ONE MILLION JOBS VERSUS 100,000: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PROMISE AND A PLAN

By Aondoakaa Tersugh Daniel 21/09/2026

At the commissioning of the BIPC Bread and Water Factories in May 2024, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, said that BIPC needed liquidity of not less than ₦7 billion to stabilise and drive the industrial revolution it was working on. He said the plan was to revamp and build a minimum of 30 industries within the first four years of the administration, with the creation of over one million jobs. This statement was made in the presence of Honourable Hyacinth Iormem Alia and was reported by The Sun Newspaper on 28 May 2024 under the striking headline: “Alia Commissions BIPC Bread, Water Factories, To Revamp Moribund Industries, Create 1 Million Jobs.”

It is imperative to note that the hypnotised “masses” did not doubt the promise of one million jobs when, in practical terms, such a target appeared doubtful from the outset. Yet, as the Alia administration approaches the conclusion of its tenure, that promise remains largely unfulfilled. It is therefore surprising to hear expressions of doubt when Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa SAN sets his own target at 100,000 jobs for Benue youths.

The concept of job creation has also been grossly misunderstood because livelihood under this administration has increasingly been reduced to civil service employment. Farming, which used to be the mainstay of Benue’s economy and the principal occupation of many of its people, has been severely affected by insecurity, displacing more than a million farmers from their ancestral communities.

Before the escalation of insecurity, the Zaki Biam Yam Market was reportedly capable of loading about 250 trucks of yam daily. That is no longer the reality today. Therefore, when some people interpret Aondoakaa’s blueprint for 100,000 jobs to mean 100,000 civil service positions, it only demonstrates how much Benue has involuntarily shifted away from farming and other productive economic activities.

If Aondoakaa’s administration succeeds in ensuring that internally displaced persons return safely to their ancestral homes and resume farming and other economic activities, effectively, more than 100,000 livelihoods could be restored among the farming communities currently living in IDP camps. Job creation should not be understood only in terms of government employment. It also includes creating the conditions under which people can return to productive economic activity, establish businesses, farm, trade and earn sustainable livelihoods.

Some allies of Alia have also questioned the operations of MIVA Rice, owned by Chief Aondoakaa. One thing, however, is clear about MIVA Rice: the company has not been accused of owing its suppliers. By contrast, Alia’s administration has faced repeated complaints over unpaid obligations to contractors. Recently, Gerawa Global Engineering Limited complained that the Benue State Government owed the company more than ₦1.5 billion.

From claims of miracles that have been disputed to promises of job creation that are yet to be realised, critics may argue that Alia’s transition from the Church to politics has not changed the character of his promises. But Aondoakaa’s approach is different. When he says he will create 100,000 jobs, the issue should be examined on the basis of the mechanisms through which those jobs will be created.

A target of 100,000 jobs, backed by a credible plan for agriculture, industry, private investment, enterprise development and the restoration of displaced communities, can be assessed against measurable economic realities. That makes it important to distinguish between a numerical promise and a workable economic programme. In that context, Aondoakaa’s 100,000-job target presents a substantially different proposition from the one-million-job projection associated with the Alia administration’s BIPC industrialisation programme.

Fresh Complaints Hit Sterling Bank Over Alleged Deductions, Service Delays

By Reporter

Some customers of Sterling bank have cried out over what they described as “poor services, fraudulent deductions, harsh treatment, service delays, and misrepresentation of facts”, by officials of the bank.

In the last few years, Sterling Bank, one of the Holding Companies (Holdco), has faced legal actions and police investigations over alleged unauthorized or fraudulent deductions, including notable cases brought by individual employees and corporate clients. In one instance, the Nigeria Police Force indicted the bank and several executives over alleged money laundering and fraudulent deductions totaling millions of dollars following petitions by corporate customers like Miden Systems Ltd. Plaintiffs alleged unauthorized loan bookings, forged signatures, and blocked accounts.

Also, some of the workers have sued the bank at the High Court and National Industrial Court over ungranted or unsolicited salary loans that resulted in continuous, involuntary deductions from employee allowances and accounts.
But, in these legal proceedings, Sterling Bank’s legal teams filed defense amendments, contest the validity of the claims, or assert compliance with internal loan processing and credit recovery protocols.

Sterling Bank, prides itself as the “One-customer bank”. However, today, it is not only one customer but several of the bank’s customers complain about what they described as the bank’s “persistent deceit, illegal deductions from their accounts and misrepresentation of facts”, giving plethora of instances to back up their claims even as the bank has denied the allegations, stating that it did no wrong.

Sterling Bank started in 1960 as an investment and merchant banking institution named Nigeria Acceptances Limited (NAL), which became Nigeria’s first merchant bank in 1969. It later changed its name to NAL Merchant Bank Plc and listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange as public Limited liability company. In 2006, NAL Bank merged with four other financial institutions (Magnum Trust Bank, NBM Bank, Trust Bank of Africa, and Indo-Nigeria Merchant Bank) to form Sterling Bank. It also acquired Equatorial Trust Bank (ETB) to expand its national market share and branch network. Recent restructuring led to the establishment of a holding company structure named Sterling Financial Holdings Company (Sterling HoldCo).

Speaking to our correspondent in Abuja at the weekend, a corporate account holder in the bank, Mrs. Obiageri Obiefule, stated that for a long time, customers have been at the mercy of the bank, which she claimed, on a regular basis debit them for all manner of reasons, some of which she said, were questionable and dubious including hidden charges.

According to her, “these charges amount to loss of millions of Naira to us, the bank customers to the effect that sterling bank declare trillions yearly as profit at the detriment of its customers who lacked the voice to complain.

“Even the regulatory agencies seem to be helpless in this situation as they have failed to address our several complaints”, she alleged.

Another customer, Marvelous Okoro also accused the bank of refusing to release her bank statement four months after she applied for it. She alleged that she had been witnessing withdrawal alerts on her account and had applied to the bank for statement of account to verify the transactions, but expressed concern over the bank’s refusal wondering what could be the reason. She said her fear was based on complaints by two of her friends who she alleged had similar experiences with the bank yet to refund the money deducted from their accounts.

“The trend of fraudulent activities including unwarranted deductions is becoming alarming and portrays the bank in bad light. Please help me appeal to them to release my bank statement to enable me verify my bank transaction details”, she pleaded.

Observers have expressed concern over several allegations of fraudulent practices being leveled against Sterling bank.
On 8th October, 2025, a group that called itself, Coalition of Civil Society Organizations Against Banks Fraudulent Practices and Customers Victimization, (CCSOABFFPCV), staged a peaceful protest at the Abuja headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria as well as in front of Sterling Bank, Abuja regional office.

At the apex bank’s office, the group submitted a petition, which was received by Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, the Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Central Bank of Nigeria.
The petition dated Monday 6th October, 2025, was addressed to Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Abuja.
The protesters displayed placards with several inscriptions like; conspiracy;
forgery; criminal breach of trust; taking loan is not a crime; stop suffocating your customers; theft; make loan repayment transparent etc.

Comrade Flora Elekwa, Director, Mobilization and Advocacy of the CSO, told officials of the CBN and the Media that the trend of fraudulent activities occasioned by unwarranted deductions was becoming alarming and portrayed the Sterling bank in bad light.
The petition was signed by Comrade (Dr.) Sam Wisdom, National Coordinator; Comrade Flora Elekwa, Director, Mobilization and Advocacy; and Lady Cecilia Bisong, National Organizing Secretary.

“The street protest and advocacy match are aimed at drawing the attention of the government, regulatory authorities, and the general public to these unwholesome, illegal practices with a view to rectifying the situation” Mrs Elekwa said.

Particularly, the group faulted the manner Sterling Bank treats its customers and pleaded with the CBN as a supervisory government agency responsible for monitoring and supervision of all banks and financial institutions in Nigeria to immediately ask the management of Sterling bank to have a change of heart. The group specifically mentioned the case of Midden Systems Ltd, said to be a major customer of the bank but which allegedly lost over Two Hundred Million Dollars in its account to illegal deductions by officials of sterling bank.

Miden Systems Limited had in a petition to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the House of Representatives and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) alleged that the bank through its Chief Executive Officer together with the Sterling bank’s Financial Holdings Company Plc and four others used its name to open various spurious accounts through which it allegedly syphoned the company’s funds domiciled with the bank up to the tune of over $200,000,000 (Two Hundred Million Dollars).

The Company, accused the bank of fraudulent accounting, mismanagement of contract proceeds, money laundering, unauthorized fund transfers, opening of fake bank accounts in the name of MIDEN Systems without authorization, and forgery of bank documents in clear violation of banking regulations.

“Funds were moved and misappropriated by the bank at reckless abandon with huge and massive spurious debits to the company’s account”, the company alleged in the petition.

