President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national football team, the Flamingos, following their historic qualification for the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The President commended the team for their impressive 3-1 victory over Brazil in Wednesday’s semi-final, describing their achievement as a remarkable milestone that has brought immense pride and joy to Nigerians at home and abroad.

In a statement issued on Thursday, November 5, by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu also praised the coaching crew and everyone whose hard work and support contributed to the team’s successful campaign.

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With the Flamingos set to face Japan in the final, the President urged the players to remain focused, confident and determined as they pursue the historic world title.

“I encourage you to approach the final with the same fighting spirit and belief that have brought you this far. I have confidence in your ability to make history by winning the coveted world title,” he said.

Tinubu also called on Nigerians to rally behind the young players, describing them as national ambassadors whose achievements continue to showcase the country’s sporting excellence.

He said the team’s performance would inspire a new generation of girls to pursue their dreams without limitations.

“Once again, Nigeria is proud of you. Go for the trophy, Flamingos!” the President added.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has disclosed its support for healthcare infrastructure in Sokoto State through the donation and subsequent handover of an Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) to the state government.

The development was contained in the company’s September 2026 Monthly Operations and Financial Report, which also highlighted its financial performance, oil and gas production, pipeline infrastructure and other operational activities.

According to the report, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Health visited the NNPC Foundation and NNPC Limited on September 1, 2026, to present a letter of appreciation to the Foundation for donating the Infectious Diseases Hospital and handing it over to the Sokoto State Government.

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The engagement provided an opportunity for the state government to formally acknowledge the Foundation’s intervention and support towards strengthening healthcare infrastructure in Sokoto State.

The report identified the engagement as part of the NNPC Foundation’s public impact initiatives.

NNPC Records ₦509bn September Profit

On its financial performance, NNPC recorded a profit after tax of ₦509 billion in September 2026, representing an 18.1 per cent increase compared with the previous month.

The company’s revenue also rose to ₦4.608 trillion from ₦3.74 trillion recorded in August, representing an increase of approximately 23.2 per cent.

Cumulative statutory payments to the Federation increased by 17.4 per cent, rising from ₦9.49 trillion between January and August to ₦11.14 trillion between January and September 2026.

Crude Oil and Gas Production

The report showed that average crude oil and condensate production stood at 1.70 million barrels per day during the period.

Natural gas production increased to 7,789 million standard cubic feet per day, while total hydrocarbon production reached 3.04 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.

The monthly operational summary also presented production and sales trends for crude oil, condensate and natural gas.

Pipeline Infrastructure Records Progress

On infrastructure development, NNPC reported 100 per cent availability of its upstream pipelines.

The company also disclosed that the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Gas Pipeline had reached 100 per cent completion, while the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline stood at 95 per cent completion.

According to the report, the OB3 River Niger Crossing pipeline had been commissioned and operationalised.

For the AKK pipeline, NNPC said sustained collaboration with stakeholders was helping to accelerate construction and pre-commissioning activities towards achieving early gas delivery to Abuja in 2026.

NNPC Reports 54% Retail Station Availability

The report also highlighted the availability of petrol at NNPC retail stations across the country, putting the nationwide Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) availability level at 54 per cent.

A geographical map showing retail station availability across different parts of Nigeria was included in the monthly operational summary.

NNPC Outlines Strategic Production Efforts

On efforts to sustain production growth, NNPC listed accelerated restoration of shut-in wells and facilities, production optimisation and well interventions among its priorities.

The company also highlighted efforts to strengthen facility reliability and preventive maintenance, address infrastructure and operational constraints, improve community engagement and resolve storage, tank-top and export infrastructure challenges.

These measures, according to the report, are aimed at sustaining production growth and improving operational efficiency across its oil and gas assets.

Former General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), John Ejoha Odah, has urged the Federal Government to develop a comprehensive employment strategy that provides jobs for young Nigerians before they graduate from educational institutions.

Odah said the government must adopt proactive employment planning by projecting the number of graduates expected to enter the labour market annually and making adequate arrangements to absorb them.

He made the call during an appearance on NTA’s Good Morning Nigeria on Wednesday, where he blamed the country’s persistent unemployment challenge on the failure of successive administrations to sustain national development plans.

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According to him, Nigeria’s political leadership has abandoned young people to their fate by failing to implement deliberate policies that create employment opportunities.

“The fundamental problem that we have in this country is the fact that our ruling elite have abandoned the Nigerian youth to their fate,” Odah said.

He explained that Nigeria previously operated five-year national development plans, which enabled the government to anticipate future employment needs and make arrangements for young people expected to graduate within two to five years.

The former NLC leader traced the worsening unemployment situation to the abandonment of national development plans between the late 1970s and 1985.

He also recalled the establishment of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), explaining that the agency was created as a stopgap measure to provide employment and self-employment opportunities for young Nigerians.

Odah, however, stressed that the NDE was never intended to serve as the country’s primary driver of employment.

“What we need is a comprehensive employment scheme based on development programmes and industries,” he said.

He further disclosed that during his time in the labour movement, efforts were made to establish a national job summit involving the Ministry of Labour, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other government institutions.

According to him, the initiative produced an employment plan presented to the National Executive Council, targeting the creation of at least four million jobs within four years across the federal, state and local governments.

Odah said the proposal was developed around 2005 but was abandoned after the administration under which it was initiated left office.

He expressed concern that Nigeria has yet to establish a coherent employment strategy capable of addressing the needs of young people entering the labour market.

The former labour leader warned that failure to address youth unemployment could further encourage social challenges, including irregular migration, as Nigerians continue to seek better opportunities abroad.