General
Kano/Jigawa Customs Generates N5.5bn, Seizes N270m Contraband
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Kano/Jigawa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated a sum of N5.5 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), expressing optimism that it will surpass the agency’s target for the year.
This was disclosed by the Area Comptroller of the command, Mr Suleiman Pai Umar yesterday while briefing journalists at the Club Road Headquarters of the Command in Kano.
He said that this was possible even as the command continues to clamp down on smuggling activities.
According to Mr Umar, the command seized smuggled items with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N270 million from January to date.
He said the items, which were illegally brought into the country, were seized by his men and officers at different locations within Kano and Jigawa axis.
According to him, the command was able to record such feat as a result of intelligence gathering from the Customs Intelligence Unit, (CIU) and Customs Police.
He added that the Customs also busted a notorious syndicate of exotic cars, who took advantage of porous borders in some northern part of the country to ferry in cars and vehicles illegally.
He further stated that the syndicate operated somewhere around the Hotoro axis of the state capital, adding that following intelligence tip-off, his operatives successfully raided one of their warehouses and arrested two of their exotic cars, both of which had a duty paid value of N83,569,989.
He said that the exotic cars were brought into the country with Chadian diplomatic plate numbers, adding that the seizure had been reported to the Abuja headquarters of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), which had initiated a complaint with the Chadian Embassy in Nigeria.
He vowed to make sure the culprits face the full wrath of the law as an investigation was still ongoing on the case, adding that the command made an arrest of an agent in connection with the seizure of second-hand bales but now on bail.
Comptroller Umar also vowed that his men and officers would not relent in fishing out the perpetrators of such illegal activities bent on sabotaging the economy of the country.
In his word, “we shall continue to sharpen our intelligence and enforcement capabilities to fight smuggling and enforce compliance with extant laws and procedures to ensure success in the battle against economic saboteurs.
“The role of the Nigeria Customs Service in the sustenance of the nation’s economy is very crucial. Also, suppression of smuggling of prohibited/restricted items into the country is necessary in reducing insecurity and protecting our local industries.
“During our anti-smuggling activities from January till date, the command has made several seizures within its area of coverage.
“With smart intelligence gathering from CIU and Customs Police, we are able to seize a 1×40 ft container at APMT loaded with 290 bales of second-hand clothes otherwise known as (Okirika) with a Duty Paid Value of over N38 million.
“Similarly, we arrested two Exotic cars (Mercedes Benz C43 AMG 4MATIC 2017 Model and Mercedes Benz GLE 53AMG TURBO 2021 Model) both with Chadian embassy plate numbers with Duty paid value of over N83 million.
“Other contraband items seized include 1,300 (50kg) bags of foreign rice, 180 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 50 cartons of foreign couscous, 27 carton of foreign Spaghetti, 15 cartons of condensed milk, and 22 bales of second-hand clothes worth over N148 million DPV.”
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.”
