, regardless of stature within Ilorin, can realistically aspire to win the governorship without cultivating broad statewide appeal.
This is why the “Ilorin dilemma” narrative tends to shrink a statewide democratic contest into what appears to be a family discussion within the Emirate.
The reality is far more expansive.
Rather than signalling division, the emergence of multiple credible aspirants from Ilorin should be seen as evidence of the Emirate’s continuing relevance in the political life of Kwara State. It demonstrates that the community remains a fertile ground for leadership and public service.
If every instance of political ambition among Ilorin sons were interpreted as a communal crisis, the Emirate’s political system would long ago have collapsed under the weight of internal rivalry. Yet history shows the opposite. Ilorin has repeatedly navigated intense political competition while preserving its cultural cohesion and social stability.
This resilience reflects a deeper understanding within the community: politics may be fiercely contested, but it is ultimately transient. The bonds of heritage, tradition and shared identity endure far beyond any electoral cycle.
When the contours of the 2027 governorship race eventually become clearer, it will almost certainly not resemble a duel between two titled sons of Ilorin. It will instead evolve into a broader statewide contest shaped by party structures, regional alliances, policy debates and the choices of voters across Kwara’s three senatorial districts.
To portray Ilorin Emirate as a fragile community incapable of managing political competition among its own sons is to underestimate both its history and its political maturity.
Far from being trapped in a dilemma, Ilorin Emirate is doing what politically vibrant societies naturally do—producing leaders, encouraging democratic participation and leaving the final verdict to the electorate.
And that is not a problem to be solved. It is simply democracy at work.
In 2026, the Nigerian Navy will officially turn 70, having come into existence on June 1, 1956, as the Nigerian Navy Defence Force (NNDF). The middle child of Nigeria’s Armed Forces—younger than the Army but older than the Air Force—the Service is approaching a platinum jubilee milestone.
For the Navy, and for the nation as a whole, this anniversary is a moment to celebrate and honour an enduring legacy of courageous service. It is also an opportunity to reaffirm the Navy’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime domain and protecting the country’s vital economic lifelines at sea.
Platinum, as a metal, symbolises strength and durability. It is resistant to wear and corrosion, widely used across industries, and is, in fact, the most ductile of all pure metals—able to be stretched into thin wire without breaking.
It is a fitting metaphor for the Nigerian Navy: resilient under pressure, adaptable in form, and enduring in purpose. The man who will lead the Service through its 70th anniversary and into the next phase of its journey is Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, the 56-year-old 25th Chief of the Naval Staff, who assumed command on the penultimate day of October 2025. Since taking office, the highly decorated Above Water Warfare specialist has signalled his determination to preside over a defining era for the Navy.
For his command, 2026 will be a pivotal year—an opportunity to present to the world a Nigerian Navy that is at its most capable, most motivated, and most formidable in its history, and to demonstrate fidelity to his inaugural pledge to “uphold the proud traditions of excellence and service that define our Navy,” while leading from the front, listening attentively, and keeping personnel welfare at the heart of command.
As the new year gets underway, preparations are gathering momentum, under Abbas’ leadership, for the anniversary celebrations, which will take place within the symbolic window between May 29 and June 12—two of the most significant dates in Nigeria’s democratic calendar. That symbolism should not be overlooked. The Navy, like the rest of the Armed Forces, occupies a special place in Nigeria’s democracy: protecting national sovereignty, preserving territorial integrity, and projecting Nigerian power and influence beyond its shores.
Planned events for the platinum jubilee include an International Maritime Conference and Exhibition, as well as an International Fleet Review (IFR). Of all the Services, the Nigerian Navy is perhaps the most intrinsically international in outlook, given the multinational nature of the maritime environment in which it operates. It is therefore no surprise that navies from around the world will converge on Nigeria in the first week of June to participate in the celebrations, underscoring the Service’s growing global partnerships and standing.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the modest force that began in 1956 with a handful of patrol, training, and survey vessels would barely recognise today’s Nigerian Navy. What now exists is one of Africa’s most formidable and respected maritime forces, equipped with modern platforms, improved infrastructure, and a more professionalised corps of officers and ratings.
Even compared to the Navy that marked its 60th anniversary in 2016, today’s Service represents a significant leap forward. The past decade has seen sustained investment, doctrinal refinement, and operational improvement. The results are evident. This is the Nigerian Navy that has kept Nigeria off the global list of piracy-prone nations for four consecutive years, maintaining a clean slate since that historic achievement in 2022—no small feat in one of the world’s most complex maritime regions.
