By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Pet bottles and sachet water, popularly known as pure water, are not included in the ban on single-use plastics, the Lagos State government has confirmed.

Recall that a few days ago, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources in Lagos, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, announced that the state government would enforce the ban on single-use plastics from Sunday, July 1, 2025.

This created confusion as many consumers of sachet water, which is very popular in the metropolis, wondered what alternatives the state government has provided.

Responding to this, Mr Wahab said the position of the government has not changed that only single use plastics consisting of styrofoam food packs and all forms of polystyrene cups (disposal cups) are banned.

“Other items banned in the single use plastics category are plastic straws, plastic cutlery and all single use carrier bags and nylons that have less than 40 micron thickness,” he clarified, adding that as part of moves to demonstrate the state’s seriousness, it has already inaugurated the newly created Plastic Waste Management Fund which is a collaborative effort between the state government, the producers and the Producers Responsibility Organisations (PROs).

He explained that the plastics waste management fund would be financed by contributions from producers and major importers and will be jointly managed to address plastic waste challenges in the state.

Mr Wahab reiterated the determination of the state government to go ahead with the enforcement of the ban on July 1 after the expiration of a moratorium of 18 months which it had given since the announcement of the intention to effect the ban in January 2024.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

From December 2025, motorists will begin to pay to use the controversial Lagos-Calabar coastal highway currently under construction, the federal government has hinted.

The Minister of Works, Mr Dave Umahi, gave this hint in a feature interview for an upcoming State House documentary marking President Bola Tinubu’s second anniversary.

On May 29, 2023, Mr Tinubu took over from Mr Muhammadu Buhari, and began some reforms, which have been unpopular among Nigerians because of the pains they have been made to go through.

On the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Minister revealed that over 80 per cent of Section 1—spanning 47.47 kilometres from Ahmadu Bello Way to the Lekki Deep Sea Port and terminating at Eleko Junction—had been completed, adding that work is also progressing on Section 2, which covers 55 kilometres from Eleko Junction to the Lagos-Ogun border.

“By December, we will toll Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. We project a 10-year return on investment. The road has solar-powered lighting and CCTV infrastructure and offers carbon credit advantages.

“It is more than a road—it is an economic corridor and a catalyst for regional growth. We have completed 30 kilometres of Section 1 and are on track to complete an additional 10 in Section 2. These are six-lane, concrete-paved highways.

“Just days ago, we flagged off Sections 3 and 3B—65 kilometres in total—covering 38 kilometres in Cross River State and 27 kilometres in Akwa Ibom. The host communities’ excitement speaks to these projects’ transformative impact,” he stated.

 “God gave him the vision for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway seven years ago. Today, he is actualising that vision. These projects testify to his unwavering commitment to national development and a better future for all Nigerians,” the former Governor of Ebonyi State added.

Giving an update on the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Mr Umahi explained its historic significance, noting that the route was conceived during the Shehu Shagari administration over four decades ago.

“The Trans-Saharan Trade Route dates back to colonial-era planning. President Tinubu is now bringing these long-abandoned visions to life.”

He reaffirmed that the legacy projects are economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and forward-looking.

He also disclosed that all the governors in the Southeast region are supporting President Tinubu, urging the undecided, including the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, to join the train.

He said the region was witnessing a new wave of federal attention and infrastructure development under his boss.

“The Igbo man is enterprising and blessed with God-given wisdom. What Ndi Igbo seek is fairness, Nigeria that treats every zone equally. That is what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing.

“Before, when I was governor and deputy governor, one of our major concerns in Ebonyi State was the lack of federal presence. But today, nobody remembers that issue anymore. Under President Tinubu, at least four federal projects are ongoing in Ebonyi State,” he stated.

He noted that while cries of marginalisation used to dominate conversations in the South East, the current administration has made significant progress in addressing long-standing concerns about infrastructure and appointments.

“Today, the South East has a Minister of Works for the first time, and we’re seeing real projects—Port Harcourt to Enugu, Enugu to Abakaliki, Enugu to Onitsha, Onitsha to Owerri, and the Second Niger Bridge. The President has already paid 30 per cent of the cost of that bridge.

“All the governors in the South East, regardless of party affiliation, are working with the President. We’re even planning a summit to bring together all South-East leaders to endorse the President for the 2027 elections formally. We want our projects to be completed, the country’s unity to be strengthened and proper integration of Ndi Igbo,” Mr Umahi disclosed.

“Leadership is not about self—it’s about the people. If someone else is already doing what you would have done for your people, support him. I call on my brother, His Excellency Peter Obi, to join us and work with Mr. President.

“He must be part of this summit where we will collectively endorse President Tinubu for the 2027 election. I say it boldly: the South East is happy with the President”, he added.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The advertising sales partnership between Aleph and Spotify has been expanded to include more than 80 markets across the globe, providing access to 20,000+ advertisers.

With this, Aleph’s teams will have access to Spotify’s Ads Manager to guide advertisers and agencies to leverage the platform’s full potential of advertising formats and targeting capabilities to ensure they can reach listeners during key moments, such as workout sessions, focused work periods and commuting to provide advertisers and brands with unique opportunities to connect with their target audience when they’re highly engaged and help reach their marketing goals.

In 2013, when both parties first sealed the partnership deal, it covered just four countries, but, due to trust and growth recorded in over a decade, they have reached over 80 countries.

The newly signed partnership brings Aleph’s comprehensive suite of services—including local media sales, payment solutions, creative support, and performance-driven automation—to effectively monetise Spotify’s advertising inventory and connect the brand with advertisers, streamlining and scaling Spotify’s ad solutions to 80+ markets.

Spotify Advertising has been modernising its ad tech, strengthening its partnerships and deepening its human expertise to make it easier for advertisers to buy, create, measure, and get clear results on Spotify’s ad platform.

Spotify’s efforts reflect a significant step forward in automated buying and creative innovation for the ad platform and the broader digital audio industry.

Most notably, Spotify is continuing to innovate its self-serve platform, Spotify Ads Manager, with more advanced targeting capabilities, new 1P & 3P measurement solutions, and new outcome-based objectives to help advertisers of all sizes create, optimise, and measure their Spotify campaigns, including Spotify Pixel, Custom Audiences, key third-party partnerships and a new App Installs objective.

“We are thrilled to partner with Spotify on a global scale, and especially excited and happy to extend the partnership to include Sub-Saharan Africa, namely in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda.

“Our shared commitment to innovation and delivering exceptional value for advertisers makes this a natural partnership,” the Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at Aleph, Mr Stephen Newton, stated.

Also, the Global Head of Emerging & Scaled at Spotify, Mr Sam Bevan, said, “As we continue to grow our ads business, I’m excited to share that we’ve partnered with Aleph to streamline our operations, offer better solutions to advertisers and scale our business more efficiently.

“With the launch of our more automated solutions and Aleph’s exceptional global network and deep local expertise, we’re now able to offer advertisers around the world new tools and resources that will help them reach their campaign goals.”

Aleph is a global network of digital experts innovating at the intersection of media and payments, and Spotify is the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service.