Eromosele Abiodun and Nume
Ekeghe in Washington DC
The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday, advised the United States to critically re-evaluate its stance on reciprocal tariffs, particularly as they impact the
of
L-R: Son of the late Chief
and former Permanent Secretary in Anambra State, Engr. Victor Anohu; daughter/former Director General, PenCom, Chinelo Anohu, and former President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, during a service of songs in honour of the deceased at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja…recently
Trump, Macron, Zelenskyy, Starmer, others pay final respects Akpabio leads Nigeria's delegation
Sunday Ehigiator with agency report
Some world leaders, heads of state and other dignitaries are presently in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, the deceased head of the Roman Catholic church.
Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is heading the West African country’s delegation to attend the funeral. This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, yesterday.
Tinubu sent the five-member delegation, which also includes the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji;
Continued on page 5
L-R: Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; President, World Bank Group, Ajay Banga, and Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Olayem Cardoso, after a meeting at the ongoing IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt and Juliet Akoje in Abuja
The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, yesterday, stated that the political crisis in Rivers State can only be resolved if there was sincerity of purpose by all the parties involved as well as other stakeholders.
The former Rivers Governor who made the assertion at a church thanksgiving service in honour of the 70th birthday of a former federal lawmaker, Ken Chikere, in Port Harcourt, insisted that the ongoing emergency rule
averted serious calamities that could have occurred in the State.
The remarks by Wike came same day the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), stated that while the state was currently relatively calm, its stability remains fragile.
Speaking further, Wike said no amount of protest could restore the situation if the suspended leaders remain insincere to the purpose of crisis in the State.
Wike chided some traditional rulers and leaders in the State who
had taken sides with suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the political crisis, saying they have not been able to reconcile the warring parties.
The FCT Minister said: "One month after Mr. President, in his wisdom, declared a state of emergency to save Rivers State from anarchy, I challenge any Rivers so-called elders, even the traditional rulers, what attempt have they made to bring total peace in the State?
"I challenge any so-called 90 years old, 200-year-old, what effort since one
month and one week has seen that there is total reconciliation in this state? No amount of going to television to abuse anybody will bring peace, because we have always said that those who thrive in crisis, when there is a crisis they are happy, when there is no crisis there is no food on the table. Those people cannot be real elders."
The former governor of Rivers State condemned women who protest naked on the streets in the name of seeking an end to emergency rule in the State and calling for the reinstatement of elected officers of the State.
He said what could bring peace to the State was a sincere reconciliation of both parties, regardless minding the political parties or interest groups.
"There is no need of embarrassing our women to be naked outside. No amount of such can bring peace, no amount of such blackmail can bring peace. What can bring peace is for you to humble yourself and say for the interest of the state I want everybody to work together.
"If you are sincere, everybody would have known. I told our leaders, yes, some people have tried to approach
Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese,
Archbishop Matthew Hassan Kukah; and Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Archbishop Ignatius Ayua Kaigama.
The statement added, “The delegation will formally deliver a letter conveying President Tinubu’s sympathy and condolences on Pope Francis’ passing to the Acting Head of the Vatican.
“On Monday, President Tinubu joined the Catholic faithful and Christians worldwide to mourn the death of Pope Francis, who he described as ‘a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions,” the statement added.
The Vatican said 164 delegations had confirmed their attendance, including 54 heads of state and 12 reigning sovereigns.
More than 250,000 people paid their last respects to late Pope Francis
over three days of public viewing by ordinary mourners and statesmen alike that ended yesterday, the eve of his state funeral at St. Peter’s Square and burial in a basilica outside the Vatican’s walls.
US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are among those attending the funeral.
Trump, travelled with First Lady Melania Trump.
According to Euro News, among other confirmed attendees included French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Hungarian President Viktor Orbán, Prince William, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The Vatican had extended the basilica’s opening hours overnight due to the large turnout.
A group of poor and homeless
people would meet the pope’s coffin before the funeral today.
His final resting place is being prepared within the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
Pope Francis chose to be buried near an icon of the Virgin Mary that he often prayed before.
The late pontiff was laid out in red robes, a bishop’s pointed miter and a rosary entwined in his hands.
One of the mourners, Giovanni Guarino drove from Naples with his girlfriend to bid their final farewells to the deceased Pope, moved by his work to help the young and disadvantaged.
“I hope that his successor follows the footsteps of Francis,” the Associated Press quoted Guarino to have said.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell will preside over the closing and sealing of the coffin in his role of camerlengo, or
interim Vatican administrator.
A white cloth will be placed over the pope’s face, and a bag containing coins minted during his papacy will be put in the coffin along with a one-page written account of his papacy.
The work of the conclave to choose a new pope won’t start until at least May 5, after nine days of public mourning.
Cardinals have also been arriving in Rome, with 149 meeting yesterday morning to discuss church business. They won’t meet again until next week, meaning a conclave date is unlikely to be set until after the funeral.
Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, who hosted Francis during his last papal trip, to Corsica last year, remembered Francis as “a free man” who “humanised the church without desacralising it.”
He described the atmosphere inside the meetings as “good,” but said that they weren’t yet “at the point of decisions; we are in discussions.”
In keeping with Francis’ embrace of the marginalised, the Vatican said a group of poor and needy people will meet the pope’s coffin to pay homage to him when it arrives at St. Mary Major Basilica for burial on Saturday. It has already become a point of pilgrimage.
The tomb is being prepared behind a wooden barrier within the basilica that he chose to be near an icon of the Madonna that he revered and often prayed before.
The burial will take place in private, the Vatican said.
Photos released by the Vatican yesterday, show the marble tombstone flat against the pavement, with the simple
million fine against Meta Platforms Incorporated and WhatsApp LLC, further affirming the authority and actions in nearly all the contested issues.
The tribunal in its judgement specifically determined that the Commission complied with prevailing laws, discharged its mandate, and exercised its powers within the confines of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
It ruled that the multiple actions by WhatsApp and Meta, for which the Commission made findings of violations, were correctly identified, and that the Commission did not err in making those findings.
In addition to upholding the major aspects of the FCCPC’s Final Order,
for PEACE. STAY TUNED!!!,” the US President wrote on his Truth Social, a social media platform.
The WTO boss, who made her remarks in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing International Monetary Fund/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC, also urged African countries to deepen self-reliance by boosting intra-African trade and do more to attract more domestic investment, stressing that the global aid landscape was shrinking fast.
Nigeria’s decline reflects mounting macroeconomic challenges, including foreign exchange volatility, persistent inflation, and sluggish economic diversification.
Trump had slammed reciprocal tariffs on all trading partners, including some African countries, claiming that the U.S. had suffered from unfair trading relations with most of its partners.
The measure had prompted varied responses and sparked retaliatory actions from other countries. It had also generated shock waves across the globe, leading to turmoil in financial markets across the world.
Commenting on the matter, Okonjo-Iweala called on the United States to waive or remove reciprocal tariffs on exports from Africa’s poorest countries, warning that the economic consequences could be devastating for small, vulnerable economies like Lesotho.
Citing Lesotho as a case in point, she explained: “Lesotho, that everybody is talking about, has 50 per cent reciprocal
the Tribunal awarded the sum of $220 million against Meta Platforms Incorporated and WhatsApp LLC as an administrative penalty, and further awarded $35,000 to the FCCPC as cost of investigation. This came as the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive, FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, hailed the outcome of the legal tussle, and commended the commission’s legal team for its exceptional diligence and forensic skills in assembling evidence and marshalling their argument.
The tribunal’s three-member panel was led by Hon. Thomas Okosun. WhatsApp and Meta’s legal team was led by Prof. Gbolahan Elias while the FCCPC’s legal team was led by Mr. Babatunde Irukera.
tariffs. It exports $200 million worth of textiles to the US, imports about $3 million worth of goods from the US, is so little.
“If those tariffs are implemented, it will lose almost half a percentage point of its GDP growth, which is huge for a poor country. It will lose a lot of its exports to the US, even though it might gain a little bit by exporting elsewhere.
“So the issue is, how can we avoid having such reciprocal tariffs on Lesotho? We are asking the US to look at least developed countries, the poorest, and to try to waive these reciprocal tariffs, to remove them, so that the poorest countries and Africa as a whole don’t have these tariffs.”
She also warned that similar situations exist across the continent, with some countries like Rwanda, facing 21 per cent tariffs, while their neighbours like Ghana face only 10 per cent
“Guess what? Ghana’s export is what? Cocoa. Almost a billion dollars’ worth to the US. So it’s going to disappear across the border if you have differential reciprocal tariffs,” she said.
While acknowledging that overall trade between Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States was relatively small, Okonjo-Iweala however, underscored that this reality presents both a challenge and an opportunity for Africa.
“Sub-Saharan Africa’s exports 6.5 per cent of Africa’s exports only go to the US, and 4.4 per cent of its imports
Both teams had made their final arguments on behalf of their respective clients on January 28, 2025.
The FCCPC had on July 19, 2024, issued a Final Order imposing a $220 million administrative penalty after concluding that the companies engaged in discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers.
The investigation, which started in 2020, arose from a 38-month joint investigation initiated by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into the conduct, privacy practices, and consumer data policies of Meta Platforms and WhatsApp.
Dissatisfied with the Order last year, Meta and WhatsApp appealed
come from the US. So the impact for the continent as a whole is not that bad,” she noted.
“However, it’s both good news and bad news. Good news is that it’s limited. Bad news as well we’re not trading that much, which is not a good thing.”
She stressed the need for African countries to turn inward and focus on boosting intra-African trade as a means of insulating their economies from external shocks.
“So, from the global environment, the message to Africa is: you have to rely more on self-reliance. We have to do more in Africa to rely on our resources. Now it’s very clear, aid is disappearing. Okay, there may be a little left, but it’s disappearing.
“We need investment. So when you need investment, you have to do so much more in terms of mobilising domestic resources to put infrastructure in place, removing bureaucratic barriers so investment can come in. And this is what we need to do. And we need to trade more,” she added.
She pointed out that while Africa’s contribution to global trade remains marginal at only three percent, the continent’s intra-regional trade stands at just 16–20 per cent an area with massive potential for growth.
“If we don’t add value to our products, we keep exporting the same things, you know, commodities that are not processed, we don’t create jobs. So we must attract investment to change that, and then trade internally.”
Illustrating the opportunity within
to the Tribunal, challenging both the legal basis and the findings of the Commission.
While ruling on Meta’s appeal, the tribunal also validated the commission’s investigative procedures and processes.
The tribunal resolved issues one to seven largely in favour of the FCCPC, dismissing the appellants’ objections to the Commission’s findings, orders, and legal competence.
One of the central issues (Issue 3), which alleged a breach of fair hearing, was decided in favour of the commission, with the tribunal affirming that the FCCPC fully discharged its quasi-judicial responsibilities by affording the appellants ample opportunity to
Africa, she said: “Lesotho is exporting $200 million worth of textiles to the US, and we’re all lamenting this market will be taken away. Guess what? Africa spends $7 billion importing textiles. So why can’t Lesotho sell its textiles in the African market? It’s making jeans. We import jeans, whether it’s first-hand or second-hand. Why can’t we support trade within Africa and sell?”
Equally, latest economic data on the continent revealed that Nigeria has dropped to fourth place in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Africa, at $187.64 billion.
The figures posted by the Afreximbank’s Research Unit, on its X-handle, ranked South Africa at the top with $400.19 billion, followed by Egypt at $383.11 billion and Algeria at $264.91 billion.
Commenting on the country’s drop to position of fourth largest economy in Africa, Afreximbank’s Research on its X (formerly Twitter) handle wrote: “Africa’s economic landscape is shifting, and the latest 2024 GDP rankings from the IMF spotlight the top 10 economies powering the continent’s growth story.
“South Africa takes the lead with a projected GDP of $400.19 billion, closely followed by Egypt at $383.11 billion, reflecting North Africa’s continued economic strength. Algeria ranks third with $264.91 billion, showcasing the significance of hydrocarbon revenues and public investment. Notably, Nigeria, often regarded as Africa’s largest economy in the past, now ranks fourth at $187.64 billion.
“The dip underscores the deep
me I received them. I did not pursue them, but seeing me alone does not bring peace.
"There are critical stakeholders that must be involved in the process of this peace-making. Nobody will be excluded. If any group is excluded, it means there is no total peace.
"Members of State Assembly and National Assembly must be involved. The two political parties must be involved; other leaders must be involved. In that way, we will now know that they are sincere in talking about peace."
engraving in Latin that he requested in his last testament: “Franciscus.”
Cardinals will visit the St. Mary Major Basilica on Sunday. Entering through the Holy Door, they will visit the Salus Populi Romani icon, which was dear to Francis, and celebrate evening prayers, the Vatican said.
Italy is deploying more than 2,500 police officers and 1,500 soldiers to provide security during the funeral, which is expected to gather about 200,000 mourners in St. Peter’s Square and up to 300,000 people along the 4-kilometer (2½mile) route from the Vatican to the pope’s burial place across Rome.
The major security operation includes stationing an armed naval vessel off the coast, and putting squads of fighter jets on standby, Italian media reported.
respond.
The tribunal found no violation of constitutional due process.
On Issue 4, which questioned the Commission’s powers in matters of data protection and privacy, the Tribunal held that the FCCPC acted within its statutory mandate, reaffirming its authority under Section 104 of the FCCPA to regulate competition and consumer protection even in regulated industries.
On issue five, which challenged the commission’s findings regarding Meta’s privacy policies, the tribunal also resolved in the FCCPC’s favour.
The tribunal found no error in the commission’s conclusions and held that the privacy policy in question did, in fact, offend Nigerian law.
macroeconomic imbalances and FX challenges Nigeria faces despite its vast population and resource base.
Morocco comes in fifth with $155.35 billion, bolstered by a diversified economy and stable macroeconomic management. Ethiopia and Kenya, ranking sixth and seventh respectively, represent East Africa’s emergence as a dynamic growth zone, thanks to infrastructure-driven development and services expansion. Angola, with a GDP of $115.95 billion, continues to leverage its oil sector rebound.”
IMF
Meanwhile, the IMF has called on the Nigerian government to enhance transparency in the oil sector and prioritise improvements in data quality, noting that these steps are crucial to sustaining the country’s ongoing reform drive and unlocking its full economic potential.
Speaking yesterday during the unveiling of the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook report titled, ‘Recovery Interrupted’, Director of the IMF’s African Department, Abebe Aemro Selassie, said more work was needed to ensure that recent fiscal and monetary reforms translate into tangible development outcomes
He said: “In terms of the reforms that have been going on in Nigeria and the peculiarities of the challenge,
While issue seven was largely resolved in favour of the commission, the tribunal set aside Order 7 of the commission’s final order, stating that it lacked sufficient legal basis. However, Bello, particularly thanked the commission’s legal team for their exceptional diligence and forensic skills in assembling evidence and marshalling their argument. In a statement, FCCPC Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, Bello further restated FCCPC’s unwavering commitment to not only championing the rights of Nigerian consumers but also ensuring fair business practices in the country in accordance with FCCPA (2018) and consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
pressing to note is that we have been impressed by how much reforms have been undertaken in recent years.
“Most notably trying to go to the heart of the cause of the macroeconomic imbalances in Nigeria, which, of course, are related to the fact that oil subsidies are taking a very large share of the limited tax revenues that the government have, and not necessarily being used in the most effective way to help the most vulnerable people.
“The issues related to the imbalances in the external side, with the exchange rate extremely out of line. So, it's been really good to see the government taking these all head on and also beginning to roll out the third component of the reforms that we've been advocating for, which is to expand social protection, to target generalised subsidies to help the most vulnerable,” he said.
However, he stressed the need to enhance fiscal transparency, particularly in the oil sector to ensure that gains from subsidy removal translate into improved government revenue.
He also called for an overhaul in how public finance was being managed in the country, to provide room for crucial investments in education, infrastructure, and health.
“This has all been very good to see, but more can be done, particularly on the data front, expanding social protection and also enhancing a lot more transparency in the oil sector, so that the removal of subsidies does translate into flow of revenue into the government budgets.”
The former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubukar, has opened up on defections of politicians to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that ''freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy."
He called on Nigerians to know that the coming election was between Nigerians and the quest for survival as a people.
In a statement he signed yesterday, Atiku wrote, ''I have been overwhelmed with inquiries from concerned Nigerians, all eager to understand my position on the latest political shifts, particularly the
defection of some PDP members to the ruling party. ''Let me be unequivocal: freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy — they are fundamental rights. Alongside these stand the pillars of a just and functional democratic society: the people, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability. Undermine any of these, and democracy itself begins to crumble."
According to the former vice president, ''As someone who holds fast to these values, I bear no grudges against anyone for exercising their right to political alignment. Defections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics. We’ve seen them before, and we’ll see them again.''
The Nigerian military yesterday said that troops deployed for internal security operations across the federation discovered and dismantled 35 illegal refining sites in the creeks of the Niger Delta region.
The military also revealed that troops of Operation Delta Safe apprehended 29 suspected oil thieves during an anti-oil theft operation within the week, while troops of Operation Hadin Kai and Fansan Yamma arrested 70 suspected bandits and rescued 21 kidnap hostages between 17 and 25 April 2025.
A statement by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, also revealed that troops recovered stolen products worth over N95 million within the period. He said that troops also deactivated
62 crude oil cooking ovens, 71 dugout pits, 18 boats, three speedboats, 36 storage tanks, and 88 drums within the said period.
According to him, "the troops also recovered 89,684 litres of stolen crude oil, 46,538 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 1,650 litres of DPK. Other items recovered within the period include pumping machines, drilling machines, tricycles, motorcycles, mobile phones, and four vehicles."
He disclosed that troops equally killed several terrorists during the operation. This, he said, is in addition to the recovery of huge quantities of assorted arms, including machine guns, RPG tubes, automatic weapons, as well as locally fabricated guns and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
He stressed that a cache of ammunition and live cartridges was also recovered within the period under review.
He added, ''Some have resorted to insults because I visited former President Muhammadu Buhari. Let’s not rewrite history: Buhari is not only a former leader, but a significant statesman in the Nigerian political landscape.
''During the 2013 opposition merger, the leaders of the time consulted widely — including visits to Obasanjo and Babangida. 'So why is it now sacrilegious for me and other leaders to visit Buhari in Kaduna? If you truly believe in freedom of association, then
you must respect the rights of all political actors to engage, regardless of party lines.”
“When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with President Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance. But the moment I greet Peter Obi, el-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency. Hypocrisy and the politics of selective outrage have never been this fashionable!,'' he explained
According to Atiku, ''Let us be clear: the coming political battle is
not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering.
''The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels. Nigerians are not just tired — they are angry, and rightfully so.
''This moment is about collective survival. The real enemy is not one another — it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure. We must reject every attempt to
distract us with ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments. These are tools of manipulation, designed to divide and conquer, used by those with nothing else to offer. ''The Tinubu administration has no achievements to stand on, no credible record to defend. Its only strategy is chaos and division, because that’s the last refuge of the incompetent. And make no mistake — an incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board," Atiku stated
James Emejo, James Emejo in Abuja and Kayode Tokede in Lagos
Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, yesterday, assured shareholders that the bank will meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) N500 billion capital base by the third quarter of the year.
Speaking at the bank's 63rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Abuja, Elumelu, said the bank will raise N144.8 billion to augment its current capital base of N355.2 billion.
Also, Vice President Kashim Shettima extolled the staying power of the bank in the past 75 years, describing the financial institution as a pacesetter in innovation, emerging markets and generational ambition. Shettima, said this yesterday, during the UBA 75th Anniversary Dinner in Abuja, noted that the celebration of an institution like UBA "
On March 28, the apex bank announced new minimum capital requirements of N500 billion and N200 billion for commercial banks with
international and national authorisation respectively.
The apex bank further unveiled new capital base of N50 billion for banks with regional licenses. All fresh capital requirements are to be satisfied by March 31, 2026.
Speaking further, Elumelu noted in line with the CBN’s directive, UBA commenced its capital raise with a rights issue in November 2024.
He said, “The rights issue closed in December 2024 with 6.84 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each offered to existing shareholders at N35 per share. This was oversubscribed by N11.6 billion (4.8 per cent) and the entire amount of N251.0 billion has been verified and approved by the CBN. The final capital raise is expected to be completed in Q3 2025, well ahead of the CBN deadline.
“Proceeds from the rights issue will be utilised to invest in additional digital technologies and business expansions that will strengthen the bank’s seven and a half decades of impressive performance.”
Elumelu, also pointed out that the
Pan-African financial institution in its over seven decades of operation, has upheld fundamental responsibility to customers and shareholders.
He said in 2024, the UBA Group marked its, "75th anniversary, 75 solid years of unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and service. Seventy-five years is an extraordinary anniversary to achieve.
"Our existence of three-quarters of a century is a testament to our resilience and institutionalisation, a testament to our consistency and our firmness of purpose.
"Throughout our over seven decades, our group has demonstrated a capacity to adapt, to transform, and to disrupt, establish, further and uphold a fundamental responsibility to our customers and shareholders."
He added, "20 years ago, we charted a new course in our expansion across Africa and the world. That strategy today is delivering exceptional results, and we continue to do so. "
The shareholders approved the final dividend payout of N3.00 per share
for the 2024 financial year, among other resolutions presented to them at the event.
Also speaking at the AGM was GMD/CEO , UBA, Oliver Alawuba, who commended shareholders for trusting in the board and management in delivering a robust dividend payout to shareholders. He maintained that UBA has moved far from those difficult times, and continued to advance beyond that point to do well.
He hinted that the primary focus of UBA is the customer, maintaining that customer is the reason why the financial institution exists.
“We want to make sure that we improve the customer experience. These days, the best way to improve customer experience when serving about 45 million customers around the world is through digital banking. So we're investing heavily in digital banking to improve your experience when you interact digitally or even physically with UBA. This is very important,” he said.
Mathias Anohu in Abuja
Former President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, and other wellmeaning Nigerians and members of the international community, on Thursday, paid glowing tributes to the late Chief Mathias Anohu, former Permanent Secretary in Anambra State Civil Service, describing him as a man whose life embodied selfless service, unwavering integrity, peace, and discipline.
They spoke during a solemn service of songs at the expansive National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja, where family members, friends, and dignitaries from around the world gathered to honour the patriarch of the Anohu family of Okija, Anambra State, urging his children to continue in their father’s footsteps.
Extolling Anohu's many virtues, Akufo-Addo said, “He lived a life of service and integrity; these are matters of relevance for all of us, leaders and the led. For the children, I enjoin them to continue on the path of their father, and uphold the virtues and principles that his life embodied."
Also, renowned investment banker and economist, Atedo Peterside, as well as Chairperson of the Royal African Society, UK, and former Treasurer and Vice of President of the World Bank, Arunma Oteh, noted that the ceremony was a moving testimony to Chief Anohu’s exemplary life, saying he was a man with a clean spirit. Atedo said, “If you listen to the
biography, listen to the tributes that came, you get the feel for the man; you get the feel of somebody who was disciplined, somebody who had integrity, a good family man; somebody who had impressive core values.
“I am happy that today, we are able to celebrate somebody like this with this large crowd because people think anyone can be glorified this way, but that is not true. In some events like this, even when they talk about the person, you will know something is wrong.
“Here, I came across a clean spirit, somebody you would want to emulate, somebody whose core values you want to pass onto your children and grandchildren.”
STAKEHOLDERS’ WORKSHOP...
