Category: Business Day

Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has alleged that soldiers are attempting to prevent him from entering Osun State as voters head to the polls for the state’s governorship election on Saturday.

Davido raised the alarm in a post on his verified X account early Saturday, saying he had been ‘reliably informed’ that soldiers were trying to stop him from entering the state.

The singer insisted that he would not be deterred, arguing that Nigerian citizens have a constitutional right to freedom of movement.

His claim comes amid heightened security measures across Osun ahead of the election.

The Nigeria Police Force announced a restriction of movement throughout the state from midnight on Friday, August 14, until 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 15, as part of arrangements to secure the poll.

The movement restriction is expected to affect vehicular and other forms of movement across the state during the voting period, with security agencies deployed to maintain order and prevent disruptions.

Davido, who is a nephew of incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, has been an active supporter of his uncle’s re-election campaign under the Accord Party. Adeleke is seeking a second term against candidates including the All Progressives Congress flagbearer, Bola Oyebamiji, and other contenders.

The singer’s allegation has generated reactions online, with some commentators linking the reported attempt to stop him to the general movement restrictions announced for election day, while others questioned whether he was being specifically targeted.

Former presidential media aide Bashir Ahmad dismissed Davido’s complaint as ‘dramatic,’ arguing that the restrictions had been publicly announced by security authorities and were part of standard election security measures.

Ahmad maintained that the right to freedom of movement does not exempt individuals from complying with lawful security measures introduced to protect the electoral process.

As of the latest reports, there has been no independent confirmation that soldiers were specifically ordered to prevent Davido from entering Osun State.

The allegation comes against the backdrop of a tense political atmosphere surrounding the election, with security, voter safety and the conduct of political actors remaining major concerns ahead of the outcome.

Thirteen candidates are contesting the governorship election, although the race has largely centred on incumbent Governor Adeleke, APC candidate Oyebamiji and African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam.

Davido had earlier called on Nigerian authorities and the international community to pay close attention to the Osun election, citing concerns over possible violence and intimidation.

With voting underway, attention is now focused on whether the election will proceed peacefully and whether the singer’s reported movement difficulties will develop into a wider political or security controversy.

Higher salaries and better working conditions abroad are drawing experienced Nigerian teachers away from private schools, worsening an already fragile sector grappling with rising operating costs and poor management.

As schools struggle to retain qualified staff while meeting escalating expenses, many are scaling back operations or shutting down entirely, raising concerns about the future of private education in the country.

Elizabeth Ohaka, a school owner, emphasised that the environment is toxic to school business owners. ‘With teacher scarcity and overhead costs on an astronomical increase, it is tough navigating the path of school business,’ she said.

According to the Education International 2025 report, Nigeria’s deep-rooted education crisis is being exacerbated by the loss of its teachers. Over 20 million children are out-of-school, yet classrooms lie empty.

As the teacher recruitment and retention crisis deepens globally, many countries, such as the UK, Canada, and Germany, among others, have intensified efforts to recruit overseas-trained teachers (OTTs).

In 2025, the UK granted Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) to 5,230 overseas teachers (a 28 percent year-over-year jump), with thousands being from Nigeria. Canada also attracts hundreds of licensed Nigerian educators annually.

The teacher exodus and other concomitant challenges such as mismanagement and operational costs, among others, have pushed many school owners to wind down the business.

Recently, a children’s school at Ojudu Estate Phase II, Lagos, announced it is winding down after 30 years of existence.

‘It is with a heart full of mixed emotions that I write to inform you that your school, Children School, will permanently close for school activities at the end of the current academic year,’ the letter read in part.

BusinessDay survey shows that many other schools in Nigeria have shut down and/or sold out the business to another entrepreneur as a result of the high cost of operation.

A top-notch school in the Isolo suburb of Lagos State was sold to another person because the initial owner migrated to Canada for greener pastures, handing over the management to a staff member, who was alleged to have mismanaged the business.

