Category: Nigerian Tribune

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has called for the speedy passage of the proposed Agricultural Extension Services Revitalisation Bill, saying the legislation is critical to boosting farmers’ productivity and building a resilient agri-food system in Nigeria.

Kyari made the call while speaking with journalists on the sideline of the ongoing Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS) 2026 in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Minister said the outcomes and key discussions at the continental forum were closely aligned with Nigeria’s agricultural policy priorities, particularly efforts to move the sector from subsistence farming to a competitive and commercially driven agribusiness sector.

He said the theme of the forum, ‘Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience,’ captured the direction Nigeria must pursue to achieve food security, create employment and strengthen climate resilience.

According to him, agricultural extension services remain a critical driver of food sufficiency, increased productivity and sustainable agricultural development.

Kyari disclosed that the Agricultural Extension Services Revitalisation Bill had already passed first reading in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, urging the National Assembly to give the proposed legislation urgent attention.

He said its passage would provide the legal and institutional framework needed to modernise extension services and improve farmers’ access to knowledge, technology, finance and markets.

‘It is important to invest in agri-food systems, include women, youth and persons with disabilities, build climate resilience, and provide opportunities for finance and markets through a professional extension service,’ Kyari said.

The Minister noted that strengthening agricultural extension had remained one of his priorities since assuming office, adding that the discussions at AFS 2026 reinforced the need for a stronger extension system.

He said issues discussed in Kigali, including technology adoption, improved seed systems, climate-smart agriculture, digital transformation, data management and inclusive agricultural development, were also central to the proposed legislation.

Kyari further stressed the importance of stronger linkages among farmers, researchers, development partners, financial institutions and the private sector.

He recalled his call at the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week in Abuja in July 2025 for increased collaboration among governments, researchers, development partners, private-sector actors and farmers, describing such partnerships as a key pillar of the proposed bill.

Also speaking with journalists in Kigali, Founder and Global Advocate of the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) and Head of the WOFAN-ICON2 Project, Hajia Salamatu Garba, expressed support for the proposed legislation.

Garba said WOFAN was among the co-sponsors of the Agricultural Extension Services Bill and was working with stakeholders, private-sector partners and farmers’ clusters to strengthen Nigeria’s extension system.

She said major sub-themes of the 20th Africa Food Systems Forum, including investment in agri-food systems, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, women’s inclusion, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture, aligned with the priorities the bill seeks to institutionalise.

Garba confirmed that the bill had passed its initial legislative stages in both chambers of the National Assembly, with the public hearing and other legislative processes still outstanding.

She appealed to Kyari to support efforts to fast-track the legislation, expressing confidence that its enactment would strengthen agricultural extension services and help address some of the major challenges confronting Nigerian farmers.

The ceremony, held on Saturday, August 29, at Zontal Hall, Ibadan, attracted prominent personalities from the sports, professional and religious communities.

The Chairman of the occasion was the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Idi-Ishin, Ibadan, Prof. Muhammed Lawal Attanda, while Otunba Wale Oladiti served as the Special Guest of Honour.

The Guest Speaker, Prof. Adenike Osifisan, spoke on the theme, ‘Professional Women as a Catalyst for Economic Recovery, Ethical Leadership and Sustainable Development in Nigeria.’

She was joined at the event by Pastor Goke Kuti and Pastor Mrs Goke Kuti, Regional Pastor, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Region 21, as well as Pastor and Pastor Mrs Elegbeleye.

Also in attendance was Dr Tony Marinho, Chairman of Educare Trust Nigeria.

Other dignitaries included Elder Adetuji Adepeju, FCA; Mr Bisi Fayombo, FCA; the National Chairperson of SWAN, Mrs Blessing Osakwe-Ogo, JP, FCA; and the First Vice Chairperson, Dncs. Tyna Babatope.

The event also attracted present and past chairmen of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Ibadan and District, as well as past chairpersons of the SWAN Ibadan Chapter.

Engr Akin Falodun from Akure was also among the dignitaries at the investiture while the Fiwasaye Old Girls’ Association, Ibadan Branch, was equally represented.

The investiture marked the commencement of a new leadership phase for the Ibadan Chapter of SWAN, with the executive committee formally inaugurated to steer the affairs of the chapter.

Lere Olayinka, spokesperson to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Friday clashed with ARISE Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, during a live programme.

