Ugo Ugochukwu Makes History as 2026 FIA Formula 3 Champion

At 19, Ugo Ugochukwu has reached a landmark moment in his young racing career, becoming the 2026 FIA Formula 3 champion after a dramatic season finale in Madrid, Spain.

The Nigerian-American driver sealed the championship on Sunday at the newly built Madring circuit with a second-place finish in the Feature Race for Campos Racing. The result not only secured his first FIA Formula 3 crown but also made him the first American to win the championship.

It was a fitting end to a season in which Ugochukwu had to withstand a sustained challenge from British driver Freddie Slater before producing when the title was on the line.

The championship had remained unsettled until the final weekend. Slater had taken control after the Budapest round in July, where he defeated Ugochukwu in the Feature Race and opened an eight-point advantage heading into the summer break. By the time the championship reached Madrid, Slater's lead had stretched to 15 points.

Ugochukwu needed a major response, and his qualifying performance gave him the platform to mount one. While he delivered a strong showing, Slater struggled in the opening session, leaving the championship finely poised for the final race.

Finland's Tuukka Taponen ultimately won the Madrid Feature Race, but it was Ugochukwu's second-place finish that decided the championship. Slater could manage only eighth, allowing Ugochukwu to overturn the deficit and finish the season 14 points clear at the top of the standings.

The achievement crowns a campaign that had announced Ugochukwu as one of the leading young talents in the FIA's junior single-seater ranks.

Born in New York and of Nigerian descent, Ugochukwu has pursued a racing career with the ambition of reaching Formula 1. His progress had already attracted the attention of McLaren, where he was previously part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme, placing him among the young drivers identified by the British Formula 1 team as potential future stars.

His 2026 campaign with Campos Racing began with an early statement of intent. In March, he claimed his maiden Formula 3 victory in the Melbourne Feature Race. He later added another victory at Silverstone, producing one of the season's emphatic performances when he dominated the Sprint Race and won by 17 seconds.

Those victories were part of a campaign that demanded more than outright pace. The Budapest setback put Slater in front, and the growing points deficit meant Ugochukwu entered the final round needing to recover ground against a rival who had held the advantage for much of the closing stages of the championship.

With the title still within reach, Ugochukwu kept his focus through the decisive race. He did not need to chase the winner at all costs; second place was enough, provided Slater remained behind him. When Slater finished eighth, the calculations fell in Ugochukwu's favour.

As the first driver representing the United States to win the FIA Formula 3 Championship, Ugochukwu has secured a place in the history of a series that has long served as an important proving ground for drivers aspiring to Formula 1.

The championship has previously been won by drivers who went on to reach Formula 1, among them Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto. Formula 3 remains a critical stage in the progression towards Formula 2 and, ultimately, the world's highest level of single-seater racing.

The Nigerian-American teenager now leaves Formula 3 as its champion, having turned a 15-point final-round deficit into a 14-point championship margin. At 19, he has already crossed one of the significant thresholds in the long journey towards Formula 1.

Yoruba film puts Nigeria on the frontier of AI-powered cinema

A Nigerian Yoruba-language film is making an ambitious entry into the global conversation about artificial intelligence and the future of cinema.

Asiri Ilu Awon Osu (Mystery of Osu Land), produced by Tanwa Hammed, is being described by its makers as the world’s first photorealistic AI feature film. The production blends artificial intelligence with conventional filmmaking while maintaining a distinctly Nigerian cultural identity.

Completed in September 2025, the film predates the public announcement of the American AI movie Deep Frame by several months, according to the Nigerian production team. The filmmakers say the timeline forms a key part of their claim to an early place in the development of AI-powered feature filmmaking. The project has also received recognition at the G-Spark Tech Summit.

At the heart of the production is a hybrid filmmaking model. Rather than relying entirely on artificial intelligence, Asiri Ilu Awon Osu comprises approximately 80 per cent AI-generated or AI-assisted material and 20 per cent live-action performances.

The technology was integrated across the creative process, with the filmmakers using AI in developing the storyline, characters and cinematic environments rather than limiting its application to individual images.

The film is entirely in Yoruba and incorporates Nigerian cultural elements, bringing a local identity to a project exploring technology at the cutting edge of modern filmmaking.

Hammed said the team intentionally delayed a major publicity campaign after completing the movie because the production had already been submitted to Guinness World Records and was awaiting verification.

“We deliberately delayed the public media campaign because we had already submitted our breakthrough to Guinness World Records and were waiting for official verification,” she said.

The producer believes the production date strengthens the film’s claim, arguing that it was completed before other documented projects that have subsequently been associated with similar AI filmmaking milestones.

“This distinct timeline proves that no other documented feature film had successfully merged artificial intelligence with traditional cinema before the Nigerian team’s September completion date,” Hammed said.

Hammed also pointed to the production method as another distinction between the Nigerian film and Deep Frame, which she described as a completely automated American production.

“Beyond its historical head start, Asiri Ilu Awon Osu stands out from the completely automated American film by utilising a distinct hybrid filmmaking model,” she said.

The project has also drawn attention to questions about whether AI can produce convincing, photorealistic cinema without visible distortions in human faces, backgrounds and other visual details.

Hammed has challenged critics to judge the finished production rather than base their assessment solely on assumptions about the technology’s limitations.

The filmmakers are inviting industry professionals and audiences to examine the film’s trailer and production records as they pursue wider recognition for the project.

Although Guinness World Records is yet to complete its verification, Asiri Ilu Awon Osu has already placed a Nigerian production within an increasingly important global conversation about AI and cinema.

More importantly, the project shows how emerging technology can be used alongside human performance and indigenous storytelling without abandoning cultural identity. Through Yoruba language, Nigerian themes and a blend of live-action and AI-assisted production, the filmmakers have taken a distinctly Nigerian approach to an evolving form of cinema.

If the Guinness World Records claim is verified, the achievement could further strengthen Nigeria’s place in the history of AI filmmaking. Regardless of the outcome, the production has demonstrated that Nigeria’s creative industry can engage with new filmmaking technologies on its own terms and contribute to the direction in which cinema is heading.

Nigerian Scientist Co-Leads US Study Uncovering Bacterial Weakness

A Nigerian scientist, Kehinde Adebiyi, has co-led a study at Indiana University in the United States that has uncovered an unexpected weakness in the way bacteria build the structures they use to move.

The finding centres on flagella, the whip-like structures that propel bacteria, and the cell wall, the protective layer that keeps bacterial cells intact.

Working with American researcher Caroline Dunn, Adebiyi, a researcher in the Department of Biology at Indiana University, Bloomington, found that assembling flagella can place unexpected stress on the bacterial cell envelope.

The researchers made the discovery while working with Bacillus subtilis, a harmless soil bacterium widely used as a model organism in studies of bacterial growth, movement and cell biology.

The importance of the work lies in the link it establishes between two processes that are often considered separately. As a bacterium constructs the machinery required for movement, that same activity can put pressure on the structure responsible for protecting the cell.

Adebiyi said the result underscores the value of fundamental research, particularly studies built around basic questions about how microorganisms function.

Speaking with Diaspora Tales, he said, “The exciting part of this work is that a structure we normally think about only in terms of movement can actually create vulnerability in the bacterial cell envelope. Our findings show that flagella assembly and cell-wall maintenance are much more connected than we previously appreciated.”

The research, published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was partly supported by the United States National Institutes of Health.

For bacterial cells, movement is not simply a matter of propulsion. The construction of the machinery that makes movement possible has consequences for the cell’s physical integrity. That relationship, brought into sharper focus by the Indiana University study, adds an important detail to scientists’ understanding of bacterial biology.

It is also a reminder of what careful basic science can yield. A question about how a harmless soil bacterium moves has led researchers to a previously unrecognised connection between locomotion and the upkeep of the bacterial cell wall.

Queen Temi-T Earns International Recognition After 17 Years in Media

Seventeen years into a career that has taken her through several areas of the media industry, Nigerian broadcaster Temitope Chikezie, popularly known as Queen Temi-T, has earned her first victory at the GX Awards.

