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Ogbogbo Baptist Grammar School in Ogun State has received N1.5 million from MTN Nigeria after finishing second in the fourth season of the MTN Champs athletics competition, as the telecommunications company continues to support grassroots sports development among young people.

Presenting the cheque at the school, Gbenga Olalandu, MTN’s Senior Manager for Sales and Trade Development in Ogun State, said the award recognised the students’ achievement and was intended to encourage them to pursue sports alongside their education.

The company also donated sporting equipment, including javelins and jerseys, to support the school’s extracurricular activities.

‘We are here because we want to celebrate champions. MTN has embarked on an extracurricular sporting activity called MTN Champs, and the students of Baptist Grammar School were winners in that event,’ Olalandu said.

He urged the students to pursue academic excellence while developing their sporting abilities, noting that young people could build successful careers in sports without compromising their education.

‘You can still be Ronaldo or Messi and have a very good education, so we want them to combine both,’ he said.

Olalandu added that sports played an important role in building relationships, strengthening communities and bringing people together.

Oluwafemi Nasirudeen, the school’s coach, commended MTN for investing in grassroots sports, saying the initiative would motivate young athletes to improve their performance.

He also called on secondary schools across Ogun State to give students opportunities to train after school hours, noting that regular practice would help them prepare for future competitions and develop their athletic potential.

Bolanle Shebi-Omo, Vice Principal of Ogbogbo Baptist Grammar School, also thanked MTN for its support and urged the company to sustain its investment in youth development.

She said the sponsorship would encourage students to recognise opportunities for achievement beyond the classroom.

The fourth season of the MTN Champs competition involved four secondary schools across South-West Nigeria, providing students with an opportunity to showcase their athletic abilities and compete for recognition.

Sports remain a vital pillar of students’ all-round development, fostering discipline, teamwork, leadership and resilience beyond the classroom, Akintunde Sawyerr, the managing director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), has said.

Sawyerr, who is an old student of Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos, made this observation during the college’s 91st Inter-House Sports Competition, an event that brought together students, school authorities, alumni and other stakeholders to celebrate sporting excellence and the role of athletics in shaping young people’s character and future.

He stressed the need for schools to sustain investment in sports as an integral part of education, noting that participation in sporting activities helps students build confidence, develop healthy competitive instincts and acquire life skills essential for success.

‘Sports play a vital role in the development of every student. Beyond the medals, trophies, and applause, sports teach us lessons that remain relevant throughout our lives.

‘They teach us discipline, perseverance, courage, respect for others, and the importance of working together towards a common goal,’ he said.

Sawyerr, who was the chairman of the day, noted that on the sports field people will witness speed, strength, agility, determination, and perhaps a few surprises.

However, he reminded the participants that while winning is desirable, the true measure of success lies in the manner in which they compete. ‘Victory achieved with integrity is far more valuable than victory achieved through unfair means.

‘Let us therefore compete honorably, respect the officials, encourage our fellow competitors, and accept the outcome of every contest with maturity and grace,’ he emphasised.

He encouraged all the athletes to give their very best, run with determination, jump with courage, and throw with precision, and compete with all their heart.

‘Remember that every champion was once a competitor who refused to give up. Whether you finish first or last, your effort, attitude, and conduct make you proud.

‘To the house captains, team coaches, and sports masters, I commend your leadership and dedication. You have a responsibility not only to prepare your teams for competition, but also to instill in them the values of discipline, unity, and fair play,’ he said.

Joseph Adediji, the principal of Igbobi College, Yaba, reminded the athletes that they were not gathered merely to compete for medals, trophies, and bragging rights, but to celebrate the enduring values that have sustained the institution for over nine decades.

‘Discipline, perseverance, teamwork, courage, integrity, and excellence; ninety-one years is not a small number. It represents a remarkable legacy of educational excellence, character formation, leadership development, and savvy humanity.