L-R: Member, House Committee on Insurance and Actuarial Matters, Hon. Abiodun Akinlade; MD/CEO, Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corp
member, Hon James Barka, and Executive Director, Operations, NDIC, Muhammed
on Insurance and Actuarial Matters held in Lagos...yesterday
Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has said that more than 500,000 Nigerian students have applied for loans through its portal in the last one year.
This is contained in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday by the Director, Strategic Communications of NELFUND, Ms. Oseyemi Oluwatuyi.
Mrs. Oluwatuyi quoted the organisation’s Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, as saying that
the milestone achieved within just 11 months of operations underscored the critical need for accessible student financing in Nigeria.
Mr. Sawyerr stated that it also highlighted the widespread trust in NELFUND’s mission to democratise access to tertiary education.
“This is more than just a number; it’s a signal of hope for families across Nigeria.
“We are witnessing a nationwide demand for opportunity, and NELFUND is proud to be at the heart of this transformation.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared four persons wanted over the alleged fraud perpetrated on crypto bridge exchange (CBEX), a trading platform.
In a public notice issued by the Commission on Friday, the suspects include Seyi Oloyede, Emmanuel Uko, Adefowora Oluwanisola, and Adefowora Abiodun Olaonipekun.
The EFCC published the wanted notice on all its social media platforms yesterday.
“Since the launch of the portal, students across the country have actively engaged with the application process for both institutional and upkeep loans, demonstrating the relevance and urgency of the fund’s efforts,” he said.
The managing director reiterated NELFUND’s commitment to ensuring transparency, accessibility and efficiency, as the process
continued. He called on stakeholders to join in supporting the fund’s vision of equitable education for all.
The President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has expressed gratitude over his appointment to the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab (PSIL), a body tasked with boosting investment and job creation in emerging economies.
to collaborate with fellow leaders to replicate such outcomes across other regions.”
In a statement confirming his acceptance, Dangote said he was committed to fostering sustainable economic growth through the PSIL.
An Abuja Federal High Court had granted the anti-graft agency the permission to arrest and detain six CBEX promoters. Justice Emeka Nwite, who gave the order after the EFCC’s lawyer, Fadila Yusuf, had moved an ex parte motion to the effect, said their detention would be pending the conclusion of the investigation of the alleged offences and possible prosecution.
“The public is hereby notified that the persons whose photographs appear above are wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX),” it read.
Nigeria’s leading voices in technology, governance, education, and security yesterday converged on Abuja for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) stakeholders roundtable 2025, agreeing that it should not be an exclusive tool for experts, but to empower everyone.
At the event which was hosted by the American Centre for Artificial intelligence (ACAI), the organisers said it signalled a bold and unified commitment to shaping the future of artificial intelligence in the country.
Speaking at the event, the Director of ACAI, Mr. Olusola Amusan, emphasised the roundtable’s significance, stressing that it was more than a forum for discussion, highlighting AI’s growing influence across sectors.
From healthcare and security to policymaking and education, he advocated an all-inclusive AI penetration, urging a collaborative and humancentred approach to addressing key concerns such as data privacy and transparency.
“What makes this gathering special is its diversity. In this room, we have leaders from tech, government, academia, security agencies, and
even emerging AI talents from our secondary schools. Your presence affirms a powerful truth; the future of AI cannot be decided by one sector alone, it demands a multidisciplinary, inclusive approach.
"Security, a key focus of today's event, presents one of Al's most promising frontiers. For institutions like the Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Civil Defence, and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Al offers the potential to enhance public safety, improve operational efficiency and support data-driven decisions, all while maintaining ethical integrity.
"However, beyond frameworks and systems, we must also invest in people. Al should not be an exclusive tool for experts, it should empower everyone. From students building real-world solutions to policymakers shaping national strategies. It must be accessible, understandable, and beneficial to all," Amusan stated.
In his intervention, a seasoned security and defence professional and a veteran of the US army, Maj. Adebayo Adeleke, in his goodwill message said the current situation reflected both urgency and optimism.
Dangote added: “I am both honoured and excited to accept my appointment to the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, dedicated to advancing investment and employment in emerging economies.
“This opportunity aligns with my long-standing commitment to sustainable development and unlocking the potential of developing economies. Drawing inspiration from the remarkable successes of the Asian Tigers, which have demonstrated the power of strategic investment and focused economic policy, I am eager
Dangote joins a select group of global business leaders in the PSIL, tasked with driving investment and job creation in emerging economies. In 2023, Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, co-chaired the Private Sector Investment Lab, which focused on attracting £1 trillion in sustainable investment to support the energy transition in emerging markets.
The World Bank announced Dangote’s appointment on Wednesday as part of a broader expansion of the PSIL, which now enters a new phase aimed at scaling up solutions to attract private capital and create jobs in the developing world.
Joining Dangote in the elite group are Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer AG; Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chair of Bharti Enterprises; and Mark Hoplamazian, President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
The World Bank said the expanded membership brings together business leaders with proven track records in
generating employment in developing economies—supporting the Bank’s sharpened focus on job creation as a central pillar of global development.
“With the expanded membership, we are mainstreaming this work across our operations and tying it directly to the jobs agenda that is driving our strategy,” said World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. “This isn’t about altruism—it’s about helping the private sector see a path to investments that will deliver returns, and lift people and economies alike. It’s central to our mandate.”
The global bank said that over the last 18 months, the Lab brought together leaders from global financial institutions to identify the most pressing barriers to private sector investment in developing countries and to test actionable solutions.
The Lab’s founding members included senior executives from AXA, BlackRock, HSBC, Macquarie, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Ninety One, Ping An Group, Royal Philips, Standard Bank, Standard Chartered, Sustainable Energy for
All, Tata Sons, Temasek, and Three Cairns Group. The Lab is chaired by Shriti Vadera, Chair of Prudential plc. The Dangote Group, founded by Aliko Dangote, is the largest conglomerate in West Africa and one of the largest on the African continent. With interests spanning cement, fertiliser, salt, sugar, and oil, the Group employs over 30,000 people and is the largest taxpayer in Nigeria—contributing more in taxes than all of Nigeria’s banks combined. It is also the country’s largest employer after the government. The $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals, the Group’s flagship project, stands as the largest single private investment in Africa. In addition to his business interests, Dangote leads the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), the largest private foundation in sub-Saharan Africa, with the largest endowment by a single African donor. The Foundation primarily focuses on child nutrition, while also supporting interventions in health, education, empowerment, and disaster relief.
Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has called on the military to launch aggressive offensive operations in the Lake Chad islands, also known as the Tumbus, to eliminate insurgents from their enclaves.
Zulum made the appeal yesterday while receiving a high-level federal government delegation led by the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Minister of State for Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and other military chiefs during a courtesy visit at the Council Chamber of the Borno State Government House in Maiduguri.
The governor described the Tumbus as critical havens for insurgents where they regroup and sustain their activities, calling for a special military operation to be carried out in the area.
He said, “These islands serve as breeding grounds for insurgents who depend on the area for sustenance. It
is imperative to consider launching coordinated operations to flush them out.”
He further warned that terrorist elements from the North West, North Central and North East are likely falling back to the Tumbus for their means of livelihood.
Zulum urged the federal government to enhance surveillance and border security, particularly in the Sahel region, citing the vulnerability of Nigeria’s borders and the infiltration of armed groups and weapons through the region.
He said, “If the Sahel is not secured, the entire country remains vulnerable. There is a pressing need to fortify the Sahel region to end insecurity.”
Zulum also advocated for increased troop deployment to areas such as the Timbuktu Triangle and the Mandara Mountains, and for continuous and sustained military operations to prevent the reoccupation of previously reclaimed territories.
The governor said, “There should be forces that will keep the ground,
otherwise they will come back. What brought about the recent situation is we felt everything is OK, but they are regrouping now and I believe the Nigerian military will not allow them regroup.”
He further requested the deployment of more military hardware including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and additional personnel to improve surveillance and fortify vulnerable zones.
Zulum, while acknowledging the current operational burden on the military across the country, called for the deployment of more trained manpower and logistics to the North-east.
He also highlighted the success of non-kinetic measures, revealing that over 300,000 repentant insurgents and their families have surrendered over the past three years.
Zulum however praised the federal government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of
Defence Staff, and Service Chiefs for their unwavering support.
In his remarks, Minister of Defence, Alhaji Abubakar, assured the Governor of the federal government’s commitment to providing the necessary personnel and equipment to combat insurgency and facilitate the resettlement of affected communities.
He said, “The President has directed that we provide the military with all necessary manpower and equipment to halt the recent resurgence of insecurity in Borno and the Northeast.” He commended Governor Zulum’s efforts in resettling internally displaced persons and supporting agricultural and other livelihood initiatives.
The minister was accompanied by the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Mutawalle; Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; representatives of the Service Chiefs; outgoing and incoming Theatre Commanders of Operation Hadin Kai as well as Principal Staff Officers and senior military personnel.
Commissioners of Information, Kaduna,
General, Progressives Governors’ Forum, Folusho
the APC Commissioners
held
The federal government is set to launch the National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism (NAPM) to strengthen agricultural productivity, stabilise food prices, and drive economic growth.
The NAPM is part of broader initiatives aimed at transforming the country's agricultural sector through data-driven policies and public-private partnerships.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja during a meeting of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) Steering Committee at the State House, Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima said the initiative will align agricultural efforts across all government tiers through real-time data analytics.
He said, "The Green Imperative Project (GIP) is an idea whose time has come. It has been in the incubation period for several years, and now it is coming to fruition; we have to get it right.
"We have had many interventions
in this country in the past. We must make this work, and it’s the states that will drive the process."
Signed between Nigeria and Brazil on March 17, 2025, the Green Imperative Project (GIP) is a $1.1 billion initiative aimed to modernise 774 mid-sized Nigerian farms with Brazilian agricultural technologies, creating jobs and boosting productivity across the nation.
Shettima further said President Bola Tinubu has approved N15 billion for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to prepare for floods as the rainy season kicks in.
"This is one of the first proactive decisions by the government to prepare for the flooding season," the Vice President noted.
Earlier, Technical Assistant to the President on Agriculture and Executive Secretary of PFSCU, Marion Moon, explained that NAPM aims to address challenges of high food inflation and agricultural yields that lag 60 per cent behind global averages.
A former Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Marshall Stanley-Uwom, has sued President Bola Tinubu and leadership of the National Assembly amongst others, over the proclamation of a state of emergency and the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), as Sole Administrator of Rivers State. The former deputy speaker by the suit filed before a Federal High Court Abuja, is specifically asking the court to stop the federal government from releasing allocations accruable to the local government councils in the state to the Sole Administrator. Stanley-Uwom who was a lawmaker during the tenure of former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, is also asking the court to declare that by virtue of Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as the judgement of the Supreme Court, the sole administrator cannot legally appoint unelected officials as caretakers to run the affairs of
the LGCs in Rivers State.
While President Bola Tinubu is the 1st defendant, the National Assembly; the Senate; Senate President; House of Representatives; Speaker of the House of Representatives; Vice Admiral Ibas, Rtd; Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Accountant General of the Federation; and the Federation Account Allocation Committee are 2nd to 10th defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/797/2025.
Among reliefs the plaintiff is seeking from the court included: "An order that the State of Emergency in Rivers State issued and or proclaimed by the President has ceased to have effect."
He is also praying for, "An order compelling the 7th Defendant (Ibas) to immediately vacate the office of Sole Administrator of Rivers State and allow the democratically elected Governor of Rivers State to resume his office."
Stanley-Uwom, in the Originating Summons he filed on April 24, through a team of lawyers led by Mr. Sylvester I. Evbuomwan, is also asking the court to determine:
She revealed that the pilot survey for NAPM has been completed across 13 states, with a full launch planned for June 2025.
The NAPM, supported by data analytics partnerships and a digital platform under development, is
designed to tackle food inflation, inefficient subsidies, and outdated farming practices, to give the country a unified framework to optimise public spending and drive sustainable rural development. Those present at the meeting
included Governors of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi and Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji; Deputy Governors of Borno State, Umar Kadafur and Ebonyi State, Patricia Onyemaechi Obila. Others are Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar
and
and
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has expressed his administration's commitment work for a Nigeria where every worker, irrespective of industry or background, enjoys fair labour practices and economic justice
He also said that government will strengthen labour laws to protect workers' rights, ensure safe working conditions and eliminate exploitation.
The President who was represented by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Maigari Dinjyadi, at the 1st Quadrennial National Delegate Conference of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) held in Abuja yesterday, said the administration will continue to
work tirelessly to create opportunities for all Nigerians, regardless of their background.
He said the N70,000 new minimum wage was government's response to worker's demand for a better wage following the removal of fuel subsidy.
"We will strengthen labour laws to protect workers' rights, ensure safe working conditions and eliminate exploitation.
"As work evolves globally, we must equip our workers with the skills needed to succeed in a digital economy. We shall continue prioritising education, vocational training and digital literacy initiatives.
"We will continue to work
tirelessly to create opportunities for all Nigerians, regardless of their background. To this end, let us all commit to a Nigeria where every worker, irrespective of industry or background, enjoys fair labour practices and economic justice.
"Together, we will shape a nation where progress serves the many, not just the few," he said..
Tinubu challenged workers and the leadership of the union's to take advantage of digital revolution so as to remain relevant in the evolving scheme of things.
"As work evolves globally, we must equip our workers with the skills needed to succeed in a
digital economy. We shall continue prioritising education, vocational training and digital literacy initiatives.
"Although technology has the power to transform industries, create new opportunities and drive economic growth, it poses risks, automation, job displacement and widening inequalities.
"It is therefore our collective responsibility to harness the benefits of digital innovation while safeguarding the principles of fairness, equity and justice," he said.
Speaking about the delegates conference, the President said the congress election will be a testament to the strength and unity of the TUC.
As the spring 2025 auxiliary meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington, DC, comes to an end this weekend, Nigeria’s Senate Interparliamentary Committee Chairman and Senator for Ondo South has warned that the global economy was facing an uncertain future.
This situation threatens innovation and could lead to a worldwide retreat from commitments to globalisation, he was quoted to have said in a statement.
“If this trend continues, a recovery period of ten years or longer may
ensue,” he added.
Ibrahim indicated that the outcome may exacerbate poverty and heighten tensions, potentially resulting in an economic conflict. To address this, he urged world leaders to set aside personal differences and focus on cooperation and economic collaboration instead of power struggles.
The Senator cautioned that the world is gradually moving towards a financial state of stagnation.
According to him, a developing country like Africa would be a victim
of growth.
“I cannot see any growth in economic outlooks, and the IMF is working on projected data rather than reality because the integrity of their data is weak and lacks legitimacy, particularly as it relates to Africa,” Ibrahim added.
He stated that cutting projected growth or rescheduling debts is insufficient, advising the IMF to respond beyond merely downgrading outlooks. "We must do more to unite nations;
international institutions should engage leaders. The world needs a conference table of leaders and genuine engagement," he said. Ibrahim urged the IMF and World Bank leadership to hold high-level discussions with global economic leaders focused on collaboration. He emphasised that they should approach these meetings not as police enforcers but in a friendly and composed manner, avoiding broad statements or unwarranted comments.
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Public Health professionals and women interest groups have outlined some of the lifestyle changes associated with the women during menopause.
Menopause is a natural decline in reproductive hormones that occur when a woman reaches her 40s or 50 years of age.
At the first ever dialogue session on Menopause titled, 'Equipping Women through Knowledge and Support'
As part of the push for the advancement of women's health and workplace inclusion, stakeholders urged the federal government to implement inclusive menopause policies that will help address peculiar challenges faced by women at menopause.
organised by Comfort Booth Media Productions Ltd/the Talking Booth in Abuja Gynaecologist, Dr. Chito Nwana, said though the symptoms of menopause could be very debilitating for some women but it is important thing is for one to begin to take good care of herself. She said the lifestyle changes associated with menopause can lead to misunderstanding and marriage crisis if not properly handled. "It is a time to prioritise oneself and ensuring a healthy lifestyle. Also taking good care one's mental health is important in dealing with challenges of menopause," she said. The physician said that it is important to ensure some policy reviews to put this aspect of women's health into consideration.
With early diagnosis, timely treatment can stop this age-old bacterial infection in its tracks, argues ALLAN PAMBA
Did you know there is up to a one in four chance that you could be infected with the tuberculosis (TB) bacteria? Luckily, of the quarter of our world’s infected population, only a portion will develop active TB. HIV co-infection increases that probability by 20 to 30 times. And did you know that TB spreads through the air when someone with active TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings, releasing TB germs that others can inhale?
Active TB is fatal and mostly affects adults in their economically productive years. More than a million people died from TB last year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). That number is expected to rise rapidly as public health systems face new funding challenges, jeopardising established treatment programmes. The good news, however, is that TB can be diagnosed early and cured with prompt treatment.
As we mark World TB (Tuberculosis) Day this month, Africa faces a unique set of challenges. Having made significant gains in the fight against TB over the past 20 years, funding cuts are disrupting essential prevention, screening and treatment access for people with TB
These unprecedented disruptions have prompted the WHO to urgently call on governments, communities, civil society, healthcare providers, the private sector and the world to advocate, discuss and plan further collaboration to reach all people with quality TB prevention and care services.
Beyond external funding – which is no longer guaranteed – the statistics indicate domestic under-investment, particularly in early diagnosis. With early diagnosis, timely treatment can stop this age-old bacterial infection in its tracks.
What we don’t test, we can’t treat.
Investments in diagnostic services in Africa can – and indeed have – demonstrated substantial returns. Early detection means fewer hospital stays, reduced infection rates and lower long-term treatment costs.
This is evident in information released by South Africa’s molecular diagnostics programme. A comprehensive study covering 2013 to 2022 revealed excellent return on investment (ROI) values for specific diagnostic tests, with TB leading the pack:
Tuberculosis (TB) Testing: ROI of 19.0, meaning each dollar invested yielded $19 in health & economic benefits.
HIV Viral Load Testing: ROI of 1.4.
Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV: ROI of 64.8.SARS-CoV-2 Testing: ROI of 2.5.
Standing strong: a future funded from within
Historically, Africa’s health systems have been shaped by external donors. But global priorities are shifting . Africa needs to shift ahead of this curve. Strong economies invest in their own health, and expanding domestic funding for health and diagnostics in particular, isn’t just about disease control – it’s about building resilience for our people and, by association, economies. Of course, we know domestic funding is limited, which is why it should be allocated smartly.
An Africa that funds its own healthcare is one that will thrive in health, economic growth, stability and innovation. With any treatable disease, the earlier you diagnose, the more affordable it is to intervene. Governments that integrate comprehensive diagnostics programmes into their national health budgets reduce overall healthcare costs and can ultimately deliver more healthcare with today’s budgets.
A practical fix: making testing work harder
Most African countries already have diagnostic platforms for HIV testing that can also test many other diseases. Due to vertically funded programs, TB and other diseases are often tested separately resulting in laboratories cluttered with many of the same machines. Running parallel systems increases costs and slows results . Integrated testing is the smarter approach – one machine, many tests. The WHO has called for integrated diagnostics to strengthen healthcare systems and improve outcomes.
Strategic partnerships ensure that existing infrastructure works harder, reducing costs while improving patient outcomes. By working in partnership with industry, governments can scale up diagnostic capacity, integrate cost-saving innovations like multi-disease testing and train healthcare professionals to deliver faster, more accurate care.
The challenge is real, but so is the opportunity. A well-funded, wellintegrated diagnostic system doesn’t just control TB—it strengthens entire health systems seamlessly. The right decisions today can create a healthier, more self-reliant Africa forever.
TB HAS REMAINED A PART OF AFRICA’S STORY FOR TOO LONG. BUT STORIES AREN’T SET IN STONE. THE TOOLS EXIST TO REDUCE ITS IMPACT, IMPROVE ACCESS TO TESTING AND CREATE HEALTH SYSTEMS THAT SERVE PEOPLE BETTER
An ending we can rewrite: TB has remained a part of Africa’s story for too long. But stories aren’t set in stone. The tools exist to reduce its impact, improve access to testing and create health systems that serve people better. The real question isn’t whether we can do it but whether we will.
A future where Africa funds its own healthcare, invests in the right solutions and builds a healthier, more resilient continent is within reach. The path is clear. It just takes strong political will to walk it!
NDUBUISI FRANCIS examines the increasing division among Christians and calls for an end to the fruitless discord
“
Of all the animosities which have existed amongence of sentiments in religion appear to be the most inveterate and distressing, and ought to be deprecated. I was in hopes that the enlightened and liberal policy, which has marked the present age, would at least have reconciled Christians of every denomination so far that we should never again see the religious disputes carried to such a pitch as to endanger the peace of society.”
The above quote is an extract from a letter written by the first President of the United States of America, George Washington, and addressed to an Irish politician, Edward Newenham. Date was October 20, 1792.
That was about 233 odd years ago--a period spanning over two centuries.
A dissection of the excerpt from Washington’s letter to the Irish politician proves beyond any shred of doubt that his concerns had something to do with a disturbing trend among Christians at the time - dichotomy.
While the one-time American leader may have spotted this out in 1792, it rankles beyond expression that what he alluded to has assumed a more worrisome dimension among Christians, particularly in Nigeria today.
Christianity has, among some of its defining features, forbearing one another in love (Ephesians 4:2), tolerance, love for fellow beings, righteouness, heaven-mindedness and soul-winning.
Beyond any scintilla of doubt, in Nigeria today, Christianity is on trial. Regrettably, the religion is not on trial by outsiders, but by its adherents who are at war with each other.
There is a penchant to pull down each other, a seemingly demonic predilection to excoriate and judge one another. Intolerance, petty rivalry and envy among practitioners have taken hold of the church of God.
Each and every day, men of God and their churches have become topics of discussions, ridicule and vile attacks on several platforms, including the social media and broadcast stations, by supposed Christians.
The self-appointed latter-day saints, judges
and critics are themselves either members of one orthodox, Pentecostal or pseudo-Christian denomination or the other.
Fault-finding finds expression in every of their actions.
Nothing lends more credence to these disturbing trends than the recent mass hysteria against The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement, easily one of the fastest growing churches in the world.
In the last few months, the church, its members and General Overseer have become subjects of derision, mockery, and toxic innuendos in the social media, physically and any available public space.
The only ‘sin’ of the church is that their members lay claim to certain “impossible” and “fake” testimonies.
Regrettably, many of those who excoriate and disparage the Lord’s Chosen (including supposed clergy and leaders of Christian bodies) do so out of pure mischief, ignorance, envy or outright desire to pull down.
Among the attacks was the one from a certain actor and broadcaster who prides himself as a senior pastor of one of the denominations with headquarters in Lagos.
What rankles is that the serial divorcee who is competing with his G.O in the business of divorcing, marrying and remarrying had the effrontery to grandstand and call the G.O of The Lord’s Chosen, Pastor Lazarus Muoka and his members names.
In the desperation to impugn the image of the church and its worshippers, the one that appeared to be most disappointing and unfortunate was that of the Chairman of the Lagos branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Stephen Adegbite.
As a leader of the umbrella body of Christians and a clergy, one expected his words to be seasoned with wisdom and laced with the grace and spirit of God.
While reacting to allegations that some Lord’s Chosen testimonies were ‘fake’, Adegbite reportedly said that they were mere ‘fabrication’.
He described the testimonies thus: “They are all blatant lies from the pit of hell.”