Chikezie was named Outstanding International Radio Presenter of the Year at the 2026 GX Awards held in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

The international recognition adds to a career built across radio presentation, news reporting, red-carpet hosting, writing, media consultancy and media management.

It also marks a remarkable moment in a journey that has included several nominations without a corresponding win at some of the industry’s major award platforms.

At the Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards, Chikezie received nominations for Indigenous Newscaster of the Year in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. She returned to the awards in 2026 as a nominee for Best Indigenous Language Radio Presenter. Her name also featured in the Female OAP category at the All Radio Awards in 2025 and 2026.

One of her notable successes came in 2025 at the Kingdom Achievers Awards, where she was nominated for Gospel Presenter of the Year and went on to win the category.

Now known as “The Jolijoli Queen,” Chikezie continues to practise her craft on Lasgidi 90.1FM in Lagos, presenting daytime broadcasts from Sundays to Fridays.

For her, the Birmingham honour reflects a professional philosophy shaped by years of working in an industry where recognition does not always arrive at the same pace as effort.

She believes consistency, discipline, professionalism, resilience and continuous self-development can eventually open doors, even when earlier attempts appear to have gone unrewarded.

“Sometimes, you will be nominated and you won’t win. Sometimes, you will work incredibly hard and somebody else will take the recognition but you must keep going. Your consistency may be preparing you for the moment when your name will finally be called,” she said.

The broadcaster described the latest award as an encouragement to remain committed to her work, particularly during periods when recognition is not immediate.

She expressed gratitude to the GX Awards organisers and judging panel, while acknowledging her family, fans, colleagues, industry friends, bosses, and past and present management teams for their contributions to her journey.

Rather than viewing the international award as the peak of her career, Chikezie considers it another reason to keep improving and creating an impact through the media.

“Seventeen years in, I am grateful for how far I have come, and I am even more excited about what lies ahead,” she said.

The award therefore arrives not as a full stop to Queen Temi-T’s media story, but as another marker in a career that continues to evolve.

At 68, Nigerian grandfather proves that dreams have no expiry date

“Your dreams do not expire because of your age.”

For Chris Osagbaekhoe, those words are not a motivational slogan but they are the lesson he has drawn from a journey that has taken him from Nigeria to south-east London, through academic setbacks and personal challenges, and ultimately to a first-class university degree at the age of 68.

The Nigerian-born grandfather has graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London, with first-class honours in Social Work, completing a four-year course he undertook as a mature student after enrolling at the age of 64.

His achievement is particularly important because the qualification is closely connected to experiences that have shaped his own life.

Osagbaekhoe is a father of four, grandfather of 12 and a person living with a disability. Rather than allowing his circumstances to define his limitations, he has turned his lived experience into a reason to advocate for others, particularly people whose struggles often leave them without a strong voice.

“There are abilities in disability. My lived experience has given me empathy, understanding and the determination to empower others,” he said in a report published by Goldsmiths.

That desire to empower people was also at the heart of his decision to pursue Social Work.

“Part of the inspiration was to empower people to empower themselves, and part of the motivation was to be a voice to the voiceless – that was my inner drive,” Osagbaekhoe told the BBC.

His path to the first-class degree was not a straightforward one.

Osagbaekhoe began his Social Work degree in 2022, but Goldsmiths said he later transferred to the university in 2024 after experiencing setbacks in his academic journey.

Yet the difficulties did not persuade him to abandon the goal and by the time he walked across the graduation stage, the qualification represented not only years of study but also the resilience required to continue when circumstances could easily have provided an excuse to stop.

“I’m happy there were challenges along the way, but because of resilience and faith, and the support from Goldsmiths University, we are celebrating success today,” he said after receiving his degree.

For a man who had already studied Psychology and Counselling between 2013 and 2015, returning to higher education was another chapter in a continuing pursuit of knowledge. Born and raised in Nigeria, Osagbaekhoe now lives in Thamesmead, south-east London but education for him, has never been simply about collecting qualifications.

Goldsmiths said his experience has strengthened his commitment to supporting vulnerable people, protecting families and helping individuals overcome difficult circumstances. He has found particular satisfaction in seeing people recover their confidence and regain their dignity.

“Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than seeing people overcome adversity, regaining confidence and living with dignity,” he said.

Now, even after reaching a milestone that many would regard as the end of an academic journey, Osagbaekhoe is already looking ahead.

Goldsmiths said he is seeking his first position as a qualified social worker. According to the BBC, he also hopes to establish a community project for young people, with the intention of helping them stay away from crime.

He also hopes his story will resonate particularly with mature students and people living with disabilities, encouraging them to reconsider the limits they may have placed on their own ambitions.

His message is rooted in the value of experience. Osagbaekhoe believes that the qualities accumulated through life including resilience, compassion and wisdom, can become powerful assets rather than obstacles.

“If I can achieve this at 68, others can too,” he said.

“People are often far stronger and more capable than they realise. Life experience builds resilience, compassion and wisdom, qualities that are invaluable in social work and in life.”

Dr Carmen Yau, a Lecturer in Social Work at Goldsmiths, described his journey as one of “extraordinary determination, courage, and hope.”

Yau said his experience demonstrates the transformative power of education at any stage of life and reflects core values of social work, including a belief in people's potential, resilience and hope.

For Osagbaekhoe, those principles are no longer merely academic concepts but have become part of a life story that began in Nigeria, continued through years of learning and challenges, and has now produced a first-class degree at 68.

His graduation may have marked the completion of one course, but the message he leaves behind is considerably bigger than the certificate he received.

Age may measure how long a person has lived but it does not determine how much more they can achieve.

Tobi Amusan Secures Silver at World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Tobi Amusan has added another international podium finish to her decorated career, taking silver in the women’s 100m hurdles at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on Friday.

The Nigerian crossed the finish line in 12.34 seconds to secure $75,000 in prize money, finishing behind American Masai Russell, who stormed to victory in 12.22 seconds and collected the $150,000 winner’s purse.

For Amusan, the final was the culmination of a demanding route through the championship. She had booked her place in the medal race after running 12.49 seconds to finish second in her semi-final.

Devynne Charlton won that semi-final in 12.45 seconds, edging Amusan by four hundredths of a second. But the Bahamian could not carry that advantage into the final, eventually finishing fourth in 12.40 seconds.

Russell, meanwhile, maintained the momentum that had seen her record the fastest semi-final time, producing another commanding performance when the medals were at stake.

The result also brought Amusan’s season-long battle with Russell into sharper focus.

Friday’s final marked the third consecutive occasion this season on which Russell has finished ahead of the Nigerian. Their rivalry reached a defining moment at the Zurich Diamond League, where Russell not only defeated Amusan but also ended her four-year reign as the world-record holder.

At the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, Russell clocked a stunning 12.09 seconds, taking three hundredths of a second off Amusan’s 12.12-second world record.

Amusan had set that mark in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, and held the world record for four years before Russell’s breakthrough.

Russell also finished ahead of Amusan at the Diamond League Final in Brussels, where the Nigerian placed fourth.

Yet, even with the world record now under new ownership and Russell establishing herself as the athlete to beat, Amusan’s consistency at the summit of global hurdles remains unbeatable.

Her silver medal in Budapest closes the season with another major international honour and a $75,000 reward, reinforcing the Nigerian hurdler’s enduring place among the elite of world athletics.

Nigeria Set to Deploy Four New Satellites for Security, Agriculture, Others

From tracking changes on the ground to improving how the country responds to security and environmental challenges, Nigeria is preparing to expand the amount of information it can obtain from space.

The Federal Government has approved the development and deployment of four new satellites, a move expected to strengthen the country’s ability to observe its territory and apply space-generated data to important national priorities.

The new satellites will be developed and deployed through the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), with applications spanning national security, agriculture, environmental monitoring, disaster management and urban planning, among other areas of national development.

At the heart of the project is a combination of technologies designed to give Nigeria greater flexibility in gathering information. The constellation will consist of three optical satellites and one Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite.

