From John Lamma, Jalingo

Eleven years after the salary arrears began accumulating, the Taraba State Government has flagged off the phased payment of outstanding salaries owed to local government workers, primary school teachers, pensioners and members of traditional councils, reaffirming Governor Agbu Kefas’ commitment to improving the welfare of citizens.

The flag-off ceremony was held on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at the Ardo-Kola Local Government Secretariat in Sunkani.

Dame said Governor Kefas approved the payment of five months of salary arrears owed since 2015 as part of his administration’s determination to improve the welfare of workers and restore confidence in the local government system.

He explained that although the governor approved the payment of five months’ arrears, the state would begin with one month’s payment due to limited financial resources, while the remaining balance would be paid in instalments over the next five months.

The Permanent Secretary described Kefas as a civil service-friendly leader who has consistently placed the welfare of citizens at the centre of his administration. He noted that the government implemented the new national minimum wage of N70,000, replacing the previous N30,000 minimum wage, as part of efforts to improve the living standards of workers in the state.

He urged local government workers, teachers and other public servants to remain dedicated to their duties by reporting regularly to work and providing quality services to the people.

Dame also directed local government chairmen and directors to ensure that the funds reached all genuine beneficiaries, including the families of deceased workers entitled to receive the payments. He assured beneficiaries that the government would faithfully implement the governor’s directive by completing the phased payment of the arrears.

In his address, the Chairman of Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, Umar Bello Badawaire, commended Governor Kefas for approving the payment, describing it as a demonstration of his concern for the welfare of workers.

He also appreciated the Permanent Secretary for ensuring that the process became a reality and pledged the loyalty and continued support of the local government administration to the governor.

The President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Taraba State Chapter, Comrade Bajison Wakili Damuga, praised Governor Kefas for approving and facilitating the payment of the outstanding salaries.

According to him, the decision has brought hope, relief and renewed confidence to workers, pensioners and members of the traditional councils who had waited for years for the payment.

He said the gesture reflects the administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare and strengthening local government administration, assuring the governor of the union’s continued support while urging members to remain disciplined and committed to their responsibilities.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, pensioner Elnathan Bila Auta expressed gratitude to Governor Kefas for fulfilling his promise to begin clearing the long-standing salary arrears.

He described the payment as a huge relief to retirees and their families, saying it would help reduce the financial hardship many had endured over the years.

The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Taraba State Chapter and Chairman of Kurmi Local Government Council, Moses Maihankali, commended Governor Kefas for addressing an issue that previous administrations had left unresolved.

He said the commencement of the payment had renewed the confidence and morale of local government workers and urged them to reciprocate the governor’s gesture through dedication and productivity.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Taraba State Chapter, Comrade Peter Jediel, also lauded Governor Kefas for his commitment to workers’ welfare and pledged the continued support of organised labour for the administration.

The flag-off marks the beginning of the phased payment of salary arrears owed since 2015 to local government workers, primary school teachers, pensioners and members of traditional councils across Taraba State, bringing renewed hope to beneficiaries after more than a decade of waiting.

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed that Nigeria’s foreign reserves have exceeded its annual target and has climbed above $52.5 billion as of July 17, 2026, representing a 17-year high.

The apex bank attributed the country’s rising foreign reserves to renewed investor confidence and sustained capital inflows, saying its ongoing economic reforms are restoring stability to Nigeria’s financial system.

The Acting Director of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations Department of the CBN, Hakama Sidi Ali, revealed this while delivering the CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso’s opening remarks at the CBN Fair held on Tuesday at the International Conference Centre, Gombe.

She said the increase was supported by sustained foreign exchange inflows and renewed investor participation across various asset classes in the Nigerian economy, reflecting growing confidence in the country’s economic management.

According to her, the reforms introduced under the leadership of CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso are beginning to produce measurable gains, including improved macroeconomic stability, easing inflation and greater confidence in the foreign exchange market.

She noted that headline inflation declined slightly from 15.93 per cent in May to 15.91 per cent in June 2026, while both food and core inflation also moderated during the period due to disciplined monetary tightening, exchange-rate unification and improved market transparency.

The CBN Acting Director of Corporate Communications further stated that the naira has continued to strengthen, with the gap between the official exchange rate and Bureau de Change rates narrowing to below two per cent, a development she described as evidence of improving foreign exchange market stability.

She highlighted other reforms undertaken by the apex bank over the past 34 months, including banking sector recapitalisation, the launch of the non-resident Bank Verification Number (BVN), the B-Match foreign exchange trading platform, the Nigeria Payments System Vision 2028 and the introduction of the Nigerian Overnight Financing Rate benchmark.

She reaffirmed the CBN’s commitment to maintaining monetary and price stability while implementing policies that encourage investment, strengthen financial markets and promote sustainable economic growth.

The Branch Controller of the CBN Gombe Branch, Yunusa Buba Mubi, described the CBN Fair as an annual engagement platform designed to educate the public on the Bank’s policies and provide an avenue for stakeholders to ask questions and offer feedback.

He urged participants to actively engage in the sensitisation sessions to enhance public understanding of the Bank’s initiatives and their impact on the nation’s economy.

