FG to Obasanjo: Don’t Pass Through Lagos- Calabar Highway Whenever It’s Completed
Flays ex-president for downplaying Tinubu’s Landmark Projects Says ex-Nigerian leader trying to rewrite history, neglecting own failures in office Accuses him of mishandling energy sector, nation’s refineries, overseeing fraudulent privatisation of NITEL
The federal government has asked
former President Olusegun Obasanjo and those criticising the Lagos-Calabar Highway, among other legacy projects of President Bola Tinubu not to pass
through the roads when completed.
Clarifying that the N15.6tn LagosCalabar Coastal highway project was not a wasteful and corrupt,
the government in another breath, took a swipe at Obasanjo for allegedly downplaying the importance of Tinubu’s infrastructure projects.
Obasanjo, in his recent memoir, had described the project as wasteful and corrupt, slamming Tinubu's administration for spending N21bn
on page 9
www.thisdaylive.com
El-Rufai: I
Know Those
Who
Paid
to
Be Ministers, Says No Regrets Supporting Tinubu
But
Hints Buhari gave his blessings, prayers before he exited APC Former president declares loyalty to party,
Tinubu Defends Reforms, Cardoso
on Economy, Says Time for Fear
Deji Elumoye and James Emejo in Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday, articulated the rationale behind his administration's economic reforms, saying the primary motive is to protect the interests of future generations, whose commonwealth, he says, has been frittered in the last five decades.
Tinubu made the remarks at State House, Abuja, while receiving a delegation of former National Assembly colleagues from the aborted Third Republic, when he served as senator for Lagos West. He highlighted the challenges
Continued on page 9
States Nigerians now hold assets in naira in sign of growing confidence Ribadu: Protecting local currency a national security obligation Declares naira abusers should face the law Usoro advocates financial inclusion for women, underserved groups Abia Businessman: How My
AT THE ONGOING MINISTERIAL PRESS BRIEFING SERIES...
L-R: Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, at the ongoing Ministerial Press Briefing Series in Abuja, yesterday
Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Fidelis David in Akure
Deji Elumoye and Chuks Okocha in Abuja
FROM BRAZIL WITH LOVE...
Tinubu: Maiduguri Airport Now International
African aviation varsity takes off in Abuja Minister receives Namibian Ambassador to Nigeria, discusses BASA, visa on arrival
Deji Elumoye and Kasim Sumaina in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has approved the upgrade of Maiduguri airport to international status, completing the establishment of international airports across all six geo-political zones of the country. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, made this public yesterday via his verified X handle, @SundayDareSD.
The move was expected to boost economic activities and enhance regional connectivity in the North-east.
With the upgrade, Maiduguri airport joined the ranks of international airports in Nigeria, improving access for travellers and facilitating trade and investment in the region.
Dare also confirmed the official take-off of the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU) in Abuja.
In a related development, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, received the Ambassador of Namibia to Nigeria, H.E. Humphrey D. Geiseb, in his office in Abuja.
Their interaction revolved around the existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Namibia and potential collaborations to enhance aviation connectivity between the two nations.
Geiseb, during the visit, highlighted the historical importance of Air Namibia's operations between
the two countries, stating that the national carrier previously connected Lagos to Accra and played a key role in facilitating travel between Namibia and Nigeria.
The specialised institution is set to advance aviation and aerospace education, positioning Nigeria as a key player in the sector within Africa.
The university is expected to provide world-class training in aviation management, aerospace engineering, and other related disciplines, contributing to the development of highly skilled professionals in the industry.
Dare, in the tweet on X, stated inter alia, "President Tinubu has approved the upgrade of the Maiduguri airport to the status of an international airport. This completes the round of international airports across the country with each geo-political zone having an airport.
"Equally, the African Aviation and Aerospace University, AAAU, takes off in Abuja."
However, Geiseb said Air Namibia faced financial difficulties and was eventually forced to cease operations following a government bailout.
He emphasised that currently it remained challenging to directly connect Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, with Nigeria, with travellers having to transit through Addis Ababa.
"While there are occasional flights via TAG Airlines, they are
not frequent enough to meet the demand for seamless travel between the two nations," he said.
The ambassador expressed his country’s desire to partner with Nigerian airlines to restore direct connectivity, citing ongoing discussions with Air Peace.
He encouraged Keyamo to engage with domestic airlines to explore potential collaboration opportunities.
Geiseb assured the minister that he would engage his counterpart, Namibia’s Minister of Aviation, to
arrange a possible visit to further strengthen the aviation cooperation between both countries.
In response, Keyamo expressed his support and shared a personal experience regarding the challenges in establishing direct flights in the region.
He referenced the successful Algeria/Lagos/Cameroon flight route, which was initiated after the Algerian ambassador proposed a direct connection, despite the close proximity between Nigeria and Cameroon.
The minister also mentioned that one of Nigeria's fast-rising domestic carriers, Xejet, which currently operated Sierra Leone’s national carrier, Air Sierra Leone, could be a potential partner in that venture. Additionally, the minister raised the issue of visa challenges between Nigeria and Namibia, recalling his own recent difficulties obtaining a visa, despite holding a diplomatic passport.
He urged the ambassador to work towards resolving the issues to facilitate smoother travel and
to open doors for more trade and investment relations between the two countries.
Keyamo and Geiseb agreed to collaborate on the matters to improve bilateral ties. The visit marked a significant step in fostering closer aviation and diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Namibia, with both parties saying they are committed to exploring new opportunities that will benefit their countries’ aviation sectors and promote greater economic cooperation.
FG Moves to Bridge Connectivity Gap to Foster Economic Growth
Minister: Airtel’s spam alert service will ensure online safety
Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has called on industry stakeholders to align with government to collectively address connectivity gaps and ensure that no one is left behind in the journey towards a fully connected and digitally empowered Nigeria.
Tijani expressed worry at the current connectivity gap in Nigeria,
Four TCN Towers Vandalised, Cause Outages in Rivers, Bayelsa
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday announced that a number of its electricity assets had again been destroyed, leading to supply outages in parts of Rivers and Bayelsa states.
A statement in Abuja by the General Manager, Public Affairs of TCN, Ndidi Mbah, stated that its engineers were battling to restore power to the affected areas, stressing that the towers were discovered after a failed trial reclosure that prompted a subsequent patrol.
“The Transmission Company of Nigeria regrets to inform the public that four of its towers along the Owerri-Ahoada 132kV double circuit line have been vandalised,
resulting in their collapse.
“The affected towers, T171 to T174, were compromised, which led to their collapse at approximately 6:23 pm on Tuesday, March 11. The towers were discovered after a failed trial reclosure that prompted a subsequent patrol,” the TCN stated.
According to the company, investigations confirmed that the towers' collapse was a direct result of vandalism.
The incident, it said, has disrupted power supply to the Ahoda, Gbarain, and Yenagoa 132kV transmission substations, affecting some parts of Rivers State and the entire Bayelsa State.
The TCN added that a team of engineers, led by the General Manager
of the Port Harcourt Region, Emmanuel Akpa, had visited the site to assess the extent of the damage.
“TCN is making frantic efforts to mobilise personnel and materials for the repair of the vandalized towers so that the bulk power supply can be restored to the affected states.
“We condemn this act of vandalism, which continues to undermine efforts made to put in place a robust transmission grid. We are again calling on host communities to join us in the urgent fight against the vandalism of power infrastructure,” it added.
Also, the TCN has said that to enhance grid stability and mitigate power system disturbances, it has inaugurated a network monitoring system development committee.
where millions, particularly those in remote and underserved communities, were disconnected from digital opportunities.
He spoke yesterday in Lagos during an industry-focused stakeholder’s engagement forum, organised by the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF).
In a related development, Tijani stated that the launch of Airtel’s spam alert service across its African operations, beginning with Nigeria, will ensure safety of its Nigerian customers when connected to the internet via their mobile phones and other smart devices. The minister said this in Lagos yesterday during the launch of the solution, which is Africa’s first spam alert service designed to protect Airtel customers from millions of fraudulent spam messages sent across networks by hackers.
Meanwhile, speaking in Lagos during an industry-focused stakeholder’s engagement forum, organised by USPF, Tijani said despite efforts by government to bridge connectivity gap in the past, the gap still existed, especially among those in unserved and underserved communities.
He stated, “Over the last 25 years, Nigeria has made significant strides in expanding connectivity and strengthening our digital technology infrastructure.
“In recent years, broadband penetration has been growing significantly, bringing millions of more Nigerians online and enabling new opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital inclusion.
“Today, however, there are still millions of Nigerians on the fringes of digital transformation who are yet to have access to reliable connectivity.
“Many communities – particularly rural areas – face significant barriers, including inadequate infrastructure and limited digital literacy. These gaps not only hinder personal and business growth but also limit the full potential of Nigeria’s digital economy.”
Tijani added, “The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) has been a critical instrument in the federal government’s mission to extend connectivity to these communities.
“By supporting infrastructure expansion, fostering local innovation, and driving inclusive policies, the USPF aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s goal of enabling meaningful and affordable connectivity for all Nigerians.”
According to him, the federal government, through the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, is driving transformative projects aimed at unlocking digital opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
He listed some of the projects to include the 90,000km fibre optic expansion, designed to improve broadband penetration across Nigeria; and Project 774 initiative purposed to ensure that every local government secretariat in Nigeria benefitted from high-speed connectivity.
The others were the Universal Access, a game-changing initiative targeted at connecting over 20 million Nigerians, who had no access to digital services; the National Broadband
Alliance of Nigeria (NBAN) aimed at driving universal high quality broadband access; and The 3 Million Technical Talent programme (3MTT), among others.
Speaking on the theme, “Strengthening Partnership for Sustainable Telecommunication Infrastructure in the Unserved and Underserved Communities: Collaborating for Sustainable Growth,” Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, said, “The theme reflects our collective commitment to ensuring equitable access to telecommunications services for all Nigerians, especially those in unserved and underserved communities.
“The engagement is particularly aimed at bringing key industry stakeholders together to provide valuable insights on strategies that can be adopted to enhance USPF interventions and serve as a feedback mechanism to build partnerships for Nigeria’s digital future.”
According to Maida, the evolving telecommunications landscape necessitates innovative and collaborative approaches to ensure long-term viability in delivering connectivity to unserved and underserved populations.
He called for a multi-stakeholder approach that will explore innovative financing models to attract investment in rural telecommunications; leverage emerging technologies and alternative power solutions for sustainable connectivity; and promote policies that incentivize collaborative participation in connectivity projects.
Emma Okonji
L-R: Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos Garcete; Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister, Mauro Vieira; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila during the President’s audience with the Brazilian envoy at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday
PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI.
PRESENTATION OF 2025 LAGOS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE...
Front Row L-R: Chairman, Lagos State Inland Revenue Service (LIRS), Mr. Ayodele Subair; Chairman, Presidential Tax Reform Committee, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele; Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget (MEPB), Lagos State, Mr. Ope George; Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Sam Egube;President of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES), Prof. Adeola Adenikinju; Permanent Secretary, MEPB, Mrs. Olayinka Ojo and . Back row: Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Tolani Ali-Balogun; his counterpart for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende; Special Adviser to the Governor on Taxation and Revenue, Mr. Abdul-Kadir Ogungbo; Commissioner for Housing, Mr Moruf Akinderu-Fatai with others., during the presentation of 2025 Lagos Economic Development Update themed: Lagos Economic Outlook: Charting a Resilient Path Towards a Sustainable Future, held in Alausa, Ikeja ... recently
Stakeholders Query Excesses of Governmentowned Enterprises, Urge Edun to Rein Them In
Want their budgets included in national appropriations Seek effective coordination among MDAs, other tiers of govt Edun: lack of single-source data affecting Nigeria's rating by global agencies Uzoka-Anite: we've implemented over 50% of capital vote for 2024
Ndubuisi
Stakeholders from different walks of life have queried the operations of Government-owned Enterprises (GOEs), including the passage of their budgets by the National Assembly outside annual national appropriations, and their breach of extant laws.
They urged Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, to call the GOEs to order.
The government-owned companies fingered included Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian
Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Federal Inland Revenue Service, and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The stakeholders' position flowed from the opening session of a two-day high-level interactive session with members of the National Assembly and heads of agencies, organised by the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, yesterday. The event, themed, "Strengthening Collaboration for Sustainable
Financial Management and National Development," was attended, among others, by ministers, members of the National Assembly, Head of Service of the Federation, retired and serving top civil servants, and high-ranking officials of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government.
The tone was set by a former senator, and Presidential Adviser and Liaison to the National Assembly, Seantor Ita Enang, who presented the keynote address at the event.
Citing Sections 21 & 22 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, Enang stated that the Act provided that the
budget of the government-owned corporations or agencies by whatever name called shall be submitted to the minister, who will cause same to be attached as part of the draft Appropriation Bill to be submitted to the National Assembly.
However, he frowned on a situation where such a provision was flouted by government-owned agencies, which submitted their budgets separately from the national budget presented by the president.
Enang stated that the budgets were also supposed to be considered and approved alongside the entire
House Approves Tax Reform Bills After Extensive Consultations
Adedayo Akinwale and Juliet Akoje in Abuja
The House of Representatives has approved the Tax Reform Bills submitted by President Bola Tinubu following the consideration and approval of the report of the House Committee on Finance.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. James Faleke, submitted the report before the House at the plenary yesterday and it was subsequently approved.
In a related development, Hon. James Faleke, has also assured Nigerians that the tax reform bills will result in laws that are fair and beneficial to all citizens.
Speaking to journalists yesterday in Abuja, after the House adopted the report on the four tax reform bills, Faleke emphasized that extensive consultations were made before finalizing the bills.
The bills are: Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
The four bills were read for the first time on the 8th of October 2024. However, the debate on the Bill had to be suspended following the controversy generated by the bills. However, the debates on the bills were put on hold due to the controversy generated by the bills with some Northern lawmakers
vehemently kicking against the bills.
The debates on the bills later degenerated into a North/South issue, especially as regards the sharing formula of Value Added Tax (VAT).
Recall that the National Economic Council (NEC), a body that comprises the governors and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, urged the president to withdraw the bills for further consultations.
Nevertheless, a defiant Tinubu refused, saying that all concerns should be addressed in the National Assembly.
Following the consideration of the bills by the House, the bills would now be ready for third reading before its eventual passage.
While presenting the report for consideration by members, Faleke revealed that all the contentious areas of the bills were considered by the committee during a six-day retreat and resolved.
According to the reports on the Nigeria Revenue Service bill, it was suggested at the public hearing that the representative of the Board would be picked from the 36 states.
Also, the power to distrain conferred on the Service to be subject to a valid court order.
Concerns that the definition of ‘tax’ as contained in the Bill may encroach on the revenue collection function of other agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service were addressed.
On the Nigeria Tax Administration
Bill, the committee recommended that the Joint Revenue Board should establish uniform guidelines regarding the accreditation of tax agents, and that this be subject to certification by the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, being the professional tax body in Nigeria.
It was also recommended that regulations relating to the State Revenue Service and Local Government Tax Boards be removed, as the inclusion is ultra vires of the powers of the National Assembly.
It recommended proposed restriction of the president’s powers to exempt/waive tax payments by introducing an annual limit for such exemptions and waivers.
It was suggested that there was a need to clearly describe and define what constitutes attribution and derivation for the purpose of distribution of Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue.
Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill:
It was recommended to the tenure and retirement age of the Secretary to the Tax Appeal Tribunal be deleted and include new qualifying conditions for the Coordinating and Zonal Secretaries of the Tribunal.
It was suggested that the newly created Office of the Ombud to the Tribunal be scrapped as the former creates an additional layer of costs without proportional benefits, in addition to leading to overlapping jurisdictions between the two bodies.
Nigeria Tax Administration Bill: It was further suggested that the Joint Revenue Board should establish uniform guidelines regarding the accreditation of tax agents, and that this be subject to certification by the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, being the professional tax body in Nigeria.
national budget and not approved separately by the finance/ appropriation committees. He condemned the activities of the agencies, and said they now operated as if they were above the law.
Enang called on Edun and other supervising ministers to bring the government-owned enterprises under control.
During a panel discussion, Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris UzokaAnite, confirmed Enang's concerns over the GOEs.
Uzoka-Anite stated that since she was appointed minister in 2023, neither the agencies under her former ministry nor the ones under her supervision in her current portfolio presented their budgets to her.
Alhaji Aliyu Ahmed also corroborated that, saying during his about four years stay as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, the GOEs did not present their budgets to the finance ministers.
Ahmed called for adherence to extant laws.
He expressed concerns about the operations of the government-owned companies, which always came up with high operational costs any time their revenue generation profile rose.
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, called on the ministers to ensure compliance with relevant laws regarding agencies under their supervision.
Oyedele advised that agencies that failed to toe the path of existing laws by submitting to their supervising ministers should not have their budgets approved.
On his part, Enang urged Edun to rein in the GOEs as the coordinating minister of the economy.
Edun, who joined the interactive session virtually, expressed concern over the lack of single-source data. He regretted that various departments and agencies of government churned out different data, a development that affected Nigeria's credit rating by global rating agencies.
Edun stated that the federal government planned to optimise assets and enhance resource mobilisation as a strategy to curb borrowing. According to him, the Tinubu administration prioritises sustainable macroeconomic stability by aligning fiscal and monetary policies. He stated, “Our primary goal under President Bola Tinubu’s administration is to ensure that our fiscal policy remains strong, consistent, and aligned with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) monetary policy while remaining focused on maximizing national interests.
“This collaboration and cooperation, which I also see resonating at the Sustainable Energy for Development event I am attending, extend beyond government. It includes a strong partnership between the government and the private sector.
Dangote Flags Off N16bn National Food Intervention Project in Kano
Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
Over one million Nigerians nationwide will receive a 10kg bag of rice each as the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) Thursday launched the 2025 Annual National Food Intervention Project in Kano.
Speaking at the ceremony, chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Mr. Aliko Dangote, said the distribution would capture most vulnerable Nigerians in the 774 Local Government Areas is in line with the core values of his company and foundation.
Dangote, represented by his daughter, Maria Aliko Dangote, said: “This annual initiative, which embodies compassion, solidarity, and
shared responsibility, is part of our response to the current economic challenges facing our nation.
He said the foundation was kicking off the distribution in Kano State, after which it will proceed to other states, while ensuring that the food reaches those who need it most in all the Local Government Areas of Nigeria.
Mr. Dangote who is Africa’s wealthiest person said food remains a basic human necessity, and this is why the Aliko Dangote Foundation adopted the practice of embarking on a food distribution programme across the states.
“We are collaborating with state governments to ensure that the food reaches the most vulnerable
individuals in each state,” he added. Governor Abba Yusuf who flagged-off the Annual National Food Intervention Project said the intervention reflects the unwavering commitment of Mr. Dangote in addressing poverty and hunger in Nigeria.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gworzo, said 120,000 bags of 10kg rice will be distributed across the 44 local government areas of the state. He described Mr. Dangote as humane, adding that: “A similar event took place last year where he personally oversaw the distribution of food stuff to the poor in this very arena.”
Francis in Abuja
CORONATION MERCHANT BANK STAKEHOLDER FORUM...
L-R: Elected Council Member, Chartered institute of Banker of Nigeria
Merchant Bank, Mr. Paul Abiagam HCIB; President/Chairman of Council, CIBN, Prof. Pius Deji Olanrewaju, Ph.D, FCIB; Registrar/Chief Executive, CIBN, Mr. Akin Morakinyo, HCIB; and Elected Council Member, Mr. Pascal Nsoromotu, FCIB, at the stakeholder engagement at Coronation Merchant Bank in Lagos…. yesterday
2025 Allocation: Tinubu Approves Over N700bn for TETFund Beneficiary Institutions
Varsities get N2.8bn each; polytechnics N1.92; COEs N2.1bn
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has approved over N700 billion as 2025 allocation to beneficiary institutions of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). This was disclosed by Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, during the 2025 Strategic Planning Meeting held with heads of the institutions on Thursday in Abuja.
TETFund also announced its 2025 intervention disbursements with each Nigerian university set to receive over N2.8 billion, while each polytechnic will receive N1,994,335,731.71, and Colleges of Education will get N2,178,428,260.79 each.
Speaking at the 2025 Strategic Planning Meeting, Echono said, “I am pleased to inform you that Mr. President has approved the year 2025 disbursement guidelines in the total sum of N700 billion.”
According to him, the 2025 disbursement allocation is structured as follows: total Direct Disbursement of (91.08 per cent), made up of (48.90 per cent) as Annual Direct Disbursement, (42.18 per cent) as Special Direct Disbursement, Designated Projects (8.72 per cent), and Stabilisation funds (0.20 per cent).
He stated, "Our intervention activities have increased significantly, aligning with national priorities outlined in the Education Sector Road Map under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and championed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa."
Echono added, "In line with federal government’s directives, all physical infrastructure development allocations for 2025 shall be directed toward the upgrading, rehabilitation and renova-
tion of dilapidated infrastructure in our beneficiary institutions."
He stated the fund had significantly increased the allocation for research and innovation, academic staff training and development, as well as manuscript and book development.
Echono charged heads of beneficiary institutions on early implementation of their allocations, and advised them to consult widely with their communities in the implementation of TETFund projects and also ensure timely payments to contractors and vendors when due.
"I urge all heads of beneficiary institutions to ensure the full utilisation of their 2024 and previous allocations, while fast tracking the procurement process to access their 2025 allocations,” he said.
Echono fleshed out the disbursement details at a strategic workshop with heads of beneficiary institutions on the 2025 disbursement guidelines in Abuja also on Thursday.
He said, "Under this current disbursement cycle, each university will get N2,560,562,352.66 under normal allocation, with an additional N300,000,000.00 for zonal allocation, making N2,860,562,352.66 for each university.
"Each polytechnic will get N1,794,335,731.71 for normal allocation, with N200,000,000.00 for zonal allocation, amounting to N1,994,335,731.71.
"Each College of Education will receive N1,978,428,260.79 for normal allocation, with N200,000,000.00 for zonal allocation, amounting to N2,178,428,260.79."
The executive secretary said in line with the federal government’s directives, all physical infrastructure
development allocations for 2025 would be directed toward the upgrading, rehabilitation, and renovation of dilapidated infrastructure in beneficiary institutions.
He said, "This was communicated to you earlier to enable you to consult widely and prepare your projects ahead of time. You were also advised to employ the services of your consultancy units and/or physical planning units in the preparation of projects.
"Under the current disbursement cycle, the Fund has significantly increased the allocation for research and
innovation, academic staff training and development, as well as manuscript and book development.
"It has also significantly increased the number of beneficiary institutions for its special and designated projects.”
Echono said the 2025 disbursement allocation is structured as follows, "The total direct disbursement of 91.08% is made up of 48.90% as annual direct disbursement and 42.18% as special direct disbursement. Designated projects account for 8.72%, while stabilization funds are 0.20%. In this regard, each category of beneficiary
institution has been allocated the annual direct disbursement as follows.
"Under the special direct disbursement category, key initiatives include increased funding and expanded participation in the Special High Impact Programme (SHIP), completion of the National Library building in Abuja, establishment of mechanised farms in some universities, and accelerated provision of student hostels through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and direct construction in fulfilment of the president’s promise to Nigerian
students and in furtherance of plans for our institutions.
"Other key focus areas in the 2025 disbursement guidelines include expanding infrastructure to enhance student intake for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists in our universities and colleges of medicine, adoption of medical simulation and technology to improve curriculum delivery and patient care, provision of alternative power to selected beneficiary institutions to mitigate current difficulties in coping with energy costs.
AbdulRazaq: High Rate of Out-of-School Adolescent Girls in Nigeria Worrisome
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has expressed concern about the high rate of out-of-school children, specifically adolescent girls, in the country, describing it as worrisome.
Speaking in Ilorin on Thursday during a stakeholders’ meeting on the Implementation of the NEEDS Assessment of Out of School Girls and Young Women in the state, the governor said his administration would work with relevant stakeholders to address the trend and boost the quality of education.
The programme is a sub-component of the Kwara State Adolescent Girls
Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE).
The event was organised by the Kwara AGILE and a non-governmental organisation in the state, ABYEM Helping Aid Foundation.
Represented at the event by the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hon. Lawal Olohungbebe, the governor said, "The rate of out-of-school children, specifically adolescent girls, is worrisome in the country.
"It is not doubtful that this case is
more prevalent in the northern part of the country, which Kwara State is not totally exempted.
"The incident is detrimental to the society, which requires the support of all stakeholders to salvage it."
The governor explained that AGILE Project had factored the occurrence, stressing that a sub-committee, known as Second Chance, has been designed to critically assess and amend the case of out-of-school children.
"It is designed to make children who have missed conventional educational
system to learn through non-formal educational centres” he stated.
The governor said, "One of the wings of the second chance education is the vocational training. The role of the consultant is to identify the livelihood and marketable skills for the implementation of the out-of-school programme to give second chance education and empowerment to our adolescent girls and young women in the state. This will improve their economic prosperity and financial confidence for sustainability."
Wale Igbintade
An Abia businessman, Eke Agbai Eke, has sued First Bank of Nigeria over an alleged fraudulent withdrawal of N550 million from his fixed deposit account at the bank’s former Abiriba branch, now relocated to Uzuakoli.
In his lawsuit, filed by his lawyer, Ebuka Nwaeze, the claimant stated that First Bank has refused to return his deposit, which he originally placed at the Abiriba branch to help sustain the bank’s presence in his community.
The claimant stated that as a community leader, he viewed the deposit as a contribution to local development.
The alleged fraud came to light in December 2023 when Eke discovered he could no longer access his personal account through the bank’s mobile app and was unable to reach the Business Development Manager.
Upon visiting First Bank’s Gwarinpa branch in Abuja, he was reportedly informed that N550 million had been withdrawn from his fixed deposit in six consecutive
transactions—even though he was in Umuahia at the time of the unauthorized deductions.
Following this discovery, Eke demanded the liquidation of his fixed deposit, but months passed without any action from the bank.
After multiple complaints, First Bank launched an internal investigation, which resulted in the dismissal of no fewer than nine senior officials allegedly linked to the fraud.
While First Bank’s legal counsel declined to comment, the plaintiff's lawyers have now brought the matter to the attention of the public.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Nigeria will soon enter into a partnership with United Kingdom's Zander Corporation to transform agricultural practices and restore degraded lands in the country's most vulnerable ecological zones.
This is just as Vice President Kashim Shettima stressed the federal government remains steadfast in its commitment to afforestation as a key strategy in combating desertification, promoting sustainable land use, and ensuring long-term agricultural productivity.
The Vice President disclosed this on Thursday during a meeting with the management of the bio-technology company led by Lord Raymond Benedict Asquith, the 3rd Earl of Oxford, and Asquith OBE, a member of the UK House of Lords at the State House, Abuja. According to him: “There is a critical intersection between innovative technology and efforts at combating desertification and agricultural transformation in this country.
Corporation has donated £250,000 worth of afforestation technology products to Nigeria. Shettima noted the need to maximise the potential of the five-hectare pilot project, suggesting diversification into vegetable production and tree crops such as cashew, which has a high global demand.
"As a nation committed to afforestation and sustainable land use, we recognise the value of partnerships that introduce cuttingedge technologies like those from Zander Corporation". As part of the collaboration, Zander
“We are in a unique position to take advantage of this opportunity. I want to assure you and your team of the federal government’s support. Sokoto State has already demonstrated commitment, and I believe that Borno and Katsina governments will also embrace this initiative,” the Vice President said.
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
(CIBN), Mr. Adeleke Adeola Ayandele, FCIB; Ag. MD/CEO, Coronation
NSIA, SEforALL, Others Unveil $500 Million Distributed Energy Renewable Fund for Nigeria
Organisations set to raise Africa's 3% of global solar investments
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), as well as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Africa50, have announced an innovative partnership for a $500 million renewable fund for Nigeria.
The Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) Nigeria fund is expected to help develop and finance distributed renewable projects in Nigeria. The NSIA, SEforALL and Africa50 signed the fund’s Heads of Terms (HoTs) agreement at the SEforALL global forum in Barbados.
Chief Executive of SEforAll, Damilola Ogunbiyi, said that the launch of the DRE Nigeria Fund marked a pivotal moment in the collective efforts to address Africa’s energy access challenges.
“This Fund will attract the long-
term patient capital required to scale projects, especially from institutional investors. With the Fund’s targeted focus on scaling up decentralised energy solutions, we are one step closer to achieving universal energy access across Nigeria,” Ogunbiyi said.
The DRE Nigeria fund is the first country-focused DRE fund established under the DRE Africa platform which will develop and invest in distributed renewable projects across Africa, aligning with the Mission 300 goal to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
The aim of the DRE Nigeria Fund is to raise financing to offer tailored financial instruments and attract private sector capital while addressing critical challenges such as currency volatility, tariff structures, and the limited availability of local currency financing options.
Targeted investments will support
mini-grids, solar home systems, Commercial and Industrial (C&I) power solutions, embedded generation projects, and innovative energy storage technologies.
This will ensure more reliable and cost-effective power access for Nigerian homes and businesses. A key objective of the Nigeria DRE Fund is to catalyze local currency funding from pension funds, insurance companies, and other local institutional investors.
The DRE Nigeria Fund, co-managed by Africa50 and NSIA, would serve as a model for other country-specific funds across the continent that are expected to be launched under the DRE Africa Platform.
Also In his remarks during the launch, Managing Director of NSIA, Mr. Aminu Umar-Sadiq, emphasised the fund’s strategic importance.
“The DRE Africa platform represents another major step in our commitment
to unlocking Africa’s renewable energy potential. With the DRE Nigeria Fund, we are creating a scalable model to attract global investments, drive industrial development, and enhance energy access for millions of Nigerians and Africans at large.
“This initiative underscores our belief that sustainable infrastructure is critical to economic transformation, and we are proud to collaborate with SEforALL, ISA, and Africa50 to turn this vision into reality," Umar-Sadiq stated.
The DRE Nigeria Fund is expected to benefit from catalytic capital from the International Solar Alliance, through the recently announced Africa Solar Facility.
Sharing his congratulations on the announcement and expressing solidarity with the partners and the mission, Director General-elect of the International Solar Alliance, Mr.
TINUBU DEFENDS REFORMS, CARDOSO UPBEAT ON ECONOMY, SAYS TIME FOR FEAR IS OVER
he faced at the beginning of his administration, and said they were mainly economic and social.
The president’s comments came as Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, allayed fears about the fate of the Nigerian economy, assuring that the worst is over and a period of relief and recovery is at hand.
Similarly, National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, said safeguarding the naira was a national security obligation.
Ribadu vowed to sustain existing collaboration between his office and the apex bank to stem abuses and sabotage of the naira.
Cardoso and Ribadu spoke yesterday in Abuja at a CBN and security agencies' engagement session with
the theme, "Security and Efficiency in Cash Cycle Operations."
Tinubu expressed his gratitude to the delegation of former legislators, especially, for their support in the difficult times.
He stated, "For 50 years, Nigeria was spending money of generations yet unborn and servicing the West Coast of our sub-region with fuel. It was getting difficult to plan for our children's future.
"We faced serious headwinds, when I took over, very challenging times. Nigeria would have been bankrupt if we had not taken the actions that we took, and we had to prevent the economy's collapse."
The president declared that the administration had been able to stem the ugly tide. He expressed
appreciation to Nigerians for their collective support in the efforts to turn things around.
He said, "Today, we are sitting pretty on a good foundation. We have reversed the problem; the exchange rate is stabilising. Food prices are coming down, especially, during Ramadan. We will have light at the end of the tunnel."
Tinubu said firm adherence to democratic tenets was the best route to economic, social, and political development.
He told the former legislators, "I am happy that you are holding to your belief in democracy. I thank you for keeping faith and remembering how we started. Some people missed the ball. Some leadership failed, but we kept the faith with our democratic
beliefs and freedom and the right to aspire to the highest office in the land. I am benefiting from it."
Speaking earlier on behalf of the group of Third Republic legislators, Senator Emmanuel Nwaka expressed his delight at some of the programmes the Tinubu administration had implemented, especially, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP).
Nwaka said, "I appreciate you for what you are giving to students because the student population is the largest demographic in the country. I've spoken with many of them, and many have benefited from it.
"And the next one is the CREDICORP. That's a major way of fighting corruption. You see, a young man,
FG TO OBASANJO: DON’T PASS THROUGH LAGOS-CALABAR HIGHWAY WHENEVER IT’S COMPLETED
it a misplaced priority and conduit designed to embezzle public funds.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, urged Nigerians to ignore comments by Obasanjo that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was wasteful and corrupt.
He made the assertion during his working visit to Ondo State for a 2nd interactive session on the Ondo State axis of the 71km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
The meeting, which held at the Government House, Akure, was a follow-up to the first stakeholders meeting held on October 31, 2024 on the project.
Specifically, Umahi asked those criticising the project and other legacy projects of President Bola Tinubu not to pass through the roads when they are completed.
Insisting that the project was not wasteful and corrupt, Umahi stated that the project was transparent, and that people had the right to be jealous and angry.
The minister, who said the alignment unveiling was the final stage of the route approval, reminded Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State to issue revocation order on the route in line with the laws of the land, adding that the alignment had reduced the route from 75km to 71km.
Umahi assured Ondo residents that President Tinubu was determined to complete all inherited projects and the four legacy projects of his administration, noting that all the senatorial zones were covered by the four legacy projects.
"The man (Obasanjo) deserves our respect. I have not read the book but the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is not wasteful and corrupt. Anybody criticising the project is waking up to say how can one man (Tinubu) be attributed to these types of projects," he said.
Speaking on other federal government projects in Ondo State, Umahi said they were looking into the issue of compensation so that the contract would not he stalled.
He said dualisation of the IleshaAkure-Benin Highway was stalled by funding but assured the people that the contractor was bound to make the road motorable.
Earlier, Aiyedatiwa reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the successful completion of federal road projects in the state, emphasising the crucial role of infrastructure in driving economic growth and development.
Aiyedatiwa thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the increase in federal presence in Ondo State through many infrastructure projects, including the ongoing Ore-Ondo-Akure dualisation project, the federal teaching hospital and new aviation school, among others.
He said: “We have not had it so good in recent times with federal projects in our State. Permit me to mention but a few: the Akure–Ore Dual Carriageway, the Akure–Ado Ekiti Dual Carriageway, the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, and the Federal University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Akure.”
He further stressed the importance of completing these projects, noting their potential to boost economic activities in the state and the SouthWest region.
He also appealed for additional federal support to actualise critical projects such as the Ondo Deep Sea Port and the mitigation of the Ayetoro sea incursion.
In a related development, the Presidency, while taking a swipe at Obasanjo the Special assistant to Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, accused Obasanjo of attempting to rewrite history while neglecting his own failures while in office.
In a verified post on X, @DOlusegun, Olusegun descended on the ex-president, saying his claims in the memoir would “further relegate his integrity as the leader, who opened Nigeria to the cankerworms of corruption.”
According to the presidential aide, "By underplaying the importance of the Lagos-Calabar project in his latest book, President OBJ has not only affirmed to those who witnessed his administration’s several failures to address the needs of the country when he had the opportunity, but he has also put in written form a position which generations to come will indeed question."
He accused Obasanjo of failing to deliver on key infrastructure
projects during his eight-year tenure, particularly in his home state of Ogun.
According to Olusegun, the LagosIbadan Expressway, one of Nigeria’s most crucial road projects, stagnated for 16 years under Obasanjo and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), until former President Muhammadu Buhari revived it.
He said, “Despite spending eight years in government and failing in his attempt to force himself on Nigerians for a further four years as President, Baba Obasanjo failed woefully in addressing the infrastructural needs of his state.
“Indeed, it took former President Buhari just three years to deliver the first modern rail to pass through Baba’s backyard in Abeokuta."
Olusegun further accused Obasanjo of mishandling Nigeria’s power sector, failing to revive the nation’s refineries, and overseeing a fraudulent privatisation of NITEL.
He disclosed that Tinubu was now making the tough decisions that past leaders, including Obasanjo, failed to
take.
“President Tinubu will not be deterred by distractions such as these,” he stated, insisting that Nigerians who prioritise development would remain focused on the administration’s progress.
According to him, Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a key project under Tinubu’s administration, was expected to significantly boost Nigeria’s economy and improve connectivity along the nation’s coastline.
Alongside other major road projects like the Sokoto-Badagry Highway and the Lagos-Abuja Highway, he said it represents a bold infrastructure push by the current government.
Olusegun suggested that instead of attempting to diminish Tinubu’s achievements, Obasanjo should reflect on his own legacy.
His words: "President Obasanjo must emulate others before him by returning to his writing board to at least attempt to explain to Nigerians why he failed to help Nigeria transition into a proper country under his leadership."
Ashish Khanna, said that mobilising private investments and promoting catalytic finance through grants and equity was the key to a sustainable, energy-secure future for Africa.
According to him, the region currently receives only 3 per cent of global solar investments. “We’ll begin with Nigerian homes and businesses and then take it to all countries of the continent,” he added.
Also commenting on the announcement, Africa50 CEO, Alain Ebobisse, said in his remarks, described it is a strong partnership with solid partners which can be a game-changer in accelerating investment in distributed renewable energy across Africa.
“ This innovative collaboration aims to unlock the right financing instruments to fund projects at scale and help solve the energy access gap in Africa, bringing power to millions of Africans, driving economic growth
you come out of school, you want to buy a car, you have to put down cash, you want to buy a house, and you are not married, but with the CREDICORP, you can get things done. I'm following their activities; we are delighted."
Other members of the delegation were Senator Bako Musa, Hon. Terwase Orbunde, Hon. Wasiu Logun, Hon. Amina Aliyu, High Chief Obi Anoliefo, and Hon. Eze Nwauwa.
Meanwhile, Cardoso said the most difficult part of the country’s economic journey had passed. He said there was growing confidence in the naira, with more and more people now choosing to keep their assets in the local currency.
Cardoso attributed the successes recorded in efforts to strengthen the naira, partly, to the immense support provided by the office of the NSA (ONSA). He said Ribadu took it upon himself to rally other security agencies to deal with the situation.
The CBN governor said what transpired between the apex bank and ONSA during the "very difficult" period "contributed to the stability of what we have today”.
He stressed that he remained grateful for the continuous support of the NSA, following unprecedented attacks and pressure on the naira.
Cardoso stated, "There's nothing to be afraid of; we have seen extremely difficult times...the time for fear is over."
Cardoso reiterated the need to further collaborate with security agencies to preserve the gains achieved so far. He underscored the critical role of security in safeguarding Nigeria’s financial system and ensuring the seamless execution of the apex bank's mandate.
He also acknowledged the invaluable roe of the security agencies in financial stability and economic integrity.
Nevertheless, the CBN governor pointed out that recent experiences highlighted pressing challenges that
required urgent attention and closer collaboration.
He said disruptions in cash movement, disparate pricing for security escort services, and the commoditisation of cash by Point of Sale (POS) merchants and bank agents remained emerging concerns that impacted financial system efficiency.
Cardoso also said administrative issues, including End-User Certificate administration, necessitated structured engagement between financial institutions and security agencies to ensure compliance without impeding essential banking operations.
He said beyond the cash cyclerelated concerns, the central bank had continued to face broader security challenges that affected its operations.
Cardoso listed the challenges to include security coverage for CBN premises and currency movements. He highlighted the limited availability of armed security personnel, particularly in regions experiencing heightened criminal activities.
He also bemoaned inter-agency communication gaps, especially delays and procedural bottlenecks in obtaining necessary security clearances for CBN-approved operations, including foreign currency evacuations.
Cardoso said investigative scrutiny, particularly instances where CBN officials were summoned for routine approvals, impacting operational efficiency and regulatory confidence, needed to be reviewed.
Other concerns raised by the central bank boss included uncoordinated treatment of Cash-in-Transit (CIT) services, especially arrests and detentions of banking and CIT personnel, as well as seizures of consignments without consideration for the bank’s operational needs.
He drew attention to the inconsistencies in security service provisions across different police commands, leading
Continued on page 35
EL-RUFAI: I KNOW THOSE WHO PAID TO BE MINISTERS, SAYS NO REGRETS SUPPORTING TINUBU BUT DISAPPOINTED the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Perhaps sensing some mischief, Buhari, had immediately clarified that he remained a loyal member of the ruling APC, adding that he would not work against the party that gave him the opportunity to become president.
In an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, El-Rufai, who explained that he never lobbied to become a minister under Tinubu administration, said, “That was what they always said. But the question is: Did I lobby to become a minister? I know those who paid money to become ministers.
“Perhaps, if he (President Tinubu) privately made a promise to appoint me, he would have denied it. But he publicly begged me in Kaduna to come and work with him.
“Even at that, I did not accept his request until we sat privately to discuss the issue. He (Tinubu) said power problem has become an issue to Nigeria’s development, and successive leaders have failed to solve the problem.
“He (Tinubu) sought my support
to achieving his dream of becoming the president, who solves the power problem. It was in the light of this challenge, I accepted to consider working with him. I thought he was he serious,” he said.
On whether he had regrets supporting Tinubu to become president, he said, “Well, I can’t say I regretted, but I am disappointed.”
Speaking on his meeting. With Buhari, he said he met with the former president on Friday, March 7 and informed him about his plan to leave the ruling party.
He said he consulted the former president because he was among the few people he recognised as political godfathers, capable of stopping his political decisions.
“I met with him (Buhari) on Friday, and told him about my consultations in preparation to leave the party. I sought his blessing and prayers and told him about the new party I am joining. And he gave his blessing,
prayers and wished me success.
“He (Buhari) told me that he is now a statesman, and we are the politicians. He said he knew we had good intention, and then prayed for us. What next? I quit their party, and challenged them to eat the party if it is food,” el-Rufai said.
Asked by the BBC whether he quickly left the APC in order to avoid expulsion, el-Rufai said he wished he was sacked instead.
His words: “Well, it would have been better for me if they expelled me. I have stated many times that APC would be my last political party. Had they expelled me, they would have saved me the troubles of explaining why I left the APC. As I said, I have not left the APC, but the APC rather left me.”
Meanwhile, Buhari has clarified that he remained a loyal member of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress.
The clarification, he stressed, was without reference to any individual, a cast of characters or issues, principles and ideals currently being discussed
by party leaders at various levels. The ex-president, in a statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, reiterated his loyal membership of the APC and that he would like to be addressed as such. He said he wanted to leave no one in doubt that he would never turn his back to the party that gave him two terms of office and would do whatever he could to popularise it.
“I am an APC member and I like to be addressed as such. I will try to popularise the party by all means,” he stated.
He added that at present, he had nothing but gratitude for the support that the party gave him before and during his tenure as president, which he considered the highest honour, and would never ask for anything more.
Buhari further stated that the pains taken by the founding fathers of the party to establish a strong party to protect the constitution, and democracy as a system of government were worthy sacrifices that should be cherished and nurtured.
for businesses and communities across the continent,” he said. He added: “We look forward to welcoming additional partners to the platform in the near future. The Fund’s core value lies in mobilising institutional capital
Damilola Ogunbiyi
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION PLC
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN (“the Company”) is scheduled to hold on, Wednesday April 9, 2025, at the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton Abuja, 1, Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama, Abuja, F C T at 10.00 a.m. to transact the following businesses:
ORDINARY BUSINESS
that the 19th Annual General Meeting ( AGM”) of Transnational Corporation Plc
1. To lay before the members, the Audited Financial Statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2024, together with the Repor ts of the Directors, Auditors and Audit Committee thereon.
2. To declare a dividend.
3. To approve the appointment of Mr. Chiugo Ndubisi as a Non-Executive Director of the Company.
4. To re-elect the following Directors retiring by rotation:
4.1 Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, CFR;
4.2 Dr. Stanley Lawson; and
4.3 Dr. Toyin Sanni.
5. To authorise the Directors to fix the remuneration of the Auditors for the 2025 financial year
6. To disclose the remuneration of Managers of the Company
7. To elect members of the Statutor y Audit Committee.
SPECIAL BUSINESS
8. To fix the remuneration of Non-Executive Directors.
9. To consider and if thought fit pass the following as ordinar y resolutions:
9.1 “That the Company be and is hereby authorised to invest in, acquire, or divest from any business and/or carr y out as the Directors may deem appropriate and in accordance with any relevant laws, any actions, including but not limited to restructuring, reorganization, reconstruction and such other business arrangement exercise or actions.
9.2 “That subject to regulator y approval (where necessar y), the Directors, be and are hereby authorised to take all steps and do all acts that they deem necessar y in fur therance to resolution 9.1 above, including but not limited to executing and filing all such forms, papers or documents on information with appropriate authorities, as may be required; appointing professional advisers and par ties that they deem necessar y upon such terms and conditions that the Directors may deem appropriate.”
9.3 “That in compliance with the Rule of the Nigerian Exchange Limited governing transactions with related par ties or interested persons, the Company and its related entities be and are hereby granted a general mandate in respect of all recurrent transactions entered with a related par ty or interested person provided such transactions are of a revenue or trading nature or are necessar y for the Company's day-today operations. This mandate shall commence on the date on which this resolution is passed and shall continue to operate until the date on which the next Annual General Meeting of the Company is held.
Dated this 12th Day of March 2025 BY ORDER OF THE BOARD
Ms. Atinuke Kolade Group Company Secretar y FRC/2019/PRO/NBA /002/00000019306
NOTES
1. PROXY
Any member of the Company entitled to attend and vote at this meeting is also entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and vote in his/her stead. A proxy need not be a member of the Company. For the appointment of the proxy to be valid, a proxy form must be completed and deposited either at the office of the Company's Registrar corporatemeetings@africaprudential.com not later than 48 hours before the time fixed for the meeting.
or via email at
A blank proxy form is attached to the Annual Repor t and may also be downloaded from the Company's website at www transcorpgroup.com.
2. LIVE STREAMING OF AGM
The AGM will be streamed live via the Company's www transcorpgroup.com.
3. DIVIDEND
If the dividend recommended by the Directors is approved by the shareholders at the AGM, dividend would be paid by Wednesday, April 16, 2025, to the shareholders whose names appear in the Company's Register of Members at the close of business on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
4. CLOSURE OF REGISTER
The Register of Members of the Company will be closed from Friday March 28, 2025, to Thursday April 3, 2025, (both dates inclusive) for the purpose of dividend payment and updating the register
5. NOMINATION TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
In accordance with Section 404(6) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 (CAMA), any member may nominate a shareholder for election as a member of the Statutor y Audit Committee by giving notice in writing of such nomination to the Company Secretar y at least 21 days before the AGM. CAMA fur ther provides that members of the Statutor y Audit Committee should be financially literate.
6. E-DIVIDEND REGISTRATION
Notice is hereby given to all shareholders who have not done so to open bank accounts, stockbroking accounts and CSCS accounts for the purpose of receiving dividend payments electronically A detachable application form for e-dividend is attached to the Annual Repor t to enable all shareholders furnish par ticulars of their accounts to the Registrar as soon as possible.
7. PROFILES OF DIRECTORS FOR APPOINTMENT AND RE-ELECTION
The profiles of Mr Tony O Elumelu, CFR Dr Stanley Lawson and Dr Toyin Sanni who will be retiring by rotation and will be standing for re-election are amongst the profiles of Directors that are provided in the 2024 Annual Repor t and on the Company's website at www transcorpgroup.com.
8. UNCLAIMED DIVIDEND WARRANTS AND SHARE CERTIFICATES
Shareholders are hereby informed that a number of share cer tificates and dividend warrants which were returned to the Registrars as unclaimed are still in the custody of the Registrars. Any shareholder affected by this notice is advised to contact the Company's Registrars, Africa Prudential Plc, 220B Ikorodu Road, Palmgrove, Lagos, or via email at corporatemeetings@africaprudential.com to lay claim.
9. E- ANNUAL REPORT PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE
In order to improve deliver y of our Annual Repor t we have inser ted a detachable form in the 2024 Annual Repor t and hereby request shareholders to complete the form by providing their contact and any other requested details and thereafter return same to the Registrars for fur ther processing. Additionally an electronic version of the 2024 Annual Repor t is available on the Company's website at www transcorpgroup.com.
10. NO VOTING BY INTERESTED PARTIES
In line with the provisions of Rule 20.8 (2)(h) Rules Governing Related Par ty Transaction of Nigerian Exchange Limited, interested persons have under taken to ensure that their proxies, representatives, or associates shall abstain from voting on resolution 9.3 above.
11. RIGHTS OF SHAREHOLDERS TO ASK QUESTIONS
Shareholders have a right to ask questions not only at the Meeting, but also in writing prior to the Meeting, and such written questions must be submitted to the Company on or before Friday April 4, 2025.
ABUJA , 1, AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA , ABUJA , F C T AT 10.00 AM.
I/ WE
being a member/members of TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION PLC, hereby appoint:
or failing him, the Chairman of the meeting as my/our proxy to act and vote for me/us and on my/our behalf at the Nineteenth Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held on Wednesday April 9, 2025 at the Congress Transcorp Hilton Abuja, 1, Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama, Abuja, F C T at 10.00 a.m. and at any
A member (shareholder) who is unable to attend an Annual General Meeting is allowed by law to vote by proxy This proxy form has been prepared to enable you exercise your right to vote, in case you cannot
Please
To lay before the members, the Audited Financial Statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2024, together with the Repor ts of the Directors, Auditors and Audit Committee thereon
To re-elect Mr Tony O Elumelu, CFR, a Director retiring by rotation. 5 To re-elect Dr. Stanley Lawson, a Director retiring by rotation.
6 To re-elect Dr Toyin Sanni, a Director retiring by rotation.
7 To authorise the Directors to fix the remuneration of the Auditors for the 2025 financial year
admit the Shareholder named on this Card or his duly appointed proxy to the Annual
of the Company to be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at Transcorp Hilton Abuja, 1, Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama, Abuja, F C T at 10.00 am.
This admission card must be produced by the Shareholder in order to gain entrance into the Annual General Meeting. Name of
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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Sixty-Fourth (64th) Annual General Meeting of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (‘the Company’) will hold at the Event Centre, 20th floor, Nigerian Exchange Group House, 2-4 Customs Street Lagos, on Wednesday, 9 April 2025 at 11:00 a.m. prompt to transact the following businesses:
ORDINARY BUSINESS
To receive the Company’s Audited Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, and the Reports of the Directors, Auditor, Board Evaluation Consultants and Audit Committee thereon.
To declare a final Dividend.
To re-elect the following Non-Executive Directors that are retiring by rotation:
a. Mr. Nonso Okpala; b. Mrs. Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman; and
c. Mrs. Mosun Belo-Olusoga.
To authorise the Board to fix the remuneration of the external auditors.
To disclose the remuneration of Managers of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc.
To elect/re-elect members of the Statutory Audit Committee. NOTE
(a)
A shareholder entitled to attend and vote at the Annual-General Meeting is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and vote instead of himself/herself. A proxy need not be a shareholder.
Further, CAMA provides that all members of the Audit Committee shall be financially literate, and at least one (1) member shall be a member of a professional accounting body in Nigeria established by an Act of the National Assembly. Consequently, a detailed resume and copies of qualification certificates should be submitted with each nomination.
4. BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF DIRECTORS FOR RE-ELECTION
Biographical details of Directors submitted for re-election are contained in the Annual Report.
5. QUESTIONS FROM SHAREHOLDERS
Shareholders reserve the right to ask questions not only at the meeting but also in writing prior to the meeting on any item contained in the Annual Report and Accounts or on any matter. Please send questions, comments or observations to Investors Relations by e-mail to IR@ngxgroup.com not later than 2 April 2025. Questions and answers will be presented at the Annual General Meeting.
Dated this 25th day of February 2025 By Order of the Board
Ag. Company Secretary NGX Group House 2/4, Customs Street Lagos, Nigeria
(b)
A blank proxy form is attached to the Notice and may also be downloaded from Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group)’s website at www.ngxgroup.com
(c)
All instruments of proxy should be duly stamped at the Stamp Duties Office and deposited at either the registered office of NGX Group’s Registrars, DataMax Registrars, (2C GbagadaOworonshoki Expressway, Gbagada, Lagos) or via email to datamax@datamaxregistrars.com or contactcenter@ngxgroup.com at least forty-eight (48) hours before the time of holding the meeting.
(d)
PAYMENT OF DIVIDEND
If the proposed Dividend of N2 per every N0.50 Kobo ordinary share is approved, it will be payable on Wednesday, 9 April 2025, to shareholders whose names appear in the Register of Members at the close of business on Thursday 13 March 2025. Shareholders who have completed the e-dividend mandate forms will receive direct credit of the dividend into their bank accounts on the payment date.
(e)
CLOSURE OF REGISTER AND TRANSFER BOOKS
Notice is hereby given that the Register of Members and Transfer Books of the Company will be closed from Friday, 14th day of March 2025 till Monday the 17th day of March 2025 both days inclusive for the purpose of preparing an up-to date Register of Members.
LIVE STREAMING OF AGM
The AGM will be streamed live to enable shareholders and other stakeholders who are unable to physically attend to follow the proceedings online. The link for live streaming will be made available on NGX Group’s website at www.ngxgroup.com
STATUTORY AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit Committee consists of three (3) Shareholder representatives and two (2) Directors. In accordance with Section 404 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (CAMA), any shareholder may nominate a shareholder for election as a member of the Audit Committee by giving notice in writing of such nomination to the Company Secretary at least twenty-one (21) days before the Annual General Meeting.
Politics
Oborevwori: From Underdog to Man of the People
Barely two years of his election as Governor of delta state, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori is not only winning awards and recognition for good governance, but the support of deltans and Nigerians as he navigates the complex politics of the state. Igho Akeregha examines his rising profile.
He was an underdog before the general elections in 2023. Counting days to the crucial Delta state gubernatorial election held on Saturday, March 18th 2023, some of his closest political allies and friends deserted him to join the opposition.
Undeterred, Candidate Oborevwori, as he was then, navigated the complex political terrain of the state to win the election. He thus triumphed despite the intricate web of conspiracy and political adversity.
The road to the Delta state Government House, known as “Dennis Osadebey House” was very rough and turbulent for Oborevwori.
He defeated a formidable opponent, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, a former Deputy President of the Senate who wielded massive political influence before the election, to emerge the fourth democratically elected governor of Delta state, created from the old Bendel state on August 27th, 1991.
The topsy-turvy path for the governor was scary and unpredictable from the onset. Many considered him an underdog in the race. In the calculation of his opponents, he was least qualified. They therefore underrated him. But many in the opposition ignored two critical principles. The divine wish of God and personal destiny.
These two principles worked in favour of Oborevwori to win the election. Since his victory, he has been delivering massive economic development and unprecedented infrastructure across the three senatorial districts of the state.
With his MORE Agenda, Oborevwori is breaking boundaries. He is pragmatically delivering meaningful development and creating opportunities for all Deltans, implementing realistic reforms across all sectors while also enhancing the peace and security of the state for development and harmonious coexistence.
In less than two years in office, the Governor has undoubtedly entrenched his administration in the minds of many Deltans who admire him for his humility and accountability, virtues that have become potent weapons for subduing his critics.
To achieve the objectives set out in the MORE development agenda, the Oborevwori administration emplaced a Standing Committee on Projects Inspection headed by the Governor. The committee regularly visits project sites across the state to assess progress of ongoing projects.
Whenever the Governor is not available to lead the team, the Deputy Governor takes charge and this approach, quite novel, is yielding results.
During a recent tour of completed and ongoing projects by the Governor in Asaba and its environs, Oborevwori, who is known as a contractors nightmare for his meticulous scrutiny of projects warned that “if you are my friend and you fail to do a good job, I am ready to sacrifice our friendship in the interest of Deltans”.