The SAR component is quite strategic because it can gather information in conditions that may restrict conventional optical observation. It can operate at night and through cloudy conditions, giving Nigeria an additional means of obtaining timely information about its land and environment.

For a country as large and diverse as Nigeria, stronger earth observation capabilities can provide government institutions with a clearer picture of developments across different parts of the country. Such information can support security operations, agricultural activities, environmental assessment, disaster response and the planning of growing urban areas.

The project also points to a departure in how Nigeria is building its technological capacity. Rather than limiting satellite technology to scientific exploration, the government is positioning space-based systems as practical tools for addressing challenges and improving the quality of information available to decision-makers.

The approval signifies Nigeria’s continued investment in science, technology and innovation, while reinforcing the strategic role of NASRDA in developing the country’s space capabilities.

With the planned four-satellite constellation, Nigeria is seeking to strengthen not only what it can see from space, but also how effectively that information can be turned into better planning and evidence-based decision-making on the ground.

Samuel Ayeloja Takes Fourth Place at Manhunt International 2026 in Sri Lanka

Samuel Ayeloja has finished fourth at the 24th Manhunt International competition in Colombo, Sri Lanka, giving Nigeria another strong result on the global male pageantry circuit.

The Lagos-born model reached the final four after progressing through three successive cuts, moving from the Top 20 to the Top 10 and then the Top 5 before taking the 3rd Runner-Up position.

The final was held on Wednesday, 9 September 2026 and Dylan Palmerini of France won the title, securing a second consecutive Manhunt International victory for his country. India and Puerto Rico occupied the other positions ahead of Ayeloja, while Vietnam finished as 4th Runner-Up.

Ayeloja had already distinguished himself before the final night. During the preliminary rounds, he won the Best Fashion Model Award, recognising his performance in the fashion and runway segments of the competition.

His appearance in Sri Lanka followed his national pageantry career in Nigeria. Ayeloja first competed as Mr Kwara at the Misters of Nigeria pageant before becoming Manhunt International Nigeria 2026, earning the right to represent the country at the international competition.

He arrived in Sri Lanka ahead of the official programme, allowing time to acclimatise and complete his training. His preparation focused on runway performance, physical presentation and the demands of the various stages of the contest.

The fourth-place finish also adds to Nigeria’s growing record at Manhunt International. Samuel Nwajagu made history by winning the title in 2024, while subsequent Nigerian representatives have continued to record notable results at the competition.

Ayeloja is expected to return to Nigeria in the coming days and The Misters of Nigeria Organisation is also expected to organise a reception following his return.

His final ranking, alongside the Best Fashion Model Award, gives Nigeria two crucial results from the 2026 edition and places Ayeloja among the leading contestants at this year’s competition.

Nigeria Begins Local Production of Dual-Active Mosquito Nets

Nigeria has begun producing advanced insecticide-treated mosquito nets locally, marking a new development in the country's efforts to strengthen malaria prevention while expanding domestic manufacturing of essential healthcare products.

The facility behind the initiative, Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, is wholly owned by Vestergaard Sàrl and is the first facility in Nigeria to manufacture dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

Its production line will manufacture PermaNet Dual, a Vestergaard mosquito net developed in response to the growing problem of insecticide resistance. The product received prequalification from the World Health Organisation in 2023.

The new manufacturing capacity is expected to have a meaningful economic as well as public health impact. At full operation, the facility is projected to produce approximately 10 million nets every year and create more than 600 jobs.

So far, about 80 employees have been recruited and are being trained in manufacturing excellence, product quality, occupational health and safety, and regulatory compliance.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced the development in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako.

The project emerged from a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain, an agreement aimed at expanding Nigeria's ability to manufacture essential health products locally.

The timing is particularly important for Nigeria as the country continues to carry a substantial share of the world's malaria burden, while the effectiveness of some insecticide-based interventions is increasingly challenged by resistance.

The World Health Organisation estimates that malaria caused 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths worldwide in 2024 and the African Region accounted for the overwhelming majority of those cases and deaths.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, said the investment supports the objectives of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which seeks to unlock opportunities across the healthcare value chain through investment, local manufacturing and stronger domestic capacity.

Pate described the development as an example of how government policy, private-sector investment and technology transfer can combine to strengthen Nigeria's healthcare industry.

He said the commencement of production would improve the country's capacity to manufacture essential health products and contribute to a more resilient health system.

Health Textiles Nigeria is expected to fulfil its first commercial orders in the coming months. Once production reaches its projected capacity, the facility will provide Nigeria with a substantial domestic source of malaria-prevention commodities while creating opportunities for employment and skills development.

BOI Raises N274.18bn in Record Domestic Bond Issuance

The Bank of Industry (BOI) has raised N274.18bn through its first domestic naira-denominated bond, surpassing its original N250bn target and setting a new benchmark for Development Finance Institutions in Nigeria.

The five-year fixed-rate bond, which matures in 2031, is the largest debt capital markets issuance by a Development Finance Institution in the country, based on publicly available market data.

Strong investor demand allowed BOI to increase the size of the offering by N24.18bn, with participation coming from a wide range of institutional investors. Pension fund administrators, banks, insurance companies, asset managers, development finance institutions and other institutional investors subscribed to the issue, while Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria served as the Joint Issuing House for the transaction.

The successful fundraising is important not only for BOI but also for Nigeria’s domestic financial market, demonstrating the ability of local investors to support sizeable funding requirements over extended periods.

Chidi Iwuchukwu, Executive Director and Head of Investment Banking, Broader Africa, at RMB Nigeria, said the transaction showed that Nigeria’s capital markets could mobilise substantial resources for institutions seeking to finance economic activity.

He also highlighted BOI’s contribution to industrialisation, enterprise growth and job creation.

“This transaction demonstrates the ability of Nigeria’s capital markets to mobilise long-term capital at scale,” Iwuchukwu said in a statement on Thursday.

“BOI plays an important role in advancing industrialisation, enterprise growth, and job creation. We are pleased to have partnered with the Bank on this issuance and remain focused on delivering financing solutions that support sustainable economic growth in Nigeria and across the broader African continent.”

The bond is the latest development in a longstanding relationship between RMB and BOI. RMB previously acted as financial adviser to the bank on its inaugural Eurobond issuance and also supported the establishment of BOI’s domestic bond programme.

Laju Atake, Head of Debt Capital Markets at RMB Nigeria, said the transaction reflected the continued evolution of Nigeria’s capital markets and the importance of efficient access to funding for major institutions.

“Supporting inaugural issuers and significant capital markets transactions is a core strength of RMB’s debt capital markets franchise,” Atake said.

He disclosed that RMB had advised five distinct issuers on their debut debt capital markets transactions in Nigeria over the preceding nine months.

According to RMB, the level of demand for BOI’s offering also highlighted the liquidity within Nigeria’s domestic capital markets and the ability of local investors to participate in large-scale financing transactions.

The execution involved the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria, professional advisers, transaction parties, investors and other market participants.

RMB expressed its appreciation to all those involved in completing the transaction and congratulated BOI’s Board, Management and staff on the outcome. The bank also thanked BOI for its continued trust.

The latest issuance further extends RMB’s work with BOI across both domestic and international capital markets, while giving the Bank of Industry another funding avenue for its development-focused activities in Nigeria and the African continent.

NNPC Plans 70 Smart Self-Service Stations Across Nigeria

The traditional filling station may soon look very different in Nigeria as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited begins reshaping its retail network around technology, alternative energy and greater convenience for motorists.

The company plans to deploy between 50 and 70 smart, self-service filling stations across the country within the next six months, building on a new retail model that brings petrol, gas, electric vehicle charging and other customer services together in a single location.

The direction of the transformation became clearer in Abuja on Thursday when NNPC commissioned a technology-driven service station along Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Road. The facility, described as one of the first of a new generation of outlets, is designed to operate 24 hours a day and incorporates electric vehicle charging into a conventional fuel retail environment.

Speaking at the commissioning, NNPC’s Executive Vice President, Downstream, Mumuni Dagazau, said the company was moving away from the idea of a filling station as simply a place to buy petrol.