This is also the Nigerian Navy that, in 2025, concluded an agreement with the African Union to provide strategic sea lift services in support of AU humanitarian operations across the continent. Central to this capability is NNS KADA, one of the most modern and capable warships in Africa today.
Indeed, it is KADA’s advanced capabilities that positioned the Navy to credibly offer such support to the African Union. The Navy’s elite Special Boat Service (SBS) has further strengthened its reputation as a top-tier special forces unit, and is now complemented by a newly established Special Operations Command (SOC), strategically located along the banks of the River Benue in Makurdi, Benue State.
Beyond defence, the Nigerian Navy has increasingly asserted itself in humanitarian assistance and community impact. Through dozens of infrastructure projects nationwide, as well as high-risk rescue and evacuation operations, the Service has saved countless lives that would otherwise have been lost to maritime accidents and flooding.
In August 2024, all 59 crew members of the dredging vessel MV Ambika 4 were rescued during a ten-hour naval operation—an operation that tragically claimed the life of Lieutenant Commander Gideon Yashim Gwaza, who led the mission and paid the ultimate price in service to others. More recently, on December 22, 2025, Nigerian Navy personnel rescued 20 crew members from the burning MV Chimba Express along the Calabar waterways.
Nigeria was also recently in the news for the military intervention that helped preserve democracy in the Republic of Benin following an attempted coup on December 7. Less widely known, however, is the Nigerian Navy’s quiet but crucial role in strengthening Benin’s maritime security. Just two weeks before the attempted coup, the Naval Dockyard Limited formally handed over a fully refitted Benin Navy ship, BNS Matelot Brice Kpomasse, as part of an agreement to repair and upgrade six Beninese naval vessels signed in 2024.
The Nigerian Navy has also become a valued partner in the global effort to fully map the world’s ocean floor. In May 2023, it entered a historic partnership with the Nippon Foundation–GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, reflecting the significant advances the Service has made in oceanographic research, hydrographic surveying, and technical expertise. These advances have delivered tangible local benefits, with the National Hydrographic Agency—formerly the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office—producing updated and more accurate charts of Nigeria’s waterways.
These achievements outlined above represent only a fraction of what defines Nigeria’s platinum Naval Force. Like every other Service, and the entirety of Nigeria’s security architecture, the Nigerian Navy has been able to count on the unwavering support and commitment of the Commander-in-Chief, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. With this level of support, there is no doubt that the best is yet ahead; that fair winds and following seas are already assembling to usher the Nigerian Navy into an even more rewarding next chapter.
One of the important legacies of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq are the many walkways in every part of the capital city Ilorin. Beyond being pleasing aesthetics which set the new Ilorin apart from its old self, these walkways come with lifestyle change and numerous health benefits for everyone. They reduce incidents of vehicles hitting pedestrians, potentially causing injuries and deaths.
But equally significant is the platform for exercise that these beautiful walkways offer to all. We need to sit less, walk more, and reduce the sedentary lifestyle which experts blame for the many cardiovascular complications that we see everywhere. Ibn Khalidun, historian and social philosopher, in fact linked sedentary lifestyle to the fall of many civilisations. So, kudos to the Governor for the thoughtful addition to the infrastructure in the state. It is one of his many legacies that our children will inherit and carry to the future.
These walkways have been accompanied by upgraded roads in every part of the city and beyond, especially in Offa town. But this infrastructure is seriously threatened by our general habits as a people. As I walk through these walkways every other day or on weekends, I observed that the roads, the walkways, and the drainages can only survive if we change our habits as a people.
Along with relevant government agencies doing their bits, people need to intentionally stop littering footpaths or dropping wastes as they drive by. I observed that virtually all the water outlets built to the walkways on Offa Road, for instance, are heavily littered with water sachet, trash, and other things.
The durability of public infrastructure hangs on how well we handle them. Burning trash on the road or improper refuse dump through water outlets of the walkways is a dangerous practice. Often, the difference between the lifespan of our infrastructure and the ones in Europe or US is the habit of the populace. To keep our infrastructure good and durable, our mindset needs to change. It is our headache if roads or schools built in two years collapse owing to the devil-may-care attitude to facilities done with our money. Let us care a lot more. That begins from every home: let’s decide to drop all the habits that damage public infrastructure.
