<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Morning Report]]></title><description><![CDATA[We don't just report the news each weekday morning, we tell you the why.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sUgG!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20b693fc-3923-4d36-b4bf-bd5f093c1297_587x587.png</url><title>The Morning Report</title><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 02:19:25 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.ngmorningreport.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en-gb]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[ngmorningreport@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[ngmorningreport@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[ngmorningreport@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[ngmorningreport@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[ICPC uncovers another fake agency, Tinubu orders arrest]]></title><description><![CDATA[ICPC has uncovered a fake &#8220;National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office,&#8221; leading to the arrest of its promoter and suspension of three permanent secretaries.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/icpc-uncovers-another-fake-agency</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/icpc-uncovers-another-fake-agency</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 12:27:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mIgq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mIgq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mIgq!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mIgq!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mIgq!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mIgq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mIgq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg" width="700" height="438" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:438,&quot;width&quot;:700,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:36468,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212252223?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mIgq!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mIgq!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mIgq!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mIgq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd64deef7-d6d8-45a9-998d-c854c80cc46d_700x438.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered yet another fake federal agency operating in the country. ICPC Spokesperson, John Odey, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. He said the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, made the statement while addressing newsmen at the State House after briefing President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Friday.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The ICPC chairman said that the fresh finding was an offshoot of the ongoing investigations of the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) promoted by Adeniyi Matthew. According to him, the fake agency is known as the &#8220;National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office.&#8221; He said the agency was allegedly promoted by Mr George Nwabueze, with suspected active collaboration from senior public servants in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">According to him, the suspected promoter of the fake agency, Mr George Nwabueze, has been discovered to operate under four variants of his name: Prince George Buch Nwabueze, George Nathan Nwabueze, Hon. George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze. The ICPC chairman said that he has briefed the president on the fresh findings. At Friday&#8217;s briefing, Tinubu ordered the arrest of Mr George Buchi Nwabueze and the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries in the OSGF. The suspended permanent secretaries include: MS Danjuma, Nandungu Gagare and Richard Pheelangwa.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The discovery of another fake agency within government systems is a damning indictment of the country&#8217;s financial controls. The PFIPC scandal already exposed the system's vulnerability. Now, a second fake agency has been uncovered, this time allegedly involving senior public servants. The president&#8217;s swift action is a positive sign, but the question is whether the investigation will lead to prosecutions or just more suspensions.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2012 pension fraud scandal, which also exposed systemic weaknesses in the government&#8217;s financial systems. The mechanism was different then, but the result was the same: fake entities embedded in government systems.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: the ICPC, which has uncovered another fraud; and the Nigerian public, who may see accountability. The losers: the suspended permanent secretaries; and the Nigerian government, which faces another credibility crisis.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Another fake agency has been uncovered. The promoter is under arrest. Three permanent secretaries are suspended. The question is whether this is the tip of the iceberg or the end of the story.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Nigeria accounts for 30% of Africa’s zero-dose children]]></title><description><![CDATA[A Gates Foundation official has described Nigeria&#8217;s status as the global capital of zero-dose children as a national emergency requiring urgent action.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/nigeria-accounts-for-30-of-africas</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/nigeria-accounts-for-30-of-africas</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:23:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ued9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ued9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ued9!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ued9!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ued9!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ued9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ued9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg" width="815" height="376" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:376,&quot;width&quot;:815,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:37203,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212251903?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ued9!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ued9!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ued9!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ued9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4864758c-bc8d-4dd3-b9ce-449c7ea854d9_815x376.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">A Senior Programme Officer at the Gates Foundation, Dr Saad Abdulmumin, says Nigeria accounts for 30 per cent of Africa&#8217;s zero-dose children, describing the figure as a national emergency requiring urgent action. Abdulmumin said this on Friday in Abuja, at the Her Health, Her Power Conference Africa, organised by the VickyHeldan Empowerment Foundation.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He said Africa currently hosts about seven million children who have not received their first dose of the pentavalent vaccine, with Nigeria accounting for more than two million of that number. &#8220;Nigeria is the global capital of zero-dose children. That is really putting Nigeria in a very difficult situation in the country and also in the global community,&#8221; he said.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The health officer said the country needed tailored, context-specific interventions, noting that health challenges in the North-West differed significantly from those in the South. He called for stronger community engagement, urging that traditional and religious leaders be brought into immunisation drives to build public confidence in vaccines. Abdulmumin also stressed the need for sustainable financing, warning that Nigeria risked catastrophic disease outbreaks if it did not urgently address vaccine supply gaps.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The figure is staggering. Two million children in Nigeria have not received their first dose of the pentavalent vaccine. That is a monumental failure of public health policy. The warning of catastrophic disease outbreaks is not hyperbole; it is a prediction.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2018 polio eradication challenges, when Nigeria also struggled to vaccinate its children. The mechanism was different then, but the result was the same: a failure to reach the most vulnerable children.