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Quickmart cuts Kenyans shares in IPO, global funds splash Sh7.1bn

Quickmart has cut the allocation of shares to local investors in its initial public offering (IPO) to less than half after high-net-worth investors from the US and Britain splashed Sh7.1 billion on the retailer’s shares.

The retailer has amended the share allocation in a review that has made local investors the biggest losers.

Local investors, both retail and institutional, will receive a maximum of 44 percent of the two billion shares on offer, or half of the supermarket chain being sold via the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), down from the initial 67 percent.

The retailer had offered 13 percent of the shares worth Sh1.95 billion to wealthy investors, known as cornerstone investors, who are firms or funds that agree in advance to buy a specific stake in an IPO, signalling confidence in an offer to other buyers.

It has now increased their allocation to Sh7.2 billion or 48 percent of the two billion shares, in a deal that will offer the high-net-worth investors a 24 percent stake in the retailer upon its listing on the NSE on November 11.

This follows the increase in cornerstone investors to four after a US-based investment firm, 337 Frontier, and UK fund manager, RWC LLP, bought shares worth Sh1.94 billion and Sh1.3 billion, respectively.

They joined an arm of the UK government, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), which will buy shares worth Sh1.94 billion each or a 6.5 percent stake in Quickmart.

The scramble for shares by the cornerstone investors has also seen the allocation reserved for foreign investors cut to eight percent from 20 percent, giving them a four percent stake.

Quickmart owners are selling half of the retailer through the IPO, which opened on October 5 and closes in October, with the supermarket chain’s owners sharing the Sh15 billion.

“The indicative allocations are not binding and may be adjusted by the issuer and selling shareholder in consultation with the lead transaction advisors depending on the level and composition of demand received during the offer period and subject to applicable regulatory requirements,” Quickmart says in its supplementary information memorandum.

“Quickmart Plc and the selling shareholder, in consultation with the lead transaction advisors, have accepted applications from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office acting through its MOBILIST Programme; RWC Asset Management LLP; 337 Frontier Capital LP and have admitted each of them as cornerstone investors alongside the International Finance Corporation (IFC),” Quickmart said in the amended memo dated October 23.

The cornerstone investors are betting on dividends and outsized returns from Quickmart upon their exit, on the back of the retailer’s expansion plans and steady shareholder payouts.

The British FCDO announced it will buy a 6.5 percent stake in the retailer via MOBILIST, a UK government programme that uses taxpayers’ cash to buy stakes in private companies.

This will mark MOBILIST’s third mega deal in a firm linked to the NSE as it eyes a new listing to attract other high-net-worth investors to the offer.

For the IFC, this is not the first equity investment in a Kenyan retailer, having participated in a consortium that bought and sold a 31.5 percent stake in Naivas between 2020 and 2022 for a tidy profit.

Quickmart is now the second largest retail chain in Kenya behind Naivas by store count and turnover, with an estimated 15 percent share of the market. The company has a current store count of 72, in 16 counties.

In the year ended December 2025, Quickmart reported a 33 percent growth in net profit to Sh1.51 billion. Sales rose by 9.3 percent to Sh50.43 billion in the year.

The retailer paid its shareholders a dividend of Sh1.65 billion, representing a payout ratio of 109 percent, and is aiming to distribute at least 80 percent of its earnings to shareholders in the coming years.

Quickmart says it intends to more than double revenue and add at least 50 stores over the next four years.

Quickmart Plc is aiming for annual revenue of $1 billion (Sh130 billion) from about Sh60 billion this financial year. The retailer plans to increase the tally of stores to 125.

Quickmart owners, through Sokoni Retail Kenya Limited (SRKL), are selling two billion shares at Sh7.50 each, providing a multi-billion-shilling partial exit route for private equity firm Adenia and the founders of the retail chain.

In SRKL, Adenia holds a 50.79 percent stake; the family of Quickmart founder, the late John Kinuthia (31.83 percent), Tumaini Supermarket founders (12.02 percent), and the CEO of the retail chain, Peter Kang’iri, has a 5.36 percent stake.