Those who are close to the Governor, including engineers in the state ministry of works, are aware that he places a high premium on details as spelt out in the Bills of Quantity. Sources say that he does not compromise on quality and standards and anyone who does, faces instant penalties including contract revocation.
Governor Oborevwori personally supervises projects across the state and physically takes measurements of rods and other construction materials including asphalt and cement quality to ensure conformity with requirements and integrity test of roads and structures.
The administration, in February 2025, demonstrated that it would not tolerate under hand dealings and corruption in project execution when it demoted two serving engineers for issuing certificates of job completion on road projects which were yet to be completed.
The affected officers, Gabriel Evuarhere and Samuel Nwokolobia, were demoted from Deputy Director to Assistant Director and Assistant Director to Chief Engineer respectively. The action was sequel to a letter conveying the outcome of a disciplinary committee signed by William O. Ogolokpe for the Head of Service.
Evuarhere was found culpable of corruption, dishonesty, and failure to adhere to laid down procedure and was reduced in rank by one salary grade level from the post of Deputy Director (Civil Engineer) SGL 16 to that of Assistant
Director (Civil Engineer), SGL 15 with effect from 1st January 2024. Similarly, Nwokolobia was indicted for corruption, dishonesty, and failure to adhere to laid down procedure and also reduced in
APC’s Two Secretariats in Akwa Ibom
rank by one salary grade level from the post of Assistant Director (Civil Engineer) SGL 15 to that of Chief Civil Engineer, SGL 14 with effect from 1st January 2024.
The action of the Governor immediately sent shock waves across the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the state government that the he will not spare erring officials. The action further demonstrates his resolve to wield the big stick against corruption and dishonesty when necessary.
During a recent inspection of road projects in Asaba, the state capital and its environs, Oborevwori personally caught some of the contractors napping. This resulted in the cancellation of some of the contracts over shoddy work while others were punished for abandoning site.
As the inspection team comprising the Governor, Commissioners, Engineers and the State Press Corps drove round the sprawling Asaba metropolis and communities adjoining the state capital, some of the contractors who had abandoned their sites and others who merely showed their presence without adequate deployment to site quickly mobilised back to work.
Many traders and market women trooped out to cheer the Governor as he walked on foot to inspect street roads and other ongoing projects in the capital city.
Emotion ran high among the traders as the surging crowd called out his chieftaincy title of ‘Ukodo’, translated to mean “There is enough for all”. Indeed, not a few Deltans are convinced that the Governor has enough infrastructure development for all.
-Akeregha writes from Abuja.
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and Other Matters
Etim Etim writes that the akwa Ibom State Chapter of the all Progressives Congress runs two parallel secretariats in Uyo, the State capital amid the many troubles facing the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the All Progressives (APC) has two secretariats in Uyo, the state capital. They stand four kilometers apart, separated by acrimony and bad blood, but bonded by decay and abandonment. They are a clear restatement to the parlous conditions of the party in the state, long strewn in crisis, bitterness and infighting.
At one end of the party are the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Minister of Petroleum (Gas), Obong Ekperikpe Ekpo; former presidential adviser, Senator Ita Enang; Chief Victor Antai, Executive Director, NDDC; Mrs Eunice Thomas, Board member, NNPC; Chief Imo Akpan, Commissioner, RMAFC; Chairman, Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, Dr. Emaeyak Ukpong, among others.
At the opposite end are former minister of Petroleum, Atuekong Don Etiebet; former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Umana Umana; former managing Director of NDDC, Obong Nsima Ekere; former military governor of Ogun State and Rivers State, Group Captain Sam Enwang (rtd); Senator Nelson Effiong, among several others.
The two camps do not see eye to eye and, as the saying goes, when two elephants fight, the grass suffers. In this case, the grass has not only overgrown the secretariats, but the party members have become despondent; dejected and disappointed.
In 2018, APC was a large, formidable party in Akwa Ibom, poised to wrestle power from the PDP. Nsima Ekere, then Managing Director of NDDC, was getting set to contest for the governorship ticket of the party and go on to slug it out with Governor Udom Emmanuel,
who was going for his second term re-election. APC’s Secretariat was then located at 149, Ikot Ekpene Road, an old three-storey building built in the 1970s. The building was initially occupied by the PDP, until it moved to another location in 2016. Today, PDP is occupying a purpose-built secretariat. The imposing building at 149 Ikot Ekpene Road remained vacant until 2018 when APC moved in there with the financial support from Ekere. In August 2018, just as APC was moving into the property, Senator Godswill Akpabio defected from the PDP to the party, creating a buoyant and upbeat mood among the rank and file. But there were leaders like former governor Victor Attah who warned publicly that Akapbio’s entry into the party would weaken, rather than strengthen it. Many people did not take him seriously.
Trouble started in 2021 and since then, the party has not remained the same. In October of that year, APC conducted its congresses to elect party leaders and delegates for the various party primaries in preparation for the 2023 elections. Senator John James Akpan Udoedehe, the interim National Secretary of the Party, was leading the charge. Akpabio was Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, but there was no love lost between the two men. They have been political enemies since 2009 when Udedehe defected from PDP to ACN.
With the congresses concluded, Austine Ekanem, an Udoedehe acolyte who was the State Secretary, was elected State Chairman with 1,278 votes, to beat Stephen Ntokekpo, the youth leader, who scored only six votes. Dr. Ita Udosen, who was the Acting Chairman (the chairman, Ini Okopido, had died the previous year), was elected South-South Zonal Secretary at the National Convention. All the ward executives and State Officers of the Party were carefully selected and put in place by Udoedehe who was also preparing to run for the 2023 governorship election. Austin Ekanem was duly sworn into office by the Party’s Acting National Chairman, Abubarkar Bello, (then the governor of Niger State) on March 7, 2022. Bello stood in for the then National Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, who was on medical vacation.
-Etim writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.
March 17, 1972 - March 4, 2025
bonds are unbreakable. Some friendships stand the test of time. And losses shake us to our core.
vy hearts, we mourn the of our dear friend and sister, Fetuga, one of us, always. A member of International School Class of '87, she was a light us, full of warmth, laughter, and
absence is deeply felt, yet the love shared, the memories we built, and she touched will never fade.
o r d i s c l o s e t o t h e brokenhearted and saves those who crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18
comfort in knowing that she is but we will always remember Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones.
We carry you with us, always.
Oyinkansola Fetuga
ProPerty & environment
Emodi: I’m Committed to Developing Spaces That Drive Growth, Sustainability
Azubike Emodi is the MD/CEO, Afriland Properties Plc, a foremost real estate development company in Nigeria. Emodi tells Bennett Oghifo his interest in real estate was sparked by its transformative power and that as the MD/CEO of Afriland Properties, he’s committed to developing spaces that drive growth and sustainability. His focus is to unlock Afriland’s strong fundamentals, solid market reputation, and immense growth potential
Tell us about yourself and what sparked your interest in real estate. I have always been passionate about building lasting value; not just in structures but in businesses, people, and communities. Real estate offers a unique opportunity to shape the landscape of cities, influence economic growth, and provide solutions to one of humanity’s most essential needs, shelter. My interest in real estate was sparked by its transformative power. How a single project can redefine a neighbourhood, create jobs, and enhance the quality of life. This passion has guided my career, and now, as the MD/CEO of Afriland Properties, I am committed to developing spaces that drive growth and sustainability.
Can you share insights into your background in real estate and the key roles you’ve held?
Over the years, I have worked across different areas of the real estate industry, from property development and investment strategy to asset management. My career has been defined by leading high-impact projects, driving growth strategies, and ensuring efficient execution of real estate solutions that align with market demands. At Afriland Properties, I bring a wealth of experience in corporate leadership, strategic planning, and operational excellence, ensuring we remain at the forefront of Nigeria’s dynamic real estate sector.
How does it feel to lead Afriland Properties Plc, and what are your immediate and long-term plans for the company?
Leading Afriland Properties is both an honour and a challenge, one that I embrace fully. Afriland is a company with strong fundamentals, a solid market reputation, and immense growth potential. My focus is to unlock that potential and take the company to new heights. The immediate priorities include: strengthening customer experience through service excellence, accelerating the completion of key ongoing projects, increasing our portfolio size, and enhancing investment strategies for increased returns. My focus long-term will be on expanding Afriland’s footprint across Nigeria and beyond, developing sustainable, smart, and affordable real estate solutions and positioning Afriland as the go-to brand for real estate investment, development, and management.
Afriland Properties is recognised as a key player in Nigeria’s real estate sector. What, in your view, sets the company apart from its competitors?
We are not just developers; we are real estate solution providers. What sets us apart is our ability to create high-value, well-managed, and future-proof properties. Our competitive edge lies in not just having a diverse portfolio covering property development, investment, facility management, and technical consultancy, but also in our strategic execution. We have a good track record of delivering projects on time and within budget and more importantly, ensuring that our developments meet real market needs.
What are the core values that drive Afriland’s success, and how do they translate into your project execution?
Afriland is built on 3 Es: Excellence, Execution, and Enterprise. We maintain the highest standards in project quality and service delivery. We are solution-driven, ensuring that ideas don’t just remain ideas but become reality and we take on bold, innovative projects that transform landscapes and lives. These values drive our approach, from concept to completion, ensuring that every project delivers value for investors, communities, and the economy.
What are your thoughts on the Lagos property market, and what do you see as its biggest challenges?
The Lagos property market remains one of the most dynamic and lucrative in Africa. However, key challenges persist: Affordability issues - high costs of land and construction make housing inaccessible to many. Regulatory bottlenecks - Developers face delays due to lengthy approval processes.
Infrastructure gaps - Poor road networks, inadequate utilities, and unreliable power supply affect property values. To unlock the full potential of the Lagos market, there must be a collaborative effort between private developers, policymakers, and financial institutions to improve housing accessibility and investment returns.
What advice would you give to prospective investors in real estate?
Do your due diligence; verify land titles and approvals before making commitments. Consider location carefully - Accessibility and infrastructure are key to property appreciation. Invest for the long term - Real estate rewards patience. The best gains come from strategic, well-researched investments. Partner with reputable developersCompanies like Afriland Properties
Plc ensure transparency, quality, and return on investment.
Housing finance remains a critical issue in Nigeria. What are your thoughts on the country’s mortgage system, and what reforms do you think are necessary?
Nigeria’s mortgage system is largely underdeveloped, with high interest rates and short repayment periods discouraging homeownership. Necessary reforms to be implemented include: Lowering mortgage rates to make home loans more accessible, encouraging private-public partnerships to finance affordable housing and digitising land title registration to increase access to mortgage financing. These are just a few but if properly implemented with proper framework, they will considerably move the needle as it concerns improving the mortgage culture in Nigeria.
What role should the government play in making homeownership more accessible to Nigerians?
The government can provide land at subsidised rates to developers for affordable housing, improve infrastructure in urban and suburban areas to make housing more attractive, and offer mortgage-backed incentives to encourage home financing.
What upcoming projects should we expect from Afriland, and how will they reshape the real estate landscape?
Do your due diligence; verify land titles and approvals before making commitments. Consider location carefully - Accessibility and infrastructure are key to property appreciation. Invest for the long termReal estate rewards patience. The best gains come from strategic, well-researched investments.
We are actively working on exciting new developments, including:
Afriland Estate, Karmo - A smart, fully residential neighborhood in Abuja, offering affordable, high-quality homes. The Residences II, Ikoyi - A premium residential project designed for high-net-worth investors. We are expanding into new markets while integrating sustainability, smart technology, and superior project execution.
Between commercial and residential projects, which do you think holds the most growth potential for investors?
Both commercial and residential properties offer great investment potential, but the choice depends on market trends and investor goals. Residential properties are always in demand, as housing remains a fundamental need. With Nigeria’s growing population, the market for well-designed, affordable, and premium housing remains strong. Commercial properties, especially in high-growth business districts, offer stable long-term income through leasing, but they require strategic location choices and tenant demand analysis. At Afriland, we create a balance; developing residential communities while also creating strategic commercial spaces that drive business growth.
What is the expected ROI for investors in Afriland’s projects, and what makes your developments a strong investment choice?
Return on Investment (ROI) in real estate depends on factors such as location, market trends, and property type, but our projects consistently deliver high-value returns. Our investors benefit from strategic project locations in high-growth areas, quality development and project execution that ensures appreciation over time and innovative investment models, including off-plan opportunities with strong early-stage value appreciation. We ensure that our projects are not just assets but wealth-building opportunities.
Several property buyers have suffered setbacks due to unclear terms and hidden clauses in real estate transactions. What steps should investors take to protect themselves?
The biggest safeguard against real estate fraud is due diligence. Investors should work with reputable developers with a strong track record. It is important to read all legal documents carefully before signing, no matter how small the details may seem. There is also a need to engage professionals to verify property titles and transaction terms. Ask questions as full transparency is key in every deal.
With Nigeria’s real estate sector evolving, what role will technology and innovation play in shaping the industry? Technology is redefining real estate globally, and Nigeria must adapt. Key trends include: PropTech solutions—AI-driven property management and virtual tours. Smart homes—Integrating automation for energy efficiency and security. Blockchain for property transactions—Enhancing transparency in land registration. We are actively integrating technology into our developments to provide smarter, more efficient property solutions.
What legacy do you hope to leave at Afriland Properties Plc?
A legacy of innovation, excellence, and lasting impact. I want Afriland to be remembered as the real estate firm that redefined property development and investment in Nigeria, setting a new standard for execution and enterprise. More than just buildings, I want Afriland to be known for creating value that lasts for generations.
Emodi
Presidential Amnesty Programme: Dennis Otuaro’s Bold Footprints
Waitobo Soweibo
It is tempting, very much so, to brand developments at the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in the last 12 months as revolutionary. However, I refrain from doing so because the notable improvements have primarily come from refining existing processes and procedures rather than overhauling them. In an environment where new leaders often throw away the baby, the bathwater and the basin holding the water, Otuaro’s approach is counter-cultural.
In my assessment, the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) is experiencing an evolution rather than a revolution. This evolution is high-velocity, as it has yielded significant outcomes within just 12 months—some of which are unprecedented. These developments have helped maintain stability in the Niger Delta region, keeping it at room temperature instead of a cauldron of discontent. It could hardly have been otherwise. Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, appointed Administrator of the PAP by President Bola Tinubu last March, came into office with a resume that reads activist, stakeholder, thinker, top-tier administrator and scholar.
Otuaro served on the Presidential Committee on the Environment for the Niger Delta during the Umar Yar’Adua administration. He also worked with the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), positions that provided him with a comprehensive understanding of the region’s challenges, the potential for combustion, and the strategies necessary to manage community tensions effectively.
His familiarity with the turf, through activism and stints at DESOPADEC and NDDC, conferred a natural advantage. This convinced him that a higher level of transparency was required for the PAP to run more smoothly. It led to the institution of data management reforms, which delivered hi-fi data within a few months after his appointment. The data reform process involved the verification of 12,467 beneficiary records. Among these, 783 records were identified as duplicated or incomplete. Additionally, the process resulted in the removal of 1,129 obsolete records and revealed hundreds of data discrepancies, including inconsistencies in financial records, which are currently being addressed.
These efforts were accompanied by updates to the database, during which 9,253 records were revised to reflect graduations and the completion of training programmes. Additionally, 3,215 new beneficiaries were added. The operations of the PAP were further improved through inter-departmental collaborations that facilitated data sharing. Most importantly, the high level of accuracy achieved in data management has positively affected the overall goals of the PAP.
In the area of education, data reforms have allowed the PAP to effectively monitor and verify the enrollment of approximately 1,700 students receiving PAP scholarships across 69 institutions in the country.
Notably, 53.3 per cent of these scholarship slots were awarded to females. Additionally, the revisions to the data have helped identify beneficiaries who have either withdrawn or absconded, resulting in significant savings for the PAP by preventing unnecessary payments for tuition and allowances.
The number of scholarship beneficiaries is at an all-time high in the history of the PAP, with no previous administration exceeding 500 beneficiaries at any given time. The PAP has paid N1.75 billion naira for onshore tuition and allowances in the last one year while attending six convocation ceremonies to celebrate graduates’ achievements.
A most impressive significant achievement of the Otuaro administration is the revival of the overseas scholarship scheme, which now supports approximately 60 Niger Delta students studying at universities in countries such as the UK, USA,
and Canada. This reintroduction of the scheme, previously suspended by earlier administrations, paves the way for Niger Delta youths to access world-class education and expertise necessary for transforming the region.
The commitment to university education may appear more prominent, but it is on par with the dedication to vocational education, particularly in the maritime and aviation sectors, where significant progress has been made. In the past year, 40 aircraft maintenance engineers who specialize in ERJ-145 and CRJ-900/B737 aircraft have been sent for training.
An equal number is currently undergoing on-thejob training at top-tier organizations such as Seven Star Global Hangar and Aero Contractors Limited. Additionally, the PAP deployed four cadet pilots to South Africa for type-rating training. They have since graduated and returned to Nigeria.
There has been a renewed focus on maritime training, which has seen revitalization. Currently, about 100 cadets are taking refresher courses at Joemarine Institute in Delta State to achieve their
Officer of the Watch (OOW) certification.
While realizing that the various initiatives it has embarked on are crucial, the Otuaro administration also realized that without boots-on-the-ground interactions with stakeholders, the possibility of the region erupting in intemperate discontent remains. It was evident to the administration that there were circuits to wire and it was through direct stakeholder engagements. It moved timeously, energizing the PAP’s Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution (PBCR) and Strategic Management Department (SMD) to initiate comprehensive stakeholder engagement, which included interactive sessions with royal leaders, women leaders, and key figures from the eight states in the region.
Through various engagements, 100 out of 135 latent conflicts were resolved using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). These included 20 cases of data inconsistencies and 65 cases related to the payment of monthly stipends. Additionally, potentially volatile situations in the camps of ex-agitators, such as Tallest Man Camp, Lagos Man Camp, and Alaye Camp, were also successfully addressed.
The Otuaro administration has significantly improved the communication and beneficiary support platforms of the PAP, contributing to stability in the Niger Delta region by facilitating the swift resolution of beneficiary issues. In 2024, the PAP’s call center received a total of 23,813 calls and documented 420 issues for resolution. Of these, 274 were related to stipend payments, 82 to training, and 47 to post-training support. Staff members at the communication and beneficiary support platforms underwent specialized training to enhance their skills in problem-solving, conflict management, and emotional intelligence.
The first year has been impressive, but there is still a long way to go, a fact that Otuaro is aware of. While his administration has received praise for strengthening the institutional capacity of the Presidential Amnesty Program (PAP) to lay a solid foundation for peace and sustainable development in the Niger Delta, Otuaro is committed to having PAP increase its emphasis on formal education and vocational training. This approach aims to help ex-agitators become self-sufficient and transition away from the N65,000 monthly stipends.
The Otuaro administration is finalizing an economic empowerment scheme for women in the Niger Delta, alongside a leadership training programme for ex-agitators and other key stakeholders. His administration has been commended by key stakeholders, including ex-agitators’ leaders such as Paul Eris (General Ogunboss), Bony Ayah (General Don Inikio), a member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and Jonathan Lokpobiri, President, Ijaw Youth Congress, who know a thing or two about what it takes to achieve peace in the region.
Senate Moves to Provide Constitutional Roles for Traditional Rulers
The
formally giving monarchs and community heads
roles
Lalong. However, lawmakers expressed divergent views on the bill during a debate on it.
Some raised concerns about potential conflicts between the responsibilities of traditional
rulers and elected officials at the local government level.
But Lalong, a former Plateau State governor, argued that the modern day traditional rulers are well-educated. He said they
can provide valuable counsel on issues of insecurity and other national matters. These, he said, could assist the government in addressing the needs of the citizens.
He also asserted that they would be useful in the areas of security and conflict resolution in local communities.
Reinforce Maintenance of Standards
SON DG: Rebranded MANCAP Logo to Combat Counterfeit,
Oluchi
Chibuzor
The Director General (DG) of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, has said the newly rebranded logo of Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) was targeted at combating counterfeit and reinforcing the organisation’s authority and commitment to the maintenance of the highest standards. This was just as the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) highlighted the need for Africa to rid itself of non-tariff based barriers,
noting otherwise the continent would create a market for Asia and America.
Okeke stated this in Lagos, yesterday at the unveiling of its rebranded SON MANCAP logo. He said that the rebranding initiative was strategically aligned with the broader national objective of enhancing the visibility and recognition of, “quality-certified Nigerian products, both within our domestic market and the international arena.”
According to him, “The branding of the MANCAP logo is not simply a change of aesthetics, it represents a new dedication to quality assurance and
a proactive response to the evolving challenges confronting us, including the pressing need to combat counterfeiting and streamline the process for our valued manufacturers.
“The redesigned MANCAP logo encapsulates our core values and mission. Its contemporary design speaks to the progress and innovation while the prominent placements of the SON name reinforces our authority and steadfast commitment to the maintenance of the highest standards.
“This new logo will serve as a veritable symbol of quality, providing assurance to consumers regarding
the excellence of products bearing its mark.
“For our esteemed manufacturers, the new MANCAP logo represents a badge of honor, signifying compliance with product’s quality benchmarks and a dedication to the pursuit of excellence. It will undoubtedly enhance their brand recognition and foster consumer confidence.
“For our discerning consumers, which is the customers in this case, it offers the assurance and peace of mind that comes from knowing that the products they purchase are safe and reliable.
He said: “When there are crises and killings, the first thing people say is ‘let’s hold the traditional ruler responsible.’ It is true in their communities, they know everybody, including the criminals. But we expect them to be the ones running up and down. We need to charge them with responsibilities where they will be committed.”
“For now, you can’t hold them responsible. As the directorgeneral of the campaign for Asiwaju and Kashim, we went around having some meetings with these traditional rulers. Every time we want them to participate, they ask to be given a role. So, it was also part of our (electioneering) campaign.
“So, I don’t see how we
can jettison that when we are struggling for a constitutional amendment with respect to security. If we don’t have security, every other thing we are doing is rubbish.” Despite his assurance, some senators still expressed concerns about the possibility of overlapping duties. They emphasised the need for the bill to clearly delineate the roles of traditional rulers and government officials to avoid confusion.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, stressed the importance of clearly defining the functions of traditional rulers within the bill. He said more inputs would be gathered during the public hearing.
Akpabio acknowledged the values traditional rulers could bring in providing counsel on a wide range of issues that could benefit the government.
The bill was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Establishment, with a mandate to report back within four weeks.
Otuaro
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Senate yesterday passed for second reading, a bill to establish the National Council for Traditional Rulers, aimed at
constitutional
to play in the polity. The bill was sponsored by the Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District, Simon
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NUHU RIBADU’S PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE
There is a modicum of progress, in spite of the prevailing insecurity, reckons
JOSHUA J. OMOJUWA
See page 21
FAREWELL, KABIR DANGOGO
ALIU AKOSHILE pays tribute to Dangogo, a luminary in multiple realms
page 21
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ABIODUN OLUWADARE urges government to prioritise economic empowerment through strategic investments in agriculture, technology, and manufacturing
PRIORITISING HUMAN SECURITY
Security in Nigeria has long been perceived through a narrow, state-centric lens, focusing predominantly on military and law enforcement responses to threats. However, the persistent challenges facing the country— ranging from terrorism and banditry to economic hardship, environmental crises, and political instability—highlight the need for a broader, human-centered approach. Human security, which prioritizes the wellbeing and dignity of individuals, is essential for national stability and development.
While the government has made commendable progress in certain areas, such as the decimation of Boko Haram strongholds, improvements in digital security frameworks, and initiatives to boost agricultural productivity, significant gaps remain. Rising inflation, food insecurity, youth unemployment, and environmental degradation continue to threaten millions of Nigerians. Without a comprehensive human security framework, these challenges will persist, undermining national peace and development.
The #EndSARS protests of 2020 underscored the deep-seated frustration among Nigerian youths over issues of police brutality, unemployment, and poor governance. The demonstrations, which started as a call for police reform, quickly evolved into a broader movement demanding accountability, justice, and better living conditions. This event, alongside ongoing criticisms of government policies, reflects the urgent need for a holistic approach to human security that addresses economic, social, and political grievances.
Human security extends beyond military interventions; it encompasses economic stability, environmental sustainability, social cohesion, and good governance. Human security in Nigeria faces a multitude of threats, including insecurity stemming from terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and ethnic and communal violence, while also being impacted by poverty, inequality, and corruption, all of which undermine people's safety and well-being. The security of many Nigerians is endangered by poverty, unemployment, hunger, health hazards, ecological degradation and discrimination.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria's unemployment rate was 33.3% as of 2021, contributing to widespread poverty and crime. Similarly, food insecurity remains a pressing issue, with the Global Hunger Index ranking Nigeria 103rd out of 116 countries in 2022. Environmental challenges, such as desertification and flooding, have displaced thousands, exacerbating communal conflicts over scarce resources.
The government has taken some positive steps, such as increasing investment in security infrastructure, expanding social intervention programs, and launching initiatives to address climate change. However, more needs to be done to bridge the gap between policy and implementation.
To achieve true security, Nigeria must transition from a state-centric model to a human-centric one. The following strategic interventions can help address the root
causes of insecurity:
Economic Empowerment and Job Creation
Unemployment, particularly among the youth, remains a ticking time bomb. The government must implement policies that promote job creation through industrialization, entrepreneurship support, and skills development. Investing in agriculture, technology, and manufacturing will provide viable alternatives to criminal activities and insurgency recruitment.
Agriculture remains the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, employing nearly 35% of the labor force. However, the sector has been plagued by outdated farming techniques, inadequate infrastructure, and conflicts between farmers and herders. Increased investment in modern agricultural practices, irrigation systems, and mechanization would boost productivity, ensuring food security for millions. When people have access to affordable and nutritious food, malnutrition rates decline, and social stability improves. Furthermore, an expanded agricultural sector can absorb the growing youth population into productive employment, reducing the allure of criminal activities and insurgent recruitment.
Government initiatives such as the Anchor Borrowers’ Program (ABP) and agricultural intervention loans have been commendable, but these programs must be scaled up and better managed. Additionally, securing farmlands from banditry and conflicts will encourage large-scale farming, ensuring both food sufficiency and export potential. A selfsufficient agricultural economy would not only reduce dependence on food imports but also enhance Nigeria’s economic resilience.
In the same vein, technology has become a powerful driver of economic transformation globally. In Nigeria, the digital economy offers immense opportunities for job creation, entrepreneurship, and improved access to services. Investing in digital infrastructure, broadband expansion, and tech hubs can empower millions, particularly the youth, by providing them with skills for the 21stcentury job market.
Nigeria’s fintech sector, valued at over $10 billion, has already demonstrated the potential of technology in creating employment and fostering financial inclusion. If similar investments are made in artificial intelligence, software development, and digital entrepreneurship, the country can position itself as a tech hub in Africa. Moreover, digital literacy programs in rural and underserved areas can bridge the knowledge gap, allowing
more Nigerians to participate in the global digital economy.
Security concerns such as cybercrime and internet fraud must, however, be addressed through strong regulatory frameworks and digital ethics education. A technologically driven economy fosters transparency, efficiency, and productivity—essential components of human security.
A strong manufacturing sector is critical for national development and human security. Nigeria’s overreliance on crude oil has made its economy vulnerable to external shocks, such as fluctuating oil prices. Expanding the manufacturing sector would diversify the economy, create millions of jobs, and enhance economic self-sufficiency.
By investing in industrial zones, production hubs, and value-added industries, Nigeria can process raw materials locally, reducing dependency on imports while increasing exports. For instance, processing agricultural products within the country would not only create employment but also boost foreign exchange earnings. A thriving manufacturing sector leads to better wages, improved living standards, and a reduction in povertyinduced crime and violence.
Moreover, local industries can address infrastructural deficits by producing essential goods such as medical equipment, construction materials, and consumer products. This reduces reliance on foreign supply chains, which are often disrupted during crises, thereby strengthening national resilience.