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: none. The losers: the two million children who have not been vaccinated; and the Nigerian health system, which has failed to reach them.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Two million Nigerian children have not received their first vaccine. That is not a statistic. That is a crisis. The question is whether the government will act before it is too late.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Abia hires 19 TechRise graduates as Otti lifts recruitment ban]]></title><description><![CDATA[Governor Alex Otti has lifted the civil service recruitment ban to hire 19 outstanding TechRise ICT graduates and established a special salary cadre for ICT professionals.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/abia-hires-19-techrise-graduates</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/abia-hires-19-techrise-graduates</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:25:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mf0w!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mf0w!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mf0w!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mf0w!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mf0w!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mf0w!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mf0w!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg" width="678" height="452" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/de9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:452,&quot;width&quot;:678,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:38811,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212252023?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mf0w!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mf0w!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mf0w!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mf0w!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde9bddbc-a21c-4a1b-8939-73e49df8b5f7_678x452.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Governor Alex Otti of Abia has lifted the ban on civil service recruitment, hence immediately employing 19 outstanding graduates of the state&#8217;s TechRise Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programme. Otti announced the decision on Friday in Umuahia, at the graduation ceremony of the third cohort of the programme, where 850 youths completed three months of intensive ICT training.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He said that the recruitment was part of his administration&#8217;s strategy to retain the best talents produced by the programme, and deploy their expertise to improve public service delivery. &#8220;I&#8217;m hereby lifting the ban on civil service employment and directing the Head of Service to immediately and automatically recruit the 19 of you. So by the time that is done, the ban would now continue.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Otti directed the Head of Service to work with the Chief Information Officer and other relevant officials to identify ICT competency gaps across ministries, departments and agencies that qualified TechRise graduates could fill. He also directed the establishment of a special salary cadre for ICT professionals in the civil service, subject to applicable conditions.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The governor also announced a cash gift of &#8358;100,000 for each of the 850 graduates, urging them to use their skills to create businesses, innovations and employment opportunities. He said 2,210 people have completed the TechRise ICT skills development programme since its commencement. For the 19 graduates who have been hired, the opportunity is life-changing. For the 850 graduates who have received training and &#8358;100,000, the future is brighter.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2020 tech training programmes in other states, which also sought to build digital skills. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a focus on leveraging technology for economic development.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: the 19 TechRise graduates hired into the civil service; the 850 graduates who received training and cash support; and the Abia State Government, which is investing in digital skills. The losers: those who were not selected, and the Nigerian government, which must learn from Abia&#8217;s example.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Abia is hiring tech graduates and investing in digital skills. The future is digital. The question is whether other states will follow Abia&#8217;s example.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Zulum promises action on 44 abducted pupils]]></title><description><![CDATA[Governor Zulum has assured parents of 44 abducted Borno pupils that the government is intensifying efforts to secure their release.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/zulum-promises-action-on-44-abducted</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/zulum-promises-action-on-44-abducted</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:29:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XEM0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XEM0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XEM0!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XEM0!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XEM0!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XEM0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XEM0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg" width="620" height="494" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:494,&quot;width&quot;:620,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:25894,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212252394?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XEM0!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XEM0!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XEM0!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XEM0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25e097f7-c81c-4c40-acf3-af225139eb8d_620x494.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The Federal Government and Borno Government have intensified efforts to secure the safe release of 44 schoolchildren abducted from Mussa community in Askira/Uba Local Government Area. Governor Babagana Zulum disclosed this on Friday when he met with parents of the abducted pupils in Maiduguri. The meeting followed a request by the parents, who appealed for urgent government intervention to secure the children&#8217;s safe release.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Zulum expressed sympathy to the affected families and assured them of President Bola Tinubu&#8217;s commitment to rescuing the abducted pupils. He said Tinubu had directed security agencies to intensify efforts toward ensuring the children&#8217;s safe return to their families. According to him, the Nigerian Armed Forces and Borno Government were working together to achieve the objective.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;On behalf of the government and people of Borno, I once again extend my sympathies over what happened at Mussa Central Primary School,&#8221; Zulum said. He said the incident occurred on May 15, resulting in the abduction of about 44 primary school pupils.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The governor assured the parents that the government would continue doing everything possible to secure the children&#8217;s safe return. Senator Ali Ndume, representing the Southern Borno Senatorial District, and other senior government officials attended the meeting.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The abduction of 44 schoolchildren in Borno is a grim reminder of the insecurity that continues to plague the North-east. The parents have now waited more than three months for their children&#8217;s return. The governor&#8217;s assurance of government commitment is welcome, but the families need action, not words.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2014 Chibok kidnapping, which also saw parents wait for months for the return of their children. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a government struggling to secure the release of abducted children.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: none. The losers: the families of the 44 abducted pupils, who continue to wait; and the Nigerian state, which has failed to protect its children.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Forty-four children remain in captivity. The government promises action. The parents wait. The question is whether this time will be different.