₦airaland Forum

Earlier this year, Dr Mike Adenuga, GCON, founder and Chairman of Globacom Limited, a characteristically unobtrusive business titan, made a huge dent in the world of giving. Through his Globacom outfit, he donated N1billion to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund to “strengthen security infrastructure” in Nigeria’s economic nerve-centre. Typically, he did not make a song and a dance of it. That is his nature. Giving, for Dr Adenuga, is noiseless and without fanfare, but it will echo across generations.

Sometime in 2020, the entire world was in a dark place. The COVID-19 pandemic was ravaging the world. Global economies had shut down while humans were dropping dead at the speed of light. The situation was equally grim in Nigeria. There was panic in the land. Moved by the gravity of the issue, Dr Adenuga donated N1billion to support every effort of the federal government to combat the virus, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria's Private Sector Coalition against COVID-19.

He applauded the federal government’s measures to address the negative impact of the COVID-19 virus on the health, finance and other sectors of the economy, and the CBN for what he described as a commendable and worthwhile initiative that deserves the moral and financial support of all stakeholders of the private sector. The Globacom boss did not stop there.

He went on to donate N500million to the Lagos State Government. In a letter to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dr Adenuga affirmed his readiness to work with the state government in the various efforts to combat the pandemic while reiterating his conglomerate’s willingness to assist various bodies and institutions in the country with the supply of such essential items as health PPEs and other requirements.

But it is through his Mike Adenuga Foundation that he touches humanity the most. The proudly Pan-African philanthropic foundation was established to help Nigeria and other African countries to achieve social and economic independence while contributing to an improved future for Nigerians and other African citizens.

Through the foundation, whose core programme interests are entrepreneurship, education, health, and rural development, Dr Adenuga creates and supports initiatives that deliver knowledge, skills, resources and infrastructure that will drive enterprise, facilitate commerce, stimulate innovation, and improve living conditions. The foundation also targets vulnerable groups, Internally Displaced Persons, disaster relief, and national health crises.

Nigerian entertainers may well be the greatest beneficiaries of Dr Adenuga’s large heart. Since 2003, when it began operations, Globacom has made Nigerian stars the faces (ambassadors) of its brand while making them worth their popularity in affluence and influence. At a time when entertainers were being paid peanuts for their artistry, Globacom started dishing out millions of naira to their ambassadors, and helping them to live the life they only fantasised about.

Aside from direct financial commitments including massive sponsorships, Globacom still retains a large number of key players in the entertainment industry, and they have been blessed immeasurably by this patronage.

Popularly known as the ‘Spirit of Africa’ because of his vast business empire traversing telecommunications, banking, oil and gas, and real estate among others, Dr Adenuga became a national sensation when Globacom entered the Nigerian telecommunications field back in 2003. He promised to build a truly Nigerian brand that would make life easier for Nigerians, and he proved it in no time.

Globacom made history as the first telecommunications network to introduce per-second billing at a time Nigerians had been told that it was an impossibility. Consequently, this began the revolution that made mobile telephony not just an exclusive preserve of the privileged and well-heeled, but a necessity for Nigerians of all ages from the North to the South and everywhere in between.

From its early days, Globacom had always defied market odds to delight Nigerians. The company launched a slew of futuristic products and services, such as being the first to offer 2.5G when others were on 2G, MMS, international SMS connectivity to over 804 networks in 174 countries, BlackBerry solutions, international prepaid roaming, voice SMS, personal ringback tunes, and Magicplus.

Globacom soon became the fastest-growing telecommunications company in Africa, with an active subscriber base of over 23.68 million (as of June 2026) and a vast network of already laid fibre criss-crossing all parts of Nigeria and a submarine cable that runs from the United States of America to Lagos through the United Kingdom and 17 other European and African countries.

Before Globacom, he had founded and developed Devcom Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank into highly profitable companies that played active pioneering roles in developing the public, commercial and retail sectors of the economy. Later, the two companies were consolidated into one -Equitorial Trust Bank - which later merged with Sterling Bank Plc, with Dr Adenuga as the largest shareholder of the latter bank.

He owns a 25.1 per cent stake in construction giant Julius Berger, through Goldstones Estates Limited and also owns 74.4 per cent of Conoil, one of Nigeria’s largest petroleum marketing businesses, through Conpetro Limited.

Conoil was the first indigenous company in Nigeria to explore, discover and produce oil in large commercial quantities, with the fastest on-stream production activity from licence award to the first production in only nine months. Aside from operating six oil blocks in the Niger Delta, Conoil is also the market leader in aviation fuels.

Since his emergence on the socio-economic radar of Nigeria many decades ago, Dr Adenuga has steadily blurred the line between commerce and compassion. He has alchemised his economic successes into great philanthropy, touching and turning lives around across Nigeria and beyond. It is safe to say that philanthropy is at the heart of everything that the business titan does.

It is no surprise, therefore, that he holds Nigeria’s highest honour for a non-government official, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), Ghana’s highest civilian national honour, the Companion of the Star of Ghana (CSG), and France’s highest national honour of Commander of the Legion of Honour (Chevalier de la Legion d Honneur).

These titles are a fitting tribute to a man who has redefined the art of giving, made it a public sacrament, and shown clearly that he is not just about making money but making it available as resources for advancing the lot of humanity.

Tayo Williams is a Lagos-based media practitioner and public affairs analyst

The Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation has taken its menstrual health campaign to Igbesa High School (Junior), in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, providing free sanitary pads, menstrual hygiene pamphlets, exercise books and pens to over 100 schoolgirls to promote menstrual health, dignity and education.

The outreach, held on Wednesday, October 21, commemorated the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, whose global theme is “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights!”

The programme brought together girls from Junior Secondary School (JSS) 1 to 3 who participate in the school’s reading clubs for mentorship, reading activities and menstrual health education.

Oyelami Yetunde Anuoluwapo and Blessing Kappo, teachers and Teach For Nigeria Fellows at the school, convened it following an appeal for sanitary products, learning materials, and health education support. The Foundation’s founder, Theresa Moses, responded by providing the requested items and facilitating an interactive session on menstrual hygiene management.


Speaking at the event, Moses said she was inspired by the girls’ determination and aspirations, stressing the need for sustained investment in their health, education and future.

“Invest in girls and Nigeria will rise. Every girl deserves dignity, education and the right to dream beyond child marriage. That is why we are here; to ensure no girl misses school because of her period,” she said.

She emphasised that access to menstrual hygiene products and accurate information helps girls manage their periods confidently and participate fully in school activities.

In a letter of appreciation, Oyelami and Kappo described the outreach as impactful and inspiring, noting that it enhanced the girls’ understanding of menstrual health, hygiene and self-confidence. They also said the support would help promote the students’ hygiene, school attendance and dignity.

“You did not just give pads; you gave our girls confidence and hope,” the teachers wrote on behalf of the school community, expressing gratitude to the Foundation and hope for future collaboration.

Mrs Amarachi Eze, Assistant Divisional Commissioner of the Nigerian Girl Guides Association, Ado-Odo/Ota, Ogun State Branch, also commended the Foundation for supporting the girls’ hygiene needs and development.

“We sincerely appreciate the Management of Pad Me A Girl Foundation for joining hands with the Association in supporting our girls on hygiene management. May God Almighty continue to uplift your foundation. Thanks for joining hands in the development of girls in our schools. Bravo,” she said.

The Foundation’s Media Coordinator, Mr Oluwatosin Simon Faleye, called on corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to support initiatives that address period poverty and help girls remain in school.

“For over a year, we have been committed to ending period poverty and keeping girls in school. We call on corporate organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to support this cause for the betterment of Nigeria,” Faleye said.

The celebration also featured a student drama presentation highlighting the effects of child marriage, alongside reading and mentorship activities designed to encourage the girls to understand their rights, value their education and pursue their aspirations.

The Foundation also acknowledged the continued support of its sponsors and partners, including Access Bank, Pro Star Sports International, BL Consulting, Vita Baites Foods, Checkers, Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the 10th Nigerian National Assembly, the Senate Committee on Women Affairs (SCOWAS), as well as individuals and media organisations whose contributions have supported its broader mission of ending period poverty, promoting menstrual health education and empowering girls and women.

About Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation

Founded by Theresa Moses, Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation is a non-profit organisation committed to ending period poverty, promoting menstrual health education and empowering girls and women, particularly in underserved and vulnerable communities.

The new brand campaign of Globacom, Nigeria’s leading telecommunications operator, Never Settle for Less, is not officially about its founder, Chief Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Ishola Adenuga Jr., GCON, but it is apt for encapsulating his numerous accomplishments and his lifelong commitment to raising standards in his various journeys and endeavours.

The brand philosophy, announced at a recent event in Lagos ahead of the company’s 23rd anniversary, enjoins Nigerians, in all their endeavours, to strive for excellence as a key to succeeding in today’s competitive world.

Top personalities who reflect Glo’s new relentless drive, including fashion entrepreneur Mai Atafo, veteran journalist and broadcaster Dr. Reuben Abati, and Nigerian music star Chike, shared compelling personal stories of resilience.

Atafo spoke about stepping away from a secure role as a corporate brand manager to launch his design label. Abati shared how constantly pushing beyond his comfort zone propelled him to the peak of his career, while Nigerian music star Chike reflected on his early days performing to nearly empty venues, which have now become sold-out shows.

Their breakthrough stories, and those of others shared at the ceremony, speak to the resilient spirit that Globacom seeks to promote. However, the story of its founding Chairman, also a leading player in the oil and banking sectors, offers even more lessons in being audacious, overcoming limitations, and not settling for less.

For Chief Adenuga, only the best is good enough. He says: “Leading the pack is the only worthwhile resolve for the achiever. There is no room for second place. It is often said that it is not the winning that counts, but the participation. It is not the mere participant, but the achiever, the winner, the leader who makes the difference that advances the course of humankind in the judgement of history.”

That Globacom is 23 and remains a leading telecommunications service provider is a tribute to a man who saw a brighter tomorrow and dared to compete against international companies despite having all the odds stacked against him.

Though his first conditional GSM licence in 1999 was revoked, his goal-getter spirit made him apply and win the Second National Operator (SNO) licence in August 2002, giving Globacom the right to operate as a national carrier, provide digital mobile services and serve as an international gateway. Since then, there has been no stopping Chief Adenuga from raising the bar in telecommunications services in the country.

When Globacom launched commercially in 2003, it made the per-second billing a major part of its offering, allowing subscribers to pay according to the actual duration of their calls rather than being charged for unused portions of a billing period. The move challenged the prevailing model in Nigeria’s telecommunications market and became one of the defining features of the company’s early identity.

Rather than depending solely on existing telecommunications infrastructure, the company’s investment in Glo-1, the 9,800-kilometre submarine fibre-optic cable connecting Nigeria to the UK, which become ready in 2010 was an audacious move typical of Adenuga’s refusal to settle for less.

Nigerians have Adenuga to thank for founding a distinctly Nigerian telecommunications company that has remained a source of pride for the country and expanded its operations across the continent.

Both in his private and official capacities, Chief Adenuga and his companies have supported education, health, arts, culture, and sports initiatives that have contributed immensely to the development of the country.

Before venturing into the telecommunications business, he obtained a drilling licence, and in 1991, his Consolidated Oil was reported to have struck oil in the shallow waters of Ondo State, making it the first indigenous Nigerian oil company reported to have discovered oil there in commercial quantities.

He could have given up on obtaining a university education abroad, but he worked as a taxi driver to help fund his studies. He graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and Pace University, New York, with degrees in Business Administration.

He is also reported to have made his first million in 1979, at the age of 26, from selling lace and distributing soft drinks.

Congratulating Adenuga on his 73rd birthday on April 29 this year, President Bola Tinubu attested to the Globacom Chairman being a colossus who has left an imprint of excellence on Nigerian enterprise in telecommunications, real estate, banking, and oil and gas.

Noting that Adenuga is a guru and a businessman with the Midas touch, President Tinubu said: “Mike’s life is an affirmation of the audacity of hope, belief, and vision. From humble beginnings, he rose to become one of Africa’s finest entrepreneurs.”

“His achievements in business are a testament to the immense possibilities of the Nigerian enterprise and an inspiration to the younger generation that, through hard work, innovation, and resilience, they can rise to become standout men and women of their generation.”

Conferring one of France’s highest honour on Chief Adenuga in 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron aptly described the Globacom Chairman as the “incomparable spirit of entrepreneur, tenacity and ability to think out of the box.”

President Tinubu’s tribute to Adenuga, and those of many others over the years, are well deserved, judging by his enormous contributions to the various businesses in which he is engaged.

Globacom has become more than a telecommunications investment; it is an expression of the fact that a Nigerian-owned company can compete in a capital-intensive and technology-driven industry, thanks to Chief Adenuga.

It is not for nothing that Chief Adenuga is called “the Bull” by close associates. His accomplishments have proved that, like the bull, he will stop at nothing to make his way through. He is bullish in his business approach, and that has paid off not only for him but also for the good of all who have benefited from his wise investments.

