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Workers of Federal Teaching Hospital Ido Ekiti (FETHI), Ekiti State, have hailed the outgoing Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Prof Adekunle Ajayi.

The workers attributed the improved service delivery and positive health outcomes in the facility in the last eight years to high morale occasioned by adequate welfare, provision of equipment and infrastructural development.

The staff members, comprising doctors, nurses, health and administrative workers, hailed the CMD for what they called his exemplary leadership, which had transformed the facility into a true beacon of quality healthcare services.

Ajayi, a Professor of Medicine, will bow out of office later this year on completion of his second term in office as CMD of the tertiary health facility.

The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of the hospital, Dr Olagoke Erinomo, said FETHI had been repositioned under Ajayi with the huge achievements in the delivery of its three mandate areas – clinical services, training and research.

Erinomo, who is the Head of the Directorate of Clinical Services and Training, FETHI, said: ‘Prior to 2018, as a hospital, this place was doing poorly. Patients had lost confidence in us, our patient turnover was low, and patients’ satisfaction was also poor. That was because of a lot of factors: human resource factor, staff attitude, motivation, availability of necessary equipment and consumables.

‘But when Prof. Ajayi came on board in 2018, he came specifically with an agenda for repositioning the hospital, particularly to regain its corporate identity as a hospital of choice not only in Ekiti State, but in this country and beyond’.

The CMAC listed the CMD’s interventions to include massive infrastructural development, staff recruitments, training and retraining of staff and huge investment in the acquisition of the necessary and required equipment.

A consultant chemical pathologist and focal Nodal Officer for SERVICOM, Dr Ahmed Jimoh, said that the Ajayi-led management had brought a lot of changes to the hospital and had done a lot to improve the quality of service delivery in the institution.

FETHI Director of Works and Services, Engr Dada Adedayo, praised Ajayi for his achievements in the hospital’s infrastructural developments, especially in resolving the epileptic power supply and water scarcity challenges. ‘Today, electricity supply has improved tremendously and the hospital wards and offices now have 24 hours water supply.

The Chairman, Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) in FETHI, Dr Omotola Obajulowo, lauded the Ajayi-led management for ensuring ease of practice and ease of solving problems, which availability of world class equipment at the various clinics and units enabled.

As Big Brother Naija Season 10, tagged ’10/10,’ draws to its thrilling conclusion tonight, October 5, 2025, nine housemates – Imisi, Dede, Koyin, Isabella, Jason Jae, Kaybobo, Kola, Mensan, and Sultana – are set to compete for the coveted N150 million grand prize and a lasting place in BBNaija history.

Following 72 days of intense drama, alliances, and viral moments since the July 26-27 premiere, fan predictions point to Imisi, Dede, and Koyin as the leading contenders for the crown.

Imisi remains a fan favourite, known for her relatable personality, social media dominance, and ability to spark online trends.

Dede follows closely, winning hearts with her lively spirit, strategic gameplay, and strong performance in house tasks.

Koyin has also garnered support for his calm, level-headed approach and consistent performance throughout the show.

Other finalists – Sultana, Kola, Isabella, Jason Jae, Mensan, and Kaybobo – each bring unique strengths.

Sultana’s composure and strategic thinking, Kola’s honesty and openness, Isabella’s humour, Jason Jae’s energetic performances, Mensan’s creativity, and Kaybobo’s wit have all earned them admiration from fans.

The highly anticipated grand finale, airing live from Lagos, promises thrilling evictions, surprise performances, and the announcement of the Season 10 champion, who will walk away with N150 million and a springboard to stardom.

It was an afternoon of melodious hymns, Psalms and Anthems as the Council of Knights Lagos and Lagos Mainland chapters of the Methodist Church Nigeria held its 9th Annual Choral Day celebration themed, ‘Arise In Faith Through Music’.

Guests were treated to classical renditions of anthems, psalms, traditional pieces and melodious music at the concert that took place on the 1st of October, 2025, at the Williams Memorial Methodist Cathedral, Ago Ijaiye, in Ebute Metta, Lagos.

The event, which had 48 choristers drawn across from ten choirs in the Archdiocese of Lagos, was conducted by the Grand Concert Choir master, Sir Soji Onafowokan (KCW), who led the choir in ministering in songs ably backed by the Orchestra led by Tope Jaiyesimi.

