Category: The Nation – Nigeria

The Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Yusuf Buba, has felicitated Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on the successful rollout of the 2026 Gbaja Mega Empowerment Programme in Surulere, Lagos State.

Buba conveyed his goodwill during a courtesy visit to Gbajabiamila’s Lagos residence at the weekend before accompanying the Chief of Staff to the outreach event at the National Stadium in Surulere.

During the visit, Gbajabiamila hailed Buba on a landmark agreement executed between Nigeria and Jamaica for the deployment of skilled Nigerian labor. Endorsed by the Foreign Affairs Ministers of both nations, the labor-export initiative aims to curb irregular migration, reduce local unemployment, boost national revenue, and provide economic value to Jamaica.

Following the meeting, Buba joined Gbajabiamila at the stadium for the outreach, which targeted about 5,000 constituents from Surulere 1 Federal Constituency. The empowerment drive featured the distribution of e-hailing electric cars, minibuses, tricycles, security patrol vehicles, laptops, and cash grants to support small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).

Hailing the former Speaker for his sustained commitment to grassroots development and economic welfare, Buba prayed for Gbajabiamila’s continued good health and longevity in service to the nation.

Destiny Ezeyim, popularly known as Radiogad, has built a career spanning nearly two decades in Nigeria’s broadcasting and entertainment industry, evolving from a teenage radio presenter into an entertainer, content creator and social commentator.

He began his broadcasting career in 2007 at age 16 and has since worked with several radio stations across the country, including Coal City FM, Tansian FM, Radio Benue, Solid FM, Wave FM in Port Harcourt, Metro FM in Lagos, and Family Love FM in Enugu.

His experience across different stations and states has exposed him to diverse audiences and broadcasting environments, helping him develop a career that extends beyond traditional radio.

Over the years, Radiogad has ventured into television, acting, comedy, event hosting, hype performance and digital content creation, broadening his presence in Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

Beyond broadcasting and entertainment, he has established a presence as a social commentator, engaging audiences on trending issues, celebrity developments, and conversations that generate attention on social media.

The transition to digital media has given Radiogad another platform to connect with audiences beyond the reach of traditional radio. He says his combined social media following has surpassed three million.

In 2025, The Punch reported on his substantial Instagram and Facebook following. He says his subsequent growth reflects his expanding digital presence.

Radiogad’s career has also attracted industry recognition, including reported OAP of the Year honours in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020, as well as other awards for his contributions to entertainment and broadcasting.

His nearly two decades in the industry have coincided with major changes in how Nigerians consume media, particularly the growing influence of social media and digital content.

While radio remains central to his professional identity, his involvement in entertainment, event hosting and online commentary has expanded the range of audiences he can reach.

This combination of traditional broadcasting and digital engagement has also informed his interest in brand promotion. With experience across radio, entertainment, and social media, Radiogad is seeking to expand into brand campaigns that require audience engagement across multiple platforms.

His broadcasting background gives him experience communicating with different audiences, while his entertainment and content creation work offers additional avenues for brand communication.

Starting as a teenager behind the microphone, Radiogad has continued to diversify his professional activities as the media industry evolves.

His career now spans radio, entertainment, events, digital content and social commentary, reflecting the expanding opportunities available to Nigerian broadcasters beyond conventional radio programming.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Nigerian filmmakers Damilola Osikoya and Nora Awolowo on setting a Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening.

Osikoya of Switch Visual Production and Awolowo of Rixel Studios achieved the feat with the screening of Black Market in Lagos on September 26, 2026.

Tinubu, in a statement on Monday, described the record as further evidence of the extraordinary talent and enterprise driving Nigeria’s rapidly expanding creative industry.

The President celebrated the filmmakers for their creativity, ambition and determination to take Nigerian filmmaking to a larger audience.

According to him, the achievement shows what is possible when the creativity for which Nigerians are renowned is combined with enterprise and the capacity to operate at scale.

Tinubu said, ‘The achievement of Black Market shows what is possible when Nigerian creativity is matched with enterprise and scale’.

He noted that Nigeria’s creative economy was increasingly becoming an important source of businesses and jobs while opening new markets for talented Nigerians at home and abroad.

The President said the country’s film, music, fashion and art industries had also become powerful vehicles for Nigeria’s stories and culture to reach audiences worldwide.

Tinubu said his administration remained committed to creating an enabling environment and expanding opportunities for young Nigerians to turn their talents into sustainable livelihoods and globally competitive businesses.

He said the record achieved by Osikoya and Awolowo reflected the creative sector’s potential to contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic growth while strengthening the country’s cultural influence internationally.

