Category: Business Day

Over 150 children and teenagers in Lagos took bold steps toward shaping their futures at the fourth edition of Dream Big and Reach for the Stars, a youth workshop designed to help them set goals and visualise their future.

The one-day programme, organised by Amani Health Inc., a digital health organisation that bridges the gap in emotional and mental health care support for children, teenagers, and adults, was held at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Conference and Exhibition Centre, Lagos.

It also drew families who joined virtually from outside the state. Participants, aged 7 to 17, took part in a Dream Board exercise where they created visual plans for their ambitions. The organisers said the activity was intended to build clarity, confidence and a sense of purpose. By the end of the day, children left with colourful boards and a shared conviction that ‘my dreams are valid.’

For parents, the impact was immediate and profound. ‘After last year’s edition, my son turned his wardrobe into a vision wall. This time, he already told me he’s putting his academics right at the top. This programme doesn’t just inspire, it changes lives,’ one mother recalled.

Another parent testified that her once-shy daughter now demonstrates stronger self-esteem and keeps a daily reminder of her aspirations.

Ayodele Fasuyi, the convener, said the initiative was born out of a desire to restore the habit of dreaming among Nigerian children, many of whom struggle with peer pressure, social media comparisons, and anxiety about the future. ‘Our goal is to show them that, no matter the noise around them, their dreams remain valid and their future is bright,’ she said.

A highlight of the workshop was a storytelling session centred on Tunde Onokoya, founder of Chess in Slums Africa, whose journey from modest beginnings to international acclaim underscored the power of resilience and focus.

Fasuyi noted that Amani Health had previously partnered with his initiative in 2023, reinforcing the theme of collaboration in youth empowerment.

Corporate sponsors, including Indomie, SunTrust Bank, Rosabon Finance, Pasta n Grills, VDL Technologies, Markov Games AI, AYITI, and Cake Allure, provided refreshments, gifts, and resources. Organisers said this support was crucial to creating a memorable, family-friendly atmosphere.

Now in its fourth year, Dream Big and Reach for the Stars has become a trusted platform for families seeking to nurture children’s growth beyond academics. Parents described it as both inspiring and practical, giving their children clarity about the future while teaching confidence and resilience.

Building on the momentum, Amani Health announced the second cohort of Excel Beyond the Classroom, a four-month skill-acquisition and mentorship programme designed to help children turn their vision boards into reality. The curriculum includes emotional intelligence, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, public speaking, and project-based learning. By the end of the programme, each child will produce a tangible product, project, or portfolio that moves them closer to their dream.

For many families, the message resonated deeply in that, in an age of distractions and uncertainty, the ability to dream big and take practical steps forward may be one of the most powerful gifts children can receive.

‘We want children to move from hope to action. It is not just about dreaming but about equipping them with the tools to make those dreams achievable,’ Fasuyi explained.

Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is proposing N10 billion minimum capital requirement for Credit Enhancement Service Providers.

The SEC noted this in the proposed rules on Credit Enhancement Service Providers and Sundry Amendment to existing rules of the Commission.

‘Where a credit enhancement facility provider fails to maintain the minimum capital requirements prescribed by the Commission, it shall be prohibited from providing additional credit enhancement facilities until the required minimum capital is restored and shall submit a recapitalisation plan acceptable to the Commission,’ the SEC said.

Credit Enhancement Service Providers.

Credit Enhancement Service Providers, such as InfraCredit, offer financial guarantees and other mechanisms to improve the credit quality of debt instruments, making them more attractive to investors like pension funds and insurance companies, thereby unlocking capital for infrastructure and other projects. These entities help bridge the gap between the long-term capital needs of projects and the risk appetite of domestic investors.

No dividends payment except .

SEC also proposes that a credit enhancement facility provider shall not declare or pay dividends until all its preliminary and preoperational expenses have been written off, adequate provisions made for all losses, and it has met the minimum prudential requirements as specified under these Rules.

The SEC also noted that every credit enhancement facility provider shall establish and maintain a robust risk management framework approved by its board of directors to ensure that all risks inherent in its operations are properly identified, measured, monitored, controlled, and reported in accordance with best practices.

