Nigeria has rewritten its tax rules. But are businesses and citizens truly ready for what comes next?

In this interview with William Umoh, Tax Expert Mfon Etukeren Umo unpacks the real impact of the 2025 Tax Reform Laws: What they change, who they affect, and what stakeholders should be paying attention to now.

Listen now at www.nesgroup.org/podcast

The Sports Africa Investment Summit (SAIS) 2026 is Africa’s leading convening of investors, policymakers, sports administrators, brands, innovators, and development partners focused on unlocking sustainable investment across the African sports ecosystem.

In the lead-up to SAIS 2026, this podcast serves as a strategic communications tool to build awareness, deepen understanding of the summit’s themes, and spotlight key stakeholders, partners, and opportunities ahead of the event.

The podcast will position SAIS as a thought-leadership initiative while driving early engagement, registrations, and strategic interest.

Visit https://www.sportsafricainvestmentsummit.com to register for the summit.

Following the successful launch of the 2026 NESG Macroeconomic Outlook Report, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) hosted a special podcast episode featuring some members of the research team who authored the report. The 2026 Outlook positions Nigeria at a critical inflection point—having recorded measurable stabilisation gains in inflation moderation, foreign exchange stability, external reserves, and investor confidence—but still facing structural vulnerabilities in productivity, jobs, fiscal space, and household welfare. The report therefore makes a strong case for 2026 as the year of consolidation: moving beyond crisis management towards embedding reforms in institutions, markets, and economic behaviour. This podcast will serve as a strategic knowledge translation platform—breaking down the report’s insights into accessible conversations, deepening public understanding, and encouraging stakeholders to engage directly with the full publication. The podcast aims to: • Simplify and explain the key findings of the 2026 Macroeconomic Outlook • Provide context behind the data, projections, and policy recommendations • Strengthen public and stakeholder understanding of “consolidation” as an economic phase • Promote downloads and readership of the full report • Position NESG as the leading voice on evidence-based economic policy discourse in Nigeria

Nigeria has rewritten its tax rules. But are businesses and citizens truly ready for what comes next? In this interview with William Umoh, Tax Expert Mfon Etukeren Umo unpacks the real impact of the 2025 Tax Reform Laws: What they change, who they affect, and what stakeholders should be paying attention to now.

The United Nations General Assembly, designated 26 January as the International Day of Clean Energy to raise global awareness and accelerate action towards a just and inclusive clean energy transition. This transition is essential for climate stability, sustainable development, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as current energy systems remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels.

Renewable energy sources solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal offer sustainable, low-emission alternatives. Beyond environmental benefits, these technologies can catalyse economic growth, create jobs, and enhance energy access, especially in underserved communities.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, confronts a profound energy access crisis. Over 140 million Nigerians (71% of the population) lack reliable electricity, compelling widespread use of expensive, polluting diesel and petrol generators.

Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP) sets a clear pathway to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, balancing socio-economic realities with climate imperatives. Central to this plan is scaling renewable generation to account for 50% of the electricity mix by 2030, alongside universal energy access goals. Achieving these targets demands comprehensive regulatory reforms, increased capital investment, and strong private-sector engagement.

Installed renewable capacity is expanding, with solar capacity exceeding 1,200 MW, largely through off-grid and rural electrification initiatives. Programs like the Nigeria Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) supported by a $750 million World Bank credit and over $1 billion in leveraged capital aim to deliver clean energy to 17.5 million Nigerians via mini-grids and standalone solar systems (World bank 2023).

Regionally, West Africa faces similar energy challenges. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 85% of the global population without electricity, despite substantial renewable potential. However, the region attracts a disproportionately small share of global clean energy investment, underscoring the urgent need for robust policies and financing mechanisms to enable equitable energy transitions.

The United Nations General Assembly, designated 26 January as the International Day of Clean Energy to raise global awareness and accelerate action towards a just and inclusive clean energy transition. This transition is essential for climate stability, sustainable development, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as current energy systems remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels.

Renewable energy sources solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal offer sustainable, low-emission alternatives. Beyond environmental benefits, these technologies can catalyse economic growth, create jobs, and enhance energy access, especially in underserved communities.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, confronts a profound energy access crisis. Over 140 million Nigerians (71% of the population) lack reliable electricity, compelling widespread use of expensive, polluting diesel and petrol generators.

Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP) sets a clear pathway to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, balancing socio-economic realities with climate imperatives. Central to this plan is scaling renewable generation to account for 50% of the electricity mix by 2030, alongside universal energy access goals. Achieving these targets demands comprehensive regulatory reforms, increased capital investment, and strong private-sector engagement.

Installed renewable capacity is expanding, with solar capacity exceeding 1,200 MW, largely through off-grid and rural electrification initiatives. Programs like the Nigeria Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) supported by a $750 million World Bank credit and over $1 billion in leveraged capital, aim to deliver clean energy to 17.5 million Nigerians via mini-grids and standalone solar systems (World Bank 2023).

Regionally, West Africa faces similar energy challenges. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 85% of the global population without electricity, despite substantial renewable potential. However, the region attracts a disproportionately small share of global clean energy investment, underscoring the urgent need for robust policies and financing mechanisms to enable equitable energy transitions.

The International Day of Education, observed annually on 24 January, serves as a global platform to reflect on the role of education in peacebuilding, sustainable development, and inclusive growth. In 2026, UNESCO marks the Day under the theme “The Power of Youth in Co-Creating Education,” spotlighting young people not merely as beneficiaries of education systems, but as active contributors to shaping how learning is designed, delivered, and governed.

Globally, youth under the age of 30 make up more than half of the world’s population. Yet, despite being the primary users of education systems, young people remain significantly underrepresented in education policy formulation, curriculum design, governance structures, and reform processes. This gap has contributed to persistent misalignment between education outcomes and the realities of today’s labour markets, civic life, and digital economies.

In Nigeria, where the youth population is both a demographic advantage and a development challenge, the urgency of youth-inclusive education reform is even more pronounced. Issues such as skills mismatch, youth unemployment, learning poverty, and low engagement in policy processes underscore the need to rethink education as a co-created system—one that meaningfully integrates youth voices, innovation, and lived experience.

The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP 30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), taking place in 2025 in Belém, Brazil, marks a defining moment in global climate governance. With less than five years to 2030—the target year for most climate and Sustainable Development Goals—this milestone conference is expected to focus on accelerating implementation of climate commitments and strengthening accountability mechanisms across countries.

For Nigeria and other developing economies, the urgency of climate action extends beyond policy dialogues to practical implementation that safeguards livelihoods, builds resilience, and fosters sustainable economic transformation. Although Nigeria has made several high-level commitments—such as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Energy Transition Plan (ETP), and the National Climate Change Act—the gap between ambition and implementation remains wide.

This podcast seeks to stimulate a national conversation on how Nigeria can transition from commitment to concrete action. It will explore:

· The state of Nigeria’s climate implementation efforts, including institutional coordination, financing, and stakeholder engagement;

· The role of innovation, private investment, and local communities in delivering measurable climate results; and

· The policy priorities for ensuring that Nigeria’s climate ambitions align with economic growth and inclusive development.

The discussion aims to raise awareness among policymakers, businesses, and citizens on the collective responsibility to drive climate implementation at scale—building a sustainable, climate-resilient future for all.

International Literacy Day is observed annually on September 8th to raise awareness of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights. In 2025, the theme "Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era" emphasizes the need to reimagine literacy for the 21st century, where digital tools, access to technology, and inclusive learning platforms have become central to literacy acquisition.

As Nigeria grapples with significant literacy challenges—especially among out-of-school children, displaced populations, and rural communities—this podcast aims to spotlight how digital transformation can be harnessed to bridge literacy gaps and promote inclusive foundational learning for all.

The Reform Imperative is Here!

From October 6th–8th, 2025, leaders from government, business, and civil society will gather at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit to chart a bold course for our nation’s future.

Under the theme “The Reform Imperative: Building a Prosperous and Inclusive Nigeria by 2030”, we will tackle critical priorities:

✅ Driving Industrialisation-led Growth

✅ Building Infrastructure for Competitiveness

✅ Advancing Inclusion for Shared Growth

✅ Strengthening Institutions for Sustainable Impact

✅ Unlocking Investment amid Global Trade Shifts

Join us at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja or virtually to be part of this transformative journey.

Register to attend: nesgroup.org/31

#NES31 #NESG #ReformImperative #Nigeria2030 #InclusiveGrowth