Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has begun tree-planting campaign in Ondo State, as part of efforts to combat climate change and promote environmental sustainability across Niger Delta.

The initiative, aimed at ensuring a greener environment, had earlier been launched in Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Edo states in partnership with the Foundation for Sustainable Development Options (FOSDO), an environmental solutions non-governmental organisation.

This development comes amid reports of several coastal communities, particularly in southern Nigeria, being devastated by gully erosion.

Speaking yesterday at a one-day sensitisation workshop and tree-planting event held in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, with the theme: ‘Reawakening the Practice of Tree Planting’, the Acting State Director of NDDC, Dr. Asonye Victor-Ngozi, said the initiative became necessary in view of the severe ecological impact of erosion across Niger Delta communities.

He noted that the campaign underscored the commission’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, describing the exercise as a practical demonstration of NDDC’s dedication to safeguard the environment.

‘Trees play a crucial role in absorbing carbon dioxide emissions, mitigating greenhouse effects, improving air and water quality, and sustaining biodiversity,’ he said.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FOSDO, Dr. Anthony Chovwen, lauded NDDC for funding and supporting tree-planting campaigns across the nine Niger Delta states.

Represented by Ms. Abigail Bokoyeibo, the FOSDO Ondo State programme director, Chovwen said the region was not immune to the effects of climate change, adding that the campaign aimed to raise public awareness about the importance of environmental sustainability.

‘Through this collaboration, we have conducted sensitisation programmes and environmental education projects, reaching more than 1,000 young people in secondary and primary schools across Niger Delta,’ she said.

Delivering a keynote address, Dr. Menakai Kekwaru, an environmental zoologist from the University of Port Harcourt, highlighted the growing threat of climate change caused by human activities that increased carbon emissions and heated the planet.

Dr. Michael Rotimi Olujugba, a lecturer at Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, emphasised the vital role of trees in sustaining life and reducing noise pollution.

He urged all tiers of government to implement policies promoting afforestation, noting that ‘anyone who cuts down a tree should be mandated to plant three new ones.’

The event featured practical tree-planting sessions involving students from participating schools, including Community Primary School, Kofawa; Caring Heart Mega School; Ilaje High School and Community Grammar School, Igbokoda.

Lagos nightlife is about to come alive again as popular entertainer Godillac gears up to headline the much-anticipated ‘Vibes on Vibes (VOV)’ Block Party, holding on Thursday, October 30, at Del Lagos, Isheri-Idimu, Lagos.

The event, organized by Del Lagos in conjunction with Evergreen Entertainment and Olumix Entertainment, promises a night of pure vibes, pulsating music, and electrifying performances from the headliner, guest artistes, DJs and hypemen.

Billed as one of the biggest block parties to hit the Alimosho this season, VOV with Godillac will feature thrilling stage moments, special appearances, and themed performances tagged ‘Gorilla and White Strippers’- designed to add a wild, dramatic flair to the night’s entertainment.

According to the organizers, the event aims to create a convergence of music lovers, nightlife enthusiasts, and young trendsetters for an unforgettable experience.

Also speaking ahead of the event, the headliner, Godillac, said the show is designed to give fans an elevated experience of his artistry and the Lagos nightlife scene.

‘Vibes on Vibes is not just another party,’ Godillac said. ‘It’s a movement. We’re bringing raw energy, great music, and a unique Lagos flavour that connects with the streets and the culture. I can’t wait to share that moment with everyone who pulls up.’

Pan-African Economic Reformer and Founder of the Compassionate Capitalism Economic System, King Charles Lambert, has premiered a groundbreaking African traditional theatre masterpiece titled Wait Until Dawn – a sweeping tragedy that fuses myth, politics, and morality to illuminate the timeless struggle between ambition and truth.

In Wait Until Dawn, Lambert rekindles the soul of traditional African drama, using theatre as a mirror for society’s moral crisis and a beacon for its ethical revival

Lambert, known for merging ideology with artistic expression, uses literature and theatre as tools for African moral and economic awakening. Wait Until Dawn reflects his conviction that financial liberation must be grounded in ethical and spiritual renewal.

Set in the fictional precolonial kingdom of Ameke, the play unravels a gripping tale of royal betrayal, murder, and divine justice. It opens with the shocking assassination of Eze Kalu Ibi, Ameke’s revered king, which triggers a storm of suspicion among his council of elders.

At the heart of the crisis is Akaike, a power-hungry elder whose deceit leads to the tragic downfall of Dike Ugwuala, a proud rival wrongly accused of regicide. Dike’s suicide, borne out of humiliation, exposes the devastating cost of falsehood and moral decay.