Though he hardly seeks public acclaim or grants interviews like many other super-wealthy people, his silence is golden, as he prefers his accomplishments to speak for him.

There is a lot to learn from the business acumen of Chief Adenuga, who in many ways exemplifies tenacity in the pursuit of his goal of building a globally acknowledged company like Globacom without making any fuss about it.

For Adenuga, his goal was to build a telecommunications company that could compete, innovate, and expand. For Globacom, 23 years later, Never Settle for Less has become the slogan through which the company is presenting that journey.

The Author: Lekan Otufodurin is a journalist and media career development specialist; he writes from Lagos, Nigeria.

Let me be the whistleblower for this preserved secret.

Are you a digital media practitioner who uses digital media to influence, market, or manage reputations? Then this piece is for you. Let’s talk about the importance and reach of digital media, how best to use it as a PR practitioner, and, most importantly, why credibility must never be sacrificed on the altar of influence.

The digital age has expanded the reach and influence available to public relations in ways that would have been difficult to imagine a few decades ago. So, if you are still finding it difficult to evolve and tag along, then you probably don’t understand how much generational trends have shifted.

One of the major breakthroughs is the ability of organisations to speak directly to their audiences, work with creators who command highly engaged communities and participate in conversations as they unfold.

Can you see how digital media has buttered our bread?

A carefully crafted post can reach millions without passing through a traditional media gatekeeper. Yet, this expanded capacity to influence has also changed the expectations placed on organisations. Audiences now have more sources to consult, more voices to compare and more opportunities to question whatever they are being told.

No more stories of “what I ordered versus what I got.” People can now check, compare and draw their own conclusions.
Now, let’s talk about modern PR and its challenges.

The challenge for modern PR is not simply how to influence an audience. It is whether that influence is supported by credibility, especially with the way some people practise PR majorly because of money rather than truth. When money becomes more important than credibility, it becomes increasingly difficult for the public to differentiate between truth, lies and paid narratives.

Influence can secure attention. Credibility determines whether that attention becomes trust.

So, as a digital media PR practitioner, are you chasing influence alone, or are you building the credibility that makes that influence worth something?

This distinction is becoming increasingly important as communication becomes more crowded. An organisation can generate millions of impressions, attract significant engagement and dominate a conversation without necessarily earning the trust of the people it is trying to reach.

Visibility can be bought. Virality can be engineered. Trust is considerably harder to manufacture.

Trust is earned by matching words with actions, so what are you waiting for?

Choose wisely.

We all know that social media is at the heart of the world now, and the rise of social media influencers illustrates this clearly. Influencer communication has become an important part of contemporary public relations because organisations can reach audiences through people who have already established relationships with particular communities.

You can literally sit on a tree, make a video and have the world watching because of how fast content travels on social media.
Research examining social media influencers consistently identifies credibility, trustworthiness and perceived expertise as important factors in shaping audience attitudes and behaviour.

This means that the value of an influential voice is not determined solely by the size of its following. A million followers do not automatically translate into a million people who believe what is being said.

For PR practitioners, choosing a communicator should therefore involve more than examining reach and engagement figures. Is the person knowledgeable about the subject? Does the person have an authentic relationship with the audience? Does the person’s niche align with the potential client? And is the message consistent with what the audience already knows about the organisation?
Numbers are important, but please, make sure they are the right numbers for the job.

The same principle applies to organisations communicating through their own platforms. Digital media gives brands greater control over their messaging, but greater control over distribution does not necessarily mean greater control over perception.

Audiences can challenge corporate claims in real time, compare them with other sources and share experiences that contradict the official narrative.

This is where credibility becomes a strategic asset.

Don’t be scared. Just keep following my exposé.

Credibility is built over time through the accumulation of accurate information, consistent behaviour, transparency and accountability. It is also highly vulnerable to contradiction.

When an organisation repeatedly says one thing and does another, audiences eventually begin to discount its communication. A highly visible organisation may still command attention, but its ability to persuade weakens when its audience no longer believes its claims.

They don’t even want to hear from you again because you don’t keep to your word.

The stakes are particularly high because trust has become an important part of the relationship between brands and their publics.
Oh, let’s use the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, which found that 80 per cent of respondents globally trust the brands they use to do what is right. This was higher than the levels recorded for business at 65 per cent, NGOs at 60 per cent, media at 55 per cent and government at 54 per cent.

For PR, this has an important implication: communication cannot compensate indefinitely for a credibility gap created by organisational behaviour.

A sophisticated campaign may attract attention to a company’s values, but if customers encounter practices that contradict those values, the communication can quickly become evidence against the organisation rather than in its favour.

The pressure to generate attention can make this difficult. Digital platforms reward content that is immediate, emotional and shareable. Organisations are consequently encouraged to participate in trends, respond to controversies and produce content capable of travelling quickly.

These tools can be valuable, but the pursuit of engagement becomes problematic when communication objectives begin to override credibility.

You don’t want to take that route.

Not every conversation needs to be turned into a campaign. Not every trend requires a brand response. And not every opportunity for visibility is an opportunity for reputation-building.

Just know this and know peace.

Modern PR must therefore become more deliberate about the difference between being influential and being trusted.
Influence asks whether an organisation can shape attention or behaviour.

Credibility asks whether stakeholders regard its information and intentions as believable.
The two can reinforce each other, but they are not interchangeable.

This distinction is particularly important when organisations work with influencers and other third-party voices. The credibility of the communicator becomes part of the credibility of the message.

A creator whose audience perceives a partnership as purely transactional may generate exposure without generating trust. Conversely, where the partnership makes sense for the communicator and their audience, the endorsement can carry a level of credibility that conventional advertising may struggle to achieve.

The responsibility of PR professionals is therefore moving beyond message construction. It increasingly involves protecting the conditions under which communication remains believable.

That means ensuring that claims can be substantiated, partnerships are appropriate, organisational actions do not undermine public messaging and communication remains consistent across platforms.

What this tells us is that we must resist the temptation to treat every criticism as merely a communications problem.
Sometimes, the correct PR response is not a better statement but a better organisational decision.

If customers complain about a product, investigate the product. If employees raise legitimate concerns, listen. If stakeholders question a company’s conduct, communication should not become a substitute for addressing the underlying issue.

Sometimes, changing the approach and addressing the real problem will bring a more positive closure than all the beautifully written statements in the world.

This is where credibility separates itself from influence.

An influential organisation can persuade people to pay attention to a message.

A credible organisation gives them a reason to believe it.

Which do you think is better?

For modern PR, however, the objective should not be to choose between influence and credibility.

We need both.

Influence remains essential because organisations need the ability to reach and engage the publics that matter to them. But influence without credibility has diminishing value, and you don’t want to take that route.

Once audiences become sceptical of the source, even a highly visible message can struggle to achieve its intended effect. This is why we need to be careful about the things we dish out in the name of PR.

The strongest PR strategies recognise that reputation is not built by communication alone. It is built when communication, conduct and stakeholder experience tell the same story.


Adopting this strategy is a win for all of us.

In an environment where almost anyone can publish, influence and attract an audience, the competitive advantage is no longer simply having a louder voice.

It is having a voice that people have reason to believe.

Modern PR must therefore protect credibility, not as an alternative to influence, but as the foundation that gives influence lasting value.

And before I drop my pen, let me leave you with this.

Influence may make people notice you, but credibility is what makes them believe you. Influence may open the door, but credibility determines whether people will still welcome you when you return.

So, by all means, influence. Trend. Create conversations. Build visibility. Reach millions if you can.

But in the middle of all that noise, abeg, no go lose your credibility.

Because when the likes, impressions, trends and viral moments have disappeared, your name and reputation will still be standing there waiting for you.

And you know what they say about a good name? A good name is better than gold and silver.
As our Yoruba people would say, “Orúkọ rere sàn ju wúrà àti fàdákà lọ.”
So, protect yours. Protect your client’s. That is the real work.

Bodex Hungbo
Founder & CEO, Bodex Media
PR & Digital Media Strategist | Reputation & Media Crisis Manager
Convener, Bodex Social Media Hangout

- By Dave Agboola: Nations are often remembered through the leaders they elect. Just as often, however, they are shaped by the entrepreneurs they produce.

The story of modern Nigeria cannot be told without its great business builders. Aliko Dangote redefined industrial production. Tony Elumelu transformed banking and democratized entrepreneurship. Femi Otedola expanded his influence in energy while elevating the culture of strategic philanthropy.

Among them stands Mike Adenuga Jr., one of the most consequential yet least understood figures in Nigeria's economic history.
Known as both the "Gentle Giant" and "The Bull," Adenuga has spent more than four decades reshaping Nigeria's economy while avoiding the spotlight. He grants few interviews, makes even fewer public appearances, and appears to have concluded long ago that publicity is overrated. Instead, he lets his businesses do the talking.

They have been remarkably chatty.

From telecommunications and oil to banking, real estate, aviation, sports, and entertainment, Adenuga has built enterprises that touch virtually every strategic sector of the Nigerian economy. His companies have done more than create wealth. They have challenged monopolies, expanded access, created jobs, and strengthened indigenous participation in industries long dominated by foreign interests.

Nowhere is that more evident than in telecommunications.

When Globacom entered Nigeria's telecom market in 2003, mobile communication remained too expensive for many Nigerians. A few operators dominated the industry and consumers had limited options. Adenuga recognized something simple but powerful: telecommunications could not drive national development if ordinary people could not afford to use it.

His introduction of per-second billing changed the game.

Competitors were forced to rethink their pricing models, and millions of Nigerians suddenly gained more affordable access to communication. It was not merely a clever marketing strategy. It reshaped an industry.

But Adenuga was never interested in winning today's battle and ignoring tomorrow's war. Through investments such as the Glo-1 submarine cable and an extensive fiber-optic network, Globacom helped lay the infrastructure for Nigeria's digital future.
More than two decades later, Globacom remains Nigeria's only wholly indigenous telecommunications giant. In a capital-intensive industry dominated by global players, that achievement is both commercial and symbolic. It demonstrates that Nigerian-owned companies can compete at the highest level and win.

His success in oil and gas tells a similar story.

Through Congas and Conoil Producing, Adenuga built one of Nigeria's leading indigenous energy companies in a sector historically controlled by multinational corporations. At a time when many assumed only foreign firms possessed the expertise and financial strength to operate at scale, Conoil proved otherwise.

Long before "local content" became a policy buzzword, Adenuga was already practicing it. His success challenged the notion that world-class energy companies had to come from somewhere else.

His influence extended into banking as well, although that chapter receives far less attention.

Through his early investment in Equitorial Trust Bank, Adenuga supported efforts to expand access to modern financial services during a critical period in Nigeria's economic development. His philosophy was straightforward: people cannot build wealth, grow businesses, or participate fully in the economy if they remain outside the financial system.

That vision outlived the institution itself. Equatorial Trust Bank later became part of Sterling Bank during the banking consolidation era, helping create a stronger institution with wider reach and greater capacity. While often overshadowed by his achievements in telecoms and energy, Adenuga's contribution helped advance financial inclusion and strengthen Nigeria's banking landscape.
Yet his ambitions were never confined to balance sheets and boardrooms.

Across Nigeria's cities, his real estate investments have helped shape the physical spaces where economic activity occurs. Telecom networks may connect people and banks may finance growth, but somebody still has to build the offices, commercial hubs, and developments where that growth happens.

Real estate rarely enjoys the glamour of a telecom revolution or an oil discovery. Innovation gets magazine covers. Buildings get security guards and parking attendants. Yet cities do not grow on headlines. They grow because investors are willing to commit to concrete, steel, and long-term confidence.

Adenuga understood that.

The same logic explains his presence in aviation.

Private jets are easy targets in a country where inequality remains a concern. But managing an enterprise that spans telecom networks, oil assets, banking interests, commercial properties, and multiple markets is not exactly a work-from-home arrangement.
For Adenuga, aviation is less about luxury than efficiency.

It is the difference between waiting and moving, between delay and execution. His aircraft serve as business tools that keep executives, engineers, and decision-makers connected across complex operations.

More importantly, every flight supports an ecosystem of pilots, engineers, maintenance specialists, airport operators, and service providers. In classic Adenuga fashion, what appears at first glance to be a personal asset often turns out to be part of a larger economic machine.

The man buys a plane; an entire value chain clocks in for work.

Perhaps the most revealing aspect of Adenuga's career is that he rarely speaks about national development while consistently investing in it.

His support for football, entertainment, and culture has helped project Nigerian talent beyond the country's borders. Through sponsorships and strategic investments, he has backed not only businesses but also something economists often struggle to quantify: national confidence.

Successful nations export more than products. They export culture, talent, stories, and identity.

Long before "soft power" became fashionable policy language, Adenuga appeared to understand its value. His investments in sports and entertainment have amplified Nigeria's voice globally while creating opportunities for artists, athletes, and creative professionals at home.

