Category: Nigerian Tribune

Graced Energy Professionals for Africa (GEPA) has provided basic lighting and fans to two primary healthcare centres serving rural communities in Oyo and Ogun states as part of its 2026 Energy Outreach Initiative.

The initiative was carried out on August 28 and 29 at Kure Public Health Centre in Kure Village, Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State, and Imope Primary Health Care Centre in Ijebu Igbo, Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

GEPA said the intervention was aimed at addressing basic energy needs in underserved communities, particularly healthcare facilities where reliable access to electricity can improve the working conditions of health workers and the experience of patients.

The initiative forms part of the organisation’s annual efforts to ensure that its work in Africa’s energy sector translates into practical benefits for communities.

According to GEPA, the organisation undertakes an energy-related outreach project each year to address basic energy challenges confronting underserved communities.

In 2025, the organisation distributed solar lamps to schools in indigent communities in Lagos State to provide students with access to basic lighting.

This year, GEPA shifted its focus to rural healthcare centres, recognising the importance of basic energy services in facilities that provide essential healthcare to local communities.

The organisation also plans to extend similar energy-related community interventions to Ghana as part of its broader commitment to Africa’s energy development.

GEPA was founded by Chinenye Ajayi, an energy professional and energy and infrastructure lawyer, as a community of energy professionals committed to raising a new generation of purpose-driven professionals.

The organisation said its mission goes beyond developing professionals, stressing that people working in the energy sector should also actively contribute to solving the continent’s energy challenges.

Through its annual Energy Outreach Initiative, GEPA brings energy professionals together to contribute their knowledge, resources and collective capacity towards meeting practical energy needs in underserved communities.

GEPA appreciated its partners and donors for their support during the outreach programme with special recognition to our implementation partners, Cardinal Healthcare Foundation and Solfa Power Limited.

Professionals from accounting, marketing, sales, operations, communications and other fields already possess skills that can transfer to product management.

The challenge is learning how to apply those skills to product development and demonstrating that ability to employers.

In this article, Tribune Online explores the ultimate strategy for non-tech professionals.

Understand the product manager’s role

Before making the move, understand what product managers actually do. They identify customer problems, define product priorities, work with designers and engineers, analyse feedback and data, and help teams to deliver products that meet both user and business needs. Understanding these responsibilities will help you to identify the skills you already have and the areas you need to develop.

Identify your transferable skills

Your previous profession can give you a useful starting point. Marketers understand customers, market research and positioning. Accountants bring financial analysis and commercial awareness. Operations professionals understand processes, efficiency and stakeholder management. The goal is to connect these skills to product responsibilities rather than presenting yourself as someone starting completely from scratch.

Learn Agile and Scrum

A non-technical product manager still needs to understand how software teams operate.

Learn basic concepts such as Scrum, Kanban, product backlogs, sprints, user stories and acceptance criteria. You do not need to become a programmer.

However, understanding these concepts will help you communicate effectively with engineers and follow the progress of product development.

Learn how to prioritise features

Product teams cannot build everything at once. Learn how to evaluate features according to customer value, business impact, cost, effort and urgency.

For example, an accountant can use financial and revenue considerations when evaluating competing product ideas, while an operations professional can consider efficiency and customer impact.

The ability to explain why one feature should come before another is an important product skill.

Build a product teardown portfolio

One of the best ways to demonstrate product thinking is to analyse existing products.

Choose familiar Nigerian digital products such as banking, fintech, e-commerce or transport applications.

Identify a problem, explain which users experience it and propose a practical solution. Include your reasoning, proposed features and how you would measure whether the solution worked.

A strong portfolio can give recruiters something concrete to assess, particularly when you do not yet have a Product Manager title.

Learn basic product analytics

Product managers regularly use data to make decisions. Become familiar with metrics such as conversion, retention, churn, engagement and activation.Practise using spreadsheets to analyse simple datasets and draw conclusions from the results. You do not need advanced data-science skills to get started. You need to understand how data can support product decisions.

Develop basic technical knowledge

You do not need to learn software engineering before applying for product roles. However, understanding basic concepts such as APIs, databases, front-end and back-end systems, cloud services and software development cycles will make technical discussions easier.

