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Oborevwori approves new salary structure for Delta varsities, others

Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, on Tuesday, announced a new salary structure for academic and non-academic staff of the four state-owned universities and other tertiary institutions in the state.

Oborevwori ??????????announced this in Asaba, while inaugurating the Auditor-General of the state, Mr Matthew Oghene, as well as the Governing Councils of the Universities of Delta, Agbor; Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba; and Southern Delta University, Ozoro.

He said that the payment of the new salary for the academic staff would take effect from August, while that of the non-academic staff and other tertiary institutions would take effect from September.

The new councils, which was constituted in August, had Prof. Victor Peretomode as Chairman, University of Delta, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare as Chairman, Dennis Osadebay University, and Chief Godson Echegile, as Chairman, Southern Delta University.

The governor said the four universities now offer professional courses, including medicine, law, nursing and accounting.

He further said that student enrollment in the universities had risen from 50,000 in 2023 to over 100,000 in 2026.

He also said that the academic calendar of the universities had not been disrupted by staff strikes or student unrest in 17 years.

He described the development as an evidence of the State Government’s commitment to stable academic activities.

Oborevwori described the state as ‘an emerging education hub in Nigeria’.

According to him, his administration remains committed to repositioning the state-owned universities as centres of excellence.

He, therefore, charged the new councils to pursue policies that would strengthen corporate governance, improve institutional efficiency and position the universities for sustainable growth.

He charged the councils, as the highest policy-making bodies of the institutions, to ensure regular meetings, collective responsibility, transparency and accountability.

Oborevwori urged them not to yield to nepotism and parochial sentiment, but display highest level of integrity in the discharge of their responsibility to inspire trust and confidence not only from the university community but also from the public.

He said: ‘The governing councils should ensure that cases of sexual harassment, examination malpractice, partiality, and cultism are not tolerated in our universities.

‘Where instant laws or rules have been breached or circumvented, the council must not hesitate to mete out the necessary disciplinary measures.

‘Equally important is the need to ensure equity, fairness and justice in matters of staff discipline.

He assured that the State Government would continue to support tertiary education within the limits of available resources.

‘It is unrealistic and unsustainable for a university to rely solely on government funding,’ he said.

The governor charged the councils to devote substantial time and resources to marketing their institutions and attracting private-sector investments.

He said his administration had continued to invest heavily in infrastructure and staff welfare in the institutions.

He said that the State Government recently approved the construction of two hostels for each of the nine state-owned tertiary institutions, with each hostel designed to accommodate 480 students.

Oborevwori charged the councils to build on the progress recorded and make the institutions more competitive nationally and internationally.

He advised the new Auditor-General to discharge his duties with transparency, courage, professionalism and fairness, warning against political witch-hunting and deliberate cover-up.

Responding on behalf of the appointees, Muoboghare, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, Dennis Osadebay University, thanked the governor for finding him and his colleagues worthy to serve the state in that capacity.

He called for the establishment of a Higher Education Endowment Fund to provide sustainable funding for tertiary institutions to enable them to compete favourably with their counterparts globally.

He called on eminent citizens of Delta and Nigeria to partner with government by investing in student hostels, staff accommodation, lecture halls and faculty buildings.

He said that government alone could not provide all the infrastructure required to develop the universities.

Park Shin-hye, Choi Tae-joon welcome second child

South Korean celebrity couple Park Shin-hye and Choi Tae-joon are officially parents of two after they welcomed their second child, a baby girl, on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Park’s agency, SALT Entertainment, confirmed the birth in a statement, saying both Park and the baby are in good health.

‘We are delighted to share the joyful news that actress Park Shin-hye gave birth to a healthy daughter today,’ read the statement. ‘Both the mother and child are currently in good health.’

The agency thanked those who sent their congratulations and asked for continued support and blessings for Park and the newborn.

‘Park Shin-hye is resting and recovering with the love and care of her family. We deeply appreciate everyone who has celebrated this joy with us and kindly ask for warm blessings and support for the new life,’ it continued.

The couple are now parents to a son and a daughter. They welcomed their first child, a boy, in May 2022, months after getting married in January that year.

Park and Choi met as classmates in the Theater and Film department of Chung-Ang University. They started dating toward the end of 2017. Their relationship was confirmed by their respective agencies the following year.

After four years of dating, the couple announced their engagement and first pregnancy in November 2021. They tied the knot in a private ceremony in Seoul in January 2022.

Four years later, Park’s agency announced in April 2026 that the couple was expecting their second child, and the actress was due to give birth in the fall.