The Choral event featured sacred renditions of Hymns with descants, solos, duets, psalms, anthems and traditional songs, which brought alive the Methodist spirit and heritage, as it is said Methodism was born in songs.

Bishop of Lagos Central, Rt Revd. Samuel Ransford Nortey, in his welcome address, welcomed everyone present to the event and that it was a great opportunity to host the Choral Day.

Speaking on the significance of the occasion, Sir Ayorinde Thomas said the idea was to bring back the hymns, chants that the Methodists are known for. It was to enlighten the people about the importance of it in our worship and in the Methodist Church, as done by Charles Wesley.

Continuing, he said there had been a gap and the Council of Knights agreed to fill the gap and that it was also an opportunity to pray for the nation as the concert is held every Independence Day.

Rtd Major Williams, a knight of Charles Wesley, highlighted that the importance was to bring back the Methodist heritage and not allow it to die.

Prayers were held for Nigeria as she clocked 65 years of independence during the musical showpiece.

(This article was first published in this column on 26 November, 2023, at a testy time in union-employer relations.)

Whenever things are entangled, seeking to disentangle them is the normal course of action. This happens when the respective entangling things are easily discernible. However, sometimes, those things are so similar and yet so different that disentanglement becomes herculean. To describe such complex, ambivalent and confused situations, the idiom called to service in Yoruba is ‘Esè eégún ti dàpò mó t’èèyàn.’ (‘The masquerade’s legs are entangled with human legs.’) The masquerade, by the way, is believed to be a sacred being from the extra-terrestrial habitation of the revered ancestors, while the human being is earthly and non-sacred. So, how do you extricate a sacred set of legs from a mundane one without offending the ancestors?

A series of such confusing spectacles marked the last nationwide strike of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), otherwise called the Ajaero Strike, which started on Tuesday, 14 November, 2023 and was planned to be total and indefinite. Incidentally, the strike was suspended on Wednesday, 15 November, 2023, after negotiations between the NLC and the government. In spite of the suspension, questions relating to the strike remain nagging.

First, the entanglement of the masquerade’s and human legs happened in relation to who exactly Joe Ajaero was. In his visit to Imo State, was he a citizen of the state who had visited as a chieftain of the opposition Labour Party (LP) with the aim of promoting his political party in the then-closely approaching governorship election in the state or was he the National President of the NLC who had gone there to promote the welfare of members of his trade union? This ambivalence may have caused him to be beaten up by people who were presumed to be political thugs and who probably thought they were contending with a threatening rival political party member rather than a sacred, masquerade-like labour union personage. It is in reaction to the assault on Ajaero that the NLC and its sister union – the Trade Union Congress (TUC) – declared the indefinite and total national strike.

Second, the masquerade’s legs phenomenon was manifested in who the aggressor was. Ajaero was beaten in only one out of the thirty-six states, and revenge was being exacted from all of the thirty-six states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This violated the principle of justice encoded in the saying, ‘Ìka tó bá sè l’oba n gé.’ (‘It’s the finger that errs that the king cuts.’) In prosecuting the strike, one finger erred, but thirty-seven were cut.

Third, the ambivalence and confusion were related to the real motive for the strike. Was the strike declared to get restitution for the injuries of Ajaero or was it declared to wreck the economy or destabilise the All Progressives Congress (APC) national government by LP stalwarts hiding behind the unionist screen?

Note, by the way, that while Ajaero and the NLC were vociferous in claiming that the APC-led government of Imo State had been mistreating the workers in the employment of the state, the workers themselves were adulating the governor. A situation was therefore created in which, as the saying goes, ‘Alára l’ára ò r’òun, o ló kú àìsùn, ó kú àìwo.’ (‘A person says they’re not feeling any pain, but you’re telling them, ‘Sorry for the sleeplessness the pain is causing you.”) Granted that there could even have been a few areas in which the state government was defaulting in relation to the welfare of the workers, the NLC should not have created a situation in which it would be crying more than the bereaved. In a more picturesque way, a Yoruba proverb says, ‘Elékún n sunkún, Láróyè n sun èjè.’ (‘The person who has a problem is shedding watery tears, but bloody tears are streaming down the cheeks of Laroye the sympathiser.’) Incidentally, Laroye is another word for Èsù, which some people translate into English as ‘the Devil’.

