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Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s administration has made youth empowerment and human capital development a major component of governance in Adamawa State, combining policy reforms, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship support, agriculture, education, digital innovation and targeted social interventions.

1. Adamawa State Youth Policy 2025

The administration introduced the Adamawa State Youth Policy 2025, providing a comprehensive framework for youth development and defining youth within the 15-40 age bracket. The policy focuses on education, employment, entrepreneurship, health, civic participation and 21st-century skills, with particular attention to rural youth, persons with disabilities, out-of-school youth and communities affected by insurgency.

It also provides for a youth database and portal to improve access to opportunities, coordination and monitoring of youth programmes.

2. Financial Empowerment and Entrepreneurship

Through the Poverty Alleviation and Wealth Creation Agency (PAWECA), the administration introduced the Fintiri Business Wallet, providing financial support to youth, women, petty traders, artisans and small businesses.

The programme has reached thousands of beneficiaries across the state, disbursed billions of naira to over 100,000-240,000+ beneficiaries, supporting entrepreneurship, strengthening small businesses and promoting economic self-reliance. Other PAWECA interventions similarly provide grants, training and social support to youth and women.

3. Skills Acquisition and Vocational Training

The administration has revitalised and expanded skills acquisition and technical training centres across Adamawa, offering practical training in areas such as electrical installation, welding and fabrication, automobile repairs, GSM repairs, tailoring and fashion design, carpentry, tiling, renewable energy and other trades.

Training programmes range from short-term courses to advanced one-year programmes, with participants in some programmes receiving monthly stipends, the capacity to train thousands annually (targets mentioned of 20,000+).

The establishment of the Adamawa State College of Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Studies, Gulak, further strengthens the administration’s drive to equip young people with practical skills, technological knowledge and entrepreneurial capacity.

4. Digital Skills and Adamawa Digital Academy

Digital development has become another major pillar of youth empowerment. Through partnerships and specialised programmes, young people are being exposed to coding, data analysis, digital marketing, e-commerce, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

The Adamawa Digital Academy expands this agenda by providing young people with access to structured digital learning, technology-driven skills and opportunities relevant to the emerging digital economy.

5. Agriculture and Food Security

The administration is also positioning agriculture as a source of employment and entrepreneurship for young people.

Through the 300-Hectare-per-LGA Food Security and Cluster Farming Programme, prepared farmland, agricultural inputs and extension services are provided to participating youth across the state. The initiative seeks to create jobs, increase agricultural productivity and strengthen food security.

Other interventions support livestock entrepreneurship, agricultural value chains and climate-resilient farming.

6. Education and Scholarships

The administration has expanded educational opportunities through the Adamawa State Scholarship Trust Fund, supporting thousands of students within and outside the state.

Other interventions include free WAEC and NECO registration for eligible students, local and specialised scholarship programmes, overseas postgraduate opportunities-including the Fintiri Wings initiative-and the construction and development of model schools and other educational infrastructure.

7. Girl-Child Empowerment and Inclusion

Through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), thousands of schoolgirls have benefited from conditional cash transfers and other interventions designed to improve enrolment, attendance and retention.

The programme complements wider efforts to expand educational and economic opportunities for girls and other vulnerable groups.

8. Employment, Sports and Social Development

The administration has also created employment opportunities through public-sector recruitment, infrastructure projects and other government interventions.

Sports development initiatives, including the Adamawa Governor’s Cup, provide platforms for discovering and developing young sporting talents across the state.

9. Building Adamawa’s Human Capital

Together, these initiatives represent a broad approach to youth development-combining education, skills, technology, entrepreneurship, agriculture, employment and financial empowerment.

Through the Ministry of Entrepreneurship Development, PAWECA, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and other institutions, the Fintiri administration has sought to move youth empowerment beyond temporary interventions towards sustainable skills, opportunities and economic participation.

Bandits killed three people and abducted 28 others during an attack on Kagara community in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Saturday night.

The attack, which started at about 8:58pm, lasted for about three hours, with residents saying the gunmen continued shooting until around 12:00am.

One of the victims killed was Abdullahi Lawwali, a mentally ill man who, according to a resident, had previously received treatment at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Kware, Sokoto State.

The resident said Lawwali was killed after he refused to follow the attackers when they attempted to abduct him.

He said the attackers also abducted seven people from Lawwali’s house.