Perhaps that perspective comes from his own journey.

Before becoming one of Africa's richest businessmen, Adenuga worked as a taxi driver in New York while pursuing his education. His rise from modest beginnings to the summit of African business has become part of Nigerian entrepreneurial folklore.

Yet the significance of his story is not simply the wealth he accumulated.

Many people make money. Far fewer redefine industries.

What distinguishes Adenuga is his repeated willingness to enter sectors where Nigerians were told they could not compete and then proceed to prove the skeptics spectacularly wrong.

Most business leaders are remembered for the companies they build. A much smaller group are remembered for changing entire industries.

Mike Adenuga belongs firmly in the latter category.

Today, his influence is woven into the fabric of modern Nigerian life. Millions communicate through networks he built. Businesses operate within systems he helped shape. Entire industries became more competitive because he challenged assumptions others accepted as permanent.

Mike Adenuga is more than a billionaire. He is a nation-builder, a disruptor, a patron of culture, and a powerful symbol of indigenous enterprise. His legacy extends far beyond market valuations and rich lists.

The ultimate measure of his contribution may be the idea he has spent decades proving: that Nigerian-owned companies can innovate, compete, and succeed on the global stage.

In a country that has often wrestled with doubts about its own potential, that is no small achievement.
Indeed, it may be his greatest legacy of all.

Dave Agboola is Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly.

By Dimeji Sodeke- Choice, as defined by the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is “the act of choosing between two or more possibilities; something that you can choose.” In governance, however, choice is much heavier than a dictionary definition suggests. Every government is confronted with choices that eventually become realities in the lives of the people who entrusted it with power. Those choices begin long before policies are announced or budgets are presented. They begin with the people a governor chooses to surround himself with as commissioners, special advisers, consultants, and political appointees because the quality of the people sitting around the table will inevitably influence the quality of the decisions made at that table.

The next government of Ogun State will therefore have a choice to make, not only about the kind of investments it wants to pursue, but also about the kind of people it will trust to turn those investments from promises into reality. It will have to decide whether it wants advisers who will tell the governor what he wants to hear or people courageous enough to tell him what he needs to hear; whether it wants administrators who understand the realities of the people or political loyalists whose greatest qualification is proximity to power; whether it wants to govern from the comfort of government offices or understand the state by travelling beyond the familiar roads and into the communities where government often becomes a general idea.

Beyond campaign posters travelling deep into the bush of Eseke Town in Odeda, where schools can barely be found, beyond the faces of candidates flying from one electricity pole to another, beyond the promises printed in glossy colours and the carefully rehearsed speeches delivered from campaign platforms, there is something we must consider.

Let us speak truth to power and lay the blame exactly where it belongs: on the lap of political appointees, commissioners, and special advisers who have chosen personal comfort over public duty. These are the policy architects who sit in air-conditioned offices within the Oke-Mosan secretariat, insulated from the heat, dust, and desperation of the state they were hired to serve. They move through our communities behind heavily tinted SUV glass, escorted by blaring sirens and armed security convoys. To them, Ogun State is merely a network of paved expressways connecting government lodge meetings to corporate banquets. They do not roll down their windows to look into the eyes of the young boy carrying a tray of sachet water through Sango traffic at 10:00 AM, nor do they see the young girl in Ifo whose future is quietly slipping into cross-border smuggling or sex work because her local school has no roof, no desks, and no teachers.

When these advisers sit at executive council tables, they choose to nod in agreement rather than present the grim reality. They deliver polished slide presentations and praise-singing briefs, hiding the fact that while they debate administrative allowances, an entire generation of Ogun youth is being groomed by neglect to become tomorrow’s national security threat. When commissioners and advisers abandon rural schools in places like Odeda, Ipokia, and Ogun Waterside, they are not just neglecting buildings; they are actively manufacturing threats to public safety. When government fails as a gatekeeper to unlock potential through basic education, the vacuum is immediately filled by cult recruiters, drug syndicates, and criminal godfathers.

A child who sits on a bare concrete floor in a roofless classroom quickly learns that society has discarded him. When that child eventually drops out, he does not vanish into thin air. His ambition does not die it mutates. The raw intelligence that could have designed aircraft or managed businesses is redirected into street survival, cross-border smuggling, highway robbery, and cult warfare. By refusing to confront the yawning gap between urban promises and rural neglect, the state’s decision-makers are directly feeding the monster that will tomorrow terrorize our communities.

If the decision-makers in Abeokuta attempt to deflect by claiming these threats are distant, they need only watch the heartbreaking footage by a YouTuber Gangster lungu exposed in a documentary short titled “Homelessness & Housing Crisis in Nigeria”.

Look closely into the video at the small, fragile boy sitting under a damp concrete bridge, his hollow eyes clouded by exposure and hunger instead of the wonder of a classroom. When asked what he ate, he points to a dirty container of leftover dry rice; he has no shoes, no uniform, no books, and his bed is a piece of flattened cardboard on freezing concrete. To survive the cold nights and swarms of mosquitoes under the bridge, he rubs cheap mosquito cream onto his shivering arms.

When asked where his parents are, the silence cuts deeper than the answer would. He speaks casually of watching friends crushed by cars on the expressway while fleeing police raids, or swallowed by hard drugs and violent theft to numb an empty stomach. It is impossible to watch that child without tears welling. But behind those tears must come a chilling realization: that boy is being weaponized by neglect. Every night on concrete hardens his heart against society; every meal scavenged from trash feeds a bitterness against a country that abandoned him. In a few years, he will not be asking for help he will be taking what he believes society owes him, at gunpoint.

The default defense from government apologists will be swift: “That bridge is in Lagos, not Ogun State.” To think that way is to indulge in a dangerous, foolish illusion. Lagos and Ogun are separated by nothing more than an invisible line on a map. Sango-Ota, Ifo, Ojodu-Berger, Mowe, and Ibafo do not exist in isolation; they are fluid, interconnected veins. The child who is forced onto the streets of Lagos under a bridge today is the same young man who walks back into Ogun State tomorrow when the street hardens him into a hardened criminal.

When a child in Ogun drops out of a broken school in Odeda or Ipokia as highlighted also in KIZITO a YouTuber street documentary “The Part Of Ogun State They Don’t Want You to See Inside Sango/Ifo” where does he go? He migrates straight to those bridges. And when the street completely strips him of his humanity, he returns to the border towns of Ogun State as a cultist, an armed robber, or a syndicate enforcer.

Crime knows no state borders. The neglected street child sleeping on cardboard in Lagos today will be the leader of the armed gang breaking through the fortified gates of a suburban Ogun estate tomorrow.

There is a nickname that has followed Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Ishola Adenuga Jr. for decades: the Bull. It is more than a colourful tag attached to one of Nigeria’s most successful businessmen. It has become a fitting metaphor for a career marked by persistence, audacity and an unusual willingness to enter difficult territory.

Perhaps the best way to understand the Bull is to begin with a setback.

In 1999, Adenuga’s company was among those awarded a GSM licence during Nigeria’s first telecommunications licensing process. The licence was subsequently revoked. The setback did not end his interest in telecommunications. He returned to the race, bidding for the Second National Operator licence in 2002 through Globacom. This time, he won. Globacom received the licence and began rolling out services the following year.

That is the first lesson in the story of the Bull: a closed door is not necessarily the end of the road.

On August 29, 2003, Globacom launched its mobile service into a Nigerian telecommunications market that was already being shaped by MTN and Econet. The incumbents had roughly a two-year head start, established infrastructure and experience in the business. Glo was the latecomer.

But Glo arrived late without arriving timidly.

Its most memorable early challenge to the established order was per-second billing. At a time when consumers were largely paying for mobile calls by the minute, Glo introduced billing by the second from its launch. It also pushed down the cost of acquiring a GSM line. The result was a change in the competitive conversation, as rival operators moved to introduce per-second billing options of their own.

The significance of that moment is easy to underestimate today. A new company had entered a market controlled by established players and, rather than simply imitating them, questioned one of the market’s assumptions. Glo did not have the advantage of being first. It found another advantage: the freedom to challenge what everyone else had accepted.

That was the first charge of the Bull.

And it was not an isolated one; Adenuga’s entrepreneurial story had already been shaped by ventures in sectors where persistence mattered. From his early business activities to oil and gas, banking and eventually telecommunications, his career has followed a recurring pattern: identify an opportunity, accept the difficulty and commit to the long game.

That pattern helps explain why Glo’s story cannot be reduced to a clever tariff.

Two industries, two long waits, two calculated charges.

If per-second billing was the Bull’s charge above ground, Glo-1 was the charge beneath it.

Globacom’s investment in the Glo-1 submarine fibre-optic cable represented a much bigger ambition than competing for mobile subscribers. The approximately 9,800-kilometre cable connects Lagos with international landing points including Accra and Bude in the United Kingdom. It entered service in 2010 and gave Globacom direct ownership of an international telecommunications infrastructure asset.

The symbolism is difficult to miss because Glo had first challenged the price of communication. Then it invested in the infrastructure behind communication.

That distinction matters. A company can compete by offering cheaper calls, attractive data packages or promotions. Building international connectivity infrastructure requires thinking beyond the immediate customer and investing in the system on which future communication depends. Globacom’s own description of its network highlights Glo-1 alongside its extensive domestic fibre and microwave infrastructure.

The Bull, then, was not simply charging at the market. He was building beneath it.

Yet there is an intriguing contradiction at the centre of Adenuga’s public image. The scale of his business ambitions has often been matched by the quietness of his personal profile. He has generally avoided the relentless public exposure that accompanies many prominent business figures. His companies, however, have often spoken loudly.

Glo certainly has from the beginning, the brand understood that telecommunications was about more than technology. It was about people, culture and the things people use connectivity to experience. Its long association with football and entertainment helped take the brand beyond the SIM card and into Nigeria’s popular culture. Globacom’s sponsorship of the CAF African Player of the Year Awards, which began in 2005, became one of the company’s most prominent international sporting associations.

That strategy revealed another dimension of the Glo story.

People do not connect merely because they want a network connection. They connect to family, business, entertainment, sport, information and opportunity. In that sense, Glo’s cultural presence reflected the broader purpose of telecommunications: connection is ultimately human.

Twenty-three years in such a demanding industry is also not a record of uninterrupted triumph. Telecommunications has changed dramatically since 2003, bringing smartphones, mobile internet, streaming, digital commerce and increasingly demanding consumers. Operators have had to contend with competition, infrastructure challenges, regulation and the relentless pace of technological change.

Longevity, therefore, should not be confused with perfection.

It should be recognised as resilience.

And resilience may be the most appropriate word with which to return to the Bull.

At 23, Globacom represents more than the survival of a Nigerian telecommunications company. It represents the consequences of entering an established industry and refusing to be defined solely by the advantages of the incumbents. Glo came after the pioneers, but it found ways to make the pioneers respond. It challenged pricing, invested in infrastructure and built a brand that reached beyond the technical business of telecommunications.

That is where Adenuga’s personal story and Glo’s corporate story meet.

The achievement is not simply that a Nigerian businessman became wealthy. Nor is it merely that a company has lasted 23 years. The more interesting achievement is the demonstration of what Nigerian enterprise can attempt when it is willing to think beyond the obvious limits of the moment.

The Bull’s legacy, therefore, should not be reduced to aggression or risk-taking. The more useful metaphor is forward movement.

The Bull charges because standing still is not an option.

When one door closed in telecommunications, Adenuga returned. When Glo entered the market late, it challenged the rules. When competition intensified, the company invested in infrastructure. When telecommunications became increasingly intertwined with culture, Glo expanded its presence beyond the phone.

Three decades have not yet passed, but 23 years have already left their mark.

So this is an ode not merely to a billionaire, and not merely to a telecommunications company. It is an ode to audacity, persistence and the confidence to challenge an established order.

Twenty-three years after Glo entered Nigeria’s telecommunications arena, the market has changed, the technology has changed and the consumer has changed.

But the tracks of the Bull remain.

And perhaps that is the enduring lesson of Glo at 23: sometimes the rules of the market are not walls. Sometimes, they are simply fences waiting for someone bold enough to charge through them.

Prof Tayo Popoola,

Professor, Department of Communication,

University of Lagos.

There is a contradiction sitting quietly at the heart of Ogun State, and it deserves to be spoken about plainly. Ogun is not an ordinary Nigerian state. It carries an educational inheritance that few states in the federation can claim. It is a state whose history is deeply intertwined with the story of education in Nigeria, a place that inherited the intellectual tradition of the old Western Region and the educational philosophy associated with Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Before Ogun State itself was created in 1976, that tradition had already established education as one of the most powerful instruments through which a society could transform its people.

Awolowo's government in the old Western Region introduced free primary education in 1955 and pursued an ambitious expansion of access to education. The significance of that experiment was not simply the number of classrooms constructed or the fees removed. It was the idea behind it: that the mind of a child was worth investing in, and that the progress of society depended upon the quality of people it produced. Ogun inherited that legacy.

