Ready to build something? 6 takeaways from ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Summit 2026

More than 8,000 young entrepreneurs, students, business leaders and policymakers gathered at the inaugural ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Summit 2026 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena to empower the next generation in shaping Southeast Asia’s economic future.

Organized by SM Cares, the Global Peace Foundation Philippines, and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Philippines, the summit aligns with SM’s advocacy of transforming its spaces into avenues that equip and educate the youth for nation-building.

For SM Cares, the summit reflects its commitment to youth development, leadership, community empowerment, and nation-building. By bringing young people together with business leaders, mentors, and fellow aspiring entrepreneurs, AYES 2026 provides opportunities to gain knowledge, build networks, and exchange ideas that can help them realize their potential.

‘Young entrepreneurs have so much potential, and part of empowering them is making sure they have opportunities to turn their ideas into something tangible. Through SM for MSME’s programs, we aim to provide entrepreneurs with spaces to showcase their products, connect with real customers and learn what it takes to grow,’ said Royston Cabuñag, program director for SM Cares Children and youth lead for SM for MSMEs.

‘These experiences give them more than sales, they offer valuable insights, practical experience and the confidence to keep improving. By helping young businesses take those first steps, we hope to support their growth and enable them to create opportunities for others,’ Cabuñag added.

The summit featured key insights, as well as launched the Asean Youth Entrepreneurship Action Agenda, which outlines eight recommendations to strengthen support for youth-led businesses.

Here are six takeaways from the event:

1. Start simple: Look for problems you can solve

Entrepreneurship does not always require a groundbreaking idea. Sometimes, it starts with recognizing something that could be improved and having the courage to act.

Hanna Carinna Sy, senior assistant vice president for marketing and leasing at SM Supermalls, encouraged young people to start with what they can change. With the right support and willingness to learn, even small ideas can create opportunities for businesses and communities.

2. Gain experience before starting a business

ASEAN Business Advisory Council Chairman Joey Concepcion urged aspiring entrepreneurs to gain practical experience before venturing out on their own.

‘Take a job first, get experience, make the mistakes in the company you’re working for,’ he said, reminding young people that employment can also lead to leadership positions and company ownership.

His advice: build your skills, learn from mistakes and take calculated steps toward entrepreneurship.

3. Give young people a seat at the table, not just a voice

Meaningful youth participation goes beyond asking for opinions. Nora Terrado, Senior Adviser for Women at ASEAN-BAC Philippines, challenged business and government leaders to involve young people in shaping solutions.

‘Cooperation means being an active participant of that conversation,’ she said.

Terrado also stressed the importance of teaching young people accountability, giving them both a role in decision-making and ownership of their responsibilities.

4. Find mentors early and learn from their experience

Mentorship can help young entrepreneurs navigate challenges, avoid costly mistakes and build sustainable businesses.

Anna Magalona-Go, founder and CEO of But First Coffee, emphasized finding a mentor from day one. Andrew Chan, founder of LoomWorks Studio from Singapore, encouraged entrepreneurs to seek mentors who are cycles ahead of them and learn from their experience in scaling businesses through people, processes and technology.

Tran Thai Binh, co-founder of Green Beli Farm from Vietnam, offered another lesson in patience: ‘Trees don’t grow overnight.’ Business growth takes consistent effort and the support of people who believe in a venture’s potential.

Mentorship also means paying it forward by sharing knowledge and helping others grow.

‘Entrepreneurs don’t grow in isolation,’ said Cabuñag of SM for MSMEs. ‘By building connections with malls and marketplaces, government agencies, business groups, mentors, established companies, fellow entrepreneurs and ASEAN networks, young business owners can learn from others, discover new opportunities and find the support they need to take their businesses to the next level.’

5. Think beyond borders

With nearly 700 million people across Southeast Asia, ASEAN offers Philippine entrepreneurs opportunities to reach customers beyond the domestic market. Digital tools have also made regional expansion more accessible to micro, small, and medium enterprises.