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Experts demand better maternal health support]]></title><description><![CDATA[Health experts have called for stronger postnatal community support, better reproductive health information, and improved follow-up care for women at the Her Health, Her Power Conference.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/experts-demand-better-maternal-health</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/experts-demand-better-maternal-health</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 08:21:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!v2YA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!v2YA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!v2YA!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!v2YA!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!v2YA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!v2YA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!v2YA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp" width="1024" height="538" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:538,&quot;width&quot;:1024,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:76972,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/webp&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212250328?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!v2YA!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!v2YA!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!v2YA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!v2YA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bcd28f-c295-4777-a185-5356f21d7a28_1024x538.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">A family physician and health care executive, Dr Diya Ololade, said misinformation remained the biggest barrier to informed reproductive choices for Nigerian women. Ololade alleged that many doctors imposed their own preferences on patients rather than presenting all available options and allowing women to decide. He identified misinformation, affordability, accessibility, availability and concerns about side effects as some of the major factors influencing reproductive health decisions.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A maternal health innovator, Mrs Eunice Benu, called for structured postnatal community support for new mothers, saying many women experienced isolation and depression after childbirth with little institutional support. Responding Mrs Ummi Umar, a Nigerian public health specialist, identified gaps in follow-up care after screening as a major challenge in the fight against cancers affecting women.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In her remarks, the Convener and Founder of VickyHeldan Empowerment Foundation, Dr Victory Njoku, said Africa could not achieve sustainable development without prioritising the health and wellbeing of its women.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The maternal health crisis in Nigeria is a story of neglect. Women die in childbirth at alarming rates. Reproductive choices are constrained by misinformation and the preferences of doctors. Postnatal support is virtually non-existent. The conference was a call to action, but the government has heard such calls before.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2020 maternal health conferences, which also called for action. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a recognition that women&#8217;s health is a priority, and a failure to act on that recognition.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: none. The losers: Nigerian women, who continue to face inadequate maternal health services; and the Nigerian government, which has failed to prioritise women&#8217;s health.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Experts are calling for better maternal health support. Women are dying. The question is whether the government will act or the conference will be another talk shop.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Military rule still shapes Nigeria’s political culture – study]]></title><description><![CDATA[A University of Ibadan scholar has presented research showing that 27 years of military rule continue to shape Nigeria&#8217;s political culture, electoral processes and governance institutions.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/military-rule-still-shapes-nigerias</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/military-rule-still-shapes-nigerias</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 07:46:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZnBj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZnBj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZnBj!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZnBj!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZnBj!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZnBj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZnBj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg" width="534" height="374" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:374,&quot;width&quot;:534,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:25126,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212249763?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZnBj!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZnBj!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZnBj!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZnBj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc82858ff-1b1f-45ab-90ae-7f65bdeb5aec_534x374.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Political Science scholar Dr Dhikru Yagboyaju of the University of Ibadan presented research showing that 27 years of historic military rule continue to shape Nigeria&#8217;s political culture, electoral processes, and governance institutions. The research highlights the enduring legacy of military rule on Nigeria&#8217;s democratic development.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The findings are a sobering reminder that Nigeria&#8217;s democratic institutions are still shaped by decades of authoritarian rule. The military&#8217;s legacy is evident in the concentration of power in the executive, the weakness of institutions, and the culture of impunity that pervades the political system. The research suggests that Nigeria&#8217;s democracy is still evolving and that the legacy of military rule will continue to shape its development for years to come.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2018 studies on democratic consolidation in Nigeria, which also highlighted the challenges of transitioning from military rule. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a recognition that Nigeria&#8217;s democracy is still a work in progress.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: the research community, which has produced important findings; and the Nigerian public, who gain a deeper understanding of their political culture. The losers: those who prefer to ignore the legacy of military rule; and the Nigerian government, which must address the challenges highlighted by the research.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Military rule still shapes Nigerian politics. The legacy of authoritarianism endures. The question is whether democracy can overcome the legacy of the past.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[AK Media launches new TV drama, “The Family Man”]]></title><description><![CDATA[Production firm AK Media Concepts has launched its new television drama series, &#8220;The Family Man,&#8221; exploring themes of marital reconciliation and personal ambition in contemporary Nigeria.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/ak-media-launches-new-tv-drama-the</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/ak-media-launches-new-tv-drama-the</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 07:32:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IBIA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IBIA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IBIA!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IBIA!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IBIA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IBIA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IBIA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg" width="548" height="364" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:364,&quot;width&quot;:548,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:37161,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212248913?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IBIA!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IBIA!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IBIA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IBIA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18b399f3-e578-4094-b998-eff6bd75fc03_548x364.