Coming from a clergy and leader of the umbrella body of Christians in Lagos State which perhaps hosts the largest assemblage of churches in the country is not only unfortunate but utterly disappointing..
If Bishop Adegbite is fully aware of the import of his position as CAN Chairman in Lagos State and what the Bible says about the wonders of God, he would have realised that an outright and open condemnation of a church and testimonies by its members without investigation was unapologetically unbecoming of a leader of an important association like CAN.
As the omnibus organisation, CAN is supposed to promote, project, protect and advance the interest of Christians and Christianity.
Nobody expects him to defend or cover up evil or sin of whatever colour where there is one, irrespective of who the perpetrator is.
But he is not expected to de-market any denomination or pass instant judgment on any Christian or Christian faith publicly before investigating or without recourse to facts and scriptural backing.
Regrettably, he openly condemned the Lord’s Chosen and the testimonies that were shared in the church before inviting the leaders of the church for a meeting.
His postulation that certain miracles as testified in the Lord’s Chosen were ‘mere ‘fabrication’ and “all blatant lies from the pit of hell” clearly depict two things:
It is either a covert attempt to discredit everything inherent in the Christian belief that “with God, all things are possible” or a clear repudiation of what the Lord’s Chosen as a church stands for.
The CAN Chairman did not only openly make disparaging remarks and cast aspersions on the church and its members, he betrayed one of the cardinal ethos of the Christian faith and belief that with God, all things are possible.
By virtue of his title, Bishop Adegbite is believed to be versed in the scriptures more than mere mortals like us. Is he oblivious of several Bible passages on the omnipotence of God at all times?
The book of John 14:12-13 says: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth
on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
Does this bible passage suggest that God is no longer in the business of doing signs and wonders or doesn’t he believe in the limitless power of God even in modern day?
One of the testimonies in the Lord’s Chosen that incensed Bishop Adegbite was the one concerning armed robbers who shot at a church member but the bullets refused to penetrate and cause any bodily harm.
His response to this was:
“”Anybody that wants to prove such a thing should bring a gun to the church. Let the person stand and let us release the bullets. We will see whether the bullets will enter or not. They are all blatant lies from the pit of hell.”
This is a brazen display of canality, a sad commentary from a leader and “believer” who preaches the word of God.
The question here is what does he think about unbelievers who ‘fortify’ themselves with charms from witch doctors against bullets?
If he believes or knows that such charms work for those who patronise them, are the witch doctors now more powerful than the Amighty God such that He cannot neutralise the potency of bullets on believers who diligently/fervently seek and serve him?
I want to respectfully remind Bishop Adegbite that ministers of God do not have powers to perform miracles. Miracles manifest through their ministration as released by God. Mocking them is like backing up a wrong tree.
Like the old hymn says - “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. He plants His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm.” God’s ways are not man’s ways so it is a matter of presumptuousness to appraise the works of God with human contemplations.
Politics often runs in families, with sons stepping into the shoes of their fathers, carrying forward their vision while shaping their own destinies.
Such is the story of Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, a man born into political prominence and expected to uphold the legacy of his late father, Prince Abubakar Audu, the former governor of Kogi State, Nigeria.
As heir to a respected political dynasty, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu has navigated the intricate landscape of Nigerian politics, balancing the weight of his family’s legacy with his own ambitions and principles. His journey embodies the challenges and responsibilities of inheriting a political mantle in a dynamic and often unpredictable political terrain.
To understand Shuaibu’s story, it is essential to recognize the towering figure of his father, Prince Abubakar Audu. A two-time governor of Kogi State, Abubakar Audu played a pivotal role in shaping the state’s infrastructure, economy, and political direction. A charismatic leader with a broad following, his sudden passing in 2015, during the governorship election, left a significant void in the state’s leadership.
More than a politician, Abubakar Audu was a visionary who modernized Kogi State’s development. His political influence extended beyond the state, making him a notable figure in Nigeria’s democratic evolution. For Shuaibu, stepping into his father’s shoes was not merely an expectation—it was a duty.
Born into a prominent family, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu had access to quality education and early exposure to political dynamics. Unlike many political heirs who begin their careers directly in politics, Shuaibu initially pursued a career in finance and business.
A graduate with expertise in banking, investment, and economic development, he established himself in the financial sector before fully embracing the political arena. This background has provided him with a unique perspective on governance, particularly in economic reforms and youth empowerment.
Despite his success in finance, politics was always in his destiny. Following his father’s passing, political
pressure mounted as supporters of the late Abubakar Audu saw Shuaibu as the natural successor—someone who could carry forward his father’s legacy and vision for Kogi State. Over the years, he has risen through the ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and has become a key political figure in the state and beyond. His active involvement in governance and political affairs has positioned him as a leader committed to progress, development, and continuity.
While inheriting a political legacy comes with advantages—name recognition, established political networks, and a loyal support base—it also presents significant challenges: high expectations. Comparisons with his father are inevitable. Many expect him to mirror Abubakar Audu’s leadership style and policies, leaving little room for personal reinvention. And as with any influential figure, he faces resistance from political opponents who may see him as a threat or argue that leadership should not be hereditary.
Musa Wada, Abuja
THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER
EDITOR OBINNA CHIMA
DEPUTY EDITOR AHAMEFULA OGBU
MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO
he sale of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Nigeria’s largest power distribution company is poised to worsen the ongoing power crisis in contrasting with its over one trillion naira assets valuation.Similar to Delta Steel corrupt practices and shady dealings without consideration for consumers’ interests.
The deal, overseen by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and allegedly facilitated by some top officials of the Ministry of Power, alongside complicit staff from the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), is suspect. Who sells a property for just a tenth of its value?
For a firm like IBEDC shouldering power supply to millions of households across seven states - Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, and parts of Kogi, Niger, and Ekiti, its take over by AMCON in 2022 after its former board defaulted on a massive debt was expected to expedite return to normalcy and financial stability. Rather, it has undermined public trust, leaving defaulted loans to be serviced through high tariff rates amid poor supply.
As the second-best performing electricity distribution company, IBEDC’s worth can never be overestimated.
Its assets include 23,472 distribution transformers at 13 million each, 142 power transformers at 200 million each, 2.5 million poles at 130,000 each, 51 million meters of aluminum conductors at 2,500 per meter and landed properties as well as office buildings worth 80 billion across seven states. Olamilekan Raji, Ibadan cor alle sta Co sev exp lea ne tra of
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CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI
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There is usually wisdom in the classics. A recent revisit to Orwell’s “1984” provides material to consider in 2025.
The reverse logic of a key theme “Ignorance is strength” is being enacted through the imposition of Trump tariffs on so many countries and a few penguins. The statement that “There was truth and there was untruth” has been updated with fake news and alternative facts but people are starting to realise what the truth is and it’s not always found on Trump’s Truth Social app. There is a final and serious warning from 1984 “We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it.” It could happen, take note of the warning.
If you have the time, reread “1984”, it is still scary, and relevant.
Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected
federal government's claim that it released N50 Billion to the union as Academic Earned Allowance (AEA) meant for
the settlement of members' outstanding indebtedness.
It said it was yet to receive any correspondence from the
government relating to the widely reported release of the money as an earned allowance.
A source who does not want
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have agreed to collaborate in the ongoing war against human trafficking in the country.
in Abuja.
to be quoted, told THISDAY at the University of Abuja campus in Giri, Gwagwalada, that the demand of the union was for proper funding of the university and the immediate implementation of 2009 agreement bothering on the release of N220 billion annually as revitalisation fund.
universities’ revitalisation fund and also provide about N150 billion as earned allowance owed to members of the union.
The source vowed the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) will reject outright the N50 billion released as earned allowance, if it becomes clear that such money was released to the union.
The Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen.Buba Marwa (rtd) promised robust cooperation and synergy with his NAPTIP counterpart to assist in the further clamp down on traffickers across the country.
The NDLEA boss gave the promise while receiving the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, who paid him a courtesy visit at the agency’s headquarters
Marwa, who described the appointment of the NAPTIP Director General as a strategic step in the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria, lauded her for turning the heat on the traffickers by hitting the ground running, and for her proactive operations and interventions which have resulted in the arrest of several traffickers and rescue of many victims.
The anti-narcotics czar while lamenting the plight of human trafficking victims in the country, described NAPTIP as “a very important and critical agency in the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria” that deserves the support of all.
He suggested a mutually agreed legal framework that will define the
working relationship between the two agencies in order to enhance seamless joint operation, intelligence sharing, and cooperation.
Earlier in her speech, the Director General of NAPTIP, Bello, said the visit “was part of the NAPTIP’s ongoing strategic engagement with key sister agencies to strengthen institutional collaboration, share knowledge and harmonise our operations where our mandates intersect.
“This visit also, more importantly. It represents our desire to deepen the longstanding relationship between our two agencies. In today’s security landscape, the complexities of crime, particularly organised transnational crime, require that we work in closer synergy.
“Drug trafficking and human
trafficking are increasingly interconnected both globally and locally. In many instances, victims of human trafficking, especially women and children, are used as drug couriers. Victims are also drugged or subjected to substance abuse as a method of control, coercion, or subjugation by traffickers. Furthermore, both crimes thrive on similar enablers.
“Intelligence reports have shown overlaps in networks operating in both spheres, hence the urgent need for a coordinated response”, the Director General of NAPTIP stated.
The highpoint of the visit was the setting up of a joint operational team that will enhance collaboration among the two agencies, and in attendance at the meeting were directors from both agencies.
The family of late elder statesman, and leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Pa Ayodele Adebanjo, has announced the funeral arrangements following his passing on February 14, 2025, at the age of 96.
A series of events have been planned to honour the life, legacy, and values of the late Pa Adebanjo — a man widely respected for his lifelong dedication to democracy, Yoruba unity, and national development.
In a statement by the Chairman
of the Burial Planning Committee, Dr. Biodun Shobanjo, on behalf of the family, expressed their deep gratitude for the outpouring of support and prayers received since his passing and welcomed wellwishers to participate in celebrating the life of their beloved patriarch.
The funeral arrangements show that a day of tributes/service of songs would hold on Wednesday, April 30th, 2025, at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, while the wake holds on Friday, May 2nd, 2025, at the deceased's country home in Isanya
Ogbo, near Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. Furthermore, the funeral arrangements showed that the Church Service/Funeral would take place on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025, at St. Phillips Anglican Church, Isanya Ogbo, while the thanksgiving is on Sunday, May 4th, in Ogun State.
A statement from the family read: “The family invites friends, colleagues, political associates, and the general public to join them in paying final respects to a man whose courage, integrity, and unwavering belief in justice
left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s political history.
“Chief Samuel Ayodele Adebanjo, widely known as Chief Ayo Adebanjo or Pa Ayo Adebanjo, was born on the 10th of April, 1928, in Ogun State, in the south-western region of Nigeria. He was born into the family of Joel Adebanjo Adedairo and Salamotu Odubanke. Chief Adebanjo began his public journey as a journalist before proceeding to the United Kingdom to study law. He was called to the English Bar in 1961.”
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has described malaria as both a public health challenge and national emergency in the country.
In a statement issued yesterday
to mark the 2025 World Malaria Day, the First Lady canvassed a committed resolve of all Nigerians
to put an end to the scourge saying "malaria ends with us, with our voices, our choices and our actions."
Mrs. Tinubu, in the message stated, inter alia: "Today, on World Malaria Day 2025, we are reminded that malaria is not just a public health challenge for Nigeria, it is a national emergency. Nigeria bears the heaviest global burden of this disease. We must continue to work
hard to reverse this trend.
"The theme for this year, “Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” is both a call to action and a message of hope. It challenges us to renew our investment in life-saving interventions, increased awareness and to revive the collective commitment needed to end malaria once and for all.
"We should also ensure that our
environment and surroundings are clean and free of stagnant water, that are breeding ground for mosquitoes.
"I urge all government agencies, private sector partners, NGOs, health workers, and community leaders to recommit to the fight against malaria with urgency and resolve.
"Malaria ends with us, with our voices, our choices and our actions."
He downplayed the reported release of N50 billion as earned Amallowance to the union as paltry and not part of the demands of the union.
He described the situation as concerning for the ASUU leadership, which was studying the development and would soon make its pronouncement public.
According to him, the union's position was that government should as a matter of urgency release N220 billion annually as
He expressed union’s displeasure with government for sharing the news of the release of the money to the media without any correspondence from the Ministry of Education patterning to the release of such money.
He also accused the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, of playing politics over the implementation of the 2009 agreement between ASUU and the federal government.
A one time Inspector General (IG) of Police (IGP), Mr. Mike Okiro, has appealed to politicians who are defecting from one political party to another, to prioritise the interests of the people who voted them into office.
He, however, commended President Bola Tinubu for his exemplary leadership, especially in the handling of the country's affairs and role played in resolving the political crisis in Rivers State.
The elder statesman, while speaking with journalists yesterday in Abuja, also urged the suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminilayi Fubara, to reconcile with his godfather and Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike.
Okiro's statement was in response to the wave of defections in the country, particularly the latest by the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and other members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The governor had on Wednesday announced that he and his entire executives, including local government council officials and state's legislators elected under the platform of the PDP, have moved into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
They will be official admitted to the APC on Monday by no less a person, than the Vice President (VP), Kashim Shetima. Responding, the elder statesman, who acknowledged that it is within the rights of politicians to switch parties in order to protect their political interests, stressed the need for them to prioritise the interests of the people who voted them into office.
The ex-police boss and stakeholder in Rivers State politics also praised the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, for maintaining law and order since his assumption of office.
"In light of the recent wave of defections by sitting state governors, serving senators, serving Members of House of Representatives, and numerous Houses of Assembly members, it is important for politicians to act in the genuine interest of their constituents.
"They should also avoid making decisions solely or based on personal gains, rather, they should consider the impact of their actions on the people they govern or represent," he said.. He thereafter called on all politicians to prioritise peace and the well-being of their followers, adding that politicians must work towards the unity and progress of the country.
The Labour Party presidential candidate in 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has attributed Nigeria’s deepening poverty which stalled development in Nigeria for decades to poor political leadership.
Obi, who spoke at Johns Hopkins University in the United States on Thursday, warned that Nigeria now has more people living in poverty than China, Indonesia, and Vietnam combined.
Delivering a lecture titled: 'Politics and Change in Nigeria', Obi gave comparisons between Nigeria and other emerging economies over the past 35 years, noting that while countries like China, Indonesia, and Vietnam have advanced significantly, Nigeria has regressed.
Sharing the key points from the
lecture via his verified X account yesterday, the former Anambra State governor stressed that leadership remains the decisive factor in a nation’s development.
The full post by Obi on X reads: “Yesterday, at Johns Hopkins University, USA, I honoured the invitation to speak on 'Politics and Change in Nigeria' from Professor Peter Lewis, the famous author of 'Growing Apart: comparing Indonesia and Nigeria'.
“In discussing this very critical issue, which directly impacts the direction of a nation, I pointed out that the failure of a nation depends largely on its Political Leadership. Competent, capable and compassionate political leadership, with integrity, will help nations to achieve sustainable growth and development.
“In my speech, I tried to assess three of our comparable nations – China,
Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
The ongoing cult-related killings, robbery and violence intensified on Thursday night in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, after gunmen suspected to be from a rival group traced and killed the leader of another cult group.
The killing has left many residents in palpable tension over fear of another reprisal attacks, especially as the deceased Olotu Wanemi Omubo, is said to be the number one man in one of the waring cult groups.
The deceased, an indigene of Nembe in Nembe Local Government Area of the state, was also a beneficiary of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and a leader of the Phase 2 amnesty beneficiaries in the state.
The Omubo's brutal killing has further raised tension in the state capital after last week's killings of four persons at the Swali area off the state capital, which left many injured.
Three days before the killing of the four persons, another person was shot by a rival group and he is said to be responding to treatment in an unknown hospital.
Sequel to Thursday's night killing of Omubo, gang members have been on the prowl in Amarata, a suburb of the state, robing innocent residents in broad daylight and some sometimes breaking into homes in the dead of the night.
Most of their victims have been the off-campus students of the Bayelsa Medical University (BMU) living at
Punch Road, Ompadec and Imgbi Road areas.
Investigations revealed that the unknown rival cult gang had at about 9p.m. trailed their latest victims to the residence of a female friend, and shot him three times at close range on the head, the chest and the side.
Another version of the report claimed that the deceased was shot three times and heavy stones were rained on him to confirm he was dead before the suspected killers fled the scene.
The shooting and killing of Omubo, left residents of the Good News Street along Azikoro Town to scampered for safety.
It was not confirmed which of the waring groups is responsible for the latest killing, but many suspect the involvement of external marksmen in the killings.
Security sources said the killing of Omubo may be a follow up to the lingering battle between the rival cult groups in the state.
The sources said the latest killings and violence may not be unconnected to the shooting of a suspected unit leader of a group along the Kimowei Filling Station area of Imgbi Road in Amarata.
He was shot in the shoulder at close range and currently in a critical condition in an undisclosed hospital.
The shooting according to the sources may have reportedly led to the invasion of the Swali area of the state capital where four persons were killed on Easter Sunday.
Vietnam and Indonesia, from 1990 till date. In 1990, the year the measurement of the Human Development Index (HDI) was started, these three comparable nations, including Nigeria, were all classified under the medium category of the HDI measurement. 35 years later,
The Senate through its committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has asked the federal Government to establish Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres across the 774 local government areas in the country.
ICT centres are where candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions across the country sit for the computer-based Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Speaking to journalists while
three of these nations have moved up to the High category of HDI while Nigeria has fallen into the low category.
“Within the same period of 35 years, from 1990 to 2025, the GDP per capita of these comparable nations have all improved. As of 1990, while
monitoring the ongoing UTME, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse (APC Katsina South), in Abuja yesterday, frowned at non-existence of the examination centres in some local government areas of the country.
He said since the Senate and by extension, the federal government, want Nigerians to study in Nigeria, access for such education through important examinations like UTME should be made easy for them.
He said, "In making it easy for candidates seeking admissions into universities or other tertiary institutions through UTME, the ICT centres must
Nigeria had a GDP per capita of $556, China had $317, Indonesia had $578, and Vietnam had only $99. Nigeria, obviously, had higher GDP per capita than China, while Vietnam had less than one-fifth of Nigeria’s per capita.
“Today, Nigeria’s per capita is about
be made available in all the 774 local government councils across the country.
"I am from Katsina South Senatorial District where only two out of the eleven local government councils have ICT centres for UTME .
"Since the examination is computerbased, the CBT centres should be made available across the 774 local government councils in the country.
“To achieve this, our committee, and by extension, the Senate in collaboration with our colleagues in the House of Representatives, shall facilitate budgetary provisions for it in the 2026 fiscal year," he said.
Earlier in his explanation to members
one-fifth of Indonesia’s ($5000) and Vietnam’s (4400) GDP per capita and below one-tenth of China’s (1300) GDP per capita. In the area of poverty, Nigeria with about 50 million poor people, had the least number of people in poverty in 1990 than any of the three countries.
of the committee, the spokesperson of JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, told them that JAMB has 880 ICT centres across the country but admitted that the centres are not across the 774 local government councils.
Fabian said, "JAMB presently has close to 900 ICT centres across the country and in fact precisely 880 centres which however do not cover all the 774 local government councils across the country.
"JAMB shall be happy if the committee facilitates budgetary provisions for establishment of ICT centres in local government councils across the country that are yet to have one," he said.
Aliyu urges new corps members to embrace unity, patriotism
The Director General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, has explained that the NYSC cannot carry out certified drug integrity test on prospective corps members because the scheme’s enabling Act did not provide for such.
This was the Governor of Sokoto State, Dr. Ahmed Aliyu, urged new corps members in the state to embrace unity, discipline, and patriotism as symbols of hope for a brighter future.
The governor stated this in Wamakko permanent orientation camp, yesterday during the swearingin Batch C Stream II of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Nafiu, gave the explanation when he paid a courtesy visit on the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), in his office in Abuja.
According to a press statement issued by the the acting Director, Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Caroline Embu. the NDLEA boss had requested that the scheme
carry out certified drug integrity test on prospective corps members and that the scheme should post corps members to the NDLEA rehabilitation centres across the nation.
The NYSC statement disclosed that its DG acceded to the posting request, but explained why the scheme cannot approve of the second request without an enabling law.
"On the call for certified drug integrity test for prospective corps members by the NDLEA Chairman, General Nafiu said it is a good idea, but pointed out that it is a policy
matter, as such, the NYSC could not act on it especially as the scheme’s enabling Act did not provide for such action.
"He, however, added that it would be implemented if it becomes a policy of the government," the NYSC said. During the visit, Nafiu had paid glowing tributes to the towering achievements that stood as footprints of Marwa’s time as Lagos State governor and his achievements at the NDLEA, among others. Embu quoted Gen. Marwa as saying that the NDLEA has rehabilitation centres in 30 states.
Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The management of Federal Polytechnic Daura, Katsina State, has secured N750 million from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) on skills development and equipment upgrade.
The pioneer Rector of the Polytechnic, Prof. Aliyu Mamman, revealed this yesterday at a press
conference on the 2nd convocation of the federal institution.
He said the polytechnic secured the TETfund special intervention on skills development to the tune of N350 million and N400 million on equipment upgrade, amounting to N750 million.
He explained that the funds had significantly improved the institution's skills acquisition
programmes and the upgrading of equipment and laboratories.
Mamman said, “Presently, eight laboratories across many departments are solar-powered and students conduct their practical at all times without fear of power failure. These kind gestures by the Tetfund are recognized and highly appreciated.”
He, however, said the
institution would be graduating 408 students from 11 departments and programmes during the 2nd convocation ceremony scheduled for Saturday.
The rector added that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has granted approval for the commencement of 11 Higher National Diploma (HND) for the polytechnic.
As African nations continue to battle development headwinds, former President Goodluck Jonathan has charged leaders not to politicise appointments into key economic positions, stressing that only top-class professionals and technocrats must be selected to be members of the economic management team.
In a statement by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan noted that some African leaders select their cabinet based on relationship or patronage. According to him, hiring competent hands to man major departments in government is critical to the kind of service delivery Africa needs.
The former president stated this in his keynote speech at the Executive Leadership Retreat organised by the Ghanaian Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ada, Ghana, where he also observed that most African countries lack top-rate people as members of their economic management team.
Jonathan also encouraged leaders on the continent to invest in schools for special talents and technologydriven education in order to spur rapid industrialisation, economic diversification and technological growth.
The former president commended Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama for making the right call in his appointments, adding that
the Ghanaian leader succeeded in setting up a smart cabinet made up of well-educated people. He said, “First and foremost I appreciate Mahama because I believe he made the right selection for his cabinet. This is a problem in most African countries because often we select our cabinet based on relationship or on patronage.”
These persons, he further said, must possess leadership skills and qualities because leadership is not just about the president alone but about everyone who is part of the government and working to help the leader realise his vision.
Sharing his life experience in making appointments, Jonathan said: “In my time, I think I tried a
little. I am not an economist but I spotted people like Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, current Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), who was not even in Nigeria when we were voting, to run our Finance Ministry.
''I also brought Dr. Akin Adesina, current President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), who was somewhere in Kenya during the elections, to man my Agric Ministry because I believe in their capacity to deliver. Some of my cabinet members did not even vote for me but I appointed them because of my belief in what they could do for the country.”
He also urged African leaders to always hit the ground running to be
Olawale Ajimotokan
The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer has painted a picture of a deep sense of grievance and economic anxiety among Nigerians.