A resident whose family members were among those taken away said he narrowly escaped the attack after hiding when the gunmen invaded the community.

He said he had observed I’sha prayer at Mallam Liman Alu Mosque, returned home, ate and locked his house before going back to the Islamic school very close to the Mosque.

According to him, he had spent only about seven minutes at the place when he heard gunshots from the direction of the community hospital.

He said the attackers shot Alhaji Sani, whose house is close to the hospital, before moving further into the community.

The resident said he later hid in another location and returned home at about 12am, where he discovered that six members of his household had been taken away.

They included his wife, Hassana; his daughter-in-law, Marliyya; his son, Atiku; his daughters, Jamila and Amina; and his neighbour’s daughter, Yajja.

He said his wife and two daughters had since been released, adding that his wife told him that the abductors took them as far as Danjiro village.

Another resident said the attackers abducted 28 people during the attack but later released 10 of them, who had returned to their homes Sunday Morning.

He also told daily trust that two other persons were released in the afternoon, bringing the number of the abducted victims to 16.

He said seven people were also abducted from the house of Abdullahi Dan Abu, while another seven were taken from the house of Mallam Lawwali.

He said the mentally ill man Lawalli was killed after refusing to go with the attackers.

The resident added that 3 people out of the seven abducted from one househould had returned home Sunday Morning.

He said Maryam Tukur, his elder brother’s wife, was also among those taken away.

He stated that three people were killed during the attack, including Ummaru Gobir, Lawwali Idi na Abu and Abdullahi Lawwali, while Lawwali Musa and two others sustained gunshot injuries and were receiving treatment at Goronyo hospital.

‘I can confirm to you that they abducted 28 and released 10 in the morning and two in the afternoon. The remaining 16 people are still there with them.’

The residents appealed to authorities to deploy more security personnel to Kagara, saying the community remained vulnerable to further attacks.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, confirmed that three people were killed and nine others abducted during the attack.

He said all the nine abducted persons had escaped from captivity, while one dead body was recovered at the scene.

Denge Josef Onoh, former Southeast spokesman of President Bola Tinubu’s campaign, has warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of ‘catastrophic consequences’ if the Rainbow Coalition of Nyesom Wike, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, wins significant seats in 2027.

In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, Onoh demanded an immediate institutional response from the President and leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Wike regarding his response to Progressives Governors.

‘While this amorphous coalition attempts to dress itself in the fine robes of an absolute loyalist vehicle designed to deliver President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, its operational footprint tells a completely different story,’ he said.

Onoh said the Rainbow Coalition is a political mirage and a calculated parallel power machine.

‘If the APC leadership does not take immediate steps to contain this movement, the ruling party is actively funding, sheltering, and nurturing the very platform that will fragment and destroy it by 2031.’

Onoh said that the strategy of the Wike-led coalition is simple yet devastating.

‘By preparing to field candidates across the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other peripheral platforms for governorship, Senate, and House of Representatives seats ahead of the 2027 elections, Wike is building an autonomous political empire under the nose of the ruling party by playing the 2027 numbers game aimed at Stripping APC of Legislative and State Autonomy.

‘If Wike’s Rainbow coalition wins significant seats in 2027, the consequences for the APC will be catastrophic because wike aims to kill Independent Governance and should his coalition secure a commanding swing-bloc majority in the National Assembly, the APC will lose its legislative independence.’

Wike will instantly become the ultimate kingmaker. The presidency will be forced into a perpetual state of political blackmail and horse-trading just to elect principal officers, pass budgets, or screen executive nominees.

Onoh warned that Wike’s target is to create an erosion of the APC Grassroots by capturing APC-held or contested governorship seats.

‘Wike will secure control over state resources and party machineries, completely insulating his loyalists from federal dependence and hollowing out the APC’s grassroots base.’

Onoh warned that Wike is not inventing a new political philosophy; rather he is executing a time-tested Nigerian political textbook.

Onoh warned President Bola Tinubu that same way he maintained a fiercely independent regional stronghold in the South-West, built legislative leverage, and ultimately forced a grand merger with Muhammadu Buhari’s northern bloc to form the APC and displace the PDP, Wike is playing the same long game.

‘He is keeping his structures outside the APC, using federal cabinet prestige to build leverage, and waiting for the opportune moment to dictate the terms of a forced realignment.’

Onoh said Politics is entirely governed by interest and long-term calculation.

