General
APC will end PDP’s Reign in Delta 2019—Uduaghan
By Dipo Olowookere
Former Governor of Delta State, Mr Emmanuel Uduaghan, has boasted that his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) would put to an end the era of the party’s “barrenness” in winning elective positions and also terminate the reign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Mr Uduaghan, a Delta South Senatorial hopeful, while speaking in Koko, the administrative headquarters of Warri North to consult party leaders and members from Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North ahead of the APC senatorial primaries billed for next week, however urged party members to unite to enable the APC kick out the PDP-led government in the state.
“The APC that I have joined is the one that will win election in 2019. But first, for us to win election, we must be united and that is one of my major assignments upon moving to the progressives’ fold,” he said.
The former governor, whose defection to the APC has risen the party chances of defeating Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in the 2019 general elections, added that the crisis rocking the party was almost resolved.
Mr Uduaghan, while stressing on the need for the zone to send their best hands to the National Assembly in 2019 further emphasized that his role as ‘John the Baptist’ include weeding his home LGA, (Warri North) of external influence causing friction in the party.
“I find it embarrassing that someone from another senatorial District would be sponsoring a faction in my LGA. That has stopped today. There is only one APC and so it would be across the state. I can’t be a John the Baptist if I can’t organise my house,” the medical doctor turned politician said.
He alluded that he was one of the major factors APC in the three Warri LGAs and the state at large had not been able to win as low as a councillorship position in previous elections.
Mr Uduaghan, who however promised to turn the tide around in APC’s favour in 2019, added that, “I have come with the winning streak. We shall defeat PDP in 2019 in Delta State.
“When I was on the other side, I clipped the wings of the APC. But today, I am here to reposition APC to takeover power from the failing PDP come 2019.”
While pleading with delegates to vote for him in the coming Senatorial Primary, he promised to make good their mandate when he gets to the Red Chamber through their support.
According to him, “This is the time to send someone who has capacity and influence in governance to represent our blessed district.”
“I will focus on laws that will involve our communities in the security architecture of our region, legalization of local refineries otherwise referred to as illegal refineries, five percentage community ownership in companies and environmental laws that will protect our environment from pollution arising from the destruction of “Cotonou boats” carrying confiscated crude. Give me your support and I will not let you down,” Mr Uduaghan concluded.
Meanwhile, the former governor has chided the government of the PDP in Delta State for incapacitating the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC).
He, therefore, vowed to restore the intervention agency if the All Progressives Congress (APC) is given a chance to take over the affairs of the state come 2019.
Mr Uduaghan made the declarations when he met with Ijaw APC leaders and delegates at the home of Chief George Timinimi in Effurun.
According to him, “There are a lot of infrastructures we have done through DESOPADEC. I wonder how many people still have contracts in DESOPADEC today.”
“I heard it is even difficult to pay salaries. DESOPADEC was active when I was in office as a governor.
“We were funding it and were doing jobs in our various areas that we were all enjoying.
“It is only an APC government that can bring DESOPADEC back so that it can be properly funded the way I was funding it.
“We have the Ayakoromo bridge that we started, but work is no more ongoing there.
“Once we come in, APC will ensure that the bridge is completed for our people through NDCC.
“We must ensure that APC wins all elections in 2019,” he assured.
Mr Uduaghan, who stressed the need for the Ijaw, Itsekiri and other tribes in the Niger Delta to live in harmony, vowed to ensure the Federal Government completes the abandoned Ayakoromo Bridge in Burutu Local Government Area of the state.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the collapse of five transmission towers along the Ikot Abasi–Eket 132kV Double Circuit Transmission Line.
This was attributed to severe acts of vandalism, as TCN disclosed that the structure collapsed after vandals removed critical structural bracing members.
The affected towers were N9, J4, N10, N11 and N12, the organisation said in a statement on Friday.
It explained that the extensive damage was discovered during a routine joint line patrol conducted on August 9, 2026, by TCN linesmen.
Further inspection revealed that structural members from seven additional towers along the same transmission corridor had also been removed and stolen. The towers, J3, N8, N13, N14, N15, N18 and N19, are now structurally compromised and pose a risk of further collapse.
TCN condemned this act of sabotage and reiterated its commitment to working hard to maintain a robust and reliable national grid.
The statement said that to mitigate the impact on electricity supply, the network has been reconfigured to prioritise supply to Ekim transmission station, leaving Ibom Power as the only station without supply.
