Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Saturday empowered about 5,000 residents of Lagos with cash, vehicles and other items under his Mega Empowerment Programme in Lagos.

Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, also used the occasion to speak on recent allegations against him.

He said the empowerment programme included N1.15 billion in cash support, 279 vehicles, mini-buses, electric cars, electric bicycles, laptops and other items.

The Chief of Staff said 3,905 beneficiaries would receive N250,000 each, while 348 others would receive N500,000 each.

He said the programme also included 61 beneficiaries of electric vehicles, 600 beneficiaries of mini-buses and 100 beneficiaries of laptops.

Gbajabiamila said four Toyota Hiace 18-seater buses, two security patrol vehicles, a medical ambulance and a special T2 jeep were also included in the empowerment package.

He said Lagos had remained supportive of him throughout his political career, including during difficult periods.

‘Lagos has also stood by me in good and difficult times. The past few months have tested me in ways I never expected. Stories were written, strange accusations were made, lies were told and my integrity was questioned.

‘Through it all, the people of Lagos State and many well-meaning Nigerians kept me in their prayers and spoke up for me when it mattered. I will never forget that. I thank you all.

‘The allegations came ferociously, but I was grateful that my people and those who know me understood that the allegations were false and malicious,’ he said.

Gbajabiamila said investigations into the allegations had cleared him, while thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for insisting on due process.

‘At the end of the investigations, the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) cleared me of any wrongdoing, and the investigative reports are in the public domain.

‘For those who seek high office, especially our young people, sometimes this is a high price you have to pay and a sacrifice you have to make. Do not be discouraged.

‘I must thank my principal, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Many people wanted him to rush to judgment and give a verdict before the investigations were concluded. He refused and insisted on due process.

‘Let me also say that Mr President knows his Chief of Staff very well. Having worked closely with me for many years, he was therefore confident that I was not in any way involved in those malicious stories,’ he said.

NAN recalls that the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) reported that it found no evidence that Gbajabiamila authorised, approved, established or participated in the activities of the organisation.

Gbajabiamila said he remained focused on his responsibilities and warned those allegedly using his name to defraud members of the public.

‘So, let me speak plainly and directly to all those behind the attacks: no amount of money, blackmail or lies, whether sponsored from within or outside, will distract me from my work and the responsibility Mr President has given me to discharge.

‘And to anyone using my name to defraud people or misrepresent me, know that the law will always catch up with you.

‘I must say here that, at this moment, he remains one of us and part of the family. What is wrong is wrong, but what is right is right. In politics, loyalty is the currency we spend the most,’ Gbajabiamila added.

He said his loyalty to Tinubu had remained consistent despite occasions when the President’s political decisions did not align with his personal wishes.

‘I have been with Mr President for many years, and there have been times when his political decisions did not align with my wishes. I did not question his leadership, and I never betrayed the trust he placed in me.

‘I stayed loyal then, and I remain loyal now. My commitment to his Renewed Hope Agenda remains unwavering.’

Speaking further on the empowerment programme, Gbajabiamila said the event had earlier been shifted to allow proper verification of beneficiaries nominated through community development associations and trade associations.

‘Earlier this year, in June, we shifted this event. It was not an easy decision, but I wanted to ensure that everything submitted by our CDAs and trade associations was properly checked.

‘This is not a token gesture. It is one of the largest single empowerment programmes this community has ever witnessed,’ he said.

Gbajabiamila said the Bajaj transportation service was still operational, moving students within Surulere at no cost and offering discounted rates for the elderly.

He said electric cars had also been provided for e-hailing businesses, alongside electric bicycles and electric bikes.

‘Step by step, this administration is keeping to its commitment to renewable energy and environmentally friendly initiatives.

‘We will also be installing electric vehicle charging stations in Surulere.

‘We will continue to provide meaningful empowerment opportunities for our people and ensure that the benefits of government reach our communities.’