What’s more.

‘A credit enhancement facility provider shall, at all times, comply with the IFRS or such other accounting standards as may be prescribed by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria in the preparation of its financial statements, and in reporting its assets and liabilities,’ SEC proposes.

Commercial banks, and insurance companies registered by the Commission to provide credit enhancement services under these Rules shall be deemed to have satisfied the capital and liquidity requirements under the Rule, upon submission of a letter of good standing from the CBN or National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) confirming compliance with applicable prudential standards and shall not be required to comply with any other prudential requirement under this Rule.

‘Banks and insurance companies shall be required to submit a renewal compliance letter from the CBN and NAICOM annually, within 45 days after the end of their applicable financial year or such other period as may be prescribed by the Commission,’ SEC noted.

The sundry amendment requires among other that the cash/asset ratio for core operators in the market shall be a minimum of 60 percent in liquid assets and the cash/asset mix ratio for non-core operators shall be a minimum of 30 percent in liquid assets provided that the credit enhancement facility provider shall have a cash/asset mix ratio of 85 percent on liquid assets.

The addresses delivered by global leaders, including the compelling statement from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, at the September 2025 UN General Assembly, served as a resounding admittance that the objectives of SDG 16 on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions are yet to be met and a collective demand for change, directly linking the world’s most acute security and economic failures to the UN’s institutional stagnation. Far from focusing on traditional, isolated challenges, these speeches uniformly confronted the modern global threat matrix-a terrifying convergence of asymmetric conflict, climate-driven instability, systemic economic inequity, and digital warfare. Every nation, regardless of size, acknowledged that the 1945 security paradigm is broken. This shared diagnosis positions the Pact for the Future not merely as a diplomatic aspiration but as a viable strategic roadmap for survival, committing the UN and its member states to the necessary institutional reforms, from financial justice and governance modernisation to the New Agenda for Peace, required to regain strategic relevance in a dangerously complex new world order.

The 80th session of the UN General Assembly opened on 9 September 2025. The first day of the high-level general debate started on Tuesday, 23 September, under the main theme: ‘Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights’. This year’s UNGA is its 80th and coincides with a time when the world body is facing a crisis of strategic relevance. Its foundational security doctrines, designed for a post-World War II world of state-on-state conflict, are failing to adapt to a new global threat matrix. The UN’s foundational commitment, a pledge by the world’s governments to collaborate harmoniously and address shared challenges, faces an unprecedented array of pressures. Ancient, persistent challenges, such as the spectre of oppression, the pursuit of extraterritorial ambition, and the deep-seated roots of conflict, are now intertwining with a new wave of disruptive forces. The challenges are not merely political; they represent a fundamental failure of the collective security apparatus to counter the complex, asymmetric, and hybrid threats that define our era.

This realisation is precisely why member states adopted the Pact for the Future in September 2024. The Pact is the UN’s operational attempt to shift its security paradigm, moving from reactive management to proactive anticipation. President Bola Tinubu’s address was a direct and unflinching assessment of this reality, positioning Nigeria’s national security imperatives as a blueprint for the Pact’s implementation, particularly through its New Agenda for Peace.

‘The core of President Tinubu’s message is that the UN must shift its strategic doctrine. The pact for the future is not just a diplomatic document but the strategic blueprint for this shift.’

The most glaring vulnerability in the UN’s architecture is the paralysis of the Security Council. Its veto-wielding structure has transformed it from a decisive command-and-control centre into a forum for gridlock. This paralysis creates a dangerous vacuum, a permissive environment that state-sponsored proxies and violent non-state actors exploit to expand their influence and capabilities.

President Tinubu directly addresses this systemic failure, aligning perfectly with the Pact’s Pillar 5: Transforming Global Governance (the Pact’s five pillars are indicated in the table below). He unequivocally called for a permanent African seat, arguing that a council that fails to reflect the world’s demographic realities cannot effectively govern it. By demanding a seat at the table, Nigeria is seizing the momentum of the Pact’s governance reform commitments to push for a necessary strategic adjustment, ensuring the Council is more agile and responsive to the security realities of the Global South.