The objective is to communicate effectively with engineers, not to replace them.

Gain practical experience

Create opportunities to practise product management. You could work with a developer and designer on a small digital product, volunteer to improve an organisation’s online service or create detailed case studies of existing products.Focus on showing how you identified a problem, researched it, prioritised solutions and measured potential outcomes.

Rewrite your CV

Your CV should show product-relevant achievements rather than simply listing your previous responsibilities. Highlight experience involving customer research, problem-solving, data analysis, process improvement, decision-making and stakeholder management.

Do not claim to have performed product-management duties that you never handled. Instead, present your genuine experience in a way that makes its relevance clear.

The road is a nightmare for motorists plying the ever-busy Onitsha-Owerri road, as they now face undue hurdles over the deep potholes and waterlogged portions that pose a serious threat and danger to them.

Besides, they are pointing accusing fingers at the officials and management of the Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA) for not doing anything positive to find a solution to the lingering problems associated with big potholes and bad portions of the road; instead, they are cashing in on the bad situation to extort the motorists.

Sadly, some of the drivers have reported making detours to other roads near the area and totally avoiding the busy Onitsha-Owerri road.

One of the victims, Mr Obinna Favour, who narrated his ordeal at the hands of the ARTMA officials on Saturday, lamented what he described as a ‘double tragedy’ of navigating the deep potholes and facing heavy fines from traffic enforcement officers.

Obinna, who is a commercial bus driver, disclosed that his vehicle was intercepted out of hundreds of vehicles plying the road along St Francis Okpoko by-pass along the Owerri Road by operatives of the Anambra Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA), and taken to the agency’s office at the Bridge Head, Onitsha.

According to Mr Obinna, he was accused of driving against traffic, a ‘one-way’ offence, and was fined N300,000, even when the officials knew how bad the road is in the area.

He cried out to the authority of the agency for help, saying that the violation was not deliberate, as the bad portions of the road are deplorable, with deep potholes, particularly opposite the People’s Club building complex along the Owerri Road, which according to him is in a terrible state, thereby forcing motorists to divert to the other lane for their own safety.

‘The potholes are so deep that vehicles are forced to swerve to the other side to avoid damaging their cars. That is how we found ourselves on the other lane,’ he said.

He stated that the ARTMA officials at their head office demanded a fine of N300,000 before the vehicle could be released.

‘We respect the law and the work ARTMA is doing. But it is painful that we are being fined such a huge amount for an offence that was caused by the bad state of the road itself,’ he said.

However, following an appeal to the leadership of the agency, the fine was later reviewed downwards to N150,000 before the vehicle was released.

He appealed to the Anambra State Government, under Governor Prof Charles Soludo, and other relevant agencies, to urgently repair the failed portion of the Onitsha-Owerri Road to prevent further accidents and avoidable arrests.

Also, Mr Chima Nwako, a commercial driver, called for urgent action to repair the road in order to reduce hold-ups and accidents associated with the bad road.

On his part, Mr Ikegbu said the Onitsha-Owerri road has been in a bad state for months, and has forced many to take the opposite lane to avoid the craters.

‘We are not supporting one-way. But government should first fix that road. Every day ARTMA is there catching people, but the pothole that is causing it is still there.’

The Managing Director of ARTMA, Mr Emeka Okonkwo, otherwise known as Konti, said the violation has been committed, so the offender should go and pay.

He warned drivers to avoid one-way offences, as anyone caught would be penalised according to the laws of the state.

Nigeria’s Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has urged business operators in the North-East subregion to take advantage of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) to expand their markets and contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth and development.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Shola Enikanolaiye, made the assertion while speaking at a one-day sensitisation workshop on ETLS held in Bauchi on Saturday.

The Minister of State said the scheme provides duty-free access for qualifying products originating from ECOWAS member states.

He said greater awareness, compliance and effective implementation of ETLS would enable Nigerian manufacturers, farmers, agro-processors, and small and medium-scale businesses to benefit from the regional market.

He further said the workshop, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was aimed at bridging the information gap between the opportunities provided by ETLS and businesses’ knowledge of the scheme.

The Minister also linked the effective implementation of ETLS to Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030, stressing the need for increased production, industrialisation and export competitiveness.

