Category: Business Day

For more than 500 million Africans, identity remains a privilege, not a right. On National ID Day 2026, Seamfix has called on governments, regulators and businesses to close that gap through trusted identity systems that let every person access essential services securely and participate fully in the digital economy.

The company made the call following its participation at the 8th National Day of Identity, held on September 16, 2026, and organised by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

This year’s theme, ‘My Identity, My Shadow,’ highlights the importance of ensuring that every person has an identity that can be securely recognised wherever it is required, including when opening a bank account, receiving healthcare, registering a mobile line, accessing social support or using government services.

The 500 million figure, drawn from World Bank estimates, leaves hundreds of millions unable to access these services. For Seamfix, closing that gap is central to its work: identity is a right, not a privilege, and trusted infrastructure is what makes that right usable in practice.

For 19 years, Seamfix has built and supported identity and digital trust infrastructure across Africa, contributing to the enrollment of over 130 million citizens into Nigeria’s National Identity database as one of NIMC’s trusted infrastructure partners, digitising the Republic of Benin’s passport renewal process, and delivering SIM registration compliance, identity verification, and digital registries for government and enterprise use, work that has supported over 350 million identities processed across the continent.

Chimezie Emewulu, Group Chief Executive Officer of Seamfix, said:

‘Nearly two decades of building identity infrastructure across Africa has taught us what happens when identity works, and what it costs when it doesn’t.

Africa’s prosperity depends on people being able to participate fully in the economy and society, which is why we believe identity should be a right, not a privilege, and why we will keep building the systems that make that right real. That work doesn’t stop with governments, it means partnering with every institution willing to put trust and access first.’

Across Africa, significant progress has been made in expanding access to identity, but fragmented databases, inconsistent records, limited interoperability and repeated verification requirements continue to affect service delivery in many markets, increasing onboarding costs, delaying access to essential services, and making it difficult for people to use a trusted identity across institutions. Remote and underserved communities often face the greatest difficulty enrolling or accessing linked services.

Speaking at the event, Frank Atube, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of Seamfix, said: ‘Fragmentation isn’t about how many times someone has to verify who they are, it’s about whether the systems doing that verifying can trust each other.

‘For those inside the system, it means starting over every time because those systems don’t talk to each other, instead of trusting what’s already been confirmed. For millions of others, it means no recognised identity at all. Both are solved the same way: systems that verify people accurately, protect their data, and reach the communities current infrastructure struggles to reach. That is the real priority, not just connecting what already exists, but building access for everyone else.’

Privacy and public trust must remain central as identity systems become more connected, with individuals given clear information about how their data is collected, shared and protected, and appropriate control over its use.

Seamfix believes government agencies, regulators and private-sector organisations must continue to collaborate to connect their systems, strengthen data protection and extend identity-enabled services to underserved communities.

National ID Day provides an opportunity to recognise Nigeria’s progress and renew the commitment to identity systems that serve people reliably throughout their lives. For Seamfix, that means continuing to build the infrastructure that ensures identity is a right every person can exercise, not one reserved for those the system finds easiest to reach.

For decades, a persistent paradox has defined Nigeria’s socio-economic landscape: a nation blessed with vast arable land, diverse climatic zones, and a burgeoning youth population continues to spend trillions of naira annually importing basic food staples.

At the heart of this challenge lies a deep-seated perception problem. For generations of young Nigerians, agriculture has been viewed not as a high-tech, profitable enterprise, but as an arduous, backbreaking punishment-a career of last resort reserved for those who failed to secure white-collar opportunities.

In Lagos recently, an ambitious national movement set out to dismantle that narrative at its root: the classroom.

Organized by Paradise Dynamic Farms Limited in collaboration with the Project Rebirth team, the inaugural National Agricultural Teachers Summit convened thousands of Agricultural Science educators in Lagos, alongside thousands more participating simultaneously from designated viewing centers across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The historic gathering which also featured an official Guinness World Records attempt for the largest attendance at an agricultural awareness summit in a single day, was anchored on a simple premise: if Nigeria is to build a sustainable food system, it must first revolutionize how agriculture is taught.