At AYES 2026, Ernesto Tanmantiong, Global President and CEO of the Jollibee Group, shared lessons from building a global Filipino brand from the ground up. He encouraged young entrepreneurs to trust their beginnings while continuously pursuing greater possibilities, summed up in the message: ‘Dream big, dream global, start local.’

The ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Action Agenda also seeks to support this ambition through eight recommendations developed from young entrepreneurs’ perspectives.

‘The challenges we face today go beyond borders. Our ideas and solutions can too,’ said Hanna Carinna Sy of SM Supermalls, encouraging young people to create opportunities not only for themselves but also for others.

6. Stay optimistic and learn from failure

Building a business comes with setbacks and doubts, but young entrepreneurs can treat these challenges as opportunities to learn and improve.

One participant, @EiansOptimist, shared: ‘May mga taong susuporta sa’yo, pero marami rin ang magdududa sa kakayahan mo. Along the way, failure is inevitable, but every failure is also a chance to learn, grow, and become better.’

Another participant, @kerusen, highlighted the importance of practical optimism, saying: ‘My key takeaway is that practical optimism is the foundation of sustainable progress. True success requires pairing a positive, hardworking mindset with the patience to learn through foundational experience first.’

Together, these insights underscore that optimism goes beyond believing in an idea. It also means staying resilient through failure, putting in the work, and having the patience to build a strong foundation for long-term success.

Ultimately, for SM Cares, the goal of the inaugural AYES 2026 is to empower the next generation not only to pursue their ambitions but also to create opportunities and make meaningful contributions to their communities.

ASEAN leaders to agree on new energy measures as Middle East crisis drags on

Southeast Asian leaders are expected to agree on new measures to deal with the energy crunch from the Middle East conflict when they meet in Manila next week, the spokesperson of the Philippines’ ASEAN chairship said Friday, November 13.

Asked how the government would measure the success of the Philippines’ year as ASEAN chair, spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial acknowledged the region was “still feeling the impacts of the Middle East crisis.”

In response, the region’s leaders are expected to take “additional measures and decisions” on the energy situation, among other issues, when they meet next week, Imperial told reporters at a briefing.

Food security, the fight against transnational crime and online scams, and greater protection for migrant workers, particularly Filipinos, are also on the agenda, Imperial said.

The 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., will run from Sunday, November 15, to Tuesday, November 17.

The Philippines relies heavily on imported oil and has been reeling from high fuel prices since the conflict between Iran and US-Israeli forces broke out in February this year and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Prices have eased in recent weeks following greater expectations of a de-escalation in the war after the Democratic Party’s sweep of the US midterm elections.

The Department of Energy announced a sharp gasoline rollback of P16.80 per liter for November 10 to 16 on hopes of a diplomatic settlement in the conflict, though local prices remain well above prewar levels.

At their first summit of the year, in Cebu in May, ASEAN leaders adopted a proposal for a regional oil stockpiling mechanism and agreed to speed up ratification of a regional petroleum security pact, while voicing serious concern over the conflict’s impact on the region’s economies and energy routes.

Imperial said the study on the stockpile was still being done, and the Philippines hoped its results would feed into the Manila summit. As a result, the size of the possible reserve has not been set.

On the updated ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement, under which members would supply fuel to neighbors facing severe shortages, Imperial said the bloc’s members were still working through its ratification.

The number of ASEAN members that have ratified the agreement so far is “four or five,” Imperial said.

This includes the Philippines, as Marcos previously confirmed the country’s ratification of the deal in his State of the Nation Address in July.

The bloc has been hoping for a full ratification by this month’s summit, which is also the last high-level engagement during Manila’s term as ASEAN chair.

Signed in October 2025, the updated agreement will replace a 2009 agreement and take effect 90 days after ratification is formally deposited with the ASEAN secretary-general.