Lere Olayinka, who appeared on The Morning Show, declined to answer questions from Rufai, saying he preferred to engage in a discussion with ‘reasonable human beings.’

The disagreement appeared to stem from Olayinka’s objection to Oseni’s alleged description of some people as ’emudani.’

Oseni had earlier asked Olayinka to explain the inclusion of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, in the presidential campaign council despite allegations of corruption against her.

However, Olayinka declined to respond to questions from Oseni.

‘Well, I’m very sorry to say this, Oseni Rufai, I don’t want to answer any question from you. I want to concentrate.

‘I want this conversation to be among reasonable human beings, people who will not come and tell, who will not come and describe other people as ’emudani’,’ Olayinka said.

The interview was subsequently cut short amid the disagreement between Olayinka and the television anchor.

African women innovators are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) and smart technologies to address critical challenges in healthcare and agriculture, with new tools helping to accelerate disease diagnosis and improve potato production.

The innovations were showcased by researchers from Uganda and Rwanda during a webinar hosted through the Africa Science Dialogue, highlighting how locally developed technologies are being adapted to tackle health and food-system challenges across the continent.

In Uganda, Dr Rose Nakasi, a researcher at the Makerere AI Health Lab and lecturer at Makerere University, is leading the development of an AI-powered diagnostic system designed to make the detection of diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and cervical cancer faster and more accurate.

Nakasi said the technology was developed in response to gaps in access to simple, rapid and reliable diagnostic services, particularly in health facilities with limited laboratory expertise.

‘One of the key contributors to some of the increased severity of this burden is that we lack simple, rapid, accessible and accurate diagnostics,’ Nakasi said.

The system, known as an ocular system, combines microscopes, smartphones and AI to automate the analysis of patient samples. A 3D-printable adapter connects a smartphone to a microscope, enabling images of samples to be captured and analysed using AI models trained to identify disease-causing pathogens.

‘If a disease is not accurately diagnosed, you are not going to get the right treatment, you are not going to get the right care,’ she said.

The researchers reported that the malaria model has achieved 92 per cent specificity, while the cervical cancer model has recorded more than 94 per cent accuracy.

The innovation is also moving beyond research into practical healthcare delivery, with more than 150 laboratory technicians and 10 pathologists trained to use the system across more than 35 health facilities in Uganda.

In Rwanda, agroforester and innovator Clémence Uwamutarambirwa is applying smart technology to improve potato production through her Smart Potato Greenhouse Technology.

The system combines sensors, cloud-based analytics and a mobile application to enable farmers and greenhouse managers to remotely monitor growing conditions and respond to changes affecting their crops.

Sensors installed in greenhouse beds continuously measure temperature, humidity and soil moisture, with the data transmitted to a cloud platform for analysis. Farmers receive alerts on their mobile phones and can remotely control irrigation.

The technology also incorporates hydroponic production, allowing potatoes to be grown using water-based nutrient solutions rather than conventional soil.

Uwamutarambirwa said the soil-less method increases potato seed output, conserves water and protects crops from soil-borne pathogens.

She added that feedback from greenhouse managers indicated that the technology had improved remote monitoring of production, management of temperature and humidity, and the security of produce.

The two projects demonstrate the potential for African researchers to develop technology tailored to local conditions rather than relying solely on solutions imported from elsewhere.

Dr Margaret Karembu, Director of ISAAA AfriCenter and Chair of Africa Women for Biosciences, said greater participation of women in science and emerging technologies would require support from the wider society.

‘Increasing women’s participation in science and technology cannot be viewed as a responsibility for women alone. The support of men – as colleagues, supervisors, mentors, partners, institutional leaders and policymakers – is critical,’ Karembu said.

She also called for stronger networks and more opportunities for women seeking to participate in science and innovation, stressing that membership of Africa Women for Biosciences should not be restricted to those with formal bioscience training.

‘I want to emphasize something very important: you do not have to be a bio-scientist to belong in AWfB,’ she said.

More than 50 participants, including early-career scientists, agricultural researchers, policymakers, farmers, journalists, academics and industry representatives, took part in the webinar.

A report coming out of the University of Lagos has examined the environmental effects of British colonial rule in Africa and has asked that this value be included in all reparation conversation.