Speaking, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the APC had demonstrated its commitment to the people through various empowerment programmes and interventions across Lagos State.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said the party’s senators, members of the House of Representatives, the Speaker, Chief of Staff and other political leaders had been engaging with constituents and supporting communities within their respective constituencies.

According to him, the APC’s strength lies in its connection with the people, stressing that politics should not be limited to making promises but should involve regular interaction with citizens and addressing their needs.

‘Our party understands that a political party was formed to take care of our people, and that is what we are doing. There are so many things laid out there for people to benefit from today,’ he said.

Hamzat also expressed appreciation to those supporting the empowerment initiative, saying the administration was proud of its achievements and remained committed to doing more for the people of Lagos.

Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, Chairman of APC in the state, commended Gbajabiamila on the empowerment programme, saying the party was proud of him.

Represented by a former Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, Ojelabi said Gbajabiamila’s gestures were a reflection that APC was a caring party.

Also, Chairman of Surulere Local Government, Mr Suleiman Yusuf, and Chairman of Surulere Local Government Education Authority, Mr Sheriff Folami, praised Gbajabiamila for sustaining empowerment programmes in Surulere, describing him as a leader who had consistently impacted lives.

Dignitaries at the event included a former special adviser to the Governor on Housing, Mrs Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, member representing Surulere Federal Constituency I, Mr Fouad Laguda, and member of Governance Advisory Council, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, among others.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Aisha Bello, who received N250,000 cash support, expressed gratitude to Gbajabiamila, saying the gesture would boost her petty trading business.

Ahead of the expected groundbreaking of Kenya’s proposed East Africa Refinery in Lamu, President William Ruto has visited Lagos for a tour of billionaire Aliko Dangote’s mega oil refinery.

ýRuto arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport yesterday and was received by Dangote and other senior Nigerian officials.

ýRuto’s visit together with First Lady Rachel Ruto and senior government officials of East Africa Refinery came five days before the planned groundbreaking ceremony on September 30.

ýThe planned Lamu facility, with a projected capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, is expected to become a major component of Kenya’s strategy to expand refining capacity and strengthen petroleum supply in the region.

ýThe Lagos visit came after Ruto met Dangote and Africa Finance Corporation chief executive Samaila Zubairu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York earlier in the week.

ýThe discussions focused on financing and final preparations for the Lamu project.

ý’We are ready to break ground on the East Africa refinery in Lamu, a transformative project that will enhance the region’s energy security, deepen local value addition, create jobs and advance our industrialization agenda,’ Ruto said after the New York meeting.

ýThe proposed refinery is expected to process crude from Kenya’s oilfields in Lokichar, Turkana County, and supply refined petroleum products to markets in East and Central Africa.

ýThe project is being developed with Dangote’s involvement and support from the Africa Finance Corporation.

Current reports have placed its investment value at between $15 billion and $17 billion, equivalent to roughly Sh2 trillion at prevailing exchange rates.

ýThe September 30 groundbreaking is expected to bring together regional leaders and other key stakeholders, with preparations already under way in Lamu.

ýThe Lagos refinery tour gives Ruto an opportunity to inspect Dangote’s existing refining operation before the Kenyan project moves into its construction phase.

ýUpon arrival at the refinery, Ruto was taken on a guided tour of the sprawling facility by Dangote and other senior company officials.

ýThe tour covered key sections of the refinery and the adjoining petrochemicals complex, giving the President an overview of the plant’s operations, processing capacity and infrastructure.

Jude Bellingham has been voted England’s Men’s Player of the Year for the second consecutive season after an outstanding international campaign that culminated in a record-breaking World Cup, TVC News reports.

The Real Madrid midfielder received the award after supporters voted through the official England app, recognising his influential performances for Thomas Tuchel’s side during the 2025-26 campaign.

Bellingham was one of England’s standout performers at the 2026 World Cup, scoring seven goals as the Three Lions finished third – their best World Cup result since winning the tournament in 1966. His tally also established a new record for an England men’s player at a single major tournament.