‘Since its establishment, Igbobi College has nurtured and continues to nurture young men who distinguish themselves in academics, sports, leadership, and service to society. Today’s event is another opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to producing not only intellectually sound students, but also physically fit, morally upright, emotionally balanced, and socially responsible young men,’ he said.

Similarly, Adediji emphasised that sports are an essential part of education.

‘Sports teach lessons that cannot always be learned within the four walls of a classroom. On the sports field, our boys learn that success requires preparation, discipline, sacrifice, determination, and willingness to work together.

‘They learn to win with humility, lose with dignity, respect their opponents, and rise again after disappointment,’ he noted.

Moreover, he emphasised that the education that comes from sports goes beyond academic achievement, and that the school remains committed to providing opportunities for the students to discover their talents, develop their abilities, and fulfill their God-given potential.

Besides, he noted that these lessons are invaluable, not only for sporting success, but also for the challenges of life.

‘Indeed, the discipline required to cross a finishing line, the courage to attend a difficult event, and the teamwork needed to achieve a common goal are qualities that boys will need throughout their lives,’ he emphasised.

He urged the athletes to give their best, compete with passion, run with determination, jump with courage, and play with integrity.

‘Let your performance demonstrate the values for which Igbobi is known. We are always at the top. Remember, however, that the true measure of a champion is not only the number of medals won, but also the character displayed in the process of competing,’ he said.

At the end of the competition, Aggrey House (Blue) emerged as the overall best, while Parker House (Purple) and Oluwole House (Yellow) took the second and third positions, respectively.

Victor Osimhen celebrated the birth of his second child by scoring in Galatasaray’s 4-0 victory over Konyaspor in the Turkish Sper Lig over the weekend.

The Nigerian striker opened the scoring in the 12th minute, rising above the Konyaspor defence to head home Gabriel Sara’s free-kick and give the visitors an early lead at the Konya Metropolitan Municipality Stadium.

Galatasaray extended their advantage through Yunus Akgn in the 28th minute, before Aleksey Batrakov and Rafael Leão added two more goals after the break.

The club announced the arrival of Osimhen’s baby girl in a post on its official X account on Friday.

‘Our Football A Team player Victor Osimhen and Stefanie have welcomed a baby girl into the world.

‘We congratulate the couple, Victor and Stefanie; we wish their newborn baby, Liora Audrey a long, healthy, and happy life!’ the club said.

The newborn, named Liora Audrey, is the couple’s second child together.

The 27-year-old Nigerian forward has maintained his impressive form this season, scoring in three consecutive matches to take his tally to nine goals in eight league appearances.

The result takes the Turkish champions to 25 points from 10 matches, strengthening their position at the top of the league standings.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified two suspected cases of Ebola disease in Nigeria’s North-East region, with both individuals isolated as laboratory testing is conducted.

The agency disclosed this in an update posted on X on Saturday, adding that contact identification and listing were ongoing.

The NCDC clarified that the classification of the individuals as suspected cases does not mean they have been confirmed to have Ebola, stressing that confirmation is subject to laboratory results.

It advised Nigerians to maintain good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation and follow guidance from public health authorities.

The agency said further updates would be provided as verified information becomes available.

Nigeria recorded an imported case of Ebola involving an Ugandan-born woman who travelled to Nigeria after visiting Uganda.

The patient, identified as the wife of a Swiss diplomat, tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.

The patient and her husband were subsequently evacuated to Switzerland for further care and monitoring.

The federal government has targeted December to be declared Ebola free, meanwhile, the Health Organisation said Nigeria would need to complete a 42-day monitoring period without additional confirmed or probable cases before it could be declared free of the disease.

In an industry where women are still fighting for greater visibility, Nigerian entrepreneur Stephanie Divine is building her own place in technology. Her ambition is bold: to create a platform that helps businesses make smarter decisions, improve their marketing and compete with greater confidence.