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Production firm AK Media Concepts launched its new television drama series, &#8220;The Family Man,&#8221; exploring themes of marital reconciliation and personal ambition in contemporary Nigeria. The series is expected to resonate with Nigerian audiences, who have a strong appetite for drama that reflects their lived experiences.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The launch of &#8220;The Family Man&#8221; is a significant investment in Nigeria&#8217;s television industry. The series is a high-quality production that reflects the growing professionalism of Nollywood. The themes of marital reconciliation and personal ambition are likely to appeal to a wide audience. The success of the series will depend on the quality of the writing and the performances.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2020 launch of Nigerian television dramas, which also attracted significant audiences. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a growing Nigerian television industry.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: AK Media Concepts, which has launched a new series; and Nigerian television audiences, who have access to quality content. The losers: the competition; and the Nigerian government, which must support the creative economy.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> &#8220;The Family Man&#8221; has launched on Nigerian television. The drama explores themes of reconciliation and ambition. The question is whether the series will resonate with audiences or fade into obscurity.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Nigeria beats Morocco to reach semi-finals]]></title><description><![CDATA[Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa defeated Morocco 2-1 in Alexandria, securing Nigeria&#8217;s spot in the semi-finals against Mozambique at the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Championship.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/nigeria-beats-morocco-to-reach-semi</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/nigeria-beats-morocco-to-reach-semi</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 07:10:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mdbb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mdbb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mdbb!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mdbb!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mdbb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mdbb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mdbb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp" width="883" height="818" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:818,&quot;width&quot;:883,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:107914,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/webp&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212249407?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mdbb!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mdbb!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mdbb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mdbb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc6e59b2-73c9-475b-91a2-d5776570e161_883x818.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa defeated Morocco 2-1 in Alexandria, Egypt, securing Nigeria&#8217;s spot in the semi-finals against Mozambique at the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Championship. The win is a major achievement for Nigerian beach volleyball as the team continues its impressive run in the tournament.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The victory over Morocco is a testament to the team&#8217;s resilience and skill. Mbah and Bawa have been in excellent form throughout the tournament, and their performance against Morocco showed determination and tactical awareness. The semi-final against Mozambique will be a tough test, but the team will be confident they can progress further.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2022 African Beach Volleyball Championship, when Nigeria also performed well. The format was different then, but the result was the same: a strong performance by Nigerian athletes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa, who have reached the semi-finals; and Nigerian beach volleyball, which continues to develop. The losers: Morocco, which was defeated; and the Nigerian government, which must invest more in the sport.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Nigeria has beaten Morocco to reach the semi-finals. The team is performing well. The question is whether they can go all the way and win the championship.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tinubu orders arrest, suspends three permanent secretaries]]></title><description><![CDATA[President Tinubu has ordered the arrest of George Nwabueze and suspended three permanent secretaries following an official review.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/tinubu-orders-arrest-suspends-three</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/tinubu-orders-arrest-suspends-three</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 07:08:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!knXp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!knXp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!knXp!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!knXp!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!knXp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!knXp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!knXp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp" width="672" height="456" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:456,&quot;width&quot;:672,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:32520,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/webp&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212249857?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!knXp!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!knXp!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!knXp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!knXp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb6734e7e-0ada-411a-bbe7-5ca81dd75fbb_672x456.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">President Bola Tinubu ordered the immediate arrest of George Nwabueze alongside the suspension of three permanent secretaries&#8212;M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard Pheelangwah&#8212;following an official review. The directive signals the administration&#8217;s commitment to accountability and discipline within the federal civil service.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The arrest and suspensions are a significant move against perceived malfeasance in the bureaucracy. The suspension of three permanent secretaries, among the highest-ranking civil servants, suggests that the review uncovered serious misconduct. The public will be watching to see whether the government follows through with prosecutions or whether the suspensions are merely symbolic.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2020 civil service purges, which also saw senior officials suspended for misconduct. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a government asserting its authority over the bureaucracy.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: the Nigerian public, who may benefit from improved accountability; and the government, which has demonstrated its commitment to discipline. The losers: the suspended officials, who face an uncertain future; and the Nigerian civil service, which faces increased scrutiny.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Tinubu has ordered an arrest and suspended three permanent secretaries. The bureaucracy is being held accountable. The question is whether the action will lead to lasting reform or be a one-off gesture.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Nigerian developer launches multilingual AI platform]]></title><description><![CDATA[Nigerian tech developer Kingsley Udoma and his team have unveiled &#8220;Theresa AI,&#8221; a voice-first artificial intelligence platform capable of explaining complex subjects in six languages.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/nigerian-developer-launches-multilingual</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/nigerian-developer-launches-multilingual</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:59:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!17dx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!17dx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!17dx!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!17dx!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!17dx!