The question now is whether we are still treating it as a legacy worth protecting, or whether, somewhere along the way, we have begun to confuse popularity with excellence and visibility with value.

Long before “human capital development” became a familiar phrase in government speeches, the old Western Region had demonstrated what could happen when education was treated as a serious instrument of development. Education was not merely something government provided because it had to be. It was a deliberate investment in the future. That philosophy matters to Ogun because the state did not emerge from nowhere. When it was created from the old Western State in 1976, it inherited a population and institutions shaped by that broader educational tradition.

It is therefore difficult to look at Ogun today without asking what happened to the old reverence for intellectual achievement. We have built universities. We have polytechnics. We have colleges of education. We have schools spread across communities. We have young people graduating every year with degrees, diplomas, certificates and professional qualifications. But what happens after the certificate? What happens to the first-class graduate? What happens to the young researcher whose discovery could solve a problem but who has no funding? What happens to the writer who produces a book of genuine literary value? What happens to the inventor who has an idea but lacks the connections to move it from a notebook into a laboratory?

These questions become more important when we consider what government chooses to celebrate.

Move the clock forward to 2020. Olamilekan Agbelesebioba, popularly known as Laycon, won Big Brother Naija. His victory turned him into a national celebrity almost overnight. Ogun State celebrated him. Governor Dapo Abiodun's administration appointed him a Youth Ambassador and announced a ₦5 million gift and a three-bedroom bungalow for him.

Let me be careful here. This is not an argument against Laycon. He did nothing wrong by winning a reality television competition. He did nothing wrong by accepting the recognition that came with it. Entertainment is an industry. Popular culture is part of modern society. Young people who distinguish themselves in entertainment deserve opportunities and recognition.

But government rewards are never merely private transactions between government and recipient. They send messages. They tell society what matters. They tell young people what kind of achievement can attract the attention of those in power.

And that is where the Laycon story becomes uncomfortable.

Imagine being a young student in Ogun and watching the celebration. You see a young man become famous, and the state responds with a house, money and a public appointment. There is nothing wrong with that. But the same student may also wonder what happens when the achievement is academic, scientific, literary or inventive.

What is the equivalent excitement reserved for the young Ogun indigene who graduates with first-class honours? Where is the public theatre for the researcher whose work could transform agriculture? Where is the state-backed platform for the scientist developing a medical solution? Where is the serious recognition for the author whose book takes Ogun's name beyond Nigeria?

The issue is not that Laycon was rewarded. The issue is what is rewarded with equal seriousness.

There is a danger in a society where recognition follows visibility more easily than it follows value. The young person who becomes famous is easy to notice. The young person who spends three years researching a problem in obscurity is not. The singer has an audience. The researcher may have only a supervisor and a handful of colleagues. The celebrity has social media. The inventor may have a prototype sitting inside a small workshop. The author may have a manuscript that nobody has yet bothered to read.

Yet some of the quietest people in society are working on the things that eventually determine how loudly the rest of us live.

This is why I believe the conversation must move beyond rewarding achievement to rewarding the kinds of achievement that build society. Ogun should not have to choose between entertainment and intellectualism. It should be capable of celebrating both. But if we have limited public resources, attention and symbolic capital, then we must ask ourselves what kind of behaviour we are encouraging. Are we encouraging young people to become famous, or are we encouraging them to become useful? Are we rewarding what attracts the crowd, or are we also rewarding what advances knowledge? Are we celebrating those who are already visible, or are we deliberately searching for the brilliant young people who are still hidden?

These are not the same thing.

A columnist must be honest enough to acknowledge what does not fit his argument. Ogun has not completely abandoned academic excellence. The state has supported scholarships and bursaries, recognised academic laureates and invested in education infrastructure and digital learning. Government budget documents have also identified support for outstanding students and interventions in tertiary institutions among its education priorities. There have also been recent examples of direct academic recognition. In 2026, Governor Abiodun awarded a combined ₦11 million to the best graduating undergraduate and postgraduate students of Babcock University.

These things matter. They should be acknowledged. But acknowledging them does not end the conversation. Because the question is not simply whether Ogun gives money to academically successful people. The question is what scale of recognition, what level of public attention and what institutional support does intellectual excellence receive?

There is a difference between giving a student a reward and building a culture around excellence. One recognises an individual. The other inspires a generation. A cheque presented quietly at a convocation may mean a great deal to the recipient. But a highly publicised government honour can do something else: it can tell thousands of young people watching that this is the kind of achievement their society considers worthy of admiration.

That is why symbolism matters. Government is not only spending money when it gives an award. It is also spending influence.

I write this from a place that is not entirely theoretical. I am an award-winning author. My work has travelled beyond the borders of this state. Yet I have also experienced the frustration of trying to have my literary work recognised within the very environment from which I come.

A book can win recognition elsewhere and still encounter a wall of bureaucracy at home. That contradiction is difficult to explain to a young person. How do you tell a young writer that his society values literature when his own work can be celebrated outside the state but struggle to find institutional recognition within it? How do you tell a researcher that innovation matters when the journey from discovery to institutional support can feel longer than the journey from obscurity to abandonment?

This is not about me. It is about the young people coming after me.

The young writer in a remote community may never have an international publisher. The young scientist may never meet the person who can fund his research. The first-class graduate may never become a social-media sensation. The inventor may never have the opportunity to explain his idea to a government official.

What happens to them? Must they first become famous somewhere else before Ogun discovers that they are valuable?

That is the question I cannot easily dismiss.

The conversation must also return to the state of education itself. Quality education cannot be measured simply by how many schools a government has constructed. A classroom is important. A functioning school is important. Digital infrastructure is important. But education ultimately has to produce people capable of thinking, questioning, creating and solving problems.

The true test of an education system is not only how many students it produces. It is what those students are capable of producing. Can they think independently? Can they conduct research? Can they create? Can they innovate? Can they solve problems that their communities have lived with for decades? Can they turn knowledge into value?

If education is reduced to the pursuit of certificates, then we have missed the point. Ogun's educational legacy deserves more than a celebration during anniversaries and speeches. It deserves a renewed commitment to the quality of the minds being produced.

The lesson is not uniquely Nigerian. South Korea's transformation from post-war poverty into a technology-driven economy was accompanied by sustained investment in education, skills, infrastructure, industry and research. Singapore, with limited natural resources, made education, skills and human capital central to its transformation into a knowledge-intensive economy. Finland built a highly respected and selective teaching profession and placed substantial emphasis on teacher preparation and educational quality.

None of these countries became successful simply because they told their young people to study. They built systems around knowledge. They connected education to economic opportunity. They invested in research. They respected expertise. They created pathways through which talent could become productive.

That is the part Ogun should be looking at. Not the surface. Not the glamour. Not the statistics for the sake of statistics. The system.

Because genius without an ecosystem is often just wasted potential.

This is where the responsibility of the next administration begins. Ogun needs to move beyond occasional gestures and build a deliberate culture of rewarding intellectual excellence.

Why can there not be an annual Ogun Genius Award, an award that recognises scientists, researchers, authors, inventors, teachers, innovators and exceptional graduates—not because they are politically connected, but because their work has demonstrated genuine merit?

Why can there not be an Ogun Innovation Fund, properly structured to give young innovators access to grants, mentorship, laboratories and professional support so that good ideas do not die simply because the people who conceived them lack money or connections?

Why can there not be an Ogun Intellectual Hall of Fame, a public record of the scholars, scientists, writers, educators, researchers and innovators who have contributed to the development of the state and the country?

Why should an Ogun child know the name of every celebrity who has appeared on television but struggle to name an Ogun-born scientist? Why should the state know how to celebrate a person after fame has already found them but struggle to find brilliant young people before the rest of the world does?

This is where leadership matters. A government does not merely administer. It sets priorities. It decides what receives attention. It decides what gets funding. It decides whose achievement becomes a public story. And by doing so, it helps shape the ambitions of an entire generation.

The greatest danger facing Ogun is not that it celebrates entertainers. The danger is that we may gradually create a generation that believes being famous is more important than being excellent.

There is a difference.

Fame is visibility. Excellence is substance. Fame can arrive overnight. Excellence may take decades. Fame can fill a stadium. Excellence can change an industry. And sometimes the person who receives the loudest applause is not the person whose work will matter most when the applause has stopped.

Ogun should understand this better than most places. It comes from a tradition in which education was once considered powerful enough to transform an entire society. That tradition should not become a museum piece.

We should not tell our children that education is important and then show them, through our actions, that popularity is what ultimately receives the grandest rewards. We should not ask a young person to spend years studying science and then make him wonder why society has more excitement for someone who became famous in a few months. We should not tell young writers that books matter while allowing bureaucracy to become the first obstacle they encounter when they try to bring those books into the institutions that should be promoting reading. We should not tell young innovators that Nigeria needs their ideas while leaving them to finance innovation from their pockets.

Ogun does not need to stop celebrating entertainment. It needs to start celebrating intelligence with equal confidence.

It needs to make the scientist visible, the teacher respected, the researcher supported, the writer heard, the inventor funded, the first-class graduate remembered and the brilliant student encouraged.

Because when government rewards something, young people notice. When society celebrates something, young people aspire to it. And if we truly want Ogun to remain a state of intellectual consequence, then the message must be clear: genius is not a side attraction. Innovation is not a luxury. Intellectual excellence is not an afterthought.

They are part of the foundation on which the future of the state must be built.

Ogun has an extraordinary educational inheritance. The question is not whether we inherited it. We did. The question is whether we have been worthy custodians of it.

Because the future of Ogun will not be determined only by the number of houses we build, the number of celebrities we produce, or the number of ceremonies we hold. It will be determined by what happens inside the minds of the young people growing up here; what they are taught to admire, what they are encouraged to pursue, what they believe is worth sacrificing for, and ultimately, what kind of excellence they believe their society is prepared to reward.

Ogun once helped teach Nigeria how to value the mind.

It is time to teach that lesson again.

Not by rewarding mediocrity over genius, but by making genius impossible to ignore.

History remembers leaders not only by the offices they occupied, but by the generations they empowered. Across the world, the greatest political legacies are built around education. Leaders who understood that classrooms are the foundation of nations are remembered long after their political seasons end. In our own history, Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s free primary education revolution in the old Western Region remains proof of what is possible when a government decides that poverty should never determine a child’s access to knowledge.

Today, Ogun, popularly known as the Gateway State, is home to institutions like the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, and the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, and carries that same weight of expectation. Before this Scroll asks what remains undone, it must first record, honestly, what has been done.

What Does the Record Say?
Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration came into office in 2019, inheriting a familiar Nigerian inheritance of ageing school infrastructure, overstretched classrooms, and a teaching workforce in need of urgent reinforcement. In response to this, his government introduced reforms aimed squarely at repositioning the sector, and the numbers behind those reforms are worth putting on the record:

Free education-The administration abolished all fees in public primary, secondary, and technical schools statewide, and cut the cost of a school transfer form from ₦20,000 to ₦5,000 removing a real financial barrier for families who had none to spare.

Classrooms rebuilt– Under the Ogun REHAB Initiative, ageing and dilapidated classrooms have been renovated across the state, with the government also assessing facilities in its 86 flagship secondary schools to guide further infrastructure investment.

Teachers recruited-Through the OgunTEACH programme, the administration has recruited thousands of new teachers into public schools one of the few direct responses to a shortage that has quietly weakened classrooms across Nigeria for a generation.

Merit-based scholarships- The Gbemiga Abiodun Education Support Programme an endowment launched in October 2023 in memory of the Governor’s late son supports learners in public primary and secondary schools, technical colleges, and tertiary institutions, including special needs learners, across Ikenne, Remo North, and Sagamu Local Government Areas. In its first three years it disbursed ₦252 million to 932 beneficiaries, growing from about 550 in 2023 to roughly 900 in 2025. The 2025 cohort also expanded to include 75 students from Ogun’s eight technical colleges, a 25 percent increase over the previous year.

Recognized excellence- One Ogun public school teacher, Solanke Taiwo, recently won a ₦50 million national teaching prize a signal, however small, that quality can still emerge from a public system under strain.

Ogun’s schools now educate a population that matters: the state carries a population of more than four million people, a large share of them school-age, with public and private schools together serving over one million learners across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. These are not small undertakings. A roof that no longer leaks, a desk that did not exist last term, a newly employed teacher standing in front of a class that once had none each of these is a real change in a real child’s daily life, and it would be dishonest to pretend otherwise.

Education is the foundation of development and by that measure, this administration has, at minimum, understood the assignment: that a government which ignores its classrooms mortgages its own future. For this, credit is due. Not blind praise, not political loyalty simply the fairness that any honest record demands.

But a Building Is Not a Lesson
And yet, here the Scroll must turn.

Because access to a school is not the same as access to an education. A newly painted classroom can still hold a child who cannot read. A school with new furniture can still fail to produce a graduate ready for the economy waiting outside its gates. Infrastructure is visible it can be commissioned, photographed, and cut a ribbon for. Learning is invisible it can only be measured in the quiet, slow test of what a child actually knows.