They will all cede half their ownership in a transaction that reveals the outsized growth in value of the chain under Adenia, which first bought Tumaini Supermarket in 2018 and the following year acquired Quickmart– which were merged in 2020.

This will add billions of shillings to the worth of the founders of Tumaini Supermarket and Quickmart, which were smaller retailers in a market then dominated by Tuskys and Naivas.

Adenia will bank Sh7.62 billion from the sale of 1.06 billion shares that represent half of its 2.03 billion units in Quickmart.

The fund acquired a 55 percent majority equity stake in Tumaini in 2018 and a 51 percent stake in Quickmart in 2019, before merging the two units under the Quickmart brand in January 2020.

Quickmart CEO, who joined the company in 2019, is set to earn Sh803.3 million in the sale of half of his 214.2 million shares in the retailer.

The Kinuthia family is in line for a total windfall of Sh4.77 billion as they cede half of their 1.27 billion shares in Sokoni Retail.

Tumaini founders Moses Nditika, Joram Ngeruro Njoga and Elijah Omullo Okello will collectively bank Sh1.8 billion from the sale, courtesy of their holding of 12.02 percent in Sokoni Retail.

40 feared killed in fresh gunmen attack in Taraba

No fewer than 40 persons have been reportedly killed in an attack on Binnari Village in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria, by yet-to-be-identified gunmen

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon, shortly after the Muslim Juma’at prayers. Unconfirmed reports put the number of casualties at at least 40 people.

BusinessDay gathered that while Amnesty International also put the casualty figure at 40, local police in Taraba State put the figure at 10 before more bodies were recovered.

BusinessDay also gathered that many of the residents were reportedly missing, while some were injured, from the attacks.

Reports indicated that the armed men arrived in the community in large numbers on about 50 motorcycles, with each bike carrying two attackers. It was gathered that they opened fire indiscriminately, while also setting homes, shops, and food supply stores ablaze.

They also resorted to looting cash, provisions, and abandoned motorcycles, as they fled the town. Amnesty International have however, criticised the Nigerian government for a slow response, noting that the rural communities and vulnerable areas were abandoned to armed criminal gangs (‘bandits’) who operate with high levels of impunity.

The attackers invaded the village with heavy gunfire and looted food items from shops, police said.

Recall that many Northern communities have consistently experienced a surge in attacks by heavily armed criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, who raid villages, abduct residents for ransom and steal livestock.

The Nigerian military is, however, yet to officially provide information on the attack.

Taraba State, located along the Nigeria-Cameroon border in the North Eastern part of the country, also has one of the largest forest reserves known as the Gashaka Gumti Forest Reserve.

Several leaders in the region have called on the federal government to protect the region against terrorists who constantly raid the region and retreat to the unmanned spaces within the state.

Azerbaijan marks Gubadli City Day [PHOTOS]

Azerbaijan is marking Gubadli City Day on October 25, commemorating the liberation of the city and surrounding villages from Armenian occupation in 2020.

Gubadli was liberated six years ago, on the 29th day of the Patriotic War. On the same day, President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev announced the liberation of several villages in the Zangilan, Jabrayil and Gubadli districts, as well as Gubadli city, in a post on his Twitter account.

“Today, the Azerbaijani Army has liberated several villages in the Zangilan, Jabrayil and Gubadli districts, as well as Gubadli city, from the occupiers. Long live the Azerbaijani Army! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!” the president wrote.

On December 23, 2020, Aliyev raised the Azerbaijani flag in Gubadli. Under a presidential decree signed on July 31, 2023, October 25 was officially designated Gubadli City Day.

The president also established the “For the Liberation of Gubadli” medal to recognize military personnel who demonstrated bravery and courage during operations to liberate the district.

The liberation of Jabrayil and Zangilan districts played a crucial role in opening the way to Gubadli, a mountainous area on the western edge of Eastern Zangazur. Military successes in these neighboring districts enabled Azerbaijani forces to advance toward Gubadli’s administrative boundaries.

Units advancing from Jabrayil crossed ravines in the Yazi Plain area, captured 21 enemy trenches and moved toward Gubadli city. Other units advanced from the Zangilan direction, liberating several settlements.