Another school was sold because the owner could not retain the qualified teachers, as they left for better-paying jobs abroad. Besides, there are reports of some teachers who migrated to other careers due to poor salaries and the downtrodden status of the teaching profession in Nigeria.

The steady migration of Nigerian educators to the United Kingdom and Canada has reached alarming levels, with over 2,655 teachers relocating abroad between 2022 and 2025, leaving many schools struggling to stay open amid worsening staff shortages.

Unfortunately, teachers are among the lowest-paid professionals in the country. A graduate public-school teacher in some states earns as low as N70,000 per month, which is roughly $45 to $50.

If you are a fan of crime drama movies, then this new movie that just got recently added on Netflix would be worth your while. Elize was a pretty young lady that worked at a stripe club. Along the course of her job, she meets Marcos, a married man who was from a very wealthy family. He fell in love with Elize and asked that she quit her main job, she agreed and they got married after he divorced his main wife. They lived together and after much trial they had a baby girl. Elize agreed to marry Marcos on the basis that he had changed and would see only her, but Marcos didn’t change, he kept going back to other women and this made Elize very upset, Elize lost her mind and she did the unthinkable. You will need to go check out this movie to see what Elize did, this movie was based on true events. The 93m Brazillian, crime, drama, thriller movie was directed by Felipe Vellas, they featured actors like Lorena Corparato, Henrique Kinura, Denise Weinberg, Gustaro Falcao, Julia Shimura, Flora Sandya, Edson Kameda, Miwa Yanagizawa and many more.

If you are a fan of Kevin Hart, then this might be your movie for the weekend. I do find his movies okay, but sometimes just feel like the storyline is everywhere. In this movie, Kevin played the lead role as ‘Joe’, he got a random text one day asking him to contribute towards a bachelor’s party. For some weird reasons, he paid and decided to go and spend the weekend with these 4 young guys in their 20’s. He needed to attend this to get perspective into the world and use them to shoot an advert campaign for his new client called, ‘Unlimited’. Little did the boys know they were being used for a campaign. You will need to go check out this movie to see how the happy weekend turned into a total nightmare and disaster. The 105min comedies, raunchy, irrelevant movie was directed by Tim Story, they featured actors like Kevin Hart, Marcello Hernandez, Teyana Taylor, Any Garcia, Mason Gooding, Kam Patterson, Ben Marshak, Mike Epps, Kevin Dunn, Zach Cherry and many more.

23,000 LIVES (2026)

If you really enjoy movies on true life issues, then grab your popcorn and drink as this would be worth your while. Lukas was a young man who dropped out of school to follow his dream and passion helping stranded immigrants on sea. Despite the warning from mom, he went out to set a group of his friends, they decided to do some fund raising, they bought a ship got some food and medical supplies and started the mission, what started as a simple, noble mission, became almost a mission impossible, even leading to them being sued by one of the countries, which ended their good mission, as at that point. They had saved over 23,00 lives; it was a very touching movie. The 114m German, drama, based on real life, social issue, It was directed by Markus Goller, they featured actors like Louis Hofmann, Mala Emele, Katharina Stark, Maria Dragus, Fraderick Lau, Trevor Magaya, Kathy Etoa, Luisa-Celine Gaffron etc.

Title: Tales and Tatase: A Nigerian Recipe Book Garnished with Humorous Stories

Author: Atinuke Aliu-Edomobi

Year of Publication: 2026

Number of Pages: 108

These days, watching Nigerian food content online can be exhausting. One chef is asking for turkey bacon. Another wants beef pepperoni. Someone else is using an ingredient that can only be found after a three-hour drive and two visa applications. Before long, the average Nigerian quietly closes Instagram, reaches for garri and sugar, and accepts their fate.

Thankfully, Atinuke Aliu Edomodi isn’t interested in stressing anybody. She simply wants to cook good food, tell good stories and remind readers that delicious meals don’t have to come with complicated ingredients or impossible techniques.

