Landmark

L-R: Kola Oluyemi, Group Head, Sterling Academy; Dr. Nneka Okekearu, Director, Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Pan Atlantic University (PAU); Abubakar Suleiman, MD/CEO, Sterling Bank; Dr. Nnenna Ugwu, Head, Alumni Engagement and Support Services, EDC at PAU; and Akporee Idenedo, Divisional Head, Commercial Banking, Sterling Bank at the recent MoU signing to certify graduates of Sterling Bank’s Non-Oil Export Academy...   Sterling  Bank  Limited  has  signed  a  Memorandum  of Understanding (MoU) with Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) to certify graduates of its Non-Oil Export Academy.  This strategic partnership underscores the Bank's commitment to diversifying Nigeria's economy by supporting non-oil export growth. This landmark agreement follows the recent launch of the Sterling Bank Non-Oil  Export  Academy, designed  to  position  Nigerian  exporters  for  glob...

Fidelity Bank Plc has restated its commitment to advancing Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, with a strong focus on supporting indigenous operators. This was highlighted by the bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe,OON, during a first oil presentation event for Emadeb Energy at Fidelity Place, the bank’s corporate headquarters in Lagos.   At the event, Emadeb Energy’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Adebowale Olujimi, expressed appreciation for the bank’s role in enabling the company’s progress. “What makes Fidelity Bank unique is its willingness to take calculated risks. Many banks prefer to work with companies only after they have achieved first oil because they want already-established customers. Fidelity Bank reviewed our proposal thoroughly, including legal, technical, financial and character assessments. We met these requirements and that is why they supported us,” Olujimi said.   Dr. Onyeali-Ikpe congratulate...

The High Court of Ogun State Coram, Hon. Justice Catherine Ogunsanya delivered her judgement today in suit number HCJ/53/2025 (Hon. Wale Adedayo v The Governor of Ogun State & 2 Ors).  It will be recalled that Hon. Wale Adedayo had instituted the suit to challenge his suspension as the Chairman of the Ijebu East Local government Area. He alleged that Governor Dapo Abiodun had orchestrated his suspension and therefore sued him as the 1st Defendant.    Dismissing all his claims against the Governor, the Court held that the Local government is a separate entity distinct from the Governor. Similarly, the laws that created the Local government gave it a legal personality with the capacity to sue and be sued in its name. The Claimant contended that the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) wrote a petition against him to the Commissioner of Police upon which a criminal charge was preferred against him. He contended further that it was the Governor that directed the SSG to...

Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has once again, reaffirmed its leadership as one of the continent’s most innovative and resilient financial institutions, as the bank has, for the third time in five years, been named the African Bank of the year 2025 by the Banker.com. UBA also won the Best Bank of the Year awards in nine of its 20 African subsidiaries, bringing its total awards this year to ten as UBA Benin, UBA Chad, UBA Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), UBA Liberia, UBA Mali, UBA Mozambique, UBA Senegal, UBA Sierra Leone, and UBA Zambia, all came out tops as the best banks in their respective countries, underscoring the bank’s strength across West, Central and Southern Africa and highlighting the depth of its Pan-African franchise. The Banker.com, a leading global finance news publication published by the Financial Times of London, organises the annual Bank of the Year Awards, and this year’s edition was held at a grand ceremony at the Peninsula, London, ...

Ogun State Government, on Monday, raised the alarm on the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainages, streets and other unapproved spots in the state, saying that violators risk both fines and jail time. The government, which handed down this warning through the Special Adviser to the Governor on  Waster Management , Hon. Abayomi Hunye, said it had observed in the past few weeks that most people in markets dump waste indiscriminately, polluting the environment and creating a climate of filth. It warned such people to take note of the provisions of the (2020) law establishing the Ogun State Waste Management Authority and other matters connected therewith. Section 34(1) of the law provides as follows: "Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this law commits an offence and on arrest shall pay a penalty of twenty-five thousand (N25,000) to the Authority. Failure upon which on conviction by a court, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of two million naira (N2, 000,...

