Business
Firm Hails Tinubu Over DICON Act Signing
….Says Nigeria Capable of Attaining Self-Sufficiency in Military Hardware
A Nigerian firm, DICON Gray Insignia, has commended President Bola Tinubu for signing the amended Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) Act, which allows for the local manufacturing and storage of military hardware.
The firm also praised the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), and other relevant government agencies in the security and defense sector for their efforts to develop the local market for security equipment manufacturing and reduce dependence on imported military hardware, which comes at a huge cost.
In a statement over the weekend, the MD/CEO of DICON Gray Insignia, Mr. Bem Ibrahim Garba, said President Tinubu has demonstrated bold leadership by ensuring that the vast foreign exchange spent on importing weapons is redirected toward initiatives that enhance the livelihood of Nigerians.
He stated that DICON Gray Insignia is ready to offer its technical expertise to ensure that, as the giant of Africa, Nigeria no longer remains at the mercy of countries that profit from exporting weapons to the highest bidders.
Garba described the amendment of the DICON Act by the National Assembly and its signing by President Tinubu as a game changer that will have significant security and economic benefits for the country.
Highlighting the far-reaching impact of the Act, he emphasized that local manufacturing of defense equipment will strengthen the naira, as transactions will be conducted in local currency rather than in foreign exchange.
Furthermore, he noted that the usual delays in military procurement—where orders can take up to a year before delivery—will be eliminated.
He stated: “This is a huge win for our country. We will no longer need to export massive amounts of foreign exchange to international markets, nor will we have to endure long waiting periods to supply our military and security forces.
The order and delivery gap will now be closed.”
“Our young people will be exposed to new technical skills, empowering them with meaningful employment opportunities and reducing pressure on the labor market.
Training them to manufacture these tools is in the best interest of our nation.
”Garba also expressed profound gratitude to the Honourable Minister of Defence, Alhaji Abubakar Badaru; the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for their visionary leadership in prioritizing Nigeria’s defense capabilities.
He further highlighted that local manufacturing will not only serve Nigeria but also benefit neighboring West African countries, many of which rely on imported military hardware to combat insecurity.
Experts have applauded the DICON Gray Insignia partnership, viewing it as a strategic shift in Nigeria’s defense procurement policy—one that prioritizes technology transfer and local production over foreign dependency.
President Tinubu’s administration has made local manufacturing of defense equipment a key policy focus, leveraging strategic collaborations with both foreign and local partners through DICON as the central platform.
Business
2026: CPPE foresees stronger growth for Nigerian economy, people and businesses
Dr Muda Yusuf, the CEO of CPPE, stressed that the periodic marginal appreciation of the Naira, strengthened business confidence, eased imported inflation and restored predictability to pricing, contracting and investment planning.
• Dr Muda Yusuf, the CEO of CPPE
The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), has described 2025 as “a year of macroeconomic stabilisation,” for Nigeria; projecting that the economy will in 2026, transition more decisively from stabilisation to growth.
CPPE, in its review of the outgoing year, noted : ” The year 2025 marked a significant turning point in Nigeria’s macroeconomic trajectory following the turbulence associated with the early phase of the government reforms.
“Exchange-rate stability emerged as the most visible achievement, with the naira largely trading within the ₦1,440–₦1,500/US$ band.”
Dr Muda Yusuf, the CEO of CPPE, stressed that the periodic marginal appreciation of the Naira, strengthened business confidence, eased imported inflation and restored predictability to pricing, contracting and investment planning.
“Inflation decelerated sharply from 24.48 percent in January to about 14.45 percent by November 2025.
The slowdown was supported by currency stability, easing logistics pressures and improving supply conditions.
Several food items and imported consumer goods recorded outright price declines, contributing to improved consumer sentiment and reduced price volatility.”
Given the above, Dr Yusuf said that overall, 2025 laid a solid foundation of macroeconomic stability.
He said : ” The outlook for 2026 is reassuring, with expectations of stronger growth, easing inflation, improving investor confidence and a gradual shift toward more inclusive expansion.
He emphasised that if reform momentum is sustained and security challenges are effectively addressed, 2026 could mark the beginning of a more robust growth phase with tangible improvements in living standards.
Business
Nigerians consume 1.236 million terabytes mobile data Nov’25– NCC
The NCC said that seasonal factors, including holiday promotions and increased online activity, likely boosted November’s marginal rise over October.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says that Nigerians consumed 1.236 million terabytes (1.24 petabytes) of mobile data in November 2025, a slight increase from October’s estimated 1.235 million TB.
NCC, in the November data reports, said ” Data usage climbed progressively from lower levels earlier in the year, around 983,000 TB in April amid post-tariff adjustments, to crossing the 1 million TB threshold by mid-year. June saw 1.044 million TB, July surged to 1.131 million TB (then hailed as a record), and August reached 1.152 million TB,” said the NCC.
According to the records, month-on-month gains averaged 1.8 percent in the second half, driven by recovering subscriptions, expanded 4G coverage, and insatiable appetite for video streaming, social media, and fintech services. This all-time high reflects Nigeria’s deepening digital integration.
MTN and Airtel, controlling over 85 percent of the market, benefited most, with users averaging higher per-subscriber consumption – MTN at around 13 GB monthly and Airtel nearing 10 GB.
The NCC said that seasonal factors, including holiday promotions and increased online activity, likely boosted November’s marginal rise over October.
Broader metrics reinforce the boom: Internet subscriptions hit 144.8 million in November, while broadband penetration reached 50.58 percent (109.7 million high-speed connections), up sharply from 45.61 percent in January. Active telephony lines rebounded to 177.4 million, adding 2.1 million month-on-month, pushing teledensity to 81.8 percent.
Business
ICPC: Dangote must testify in person
The agency said that the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, does not allow proxy representation on criminal matters.It gave Dangote December 29 deadline to appear before it.
File Photo: Aliko Dangote and Farouk Ahmed
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says that Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote must appear personally before the Commission to testify the corruption allegations against the former against the former Chief Executive of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Alhaji Farouk Ahmed.
The agency said that the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, does not allow proxy representation on criminal matters.It gave Dangote December 29 deadline to appear before it.
The anti-graft commission conveyed its decision to Dangote’s lawyer, Dr. Ogwu Onoja (SAN), in a December 24 letter.
Onoja had on December 22, gone to the ICPC office to adopt the petition.But in a letter to Onoja by the Chief of Staff to ICPC Chairman, Rouqayya Ibrahim, the commission said it was necessary for Dangote to come in person.
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