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!17dx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!17dx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg" width="700" height="438" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:438,&quot;width&quot;:700,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:38437,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212248772?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!17dx!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!17dx!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!17dx!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!17dx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11d011f4-5026-448d-a3c2-9d2641d3113f_700x438.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Nigerian tech developer Kingsley Udoma and his team unveiled &#8220;Theresa AI,&#8221; a voice-first artificial intelligence platform that can explain complex subjects in English, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, French, and Spanish. The platform is designed to make complex information accessible to a wider audience, including those who are not fluent in English.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The launch of Theresa AI is a significant achievement for Nigerian tech. The platform&#8217;s multilingual capabilities reflect Nigeria's and Africa's linguistic diversity. The focus on voice-first interaction also recognises that many users prefer to speak rather than type. The platform's success will depend on the quality of its explanations and its ability to reach a wide audience.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2020 launch of AI platforms in Nigeria, which also sought to make information more accessible. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a focus on leveraging technology for social good.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: Kingsley Udoma and his team, who have launched an innovative platform; and Nigerian users, who have access to a multilingual AI. The losers: the competition; and the Nigerian government, which must support the tech ecosystem.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Theresa AI can explain complex subjects in six languages. Nigerian tech is innovating. The question is whether the platform will find a wide audience or remain a niche product.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dangote raises petrol price to ₦1,185]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dangote Petroleum Refinery increased its petrol gantry price by &#8358;20 to &#8358;1,185 per litre following a surge in global Brent crude oil prices past $93 per barrel.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/dangote-raises-petrol-price-to-1185</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/dangote-raises-petrol-price-to-1185</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:57:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HElZ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HElZ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HElZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HElZ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HElZ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HElZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HElZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg" width="715" height="429" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:429,&quot;width&quot;:715,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:29355,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212249509?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HElZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HElZ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HElZ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HElZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc73a3581-1bf4-4faf-9d7c-8a78466f5473_715x429.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Dangote Petroleum Refinery increased its petrol gantry price by &#8358;20 to &#8358;1,185 per litre after global Brent crude oil prices surged past $93 per barrel. The increase reflects the refinery&#8217;s exposure to global crude prices, which have risen sharply in recent weeks.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The price hike is a blow to Nigerian consumers, who hoped the Dangote Refinery would provide relief from high fuel costs. The &#8358;20 per litre increase will be felt at the pump, adding to the cost of transportation and food. The refinery&#8217;s pricing is now tied to global crude prices, meaning that Nigerian consumers are exposed to the volatility of the international oil market. For a commercial driver in Lagos, the &#8358;20 increase means higher operating costs, which will likely be passed on to passengers.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2024 petrol price hikes, when Dangote also adjusted prices in response to global crude movements. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: Nigerian consumers bearing the cost of global oil price volatility.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: Dangote Refinery, which is passing on higher costs to consumers; and the Nigerian government, which collects taxes on fuel sales. The losers: Nigerian consumers, who face higher fuel prices; and the Nigerian economy, which suffers from higher transportation costs.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Dangote has raised petrol prices by &#8358;20. Global oil prices are rising. The question is whether the government will intervene or let the market determine prices.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Naira gains, procurement savings hit ₦1.5tn]]></title><description><![CDATA[The naira gained &#8358;1.13 to close at &#8358;1,346.49 per dollar, while the BPP reported saving over &#8358;1.5 trillion through ongoing federal procurement reforms.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/naira-gains-procurement-savings-hit</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/naira-gains-procurement-savings-hit</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:44:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HBjk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HBjk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HBjk!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HBjk!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HBjk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HBjk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HBjk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp" width="689" height="1225" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1225,&quot;width&quot;:689,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:79314,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/webp&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212249619?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HBjk!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HBjk!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HBjk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HBjk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b57cdd7-e995-4cfe-b010-9c1c966ac27f_689x1225.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The Nigerian Naira gained &#8358;1.13 to close at &#8358;1,346.49 per dollar, while the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) reported saving over &#8358;1.5 trillion through ongoing federal procurement reforms. The naira&#8217;s gain reflects continued stability in the foreign exchange market, while the procurement savings highlight the government&#8217;s efforts to improve efficiency.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The &#8358;1.5 trillion in procurement savings is a significant achievement. The reforms, which have focused on improving transparency and competition in government procurement, have saved the government billions of naira. The naira&#8217;s gain is a positive sign for the economy, as it reduces the cost of imports and eases inflationary pressures. For a taxpayer in Lagos, the procurement savings mean more of their taxes go to public services rather than lining contractors' pockets. For a business owner, the naira&#8217;s gain means that imported inputs are becoming more affordable.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2020 procurement reforms, which also saw significant savings. The mechanism was different then, but the result was the same: a focus on improving government efficiency.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: the Nigerian government, which has saved billions, and the Nigerian public, who benefit from more efficient spending. The losers: contractors who benefited from the old system, and the Nigerian government, which must sustain the reforms.