Business
PREMIUM TIMES, EnergyNet strengthen collaboration ahead of Nigeria NOW! Summit
Nigeria’s long-standing narrative of immense potential constrained by structural challenges may be entering a new phase of tangible economic delivery, as stakeholders prepare for the Nigeria NOW! summit, scheduled to hold in November 2026 in Abuja.
This was made known by Simon Gosling, EnergyNet’s managing director and the convener of the summit, during a consultative visit to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.
The visit was part of pre-event engagements to explore collaboration opportunities with the leadership of Nigeria’s foremost newspaper, to discuss media partnerships and the role of journalism in shaping credible narratives around investment, transparency, and governance in Nigeria’s extractive and energy sectors.
The meeting highlighted the role of data-driven storytelling in bridging information gaps between policymakers, investors, and citizens.
Speaking about the summit, Mr Gosling said, for years, investor engagement with Nigeria has been characterised by caution, driven by concerns around foreign exchange volatility, regulatory uncertainty, contract breaches, policy flip-flops, and infrastructure gaps.
He said: “However, recent developments, including reforms in the foreign exchange regime, implementation of the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, and renewed momentum in gas infrastructure such as the AKK pipeline, point to a transition from policy intent to execution”.
He explained that the summit is designed to reframe global investor perception of Nigeria from a high-risk environment to a destination of verified opportunity, noting that the event is engineered to bridge this trust Gap.
“Unlike previous jamborees focused on Memorandums of Understanding, this launch event focuses on Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) and the showcasing of completed projects. The agenda is designed to move the conversation from “what we plan to do” to “what we have done and how you can plug in”, Mr Gosling said.
He said the high-level event will bring together key sectors, including power, petroleum, solid minerals, transport, agriculture, and infrastructure, while convening policymakers, regulators, investors, industry leaders, and development partners to showcase recent reforms and major infrastructure milestones.
Mr Gosling added that partnerships with local institutions remain critical to the success of the initiative, noting that the summit aims not only to attract investment but also to promote accountability, inclusivity, and sustainable development outcomes.
Also speaking on the collaboration, PREMIUM TIMES’ publisher, Dapo Olorunyomi, emphasised the need to build a strong media community of practice capable of amplifying critical issues across the key sectors.
He noted that a lack of technical capacity has historically hindered journalists from reporting on these complex industries with consequential depth.
Mr Olorunyomi stressed the importance of intensive capacity building to ensure that the Nigerian public and the global community are informed by knowledge-driven storytelling rather than anecdotal evidence.
Similarly, representatives of the Nigerian Indigenous Women in Mining and Natural Resources Organisation (NIWIMNRO), at the meeting, expressed appreciation to EnergyNet for its technical support in ensuring that the voices of women artisanal miners are reflected in broader investment conversations.
The organisation’s Executive Director, Felicia Dairo, commended EnergyNet for its commitment to advancing gender inclusion and supporting initiatives that empower women miners across Nigeria, noting that EnergyNet’s support began even at a time when NIWIMNRO was still developing its structure.
Mrs Dairo said NIWIMNRO looks forward to working more closely with the EnergyNet team to ensure the success of what is expected to be one of the biggest events in Nigeria’s history.
About Nigeria NOW!
The Nigeria NOW! summit is being convened against a backdrop of shifting global economic and energy dynamics. As traditional investment destinations experience slower growth, capital is increasingly seeking high-yield frontier markets.
With projected GDP growth of around 4.0 per cent and ongoing structural reforms, Nigeria is positioning itself as a competitive destination for such investments.
The November 2026 event will serve as a precursor to a larger global investors’ summit planned for 2027, where Nigeria aims to further consolidate its position in the global investment landscape.
READ ALSO: EnergyNet partners NIWIMNRO for Africa Energy Forum (AEF) Conference
The Nigeria NOW! platform is also aligned with regional integration efforts under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with stakeholders highlighting Nigeria’s potential as a gateway for institutional capital into West Africa.
