Category: Nigerian Tribune

A 68-year-old British woman, Dawn Ottewell, has accused her 31-year-old Nigerian husband, Bright Emokpae, of marrying her to obtain a spouse visa to live in the UK.

Ottewell, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said she has been unable to locate Emokpae or complete their divorce after he allegedly left their home and blocked her on social media.

The couple, who have a 37-year age gap, first met through dating apps in 2021 before getting married at a registry office in Nicosia, Cyprus, on March 22, 2022. They met in person for the first time during Ottewell’s trip to Cyprus for their wedding.

Ottewell told The Sun that Emokpae initially presented himself as Brian Thomas, a professional in his 30s, before later telling her that he was a fashion student in his mid-20s from Benin City, Nigeria.

Despite the revelation, she said she forgave him and proceeded with the marriage.

‘I know I was a fool, but I was in love,’ Ottewell said.

‘I was so lonely and depressed during the pandemic. I was out-of-work with several health issues. I was on Universal Credit and living with my daughter Kirsty, 33, who had a 14-month-old baby, but we were arguing all the time. ‘When I met Bright, he made me feel special and alive.’

Emokpae subsequently moved to Britain after securing a spouse visa, but Ottewell said their relationship began to deteriorate after he arrived in the UK.

She alleged that he became increasingly distant and made financial demands, including asking her to send money to Nigeria. Ottewell also claimed she covered most of their household and social expenses.

‘I got all-new furniture, and he didn’t put a penny towards it. When we went out for dinner, it was usually me picking up the bill,’ she said.

Emokpae denied the allegation, telling The Sun that he contributed £400 towards his £900 flight from Nigeria and paid the council tax and water bills at their shared home.

The couple initially separated in October 2023 but reconciled six months later. Their reunion came after Ottewell received a £63,000 payout from a medical negligence claim relating to a prolapse operation at an NHS hospital.

Ottewell said she later came to believe that Emokpae was primarily interested in her money.

Their relationship eventually broke down again, with Ottewell saying Emokpae left shortly before Christmas 2024 after discovering messages she had exchanged with other men on dating apps.

She said she has had no contact with him since he blocked her on social media around eight months before The Sun published its report.

‘He’s done a runner and is refusing to sign the divorce papers because I believe he wants to cling on to his spouse visa,’ she said.

Ottewell also claimed Emokpae may now be living in Scotland, where she alleged he had established an online clothing business.

‘I’m convinced he was never in love with me and just wanted a visa to move to England,’ Ottewell said.

‘And it’s because of his cherished spouse visa that he won’t agree to a divorce.’

She said Citizens Advice is assisting her as she attempts to locate Emokpae and serve him with divorce papers.

‘I just want him out of my life for good,’ she said.

‘I also want people to know that if this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.’

Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwor has urged parents to let their children experience some level of struggle, saying the process can help them develop resilience, responsibility and an appreciation for hard work.

Ozokwor, popularly known as Mama G, said protecting children from every form of hardship could leave them ill-prepared for the realities of adulthood. She stressed that allowing children to struggle should not be confused with deliberately subjecting them to suffering.

‘When you say, ‘I don’t want my children to suffer what I suffered when I was growing up,’ okay, that’s the best way to destroy your children,’ she said.

‘I’m not saying allow them to suffer. What I’m saying is allow them to struggle. Go through the process.’

The actress spoke about her own difficult path to success, recalling how she took on different forms of work while pursuing opportunities in the Nigerian film industry.

Ozokwor said she once made and sold food at movie locations and audition venues, using the income to support herself and pay for transportation.

‘There was a time I was frying buns. When I even came into the industry, I would prepare chicken, dress it well. I would prepare buns for anyone you want to buy.’

She said the experience was part of the reality she faced while trying to establish herself, adding that she saved the money she made from selling the food to fund her movement between locations.

‘But maybe the next day you see the children standing, waiting for me to see if there’s money coming up for handouts and for all that. Yes, that’s how I grew up,’ she said.

Speaking in an interview with Femi Bassey TV on YouTube, shared on Wednesday, Ozokwor also reflected on raising her children while dealing with the challenges of caring for her husband, who lived with diabetes and hypertension for years.

According to the actress, she deliberately exposed her children to the effort required to build a stable life instead of allowing them to assume that the things they had were guaranteed.