Strengthening Healthcare for Human Security
A strong healthcare system is fundamental to human security because it directly impacts life expectancy, productivity, and overall quality of life. Nigeria faces significant healthcare challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, limited access to essential medicines, and a shortage of medical professionals. These challenges leave millions vulnerable to preventable diseases and health crises, contributing to poverty and social instability.
By improving healthcare facilities, expanding primary healthcare coverage, and investing in medical personnel training, the government can enhance human security by ensuring that individuals have access to timely and affordable healthcare. The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to ensure widespread health coverage, especially for low-income populations.
Furthermore, maternal and child health is a crucial aspect of human security. Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with approximately 512 deaths per 100,000 live births. Addressing this through improved prenatal care, better-equipped hospitals, and skilled birth attendants would significantly reduce mortality rates and improve overall public health.
Professor Oluwadare is of the Department of Political Science, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna
ALIU AKOSHILE pays tribute to Dangogo, a luminary in multiple realms
FAREWELL, KABIR DANGOGO
I was deeply saddened by the death of Malam Kabir Dangogo on Thursday, March 6, 2025. I had thought of him earlier that day, but I realised his mobile phone was out of reach. So, I forwarded my messages to his children - Ahmed, Sadiq, and Khadijah (the first and last of whom were named after his parents) - in the hope that their father was hale.
It was not until the early hours of Friday, March 7, that I saw Sadiq's terse message breaking the grim news. I later discovered that Ahmed, too, had sent me a message at midnight, shortly after his demise. I responded to both of them with the traditional Islamic words of comfort prescribed for such a moment of grief - _innā li-llāhi wa- inna ilayhi rājiʿūn_ (Indeed, we belong to Allah and, verily, to Him we will return). What tempered my bewildering shock was the subconscious knowledge that Malam Dangogo had, indeed, endured protracted illness for the past year.
Two years ago, he shared with me his plans to travel abroad for surgery. He had then just recovered from the debilitating impacts of a stroke. So, I understood his reservations about having the surgery done locally. But after weighing the pros and cons of the foreign option, we eventually decided on a private medical centre in the Idu axis of Abuja. I promptly arranged an appointment for him with the surgeon. But before his arrival from Katsina, I met with the doctor several times to revalidate our decision. On one occasion, the Turkiye-trained Ugandan surgeon graphically explained to me the intricate procedure of a thoracic vertebrae surgery. Reputed for his skill and experience, he was teaching me as a professor of medicine would to a sophomore in the medical school.
Thankfully, Mallam Dangogo's surgery was successful, and he was discharged a few days later, after which he returned to Funtua to recuperate. He made a few follow-up visits to the hospital in Abuja. Interestingly, he never showed any sign of melancholy. Instead, he was cheerful and fully alert, occasionally discussing national and international affairs, his forte. During another visit, while we waited to see the doctor, he engaged in a discussion with a fellow patient on an Islamic theological issue regarding the use of _tasbih_ (rosary beads) to count the Muslim litanies instead of using fingers!
Aside from displaying mental alertness, he was also meticulous about keeping records, especially of favours done to him, so he could graciously acknowledge and possibly return them. I recall our lengthy conversation in his hotel room before the surgery, during which he listed the financial support he had received from family, friends, and associates.
Although he hinted to me that he would make a public statement about the donors, I later discovered that he had published the appreciation in The Guardian of July 9, 2023 in which he stated: “Aliu Akoshile made all the contacts with the hospital in Abuja, and he offered to send some money, but I declined. Akoshile proved to be a worthy friend indeed." I wondered why a man with such a towering figure and a heart of gold would consider me his friend. No! Mallam Kabiru Dangogo, however, was more than a friend. He was both a mentor and a benefactor. His remarkable act of thoughtfulness transformed my life and career.
I first met Mallam Dangogo in 1997 at a meeting of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). He was then a principal manager and head of the PR department at Union Bank, while I was the PR manager of Fayusuf Group, a holding company owned by Chief Fassy A.O. Yusuf, then Ogun State Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports & Culture. I was impressed by his cosmopolitan demeanour, intellectual rigour, and panache as a quintessential public relations professional.
One day, I visited him in his office and sought
advice on job transition. After hearing my story, he asked for my curriculum vitae, which I later delivered to him. From that moment on, I never brought it up again, and neither did he. However, Mallam Dangogo surprised me nearly three years later, in 2001. I will come to that presently. Previously, he had looked for me regarding a job opening in his department that he thought I would be suitable for. At that time, mobile phones were not in vogue, so I was unreachable having travelled. When I returned to Lagos and found his note, I rushed to his office, but it was too late. Francis Barde, whom I later met and we became friends, was the lucky guy! Having missed the opportunity to join Union Bank in 1998, I continued my work at Fayusuf Group, taking on higher responsibilities.
In 1999, Isiaq Ajibola and Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, my former colleague and executive editor, respectively, at Citizen magazine, recruited me as pioneer Lagos Bureau Chief/Assistant Editor of Weekly Trust, a publication they had founded. Weekly Trust later became the Daily Trust titles under the Media Trust Group, in which I'm now a shareholder.
I had settled and was already navigating the intricacies of managing the editorial, business, and operations units of the Bureau. Then suddenly I received an invitation to a job interview with no idea of the company or how I was invited. Anyway, to satisfy my curiosity, I got prepared and decided to attend the interview on the scheduled date. Over a dozen of us were called in, one after the other to face the five-member interview panel chaired by Alhaji (Dr.) M. I. Yahaya, then immediate past group CEO of Union Bank, which also included Mr. Emmanuel Nnorom a cerebral chartered accountant and current group CEO of Heirs Holdings.
Weeks later, I received a job offer from NUB International Bank (now a legacy bank of the FCMB) thus making history as the pioneer head of corporate affairs. I soon discovered that it was Mallam Kabiru Dangogo who submitted the CV I had given him nearly three years earlier without any prodding. This was an incredible moral lesson on fidelity to a mentee and an act of thoughtfulness that not many mortals, including myself, could have done. Between accepting the NUB offer and retaining my Weekly Trust job, I faced perhaps the biggest job transition dilemma in my life. I, of course, accepted the new job offer, not merely because of the huge difference in the remuneration but as a modicum of gratitude to Mallam Kabiru Dangogo, a gentleman per excellence. With academic degrees from esteemed institutions such as Ohio University, Athens, and the University of Leicester, Mallam Dangogo was a trailblazer with a streak of enviable accomplishments in many areas. He was a certified teacher, professional broadcaster, experienced journalist, versatile editor, creative brand reputation manager, dedicated lecturer, astute communication consultant, and rigorous author.
Akoshile, publisher of NatureNews, can be reached via eic@ naturenews.africa_
There is a modicum of progress, in spite of the prevailing insecurity, reckons JOSHUA J. OMOJUWA
NUHU RIBADU’S PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE
Our evolution, whether we like it or not, is the most consistent factor when it comes to how we see the world. We are more sensitive, almost to the point of obsession, when it comes to negative information. The story of our evolution as a species places a heavy premium on the significance and effects of negative experiences on account of their consequential impact on our survival.
In short, negative experiences had a lot more life and death effects than positive ones. That has left us with a brain that suffers from negativity bias. We inherited this from the first humans and whilst knowing this helps you as an individual, it will not change your brain. This explains why no one dwells or writes about progressive news content, you’d get more clicks by sharing tales of war and destruction than those of peace and prosperity.
During the week, Premium Times released a report documenting Nigeria’s modest gains on account of taking a strong stand against Binance and insisting on being accorded some respect by the United States Government. Whilst quite a few Nigerians revelled in the story, most who would have been quick to advance an agenda against their country if the story had been negative, pretended nothing happened. As if just by ignoring the story, then the events never happened.
They did. There is now the U.S.-Nigeria Bilateral Group on Illicit and Cryptocurrencies. A joint platform that helps increase Nigeria’s capacity to meet the challenges posed by illicit money transfer via modern financial platforms. The US DOJ is also helping to expand and improve the capacity of our security agencies when it comes to cybercrime investigations. There is also the small matter of $52.88m that has since been returned to Nigeria from recoveries made off a former Minister of Petroleum and her associate.
Beautiful as the above wins are, reading a Channels TV news report that Nigeria experienced its lowest terrorist attacks in over a decade last year was quite reassuring. When it comes to national security in Nigeria, the truth is, there is a long way to go, even amidst these positive reports. Because if people do not feel safe, your work isn’t done. Even when people feel safe, vigilance remains essential, because all it takes is one opportunity and those who insist on perpetrating evil as their means of livelihood will strike.
When it comes to national security, the other truth is, we have come a long way. Both truths can abide in one frame of existence and in our case today, they do. When an accident happens in a vehicle with 20 people, two people being killed will always be a bigger report than the fact that 18 people survived. That though cannot erase the breathing fact of those who didn’t get killed.
The statistics are clear. And beyond that, those who lived through the times know the difference. This has come at great human, economic and social cost to our country. Terrorism and the war on terror has left its mark on our means of livelihood and our way of life.
This is not the time for celebration. However, we must account for progress to do better, do more. This also serves as a sense of appreciation to the men and women we’ve lost to this fight. It is also an opportunity to celebrate those who remain in the theatres of war. We also thank the leaders of our various security institutions and their subordinates. May they continue to succeed for our country. Credit to our Service Chiefs and their teams.
Before this data was released, I acknowledged the great work the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu has been doing, retaining his eyes on the ball despite multiple political distractions. The work shows. Even though those who didn’t want it acknowledged then won’t be moved even by data now. We can only ask that he and his team continue to do more. That’s all that’d count in the end.
Nuhu Ribadu’s Public Enemy No. 1 are the terrorists and bandits keeping awake daily to wreak havoc and destruction on our people and country. Everyone else who perceives him as enemy must take comfort, or displeasure if they will, in the knowledge that they are secondary to this. Some things at just what they are.
The buck of course stops at the President’s table. Having taken some of the toughest economic decisions by a Nigerian president, President Tinubu deserves every credit that comes his way when it comes to the outcomes of those decisions that reflect progress. We hope to see more of these tough and objectively right inputs bring forth great outcomes. Nigeria will continue to prevail. Our country will thrive under this administration. Our people deserve prosperity now. They need not wait for some time in the future and some other people to eat the fruits of the land. We will thrive now and, by God’s grace, for the foreseeable future. Nigeria’s enemies, those who insist this country does not deserve peace and order, they must go to bed knowing that like we have done for the last decade or so, this country will continue to defend itself against every form of attack, be it by terrorists, bandits and other such agents of evil. That way, we can dance like Tinubu and his friends danced after their time at Chatham House. On politics. Internet forums have been rife with discussions around the 2027 elections. There is talk of a coalition. Yet to see anything coalesce. There is nothing in the political firmament to suggest anything half close to what we witnessed during the formation of APC in 2013. I’d say right here and now; any politician with an eye on Nigeria beyond 2027 should still prioritise platforms like the APC and PDP. Other political vehicles are exactly that; short term platforms to satisfy the immediate and urgent needs of politicians who are desperate for something in the immediate term.
is chief strategist, Alpha Reach/BGX Publishing
Omojuwa
Editor, Editorial Page PETER
ISHAKA
Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
AGAIN, RAVAGES OF LASSA FEVER
Health authorities could do more to contain the disease
Following the recent death of a 31year -old physician of Lassa fever, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has listed 357 persons for follow -up over the possibility of being infected with the disease. The physician reportedly returned from a trip to the United Kingdom late February and died 1 March of the viral infection in a private hospital in Ondo State, one of the leading states ravaged by Lassa fever . In a report earlier in the week, NCDC stated that 535 persons have been infected with the disease out of the 2,728 suspected cases across 13 states. The gravity of the current health emergency is driven home by the large number of fatalities. At the last count, more than 100 deaths have been recorded.
The recurrence of the epidemic is perhaps a reminder that the disease is not being given adequate attention. It is a disease of the poor since many of the reported cases are in rural areas. Even so, it had claimed the lives of many health workers, including doctors. Indeed, no fewer than 40 health workers have died of the disease in Ebonyi State alone in the past few years.
symptoms, according to the NCDC, include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pains and in severe cases, bleeding from ears, eyes, nose or mouth. “The time between an infection and appearance of symptoms of the disease is six to 21 days,” said the NCDC. “Early diagnosis and treatment increase the chances of survival.”
Humans are infected with the virus through exposure to food or household items contaminated with urine or faeces of infected rats
T H I S D AY
EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU
DEPUTY EDITOR WALE OLALEYE
MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO
DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU
CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa fever. The disease has been a serious challenge for Nigeria’s health authorities since it was first diagnosed in Lassa (the village for which it was named) in Borno State in 1969. Despite the fact that there have been efforts in the past to contain the scourge, it is unfortunate that we have been witnessing frequent outbreaks in recent years.
Humans are infected with the virus through exposure to food or household items contaminated with urine or faeces of infected rats. Its
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It is unfortunate that despite the fact that it is now a national epidemic, there is little public awareness of how the disease could be prevented. But there are recommended preventive measure such as avoiding contact with rats (dead or alive), keeping the house and surroundings clean, clearing all bushes around the house to avoid breeding sites for rats as well as proper disposal of refuse. However, because the symptoms of Lassa fever are so varied and non-specific, clinical diagnosis could be difficult, especially early in the course of the disease. For this reason, steps should be taken by the government to direct all health facilities in the country to emphasise routine infection prevention and control measures. In one of its advisory, the NCDC said health workers should “maintain a high index suspicion for Lassa fever. Any illness that has not responded to 48 hours use of anti-malaria or antibiotics should raise an index suspicion for Lassa fever.”
While we believe that with effective coordination, the disease could be contained quickly before it becomes another public health emergency with dire implications for the lives of our people, the real challenge is to work towards its total eradication from the country. That is a task for the health authorities at all levels of government.
EL-RUFAI: BETWEEN AMBITION, ANGER AND SURVIVAL
There's no arguing the fact that the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the two-term governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, is a political extrovert.
He's not known to be silent when he should be talking and more often than not, he attracts a lot of criticism more for his manner of expressions than the import of his message. And this has made many quickly dismiss him as an arrogant politician with enough baggage and braggadocio. So when he announced to the world, his already predictable exit from the very party he joined others to birth, the APC, and the many rigmarole reasons he gave, many easily dismissed the move as that of an ambitious and angry politician, who is trying to survive the uncomfortable spaces outside political power and influence.
But Mallam is not alone in this power game that often makes Nigerian politicians jump from one political nest to another, being made possible by the fluidity and inorganic nature of the political parties themselves, at the slightest opportunity.
From his days in the PDP, CPC, APC and now SDP, El-Rufai seems to be seeking and searching for political relevance at the very top echelon of power, the very reason he cannot afford
to be ignored or sidelined by forces detrimental to his political ambition.
Arguably, aside from former President Buhari, no northern politician seems to command his kind of clout among the "Talakawas", no thanks to his regional and religious dispositions and personally assertive idiosyncrasies. His anger against the present arrangement of which he was a vital part from the onset, is well known. His unique role and louder voice amongst his contemporaries to ensure that power goes back to the South was commendable and noticeable among his political class. Yet, the fact that he was not carried along after an open promise by President Tinubu is something any Fulani man will not forget or forgive. Little wonder that he pitched his tent with a lowly Party like the SDP, where he can be free to get his pound of flesh.
Many have interpreted this to mean a deliberate journey to self immolation and political extinction. Reason being that he should have chosen to remain in the APC's octopus nest while waiting for the right season to exhale.
But El-Rufai is not that type. He shoots straight from the hips, no matter the target. He has declared an open war, first
with his erstwhile friend, Nuhu Ribadu, whom he accused of overshadowing every Northern politician, with the influence of President Tinubu, to gain political visibility come 2031. Yet, Ribadu refused to go into the mud with him.
Then again he has declared an open war with the ruling APC. This, many have taken to be a possible covert orchestration of the powers that be to destabilize the opposition by planting moles within their various political camps.
Those who knew El-Rufai knows he cannot accept playing such second fiddle to anyone, to the detriment of his avowed ambition to be relevant at the highest level, in the scheme of things.
But the ambition of galvanizing the opposition against the status quo by El-Rufai and his co-travellers is truly a tall one. This is so because the quantum of resources available to an incumbent in a nation like ours, is enormous, not to talk of the propensity to deploy such humongous resources for coercion. But in politics, anything is possible. Especially in our clime, where everything and anything has a price tag.
Austen Akhagbeme, Abuja
NECA Calls for Pragmatic Approach on Policy Implementation to Prevent Job Losses, Business Collapse
Eromosele Abiodun
The Director-General, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Mr. Adewale Smatt-Oyerinde has called for a more pragmatic approach in the implementation of economic policies to ensure job security for the people and survival of businesses in Nigeria.
Speaking during his appearance on a business-related program, Business Nigeria on a local
television, Smatt-Oyerinde urged policymakers to review implementation of policies that could hinder economic growth and job creation in Nigeria
He highlighted the need for regulatory bodies to align their actions with the government’s broader economic recovery agenda pointing out that recent policy adjustments, such as the suspension of the 4 per cent Free on Board (FOB) levy and the reduction of the 50 per cent tariff, should
be extended to other regulatory measures.
He noted that excessive levies and compliance costs imposed by government would ultimately impact consumers and the economy, urging it to consider long-term economic stability in the implementation of economic policies.
According to him, “While it is the law, expediency should come first. Is it appropriate to implement certain policies now
when businesses are reducing capacity utilization, stock levels are increasing, and jobs are being lost? The law is not made to kill us; it is made to facilitate business growth. If it is now constituting a hindrance to the private sector and, by extension, the economy, then we must review it.”
“And if that same law is now constituting an endurance to development of the private sector, and by extension, an endurance to development of the economy of this
nation, I think we can review it. If the 4% FOB can be suspended, if I see a feeling that the 50% tariff can also be reduced, can also be suspended, I think there is no reason why the FRCM cannot also take a cue from this pattern that has been initiated for us to save the horse, for us to save the goose that is laying the golden egg,” he said
He urged government to prioritize developing policies that would create business opportunities
as against stifling business growth in Nigeria. “This myopic view of revenue generation will do more damage to the bigger picture that the President is focused on. Every additional financial burden on businesses translates to job losses, higher consumer prices, and reduced disposable income for Nigerians. We must shift our focus to policies that promote business survival and economic recovery,” he concluded.
Despite Improvement in Air Safety, Complaints Mount over Stringent Regulations that May Affect Economic Growth
Despite the collective agreement among domestic airlines that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has improved safety in the nation’s airspace, there are concerns that some regulatory policies have retarded the growth of the aviation industry, especially the airline sub-sector.
One of such policies is that any new airline requesting for Air Operator Certificate (AON) for schedule commercial service must have a minimum of six aircraft; a policy described as good but difficult to implement because not many start-up airlines can afford to acquire six aircraft before it starts operation.
The implementation of the new policy was supposed to kick-off last year, but so far it is not known if NCAA has started implementing it because no new airline has joined the market yet for schedule flight service.
Industry insiders who spoke to THISDAY said the stringent regulation has made it very difficult
for new airlines to start operation adding that this reality has forced the regulatory authority to look for ways out; to provide a window of flexibility.
Industry observers argued that if new airlines join the market it would become more competitive, more jobs will be created and there will be general industry growth.
Speaking about the issue, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors Nigeria Limited, Captain Ado Sanusi, told THISDAY that the new regulation on the minimum number of six aircraft is very difficult to implement, noting that before a country introduces a regulation it should look at the possibility of its implementation.
“We should study these regulations before we assent to them. We must look at whether it is implementable because some of the regulations are too hard to implement and when you find them difficult to implement, you start looking for waivers and compromises. Before you approve any regulations, you
must look at these factors. It must be strong to guarantee safety; it must also be flexible in order to guarantee economic growth and to achieve this we must look at our peculiar environment and see how it could be domesticated,” he said.
According to him, compromises and waivers will come into play when regulations are not realistic and when you bring in these elements, such regulation becomes ineffectual and insisted that if regulation is well planned before it is introduced, there would be no room for waivers and compromises.
“We should make realistic regulations to address safety concerns and economic growth for the airlines and for the country. The regulations should be in tandem with the realities of our environment. That is why you don’t out rightly borrow ideas; you must bring it down to your environment and make sure it is implementable. So, compromises and waivers reflect very poor regulation. So, regulation should be strong enough to enhance safety but flexible enough to encourage
business,” he said.
When the six aircraft minimum fleet for start-up airline was introduced it was defended by the then Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, who said the regulation was introduced in a bid to further ensure reliable operations and on-time performance of operators.
Nuhu, in an interaction with journalists then, said that the policy implementation by the NCAA was to ensure that the operators were more responsible in their operations to their clients and stated that most of the indigenous airlines lacked the financial muscles to operate properly as an airline, a situation, which he said had led to avoidable flight delays and cancellations over the years.
He explained that an airline with just one or two aircraft had the potential to disappoint passengers in case if one of the airplanes developed a snag, but emphasised that with a minimum of six airplanes, such delays and cancellations would reduce.
Nuhu insisted that Nigeria had
a peculiar situation, which must be critically examined and monitored by the regulatory authorities. He also said that the new regulation was not restricted to new entrants alone, but also extends to existing airlines with AOCs, saying that the current scheduled operators had been given a timeline for them to comply with the new regime. But since the policy was introduced and being implemented no new aircraft has joined the market with new six aircraft in its fleet.
However, Nigerian airlines have commended NCAA despite the stringent regulations, saying that the regulatory body’s efficiency has impacted on airlines, hence the high safety record of Nigeria, noting that the way the Director General, Captain Chris Najomo, has been managing the agency made it easy for airlines to operate despite the strict regulations.
The Chairman and CEO of Air Peace Limited, Dr Allen Onyema, advocated for more self-regulation by airlines in order to reduce pressure on NCAA
Speaking at a recent stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, Dr Onyema commended the Director General, saying that while strictly implementing the policies to ensure the airspace is safe, he has also adopted a very flexible work ethic in order to accommodate varying demands of his office.
Onyema said that Captain Najomo is “trying to remove those deliberate bottlenecks, bureaucracies, unnecessary ones, people put on our path to forestall progress. For example, you apply to the NCAA for your aircraft to be inspected, and it will take you like two months before somebody comes out to go and inspect your aircraft.”
“You have borrowed money from the banks to pay for that aircraft abroad. Now, under Captain Najomo, it is a matter of days. So, is he cutting corners by making people stand up to do that what they are supposed to do? No. It is only a very stupid airline that will want to cut corners.
Chinedu Eze
FAAN MD Commends Airport Management over Innovation
Stories by Chinedu Eze
The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, has commended airport management professionals, saying that continuous learning and professional development is key within the aviation sector.
Speaking at the Airport Management Professional Accreditation Programme, (AMPAP), Alumni Meet and Greet in Lagos, Mrs. Kuku reflected on her enriching experience with AMPAP, describing it as both insightful and engaging.
She stated that beyond the course material, the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues,
exchange ideas, and understand diverse perspectives had been invaluable.
“The most critical takeaway for me has been learning how my colleagues identify challenges and approach problem-solving”, she said.
Kuku praised AMPAP’s practical approach, which combines theoretical learning with real-life case studies.
This method, she noted, provides participants with a clearer understanding of how to apply knowledge to real-world situations, especially in managing airport operations effectively.
Addressing the structure of the programme, she encouraged participants to remain committed to
completing the required modules, which include three mandatory courses and two electives.
“This programme is globally recognized, and I encourage everyone to remain deliberate about achieving completion,” Kuku further stated.
In her opening remarks, Board Member representing Africa in the AMPAP IAP Alumni Group, Mrs. Oluwasola Awe, commended the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria for its steadfast investment in professional development.
Giving a brief history, she said, FAAN’s involvement with AMPAP began in 2008, but the programme initially faced logistical challenges and shifting priorities.
Olateru Bags ATQ Life Achievement Award 2024
Former Director General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Akin Olateru has bagged the Air Transport Quarterly Magazine “Lifetime Achievement Award “ for 2024.
He was among industry prominent personalities that were honoured at the 4th Air Transport Quarterly Magazine Industry Awards held in Lagos.
The organisers observed that this prestigious Award is a tribute to Olateru’s exceptional leadership, vision, and contributions to the field
of aviation safety. As a renowned expert in aviation safety, Olateru has left an indelible mark on the industry, inspiring generations of aviation professionals.
One of Olateru’s most significant achievements is overseeing the metamorphosis of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), a multi-disciplinary agency. This transformation has expanded the agency’s mandate to investigate safety occurrences in the maritime,
rail, and road transportation modes, in addition to aviation.
They pointed out that one of Olateru’s leadership achievements was the establishment of the National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), which has become a model for safety investigation agencies globally. His vision, expertise, and collaborative approach enabled the agency to develop a robust safety investigation framework, leveraging cutting-edge technology and international best practices.
Ethiopian Airlines Celebrates International Women’s Day
Africa’s largest operator, Ethiopian Airlines, has announced that it has colorfully celebrated the 2025 International Women’s Day, March 8, with a series of vibrant events at Skylight Hotel attended by esteemed government officials, distinguished guests and the airline’s executives.
The event was marked by flight operations entirely managed by women—from catering, maintenance, and check-in to lounge services, and flight operations.
These all-women-operated flights depart from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar, Athens, Delhi, Dubai, Windhoek, and Sao Polo, showcasing a significant milestone in Ethiopian Airlines’ ongoing efforts to elevate the presence and participation of women in the aviation industry.
On the program, Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Mesfin Tasew, stated, “We are thrilled to celebrate March 8, as we do every year at Ethiopian Airlines. As an employer of choice, we are
deeply committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within the aviation industry and the broader community. In today’s modern aviation landscape, women play an indispensable role across all sectors, significantly contributing to the industry’s dynamic growth. Today, we honor the remarkable achievements of women in aviation and beyond, while also inspiring future generations to pursue their dreams without limitations.”
Qatar Airways Launches Additional Flights to Address Demand
Qatar Airways, the World’s Best Airline as voted by Skytrax in 2024, is enhancing global connectivity with additional flights to key destinations around the world.
The expanded services will offer passengers greater flexibility and seamless connections, further strengthening the airline’s network of more than 170 destinations.
Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Thierry Antinori, said: “Qatar Airways’ vast network of global destinations is complemented with robust flight frequencies for the benefit of our passengers. The new additions further reflect our commitment to fostering worldwide connectivity and elevating passengers’ travel experience with our award-winning hub, Hamad
International Airport (DOH) – voted World’s Best Airport and World’s Best Airport Shopping by Skytrax in 2024. At Qatar Airways, we take pride in offering unparalleled services, and with the peak summer season approaching, we are pleased to fulfil the ever-increasing demand for air travel with accessible and convenient
flight schedules.”
From bustling metropolises to scenic landscapes, Qatar Airways is enabling greater connectivity in the following destinations: Amsterdam, Damascus, Dar Es Salam, Entebbe, Larnaca, London Heathrow, Madrid, Maputo, Sharjah, Tokyo Narita and Tunis.
PalmPay Partners AfriGO to Advance Nigeria’s Financial Inclusion
PalmPay and AfriGO have announced a strategic partnership that aims to redefine the payment landscape by issuing over 5 million AfriGO cards to Nigerians. Through the initiative, PalmPay and AfriGO are set to empower underserved communities, drive financial inclusion, and strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy.
Group Business Editor
Eromosele Abiodun
Deputy Business Editor
chinedu Eze
Comms/e-Business Editor Emma Okonji
Asst. Editor, Energy
Emmanuel Addeh
Asst. Editor, Money Market
Nume Ekeghe
Correspondents
Kayodetokede(CapitalMarkets)
James Emejo (Finance)
Ebere Nwoji (Insurance)
reporter Peter Uzoho (Energy)
AfriGO Card, powered by Afrigopay Financial Services Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), is a homegrown payment solution designed to bolster financial sovereignty. By leveraging AfriGO’s infrastructure, PalmPay is creating more payment options by providing solutions tailored specifically to local market needs.
