By Daniel Aruwa

The North East Development Commission (NEDC) was established in 2017 to extirpate the problems of poverty, insecurity and the long and intractable devastation caused by insurgency through Boko Haram and other criminal elements in that region, thereby enhancing resettlement and rehabilitation, the reconstruction of physical infrastructures, provision of social infrastructures in terms of poverty alleviation and palliatives, various intervention in education, the provision of greener environment both for the present and in the future and also the improvement of the healthcare of the people.

To actualize its mandate and as an interventionist agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the North East Development Commission was saddled with the responsibility of devising means of attracting funds both from the Federal Government and other international donors, and ensuring its meticulous management, targeting and prioritizing resettlement, rehabilitation, integration, and reconstruction, through road construction, provision of and business premises for victims of insurgency and terrorism, while also exploring potentials solutions against poverty, illiteracy, ecological problems and any other environmental challenges in the North-East States of the country.

Upon assumption of office as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali was not just intentional but also pragmatic and transformative in his leadership style establishing first and foremost those areas that will lead to the effective mobilization and coordination of mush need but scare resources, especially funds so as deliver tangible and measurable developmental goals.

A team player and astute mobilizer, Alhaji Goni, through deliberate confidence building and effective collaboration and strategic alliance fostered enduring and progressive unity through which carried along various multi-national corporations, governments and global Non-Governmental organizations (NGOs) which brought them on board for the actualization of the mandate of the Commission.

The significant collaboration has led to superlative and impactful achievements, tackling poverty head-on and eradicating illiteracy, thereby fostering the catalytic and sustainable development of the region. Alhaji Goni through innovative partnership has truly been able consistently, since coming on saddle rebuilt a North-East that is not just united from within but also resilient, having an enduring capacity to continually draw on the opportunities provided by the Renewed Hope Mandate of the President Tinubu administration.

Alhaji Alkali’s steadfastness resonates hope and prosperity. His capacity, competence, and capability is been fully utilized, selflessly in ensuring that he brings to bear innovative solutions to the several challenges that daily confronts the region, rewriting and re-inventing the North-East region, re-building those critical but much needed physical infrastructures devastated by the years of insurgency, and bring to his people those social infrastructures through the Federal Government Social Safety Nets necessary to ameliorate their sufferings and put them back on their feet leading them into sustainable development and pride.

A first class Accountant and holder of the Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance, from the London School of Economics, University of London, his strategic and unique insight was to identify and focus first on meeting the immediate needs of the resettlement and rehabilitation of those displaced by insurgency, and thereafter providing the basic life-saving infrastructures, education, tackling poverty and lack and the restoration of safe environment and health needs of the people.

Indeed, he has made significant and laudable strides and has advanced steadily, making improvements by the day.

His deliberate methodology was to prioritize education by acknowledging its critical role in the life of the people of the North-East, through creating access and affordability. To achieve this aim, Alhaji Alkali embarked on the Mega Basic Schools Construction Program. So far the program has constructed 16 classrooms, six laboratories, with a 480 students’ capacity hostel in Yobe State, above 200 blocks of classrooms were also constructed in 20 schools.

Through his congruence, clout and synergy, Alhaji Alkali attracted six billion naira for the purchase of educational materials and the reconstruction of schools, and scholarship support for 20,000 indigent individuals from the Education Endowment Fund.

An ethical leader, his radical approach towards the transformation of the North East has also led to the construction and rehabilitation of hospitals, clinics, health centres and 178 kilometers of road, and several inter and intra state bridges in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States thereby enhancing connectivity, commerce, congeniality and the sharing of deterrent information against insurgents amongst the people of the region, whose interface is now more properly improved. The various road networks and provision of social amenities have also benefited thousands, through the provision of markets sites, accessible and affordable hospitals, healthcare and water and sanitation facilities, providing dignified livelihood, sustainable good health and better quality of life for the people.

In order to meet the yearnings of the people and provide intervention and proper medical services, Alhaji Alkali initiated various forms of surgeries including cataract for over 1000 indigenes.

