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The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO) have launched the Africa Energy Bank (AEB) with an authorised capital of $5 billion, seeking to bridge the continent’s energy financing gap as traditional lenders withdraw funding from fossil fuels.

The establishment of the bank was formally announced at its inaugural general meeting held in Abuja on October 31, 2026, reaffirming African governments’ determination to secure the continent’s energy future through locally driven financing.

The bank is being established as Africa’s energy investment needs are estimated at $200 billion, while traditional providers of short- and long-term financing are reducing their exposure to fossil fuels, despite the continued importance of oil and gas to the continent’s energy systems.

The AEB aims to address this financing shortfall by mobilising capital for energy projects across Africa while supporting a just energy transition that reflects the continent’s development priorities.

With an authorised capital of $5 billion, the bank will finance projects across the energy value chain, including exploration and production, transportation, processing, refining and distribution.

The investments are expected to strengthen Africa’s productive capacity, reduce dependence on imported petroleum products and promote intra-African trade in energy goods.

The bank’s mandate also seeks to increase African participation in the continent’s energy sector, ensuring that the development and financing of its energy resources are increasingly shaped by African governments, institutions and investors.

To achieve these objectives, the AEB will operate as an independent, supranational pan-African financial institution, seeking investments from governments, national oil companies, financial institutions and private investors.

The initiative comes amid growing recognition that reliable and affordable energy supplies are essential to accelerating industrial growth and exploiting opportunities from emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, which will require significant investments in energy generation and transmission.

Resolutions adopted at the bank’s first general assembly included the appointment of Helmy Ghazi as its inaugural president and the formation of its first Board of Directors.

The board comprises members drawn from the public and private sectors, alongside leading policy institutions from across the continent.

The establishment of the bank marks a move towards building an African-led financing platform for energy development at a time when access to conventional funding for oil and gas projects is becoming more constrained.

However, the bank’s broader objective will be to mobilise investment across the energy value chain to support production, processing and distribution, strengthen regional trade and help African countries meet their growing energy needs.

It was two days of legal fireworks in a Port Harcourt High Court whether the Warrant of Arrest earlier issued against Walter Ubaka Okeke, the former guber aspirant of the Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should be renewed and published in national newspapers or not. It was in a case of criminal prosecution involving N800m drilling equipment belonging to Ifeanyi Amaonye, said to have been moved or stolen by Okeke for which he (Okeke) has been standing trial since October 2022.

The Rivers State Prosecution Unit represented in Court by Chidi Eke asked for it to be published to enable manhunt to begin globally.

The defendant’s lawyer, E.S Ekene, resisted that, saying the application must come by way of ‘motion on notice’. Chinwendu Nwogu, the judge, was in the centre. Both counsels quoted various laws to back their positions. After two days of listining, Nwogu ruled approving newspaper publication.

By this, the third round of manhunt begun to apprehend Okeke, politician and a Port Harcourt resident who is said to now be staying in London.

This third manhunt was ordered by Nwogu of the High Court who just ordered all security agencies anywhere in the world to join in the hunt.

The politician’s troubles began at a Port Harcourt Chief Magistrate’s Court who issued a bench warrant and warrant of arrest against the onetime Anambra State PDP governorship aspirant in the sensitive case in Port Harcourt.

The accused hails from Enugwu village of Nanka in Orumba North local council area, but lives in his own compound at the Trans-Amadi area of the Port Harcourt City, where the prosecution witness allegedly stocked the oil drilling pipes and other heavy industrial equipment said to be worth N800m.

The first hunt began on October 31, 2022, when the Chief Magistrate, Amadi Nnah, ordered that the accused (Okeke) be arrested for repeatedly failing to appear in his court.

Okeke was later arrested and sent to the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre until December 2022. He later secured a N100m bail. The State later terminated the case at that level after filing fresh charges at the High Court.

The High Court issued another manhunt or bench warrant on Friday May 12, 2023 when the accused also began to stay away from the new court case. Okeke later appealed against the new bench warrant. The appeal was said to have been dismissed and the High Court had to resume trial but the accused was said to have resumed absenteeism. Prosecution lawyers said he fled to London.

Now, for the third time, a bench warrant has been re-issued and another manhunt has been ordered against him (the former aspirant). The judge has ordered that a bench warrant against Walter Okeke be now published in well-circulating national newspapers.

Okeke is standing trial for case of theft of oil servicing materials belonging to (Ifeanyi) Amaonye, an Anambra-born but Port Harcourt-based businessman, who incidentally stockpiled the drilling equipment in Okeke’s compound.