The report, titled CO2lonianism, Ecocide, Reparations, argues that the long-lasting ecological harm caused by British colonial rule on its former African colonies constitutes a separate and vast category of damage, distinct from the humanitarian harm of the slave trade, with a valuation that could exceed hundreds of trillions of dollars.

The report’s lead author, Professor J. G. Nkem Onyekpe, PhD, Head of the Department of History and Strategic Studies at the University of Lagos stated that: ‘The report documents that valuation exercises of comparable ambition and scale have already been attempted successfully.’

He cited a peer-reviewed 2022 estimate that valued resources appropriated from the global South through unequal exchange at over $10 trillion per year in 2015 alone.

‘If the same order of logic, that large-scale, structurally unequal appropriation of resources is capable of rigorous monetary valuation, were extended backward across the full duration of colonial rule and across the full set of affected African states, the resulting figure would run into the hundreds of trillions of dollars, and quite possibly beyond,’ he added.

The report was presented to a distinguished audience of academics, legal experts, and public activists at the press conference in Lagos University on August 28, 2026.

The report has now been formally submitted to the African Union’s newly established sub-commissions – the Committee of Experts on Reparations (AUCER) and the Legal Reference Group on Reparations (AULER). These bodies, now operational under the AU’s Decade of Justice and Reparations (2026-2035), are tasked with developing a harmonized methodology for evaluating and advancing a common African position on reparations claims.

Another case separately mentioned in the report argues that land degradation in Kanungu District, Uganda found a statistically significant relationship between land degradation and farmer livelihoods resulting ‘hunger, famine related resource constraints, and insufficient food.

The legal and institutional environment for such claims has shifted markedly since 2021, creating a unique window for advancing an African-led claim. Key developments include the adoption of a working legal definition of ecocide by the Independent Expert Panel, followed by binding or soon-to-be-binding instruments at the Council of Europe (2025) and the European Union (2024), and a proposal before the International Criminal Court.

Most critically, the African Union’s own decision in July 2025 to establish an ad hoc committee to examine the classification of ‘massive destruction of environmental ecosystems’ as a crime provides direct institutional support for the report’s premise.

Speaking about the report, Ogunlade Olamide M., an Associate Director at CAPPA NGO, said, ‘Colonial reparations cannot stop at counting the lives taken, the people enslaved, the resources extracted and indigenous survival altered. The ecological destruction that made those systems possible and whose consequences continue to shape Africa’s climate vulnerability today, must be recognized as part of the debt owed to African peoples.’

The report also documents a directly on-point international legal precedent: the 1990s Certain Phosphate Lands in Nauru case before the International Court of Justice. In that case, a formerly colonized state successfully brought a claim against its former colonial administrator (Australia) specifically for environmental devastation caused by colonial-era phosphate mining. This landmark ruling provides a template, however imperfect, for what an African claim of this kind might look like in practice.

‘The Nauru case proves that such claims are not merely theoretical but are grounded in established international law,’ remarked Dr Karibi-Whyte, a legal expert familiar with the report. ‘Africa is now building on that precedent to address a harm that is orders of magnitude larger.’

The submission comes at a time of an increased interest for the reparations movement, with the African Union having declared 2025 as the Year of Reparations and formally established the AUCER and AULER mechanisms to guide the continent’s strategy. Authors hope this report to become an important document framing environmental repair as an essential element of restorative justice for the continent.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that the renewed reference to past allegations against him is a distraction from the economic challenges Nigerians are currently facing.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the return to issues from the Obasanjo era reflects a lack of answers to pressing concerns such as the rising cost of living, food prices, transportation, electricity, education, healthcare and insecurity.

‘When those defending the government can no longer explain the difficulties ordinary families face, they turn to old political arguments. This does not address the concerns of Nigerians today,’ the statement said.

Atiku noted that the matters being referenced were previously examined by relevant institutions during his time in office.

‘These issues went through the EFCC, an administrative panel, the National Assembly and the courts. No court convicted me on these allegations. That is the record,’ he said.

He added that anyone with credible evidence should present it through lawful channels.

‘Anyone with credible evidence should bring it forward and test it before the law. I have made this point before and I repeat it today,’ he stated.

On calls for openness, Atiku said public officials should be open to scrutiny and that institutions must be allowed to operate without interference.

‘The EFCC belongs to Nigeria. It should investigate genuine wrongdoing wherever it finds it. State institutions must not be used for political purposes,’ he said.

He urged that public discourse be centred on governance and the welfare of citizens.