She recalled that three of her sons took part in construction work while they were university students, describing such experiences as lessons in responsibility and the value of what the family had built.

‘I don’t say that your children will go through all the pains you went through, but let them go through little pains. Then they will know that it is not easy to make,’ she said.

Ozokwor also cautioned parents against giving their children inherited wealth without preparing them to manage and grow it.

‘Don’t get this on the platter of gold. It’s not easy. Your father built three houses, four houses and you think you can balance on eating it,’ she said.

She encouraged young people to develop the determination to work for themselves, recalling that she did not rely solely on her husband for financial support.

‘I didn’t wait for my husband. I studied my husband. I knew the kind of person he was. I buttoned up and then tied my belt and I struggled,’ she said.

Ozokwor said the lessons her children learned from witnessing the sacrifices involved in building the family’s life have helped them become independent.

‘My children know the pains of making life better and that’s why they are all comfortable now, struggling on their own.’

The Federal Government has formally inaugurated the National Steering Committee for the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC) Initiative, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s drive to establish a globally competitive financial hub in Africa.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume inaugurated the committee at a ceremony held on Wednesday, in Abuja, according to a statement by the Head, Information and Public Relations Department, Mr. Chris Ugwuegbulam.

Akume explained that LIFC is a strategic initiative designed to deepen Nigeria’s capital markets, attract domestic and foreign investment, promote financial innovation, and strengthen the country’s financial ecosystem for sustainable economic growth.

‘The establishment of the LIFC presents an opportunity to leverage Lagos’ strategic position and Nigeria’s economic potential to create a financial centre of international standing,’ he said.

He noted that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has endorsed the LIFC Initiative as a strategic national economic priority and directed the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to coordinate Federal Government support for its implementation.

The Committee, he added, brings together key Federal Government institutions, the Lagos State Government, and private sector stakeholders to ensure effective coordination in addressing policy, legal, regulatory, institutional, and infrastructure issues critical to the Centre’s success.

He urged members to approach the assignment with commitment and urgency, emphasising that the success of the LIFC will depend on a strong whole-of-government approach and effective partnership between the Federal Government, Lagos State Government, and the private sector.

The SGF congratulated all members and wished the Committee a successful and impactful engagement while also assuring the Committee of the full support of his Office in facilitating the discharge of its mandate.

The National Steering Committee is composed as follows: Chairman, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume CON; Co-Chairman: Governor, Lagos State Babajide Sanwo – Olu.

Shadow Chair: Permanent Secretary (GSO) OSGF, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, mni, DRM, Shadow Co-Chair: Hon. Commissioner for Finance, Lagos State Government, Mr. Abayomi Oluyomi.

Others are: Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy – Taiwo Oyedele; Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice – Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumiegwu-Ojukwu; Honourable Minister of Interior of Nigeria is Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, MFR; Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso; Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama; Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) Dr. Zacch Adedeji and EnterpriseNGR Chairman Aigboje Aig- Imoukhuede.

Members of the Secretariat are: Director of Legal Services (OSGF) Mrs. Kamilatu M. Kida and CEO, EnterpriseNGR, Ms. Obi Obiekwe.

The highpoint of the inauguration ceremony was an elaborate briefing and presentation made by the Co-Chairman of the Committee and the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

He explained that International Financial Centres are deliberate instruments of national economic strategy: trusted jurisdictions built to mobilise long-term capital, deepen markets and connect domestic opportunity to global capital. Their foundations are institutional trust, regulatory quality, legal certainty and international connectivity.

LIFC, he explained, can become the trusted platform through which Nigeria competes for global capital – and through which capital accesses African opportunity.

The Committee, the Governor added, brings together key Federal Government institutions, the Lagos State Government, and private sector stakeholders ‘represented by EnterpriseNGR’, to ensure effective coordination in addressing policy, legal, regulatory, institutional, and infrastructure issues critical to the Centre’s success.

The PBAT Mandate Elders Forum in Ondo State on Wednesday urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to prioritise genuine reconciliation among major stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying such unity was necessary to give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu an easy electoral victory in the state in the 2027 election.

The Ondo APC elders said Aiyedatiwa’s appointment as Tinubu’s 2027 campaign coordinator in the state was an assignment to unite the party and bring its various tendencies together, not an opportunity to consolidate political supremacy.

