Category: Nigerian Tribune

I cooked this piece’s title from Alice Urquhart Fewell’s ‘Soups for the Sick’ published in 1920. I went for it after I found William Bascom’s ‘Yoruba Cooking’ (1951) very inadequate for my lessons on what has been happening in the kitchen of Nigeria since the current chef took over.

President Bola Tinubu met the 36 states broke, sick and malnourished. He thought of what to do. His diviners whispered the solution in his ear. They took him into the kitchen and showed him how it is done. And he did just as he was told. One dollar that gave Muhammadu Buhari N470 started giving him N1,500. Like Orunmila who rejoiced and danced after achieving a major spiritual breakthrough, Tinubu went back to his diviners; he ‘praised his priests and his priests praised Olodumare.’ What was not enough now abounds in excess.

One day in February 2025, Tinubu told his APC state governors to their faces that monthly allocations to their states had tripled under the watch of his wizard: ‘If you were getting N40 billion before, you’re now getting N120 billion.’ February 2025 was not the first time the President would count increased FAAC money as a product of his genius. He and his government have repeatedly driven that nail into the vulnerable heads of the governors. In July this year, he told some obas from Oyo State that ‘states are taking four to five times more money than in the past.’ He took the credit for that, describing the billions as ‘the money I am pushing to the states’. That is very true. But truth sometimes has adjectives.

Alice Urquhart Fewell’s ‘Soups for the Sick’ is a century-old five-page recipe for feeding the infirm: plenty of water, a little meat and bone, then hours of simmering to extract whatever nourishment is left. That appears to be the manual our chef read backwards. The man poured a bucket of water into the family pot of soup. Now the pot is full and everyone has something to lick and drink. But has anyone been better fed?

Who would tell the chef that what he cooked was a pot of conflict between nominal abundance and real nourishment? Could that be why he repeatedly supplements his own 52.68 percent share with borrowing and more borrowing? Drum makers grapple with exactly that problem when the hide is not enough to cover the face of the talking drum. You may stretch the hide, but stretching does not create more leather; it only makes what you have thinner and more vulnerable to rupture.

If you are a Tinubu person and you insist that volume is nourishment, maybe you should read Franz Kafka’s ‘A Hunger Artist’ (1922); you may also go a little further back and read Knut Hamsun’s 1890 novel ‘Hunger’. Check their protagonists and their encounters with water.

What is the way out? Nigeria’s problem is not the quantity of the medicine but the appropriateness of the prescription. Someone should tell the self-adulatory to stop beating his chest of bare bones. The right diagnosis should prescribe the right medicine. If we do it the way it should be done, it will turn out the way it should. The way we pound boiled yam is not the way we pound dried yam: pounded yam binds into a cohesive mass; dried yam crumbles into powder (Ìgún iyán kò j? ti èlùb?´; mímú ni iyán n mú, kíkù ni èlùb?´ n kù). Wrong diagnosis and wrong medication are tickets to the theatre of death. Someone should tell the president that his medicines are complications for the sick. The casualties are all over the country.

When you have an almost empty pot of soup and you think the only way to make it go round a hungry household is to pour a bucket of water into it, what you produce is not more soup but more water and a household condemned to perpetual hunger and malnutrition. That is a fitting metaphor for Nigeria’s watery billions.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has approved the release of N18 million to support vulnerable widows in three local government areas of the state under the second phase of the O’Datiwa Widows Care Initiative.

The intervention, which is aimed at cushioning the effects of economic hardship on widows and their families, was launched on Monday at the palace of the Olubaka of Oka-Akoko Kingdom, Oba Dr Yusuf Adebori Adeleye, in Akoko South-West Local Government Area.

The governor said more than 500 widows drawn from the 15 wards in the local government benefited from free medical checks, drugs and financial assistance under the initiative.

Aiyedatiwa said the programme was part of his administration’s social intervention efforts aimed at providing succour to vulnerable and less privileged members of society.

Represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Bosede Osamaye, she said the initiative was conceived by Aiyedatiwa to support widows who had been left to shoulder the responsibilities of caring for their families following the death of their spouses.

Osamaye said the governor had identified widows as a vulnerable group requiring government intervention, particularly in view of the prevailing economic challenges.

‘The Governor has identified this vulnerable group who, as a result of the death of their spouses, are facing several hardships.

‘We have come to engage with them, providing succour as a government to alleviate their poverty in a way we think we can,’ she said.

She explained that the intervention was also designed to help widows build resilience and cope with the responsibility of raising their children and sustaining their households alone.

The commissioner commended Governor Aiyedatiwa and his wife, Mrs Esther Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, for their commitment to improving the welfare of vulnerable groups across the state.

According to her, the transparent selection process involved community chiefs, heads and opinion leaders, who assisted in identifying vulnerable widows in their respective communities.

She disclosed that the initiative would be extended to Idanre and Okitipupa local government areas, stressing that the state government was determined to ensure that vulnerable women across the state benefited from the intervention.

The Olubaka of Oka-Akoko, Oba Dr Yusuf Adebori Adeleye, commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for introducing programmes targeted at vulnerable members of society.

The traditional ruler described the intervention as evidence of the governor’s concern for the people, particularly those facing difficult circumstances.

‘Governor Aiyedatiwa’s government is a government that cares for everybody. Nobody is left behind in his laudable programmes,’ the monarch said.