The Classroom as the Catalyst for Change

Setting the tone for the summit, Erica Okorodudu, the Executive Director, at Paradise Dynamic Farms Limited and Convener of the event, confronted the central question driving the initiative: ‘If agriculture is so important to the future of Nigeria, are we preparing the generation that will inherit it?’

Tracing the roots of public perception back to primary and secondary school classrooms, Okorodudu noted that while Agricultural Science is a standard subject, the realities of modern, tech-driven agribusiness rarely make it past the school gate.

‘We have dedicated teachers doing their best, sometimes without adequate laboratories, demonstration farms, equipment, or exposure to the technologies transforming agriculture around the world,’ Okorodudu said in her opening address. ‘Students learn about agriculture without always having the opportunity to touch the soil, operate a production system, monitor a crop, manage livestock, analyze data, or experience agriculture as a business.’

She emphasised that changing an entire generation’s outlook requires empowering the educators who guide them. ‘The future of Nigerian agriculture will be written in our classrooms before it is ever written in our fields,’ she asserted, describing teachers as ‘multipliers’ whose influence cascades from students to families, communities, and ultimately the national economy.

Central to the summit’s vision is transforming static school farms into active, commercial ‘living laboratories.’

Under this model, school demonstration farms will incorporate protected cultivation, drip irrigation, hydroponics, aquaculture, and climate-smart digital tools.

The goal, Okorodudu emphasised, is not merely to graduate students who understand agricultural theory, but to raise a generation capable of building scalable agribusinesses, driving processing and logistics, and guaranteeing national food security.

Shifting Mindsets: From Subsistence Farming to High-Tech Enterprise

Echoing this vision, Abiodun Moses Adeyeye, a soil fertility and plant nutrition expert from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), argued that modernizing agriculture requires shattering obsolete stereotypes.

‘The old perspective looks at agriculture as an occupation that is not worthwhile-that if you study it in the university, you don’t have ‘something upstairs’ or don’t know science,’ Adeyeye observed.

‘In the past, people believed studying agriculture meant using hoes and cutlasses for the rest of your life. But agriculture is science, technology, and business put together. It incorporates mathematics, physics, and chemistry.’

Adeyeye highlighted how modern advancements, such as drone technology, precision irrigation, and screenhouse farming are yielding massive economic returns for young entrepreneurs. Pointing to the country’s economic drain, he decried Nigeria’s heavy reliance on food imports, noting that the country imports approximately 98 percent of the wheat it consumes-a stark contrast to nations like Brazil, which produces 60 percent of its wheat locally.

‘If we educate these children from the onset that we can produce these commodities locally using modern science, we can stem the trillions of Naira leaving this country every year,’ Adeyeye said. ‘When students realize that agriculture uses cutting-edge technology and offers a direct path to wealth creation, they will actively choose it.’

Agriculture as a Scalable Business Model

Adding a practical commercial perspective during the panel sessions, Henry Nnanna, an agricultural engineer, real estate consultant, and lead panel coordinator, highlighted how historical shifts derailed Nigeria’s agricultural trajectory.

‘Agriculture used to support 70 percent of our workforce before the discovery of oil,’ Nnanna noted. ‘When oil came, we neglected agriculture. And because we haven’t been practicing it the appropriate, modern way, the next generation failed to connect with it.’

Nnanna urged educators to teach students the micro-business opportunities embedded within the agricultural value chain.

He demonstrated how accessible, low-capital ventures, such as container farming in urban backyards, fast-cycle crops like cucumbers that mature in 45 days, or structured poultry production using point-of-lay birds-can generate immediate cash flow and support structured loan repayments.

‘Agriculture is a business,’ Nnanna emphasized. ‘It all depends on where you focus. By bringing together experts across technology, entrepreneurship, academia, and government, this summit is hitting the right chord to ensure policy recommendations translate into actionable commercial practices.’

He added that the communique generated from the summit would be aggressively publicized and delivered directly to federal and state policymakers to ensure sustained momentum.

Policy Integration and Institutional Endorsement

The drive to embed modern agricultural practices into school curricula gained major institutional backing from the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education in Nigeria (COSCEN).

