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Twenty people have reportedly been killed in a boat accident on the River Niger, involving passengers from Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State on Tuesday.

Daily Trust gathered that they were on their way to a market in Edo State.

It was further gathered that the incident happened between Okpu and Odumomo settlements at the bank of the River Niger when the boat heading to Ilushi from Onugwa capsized midway to its destination.

According to the report from the area, the number of passengers on board is yet to be established. Local divers were said to have picked 20 bodies from the river, while many more bodies were said to be still missing.

Six people have so far been identified as having survived the incident.

‘The boat departed from Onugwa in Ibaji Local Government Area this morning to Ilushi market, but capsized shortly after taking off at Okpu and Odumomo area of the river.

‘Most of them are children and women going shopping in preparation for the Independence Day celebration on Wednesday.

‘So far, six people have been identified as survivors. And a family has been confirmed to have lost eight people in the incident,’ said Joseph Umonu from Onyedega, the capital of Ibaji Local Government Area.

Also, a report from the community said those who came for a burial ceremony in Onugwa and boarded the ill-fated boat are all missing.

‘The family members of those who came for the burial ceremony from Ilushi to Onugwa have been crying since the sad news broke.

‘They are among the passengers who boarded the boat to Ilushi after the burial ceremony. We have not seen any of them among the survivors or dead yet. Divers are still in the water, searching for more survivors or the dead.

‘We are yet to confirm the number of people onboard, dead or survivors, as the rescue mission is still being intensified at the scene of the incident,’ said Micheal Unwuchola, from the community.

When contacted, the Acting Manager, Corporate Affairs of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Suleiman Usman, did not pick up his call or respond to a text message over the incident.

However, the Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Kogi State Police Command, SP William Aya, confirmed the incident.

‘The victims were said to be going to a market at Ilushi in Edo State when the incident happened. Our operatives at that flank are trying to confirm whether it happened at the Kogi side of the water or in the Edo State area.’

For Hajiya Rukaiya Abubakar Kushu, a near-death experience from pregnancy complications led her to start helping less privileged women with similar conditions. What started as assisting women who faced gynecological problems over the years grew into offering assistance in various sectors.

‘My passion for humanitarian work, especially in maternal and child health, was inspired by a near-fatal pregnancy complication I survived. I underwent three different surgeries during birth, and in each surgery, I had to travel abroad for medical treatment. After my third birth, doctors recommended a permanent stoppage of childbirth; in other words, I should be prevented from giving birth for the rest of my life.

‘That painful experience was what drove me into thinking of coming up with something that will save the lives of the less privileged women suffering from gynaecology-related sickness,’ she told Daily Trust.

She said the experience of her maid prompted her, in 2018, to establish the Abubakar Kushu Foundation, named after her father, to help less privileged women and children. ‘Divorced due to her gynecological complications and sent back to her parents with ten children, she spent two years at home battling with the illness and at the same time taking care of her children. The day she told me her story, I could not sleep throughout the night.

‘In the morning, I took her to the hospital and after all the necessary checkups, the doctors said she needed to undergo a minor surgery. And to my surprise, the cost of the surgery was just N30,000. So, I went back home with the intention of raising funds from family and friends.

‘I posted the woman’s case on my WhatsApp status and requested my followers to come to her rescue by donating money to cover the expenses of her surgery. In less than five minutes, people started sending their donations. It was on a Friday, I recall, and by Monday, I went to the hospital with over N200,000 in my account.

‘After the woman was treated and discharged, I told the doctors that I wanted to spend the remaining money on other patients suffering from related sickness.’

After a meeting with the management of the hospital, her request was granted, and she spent the remaining money on treating other patients. I saved the lives of seven women with the remaining money.

Following these incidents, she told the management of the hospital to contact her whenever they received such cases, and since then she has been helping women with such complications, especially the less privileged, divorced and widows. These categories of women have all been treated free of charge under this arrangement.

‘All I was after then was what I could do to ensure no woman or child suffers in silence when compassion and action could save their lives. The foundation was to handle only gynecological surgical cases because that was what I suffered. That was how I started because I realised that many women were dying simply because they didn’t have the means to treat themselves.’

A few months into the activities of the foundation, Rukaiya also saw the need for the foundation to include children suffering from pediatric-related illnesses in its programs. She said, ‘So, from women suffering from gynecological-related cases, we included children with pediatric cases in our activities. This is because anything to do with the mother has to do with her child.’

An activity that started on her WhatsApp status gradually evolved into a foundation today known as the Abubakar Kushu Foundation, which gave birth to El-Kush Community Development Initiatives, another body rendering assistance to communities in need.

Through both organisations, Rukaiya champions advocacy to policymakers, leads grassroots sensitisation, and works with communities to improve access to healthcare services. With support from family and friends, she has facilitated over 200 free surgeries, as well as providing financial support for Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF) patients.

‘I have achieved all these through updating my WhatsApp status with my activities. Family and friends view and donate. My foundation has never received a donation from any foreign or local organisation. Alhamdulillah, together we are saving the lives of many vulnerable and less privileged people.

‘Whenever I hear of a patient with gynae complications in need of help, I personally go there and assist the patient with the little I have and also solicit funds on her behalf through social media, and people do contribute immensely,’ she said.