The traditional ruler also appreciated Governor Aiyedatiwa and his wife for choosing Oka-Akoko to flag off the second phase of the initiative.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Radiat Temitope, thanked the governor, his wife and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for the intervention.

She said the free medical services had provided an opportunity for widows who could not ordinarily afford medical check-ups to access healthcare and receive drugs at no cost.

Temitope also said the financial assistance would help beneficiaries meet some of their immediate needs and support their families.

The event was attended by officials of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, representatives of the Ondo State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, Hospital Management Board, local government officials, women leaders and other stakeholders.

YOU have repeatedly spoken about Nigeria’s importance to PAPSS. What role has Nigeria played in the development of the system?

Nigeria has been extremely important to the PAPSS journey. Nigeria was among the first countries to come together in support of PAPSS, and it was the first country to chair the Permanent Council of PAPSS. Nigeria continues to provide leadership within the system. So, when we talk about the development of PAPSS, we must acknowledge the role Nigeria has played. I say this not simply because I am Nigerian. I grew up in Egypt, but I believe Nigeria has to rise and take its place in Africa. Nigeria has a very important role to play in shaping Africa’s economic future. The country has one of the continent’s largest economies, a sophisticated financial sector and a very strong technology and fintech ecosystem. In the payments industry particularly, Nigeria has developed innovations that have not received enough recognition. One of the things PAPSS is doing is connecting those innovations with what is happening in other African markets. The objective is to create a payment ecosystem that allows money to move seamlessly from one African country to another.

Why was PAPSS necessary in the first place?

The prosperity of African countries is closely linked to the amount of trade they conduct with one another and with the rest of the world. Trade creates economic value. A farmer produces food, a manufacturer processes goods, a technology company creates a service and businesses sell those products and services to consumers. At every stage, there must be a payment. Therefore, there is no trade without payment. Africa has 54 countries, different economic policies, different regulations and many currencies. Historically, when a Nigerian business wants to trade with another African country, the payment may have to pass through a foreign currency and an international financial institution. That creates additional costs, delays and risks. At the same time, Africa is trying to build a single market through the African Continental Free Trade Area. It does not make much sense to have a continental trade agreement encouraging Africans to trade with one another while the payment infrastructure remains heavily dependent on systems outside the continent. That is why PAPSS was created. PAPSS provides the financial infrastructure that allows African businesses and individuals to make and receive cross-border payments using local currencies. A Nigerian business can initiate a transaction in naira, while the beneficiary in another African country can receive the equivalent amount in his or her local currency. That is a major change in the way African trade can be conducted.

How important is PAPSS to small businesses and informal traders?

It is extremely important. One of the interesting things we have discovered from the data is that PAPSS is gradually capturing what we call informal trade. A large amount of African trade does not necessarily appear in official trade statistics because many small businesses operate outside the formal banking system. For example, a trader from Nigeria may travel to another West African country with cash, exchange the money at the border and then buy goods.

With PAPSS, that trader can go to the seller, make the payment electronically and have the seller receive the money almost immediately. That changes the economics of the transaction. Previously, a supplier could receive a payment and then spend two or three days confirming that the money had arrived before releasing goods. Those two or three days represent lost business time. With instant payments, the supplier receives confirmation immediately and can release the goods. For small businesses, time is money. The faster they can pay, receive goods and sell those goods, the faster they can turn over their inventory. This is why convenience is becoming one of the most important factors driving the use of PAPSS.

What are you seeing from Nigeria’s transactions with other African countries?

Nigeria is already showing the importance of cross-border payment corridors. We have seen significant transactions between Nigeria and Ghana. Interestingly, transactions between Nigeria and Rwanda have also grown strongly and, at certain points, have approached or exceeded the Nigeria-Ghana corridor. We are also seeing significant transactions between Nigeria and Kenya. But what has become particularly important is the demand for transactions between Nigeria and its immediate West African neighbours.

Banks have told us that unless they can transact easily between Nigeria and countries such as Cameroon, Niger and Benin Republic, the system has not fully solved their problem. This demonstrates that payment systems must follow the actual patterns of trade. We are seeing a significant flow of Nigerian goods into West African markets. Traders who previously carried cash across borders are increasingly using electronic payments. That is a very important development because it improves security, reduces the risks associated with carrying cash and creates a digital record of transactions.

What makes PAPSS different from traditional international payment systems?

PAPSS is designed around Africa’s specific circumstances. We are not simply trying to copy an existing global payment system. We are building an ecosystem that connects the payment systems that already exist in African countries. Payment is not only about technology. It is also about trust.

You cannot build a continental payment system by relying only on technology. You need strong governance, central-bank oversight, participating banks, security systems and mechanisms for resolving disputes. PAPSS therefore combines technology with governance. The Payment Systems Oversight Committee includes directors responsible for payments at participating central banks. They have direct oversight of the system. There is also a Management Board with representatives from different parts of Africa. The objective is to make sure that PAPSS reflects African priorities while meeting international standards.

Fraud is a major concern in digital payments. How is PAPSS addressing it?

Fraud management is a critical part of the system. We have built an artificial intelligence-driven fraud-management system that examines transactions and looks for unusual patterns. Transactions go through different checks before they are completed. When a transaction originates in Nigeria, for example, it enters the PAPSS infrastructure, passes through the required checks, reaches the destination country and the beneficiary’s account is credited. The objective is to make the payment instant without compromising security. We have therefore surrounded the technology with governance, compliance and dispute-resolution mechanisms.