Park made her screen debut as a child actress in the 2003 hit drama ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ She later headlined the dramas ‘The Heirs,’ ‘Pinocchio’ and ‘Doctors.’ Her film credits include ‘Miracle in Cell No. 7’ and the 2020 zombie thriller ‘#Alive.’

Choi, meanwhile, began his career as a child actor in the 2001 drama ‘Piano.’ He later starred in the 2017 romantic comedy drama ‘Suspicious Partner,’ followed by leading roles in ‘Exit,’ ‘The Undateables’ and ‘So I Married the Anti-fan.’

Oyedele seeks affordable capital to finance African’s infrastructure

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has called on the international community to scale up the availability of affordable capital to finance infrastructure and development across Africa.

Speaking while addressing the United Nations Dialogue on Solutions to Climate Finance on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Oyedele said Africa’s development ambitions, particularly its energy needs, continue to be constrained by high financing costs, currency risks and limited access to affordable long-term capital.

The Minister explained that despite Africa’s relatively low contribution to global carbon emissions, the continent continues to face what he described as a ‘prejudice premium’ and ‘narrative cost’ in its efforts to mobilise financing for critical infrastructure.

He also identified currency risk and what he termed ‘stereotype tax’ as additional burdens confronting African countries as they seek to raise capital for critical energy and other development assets.

Oyedele therefore called for a strategic shift in the approach to climate finance, with simpler access to affordable capital for developing countries and financing arrangements that better reflect their development realities.

According to a statement by Efe Ovuakporie, the Head of Information and Public Relations in the Ministry of Finance, the Minister also urged the international community to scale up investment in gas and other transition energy sources, particularly in Africa, to expand access to reliable and affordable energy and help address global energy poverty.

He emphasised that greater investment in Africa’s energy sector would also help diversify global energy supply and reduce concentration risks, particularly amid disruptions affecting the Gulf region.

The Minister stressed that Africa’s energy transition must take account of the continent’s significant energy-access deficit, noting the need for greater investment to enable countries to meet their development needs while pursuing a practical transition to cleaner energy sources.

For Nigeria, Oyedele said the immediate priority was to structure and implement policies and programmes that would reduce poverty, expand economic opportunities and accelerate the distribution of shared prosperity.

The statement noted that Oyedele said achieving these objectives would require stronger international cooperation and a financing framework that enables developing countries to mobilise the capital required to invest in infrastructure and improve the lives of their people.

GCash onboards 2 million Pinoys in stock market

The investment platform of e-wallet giant GCash has attracted more than two million Filipinos to explore trading at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

To date, GCash’s stock trading platform GStocks has registered over two million users, making the e-wallet the largest contributor to PSE’s online trades.

Based on the PSE’s Stock Market Investment Profit, stock market accounts grew by 27 percent to 3.64 million last year, from 2.86 million in 2024.

Broken down, the PSE said 99 percent, or 3.61 million, belong to retail investors, leaving barely 30,000 accounts to institutional traders. At least 3.22 million accounts are handled online through digital platforms, including GCash.

The PSE also cited the rising number of online traders. Data showed that online accounts went up by 31 percent in 2025, with 92 percent of them earning less than P1 million a year.

Winsley Bangit, new businesses group head at GCash parent Mynt Inc., said the e-wallet aims to convince Filipinos to go beyond saving and look into earning more.

GStocks, through its brokerage partner AB Capital Securities Inc., simplified the entry process to entice more Filipinos into trading.

Bangit said GStocks hopes to expand access to trading, an area that was traditionally reserved to a privileged few, so more Filipinos can invest in yielding instruments.

Moreover, GCash paired GStocks with a financial coach powered by artificial intelligence. The AI-powered coach Pera Coach can provide on-demand access to investing tips and practical information, ensuring that first-time investors are well-aware of what they are getting into.

For GCash, GStocks could play a crucial role in sustaining its financial technology leadership, as it closes in on its initial public offering. The IPO is expected to become the country’s largest-ever.

Mynt targets to raise as much as P92.3 billion in the IPO, where it would draw additional capital to strengthen GCash as fintech leader.

Mynt eyes to set a final price on Oct. 1, with the offer scheduled for Oct. 6 to 12.

BCDA expects investments hitting over P100 billion this year

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) expects its approved investments to reach over P100 billion this year amid strong investor interest.

