The Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, has dismissed claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, stating that he was certain the United States had committed “another error in their intelligence gathering.”

The DG made the statement in response to Nigeria’s redesignation as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States government, a move that came after US President Donald Trump publicly accused Nigerian authorities of turning a blind eye to the killing of Christians.

In a post on his Truth Social platform over the weekend, Trump alleged that the Nigerian government had failed to protect Christians from persecution, declaring that the United States would “stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria” and might enter the country “guns a-blazing” if the killings continued.

However, Issa-Onilu, speaking during the monthly joint security press briefing held at the NOA headquarters in Abuja on Monday, said the allegations were false and unfair to Nigeria, arguing that even the US was aware that there was no systematic persecution of Christians in the country.

“Let me speak specifically to some of the import of the tweet. One is to say that the Christian genocide in Nigeria, I’m sure even America knows that is not true. This is not the first time that the intelligence of the United States has failed America.

“It failed them in Iraq. It turned out that there were no weapons of mass destruction, and they apologised. It failed them in Libya and many other instances. So I’m sure this is another error in their intelligence gathering,” Issa-Onilu added.

The NOA boss further stated that the recent shake-up among Nigeria’s security chiefs demonstrated that the country was working seriously to strengthen its internal security and address communal and religious violence.

“A country that is not working seriously on the issue of security will not take such drastic steps as the President just took last week, changing the top echelons of the military to ensure that the system is rejigged and empowered to do more,” he said.

Issa-Onilu disclosed that the National Security Adviser and the newly appointed service chiefs were expected to brief the media later on Monday afternoon from the Office of the National Security Adviser, where they would “provide an adequate response to the allegations of genocide.”

The United States first designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern in 2020, under the International Religious Freedom Act, citing what it described as the government’s failure to protect religious freedom and prevent attacks against minority groups.

The designation was later lifted in 2021 under President Joe Biden, following diplomatic engagements between both countries.

However, the latest redesignation has reignited debate over Nigeria’s human rights record and the accuracy of US intelligence assessments regarding religious violence in Africa’s most populous nation.

The Federal Government has consistently maintained that it is committed to protecting all citizens regardless of faith, citing recent counterterrorism operations and community peace-building initiatives as evidence of its efforts.

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Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, said his administration will continue to reconstruct and repair damaged federal highways in the state to ease the suffering of the people.

Okpebholo stated this on Sunday when he visited the Ogheghe–Ologbo axis of the Benin–Sapele Road, a section of the highway which has become almost unmotorable after the bypass, drawing widespread concern from motorists and residents.

PUNCH Online had reported that a petrol tanker caught fire on Saturday at the Ogheghe junction on Sapele Road after falling as a result of failed portions on the road.

In a video that circulated on Saturday evening, a man was heard saying that the incident happened at the Ogheghe junction by the bypass.

He noted that the tanker fell and caught fire as residents stayed away from the inferno.

In a statement on Monday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, Okpebholo said that after the major interventions on the federal roads by the state government, he would approach the Federal Government for reimbursement of funds spent.

He said he cannot sit back and allow the daily carnage on major federal highways, which the previous administration refused to repair in the state.

The governor expressed dismay at the deplorable condition of the road.

“This administration will continue to reconstruct and repair damaged federal highways in the state in order to ease the suffering of the people.

“You can see for yourself how terrible this place is. This place looks as if there has never been a government here ever. The PDP government, to me, is going to be blamed for this. On Saturday, a trailer fell and was burnt here.

“A lot of people lost their properties around here as a result of that. So today, I have come to see for myself what actually happened. The road is terribly bad.

“I think the best way to go is the way we are going now; to fix this road by ourselves and later revert to the Federal Government for reimbursement. What we are doing is to keep this place safe for our people to ply. The contractor is working despite today being Sunday,” Okpebholo said.

The governor’s Special Adviser on Project Implementation and Monitoring, Williams Bello, said that the 10.15-kilometre section was recently handed over to the Edo State Government by the Federal Ministry of Works when the Minister of Works visited the state.

“You can see that our governor is being proactive. The contractor, who was already handling 23.2 kilometres of the project, is now extending work to this newly conceded section. In the middle of the road, they are already excavating for the drains.

“This area has unsuitable materials that cannot absorb water. So, a major drainage channel, about 7.5 metres wide, is being constructed to carry stormwater towards the bypass where there will be a discharge point.

“Since we are now in the dry season, the contractor will be able to build up the road profile and lay the stone base,” Bello said.

General Manager of CBC Global Construction Company, who gave his name as Liao, said the firm had made significant progress on the ongoing 23.2-kilometre reconstruction work.

“For now, we have achieved almost 8 kilometres of stone base and 5 kilometres of Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP). After this bypass, we have about 7 kilometres on the right-hand side to complete.

“The major challenge before now was rainfall. But now that the rains have stopped, we are working on excavating the drainage in between to channel water out. Once that is done, everything will be much easier. I can assure you, and I believe this project could be completed before the next rainy season,” Liao explained.

Since assuming office, the governor has embarked on major road rehabilitation and reconstruction projects.

Apart from the intervention on Benin–Sapele Road, the state government has also done work on the federal road in Edo Central, while the Akoko Edo road in Edo North is also receiving attention.

The first bridge in the state is also nearing completion, while the construction of another bridge has also begun at Adesua Junction on Benin–Sapele Road.

These interventions reflect Okpebholo’s commitment to improving infrastructure and easing movement across the state.