Speaking on behalf of the committee, Halima Sule Alhassan (representing COSCEN Chairman, Lawal Olalekan Olohungbebe) commended the organizers for prioritizing teacher welfare, capacity building, and practical recognition.

Alhassan revealed that COSCEN, which works in direct collaboration with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) across all 36 states and the FCT, provides a ready-made platform to scale successful agricultural education models nationwide.

‘We organize monthly webinars for all Honorable Commissioners of Education to share best practices and successful state models,’ Alhassan explained. ‘If a state like Lagos or Akwa Ibom develops a highly successful school farm or agricultural curriculum model, that experience is shared across the platform.’

Following the success of the summit, Alhassan confirmed plans to table the challenges and solutions raised by the teachers directly before the national committee.

‘From my report, we can bring these actionable insights to the 36 State Commissioners and the FCT. Where necessary, we can facilitate the documentation and recommendation of these modern agricultural models to be formally integrated into national educational policy through bodies like the Joint Consultative Committee on Education (JCCE) and the National Council on Education (NCE).’

A National Movement Underway

As the inaugural summit concluded, the overarching message resonated clearly across the main hall in Lagos and the virtual viewing centers nationwide: Nigeria’s agricultural transformation cannot be achieved in isolation on rural farms; it must be cultivated within the educational ecosystem.

By equipping Agricultural Science teachers with modern techniques, institutional policy support, and an enterprise-driven mindset, the summit laid the groundwork for a structural shift-one that positions agriculture not as a remnant of the past, but as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s technological and economic future.

The political defections of Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and other opposition figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) on May 3, 2026, have come under renewed legal scrutiny following last Thursday’s Supreme Court judgment restoring key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

Obi and Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC on May 3 after leaving the ADC, a move widely reported at the time as part of the opposition realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.

But the Supreme Court’s September 24 decision has reopened questions about the legal consequences of party switching where membership records submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are involved.

In a unanimous decision by a seven-member panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro, the apex court allowed INEC’s appeal and restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which had earlier been invalidated by the Court of Appeal. The court also awarded N2 million in costs against the Zenith Labour Party.

The restored provisions require political parties to operate with membership registers submitted to INEC and restrict participation in party primaries to members whose names appear on the relevant register.

It is against this legal background that Obono-obla argues that the circumstances surrounding the May 3 defections deserve closer examination.

Seven days that could prove crucial

May 3 is significant because it fell seven days before the reported May 10 deadline for submission of the relevant party membership registers.

Obono-obla’s argument is that the date of a defection, by itself, may not settle the question of whether the transfer was legally effective.

According to his interpretation, a politician leaving one party must first ensure that the old party formally removes his or her details from its membership register before registering with another party.

That, he argues, raises a crucial factual question: were the names and National Identification Numbers (NINs) of those who moved from ADC to NDC properly removed from the former party’s register before the new register was submitted to INEC?

If the same individual remained on both registers, Obono-obla contends that the restored statutory regime could create a dual-membership problem.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has questioned the Federal Government’s rising debt burden, asking why borrowing continues to increase despite stronger government revenue and higher oil prices.

Atiku said the Federal Government’s domestic borrowing had reached N24.7 trillion between January and August 2026, a 90.5 percent increase from the N12.98 trillion recorded during the same period in 2025.

His comments come amid wider concerns over Nigeria’s fiscal position, with government borrowing rising alongside revenue gains from higher oil prices, tax reforms and the removal of petrol subsidy.

According to Atiku, the government had budgeted for an oil price of $64.85 per barrel for 2026, but crude prices have since traded substantially above that benchmark.

He questioned why the additional revenue had not translated into lower borrowing and greater access to credit for businesses.

‘What Nigerians need to know is how the increased revenues are being deployed, and why borrowing has continued to rise despite the improved fiscal position,’ Atiku said.

The former vice president also raised concerns about the effect of increased government borrowing on private-sector financing.

He cited Central Bank of Nigeria data showing that government credit grew by 43 percent, compared with 9.6 percent growth in credit to the private sector.