The title Tales and Tatase already tells readers this isn’t going to be an ordinary cookbook. Why tatase? Why not pepper, onions or crayfish? Before opening the first page, curiosity has already won. Then the stories begin.

Very quickly, readers realise this isn’t just a cookbook. It is part autobiography, part comedy and somewhere in between, a collection of recipes that almost gets forgotten because Atinuke keeps distracting everyone with one hilarious childhood story after another. She has a gift for storytelling.

One minute she’s explaining a recipe; the next minute she’s telling a story that makes readers forget they were supposed to be measuring seasoning cubes. It almost feels like sitting in someone’s kitchen while they cook and gist at the same time.

Atinuke writes exactly the way many Nigerians talk. There is no unnecessary grammar. No trying to sound like a celebrity chef. She simply says things as they come to her, and somehow it works beautifully.

Then there are the pictures. The meals don’t look like food arranged by television chefs. They look like the kind of food your mother would proudly place on the dining table on a Sunday afternoon. Looking through the pages is dangerous. Hunger is almost guaranteed.

The funniest part is her cooking instructions. Most cookbooks confidently tell readers exactly what to do. Atinuke’s instructions sometimes sound more like, ‘Well…this is what I did. May God help you too.’

At some point, it almost feels as though she’s giving cooking directions over the phone while rushing to another appointment.

Readers may find themselves laughing and wondering, ‘Madam, should I continue cooking or not?’ Strangely, they do. And somehow, they trust her. Perhaps because she never pretends to know everything.

She isn’t trying to convince anyone she’s the next Chef Fregs. She’s simply sharing the recipes that work for her, and that honesty makes the book even more enjoyable.

Teenagers learning to cook will feel comfortable with this book. So will adults whose greatest achievement in the kitchen is boiling water without burning the pot. Even readers who have absolutely no intention of cooking may still enjoy the book because the stories are just as entertaining as the recipes.

One chapter that will immediately grab every Nigerian’s attention is Party Jollof. Who isn’t curious about party jollof? The chapter almost feels like discovering a national secret. Readers become so excited that they temporarily forget there are other recipes waiting for them.

Another thing that stands out is Atinuke’s personality. She comes across as the kind of friend everyone wants. The one who feeds people, laughs easily and somehow has a story for every occasion. At times, readers may even wish they had been invited to one of the meals featured in the book.

The photographs of her friends enjoying the food make the experience even warmer. For a second, they almost look too perfect, until familiar faces begin to appear and readers realise these are genuine moments shared around real food.

The Nigerian slang sprinkled throughout the book makes it even more enjoyable. International readers may occasionally pause to decode a few expressions, but Nigerians will feel completely at home.

The only small complaint is that the book deserves to be bigger. Some of those mouth-watering photographs almost beg for a larger page size so readers can admire every delicious detail before running to the kitchen.

In the end, Tales and Tatase refuses to stay in one lane. It is a cookbook. It is a collection of childhood memories. It is a comedy. It is comfort reading. And somewhere between the laughter, the stories and the recipes, Atinuke quietly reminds readers that the best meals are rarely about expensive ingredients. They are about home, family, friendship and the memories made around the table. Just don’t read it on an empty stomach. You’ve been warned.

Seamfix Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria to develop and deploy the National Cooperative Smart Registry, a national digital registry for registering

and verifying Nigeria’s cooperative societies and their members.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at an official ceremony held in Abuja and presided over by Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, on 12th August 2026.

The partnership represents a major step in the implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP 2030) and the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s cooperative sector.

The digital infrastructure comprises the National Cooperative Smart Registry (NCSR), the Cooperative Verification Number (CVN) for cooperative societies, and the Cooperative Member Identification Number (CoopID), which links every cooperative member’s verified identity to their National Identification Number (NIN).

Today, most cooperative societies in Nigeria manage their membership records manually. This makes it difficult to confirm who is genuinely registered, slows down access to government support, and leaves the sector’s true size and structure largely invisible to the formal economy. The NCSR will change this by giving cooperatives a digital register that ties each member’s CoopID directly to their NIN.

