General
Osinbajo Tasks Intellectuals on Reforms in Health, Education
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Vice President, Mr Yemi Osinbajo has called on academics to take a keen interest, especially in issues of education and healthcare, exploring options for reform and innovation in those human capital development sectors.
This was the highlight of a virtual meeting between the VP and a team of professors drawn from the six geo-political zones under the auspices of the Progressive Intellectuals Advisory Group (PIAG).
According to his media aide, Mr Laolu Akande, in a statement on Monday, Mr Osinbajo interacted with the dons on a number of topical national development issues and urged stakeholders, especially members of professional bodies to make contributions towards addressing them.
“Given the rate of interest in tertiary education, we cannot cope with the brick-and-mortar approach, we won’t be able to cope with the numbers in the near future because there will be millions more who will not be able to get into our schools,” he was quoted as saying while discussing tertiary education at the meeting held on Friday.
“One of the things I have been thinking about is how to be deliberate about online tertiary education. And how to develop it to the point where Nigeria offers the best services in the sector. One of the things I want us to think about is how we can develop this idea and in what ways we can put together a plan, even if it is just an outline so we can push the idea further,” he added.
Also in healthcare, Mr Osinbajo called on members of the group to support the federal government’s efforts to reform the healthcare system by contributing to ideas that will make health insurance work effectively in the country, stating that a Health Reform Committee was already in place looking at the issues.
“The second thing is health care and how we can fund it. It is evident that the government by budget alone cannot fund health care sufficiently and in the scope that is required,” the Vice President said. “No matter what we do and how hard we pushed, we still haven’t been able to get close to our Abuja declaration threshold budget for healthcare – either at the federal or at the state level.
“So, it is evident that we need to do something different and that is health insurance, it remains the way to aggregate or pull resources for healthcare. We now have a new health insurance law that makes health insurance compulsory and a few other provisions that are helpful. But I think that this is something that we have to take a good look at also.”
The Vice President then thanked the professors for their support in the race to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries, describing their backing as “one that I greatly treasure above others.”
According to him, the visiting group of professors “understands better my motivation for running and the motivation for the views I expressed,” assuring them of his commitment to the cause of a better Nigeria and promised not to give up the struggle.
Leader of the group and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Shehu Adamu, also spoke about the need for Nigeria to strengthen the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) option to address the issue of access to university education.
By Adedapo Adesanya
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed January 7 to hear the bail application of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, over alleged money laundering.
Recall that the same court had ordered the remand of Mr Malami at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, his son, Abdulaziz, and one of his wives, Mrs Bashir Asabe, are standing trial predicated on a 16-count charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The trio, who are accused of laundering N8.7 billion, pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were arraigned on December 29, 2025.
Following their plea of not guilty, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered their remand at Kuje Correctional Centre till January 2, 2026, when their written bail application would be argued by his legal team.
In the charge, identified as FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, the defendants were accused of conspiring to conceal, disguise, and retain proceeds from illegal activities.
The indictment claimed that they used multiple bank accounts, corporate entities, and high-value real estate transactions over nearly ten years to indirectly acquire the illicit funds.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences took place between 2015 and 2025, primarily within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, during Malami’s time as the country’s Attorney-General.
The EFCC alleged that Malami and his son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to hide N1.014 billion in a Sterling Bank account from July 2022 to June 2025.
They were also accused of depositing an additional N600.01 million between September 2020 and February 2021.
The properties in question include a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, purchased for N500 million; a property on Onitsha Crescent, Garki, bought for N700 million; and another in Jabi District for N850 million.
Additional acquisitions include real estate on Rhine Street, Maitama (N430 million); in Asokoro District (N210 million and N325 million); and at Efab Estate, Gwarimpa (N120 million).
The EFCC further alleges that Mr Malami used unlawful proceeds totaling N952 million to acquire multiple properties in Abuja, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi between 2018 and 2023.
The acquisitions were allegedly made through proxies and corporate entities to obscure ownership.
The commission claimed that the alleged actions violate the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Association of Plant Operators (NAPO) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate allegations of tax deduction and non-remittance fraud linked to the NLNG Train 7 project.
Train 7 is a major expansion project of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) facility on Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria. It involves building a seventh “train” (processing unit) at the LNG plant to significantly increase Nigeria’s LNG production capacity and strengthen the country’s role as a global supplier of cleaner energy.
NAPO’s President General, Mr Harold Benstowe, alongside four other officials, appeared at the EFCC Port Harcourt Zonal Office in Port Harcourt, to adopt a petition accusing Daewoo Engineering & Construction Nigeria and others of alleged unlawful tax deductions from workers on the multibillion-dollar NLNG Train 7 gas plant construction project.
According to NAPO, the EFCC received the delegation and guided them through the formal adoption of the petition, paving the way for what the union described as a “proper forensic investigation” into the alleged financial misconduct.
“The EFCC has assured the victims that it will conduct a thorough investigation to get to the root of the matter,” Mr Benstowe said, describing the development as a major step toward accountability in the construction segment of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It also raised that the allegations strike at the heart of compliance risks surrounding one of Nigeria’s most strategic gas investments, with potential implications for contractors, regulators and investor confidence in large-scale energy projects.
Mr Benstowe called on workers involved in the NLNG Train 7 project to actively support the investigation by submitting documentary evidence, particularly payslips allegedly showing tax deductions by Daewoo E&C Nigeria.
“We encourage all affected workers to freely come forward with more evidence to assist the EFCC in carrying out a comprehensive investigation,” he said.
He also dismissed reports of intimidation, warning that the union would resist any attempts to suppress whistleblowers.
“All victims should ignore threats or discouragement from any quarters. This is no longer business as usual. We are prepared for a big showdown to ensure everyone involved is brought to book,” Mr Benstowe declared.
The NAPO leader framed the petition as part of a broader struggle for financial transparency and workers’ rights in Nigeria’s oil and gas construction value chain, stressing that the outcome would send a strong signal to contractors operating on high-value energy projects.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has unveiled its institutional brand identity as it officially transition from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the newly established revenue collection agency as gazetted.
The transition was marked with the unveiling of the agency’s new logo, according to a statement from Mr Dare Adekanmbi, special adviser to the chairman of NRS, Mr Zacch Adedeji.
Speaking at the unveiling event in Abuja on Wednesday, Mr Adedeji said the new identity represents a significant milestone in the evolution of Nigeria’s revenue administration framework.
The taxman said the unveiling reflects a renewed commitment to a more unified, efficient, and service-oriented revenue system aligned with Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda and global best practices.
He said the new identity signals continuity of purpose, strengthened institutional capacity, and a forward-looking approach to supporting taxpayers and national development.
According to the statement, the NRS said it remains committed to transparency, partnership, and service excellence.
“The unveiling of this new identity represents not an end, but the beginning of a strengthened relationship between the revenue authority and the Nigerian public—built on trust, clarity, and shared prosperity,” the statement reads.
It was also stated that the service came into operation following the signing of its enabling law — the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025 — by President Bola Tinubu in June.
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