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How Tinubu Could Shape GMB’s Government

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Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu picked the gauntlet and battled the challenges of his rather traumatic and difficult youth with courage only attributable to the lion-hearted.

Today, his relevance in Nigeria is a subject of mixed feelings depending on where you are coming from.

But one thing is certain, he is a hurricane and an important factor in the country’s equation according to this expose by Reuters.

Reuters began by quoting Tinubu as saying that “I am a talent hunter. I put talents in office, I help them,”

The former Lagos state governor and opposition alliance leaders according to Reuters is  being quite open about his role as one of Nigeria’s most powerful political godfathers.

“I use the best hand, the best brain, the best experience for the job,” he told Reuters after voting this month in a governorship election in Nigeria’s economic capital which, as expected, his handpicked candidate Akinwunmi Ambode won.

But it isn’t only in his traditional fiefdom in the ethnic Yoruba southwest that Tinubu has sought to be a kingmaker. His support for former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari was seen as a key factor in the latter’s win against President Goodluck Jonathan in the March 28 presidential election in Africa’s biggest economy and oil producer.

The pro-Buhari alliance that Tinubu headed, the All Progressives Congress (APC), rallied elites around Buhari in the southwest, Nigeria’s wealthiest region. That enabled Buhari to tackle a perception that his support lies only in the dust-blown, largely Muslim north. The religiously mixed southwest had voted overwhelmingly for Jonathan in the 2011 race.

So ‘The Jagaban’, an honorific title beloved of Tinubu’s supporters, could have much say in what reform policies the new government will focus on, and who fills which cabinet posts.

“The party he led is half of the APC. He can … lay claim to that power,” said Clement Nwankwo of the Situation Room civil society group. “Buhari will feel (an) … obligation to him.”

To supporters Tinubu, a Yoruba Muslim, is a wily political operator with a passion for getting the job done and a knack for picking bright, committed technocrats to do it. To critics he is a ruthless godfather who doles out lucrative contracts to his friends’ firms, insists on installing his man in office and is capable of sending in street thugs if he fails to get his way.

The APC, which came to power on anger over corruption and growing insecurity, has declined to speak publicly about policies.

THE JAGABAN

The Nigerian practice of political godfathering has long been criticized by rights campaigners as impeding democracy by enabling powerful oligarchs to capture state institutions.

But few deny that in Lagos, at least, the former governor managed to fix things no one thought fixable.

Under his tenure at the turn of the millennium and that of his successor Babatunde Fashola, a technocrat hand picked by Tinubu, the city scrubbed up dramatically. Trash got collected, crime fell, trees were planted and traffic was better managed.

“There were refuse mountains around, tax collection was very low,” recalls Folarin Gbadebo-Smith, a former council leader under Tinubu. “But very quickly he seemed to sort things out.”

Gbadebo-Smith noticed an advantage Tinubu has over other Nigerian “big men” is that you could disagree with him and he listened, changing his mind when faced with a good argument.

He also sets high standards, says Lagos waste management head Ola Oresanya, to whom Tinubu gave three months to make a noticeable difference or be fired.

“He likes to say ‘I promised I would do this, and I have.'”

But like other powerful political figures in Nigeria, Tinubu’s power resides largely in the huge patronage he wields, which has given him influence over, for instance, the ‘area boys’ — Lagos street toughs who run rackets and guard cars. Ingeniously, he gave some of them uniforms and turned them into traffic cops.

After he voted on April 11, a group of area boys mobbed The Jagaban, and he lectured them on their disorderly behavior.

“If you want me to do something for you, line up in an orderly manner. Then I can share my peanuts,” he told them, adding: “some of you have not even voted.”

A day later, when celebrations erupted outside his home, two groups of area boys got into a fight over money that had been distributed and they began hitting each other with planks of wood, a Reuters reporter saw. But interviewed later, many of them said they loved Tinubu since “he’s a man of the common people.”

A businessman close to him says although Tinubu runs a formidable business empire, he is often short of cash because he gives so much away to oil the wheels of patronage.

Yet Tinubu may have less influence over Buhari than he had hoped, argues Kayode Akindele, CEO of consultancy 46 Parallels.

“He didn’t really deliver in the southwest. It was only a slight lead,” he said, compared to the absolute thumping Jonathan received from voters in the largely Muslim north.

“The APC, post-elections, is now very northern,” he added. That could limit any influence The Jagaban has — and replicate the north-south rivalry that divided Jonathan’s outgoing party.


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FG Orders Installation of 5000 CCTV Cameras for Surveillance in Plateau

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate installation of 5,000 CCTV cameras across identified flashpoints in Plateau State as part of urgent measures to address the worsening security situation in the state.