The Ajaero strike showed that the NLC has immense potentials to wreak indiscriminate havoc on the nation. Did it therefore set out of its own volition to undermine the government or was it recruited to do the hatchet job for woebegone opponents of the Tinubu government, in the light of the failure of the President’s opponents to remove him from office through the courts? This question is important, because, in public reactions after the Supreme Court judgement affirming his victory, statements had been made which suggested the willingness to use extra-judicial means to settle scores with the President.

Fourth, the masquerade’s legs syndrome was reflected in the joining of the strike by some academic affiliates of the NLC. This seeming headfirst joining of the Ajaero strike raises a number of very critical questions. The most important ones here are: What role should academic staff unions play when they affiliate with NLC or TUC? Should they submit zombie-like to the two unions’ directives or should they provide the intellectual compass to the umbrella unions? The academic staff unions listed as joining the Ajaero strike are the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the College of Education Academic Staff Union and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics. The Punch, in its 15 November, 2023 edition, reported the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) as saying as follows about the strike: ‘It is with a heavy heart that we, as the apex student body in the country, address the irrationality, disregard for the court of law, and apparently misplaced priority demonstrated in this action.’ Did this not amount to the tail wagging the dog?

With respect to ASUU, one observer remarked that he could not remember the last time ASUU joined an NLC strike. He then wondered whether ASUU’s decision was not motivated by the fact that, since it had become impolitic for it to directly embark on a strike considering the badly-prosecuted 2022 strike, ASUU found it convenient to jump on to the bandwagon of the NLC strike. He therefore seemed to have been suggesting that ASUU’s case was like that of the monkey itching to climb a tree, and then finding a ready excuse when its in-law’s club got stuck in the branches of the tree. The monkey rushed up the tree without thinking twice, and oblivious of the fact that there could be ants with very painful bites awaiting it in the tree. In this regard, our people admonish the monkey as follows: ‘Ìjímèrè, só’gi gùn ko má baà gungi aládi.’ (‘Monkey, beware of which trees you climb, so that you don’t climb an ant-infested one.’) Going forward, academic staff unions need to be more circumspect about which kind of strikes to join or to declare.

Fifth, ASUU put itself in an ambivalent position by joining the strike. When the last ASUU strike was called off on 14 October, 2022 and lecturers were paid half-salary for that month, one of the complaints of ASUU was that lecturers had, by that government action, been reduced to daily paid or casual workers. Specifically, in the Daily Trust of 8 November, 2022, the President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, was reported to have declared as follows about the ending of the strike: ‘This we believe, as a union of thinkers, intellectuals, and patriots, will not only aid the process of amicable resolution of the crisis, but will also set the tone for smooth industrial relations between Government and Nigerian workers at large. Unfortunately, the response of government towards ASUU’s demonstration of trust was the so-called ‘pro-rata’ payment for eighteen days as the October 2022 salaries of academics thereby portraying them as daily paid workers!’ Now, has the manner in which the union joined the Ajaero strike been sufficiently elevating or ennobling?

When the Ajaero kind of strike occurs, it is helpful to recall the most comparable events in other climes. After all, as our people say, ‘Oun tó jo’un làá fí wé’un; èpo èpà ló jo pósí èlírí.’ (‘Let’s compare likes with likes; it’s the groundnut shell that resembles the midget mouse’s coffin.’) Moreover, it is necessary to appreciate the wisdom in the proverb, ‘Afogbón-ológbón-sogbón ni ò jé kí á pe àgbà ní wèrè.’ (‘It’s learning from other people’s experience that prevents an elderly person from being called a fool.’)

Once upon a time, there was a very powerful trade union called the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in Great Britain. It had a very charismatic, controversy-courting President called Arthur Scargill. At a point, the NUM was so powerful that it caused the fall of a government. The Secretary of Education in that fallen government was called Margaret Thatcher, and she bided her time. Then she became Prime Minister. The NUM struck again in the early years of her government. The new government buckled and yielded to the demands of the union. Encouraged by this manifestation of power, the NUM embarked on another strike a few years later. This time around, like a ram that had stepped back to re-energise, the government came back charging. It confronted the union, and though the workers remained on strike for a few days short of one whole year, they got no concession from the government. With the government firing on all cylinders and with the strike debilitating the workers and their families, a pitiable Arthur Scargill had no choice but to announce the end to the strike.