‘If we count the whole year, we will breach P100 billion in investments,’ BCDA president and CEO Joshua Bingcang said during a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

Investments approved by the BCDA surged by 535 percent to P49.96 billion in the first half from P7.87 billion in the same period last year, driven by investments of major international aviation and logistics companies including Lufthansa Technik Philippines, FedEx and UPS international, which are expanding operations in Clark.

Of the total approved investments, the aviation sector accounted for the biggest share of nearly 68 percent or P33.91 billion.

Meanwhile, the residential sector accounted for P5.9 billion in approved investments, while the government and sports sector accounted for P500 million and hospitality investments reached P30 million.

Agreements during the period included investments involving InfiniVAN, the Philippine Sports Commission, Sophia Real Estate Executives and Development Corp., Baguio Mountainscapes, Hann Philippines and ACWA Power Philippines, as well as a consortium composed of GTM Networks Asia and Volksbahn Technologies.

Bingcang said that the investment growth shows growing confidence in the Philippines as a location for long-term business expansion.

‘Global companies are making larger and longer-term commitments to the Philippines because they see the potential to serve both the domestic market and the wider Asia-Pacific region from here,’ he said.

He also said that the investment figures demonstrate how government-owned land and infrastructure can be used to attract private capital into strategic sectors while generating employment and economic activity.

The BCDA-approved investments in the first half are expected to generate 4,210 jobs.

Bingcang said that the BCDA’s approved investments may match the level approved by Board of Investments, the main investment promotion agency, in a few years.

The BCDA also expects investment activity as it continues work with its partners to develop infrastructure to support the development of the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC).

Launched by the Philippines, United States (US) and Japan in 2024, the LEC seeks to accelerate infrastructure investments and strengthen the connectivity of Luzon’s growth centers covering Subic, Clark, Manila and Batangas.

BCDA wants to leverage the LEC to position the New Clark City as a hub for strategic investments.

Bingcang said that planned infrastructure includes the construction of an additional runway, as well as taxiway and apron at the Clark International Airport to support the expansion of logistics firms in the area.

He said that the BCDA management committee approved last week the procurement for the P1.4 billion construction of the apron.

Meanwhile, the construction of taxiways and additional runway costs around P7 billion to 10 billion.

Bingcang said that the US Development Finance Corp. is interested in the Clark Airport’s expansion.

He also said that the National Commission on Indigenous People has given its letter of no objection to the proposed extension of the North South Commuter Railway until New Clark City.

He said that the proposed extension will be a game-changer for Clark.

BCDA is also set to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Home Development Mutual Fund for the development of economic housing units in New Clark City.

Meanwhile, the Science Park of the Philippines Inc.’s 106-hectare industrial park for mixed-use development in New Clark City is targeted to start construction in the fourth quarter of this year.

As for the artificial intelligence industrial hub being developed with the US in New Clark City under the Pax Silica initiative, Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said that the government remains optimistic that the master lease agreement would be signed by the BCDA with the US government by November.

He also emphasized that there will be no diplomatic immunity for locators of the planned hub and this will be stated in the contract.

Outside of Clark, BCDA is looking to bid out the P40 billion development contract of the property near Market! Market! for mixed use by the first quarter of 2027.

Bingcang said that BCDA is looking at a joint venture for the development and will be meeting with three to four Japanese developers interested in the project.

President Tinubu hails $800M IMA gas FID as Nigeria unlocks five-decade-old gas resource

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed the $800 million Final Investment Decision (FID) on the Ima Gas Project, marking another major milestone in his administration’s drive to unlock Nigeria’s vast gas resources for investment, industrialisation, job creation and economic prosperity.

Developed by Nigerian independent AMNI International in partnership with TotalEnergies, the Ima Gas Project is expected to produce about 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day at peak.

The Ima gas resource, located offshore in OMLs 112 and 117, was discovered in 1973 but remained undeveloped for more than five decades. Despite its significant reserves and potential as a source of feedgas for Nigeria LNG Limited, the resource remained underground and unable to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s economy. The FID, announced on September 23, has changed this.

The Ima gas project also marks the fourth major gas project to reach Final Investment Decision since President Tinubu assumed office, following the Iseni, Ubeta, and HI FIDs.

These FIDs reflect the growing momentum of investment in Nigeria’s gas sector and the administration’s drive to convert the country’s vast gas resources into productive projects that create jobs, generate revenues and expand economic opportunity for Nigerians

President Tinubu said: ‘For more than fifty years, the gas beneath Ima remained a resource with enormous potential, but potential alone does not create jobs, finance businesses or improve the lives of our people. Our responsibility has been to create the conditions that turn Nigeria’s natural resources into productive investments and economic opportunities’

‘The Final Investment Decision on Ima demonstrates what is possible when we provide investors with a competitive, predictable and enabling environment. We are determined to unlock more of Nigeria’s gas resources to power our industries, expand our exports, create jobs and build lasting prosperity for our people.’