The Justice, Nwogu, of the Rivers State High Court issued the order Tuesday, October 27, 2026, while delivering a ruling in an oral application raised by the Rivers State Attorney-General in a case against Okeke (Charge No. PHC/924/CR/2023: The State v. Walter Ubaka Okeke).

The judge said he agreed with the prosecutor, Eke, a deputy director in the Ministry of Justice, that the oral application for ‘leave of court’ to publish was in order.

The defence counsel, E.S Ekene, had objected to the oral application, saying it required to come by way of ‘motion on notice’.

In his ruling, Justice Nwogu traced the history of the bench warrant to 2023 and showed how the defendant had remained elusive and had gone on appeal against the bench warrant.

The judge averred that when a court is satisfied that a defendant was bent on evading trial, the court would be under obligation to order the bench warrant to be published in the newspapers. He said this is to secure the support of all security agencies to help in apprehending the accused and bringing him/her to court for trial.

The judge ordered that Okeke be apprehended anywhere in the world and be brought to the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre. He fixed resumption of trial on November 30, 2026. Okeke’s lawyer was not in court to hear the ruling, having earlier the previous day informed the court that he had a crowded day in other courts.

Explaining the background and implications of the court ruling to newsmen outside the court, Eke, the Deputy Director, Department of Public Prosecution, Rivers State, and the Prosecuting Counsel in the case said: ‘Today, the court has granted our application to publish a bench warrant earlier issued against him before he disappeared to the United Kingdom, evading appearance or rather concealing himself to frustrate that bench warrant from being executed.

‘So today, the court has granted us order, leave of court, to publish the said bench warrant in any number of the national dailies, so that every effort would be made to have him arrested and brought before the court on the next adjourned date, being November 30, 2026.’

On the implications, he said it would help raise national awareness that such a man is wanted, ‘And that he is a fugitive in the eyes of the law. It is also a declaration that the law will go to any length to have him arrested anywhere in the world.

‘Once this order is registered with the appropriate authorities, and they see that publication in the newspaper confirming that indeed the court issued that order and granted the leave that it should be published in the national dailies: anywhere he is, they’ll fish him out and produce him before the court.’

The deputy director made it clear that nobody is above the law. ‘It doesn’t matter what office you occupy, it doesn’t matter what name you bear, it doesn’t matter your status in society; the law is the law, and the law will take its course.

‘If you go contrary to the law, the law will come after you. It doesn’t matter how long-there is no limitation to prosecution. If you run away, whenever we get you, we resume.’

He also said this is a warning to people of high standing in society. ‘The whole essence of prosecution and punishment is deterrence. The most important thing that punishment does when judgment is obtained against a defendant is deterrence. It’s for once those who have that penchant to commit crime to say stay away from crime. It doesn’t pay; otherwise, you’ll be humiliated at the end of the day.

‘That is the whole essence of the law in a sane society, which was what we are trying to make Nigeria to look like, where law speaks and where no persons will be seen in the society as above the law. Nobody is above the law.’

Surrender now – Prosecutor

Eke advised the fleeing accused that surrendering is the best option. ‘The process is for him to appear before the court. Any relief he seeks can only be when he is before the court. But the idea of trying to frustrate the course of justice by making himself unavailable to stand trial for many years now is wrong. He even went on appeal, and that appeal was dismissed. He didn’t follow it up with further appeal, yet, he doesn’t want to appear before the High Court that made an order that he should come.

‘If people should continue to be allowed to do that, then there is no law. The law would end up being a mockery. The law is the law and is above everybody. If the law says appear, you have to appear. Even as a lawyer talking, if I go contrary to the law, if I find myself on the wrong side of the law, this gown and wig that I’m wearing will not come to my aid. It will even be worse that I am a lawyer who knows the law, that I should have known better not to go or be on the wrong side of the law, but always work within the ambit of the law.’

Background of the ruling:

Ifeanyi Amaonye (a knight and chief who is the prosecution witness), is a businessman in PH that supplies oil drilling materials to the hydrocarbon industry, according to statements made to the police. He had plenty materials exposed along the road.

He sought to hire a compound to keep them. Someone mentioned that Walter Ubaka Okeke was a fellow Anambra man and could be approached to spare the vacant section of his compound in Trans-Amadi area of the state capital.

Amaonye and his team allegedly approached Okeke and he agreed and allegedly named no fee on account that they both were from same state. Along the line, according to statements filed in court, the landlord (Okeke), began to demand for rent. Thus, the relationship became a rent-paying one.

Next, news broke to Amaonye that trucks were loading his materials away. The businessman said he sent people and they met armed men guarding the evacuation. The landlord allegedly announced that the items were his. About eight trucks had allegedly been loaded and some truckloads sold already. A struggle ensued. Each party brought in either police or soldiers.