As preparations intensify, the organiser says the initiative’s success will depend on the country’s ability to translate reforms into measurable outcomes and sustain investor confidence.
With renewed momentum across policy, infrastructure, and stakeholder engagement, the Nigeria NOW! summit may mark a turning point in how Nigeria is perceived and how it performs on the global economic stage.
Business
NDLEA Secures 974 Drug Convictions in Three Months as 11 Drug Kingpins Receive 254 Years’ Jail Term
BY SUNDAY SAMUEL—The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded a major enforcement milestone, securing 974 convictions for drug-related offences across Nigeria within the first quarter of 2026. The convictions, achieved between January and March, reflect an intensified nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking networks and their collaborators.
No fewer than 974 offenders have been convicted and sentenced to various jail terms including 11 drug kingpins who bagged 254 years imprisonment in the first quarter of 2026 as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) ramped up the arrest, prosecution and forfeiture of the assets of drug traffickers and their collaborators across the country.
Among the 974 drug traffickers convicted between January and March, 899 of them are male and 75 females, while a further breakdown of the conviction figure shows that 265 were secured in January, 316 in February and 393 in March.
Top on the list of the 11 drug kingpins who were successfully prosecuted and convicted within the period include a notorious Italy-based 42-year-old businessman, Adegbite Solomon (a.k.a Obama) who was arraigned on 15-count charge before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court Lagos in suit number: FHC/L/851C/2025. Delivering his ruling on the matter on 18th March, Justice Kakaki convicted the repeat offender on all 15 counts and sentenced him to a total of 130 years in prison.
Specifically, Justice Kakaki sentenced Adegbite to 15 years’ imprisonment on count 1; 15 years on count 2; 15 years on count 3; 15 years on count 4; 15 years on count 5; 15 years on count 6; 10 years on count 7; four years on count 8; four years on count 9; four years on count 10; four years on count 11; four years on count 12; and 10 years on count 15. While the prison sentence is to run concurrently, the trial judge also ordered the revocation of the convict’s pharmacy license and the forfeiture of two branches of his pharmacy store as well as the forfeiture of funds in his three bank accounts to the Federal Government, among others.
Another top drug kingpin sentenced to long years in prison in the first quarter of the year is 32-year-old Ridwan Animashaun who was arraigned by NDLEA before Justice Nkenoye Evelyn Maha of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo state in charge number: FHC/IB/97C/2025. In her judgment delivered on 26th February 2026, Justice Maha convicted and sentenced Animashaun to 25 calendar years for drug trafficking.
The convict was first convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment for a similar offence on 15th July 2022 by Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court following his arrest by NDLEA along Lagos/Ibadan expressway on 27th March 2022.
Two other convicts who bagged long years imprisonment are: Rauf Asogba, 28, and Seun Olaniyi, 24, who were convicted and sentenced to 17 years in jail each by Justice Abiodun Jordan Adeyemi of the Federal High Court Abeokuta, Ogun state on 28th January 2026 after NDLEA arrested and charged them to court for trafficking 1,779 kilograms of skunk in suit number: FHC/AB/160C/2025.
Another set of two convicts got 15 years imprisonment each. They are: 54-year-old Jonathan Nuhu (a.k.a Doctor) who was convicted by Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Kano, Kano state on 17th March 2026 following his arraignment by NDLEA in charge: FHC/KN/CR/96/2023, and 40-year-old Idris Yusuf who was sentenced on 31st March 2026 by Justice Fatima Murtala Nyako of the Federal High Court, Damaturu, Yobe in suit number FHC/CR/6/21, in addition to another eight years sentence for a similar case brought against Yusuf by NDLEA in charge number FHC/CR/DM/16/24.
Other convicts who got seven years imprisonment each for drug trafficking offences in parts of the country include: Godday Obizuo in FHC/AK/64C/2024; Asabe Abubakar in FHC/BAU/CR/16/2026; Godwin Peter, Asuquo Christian and Olabode Sunday in FHC/AD/CR/66/2024.