Does NLC look like the NUM? Does Joe Ajaero look like Arthur Scargill? Does President Bola Ahmed Tinubu look like Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher? Labour unions are immensely powerful. With that power, a properly-focussed union can earn remarkable benefits for its members. And it is when they are preoccupied with seeking such members’ welfare gains that they are on the most solid ground. In contrast, trade unions are on the most slippery ground when they venture into such adversarial environments as politics, in which all is fair as in love and war.

It is hoped that, as the NLC and the TUC relate with the Nigerian government, push would not come to shove. True, labour unions are powerful. But it is not a zero-sum game. That labour unions have power does not stop government from being powerful or from being more powerful. As the saying goes, ‘Tí irin bá kan irin ìkan á tè.’ (‘When a rod encounters a rod, one must bend.’) In their agitations, the status and motives of NLC and TUC must be clear at all times. It must become unnecessary, going forward, for the question to be asked, ‘Are the NLC and TUC workers welfare outfits or are they the labour wing of the government’s detractors?’ Let the human legs be clear and let the masquerade’s legs be clear. Entangling them can only cause agony. Those who have ears, let them hear.

LAST LINE: Considering the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria’s feud with Dangote Petroleum, the union should be concerned about a 2 October, 2025 YouTube video by Africa Today Channel tellingly titled, ‘PENGASSAN: The union that broke Nigeria.’

Anyone conversant with how our oil sector functions would have known that the purported truce brokered by the Department of State Service (DSS) early last month between Dangote Refinery and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) would not last because what is on the surface is not just the issue. There is high-wire financial and other considerations that led to the impasse between the refinery and the union

That explained why, almost immediately after the resolution of the dispute between the refinery and NUPENG, the other major union in the oil sector, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) began its own strike. The strike was initially called, again, over Dangote Refinery’s alleged sack of 800 Nigerian workers for joining PENGASSAN, and replacing them with foreigners.

The refinery confirmed the job cuts and described them as a ‘reorganisation exercise’ aimed at improving efficiency. But it said it never replaced Nigerians with foreigners as alleged by PENGASSAN, which was joined in solidarity in the strike by NUPENG.

I knew there was not going to be any respite after the NUPENG and Dangote deal. Even now, it does not seem to me that we have got to the end of the matter, despite the deal that made PENGASSAN to suspend its two-day strike started September 28, and ended on October 1.

I saw all of these coming because one does not have to be a prophet to know that what is rearing its ugly head in the oil sector would eventually come to pass. That was why I had asked several times on this page, somewhat rhetorically, why things that are as soft as bean cake in the mouths of people in other parts of the world become tough bones in the mouths of Nigerians, when Dangote Refinery and the former management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) quarrelled shortly before the then group chief executive officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, was sacked on April 2. The flip-flop policies of the NNPCL started causing disruptions in the price of fuel which had started to decline and stabilise. Things only took a dramatic turn as the NNPCL refused to renew the naira-for-crude deal with Dangote Refinery.

What I am saying is that what we seem to be having, even now, is peace of the graveyard. As a Yoruba proverb says, ‘oku te sin leekan, ese e si wa nita’ (the legs of the corpse you buried are protruding outside the grave).

When the present crisis began about three weeks ago, some allegations were made against the unions in the oil sector. One that stunned me most was the one that NUPENG collects about N70,000 on every loaded truck at the NNPCL depots.

Some experts have done the calculations of the average number of trucks loaded daily and multiplied by the N70,000 or N75,000. I couldn’t believe my ears when I first heard about this and the first question that came into my mind was ‘owo kinni’ (what is the money for?)

ýWeeks after, I have not seen anyone deny that allegation or say what the money is all about. Mum has been the word from NUPENG until PENGASSAN came up with its own strike. ý Ordinarily, our anti-graft agencies should have been interested in this and call for NUPENG’s books for scrutiny.

