NSIA, partners say SMEs key to job creation as 7 startups get $275,000 funding The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) says micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are critical to job creation and economic growth, as it seeks to support Nigerian startups with funding and business development opportunities. Aminu Umar-Sadiq, NSIA’s managing director and chief executive officer (CEO), spoke at the fourth edition of the NSIA prize for innovation demo day in Abuja, the agency said in a statement on Monday. At the event, Come Again Foods, a manufacturer of packaged snacks from locally sourced agricultural commodities, reportedly emerged the overall winner, clinching prizes valued at $100,000. thecable.ng/nsia-partners-sa…

“I respect @PeterObi for having the courage to say he’s not going to restore the petrol subsidy, but beyond spouting some statistics, Mr Peter Obi has absolutely nothing to offer” — VP Kashim Shettima

Uba Sani: We’ve failed if any opposition candidate gets 25% of votes in Kaduna Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna, says the All Progressives Congress (APC) would have failed if any opposition candidate secures 25 percent of the votes in the state in the 2027 elections. Sani spoke during an interview with TVC on Sunday, expressing confidence that Kaduna would deliver a more vote for President Bola Tinubu. “In Kaduna state, allowing any candidate to even get 25 percent of the votes is a failure on our side,” he said. thecable.ng/uba-sani-weve-fa…

Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases, says WHO The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Nigeria currently has no Ebola case after the index patient and her husband, who are both Swiss citizens, were evacuated to Switzerland. Mohamed Janabi, WHO regional director for Africa, in a post on his X handle on Monday, said the patient was clinically stable after Nigerian medical personnel managed her through the acute phase of the illness. thecable.ng/nigeria-currentl…

"One of the leading presidential candidates is advocating for the return of the subsidy scheme. He wants us to backslide into penury for political convenience. I dare to put forward that his skill set — he was trained in sanitation at the Kano school of hygiene — so he doesn't have the skill set to govern a modern economy. That's the painful truth" — VP Shettima aims dig at @atiku at NES 2026 #NES32

"The trajectory of growth is facing Africa. One out of every four black men is a Nigerian, and by 2025, Nigeria will be one of the most populous nations in the world. But do we turn our potential into possibilities or continue to stagnate and become the sick baby of Africa? We have the intellect, we have the capacity, we have the resources to produce hundreds of Dangotes and hundreds of BUAs, but that political will has to be sustained" — VP Kashim Shettima at NES 2026

‘He lacks a father figure’ — Sunday Igboho pokes fun at Makinde over Ondo stage stunt Sunday Adeyemo, a Yoruba activist popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has criticised Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, over his recent stage stunt in Akure, the Ondo state capital, describing it as an insult to President Bola Tinubu. Adeyemo spoke on Sunday in Ibadan during the launch of his security outfit, codenamed the Iru Ekun Security Network. thecable.ng/he-lacks-a-fathe…

KALU OKORONKWO: "At 70, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, PhD, former governor of Kano state and vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the January 16, 2027 presidential election, represents one of the most intriguing figures in Nigeria’s political space: a politician whose influence is deeply rooted in the political soil of Kano, whose ambitions and alliances have repeatedly drawn him into the wider contest over Nigeria’s future. His journey from engineering and public service administration to the governorship of his home state of Kano, the national assembly, the ministry of defence and presidential candidacy in the 2023 elections offers more than a personal chronicle of political survival. It tells a story about power, loyalty, grassroots organisation and the challenge of translating regional political capital into national leadership." thecable.ng/kwankwaso-at-70-…

Fisayo Soyombo to hold three-day photo exhibition on Sahara Desert investigation Fisayo Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), will hold a three-day photography exhibition in Lagos to document the experiences of African migrants travelling through the Sahara Desert in a bid to reach Europe. The exhibition, titled “Desserts from the Desert”, will open on Monday, October 26, at Alliance Française in Ikoyi, Lagos, and run until Wednesday. thecable.ng/fisayo-soyombo-t…

FG proposes mandatory impact assessments before major economic policy changes Taiwo Oyedele, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says the federal government is proposing mandatory impact assessments before major economic policy changes to reduce uncertainty for businesses and investors. Oyedele spoke on Monday at the 32nd Nigerian economic summit (NES) in Abuja, while presenting the proposed Nigeria economic policy framework for public consultation. thecable.ng/fg-proposes-mand…

Uzodimma asks governments to stop treating media as enemy Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo state, has urged governments at all levels to stop treating the media as an adversary, warning that harassment, political interference and poor remuneration threaten press freedom and Nigeria’s democratic development. Uzodimma spoke on Sunday in Abuja while delivering the keynote lecture at the third Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi Annual Diamond Lecture, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in collaboration with DAAR Communications Plc. thecable.ng/uzodimma-asks-go…

TheCable on-the-scene: Vice-President Kashim Shettima speaks at NES 2026 in Abuja xitter.cf/i/broadcasts/1nxeLMgvM…

JUST IN: Court dismisses el-Rufai’s no-case submission in ‘illegal phone interception’ case A federal high court in Abuja has dismissed a no-case submission filed by Nasir el-Rufai, former Kaduna governor, in the case pertaining to alleged unlawful interception of telephone conversations. In a ruling on Monday, Joyce Abdulmalik, presiding judge, held that the prosecution provided sufficient evidence to warrant calling on the defendant to enter his defence. thecable.ng/just-in-court-di…

WHO: Why Nigeria’s Ebola patient was evacuated to Switzerland The World Health Organization (WHO) says Nigeria’s index Ebola patient was evacuated to Switzerland because she is a Swiss citizen and had stabilised. Mohamed Janabi, WHO regional director for Africa, in a post on his X handle on Monday, said the patient was clinically stable after being successfully managed by healthcare workers in Nigeria. thecable.ng/who-why-nigerias…

NESG summit, cybersecurity conference… business updates to track this week The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) will convene government officials, business leaders and development institutions in Abuja on October 26 and 27 to discuss how Nigeria can translate economic reforms into jobs, higher productivity and improved living standards. The 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, themed ‘Growth That Works: Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity’, will hold at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, with virtual participation. thecable.ng/nesg-summit-cybe…

‘Where is the structure?’ — Obi-Kwankwaso movement faults NDC campaign council list The Obi-Kwankwaso movement has faulted the presidential campaign council list of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), saying most of the big names on it lack the grassroots support needed to win a national election. In a statement on Monday, John Ughulu, director-general of the OK movement, said announcing the list less than three months before the general election raises questions about the party’s readiness for the poll. thecable.ng/where-is-the-str…

‘It’s not an epidemic’ — Adewole Adebayo warns against shifting 2027 election over Ebola Adewole Adebayo, presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has cautioned against shifting the 2027 general election over the Ebola scourge. Adebayo spoke on Sunday at a dinner organised by the SDP presidential campaign council in Abuja, saying a single confirmed case of Ebola is insufficient to shut down the public space. thecable.ng/adewole-adebayo-…