He said NNPC already had about four or five similar smart stations in Abuja, while another two were being launched in Kano. The company, he added, expects to take the concept to a much larger number of locations over the next six months.

At the heart of the new model is the idea of an energy hub capable of serving motorists using different energy sources. Petrol and gas will remain part of the offering, while electricity and electric vehicle charging will increasingly become features of NNPC’s retail network.

The newly commissioned Abuja facility provides a practical example of how that model is expected to work. It has storage capacity for 180,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit and 45,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, with 16 PMS pumps and two AGO pumps.

Six electric vehicle points have been installed in partnership with African Motor Works, while the entire station is powered by solar energy through a system with a capacity of more than 200 kilowatts.

The facility is also being developed as a mobility and convenience centre. Its services include a quick-service restaurant, coffee shop, automated car wash, modern service bay and LPG dispensing facilities. NNPC also plans to introduce CNG and a vehicle conversion centre.

For motorists, one of the most noticeable departures from the conventional station experience will be self-service fuel dispensing. Customers who choose to serve themselves will be able to purchase fuel through a mobile application and dispense the exact quantity paid for directly into their vehicle.

The digital system is not intended to shut out customers who are less comfortable with technology. Shettima Baba-Kukawa, Executive Director, Retail Operations and Mobility, NNPC Limited, said attendants would remain available to provide assistance.

That balance between automation and human support also addresses concerns about the effect of self-service stations on employment. Dagazau dismissed the suggestion that the new model would eliminate jobs, arguing that the range of services would create additional roles.

Workers would be needed to support the automation and integration of the different systems, assist customers using electric vehicles and maintain the technology behind the energy hubs. In his assessment, such facilities could require more personnel than conventional filling stations because they provide substantially more services.

For NNPC, the ambition is clear: to ensure that its retail network evolves with the energy market and with the expectations of the Nigerian consumer. The next six months will provide an important test of how quickly that vision can move from a handful of showcase facilities to a nationwide reality.

Students to Access Educational Platforms Without Data Charges as Government Plans Under-16 Internet Rules

For millions of Nigerian students, the cost of internet data remains an overlooked barrier to accessing educational opportunities beyond the classroom.

The Federal Government is seeking to remove that barrier with a new initiative that will allow students to access approved educational platforms and content without paying data charges, widening the reach of digital learning across the country.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, unveiled the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria on Thursday, saying it would help ensure that the cost of connectivity does not determine which Nigerian children can access quality educational resources.

“This initiative goes beyond connectivity. It is about putting learning within reach of children who may otherwise be unable to afford the data required to access it,” Alausa said.

The announcement comes at an important point in Nigeria’s education journey, as digital platforms continue to create new pathways for learners. UNICEF estimates that millions of Nigerian children are still outside the formal school system, making technology an increasingly valuable means of extending educational opportunities, particularly in communities with limited access to learning resources.

Alausa said a mobile phone, tablet or computer could become an extension of the classroom, providing access to lessons, curriculum materials and wider learning opportunities.

Nigeria has previously taken steps in this direction. UNICEF reported that data charges were removed for users accessing the Nigeria Learning Passport through whitelisting on an Airtel SIM, while connectivity was also extended to schools in hard-to-reach communities.

Developed by the Federal Government, UNICEF and other partners, the Nigeria Learning Passport provides digital curriculum content to learners and teachers, extending education beyond the conventional classroom.

The new initiative forms part of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, through which the Federal Ministry of Education is pursuing digitalisation and strengthening education management and delivery.

Among the systems being developed or strengthened are the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and Learner Identification Number.

Alausa said the success of these reforms would ultimately be measured by their impact on learners.

“The real measure of digital transformation would be its ability to reach the learner and improve the quality of education,” he said.

The government is also preparing measures to protect children as their use of digital platforms expands.

Alausa announced plans for regulated internet access for children below the age of 16, citing online child protection concerns, including cyberattacks and other forms of harm.

“At some point, there would be regulated internet access for every child below the age of 16 years as part of measures to strengthen online child protection,” he said.

He called for sustained cooperation among the Federal Ministry of Education, state governments, the Nigerian Communications Commission, telecommunications operators, technology companies, development partners, educational institutions and teachers.

Alausa also said Nigeria must move beyond producing young people who merely consume technology and develop a generation capable of creating technology, innovating and solving problems.

If effectively implemented, the initiative could give more Nigerian learners a fairer chance to benefit from the opportunities of the digital age, while laying the foundation for a generation equipped not only to access knowledge but to create, innovate and shape Nigeria’s future.

Nigerian Professor Andrew Agbaje Wins €1.5m ERC Grant for Youth Vaping Study

Professor Andrew Agbaje, a Nigerian researcher at the University of Eastern Finland, has received a €1.5 million European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant to lead a five-year study into the long-term health effects of vaping among young people.

The VAPE-HABIT project will examine how vaping affects the heart, brain, kidneys, liver and metabolic health. The award is the first ERC Starting Grant secured by the Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition at the University of Eastern Finland, where Agbaje is a Senior Researcher and Associate Professor of clinical epidemiology and child health.

The new project adds to a body of work examining how health behaviours and changes during childhood and adolescence can influence cardiovascular and metabolic health later in life.

A global ranking in arterial stiffness research

The grant follows Agbaje's ranking as the world's No. 1 scholar in arterial stiffness research in the November 2025 ScholarGPS global ranking.

He was also ranked first in Europe and the Nordic countries in the specialty and placed in the top 0.01 per cent of scholars worldwide in arterial stiffness research over the preceding five years, based on productivity and quality.

His research has linked childhood tobacco smoking with premature cardiac damage and found that smoking prevalence increases 15-fold between the ages of 13 and 17.

He has also identified arterial stiffness as a novel risk factor for paediatric obesity and insulin resistance, while finding adolescence to be a critical period for interrupting the pathological cycle between increasing fat mass and insulin resistance.

Other studies have shown that light-intensity physical activity can help reverse excessive fat deposition associated with childhood sedentariness.

Agbaje has also identified waist-to-height ratio as a specific surrogate for fat mass rather than muscle mass, suggesting it could replace BMI in assessing childhood obesity. The finding led to a live BBC World News interview.

VAPE-HABIT takes the research into vaping

The new ERC-funded study turns attention to youth vaping and its possible consequences across several vital systems of the body.

VAPE-HABIT will investigate the effects of vaping on young people's heart, brain, kidneys, liver and metabolic health over five years.

The subject fits within Agbaje's broader research into childhood and adolescent health, while addressing a different form of exposure from the tobacco smoking examined in his earlier work.

Recognition from the American Heart Association

Agbaje's research has been selected by the American Heart Association among major cardiovascular advances in two successive years.

In December 2024, one of his studies was named among the world's most significant advances in cardiovascular research for the year. Another was selected in December 2025 among the world's cutting-edge advances in cardiovascular medicine.

His research has also performed strongly in citation rankings. Clarivate's Web of Science placed two of his publications among the top 1 per cent of highly cited papers in Clinical Medicine in October 2023, while a third reached the top 1 per cent in Biology & Biochemistry.

He has published single- and first-authored original research in JACC, Diabetes Care and Nature Communications and is the main supervisor of seven PhD candidates.

A reach extending beyond academia

Agbaje's research generated more than 2,500 media mentions between 2022 and 2024.

The coverage appeared in international outlets including CNN, BBC, and many others.

The reports had a potential global reach of more than 4.5 billion people, with an estimated equivalent advertising value exceeding US$30 million.

His broadcast appearances included BBC Radio Devon on 16 January 2024, BBC World News on 14 March 2024 and the BBC World Service Radio Newsday programme on 15 December 2023.

The US Endocrine Society featured his research in its March 2024 Endocrine Magazine and produced a podcast interview with him. He also participated in a press conference at the ENDO 2024 congress in Boston.

The European Association for the Study of Obesity, representing professional associations from 36 European countries, has interviewed him and featured his work at the European Congress on Obesity.