Alhaji Goni’s far-reaching initiatives in agriculture has led to various interventions which has impacted positively on the growth of agriculture and the economy of the North East and the country at large. His focused strategy has brought about such support programmes such as, the distribution of agricultural machineries and equipment and various inputs such as fertilizer and agro chemicals, to boost food production, enhance food security, availability and affordability thereby stabilizing the national economy.

In a bid to improve the livelihood of his people and stimulate their livelihood through various social infrastructures, Alhaji Goni initiated the provision and distribution of food and non-food items, such as rice, spaghetti, vegetable oil, clothing, mosquito nets, blankets, mattresses and hygiene kits.
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The adoption of such strategic planning programs like the North East Stabilization and Development Master Plan (NESDMP), has enhanced the development of robust strategy which outlined a comprehensive institutional enterprise framework with a peculiar regional vision and implementation blueprint for long-term stability. This singular act also drew the attention of various international partners, such as the United nation, and Civil society groups towards the recovery plight of the people of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali’s unwavering commitment and determination has helped built a region undeterred and resilient in the face of difficulties thrust on them by an unusual circumstance but hopeful and happy at the pragmatic transformative changes that they daily witness in their progress with the North East Development Commission (NEDC) under the unassuming impact of a man who has demonstrated what a perfect example of a development interventionist agency should look like.

Aruwa is a public affairs analyst based in Abuja.

By Damilare Ogunleye

For much of the last decade, Nigeria’s aviation industry was stuck in a familiar loop of chronic under-investment, regulatory inconsistencies, and a reputation that deterred serious international lessors. However, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Festus Keyamo as Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development in August 2023, a new era began. Twenty months later, the sector has witnessed a significant transformation. Nigeria is no longer known primarily for high insurance premiums and grounded aircraft but for a deliberate, rules-based push to become West Africa’s most competitive aviation hub, instilling a sense of optimism for the future.

Keyamo’s first—and arguably most market-moving—intervention was the formal adoption of administrative rules for the Irrevocable De-registration and Export Request Authorisation (IDERA). This move, which removed ambiguity surrounding repossession rights, triggered an immediate five-point increase in the Cape Town Convention (CTC) Compliance Index. Within twenty-four hours, Nigeria’s compliance index jumped from 70.5% to 75.5%, propelling the country into the CTC’s ‘high-compliance’ tier and removing Nigeria from the Aviation Working Group’s watch list. The implications are significant: CTC compliance directly affects lease rates, insurance premiums, and lessors’willingness to place modern aircraft in Nigerian fleets. In other words, a few percentage points difference translates into cheaper—and more abundant—capacity for domestic carriers.

Building on this momentum, in early 2025, Keyamo flagged off revised aviation insurance regulations that allow operators to cede up to 90 per cent of their hull risk to international markets. Aligned with CTC standards, this framework is expected to compress insurance costs and, by extension, reduce ticket prices that have historically outpaced the purchasing power of many Nigerian travellers. These adjustments not only improve financial metrics but also play an indirect role in safety: lower insurance costs free up capital that carriers can reinvest in maintenance, crew training, and modern equipment. The broader strategy is clear: restore investor confidence, tighten regulatory oversight, and make flying more affordable and safer for the average Nigerian.

Yet the minister did not stop at compliance. His playbook relies heavily on local content multipliers designed to keep more aviation-related revenue within Nigeria’s economy. Two initiatives stand out. The Fly Nigeria Act, currently before the National Assembly, would mandate that all government-funded travel—estimated at ₦420 billion annually—be booked on Nigerian flag carriers whenever viable point-to-point or code-share options exist. If passed, the Act promises a guaranteed revenue pipeline and higher fleet utilisation for domestic airlines that have struggled to fill seats at sustainable yields. Complementing this, the local catering mandate, effective January 1, 2025, requires every international carrier operating in Nigeria to source in-flight meals from Nigerian-certified caterers. Early compliance reports indicate a significant increase in order volumes, prompting new kitchen investments in Lagos and Abuja and creating over a thousand direct jobs within weeks of implementation. Together, these policies signal a deliberate shift from import-dependent aviation services toward local value-chain development—an approach that mirrors Tinubu-era reforms in oil and digital services, instilling a sense of optimism about the growth of Nigeria’s aviation sector.

