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Netanyahu says he saw October 7 as an opportunity to ‘change the face of the Middle East’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his strategic intention following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack was ultimately to confront Iran while expanding Israel’s military operations across Gaza, Syria and Lebanon.

Speaking in an interview with i24, Netanyahu said that by October 8 he believed Israel would ‘change the face of the Middle East,’ describing Iran as the ‘head of the octopus’ and saying Israel needed to cut off its regional ‘arms.’

Netanyahu’s remarks appear to place the Gaza war within a broader regional strategy aimed at weakening Iran and its network of allies and armed groups across the Middle East.

The comments have also fueled renewed debate over what Israeli authorities knew before Hamas launched its October 7 attack. Critics and commentators have cited previous reports and allegations that Israeli officials had obtained information about Hamas’ plans months before the assault, while questioning whether sufficient action was taken to prevent it.

Separate allegations have also circulated over the Israeli military’s conduct on October 7, including claims concerning the use of the so-called Hannibal Directive, a controversial military procedure intended to prevent the capture of Israeli soldiers. Critics have alleged that its use may have contributed to Israeli casualties that day. Israeli authorities have disputed or rejected various allegations concerning the military’s conduct.

On social media, some critics have gone further, alleging that the October 7 attack was deliberately allowed to occur or subsequently exploited to generate domestic and international support for a broader regional conflict. These claims remain disputed and have not been established as fact.

Netanyahu’s reference to changing the ‘face of the Middle East,’ however, echoes his longstanding argument that Israel’s security requires confronting Iran and dismantling the regional capabilities of groups aligned with Tehran.

Israel’s subsequent military campaign expanded beyond Gaza, with operations targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iranian-linked forces and infrastructure in Syria, and eventually direct confrontations between Israel and Iran.

Stanbic IBTC Asset Management: Financial literacy is only half the strategy

Financial literacy content aimed at young Nigerians has grown steadily in reach over the past few years, spanning podcasts, social media pages and, more recently, entertainment formats such as game shows.

What is drawing closer attention now is not how many people are consuming this content, but how many are acting on it.

InvestBeta, the financial game show produced by Stanbic IBTC Asset Management, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, is one of the formats credited with making that content more accessible.

Now in its third season and soon to be aired on the Stanbic IBTC YouTube channel, the show has built a format around testing contestants on financial knowledge and decision making under time pressure, an approach the company says was designed to make investing feel less abstract.

Busola Jejelowo, Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Asset Management, describing the thinking behind the show noted that, ‘InvestBeta has always been about making the language of investing feel less distant and more practical for everyday people.’

Jejelowo added, ‘The first part of financial literacy is generating interest and improving comprehension. The harder measure of success is what happens once the entertainment ends. A viewer who understands the difference between a mutual fund and a treasury bill has not necessarily started saving in either.’

That distinction is where Stanbic IBTC Asset Management positions BluNest, its digital investment platform, as the more relevant part of the conversation going forward. BluNest is available through the Stanbic IBTC Mobile App and a secure web platform and allows users to save and invest across instruments including mutual funds, treasury bills and fixed deposits from one account.

The platform was built to lower the practical barriers that keep people from starting. Users can open an account and begin investing with as little as five thousand naira, across instruments including mutual funds, treasury bills and fixed deposits, rather than needing a large sum or specialised financial knowledge to get started.

A low entry point removes the upfront hesitation that keeps many people from opening an account at all, even when the intention to save already exists. It does not guarantee a habit form, but it removes one of the more common reasons people delay starting.

The company has also used a simpler framing to encourage consistent saving, referred to in InvestBeta campaign material as the 20 percent challenge, the practice of setting aside a fifth of one’s income regardless of how much that income is. The principle is presented not as a fixed target but as a proportion that can scale with an individual’s earnings, meant to reinforce the idea that saving consistently matters more than saving a large amount at once.

For Stanbic IBTC Asset Management, the positioning reflects a broader shift in how the company is framing its financial education efforts.

Rather than treating shows like InvestBeta as standalone entertainment, the company is presenting them as the first step in a longer process, one that is only complete when a viewer opens an account and begins saving or investing.

InvestBeta Gameshow 3.0 new episodes aires on the Stanbic IBTC YouTube channel. BluNest remains available to new and existing Stanbic IBTC customers through the Stanbic IBTC Mobile App and online.

Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited is registered and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria as a Fund/Portfolio Manager.

When county laws catch telephone farmers

In case you’re new to this column, when I’m not nitpicking about corporate governance, I wail and gnash my teeth over my sheep farm. As I have written here many times before: if you are thinking about getting into farming while still holding down a white-collar job in Nairobi, don’t dare.

Here are a few recent events that should strongly encourage your discouragement.

In 2023, I sank a borehole at the sheep farm located in Laikipia East, a water-distressed area on the leeward side of the great Mt Kenya. My water engineer, a superb gentleman of the highest integrity, obtained all the licences required for the job.

Somewhere along the way, as we concluded the project, he must have informed me that the next step was to obtain a water usage permit from the Water Resources Authority (WRA). Of course, I didn’t get round to it. I had already paid for all the drilling licences, blah blah, and had reached regulatory overload. But the regulatory gods were not done with me.

By mid-2025, I received a text message from a number identifying itself as WRA. Said number claimed I had a bill of several thousand shillings and needed to pay via e-Citizen.

Folks, don’t think that if you do the Lord’s work of drilling a hole to meet your own water needs, our good government won’t come after you. Turns out that while you may own the land on which your confoundedly expensive borehole pump sits, the government owns every blessed drop of water beneath it.

Having picked myself off the dusty floor in righteous indignation, I paid the bill shingo upande. Water is a shared resource, after all, and give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, blah blah.

