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The coordinator of Concerned Professionals for Good Governance, Okechukwu Nwafor, has praised Governor Peter Mbah’s decision to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as a bold step that will accelerate Enugu state’s development.

Nwafor commended the governor’s leadership and vision, noting that his defection reflected a commitment to progress and effective governance.

He said Mbah’s track record in infrastructure, education, and healthcare had already positioned Enugu as one of the fastest-growing states in the South-East.

Governor Mbah, who officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, said the move was the outcome of deep reflection and wide consultation with political stakeholders.

‘This is no whimsical decision. It’s a collective move by the political family in Enugu State, comprising members of the National Assembly, members of the State House of Assembly, the State Executive Council, all the Local Government Chairmen and Councillors, all political appointees, and over 80% of Party Executives,’ Mbah stated.

He explained that the defection was aimed at aligning Enugu State with the APC’s development vision and further advancing the state’s transformation agenda.

The governor highlighted key achievements under his administration, including the completion of smart green schools, primary healthcare centers, and roads, as well as a 600% increase in internally generated revenue.

Mbah assured residents that his switch to the APC would not disrupt ongoing projects but would instead enhance his administration’s capacity to deliver more effectively on its promises.

Actress and filmmaker Toyin Abraham has revealed why she cannot speak her native Edo language despite being from Auchi, Edo State.

Speaking with TikToker Jarvis at the premiere of the movie Ginger, Toyin revealed that her fluency in Yoruba stems from being born and raised in Yoruba land and marrying a Yoruba man.

‘I can’t speak Edo. You know I was born and brought up in Yoruba land. And I married a Yoruba man. So I’m practically Yoruba. I can’t even speak Edo. One bit. But there’s no Yoruba I can’t speak,’ she explained.

Born in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, to Edo parents, Toyin grew up immersed in Yoruba culture in Ibadan, Oyo State.

She attended Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, and later Ibadan Polytechnic before pursuing her acting career full-time.

In Nigeria, people are innovative and creative, yet their financial gain ends at the court of law. Whether it is music or technology, the owners of intellectual property (IP) are finding the difficulty of receiving reasonable compensation when their rights are violated, not because the law is deaf and dumb, but because it is not valued.

The economic value of IP is still not judicial. Most courts continue to see infringement as a moral offense and not an economic harm. The outcome? Token awards that are not based on commercial reality.

In the case of the Pupayannis vs MTN and Others, the artist was only able to claim N20million of that which he was entitled to at 10%. Similarly, N2 million was awarded in Okiki Bright vs 9mobile, Globacom and Others, after six years of litigation, which is hardly enough to incur legal expenses. Such verdicts reveal a structural loophole: the lack of viable IP Valuation evidence in a court of justice.

By accepting and using expert evidence of valuation, a court makes an effective statement, the creative works are not an afterthought; they are assets. Where they use professional IP valuations, the damages are based on the realities in the market, they discourage infringement, and are consistent with international practices.

Courts in advanced jurisdictions such as the United States and the United Kingdom regularly rely on the services of IP valuation professionals who advise on the award of monetary damages in copyright, patent, and trademark cases.

They know that without economic evaluation, justice is symbolic and not compensatory. A similar commercial discipline is required in Nigeria’s judiciary.

The International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) identifies IP, such as copyrights, trademarks, patents, and industrial designs, as intangible assets that can be valued using three primary methods, which are Cost, Market, and Income. These are practical techniques, which are the Relief-from-Royalty, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), and the Excess Earnings models. Both of them offer an organized system to evaluate actual losses, projected profits, and reasonable compensation.

In cases where the economic value of IP is valued by courts, their decisions are both legally and financially credible.

To the inventors and rights’ owners, IP valuation is not merely a tool of the courtroom – it is a source of money. A sound valuation gives them strong bargaining power in the negotiation of disputes, licensing, and investment. It also sends a warning to those who may want to infringe that there are some economic repercussions of doing that. Such a change of attitude promotes licensing, prevents piracy, and re-characterizes the IP controversies as moral fights in the context of financial responsibility.

The judiciary in Nigeria has the key to unlock the huge potential of the nation’s creative economy. A value-based compensation judicial system creates investor confidence and allows IP-backed financing of industries like entertainment, technology, and pharmaceuticals. IP-backed financing is already a multi-billion-dollar asset class around the globe. Nigeria can develop its own form should valuation enters judicial opinion.