Behind every successful business are hundreds of decisions that never make the headlines. Which customers should it target? Which marketing campaign deserves the budget? Why are potential customers leaving without buying? And how can a business owner know whether an idea is worth pursuing before investing precious resources in it?

For many entrepreneurs, answering these questions means hours of research, expensive consultations, trial and error, and, sometimes, costly mistakes. For Stephanie Divine, this was more than a business problem. It was a challenge she had experienced herself-and one she believed technology could help solve.

That conviction became the foundation of Marketbrain OS, a technology platform she founded to help businesses approach marketing and business decisions with greater clarity.

Divine, who hails from Lagos, Nigeria, and currently lives in Germany, is the founder and chief executive officer of Marketbrain OS. Having spent much of her time building away from the public spotlight, she is now bringing the platform to a wider audience, introducing her work to entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals who face similar challenges.

Her story is not one of overnight success. It is the story of a founder who identified a problem, decided to work on a solution and committed herself to building something she believes could make a meaningful difference to how businesses operate.

A Woman with a Bigger Vision

Technology has created extraordinary opportunities, but visibility, access to resources and recognition remain important challenges for many women building businesses in the sector. For women entering fields that have historically been male-dominated, establishing credibility can demand persistence as well as technical and commercial ability.

Divine is entering that landscape on her own terms.

Rather than building her public identity around recognition alone, she is putting a product at the centre of her entrepreneurial journey. Her approach is grounded in a simple belief: useful technology should solve real problems, and the people who build it should remain focused on the needs of those who will use it.

Those who know her describe a personality marked by kindness, warmth, a strong instinct for problem-solving and a particular attention to detail. She is not someone who is easily satisfied with work that could be better. That desire to improve things has become part of the thinking behind Marketbrain OS.

For Divine, the challenge is not merely to launch a technology product. It is to build a business that earns its place in the daily operations of the people it serves.

Turning a Personal Challenge into a Business

The idea behind Marketbrain OS began with Divine’s own experience of trying to make business decisions without always having the right information or analytical support readily available.

She recognised that the problem was not unique to her. Small-business owners, entrepreneurs and marketing professionals frequently have to make important decisions while juggling limited budgets, tight deadlines and competing priorities.

Some struggle to identify the right message for their customers. Others spend money promoting products before adequately evaluating their marketing approach. Many have good ideas but lack the time or resources to examine those ideas thoroughly.

Divine saw an opportunity to address part of this problem by developing tools that could help users examine their options before committing resources.

Marketbrain OS, available at www.marketbrainos.app, offers specialised tools for evaluating marketing ideas, comparing advertising messages and identifying weaknesses in landing pages and marketing materials.

Its AngleMiner X tool helps users explore marketing angles and audience motivations. TestLab Pro compares different versions of marketing messages and assesses their relative strengths, while Conversion Doctor Elite examines landing pages and marketing copy to identify potential obstacles to conversion.

The platform’s website lists 14 tools across five suites covering marketing, sales, strategy and operations. It is designed to serve individuals, small businesses, agencies and teams, with a free entry tier and a paid Pro plan.

These tools are intended to give users a more structured way to examine their marketing decisions. They do not guarantee campaign success, but they offer another layer of analysis before businesses commit time and money to execution.

For a founder concerned with efficiency, that distinction matters. The objective is to help people think through their decisions more carefully, not to suggest that technology can eliminate uncertainty from business.

Building Through the Difficult Parts

The public launch is only one part of Divine’s story. Behind the product is the less visible work of trying to turn an idea into a functioning business.

Funding is one of the realities she has had to contend with. Building also requires time-time that must be taken from other responsibilities, including family life and personal commitments. The sacrifices are not always dramatic or visible, but they accumulate through long hours, difficult choices and the pressure of keeping a project moving when resources are limited.

For Divine, perfection is an aspiration, but building a business also requires learning when to make progress, listen to feedback and continue improving. A product cannot grow if it remains hidden from the people it was created to serve.