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The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has called on West African nations to deepen collaboration toward building shared digital infrastructure and governance frameworks that will foster economic integration and self-determination across the sub-region.

Abdullahi made the call on Monday at the second West African Digital Governance Forum (WADGov) held in Abuja, which brought together representatives from 15 West African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, and host country Nigeria.

The event was jointly organised by the United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance, in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and supported by the German Development Agency.

The initiative, now in its second year, aims to foster dialogue among West African nations, promote shared standards, and create a roadmap for regional cooperation in digital governance.

Speaking in his keynote address, Abdullahi said Africa must move beyond mere technological adoption to designing inclusive, sustainable, and citizen-focused digital ecosystems.

He said, “We are grateful to host the second meeting of the West African Digital Governance Forum, a forum established to promote digital cooperation within African countries to develop policies, strategies, and frameworks that will help us build our own digital infrastructure. Because digital today is a lifestyle.

“Our citizens are online, therefore we need to make them online as well, as a government. To make them online is not something that will happen just by accident. We need to design it, we need to be intentional about it, and we need to collaborate in building that to make sure what we are building is sustainable.

“So to achieve that sustainability, it is beyond technology, because technology also is not our goal. Our goal is to use technology to deliver quality services to our citizens, to build trust, and to help our citizens get a delightful experience while consuming government services and other digital offerings in our country. And also, digital doesn’t have boundaries.

“We see solutions built to solve local problems, but they have gone to the global stage. Therefore, as Africa also, as we build solutions, we should build in that mindset. And when it goes beyond boundaries, that means there is a need to have common standards, there is a need to have protocols, there is a need to have policies that will make sure we integrate.”

He stressed that Africa must build “digital bridges” that connect countries and allow seamless exchange of digital services, data, and innovation across borders.

“In Africa, we have many policies that promote cross-border trading, and our people move across borders. But when it comes to digital services, it is easier to consume services in Europe, the US, and other parts of the world than to consume services from our neighbours. Just take, for example, a typical bank transfer; if you are going to do it today, you have to route it through either Europe or the US.

“If you want to make a call, it routes through there. Internet traffic as well. So why can’t we build that digital collaboration within ourselves, so that we can easily exchange services with our neighbours, media, gather, and so on, without travelling all the way to other parts of the world?

“The only way we can achieve this is through collaboration platforms like this. How can we articulate our vision, our strategy together, how can we build infrastructure bridges, digital bridges that can help us to exchange digital services between our neighbours? So we thank the UNUEGov and UNDESA for creating this platform, and GIZ also and other development partners for convening this meeting to see how we can explore, how we can share experiences, how we can work together to build digital public infrastructure for our region.

“So I know many countries are doing a lot in silos, but when we collaborate, when we exchange ideas, when we share experiences, we can easily build systems that can easily integrate and interoperate within our region. So this platform can help us to strengthen and deepen policy implementations, to build standards and protocols that can flow across borders, as well as to build our digital self-determination.”

According to him, achieving that vision requires regional partnerships, common standards, and policies that encourage interoperability and integration among West African nations.

The NITDA boss underscored that digital sovereignty, owning and controlling Africa’s data, was essential to the continent’s future independence and economic resilience.

“Whoever controls your data controls your future,” he said. “The only way for us to control our economy and our destiny is to control our data and build our own digital infrastructure.”

He added that Nigeria is already implementing key initiatives to enhance digital literacy, expand connectivity, and develop homegrown digital skills.

Among these are the National Digital Literacy Framework, which integrates digital studies from kindergarten to tertiary level, and the Three Million Technical Talent programme, designed to make Nigeria a “global talent factory.”

He further highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects such as Project Bridge, which aims to connect all Nigerians through a national fibre optic network and local cloud infrastructure.

Also speaking at the event, Arpine Korekyan, Governance and Public Administration Officer at UN DESA, commended Africa’s progress in adopting digital technologies but cautioned that challenges such as affordability, infrastructure gaps, and policy fragmentation must be addressed.

She observed that while Africa’s E-Government Development Index continues to improve, the continent still lags behind global averages in areas like online service delivery and citizen engagement.

“Digital transformation must remain human-centred, empowering people, enhancing participation, and leaving no one behind,” Korekyan said. “With strong political will and sustained investment, Africa can accelerate digital transformation and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”

A GIZ representative, Eva Scholtes, described the West African Digital Governance Forum as a critical platform for building sustainable partnerships.

She said, “This transformation is unstoppable, but without good governance, it risks deepening inequalities. That’s why we’re committed to supporting this community of practitioners to ensure inclusive and sustainable transformation.”

The Director of UNU-EGOV, Prof. Delfina Soares, said the forum forms part of a broader Global Forum on Digital Governance Initiative, which links regional platforms across Africa and Asia to share knowledge and coordinate policy innovation.

“The question before us is not merely how to digitalise government, but how to govern digitalisation,” she said. “West Africa must ensure that technology serves people, builds trust, and promotes prosperity for all.”

The West African Digital Governance Forum was launched in 2023 as a regional platform for cooperation on digital governance, policy harmonisation, and knowledge sharing among West African states.

It is part of a wider United Nations initiative to promote policy-driven electronic governance and create regional frameworks for inclusive digital transformation.

This year’s meeting will focus on critical themes such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data sovereignty, infrastructure development, and digital inclusion, key areas seen as essential to Africa’s long-term digital and economic resilience.

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