This is the distinction Ogun State’s education story has not yet fully confronted: the difference between the quantity of infrastructure built and the quality of education delivered. A state can renovate a hundred classrooms and still fall short if its teachers are undertrained, its curriculum outdated, and its students taught to pass an exam rather than to think. A single well-resourced, well-taught classroom with a motivated teacher, a relevant curriculum, and a child who leaves able to reason, create, and compete is worth more to Ogun’s future than ten newly painted buildings sitting half-used. This is not a rejection of the infrastructure that has been built. Buildings matter; a child should not learn in the rain. But buildings are the floor, not the ceiling. The real measurement of any education policy was never going to be how many schools were rehabilitated.

Education financing also deserves careful attention. In its 2026 appropriation, Ogun State allocated a significant share of its budget to education, a level many analysts would consider broadly consistent with international education financing benchmarks. However, global guidance promoted by UNESCO and its partners emphasizes not only the amount spent, but also how effectively those resources are invested, recommending that governments aim to allocate about 15–20 percent of public expenditure, or 4–6 percent of GDP, to education. For Ogun, as for many Nigerian states, the real challenge is not merely budgetary allocation but ensuring that every naira translates into better teaching, stronger curriculum delivery, continuous teacher development, adequate learning materials, and measurable improvements in learning outcomes. It is in these investments—the often unglamorous, unphotographable work of improving what a child actually knows that the difference between adequate and exceptional education is made.

The Question Going Forward
Ogun State does not only need leaders who can count classrooms renovated. It needs leaders who can be measured by something harder to photograph: whether a child who passed through an Ogun public school can read confidently, reason independently, and compete anywhere in the world. That is the standard by which this administration and any that follows it should ultimately be judged. Not by how much was built, but by how much was learned.

Politics must be judged by one standard: what it delivers to the people.

By that measure, His Excellency, Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf’s decision to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC, was not only accurate and timely. It was the most patriotic decision he could have made for Kano at this moment.

It was clear NNPP had no future. Kano couldn't wait.

The truth must be told. The New Nigeria People's Party, NNPP, was bedeviled by protracted internal crisis, factionalization, and the absence of a viable national structure. The party had no clear path to relevance at the federal level, and no capacity to attract major investments to Kano.

A governor cannot tie the destiny of 15 million people to a platform with no future. To have remained in NNPP would have condemned Kano to four more years on the sidelines, watching other states access federal projects while we engaged in opposition politics.

Governor Abba saw this early. He chose to put Kano first.

THE FRUITS ARE ALREADY HERE: ₦1.05 TRILLION KANO LIGHT RAIL
The dividends of that bold decision became evident on 30th July, 2026.

Governor Yusuf received a delegation from the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, MOFI, and Mota-Engil Nigeria at the Kano State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, ahead of the groundbreaking of the Kano Light Rail Project, a ₦1.05 trillion project approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

This represents the single largest federal infrastructure investment in Kano in recent history.

The project will transform urban transportation, ease traffic congestion, improve connectivity, and stimulate economic activities across the state. As Governor Yusuf stated, it is a strategic investment that will further strengthen Kano’s position as the commercial hub of Northern Nigeria while providing residents with a modern, safe, and efficient mass transit system.

This did not happen by accident. It happened because Kano now has direct access to the center. Because the Governor can engage the Presidency and federal agencies as a stakeholder, not as an adversary.


WHY THE DEFECTION WAS JUSTIFIED

1. Pragmatism over Sentiment

Governance is about results. NNPP could not deliver federal backing. The APC has, and is already delivering.
2. The Reality of Federalism

In Nigeria, states that align with the federal government get priority attention. Those in perpetual opposition get excuses. Governor Abba chose development over drama.
3. Securing Kano’s Future

With NNPP in crisis, remaining would have further isolated Kano politically and economically at a time when the state needs maximum federal support for infrastructure, security, and commerce.

Critics will talk about party loyalty. But what is the value of loyalty if our people remain in traffic, our businesses suffer, and federal projects continue to bypass our state?

Governor Abba’s defection was timely, strategic, and courageous. It removed Kano from the limitations of NNPP and placed the state at the center of national development.

The ₦1.05 trillion Light Rail is only the first fruit. With this alignment, Kano can expect more projects, more jobs, and greater federal attention.

History will not remember the party he left. History will remember the rail lines, the jobs, and the prosperity he brought to Kano.

Governor Abba made the right call. And Kano is already smiling.

From photography to filmmaking, mentorship and talent development, the creative entrepreneur is redefining opportunities for aspiring Nigerian creators while preparing to unveil a compelling documentary that celebrates untold local stories.

In Nigeria’s rapidly expanding creative economy, talent is everywhere. Opportunities, however, are not. For filmmaker, photographer and creative entrepreneur Ayo Owolabi, closing that gap has become both a mission and a calling.

As the Creative Director of Emerald Floyde and Royal EFANDR, Ayo Owolabi is building more than a production company. He is creating an ecosystem where aspiring filmmakers, photographers, musicians, actors, comedians and digital creators can transform raw talent into professional careers regardless of experience.

Together, their goal is to create a place where people can walk in with nothing but passion and leave with practical skills, professional work and a pathway into the industry.”

A Creative Hub Built Around Possibilities

Unlike conventional production studios, EFANDR combines multiple creative services under one roof.

The facility functions as a production studio, equipment rental centre, talent management platform and practical training academy, allowing creators to access professional resources that would otherwise remain beyond their reach.

“We don’t just rent equipment; we provide solutions. If you have an idea but don’t know where to start, we have the people, the expertise and the facilities to help you bring it to life.”

Beyond production services, EFANDR actively represents creative professionals by connecting actors, editors, photographers, models, producers and content creators with clients seeking their expertise.

From Engineering to Storytelling

Originally trained in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, his career took an unexpected turn after discovering photography, a passion that eventually opened the door to filmmaking.

Determined to refine his craft, he later pursued professional filmmaking studies at the Cape Town School of Photography, South Africa, an experience that broadened his creative perspective and strengthened his technical expertise. 

Telling Stories That Matter

Beyond commercial productions, Owolabi has become increasingly passionate about documentaries that spotlight overlooked communities and celebrate authentic Nigerian stories.

His latest documentary, which is premiering on YouTube, explores the lives of fishermen and market women in a little-known fishing community in Lagos State.

Among his upcoming productions is a short film addressing discrimination against people living with albinism, alongside another documentary chronicling the remarkable street football culture in Abeokuta, where local tournaments attract thousands of passionate supporters. 

Investing in Nigeria’s Creative Future

While filmmaking remains central to his career, Owolabi believes his greatest legacy will be the people he helps develop.

This conviction has inspired the launch of the EFANDR Lagos School of Photography (LGSP) Holiday Creator Bootcamp 2026, an intensive practical training programme designed to equip young Nigerians with industry-ready creative skills.

Holding in August, the bootcamp will offer hands-on training in photography, filmmaking, video editing, graphic design, content creation, artificial intelligence for creators, sound production and other digital media disciplines.

Graduates will receive professional certification, develop industry-standard portfolios, gain valuable networking opportunities, and may also be considered for internship placements within the EFANDR ecosystem. 

Preparing Creatives for Tomorrow

Even as artificial intelligence continues to reshape creative industries worldwide, Owolabi sees innovation as an opportunity rather than a threat.

Instead of resisting technological change, he believes creatives must embrace new tools while strengthening the uniquely human qualities of imagination, storytelling and emotional connection.

His long-term ambition extends beyond commercial success.

He hopes to expand training opportunities for young Nigerians, people living with disabilities and children with Down syndrome, ensuring creative education becomes more inclusive and accessible. 

Creating Opportunities Beyond the Camera

For Owolabi, the true measure of success is not the number of productions completed or awards won, but the lives transformed through creativity.

With a major documentary about to premiere and the Holiday Creator Bootcamp set to welcome a new generation of creatives, Ayo Owolabi is proving that in Nigeria’s creative industry, experience is no longer the only pathway to excellence. Vision, determination and the willingness to learn may be even more valuable.

Nigerian businesswoman and investor Aisha Achimugu (OFR) has publicly appealed for the protection of her life, family, businesses and investments, alleging that she has been subjected to a prolonged campaign of intimidation, reputational damage and rights violations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Speaking in a detailed statement addressed to both local and international media, Achimugu maintained that she is a law-abiding citizen who has spent more than three decades building businesses across Nigeria and abroad, while contributing to employment, philanthropy and economic development.
The accountant and entrepreneur, who is the widow of former Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) Managing Director, the late Engr. Sulaiman Achimugu, said she has invested more than $100 million in Nigeria's oil and gas sector and other industries, insisting that her life's work is now under threat.
Claims of Persecution
Achimugu alleged that for nearly two years she has been subjected to what she described as "systematic oppression, character assassination, intimidation and unlawful seizure of assets" by the EFCC.
According to her, the situation began after investigators linked her and companies within the Felak Group to MBA Forex and Capital Investment. She maintained that neither she nor her companies owned or controlled MBA Forex, explaining that her company's only involvement was a single commercial transaction for which she said all relevant funds had been refunded to the EFCC during the investigation.
She further alleged that despite cooperating with investigators and honouring several invitations from the anti-graft agency, her personal and corporate bank accounts, as well as those of her children, remain frozen.
Allegations of Court Order Violations
The businesswoman also accused the EFCC of disregarding court orders during ongoing litigation, claiming that security operatives raided her residence on two occasions, seized personal belongings, vehicles and valuables, and subjected her family to emotional distress.
She alleged that the agency declared her wanted in March 2025 despite what she described as ongoing communication with investigators regarding her availability to appear before the commission.

Achimugu further claimed that her arrest upon returning to Nigeria in April 2025, subsequent detention and delayed release occurred despite court orders granting her bail.
Economic and Personal Impact
Achimugu said the dispute has had severe consequences on both her businesses and personal life.
According to her, the controversy has resulted in the loss of international banking relationships, disrupted financing opportunities, damaged longstanding business partnerships and created uncertainty around investments exceeding $100 million.
She also claimed the negative publicity has affected her international mobility, including the revocation of a United States visa and complications relating to travel under her Grenadian citizenship.
Beyond the financial implications, she expressed concern for the safety and emotional well-being of her children, parents, employees and business associates, arguing that continued public exposure has placed them at risk.
Appeal to Institutions
Calling for respect for the rule of law, Achimugu urged the National Assembly, the judiciary, security agencies, civil society organisations, human rights groups and the international business community to scrutinise her case objectively.
She said legitimate investors should not face what she described as arbitrary asset seizures or public condemnation without due legal process.
"I remain a proud Nigerian and believe in the country's judicial system," she said, adding that she is prepared to face any lawful investigation conducted in accordance with constitutional provisions.
Call for Due Process
Achimugu stressed that her appeal is not an attempt to evade accountability but a plea for fairness, judicial independence and the protection of fundamental rights.
She concluded by urging authorities to safeguard citizens, encourage investment and uphold the rule of law, warning that continued attacks on legitimate businesses could undermine investor confidence and Nigeria's economic growth.

Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, on Wednesday commissioned the Comrade Godwin Abumisi Pensioners Legacy House, the corporate headquarters of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners in Abuja.

At the event, Gov. Yusuf donated ₦100 million to the Union and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the welfare and dignity of retirees.

“Pensioners’ rewards are mandatory and not a favour to them. Pension is not a privilege but a legitimate entitlement earned through years of faithful service, the Governor said. He added that the true measure of any responsible government lies in how it treats those who devoted their lives to public service.

The President of NUP, Comrade Godwin Abumisi, commended the Governor’s unwavering support for pension reforms. He recalled that Gov. Yusuf was honoured as the Most Pensioners-Friendly Governor of the Year 2024 and described him as the most friendly governor of pensioners in Nigeria today.

Abumisi particularly praised Kano State for settling ₦32 billion out of ₦48.6 billion in inherited gratuity liabilities, describing it as major relief to thousands of pensioners and their families.

Gov. Yusuf also reaffirmed his resolve to clear the remaining pension backlog before the end of his tenure, while sustaining prompt payment of monthly pensions. His administration increased the minimum pension in Kano from ₦5,000 to ₦20,000 to cushion the effect of rising living costs.

In recognition of his performance, the leadership of the pensioners unanimously endorsed Gov. Yusuf for a second term. The President of NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, also commended the Governor for supporting labour unions in Kano and nationwide.

And in the buildup to the 2027 elections, Kano people should vote overwhelmingly for Governor Abba as a payback for his sacrifice for the State in less than 4 years. Good governance deserves continuity, and Kano’s retirees, workers, and families have seen what purposeful leadership can deliver.

As audiences increasingly seek music with meaning, rising artist Arlex popularly known as Arlex Skillz has entered the spotlight with "Does Not Exist," a moving anthem of gratitude streaming on all major digital platforms.[i][/i]

Known for his thoughtful songwriting and authentic sound, Arlex Skillz uses his new release to deliver an inspiring message centered on gratitude, faith, and appreciation for life's blessings. "Does Not Exist" is more than just a song it is an anthem of thanksgiving that resonates with listeners who have overcome challenges and continue to celebrate every victory, no matter how small.