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the gallantry of Nigeria's military on Sunday for responding swiftly to the request by the Government of Benin Republic to save its 35-year-old democracy from coup plotters who struck at dawn today. Acting on two separate requests from the Government of Benin, President Tinubu first ordered Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter the country and take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped.   The Republic of Benin, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a Note Verbal, requested immediate Nigerian air support "in view of the urgency and seriousness of the situation and to safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions and ensure the security of the population." In the second request, the authorities in Benin requested the deployment of Nigerian Air Force assets within Beninoise airspace for surveillance and rapid intervention ope...

Foremost sociocultural club in Ondo State, Club 66, Idanre, has congratulated the newly appointed President and Chairman of Council of the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Engineer Leye Kupoluyi, saying that the chamber will benefit immensely from his wealth of experience. The club, in a statement by its president, Dr Anthony Omolola, said that Kupoluyi's antecedents stood him out and would uplift the chamber and position it for greater relevance. Omolola said the organisation had, over the years, served as a voice of excellence in promoting commerce and industry and in shaping policy direction for economic growth and development, adding that the position is hallmarked by excellence. He described the new LCCI boss as a man of integrity and impeccable character who had distinguished himself in his chosen career. He added: "Club 66 Idanre congratulates Engineer Leye Kupoluyi on his appointment as President and Chairman of Council of the Lagos State Chamber of...

Activists, who diligently participated in the arrest and subsequent prosecution and sentencing of a Lagos State-based medical doctor, Femi Olaleye in Nigeria have praised Justice Rahman Oshodi for the wonderful judgment delivered in October 2023, whereby he sentenced the pedophile to life imprisonment for sexual offences before the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division acquitted him on technical ground.. Reacting to the Friday arraignment of Dr Olaleye in the United Kingdom, the activists described it as a vindication of their stand on the crimes allegedly perpetrated by Dr Olaleye and hailed the Kent Police for the arrest and subsequent arraignment, which has led to his detention in prison until January 2, 2026 when his trial for the alleged sexual offences committed while working in the UK will commence. The activists, in a press release issued on Saturday, which was jointly signed by the Executive Director of the Centre Against Injustice and Domestic Violence (CAIDOV), Gbenga Soloki and t...

Nigeria’s security agencies have reportedly uncovered a plan by some opposition politicians to organise protests in Sokoto and other northern states against President Bola Tinubu and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. Fresh intelligence reports made available to journalists on Friday show that former Senator Kabiru Marafa is the main arrowhead of the plot.  The group is allegedly working to discredit NSA Nuhu Ribadu and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, by falsely linking them to bandit groups and using a Sokoto-based militia to trigger violent protests. Sources say the Zamfara State Government, led by Governor Dauda Lawal, is strongly backing the plan and providing funding, determined to paint the federal security team as incompetent and force the removal of both Ribadu and Matawalle. Security operatives detected the scheme this week, monitored several planning meetings in Gusau and Abuja, blocked funding channels, and quietly disrupted the operation. No arre...

Engr. Ali Alimasuya Rabiu has been elected 35th President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) alongside other national executive officers through an online voting. Rabiu will pilot the affairs of the society from January 1st, 2026.   The election held during the 2025 NSE International Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) which held from Monday to Friday at Ibadan. Engr. Valerie Agberagba emerged as his Deputy President- elect, alongside other newly elected 2026 executive committee members. Passionate about the engineering profession, Rabiu pledged to take the association to new heights working with his team as well as other members of the association in an all-hands-on -deck approach. Engr. Ali Alimasuya Rabiu is a prominent figure in Nigerian engineering community currently serving as the Deputy President NSE. He was born on April 24, 1963, in Lafia, Nasarawa State and had a distinguished career in civil engineering, spanning over three decades. He attended Baye...