To do so, the judges working on IP cases need to be exposed to the principles of valuation in organized settings. The roster of certified IP valuation experts of the judicial courts should be maintained to offer independent technical opinions.

The judiciary, in partnership with the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Trademarks Registry, and financial institutions, ought to come up with valuation policies, disclosure procedures, and licensing and royalty transfer databases. Such data infrastructure will enhance comparability and increase the credibility of the expert reports.

Once IP valuation becomes a common court procedure, then innovation is bankable. Start-ups are able to collateralise their IP, investors can price intangible assets with confidence, and inventors are able to be fully compensated on a full-value basis. Its ripple effects will be increased expenditure in R and D, employment, and quantifiable input in the growth of GDP.

Nigeria is the place of innovation and justice. Should the judiciary institutionalise IP valuation as a standard of evidence and economic valuation, it will accomplish not merely the reinforcement of the rule of law, but the transformation of the creative into the capital, which is a rather obvious departure from oil dependence.

By judicial reform, here I do not mean legal reform, but economic reform. Some court results on reliable IP valuation create confidence in securitization, licensing, and financing innovation. Once the logic of valuation is used consistently by the courts in Nigeria, the creative and knowledge economy of the nation can finally become performance-oriented as opposed to potential.

– Lekan Akinwumi, an Estate Surveyor and Valuer, Principal Partner, Lekan Akinwumi and Co, is a specialist in Intellectual Property (IP) Valuation and Securitization. He is a PhD student who wrote from Lagos, is working on ‘Developing a Framework for Intellectual Property Valuation and Securitization in Nigeria.’

Every October the world looks forward to genius. It is because it waits on the wise men of Stockholm who announce the year’s winners of the Nobel Prizes in important areas of human endeavours and civilisation.

Nigeria has no acclaim this year. We have not had one since Professor Wole Soyinka received the prize for literature in 1986. As the world acknowledged our own preeminent man of letters, so we do every year for those who are selected by the committee each year. It is a humanist award, a validation of years of toil when ideas and empathy meet.

This year, a new list illumines the world. The first is for Physiology or Medicine. Three researchers won it ‘for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance.’ It is about how the body protects itself from diseases and has been helping in such afflictions as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The winners are Mary E. Brunkow, 64, of the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, United States; Fred Ramsdell of Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco in the United States; and Shimon Sakaguchi of Osaka University in Japan. Kudos!

For Physics, the accolades go ‘for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit.’ These colourful words reflect their feat for MRI and making better cell phones and computers. The winners are John Clarke, 83, of the University of California at Berkeley, United States; Michel H. Devoret, 72, at Yale University and John M. Martin. A nod for them!

In Chemistry, it is awarded ‘for the development of metal-organic frameworks’ that lay the groundwork for paradoxically sucking greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere and harvesting moisture for desert and dry environments. It is a hit for saving the planet. The laureates are Susumu Kigawa, 74, of Kyoto University in Japan; Richard Robson, 88, of the University of Melbourne, Australia; Omar M. Yaghi, 60, of the University of California at Berkeley. The world doffs its hat!

For Literature, it goes to Hungarian novelist Laszlo Krasznahorkai, 71, ‘for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art.’ The writer is one of the writers of recent times that was on the prediction list and was able to get the committee’s mind right this time. His writings are noted for their bleak air and a sense of humanity’s compulsion to injustice and disaster. His works like Satantango and the Melancholy of resistance are representative of his genius. Cheers for him.

For Peace, the committee chooses Maria Corina Machado ‘who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness’ in her country Venezuela. She has been in hiding, yet she has been the rallying point and cry for a divided opposition, and has hounded the Maduro dictatorship with her grace and vision.

The nation’s ruler Nicolas Maduro has subjected her to suppression and held the country in his iron grip. Her award was coveted by the United States President, Donald Trump, who made a drama of giving her call and almost insinuating in dubious humour that she might want to hand him the prize. A pacific applause for her!

The last prize goes for Economic Science ‘having explained innovation-driven economic growth.’ This is a paean to ideas that explicate the various ways that economies prosper.

The winners are Joel Mokyr of Northwestern University in the United States as well as Eitan Berglas School of Economics; Phillipe Aghion of the College de France and INSEAD in France as well as the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom; and Peter Howitt of Brown University, United States. Hurrahs to them.

If we must join this list, we must encourage research, and it begins with government. If one of us could get it, others also can.