At last, the police established that Amaonye was the real owner and that Walter Okeke the politician was the landlord who has now been accused of stealing what he was expected to protect or guard.

The police thus arrested him and charged him to the Chief Magistrate’s Court headed by Amadi Nnah, a chief. Many intrigues played up getting to the office of the then Inspector-General of Police, until the Rivers State Government stepped in and charged the case to the High Court and terminated the one at the Magistrate’s.

The High Court also issued a Bench Warrant because Okeke was said to be always failing to come to court. He was even detained in the Correctional Centre at a point to ensure he came to the court when it was at the Magistrate’s Court.

Okeke appealed against the Bench Warrant from the High Court and this stalled the action in the High Court. He also sued to enforce his fundamental human rights while the criminal proceedings were on. These gave him reliefs that made him to travel abroad and this allegedly presented a narrative of having won his cases.

Now, he won the fundamental human rights case but he lost the appeal against his bench warrant. This automatically meant he has to return to the High Court to resume facing the charge of theft and robbery and many other charges.

It is this aspect he is fighting right now. The State asked the court to approve publishing the Warrant of Arrest in national newspapers so Interpol and others can join and maybe smoke him out from London.

Yet, more fireworks are expected because of the high stakes in the case and the calibre of the personalities involved.

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to account for his administration’s achievements in the past three years, accusing him of lacking the competence and energy to govern Nigeria.

Obi, who spoke on Thursday during a town hall meeting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, urged Nigerians to vote based on competence and capacity to deliver rather than ethnic or regional considerations.

‘Let nobody divide the South East. I don’t want the people of Ebonyi to vote for me because I am from the South East. I don’t want you to vote for me because I am an Igbo person,’ he said.

He added that Nigerians should support him because of his qualifications and ability to lead the country. Obi challenged Tinubu to visit Abakaliki and explain how his administration had utilised public funds, particularly the money borrowed since assuming office.

‘I want President Tinubu to come to Abakaliki to tell the people what he has done in the past three years. I want him to come to Abakaliki to tell you what he used the money he has been borrowing to do,’ Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor also criticised Tinubu for spending considerable time outside the country, arguing that the President should be willing to tour Nigeria and account for his stewardship. He claimed that Tinubu had spent more than 260 days outside Nigeria but could not dedicate up to 36 days to visiting Nigerians and explaining his administration’s performance.

‘President Tinubu does not have the competence to run Nigeria. He does not have the energy to run Nigeria. He should pack his things, go home and rest,’ he declared.

Obi said his administration would declare emergencies in critical sectors, including national unity, security, corruption, education, hunger and healthcare, as part of efforts to address the country’s challenges. He stressed the need to overcome ethnic divisions and build a united Nigeria, promising to uphold the federal character principle in public appointments.

On security, Obi pledged decisive action against insecurity and promised to equip security agencies to protect lives and property. He said his administration would pursue kidnappers and ensure that criminals could not operate with impunity, particularly those abducting schoolchildren.

He also promised to intensify the fight against corruption, insisting that public funds must be used for the benefit of citizens and that anyone found guilty of stealing public money would face the law, including the President. Obi further pledged to reduce the number of out-of-school children, tackle hunger by supporting farmers to increase food production and exports, and establish functional healthcare facilities in every political ward across Nigeria.

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have reiterated their commitment to national unity, security and economic development at a town hall meeting in Enugu State.

The meeting, held as part of the party’s ongoing nationwide engagement, followed a similar town hall meeting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, on October 29.

The presidential candidate, in a statement, said the engagement provided an opportunity to interact with supporters and residents of the state on issues affecting the country.

He said the meeting attracted a large turnout of party supporters and citizens, who lined the streets and gathered at the venue.

During the engagement, the candidates reaffirmed their commitment to uniting and securing the country, tackling corruption, investing in critical sectors, particularly health and education, and addressing poverty.

Before the town hall meeting, the presidential candidate and Kwankwaso met with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Enugu State chapter.

At the meeting, they reaffirmed their commitment to national unity, religious harmony and peaceful coexistence.

The presidential candidate said leadership must involve listening to the people and understanding their needs, while receiving feedback on the impact of government policies and decisions.

He thanked party supporters, members and organisers for their commitment, as well as the people of Enugu State for their reception.

SUNU Assurances Nigeria PLC and SUNU Health Nigeria Limited, in collaboration with H2O Wellness Foundation, have sensitised over 60 women, including 40 radio presenters, on breast cancer awareness, focusing on early detection and preventive healthcare, urging them to prioritise their health while educating the public.

Speaking during the initiative in Lagos, tagged Pink Mic 2026, as part of activities marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with female media practitioners participating in health education, wellness activities and breast cancer screening.