The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has raised alarm and expressed concern over what it called “a tragic and deeply disturbing case of drugging, rape, intimidation, and attempted cover-up involving Miss Isola Oyinkansola, a 20 year old student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba (AAUA), is currently unfolding in Ondo State.” CHSR expressed grave concern “over emerging threats, institutional negligence, and deliberate attempts by connected individuals to obstruct justice.” The group, in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, and dated December 5, stated that formal petitions have been submitted to the Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ondo State, the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, and the Vice Chancellor, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba (AAUA). “These petitions demand urgent intervention to ensure proper investigation, prosecution, and protection for the surviv...

The Ogun State Government has announced that residents caught dumping refuse on roads will henceforth be arrested, corrected with compassion, and assigned community service as punishment. Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya disclosed this while briefing members of the Governor’s Elders Advisory Council during their fourth quarterly meeting held at the Obas' Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Thursday. Oresanya stressed that the law forbids dumping refuse on roadways, noting that streets are not designated as dump sites. He explained that residents are expected to place their refuse in front of their homes for Private Sector Participants (PSPs) to collect directly at their doorsteps. He revealed that the state government is refining its enforcement strategy by shifting away from monetary fines to reduce financial pressure on citizens. Instead, offenders will be required to undertake community service. According to him, Governor Dapo Abiodun remains deeply concerned about en...

TY Park, a Logistics  company has concluded plans to improve the country’s logistics drain, in alignment with infrastructure built to global standard. This is contained in a statement issued to newsmen on Friday in Lagos. According to the statement, Nigeria’s logistics sector sits at a painful crossroads, rising demand driven by e-commerce and manufacturing, but broken systems that choke movement and punish both producers and consumers. It noted that for  many businesses, the cost of transporting goods was now equal to, or greater than the cost of the goods themselves. The statement explained that the park merged  five traditionally separate segments,  into one controlled ecosystem; Clearing and Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Route-to-Market Planning, Free Zone Operations, as well as Digital Supply Chain Visibility. “The TY Logistics Park, a new grade-A logistics hub inside the Lekki Free Trade Zone, believes it has a model that can reverse the losses bleeding the i...

Some dignitaries at the 2025 Annual Conference of the Committee of E- Business Industry Heads (CeBIH) in Lagos      By Grace Alegba   The Association of Professional Women Bankers has urged Nigerian youths to uphold financial integrity in their careers and businesses to sustain cultural values.   APWB Chairperson, Mrs Rafiat Onitiri, gave the advice during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). She spoke on the sidelines of the 2025 Annual Conference of the Committee of E-Business Industry Heads on Tuesday in Lagos.   Onitiri was reacting to the heroic conduct of a banker, Blessing Yohana, who blocked fraudulent transactions on an elderly customer’s account in Sokoto. Yohana was honoured at the event by senior CeBIH executives, bankers and other financial services industry stakeholders.   Stakeholders, including a Central Bank representative, praised the banker’s integrity and exemplary character during the session.   “The lady celebr...

Eko United, a coalition of Lagos professionals and innovators, has launched the Progressive Lagos Initiative, a policy-driven platform designed to increase elite participation in governance and shape Lagos’ next phase of development. The initiative was unveiled at a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, convened by Eko United under the Chairmanship of Mr. Wole Olagundoye, alongside other leaders of the group including Dr. Idowu Agarawu, Mr Ahmed Buhari, and Mrs. Aderonke Oyelakin. Eko United said the Progressive Lagos Initiative would serve as a hub for technocrats, academics, and professionals to contribute reforms that address the growing complexities of Lagos. The group maintained that while the grassroots have historically driven political participation, the time has come for Lagos’ intellectual class to play a stronger role in policy formation. The coalition announced its unanimous adoption of Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran JANDOR as the preferred figure to implement Lagos’ ne...