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> The naira is gaining, and procurement reforms are saving billions. The question is whether the savings will be reinvested in public services or lost to other inefficiencies.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[EFCC, ICPC probe NFF over ₦12bn disbursement]]></title><description><![CDATA[The EFCC and ICPC have summoned top NFF officials regarding the disbursement of &#8358;12 billion allocated for national team allowances and coaches&#8217; salaries.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/efcc-icpc-probe-nff-over-12bn-disbursement</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/efcc-icpc-probe-nff-over-12bn-disbursement</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:37:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!h4pV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!h4pV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!h4pV!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!h4pV!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!h4pV!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!h4pV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!h4pV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp" width="678" height="452" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:452,&quot;width&quot;:678,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:38486,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/webp&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212249176?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!h4pV!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!h4pV!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!h4pV!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!h4pV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87b921fd-d3b7-47d3-9727-3deb809c6613_678x452.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) have summoned top Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials regarding the disbursement of &#8358;12 billion allocated for national team allowances and coaches&#8217; salaries. The summoning follows concerns over the management of funds meant for the development of Nigerian football.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The &#8358;12 billion is a significant sum, and the summoning of NFF officials suggests that the anti-graft agencies are taking the matter seriously. Allegations of mismanagement have plagued the NFF for years, and the investigation tests the federation&#8217;s commitment to transparency. The outcome will determine whether the NFF can be trusted to manage public funds.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2018 investigations into the NFF&#8217;s finances, which also raised questions about accountability. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a focus on the NFF&#8217;s financial management.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: the EFCC and ICPC, which are asserting their oversight role; and the Nigerian public, who are demanding accountability. The losers: the NFF officials, who face scrutiny; and Nigerian football, which suffers from the perception of mismanagement.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Anti-graft agencies are probing the NFF over &#8358;12 billion. The federation is under scrutiny. The question is whether the investigation will lead to prosecutions or just more reports.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Edo govt denies banning Davido from performing]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Edo State Ministry of Information has confirmed that Afrobeats star Davido is not banned from entering or performing in the state, dismissing earlier claims made by a governor&#8217;s aide.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/edo-govt-denies-banning-davido-from</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/edo-govt-denies-banning-davido-from</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:34:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C6qc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C6qc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C6qc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C6qc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C6qc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C6qc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C6qc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg" width="640" height="480" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:480,&quot;width&quot;:640,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:35918,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212249038?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C6qc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C6qc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C6qc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C6qc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26f4b51d-8037-44c4-bc30-d95218d41ae5_640x480.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The Edo State Ministry of Information confirmed that Afrobeats star Davido is not banned from entering or performing in the state, dismissing earlier claims made by a governor&#8217;s aide. The clarification ends speculation that the singer had been barred from the state over his political activities.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The earlier claims had sparked controversy, with many questioning the government&#8217;s motives. The clarification suggests that the government is keen to avoid a public backlash. Davido&#8217;s status as a major cultural figure means that any attempt to ban him would be met with widespread criticism.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2020 controversies over bans on artists in Nigeria, which also saw governments face public pressure. The mechanism was different then, but the result was the same: a recognition that artists have significant cultural influence.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: Davido, who has been cleared to perform; and the Edo State Government, which has avoided a public relations disaster. The losers: the governor&#8217;s aide, whose claims have been dismissed; and the Nigerian public, who were subjected to unnecessary speculation.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Davido is not banned from Edo State. The government has clarified the matter. The question is whether the clarification will end the controversy or fuel further speculation.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Anambra deploys AI to automate government workflows]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Anambra State ICT Agency has begun deploying a locally trained open-source AI platform to automate internal administrative workflows and enhance public sector productivity.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/anambra-deploys-ai-to-automate-government</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/anambra-deploys-ai-to-automate-government</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:26:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1kSX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1kSX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1kSX!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1kSX!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1kSX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1kSX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1kSX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg" width="650" height="365" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:365,&quot;width&quot;:650,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:10964,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212248518?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1kSX!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1kSX!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1kSX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1kSX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc119c9-f85c-4543-ae77-917818b61d98_650x365.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The Anambra State ICT Agency began deploying a locally trained open-source AI platform to automate internal administrative workflows and enhance public sector productivity. The initiative is part of the state government&#8217;s efforts to use technology to improve governance.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Deploying AI for administrative workflows is a significant step toward modernising the public sector. Using a locally trained open-source platform reflects the government&#8217;s commitment to building local capacity. Workflow automation will improve efficiency and reduce the potential for human error. The initiative's success will depend on the quality of the AI and the workforce's ability to adapt to the new system.