That is why bringing Marketbrain OS into the public eye represents an important step. It opens the door to conversations with potential users, gives people an opportunity to explore the product and allows the company to learn from the businesses it hopes to help.

It also introduces Divine herself to a wider audience-not as a personality seeking attention, but as an entrepreneur asking people to examine what she has built.

The Ambition Goes Beyond Marketing

Divine’s long-term vision for Marketbrain OS is considerably larger than its current collection of tools.

She wants it to become a go-to operating system for businesses: a central destination where people can access the intelligence and resources they need to understand problems, assess opportunities and make decisions.

The ambition is to make Marketbrain OS for business what widely used digital platforms have become for other everyday needs: a familiar place people turn to when they need answers, tools and direction.

Achieving that goal will require sustained product development, dependable performance, a strong understanding of customer needs and the trust of businesses that choose to rely on the platform. It is an ambitious undertaking in a competitive market, but it gives the company a clear direction as it begins to grow.

Divine also wants access to useful business intelligence to be economically realistic. Her vision includes individuals and small teams, not only large enterprises with the budgets to engage expensive consultants or maintain extensive research departments.

That focus could become an important part of the company’s identity as it develops and learns which needs it can serve most effectively.

A Nigerian Founder Looking Beyond Borders

Divine’s journey from Lagos to Germany also reflects the increasingly international nature of entrepreneurship. Ideas can originate in one country, be developed in another and serve customers across several markets.

For Nigerian founders, this creates an opportunity to participate in the global technology economy by developing products around problems they understand and experiences they have lived.

It also brings responsibility. Ambition must be matched by delivery, and a compelling vision must eventually be supported by results. For Marketbrain OS, the next stage will be defined by how well its tools serve users, how effectively the company responds to feedback and whether it can establish a sustainable place in the market.

Divine is now inviting entrepreneurs, business owners and technology enthusiasts to discover the platform and follow its development.

Her public journey is just beginning, but the intention behind it is clear: build something useful, make it accessible to more people and keep improving it.

For a woman choosing to build in a competitive technology landscape, that is a statement of intent in itself.

Stephanie Divine is not asking the world to celebrate a finished success story. She is opening the doors to a business she believes can grow into something significant-and giving people the opportunity to be part of that journey.

Wema Bank Plc strengthened its earnings performance in the first nine months of 2026, with profit after tax rising 72.6 percent to N219.84 billion, supported by higher interest income, increased treasury trading gains and a significant expansion in its loan portfolio.

The bank’s unaudited financial statements for the nine months ended September 2026 show that profit after tax increased from N127.40 billion in the corresponding period of 2025, while profit before tax grew 76.6 percent to N258.64 billion from N146.43 billion.

The performance reflects the benefits of its expanding balance sheet and stronger income from interest-earning assets, although rising funding costs and operating expenses indicate that sustaining earnings growth will depend on how effectively the bank manages its expanding operations.

Gross earnings increased to N673.24 billion from N462 billion, representing a 45.7 percent increase during the period.

Interest income, the bank’s largest income source, rose by 37.2 percent to N543.56 billion from N396.14 billion, driven by higher returns from loans and advances, cash balances and investment securities.

Income from loans and advances to banks and customers increased to N326.01 billion from N244.44 billion, while interest income from cash and cash equivalents surged to N91.28 billion from N8.04 billion.

However, interest expenses also increased by 35.6 percent to N217.68 billion from N160.53 billion, largely reflecting higher costs on customer deposits.

Consequently, net interest income increased by 38.3 percent to N325.88 billion from N235.61 billion, demonstrating that the bank was able to grow income from lending and investments faster than its funding costs.

Beyond traditional lending activities, Wema Bank recorded significant growth in income from financial market transactions, providing another important boost to its earnings.