‘You cannot address hunger with old allegations. You cannot restore purchasing power or make life more affordable by revisiting past political disputes. Nigerians deserve answers on the economy and on policies that affect their daily lives,’ he said.

Atiku said the 2027 elections would provide an opportunity for Nigerians to assess leaders based on their records and plans for the future.

‘In 2027, Nigerians will judge us by our records, the lives they are living and the future we offer them. We remain focused on engaging with the Nigerian people,’ the statement added.

Nigeria Customs Service, Kano/Jigawa Area Command, says it has intercepted and detained smuggled and prohibited goods with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ?2.159 billion in the last two months.

Also, the Command recorded significant progress in revenue generation, with its year-to-date collection standing at ?88.925 billion, compared with ?63.079 billion recorded during its half-year briefing.

The Acting Customs Area Controller of the Command, Deputy Comptroller Usman Adamu, disclosed this on Friday, September 4, 2026, during a press briefing at the Customs House, Bompai, Kano.

Adamu said the seizures were part of the Command’s sustained enforcement operations aimed at curbing smuggling, protecting the economy and national security, and ensuring compliance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

He said the Command generated more than ?14 billion in July 2026, describing it as the highest monthly revenue collection in the history of the Command.

On enforcement, Adamu listed several items intercepted by the Command, including 1,491 cartons of foreign spaghetti with a DPV of ?38.74 million and 2,928 packs of foreign macaroni valued at ?280.73 million.

Other seizures included 35 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 19 bags of expired foreign parboiled rice, 3,000 jerry cans of foreign refined and packaged vegetable oil valued at ?431.85 million, and 514 cartons of assorted soaps valued at ?38.07 million.

The Command also intercepted eight suspected diverted transit truck heads with a DPV of ?300.91 million and seven smuggled vehicles valued at ?410.54 million.

Adamu disclosed that Customs officers also intercepted 712,690 tablets of unregistered pharmaceutical products, alongside 17,470 vials and ampoules.

He said the pharmaceutical products had been handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further action.

A major highlight of the enforcement operations, according to the Acting Controller, was the interception of 48 endangered wildlife species on August 25, 2026.

The animals comprised 15 primates, including chimpanzees, gorillas and bush babies; four wild cats, including civet and caracal cats; 25 wild birds; two albino crocodiles and a honey badger.

Three suspects were arrested in connection with the wildlife trafficking and handed over to the Special Wildlife Office at the Customs headquarters for further investigation.

Adamu described the seizure as potentially the largest and most diverse single wildlife seizure in the history of the Nigeria Customs Service and possibly the West African sub-region.

He said the interception demonstrated the Command’s determination to protect Nigeria’s biodiversity and enforce international obligations as well as relevant provisions of the NCS Act 2023.

The Command also seized 6,072 counterfeit agro-packaging materials valued at ?1.82 million and five 40-foot diverted transit containers with a DPV of ?645.16 million.

Two suspects were further intercepted with 993.9 metres of vandalised high-voltage aluminium conductors, valued at ?2.88 million. Adamu said the suspects would be handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for further action.

On anti-money laundering operations, the Acting Controller said Customs officers intercepted undeclared foreign currencies above the permissible threshold.

The currencies comprised $73,300, £15,975 and 827,800 Saudi Riyals.

He said the currencies and two suspects were handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano Zonal Directorate, for further investigation.

Adamu also raised concern over the use of government service official plate numbers on some smuggled vehicles, allegedly as an attempt to evade Customs control.

He warned that the Command would continue to monitor and take action against such practices.

The Acting Controller urged legitimate traders to comply with Customs laws and procedures,

assuring them that the Command would continue to support lawful businesses through trade facilitation initiatives, including the Authorized Economic Operator scheme, Advance Ruling and One Stop Shop.

He said the Command remained committed to balancing enforcement with the promotion of legitimate trade, stressing that compliance would reduce delays and create greater predictability for businesses.

Adamu commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the management team for their support, while also appreciating Customs officers, sister security agencies, stakeholders and the media for their cooperation.

He assured that the Kano/Jigawa Area Command would build on its achievements through professionalism, vigilance, collaboration, and strict adherence to the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has taken Nigeria’s community pharmacy reform to the global stage with the presentation of its Community Pharmacists Assessment and Career Progression Institute (CPACPI) framework at the 84th FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Montreal, Canada.