Chairman of the Forum, Hon. Demola Ijabiyi, stated this on Wednesday in Akure while addressing journalists on recent political developments within the APC and preparations for the 2027 elections.

Ijabiyi said the governor must take the lead in resolving the differences between his camp and other influential stakeholders, particularly the three ministers from the state, members of the National Assembly and other stakeholders, if the party genuinely wants to present a united front for Tinubu.

He said merely inviting stakeholders to meetings or recognising their positions without addressing the issues responsible for the divisions would amount to cosmetic reconciliation.

‘If we want genuine reconciliation, the only way we can participate is when we see the governor, the ministers and National Assembly members hold a meeting in the Government House and have lunch together. The day we see that, then we will know reconciliation is genuine,’ he said.

The APC chieftain said the responsibility for achieving such reconciliation rested largely with Aiyedatiwa as the leader of the party in the state.

According to him, the governor’s campaign coordination role should be measured by his ability to bring all tendencies within the APC together and mobilise them for Tinubu’s victory.

He warned that the appointment of Aiyedatiwa as the coordinator of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign in the state should not be interpreted as a licence to dominate or subjugate other political stakeholders within the APC.

Ijabiyi congratulated Aiyedatiwa on his appointment as the President’s campaign coordinator, and expressed the Forum’s readiness to cooperate with every genuine effort aimed at securing an overwhelming victory for Tinubu in Ondo State.

He, however, drew a clear distinction between coordinating the President’s campaign and controlling the political structure of the state.

‘Appointment as campaign coordinator is an assignment to unite; it is not a coronation to rule over other political stakeholders.

‘The success of the governor’s assignment will ultimately be measured not by declarations of political supremacy, newspaper articles or social-media exchanges, but by the votes delivered to President Tinubu in 2027,’ Ijabiyi said.

The Forum’s position followed recent efforts by the state APC leadership to engage stakeholders on the possibility of convening a meeting aimed at strengthening unity within the party.

Ijabiyi, however, insisted that such a meeting would only be meaningful if the major political differences were first confronted and resolved.

He also urged the governor to rein in aides and supporters whose public statements could further inflame tensions within the party, warning that political disagreements should not be allowed to degenerate into personal attacks.

The Forum reaffirmed its support for Tunji-Ojo, describing the minister as an important political asset to President Tinubu and the APC in Ondo State.

Ijabiyi said the minister’s popularity should be deployed towards expanding the President’s support base rather than treated as a threat to the governor.

‘The Governor’s constitutional authority does not diminish BTO’s political relevance, and BTO’s popularity does not diminish the Governor’s constitutional position.

‘President Tinubu needs both men. More importantly, he needs everybody,’ he said.

He stressed that the APC’s overriding assignment in 2027 was to secure Tinubu’s re-election and victory for the party’s candidates, not to determine which faction or individual controlled the party.

‘There is no victory yet to celebrate. The campaign has not been fought. The election has not been held. The votes have not been counted,’ he said.

Ijabiyi urged all stakeholders to subordinate personal ambitions and factional interests to the broader objective of retaining the Presidency for the APC.

‘The governor has been given the responsibility to coordinate. Let him coordinate. The stakeholders have a responsibility to cooperate. Let us cooperate.

‘Nobody’s ego will be on the ballot in 2027. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC candidates will be,’ he added.

THE centenary celebration of Pa Reuben Fasoranti in Lagos on Friday was more than an occasion to honour a 100 year old Afenifere leader. It brought several generations of the Yoruba political tradition together around questions of leadership, regional cooperation, constitutional reform and the values needed to sustain them. The gathering at the MUSON Centre in Onikan brought together Yoruba political leaders, traditional rulers, academics, religious leaders and other stakeholders. Their speeches returned repeatedly to the legacy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the struggle for democracy and the continuing search for a political direction for the South West. One strand of the discussion went beyond the familiar arguments about restructuring and regional integration. It examined the kind of leadership required to make those ambitions credible and lasting.

