The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has outlined five key priorities he believes are critical to improving connectivity across Africa, warning that the continent can no longer afford to remain one of the least connected regions in the world.

Keyamo made the call in a paper presented on Thursday during the Annual Lecture Series of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport held in Abuja, where he emphasised that improved air connectivity remained central to Africa’s economic growth, industrialisation, and integration.

The minister, who was represented by the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, said aviation should no longer be viewed as a luxury but as economic infrastructure capable of transforming African economies.

Speaking before policymakers, aviation professionals, diplomats, and industry stakeholders, Kuku said Africa’s enormous economic potential would remain largely untapped unless countries deliberately improve movement across borders.

She said, “Air transport is no longer a luxury reserved for a privileged few. In the 21st century, aviation is an economic infrastructure. For a continent as vast and diverse as Africa, where geography often limits road and rail integration, aviation becomes the bridge that connects economies, accelerates trade, and strengthens people-to-people relationships.”

The FAAN boss noted that the vision behind the Yamoussoukro Decision and the Single African Air Transport Market was to dismantle restrictions limiting African airlines and create a more liberalised continental aviation market.

According to her, greater liberalisation would lead to lower airfares, increased flight frequencies, stronger tourism traffic, job creation, and measurable economic growth across the continent.

She stated, “When connectivity improves, investment follows. When investment grows, jobs are created. When jobs are created, poverty declines, and prosperity expands. The cost of inaction is far greater than the challenges of reform.”

Speaking on what she described as practical steps toward achieving the vision, the minister proposed five priorities for accelerating Africa’s connectivity agenda.

She said the first priority should be the acceleration of the Single African Air Transport Market and the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision through gradual and pragmatic liberalisation policies among African countries.

The second priority, according to her, is the harmonisation of legal and judicial systems across Africa to strengthen compliance with the Cape Town Convention and improve dispute resolution mechanisms capable of attracting global aviation financing.

Kuku added that African countries must also unlock innovative financing models and aircraft leasing mechanisms through blended financing structures and regional risk-sharing facilities to support indigenous airlines.

The minister further advocated embedding sustainability into aviation liberalisation by encouraging fuel-efficient aircraft fleets, greener airport infrastructure, and reduced carbon emissions through optimised regional hubs.

She also stressed the need for aggressive investment in human capital development, technical education, aviation institutions, and skills transfer partnerships to prepare young Africans for emerging opportunities within the aerospace industry.

Shareholders of Berger Paints Nigeria Plc have approved a final dividend payout of N1.25 per share for the financial year ended 31 December 2025, bringing the total dividend for the year to N1.65 per share, a 37.5 per cent increase over the 2024 financial year. The company had earlier paid an interim dividend of 40 kobo per share in November 2025, reflecting its commitment to rewarding shareholders amid strong financial performance.

At the Annual General Meeting held virtually in Lagos on 6 May 2026, shareholders commended the company’s impressive performance and consistent improvement in dividend payouts.

Speaking at the event, the leader of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Moses Igbrude, praised the management for demonstrating strong leadership and strategic direction, which resulted in the outstanding performance and attractive dividend payout.

Also commenting, the National Coordinator of the Pragmatic Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Adebisi Bakare, commended the management for the stellar performance across the board, the high dividend payout, and its promotion of gender balance within the organisa

Similarly, Lawrence Oguntoye praised the ingenuity of the management for delivering exponential growth and attractive returns to shareholders, while encouraging the company to remain focused on sustaining profitability, capital appreciation, and shareholder value.

Speaking on the 2025 results at the AGM, the Chairman of Berger Paints, Abi Ayida, said the company recorded significant growth across major financial indicators, driven by disciplined execution of its strategic priorities.

According to him, the company recorded a profit after tax of N1.57bn, compared to N610.8m in 2024, representing remarkable growth of 157 per cent. Revenue also increased 20 per cent, rising from N10.8bn in 2024 to N12.9bn in 2025.

The chairman said the performance demonstrated the efficiency and effectiveness of the company’s long-term strategic turnaround initiatives.

“These results underscore the effectiveness of our strategic initiatives and the unwavering commitment of our management team, employees, and business partners,” he said.