The National Chairman of ACPN, Ambrose Igwekamma Ezeh, presented the framework between August 30 and September 2, 2026, placing Nigeria’s workforce development model at the centre of international discussions under the theme, ‘One Health, One Pharmacy – Bridging science, practice, and education.’

Speaking during the presentation, Ezeh said CPACPI, launched in 2025, was the first structured, competency-based career progression pathway for community pharmacists in Nigeria.

According to him, the initiative was designed to address a longstanding gap in the profession, particularly the absence of clear advancement opportunities for pharmacists working outside hospital and academic settings.

He said a study presented in Montreal, titled ‘The Implementation Gap: Perceived Barriers and External Threats to Community Pharmacists’ Participation in a Career Advancement Scheme in Nigeria,’ surveyed 182 practising community pharmacists across the country.

Ezeh said ACPN had incorporated measures into the framework to address the barriers identified by the study.

Among the measures, he said, were tiered and subsidised professional development grants for younger pharmacists, as well as flexible, self-paced digital learning modules that would enable pharmacists to undergo training without disrupting patient care.

He also called for stronger multi-agency enforcement against unaccredited medicine outlets to protect professional standards and patient safety.

The ACPN national chairman explained that career advancement under the framework would be based on measurable competencies in areas including clinical care, mentorship, digital health integration and continuous quality improvement.

Beyond career progression, Ezeh said ACPN was advocating for accredited community pharmacies to be designated as private-sector primary healthcare facilities and integrated into Nigeria’s national health insurance system.

The association argued that such integration could expand access to healthcare, improve health outcomes and reduce pressure on overstretched public facilities.

Ezeh said the Nigerian model could also provide lessons for other low- and middle-income countries seeking to maximise the role of community pharmacists in primary healthcare, Universal Health Coverage and medicine safety.

‘Our mission through CPACPI is not merely to create an academic milestone, but to build a resilient, sustainable workforce capable of delivering world-class primary healthcare.

‘Researchers from CPACPI Lagos, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, found that more than three-fifths of respondents said daily practice demands limit participation in professional development.

‘The study also revealed that younger and mid-career pharmacists with fewer than 20 years’ experience cited the financial burden of training and certification as a major concern. Weak enforcement against illegal medicine outlets and competition from patent medicine vendors were identified as the biggest systemic threats to professional practice.

Ezeh said, ‘At the core of CPACPI is a five-band progression ladder intended to end career stagnation in community practice. The bands are: Band 1: Community Pharmacist; Band 2: Senior Community Pharmacist; Band 3: Community Pharmacy Specialist; Band 4: Community Pharmacy Senior Specialist; and Band 5: Community Pharmacy Consultant.

‘There is a pressing need for government authorities, policy-makers, and national health authorities to identify and designate qualified community pharmacies as official primary healthcare facility providers in the private sector,’ Ezeh said, noting that pharmacies are often the most accessible point of care for millions of Nigerians.

‘The long-term success of the CPACPI framework rests on our collective ability to bridge the gap between policy design and real-world execution,’ he said.

Four weeks in the Big Brother house, what would you describe your experience as?

Well, my experience in the Big Brother house was intriguing. Very interesting, unpredictable, fun; sometimes it can be tiring. But I enjoyed every moment of it, to be honest. It was very interesting meeting different personalities from different parts of the world, different cultures, different backgrounds, and different perspectives of life.

I liked the arena games. It was very challenging and I like things that are challenging. In the Big Brother house, you find yourself testing your limits. It pushes you beyond your limits and brings out certain parts of you that you didn’t know existed. So, it was a wonderful experience, something I don’t regret going for.

Many people go to BBN for different reasons. Some is to push their brand, some is visibility to themselves. what was your major reason though?

I would say it was to add value to my life. And for the platform, it’s a way to also give back to society, show myself, like the season says, and also build my personal brand. To tell people who I am just expose myself more again. So, it’s something wonderful for me.

What would you say was the most challenging of that experience?

If I tell you the most challenging, it would probably be shocking. It’s not the regular thing that anybody would probably think about. For me, it was my hair. Making my hair myself is tiring and time-consuming. Because there’s a lot of things, activities going on, you barely have time for yourself. The other things, I easily adapted to. I didn’t have a bed until I left Big Brother’s house. Especially the first week. The beds were not enough.