How many countries are currently connected, and when do you expect full continental coverage?

PAPSS is expanding rapidly. At the stage covered by this strategy, our target is to close the year with about 38 countries. Our immediate objective is to achieve coverage of about 80 percent of the continent, including all the major economies. Over the five-year strategic period, our ambition is full continental coverage. South Africa remains one of the major economies we are engaging with, and discussions have been positive. We hope it will join the network.

We have also made progress in Central Africa. The recent participation of the Bank of Central African States, or BEAC, is particularly significant because BEAC serves six Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) countries. Its participation gives PAPSS an important gateway into Central Africa and Francophone markets. The important point is that we are not just trying to put countries on a list. We want to deepen usage within those countries.

Why is adoption uneven across African countries?

There are several reasons. The first is regulatory support.

In countries where the central bank actively supports PAPSS, adoption tends to be much faster. Central banks have to provide the necessary regulatory approvals for banks and other payment institutions to participate.

The second factor is the strength of the fintech and technology ecosystem.

Nigeria is a good example. Once PAPSS becomes available, fintech companies and banks quickly ask how they can connect to it. The third issue is technology infrastructure. Some African countries have relatively old banking technology. In some cases, we have had to support the infrastructure required to connect those markets to PAPSS. There is also the issue of awareness. A payment system can be excellent, but if businesses and consumers do not know that it exists, they will not use it. We have to do more in this area, and the media has an important role to play. Another concern is that some countries fear PAPSS could undermine regional payment systems they have already invested in. We tell them that PAPSS is not designed to destroy those systems. If a country has a regional payment system that works well for transactions within its region, it should continue using it. PAPSS can then provide the connection for transactions outside that region.

So, PAPSS should be seen as an additional layer that connects existing systems rather than one that replaces them.

What is the importance of Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem to PAPSS?

Nigeria demonstrates what is possible when banking, technology and innovation come together. Once a payment service is integrated into a bank’s digital channels, transaction volumes can rise significantly because customers do not have to visit a branch.

We have seen cases where connecting a bank’s digital channels resulted in transaction numbers increasing three or four times almost immediately. This shows that convenience is a major driver of financial behaviour. The consumer does not necessarily need extensive training. If the service is simple and secure, people will use it. That is one of the lessons Nigeria offers the rest of Africa.

PAPSS has also launched the African Currency Marketplace. Does this replace the proposed Pan-African digital currency?

They are not the same thing. The African Currency Marketplace, or PACM, addresses a specific problem: currency convertibility and liquidity.

PAPSS had already solved part of the payment problem. But we discovered that payments alone were not enough. A company may receive money in another African country but still have difficulty converting or repatriating that money. That creates what we call trapped capital. PACM was developed to enable the direct exchange of African currencies without necessarily passing through hard currencies such as the US dollar. It therefore complements PAPSS rather than replacing the idea of a Pan-African digital currency.

The proposal for a Pan-African digital currency, including stablecoins, remains a broader strategic idea being explored by Afreximbank. Afreximbank President George Elombi raised the issue in October 2025 as part of the bank’s digital transformation agenda. PACM, on the other hand, is already an operational initiative built around African currency exchange. It was launched by PAPSS and Interstellar in 2025 to address the currency-convertibility problem and reduce the costs associated with using hard currencies for intra-African trade.

What about cryptocurrency and stablecoins?

Blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies will play an important role in the future of payments. Stablecoins, in particular, are here to stay. Our objective is not to go around Africa creating stablecoins ourselves. There are already companies working in that space. Our responsibility is to create infrastructure that can bring different forms of money and payment technologies together.

Whether it is traditional fiat money or emerging digital forms of money, we want to be able to support legitimate money flows across African borders. We are therefore actively studying developments in this area.

What impact could an African credit rating agency have on PAPSS and the wider financial system?

I am very excited about the development of an African credit rating agency.

For too long, African institutions have sometimes been assessed primarily through external perspectives that do not always capture the realities of African economies. An African rating institution can help African institutions tell their stories from an African perspective while still applying credible international standards. There is also a capital-flow dimension.

A significant amount of African capital and reserves is held outside the continent. Better understanding of African institutions and markets could help encourage more African capital to remain within Africa and finance development. That would support the broader objective of financial integration.

What have you learned about financial behaviour across Africa?

One of the biggest lessons is that convenience matters enormously. People want to transact quickly, safely and easily. We have also learned that payment corridors matter. When two countries have strong trade, payment volumes tend to follow. Nigeria’s relationships with Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya and other African countries demonstrate this. We are also learning more about informal trade.

Many transactions that were previously invisible to formal financial systems are now becoming visible through digital payment infrastructure. That gives central banks better information about economic activity. We are developing our data capabilities so that we can understand these flows better and provide useful information to regulators and the market.

What is the ultimate goal of PAPSS?

The ultimate goal is to connect Africans.

Africa has about 1.4 billion people. Yet many businesses still think of their market as only the population of their individual country.

If you create a solution for Nigeria alone, you have a large market. But if that solution can work across Africa, the opportunity becomes much bigger.

PAPSS is trying to provide the infrastructure that makes that possible. Our vision is an Africa where a business can sell goods in another African country, receive payment in its local currency and settle the transaction quickly without unnecessary dependence on external currencies or financial intermediaries.

