Ikpeazu Courts Spanish Investment in Nigeria’s Blue Economy at CONXEMAR 2026

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria has stepped up efforts to attract Spanish investment into its blue economy, with the country’s Ambassador to Spain, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, engaging investors and industry stakeholders at the 27th International Frozen Seafood Exhibition, CONXEMAR 2026, in Vigo, Galicia, Spain.

Ambassador Ikpeazu participated in the opening ceremony of the international trade fair held on Tuesday at the IFEVI Exhibition Centre, alongside the President of the Xunta de Galicia, senior Spanish Government officials, the President of CONXEMAR, the Mayor of Vigo, members of the diplomatic corps, business leaders and major stakeholders in fisheries and aquaculture.

CONXEMAR is regarded as one of the world’s major trade fairs dedicated to the frozen seafood industry, bringing together businesses and stakeholders across the global seafood value chain.

The Nigerian Embassy said Ikpeazu’s participation was part of ongoing efforts to position Nigeria as an attractive destination for investment in the blue economy, particularly as the country seeks to expand opportunities in fisheries, aquaculture, marine industries and related value chains.

On the sidelines of the exhibition, the ambassador held engagements with CONXEMAR officials and representatives of several companies operating in areas including packaging, marine services and fisheries-related industries.

The discussions focused on opportunities for collaboration and investment, with the embassy seeking to leverage Spain’s expertise and business interests in the maritime and seafood sectors to support the development of Nigeria’s blue economy.

The engagements also underscored the potential for stronger Nigeria-Spain commercial relations through private-sector partnerships, technology transfer and investment in industries connected to fisheries and marine resources.

Nigeria’s blue economy encompasses a broad range of economic activities linked to the country’s marine and aquatic resources, including fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, marine tourism and other ocean-based industries.

The ambassador’s participation at CONXEMAR therefore provides an avenue for Nigeria to showcase investment opportunities in these sectors while engaging directly with international companies and potential investors.
The embassy said it would continue to pursue initiatives aimed at deepening economic relations between Nigeria and Spain and attracting investments capable of contributing to the growth and diversification of Nigeria’s blue economy.

Ikpeazu Courts Spanish Investment in Nigeria’s Blue Economy at CONXEMAR 2026

Bureau urges states to deepen public service reforms

By Elizabeth Ogunjobi

The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) has urged sub-national governments to emulate Federal Government efforts to institutionalise systemic public service reforms.

Dr Dasuki Arabi, BPSR Director-General, made the call on Tuesday in Gombe while presenting a paper at Gombe State University’s conference.

He stressed the need for sustained reforms focused on digital governance, human capital development and performance management to optimise service delivery.

Arabi said replicating Federal Government reforms across states would promote a whole-of-government approach capable of improving public service delivery nationwide.

He said reforms initiated by President Bola Tinubu had helped reposition Nigeria among emerging countries making progress in public service delivery.

According to him, the reforms have strengthened the civil service while addressing challenges affecting effective public service delivery.

“The introduction of government financial integrated management information system for payment of contracts and services and the National Strategy of Public Service Reforms have yielded gains,” Arabi said.

He listed Performance Management, e-culture and the Federal Civil Service Strategy among initiatives that had contributed to improving public service performance.

“These reforms have built public confidence as private sector investment is coming,” Arabi said.

He cited the Dangote Refinery’s offer and foreign participation in Nigeria’s stock exchange as indications of growing investor confidence in the country.

“More than 60 per cent of participants in our stock exchange are not Nigerians,” the Director-General said.

Arabi said BPSR’s ambition was to position Nigeria among the world’s 20 best-performing public services through sustained institutional reforms.

He said: “We are not there, but we have institutions of government that have surpassed that.

“Our tax, our revenue agency is one of the best in the world. Our stock exchange is one of the best in the world.

“The Insurance Commission is the best in Africa and the tenth in the world.”

He, however, said more needed to be done, particularly by states, to ensure reforms were coordinated with Federal Government efforts.

“I think we are moving, but we need to do more, especially if whole-of-government approach by the states work with the Federal Government,” he said.

Arabi urged states to embrace reforms and make citizen engagement and effective public service delivery central to their governance priorities.

He said only Gombe, Kaduna, Enugu, Ogun and Lagos states had provided information on their reform activities to the BPSR.

“All other states are lagging behind. The data is on our website. If you want to check, you can see,” he said.

Prof. Ahmed Yauta, Vice-Chancellor, Gombe State University, represented by his deputy, Prof. Rasheed Abdulganiy, commended the organisers for convening the conference.

Yauta said the conference would contribute to strengthening public service reforms and improving governance in Gombe State.

Prof. Muazu Shehu, Gombe State Head of Service and keynote speaker, said meaningful public service reforms required combining research evidence with reliable data.

Shehu said Gombe State had deliberately embraced governance reforms that distinguished the state through improved governance and service delivery.

He urged policymakers to establish dedicated research units within government agencies and departments to support evidence-based decision-making.

According to him, such units should collect, analyse and apply data to decisions capable of positively affecting governance and service delivery.

Prof. Matthew Bello, Head of the Department of Public Administration, Gombe State University, said the conference would strengthen reform implementation and service delivery in Gombe.