The Tinubu–Ambode Support Associates (TASA) today Wednesday, December 4, 2025, convened a strategic stakeholders’ meeting with student union leaders from across Lagos State, reaffirming the critical role of young people in shaping the democratic direction of the state as preparations intensify toward the 2027 general elections.   The meeting, attended by representatives of 11 tertiary institutions under the coordinated leadership of the Joint Campus Committee (JCC), NANS Lagos Chapter, provided a robust platform for frank political discourse, progressive engagement, and actionable strategies for youth driven political mobilization.   TASA leadership briefed the students on the urgent necessity of active participation in governance, noting that voter apathy particularly among young people significantly affected the 2023 general elections. The association emphasized that the era of leaving political decisions solely in the hands of politicians must end, as such disengagement onl...

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun presenting the 2026 Appropriation Bill titled, "Budget of Sustainable Legacy," before members of the Ogun State House of Assembly, on Wednesday... The Ogun State Government has proposed a total expenditure of ₦1,668,997,993,125.44 for the 2026 fiscal year — a 63 percent increase from the 2025 budget of ₦1.054 trillion. Presenting the Appropriation Bill, tagged “Budget of Sustainable Legacy,” before members of the State House of Assembly at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Governor Dapo Abiodun explained that the proposed budget comprises ₦624.76 billion (37percent) for recurrent expenditure and ₦1.044 trillion (63 percent) for capital expenditure. According to the Governor, key components of the budget include: Personnel Costs – ₦167.92 billion; Consolidated Revenue Charges – ₦65.80 billion; Public Debt Charges – ₦99.98 billion; Overhead Costs – ₦291.06 billion; and Capital Expenditure – ₦1.044 trillion. On funding sources, Governor Abiodun disclo...

  By Adeyemi Adeleye     Chief Sunday Olaifa, Vice Chairman (West) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, says the party will overcome its internal crisis ahead of the 2027 general elections.   Olaifa, who is also the Founder of the New Era Political Movement, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.   He expressed strong optimism that the party would emerge from its current turbulence stronger and more united.   According to him, despite ongoing disputes and litigations, the PDP remains firmly positioned to field candidates across key elective offices in 2027.   “Yes, PDP will survive its internal crisis before the 2027 election. Up or down, head or tail, the cases may likely end up at the Supreme Court, and PDP shall continue to function,” he said.   Olaifa added that the party would “surely sponsor candidates for House of Assembly, Governor, House of Representatives, and Senate” in the ne...

  President/Chief Executive, Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has criticised the crude supply practices of international oil companies, insisting that Nigeria has no justification for importing crude or refined petroleum products if existing laws are properly enforced.    Speaking during a visit by the South South Development Commission (SSDC) to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Complex in Lagos, Dangote said the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) already establishes a framework that prioritises domestic crude supply. However, he noted that operators continue to exploit loopholes that undermine the intent of the law.    Dangote stated that several oil companies routinely divert Nigerian crude to their trading subsidiaries abroad, particularly in Switzerland, forcing domestic refineries to buy from these offshore entities at a premium of four to five dollars per barrel.    “The crude is available. It is not a matter of shortage. But the...

L – R: Head, Central Collections Unit, Olaide Adeyemo; Executive Director -FCT & North, Sufiyanu Garba; and Regional Bank Head, Abuja 3 Regional Bank, Martin Ayodele (all of Fidelity Bank Plc); at the Comptroller General of Customs Award Night 2025 in Abuja where Fidelity Bank PLC was recognized as the first bank to successfully process Customs Duty and the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) on the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS) recently... Fidelity Bank’s leadership in digital innovation and public sector collaboration has once again been spotlighted as the tier-one lender was honoured at the Comptroller General of Customs Award Night 2025. At the ceremony, which took place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel Grand Ballroom, Abuja, on Friday, 21 November 2025, Fidelity Bank was presented with a prestigious award by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for being the first bank to successfully process Customs Duty and the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) on the Unified Custom...