FG concessions Port Harcourt airport for 30 years

The Federal Government has concessioned the Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo International Airport, Port Harcourt, Rivers, to Port Harcourt Airport Company Ltd. for a period of 30 years.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, stated this during the signing of the concession agreement in Abuja on Thursday, noting that the move was aimed at halting the operation of unprofitable airports.

According to him, the concession aligns with the Federal Government’s policy of attracting private sector participation to develop and manage select airports across the country.

‘The concession of the Port Harcourt International Airport, otherwise known as the Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo International Airport, received the blessing of President Bola Tinubu and, of course, the Federal Executive Council.

‘The reasoning behind it is that some of our airports are being run at a loss, and we should say it the way it is. We generate substantial revenue from some of our primary airports and major gateways, and most of those profits are ploughed into sustaining the loss-making ones,’ he said.

The minister explained that operating an airport from morning till evening incurs heavy costs, particularly in personnel emoluments and running diesel generators, among other expenses.

‘The government is also severely constrained by funds to expand the use of these airports, especially their non-aeronautical components.

‘So much can be achieved in developing the non-aeronautical parts of these airports. Private investors have the capacity and potential to expand their use and operations.

‘This is the reasoning behind what we are doing here today. It is not a knee-jerk decision; it has been on the cards for many years,’ he added.

Keyamo noted that previous administrations were unable to finalise the process due to stiff resistance that resulted in protracted court cases with aviation unions.

‘However, under the guidance of President Tinubu, he directed us-and me in particular-on how to engage the unions, because he believes in the welfare of workers and insisted that their interests must be fully protected throughout the concession process,’ Keyamo said.

The minister also disclosed that his ministry had received concession proposals for the Benin Airport and the Yola International Airport, among others.

Speaking on behalf of the concessionaire, the Group Executive of R28 Holdings, Mr Eyo Asuquo, assured that the concession would generate more employment opportunities rather than lead to job losses among existing airport staff.

Asuquo further pledged that the infrastructure at the Port Harcourt airport would be significantly upgraded to meet international standards comparable to those in Europe and the United States. (NAN)

Death on the expressway: Seven perish in Lagos-Ibadan crash

No fewer than seven persons died, while 11 others sustained injuries in a road crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday.

The spokesperson of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Abeokuta.

Akinbiyi said the crash occurred at about 3:08 p.m. around the Conoil axis, inbound Lagos.

He said the accident involved a white Toyota bus, with registration number APP 733 YN, and a Sino truck, registered DED 348 XC.

According to him, eyewitnesses reported that the truck suddenly joined the expressway at high speed and rammed into the fully loaded bus.

He said 20 persons, comprising eight males and 12 females, were involved in the accident.

‘Seven persons, comprising two males and five females, lost their lives, while 11 others, including five males and six females, sustained injuries,’ he said.

Akinbiyi said TRACE operatives, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the police promptly responded to the scene.

He said the injured victims were taken to Ishara General Hospital for treatment, while the bodies were deposited at the morgue of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.

He added that the affected vehicles had been evacuated, restoring free flow of traffic along the axis.

Akinbiyi commiserated with the families of the deceased and urged motorists to avoid excessive speeding.

He also advised drivers to exercise caution when joining major highways to prevent avoidable accidents.

Defense: Carpio backing sports not issue, topic is unexplained wealth

The prosecution panel has no issue with Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband Manases Carpio, supporting young athletes, but lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr. clarified that questions had to be asked of a defense witness whose testimony touched on credit card expenses discussed before.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Tolosa, one of the private lawyers on the prosecution side, explained that there was never a discussion on whether parents should support their children’s ventures into sports, as the topic remains Duterte’s unexplained wealth.

But since the defense brought in Chadrin Parian to explain where the over P256,000 worth of shoes purchased by Carpio in Malaysia went, Tolosa said it is well within the prosecution’s right to raise questions during cross-examination.