The new threat matrix facing the world can be broken down into five interlocking areas:

1. Hybrid and asymmetric conflict comprising Non-State Actors (NSAs) as primary combatants and the challenge of convergent threats where criminality and ideology are merging, as well as the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), a critical destabilising factor, facilitating everything from gang violence to regional insurgencies.

2. Climate change as a threat multiplier is a trigger for resource wars, forced migration, border stress and state erosion.

3. Digital Vulnerabilities and Weaponisation, including cyber warfare and critical infrastructure, information disorder (disinformation and AI) and the digital divide.

4. Systemic Economic Inequality and Vulnerability, such as the debt-security spiral, illicit financial flows (IFFs) and fragile supply chains.

5. Institutional Fatigue and Fragmentation, including multilateral decay and the rise of nationalism and singularity (quoting President Donald Trump) and lack of foresight (anticipatory governance).

The UN’s traditional security model is ill-equipped to deal with the ancient, persistent challenges and the asymmetric threat matrix that define our time. President Tinubu brought this into sharp focus by directly naming terrorism, banditry, and insurgency as existential threats, echoing the spirit of the Pact’s Pillar 2: International Peace and Security.

This intersection is where the economic meets the operational security:

1. Funding the conflict: Tinubu’s emphasis on fighting illicit financial flows (IFFs) and recovering stolen assets is a direct operational countermeasure. These IFFs are the lifeblood of criminal and extremist groups. By disrupting these illicit pipelines, he argues, the international community can cripple the financial lifelines of instability. This strongly supports the Pact’s Pillar 1: Sustainable Development and Financing, which seeks to reform global finance to create stability, thereby removing the economic oxygen from conflict actors.

2. Root causes and prevention: Tinubu’s insistence on addressing poverty, hunger, and exclusion as the roots of conflict is a textbook application of the Pact’s New Agenda for Peace. The Pact prioritizes prevention over intervention. Nigeria’s demand for economic equity and debt relief, a core part of the Pact’s reform agenda, is framed as a primary defence measure, investing in ‘freedom from want’ to achieve ‘freedom from fear’.

The core of President Tinubu’s message is that the UN must shift its strategic doctrine. The pact for the future is not just a diplomatic document but the strategic blueprint for this shift.

Tinubu’s call for empowering youth and addressing the digital divide also supports the Pact’s Pillar 3 (Digital Cooperation) and Pillar 4 (Youth and Future Generations). In a security context, this means:

? Countering extremism online: Closing the digital divide and establishing digital governance is essential for countering radicalisation and disinformation campaigns that fuel instability.

? Anticipatory governance: The Pact’s commitment to ‘anticipatory governance’ aligns with Nigeria’s need to predict and mitigate climate-driven conflicts (like farmer-herder clashes) before they escalate.

President Tinubu’s forceful, security-oriented stance thus positions Nigeria not as a passive beneficiary of the Pact for the Future, but as an essential and highly motivated partner in building a more secure and adaptable international order, using the Pact’s own language and framework to advance its national security interests. To do this and to ensure that the well-commended speech does not remain an aspiration as previous ones did, Nigeria should build on the outcome of the strategic dialogue on Nigeria’s commitments to the Pact held on August 29, 2025, at the UN Nigeria Office in FCT Abuja.

For Nigerians seeking a safe haven for their wealth, Dubai is emerging as a prime destination, offering dollar-denominated returns, zero taxes, and long-term residency opportunities through its Golden Visa scheme.

This was the focus at a cocktail reception in Lagos, where LifeCard Group and Azizi Developments are partnering to offer dollar-denominated offshore investments opportunities for Nigerians looking to diversify their investment portfolios by exploring Dubai’s property market.

‘Dubai has shown consistent economic strength, with its currency remaining stable for over 38 years. It’s an environment where investors can enjoy capital appreciation of over 10 percent, without the burden of tax, while securing long-term value for themselves and their families,’ Grace Ofure Ibhakhomu, CEO, LifeCard Group stated.