‘When government takes a larger share of available credit, it can make borrowing more expensive for businesses,’ he said.

Atiku argued that manufacturers, agro-processors and other businesses require affordable capital to expand production, create jobs and reduce operating costs.

‘Nigeria’s economy grows when businesses can access capital to invest, produce and employ. Government should create fiscal space for the private sector to thrive,’ he said.

The Federal Government’s 2026 budget provides for N68.32 trillion in expenditure against projected revenue of N36.87 trillion, leaving a fiscal deficit of N31.45 trillion. About N29.2 trillion of the deficit is expected to be financed through domestic and external borrowing.

The N24.7 trillion borrowed domestically in the first eight months of the year represents about 84.7 percent of the government’s N29.2 trillion borrowing target for 2026.

The surge in borrowing has also coincided with a widening gap between government and private-sector access to credit.

CBN data showed that government credit rose to N33.92 trillion in July 2026 from N23.69 trillion a year earlier, while private-sector credit increased to N83.43 trillion from N76.13 trillion over the same period.

Analysts have attributed the increased borrowing to the government’s financing requirements, higher expenditure, infrastructure spending and debt-service obligations, while also warning about the pressure that sustained domestic borrowing could place on businesses.

Atiku said the Federal Government should provide a transparent account of increased revenues, subsidy savings and higher oil earnings.

‘After three years of economic reforms, Nigerians deserve to see the impact of subsidy savings, additional revenues and higher oil earnings in their daily lives through lower costs and more opportunities,’ he said.

The Presidency has previously rejected Atiku’s criticism of the government’s debt and fiscal management, arguing that some of his claims relied on outdated data and failed to reflect recent improvements in economic indicators.

The administration has also argued that debt should be assessed alongside the size of the economy, revenue capacity, debt-servicing costs and how borrowed funds are deployed.

Atiku, however, said the government should reduce its dependence on domestic borrowing and create more fiscal space for businesses.

An administration led by the African Democratic Congress, of which Atiku is the presidential candidate, would prioritise fiscal discipline, reduce waste and gradually lower dependence on domestic borrowing, he said.

White has a way of commanding attention without asking for it. A bare shoulder, a dramatic sleeve, a neat satin finish or a sharply cut mini can turn the simplest colour into a full fashion statement. Add the right shoe, bag or piece of jewellery and the mood shifts again.

The secret is not simply wearing white from head to toe. It is understanding what the dress is saying before the accessories enter the picture. A fluid linen maxi belongs to the sun. A sharply cut mini has a different attitude. Satin catches evening light differently from cotton, while lace immediately changes the mood.

The result is a look that proves one colour can be more than enough to make a statement.

The holiday white dress

There is a reason white dominates resort wardrobes. Against sun baked skin, it feels fresh, uncomplicated and instantly photogenic.

An airy linen maxi or eyelet midi needs very little: leather sandals, oversized sunglasses and a woven tote are enough for a slow afternoon between the beach and lunch. Gold hoops or a stack of delicate bracelets add warmth without making the outfit feel too polished.

For a late lunch that turns into drinks, change the flat sandals for a pair of heeled mules and replace the large tote with a smaller shoulder bag. The dress has not changed, but the styling has moved it from daytime ease to something more deliberate.

When white gets romantic

White has an obvious relationship with romance, but there is more to it than lace and ruffles.

For a bridal shower, engagement party or pre-wedding celebration, look for details that give the dress dimension: a sculpted neckline, an exaggerated bow, a sheer sleeve, a fitted waist or a fluid satin finish. The interest should come from the silhouette rather than excessive decoration.

Pearls and delicate earrings announce the feminine mood, while a metallic heel prevents the look from becoming too sweet. A structured clutch can also introduce a sharper note.

For a wedding itself, the dress code matters. Unless the occasion specifically calls for white, the colour remains closely associated with the bride.

White, but make it daytime

The strongest daytime white looks rarely feel overstyled.

For brunch, an eyelet midi or softly tailored linen dress can be paired with ballet flats, kitten heels or slim sandals. Add oversized sunglasses and a small shoulder bag, and the result feels polished without looking like you dressed specifically to be seen.