In his lecture, Archbishop Emeritus Ayo Ladigbolu argued that political renewal could not be separated from character. While Professor Ropo Sekoni examined the constitutional dimension and Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, focused on practical regional cooperation, the lecture approached the subject through Yoruba ethical thought. Presenting a paper titled,’Yoruba Ethical Renaissance: A Way To Reinvent Our National Values And Rebuild The Nigeria Of Our Dream’, Ladigbolu argued that Nigeria’s problems could not be explained only by weak institutions or policy failures. ‘At the heart of Yoruba ethics lies Iwa,’ he said. ‘In Yoruba philosophy, a person’s worth is not judged by how much money he has but by the content of his character.’ He drew on the example of Awolowo to illustrate the place of character in political leadership. ‘History offers hidden explanations for Awo’s greatness and imperishable legacy. Simply put, Awo endures because he had character,’ he said.

‘It is character that makes a leader see into the future and the opportunities encased in its womb when his rivals and contemporaries see only the expediencies of today. It is character that gives a leader the courage to sacrifice everything including his life and even family, in the pursuit of a cause.’

The argument was particularly relevant to a celebration centred on Fasoranti, whose 100 years were being marked as a record of public service and political commitment. Former Finance Minister, Oba Olu Falae, made that point in his opening remarks. ‘Pa Reuben Fasoranti clocked 100 years in May. We are not here to celebrate longevity. We are here to celebrate impacts,’ Falae said. He described Fasoranti as a peaceful, loyal and faithful leader who was respected with love rather than fear. ‘The aim of this lecture is to inspire leadership and to inspire others to leadership so that they can emulate the virtues of Pa Fasoranti,’ he said. The challenge of passing those values to another generation ran through the lecture. The political inheritance of Awolowo and the Afenifere generation cannot survive simply as speeches, photographs and anniversaries. It has to find expression in a political environment very different from the one in which those leaders operated. The proposed answer was a Yoruba Ethical Renaissance built around Iwa, Omoluabi, Ajose and Otito, representing character, moral responsibility, communal cooperation and truth.

It was not presented as a call to retreat from modernity. ‘A Yoruba Ethical Renaissance involves the recovery, reinterpretation, and application of indigenous ethical principles in contemporary contexts,’ Ladigbolu said. ‘It is not a return to the past but a forward looking project which seeks to integrate tradition and modernity.’ For younger Yoruba people, the challenge may therefore be less about recovering these values than finding reasons to believe they still matter. Knowing the old proverbs or remembering the names of Awolowo and other political heroes is not enough. The values have to remain visible in public life for a new generation to see integrity, sacrifice and service as more than historical ideals. The lecture also turned that scrutiny towards the elders themselves. ‘Elders serve as moral compass,’ he said. ‘But what can we do in a situation when the Elders who ought to set the standard and correct the young ones have also become victims of globalization?’

The implication is difficult to avoid. A movement cannot ask the younger generation to reject corruption and selfishness while those expected to provide moral leadership fail to uphold the standards they preach. Ladigbolu proposed an annual Chief Reuben Fasoranti Youth Dialogue on Nigeria Ethical Renaissance as one way of connecting the generation being honoured with those expected to carry the values forward. Professor Ropo Sekoni took the discussion into the political and constitutional arena. He recalled the achievements associated with Awolowo, Bola Ige and Adekunle Ajasin, particularly free education and healthcare, and argued that Afenifere should continue its historic campaign for a better constitutional order. ‘NADECO may have helped us to get democracy. Afenifere should help us to get a great constitution for Nigeria, so that all will be truly equal,’ Sekoni said. The appeal places another responsibility on Afenifere. Having helped sustain the struggle for democratic rule, the organisation now has to define what it wants to achieve within the democratic system.Constitutional reform and true federalism have long been central to the progressive political tradition. The difficulty is turning those longstanding demands into a coherent programme that can command support beyond political meetings and anniversary gatherings.Hamzat offered a more immediate route by urging South West governments to work together with powers and resources they already possess.

He called on governors to coordinate their development plans and budgets and argued that regional integration did not have to wait for constitutional reform.

His examples were concrete. He proposed interconnected rail infrastructure across the region and greater cooperation in agriculture, with states such as Ekiti, Ogun and Ondo supplying agricultural produce to Lagos.

‘So Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo can supply the rice because the land is there. So that’s the way to do it,’ he said.

He also called for greater use of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) and the South West Development Commission (SWDC).

‘That one doesn’t require any constitution,’ Hamzat said. ‘It’s just governors and their team sitting together with DAWN to say, how do we link Southwest together?’

