General
‘Fake Buhari’ Narrative Is Foolery, Ungodly, Despicable, Mischief—APC Chieftain
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Mr Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has described those peddling the narrative of a ‘fake Buhari’ in Aso Rock, Abuja, as gullible mischief makers, who are being urged on by those who have prayed for President Muhammadu Buhari’s death.
Giving this explanation in a statement issued and circulated in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Mr Eze also revealed that the narrative had been part of the strategies of those who have plundered the nation’s wealth without conscience before President Buhari came in to end their reign of unchecked stealing.
According to the party chieftain, authors of the narrative had hoped that the president would not return alive from his prolonged sick leave abroad, but were shocked to see him back healthier and pushing the anti-corruption campaign more vigorously, adding that their ‘plan B’ was taking advantage of the gullible and hateful, selling them a story that has become the butt of jokes across the world.
“These misguided fellows, who are products of the dismantled looting system that looted our common patrimony with impunity, would have loved to see President Buhari dead so that the efforts to recover their looted lot will be impossible, but unfortunately for them through the prayers of some innocent children of God that include the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and Pastor Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, who visited him in London, and other religions leaders he survived to their uttermost shame and chagrin.
Mr Eze highlighted that those peddling this falsehood are despicable and doubters of the ability of God to heal should take consolation in the words of Archbishop of Canterbury who later personally received the Nigerian president at Lambeth Palace, London stating that he was delighted to see the rapid recovery Mr Buhari has made from his health challenges, noting that it was a testimony to the healing powers of God, and answer to prayers of millions of people round the world.
President Muhammadu Buhari who thanked Pastor Adeboye for visiting him saying on his twitter handle ‘thank Pastor Adeboye for visiting today, and for his prayers and good wishes. May God continue to bless him and his work’
According to Mr Eze, others that visited President Buhari during this period were the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara
Apart from his Media Team, the State Governors, some selected Ministers and the then Acting-President Yemi Osinbajo led the stream of visitors.
Mr Eze wonders how all these high ranking personalities couldn’t detect the ‘fake President’ and regretted that instead of us rejoicing that President Muhammadu Buhari survived their evil plot they resorted to cheap blackmail of trying to cast doubt and aspersion on the person and personality of President Buhari”, he said.
Mr Eze also described the onslaught on the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as mischievous, unpatriotic, evil, demonic and unacceptable, saying “how could a foreigner, as claimed by these mischief makers, come in to act as the President of Nigeria without either the wife of the President or his children raising alarm over such an unislamic and unholy act?
“How could he have known both the president’s home in Kastina, recognize all the political actors in Nigeria, including his ministers and governors. Proponents of this satanic game should understand that Nigerians are aware, wise people and not fools who will accept such a dubious and diversionary strategy”, he said.
Mr Eze recalled the statement of Mr Yakubu Dogara the Speaker of the House of Representatives, “Today we visited His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari. I am glad that he is doing well. His health has improved tremendously. I urge all Nigerians to continue to pray and offer thanks to God for answered prayers and for the safe return of Mr President. We must give thanks to God for this highly welcomed recovery. It is clear that Mr President’s insistence on following his doctors’ advice has yielded the desired results. Mr President exhibited remarkable recovery and was very conversant with all the political happenings back at home and across the continent”.
He therefore counselled the egg heads in PDP to come up with serious campaign issues instead of such elementary and awkward diversionary styles of blackmailing.
He also assured Nigerians that President Buhari’s survival was divine as enemies of Nigeria never expected him to survive, adding “with all the great works his administration is doing to revive our economy: revival of the power sector, agriculture, roads and rail line and many others, Nigeria should be ready to ensure that he is re-elected to avoid taking us back to the era of looting system of government associated with PDP leadership.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Over 50 skilled technicians drawn from various states across the South-West region of Nigeria converged on Ibadan, Oyo State, on Friday for a comprehensive technical and sensitisation training programme for set-top box installers and associated reception equipment technicians.
This training was organised by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in partnership with the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) to guarantee a smooth, efficient, and error-free rollout of Nigeria’s digital broadcasting migration.
Nigeria’s journey toward digital terrestrial television has spanned nearly two decades. The country formally adopted the digital switchover policy in 2008 in line with the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) 2006 global mandate, which set a June 2015 deadline for member states.
Successive missed targets in 2017 and beyond stemmed from funding constraints, policy inconsistencies, infrastructure gaps, and logistical challenges. While pilot projects were implemented in Plateau, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Kwara, Osun, Kaduna, and the Federal Capital Territory, nationwide coverage remained a distant goal.
After substantial public investment exceeding N60 billion with limited results, the federal government unveiled a bold, renewed strategy in 2025 titled The Big Picture on June 17, 2026, with a firm analogue switch-off date set for December 31, 2028.
The new framework introduces a hybrid broadcasting model that intelligently combines Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT), Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite delivery via NIGCOMSAT-1R, and Internet Protocol (IP)-based distribution.