Net trading income surged to N46.08 billion from N10.66 billion in the corresponding period of 2025, representing an increase of 332 percent.

Treasury bills accounted for the largest contribution, generating N40.47 billion compared with N8.29 billion a year earlier.

Income from fixed-income securities also increased to N3.24 billion from N516.23 million, while foreign exchange trading income rose to N2.37 billion from N1.86 billion.

The performance highlights the increasing contribution of treasury investments to the bank’s earnings, particularly as higher interest rates provide opportunities for financial institutions to generate returns from government securities.

Gains on financial assets measured at fair value through profit or loss also increased to N10.42 billion from N1.07 billion.

Meanwhile, net fee and commission income rose by 28.4 percent to N55.14 billion from N42.93 billion, supported by higher account maintenance and management fees.

Management fees increased to N15.42 billion from N9.82 billion, while account maintenance fees rose to N11.56 billion from N7.49 billion.

However, fees from electronic products declined sharply to N10.54 billion from N24.42 billion, a 56.8 percent contraction.

The decline suggests that growth in the bank’s overall earnings is not yet being matched by stronger income from its electronic banking channels, an area that remains important to its digital banking strategy.

Wema Bank’s balance sheet expansion was another defining feature of its nine-month performance, with total assets increasing by 46.4 percent to N7.43 trillion as of September 2026, from N5.07 trillion at the end of December 2025.

Loans and advances to customers increased by 44.5 percent to N2.51 trillion from N1.74 trillion, reflecting an expansion in the bank’s lending activities.

Gross loans reached N2.58 trillion, with term loans accounting for N2.30 trillion, while overdrafts stood at N253.50 billion.

Customer deposits increased by 17.4 percent to N3.86 trillion from N3.29 trillion, providing funding support for the expansion.

The growth in loans outpaced deposit growth, indicating that the bank is deploying a larger proportion of its balance sheet towards lending and other income-generating activities.

However, the expansion also makes credit quality an important consideration for future earnings.

The bank’s gross Stage 3 loans declined to N69.33 billion from N88.06 billion at the end of 2025, despite the significant growth in its loan portfolio.

This reduced the proportion of Stage 3 loans to approximately 2.7 percent of gross loans, compared with 4.9 percent at the end of December 2025.

Nevertheless, impairment charges on loans and advances increased to N17.03 billion from N12.40 billion, contributing to a 21.2 percent rise in total net impairment losses on financial assets to N18.54 billion.

The increase suggests that credit risk costs remain an important factor to monitor as the bank expands its lending activities.

Despite higher operating expenses, Wema Bank improved its operating efficiency during the period.

Total operating expenses, comprising personnel costs, depreciation and other operating expenses, increased by 27.7 percent to N178.38 billion from N139.73 billion.

Personnel expenses rose to N69.10 billion from N50.33 billion, while other operating expenses increased to N95.24 billion from N80.99 billion.

However, operating income grew faster, increasing by 52.7 percent to N437.02 billion from N286.16 billion.

This brought the bank’s cost-to-income ratio to approximately 40.8 percent, compared with 48.8 percent in the corresponding period of 2025, indicating improved operating leverage.

The stronger earnings also supported shareholders’ funds, with retained earnings increasing to N381.18 billion from N215.07 billion at the end of 2025.

Total shareholders’ equity rose to N790.13 billion from N620.47 billion.

The bank paid N50.15 billion in dividends during the period, compared with N21.43 billion in the whole of 2025.

However, earnings per share declined slightly to 730.63 kobo from 738.48 kobo in the corresponding period of 2025, despite the increase in profit, reflecting the impact of the bank’s expanded share base following its 2025 capital-raising activities.

The digital bank closed its last trading day on Friday at N32 per share on the Nigerian Stock Exchange,, recording a 3.2 percent gain over its previous closing price of N31. Wema began the year with a share price of N20.40 and has since gained 56.9 percent on that price valuation, ranking it 45th on the NGX in terms of year-to-date performance.