The Company further stated that in line with standard bank practices and extant applicable laws, it continuously and consistently demanded for its statement of account which sterling bank refused to release.

Our Correspondent gathered that in June 2012, MIDEN Systems Ltd, an indigenous oil service firm, entered into a Term Loan/Vessel Finance Facility Agreement with Sterling Bank to enable Miden finance the acquisition of six Light Marine Vessels to be used in operation of the firm’s contract with SPDC.
Under the agreement, the Company contributed $7.3 million (30%) of vessel cost, while the Bank provided the sum of $17 Million dollars ($17,079,000.00) amounting to 70% as loan (via Letters of Credit) for the purchase of the vessels in Malaysia and Singapore. The Repayment plan was structured such that 70% of all contract proceeds from Shell Petroleum Development Company would be transferred, as Loan Repayment, to a Debt Servicing Repayment Accounts (“DSRA”) domiciled with Sterling Bank, while 30% would be reserved for the Company’s operational needs. The tenor of the loan was a 60 months duration (with 6 months moratorium) and billed to terminate by September 2017.

A Police Investigative Report of the activities of Sterling Bank dated 14 January 2025, (copy made available to us) uncovered series of grave banking malpractices committed by Sterling Bank between 2016 and 2024 with regards to the loan transaction.
According to the report, the bank has been misappropriating contract proceeds without rendering proper account statements to the customer. It said that several unauthorized payments were made from the customer account to unknown persons, including disclosed and undisclosed Sterling Bank customers.

“Despite multiple formal requests by the customer, Sterling bank refused to provide account statements thereby concealing transaction records (credit and debit notifications) and falsifying book entries.

“In addition, the bank failed to disclose the status of the loan liquidation process thereby creating financial opacity”, the Police report stated.

The police also said it discovered the creation of multiple fake accounts by the bank, including an unusual 20-digit account in the name of the company without authorization.

According to the report, “the Bank unlawfully consolidated the Customer Company’s account with the account of a different and distinct company, Chasewood Nigeria Limited, in order to fraudulently impose dubious and illegal debt obligations on the Company”.

It was found that Sterling Bank deliberately denied the Customer access to its 30% share of proceeds, thereby crippling the Company’s operations.
Between 2016 and 2024, Sterling Bank allegedly received more than $57 million in contract payments from SPDC and yet falsely claims the Company owes an additional $30 million Dollars to the Bank.

Further findings show that Sterling Bank received a total credit of One Hundred Million and Twenty-Two Thousand US dollars (USD122,768,041.69) in the domiciled account without rendering a proper account of the application and sources of funds to the customer contrary to CBN Rules & Regulations.

“The discoveries are shocking and sordid” An Insider source disclosed
The Police in the report said although Sterling Bank claimed that a $30 million loan was applied for, approved and disbursed in one day- 13th January 2017, the loan application did not emanate from the company. It accused the bank of forging the company’s lodgment of loan application and some documents relating to the loan including Account officer/branch review of loan application, credit committee approvals, customer’s board meeting/resolution. Etc.

“They purportedly fulfilled all terms and conditions for loan disbursement under one day and diverted the funds to private accounts operated by top officials of the bank”, the Police said.

Furthermore, the Police report indicates high level criminal conspiracy at the top management level of the bank to defraud the customer and conceal evidence. The bank unlawfully disbursed and failed to account for the sum of One Hundred and Twenty-Two Million dollars (USD122,768,041.69) admittedly credited to the Company’s account between 03/05/2016 and 19/07/2024.

The Bank also failed to apply the remittances in the sums of Fifty Seven Million US Dollars (USD57,301,865.56) and Six Billion, Nine Hundred and Seventy Million Naira (NGN6,972,548,982.39,) respectively, by SPDC between 2013 to 2020 towards reducing alleged debts but rather channeled the funds to unknown beneficiaries and accounts suspected to be operated by bank insiders and top officials.

According to the Police report, “ the bank falsified book entries on 13 January 2017 by pretending to credit the Company’s account with $30 Million US dollars when in fact there was no outstanding debt on the account.”

It sated that on 16th September 2017, the bank fraudulently transferred from the account the sum of USD28,302,140.59, under an unlawful scheme titled AA Loan Repayment – when there was no transaction linked to the account as well as other fraudulent transactions on 6th May 2016 and 27th August 2016.

Following the police findings, the matter was escalated to the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, where the Nigeria Police Force submitted a report indicting Sterling Bank for alleged money laundering and mishandling of Miden Systems’ accounts.

To avoid further investigations and embarrassment by the Lawmakers, the Bank hurriedly approached the Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, on 5th of February 2025, to seek a restraining order on the House of Representatives from further probe or investigation of Sterling Bank Limited and the Group Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Financial Holdings Company, Yemi Odubiyi pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

At the resumed hearing of the case on April 30th 2025, the Court could not hear the matter but went on a prolonged adjournment raising concerns on the process.
Section 37(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention) Act 2015 explicitly criminalizes unauthorized debits by financial institutions.
Evidently, those familiar with the case said Sterling Bank’s actions, as outlined in the Police report, clearly violate this provision and Sections 18; 20, 24(1); 25 of the BOFIA, which prohibit fraudulent banking practices.

In separate interviews with our Correspondents, Legal experts and Consumer Advocacy group, Citizens Network for Consumer Rights, described the stunning revelations as a financial heist and called for the authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation with a view to initiating possible criminal prosecution of those found culpable.

But the bank has consistently denied all fraudulent claims, describing both the publications and the protests at its branches as illegal attempts to disrupt its business operations.
With the above issue still pending, observers have wondered why the bank rather than amicably settle the matter, resorted to calling the Chief Executive of Miden Systems, Dr. Brenda Usoro unprintable names in a frantic bid to blackmail him before the public, a move one analyst described as “bank’s desperate bid to paint him in bad light”.

“Tell me, how can a man who brought million Dollar business to a bank but was robbed of his hard-earned money by the bank officials, be called by the same bank as a chronic debtor? That is laughable. I can only compare it to the proverbial case of the pot calling the kettle black”, said Chief James Ogene, a former Federal lawmaker and an Abuja based industrialist and estate developer.

“I have known Dr Usoro for the past 25 years and during this period we have done a number of businesses. He is trust worthy, honest, very reliable and sincere to a fault. If he tells you something, that is the way it is. Therefore, for someone to call him names in order to blackmail and tarnish his image, that person needs to examine himself or herself. I know the bank did that out of vengeance”, Chief Ogene added.

But the case of Miden Systems Limited is not the only albatross hanging on the neck of Sterling Bank and its officials. In August, 2025, lawyers representing one Olalekan Adejumo (not real name), a Lagos State resident, wrote to Sterling Bank, demanding an investigation and the immediate closure of a strange account the bank opened in their client’s name.

“My lawyers sent a letter to Sterling Bank yesterday, demanding an immediate closure of the strange account,” said Adejumo.

“You won’t believe that as we speak, the account is still very much active. It has not been closed by the bank.

“Despite all the efforts I personally made in getting Sterling Bank to close the account, it is still active.”

The lawyers also requested for a comprehensive report that would reveal the identity of the bank staff who were responsible for the opening of the account and how relevant account opening protocols and legal requirements, including the Know Your Customer (KYC) exercise, Bank Verification Number (BVN) validation and inclusion, and telephone number, and email address and National Identification Number (NIN) linkage, were bypassed before the account was opened.

Adejumo’s lawyers also demanded the unmasking of Legbeti Anuoluwapo, an individual who carried out a N5,000 transaction on the strange bank account, documents that were submitted for the account opening, an apology letter from Sterling Bank and confirmation that no loans, overdrafts and financial liabilities will be attached to the Lagos resident’s identity or BVN through the account.

Another allegation against the bank is delay in acting on customers’ requests.
One of such cases was that of a foreign-based Nigerian student who in 2022 almost lost her university admission with the threat of deportation after Sterling Bank delayed processing her tuition remittance. She was said to have initiated a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Form ‘A’ transaction through Sterling Bank on August 10, 2022, to pay her school fees abroad. Nearly three months passed without the bank remitting the funds or providing a positive update despite multiple emails. With a tight deadline on October 27, 2022, she faced potential expulsion and deportation due to the unfulfilled payment.

In a Twitter thread shared @DasilvaOlamide, she wrote: “I’m at the verge of losing my admission and getting a deportation because of Sterling Bank. I initiated my Form A since 10th August. I have sent them several emails showing them that my school requires the payment or I will be deported, my deadline is tomorrow. HELP!

