Landmark

Photo caption: L-R: Area Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs (PGPA), Field Operations, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Rilwanu Momodu; Chairman, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) National Executive Council, Hon. Justice R. I. B. Adebiyi; Special Adviser on Environment to the Lagos State Governor, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu; Head, Brand Management, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Cynthia Ogbonna; and Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Hon. Olarenwaju Affinni; at the 19th edition of the NCF environmental advocacy program, tagged Walk for Nature in Lagos, recently. In a bold move to promote environmental sustainability and inspire a culture of responsible waste management amongst Nigerians, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc has donated large-capacity recycling bins to Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos. The donation was made during the 19th edition of the Walk for Nature event held on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at YABATECH. The event, themed “Lagos, ...

The Ogun State High Court on Wednesday dismissed the application filed by Muyiwa Obanesa Esq, on behalf of Ladi Adebutu and five others asking the court to strike out the criminal charge levelled against them. At the resumed hearing of charge number AB/10C/2023 between the Federal Government of Nigeria vs Ladi Adebutu & 5 ors,  the presiding judge, Justice T.A Okunsokan directed the prosecution to proceed to trial. It will be recalled that Ladi Adebutu, who was the gubernatorial candidate of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)  in the 2023 general election  was alleged to have been involved in massive vote- buying across the State during the said election. An act which constitutes an offence under the Electoral Act 2022.  Rotimi Jacobs, SAN who appeared alongside  S.A Obafemi for the prosecution had opposed the said application, considering the argument of counsel to Adebutu that the Attorney General of the Federation lacks the requisite power to prosecute the def...

In the wake of rising diplomatic tensions triggered by the recent scathing criticism of Nigeria — and open threat issued by President Donald Trump of the United States — over killings and insecurity in the country, describing Nigeria as a “Disgraced Country,” leading political stakeholders have resolved to convert this moment of anxiety into positive national action. Following strong pressure from civil society leaders, the agenda of the already scheduled National Political Summit on credible elections — holding next week in Abuja — will now be expanded to urgently address the implications of Trump’s threat of possible military strike. It will be recalled that eminent national leaders under the umbrella of the National Consultative Front (NCFront), in partnership with major political and civil society formations, had earlier initiated one of the most crucial political gatherings ahead of the 2027 general elections. The summit — a pan-Nigerian, multi-stakeholder convergence — is convene...

Residents of the Magboro–Makogi community in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area have commended the Ogun State Government, led by Governor Dapo Abiodun, for the ongoing construction of the 8.17-kilometre Magboro–Makogi Road.  The project, which features concrete interlocking, is particularly significant given the area’s history of waterlogging. During an inspection of the project by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr Ade Akinsanya, on Wednesday, residents expressed appreciation for the quality and standard of work being executed. They described the initiative as a major infrastructural milestone that would enhance transportation, beautify the community, and boost socio-economic activities in the area. Speaking on behalf of shop owners, Mr. Uche Okoro and Alhaji Wasiu Sanusi praised Governor Abiodun for his unwavering commitment to infrastructural renewal across Ogun State.  They noted that upon completion, the project would bring lasting relief to residents, b...

Education Minister, Tunji Alausa   A group of Concerned Citizens in Ekiti State under the leadership of Mr Soyombo Israel, has called on Tunji Alausa, minister of education, to take action on a committee’s report which allegedly uncovered financial inconsistencies amounting to ₦387,231,000 at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).   The group urged the minister not to overlook the committee’s findings, which it said pointed to irregularities under the leadership of the outgoing management of the institution.   They expressed concern over what they described as recurring cases of corruption within the university since the beginning of the tenure.   In recent years, Abayomi Fasina, vice-chancellor of the institution, has faced various public allegations and criticisms. The group said the latest development — the discovery of the committee’s report — has further heightened public scrutiny of his administration.   The report, titled “Report of assessment committe...

A combined photo of GTBank and CEO Segun Agbaje   The High Court of Lagos State has awarded N5million in general damages against Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) for issuing conflicting account statements to a customer and violating provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023. In the case Rebecca Bonje v. Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (Suit No: LD/18590MFHR/2024), filed by the law firm of Olumide Babalola LP, the applicant accused GTBank of issuing two contradictory statements of account. The bank reportedly removed the transaction entries without explanation, and refused to correct the errors despite repeated requests. Bonje sought several declarations, including that: “The issuance of conflicting statements was unfair, non-transparent, and in breach of Section 24(1)(e) of the NDPA 2023. “The refusal to correct discrepancies violated her right to rectification of personal data under Section 34(1)(c). “The removal of transaction entries constituted a personal data breach co...