We want a Nigerian business to be able to trade with Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, Cameroon, Egypt, South Africa and other African markets as easily as it trades within Nigeria. That is why PAPSS is important.

The African Continental Free Trade Area provides the framework for a single African market. PAPSS provides a critical part of the financial infrastructure needed to make that market work. We have already made significant progress in a relatively short period. But our work is not finished. The next stage is about deepening adoption, bringing more banks and fintechs onto the system, connecting more domestic payment schemes, supporting SMEs and making the service more visible to ordinary Africans. The goal is not simply to build another payment platform. The goal is to make it easier for Africans to trade with Africans. That is the real importance of PAPSS.

While the Northwest boasts of the highest number of individual student beneficiaries nationwide, the Southwest, which has the third-highest number of student beneficiaries, recorded the highest total volume of funds disbursed by the agency over its 27 months of operation.

According to the latest statistics released by NELFUND, a total of N355,872,779,439.25 has been disbursed so far. This comprises N192,888,267,439.25 allocated for tuition fees and N162,984,512,000 for students’ monthly upkeep.

The scheme currently covers 1,819,011 students across 319 public tertiary institutions, ranging from colleges of education to universities.

The data across the six zones as of 3 September 2026 showed the highest numbers in the Northwest (450,000), followed by the Northeast (378,103), Southwest (360,000), North Central (324,908), South South (198,000), and Southeast (108,000).

Speaking exclusively to the Nigerian Tribune, the Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed that the number of beneficiaries and participating institutions continues to grow daily.

He attributed this steady expansion to vigorous nationwide sensitisation campaigns and the pressing financial needs of indigent students.

He noted that the current government, especially President Bola Tinubu, is totally committed to ensuring no Nigerian is again dropped out of school because of lack of money.

Explaining why the Southeast lags in applications, Sawyerr pointed to regional cultural attitudes toward debt and education.

‘People of the Southeast generally prefer not to borrow money for education; that is simply the culture,’ Sawyerr stated. ‘The Ibos traditionally do not believe they should take loans to pay for their children’s school fees. Closely linked to this is the region’s strong entrepreneurial drive. Many believe they can succeed through business and the apprenticeship route, choosing to borrow capital for trade rather than for formal studies. That is the reality on the ground.’

When asked why the Southwest received the highest monetary volume despite not having the highest number of individual beneficiaries, Sawyerr cited varying institutional costs.

‘Schools in the Southwest charge higher fees. For instance, institutions in Lagos charge significantly more than those in northern states like Katsina,’ he explained. ‘Furthermore, courses in specialised fields like medicine and the sciences attract higher fees than arts and humanities. Institutions also price their tuition based on operational costs, such as expensive city land, electricity, rent, and overheads.’

He maintained that the agency would continue to improve in its operations.

The rapid growth of the loan scheme has elicited mixed reactions from education stakeholders, including parents, students, and educators.

While many applauded its impact on access to higher education, others blamed the massive demand on Nigeria’s challenging economic climate.

Several student beneficiaries told the Nigerian Tribune that the fund has saved them from severe hardship.

‘Without these loans, staying in school would have been an extreme struggle. It has brought immense relief to our families,’ one student shared.

Supporting the initiative, the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Akinteye Babatunde, described the scheme as a vital lifeline preventing indigent students from dropping out. Dismissing critics of the loan’s structure, Babatunde reportedly argued that they fail to understand the deep financial struggles of poor families.

He urged other eligible students to take advantage of the interest-free facility.

Parents, however, remain divided. While some express concern over the future repayment burden on their children, others view it as a timely intervention.

The National President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NPTAN), Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, also described the scheme as a highly positive initiative for low-income families, though he cautioned against systemic lapses.

‘It is not every student who has the privilege of rich parents,’ Danjuma noted. ‘Poor students can now access quality education if this scheme is managed transparently.’

However, addressing the overwhelming rush of applicants, Danjuma linked the demand directly to national economic pressures.

‘The massive rush for these loans indicates the harsh state of the economy. Countless parents nationwide are struggling with tuition due to high inflation, job losses and underemployment, making these loans an absolute necessity rather than an alternative,’ Danjuma concluded.

Benue State Government has warned parents and guardians against assaulting, threatening, intimidating or verbally abusing teachers, principals and any other school staff across the state.

The State Commissioner of Education and Knowledge Management, Mrs Margaret Adamu, announced this at a press conference held in Makurdi on Monday.

The commissioner, who rolled out the policies of the ministry, called for renewed commitment to quality education and strict compliance with all the policies.

The state government also warned against any individuals, non-governmental organisations or any other external body having unauthorised access to both private and public schools across the state.

Also, the state government has prohibited the use of mobile phones during school hours as well as extra lessons after regular school hours.

Other policies included ‘barbaric ways of celebrating birthdays’, whereby learners manhandle the celebrants in schools, classrooms and hostels.

The state government also warned against parents and guardians assaulting, threatening, intimidating or verbally abusing teachers, principals or other school staff.

She stated that genuine grievances should be addressed through the appropriate channels.

She said, ‘No NGO, individual, organisation or external body shall enter a school to conduct programmes, activities, research, advocacy or interventions without the appropriate authorization from the Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management.

‘Learners are prohibited from possessing or using mobile phones during school hours, except where specifically authorized for legitimate educational purposes under the applicable school guidelines.