“Sterling bank has still not done anything, please help me keep retweeting and tagging. Today is the deadline or I will be deported. It’s not fair that I have paid since August 10th and the money hasn’t been remitted to my school”, she wrote.
Source: https://twitter.com/DasilvaOlamide/status/1585234028852318209?s=20&t=a00_kcj9Vv59B0-05p1USQ

That is not all. In November, 2017, Grant Properties Ltd accused Sterling Bank of illegally selling its collateral for an N8 billion loan, but the bank denied any wrongdoing.

According to the property development company, Sterling Bank excised 10 hectares of its land valued at N5 billion, from a 50-hectare collateral and illegally sold it for pittance to a front company belonging to a senior director of the bank.

Delivering judgement on the matter, a Lagos high court ruled that the collateral was illegally sold and ordered the bank to return the property to the company.
The business deal started in 2002 when Grant Properties secured a 50-hectare land in Lekki, Lagos state, to build “Victory Park Estate”.

Sterling Bank was expected to transfer, alongside the loan, every part of the land to AMCON, but it was discovered that the bank left out 10 hectares which it sold to a Real Estate Development (RED) Company — said to be a front for a very senior director of the bank.

Olajide Awosedo, chairman of Grant Properties, said in a chat with journalists that a non-executive director of Sterling Bank had called him “face to face, brought out a survey of 10 hectares of my land and said, ‘Sir, sell this portion of land to me, if you want N10bn from my bank. I will make sure you get it. I am the chairman of real estate finance of the bank”. He refused.

“They moved my loan to AMCON, but rather than transfer all my collateral with the loan, the bank (Sterling) withheld the 10 hectares its director had his eyes on and sold it to him through a surrogate company owned by the director and his associates,” Awosedo added.

He alleged that the director initially sold the land to his front company at N18,500/sq metre, amounting to N1.85b for the 10 hectares — a far cry from the market worth of N5 billion, according to him.
About 2.4 hectares from the land was immediate

Sterling Bank Under Scrutiny as Customers Allege Poor Service.