Then the bills started coming monthly. I began to doubt the veracity of the amounts, particularly since there were no meter readings, yet the text messages assumed a certain level of usage. I decided to visit the WRA offices in Nanyuki town.

The team welcomed me quite warmly, much to my sceptical surprise. A lovely lady walked me through my purported historical injustices, shared my statement, and schooled me on why I was being charged so much. Indignation slowly turned into enlightenment, tinged with a tiny bit of shame, as my lack-of-permit chickens had come home to roost.

When you apply to drill a borehole, you submit estimates of your domestic and agricultural usage, along with your mobile number. If you don’t apply for the permit after drilling, WRA will assume your monthly usage and charge you Sh10 per cubic metre, whether or not you are drawing water! With a permit, however, the charge is Sh2.50 for domestic use and Sh2.00 for irrigation. Any guess what I am currently applying for with a quickness? Let us set my water woes aside.

A few days after returning from Nanyuki, my farm manager called. Watu wa County had arrived. They wanted two things: first, a licence for my sheep, and secondly, a construction permit for the ramshackle kitchen I am cobbling together for my workers. Just know that I am about 35 kilometres from the Nanyuki County offices in the deepest interior of Laikipia East, where the last county officials to visit were probably escorting John Speke and Richard Burton as they hunted for the source of the Nile.

‘What do you mean you need a licence to rear sheep?’ was my exasperated query to the farm manager. A word of advice to all telephone farmers: never speak to village or county officials yourself. Hide behind your farm workers. It will then become a ‘ground-to-ground’ discussion rather than a ‘Rural Ground to Nairobi Ozone’ reverse power play. So he spoke to them and explained that my sheep were for personal consumption. ‘No, that cannot be,’ they responded. ‘These sheep have very nice housing.’

The farm manager cast a baleful eye at what they regarded as a Muthaiga-level mansion for sheep and shrugged. County officials concluded they’d find my sheep at the cess point on the Nyeri-Nanyuki highway the day I decided to sell them.

Crisis resolved. For now. As for the ramshackle kitchen, they extracted their pound of flesh and kept on Johnny Walking.

If you want to undertake any activities in your rural backwater farm, let me actively encourage you not to think about it. But if you still want to pursue what can only be labelled as a fool’s errand, then find out what the 1000+ rules are for running a rural backwater farm.

Why? Because the county informer network is as long as it is wide. And know this: the long arm of regulatory enforcement knows no earthen road nor water-distressed bounds.

Nigerian palm oil can be added to UNESCO ICH lis0074

There is a colour that immediately announces itself in the Nigerian kitchen. This colour is the deep orange-red glow of palm oil sizzling in virtually every Nigerian pot of soup, coating steaming plates of yam, colouring soft pulpy beans, giving ofada rice that distinctive character and transforming ordinary ingredients into food that carries the unmistakable aroma of home.

Nigerian palm oil has travelled far more than any cooking oil. It has been food, farming, commerce, household wealth, indigenous knowledge and culinary identity. From the palm groves of the South-East and South-South to kitchens across Nigeria, the African oil palm has quietly shaped the country’s food culture.

Today, however, an important question deserves to be asked and this is simple, can the traditional knowledge and culinary practices surrounding Nigerian red palm oil become part of the country’s case for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage recognition?

The answer is potentially yes, but the proposal must be about the living cultural practices surrounding palm oil, rather than simply asking UNESCO to list ‘palm oil’ as a product.

The African oil palm, Elaeis guineensis, is indigenous to West Africa. The Food and Agriculture Organization notes that oil palm processing for edible oil has been practised in Africa for thousands of years and that the naturally highly coloured and flavoured oil became an essential ingredient in traditional West African cuisine and Nigeria sits at the heart of this history. The palm tree has long been woven into the economic and social life of communities in the humid southern parts of the country.

It provides not only palm oil but palm kernels, palm wine, fibres, leaves and other useful materials. FAO documentation describes the oil palm as one of the most widely exploited forest species in West Africa and records the importance of palm-oil processing as an income-generating activity, particularly for women in south-eastern Nigeria.

The fascinating chapter in Nigeria’s economic history is quite fascinating Reports say during the 1950s and into the mid-1960s, Nigeria was the world’s leading producer of palm oil, with a reported global market share of about 43 per cent and annual production of approximately 645,000 metric tonnes. The Nigerian oil-palm economy was later severely disrupted by political, economic and agricultural changes, including the civil war, which occurred largely in the country’s eastern oil-palm belt. But long before palm oil became an international commodity, it was already an ingredient of everyday African cooking.

Traditional palm-oil processing is a remarkable example of indigenous food technology. The mature fruit bunches are harvested, the individual fruits separated and softened, and the fleshy mesocarp is processed to release the oil. Traditional methods have involved boiling, pounding, pressing and separating the oil from water and fibrous material. FAO documentation records traditional Nigerian processing techniques involving boiling the fruits and pounding them to release the oil. These are not merely mechanical activities but a representation of knowledge.

Knowing when a bunch is mature, how long the fruits should be processed, how the pulp should be handled, how to separate oil from water and impurities, how to store the finished oil and how to recognise good-quality oil are all forms of indigenous food knowledge. In many communities, such knowledge has historically been transmitted orally and practically from parents to children, from experienced processors to younger generations and within farming and market networks. That is precisely where the cultural-heritage argument becomes powerful.

UNESCO defines intangible cultural heritage as practices, knowledge and skills recognised by communities as part of their heritage and transmitted from generation to generation. The Convention specifically requires the participation of the communities that create, maintain and transmit the heritage. Therefore, Nigeria’s potential heritage proposition should not simply be ‘Nigerian Palm Oil.’ It could be framed around something more culturally complete, such as: ‘Traditional Knowledge and Culinary Practices of Nigerian Red Palm Oil Production and Cuisine.’