At the same time, Keyamo placed a pronounced emphasis on elevating safety culture across airlines and agencies. Recognising that regulatory improvements are insufficient without robust operational practices, his ministry partnered with Boeing’s Global Learning Institute (BGLI) and Cranfield University to pilot a five-day “Advanced Leadership in Safety Excellence” program for executives and senior leaders from all domestic carriers. Drawn from the Seattle MOU, participants underwent immersive training in safety risk assessment, decision-making under pressure, and the implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS). Early feedback indicates that at least three carriers have since established or updated their internal SMS frameworks, resulting in a 12-percent reduction in minor safety incidents during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. By instilling a top-down commitment to safety, Keyamo has helped shift airline boardrooms toward framing operational risk as both a moral imperative and a business enabler.

Meanwhile, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, newly installed e-gates have reduced arrival processing times from an average of forty-five minutes to under fifteen minutes—reducing crowding and minimising fatigue-related errors among immigration officers. Coupled with the Ministry of Interior’s automated 48-hour e-visa platform and mandatory online landing-card system, immigration’s “open-skies, closed-loopholes” mantra has finally gained operational traction. Faster, more accurate passenger screening reduces the likelihood of human error, a frequent contributor to security breaches. Upcountry, the upgrade of Maiduguri’s Muhammadu Buhari Airport to full international status—scheduled to begin operations on January 1, 2025—anchors a strategic East-West belt linking the Chad Basin’s commerce corridors to Gulf carriers. Simultaneously, the foundation-laying for Abia State’s new airport at Ubaha Nsulu signals a willingness to diversify air-connectivity nodes beyond the traditional Lagos–Abuja–Port Harcourt triangle. These capital projects, some of which will be built or operated under public-private partnerships, are designed to stimulate local economic development, reducetravel times, and foster intra-regional trade while incorporating international best practices for runway safety and fire-rescue readiness.

Credibility on paper means little unless airlines can convert it into “metal”—that is, modern aircraft maintained to stringent safety standards. To that end, Keyamo has spent as much time courting stakeholders abroad as he has on tarmac inspections at home. Most visibly, he led a Nigerian delegation to the Boeing Lessor Forum during the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Conference in Dublin, where he made a data-driven case for longer-term leases and lower security deposits. He emphasised the newly attained 75.5 per cent CTC rating and the cadre of senior managers returning from Boeing-Cranfield safety training, arguing that Nigeria’s improved safety culture and regulatory environment significantly reduce counterparty risk. In parallel, a memorandum signed in Seattle with Boeing’s BGLI has already produced tangible results: at least two airlines report upgraded flight-data monitoring (FDM) systems and stricter crew-rest compliance. Together, these efforts aim to equip younger, more fuel-efficient fleets with better standard operating procedures, an imperative as jet fuel remains tied to global oil prices, which are hovering near $90 per barrel.

Diplomacy has yielded tangible route and partnership gains as well. Following protracted negotiations, Keyamo’s team replaced Alitalia with Italy’s Neos SPA Airlines on the Milan–Lagos route, ensuring continuity of European connectivity despite Alitalia’s dissolution. In the Gulf, the minister successfully amended the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with the United Arab Emirates, re-opening code-share channels and revising slot allocations that had been frozen during a 2022–23 dispute. The revised BASA also includes provisions for technical training, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) collaboration, as well as joint airworthiness surveillance, sending promising cadets to Emirates centres in Dubai for hands-on experience. Simultaneously, discussions with Algerian authorities culminated in an agreement to establish a tri-nation corridor linking Algeria, Nigeria, and Cameroon—both a political signal of regional integration and a practical new revenue stream for airlines hungry for short-haul traffic.