A birthday lunch gives you more room to experiment. Try a mini with an architectural sleeve, a dramatic bow or an off-shoulder neckline. A sculptural earring or brightly coloured bag can provide the contrast that white sometimes needs.

The off-duty version

White does not have to mean precious.

At the airport, a loose cotton dress with sleek trainers and a large leather or canvas tote gives the colour a more relaxed attitude. Oversized sunglasses add polish, while minimal jewellery keeps the outfit practical.

The same principle works for the cinema. A simple cotton mini or midi with trainers, ballet flats or flat sandals feels easy without looking thrown together. Add a denim jacket or lightweight overshirt and a compact crossbody for a look that feels casual but considered.

The difference is in the proportions. A relaxed dress paired with a structured bag, or an oversized layer over a shorter silhouette, keeps the outfit from becoming visually flat.

After dark, white changes character

Dinner and cocktails are where white becomes most interesting.

Satin, silk-like fabrics and sharper silhouettes catch artificial light beautifully. A one-shoulder dress, asymmetric midi or fluid slip can look striking without heavy embellishment.

This is where accessories can become more directional. Barely-there heels lengthen a clean silhouette; a sculptural clutch introduces shape; statement earrings bring the focus back towards the face.

Silver and crystal details give brilliant white a cooler, sharper finish. Gold works particularly well with ivory and cream, creating a softer kind of evening glamour.

The accessory edit: shoes, bags and jewellery

A white dress gives accessories unusual power because there is very little competing with them.

A colourful bag and leather sandals push it towards resort dressing. Black leather gives it warmth and an understated finish. Black creates graphic contrast. Metallic shoes or a metallic clutch immediately move it into evening territory. And a brightly coloured bag can make a minimalist white dress feel completely new.

Jewellery follows the same logic. Pearls keep the look romantic; gold adds warmth; silver feels cleaner and more contemporary; sculptural earrings give even the simplest dress a stronger fashion identity.

The point is not to make white complicated. It is to let the details decide what kind of white you are wearing.

Uncover Skincare launched Glow Balm Hydrating Lip Treatment in Kenya and Nigeria, a lip care formula built on a simple belief: lips that take up space deserve a formula worthy of them.

Glow Balm delivers SPF 30 protection, long-wear hydration and gloss simultaneously, rejecting the trade-offs the category has long asked women to accept.

The launch also marks the opening of Uncover Skincare’s new Ikeja Hub, located at 1 Opebi Rd, Allen, Ikeja, Lagos, creating a new space for the brand’s community to experience Uncover in person.

For decades, lip care has been treated as cosmetic – a flavour, a finish, an afterthought – despite lips being one of the most exposed parts of the face, carrying less melanin than surrounding skin and facing daily UV exposure. Consumers evolved. The category didn’t. Glow Balm was formulated to close that gap, combining four complementary UV filters for SPF 30, a nourishing blend of shea butter, squalane and argan oil for lasting hydration, and a structured gloss finish, layered with a peppermint ritual that makes reapplication feel earned rather than obligatory.

‘We built Glow Balm because the category never built a formula worthy of melanated lips. Protection, hydration and gloss shouldn’t be a trade-off – they should be a given. This is a lip treatment for women who take up space and were never going to accept a formula that asked them to choose,’ Jade, Co-Founder and COO, Uncover Skincare said.

To celebrate the launch, Uncover Skincare brought together beauty, culture and media voices for an intimate evening centred on the future of beauty and the growing conversation around lip care.

The event featured a fireside conversation, ‘Taking Up Space,’ between Jade Oyateru and content creator and actor Enioluwa Adeoluwa, exploring Jade’s journey, Uncover Skincare’s evolution into lip care, the story behind Glow Balm and what it means to take up space in beauty and business.

The programme also featured ‘The New Rules of Beauty,’ a panel discussion exploring the evolution of beauty care, lip SPF, hybrid beauty and the growing need for products created with melanin-rich consumers in mind. The conversation brought together Denise, Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire Nigeria; Ifeoma Okoye, Beauty Influencer; Onyeka Michael Ugwu, Founder and CEO, Hello Perfect; Bobe Badaki, Host and Head of West Africa, Uncover; and Dr. Onyiibekeh Azode, Certified Doctor and Influencer.