For the South West, that creates an immediate test. The region already has elected governments, substantial economic resources, universities, industries, transport networks and regional institutions. Much can be done through cooperation within the powers the states already have.

The harder task is maintaining that cooperation as administrations change and political interests shift.

President Bola Tinubu, represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, placed Fasoranti within the wider history of Nigeria’s democratic struggle.

‘I bring good tidings from the President. He thanked the lecturers profusely. He said he learnt a lot from the lectures,’ Gbajabiamila said.

Quoting Awolowo, he added, ‘Only the deep can reach into the deep. The lectures contain deep meanings.’

He also stressed that Fasoranti’s influence extended beyond the Yoruba.

‘Pa Fasoranti is a foremost Yoruba leader. But I must say that Pa Fasoranti’s impact is bigger than the Yoruba race. His name cannot be erased from the history of democracy in Nigeria,’ he said.

Chief Olusegun Osoba, who chaired the occasion, returned to the philosophy behind Afenifere.

‘What is the meaning of Afenifere? It means he who wishes others well or he who wants good for others,’ Osoba said.

He described egalitarianism, or equality of all, as central to Awolowo’s political philosophy and that of the old Unity Party of Nigeria. He also traced the progressive political tradition through the Alliance for Democracy, Action Congress and Action Congress of Nigeria to the All Progressives Congress.

The occasion drew Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, former Ekiti Governor Kayode Fayemi, former Ondo Governor Olusegun Mimiko, former Osun State Deputy Governor Iyiola Omisore, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Chairman of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council (GAC) Prince Tajudeen Olusi, the Olowo of Owo Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin, Ondo State Attorney General Kayode Ajulo, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti, Professor Toyin Ogundipe and other prominent figures.

Representatives of Afenifere from Kwara, Kogi, Delta and other states also attended.

The gathering was bigger than a birthday celebration. It brought together several generations of the political tradition Fasoranti has represented for decades.

He has lived through colonial rule, independence, the political upheavals of the First Republic, military rule, the NADECO struggle and the democratic era. His life therefore connects political generations that experienced very different versions of Nigeria.

But much of the inheritance associated with that generation remains unfinished.

Sekoni’s call is for Afenifere to turn its democratic inheritance towards constitutional reform. Hamzat wants South West governments to begin acting collectively within the powers they already possess. Osoba pointed back to egalitarianism and the tradition of wishing others well.

But the political proposals also return to the problem of values.Can the values that gave the old progressive tradition its moral authority still persuade people growing up in a political culture where money and influence often appear to count for more than character?

Fasoranti’s 100 years offer an opportunity to examine what is being passed from one political generation to another.

Remembering that inheritance will not be enough to preserve it. Political ideas need people willing to carry them into public life and defend them when doing so becomes difficult.

The generation now approaching political leadership will eventually have its own moment, just as Awolowo and the NADECO generation had theirs.The real test will be whether the present generation can pass those ideals on in a form that the next generation is willing to embrace and defend.

The KEFFESO Host Communities Development Trust has recorded a significant progress in governance, financial oversight, infrastructure delivery and community development in 2025, with its project portfolio achieving 78 percent execution.

Presenting the Board of Trustees’ report at the Trust’s 2025 Annual General Meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the board secretary, Dr. Matthew Sele-Epri, said the board strengthened oversight through regular meetings, committee reviews and monitoring of the approved work plan and budget.

‘The board provided direction and exercised oversight through its meetings, committees and engagements with the Trust’s statutory and operational structures,’ Sele-Epri said.

He said the Trust also strengthened the oversight roles of its programmes oversight, monitoring and evaluation committee; advocacy, communications, partnership and stakeholder management committee; and finance, accounts audit and risk management committee.

He said that progress was recorded in procurement, recruitment, grievance management, stakeholder engagement, project delivery, HSE standards, ethics, budgeting and financial management, as Forvis Mazars was appointed external auditor, while the Trust completed its registration with the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria. Vetiva Capital and FBNQuest were also appointed to manage approved naira and dollar reserve investments.

Sele-Epri said the board was satisfied that management operated substantially within its mandate, work plan and budget, while noting the need for improved information flow, performance appraisal, early risk escalation, reporting, timely delivery, prudent resource use, community participation and sustainability.

The board subsequently endorsed the management implementation report and audited financial statements for presentation in the AGM.Chairman of the BoT, HRH Moses Theophilus, said 2025 was marked by institutional consolidation and measurable progress across the 11 Keffeso host communities.