The truce reached on the two occasions between the oil unions and Dangote Refinery reminds me of the joke a colleague used to crack many years ago about an undergraduate student who was suspended for breaking one of the university’s rules. The young man was asked to bring his parents. It happened that only the father went with him, and he was a stark illiterate.

When they got to the vice-chancellor ‘s office, he told the father what the son did. The father agreed that his son did not do well and simply asked him to prostrate and apologise to the vice-chancellor. As soon as he did, the father asked him to take his bag and baggage to his hall of residence and sin no more, and thanked the vice-chancellor for his magnanimity! Is that how it works?

If the unions in the oil sector were truly patriotic, with power of strike that they deploy at will, our refineries should not have been dormant for the decades they have been. How else do you explain it: refineries are not working and the workers were getting paid for doing nothing? I saw figures that some experts quoted as what they collected as salaries and other emoluments running into trillions of Naira, for doing practically nothing over the years. As a matter of fact, they were still going on trainings abroad, according to some accounts, and NNPCL under successive governments was releasing funds for the travels and other emoluments.

The oil unions saw nothing to go on strike over all those years of the locust. Their members were getting salaries and the bank alerts were coming by way of check-off dues paid by the members, which, really, seemed the basic concern of the unions and their leaders.

It was so easy for both the unions and the respective managements of the NNPCL to be chummy because, again, permit me to fall back on another Yoruba proverb: ‘ko s’aremo lomo elede, gbogbo won lo nyi’ra mere’ (there is no difference between the first and last borns of pigs as they all play happily together in the mud).

Both the NNPCL officials and the unions were all united by the monies they all made off Nigerians’ misery, despite the fact that the refineries were not working.

If care is not taken, the oil sector unions may be looking forward to such abnormality of ‘oga ta, oga o ta, owo alaaru a pe’ (it is not the truck pusher’s business whether his client sells or not; his (the truck pusher) will get his money complete even now that the sector has been fully liberalised!

And, before you say Jack Robinson, the unions would call their members out on strike, saying it is not their members’ business whether Dangote Refinery is functioning or not. They would be deaf and blind to the reality that they are no longer dealing with a government entity. It is only government that can continue to spend public funds the way the unions are used to: paying salaries without productivity. As we all know, government’s money in Nigeria is like a mad man’s leg which anyone can always go to cut a piece from because it belongs to no one in particular! Or, is the mad man himself not ‘government pikin’ in our country?

It would be naive, mischievous or simply fool-hardy for anyone to expect Dangote Refinery to leave distribution of its products in the hands of NUPENG as we now know it. That would tantamount to committing business suicide. Even at a point, the Federal Government began to buy fuel tankers because it did not want to leave that in the hands of unions that would declare strike overnight and cripple its activities over mundane matters.

The owner of the refinery has studied the sector very well; and you cannot blame him. You don’t invest over $20billion in a project and some people without a dime in it would come and ruin it for you, just because they are involved in the distribution of the products.

I had said it before, that we would see strange developments in the oil sector because, one; many of the players in the sector have been so used to importation and all its trappings and they cannot imagine how all of that would end overnight. The old regime profited them and it is impossible for them to contemplate that all that is over now. Seeing fuel pumps dispensing fuel for one year without disruption is enough to give them heartache. We cannot rule that out in the strike we just witnessed.

The fact of the matter is that it can no longer be business as usual in the oil sector because of the dynamics of ownership that has changed hands.

Newspaper owners in the country would not forget their experiences with newspaper agents; people who have no investment in the multi-billion business but want to determine what happens in the business, including how much the newspaper should be sold, just because they are involved in the distribution process.

With the refinery investing N720 billion on 4,000 tankers, the signal should be clear to the oil unions that they are dealing with someone with the muscle to drive his company with little push, that not even the labour unions would wield any significant influence beyond getting their check-off dues from their members, not from the refinery or Nigerians that would bear the N75,000 per truck that they claim NUPENG alone corners.

Ordinarily, these trucks would not have been necessary if successive governments had maintained the oil pipelines in the country.

