General
Nigeria’s Facility Managers Partner AETI on Mentorship Development
The Facility Management Industry in Nigeria is set to witness a major turnaround as two leading organizations, International Facility Management Association, Nigeria Chapter and another Nigerian firm, Applied Engineering Technology Institute, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding at IFMA’s secretariat in Lagos.
The partnership aims to deepen capacity building, sustainability initiative and mentorship development for the practitioners in built environment in Nigeria.
The International Facility Management Association, Nigeria chapter is committed to continuous learning and development through strategic collaboration with other professional bodies and reputable organisations in order to ensure the entrenchment of best global practices in the practice of facility management in the Nigeria.
Speaking at the signing of the (MOU) in Lagos, the two organizations promised to synergize and bring their diverse experiences to change the narratives in the facility management sector in Nigeria through development of an articulated capacity building programs and professional knowledge sharing to help advance the cause of facility management industry.
According to the Acting President of IFMA Nigeria Chapter, Mr ’Segun Adebayo, “Leveraging on the success of the maiden edition of Advocacy Day of December, 2019, it has become imperative to embrace an impactful collaboration of this nature as part of the critical tool to implement some of the outcomes and positive developments at the programme.
He said “today is historic and I am sure with this collaboration with AETI, another reputable organization like ours, the signing of the MOU will no doubt, expand our frontiers and also enhance our relevance in the built environment.”
“I am convinced that with AETI as our progressive partner, the facility management space will going forward begin to enjoy appreciable transformation,” he submitted.
“We will work together to achieve great outcomes, leveraging on our combined expertise to develop the capacity and also expose all the players, practitioners and relevant stakeholders to tailor made and function specific training.
“We have a robust strategy and programs to achieve this, we shall work in synergy to ensure sustainability and provide mentorship for the upcoming players in facility management industry in Nigeria,” he assured.
Responding, the chairman of AETI, Mr Francis Kudayah, opined that IFMA Nigeria with her global reputation and its achievement of over fifteen years, his organization could not have settled for any other association than IFMA to promote global best practices in the facility management sector.
Mr Kudayah said, “I am very excited today that our organization, a foremost engineering consulting firm, made of different professionals like IFMA is entering into this capacity development partnership. with you.
“We have watched and monitored your activities over the years and we are more than convinced that indeed you are a reliable Association that any organization can synergize with and leverage on your professionalism to advance the cause of facility management industry in Nigeria.
“We are prepared to make this partnership work, we will work day and night to ensure that we comply with the letters of the MoU and make your Association proud that indeed in us, you have found a great partner.”
In addition, the immediate past President of IFMA, Engineer Pius Iwundu, said in his brief speech that partnership is key and collaboration is the new currency and that really explained the reason why the representatives of the member of council of IFMA Nigeria were here to witness the signing of the MoU.
Mr Iwundu added, “the two organizations should ensure that we work assiduously together to consolidate the gains of the past and innovatively walk into the future.”
“I am sure this synergy will produce the desired outcomes and I have no doubt that the future of facility management industry looks great with this step we have just taken,” he stated.
IFMA Nigeria Chapter is an organization that is open to meaningful collaborations with reputable organizations that can lead to capacity development of our professionals, mentor the younger ones and lead to a great sustainability of this industry.”
Others who were present to witness the signing of the MOU were, Miss Iyabo Abaoba, the Doyen and former President of IFMA, Nigeria; Mrs Bamidele Chinedu, the Executive Secretary of IFMA Nigeria; Mr Chris Udembah, the Assistant General Manager, Administration of AETI; and Mr Banire Adeshina, Assistant General Manager, Engineering of AETI.
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.”