Convener of the H2O Wellness campaign and broadcast journalist, Janet Karz Joshua, said the initiative was designed to address the need for women in the media industry to pay greater attention to their health, despite their responsibility to educate and inform the public.

Joshua said women journalists regularly use their platforms to promote breast cancer awareness but often neglect their personal health needs in the process.

According to her, the initiative was established to ensure that female media practitioners receive the information, medical attention and support needed to make informed decisions about their wellbeing.

She said the maiden edition was organised to equip participants with practical knowledge they could take back to their respective media organisations and use to educate wider audiences.

Joshua added that the Foundation would measure the programme’s impact by encouraging participants to sustain conversations about breast health and preventive healthcare through their radio programmes, news reports and other media platforms.

She disclosed that the Foundation had conducted media engagements with Smooth FM and another radio station, noting that the campaign’s reach would extend beyond the participants through subsequent media reports and social media content.

She explained that the campaign would also explore opportunities to engage women across different professions and socioeconomic backgrounds, stressing that healthcare awareness should be accessible to everyone.

‘Women in the media give information, but are we cared for the way we should be cared for?’ she asked, explaining the motivation behind the campaign.’ Joshua said.

In her remarks, the Head of Corporate Services, SUNU Assurances Nigeria PLC. Japari Yusuf, said breast cancer awareness must go beyond annual campaigns to become a regular part of conversations among families, workplaces and communities.

Yusuf, who spoke on behalf of SUNU Assurances and SUNU Health, said the organisation supported the initiative because of its commitment to preventive healthcare, access to medical services and community wellbeing.

She recounted the experience of a young woman who underwent the removal of both breasts following a breast cancer diagnosis and subsequently experienced the breakdown of her marriage, describing it as an example of the personal and social consequences associated with the disease.

Yusuf also recalled losing a colleague to breast cancer in 2018 after the woman underwent chemotherapy and initially appeared to be recovering.

She urged women to understand their bodies, seek medical advice when they notice unusual changes and undergo appropriate screening based on their age, individual risk factors and professional medical advice.

Yusuf emphasised that awareness would only make a meaningful difference when it translated into action, urging women to make time for medical check-ups, seek professional guidance and encourage others to do the same.

According to her, women who are worried about possible symptoms need encouragement to seek medical care, while those diagnosed with the disease require support rather than isolation or stigmatisation.

Yusuf said SUNU Group’s participation was part of its Pink October campaign, adding that the organisation had previously supported breast cancer screening for 100 women in 2024 and 150 women in 2025.

She urged participants to share the knowledge gained at the event, support other women and challenge the stigma associated with breast cancer.

‘Not every breast change is cancer. But any new or unusual change deserves appropriate medical attention.

‘I called on media practitioners to use their platforms to counter misinformation, correct misconceptions and promote compassionate conversations about breast cancer,’ she said.

Also speaking, the Founder and Medical Director of HealthRite Company Limited, Dr Uchenna Anekwuonye, called for greater attention to lifestyle medicine, physical activity and other evidence-based approaches to maintaining good health.

Anekwuonye said a cancer diagnosis should not automatically be regarded as a death sentence, stressing that early detection and appropriate medical treatment could improve outcomes.

She encouraged women to adopt healthy lifestyle practices, including balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, avoidance of harmful substances and meaningful social connections.

She recommended at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity weekly, explaining that exercise could support overall health and benefit people recovering from breast cancer.

She also highlighted the importance of strength-training exercises, recommending that they be undertaken twice weekly, with adequate rest between sessions.

Anekwuonye cautioned against taking medications without appropriate medical assessment, sharing prescription drugs with others or treating symptoms based on assumptions rather than test results.

She said lifestyle medicine was an evidence-based medical practice that complemented conventional healthcare and encouraged individuals to take greater responsibility for their wellbeing.

Meanwhile, Olufunke Anifowoshe of Matron Pearl said early detection could have saved many lives and that knowing the risk factors, such as irregular changes in breast size, colour and inversion, is important.

She urged women to exercise more and be conscious of changes in their bodies.

‘Not only are women prone to breast cancer; it is both genders, but women are more likely to have it.’ She spoke.

The organisers urged participants to sustain the campaign beyond October by sharing credible health information, encouraging timely medical consultations and promoting regular preventive healthcare and screening among women in their communities.

Shoprite Nigeria’s plan to reopen through standalone neighbourhood stores is more than the return of a familiar supermarket brand. It points to a larger lesson: successful retail property begins with the economics of the retailer and the behaviour of the customer, not with the prestige or size of the building. The customer has not abandoned organised retail. What is changing is the type of property through which retailers reach that customer.