Oando Plc returned to operating profitability in the nine months ended September 2026, supported by higher crude oil production, improved facility uptime and lower operating costs, as revenue rose 9 percent to N2.78 trillion.

The indigenous energy company recorded an operating profit of N159.7 billion, compared with an operating loss of N109.7 billion in the corresponding period of 2025, according to its unaudited financial results for the nine months ended September 2026.

Average daily production increased 14 percent to 42,985 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), from 37,614 boepd a year earlier, reflecting higher output across crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs).

Gross profit rose 483 percent to N174.5 billion from N29.8 billion, while facility uptime improved to 96.1 percent from 85 percent, indicating better reliability across its upstream operations.

Wale Tinubu, group chief executive of Oando, said the improved performance reflected investments in its upstream assets and operational efficiency.

‘Our performance in the first nine months of 2026 demonstrates how diligent execution under our operatorship, supported by our renewed investment drive, is delivering greater efficiency, improved reliability, lower unit costs and ultimately higher production across our expanded upstream portfolio,’ he said.

Crude oil production increased 12 percent to 12,193 barrels per day, while gas production rose 13 percent to 28,689 boepd. NGL production grew 53 percent to 2,103 barrels per day.

The company’s total exploration and production sales volumes increased 21 percent to 10.21 million barrels of oil equivalent. Crude oil liftings rose 43 percent to 3.97 million barrels, while natural gas sales increased 5 percent to 34.01 billion standard cubic feet. NGL sales climbed 90 percent to 570,000 barrels.

The improved production performance also helped lower production operating costs by 22 percent to $15.39 per barrel of oil equivalent, from $19.67 in the corresponding period of 2025.

Despite the operating recovery, Oando’s earnings remained under pressure from financing costs. The company recorded a loss before tax of N74.7 billion, compared with a profit before tax of N19.5 billion a year earlier, as net finance costs reached N235.2 billion.

Profit after tax fell 47 percent to N106.5 billion from N201.3 billion, supported by an income tax credit of N181.1 billion.

Cash generated from operations stood at N285 billion, compared with N339.2 billion used in the corresponding period of 2025. The company invested N110.7 billion in capital expenditure, mainly in drilling activities across its OMLs 60-63 assets.

Total borrowings declined to N2.16 trillion, representing a 20 percent reduction from the end of 2025, while closing cash increased to N175.9 billion from N143.8 billion a year earlier.

Oando is also advancing a seven-well drilling programme across its operated assets. The company said it had completed drilling and brought Idu 6ST and Idu 15 on stream, while workovers at Samabri 4T and Samabri 7T had been completed.

Drilling is ongoing at Idu T and Samabri A50, with the final well, Ogbainbiri, scheduled to spud in December. The programme is expected to add between 16,000 and 20,000 boepd in gross production when completed.

The company has narrowed its 2026 full-year production guidance to between 40,000 and 45,000 boepd and expects capital expenditure of $90 million to $100 million, focused on upstream development activities.

In its electric mobility business, Oando said its partnership with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority recorded more than 212,000 passenger journeys in the first nine months of the year. The company also received 11 additional electric buses, bringing its fleet to 13, with the expanded fleet expected to enter service in the fourth quarter.

Tinubu said the company would focus on completing its drilling programme, sustaining production and strengthening its balance sheet through a planned equity raise.

SoftBank-backed company, OPay Limited, has terminated its planned initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) following a regulatory inquiry in a foreign jurisdiction, halting its planned entry into the US capital market.

The fintech company which raised $304 million in its IPO said it reached a mutual agreement with its underwriters to terminate the underwriting agreement signed on October 29, 2026, after deciding that postponing the offering was the most prudent course of action.

As a result, its American depositary shares (ADSs) will not begin trading on the NYSE as previously scheduled.