A duty to ourselves
A few weeks ago, we debated to no end how esteemed teachers and Professor Shehu Raheem Adaramaja, SUBEB chief, picked trash at Amule Elementary School in Ilorin East. Painfully, we ignored the main issue: a collective inability to maintain standards and ethics to the extent that we have normalised things that we shouldn’t have. A Primary 3 pupil, for context, should have the orientation that trash is meant for the bin and that it is simply unacceptable to throw garbage from a moving vehicle to the road. Such basic orientation, among other things, will save us many problems.
As part of education multiplier effects, I plead that we adopt concerted cultivation in child rearing to refocus the trajectory of our nation right from the homestead.
Finally…
My love for our teachers is unmistakable. And so does the Governor. They deserve every good thing that life has to offer. It is cheery, therefore, to have the Governor approve 27.5% Teachers Specific Allowance (TSA), a move the NUT has commended. For context: the approval of the 27.5% TSA (in this form) is a 2012 prayer answered in 2025. Our teachers deserve it.
But the best is the enemy of the good. In addition to the TSA, which is exclusive to them, my teacher-friends want to also get the 30% peculiar allowance approved for civil servants in the core service. My reading of this position is that they just want better pay. It is normal for humans to want more. But there is a problem with their saying they want to benefit from the peculiar allowance which, right from the Federal Government where it emanated from, is meant for certain categories of workers.
The Peculiar Allowance was designed by the former Head of Service of the Federation Dr. Yemi Esan and Minister of Labour and Productivity Dr. Chris Ngige as a policy instrument to bridge the gap between what workers in the parastatals and agencies earned and what the core civil servants earned. It is a salary harmonization policy.
These core civil servants do not earn TSA or CONMESS (for doctors) or CONHESS (for nurses), among other benefits, hence the peculiar allowance.
As genuine as the campaign for improved welfare of my teacher-friends is, I fear that the fight to earn peculiar allowance is risky for everyone. Workers in other sectors may well agitate for the same. And my teacher-friends risk losing their TSA to counter agitations of equality from elsewhere. What is sustainable in many human endeavours is equity, not equality.
Two points need to be made here. The approval of the 27.5% TSA will add roughly N1.3bn to the wage bill every month, effective January 2026. That’s around N15.6bn more annually. This already has its consequences for governance deliverables, especially at the local government level, because tradeoffs are now inevitable for them. The money for the TSA is a tradeoff for other things they will not be able to do in the new year. But I feel that our teachers deserve it.
Also, the approval of TSA, which is calculated based on the new minimum wage, still places teachers above those in the mainstream service even with their 30% peculiar allowance. For instance, a level 7 step 1 in the core service will now earn 99,978.65 after the 30%, whereas a level 7 step 1 TSA teacher will earn N101,623.94. And while Level 8 Step 1 TSA teachers will now earn N106,648.57, their counterpart in the core service will earn N103, 962. 38. The gap continues like that.
If the government acceded to my teacher-friends’ request to also earn peculiar allowance, it means that a level 7 step 1 TSA teacher would earn N132,111.12 — exactly N32, 132.47 more than their mate in the core service. This will further widen the gap the government had sought to reduce, defeat the whole essence of the peculiar allowance and wage harmonization policy, and trigger an unending service-wide civil war that will further destabilise the system. Stability is underrated.
Dear teachers, this administration cares for you, and this is glaring from the progress so far made in massive school infrastructure upgrade and your welfare: 345% outstanding salary arrears since 2016 paid up; prompt and full payment of salary; promotion arrears from 2017 fully implemented with 2025 already approved; disparity between TESCOM and SUBEB workers bridged; two new minimum wages implemented back to back; regular capacity building for SUBEB teachers since 2019; deductions of cooperatives restored; and annual incremental steps restored since the last three years — a first in many years.
The administration can only beat its own record and it always will because we do not doubt that you are a critical part of our journey. But let’s not trigger a civil war in the process. You always have the esteemed regards of this administration. Compliments of the season, everyone!
Successive Nigerian governments have tried to close the country’s yawning electricity metering gap, rolling out a series of ambitious programmes with limited success. Today, Nigeria still has a deficit of more than six million meters, out of an estimated 12 million electricity consumers.
Why does metering matter? Is it not simply another way to make Nigerians pay more at a time when wallets and purses are already under severe pressure? In reality, metering delivers benefits that many people do not fully appreciate.
