CITAD

 Condemns Continued Detention of Two Nigerians Over Social Media Commentary.

‎The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has expressed deep concern over the continued detention of Sani Waspapping and Abubakar Adamu by the Department of State Services (DSS) over social media commentary relating to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

‎‎In a statement dated March 14, 2026, the organisation says the situation raises serious concerns about the protection of freedom of expression in Nigeria.

‎CITAD explains it considers the actions deeply troubling and inconsistent with constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression.

‎The organisation therefore warned that equating the criticism of the policies of the United States or Israel with incitement poses a threat to democratic freedoms.

Tinubu Iftar With The Media

President Tinubu Promises Review of Media Tariffs.

In an effort to support Nigeria's media industry President Bola Tinubu has promised to review tariffs on newspaper production materials and broadcasting equipment to enable the media discharge its responsibilities seamlessly.

The assurance was given yesterday at a meeting with leaders of the Nigeria Press Organisation, Newspaper Proprietors' Association of Nigeria, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, Nigerian Guild of Editors, and the Nigeria Union of Journalists at the State House Abuja.

President Tinubu commended media owners, editors, and journalists for keeping Nigerians informed and providing employment for thousands of citizens. 

He also encouraged the press to continue demanding accountability from all tiers of government.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris lauded the President’s leadership and urged media practitioners to carry out their constitutional responsibilities responsibly while holding the government accountable.

The Grand Patron of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of Nigeria, Olusegun Osoba who attended the ceremony gave kudos to the Tinubu led administration’s policies and reforms, emphasising the need for continued collaboration between the government and the media.

On behalf of the Nigeria Press Organisation; the President Frank Aigbogun called on government intervention to review import tariffs on newsprint and broadcast equipment, as well as measures to protect journalists’ jobs from the uncompensated use of editorial content by foreign technology companies.

Looted Drum

 Ivory Coast receives sacred talking drum looted during colonial era from France.

A sacred drum looted by French forces during its colonial rule in Ivory Coast has been returned to the country, more than a century after it was taken.

‎The drum was seized by colonial authorities in 1916 before being taken to France in 1929, where it was put on display at the Trocadéro Museum and later at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris.

The Djidji Ayôkwé (Panther Lion), as the talking drum is called, was welcomed home by members of the Ebrié community, its original owners.

It arrived aboard a specially chartered plane but was not removed from its large wooden crate marked "fragile".

A traditional group of dancers and several local chiefs were at Abidjan International Airport to receive it.

 It is more than three metres (10 feet) long weighing about 430kg and it is carved from iroko wood.

Director of the Museum of Civilizations in Abidjan, Francis Tagro said the drum would be exhibited "in a place of honour in the heart of the national museum".

The return is part of a wider French effort to repatriate African cultural artefacts, a process which began in 2017.

Airport Cashless Access Policy.

 Aviation Minister Threatens To Sack Airport Officials Who Fail To Comply With Directive.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, has threatened to sack airport officials than risk being removed by the President for failing to fully implement the airport cashless access policy.

The minister made this threat during an on-the-spot assessment of the implementation of the hybrid payment system, which began Friday, March the 13th, 2026.

To fast-track the transition, concessionaires have been engaged to modernise airport access gates, with a subcommittee reviewing proposals from multiple operators.

The minister emphasised that once the system is fully automated, no individual including VIPs will be exempted from payment at airport gates, underlining the government’s commitment to fairness and accountability.

He assured that a massive sensitisation campaign will be carried out across the country, to educate travellers and airport users on the new cashless system, as Nigeria moves toward a fully automated and modernised airport payment process.

Ozekhome Trial

Nigeria Immigration Service denies issuance of passport used in purchase of alleged London Property.

The court hearing the document forgery case against senior lawyer, Mike Ozekhome has been told that the passport used for the alleged London property purchase was not issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service.

The prosecution’s first witness, Aridegbe Akim, told the court that investigations conducted by the NIS revealed that a passport with the name Tali Sha and 

number- A07535463 did not originate from the service. 

Akim explained that the immigration service received correspondence from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) requesting verification of two passports said to belong to a Ponfa Useni and Tali Shani. 

After reviewing their records, the service discovered that while the passport issued in Useni’s name was authentic, the one associated with Shani had no trace in the NIS system.

During the proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, tendered both EFCC’s request to the NIS and the response from the immigration authorities through the witness. 

Counsel representing the defendants, Tayo Oyetibo, S.A.N and E. R. Onoja (S.A.N), did not oppose the admission of the documents.