By Reporter

Some customers of Sterling bank have cried out over what they described as “poor services, fraudulent deductions, harsh treatment, service delays, and misrepresentation of facts”, by officials of the bank.In the last few years, Sterling Bank, one of the Holding Companies (Holdco), has faced legal actions and police investigations over alleged unauthorized or fraudulent deductions, including notable cases brought by individual employees and corporate clients. In one instance, the Nigeria Police Force indicted the bank and several executives over alleged money laundering and fraudulent deductions totaling millions of dollars following petitions by corporate customers like Miden Systems Ltd. Plaintiffs alleged unauthorized loan bookings, forged signatures, and blocked accounts. Also, some of the workers have sued the bank at the High Court and National Industrial Court over ungranted or unsolicited salary loans that resulted in continuous, involuntary deductions from employee allowances and accounts. But, in these legal proceedings, Sterling Bank’s legal teams filed defense amendments, contest the validity of the claims, or assert compliance with internal loan processing and credit recovery protocols. Sterling Bank, prides itself as the “One-customer bank”. However, today, it is not only one customer but several of the bank’s customers complain about what they described as the bank’s “persistent deceit, illegal deductions from their accounts and misrepresentation of facts”, giving plethora of instances to back up their claims even as the bank has denied the allegations, stating that it did no wrong.Sterling Bank started in 1960 as an investment and merchant banking institution named Nigeria Acceptances Limited (NAL), which became Nigeria’s first merchant bank in 1969. It later changed its name to NAL Merchant Bank Plc and listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange as public Limited liability company. In 2006, NAL Bank merged with four other financial institutions (Magnum Trust Bank, NBM Bank, Trust Bank of Africa, and Indo-Nigeria Merchant Bank) to form Sterling Bank. It also acquired Equatorial Trust Bank (ETB) to expand its national market share and branch network. Recent restructuring led to the establishment of a holding company structure named Sterling Financial Holdings Company (Sterling HoldCo).Speaking to our correspondent in Abuja at the weekend, a corporate account holder in the bank, Mrs. Obiageri Obiefule, stated that for a long time, customers have been at the mercy of the bank, which she claimed, on a regular basis debit them for all manner of reasons, some of which she said, were questionable and dubious including hidden charges.According to her, “these charges amount to loss of millions of Naira to us, the bank customers to the effect that sterling bank declare trillions yearly as profit at the detriment of its customers who lacked the voice to complain.“Even the regulatory agencies seem to be helpless in this situation as they have failed to address our several complaints”, she alleged.Another customer, Marvelous Okoro also accused the bank of refusing to release her bank statement four months after she applied for it. She alleged that she had been witnessing withdrawal alerts on her account and had applied to the bank for statement of account to verify the transactions, but expressed concern over the bank’s refusal wondering what could be the reason. She said her fear was based on complaints by two of her friends who she alleged had similar experiences with the bank yet to refund the money deducted from their accounts. “The trend of fraudulent activities including unwarranted deductions is becoming alarming and portrays the bank in bad light. Please help me appeal to them to release my bank statement to enable me verify my bank transaction details”, she pleaded.Observers have expressed concern over several allegations of fraudulent practices being leveled against Sterling bank. On 8th October, 2025, a group that called itself, Coalition of Civil Society Organizations Against Banks Fraudulent Practices and Customers Victimization, (CCSOABFFPCV), staged a peaceful protest at the Abuja headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria as well as in front of Sterling Bank, Abuja regional office.At the apex bank’s office, the group submitted a petition, which was received by Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, the Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Central Bank of Nigeria.The petition dated Monday 6th October, 2025, was addressed to Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Abuja.The protesters displayed placards with several inscriptions like; conspiracy;forgery; criminal breach of trust; taking loan is not a crime; stop suffocating your customers; theft; make loan repayment transparent etc.Comrade Flora Elekwa, Director, Mobilization and Advocacy of the CSO, told officials of the CBN and the Media that the trend of fraudulent activities occasioned by unwarranted deductions was becoming alarming and portrayed the Sterling bank in bad light.The petition was signed by Comrade (Dr.) Sam Wisdom, National Coordinator; Comrade Flora Elekwa, Director, Mobilization and Advocacy; and Lady Cecilia Bisong, National Organizing Secretary.“The street protest and advocacy match are aimed at drawing the attention of the government, regulatory authorities, and the general public to these unwholesome, illegal practices with a view to rectifying the situation” Mrs Elekwa said.Particularly, the group faulted the manner Sterling Bank treats its customers and pleaded with the CBN as a supervisory government agency responsible for monitoring and supervision of all banks and financial institutions in Nigeria to immediately ask the management of Sterling bank to have a change of heart. The group specifically mentioned the case of Midden Systems Ltd, said to be a major customer of the bank but which allegedly lost over Two Hundred Million Dollars in its account to illegal deductions by officials of sterling bank.Miden Systems Limited had in a petition to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the House of Representatives and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) alleged that the bank through its Chief Executive Officer together with the Sterling bank’s Financial Holdings Company Plc and four others used its name to open various spurious accounts through which it allegedly syphoned the company’s funds domiciled with the bank up to the tune of over $200,000,000 (Two Hundred Million Dollars).The Company, accused the bank of fraudulent accounting, mismanagement of contract proceeds, money laundering, unauthorized fund transfers, opening of fake bank accounts in the name of MIDEN Systems without authorization, and forgery of bank documents in clear violation of banking regulations.“Funds were moved and misappropriated by the bank at reckless abandon with huge and massive spurious debits to the company’s account”, the company alleged in the petition.The Company further stated that in line with standard bank practices and extant applicable laws, it continuously and consistently demanded for its statement of account which sterling bank refused to release.Our Correspondent gathered that in June 2012, MIDEN Systems Ltd, an indigenous oil service firm, entered into a Term Loan/Vessel Finance Facility Agreement with Sterling Bank to enable Miden finance the acquisition of six Light Marine Vessels to be used in operation of the firm’s contract with SPDC.Under the agreement, the Company contributed $7.3 million (30%) of vessel cost, while the Bank provided the sum of $17 Million dollars ($17,079,000.00) amounting to 70% as loan (via Letters of Credit) for the purchase of the vessels in Malaysia and Singapore. The Repayment plan was structured such that 70% of all contract proceeds from Shell Petroleum Development Company would be transferred, as Loan Repayment, to a Debt Servicing Repayment Accounts (“DSRA”) domiciled with Sterling Bank, while 30% would be reserved for the Company’s operational needs. The tenor of the loan was a 60 months duration (with 6 months moratorium) and billed to terminate by September 2017.A Police Investigative Report of the activities of Sterling Bank dated 14 January 2025, (copy made available to us) uncovered series of grave banking malpractices committed by Sterling Bank between 2016 and 2024 with regards to the loan transaction.According to the report, the bank has been misappropriating contract proceeds without rendering proper account statements to the customer. It said that several unauthorized payments were made from the customer account to unknown persons, including disclosed and undisclosed Sterling Bank customers.“Despite multiple formal requests by the customer, Sterling bank refused to provide account statements thereby concealing transaction records (credit and debit notifications) and falsifying book entries.“In addition, the bank failed to disclose the status of the loan liquidation process thereby creating financial opacity”, the Police report stated.The police also said it discovered the creation of multiple fake accounts by the bank, including an unusual 20-digit account in the name of the company without authorization.According to the report, “the Bank unlawfully consolidated the Customer Company’s account with the account of a different and distinct company, Chasewood Nigeria Limited, in order to fraudulently impose dubious and illegal debt obligations on the Company”.It was found that Sterling Bank deliberately denied the Customer access to its 30% share of proceeds, thereby crippling the Company’s operations.Between 2016 and 2024, Sterling Bank allegedly received more than $57 million in contract payments from SPDC and yet falsely claims the Company owes an additional $30 million Dollars to the Bank.Further findings show that Sterling Bank received a total credit of One Hundred Million and Twenty-Two Thousand US dollars (USD122,768,041.69) in the domiciled account without rendering a proper account of the application and sources of funds to the customer contrary to CBN Rules & Regulations.”The discoveries are shocking and sordid” An Insider source disclosedThe Police in the report said although Sterling Bank claimed that a $30 million loan was applied for, approved and disbursed in one day- 13th January 2017, the loan application did not emanate from the company. It accused the bank of forging the company’s lodgment of loan application and some documents relating to the loan including Account officer/branch review of loan application, credit committee approvals, customer’s board meeting/resolution. Etc.“They purportedly fulfilled all terms and conditions for loan disbursement under one day and diverted the funds to private accounts operated by top officials of the bank”, the Police said.Furthermore, the Police report indicates high level criminal conspiracy at the top management level of the bank to defraud the customer and conceal evidence. The bank unlawfully disbursed and failed to account for the sum of One Hundred and Twenty-Two Million dollars (USD122,768,041.69) admittedly credited to the Company’s account between 03/05/2016 and 19/07/2024.The Bank also failed to apply the remittances in the sums of Fifty Seven Million US Dollars (USD57,301,865.56) and Six Billion, Nine Hundred and Seventy Million Naira (NGN6,972,548,982.39,) respectively, by SPDC between 2013 to 2020 towards reducing alleged debts but rather channeled the funds to unknown beneficiaries and accounts suspected to be operated by bank insiders and top officials.According to the Police report, “ the bank falsified book entries on 13 January 2017 by pretending to credit the Company’s account with $30 Million US dollars when in fact there was no outstanding debt on the account.”It sated that on 16th September 2017, the bank fraudulently transferred from the account the sum of USD28,302,140.59, under an unlawful scheme titled AA Loan Repayment – when there was no transaction linked to the account as well as other fraudulent transactions on 6th May 2016 and 27th August 2016.Following the police findings, the matter was escalated to the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, where the Nigeria Police Force submitted a report indicting Sterling Bank for alleged money laundering and mishandling of Miden Systems’ accounts.To avoid further investigations and embarrassment by the Lawmakers, the Bank hurriedly approached the Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, on 5th of February 2025, to seek a restraining order on the House of Representatives from further probe or investigation of Sterling Bank Limited and the Group Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Financial Holdings Company, Yemi Odubiyi pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.At the resumed hearing of the case on April 30th 2025, the Court could not hear the matter but went on a prolonged adjournment raising concerns on the process.Section 37(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention) Act 2015 explicitly criminalizes unauthorized debits by financial institutions.Evidently, those familiar with the case said Sterling Bank’s actions, as outlined in the Police report, clearly violate this provision and Sections 18; 20, 24(1); 25 of the BOFIA, which prohibit fraudulent banking practices.In separate interviews with our Correspondents, Legal experts and Consumer Advocacy group, Citizens Network for Consumer Rights, described the stunning revelations as a financial heist and called for the authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation with a view to initiating possible criminal prosecution of those found culpable.But the bank has consistently denied all fraudulent claims, describing both the publications and the protests at its branches as illegal attempts to disrupt its business operations. With the above issue still pending, observers have wondered why the bank rather than amicably settle the matter, resorted to calling the Chief Executive of Miden Systems, Dr. Brenda Usoro unprintable names in a frantic bid to blackmail him before the public, a move one analyst described as “bank’s desperate bid to paint him in bad light”.“Tell me, how can a man who brought million Dollar business to a bank but was robbed of his hard-earned money by the bank officials, be called by the same bank as a chronic debtor? That is laughable. I can only compare it to the proverbial case of the pot calling the kettle black”, said Chief James Ogene, a former Federal lawmaker and an Abuja based industrialist and estate developer.“I have known Dr Usoro for the past 25 years and during this period we have done a number of businesses. He is trust worthy, honest, very reliable and sincere to a fault. If he tells you something, that is the way it is. Therefore, for someone to call him names in order to blackmail and tarnish his image, that person needs to examine himself or herself. I know the bank did that out of vengeance”, Chief Ogene added.But the case of Miden Systems Limited is not the only albatross hanging on the neck of Sterling Bank and its officials. In August, 2025, lawyers representing one Olalekan Adejumo (not real name), a Lagos State resident, wrote to Sterling Bank, demanding an investigation and the immediate closure of a strange account the bank opened in their client’s name.“My lawyers sent a letter to Sterling Bank yesterday, demanding an immediate closure of the strange account,” said Adejumo.“You won’t believe that as we speak, the account is still very much active. It has not been closed by the bank.“Despite all the efforts I personally made in getting Sterling Bank to close the account, it is still active.”The lawyers also requested for a comprehensive report that would reveal the identity of the bank staff who were responsible for the opening of the account and how relevant account opening protocols and legal requirements, including the Know Your Customer (KYC) exercise, Bank Verification Number (BVN) validation and inclusion, and telephone number, and email address and National Identification Number (NIN) linkage, were bypassed before the account was opened.Adejumo’s lawyers also demanded the unmasking of Legbeti Anuoluwapo, an individual who carried out a N5,000 transaction on the strange bank account, documents that were submitted for the account opening, an apology letter from Sterling Bank and confirmation that no loans, overdrafts and financial liabilities will be attached to the Lagos resident’s identity or BVN through the account.Another allegation against the bank is delay in acting on customers’ requests.One of such cases was that of a foreign-based Nigerian student who in 2022 almost lost her university admission with the threat of deportation after Sterling Bank delayed processing her tuition remittance. She was said to have initiated a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Form ‘A’ transaction through Sterling Bank on August 10, 2022, to pay her school fees abroad. Nearly three months passed without the bank remitting the funds or providing a positive update despite multiple emails. With a tight deadline on October 27, 2022, she faced potential expulsion and deportation due to the unfulfilled payment. In a Twitter thread shared @DasilvaOlamide, she wrote: “I’m at the verge of losing my admission and getting a deportation because of Sterling Bank. I initiated my Form A since 10th August. I have sent them several emails showing them that my school requires the payment or I will be deported, my deadline is tomorrow. HELP!“Sterling bank has still not done anything, please help me keep retweeting and tagging. Today is the deadline or I will be deported. It’s not fair that I have paid since August 10th and the money hasn’t been remitted to my school”, she wrote.Source: https://twitter.com/DasilvaOlamide/status/1585234028852318209?s=20&t=a00_kcj9Vv59B0-05p1USQThat is not all. In November, 2017, Grant Properties Ltd accused Sterling Bank of illegally selling its collateral for an N8 billion loan, but the bank denied any wrongdoing.According to the property development company, Sterling Bank excised 10 hectares of its land valued at N5 billion, from a 50-hectare collateral and illegally sold it for pittance to a front company belonging to a senior director of the bank.Delivering judgement on the matter, a Lagos high court ruled that the collateral was illegally sold and ordered the bank to return the property to the company.The business deal started in 2002 when Grant Properties secured a 50-hectare land in Lekki, Lagos state, to build “Victory Park Estate”.Sterling Bank was expected to transfer, alongside the loan, every part of the land to AMCON, but it was discovered that the bank left out 10 hectares which it sold to a Real Estate Development (RED) Company — said to be a front for a very senior director of the bank.Olajide Awosedo, chairman of Grant Properties, said in a chat with journalists that a non-executive director of Sterling Bank had called him “face to face, brought out a survey of 10 hectares of my land and said, ‘Sir, sell this portion of land to me, if you want N10bn from my bank. I will make sure you get it. I am the chairman of real estate finance of the bank”. He refused.“They moved my loan to AMCON, but rather than transfer all my collateral with the loan, the bank (Sterling) withheld the 10 hectares its director had his eyes on and sold it to him through a surrogate company owned by the director and his associates,” Awosedo added.He alleged that the director initially sold the land to his front company at N18,500/sq metre, amounting to N1.85b for the 10 hectares — a far cry from the market worth of N5 billion, according to him.About 2.4 hectares from the land was immediate