The 43-year-old mother of three has, through both platforms, remained committed to turning empathy into action, restoring dignity, and building equity in underserved communities.

Beyond health, she’s involved in humanitarian services as she has mobilised resources to provide over 200 wells and boreholes, building and equipping more than ten community schools with solar power, sanitary facilities, housing for teachers, and recruitment of qualified staff.

Rukaiya’s humanitarian services are also extended to provide potable water because of the demand from various communities. ‘What normally happens is that after I post a project like a local well on my WhatsApp status, someone indicates interest in building a mosque around the well, or if it’s a mosque that I posted, a donor will volunteer to construct a well or a borehole around the mosque.’

Also, Rukaiya was able to take off the streets over 250 out-of-school children and enrolled them into western and Islamic schools, providing them with uniforms, books, and other learning materials. She shoulders their school fees and other fees with a view to retaining them in the schools.

Apart from that, Rukaiya has also renovated several Islamiyya schools in her community through the assistance of family and friends, saying, ‘As a result of my frequent visits to the schools where my sponsored students are studying, I observed that the structures of some of the schools need renovations and therefore initiated a special project for that.

‘Some of the benefiting schools, which operate as purely Islamiyyah, now combine both Islamic and Western education,’ she said.

Rukaiya also empowers women with take-off capital for businesses, thereby promoting financial inclusion and self-reliance among women.

Explaining the secret of her success in humanitarian services, Rukaiya said: ‘I believe the secret behind my success is nothing but honesty, transparency and commitment. We do things openly; we don’t hide anything, and whatever you ask us to do with your money, we will ensure that we spend the money judiciously and for the purpose it was meant for. Whatever we do, we post it for donors to see.

‘Let me tell you an incident that involved my sister. She sent $100 from abroad as a donation from her Christian friend. It was during Christmas, so I treated a Christian child with part of the money, and when the girl was discharged, I gave her the remaining balance to celebrate Christmas. I later posted the details of how I spent the $100, and the donor was delighted when she saw it on my WhatsApp status.

‘Just two weeks ago, Favor and her mother visited my house and spent time with me. We took pictures which I posted on my WhatsApp status with the following question: Do you remember this girl? You need to see the reactions of the donors.’

She said she was motivated by the smiles on the faces of the less privileged and vulnerable families. ‘This is what I enjoy most in my life, and Alhamdulillah, I am really achieving my objectives through the activities of the foundations,’ she concluded.

Those whose lives have been touched one way or the other spoke on the emphatic nature of hajiya Rukaiya.

Malam Rabi Muhammad is the maid speaking to Weekend Trust said that she worked with Rukaiya as a maid before she got to know about her health condition and It was her co-worker that btold her about her condition.’After we had a discussion, she took me to the hospital and paid the bills for the surgery conducted on me. It’s exactly seven years now.’

‘After I was discharged and fully recovered, I returned to her house and continued with my work. However, courtesy of Hajiya’s generosity, she asked me to relocate to her residence; so, as I speak with you now, I reside in her residence. Sincerely, I don’t know how to thank Hajiya for all the things she had done for me. Asides myself, my parents have also benefited from her kindness.’

She noted thatHajiya Rukaiya is a rare person with passion for helping the less privileged and vulnerable familiesin society. She is just a kind person whose concern is to help and assist the needy. I have known her to be like this since I met her ten years ago and has not changed.’ she attested.

Malam Usman Muhammad Gambo, founder of Inara Islamic Academy at Fadamar Mada quarters, one of the schools that benefited from the humanitarian services from the Abubakar Kushu Foundation, noted that Hajiya built three additional classrooms and furnished them with seating facilities and also renovated the three existing classrooms and toilets in the school. ‘Annually, Hajiya pays not less than N360,000 as school fees for these students besides their expenses for books and other items. I recently forwarded the names of three additional students to Hajiya requesting her to sponsor their education and she promised to get back to me,’ he said.

Also commenting on Rukaiya’s contributions to the education sub-sector, Malam Ibrahim Muhmmad Inuwa, founder of Madarasatul Tathnim Litahfizul Qur’anil Kareem Wal-Dirasatil Islamiyyah, Fadamar Mada, confirmed that Rukaiya had renovated his school and provided it with seating and teaching facilities.

‘She has been sponsoring 20 students comprising 10 orphans and 10 children of the less privileged families in the school for two years now. She asked the management of the school to select the beneficiaries from within the community and she had been paying their school fees annually,’ he concluded.

Recently, Rukaiya was inaugurated as an AIM-MNCHN Advocacy Champion under the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN). AIM-MNCHN-Maternal Neonatal Child Health and Nutrition is an organisation handling a project about reducing maternal mortality.

She is also an active member of several health, peacebuilding, and development committees under the Bauchi State Network of Civil Society Organizations, and a member of the Forum of Executive Directors of CSOs in Bauchi State.

‘Through these platforms and my foundations, I remain committed to turning empathy into action, restoring dignity, and building equity in underserved communities.

A holder of a B.Sc. in Sociology and Anthropology, a M.Sc. in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Rukaiya is currently the Deputy Registrar and Head of the Guidance and Counselling Unit at the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi.