Awards and international scientific work

Agbaje received the inaugural American Society of Nutrition Foundation-Novo Nordisk Foundation Flemming Quaade Award for Innovative Approaches to Childhood Obesity, worth 500,000 Danish kroner, approximately €67,000 or US$70,000.

He also received the 2024 EASO-Novo Nordisk Foundation New Investigator Award in Childhood Obesity, worth 300,000 Danish kroner, approximately €40,000 or US$44,000.

His other honours include the Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award, received five consecutive times; the Jeremiah and Rose Stamler Research Award, received twice; and the Elizabeth Barrett-Connor Research Award in Epidemiology and Prevention and Early Career Investigator Award for Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, each received once.

He has also received an Endocrine Society Award for Outstanding Abstract, while the European Heart Journal designated him a Rising Star in Preventive Cardiology.

Agbaje leads the urFIT-child research group at the University of Eastern Finland and is principal investigator of the PAFSMEVAC project, which runs from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2035.

His research collaborations include Nigeria, Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. He was an Honorary Research Fellow at the Children's Health and Exercise Research Centre at the University of Exeter from 2023 to 2026.

He is an elected Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, European Society of Cardiology, American Heart Association and New York Academy of Medicine, as well as an elected member of Sigma Xi. He is also an expert adviser to the World Health Organization and a member of the US Endocrine Society's task force on preventing childhood obesity.

A Finland-Nigeria scientific connection

The VAPE-HABIT project places a Nigerian researcher at the head of a major European study on youth vaping, while his existing research network includes collaborators in Nigeria.

Its focus also extends a line of inquiry that has run through Agbaje's work: understanding health risks early enough to identify their consequences before they become established later in life.

The €1.5 million ERC award now places youth vaping at the centre of Agbaje's next major research effort, five years after his work on childhood health began attracting international scientific and media attention. The VAPE-HABIT study will determine how far the effects of the habit extend, from the heart and brain to the kidneys, liver and metabolic system.

Nigeria Moves Closer to Unlocking Badagry’s Deep-Sea Port Potential

Nigeria’s plan to strengthen its position in global maritime trade has taken another important step, with the Federal Government opening exclusive negotiations with APM Terminals for the development of the proposed Badagry Deep-Seaport in Lagos State.

The development followed discussions in Copenhagen, Denmark, between APM Terminals and a Federal Government delegation led by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola. The engagement resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Badagry Port Development Limited for exclusive negotiations on the project.

Oyetola described the agreement as a major step towards a new phase in Nigeria’s maritime and economic development.

“Yesterday in Copenhagen, Denmark, we took an important step towards unlocking a new chapter in Nigeria’s maritime and economic development,” he said.

The proposed Badagry port is expected to provide additional deepwater capacity and accommodate larger container vessels, while increasing cargo-handling capacity and creating room for transshipment serving Nigeria and the wider West African market.

Its potential economic impact also extends beyond port operations. The project is expected to support jobs, skills development, investment and enterprise across the maritime value chain, particularly in logistics, transportation, manufacturing and warehousing.

Badagry is part of the Federal Government effort to expand deep-sea port infrastructure along Nigeria’s coastline. Similar projects are underway or being considered in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ogun, Ondo and Rivers states.

The strategy is aimed at improving Nigeria’s ability to handle growing maritime traffic and strengthening its connectivity with international and regional shipping networks. Deep-sea ports, built around naturally deep-draft channels, are designed to receive larger vessels and handle greater volumes of cargo.

At the same time, attention is being given to existing ports as the Nigerian Ports Authority is prioritising the rehabilitation of Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, while supporting Lekki and Badagry. The government is also pursuing the revitalisation of Eastern ports and the deployment of digital infrastructure, including the Port Community System and National Single Window.

The urgency of these investments is underscored by the growth recorded across Nigeria’s ports in 2026.

In the first quarter, cargo throughput rose 11.6 per cent year-on-year to 32.38 million metric tonnes, while the gross registered tonnage of ocean-going vessels increased 19.5 per cent to 46.75 million tonnes.

The second quarter recorded further growth. Cargo throughput climbed 12.3 per cent to 35.74 million metric tonnes, up from 31.83 million metric tonnes in Q2 2025.

Ocean-going vessel calls rose 14.4 per cent to 1,201, while their gross registered tonnage increased 22.2 per cent to 49.95 million tonnes, indicating increased calls by larger vessels.

Container traffic also grew by 11.3 per cent to 602,392 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs. Transshipment reached 29,038 TEUs, compared with zero recorded in Q2 2025.

The performance follows an equally strong 2025, when total cargo throughput increased 24.8 per cent to 129.3 million metric tonnes and container traffic rose 25.7 per cent to more than 2.1 million TEUs.

With cargo volumes and vessel activity already rising, the Badagry project comes at a critical moment for Nigeria’s maritime economy. If the negotiations translate into a well-executed port, the project could help Nigeria capture more regional trade, attract investment and turn its growing maritime activity into more economic opportunities.

Lagos Teachers Are Raising a New Generation of Problem-Solvers

A student who once missed school to pursue vocational training elsewhere is now learning those skills within the school system. Another, after leaving junior secondary school, carried an idea for a Changemakers Club to his new senior secondary school. Elsewhere, students are turning waste into useful products, teaching one another digital skills and holding menstrual-health awareness activities.

These examples have emerged from the Changemaker Teacher Activation Programme, known as CTEACH, which recently graduated its third cohort in Lagos.

Rather than introduce another subject, CTEACH encourages teachers to build critical thinking, empathy, leadership, collaboration and problem-solving into regular classroom activities. The aim is to help students move from identifying problems to developing practical responses.

The change has also affected the way teachers interact with their students.

Shalewa Ololade, an Assistant Director in Education District 3, said she became interested in the programme after observing participating teachers give students more confidence to express their views, raise concerns and suggest improvements in their schools.

“We are not teachers anymore who just come to the classroom just to teach and let the students memorise. That is not our work anymore,” Ololade said.

“Our work now is to bring up ambassadors. To bring up changemakers. To bring up voices that are heard.”

The results can be seen in a range of student-led activities. Some pupils have beautified classrooms, converted waste into useful products and developed anti-bullying games designed to promote empathy. Others have supported classmates experiencing difficulties.

At Araromi Junior Secondary School, CTEACH ambassador and teacher Okeinde Omoyuwa said the programme helped the school respond to absenteeism linked to vocational training.

Some students had been regularly missing classes because they left school to acquire vocational skills. Teachers responded by introducing vocational and entrepreneurship training within the school.

Omoyuwa also recalled a former junior secondary school student who continued the initiative after moving to senior secondary school. The student later contacted her with plans to establish a Changemakers Club at the new school.

At Badore, Ajah, another participant, Alamu Oluwadamilare, said CTEACH had helped teachers create opportunities for students to connect classroom lessons with real-life challenges.

Students at his school formed a change advocates club, organised digital-skills training for classmates and conducted menstrual-health awareness activities. They were also taught how to link their solutions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“Education is not just about reading and writing. It is meant to develop the potential of these children and make them useful citizens to themselves, their community and the nation,” Oluwadamilare said.

The programme was implemented as a three-year pilot under the global Time for Change partnership involving Ashoka, First Book and Teach For All. In its final cohort, 400 teachers were trained, while 200 graduated at the Lagos ceremony.

Angelou Ezeilo, Programme Director and Co-President of Ashoka Africa, said students need skills beyond literacy and numeracy to navigate an increasingly complex society. She said the programme had encouraged teachers to guide students towards taking action rather than merely recognising challenges.

Although the pilot has ended, Ezeilo said CTEACH would continue through a train-the-trainer model. Ten educators were recognised as ambassadors at the ceremony and will help extend the approach to other teachers alongside representatives of previous cohorts.

The organisers also plan to expand the model across Nigeria. Ezeilo said similar initiatives were being developed in Johannesburg, South Africa; Senegal; and Nairobi, Kenya.

She called for greater support from private-sector organisations and other partners to sustain the programme, particularly in public schools where access to educational resources remains limited.