‘The endgame for the Wike-led Rainbow Coalition is not 2027; it is the post-Tinubu transition in 2031.’

Onoh warned that come 2031, when the presidential ticket naturally rotates back to the North, the Southern Vice-Presidential slot will be the ultimate prize.

‘Wike’s strategic goal is to build such an unassailable network of governors, senators, and reps by 2027 that the APC will have no choice but to bow to his terms. He will present his coalition as the sole bridegroom of the South, effectively coercing the party into yielding the Vice-Presidential ticket to him or his proxy.’

Onoh reminded all members of APC that they must not forget that by 2031, Wike will still be in his early 60s-a prime, potent age in contemporary Nigerian politics.

‘Securing the Vice-Presidency in 2031 gives him the ultimate state-funded platform to dominate the national landscape and potentially launch a presidential bid beyond 2031.’

‘The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), under the clear-sighted leadership of Governor Hope Uzodimma, is entirely justified in its structural resistance to this parallel arrangement.

‘The APC does not need a ‘Rainbow Coalition’ to win elections; the party possesses the machinery, the track record, and the footprint to deliver the President’s mandate independently.’

Onoh warned that the time for diplomatic silence was over. And asked the President and the National Working Committee of the APC as a matter of extreme urgency must compel Wike to make a definitive choice: either formally fold his structures into the APC as a card-carrying member, Resign his position as a minister and focus on being an opposition or cease operating a parallel political machine that undermines the party’s candidates.

‘If we fail to contain this Trojan Horse today, we are giving him the keys to dismantle the APC house tomorrow,’ Onoh concluded.

The Founder and Managing Director of TAJBank Limited, Mr. Hamid Joda, has reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards in its operations while expanding access to non-interest banking products and services across Nigeria.

Joda gave the assurance following his recognition as the 2026 Islamic Banker of the Year by the Global Islamic Finance Awards (GIFA).

The award was presented at the 16th annual GIFA ceremony held in the United Kingdom, where TAJBank also received the GIFA Championship Award for Digital Banking 2026.

Joda, who was represented at the ceremony by TAJBank’s Chief Compliance Officer, Dr. Muhammad Kabir Muhammad, said the recognition was a collective achievement involving the bank’s board, management, employees, customers, shareholders and regulators.

‘The Global Islamic Banker of the Year 2026 award is conferred on me but the commendation goes to our Board of Directors, the management and staff of TAJBank as well as our customers, who are creating the enabling environment for my performance,’ he said.

He expressed appreciation to the GIFA Committee for recognising both his contributions and the bank’s performance.

‘I thank the GIFA Committee for honouring me and TAJBank with the global awards,’ Joda said.

The TAJBank chief executive also assured stakeholders that the bank would remain focused on ethical banking and responsible financial practices.

‘I want to also thank the regulatory authorities, our shareholders and customers for these awards and promise them that we shall continue to do our best to retain TAJBank as the biggest Islamic Bank in the country by complying with the best ethical banking practices in their best interest, which is the main purpose of our operations,’ he said.

Joda said the international recognition should also serve as an incentive for TAJBank to deepen its contribution to Nigeria’s Islamic banking industry.

He said the bank would continue to leverage innovation and technology to expand its product offerings and ensure that more Nigerians could access non-interest banking services on a sustainable basis.

The GIFA recognition adds to a series of honours received by Joda for his contribution to Islamic banking.

In 2023, he received the Most Promising Banker of the Year Award at the 13th GIFA ceremony in Dakar, Senegal. He was also named Islamic Personality of the Year at the 6th African International Conference of Islamic Finance held in Abuja in the same year.

Joda, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, has more than 26 years of experience in banking, spanning deposit and Islamic banking operations.

The fiem said it was founded in response to the widespread challenge of girls missing school and women missing work due to lack of access to safe and affordable menstrual products, a situation it described as a major barrier to education, health and dignity.

According to estimates cited by the firm, about 50 million women and girls in Nigeria have limited or no access to hygienic period products, while data from the United Nations indicates that one in 10 adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa miss school during menstruation, with some losing up to 20 per cent of the academic year.

Speaking on the initiative, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sana Pads Limited, Mary Sabo Olowoloba, said the company was established to close the gap through locally produced solutions tailored to Nigerian realities.