FG Orders Installation of 5000 CCTV Cameras for Surveillance in Plateau

The President gave the directive during an emergency visit to Plateau on Thursday, where he held a brief stakeholders’ meeting at the Yakubu Gowon Airport following the recent killings in Angwan Rukuba, Jos, where at least 28 persons were killed by unidentified gunmen.

Tinubu also approved the formation of a delegation of key stakeholders to engage in further deliberations on lasting solutions to the security challenges in the state.

He condoled with families of the victims and directed that support be provided to cushion their losses.

President Bola Tinubu while expressing deep sympathy to families of victims said the installation of surveillance cameras was part of a deliberate move towards addressing the kind of attacks that befell residence of the recent attack in the State.

In his remarks, Governor Caleb Mutfwang appreciated the President’s visit and show of concern, but expressed worry over the recent wave of attacks in the state, describing the situation as disturbing and requiring urgent attention.

The meeting had in attendance, former Governors, serving and former National and State Assembly members, traditional rulers, government appointees as well as relatives of those killed in the Angwan Rukuba attack.


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FG Rolls Out N12Bn Digital Research Clusters to Boost Innovation Economy

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Federal Government yesterday unveiled a N12 billion investment in digital economy research, marking a strategic shift towards knowledge-driven development as Nigeria positions itself as a key player in the global digital landscape.

FG Rolls Out N12bn Digital Research Clusters to Boost Innovation Economy

Declaring the launch of the National Digital Economy Research Clusters under the Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE) project, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said the initiative mobilises over 200 researchers from universities and research institutions nationwide to produce data-driven solutions for pressing national challenges.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Tijani described the programme as an essential complement to infrastructure expansion, including the ongoing deployment of 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable across the country.

He stressed that sustainable growth in the digital sector now hinges on robust research, innovation and evidence-based policies rather than infrastructure alone.

“As Nigeria expands its digital economy, attention is shifting from infrastructure to the knowledge that drives it,” the minister stated, adding that the sector was emerging as a major contributor to national GDP.

The research clusters will tackle critical areas including connectivity, digital public infrastructure, skills development, job creation, online safety and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Tijani explained that the project aims to bolster Nigeria’s research capacity while ensuring local insights guide policy and technology adoption.

The Federal Ministry of Education is collaborating to synchronise academic research with national priorities and advance specialised training.

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, underscored universities’ evolving role as hubs of innovation and problem-solving beyond traditional learning.

The BRIDGE project aligns with broader government strategies to promote digital inclusion, spur economic growth and elevate Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.

Observers note that the programme’s impact will depend on effectively converting research findings into implementable policies across sectors.

For the administration, the message is clear: a resilient digital economy demands not just infrastructure, but the intelligence to power it.


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Myitura Launches Women-Focused Healthcare Financing Solutions to Bridge Access Gap

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In commemoration of Women’s Month, health-tech platform Myitura has released a new white paper addressing the critical gaps in healthcare financing for women in Nigeria.

Titled “Closing the Gap: Healthcare Financing for Women in Nigeria,” the report highlights how high out-of-pocket costs, limited insurance coverage, and socio-economic factors continue to prevent women from accessing timely healthcare.

According to the report, over 70% of healthcare expenses in Nigeria are paid out-of-pocket, disproportionately affecting women who often delay care due to financial and social constraints.

“When women can afford to take care of their health early, we don’t just save lives; we strengthen families, communities, and the economy,” said Chialuka Kelechi, MyItura’s Chief of Staff.

Key Insights from the White Paper:

  • Preventable conditions often escalate due to delayed care
  • Women are more likely to deprioritize their own health
  • Affordable, structured healthcare financing can significantly improve outcomes

Introducing a Women’s Health Initiative

As part of its commitment, Myitura is launching affordable women-focused health packages (powered by Mediloan), starting at ₦58,180, designed to encourage preventive care and early detection.

The package provides access to:

  • Fasting/Random Blood Sugar
  • Urinalysis
  • Electrolytes
  • Urea
  • Creatinine
  • Pap Smear Submitted slides
  • HIV I & II Rapid (Qualitative)
  • Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Screening (Rapid)
  • Hepatitis C Virus Screening (Rapid)
  • Abdominopelvic Ultrasound
  • Ongoing support via the Myitura platform

Access:

Women can access these packages by downloading the Myitura app, which makes healthcare more accessible and convenient.

Myitura is a health-tech platform focused on improving access to healthcare through financing, technology, and preventive care solutions.

 


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