Beyond its direct cost-control advantages for individual consumers—particularly those who have suffered the arbitrariness of estimated billing—metering strengthens the entire electricity system and, by extension, the broader economy. It allows distribution companies (DisCos) to collect revenues more efficiently and transparently. Modern smart meters are sophisticated pieces of technology, capable of collecting, interpreting, and processing granular data.
That data is invaluable. It enables better planning by providing a clearer picture of demand, allowing investments and infrastructure to be targeted more accurately. Crucially, it also makes targeted subsidies possible. With reliable consumption data, government can identify who needs support and where they are, ensuring assistance reaches those at the bottom of the economic ladder. This is standard practice around the world.
For too long, Nigeria has relied on subsidies that are neither targeted nor supported by credible data, resulting in massive losses, fraud, and wastage. The petrol subsidy scandal that erupted in 2012 remains a vivid reminder of what happens when subsidies are applied indiscriminately: those who benefit most are often not those who need help the most. Metering, therefore, is of immense importance. It is one of the most underrated pillars of a functioning economy.
President Tinubu’s response to Nigeria’s metering challenge is the new Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI). For perhaps the first time, the issue is being driven by direct presidential intervention—an indication of how seriously the federal government views the problem.
As always, the devil is in the detail. The PMI has mobilised substantial funding from both federal and state governments to finance the rollout of the millions of smart meters required to close the gap. This marks a notable departure from previous efforts, which treated metering almost exclusively as a federal responsibility.
With state governments now involved, there is a broader sense of ownership—an important factor given that states hold equity stakes in the DisCos, who are ultimately responsible for deploying the meters.
Another point to note: the PMI rollout is expected to involve a mix of imported and locally assembled smart meters. The case for local meters is straightforward: Nigeria must deepen local content across all sectors of the economy. This has become even more pressing following the launch of the Nigeria First policy.
The argument for imported meters is equally compelling. The scale and urgency of the task mean that Nigeria cannot afford to rely on a single source. While local manufacturing capacity has grown in recent years, it is not yet sufficient to deliver millions of meters within a short timeframe. In short, patriotism must be balanced with pragmatism.
Beyond local manufacturing, the PMI also promises benefits for local technical capacity. A successful mass rollout will require thousands of trained technicians, creating opportunities for young Nigerians willing to acquire new skills. The initiative plans to oversee such training programmes in collaboration with public and private sector partners.
These skills will likely extend beyond meter installation, forming a foundation for broader electrical expertise applicable to construction, manufacturing, automobiles, and other sectors.
On paper, the PMI appears well thought out and carries many of the hallmarks of a potential jinx breaker. But it must prove itself in practice. Its success will ultimately be judged by the quality and speed of implementation, and by whether it truly departs from past initiatives that stalled or progressed at a crawl.
Public awareness will also be critical. This is where institutions such as the National Orientation Agency can play a supporting role, leveraging their national reach and renewed momentum. For the PMI to succeed, all hands must be on deck. This is not a task for government alone. Every stakeholder in the electricity value chain has a role to play in successful implementation—because when DisCos plug revenue leakages, they are better positioned to meet their obligations to generation companies, which in turn can pay their fuel suppliers. It is yet another example of the cascading benefits of effective metering.
Will the PMI live up to the high expectations surrounding it, or will it follow the path of previous interventions? In 2026, Nigerians should have a clear answer to this all-important question.
By Musa Ilallah, A public affairs analyst based in Abuja. He can be reached at musahk123@yahoo.com
As we embark on this promising year of 2026, my heart is filled with profound hope, deep gratitude, and an unshakable conviction in the bright future awaiting our beloved Kwara State. I empathize deeply with every Kwaran who has faced hardships in the past, yet I am profoundly inspired by the selfless, steadfast leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
In a nation grappling with formidable challenges, his quiet genius, marked by integrity, prudence, and an unwavering commitment to inclusive progress, positions Kwara as a shining example of effective governance.
This year, 2026, heralds not just survival, but genuine prosperity, built on solid foundations laid with foresight and dedication. The dawn of a new era is upon us, and under His Excellency’s guidance, Kwara is poised to thrive like never before.
A Bold Fiscal Foundation for Sustainable Growth and Security
The N644 billion 2026 Appropriation Bill, presented with such clarity and purpose, stands as a testament to Governor AbdulRazaq’s profound understanding of our state’s needs.
With nearly 66 percent allocated to capital expenditure, this budget is a sacred pledge to prioritize tangible, lasting development over short-lived measures. It focuses resolutely on completing ongoing projects while initiating new ones that will transform lives across all 16 local government areas.
