News
Gen. Buhari’s Presidential Bid Could Spark Northern Anger
General Muhammadu Buhari , yesterday declared he would run for president, criticising President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration for corruption and failing to tackle the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency.
The former military ruler’s bid for a ticket under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), if accepted, would pit him against Jonathan for a second time.
Buhari lost to Jonathan in the 2011 election but he is generally believed to be above board having won rare reputation for fighting graft, according to Reuters.
But he is considered too old for governance and could become a lightning rod for northern anger
Reuters reported that addressing thousands of cheering supporters in a white traditional robe, dark glasses and a green skullcap, Buhari berated the government for failing to stamp out insecurity.
“Nearly all are in fear of their lives … due to insurgency by the godless movement called Boko Haram, by armed robbers on the highways, by kidnappers who have put whole communities to flight,” he said in his bid in the capital Abuja for the All Progressives Congress ticket.
Thousands have died in Boko Haram’s increasingly bloody campaign to carve an Islamist state out of the religiously=mixed country, Africa’s biggest economic power and oil producer.
Jonathan, a Christian southerner, has yet to officially declare his intention to run, but is widely assumed to be going for another term. Abuja is festooned in smiling campaign posters touting his achievements and calling for “continuity”.
“I … present myself before you … and before God seeking to be elected as APC’s Presidential candidate,” said Buhari, a Muslim northerner.
Buhari won a rare reputation as a fighter against corruption during his timing ruling Nigeria from 1983-85. Most Nigerians agree he did not use the presidency to enrich himself and his backers. His iron-fisted administration jailed several politicians on graft charges.
He had been expected to run and faces ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar in the primaries on Dec. 2. Abubakar declared his intention to run late last month.
Jonathan’s assumed intention to run has been welcomed by elites from his powerbase in the largely Christian south but has upset many in the mostly Muslim north, who argue he tore up an unwritten rule that power rotates between north and south every two terms, when he ran in 2011.
Jonathan took over from northern leader Umaru Yar’Adua, when he died in 2009 during his first term.
At the start of this year the opposition coalition was looking stronger than any has since the end of military rule in 1999, after a wave of defections from the ruling party, including by Abubakar and several lawmakers.
But failure to agree on who should lead the party in the polls has made it look weaker and more divided. Jonathan meanwhile faces no opposition within the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which also poached some APC members.
If Buhari wins the ticket but loses the poll, he is likely to become a lightning rod for northern anger at the perception that power has become concentrated power in the oil-rich south of Africa’s leading energy producer.
More than 800 people were killed and 65,000 displaced in three days of violence in the north after Jonathan’s 2011 win.
“Nigeria in my experience has never been so divided, so polarised by an unthinking government hell-bent on ruling and stealing forever whatever befalls the country,” Buhari said.
The APC was created out of four regional parties last year. Its core support is in the north and the religiously-mixed southwest, including the commercial capital Lagos, where a formidable chunk of Africa’s biggest economy is based.
Buhari is popular in the north, as is Abubakar, but it is unclear whether the mostly ethnic Yoruba southwest would vote en masse for either of them, even while it remains majority APC at the level of lawmakers and state or local governments. (Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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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