Such a proposition could document the indigenous knowledge of oil-palm cultivation, harvesting, processing, storage, culinary use, food preparation, apprenticeship, women’s processing traditions, market practices, festivals, oral histories and intergenerational transmission.

One of the most important food facts that every Nigerian consumer should understand is the fact that natural red palm oil is supposed to be red because the colour is largely derived from carotenoids naturally present in the oil. FAO identifies carotenoids as the pigments responsible for palm oil’s deep red colour. NAFDAC’s draft fats-and-oils regulations also recognise total carotenoids as a quality characteristic of red palm oil, specifying a range for total carotenoids in red palm oil.

Thus, the assumption that ‘very red means fake’ is scientifically too simplistic. At the same time, the opposite assumption that every very red oil is genuine is equally dangerous. This is where Nigeria’s current palm-oil adulteration controversy enters the story.

The red-dye alarm

A viral video reported recently has however triggered public concern after showing concentrated dye being added to palm oil to intensify its colour. The incident has generated calls for stronger regulatory intervention and renewed discussion about food fraud. Although the concern is not completely new, research in Nigeria has previously investigated the adulteration of palm oil with azo dyes, including Sudan III and Sudan IV.

A 2026 study examining awareness among palm-oil vendors also reported that some vendors had heard of Sudan dye being used to adulterate palm oil, while respondents identified colour, taste, smell and texture among the characteristics they used when attempting to recognise adulterated oil. Importantly, these observations demonstrate the existence of an adulteration concern; they do not mean that every market sample is adulterated.

Natural carotenoids and an illegally added industrial dye are two entirely different things. Carotenoids are naturally occurring plant pigments. Some are precursors of vitamin A and contribute to the nutritional value of unrefined red palm oil. Sudan dyes, on the other hand, are synthetic industrial dyes associated with food-fraud incidents. They are not legitimate ingredients for making cooking oil look more attractive.

Some studies have also raised toxicological concerns regarding exposure to azo dyes used to adulterate palm oil, including evidence of effects on organs in laboratory animals. That is why consumers should not deliberately seek out palm oil simply because it is ‘the reddest.’ The red colour of authentic palm oil comes from the palm fruit. It should never need to be manufactured with an unsafe colouring agent.

Consumers should buy from trusted processors and reputable sellers, avoid unusually suspicious products and report suspected adulteration to the appropriate food-safety authorities.

Palm oil is primarily fat, so it is energy-dense. Its nutritional profile includes saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, with palmitic acid being a major saturated fatty acid. But crude or minimally processed red palm oil has something that highly refined oil may lose: naturally occurring minor compounds, particularly carotenoids and vitamin-E-related compounds such as tocopherols and tocotrienols.

Scientific reviews have identified carotenoids, vitamin E compounds and phenolic substances among palm oil’s bioactive components. The carotenoid content is especially significant because it explains both the colour and part of the nutritional interest surrounding traditional red palm oil. This, however, should not turn palm oil into a ‘miracle food.’

One of the traditional nutritional attractions of unrefined red palm oil is its carotenoid content. Some carotenoids can be converted by the body into vitamin A, an essential nutrient involved in normal vision, immune function and other physiological processes.FAO has described palm-oil products as an important source of vitamin A in West African diets. But there is an important culinary-health qualification: red palm oil should complement a varied diet rather than be regarded as a treatment for vitamin-A deficiency. The amount of carotenoids retained in palm oil can vary with variety, ripeness, processing, storage and refining.

Palm oil is not a poison, but a fat that should be consumed in sensible quantities within an overall balanced diet. Palm oil contains a significant proportion of saturated fat. The World Health Organization recommends limiting saturated fat to less than 10 per cent of total energy intake and notes that unsaturated fats are generally preferable to saturated fats. WHO has also reviewed the evidence specifically on palm-oil consumption and cardiovascular health.

The best advice is to use authentic palm oil, appropriately, and maintain dietary variety and moderation. Palm oil used in virtually all Nigerian vegetable soup except the likes of white or Nsala soup and some kinds of pepper soup.

Palmoil is cultural. It speaks through food. Through our cultural soups like Banga, Egusi soup, Afang, Edikaikong, Ofe Onugbu, Ofe Oha, as well as Nigerian beans dishes, yam preparations and various kinds of sauces and soups. Palmoil can go with boiled yam, plantain and cassava foods amongst others.

In some homes, palm oil is heated with onions and other aromatics before ingredients are added. In others, it is combined with local spices, vegetables, fish or meat to create dishes whose identity is inseparable from the oil. The oil therefore functions as a culinary bridge across ethnic and regional food traditions.

Women and palmoil are great companions. Traditional palm-oil processing has historically involved substantial labour, with women playing important roles in processing and trading in parts of Nigeria. FAO has documented palm-oil processing as a lucrative activity for women in south-eastern Nigeria. This makes palm oil relevant not only to food heritage but also to discussions about women’s economic participation, rural entrepreneurship and indigenous agricultural knowledge. When a woman processes palm fruit into cooking oil, she is not simply producing an ingredient. She is applying knowledge. When she teaches her daughter how to identify good fruit, process the pulp and prepare a traditional dish, she is transmitting knowledge. When a community gathers around food prepared with locally produced palm oil, culinary knowledge becomes social memory.