Roads, bridges, water supply systems, modern healthcare facilities, and world-class educational infrastructure will emerge stronger, fostering connectivity, health, and knowledge for generations.
What moves me most deeply is the deliberate emphasis on security, a cornerstone without which no prosperity can endure.
By ring-fencing substantial resources for law enforcement enhancements, community safety programs, and initiatives like the recruitment of forest guards, the Governor demonstrates a heartfelt commitment to peace.
In recent days, we have seen schools reopen safely amid resolved security concerns, allowing our children to pursue education without fear.
This prudent approach not only shields our communities but attracts investment, safeguards agricultural yields, and nurtures an environment where families can flourish. Amid national uncertainties, Governor AbdulRazaq’s fiscal wisdom provides a shield of resilience, ensuring that Kwara remains a haven of stability and opportunity.
Transformative Reforms and a People-Centered Vision for Inclusive Prosperity
As an entrepreneur who has witnessed the struggles and triumphs of business in our state, the unveiling of the 2026 Action Plan for Ease of Doing Business fills me with immense pride and optimism. This comprehensive strategy, spanning key pillars such as modernizing land administration, promoting agricultural investments for food security, accelerating infrastructure delivery, and strengthening public-private partnerships, reflects visionary leadership at its finest. It is designed to create a truly conducive environment where businesses thrive, jobs multiply, and economic growth benefits all.
Particularly inspiring is the commitment to renewable energy, exemplified by the planned statewide solar farm project, which promises to illuminate rural and urban areas alike, powering socio-economic advancement sustainably.
This initiative, alongside broader reforms, will empower our youth, support farmers, and invigorate sectors like services, creative industries, and agribusiness. Governor AbdulRazaq’s inclusive governance, free from exclusion or division, resonates profoundly. His recent call during the APC e-registration for no one to be left behind, coupled with his New Year proclamation of 2026 as “a new dawn for Kwara,” stirs the soul and calls us all to unite in building enduring legacies.
We have already seen remarkable strides: revitalized education with incentives like the newly approved 27.5 percent Teachers Specific Allowance, upgraded healthcare, urban renewal in Ilorin, and expanded rural networks. In 2026, these seeds will blossom into abundant harvests, job creation for our teeming youth, enhanced livelihoods for families, and a Kwara more vibrant, viable, and prosperous than ever imagined. Even as national headwinds persist, His Excellency’s people-centered approach fosters unity, resilience, and broad-based progress.
In this defining year, Kwara will prosper because it is led by a governor whose genius manifests in dedicated execution, moral fortitude, and an enduring vision for the common good.
Under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, our Harmony State is not merely enduring challenges; it is ascending to unparalleled greatness. With profound conviction and heartfelt optimism, I affirm: Kwara’s most glorious days are here, and 2026 will inscribe this truth indelibly in our history. Let us embrace this journey united, for our state and its people deserve nothing less than excellence. Together, we shall witness the full flowering of this new dawn.
As the All Progressives Congress (APC) intensifies preparations ahead of the 2026 governorship election in Osun State, one name continues to resonate with clarity, credibility, and confidence across party structures and communities; Benedict Olugboyega Alabi (BOA), former Deputy Governor of Osun State and a proven financial expert with an enviable record of service, humility, and visionary leadership.
Widely respected for his calm disposition, strategic thinking, commitment to people-centered governance and readiness to listen to everyone, BOA has emerged as the most formidable and broadly acceptable aspirant within the APC family. His aspiration is shaped not by personal ambition alone, but by a sincere desire to restore unity within the party, rebuild trust among citizens, and reposition Osun State for accelerated development.
Having served meritoriously as Deputy Governor, BOA brings an insider’s understanding of governance, policy implementation, and what it takes to deliver impactful outcomes. His experience is combined with a refreshing moral compass, deep grassroots connection, and a reputation for integrity; qualities that make him the ideal standard-bearer for APC at a time when competence, credibility, and electability matter most.
BOA’s blueprint for Osun is bold yet practical. His agenda prioritizes mechanized agriculture for food security, robust healthcare delivery, infrastructural renewal, economic expansion, and opportunities for youth, women, artisans, and small businesses. His development philosophy is built on inclusivity; ensuring every zone of Osun feels the presence of government and enjoys equal access to prosperity.
Within the APC, BOA is regarded as a bridge-builder capable of uniting stakeholders, harmonizing interests, and leading a strong, cohesive campaign capable of reclaiming the state. His message has continued to inspire confidence across wards, local governments, and among key opinion leaders who see in him a reliable, visionary, unifier and electable candidate.