Olowoloba explained that developing the product came with significant challenges, particularly in sourcing suitable materials that meet both quality standards and environmental conditions.

She noted that the company deliberately avoided importing products, opting instead to invest in research and local production.

‘We didn’t want to import, we wanted a product made for Nigerian and African women, by Nigerians, and certified to the highest standards,’ she said.

After years of development, the company now produces NAFDAC-certified reusable sanitary pads available in light, medium and heavy flow categories.

The pads are made from breathable natural fabrics and are designed to be washable and reusable, without plastic top sheets, chemical bleaching or single-use absorbent gel layers.

Olowoloba said the design promotes comfort, improves airflow and offers a more sustainable alternative to disposable products.

Beyond production, she added that the company is focused on expanding access through community-based distribution channels, including rural sales agents, market networks, supermarkets and partnerships with local and international organisations.

‘We are keeping girls in school, we are keeping women at work, and we are restoring dignity,’ she said.

She expressed optimism that the initiative would continue to grow, with the long-term goal of making quality menstrual hygiene products accessible to every woman and girl in Nigeria and across Africa.

The capacity-building programme was conducted in Abia State from August 25 to September 4, 2026, and in Akwa Ibom State from September 7 to 17, 2026, with 100 participants trained in each state.

Beneficiaries were drawn from host communities and included young men and women, as well as persons with disabilities, reflecting the programme’s emphasis on inclusion and community development.

The initiative was designed to equip participants with the practical skills, industry knowledge and resources needed to establish sustainable enterprises and take advantage of opportunities within the oil and gas sector.

The programme commenced with the training of youths in Abia State and attracted the participation of key government and industry stakeholders.

Representatives of the NCDMB participated in the programme, alongside Mrs Sarah Adaobi Ugochukwu, Director, Produce Department, who represented the Abia State Ministry of Trade and Commerce.

Oil and gas industry stakeholders, particularly members of marketers’ associations, also supported the programme and played a significant role during the participants’ field visits.

The field component provided beneficiaries with an opportunity to gain practical exposure to industry operations and interact with operators and other stakeholders across the oil and gas value chain.

In Akwa Ibom State, the programme received support from the state government, with the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources represented by the Director of the Petroleum Department, Engr. Anietie Emah.

According to the organisers, the Community-Based Oil and Gas Enterprise Development Programme seeks to bridge the gap between young people in host communities and the economic opportunities available within Nigeria’s energy industry.

The training focused on developing practical enterprise skills, creating business opportunities, encouraging innovative solutions to challenges facing host communities and promoting sustainable economic development.

Participants also received mentorship from industry experts, business development and entrepreneurship support, access to relevant networks and practical field experience.

The programme is expected to provide beneficiaries with a platform to transform viable ideas into businesses capable of contributing to job creation and local economic growth.

Eligibility for the programme was targeted at young people between the ages of 18 and 35, with a minimum educational qualification of SSCE, NECO or its equivalent.

The organisers said both male and female applicants were eligible, while female participation was particularly encouraged. Beneficiaries were also required to commit to completing the full training and field experience components of the programme.

The inclusion of persons with disabilities among the 200 participants was intended to broaden access to economic opportunities and ensure that disadvantaged groups were not excluded from skills acquisition and enterprise development initiatives.

The programme also aligns with efforts to strengthen indigenous capacity and increase community participation in opportunities associated with Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

Beyond technical and entrepreneurial training, the initiative places emphasis on helping participants identify viable business opportunities, build sustainable enterprises and develop solutions to economic and social challenges within their communities.

With 100 youths trained in Abia State and another 100 in Akwa Ibom State, the organisers said the programme was designed to create a pool of young entrepreneurs who could apply their newly acquired knowledge and practical experience to businesses across the oil and gas value chain.

The partnership between NCDMB and Tommorow Africa Limited is also expected to contribute to stronger host communities by creating pathways for skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.

The organisers said the broader objective is to empower communities, build local capacity and develop sustainable enterprises capable of contributing to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and the wider economy.

The development was disclosed in the company’s 2025 financial report presented by its Chairman, Mr. Babatunde Dabiri, at the 46th Annual General Meeting (AGM), held virtually at its head office on recently.

The increase in claims payments came against the backdrop of growth in the company’s insurance revenue, which rose to N30.86 billion in 2025, compared with N22.82 billion recorded in the previous year.

