Author: damazah@gmail.com

By Yinka Kolawole India-Nigeria bilateral trade rose by 26 per cent to about $9 billion in 2025–26, from $7.13 billion recorded in 2024–25, as economic ties between both countries deepen beyond oil and commodities into manufacturing, healthcare, energy, technology and job creation. The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abishek Singh, disclosed that more than 200 Indian companies currently operate in Nigeria and have created nearly 100,000 jobs, making Indian businesses the second-largest employers of Nigerians after the Federal Government. The expanding corporate presence also signals a shift from an export-driven relationship towards local production. Indian companies are increasingly establishing manufacturing and…

When I’m asked what to buy if you want to get into making electronic music, I often recommend Elektron’s budget-minded Model:Samples and Model:Cycles grooveboxes. They don’t grab headlines the way Teenage Engineering’s gear or the Telepathic Instruments Orchid do, and even compared to the company’s higher-end and more niche musical offerings like the Digitakt, Octatrack, or Tonverk, they’re often overlooked. But as my collection has grown to include fancier and far more expensive instruments, I still find myself coming back to the Model series.Those looking to get their first groovebox are often drawn to more familiar brand names like Korg…

Thousands more homes could be built within 10 minutes of transport hubs, including on green belt sites, under a loosening of planning policy announced by Angela Rayner on Monday.The housing secretary will set out changes to national planning guidance for England that will include an order for councils to have a “default yes” approach to housing developments that are within a reasonable walking distance of well-connected train and tram stations.If a proposed development is on green belt land, then the government’s “golden rules” state that they must have higher levels of affordable housing, new or improved green spaces, and be…

Nigerians rarely offer valediction to public servants when they leave office. But Professor Ishaq Oloyede, who until 31st July was the Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has been receiving it in torrents for his transformative stewardship. Undoubtedly, it would remain a touchstone for long. Professor Segun Aina has stepped in. President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Mr Oloyede in August 2016, and his early actions showed his desire to deliver. Till the very end, he did just that through radical reforms, innovations, accountability and integrity in his management of JAMB, thus extricating the organisation from the mire that…

Cameroon have become the latest country to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after defeating Malawi 3-0 in the 2026 final in Rabat, Morocco. The Indomitable Lionesses ended a long wait for the continental trophy with a dominant performance, scoring all three goals in the first half. Marie Ngah Manga scored twice, while Naomi Eto added another as Cameroon secured their first WAFCON title after previously finishing runners-up three times. Cameroon’s historic triumph means only four countries have now won the WAFCON since the competition began in 1991. Here are the four nations that have lifted the continental…

A founding member of the cult 90s band EMF has been remembered as being “beautiful inside and out” following his death at the age of 55.EMF, known best for their hit Unbelievable, said their original keyboardist Derran “Derry” Brownson died on Thursday following a brain tumour diagnosis.Derry spoke to the BBC about his diagnosis in July 2025, the month he and his bandmates returned to their hometown of Cinderford to play at Cindyfest, which he said was “very, very special”.Ian Dench, Derry’s bandmate, said: “I can’t think of anyone who embodied lust for life like Derry did. I mean, he…

1Mexican snack stack – hot, without any wrappers (4) 1 down. Mexican snack stack – hot, without any wrappers. 4 letters.2Forgetfulness leads to open bolts – then four being eaten by wild cat (8) 2 down. Forgetfulness leads to open bolts – then four being eaten by wild cat. 8 letters.3Still one imagined terrifying creature from the Himalayas (4) 3 down. Still one imagined terrifying creature from the Himalayas. 4 letters.4Sister Edna eloped, heading north, carrying flowering plant (8) 4 down. Sister Edna eloped, heading north, carrying flowering plant. 8 letters.5In France a supermarket sacking head to become international organisation…

A single stick breaks, but together we stand like a bundle of strength across the land By Peter Ogbobine   Among the Itsekiri people, there is an enduring wisdom passed down from generation to generation: a lone tree in the forest easily falls to the storm, but a forest standing together withstands even the fiercest wind. This timeless philosophy is beautifully captured in the theme: “A single stick breaks, but together we stand like a bundle of strength across the land,” rendered recently by Wikidadon in his song “One Voice.” As we, the children of Iwerre, scattered across the globe, prepare to…

If effectively implemented, the National Peace Framework can become more than another government policy. It can provide the architecture for a new approach to national security — one in which government retains responsibility, communities acquire greater agency, institutions work from a common framework, and Nigeria progressively moves beyond managing insecurity towards preventing it. Nigeria’s security challenges have changed considerably in scale, character and complexity. From terrorism and violent extremism to banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts, separatist agitations, organised crime and emerging digital threats, insecurity has become a multidimensional challenge with profound consequences for national development. The new thinking is that insecurity…

File image. By Yinka Kolawole Nigeria have warned that the high cost of credit and rising production expenses remain major threats to the recovery of the manufacturing sector, despite a renewed improvement in manufacturers’ confidence in the economy. Read Also: India-Nigeria trade hits $9bn, ties beyond oil — Envoy This was revealed by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in its Manufacturers’ CEOs Confidence Index (MCCI) for the second quarter of 2026 (Q2’26). Manufacturers’ CEOs identified limited access to finance as their primary challenge, with two in every three executives citing commercial bank lending rates as a major disincentive to…