At a time when Osun requires stability, strategic development, and leadership with unquestionable character, BOA stands out unmistakably. His candidacy is a promise of renewal; a shift from politics of division to politics of progress; politics of inclusivity and from recycled promises to measurable results.
The All Progressives Congress has a defining choice to make: a choice that will determine not only the strength of the party going into the 2026 election but the future of millions of Osun citizens seeking purposeful leadership.
Hence, For APC, BOA represents the strongest, most trusted, and most prepared option to lead the party to victory and lead Osun to a new dawn.
Benedict Olugboyega Alabi is not just an aspirant; he is the leader Osun needs and the candidate APC can confidently present to the people.
BOA is ready. Osun is ready. APC must now move forward with its best.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and a beacon of potential on the continent, continues to navigate a complex landscape of economic reforms, security threats, climatic vulnerabilities, and global pressures as of late 2025. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, launched with ambitious goals of economic diversification, security restoration, infrastructure revival, and social welfare enhancement, remains the guiding framework for national progress. Yet, two and a half years into the administration, tangible outcomes in several critical sectors fall short of the urgency demanded by citizens facing daily hardships, from blackouts and food shortages to rampant insecurity and untapped cultural wealth.
The average Nigerian believes the buck stops at the table of the president, they are half right. There are the buck bringers, the ministers who work closely with him and this is addressed to them. This opinion, grounded in fact and data looks at performance in four pivotal ministries: Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy; Defence; Power; and Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. The intent is constructive: to highlight gaps not for blame, but to propel actionable reforms.
Harnessing Nigeria’s Vast but Underutilized Soft Power
Under Honourable Hannatu Musa Musawa, the ministry’s merger of tourism, arts, culture, and creative economy was visionary, aiming to position these sectors as pillars of non-oil revenue and job creation. Nigeria’s assets are unparalleled: over 1,000 annual festivals, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove and Sukur Cultural Landscape), 14 tentative listings, vibrant Nollywood (second-largest film industry globally), Afrobeats dominating international charts, and natural wonders like Yankari National Park, Obudu Cattle Ranch, and the Idanre Hills.
Yet, as of November 2025, performance remains disappointing. International arrivals hover below pre-COVID levels, with World Bank data showing stagnation around 1-2 million annually, far behind Kenya (over 2 million) or Rwanda (rapid post-pandemic recovery). Tourism contributes less than 5% to GDP, compared to 10-15% in peers like Thailand or Kenya. Revenue projections for 2025 are modest at $3-5 billion, per Statista and WTTC estimates, despite potential for $10-15 billion with proper harnessing. Domestic tourism, vital amid economic constraints, lacks aggressive promotion—Lagos’ “Detty December” generates millions but remains localized.
In just 365 days, under the astute leadership of Aare (Dr.) Abisoye Fagade, the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has done what previous administrations feared to even attempt: it has fully activated the NIHOTOUR Establishment Act 2022. Where others saw lawsuits and entrenched interests, Dr. Fagade saw a sacred mandate. He moved decisively to enforce registration, certification, grading, and regulation of practitioners across hospitality, travel, and tourism.
The physical transformation is breathtaking. From a mere six campuses and zonal offices, NIHOTOUR has exploded to twenty-nine locations across the federation in under twelve months.
This is not just brick-and-mortar expansion; it is a deliberate democratisation of skills and opportunities. Thousands of youths, women, and previously excluded practitioners now have access to internationally benchmarked training in culinary arts, tour guiding, hotel management, and customer service excellence. E-learning platforms have been scaled, curricula modernised, and partnerships with international bodies initiated. Perhaps most revolutionary is the regulatory courage displayed. Dr. Fagade’s three-phase strategy stakeholder dialogue, systematic implementation, and unapologetic enforcement (with security agencies where necessary) has forced compliance from powerful operators who had grown comfortable in the shadows. Hotels, travel agencies, restaurants, and event centres are now being graded and certified. Standards are no longer optional. Revenue that previously disappeared into private pockets is beginning to flow properly to government coffers and, more importantly, service quality is rising. Youth unemployment is being attacked at its root through genuine skill acquisition. Investors can now see a regulated, professional sector worth betting on. In one year, NIHOTOUR has become the brightest spot in Nigeria’s entire tourism ecosystem.
