₦airaland Forum

MrGerald:
Is Dangote surname from mother side or father side? But confused

MATCHDAY 🦅🇳🇬

It’s the Jollof Derby as we take on our West African sisters, Ghana, in a behind-closed-doors friendly, our final tune-up before WAFCON 2024 kicks off!

No broadcast for tactical reasons, but we’ll keep you posted with key updates and the full-time result.

One last battle before the big stage, let’s finish strong.

The solution fun City Awka

by Ebuka Nwankwo
June 28, 2025

Today, the biggest combination of an amusement park and water park in the south east – and, as it were, in Nigeria – will be opened to the public and its customers with a mega fiesta, which will feature music maestros and entertainers such as Flavour, Umu Obiligbo, Jeriq, Apete and the likes. This complex, also known as ‘Solution Fun City’, was commissioned last month by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The 12.7 hectares Solution Fun City competes with the likes of Hi-Impact Planet in Ogun State and Giwa Gardens Water Park in Lagos. The Solution Fun City has features such as roller coaster, Ferris Wheel (38m diameter), drop tower, pirate ship, merry-go-round, carousel, Olympic-sized and kids’ swimming pools, island pools, water slides, aqua towers, paintball, indoor arcades, indoor cinemas, virtual reality and gaming zones, bowling alleys, tennis courts, basketball courts, five-a-side football court, volley ball court, etc. It also has a Country Club with spas, gyms, swimming pool and restaurants. It is designed to be carbon neutral with the beautiful landscaping, lawns and ornamental trees.

The Solution Fun City is one of the signature projects by Governor Chukwuma Soludo to transform Anambra into a tourist destination. It is part of Governor Soludo’s tourism and creative economy agenda. It is a flagship project and a proof of concept by the state government in order to spur the private sector to build similar complexes in Anambra. (It is a flagship project that is intended to boost investor confidence in Anambra’s development agenda). It is meant to catalyze tourism in Anambra.

The Solution Fun City will be independently managed and in the long term it will be privatized and the revenue ploughed back to build more public goods in Anambra. Though the Anambra State Government (ANSG) had to invest in this complex in order to intentionally catalyze tourism in Anambra, this kind of edifice is better managed by the private sector. The Solution Fun City serves as a template, which has been intentionally built by government, to show the private sector that this kind of facility is viable in Anambra. Many more of this will be built in Anambra in the coming years by the private sector.

In order for this complex to be run as an independent entity, it has been registered as Solution Fun City Limited, with a board of directors. Solution Fun City Limited is structured to be able to take independent decisions that would boost the profitability of the Fun City. It will have no interference from government. The Fun City has an Egyptian Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mohammed Faraz, who is well-versed in tourism management. Mr. Mohammed Faraz will be responsible for ensuring that the Fun City provides world-class services. The vision is to get the Solution Fun City managed and run by the best and brightest. Ndi Anambra must get value for the investment in this complex.

The economic and social benefits of the Solution Fun City are enormous.

The Solution Fun City will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. It will help create a skill pool that was hitherto not available in the state. This facility will employ the following specialties: ICT specialists, ride operators, equipment maintenance operators, security service providers, customer service providers, lifeguard services, entertainment, vending and sales, cleaning, etc. The facility will also create indirect jobs for the following: local suppliers, contractors, transport operators, hotels, restaurants, and artisans. It will also provide various kinds of seasonal and permanent jobs.

It will boost tourism income in Anambra by attracting domestic and international tourists, families, school groups, fun seekers and corporate social events. It will impact hotel bookings, food sales and general spending in Anambra. It will have an impact on the government revenue through its multiplier effects.

The Solution Fun City will help provide a safe and structured leisure location for young people. It will support community cohesion through recreational events. The Managing Director, Mr. Mohammed Faraz, says the entry fees into the Fun City were made affordable so that people can enjoy themselves without spending so much. “The minimum price for entry is N400 and to play a game is N1,000 and I believe they are reasonable”, Mr. Faraz remarked. At the same time, the Fun City will be professionally run in other to maximize the return on investment. It is an economic asset for Ndi Anambra.

Most importantly, it will help enhance Awka’s brand as a modern city, a vibrant place to live, work, play and invest.

Many more of this kind of facility is expected to spring up in Anambra. The future of Anambra is bright and Anambra is on the rise!