‘Para hindi ho tayo medyo maligaw do’n sa issues, just to clarify: ang tinatanong ho ng prosecutor natin kanina sa sa witness, hindi naman ho siya tinanong about do’n sa kung tama ba ang magulang suportahan niya ‘yong anak niya sa sports, hindi naman ho ‘yan kine-kwestyon at sinabi naman ng prosecutor kanina no’ng tinatanong siya,’ he explained after Day 43 of Duterte’s trial

(So that we would not get lost in the scheme of things, just to clarify: what the prosecutor was asking of the witness is not whether it is correct for a parent to support his or her child going into sports, that is not the issue being questioned and our prosecutor said that when he was asked.)

‘We’re not challenging that ‘yong pagsuporta ho sa mga atleta. Wala ho tayong issue d’yan. Natanong lang naman ho ‘yang issue na ‘yan dahil nag-present ho sila ng testigo na ‘yan ho ‘yong mismong subject ng testimony niya na pinapaliwanag niya para saan itong more than P250,000 na single transaction dito sa Nike,’ he added.

(We’re not challenging that support for athletes. We have no issue there. That issue was just raised because they presented a witness, and the subject of his testimony was the explanation of where the more than P250,000 worth of Nike purchases in a single transaction came from.)

Parian, one of the parents of children who joined and were admitted to the basketball team that Carpio supports, testified that they went to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for a basketball tournament, which they eventually won.

After this, Parian surmised that Carpio was happy with the outcome, and since not everyone on the team can afford Nike shoes, the vice president’s husband bought shoes for the children as a gift.

And because of that explanation, Tolosa said that the prosecution has the right to ask questions since new information came out. Eventually, Tolosa said that an issue came out-the shoes are not for the student-athletes only, but for their parents and other people as well.

‘So sinagot niya, sinabi niya, para daw ‘yan sa mga member ng isang basketball team. Of course, meron ho kaming karapatan mag-cross-examine, tanungin siya para makita ano ‘yong buong picture dito, ano’ng context niyan, ano ho ang buong katotohanan ng issue na ‘yan,’ Tolosa noted.

(So he answered that it was for the members of the basketball team. Of course, we have the right to cross-examine, ask him to see the whole picture and what the context is, and what is the truth behind the said issue.)

‘Dahil sinagot niya ‘yan, we have to try-na lumabas naman do’n sa cross-examination at he admitted, based sa photos din na ipinresenta niya, hindi naman din binilihan lang talaga ‘yong mga bata, lahat no’ng mga nando’n, binilihan talaga. So again, ano ‘yong question doon, at sinasabi nga niya, again pinag-uusapan kasi dito unexplained wealth,’ he added.

(And because he answered the issues, we have to try-which we were able to confirm in cross-examination, and he admitted that based on the photos he presented, it is not only the children who got shoes; he bought shoes for everyone. So again, what is the question there, and we said that we are talking about unexplained wealth.)

Tolosa’s clarification came after reporters asked him, along with public prosecutor Manila Rep. Joel Chua and prosecution spokesperson Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, about their thoughts on the criticism leveled against the prosecution-that the panel makes it seem that supporting sports is a bad thing.

The statements came from Senator-judge Pia Cayetano during her interjection at Thursday’s trial.

Cayetano, who admitted that she was irked by the prosecution, said this after counsel for the prosecution Reynaldo Robles pointed out that Carpio’s lifestyle-being able to buy over P250,000 worth of shoes in one go-contradicts provisions of Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees on avoiding ostentatious display of wealth.

‘Prosecution, I’m warning you. I will not hide my disdain. I will not. I cannot, I cannot,’ Cayetano said.

‘Is it the prosecution’s intention to make a parent relinquish their parental duty in terms of rearing their child in the manner they feel is the best to promote character, leadership, teamwork, just because one of the parents becomes a public official?’ she asked.

Tolosa maintained that the topic at the impeachment trial is still Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, along with pieces of evidence like the report from financial forensic expert Atty. Alexander Cabrera.