The basis for describing this as a return is not speculation. In a Nairametrics interview published on 24 October 2026, Adekunle Adebiyi of MBO Capital Management said three Shoprite stores had reopened after a temporary shutdown to negotiate with suppliers and address outstanding obligations. He also disclosed plans for smaller standalone neighbourhood stores. This is a phased recovery, not yet a nationwide comeback: the number, locations and opening dates of the proposed outlets have not been announced.

The neighbourhood format is not an entirely new discovery. Nigerian retailers such as Prince Ebeano, Blenco, Market Square and Justrite have expanded within or close to residential communities. Some also occupy malls, but much of their growth has come from making organised retail accessible to the everyday shopper. Blenco’s outlets along the Lekki-Ajah corridor illustrate stores positioned around growing residential catchments rather than depending on enclosed-mall traffic.

The principle extends beyond grocery retail. Domino’s Pizza, Item 7 and other food-service brands use standalone and neighbourhood-facing outlets because convenience, visibility, delivery coverage and proximity drive their businesses. A household buying bread, vegetables or provisions may similarly prefer a supermarket ten minutes from home to a larger centre requiring a longer journey.

Shoprite’s decision does not mean the Nigerian mall is dead. It means the economics of a supermarket must be separated from assumptions about property format. Not every supermarket needs a mall, just as not every mall requires a very large supermarket anchor. The correct question is whether the size, rent, service charge, power cost, access and customer base of a particular property can support the retailer’s turnover.

That financial question is central to Shoprite’s experience. At the time the Nigerian business was acquired, about 17 of its 28 stores reportedly had dollar-denominated rental obligations. As the naira weakened, those rents became increasingly expensive in local-currency terms. Adebiyi also referred to a supermarket benchmark under which rent should ordinarily remain around 8 to 10 per cent of revenue. Once occupancy costs move materially beyond what turnover can carry, even a prestigious address becomes a burden.

Rent is only part of the equation. A retailer must fund power, security, logistics, refrigeration, inventory, technology, staff and working capital. A mall adds service charges and common-area costs. A standalone outlet may avoid some charges but must provide many services independently. It is not automatically cheaper; its advantage is greater control over store size and expenditure.

Some neighbourhood supermarkets also create small retail ecosystems, remaining the anchor while pharmacies, food outlets, ATMs or other complementary operators occupy part of the property. This can broaden the offer and generate additional income without recreating a conventional mall. Whether Shoprite adopts that model remains to be seen.

Shoprite has already done the difficult work of building a retail brand in Nigeria. Its appeal cuts across income levels and shopping occasions: from the labourer stopping for the popular Shoprite bread, to the homemaker buying properly packaged lamb chops, and the nearby worker picking up fried rice and salad for lunch. Customers know it for affordability, fresh food, prepared meals and an organised shopping environment.

A smaller floor plate must therefore not become a weaker customer proposition. Shoprite should be careful about dispensing with its bakery and butchery. The earlier U-Save experiment at Maryland Mall offers a warning: its smaller, value-led format did not provide the full bakery and butchery experience and struggled to generate the same attraction. Customers may accept a smaller store without accepting a diminished version of Shoprite.

Successful standalone supermarkets retain the core departments that draw repeat visits. Their advantage comes from bringing a sufficiently complete offer closer to residential communities, not merely occupying less space. Shoprite can compete strongly in that format if each outlet preserves the features customers expect while adjusting its size, stock depth and product mix to the local catchment.

Its historic branding also remains an asset. If the prominence of Shoprite’s external signage was a deliberate marketing strategy, it worked across Nigeria. In many cities, the brand became better known than the Grade A mall housing it; people referred to the entire destination simply as Shoprite. On a trip to Abuja, I discovered that I had left my phone at Jabi Lake Mall and rushed back in an Uber. The driver did not recognise the mall’s name, and my urgency turned the confusion into a frustrating argument. The moment he asked whether I meant Shoprite, the problem was solved. Many readers will recognise the experience. Shoprite did not merely occupy space; it became the landmark by which the property was identified.

That recognition still carries value, but the experience behind the sign must remain credible. Strong signage may bring the customer once; a dependable range, fresh food, service and value will determine whether the customer returns.

The property itself must work. A neighbourhood outlet needs parking or safe short-stay access, loading facilities, dependable power, security, waste management and an efficient floor plate. Traffic counts alone are insufficient. The retailer must understand the resident population, income profile, competing stores, basket size and shopping frequency. Poor access can damage a strong location, while excessive rent can consume the benefit of good sales.