He disclosed that the Trust supported 258 education, health and water-service personnel, profiled 229 persons living with disabilities, and enabled 40 young people to access opportunities under the Federal Government’s technical and vocational education initiative.

It also facilitated scholarship, employment and contractor-registration opportunities through industry relationships.

The Oyo State Government has launched a renewed push to protect gains recorded in the fight against HIV/AIDS, as the Oyo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYSACA) called for increased domestic financing and stronger partnerships to prevent funding challenges from undermining the state’s HIV response.

OYSACA Chairman, Aare (Dr) Gbola Adetunji, made the call at the third-quarter meeting of the Oyo State HIV Resources Mobilisation Technical Working Group and Sustainability Plan Committee in Ibadan.

He said the changing global health financing environment and donor transition had made it urgent for Oyo State to develop sustainable alternatives for financing HIV prevention, testing, treatment, care, and support.

Adetunji said the state could no longer rely predominantly on external support to sustain critical HIV interventions and urged government institutions, local government areas, development partners, civil society organisations, communities, and the private sector to strengthen domestic ownership of the HIV response.

‘Resource mobilisation goes beyond funding or material resources. It includes strategies that will ensure that the HIV response continues to thrive towards ending HIV/AIDS in Oyo State and Nigeria at large,’ he said.

He called for greater involvement of the state’s 33 Local Government Areas in HIV planning, budgeting, and implementation, including integrating HIV priorities into local government development plans and budgets.

While acknowledging progress in HIV testing, treatment linkage, community outreach, advocacy, and service integration, Adetunji urged corporate organisations, foundations, professional bodies, and other non-traditional partners to support HIV prevention, treatment, community mobilisation and health-system strengthening.

Mr Babatunde Makinde, Partner Focal Person and representative of the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, said the state was adopting a coordinated approach anchored on the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint, with emphasis on ‘one voice, one conversation, one plan, and one report.’

He said partners working in similar thematic areas would be encouraged to plan jointly with government programme officers to reduce duplication, improve accountability, and strengthen reporting. Makinde added that preparations for the 2027 Annual Operational Plan had commenced, with government and partners working together to develop a coordinated HIV plan.

Dr Dickson Adetoye, State Team Approach Lead for APIN Public Health Initiatives in Oyo State, disclosed that 10 of 52 APIN-supported facilities had achieved full HIV service integration, while 21 had attained partial integration.

He said the progress followed deliberate interventions, including stronger facility leadership, greater involvement of government health workers, and efforts to ensure that people living with HIV are treated as clients of the entire health facility rather than as beneficiaries of a stand-alone programme.

Adetoye identified service integration, leadership and governance, health financing, and human resources as critical pillars for sustaining the HIV response. He said integration should go beyond relocating ART clinics to involve all health workers in HIV service delivery.

He disclosed that the programme targeted at least 80 per cent integration across all supported facilities by the end of September, although the target had not yet been achieved.

Mr Faith Olawale, Chairman of the Network of People Living with HIV in Oyo State, called for a gradual and inclusive approach to integration. He raised concerns about how integration would work in secondary facilities where HIV, TB, malaria, and other services operate separately and called for systems that would allow clients to access multiple services conveniently.

Olawale also stressed the need to address self-stigma among people living with HIV and prepare them for the changing service-delivery environment by helping them understand that integration would make HIV care part of routine healthcare.

Mr Muideen Isa, representative of the Damien Foundation, called for stronger top-level advocacy with the government to accelerate integration and sustain the HIV response.

Isa urged stakeholders to ensure that roadmaps and recommendations from technical and community-level discussions reach government decision-makers, stressing the need for a clear roadmap, timeline, and milestones for integration.

He said grassroots advocacy remained important, but high-level government engagement was equally necessary to secure policy commitment and ensure that all stakeholders worked toward a common objective.

Children living in communities where electronic waste is routinely dumped and burnt face a significantly higher risk of developing hypertension, a new study has found.

The study revealed that children exposed to e-waste pollution were about four times more likely to develop hypertension, with toxic metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) linked to changes in gut-related metabolic pathways and disruption of the body’s blood pressure regulation.

The findings, published in Environment and Health, highlight growing concerns over the health effects of exposure to pollutants released during e-waste recycling.