In his reaction to the conviction of the drug offenders, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) described the sentencing of the 11 drug kingpins to a combined 254 years in prison as a watershed moment in the country’s war against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
He noted that the conviction of 974 offenders between January and March 2026 sends an unambiguous message that Nigeria is no longer a safe haven for those who trade in human lives and derive pleasure in destroying the lives of the nation’s youth.
According to him, “Securing 974 convictions in just three months is a testament to the relentless spirit of our officers and the thinning patience of the Nigerian state toward drug merchants. To the 11 kingpins who thought they were untouchable, their 254-year collective residency in correctional centres is a firm reminder that the long arm of the law has finally caught up with their greed.”
Marwa commended the Judiciary for the accelerated hearing of the cases, noting that swift justice is the most potent deterrent. To officers, men and women of the Agency, he said
“Your bravery in the face of danger is yielding fruit. We will continue to prioritize your welfare and provide the tools needed to stay ahead of these criminal syndicates.”
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, adding that “these victories belong to the citizens who provide the intelligence that fuels our operations.”
The post NDLEA Secures 974 Drug Convictions in Three Months as 11 Drug Kingpins Receive 254 Years’ Jail Term appeared first on Business Today NG.
The Lagos State Police Command has recorded significant breakthroughs through coordinated and simultaneous operations targeting cultism and illegal arms proliferation across Ikorodu, Lagos Island, Okoko, Ilasan, Ogba, and Iju areas of the State.
The operations resulted in the arrest of twenty-three suspected cultists, recovery of five (5) firearms and other incriminating exhibits.
During the operation in Ikorodu, four suspects were arrested following credible intelligence linking them to cult-related activities. Preliminary findings indicate links to the Buccaneers Confraternity (Sea Lords).
In Lagos Island, nine suspected cultists were arrested during a raid on a criminal hideout. In Ilasan, five suspects in connection with a cult-related killing of one Emmanuel Obioson were arrested. In Okoko, one suspect with ties to the Eiye Confraternity was intercepted in possession of a firearm.
Similarly, in Ogba and Iju areas, the operations led to the arrest of four (4) suspects involved in illegal cult gatherings, assault, and other related violent crimes. Weapons used in the attacks were recovered, and victims are currently receiving medical attention.
The suspects are: Shina Wale ‘m’ 36yrs, Kehinde Kareem ‘m’ 18yrs, Mohammed Aileru ‘m’ 18yrs, Bada Mujeeb ‘m’ 18yrs, Salam Kosoko ‘m’ 30yrs, Yusuf Anjorin ‘m’ 19yrs, Quadri Abubakar ‘m’ 21yrs, Lateef Salako ‘m’ 18yrs, Fawaz Bello ‘m’ 30yrs, Oyesola Olalekan ‘m’ age 36yrs, Ubaka Justice ‘m’ age 36yrs, Emmanuel Obekpa ‘m’ age 36yrs, Sodiq Ademola ‘m’ age 36yrs, Balogun Taofeek ‘m’ 33yrs, Azeez Owolabi ‘m’ age 28yrs, Meshack Obini ‘m’ age 24yrs, Fabulous John ‘m’ age 25yrs, Promise Israel ‘m’ age 28yrs, Bright Aniedi ‘m’ age 27yrs, Familola Fikayo David ‘m’ age 24yrs, Akeem Olamilekan ‘m’ aka Magali age 43yrs, Muiz Oyedele ‘m’ age 20yrs, Hamzat Sadiq ‘n’ age 19yrs
The exhibits include: Five (5) locally made pistols, one (1) toy pistol, fifteen (15) live cartridges, three (3) expended cartridges, one (1) Police camouflage face cap, one (1) Army camouflage face cap, one (1) jack knife with the pouch.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, reiterates the Command’s unwavering commitment to eradicating cultism and violent crimes.
He urges members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to support the Police with timely and credible information through the Command emergency lines: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264, 08039344870, and 09168630929.
The post Lagos Police Arrest 23 Suspected Cultists, Recover Firearms in Statewide Raids appeared first on Business Today NG.
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