‘The house is now on fire. There is no hiding place for the rat anymore,’ says Akaike in one of the play’s most haunting lines – a chilling echo of the corruption and moral tension that drives the drama.

As chaos deepens, the women of Ameke emerge as spiritual anchors. Ogonna, the widowed queen, invokes ancestral spirits in search of truth, while Ugonma, Akaike’s wife, becomes the voice of conscience. In a climactic moment of revelation, Ugonma confronts her husband: ‘Akaike! Akaike! So, you killed my father?’

Her courage pierces the veil of deceit and restores the kingdom’s moral order, affirming the ancient African belief that truth, like dawn, can never be hidden forever.

Rich in proverbs, chants, and traditional symbolism, Wait Until Dawn captures the rhythm and depth of African oral heritage. From lines like ‘The widow’s cat would never leave the rat that stole her fish,’ to ‘When a child cries and points in one direction, if the father is not there, the mother must be,’ Lambert invokes the timeless wisdom of the continent’s moral code.

Critics have likened Wait Until Dawn to the grandeur of Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not to Blame and Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman, yet Lambert’s storytelling remains distinct – lyrical, direct, and charged with philosophical and spiritual energy.

Each act of the play builds toward the metaphorical dawn – the inevitable triumph of truth over deceit. From the queen’s incense-filled invocation to Akaike’s blood-soaked confession, the production is designed for visual richness and emotional intensity.

Lambert describes the play as more than art – ‘a cultural statement and moral call to Africa.’

‘The gods may wait, the people may suffer, but justice never sleeps,’ he declares.

The Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank) has identified the South-South region as the emerging strategic hub for export diversification.

It said the South-South has access to infrastructure like ports and proximity to export corridors.

Managing Director of NEXIM Bank, Abba Bello, stated this in Benin City at the opening session of a one-day NEXIM SME Export Finance Sensitization Forum.

Bello noted that the South-South offered offers immense potential for trade following successful agro-processing clusters in oil palm, cassava, cocoa, rubber, solid minerals projects and in the petro-chemical industries in Rivers State.

He said industrial hubs in the region were home to MSMEs along value chains that produced high-quality food products, chemicals, building materials and servicing oil companies.

The NEXIM bank boss said the industrial hubs provided products and services that would shape Nigeria’s non-oil export future.

Represented by Mr. Flaring Tianiyu, Bello noted that improved access to finance, robust infrastructure, and effective trade facilitation would help the South South region continue to be a strong contributor to Nigeria’s non-oil export growth.

He said the NEXIM Bank was working with partners such as GIZ, to address challenges faced by the over 41 million MSMEs in the country.

Bello explained that the EXCEL Programme was designed to identify, strengthen, and finance export-ready MSMEs across the country, by leveraging digital tools, providing targeted-training, and enhancing financial-inclusion strategies.

His words, ‘The EXCEL Programme enables small businesses to scale up their operations, improve quality standards, and trade seamlessly within regional and international markets.

‘This initiative falls within the NEXIM Bank’s mandate of promoting diversified, non-oil exports, through inclusive financing models that empower women, youth, and small businesses to participate effectively in trade.

‘In addition, through the Nigeria Export Academy (NEXA), a digital platform, the Bank is expanding export capacity, providing export advisory and enabling MSMEs to operate with greater transparency and efficiency. We are also onboarding SME clients onto the African Trade Gateway (ATG), a digital ecosystem powered by Afreximbank, which integrates risk management tools (MANSA) payment systems (PAPSS), trade documentation, and logistics support to facilitate seamless cross-border trade for SMEs within Africa’, Bello further explained.

GIZ Trade Advisor, Raymond Dangana, said major objective of the event was to sensitize participants on export financing.

Members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State yesterday held a solidarity march to back the governorship aspiration of the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Asiwaju Munirudeen Oyebamiji (AMBO) and re-election bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The supporters converged on Osogbo City Stadium and marched through Ayetoro, Igbona, Olounkoro, Old-Garage, Orisunbare, Ola-Iya, Fakunle, to Ogo-Oluwa, which covered five kilometres before they stopped at Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office.

They described the NIWA boss as the best aspirant, who had the capacity to deliver victory for the party if given the governorship ticket for the 2026 election.

Former Speaker of House of Assembly Timothy Owoeye said the walk was not just a show of strength for Oyebamiji, but also a reaffirmation that APC remained the party to beat in Osun.

He hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his leadership and performance, saying his achievements had rekindled faith in the party across the country.

‘This Unity Walk is to tell Osun people that APC is united and ready for 2026. Asiwaju Oyebamiji stands out as a competent, tested and trusted aspirant with a track record of performance as a two-time commissioner and as managing director of Osun Investment Company Limited,’ Owoeye said.