Behind the scenes, Keyamo has targeted grey-market leakage in private charter operations—a ministerial task force led by Capt. Ado Sanusi of Aero Contractors estimated that unauthorised charters were siphoning off ₦120 billion in annual revenue from government departments and high-net-worth travellers. Their recommendations—spanning mandatory manifest filing, transponder-based flight-tracking mandates, and stiffer fines for unlicensed operators—are now before the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). If implemented and enforced, these measures could redirect substantial sums into legitimate operators and government coffers, simultaneously reducing the safety risks associated with poorly maintained, unregulated airframes.

Within the broader machinery of government, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) earned ISO 9001 certification in December 2024 and received a SERVICOM Award of Excellence for customer service reforms. These institutional badges matter because they reassure foreign players—lessors, insurers, and airlines—that Nigeria’s air navigation services meet the stringent quality-management benchmarks they demand in Europe or the Gulf. Equally important, a stable, standards-driven NAMA reduces the risk of flight delays and cancellations tied to air traffic bottlenecks, directly affecting airlines’ on-time performance metrics and minimising the exposure of passengers and crew to avoidable risks.

Early economic dividends are already visible. Oxford Economics estimates that aviation’s share of Nigeria’s GDP could increase from 0.4 per cent to nearly 1 per cent by 2030 if Keyamo’s reforms continue to drive traffic growth. Job creation has accelerated: catering facilities have added over 1,200 roles since the implementation of the local-content directive, while ICT contractors report brisk demand for e-visa platform maintenance and real-time data analytics. Cargo volumes through MMIA have increased by 18 per cent year-over-year, primarily due to smoother customs integration and more predictable flight schedules. Tourist arrivals through international routes increased by 12 per cent in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, indicating the ripple effects of lower ticket costs, improved safety culture, and enhanced brand perception.

Risks remain. Macroeconomic headwinds—especially foreign-exchange volatility—could erode lease-rate gains just attained. Structural challenges, from erratic power supply at secondary airports to security concerns in parts of the North-East, continue to inflate insurers’ war-risk surcharges. The Fly Nigeria Act must also withstand intra-party wrangling in the National Assembly; airlines reliant on government contracts may resist provisions that shift travel budgets to smaller, less established carriers. Finally, global aviation remains vulnerable to geopolitical shocks—any sudden oil price spike or North Atlantic crisis could quickly reverse hard-won traction.

Yet, judged against the baseline of August 2023, the trajectory is unmistakable. By combining compliance housekeeping, rigorous safety training, investor outreach, and uncomplicated pro-local policies, Festus Keyamo has transformed Nigeria’s aviation ministry from an afterthought into a potential linchpin of President Tinubu’s economic agenda. The next three years will determine whether these reforms reach cruising altitude, but for now, at least, the runway has never looked clearer.

Damilare , a communications strategist , lives in lagos and can be reached on penhallconsults@gmail.com

By Mary Odoma

The Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) is an agency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, established on November 15, 1987, under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, with the mandate to provide agricultural risk insurance to Nigerian farmers. Incorporated in June 1988 and transformed into a corporation in 1993 under Act 37 of 1993, the agency remains the sole insurance company geared towards the provision of agricultural risk insurance cover to Nigerian farmers.

In a bid to reposition and deliver on the agency’s mandate, President Bola Tinubu on May 22, 2025, appointed Alhaji Yazid Shehu Umar Danfulani as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for an initial term of four years. Alhaji Yazid’s brief is quite a tall order. Aside the expectation of Mr. President, which include facing the challenges of enlisting formidability into the entire insurance framework for Nigerian farmers, he is also to inject fresh and renewed vitality and strategic vision into the agency and its overall operation.

Agriculture is not just one of the critical sectors of the Nigerian economy, but accounts for over 90 percent of the country’s economic mainstay, employing most of its citizen and is no doubt one of the highest foreign exchange earner. The imperative therefore of providing insurance cover to the sector, thereby mitigating against risk and uncertainty is extremely paramount.