‘Learners are expected to resume school on time, attend classes regularly and remain within authorized school areas. Late coming, truancy and loitering during school hours must be firmly addressed by school authority.

‘Bullying, intimidation, harassment, hazing and ali forms of violence among learners are strictly prohibited. School authorities must establish and maintain safe, respectful and inclusive learning environments.’

The commissioner explained that the policies were designed to protect learners, reduce unnecessary financial burdens on parents, improve discipline, strengthen school management and raise the standard of education in the state.

‘I therefore warn that non-compliance with approved policies and directives will attract appropriate sanctions in accordance with applicable laws, regulations and guidelines.

‘School proprietors, principals and heads of schools are expected to familiarize themselves with all relevant Ministry directives and ensure full implementation. Ignorance of an existing policy will not be accepted as an excuse for noncompliance,’ the commissioner said.

Adamu promised that the ministry would strengthen monitoring, supervision and quality assurance activities across schools in the state to ensure that the policies are implemented at the school level.

ON his 2007 album, ‘Controversy and Precision’, the late Fuji music maestro, Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, did something noteworthy that went under the radar. He dedicated the eight-minute, thirty-three-second ‘Precision’ track to appreciating his colleagues in the Yoruba-language part of Nollywood.

A towering figure in entertainment who continues to inspire several other aspiring musicians despite being dead for over a decade, the Ibadan, Oyo State-born artist displayed remarkable humility by listing the names of the players in Yoruba Nollywood, uniquely praising them the only way he had mastered.

Adebayo Salami, Sunday Omobolanle, Ronke Oshodi, Iyabo Ojo, Bolaji Amusan, and many others, favourites of millions of Nigerians, were mentioned, as Barrister celebrated his fellow entertainers in acting.

It was the turn of Taiwo Hassan, better known as Ogogo, around 5.05 minutes of the track. He acknowledged the close ties between Yinka Quadri and Ogogo, asking the latter, ‘Sho n ti e bami toju handsome Taiwo Hassan mi o. Ogogo kulodo…’, that is, are you caring for the handsome Taiwo Hassan? Barry asked rhetorically before moving on to other artists.

Nineteen years after Barrister’s tribute, Ogogo passed away on Sunday, August 23, at the age of 66. Earlier, one of his children had told the public about his battle with cancer, making it clear that the family was not asking for money but hoping to find doctors who could help.

Ogogo will be remembered primarily as an actor, director, producer and mentor; a towering figure whose face and voice became familiar to generations of Yoruba film audiences. But before the films, there was another artistic foundation to his career: praise singing and chanting.

Ogogo’s journey into the performing arts began with ràárà, Yoruba praise singing and poetic chanting. He performed as a chanter in stage productions before finding his way into film and eventually becoming one of the defining figures of Yoruba Nollywood. He trained under Awo Ademola Fagbemi, learning the art of reciting eulogies, while his famous name, Ogogo, was drawn from his family’s oríkì.

In that sense, Ogogo represented something that is sometimes overlooked in discussions of Yoruba cinema. He was not simply an actor who happened to chant. He came from a performance tradition in which acting, music, poetry, praise singing and storytelling often overlap.

Like Barrister, Ogogo possessed a powerful voice, and throughout his career, he occasionally returned to those roots. His performance in productions such as the award-winning Seven Doors, for instance, reminded audiences that behind the actor was a performer shaped by the older traditions of Yoruba oral art.

Since his death, short videos of Ogogo chanting and singing have circulated on social media. Beyond the understandable nostalgia, those clips have served another purpose: they have reminded many people of the artistic range that existed behind the familiar screen persona. They have also drawn attention to an important question: what happens when the generation that carries these traditions begins to disappear?

That question became even more urgent with the death, a day after Ogogo, of Pa Alabi Ogundepo, the veteran poet and ìjálá chanter.

The coincidence of their deaths brought two related but distinct traditions of Yoruba oral performance into the same moment of public reflection. Ogogo took the skills of praise singing into theatre and eventually into popular cinema. Pa Ogundepo remained more closely identified with ìjálá, the rich poetic tradition historically associated with hunters, although his talent also took him into theatre, broadcasting and film.

Born in Saki, Oyo State, into a family with a hunting background, Ogundepo learned ìjálá chanting from his father and from other masters, including Lasisi Alarape Oni. After his primary education, he worked several jobs, including milling and gathering gravel, before his unusual gift for performance opened the door to theatre.

The late Pa Oyin Adejobi recognised that talent and brought him into his theatre company. From there, Ogundepo›s voice travelled across different artistic spaces. He appeared in Professor Ola Rotimi›s Kurunmi as a praise singer. He later auditioned for Professor Wole Soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest, directed by the late Ossie Davis and produced by Pa Francis Oladele’s Calpenny Nigeria Films.

His journey also took him into The Acting Company at the University of Ibadan, where he became friends with the late Wale Ogunyemi and Uncle Tunji Oyelana. He performed with Oyelana’s band, The Benders, chanted at occasions and worked with other theatre companies.

For Ogundepo, ìjálá could belong to the hunting tradition, the theatre stage, radio or television. If you don’t remember what Chief Ogundepo’s chant sounded like, you can find it in General Kollington Ayinla’s 1984 album ‘Knockout Special’. Listen to his beautiful chant in the ‘Ogun Onire’ track.