The single reflects the artist's belief that gratitude remains one of the most powerful responses to life's uncertainties. Through heartfelt lyrics and emotive melodies, Arlex Skillz reminds listeners to appreciate the journey, acknowledge divine grace, and remain hopeful despite difficult circumstances.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the song, the singer explains that "Does Not Exist" was born out of personal experiences and a desire to encourage people to focus on blessings rather than limitations.

The track combines compelling songwriting with memorable melodies, creating a sound that appeals to audiences across different musical tastes. Its uplifting message and relatable themes make it a song that listeners can connect with on a personal level.

As a musician and songwriter, Arlex Skillz continues to build a reputation for creating meaningful music that goes beyond entertainment. His artistic approach emphasizes storytelling, emotion, and messages that inspire positive thinking and resilience.

With the release of "Does Not Exist," the artist takes another significant step in his musical journey, positioning himself as a voice of hope and gratitude within the contemporary music scene.

Music lovers and fans can now stream "Does Not Exist" on all digital music platforms, where the song continues to gain attention for its inspiring message and soulful delivery.

As Arlex continues to evolve as an artist, "Does Not Exist" stands as a testament to the power of gratitude, reminding listeners that even in difficult times, there is always something worth celebrating.

"Does Not Exist" is now available on all major digital streaming platforms worldwide.

[url][/url]https://li.sten.to/doesnotexist[url][/url]

Students of the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, have been presented with a unique opportunity to showcase their literary talent following the official launch of the Dimeji Sodeke Literary Contest 1.0.

Organised by The Academia, the competition seeks to inspire creative expression among students through poetry while encouraging reflection on resilience, hope, and the future amid challenging circumstances.

The contest is themed “Dreams in Difficult Times: Hope, Resilience, and the Future We Dare to Imagine,” inviting participants to explore how individuals and communities sustain hope and pursue their aspirations despite hardship and uncertainty.

According to the organisers, the competition is open to all registered FCE Abeokuta students across CUDEP, LASU, NCE, and Degree programmes.

To reward outstanding entries, the organisers have announced attractive prizes for winners. The overall winner will receive a cash prize of ₦120,000, a publishing deal valued at ₦500,000, and a Certificate of Excellence.

The first runner-up will earn ₦70,000, a ₦350,000 publishing deal, and a Certificate of Merit, while the second runner-up will receive ₦50,000, a ₦250,000 publishing deal, and a Certificate of Merit.

The submission window runs from June 16 to July 14, 2026.

Participants are required to submit one original and unpublished poem ranging between 20 and 60 lines. Entries must be typed in Times New Roman font, size 12, with single-line spacing, and submitted in either PDF or Microsoft Word format.

Submissions should be sent via email to tacjeditorialboard@gmail.com with the subject line: “Dimeji Sodeke Literary Contest – Poetry – [Full Name].”

Organisers noted that the initiative is designed not only to celebrate literary creativity but also to provide emerging writers with opportunities for recognition, publication, and professional development.

Interested participants can obtain further information by contacting Joseph on +2347016340238 or Adetutu on +2349038593045.

The contest is expected to attract entries from aspiring poets across the institution as students compete for the coveted prizes and publishing opportunities on offer.

A prominent Second Republic politician, Alhaji Usman Yakubu Wushshi, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of reaching out to some Supreme Court judges to rule against opposition parties in pending cases.

Wushshi made the allegation on Monday in Minna, the Niger State capital, during an exclusive chat with newsmen.

“The instructions were handed down to one of the judges from the Niger Delta to rule against opposition parties,” he claimed, referring to cases involving the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

He said several of the judges are under intense pressure to bend the law and please the Federal Government as directed, although a few believe such actions could damage their reputation for life, especially now that the international community is interested.

Wushshi said the President’s interference in the judiciary has been responsible for the conflicting judgments experienced in the last few years under the present administration, leading to loss of faith in the nation’s judiciary.

He further accused the President of engineering crises in all viable opposition parties. According to him, the said Nafiu Bala, who could barely express himself, is under siege and captivity and “is being used to scuttle the opposition parties.”

He added that a majority of Nigerians have lost hope in the judiciary in recent times, “a fact many in the international community are very concerned about.”

His remarks come amid growing claims that the President is trying to turn Nigeria into a one party state by using the judiciary to weaken opposition parties, in violation of the Electoral Act.

Both the PDP and ADC suits are slated for hearing on April 22. The cases have drawn attention from observers in Nigeria and abroad who view them as a pointer to the direction of the 2027 general elections.

Wushshi further alleged that the INEC Chairman acted under duress. “What the INEC Chairman did was against his conscience, but he was forced to illegally remove the leadership names of the ADC, an action he lacks the power to do,” he said.

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and several legal luminaries, including Femi Falana, SAN; Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN; and a former INEC Legal Director, have also condemned the INEC Chairman’s action of removing David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola’s names from the Commission’s portal, describing it as illegal.

To support his claims, Wushshi cited two viral videos. In one, President Tinubu reportedly said opposition parties should obey court rules while accusing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a leader in the ADC, of attempting to “privatise the party.”

In the other, Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, was seen at the 50th birthday of Hon. Leke Abejide’s wife allegedly instructing Abejide to “remain in the ADC and scatter the party.” Abejide is a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kogi State and is expected to run for the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, the civil society group Alliance for Democratic Rights, ADR, has appealed to the Council of State to call the President to order over alleged interference in opposition party affairs.

ADR cited Section 83 of the Electoral Act, 2022, which states: “No court shall have power to entertain any suit in respect of the internal affairs of a political party.”

“It is not a hidden fact that Section 83 of the Electoral Act stipulates that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain any case that concerns the administration of political parties,” the group said.

Efforts to reach the Presidency, the Supreme Court, and INEC for reaction were unsuccessful as of press time.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Oriental Oil and Gas Services Limited, Noah Ajare, has said that Aliko Dangote’s ongoing plans to expand the capacity of his refinery to 1.4 million barrels per day could accelerate import substitution and strengthen Nigeria’s position as a regional fuel supplier.

Ajare said if realised, the expansion would further anchor production stability and provide lasting relief from costly fuel imports.

He stated this in his paper titled: “Nigeria Sees Production Stability and Import Relief as Downstream Capacity Expands.”

Ajare, who is also the founder of African Energy Academy Limited, said Nigeria’s long-standing dependence on imported refined petroleum products is showing signs of moderation as domestic downstream refining capacity expands.

He said the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Petroleum Refinery has begun to make a measurable dent in fuel imports, particularly petrol and jet fuel.

“Aviation jet fuel supplied by the facility now accounts for roughly two-thirds of Nigeria’s domestic demand, displacing foreign cargoes and reducing exposure to global price swings. Data from January 2025 showed Nigeria’s gasoline imports at about 110,000 barrels per day, the lowest since 2017, driven in part by increased domestic output,” he said.

Ajare noted that the production gains have translated into meaningful import relief.

He cited foreign trade data from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, which showed that Nigeria’s petrol import bill in the first quarter of 2025 declined by 54 per cent compared with the same period in 2024, falling from N3.81 trillion to N1.76 trillion, coinciding with the refinery’s scale-up of supply to the domestic market.

According to him, this sharp drop marks one of the most significant reversals of fuel import costs in recent years and helps ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves previously dominated by refined product purchases.

He noted that domestic supply has not yet fully eliminated Nigeria’s reliance on fuel imports, as structural challenges persist.

“Official figures show that in 2025 imported petrol still accounted for around 62 percent of total consumption, with local production covering the other 38 per cent a significant improvement from near-total import reliance before the refinery’s operation.

“Logistics bottlenecks, crude supply arrangements, and distribution constraints continue to limit how quickly production gains translate into nationwide supply stability,” he explained.

He said many analysts see the shift as a turning point, noting that beyond the immediate foreign exchange savings, the growth in domestic refining supports broader macroeconomic stability by shortening supply chains and improving energy security.

A disturbing trend has emerged in Nigeria's observance of International Women's Day (IWD), with most organisations preparing for events using a theme set by a London-based marketing company, rather than the United Nations, according to Oluwatosin Areo, Team Lead of Africa Rural Educational Outreach (AREO) at the African Child's Education and Development Network (ACEDEN).

ACEDEN is a non-governmental organisation working across African countries to advance education and child development in alignment with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Areo, who is also Co-Founder of Nesta Coworkspace and a marketing and communications leader with cross-sector experience in technology, institutional strategy, and social impact, expressed concern over the trend.

The disconnect centres on two competing IWD themes: UN Women's "Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls" and (link unavailable)'s "Give to Gain", operated by Aurora Ventures, a private London marketing firm. While UN Women's theme focuses on global policy and the Sustainable Development Goals, the commercial website's theme is geared towards driving merchandise sales.

UN Women has publicly distanced itself from the commercial website, and experts warn that Nigerian organisations are unknowingly choosing between a framework for systems change and one for profit. "One framework is designed to drive systems change, and the other is designed to drive merchandise sales. Organisations are choosing between them without knowing there is a choice to make," Areo said.

Nigeria's gender equity indicators give context to the stakes. The country ranks 124th out of 148 nations on the World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Gender Gap Index, and last in Sub-Saharan Africa for women's parliamentary representation, with women holding just 4.3% of legislative seats. The country also has 7.6 million out-of-school girls, and women's ministerial representation fell from 17.6% to 8.8% between 2024 and 2025.

ACEDEN calls on Nigerian organisations to verify IWD theme sources and align with UN Women's framework, accompanied by internal accountability and transparent reporting on women's representation and pay equity. The organisation also urges organisations to go beyond symbolic celebrations and implement meaningful policies and initiatives to address Nigeria's significant gender gaps.

The World Economic Forum projects the global gender gap will take 123 years to close at the current rate of progress, making it imperative for Nigerian organisations to take concrete actions to support gender balance and equality.

The African Child’s Education and Development Network (ACEDEN) has celebrated a major milestone following the international recognition of its Project Lead and Co-Founder, Dimeji Sodeke, in the United Kingdom, a development the organization says reflects its growing global impact.

Sodeke, a writer, creative leader, and youth advocate, received the award in recognition of his longstanding commitment to education, youth development, and purpose-driven leadership. The honour marks a significant personal achievement and, according to ACEDEN, highlights the increasing international visibility of its work beyond Nigeria.

Founded on the belief that meaningful change in society begins with empowered young people, ACEDEN focuses on education, creativity, and holistic development. Through initiatives such as creative competitions, youth engagement programmes, and advocacy for purpose-focused growth, the organization provides platforms that enable children and young people to discover their potential and develop their voices.

ACEDEN described Sodeke’s recognition on the global stage as a reflection of values deeply embedded in the organization's mission nurturing excellence, fostering purpose, and creating opportunities for young people to shape their futures.

The organization also noted that the honour underscores how impact transcends geographical boundaries, with its work resonating both within Nigeria and across the diaspora. Leadership recognition abroad, ACEDEN said, reinforces the relevance of its programmes and the universality of its goals.

While celebrating the achievement, ACEDEN reaffirmed its commitment to expanding opportunities for young people and building sustainable pathways for development wherever its work reaches.
The organisation is also calling for greater collaboration from individuals, educators, partners, and supporters locally and internationally to strengthen its initiatives and extend its reach to more communities.

ACEDEN continues to position itself as a platform for purposeful development, with a focus on empowering the next generation through education, creativity, and long-term impact.

Sodeke’s recognition, the organization says, is not only a celebration of past efforts but also a reminder that its vision remains global and its mission ongoing.

To the Custodians of the Kalakuta Legacy, first, my heartiest congratulations on the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed upon the legendary Abami Eda. However, let us be clear on the optics: this award does not, in any way, "honor" Fela. Rather than recognizing the man who birthed a global movement, the Grammys have finally managed to honor themselves. It took the Recording Academy decades to catch up to the shrine's rhythm, proving that while the world eventually bows to genius, the genius never needed the world’s validation to begin with.

Yet, this moment calls for more than just a celebration of a trophy from across the Atlantic. It is time to evolve. We must transition the yearly Felabration into the Felab Pan-African & Music Awards. We need an institution that does not just "equate" but surpasses the Nobel Prize and the Grammys in local relevance. Africa needs a stage that rewards and projects our raw, unapologetic sounds—Fuji, Apala, Soukous, Makossa, Bongo Flava, among many others—ensuring their survival and patronage. Fela did not wear lace and silk to be "accepted"; he wore his skin and his truth. We must create a platform that protects our heritage from being diluted by foreign standards.