The 23-year-old was particularly influential in the knockout rounds, scoring twice against Mexico in the last 16 before producing another two-goal performance in England’s quarter-final victory over Norway.

His performances also earned praise from Tuchel, who described Bellingham as one of the standout players of the tournament and highlighted his ability to thrive under pressure.

Bellingham expressed his appreciation after receiving the award, describing the recognition from England supporters as a major honour.

The midfielder improved also after also claiming the 2024-25 England Player of the Year award, when he became only the second player to win the prize while playing for a club outside England, following Owen Hargreaves.

The latest recognition adds to a growing list of individual honours for Bellingham, who is also among the England players nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or to be held in October.

Former presidential adviser and elder statesman, Senator Ben Obi, has called for greater emphasis on practical skills acquisition as part of efforts to tackle youth unemployment and associated social vices in the country.

Obi, who spoke at the graduation ceremony of Springfield Fashion Academy (SFA) in Abuja, said academic certificates alone could no longer guarantee economic survival in the face of rising unemployment.

He described practical skills and technical competence, popularly referred to as ‘sabificate’, as important tools for empowering young Nigerians to become self-reliant and create wealth.

‘We must not only rely on certificates to survive. We must equally rely on our skills to be able to put food on the table,’ he said.

The former lawmaker praised the creativity and confidence displayed by the graduating fashion designers, saying vocational training could help shift young Nigerians from dependence on formal employment to entrepreneurship and wealth creation.

He urged the Federal Government, corporate organisations and development partners to establish funding mechanisms for credible private vocational training institutions.

According to him, supporting successful vocational institutes would enable them to expand and establish training centres across the 36 states, thereby widening access to skills acquisition.

Obi also advised young Nigerians to enrol in structured skills acquisition programmes rather than wait indefinitely for white-collar jobs.

He said institutions such as Springfield Fashion Academy could make greater impact if adequately supported to establish branches across the country.

The Creative Director of Springfield Fashion Academy, Blessing Ugwuodo, similarly urged unemployed youths and graduates to acquire practical skills instead of relying entirely on academic qualifications.

Ugwuodo said many graduates had remained unemployed for years because of their dependence on white-collar jobs, despite the opportunities available in vocational and creative industries.

She noted that practical skills could provide a more immediate route to self-employment and economic independence.

‘I am educated and I am a graduate, but skill is actually higher and more powerful than certificates,’ she said.

Ugwuodo urged young Nigerians to use the period spent searching for formal employment to develop skills and create products and services that could meet market demand.

She said Nigeria’s large population presented significant opportunities for local producers and entrepreneurs, adding that fashion was only one of several areas where young people could acquire marketable skills.

The fashion academy boss, however, expressed concern over the financial pressures confronting small and medium-scale enterprises in the Federal Capital Territory.

She particularly criticised the increase in levies imposed by the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), saying excessive charges could undermine the survival of small businesses.

According to her, rather than impose additional financial burdens on emerging enterprises, government should create an enabling environment for them to grow.

Ugwuodo also called for a review of government empowerment programmes, urging public institutions to channel resources to organisations with verifiable records of grassroots impact.

She said government should move beyond publicity-driven empowerment initiatives and support institutions already providing sustainable skills and livelihoods to vulnerable Nigerians.

She noted that Springfield Fashion Academy had trained people from diverse backgrounds, including educated and uneducated youths, persons with disabilities and widows.

Ugwuodo added that the academy had also trained individuals without formal education, stressing that lack of schooling should not constitute a barrier to acquiring skills and becoming self-reliant.

She called for stronger collaboration between government and credible vocational institutions to take skills acquisition programmes to the grassroots.

Federal Capital Territory (FCT)minister, Nyesom Wike, has announced plans to inaugurate and lead the campaign machinery in Abuja and Rivers to drive the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu.

Wike disclosed this in Abuja yesterday, after he inspected the ongoing Kuje-Gwagwalada road dualisation project.

