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Bitcoin vs Gold: Understanding Safe-Haven Assets in a Volatile World
When investors are most unsure, they reach for assets that retain their value during market turmoil. For institutional and individual investors in Africa, including Nigeria, gold has been the go-to haven for several years. More recently, Bitcoin has been increasingly touted by its advocates as a digital alternative to gold because of its decentralized architecture, capped supply, and rising international profile.
Bitcoin vs Gold
In reality, matters are far more nuanced. Although Bitcoin certainly constitutes a profoundly important development in the field of digital money, it is not a stable store of value at this time. Instead, its price dynamics more closely resemble those of risk assets, such as major stock indices and speculative technology stocks.
Given the inflation pressures, currency devaluation, and exchange rate instability that encourage diversification beyond traditional financial instruments in Nigeria, the question is: Which asset can reliably preserve wealth? To understand what makes an asset a safe haven, one needs to be clear on the definition. A true safe haven preserves purchasing power during crises, maintains demand across economic cycles, and retains liquidity under stress.
Gold has met these criteria time and time again throughout the centuries and across geopolitical events. Bitcoin, in relative contrast, has shown high volatility, strong correlation with global risk sentiment, and rapid speculative inflows and outflows. These characteristics position it closer to a high-risk growth asset than a defensive hedge.
Why Gold Remains the Primary Safe-Haven Asset
Gold has been a store of value for millennia. Its value is independent of any government, central bank, or digital infrastructure, and of any external platform. The price of gold mainly responds to currency weakness, geopolitical tension, and macroeconomic uncertainty. When inflation grows or currencies lose their purchasing power, gold usually appreciates. This can be clearly seen in Nigeria in recent years, as inflation and a weakening Naira have led to increased domestic demand for gold as a means of capital preservation.
The stability of Gold is not accidental. Deep global liquidity, central bank participation, and sustained demand from industry and jewelry markets all underpin it. These structural characteristics reduce speculative volatility and create price behavior that, relatively speaking, is smoother during periods of global market stress.
Bitcoin Has More With Risk Assets
Bitcoin is often referred to as “digital gold” because of its limited supply and decentralized architecture. However, it behaves more like a high-beta market instrument in terms of price action. When global markets are higher and technology stocks are outperforming, Bitcoin tends to appreciate strongly, while it declines with equity indices when risk sentiment is poor.
For instance, during global risk-off events such as major central bank tightening cycles, Bitcoin has plunged along with stock markets. This is consistent with speculative capital exiting high-volatility assets first when liquidity tightens. A safe-haven asset should behave differently. It should either remain stable or appreciate during market uncertainty, not decline with broader markets.
Bitcoin’s sensitivity to leverage conditions, liquidity cycles, and risk appetite precludes it from being viewed as a defensive portfolio asset at this time. It remains a speculative growth asset, with its price driven by sentiment, innovation cycles, and capital flows from both retail and institutional traders seeking momentum opportunities.
Nigeria’s Inflation and the Search for Stability
The Nigerian economy has experienced its fair share of runaway inflation, currency turmoil, and foreign-exchange pressure. Against this backdrop, the difference between a speculative asset and a true store of value becomes material. Most Nigerians like Bitcoin because it is accessible, internationally mobile, and free from local currency constraints. Features like these make Bitcoin a valuable alternative for transactions and savings, especially when access to banking is limited or capital controls limit currency movement.
However, the ability to move capital does not translate into its value being preserved. Wealth protection requires stability. Gold provides this stability through centuries of price memory and broad demand. Bitcoin offers mobility and the growth potential, but mobility must not be confused with safety.
Complementary Rather Than Substitutive Roles
Gold and Bitcoin do not compete directly; they serve different roles within a portfolio. Gold is a foundational asset for stability, while Bitcoin can be used as a speculative vehicle, diversification tool, or to get exposure to digital innovation, but only as a controlled percentage of one’s capital. For most traders and investors, Bitcoin is an appropriate allocation, balanced by assets that maintain value regardless of global liquidity conditions.
A common framework amongst professional portfolio managers today is to consider gold a core defensive asset and Bitcoin a satellite holding of high conviction, which is sized according to one’s personal risk tolerance.
Stability vs Growth Potential
Gold stores value through stability and resilience in the long term. Bitcoin offers potential growth, but it is highly volatile and sensitive to global risk sentiment. For both investors and traders that want to protect capital while maintaining strategic flexibility in Nigeria, these will make a difference. Understanding the respective role of each asset leads to better portfolio construction and more sustainable financial outcomes.
Bitcoin is a powerful innovation and an important part of modern financial evolution. Gold remains the foundation for wealth preservation. The right balance does not depend on a question of preference but of purpose.
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Lagos State has become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to establish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Registry, a move aimed at strengthening climate governance, improving emissions accountability and accelerating the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Lagos State Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) was unveiled at the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, at a ceremony attended by Prof. Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, members of the State Executive Council, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, development partners, TPHG Technologies, the diplomatic and business communities, academics, civil society organisations and the media.
Describing the initiative as a landmark achievement in the state’s environmental sustainability drive, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said the Registry marks a defining moment in Lagos’ climate action journey and reflects Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to building a resilient, climate-smart and environmentally sustainable economy.