Favour Abatang, is a girls’ and women’s rights activist from Cross River State. A graduate of Philosophy from the University of Calabar, she is the Founder and Executive Director of Her Voice Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on empowering teenage mothers and at-risk girls across Nigeria.

Her passion for advocacy began at a young age, shaped by personal loss and the harsh realities faced by girls in marginalised communities. ‘After losing my mother at the age of ten, I saw first-hand the struggles of girls from disadvantaged families.

‘That experience shaped my determination to ensure they are not denied opportunities simply because of where they were born or what they went through.’

In 2020, she founded Her Voice Foundation, formerly known as Campus Babe Initiative, to provide second-chance education, livelihood support, and advocacy for girls pushed to the margins of society. ‘We focus on breaking barriers to girls’ education and ending harmful practices such as child marriage, money marriage, and all forms of gender-based violence,’ she told Daily Trust. The foundation works in rural and underserved areas, particularly in southern Nigeria, where support systems are weak or non-existent. ‘Five years ago, I saw a 12-year-old girl pregnant and married off early. That moment changed everything for me,’ she recalled. ‘In Nigeria, 44 per cent of girls are married before their 18th birthday, and in some rural areas, that number rises to nearly 60 per cent.’

Since its existence, Her Voice Foundation has reached over 7,500 girls across 12 communities, offering literacy, life skills, vocational training, and psychosocial support. ‘These girls are not just statistics. They are dreams waiting to be realised.’ She said.

The foundation not just supporting girls also runs campaigns to challenge harmful cultural practices. In 2023, with support from UN Women under the Spotlight Initiative, it led a campaign in Becheve, Cross River State, to combat the resurgence of money marriage. ‘We mobilised 1,000 men as allies and engaged 200 traditional rulers who pledged to abandon the practice,’ she said. ‘Our policy brief became an advocacy tool, resulting in policy dialogue and survivor assistance.’

Meeting with teenage pregnant girls

Her Voice Foundation’s Second-Chance Education Programme enrolled 500 learners and equipped 2,000 girls with tools for financial autonomy. A radio show hosted by the foundation reached two million people online, while 1,500 community members pledged to promote girls’ education.

On how beneficiaries are selected, Favour said the foundation prioritises girls in fragile situations. ‘We meet each girl where she is, listening to her story and assessing what kind of support she needs most,’ she explained. ‘What matters most is not just vulnerability, but the willingness of the girl to take a step forward, however small, toward her second chance.’

Funding for the foundation comes from a mix of international partners, local organisations, and individual donors. Notable supporters include UN Women, Inspiring Girls, IGNITE, and Project Nightfall Philanthropy. ‘We continue to build partnerships, recognising that long-term impact requires broad collaboration and diverse sources of support,’ she said.

On running the foundation, sFavour said, has been both challenging and rewarding. ‘We have a team of over 60 people, mostly volunteers,’ she said. ‘It has taught me to first lead myself, to believe in the importance of what we are doing, and then to lead others with vision and purpose.’

She added that coordination goes beyond the office. ‘It’s about making sure our team is in sync with community leaders, schools, the government, other development partners, and most importantly, the girls themselves.’

Favour’s work has earned her international recognition. In 2023, she received the Princess Diana Award for social action and humanitarian work. In 2025, she was named one of the 100 Reputable Women of African Descent. Since 2022, she has served as a National Gender Youth Activist with UN Women and delivered a TEDx Talk titled ‘The Power of a Second Chance.’

She said her vision is to grow Her Voice Foundation into a global institution for girls’ second chances. ‘I envision skill hubs, technology centres, and women-run factories that generate income while providing livelihoods. ‘I want us to shape policy and advocacy at national and international levels to end child marriage and harmful practices for good.’

Favour believes sustainability is key. ‘We design programmes to be community-owned and low-cost where possible,’ she said. ‘We also focus on leadership pipelines, training young women, including survivors, to take on leadership roles.’

Despite the challenges, she remains undeterred. ‘Society won’t stop talking,’ she said. ‘No matter what you do, people will talk. So, I just work and do what I know is right.’

Her motivation, she said, comes from the girls themselves. ‘Watching how small moments add up to big impact keeps me going. Every meeting, every plan, every small win feeds into the larger vision of changing lives for the better.

‘My motivation also comes from the belief that every second chance given to a teenage mother or a marginalised girl can be her lifeline, her best chance, or even the very thing that propels her toward a sustainable future. I am motivated by the girls themselves. I think of girls like Mary, a survivor of money marriage, who, through the support she received, now runs a profitable business. This income allows her to send both herself and her child to school. Knowing that every girl who receives our intervention goes on to impact her child and her community fills me with purpose. That ripple effect, the multiplication of impact and sustainability through our interventions, is what drives me every day.

‘To any young person eager to take action, I would say: start. But don’t just start, start with the right knowledge, systems, and structure. Build a non-profit that is not centered on you, but on the people you serve. Create an institution that empowers others, gives young people the chance to lead and become changemakers themselves, and always vouch for yourself.

‘Again, personal experience in my community. I saw a girl who was pregnant at just 12 years old, and she was not alone; there were many others like her. This pushed me to look deeper into the statistics, where I discovered that teenage pregnancy and child marriage are among the greatest barriers to girls’ retention and completion of school, severely affecting their education. I was moved to act, both to give second chances to girls already in these fragile situations and to work towards breaking the barriers that hold them back. That is why I founded Her Voice Foundation.’