The NCSR is designed to support, not replace, the statutory registration and regulatory responsibilities of the Federal Department of Cooperatives at the national level, and the State and FCT Departments and Directorates of Cooperatives within their respective jurisdictions. Together, the NCSR, CVN and CoopID will give the sector the transparency it has not had before.

Nigeria has more than 370,000 registered cooperative societies with an estimated membership in the tens of millions, spanning agriculture, commerce, manufacturing, housing, transport and finance.

Despite the sector’s scale and economic significance, fragmented records and manual verification processes have held the sector back.

Digitalising cooperatives would strengthen their capacity to access finance and government interventions, while providing the data needed to drive better planning and investment.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Honourable Minister stated:

‘Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Federal Government is committed to building a cooperative sector that is modern, transparent, accountable and fully integrated into Nigeria’s formal economy. The National Cooperative Smart Registry will establish a trusted national framework for verified

cooperative information while preserving the statutory powers of the Federal, State and FCT cooperative regulatory authorities within their respective jurisdictions.

‘The successful implementation of this initiative will depend on close collaboration with the Federal Department of Cooperatives and the State and FCT Departments and Directorates of Cooperatives, whose registration and regulatory responsibilities are central to the integrity and sustainability of the system.

‘Through NCSR, we will improve regulatory coordination, strengthen the targeting of government interventions, reduce fraud and duplication, and make genuine cooperative societies and their members more visible within the systems established to serve them.

‘The Cooperative Federation of Nigeria, as the umbrella body of the cooperative

movement, will support sectoral sensitisation, engagement and mobilisation, while Seamfix Limited will provide the required technical infrastructure.

‘By bringing together government regulatory institutions, the cooperative movement and our technical

partner, we are laying the foundation for greater trust, financial inclusion, agricultural transformation, food security and inclusive economic growth.’

Chimezie Emewulu, Group CEO of Seamfix Limited, said: ‘At Seamfix, we believe that identity is not a privilege, it is a right. And the right to be seen,

verified, and trusted is the foundation on which everything else in a modern economy is built.

‘The NCSR is not just a registration programme, it is infrastructure, the layer that connects a cooperative to the systems built to serve it. We are honoured to be the partner delivering this alongside the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, and we are committed to doing so with the same rigour we have brought to every national programme we have built.’

Frank Atube, Executive Director and COO of Seamfix Limited, added:

‘For too long, this sector has operated without a digital system connecting its records, a gap that has left cooperatives relying on manual processes to manage their members’ identity information, and government interventions struggling to reach the right beneficiaries. Through the CVN, every registered cooperative society gets a verified digital identity.

‘Through the CoopID, every cooperator’s identity is tied directly to their NIN, making them visible not only to the communities that have always known them, but to the formal economy that was always meant to serve them.’

Under the agreement, FMAFS will provide national policy direction and regulatory leadership; the State and FCT cooperative authorities will serve as essential implementation collaborators within their jurisdictions; CFN will lead stakeholder engagement and mobilisation; and Seamfix Limited will provide the technology and infrastructure required to deploy and operate the platform.

By connecting verified cooperative information nationally, the NCSR will lay the foundation for a more visible, trusted, and inclusive cooperative sector, one that advances agricultural development, food security, financial inclusion, employment creation, and Nigeria’s broader economic transformation.

China’s imports from Nigeria surged by 80 per cent to $2.3 billion in the first half of 2026 following Beijing’s implementation of a zero-tariff regime for goods from 53 African countries, prompting the Federal Government to push for a shift from raw commodity exports to value-added agricultural, mineral and manufactured products.

The government said the tariff concession presented a significant opportunity to diversify Nigeria’s export base, expand non-oil earnings and accelerate industrialisation, but cautioned that preferential market access alone would not translate into economic transformation without improvements in production capacity, processing, infrastructure and product quality.

Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, , stated this on Friday in Abuja at a seminar on China’s zero-tariff measures and their implications for Africa’s economic structural transformation.

Abdullahi said Nigeria should approach the new trade opportunity by focusing not merely on increasing the volume of exports but on improving the quality and value of goods sold to the Chinese market.

‘The question before us, therefore, is not, can Nigeria export more? The question should be, can Nigeria export better?’ he said.

According to him, Nigeria has the capacity to use the expanded access to the Chinese market to promote processed cassava derivatives, premium rice, spices, hibiscus, cashew blends, soybean products, fruits and vegetables, provided they meet internationally accepted quality and safety standards.

He said the policy could help Nigeria move beyond its traditional dependence on crude oil exports and support the development of agro-industrial value chains capable of generating jobs, foreign exchange and wider economic opportunities.

The minister, however, warned that the removal of tariffs would not automatically make Nigerian products competitive in the Chinese market.

‘Zero tariffs alone do not guarantee success. Ladies and gentlemen, while the removal of tariffs creates opportunity, opportunities alone do not create prosperity,’ he said.

Abdullahi identified agricultural productivity, modern processing facilities, efficient logistics, quality assurance, traceability, affordable and competitive financing, storage infrastructure and export certification as critical requirements for Nigerian businesses seeking to penetrate the Chinese market.

He also stressed the importance of compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary standards, noting that Nigerian producers would need to meet the technical and regulatory requirements of the Chinese market to sustain access.

The minister said the Federal Government was expanding agricultural processing capacity through the Special Agro-Processing Zones Project, designed to support investments that would convert agricultural commodities into higher-value products for both domestic and international markets.

He added that Nigeria’s abundant natural resources could only become a sustainable competitive advantage through technology transfer, skills development, investment partnerships, research collaboration, modern logistics, digital agribusiness and efficient value chains.

Yu Dunhai, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, said China’s zero-tariff policy had already produced measurable results for African countries, including Nigeria, since its implementation on May 1, 2026.

Yu said China-Africa trade reached a record $207 billion in the first half of 2026, while Chinese imports from Africa between May and June rose to $29 billion, representing a 24 per cent year-on-year increase.

He said the policy had contributed to an approximately six per cent increase in overall African exports to China, with Nigeria recording particularly strong growth.

‘Total bilateral trade reached $18 billion in the first half of the year, up 35 per cent year-on-year, while Chinese imports from Nigeria surged 80 per cent to $2.3 billion, with monthly growth exceeding 40 per cent in both May and June,’ the ambassador said.

Yu said the increase demonstrated that lower trading costs and improved market access could generate significant benefits for African exporters, provided countries were able to maintain consistent supply and meet market requirements.

He gave examples of the financial savings recorded by Nigerian exporters under the tariff arrangement.

According to him, every 100 tonnes of sesame exported from Nigeria to China now saves about $11,000 in costs, while the annual export of 7,000 tonnes of cattle bone granules saves nearly $450,000.

He added that a single shipment of 23,000 tonnes of Nigerian liquefied propane saved about $300,000 in taxes on the first day the zero-tariff policy took effect.

The envoy said the policy had reduced trading costs, increased trade volumes and created opportunities for Nigeria to deepen industrial transformation.

He urged Nigeria to improve product quality, strengthen supply-chain reliability, expand domestic processing and promote industrial differentiation.

Yu also called for stronger links between trade and long-term investment, as well as increased policy outreach to Nigerian businesses to ensure that more local producers understand and utilise the opportunities available in the Chinese market.

‘China is ready to provide technical support for standardised production to help Nigerian products earn recognition and market share,’ he said.

The ambassador further advocated the establishment of an Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Development between Nigeria and China, arguing that such an arrangement could transform temporary tariff preferences into more durable institutional guarantees.

He disclosed that 38 African countries had signed framework agreements with China to advance early-harvest negotiations.

Representing Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dunoma Ahmed, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said Nigeria must use the preferential access to the Chinese market to fundamentally change its export structure.