According to Ajayi, the digital platform will enable the state to accurately measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors, providing credible data to guide environmental policies and climate interventions.
He said the Registry would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve transparency and accountability, support national and international climate reporting obligations, unlock carbon market opportunities and boost investor confidence in Lagos’ environmental initiatives.
Ajayi also commended TPHG Technologies for providing the technical expertise that made the pioneering project possible.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abayomi described the Registry as a major milestone that positions Lagos at the forefront of climate governance and emissions accountability in both Nigeria and Africa.
He noted that climate change has evolved into a significant public health and governance challenge, stressing that access to reliable emissions data would enable the state to formulate evidence-based policies, attract climate financing, strengthen resilience and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Providing insights into the technical framework of the project, Dr. Mofoluso Fagbeja, lead consultant and chief executive officer, TPHG Technologies, explained that the Registry was developed from the greenhouse gas inventory jointly undertaken by LASEPA and TPHG Technologies in 2022, using 2019 as the baseline year for emissions assessment.
He said the platform is designed to close critical emissions data gaps, particularly within the industrial sector, while supporting effective climate policy implementation, emissions management and sustainable development.
Fagbeja also disclosed that the greenhouse gas inventory estimated that poor air quality contributes to about 35,000 premature deaths annually in Lagos, underscoring the urgent need for stronger emissions control measures and cleaner environmental practices.
In a goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Mrs. Adenaike Olunimpe Oludunni, federal controller of Environment in Lagos, commended Lagos State for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s climate commitments.
He said the Registry aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and supports the Federal Government’s Energy Transition Plan, while reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with Lagos State on climate governance and environmental sustainability.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
Nigeria and Israel yesterday reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation in research, technology and innovation as both countries pledged to expand partnerships that will drive entrepreneurship, commercialise research and accelerate economic development.
The commitment was made at the closing ceremony and innovation showcase of the I-FAIR Cohort of the Israel-Nigeria Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (I-FAIR) in Abuja, where the Ambassador of Israel to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, announced that funding had been secured for the fifth edition of the programme, scheduled to begin in October 2026.
Freeman described I-FAIR as a practical demonstration of the growing partnership between both countries, saying it had enabled Nigerian innovators to develop local solutions to national challenges through Israeli mentorship and expertise.
He said, “This programme has never been about bringing Israeli solutions to Nigeria. It’s been about helping brilliant Nigerian innovators develop Nigerian solutions to Nigerian challenges supported by Israeli experience, mentorship and innovation.”
The envoy noted that the initiative had brought together government, academia, investors, engineers and entrepreneurs to transform innovative ideas into businesses capable of creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.
Announcing the continuation of the programme, he said, “I am so proud to stand here today and announce that we have secured with our partners funding for I-FAIR 5 and I-FAIR 5 will be launching in October 2026.”
Freeman said the relationship between Nigeria and Israel had grown significantly over the past four and a half years through cooperation in innovation, agriculture, healthcare, education, water management and technology.
He expressed confidence that stronger collaboration between both countries would unlock greater opportunities for startups, research institutions and businesses.
According to him, “Israel brings experience and innovation, technology, agriculture, healthcare, cyber security, security and water management. Nigeria brings extraordinary talent, creativity, entrepreneurship and one of the most dynamic young populations anywhere in the world.”
He added, “I have no doubt that the best chapters of the relationship between Israel and Nigeria are still ahead of us.”
The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Architect Sonny Echono, also reaffirmed TETFund’s commitment to strengthening research and innovation through strategic partnerships with Israel and other stakeholders.
He said the I-FAIR programme aligned with Nigeria’s priorities in food security, agriculture, medicine, technology, clean energy and the circular economy, adding that TETFund would continue supporting initiatives that promote research commercialisation.
Echono stressed that collaboration between government, academia and industry remained critical to translating research findings into products and services.
He said, “It is this critical linkage, especially between science, engineering, technology and innovation, and the productive sector that is critical for translating R&D results and inventions into finished products for socio-economic benefits of our people.”
He disclosed that TETFund was working with partners to establish innovation facilities in about 60 tertiary institutions and had created a student innovation fund that would provide up to ₦50 million to students with commercially viable ideas.
The TETFund boss also announced plans for a National Research Fair later this year, where innovators would showcase products before policymakers, financial institutions and investors to attract funding and commercial partnerships.
Paying tribute to the outgoing Israeli ambassador, Echono described Freeman as a strong bridge between Nigeria and Israel.
He said, “Nigeria is grateful for your service. You have been a strong bridge between our two countries.”
Earlier, Head of Programmes at Innov8 Hub, Tolulope Aina, said sustainable economic development depended on building an innovation ecosystem that transforms ideas into successful businesses.
She noted that Innov8 Hub had supported more than 3,000 innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs, helping them convert research into products, startups and investment-ready ventures.
Aina said, “Nigeria does not suffer from a shortage of brilliant minds, what we need are stronger pathways that help those ideas become products, businesses, and opportunities that improve life.”
She thanked the Embassy of Israel and TETFund for their continued support in strengthening Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
According to her, “Building an innovation-driven economy requires collaboration, long-term commitment and shared purpose.”
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