Ibhakhomu, who is also an African consultant on global real estate and a Harvard-trained investment strategist, urged wealthy Nigerians to diversify their assets and stressed that beyond strong financial returns, Dubai guarantees safety and investor protection.

‘Dubai is a safe haven for investors. The laws are clear, over 516 nationalities coexist peacefully, and the government ensures that investors are protected. Even countries in conflict still have their citizens living together in Dubai. That stability is why global names like Donald Trump are developing luxury towers there,’ Ibhakhomu stated.

She also revealed that with Azizi’s offerings, Nigerians could access properties at lower service charges, enjoy transparency in documentation, and qualify for the 10-year Golden Visa once their investment threshold hits $550,000.

Explaining the partnership choice, Ibhakhomu stated that Azizi Developments was selected for its credibility and investor-focused structure. ‘Azizi is an investor-driven company. They don’t just build and hand over properties; they manage rentals, resales, and ensure investors get their returns. That kind of structure builds trust.’

Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, co-founder and deputy managing director, Falcon Corporation, in a keynote address stated that real estate has the tool for building generational wealth.

‘When we look at our society, we see families destroyed by disputes over inherited properties. Many fall back into poverty. Globalization gives us a safer route, investing not just in naira, but in dollars, as a safeguard for the future,’ she said.

Saad Khaled, regional director, Azizi Developments, stated that the firm has delivered over 40 projects in Dubai since 2008, and it is keen to tap into Nigeria’s huge market.

‘Partnering with LifeCard helps us bring Nigerians into Dubai’s property market with confidence. Investing here secures their future, as they earn in dollars rather than in currencies that fluctuate.’

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) came from behind to snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory over Barcelona in their UEFA Champions League group stage clash at the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys.

Gonçalo Ramos struck in the 90th minute to complete the turnaround for Luis Enrique’s side, handing the Parisians a precious away win.

Barcelona had taken the lead in the 19th minute when Ferran Torres finished calmly after linking up with teenage star Lamine Yamal and Pedri. But PSG, despite being depleted by injuries, levelled before half-time through 18-year-old Senny Mayulu, who converted smartly to silence the home crowd.

The contest remained finely poised, with both sides showing flashes of quality in an entertaining duel between two of the competition’s heavyweights. As Barcelona pressed forward, PSG exploited their high defensive line late on, with Ramos racing clear to slot home the winner and break Catalan hearts.

‘After scoring the first goal, we got a confidence boost and in the second half we were better,’ said PSG coach Luis Enrique, who guided Barcelona to a treble in 2015. ‘I’m happy. because it’s an important victory and playing against Barcelona is always difficult.’

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong admitted the late defeat was tough to take.

‘If you let in a goal in the last minute and you lose at home, you’re going to be disappointed. There’s a long way to go in the Champions League. It was a good game to test where we are, we have to improve. We know that and we will do it.’

Civil society organisations, opposition party figures, and economic experts have applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing it as a landmark initiative capable of transforming Nigeria’s infrastructure and boosting economic growth.

The commendations came during a project inspection tour in Lagos, led by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, where stakeholders noted the quality of execution and urged Nigerians to rise above political divides in supporting developmental projects.

Umahi disclosed that the first section of the 750-kilometre coastal highway-stretching from Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, to Eleko, Lagos-would be completed by May 2026. He said 35 kilometres had already been delivered, leaving 12 kilometres to finish the initial 47-kilometre segment. Work, he added, had also commenced on the second section from Eleko to Ode-Omi, Ogun State.

The minister highlighted the government’s efforts to save properties such as the Landmark Centre, clear refuse to a depth of 10 metres, and deploy concrete technology to ensure road durability. ‘Emerging economies like India have adopted concrete for enduring roads, and Nigeria must follow suit,’ he said.

Otunba Segun Showunmi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and convener of The Alternative, stressed the need for national consensus on development. ‘Beyond our political ideological differences, we need to, as a nation, breathe in and out to explore how to achieve consensus to develop our nation,’ he said. Drawing on global examples, he added: ‘When you look at countries like Singapore, India, and UAE, their achievements have come through building consensus for national development. A nation at 65 must be in a hurry to link its infrastructure to model after globally competitive economies.’