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes Nigeria's 2020 digital governance initiatives, which also sought to automate government processes. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a focus on leveraging technology for improved governance.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: the Anambra State Government, which is modernising its operations; and the Nigerian public, who may benefit from improved services. The losers: those who benefited from the old manual system, and the Nigerian government, which must support the adoption of technology.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Anambra is deploying AI for administrative tasks. The government is going digital. The question is whether the AI will improve efficiency or create new problems.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Samuel Udeh wins acclaim for Nollywood visual design]]></title><description><![CDATA[Production designer Samuel Udeh received industry recognition across major Nollywood platforms for his visual design work on prominent feature films released this quarter.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/samuel-udeh-wins-acclaim-for-nollywood</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/samuel-udeh-wins-acclaim-for-nollywood</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:03:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!34Ye!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!34Ye!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!34Ye!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!34Ye!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!34Ye!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!34Ye!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!34Ye!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp" width="782" height="506" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:506,&quot;width&quot;:782,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:38024,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/webp&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212112216?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!34Ye!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!34Ye!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!34Ye!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!34Ye!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71411df6-ad67-4971-90ce-0da06c27dca7_782x506.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Production designer Samuel Udeh received industry recognition across major Nollywood platforms for his visual design work on prominent feature films released this quarter. Udeh&#8217;s work has been praised for its creativity and attention to detail, highlighting the growing professionalism of Nollywood&#8217;s production design.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The recognition of Udeh&#8217;s work is a sign of the maturing of Nollywood as an industry. Production design is a critical component of filmmaking, and the recognition of Udeh&#8217;s work reflects the growing importance of visual storytelling in Nigerian cinema. The success of Nigerian films depends on the quality of all aspects of production, and the recognition of Udeh&#8217;s work is a positive sign for the industry.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2020 recognition of Nollywood production designers, which also saw individuals celebrated for their work. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a growing appreciation for the craft of filmmaking.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: Samuel Udeh, who has received industry recognition; and Nollywood, which is gaining professional recognition. The losers: those who are not recognised; and the Nigerian government, which must support the creative economy.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Samuel Udeh is being recognised for his visual design work. Nollywood is maturing. The question is whether the industry will continue to grow or plateau.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ogra urges brands to embrace resilience, storytelling]]></title><description><![CDATA[Senior Special Assistant to the President O&#8217;tega Ogra highlighted the role of brand resilience and creative storytelling in driving economic growth at the Top Companies of Impact forum.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/ogra-urges-brands-to-embrace-resilience</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/ogra-urges-brands-to-embrace-resilience</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:04:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z_zC!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z_zC!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z_zC!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z_zC!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z_zC!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z_zC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z_zC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg" width="678" height="452" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:452,&quot;width&quot;:678,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:44289,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212112319?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z_zC!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z_zC!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z_zC!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z_zC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F705be9b6-0f36-4e9c-abb3-bc7e0ec878c8_678x452.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Media executives and political figures assembled in Lagos for the Top Companies of Impact forum, where Senior Special Assistant to the President O&#8217;tega Ogra highlighted the role of brand resilience and creative storytelling in economic growth. Ogra argued that Nigerian brands must embrace resilience and creative storytelling to compete in the global market.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The forum provided a platform for discussing the role of brands in driving economic growth. Ogra&#8217;s emphasis on resilience and storytelling is a recognition that Nigerian brands must adapt to changing market conditions and tell compelling stories about their products and services. The success of Nigerian brands will depend on their ability to innovate and connect with consumers. The government&#8217;s role in creating an enabling environment for brands to thrive is also critical.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2020 branding and marketing conferences in Nigeria, which also emphasised the importance of storytelling. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a focus on the role of brands in economic growth.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: Nigerian brands, which are being encouraged to innovate; and the Nigerian economy, which benefits from a strong brand presence. The losers: brands that fail to adapt; and the Nigerian government, which must create an enabling environment.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Brand resilience and storytelling are key to economic growth. The question is whether Nigerian brands will embrace the challenge or remain stuck in the past.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Elumelu’s Seplat investment hits $1bn]]></title><description><![CDATA[Heirs Holdings&#8217; investment in Seplat Energy, led by Tony Elumelu, doubled in market valuation to cross $1 billion following a continuous equity price surge on the Nigerian Exchange.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/elumelus-seplat-investment-hits-1bn</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/elumelus-seplat-investment-hits-1bn</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:05:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p8nw!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p8nw!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p8nw!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p8nw!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p8nw!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p8nw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p8nw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg" width="711" height="431" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:431,&quot;width&quot;:711,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:22357,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212112608?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p8nw!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p8nw!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p8nw!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p8nw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc70ce950-e1e0-4188-8611-d451cbd6114d_711x431.