PalmPay’s commitment to issuing 5 million AfriGO cards underscores its dedication to bridging the financial gap for the unbanked and underserved populations in Nigeria.
The AfriGO card, built on EMVCo standards, ensures secure transactions with tokenization and contactless payment capabilities. PalmPay seamlessly integrates these features into its robust digital ecosystem,
Air WAtCh
How Nigerian Carriers Benefit from International Routes
Chinedu Eze
Over the years, it has been taken for granted by policy makers and appointed political leaders who manage air transport in Nigeria that Nigerian airlines do not have capacity and therefore will not be encouraged to operate international destinations.
An industry insider told THISDAY that when the former Minister of Aviation was chiding Nigerian carriers, telling them they do not have capacity and therefore should not even try operating international destinations, “it looked like a curse.”
But some stakeholders in the industry agree that if government wants to encourage Nigerian carriers to operate these international destinations, it could be achieved.
Some years ago, one of the stakeholders, Chris Aligbe lamented that every year, foreign airlines airlift about 4 million passengers from Nigeria; noting that in 2016, the total number of passengers that passed through the nation’s airports were 15. 2 million and about 4.2 million were airlifted by foreign carriers.
routes domestically are set by local airlines and some international routes. If you are Minister of Aviation and you are fighting them, you are not supporting them, what are you Ministering over?”
offering users a frictionless and secure payment experience.
Managing Director of PalmPay Nigeria, Chika Nwosu, who expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, said: “At PalmPay, we are committed to creating financial solutions that are not only innovative but also inclusive. Partnering with AfriGO allows us to deliver secure, cost-effective, and localized payment options that empower Nigerians and strengthen the digital economy. This is a milestone in our mission to redefine financial accessibility in Nigeria.”
Managing Director/CEO of Afrigopay Financial Services Limited (AFSL), Ebehijie Momoh, highlighted the broader impact of the partnership. According to Momoh, “We are excited to partner with PalmPay to revolutionise financial services and expand access to digital payments across Nigeria. Through this collaboration, AfriGO and PalmPay will provide enhanced access to digital payments—particularly in underserved areas—drive financial inclusion, and support the rapidly growing digital economy in Nigeria AfriGO cards will enable users to perform seamless transactions.
In the principle of Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) Nigeria signed with other countries, every airline that operates into the country should have a Nigerian airline operating into that airline’s country with the same number of frequencies.
Aligbe noted that in a situation where Nigeria does not have the capacity to provide strong airlines to respond to the number of frequencies, commercial agreement is reached between representatives of both countries whereby the airline that operates to Nigeria should have to pay royalty to the country for the number of frequencies which Nigerian airlines do not reciprocate and this is paid per passenger.
According to him, the exploitation of Nigeria by foreign airlines started after the demise of Nigeria Airways. But the fact that it is not these foreign airlines that should be blamed; “it is us that should be blamed. This is because nobody allows a vacuum; once there is a vacuum something comes to fill it. If you know the huge amount of money that these airlines repatriate every day you will see the need why we need a national carrier.”
However, it has been proven that having a national carrier is not the only way for Nigeria to reciprocate the BASA agreement by having indigenous airlines that would also operate to those countries, which airlines currently operate to Nigeria and even beyond.
The federal government can support Nigerian airlines which are flag carriers to also operate to such destinations. This is a policy that has been adopted by the current government. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has made it clear that Nigerian airlines have to be empowered to take advantage of these bilateral agreements and also benefit from the huge revenue earned by foreign airlines from Nigeria.
At different fora, the minister has made it clear that unlike the past minister of aviation who concentrate on creating opportunities for foreign airlines to fully take charge of Nigeria’s international with diehard belief that Nigerian carriers do not have capacity, this administration believes that domestic carriers must be supported to increase their capacity and take advantage of these international routes.
The minster has taken time to review the BASA deals guided by emerging policies that dovetail with government’s agenda of fair negotiations, ensuring reciprocal rights for both Nigeria and other countries and fostering deeper aviation collaboration.
The Tinubu administration has vowed to mobilise policies and resources to support local airlines. “And it’s very simple, and we are very unapologetic about this. Why do I say so? In the whole of Africa, I mean check, all the major airlines are either owned by government, subsidized by government or subsidized by government.
“Rwanda Air, South African Airways, Egypt Air, Air Maroc, name them. It is only in Nigeria that you have strong private sector participation, only in Nigeria, in the whole of Africa. 23 vibrant local airlines, incredible.
“And you know it is not a tea party to run an airline, governments must be involved. But the point really is that, if that is the case, when you have strong private sector participation, literally all the
Few years ago, stakeholders in the aviation industry had called the government to quickly stem the unfavourable condition in which 100 per cent of international flight services were handled by foreign carriers which stifles attempts by Nigerian airlines to reciprocate by flying to their own routes.
The then President of Aviation Roundtable and Safety Initiative and currently President of Sabre Network Africa, Dr. Gabriel Olowo, said Nigeria needed stable legal and regulatory frameworks to grow the industry.
He said in 2015, the Aviation industry supported 254,500 jobs; contributed $940 million (N184.7 billion) to national GDP, noting that of this sum, 49 per cent (i.e. $462 million or N90.8 billion), was a direct output of the aviation sector (via airports, airlines and ground services) while 51 per cent constituted indirect jobs (via the supply chain).
The president also said there was additional job worth $464 million (N91.2 billion) derived from tourism, which raised the overall contribution to $1.4 billion (N275.9 billion).
Olowo said the Nigerian aviation market is however threatened daily by open skies for Africa, which Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), member countries are not honest in implementing, growing competition from other international African carriers, as international airlines focus on Africa and the present economic downturn.
He decried the multiple entry points for foreign airlines, adding that it’s a “disastrous and deliberate annihilation of the domestic market.”
Olowo said a situation where some airlines fly to multiple airports in Nigeria without any Nigerian airline reciprocating is “a negative balance of trade.” That request made few years ago is being answered by the Tinubu government, spearheaded by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo.
Keyamo resurrected the Cape Town Convention and increased Nigeria’s rating, pushing the country to the point of reckoning and has made it possible for Nigerian airlines to easily do business with lessors and international financiers. Steadily the Minister is decapitating the old liabilities of distrust and doubt, rebuilding the goodwill of Nigeria and encouraging airlines that have good plans to engage in dry lease of aircraft for local and international operations.
“The environment was not good enough in the past. And I thought that was one of our problems. The senate committee chairman talked about newer aircraft, access to newer aircraft and all that. Because of our our lack of ability to get our aircraft in, our lack of ability to service our international routes, even our domestic routes too, in a reciprocal manner, Air France comes here, we cannot go to Paris. Lufthansa comes, we cannot go to Germany. Delta comes, we cannot go to the U.S. KLM too, we cannot go to Amsterdam. These are routes that are serviced under our BASAs. And the BASA gives us the reciprocate rights to service those routes too. If you look at all that, and then the high cost of domestic tickets by local airlines, all of this boil down to one problem and we identified the problem: access to financing and dry leasing and we have done a lot towards achieving that,” he said.
The Ejeh of Ankpa, His Royal Highness Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yakubu (r), receiving the newly appointed Provost of the Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa, Dr. Paul Femi Fashagba, and his wife, Mrs. Olamide Fashagba, during a courtesy visit to his palace in Ankpa, Kogi State… recently
L-R: Master of Ceremony and event compere, Joyous Joy; renowned journalist and media entrepreneur, Mrs. Kadaria Ahmed; Convener of the Queens Palm Support Initiative, Sabrina Ozma; and media personality, Gloria Babarinde, at the Exclusive Master class on leadership and communication skills hosted by Queens Palm Support Initiative in Lagos… recently
L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Theta Alpha Consults, Mrs. Titilayo Akisanya; Founder, SDGforHER, Mrs. Hannah Ayilaran-Omon; and Executive Director, The Alternative Bank, Mrs. Korede Damola-Adeniyi, during the SDGforHER International Women’s Day (IWD) conference held at the Civic Centre, Lagos… recently
L-R: Chief Executive Officer of Egbin Power, Mokhtar Bounour; recipient of the CEO’s Special Award, Senior Manager of TCN–Egbin Sub-Region, Tolulope Abdulsalam; and Guest Speaker/ Managing Director of MML Consulting Limited, Ijeoma Nwakuche, during the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 celebration at Egbin Power Plc, Ikorodu, Lagos… recently
A cross-section of Moniepoint Executives and the Foreign Affairs delegation during the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ visit to the Moniepoint office as part of his high-level working visit to the United Kingdom… recently
L-R General Manager, Corporate Services, NEM Insurance, Mojisola Teluwo; winner of NEM ‘She Means Business’ contest, Miracle Nneoma Njoku; another winner of NEM ‘She Means Business’, Olawunmi Regina Matimoju; Executive Director, Finance and Investment, NEM Insurance Plc, Idowu Semowo; winner of NEM ‘She Means Business’, Taofikat Adetayo Jacob; another winner (Toheebat Eniola Ismail), represented by her mother, Madam Ganiyat Bello; another winner, Grace Adeifal and the Deputy General Manager (Marketing), NEM Insurance, Moyosola Olayinka Okeremi, during the presentation of N100 thousand grants to each of the five winners in the second edition of the NEM ‘She Means Business’ contest as part of the 2025 International Women’s Day celebration, held at NEM House, Lagos… recently
2025 INT er NATI o NAL W o M e N’S DAY
For Moneda Invest Africa, Championing Inclusion Beyond Tokenism, but Bold Commitment to Gender Equity
Undoubtedly, Moneda Invest africa is championing inclusion beyond tokenism with a bold commitment to gender equity. For Moneda, which marks 10 years of operations this year, this commitment is deeply embedded in its corporate DNa. In line with that, the firm commemorated this year’s International Women’s Day, with an event themed “accelerating action for Equity.” Chiemelie ezeobi writes that by bringing together female leaders in energy, finance, and investment, the gathering reinforced Moneda’s stance that true equity is not about ticking diversity boxes but about recognising talent, driving impact, and breaking systemic barriers
On March 7, 2025, Moneda Invest Africa reaffirmed its stance as a champion of workplace inclusion and equity with a powerful event at its Lekki Phase 1 headquarters in Lagos. Themed “Accelerating Action for Equity,” the gathering brought together trailblazing female leaders in energy, finance, and investment to discuss the evolving role of women in business and society.
But this was no ordinary International Women’s Day celebration. Moneda’s message was clear: equity is not about ticking diversity boxes—it is about recognising talent, driving impact, and removing systemic barriers.
“Inclusion isn’t charity,” said Ejike Egbuagu, Moneda’s Group Chief Executive Officer, in his keynote address. “We don’t hire women because they are women. We hire the best talent. Our culture rewards creativity, competence, and impact—not gender.”
For Moneda, which marks 10 years of operations this year, this commitment is deeply embedded in its corporate DNA as women are not only present in the company—they are leading, innovating, and shaping strategy.
“We’ve placed a lot of responsibility on women in this company,” Egbuagu added. “And we encourage more women to step up, take charge, and demand more.”
Afterwards of his page he wrote, “I celebrate the incredible women making an impact in every field. Women are truly phenomenal. This year’s IWD theme, #AccelerateAction, is a call for women to recognise their worth, step into leadership, and claim the roles they deserve.
“At @monedainvest, women hold many leadership positions, and that is no coincidence. Their contributions have been a driving force in our success. We had to plan a proper celebration to honour their impact.
“For me, #AccelerateAction is about gender equity, choosing the best people for the best positions, not based on gender but on competence. Women should therefore be given the room to showcase their abilities.
“Time and time again, women at Moneda have proven their inherent ability of being able to take on leadership roles and with no form of bias, and we will continue to give room to everyone that is capable, not
judging based on gender. To every woman: Know your worth, take action, and own your space.”
Advisory Board Member Ekinadese Osayande reinforced this:“Organisations that prioritise equity and inclusion outperform those that don’t. This is no longer about representation—it’s about unlocking innovation, driving profitability, and ensuring sustainability.”
Fireside Chat on Breaking Barriers
Moderating the panel discussion, Kenechi Eze, Chief of Staff at Moneda, summed it up best: “Accelerating action means to move. Women need to move and get things done.”
One of the panelists, Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoma, Managing Director and CEO of Nepal Oil and Gas Services Ltd., did not hold back in challenging women to move beyond self-imposed limitations.
“We need to stop putting ourselves in one container,” she said, urging women to push beyond self-imposed limitations and take initiative in shaping their professional paths.
She urged them to identify their specific goals, needs, and pathways to success, rather than waiting for external validation or permission, adding that they ”must identify what they need to accelerate and move to achieve it”.
She cautioned against prematurely revealing ideas or strategies before they are fully developed, as this can expose them to unnecessary scrutiny or competition.
“Protect your ideas until they mature—don’t show your eggs until they hatch.”
She also touched on confidence and visibility, reminding women of the power of presence: “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Dress well. Show up, even if you are afraid. Take a seat at that table.”
Beyond professional success, Ekeoma spoke about the importance of a mindset shift—encouraging women to take responsibility for their growth, ask for more opportunities, and position themselves for leadership.
Her words served as a powerful call to action, reinforcing the theme of the event: accelerating equity requires women to step forward, take risks, and
own their space.
Dr. Fatumata Coker, Chairman of AFRI-INVEST and CREDIT REGISTRY, brought another critical perspective on financial empowerment. She stressed that access to funding and credit remains a major hurdle for women entrepreneurs.
“In Nigeria, you are entitled to a free credit report every year. Many people don’t know this,” she said. “Understand your finances. Do not leave your money for others to manage. Money is not something to fear—it is something to master.”
Despite evidence showing that women-led businesses generate 21 per cent more profit, access to funding remains skewed. Coker cited that only 10 per cent of women entrepreneurs receive the financial backing they need, not because they lack ideas, but because of structural barriers in funding distribution.
“The problem isn’t just access to opportunities,” she pointed out. “It’s about how these opportunities are structured.” Her message was clear: Women must take charge of their financial futures, be proactive about wealth creation, and shift their mindset about money.
Accelerating Action: The #LeadingHerCommunity Pitch Competition
One of the most inspiring moments of the day was the #LeadingHerCommunity pitch competition, which awarded ₦500,000 to a female-led initiative making real impact.
Finalists presented projects tackling body shaming, education, and business storytelling, proving that women are not only breaking barriers for themselves but paving the way for others.
Among them was Olayinka Wilson, whose body-shaming awareness campaign in Ibadan started with just 10 billboards in 2021. Over the years, it expanded into radio, television, and even a children’s book titled “My Body, My Pride.”
“The prize money will help us put more copies of this book into the hands of children who need it,” she said. “We aim to reach 10 schools in Ibadan and donate 200 copies per school.”
While Wilson went home with the prize money,
the trio of Gift Enwere, Theresa Eja and Oluwatobi Esan, got honorary mention for the incredible work they also do.
Enwere as the founder of the GIFTAC Empowerment Foundation, is dedicated to improving the lives of African children through quality education, healthcare, and capacity development as her work focuses on uplifting communities by ensuring children have access to the resources they need to thrive.
Eja on the other hand is the founder of Girls In Power Foundation, where she is passionate about empowering young women for leadership across Africa, given that her organisation is committed to helping women step into decision-making roles, fostering a new generation of female leaders who will drive change.
For Esan, as the founder of Tobby The Brand, she focuses on inspiring young women to be courageous and pursue their dreams like she by embracing her ambitions to build successful brand on her own terms.
Commitment to Inclusion
Clearly, the just commemorated 2025 IWD event was not just a moment, but a part of a movement and Moneda continues to lead by example, ensuring that women in Africa’s investment, energy, and commodities sectors are recognised for their competence, not just their gender; equipped with financial knowledge to break economic barriers; and given platforms to showcase and scale their impact-driven businesses
Beyond the stories of resilience, ambition, and transformation, at the event, which were not just conversations—they were calls to action, reinforcing the importance of women prioritising their lives, leadership and finance, serving as a reminder that women’s empowerment must be holistic—spanning health, career, and financial independence.
As the event closed, the conversations didn’t end—they sparked new collaborations, commitments, and ideas that will continue to shape the future, and for Moneda and the women it empowers, this is just the beginning because with this mindset, Moneda is setting the standard: a future where women are not waiting for seats at the table, but are building the table themselves.
Ejike Egbuagu, Moneda’s Group Chief Executive Officer (middle), flanked by guests and panelists with the prize for the #LeadingHerCommunity pitch competition at the recently commemorated International Women’s Day Celebration at Moneda Invest Africa Head Office in Lagos
L-R: Director of Resources, Moneda Invest Africa, Ebisindou Sese; Chief Risk Officer, Moneda Invest Africa, Jumoke Adekanmi; Group Managing Director, Nepal Energies, Ngozi Ekeoma; Chairman, Board of Directors, Afrinvest, Dr. Fatumata Coker; Vice President, Liquidity, Commodities & Global Markets, Moneda Invest Africa, Nkechi Amangbo
Winner of #LeadingHerCommunity Pitch Competition, Olayinka Wilson of Say No to Body Shaming campaign Moneda Chief of Staff, Kenechi Eze, moderating the panel session with Dr. Coker and Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoma
Stanbic IBTC Partners SIFAX Group for Ijora Terminal Development
Oluchi Chibuzor
Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, Fund Manager of the Stanbic IBTC Infrastructure Fund has partnered SIFAX Group through its subsidiary, SIFAX Shipping ICT Limited, to facilitate the development of an ultra-modern port terminal on 8.3 hectares of land (~82,846 m²) in Ijora, Lagos.
The project encompasses the development of a new container terminal, construction of a quay wall, dredging of the harbour, and the procurement of essential port equipment towards contributing to solving critical capacity needs in Nigeria’s maritime industry.
In a statement it said, “Through the development of the Ijora terminal, SIFAX
Group intends to add value to the maritime transport & logistics industry by providing additional cargo clearing capability which is expected to result in reduced congestion at the Apapa and Tincan Ports, thereby improving efficiency and reducing delays for importers and exporters.”
According to the Chief Investment Officer of Stanbic IBTC Infrastructure Fund, Mr. Dolu Olugbenjo, “This project offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of the maritime sector in Nigeria, which is crucial for the country’s economic prosperity. By modernizing the Ijora terminal and expanding its capacity, the project aims to generate significant economic and social benefits, including improving trade flows, creation of jobs, and
addressing the challenges of congestion and limited capacity at the country’s existing ports.’’
“We are immensely proud to have achieved financial close and construction commencement on the project, in partnership with our very supportive lenders, shareholders, contractors, and all our regulators. In addition to improving ports and terminal capacity for Nigeria, this project will also create jobs and support the country’s development. The terminal will deliver impact on SDGs 1 (no poverty), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure) and 11 (sustainable cities and communities),” said Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, the Founder and Group Chairman of SIFAX Group.
CMC Connect Tasks Business Owners on Crisis Management Plan
CMC Connect LLP, Public Relations and Communications firm, has officially launched Crisis-X, an initiative designed to equip organisations with the tools needed for effective crisis management.
\The launch event, held at the firm’s headquarters in Lagos, also marked the declaration of March as Crisis Management Advocacy Month, a global annual campaign dedicated to promoting crisis preparedness and response.
\Speaking at the event, the Managing Partner of CMC Connect LLP, Raheem Olabode, described Crisis-X as a comprehensive platform offering expert insights, specialised training, and strategic guidance to help businesses anticipate, manage, and recover from crises.
He noted that the initiative encompasses critical areas such as risk assessment, crisis communication, reputation management, and post-crisis recovery, providing organisations with robust frameworks to navigate complex challenges.ers
Delivering a keynote presentation, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, Lead Partner of CMC Connect LLP, provided an in-depth analysis of the Crisis-X strategic framework.
He underscored the necessity of proactive crisis management in today’s volatile business environment, saying, “In an era where crises can escalate within minutes and significantly impact public perception, businesses must be prepared. Crisis-X is our answer to this pressing need, offering practical tools and strategies to help organisations safeguard their reputation.”
Commending the initiative, the Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced Professional Studies, Professor Anthony Kila, lauded CMC Connect LLP for setting new industry benchmarks.
Kila said, “What we are witnessing today is truly groundbreaking. Crisis is an inevitable part of life, and preparedness determines the outcome. With Crisis-X, CMC Connect is not just offering solutions but also leading advocacy efforts to transform crisis management practices.”
Earlier, CMC Connect LLP announced the establishment of Crisis Management Advocacy Month, to be observed annually every March. The month-long initiative aims to drive awareness of the necessity of proactive crisis planning across businesses and organisations.
Energy Expert Seeks Improved, Accurate, Energy Accounting System in Nigeria
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
A multidimensional energy expert and policy analyst, Mr. Abdulrazaq Hamzat at the weekend called for improved and transparent energy accounting system in order to ensure planning and investment derivation of the energy sector in the country.
Hamzat who spoke with newsmen in Ilorin on the sidelines of the recent announcement by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) regarding a new peak generation of 5,713.60MW as misleading and incomplete
tasked the agency to seek more collaboration with other agencies like National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) in order to achieve standard electricity accounting system in the country.
He argued that, the recent comment on the electricity generation distorts Nigeria’s true electricity landscape because over 12000MW electricity excluded from national accounting.
Hamzat said that, “there is need for a holistic and transparent reporting system
that captures the full spectrum of electricity generation beyond grid generation”.
Hamzat, who is also the Executive Director of the Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro), stated that, “Nigeria’s electricity generation should not be assessed solely based on grid transmission data.
“A proper energy accounting framework must incorporate grid-based generation, captive power, embedded generation, and independent power producer (IPP) contributions. Otherwise, we are not getting the full picture”.
NGO Trains 20 Kwara Women in AI Concepts
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
A nonprofit organisation based in Ilorin, Kwara state , Webfala Digital Skills for All Initiative (WDSFAI) at the weekend announced the training of 20 Women in Artificial Intelligence (AI) engineers so as to make them technologically driven experts in the practical application of AI concepts to solve real-world digital solutions.
The group however said that, the maiden inaugural cohort of the A1 fellowship training for the affected stakeholders was based
with in-demand AI development skills that will avail them over a four-month intensive training period.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of WDSFAI, Nafisat Bakare, stated that the initiative aligns with global efforts to promote gender equality in STEM fields, ensuring that women are not only consumers but are also active players and creators of transformative digital solutions.
She revealed that over 400 applications were received for the first cohort of the fellowship, but only 20 applicants were selected
through a rigorous process.
According to her, the fellowship will provide participants with hands-on AI training, soft skills training, mentorship by industry experts, and practical application of AI concepts to solve real-world challenges.
Bakare, who was represented at the event by the organisation’s Project Lead for STEM and Digital Literacy, Qodijah Lawal, said her organisation was committed to seeing Nigerian women thrive in AI careers and contribute meaningfully to the sector.
Saharan Blend (Algeria), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic
Iran), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).
L-R:Assistant Country Director, The Cooperative for Assistance and ReliefEverywhere in Nigeria (CARE), Jennifer Orgle; Country Director, CARE, Dr. Hussaini Abdu; DG/CEO, NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike; and Director of Legal Services, NiMet, Shola Gabriel, at the MOU signing between NiMet and CARE in Abuja...recently
Raheem Akingbolu
Tantalizers Targets N18bn Revenue by End of 2025
Kayode Tokede
The new management of Tantalizers Plc, yesterday disclosed to capital market stakeholders that it has set a modest revenue target of N18 billion by the end of 2025 financial year through leveraging on multiple strategic business units, subsidiaries and associated companies to drive growth and profitability.
Under the old management, the company closed 2024 financial with a revenue of
N1.198 billion, about 17.4 per cent increase over N1.165 billion reported in 2023, and a loss before tax of N0.259 billion in 2024 from loss before tax of N0.284 billion declared in 2023.
Speaking at the company’s “Facts Behind the Figures” presentation on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) in Lagos, the Group Managing Director,Tantalizers, Mr. Robert Speijer stated that revenue targets is essential for growth, financial stability, and
long-term sustainability of the company.
He said the company is embarking on a bold transformation journey, repositioning itself as a diversified, multi-sectoral conglomerate that extends beyond its pioneering roots in Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) space
“This transformation shall be driven by strategic acquisitions (M&As), sector diversification, and deliberate corporate actions designed to unlock new revenue
streams, enhance profitability, and position the company for long-term sustainability in Nigeria’s evolving economic landscape,” he said.
He expressed that the new management is committed to repositioning itself as a dynamic, high-value stock on the Exchange, with bold, clearly defined objectives to elevate its profile, enhance,
He noted that the company is expanding into blue economy
“The fisheries and aquaculture
industry is a vital component of global food security, economic development, and employment. As the world’s demand for seafood continues to rise, the industry value sours. Tantalizers is positioning itself as a major player in the Blue Economy,”Speijer said.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman, Tantalizers, Alhaji Adam Nuru noted that the new management took a very bold step in acquiring a major stake in Tantalizers. .
According to him, the move reflects the management’s belief in the long term potential of this business and the industry, as well as the whole market. He said, “The acquisition is more than a transaction. It’s a strategic investment in growth, innovation, sustainability, and it strengthens our position, expands our reach, and reinforces our commitment to delivering value to shareholders, consumers and stakeholders who are here with us today.
A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.
An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the
floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
GUIDE TO DATA:
Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 12 March-2025, unless otherwise stated.
Return: Denotes the
return an investor
DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS
Gamin G Week
Edited by nseobonG okon-ekonG |
Gaming Operators in Africa Raise Concerns Over Unfair Taxation
Iyke Bede reports on a panel session titled ‘Taxation in the African Gaming Industry: Striking the Right Balance-, powered by game provider Promatic Nigeria at the recently concluded African Gaming Expo where industry experts examined the challenges of taxation and explored potential solutions for fairer policies within the sector
With the rapid growth of sports betting and lottery activities in Nigeria, the sector has become a key driver of the economy. However, this boom has brought a wave of tax reforms that many operators consider punitive, arguing that the sector is being unfairly burdened compared to others.
At the recently concluded Africa Gaming Expo, held at the Eko Convention Centre, industry players from across the continent gathered to share insights on how different tax regimes impact their operations.
A key highlight of the event was a panel session titled ‘Taxation in the African Gaming Industry: Striking the Right Balance’, powered by game provider Promatic Nigeria. Industry experts examined the challenges of taxation and explored potential solutions for fairer policies within the sector.
The discussion featured Adewale Akande, Head of Legal and Regulatory Compliance at Bet9ja; David Moshi, Managing Partner at Velex Advisory, Kenya; Robin Bennett, Head of Regulatory Compliance at the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, South Africa; and Killian Khanoba, Senior Partner at Kreston Pedabo. They addressed key issues such as regulatory frameworks, the importance of taxation, tax leakages, and enforcement.
Akande highlighted the crucial role of gaming
companies in Nigeria, emphasising their contributions to job creation, national development through taxes and good causes, and youth empowerment, despite the sector’s nascent status.
Although currently suspended, he noted that the taxation imposed on the industry is sometimes unfair, citing the proposed five per cent withholding tax on punters’ winnings. He explained that such a policy could discourage players, who might turn to the black market to bypass the tax. He also called for the removal of an excise duty provision in a bill at the National Assembly, referencing the Supreme Court’s ruling that states, rather than the federal government, have regulatory authority over the sector.
L-R: Adewale Akande, Head of Legal and Regulatory Compliance at Bet9ja; Killian Khanoba, Senior Partner at Kreston Pedabo; Cynthia Areh, ARISE TV Anchor; David Moshi, Managing Partner at
“Other companies that are operating in Nigeria are not subjected to the multiplicity of taxes and levies that we pay in the gaming industry. The gaming industry operators are subjected to the normal corporate taxes. We pay taxes, value-added
Advisory, Kenya and Robin Bennett, Head of Regulatory Compliance at the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, South Africa
tax, company income tax, education tax, and so many other levies. So we are wondering why the industry is receiving such negative attention. Why are we coming up with new taxes against this industry?”