Together, the conversations reflected a beauty landscape where skincare and makeup are becoming more connected, and where protection, hydration and self-expression can all be part of the same routine.

With ‘For Lips That Take Up Space,’ Uncover Skincare is making a case for giving lips the attention they deserve. Because your lips do more than complete a look. They speak, smile, laugh, express and, of course, take up space.

Glow Balm Hydrating Lip Treatment in Mojito Mint is now available from Uncover Skincare.

Glow Balm Hydrating Lip Treatment is available now at KES 1,800 in Kenya and NGN 15,000 in Nigeria, through Uncover’s D2C site and retail partners in both markets, including Lip Tribe in Kenya.

For daily use: Apply to clean lips morning and evening, alone or over lip color.

The Workplace Leadership Institute has outlined nine strategies organisations can adopt to effectively manage and maximise the potential of a multi-generational workforce, with emphasis on communication, knowledge transfer, collaboration and leadership development.

The Workplace Leadership Institute, through its workplace leadership programmes and facilitation, said the Workplace Leadership Institute approach is designed to help organisations turn generational differences into opportunities for knowledge-sharing and collaboration. The Workplace Leadership Institute noted that as Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z increasingly work alongside one another, organisations must deliberately create systems that allow employees across generations to contribute effectively.

According to the Institute, simply having different generations represented within an organisation does not automatically produce the benefits associated with generational diversity. Differences in communication preferences, working styles, professional expectations and career priorities can create challenges unless leaders establish systems that support effective interaction and collaboration.

Jamie Pajoel, workplace leadership expert and facilitator, said the objective of multi-generational leadership should not be to force employees from different generations into one way of working, but to create an environment where their different experiences and capabilities can complement one another.

‘Multi-generational leadership is not about choosing one generation’s way of working over another. It is about creating the conditions in which experience, adaptability, new perspectives and emerging capabilities can work together to strengthen the organisation,’ Pajoel said.

The Institute said one of the starting points for organisations is to establish communication structures that accommodate different preferences while maintaining clear organisational expectations. Employees may have different levels of comfort with face-to-face conversations, email, instant messaging, virtual meetings and other communication platforms. Clear guidelines on which channels should be used for different forms of communication can help reduce confusion while ensuring important information is accessible.

It also recommended reverse mentoring and reciprocal learning programmes to encourage knowledge to move in both directions across generations. While experienced professionals can transfer institutional knowledge, strategic insight and organisational experience, younger employees can contribute knowledge relating to technology, emerging markets, digital behaviour and changing consumer expectations.

The Institute said such programmes should go beyond simply pairing employees together and should include clear objectives, thoughtful matching, defined expectations and sufficient time for meaningful professional relationships to develop.

It further identified knowledge transfer as a strategic priority, particularly as experienced employees approach retirement or transition from full-time roles. Much of an organisation’s institutional knowledge, it said, exists outside formal documentation and may include knowledge of client relationships, organisational history, previous decisions, recurring challenges and practical lessons acquired over years of experience.

Organisations can reduce the risk of losing such knowledge by introducing structured knowledge-capture processes, apprenticeship and shadowing programmes and communities of practice where experienced professionals and emerging leaders can exchange practical knowledge.

The Institute also encouraged executives to deliberately create cross-generational project teams and working groups, noting that a workforce comprising different generations does not automatically become a collaborative workforce.

Employees may naturally gravitate towards colleagues with similar communication preferences, working styles or professional experiences. Deliberately bringing different generations together around important organisational assignments can create opportunities for employees to understand one another’s capabilities and perspectives.

The Institute said organisations can further support this process by creating forums where different perspectives are actively invited and recognising effective cross-generational collaboration as a valuable workplace behaviour.

Managing conflict is another area the Institute identified as important in multi-generational workplaces. Differences in working styles, communication preferences and professional expectations can sometimes create tension, particularly where younger professionals assume management responsibilities over older and more experienced colleagues.