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Heirs Holdings&#8217; investment in Seplat Energy, led by Tony Elumelu, doubled in market valuation to cross $1 billion following a continuous equity price surge on the Nigerian Exchange. The investment, which has more than doubled in value, reflects the growing confidence in Nigeria&#8217;s energy sector and the strategic vision of Elumelu&#8217;s investment philosophy.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The doubling of the investment&#8217;s value is a significant achievement for Heirs Holdings and a testament to the potential of Nigeria&#8217;s energy sector. The surge in Seplat&#8217;s equity price reflects the market&#8217;s confidence in the company&#8217;s performance and the broader recovery of the oil and gas sector. The success of the investment is also a validation of Elumelu&#8217;s long-term investment strategy, which has focused on building value in key sectors of the Nigerian economy.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2020 surge in energy stocks, which also saw significant gains for investors. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a growing confidence in Nigeria&#8217;s energy sector.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: Heirs Holdings and Tony Elumelu, who have seen their investment double; and the Nigerian energy sector, which is attracting investment. The losers: those who did not invest; and the Nigerian government, which must sustain the momentum.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Elumelu&#8217;s Seplat investment has doubled to $1 billion. The energy sector is delivering returns. The question is whether the momentum can be sustained or the gains will be eroded.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Governors still control LG funds despite Supreme Court ruling]]></title><description><![CDATA[Two years after the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to local government councils, state governors continue to exert structural control over local administration funds across several states.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/governors-still-control-lg-funds</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/governors-still-control-lg-funds</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:23:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!didH!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!didH!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!didH!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!didH!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!didH!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!didH!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!didH!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg" width="600" height="337" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:337,&quot;width&quot;:600,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:28787,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212114000?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!didH!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!didH!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!didH!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!didH!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90268fd8-e80e-4f9e-b65d-aea165bd223a_600x337.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Two years after the Supreme Court granted direct financial autonomy to local government councils, reports show state executive governors continue to exert structural control over local administration funds across several states. The ruling was intended to strengthen local governance and ensure that funds meant for grassroots development reach the communities. However, reports indicate that governors have found ways to circumvent the ruling, maintaining control over local government finances.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The persistence of gubernatorial control over LG funds is a betrayal of the Supreme Court&#8217;s intent. The ruling was a landmark decision that promised to decentralise power and resources. The governors&#8217; continued control suggests that the structural barriers to local government autonomy remain intact. The Nigerian public must demand accountability and ensure that the ruling is enforced.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2019 financial autonomy struggles, which also saw governors resist the devolution of power. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a centralisation of power that undermines grassroots development.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: state governors, who have maintained control over local government funds; and the political establishment, which benefits from the status quo. The losers: local government councils, which are starved of resources; and the Nigerian public, who are denied the benefits of grassroots development.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Two years after the Supreme Court ruling, governors are still controlling LG funds. The promise of local government autonomy remains unfulfilled. The question is whether the judiciary will enforce its ruling or the governors will continue to flout it.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[FG secures $1.3bn to revive Delta Steel]]></title><description><![CDATA[The FG has concluded an agreement to rehabilitate the abandoned Delta Steel Company, securing a $1.3 billion private investment commitment projected to create 25,000 jobs.]]></description><link>https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/fg-secures-13bn-to-revive-delta-steel</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ngmorningreport.com/p/fg-secures-13bn-to-revive-delta-steel</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Report]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:08:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c0nS!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c0nS!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c0nS!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c0nS!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c0nS!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c0nS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c0nS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png" width="700" height="400" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:400,&quot;width&quot;:700,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:132960,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ngmorningreport.com/i/212112774?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c0nS!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c0nS!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c0nS!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c0nS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d360e06-4442-4fd0-b7f4-6216a34d1096_700x400.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The Federal Government concluded an agreement to rehabilitate the long-abandoned Delta Steel Company, securing a $1.3 billion private investment commitment projected to create 25,000 jobs. The agreement marks a significant step towards reviving Nigeria&#8217;s steel industry, which has been in decline for decades.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The rehabilitation of Delta Steel is a welcome development for Nigeria&#8217;s industrialisation agenda. The steel company was once a symbol of Nigeria&#8217;s industrial ambition, and its revival could have a transformative impact on the economy. The 25,000 jobs projected to be created would provide much-needed employment for Nigerians. The success of the project will depend on the government&#8217;s ability to ensure that the investment is used effectively and that the company is managed sustainably.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This echoes the 2010s efforts to revive Nigeria&#8217;s steel industry, which also saw significant investment commitments that failed to materialise. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a cycle of promises and disappointments.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The winners: Delta State, which will benefit from the investment; and the Nigerian economy, which gains from industrialisation. The losers: the Nigerian government, which must ensure the project is delivered; and the Nigerian public, who must wait for the benefits.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Bottom Line:</strong> Nigeria is reviving Delta Steel with a $1.3 billion investment. 25,000 jobs are on the line. The question is whether the project will be delivered or join the long list of abandoned industrial projects.</p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>