A student who learns to confront bullying, teach a classmate a digital skill, turn waste into something useful or organise others around a community concern is acquiring capabilities that extend well beyond the examination hall.

That is the larger promise of changemaking in education: giving young people not only knowledge, but the confidence and practical skills to put it to work.

Nigeria Takes Academic Certificate Verification Into the Digital Age

The Federal Government has fully automated the evaluation and authentication of academic certificates, ending the need for applicants to visit the Federal Ministry of Education physically to complete the process.

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the development on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, describing it as another step in the government’s digital transformation of education administration.

Applicants can now complete the evaluation and authentication of their academic credentials online through the Ministry’s dedicated platform. The official portal is essverify.education.gov.ng, while enquiries can be directed to ess1@education.gov.ng.

According to the Ministry, the new system is intended to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, speed up processing and improve transparency while making the service more accessible to Nigerians and applicants outside the country.

The reform is also aimed at strengthening the integrity of Nigeria’s academic certification system. Alausa said institutions, employers and otherwise stakeholders would have access to a more structured and reliable process for verifying qualifications.

The Ministry said the initiative reflects its commitment to using technology to modernise education governance, improve institutional efficiency and deliver more citizen-centred services.

For graduates, employers, institutions and other stakeholders, the immediate change is straightforward: academic certificate evaluation and authentication can now be completed online.

For the education sector, the reform represents another step towards a system in which academic records are digitally managed, easier to verify and less dependent on physical documentation.

Golden Francis Carries Nigeria’s Hopes to Miss Elite World in Egypt

Golden Francis has arrived in Somabay, Egypt, carrying Nigeria’s hopes at the 5th edition of the Miss Elite World pageant, where contestants from more than 35 countries are competing for the international crown.

The 24-year-old runway and commercial model entered the competition with an established pageantry background, having won the Miss Steph International Queen 2025 title before she was appointed Miss Elite Nigeria in May 2026.

Francis is now among the international delegates taking part in the competition at the Red Sea luxury resort, where activities began on September 8 and will continue through the grand finale on September 19.

The programme includes rehearsals, cultural tours and preliminary evaluations as contestants make their case for a place in the final stage.

At 175 cm, Francis has attracted attention within the pageant community for her runway walk and swimsuit presentation. She is managed by the Miss Steph Pageant organisation, with a campaign that combines modern sophistication with structural African grace.

Her appearance in Egypt gives Nigeria an opportunity to claim a title it has never won before. Francis is seeking to become the country’s first Miss Elite World winner, adding another international achievement to her pageantry journey.

The competition will reach its defining moment on September 19, when the winner is crowned in Somabay.

For Francis, the coming days will be about turning the experience, preparation and attention surrounding her campaign into a performance capable of taking Nigeria to the top of the competition.

NASENI Builds National Pathway for Young Nigerian Innovators

Nigeria’s effort to build a stronger technology and innovation economy is increasingly turning towards identifying talent early and giving promising ideas the support needed to develop beyond the excitement of a competition.

That is the thinking behind FutureMakers Week, an initiative of the NASENI Innovation Hub that brought together 60 young technology developers, aged five to 16, from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

Rather than limiting the exercise to pitching ideas, the programme gave participants an opportunity to develop prototypes and present their solutions to judges and industry leaders. A virtual hackathon held from August 17 to 20 was followed by live-streamed pitch sessions from August 24 to 27.

The projects emerging from the programme address practical challenges in areas including education, agriculture and safety. They include an AI-powered learning platform, an emergency alert system and a smart hydroponic kit.

Six participants have emerged as zonal champions and will advance to the forthcoming NASENI Invention Fest. They are Ruqayya Safwa Faruq of the North West, Joshua Agboola of the South West, Mary Oluwabusayomi Umahonlen of the North Central, Precious Akabude-Odozi of the South South, Emmanuel Paul of the North East and Ogbonna-Nwota Gold of the South East.

At the national finale, the six finalists will compete for a N5 million grand prize, a fully funded international study tour and scholarships to two Nigerian universities.

For NASENI Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, however, the competition is only one part of a larger objective. The agency wants FutureMakers to serve as a sustained pipeline for discovering and developing young innovators across the country.

“Sixty innovators, six zones, six challenges — what we witnessed during FutureMakers Week is proof that this programme is deliberately national in reach and local in problem definition,” Halilu said.

The agency is also extending its support beyond the competition. All 60 participants will retain access to SparkLab, mentorship, training and scholarship pathways, providing avenues for continued learning and development.

Hub Manager of the NASENI Innovation Hub, Busola Beckley Perez-Folayan, said the programme had shown that young Nigerians could develop practical solutions to real-world problems even while working from home.

FutureMakers Week forms part of NASENI’s effort to strengthen Nigeria’s science, engineering and technology ecosystem by identifying promising innovators early and creating clearer pathways for their ideas to progress from prototypes to funding, further development and eventual commercialisation.

The approach recognises that a promising idea requires more than an opportunity to be showcased. It needs the right technical guidance, skills, resources and networks to mature into a solution capable of creating lasting value.

With the six zonal champions now heading towards the national finale, NASENI’s bigger test will be whether the support established through FutureMakers can help these young innovators sustain that journey long after the competition ends.

The date for the NASENI Invention Fest will be announced in due course.

Bauchi Specialist Hospital Gets New NHIS Complex to Expand Healthcare Services

The Bauchi State Specialist Hospital has expanded its capacity to provide healthcare services to National Health Insurance Scheme beneficiaries with the commissioning of a new NHIS complex equipped with facilities for general medical care, maternal health and newborn services.

The facility, commissioned on Saturday by the First Lady of Bauchi State, Aishatu Bala Mohammed, comprises a labour room, Special Care Baby Unit, pharmacy, laboratory, medical records section and other support services.

Its completion comes as the hospital manages a growing NHIS population, with the Chief Medical Director, Professor Abdulkareem Mairiga, revealing that more than 16,000 NHIS clients currently receive care at the hospital.

According to Mairiga, the rising number of patients made additional space necessary. The hospital management initially remodelled four existing structures to accommodate key NHIS services, including pharmacy, laboratory, medical records, consulting rooms and laundry services.

“We felt there was a need to add more places where our patients could be seen. That was why we decided to remodel four houses and create areas for our pharmacy, laboratory, medical records, consulting rooms and laundry services,” he said.

The management later constructed a separate facility to strengthen maternal and child healthcare. The new structure features a labour room with about five beds and a Special Care Baby Unit for newborns requiring specialised attention.

The expanded infrastructure is expected to ease pressure on existing services while providing dedicated spaces for essential healthcare needs, particularly those involving mothers and newborns.

Speaking at the commissioning, Aishatu described the facility as an important addition to Bauchi State’s healthcare infrastructure and welcomed its focus on women and children.

“I am particularly pleased that the facility has been designed to significantly cater to the healthcare needs of women and children.

“This is extremely important because the health of women and children is directly connected to the well-being and future of our communities. When our mothers are healthy, our families are stronger, and when our children have access to quality healthcare, we build a healthier and more prosperous future,” she said.

She stressed the importance of safe and dignified maternal healthcare and adequate care and protection for children, while commending the hospital’s management and staff, particularly Mairiga, for their leadership and commitment to completing the project.

“Your efforts remind us that when vision, leadership and dedication come together, meaningful development becomes possible,” she said.

Aishatu also urged the hospital management, healthcare professionals, relevant government agencies, development partners and residents to ensure that the facility remains properly maintained and accessible to those who need it.

“Let us protect the infrastructure, use the equipment responsibly, maintain a clean environment and ensure that every patient who comes here is treated with professionalism, compassion and dignity. Good governance can provide the infrastructure, but all of us have a role to play in ensuring that this investment continues to serve generations to come,” she said.

She expressed optimism that the complex would become a centre of healing and hope and contribute to efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality in Bauchi State.

With more than 16,000 NHIS clients already accessing care at the Specialist Hospital, the new complex provides additional infrastructure to support the institution’s growing workload and strengthen healthcare delivery across the state.

