2027: Group Takes Tinubu Re-election Campaign to Abuja Streets

By: Michael Mike

The 2027 presidential election campaign took an early turn towards grassroots mobilisation in Abuja on Wednesday as the Hope Alive Initiative (HAI) deployed about 40 giant, colourful human mascots across strategic locations in the Federal Capital Territory to promote President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The unusual street activation, which marked the opening phase of HAI’s multi-platform campaign, saw the mascots deployed around major roundabouts, markets, motor parks and other busy areas, drawing the attention of motorists, commuters and residents.

Carrying banners and campaign messages, the mascots moved through parts of the capital as HAI sought to take its pro-Tinubu message beyond conventional political gatherings and directly into public spaces.

The initiative is the first phase of a broader campaign that will combine physical mobilisation with digital and traditional media, including a city-wide SMS campaign, a weekly Pidgin-language radio programme and an original campaign jingle.

In a statement signed by its Director of Press and Communications, Ernest Omoarelojie, HAI said it decided to support Tinubu’s re-election based on what it described as the administration’s “bold reforms and initiatives” aimed at repositioning the Nigerian economy and strengthening national institutions.

The organisation listed reforms in the petroleum sector, developments in the foreign exchange market, increased government revenue and foreign reserves, moves towards greater Local Government autonomy, police and internal security reforms, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), tax reforms and major road projects among the areas it believes should inform the 2027 electoral debate.

“While these reforms have come with short-term challenges, we believe they are difficult but necessary steps towards a more sustainable, prosperous and better governed Nigeria,” the organisation said.

Omoarelojie, who spoke during the street mobilisation, said the group was deliberately adopting a grassroots approach to ensure that its message reached Nigerians outside traditional political structures.

“We are asking Nigerians to look beyond sentiment. Let us look at the facts as they are,” he said.

According to him, citizens should assess the administration on the basis of its policies, programmes and measurable outcomes rather than political sentiments.

He cited the student loan scheme, economic reforms, foreign exchange management and infrastructure development as areas in which HAI believes the administration has made significant progress.

The organisation acknowledged that some of the government’s reforms had imposed short-term economic difficulties on citizens but argued that their long-term benefits would depend on sustained implementation.

HAI’s campaign will also deploy SMS messaging as a direct communication channel to residents across Abuja.

The organisation said the digital mobilisation would constitute the first stage of a wider communication strategy designed to expand as the 2027 election approaches.

Another major component of the campaign is a weekly Pidgin-language radio programme titled Wetin Tinubu Don Do Sef, designed to explain government policies and programmes in language accessible to a broad section of Nigerians.

According to HAI, each episode will concentrate on a specific policy area, examine its impact and explain how citizens could benefit from relevant government initiatives.

The programme is expected to feature a presenter alongside guests or co-hosts, with expert perspectives, citizen contributions and practical examples incorporated into discussions.

HAI said the programme would subsequently be syndicated on selected radio stations across the country as the campaign expands.

The organisation is also preparing an original campaign jingle intended to give the mobilisation effort a distinct identity and reinforce its political message across radio and other platforms.

HAI said the jingle draws inspiration from the tradition of memorable Nigerian political campaign songs, including the famous Hope ’93 campaign associated with the late businessman and politician, Chief M.K.O. Abiola.

The organisation said its August 19 street activation was only the beginning of a sustained campaign that would combine grassroots mobilisation, traditional broadcasting, digital communication and public engagement.

Subsequent phases will focus on explaining government policies and programmes in the economy, education, security and infrastructure sectors, with particular emphasis on NELFUND, economic reforms, security initiatives and road projects.

Omoarelojie said the 2027 election would offer Nigerians an opportunity to examine the country’s direction and decide whether the Tinubu administration had earned another mandate.

He urged voters to engage with the issues and judge the administration by its record, policies and their effects on citizens rather than political rhetoric.

With its deployment of human mascots, SMS mobilisation, Pidgin broadcasting and campaign music, HAI’s Abuja activation signals an effort to give the Tinubu re-election campaign a distinctly grassroots character long before the 2027 presidential contest reaches its peak.

2027: Group Takes Tinubu Re-election Campaign to Abuja Streets

$65,000 Up for Grabs as ECOWAS

By: Michael Mike

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has unveiled a $65,000 prize pool for the second edition of its Startup Awards, with about 60 entrepreneurs expected to compete for the top three positions.

The competition, scheduled for September 28, 2026, is coming five years after the inaugural edition held in Niamey, Niger Republic, in 2021.

The winner will receive $30,000, while the first and second runners-up will receive $20,000 and $15,000, respectively.