But perhaps his widest impact came through broadcasting. Ogundepo spent most of his life in Osogbo while promoting Yoruba culture through his work with Radio Nigeria, Ibadan; NTA Ibadan; Radio OYO; and the then Television Service of Oyo State.

For many people of my generation and those before us, his voice was part of everyday life. We grew up listening to his poems and ìjálá on radio and television,

One of the poems that remained particularly memorable was his warning about the dangers of children engaging in street trading. It goes thus:

Gbogbo abiyamo pata, e je ka si rawa leti

Gbogbo alagbato pata, e je ka jo sapero

Se omo ti ko ti dagba to eniti da oja ta, lo gbe ‘gba lori ko maa kiri worobo

Lomo o si mogba ti onimoto nbo

Gbe bisiki wa lawe gbo, lomo ba fo sona lo b abo senu irin

Oro yi di ikaya, o di howu howu

E maa taja loju ona mo, tori moto o mo enikan. Ogun o nifi eran wa yi lele

The power of artists like Ogogo and Pa Ogundepo lay not only in their talent but also in the worlds that produced them. They emerged from traditions in which young performers could learn directly from masters; where oríkì, ràárà and ìjálá were not simply subjects for academic discussion but living art forms.

Barrister belonged to that wider world too. His decision to celebrate actors on ‘Precision’ was more than a musician casually mentioning famous names. It reflected the interconnectedness of the Yoruba creative tradition. The musician could celebrate the actor because they drew from many of the same cultural wells: language, praise poetry, oral history and performance.

Today, however, those wells appear to be producing fewer practitioners with the same depth of grounding. There are still artists keeping the traditions alive. Ibrahim Chatta, for example, in movies, and Akeem Lasisi in ìjálá,.

But the question raised by the deaths of Ogogo and Pa Alabi Ogundepo is larger than whether a few talented individuals can continue the work.

The more urgent question is whether we are still creating the conditions that produced artists like them. Who is teaching young people the intricacies of ìjálá and ràárà? Are our creative institutions preserving these art forms as living traditions, or are we waiting until their talented practitioners die before rediscovering what they represented?

Ogogo and Pa Alabi Ogundepo belonged to different generations and travelled different artistic paths. One became a household name through cinema; the other remained more closely associated with poetry, chanting and broadcasting. Yet both represented a level of artistic grounding that connected contemporary entertainment to older Yoruba traditions.

Their deaths should force us to ask a more difficult question: not simply whether another Ogogo or another Ogundepo will emerge, but whether we are still building cultural institutions capable of producing them.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has begun making a fresh case for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, urging Northern youths to support the administration’s economic reforms and policy continuity.

Akpabio made the appeal on Saturday while receiving a high-level delegation of the Northern Ethnic Groups Assembly in Abuja.

He said the reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms, were painful but necessary measures to reposition the economy.

According to him, the policies have now crossed a critical threshold and are beginning to produce tangible benefits for Nigerians.

‘I stand before you not merely as a politician, but as a public servant committed to the prosperity of our nation, and particularly this vital region,’ Akpabio told the youth leaders.

‘The reforms initiated by President Tinubu are not abstract theories; they are concrete, courageous actions designed to dismantle long-standing structural bottlenecks and unlock Nigeria’s vast potential.’

The Senate President said the removal of the fuel subsidy and efforts to stabilise the foreign exchange market were necessary steps towards achieving fiscal sustainability.

He acknowledged that the measures initially imposed difficulties on Nigerians but argued that they were required to redirect government resources to critical sectors.

‘While these measures initially posed challenges, they were the surgical procedures needed to redirect resources into healthcare, education, and infrastructure,’ he said.

Akpabio also claimed that the reforms were producing early positive indicators, including improved revenue collection, increased investor confidence, and renewed interest from international partners.

He urged Northern youths to become active participants in governance rather than waiting for the future before taking responsibility.

‘You are architects of today, not just leaders of tomorrow,’ he told the delegation.

He said the 10th National Assembly was prioritising reforms aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and the rule of law.

‘Your innovation and engagement are the lifeblood of these reforms,’ Akpabio said.

‘We urge you to be critical consumers of information and to engage in constructive dialogue.’

The Senate President’s comments come as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to gather momentum across the country.

His appeal also places policy continuity at the centre of the argument for another Tinubu term.

Akpabio argued that abandoning the current reform programme before its consolidation could undermine the gains being recorded.

On his part, The group’s spokesperson of the Northern Ethnic Groups Assembly, Alhaji Ibrahim Dan-Musa, commended Akpabio for what he described as efforts to strengthen political understanding between the North and South.

‘We commend the Senate President for his accessibility and his unwavering dedication to the Nigerian project,’ Dan-Musa said.

‘His proactive engagement has rebuilt vital bridges of trust. He has proven that true national leadership transcends ethnic and geographical boundaries.’

The coalition also pledged to mobilise at the grassroots to educate Nigerians on what it described as the long-term benefits of the Federal Government’s economic policies.

Dan-Musa said national unity must remain above regional demands and sectional interests.

‘National unity is the ultimate anchor of our collective survival.

‘No regional sentiment can take precedence over the sovereignty and peace of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’, he said.

Meanwhile, the assembly identified three key areas for its political engagement ahead of 2027.

They include continuous consultation with Northern youth structures, grassroots enlightenment on federal fiscal policies and an uncompromising commitment to national cohesion.