The President also commended other members of the Black Market team whose efforts contributed to the record-breaking screening.

He wished Osikoya, Awolowo and the entire production team greater success in their future endeavours.

Nigeria is ready to meet the world’s growing demand for talent, with an initial target of one million export-linked jobs by 2030, Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON, said at the global launch of the Hire From Nigeria campaign.

The launch was held in New York on 24 September, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

In a keynote address delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, the Vice President said: ‘While much of the industrialised world grows older, and quietly wonders who will fill the productivity vacuum, Nigeria produces, every single year, a new generation of digitally fluent, English-speaking, ambitious young men and women, ready to serve the world from the home front and from a time zone that is convenient for almost every continent.’

He added: ‘The global market for outsourced services will be worth over a trillion dollars in a few years’ time. It is, in truth, one of the great transfers of opportunity in modern economic history, and Africa’s share of it remains barely a rounding error. And so I put it to you plainly: Nigeria is the next frontier for global outsourcing.’

Hire From Nigeria is a private sector-led, government-supported campaign that positions Nigeria as a competitive global source of talent, services, and technology-enabled capabilities, connecting Nigerian professionals, skilled workers, digital experts, creatives, and service providers with global employers, clients, and markets.

The global launch in New York followed the national launch in Abuja on 31 August 2026.

The Hire From Nigeria campaign is designed to make Nigerian talent easier for international businesses to discover, securely connect global businesses with Nigeria’s talent and wider value chain opportunities, and deepen Nigeria’s participation in the global economy.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said: ‘Hire From Nigeria brings together four of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s priorities: youth, job creation, services and digital trade. We are reshaping the talent pipeline, working together across government and the private sector to take full advantage of the opportunity that lies ahead.’

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said that Nigeria missed the first wave of outsourcing 25 to 30 years ago and is determined not to miss this one.

Describing education as foundational to Nigeria’s ambition to become a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030, he added that ongoing reforms aim to ‘change the value chain of education, so that people are not just learning for the sake of learning, they’re learning to provide solutions and learning to earn.’

The President and co-founder of Tech4Dev, Joel Ogunsola, noted that Africa’s outsourcing market is growing three times faster than comparable global markets.

He said the campaign builds on ‘an already existing and growing effort’, with domestic and international outsourcing companies already employing an estimated 20,000 Nigerians in the country across sectors such as customer and business operations, technology and data, and specialised and regulated services.

‘Nigeria’s investment in skills has to be demand-driven, talent must be easy to find, we must build trust, and we must then match the talent to jobs,’ he said.

‘If you’re an international business looking to set up and hire in Nigeria, Hire From Nigeria will support you.’

Rosy Fynn, Country Director for Nigeria at the Mastercard Foundation, said the Foundation’s approach to building Nigeria’s talent pipeline is ‘not to train first and look for jobs, but instead to understand what the market is looking for, and provide the training and talent to fit the need.’

Luqman Edu, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Itana, an Africa Finance Corporation-backed company which is building Nigeria’s first digital free zone, said: ‘This is a very exciting time for Nigeria, and we invite global companies to look at Nigerian talent. Nigeria has the talent, and we are providing the infrastructure to ensure this talent can solve the world’s problems at competitive pricing.’

Yinka Adegboye, Divisional Head of Multilaterals at the Bank of Industry Limited (BOI), representing the Managing Director/CEO, Dr Olasupo Olusi, emphasised the Bank’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s young entrepreneurial talent – the pipeline for Hire From Nigeria – through initiatives such as the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises programme (iDICE).

Director-General/CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, an engineer, outlined legislative and operational reforms to strengthen digital trust in Nigeria through the rollout of digital credentials ‘that are verifiable locally and internationally’, offering assurance to employers at home and abroad.

The launch attracted strong private sector participation, with executives from the outsourcing, financial services, manufacturing, education and healthcare sectors, alongside development partners.

The heads of several federal agencies also attended, underscoring Nigeria’s whole-of-government commitment to the campaign. These included the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC) and Galaxy Backbone Limited.

Hire From Nigeria is a coalition initiative championed by Tech4Dev and Univelcity in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment through the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), and supported by the Federal Ministry of Education, the Bank of Industry through iDICE, and the Mastercard Foundation, alongside other government institutions, development partners and private sector stakeholders.

The campaign connects Nigerian professionals, skilled workers, digital experts, creatives and service providers with international employers, clients and markets, creating pathways for Nigeria to participate more deeply in the global economy.

