The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has charged the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) to leverage its mineral and intellectual resources to develop a world-class centre of mining excellence.

Alake made the call while addressing a high-powered delegation of the University’s Governing Council, led by Prof.

This is according to a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Lara-Owoeye-Wise on Sunday in Abuja.

The minister said the centre should bridge academic knowledge with exploration, extraction and processing, while strengthening the university’s role in the mining value chain.

“The gap between intellectualism and application must be closed. Universities should not only generate knowledge, they should translate that knowledge into solutions, enterprises and economic value for society,” he said.

He said the commercial value of the minerals available to the institution was sufficient to reduce the share of government subvention in its total budgetary allocation.

He urged the university to explore private-sector partnerships to unlock the commercial potential of its mineral assets, noting that its technical expertise was a significant advantage in attracting investors.

“You have the resource endowment underground and you have the intellectual capacity. You can bring in investors through a joint venture and they can provide the capital and machinery,” he said.

The minister also said that the Federal Government had restructured the development of Nigeria’s bitumen resources by opening designated bitumen blocks to competitive bidding by qualified investors.

According to him, ownership of land does not automatically confer ownership of the mineral resources beneath it.

“Ownership of mineral resources is vested in the Federal Government under the Constitution and relevant mining laws.

“The University owns the land, but where there are mineral resources, their exploration and exploitation must still be undertaken in accordance with the law.

“We must find a win-win situation that protects legitimate interests while upholding the Federal Government’s regulatory responsibility,” he said.

Alake commended OAU for its longstanding contribution to the training of geologists and other professionals in Nigeria’s mining industry, urging the institution to deepen its role in mineral exploration, research, innovation and commercialisation.

He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to a transparent, predictable and investment-friendly regulatory environment that promotes responsible mining, value addition and sustainable economic benefits for Nigerians.(NAN)

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has begun examining Uber’s exit from Nigeria, particularly whether the ride-hailing company left behind unfulfilled services and obligations to customers.

Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Tunji Bello, disclosed this in a text message to Bloomberg, which reported on Sunday that the regulator was examining the manner of Uber’s departure from the Nigerian market.

FCCPC officials “are looking into the manner of their exit, particularly in respect of unfulfilled services to the customers,” Bello said.

The development comes four days after Uber announced that it would wind down its operations in Nigeria and Uganda, effective September 2, 2026.

The decision brought an end to Uber’s operations in Nigeria, where it launched in Lagos in 2014, and reportedly caught some riders and drivers off guard.

Uber did not give a specific reason for its exit from Nigeria in its notice to drivers, saying only that it had made the “tough decision” to wind down its operations.

“We have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Nigeria, effective September 2, 2026.

“From this date, you will no longer be able to receive rider trip requests through the Uber app,” the company said.

Uber said its Help Centre would remain available to assist drivers with questions about the development until September 24, 2026.

The exit followed growing competition in Nigeria’s ride-hailing market, including from Bolt and InDrive, as well as economic pressures affecting consumers and the cost of operating mobility services.

The development also followed a recent disagreement between Uber and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria over the regulation of e-hailing operations at airports.

FAAN Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, said the authority had no role in Uber’s decision to leave Nigeria, adding that its interventions were driven by passenger safety, accountability and concerns over touting at airports.

Kuku said FAAN had been seeking liability provisions from e-hailing companies over the conduct and safety of drivers operating on their platforms.

One of the issues we were struggling with the e-hailing companies over was largely around liability clauses.

“But we also wanted them to take responsibility for the drivers. However, we were told that those drivers are not Uber’s drivers; rather, they are independent drivers.

“So, with regard to any safety concerns we raised, they wanted passengers to use the safety features available on their platforms. They did not want to take on that responsibility, and we had a major issue with that,” she said.

By Tambaya Julius, Abuja

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kebbi Area Command, has commenced fresh efforts to revive legitimate cross-border trade along the Kamba–Tungan Gyado corridor through stronger cooperation with the Nigerien Customs administration.

The initiative followed a meeting between the Kebbi Area Command and a delegation from Nigerien Customs on Thursday, where both sides examined emerging challenges affecting trade and explored measures to improve commercial activities along the border.

The engagement focused on strengthening bilateral customs cooperation, enhancing revenue generation and easing the economic difficulties confronting communities on both sides of the Nigeria-Niger border.

The Customs Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi Area Command, Mustapha Mubarak, disclosed this in a statement.

He said the meeting was attended by the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Kebbi Area Command, Mahmoud Ibrahim; Comptroller, Douanes du Dosso, Niger Republic, Abdoulaye Vincent; and other key stakeholders.

During the engagement, Vincent commended the Kebbi Area Command for hosting the Nigerien delegation and called for stronger collaboration between the customs administrations of Nigeria and Niger.

He particularly stressed the need to promote legitimate trade through the Kamba corridor, which he described as increasingly important amid disruptions along traditional regional trade routes.

According to him, insecurity along routes through Burkina Faso and Togo, combined with the prevailing diplomatic situation involving the Benin Republic, has significantly affected cross-border commerce and economic activities across the region.

He said the circumstances had increased the importance of the Kamba corridor as an alternative route for legitimate trade between Nigeria and Niger.

Vincent appealed for greater support for legitimate exports through Kamba, noting that increased commercial activities would not only boost government revenue but also help cushion the economic difficulties being experienced by border communities.

Responding, the Kebbi Area Controller, Mahmoud Ibrahim, welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to deepening its relationship with the Nigerien Customs administration.

Ibrahim said the command would continue to facilitate legitimate cross-border trade while ensuring that traders and other stakeholders understood and complied with established customs procedures.

He pledged to intensify sensitisation programmes for traders and relevant stakeholders, particularly on customs requirements, while encouraging greater use of the Kamba corridor for legitimate commercial activities.

The CAC noted that increased trade through the corridor would have wider economic benefits, including improved revenue generation, employment creation and enhanced livelihoods for residents of border communities.

He said the command would continue working with relevant stakeholders to create an enabling environment where legitimate businesses could thrive.

As part of efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation, Ibrahim announced plans to visit the Nigerien Customs Command in Dosso, Niger Republic.

He said the proposed visit would provide an opportunity for both customs administrations to hold further discussions on practical measures for facilitating legitimate trade and addressing challenges confronting businesses operating along the border corridor.

The planned engagement is expected to further strengthen coordination between the two customs administrations and improve the movement of legitimate goods between Nigeria and Niger.

The initiative also received support from traditional and trade stakeholders in Kamba.

The Sarkin Shikon Kamba, Mamuda Zarumai, expressed appreciation to the Customs Area Controller for creating a conducive environment for legitimate business activities in the community.

Zarumai commended Ibrahim for demonstrating concern for the welfare and economic prosperity of residents of Kamba and prayed for the success of the partnership between the Nigerian and Nigerien Customs administrations.

Other stakeholders at the engagement included the Chairman, Dendi Ganda; Sarkin Shikon Kamba, Mamuda Zarumai; and Secretary-General, SNAT Gaya, Abubakar Inusa, among others.