Cabrera testified last October 9 as a witness for the prosecution, saying that the vice president has not declared P817 million worth of assets in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) from 2022 to 2025.

‘Ang pinag-uusapan dito merong hindi mapaliwanag na yaman based do’n sa testimony ng mga prosecution witnesses na P817 million at nakita among those may transactions (na) ganito kalaking halaga,’ he said.

(What we are talking about here is that they are still unable to address the unexplained wealth issue based on the testimony of the prosecution witnesses that there is P817 million worth of unexplained wealth and among those transactions are specific, big amounts.)

Prior to Tolosa’s clarification, Chua had already accused Duterte’s lawyers of setting up a defense that seems to be more of a Korean drama (K-drama), claiming that they are trying to gain sympathy from the people instead of addressing pressing issues.

Chua said the two defense witnesses who testified before the Senate Impeachment Court earlier were geared for the social media content of Duterte’s team, rather than addressing unexplained wealth allegations.

Chua was referring to testimonies from Parian, and another witness-Atty. Anel Antero, who was with Duterte’s husband Manases Carpio, during the Japan trip where P200,007 was spent in one restaurant.

If it were up to him, Chua would have tackled the supposedly more glaring issues raised by the prosecution-like the testimony from Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, that Duterte and Carpio had P4.4 billion worth of flagged transactions, and Cabrera’s analysis of the couple’s finances.

Aside from the Japan meal and the shoes, Cabrera pointed out other credit card transactions linked to Duterte which were considered ‘unusual’:

two transactions on December 27, 2025 with the Nike store at a Davao City mall worth P93,750.00 and P205,392.00

two transactions with a Don Quijote shop in Shibuya, Japan worth P62,900.95 and P65,877.64

one transaction with a Don Quijote shop in Naka-ward, Japan worth P111,109.24

Several members of the prosecution panel noted that this ability to spend over P300,000 in a day to buy shoes and P200,000 for a dinner in Japan is not the hallmark of living a simple life-contrary to what Duterte would like to portray.

VP team drops 16 bank execs from witness list

The defense in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial has withdrawn its last witness from Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), a move that denied prosecutors a chance to ask about bank records that they said could shed light on her alleged dollar accounts.

The ranking BPI executive was dropped from the list after the Vice President’s team also dispensed with 15 other bank officials who had been summoned to testify on her and her husband’s financial records.

Prosecutors noted, with mock dismay, that the defense had yet to directly challenge the allegation that Duterte accumulated P817 million in unexplained wealth, based on a computation of financial forensic expert Alexander Cabrera.

They said her legal team chose instead to explain a P205,007 Tokyo dinner and a P256,882.50 Nike shoe purchase in Kuala Lumpur, both charged to the credit card of Duterte’s husband, Manases Carpio.

The witness withdrawn on Thursday was BPI senior vice president Paul Roderick Ysmael. Defense counsel and spokesperson Michael Poa told the Senate impeachment court on Thursday that Ysmael was needed only to authenticate a letter he had written.

Poa explained he had already acknowledged authorship of the letter in open court and that it had also been marked as defense evidence.

Prosecutors said they wanted to question the BPI executive about a bank letter indicating that the Vice President had dollar accounts, as well as records that could help clarify the account issue.

‘We were surprised. Well, it’s their prerogative. They decided not to call him anymore,’ prosecution counsel Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said at a press briefing.

House prosecutor Joel Chua quipped that the defense has so far responded to issues only for social media consumption.

Dollar accounts

Private prosecutor James Bryan Ibrahim Alih manifested in court that the prosecution had intended to question Ysmael about BPI records concerning Duterte’s alleged dollar accounts. He cited a bank letter indicating that the Vice President had dollar accounts, which prosecutors said they had not previously seen because the subpoena did not specifically cover dollar accounts.