MMIA Records Africa’s Fastest Growth as Nigeria’s Aviation Capacity Surges

Nigeria’s aviation sector is posting one of its strongest growth signals in recent months, with Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) emerging as Africa’s fastest-growing major airport by scheduled seat capacity in September 2026.

MMIA has 470,000 scheduled seats available this month, an increase of 90,600 seats from September 2025 and a year-on-year growth rate of 24.1%, according to the OAG African Aviation Market Data for September 2026.

The Lagos airport outpaced Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport, which recorded the second-highest growth rate among the continent’s 10 largest airports at 13.5%, after adding 87,500 seats.

MMIA’s growth is particularly notable because it comes despite the airport ranking ninth in absolute scheduled capacity among the continent’s 10 largest gateways.

Cairo International Airport remained Africa’s largest, with 1.79 million scheduled seats, up 11.2% year-on-year. Addis Ababa Bole International Airport followed with 1.19 million seats, representing 6.5% growth, while Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport recorded 1.16 million, up 5%.

Cape Town International Airport had 590,000 seats, up 11.3%, followed by Houari Boumediene Airport in Algiers with 580,000, up 3.8%. Marrakech Menara Airport recorded 530,000 seats, an increase of 10.5%, while Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport reached 520,000, up 11.9%. Tunis-Carthage International Airport had 460,000 seats, representing 8.2% growth.

The expansion in Lagos reflects a shift across Nigeria’s aviation market, which recorded the fastest capacity growth among Africa’s top 10 aviation markets during the month.

Nigeria added 322,800 scheduled airline seats, taking national capacity to 1.19 million, compared with 864,100 seats in September 2025. The increase represents 37.4% year-on-year growth.

Egypt recorded a larger absolute increase of 364,800 seats, reaching 3.08 million, but its growth rate was 13.4%. South Africa added 151,200 seats to reach 2.43 million, Morocco increased by 188,000 to 2.07 million, and Ethiopia added 83,500 to reach 1.41 million.

Tanzania’s capacity rose by 77,100 seats to 733,000, Algeria added 74,600 to reach 1.05 million, Kenya increased by 6,900 to 833,100, Tunisia gained 24,500 to reach 789,800, while Ghana added 34,600 seats to reach 302,100.

OAG attributed Nigeria’s rapid expansion to currency reforms, a new aircraft leasing agreement and growing confidence among airlines looking to serve the country.

The market’s recent trajectory supports that assessment. Nigeria’s scheduled capacity had already increased 44.5% year-on-year in July to 1.22 million seats, with domestic capacity rising 54.8% to 921,100.

At MMIA, scheduled capacity moved from 417,622 seats in June to 480,000 in August before settling at 470,000 in September. The airport added about 62,400 seats between June and August, while its August capacity was 25.6% higher than a year earlier.

The airline segment is also contributing to the expansion. Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest airline, increased its scheduled seat capacity by 54.7% year-on-year in September to 354,804 seats.

The carrier added 125,400 seats compared with September 2025 and returned to Africa’s top 10 airlines by scheduled capacity.

The Federal Government’s approval in May for the establishment of the Nigeria Aircraft Leasing Company could provide additional support for this growth by improving domestic airlines’ access to aircraft. The company will operate as a privately funded and managed Special Purpose Vehicle with strategic government backing.

Across Africa, scheduled airline capacity reached 25.8 million seats in September, up 9.4% year-on-year. International capacity accounted for 78% of the total, while domestic capacity grew by 11.6%.

Against that continental backdrop, Nigeria’s numbers stand out. The combination of rising airline capacity, stronger domestic operations, increased activity at MMIA and Air Peace’s rapid expansion points to a market becoming increasingly important to Africa’s aviation network.

For Lagos, the immediate headline is clear: MMIA may not be the continent’s largest airport by seat capacity, but in September, it was Africa’s fastest-growing major aviation gateway.

Eno Commissions 6.475km Road in Ikot Ekpene as Akwa Ibom Marks 39th Anniversary

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has commissioned the 6.475-kilometre Amanyam–Mbiaso road in Ikot Ekpene as part of activities marking the state’s 39th anniversary.

The project is the third of 39 projects scheduled for commissioning across Akwa Ibom’s 31 local government areas through the end of September, reflecting the state government’s focus on using the anniversary celebrations to showcase ongoing infrastructure and development initiatives.

The newly completed single-carriageway road is eight metres wide and features 12.95 kilometres of side drains. It traverses Ifuho, Ibong, Ikot Udoe and Mbiaso communities, providing improved access to areas that community leaders said had endured difficult road conditions for decades.

Speaking during the commissioning, Governor Eno said his administration was more interested in delivering projects that improve the lives of residents than engaging in unnecessary political activities.

“Whatever developmental efforts that we are putting in place are tailored towards the overall benefit and improved living conditions of our people. We don’t play politics with the welfare of our citizenry,” he said.

The governor commended the people of Ikot Ekpene for their continued support and assured them that uncompleted projects inherited from previous administrations would be reviewed and completed for the benefit of residents.

He also promised further development projects in the area, including the Ikot Ekpene International Market, Compassionate Homes, Primary Health Centres and additional road projects.

Eno praised the Chairman of Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, Hon. Aniefiok Nkom, for his efforts to execute projects targeted at the needs of residents. He said similar development initiatives by local government chairmen across the state were encouraging and reflected the importance of local government autonomy.

Providing details of the completed road, the Commissioner for Works, Prof. Eno Ibanga, said the 6.475-kilometre project had been diligently supervised to ensure standard, quality and durability.

Ibanga described the road as a complete developmental ecosystem that had opened up Amanyam and adjoining communities. He also disclosed that Governor Eno’s approval of a variation in the project cost helped facilitate its timely completion.

Nkom, in his remarks, praised the governor for what he described as significant development strides in Ikot Ekpene, particularly the ongoing International Market, hospital project, access roads and the Amanyam–Mbiaso road.

“You have done so much in, and for Ikot Ekpene. Currently, you have four projects to commission in Ikot Ekpene. I want to tell you that we are very happy with you,” Nkom said.

He said residents of Amanyam and the wider Ikot Ekpene community had declared their support for the governor, adding that his administration had fulfilled its promises to the people.

Inkosi Brou’s Viking Cup Triumph Brings Nigeria’s Olympic Dream Closer

At 18, Nigerian fencer Inkosi Brou is already competing with a much bigger target in sight: becoming the first Nigerian fencer to qualify for and compete at the Olympic Games.

That ambition has received another boost after Brou won the 2026 FIE Satellite Sabre Viking Cup in Iceland, adding another international title to a career that has produced a series of important milestones for Nigerian fencing.

The victory comes after a strong run of performances on the international circuit. In 2024, Brou won silver at the World Tournoi Satellite Cup in Reykjavik, becoming the first Nigerian fencer to secure a global fencing medal. In 2025, he followed that achievement with a bronze medal at the African Junior Championships in Angola.

His latest success came against a field featuring competitors from Portugal, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, the Netherlands, Ecuador, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Jamaica, Hong Kong, Australia, Great Britain and host nation Iceland.

Ranked highest among the competitors, Brou began his campaign in the round of 16 with a convincing 15–4 victory over Hamid Al Maazmi of the UAE. He then overcame Sweden’s Kenneth Kong 15–11 in the quarter-final.

A 15–12 semi-final victory over the Czech Republic’s Lumir Kral, the No. 4 seed, sent him into the title bout against Iceland’s Andri Maateev.

Brou delivered again when it mattered most, defeating Maateev 15–6 to claim the tournament.

The result was an encouraging response after Brou missed the Commonwealth Championships held in Lagos last month. He instead focused on the one-day Viking Cup, a competition sanctioned by the International Fencing Federation.

Brou’s development has been shaped partly by his training in the United States, where he works at the Scarsdale Fencing Center and the Peter Westbrook Foundation.

He is also the grandson of the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, the former Director-General of NAFDAC.

For now, Brou remains Nigeria’s highest-ranked fencer in the world, with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics firmly established as the next major objective.