On October 23, 2020, the villages of Alagurshag, Kurd Mahruzlu, Mughanli and Zilanli came under the control of the Azerbaijani Army. Two days later, Gubadli city and the villages of Chaytumas, Afandilar, Mollaburhan, Padar, Sariyatag, Yusifbayli and Khanlig were liberated.

One of the fiercest battles took place for the strategically important heights of the Yazi Plain. Colonel Shukur Hamidov, who was awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan, was killed during the fighting to liberate these positions.

The operation also enabled Azerbaijani forces to establish control over the Gorus-Kapan road and key routes toward the Lachin Corridor, which was then in use. Azerbaijani troops secured strategic heights and the Gubadli-Lachin road, while enemy forces came under pressure from advancing units, suffered losses and abandoned weapons, ammunition and military equipment.

The liberation of Gubadli opened the way for Azerbaijani forces to advance toward Lachin district and the Lachin Corridor. The operation also contributed to the subsequent liberation of Shusha on November 8, 2020.

Speaking about the operation’s military significance, President Ilham Aliyev said: “The Gubadli operation was of great importance because after Gubadli, we liberated Shusha city from occupation. Gubadli was liberated on October 25, and Shusha city was liberated on November 8. Thus, the enemy was forced to surrender.”

Gubadli district suffered heavy human losses during the First Karabakh War. According to the report, 238 people from the district were killed, 190 became disabled and 78 went missing. Ten people from Gubadli were awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan for their bravery in the struggle to liberate the country’s territories.

Nearly 300 residents of the district volunteered to participate in the 2020 Patriotic War. Eleven of them were killed and more than 40 were wounded.

Vusal Yagubov, a soldier from the village of Yusifbayli, received the title of Hero of the Patriotic War at the age of 19, becoming one of the youngest recipients of the distinction.

Life is gradually returning to Gubadli as reconstruction and infrastructure projects continue across the liberated territories. Development in the district, situated on the western edge of Eastern Zangazur, is proceeding under the country’s post-conflict reconstruction plans.

President Ilham Aliyev has visited the district several times since its liberation.

On October 25, 2021, the president and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva met with representatives of the Gubadli community. They also attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Khanlig-Gubadli road, which connects the city to the Khudafarin-Gubadli-Lachin highway. During the visit, they participated in the opening of the Gubadli substation, operated by Azerenergy OJSC, and a new military complex belonging to the State Border Service.

On October 19, 2022, Aliyev and the first lady reviewed Gubadli’s master plan and laid the foundation stone for the Occupation and Victory Museums complex. They also reviewed projects for the Bargushadchay and Zabukhchay reservoirs and attended foundation-laying ceremonies for a 35-kilovolt substation operated by Azerishig OJSC and the Digital Control Center of the Gubadli Electric Network.

On May 4, 2023, the president laid the foundations for the city’s first residential neighborhood, an administrative building and a secondary school designed for 600 students. He also launched construction projects in the villages of Khanlig, Mahruzlu and Zilanli.

Under Azerbaijan’s Great Return Program, Gubadli is expected to develop into a regional economic hub focused on agriculture and tourism.

On September 10, 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the master plan for Gubadli’s development through 2040. The decision was signed by Prime Minister Ali Asadov.

Institutional responsibilities, professionalism pathways to drive tourism investment, enterprise – FTAN

In a bid to drive investment and boost enterprise growth in the Nigerian tourism industry, Aliyu Ajayi Badaki, president, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), has called for the adoption of clear-cut institutional responsibilities, regulation and professional development, among others.

The above, Badaki stated, is a sure pathway to attracting investment and unlocking Nigeria’s tourism potential, which is hugely untapped.

According to him, the top agenda of the FTAN, which is the umbrella body for private sector operators in tourism, is still to be a meaningful voice in tourism policy formulation and implementation.

In his address at the 20th International Conference and Annual General Meeting of Hospitality and Tourism Management Association of Nigeria (HATMAN), which held in Awka, Anambra State, Badaki declared the need for clear institutional responsibilities, appropriate regulations, professional development, and an enabling environment that encourages investment and enterprise growth cannot be overemphasized.