She urged other young people to take action. ‘If you want to start anything that will help others, you should do it now. Because no one is going to do it if you don’t start.’

Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc. (‘Sterling Holdco’) says investors’ response to its public offer has been very positive.

The holdings had opened its Public Offer of 12.581 billion ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N7 per share. This amounts to about N88 Billion.

The Offer for subscription opened on Wednesday, September 17 and closed on Tuesday, September 30.

This Public Offer is a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening the capital adequacy of Sterling Bank Limited, capitalising SterlingFi Wealth Management, and supporting the Group’s strategic expansion opportunities.

In a statement yesterday, the organisation said its public offer has quickly become one of the most talked-about opportunities in the Nigerian financial market..

It quoted analysts to have predicted that the offer will prove to be amongst the most lucrative in the sector’s investment landscape.

The Sterling Public Offer has sparked widespread interest, with market experts

noting that the price, which is about 6% below its current trading price, presents an attractive entry point for both institutional and retail investors.

‘The offer is set to close soon, but the rapid pace of interest has led many to speculate that the full subscription has already been reached or even exceeded much earlier than expected,’ the statement said.

According to leading financial analysts, Sterling Holdco’s strategic expansion plans, solid market position, and innovative financial products have positioned it as a major contender in Nigeria’s banking sector.

The public offer is widely regarded as an exciting proposition for investors looking to capitalise on a company with strong fundamentals and an ambitious growth trajectory.

Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu has been conferred with the 2025 Appeal of Conscience Award by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation Founded by, Rabbi Arthur Schneier.

The award was received on his behalf by his wife, Dr Awele Elumelu who delivered his speech.

Elumelu, who is also the Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) PLC, commended the organiser, saying humanity has been the core of his life and what keeps him up at night.

He said his preoccupation is how to transform lives across Africa and ‘how do we leave a legacy that uplifts people and creates opportunity for everyone?’

Elumelu said, ‘I was not born with a silver spoon, I was not educated abroad, I inherited nothing.

‘I was blessed with determination, but also luck. That determination, and that luck have brought material success. I have been rewarded with a wonderful family, with privileges, with the capacity to bring about change.

‘The American tradition of philanthropy, the tradition we see so clearly in this room today, has always inspired me.

‘The great names that built America in the Gilded Age, the new generation that have endowed universities, research and culture.

‘I was conscious right from the beginning that we needed to give back. And to give back in a way that catalytically changes our continent, Africa. I am not one to blame others.

‘I also – and my career demonstrates this – know that Africa is full of opportunity. In fact, I think no other continent offers such an opportunity.’

The billionaire businessman disclosed that his businesses span four continents employing over 40,000 people – including here in New York – ‘where we have the United Bank for Africa (UBA), the only African bank that can take deposits in the United States of America.’

He added, ‘I believe in the power of the private sector. This is the core of the philosophy I call Africapitalism.

‘I know the private sector’s long-term interests are inextricably linked to the health of our communities.

‘At Heirs Holdings, when we invest in energy and power, we see it as a mission to light up homes, schools, and hospitals.

‘When we create value in the financial services industry, we drive inclusion, offering the underrepresented a stake in the economy.

‘And through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, a personal commitment we made in 2010, we have identified, trained, mentored, and provided over USD100million in seed funding to over 24,000 young African entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries.’

According to him, by empowering a generation with economic opportunities and the means to shape

their own destinies, ‘we are combatting the despair that fuels economic instability, migration, and insecurity.’

I pen this article with a humble sense of responsibility hoping to contribute to this critical national discourse of proffering actionable insights to nation building. This article is informed by insights gleaned from my engagements with more than 1,000 leaders globally in the past year and close to a gross of this number fifteen years after I founded These Executive Minds (TEXEM) in the UK.

Sixty-five years after independence, Nigeria stands at a crossroads that is both sobering and promising. The sobering part is familiar. Too many citizens experience public services that arrive late or not up to par. Firms face a cocktail of inflation, logistics friction, and regulatory uncertainty. Civil society carries heavy loads where formal systems falter. The promising part is quieter but powerful. In the past year I have sat with more than a thousand leaders in ministries, agencies, boardrooms, factories, start-ups, cooperatives, and classrooms from Kano to Lagos to Abuja and cities in other emerging and developed countries. The appetite I have encountered is not for new slogans. It is for practices that produce compounding improvements citizens can feel.

My contention is that the leaders who will move Nigeria forward in the next decade will practise three disciplines with rigour: reflection that rebuilds trust and sharpens judgement, reinvention that converts constraints into design choices, and winning that scales what works and protects it from erosion.

Reflection must come first because progress without trust rarely survives the news cycle and more importantly does not lead to sustainable inclusive impact. In many of our institutions there is an inherited deficit of confidence. People discount statements before they hear them. Officials are assumed to be evasive until proven otherwise. In this context, the most strategic act a leader can take is to make the logic of decisions visible and testable. I have watched permanent secretaries and chief executives shift the temperature in a room by explaining the trade-offs behind a policy or a pivot in two pages of plain English, then inviting challenge before the implementation plan is final. That small ritual does more than inform. It signals that citizens and staff are not audiences but partners in judgement.