Even when there wasn’t food, I didn’t necessarily eat every time. So, when I want to eat, I eat. For me, it was fun and interesting. It was a social experiment, an activity as a social experiment. To see what my limits are, to test how I react or how people react to certain things. It was intriguing; the only challenge I would say is maybe just getting my hair in order. That’s all.

If you could go back into the house, what do you think you’d do differently?

If I could go back to the house right now? I wouldn’t do anything different. I would just continue the plan I had in mind. Because, obviously, to an extent, I didn’t necessarily unfold every aspect of personalities I have. So, I wouldn’t necessarily say I would do anything basically differently. If I wanted to do anything differently, maybe it’s to speed up my unfolding process.

Would you say you had a strategy coming into the show?

I did not have a strategy. I basically just entered to be myself. There was no point in time where I was trying to act or trying to go out of character. It was just me. That’s literally what you saw there. That’s literally how I live my life here.

If you noticed in the house, I was trying to form a shirt. Because I’m someone that likes to plan my results. I like to have a routine. I didn’t come in with any strategy, per se.

And I saw a lot of that with other housemates. The whole strategy thing. Sometimes, it takes them out of their character. It’s good when your strategy is in regards to or relating to your character.

If you want to play a strategy, play it well. Play it in a safe way that doesn’t necessarily take you out of who you are.

What were the unexpected events? Can you tell us some of the events that shocked you?

When I say unexpected events, it’s in regards to how unpredictable this house can be. The first eviction shocked me. I didn’t expect Mercedes to go that early. I didn’t know there was an alarm. The first day I got into the house, that was one of the first things that shocked me. We were all just sleeping in the morning and an alarm went off, a dog barking. There were so many shouts.

Also, the games, one minute Big Brother is telling you to do something, another minute you think you know the routine and it’s not what you thought. It’s just a lot of twists and turns how the game is being played in Biggie’s house. That’s what I understand by how unpredictable the house is.

How did you feel when your name was called for eviction?

That week was my highest point or my climax in the house. That was literally when I started to get my mood right. I legit simmered into the house that week.

It was when I started being Cassi; My character, inner man was starting to show up. I was starting to enjoy being in the house. I was starting to win. Unfortunately, that was when I got my sudden eviction. I feel like if I was in the house this week, I would definitely win head of house because I was starting to be on my winning streak.

You were in the house with 23 other persons. Which housemates were most memorable?

Frankly speaking, of course, I had many housemates that made the house very bearable for me. Some of my favourites, obviously, was Nomy and Tram. Tram is my boy, he’s a very loyal friend and someone that will always have your back. And there was Barry. Barry is a very funny guy. I find him very interesting. He’s my guy. I started talking to him briefly.

He’s a very interesting personality. Sultex and I became close in the third week. Sultex is a very genuine, loyal person. Sultex is a very frank guy and he tells you what it is he doesn’t like straight on. And there’s Gerald. He is a very nice person. These are people I feel I would roll with outside. And there’s Neche. I like her. She has a beautiful soul and is beautiful on the outside as well. My least favourite? I don’t know. I’ve never really considered encountering a least favourite.

During the anonymous game, Temi Nkem was asked who she would love to see leave the house and she mentioned your name, saying you get into her business too much. How would you describe your relationship with Temi? And was her response a shock to you?

That’s an interesting question. I like that you’ve given me the opportunity to respond. So, I’m going to give you a bit of background story with the genesis of that. I was mostly quiet, so Temi Nkem coming out to say she doesn’t like me and wishes I left the house, was no shocker. The shocker was her saying the reason was because I’m always in her business. I found that very surprising because I barely interact with the housemates. This is someone I barely interact with or discuss with and I keep her at arm’s length because of her erratic behaviour.

What’s next for Cassie?

Research. Basically, it’s just the same thing I’ve been doing before I got into the house. I’ll take my acting career more seriously. I’m a commercial model. I do more of commercial modelling as well. I’m a forex and crypto trader. I’m heavy on trading as well. It’s just what I’ve been doing.

I want to be the greatest trader in the world. So, those are the things I have in mind. I have a short-let apartment in Lagos. I hope to open more and make more money. It’s meant to be booming, booming. I’m open to exploring other things that might be positive, like directing.

I really love to direct. Those are the things I plan on doing now that I’m outside the house.

Did that reaction make you feel like you made an impact in the house?