”One of FTAN’s major priorities is ensuring that the organized-private sector has a meaningful voice in tourism policy formulation and implementation in Nigeria,’ he said at the Awka gathering.

”The private sector drives much of the daily activity within our industry. Our hotels, tour operators, travel agents, restaurants, event managers, and other tourism professionals understand the realities of operating tourism businesses.

”Their experiences and recommendations must therefore inform the policies and regulations that affect them.”

To achieve the above, according to him, requires FTAN to engage relevant government institutions on issues affecting the industry, including the implementation and harmonisation of the NTDA Act 2022 and the NIHOTOUR Act 2022.

”Our position is not opposition to regulation. We seek policies that promote professionalism, protect standards, and support the sustainable growth of tourism businesses.

”Tourism policies must be developed with the industry, not merely for the industry.

”Government must recognise the organised private sector as a strategic partner, not simply a stakeholder to be informed after decisions have been made,” he said.

Badaki, who is also chairman, Board of Trustees, HATMAN, called for partnership as the only means of achieving the desired end of tourism development and promotion.

”No single institution can transform Nigeria’s tourism industry alone. We need the government, professional associations, educational institutions, investors, technology providers, and tourism operators working towards common objectives.

”Through the Tourism Transformation Mandate, FTAN will continue to promote constructive engagement, stronger collaboration among associations, and evidence-based advocacy to ensure that the concerns and recommendations of tourism operators receive appropriate consideration.

”I call on HATMAN and other tourism associations to strengthen this collective effort. A united, organised, and professionally credible private sector will be better positioned to influence policy and contribute meaningfully to national tourism development.”

He commended the resilience of HATMAN’s members for their dedication to the sustenance of the association in the past 20 years, noting that two decades of sustaining the professional platform demonstrate HATMAN’s commitment to advancing hospitality and tourism in Nigeria.’

Speaking earlier on the theme of the conference, ‘Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Agenda: Implications for Global Transformation in Hospitality and Tourism’, he noted that it is timely as artificial intelligence and digital technology are changing how people go through the journey of discovering and experiencing destinations. ‘For Nigeria, these developments present opportunities to improve service delivery, reduce operating costs, expand market access, attract investment, and create employment,” Badaki said.

For a thriving and sustainable tourism industry, he called for skilled manpower development, infrastructure and collaboration among others.

”However, technology alone cannot transform our industry. We need skilled professionals, reliable infrastructure, supportive policies, and stronger collaboration among stakeholders.

”Our task is to combine technological innovation with the warmth of Nigerian hospitality, the richness of our culture, and the professionalism required to compete globally.”

He reiterated his commitment to the need for a more coordinated, structured, and result-oriented approach to tourism development.

”This informed my commitment to the Tourism Transformation Mandate (TTM)-a vision focused on strengthening tourism associations, promoting investment, improving professional standards, enhancing destination visibility, and building stronger partnerships between government and the private sector,” he said.

With the conference theme aligning with his TTM agenda, Badaki said: ”I therefore encourage HATMAN to prioritise digital skills development, the adoption of affordable technology by hospitality businesses, improved professional standards, and partnerships with educational institutions and technology providers.

”We must prepare our members not merely to adapt to technological change but to use it as a tool for growth and innovation.”

Badaki further disclosed: ”Through the Tourism Transformation Mandate, FTAN will continue to promote constructive engagement, stronger collaboration among associations, and evidence-based advocacy to ensure that the concerns and recommendations of tourism operators receive appropriate consideration.

”As chairman, Board of Trustees, I encourage HATMAN to translate the knowledge gained from this conference into practical programmes that benefit its members.

”Let us equip our professionals with relevant digital skills, support small and medium-sized hospitality businesses, encourage innovation among young people, and strengthen collaboration with FTAN and relevant government agencies.

”Above all, let us measure our progress by the results we achieve-not merely by the conferences we organise or the policies we announce.