The report titled: 'Trust, Grievance, and the Business Imperative: A Call to Action for Nigeria’s Leaders', noted that concerns over job loss due to foreign competition had escalated among employees, rising by nine points from the previous year to reach 67 per cent, while fears of job insecurity due to automation have also surged by eight points, now standing at 70 per cent among
employees, signalling growing apprehension about job displacement and job security.
Among other key findings of the report were that 74 per cent of Nigerians believe that the wealthy’s selfishness causes many of their problems while the fear of being discriminated against through prejudice, discrimination, or racism grew by nine points from 2024, reaching 75 per cent.
“These anxieties contribute to a pervasive sense of grievance, with 72 per cent of Nigerians having a moderate or higher sense of grievance, believing that business, government,
and the affluent primarily serve a select few, perpetuating systemic inequities. Such sentiments erode trust and hinder societal progress and must be addressed head-on,” the Chief Executive Officer at Edelman Africa, Karena Crerar said.
The report also said that erosion of trust extended to leadership itself, with seven in 10 Nigerians expressing worry that government officials and business leaders each intentionally mislead the public.
It said this crisis of credibility threatens the foundation of both economic and social stability.
The trust barometer stressed that at
least one third of Nigerians demand more action from business, not less, to address issues such as climate change, discrimination, affordability, misinformation, and retraining – and believe that business is not going far enough to address these issues.
It urges business leaders to act, as Nigerians believe they are justified in addressing social issues, if their business contributed to the problem.
Crerar noted that to ensure a better future, Nigerians agreed the business sector in Nigeria is further obligated to nurture workplace civility to facilitate discussions about contentious issues.
Commissioners of Information in states governed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) have lauded the bold and strategic reforms of the President Bola Tinubu administration, saying they are already yielding positive results and laying the needed foundations for national development.
The commissioners gave this commendation during the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) Quarterly Strategy Meeting of Honourable Commissioners for Information of APC Governed States, which was convened with the primary aim of recalibrating strategic communication and policy alignment across APC states and held on April 24–25, 2025 at the PGF Secretariat, Asokoro, Abuja.
The engagement convened under the coordination of the PGF Secretariat, and in furtherance of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administrations at subnational levels, provided an invaluable platform for peer review, state-level experience sharing, innovation in communication models, and harmonisation of messaging strategies that reinforce good governance, policy alignment, and democratic accountability across APC states.
In the communique issued at the end of the meeting, the forum also applauded Nigerians for their resilience, patience, and unwavering support as the nation begins to witness the positive outcomes of the bold
economic reforms.
They pledged their unalloyed loyalty to the Progressive Governors and affirmed their dedication to promoting transparency, accountability, and performance-based governance.
They also committed to continually engage citizens, counter harmful narratives, and celebrate the progress being made under the APC across Nigeria.
The meeting adopted the PGF National Value Reorientation Campaign as a transformative agenda to recalibrate the moral, social, and civic ethos of Nigerians.
The commissioners resolved to domesticate and drive the campaign across states by leveraging strategic
messaging, inter-state collaboration, and grassroots engagement.
The campaign is positioned to rebuild public trust, revive patriotic consciousness, and entrench responsible citizenship as a developmental asset.
The Commissioners emphasized the need for continuous capacity building, inter-state collaboration, and the institutionalisation of a quarterly APC States Communication Strategy Review Forum under the coordination of the PGF Secretariat.
The commissioners who attended the meeting included Gbenga Omotoso ( Lagos), Sagir Musa Ahmed (Jigawa), Kayode Akinmade represented Ogun, Kingsley Femi Fanwo (Kogi) and Erasmus Ekpang (Cross River).
able to make meaningful impact in governance, given the short time in a democratic tenure, especially in Ghana and Nigeria where presidential tenure is four years or maximum eight years.
He further said, “Today, I will not look at what President Mahama can do for Ghana to succeed because he will lead this country only for the next four years. I will rather focus on what this government should do to prepare Ghana for the next 25 years. To the UNDP, if you are supporting us, you have to look at what African countries should do, what should Ghana do, in the next 25 to 30 years to change the dynamics of growth and development.”
Making a case for qualitative and technology-driven education on the continent, Jonathan noted that developing countries that invested strategically in education have continued to develop faster than others.
He said, “Today, six of the top 10 hi-tech companies in America are led by Indians, and these are Indians that were educated in India, not those that schooled in America. The Dean
of Harvard Business School is an Indian that was educated in India.
“If you look at the examples of countries that have moved faster in development in the past 60 years, like Taiwan, Singapore and India, you will begin to imagine what happened. Why is it that no African country South of the Sahara is having that kind of growth. In the case of Africa, in stead of moving up we are going down?
“The UNDP regional director talked about investing in technology to move our countries forward. I agree but I still see that as a short term approach. If we must move African countries forward, and if Ghana must move forward, then we will not just invest in technology, but we must invest in the people that will create the technology we need.”
The former president stated that during his time as president, he set up the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development (PRESSID), as a means of sharpening the technological capacity of the country.
The Industry Newspaper, organisers of The Industry Summit/Awards has named the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno as the Industry Governor of the Year for his policies and programmes designed to promote and improve startups and entrepreneurship in the state.
In the year under review, Pastor Eno has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the State, driving development and progress through innovative policies and initiatives. His commitment to improving the lives of Akwa Ibom citizens is truly commendable.
The 6th edition of the awards which precedes the industry summit 2025 is scheduled to be held in Lagos on Saturday, May 3rd.
In a statement made availale to the media, the organisers also listed the Chairman/CEO of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu as the Business Personality of the Year, GMD/CEO, SO&U, Udeme Ufot as Doyen of Advertising, Senior Special Assistant to President of Nigeria, O’tega Ogra as the Spokesperson of the Year, CEO of Simba Group, Chief Vinay Grover as Green Energy champion and Chief Commercial Officer of TGI Group, Probal Bhattacharya as CMO of the year.
Other notable personalities who also the 2024 Industry Awards include Founder & CEO, AAJ Express, Ambassador Adekunle
Adeyemo- Logistics Champion, CEO, NigerBev Limited, Dr. Obinna Ike- CEO of the Year, GMD/CEO, Verdant Zeal Advertising, Dr. Tunji Olugbodi- Industry Pathfinder, CEO, Chain Reactions Africa, Israel Opayemi Industry Pathfinder, COO, Leo Burnett Lagos, Mrs. Seyi Layade- Industry Pathfinder, CEO, Integrated Indigo, Bolaji Abimbola- PR Man of the Year, CEO, Abelinis, Abiodun OshinibosiIndustry Pathfinder and CEO, FPL Media, Lanre Ashaolu as OOH player of the year. ording to the convener of the project, Goddie Ofose, “Pastor Umo Eno, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, has significantly impacted entrepreneurship development through his ARISE Agenda, a comprehensive initiative that includes providing financial and material support, training, and partnerships with institutions like the Bank of Industry.
“He has also focused on empowering women and youth through specific programmes like the Ibom-LED Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme. Providing equipment to small businesses, covering a wide range of trades like tailoring, barbing, shoemaking, and more. Through these programmes, Eno’s government has offered grants and partnerships with financial institutions like the Bank of Industry to provide low-interest loans to SMEs,” he added.
A civil servant in Abuja narratestoSerikiAdinoyi, her father’s ordeal in the handsofsomedoctorsat theJosUniversityTeaching Hospital where alleged negligencecausedthedeath ofherfather.
Cynthia Odabe, a civil servant in the Federal Capital Territory, has lamented that if doctors at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) had been a little more diligent in handling her father’s ill health he would still be alive today.
Odabe said her father, Mr. Francis Odabe, fell ill sometime last year and had difficulty in breathing and was taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, from Jos on the 31st of March, 2024, thereafter referred to Kaduna, but later died at JUTH after one year of battling with the ill health.
She said the doctors at the National Hospital found that there was a tumor in his larynx. So, a procedure was carried out on him at the hospital in April when a tracheotomy tube was passed down his throat to collect some tissues for biopsy.
She said, “After the biopsy, the result came out after about a month as papilloma, which was benign (non-cancerous). So they decided that the treatment should be periodic clearing for a space for three months because of his age. The first procedure was done on the 8th or 9th of May, 2024. The clearing afforded them the opportunity to take more samples. They repeated the investigation in the same lab at the National Hospital, and it came back again as papilloma.
“However, the same sample was taken to a private lab for a second opinion, and the result came out as cancer. But the head of Pathology at the National Hospital repeated the investigation, and it came out as papilloma. By this time, my father had returned to Jos, and they gave him a referral from National Hospital to JUTH that should he needed to check his tracheotomy at JUTH. Because of the back and forth in the investigation results, I personally took the tissues to University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada. The investigation was again done there by the H.O.D of Pathology, and the result came out as papilloma again.
“The CMD of the National Hospital, Abuja, therefore called for a tumor board meeting because of the divergent results. After the meeting, my father was referred to the National Ear Care Centre (NECC) in Kaduna (a Centre for Ear, Nose and Throat) since the National Hospital cannot handle the treatment. We got to the Centre in the last week of July. They also did the biopsy in September. They sent one of the samples to ABU Teaching Hospital in Zaria and di one in the hospital. The two results came
out as papilloma.”
Speaking further, she said: “Earlier, the doctor handling him at the National Hospital had suggested removal of his voice box. But another doctor advised that with his age that was not a good suggestion. My father too was scared of manual surgery to remove his voice box because of his age.
“So, at the NECC Kaduna, my father refused to subject himself for the manual surgery. Meanwhile, there is a machine called microdebrider that is safe and fast, but unfortunately, theirs in the hospital was bad. So, we found a doctor in same Kaduna who has the machine in his private hospital. His name is Dr. Mainasara.
“He was contacted, and on the 8th of January, 2025, he carried out the surgery. He also took a sample for biopsy for another investigation. He told my sister that while doing the procedure, he saw an obstruction, so he didn’t clear everything, and that after the investigation, if it comes out as papilloma, he will clear out the obstruction and remove the tracheostomy tube.
“The doctor took part of the sample for investigation, while we were given part of the sample too to take for investigation. We took ours to Jos this time, which came out again as papilloma. But the doctor’s own came out as cancer after taking about a month for the investigation. So, I told him we were not going to go with his result. This was my reason - we had eight results, only two suggested cancer, while the remaining six suggested papilloma.
“So I demanded that the tissue block be sent back to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, but the Dr. Mainasara ran away and stopped picking our calls. He eventually sent the tissue block after about five weeks. I took it again to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, where it was again confirmed to be papilloma.”
According to her, she sent the result to the doctor, but he didn’t respond, adding that after another back and forth, she called him on March 3rd, 2024, and he said he had already done what he could do.
“At that point, I got upset because he carried out a procedure on January 8 and as at March he had not done a post-op. He directed us to take my father to JUTH to meet one Dr. Turaki, that they will do flexible laryngoscopy – passing a flexible tube to feel the site of the surgery to see if there’s improvement or not. There was no paper referral. Dr. Mainasara simply called Dr. Turaki and asked him to do the laryngoscopy for my father.
“This is where it got interesting. The doctors at JUTH humiliated my father and they made him to kneel down and beg them to treat him. There was a doctor that Dr. Turaki asked to flush my father’s nose. The doctor literally mocked my father. Dr. Turaki also treated my father shabbily. “On an occasion, he left my father and said he was going for World Hearing Day. My sister ran after him and begged him. That was when my father had to kneel to beg him to attend to him. He left my father there and walked away. It was at that point that my sister wanted to take my father away from the hospital, before the Dr. Turaki came and did the laryngoscopy.
“Dr. Turaki then reported that what they saw were granulation tissues of a healing site, and that it should be given about a month to see if there was going to be an improvement or not. Unfortunately, after the laryngoscopy in JUTH, they didn’t replace my father’s tracheotomy tube properly. So my father got back home and could not breathe properly. The tube was what was helping him to breathe.
“They went back to the hospital and an X-ray was taken. It was observed that the tube was not properly fixed. Dr. Turaki assured that it had been fixed properly, and that he was going to be kept on observation for that night and be discharged the next day, just to be sure that whatever they did was properly done so that the patient wouldn’t suffer going and coming back.
“They eventually discharged him the following day, and on getting home, my father couldn’t breathe again. They had to return to the hospital the second time.”
Speaking further, she explained that the tube was still not properly placed to clear the congestion in his chest and at that point, all the doctors had deserted him and refused to attend to him until he gave up the ghost. This was on March 14, 2025.
“The Patient Bill of Right says any patient that comes under Accident and Emergency must be attended to, even if they don’t have money, and they must be kept under 24-hour surveillance. In our own case, money was not the problem, but my father was not attended to for 24 hours; the doctors simply deserted him and allowed him to die. He saw his death coming. He had to pen down a note for my sister.
“Secondly, they gave someone else’s drip
for my father. These all contributed to hastening his death.
“We went to see the Chief Medical Director of JUTH to give a verbal complaint. He is actually waiting for the written complaint. We were planning for the burial for April and had planned to submit after the burial. But we have decided to defer the burial. We have now written the petition, but we’ve not submitted it to him yet. I have also been advised to write the Senate and House Committees on Public Petitions, and may copy the Health Committee also.”
JUTH RESPONDS TO ALLEGATION
Responding to the allegation, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Pokop Bupwatda, who sympathised with the Odabe’s family said he was happy that THISDAY took the pain to hear the other side of the story.
He said, “It’s very unfortunate; I sympathize with the family over the loss of their father here at the Jos University Teaching Hospital.
“I got to know about it when all the children that were in Jos at that time came to me with their elder brother to complain about the way and manner their father was treated. As you know I cannot really know the details of what transpired until there’s an investigation.
It was by verbal communication they came to express their grievances.
“After sympathising with them, I also commended them for taking the step to come and see me. I told them that when there are allegations of infractions we always want people affected to speak out.
“I then advised them to put it down in writing as there exists in JUTH a standing committee to investigate any alleged negligence by any staff. And I even showed them reports by the committee of previous investigations. The committee is made of seasoned senior members of faculties; professors of good standing. The essence of investigation is to correct, rebuke, or punish any staff found culpable of any form of negligence or misconduct.
“I have been waiting for the formal letter of complaint I advised the family to write, because it is needed to initiate the process of investigation as we are supposed to refer the letter to the standing committee. As I speak with you, the letter has not come. Without the letter, I cannot just approach the committee based on what they verbally told me.”
The Bauchi state government with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other development partners yesterday, flagged off the 2025 polio immunisation campaign in the State.
Speaking during the event in Bauchi, the State Executive Chairman, Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, said the campaign was aimed at vaccinating all children under five years in the State.
The Executive chairman explained that special attention would be given to zero-dose children, which are those children who have not received any vaccination before.
According to him, Bauchi State received a total of 2.5 million doses of Novel Oral Polio vaccine(NOPV) for the exercise, saying that the state engaged the services of 160 monitors,
including CSOs who will ensure the smooth success of the polio vaccination exercise.
He said the State’s Commissioner for Health, Emir of Dass, as well as the UNICEF’s Chief of Bauchi Field Office would be on a special monitoring exercise in three LGAs of Ganjuwa, Bauchi and Ningi where there were zero dose of polio immunisation to ensure absolute compliance.
Mohammed emphasised that, “We are moving with the security, the DSS, the police with armoured vehicles to ensure compliance,” adding that “We are not doing this exercise like how we used to do it before where we will be begging and pleading.
“This time around, it will be compulsory that all children must be vaccinated and anybody that refuses to cooperate will be arrested.
“So much work has been done by UNICEF, WHO and the state government that has provided counterpart funding to support this exercise and other social mobilisation.
“Why are we worried that we have non-compliance in some quarters, is because we don’t want to miss any child. We will also use the security in areas where there is insecurity to ensure that every child is vaccinated,” he said.
Also Speaking, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, said that UNICEF was committed to supporting the state in the polio vaccination to ensure that every child is immunised.
Represented by the UNICEF Head of Social Behaviour Change Specialist, Mr Eki George, Nuzhat Rafique, HE assured that more development partners were supporting the exercise this time around to ensure that there was total compliance during the exercise.
Ferdinand Ekechukwu - 08035011394
Email: ferdi_adthisday@yahoo.com
Veteran Nigerian rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem is undeterred despite concerted efforts to blight his musical career owing to his socially-conscious and politically charged themes over the years. His protest song, ‘Tell Your Papa’ released recently, provoked the polity, gained popularity, and garnered positive reactions. While Eedris, in a chat with Ferdinand Ekechukwu, says taking a different path other than being the voice of the voiceless and the masses was not an option. Excerpts:
Whatdoyoumakeof thereactionstrailing the release of your newsingle‘TellYour Papa’?
The positive vibrations of my fellow citizens who truly identify with everything the song addresses are both awesome and wholesome at the same time. You see, it goes to show that the people are tired of the litany of empty promises without commiserate follow-ups and determination to see them through. Our leaders and dying in droves. The government’s reactionary very laughable and sad at the same time too. Banning a protest song...what manner of dictatorial tendency is that?
Of course, the song was very necessary. You need to drum, or better still, ram the truth down the throats of the countless happy slaves we have in our various communities, whose gullibility and oftentimes, ignorant follow-follow mentalities are hinged on mostly religious, tribal and political
And yes, of course, there’s that very fundamental part of holding the government to account. It is what it is!
Apart from all you sang about in the song, whatwouldyoutellthepresidentifyougetto meet him one-on-one?
I have told him or rather advised him, quite a lot through my music. The songs “Emilokan” (released June, 2024) and “Tell Your Papa” contain my thoughts and feelings on his government presently. So, the advice I will give to him physically will be basically a rehash of the lyrics of the aforementioned two singles.
There’sthisimpressionthatyoubeingasocial Wouldyouhavetakenanotherrouteandstill, atthesametime,maintainyoursocialcrusade/ musical activism?
from the various harassments and threats to my life and that of my loved ones. You must be aware of the incontrovertible fact that I was out-rightly blacklisted for a very long time in the industry, and many media houses still don’t touch nor air my
songs over the years because of fear of retributive justice by the powers that be. That’s the extent of their reach in hurting me, but that is where it ends. To your point, no, I wouldn’t have chosen to do what God has sent me to do - being the voice of the voiceless - without fear or favour, let or hindrance. Happiness cannot be measured by material acquisitions or patronage of the corrupt
Areyouworkingonanyprojectatthemoment?
Yeah! Before the release of “Tell Your Papa” single, I dropped a mixtape of songs on the subject of social activism and the works of human rights defenders, exploring and projecting the advocacy works of my human rights community. The new mixtape, which I released at the tail end of my six-month Fellowship at the Center for Applied Human Rights (CAHR), of York University in the United Kingdom, is aptly titled “Human Rights Vibes.” And for the record, I am always working and I have a litany of unreleased songs and a slew of songs in the kitchen. I write, record and release songs based on mood and happenings around me. The musical stream follows steadily... it never stops!
Ferdinand Ekechukwu
The Balmoral Convention Centre, Ikeja Sheraton, was a beehive night up till the early hours of Easter Sunday as the inaugural edition of Lagos Roadblock Party treated revelers to an immersive experience of electrifying sounds and pulsating beats, connecting a pack of audience to a wholesome feeling of a kind.
Themed “Embrace Your Dual Nature: The Saintly And The Sinful,” the event lived up to expectation, with attendees, drawn mostly
Experience, the atmosphere was lit, such as the city had not experienced in a while, birthing a new way of partying.
Featuring a spectacular show that combined cutting-edge technology, mind-blowing special and a well-designed scenography that left the
party freaks dazzled, and craving more. The hosts Jimmie, in the opening act, and Do2dtun, catalogues that transcends.
that mirrors the story’s cross-cultural tension. For Irele, born in Benin, shooting there was nostalgic, tying her roots to the narrative’s emotional core.
Director, Nìyí Akinmolayan’s gripping drama , where actress, Efe Irele confronts her past, is hitting cinemas in May 2025. The title - ‘My Mother is a Witch’ - tells a story about the strained connection between a mother and daughter, set against a backdrop of past memories and misunderstandings.
It follows a fashion editor who, returning from London to her ancestral home in Benin, must confront the deep-rooted emotional wounds from her childhood and the complicated relationship with her mother. Irele leads the cast, which also includes Mercy Aigbe Adeoti, Timini Egbuson, and Neo Akpofure
Both Akinmolayan and Irele have worked together in a couple of films such as ‘The House of Secrets’, ‘Casa De Novia’, and the two-part historical drama ‘Lisabi: The Uprising’ and ‘Lisabi: A Legend is Born’. The upcoming feature marks the latest chapter in their growing body of work together as director and actor respectively. Filming spanned Benin and London, a setting
Irele, reflecting on the 6-to-8-month development, noted the story simmered among producers before taking shape.
On Instagram, Akinmolayan described the project as one that came from a “very deep place”, adding, “I’m glad it’s finally coming, and it’s got the most amazing performances from the cast. A must-see for everyone… everyone!!” ‘My Mother is a Witch’ increases the slate of feature films from Anthill Studios.
was wholesome. Intermittent choruses that followed each set of the DJ’s resonate. Each artist is introduced with custom intros, adding an extra layer of anticipation and excitement as they weave their sonic tapestry with the transcendent sounds of music and dance.
From DJ Tolani Baj, DJ Bootylicious, DJ Biosky, DJ Consequences, Dope Caesar and others gave verve to the night. The DJs took attendees on a seamless musical journey, dishing out songs from the present to the past and back, bringing to the fore the magic, the music, and the unforgettable moments that followed.
“Roadblock party is all about experience, spectacular show elements, dazzling performances, the best Afro trance music, talented DJs and massive production. Utilizing the positive power of music and dance as a universal language, Roadblock will connect thousands of people who love to celebrate
The organiser also disclosed that the forthcoming edition of Roadblock would unveil an exclusive theme that sets the stage for a
Chris Akoh has won the Best Actor award at The Hipster Wall Screening Soirée in New York for his role in ‘Breakfast Over Dinner’, the debut film from M.O Studios and producer Mimi Ojieh. The event was organised by the African Diaspora community and students and alumni of the New York Film Academy.
In his acceptance remarks, Akoh thanked The Hipster Wall, the New York Film Academy, and the African Diaspora. “I feel honored. It’s a blessing to be inspired and a greater blessing to inspire others. I mean, this is only the beginning- we’re just getting started and I’m beyond geared to do even more. Big love to The Hipster Wall, New York Film Academy and the African Diaspora for this recognition. Long Live African Cinema.”
‘Breakfast Over Dinner’, directed by Ademola Adebisi and written by Jemimah Amonahini, examines female infidelity from the perspective of Eric, Akoh’s character.
“The first time I read the script, I found it interesting - in the sense that it’s barely ever portrayed when ‘men’ are the victims of infidelity.
captivating storyline and immersive journey through the night. Stating Roadblock aims to go beyond mere entertainment, striving to uplift human consciousness and foster collective engagement to create a better and more joyful world.
It’s not surprising that the inaugural Roadblock experience bears positive testimonies on social media, since after the event as the heart and soul of this extraordinary experience lies in the visitors themselves. Speaking on its decision to embark on the Roadblock journey with Oracle Experience, Head, Trade Marketing at Nigerian Breweries Plc. Mfon with its consumers.
“For us Roadblock gives the opportunity to connect with our consumers. We thought that it will be nice to give them an unforgettable experience this season that is capable of doing that, bringing young people the Gen z of this world to a great experience no other than the Desperados brand and that’s why we are doing what we are doing.