‘Unfortunately, before we had a chance to cross-examine the witness about this dollar account, they dispensed with the testimony, so we were not able to ask about that anymore,’ Tolosa said in a posttrial briefing.

Presiding officer Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero said the defense had the prerogative to choose which witnesses to present. Prosecutors could raise their interpretation of the documents after the defense rested, through rebuttal evidence or a memorandum, but could not substitute their interpretation for records not yet presented to the court.

The BPI account issue resurfaced in early October when Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura testified that Sara and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, held a joint account at the bank’s Julia Vargas branch in Pasig City. He said P9.1 million was withdrawn over the counter in a single transaction on April 8, 2013, based on a covered transaction report identifying both as account holders.

The account first figured in allegations raised by former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV during Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016 presidential campaign. Trillanes claimed the former president and his daughter had undeclared bank deposits not reflected in their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), and that accounts linked to them contained as much as P227 million.

Rodrigo Duterte denied having hundreds of millions of pesos in undeclared funds. He acknowledged having BPI accounts but disputed Trillanes’ claims about their balances. He did not sign a bank secrecy waiver sought by Trillanes to allow the accounts to be examined.

Bank witnesses

The 15 other bank officials dropped by the defense on Wednesday were Olivia Barcarse and Alvin Go of BDO Unibank; Cesar Bernard Coloma of BPI; Marino Buban Jr. of EastWest Bank; Joselito Vallada of Landbank; Janella Marie Panlilio of Metrobank; Jose Manuel Jr., Rodel Mediavillo and Mary Ann Candaroma-Morales of PSBank; Joseph Anthony Lopez of Security Bank; and Joselito Banaag, Louiemel Panes, Rogelio Villos Jr., Jayah Deneserie Scalf and Gemma Lynn Del Mundo of UnionBank.

The defense separately dispensed with Quezon City prosecutor Vimar Barcellano after the prosecution agreed to stipulate to the authenticity of the public documents he was expected to identify.

Prosecution spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the defense had yet to rebut the computation of financial forensic expert Alexander Cabrera, who placed Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth at P817 million.

‘What we were expecting was for the defense to explain the P817 million. They should debunk the P817 million,’ Adiong said. ‘What they showed was only more than P200,000 worth of bill and another P250,000 worth of shoes. If you sum it up, that’s only less than P500,000.’

By the end of Day 43 on Thursday, the defense had presented six witnesses over four hearing days but had yet to directly challenge Cabrera’s estimate.

Dinner bill

Its fifth witness, lawyer Anel Martin Antero, testified about a P205,007.29 dinner at Ginza Inakaya in Tokyo on March 19, 2025, charged to Carpio’s credit card.

Antero said he and 10 friends, including Carpio, shared the cost. They used Carpio’s card because some had run out of cash and agreed to reimburse him. Antero said he paid 40,000 yen and, to his knowledge, all 11 diners contributed.

‘We all contributed. It just so happened that the credit card of Atty. Mans was used to pay,’ he said.

Antero said he was ‘very much surprised’ by the bill but admitted the group had no photograph of the dinner or documents proving the repayments.

During cross-examination, he acknowledged being a longtime friend of Duterte and Carpio, having worked at Carpio’s law firm and being part of their legal teams.

Private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan asked whether Antero recalled receiving P580,000 from Carpio in July 2020, as indicated in an AMLC report. Antero said he could not recall receiving the amount.

Ligutan also questioned him about a social media post calling the impeachment complaint ‘flimsy.’ Antero later said he would not lie for Carpio or Duterte, citing his oath as a witness and his obligations as a lawyer.

Shoe purchase

The defense’s sixth witness, Chadrin Parian, testified about Carpio’s P256,882.50 purchase of Nike shoes in Kuala Lumpur in 2025 for members of Elite Philippines, a youth basketball team. Parian, a parent of one of the players, said Carpio treated the young athletes and their parents after the team won a competition in Malaysia.

