Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Media personality Enioluwa Adeoluwa has penned an emotional tribute to his mother, Dr. Bola Adeoluwa, who recently earned her PhD.

In a post on Instagram, Enioluwa lauded his mother as the ‘quiet force’ behind his family’s success, often overshadowed by his father’s prominence as a professor but equally instrumental in shaping their values.

Enioluwa highlighted his mother’s lesser-known contributions, noting her steadfast presence at debates, quizzes, and prize-giving days, instilling resilience, perseverance, and strength in her children.

‘When it comes to academics, everyone always talks about my dad, and rightly so, he’s a Professor.

‘But my mum? She’s not often remembered in that same light. It’s always been business for her. Yet what most people don’t know is that she’s always been the quiet force behind the scenes, the one who sat through our debates, cheered at every quiz, and showed up for every prize-giving day.

‘While she may not have been the one people associated with academics, she taught us something even more powerful: the everyday skills that shape a person; resilience, perseverance, and strength,’ he wrote.

He revealed her extraordinary academic path, which includes two first degrees, two master’s degrees, a postgraduate diploma, and now a PhD.

At 45, he said she retook the WAEC exam to fulfill a mathematics requirement and pursued another degree to achieve her doctoral dream.

‘And today, she’s done it again. She becomes Dr. Bola Adeoluwa. Now standing tall with two first degrees, two master’s, a PGD, and a PhD.

‘What inspires me most is her journey, she went back to write WAEC again because she needed Mathematics, and at 45, she enrolled for another First Degree just to make her dream possible,’ he added.

Describing her as his ‘biggest inspiration,’ Enioluwa celebrated Dr. Bola Adeoluwa as a mother, mentor, and trailblazer.

‘That’s resilience. That’s strength. That’s the unwavering backbone she’s always been, even in the quiet moments when no one was watching, she showed up for herself.

‘She’s my biggest inspiration. Join me in celebrating Dr. (Mrs.) B.M. Adeoluwa. An incredible mother, mentor, and trailblazer’, he concluded.

President Bola Tinubu has approved an unconditional grant of N250,000 for each outstanding Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) exhibiting at the Expanded National MSME Clinic in Katsina State.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima announced the grant Tuesday during the inauguration of the ninth edition of the MSME Clinic, designed to support small businesses and stimulate economic activity across local communities.

He said the Federal Government established the Expanded MSME Clinic to bring services closer to entrepreneurs and foster innovation, employment, and access to resources through direct engagement with key institutions.

‘MSMEs remain the backbone of our national vision.

‘We came to office committed to ease the nation’s economic burden, and our support for businesses remains a top priority,’ Shettima said.

He noted that through the clinic, MSMEs could access regulatory bodies like CAC, NAFDAC, and SMEDAN, as well as banks including the Bank of Industry, to resolve pressing business challenges.

Highlighting President Tinubu’s commitment, Shettima said: ‘This grant is non-repayable and part of our efforts to eliminate barriers hindering MSMEs and promote an environment where small businesses can thrive.’

He added that the administration had also introduced a N75 billion MSME Intervention Fund, offering up to N5 million in loans to 75,000 enterprises at a 9 per cent annual interest rate.

He said additionally, the N50 billion Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme was supporting one million nano businesses nationwide with grants of N50,000 each, targeting the most vulnerable micro-enterprises across all 774 local councils.

‘Another intervention, the N75 billion Manufacturers Fund, provides loans of up to N1 billion to manufacturing firms to offset high costs of production, marketing, and logistics.

‘Under the RAPID programme, 23 MSMEs in rural parts of Katsina have received more than N112 million to expand operations, create jobs, and stimulate rural economic activities.’

Shettima also announced the inauguration of the N5 billion Katsina State MSME Growth Fund, a matching scheme between federal and state governments, disbursing N576 million to 237 local businesses.

He hailed Gov. Dikko Radda for establishing the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA), a key initiative supporting MSME transformation into regional, national, and global business players.

‘No country thrives without a robust MSME sector With more than 1.7 million MSMEs, Katsina is positioning itself as a hub for agriculture, crafts, services, and digital enterprise,’ Shettima said.