Without doubt, NUPENG has turned full cycle from the progressive NUPENG of the Frank Kokori’s days to what it has become today. The NUPENG that Kokori led from 1982 to m1999 was one that fought on the side of the Nigerian people against our military overlords who were not ready to gift us democracy in spite of their rhetoric to do same. Unlike today’s union leaders, when the union called workers out for strike then, the nation caught cold because it was not used like a toy that it has become. Nigerians would not forget the heroic role the union played in the struggle to send the soldiers to their barracks, leading to the democracy that we enjoy today.

In spite of the fact that the NUPENG’s leadership did suffer in the course of the democratic struggle, they lived a Spartan lifestyle. We never heard they collected huge sums on every truck of fuel. Not so today’s labour leaders; the very extravagant lifestyle that they condemn the politicians for, they are also living in their own fiefdoms.

In fact, if the NUPENG and PENGASSAN leaders think deeply, they would realise that Nigerians no longer see them as the pristine conscience of the nation that they used to be, especially in their ongoing fight with Dangote Refinery. Ordinarily, they should have been the toast of the man on the street, with the full weight of Nigerians behind them. Fighting for Nigerians is not the same thing as fighting for selfish or parochial interests.

The earlier the unions in the oil industry realised that things have changed in that industry from one in which government was the dominant player and adjust accordingly, the better for them. ýAt the rate they are going, it is only a matter of time for them to demystify themselves, preparatory to their inglorious slide into irrelevance and obscurity.

Labour leaders in the oil sector should thank God for democracy. In some other climes, they would be in the dock for economic sabotage.

Now, you may ask me; where do I place monopolistic tendencies in all of these? That is a business left for the Federal Government to address. It is its duty to seek a delicate balance between some spoilt unions and business investment, not Dangote’s.

Nigerians have been urged to rally behind President Bola Tinubu, beyond his current term by re-electing him in 2027, to ensure the continuity of programmes aimed at driving sustainable growth and national prosperity.

The lawmaker representing Gboko/Tarka Federal Constituency, Benue State, in the House of Representatives, Hon. Regina Akume, stressed that President Tinubu’s economic reform agenda is a bold step towards repositioning the country’s economy, despite initial challenges.

She, however, emphasised that extending the administration beyond 2027 remains the only way to consolidate the solid foundation being laid by President Tinubu and ensure enduring sustainability.

‘The most pronounced of the reforms is the removal of fuel subsidy, which has already yielded positive results, with the funds being massively invested in the critical infrastructure in the country,’ the lawmaker noted.

Akume, who chairs the House Committee on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), stressed that the reforms introduced under the Renewed Hope Agenda had rekindled optimism about Nigeria’s future.

‘This is despite the momentary challenges that accompanied the measure. This and many other strategic reforms have indeed worn a new face of hope for Nigeria,’ the lawmaker noted.

While expressing confidence and faith in a united and indivisible Nigeria, Akine affirmed her belief in the charismatic, selfless, and impeccable leadership of President Tinubu, noting that support for the President’s second-term bid is rooted in the quest for a sustainable future.

‘I call on all Nigerians to support his government beyond 2027, for sustainable programmes for a prosperous Nigeria,’ she urged.

Investment in arts and culture always brings great benefits to domestic economies. That explains why the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)-led Bankers’ Committee’s commitment to the creative economy has never been in doubt.

That commitment was brought to fore when the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (National Arts Theatre) was reopened in Iganmu, Lagos.

The event, attended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was opportunity to highlight CBN’s commitment to private sector-led investment in the arts and culture space.

Cardoso had lauded the role of the Bankers’ Committee in bringing back the moribund national edifice back to life.

President Tinubu further directed Cardoso to float National Arts Theatre Endowment Fund that would ensure continuous maintenance of the national edifice.

He promised to contribute to the fund to ensure the edifice is continuously maintained.

The event was attended by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; the Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa and other dignitaries.

President Tinubu said there was no controversy in the National Theatre renaming Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, adding that he considered Prof. Wole Soyinka’s contributions to the arts and culture.

‘Prof. Wole Soyinka is one of the greatest assets of the world. So, the renaming could not have gone to anyone else,’ he said.

President Tinubu advised that Nigerians stop talking about Nigeria in a negative way. ‘Let us all come together to rebuild Nigeria. The youths should also renew their hope in Nigeria and work together for her continued greatness,’ he said.