Olufemi Awoyemi, Chairman of Proshare Group, described the coastal highway as a ‘test case’ for financing large infrastructure projects. ‘This is an alternative, providing a primary route for cross-country connectivity, away from congestion, and a test case for big infrastructure projects and their financing,’ he said. According to him, the project has the potential to open new trade routes, ease transport bottlenecks, and stimulate investment in adjoining communities.

Leaders of more than 20 civil society organisations also joined the tour. Declan Ihekaire, one of the representatives, welcomed the government’s decision to involve stakeholders in monitoring the project. ‘We, as CSOs, must not condemn every time. When we see where they are getting it right, we should talk so that we encourage them. Ultimately, the beneficiaries of good initiatives are the people,’ he said.

Umahi also addressed concerns about properties allegedly affected by the highway. He assured that due process would be followed, promising investigations into issues around WinHomes and claims of $200 million in diaspora real estate investments. ‘We will involve the EFCC and DSS to investigate the matter alongside civil society organisations,’ he said, adding that the ministry would provide regular briefings to ensure transparency.

Beyond the coastal highway, Umahi outlined three other ‘legacy projects’ under Tinubu’s administration: the 477-kilometre Trans-Saharan Highway linking Calabar to the FCT, the 422-kilometre Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Expressway, and the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway. ‘Roads and bridges are the infrastructure that build the GDP of every nation,’ he said. ‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has this knowledge; he demonstrated it as Governor of Lagos State, which today is an economy within an economy.’

Stakeholders at the inspection agreed that Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges required collective action rather than political rivalry. ‘Consensus is the key,’ Showunmi reiterated.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, projected at 750 kilometres, is one of the most ambitious road projects in Africa. With sections already underway and the first stretch due in 2026, the project has attracted rare bipartisan praise-suggesting that infrastructure could be the bridge for consensus in Nigeria’s divided political landscape.

Chukwuma (Chuma) Nwokocha has been appointed the substantive Group Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc with effect from October 2. The Board of Directors of the holding company said that Nwokocha’s appointment follows the receipt of all required regulatory approvals.

Nwokocha’s appointment follows the completion of Adekunle Adedeji’s tenure as acting Chief Executive, during which time the Board undertook a formal appointment process in accordance with regulatory requirements. Adedeji will continue in his role as Executive Director/Chief Finance and Value Management Officer of the Company.

Nwokocha is a seasoned banking executive and chartered accountant with over three decades of leadership experience across Africa.

He has held several Chief Executive and Board-level roles in leading financial institutions, including Chief Executive, Standard Bank, SA; (the Mozambican subsidiary of the Standard Bank Group), driving strategic growth, governance, and operational excellence. His expertise spans retail and corporate banking, as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Sola David-Borha, chairman, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, while commenting on the developmen,t expressed the Board’s delight at Nwokocha’s appointment, highlighting his strong track record in board governance, financial oversight, strategic transformation, as well as regulatory engagement.

The Board is confident that Nwokocha’s leadership would be instrumental in driving the growth strategy of Stanbic IBTC Group into the future.

David-Borha also extended the Board’s deep appreciation to Adedeji for his exemplary leadership and dedication, and for steering the affairs of the Company and Group during the transition period.

‘It is worthy of mention that under Dr Adedeji’s leadership, the Group recorded its best financial performance since inception. The Group also successfully completed its Rights Issue Programme which ensured that its banking subsidiary met the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recapitalisation requirements ahead of the 31 March 2026 deadline,’ she said.

The Crude Oil Refiners Association of Nigeria (CORAN) has announced that the CORAN Summit 2025 will be held on October 6 and 7 at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

With the theme ‘Refining: Key to Energy Security in Africa,’ the two-day event will bring together leaders from government, industry, finance and civil society to shape the future of Africa’s refining sector.

Despite being a leading crude oil producer, Africa remains heavily dependent on imported petroleum products. In Nigeria, more than 90 per cent of refined fuel had previously been imported, leaving the economy vulnerable to global shocks, depleting reserves and pushing up costs. The removal of fuel subsidies in 2023 further underscored the need to boost domestic refining capacity as households and businesses struggled with rising energy prices.