Established in 1979, the Minister told the gathering that its goal is to boost industrial growth and economic integration across the 15 member states, adding that the programme is strategic to the North-East subregion for economic diversification and prosperity.

In his address at the opening of the meeting, Bauchi State Governor, Sen. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, emphasised that the state and other North-Eastern states must begin to see regional integration as an economic opportunity rather than merely a diplomatic concept.

Represented by his deputy, Rt. Hon. Auwal Jatau, he said the subregion has vast agricultural, livestock, mineral and industrial resources that could be transformed into competitive products for the West African market.

Bala Mohammed identified border delays, multiple checkpoints, inadequate transport infrastructure, non-tariff barriers and limited access to accurate trade information as some of the challenges confronting businesses.

He said the state government would continue to support policies that improve the business environment, attract investment and create employment opportunities.

Bala Mohammed said the programme falls in line with his administration’s blueprint for commerce, industry, mines and agriculture.

While assuring the Federal Government of his administration’s continued readiness to partner in that regard, the Governor urged participants to make the best use of the opportunity for sustainable economic growth and development.

While welcoming the participants, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Ali Gombe, said Bauchi was chosen to host the workshop because of its strategic position and economic potential within the North-East.

Represented at the event by a senior official of the Ministry, the Permanent Secretary said the participation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and other stakeholders from the subregion was critical to increasing the North-East’s contribution to Nigeria’s regional trade objectives.

The Permanent Secretary stressed that the successful implementation of ETLS requires collaboration among the federal and state governments, businesses and regulatory institutions.

Also speaking, the President of the Bauchi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA), Alhaji Aminu Mohammed, lauded the Ministry for organising the workshop, saying it would go a long way in further exposing the abundant resources of the subregion to the outside world.

In his remarks, the President of the North-East Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Alhaji Ahmed Ashemi, lauded the Federal Government for the initiative, saying it would support various economic revival efforts across the six states of the North-East geopolitical zone and pledging their continued support.

The workshop brought together stakeholders from across the North-East subregion, with discussions focused on strengthening regional trade, improving compliance and connecting businesses in the North-East to wider West African markets.

Veteran Fuji musician, Saliuokeola Adewale Ayuba, is set to release a new five-track album titled Arise on September 19, marking what he describes as the beginning of a new chapter in his musical career.

Ayuba announced the project in Lagos, revealing that the forthcoming album represents a continuation of his long musical journey while also reflecting his culture and experiences.

The Bonsue Fuji crooner has remained one of the notable figures in Nigerian Fuji music, building a career that has spanned several decades and earned him recognition across generations.

According to the artiste, Arise is a project he has been working on for almost a year and is intended to celebrate his journey, culture and evolution as a musician.

The five-track project is expected to combine Ayuba’s established Fuji sound with elements that reflect his continuing musical development.

The album comes at a time when Nigerian music continues to experience a strong interest in indigenous sounds, with Fuji, Highlife and other traditional genres finding new audiences among younger listeners.

Ayuba’s decision to release a new project therefore comes with the opportunity to introduce his sound to a new generation while retaining the musical identity that has defined his career.

The veteran musician has previously released several notable works and has remained active through performances and recordings despite his long career in the industry.

The announcement of Arise has also generated interest among Fuji enthusiasts, particularly those who have followed Ayuba’s career from his early days.

With its September 19 release date approaching, attention will now turn to the five-track project and whether it will further demonstrate Ayuba’s ability to remain relevant in Nigeria’s rapidly changing music landscape.

The loss of each ophthalmologist to migration, otherwise known as ‘japa’, costs the Nigerian economy about $150,000 annually, the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN) has said, warning that the continued brain drain is worsening the shortage and maldistribution of eye-care specialists across the country.

The President of OSN, Dr Gloria Patrick-Ferife, disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja while presenting the communiqué of the society’s 51st Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, tagged Abuja ASO 2026, held from September 2 to 4.

Patrick-Ferife said the society was concerned about the increasing migration of ophthalmologists and other eye-care workers, particularly the widening gap in access to specialists between urban and rural areas.