He added that he would lead the campaign effort within the nation’s capital and extend the re-election operations to his home state of Rivers.

According to him, political parties across the spectrum are organising their ranks, and supporters of the president are prepared to initiate an aggressive campaign.

‘The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), I believe, is putting itself together for an aggressive campaign.

‘For us who are supporting Mr President from different political platforms, we have put our machinery ready to kick-start.

‘Very soon, I will inaugurate the campaign team for Tinubu in the FCT and Rivers, which I will lead.

‘All elements of the APC are ready, Mr President is ready, we are ready and you can see the enthusiasm.’

Addressing critics and political opponents, Wike argued that visible development projects would serve as the main driver for electoral support in the FCT, dismissing allegations of electoral malpractice ahead of time.

‘People are happy, and I don’t know who will contest against the president as far as this election is concerned.

‘This is governance, and this is what people expect. It will translate directly into actual votes,’ he said.

Wike expressed confidence that the administration’s infrastructure record would secure victory across board in the FCT, including support for Sen. Philip Aduda and the two House of Representatives seats.

‘It is obvious. Nobody will be able to claim rigging in FCT. The ‘rigging’ is the projects we are delivering, making the people happy,’ Wike said.

Commending the contractor and site engineers for the progress recorded so far, the minister assured stakeholders that adequate funding would be disbursed to guarantee completion of the project by December.

‘This is my first time getting to this side of the road, and I can see how highly populated this area is,’ he said.

The minister emphasised that delivering functional infrastructure remains the cornerstone of good governance and public satisfaction.

‘You can imagine the enthusiasm and happiness on the faces of the people. That is why we say the essence of governance is to make people happy.

‘When the people are happy, those in authority are happy,’ he added, expressing gratitude to Tinubu for providing sustained support for capital projects in the territory.

The Toronto International Film Festival has revealed the 2026 award winners during a live press conference at TIFF Lightbox recently.

Among the top honours announced were the People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, voted on by TIFF’s public audience; the Platform Prize, the Festival’s only juried programme; two Canadian feature film awards, Short Cuts, FIPRESCI, and NETPAC awards.

In total, 12 awards were handed out, celebrating standout films and breakout talent.

In a historic first this year, winning TIFF’s Platform Prize grants a non-English-language film direct eligibility for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards, alongside top winners from five other qualifying festivals.

The 2026 TIFF presented 294 films from 72 countries, welcoming over 800 talent across 98 red carpets. The Festival hosted 2,000 accredited media, close to 7,000 TIFF: The Market delegates, and 279 directors from around the world.

Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s ‘La Bola Negra’ People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers; ‘Elsinore’ won International People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers; ‘Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been’ People’s Choice Documentary Award presented by Rogers; ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney’ won People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award presented by Rogers; Theja Rio’s ‘Angh’ won Platform Prize; ‘Brace Your Heart’ won Special Jury Award; ‘Sunburn’ won Best Canadian Feature Film Award and a $10,000 CAD cash prize; while ‘Smudge the Blades’ won the award for Best Canadian Discovery Award.

Worried by the removal of Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa, other indigenous languages, from the new school curriculum, the publisher of the Yoruba Tooto weekly newspaper, Mr Kunle Babarinde, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rescind the policy and restore the three major languages to the school curriculum.

Babarinde appealed at a press briefing held yesterday at the Meiran, headquarters of the newspaper, in Lagos, urging President Tinubu’s intervention to save Yoruba and the other languages from going extinct.

The publisher explained that the open appeal through the press became necessary after he had fruitlessly written letters to President Bola Tinubu; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and all governors in the South-West, as well as the co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) and other prominent Obas in Yorubaland.

‘Of all the letters that I have written to these important personalities and eminent Nigerians, the only response I received was from the Sultan of Sokoto, while others are yet to respond to my letters,’ Babarinde said.

The publisher noted that indigenous languages are tools for cultural identity and the promotion of values, without which no country can truly develop or make meaningful progress.