However, ECOWAS said the programme would go beyond cash prizes, as all 60 shortlisted participants will undergo a masterclass designed to strengthen their entrepreneurial and business management capacities before the final stage.

The Acting Director, Directorate of Private Sector and Industry, ECOWAS Commission, Peter Oluonye, disclosed this while announcing the programme, revealing that the Commission had received more than 6,000 applications since the application portal opened on August 3.

Oluonye said the applications would be screened by appointed assessors, with the pool eventually reduced to 60 participants.

He explained that the 60 shortlisted startups would first undergo the masterclass, after which the field would be further narrowed to 20 finalists who would compete for the three cash prizes.

He said the competition was designed to identify and showcase innovative, scalable businesses capable of addressing critical economic and social challenges across the West African sub-region.

“The ECOWAS Start-up Award is designed to showcase these innovations and multisectoral solutions and enabling policies,” Oluonye said.

The programme will focus on startups operating in areas including fintech; agri-tech and food systems; ed-tech and skills development; cleantech, climate and green innovation; tourism; hospitality; and travel technology.

According to Oluonye, the initiative was also conceived to address some of the major challenges confronting startups, including limited market penetration, inadequate financial models and policy-related constraints.

He said the Commission was particularly interested in startups with strong growth potential and the capacity to scale beyond their immediate markets.

“It is not just going to be just awarding cheques but to support them to the point that they become an inspiration for the youths,” he said.

Oluonye said the programme would deliberately promote inclusion by bringing together young people, women and persons with disabilities to showcase their innovations to potential partners and investors.

He added that ECOWAS would seek to facilitate digital adoption among micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and connect startups with venture capitalists, impact investors, development partners and financial institutions.

He said the broader objective was to build a stronger innovation ecosystem across the ECOWAS region and help startups navigate the difficult early stages of the business life cycle.

“By this programme we seek to support participating Start-ups to navigate these early stages of the business life cycle and help them to scale up into the growth stage,” he said.

Oluonye noted that startups that successfully transitioned into the growth stage would be better positioned to create jobs, add value to the economy and contribute to regional development.

The ECOWAS official also disclosed that the prize package had been increased from $40,000 in the inaugural edition to $65,000 in the second edition.

He stressed that the emphasis of the programme was not merely on identifying winners but on providing participants with the skills, networks and opportunities required to build sustainable businesses.

The first ECOWAS Startup Awards, held in 2021, featured 50 participants.

Meanwhile, the Director-General, Pan African Alliance of Small and Medium Industry, Dr. Henry Emejuo, said the 60 participants for the 2026 edition would be drawn through a combination of open applications and national startup programmes.

According to him, 50 per cent of the participants would be selected from applicants, while the remaining 50 per cent would be drawn from winners of various national startup programmes in ECOWAS member states based on recommendations from the ministers responsible for startups.

Emejuo called on financial institutions and private-sector organisations to provide the necessary support to the participating entrepreneurs, stressing that stronger private-sector involvement would be critical to ensuring the sustainability and growth of the startups.

ECOWAS also announced that subsequent editions of the Startup Awards would be held biennially, making the initiative a regular platform for identifying, nurturing and connecting innovative businesses across the region.

$65,000 Up for Grabs as ECOWAS

Troops Arrest Three Suspected Kidnappers in Plateau Raid

By Zagazola Makama

Troops of Sector 1, Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP), have arrested three suspected kidnappers during a raid on a criminal hideout at Mista-Ali in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Credible security sources told Zagazola Makama that the operation was conducted at about 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 14, following intelligence reports on the activities of suspected kidnappers operating in the area.

The troops raided the identified hideout and arrested three suspects, identified as Umar Aliyu, 25; Abdulrahman Adam, 25; and Bello Isa, 21.

Two other suspects reportedly escaped during the operation.

However, one of the fleeing suspects attacked and stabbed a soldier, identified as CPL Muhammad Adam, with a knife while attempting to escape.

The injured personnel was immediately evacuated to the General Hospital, Mista-Ali, where he was admitted for medical attention.

A search of the houses belonging to the arrested suspects was subsequently conducted, but no incriminating items were recovered.

The three suspects remain in military custody and are assisting ongoing investigations into their activities and possible links to kidnapping operations in the area.

The development highlights the continued efforts by security forces to dismantle criminal networks and prevent kidnappers from establishing hideouts in communities across Plateau State.

Zagazola Makama reports that security agencies have continued to intensify intelligence-led operations in vulnerable communities as part of efforts to protect residents and maintain peace in the state.

Troops Arrest Three Suspected Kidnappers in Plateau Raid