Organisers said with new conventional and modular refineries coming on stream, growing private investment and ongoing policy reforms, the time is ripe to reimagine Africa’s refining future.

The summit will feature keynote sessions, technical panels, advertisements and high-level networking. Deliberations will focus on investor-friendly policies, financing and de-risking strategies, cleaner and more innovative refining technologies, regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as well as job creation in the refining and petrochemical sectors.

‘After decades of exporting crude and importing refined products at great cost, the time has come to refine more at home, create jobs, and secure Africa’s energy future,’ said CORAN President Momoh Oyarekhua.

He added: ‘The CORAN Summit 2025 is not just another meeting; it is a rallying point for action, partnerships, and policy direction to transform the refining landscape.’

According to CORAN, the gathering is expected to drive policy reforms, build stronger partnerships between government and private operators, promote global best practices, and position Nigeria as Africa’s refining hub, reducing dependence on imports and enhancing energy security across the continent.

CORAN, the umbrella body for licensed crude oil refining companies in Nigeria, stressed that the summit would mark a significant milestone in advancing sustainable refining, policy reform and private-sector-driven solutions to Africa’s energy challenges

Africa has made a bold declaration on the global stage: the continent will no longer wait for external approval to power its future. That was the resounding message from the inaugural Africa Energy Investment Summit (#AEInvest2025), held this week in New York alongside the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The gathering, convened by the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO), drew African energy ministers, global investors, financiers, and industry leaders with a central goal: to position Africa at the heart of the global energy transition.

‘Why New York and not Africa?’ asked Omar Farouk Ibrahim, APPO Secretary General, opening the summit. ‘Because UNGA brings all our leaders and investors together, making it the ideal platform to connect, engage, and unlock funding for Africa’s energy future.’

Ibrahim highlighted Africa’s energy paradox: vast reserves of oil, gas, and renewable resources on one hand, yet more than 600 million people living without access to electricity. He announced that the long-anticipated African Energy Bank – an institution designed to finance African-led energy projects – has officially been established.

‘Three years after we began the African Energy Bank initiative, I am proud to say it is now a legal entity,’ Ibrahim said. ‘Member countries have deposited equity, the charter has been signed and ratified, and we have raised enough capital to begin operations.’

Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources (oil), pointed to signs of renewed investor confidence in Africa’s energy sector. ‘Nigeria’s production rose from one million to 1.8 million barrels per day, and our goal is 2.5 million. American companies are already showing strong interest in investing in Nigerian oil blocks,’ he said.

Lokpobiri argued strongly for continued fossil fuel investment, insisting Africa must chart its own course in the energy transition. ‘Africa must not be deceived into abandoning fossil fuels while the West continues to expand production. Our hydrocarbons will finance our transition – not charity, not aid,’ he said.

Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Hydrocarbon Mining Development, H.E. Antonio Oburu Ondo, speaking on behalf of Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, underscored the urgency of reclaiming financial sovereignty. ‘Africa holds 40% of the world’s natural resource discoveries yet remains at the mercy of financiers in London, Paris, and New York,’ he said. ‘Energy finance is a question of sovereignty. We must build the African Energy Bank, mobilise our sovereign wealth and pension funds, and secure Africa’s rightful place as a global energy leader.’

James Shindi, CEO of Brevity Anderson, producers of #AEInvest2025, said the New York event marked just the beginning. ‘This is the first in a series and we will be back next year, even bigger and better,’ he said.

As the summit closed, one theme resonated from the halls of New York to capitals across Africa: the continent intends to take ownership of its energy destiny – on its own terms.

