General
Kwara Govt Denies Corruption at Harmony Holdings Ltd
By Dipo Olowookere
The Kwara State Government has denied social media claims purportedly attributed to the former Managing Director of Harmony Holdings Limited, (HHL), Dr Shehu Kuranga Mohammed, alleging corrupt practices concerning state government properties managed by the company.
In a statement, the state government said the claims of corruption at HHL involving management of state-owned property are creations of the fertile imagination of its authors.
It also absolved Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki of any involvement in the planned lease of a prime state-owned property located in Lagos or in any illegal transaction involving other state-owned assets.
Rather, the government maintained that transactions relating to the proposed lease followed due process and involved relevant state agencies.
The statement also denied the claim that Dr Mohammed resigned due to pressures from Government House to engage a particular company to manage the Victoria Island, Lagos property and to financially disadvantage the state in favour of a private company or individuals.
Instead, the government said Dr Mohammed was asked to review the companies shortlisted for managing the property, recommend one or come up with an alternative company but resigned before the process was completed.
The government stressed that Dr Mohammed was personally head-hunted by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed based on the former incumbent’s corporate finance experience and capacity and not at the request of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) as wrongly claimed.
It, therefore, urged the public to ignore the lies about HHL and warned those bent on playing politics with government-owned entities to have a rethink and be mindful of the long-term impact on the image of Kwara State as investors may be reluctant to partner the state if the negative atmosphere of needless controversy is allowed to persist.
The full statement reads thus:
“We have become aware of a social media post alleging corrupt practices at Harmony Holdings Limited, a company fully-owned by the Kwara State Government. For the avoidance of doubt and in the interest of the people of Kwara State who are the ultimate owners of HHL and the assets it is managing, we wish to state clearly that the allegations in the said post are lies concocted in a futile bid to embarrass the administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
To restate, Harmony Holdings Limited is a product of the administration’s quest to innovate new funding sources for government programs in the light of a fragile global economy and unstable federal allocation.
To insulate the state from these uncertainties and keep it on a firm pedestal for the benefit of its people, reforms were necessary. One of them was HHL, especially given the existence of state assets which were constituting a drain on state resources rather than augmenting them.
In the light of the vast investment and revenue potentials of these state-owned assets, it was decided to recruit for HHL only those with the capacity and pedigree to successfully attract private partners to invest funds in the dormant assets, and significantly boost the state government’s revenue.
An essential skill in this regard was previous Corporate Finance and related management experience which was deemed necessary for the task of making HHL achieve its target of N50b in annual revenues and ranking as one of the top holding companies in the country. It is also reflected in the capacity, experience and pedigree of the previous board which was headed by a Professor of Public Finance and included credentialed individuals with a strong finance, business and academic backgrounds.
It remains the government’s understanding and resolve that the task of turning these state-owned assets to revenue generating ventures can only be achieved by management manned by technocrats with the necessary capacities.
This need for a Chief Executive with relevant requisite capacity for HHL was the spirit behind Dr Mohammed’s recruitment by the state government when the previous board’s tenure expired.
His mandate was to focus not on HHL’s ongoing concerns that were already contributing revenue but on turning high value but dormant assets into income generating ventures for the government. One of the assets was a state government-owned commercial property located at Victoria Island, Lagos. Before Dr Mohammed’s appointment, the said property was the subject of litigation.
Subsequently, the property was tied up for the duration of the court case which the state government eventually won. HHL was then instructed to review a shortlist of companies bidding for the lease, to recommend one or make new recommendations. Dr Mohammed resigned before the ongoing process to choose a preferred bidder with the required competence and capacity to manage the property, which followed necessary processes and involved other state agencies, was completed.
It is therefore untrue that Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed is involved in any corrupt deals at HHL or any effort to influence the selection of any company to manage government assets.
The state government also exonerates the former state governor and Senate President, His Excellency, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki of any involvement in any aspect of HHL’s operations, including the management and sale of any state government asset assigned to the company or indeed any other government property.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has intensified its compliance drive in the oil and gas midstream segment, convening a high-level sensitisation workshop aimed at deepening adherence to the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.
The workshop, themed Compliance with the Provisions of the NOGICD Act 2010: A Pathway to Industrialization, held in Lagos, drew key operators across gas processing, transportation, storage and infrastructure development.
Speaking on behalf of the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr Felix Ogbe, the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Mr Omomehin Ajimijaye, described the midstream sector as “a critical bridge between upstream production and downstream utilisation.”
“The midstream segment plays a pivotal role in gas processing, transportation, storage and infrastructure development, all of which are essential pillars for achieving Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda,” Mr Ajimijaye said.
Mr Ajimijaye stressed that adherence to the NOGICD Act goes beyond regulatory obligation.
“Compliance with the NOGICD Act is not merely a statutory requirement,” he stated. “It is a strategic imperative for sustainable national development.”
He explained that the programme was structured to clarify registration processes, Nigerian Content Equipment Certification, expatriate quota requirements, statutory reporting templates and submission timelines.
“Our objective is to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of compliance requirements, address recurring gaps identified during Monitoring and Evaluation reviews, and foster constructive dialogue on operational realities within the midstream space,” he added.