He emphasised the importance of inclusion, applauding the involvement of women and youth in enterprise development, noting that ‘growth without inclusion is but a mirage.’

The Presidency has alleged that a ‘coordinated agenda’ is underway among a group of United States lawmakers and lobbyists to manipulate US President Donald Trump into sanctioning Nigeria by falsely branding it a country that persecutes religious minorities.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communication, Dr. Daniel Bwala, who made the claim on Arise News’ Prime Time programme on Tuesday, said the campaign was built on ‘disinformation and religious manipulation’ designed to destabilise the country and tarnish its global image.

‘There is a coordinated agenda against Nigeria. Those pushing this narrative are not in the executive branch of the U.S. government; they are a pack-backed group of senators hoping to rile up President Trump to designate Nigeria as a CPC. Knowing Trump’s character, if he believed them, he would have done it three weeks ago,’ Bwala said.

The presidential aide alleged that those driving the campaign were deliberately misrepresenting isolated cases of communal violence and terrorism to paint Nigeria as a country engaged in systematic religious persecution.

‘Religion has always been the instrument. They are doing this to stir division, weaken Nigeria’s image, and create panic internationally,’ he added.

The ‘Country of Particular Concern’ (CPC) designation-created under the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act of 1998-empowers Washington to impose sanctions on nations accused of ‘systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations’ of religious freedom.

Nigeria was first placed on the CPC list in 2020 during Trump’s presidency, following lobbying by Christian advocacy groups citing terrorist attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP, and intercommunal clashes in the Middle Belt.

The designation was later lifted in 2021 by President Joe Biden, who cited improved government response to religious and ethnic violence-a move that angered U.S. lawmakers such as Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, who have continued to demand its reinstatement.

Bwala maintained that the current agitation in Washington was politically motivated and not reflective of Nigeria’s realities.

He said the government would not engage in lobbying but would counter the misinformation with verifiable facts.

‘What used to happen in Nigeria is that whenever this kind of false allegation comes, Nigerians will be looking to lobby in the U.S. No, you match up the Western disinformation,’ he stated.

The Presidency has consistently dismissed allegations of state-sponsored persecution, arguing that insecurity in the country stems from terrorism, banditry, and criminality rather than religious discrimination.

Bwala’s remarks came amid renewed international commentary on Nigeria’s security situation, particularly in the North-Central region, where recent attacks by armed groups have led to scores of deaths and displacements.

It’s a new dawn in the administration of Nigeria’s education system. The Federal Government lately unveiled a policy by which Mathematics is no longer a required subject for students seeking admission into Arts and Humanities in tertiary institutions.

The policy is reportedly aimed at making tertiary education more inclusive and flexible – allowing students who have not earned credit scores in subjects unrelated to their chosen fields of study to yet be considered for admission.

The Federal Ministry of Education, on October 14, announced the policy that education minister Tunji Alausa, said was part of efforts to expand access to tertiary education. According to him, the reform became necessary after years of restricted access that left many qualified candidates unable to secure admission. ‘Every year, over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), yet only about 700,000 gain admission,’ he stated, noting that the trend was not for lack of ability on the part of students but rather outdated and overly stringent entry requirements that must give way to fairness and opportunity.

‘The reform is a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education, creating opportunities for 250,000 to 300,000 additional students to be admitted to our tertiary institutions each year,’ a statement by the ministry spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, added.

The new framework applies to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs) across the country as follows:

Universities: Minimum of five credit scores in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings. Mathematics is mandatory for Science, Technology and Social Science courses.

Polytechnics (ND Level): Minimum of four credit scores in relevant subjects, including English Language for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programmes.

Polytechnics (HND Level): Minimum of five credit scores in relevant subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

Colleges of Education (NCE Level): Minimum of four credit scores in relevant subjects, with English Language mandatory for Arts and Social Science courses, and Mathematics required for Science, Vocational and Technical programmes.