Researchers examined the impact of exposure to heavy metals and VOCs from e-waste recycling on children’s blood pressure and found elevated levels of VOCs and metal(loid)s among children living in e-waste recycling areas.

The study involved 426 children without a previous history of hypertension who lived in an e-waste recycling area in China. Conducted in October 2022, the research sought to assess how combined exposure to VOCs and metalloids affected children’s blood pressure and to develop a model for identifying those at risk of hypertension.

Researchers collected fasting urine samples and blood pressure measurements, while demographic and health information was obtained through questionnaires.

The urine samples were analysed for 18 metal(loid)s, including lead, nickel, cadmium and arsenic, as well as metabolites indicating exposure to VOCs such as benzene and styrene derivatives.

A hypertension prevalence of 12.7 per cent was recorded among the children-considerably higher than national estimates.

Further analysis showed significant links between some pollutants and blood pressure. Urinary cobalt and gallium, for instance, were positively associated with systolic blood pressure, while selenium and tin were linked to diastolic blood pressure.

The researchers said the findings were particularly concerning as global e-waste continues to rise, with developing countries bearing much of the burden of recycling and disposal.

During the dismantling, processing and open burning of electronic waste, hazardous substances can be released into the environment, exposing nearby communities to a cocktail of toxic pollutants.

Hypertension remains a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, yet conventional explanations do not fully account for its rising incidence, the researchers noted.

Previous studies have also linked living close to e-waste recycling sites with an increased risk of hypertension, particularly among children.

Early elevation of blood pressure is of particular concern because it can persist into adulthood and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.

Among the major pollutants released during e-waste recycling are VOCs and metalloids, both of which can damage the cardiovascular system.

Researchers suggested that simultaneous exposure to the pollutants could worsen their effects, as they may act through similar pathways, including oxidative stress and other chemical processes that interfere with normal body functions.

Fresh concerns have emerged over the environmental and economic impact of oil operations in Nembe Creek, Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, following a crude oil spill allegedly associated with crude-oil loading operations at a firm’s facility.

The incident has left fishing communities worried over the possible impact on their waterways, mangrove ecosystem and traditional livelihoods.

The development was documented during an on-the-spot assessment conducted by renowned environmental activist and field monitor, Comrade Morris Alagoa, on behalf of the Environmental Conservation Agriculture and Rural Development (ECARD).

Alagoa, who visited the affected area and interacted with community people reported visible crude oil contamination on waterways leading to Nembe Creek and observed crude oil around parts of the community’s waterfront.

His field report, documented testimonies from residents who alleged that the latest incident had severely disrupted fishing and other economic activities.

The overall paramount ruler of the Nembe Creek communities, His Royal Highness Agent Anthony Waya, told Alagoa that residents had suffered several oil-spill incidents since Aiteo took over operations in the area.

Waya alleged that previous spill incidents were not adequately addressed and complained about the absence of relief materials and compensation for affected residents.

He said the latest incident had worsened the economic hardship facing fishermen, who, according to him, now return from overnight fishing expeditions with little or no catch.

The monarch appealed to the government, environmental organisations and other relevant authorities to intervene.

He called for measures to support fishermen whose livelihoods have allegedly been affected by oil operations.

Waya added that the latest spill occurred while crude oil was being loaded into a barge at a manifold.

The community’s women leader, Ebi Otokolo, told Alagoa that the pollution had prevented residents from carrying out their normal fishing activities and had affected their ability to use the river.

Love Mark, vice chairlady of the Nembe Creek women, said she rushed to retrieve her fishing nets after discovering crude oil on the river.

According to her, the nets were contaminated and could no longer be used.

A former youth president of neighbouring Ewelesuo community, Daukoru Benjaka, told Alagoa that residents of the community were concerned about the effect of the spill on their ecosystem and fishing camps.

Benjaka said Ewelesuo residents wanted the community and its fishing camps included in the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) and any subsequent assessment of the environmental damage.

He alleged that fishing activities had already been affected by the pollution..

According to the field report prepared by Alagoa, residents identified numerous communities and fishing settlements as allegedly affected by the spill.