Rwanda’s experience with public performance contracts for officials is instructive because it illustrates how visible targets and steady follow-through can change the relationship between leaders and citizens. Nigeria does not need to copy the mechanism to embrace the principle. We can begin with published choice notes that state priorities, the reasons for those priorities, and the measures by which success will be judged.

Reflection also requires safety for truth. In utilities, hospitals, and agencies I often meet talented professionals who knew trouble was coming but said nothing because it did not feel safe to do so. The cost of that silence is measured in failed projects, service outages, and avoidable controversy. A modest institutional habit can reverse this dynamic. Start formal meetings by asking for the pieces of bad news that no one has voiced. Reward the messenger rather than the fixer. In a northern water board I watched how this practice reduced the number of last-minute crises and improved relationships with suppliers who were finally hearing about risks early enough to help. Psychological safety is not a fashionable idea. It is a governance advantage.

Strategy is the next frontier of reflection. Plans that attempt to please everyone end up straining everyone. Strategy is not an inventory of hopes but the courage to choose. What distinguishes Ethiopia’s early industrial zones, despite all the imperfections, is not simply the infrastructure but the choice to concentrate on a small number of sectors where jobs could be created quickly and learning could compound. Nigeria has too often pursued breadth without depth. A commissioner who commits to a two-page statement of where the state will compete in transport or health, how it will win there, and what will be left aside this year, has already advanced execution. The power of this clarity lies in how it enables other actors to align. Suppliers, investors, and civil society can only complement a public agenda they can see.

Foresight completes reflective leadership. Oil shocks, currency swings, (though the latter two have been quite stable in the past six months) import disruptions, and climate stress are not surprises. They are conditions of the game. The organisations that navigate them well do not predict the future. They rehearse it. In Vietnam, which has climbed the manufacturing ladder over the past two decades, routine scenario exercises allowed managers and officials to pre-commit to responses when supply chains wobbled. In our context the same discipline means agreeing on three or four numbers that, if breached, trigger specific actions within a week. It means deciding in advance which contracts can be slowed without losing capability, which social programmes must be protected under any scenario, and which suppliers or ports will be used if a route closes. When senior teams practise these drills quarterly, they do not eliminate volatility. They convert volatility from a reason to panic into a reason to act calmly and quickly.

Once reflection has cleared the fog, reinvention can proceed with precision. Reinvention in Nigeria must start with an unflinching acceptance of constraints. Capital is tight. Power is unreliable in too many places. The skills we most need are scarce and globally mobile. Rules sometimes move mid-stream. These constraints do not forbid innovation. They shape it. The leaders who make headway begin by asking what job the citizen or customer is hiring the service to do. In one health programme I observed, teams stopped designing features and started listening to mothers who simply wanted certainty about vaccination days. A low-cost text system that reminded families and local clinics of fixed days in each ward lifted attendance without expensive infrastructure. India’s Aadhaar system, whatever one thinks of it in the round, succeeded because it focused on a minimal identity layer that others could build upon. Kenya’s M-Pesa was born because the banking system ignored the unbanked. Both cases show the pay-off from designing to the job, not to the institution.

Reinvention demands learning before scale. In too many Nigerian settings pilots are a performance rather than a process. They lack a falsifiable question, a clear owner, and a path to either stop or scale. The fix is not complicated. Any initiative expected to touch a large population should be tested in two locations, with one sharp question set in advance and a date by which a scale or stop decision will be made. The results should be published in language citizens understand. Failure then becomes an investment rather than a secret. I saw a state education agency kill three shiny ideas quickly and redirect funds into a teacher coaching model that improved learning outcomes because it treated the pilot as an experiment rather than an announcement.

Reinvention gains momentum when public institutions become conveners of ecosystems rather than providers of every function. Big problems yield when government, private firms, and civic actors share accountability for outcomes that citizens feel. Bangladesh offered a vivid lesson. Partnerships between government, a major telecom, microfinance institutions, and social enterprises created rural digital kiosks run by women that offered identity, market information, and payments. The result was a commercial model that advanced connectivity and income at the same time. There was no philanthropic afterthought. Incentives were aligned at the design stage. Nigeria’s agriculture and health sectors can embrace the same logic. Shared cold chain investment for vaccines, joint platforms for farmer data, and managed marketplaces for produce are all areas where no single actor can win alone, yet every actor can win if the rules of cooperation are clear.

The final discipline is winning. By winning I do not mean a one-off success that makes good copy. I mean the craft of scaling what works, protecting it from erosion, and compounding advantage. The first move is to pick a narrow transformation where citizens will feel the difference within months, ‘a low hanging fruit’. A permit workflow, a claims process, a land registry, or a targeted procurement system are good candidates. The rule is simple. The process must be completed end to end in a single digital flow. A named leader must own service levels. The model that drives decisions must be monitored so that it does not drift. Small wins matter because they change expectations. Once a citizen experiences a permit that takes days rather than months, tolerance for delay declines across the board. Indonesia’s progress on e-procurement and tax administration, while uneven, shows how patient systems work can raise revenue and trust at the same time. We should be stubborn about this kind of boring progress because it pays compound interest.