The coalition said federal leadership must maintain mutual respect and transparent consultation with Northern youth organisations.

It also pledged to embark on awareness campaigns aimed at explaining the government’s economic policies to rural communities.

The group said such engagement was necessary to address misinformation and help Nigerians understand the implications of the reforms.

Kings University, Odeomu, Osun State, has challenged scholars and researchers to move beyond theories and academic publications by developing technology-driven solutions capable of addressing the growing challenges confronting humanity.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Adenike Kuku, gave the charge at the maiden Kings University Interdisciplinary Conference (KUIC 2026), held from September 2 to 4, with the theme, ‘Sustainable Futures Beyond 2030: Technological Breakthroughs, Environmental Action, and Social Transformation.’

The three-day conference, which formed part of activities marking the university’s 10th anniversary, brought together scholars, researchers, educators, industry experts and thought leaders from Nigeria and beyond to examine practical pathways to sustainable development beyond 2030.

In her welcome address, Kuku said the world was confronted with increasingly complex challenges, including climate change, technological disruption, inequality, food insecurity, disease outbreaks and rapid social transformation, which could no longer be adequately addressed through isolated academic disciplines.

She called for stronger collaboration among the sciences, social sciences, humanities, technology, business, engineering and other fields, stressing that the convergence of expertise was critical to producing innovative and sustainable solutions to global problems.

The Vice-Chancellor said KUIC 2026 was deliberately designed to encourage researchers to take scholarship beyond theories and publications and translate their findings into actionable policies, market-ready innovations and practical interventions capable of improving lives and contributing to national development.

Kuku, who described the conference as a significant milestone in the university’s first decade, also urged researchers, lecturers and students to use the platform to establish networks and partnerships that would outlive the three-day event and produce tangible benefits for communities and society.

The conference featured distinguished keynote speakers, including Professor Christian Happi, Director of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer’s University, Nigeria; Dr Navneet Kaur, Executive Director of ICERT, India and the United States; and Dr Ilia Stambler of Bar-Ilan University, Israel.

Happi, in his presentation, highlighted the transformative role of genomic technology in public health, particularly genomic surveillance, rapid pathogen identification and the development of field-deployable diagnostic tools.

He also called for stronger African scientific capacity and encouraged researchers to develop creative and innovative solutions to problems affecting their immediate environments.

Dr Kaur, in her presentation on the future of education, advocated learning communities that are happy, mindful, resilient, skilful and prepared for the demands of the future.

She identified psychosocial intelligence, emotional regulation, resilience, a sense of belonging and empowered teachers as essential elements of future-ready education.

Stambler, while examining the longevity economy, explored the scientific, social, economic and policy implications of increasing human lifespan.

He stressed the need for greater attention to healthy ageing, longevity research, public policy and international cooperation as societies grapple with changing demographic realities.

The plenary sessions further expanded the discussions, with Professor Olawale Emmanuel Olayide of the University of Ibadan examining sustainable development and the integration of data, education, technology, environmental considerations, economics and governance.

Professor Kunle Michael Oluwasegun of the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, brought his expertise in materials science and engineering to the conference, highlighting the relationship between academic research, industrial innovation and practical solutions.

The conference also featured contributions from the Local Organising Committee Chairman, Dr Bankole, and the host of the conference, Dr Ajayi, who welcomed participants and underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex societal challenges.

Commending the keynote and plenary presentations, Kuku said researchers presented papers covering climate-resilient agriculture and food security, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, aviation technology, antimicrobial resistance, biotechnology, One Health, environmental sustainability, economics, governance, historical preservation and social development.

According to her, ‘One of the studies proposed an artificial intelligence-driven framework for integrating environmental, clinical, genomic and geospatial intelligence to strengthen antimicrobial-resistance surveillance and improve health decision-making in Africa.’

She added: ‘Other presentations examined indigenous crops and climate resilience, digitalisation in aviation maintenance and the preservation of Africa’s historical heritage through digital technologies.’

Participants also took part in physical and virtual oral presentations, exhibitions, networking and other knowledge-sharing activities before the conference culminated on September 4.

The gathering reinforced the message that challenges such as disease outbreaks, climate change, food insecurity, technological disruption, education and population ageing require collaboration across disciplines rather than isolated academic approaches.

The conference was organised as part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of Kings University.

Amid persistent poverty, squalor and insecurity confronting many Nigerians, the need to depend on God for succour and provision has become indisputable, the Ibadan District Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Reverend Solomon Wada, has said.

Wada stated this in Ibadan during the 2026 Ibadan District Convocation of the church, with theme, ‘Ultimate Satisfaction’, drawn from Psalm 107:9.

He attributed many of the challenges confronting Nigerians to the belief that they could achieve success without God’s help and guidance, leading many to struggle with poverty, pain and disappointment.

According to him, while the physical needs of many Christians continue to increase, the means of meeting them appear to be diminishing, partly because people often pursue their wants rather than their needs.

‘Painfully, many believers are running after shadows. God did not promise to satisfy our wants, but our needs. And those who seek God and His righteousness, all things will be added unto them,’ he said.

The General Overseer of the church, Rev. (Dr.) Sam Aboyeji, represented by the Southwest Regional Coordinator, Reverend Rasaq Akinwale, described the convocation as timely, saying it would promote spiritual renewal, deeper consecration and fresh empowerment for greater exploits.