”Nigeria possesses enormous tourism potential. What we need is the collective commitment to convert that potential into investment, jobs, business growth, and sustainable economic development.”

He also reaffirmed his commitment, both as chairman of the Board of Trustees of HATMAN and president of FTAN, to advancing a more competitive, innovative, and professionally organised tourism industry.

”Let HATMAN champion professional excellence and digital readiness. Let FTAN strengthen private sector coordination and advocacy. Let the government provide an enabling policy environment and also take cognisance of the provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to avoid conflicts.

”And let all stakeholders work together to build a tourism industry that is inclusive, investment-ready, and globally competitive.

”The future of Nigerian tourism depends not only on the technology we adopt but also on the policies we implement, the partnerships we build, and the value we create for our people.”

Carbon markets cannot make Africa rich by keeping communities poor

Carbon markets have become one of the most fashionable answers to the climate crisis. Money is flowing into forests, farms, grasslands, and restoration projects as companies seek credits to compensate for their emissions. The promise is attractive: protect nature, earn carbon revenue and improve the lives of communities living on the land.

However, the reality has been more complicated. Across Africa, carbon projects have attracted growing scrutiny and a steady stream of stories about communities receiving little value, farmers signing contracts they barely understand, and developers capturing a disproportionate share of the proceeds.

These stories risk undermining an idea that could otherwise channel significant private capital into conservation and rural economies. Kenya has positioned itself as a regional leader in carbon markets, particularly through forest, rangeland and agricultural projects.

The controversy surrounding some carbon trading projects has demonstrated how quickly questions about community consent, ownership and benefit sharing can overshadow the environmental case for a project.

This is why the future of Africa’s carbon market will depend on a question that is more fundamental than the price of a credit: who actually creates its value?

Recently, at the New York Climate Week, a discussion hosted by the VCM+ Collaborative on building a high-integrity carbon market brought this question into sharp focus. One project noted that it sets a floor of $8 per carbon credit to cover basic field activities, before accounting for co-benefits.

Labour, governance and opportunity costs are often among the first costs squeezed when projects compete on price.

That is a dangerous business model because if the people doing the work are treated as a cost to minimise, the market will struggle to deliver durable environmental outcomes.

Contracts can create similar problems. One farmer described a 40-year carbon agreement in which the developer could exit while the farmer remained liable for the full term, despite the trees having a shorter lifespan. The agreement was eventually revised, but the episode illustrates how unequal bargaining power can be embedded in apparently legitimate contracts.

For Kenya and other African countries, stronger markets will require more than international standards and attractive investment propositions.

Communities need understandable contracts, fair exit rights, technical assistance, upfront financing and meaningful influence over decisions.

Projects built around local ownership are more likely to retain trust, survive political and economic changes and protect the environmental assets on which credits depend. Carbon revenue can finance stewardship jobs, diversify rural livelihoods and create enterprises that continue after carbon payments end.

Africa should therefore not reject carbon markets because some projects have gone wrong, but it should demand better markets.

A carbon credit represents more than a tonne of carbon.

Behind it are farmers, pastoralists, forests, land and years of stewardship. If carbon markets are to become a serious source of climate finance for Africa, the people creating that value cannot remain the weakest link in the value chain.

Euronews reports on CICA’s efforts to turn regional dialogue into action

Euronews has produced a video report on the activities of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the organization, and efforts to translate regional dialogue into practical cooperation.

According to the report, titled “CICA Members Look to Turn Regional Dialogue into Action,” the organization provides a platform for cooperation on regional security, economic development and shared challenges.

For more than three decades, CICA has served as a forum for dialogue among countries with different political and economic priorities. Its 28 member states are seeking to strengthen cooperation on regional security, economic development and emerging challenges.

The report highlights efforts under Azerbaijan’s chairmanship, which began in 2024, to strengthen CICA’s institutional framework and give cooperation a more practical focus. Discussions among member states have addressed migration, climate change and artificial intelligence, as well as cooperation in finance, education and business.

As CICA enters a new phase of development, the focus is increasingly on translating dialogue among member states into tangible results and long-term cooperation.