Annually, revenue that should otherwise be derived from the sector is lost through the debilitating effects of drought, floods, pests and diseases, the negative impact of over-grazing, fires and other natural disasters. However, ignorance and lack of proper awareness creation have also restricted citizens who should be beneficiaries of these laudable interventions, creating, therefore, the need to expand access to agricultural insurance through invigorated information dissemination and outreach, and ensuring that NAIC plays its critical role in the country’s food security strategy, this indeed cannot, therefore, be over-emphasized.

Undoubtedly, Alhaji Yazid came prepared. For him, getting to the apogee of this agency is a call to duty, responsibility and service to the fatherland and humanity. Armed therefore with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Master Degree in Arts and Management from the prestigious University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom and highly experienced background, Alhaji Danfulani can be said to be a square peg in a square hole.

A renowned technical expert, with a patriotic commitment to national development and a seasoned administrator, Alhaji Yazid brings his wealth of academic and intellectual know-how and proficiency into giving purpose to the agency, through establishing its core existence and aligning its unique vision to profitable value propositions. This no doubt involve redefining the agency’s mission, and vision, as well as ensuring that they resonate with both the employee’s and stakeholders’ desires as they fuse with the agency.

A highly inspirational leader, it is expected that the experience and expertized gained over the years as Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in Zamfara State and his services at the Central Bank of Nigeria will become handy in guiding positive decisions and shaping enduring organizational culture, creating a worldwide positive impact.

A grassroot mobilizer and dogged team player, Alhaji Danfulani will also refine and strengthen the involvement of stakeholders and leaders in the agricultural sector, enhancing purposeful collaboration with everyone that is involved and fostering a sense of shared ownership.

Known for his unambiguity and thoroughness, the Turakin Zamfara, will efficiently articulate his purpose clearly, thereby establishing the core purpose of the Renewed Hope Mandate as it affects the agency, defining crucial and effective communication, and aligning same with action in his daily operations, decisions, and culture. This means that every aspect of the agency, from strategy to employee behaviour, will essentially align with the core vision, mission and purpose of the agency.

Known for his effective employee motivation and the creation of a positive workplace ambience that is suitable for growth, development and optimum performance, Alhaji Danfulani is poised to create learning and growth opportunities, that will foster the development of new skills, and the ability for employees to take up new challenges, and also grow personally and prosper, thereby encouraging employees to adopt the core values of the agency and further align themselves with the growth and development of the agency.

Indeed, one thing that cannot be taken away from Alhaji Yazid is his capacity and capability to inspire and evoke positive emotions capable of motivating employees and stakeholders to work assiduously towards achieving any shared vision. It is believed that he will bring about a highly positive turnaround in the agency.

An ethical leader, he is poised to bring about the desired volte-face in the value re-orientation, redefining the mission, vision, and impact of the agency and leveraging on the support of all to ensure that he brings up a management that will be strategic in their thinking, prepared to implement desired changes and ensure efficient employee buy-in enhancing a better future for Nigeria.

There is no doubt that with Alhaji Danfulani’s sustained consistent record of honesty, forthrightness and resilience, he will certainly bring about an agency that is result oriented providing innovative insurance services towards sustained National Agricultural and Economic Development.

His open-mindedness and ready-to-learn approach to leadership is rated as one of his strongest leadership strength, enhancing a connect between work and impact and increasing contribution and identity and ensuring that he is factually and realistically able to raise the morale of the workforce and establish a system of discipline that will not only enhance performance but build for him signature accomplishment.

With Alhaji Yazid Shehu Umar Danfulani coming on board as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Insurance Commission (NAIC), Nigerians can now look forward to an agency that will act with speed and integrity. His strong leadership skills and motivational, innovative leadership style coupled with lots of experience and his ability to align organizational actions with core purpose have been instrumental in bringing excellence in other spheres of endeavours and therefore will surely take the organization to greater heights.

Odoma is a public affairs analyst based in Abuja.