Question: Let’s start this interview with a general introduction of yourself. Tell us about yourself as a customer of Fidelity Bank? Response: My name is Mrs. Francesca Ogbonnaya and I am from Delta State while my husband is from Ebonyi State, South – East Nigeria.  I was born here in Kano State, which means I have been in the state for so long. I am a trader and as you can see, my business inside the market is trading. I sell fufu to different customers who buy and then resell in their restaurants or feed their families at home. I started banking with Fidelity Bank, about a year ago, that is sometime in 2024. And I have been with the bank since then. Question: Talking of banking with Fidelity Bank, may we know what inspired you to register with the bank instead of any other bank? Answer: I think that my relationship with my former bank was not satisfactory enough. I had been hearing about Fidelity Bank and what I heard was encouraging. And so, when it was time to change my bank, F...

Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has been listed among leading continental experts invited to address the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in November 2025. The invitation — extended to Komolafe in his capacity as both NUPRC Chief Executive and interim President of the Africa Forum for Petroleum Regulators and Frameworks (AFRIPERF) — marks a rare recognition of Nigeria’s leadership in upstream oil and gas reforms under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament, in a letter dated October 17, 2025, invited Komolafe to deliver a paper on ‘Legislative Frameworks for Sustainable Upstream Regulation in Africa’s Oil and Gas Sector’ during the upcoming session. “This topic explores how robust legislative reforms can advance sustainability in Africa’s upstream oil and gas operations, inviting insights from your leadership at NUPRC and as Acting Chairman o...

By Daniel Kingsley  A Headline on the Punch Newspaper on Monday, the 3rd of November, 2025 "CPC blacklist: 12 Nigerian governors, other officials may face US sanctions" has really captured my attention. On Friday, Trump, in a post on Truth, lamented that thousands of Christians were being killed in Nigeria and asked Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into the matter and report back to him. The Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, sponsored by Republican Senator Ted Cruz, designates Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious persecution. The bill proposes direct sanctions against public officials and religious authorities accused of promoting or tolerating violence against Christians and other religious minorities Trump is simply saying there are killings in Nigeria, which is true.  Stop it, and that ends it.  Under whatever bill it may be, Trump is right and ...

  Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc (“Sterling HoldCo” or “the Group”) has announced its unaudited financial results for the nine-month-period ended September 30, 2025, posting an impressive 127% year-on-year growth in profit after tax (PAT) to ₦62.3 billion. The performance is testament to the Group’s robust earnings capacity, operational efficiency, and disciplined execution. The Group’s gross earnings rose by 44.1% to ₦341.7 billion (September 2024: ₦237.2 billion), driven by solid performances in both interest and non-interest income lines. Interest income grew by 38.7% to ₦262.4 billion, supported by an expanded earning asset base, while non-interest income surged by 65.1% to ₦79.2 billion, reflecting the Group’s continued success in diversifying its revenue streams. Sterling HoldCo maintained a healthy balance sheet, with total assets rising by 15.5% from ₦3.54 trillion in December 2024 to ₦4.09 trillion in September 2025, driven by growth in loans, investment securitie...

L-R: Director General, Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahra Audu Mustapha, Ms. Mobolaji Ogundairo, Director, Woodhall Finance Company, Mr Viavo Hunponu-Wusu, Managing Partner, BlackStone, Legal Advisory, Mrs. Mojisola Hunponu-Wusu, President, Woodhall Capital, His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, (GCON), Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, represented by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President, Alhaji Abdul Koufarsauri, Board Member, Woodhall Capital, Prof. Dauda Yinusa, Executive Director, Policy, Strategy, and Research representing His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq, Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) & Governor, Kwara State,during the a pre-investor forum held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja Woodhall Capital, under the leadership of its founder Mojisola Hunponu-Wusu, is spearheading efforts to attract $50 billion in global investments aim...