‘The cost of losing one ophthalmologist was estimated at about $150,000 per annum to the economy,’ Patrick-Ferife said, calling for improved facilities, security and welfare to make practising in Nigeria, particularly in rural areas, more attractive.

According to her, more than 24 million Nigerians are living with visual impairment, with cataracts, glaucoma, uncorrected refractive errors and diabetic retinopathy remaining the leading causes of blindness.

She noted that about 84 per cent of the visual impairment burden was preventable or treatable, stressing that Nigeria continued to experience a high prevalence of avoidable blindness despite years of interventions by eye-care professionals.

The OSN president said the conference, which attracted more than 850 ophthalmologists and ophthalmologists in training from Nigeria and other African countries, focused on ‘Reimagining Eye Care in the Digital Era’, with emphasis on ethics, care of the carer and the aesthetics of eye care.

She said the society identified inadequate and unaffordable cybersecurity, ethical concerns surrounding artificial intelligence, poor electricity supply, high data costs and a shortage of skilled personnel as major barriers to the digital transformation of eye care.

Patrick-Ferife also expressed concern over the high cost of subspecialty training abroad, burnout among ophthalmologists and the need to retool postgraduate and residency training to reflect emerging technological developments.

She said the society would advocate greater use of teleophthalmology and artificial intelligence to extend eye-care services to underserved communities, stressing that AI should complement rather than replace human expertise.

‘Government cannot employ all ophthalmologists everywhere. We don’t even have the numbers. But if we can leverage on what we have, leverage on the skills that are available in major centres, leverage on teleophthalmology, leverage on AI, on digital technology, we should be able to take eye care to the remote areas,’ she said.

The society also called on the federal, state and local governments to employ more ophthalmologists and other eye-care workers to address the uneven distribution of the workforce.

It urged governments to create an enabling environment for specialists to practise in rural communities, while calling for increased investment in training and retraining, particularly in artificial intelligence, electronic medical records and digital diagnostics.

The OSN further called for the immediate integration of eye-health data into the National District Health Information System (DHIS) platform to strengthen planning and evidence-based decision-making.

Patrick-Ferife said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had developed an eye-health dataset and that the society was awaiting its implementation.

‘We hope, if this is done, eye health data will easily be on the DHIS platform, which is the National Health Data Platform. And that will help us with planning, advocacy, and all that needs to be done,’ she said.

On the high cost of digital services, she appealed to telecommunications and technology service providers to offer incentives for healthcare-related data services, particularly those supporting digital eye-care delivery.

The society also advocated the use of solar power to support digital eye-care services at primary healthcare centres, especially in rural communities where unreliable electricity remains a major obstacle.

The society also raised concerns over the growing activities of quacks, unauthorised local and foreign health practitioners and alternative medicine operators in eye care.

Patrick-Ferife said OSN had begun discussions with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to address the broader problem of unqualified persons offering healthcare services.

‘Recently, we had a discussion with the president of the Nigerian Medical Association because we hope to tackle it from the general angle with the medical. Because it’s not an eye-specific problem. It affects all health care aspects,’ she said.

She said OSN had constituted a committee to collaborate with the NMA in tackling the problem.

Among other resolutions, the society called for the implementation of tax waivers on medical equipment and supplies, including digital eye-care equipment; improved access to modern technological equipment; continuous telecommunications networks to support digital clinical services; and the inclusion of vital parenteral intraocular medications for retinal disease management on the National Health Insurance Authority drug list.

The society also called for clearer delineation of professional boundaries among eye-care workers and an end to what it described as unhealthy rivalry and encroachment among professionals.

It urged ophthalmologists to uphold medical ethics and ensure that technology and automation did not erode empathy, effective communication, appropriate demeanour and workplace harmony.

The conference also noted progress in OSN membership, with the proportion of financially up-to-date members rising from 30 per cent in 2025 to more than 60 per cent in 2026.

The society said it would strengthen mentorship and promote wellness among its members while continuing collaboration with international and continental ophthalmology organisations.

The Vice President of OSN, Professor Abdukadir Rafindadi, said the society would continue to press governments at all levels to provide the infrastructure and security needed to attract and retain health professionals in rural areas.