Rather than allowing such differences to develop into resentment or stereotypes, the Institute recommends workplace cultures where disagreements are addressed constructively. It highlighted the ACE framework – Acknowledge, Care and Exchange – as one practical approach.

The framework encourages employees to acknowledge the experience and contribution of colleagues from different generations, care by taking a genuine interest in colleagues and understanding the professional circumstances that shape their workplace experience, and exchange ideas openly while ensuring different perspectives are considered in decision-making.

The Institute also said retention strategies should recognise that employees at different stages of their professional lives may have different expectations.

Experienced professionals may value meaningful recognition, opportunities to continue contributing and phased transitions into advisory, mentoring or part-time roles. Other employees may place greater emphasis on autonomy, career progression, flexibility, professional development, purpose and organisational culture.

The Institute said these differences should not be used to stereotype employees, but should encourage leaders to have regular conversations with staff about their career goals, development and organisational commitment.

Succession planning, it added, should also be treated as a multi-generational leadership responsibility rather than simply a process for replacing senior executives when vacancies occur.

According to the Institute, effective succession planning can simultaneously address immediate continuity risks, prepare emerging leaders for greater responsibility and develop the talent required for an organisation’s long-term future.

It recommended that organisations identify potential successors, establish development goals, create realistic timelines and ensure succession priorities remain connected to their strategic direction.

The Institute further urged organisations to create shared challenges that bring employees from different generations together. Cross-generational projects, innovation initiatives, problem-solving forums and community engagement programmes can provide opportunities for employees to work towards common objectives and experience the capabilities of colleagues from different age groups.

Such interactions, the Institute said, can help reduce simplistic assumptions about generational groups by allowing individual skills, experience and contributions to become more visible.

Beyond formal structures and programmes, the Institute said everyday workplace interactions also determine whether employees experience multi-generational inclusion as genuine.

It therefore recommended the CARE model, which encourages organisations to collaborate by creating opportunities for employees from different generations to work together, acknowledge individual contributions, respect different perspectives through effective communication and listening, and equalize opportunities by recognising that no generation’s contribution is inherently more valuable than another’s.

Pajoel said organisations stand to benefit when leaders create space for different forms of knowledge and capability to work together.

‘The strength of a multi-generational organisation lies in its ability to connect what has been learned through experience with what is emerging through new perspectives and capabilities. Leaders create value when they make space for both,’ he said.

The Workplace Leadership Institute said effective multi-generational leadership ultimately requires more than recognising the presence of different age groups within an organisation. It requires deliberate systems that encourage communication, knowledge transfer, collaboration, professional development and mutual respect.

The Institute said organisations that create opportunities for reciprocal learning, protect institutional knowledge and develop employees across generations can build workplaces where differences in experience and perspective contribute to organisational capability.

The Oyo State Police Command attached to the Command’s Safer Highway Patrol have arrested a suspected armed robber and recovered one locally made pistol with a live cartridge.

The move, which is part of the Command’s continuous proactive and intelligence-led policing strategies, said the arrest and recovery followed an intelligence-led stop-and-search operation conducted on 25 September 2026 at about 1730hrs along the Ibadan-Ife Road by Ajia Junction.

In the course of the operation, Ayanlade Oluseyi Olayinka, Deputy Superintendent of Police and Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Oyo State Police Command, in a statement, stated that a white-coloured Mazda bus driven by one Sanusi Afeez Adedamola ‘M’ of Owena and travelling from Ibadan towards Ondo State was intercepted and subjected to a search.

The search subsequently led to the arrest of one of the passengers, identified as Emmanuel Kingsley Odoh ‘M’, for unlawful possession of one locally made pistol and a live cartridge.

‘Following the recovery, the firearm and ammunition were immediately secured as exhibits, while the suspect was taken into custody for further investigation’, Ayanlade disclosed.

Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State, thereafter directed that the case be transferred to the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) for discreet investigation, arrest of the rest of the syndicate and prosecution upon the conclusion of the investigation.