Expectations as JMC-Alliance steps into the future of cooperative enterprise

JMC-Alliance Co-operative Society Limited recently raised expectations in the cooperative enterprise community as it stepped into the future of this enterprise with the launch of Digital Cooperative Enterprise and Grassroots Financial Empowerment.

The launch is a foray into a new era of cooperative enterprise and has positioned JMC-Alliance as a digital-first public cooperative, redefining how communities access shared resources, financial empowerment and collective growth.

By combining technology with grassroots engagement, the cooperative seeks to build a legacy of trust and innovation that resonates with Africa’s next generation of leaders.

At the launch, the cooperative emphasised three pillars: inclusive growth, financial inclusion and financial security. What makes JMC-Alliance unique is its dual approach.

On one hand, it is fully digital, designed to empower tech-savvy youth with micro-lending and wealth-building tools accessible through smartphones. On the other, it deliberately incorporates traditional, offline methods to ensure market traders and grassroots communities are not left behind.

Whether through mobile apps or physical registers at the market square, the cooperative promises accessibility for all.

Joseph Onwuka, JMC-Alliance chairman, explained that the model was inspired by the need to merge traditional cooperative structures with digital innovation.

‘We are adopting a more pragmatic and market-driven model. The objective is not to abandon the traditional approach but to combine it with digital innovation so we can build a more flexible, accessible and sustainable business for the future,’ he said.

Technology is central to the cooperative’s vision. Onwuka noted that digital platforms will enhance transparency, member participation and sustainability. Members will be able to monitor their accounts, access services and resolve issues remotely, ensuring continuous communication and responsiveness.

Mary Okafor, a director at the company, highlighted the cooperative’s role in connecting the diaspora to local opportunities. She said structured channels would allow Nigerians abroad to invest earnings back home, supporting market women and small business owners with responsible loans that enable sustainable growth.

‘Instead of simply giving people money, we can provide responsible loans that enable market women and other small business owners to stock their businesses, keep trading, increasing their turnover and ultimately growing their enterprises,’ she explained.

Looking ahead, Onwuka said the cooperative’s legacy would be measured by the people it empowers. ‘We are going further into the grassroots, reaching people directly and creating opportunities that can make a real difference in their lives.

‘Our vision is to become a major player in Nigeria’s financial sector. Very soon, you will see JMC -Alliance everywhere, across Nigeria,’ he assured.

The launch signals a new chapter in cooperative development, one where digital transformation meets grassroots empowerment. JMC-Alliance is positioning itself not just as a financial association but as a community vehicle designed to drive inclusive prosperity and build a trusted nationwide brand.

Its ambition is to create a cooperative that is both modern and deeply rooted in the realities of everyday Nigerians, ensuring that financial inclusion is not just a slogan but a lived experience for millions.

Nigerian poet offers world framework for dignifying refugee narratives

Valentine Onyeka Ogunaka, Nigerian storytelling diplomat, poet, and development communications professional, has introduced a new framework aimed at transforming how refugees and vulnerable communities are represented in development communications, while warning that today’s narratives could become tomorrow’s artificial intelligence biases.

Speaking at the Communications for a Better World Conference, which was held in New York and virtually, Ogunaka presented Framing for a Cause (FFAC), a framework developed through his work with Ecrafti and years of field documentation in displacement and migration contexts.

His presentation, ‘Development Narratives Diplomacy: The Framing for a Cause Framework for Dignifying Refugee Portfolios and the Future of Storytelling as AI Listens,’ argued that many humanitarian narratives continue to portray vulnerable populations primarily through crisis, dependency, and need, often overlooking their capabilities, aspirations, and contributions.

‘People should not have to trade their dignity to be seen,’ Ogunaka told participants. ‘Behind every refugee portfolio or displacement story is a person with identity, agency, skills, and dreams.’

Developed from field experience across Nigeria, FFAC is built around four pillars: identity, agency, contribution, and possibility. The framework encourages communicators to move beyond deficit-focused storytelling and present refugees and vulnerable communities as active participants in shaping their own futures.

A central theme of the presentation was the growing impact of artificial intelligence on global communications.