Ahmed said the benefits of preferential market access would remain limited if African countries continued to export predominantly raw materials while importing finished products.

He said Nigeria welcomed foreign investment but increasingly expected investors to establish manufacturing capacity, develop industrial value chains and create employment instead of simply extracting and exporting raw materials.

‘Our natural resources must become the starting point, not the end point, of economic activity,’ Ahmed said.

He said crude oil should serve as feedstock for petrochemical and downstream industries, while agricultural commodities should provide inputs for agro-processing and manufacturing.

Similarly, he said Nigeria’s solid mineral resources should support mineral processing and industrial production rather than being exported largely in raw form.

‘In other words, we must transition from exporting resources to exporting value,’ the permanent secretary said.

Ahmed urged Chinese and other international investors to establish factories, processing plants, technology centres and logistics networks in Nigeria.

He said Nigeria’s large domestic market, natural resources and strategic position gave it the potential to become a major manufacturing and investment hub for Africa.

Ja’afaru Yakubu, Chairman of the House Committee on Nigeria-China Relations, , said the zero-tariff arrangement could help Nigeria diversify exports, expand agricultural and resource-based value addition, strengthen manufacturing and increase participation in global value chains.

He, however, identified inadequate infrastructure, weak logistics, limited access to finance, skills shortages, insufficient productive technology and regulatory requirements as major obstacles that must be addressed.

Yakubu also appealed to the Chinese Embassy to tackle visa bottlenecks affecting Nigerian traders, particularly businesspeople from Kano and other parts of northern Nigeria.

He said easier movement of traders between both countries would strengthen commercial relations and enable Nigerian businesses to take greater advantage of the expanding Chinese market.

Representing Abubakar Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Samson Ebimaro, a director in the ministry, said Nigeria must strengthen its domestic productive capacity and competitiveness if it was to maximise the benefits of China’s trade concession.

Ebimaro said the initiative had the potential to improve access for African products, stimulate export diversification and create new opportunities for Nigerian businesses.

He identified agriculture, agro-processing, solid minerals, manufacturing, leather and the creative industries as sectors where Nigeria had considerable export potential.

‘However, the benefits of preferential market access will depend on our ability to strengthen domestic production capacity and competitiveness,’ he said.

He called for greater investment in infrastructure, logistics, financing, technology transfer and exporters’ capacity to comply with international quality and regulatory standards.

According to him, the initiative is consistent with Nigeria’s broader efforts to diversify the economy, increase non-oil exports and strengthen domestic value chains.

Charles Onunaiju, Director of the Centre for China Studies, said Africa should view China’s zero-tariff policy as a starting point rather than an end in its pursuit of structural economic transformation.

Onunaiju urged African countries to address domestic production constraints and leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area to build stronger regional value chains.

He said harmonising standards, increasing productive capacity and improving intra-African trade would enable African producers to supply larger volumes of competitive products to China while simultaneously strengthening the continent’s own industrial base.

The seminar was organised by the Centre for China Studies in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria to examine the implications of China’s zero-tariff treatment for African countries and explore practical measures for maximising the opportunities created by the policy.

The Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai has recorded yet another decisive operational success as troops of 162 Amphibious Battalion decisively defeated attempted ISWAP terrorists attack on their location at Forward Operating Base Mandaragirau, Biu Local government Area of Borno State.

In a statement issued by Mohammed Goni,

Acting Military Information Officer

Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation Hadin Kai Maiduguri around 0200 hours on August 15 2026, the terrorists launched a simultaneous assault on the location from two fronts.

On detecting the advancing terrorists from emplaced early warning and surveillance systems, a combat team was promptly dispatched to interdict the terrorists along one of the axes of advance. Contact was made, resulting in a heavy exchange of fire during which the combat team decisively defeated the attackers on that front, the statement revealed.

The second group of terrorists attempted to bypass the ambush team and infiltrate the camp but they were equally met with superior firepower and successfully defeated.