He said the objective was to ensure reforms touched citizens’ lives and contributed to improved governance in the next administration.

Bello added that conference presentations would be translated into actionable plans and published in a book of proceedings.

He said copies would subsequently be sent to government agencies and other relevant stakeholders for consideration and implementation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference’s theme is ‘Democracy, Public Service and Service Delivery in Nigeria: Setting the Agenda for the 2027 General Elections’.

Bureau urges states to deepen public service reforms

ECOWAS Swears in Five Judges as Faye Demands Stronger Public Trust in Regional Justice

By: Michael Mike

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday swore in five new judges of its Community Court of Justice, with Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, charging them to strengthen public confidence in regional justice through impartial, credible and independent decisions.

Faye administered the oath of office to the judges at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja, urging them to discharge their responsibilities without fear, favour or external influence as the region grapples with political, economic, security and environmental challenges.

The new judges are Désiré Henri Aihou of Benin; Justice Awa Bah of The Gambia; Charlyne Brumskine of Liberia; Henrietta Uzoamaka Didigu of Nigeria; and Dr Yaouza Ouro-Sama of Togo.

The ECOWAS Chairman said the Court had a crucial role to play in protecting citizens’ rights, ensuring fairness in the application of community laws and restoring confidence in regional institutions at a time when the region required stronger commitment to the rule of law.

“Through its decisions, it protects rights, serves as a reminder of everyone’s obligations, and strengthens trust in our institutions,” Faye said.

He urged the judges to allow the oath they had taken to guide them throughout their four-year tenure, particularly when determining cases brought before the Court.

Faye charged them to examine cases according to their conscience, deliver justice fairly and exercise their judicial responsibilities impartially without yielding to pressure from any quarter.

“That is why I urge you, throughout the duration of your mandate, to constantly keep in mind—especially at the moment of decision-making—the foundation of your oath,” he said.

The ECOWAS Chairman said the credibility of the Court would ultimately be measured by the quality of its judgments and the confidence those decisions inspired among citizens.

He urged the new judges to build on the Court’s achievements while contributing to efforts to modernise its operations and make regional justice more effective, accessible and accepted by the people.

The new judges were appointed for a four-year, non-renewable term by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 69th Ordinary Session in Lungi, Sierra Leone, on July 19, 2026.

Their appointment followed the December 2025 Supplementary Act SA.1/12/25 relating to the Community Court of Justice.

Under Article 3 of the Act, the Court is to comprise five independent judges selected from nationals of member states who possess high moral character and the qualifications required for appointment to a Supreme Court or equivalent judicial office.

Candidates must also demonstrate recognised competence in international law, particularly community or regional integration law, and have at least 20 years of professional experience.

Article 5 requires every judge to take an oath of office or make a solemn declaration before the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government before assuming judicial responsibilities.

The five new judges succeeded Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves of Cape Verde; Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma of Sierra Leone; Justice Dupe Atoki of Nigeria; Justice Gberi-Bè Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire; and Justice Edward Amoako Asante of Ghana, whose four-year tenure had expired.

Faye commended the outgoing judges for their service and contribution to the development of community law and the region’s integration process.

“Through their stewardship and commitment, they have brought community law to life and contributed to building an ECOWAS that is mindful of the principles of justice, respectful of individual rights, and resolutely oriented toward integration,” he said.

Earlier, ECOWAS Commission President, General Birame Diop, said the swearing-in ceremony represented more than the formal assumption of judicial office, describing it as a commitment by the new judges to the citizens of the community and to a common legal order.

He said the oath required the judges to put aside personal interests and external influences and serve community law with honour, loyalty, impartiality and conscience.

“The oath marks the moment when the individual sets aside their personal interests and all external influences to serve only community law,” Diop said.

According to him, the ceremony also demonstrated that member states, at the highest political level, recognised the authority of the Court and were committed to respecting its independence.

Diop described the Community Court as one of ECOWAS’s most visible and accessible institutions, particularly because individuals can approach it to seek redress for violations of their rights.

“By opening its doors to individuals, the Community has given concrete meaning to the idea of an ECOWAS of the peoples, and no longer just of States,” he said.

He said the Court’s jurisprudence, particularly in the area of human rights, had attracted attention beyond West Africa and represented an important contribution to the region’s legal development.

Diop, however, stressed the need for stronger cooperation among the ECOWAS Commission, Judicial Council, Community Court, Parliament and member states, arguing that judicial independence and institutional dialogue should reinforce rather than undermine each other.

He disclosed that work was underway on the possible establishment of an Appellate Chamber for the Community Court.

According to him, a committee comprising representatives of community institutions had been constituted to examine the proposal, while recommendations from a recent international conference in Dakar would feed into the deliberations.

He said the ECOWAS Commission was prepared to contribute fully to the process.

Diop also urged member states to strengthen cooperation with the Court to ensure effective implementation of its decisions and consolidate the rule of law across the region.

The new judges are expected, upon assumption of duty, to elect a President and Vice-President from among themselves for two-year terms.

Their arrival comes at a consequential period for ECOWAS, with the Court expected to remain a key institution for the protection of citizens’ rights and the interpretation and enforcement of community law.

ECOWAS Swears in Five Judges as Faye Demands Stronger Public Trust in Regional Justice