Also at the event were EVC/CEO, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Khalil Suleiman Halilu; DG/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi; Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa; and DG, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr Emomotimi Agama.

The Benue Government has begun compilation of out-of-school children as part of efforts to improve child protection and access to education.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare Mrs Theresa Ikwue, made this known when she visited the management of modern market Makurdi to unveil the exercise.

Ikwue, represented by the Director of Child Development in the ministry, Mrs Janet Daagba, urged parents and guardians to take advantage of the state government’s free Basic one to nine education policy and discourage children from street hawking during school hours.

She said accurate data on out-of-school children would help the ministry design appropriate interventions to improve their welfare and ensure access to education.

Receiving the team from the ministry, the Manager of modern market Mr Terhumba Akpelan, pledged the support of the market management to ensure the success of the exercise.

NAN reports that the exercise is expected to provide relevant information for interventions aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children and improving child welfare across the state.

One of the children, Favour Ogbaji, expressed happiness over the initiative.

Evanna Empowerment Initiative (EEI) has concluded a two-day drive across Lagos, Owerri, Abuja, and Abeokuta, providing bakers with essential baking materials to support their craft.

The over 100 bakers who took part received margarine, cake icing, sugar, and a range of other baking supplies, provided over the drive.

The event formed part of EEI’s continued work training and supporting bakers and small enterprise owners across Lagos.

For EEI, it is an extension of the mission of putting real materials into the hands of bakers already doing the work, not a one-off gesture.

Founder/Executive Director, Evanna Empowerment Initiative, Grace Ilesanmi, described the drive as a direct extension of her own path into baking, and a practical investment in the futures of the bakers who took part.

On the initiative, she said, ‘Baking is what brought me here, but teaching others to bake is what keeps me here. When we put real materials directly into a baker’s hands, we’re investing in a skill they’ll carry for the rest of their working life.’

EEI’s baking and confectionery classes run free yearly from February to October, to anyone aged 15 and older.

In October, EEI will welcome its next cohort of students for hands-on training in bread, pastries, small chops, and other baking skills.

Ilesanmi will also host Ogba Bakers Connect, a meet-and-greet bringing together bakers from across Lagos with established names in the industry to share practical insights from their own kitchens.

Grace Ilesanmi will also host Ogba Bakers Connect, a meet-and-greet bringing together bakers from across Lagos with established names in the industry to share practical insights from their own kitchens.

Excitement is building across Ibadan as music lovers, entertainment buffs, and members of the city’s high society eagerly await the much-anticipated ‘Fola Homecoming Concert,’ scheduled to take place at the Agodi Gardens, Ibadan, on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

For the event, Fola is not returning alone. The Ibadan-born music star is expected to storm the city with some of his superstar friends, including Zlatan, Ayo Maff and Mayorkun, among other music stars.

The heavyweight artistes’ appearance has further heightened anticipation, with fans already looking forward to seeing the stars share the stage in Ibadan.

The buzz around the event has already begun to spread across the city, with young people and entertainment enthusiasts making plans to be part of the highly anticipated homecoming. Social media has also been abuzz with conversations about the concert, further heightening expectations ahead of the big day.

Adding to the excitement is the support of Hon. Stanley Olajide Odidiomo, who recently endorsed the concert and purchased 500 tickets for youths in Ibadan, giving hundreds of young people the opportunity to attend the show.

Odidiomo, who expressed his excitement about Fola’s return to Ibadan, said he would be glad to welcome the artiste home, and his gesture has been widely welcomed by young entertainment lovers in the city.

Beyond the music, the event is expected to attract celebrities, business personalities, socialites and other prominent guests, making it one of the major talking points on Ibadan’s social calendar this weekend.

Big Brother Naija Season 11 housemate Barry has emerged as the final Head of House for the ‘Show Ya Sef’ edition.

Barry clinched the title on Monday, taking over from Keivo, who won the challenge in week nine.

Earlier, Barry had won the Head of House challenge in week eight, a victory that automatically earned him the Ultimate Veto Power for the season.

The win comes as the show heads into its final days, with the grand finale set for October 4.

Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has urged Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Southeast Zone, to deepen its participation in politics and support government efforts to strengthen security, peace and development across the region.

He spoke when he received the Chairman and delegation of the Southeast CAN at the New Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Owerri, at the weekend.

The governor described the church and government as partners in nation-building, stressing the need for closer collaboration between both institutions to address challenges confronting the society.

He encouraged Christians to take an active part in politics, saying: ‘If you really want all this, why would you not be part of Nigerian politics? When the righteous is in power, the people rejoice.’