Lasaco Assurance also strengthened its financial position during the year under review, with total assets increasing by about 25.5 per cent, from N31.26 billion in 2024 to N39.24 billion in 2025.

Similarly, shareholders’ funds rose by approximately 66 per cent, from N12.26 billion to N20.36 billion during the period.

Total liabilities declined marginally from N19 billion in 2024 to N18.88 billion in 2025.

Speaking on the company’s recapitalisation journey, Dabiri disclosed that, subsequent to the 2025 financial year-end, Lasaco Assurance successfully concluded a strategic rights issue.

He said the strong investor participation demonstrated confidence in the company’s corporate strategy, governance structure, management execution and long-term prospects.

According to him, the additional capital significantly strengthened the company’s shareholders’ funds and enabled Lasaco Assurance to exceed the new National Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025 capital thresholds ahead of the regulatory compliance timeline.

Dabiri said the company viewed the new capital requirements not merely as a regulatory obligation but as a strategic catalyst for long-term value creation.

He noted that Lasaco Assurance successfully met the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) minimum capital requirements ahead of the July 31 deadline and was subsequently approved as one of the recapitalised insurance companies authorised to continue operating in Nigeria.

The Chairman described the successful capital-raising exercise as a landmark achievement, noting that Lasaco Assurance secured N19.3 billion, exceeding its initial target of N18.47 billion by approximately 4.5 per cent.

He said the recapitalisation had further strengthened the company’s capacity to pursue its strategic objectives and compete more effectively in Nigeria’s evolving insurance market.

The Chairman expressed Lasaco Assurance’s growing financial commitments to policyholders as the company seeks to deepen its market position and respond effectively to changing risks and regulatory requirements.

The Managing Director of Lasaco Assurance Plc, Ademoye Shobo, highlighted technology, innovation and strategic partnerships as key drivers for increasing insurance participation in Nigeria.

He noted that the company secured approval from the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for products in the previous year, with additional products currently in the pipeline.

Shobo also emphasised the company’s commitment to strict capital monitoring in line with NAICOM’s recapitalisation framework, noting that maintaining adequate capital remains critical to sustaining the company’s operations and growth.

A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has arraigned a 27-year-old man, Michael Olanipekun, over the alleged sexual harassment of two women in the state capital.

The prosecutor, ASP Akinwale Oriyomi, told the court that the defendant allegedly sexually harassed Imole Oyebanji on or about September 12, 2026, in Ado-Ekiti within the magisterial district.

He said the defendant also allegedly sexually harassed Blessing Precious sometime in August 2026 at the same location.

The prosecutor further told the court that the defendant, between January and September 2026, allegedly conducted himself in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace.

Oriyomi said the offences contravened and were punishable under Sections 270(1) and 181(d) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.

Counsel to the defendant, O.G. Abiola, urged the court to grant his client bail, assuring the court that he would not abscond.

In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mr Abayomi Adeosun, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties.

The case was adjourned until October 22, 2026, for hearing.

Residents of farming communities in Borgu and Agwara Local Government Areas of Niger State blocked the Mokwa-New Bussa road on Monday to protest persistent attacks on their communities by terrorists.

The protest was led by the Borgu Youth Federation, with members of several associations in Borgu Kingdom, including members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), participating.

Daily Trust gathered that the protesters blocked the road at the Bussa roundabout, an entry point to the Borgu Kingdom, as early as 5:30am, despite the rain.

Commuters travelling to New Bussa and Agwara from the Mokwa axis were reportedly stranded.

Speaking with Daily Trust on the telephone, Aliyu Abdulmajeed, the Auditor of the Borgu Youth Federation, said the protest was triggered by an alleged comment by the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, that only 30 people were kidnapped during the attacks on Jummaat Mosques in Dekara and three other communities.

He said while the five hundred worshippers had remained in Captivity for the past three weeks, attacks had continued, with many communities being deserted.

‘Two LGAs are participating in this protest, Borgu and Agwara LGAs. We are not happy with the the ongoing security challenges in these two LGAs. We have been in this problem for the past three years. Because government has failed to take action, attacks by terrorists have degeneted to tribal clashes and government is watching people dying on a daily basis.

‘You recall the attacks on Dekara and other villages, where about 500 people were kidnapped. These people are still in Captivity. Last week, 30 of these people were slaughtered and beheaded and relatives were asked to go and pick the bodies. The dead bodies were evacuated from where they were dumped and buried. We have raised our concerns before appropriate authorities several times, including the LG chairman.