Ayida also attributed the strong performance to sustained focus on operational efficiency, disciplined cost management, strengthened distribution channels, enhanced pricing strategies, and improved supply chain management. He further disclosed that Berger Paints strengthened its market presence during the year through sustained brand engagement, strategic partnerships, and targeted marketing initiatives aimed at enhancing customer loyalty and increasing brand visibility across Nigeria.

“The company would continue to focus on operational efficiency, product innovation, enhanced customer engagement, and stronger distribution channels while exploring opportunities for sustainable growth,” he said.

Similarly, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Alaba Fagun, said the 2025 financial year marked a defining period for the company, characterised by operational resilience and improved profitability.

Fagun explained that the company’s high profit margin reflected its strong emphasis on efficiency, margin enhancement, manufacturing productivity, and the positive impact of its strategic initiatives and operational discipline.

According to her, the Group maintained a strong balance sheet and deepened stakeholder confidence through consistent execution of its strategic objectives.

“We would continue refining its product portfolio by prioritising profitable and high-demand product categories while increasing investments in technology, digital capabilities, and data-driven decision-making to improve operational efficiency and responsiveness to market changes. We have strategic priorities that would position us to take advantage of emerging opportunities and continue creating long-term value for shareholders,” Fagun asserted.

During the financial year, Berger Paints grew revenue 20 per cent, increasing from N10.8bn to N12.9bn, while gross profit rose 49 per cent. Operating profit surged 110 per cent, rising from N1.12bn to N2.35bn, while profit after tax stood at N1.57bn, up from N610.8m in 2024, representing 157 per cent growth.

Analysts said the combination of robust earnings growth and strong dividend expectations triggered renewed buying interest in the stock on the Nigerian Exchange Limited as investors moved to take positions.

United Bank for Africa Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening diaspora engagement and advancing healthcare development in Nigeria through the introduction of its healthcare investment proposition to the Nigerian-American medical community at the 2026 ANPA Carolinas Symposium held in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The ANPA Carolinas Symposium, hosted annually by the South Carolina and North Carolina Chapters of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas, convenes over 170 physicians and healthcare professionals for medical and scientific dialogue on issues impacting communities across North America, the Caribbean, and Africa, particularly among people of Nigerian descent.

Speaking at the event, UBA’s Head of Diaspora Banking, Anant Rao, made a compelling case for structured diaspora participation in Nigeria’s healthcare transformation, encouraging attendees to expand their contribution beyond remittances towards long-term institution-building.

“The financial infrastructure required to connect your success abroad to sustainable institutional impact at home has not been intentionally designed for diaspora healthcare investors until now,” Rao said

During his presentation, Rao introduced the ANPA–UBA Diaspora Healthcare Investment Platform, a professionally managed investment vehicle designed to channel diaspora capital into specialist hospitals, diagnostic centres, telemedicine infrastructure, and medical training institutions across Nigeria.

“Every dollar invested delivers a dual return, creating value for investors while contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s healthcare future. We now have the regulatory framework, banking infrastructure, governance structures, and institutional commitment to make this possible,” he added.

Under the proposed structure, UBA will serve as custodian and structuring bank, while United Capital Asset Management, one of Nigeria’s leading asset managers with over N1.2tn in assets under management, will act as fund manager.

As part of deepening engagement with the Nigerian-American medical community, Rao also proposed a Memorandum of Understanding between UBA and the two ANPA chapters. The proposed collaboration is anchored on six strategic pillars: preferred banking offerings for ANPA members; quarterly financial education sessions; the joint Healthcare Infrastructure Fund; a dedicated ANPA Wealth and Legacy Desk; access to group-rate family healthcare plans through Avon HMO; and a UBA co-matching contribution framework to support qualifying impact vehicles under the Pearl Endowment Fund.

The initiative represents a further expansion of UBA’s diaspora value proposition, which currently includes Non-Resident Nigerian accounts in multiple currencies; fixed-income and dollar-denominated investment solutions through United Capital; elder-care trust solutions under the Homeland Anchor Care Trust programme in partnership with Avon HMO; and private wealth management offerings tailored to senior diaspora professionals.

The 2026 ANPA Carolinas Symposium marks another milestone in UBA’s strategic engagement with the diaspora community and reinforces the bank’s long-held belief that diaspora capital can play a transformative role in accelerating healthcare and infrastructure development across Africa.