Urges Deeper Local Investments

President Bola Tinubu has commended corporate Nigeria, investors, and stakeholders in the capital market for propelling the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) beyond the historic ₦100 trillion market capitalisation threshold.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President described the achievement as a “new economic reality and rejuvenation,” signalling strong investor confidence in Nigeria’s reforming economy.

“With the Nigerian Exchange crossing the historic N100 trillion mark, the country is witnessing the birth of a new economic reality,” President Tinubu said. He highlighted the NGX All-Share Index’s impressive 51.19% return in 2025 — outperforming the previous year’s 37.65% and ranking among the world’s top performers — even as many global markets faced stagnation.

The President noted year-to-date gains surpassing benchmarks like the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, positioning Nigeria as an attractive investment destination rather than a overlooked frontier market.

He praised resilient performances across sectors, from industrial giants localising supply chains to innovative banks, and anticipated further growth with upcoming listings in energy, tech, telecoms, and infrastructure.

President Tinubu linked the stock market’s success to broader reforms yielding macroeconomic stability. Inflation has declined for eight consecutive months, dropping from a peak of 34.8% in December 2024 to 14.45% in November 2025, with forecasts suggesting 12% in 2026 and potentially single digits by year-end.

Nigeria recorded a $16 billion current account surplus in 2024, projected to rise to $18.81 billion in 2026, driven by surging non-oil exports (up 48% to ₦9.2 trillion in Q3 2025) and manufacturing growth. Foreign reserves have exceeded $45 billion, with the naira stabilising and projections to surpass $50 billion in early 2026.

Infrastructure advances, including rail expansions, major highways like Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry, and port revitalisation, were also highlighted, alongside improvements in healthcare, education loans via NELFUND, and research funding.

Urging Nigerians to invest more domestically, President Tinubu assured that “2026 will yield even greater returns” as reforms mature. He pledged continued efforts toward a transparent, egalitarian, high-growth economy, bolstered by tax and fiscal changes effective January 1, 2026.

“Nation-building is a process requiring hard work and focus. This ₦100 trillion milestone signals to the world that Nigeria’s economy is robust and productive,” he concluded.

The Omi Eko Project, a landmark €410 million sustainable water transport initiative aimed at easing road congestion and modernizing Lagos’ underutilized waterways, has named Dr. Segun Alabi as its new Head of Communications and Media.

The appointment was announced today, with Mr. Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, Special Adviser on Blue Economy to the Lagos State Governor and Project Coordinator, praising Dr. Alabi’s proven track record in corporate affairs and strategic communications.

“Dr. Alabi is a highly accomplished Corporate Affairs professional with diverse experience spanning Pay TV, financial services, real estate, business membership organisations, and the manufacturing sector,” Mr. Emmanuel stated.

In his new role, Dr. Alabi will oversee the development and implementation of communication strategies, media relations, and efforts to highlight the project’s goals of promoting efficient, eco-friendly urban mobility across the Lagos metropolis.

Most recently, Dr. Alabi served as Assistant Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications at the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), where he managed corporate communications, public affairs, and events. His expertise extends to reputation management, government relations, corporate social responsibility, stakeholder engagement, public policy advocacy, and digital media strategies.

Described as a strategic communicator skilled in leveraging information for organizational impact, Dr. Alabi holds a PhD in English from the University of Lagos, specializing in Language Use and Communication.

Expressing enthusiasm for the role, Dr. Alabi said: “I am excited to join the Omi Eko Project team. This opportunity is truly a dream come true. While the task ahead is enormous, it is certainly achievable.

”Backed by the European Union, French Development Agency (AFD), European Investment Bank (EIB), and private partners, the Omi Eko Project seeks to establish organized ferry routes, deploy electric vessels, and upgrade terminals to shift more commuters to waterways, reducing traffic and emissions while boosting sustainability.

About the Omi Eko Project:

The Omi Eko Project is a €410 million initiative to revolutionize waterway transportation in Lagos, unlocking the state’s vast inland waterways for safer, greener, and more efficient public mobility. Supported by international partners under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, it represents a pivotal advancement in environmentally responsible urban transport for Africa’s largest city.

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has expanded its lexicon with the addition of new Nigerian words and expressions in its latest update, published in December 2025 and carried into 2026.

Ohibaba.com explains that “Nyash”, is a Nigerian pidgin, meaning buttock, while “Amala”, is a Yoruba word for yam -flour meal.

The update was announced on Wednesday via X by the OED and features widely used Nigerian and West African terms connected to food, music, everyday speech, markets and pop culture, highlighting the increasing global influence of African languages on English.

According to the OED, the December 2025 update introduced more than 500 new words, phrases and senses, while also revising over 1,000 existing entries as part of its quarterly review process.

Author and OED Head of Pronunciations, Catherine Sangster, said the update marked an important development in how pronunciations are documented across different varieties of English.

“With this update we introduce a new model for the transcription of Maltese English pronunciations; this is the nineteenth World English pronunciation model in our collection.

“We also celebrate a decade of OED having spoken pronunciations, which were first added in December 2015,” Sangster said.