Since assuming office, President Tinubu has prioritised reforms to reverse years of underinvestment in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

Although the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021 laid an important foundation, several undeveloped projects lacked the fiscal and commercial conditions needed to become viable.

In 2024, President Tinubu issued a series of Presidential Directives developed by the team led by the Special Adviser to the President on Energy. These directives sought to improve fiscal competitiveness, shorten contracting timelines and reduce costs.

Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Ms Olu Arowolo Verheijen, said, ‘The story of Ima is ultimately the story of what our reforms are designed to achieve. Nigeria has never lacked resources. The challenge has been creating the commercial and investment conditions required to move those resources from beneath the ground into projects that employ Nigerians, create opportunities for Nigerian businesses, generate revenues and support economic growth.’

‘A gas discovery made in 1973 can only contribute to prosperity when somebody invests the capital to develop it, banks finance it, contractors build it, Nigerians work on it, and the gas is ultimately put to productive use. That is the transition we are seeing today.’

The project also demonstrates the growing depth of Nigerian participation across the energy value chain. AMNI International, a Nigerian-owned exploration and production company, holds a majority interest in the asset, illustrating the increasing capacity of indigenous companies to participate in and lead increasingly significant developments in Nigeria’s upstream sector.

Nigerian financial institutions have arranged 77 per cent of the project’s financing, with around 60 per cent of the project workforce expected to come from host communities, including Bonny, Finima and Andoni in Rivers State.

For decades, Nigeria has had one of Africa’s largest gas resource bases, yet significant volumes have remained undeveloped.

The Tinubu administration’s gas strategy therefore aims to focus not simply on producing more gas, but on putting that gas to work: supporting LNG exports and foreign exchange earnings, providing feedstock for industry, enabling fertiliser and petrochemical production, supporting a more reliable power supply, and creating new opportunities for Nigerian businesses and workers.

‘Natural resources have value only when they are converted into opportunities for our people,’ President Tinubu said. ‘Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s gas powers Nigerian prosperity.’

33% expect economy to improve in a year – SWS

Three in every 10 Filipinos expect the Philippine economy to improve in the next 12 months, according to a new survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The poll, conducted from June 20 to 29, found that 33 percent of the respondents expect the country’s economy to improve within a year.

Thirty-two percent said it will stay the same, while 24 percent said it will worsen. The remaining 11 percent did not give an answer.

The latest survey resulted in a ‘net economic optimism’ score of +10, a 24-point improvement from a low -14 (25 percent optimists, 39 percent pessimists) obtained in a similar survey in March.

The ‘net economic optimism’ is the rounded off difference between those who said their economy will improve and those who said that it will worsen in the next 12 months.

The latest survey showed that net economic optimism improved across all areas, although it remained at negative level among those in Metro Manila.

It was highest among those in balance Luzon at +18 (from -13), followed by those in the Visayas at +6 (from -16), Mindanao at +4 (from -8) and Metro Manila at -6 (from -30).

The SWS survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus three percent.

VIDEO: ‘No more cars’, Davido’s sister speaks on managing singer’s finances

Sharon Ademefun, the elder sister of Nigerian music star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has revealed that she holds weekly finance meetings with the singer to review how his money is spent.

Sharon made the disclosure while speaking on The Morayo Show, where she discussed her relationship with Davido, her involvement in his career and her role as the Chief Financial Officer of his record label.

She explained that her close relationship with Davido allows her to address issues that other members of his team may be reluctant to raise.

‘The one that other people can’t tell him, me, I’ll tell him,’ she said.

Speaking about areas where they often disagree, Sharon identified the singer’s spending on jewellery and luxury cars as some of her major concerns.

‘One of the major things that I’m always getting on my brother is jewellery and cars,’ she said.

According to her, she and Davido hold weekly meetings to review his finances and ensure that he is aware of how his money is being spent.

‘If me and him sit down, we always have finance meeting every week because I think it’s important for him to know how his money is being spent,’ Sharon said.

She also disclosed that she frequently cautions the singer against purchasing more cars.

‘I always say, David, please, no more cars,’ she said.

Sharon further addressed perceptions surrounding people born into wealthy families, explaining that being born into a wealthy family does not necessarily mean having unlimited access to cash.