Addressing reporters, a former commissioner under the administration of ex-Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, Adebayo Adeleke, said the large turnout of APC members to support Oyebamiji was a testament that he was loved by all ahead of December 13 primary.

‘It is obvious that Oyebamiji is an aspirant to beat in the APC primary election. We are happy for this large turnout. We are ready and prepared for the primary election. There is no aspirant in APC that is not competent. They are all competent. But what we are saying is Bola Oyebamiji is above all when it comes to APC. He is more acceptable, a gentleman, knowledgeable and a financial expert. He is the one that can strengthen the economic situation of Osun State.’

ýKehinde Ayantunji, special adviser to former Governor Oyetola, lauded President Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande and Oyetola for their continued support for the APC since 2022.

He said their efforts had strengthened the party and rekindled public trust.

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the standard and quality of completed and ongoing projects executed by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in all Tertiary Institutions across Nigeria to ensure value for money.

In its resolution following a motion sponsored by Aderemi Oseni (APC, Oyo), the House asked the Federal Ministries of Education and Finance, the National Universities Commission, TETFund, and Development Partners to work out modalities to refurbish the First-Generation Universities to restore the glory and quality of the Universities.

Leading the debate on the motion, Oseni recalled that First-Generation Federal Universities in Nigeria in the early 60s exuded glory, glamour, quality and class from inception, and were also the pride of the nation in those days, adding that the standard and quality of these first-generation universities, in terms of quality of teachers,

students and infrastructure attract them to foreign students and international recognitions across the world.

He expressed concerns that these first-generation universities which include the University of Ibadan, the University of

Nigeria, Nsuka, and Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, amongst others, seem to have lost the glory they exuded in the 60s due to years of neglect and unintended abandonment of infrastructure and facilities in the Universities.

He alleged that these years of neglect have resulted in decay and dilapidated infrastructure of the institutions’ lecture halls, hostels, auditoriums, etc. The beautiful zoos in the Universities that attracted tourists from far and near are either empty or non-existent.

He said Tertiary Education Trust (TETFund) intervention projects initiated to ameliorate the infrastructure gap in the universities, have executed a number of projects in selected Universities, which are of poor quality, with newly completed works deteriorating faster

than projects built over 60 years ago.

He said there was the need for the Federal Government to refurbish the First-Generation Universities in Nigeria to return to their former the glory and investigate the quality of works executed by TETFund to justify value for monies spent on the projects.

Senate has commenced the screening of newly nominated Service Chiefs by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

This followed the arrival of the nominees into the Senate chamber alongside their family members and other senior members of the Armed Forces.

The delegation was led into the Chamber by the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Basheer Lado.

This followed a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele suspended Order 12 on floor privileges to allow strangers into the chambers and for the Senate to resolve into a Committee of Whole to do the screening.

The motion was seconded by Senator Osita Ngwu, the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate.

The new Service Chiefs for screening and confirmation include the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Waheedi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Kennedy Aneke and Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas.

Before the screening commenced the Senate Leader moved that since the Senate earlier screened General Oluyede for the position of Chief of Army Staff, he should be regarded as a class captain leading the other nominees for the screening.

After the motion was seconded by Senator Ngwu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said it would be right to allow Oluyede to relieve his experience in his previous office as COAS and his perspective on the way forward as the CDS.

Thereafter, Oluyede took the podium and began introducing himself.

He said his experience as COAS was both challenging and rewarding.

On the challenges, he said: ‘We know the resources are not enough. The enablers are not enough. It makes it difficult to prosecuting the fight against bandits and terrorists.’

He said it is incumbent on the country to develop its own equipment to prosecute wars and other forms of insecurity due to skyrocketing cost of importing arms and armament.

He said there is something special about being a soldier. As a soldier you have to sacrifice your entire life. As an ordinary person, when there is a threat you are expected to retreat but as a soldier you are expected to go forward.

He also called for strengthening the Nigeria Police Force to be able to carry out their constitutional responsibilities.

‘At present, the military is doing some of the work the police are supposed to do,’ he said.

At this point, Senate President Akpabio requested senators that Oluyede be allowed to take a bow since he was formerly screened and approved by the chamber as CDS.

The request was approved by the Senators.

Performer ‘Fake Flavour’ has responded to allegations of impersonating award-winning highlife artist Flavour N’abania.

Fake Flavour claimed that his stage name is a tribute to the artist he admires and he has no intention of scamming anyone.

‘I’m not using Flavour’s name to scam people; I just love him,’ he said in part.

