• South South most equal

By Grace Edet

New data from the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) has revealed major regional disparities in spousal earnings, showing that most Nigerian wives aged 15–49 earn less than their husbands, despite growing pockets of income equality across the country.
According to figures shared by Statisense on Tuesday, the trend is most pronounced in the North-West, where 941 in 1,000 wives earn less than their husbands, while only 29 in 1,000 earn more. The region also recorded the lowest rate of non-earning husbands, with just 7 in 1,000 women reporting partners with no income.
In contrast, the South South posted the strongest levels of income parity. The region recorded 113 in 1,000 wives earning the same as their husbands, the highest nationwide. It also had the largest share of women earning more than their spouses at 61 in 1,000.
The North East also showed notable shifts. While 30 in 1,000 wives out-earn their husbands, one of the highest shares in the country, the region still reported that 888 in 1,000 women earn less, reflecting wide inequality despite emerging improvements.
The North Central displayed more balanced figures, with 46 in 1,000 women earning more, and 65 in 1,000 earning equally, though 848 in 1,000 wives still fall below their husbands’ income levels.
In the South East, income gaps remain significant but show signs of narrowing. The data shows 57 in 1,000 wives earn more, 82 in 1,000 earn equally, while 775 in 1,000 still earn less than their husbands.
For the South West, 45 in 1,000 wives earn more, and 75 in 1,000 earn the same, but 824 in 1,000 wives still earn below their husbands’ earnings. Only 11 in 1,000 husbands reported having no income.
The NDHS 2024 findings highlight a consistent national pattern: while traditional income structures remain strong, especially in northern regions, the southern zones, particularly the South South, are showing faster shifts toward income equality within households.
Experts say the trend reflects broader economic realities, including rising female participation in formal work, regional differences in literacy levels, and contrasting socio-cultural expectations about household roles.
The full survey continues to shape policy discussions on women’s economic empowerment, labour participation, and regional development priorities.

By Grace Edet

President Bola Tinubu will ton Wednesday depart Abuja for Johannesburg, South Africa and Luanda, Angola to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the AU–EU Summit.

His itinerary was confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday by Presidential Spokesperson, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.

“President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Wednesday for a two-nation visit to Johannesburg, South Africa and Luanda, Angola,” Onanuga said.

He added that the President’s first stop would be Johannesburg for the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit before proceeding to Angola for the AU–EU gathering.

“President Tinubu’s first stop is Johannesburg, where he will attend the 20th Summit of the G20 Leaders. After the summit, he will proceed to Angola for the AU–EU Summit,” he said.

According to Onanuga, the invitation was formally extended by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, who currently chairs the G20, and the same request had earlier been made by Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during his 2024 tenure.

The G20 Summit, holding from November 22 to 23 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, will host leaders of the world’s largest economies, alongside representatives of the African Union, European Union, and top global institutions.

Deliberations will be guided by the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”and will span three plenary sessions focusing on: Inclusive and Sustainable Growth, including financing for development, trade, and the global debt burden; Building a Resilient World, covering climate change, disaster risk reduction, food systems, and just energy transition; A Fair and Just Future, with discussions on critical minerals, decent work, and artificial intelligence.

Tinubu is expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines to advance Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda and deepen cooperation on regional peace, economic security, and global development.

After the G20 sessions, the President will join African and European leaders at the 7th AU–EU Summit scheduled for November 24 to 25 in Luanda.

Onanuga said the forum will bring together “young leaders, innovators and Civil Society Organisations to brainstorm on some of the shared challenges of the two unions.”

He added that discussions would shape recommendations on climate change, inclusive development, infrastructure, the digital economy, manufacturing, agribusiness, and the creative industries.

Tinubu will be accompanied by key cabinet members, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake; Minister of Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.

The President is expected to return to Nigeria at the conclusion of the two meetings.

A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Johnson Egwakhide Oghuma, has said that Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, didn’t defend a piece of land, but the very principle of civilian supremacy on which democracy rested.
Oghuma said the officer’s conduct was a betrayal of both discipline and duty.
The former lawmaker, who spoke in a statement issued in Benin City, said the uniform remained a national symbol and not a license for impunity or to be used as a weapon against the law it was sworn to protect.
Oghuma said the officer desecrated the uniform and undermined the honour of the institution he represented when he abandoned his professional duty to act as an enforcer in a land dispute.
According to him, “What cannot be tolerated is a situation where armed personnel intimidate civil authorities or obstruct lawful administrative processes. Such conduct is nothing short of an abuse of power and a direct affront to civilian governance.
“The lesson from this episode is that the rule of law must remain supreme. Ministers, soldiers, and civilians alike are bound by the same legal framework. The FCTA should publish the full documentation on the disputed land to reinforce transparency, while the Defence authorities must reaffirm their commitment to non-interference in civil matters.
“If the incident leads to disciplinary action, public accountability, and renewed respect for due process, it would mark a positive turning point for governance in the Federal Capital Territory. Abuja cannot be a city where might overrides right. The capital should be a model of lawful order — where even those in uniform bow to the authority of law.”
“Minister Wike’s response, therefore, was not merely a personal reaction but an assertion of the authority of civil institutions over unlawful force. The FCT Administration is constitutionally empowered to regulate land ownership and urban development within Abuja. If that authority can be defied by a handful of armed officers, then the entire structure of urban administration collapses into impunity. In this light, Wike’s insistence that “no one is above the law” is both timely and necessary.
“That said, the incident also highlights the urgent need for better coordination between civilian and military institutions. Disputes involving government land or military establishments should be addressed through inter-agency channels — not confrontation at construction sites.
The Defence Headquarters must take disciplinary action against the officer involved, both to restore public confidence and to demonstrate that the Nigerian Armed Forces remain an institution of discipline, not disorder.
The Nigerian public holds the military in high esteem for its sacrifices in defending the nation. But such respect is sustained only when the military itself upholds the law it swore to defend. Deploying soldiers in a private or unauthorized capacity erodes that respect and sends a dangerous message to the public — that power can be used to subvert justice.