Nwankwo is the special adviser to Soludo on special projects.

JuanDeDios:
So Obasanjo is involved in Transcorp and Transcorp was involved in the refinery deal - meaning a seating president sold publicly owned companies to a consortium he was involved in.

In today's episode of infractions no one would even notice or talk about in Nigeria.

Freshtruth:
The man who gave dangote 500k to start business so they claim they wan use motivation with lies pie Nigerians

The solution fun City Awka

by Ebuka Nwankwo
June 28, 2025

Today, the biggest combination of an amusement park and water park in the south east – and, as it were, in Nigeria – will be opened to the public and its customers with a mega fiesta, which will feature music maestros and entertainers such as Flavour, Umu Obiligbo, Jeriq, Apete and the likes. This complex, also known as ‘Solution Fun City’, was commissioned last month by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The 12.7 hectares Solution Fun City competes with the likes of Hi-Impact Planet in Ogun State and Giwa Gardens Water Park in Lagos. The Solution Fun City has features such as roller coaster, Ferris Wheel (38m diameter), drop tower, pirate ship, merry-go-round, carousel, Olympic-sized and kids’ swimming pools, island pools, water slides, aqua towers, paintball, indoor arcades, indoor cinemas, virtual reality and gaming zones, bowling alleys, tennis courts, basketball courts, five-a-side football court, volley ball court, etc. It also has a Country Club with spas, gyms, swimming pool and restaurants. It is designed to be carbon neutral with the beautiful landscaping, lawns and ornamental trees.

The Solution Fun City is one of the signature projects by Governor Chukwuma Soludo to transform Anambra into a tourist destination. It is part of Governor Soludo’s tourism and creative economy agenda. It is a flagship project and a proof of concept by the state government in order to spur the private sector to build similar complexes in Anambra. (It is a flagship project that is intended to boost investor confidence in Anambra’s development agenda). It is meant to catalyze tourism in Anambra.

The Solution Fun City will be independently managed and in the long term it will be privatized and the revenue ploughed back to build more public goods in Anambra. Though the Anambra State Government (ANSG) had to invest in this complex in order to intentionally catalyze tourism in Anambra, this kind of edifice is better managed by the private sector. The Solution Fun City serves as a template, which has been intentionally built by government, to show the private sector that this kind of facility is viable in Anambra. Many more of this will be built in Anambra in the coming years by the private sector.

In order for this complex to be run as an independent entity, it has been registered as Solution Fun City Limited, with a board of directors. Solution Fun City Limited is structured to be able to take independent decisions that would boost the profitability of the Fun City. It will have no interference from government. The Fun City has an Egyptian Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mohammed Faraz, who is well-versed in tourism management. Mr. Mohammed Faraz will be responsible for ensuring that the Fun City provides world-class services. The vision is to get the Solution Fun City managed and run by the best and brightest. Ndi Anambra must get value for the investment in this complex.

The economic and social benefits of the Solution Fun City are enormous.

The Solution Fun City will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. It will help create a skill pool that was hitherto not available in the state. This facility will employ the following specialties: ICT specialists, ride operators, equipment maintenance operators, security service providers, customer service providers, lifeguard services, entertainment, vending and sales, cleaning, etc. The facility will also create indirect jobs for the following: local suppliers, contractors, transport operators, hotels, restaurants, and artisans. It will also provide various kinds of seasonal and permanent jobs.

It will boost tourism income in Anambra by attracting domestic and international tourists, families, school groups, fun seekers and corporate social events. It will impact hotel bookings, food sales and general spending in Anambra. It will have an impact on the government revenue through its multiplier effects.

The Solution Fun City will help provide a safe and structured leisure location for young people. It will support community cohesion through recreational events. The Managing Director, Mr. Mohammed Faraz, says the entry fees into the Fun City were made affordable so that people can enjoy themselves without spending so much. “The minimum price for entry is N400 and to play a game is N1,000 and I believe they are reasonable”, Mr. Faraz remarked. At the same time, the Fun City will be professionally run in other to maximize the return on investment. It is an economic asset for Ndi Anambra.

Most importantly, it will help enhance Awka’s brand as a modern city, a vibrant place to live, work, play and invest.

Many more of this kind of facility is expected to spring up in Anambra. The future of Anambra is bright and Anambra is on the rise!

Nwankwo is the special adviser to Soludo on special projects.