Uzodimma urged CAN to educate and mobilise its members on their civic responsibilities, noting that democracy is ‘government of the people, by the people and for the people.’

He assured the delegation of his administration’s continued commitment to security and development, expressing confidence that greater cooperation between the government and the church would produce better results.

The governor called for unity among Christians and advised them to use their influence to promote peace, stability and development in the society.

He pledged to build the Southeast headquarters of CAN in Imo State.

Southeast CAN leadership had hailed Uzodimma for his support for the church and Christian activities across the region.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, the Chairman of Southeast CAN, Rev. Echez Divine Echez, said the visit was to appreciate the governor for his contributions to the church, including sponsoring Christian leaders and members to religious programmes and supporting CAN activities.

The high point of the event was the presentation of the Golden Jubilee wrapper and uniform to Governor Uzodimma by the CAN leadership.

Deputy Governor, Lady Chinyere Ekomaru; Secretary to the State Government, Chief Cosmos Iwu; and members of Imo State Expanded Executive Council were among those present.

Nigeria has indicated that its support for the next United Nations Secretary-General will be guided by equity, justice and fairness, with particular consideration for a candidate who supports Africa’s demand for greater representation in global decision-making institutions.

Vice President Kashim Shettima stated this in New York during a meeting with Costa Rica’s candidate for the UN’s top job, Rebeca Grynspan, shortly before returning to Nigeria after leading the country’s delegation to the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

Costa Rica formally nominated Grynspan on March 3, 2026, as one of the candidates seeking to succeed António Guterres as UN Secretary-General.

According to a statement on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said Nigeria would also consider candidates’ commitment to Africa’s aspirations, multilateralism and reform of the global governance architecture.

The Vice President said he would recommend considering Grynspan’s candidature based on Nigeria’s relationship with Latin America, gender inclusion, and other factors.

‘Thank you for seeking Nigeria’s perspective on your candidature for the United Nations Secretary-General. Nigeria and Costa Rica share a common historical background connecting both countries and their regions.

‘We also have a cordial relationship with Latin America, and we do not wish to jeopardise it. Beyond our historical ties and relations rests our interest in conflict prevention, multilateralism, and the peace of our nations’, Shettima said.

He renewed Nigeria’s argument for reform of the global governance architecture, saying the international system had changed significantly between 1945 and 2026 without adequately reflecting Africa’s place and population in major decision-making institutions.

Grynspan, a former Vice President of Costa Rica and experienced UN official, told Shettima that she was seeking Nigeria’s support and was prepared to pursue reforms demanded by developing countries, particularly those in the Global South.

Her candidature and participation in the formal UN selection process have been confirmed by the United Nations.

‘Coming from the Global South, I represent the interests and demands of the region. I also have a soft spot for Africa. I know the continent and its aspirations’, she was quoted as saying.

Grynspan said her agenda would prioritise peace and pledged support for Africa’s longstanding demand for permanent representation on the UN Security Council.

Her campaign platform has also emphasised reform of the UN system, including greater accountability, geographically equitable appointments and stronger partnerships between the organisation, member states and regional institutions.

Meanwhile, Nigeria and the Netherlands have agreed to deepen cooperation on financial inclusion, particularly initiatives targeted at women and vulnerable groups.

The agreement emerged from a separate bilateral meeting between Shettima and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands in New York.

Shettima welcomed the Netherlands’ offer to deploy its expertise and experience in financial health to support Nigeria’s financial inclusion programmes, saying expanded access to financial services was directly connected to education, security and poverty reduction.

He cited the Federal Government’s conditional cash transfer programme and interventions in agriculture among measures being deployed to broaden economic opportunities, adding that Nigeria’s growing fintech industry was also playing an important role in bringing financially excluded citizens into the formal system.

Defending the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Shettima said they became inevitable because of the condition of the economy inherited by the government in 2023.

Queen Máxima, who also serves as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, according to the State House statement, commended Nigeria’s recent economic growth and pledged Dutch support by sharing expertise in insurance, credit guarantees and data generation.

She said improving financial health would strengthen citizens’ resilience, protect investments and broaden access to insurance, while urging private-sector operators to regard the financial wellbeing of their customers as an important factor in their own long-term growth.

Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, was also quoted as saying that, alongside existing insurance and pension policies, recent measures announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria would improve the availability and cost of credit.

He said the administration’s financial inclusion drive ultimately aimed to expand opportunities for poor and vulnerable Nigerians and improve their living standards.