How SportsBook Engine Emerged Premier Indigenous Gaming Software Provider
As the only African-owned gaming software provider, Nigerian-born, Austin Udu’s brand, SportsBook Engine is a leader in innovation that has guaranteed a huge windfall, writes Nseobong Okon-Ekong
Once Austin Udu pushed past the initial melancholy of a job-seeking fresh graduate, then took the critical decision to set up shop as an agent for a sports betting operator, the rest of his journey in the Nigerian gaming environment has been purpose-driven, calculated and deliberate. His association with Nairabet, the company that offered him a foothold in business lasted two years.
Convinced that he could do more, Udu made the big move of starting a sports betting company, Alphabet in his home state, Delta. It did not take long for the overseas suppliers he was working with to notice his enterprising business acumen. The Austrian company proposed an offer that Udu could not refuse. As it would amount to conflict of interest to continue running his business side-by-side, he decided to cease his personal interest to fully concentrate on his assignment as the representative of the Austrian company in Nigeria and Africa.
Today, Udu runs three thriving companies in the gaming industry with footprints in Nigeria, Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, Gambia and Tanzania with more prospects in view. But he is better known as the managing director and CEO of SportsBook Engine, the first indigenous gaming software provider.
“I was an agent of Nairabet. I had gone to Bet9Ja and they said my shop was too close to another shop. I then decided to go to Nairabet. There were between two and five major companies then-Nairabet, Bet9Ja, 1960bet, Merrybet and Surebet. I think Sportybet was there but they were doing just retail,” said Udu. “Online had not really advanced in those days. It was more of retail; shop-based. I joined Nairabet as an agent. I had a retail shop in Ijesha. I said to myself that I could do more than just being an agent. I convinced myself that I could be an operator. I noticed then that of the two products I took from Nairabet, virtual games brought in more money.”
He added, “I made deeper inquiries about it from the virtual game provider with a view to know more about the business. I then decided to float a betting company in Delta State. I transitioned from an agent to an operator in a space of four months. The virtual game company I was working with then decided that since I was giving them resourceful input as to how they could develop better games, they will like me to join them as their representative in Africa. They invited me to Austria in 2014.”
The meeting went well and Udu came back and started reselling for them and “doing a whole lot of development.”
He needed eight years to consolidate before making his next big move in 2017.
“I decided to develop a product here in Nigeria. To have the average sportsbook takes about five years. We went commercial in 2022,” Udu stated. “We continued from there. I left that company in 2022, that was when I decided to intensify product development. I have been in the business of providing software products for the gaming industry for 10 years.”
In a few weeks, SportsBook Engine will earn the most coveted mark on its scorecard: a GLI certification.
“We are currently testing with GLI. That should be in our bag in about four weeks. GLI is the Number One international certification that is needful in the gaming industry. We are going for it because we don’t intend to be restricted to Africa. In the next five years, we want to be number one software provider in the gaming industry not just for Africa, but in Asia and Europe,” said Udu. “If you count the top three, we want to be mentioned among them. We are inspired by the likes of Interswitch. It is a Nigerian payment company. If you check anywhere in the world, Interswitch is known. We want Sportsbook Engine to be positioned in that manner, where if you are talking of gaming software, you think of Sportsbook Engine.” Udu is convinced that companies like his that are
pacesetters and patriotic should be be supported with intentional government policies.
“It should be a government policy like we have in the oil industry, that whatever can be obtained here in Nigeria in the gaming industry, you don’t have to go out there to source it. That way, the money stays in the country,” he added.
Udu never imagined that his chosen task was going to be an easy one, but he is determined to face it frontally.
“This is our contribution to Nigeria and Africa’s development,” said Udu, a graduate of Agricultural Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University. We are solving problems for the companies that cannot afford the foreign software providers. They charge a whole lot and they charge in hard currency,” Udu disclosed. “We are also trying to solve the problem of pressure on our foreign exchange. We don’t need anybody to be taking our monies out. This business is run on revenue share basis. If you make, for example, N1 billion. About 15% of that goes out of this country to the the platform providers. We want to keep that money here. We have been able to solve the fuel issue with Dangote keeping our monies here. We want to be able to do that for the gaming industry through SportsBook Engine.”
Akande stated.
Providing insight into the South African market, Bennett reiterated the role taxes play in revenue generation. However, he restated the need for operators and regulators to find common ground in tax reform, ensuring it does not stifle innovation or erode investor confidence.
“With any normal industry, if there’s an increase in taxes, generally this is passed on to the consumer. But that is almost acceptable because they are purchasing something tangible. Within gambling, they’re purchasing entertainment time. So, when you start increasing taxes, you may find, specifically in casinos, they start looking at the percentages, changing that. As a result, the player is spending less time on the game with the same amount of money,” Bennett explained.
As with any other industry, Khanoba noted that operators will naturally gravitate towards tax-friendly environments and take advantage of them. In cases where this is not possible, he advised regulators to adopt measures to minimise tax leakages and collaborate with operators to better educate them on the importance of taxation. He also stressed the need to engage lawmakers in the sector to help them understand how tax policies influence long-term investment.
Seeking solutions, Akande reiterated that tax reforms must prioritise the sustainability of operators by creating a more business-friendly tax framework.
Addressing tax leakages, Bennett advised regulators to strengthen enforcement by ensuring operators provide a security deposit based on their revenue as a safeguard against non-compliance. He also highlighted the importance of penalising late submissions to encourage timely payments, adding that the ultimate deterrent for defaulters should be the revocation of their licences.
While Moshi highlighted the impact, relevance, and ease of tax implementation, Khanoba urged regulators to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to withholding tax on winnings. He suggested introducing a threshold for punters’ winnings to encourage participation, which would ultimately boost revenue generation.
The Africa Gaming Expo reinforced the need for balanced tax policies that support both government revenue and industry growth. With open dialogue and collaboration, regulators and operators can create a framework that fosters investment, protects consumers, and secures the sector’s long-term viability.
Austin Udu (left) explaining the workings of his enterprise to Governor Babajide SanwoOlu of Lagos State (3rd from left)
Velex
SPECIAL UBA BUSINESS SERIES TO COMMEMORATE WOMEN’S MONTH...
L-R: Managing Director, BOI Investment and Trust Company Limited, Flora Fabyan; Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communication, United Bank for
Chairman, Africa Prudential Plc, Chief (Mrs.) Eniola Fadayomi; Chairman, Punch
commemorate International Women’s Month at
Governor Sanwo-Olu Inaugurates Disposable Syringe Factory in Lagos
Ministers, others hail new venture
Dike Onwuamaeze
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday commissioned the Transgreen Nigeria Limited’s ultra-modern O-Care Disposable Syringe factory in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos State.
The commissioning yesterday attracted the presence of First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and is the first of its
kind in the state. It is designed to produce high-quality, sterile syringes that meet international standards.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Femi Hamzat, highlighted the significance of the project, stating that it represents a critical step towards achieving Lagos state's vision of becoming a leading hub for industrial innovation and excellence in Africa.
He said: “Healthcare is one of the pillars of our administration’s development agenda. And I am delighted to witness the realisation of this world-class facility, which aligns with our vision for a healthier and more prosperous Lagos State.
“The establishment of this factory demonstrates the power of collaboration between government and private sector in addressing critical gaps in our healthcare system. Therefore, O-
Care Disposable Syringes’s factory is more than just a manufacturing plant. It is a symbol of innovation, resilience, and commitment to excellence.”
In his welcome address, Managing Director of Transgreen Nigeria Limited, Mr. Cyprian Orakpo, expressed his gratitude to the guests and acknowledged the support of the Lagos State Government, the federal government, and financial
Police Celebrate Month-long Zero Crime in Anambra, Attribute Feat to Soludo's Support
CP thanks criminals, IPOB for peace they have given the state
David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has celebrated one month of zero crime in the state, attributing it to the support of the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and other sister security agencies.
The commissioner told journalists on courtesy call to his office that for one full month since after he took over as commissioner, not even one bullet has been fired on criminals by police operatives, just as not even a bullet has been fired at police operatives by criminals.
He said: "The peace we have today is not by my might, but the grace of God, support of the governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and my sister
agencies like the army, Civil Defence, DSS and all others.
"I'm proud to say that since I arrived this state one month ago, not even a bullet has been shot at the police and none has been shot at criminals by the police. So, I want to thank even the criminals for all the peace they have given us.
"Any how you want to look at it, we have to even thank the IPOB people because they have remained on their lane since I came here, so we must thank them. I don't want to see them as criminals.
“As long as they remain on their lane, I have no problem with them.
But I want to say that I will revenge any touch on any police officer in this command as far as I'm here. They should remain the way they are and let us remain as we are, so
that we can all move on the part of development."
Speaking on the gradually disappearing sit-at-home exercise in Anambra, the commissioner said he has been visiting markets on Mondays to urge the people to shun such orders and come out to eke a living for themselves.
He said the command promises to provide security, and has also been enlisting the services of town criers to urge the people to come out on Mondays.
He further said such method of self-punishment should not be entertained as a form of protest by Anambra people who are widely acknowledged to be very industrious.
"How will you have development when you harass and kidnap
Oyo Govt Assures of Quality Job on Iseyin-Saki Road Rehabilitation
The Oyo State Government has assured of quality delivery on the ongoing limited rehabilitation of 83.82-km Iseyin-Okaka-Saki Road.
The government gave this indication Thursday, noting the project is being properly supervised by resident engineers from the Oyo State Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
It added the Commissioner for Public Works and Transport, Prof. Dahud Shangodoyin, and a team of engineers had been monitoring the project by paying visits to the site, adding that the team even visited the site on February 20, 2025.
A resident of the state had in a so-
cial media post alleged that the project is marred by poor workmanship, a claim which the state government described as unfounded, noting that the project would be delivered to specifications.
A statement signed by Prof. Shangodoyin indicated the governor approved a palliative work on the road in the form of limited rehabilitation, involving clearing, turn outs, scarification, and removal of unsuitable materials.
Other scope of the work includes provision of reinforced concrete retaining wall, supply of sub-base and base course materials and laying
of 40mm asphaltic wearing course at the critical locations only.
The statement read in part: “The Iseyin-Saki Road (83.82km) is a federal road and several rehabilitations had been executed by FERMA but the road became deplorable and nearly impassable.
“The Oyo State Government under the leadership of Engr. Seyi Makinde, in its determination to provide comfort for the citizens of the state plying the road without minding the fact that the road in question is a trunk A Road, took the initiative to rehabilitate the road and bring comfort to the road users.
construction workers who are coming to bring development in your community? Look at the sit at home thing.
“Anambra which is the pride of Nigeria in business, through which the people have become so rich, even with no known mineral resources like other states, but someone is coming to tell them to shun their business for protest.
"Anambra people must know that if they obey sit at home, they are invoking poverty on themselves. That is why government, in collaboration with the police are doing all that we can to ensure the safety of the people.
institutions in making the project a reality.
Orakpo said: "Today marks a significant milestone in our journey to become a world-class manufacturer of medical consumables. We are proud to have taken this bold step towards self-sufficiency in medical device manufacturing, and we are committed to scaling up our operations to meet the healthcare needs of our nation."
In his goodwill message, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator Owan Enoh, commended Transgreen Nigeria Limited for its huge investment despite the current economic challenges facing the country.
Enoh said: “I want to encourage the company to collaborate more with the ministry to ensure diversification, creation of jobs and ensure patronage of locally manufactured syringes and needles.”
The Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate, who was represented by Dr. Abdul Muktar, described the facility as the first of its kind in Lagos State, noting that it marked a significant milestone in the collective efforts to enhance healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
Muktar said: "I am wearing a double hat today as the representative of the Minister of Health and as the National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC).
"Today, we celebrate the visionary leadership and entrepreneurial spirit of Mr. Cyprian Orakpo, the astute and incurable entrepreneur who has
tirelessly championed the cause of ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ goods."
Muktar noted that during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Orakpo led the charge as the first Nigerian manufacturer of medical face masks under the Transgreen Nigeria Limited brand.
"As the National Coordinator of the PVAC, I am particularly proud of this achievement. It aligns perfectly with our mission to strengthen Nigeria's healthcare infrastructure and promote self-reliance in the production of essential medical supplies,” he said. In her goodwill message, The Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Adeyeye, said that the O-Care Disposable Syringes’ factory is a landmark achievement by Transgreen Nigeria Limited.
Adeyeye said: “This moment marks not just the introduction of a new product but the advancement of healthcare in Nigeria, which is in line with the vision of improving the quality of life for Nigerians and the entire African continent.
“Orakpo’s journey is a shining example of the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit that we need in Nigeria.”
Speaking during the ceremony, the President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Francis Meshioye, tasked both the state and federal governments to protect the investment with the right policies, the right incentives and the right support to scale.
Diversion: SUBEB Contracts for 2013 was Implemented, Says EFCC Witness
The Project Manager of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) between 1998 and 2017, Engineer Abdulsamad Olanrewaju Abdulsalam yesterday told the state High Court in Ilorin that, all the infrastructural projects carried out by the SUBEB in 2013 were implemented beyond the expectation of the agency.
Abdulsalam, who was the third Economic and Financial Crimes Commussion (EFCC) witness stated this in Ilorin on Thursday while being cross-examined by the former governor Ahmed's counsel, Mr. Mumuni Jimoh (SAN), at the ongoing trial of ex-Kwara State governor, AbdulFatah Ahmed, and his ex-finance commissioner, Mr. Demola Banu, for alleged diversion of
N5.78
Education Commission (UBEC) fund in the state.
Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought the two of them before the court.
The duo had pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
Though, the state paid its counterpart fund otherwise known as marching grants of N952 million and N869 million to the Skye Bank designated account in 2014 and 2015, the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) did not give out any contract.
However, Abdulsalam during cross-examination by the former governor Ahmed's counsel, Mr. Jimoh (SAN), told the court he was in charge of the infrastructure needs of
public primary and junior secondary schools in the state.
Abdulsalam stated: "I became the Director of Physical Planning in 2018. And my duty is to do the condition survey of schools as well as the population of students. I don't know anything about administration. "UBEC monitoring team from Abuja came to supervise the extent of job done by the contractors in 2013 and they were satisfied.
"And I didn't know anything other than my office schedules on the projects as all the infrastructures projects were implemented without any hindrance and the contractors were paid.
"While all the job done beyond expectations of the management of UBEC that came from Abuja and the SUBEB management in Kwara state".
Africa (UBA), Mrs. Alero Ladipo; Board
Nigeria Limited, Angela Emuwa; and Nollywood Actress, Nancy Isime, at the special UBA Business Series held to
Tony Elumelu Amphitheatre, UBA House, Lagos, yesterday
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Renaissance Completes 100% Acquisition of SPDC Nigeria
Says its partner firms boast of over $3bn asset base, 100,000bpd and two modular refineries
Peter Uzoho
Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings has announced that it had successfully completed the transaction between itself and Shell for the acquisition of the entire 100 per cent equity holding in the Shell
Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC). The completion followed the signing of a sale and purchase agreement with Shell in January 2024, and obtaining all regulatory approvals required for the transaction. Renaissance announced the
Gov Abba Yusuf Hosts Chinese Envoy, to Unveil 5-year Investment Plan
Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, yesterday announced plans to unveil a five-year multi-sectoral investment strategy, spanning 2025-2029, to attract more Chinese investments in the state.
Speaking at the Government House in Kano, while hosting the Chinese delegation led by the country's Ambassador to Nigeria, Dunhai Yu, Yusuf said the state offered significant economic advantages, including access to raw materials, a strategic location and large markets.
"Kano is a historical commercial centre in sub-Saharan Africa and an industrial hub with a conducive business environment for Chinese investors. The state offers significant economic advantages, including access to raw materials, a strategic location and large markets," the governor stated.
He said the bilateral trade between China and Nigeria had reached over $22.6 billion in 2023, from which the state had benefited greatly from this relationship.
"Chinese companies have played a major role in infrastructural development within the state," he stated.
Yusuf assured the delegation of Kano's readiness to facilitate investment opportunities that would enhance economic growth and strengthen diplomatic ties.
On his part, Yu expressed appreciation for the warm reception, describing Kano as a key economic and cultural hub in West Africa with over 1,000 years of rich history.
"Kano is home to many Chinese investors and entrepreneurs, and they all feel welcome here. The relationship between China and Kano is built on mutual respect and beneficial cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, and education," he said.
The ambassador highlighted China’s commitment to expanding partnerships with Kano, particularly in agriculture, infrastructure development, trade, and education. He revealed plans to facilitate investment from Shandong Province, one of China’s largest economies into Kano’s agricultural sector, irrigation systems, and manufacturing industry.
Yu also reaffirmed China’s willingness to support Nigeria's push for economic diversification, particularly through investments in renewable energy and electric vehicle manufacturing.
landmark completion of the acquisition of SPDC in a statement issued yesterday, signed by its Spokesman, Mr. Tony Okonedo. Going forward, SPDC will be renamed as ‘Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, the statement stated.
Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings is a consortium consisting of four successful Nigerian independent oil and gas companies including ND Western Limited, Aradel Holdings Plc. FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited and the Waltersmith Group, as well as Petrolin, an international energy company.
The company is being headed by the former Managing Director of the Nigeria Liqufied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), Mr. Tony Attah. Renaissance partner companies collectively have an asset base of more than $3 billion and currently safely produce approximately 100,000 barrels of oil per day, from 12 oil mining leases and operate two functioning modular refineries in Nigeria’s Niger Delta.
The new company said it is prepared to leverage its core competencies, technology and experience to lead the delivery of Nigeria’s aspiration for accelerated oil and gas reserves and production
growth and to thrive beyond the energy transition. Renaissance is also committed to taking its place as Africa’s leading oil and gas company, dedicated to fostering energy security, innovation, and sustainable development.
The statement read, "Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings today announced that it has successfully completed the landmark transaction between itself and Shell for the acquisition of the entire (100 per cent) equity holding in the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC). This follows the signing of a sale and purchase agreement with Shell in January 2024, and
obtaining all regulatory approvals required for the transaction. Going forward, SPDC will be renamed as ‘Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.
"Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings is a consortium consisting of four successful Nigerian independent oil and gas companies: ND Western Limited, Aradel Holdings Plc. FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited and the Waltersmith Group, each with considerable operations experience in the Niger Delta, and Petrolin, an international energy company with global trading experience and a pan African outlook."
I’ll Work With Obi to Rescue Nigeria from Bad Governance, Declares Bauchi Governor
Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Segun Awofadeji in BauchI and Francis Sardauna in Katsina
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has described the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, as a true and real opposition leader in Nigeria, pledging to work with him to rescue the country from bad governance.
Mohammed, who stated this when he received Obi at the Ramat House, Bauchi, acknowledged that the two of them had a fruitful discussions as the leader of Obedient Movement opened discussions on the current crisis faced by opposition parties in Nigeria.
He clarified that despite being in different opposition parties, they have begun discussions on the best way to work in synergy to rescue and Nigeria and Nigerians from the current hardship they were facing.
Iftar: Governor Inuwa Yahaya Fetes
APC State EXCO, LG Leadership
Segun Awofadeji in Gombe
Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Wednesday night, hosted the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at both state and local government levels to a special Iftar in continuation of his tradition of hosting public iftar for the citizens of the state in the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan.
Speaking to this important segment of his extended political family, Governor Yahaya expressed gratitude to the APC leadership across all levels in the state for their continued support to his
administration since its inception.
“Let me seize this opportunity, to appreciate you for standing by my administration all through. The victories we witnessed both in 2019 and 2023 elections respectively, would not have been possible without your absolute commitment and sacrifices.
“I am proud to say that we have delivered on the numerous promises we had made during the electioneering campaigns. Our achievements are glaring.
“The people of Gombe can testify to this. It is based on this that I want to reassure you that I’ll
continue to lead us to achieving greater milestones in line with our party’s ideals”, the governor stated.
“We may face one challenge or another, but we must be reminded that our strength as a party lies in our unity. We must remain united as a formidable force to achieve our goals, especially as we approach yet another political season and cycle of elections.
“I want to reiterate my commitment to promoting unity in the party and ensuring that our policies and programmes continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Gombe state.
The governor stressed that Nigerians were still looking up to the opposition to bring back good governance and rescue them from the shackles of oppression.
“I am ready to work with Peter Obi to the very end. The government of today is not democracy. We would use knowledge, tactics and strategies to transcend Nigerians irrespective of the plans of those people, who think they can scatter democracy,” he said.
GTCO
The governor also solicited the support of the former presidential candidate to continue his campaigns for good governance to Nigerians.
Responding, Obi appreciated Mohammed for his giant strides in advocating good governance and providing development to his constituents.
He also sought the governor’s support in his quest for the betterment of Nigeria and assured him to galvanise more support from the opposition
side to champion the campaign for good governance.
Asked about the performance of the President Bola Tinubu administration, Obi said, “Apparently, the government of APC under President Tinubu has done very well because when Tinubu was campaigning, he said he will continue from where Buhari stop.” Mohammed later led the entourage to pay homage to the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu at his palace.
Withdraws Cyberstalking Charges Against Bloggers After Six Months in Custody
Wale Igbintade
After spending six months in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service, four bloggers accused of cyberstalking Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), its CEO, and management have regained their freedom.
This follows the withdrawal of criminal charges against them by the bank after reaching a settlement.
With the agreement in place, the trial court struck out the case.
The bloggers - Precious Eze (38), Olawale Rotimi (47), Rowland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami - had been charged under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act by operatives of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi, Lagos.
They were accused of publishing false information about GTCO and its Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Segun Agbaje.
At the latest court hearing, the prosecuting counsel, Chief Ajibola Aribisala (SAN), informed Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High
Court, Lagos, that GTCO had reconsidered the case following the defendants' appeal for a fresh review.
He noted the bloggers had acknowledged their wrongdoing and agreed to make amends.
Aribisala further revealed that the Guild of Editors had intervened and facilitated an amicable resolution.
As part of the settlement, the defendants signed a document agreeing to restitution and pledged to refrain from publishing false or malicious content.
They also committed to issuing unreserved apologies in three national newspapers.
"The defendants have shown remorse, pledged to right the wrongs, and promised not to misuse their platforms for misinformation.
“We urge the court to accept the settlement so they can reunite with their families after six months in custody," Aribisala stated.
Defence counsel A. O. Afolabi confirmed that both him and his clients had signed the agreement and did not object to the withdrawal of charges.
Following this, Justice Faji ruled that all parties must adhere to the settlement terms and subsequently struck out the case. It would be recalled that the defendants had been arraigned on an amended charge dated September 26, 2024.
The police alleged that in August 2024, they conspired to commit cyberstalking by disseminating false reports, including claims that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) had raided GTBank over a purported N1 trillion scam involving Segun Agbaje. They were also accused of publishing allegations of nepotism and misconduct against the CEO.
The prosecution argued that these publications were intended to insult, intimidate, or cause harm to Agbaje, in violation of the Cybercrimes Act. However, with the recent settlement, the case has now been laid to rest.
RECONSTRUCTION OF LAGOS THEATRE, OREGUN...
L-R: Director, Lagos State Office of Works, Arc. Tunde Yakub; Chief Executive Officer, Thespian Family Theatre and Productions, Mrs. Ayo Jaiyesimi; Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, Mr. Idowu Johnson; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation and Supervising Permanent Secretary Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Maroof Olawale Musa; Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka; and Director of Theatre, Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Bimbo Ogunsote, during the groundbreaking ceremony of the reconstruction of Lagos Theatre, Oregun held at Oregun... recently
Trump Gets Congress’ Nod to Sanction
Nigeria over Alleged Killing of Christians
Says Nigerians account for 90% of Christians killed worldwide each year
To reinstate nation in list of Country of Particular Concern Benue assembly summons security heads over breakdown of law and order in state
The United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, has given President Donald Trump the green light to impose stringent sanctions on Nigeria in response to the widespread killing of Christians in the country.
The decision followed a congressional hearing on Wednesday, during which lawmakers condemned the Nigerian government for failing to protect Christian communities from escalating violence.
The committee also cited a 2024 report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, which revealed
that Nigerians accounted for 90 per cent of all Christians killed worldwide each year.
The report documented that between October 2019 and September 2023, a staggering 55,910 people were killed, while 21,000 others were abducted by terrorist groups operating in the region.
During the hearing, Committee
Chairman Chris Smith, who highlighted the severity of the crisis, pointed to testimony from Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Diocese of Makurdi, Nigeria, as a viable witness. He said: “One of our distinguished witnesses today—Bishop Wilfred Anagbe—travelled a long distance to be with us, and his testimony is
both compelling and disturbing.
“Militant Fulani herdsmen are terrorists. They steal and vandalise, they kill and boast about it, they kidnap and rape, and they enjoy total impunity from elected officials. None of them have been arrested or brought to justice.”
“Make no mistake – these attacks are religiously motivated,” the report stated, adding: “Denying this reality contradicts the overwhelming evidence we have seen with our own eyes. This ‘religious cleansing’ must stop, and those responsible must be held accountable.”
The congressional panel strongly criticised the Nigerian government for
failing to address religiously motivated violence, despite constitutional protections for religious freedom.
Expressing concern that the Nigeria’s judicial system had been weaponised to suppress Christian communities, the lawmakers cited cases where blasphemy laws have been used to target religious minorities.
“The Government of Nigeria has made little progress in addressing the persecution of Christians, even though religious freedom is enshrined as a fundamental human right in its Constitution.
“While Nigeria’s legal framework ostensibly supports religious pluralism at both federal and state levels, glaring
Fubara to Lawmakers: Prioritise Rivers' Interest
Olugbode in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has urged the 27 members of the State House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike,to consider the interest of the state first in all their decisions.
Fubara, who said he was complying with the Supreme Court judgment, said the lawmakers needed to know that they were also to comply with the ruling, and do so with the commitment that prioritises the interest of the state.
This was as the state House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule, has set up investigation on the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Simeon Amadi, over alleged agefalsification.
Meanwhile, the ActionAid Nigeria, has expressed concerned over the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers, which has continued to divert attention from governance and the welfare of the citizens of the state.
However, Fubara made the assertion yesterday, in his remarks at the inauguration of the 85-year-old Okrika Grammar School in Okrika Local Government Area of the State.
The governor emphasised that without an enduring peace, sustainable development would be impossible, while the sense of security, respect, tolerance, stability, and well-being to pursue goals would suffer.
He maintained that such resolve must engender collective action towards achieving peace in the
State because it servedas the potent medium through which all the arms ofgovernment could function properly while creating public goods that benefit everyone.
"Let me thank everyone, and also say this, it is important at this stage that we all embrace peace.
The Supreme Court has made its judgment, we don't have any option than to abide by it.
"And, by the special grace of God, we have started the process. We are appealing to other parties, consider the interest of Rivers State, it is important.
“The only thing that we owe this state is peace and development. I am open any day, any time for total peace in our state, because if I have to govern well, there is need for peace to prevail," he said.
Speaking on the project, Fubara recalled how the planning committee of the 20th Anniversary of the Diocese of Okrika Anglican Communion visited, and appealed to him to give the school, dilapidated for a long time, a facelift.
Assembly Accuses CJ of Age Falsification
Rivers State House of Assembly has set up investigation on the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Simeon Amadi, over alleged age falsification.
During the plenary, yesterday, the House resolved to invite the Department of State Security (DSS), to investigate the alleged age falsification by the CJ.
The call for the investigation was amongst key documents presented to the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, by the leader of the House, Hon Major Jack.
The Deputy Speaker, Hon Dumle Maol raised the allegation against the Chief Judge of the state, Amadi saying, “These document before me simply say that the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Simeon Amadi falsified his age in service. Mr Speaker, that is a very serious allegation, and I do hope that this House takes legislative notice.”
The House thereafter debated on the subject matter and resolved to write a letter to the Director of the DSS to do its investigation and revert to the House on their findings for appropriate action.
The Speaker, Amaewhule said, “The documents are only suggesting a case of age falsification by the honourable Chief Judge of the state, Simeon Amadi. What it means is that there has to be an investigation to that effect.”
contradictions persist—particularly in laws that criminalise blasphemy, some of which even carry the death penalty,” the subcommittee’s report stated.