Flavour, other artists thrill crowd as Anambra unveils Solution Fun City

28th June 2025

The Anambra State government on Saturday officially opened the Solution Fun City in Awka, the state capital, for commercial use and other recreational purposes.

Recall that the Solution Fun City, part of the legacy projects built by the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, was commissioned by President Bola Tinubu during a one-day official visit to Anambra on May 8.

The opening ceremony featured top Nigerian musicians, such as Chinedu Okoli, popularly known by his stage name as “Flavour”, who led other artistes to entertain the mammoth crowd during the opening ceremony attended by the state governor.

The occasion featured high-energy performances by Flavour, who delighted attendees of a diverse crowd of dignitaries, showcasing the state-of-the-art facilities aimed at boosting tourism and providing a recreational hub for ndị Anambra.

Soludo, who was at the event, expressed optimism while highlighting the significance of the structure in boosting the entertainment industry and enhancing community engagement by creating economic opportunities for residents.

During his address at the opening, Soludo reaffirmed the state’s commitment to promoting creativity and innovation as basic components of its developmental agenda.

Soludo said, “After the formal commissioning by President Bola Tinubu, the Fun City is now officially open for business for people of all ages.

“With the launch of Solution Fun City which has a water park, leisure park and a world class country club, Anambra State is poised to establish itself further as a leading destination for arts and entertainment in Nigeria, creating lasting memories for visitors and residents alike.”

After the governor’s speech, Flavour, known for his fusion of traditional and contemporary Nigerian music, took the centre stage with captivating performances that had the audience singing along and dancing.

His energetic set was complemented by a lineup of other talented artists, showcasing the rich cultural prowess of Anambra’s creative scene, as the likes of Umu Obiligbo, Jennifer Eliogu, MC Ezegetive among others, also performed.

The Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Somtochukwu Udeze, business mogul, Chief Emeka Offor, top Nollywood actors and actresses, among others, graced the occasion.

kingamaa:
Lol, children that don't know how the man worked for his money. I hope and pray that the children sustain the man's legacy.

Senator Kalu Mourns Eminent Businessman Aminu Dantata

Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has mourned the passing of renowned businessman and elder statesman, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, who died at the age of 94.

In a statement on Saturday, Senator Kalu described the late Dantata as a towering figure in Nigeria’s business landscape, whose integrity, philanthropy, and wisdom contributed immensely to national development.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Alhaji Aminu Dantata — a foremost industrialist, philanthropist, and a highly respected elder.

"He was a father figure not only to the Northern business community but to Nigeria as a whole. His legacy of humility, generosity, and service to humanity will never be forgotten,” Kalu stated.

He further noted that Dantata's investments in education, industry, and faith-based causes shaped the lives of millions across generations, especially in Northern Nigeria.

“He lived a fulfilled life and left behind a name synonymous with dignity and excellence. Nigeria has indeed lost one of its finest sons,” the senator added.

On behalf of the people of Abia North Senatorial District, Senator Kalu extended his heartfelt condolences to the children and grandchildren of the late Dantata—many of whom shared close personal bonds with him—as well as to the government and people of Kano State.

He prayed for the peaceful repose of the deceased’s soul and consoled the bereaved family, urging them to take solace in the remarkable life their patriarch lived and the indelible mark he left on the nation.

Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raji’un!

I mourn the passing of our father, an elder statesman, industrialist, business mogul and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, who died this morning. He spent his life worshipping Allah SWT and in the service of humanity.

I extend my heartfelt condolences to his immediate family, the Kano business community, and the entire people of our state, Kano. Indeed, we have lost a father whose role in the development of our state and, indeed, the country cannot be overemphasised.

His highly cherished business acumen, exemplary philanthropy and interventions will continue to inspire us. He was a symbol of integrity.

May Allah SWT grant Alhaji Aminu Dantata Aljannatul Firdausi.

May Allah SWT give his immediate family and all of us the strength to bear this loss.

Allah ya jikan shi da rahama

Amin Ya Allah

The passing of Alhaji Aminu Dantata, a patriarch of industry, philanthropy, and public virtue, marks the end of an era and the loss of one of the last great custodians of Nigeria’s moral and entrepreneurial heritage.