In a statement on Friday, OPay said the inquiry relates to a jurisdiction that is immaterial to its core business operations and expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved satisfactorily in the near future.

The company, valued at over $4 billion, did not identify the jurisdiction or provide further details about the nature of the inquiry.

OPay said the development should not be interpreted as a reflection of its business performance, financial condition, operational integrity or regulatory standing, adding that it was engaging relevant stakeholders to facilitate an early resolution.

The company also said the decision would not affect its operations or service delivery in Nigeria and other markets where it operates, including Indonesia, Egypt and Pakistan.

‘OPay continues to operate normally and remains fully committed to its customers, merchants, agents, business partners, employees, and the broader digital financial ecosystem,’ the company said.

The development interrupts OPay’s planned access to international capital markets, although the company has not indicated whether or when it would revive the offering.

OPay said its long-term commitment to Nigeria remained unchanged, adding that it would continue investing in the country’s digital financial services sector, promoting financial inclusion and supporting the growth of the digital economy.

The company said it would provide further updates as material developments occur.

The contemporary fashion industry is undergoing a structural revolution where pure creative talent is no longer enough to guarantee international survival. In an era dictated by complex global logistics, changing consumer habits, and digital acceleration, the designers commanding the market are those who treat fashion as both an elite art form and a rigorous commercial science.

Standing at the absolute forefront of this dual paradigm is Nigerian fashion entrepreneur and creative director Simbiat Asiru, the driving force behind TÀBÍRA Studio.

Asiru’s design methodology extends far beyond standard garment assembly. Her work represents a highly technical and architectural exploration of form, custom expressive prints, and fluid, contemporary silhouettes.

Yet, what truly cements her status as an international leader within the modern fashion design ecosystem is her sophisticated mastery of the business infrastructure required to sustain an independent global label.

A 15-Year Legacy of Operational Excellence

Long-term commercial resilience is a rare commodity in fashion entrepreneurship. Asiru’s established industry standing is backed by a 15-year career legacy that began with her founding Simbby House of Fab in Lagos in 2011.

Over more than a decade, this foundational enterprise served as her testing ground, sharpening her expertise in garment construction, pattern-drafting, client relations, and market positioning.

Her strategic 2025 evolution into TÀBÍRA Studio was not a mere change of name, but a calculated operational rebrand engineered to capture a borderless luxury audience.

What gives Asiru a definitive competitive edge over her contemporaries is her rigorous academic foundation; holding a Master of Science in Project Management from the University of Northampton, she integrates systematic corporate structure directly into the creative studio. From managing intricate international production schedules to allocating resources and navigating cross-border customs, Asiru approaches design with the precision of a global operations executive.

The Blueprint of Cross-Continental Scaling

While many domestic brands struggle to expand beyond regional borders, Asiru successfully transformed TÀBÍRA Studio into a borderless e-commerce and retail powerhouse. As early as 2017, she proved her global commercial viability by expanding operations into the highly competitive United Arab Emirates luxury market, launching with a widely celebrated, exclusive showcase in Abu Dhabi.

Today, utilizing a sophisticated Shopify direct-to-consumer digital infrastructure, TÀBÍRA Studio processes premium commercial transactions seamlessly across the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. This decentralized sales model allows her distinctive design voice to reach diverse global cultures simultaneously, proving that independent African design can command market share in the world’s most affluent retail capitals.

From Runway to Direct-to-Consumer UK Success

The structural viability of Asiru’s business model was put on definitive display during her recent expansion into the United Kingdom ecosystem. In 2026, she brought her critically acclaimed collection, ATUNBÍ II: The Rebirth Edit, to the UK stage at the Culture Fashion Show UK, curated under the expert creative direction of Gemma Hall, Founder and Creative Strategy Director. The presentation, captured by Green Vision Photography, won high praise from fashion critics for its sculptural layering and innovative textile manipulation.

Demonstrating her sharp business acumen, Asiru immediately capitalized on this runway momentum by bridging high-fashion showmanship with direct physical retail.