Few days ago, the Honorable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, in an act that can only be described as inexplicable, announced the immediate suspension of all NIHOTOUR enforcement activities nationwide. The very agency that has delivered the most tangible progress under the Renewed Hope Agenda; the one actually implementing President Tinubu’s diversification agenda while the ministry itself has remained largely invisible, has been deliberately crippled.
Challenges persist: insecurity deters visitors, visa processes are cumbersome (despite e-visa improvements), infrastructure at sites is poor (e.g., poor roads to Sukur), and marketing is fragmented. Initiatives like the D30 Data Platform (launched for creative economy insights) and collaborations with NIHOTOUR show intent, it should not be extinguished. Nollywood exports grow organically, yet government support for formal distribution and IP protection is inadequate. The creative sector employs millions informally but suffers from piracy and limited funding.
Comparatively, Rwanda’s “Visit Rwanda” campaign (Arsenal sponsorship) boosted arrivals 20-30% annually post-2018, generating billions. Kenya’s Magical Kenya brand and visa-free policies for Africans drove 32% growth in 2023-2024. Thailand’s integrated cultural-tourism strategy (festivals + eco-sites) yields over $60 billion yearly.
For the longest time, one project i have expected from the ministry has been a VR guided tour of the wonders of Nigeria; Old Kano city, The Ife sculpture, Benin walls, Igboukwu Terracotta carvings. Ease visas as Rwanda did, turning arrivals into millions. Fund creative hubs like Korea’s Hallyu wave, exporting Nollywood to billions. Certify sites for safety, involve communities as Benin kings once did their guilds. This is the chance to unlock 20 million job to rival the glory of oil.
Defence in an Age of Shadows
In the tales of old, Ogun, god of iron, forged weapons for justice, not tyranny. The Oyo Empire’s cavalry swept vast lands; Kanem-Borno’s knights repelled invaders across deserts. Leaders like Sunni Ali Ber of Songhai protected caravans, fostering peace for trade. Yet when shields cracked, empires fell to hubris.
Nigeria stands at such a monumental moment in our history, Hannibal stands at our gate, infact, to put it into proper context, Hannibal has already crept through the crevices. Boko Haram’s resurgence, bandits in Zamfara’s forests, Lakurawa’s terror in the northwest. In 2025 alone, over 2,266 killed in the first half, surpassing all of 2024. Some villages have been sacked overnight, hundreds killed. The schoolgirls of Chibok are in our rearview mirror, Just a few days ago, another school was ransacked, and school students were carted away again. Kidnappings haunt highways; 33 million face hunger partly from untended farms.
Honourable Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, the defense minister, is supposed to stand guard against these marauders; however, that has not been the case. To see real gains, we must seal loopholes that leak information to the insurgents, shift to population-centric counter-insurgency (COIN) and protect civilians first (Colombia model vs. FARC). Night operations, mobility upgrades; reduce special forces over-reliance. The need for oversight is needed; AI/drones for real-time surveillance. Community intelligence networks will be better.
Security is the lifeblood of investments; we cannot say foreigners or even local investors should come and put their money where insecurity reigns. Mohammed Badaru needs to tighten his belt. The military must come back to working for the people, not their own selfish agenda and ambition.
Powering Nigeria’s Path to Industrialization
Reliable electricity is the lifeblood of modernization. Under Honourable Adebayo Adelabu, the Ministry of Power has pursued reforms like tariff adjustments and the Siemens deal for grid upgrades. Yet, in 2025, challenges endure: frequent grid collapses, estimated losses of over N10 trillion annually to businesses from unreliable supply, and only about 4,000-6,000 MW generated against a demand exceeding 20,000 MW.
Public frustration is palpable; tariff hikes without corresponding service improvements have sparked outcry from labor unions. While privatization aimed at efficiency, distribution companies (DisCos) struggle with metering, theft, and collection. Rural electrification lags, exacerbating poverty.
Progress includes some mini-grid initiatives and renewable pushes, but the gap between policy and delivery widens hardship amid inflation. There have also been a number of power grid issues this year. To see more gains, there must full implementation of constitutional allowances for states to generate and distribute power. Support models like Lagos and Rivers’ independent projects. Aggressively pursue solar and hydro, targeting 30% renewables by 2030. Partner with private firms for off-grid solutions in rural areas, akin to Kenya’s M-KOPA success. Also the ministry should look into establishing an independent regulator with citizen representation to oversee tariffs and performance, ensuring hikes tie directly to service improvements.