By prioritising satellite technology, Nigeria leverages its sovereign satellite assets to significantly reduce dependence on expensive terrestrial transmission infrastructure. This approach is projected to accelerate digital television rollout by over 65 per cent while delivering near-instantaneous national coverage.
The Head of the Digital Switchover (DSO) unit and Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the NBC, Mrs Clementine Usman-Wamba, noted that the Ibadan session is the first of many planned across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
The Ibadan training directly addresses the technical demands of this hybrid ecosystem. Installers will be equipped with skills in satellite dish alignment for DTH, terrestrial antenna optimisation for DTT signals, and the configuration of hybrid reception devices.
Given the significant departure from analogue systems and earlier pilots, this sensitisation is essential to minimise installation errors, reduce service disruptions, and ensure that even households in rural and underserved communities can enjoy seamless access to superior digital broadcasts.
The FreeTV platform, built on open-standard DVB-S2 technology, will offer up to 100 free-to-air high-definition channels to an estimated 40 million television households across the country.
For terrestrial reception, Nigeria has adopted the advanced DVB-T2 standard with MPEG-4 AVC compression, which supports up to 20 channels per frequency—far more efficient than previous systems.
Consumers can access the service using affordable DVB-S2-compatible set-top boxes (priced between N15,000 and N25,000) or smart TVs with built-in DVB-T2 digital tuners.
Beyond technical excellence, the DSO represents a major national economic transformation project. The reallocation of broadcast spectrum (the “digital dividend”) will unlock new opportunities in telecommunications and broadband services. The advertising market is projected to expand by up to N605.2 billion, while local manufacturing and assembly of reception equipment is expected to generate over 20,000 jobs.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has introduced the Blue Economy Accelerator Programme, a strategic initiative to identify, nurture, and accelerate innovative startups that will contribute to the sustainable growth of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.
The Blue Economy Accelerator Programme is aimed at attracting young, vibrant minds with innovative ideas capable of transforming Nigeria’s maritime ecosystem.
The Director-General of NIMASA, Mr Dayo Mobereola, said that through the initiative, participants will receive structured business development support, industry mentorship, and technical guidance to convert promising concepts into viable ventures that address critical challenges and opportunities within the blue economy.
“The programme reflects NIMASA’s commitment to supporting the implementation of the vision of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in unlocking the immense potential of the blue economy by empowering young innovators, entrepreneurs, and technology-driven enterprises. We at NIMASA want to provide a platform for investors to identify young talents and invest in them,” he said.
The NIMASA DG commended the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, for codifying the Marine and Blue Economy Policy as a clear roadmap for the sector’s development and also urged young Nigerians to embrace the programme, which has the potential to transform raw talents into big investments in the maritime sector.
Applications are open to startups and innovators developing solutions across several strategic sectors, including marine waste management and the blue circular economy; aquaculture And sustainable fisheries; maritime technology and logistics innovation; ocean energy including wave, tidal, and offshore renewable energy; marine tourism and coastal recreation; marine biotechnology such as, ocean data and analytics; green Shipping, including vessel decarbonization; smart port solutions; autonomous marine vehicles; biofouling prevention technologies; and coastal resilience through nature-based coastal defence solutions.
The first phase of the programme is expected to attract a minimum of 150 high-quality applications from within and outside the country, provided they are Nigerian citizens.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State will declare open the 53rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Congress of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) taking place from July 23–24, 2026, at the Providence Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
The event is expected to bring together leaders from advertising, marketing, media, government and the wider creative economy to examine the forces reshaping the industry.
A statement from the group stated that the programme, themed AdVolution: The End of Advertising as We Know It and How to Win What Comes Next, will have the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris Malagi; the Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Mr Lekan Fadolapo, and others in attendance.
The conference will feature keynote presentations by the CMO of Fidelity Bank, Mr Meksley Nwagboh, and the chief executive of Big Cabal Media, Tomiwa Aladekomo. They will share insights on the evolving advertising landscape and the opportunities shaping its future.
This year’s congress comes at a time when artificial intelligence, digital platforms, changing consumer behaviour and the creator economy are transforming how brands connect with audiences and deliver value.
The conference will examine some of the industry’s most pressing issues, including the shift from interruption-based advertising to participation-led engagement, the evolution of agencies into technology-driven ecosystems, the rise of the creator economy and the growing need to move beyond traditional commission models towards measurable business impact.
The president of AAAN, Mr Lanre Adisa, described this year’s theme as both timely and necessary.
“This year’s AGM comes at a defining moment for our industry. AdVolution captures the reality we are all facing: a period of big change that is reshaping how we work, create and deliver value. This gathering is an opportunity for industry players to come together, exchange ideas and shape the next chapter of advertising in Nigeria,” he stated.
Activities will commence on July 23 with a members-only Business Session featuring the President’s stewardship address, committee reports and deliberations on the Association’s progress and strategic direction.
The main conference takes place the next day and will conclude with the AAAN Gala and Awards Night, celebrating outstanding contributions to Nigeria’s advertising industry.