The financing difficulty reveals the difference between a successful retailer and an asset-backed borrower. Adebiyi explained that supermarkets typically lease suitable premises and invest in shelves, refrigeration and other operating equipment rather than acquire the building. Shoprite therefore operated from malls it did not own. MBO Capital reportedly found that Nigerian banks struggled to identify sufficient tangible collateral during the acquisition, even though the business generated billions of naira in revenue. The property lesson is important: a strong operating business can remain financially vulnerable when it neither owns its premises nor has an adequate asset base against which conventional lenders will advance funds.

The comparison with Walmart is useful. Walmart combines leased stores with a substantial portfolio of owned retail properties, providing greater control over configuration, redevelopment and long-term occupancy costs while strengthening its asset base. This does not mean Shoprite must become a property developer. It means its financing strategy should recognise the limitations of relying almost entirely on leased premises in a lending market that favours fixed collateral. A disciplined mix of long leases, selective ownership, landlord partnerships and funding based on operating cash flow may prove more resilient.

For developers, the opportunity is to create supermarket-ready properties in growing communities: efficient floor plates, storage and loading areas, refrigeration capacity, parking and reliable utilities. For landlords, the highest opening rent is not necessarily the best outcome. A supermarket can generate recurring traffic and support surrounding businesses. A sustainable lease may create more long-term property value than an impressive rent that eventually drives the anchor away.

None of this invalidates the mall concept. A successful mall combines comparison shopping, entertainment, dining, services and social activity in a managed environment. It offers variety and experience that a single neighbourhood store cannot reproduce. The supermarket may remain an important anchor, but the centre should not depend on one tenant to justify the entire development. Location, scale, tenant mix, service charge and customer experience must work together.

Shoprite helped define Nigeria’s modern shopping-mall era. Its proposed neighbourhood strategy signals another stage in that evolution. The lesson from Shoprite’s return is not that the mall has failed or that the neighbourhood store has won. It is that no retail format succeeds for long unless the property, the operator and the customer are economically aligned.

As the 2027 electioneering year is fast approaching, Wahab L. Shehu, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kogi State Resident Commissioner (REC), has called upon the people of the state to demonstrate democratic maturity and work collaboratively to keep Kogi State peaceful and progress-driven.

Shehu stated this at the critical stakeholders’ session with political leaders and candidates at the INEC headquarters, Lokoja, saying this is a clear indication of their collective commitment to the peace, stability and democratic progress of Kogi State.

He said: ‘We have convened this gathering for one primary purpose: to ensure that our electoral processes in Kogi State remain peaceful, transparent, credible, and seamless.

‘As key players in the political ecosystem, your role goes beyond seeking public office; it extends to sustaining public confidence in our democratic process. Today, we want to address vital operational arrangements, security protocols, and compliance directives essential for our upcoming activities and future engagements.

‘This meeting will also provide you with an opportunity to express your concerns and what you expect from INEC and other stakeholders in the build -up to the General Election. Specifically, this meeting seeks to provide you with an update on INEC’s preparations for the elections and your expected roles, as well as to discuss security concerns in the ongoing political campaigns by candidates and their supporters across the state’.

He pointed out that as the Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) Collection and Voter Sensitisation is ongoing across the 21 local government areas, ‘We strongly implore political parties, candidates, and community leaders to join hands with us in mobilising citizens to pick up their PVCs at the local government area offices while we await the arrival and distribution of cards for subsequent phases.

‘To ensure maximum outreach, the Commission is actively sensitising the public through regular media jingles across various radio stations in the state.

In line with our strategic preparations for the 2027 General Elections, the Commission is conducting comprehensive internal capacity -building workshops led by our Electoral Operations and Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) Departments.

‘These initiatives cover critical operational areas, including the Collation Support and Verification System (CSRVS), Electoral Operations Support Centre (EOSC), Voter Education, as well as Gender and Inclusivity training to ensure every segment of society is served effectively.

‘To boost our logistical capacity and guarantee prompt deployment during elections, additional operational vehicles have been supplied to the State Headquarters and LGA offices. Major and minor reconstruction and renovation works are currently ongoing across our L local government area offices to create a safe and functional environment for staff, stakeholders, and the general public.

‘We urge all political parties and candidates to begin the mobilisation of their party agents immediately. This is to avoid delays when the time of upload begins and to avoid unnecessary delays in printing the official identification tags,’ he said.

On the security concerns in the ongoing political campaigns, he said: ‘We have received some disturbing reports of attacks and intimidation. Political competition is not a license for criminality. INEC and security agencies emphasise that no candidate’s ambition is worth the safety or lives of citizens.

‘Political parties are required by law to maintain peaceful, issue -based campaigns. Therefore, party leaders are encouraged to rein in their supporters and stop mobilising thugs, destroying opponents’ campaign materials, or blocking rival political gatherings.’