‘Yesterday, we heard the governor saying that only 30 people were kidnapped. The governor does not get the right information of happenings in our communities. Who informed the governor that only 30 people were kidnapped?’ he said.

Asked if the the bodies of the 30 people reportedly slaughtered had been buried, Abdulmajeed said ‘They have been buried. Some people are misleading the governor. Some families could not even identify the bodies of their loved ones because the heads were taken away. Some bodies were identified from their physiques.’

He said insecurity that had degeneted to tribal clashes between farmers and herders in Agwara LGA had claimed 8 lives last two weeks and hundreds displaced.

The Auditor added that an attack on Guchana community in Borgu LGA on Saturday and Sunday left 30 vigilantes injured.

‘These vigilantes cannot even access modern healthcare facility for treatment. They are currently at various traditional medicine healers for treatment. There is no government presence in that area. Even hospital is not available in that area.

‘We are demanding the government to address our challenges. We have been neglected. There is no government presence here. Why have attacks continued and government keeping deaf ears to our pleas?’ he inquired.

The Chairman of Borgu LGA in Niger State, Mohammed Nasir Abdullahi, told our Correspondent last week via telephone that adequate security personnel had been deployed to the local government area to forestall further terrorist attacks on local communities.

He said the deployment followed an appeal to the Federal Government by the Niger State government after terrorists attacked Jumaat mosques in Dekara, Gbezhin, Sabon-Gida, and Kpenya on August 21, 2026, abducting an unspecified number of worshippers.

The attackers later killed about 30 of the abductees.

The council chairman noted that no new incidents had been recorded since the August mosque attacks, dismissing a recently circulated video as fake.

‘The video in circulation is fake. Nothing like that has happened in Borgu LGA. We have made our findings and there is no security report to that effect. Even our traditional rulers who are the custodians of the affected areas have denied such happening.

‘After the last attack on Jumaat Mosques on August 21, the President, through the efforts of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, ordered deployment of massive security personnel along that corridor. Government has taken serious measures.

‘There is presence of adequate Security personnel in those corridors and most of the routes we know they use have been blocked,’ he said.

The PEARL Awards has concluded plans for the 2026 awards rewarding corporate performance in the capital market.

The award has been scheduled to hold on Sunday, November 29, 2026, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, under the theme: ‘Celebrating Excellence, Inspiring the Future.’

The prestigious annual awards, which recognize outstanding performance and excellence in Nigeria’s capital market, enter a new chapter following the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the PEARL Awards last year.

President/CEO of PEARL Awards Nigeria, Mr. Tayo Orekoya, said in a release by the PEARL Awards Project Manager, Mr. Olisemeka Obi, that the 2026 edition would build on the legacy of the past three decades while focusing attention on the future of Nigeria’s capital market.

‘The PEARL Awards has, for three decades, provided a credible platform for recognizing excellence, promoting best practices and celebrating institutions and individuals who contribute significantly to the growth of Nigeria’s capital market. This year, we are not only celebrating excellence; we are challenging the market to inspire the future.’

In a statement by Lekan Adekoya, Secretary, Board of Governors, the organisation disclosed that three distinguished professionals have been inaugurated into the PEARL Awards Board.

They are Mrs. Bunmi Lawson, Managing Director/CEO, Edfin Microfinance Bank; Mr. Ibrahim Boyi, former Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); and Mr. Johnson Chukwu, Managing Director/CEO, Cowry Asset Management Limited.

Orekoya was quoted as saying the appointment of the new Board members reflects the organization’s commitment to bringing wider expertise and experience to the leadership of the Awards.

He added: ‘We are delighted to welcome these accomplished professionals to the PEARL Awards Board. Their experience and knowledge will add significant value as we continue to strengthen the Awards and position them for an even greater impact on the capital market.’

The annual PEARL Awards is recognized as one of Nigeria’s most credible awards, distinguished by its objectivity and rigorous, evidence-based process as winners are determined strictly on empirical facts, figures, and measurable performance derived from companies’ activities on the capital market.

The 2026 PEARL Awards Nite will bring together leading players and stakeholders across Nigeria’s financial and capital market ecosystem to celebrate institutions, companies and individuals whose performance and contributions have advanced the markets.