According to Mr Ajimijaye, the board has received feedback from operators highlighting challenges in meeting Nigerian Content obligations, including reporting complexities and varying interpretations of certain provisions of the Act.
“As a responsive regulator and development-focused institution, we remain committed not only to enforcing compliance but also to providing guidance, clarity and the necessary support to enable stakeholders succeed,” he assured participants.
With Nigeria positioning gas as a transition fuel and economic growth driver, regulatory clarity in the midstream space is essential to unlocking investment and local capacity development.
The participants received technical presentations from key NCDMB divisions, including: Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Project Certification and Authorisation Division, Capacity Building Division and Zonal Coordination Division.
The interactive sessions provided practical guidance on engagement protocols with the Board and strengthened collaboration between regulators and operators.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, has taken over the prosecution of his immediate predecessor, Mr Abubakar Malami.
Mr Malami is facing terrorism and illegal firearms possession charges brought against him by the Department of State Service (DSS).
Mr Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), took over the trial from the secret police on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, announced the Attorney General’s appearance in the matter.
Mr Oyedepo told Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that the trial cannot proceed because Mr Fagbemi has just taken over the prosecution.
He informed the court that the prosecution needed more time to familiarise itself with the facts of the case.
Counsel to the defendants, Mr Adedayo Adedeji, who did not oppose the application, however, urged the court to strike out the matter if the prosecution fails to open its case at the next adjourned date, citing lack of diligent prosecution.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter to March 10 for trial and for the prosecution to formally open its case.
The court had, on February 27, admitted Malami and his son, Mr Abdulaziz, to N200 million bail, with two sureties, each one of whom must own landed property either in Maitama or Asokoro.
Justice Abdulmalik had said that the title of the property must be deposited with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court along with valid international passports.
The sureties were also ordered to depose to an affidavit of means and submit their two recent passport photographs to the court.
Mr Malami and his son were also ordered to submit their international passports and recent passport photographs to the court.
The DSS had arraigned the ex-AGF and his son, Mr Abdulaziz, on a five-count charge bordering on terrorism and illegal firearms possession.
In the charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Malami is also accused of refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers, whose case files were handed to him while he served as the AGF and Minister of Justice.
Mr Malami and Mr Abdulaziz are equally accused of warehousing firearms in their residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birain Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, without lawful authority.
The DSS accused Mr Malami in count one of the charge, with knowingly abetting terrorism financing, while the ex-AGF and his son are charged in counts two to five, with unlawful, possession of a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, 16 Redstar AAA 5720 live rounds of cartridges and 27 expended Redstar AAA 5’20 cartridges, contrary to and punishable under relevant Sections of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and Firearms Act, 2004.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has announced a significant 24.8 per cent increase in total cargo throughput for 2025.
According to the NPA’s 2025 Operational Performance Report, total cargo throughput rose from approximately 103.6 million metric tons in 2024 to over 129.3 million metric tons in 2025.
The report identified Lekki Port as Nigeria’s leading port, accounting for 40.6 per cent of the nation’s total cargo throughput. Onne Port followed with 19.1 per cent, while Apapa Port handled 16.7 per cent.
Beyond volume, Lekki Port also received the largest vessels, recording an average Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of 55,712, slightly higher than Onne Port’s 53,022 GRT.
Apapa and Tin Can Island ports recorded average vessel sizes of 33,251 GRT and 36,909 GRT, respectively, while Delta Ports handled vessels averaging 17,414 GRT.
Although Tin Can Island Port recorded the highest frequency of ship arrivals, accounting for 22.7 per cent of total ship calls, Lekki and Onne are increasingly attracting larger “heavyweight” vessels, strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to handle higher-value cargo.
The data showed that imports continued to dominate cargo traffic, and the report highlighted a steady rise in outward trade. Exports accounted for 39.0 per cent of total cargo throughput, while inward traffic represented 59.2 per cent.
Containerised cargo, widely regarded as a key indicator of trade activity, recorded substantial growth. Total container traffic increased by 25.7 per cent, surpassing 2.1 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs).
Import-laden containers surged by 32.8 per cent, while export containers rose by 3.1 per cent. Notably, transhipment containers recorded a remarkable 205.8 per cent increase, positioning Nigeria as an emerging regional logistics hub serving West and Central Africa.
Liquid bulk cargo, including petroleum products and chemicals, remained the dominant commodity category, accounting for 54.7 per cent of total cargo, while containerised cargo represented 24 per cent.
Speaking on the report, the Managing Director of NPA, Mr Abubakar Dantsoho, described the 2025 performance as a historic milestone.
“Nigeria’s maritime sector recorded a historic surge in activity in 2025, driven by increased cargo throughput, rising container traffic, and a growing export footprint. This underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to economic diversification,” he said.
Looking ahead, Mr Dantsoho expressed confidence that the Federal Government-approved port modernisation programme and the implementation of the National Single Window system would power the next phase of growth.
The comprehensive modernisation initiative aims to rehabilitate ageing infrastructure, deepen berths, upgrade quays, expand cargo-handling capacity, and deploy advanced digital solutions across Nigeria’s ports.
The reforms are expected to reduce vessel turnaround time, cut cargo dwell time, improve safety standards, and boost overall operational efficiency.
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