They include Mile 1, Mile 2, Mile 3, Roka, Williamkiri, Atonbarakiri, Korukiri, Madam Wanwakiri, Ewelesuo, Kpongbokiri, Victorkiri, Abuja 1, Abuja 2, Abuja 3, Pipeline 1-4, Kalakububogo, Etikiri, Kenkiamabogo, Atonyekiri, Ogono-Otokolo (Ijawkiri) and Edwinkiri, among others.

After 19 years of neglect and abandonment, the historic Tinubu Square Fountain Park on Lagos Island has been refurbished and upgraded as part of plans to transform the facility into what its managers describe as Lagos State’s first smart park.

The facility managers, Corner47 Group Limited, unveiled the redevelopment plans during a press briefing at the park on Wednesday.

Chief Executive Officer of Corner47, Gbolahan Ogundimu Odusanya, said the project was designed to restore the dignity of the historic monument while making it safer, more functional, educational and accessible to residents and visitors.

Odusanya said the initiative was also aimed at supporting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s vision of a ‘smart, safe and historic Lagos’ and delivering sustainable projects that would benefit the state beyond the current administration.

The fountain was last refurbished in 2007 during the administration of former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but subsequently suffered years of neglect, with the surrounding area increasingly exposed to dumping and street trading.

Explaining the motivation behind the redevelopment, Odusanya said the fountain remained an important legacy of the Lagos State Government and deserved to be preserved and properly maintained.

He said rehabilitation work commenced after Corner47 secured the necessary approvals from relevant state agencies.

According to him, the project followed a directive from the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Tokunbo Wahab, for the company to approach the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) for a partnership.

He said LASPARK subsequently granted provisional approval and guided the company through the process of obtaining the required clearances from other government agencies.

Odusanya said the approval process lasted about nine months because of the number of agencies involved, adding that rehabilitation work commenced immediately after the necessary approvals were obtained.

He said the transformation would include improved lighting, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, renovated walkways, seating facilities and round-the-clock security.

The park, he added, would also feature historical displays and signages designed to educate residents, particularly younger Lagosians, about the history of Lagos and the roles of commerce, culture and its people in shaping the city.

‘Tinubu Fountain Park is not just a park. It is a monument with historical significance-a place that tells the story of commerce, culture and people that shaped Lagos,’ he said.

Odusanya said the approximately 2,000-square-metre facility would also serve as an inclusive public space capable of hosting and supporting activities of the Lagos State Government.

He disclosed that Corner47 was seeking Governor Sanwo-Olu’s approval to engage Nigerian Legionnaires to provide 24-hour security at the facility under its proposed ‘Operation Dignified Service’ initiative.

According to him, the proposal would provide disciplined security personnel for the heritage site while creating dignified employment opportunities for military veterans.

He said Corner47 had initially engaged Kai Marshal for security support, but the organisation indicated that manpower constraints made it difficult to provide dedicated 24-hour coverage for a single heritage site.

On street trading around the facility, Odusanya said the company had engaged traders operating on the walkways and informed them that trading on walkways and public spaces was prohibited under Lagos State laws.

He cited provisions of the Lagos State Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law, 2003; the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Law, 2011; and the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017, as legal bases for the restriction.

He appealed to Lagos residents to support the redevelopment, protect the facility and comply with regulations governing the use of public spaces.

Corner47 proposes housing scheme for abandoned buildings

Beyond the fountain park project, Corner47 has proposed the rehabilitation and conversion of abandoned buildings on Lagos Island into housing units.

Odusanya said the company was ready to pilot the initiative with about 50 identified abandoned buildings in areas including Olowogbowo, Oko-Faji, Lafiaji, Epetedo and Okepopo.

He also identified the abandoned NITEL headquarters building in the TBS area and another building on Berkeley Street, opposite Iya Eba, as potential sites for the initiative.

According to him, the proposal would involve verification, minor rehabilitation and professional facility management of the buildings.

He said the initiative could provide thousands of housing units within six to 12 months without requiring new land acquisition, thereby helping to ease pressure on rents.

Odusanya also argued that returning abandoned buildings to productive use would improve security by reducing spaces vulnerable to vandalism and criminal activities.

He proposed that data from the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASSRA) and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) could be leveraged in implementing the initiative.

He said the model would not only convert abandoned properties into productive assets but could also generate employment, rental income and tax revenue for the government.

Odusanya appealed to the state government to allow Corner47 to present a detailed implementation framework to the Ministries of Housing and Justice for consideration.