Colleges of Education (B. Ed Level): Minimum of five credit scores, including English Language and Mathematics as applicable to the course of study.

Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs) are to adopt the same minimum requirements as polytechnics for the National Diploma (ND) programme, with the National Innovation Diploma (NID) now abolished.

It added that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is currently re-accrediting all IEAs to align with the new ND standards, with institutions that fail the mark to be de-accredited.

The new policy elicited criticisms from stakeholders who feared pupils could be denied exposure to Mathematics and attendant training in critical thinking, logic and inductive reasoning at secondary level.

Government returned at the weekend to clarify that English Language and Mathematics remained compulsory subjects for all students sitting for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) despite the adjustments to tertiary admission requirements.

A statement on October 19 by the ministry spokesperson explained that ‘The adjustment affects only admission criteria for certain programmes, not the requirement to take these subjects.’

Nigeria’s tertiary institutions are perceived as too restrictive with admissions. This partly accounted for the systemic contradiction whereby promoters were seeking to establish new institutions because of many students denied admission, whereas existing institutions were underutilising their carrying capacities.

It was only recently that government addressed the contradiction by placing a seven-year moratorium on new institutions.

We welcome the policy. What remains to be done, in our view, is for government to devise a scheme for sustaining pupils’ interest in Mathematics up to the SSCE, because the temptation will be strong to use the subject as a placeholder in examination when pupils know they would not be needing it for tertiary admission.

This will worsen the failure rate. If that happens, the intended benefits of basic training will be lost and the upcoming generation could be worse off for it.

In a world increasingly shaped by geopolitical tensions, economic nationalism, and evolving trade regimes, international investment lawyers serve as both interpreters and architects of the global legal framework.

Among these professionals, one legal scholar and practitioner has emerged as a voice expert whose deep academic insight and practical experience converge at the crossroads of law, policy, and global commerce.

Holding a PhD in Law with a specialisation in international trade and investment, Dr Sijuola Atanda-Lawal has built a distinguished career advising multinational corporations and international organisations on cross-border investments and treaty-based dispute resolution.

Her expertise spans bilateral investment treaties (BITs), free trade agreements (FTAs), and the increasingly complex interface between national regulatory measures and international economic law.

Her work bridges the technical, theoretical, and transformative, most notably in global efforts to lead the development of more balanced and equitable investment treaties.

What truly sets Dr Atanda-Lawal apart is not only her command of treaty law and arbitral practice, but also her ability to critically analyse the ideological and institutional shifts in global trade.

Her published academic work, particularly the recent paper titled: ‘Free Trade and the Legal Architecture of the WTO in the Trump Era,’ has attracted attention from both scholars and policymakers for its nuanced examination of the U.S.’s evolving posture toward multilateralism.

In this work, Dr Atanda-Lawal explores how the Trump administration’s trade policies, marked by tariff escalation, aggressive unilateralism, and scepticism toward the World Trade Organisation (WTO), challenged the legal foundations of the rules-based trading system.

The paper not only analyses the jurisprudential consequences of U.S. actions, such as the paralysis of the WTO Appellate Body, but also raises urgent questions about the future viability of multilateral trade mechanisms in a climate of economic nationalism.

With this contribution, Dr Atanda-Lawal has solidified her reputation. Her scholarship combines doctrinal precision with strategic foresight qualities that serve her clients well in an era where investment disputes increasingly intersect with political risk, environmental standards, and digital trade regulation.

Dr Atanda-Lawal brings clarity and conviction to the complex terrain of international investment law.

As global markets continue to be shaped by shifting alliances and regulatory realignments, professionals like Dr Atanda-Lawal will play a crucial role in interpreting the rules, managing risk, and shaping the legal frameworks that underpin tomorrow’s trade and investment landscape.

A firm, Adron Homes, has reiterated its commitment to making ownership of affordable homes a reality for Nigerians, irrespective of their status.

It said it had been at the forefront of providing affordable houses for citizens.

Speaking in Ibadan, Oyo State, at the unveiling of the firm’s ‘Lemon Friday Plus Promo’, the Managing Director, Adenike Ajobo, said with the event, the company was taking its vision to new heights by offering discount, exclusive benefits and life changing opportunities to existing and prospective clients.