According to Fake Flavour, his booking fees range from N700,000 to N800,000, which he believes is significantly lower than what the genuine Flavour would accept for performances.

He stated confidently: ‘Flavour would never perform for that amount. People who book me know I’m doing my own thing, and I’m not pretending to be him to get money.’

He maintained that his brand is built on respect and admiration, not deception.

The controversy has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some users finding his honesty amusing and others questioning the potential for public deception.

The Chairman of Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Bola Oladunjoye, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to inclusive governance and sustainable development.

He made this known during the 2026 Budget Stakeholders’ Meeting held at the council sectetariat, Obalende.

Oladunjoye described the meeting as an important platform to strengthen collaboration between government and residents, as well as to ensure transparency, accountability, and people-driven decision-making in the budgeting process.

He explained that the purpose of the forum was fourfold – to gather input and feedback from stakeholders on priority needs for the 2026 fiscal year, ensure transparency in the budgeting process, facilitate effective communication between government and the public, and identify critical needs such as infrastructure, social services, and economic opportunities for inclusion in the new budget.

‘We are a government of the people, and we value the input of our people in the administration. Our open-door policy is evident in today’s event, where we seek direct input from you in developing an inclusive budget for the 2026 fiscal year. We want to know your priorities, not what we think you need,’ he said.

The council boss emphasised that his administration is guided by the principle of participatory governance, where the people’s voices determine the focus of government actions. He urged residents to actively participate in the consultative forum, noting that democracy thrives when citizens take ownership of governance.

‘This government is your government. It is what you say we should do that we will do. As citizens, you have the power to steer the ship of governance in the direction that you want it to go,’ he noted.

Highlighting the council’s achievements, the chairman listed the ongoing rehabilitation of Lugard Avenue, which is 90 percent completed, and the reconstruction of Polo Club Road, Ikoyi, which has already commenced with a groundbreaking ceremony.

He also noted that the administration had intensified efforts to boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through efficient, transparent, and accountable measures. These include branding of revenue officers, purchase of revenue buses, introduction of an electronic billing and payment system, and a comprehensive enumeration of all revenue sources within the council.

On security, Oladunjoye commended residents and security agencies for their cooperation and vigilance in maintaining peace and reducing crime rates within the council area.

He further reiterated the council’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy for environmental infractions, stating that Street Marshals have been deployed to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

While assuring residents of continued delivery of people-oriented projects, the council boss appealed to all ratepayers to fulfill their civic obligations, stressing that prompt payment of levies and dues is vital to sustaining developmental efforts.

‘Your contributions are crucial to our community’s growth and development. Together, we can build a better Ikoyi-Obalende,’ he said.

As political momentum builds toward the 2027 general elections, Comrade Abdulhakeem Adegoke Alawuje, founder of the Disciples of Jagaban (DOJ) and a key figure in the Tinubu Support Movement, has declared that ‘Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have neither the influence nor the credibility to turn the North against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.’

In a strongly worded statement, Alawuje cautioned politicians ‘engaging in underground ethnic and religious politics,’ insisting that every move is being closely monitored.

‘Be warned. There is no political or ethnic scheme you can execute without the awareness of our agents. The North will not be deceived again,’ he said.

Recalling Tinubu’s pivotal role in the 2015 elections, Alawuje said history will not forget how the then-APC National Leader ‘stood firmly with the North when it mattered most.’

‘At that crucial moment, Tinubu traversed the region, convincing millions who once opposed Buhari to support him. The North has not forgotten that selfless act,’ he stated.

He described the North as ‘a region of loyalty and honour,’ stressing that it would ‘reward Tinubu with its votes again in 2027.’

The Tinubu loyalist accused Atiku of masking a ‘Northern agenda’ while alleging that Peter Obi was ‘hiding behind religious sentiments.’

‘Both are playing hypocritical politics of the highest order. No propaganda will turn the North against its trusted ally from the Southwest,’ he declared.

Citing recent remarks by the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness Muhammad Sanusi II, who noted that ‘Nigeria has pulled back from the brink of economic collapse,’ Alawuje commended President Tinubu’s ‘bold and transformative reforms.’

‘Tinubu is performing exceptionally well-transforming Nigeria’s economic and developmental landscape. Nigerians only need patience,’ he added.

Praising the President’s resilience amid criticism, Alawuje said Tinubu’s governance had silenced detractors.

‘Despite social media ‘economists’ sowing fear, Tinubu has proven them wrong. He is a courageous and visionary leader-an economic reformer and a true champion of human development,’ he said.

Alawuje urged Nigerians to support Tinubu’s ongoing reforms and resist divisive politics, saying, ‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made us proud. He has laid a solid foundation for Nigeria’s future.’