We must recognize that Africa is a different terrain. Our philosophy is Ubuntu—"I am because we are." We are increasingly disgusted by the imported culture of hip-hop "diss" tracks and manufactured beefs. We don't want to see a Seun Kuti vs. Wizkid rancour, or Davido pitted against Burna Boy, or the petty squabbles of Kizz Daniel and Tekno. This is a pale imitation of the tragic Tupac and Biggie era—a culture of death we should not replicate. Fela’s standard was unwavering focus on the liberation of the people. He didn't have time to beef with musicians; he was too busy fighting the soldiers at his gate. The modern African artist must return to raising the consciousness of the masses for accountability and good governance.

The Felab Awards should be the catalyst to reawaken Fela’s Movement of the People across the continent. This isn't just about melody; it's about moxie. Imagine partnership and awards given to icons of African resistance like Julius Malema, Bobi Wine, and Prof. PLO Lumumba. It should bridge the gap between art and activism, celebrating those who use their platforms as shields for the oppressed.

Furthermore, let this not be restricted to the dancefloor. The Felab institution must encompass literature, cinema, and student activism. We must adequately reward student bodies and individuals who align with the resistance against oppression. We need to kill the current "Celeb" sham—that hollow, materialistic, and shallow existence—and replace it with the ideology of the "Felabrity." Our youths should aspire to be Felabrities: individuals whose fame is rooted in substance and defiance, rather than the frivolous pursuit of "likes" and designer labels while their country burns.

As for the physical manifestation of this honor, the plague—the award itself—must be designed in the iconic image of Fela’s famous posture: two fists raised high in the air. A symbol of power, unity, and the refusal to break.

The ripple effect of this shift would be monumental. In a society currently rotting from decadence and a lack of direction, Felab would channel the explosive energy of our youth toward positivity and civic pride. Fela committed "class suicide"—he left the comfort of his privileged background to become the voice of the common man. This award must reflect that. It cannot be an elitist black-tie gala behind closed doors; it must be the one place where the street and the suite meet in balanced representation. It must be the home of hope and dignity.

If we do this, we move from being mere entertainers to being architects of a new African reality. But as we celebrate this Grammy, I leave you with these questions to ponder:

If Abami Eda were alive today, would he be truly happy to be celebrated in a foreign land, or would he be more satisfied seeing his own soil bear the fruit of his sacrifice?

And to you, the reader: Are you a mere celebrity, or are you a Felabrity?

Yours Felab,

Dimeji Sodeke

Calls for Presidential Intervention[i][/i]

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has condemned what it described as an alleged abuse of police power in an attempt to forcibly take over properties belonging to the late Sir Lucky Omoluwa, Chairman of Pinnacle Communication Nigeria Limited.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NANS expressed concern over reports that officers attached to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Team allegedly invaded the company’s premises at No. 4 Charles de Gaulle Street, Asokoro, Abuja, on Friday, January 16, 2026, between 6:00pm and 6:30pm, and again on Saturday, January 17, 2026.

According to the student body, the officers were said to be acting on the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, in a bid to enforce a disputed court order despite the existence of a pending appeal at the Federal High Court, Abuja, scheduled for hearing on January 28, 2026, alongside an application for stay of execution.
NANS described the action as provocative, unlawful, and a clear disregard for due process, stressing that court appeals and pending stays of execution are binding legal safeguards that must be respected. The association warned that enforcing court orders under such circumstances undermines the rule of law and public confidence in state institutions.

The statement further alleged a disturbing collaboration between some police operatives and Mr. Dipo Onifade, a former Company Secretary of Pinnacle Communication Nigeria Limited, who reportedly resigned following the death of Sir Lucky Omoluwa. NANS noted that Mr. Onifade had previously been arrested and charged in Lagos over alleged impersonation of the company and has since been laying claims to the company’s properties without presenting any valid legal documentation.

Questioning the legality of the claims, NANS asked how a former company secretary could assert ownership over the estate of a deceased businessman while the wife and children of the deceased are still alive. The association insisted that any claim to ownership must be backed by verifiable legal documents, warning that anything short of that amounts to attempted criminal dispossession.

The association also raised alarm over reports that on the night of Friday, January 16, police officers allegedly attempted to scale the fence of the property under the cover of darkness, an action said to have been prevented by the presence of Civil Defence operatives and other police officers lawfully guarding the premises. A similar attempt was reportedly made the following day but was peacefully resisted by civil society members led by Comrade Godwin Erheriene under the Global Gender Safety and Moral Development platform.

NANS condemned what it described as the weaponization of state institutions to intimidate widows, children, and lawful stakeholders, stressing that such actions amount to institutional injustice rather than legitimate law enforcement.

The student body called for the immediate withdrawal of all police operatives from the property, strict adherence to the rule of law, and an independent investigation into the activities of the IGP Monitoring Team and other officers involved in the incident. It also demanded that the Nigeria Police Force disengage from any private individual or interest seeking unlawful possession of the late Sir Lucky Omoluwa’s properties.

NANS further appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene by calling the Inspector General of Police to order, recalling that in September 2025, the IGP publicly warned police officers to steer clear of land disputes and civil matters. The association questioned why the police appear to be acting contrary to that directive in this case.

The group also urged the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organisations, human rights groups, the media, and well-meaning Nigerians to speak out against what it described as a dangerous precedent that could threaten the rights of ordinary citizens.

“Nigeria must not become a country where power overrides law and force replaces justice,” the statement said, adding that NANS would continue to resist injustice through peaceful and lawful means.

Signed:
Comrade Anzaku Shedrack Ovye, Secretary General, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

The Blue Fountain Estate Homeowners and Residents Association (BFEHORA) has raised serious concerns over what it described as a worsening relationship between residents of Blue Fountain Estate and the estate’s developer, Blue Fountain Properties Ltd (BFPL).

In a statement issued on behalf of homeowners and residents, BFEHORA said it was compelled to place on public record what it termed an increasingly troubling situation within the estate, also known as EFAB Metropolis Estate, located in Karsana.

BFEHORA identified itself as the sole legitimate and duly incorporated body representing the interests of homeowners and residents of the estate. According to the association, its engagement with the developer has deteriorated significantly, giving rise to concerns over safety, governance, and compliance with agreed contractual and regulatory standards.

The association alleged that the current state of affairs is marked by a systemic breakdown of law and order within the estate, which it attributed to the actions and conduct of the developer. BFEHORA accused Blue Fountain Properties Ltd an associated company of Efab Properties Limited of engaging in practices that undermine the rights and welfare of residents.

Among the issues raised were what the association described as flagrant breaches of contract, lack of financial transparency, and the illegal conversion of public infrastructure within the estate. BFEHORA further alleged that these actions have negatively affected the orderly management of the estate and eroded trust between residents and the developer.

More critically, the association said the situation has escalated beyond administrative disputes, citing direct threats to the lives and safety of residents. It warned that the ongoing tensions have created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty within the community, prompting residents to demand urgent attention from relevant authorities.

“The situation has given residents grave concerns,” the association stated, noting that homeowners have become increasingly alarmed by what they perceive as unchecked actions by the developer and the absence of effective safeguards to protect residents’ interests.

BFEHORA said it has made repeated efforts to engage the developer through established channels but claimed that these efforts have failed to resolve the underlying issues. As a result, the association said it was necessary to bring the matter into the public domain to seek accountability and corrective action.

The association emphasized that its actions were motivated by the need to protect the collective interests of homeowners and residents, ensure compliance with contractual obligations, and restore lawful and transparent management of the estate.

BFEHORA also called on relevant government authorities and regulatory agencies to intervene, investigate the allegations, and take appropriate steps to prevent further deterioration of conditions within the estate. According to the association, such intervention is necessary to safeguard public infrastructure, protect residents, and restore order.

As of the time of filing this report, Blue Fountain Properties Ltd had not issued a public response to the allegations.

CBI Digital Media, the parent company of CBI News, has officially launched the CBI News Mobile App, a cutting-edge digital platform designed to revolutionize the way news and information are created, shared, and experienced.

Speaking at the launch event held at the Lagos Marriott Hotel, Mr. Gbenga Adebija, Managing Director of CBI Digital Media, emphasized the company’s vision to be at the forefront of Africa’s digital media transformation, telling authentic African stories with credibility, creativity, and global relevance.

The CBI News App is a bold step in expanding the company’s reach and deepening engagement with audiences across Nigeria, Africa, and the world. The app is designed to provide timely, reliable, and balanced news coverage that captures the heartbeat of the continent.

According to Mr. Adebija, the app is more than just a digital product, it’s a movement – a platform for empowerment, engagement, and enlightenment. He emphasized that CBI Digital Media is poised to unveil an array of groundbreaking initiatives, each meticulously crafted to redefine the media landscape.

The launch of the CBI News App is a testament to the company’s commitment to innovation, integrity, and impact. The event was attended by distinguished guests, partners, and stakeholders, including representatives from the Bank of Industry, Polaris Bank, and Fidelity Bank, among others.

CBI Digital Media’s Founder & Group Chief Executive, Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe, has been instrumental in driving the company’s vision to own Africa’s narrative and shape its brand identity. The company’s operating philosophy, “Changing the Game, Owning the Space,” reflects its commitment to setting new standards in the media and technology space.

Meanwhile, in his own speech the founder, Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe emphasise that CBI News, as a digital-first platform is poised to redefine news consumption and storytelling across the continent and globally.

He states that “the vision for CBI News transcends mere profit, rooted instead in a powerful purpose: “To give Africa the power to tell its story without filters. To show the world that our voices deserve global rooms. To build a platform where data, fact-checking, and technology coexist with storytelling.” He emotionally highlighted a commitment to empowering young, passionate journalists who seek to tell the truth, often against commercial pressures.

The Founder concluded with a powerful call to action: “The world does not change when we speak. The world changes when truth speaks – through us.”

The CBI News App is now readily available for download on both iOS and Android platforms, offering users comprehensive access to a diverse range of news content, including politics, business, entertainment, and sports.

In a bid to strengthen gender equality and inclusive governance across the continent, the Africa Leadership Foundation (ALF) launched the first-ever Pan-African platform dedicated to advancing gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) and inclusive fiscal policies called the African Gender Budgeting Network (AGEBUN).

African Gender Budgeting Network (AGEBUN) was initiated by the Africa Leadership Foundation in response to the outcomes of its previous gender programmes, which emphasized the critical need for a sustained platform that connects practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and advocates beyond one-off engagements. The importance of such a platform was further reiterated by gender machineries during the June 2025 Regional Advocacy Workshop on Gender-Responsive Budgeting, organised by the ALF, which was attended by over 600 gender machineries, advocates, gender equality experts, and enthusiasts from across 31 African countries.

The network was then launched on the 17th September 2025, and was convened by ALF in partnership with UN Women, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Union Commission’s Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (AUC WGYD), and Oxfam in Africa (OiA). It marked a significant milestone in Africa’s ongoing efforts to institutionalise gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) as a standard practice within national and regional fiscal systems.

Delivering the opening session at the launch, Dr Olumide Ajayi, the Executive Director of the Africa Leadership Foundation, reaffirmed ALF’s leadership and vision in driving the initiative.

“Gender-responsive budgeting is not new to Africa, but it remains underutilised due to limited knowledge, weak capacity, and widespread misconceptions. AGEBUN was established to bridge these gaps through knowledge sharing, peer learning, and coordinated advocacy, connecting practitioners, advocates, and stakeholders with the tools and resources needed to make fiscal systems truly inclusive,” he said.

The launch featured remarks and commitments from high-level representatives, including Mr Paul Vingi, Interim Gender Justice Lead, Oxfam in Africa; Mme. Cleopatra Hurungo, Regional Advisor and Gender Team Leader, UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa; Mme. Keiso Matashane-Marite, Chief of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, UNECA (represented by Mme. Judith Beatrice Auma Oduol); Mme. Prudence Ngwenya, Director of the AUC’s Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (represented by Ms Ilwad Elmi Mohammed), and Madame Doris Mpoumpou, Special Representative of UN Women to the African Union.

In a defining moment, Madame Doris Mpoumpou officially inaugurated the African Gender Budgeting Network (AGEBUN) on behalf of UN Women. She applauded ALF for its leadership in conceptualising and coordinating the initiative, noting that:
“Budgets are not just technical tools, but they are political statements that reflect what societies value. AGEBUN provides the platform to ensure our fiscal choices truly represent the priorities of women, men, and youth across Africa.”

Findings from the Africa Gender Index 2023 Analytical Report, developed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the UNECA, highlight why AGEBUN’s creation is timely. The report shows that women’s economic parity in Africa declined from 61% in 2019 to 58.2% in 2023, reflecting widening gaps in employment, income, and access to productive resources. It calls on African governments to invest intentionally in women and girls through evidence-based, gender-responsive budgeting, noting that inclusive growth and sustainable development cannot be achieved without gender equality at the centre of fiscal policy.

The establishment of AGEBUN also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 on Gender Equality and SDG 16 on inclusive institutions, and with Agenda 2063’s Aspiration 6 and Goal 17, which call for full gender equality and women’s empowerment in Africa’s transformation. Since its launch, AGEBUN has attracted over 250 registered members from 32 sub-Saharan African countries, creating a vibrant community of practitioners, policymakers, and advocates. The network will continue to serve as an advocacy hub, knowledge-sharing platform, and collaborative space for strengthening GRB implementation and policy reform across the continent.