In July 2026, TÀBÍRA Studio hosted a physical fashion exhibition at the historic Oakleigh Lodge Social Club in Nottingham (NG6 9DD). The experiential pop-up resulted in an exceptional commercial turnout, with a significant volume of the collection selling out directly on the floor.

This immediate translation of creative buzz into high-volume British sales numbers highlights Asiru’s market readiness as she permanently anchors TÀBÍRA Studio within the UK fashion economy.

As the label plots its next major phase of international expansion, Simbiat Asiru stands as a brilliant blueprint for the modern creative CEO: an independent designer engineering global economic growth without ever losing sight of her rich cultural vision. Bold. Timeless. TÀBÍRA.

Thousands of African graduates seeking employment in the United Kingdom (UK) could lose six months of post-study work opportunities under a new immigration policy that makes the duration of their stay dependent on the university they attend.

The UK government will retain the two-year Graduate visa for international students completing degrees at selected universities, while graduates from other institutions will receive only 18 months from January 1, 2027. The arrangement creates a two-tier system in which a university’s immigration compliance record and graduate employment outcomes could determine how long international students can remain in Britain after graduation.

The decision partially reverses an earlier plan to reduce the Graduate visa for all bachelor’s and master’s degree holders from two years to 18 months. However, the government has not disclosed which universities will qualify for the longer period or how their performance will be assessed.

In its 2026 Budget, the government said the extended period would apply to graduates from institutions with strong immigration compliance records and positive employment outcomes.

‘The government will also increase the duration of the Graduate visa to two years for graduates from high compliance universities where there are strong labour market outcomes,’ the Budget document stated.

The policy has significant implications for African students, particularly Nigerians, who constitute a major segment of the UK’s international student population and often rely on post-study employment to gain professional experience and recover the cost of studying abroad.

Nigeria was the UK’s third-largest source of sponsored international students in the year ending June 2026, with 26,060 study visas issued to Nigerian main applicants, behind China and India.

Nigerians were also among the largest beneficiaries of the Graduate route, with 20,604 nationals receiving approval during the period, the third-highest figure among nationalities.

The figures highlight the potential scale of the policy’s impact, although the number of African graduates affected extends beyond Nigeria.

University choice becomes an immigration consideration

The new arrangement means prospective international students may have to consider a university’s eligibility for the extended Graduate visa alongside tuition fees, academic reputation and employment prospects.

For students financing their education through personal savings, family support or loans, losing six months of post-study work eligibility could reduce the time available to secure employment, gain experience and transition to a longer-term immigration route.

The Graduate visa allows eligible international students to work or search for employment without first obtaining employer sponsorship. However, it cannot be extended, meaning graduates who wish to remain in Britain beyond its validity must qualify for another immigration category, such as the Skilled Worker visa.

Under the revised rules, students graduating before the end of 2026 can still apply for the existing two-year Graduate visa. The shorter 18-month period will apply to applications submitted from January 1, 2027, while doctoral graduates will continue to qualify for three years.

The absence of a published list of qualifying universities creates uncertainty for students making admission and financial decisions ahead of the implementation date. Without clear assessment criteria, prospective applicants may struggle to determine whether their chosen institution will provide access to the longer post-study period.

UK expands opportunities for highly skilled graduates

Alongside the changes to the Graduate route, Britain plans to widen access to its High Potential Individual visa by extending eligibility to graduates of the world’s top 150 universities, compared with the smaller group currently covered.

The route allows eligible graduates of leading overseas institutions to move to the UK without securing a job offer before arrival.

The government also intends to give some highly skilled sponsored workers up to six months to find another job when their existing sponsorship ends.

Together, the measures suggest a more selective approach to international migration. While the government is shortening the post-study work period for some graduates, it is creating additional opportunities for individuals from institutions and professional backgrounds it considers valuable to the British labour market.