“It’s a story of love, betrayal and the monster it creates when trust has been breached. I had to put myself in Eric (the character)’s shoes and interpret that to screen with a bit of desperation and toxicity to make this character come to life - and as you know, performing isn’t just about action but also reaction to what is heard or seen” he said. Akoh credited the chemistry with his co-star, Ejiro Onojaife, a nominee of the AMVCA 2024. “I’d be wrong not to give a very special shout out to the talent that is Ejiro Onojaife, my on-screen partner, our synergy was definitely a match made in heaven.
Oluchi Chibuzor writes on the philanthropic role and entrepreneurial excellence of the Chairman of the Mike Adenuga Group/Globacom, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., and his contribution to nation-building
The Chairman of the Mike Adenuga Group, Dr. Mike Adeniyi Ishola Adenuga Jr., born on April 29th, 1953, will be 72 years old on Tuesday.
Adenuga is a study in diligence and entrepreneurial excellence. In the last few decades, he has emerged as a shining symbol of the irrepressible spirit of the quintessential African entrepreneur. He is passionate, committed, resilient, and extremely hardworking.
The billionaire was born in the ancient city of Ibadan, into the family of Chief Mike Adenuga Snr. and Madam Oyindamola Adenuga, a successful trader and Yeyeoba of Ijebuland. He attended the famous Ibadan Grammar School, in Oyo State, Nigeria, for his secondary education and studied Business Administration at Northwestern State University, Alva Oklahoma, in the United States. He also earned a Master’s degree at Pace University, New York, majoring in Business Administration with an emphasis on Marketing.
In recognition of his business accomplishments and outstanding contributions to the growth of the country, he was awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). He also holds honorary doctorate degrees conferred on him by the University of Ibadan and the Ogun State University. During Nigeria’s 50th anniversary celebration, Adenuga was one of the 50 pre-eminent Nigerians who were conferred with the Special Golden Jubilee Independence Anniversary Awards by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The hard work has paid off spectacularly, and he is today one of the best-known names in business and investment on the African continent. Adenuga has put his imprimatur of excellence on key sectors of the Nigerian economy, leading him to currently preside over one of Africa’s largest business empires, spanning oil and gas, telecoms, aviation, banking, and real estate.
Each of his businesses in these sectors plays a leadership role, helping to set the pace and contributing to the growth of the Nigerian economy.
For instance, in the oil and gas sector, Conoil Plc is one of the largest and most profitable oil marketing companies in Nigeria. Conoil Producing, the downstream arm of the conglomerate, made history by becoming the first Nigerian company to strike oil and produce it in commercial quantity in 1991. In banking, Equitorial Trust Bank (ETB) was one of the few banks that effortlessly met the N25 billion capital requirement during the 2005 banking consolidation exercise without going to the stock market. It only merged with Devcom Bank which was also owned by Adenuga. A few years back, ETB merged with Sterling Bank and has remained one of the leading financial institutions in the continent.
Adenuga also has a multi-billion-dollar investment in real estate. These companies provide direct employment to thousands of Nigerians and people from the international community, as well as millions of other indirect employment.
In telecoms, Globacom is one of the most innovative networks in Africa and has operations in Nigeria and Ghana with footprints in Senegal, Gambia and Cote d’Ivoire. Adenuga made history in 2010 when his telecoms firm inaugurated its solely-financed international submarine cable, Glo 1. The cable has provided a solution to the long-standing problem of insufficient internet bandwidth for Africa. It connects 14 nations in the West Africa sub-region, including some of them that are landlocked. By going from Europe to the West Coast of Africa, the company avoided the more turbulent but cheaper to maintain Middle-East and North Africa region. This ensures the availability of bandwidth to
Mike Adenuga
Wholesale, Enterprise and SME customers in West Africa. The undersea cable delivers a much faster and robust connectivity for voice, data and video with some of the lowest latencies between Africa and its gateway in London. It unleashes limitless opportunities for global and other African carriers, global content and digital media providers, government and corporate bodies in Nigeria and West Africa.
Glo-1 powers financial institutions, internet service providers and data consumers and all organisations that are Globacom’s subscribers have continued to carry on with business as usual despite* the breakdown of other telcos and internet services producers.
He is credited with playing a major role in the telecom revolution in Nigeria as Globacom’s historic introduction of Per Second Billing and crashing of SIM cost to as low as N100 led to the over 165 million active telephone lines in Nigeria today. The network also pioneered such revolutionary products as Blackberry, mobile internet and mobile banking services in Nigeria.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has since it began operations in Nigeria on August 29, 2003, pioneered numerous innovations which have helped propel the rapid growth and revolutionary changes witnessed in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
Its crash of the cost of acquiring SIM cards from about N25,000 to just about N200 and pioneering of Per Second Bill-
ing system are primarily responsible for the massive telephone penetration in the country. Prominent among the innovations Glo pioneered in Nigeria are Blackberry Services, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), Magic Plus, Glo Direct, International MMS, Inflight Roaming, Prepaid Roaming, Glo Mobile Internet, GloFleetmanager, M-Banking, Glo Mobile Office, Glo TV, Glo Cloud, Glo Always On, and Glo Berekete.
Just like it did with the 2.5G and 3G technologies, Globacom was the first telecom operator to accomplish a nationwide launch of 4G-LTE network in Nigeria in 2016. With the 4G LTE Network in Nigeria, Glo provides seamless voice and data connectivity; enabling superfast HD video streaming, video downloads, online gaming and much more.
The 4G LTE Advanced technology combines three spectrums of 700 MHz, 1,800MHz and 2,600 MHz to provide a better internet experience to subscribers. It is faster, stronger, and better. The video and voice quality in video calls on different applications like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber etc is a lot clearer while the picture quality is crispier, and the transmission is faster. It also enables optimum performance for use in a variety of other life-enhancing cases such as telemedicine, e-agriculture, 3D Games, etc.
Additionally, Glo is credited with crashing the cost of internet services and is today the preferred cable system by global OTT providers. It connects thousands of kilometres of national fibre to all parts of Nigeria and cross connects with landlocked West African countries providing them access to world class internet services and enable these countries
connect with Content Delivery Networks (CDN) & caching with Over The Top (OTT) networks in Lagos.
The business accomplishments of Adenuga have continued to seek him out for national and global accolades. In Ghana, he was given the highest national award, “The Companion of the Star of Ghana” in 2016, while in 2017, he was honoured by the French government with the award of the “Chevalier la Legion d’Honnuer” in 2017. In July 2018, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, elevated him to ‘Commander of the Legion of Honour’, France’s highest national honour.
A self-effacing philanthropist, Adenuga Jr., through his company, Globacom, is the biggest supporter of football in Africa and has raised the profile of football in Nigeria and Ghana with the sponsorship of the Premier Leagues and national football teams of the two countries for several years.
The company spent over N15 billion in cash and kind on Nigerian football. It also transformed the annual CAF Awards and made it the most glamorous sports event on the continent. CAF awarded Adenuga the Pillar of Football in Africa for his strong support for African Football at both national and continental levels.
Adenuga has won numerous other awards in recognition of his personal and business accomplishments, among which was the ‘Titan of the Year’ at THISDAY’s 30th commemoration awards held in Lagos, earlier this year. In 2020, THISDAY named him ‘Entrepreneur of the Decade’ at its Silver Jubilee celebration, and in 2010, voted him as Nigeria’s Most Outstanding Business Personality in the last 50 years. Only recently, he received one of the highest honours in African sports as he was celebrated as the Pillar of Sports in Africa at the South West Games 2025. In addition, he had won the African Telecoms Entrepreneur of the Year for his courageous and rapid investment in the telecoms sector. Also, he was early 2010 voted Nigeria’s Most Outstanding Business Personality in the last 50 years by THISDAY Day, Nigeria’s most influential newspaper.
In 2009, Adenuga won the coveted Silverbird Man of the Year Award, polling over 75 per cent of the votes cast to beat other eminent personalities nominated for the same award. Similarly, several other media organisations, Sun Newspapers, Independent Newspapers, Tribune, Leadership Newspapers; City People and Ovation International Magazine have also honoured the Globacom Chairman with their Man of the Year Award within the last few years. He is the first Nigerian to be conferred with a Knight of the Legion of Honour (Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur) award by the President of the French Republic, Mr. Emmanuel Macron.
The award was then presented to Adenuga at the glamorous Bellisma on the Waterfront, Banana Island, Lagos, by the Ambassador of France in Nigeria, Denys Gauer, on behalf the France President.
The Legion of Honour, (Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur) is the highest French order of merit for military and civil merits, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. Ultimately, Chief Adenuga’s 72nd birthday offers a moment to appreciate the remarkable synergy between his roles as an industrialist and a philanthropist. These are not separate facets of his persona, but rather interconnected elements of a larger vision for progress. His business acumen has generated resources that fuel his philanthropic endeavors, while his commitment to giving back undoubtedly informs his approach to leadership and innovation. As he marks this significant year, Adenuga stands as a compelling example of how economic success and social impact can be mutually reinforcing forces.
In a world tuned to the algorithmic tempo of instant fame, Kunle Ayo plays a different rhythm —one that echoes across continents, rooted in tradition yet alive with reinvention. With calloused fingers and a soul steeped in ancestral sound, the Nigerian-born, South Africa-sculpted guitarist returns home briefly not in nostalgia, but in quiet triumph to stage concerts and tours. His new album, Inner Reflections, is more than music; it is a reckoning, a return, a renaissance. As African jazz stirs anew, Kunle emerges not as a relic of the genre’s golden age, but as its luminous compass—bridging past and present, Lagos and Johannesburg, memory and melody, writes
InthehoneyedtwilightofaLagosevening,the air hums with possibility. Somewhere in the heartofthecity,Trib3LagosinVictoriaIsland, a guitar case snaps open and fingers, long steepedinsun-drenchedSouthAfricanjazz, pluckoutthefirstfewnotesofsomethingold, yet unmistakably new. The man behind the musicisKunleAyo—anamewhisperedinreverence acrossAfricanjazzcirclesandnow,finally,re-echoing on Nigerian soil.
Afterdecadesofcultivatinghiscraftintherhythmic cradle of Johannesburg’s African jazz scene, Kunle Ayo returns to stage concerts and tours—not as a prodigalson,butasapatriarchofpan-Africansound, bearinggiftsofsonicreflectionsandalegacyinbloom.
“Nigerianeverleftme,”Kunletellsme,seatedunder the soft lights of Trib3 Lagos, an artistic haven. His voice is textured, like the grain of mahogany. “Even when I was playing Cape Town stages or producing records in Johannesburg, I was always playing for home.”
In the kaleidoscopic theatre of African jazz, few figureshavewieldedtheguitarwithsuchcontemplativeeloquenceandincandescentgraceasKunleAyo. Hedoesnotplayhisinstrumentsomuchasconverse withit,asthoughtranslatingancestralmemoryinto melody,measured,honey-toned,andsaturatedwith emotional freight.
But it is not merely his fingers that summon reverence. It is his journey: one that arcs from the vibrantdisorderofLagostothejazz-slickstreetsof Johannesburgand,withakindofmythicinevitability, curves homeward again.
At 52, Kunle Ayo stands not at a career summit, but at a threshold—a moment ripe with return, renewal, and redefinition.
His most recent album, “Inner Reflection,” is not simply an addition to his discography; It is a spiritual manifesto disguised as sound; a project steeped in legacy and laden with the textures of a man confronting himself and his homeland anew.
Coming back to Nigeria wasn’t about nostalgia,” Kunle tells me in a quiet corner of the Lagos Lounge, his tone equal parts contemplative and amused.
“For me, it was about accountability. You reach a point where you must bring the fire back to where it was first lit.”
TounderstandKunleAyo’spresent,onemustrewind to the Lagosof the 1980’s—aheaving,asphalt-split city thrumming with both possibility and peril.
BornAdekunleAyodejiOdutayo,hewasraisedon a sonic diet that married juju with Highlife, jazz with funk, church hymns with Yoruba oral tradition. His fatherwasaquietmanwithaloveforEbenezerObey. His mother, a chorister with a voice that shimmered over stew pots and school uniforms.
By his teenage years, Kunle was already a fixture atLagosjamsessions,hisguitarsolosmarkednotby flamboyancebutbyprecision—akindofdeliberate lyricismthatdrewoldermusicianstohimlikemoths to a low-burning, steady flame.
Yet Lagos, for all its musical wealth, proved limited in scope. The industry was fragmented; the infrastructure was brittle.
In 2002, Kunle left for South Africa—a decision he describes not as escape, but as pilgrimage. ‘
‘South Africa gave me the space to breathe, to experiment, to fail, and be born again musically. It wasn’t home, but it was necessary,’ he said. Johannesburgwelcomedhimwithitspolyrhythmic arms. There, he became a staple of the African jazz circuit,performingalongsideheavyweightssuchas Hugh Masekela, Oliver Mtukudzi, Jonathan Butler, and Jimmy Dludlu, to mention a few.
But more significantly, he became a producer of rare insight, crafting sounds that fused township jazz with West African soul, forging what critics
came to describe as ‘borderless music’.
HisSouthAfricanyearswereprolific,ifnotalways easy.Therewerestretchesofloneliness,ofcultural friction, of racial exhaustion. Still, the music never wavered.
“My music became a bridge, because I wasn’t just Nigerian or South African—I was both and neither. MymusicmadepeoplerememberAfricaasasound, not a place.”
After two decades of cross-border resonance, Ayo’s decision to return to Nigeria to stage a series of concerts and tours could have been seen as a retreat. But that would be to misunderstand the man entirely.
InaculturallandscapedominatedbyAfrobeatsand algorithmic virality, “Inner Reflection Album” feels almostsubversiveinitsrestraint.Itisaslowburnina fastworld—acontemplativesuiteofcompositions that evoke what Kunle calls “the jazz of the spirit.”
“Thisalbumisnotaboutprovinganything,it’sabout offering something. Something rooted.”, he says.
Rooted, indeed. Inner Reflection is deeply Nigerian in timbre, drawing from Yoruba talking drums, traditional lullabies, and the sinuous phrasing of indigenouschants.Itisalsounmistakablydiasporic: a pan-African love letter to the continent’s unseen musical arteries.
Trackslike“Orimi(Mydestiny),Emagbagbe(Don’t forget)Ara(Wonder)andOlele”unfurllikecinematic vignettes, lush with flugelhorn harmonies and melancholic guitar phrases.
“I’mnottrend-chasing.Instead,Iwanttobeknownas anartist,acustodianofcultureandafrioutinguitar’s clothing, building a legacy. Indeed, Inner Reflection arrives as part of a broader movement—a subtle, deliberateAfrican-jazzrenaissancereclaimingspace in an industry obsessed with streaming numbers and TikTok hooks, he said.
Legacy, it turns out, is not an abstract concept for Kunle Ayo. It is the centre of gravity pulling him homeward. Hehaslaunchedmentorshipworkshops inLagos,collaboratedwithemergingjazzcollectives
in Abuja, and plans to establish a pan-African music residency programme within the year.
“Toomanyofoursoundsarearchivedbyaccident, not design. We need intentional preservation. We needinfrastructurethathonoursourancestorsand prepares the next generation,’’ he says.
His studio in Lagos, modest in appearance but acoustically lush, has become a quiet epicentre of this mission. It is where he has begun producing for a new cadre of Afro-jazz talents, giving them not just beats, but blueprints.
“Working with me is like being handed a key to a room you didn’t know existed, I don’t impose. I invite.’This, perhaps, is Kunle Ayo’s true innovation—nothisguitarvirtuosity(whichisformidable), nor his compositions (which are stunning), but his strategic humility. His capacity to create space without disappearing inside it.
It is tempting to cast Kunle as a kind of musical diplomat—a man whose very existence smooths thejaggedlinesbetweenLagosandJohannesburg, betweentraditionandinnovation.Buttodosowould be to miss the particularity of his artistry. Heisnotbridgingculturesasanabstractexercise in goodwill. He is doing it because it is who he is: a child of Lagos, shaped in the jazz clubs of Southern Africa, returning not to claim a crown but to water the soil.
“We talk about ‘African time’ as lateness,” he laughs, “but sometimes, it’s just timing. And I think, for African -jazz—for me—this is the time.” As twilight descends on Trib3 Lagos, casting long shadows across the Lounge’s quieted stage, Kunle’s guitar case leans gently beside him. There is no entourage. No bravado. Just a man with calloused fingers and a quiet fire in his chest.
Because in a time when fame is often mistaken forlegacy,andnoiseforinfluence,KunleAyooffersa differentmodel:onebuiltonresonance,notrelevance; on bridges, not billboards.
Andifhistorylistenscarefully,itmayonedaynote thatwhilemanyplayedforapplause,KunleAyoplayed for something far more enduring: memory.
Ferdinand Ekechukwu
Adisplay of style, creativity, and beauty trailed the unveiling of the luxury fashion brand, 2006. MMVI recently in Lagos, to the delight of close friends, family, fashion lovers and enthusiasts.
It was an evening filled with music and an immersive experience of what the brand has to offer.
Theesteemedguestsandinviteesweregreeted with an atmosphere filled with excitement and treated to a visual spectacle as models graced the runway,drapedinimpeccableeleganceandcomfort. Ensuringaseamlessflowofexcitement,theguests flowed with compliments while interacting.
Withthetheme,‘TheAwakening:A2006Fashion Experience,’ the pretty launch event kicked off, offering 20 select pieces made of bold colourful fabrics,eachbearingtwodifferentcolours,fromthe collectionandintroducesthe2006.MMVIbrandto the audiencecomprisingthemedia,artandculture aficionados, and fashion influencers. Adding to the event’s attraction was a beautiful showcase, depicting simple, well-crafted and uniquebespokepiecesfromthe2006.MMVIlabel. Each piece reflecting meticulous craftsmanship, exquisite designs that appeal to both male and
female. Instructively, 2006·MMVI stands tall as a fashion label with a wearable story. Borne out of strength and vision, “The brand appeals to everybody,” the Founder and Creative Director, Folakemi Obasunloye enthused. “So my targetaudienceispeoplewholiketodresswell,look comfortable, people that like to show up and make animpression,havepresencewhentheyshowup.So basically we have for male and we have for female.
The2006.MMVIisbasicallyaboutembracingand celebrating your whole self. “We always have like two or more colours on an outfit just representing different things. And most of our outfits is a play
of colours representing all the things you’ve been through in life, you know; the good, the great, the notsogood,everythingthathasmadeyouwhoyou are and always remember to show off as yourself.”
According to the creative director, every stitch, silhouette,andfabricchoiceisdeliberatelycreated to make the wearer feel extraordinary, regal, and fully aligned with their power. From structured statement pieces to fluid expressions of presence and strength, this collection refuses to whisper. She speaks more on the designs, the essence that fuels the spirit of every piece created under the label.
“Basicallywecomeupwiththingsthatwouldlook good and fit the colours that we blend just kind of showing like everything you have been through your journey you can come off beautifully.
“So the creative aspect of it is just like blending colours and creating styles that are elegant and comfortable with the colours.” On the theme of the launch, “The Awakening”, Obasunloye shares a bit more. “This has been a long time coming. I had wanted to do this but there’s been always a reason why we could not and all of that.
“So finally it’s “The Awakening” of the brand. It’s the right time, the right opportunity and I just also want to share that in the spirit of everybody being awakened to their potential and things that they can do and offer.”
Masoret ensure that history is passed down the line for future preservation; so has the story in explanation to the wealth of Atan Abam wound around merchants trading along river ports. Ekponibro is a masquerade that tells more stories in appearance and this symbol of hard work sustains the adage that dirty hands at work ensure oily mouth. This sustenance of legacy which was nearly lost has rebounded and waxes strong to eternal preservation, writes Ahamefula Ogbu
The colour of the clouds over Abam would not have escaped any observer. The weather intermittently switched from threatening rain to cool but balmy, sending prying eyes skywards in speculative glances of what it held.
However, the colours of the clouds and its natural design could have been a pointer that something different and important was in the offing. The road had also witnessed unusual traffic with a transition from the usual tokumbo and weather-beaten jalopies to brand new cars snaking through the narrow road where greenery had its own natural design as it meandered towards Atan Abam.
Meanwhile, as youths cleared the Atan Abam primary school field for the occasion, so had all celebrants cleared their various engagements for the April 19, 2025, Ekpo Niboro also called Ugbo Mmirima.
Prying eyes from afar at the venue may have been coming to check where their display would hold while some arrived ahead of time to get vantage positions since at best, all the canopies can only beg accommodating the mammoth crowd that had thronged the village to be part of the occasion.
Looking at the interest and crowd that the festival had garnered, one could hardly believe how fast the recovery had been. Chief Chijioke James, the Ike Abam and progenitor of Ununiko Foundation, had mooted and sponsored the idea of reviving the festival, which represents a symbol of wealth, as the ancestors had navigated the Igwu River through It to Efiayong to trade and made tremendous wealth through it.
Koos, as he is generally called, toyed with and sponsored the revival idea, and unknown to many, nostalgia had almost killed some along the same thought line of reviving it, but the means may have slackened in attentions until Ike Abam committed every needed instrument and resource to realising it.
Like in previous years, he single-handedly sponsored the 2025 edition with some additions though. The festival, which has taken a life of its own is now a state festival having been captured in the cultural calender of Abia State, and with the speed and wideness of its acceptance, one can say it is making its way into the National festival calendar of Nigeria.
The 2025 edition witnessed some modifications as villages in Abam came with their best and showcased where they have a comparative advantage in cultural display.
Each village was distinguished from their uniforms which was the George material upon white top while some designed the popular Lion head (Isi odum) in different tastes.
Early in the morning on the festival day, everybody went down to the Igwu River to demonstrate the journey by paddling boats, where youngsters, though were not among merchants still showcased their paddling skills before returning to the venue. Ike Abam with his designer paddle spearheaded the demonstration.
At the field, seats had been arranged under giant canopies that looked like cathedrals. Each row was separated by the colour and design of chairs and other decorations with synthetic underlays. They were tags for each of the villages that had indicated interest to come with their best.
Most outstanding villages were Idima Abam, the warriors that were never sacked by any force or displaced till date. They came with their Oke Ikpo; a masquerade with a small head and armed with sharp machete. A harmless looking masquerade but the manner its managers restrain it speaks to the harm it can cause if let loose.
Oke Ikpo has strong ropes around its waist while two strong men pull it away from onlookers at whom it charges with the sharp cutlass. Angered and frustrated at continuously charging at the crowd and being restrained through the ropes by its managers, it starts to cut at the ropes it starts cursing in gutteral voices.
Having not been displayed in a long while, it was a sight to behold especially for young ones whose idea about Oke Ikpo was what
their ages parents told them about it. Ndi Okorie Abam also came with the rare Akpan cultural dance. It is garbed like any other masquerade but what sets it apart is that accomplished elders join it in a single file with their walking sticks. When a certain beat is dolled out by the drums, the elders will point their walking sticks up to signify movement and when they point it down, it will mean the procession will stop
maybe for the Akpan masquerade to display. The Akpan masquerade itself is fearful as it has a human skull at the back of its head and holds a an object shaped like a javelin. When it is prompted by a feeling of being blocked by onlookers, it hauls the Javelin at the crowd who scamper for safety because being touched by it attracts a fine of a goat and several bottles of hot drink and monetary payment, that’s after being wounded by the throw. They had a colorful display and since it is not a masquerade that comes out frequently, it was also a first time for many to see it.