The curtain has officially fallen on one of the most exciting campaigns of the season – the TECNO 2025 Back-to-School Promo. What began on August 28, 2025, the campaign, themed ‘Buy Smarter, Win Bigger,’ gave students, parents, and young professionals the perfect opportunity to gear up for a new academic season with affordable gadgets and irresistible rewards.

Throughout the campaign, customers enjoyed more value for every purchase – from handy power banks and selfie light sets to rotatable phone stands and stylish vacuum cups. But TECNO didn’t stop there. The excitement soared even higher with weekly online raffle draws that transformed everyday shoppers into proud winners of premium appliances like refrigerators, deep freezers, and rechargeable fans.

The campaign reached its grand finale on October 10, 2025, when 10 lucky customers across Nigeria emerged as the ultimate winners. From Lagos to Kano, Abuja to Onitsha, smiles lit up faces as people like Fumilayo and Asuni took home the sleek TECNO Spark 40, while others, such as Victor and Otu, won brand-new laptops to power their academic journey. Nneka and Janet celebrated their wins with freezers, while Mohammed, Sarah, and Oloruntomi proudly walked away with fans – making this year’s Back-to-School season one to remember.

Speaking on the campaign’s success, a TECNO representative shared:

‘Seeing students and families across the country win rewards that truly make a difference in their daily lives reminds us why we do what we do. This promo was about more than sales – it was about supporting our customers and helping them start the school year strong.’

As the campaign wraps up, TECNO extends heartfelt appreciation to every customer who participated, shopped, and shared in the fun. While the 2025 Back-to-School Promo may have come to an end, the brand promises even more exciting opportunities ahead. Because with TECNO, every season is another chance to win big and live smarter. For more updates, follow TECNO on Facebook, Instagram, and X(Twitter).

Vitamin supplement to enhance the wellbeing of expectant and nursing mothers has been launched in Abuja, with actress, Anita Asuoha (Real Warri Pikin), unveiled as brand ambassador.

The product, Mama Bear Gummies, was introduced at a signing ceremony attended by health experts, stakeholders, and media professionals.

It is NAFDAC-approved formulated to provide nutrients that support women’s health during and after pregnancy.

Asuoha said she was excited to be part of a campaign that promotes women’s wellness and maternal health.

‘It’s difficult for women, especially those above 30, to keep up with pills and supplements. This is an easier and more convenient option,’ she said.

She encouraged expectant and nursing mothers to take prenatal and postnatal care seriously, emphasising importance of proper nutrition before and after childbirth.

A representative of the company, Rosalind Okpara, said Mama Bear Gummies were created to make it easier for women to get the vitamins they need.

‘It contains essential nutrients required to keep mother and child healthy,’ she said.

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed the nomination of Mr. Louis Odion, a former Senior Technical Assistant on Media to ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, as Executive Commissioner (Operations) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

Also confirmed was Hajia Ummusalma Isiyaka Rabiu for appointment as Executive Commissioner (Corporate Services) of the FCCPC.

The confirmation followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, chaired by Senator Umar Sadiq.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier forwarded the names of both nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

Odion, a veteran journalist and former Commissioner for Information in Edo State, will oversee operations at the commission, while Ummusalma Isiyaka Rabiu from Kano State will handle corporate services.

Presenting the committee’s report, Senator Sadiq said the nominees were found competent and qualified, having demonstrated ‘integrity, professionalism, and a sound understanding of consumer protection and market regulation.’

He added that their appointments align with the administration’s goal of promoting fair competition and protecting consumer rights in Nigeria’s growing digital and commercial sectors.

The Senate adopted the committee’s report and confirmed both nominees through a unanimous voice vote.

In a related development, the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, chaired by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, also presented its report on the screening of Professor Yusuf Mohammad as Commissioner of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC), representing the North East geopolitical zone.

Adegbonmire noted that the nominee met all constitutional requirements and possessed the experience needed to contribute to the ongoing reform of Nigeria’s legal framework.

He said, ‘The committee found Professor Yusuf Mohammad to be eminently qualified and of proven integrity. His appointment will strengthen the capacity of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission to review outdated statutes and harmonise them with current realities.’

The chamber subsequently approved his nomination after a motion for confirmation was moved and adopted without objection.

First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has called for stronger partnerships and collaborations among African nations to bridge health and education gaps and give renewed hope to families across the continent.

Speaking at the 12th Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Committee Meeting in Banjul, The Gambia, on Wednesday, Senator Tinubu said partnerships built on shared values could strengthen health systems, expand educational access, and empower women and families across Nigeria and Africa.