By Isaac Asabor

For years, a familiar refrain has echoed across parts of South Africa: “Foreign Africans are stealing our jobs.” It has been shouted in protests, repeated in political speeches, amplified across social media, and, tragically, translated into violence against migrants from Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ethiopia, Somalia, Mozambique, and other African countries.

Shops have been looted.

An even harder question follows: why are businesses struggling now that so many migrants have left? That question deserves an honest answer from the leaders of Operation Dudula and the March and March movement, the figures who head South Africa’s most prominent anti-immigrant and nationalist advocacy groups.

Recent reporting from international media and South African observers suggests that the exodus of migrant workers has exposed how dependent several sectors of the economy had become on their labour and entrepreneurship. Agriculture, construction, transport, retail, and food distribution are all beginning to feel the strain.

The irony is hard to miss. For years, migrants were blamed for taking jobs from locals. Today, many businesses cannot find people to replace them. That reality alone should force a rethink of the narrative that foreigners were solely responsible for South Africa’s unemployment crisis. That crisis did not begin when Nigerians, Ghanaians, Zimbabweans, or Ethiopians arrived, and it will not end now that many of them have left.

South Africa’s unemployment problem is rooted in structural issues: sluggish economic growth, a shrinking manufacturing base, chronic electricity shortages, weak investment, mismatched skills, and policy uncertainty, factors behind one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world. None of this was caused by a Somali or Ghanaian shop owner. None of it was caused by a Nigerian trader or a Zimbabwean artisan.

Blaming migrants for the troubles facing township businesses only distracts from these deeper issues. When foreign-owned spaza shops, South Africa’s neighbourhood convenience stores, began closing after weeks of anti-immigrant protests, many township residents assumed the only change would be who owned the till. Instead, they found themselves paying more for everyday essentials. The resulting price hikes have fuelled heated debate on social media, where videos of foreign shopkeepers packing up and leaving have dominated public conversation.

Beneath the political noise lies a bigger business story. The real contest for South Africa’s estimated R900 billion ($53.6 billion) township economy will not be settled by nationality. According to government officials and fintech companies, the future of local spaza shops will hinge on their ability to adopt digital payments, use merchant data, access embedded finance, and build more efficient supply chains. Those factors, not who owns the shop, will decide whether township retailers can stay affordable and viable.

That alone is a troubling story. But the most revealing findings are the ones documenting the unintended economic fallout of driving migrants out.

Reuters has reported that construction, farming, retail, and transport rely heavily on migrant labour, warning that their departure could deepen labour shortages and slow economic activity. The report also cited earlier research showing that migrants contribute meaningfully to South Africa’s GDP without necessarily displacing local workers. None of this should come as a surprise.

Before the recent wave of hostility, township retail strips were dotted with foreign-owned grocery stores, restaurants, tailoring shops, salons, mechanics’ workshops, and convenience stores. These businesses did not simply employ fellow foreigners, many employed South Africans, rented from South African landlords, bought stock from South African wholesalers, paid municipal charges, and fed local supply chains.

Forcing such businesses to close hurts South Africans nearly as much as it hurts migrants. One Nigerian businessman put it plainly: if he shut down and left, dozens of South Africans working for him would lose their jobs too. That statement should provoke reflection, not anger.

Economic activity is interconnected. When one business closes, suppliers lose customers, landlords lose tenants, transport operators lose passengers, consumers lose access to goods, workers lose income, and communities lose investment. No economy prospers by driving away productive people. None.

To be clear, every sovereign nation has the right to enforce its immigration laws. Illegal immigration should be addressed through lawful institutions, not mob justice. Anyone who commits a crime, citizen or foreigner, should be arrested, prosecuted, and punished under the law. But criminality should never be used to stigmatize an entire nationality or continent. Collective blame is neither justice nor policy.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has himself warned against scapegoating migrants and cautioned citizens against taking the law into their own hands. But the danger here goes beyond economics.

South Africa has long presented itself as a champion of African solidarity. Its liberation struggle inspired millions across the continent. Many African nations, including Nigeria, gave political, diplomatic, and material support to the anti-apartheid movement. That shared history makes today’s hostility all the more painful. Africans should not become enemies within Africa.

The African Continental Free Trade Area envisions deeper economic integration, freer movement of trade, and stronger regional cooperation. Persistent xenophobia undermines all of it. Investment follows stability. Entrepreneurs seek certainty. Workers seek safety. Tourists seek welcoming destinations. Hostility drives all four away.

Ultimately, South Africa must confront a difficult truth. If thousands of African migrants have left, yet unemployment remains stubbornly high and businesses are struggling to fill the gaps they left behind, then foreigners were never the principal problem. The real culprits are decades of weak growth, inadequate job creation, governance failures, infrastructure constraints, and policy shortcomings.

It is easier to blame outsiders. It is harder to confront structural realities. But only one of those paths leads anywhere.

South Africa’s future will not be secured by emptying shops of fellow Africans. It will be secured by filling factories with investment, classrooms with skills, power stations with reliable electricity, and boardrooms with policies that inspire confidence.