A Compassionate Response to Vulnerabilities
With overlapping crises,displacement from insecurity, floods affecting millions, and economic shocks, the ministry (post-reshuffle under new leadership) manages safety nets like school feeding and cash transfers.
Yet, 2025 projections are grim: 33 million in acute food insecurity, up significantly, with Emergency levels nearly doubling. Floods submerged farmlands, cholera outbreaks surged, and aid access remains blocked in conflict zones. Past scandals eroded trust, though reforms aim to clean up.
This ministry is one on which there are weights of expectation and a lot of eyes look to. In a bid to revamp soiled reputation, transparency must be the order of the day. The ministry must work on integrating disaster management with agriculture for flood-resistant crops and early warning systems in partnership with states. Empower state emergency agencies and NGOs for faster response, reducing bureaucracy.
Nigeria’s challenges are surmountable with leadership that embraces feedback. To the Honourable Ministers of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy; Defence; Power; and Humanitarian Affairs: this is a professional appeal to redouble efforts. The Renewed Hope Agenda can shine brighter with innovative, inclusive, and accelerated implementation.
We, as patriotic Nigerians, stand ready to support through dialogue, expertise, and partnership. Let us move from critique to collaboration, for a secure, prosperous, and vibrant Nigeria.
It looks like Kwara PDP PRO Olusegun Adewara Sholyment is now working for the Kwara State Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC), inadvertently. The scope and quality of his press statements have helped to promote and edify the policies and decisions of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq more often than not, even if he thought he was attacking him.
Take, for instance, today’s own. Sholyment has rushed to write in acknowledgement of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s approval of another 8.1bn to pay the gratuities of state and local government retirees in Kwara.
This follows the N4bn released in January 2025 for the same purpose.
Since 2019, this administration has paid 20bn in gratuities in total — apart from the new approval. A vast amount of these funds was used to defray backlogs inherited from the previous administration.
The above shows that gratuities are gradually cleared but in phases because of other obligations, including the much-acknowledged building of several developmental projects across the state.
Like every Kwaran, Sholyment and his PDP folks are happy to witness the impact of a responsible and caring government steadily addressing critical issues of governance to improve the quality of life of the citizens. But in order to save face, he would claim that the Governor has taken action merely because of the criticism of a Bishop Isreal Amoo, who was himself, a staunch appointee of successive PDP-led administrations in Kwara.
Assuming without conceding this claim, how does that take anything away from the altruistic decision of the people’s Governor? It would rather further raise his stock as a democratic, humble, and patriotic leader who places high value on the feedback of the citizens regardless of their political leanings.
This shows his difference from the tone-deaf, obstinate, insensitive leaders who racked up the pension and gratuities arrears in the first place.
These were Senator Bukola Saraki and Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed between 2003 and 2019. They defaulted in paying pension and gratuities for retirees, but awarded themselves humongous packages as their own pension benefits.
We do not owe Bishop Amoo any apology. If Sholyment were to be fair, he should be helping the former governors from his party to draft one to Amoo and entire Kwarans for failing to prioritise the welfare of workers when they held sway. He should also encourage them to be thankful for the grace of a more competent and magnanimous predecessor who helps them to wipe their dirty behind.
The Governor’s approval, obviously, is beyond the comedy of that fact-free assertion at Oke-Onigbin that led to a deluge of more horrendous revisionist takes on gratuities and pension arrears in Kwara. It is inherent in his belief for probity, prudence, and respect for workers, as seen in the prompt payment of salaries, clearance of promotional exercises, and historic implementation of minimum wage twice in office.
Or, may I ask, who will PDP give the credits and ‘apologies’ for these? 😂
I recognise PDP’s profound lack of discernment that this is another moment of thanksgiving for the senior citizens for their trust in politics that works in 2019.
I wager that even Bishop Isreal Amoo now shares in this beautiful moment of fulfilment in dreams and possibilities under a purposeful government, which is held by Kwarans of all classes, who elected to vote Governor AbdulRazaq into office to clean the mess that had been made of our state. I commend their bravery, patience, and continued faith in his leadership.
However, the Governor also does not expect any gratitude from Bishop Amoo or the PDP for yet another action in cleaning the Augean stables. He simply did his job.
He would rather take pride in the joy and happiness with which thousands of people have received the announcement since yesterday. It is noted as a referendum in the governor’s style of progressive leadership that places the people first.
We hear you, Kwarans. We hear you. 👊
●Abdullateef is Senior Special Assistant to Kwara Governor on Communication
