The Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has predicted that the naira will strengthen significantly this year, projecting that the currency could trade at ₦1,000 to $1.

Dangote made the remarks while speaking at the launch of the Nigeria Industrial Policy in Abuja, an event attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and other top government officials.

Although the naira currently exchanges at around ₦1,300 to the dollar, Dangote expressed optimism that recent government reforms would yield positive results for the economy and manufacturers.

“I mean, today, if you look at it, Your Excellency, I believe with the policies that you have implemented in government, people now have started seeing the result, and manufacturers are very, very happy,” he said.

“Today, the dollar is N1,340. Mr. Vice-President, I can assure you that, with what I know, by blocking all this importation, the currency this year will be as low as N1,100 if we are lucky. The only thing is for, maybe, the government to stop the naira from getting stronger so that they will keep collecting more naira.

“But it’s a catch-22 situation where, now, if the naira gets stronger, it means that everything will go down. Everything will go down because we are an import-based country, which we shouldn’t be. What we should be doing is manufacturing all the things that we need.”

Dangote stressed the need to protect local investors through incentives and improved infrastructure, particularly reliable power supply, which he described as a major challenge for businesses.

He said that while the industrial policy framework is sound, it must be supported with strong protection measures for industrialists to achieve industrialization, job creation and economic growth.

Last week, Chairman of First HoldCo, Femi Otedola, also projected that the naira would appreciate to ₦1,000/$1 before year-end, attributing the expected gains to increased local refinery capacity.

Speaking at the same event, Vice President Shettima highlighted the crucial role of the private sector in driving the Nigeria Industrial Policy, noting that Dangote Cement alone paid ₦900 billion in taxes in 2025. The policy is expected to boost value addition, strengthen industrial linkages and enhance export competitiveness.

Other dignitaries at the event included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, representatives of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the United Nations, and industry leaders.

In an unusual ceremony that has captured widespread attention online, a man reportedly got married to three women simultaneously in Ilorin.

Videos from the wedding show the groom standing proudly between his three brides, who were dressed identically in matching gowns, hijabs, shoes, and handbags.

Observers also noted that all three brides appeared to be pregnant, with one showing a noticeably larger baby bump.

The wedding footage and photos have quickly gone viral on social media, sparking a flurry of reactions.

Many users have expressed surprise, curiosity, and debate over the groom’s decision to marry three women at the same time, while others have congratulated the couple(s) and commented on the cultural and personal aspects of such a union.

As the story circulates online, it continues to generate discussions about polygamy, family traditions, and societal norms in contemporary Nigeria.

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The Igwe of Ezema Olo in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, His Royal Highness Ambassador Dr. Lawerence Agubuzu, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and repatriate him to Kenya or the United Kingdom if his continued stay in Nigeria is considered untenab

Kanu was arrested in Kenya during the administration of late Muhammadu Buhari and returned to Nigeria to face trial for terrorism charges.

The IPOB leader was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Federal High Court last year and is now cooling his feet at the maximum security prison in Sokoto.

Many prominent Igbo leaders have been pleading with Tinubu to free the agitator.

The monarch warned that keeping the pro-Biafra leader in jail was causing young people in the Southeast to become more upset and restless.

Agubuzu spoke up during the 2026 National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health, which took place at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.

He said, “Having come now to Abuja and listened to His Royal Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, who was gingering all of us to work as a family, to work as a team, to see Nigeria as one, I said maybe this is good.

“But when you look at it, this same Ooni of Ife is planning to confer a very high honour on Sunday Igboho who, in my own part of the country, we see him as the South west counterpart of Nnamdi Kanu and the Imperial Highness does not seem to understand the pain in my heart when Nnamdi Kanu is in Sokoto. So, sir the ball is your court.

“Bring this man out. If we don’t want him in Nigeria, send him back to Kenya or London, where he came from. Please do something about this. Agubuzu told the President,

“We can’t move forward in this country unless we face the truth.”

The summit, with the theme “The Role of Traditional and Religious Leaders in Advancing the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative,” was held to increase community involvement in health system reforms.

The event, however, took an unexpected turn during the goodwill messages when Agubuzu pressed the President about Kanu’s fate.

He said, “I must tell you, Mr. President, that I don’t feel very happy because you weren’t here in the morning when the Ooni of Ife gave the opening speech and was encouraging everyone to work together as one.”