He said the increasing urbanisation of Nigeria meant that digital eye-care solutions were also important for densely populated urban communities that remained underserved.

‘Leveraging on digital technology is also very relevant to people in urban centres. Like, for example, now people in Mararaba and places like that, very densely populated areas, they may not have access to come into the big medical centres in town,’ Rafindadi said.

He said the society was advocating both online and offline consultation models under which ophthalmologists could review patient data and screenings conducted at remote centres after their regular clinical duties.

According to him, such an approach would expand access to specialist care and contribute to reducing avoidable blindness.

Rafindadi also called for wider deployment of solar power at primary healthcare centres.

‘There’s nothing Nigeria can do without solar power. Some states have been doing that. They’ve been increasing solar power coverage, solarisation of most of their primary health care centres. And we look forward to more across the state,’ he said.

The Chair of the Conference Planning Committee, Professor Regina Morgan, meanwhile, urged the media to play a stronger role in public education on eye health and the challenges confronting the sector.

‘The press has a lot to do too. Because you can help us with letting the public know many of these things. And even the government. Because by the time you say it all the time, people who were not ready to listen would get interested in whatever we’re doing,’ Morgan said.

She urged journalists to help amplify the society’s advocacy efforts among policymakers and the wider public, saying the media remained crucial to drawing attention to eye-health challenges.

Recently, with the prevalence of technology and mobile devices, a fashion seller takes orders through WhatsApp, a caterer builds a loyal customer base from referrals, or a small trader begins importing products with money saved from another job.

At first, there can seem to be little reason to complicate things. But growth changes the equation. And once customers become more demanding, suppliers start asking for formal documentation and bigger contracts come into view, operating only under a personal name can become a serious limitation. You can be making money, but it still lacks the formal identity that many institutions expect.

This is where the CAC business registration benefits Nigeria offers become particularly important.

Registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) does more than produce a certificate. It gives a growing enterprise a verifiable identity, creates a clearer foundation for commercial relationships and can position the business for opportunities that require formal documentation.

The transition, however, should not be viewed simply as ticking a government requirement off a checklist. It is a shift from running a business informally to deliberately building an organisation that can survive, expand and operate beyond its founder.

Why informal success eventually reaches a ceiling

An informal business can be perfectly capable of generating revenue. And registration does not suddenly make a product better, increase sales, or guarantee profitability. What it does is give the enterprise a formal identity that other parties can verify and be trusted.

The CAC is Nigeria’s official corporate registry and is responsible for registering and maintaining records for companies, business names, limited liability partnerships, limited partnerships and incorporated trustees. Its stated functions also include overseeing compliance, corporate governance and record-keeping.

Therefore, a trader who has spent years building a customer base may already have something valuable, such as market experience. What may be missing is the legal and administrative structure needed to present that business professionally to banks, corporate customers, investors, suppliers and government programmes. So, registration helps bridge that gap.

Choose the structure that matches the business

One of the first mistakes entrepreneurs make is assuming every growing business should immediately become a limited liability company.

The CAC provides separate registration routes for business names and companies. Its business-name process is designed for proprietors and partnerships, while company registration creates a corporate entity with its own legal structure. The appropriate option depends on the ownership arrangement, scale, risk exposure and long-term plans of the enterprise.

For a sole proprietor whose immediate goal is to formalise an established trading operation, registering a business name may be an appropriate starting point. An entrepreneur planning to bring in shareholders, attract substantial investment or build a more complex corporate structure may instead need professional advice on incorporating a company.

Registration turns name into verifiable business identity

Consider two suppliers competing for the same corporate contract. One operates under a personal name and can provide invoices and social-media pages. The other can provide CAC registration details, a registered business address and formal documentation that a prospective client can independently verify. The second business has an obvious advantage in credibility.

The CAC says registration gives businesses legal recognition under Nigerian law and helps them become verifiable to partners, clients and investors. It also states that registration can enable businesses to open corporate bank accounts, execute official contracts and access government or financial services.

That does not mean every customer will automatically trust a registered business, or that registration guarantees a contract. It simply removes one major question from the table: Does this business formally exist?

For an entrepreneur trying to move from individual transactions to institutional customers, that matters.