He pointed out that INEC in Kogi State remained strictly non-partisan and dedicated to providing a level playing field for every participant.

The Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, on Tuesday, rose from its stakeholders meeting throwing a challenge at the Presidential Candidates of the various political parties to demonstrate clear commitment to environmental justice of communities within the Niger Delta region.

The meeting of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) which was held virtually in Abuja, tasked the different presidential candidates to present practical, measurable, and time-bound plans for the cleanup, restoration, and sustainable development of affected communities.

In the meeting were Victor Attah, the BOT chairman; Godknows Igali, the National Chairman of NEC; former governors, former ministers, first class traditional rulers, political leaders, opinion leaders, and other stakeholders in the region.

The communiqué observed that after more than six decades of oil and gas exploration and production, communities throughout the Niger Delta have continued to bear the consequences of environmental degradation, pollution and damage to their ecosystems and livelihoods.

While calling for urgent attention to the ongoing environmental situation in Nembe Creek in Bayelsa, Odidi in Delta, and Kula in Rivers, PANDEF assured of its continuous advocacy and engagement with the federal government on environmental protection and remediation.

The body called for adequate, sustained, and transparent funding of the Ogoni cleanup programme, and urged the federal government to develop a comprehensive framework for replicating the remediation process across the Niger Delta.

The communique commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to modernise and upgrade the ports at Warri, Port Harcourt, and Calabar, and also welcomed the approvals for the proposed deep sea port projects in the region.

These deep sea projects including the Ibom Deep Sea Port in Akwa Ibom, the Bonny Deep Sea port in Rivers and the Agge Deep Sea port in Bayelsa, noting that the strategic location of these regional ports could strengthen trade links with East, Central and Southern Africa and facilitate access to the Indian Ocean.

It therefore, urged the federal government to establish a sustainable financing framework for the South-South port projects, comparable to the financing arrangements adopted for major port infrastructural centres around the Lagos corridor.

PANDEF noted the federal government’s decision to retain the original broad alignment of the 750 kilometres Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a distinct legacy strategic infrastructure project, coming after the reported reconsideration of an earlier proposal to integrate the route into the East-West Road.

Considering the expected development of states within the Coastal areas, the communiqué has set up a high level technical committee to assist the Federal Ministry of Works on the road project, which had been on the drawing board, predating Nigeria’s independence.

PANDEF has therefore, declared that the accelerated and successful completion of the highway was non-negotiable, arguing that the Coastal Highway would boost connectivity across the coastal states, stimulate trade and investment, while strengthening national integration and unlock economic opportunities.

It talked about the rail connection of the region with the rest of the country, and appealed to the federal government to take necessary steps to establish appropriate North-South rail connection to link the region for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

PANDEF explained that, while section 162(2) of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution (as amended) provided for the allocation of not less than 13% of the revenue accruing directly from natural resources to the relevant states from where such resources are derived, such provisions have remained unchanged for over two decades.

Considering the enormous environmental degradation, ecological challenges and developmental burdens borne by oil producing communities across the Niger Delta, the umbrella socio-political organisation of the South-South region called for an increase in the derivation allocation from the current 13% to a minimum of 50%.

Such an increase, the body argued would enable oil producing communities address the long standing developmental deficits, environmental damage, health hazards and social and economic consequences of oil and gas exploration and production.

Besides, PANDEF called on the federal government, the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, and the National Assembly to urgently address the longstanding and contentious issue of the onshore/offshore dichotomy in revenue allocation.

Nestlé Nigeria has appointed Toritseju Egbebi, a corporate communications professional with 18 years of industry experience, as its Corporate Communications and Sustainability manager, placing her in charge of the company’s reputation management, stakeholder engagement and sustainability communications as it enters a new leadership phase.

Egbebi’s appointment takes effect from November 1, 2026, following the retirement of Victoria Uwadoka, who spent a decade at the food and beverage manufacturer overseeing corporate communications and sustainability-related priorities.

The appointment comes as corporate reputation, public trust and environmental responsibility become increasingly important to consumer goods companies operating in Nigeria, where businesses face growing expectations to demonstrate their contributions to communities, responsible production and sustainable development.

Egbebi moves into the role from her previous position as Corporate Affairs Manager at Nestlé Nigeria. Her professional experience spans public relations and corporate communications across the technology, financial services and consumer goods sectors.

Since joining Nestlé Nigeria, she has been involved in strengthening the company’s corporate reputation, public affairs and stakeholder relationships. She also contributed to the company’s Nestlé for Good platform, which communicates its investments in nutrition, community development and environmental sustainability.

Her new responsibilities will include sustaining the company’s engagement with the media and other stakeholders while communicating its business activities and contributions to Nigeria’s economy and communities.