Akim told the court that when officials attempted to verify the name Tali Shani in the immigration system, no data or personal record associated with the name could be found, stating that the service also had no record indicating that a passport with the referenced number was ever sold or processed by the NIS.

During cross-examination by Ozekhome’s counsel, Oyetibo, the witness stated that he assumed the position of principal staff officer in December 2023 but had been on an overseas posting before July of the same year, noting that Nigeria was fully admitted into the Public Key Directory and Public Key Infrastructure systems, as the country carried out an ICAO upgrade in 2025.

The case has been adjourned to April 15th 2026 for continuation of trial.

APC National Convention

Senate President inaugurates APC Convention Sub-Committee on Programmes and Events.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) Convention Sub-Committee on Programmes and Events, charging members to work diligently to ensure the success of the party’s forthcoming national convention.

Akpabio, who also serves as Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Ceremonies, Programmes and Events, said the committee is committed to delivering a seamless convention that will further strengthen the ruling party ahead of future political activities.

The committee, which has 98 members, has the Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila serving as its Secretary. 

Other members include the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, and the Executive Chairman of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Ismael Ahmed, who serves as Assistant Secretary.

Akpabio commended the leadership of the party, for assembling what he described as experienced hands to manage the programmes and events of the party’s national convention scheduled for March 26, 2026.

He assured that the sub-committee would work closely with the National Convention Committee Chairman and Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, to ensure that the event is well organised and hitch-free.

State House Press Release

 President Tinubu Sets Up Presidential Taskforce On Petroleum Sector Reforms.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the establishment of a Presidential Petroleum Reform and Value Optimisation Taskforce to design and sequence the next phase of structural reforms in Nigeria's petroleum sector.

Mr Fola Adeola, co-founder of Guaranty Trust Bank and founder and chairman of the Fate Foundation, is the Task Force's chairman. As chairman, he will coordinate the group's work and ensure the timely delivery of its mandate.

Other members of the Taskforce are: Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, Osagie Okunbor, Abubakar Suleiman, Adaeze Aguele, Farouk Gumel, Phillipa Osakwe-Okoye and Seyi Bella.

Mofoluwasho Fadayomi will serve as secretary.

As constituted, the Taskforce is a time-bound, high-level executive working group tasked with producing execution-ready reform blueprints that will consolidate ongoing reforms, unlock capital within the petroleum sector, and strengthen Nigeria's position as a leading global energy investment destination.

The initiative reflects the President's commitment to transforming Nigeria's petroleum industry into a more competitive, transparent, and value-maximising sector capable of driving long-term economic growth, macroeconomic resilience, and industrial development.

It will operate as a technical reform body rather than a representative committee, engaging industry operators, regulators, investors, and civil society as consultees while focusing on actionable policy design and implementation strategies.

The Taskforce will report directly to the President and provide monthly progress memoranda. An interim report will be submitted after three months, while the final outputs are expected within six months of inauguration.

President Tinubu expects the Task Force to deliver three major reform blueprints.

One of the deliverables is the Implementation Toolkit for Immediate Structural Fixes – including draft legislative amendments, executive instruments, and institutional restructuring proposals.

The second deliverable is the Capital & Liquidity Acceleration Blueprint, aimed at unlocking $5–10 billion in sectoral liquidity while safeguarding Nigeria's sovereign interests.

The third blueprint will focus on the National Energy Transformation Strategy – a ten-year roadmap with measurable targets for production, foreign exchange earnings, GDP contribution, and cost competitiveness.

President Tinubu has directed all Ministries, Departments, Agencies, regulators, and relevant institutions to provide full technical support to the Taskforce and to submit inventories of ongoing initiatives to ensure alignment with the emerging reform framework.

In furtherance of this directive, President Tinubu has also directed all existing committees, teams, and working groups established under various reform initiatives within the sector to align their activities, reporting structures, and work programmes with the new Task Force.

The streamlining will ensure coordination, avoid duplication of mandates, and provide institutional clarity, thereby ensuring coherence in the petroleum sector reform architecture.

The President has also directed that all relevant documentation, institutional knowledge, and ongoing workstreams should be made available to the Taskforce to support the development and implementation of its comprehensive reform framework.

The creation of the Taskforce represents a strategic presidential instrument to accelerate petroleum sector reforms, strengthen governance architecture, optimise national energy assets, and position Nigeria's petroleum resources as a foundation for sustainable economic transformation.

The Taskforce will automatically dissolve upon submission and acceptance of its final report.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President

(Information & Strategy)

March 13, 2026