This is intangible heritage. A serious Nigerian UNESCO proposal could therefore document the entire farm-to-pot heritage chain. It could begin with the oil palm grove. Then come seed selection, cultivation, care of the palm, harvesting, fruit separation, processing, extraction, storage and trading. Then comes the kitchen: the traditional knowledge of how much oil is appropriate for particular dishes, how it interacts with vegetables and spices, how heat changes its aroma, how it is combined with fish, meat, legumes, yam, plantain and other staples, and how culinary knowledge is transmitted. Then comes the social dimension-festivals, family meals, markets, community gatherings and intergenerational teaching.

It is also important to note that the contemporary challenge of how to preserve traditional knowledge while improving hygiene, food safety, sustainability and economic value becomes paramount. This is exactly the kind of living heritage conversation that UNESCO’s 2003 Convention encourages. UNESCO requires States Parties to identify and define intangible cultural heritage with the participation of the communities concerned, develop inventories and implement safeguarding measures. It also emphasises education, documentation and intergenerational transmission. We can also look the dimension of sustainability.

The African oil palm is native to the West African forest region, but palm-oil production must be managed responsibly so that economic development does not destroy biodiversity and ecosystems.

A Nigerian heritage strategy should therefore include sustainable cultivation, protection of traditional palm groves, responsible harvesting, improved processing technologies, waste management and support for smallholder farmers. The goal should not be to freeze tradition in the past.

It should be to keep the tradition alive. UNESCO’s concept of safeguarding includes documentation, research, preservation, protection, promotion and transmission, while allowing heritage practices to continue evolving within communities. Nigeria should begin asking a bigger question about its culinary heritage.

Why should the world know about Italian cooking, Korean jang-making, Egyptian koshary, Côte d’Ivoire’s attiéké production and other food-related traditions while Nigeria’s own extraordinary culinary knowledge remains largely undocumented at the international heritage level?

UNESCO’s current Representative List demonstrates that food-related heritage can be recognised when what is nominated is the cultural practice surrounding food-not merely a commodity or recipe. In 2024, for example, UNESCO inscribed the Skills related to Attiéké production in Côte d’Ivoire, while 2025 brought recognition to Italian cooking, between sustainability and biocultural diversity and Koshary, daily life dish and practices associated with it in Egypt.

How Governor Umo Eno’s administration is institutionalising open budget and debt-free governance

It borders on intellectual dishonesty and sheer absurdity for certain individuals to interrogate the fiscal prudence and capital expenditures of the Governor Umo Eno-led administration, while simultaneously conceding the democratic truism that elected officeholders owe an inalienable duty of accountability to the electorate.

Through the very essence of representative governance, the sovereign people who conferred the mandate possess the unassailable right to demand transparency, probity, and justification for every public outlay.

What, however, degenerates into perfidy and political mischief is the deliberate orchestration of calumny under the guise of interrogation.

When the scale, quality, and transformative impact of infrastructural and human capital projects embarked upon by this administration are manifest and verifiable, yet critics abandon objective scrutiny for acrimonious assaults, innuendo, and character assassination, it ceases to be civic engagement. It becomes an exercise in partisan acrimony and visceral bitterness masquerading as accountability.

A responsible democracy thrives not on destructive vilification, but on constructive engagement anchored in facts. The people deserve explanations, not propaganda; answers, not abuse.

As the administration continues to deploy public resources toward projects with enduring multiplier effects, it is incumbent on all stakeholders to interrogate with civility, critique with evidence, and ultimately judge with patriotism rather than prejudice.

The administration of His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno, has institutionalized a deliberate obligation to fiscal transparency through the quarterly public presentation of the State’s financial statements.

This is coordinated by the offices of the Honourable Commissioner for Finance and the Honourable Commissioner for Economic Development and Budget Planning.

During these quarterly briefings, the State Government presents a comprehensive analytical exposition of its revenue streams, delineating inflows from statutory federal allocations as well as Internally Generated Revenue.

Thereafter, a granular breakdown of expenditure is provided across all Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Parastatals, and Commissions, with a further disaggregation into project-specific capital outlays.

This approach enables citizens and stakeholders to undertake an informed assessment of the State’s fiscal inflow and outflow dynamics, thereby reinforcing principles of open governance and public accountability.

In furtherance of this commitment, the entire fiscal report is published on the official State portal for unrestricted public scrutiny.

The administration maintains zero tolerance for opacity or fiscal malfeasance and therefore disaggregates quarterly spending charts without equivocation, while also providing comparative analysis against prior quarters to ensure longitudinal evaluation.

In furtherance of his commitment to participatory governance and administrative accountability, Governor Umo Eno convenes a periodic Project Delivery and Performance Review Meeting.

This high-level interface serves as a comprehensive accountability forum wherein all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies present a detailed status report on ongoing projects to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

The presentation encompasses the scope of execution, the quantum of funds disbursed to date, and the projected timelines for completion.

The meeting is broad-based and inclusive, bringing together critical stakeholders across the socio-political spectrum of the State. In attendance are representatives of Civil Society Organizations, youth leadership bodies, women’s groups, the Judiciary, traditional institutions, the Christian community, security architecture, and members of the media.

This institutionalized mechanism ensures that governance is not conducted in silos, but rather subjected to public scrutiny, thereby reinforcing transparency, fostering trust, and guaranteeing that project implementation remains aligned with the aspirations of the citizenry and the citizens are aware how their monies are expended

It is therefore disingenuous for certain media entities to deliberately misrepresent the State’s fiscal position by isolating data out of context.

One such instance involved a report syndicated by The Cable, which regurgitated a previously debunked narrative from an online outlet notorious for the dissemination of fiscal misinformation.

The report alleged that in Q1 2026, the Government of Pastor Umo Eno expended ?201.73 billion against a revenue inflow of ?163.26 billion, thereby implying a fiscal deficit of ?38.47 billion.