The transition follows Uwadoka’s retirement after ten years, during which she helped shape Nestlé Nigeria’s communications and sustainability agenda, including initiatives covering nutrition, youth empowerment, agriculture, water stewardship, environmental responsibility and community development.

Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Uwadoka also contributed to Nigeria’s communications industry through professional leadership, advocacy and mentorship, promoting strategic communications as an important component of business and societal development.

Wassim Elhusseini, managing director and chief executive officer of Nestlé Nigeria, said Uwadoka had made an important contribution to the company’s business and the communications profession, citing her leadership, professionalism and commitment over the past decade.

He expressed confidence in Egbebi’s ability to sustain the company’s stakeholder relationships and strengthen its corporate communications.

‘Strong communication and stakeholder engagement are fundamental to building trust and advancing our purpose, and I am confident she will continue strengthening these relationships while helping us demonstrate the positive impact of our business in Nigeria,’ Elhusseini said.

For Egbebi, the transition places her at the centre of how Nestlé Nigeria communicates its corporate priorities, manages relationships with stakeholders and demonstrates the impact of its sustainability commitments.

The leadership change also marks the end of Uwadoka’s ten-year tenure, during which communications and sustainability were advanced as interconnected elements of the company’s corporate reputation and community engagement strategy.

Africa’s growing creative industry needs improved access to financing, stronger copyright protection and better infrastructure to convert its expanding talent base into sustainable businesses, jobs and economic value, Adesoji Adesugba, founder and chairman of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Business Entrepreneurship, Skills and Technology (BEST) Centre, has said.

Adesugba made the call at the Africa Creators Conference (ACC 2.0), held at the Abuja International Trade and Convention Centre on Friday, in Abuja, where he outlined measures governments, financial institutions and industry stakeholders should adopt to strengthen the continent’s creative economy.

He said that although Africa has a large pool of creative talent, the industry continues to face structural constraints that prevent creators from fully benefiting from the commercial value of their work.

‘Africa is not short of creativity. Africa is short of share. Let the editing, the animation, the mastering, the licensing and the data hosting happen here, so that the value-added stays here,’ Adesugba said

He argued that the continent must move beyond producing creative content to building businesses and systems that allow creators to earn fairly from their intellectual property.

A major challenge, he said, is the limited access to finance faced by creative businesses, particularly because conventional lenders often struggle to recognise intellectual property as an asset that can support borrowing.

He urged banks, development finance institutions and capital market operators to develop financing models that accept creative assets, including music catalogues, film libraries, design portfolios and verified royalty streams, as collateral.

According to him, recognizing intellectual property as a bankable asset would help creators raise capital, expand production and invest in distribution without depending solely on personal funds or conventional forms of collateral.

Adesugba also called for the establishment of dedicated creative economic zones and hubs in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Port Harcourt and other major centres.

He said such hubs should provide reliable electricity, fibre-optic connectivity, production studios, post-production facilities and rendering infrastructure, supported by a competitive fiscal environment to attract investment and encourage creative businesses to scale.

On intellectual property, he stressed the need for stronger copyright enforcement, particularly against digital piracy, which continues to undermine creators’ earnings.

He also called for greater transparency among collective management organizations to ensure that royalties generated from broadcasting, streaming services and public performances reach the artists and other rights holders entitled to them.

Adesugba said the growing use of artificial intelligence in content creation also required clear safeguards to protect creators’ consent, ownership and right to compensation when their works, voices and likenesses are used.

While encouraging creative professionals to embrace emerging technologies, he said they must also understand how to protect their rights as the industry evolves.

He further identified professional and business management skills as critical to the growth of the sector, urging creators to improve their knowledge of contracts, taxation, branding and financial management.

‘Talent is natural; professionalism is learned,’ he said, stressing that creative ability must be supported by the business skills required to build sustainable enterprises.

To strengthen the commercial capacity of the industry, Adesugba proposed partnerships involving conference organisers, AfriLabs, UNESCO and relevant government ministries through the ACCI BEST Centre. Such collaboration, he said, could provide business clinics, mentorship and market linkages for emerging creators.

He also urged universities to connect research and teaching more closely with commercial opportunities in the creative sector.

On the regional market, he called for stronger African distribution networks, more efficient cross-border payment systems and co-production agreements to enable creators to reach wider audiences and benefit from opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He encouraged creators to formalise their businesses, register their intellectual property, maintain proper financial records and join professional associations and chambers of commerce to improve their access to markets and business support.

Adesugba said Africa must ensure that the economic benefits generated by its creative output are shared more fairly with the people producing the content.

‘Our task now is to make sure that Africa is also paid, fully and fairly, for what the world enjoys,’ he said.