Amuru Abam reputed to produce expert war dancers also had their display. Amuru used to have a one legged war dancer with uncommon abilities. With one leg, he displaced men with two legs and all parts of his body had different displays to the war dance rhythm which the dancers respond to with vibrating or twitching muscles.
Ndi Okereke Abam also came with Akang which only initiates can participate in. However, they so simplified it to the amazement of onlookers that they could display it in daytime carrying the proverbial Ukogo. Ndi Oji Abam also we’re well represented.
The highlight of the occasion was the flagging off by Governor Alex Otti, who walked with a tall gait, ushered in by Ike Abam. Otti stole the show in several respects. He announced that the festival had been added into the calender of cultural events of the state and plans to make it national. He was more appreciated because of the developmental strides in Abam.
Abam being a food basket had suffered severe post-harvest loses due to lack of access roads but with speed, the governor is almost through with the Abam-Arichukwu road which cuts travel time within Abam and its neighbours by at least three hours in whichever direction. He was well appreciated for it since no previous regime ever tried to solve the problem. He gave goodwill message and promised to do more to alleviate the suffering of the people.
Arochukwu people came with Mbuoko Ekpe and complete with Okonko that danced and displayed as well as responded to nsibidi thrown on its way by initiates. The Aro delegation was headed by Eze Aro and the troupe well dressed in ukara with kpomkpom ojii to match gave a good account of themselves to the delight of all at the venue
After every other masquerade had displayed, it was then time for Ugbo Mmirima which drew who is who. Once the beat that announced the masquerade sounded, it drew people to the edges of their seats while crowds not accommodated in the tents surged forward almost pushing some weaker ones down. Soon the Ugbo mmirima ayakayaka ubom sounded and the main festival was on its way.
Men dressed in expensive attires to show that it is a symbol of wealth lined up led by Ike Abam demonstrated dry paddling and did dry runs of how their ancestors toiled and paddled to places like Itu, Ikpe, Ikot Obioko, Ikot Essien, Etim Ekpo and other ports to trade.
After the displays came sumptuous entertainment where all gourmets under the sun were served. Drinks ranging from water to rum were packed everywhere and people just mentioned what they wanted and were served.
On the sidelines, the Carnival buoyed the local economy as attendees bought items that hitherto would have been given out freely by the people which attests to the festival being wealth related.
Managing Director/Chief Executive officer, Development Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Tony Okpanachi, on the sidelines of the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC, speaks with Nume Ekeghe on the impact of the ongoing tariffs war on development financing, economic reforms in Nigeria and job creation. Excerpts:
In light of global uncertainties, what is the hope for development banks?
Well, it’s quite an interesting time for us, and that is now where the role of the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) becomes very critical. Why? Because there are so many uncertainties, and access to finance is a major issue for micro, small, and medium enterprises. This is a time when the interventionist role is very important. That means we need to begin to provide long-term capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs so they can bring out their entrepreneurial skills, contribute their own impact, and create jobs. If you remember, this particular International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Spring Meeting is focused on job creation, which is key. So, putting this into context in Nigeria, considering the high level of inflation, which is also tied to high unemployment and a youthful population, this is the time to really provide access to finance. People need to find alternative ways of creating employment for themselves instead of relying solely on white-collar jobs.
How are you partnering with other development banks like the Bank of Industry (BOI), the Bank of Agriculture as well as commercial banks, to overcome the challenge of access to finance by businesses?
All financial institutions have different roles. Among the Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) in Nigeria,the likes of BOI, Bank of Agriculture, we all have different mandates, but the ultimate goal is to impact the economy. And in impacting the economy we would have to work with financial institutions. At DBN, for example, we partner with financial institutions. We have about 79 partners across Nigeria that we lend through. We not only provide funds from DBN but also catalyse their own funding to provide access to finance. Because, no matter how great your idea is, if you don’t have the financing, it remains an idea in the air. We complement what the financial institutions are doing. As DFIs, we are not competing with financial institutions; we are complementing what they are doing and we also provide longer-tenor funding, patient capital for businesses to stabilise before repaying loans. The second thing I need to draw attention to is that, coming to meetings like this, we also try to mobilise international capital from other international organisations. While we pursue domestic resource mobilisation, we also know that there is also international financing that we can access through institutions like DBN. Private institutions may not have access to such concessional financing, but DFIs like DBN can catalyse that. So, we work in different directions, in collaboration with local DFIs and financial institutions, both public and private we believe we have and can make the rightful impact in the country.
You mentioned patient capital, knowing that Nigeria has a youthful population, what mechanisms is the DBN putting in place to enhance finance for the younger demographics?
There are two sides: One is equity, which is investing in their businesses long-term and taking risk. At DBN, we are working on providing that vehicle so we can take stakes in startup businesses. Secondly, we provide longer-tenor funds. For example, we offer up to 10-year loans. That’s patient enough for businesses to run sustainably. Apart from finance, we focus on capacity building to make them have access to finance because if businesses lack the knowledge or preparation, they may not be bankable. We provide technical assistance to ensure they are equipped and then provide the platform where they can access this finance. And then make sure this finance is not the type that chokes them. We are also working with partners in sectors like green and climate financing. For example, with KfW, we have a specific credit line. DBN is the first direct access
entity accredited by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Nigeria. This helps us channel targeted financing to specific sectors that these international partners have an interest in. These are the things we put together to provide the youthful population access to finances. and demographics, including youth.
Given the global uncertainties, what is the message you are getting from your partners?
Are you getting a lukewarm attitude and also the current economic stance, how has it affected loan repayment?
At the international level, our partners are excited about developments in Nigeria. They see the ongoing reforms and want to support with more innovative tools like de-risking instruments and guarantees rather than just direct financing. Locally, however because of high interest rates and macroeconomic issues have led to rising nonperforming loans (NPLs) which is a reflection of the macro. It’s not yet a crisis, but it’s a reflection of the environment. Financial institutions must reinforce their risk management. Globally, we see tensions like tariffs and trade barriers, especially with U.S. policy. Fortunately, our major export crude oil and that is excluded from many of those tariffs, so the direct impact is limited.
Still in line on tariffs and trade wars, one of the key messages at this IMF/World Bank meeting is that Africa isn’t as heavily impacted by tradeoffs; however, for inclusive growth in the continent, intra-African trade is encouraged. What are you offering SMEs to help them trade across Africa?
First, we focus on capacity building. To export, your product quality must meet international standards, even within Africa. There’s no such thing as an “African standard”; everyone wants globally competitive quality. We also provide access to them so that they can explore, export and take time to be able to get their receivables back.
Then, we expose SMEs to opportunities across Africa beyond just Europe. They need to know their products are needed in neighboring African countries too. So, education and awareness are key.
What are you doing to ensure DBN’s long-term financial sustainability? Also, how are you using technology to expand your reach?
For us to finance sustainably, we must be financially sustainable ourselves. That’s why we offer market-conforming pricing, ensure business margins are sustainable, and innovate in our product design. We raise funds in a way that enables us to lend sustainably while meeting our development mandate. If you check our financials which we’ll release after our Annual General Meeting (AGM), you’ll see DBN has been consistently financially sound. In terms of technology, our entire engagement process with financial partners is automated. You can access DBN services online. Disbursements are electronic. We use tech for capacity building to reach both SMEs and financial institutions. As a wholesale DFI without branch networks, technology is essential and we ensure to keep revamping the technological advantage we have.
What are your thoughts on economic reforms in Nigeria?
These are necessary reforms, the results are showing, yes we are not there yet, but the trajectory is positive. We are seeing the right movement. The CBN is shifting away from development finance, and DBN is a partner ready to take on that role. We’re signaling our readiness to take wholesale loans from CBN and other interventions as that is our core mandate. I believe we
would have conversations about the framework to make this happen not just for DBN, but for other DFIs would take on that role with CBN providing support.
Can you take us through DBN’s customer base and how much loans have you given out so far?
Since starting operations in 2017, we have disbursed over N1.1 trillion through financial institutions. We currently partner with 79 financial institutions made up of commercial banks, microfinance banks, mortgage banks, and others covering all of Nigeria. So far, we have cumulatively done loans to over 711,000 Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have received loans through DBN partners. This has led to almost 1.2 million jobs created. We focus on developmental impact. Something worth noting is that over 80 per cent of our loan recipients by number are women-owned businesses. We are also focusing on youth-owned businesses and disadvantaged parts of the country where we have challenging environment and regions like the Northeast.
What’s your key takeaway from the IMF/ World Bank meetings, walk us through your consultations with partners and what are you expecting in terms of development financing impact?
We’ve had several bilateral meetings with the World Bank, KfW, AfDB, and others. The conversations are positive. We’re working to mobilise more international financing and we are very positive in terms of that. A big part of the discussions is job creation and how we can collectively deliver financing solutions that can drive employment and long-term economic impact. And beyond that, we have seen an impactful investors forum. Generally, these meetings have been very useful and fruitful.
The General Manager, Lagos Continental Hotel, Mr. Christoph Schleissing, tells Charles Ajunwa why the company relaunched the Sugar 52, among other issues
How would you describe the Nigerian business environment?
When I came in August last year, we just came out of the valley, and business had actually dropped. Many factors were responsible for the drop in business - we had some demonstrations, unrest in July and August. But the last four months - September, October, November, December of 2024, were extremely positive. The most positive month was December, and everybody talks about the 14 days in December and how they impacted the hospitality industry, particularly in Lagos. It’s called Detty December, and this upswing continues in 2025. We must say that we had an extremely positive start to 2025. The first quarter was very successful. When I see that the first quarter is successful and we can see how April is developing and what we have on the books, what we always look at is what kind of business is booked already.
In general, individual business is booked nowadays zero to three days. Let’s say group business is booked, if you’re lucky, 10 days in advance. Last year, we got very big group bookings for this year, April, August and November. They are very big groups. This is not local group business, this is international. So, once you have these three, let’s say, we have three big pieces like this already confirmed on the books, the first quarter came out very strong.
We are extremely confident that we are going to make our budget this year. And what we see as well is that there is a lot of focus from abroad into Nigeria. We see a lot of new companies coming to Nigeria. There is a lot of interest. We just had the visit of the Crown Princess from Sweden, Victoria, and she came and opened a new trade office. These are very positive signs that, let’s say the exchange rate has somehow stabilised, the energy cost is stabilising because it’s depending
on the petrol prices. It looks like a very or a more positive environment to do business than it was in 2024. We believe it’s very positive.
What has changed since you came in?
When I came in, the mission from the chairman was very clear, and the vision of the chairman was to lift the quality of the property. To lift the quality of the property, we need the right skill set on duty. So, what we did first is that we had a look at which skill set is missing to move the hotel to this level. We brought in specialists, particularly in the kitchen and in the service. This has helped to move up the perception of quality of the property, because food and beverage for the restaurant is becoming more and more important for a hotel stay. The second point, is that we put in phrases our vision and communicated that vision to all of our team members. So, we brought everybody together and we made it very clear in which direction we want to go. We have a complete backup from the holding
company when it comes to our quality drive. That means it goes from, let’s say, ingredients for the kitchen to workforce to crucial investment in the product we have. This has really helped us to drive through September, October, November. And then in December, we had a very clear vision on when it came to the pricing. Don’t forget during what they call Detty December is where do our guests actually come from? Ninety per cent are coming from abroad.
You talked about your hotel having worldclass quality. What products do you have?
For example, in food and beverage, everything we do, we do ourselves. When we say in the pastry, we make you a Gâteau Opera, it is a Gâteau Opera like you find it in Paris on the Champs-Élysées. So we use the authentic recipe. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Often, you go to another place, they call it Gâteau Opera, but it’s a sponge cake. But we don’t do a sponge cake, we make a real Gâteau Opera. That means we have the knowledge on duty, and we have the ingredients in the hotel. And we have the know-how to produce it. I mean, if you have a croissant here, it’s the same croissant like you would have in Paris, because we use the same ingredients. We use real butter, we use real flat butter. We have the right flour and we have the right oven. We have a pastry chef who is from France. So this works. That means whatever we do, for example, our Chinese restaurant is authentic Chinese. That means every ingredient is either imported or freshly produced from the local market. This is what sets us apart. Also, we pay most attention to our people. This is a great advantage in Nigeria, that you have a young workforce who are very, very stimulated to learn, and they come with a genuine smile. You know, in some countries, they might be super skilled, but they have difficulty smiling. So more important for us is that you genuinely smile. The rest we can teach. And I think this
is what we have done. We have done a lot of trainings, and I’m sure you saw this also. We are in the hotel operation. It’s not because you are here that I’m in the operation. We are always in the operation. From my point of view, we can only teach when you show the sample. I cannot theoretically tell you how to make a pineapple juice. I have to show you what ingredient you have to take, what you have to put. With the support of the owning company, we are not cutting the corners. For example, if you have to make a dish in our restaurant where lemongrass is an important ingredient, but lemongrass is not available, then we will not produce the dish. You understand what I mean? We are not trying to put some, you know, no, it’s not available. What we produce has to be authentic, and this is the key.
We are authentic. We are very guest-oriented. The guest for us is the centre. Whatever we do has to make you more happy, and more satisfied. When you leave the hotel, actually make you a better version of yourself. What I hear from you after one day and a half with us, you feel different. You know, I’m not saying you feel more light, but you feel different, a certain pressure. We have a lot of fun. You’re more relaxed. And so the goal is to take you through a positive transformation when you go home. This can only work when we make it individual to you, and it all starts with your name. I mean, nothing is more individual than your name. So our goal is always to try to remember your name and to make sure that our team makes sure that you know their name too. For example, when we serve, we are trying to make sure that our team comes to your table and says, my name is Joy. I’m your host, not your waiter. We are on the same level. So we are with Ritz-Carlton, we would call it, ladies and gentlemen, serving ladies and gentlemen. I think this is a very innovative approach to service.
Solomon Rotimi, a professor of Clinical Biochemistry at the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, is the Head of the Biochemistry and Applied Research Coordinator at the Covenant Applied Informatics and Communications African Center of Excellence. He discusses his recent publication on his Cancer Research study, saying that African Genomics data in cancer research has been sidelined for too long in the story of the precision medicine by the Western countries. Bennett Oghifo brings the excerpts:
What informed your choice of cancer for research?
After my PhD (Biochemistry) degree, with a focus on infectious disease, I attended a seminar organized by the Founder of the Prostate Cancer Transatlantic Consortium (CaPTC), Prof Folakemi Odedina (Mayo Clinic, USA). At the seminar, she mentioned that being a Black man is an established risk factor for prostate cancer. I challenged the idea because it was counter-intuitive to my training as a Biochemist. I questioned: if there is no difference between the cell of a white man and a Black man and there are no racial disparities in metabolism, how can there be a racial difference in cancer risk, to the extent that being black is a risk factor? Prof Odedina then encouraged me to pursue that area of research by using my expertise in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to investigate why Black men have a disproportionately high risk of developing prostate cancer. That was how I got into cancer genomics research! Thereafter, I realized that Black women are also at higher risk of developing and dying from triple-negative breast cancer. Hence, my research portfolio is interested in understanding the genomics and environmental factors that predispose blacks to the disproportionate burden of some cancer and how we can use that knowledge to prevent and effectively treat this emperor of all maladies-as cancer was called by the author Siddhartha Mukherjee.
The title of your research is “Screening of Germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 Variants in Nigerian Breast Cancer Patients...” What is BRCA 1 and 2?
BRCA is simply an acronym for Breast Cancer, and these genes were named after the disease. So, BRCA1 is Breast Cancer gene 1, and BRCA2 is Breast Cancer gene 2. BRCA1 was the first gene
that was discovered as a genetic risk factor in families with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. The two of them are part of the system of genes that play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of our DNA. They repair specific damages that may occur to our DNA. These damages could arise through the natural course of aging or be induced by environmental factors or lifestyle factors like stress. So, see these genes as police officers who move around the community to correct wayward folks before they become criminals and cause havoc. They do preventive policing of our genome, which is our entire genetic makeup. Unfortunately, things happen that can cause these police officers to go blind. Once blind, we can only hope that no
wayward folk arise in the community. Should any arise, our police are blind and unable to prevent the eventual chaos. This is what happens when this genes are mutated. They lose their ability to correct cancer-causing DNA damage. When DNA is damaged in any tissue, and that damage is not repaired, the cell could become cancerous. This is why it is crucial to ensure the integrity of the police of the genome.
Cancer of the breast is on the rise in Nigeria, why is this so, and why is the particular variant of BRCA1 and BRCA2 prevalent in Nigeria?
The rising burden of breast cancer can be linked to an increase in risk factors, which are lifestyle and environmental changes. It is important to note that our genes are not different from those of our parents, but our lifestyle and environment have changed a lot. We now get exposed to an unusual stress level beyond what our ancestors could have imagined. The amount of chemicals we are exposed to in this generation is unimaginable. For example, breast cancer is influenced by hormones, but we now get our babies exposed to chemicals that disrupt these hormones, chemicals like BPA that are in plastics. Recall that our grandparents did not use plastics. Another factor that is emerging is the deficiency of Vitamin D. Although we have sun in abundance, we have modified our lifestyle so much that we don’t get adequate sun exposure again. Because an essential function of vitamin D is the regulation of inflammation, its lack, has been linked to increased inflammation, and inflammation is a major driver of cancers like that of the breast. Every population or group of people has specific variations in their genome, and these variations are a product of ancient adaption. As the human race migrated from one place to another, some changes happened to the genes that allow us to survive things like diet, weather,
and particularly infectious diseases. So, the specific variations in every population are determined by the environment, cross-breading, or even accidents of life that their ancestors experienced in the past. This could explain why Nigeria has particular variants of BRCA1 and BRCA 2 that are more prevalent here.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) revealed that about 45 women died of breast cancer per day in 2022, why has the disease become intractable?
The burden of breast cancer in Africa, specifically in Nigeria, is on the rise, with the 2022 mortality figure of 16,332 Nigerian women dying from breast cancer. This, of course, translates to about 45 women dying of breast cancer in Nigeria daily. However, we have also seen that this trend is reducing in Europe and America. So the question is, what are they doing differently? Well, the primary reason for this is advancements in the science of understanding how our genes increase our risk of developing a disease and how such genetic information can also be used to treat the disease. This is called precision medicine. A complex disease like cancer cannot be treated with a “one-size-fits-all” approach. However, over 95% of the research that drives precision medicine science is done on the white population, and that is why they benefit more from it. The knowledge is easily translatable for cancer control in their population. However, in Nigeria and most African countries, the Achilles heel has been the capacity to do this type of research locally. Hence, we do not know our specific genetic risk factors and how to integrate such knowledge into our cancer control plans. Also, because this resource and capacity were not available locally, our ability to integrate precision medicine into our local control cancer agenda has been hampered.
Donatus Eleko
In the rapidly evolving digital era, automation is no longer a luxury for educational institutions—it is a necessity. As student populations grow and the demand for timely, quality service delivery increases, the need to digitise academic and administrative processes has become a core strategy for sustainable growth.
Across the globe, higher education institutions are embracing technology to enhance operations, elevate learning outcomes, and stay competitive in a knowledge-driven economy.
Automating a tertiary institution has far-reaching benefits that touch all stakeholders—from students and lecturers to administrators and external partners. One of the most prominent advantages is the drastic improvement in efficiency and speed. Processes that once took days or even weeks, such as student registration, result processing, and fee payment, are now executed in minutes.
This reduces bureaucracy and lifts the administrative burden off both staff and students. Transparency and accountability are also significantly enhanced through automation. With every transaction and academic activity traceable, the risk of human error, manipulation, or data loss is greatly minimised, while data integrity is maintained across departments.
Furthermore, the student experience is transformed through self-service portals that allow users to access services anytime and from anywhere. This convenience fosters responsiveness and helps students manage their academic journeys more efficiently. Institutions also gain from centralised systems that provide real-time data insights, empowering management teams to make informed decisions regarding academic planning, resource allocation, and policy making.
Cost savings emerge as another critical benefit. Digital systems reduce the reliance on paper, physical storage, and manual processing, which significantly lowers operational expenses over time. Lastly, automation opens the door to scalability and innovation. Digitally powered institutions are better prepared to adopt new educational technologies, launch online learning platforms, and collaborate with international partners.
One shining example of this transformation is Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, in Nigeria, achieved through the innovation and vision of Daniel Gbuji, a Chartered Consultant and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Consultants, the institution has undergone a full-scale digital revolution.
Under Gbuji’s supervision, his team at Kcompass Integrated Solutions Ltd. designed and deployed a bespoke Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that has seamlessly automated virtually every function within the institution.
Gbuji has led the deployment of several innovative technological solutions that have impacted organisations as a consultant and in other capacities, therefore the ERP deployment at Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana was adding another innovative solution to his list of achievements. His passion for impacting knowledge led to robust training sessions and development of user manuals that enabled Gbuji and his team to effectively transfer knowledge to end users, thereby ensuring that user adoption was seamless and complete.
At Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, the impact of automation has been nothing short of transformational. Before the initiative, students and staff were entangled in cumbersome, manual processes that slowed down registration, delayed academic results, and created administrative bottlenecks. Thanks to the robust ERP platform introduced by Gbuji and his team, the institution now operates as a truly modern digital campus.
For candidates and students, the ERP system facilitates end-to-end registration that is entirely paperless—from application through to the issuance of a registration number. All student fee payments are processed online, eliminating the need for long queues and ensuring full financial transparency. Students can apply for accommodation digitally and register for courses each semester through a personalised dashboard, where they also access their results.
For Heads of Departments, the system allows for digital enrolment of new students at the departmental level, with the ability to assign courses to lecturers efficiently. They can approve results submitted by lecturers and gain visibility into which students are enrolled in each course, enabling streamlined academic oversight.
Lecturers now enjoy real-time access to lists of students registered in their courses, and can upload grades, assess-
LASACO Assurance Limited, Prince Abiodun Dosunmu; the Bobaseye of Igbajo-Iloro/Chief Executive Officer of Bonny Light Energy & Offshore Limited, Chief Toyin Banjo; a former Registrar of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, High Chief Esan Ogunleye; Managing Director, Dees Travels & Hotels, Mr. Daisi Olotu and Chief Executive Officer, Olatunde International Agro Commodities Limited, Mr.
town in Osun State..... recently
ments, and other academic records directly into the system. This ensures timely result processing and reduces the likelihood of errors.
In the Admissions Office, officers can monitor and approve all new student registrations and automatically generate matriculation numbers. A comprehensive reporting tool allows the team to analyse student demographics and admission trends, aiding future planning.
The Bursary Department benefits from a dynamic interface where necessary fees are created and configured based on institutional rules. Fees are automatically assigned to students, and real-time reports on payments are generated for administrative use. Additionally, the system can split revenue across relevant departments and third-party entities, including examination bodies and accommodation providers through a robust Management Information System (MIS).
Exams and Records staff utilise the system to process transcript requests efficiently and generate statements of results for graduating students. The system also supports inquiries related to student grades and cumulative GPAs, reducing administrative backlog and serving graduates promptly.
The ICT/MIS Unit oversees the entire portal’s administrative backend. They are responsible for creating faculties, departments, courses, and setting academic sessions and registration periods. They also upload admitted students into the system, ensuring their seamless onboarding and integration into the school’s digital infrastructure.
