General
EU Tasks Nigeria on Seaport Security
By Adedapo Adesanya
The European Union (EU) has advised Nigeria to tighten security architecture at the seaports to help reduce its vulnerabilities and risks.
The call was made at the closing ceremony of the Western and Central Africa Port Security (WeCAPS) first mission training in Nigeria for ports in Lagos.
The mission, which started in August 2022, was sponsored by the EU and driven by Expertise France (EF) with the collaboration of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
The team leader of WeCAPS, Mr Nico Vertogen, said strengthening the security and safety of the West and Central African ports would help reduce vulnerabilities and risks, thereby increasing skills and vigilance.
He called for perimeter fencing of the ports, installation of CCTVs and access badges, among others, as a means to tighten the nation’s port security.
He explained that the WeCAPS project is a partner project with experts giving their opinion on safety and security accompanied by training.
On his part, the Managing Director of the NPA, Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, commended the EU for the WeCAPS training mission to strengthen the security and safety of ports in the West and Central African region. He said the training mission in Nigeria came at a time when the authority was prioritising safety and security to achieve a hub status within the region.
Mr Bello-Koko said the commitment is in line with the authority’s vision to be the maritime logistics hub for sustainable port services in Africa, which also prioritises the delivery of efficient port services in a safe, secure, and customer-friendly environment.
Also speaking, the General Manager of Security at NPA, Mr Mohammed Khalil, said ports are part of a nation’s critical national infrastructure and assets. He said the ports are also gateways to the nation’s economy as they serve as transportation hubs connecting and facilitating the movement of goods to support businesses for wealth creation and economic growth.
He noted that, as an integral part of the global maritime logistics and supply chain, which controls over 80 per cent of world trade, the safety and security of the ports are of paramount importance to the well-being of the global economy.
He added the safety and security of ports became a priority after the 9/11 attack by acts of terrorism in the United States and its aftermath that brought huge changes in global maritime and port security management.
Mr Khalil also said due to the impact of attack at the global level, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) reviewed the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) (1974), which gave rise to the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
According to him, the convention, which came to effect in July 2004, was to tackle the global threat of terrorism on international shipping and related supply chain infrastructure.
He said Nigeria, being a signatory to the convention, has, over the years, worked tirelessly to ensure compliance with the code through collaborative training with WeCAPs.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The United States government gave some terrorists in Nigeria a Christmas gift that sent many of them to the great beyond.
On Thursday, December 25, 2025, the United States President, Mr Donald Trump, directed his country’s military to launch air strikes on camps of members of the dreaded Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Sokoto State.
According to Mr Trump, the military action, which he threatened to carry out a few weeks ago if the Nigerian government does not stop the killing of Christians in the country, occurred on Thursday night.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
“Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical islamic terrorism to prosper. May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Department of War of the United States posted the below video of the air strikes;
https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2004351717131903272
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The presidency has reacted to speculations that Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has been removed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
It was alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila has been replaced with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Mr Muri-Okunola went to Abuja to take up this role after leaving as the Head of Service of the Lagos State Civil Service.
Reacting to the reports on social media on the purported removal of Mr Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the presidency said no such change has been made.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, members of the public were advised to disregard the report as “there is absolutely no truth to this story.”
“The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.
“We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The new chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has assumed office with a clear message to advance the country’s upstream oil and gas sector in line with the mandate of the commission as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
According to a statement signed by Mr Eniola Akinkuotu, the Head of Media & Strategic Communications at the upstream regulator, the NUPRC boss made this assertation during her first town hall meeting with management and staff on Tuesday December 23, 2025.
She further disclosed plans to make the commission a business enabler and re-ignite investments in the upstream sector.
Recall that President Tinubu nominated Mrs Eyesan to take over the NUPRC after the abrupt resignation of her predecessor, Mr Gbenga Komolafe as well as his counterpart in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed.
In her new capacity, Mrs Eyesan also set a firm production ambition of growing Nigeria’s output and increasing gas production.
“The goal is that we must enable the industry, we are regulators. We must enable the industry from our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody.
“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the Center of the industry,” she said.
The commission boss who has served for over three decades in the oil and gas sector, promised to entrench digitisation, transparency and efficiency in operations.
The NUPRC head said with the support of staff and management, the NUPRC will become the gold-standard regulator in Africa. She also promised capacity development, stronger technical depth and sustained engagement with stakeholders, unions and professional teams.
On leadership style, Mrs Eyesan promised an open-door policy and frequent staff engagement, while also soliciting for support and cooperation as the industry embarks on the next phase of transformation.
“If we work together we can unleash opportunities, I don’t see impediments only opportunities,” she added.
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