TCN said it is mobilising an urgent intervention to complete the reconstruction of the affected sections of the line, with security agencies also notified to aid investigations and prevent further acts of vandalism along the line route.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, has urged all relevant government agencies to promptly initiate actions for the full implementation of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026, following its signing into law by President Bola Tinubu.
The bill, sponsored by Speaker Abbas, was aimed at repealing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act, Cap. N133, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and establish the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports while safeguarding the interests of shippers, service providers, and users of regulated port services. With the President’s assent, it has now been enacted as an Act of Parliament.
The legislation represents one of the landmark achievements of the 10th National Assembly. It reflects the Speaker’s commitment to legislative excellence, institutional reform, and sustainable economic growth, according to a press statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Mr Musa Krishi.
The bill underwent a rigorous and inclusive legislative process, including extensive stakeholder consultations and a public hearing. It was passed by both Chambers of the National Assembly and subsequently assented to by the President.
The Act provides a robust legal and institutional framework to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports by fostering transparency, competitiveness, and efficiency in port operations; protecting the rights and interests of shippers, service providers, and other port users; and aligning Nigeria’s port regulatory system with global best practices, thereby enhancing the ease and cost-effectiveness of doing business.
Despite receiving presidential assent, the Act has yet to be fully operationalised.
He warned that any further delay would undermine the legislative intent of the reform, prolong the exposure of port users to arbitrary charges and operational inefficiencies, and deny the nation the anticipated benefits of increased revenue, improved trade facilitation, and stronger investor confidence in the marine and blue economy sector.
The Speaker urged the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, in collaboration with all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government, to take the necessary administrative, institutional, and financial measures for the prompt implementation of the Act.
He said this should include the formal transition to, as well as operational empowerment of, the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to discharge its statutory mandate effectively.
The full implementation of the Act is critical to unlocking the economic potential of Nigeria’s ports, reducing the cost of doing business, strengthening trade competitiveness, and positioning Nigeria as the leading maritime and logistics hub in West and Central Africa.
The statement noted that the Speaker reaffirmed the 10th House’s commitment to exercising the necessary legislative oversight to ensure this landmark legislation, along with others assented to by the President, is fully implemented and achieves its intended goals for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD), through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), has partnered with Cascador, a Nigeria-focused platform for growth-stage founders, to provide funding and support for the next generation of Nigerian youth entrepreneurs.
The announcement coincides with International Youth Day 2026, whose global theme this year — Different Contexts, Common Aspirations — calls on institutions to close the gap between young people’s circumstances and their opportunities. The pilot is an early step toward NiYA’s broader ambition to train and empower 7 million Nigerian youth within two years.
The NiYA and Cascador Founders Programme will begin with a pilot cohort of 20 early-stage Nigerian youth founders, including entrepreneurs without formal business registration or established financial records.
Over four weeks, participants will undergo intensive training focused on business fundamentals, investment readiness and pitch preparation. At the end of the programme, the eight top-performing founders will receive non-dilutive funding of up to N5 million each from Cascador, alongside an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to help them structure, manage and scale their businesses.
The funding and support will be presented at a Pitch Day organised by NiYA and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
The Minister for Youth Development, Mr s Ayodele Olawande, said the partnership would enable NiYA to move beyond training by helping young people transform ideas into investable businesses and achieve sustainable economic participation through business preparation and access to capital.
“The pilot is deliberately designed to test a model that can go beyond one cohort. If young founders can be identified early, prepared properly, connected to credible capital and supported to build stronger business systems, then access to opportunity becomes less dependent on background or existing networks. That is the larger objective: to build a youth entrepreneurship ecosystem in which readiness, ideas and execution can increasingly determine who gets the opportunity to grow.”
The pilot will run in-person in Abuja with virtual touchpoints and 1:1 mentorship. All 20 graduates retain NiYA alumni status, with priority consideration for future opportunities.
NiYA and FMYD have already shown what real commitment to Nigeria’s youth looks like — the platforms, the reach, the ambition to train millions. What we’re building together now is the missing piece, a practical bridge from the ideation stage to real capital-readiness. When a Ministry so dedicated to its young people asked Cascador to help build that bridge, it was an easy decision,” said Trish Thomas, CEO of Cascador.
Ms Oyin Solebo, COO of Cascador and former Managing Director of the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator, highlighted the partnership’s impact, saying, “This is what innovative capital deployment looks like: a government building real investment readiness at scale, and a partner meeting that foundational work with non-dilutive funding at exactly the moment it’s needed. Partnerships like this open doors that neither of us could open alone.”