Parian said the children and their parents ‘deserve’ the shoes, noting that not all families could afford to buy them.

Private prosecutor Reynaldo Robles questioned whether the purchase was consistent with the ‘simple and modest living’ expected of a public official’s family. Parian said he could not comment on Carpio’s thinking but believed the recipients deserved the gifts.

Lead defense counsel Sheila Sison asked the court to cancel Friday’s hearing because the team had no remaining witnesses scheduled for the week. Escudero granted the request.

Sison said the defense had around eight to 10 witnesses left to present when the trial resumes on Nov. 19.

A true Muslim must be trustworthy in his words, in his actions, in his business, in his marriage, and in his secret. He must be the person people can trust with their money, their secrets, their families, and their lives.

Have we betrayed Allah, the Most High?

Have we betrayed our spouses?

Have we betrayed our friends?

Have we betrayed our work?

If yes, the door of Tawbah is open. Allah says: ‘And whoever does evil and then seeks forgiveness of Allah will find Allah Forgiving and Merciful.’ (Suratul Nisai:Qur’an 4:110).

May Allah make us among the people of Amanah, protect us from the evil of betrayers, and make us not betray those who trust us, Aamin Yaa Rabbal Aalamin.

Court okays EFCC’s request to send Maina’s son Faisal to prison

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for permission to surrender Faisal, the son of a former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, to prison authorities for him to serve the jail term the court imposed on him.

Justice James Omotosho gave the permission yesterday while ruling on an ex parte application the EFCC filed and moved by the agency’s lawyer, M. K. Hussain.

Justice Omotosho granted the leave for the EFCC to apply for an order enforcing a pending judgment against Faisal, who stopped attending court since June 24, 2020, after he was granted bail while the EFCC was prosecuting him on a three-count charge. The judge also issued a warrant for Faisal to be handed to prison authorities to make him serve the jail term the Court of Appeal imposed on him, beginning from October 14 when he was arrested.

Justice Omotosho said in line with the November 24, 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal, the defendant was sentenced to three years on counts one and three, and seven years on count two, all of which shall run concurrently.

The judge said the jail term shall begin to run from October 14, being the date he was re-arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) that later handed him to the EFCC.

APC-PCC, NDC, House of Reps flay political violence

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC PCC), the Nigeria Democratic Congress(NDC), and the House of Representatives yesterday condemned political violence at campaign events.

While the APC and the NDC called for a halt to such activities, the House of Representatives launched a probe into political violence.

There have been violate related incident at political events in some parts of the country involving all the leading political parties.

Yesterday, there was a at the Oregun, Ikeja venue of a town hall meeting by the NDC.

In its condemnation of the violence the APC PCC referred to recent incidents in Edo, Cross River, and Gombe states and yesterday’s incident in Lagos.

The APC called for the arrest of the perpetrators.

The council, in a statement yesterday by its spokesman Dele Alake, absolved the ruling APC of blame in any of the violent attacks on opposition party members and their supporters.

Lagos State chapter of the APC also yesterday denied sponsoring the attack, which the NDC and its presidential candidate. Peter Obi flayed.

During its plenary in Abuja, the House of Representatives resolved to investigate the rising cases of violence, attacks and disruption of political activities across the country.

The NDC town hall attack

Suspected thugs, armed with cutlasses, cudgels and stones, invaded the Oregun venue of the meeting while preparations were ongoing to receive the party’s Presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Some supporters of the NDC sustained injuries, while some vehicles were vandalised. A journalist was also assaulted and his recording equipment allegedly stolen.

The confrontation later spilled onto Kudirat Abiola Way, disrupting traffic before police operatives arrived and fired tear gas to disperse the irate youths.

The incident occurred before Obi’s and Kwankwaso’s arrival.

APC-PCC calls for caution

Expressing concern that the wave of attacks ”could create needless crisis and public disorder,’ the APC-PCC called on ”candidates and party leaders to shift focus away from confrontation” and ”campaign on issues.”

