Sokoto Operation: FG Reassures Investors, Says Nigeria’s Economy Remain Stable

The Federal Government has reassured investors, financial analysts, and international development partners that Nigeria remains peaceful, stable, and economically resilient despite concerns following a joint security operation in Sokoto carried out on Christmas Day.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, gave the assurance in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, explaining that the operation—conducted in collaboration with the United States—was a targeted, intelligence-led action aimed solely at terrorist elements threatening national security and economic activities.

“What Nigeria is decisively confronting—alongside trusted international partners—is terrorism,” Edun said, stressing that the context of the operation was essential to understanding its broader economic implications.

He described the Sokoto operation as “precise, intelligence-led, and focused exclusively on terrorist elements that threaten innocent lives, national stability, and economic activity,” adding that the action was designed to strengthen security rather than unsettle financial markets or undermine investor confidence.

“Far from destabilising markets or weakening confidence, such actions strengthen the foundations of peace, protect productive communities, and reinforce the conditions required for sustainable economic growth. Security and economic stability are inseparable; every effort to safeguard Nigerians is, by definition, pro-growth and pro-investment,” the minister said.

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Edun noted that under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria has recorded measurable progress in security improvements and economic reforms, reflected in key macroeconomic indicators.

According to him, Nigeria’s GDP grew by 3.98 per cent in Q3 2025, following a strong 4.23 per cent growth in Q2, with expectations of an even stronger performance in Q4 2025. He added that inflation has slowed for the seventh consecutive period and now stands below 15 per cent, attributing the improvement to coordinated fiscal and monetary policies.

The minister said Nigeria’s financial markets remain stable, with both domestic and international debt markets functioning efficiently under prudent fiscal management. He recalled that the country recently secured credit rating upgrades from Moody’s, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s, describing them as independent validation of the government’s reform agenda.

“We have maintained fiscal discipline, prioritised efficiency, and protected macroeconomic stability, demonstrating resilience in the face of external shocks,” Edun said.

Referring to President Tinubu’s recent national address, Edun stated that the administration’s focus for 2026 is to consolidate gains made in 2025, strengthen economic resilience, and sustain momentum toward inclusive and durable growth.

Assuring local and foreign investors ahead of market reopening on Monday, December 29, 2025, Edun said confidence in Nigeria’s economic direction remains justified.

“As markets reopen, investors can be confident that Nigeria remains reform-driven, stable, and focused on growth. The fundamentals are strengthening, the policy direction is clear, and this administration’s resolve to protect lives and secure prosperity is unwavering,” he said.

He concluded by reaffirming the country’s investment outlook: “Nigeria remains open for business, anchored in peace, and firmly focused on the future.”

Sokoto Operation: FG Reassures Investors, Says Nigeria’s Economy Remain Stable

US Airstrikes Disrupt Terrorists in Northwest, Spark Bandit Movement, Security Alerts

Suspected terrorists and bandits in northwestern Nigeria are reportedly relocating following US missile strikes carried out on Christmas Day, according to community leaders and security sources. The strikes, announced by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, targeted locations believed to be used by Islamic State militants in Sokoto and Kwara states.

Although no fatalities were recorded at the two primary strike sites, the attacks caused injuries and destroyed properties worth millions of naira. In Jabo, Sokoto State, a missile struck farmland, while buildings were affected in Offa, Kwara State. Officials in Tangaza Local Government Area reported further strikes on suspected Lakurawa armed group hideouts, with residents noting unusual movements of armed groups.

The Chairman of the Traditional Council in Gwer West, Benue State, Daniel Abomtse, warned of an influx of armed herders and fleeing bandits into local communities, urging the continuation of similar operations across Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Niger, and Plateau states.

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Community leaders in Sokoto reported that bandits abandoned their hideouts and familiar routes, with some moving in small groups toward remote forests or crossing into border communities to evade surveillance. The Sokoto State Government said intelligence assessments are ongoing, with security agencies on high alert to prevent infiltration of safer areas.

Security experts warn that terrorists may attempt to blend with law-abiding citizens or seek support from international terror networks. Kabiru Adamu, CEO of Beacon Consulting, noted that the militants could exploit cyberspace for propaganda, spinning the strikes as an attack on Muslims to garner sympathy, membership, and funding.

Professor Tar Usman, of the Nigerian Defence Academy, explained that the strikes could disrupt terrorist planning and heighten fear within camps, though the intervention will not immediately end insurgent activities. He stressed the importance of vigilance to prevent terrorists from mixing with civilians while adapting new tactics.

Meanwhile, the US has resumed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations over the Sambisa Forest, Borno State, using aircraft such as the Gulfstream V, a long-range jet adapted for surveillance missions.

The US-Nigeria coordinated strikes mark a significant effort to weaken Islamic State networks in Nigeria, with both nations emphasizing continued collaboration to prevent further attacks and curb terrorism in the region.

US Airstrikes Disrupt Terrorists in Northwest, Spark Bandit Movement, Security Alerts

Labour Party Urges Tinubu to Sign Executive Order on Local Government Autonomy

The Labour Party (LP) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately sign an Executive Order enforcing local government autonomy, warning that further delay would amount to a betrayal of the Supreme Court and millions of Nigerians at the grassroots level.

In a statement issued by Dr Arabambi Abayomi, the party’s National Vice Chairman (South West), the LP accused state governors of persistently undermining local government autonomy despite the Supreme Court judgement of July 11, 2024, which mandated direct allocation of funds from the Federation Account to local government councils.

The party noted that although President Tinubu has publicly acknowledged the need for an Executive Order to compel compliance with the ruling, no concrete action has followed, allowing governors to continue what it described as “willful and unconstitutional interference” in local government finances.

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According to the LP, the apex court ruling—which abolished the State Joint Local Government Account—was a landmark victory for democracy, fiscal federalism, and grassroots development, but has been treated with what it called “open disdain,” particularly by governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party specifically referenced Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, citing a recent presentation of vehicles to local government chairmen in the state as evidence of continued financial control by state governments.

“If local government chairmen are truly receiving their full, constitutionally guaranteed allocations, why should they depend on the governor for basic operational resources?” the statement queried, describing the practice as one designed to keep councils subservient to state authorities rather than accountable to the electorate.

The LP warned that such arrangements foster corruption, weaken local initiatives, and replace transparent procurement processes with patronage, thereby stalling meaningful development at the grassroots.

The party urged President Tinubu to move beyond rhetoric and immediately direct the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to remit all local government allocations directly to the accounts of duly elected councils.

“The President’s admission that he holds ‘the knife and the yam’ must now translate into decisive action,” the statement said, warning that continued delay would constitute an affront to the Supreme Court ruling.

The Labour Party also cautioned Governor Abiodun and other governors allegedly withholding local government funds to desist, threatening comprehensive forensic audits of local government finances by future LP-led administrations.

Labour Party Urges Tinubu to Sign Executive Order on Local Government Autonomy