The success of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, demonstrates the power of institutional will, technical expertise, and visionary leadership in the digital transformation of tertiary education. Gbuji leading his team in Kcompass Integrated Solutions Ltd. have not only solved longstanding operational challenges—they have created a scalable model that other institutions across Africa and beyond can adopt and replicate.
In today’s global education landscape, institutions that fail to automate risk falling behind. Akanu Ibiam Polytechnic’s transformation is a powerful testimony that digital-first schools are more responsive, efficient, and globally competitive. With technology now deeply embedded in every facet of its operations, the institution is better prepared for the future of learning, research, and academic excellence.
MD/CEO, Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, Bello
member,
and Executive Director, Operations,
during the 2025
The National Orientation Agency
In a country where misinformation and a lack of awareness often hinder public health efforts, the initiatives led by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) have tackled outbreaks and established a foundation for a more health-conscious population. In the past two years, the NOA has launched several health-focused initiatives, which emphasise education, community engagement, and strategic partnerships.
On World Liver Day, observed on April 19, the agency released a comprehensive advisory regarding lifestyle choices that can negatively impact liver health. According to the agency, these choices include excessive alcohol consumption, a sedentary lifestyle, and the use of medications not prescribed by qualified medical professionals.
It urged Nigerians to engage in physical activities, consume diets rich in fruits and vegetables, regularly hydrate through generous water consumption, and undergo regular medical examinations to ensure their liver function status.
Emphasising the liver’s crucial role in digestion, detoxification, and overall health of the human body, the agency stated: “The liver filters toxins, supports digestion and plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health.”
On the World Kidney Day and World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, similar advisories were issued. The agency recommended that the public regularly monitor their kidney health and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
They provided several indices to consider, which include risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, family history, sodium and sugar intake, consumption of processed foods, insufficient physical activity, and excessive use of painkillers.
In collaboration with the Stop TB Partnership, the NOA has increased awareness campaigns about tuberculosis, a disease for which Nigeria is one of the highest-burdened countries in the world. The NOA’s approach is notable for its strong community outreach model.
Through collaboration with local influencers, traditional leaders, and grassroots volunteers, the agency effectively ensures that vital information reaches even the most remote areas of the country.
These initiatives, delivered in multiple languages and through culturally relevant platforms, have been crucial in addressing health crises such as Lassa fever, Mpox, the viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, and the threat of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV)
The interventions transcend simple campaigns; they represent a significant change in strategy. The approach acknowledges that true public health resilience starts with having informed citizens.
By providing consistent messaging and maintaining a
visible presence in the community, the NOA is educating the public and rebuilding trust in government-led health initiatives.
In response to the concerning rise in Lassa fever cases (over 1,025 infections reported across 28 states as of October 2024), NOA launched a comprehensive sensitisation campaign. This initiative, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), provides education to the public on preventive measures. These measures include maintaining good hygiene, storing food in rodent-proof containers, and avoiding contact with infected individuals.
The campaign focuses on high-risk states, such as Benue and Kogi, and utilises roadshows, town hall meetings, and school programmes to effectively disseminate information.
In a similar vein, the confirmation of eight Mpox cases in Akwa Ibom State, prompted the NOA to launch a targeted awareness campaign. Agency staff were dispatched to the affected local government areas to educate residents about the symptoms, transmission and prevention of the disease. They emphasised the importance of seeking prompt medical attention and avoiding the consumption of undercooked meat.
In anticipation of potential outbreaks of HMPV, the NOA commenced a nationwide awareness campaign in January 2025. Although no cases had been reported in Nigeria at
As World IP Day marks a record two and half decades in the mission of raising awareness about the role of IP with this year’s theme ‘IP and Music: Feel the beat of IP,” the world of music deservedly takes another front seat after it made its debut ten years ago with the earlier theme “Get up. Stand up. For Music”.
This recognition is a testament to the remarkable power and allure of music as one of man’s most potent forms of creative expression. The chequered legacy of intellectual property itself has had a historic connection with the musical genre and remains inextricably tied to the universality and global compact of music as a creative life-force naturally meant for the promise that copyright holds, among all other forms of creativity eligible for protection.
The power of music is seen and felt everywhere, but at no other time as today has that power proven as impactful and forceful in the pursuit of happiness and every area of life, be it personal, spiritual, social, business, political, and more.
Shakespeare wrote of music as ‘the food of love’. Music is not just the food of the human soul; it has become the food of life – a nourishment at the core of human existence. Music secured by IP has brought fame and fortune to generations of music creators worldwide.
Expounding on the interplay of music and IP as this year’s theme, WIPO declares, “From the rhythms that invite us to dance to the lyrics that echo our emotions, music enriches every aspect of our lives. Music is a universal form of creative expression and intellectual property (IP) rights play a pivotal role in supporting a vibrant and diverse
music landscape. Music permeates every sector, and IP fosters the presence of music beyond its own realm.”
Beyond the metaphor, music has continued to add value, serve humanity and foster societal peace and harmony. In concrete terms, it functions across industries – entertainment, technology, fashion, sports, video games, commerce, marketing and branding, advertising, and more.
Since the early days, music has entered the universe of copyright and gingerly remains there, gaining momentum with the increasing dominance of global recording industry. Without copyright, the law’s recognition of the power and culture of music would have remained largely elusive, given the complexities and the dynamic trajectories of IP and music in the last half a century.
The normative role of IP has been salutary to music as a creative entity eligible for protection and the incentives to music creators, the music industry, as well as the public interest. From its origin in the prohibition of unauthorised copying of sheet music to the protection of musical composition in the 1800s, to the institution of exclusive rights in public performances, broadcasting, making of sound recordings in any medium, including the rights of making available in file sharing and streaming with the advent of digital technology, copyright regime for music has expanded inexorably. Live performances and expression of folklore, commonly referred to as ‘neighbouring rights’ have readily joined the web of protection in many jurisdictions and internationally.
The increased term of protection, as well as the realm of infringement and liability under copyright law, has benefited music creators and the recording industry worldwide. IP as the primary legal framework for the protection of creativity, comprising IP rights, administration and enforcement, including collective management systems, the more recent fair use doctrine, secondary liability and anti-circumvention
the time, the agency moved to inform the public about the virus’s symptoms and preventive practices such as good hygiene and the use of face masks in crowded places. The campaign particularly targeted vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly.
In February 2025, and in recognition of the cyclical nature of certain diseases, the NOA launched an integrated campaign to combat cholera, meningitis, and Lassa fever. This initiative focused on educating the public about the importance of personal sanitation, hygiene, and environmental cleanliness, especially in regions prone to these diseases. The campaign was rolled out in select states across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, including Ondo, Edo, Kogi, Taraba, Benue, Bauchi, and Ebonyi
The agency has taken significant steps to raise awareness about Human Papillomavirus (HPV), diphtheria, and yellow fever. In collaboration with UNICEF, the NOA organised sensitisation programmes in the Kaduna Central Senatorial District to educate the public about these health issues. By engaging with traditional and religious leaders, the NOA was able to leverage their influence to spread health information and promote preventive behaviours within the communities.
The approach to HIV/AIDS has followed a similar pattern of education and stakeholder engagement. The agency has supported the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) in raising awareness by moving away from a fear-based communication strategy. Instead, it has adopted messaging that aims to prevent the stigmatisation of those infected with the virus.
The NOA Director-General, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, is of the view that HIV/AIDS should be seen as a manageable health condition, similar to hypertension and diabetes, rather than a death sentence.
To commemorate World HIV/AIDS Day, the NOA organised town hall meetings in Niger State. These meetings focused on raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, discussing security, and addressing other national issues. The agency highlighted the importance of making HIV testing free and accessible, ensuring the availability of antiretroviral treatment, and the need to combat stigma and discrimination associated with the disease.
The NOA has equally demonstrated a commitment to enhancing mental health awareness and support across the country, focusing on education, prevention, and community involvement. In collaboration with non-governmental organisations, the NOA launched awareness campaigns in secondary schools to educate students about mental health, aiming to reduce stigma and discourage harmful behaviours such as substance abuse.
rules of the digital era, has played an indispensable role in navigating the emergent environment. This legal gamut implies that IP and copyright in particular are indeed the cornerstone of the music industry.
Significantly, a trilogy of developments in WIPO’s norm-setting annal across 200 years best attests to WIPO’s fidelity to the international protection of music as a creative enterprise. That, for the most part, was a watershed in the normative evolution of the music-copyright complex and the promotion of the narrative that copyright is the bedrock of the music industry. First, it began with the seminal Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (1886), including music and its Berlin Revision of 1908, which further reinforced music protection with the inclusion of sound recording, among others, in the categories of protected works under the Berne. The second development was defined by two of WIPO’s treaties; the Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organisations (1961) and the Performances and Phonograms Treaty (1996), which signposted music copyright for the new technological environment that ushered in 21st century full-blown digital dispensation.
This was joined by the WTO’s TRIPs Agreement of 1995. The third phase was the WIPO’s first treaty of the 21st century, the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (2012), which expanded the economic and moral rights of audiovisual performances, also extended protection for performers’ rights of musicians and singers alike. This international legal architecture lies at the heartbeat of IP protection for the music industry and has resonated in the rapid succession of copyright reform across jurisdictions both in the strength of IP law and policymaking and the campaign against piracy and counterfeiting, the twin menace of the creative industries worldwide. The exponential growth of copyright in the last 100 years into the digital age has influenced the current copyright debate about the global music industry and fortunes of generations of the world’s music talents and musical revolution, in particular the Afrobeats renaissance on the Continent.
Carloha Nigeria, the franchise holder of Chery automobile in the country, operator and the parent company to Loha Mobility, as well partner of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), made a resounding statement at the
Held at the Expoyo Complex, Permanent International Trade Fair Complex, opposite Ventura, Sango, University of Ibadan Road, Ibadan, the fair ran from Monday, April 7 to Friday, April 11, 2025.
The event brought together a rich mix of businesses and organisations from various Gas, Financial Services, and Manufacturing. Amidst this diverse showcase, Carloha stood tall as the only automobile brand at the Fair,
in mobility innovation,” said Felix Mahan, the introduction of Loha Mobility, we are automobile exhibitor at the fair, we proudly led the conversation on modern, accessible, and premium mobility in Nigeria.” 2025 was the visit of the Deputy Governor of
Lawal, who toured the fair and made a notable stop at the Carloha booth. During his visit, the Deputy Governor engaged with Carloha to driving innovation and sustainability in company to explore the business opportunities
to partnerships that promote technological development. His visit was not only a mark of endorsement but also a testament to the auto industry.
individuals, automobile enthusiasts, and lineup on display–known for its blend of elegance, performance, and smart technology – left many impressed. Visitors also had the
introduced by Carloha, which aligns with the push towards cleaner and smarter urban transportation.
customer satisfaction, Carloha used the
Chery customers in Nigeria. Moreso, Carloha
workshop, to handle all aftersales issues for service in the Nigerian automobile space, value to every customer who chooses Chery.
Carloha, Loha Mobility, and Chery extend
Ibadan for the overwhelming support and Carloha is more determined than ever to to Nigerians – one innovation at a time, the company said.
Existing, new and prospective customers of Toyota will have a rare opportunity to feel the various models of the vehicles at an exclusive motor show being planned by Toyota (Nigeria) Limited.
The exclusive Toyota Motor Show is will provide an enabling environment for customers and prospects alike, to interact closely with at the Show, according to a statement by the company.
The highly anticipated Toyota Motor Show will hold in Lagos, between May 27th and June (excluding Friday 30th May), will take place between 11am and late evening, inside The Podium, located at 124 Tunde Kuboye Road, Lekki, Lagos, according to the statement.
Managing Director of TNL, Mr. Kunle
solo auto show, saying, “The Toyota Motor
conducive environment for our teeming customers to be able to interact with our
deals sealed at the Show, in appreciation of their visit. I am pleased to add that there is an opportunity for visitors to test drive our vehicles, which we will make available at the Show grounds, and as a gesture of inclusivity, all Toyota vehicles purchased from us or not, could be brought to us for a free diagnostic to determine its state of reliability”. The Toyota head also assured at the Show.
there. The discount cuts across vehicle parts, body and paint work and products
while visitors stand a chance of seeing the
free vehicle diagnostics to all Toyota vehicles without exception and visitors can test drive Toyota Vehicles on the Show ground. It is a bumper Show that promises to be fun for all.
A wide range of wonders on wheels from the commercial and passenger segments will be on display and also dedicated booths for and our sales team would be on ground to interact with visitors, the statement said.
“The show ground will be closed on Friday 30th May, 2025 only, and would resume on Saturday 31st May, through 1st June 2025,” TNL stated.
Last year, the vehicle display was held ample space for display of each of vehicles. It attracted many quality customers from the private and public sectors.
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the federal government to institute a more inclusive and supportive Nigerian Automotive Policy that not only champions local content and indigenous brands
the automotive value chain, including motorcycles and tricycles.
gave the advice in his keynote address, during the annual general meeting (AGM) and election of new executives of the Motorcycle Manufacturers
The Direct General of the National Automotive Design & Development Council (NADDC), Joseph
both a statutory engagement and a strategic forum that represents the voice, vision, and vitality of growth and mobility ecosystem.
The MAN DG extolled the various moves by the NADDC to move the automotive industry forward and commitment to the development of
office, we have witnessed renewed energy in policy
L-R: Head, Sectoral and Regulatory Affairs, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ms Oluchi Odimuko; Executive Director, Motorcycle Subgroup of MAN, Reverend Lambert Ekewuba; Director General, National Automotive Design and Development Council, Mr. Joseph Osanipin; Chairman, Motor Vehicle and Miscellaneous Assembly Sectoral Group of MAN, Elder Robert Ugbaja; and GM Honda Manufacturing Nigeria, Mr. Olabode Badejo, during the annual general meeting of the Motorcycle Manufacturers Association of Nigeria in Lagos… recently conversations and programmatic interventions your valuable contributions thus far.”
These segments are pivotal to transportation, employment generation, and value addition in Nigeria, he said.
has proven to be not only resilient, but remarkably and rural alike.
first and last mile transport, generates employ
ment, and enhances access to goods and services nationwide, adding that under the leadership of deepened its voice in national industrial discourse.
He commended efforts in sustaining production, infrastructural hurdles that continue to challenge their operating environment.
He called on the entire industry sector players to embrace the evolving demands of the time, shaped by the global sustainability trends, rapid digitalisation, and the growing imperative for local content development.
The MAN DG said, “As we move forward, let us not merely react to the future; let us shape opportunity to reimagine the future of motorcycle deepening sectoral and subsectoral collaboration, and amplifying your collective voice within MAN and across national platforms.”
He charged the incoming executives to not only engage policy stakeholders but also to drive strategic investments, build local capacity, and open up new frontiers for growth in the vital
He said, “MAN stands firmly with you in advocating for policy reforms that encourage from the pressures of unchecked imports, and create an ecosystem where indigenous manufacturers can thrive.
AN aside concerning telephony: You take/receive, not ‘pick’, calls.
Blueprint headline goof of March 6 formally welcomes us this week: “FG blames principals over (for) poor performance at unity schools” Next on focus is also the above edition which committed the following offences: “Labour unions dare FG, shun return to work order” News: return-to-work order
“As the strike action lingered beyond this point….” Thinking with you: delete ‘action’!
“…which castigated the institutions that opened their doors for lecturers for one serious business or the other (or another) during the strike.”
“Nordic Nigeria connect: CBN threatens to sanction illegal forex transaction”The apex bank cannot sanction forex transaction, but those behind the transaction—the operators.
“Lagos killer driver (killer-driver) surrenders to police, to be charged for (with) manslaughter”
“We wish you God’s abiding grace and blessings as you contribute your quota in (to) the service of our dear State.”
“I wish to congratulate you, on behalf of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, for (on or upon)….”
Wrong: revenue generating agencies
Right: revenue-generating agencies
“I am exceedingly glad to felicitate with my dear brother….” A rewrite: I felicitate my dear brother…. (If you are sad, you will not felicitate your brother or, indeed, any other person)!
Daily Independent Online Back Page of March 1 fumbled on NLC: “…the union sticks to its gun (guns)….”
THISDAY,THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER, last week, goofed copiously: “For a secured (secure) nation…”
“Harnessing potentials of Calabar carnival” Travel & Leisure: ‘potential’ is non-count, unlike ‘potentiality’.
“A honour well deserve” (A full-page congratulatory advertorial for…by friends and brothers) A rewrite: An honour well deserved
Still on THISDAY under review: “Government College, Ughelli Old Boy’s (Boys’) Association, Lagos Branch…Annual End of Year Luncheon Party” (Full-page advertorial) Keep the ship sailing: End-of-Year Luncheon
The last three mistakes in The Saturday Newspaper under examination are from a full-page congratulatory advertorial: “Another feather to (in) Matawallen Bauchi’s cap”
“…the entire people of Bauchi State on occasion (on the occasion) of his installation as the….”
“This honour is indeed an attestation of (to) your outstanding achievements….” Yet, the FCT Minister has SSA (Media), Chief Press Secretary and others in the superfluous communications team!
Overheard: “I saw him frowning his face….” What else would he have frowned?
Daily Trust of February 28 terrorized the English language on a few occasions: “Kidnappers to be charged for (with) murder, terrorism”
“Aliyu’s last minute (last-minute) retreat, mark of insincerity—Vatsa”
Out of the four headlines on the Politics Page of Daily Trust of the edition under review, three contained ‘says’! That was sheer laziness on the part of the page planner as there were other verbs that could have been used to avoid monotony.
Next is the views page with two improprieties: “The acquiescence of President Bola Tinubu’s administration for (in) a constitutional conference remains a bold decision.”
“The late Professor Ben Nwabueze has (had) recently canvassed in a well publicised (well-publicized) article that….”
“Cases of sexual harassment, under-aged (underage) girls offering their bodies to teachers for marks and other favours….” Why not simply ‘prostituting for marks…’?
“This Transaction Cannot Be Completed at This Time” is the melody of the daily torment many of us dance to, by-force-by-fire, as a consequence of Nigeria’s internet banking and digital dysfunction.
It is the 23rd century, or at least it feels like it for the rest of the world, where you can blink twice and your rent is paid, groceries ordered, and an Uber hailed - all before your third blink. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, you dare not sneeze near your phone when making a transfer lest the spirits of digital confusion scatter your destiny into “transaction failed” limbo. There is nothing more Nigerian today than pacing up and down in frustration, staring at a mobile screen, begging “Abeg, credit am now, I don show you alert!”
In a country teeming with fintech start-ups, billion-naira venture capital-backed platforms, and more bank apps than credible electoral results, the Nigerian is constantly betrayed by the very technology meant to make life easier. On a bright Monday morning, a young graduate in Yaba (Lagos) walks into a buka to buy breakfast. He taps his phone, hoping to transfer the grand sum of ₦900 for amala and ewedu. The POS lady, already used to the drama, smirks and warns: “No network now o…you go wait.” But the young man, brimming with the confidence of a supposed ‘cashless economy’, insists. Three taps later, two error messages, and one shriek of despair, he walks out - hungry and humiliated.
A businesswoman in Abuja recently lamented how a client’s payment disappeared in cyberspace for five days. The receipt was generated, the money was deducted from the sender’s account, but the woman’s account balance looked her dead in the eye and said, “Never heard of it.” When she visited the bank, the teller greeted her with the customary prayer: “It will reflect, ma.” This is the Nigerian digital banking experience - a miracle-based economy where faith replaces efficiency.
For salary earners, the nightmare peaks at month’s end. Just as salaries begin to trickle in, the bank apps develop selective amnesia.
“Police threaten to arrest monarchs over Plateau attacks” News: either arrest for attacks or arrest in connection with attacks (not ‘arrest…over’)
The following three goofs are from Leadership of March 8: “…the recanting of voluntarily given evidences by witnesses….” The prince of Nigeria paradigm: voluntarily-given evidence—which is non-count.
“We must start addressing the pervading (pervasive) injustice that has….”
“…despite all manners (manner) of intimidation….”
(DStv NEWS, March 7)
Vanguard Politics Page of March 20 localized the English language thrice: “CNPP publicity secretary… in a statement yesterday said it is (was) alarmed over (by/at) Obi’s penchant for ethnic card….”
“Okoye, who was one of the governorship aspirants under (on) the platform of the PDP….”
THE NATION ON SUNDAY of March 23 comes next with some school-boy howlers: “…INEC said the commission is (was) working assiduously to deliver a credible general elections in 2027.” Delete ‘a’!
“TheimpressionwillbeallowedtofesterthatAmaechi is only vocal because of his alleged personal grudges with (against) the president and his party.”
“Export Council sensitizes stakeholders on (to) ECOWAS scheme”
“I do a lot of jotting (jottings).”
“…CBAAC organised series (a series) of dancedramas and art exhibitions for children.”
“Yorubas (Yoruba) to endow education legacy”
“Police arrest six over (for) inter-communal clash in Bayelsa”
“Sports Minister drums (drums up) support for Super Eagles”
Finally from Nigerian Tribune of March 22: “With more than 400 reportedly killed in Cairo last week Wednesday.” All the facts, all the sides: last Wednesday or Wednesday, last week
“Already, we are suffering from his double standards (standard) with regard to the war…!
One Lagos-based engineer shared how, on payday, his app collapsed like an overworked NEPA pole. He was stranded in traffic on Third Mainland Bridge, trying to buy fuel with a digital wallet that kept rebooting like a confused robot. Eventually, a Good Samaritan paid for his fuel, but not before he contemplated leaving his car and swimming home. There is also the matter of duplicated debits. You pay once, the system deducts twice - sometimes thrice. You call customer care, and they recite their mantra: “It will be reversed in 24 to 72 working hours.”
That is, of course, if Mercury is not in retrograde and the Central Bank hasn’t sneezed in the wrong direction. Even as you read, yours truly is waiting forlornly on this particular queue!
Beyond the financial horror lies the emotional and physiological toll. There are stories of customers developing
“Now that the administration appears to be at its wits (wits’) end, perhaps President Tinubu may consider convening a national stakeholder’s (stakeholders’) summit….
“…which we signed sometimes (sometime) in July.”
“…in view of the increasing hazards that is (are) being….” (A goodwill message at NGE Uyo 2023)
“I want to congratulate our Guild for (on/upon) rising to the challenges….”
Still from the editors’ conference: “…Nigerian media is freer than any other media in (on) the continent….”
“For enquires (sic) call….” (NTA Channel 35) Showing the light: For enquiries, call….
Instead of ‘flash’, use ‘bleep’ or ‘beep’ to let someone know you want them to telephone you.
“2027: Can the opposition seize the opportunity?” From the other side: you take (not seize—which is American English) the opportunity.
“N23bn monthly allocation crash inter-bank rates” Business English: allocation crashes.
“2027: Anglican bishop wants vigilante groups to help policemen protect ballot boxes” In the interest of eschatology: vigilance groups.
“Today, it is becoming increasing (increasingly) clearer that a free and fair election is possible in Nigeria….”
“…this he applied in fighting the cause of oppressed (the oppressed). He was Igbo (an Igbo) leader.”
“Itse Sagay accuses Supreme Court justices of setting bad precedence in the country’s judicial history.” There is a morphological distinction between ‘precedence’ and ‘precedent’, which applies to the extract.
“Economics, as if the poor matters!” Voice of the nation: the poor matter!