Winning also requires decision-making that treats a downturn as a time to prune and plant rather than to freeze. The instinct in a crisis is to cut across the board. The better move is to cut visible waste, protect muscle, and pre-fund two moves that will pay off when others are distracted. When India’s Tata Group bought Jaguar Land Rover in the depths of the 2008 crisis, it was not a gamble on prestige. It was a calculated bet on future capability. In Nigeria the equivalent in the public sphere could be a state securing a long-term power arrangement for critical social infrastructure when prices soften. In the private sphere it may look like acquiring a distressed logistics asset that reduces cost to serve for essential goods. These are not headline moments. They are compounding moves.

The strongest fosses in emerging economies are often social and institutional as much as technological. A company that ties its profit engine to a farmer’s gain by reducing post-harvest losses creates an affinity that is difficult to copy. A ministry that becomes the trusted orchestrator of identity or payments in a sector makes duplication wasteful for others and partnership sensible. Vietnam’s rise in manufacturing is instructive here. Once clusters matured and supplier development programmes took root, firms preferred to deepen rather than exit. In Nigeria we can replicate the principle if not the exact model by choosing the lever we will own, whether identity rails for SMEs, last-mile logistics in a large state, or a vocational pipeline that gives investors’ confidence.

Every serious proposal invites counterarguments. The first is that our constraints are too severe. It is true that power, security challenges, still high inflation and undervalued Naira shape the feasible frontier. Yet they rarely block the first disciplined step. Narrowing focus, publishing choices, and testing cheaply are possible even in tough conditions. The second counterargument is that pilots never scale here. That is not a law of nature. Pilots fail to scale when ownership is vague and money is episodic. Tie each pilot to a named leader with a budget gate and an adoption target. If the target is met by a stated date, the next release triggers automatically. If not, the idea is retired without controversy because the condition was agreed up front. The third objection is that openness hands advantage to rivals or invites misuse. Opacity is more expensive. Clear interfaces, shared dashboards, and pre-agreed escalation channels protect the public interest while letting private actors bring energy and ingenuity. The fourth objection is that our context is unique and therefore resistant to lessons from elsewhere. Culture and politics matter. So does execution. The underlying disciplines of reflection, reinvention, and winning have travelled across Asia, Africa, and Latin America because they are grounded in human behaviour and institutional incentives rather than in fashion.

Actionable suggestions matter most when they become routine. A practical rhythm helps leaders avoid performative announcements. Each quarter, senior teams should meet for a candid review of trust, choices, and scenarios. The output should be three objectives with dates and owners that are shared with staff and, where appropriate, with citizens. Each month, the organisation should pilot two new practices and retire one legacy habit that no longer serves. A one-page learning note in plain English should capture what moved, what did not, and what will be changed as a result. Each week, leaders should review a single measure that protects their moat, whether adoption, cost to serve, or ecosystem leverage, and then remove one blocker that slows progress. This cadence is not a ritual for its own sake. It is the mechanism through which reflection feeds reinvention and reinvention feeds winning.

The independence anniversary invites a final reflection. Nations and subnational do not become trustworthy because they declare it. Companies do not become competitive because they wish it. NGOs do not become impactful because they are earnest. Trust grows when leaders expose their logic to scrutiny and follow through. Competitiveness grows when organisations choose a place to compete and then refine how they win there through fast learning. Impact grows when coalitions form around measurable outcomes that citizens experience in hours saved, income gained, and safety improved. I have seen these habits in pockets across Nigeria. A cooperative that became a disciplined buyer and seller on behalf of its members and cut their losses. A state-owned entity that digitised a creaking process and recovered weeks of time for small businesses. A private firm that opened its platform to complementary services and grew by letting others create value. These are not miracles. They are crafts. Crafts improve with practice.

Examples from other emerging economies are not medals to hang on a wall. They are reminders that the work is doable. Rwanda’s visible performance contracts demonstrate how public accountability can reset expectations after trauma. Aadhaar in India shows that a minimal, interoperable public good can unlock many private innovations when designed with restraint. Kenya’s mobile money revolution proves that leapfrogging can occur when a clear job is served on a platform people already use. Vietnam’s steady climb through manufacturing illustrates how clusters, supplier development, and predictability attract commitment. Indonesia’s progress on tax administration and procurement shows how patient system building raises revenue and trust together. Bangladesh’s rural digital models illustrate the power of aligned incentives across public, private, and social actors. None of these examples is a blueprint. Each is a provocation to ask what the Nigerian equivalent would look like under our constraints and with our strengths.

As we enter the sixty-fifth year of independence, the choice before Nigerian leaders is not between idealism and realism. It is between a loud cycle of fresh promises and a quieter craft of institutional improvement that compounds. The second path is less dramatic, yet it is how countries change without fanfare. It begins with leaders who listen before they speak and who effectively communicate the reasons that informed their choices. It gains speed with teams who test efficiently, measure honestly, and stop what does not work. It consolidates with organisations that scale what works, protect their edge, and reinvest in capability in good times and bad. I wrote earlier that the mood is sober and promising. It will remain promising only if it becomes disciplined.