Rainbow Coalition: Lawyers Knock Wike Over Personal Attacks on Uzodinma

Imo Lawyers for the Defence of Democracy have called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to stop what it termed public attacks on Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, saying political disagreements should be resolved through democratic dialogue and constitutional means.The group made the call in a statement signed by its Secretary, Ifeoma Chukwunyere on Friday, September 18, 2026, amid what it described as increasingly personal exchanges between Wike and Uzodinma over political developments within the All Progressives Congress.The lawyers said the APC Governors’ Forum had rejected what they described as Wike’s “Rainbow Coalition” political arrangement, arguing that the disagreement should be addressed with the forum rather than through personal attacks on Uzodinma.According to the group, the forum’s position was based on concerns that the political arrangement could weaken the APC or create divided loyalty within the party.“We recognise the constitutional right of every Nigerian, including public officials and political actors, to express political opinions, criticise policies and participate in political activities,” the group said.“However, that freedom must not become a licence for personal attacks, intimidation or unnecessary escalation.”The lawyers said Uzodinma, as the governor of Imo State, should be allowed to discharge his responsibilities without political exchanges creating tension capable of affecting the peace and stability of the state.They urged Wike to desist from further public comments concerning the governor, insisting that political disagreements should focus on policies, programmes, political positions and verifiable facts rather than personal exchanges.The group also warned political actors against turning Imo State into a battleground for political supremacy.“Imo State is not a battlefield for political supremacy. Its people have the constitutional right to choose their leaders and determine their political future without undue interference, intimidation or external pressure,” it said.The lawyers further called on political parties, leaders, supporters and media platforms to avoid inflammatory language that could provoke confrontation.They urged Uzodinma to continue to operate within the Constitution and the laws of the country, while allowing relevant political and legal institutions to handle legitimate disagreements.The group also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to encourage restraint among political actors, particularly in relation to the dispute between Wike and Uzodinma.Addressing Wike directly, the lawyers said: “Mr. Minister, Imo State belongs to its people. You are not from Imo, so stay off Imo.”They stressed that disagreements over political strategies, elections, alliances and political actors in the state should be settled through democratic debate and constitutional processes.The group said it would continue to monitor developments affecting constitutional governance, democratic participation, political freedom and peace in Imo State.“Our position is simple: Democracy must prevail. The Constitution must prevail. The rule of law must prevail,” the statement added.

Three dimensions reveal what the Pinglu Canal brings to development

By Li Weijun, People’s Daily

The Pinglu Canal, China’s first major river-to-sea canal project that has been planned and coordinated at the national level since 1949, is set to open for navigation on Sept. 16, 2026.

What changes will this landmark project bring to the region? A closer look at the project from three dimensions — economy, livelihoods, and environment — offers a clear picture.

Economic benefits: injecting new vitality into regional development

Once operational, cargo vessels will enter the canal at the mouth of the Pingtang River after passing Hengzhou in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, then sail south to Qinzhou Port and out to sea. This will provide southwestern China with a more direct water route linking its inland regions to the ocean.

The reduction in distance is significant. Goods shipped from southwestern China via the Pinglu Canal will travel approximately 560 kilometers less along inland waterways to the sea than routes through Guangzhou Port in Guangdong province.

“Logistics costs are expected to fall by 18 to 30 percent, saving around 5.2 billion yuan ($774 million) in social transportation costs each year,” said Cheng Yaofei, commander of the Pinglu Canal project construction headquarters.

For an individual company, that means lower transportation costs. For an entire region, it creates opportunities for industrial relocation and reorganization.

In 2025, the Pinglu Canal Guigang Economic Development Zone signed contracts for ten new projects with a combined investment of approximately 13.3 billion yuan. In Qinzhou, Shanghai Huayi, a Chinese chemical enterprise group, is developing an integrated chemical and new materials industrial base with a planned total investment of around 100 billion yuan. The company intends to use the canal to expand its markets and connect upstream and downstream businesses. Guangxi Jingui Pulp & Paper Co., Ltd. is also planning to build a terminal along the canal so that raw materials such as timber and calcite can be transported directly to its factories by water.

Lower logistics costs are boosting the region’s appeal for industrial clustering and creating new momentum for development. At the Liujing Port Area of Nanning Port in Nanning, capital of Guangxi, berths have been upgraded from handling 2,000-ton vessels to 5,000-ton vessels. Eleven river-sea intermodal berths at Qinzhou Port have also been upgraded. Cross-border transport routes, including the China-Laos Railway, are expected to connect with the inland waterway network as well.

Wu Jian, director of the Institute of Regional Development at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, noted that lower transportation costs are expected to attract industries, logistics, and producer services to cluster along the canal, while further strengthening industrial links between Guangxi and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and ASEAN.

Benefits for people — enabling residents along the river to live and work in greater comfort

The Pinglu Canal is not only changing the flow of goods; it is reshaping the lives of people living along its route.

At a resettlement site in Shaping township, Lingshan county, Qinzhou, rows of neat townhouses stand alongside well-equipped public facilities, including a recreational square, a farmers’ market, a kindergarten and a supermarket.

A total of 13 centralized resettlement sites have been planned and built across Luwu, Jiuzhou, and Shaping townships in Lingshan county. So far, 1,498 households, representing 6,156 people, have been relocated, and all resettlement homes have been handed over to the residents.

Chen Jidong, a relocated resident at the Shaping site, is very pleased with his new home.

“In the past, the market and school were scattered around the village and quite far away. Now everything is within a few minutes’ reach, making everyday life much more convenient,” Chen said.

His family has not only moved into a new home but also bought a truck. Chen previously made a living transporting materials at the Pinglu Canal construction site.

“With the canal opening, there will be greater demand for transportation, so we have more to look forward to,” he said.

More local job opportunities are reaching a growing number of residents. Thirty-four-year-old Huang Zhenjie has worked with the “Pinglu Employment” service program for over three years. He once helped a returned migrant worker secure a position as a steel bar worker at a canal construction site. After mastering the necessary skills, the worker now earns 12,000 yuan per month.

“We not only recommend jobs, but also organize trial work and training,” Huang said.

So far, construction of the Pinglu Canal has created more than 70,000 job opportunities for local residents, with more than 2.6 billion yuan in labor remuneration.

Environmental benefits: protecting lucid waters and lush mountains through meticulous measures

As the canal advances, environmental protection has kept pace every step of the way.

Near the Qingnian water control hub, a 480-meter-long composite fish passage and a smart monitoring and assessment system have been put into operation. The Qingnian water gate, built in 1959, once obstructed fish migration. Today, a vertical-slot fishway and an eel passage have reconnected the waters upstream and downstream.

Since the system began operating in 2025, its sonar monitoring system has recorded more than 76,000 fish swimming upstream and more than 115,000 swimming downstream, with over 10 species successfully completing their migration.

Fish now have a passage for migration, and terrestrial animals have safe routes to cross the canal as well. Near the Madao water control hub, a 240-meter-long, 20-meter-wide wildlife overpass spans the canal. The bridge is covered with soil and planted with native vegetation, with rocks and water-collection points added to create a habitat that allows wildlife to cross in surroundings as familiar as possible.

Mangroves, too, have found a “new home.” According to project officials, 19.8 kilometers of disturbed areas outside the project boundary are being protected in situ. For mangroves within the project boundary that could not be preserved, 9,572 trees were transplanted to nearby locations, while 275,000 trees were restored elsewhere across an area three times the original size, covering 32.3 hectares. During construction, 966 hectares of mangroves were cleaned and 156 hectares treated for pests and diseases.

Today, the number of bird species in the mangrove reserve has risen from 28 to 34, and an ecological corridor is largely in place.

From a shorter shipping route to the clustering of industries, from new homes to improved livelihoods, and from a restored fish passage to the renewal of mangrove forests, these three dimensions together show the Pinglu Canal’s broader benefits.

The canal connects rivers with the sea, but more importantly, it connects development, people’s livelihoods and ecological conservation.

CIFTIS highlights the global potential of AI token exports

By Fang Jinglun

At the recently concluded 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), a new cross-border service model captured widespread attention. Unlike physical goods shipped in containers, token exports represent a new form of trade in services, delivering computing power and AI intelligence to overseas users measured by AI tokens.

A token is the smallest unit of information processed by a large AI model. For context,  generating an 800-character Chinese-language article using an AI tool consumes around 1,500 to 2,000 tokens.

As AI evolves from an “auxiliary tool” into a primary agent of productivity, China’s token exports are unlocking fresh opportunities on the global stage. 

According to International Data Corporation, global daily token consumption surged nearly 300-fold in 2025. Meanwhile, figures published by OpenRouter, a global AI model aggregation platform, show that as of early August 2026, Chinese large language models have held the top position in call volume on leading platforms catering primarily to overseas users for 15 consecutive weeks.

