On Thursday, July 30, 2026, Saudi Arabia announced the formation of a 14-member Multinational Maritime Defence Coalition, ostensibly to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. Its practical objective is to break the Houthi naval blockade of Saudi Arabia declared on July 20. The founding members are Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Bangladesh and, yes, Nigeria. Turkey, which has one of Europe’s largest militaries, brings NATO membership, a powerful navy and a strong economy. Pakistan, a nuclear power, is also being courted by the United…
Author: Editor
The Sokoto State Government, in partnership with the European Union (EU), UNICEF and other development partners, has unveiled a 10-year education strategy aimed at improving access, inclusion and learning outcomes across the state. The State Education Strategic Plan (SESP) 2026–2035, alongside the State Education Sector Operational Plan (SESOP) 2026–2028 and Local Education Sector Operational Plans (LESOPs) 2026–2028, was unveiled on Friday at a dissemination workshop in Sokoto. The plans are designed to make education more equitable and disability-inclusive while strengthening the sector’s ability to withstand insecurity, displacement, emergencies and climate-related challenges. The LESOPs cover eight local government areas: Gada, Tureta,…
There is a health crisis in Nigeria that remains largely invisible, insufficiently measured and dangerously normalised. Nigerians breathe polluted air in their homes, on congested streets, at workplaces, in markets and around the generators that power homes and businesses. Smoke from firewood and charcoal, vehicle emissions, industrial pollution, construction dust, open waste burning and occupational exposure to dust, fumes and chemicals all contribute to the problem. In oil-producing communities, gas flaring adds another source of exposure. These are not merely environmental problems. They are public health risks that contribute to respiratory disease, disability and premature death. Tuberculosis (TB), pneumonia, asthma,…
Telemedicine presents one of Nigeria’s most promising healthcare investment opportunities, but unlike many digital startups, success depends as much on regulatory compliance as technological innovation. Investors who understand the country’s legal and institutional framework are better positioned to build scalable, compliant and commercially sustainable healthcare businesses. Nigeria’s Regulatory Framework Nigeria does not yet have a single standalone Telemedicine Act. Instead, telemedicine operates within an evolving framework of health, data protection and technology laws administered by multiple regulatory agencies. The National Health Act, 2014 provides the legal foundation for healthcare delivery by establishing standards for quality, patient safety and healthcare governance (Federal…
For centuries, one of the most effective weapons of political combat, especially in very hierarchical societies, has been the deployment of invective. Recipients feel devalued, ridiculed and humiliated. Issues are evacuated and emotive responses takeover the political terrain. Sir Louis Phillip Odumegwu Ojukwu, OBE (1909 – 1966), Nigeria’s first billionaire who lent his car for the use of Queen Elizabeth, abandoned politics the day a “common thug” abused him at an NCNC meeting. Sanusi Dantata also abandoned politics when a thug insulted him while he was presiding over the inaugural meeting of the Kano branch of the National Party of Nigeria…
The future of telemedicine investment in Nigeria will not be determined by technology alone. It will be shaped by the ability of investors to solve practical healthcare problems while building trusted partnerships across the healthcare ecosystem. Companies that combine innovation with strong governance, regulatory compliance and commercial discipline are likely to become the market leaders of the next decade. Directory of leading telemedicine companies in Nigeria CompaniesHeadquartersPrimary FocusMobihealth InternationalIkeja, LagosTelemedicine, specialist consultations, remote diagnostics, international healthcare accessDRO HealthVictoria Island, LagosDigital primary healthcare, pharmacy integration, subscriptionsMyMedicalBankIkeja, LagosElectronic Medical Records (EMR), telemedicine and digital health managementTalktoMeDocIkeja, LagosVirtual consultations, AI-enabled digital healthcare solutionseMedical…
There was a time in Nigeria when politics sought accomplished men. Today, accomplished men increasingly avoid politics while politics pursues those who have accomplished little outside it. That quiet reversal, more than any constitutional defect or electoral malpractice, explains why our democracy has struggled to produce the quality of leadership its founding fathers envisioned. We often lament vote-buying, political violence, godfatherism, judicial controversies and the endless defections that have reduced party platforms to mere transit camps. Yet these are not the disease. They are symptoms of a deeper structural collapse that has received far less attention. Somewhere along the journey,…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced the commencement of the second cohort of its Regulatory Sandbox Programme, with a new dual-track structure designed to support responsible innovation in virtual assets and data-enabled financial services. The programme, which opens for applications on August 12, 2026, and closes on August 31, 2026, will run under two dedicated tracks: the Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) Track and the Data-Enabled Financial Services Track. A statement signed by the Acting Director, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations Department, Mrs Hakama Sidi Ali, said the VASP Track will support innovative solutions in virtual assets, stablecoins,…
The cost of borrowing in Nigeria remains an important consideration for households and businesses even as banks report improved access to credit, with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s second-quarter 2026 Credit Conditions Survey showing that lending-rate spreads moved differently across various categories of borrowers. The survey showed that while lenders increased the availability of secured, unsecured and corporate credit in the second quarter, the cost of credit did not move in the same direction for all borrowers. Lending-rate spreads narrowed for some categories but widened for others, highlighting the different borrowing conditions faced by households, small businesses and larger companies.…
My response to an open letter addressed to Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, which questioned the essence of Muslims occupying political offices while Muslims remain hungry, deprived of their rights and allegedly unable to freely practise their religion, is that the debate must go beyond who occupies political office.f A friend, Sina Fasakin, recently sent me a copy of the open letter, prompting me to reflect on a question that Muslims and Christians alike ought to ask: What exactly is the meaning and benefit of a Muslim-Muslim ticket in a country as religiously diverse as Nigeria if it does not translate into…