Cassi: I believe I made a real impact in the house because I had, like, lots of people I was talking to, and I necessarily did not have the personal advantage I would have with anybody. So, it may seem I still had a lot of friends in the house because I don’t know what led to what, what the natural cause was of the gambits. And a lot of housemates believed that I was a gambit, and for some reasons, that might have had a heavy impact on them.

And it’s shocking when you thought someone was a gambit and they’re not. So, I felt like that was where the major impact was coming from. I wonder why they thought I was a gambit.

Interviewer: Did you think that Aikou and Flora were gambits? Did you guess in any way that they were gambits?

Cassi: Of course, if you watch the show, if you actually watch the show, anyone who watches the show would have seen that. I mentioned the names a couple of times. I had a theory that whoever was very much impressionable the first week was who was going to be the gambits.

Now, that theory, stay with me, that theory led me to certain suspicions and certain names.

And some of those names I had in mind were Nomy, Rikky, Tram, Temi Nkem, Neche, Flora, and Aikou

Now, why did I mention all these names? Well, what was the reason for talking about these names? So, first and foremost, I started doing a plus and minus, like I started doing a head count and I was trying to be very analytic about it. I looked at Nomy and Rikky because they were very impressionable at first, Aikou fought in the house and I felt like that got a lot of attention from the outside world; I felt like I had a lot of traction from that. It could be up for being gambits. And I also thought about Tram.

Tram was pretty loud and also very impressionable because he was flirting with a lot of girls. Temi Nkem is a naturally entertaining person because of her accent and how oblivious she can be to certain things, yeah?

Neche was based on beauty because Neche is astoundingly beautiful. I just took her as gravity naturally because of how pretty she is. So, all these things were what led to my suspicion about her.

The reason why I also thought about Aikou was because Aikou is also impressionable because of his accent and how he speaks eloquently. People would love that. I loved that.

So, I felt like people would love that as well. The housemate loves that. So, that’s quite an entertaining character.

And Flora, Flora, I did not think any, I did not think heavily about Flora. The only thing I thought about Flora was she’s an accent of the house. I don’t know if you understand what I mean by accent of the house.

I also thought the same thing about Temi Nkem. They were the two accents of the house, Temi Nkem and Flora. So, having both of them in the house was what I saw.

What I decided to do now is to remove people to reduce my suspicion list because I always knew there were two gambits Everybody was saying there was going to be one gambits ,I’m like, no, there are two gametes and it’s going to have to be a boy and a girl.

Do you understand what I’m saying? Because most of the things we were doing that season was boys and girls, boys and girls. So, ideally, it was just going to be two gambits , a girl and a boy. And those, I’m pretty sure those gambits don’t know that they are both gametes.

I have, for some reason, I have a feeling that they do not know. They have no idea that both of them are gambits. So, this was my theory and people are not taking it seriously.

But the thing about these guys I’ve mentioned now, especially the first five, that they are too loud to be gambits and people would easily gravitate towards them. Yes, they’re not discreet enough, but inside my list I saw Aikou, Aikou was my number one. Aikou is a very major suspect to me as a gambit because he is impressionable.

He’s loud, but he’s not loud. I don’t even know if you understand what I’m saying. If Aikou speaks, the room listens to him.

Like, if he does something, everybody pays attention to him. It’s easy to notice when he’s being out of character or doing something that he’s not known for. So, he was very impressionable.

So, I made an attempt to ask him who he thought the gambit was. And I asked him, who do you think is the gambit? He mentioned a couple of names and I smiled and I looked at him. I’m like, are you not the gambit? And he looked at me and he’s like, no.

I said, oh, this guy. The laugh was quite insincere. And Aikou is not good at lying.

But he shook that off. But I knew deep down, he was. But obviously, everybody is still stuck.

But for Flora, she came out of the diary session and she was crying. And we were trying to find out why she was crying. She said she can’t talk about it.

And everybody’s like, don’t ask her why she was crying. she doesn’t want to talk about it.

I’m like, okay. So, I left a couple of these things. I saw she was getting aggressive about people talking about gambits and mentioning her.

And I asked her, are you the gambit? She was like, no, I’m not the gambit. That means I can’t win the money. The money I can’t win.

I looked at her. I said, are you the gambit? Jokingly, she was like, no, I’m not the gambit.