‘Language is a living creature that dies when it is not used. As a stakeholder and publisher of a Yoruba weekly magazine, I am not fighting only for the restoration of the Yoruba language, but for all three languages, Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo, to be included in the school curriculum.

‘All three languages have been removed from the current school curriculum, both in primary and secondary schools and what that portends is that the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has decided to return us to slavery.

‘A people’s language is the totality of their being, and once the language dies, then every other thing, including culture, tradition and values, is gone.

‘Therefore, I am not only seeking the restoration of the three major languages to the school curriculum alone, but I am also using this opportunity to appeal to President Bola Tinubu to make the languages compulsory for admission into tertiary institutions,’ he said.

‘Job loss is imminent for the teachers of indigenous languages in Nigeria. The teachers are not happy with the proposed plan of the Federal Government to remove the languages from the curriculum, a development they said could make them redundant or out of a job.’

Other stakeholders at the media briefing include a former chairman of the Egbe Akomolede Yoruba, Lagos State chapter, Mrs Olaitan Zainab Olaide, who also urged all Yoruba monarchs to raise their voices against the proposed removal of the Yoruba and other languages from the school curriculum.

Olaide said: ‘Our language remains the only heritage that gives us the identity and respect we have as a race. So, our traditional rulers in Yoruba land must rise and raise their voices against the removal of Yoruba language from the current school curriculum,’ she said.

Other members of the Yoruba Tooto Multipurpose Cooperative Society present at the conference included the Lagos State chairman, Olabode Oyeniyi, Mrs Bunmi Adegoke and Mrs Bosede Ariyo, among others.

If only Nigeria knew how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rescued Nigerians from the oil subsidy regime, every Nigerian would stand and thank him every morning.

The oil subsidy was not a policy. It was a monumental fraud. A national organised crime.

I write not as a politician, but as an insider. I served this country as a staff member of NNPC for 20 solid years. I was an accountant responsible for recording petroleum product sales from my desk at Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Ibadan Depot. For 20 years, I saw the books. I saw the lies.

I also write as a former member of the House of Representatives. I served on the Downstream Petroleum Committee, the Finance Committee, the Subsidy Probe Committee of 2012, and, above all, the Petroleum Industry Bill Committee of the 7th Assembly.

These exposures and responsibilities gave me the opportunity to arrive at one painful truth: this country’s oil and gas industry operated in a deeply corrupt environment, shrouded in secrecy that injured the nation deeply.

The subsidy regime lied about everything. They lied about production costs. They lied about imports. They lied about landing costs and their poor cost template. They also lied about storage and consumption figures. Nigeria was consuming 30 million litres on paper, but on the ground, half of it was going across our borders to Benin, Niger, Togo, Cameroon and Ghana. We were subsidising the consumption of petroleum products for mostly our neighbouring countries while Nigerians suffered scarcity.

We were borrowing to import what we had. We were paying debts for products we did not consume. The huge debt incurred during the subsidy regime almost collapsed our economy. Banks were making trillions from subsidy claims. One man would bring one ship and claim for three. Depot owners collected subsidies for products that never left their tanks.

That is why I say the best thing that ever happened to this oil and gas industry is the bold step taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29, 2023, when he said, ‘Subsidy is gone’.

Only a courageous leader with a full understanding of the cartel can do that. Others before him knew the truth but lacked the courage.

If any counter-voices are now calling for the return of subsidy, it can only mean one thing: the cartels are fighting back. It will not augur well for us as a nation if we listen to them. Those championing the return of subsidy either lack the knowledge or exposure to how this country was subsidising other countries, or they are direct beneficiaries of the fraud.

Let me be clear: Nigerians were never the beneficiaries of subsidy. The cartels were. Nigerians were only benefiting from cheap smuggled products, scarcity, long queues, and national debt.

Of course, the need to overhaul the administration of the post-subsidy regime cannot be overemphasised. The government must ensure that the savings from the subsidy are well managed, that refineries work, that CNG and other palliatives reach the real poor, and that the downstream is well regulated.