Formal registration can strengthen access to finance

Access to finance is another reason informal entrepreneurs should take formalisation seriously.

Banks and other financial institutions assess businesses using several factors, including cash flow, creditworthiness, repayment capacity, documentation and the nature of the business.

Although CAC registration does not guarantee approval for a loan, but formal business documentation can be an important part of presenting a business as a legitimate commercial operation.

The same principle applies to grants and government-backed programmes. Eligibility rules differ from one programme to another, so entrepreneurs should never assume that simply obtaining a CAC certificate automatically qualifies them for funding.

However, where a grant, loan or procurement programme requires a registered business, remaining informal can prevent an otherwise qualified entrepreneur from applying.

In other words, registration does not create funding. It can remove a formal barrier to opportunities for which registration is a requirement.

Professional customers often expect documentation

The informal approach can work remarkably well when customers are individuals. A customer orders a product, transfers money and receives the goods. There may be little need for elaborate paperwork. Corporate transactions are different.

A company buying products or services from a small supplier may require registration documents, invoices, bank details, contracts and other compliance information before approving a vendor. Larger organisations also have internal procurement and verification procedures that make it harder to onboard businesses that cannot provide basic corporate documentation.

This is where formalisation begins to pay off beyond the certificate itself. The entrepreneur can start presenting the business as an organisation rather than simply as an individual selling something.

CAC registration also introduces responsibilities

Formalisation should not be treated as a one-time transaction.

The CAC oversees compliance and annual returns, and its current registration portal indicates that annual-return filing is available for registered business names, with compliance processes also applying to companies.

That means an entrepreneur who registers must also take record-keeping and regulatory obligations seriously.

A business that obtains a certificate and then ignores its subsequent obligations is not truly becoming corporate. It is merely acquiring a document.

The stronger approach is to separate personal and business finances where appropriate, maintain accurate records, preserve registration documents and keep required filings current. Depending on the business, there may also be tax, sector-specific licensing, employment, consumer-protection or other regulatory obligations outside CAC.

The transition does not have to be complicated

For business-name registration, the CAC currently provides an online process through its Company Registration Portal. Entrepreneurs first check the availability of the proposed name, complete the pre-registration application, upload the required documents and pay the applicable filing fee.

The Commission says individuals and proprietors can register business names without using a lawyer, chartered accountant or chartered secretary.

For companies, the process involves name availability, reservation, digital pre-registration, submission of supporting documents and payment of applicable filing and stamp-duty fees before the registration documents are issued.

The CAC’s published service timelines currently indicate 24 working hours for new company and business-name registrations once the required documents have been received or outstanding queries have been resolved. Actual completion can still depend on the application and whether the Commission raises a query.

Entrepreneurs should therefore use the official CAC portal rather than paying unnecessary middlemen simply because the process appears intimidating.

Formalisation should change how the owner runs the business

The biggest benefit of registration may not be the certificate at all. It is the change in mindset that should follow.

An entrepreneur who has been mixing business income with personal spending may need proper financial records. Someone who has relied entirely on verbal agreements may need written contracts. A trader who has never tracked inventory properly may suddenly discover that knowing sales is not the same as knowing profit.

These changes make the business easier to understand and, eventually, easier to manage.

That becomes particularly valuable when the owner wants to hire employees, bring in a partner, seek financing, supply larger customers or eventually transfer ownership. A business built around undocumented personal arrangements can become difficult to value or hand over.

From hustle to enterprise

There is nothing inherently wrong with starting small. In fact, many successful Nigerian businesses began informally, with the founder testing an idea before investing heavily in it.

The danger is staying informal after the business has clearly outgrown that stage.

When customers, suppliers, lenders and potential partners begin demanding evidence of legitimacy, the question is no longer whether registration is convenient. It becomes whether the business is prepared for the next level.

The CAC business registration benefits Nigeria entrepreneurs most when registration is treated as part of a wider formalisation strategy: establish the right legal structure, maintain accurate records, comply with ongoing requirements and build a business identity that does not depend entirely on the founder’s personal reputation.

Meanwhile, a CAC certificate will not make a weak business successful. It will not guarantee a grant, loan or major contract. But for an entrepreneur ready to move from informal trading to a more structured enterprise, it can provide something increasingly important: a formal identity from which the next stage of growth can be built.