This was leveraged to question the Governor’s zero-borrowing policy and to insinuate clandestine debt accumulation.

What these commentaries conveniently omit is the macroeconomic context and budgetary architecture.

The said expenditure constitutes only a proportionate drawdown from the overall ?1.584 trillion appropriation for the 2026 fiscal year, a budget designed for counter-cyclical public investment and capital formation.

A temporal mismatch between revenue realization and expenditure disbursement within a quarter does not ipso facto equate to unsustainable fiscal imbalance or extra-budgetary borrowing.

Governor Umo Eno’s administration is anchored on prudential fiscal management and counter-cyclical budgeting.

Any interim deficit is effectively financed from accumulated fiscal buffers, retained earnings, and treasury savings, not from unauthorized debt instruments.

Moreover, by constitutional and statutory imperative, any recourse to domestic or external borrowing must undergo legislative appropriation and public disclosure through the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

To allege surreptitious borrowing is therefore both legally untenable and factually baseless.

The Governor’s economic philosophy prioritizes value-for-money, capital efficiency, and intergenerational equity.

Rather than engage in deficit financing for recurrent consumption, the administration channels resources into productive infrastructure with high fiscal multipliers that crowd-in private investment and expand the State’s productive capacity.

In the long run, this disciplined, transparent, and savings-backed approach ensures budget credibility, debt sustainability, and the ability to execute the annual budget framework without compromising macroeconomic stability.

What the public you be aware, that the Umo Eno administration has moved beyond rhetoric to institutionalize a governance model rooted in transparency, fiscal discipline, and developmental prudence.

Via embedding quarterly disclosures, publishing granular expenditure data, and maintaining a firm no-borrowing stance backed by verifiable savings, the government is setting a benchmark for accountable public finance in Nigeria.

While criticism is the lifeblood of democracy, it must be informed, factual, and patriotic. Akwa Ibom people deserve a conversation driven by evidence, not innuendo; by progress, not propaganda.

As the state advances toward greater infrastructure and economic expansion, this culture of openness and debt-free governance guarantees that present investments will yield prosperity for both current and future generations.

Oborevwori, Okowa, Guwor pay final respects as Otumara goes home

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, his wife, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, former governor of the state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Emomotimi Guwor, and other dignitaries on Saturday paid their final respects to the late Dr. Joseph Sisanmi Otumara, who was laid to rest in Warri.

Otumara, a renowned medical doctor, politician and administrator, died after a life of public service that saw him occupy several key positions in Delta State.

The funeral service, held at Yonwuren College, Ugbuwangue, Warri, was conducted by the Itsekiri Pastors Association, led by Bishop Mike Oyemiren.

Others who attended were former First Lady of Delta State, Mrs. Roli Uduaghan; State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Solomon Arenyeka; former Senator James Manager and other political leaders, friends, associates and members of the Otumara family.

The Warri Choral Society rendered songs and praises during the service, while Bible readings were taken from Ecclesiastes 8:1-9 and 2 Peter 3:3-14.

Otumara, who was born on December 16, 1960, until his death served as Chairman of the Itsekiri Politicians Forum and held the traditional title of Obarisuwa of Warri Kingdom.

He was a three-time Chairman of Warri South Local Government Council and a former Commissioner for Health in Delta State. He also served as Chairman of the Warri/Uvwie and Special Area Development Agency from 2019 until his death.

The officiating minister, Bishop Mike Oyemiren, urged Nigerians to live purposeful lives and leave behind legacies worthy of remembrance.

Preaching on ‘The Marketplace and Its Legacy,’ Oyemiren likened life to a marketplace where everyone must eventually return home.

‘Nobody visits the market and does not return home,’ he said, describing the late Otumara as a man who completed his earthly race and left a legacy of service, leadership and positive impact.

He urged the congregation to fear God and live with eternity in view, asking: ‘When we die today, what will men say about us?’

Another officiating minister, Bishop Mike Laju, urged the people to use their time wisely, stressing that everyone has a limited tenure on earth.

Paying tribute to the deceased, Delta State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Solomon Arenyeka, described Otumara as a man who left ‘indelible footprints on the sands of time.’

Arenyeka described him as kind, meek, humble, pathfinder and God-fearing, adding that his contributions to society and the lives he touched would continue to be remembered.

Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy graduates 2025/2026 cohort, inducts 30 new fellows

The Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy (LJLA) has celebrated the graduation of its 2025/2026 cohort and welcomed the 2026/2027 cohort, reaffirming its dedication to nurturing young Nigerians for leadership and public service.

Speaking during the graduation and induction event held in Ikeja on Friday evening, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu urged the graduates of the Academy to utilise the knowledge and experience gained during their fellowship to promote positive change and bolster leadership across Nigeria.

He encouraged the young leaders to view the programme not as the conclusion of their training, but as the start of their duty to society.

Governor Sanwo-Olu was honoured with an award at the ceremony, where 30 fellows of the 2024/2025 cohort, known as the ‘Class of Catalysts,’ were presented with their certificates of completion and the induction of another 30 fellows into the 2025/2026 fellowship year. The governor stated at the event that the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy was created to bridge the gap between the ambitions of young Nigerians and the realities of leadership in the public sector.

He said his administration established the academy and named it after the late former Lagos State Governor, Lateef Jakande, knowing that the former Governor demonstrated that true leadership was not measured by the duration in office or the number of projects completed, but by the lives transformed and the institutions established.

Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed conviction that the Academy would outlive his administration, noting that it was being built as a permanent asset of Lagos State rather than a programme dependent on any specific administration’s personality or budget priorities.

He challenged the graduating fellows to implement the lessons learned during their fellowship whenever they face challenging situations in their professional lives.