But to return to subsidy? Never. That will be returning to Egypt after God has already taken us through the Red Sea.

President Tinubu has taken the hard road, the right road. History will vindicate him.

Hon. Rotimi Makinde, former PPMC Staff (20 years, Ibadan Depot) and former Member, House of Representatives, writes from the Source.

No fewer than five hundred participants are expected at the Camporee 2026 organised by the Osun State Council of the Scout Association of Nigeria.

The event holding for two days in Osogbo, the state capital city, will start on Friday, September 25 and end on Sunday, 27.

The participants are drawn from across Nigeria and particularly the thirty local government areas of Osun State.

According to a statement by the Osun State Scout Commissioner, Dr. Sola Olalekan Atanda, the event is being held at the Olutimehin Grammar School, Asubiaro, Osogbo.

Calling on the Osun State government led by Governor Ademola Adeleke to partner and support the Scout Council in the state, Atanda said the youths deserved to be empowered in all areas of their lives for them to be able to channel their God-given talents and energies to good purposes and also to contribute meaningfully to the overall development of the nation.

Atanda, a Marathon ’63 Scouter, said the purpose of the programme was for the participants, who are youths, to learn, grow, connect and build memories through the spirit of scouting.

He said: ‘The programme is not just another camping experience; it is an opportunity to challenge the youths to discover new strengths, serve others, and grow into the leaders they are meant to become.’

He said it was important for everyone in attendance to live up to the principle of our body, ‘Building Tomorrow’s Leaders Through Scouting.’

Atanda, therefore, charged those to attend the event to be prepared, to be intentional and to ensure they participate in all the scheduled activities of the Camporee 2026.

The people of Osun State have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to complete the abandoned bridge over the Eko-Ende/Ilie River and reconstruct the Ikirun-Ogbomoso road to boost the economy of Osun, Oyo and Kwara states.

The Elende of Eko-Ende, Oba Abdulwaheed Babatunde Adekunle, appealed while inspecting an abandoned bridge over the Eko-Ende/Ilie River.

The monarch pleaded with the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Osun Central Senatorial District, Kunle Rasheed Adegoke (SAN), popularly known as K-RAD, to make the demands of the people of the areas known to President Bola Tinubu.

Adegoke, who was on a consultation visit to Eko-Ende along with the APC candidate for Ifelodun State Constituency in the Osun State House of Assembly, Dr Mulikat Jimoh, pledged to take the infrastructure challenges facing communities along the Ikirun-Ogbomoso corridor to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The affected communities include Eko-Ende, Ore, Ilie, Iregba and Iresa, among others, with residents relying heavily on the road corridor for the movement of people, farm produce and goods.

The bridge, initiated during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and awarded to MM and IF Construction Company, was intended to improve connectivity between communities in Osun and Oyo states.

Its abandonment has, however, left the route in poor condition and created difficulties for communities and businesses that depend on the corridor.

Speaking on behalf of the affected communities, Oba Adekunle appealed to K-RAD to use his access to the Federal Government to seek the completion of the bridge and the reconstruction and expansion of the road.

‘The bridge and road are critical to our economic survival, and giving them the required attention will have a significant impact on our livelihoods,’ the monarch said.

The monarch also expressed support for President Tinubu and said the communities would continue to mobilise support for the President ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Responding, K-RAD promised to take the concerns directly to the Presidency. ‘We will do the needful as soon as possible,’ he assured the communities.

K-RAD also commended the Tinubu administration for infrastructure projects across Osun State, expressing confidence that the President would recognise the importance of the road and bridge to the communities and wider regional economy.

The Ikirun-Ogbomoso corridor connects several agricultural communities across Osun and Oyo states and serves as an important route for the movement of people and agricultural produce.

For the affected communities, the demand is straightforward: the abandoned bridge should be completed and the road restored to a condition that can support economic activity across the area.