She said the event was not just about selling land or houses, but also about empowering Nigerians, building community and transforming lives of prospective home owners across the country.

Ajobo added: ‘This event is more than just a promo, but a bold statement of our commitment towards making home ownership a reality for every Nigerian. This initiative represents our heart of giving back to the society, celebrating our client and opening doors to thousands of families to step into their dream homes.”

She urged those aspiring to have homes to capitalise on the newly- launched promo, noting the season was for them to take advantage of the opportunity by the firm.

Speaking about the rationale behind the event, Ajobo said the company was taking the bitter sweet experience of buying land and homes up to speed and then turn it to all sweet.

‘At Lemon Friday, we give the best and we make dreams affordable. We not only give sweet things, we also make it exceedingly affordable. Now today is not just about a promo, it’s about possibilities; it is about the possibility of owning land, building legacies and securing your future. Because land isn’t just a property, it is peace of mind.

‘We are rewarding every person from incredible discounts to amazing gift items. This is more than a promo. It’s a celebration. And because Adron Homes has been doing it, we are still doing it, and we keep doing it bigger and better.’

The newly revised Basic and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum in Nigeria has received a major boost as an education-focused non-governmental organization, BMI Finishing School, announced plans to unveil tools designed to facilitate the smooth implementation of the federal government’s education reforms.

According to a statement signed on Saturday by Dr. Nnamdi Unachukwu on behalf of BMI, the initiative underscores the organization’s commitment to advancing basic education in the country.

‘As part of our ongoing commitment, we have developed a range of tools to support the implementation of the new curriculum for trade subjects and business studies (entrepreneurship),’ Dr. Unachukwu stated.

Among the resources to be unveiled are NERDC-approved textbooks and workbooks for Primary 4-6 and JSS 1-3, digital lab solutions, training guides for instructors, a Learning Management System (LMS), and a digital skills connect platform for hands-on training in trade skills, among others.

The unveiling event, scheduled for October 22, 2025, at the National Merit House in Maitama, Abuja, will also serve as a public sensitization forum on the significance of the revised curriculum and its role in enhancing educational development in Nigeria.

Expected attendees include educators, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and private sector stakeholders, who will discuss the importance of trade subjects and digital technology in nurturing young minds for the future.

Stand-up comedian Atunyota Akpobome popularly known as Ali Baba, has shared thoughts on polygamy, stating that it is easier for men to marry women who do not live under the same roof.

Speaking on The Clarity Zone podcast, the comedian explained that such arrangements often prevent domestic tension among wives.

‘It’s easier to marry women who don’t live in your house with you. Those ones don’t come to disturb the Iyale,’ he said.

He went on to share an analogy he learned from a wealthy man, comparing the structure of polygamous households to the situation in Nigeria.

‘This man has four wives, all four wives but one don’t work. The one that works is a medical doctor and she has a thriving business, makes good money, takes what she wants and gives the rest to Oga. Oga then distributes to the other ones. The man still adds his own to it, but everybody is okay.

‘Then one day the woman says, ‘Oh, my son wants to go to Canada, that’s where he wants to go to school.’ And the other women say, ‘My son is not going to Canada, your own is not going to Canada as well.’ So she calls the man and says, ‘I don’t understand what these people are saying, that my son will not go to Canada.’ She said ‘okay,’ then she stopped giving money to the man, and all the other women started fighting. Two left. When the two left, the other two that were remaining.’

He likened the story to Nigeria’s economic reality, using the Niger Delta as a metaphor.

‘That’s the thing that’s happening to Nigeria now. The Niger Delta is the one bringing the money. You take the money and share it to everybody. And when Niger Delta says, ‘We need three bridges,’ you say, ‘No, we have to distribute the bridges around everybody. We can’t give you three bridges yet.”

Ali Baba concluded by emphasizing the importance of fairness in polygamous marriages.

‘Which is why they said that if you decide to marry more than one wife, you must treat everybody equally.’

