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Insurgency, Fraud Pose Risks for Credible Election

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Professor Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
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Nigeria has made an effort to clean up voter registration for elections next February, but holding a credible poll is a daunting prospect amid chaotic distribution of ballot cards and an Islamist insurgency that could disenfranchise millions.

Reuters said that Nigeria’s last presidential poll in 2011 was deemed the cleanest to date in Africa’s most populous nation, but since previous elections had been characterized by ballot box snatching, intimidation of voters by armed thugs and completely made up results, this was a modest achievement.

The election will test whether Africa’s biggest economy can improve its patchy record on democracy.

“Looking at overt, simple forms of election manipulation, in 2011, there was a decrease and we think … that trajectory is going to continue,” Thomas Hansen of Control Risks says.

Yet questions remain over whether the coming elections will actually continue that trajectory.

The race largely between President Goodluck Jonathan and former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari on Feb. 14 is expected to be Nigeria’s most closely fought since the end of military rule in 1999, which will encourage both to play dirty.

A violent Islamist Boko Haram insurgency that has killed thousands will make voting almost impossible in swathes of the northeast, possibly disenfranchising millions.

New technology, such as biometric I.D. card readers, should make ballot box stuffing harder. But glitches have caused hundreds of thousands of voters to be struck out.

TEST FOR NIGERIA

The election must be seen as credible to avoid violence by the losing side. In 2011, 800 people were killed after Buhari lost to Jonathan.

The growing polarization of Nigeria between the largely Muslim north and majority Christian parts of the south, and ugly rhetoric on both sides, send ominous signals.

“The demonization of the opponent, the threats of violence, the accusations of plans to rig the election, the whipping up of ethnic and religious sentiments. The clouds are indeed dark,” wrote Azuka Onwuka in The Punch daily this month.

When Jonathan ran in 2011, northern elites said he scrapped an unwritten deal to rotate power between north and south every two terms. Amid the heightened tension, parties could use minor irregularities as an excuse to whip up violence.

Three states in the northeast under a state of emergency will be too dangerous for most election observers.

There are more than a million Boko Haram displaced who cannot vote unless the law changes to allow them to do so away from home, a move Parliament is considering.

Borno electoral commissioner Tukur Saad said the state had registered 11 camps for refugees, but many more were unregistered in schools and mosques.

Since many displaced did not take their voting cards when they fled, they may be unable to vote.

“Creating polling units in camps does not mean people will not be disenfranchised,” said Idayat Hassan of the Abuja-based Centre for Democracy and Development. “How many will actually have identification of any form with them?”

Insecurity will prevent voting in many places. Most of Borno’s 1.76 million voters won’t be able to vote.

“It’s a very tricky situation … We may only be able to hold the vote for … 600,000 voters,” Saad told Reuters.

The electoral commission has culled duplicates and fake names from the register in order to issue biometric voter cards, in a bid to curb practices like ballot box stuffing.

But 11.5 million people were, in some cases wrongly, struck off the list this year, Kayode Idowu , electoral commission (INEC) spokesman said, owing to data collection problems.

The total voter count fell to 58.9 million, from 70.4 million at the end of 2013. Voters wrongfully removed will have to queue up to re-register. Some won’t bother.

The fact that many were in strongholds of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), such as Lagos, rather than those of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), angered the opposition.

“I am worried this is the beginning of a plan to

disenfranchise Lagosians,” Lagos state governor Babatunde Fashola, himself stuck off the list, said last month.

Another worry for election observers is whether the card readers will be deployed in time and if they will work.

INEC says it anticipates the inevitable failure of some readers so extras will be supplied. The readers will run on batteries to escape frequent power cuts.

Idowu said that if a machine fails and a replacement is unavailable, the election will be delayed in that area. That would draw out an already fraught process.

In the Niger Delta, Jonathan’s home region, a history of political thuggery looks set to continue.

Two security sources say large amounts of weapons are being imported into the region. In past polls, militias carved out areas where they controlled voting. That could happen again.


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CAC Lists 15 Unregistered Firms Operating in Nigeria

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Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has warned Nigerians against dealing with 15 unregistered entities using company names and registration numbers that are not in the commission’s records.

CAC Lists 15 Unregistered Firms Operating in Nigeria

In a public notice signed by CAC Management, the commission said it had discovered the use of purported company names and RC numbers that are not registered with the CAC, urging the public to disregard them and verify all business information directly from its portal.

“The CAC remains committed to protecting the integrity of the Companies Register, upholding the law, and ensuring a safe and transparent business environment in Nigeria,” the CAC said.

According to the notice, the following are the entities not registered with the CAC:

Famas Services Nigeria Limited (RC: 216312)

Promo Dutch Investment Limited (RC: 396654)

Dialack Concept Nig. Ltd (RC: 297772)

Purpleheart Construction and Real Estate Mgt. Co. Ltd (RC: 1210548)

M/S Loktu Enterprises (BN: 373466)

Loktu Enterprises (BN: 400390)

Badatoyak Ltd (RC: 521322)

Johson Nats Limited (RC: 198492)

Peoples Club Nigeria International (CAC/IT/41191)

Jiba Enterprise (BN: 577523)

Civil Engineering Solutions Nigeria Limited (RC: 33001)

Gabdoff Hotel Ltd (RC: 112409)

Amoka Group (BN: 545221)

BEEC Nigeria Limited (RC: 30143)

  1. Adetunji (BN: 657466)

Explaining the reason for the commission’s publication, the statement noted that it aligns with its statutory role of maintaining an accurate and reliable companies register, protecting investors, and preventing fraudulent activities in the business environment.

