Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Manny Ita The Federal Government of Nigeria has entered the final phase of a strategic six-month ban on the exportation of raw shea nuts, a move designed to pivot the nation from a primary producer to a dominant global hub for refined shea butter. The policy, which was approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and announced by Vice President Kashim Shettima, aims to address a long-standing economic disparity: while Nigeria produces nearly 40% of the world’s shea nuts, it currently captures less than 1% of the $6.5 billion global shea market. ​The directive, described by the Vice President as a…

Africa Go Green Fund: Germany Supports Africa With €30m to Broaden Climate Solutions German development finance institution, DEG, and a subsidiary of KfW Group, have set aside a €30 million loan to Africa Go Green Fund, which specialises in financing climate solutions across Africa. The fund which invests in energy efficiency, clean cooking, electric mobility, green buildings and distributed energy solutions, is managed by Cygnum Capital manages and targets sectors where demand continues to grow but access to appropriate financing remains limited. These sectors require financial instruments aligned with asset life cycles and corporate cash-flow profiles, which often do…

Manny Ita The Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have finalized a strategic partnership to restore dedicated tourism information desks at all major international airports, marking a significant push to improve the first point of contact for foreign visitors. This move follows projections that Nigeria’s tourism receipts are set to hit $12 billion in 2026, up from $8.6 billion in 2021, with arrivals expected to peak at 6.7 million by the end of the year. ​The Director-General of NTDA, Dr. Olayiwola Awakan, described the country as “sitting on a gold mine” of opportunities…

Manny Ita The Nigerian real estate landscape is facing a significant regulatory shift as state and federal authorities begin an aggressive crackdown on the short-term rental market to combat a deepening crisis in long-term housing availability. Following a year where short-let listings surged by over 260% in key urban corridors, regulators are moving to curb what they describe as a “supply drain” that has seen traditional yearly rents climb by as much as 46%. ​Industry data from the 2025/2026 Property Price Index highlights a growing trend of “mass conversions,” where landlords opt for serviced apartments over annual tenancies because they…

Chartered Accountants Ask For Sustained Accountability For Economic Growth Speakers came to agreement that Nigeria’s central challenge is the ability to execute reforms credibly. In order to excel with the current execution of the nation’s economic reforms agenda, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) has called on the federal, state and local governments to embrace sustained accountability, transparency, and integrity. The call was made during ICAN’s 2026 Economic Outlook Conference, titled “ICAN@60: Accountability as the Bedrock of National Development,” as part of the one-year activities marking ICAN’s 60th anniversary. Speaking at the event, the ICAN President and Chairman…

By Manny Ita For decades, football’s most celebrated stars were wrapped in the mythology of excess—late nights, fast cars, and a lifestyle that blurred indulgence with success. In 2026, that image is quietly collapsing. A new truth is emerging at the top of the game: the most decisive competitive edge is not found in sponsorship deals or tactical tweaks, but in the stability a player returns to when the stadium lights go out. Few careers illustrate this shift more clearly than that of Ousmane Dembélé. Once seen as the embodiment of wasted potential, he has redefined himself as a Ballon…

Tinubu lauds Super Eagles for hard-fought AFCON bronze President Bola Tinubu has praised the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles, following their bronze medal victory at the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. The President commended the team for bouncing back from their semi-final defeat to host nation Morocco, praising their resilience and determination in the third-place playoff. Nigeria defeated Egypt, a seven-time AFCON champion, 4-2 on penalties after dominating regular time. In a statement, President Tinubu said: “Despite their good run during the tournament, the Eagles lost the semi-final match to Morocco during the penalty shootout…

Manny Ita ​Veteran musician and cultural advocate Dare Fasasi, popularly known as Baba Dee, has voiced strong concerns regarding Nigeria’s inability to derive significant economic value from the global success of Afrobeats. Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Nation today, January 17, 2026, the artist—who is the elder brother of the late music icon Sound Sultan—attributed the lack of financial return to a fundamental lack of structure and weak regulation within the domestic creative industry. He argued that while the genre enjoys unprecedented international visibility, the core economic benefits are being siphoned away by foreign entities. ​”Afrobeats is not…

Manny Ita The 8th edition of the Hadiza Ibrahim Aliyu Schools Festival (HIASFEST), widely recognized as Africa’s largest teen arts festival, officially drew to a close today, January 17, 2026, at the Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre in Minna, Niger State. The event solidified the city’s standing as a premier incubator for Nigeria’s emerging creative class, bringing together hundreds of students for a week of high-stakes competition across literary, performing, and scientific disciplines. This year’s festival saw a significant escalation in institutional support, with a total prize pool exceeding ₦30 million distributed among the winning participants and institutions. ​The “Overall…

Manny Ita Afrobeats star Davido is at the centre of a widely publicised paternity dispute after a teenage girl, Mitchelle Anuoluwapo Adeleke, publicly appealed to the singer to submit to a DNA test to establish whether he is her biological father. The matter resurfaced in January 2026 after the 12‑year‑old shared an emotional message on social media in which she described years of bullying and psychological distress linked to the unresolved claim and appealed respectfully to Davido to consider a fresh test to confirm her identity. In response, Davido has strongly denied paternity and said he has already taken multiple…