The governor also revealed that over 16,000 applications were received for the new cohorts, describing the selection of successful fellows as proof of the confidence the Academy has in their potential.

He urged the new fellows to embrace discomfort, to learn to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds, and to be willing to contribute even when they are the least experienced in the room.

He further emphasised the importance of creating a clear pathway from the Academy into public service, stating that young Nigerians should not be trained for leadership without opportunities to apply their skills within government and other institutions.

The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat said the fellows must be able to learn, unlearn, and relearn. He advised them not to be daunted by the future, as they are part of the administration’s modest experience.

Hamzat urged the fellows not to fear technological change but to adapt quickly and utilise emerging technologies to address societal issues.

He encouraged the fellows to carry forward the legacy of the first Civilian Governor of Lagos State, the late Lateef Jakande, by demonstrating through their actions that leadership is primarily about impact.

In her remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Academy, Ayisat Agbaje-Okunade, expressed gratitude to Governor Sanwo-Olu for the political will and support that enabled the Academy’s growth.

She remarked that Governor Sanwo-Olu’s dedication to empowering young people and providing them with leadership opportunities has inspired fellows to pursue careers in public service.

She also commended Hamzat for prioritising youth development, noting that both the Governor and Deputy Governor have shown confidence in young Nigerians by entrusting them with responsibilities.

The Executive Secretary added that the Academy’s aim is not just to train young people but to ensure that the knowledge, skills, and experiences gained translate into meaningful career opportunities and leadership roles.

She urged the incoming cohort to recognise the responsibilities that come with being selected and to use the experience to contribute meaningfully to society.

During his address, the Keynote Speaker, Hakeem Bello-Osagie, encouraged the fellows to find their way in life and not to follow the crowd, urging them to dare to fail and to overcome their fears.

Some of the stakeholders at the event praised the Lagos State Government for maintaining the vision of the Academy.

Experts: Higher GDP growth requires oil production surge, sustaining success in pipeline protection

Indications are that Nigeria’s ambitious seven per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast for this year will not be a tea party.

This is because the projections being made by some of the global economic watchdogs say something different thus far.

For instance, the World Bank projects growth at 4.4 per cent, citing stronger resilience and better-than-expected economic performance.

This is just as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts real GDP growth at 4.1 per cent; while PwC Nigeria estimates economic expansion at 4.2 per cent, driven by improved crude oil production and key sector performance.

The Federal Government is targeting around 4.68 per cent, while domestic groups like the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) hold a more ambitious outlook of up to seven per cent.

However, one thing is standing out in these projections. It is the role to be played by the oil sector, which continually holds the ace on the economic performance especially in revenue inflows. The growth projection will therefore be largely driven supported by several factors including higher crude oil production and stronger performance in dominant sectors.

With crude oil export accounting for over 80 per cent on Nigeria’s FX earnings, the continuous flow of petrodollars will play a critical role in achieving the projected growth rate.

Analysts said that sustaining investments and increasing exploration activities were critical to achieving the target and boosting the nation’s reserves. It is equally important to develop a comprehensive framework for increasing production, expanding reserves and enhancing the sector’s contribution to national economic development.

Achieving these feats requires sustaining ongoing oil assets protection and security, infrastructure repairs as well as consistent industry reforms. The operations of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd (TSSNL) in the Niger Delta region is also key.

The Federal Government of Nigeria’s appointed Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd (TSSNL) to protect oil assets and ensure peace and stability in the Niger Delta comes to play.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had appointed TSSNL led by High Chief, Dr. Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, to protect Nigeria’s oil assets in the Niger Delta region. The apointment was to enable TSSNL, through its security operations, support the national economy in getting the full benefits of oil resources.

The TSSNL works in collaboration with other security outfits to achive its goals of securing oil assets and ensuring peace and stability in the Niger Delta region.

Tantita’s operations had ensured the security of oil pipelines, ensuring the uninterrupted flow of petroleum resources, and ensuring that Nigeria migrated from a position of constant loss management to stability, planning, growth and development.

The TSSNL operations have transformed the oil and gas landscape and allowed Nigeria to expand oil production quota and significantly cut rampant oil theft.

Its track record in mitigating risks associated with oil pipelines has positioned it as a reliable partner in preserving Nigeria’s economic backbone.

As stakeholders advocate for the continued collaboration with TSSNL, the imperative of securing oil infrastructure remains at the forefront of efforts to ensure the nation’s sustainable development.

In the development process of any society, certain assets contribute to the advancement of society and its people. These assets ensure economic or monetary benefits for the people. These assets could be regarded as operating assets, non-operating assets or leased assets, among others.

The impact of TSSNL’s operations was captured in a recent survey, with majority of the respondents attributing the de-escalation of security incidents in the Niger-Delta region to the pipeline surveillance operations executed by TSSNL.

Tantita’s milestone achievements

TSSNL’s Media Consultant, Dr Paul Bebenimibo said sustained efforts to protect oil pipelines and other critical infrastructure in the Niger Delta have contributed significantly to improved crude oil production, environmental safety and economic activities in the region.

Bebenimibo, who is also Special Adviser to Tantita Chairman, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, spoke at the sidelines of an award presented to Tantita by Blueprint Newspapers in recognition of the company’s contributions to pipeline security and national development.

He said the award was further recognition that Tantita’s intervention in the Niger Delta was yielding tangible results, particularly in the fight against oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other illegal activities threatening Nigeria’s oil industry.

According to him, since Tantita assumed a major role in pipeline surveillance and protection in 2022, the company has recorded significant progress in securing oil facilities across the Niger Delta.