Blaming the previous administration of President Joe Biden for weakening U.S. pressure on Nigeria by removing the country from the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list, Smith said the designation was originally applied during President Trump’s first term.
He noted that despite four consecutive years of recommendations from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (2021–2024), the Biden administration had failed to reinstate Nigeria’s CPC status.
“Under President Biden, Nigeria was removed from the CPC list, despite overwhelming evidence that religious persecution had worsened.
This decision ignored the repeated recommendations of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom,” he said.
He called on President Trump to take decisive action, including restoring Nigeria’s CPC designation and engaging directly with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to ensure better protection for Christian communities.
“I fully expect President Trump to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC and to take additional steps to support the persecuted church. Last night, I reintroduced a resolution on this issue, and I hope we will have a robust discussion that leads to real action,” he added.
He also urged the Trump
administration and the U.S. Senate to be prepared to impose sanctions on Nigeria if the violence against Christians continues.
“This hearing should serve as a catalyst for action—not just within Congress but also within the Executive Branch,” he added.
“The new president has a responsibility to act, and I believe he will. If necessary, sanctions must be imposed. When they have been used in the past, they have brought change. Where there are no consequences, the killing fields remain.”
Benue Assembly Summons Security Heads Over Breakdown of Law and Order in State
The Benue State House of Assembly, has summoned some of the governor’s aids on security matters to appear before it today, March 14, and brief it on the ongoing killings in the state. Those invited were the Special Advisers on External Security Col. Alexander Ashungyu Rtd, Internal Security; Joe Har, Director General of the Benue Home Land security; Air Commodore Jacob Gbamwuan Rtd; and Commandant, Benue Civil Protection Guards, Captain Ajobi Ayuma Rtd. The House also summoned the Special adviser on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Denen Aondoakaa, to also appear on the same day to provide concrete explanations regarding the funding of security at the local government level.
We’ll Not Allow Nenadi Usman Transact with Our Platform, Labour Party Declares
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The Labour Party (LP) has vowed to resist attempts by those it called transactional politicians to use the party and mortgage its party by dragging it into illegal coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, who said this in Abuja, explained that the party watched in awe as a former Finance Minister, Senator Nenadi Usman, attempted to transact with the Labour Party in cahoots with her mentor and former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai, who recently
defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
According to the spokesman of the Labour Party, “Before Tuesday’s shameful but audacious display by Nenadi Usman, many attempts have been made by some desperate politicians to transact with the Labour Party with all ending in the same disastrous fate.
“We are also aware that one other group, which has continued to claim proprietary right over the Labour Party, in their recent statement, indicated interest to join in this transactional frenzy to obliterate this
party seen by many as the third force Nigerians are yearning for.
“We really do not know why all these interests in the Labour Party. Are there not other political parties in Nigeria? We have repeatedly said that the Labour Party is filled with several transactional politicians whose only purpose of joining the party was to scramble for the soul of the party.
“This explains the genesis of the crises we have witnessed in the party in the last two years. We have continued to warn that the Labour Party is not a merchandise that can be bought over the counter,'' he said.
He further explained that, it was
baffled how some persons continued to engage in a futile enterprise which end was already foretold.
“For emphasis, Senator Usman joined the Labour Party in 2022 in support of our Presidential candidate as an unregistered member of the party and up till presently, her name is still not in the party’s register.
“She is not known in her Ward, Local Government and the State chapters of the party. It is only in Nigeria that some desperate politicians can wake up one morning and begin to claim one position, even if such position is not supported by any law.
Michael
Chiemelie Ezeobi in Lagos and George Okoh in Makurdi
SIGNING CEREMONY OF AGREEMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR AFRICAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION...
Kogi senator slams contempt charge against senate president, others over suspension Niger Delta youths threaten oil shutdown if northern leaders continue to attack Akpabio ARP condemns ultimatum by Arewa youth, CSOs express concern over petition to UN
Emmanuel Addeh, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Sunday Aborisade and Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Senate, yesterday, passed a vote of confidence on its president, Godswill Akpabio, in the wake of the recent development in the upper chamber of the National. Assembly.
The development came 48 hours after the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Kogi Central, addressed the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) in New York, and ceased the opportunity to report Akpabio to the global body.
But embattled Akpoti-Uduaghan, has already initiated contempt proceedings against Akpabio and others over alleged disobedience
to varied pricing structures and logistic challenges that complicated the engagement process.
He also emphasised the role of security agencies in combating currency trading malpractice, and strengthening collaboration to curb illicit currency trading activities that undermined monetary policy objectives.
Cardoso said, "These issues underscore the urgent need for clearer operational frameworks, improved security protocols, and stronger interagency cooperation to enhance the effectiveness of the CBN’s regulatory and operational responsibilities."
He said the workshop served as a platform to realign collective efforts by enhancing mutual understanding, refining security protocols, and fostering a cooperative framework, to create a more secure, efficient, and responsive financial system.
Ribadu, in his own comments, said addressing identified concerns required collaborative efforts.
He pointed out that in other parts of the world, cash movement was made a specialised task to reduce operational challenges. The NSA boss called for enforcement of existing laws against those who abused the naira, adding that bringing people to justice is key to solving the problem.
Ribadu said, "If nobody is punished for bad behaviour, they will do more."
He said cash movement needed to be certified and standardised.
Ribadu lamented a situation where half of the seats on commercial flights were sometimes occupied with cash, wondering what would be the case on private flights as well as boats.
to the valid order of court, which had temporarily restrained them from taking any disciplinary action against her.
Curiously, the amalgamated Southern Nigeria Youths Forum has warned the northern leaders and the Arewa Youth Assembly to stop their campaign of calumny against Akpabio over allegations of sexual harassment by Akpoti-Uduaghan.
This was as the Arewa Revival Project (ARP), has opposed the 48-hour ultimatum recently issued by the Arewa Youth Assembly for Good Leadership (AYAGL) to Akpabio, over the matter.
At the same time, a coalition of Civil Society Group for Peace, Security, Good Governance, Equity and Justice in
He said the current administration was dealing with some of the difficulties it inherited, adding, however, that there has been lots of improvements.
He stated, "The economy is beginning to take shape in less than two years, and we are counting the benefits. We inherited one of the most damaged economies."
Ribadu commended Cardoso for doing a lot to stabilise the financial system, and vowed continuous support for the central bank.
He acknowledged that the partnership between CBN and ONSA had yielded positive outcomes.
Earlier, CBN Deputy Governor, Operations Directorate, Bala Bello, explained that the engagement session aimed to reinforce the importance of a robust security framework in safeguarding the financial ecosystem, while ensuring the seamless execution of the bank's mandate.
Bello said CBN and its licensed partners interacted with various security agencies for numerous reasons, which included security escort/clearance, financial intelligence, and investigations.
Bello pointed out that the financial industry had its own challenges, especially cash cycle operations challenges, lack of uniformity in the provision of logistic services, and the commoditisation of the naira by PoS merchants and bank agents.
He stated, "Addressing these concerns effectively demands enhanced collaboration, mutual understanding, and structured guidelines for an enhanced service delivery.
Security remains a fundamental pillar of financial system stability."
Relatedly, CBN’s Deputy Governor,
Conjunction with Media Practitioners for Development, has expressed worry that sexual harrassment allegation by Senator Natasha and her subsequent suspension by the Nigerian Senate has taken an international dimension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan told the global body that she was suspended for raising issue of sexual harassment against the Senate President, contrary to the position of the senate that she was punished for misconduct.
Thus, the Senate in its resolution urged Nigerians not to be distracted by the issue of sexual harassment raised against Akpabio by Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The Red Chamber said the matter was already in the court of law, which would not allow it dabble into it based on the order 40 of its standing rules.
Corporate Services Directorate, Ms. Emem Usoro, said the bank remained committed to bold, data-driven policies that accelerated access to finance, drove investment, and fostered a more inclusive, dynamic economy.
Usoro spoke at the Citibank’s inaugural Women in Central Banking event, held in London, on March 10, in celebration of International Women's Day.
In her address, titled, “Accelerating Women's Financial Inclusion: Unlocking Opportunities for Growth and Investment,” she expressed confidence that the bank's strategic initiatives, under Cardoso, will drive higher financial inclusion for women and other underserved groups and unlock economic value.
Usoro told the forum, which had female central bank deputy governors from Kenya, Türkiye, Israel, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom, that CBN’s efforts will fuel entrepreneurship, expand market participation, and strengthen financial resilience.
She stated, “With macroeconomic stabilisation taking hold, the central bank is shifting focus to broader financial sector reforms, including financial inclusion – an area of particular importance to Governor Cardoso.
“Whether for women-led businesses seeking capital, professionals securing their financial futures, or rural communities accessing banking for the first time, inclusion is a catalyst for sustainable growth.
“It is undeniable that when women thrive, economies prosper and opportunities multiply."
In celebration of the 2025 International Women’s Day, Usoro shared the
The vote of confidence was passed during plenary following a motion moved to that effect by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) and seconded by the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olalere Oyewumi (Osun West) Bamidele rose under order 41 and 51 to raise a matter of urgent national importance to draw the attention of his colleagues to the public discourse that had been diverting the attention of the Senate in the last two weeks.
He said, “Based on the kind of distraction that we have witnessed in the last two weeks as a Senate and as a representative of the Nigerian people, there is the need for us to rest this matter so that we can concentrate on the mandates for which we were
CBN's targeted policies and strategies to accelerate women's financial inclusion and reduce the gender gap in access to finance.
She disclosed that CBN, in collaboration with development partners, had conducted an assessment of women’s financial inclusion in Nigeria. She said the bank established a Gender Desk in its Financial Inclusion Unit in response to the study's findings, which identified key obstacles, such as low trust in financial service providers and limited financial literacy.
The study revealed a nine per cent gender gap in access to finance, she said.
While stating the challenges faced by the current CBN management team upon taking office, Usoro outlined a series of critical reforms implemented to realign the bank with its core mandate.
She also listed the launch of the Women Entrepreneurs Finance (WEFI) Code Commitment, championed by CBN, in collaboration with the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) and the Bank of Industry (BoI); the launch of the Framework for Advancing Women’s Financial Inclusion in Nigeria (FAWFIN); and the inauguration of an inter-agency Special Interventions Working Group with a priority focus on women, as efforts by the bank to promote gender financial inclusion.
Usoro, urged participants to partner with financial institutions to expand credit facilities for women-owned businesses, invest in the fintech ecosystem, particularly in infrastructure that improved access to digital finance, and support capacity-building programmes that enhanced women’s financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
elected by the Nigerian people.
“There's no doubting the fact, or there's no pretending about the fact that members of public have been genuinely interested in matters happening within this hallowed chamber in the last two weeks, especially with respect to the allegation by one of our distinguished members, home and abroad, as to whether or not she had been sexually harassed.
“I feel it is important once and for all that we place on record where we are on this matter and rest the matter as an institution so that we can concentrate while we allow the court of law and any other agencies who constitute such matters to do their job.
“I begin by recognising the right of members of public to subject what we do to utmost scrutiny. And I recognise the fact that it is the people that can criticise the government, because we're a part of the government,” he said.
Bamidele stressed the need for the Senate to explain the true position of Nigerians, whom he said, were currently being misled by wrong narratives in certain quarters.
Meanwhile, Akpabio and Senator Solomon Adeola, have faulted the appearance of Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting held at United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
They said Akpoti-Uduaghan's action had seriously embarrassed Nigeria.
Akpabio while presiding over plenary yesterday said, “I'm aware further that she (Akpoti-Uduaghan) has now externalise the matter by attempting to embarrass the Federal Republic of Nigeria by going to give a narrative at the IPU UN event, totally different from what occurred in the Senate.
“But I want to thank Rt. Honourable member, Kafilat Okpara, who had to give a press conference in New York to caution the international press not to vilify Nigeria, but to note that the facts presented by her were totally out of tune with what occurred in the Nigerian parliament and that we have our own internal mechanisms of resolving issues in Nigeria.
“Outside this parliament, we also have the judiciary which she is even standing before the judiciary, so I don't know why she would do so. Even here she has brought a petition and she has not allowed us to even look into it. She went to court and then she has not allowed the court to look into it.
“She has gone to the international
community and she may not even allow the international community to look into it. She might decide to run to…I don't know where. I don't want to be misquoted.
“But the reality is that we remain resolute. We are law abiding. We operate through the rules of the Senate, which is an extension of the powers and privileges given to us by the grund norm, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” Similarly, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Adeola, said Akpoti-Uduaghan, could not position her self as bigger than the Senate. In a statement personally signed, Adeola stated that Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for flagrant violation of the Senate Standing Orders and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Akpoti-Uduaghan Slams Contempt Charge against Akpabio, Others over Suspension
Embattled Senator Natasha AkpotiUduaghan, has initiated contempt proceedings against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and others over alleged disobedience to the valid order of court which had temporarily restrained them from taking any disciplinary action against her. The move, which commenced with the filing of Form 48 at the Federal High Court, Abuja, was sequel to her six-month suspension by the Senate last week.
The Form 48 which is a notice of consequence of disobedience of an order of court was issued in suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025 filed by the Kogi Central Senator to enforce her rights. Besides Akpabio, other alleged contemnors were the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, Senator Neda Imasuen.
The notice of disobedience of court order was signed by the registrar of the court pursuant to Section 72 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act, 2004, together with the notice of consequences of disobedience of order of the court made on March 4. The defendants/contemnors in the application were urged to take notice of their willful disobedience of the order of the court made by Justice Obiora Egwuatu on March 4.
Chief Agro-Industry Officer, African Development Bank (AFDB), Mr. Karikari Tabi; Lead Implementation Manager, AFDB, Mr. Amu Orison; Director General Nigeria, AFDB, Dr. Abdul Kamara; Director General, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Mr. Simeon Ehui and Coordinator, Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation(TAAT), Dr. Chrys Akem, during the Signing Ceremony of Agreement Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Phase II in Abuja on Wednesday
PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN
TINUBU DEFENDS REFORMS, CARDOSO UPBEAT ON ECONOMY, SAYS TIME FOR FEAR IS OVER
UNILEVER NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATION...
L-R:
Diri: No One Individual is Bigger Than PDP
Chuks Okocha in
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was bigger than any individual and that its internal challenges would be fixed once members resolved to tackle them.
Also, the acting National Chairman of the party, Amb. Umar Ilya Damagum, has insisted that the PDP remained the party of the people and one to beat in the nation’s political firmament.
Meanwhile, the embattled national secretary of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has told the National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) led by Chief Tom Ikimi that he won't be able to appear before it because the petition of alleged anti-party activities against him was prejudiced.
But in spite of his letter, the NDC has recommended his Anyanwu from the party.
Speaking to journalists at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja after the inauguration of the party’s South-South zonal caretaker committee led by Elder Emma Ogidi, Diri said the political will to confront those fomenting trouble in the party resided with the members and not solely on the leadership.
Diri, who is also Chairman of the South-South PDP Governors’ Forum, stated that for the party to be competitive as the oldest in the country, it must look inwards and fix its internal issues.
He said, “For me, we have to look inwards before accusing those outside our party. We have to first fix our internal issues.
“It is very easy to point fingers. But
the PDP has to sit back and tackle its internal challenges. That is only when we can stand to compete with others.
“I want the PDP to be competitive with other political parties. We are the oldest political party in Nigeria. So, we have no reason to be accusing outsiders.”
On whether the party’s leadership had the political will to discipline those fomenting trouble, Diri averred that such will resided with the members.
“We are all members of the party. The moment we all resolve that we need to fix our party, there cannot be any one person that is bigger than the party,” he said.
Speaking, too, Damagum said, ''I also want to use this opportunity to tell Nigerians that this party, the PDP, is still the party to beat. A party that has been tested for 27 years, one of
the oldest parties.
''All these shenanigans you see around, the APC, the others, have not been more than 10 years old and if you've grown up to be up to 27 years and still standing, still counting, then there is no guarantee more than that.
''The PDP is the guarantee for Nigerians to change the course of what is happening today in our country. I also want to use this opportunity to caution our leaders, don't fear them.
''Nobody is going to change your destiny for you other than yourself. I've noticed maybe because of fears, you find sometimes leaders encouraging this present administration at the center. I find it really very disgusting. Let's tell ourselves the truth.
''So, please and please, let's be up and doing. Don't fear anyone.
Nigerians belong to all of us. There's nobody who is a better Nigerian than you are. It's all an opportunity, but if you put your act together, the path is very bright, we will reach the destination,'' he said.
Damagum, however, maintained that the party had not conducted its South-South Zonal Elective Congress, despite claims to the contrary.
His position contradicted the events of February 22, when the party reportedly held the congress, with the chairman of the electoral committee, Vita Abba, declaring Dan Orbih — an ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike — as the National Vice Chairman for the South-South after securing 174 votes.
Wike, who attended the congress in Calabar, insisted that the process was legal and final, declaring that
US Judge Orders Trump to Reinstate Thousands of Fired Workers
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
A California federal judge yesterday ordered six US agencies to reinstate thousands of recently hired employees who lost their jobs as part of President Donald Trump's purge of the federal workforce.
The ruling by US District Judge, William Alsup, during a hearing in San Francisco was the most significant blow yet to the effort by Trump and top adviser Elon Musk to drastically shrink the federal bureaucracy. Government agencies faced a Thursday deadline to submit plans for a second wave of mass layoffs and to slash their budgets.
Alsup's ruling applies to probationary employees in the US Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of Interior and the Treasury Department, Reuters reported.
The judge said the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the human resources department for federal agencies, had improperly ordered those agencies to fire workers en masse even though it lacked the power to do so.
“It is a sad day when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie,” said Alsup, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement said
Alsup lacked the power to issue the ruling and that the administration would "immediately fight back."
“The President has the authority to exercise the power of the entire executive branch – singular district court judges cannot abuse the power of the entire judiciary to thwart the President’s agenda," Leavitt said.
Alsup during the hearing said agencies can engage in mass layoffs but are required to comply with a number of legal requirements.
Probationary workers typically have less than one year of service in their current roles, though some are longtime federal employees. They have fewer job protections than other government workers but in general can only be fired for performance issues, the Reuters report said.
Alsup ordered the agencies to reinstate workers who were fired over the last few weeks, pending the outcome of a lawsuit by unions, nonprofit groups, and the state of Washington.
He did not order the 16 other agencies named in the lawsuit to reinstate workers, but said he would promptly issue a written decision that could expand on Thursday's ruling.
The plaintiffs include the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 800,000 federal workers. The union's president, Everett Kelley, in a statement said the decision was an important victory against "an administration hellbent on crippling federal agencies and their work on behalf of the American public."
Alsup last month had temporarily
blocked OPM from ordering agencies to fire probationary employees, but declined at the time to require that fired workers get their jobs back. The plaintiffs subsequently amended their lawsuit to include the agencies that fired probationary workers.
About 25,000 workers across the US government had been fired as of March 5, according to a Reuters tally, and another 75,000 have taken a buyout. The Trump administration has not released statistics on the firings, and it was not immediately clear how many employees could be affected by Thursday's decision.
In the lawsuit before Alsup, the plaintiffs claimed the mass firings were unlawful because they were ordered by OPM rather than left to the discretion of individual agencies.
OPM has maintained that it merely asked agencies in a January 20 memo to identify probationary workers and decide which ones were not "mission critical" and could be fired, and did not order them to terminate anyone.
The agency on March 4 revised that memo, adding that it was not directing agencies to take any specific actions with respect to probationary employees. OPM has pointed to the updated memo and to press releases by agencies as proof that it had no control over agencies' decisions.
Alsup told the US Department of Justice lawyer representing OPM, Kelsey Helland, that he did not believe that was true, and scolded the government for not presenting OPM's acting director, Charles Ezell, to testify at the hearing.
“I’ve been practicing or serving in this court for over 50 years and I know how we get at the truth, and you’re not helping me get at the truth. You’re giving me press releases, sham documents,” Alsup said.
Helland said it was common for presidential administrations to prevent high-ranking agency officials from testifying in court, and that the information provided by OPM in court filings was enough to prove that it never ordered agencies to
terminate workers.
Along with the lawsuit in California, several other challenges to the mass firings have been filed, including cases by 20 Democrat-led states and a proposed class action by a group of fired workers.
The Merit Systems Protection Board, which reviews federal employees' appeals when they are fired, earlier this month ordered the Agriculture Department to reinstate nearly 6,000 probationary workers at least temporarily.
the South-South remained the PDP’s strongest base. He dismissed any plans for a fresh congress, affirming Orbih’s leadership in the zone. The Damagum-led National Working Committee ignored Wike’s stance and, on March 7, appointed Emma Ogidi as Chairman of the Caretaker Committee while setting April 12 as the new date for the zonal congress.
Justifying the inauguration of caretaker committee, Damagum said, “As far as the NWC is concerned, the South-South Zonal Congress has not been held. Since their tenure has ended, we are setting up a Caretaker Committee today.”
In his acceptance speech, Ogidi said, ''On behalf of the committee, I want to assure you that by the grace of God, we will discharge our duties dispassionately to the glory of God.
''I want to thank everybody present. I will assure you that what is expected of us, we are going to do it. In fact, we are going to listen to the advice of the chairman in his speech. He has charged us and by the grace of God, we will do our best.”
Meanwhile, Anyanwu has described what was happening in the party as a proxy war that could not stand. According to him, ''How can they expel me? That cannot stand. I have never heard from them. The last time they met, they adjourned to April 4. So, wherever this one is coming from will not work.
''We are waiting a ruling from the supreme court. The last time we were in court, March 10, the apex court asked us to go and we will be contacted through our lawyers when they are ready. How this? It cannot stand," he said.
Policy Formulation: Varsity Don Advocates Inclusion of
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
Students
In the spirit of catching them young, and passing on the right baton, Professor of Communications and Registrar at the BAZE University in Abuja, Abiodun Adeniyi has advocated that students at basic education level should be included during policy formulations at all levels of governance.
He said with their involvement which is bound to have a positive impact on them towards being outstanding, it is worthy of note to understand that such isn't rocket science, but hard work, dedication and preparation.
Adeniyi stated this yesterday during the Student Public Policy Forum with the theme, "Deepening Students Understanding of Public
at Basic Education Level
Policy and Governance", and which was organized by the Not Forgotten Initiative School.
In the programme which was supported by MacArthur Foundation and Agora Policy, Adeniyi laid emphasis on the need for students to hone their skills and capacity, while noting that when opportunities avail themselves, then they well know that they are ready to impact the system.
In pursuing their dreams towards being credible members of the society, Adeniyi urged the students who were from 17 schools to shun the abuse of drugs which he stated has become an epidemic with attendant consequences calling for a state of emergency.
According to him, "It is a very important forum because we are talking about the next generation, we are talking about the future of Nigeria,
and we're talking about improving things in where we have had lapses, and how we manage things at the moment.
"And of course, if you are bringing young ones to begin to think in a line of policy formulation and policy implementation, what it means is that, you are preparing for the future.
"Use of drugs is very serious malice. It is very disturbing that we are increasingly having the prevalence of drugs in this country, and it's a shame. It's something that maybe we should think of declaring an emergency on.
"It is like you are deliberately saying that you want to be mad. You're working towards being mad. And if you're mad, unfortunately, it can be very, very difficult, you know, reforming you or reviving you."
Abuja
Nigerian Producer and Co-Founder, Inkblot Productions, Zulumoke Oyibo; National Finance Director, Unilever Nigeria, Folake Ogundipe; Managing Director, Unilever, Tobi Adeniyi; Group Chief Finance Officer, Access Bank Plc, Ibukun Oyejide; and Singer, Songwriter, and Actor, Waje Iruobe, at the Unilever Nigeria International Women’s Day celebration event held at the Unilever Head Office in Lagos… yesterday PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN
BAMIDELE OLUMILUA VARSITY CONVOCATION…
L-R: Chancellor, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN); Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, and Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, at the first convocation of the university in Ikere-Ekiti…recently
Emirate Youths Plead for Mercy as Niger Shuts Two Secondary Schools
Laleye Dipo in minna
Following the continued unruly behaviour of some students and gangs in Minna, the Niger State Government has announced the indefinite closure of two secondary schools in Minna, the state capital.
The frequent clashes between the students and youth gangs had led to breakdown of law and
order and even death of some students and gang members.
The Commissioner for Basic Education and Secondary Education, Dr. Hadiza Asabe Mohammed, in a statement announced the closure of Government Day Secondary School, Bosso Road, Minna and Father O’Connell Science College, (GSS) Minna.
According to Mohammed,
Atim Ekanem Foundation Calls for Early Kidney Detection
With kidney disease increasingly affecting Nigerians, the Atim Ekanem Foundation(AEF) has called for early detection, the establishment of more dialysis centres, and urgent intervention to curb its rising prevalence.
The foundation made this known yesterday at an awareness walk to mark World Kidney Day, an annual global campaign aimed at raising awareness and educating the public on the dangers of kidney disease.
This year’s campaign has the theme: ‘’Are your kidneys ok? Detect early, protect kidney health.” The walk took place across major streets in Iko t Ekpene and Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
Speaking to newsmen, founder of the AEF, Mrs Etido Kretschmer, explained that the walk which is the foundation’s first-ever world kidney event in Akwa Ibom, was organised
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to sensitise the public on the importance of early detection, kidney health, and unhealthy lifestyles that lead to kidney diseases.
She said: “Kidney disease has become a public health challenge. If you go to the hospital today, you’ll see a lot of people affected by kidney disease and people who are not aware that kidney disease exists.”
“People have to pay close attention to their kidneys by getting screened early and be managers of their kidneys, especially those affected by diabetes and high blood pressure, obesity or family history of kidney disease. People need to run screening at least twice a year to make sure that their kidneys are ok.’’
She underscored the urgent need for early detection, lifestyle changes, and improved healthcare infrastructure to reduce the rising prevalence of kidney diseases.
I formerly known and addressed as aJosE omoBosEdE dEBorah now wish to be known and addressed as asiEmor omoBosEdE dEBorah. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.
I formerly known and addressed as adENiraN adEBola Bilikisu now wish to be known and addressed as adENiraN Bilikis adEBola. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.
I formerly known and addressed as muhammad Balikis Fatimah now wish to be known and addressed as mohammEd Balikis ola All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.
I formerly known and addressed as mBEayi oBima Eustus now wish to be known and addressed as mBEayi oBima iFEaNyi. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.
the decision to close the schools “follows an on-thespot assessment conducted by Management of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education on Wednesday, March 12, 2025,”
before expressing concern over the troubling activities involving students and youth gangs posing as students, which she said: “Is contributing to the rising insecurity within the schools
and the communities.”
The commissioner, therefore, urged “parents and guardians to remain vigilant and proactive, as the state is implementing more decisive measures.”
Reacting to the development, the leadership of the Minna Emirate Youth Association MEYA called for the reversal of the policy in “the interest of the larger community.”
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have, once again, shunned the 43rd Ordinary Meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff, which was held at the
Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in Abuja.
The Sahelian nations have consistently boycotted ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff meetings since they announced their exit from the regional bloc on 28 January 2024.
Their exit not only depleted the numerical strength of ECOWAS and fractured its integration effort, but also altered existing regional security cooperation and collaboration aimed at fighting insurgency and other transnational organised crime in the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin and West Africa.
To this end, the ECOWAS Defence Chiefs met in Abuja this week to develop a new security strategy to fill the void created by the exit of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
Speaking during the meeting, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, said the meeting would be a pledging exercise towards the counter-terrorism effort.
Tragedy as Bus Driver Running from Revenue Enforcers Kills Girl in Edo
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city
A tragic incident unfolded yesterday in Benin-city, capital of Edo State, where a two-year-old girl lost her life in a fatal crash allegedly caused by members of the Edo State Public Safety Response Team (PSR).
The incident, which took place near Ring Road, has sparked widespread outrage, with many calling for an immediate response from the state government.