And I said, hmm. So, I was reading her expression and her mannerisms. And that led me to read her expression.

I still suspected Tram because Tram was always erratic.

Tram does things that are not chronologically aligned. Like today, tomorrow, next tomorrow. He is just doing these actions that are not correlated.

And there was one thing I had in mind when I was picking out gambits. I was looking for people that were acting in different patterns. They were not aligned.

But definitely, I know they were giving tasks to do things. I knew it would affect the house either positively or negatively. But I was leaning towards negative aspects.

Interviewer : you had said that you want to make a lot of money and become like the biggest trader or something of that nature. What does financial success look like for you?

Cassi : I want to do that, actually.

Interviewer : if you had won the $160,000 prize, would that have been enough to make you feel financially secure?

Cassi : I feel like financial security is very important…

It’s enough to kickstart you and skyrocket you to a certain point in your life, if you know what you’re doing, you’ll figure out actually… So, it’s not about winning the money. It’s about knowing how to use the money to make more money.

That’s literally one of the first rules of business. Knowing how to use your capital to make more money. So, the $160,000, particularly $100,000 grand prize, would be… That’s if you’re still giving the remaining $100,000 before they leave the house.

Because there’s the whole inflation thing of winning $5,000,000 every week. So, there’s a whole thing of how the money drops now. But whatever money they’re making at the end of the day, the last… I see that as the capital to double.

So, you must know how to double your capital. So, that’s literally how I see it. So, if you know what you’re doing, you should be able to double your capital.

Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, has welcomed ongoing efforts to review the Oyo State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law 2020.

The Speaker described the move as a significant step towards strengthening the legal framework for preventing and responding to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the state.

The lawmaker gave the assurance on Wednesday while hosting Henry Odeh, a member of the newly inaugurated ESGBV (End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence) Media Corps in Oyo, in his office at the Parliamentary Complex, Oyo Assembly, Secretariat, Ibadan.

The Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Media Corps had earlier undergone an intensive 2-Day Workshop organized by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) with support from the European Union Support to End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (ESGBV) Programme implemented by International IDEA.

The overall objective of this assignment is to strengthen public engagement on SGBV in the FCT and the States of Benue, Kaduna and Oyo by improving the quality, ethics, and coordination of media and community-based communication.

The training aims to shift SGBV reporting and public discourse from sensationalist, fragmented coverage to a more professional, survivor-centered, evidence-based, and action-oriented approach that promotes prevention, expands access to trusted information, strengthens referral pathways, and supports positive social norm change while also enhancing community-level information-sharing structures relevant to SGBV prevention and response, including opportunities related to technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF-SGBV), in the FCT, Benue, Kaduna and Oyo States.

Speaking, Ogundoyin stated that reviewing the law was necessary to address emerging realities, close existing gaps and ensure that victims and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence receive adequate protection and access to justice.

The Speaker reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to legislation that protects vulnerable persons and promotes justice, dignity and accountability across the state.

He noted that although the 2020 VAPP Law represented an important milestone in the state’s efforts to combat violence against persons, changing social realities and challenges in implementation made periodic review imperative.

According to him, an improved legal framework would strengthen institutional responses, clarify responsibilities among relevant agencies and enhance mechanisms for the protection of survivors.

He said the Assembly would give the proposed review the attention it deserved, and expressed optimism that stakeholders will contribute constructively to the process to ensure that any amendment in the legislation reflects the realities and needs of people across the state.

Ogundoyin also emphasised the importance of collaboration among the legislature, executive, judiciary, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations, traditional and religious institutions, the media and other stakeholders in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence.

He called for increased awareness of the provisions of the law, noting that legislation could only achieve its intended purpose when citizens understood their rights and institutions responsible for enforcement were adequately equipped.

The Speaker commended organisations and individuals working to end sexual and gender-based violence in Oyo State, assuring them of the Assembly’s readiness to support initiatives that would strengthen prevention, reporting, prosecution and survivor support.

He stressed that ending violence against women, children and other vulnerable persons required not only legislation but sustained enforcement and collective action.

Earlier in his address, Odeh had identified the need to examine areas of the existing law that could be strengthened to make it more responsive to contemporary forms of violence and improve access to justice for survivors.

He expressed confidence that the review and necessary amendments will provide an opportunity to harmonise provisions, address implementation challenges and strengthen safeguards against sexual and gender-based violence in Oyo.