The most powerful sentence I have heard in the past year came from a nurse in a secondary hospital who said that the only thing that had changed her day was a new process that meant a critical drug arrived on Wednesday without fail. It made her sound less like a hero and more like a professional. That sentence is the heart of development. When essential functions become reliable, professionals emerge, and citizens begin to trust. The path to that sentence is neither glamorous nor impossible. It asks us to reflect with candour, to reinvent with humility, and to win with patience. If we make those verbs our habit in the year ahead, the country we will write about at seventy will look less like a set of crises to manage and more like a system that works. That would be an independence worth celebrating.

Soldiers of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have repelled bandits in the Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State and recovered assorted weapons in a bid to strengthen the confidence of locals in security agencies.

Acting Media Information Officer of OPWS, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, in a statement on Tuesday, noted that the operation was carried out between September 26 and 28, following credible intelligence reports of armed groups mobilising in Agurugu and Igyudu villages of Katsina-Ala LGA.

He stated that troops engaged the criminals at Sheekan village, forcing them to flee and abandoning weapons, ammunition, and mobile phones.

Zubairu listed the items recovered to include one automatic pistol, two AK-47 magazines, 33 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 15 rounds of 5.56 x 45mm, three 9mm rounds, 29 mobile phones, and other military hardware. He further stated that in a separate operation at Igyudu village, the soldiers seized a single-barrel gun, three rounds of 7.62mm NATO, two AK-47 magazines, one G3 magazine, a hand grenade, a tear gas canister, medical kits, and an Itel phone.

Force Commander of OPWS, Major General Moses Gara, commended the troops’ gallantry, describing the success as evidence of the effectiveness of ongoing counter-banditry strategies.

He assured residents of their safety and urged communities to continue providing timely intelligence, reaffirming the Force’s resolve to restore lasting peace in Benue and adjoining states.

Gara noted that the resilience and professionalism of the troops had continued to yield tangible results, adding that the Nigerian Army and sister security agencies would not relent until criminal elements were completely flushed out.

On Wednesday, October 1st, 2025, at Bayero University’s new campus in Kano, Collins Whitworth, a student of Bayero University Kano (BUK), made an impressive attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most faces painted in 3 minutes.

Sponsored by Indomie, Collins painted 17 faces multiple times within the 3-minute window, surpassing the current record of 12 faces held by Emilia Zakonnova since July 30th, 2025.

His attempts were remarkable:

1st attempt: 2 minutes 40 seconds for 17 faces

2nd attempt: 2 minutes 50 seconds for 17 faces

3rd attempt: 2 minutes 55 seconds for 20 faces

Collins’ journey is one of resilience and determination. After a shortfall in his 2024 attempt, he spent a year honing his skills and preparing for this historic day. ‘I learned a lot from my first attempt. This time, I’m prepared, focused, and determined. With Indomie backing me, I believe we can make history together,’ Collins said.

Indomie, a proud supporter of youth creativity, education, and entrepreneurship, is honored to sponsor Collins. The brand sends a powerful message that bold dreams deserve bold support, inspiring young Nigerians to chase their passions confidently.

Collins explained, ‘I want to put Kano and Nigeria on the world map, showing that we have talented people able to break arts records. Today, I painted 17 faces in 2 minutes, 40 seconds, exceeding our target of 13. I thank Indomie, my family, and friends for their support.’

Among attendees, BUK student Sulaiman Haruna said, ‘I pray Collins wins because he performed excellently today.’

Event witness Jimoh Momoh praised his efforts and believes Collins can break the world record. Another student, Aisha, shared her surprise and support after witnessing Collins’ speed.

As Nigeria marks 65 years of independence, its cultural complexity is both a source of celebration and tension.

Home to over 250 ethnic groups and more than 500 languages, Nigeria is one of the most diverse nations in the world. So how has Nigeria’s ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity shaped its journey-and what might it mean for the next 65 years?

Private schools in Nigeria have become lucrative business ventures, attracting entrepreneurs seeking to cash in on the growing demand for education by parents, guardians and stakeholders. Many individuals establish schools as a means to make a fortune, often prioritising profit over quality education.

Private schools in Nigeria have become lucrative business ventures, attracting entrepreneurs seeking to capitalise on the growing demand for education. Many individuals establish schools as a means to make a fortune, often prioritising profit over quality education.

Recently, the profitability of private schools has drawn more people to invest in this sector. This trend has led to a surge in the number of private schools, with many entrepreneurs seeking to tap into the market.

Unlike many others, Musa Ibrahim, popularly known as Sagagi, a resident of Gangare community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, established the College of Islamic Studies (CIS), primarily to provide access to secondary education for children from low-income families in Jos communities. Founded in 1977, the college initially focused on Islamic knowledge but later expanded to offer Western education, catering to both Muslim and Christian students. This expansion enabled children from diverse backgrounds to access education, making private schooling that was previously reserved for the affluent available and bridging the gap for those who struggled to attain both Islamic and Western knowledge.

Narrating the journey, Sheik Ibrahim said, ‘Prior to the establishment of the college, we used to take our children to Kano, Katsina, Zaria and other places to acquire Islamic knowledge at the secondary level. Realising this quest for knowledge, I decided that we should have one here in Jos rather than travelling to far-off states.’