The development underscores the importance of sustained stop-and-search operations as a critical component of the Command’s preventive policing strategy, particularly along major highways and other identified routes.

When conducted professionally and intelligence-led, such operations help detect and remove firearms and other prohibited items from circulation, disrupt the movement of criminal elements and generate actionable intelligence for broader crime-prevention efforts.

Building on these proactive measures, the Oyo State Police Command reassures members of the public, particularly commuters and residents along major highways, of its continued commitment to their safety and security.

The Command will sustain proactive patrols, intelligence-led stop-and-search operations and other strategic measures to prevent crime and maintain public safety across the State, while urging members of the public to remain vigilant and provide the Police with timely and actionable information.

Matchday one of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers delivered goals and away victories as the race for places at the tournament gathered momentum across the continent.

Nigeria, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, and Cameroon were among the heavyweight nations to make winning starts, while Guinea-Bissau and Zimbabwe produced two of the opening round’s standout results.

Guinea-Bissau defeated co-hosts Tanzania 2-0 away from home, while Zimbabwe overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Sierra Leone 3-2.

Egypt and Senegal endured less convincing starts, with the seven-time African champions held to a goalless draw at home by Angola, while Patrick Vieira’s first competitive match as Senegal coach ended in a 1-1 draw against Mozambique.

Rwanda and Mali also opened with three-goal victories, while Mauritania, Namibia, Sudan, Togo, The Gambia, Malawi, Niger and DR Congo collected maximum points.

Group A: Morocco and Niger take early wins

Morocco and Niger both opened with victories to take early control of Group A.

The Atlas Lions beat Gabon 2-0, with Noussair Mazraoui opening the scoring in the 36th minute before Soufiane Rahimi sealed the win six minutes from time.

Niger survived a late Lesotho fightback to win 2-1. Daniel Sosah opened the scoring after 38 minutes before Oumar Sako doubled the advantage on the stroke of half-time.

Sera Motebang’s 85th-minute penalty gave Lesotho hope, but Niger held on.

Group B: Malawi win, Egypt held

Malawi are the early Group B leaders after beating South Sudan 2-1, while Egypt were held to a goalless draw by Angola in Cairo.

Babatunde Adepoju put Malawi ahead after 20 minutes before Stephen Joseph Dhata equalised three minutes after the restart. Lloyd Njaliwa restored Malawi’s lead in the 64th minute.

Egypt thought they had taken the lead against Angola when Mostafa Zico found the net in the 21st minute, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Neither side could find a breakthrough as Angola secured a valuable away point.

Group C: Ivory Coast and The Gambia record victories

The commission’s ruling has not been officially published, and no sanctions have been announced.

However, the scale of the reported findings has raised questions over the range of penalties available to the Premier League, from financial sanctions to points deductions and possible expulsion.

Former Manchester City chairman David Bernstein said any punishment could go beyond a financial penalty.

‘Money is not sufficient,’ Bernstein told Times Radio. ‘If they are found, after the appeal, guilty of the charges, my beloved club is going to face a very severe penalty.

‘All I would say is that money is not sufficient; it would have to be something, unfortunately, more drastic than that.’

Five possible sanctions Man City could face

Points deduction

Legal and financial analysts have suggested that Man City could face a substantial points deduction if the reported findings are confirmed. A severe penalty could significantly affect the club’s Premier League status and European qualification prospects.

Expulsion from the Premier League

Premier League rules provide for severe sanctions in serious cases, potentially including expulsion from the competition. Such a punishment would have major sporting and financial consequences for City.

Retrospective Sporting Sanctions

The case could raise questions over the treatment of points and honours from seasons covered by the alleged breaches, including 2011/12, 2013/14, and 2017/18. Any retrospective action would depend on the final ruling and appeal process.

Transfer Restrictions

Depending on the final sanction, City could potentially face restrictions affecting player registrations or transfers. Any such measure would need to be specifically imposed under the applicable rules.

Rival Clubs’ Compensation Claims

Other Premier League clubs could pursue compensation if they can establish that they suffered financial losses linked to the alleged breaches. Such claims would be separate from any disciplinary sanctions imposed by the Premier League.