Eyewitnesses said the incident happened when a commercial bus driver and two members of
Sexual Reproductive Health, Catalyst for Youths,
Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
HACEY Health Initiative has stressed that Sexual, Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocacy is a catalyst for youths as well as marginalised groups empowerment in the country. Speaking yesterday in an
Political Scientists Blame Nigeria’s
Bassey Inyang in calabar
Nigeria suffers from good governance deficit and lack of purposeful leadership because the leaders of the country are self- seeking, political scientists in the country have said.
the PSR, a unit of state-backed enforcers tasked with revenue collection, were attempted to seize the steering wheel of the moving vehicle, causing the driver to lose control and veered off the road, slamming into a roadside PoS kiosk where the small girl and her mother were standing, killing the child instantly.
“She didn’t have the chance to run,” said an eyewitness who saw the crash. “The bus threw her and her mother against the concrete slabs, but she was the only one that died. It was terrible,” witness stated.
Marginalised Groups
exclusive training session designed to equip youth champions with practical digital media skills for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocacy in Osogbo, the lead Speaker, Mrs. Falana Adeola, who spoke on the theme: ‘Understanding ( SRHR), key concepts and importance’, noted that it would also support gender equality and human rights.
Empowerment’
The training with over 100 youths was held at the Royal Continental, Ofatedo junction, Osogbo in Osun State included a two-day in-person meeting in five states namely Oyo, Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun. The event featured hands-on activities where young people develop their own advocacy campaigns using digital tools and social media platforms with the assistance of programme lead of HACEY, Bamidele Oyewumi and Anne Bassey.
Development Crisis on Self-seeking Leaders
This is part of a communiqué issued by the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), South-south Zone, at the end of her sixth annual conference which ended on May 12.
The conference, which has the theme: ‘Interrogating Politics, Governance and the. Crisis of Development’, took place at ASUU Secretariat, University of Calabar, from March 9 to March 12.
The communiqué was signed by Dr. Sunday Ibanga, chairman and Dr. Benson Udom, secretary of NPSA South-south Zone.
The communiqué stated that the resources for development is often misappropriated, and the result is development crisis that has affected socio-economic and political development with attendant consequences on national and human security.
Political Science and its association, the communiqué said, need to be more relevant to the Nigerian society by moving from the theoretical realm to practical tool of system transformation.
Drug War: France Commends NDLEA, Donates Operational Equipment
Michael Olugbode in abuja
The French government has handed over some operational equipment to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to aid the ongoing war against drug trafficking.
The donation was made
yesterday by the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, who commended the operational successes of the anti-narcotics agency, especially in areas of illicit drug control and high rate of prosecution and conviction of offenders.
The envoy, who handed over
some operational equipment donated by the French government to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) at the agency’s national headquarters in Abuja, noted that the agency had done very well in the fight against illicit drugs and narcotics with
over 57,792 arrests; 9.9 million kilogrammes of seizures and 10,572 convictions within a space of four years. He added that Nigeria’s records of achievements in the fight against illicit drugs places the country in a good position for great partnership and collaboration with France.
RMB Asset Mgt’s Money Market Fund Ranks among Top 10 Performing Funds
RMB Nigeria Asset Management has reaffirmed its position as a leader in wealth management as its money market fund, the RMBN Money Market Fund, ranked among Nigeria’s top 10 performing funds for January 2025.
Delivering an impressive 23.3 per cent return, the fund continues to offer investors a competitive return relative to treasury bills and fixed deposits whilst providing ease of entry and exit but, more importantly,
robust risk management.
Speaking on the fund’s strong performance, Managing Director of RMB Nigeria Asset Management, Kike Mesubi, said: “At RMB Nigeria Asset Management, we are focused on building a legacy of trust and expertise by providing investors with well-structured, risk-managed solutions. The success of our RMBN
NIGERIA DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
Plot 447/448 Constitution Avenue, Central Business District, Abuja E-mail: info@ndic.gov.ng, Website: www.ndic.gov.ng
ADDENDUM: NOTICE TO GENERAL
PUBLIC FOR DISPOSAL OF L ANDED PROPERT Y (WAREHOUSE) OF CIT Y EXPRESS BANK (IN-LIQUIDATION)
Introduction:
Furtherance to the public advertisement by the Corporation on Thursday March 6, 2025 find below an addendum on the last publication.
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), in the exercise of its statutory mandate as the liquidator of failed banks under section 62(1)(d) of NDIC Act, 2023 as amended, wishes to invite the general public for the upcoming disposal of Landed Property (Warehouse) at KM 8, Lagos Abeokuta Express Way, Abeokuta, Ogun State belonging to the defunct City Express BANK through Public Competitive Bidding.
Scope of Disposal:
1. The scope of the exercise is the disposal of the landed property (Warehouse) belonging to the City Express Bank (In-Liquidation) located at KM 8, Lagos Abeokuta Express Way, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The disposal exercise would be competitive and transparent to all bidders.
2. Bidders who wish to participate shall follow laid down guidelines which is aimed at transparency, fair competition, accountability, equity and timeliness in line with tenets of corporate governance principles to enable recovery of commensurate financial returns from the auction exercise for the payment of liquidation dividends to uninsured depositors and creditors accordingly
3. The Landed property (Warehouse) at KM 8, Lagos Abeokuta Express Way, Abeokuta, Ogun State is to be auctioned therein. The property will be sold “as is “and “net “of all taxes.
4 The auction exercise shall be open and competitive to all bidders and shall take place at the meeting room, NDIC Lagos office (9th Floor), Mamman Kontagora House, 23A, Marina, Lagos at the scheduled date accordingly
INSPECTION:
All interested bidders are invited to contact the Sales Agent Niyi Fatokun & Co 08034457511 for guided inspection of the property and for further inquiries.
BIDDING CONDITIONS:
All interested corporate institutions or individual should submit their sealed Bids with 10% of the bid security in Bank Draft in favour of City Express Bank (In-Liquidation) in a sealed envelope with “BID FOR LANDED PROPERTY” Inscribed on the top left corner of the envelope at 9th Floor Mamman Kontagora House 23A, Marina Lagos. The bid should indicate Name, Address and Telephone Number of the bidder
The 10% Bid security for the successful bidder will be retained by the Corporation and they will be required to pay the balance of the bid price within 30 days of notification while the Bid security for the unsuccessful bidders will be returned immediately
All interested bidders should submit their sealed bids with 10% bid security in Bank draft at the designated bid submission address, failure to attached the 10% Bank draft for bid security will render such bids Null and Void.
SUBMISSION OF BIDS:
All Bids should be addressed to The Director, Asset Management Department, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, Lagos Office, (9th Floor) Mamman Kontagora House, 23A, Marina, Lagos. And to be submitted not later than 11am. Monday 7th April 2025.
OPENING OF BIDS:
Submitted bids will be opened immediately after the deadline for the submission at 11am, monday 7th April 2025. at the meeting room, NDIC Lagos Office, (9th Floor), Mamman Kontagora House, 23A, Marina Lagos.
For adequate guidance, the Corporation has posted the reserve price on the landed property (Warehouse) stood at N211,582,000.00 (Two Hundred and Eleven Million, Five Hundred and Eighty-Two Thousand Naira Only).
Ramadan is a month of fasting, but is it only about staying hungry and thirsty? Many of us focus on the physical aspect—abstaining from food and drink—but often overlook the deeper purpose of fasting.
The Prophet(pbuh) and the Quran remind us that true fasting goes beyond the stomach; it is a state of discipline for the tongue, the mind, and the heart.
More Than Just Hunger and Thirst
The Prophet(pbuh) said: “Whoever does not give up false speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, 1903)
This hadith is a clear reminder that fasting is not just a physical act—it is a spiritual exercise. If our words and actions remain the same as outside of Ramadan, then we have not truly fasted. Refraining from gossip, lies, arguments, and ill speech is just as crucial as avoiding food and drink.
Allah also emphasizes in the Quran: “O you who have believed, fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those before you, so that you may attain Taqwa (consciousness of Allah).” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183)
Taqwa is not achieved merely by enduring hunger but by guarding our hearts from corruption. A fast that does not bring a person closer to righteousness is an incomplete fast.
The Fast of the Heart and Actions
The Prophet (pbuh) also said: “Fasting is a shield; so, when one of you is fasting, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor raise his voice in anger. If someone reviles him or fights with him, he should say: ‘I am fasting.’”
(Sahih Muslim, 1151a)
Fasting acts as a shield—a protection not just from physical needs but from the weaknesses of the soul. It teaches patience, self-restraint, and humility. Engaging in arguments or responding to
By: IslamiCity
Ramadan is a month filled with countless blessings, and the first ten days are specifically known as the Days of Mercy (Rahmah).
This period reminds us of Allah’s boundless compassion and love for His creation. As we begin our journey through this sacred month, understanding and seeking Allah’s mercy should be at the heart of our worship.
Allah’s Infinite Mercy in the Quran
The Quran repeatedly emphasizes Allah’s mercy, reassuring us that He is always ready to forgive and bless His servants. Some of the most powerful verses include:
“My mercy encompasses all things.” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:156). Allah’s mercy extends to every creation, from the smallest creatures to the believers striving to seek His pleasure.
“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.’” (Surah Az-Zumar 39:53) This verse is a direct call to those who feel distant from Allah, assuring them that no sin is too great for His mercy.
“And your Lord is the Forgiving, Full of Mercy. If He were to impose blame upon them for what they earned, He would have hastened for them the punishment.” (Surah Al-Kahf 18:58). Even when people commit wrong, Allah gives them time and opportunities to repent.
Hadith on Allah’s Mercy
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) provided numerous examples of Allah’s unmatched mercy:
Allah’s mercy is greater than a mother’s love:
The Prophet (pbuh) once saw a mother lovingly nursing her child and said: “Allah is more merciful to His servants than this mother is to her child.” (Sahih Bukhari 5999).
This hadith helps us comprehend the depth of
provocation diminishes the essence of fasting. Ramadan is a test, and every interaction is an opportunity to pass or fail.
Charity: The Soul of Fasting
While fasting helps cleanse the soul, it must be paired with giving. The Prophet (pbuh) was described as the most generous, especially in Ramadan:
“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was the most generous of people, and he was the most generous during Ramadan when Jibreel would meet him. Jibreel would meet him every night of Ramadan to study the Quran with him, and when Jibreel met him, he was more generous than a swift wind bringing rain.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 3554)
Fasting teaches us the pain of hunger, but it should also open our hearts to those who live with that pain every day. True fasting includes generosity—not just through money but also through kindness, forgiveness, and giving from what we love.
Are You Truly Fasting?
At the end of Ramadan, we must ask ourselves: Did we just stay hungry, or did we fast with our entire being? The Prophet (pbuh) warned: “Perhaps a fasting person will get nothing from his fast except hunger and thirst.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, 1690)
A fast that does not change us, does not soften our hearts, and does not bring us closer to Allah is a wasted opportunity. Ramadan is a time to not just control what enters our body but also what leaves it—our words, actions, and intentions.
Fasting is easy when it’s only about food. The real challenge is in fasting with our hearts, minds, and actions.
If we truly want to benefit from Ramadan, we must go beyond hunger and thirst. We must fast with sincerity, kindness, and self-control. Only then will we experience the true essence of Ramadan.
So, ask yourself, Are you truly fasting? Or are you just staying hungry?
Mercy of Allah in Ramadan WORLD OF ISLAM
Allah’s care and compassion for His creation. Allah’s mercy exceeds His wrath:
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “When Allah created the creation, He wrote in His Book, which is with Him above the Throne: ‘Indeed, My mercy prevails over My wrath.’” (Sahih Bukhari 3194). This gives hope to every believer that Allah’s mercy will always be greater than His punishment for those who seek it.
Seeking Allah’s Mercy Through Dua
During these first ten days, we should make sincere duas, asking for Allah’s mercy to shower upon us and our loved ones. Some powerful supplications include:
“O Allah, Have mercy on me with Your Mercy that encompasses everything…(QAlA’raf 7:156)
“O Allah, None has the right to be worshipped but Allah. You are the One who gives blessings, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Possessor of glory and generosity” (Tirmidhi, 3544)
How to Attain Allah’s Mercy
While Allah’s mercy is vast, we must actively seek it through:
• Sincere repentance (Tawbah): Constantly asking for forgiveness.
• Kindness and charity: Helping others attracts Allah’s mercy upon us.
• Consistence in worship: Regular salah, Quran recitation, and dhikr.
• Forgiving others: Showing mercy to people invites Allah’s mercy upon us.
The first ten days of Ramadan are an opportunity to immerse ourselves in Allah’s mercy. Through Quranic reflection, dua, and sincere acts of worship, we can hope to attain His boundless compassion. Let’s make the most of this blessed time, remembering that no matter where we are in our journey, Allah’s mercy is always within reach. May Allah shower us with His mercy and guide us on the path of righteousness. Ameen.
MY PATH TO AFENIFERE (2)
NCNC as partners in the Federal government from 1959 onwards?”
In grappling with this notion, the objective was best served under a parliamentary system of government in which there would be no need to openly advertise such a regionally skewed presidential ticket. At any rate, any potential of the ticket was completely snuffed out when Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe floated the Nigerian Peoples Party, NPP, and became its Presidential candidate.
If there was any hope for the Yoruba/Igbo ticket, it went up in smoke after Azikiwe joined the fray. 1979 was only nine years after a civil war in which Awolowo had played the decisive role of partnership with the North to defeat the Biafra secession. His account of the role he played in the civil war was naturally quite different from the interpretation of the Igbo political elite.
in an interview with Peter Enahoro of the daily times in 1981, Awolowo offered an extenuation that “When, (on the eve of the declaration of the Biafra secession) the National Conciliation Committee asked me to lead a delegation to Ojukwu, I saw it as an opportunity and seized the opportunity very firmly. I asked Ojukwu again and again, “he shouldn’t go to war”-..Let the section of the country which does stupid things know that two regions don’t approve of their policy and attitude to Nigeria”.
“I did everything that any human being could do to see that there was no war. All I said about secession was that if the Ibos by any act of commission or omission were pushed out of Nigeria, then we won’t stay”.
The paradox of Awolowo’s politically precarious situation after the war was that the fact of being so effective in managing Nigeria’s war economy, meant that the decisions he took to weaken Biafra’s war capacity impacted negatively on the larger Biafran population-resulting in his being made a scapegoat for the suffering and defeat of Ndigbo.
The attendant economic disaster was conflated with the contentious and controversial pronouncement that ‘If the East seceded, the West will follow’. The Igbo understood this statement literally. Awolowo protested that it was a case of calling the dog a bad name in order to hang it, of distorting what he actually said, which he restated as “If by commission or omission, the East is pushed out of the Federation, the West must equally stay out ‘.
As it was with the misconstrued ‘starvation is a legitimate weapon of war’ pronouncement, so it became with the political version and the clarification amounted to little more than medicine after death. This back and forth politics of ‘sinning more than sinned against’ between the Igbo and Yoruba goes back to 1951.
My father was one of the elected parlia- mentarians whom Azikiwe accused of cross carpeting from the National council of Nigerian citizens, NCNC to the AG, so I know it was
a wrong accusation. He contested and won the Ekiti constituency election to the Western region house of assembly as an independent candidate not as a candidate of the NCNC. Regardless, this mythical allegation continues to this day.
The big elephant in the room was the historical conspiracy between the British colonialists and their protege, the Northern region, to programme Northern hegemony into the Nigerian constitution. Which begs the question, was Awolowo not conscious of this when he bravely took leave of his Premiership to gamble for the position of the Prime Minister?
Richard Sklar had drawn attention to the fact that “The final date of independence was fixed not only to accommodate the Northern Region in respect of its own date of selfgovernment in 19 5 9 but also to enable the leaders to agree to certain provisions in the Constitution whereby the Northern Region has been assured of a predominating voice in the Federal Government”?
Of equal mind was the late distinguished international legal scholar and first Attorney General of Nigeria, Dr Taslim Olawale Elias who made the point on the floor of the Nigerian house of representatives in 1962”I think I would remind you that the only region, perhaps in practice not in theory,
it may be difficult for the house to secure a two thirds majority to deal with is the Northern region” Elias, p 39.
In the spirit of reciprocation, Awolowo might have anticipated the support of the North in appreciation of his partnership with them to defeat Biafra. Not if the assassinated military head of state, Murtala Mohammed was a credible front of the North.
He had opined that it would be unfair to allow Awolowo to benefit from the vacuum created by the deaths of Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and the Premier of the Northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello. Mohammed’s preference (if it must come to the Yoruba) was a candidate of his generation not any member of the Awolowo/ Azikiwe/ Ahmadu Bello generation.
No one could have foreseen the escalation of the AG factional schism to snowball into the 1965/66 violent crisis. What we know for certain is that no such crisis would have erupted were Awolowo to have remained Premier of the Western Region.
All the above ruminations constituted, more or less, the substance of what I had argued in the said column but I was wrong in the assumption that Adebanjo would find it offensive. To my utter surprise, he was calling to compliment me!, that he was of the same opinion.
Inadvertently, that singular decision has served no purpose other than setting in motion the disastrous turn the Western Region and Nigeria has taken since 1962.
Fittingly and to his eternal credit, Adebanjo fought his last battle on the platform of keeping fidelity to the original conception of Afenifere. There has been no better clarification of this than Awolowo’s address to the annual convention of the Western Region arm of the AG in 1963:
“Those who, however, believe in the unity of the Yorubas, of the Ibos, of the Hausa, etc., must never rest on their oars. But the line has been drawn, and must be kept indelible, between a Cultural Organisation like the Ibo State Union, Ibibio State Union, Egbe Omo Oduduwa. Etc., on the one hand, and political parties like the Action Group and the NCNC on the other”
“It is erroneous to equate the Action Group of Nigeria with the Yoruba people, or to regard our party as being a Yoruba organisation. Furthermore, whilst the Action Group does not participate in the Federal Government since January 1960, some outstanding Yorubas have been in the Council of Ministers since the last Federal elections. There are others in the NPC. These persons are as loyal to the cause of the Yoruba people as those of us in the Action Group”.
WOMAN SERIES: SHE’S LIKE MY DAUGHTER; THE LANGUAGE OF POWER, CONTROL, AND TOXIC MENTORSHIP
her full official title, she then proceeded to repeatedly call her “that girl.”
That girl? A ‘sitting Senator’, a woman who fought a brutal election battle to secure her seat, reduced to “that girl”?
The dismissal was jarring, not just because of the casual belittlement of a fellow elected senator, but because of what it signaled to younger women watching: Even at the highest levels, women can still be diminished, disregarded, and disrespected—sometimes by their own.
What message does this send? That even in power, women must be “grateful” for their presence? That they must wait for permission before speaking up? That their authority is conditional?
This is not about one woman. This is about the dignity of women in leadership. It is about ensuring that the strides made since the Beijing Conference do not take a backseat in a world where impunity has taken center stage. It is about refusing to let senior female leaders, knowingly or unknowingly, give permission for men to demean and undermine women.
As a lawyer, I have no interest in engaging in armchair legal debates about a matter before the courts—that is for the judiciary to handle. But what I am deeply concerned about is the message being sent to the next generation of women leaders. When senior women in politics fail to decisively stand up for decorum, respect, and fairness, they make it easier for those in power to treat women as second-class participants in leadership. Thankfully, a few women, like former Ekiti First Lady, Mrs. Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi and organizations like WIMBIZ, have addressed this issue with the clarity and respect it deserves. But we need more voices. More decisiveness. More women in power who do not hesitate to use that power to protect—not police—other women.
It is also encouraging to see Cecilia Umoren, a leading voice in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, lean into shaping this discourse. In her recent International Women’s Day message,
she raised the pressing question: “When will women in leadership truly be heard?” Her words reflect a larger reality—beyond politics, beyond party lines, beyond individual cases. They speak to a systemic issue where women are tolerated, sidelined, or gaslit instead of being acknowledged as equal stakeholders in leadership.
WHAT MUST CHANGE?
If we want more women in leadership — whether in politics, business, or any sphere—we must actively dismantle these toxic power structures. We must replace mentorship rooted in control with mentorship rooted in courage.
- Women supporting women must mean just that —not women controlling women. We need an ecosystem where power is shared, not hoarded. Where mentees are encouraged to outgrow their mentors. Where mentorship is about expansion, not limitation.
- Political leadership must evolve beyond the ‘family’ model. Women in leadership are not daughters or wives to be managed, accommodated, or spoken for. They are leaders in their own right, deserving of full recognition.
- We must challenge toxic language that infantilizes women. “She’s like my daughter” and “She’s our wife”must be called out for what they are: tools of suppression dressed up as terms of endearment.
- We need decorum across the board. The way public officials—male or female—speak about their colleagues matters. Words set the tone for how women are treated in leadership. And frankly, many of our leaders need to learn the art of public speaking. This issue has shown just how lacking it is.
THIS IS WHY WE DO THE WORK
This International Women’s Month, as we
celebrate progress and highlight the work that remains, I am reminded of why we do what we do. For the past 15 years, through Inspired Women of Worth (IWOW) and more recently through the Power Woman Leadership Academy, we have worked to shift the conversation and raise women’s awareness of their true power. Our mission is not just to place women in positions of leadership —it is to ensure that when they arrive, they step into those roles fully, without limitation, without unnecessary deference, without the burden of belonging to someone else.
Because the true test of leadership is not in how much control you have, but in how much power you give away.
This is just part one. There is still much more to unpack. But for now, let’s sit with this: When will we stop treating women in leadership as daughters, wives, and dependents—and start treating them as the equals they have fought so hard to become?
•Udo Okonjo is CEO Fine and Country WA; Founder, Inspired Women of Worth (IWOW) & Power Woman Leadership Academy. She is also a transformative business leader, independent board director, Berkeley-certified executive coach, and advocate for women’s leadership, wealth, and legacy. As the founder of Inspired Women of Worth (IWOW) and the Power Woman Leadership Academy, she has spent over 15 years equipping women with the mindset, tools, and networks to lead boldly and shape their economic and leadership destinies. A Forbes Business Council member and sought-after speaker, Udo is passionate about dismantling limiting power structures, fostering authentic leadership, and ensuring women don’t just have a seat at the table—they own the space and redefine the future.
First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu
Obafemi Awolowo
Pa Ayo Adebanjo
TMISSILE
Ogunlewe to Senators: Natasha, Akpabio
“The beauty of Distinguished Senator Natasha is a problem for her because when someone beautiful passes by men, their attitudes change. But Natasha’s beauty is a problem for her...To men, when she is passing, there’s no way they will not look at her,...It’s a natural thing for men to look at a beautiful woman...When someone ‘toasts’ you, you have the right to refuse” --Former Works Minister, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, believes Natasha’s charming beauty can charm some men.
OSUNTOKUN
akin.osuntokun@thisdaylive.com
he Obafemi Awolowo ‘papal bull’ issued against President Olusegun Obasanjo designating him as number one enemy of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, was more than enough cue for Awoists to regard bellicosity towards the former President as virtue.
You remember the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, party convention in Yola in 1982 dubbed the night of long knives? It was the occasion where Chief Bola Ige was going to be expelled from the party for fraternising with Obasanjo (who had mediated in the conflict between Ige and his estranged deputy, Chief Sunday Afolabi). Obasanjo was mutual friends with both of them.
Whenever Obasanjo made a pronouncement that is liable to be construed as antagonistic to the cause of decentralisation and devolution of powers, Adebanjo’s venomous standard refrain was “he is not one of us”. Against this background, many of us were therefore stumped at the newfound cordial relationship between the two.
Adebanjo responded to nonplussed inquiries about this unlikely cordiality with the explanation that he had nothing personal against Obasanjo. He said the latter had transcended his status quo ideological convictions that hitherto kept them apart as
reflected in Obasanjo’s public adoption of the restoration of federalism platform. I do not know a more hawkish Awoist than Pa Ayo Adebanjo. I was thereby pleasantly
surprised to find that there could be an element of broad mindedness to his politics. This disposition might have something to do with Awolowo’s frame of mind when, in 1983, he wrote that “some outstanding Yorubas have been in the Council of Ministers since the last Federal elections. There are others in the NPC. These persons are as loyal to the cause of the Yoruba people as those of us in the Action Group”.
Several moons ago, when I was not quite close to him, Adebanjo had repeatedly called me but I didn’t answer the call. It was a Friday night, so I correctly and nervously assumed that the call had to do with my weekly column. I had criticised Awolowo for quitting as Premier of the Western region in pursuit of the mirage of seeking the office of the Prime Minister of Nigeria. I imagined he was calling to express strong reservations about the article.
The momentum of the socioeconomic development of the Western region which had been generated by the leadership of Awolowo was on the upswing and needed to be consolidated.That purpose was best served by him remaining the Premier especially within the context of a dysfunctional Nigerian status quo that was constitutionally and structurally rigged against reformist minded politicians
like him.
Awolowo spent the rest of his political life learning this hard lesson. He kept running against insurmountable obstacles that belittled him and kept him floundering from pillar to post. It was such confusion that drove him to take the politically obtuse decision of fielding a South West/ South East presidential ticket in the 1979 presidential election.
In conception and potential, it was a grossly flawed ticket. It failed the eligibility test of being deemed as positively responding to the challenge of national unity and integration. It was self-defeatist, patently divisive anld gifted a ready made club to his undeserving opponents to clobber him (if they needed any).
In 1979, there was no realistic basis for expecting the South East to find common purposes with the South West for a political confrontation against the North. To be categorically clear about this intention, the Chair of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, was Oyibo Odinamadu, from the South East. Panterbrick had raised the pertinent question of “why have the Ibo and Yoruba been so unsuccessful in combining against the Fulani, allowing the latter to play one off against the other-even to the extent of accepting the
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I’ve never liked being called Mommy in business settings. Whether it’s a driver, a junior colleague, or even domestic staff, something about it has always unsettled me. I know it’s cultural. I know it’s often meant as a sign of respect. But over time, I’ve come to realize that it’s also a way of subtly defining power dynamics —of placing you in a role where you are expected to nurture, protect, but never truly challenge the status quo. It’s the same discomfort I feel when mentorship relationships cross the line into pseudo parental ownership. I have four children, and in our home, we encourage independent thought. We debate actively—about politics, leadership, and everything in between. No opinion is off-limits. My late father, a Federal High Court judge, shaped that mindset in us. I still remember a heated argument between him and my two mothers (he had two wives at the time). My siblings and I didn’t automatically take his side just because he was the head of the home. Some of us aligned with him, others stood with our mothers. He allowed
it. And looking back, I realize that was a defining moment—it taught me that respect and deference are not the same thing.
That’s why Senator Ireti Kingibe’s statement, “She’s like my daughter,” about Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan struck such a nerve. A fellow Senator—a democratically elected official, a peer—framed as ‘a daughter’? In one breath, an entire career, an entire hard-fought political journey, was reframed as something requiring guidance, control, and correction. It reminded me of the way men in our communities say, “She’s our wife.” A phrase that, on the surface, sounds like a declaration of belonging but, in reality, often means “She has no rights.”
THE PROBLEM WITH TOXIC MENTORSHIP
Nigerian politics is built on godfatherism —a system where power is not earned but handed down through patronage. But what happens when the same suffocating model extends to godmotherism? When mentorship is not about empowerment, but control?
Too often, I’ve seen women leaders mentor younger women only to expect perpetual deference in return. To expect them to remain
daughters rather than evolve into peers. The moment these mentees assert themselves—perhaps grow in influence, find their own voice, or challenge outdated norms—they are cast as rebellious, ungrateful, too ambitious. The expectation is that they should stay small, obedient, and never outgrow the shadow of those who once guided them. But real mentorship —the kind that truly builds legacies —demands something different. It requires the humility to raise others up without feeling diminished by their rise. It means guiding but not gatekeeping. Leading but not lording. Nurturing, but never owning.
WHEN SENIOR WOMEN BECOME GATEKEEPERS
That is why Senator Ita Giwa’s recent remarks were equally troubling. In an interview on Arise TV last week, after rightly correcting the anchor for referring to Senator AkpotiUduaghan as “Senator Natasha” instead of
