Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious vision to transform Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by 2030, declaring that the country must evolve into the maritime, industrial and logistics hub of West and Central Africa. Speaking through the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, at the second edition of the APC Professionals Forum's Asiwaju Scorecard Series/Policy Roundtable in Abuja, the President said the administration's economic reforms were beginning to yield results and had laid the foundation for sustainable growth. Tinubu said the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market were difficult but necessary decisions taken to rescue the economy from years of structural distortions. He cited Nigeria's gross external reserves, which have risen to about $52.7 billion, while non-oil revenue increased from approximately ₦13.63 trillion in 2023 to ₦16.4 trillion in the first half of 2026. The country's merchandise trade surplus improved from about ₦44.8 billion in 2023 to ₦7.54 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, while the economy recorded 4.43 per cent GDP growth in the second quarter of 2026 and inflation declined to about 15.4 per cent.
"The $1 trillion economy is not merely a number but a national mission," Tinubu said. "It is about a Nigeria that produces more, exports more, attracts more investment, creates more jobs and gives its young people a greater stake in the future". A major highlight of the President's address was a proposal to develop an integrated five-port maritime and logistics corridor linking Lagos, Ondo, Ibom, Port Harcourt and Calabar deep-sea ports through rail and road networks. The President argued that the project would position Nigeria as the principal gateway for trade to landlocked countries such as Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Sudan and the Central African Republic. "This is how Nigeria can move beyond being simply a coastal trading nation to becoming the maritime gateway and logistics hub of West and Central Africa," he said. Earlier, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the APC Professionals Forum, Dr Isa Yuguda, strongly defended the administration's fuel subsidy removal policy, insisting that the reform had created the fiscal space needed for investments in education, security, agriculture and infrastructure. He disclosed that more than ₦15 trillion had been saved following the removal of fuel subsidy.
In a significant security breakthrough, security operatives successfully rescued 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps and six other victims who were abducted last week in Kogi State. The victims were rescued from a kidnappers' camp in Egume Forest, Ofu Local Government Area, following a coordinated operation involving the military, police, Department of State Services, local vigilantes and hunters. The corps members were abducted on August 26 while travelling from the NYSC Orientation Camp in Bayelsa to Abuja after completing their Orientation Course. The abduction occurred at about 4:40 pm along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area, with gunmen emerging from the bush, blocking two buses going in opposite directions and abducting some passengers.
Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Naziru Kankarofi, who spoke on Channels Television's The Morning Brief on Tuesday, said the rescue followed an intensive search-and-rescue operation. "As soon as we were alerted, we put all necessary measures in place to ensure they were rescued and returned to their families," Kankarofi said. The operation, which began in earnest on Sunday, eventually led the combined team to the kidnappers' camp on Monday afternoon. "There was a serious gun battle; they were eventually overpowered, and all the corps members were rescued," Kankarofi said. However, two of the rescued victims sustained gunshot wounds during the exchange. Four suspected kidnappers were killed during the exchange of fire, while several others escaped with gunshot wounds. The NYSC commended the security agencies for their professionalism, courage, commitment and coordination during the search and rescue efforts. The scheme also appreciated the families of the affected corps members for their patience and cooperation throughout the period. President Tinubu vowed that those behind the abduction would face the full weight of the law.
Meanwhile, the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate listing and hearing of its detained leader Nnamdi Kanu's appeal or face a boycott of the 2027 general election across the South-East and other parts of what it describes as Biafraland. IPOB's Head of Directorate of State, Mazi Chris Nwaogu, issued the ultimatum on Monday in a video broadcast, accusing the government of deliberately delaying the appellate proceedings after moving swiftly to secure Kanu's conviction. The threat came amid renewed concerns by Kanu's family over the delay in hearing his appeal against the conviction and life sentence passed on the detained IPOB leader. The family recently disclosed that Kanu wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President of the Court of Appeal, requesting the immediate listing and hearing of his pending cases.
Nwaogu accused the Federal Government of avoiding the appellate court, despite its earlier efforts to secure Kanu's conviction. "The Federal Government has not filed a respondent's brief, they have not listed the appeal, they have not come to court. A country that rushed to convict is now too frightened to defend the conviction," he alleged. The IPOB official said the group would consider mobilising for an election boycott if the government failed to act within the 14-day deadline. "We are giving them 14 days to list Kanu's appeal. If they refuse, we will consider boycotting the coming elections across Biafraland and beyond. A government that cannot face its Court of Appeal has no right to demand our votes," Nwaogu said. He also criticised the judiciary's handling of Kanu's case, alleging that proceedings from the trial court through the appellate stages had raised concerns about the state of Nigeria's judicial system. "This judicial conspiracy through the trial court to the remittal and the present silence will shame the Chief Justice of Nigeria and all lawyers who still pretend this system is healthy," he said. In a separate statement, IPOB's spokesman Emma Powerful said the group faulted the Supreme Court's decision which overturned Kanu's discharge and acquittal by the Court of Appeal, insisting that the apex court exceeded its constitutional powers.
In other news, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has urged former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva, who has been declared wanted over an alleged $14.86 million fraud, to make himself available for questioning. The EFCC also recovered N1.2 trillion and secured over 10,000 convictions in three years. In the security sector, the Nigeria Police Force arrested 1,334 suspects and rescued 383 kidnapped victims across the country during intelligence-led operations carried out in July and August 2026. The military also neutralised 324 terrorists and rescued 610 victims across various operational theatres.
As Nigeria navigates these complex challenges—from economic transformation and security crises to political tensions—the coming weeks and months will test the resilience of its institutions and the patience of its citizens. The $1 trillion economy target, the successful rescue of abducted corps members, and the IPOB ultimatum each represent a different facet of a nation striving to define its future amidst formidable obstacles.
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