Controversy further raged on Saturday over the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship ticket in Oyo State, 72 hours after the national leadership of the party released the list of candidates for 28 states.

Two camps have been at loggerheads over the ticket in Oyo since the conduct of parallel primaries to produce the party’s standard-bearer for the 2027 general election.

A matter on the issue is pending before a High Court in Ibadan, the state capital.

A contestant in the primaries, who was recently chosen as the running mate for the election, Barrister Niyi Aborisade, said in a statement on Saturday that a court of competent jurisdiction would decide on the valid candidate of the ADC for the state in the forthcoming governorship election.

His words: ‘The court will soon adjudicate on this matter and we are confident that justice will prevail at the end of the day.

‘We are appealing to all our members and our supporters to remain calm and that we will soon be on the ballot and the positive change that we are promising you will become a reality.’

He added that the party members would not be intimidated into abandoning legitimate and constitutional means of seeking justice and fairness, as he and other party faithful would soon embark on electioneering ahead of the general election.

Part of his statement read: ‘The list of governors and deputy governors published by ADC is not a reflection of the situation on the ground, particularly in Oyo State.

‘The Oyo State governorship candidates’ matter is already in court.

‘It is well known by the members of Oyo ADC that Dr Gbemileke Alagbe Eleniyan won the primary election conducted on 22 May 2026. Dr Alagbe has also picked Chief Niyi Aborisade as his deputy. In the recognised primary, Mr Aborisade came second. Dr Alagbe has been issued with a CTC.

‘It therefore came as a surprise when the INEC published the names of Oloye Taofeek Adegboyega Adegoke as the candidate of the APC.

‘Oloye Adegoke confessed publicly that he manipulated the system to include his name and others who were not on the INEC list.

‘This was a great assault on our democracy, and we have taken the matter to court to seek appropriate remedy.

‘The court will soon adjudicate on this matter and we are confident that justice will prevail at the end of the day.

‘We are appealing to all our members and our supporters to remain calm and that we will soon be on the ballot and the positive change that we are promising you will become a reality.

‘We will start our campaign very soon and we shall be victorious in the coming election in 2027. ADC, arise and shine, for your light has come.’

She said the visit, which took place on a Saturday, was at the directive of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

The Special Adviser to the Senate President on Diaspora and NGOs, Dr Jibril Tafida, made the clarification in a statement in Abuja.

He said a claim by an online publication that Mrs Akpabio had an ‘unholy access’ to the Senate chamber was false.

Tafida explained that the visit followed complaints by senators and staff about poor facilities and shoddy work done by contractors, adding that it was undertaken at the instance of the Senate President.

He dismissed claims that Mrs Akpabio came with ‘marabouts’ and persons of questionable character, saying the people who accompanied her were engineers and technicians.

According to him, the team comprised electrical, ICT, audio-visual and building maintenance experts who were brought in to assess the faults and determine the state of the facilities.

‘Relevant officials were aware of the visit and no security protocol was breached,’ he said.

Tafida added that Saturday was deliberately chosen for the inspection so as not to disrupt plenary or other legislative activities.

He described the media report as misinformation and speculative journalism aimed at creating controversy where there was none.

He urged the public to disregard the report and called on Naijanewsdirect and other platforms to check their facts before publishing stories that attack public officers and their families.

Tafida stated that Mrs Akpabio was known for her philanthropy and integrity, while the Senate President remained focused on his legislative duties and would not be distracted by unfounded allegations.

‘The National Assembly remains secure and well managed,’ he added.

The Executive Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, Hon. Oluwaseun Olufade, has commended the quality and people-oriented representation being provided by lawmakers elected on the platform of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) in Ibadan North, describing their performance as a reflection of the party’s ‘Nigerian-first’ ideology.

Olufade, while assessing the performance of the APM lawmakers representing Ibadan North at both the Oyo State House of Assembly and the National Assembly, praised Hon. Olufunke Comforter, representing Ibadan North Constituency I; Hon. Adebayo Babajide Gabriel, representing Ibadan North Constituency II; and Hon. Folajimi Oyekunle DON, representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency.