From THE NATION of March 20 comes this entry: “N699b went to banks as interest on borrowed loans in 2023 alone.” Is there any loan that is not borrowed? (Contributed by Stanley Nduagu/08062925996)
actual high blood pressure after online banking fiascos. One elderly man in Benin (Edo) nearly collapsed when ₦250,000 disappeared from his account after a failed transfer attempt. His daughter, a medical doctor, had to treat him for anxiety-induced palpitations. Tell me, how many fintech CEOs have factored cardiology bills into their apps’ user experience?
Psychologically, the damage is deeper than a debit alert. There is a constant dread, a learned helplessness. Nigerians now carry out transactions with clenched jaws, knowing full well that no matter the interface upgrades or jazzy slogans - “Banking made easy!” - disaster lurks behind every “processing…” screen. A woman in Port Harcourt (Rivers) jokingly renamed her banking app “See Finish Bank,” after the fourth time it refused to process a simple DSTV payment but sent her five deduction alerts for the same transaction.
Yet, despite these burdens, we must ask: is this peculiarly Nigerian? Are we alone in the valley of failed digital dreams?
Not quite - but we may be leading the pack. In countries like Estonia, internet banking is so seamless that citizens are more likely to report a delay in snowfall than a failed transfer. In Singapore, even roadside fruit vendors can accept contactless payments, with receipts emailed to your inbox before your fruit bag hits your hand.
In Kenya, M-Pesa has revolutionised mobile money to the point where even bus conductors issue SMS receipts. So yes, some challenges are global, but the depth and frequency of ours border on economic witchcraft.
Of course, a few countries also struggleespecially in parts of South America and some Asian regions where broadband penetration is weak or digital literacy lags behind. But where they falter due to lack of resources or geopolitical instability, Nigeria stumbles with embarrassing consistency despite an educated population, active youth base, and a bustling tech scene.
The reasons for our peculiar situation are manifold. Poor infrastructure, epileptic power supply, unregulated bandwidth monopolies, and the unbearable cost of data - all combine to choke the life out of smooth digital experiences.
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Then there’s the elephant in the server room: our banks. Many still operate on outdated core banking systems that were revolutionary during the era of fax machines. They patch them with sleek app interfaces while the engine coughs like a 1987 Peugeot 504.
Government regulation isn’t helping either. Policies are often reactive and sluggish, with little collaboration between the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Central Bank, and fintech stakeholders. Meanwhile, the average citizen pays the price in interrupted transfers, delayed alerts, and premature grey hairs.
In the end, what we have is a nation trying to run on digital legs while shackled by analog chains. The vision is there - we want to leap into the future. But the execution is a comedy of errors with tragic consequences.
One must wonder: how many more salaries must vanish into the cloud? How many mothers must weep over unprocessed school fees? How many young lovers will lose credibility because the Valentine’s Day dinner “refused to go through”?
Nigerians are resilient, yes. But resilience is not a policy. It is not a strategy. And it should not be the only survival tool in a nation aspiring to digital excellence. The suffering is too constant, too predictable, too normalised to be ignored.
Until banks become accountable, telcos expand infrastructure, and regulators wake from their prolonged sabbatical, Nigerians will continue to wrestle with ghost transactions, phantom alerts, and spiritual transfers. In the meantime, keep your receipts, record every session, and pray - very hard - that your money returns from cyberspace unscathed. n Nigeria, the most difficult journey isn’t Lagos to Maiduguri - it’s ₦5,000 from GTB to Zenith!
DespiteoffersfromclubsafterLeicesterCitywererelegatedattheendof2022-23season,Super Eaglesdefender,WilfredNdididecidedongoingdownwiththeFoxesandhelpedtheformer championsreturntothePremierLeagueatthefirsttimeofasking.However,afterjustoneseasonin theEnglishtoptier,theKingPowerStadiumlandlordarebackinthesecondtierofEnglishfootball. Thebigquestion,however,remainsifNdidiwillonceagainsinkwiththeFoxesdespitenotbeing shortofsuitorsfromtopEuropeanclubs? Kunle Adewalewrites
Many would have put their money on Wilfred Ndidi dumping Leicester City when the 2015/16 Premier League winner were relegated to the English Championship in the 2022-23 season. Against all odds however, the midfield enforcer stayed on and helped the Foxes return to the English top tier the following season.
Asked whether it ever crossed his mind to dump the King Power Stadium when Leicester were relegated to the English Championship in 2023, the 29-year-old said, “I really felt bad when we were relegated but the thought of leaving Leicester City then didn’t occur to me because I love the team, they brought me to the Premier League, I have been there like for seven years, so, it was not my intention to leave then because I felt we can give the Championship a good shot at, and thank God things worked out well and we’re back in the Premier League after just one year,” Ndidi had told THISDAY in an interview.
The former Genk FC of Belgium indeed admitted that it was a difficult time at the Championship and would not forget life in the English second tier in a hurry.
“To be honest the Championship is hard. Very difficult. Having to play three games
in two weeks, at times. Play on weekends and weekdays, travelling up and down the country makes it very difficult. But it was a good experience because when you’re in the Premier League you don’t appreciate it. Relegation to the Championship was like an eye opener for us because we would never want to go down again. It was really, really difficult,” he expressed. However, it did not go down as planned for Ndidi and his Leicester teammates as the Foxes were, last weekend, relegated from the Premier League after losing to Liverpool 1-0.
Whether the former Nath Boys of Lagos player would want to have a bitter experience of life in the Championship this time around is still unclear however.
Meanwhile, former Turkish Super Lig giants, Besiktas, have expressed interest in signing Super Eagles midfielder from Leicester City in the summer.
Ndidi has endured a torrid season with the Foxes that has seen them get relegated from the Premier League with five games left to play. The Nigerian midfielder has been one of the best performers in the team, making 24 appearances with four assists to his name. However, now that Leicester City have been relegated, Ndidi might just be on his way out. This is the second time the club has gotten relegated in three years. And after
eight years at the King Power Stadium, he might be looking to move on already.
Moreover, since Leicester City are returning to the Championship, they might have to sell some players to balance their books.
Besiktas registered their interest in signing Ndidi last summer, but the deal did not work out. Now, according to iyi ki Besiktas var, the Turkish giants will sign him in the summer.
Ndidi is valued at €18 million on Transfermarkt, and this is a lot of money for most Turkish clubs. Also, his wages could be an issue unless they let one of their best players leave.
Also, since Ndidi is closing in on his thirties, he may be looking at a club that will offer him a lot of money. If a Saudi club comes calling, he would likely consider moving there.
Having spent eight years at the club since joining from Genk in 2017, Ndidi may feel the time is right to seek a new challenge, especially now that Leicester face another season in the Championship.
The Istanbul-based side, former champions of the Turkish Super Lig, are looking to strengthen their midfield ahead of next season and believe Ndidi could be a perfect fit.
In addition to Besiktas, at least three other clubs, reportedly outside Turkey are monitoring Ndidi’s situation and could make offers in the coming weeks. One of those clubs could come from Saudi Arabia, where teams are known to offer lucrative deals to experienced players. If such a move materialises, Ndidi might consider it given the financial incentives.
With Leicester expected to offload some senior players to reduce their wage bill and rebuild in the Championship, Ndidi’s exit looks increasingly likely.
As interest grows, the Nigeria international will have to weigh his options carefully whether to sink with Leicester, pursue European football with Besiktas or secure a big-money move elsewhere.
Ndidi, however, admitted that some top clubs have indeed contacted him but that nothing concrete has been concluded.
“Yes, I have been contacted by some clubs but my family and I will have to look into which club and country is best for us and a decision would be made in the coming weeks. But for now, I don’t know yet,” he said
Victor Osimhen is on the verge of making history at Galatasaray, with the Nigerian striker closing in on the club’s all-time record for most goals in a single season by a foreign player.
Currently on a season-long loan from Napoli, the Super Eagles star has taken Turkish football by storm.
With 30 goals and seven assists in 35 appearances across all competitions, Osimhen has quickly become a fan favourite at Rams Park and a key figure in Galatasaray’s push for backto-back Süper Lig titles.
Of those 30 goals, 21 have come in the league, making Osimhen the current top scorer in the Turkish top flight.
The Nigerian has also scored three times in the Turkish Cup
and six in seven Europa League matches before Galatasaray’s exit to AZ Alkmaar.
His prolific return places him fourth on Galatasaray’s all-time list of foreign scorers in a single season, as per Journalist Buchi Laba.
Osimhen now sits just four goals behind the record-holder, Brazilian icon Mario Jardel, who netted 34 during the 2000–01 campaign. Mauro Icardi and Bafétimbi Gomis share second place with 32 goals each. Should Osimhen score five more times before the season ends, he would not only surpass Jardel’s tally in the 119-year history of Galatasaray but also become the highest-scoring foreigner in a single campaign in the entire record of the Turkish Süper Lig.
Osimhen has also proven lethal away from home, with 11 of his league goals coming on the road — more than any other player this season. He leads Rizespor’s Ali Sowe by three in that category and faces another chance to improve his tally when Galatasaray travel to face Eyüpspor tomorrow. With six games remaining and Galatasaray holding a five-point lead over Fenerbahçe, Osimhen’s goals could be crucial in securing another league title for Okan Buruk’s side.
Eyüpspor, who sit fourth and are chasing European qualification, will be determined to cause an upset. The last meeting between the sides ended in a 2-2 draw at Rams Park in December. For now, all eyes are on Osimhen, whose remarkable form could see him crowned both Galatasaray’s and the Turkish league’s greatest-ever foreign goalscorer.
Russia will host Nigeria’s Super Eagles in a high-profile international friendly on June 6 at Moscow’s iconic Luzhniki Stadium, the Russian Football Union announced through official channels yesterday.
Currently ranked 43rd in the Fifa world rankings, Nigeria comes into the match with growing international recognition.
The Super Eagles were runners-up at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, narrowly losing 2–1 in the final to hosts Ivory
Coast.
The squad features a strong core of players competing in top European leagues, including England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France.
This marks the Russian national team’s return to the country’s main football arena for the first time since their 2021 World Cup qualifier against Croatia, which ended in a goalless draw.
Current Super Eagles players Chidera Ejuke and Ahmed Musa played for Russian giants
CSKA Moscow in the past.
Before heading to the Russian capital, the Super Eagles will participate in the Unity Cup, an Afro-Caribbean international football tournament which was last held in 2004.
The competition featuring Ghana, Jamaica, Nigeria, and Trinidad and Tobago national teams will be held next month at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium, with the Super Eagles facing the Black Stars in the second semifinal on May 28.
Super Eagles striker
Cyriel Dessers has admitted that he wants to remain at Rangers despite speculations that he could leave the club at the end of the season.
Dessers joined Rangers from Italian Serie A club Cremonese in a deal worth 5 million euros in the summer of 2023, and it has been a topsy-turvy journey for him so far. The Super Eagle star has been one of the most maligned figures at the club despite a haul of 45 goals and 16 assists in 104 appearances.
Due to the issues with the fans, there were talks that he would leave last summer, but he eventually stayed on. This season, the issues with the fans has not stopped, and that has also driven speculations of an exit in the summer transfer window.
However, Dessers has committed his future to the Gers, insisting that he wants to win silverware with the club
“I’m very keen. I came here two summers ago with the ambition to fight for trophies, to win trophies,” Dessers said.
“I’m sitting here, we had two amazing runs in Europe, but we only won a trophy, and I don’t think that’s enough.
“I’m really hungry to win more trophies, more silver at this club. So, for me, I’m very keen. But obviously, like I say, there’s going to be a lot happening, but I’m looking forward to that as well.”
Dessers’ statements will surely be met with mixed reactions from Rangers fans, as while some want him to leave, others want him to stay on.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot says his team have a “big responsibility” to secure the club’s 20th top-flight title by getting a point against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday.
Arsenal’s draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday means the Reds need just a point against Spurs to win the Premier League with four games remaining.
Liverpool last secured the title in 2019-20 under former
manager Jurgen Klopp during a time when fans were not allowed into stadiums because of the Covid pandemic.
The Reds lifted the trophy in an empty Anfield as they claimed their first top-flight win in 30 years.
“First of all, that’s a big responsibility because we are aware that the last time this club won the league it was Covid time so everybody is
The Premier League resumes this weekend with Chelsea hosting Everton in today’s early kick-off at 12:30 pm. The game, which will be broadcast live on GOtv, will see Chelsea attempt to revive their ambition of a top-five finish and a possible Champions League spot. The Blues could climb the table if they win and other results go their way.
Newcastle United, who dropped points in last weekend’s clash withAston Villa, host bottom-placed Ipswich Town at 3:00 pm. Newcastle remain fifth and will be looking to return
to form, while Ipswich will be relegated if they lose.
Manchester United, without a win in four league games, visit Bournemouth on Sunday at 2:00 pm. The Red Devils, now 14th, have struggled for consistency and face a Bournemouth side pushing for a top-half finish.
Tomorrow’s headline fixture sees Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield at 4:30 PM. Liverpool are just one point away from the title after Arsenal dropped points in the 2–2 draw against Crystal Palace on Wednesday. Spurs, currently 16th, have had a disappointing campaign and go into the match on the back of a 1–2 loss to Nottingham Forest Elsewhere, Brighton host West Ham, Southampton face Fulham, and Wolves meet Leicester City in today’s 3:00 pm kick-offs. This weekend also features the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Crystal Palace take on Aston Villa today at 5:15 pm, while Manchester City face Nottingham Forest tomorrow at 4:30 pm. City’s only remaining shot at silverware this season comes in the FA Cup, following years of dominance across multiple competitions. All the matches will be broadcast live on GOtv channels 65 and 66.
Jemuel has sounded a note of warning to his opponents ahead of the inaugural GolfGraceAlumni Golf Tournament scheduled for May 10, at the Sadique Baba Abubakar Golf Club in Shasha, Lagos. Jemuel, who is also a member of the competition’s committee, insisted he’s in top shape to win his first major championship, warning his foes to “beware.”
“I’m actually looking forward to the tournament and this is telling all the players competing to beware, I’m
competing to win,” Jemuel said. “If I win, it will be the first major tournament that I would be winning, so I’m giving everything to win it.”
The tournament, organised by GolfGrace Training School, will have at least 100 players from the renowned institution compete for top honours.
“We are all excited about the competition because it’s one of a kind, it’s a testament to how far the training academy has actually come.
“This academy has raised
elite golfers that are playing below handicap 12 and handicap 15, so it’s going to be highly competitive,” Jemuel added. He also lauded the Sadique Baba Abubakar Golf Club for its achievements since inception in 2020. “I’ll say this golf club is actually doing amazingly well. It’s just five years and we have nine holes; in a few years we will expand to 18 holes. “That’s not what you can say for other golf course. So, I can say we are doing absolutely well.
In fulfillment of their promise to reward outstanding athletes at the 2024 FCV Gladiators Camp held at Grange School in Lagos, 16 Nigerian youngsters are set to embark on a foreign trip to benefit from scholarships and compete in a tournament in the United Kingdom (UK) this July.
Three of these youngsters will receive one-year full scholarships at the FCV Academy, located at Grace Dieu Manor Park in Thringstone, Leicestershire, while others will participate in a two-week development camp on the academy’s invitation.
FCV International Academy youth coach, Laim
looking forward to Sunday but we know that there is still a job to be done and that’s at least one point,” said Slot.
“That’s what we know and, hopefully, our fans know as well and they support us in the best possible way they can - like they have all season - and are aware of the fact that we still need a point.
“We are definitely aware of that. It’s a nice game to look forward to but it’s also a responsibility we have for Sunday.”
Merrick expressed the academy’s commitment to developing the players to high standards. He, however, praised Dynaspro Sports Promotion for their efforts in promoting grassroots football development through their Lagos-based academy.
Senior Manager at FCV International Academy, Kerem Karacauli, highlighted Nigeria as a hotbed of football talent that should be nurtured. “I’m impressed with what I have seen so far.
Although most players are still developing, I believe they will improve over time. We observed some key qualities in the players, such as their instinctive
ball control and ability to plan their moves before receiving the ball. With these skills, I believe the lads have great potential,” Karacauli said at the 2024 FCV Gladiators Camp.
Director of Dynaspro Sports Promotion, Oluseyi Oyebode, emphasised the significance of this trip as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the youngsters, noting that some of them will be exposed to international training during the tour and tournament. “We are thrilled that FCV is honouring its commitment to the players. This is another chance for these youngsters to showcase their talent and compete against their peers at the tournament.
The annual Easter Holiday Tennis Clinic which began on Tuesday with the training of young smashers at the tennis courts of the Ikoyi Club 1938 ends today with the finals of the various categories of the event.
Up to 100 kids of various ages within the cadres in the programme took part in the talent hunt project of the elite club.
For the 2025 tennis Clinic, boys and girls kids between the ages of five and seven, eight
and 10, 11 and 13 as well as 14 and 16 were involved in the clinic but today, winners are expected to emerge in all the categories across the two genders- male and female.
Chairman of Tennis section, Diran Famakinwa, told newsmen that he was hopeful of a grand final day event because of the intense training session of the kids all week.
“The technical people on ground are among the best in the country and so I am
very hopeful that the final event will be very entertaining.
“We are blessed with many talents but events like this are meant to identify the smashers that can take the country to another level in the continental and global stage,” Famakinwa said.
Attractive prizes will be given to the winners just as top members of the club are expected to be in attendance to add more glamour to the final day of the Easter Holiday Tennis Clinic.
GWHO gathered in Washington DC for the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Spring Meetings which commenced this week, have been focused on how to navigate the tension created by the United States’ President, Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, ongoing trade wars, inflation fears and new worries about the prospect of a global recession.
As a journalist covering these meetings, it is visible that both multilateral institutions are presently under pressure from the Trump-led United States – their biggest financial contributor – as representatives of both organisations ensure they avoid confrontations or even questions from reporters that would pit them against the administration. Even criticism from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who demanded IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank President Ajay Banga refocus on core missions to gain the Trump administration’s trust, will not provoke them.
Already, the IMF has slashed its growth forecasts for the United States, China and most countries, citing the impact of U.S. tariffs now at 100-year highs and warning that rising trade tensions would further slow growth.
According to the Fund’s World Economic Outlook (WE0), global growth forecast was cut by 0.5 percent to 2.8 percent for 2025, and by 0.3 percent to three percent for 2026, from its January forecast that growth would reach 3.3 percent in both years. The IMF estimated that inflation was expected to decline more slowly than expected in January, given the impact of tariffs, reaching 4.3 percent in 2025 and 3.6 percent in 2026, with “notable” upward revisions for the U.S. and other advanced economies.
“We are entering a new era as the global economic system that has operated for the last 80 years is being reset,” IMF’s chief economist, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, said.
The IMF said the swift escalation of trade tensions and “extremely high levels” of uncertainty about future policies would have a significant impact on global economic activity.
For Nigeria, the economic growth projections for 2025 and 2026 were slashed downwards, reflecting the growing global uncertainties and sustained weaknesses in oil prices.
According to the WEO, Nigeria is now expected to grow by three percent in 2025 and 2.7 percent in 2026, down from its WEO forecasts of 3.2 percent and 3 percent, respectively, issued in January. The Fund attributed the downgrade to a mix of domestic challenges and worsening global conditions, including trade tensions, slowing demand from advanced economies, and a sharp decline in crude oil prices.
To Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, as the ripple effects of US’ reciprocal tariffs continue to reverberate, the reforms introduced since President Bola Tinubu assumed office have placed the economy in a stronger position than anticipated to absorb potential shocks. He listed reforms under the current administration to include fuel subsidy
removal, foreign exchange liberalisation, reset of monetary policy, elimination of Ways and Means, among others.
“Nigeria hasn’t suffered from the same reciprocal-type regime pressures as other economies because ours has been paused. We’re in a better position today due to the reforms and progress we’ve undertaken. In Nigeria, I believe we can attract private sector investment. The progress we’ve made so far is significant, and our near-term priorities are taking shape amid widespread macroeconomic uncertainty around the globe.
“Under the leadership of the President, we have successfully implemented reforms that are quite unprecedented. These are reforms we’ve spoken about for years; reforms we promised we would complete, and this time, we stayed the course. Now we can confidently say that we have implemented difficult but necessary reforms,” Edun told a gathering of foreign investors and investment bankers in Washington DC.
According to him, the fuel subsidy was a major reform, which he put at about five percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
“This, combined with the reforms on the monetary side, such as putting in place efficient market systems and enabling price discovery, not just in foreign exchange, but also in petroleum products, has created the foundation for renewed
industrialisation in Nigeria.
“We are targeting seven per cent annual growth, and this is a commitment President Tinubu is serious about. We believe that level of growth is essential to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty. We are pushing for inclusive growth. With macroeconomic stability largely restored, we are expanding our focus on agriculture, infrastructure, especially digital and finance. This includes crowding in the private sector at a time of constrained fiscal space. By addressing agriculture, infrastructure, and financial access, we believe Nigeria is now firmly on the path towards a seven per cent annual GDP growth exactly where we need to be,” he added.
One thing that also excite investors about the country is the revelation that its economic managers are in talks with JP Morgan for it to be admitted back into the JPMorgan Emerging Market Bond Index.
To the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the country’s return to orthodox monetary policy is beginning to yield tangible results as he cited gains in macroeconomic stability, investor confidence, and improvements in Nigeria’s global credit ratings.
“The numbers speak for themselves. The difficult reforms we’ve undertaken are beginning to yield results. One of the most important decisions we made was to pursue
orthodox monetary policy, an approach we were firmly committed to and have no intention of compromising on.
“As a result of this policy stance, we’ve been able to stabilise macroeconomic indicators. Today, we’re in a much better position than we were previously,” Cardoso, who spoke after Edun said.
Echoing the position of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy on Nigeria’s buffers against global volatility, Cardoso noted that while the country was not immune to global financial shocks, its exposure has been comparatively moderate. Cardoso stressed that rebuilding trust and confidence was central to the CBN’s agenda.
“There’s a common thread running through all our actions – building confidence. We’re not claiming perfection, but we are making real progress. Confidence in the naira is strengthening and confidence in our policy direction is growing. And, perhaps most importantly, there is a renewed sense of hope in the country’s economic future.
“Nigeria’s credit ratings have improved, which signals that our reforms are working. But we remain realistic, we’re still navigating a highly uncertain global environment. Anyone who followed the recent World Bank and IMF meetings would know that economic uncertainty is a global theme, and Nigeria is not exempt,” he added.
From the foregoing, just like the global economy, the Nigerian economy is at a critical juncture. As the world grapples with a confluence of escalating uncertainties, the combined impact casts an ominous shadow over Nigeria’s economic outlook. To navigate this turbulent landscape and secure a prosperous future for its burgeoning population, Nigeria must adopt a proactive, diversified, and strategically agile approach.
Amidst these challenges lies an opportunity for Nigeria to chart a more resilient and sustainable economic path. Diversification of the economy away from its over-reliance on oil remains paramount. Investing strategically in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and technology can create new avenues for growth, employment, and export earnings, reducing vulnerability to global oil price fluctuations.
Strengthening domestic production capacity is equally crucial. By fostering a conducive business environment, improving infrastructure, and providing access to finance, Nigeria can reduce its dependence on imports and build a more self-reliant economy. Investing in human capital through education and skills development will be essential to drive innovation and productivity across all sectors.
Additionally, Nigeria must be on the driving seat in advancing intra-African trade and ensure that the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement becomes operational.
Finally, the central bank must maintain its hawkish monetary policy stance and remain vigilant so as not to be caught flat-footed at a ttime like this and must ensure that it deploys its policy instruments proactively.