What is driving the rapid growth of Chinese AI token exports? Several exhibitors at CIFTIS offered the same answer: coordination across the entire industrial chain. This synergy gives the sector advantages in large-model technology, computing costs, application scenarios, and data transmission, making the overseas expansion of AI services increasingly viable.

Adapting supply to demand to enter new markets. 

“There is strong demand for technology and data in Southeast Asia’s AI-generated short-drama market,” said Jiang Linfeng, general manager of FZ Entertainment, a culture and communication company based in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. 

The company uses its self-developed generative AI platform to create customized video datasets for businesses in several Southeast Asian countries, tailoring content to local cultures and ensuring relevance to regional markets and preferences.

Cutting costs through technology to win new customers. 

“Our computing infrastructure products and services help clients reduce costs and improve efficiency through open-source technologies. Over the past year, the number of clients seeking consultations on these products has increased several times over,” said Ran Hao, head of overseas technology at EasyStack, a Beijing-based provider of open-source cloud computing solutions.

Building infrastructure to support new business models. 

“We have 256 network nodes overseas, including 15 self-operated internet data centers (IDCs) and more than 300 partner IDCs. We leverage these resources to provide the necessary support,” said Kang Yuanji, a solution manager at China Telecom Global, a Chinese internet access provider.

The full industrial chain synergy forged by China’s “East Data, West Computing” initiative, combined with direct green power access models and peak-shaving computing allocation mechanism, is driving marked reductions in the overall costs of the AI industry.

For example, thanks to the availability of green electricity, an “East Data, West Computing” industrial park in Qingyang, northwest China’s Gansu province has reduced the electricity price paid by end users to no more than 0.4 yuan ($0.06) per kilowatt-hour.

In June 2026, China’s National Data Administration issued an implementation plan promoting the development of high-quality datasets across industries. The plan calls for establishing and improving mechanisms for the secure and orderly cross-border flow of datasets and promoting mutual recognition of rules governing cross-border data flows. This regulatory support provides a foundation of rules and standards, paving the way for companies to participate in the global data ecosystem.

“Since the second quarter of this year, we have seen a marked increase in inquiries from technology companies about overseas expansion strategies,” said Li Ying, general manager of markets at Incorp International, a professional services provider for corporations and high-net-worth individuals. 

The firm has built full-lifecycle compliance consulting services for emerging business models including large language model exports and computing power exports.

Technologies go global, application scenarios get validated overseas, and capabilities keep iterating. This is exactly what token exports embody — a vivid epitome of “Chinese services” reaching the world.

Looking ahead, Chinese AI companies will continue integrating into the global division of labor in diverse ways, delivering high-quality and affordable intelligent services to more overseas users.

Pinglu Canal connects rivers, sea, and new opportunities

By People’s Daily reporters

The Pinglu Canal officially opened to navigation on Sept. 16. As a landmark infrastructure linking the Belt and Road Initiative and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, it is China’s first major canal constructed since 1949 to directly connect inland waterways to the sea. 

Stretching 134.2 kilometers, this waterway offers southwest China its shortest, most cost-effective, and most convenient outlet to the sea, carving a new landmark into China’s extensive inland river network.

The Xijiang River, a major inland waterway in southern China, and the Beibu Gulf, an inlet of the South China Sea, were once separated by rolling mountain ranges. In the past, exports shipped by water from southwest China had to take a detour via Guangzhou Port in Guangdong province, adding more than 500 kilometers to the journey. With the completion of the Pinglu Canal, the river and sea, once divided by mountain barriers, are now connected for the very first time.

In Baise, located in southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Su Yonghui, head of the logistics management department of leading aluminum producer Geely Material, did the math.

“In the past, imported raw materials had to be transported from Qinzhou Port in the Beibu Gulf using both rail and road. Shipment volumes were limited, and freight costs were high. Now, with waterway transport, our overall logistics costs have fallen by 30 percent, saving us more than 10 million yuan ($1.49 million) a year,” he said.

In Nanning, the capital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, a cross-border industrial and supply chain for new energy batteries has drawn industry chain leaders BYD and Do-Fluoride, alongside over 50 upstream and downstream enterprises. The full industrial chain generates an output value exceeding 60 billion yuan.

“With the canal open, logistics costs will drop, market response will quicken, and the competitiveness of enterprises will further rise,” said Bi Guochu, director of the Nanning municipal bureau of industry and information technology.

The figures tell a clear story of lower costs and greater efficiency. 

“Logistics costs are expected to fall by 18 to 30 percent, and in the longer term, the canal is expected to save the regions along its route more than 5 billion yuan in freight costs every year,” said Li Yuntao, deputy director of the investment and development department of the Pinglu Canal Group.

Two major markets highlight the potential for mutual benefit.

On one side is China, home to over 1.4 billion people; on the other is ASEAN, with a population of nearly 700 million. 

“A new major corridor for mutual benefit has been added between these two huge markets,” said a diplomatic envoy in China from an ASEAN country after an inspection tour of the Pinglu Canal.

“The marine-oriented economy is rooted in industry. An ‘artery-and-branch’ layout of marine-oriented industries is precisely suited to Guangxi’s interconnected network of land, sea, rivers and canals,” said Huang Lanxi, director of the policy research office of the Communist Party of China Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional Committee.

He noted that the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt serves as an artery, concentrating industries that handle large volumes of cargo and are well suited to port and waterway transport. Other parts of the region form the “branch veins,” with numerous industrial parks and enterprises serving as “fine veins” deeply integrated into the division of labor across industrial chains.

But the network supporting this “artery-and-branch” layout extends far beyond the Pinglu Canal.

Across Guangxi, 65 major land corridors connect the region with other parts of China, sea access points, and border ports. The autonomous region also operates 50 ASEAN-bound container shipping routes, air links to ASEAN nations, and 12 international terrestrial fiber-optic cables for cross-border digital communications.

With coordinated development across land, sea, air, and digital connectivity, Guangxi is positioning itself as a hub facilitating market operations for both domestic and international dual circulation.

Large vessels now berth at the docks, and cranes swing into action. The Dalanping first operating area of Qinzhou Port, part of the Beibu Gulf Port, is a hive of activity.

In May 2026, 122 loaders and other pieces of equipment manufactured by Liugong Group, a Chinese multinational construction machinery company based in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, were shipped to Jakarta, Indonesia. 

In July, a new shipping route to Aqaba Port in Jordan began operations, sending more than 2,600 new energy vehicles from Chongqing and other parts of China directly to the Middle Eastern market.

“After the canal opens, inland waterway transport will be connected with the ocean shipping network, further enhancing the capacity and efficiency of the port,” said Chen Shengchang, general manager of the operating area.

The physical canal is now open, while an invisible network of connectivity is also becoming increasingly seamless.

The Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration has helped establish China’s first waterway designated as equivalent to an A-class navigation area. Inland vessels meeting the required qualifications can, under specified conditions, sail directly to deep-water berths at Beibu Gulf Port, solving the “last mile” problem between river and sea. Meanwhile, the Pinglu Canal Group has developed a smart canal sensing system that enables comprehensive monitoring across land, water, air, and space.

Technology is not only making canal operations more efficient but also providing new support for ecological conservation.

At the point where the river meets the sea, engineer Chen Zhu monitored the smart fishway at the Qingnian water control hub.

Two barbel chubs were swimming upstream against the current. Their swimming speed, body length, and body width were captured by the system in real time.

The Qingnian water gate, built in 1959, has long provided water resources for local communities but also blocked fish migration. As the old gate was replaced with a new structure, an innovative composite fishway, the first of its kind in China, was built alongside the Qingnian water control hub.

“Fish from both the sea and the river can find their way home here,” Chen said.

He added that the difference in water level between the upstream and downstream sides of the hub is nearly 10 meters. To allow fish to move gradually between the different levels, the fishway was carefully designed with a winding, three-loop vertical-slot structure.

So far, 78,474 fish have been recorded swimming upstream and 119,987 swimming downstream, with more than 10 species successfully completing their migration.

The canal excavation involved moving 315 million cubic meters of earth and rock. With such a massive volume of material, where could it all go?

Professor Xiao Jianzhuang, president of Guangxi University, led a team specializing in the resource utilization of solid waste. The team visited the project site more than 90 times and explored a range of ways to reuse the excavated material, including land formation, green building materials, mine-pit restoration, and land reclamation.

Through seven disposal and utilization technologies, more than 98 percent of the excavated soil and rock was put to productive use rather than treated as waste.

At an open stretch of land along the canal, Tang Xiaofu, an associate professor at Guangxi University, stepped into a greenhouse and picked a plump winter melon.