With ALF’s leadership and the continued collaboration of UN Women, UNDP, UNECA, the AUC WGYD, Oxfam in Africa, and other development partners, AGEBUN is poised to become a cornerstone in shaping Africa’s fiscal policies to ensure that every budget reflects the realities and priorities of all Africans.

AFRICAST 2025, Africa's premier event for broadcasting, media, and technology, scheduled to kick off on October 20, 2025, at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Ikeja, Lagos. Organized by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), this five-day extravaganza promises to be a melting pot of creativity, technology, and innovation shaping the future of African media.

This year's theme, "Navigating the Digital Surge: Building a Resilient African Media Ecosystem for the Future," brings together global and continental leaders to explore ways to strengthen Africa's media industry in a rapidly changing digital world.

The event will feature a jam-packed program, including keynote addresses, presentations, masterclasses, and panel discussions.

The event will commence with a networking lunch, designed to facilitate interactions and partnerships among attendees. A keynote address by a representative from the Ministry of Information will set the tone for the conference.

Other highlights of the event include presentations on government policies affecting the broadcast industry, emerging technologies, and innovations in broadcasting, as well as masterclasses on broadcasting in the new age and AI-generated content.

The Director General of the NBC, Dr. Charles Ebuebu, emphasized that "Africast 2025 represents a defining moment for African media. As we navigate the digital surge, our focus is on collaboration, innovation, and empowerment." The event aims to provide a platform for media leaders, innovators, and storytellers to share ideas and shape the future of African media.

Registration is now open, and interested participants can visit www.africastexpo.com to secure their spot. Exhibition booths are also available for organizations looking to showcase their products and services.

AFRICAST is Africa's leading event for broadcasting, media, and technology, organized by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). Held every two years, it brings together media professionals, innovators, and storytellers to share ideas and shape the future of African media. With its rich history of connecting media leaders and influencing policy across the continent, AFRICAST 2025 promises to be an unforgettable experience.

The National Association of Okun Lawyers (NAOL) has extended its heartfelt congratulations to Professor Joshua Amupitan, SAN, on his appointment as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a congratulatory letter signed by Noah Ajare, President and National Coordinator of NAOL, the association described the appointment as a moment of great pride and celebration, not only for the people of Okunland and Kogi State but for the entire Nigerian legal community.

The letter highlighted Professor Amupitan's distinguished record of scholarship, integrity, and leadership, citing his remarkable journey from a young lecturer at the University of Jos to becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dean of the Faculty of Law, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), and Pro-Chancellor of Joseph Ayo Babalola University.

NAOL noted that Professor Amupitan's appointment comes at a defining moment for Nigeria's democracy, when transparency, trust, and institutional independence must be strengthened. The association expressed confidence that his wealth of experience in law, public administration, and corporate governance will bring renewed integrity and credibility to INEC's operations.

The association prayed that God grants Professor Amupitan wisdom, strength, and courage as he takes on the important assignment, and hopes that his leadership at INEC will restore hope, strengthen democracy, and further elevate the standard of public trust in national institutions.

Professor Amupitan's appointment has been hailed as a recognition of his commitment to knowledge and service, and his story continues to inspire lawyers and a new generation of Nigerians who believe that merit and integrity still matter in public service.

The Organizing Committee of the 4th Edition of the International African Energy, Oil and Gas Summit (IAEOG) Namibia 2025, we wish to express our sincere gratitude to all delegates, speakers, partners, and participants who joined us under the powerful theme, “Getting It Right.”

Your presence and contributions were truly invaluable to the success of this year’s summit. Together, we explored how Africa can chart a balanced, inclusive, and sustainable energy future — one that harnesses our abundant resources while embracing innovation, transparency, and collaboration.

The conversations were deep, the debates were inspiring, and the commitments shared reflected a shared conviction that Africa’s time is now. From policymakers to industry leaders, from youth innovators to investors, every voice added meaning to our collective pursuit of getting Africa’s energy story right — not just for growth, but for generations to come.

We are especially grateful to His Excellency, Mallam Dikko Umar Radda, Executive Governor of Katsina State, for delivering the Keynote Address, which set the tone for the summit’s rich and forward-looking dialogue.

Our heartfelt appreciation also goes to our sponsors and partners, particularly the Government of Namibia, NNPC Shipping Limited, Green Energy International Limited, and several others whose unwavering support, collaboration, and belief in Africa’s energy future made this event possible.

As we move forward, the insights gained here in Namibia will continue to guide ongoing partnerships, research, and investments across the continent. The summit may have ended, but the mission continues — to build an Africa powered by responsibility, technology, and unity of purpose.

We look forward to welcoming you again at the 5th Edition of IAEOG 2026, where we will build on this momentum and measure how far we have come in getting it right.

Thank you for being part of this remarkable journey.

Together, we are powering Africa’s future and getting it right, one summit at a time.

Hon Justice Suleiman Galadima JSC rtd OFR CFR
Chairman African Peace Organisation

The African Peace Organisation (APO) extends its warmest congratulations to Green Energy International Limited (GEIL) on the successful commissioning of the Otakikpo Crude Oil Export Terminal — a landmark achievement and a truly historic milestone in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

This remarkable accomplishment, commissioned by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, marks the dawn of a new chapter in Nigeria’s upstream sector. It signifies not only the establishment of a new onshore export terminal after more than fifty years, but also a proud demonstration of indigenous capacity, creativity, and resilience. GEIL has shown the world what is possible when vision, innovation, and national purpose come together under purposeful leadership.

The Otakikpo Terminal stands as a symbol of self-reliance and industrial transformation, unlocking access for previously stranded fields, expanding export capacity, and reaffirming Nigeria’s leadership in Africa’s growing energy landscape. It embodies the spirit of renewed hope — a message that the future of Africa’s energy must be defined, driven, and sustained by Africans themselves.

We commend the foresight and leadership of Professor Anthony Adegbulugbe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Green Energy International Limited. His passion for excellence and belief in local talent have set a new benchmark for indigenous participation in the oil and gas value chain. This project does not only fuel Nigeria’s energy future but also inspires a new generation of Africans to believe in their own capacity to deliver world-class solutions on African soil.

As a continental body committed to peace, sustainable development, and shared prosperity, the African Peace Organisation recognizes that lasting peace thrives where progress, empowerment, and innovation flourish. GEIL’s success reflects this truth — advancing not just energy development, but the confidence and pride of a nation and a continent.

The African Peace Organisation is also eternally grateful for Green Energy International Limited’s continued sponsorship and unwavering support for the International African Energy, Oil and Gas Summit (IAEOG). Your partnership and commitment have played a vital role in sustaining meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and investment across Africa’s energy ecosystem.

Once again, we congratulate Green Energy International Limited for this extraordinary achievement. May this milestone continue to inspire innovation, indigenous excellence, and continental collaboration as Africa moves toward a brighter energy future.

Congratulations once more — and may Nigeria, and indeed Africa, continue to get it right.

Signed,
Noah Ajare
Founder
African Peace Organisation (APO)
Abuja, Nigeria

The International African Energy, Oil and Gas Summit (IAEOGS) is set to return for its fourth edition from October 6–9, 2025, in Windhoek, promising to spotlight unprecedented investment opportunities in Africa’s fast-growing energy sector.

Organizers say the summit, endorsed by the Nigerian Ministry of Petroleum and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, among others, will unite global financiers, project developers, policymakers, and industry leaders to shape the future of Africa’s energy landscape.

This year’s theme, “Getting it Right,” reflects the urgency to transform Africa’s vast natural resources into engines of socio-economic growth, poverty alleviation, and energy access. According to Hon. Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd.), Chairman of APM, “IAEOGS 2025 will be bigger and better as we bring together industry leaders and foster collaboration for a more resilient African energy landscape.”

The summit will feature high-level panel discussions, exhibitions, investment showcases, an African Energy Excellence Awards ceremony, a presidential dinner, and a charity golf tournament at the prestigious Windhoek Golf & Country Club. Entertainment highlights include an Energy Concert and cultural tours.

Namibia, which has emerged as one of Africa’s most promising frontiers following offshore oil discoveries by Shell, TotalEnergies, and Galp, is expected to attract strong investor attention. TotalEnergies has already set its sights on a final investment decision for its Venus discovery by 2026, while Galp continues developing its Mopane field.

In 2024 alone, Africa’s energy sector secured over $120 billion in investments, with $75 billion directed to oil and gas. Local players are also taking center stage, with indigenous firms now controlling 35% of operations across Africa, a leap from just 20% a decade ago. Nigeria, in particular, has seen local operators ramp up output to more than 50% of national production.

With 1,000 delegates, 250 exhibitors, 200 speakers, and participation from over 45 countries, IAEOGS 2025 is projected to facilitate more than $1 billion in deals. Delegates can expect B2B and B2G meetings, sector-focused panels, and access to financing facilities.

Green Energy International Ltd., a rising Nigerian firm that recently launched the country’s first indigenous onshore crude export terminal, is the summit’s Gold Sponsor.

Early-bird registration is open until August 30, 2025. Namibian companies benefit from a 50% discount to encourage local participation.

For details, visit www.iaeogs.com
or contact Sandra Chia at info@iaeogs.com
| +44 7407 399 766.

Dream Rite, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational support and mentorship to Nigerian youth, celebrates its 10th anniversary in Lagos.

The gathering brought together students, parents, mentors, partners, and volunteers to reflect on the organization’s decade-long journey and renew their commitment to its mission.

In the last 10 years, Dream Rite has impacted more than 10,000 Nigerians, providing direct academic and career support to nearly 2,500 students through mentorship, structured programs, and scholarships.

Read More: https://itrybe.com/from-classrooms-to-careers-dream-rite-celebrates-a-decade-of-changing-young-nigerian-lives/

The leading governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi (DAO), has announced a 20-slot full scholarship for the best graduating students of Abolarin College, Oke Ila, to study in any federal tertiary institution in Nigeria.

Dr. Ogunbiyi made the pronouncement today Monday during a visit to the palace of the revered monarch of Oke Ila, Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin, Orangun of Oke-Ila Kingdom who also serves as the proprietor of Abolarin College.

The visit formed part of his consultation tour to party chieftains and ward executives in the Ifedayo area, where he also sought royal blessings for his 2026 governorship ambition.

Speaking at the palace of Oke Ila, Dr. Ogunbiyi emphasized that “power is all about development” and reiterated his commitment to using political leadership as a platform for inclusive policies that uplift humanity. He commended the monarch for his commitment to raising future leaders through quality education, noting that such visionary initiatives deserve robust support.

According to him, the scholarship will be funded through the Arubiewe Educational Foundation, which has been running similar programs for years. Only a few weeks earlier, Dr. Ogunbiyi had extended a similar gesture to the best graduating students of Lanreleke Sports Academy, Ileogbo. He stressed that education remains a critical solution to addressing societal challenges and reducing social vices.

In his remarks, the monarch expressed deep appreciation for Dr. Ogunbiyi’s philanthropic gesture, describing him as “a humble and silent philanthropist who has positively impacted many lives.” The monarch prayed for the success of his political aspirations and urged other leaders to emulate his example.

The Hindsight Development Organisation, a non-governmental, non profit youth based organisation , is dedicated to raising a new generation of African leaders in all spheres of life. As part of its initiatives, is set to hold its 2025 Teens Vacation Leadership Program this August in Lagos.

For twenty years now and still counting, the organisation focuses on equipping children, teenagers, and young adults with core leadership values and practical skills. Through school-based leadership clubs in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions across Nigeria, Hindsight works to instil character, self-awareness, and civic responsibility in young people.

Guided by its mission to transform Nigeria, subsequently.the African continent into a society rooted in equity, quality education, and sustainable livelihoods, The Hindsight combines education, social transformation, and empowerment in its programming.

The upcoming Vacation Leadership Program, themed LEADYOUNG, reflects this mission by offering a hands-on leadership development experience for teenagers and pre-teens aged 10 to 18.

Scheduled to run from August 11 to 22, 2025, the program will take place on the Lagos Mainland, with both online and physical participation options available.

Designed as an immersive learning environment, LEADYOUNG will engage participants in interactive workshops, real-world challenges, and mentorship sessions that promote confidence, communication, teamwork, and emotional intelligence.

The program will prioritise personal growth, helping young people build self-awareness and resilience while learning to collaborate and think critically.

Group activities and practical leadership exercises will simulate real-life scenarios, allowing participants to develop problem-solving abilities and explore the dynamics of effective leadership.

The programme is expected to attract teenagers from diverse backgrounds, reflecting Hindsight’s broader vision of inclusive progress and opportunity for all.

Parents and guardians interested in enrolling their children can register via https:///TeensLEAD. For further enquiries, contact 08098555728 or email thehindsightng@gmail.com.