The commission urged Nigerians to always confirm the status of any company or business name through its official portal.


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IHS Nigeria Leads Gender Based Violence Awareness Walk, Reaffirms Zero Tolerance with Advocacy Seminar

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Demonstrating unwavering commitment to a safe and dignified workplace, IHS Nigeria held an awareness walk followed by a high-impact seminar as part of activities to commemorate the global 16 days of activism to End Gender-Based Violence against women and girls.

The initiative underscored the organisation’s ongoing efforts to sensitize the community, educate employees, strengthen internal safeguards, and reinforce its zero-tolerance policy for all forms of harassment and abuse.

After the walk along Adeola Odeku and Idejo Streets on Victoria Island, employees convened for a seminar at the IHS Nigeria corporate head office, where Bukola Konkwo, Associate Director, Operations Excellence IHS Nigeria and one of the leaders of the Women in IHS Network (WIIN), reiterated the organisation’s position on gender-based violence in her opening remarks:

“Violence does not discriminate, and neither should our compassion. At IHS Nigeria, boldness is not just a value on paper, it is a call to action. We are intentional about ensuring every employee feels safe, respected, and empowered.”

The seminar featured two leading voices in Gender Based Violence advocacy. Titiola Vivour Adeniyi, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency and Nwanne Okafor, Victimologist and Gender Based Violence Advocate. Speaking during the seminar, Titilope stressed the urgency of prevention and education:

“Gender-based violence is not a special-class problem. Anybody can be a victim. Our responsibility is to know the signs, protect one another, and intervene early. When we know better, we do better.”

She also encouraged organisations to prioritise consent education, confidential reporting, and background checks, practices IHS Nigeria has already integrated through its Safe Zone Committee, a confidential support system for staff.

Nwanne Okafor, also spoke on the role of colleagues in recognizing and responding to abuse in the workplace:

“Many victims don’t need you to fix their situation, they need your support, your sensitivity, and your discretion. Speak up when necessary. Silence gives violence permission.”

Her session included real-life cases that underscored how abuse affects workplace productivity, mental health, and safety.

The awareness walk, saw both male and female staff members from across various departments marching in solidarity with survivors and advocates worldwide  and served as a public declaration of IHS Nigeria’s commitment to building a culture rooted in respect, safety, and accountability.

Reinforcing IHS Nigeria’s stand, during her  closing remarks, Titilope Oguntuga, Director, Sustainability, IHS Nigeria, captured the spirit of the event:

“This conversation doesn’t end today. Now that we know better, we must all do better, by advocating, supporting, and actively contributing to a workplace free of violence in any form.”

IHS Nigeria continues to strengthen its internal systems, policy frameworks, training programs, safe reporting channels, and continuous awareness sessions, to ensure that every employee is protected and empowered. The organisation reaffirms its zero-tolerance policy for any form of harassment, abuse, or violence, and remains committed to leading the corporate sector in progressive, people-centered safety standards.


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Nigeria’s GDP Rises to 3.98% in Q3 2025, Driven by Agriculture, ICT, and Finance

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Nigeria’s economy expanded by $3.98$ per cent in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday.

Nigeria’s GDP Rises to 3.98% in Q3 2025, Driven by Agriculture, ICT, and Finance

GDP

This growth rate marks a slight improvement from the $3.86$ per cent recorded in the same period of 2024.The report highlights a mixed but generally positive recovery across key sectors. Aggregate GDP in real terms stood at ₦57.03 trillion, up from ₦54.85 trillion in Q3 2024.

The Services sector remained the largest contributor to overall output at $53.02$ per cent, followed by Agriculture at $31.21$ per cent. Key growth drivers included crop production, telecommunications, real estate, trade, and financial services.

The non-oil sector continued to be the main engine of the economy, expanding by $3.91$ per cent. This strong performance outpaced both Q3 2024 ($3.79$ per cent) and Q2 2025 ($3.64$ per cent). Agriculture grew by $3.79$ per cent, driven predominantly by crop production.

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector posted a particularly strong real growth of $5.78$ per cent, with its contribution to real GDP rising to $9.10$ per cent. Furthermore, Financial and Insurance Services recorded a significant real growth of $19.63$ per cent.

In contrast, real growth in the Manufacturing sector slowed to $1.25$ per cent, down from $1.74$ per cent in the previous quarter.

The oil sector posted a real growth of $5.84$ per cent, a marginal increase from $5.66$ per cent in Q3 2024. This growth was linked to an average crude oil production rise to $1.64$ million barrels per day (mbpd), up from $1.47$ mbpd a year earlier.

Despite this positive change in output, the sector’s contribution to real GDP remains modest at **$3.44$ per cent$.Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, noted that while most sectors sustained positive momentum, growth remains uneven.

Strong gains in ICT, finance, agriculture, and trade were crucial in stabilizing overall output. This data aligns with projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which, in October 2025, revised Nigeria’s 2025 growth outlook upward to $3.9$ per cent, citing higher oil production, stronger investor confidence, and a supportive fiscal stance as key drivers.


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