It also urged security agencies ”to be more responsive and alert in preventing political violence of any type” in the country.

The statement by Alake reads in part: ‘We have observed the recent spate of violent attacks at political gatherings in parts of the country. The reported attacks in Edo, Cross River, and Gombe, and other violence targeted at party supporters and political leaders across party lines are condemnable.

‘As we proceed with the electioneering campaign, political parties, politicians, and supporters must restrain themselves and avoid acts that could create needless crisis and public disorder.

.’Political parties and candidates are enjoined to campaign on issues that uplift the lives of Nigerians and not to instigate violence at political events.

‘We also call on the security agencies to be more responsive and alert in preventing political violence of any type and ensure instigators and perpetrators are apprehended and punished in accordance with the law.”

State APC denies involvement

Publicity Secretary of Lagos APC, Oluseye Oladejo, described allegations of the ruling party’s involvement in the violence as baseless.

Oladejo accused the NDC of attempting to shift responsibility for the incident by blaming the APC without presenting credible evidence.

He said in a statement that it was curious that the incident occurred the same day the APC held the official kick-off of its 2027 campaign in Epe, several kilometres away from Oregun.

According to him, APC leaders, elected representatives, executives, campaign officials and other stakeholders in the state were mobilised to Epe for the campaign take-off.

He argued that it was inconceivable that the party would abandon its own political engagement to concern itself with the activities of an opposition party.

NDC demands arrest of perpetrators

In a statement by the spokesperson of its National Campaign Council, Chiogo Ikokwu, the NDC expressed sympathy with those injured in the attack and wished them a speedy recovery.

Thai firms tackle complex carbon reporting

Thai businesses face growing challenges in calculating their carbon footprints as tightening global climate rules increase pressure to accurately measure greenhouse gas emissions and develop credible reduction plans.

Speaking at Sustainability Expo (SX) 2026 under the theme “Know Your Carbon: Unlock Business Opportunities”, Phakamas Rassameechan, deputy managing director of KClimate 1.5, a subsidiary of Kasikorn Bank, and Natthawipha Limchaisiri, an ESG advisory specialist, outlined the difficulties and a six-step process for calculating a carbon footprint for an organisation (CFO).

Requirements linked to the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) sustainability disclosures and Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) reporting standards mean companies must go beyond routine annual compliance.

However, identifying emissions across operations and supply chains, collecting reliable data, and selecting appropriate emission factors can make carbon accounting complex.

Ms Phakamas said the six-step process involves setting organisational boundaries, identifying emission sources, collecting activity data, selecting emission factors, calculating carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions and obtaining verification under standards such as ISO 14064-1.

She said more than 50 Thai organisations in manufacturing, agriculture and hospitality had begun measuring their carbon footprints with Kasikorn Bank.

The calculation covers three categories.

Scope 1 includes direct emissions from fuel burned in boilers, generators, company-operated vehicles and forklifts, as well as refrigerant leaks from air-conditioning systems, methane released from agricultural waste and nitrous oxide emissions from fertiliser use.

Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling. These can account for up to 90% of an industrial organisation’s footprint, depending on its operations.

Scope 3 covers other indirect emissions throughout the value chain, including raw materials, packaging, business travel, product processing and, in the banking sector, financed emissions linked to lending activities.

Identifying these sources is only the first challenge, she said. Businesses must then determine which activities contribute most to their emissions and decide where reductions will deliver the greatest returns.

She recommended using a marginal abatement cost curve to compare the cost and carbon-saving potential of possible measures. KClimate 1.5 modelling ranked LED lighting upgrades as the most cost-effective option, offering immediate financial returns.

Chiller optimisation could deliver nearly twice the emissions reductions, but requires a longer payback period.

Ms Natthawipha said companies should also assess upfront costs, equipment replacement cycles, operational readiness and sustainability targets before investing or seeking green loans.