Craneburg Construction Limited, the contractor handling the reconstruction of the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway, has assured that the ongoing project will be completed within record time. This is even as the Ogun State Government reaffirmed its commitment to delivering durable road infrastructure across the state. Project Manager, Craneburg, Mr. Pierre Andary, disclosed during an inspection tour of ongoing road reconstruction projects in Itori, Ewekoro Local Government Area, led by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ade Akinsanya, that asphalt laying had already commenced on several sections, with overall completion now exceeding 50 percent.  He noted that despite weather-related challenges, work has continued apace to ensure timely delivery. Also speaking, Engr. Akinsanya emphasized that the Abiodun-led administration has transformed previously impassable roads since assuming office in 2019.  He urged residents and motorists to remain patient, explaining that qu...

Dust seems far from settling at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti as students and youth leaders across Ekiti State in large numbers abandoned academic and other daily duties earlier today to further express their grievances in a peaceful protest within the campus. The protest followed an earlier notice by the leadership of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ekiti State Chapter, calling on all youth and students in Ekiti State to join its peaceful protest slated for today Monday 3rd November, 2025 after declaring a State of Emergency on what they perceived as an administrative injustice, impunity and a “toxic alliance” between the Chairman of the Institution's Governing Council, Senator Ndoma-Egba and the Vice-Chancellor of the school, Prof. Abayomi Fasina. The NYCN had earlier in a multiple petition to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Education, several anti graft agencies, security agencies, and other relevant bodies, lamented the high level of moral decay and outr...

Hundreds of placard-carrying activists stormed the streets of Abuja this morning as the Energy Reforms Advocates of Nigeria (ERAN) declared total war on the National Commission for the Decommissioning of Oil and Gas Installations (NC-DOGI) Bill, 2024. At a press conference, ERAN Executive Director, Comr. Abba Henry, tore into the proposed law, calling it “another feeding bottle for the boys” and “a poisoned dagger aimed at the heart of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).” “Nigeria is broke. Our debt is choking us. Yet some senators want to birth a brand-new commission that will swallow billions just to watch old pipes rust,” Abba said. “We already have the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). “They have the staff, the laws, the labs, and the muscle to decommission any platform from Bonny to Forcados. “Why create a third referee when the field already has two?” The activists warned that...

A broad coalition of civil-society organisations under the umbrella of the Coalition of Civil Rights Activists has showered unreserved praise on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving a 15% import duty on refined petroleum products, describing the policy as “a watershed decision in the annals of Nigeria’s history” that will finally put an end to the dumping of sub-standard fuels and the perennial scarcity that has plagued the nation for decades. Speaking at a press conference, the Convener, Mr Agabi Emmanuel, told journalists that the tariff is not a revenue-grab but a “strategic lever” to shield Nigeria’s budding domestic refineries from predatory under-pricing by foreign importers. “This 15% duty will stop the flood of fake, adulterated products that have destroyed engines, polluted our air and endangered lives,” Emmanuel declared. “It will also guarantee steady supply because local refineries—Dangote, Port Harcourt, Warri, Kaduna—will now run at full throttle without fear of bein...

By Timothy Hemba Hwande If politics were to be built up into flesh and bone, one that is fashioned into an individual who could speak, legislate, joke around, and empathise— it would be difficult not to imagine Rt. Hon. (Dr.) James Abiodun Faleke as the first thought of such personification. Different from the usual politics of personal enrichment, Faleke’s narrative reads instead as: managerial expertise brought to bear on the messy business of public life, a temperament that privileges service over spectacle, and a tangible imprint on both his immediate constituency and the broader national tableau. Faleke’s career did not begin in the give-and-take of partisan politicking; it was forged in the precise world of logistics, procurement and management. His professional apprenticeship—from material management to senior commercial roles—translated into a technocratic poise that later marked his public service. Faleke is a man who has served his people in multiple capacities: from the foun...

When Dapo Abiodun assumed office as Governor of Ogun State on May 29, 2019, he inherited a state with immense potential; bordering Lagos, rich in human and natural resources, but still under-leveraged in terms of infrastructure, industrialisation, and modern public services.  Over the past six years, his administration has launched a sweeping agenda of reform and investment, positioning Ogun State as a model for innovation, growth and stakeholder-driven governance in Nigeria. The following are some of the key areas in which his giant strides are most visible. Infrastructure & Connectivity Arguably the most visible hallmark of Abiodun’s tenure is the scale and ambition of his infrastructure programmes.  According to several reports, his administration has undertaken the construction and rehabilitation of hundreds of kilometres of roads across the state.  Notable projects include the Atan-Lusada-Agbara road corridor, which links major industrial zones, and the planning ...