The countdown has begun for the Codefest Nigeria Hackathon Award/Expo 2025, a groundbreaking event which commenced on October 1st.

This year’s edition is making a bold bid for a Guinness World Record which was the first longest and most participated Hackathon with a week of intense collaboration and technological innovation to shape Nigeria’s digital future.

The hackathon will culminate in the Codefest Awards and Expo on November 20, 2025, scheduled to hold at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba.

Under the inspiring theme, ‘Build for Nigeria,’ the event will bring together over 100 teams of young tech talents, CEOs and industry experts from across the nation.

Shortlisted Finalists (12) will present their real-world solutions from the 24 challenges presented by the organisers across key economic sectors, including Fintech, Agriculture, Health, Education, Climate Change, and Open Innovation.

The goal is to rapidly transform bold ideas into functional, scalable prototypes that address critical national issues.

‘Codefest Nigeria Hackathon is more than a competition-it’s a movement. It’s about empowering young Nigerians to use technology as a force for national transformation,’ stated Moss Uromtah, President of Codefest Africa.

Teams solution presentation, mentor sessions and time-based task throughout the online Hackathon sessions which happened in a torrential way for 7 days non-stop, participants were immersed with their projects day/night, engaged in interactive presentations with mentors – with solutions focused on cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and modern applications development, with project sustainability.

The mentor sessions were led by seasoned professionals, including Dr. Adesina Adewale, Morgan Victor, and Dr. Adekunbi Omotoso, ensuring teams receive expert guidance from ideation to execution.

The hackathon is bolstered by the support of visionary international and local partners, including HACKTRIBE (Europe), led by Karlis Skuja; Tripberry Nigeria Ltd, under Vinod Kaurani; the Nigeria Computer Society; Apps and Scripts; Codefest Africa; Kodai Group; and Germany-based IT Consultant Ernest Ogueri amongst others.

Their collective expertise is instrumental in elevating the event’s impact across the tech community.

The hackathon will conclude with the Codefest Awards and Expo, dedicated to celebrating winning innovations and connecting talented participants with vital investors, partners, and industry leaders.

Codefest Africa invites individuals, corporate organisations, investors, innovators, and media brands to partner with and support this transformative event.

Sponsorship opportunities remain open for those seeking to champion innovation, invest directly in young Nigerian talent, and play a crucial role in shaping the nation’s digital landscape.

The Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun has warned Africa not to abandon its 125 billion barrels crude oil reserves and 600 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) in a hurry.

According to the Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Samuel Onoji, the continent should rather work harder on researches that will lead to the development of local technologies for the exploitation of crude oil in a sustainable way.

His words: ‘With an estimated 125 billion barrels of crude oil reserves and over 600tcf of natural gas reserves in Africa, it is our considered opinion that Africa should not hasten to abandon fossil fuel but should strive to deepen research and development of local technologies that enable the exploitation and utilization of our oil and gas endowment in a more environmentally friendly manner as the reality of global demand for fossil fuel is expected to linger for the next 50 years.’

Onoji spoke at a world press conference on the 4th Biannual International Conference on Hydrocarbon Science and Technology (I CHAT) in Abuja.

He claimed PTI is reducing the carbon footprint in different ways, despite the fact that net zero emission as mirage.

According to him, emission of carbon is always reduced in the production of natural gas with a paltry 7 per cent flared.

He added that the Research and Development Directorate of the PTI is also developing a technology to assist in the reduction of carbon emission.

He said one of the measures for de-carbornisation of the hydrocarbon is through the Carbon Credit Mechanism that the institute is adopting.

Onoji said: ‘When you are talking about emissions, you are talking about natural gas. Of course, we you produce oil, you also produce natural gas.

‘And part of this natural gas is used in the field, part of it is refined in the Liquefied natural gas. So, it has actually reduced to about less than 7% of natural gas being flared.

‘Of course, in the research and development directorate of the Petroleum Training Institute is also developing technology that will help to reduce this emission.

‘And one of that ways is the carbon credit mechanism that we are also putting in place.’