The land was formed using soil excavated during the canal construction to fill valleys, then improved and fertilized using scientific methods.

“We grow tomatoes in winter and melons in spring. The annual output value can reach 50,000 yuan per mu (about 667 square meters),” Tang said.

More than 10,000 mu of such farmland has now been developed along the canal.

“Building the Pinglu Canal to high standards and with high quality means respecting and protecting nature,” said Hu Ya’an, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering who has been deeply involved in the canal’s construction.

In his view, the Pinglu Canal not only is a new example of ecological conservation in major engineering projects around the world, but also sets a new benchmark for quality in canal construction worldwide.

Taiyuan in North China takes on a new look 

By Zheng Yangyang, People’s Daily

Taiyuan, the capital of north China’s Shanxi province, is a nationally designated historical and cultural city and the birthplace of Jin culture and the spirit of Shanxi merchants. Nestled against mountains to the east, west, and north, and bisected from north to south by the Fenhe River, the city has long been celebrated as a “city of splendid beauty.”

Today, Taiyuan stands as a modern city with a thriving ecosystem, vibrant energy, and a seamless blend of ancient heritage and contemporary progress. It embodies the qualities of a livable, business-friendly, and tourist-welcoming destination.

The clear waters of the Fenhe River reflect a remarkable ecological transformation

A healthy natural environment has become one of Taiyuan’s defining hallmarks. For Andy Edgren, an American who has maintained a deep connection with the city for more than four decades, the transformation of the Fenhe River is especially striking. 

Once plagued by water shortages, shrinking ecological space, and pollution, the river now flows with clear water, lined by lush green banks. Its revival reflects not only improvements in Taiyuan’s environment but also signals a fundamental shift in the development philosophy and way of life of this historically industrial city.

“The city has changed so much. When my father and younger brother saw what the Fenhe River looks like today, they could hardly believe it!” Andy said.

Andy first came to Taiyuan with his father in the 1980s. Both worked as English teachers at Shanxi University and lived in the city for more than three years. Since then, he has returned to Taiyuan about 50 times, staying for several months on each visit.

As the second-largest tributary of the Yellow River and the mother river of Shanxi, the Fenhe River had fallen into dire straits by the end of the 20th century: flooding in the rainy season, near-dry conditions in the dry season, and polluted water at other times. To restore the river’s ecosystem and improve the urban living environment, Taiyuan has carried out comprehensive management of the Fenhe River for more than 20 years.

Today, the Taiyuan section of the Fenhe River features 12 cascade impoundment lakes and 6.67 million square meters of artificial wetlands. The river maintains a stable water surface of 11.5 square kilometers and remains clean year-round, with a storage capacity of 30 million cubic meters that helps reinforce its ecological defenses.

“One of my favorite things to do in Taiyuan is to take an evening walk along the Fenhe River with friends. When the lights on the buildings and bridges along the river come on, they keep changing colors, like a rainbow,” Andy said. “I like Taiyuan. It’s a very livable city.”

The spirit of Shanxi merchants fuels entrepreneurial vitality

Three years ago, Mexican entrepreneur Mauro Arturo Salazar Zavala, known locally as Maodou, settled in Taiyuan with his wife, Yang Miao. It marked the start of his connection with the city. As Taiyuan undergoes industrial transformation, expands cross-border e-commerce, and grows its digital economy, it is emerging as a new hub linking inland China with domestic and international markets.

During his research, Maodou discovered that Taiyuan has assembled suppliers and specialty goods from all over Shanxi. Iconic local offerings including mature Shanxi vinegar, millet and other coarse grains, and intangible cultural heritage handicrafts align closely with consumer tastes in Latin America, boasting unique advantages for export. This inspired him to reframe his entrepreneurial approach and pivot to exporting Shanxi’s distinctive products.

In his search for quality goods, Maodou also found a “key” to understanding Taiyuan and Shanxi — the spirit of Shanxi merchants.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911), Shanxi merchants set out from Taiyuan and expanded their markets through integrity, cooperation, and mutual support. They sold Shanxi products across China and overseas, building a vast commercial network that connected far-flung markets. Their legacy helped shape Taiyuan’s open, inclusive, and outward-looking character.

Since the beginning of this year, Taiyuan has established a specialized cross-border digital industry park and promoted the integrated development of cross-border e-commerce and local specialty industrial clusters. The city continues to improve its foreign trade ecosystem and attract new talent to the sector.

“I can see Taiyuan’s e-commerce and trade ecosystem is becoming ever more vibrant, with a rising number of practitioners. We exchange experiences, share resources, and support one another, just as the ancient Shanxi merchants did,” Maodou remarked.

Rich cultural heritage connects the city’s past and present

For Andy and Maodou, Taiyuan’s enduring appeal also lies in its rich cultural heritage. They have visited ancient buildings, museums, and historical neighborhoods, recording the city’s transformation through their cameras while showing overseas audiences a more diverse and multifaceted Taiyuan.

At the Taiyuan Northern Qi Dynasty Mural Museum — China’s first mural museum built at the original site of the murals — Maodou put on a virtual reality headset and immersed himself in the process of archaeological excavation and mural conservation.

“Modern technology allows visitors to gain a more direct and clearer understanding of burial murals,” he said. “Technology has not diminished the weight of history. Instead, it has made this ancient civilization more tangible and accessible.”

The museum is one example of Taiyuan’s broader efforts to protect and make innovative use of its cultural heritage. The city currently has 2,237 above-ground cultural heritage sites and 541 sites under protection at various levels. It is also home to 108 museums.

Strolling along Bell Tower Street, visitors can see historical buildings alongside modern businesses, while traditional lanes have embraced new forms of commerce, including restaurants, live performances, and cultural and creative products.

“Today’s Taiyuan has both an ancient history and a vibrant modern side. I’m particularly drawn to the way the city brings together quiet charm and youthful energy,” Maodou said.

A city renewed

The ecological renewal along the Fenhe River, new opportunities created by cross-border e-commerce, and the fresh vitality brought to ancient buildings and historical streets by cultural development — all these changes are giving Taiyuan a new look.

For more than four decades, Andy has returned to Taiyuan time and again, sharing the city’s story with foreign friends around him on each visit.

“I tell them they really should come to China and see Taiyuan for themselves,” he said.

Xiong’an builds full-cycle ecosystem for aerospace information and satellite internet industries

By Shao Yuzi, People’s Daily

Xiong’an New Area in north China’s Hebei province is accelerating the development of its aerospace information and satellite internet industries. A growing industrial ecosystem now covers research and development, manufacturing, testing, launch, and in-orbit applications.

The latest milestone came on Aug. 19, when the Honghu-03 satellite, also known as Xiong’an-1, was successfully launched into orbit aboard a Zhuque-3 Y2 reusable rocket from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in Jiuquan, northwest China.

At the satellite intelligent operation and management center of Hongqing, China’s only fully integrated satellite constellation solution provider with full ecosystem capabilities, in the pilot production base of the Xiong’an Science and Technology Innovation Center, when telemetry signals from Xiong’an-1 appeared on a large display screen, staff members erupted in cheers.

As the first satellite developed and launched by Xiong’an New Area to enter orbit, Xiong’an-1 incorporates dozens of advanced technologies. Its successful launch marked the completion of a full-cycle industrial chain in the aerospace information and satellite internet sectors of Xiong’an New Area, spanning research and development and manufacturing to in-orbit applications.

Just a few years ago, aerospace information and satellite internet were still relatively new concepts in Xiong’an. In 2021, China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd. (China SatNet) was established there. In October 2024, the group officially relocated its headquarters to Xiong’an New Area. As a “chain leader” tasked with spearheading China’s development of aerospace information and satellite internet, the company has generated strong demonstration and spillover effects.

“China SatNet is here, so we came here too. Being closer to the chain leader helps us iterate our products faster,” said Chen Wei, chairman of CHIP LINKING INNO, a company focused on the R&D and production of high-end optoelectronic devices.

Chen spent more than a decade conducting research at the Institute of Semiconductors under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Sensing an opportunity in the emerging industry, he led a team to Xiong’an in 2023 to advance the R&D and production of key components for satellite laser communications, including lasers, amplifiers, and communication modules.

When Chen started his business in Xiong’an, the aerospace information and satellite internet industries were still in their infancy, with a relatively weak industrial foundation. What gave him confidence, however, were the new area’s clear and forward-looking industrial planning, supportive policies for talent and full-cycle services for businesses.

“Xiong’an connects innovation with industry. Companies across the upstream and downstream segments are gathering and developing here, and there will be even more platform resources in the future,” Chen said.

Today, CHIP LINKING INNO is far from the only company that has made its way to Xiong’an.