Aboyeji urged Christians to remain steadfast in God despite challenges and trials, assuring them that God was preparing opportunities and favour to satisfy their needs and souls.

The Chairman of the Convocation Committee, Ayodeji Olugbenga, said true and lasting fulfilment could not be found in the fleeting pleasures of the world but in a personal relationship with God.

He added that the convocation was designed to facilitate spiritual renewal, divine encounters and lasting transformation through a deeper understanding of the satisfaction found in Christ.

Delivering the sermon, Akinwale challenged Christians to stop questioning God’s ways and instead delight in His Word, stressing that ultimate satisfaction comes from knowing and walking with Him.

He said spiritual hunger could not be satisfied by earthly possessions and pleasures, adding that those who seek God first experience peace, purpose and contentment.

‘Without God, there will be vacuums that only pain and burden will fill,’ he said, stressing that ultimate satisfaction comes through self-control and total submission to God.

The convocation also featured the ordination of 12 people as ministers, elders, deacons and deaconesses of the church.

The federal government’s reform of the nation’s maritime sector has started yielding the necessary fruits as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) at the weekend said it recorded growth in cargo throughput, vessel traffic, container movements, vehicle traffic, among others in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026.

This was contained in the NPA Operational Performance Report for the Second Quarter of 2026, which revealed an overall improvement in operational activities.

Analysis of the report showed that most of the key performance indicators recorded positive growth, reflecting sustained increases in vessel traffic, cargo throughput, container movements and port utilisation.

‘The increase in cargo volumes and ship calls underscores the continued resilience of the nation’s seaports to facilitate trade and be more competitive,’ said Managing Director of the NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, while commenting on the stellar performance.

A breakdown of the report showed that cargo throughput increased by 12.3 per cent, from 31,825,592 metric tonnes recorded in Q2 2025 to 35,740,362 metric tonnes in Q2 2026.

An analysis of cargo throughput by type of trade showed that inward cargo accounted for 56.8 per cent of total cargo handled, while outward cargo represented 41.9 per cent.

Transshipment cargo contributed 488,364 metric tonnes, representing approximately 1.4 per cent of total cargo throughput.

The report further stated that inward cargo increased by 7.7 per cent, while outward cargo recorded a 22 per cent increase, ‘demonstrating improved export performance during the period under review.’

The number of ocean-going vessels completed increased from 1,050 in Q2 2025 to 1,201 in Q2 2026, representing an increase of 14.4 per cent.

Similarly, the Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of ocean-going vessels increased from 40.87 million tonnes to 49.95 million tonnes, representing a growth of 22.2 per cent.

The number of service boats completed rose by 22.3 per cent, from 3,554 to 4,347, while the associated Gross Registered Tonnage increased by 62.4 per cent, from 1.06 million tonnes to 1.73 million tonnes.

Container traffic increased by 11.3 per cent, rising from 541,229 TEUs in Q2 2025 to 602,392 TEUs in Q2 2026.

The report stated that inward laden containers increased by 6.3 per cent, accounting for approximately 51.5 per cent of total container traffic.

Outward laden containers declined marginally by 3.9 per cent, while empty container traffic increased by 13.9 per cent compared with the corresponding period of 2025.

Transshipment container traffic stood at 29,038 TEUs, compared with no recorded movement during the corresponding period of 2025.

This, the report said, reflects the growing importance of transshipment operations within the Nigerian port system.’

Also, Vehicle traffic increased during the period under review. A total of 44,147 units were handled in Q2 2026 compared with 37,306 units recorded in Q2 2025, representing an increase of 18.3 per cent.

The report said the increase was indicative of improved automobile import activities attributable largely to the stability of the exchange rate.’

The report identified the continued growth in transshipment traffic as a development within the Nigerian port system.

It stated that ‘The emergence and continued growth of transshipment traffic continues to position Nigerian ports as an emerging regional transshipment hub. The on-going Port Modernisation if completed with the sustained investment in infrastructure and commercial engagement with shipping lines will further enhance this opportunity.’

Overall, the report stated that positive growth was recorded across most operational indicators, particularly cargo throughput, vessel traffic, container traffic and vehicle traffic.

‘The Second Quarter of 2026 recorded encouraging operational performance across the Nigerian ports, with sustained growth in ship traffic, cargo throughput, container movements, vehicle traffic, and berth utilisation,’ it stated.

Commenting further, Dantsoho said the NPA’s core priority for 2026 is a massive infrastructure overhaul, complemented by digital reforms and operational efficiency improvements. Stakeholders should expect visible progress on the ground, starting with the groundbreaking of the port modernisation projects.

‘The centerpiece is the modernisation of Apapa and Tin Can Island ports. The NPA notes both are outdated-Apapa is nearly 100 years old and Tin Can over 50. NPA is also supporting the Lekki and Badagry deep-sea projects to handle larger vessels and revitalising Eastern Ports to reduce Lagos congestion. NPA is prioritising the full implementation of the Port Community System (PCS) to streamline operations and reduce manual bottlenecks. This integrates with the National Single Window (NSW) (operational since Q1 2026) to create a unified digital trade ecosystem.

‘The authority is enhancing technology-driven security for 24-hour operations and strengthening collaboration with customs agents to tackle congestion and improve cargo evacuation. NPA is positioning Nigeria as West Africa’s trade nerve The expected impact includes faster operations, lower logistics costs, increased trade volumes, and improved export competitiveness,’ he added.