‘Over the years, awards have been coming in, and that shows that Tantita is really doing the job very well,’ Bebenimibo said. He noted that improved security around oil-producing communities had also created an environment conducive to the revival of legitimate economic activities, including fishing and farming.

Bebenimibo said Tantita remained committed to supporting efforts to increase Nigeria’s crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day, stressing that effective protection of oil infrastructure was critical to achieving the target.

He attributed part of the company’s success to the leadership and extensive knowledge of the Niger Delta terrain possessed by its chairman, Tompolo.

According to him, Tompolo’s familiarity with the creeks and communities has enabled the company to develop strategies for effectively monitoring and securing oil infrastructure.

Bebenimibo disclosed that Tantita had deployed modern technology, including drones, to monitor activities in the creeks and detect illegal operations.

‘We have acquired drones that are now picking up every illegal activity that is going on in the creek,’ he said, adding that illegal operators were increasingly finding it difficult to evade the company’s surveillance efforts.

Beyond pipeline surveillance, Bebenimibo said Tantita had placed significant emphasis on youth empowerment as part of its strategy to tackle insecurity and discourage young people from engaging in oil theft, bunkering and other criminal activities. He disclosed that more than 60,000 youths were currently employed by the company and paid monthly.

He further said Tantita had introduced skills acquisition programmes and supported young people, women and other members of host communities through grants and other forms of economic empowerment.

‘Tantita is not just employing the youths. It is also giving them skills and promoting their businesses in the area by giving grants to youths, women and men,’ he said.

According to him, the combination of employment, skills development and community support had contributed to reducing criminal activities in parts of the Niger Delta.

Bebenimibo also highlighted the growing relationship between Tantita and the media, describing journalists as important partners in communicating the company’s activities and promoting transparency around its operations.

He disclosed that Tantita had built a correspondents’ secretariat in Delta State and was planning to extend similar structures to other states in the Niger Delta, as well as establish a facility for journalists at the national level.

He said the initiative was part of the company’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with the media and ensuring that its activities and contributions to national development were properly communicated to Nigerians.

Bebenimibo maintained that Tantita’s approach to security was not limited to enforcement, but also involved creating legitimate economic opportunities for youths and supporting host communities.

He expressed confidence that sustained collaboration among security agencies, oil companies, host communities, the media and private security contractors would further strengthen the protection of Nigeria’s oil infrastructure and contribute to increased national revenue.

Nigeria’s GDP rises 4.4% as oil sector rebounds

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said that the Nigerian economy expanded in real terms by 4.43 per cent year-on-year, YoY, in the second quarter of 2026, Q2’26 from 4.2 percent in Q2’25.

NBS disclosed this in its Gross Domestic Product, GDP, report for Q2’26 noting that both the oil and non-oil sectors grew in the review period, rising by 7.3 percent YoY and 4.3 percent YoY, respectively.

NBS said: ‘GDP grew by 4.43 percent YoY in real terms in the Q2’26, higher than the 4.23 percent recorded in the Q2’25. ‘During the quarter under review, agriculture grew by 4.39 percent, an improvement from the 2.82 percent recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2025.

On oil sector growth, NBS noted that the nation recorded an average daily oil production of 1.72 million barrels per day (mbpd) in Q2’26, higher than the daily average production of 1.68 mbpd recorded in the same quarter of 2025 by 0.05 mbpd and higher than Q1’26 production volume of 1.55mbpd by 0.17 mbpd.

‘The real growth of the oil sector was 7.31 (year-on-year) in Q2’26, indicating a decrease of 13.15 percent points relative to the rate recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2025 (20.46 percent).

‘Growth increased by 4.74 percent points when compared to Q1’26, which was 2.57 per cent. ‘On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the oil sector recorded a growth rate of 10.91 percent in Q2’26. ‘The Oil sector contributed 4.16 percent to the total real GDP in Q2’26, up from the figure recorded in the corresponding period of 2025 at 4.05 percent and up from the preceding quarter, where it contributed 3.92 percent’, NBS added.

Economic Outlook and reform journey

Examining Nigeria’s H1 and H2 2026 Economic Outlook and reform journey, PwC Partner, Chief Economist and Lead Strategy and West Africa, Olusegun Zaccheaus; Partner, Clients and Market Leader, West Market, Pedro Omontuemhen and Director, Akolawole Odunlami agreed that

macroeconomic conditions have continued to improve, supported by greater foreign-exchange stability, moderating inflation, stronger external reserves, higher revenue mobilisation and increased capital inflows.

Insighht from their ‘Unlocking Nigeria’s reform dividend From macroeconomic stabilisation to inclusive growth’ revealed that the next step is to translate these gains into stronger household incomes, higher productivity, more jobs, and broader-based economic growth.

‘Nigeria entered the second half of 2026 from a stronger macroeconomic position. Real GDP grew by 3.89 per cent year-on-year in Q1 2026, supported by ICT, Finance and Insurance, Construction and Agriculture. Headline inflation moderated to 15.91 per cent in June, while the naira remained broadly stable at N1,379.68/US$. Gross foreign reserves rose by 38.3 per cent per cent year-on-year to US$51.46 billion in June, providing a stronger external buffer and supporting confidence in the foreign-exchange market,’ they said.

On the other hand, household affordability remains under pressure, private-sector financing conditions are still tight, and growth remains concentrated in a relatively narrow group of sectors.

External risks have also increased, particularly through geopolitical tensions, energy-market volatility and weaker global growth. These factors will influence how quickly Nigeria can move from macroeconomic stabilisation to more inclusive and sustainable growth.

Also, Nigeria’s economic outlook remains positive, although the second half of the year will continue to be shaped by domestic and external risks. Inflation is expected to moderate, although food-price pressures, other supply-side shocks and pre-election spending could create upside risks.