According to the chairman, the three lawmakers have demonstrated that genuine political representation goes beyond rhetoric, publicity and the display of names and photographs on billboards, stressing that the real measure of representation is the positive difference made in the lives of constituents.

He said the APM lawmakers had consistently maintained what he described as their ‘social contract’ with the people through various empowerment programmes, social welfare interventions, infrastructure projects, provision of basic amenities and financial assistance to residents.

Olufade noted that these interventions had produced tangible results across communities in Ibadan North, adding that the lawmakers had continued to demonstrate commitment to the welfare and development of their constituents.

Highlighting some of the achievements of the lawmakers, the chairman cited the recent commissioning of six motorised boreholes, a bridge and a community gate by Hon. Adebayo Babajide Gabriel across Ibadan North Constituency II.

He described the projects as practical interventions capable of directly improving the quality of life of residents, particularly in communities where access to basic infrastructure remains a major concern.

Olufade also commended Hon. Olufunke Comforter for her interventions in Ibadan North Constituency I, particularly the construction of an Amotekun security building in Akingbola Ward 5.

According to him, the project is aimed at strengthening community security and providing a more conducive operational environment for personnel of the Amotekun security outfit, thereby contributing to the protection of lives and property.

He further acknowledged the numerous empowerment initiatives and financial assistance provided by the lawmaker to constituents, describing them as evidence of a representation that remains connected to the needs of the people.

Speaking on the performance of Hon. Folajimi Oyekunle DON at the federal level, Olufade said the federal lawmaker had prioritised the welfare of residents of Ibadan North through several interventions.

He specifically mentioned the distribution of food palliatives on six consecutive occasions, describing the initiative as an important intervention at a time when many households are facing economic pressures.

The chairman also pointed to the construction of several pedestrian bridges connecting communities within the federal constituency, saying the projects had addressed critical mobility and accessibility challenges confronting residents.

He further highlighted the commencement of the construction of the 1.17-kilometre Atenda-Alawada Road, describing it as another significant intervention expected to improve connectivity, ease transportation and enhance access for residents and businesses within the constituency.

Olufade also revealed that the three APM lawmakers had facilitated the distribution of solar-powered streetlights to several communities across Ibadan North Federal Constituency, noting that the initiative would contribute to improved visibility, community safety and economic activities after dark.

The council chairman maintained that the collective interventions of the three lawmakers demonstrated what he described as the practical meaning of the APM ideology.

‘The ideology of the Allied Peoples’ Movement is truly Nigerian first. These lawmakers have shown that representation is about the people.

They have maintained the social contract they entered into with their constituents and have continued to fulfil it through empowerment, social welfare, infrastructure, basic amenities and financial interventions.’

Olufade contrasted this approach with what he described as a style of representation that places greater emphasis on visibility through billboards than on tangible constituency projects.

He particularly took a swipe at the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State and serving Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Barrister Sharafadeen Alli, saying that, in his assessment, the senator’s visibility had been more noticeable through billboards than through what he considered meaningful constituency impact.

The chairman said some members of the public had consequently resorted to referring to the senator as ‘Senator Billboards,’ a description he attributed to perceptions surrounding the senator’s public visibility.

Olufade, however, stressed that political representation should ultimately be judged by its impact on the people rather than the number of billboards erected.

‘Representation goes beyond the display of billboards. The best display should not be on billboards; it should be on the lives that have been meaningfully impacted,’ he said.

He argued that residents were capable of distinguishing between publicity and tangible service delivery, insisting that the people of Oyo State could not be swayed merely by political branding.

According to him, ‘Oyo State people are wise and they cannot be cajoled by Senator Billboards.’

Olufade urged political office holders and aspirants to focus more on delivering tangible benefits to the people, stressing that the ultimate legacy of any elected representative would be determined by the lives touched and communities transformed during their tenure.

He commended the three APM lawmakers for what he described as their commitment to grassroots development and urged them to sustain the momentum by continuing to place the welfare and aspirations of their constituents at the centre of their legislative responsibilities.

The chairman maintained that the interventions recorded across Ibadan North offered a practical demonstration that effective representation could translate legislative positions into real development outcomes for ordinary citizens.