The coordinated and aggressive response forced the insurgents to withdraw in confusion, after which troops immediately launched a hot pursuit and thoroughly exploited the contact area as well as their withdrawal routes.

In a clear demonstration of tactical proficiency and combat dominance, the troops neutralized several terrorists and recovered a substantial quantity of equipment comprising AK-47 rifles with loaded magazines, rocket propelled grenade launcher with bombs and chargers, one camcoder video camera and several other combat enablers.

Subsequent footages obtained from the surveillance systems further showed the terrorists dragging several bodies of their cohorts killed towards the Timbuktu Triangle. Notably, no single casualty on own troops.

The successful defeat of this multi-pronged attack further highlights the high state of readiness, aggressive posture, and operational effectiveness of OPHK troops with the additional impetus from the military high command.

Chef Shine was supposed to be an accountant.

He had studied accounting and worked with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Lagos State Property Development Company. His plan was straightforward: build a career in accounting, pursue his professional qualifications and grow in the corporate world.

Then he moved to London, and things did not quite go according to plan.

Money became a problem, making it difficult for him to continue with his plans to pursue the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants qualification. So he took a job at Rainforest Cafe in Piccadilly Circus.

He started out in the delivery section, but it did not take long before his accounting background began showing up in an unexpected place: the kitchen.

Chef Shine noticed how ingredients and supplies were being stored and decided they could be better organised. He applied the first in, first out principle he had learnt in accounting to the kitchen’s inventory.

It was a small thing, but the management noticed.

The general manager and executive chef encouraged him to train as a chef. Chef Shine was still interested in finding a way into the accounting department, though, and even spent extra hours helping with Sage, the accounting software, while working in the kitchen.

Then came a conversation that made him reconsider his plans.

The general manager was willing to support him in pursuing accounting, but also told him that advancing as a Black professional in that particular environment could be difficult. It was advice that stayed with Chef Shine.

So he started looking at the kitchen differently.

He began researching what it meant to build a career as a chef. He looked at chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and started to understand that cooking could be more than a job. It could be a profession with room to grow.

Still, changing careers was not an easy decision.

His family knew him as someone who had studied accounting and was building a career in the field. For a while, Chef Shine did not tell them that he had decided to pursue cooking. He wanted to prove to himself, and perhaps to them, that the decision could work.

It did.

About four and a half years after entering the culinary profession, Chef Shine became a head chef. He had reached a position that, based on his experience of the industry in the UK, could take many chefs about 10 years to attain.

But the kitchen was only the beginning.

When Chef Shine returned to Nigeria, he noticed that there was a gap in professional culinary training. He had worked in a different environment and seen how things were done abroad, and he wanted to pass some of that knowledge on.

So he began mentoring young chefs.

At the same time, he was also thinking about what he could build for himself. The difference in pay and opportunities between the UK and Nigeria made him less interested in simply looking for another job. He wanted to create something of his own.

That idea started small.

Chef Shine had waterfront property and wanted to create a restaurant where he could host friends and have a space to work independently. But the plan kept growing.

The restaurant eventually became Lagoon View Hotel, a 30-bedroom hotel with a rooftop restaurant.

And as the business grew, so did the importance of the relationships he had built along the way.

Chef Shine’s network opened doors to opportunities that helped the business expand. For him, it was proof that relationships matter in hospitality just as much as culinary skills do. Knowing people, building trust and staying open to opportunities can sometimes determine how far a business goes.

Yet, even after becoming a hotel owner, Chef Shine has not left the kitchen behind.

He still develops menus, creates recipes and works on costing for establishments he consults for. He would rather remain involved in the actual work than become the kind of chef who only manages from an office.

That hands-on approach also shapes how he thinks about the food industry.

To Chef Shine, becoming a chef is not the only way to build a career in food. There are opportunities in food blogging, brand ambassadorship, menu development and professional costing. The important thing, he says, is to take the work seriously.

He is particularly critical of how social media can sometimes make people want the title without putting in the work behind it.