Alhaji Dantata was not merely a business icon he was a conscience of his generation. Through quiet philanthropy, principled leadership, and an unshakable commitment to the upliftment of society, he etched his name into the soul of our nation. His humility in affluence, wisdom in counsel, and generosity in service made him a pillar of not just Kano but of Nigeria’s moral and developmental landscape.

As we bid farewell to this titan of integrity and compassion, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, the Kano Emirate Council, and the people of Nigeria. May Almighty Allah (SWT) forgive his shortcomings, multiply his rewards, and grant him eternal repose in Aljannatul Firdaus. -AA

PRESIDENT TINUBU MOURNS THE PASSING OF ELDER STATESMAN AND BUSINESS ICON, ALHAJI AMINU DANTATA AT 94
 
President Bola Tinubu mourns the passing of Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, an elder statesman, business mogul, and philanthropist.
 
Dantata, who passed away at 94 in the early hours of Saturday, was a renowned and accomplished businessman.
 
President Tinubu described Dantata's death as a monumental national loss because of his sterling contributions to Nigeria's economic growth and development.
 
In addition to his long-standing and reputed business acumen, the late Dantata served as Commissioner for Planning and Development in the old Kano State, among other public sector roles.
 
President Tinubu eulogised Dantata for his public-spirited philanthropy, which touched lives, especially in education and healthcare delivery.
 
The President recalled his relationship with the late mogul, describing his wise counsel and support as deeply encouraging and beneficial.
 
"With the death of Alhaji Dantata today, we lost a prominent business mogul, patriot, and elder statesman who contributed significantly to the growth and development of our nation.
 
"Alhaji Dantata will be remembered for his industry, diligence, steadfastness, and great commitment to national unity through his many business ventures and philanthropic activities that touched countless lives of Nigerians," the President declared.
 
President Tinubu sends his heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, the Government, and the people of Kano State on the death of Nigeria's illustrious son.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information and Strategy)
June 28, 2025

Btruth:
Who is that Air-Com. that is donating N3k? Boy, I for make history now if I manage to donate 20k then 🤔

naptu2:
Post 1 B

Donation circuit

The donation circuit was not a formal organisation, but it’s the way that I refer to a phenomenon that occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s (the Babangida era).

Some of Nigeria’s wealthiest men were often invited to specific events in which they donated large sums of money. These events included fund raising in churches and mosques, university convocations, book launching and fund raising activities by universities, secondary schools, community development associations and charities.

It was usually the same set of people that were invited to these events. The president was usually the special guest of honour (when he was invited), the governor was usually the chief host, the head of the institution was usually the host, Chief Abiola was usually the chief launcher and other members of the donation circuit were usually special guests.

There was a day that I watched the 9 o’clock news and there was an advert for one of these events and the invited guests were listed. There was another advert immediately after and the list of invited guests was almost exactly the same as the list in the previous advert.

The members of the donation circuit included Chief MKO Abiola, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Chief Sunny Odogwu, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, Chief Razak Okoya, Prince Adedapo Tejuosho, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki, Prince Adekunle Ojora, Chief Onwuka Kalu (Onwuka Inter-Biz), Alhaji Ahmed Mai Deribe, Chief Michael Ibru, Dr Alex Ibru, Chief Sunny Okogwu, Chief Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, Alhaji Grema Mohammed, Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe, Alhaji Isyaku Rabiu, Dr Olusola Saraki, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, etc.

Members of the original committee that was set up by President Babangida to build a new national stadium in Abuja were drawn from members of the donation circuit. Chief MKO Abiola was the chairman and chiefs Sunny Odogwu, Gabriel Igbinedion, etc. were members of the committee (I can still remember the news item about the inauguration of the committee on the Network News). The committee was charged with raising funds for the stadium, selecting a location for the stadium, etc.

The president, who was the visitor to the federal universities, often attended convocations and fund raising events at these universities and he usually donated some money (usually millions of naira) on behalf of the Federal Government and he usually made a second donation (usually thousands of naira) on behalf of himself and his family. The president also sometimes donated money to groups like PMAN and the Nigerian Bar Association.

Chief Gani Fawehinmi sued President Babangida because of these donations. He said that the other members of the donation circuit were private people who were donating their own money, but the president was donating government money. “Were the funds that were donated in the budget? What gave the president the right to spend money that was not in the budget?”

Sometimes, when the event was a book launch, one of the members of the donation circuit would buy a large number of the books and donate them to the libraries of all universities in Nigeria (or the libraries of all secondary schools in Nigeria).

