Residents of Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State are grappling with a severe public health and environmental crisis following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR-42 aircraft into a swamp near the community.

The aircraft, on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos, crashed last Monday, killing all 25 people on board. Recovery efforts continue amid difficult swampy terrain, with large sections of the wreckage and human remains still unrecovered.

The traditional ruler of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, said residents have been battling an extremely offensive odour caused by decomposing human remains floating in the river. “The odour is extremely offensive. So many parts of the human body are floating around in the river. Some of the bodies have not been recovered. They have decomposed, and it is affecting everything,” he stated.

He warned that the river — the community’s main source of water for drinking, cooking and fishing — has been polluted by the remains and aviation fuel spillage. Residents can no longer safely use the water, raising fears of a disease outbreak.

Ondo State authorities confirmed they are assessing the environmental and public health impact, with plans for decontamination. Recovery teams, including the Navy, Air Force and emergency agencies, are intensifying efforts to retrieve remaining wreckage and remains.

The future of 3.7 billion people is threatened by mounting government debt burdens, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has warned, urging developing countries to strengthen cooperation in tackling debt-related challenges.

The warning was delivered on Monday in Bangkok during the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings, where the UN agency called on finance ministers, central bank governors and senior government officials from developing countries to unite under the Borrowers’ Platform to share knowledge, exchange experiences and coordinate their positions on debt issues.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said developing economies were facing mounting pressures from geopolitical tensions, conflicts, trade disruptions, climate challenges, inadequate financing and high debt-servicing costs.

“Developing countries face a perfect storm with geopolitical tensions and conflicts, trade and climate pressures, a lack of adequate financing and high debt-service burdens,” Guterres said in his address to the platform’s new member states.

He added that the Borrowers’ Platform would provide members with an opportunity to navigate these challenges.

Guterres welcomed participating countries’ commitment to the initiative, stressing the importance of creating a common space where borrowers could exchange advice, share practical tools and approaches, and strengthen their collective advocacy on international debt issues.

According to UNCTAD, 31 developing countries have formally joined the platform, while several others have expressed interest in the initiative.

Since the platform’s launch in April, participating countries have operated through an interim process led by Egypt as interim chair, with UN Trade and Development serving as its secretariat.

Bangkok, 12 October 2026 – Nigeria and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have agreed to a joint technical review of the Bank’s portfolio in the country and to prepare an official visit by AfDB President Dr Sidi Ould Tah.

The agreement was reached on Monday when Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Taiwo Oyedele met Ould Tah on the sidelines of the 2026 IMF and World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Bangkok.

Oyedele reaffirmed that Nigeria will remain the Bank’s largest shareholder and will meet its capital subscription obligations. He stressed that the long-standing partnership should now deliver greater development finance and tangible economic benefits.

He also expressed Nigeria’s support for the AfDB’s Four Cardinal Points agenda under Ould Tah’s leadership: bridging Africa’s financing gap, securing the continent’s financial sovereignty, harnessing its demographic dividend, and building resilient infrastructure through the local transformation of natural resources. Oyedele said the priorities align closely with Nigeria’s own development goals.

The planned portfolio review will identify implementation bottlenecks, accelerate project delivery and ensure ongoing operations are better aligned with the Federal Government’s priorities. Ould Tah’s proposed visit is expected to include meetings with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, senior officials and other stakeholders.

The two sides also discussed the high cost of borrowing facing African countries. Oyedele noted that international credit ratings often fail to reflect improvements in economic fundamentals and reform progress, raising financing costs for nations such as Nigeria.

In response, Ould Tah said the AfDB is developing a facility to provide African governments with technical and analytical support in their dealings with credit rating agencies, helping them present credible data and challenge assessments where necessary.

Other topics included African financial integration, local-currency transactions, trade insurance and credit enhancement to lower investment risk and attract private capital. Both parties also underlined the need to retain skilled professionals on the continent.

Technical work on financing and portfolio performance will continue alongside preparations for the AfDB President’s visit to Nigeria.