According to a statement by her Senior Special Assistant on Media Busola Kukoyi, Mrs Tinubu said: ‘partnerships built on shared values can build stronger health systems, expand educational access, and give hope to families across Nigeria’.

Highlighting the achievements of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Tinubu noted that the foundation has continued to complement President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in key areas such as education, health, economic empowerment, social investment, and agriculture.

‘In health, RHI has so far donated $2 million to support advocacy and treatment for cervical cancer and tuberculosis as part of our commitment to eliminate both diseases by 2030, among other interventions in collaboration with local and international partners,’ she said.

On education, the First Lady disclosed that RHI has awarded annual scholarships to 47 indigent university students for three consecutive years and, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education, provided an additional 1,500 scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

Commending the Chief Executive Officer of the Merck Foundation, Senator Rasha Kelej, for the foundation’s interventions, Senator Tinubu said Nigerian doctors had benefited from 14 scholarships for one-year diploma programmes in fertility and embryology, as well as two-year master’s degrees in sexual and reproductive care, women’s health, and family medicine.

She added that 40 scholarships were granted for diploma and master’s programmes in diabetes, endocrinology, cardiovascular prevention, cardiology, and obesity management, in addition to three scholarships for oncology research, medical oncology, and pain management.

Tinubu expressed optimism that the collaboration between RHI and the Merck Foundation could be expanded to further support healthcare and educational empowerment initiatives across Africa.

The meeting, attended by First Ladies from several African countries including the host, The Gambia, as well as São Tomé, the Central African Republic, Burundi, and Senegal, focused on addressing women’s and children’s health and educational challenges on the continent.

The United States Army War College (USAWC) has posthumously conferred one of its highest international honours on the 23rd Chief of Army Staff of the Nigerian Army, the late Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, by inducting him into the prestigious International Hall of Fame.

A statement yesterday by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lt.-Col Appolonia Anele, said the late General Lagbaja was conferred with the distinguished honour on Monday, October 13, during the opening ceremony of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Convention at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre, Washington D.C.

The recognition, according to the statement, underscores the late General Lagbaja’s outstanding achievements as an alumnus of the institution who rose meritoriously to the zenith of his military career as Nigeria’s 23rd Chief of Army Staff.

‘In a solemn but yet colourful ceremony, the Commandant of the USAWC, Major General Trevor J. Bredenkamp, presented the posthumous honour in acknowledgment of the late General Lagbaja’s sterling leadership, visionary service and exceptional contributions to the advancement of military professionalism and international peace and security,’ the statement said.

It stated that Major General Adeleke Ayannuga, who represented the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, received the award alongside Mrs. Maria Abiodun Lagbaja, on behalf of the late COAS.

‘Lieutenant General Oluyede expressed profound pride in this singular honour bestowed upon one of the Nigerian Army’s most illustrious and visionary leaders.

‘He affirmed that the recognition not only immortalises the late Lieutenant General Lagbaja’s distinguished service but also reinforces the Nigerian Army’s commitment to the universal ideals of professionalism, discipline, and dedication to global peace and security,’ the statement added.

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has confirmed the appointment of 5,000 contract teachers under the State’s Ministry of Education as permanent staff.

The teachers were initially engaged by the previous administration on a contract basis and received a monthly stipend of ?65,000.

Governor Okpebholo, who supervised the distribution of appointment letters at a ceremony held on Wednesday at the Government House, said the move reflects his administration’s commitment to valuing and empowering educators.

He emphasized the critical role teachers play in shaping the future of Edo State and reaffirmed his government’s dedication to improving their welfare and working conditions.

According to him, ‘Teachers, I am happy to see you. I wanted it this way, because, I had asked several times if you had received your letters. The answer was no. So, I decided to supervise the process myself. As you collect your appointment letters today, you will also receive transport fare because I know many of you have traveled long distances.

‘You are very important to us. Your reward is no longer in heaven; it is here, under our watch.’

Edo Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, who thanked the teachers for their perseverance, said neautiful schools without teachers were useless.

‘Today, an angel has come, a leader who thinks about your welfare day and night.’

‘He met Ambrose Alli University with a ?41 million subvention and increased it to ?500 million. Right now, a 1,500-capacity lecture theatre and a 600-capacity hostel are under construction.’

Dr. Iyamu said the EDU-Rescue Programme was launched to give children from poor backgrounds access to quality education.