Successfully navigating this next phase would require sustaining the operations of Tantita in oil assets protection. The move is expected to allow Nigeria to move beyond stabilisation and begin unlocking the broader reform dividend through stronger incomes, improved welfare and more inclusive economic growth.

2026 Philippines Hot Wheels Collectors Convention ignites Okada Manila with bigger experiences, rare collectibles, and full-throttle automotive action

The Philippines’ Hot Wheels collector community shifted into high gear yesterday as the 2026 Philippines Hot Wheels Collectors Convention officially opened at the Crystal Pavilion, Okada Manila, bringing together passionate collectors, automotive enthusiasts, families, and fans for an even bigger celebration of everything Hot Wheels.

Building on the success and learnings from previous conventions with Richprime Global Inc. and Metrics, this year’s gathering delivered a more immersive experience-blending the world of die-cast collecting with real automotive culture, interactive play, exclusive displays, and new brand experiences.

Where Die-Cast Meets Real Cars

One of the biggest attractions at this year’s convention was the impressive collection of full-size Hot Wheels-inspired vehicles, giving collectors the opportunity to see their favorite automotive designs brought to life beyond the 1:64 scale.

Among the highlights was the striking Nissan Skyline GT-R-inspired Hot Wheels 1:1 car display, featuring this year’s official Hot Wheels convention which are limited only to Malaysia, Australia, Philippines, China, Singapore and Indonesia serving as a centerpiece for photo opportunities. A lineup of customized and enthusiast-owned vehicles from Decal Republic also added an authentic automotive atmosphere to the convention floor.

The showcase reinforced Hot Wheels’ long-standing connection between miniature cars, car culture, racing, and the creativity of automotive enthusiasts.

First-to-Launch Experiences Take Center Stage

The 2026 convention also introduced exciting new experiences to the Philippine market, including the first-to-launch Mattel Brick Shop, combining the world of building and collecting with Hot Wheels’ iconic automotive designs.

The convention floor also featured a dedicated Hot Wheels Let’s Race interactive area, transforming the venue into a colorful racing playground. Guests could enjoy track-based activities, race their cars, explore themed displays, and immerse themselves in the world of Hot Wheels Let’s Race which is one of the top kids’ animation content in Netflix.

From large-scale installations to detailed product displays, the experience was designed to give both longtime collectors and younger fans something to discover.

7-Eleven Joins the Ride

Adding another milestone to this year’s convention was the participation of 7-Eleven Philippines, which joined as an official partner of the 2026 Philippines Hot Wheels Collectors Convention.

The partnership brought the Hot Wheels and 7-Eleven collaboration to life through a dedicated showcase featuring a life-size Hot Wheels-inspired vehicle, connecting the miniature cars that collectors know and love with a full-scale automotive experience.

Meeting the Designer Behind the Cars

Adding to the excitement was the opportunity for collectors to meet and interact with Brendon Vestuskey, Hot Wheels Lead designer, giving fans a closer look at the creative minds behind the cars they collect.

The designer signing and sketching session provided collectors with a memorable opportunity to have their items signed and receive personalized artwork-turning already treasured collectibles into even more meaningful keepsakes.

A Thriving Collector Marketplace

The collector spirit continued throughout the convention floor, where attendees explored tables filled with an extensive assortment of Hot Wheels cars, rare finds, sought-after releases, and collectibles.

The marketplace gave collectors an opportunity to buy, sell, trade, hunt for hard-to-find pieces, and connect with fellow enthusiasts, reinforcing the strong and growing collector community in the Philippines.

For many attendees, the thrill of the hunt was just as important as the convention’s major attractions.

The 2026 Philippines Hot Wheels Collectors Convention represents the continued growth of Hot Wheels culture in the country-evolving from a gathering centered on die-cast cars into a multi-dimensional celebration of cars, collecting, racing, creativity, and community.

With its combination of full-size automotive displays, immersive installations, interactive play experiences, exclusive collectibles, and brand partnerships, the 2026 edition demonstrates how Hot Wheels continues to bring generations of fans together.

The convention continues today, September 6, at Crystal Pavilion, Okada Manila, giving collectors and fans another opportunity to experience the displays, activities, and attractions prepared for this year’s celebration.

Four bodies found in search of unlicensed Jewish cemetery

Four bodies have been found at a Jewish cemetery in Chachoengsao after more than 40 officials inspected the site, amid concerns three may have been buried after its permit expired.

The cemetery is in Moo 2 of tambon Samet Tai, Bang Kla district. A middle-aged foreign man who spoke Thai and represented a private company unlocked the gate for officials and residents. Photography inside was banned under religious rules, the company said, and journalists were kept out.

After about 20 minutes, officials confirmed four bodies had been found. Some said the burials looked recent and they could still smell preserving chemicals.

Samet Tai subdistrict head Nampueng Khamsa-ad, 39, said three graves were already covered with concrete and the fourth was not sealed, with stones laid ready for pouring. The bodies had been buried after the cemetery’s three-year permit expired and was not renewed, she said. A nameplate on one grave marked a death in November last year.

Ms Nampueng asked whether the bodies might have been brought in at night. The man who opened the gate was unfamiliar to locals and did not give his position in the company, she said.

Samet Tai Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO) chief Kittipong Sileuang said the TAO would consider complaints under the Public Health Act 1992 and over the expired permit, and would have all four bodies removed. CCTV has been installed at the site.

Democrat list-MP Chaichana Detdecho called on the Interior Ministry to investigate Jewish community facilities in Bangkok and other tourist areas, including permits, land use and construction funds. He also sought scrutiny of reports that an Israeli national had taken Thai nationality and that a Chabad house had been set up in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area.