Author: Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to position Nigerian businesses for greater participation in continental trade, taking its African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) campaign directly to stakeholders in Kano State. Leading the charge, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, spearheaded a Sub-national AfCFTA Public-Private-Press (P3) Engagement Tour in Kano from April 27 to 28, 2026. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to unlock opportunities within the AfCFTA framework, which offers access to a $3.4 trillion market spanning over 1.4 billion people across Africa.…

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has launched a sweeping reform initiative aimed at eliminating fake and substandard fire extinguishers across Nigeria, while creating over 150,000 jobs for young people. The initiative, tagged the Nigeria Fire Extinguisher Control (NFEC) programme, is being implemented in collaboration with the Federal Fire Service, under the leadership of Controller-General Olumode Samuel Adeyemi. Speaking on the development, the Minister described the proliferation of counterfeit, expired, and poorly maintained fire extinguishers as a persistent threat to public safety. He noted that many Nigerians unknowingly purchase defective…

The Lilypond Export Command (LEXC) of the Nigeria Customs Service has recorded a significant boost in export activities, processing goods worth $925.84 million in the first quarter of 2026. Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller S.O. Ariyibi, said the figure represented a 38.68 per cent increase compared to the $667.59 million recorded during the same period in 2025. Ariyibi attributed the growth to strategic stakeholder engagements and policy direction of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, aimed at enhancing trade…

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has completed the payment of outstanding arrears arising from the ₦32,000 pension increment approved for retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS). In a statement issued on April 27, 2026, the agency disclosed that a total of ₦1,734,592,000 was disbursed to 54,206 eligible pensioners, marking the full settlement of the one-month balance of the increment. The increment was approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and took effect from July 29, 2024. Breakdown of the payments shown that under the Parastatals…

The Federal Ministry of Interior has restated that innovation is central to driving positive change, strengthening reforms, and improving service delivery across the Nigerian public service. This position was made known by the Director of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Mrs. Gloria-Vera C. Azoro, during a training programme on innovation organised by the Ministry for its agencies in Abuja. Mrs. Azoro explained that innovation involves the practical improvement of existing processes or the introduction of new ideas that enhance efficiency, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness in government operations. She said the training…