At the pilot production base of the Xiong’an Science and Technology Innovation Center, technicians at the satellite intelligent manufacturing workshop of Blue Arrow Hongqing (Xiong’an) Space Technology Co., Ltd. were testing a visual recognition system on an intelligent production line. Hongqing is currently applying AI and other emerging technologies to continuously improve production-line efficiency.

The development of industrial platforms is advancing in parallel. Equipment installation and commissioning have been completed at a shared satellite intelligent manufacturing center and shared satellite testing center in the second phase of the pilot production base. Nearby, construction is also moving ahead on a satellite super factory and a supporting base for the final assembly of commercial satellites.

“Once these industrial platforms become operational by the end of this year, Xiong’an will have the capacity to produce 300 satellites annually,” said an official with the industry, information technology, science and technology, and data bureau of Xiong’an New Area.

“Xiong’an New Area has made aerospace information and satellite internet the first industrial chain to receive priority deployment. We are creating favorable conditions, building platforms, opening up application scenarios, providing policy support, improving the business environment, and upgrading services to attract more companies and foster industrial clustering,” the official told People’s Daily.

“Our goal is to build Xiong’an into an important source of innovation for China’s commercial space industry and satellite internet sector, as well as a key supplier for the development of low-Earth-orbit constellations,” the official added.

Innovation resources are also rapidly gathering. Xiong’an is now home to 69 companies across the aerospace information industrial chain and nine innovation platforms.

As one of China’s pilot cities for the large-scale application of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), Xiong’an is also making active use of aerospace information technologies to support urban development and accelerate the rollout of “BeiDou +” applications.

At a smart construction site in the start-up area of Xiong’an New Area, construction equipment such as road rollers and asphalt pavers are equipped with the BDS. They can automatically plan their routes and adjust their operating pace, with positioning accuracy controlled to within centimeters.

Baiyangdian Lake, the largest freshwater lake on the North China Plain, is another example. In Anxin county, all 24 rural tourism piers and more than 1,500 vessels have been equipped with dedicated BeiDou terminals. High-precision BeiDou positioning enables continuous monitoring of vessel movements and intelligent scheduling of water-based tourism services.

Today, “satellite internet + BeiDou” is being applied in a range of scenarios in Xiong’an, including underground spaces, smart construction sites, and the low-altitude economy.

And BeiDou is only one part of the picture. An increasing number of aerospace information technologies are being put to practical use in Xiong’an.

Recently, CHIP LINKING INNO’s research team joined forces with a payload company in the new area to explore ways of bringing laser communications “from the sky to the ground.”

Baiyangdian Lake is dotted with numerous scattered islands, making it difficult to lay fiber-optic cables between them. The team is therefore building laser communication links to replace fiber optics, with a transmission range of up to 10 kilometers.

“Satellite internet technology is bringing about a transformation from the sky to the ground,” Chen said.

Looking ahead, his team will continue to tackle key technologies for ultra-high-speed laser communications while exploring a wider range of applications, with the aim of bringing the benefits of satellite internet technology to households across the country.

‎‎OLUYEDE: WHEN A GOOD MAN LEADS THE ARMED FORCES

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‎By Sunday Johnson
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‎“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” This observation, widely attributed to American basketball coach, John Wooden, captures something important about leadership; that the character of a leader is often revealed not by the speech he makes, but by the things he chooses to do when applause is absent.
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‎In General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede, Nigeria appears to have a military leader whose understanding of service goes beyond rank, uniform and command. Since assuming office as Chief of Defence Staff, he has continued to demonstrate that leadership in the Armed Forces is ultimately about responsibility, sacrifice and the welfare of the men and women entrusted with defending the nation.
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‎Oluyede’s journey to the highest professional position in Nigeria’s military establishment did not happen overnight. Born in Ikere, Ekiti State, in 1968, he joined the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987 and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1992. His career took him through some of the country’s most demanding theatres, including Liberia, Bakassi and the North-East, where he commanded troops under Operation HADIN KAI. Before becoming CDS, he served as Chief of Army Staff, bringing with him decades of operational and command experience.
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‎Perhaps the clearest window into the man Oluyede is, can be found in an interview he granted as Army Chief in 2025. Asked about the security situation across the theatres of operation, he did not pretend that the country had overcome all its difficulties. Instead, he acknowledged the challenges while pointing to measurable progress, observing that, despite the threats that remained, “by and large, things are getting better.” That mixture of realism and confidence says something about his approach. He does not need to exaggerate success to demonstrate leadership, nor does he deny the difficulties confronting the Armed Forces.
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‎For Oluyede, a soldier is not merely another instrument of war, he is a human being who must be trained, fed, housed and properly prepared for the dangers of the battlefield. That philosophy was evident when he disclosed that the Army had increased the daily ration cash allowance for troops from N1,500 to N3,000. He also spoke about affordable housing and other welfare initiatives designed to help personnel secure homes before retirement. These are not glamorous aspects of military command, but they matter greatly to the morale of a force whose personnel routinely place their lives between danger and the civilian population.
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‎What makes the welfare question even more significant is Oluyede’s understanding that taking care of soldiers does not end with putting food on their tables. In that same interview, he described training as the “best form of welfare” for a soldier because an inadequately trained soldier is vulnerable both to the enemy and to the demands of modern warfare. His efforts to expand and improve training capacity, including plans to reduce pressure on the Zaria training depot, reflected an attempt to build a force that is not simply larger in numbers but better prepared for the responsibilities placed upon it.
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‎His concern for the troops has also been matched by an appreciation of what the future battlefield looks like. Oluyede has consistently spoken about technology, intelligence, innovation and the need to anticipate emerging threats rather than merely react to them. As CDS, he has placed considerable emphasis on intelligence driven operations and stronger cooperation among the Army, Navy, Air Force and other security agencies. At his assumption of office, he made clear that Nigeria’s evolving threats demanded greater vigilance, innovation and unity across the security architecture.

‎That emphasis on joint operations is particularly important at a time when Nigeria’s security challenges cut across traditional boundaries. Terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft, maritime threats and other criminal activities cannot be effectively confronted by one service working in isolation. The early operational record under Oluyede’s tenure has provided evidence of the importance of this approach. Defence Headquarters figures for May 2026 showed that troops across the country neutralised 317 terrorists and other criminal elements, arrested 314 suspects and rescued 221 kidnapped or vulnerable civilians, while recovering 93 assorted arms.
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‎But numbers alone do not explain Oluyede’s appeal as a commander. There is also something deliberately human in the way he speaks about the people under his command. In his earlier interview, he repeatedly returned to the question of morale, stressing that his concern was to ensure that soldiers were “well-trained and well-catered for.” He discussed special allowances, affordable housing and zero-interest loan arrangements, showing that he understands that a soldier’s commitment to duty is strengthened when the institution demonstrates that it values his sacrifice.
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‎There is, too, a broader philosophy behind his leadership. Oluyede has argued that security is everybody’s business and that the military cannot defeat violent extremism without the cooperation of communities, intelligence agencies, the police, international partners and ordinary citizens. His comments about intelligence gathering in the North-East showed an understanding that contemporary insurgency is not fought solely with guns; it is also a contest for information, community trust and freedom of action. That recognition has encouraged a more integrated approach to national security, one that sees the Armed Forces as part of a wider national effort rather than an institution operating by itself.
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‎His vision also extends beyond the immediate battlefields to the question of Nigeria’s strategic independence. Oluyede has advocated greater local production of military equipment, arguing that a country facing its own security problems cannot indefinitely depend on imported solutions. During his Senate screening, he identified the development of Nigeria’s military-industrial capacity as one of the priorities of his tenure and called for greater investment in indigenous defence production.
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‎It is therefore easy to understand why the description of Oluyede as a “good man” resonates beyond the ordinary language of military commendation. Goodness in public service is not softness, nor is it the absence of firmness. It is the ability to exercise authority without losing sight of the human beings affected by that authority.
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‎Oluyede has shown the firmness expected of a commander while repeatedly drawing attention to the welfare, training and dignity of the personnel who carry out the Armed Forces’ most dangerous assignments. His record as CDS is still being written, but the emphasis on professionalism, jointness, innovation, accountability and troop welfare has already become a recognisable feature of his leadership.
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‎Ultimately, the worth of a military leader is measured not only by the orders issued from headquarters but by the confidence those orders inspire in the men and women who execute them. General Olufemi Oluyede came to the Defence Headquarters with decades of experience behind him and an enormous national responsibility ahead of him. His challenge is formidable, and the country’s security problems remain real.
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‎Yet his conduct so far offers a compelling reminder that when a good man leads, authority can be accompanied by empathy, discipline by compassion, and military strength by a genuine concern for those who bear its weight. That is the kind of leadership Nigeria’s Armed Forces deserve, and the kind of standard by which Oluyede’s tenure will ultimately be remembered.
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