For him, social media should help professionals grow their careers. It should not replace the training, discipline and experience needed to become good at what they do.

His advice to young people looking to enter the industry is simple: believe in yourself, start small and find your niche. He also encourages aspiring chefs to get professional training and find mentors who can help them understand the industry. For Chef Shine, passing on what he has learnt is not separate from his work in hospitality; it has become part of it.

That commitment recently earned him recognition from the National Orientation Agency, which named him Nigerian of the Week for his contribution to the hospitality industry and his work mentoring others. The recognition came as the agency expanded its programme to include people making contributions to the hospitality sector.

It is fitting recognition for someone whose career has moved through several different worlds.

The accountant who once organised kitchen inventory in a London restaurant eventually became a head chef. The head chef returned to Nigeria and began mentoring others. Then came the restaurant, the hotel and a growing hospitality business.

Through it all, the accounting background never really left him. The numbers became useful in inventory management and costing, while the experience he gained in the kitchen became the foundation for everything he would later build.

Chef Shine may not have planned to become a chef when he started his career. But a decision made in a London restaurant changed the direction of his life, and he has since turned that unexpected career move into a business, a platform for mentorship and a place in Nigeria’s growing hospitality industry.

Former Senegal head coach Pape Bouna Thiaw has issued an eight-day ultimatum to the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), demanding approximately $747,000 in unpaid salaries, bonuses and expenses.

Thiaw’s lawyers formally served the federation with the legal notice on August 13 through bailiff Fatma Haris Diop, according to Senegalese media reports and a copy of the document circulated by sports outlet Taggat.

The demand follows the breakdown of Thiaw’s relationship with the FSF and the federation’s decision to begin the process of terminating his contract and that of his technical staff on July 11.

Dispute over three-year contract

According to the legal notice, Thiaw signed a 36-month contract running from March 1, 2026, to February 28, 2029, with a monthly net salary of approximately $52,000.

His lawyers claim he received no salary between March and August, resulting in about $317,000 in unpaid wages.

The claim also includes approximately $158,000 in outstanding signing bonuses and another $52,000 special contractual bonus.

Thiaw is further seeking about $20,800 in housing allowances, $1,850 for fuel and $18,500 in expenses he allegedly paid personally.

His representatives said invoices covering some of those expenses were submitted to the FSF in May but remain unpaid.

Bonuses add to $747,000 claim

The former Senegal coach is also demanding approximately $176,000 in bonuses linked to the country’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign and qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Together, the various claims amount to approximately $747,000.

The financial dispute adds to the tension surrounding Thiaw’s departure.

FSF President Abdoulaye Fall said in July that trust had broken down between the coach and federation following disagreements over his salary and a new contract.

Reports in Senegal also indicated that the Sports Ministry informed the FSF that the state had not formally approved the three-year agreement, despite reportedly being designated as the third-party payer.

That position could leave the federation responsible for the financial obligations arising from the disputed contract.

Eight-day deadline

Thiaw’s lawyers, from SCP Maître Guédel Ndiaye et Associés, have given the FSF eight days to resolve the dispute amicably.

Failure to settle the claim within the deadline could trigger judicial proceedings, with applicable legal interest potentially added to the amount owed.

Thiaw’s departure came after Senegal’s disappointing 2026 World Cup campaign, which ended with a 3-2 extra-time defeat to Belgium in the round of 32, despite the Teranga Lions taking a 2-0 lead.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has uploaded results from 3,103 of the 3763 polling units to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) for Saturday’s governorship election held across the 30 Local Government Areas of Osun State.

BusinessDay reports that the commission started uploading results of the election on its portal late Saturday.

It was gathered that as of 8:01 pm, the uploaded results represented 82.46 per cent of all polling units in the Osun State governorship election.

The election featured 15 political parties, including Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress and 12 other gubernatorial hopefuls.

Additional election results are still being processed and uploaded to the portal as collation and electronic transmission continue across the state.