She said wealthy families also operate with financial structures and budgets, stressing that members of such families may have access to significant assets while still being expected to manage their finances responsibly.

Davido has for years been known for his collection of luxury cars, expensive jewellery and other high-value possessions, which he has occasionally displayed on social media.

Filipinos urged to continue to stand firm on West Philippine Sea arbitral ruling

Filipinos should continue to stand firm in protecting the country’s rights in the West Philippine Sea, according to Ed dela Torre, president of Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) as tensions between Manila and Beijing continue over the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Dela Torre’s call comes amid renewed discussions on the 2016 arbitral ruling and China’s continuing rejection of the decision.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. received a note from a Chinese official reiterating Beijing’s rejection of the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in favor of the Philippines in the maritime dispute.

Ten years after the ruling, China continues to maintain that the arbitration was ‘illegal, null and void.’

Teodoro, for his part, criticized China’s latest assertion, describing the situation as ‘actual coercion, bullying and aggression.’

The renewed tensions underscore the call of retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio for Filipinos to remain firm in defending the country’s national territory and sovereign rights.

Carpio made the statement in ‘The Unsinkable Spirit’, a recent three-part documentary that featured how generations of Filipinos have defended the West Philippine Sea through diplomacy and adherence to international law.

‘It is our obligation to protect that, not only for the present generation, but future generations,’ Carpio said.

The Philippines brought its maritime case before the tribunal in The Hague, challenging China’s expansive claims under the Nine-Dash Line. In its 2016 award, the tribunal recognized the Philippines’ entitlement to maritime zones under international law, including rights within its exclusive economic zone.

For geopolitical analyst and professor Chester Cabalza, the ruling can be viewed in the context of the Filipino First principle, which is associated with the economic policies of former President Carlos Garcia and is reflected in the 1987 Constitution.

Cabalza pointed to the importance of the ruling to Filipino fisherfolk whose livelihood depends on access to the sea.

‘Our fisherfolk feed the Filipinos and if they could not fish, how could they feed us?’ Cabalza said.

Supreme Court spokesperson Camille Ting explained that the Filipino First policy requires the state to give preference to qualified Filipinos when granting rights, privileges and concessions involving the national economy and patrimony.

Ting also noted that the policy is self-executing and can be enforced directly without the need for an implementing law.

‘National patrimony is not limited to the country’s natural resources. It also includes the Philippines’ cultural heritage and other assets that form part of the Filipino identity,’ Ting said.

Meanwhile, Cabalza emphasized the importance of strategic autonomy amid continuing geopolitical tensions. He said a country should be capable of protecting its national interests even while maintaining treaty alliances with other nations.

He also stressed that the Philippines’ decision to bring its case against China before an international tribunal was a decision made by the country itself.

‘If we do not protect the Filipino First concept, it is so easy for major powers to just intrude in our homeland,’ Cabalza said.

Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, meanwhile, said Filipinos should continue to remember the significance of the arbitration ruling despite China’s continuing rejection of it.

‘The law has remained to be the great leveler in the relationship amongst countries, big or small. We are equal insofar as the law is concerned. And it has remained to be the best friend of weaker countries,’ Gavan said.

A decade after the arbitral ruling, Carpio described the protection of the country’s maritime rights as an intergenerational responsibility.

He said the previous generation had laid the foundation through the arbitration victory, but succeeding generations must continue to protect the rights secured through international law.

‘The Constitution, in the end, only promises the inheritance. Each generation still has to go out and hold it,’ Carpio said.

Four miners die in Plateau pit collapse

Four miners have reportedly died after a mining pit collapsed on them in Baban Rafi, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The incident occurred on Tuesday while the victims were reportedly inside the pit mining tin.

Bokkos Youth Leader, Daniel Tula, who confirmed the incident to Channels Television, said the victims comprised two men and two women.

According to him, the miners were trapped after the pit collapsed and were later buried by their relatives.

Tula described the incident as the first of its kind recorded in the area, raising concerns over safety conditions for miners operating in the community.

He said the circumstances surrounding the collapse were still being investigated but confirmed that the victims were involved in tin mining when the pit caved in.

However, the Plateau State Police Command said it had not received any official report on the incident.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, said miners often fail to report such incidents, making it difficult for authorities to immediately confirm cases.

He, however, promised that further details would be provided after receiving an official briefing.

Efforts to reach the Bokkos Local Government Chairman for comments were unsuccessful.

The incident adds to concerns over safety risks facing miners across Plateau State, where mining activities continue to expose workers to hazards associated with unsafe mining practices.