‘If our development narratives consistently portray vulnerable populations through deficit, crisis, and dependency, what happens when machines learn those narratives and reproduce them at scale?’ Ogunaka asked.

The question resonated with ongoing global conversations around AI ethics, representation, and responsible communication.

He currently serves as Communications Coordinator for the ARRIVES Project at the International Trade Centre (ITC) and has contributed to communications initiatives involving migration, displacement, and refugee communities, including work connected to UNHCR. He is also internationally recognised for using poetry and storytelling as tools for social change and development advocacy.

The New York presentation marks a significant milestone for Ecrafti, bringing a framework developed from African field realities into international discussions on development communications, human dignity, and the future of AI-informed storytelling.

As institutions increasingly seek ethical approaches to communication, Ogunaka believes the challenge is no longer simply telling stories about vulnerable populations, but ensuring those stories reflect the full humanity of the people at their centre.

‘How we frame people today may shape how societies and AI understand human dignity tomorrow,’ he concluded.

Death toll in Taraba attack rises to 48 as 15 fleeing residents die in boat mishap

The death toll from a gunmen attack on Binnari village in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State has risen to 48, with 15 residents fleeing the assault reportedly drowning in a boat mishap while escaping from the attackers.

The Taraba State Police Command confirmed that 10 people were killed on the first day of the attack on Friday, while 38 others died or were found dead on Saturday morning, comprising 15 victims of the boat mishap and 23 whose bodies were recovered from the bush.

Victor Mshelizah, Police Public Relations Officer of the Taraba State Command, confirmed the figures to BusinessDay, explaining that the boat mishap occurred as residents attempted to escape the gunmen.

Mshelizah said the boat may have been carrying more passengers than its capacity, while the inadequate number of life jackets contributed to the deaths of the 15 victims.

The police spokesperson said officers were deployed immediately after the incident was reported, while additional personnel were sent to the area on Sunday morning to reinforce security.

He added that calm had returned to the affected community as of the time of filing this report.

The latest police figures exceed the initial casualty count reported by Amnesty International, which said at least 40 people were killed in the attack.

The attack reportedly occurred on Friday afternoon, shortly after Muslim Juma’at prayers, when armed men invaded Binnari village in large numbers.

Reports indicated that the attackers arrived on about 50 motorcycles, with each motorcycle carrying two armed men.

They reportedly opened fire indiscriminately on residents, setting houses, shops and stores containing food supplies ablaze.

The assailants were also reported to have looted cash and provisions before fleeing the community, leaving residents dead, injured or missing.

Amnesty International criticised the Federal Government over what it described as a slow response to the attack, arguing that vulnerable rural communities had been left exposed to armed criminal groups operating with considerable impunity.

Residents were also reported to have sustained injuries, while several others remained missing after the assault.

The full extent of the damage to homes, businesses and food supplies was not immediately established.

Olive Festival draws crowds in Baku despite rainy weather [PHOTOS]

The music and entertainment program continues at the Seaside National Park on the final day of the Olive Festival in Baku. Despite the rainy weather, residents and visitors are arriving at the festival grounds to watch concerts and enjoy the festivities.

Throughout the day, various competitions and entertainment activities are being held with the participation of DJ Kamo and host Iskandar Ibrahimov. Gifts are being presented to participants and winners.

Stalls set up across the festival grounds are showcasing products from olive companies, restaurants and wine producers. Visitors are sampling a variety of delicacies, exploring the products on offer and making purchases. A dedicated entertainment area for children is also operating throughout the day.

Music groups and singers are performing on the festival stage, with visitors enjoying live music, dancing and attending concerts.

The Wave Band is currently performing as part of the program, followed by Tima Suleymanbayli and Excellent Band.

Later in the afternoon, performances are scheduled by Azad Shabanov, Zamiq Huseynov and People’s Artist Aygun Kazimova.

The Olive Festival is organized with the support of the State Tourism Agency and the Seaside Boulevard Administration, with Absheron Olive Gardens and Olivea olive products serving as sponsors.

Admission to the festival grounds and all concert performances is free of charge.