I should not have bothered recounting all his Nigeria-centric engagements because Alhaji Aliko Dangote (AAD) has severally said so himself, but I do not want to be accused of plagiarism. Check out his speeches at the Guardian 2015 Man of the Year award, the Nigerian Economic Summit, the Katsina Economic and Investment Summit, the Nigerian-Kenyan business summit, when the VP visited his refinery and at the Corporate Council for Africa event. In all these, he declared his commitment to turning around and diversifying the economy, working hard to take the economy to the next level, building a refinery that is higher than the combined capacity of all refineries, a fertilizer capacity that is ten times more than what is available in Nigeria today, generate 12000MW, more than thrice what Nigeria currently generates and export refined oil rather than importing and creating Jobs elsewhere, list his refinery et al on the NSE and help NSE to outgrow Johannesburg Stock Exchange and how the rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria gives him sleepless Nights(a statement even our PMB has not made), assuring that Nigeria( and Africa) would soon become the world’s food basket. AAD has said and continues to say the right and heartwarming things. Unfortunately, however, these are the kinds of statements that should emanate from Kemi Adeosun, Godwin Emefiele, Udo Udoma, whoever is the chairman of the EMT, and, in sane climes, from the president himself.

‘Furthermore, given the strategic importance of AAD to the fate and fortunes of Nigeria, shouldn’t the government purchase a key-man insurance cover on the man?’

So, like the only rich man in the village, AAD has taken on all the responsibilities. Already other villagers are grumbling: The Ogun State governor complains that Dangote trucks destroy the roads; Ndigbo say the only Dangote investments in Ala-Igbo are deaths and traffic jams caused by his reckless drivers and his trucks; the FCT in 2016 rejected his Salah gifts; some people complain that he cornered an unfair share of our forex, enjoys great tax waivers, is becoming monopolistic and is muscling out other players, citing his spat with Otedola, Ibeto and BUA. Our only luck so far is that Dangote does not overtly throw his weight about.

If he were to behave as some of his drivers..

The Federal Government, on the other hand, is lying low and idling around as AAD undertakes his numerous responsibilities, being his greatest cheerleader and praying that AAD lives long to solve all our socio-economic problems (as PMB did on his 60th BD). Shamefully, rather than do SOMETHING about our pitiable petroleum situation, Ibe Kachikwu publicly begged AAD to finish his refinery ahead of schedule because the government’s promise to end fuel importation in 2019 was based on the refinery! Just imagine that: the government makes a promise to Nigerians and depends on AAD to fulfil the promise! Even Oxfam recently urged AAD and 4 others to use their wealth to end poverty in Nigeria.

The government, representing the Nigerian village, enjoys the positive externalities from the big man without thinking, ‘What if!’ What if AAD wobbles or goes to bed and does not wake up early enough? What if a strategic shift occurs in the organisation or if future Dangotarians are not as cool-headed and Nigeria-centric as AAD? The other day, AAD closed his $20m tomato factory and his Tanzanian $500m cement factory, which cost $4m to power monthly. The health of the Nigerian stock market depends on whether the prices of AAD stocks are rising or falling. What has the government done to create other AADs? Where are the other big men in Nigeria, including those whose kids party across the globe regularly? Why can’t they stand up and be counted? What is the Economic Management Team doing if AAD addresses the challenges of unemployment, diversification, food security, forex conservation, power generation and road construction? Should we not outsource economic governance to him while the presidency manages politics and revenue sharing and makes excuses for the foreign herdsmen? Or more charitably, why not send Osinbajo and the EMT on sabbatical to AAD?. Furthermore, given the strategic importance of AAD to the fate and fortunes of Nigeria, shouldn’t the government purchase a key-man insurance cover on the man?

Meanwhile, I urgently need a Dangote sticker for my rickety car. Travelling from Lagos to the East has suddenly become herculean, and I strongly believe that a Dangote sticker will clear the way for the son of man. As I was concluding this piece, I received the news that a townsman, Law Onyemelukwe of Lafenax Ltd, was named the overall best customer of Dangote Cement for 2017! So, I am vicariously among those enjoying the AAD Effect; at least I can brag: my townsman is AAD’s best customer! That may even get me through the police, customs, FRSC, civil defence and other unclassified checkpoints when next I travel along the Lagos-Onitsha route. But I will also petition the Federal Character Commission to investigate the 2017 AAD awards: the names of the top prize winners (Onyemelukwe, Okika and Ezenyili) did not reflect federal character!