His progress from a historic global medal in 2024 to an African junior medal in 2025 and now a senior international title in 2026 is giving Nigeria an increasingly prominent name in a sport where the country has yet to make its Olympic debut.

Brou hopes to change that in Los Angeles.

NASENI moves Nigerian technology from ideas to industry

For years, Nigeria’s technology story has been marked by a familiar contradiction: a country rich in engineering talent and inventive ideas, yet often unable to move promising innovations from the laboratory into sustained commercial production.

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure is seeking to change that pattern.

In three years of institutional reforms and technology commercialisation, NASENI says it has developed and introduced more than 40 products spanning renewable energy, transportation, agriculture, healthcare, information technology, clean cooking and education.

The portfolio includes electric vehicles and tricycles, CNG conversion solutions, solar irrigation pumps, solar home systems, batteries, smartphones, tablets, laptops, televisions, rapid diagnostic kits and clean cookstoves.

The agency disclosed the development on Sunday as it marked three years of reforms aimed at building a stronger connection between research, manufacturing and the market.

Its Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Halilu, said Nigeria already has the human capacity to create useful technologies. The missing link, he argued, has been a system capable of taking viable ideas through development, financing, manufacturing and ultimately into the hands of consumers.

“Nigeria has capable engineers, researchers and innovators. What has often been missing is a connected system that can identify promising ideas, develop them, finance them, manufacture them and take them to the market,” Halilu said.

That approach has shaped NASENI’s innovation-to-industry pipeline, which begins with talent discovery and research funding before moving through incubation, product development, commercialisation and market access.

The agency’s intervention has included financial support for researchers. In 2025, it awarded N229m in research commercialisation grants to 14 researchers working in agriculture, clean energy, healthcare, mobility and digital security.

Physical infrastructure is also being developed to support the industrialisation effort. NASENI is developing a 40-hectare Solar Industrial Park in Gora, Nasarawa State, alongside an electric vehicle assembly facility at Abuja Technology Village.

In Abuja, the agency has established CNG conversion and reverse-engineering centres, while solar-powered irrigation technology is being deployed through the Irrigate Nigeria Project.

Healthcare manufacturing is another part of the programme. The NASENI-Troment Rapid Diagnostics Factory in Abuja is being developed to support local production of medical diagnostic products.

The agency said its work has been strengthened by more than 50 local and international partnerships covering renewable energy, automotive technology, agriculture, healthcare, defence, aerospace and research.

The programme aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its efforts to expand local manufacturing, reduce import dependence and commercialise technologies developed in Nigeria.

Although producing an innovation is only the beginning as the harder task is building factories that can operate sustainably, meeting required standards and ensuring that locally developed products can compete for consumers.

NASENI said its next phase will therefore concentrate on scaling commercial production, increasing local content, improving standards and certification, raising factory utilisation and expanding market adoption.

Halilu said the agency’s performance should ultimately be judged by tangible economic outcomes rather than the number of ideas generated.

“The real test is whether our products are adopted, our factories operate sustainably, our partnerships transfer useful capabilities, our trainees secure livelihoods and more value remains within the Nigerian economy,” he said.

NASENI noted that while some of its factories and products are already operational, others remain at the development, testing or commercialisation stages.

The significance of the effort lies in whether that pipeline can consistently turn Nigerian research and engineering into commercially viable products, stronger local supply chains, skilled jobs and productive industries.

For a country that has long searched for ways to reduce its dependence on imported technology, the real breakthrough will not be the unveiling of another prototype but seeing Nigerian-made technology become an ordinary and competitive part of everyday economic life.

SEC Approves Dangote Refinery’s N2.15 Trillion IPO, Set to Become Africa’s Biggest Share Sale

Dangote Refinery is moving into a new phase of its development after Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved its planned initial public offering, setting the stage for what could become the largest share sale in Africa’s history.

The offer, announced by Dangote Group on Friday, is expected to raise about N2.15 trillion if fully subscribed. The refinery plans to issue 4.1 billion ordinary shares at N525 per share, giving investors across Africa an opportunity to participate in one of the continent’s most ambitious industrial ventures.

The SEC has also registered 120.13 billion existing ordinary shares in the refinery which places the company’s implied valuation at approximately $47 billion.

Subscription is expected to begin on September 14, according to a source familiar with the transaction. The timing follows comments made by Aliko Dangote, the group’s majority shareholder, on Thursday, as preparations for the public offering move closer to completion.

A formal signing ceremony with the Nigerian Exchange is expected next week, according to two company sources cited by Reuters.

For the refinery, the proceeds are expected to finance a major expansion that would take its refining capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day.

Built on the outskirts of Lagos at an estimated cost of $20 billion, the facility has become a major force in Nigeria’s fuel market since commencing operations. Its refined products are also reaching markets across Africa and Europe, extending the refinery’s commercial footprint well beyond Nigeria.

The company has strengthened its finances ahead of the offering, raising $2.5 billion through a private placement and securing underwriting commitments from investors.

Dangote has set an equally ambitious target for the business. He said he wants the refinery to become one of Africa’s largest companies and generate more than $12 billion in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA).

He has also made clear that the planned offering is intended to have a continental reach, rather than being confined to Nigerian investors.

“This is not a Nigerian listing. It’s an African listing, and we are going to pay everybody, including the Nigerian listing, in dollar terms,” Dangote said at a business meeting in Botswana.

The offer will therefore be open to investors across Africa, including Nigerian retail investors, potentially broadening ownership of a refinery that has historically relied largely on private capital.

Its expanding role in refined petroleum exports is already showing up in international trade data. Figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that Nigeria’s seaborne refined petroleum exports to Europe rose by about 767% in the second quarter of 2026, reaching 130,000 barrels per day from 15,000 barrels per day in 2023. The increase was driven largely by higher production from Dangote Refinery.

The planned capacity expansion comes as Dangote Group also pursues refining opportunities outside Nigeria, including a proposed refinery project in Kenya.

With regulatory approval now secured, the Dangote Refinery IPO brings a landmark Nigerian industrial asset closer to public ownership. If the N2.15 trillion offer is fully subscribed, it will not only rank among the most significant transactions in Nigeria’s capital market but also set a new benchmark for equity offerings across Africa.

Isinwa Chidozie Senator takes Nigeria’s male pageantry to Vietnam

Isinwa Chidozie Senator has emerged as Mr Universe Nigeria 2026 and Mr Cosmo Nigeria, earning the opportunity to represent Nigeria at the Mister Cosmo International pageant in Vietnam in January.

The Imo State representative secured both titles at the grand finale of the Mr Universe Nigeria pageant held on Saturday at Skyview, The Lekki Coliseum, Lagos, beating contestants representing states from across the country.

The announcement came after a tense final moment at the event, with Mr Lagos seen holding Senator’s hand shortly before the anchor declared Mr Imo the winner. The announcement drew applause from the audience.

“The winner for Mr Cosmo Nigeria and Mr Universe 2026 is Mr Imo,” the anchor announced in a video of the event shared by the Nigerian organisers.

A fashion model and sports enthusiast, Senator is an alumnus of Imo State University, where he previously served as Mr Imo State University. His latest success adds to an established record in male pageantry, having finished as first runner-up at a previous edition of Misters of Nigeria before returning to compete for the national title.

The victory comes with prizes valued at more than N7m, including a brand-new car, cash awards and other gifts. More significantly, it places Senator on an international platform, where he will compete against representatives from other countries at the Mister Cosmo International pageant in Vietnam.

Other honours were presented at this year’s competition. Mr Lagos finished as first runner-up, while Mr Edo was second runner-up. Mr Benue won the Gentlemanx Top Model category, Mr Enugu clinched the Mister Tourism Africa Nigeria title and Mr Ogun was crowned Man of the Year.

Organised to select Nigerian representatives for international male pageants, the Mr Universe Nigeria competition brings together contestants from different states in a national contest that provides a pathway to global competitions.

For Senator, that pathway now leads to Vietnam, where he will represent Nigeria after adding Mr Universe Nigeria 2026 and Mr Cosmo Nigeria to his growing list of pageantry achievements.