The philanthropist noted that the beginning of the journey was challenging due to financial constraints, noting that despite the financial challenges, they struggled to obtain all the necessary documents, registration and affiliation to both the state and the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Some students of CIS

How I run the school

Sheik Ibrahim, who remembers that many people ask him how he manages the school considering the meager school fees he charges, said it was difficult but he endured the challenges.

He said, ‘Even the small school fee was challenging for some students to pay because the majority come from low-income families and we had to consider their circumstances.

‘Due to the low response to payments, there was no fixed salary for teachers. I usually pleaded with the teachers, many of whom are former students who returned to contribute to the community, to understand that we are working together to help the community. Instead of promising a fixed salary, I shared the available funds among them. If we had money at the end of the month, we would pay them what we could and ask for their understanding. If payment was delayed, that’s what we would do. So we were not paying them salaries but stipends.’

I sold part of my inherited house to keep the school running

The proprietor, who is currently living in his family house, said he had to sell part of his inherited house to keep the school alive because he never received significant donations.

‘Nobody has ever donated a substantial amount, like N100,000, to support teachers’ salaries. We have never received a call saying, ‘Take this money to support the teachers.’ We rely on what we get from students to run the school. If there is no money, I improvise. If I am in a situation where money is needed, I will sell whatever I have to support the school,’ he explained.

He further said they didn’t send the children home due to unpaid school fees because they want them to acquire knowledge.

‘I personally visit their homes to bring them back to school. There were naughty and stubborn children who didn’t listen to their parents, but I brought them back to ensure they gain knowledge and secure a better future. Today, many of them are responsible human beings. Many of our students are now professors, doctors, others,’ he noted, adding that the school is over 47 years old.

‘Our main intention is to ensure that knowledge is accessible everywhere, as it drives positive economic growth and good democratic governance. Many judges today are graduates of this school. There is no university in northern Nigeria where you won’t find a lecturer who attended this school.

‘I am not sure of the number of soldiers, police officers and paramilitary personnel who are products of this school. The chief imam of Sultan Bello Mosque, Muhammad Sulaiman; current chief imam of Jos Central Mosque, Sheik Ghazali Isma’il Adam; Dr Kabiru Dambam; second, National Mosque Abuja, late Dr Gambo Hamza; former provost, College of Education, Zubairu, the late Professor Abubakar Wakawa; a lecturer at the Nasarawa State University Keffi, Professor Abdulrahman Lawan, and many others, are alumni of this school,’ he noted.

One of the beneficiaries of Ibrahim’s gesture, Sheik Harisu Salihu, a renowned Islamic scholar in Plateau, described Sagagi’s philanthropy as rare. He said that in the last 40 years, whoever grew up and attended school within Jos communities must have either been taught by Sheik Ibrahim directly or his former student.

‘As a beneficiary of Sheik Ibrahim’s gesture, I was among the third set that passed out from his school; and in 1989, he personally enrolled five of us at the ABU, Zaria, where I had my diploma and degree. He enrolled many of his students at higher institutions in Sokoto, Maiduguri and Bauchi states.

‘To our knowledge, many influential people fought him for establishing schools for the children of the poor. He sold his house to give us education,’ he said.

Sheik Harisu also recalled: ‘During our time, he was not collecting the meager school fees himself, some people were delegated to collect it and ensure the running of the school. His aim is to see children of the poor have education; that is why I don’t have a hero like him. I have not seen one person who has contributed to the development of the society with his money, knowledge and strength like him.’

He is down to earth – Former teacher

Mr Menshak Lar, who was a Chemistry and Biology teacher in the school, described Sheik Ibrahim as a patriotic Nigerian who had contributed immensely to education and life of people in the country.

‘To tell you the truth, I have never seen a man like him. For the period of my stay in the school, I can describe him as humble. The man is down to earth. As a proprietor of the school, he bends to greet you as a teacher. I have never seen such humility in my whole life. He is passionate about his students.

‘While I was there, there was no segregation between Muslims and Christians – the school accommodates them equally. And up to this day, I still have a relationship with Baba Musa Sagagi. That is why I visit the school up till now. This man needs to be recognised. He deserves to be celebrated. He is really a father to all. I don’t know any bad side of him,’ Lar said.

He is a humanitarian, benefactor – Jos chief imam

Sheik Ghazali Isma’il Adam, the chief imam of Jos Central Mosque, described the man as a humanitarian, benefactor and educational philanthropist who dedicates his life to others, even at the detriment of his family.

The chief imam, who also studied at the school, said Sheikh Ibrahim would borrow money to settle teachers’ salaries, just for the comfort of children from poor backgrounds.

‘At one point, he sent me to borrow money from someone to pay some teachers because he didn’t want them to stop coming. He is a man who would fight whoever sends students home due to school fees. And he does this in the name of building their future,’ Sheik Adam said.

He further noted that the philanthropist secured admission into tertiary institutions across the country for many of those who studied at CIS.

‘He dedicated his resources, time and strength travelling to many higher institutions to secure admission for you and connect you with people. He sold part of his inherited house so that people could enjoy education. He is ever ready to help in the society. Because of his simplicity he spends whatever he has on the education of others,’ Adam said.