Chief MKO Abiola attended a lot of these events. Quite often in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, the first item on the 9 o’clock news was about President Babangida, while the second item was often about Chief Abiola. I remember a particular day that they showed him attending an event in one city and then the next news item was about another event that he attended in another town on that same day and we were wondering how he went from one event to the other. Well, they showed him getting into a helicopter at the end of the second news item, so he flew by helicopter from one event to the other. Chief Abiola donated to schools, churches, mosques, charities, etc. He donated to causes and institutions across the whole of Nigeria, from Lagos to Maiduguri, from Calabar to Sokoto, from Kano to Port Harcourt and everywhere in between.

These events were not without their controversies and strange incidents.

The protocol back in the day was that the doors were locked whenever either President Babangida or Admiral Aikhomu arrived at the venue of an event and nobody is allowed in or out until either the president or the CGS is ready to leave. There was an event at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, a regular venue for these fund raising events back in the day. Both Admiral Aikhomu and President Babangida were already in the hall. Chief MKO Abiola arrived late and the SSS guards at the door refused to allow him into the hall. He identified himself, showed them his invitation card and did everything that he could to get in, but they would not allow anyone in, no matter who the person was. There was commotion at the door. He was eventually able to give a message to someone that was already in the hall and the person got the message to Admiral Aikhomu. The CGS sent his ADC to tell the guards at the door to let Chief Abiola in.

(This is one of two incidents that Chief Abiola had with security agencies c1992. The other was the incident that involved Deji Abiola and an Air Force officer in Ikeja).

There was a funny incident that occurred at one of these events. Alhaji Aminu Dantata was often invited to these events, but he was not a regular member of the donation circuit. He only attended the events occasionally. I remember what happened at an occasion that he attended.

Chief Abiola had already announced his donation before Dantata was invited to make his donation. Alhaji Dantata’s donation was slightly higher than Chief Abiola’s. Sometime later Chief Abiola came back to the microphone and announced that he was going to pledge more money later.

This particular incident is not connected to Chief Abiola in any way, but it was probably the most bizarre incident to happen on the donation circuit.

I was ill and a lot of people came to check up on me. It was a Saturday and the TV was on and the NTA News came on while we were watching it. There was a report about one of these fund raising events. It was a small event, only one of the members of the donation circuit was present and that was Chief Sunny Okogwu (not to be confused with Chief Sunny Odogwu).

They announced the amount of money that he donated and one of the women that came to see me screamed. It was a crazy amount of money. “Where did he get that kind of money?” she shouted.

That incident dominated the headlines the next day and then came an explanation from Chief Okogwu. (I can’t remember the exact amounts, so the figures here are just for illustration purposes). He said that the organisers of the event wanted to raise 50 million naira for a project. The organisers probably did not expect him to actually attend the event. When they saw him at the event, they jacked up the figure to 200 million naira and tried to cajole him to donate a lot of money. This angered him and he decided to punish the organisers. He announced that he was donating 1 billion naira, but, in actual fact, he did not intent to give them a kobo.

Chief Abiola’s donations resulted in the construction of at least 63 secondary schools, 121 mosques and churches, 41 libraries and 24 water projects in states across Nigeria. He was the grand patron of 149 societies and associations and he was conferred with 197 chieftaincy titles from 68 communities across Nigeria. He was also conferred with honorary degrees by many universities around the world.

Botragelad:
naptu2 I observed your posts are always well articulated and informative.

Keep up the good work. 👍👍

naptu2:
Part 5

Mariya Sanusi Dangote (nee Dantata)



Billionaire businesswoman, Mariya Dangote, is the daughter of Sanusi Dantata and granddaughter of legendary businessman Alhassan Dantata. She was married to Mohammed Dangote (a business associate of Alhassan Dantata) for whom she had Aliko Dangote, a multi-billionaire businessman. Her brother is Abdulkadir Sanusi Dantata, one of the founders of Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company and Asada Farms.

She sits on the boards of numerous companies, including MRS Oil and Gas, Mentholatum Nigeria Limited and the Dangote group. She is also known for her philanthropy, donating a hospital, which she built at Rijiya Lemu, to the Kano State Government in 2003. She also built a mosque, known as the Danladi Nasidi Juma’at Mosque, in Kano State in 2017 and she also feeds an average of 5,000 people daily.