Funding commitment from Bankers’ Committee Cardoso said the Bankers’ Committee committed N68 billion into the remodeling of the National Arts Theatre.

‘The Central Bank of Nigeria, the Bankers’ Committee, the Lagos State Government, and the Ministry of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy came together with a shared purpose to deliver this national project, with the Bankers’ Committee alone committing approximately N68 billion, not as corporate social responsibility but as a deliberate investment in Nigeria’s cultural future,’ Cardoso said.

He said that the project stands as proof that when the public and private sectors unite behind a shared national purpose, there is no limit to what Nigeria can achieve.

He disclosed that 65 years after our nation’s founding, Nigeria’s creative spirit remains alive, pervasive, and shaping global culture.

‘This edifice has stood for nearly half a century as a proud symbol of our heritage. Completed in 1976 and inaugurated at FESTAC ’77, it became a beacon of African creativity and a repository of our shared history,’ he said.

He said that in 2020, the Federal Government approved a landmark public-private collaboration: the transfer of the Theatre and its estate into a special partnership with the Central Bank, on behalf of the Bankers’ Committee.

‘What began as an ambitious vision to reimagine an aging monument as a world-class creative hub has today become a stunning reality. The journey was not without challenges. Structural complexities, contractual issues, and even the global pandemic extended the timeline far beyond expectations,’ he said.

‘ This was a project especially close to the President’s heart, and it was his vision that transformed it from a restoration into a symbol of national renewal. By renaming the National Arts Theatre as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in July 2024, President Tinubu charted a bold course to place creativity at the heart of Nigeria’s renaissance,’ he said.

Cardoso explained that the Wole Soyinka Centre is more than a renovation; it is a rebirth.

‘Its iconic silhouette has been preserved while delivering world-class performance halls, cinema spaces, exhibition galleries, an African literature library, rehearsal rooms, media and medical facilities, and fully modernised infrastructure. The surrounding grounds now offer gardens, outdoor exhibition areas, upgraded access, and seamless integration with the Lagos Blue Line rail, placing culture at the heart of city life,’ he said.

Nobel Laurette, Prof. Wole Soyinka, said that before the renovation of the edifice, he thought it was irredeemable but the Bankers’ Committee made me to eat my words.

He said the Bankers’ Committee had done a great job, and brought the edifice to global standards.

He said that with the recreation of the edifice, Nigerians can now watch Africa Theatre at home instead of travelling abroad,’ he said.

The journey so far

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the handing over of the National Arts Theatre to the Bankers’ Committee by the Federal Government was signed in February 2021, and had initial completion timeline of 15 months, and estimated cost of N21.3 billion

Themed the ‘Lagos Creative and Entertainment Centre’, the project is expected to restore the glory of an iconic building by aligning most of the fabric and equipment and facilities in the building with the aesthetics of the 21st century.

Cardoso had earlier commended the work done and the vision that has repositioned the Theatre to a world class status.

He said: ‘Well, firstly, it is highly commendable what we are seeing here today. One has to commend the vision and resources of the Bankers’ Committee for doing this. It has been a long, hard road, and if it was not for the belief and the commitment of those sponsors, this would never be realized.’He explained that it would have been a great disservice to the country if this was not achieved, because embedded in the theatre is a lot of the history and culture of the Nigerian people.

He said the Bankers’ Committee had a vision, and were determined to surmount all the obstacles in getting the theatre to where it is today.

‘For me as a Lagosian, I grew up here, and saw this in 1977 when we had FESTAC and subsequent times, we used to come here to have different events and activities and we were very proud of what we had as Lagosians. Sadly, the edifice, which was iconic at a time, fell into a state of abandonment,’ he said.

‘So, to have been able to live today, to see this massive transformation to a world class structure is again a testimony to the Nigerian spirit. For those who are going to be using the edifice and those whom it is home to their profession, it is a giant step forward. It is something that we all as Nigerians should be extremely proud of,’ he added.

He said the difficult work on the theatre has already been done, adding that not just the Bankers’ Committee, but all Nigerians should take pride in defending the Theatre.

‘This is a very, very, very major reflection. And when you go around and you see, and some of you have toured already, you will see that a lot of our culture is embedded in the structures here. So, it is beyond just an edifice. It is what it represents.’

‘Going forward, I am very certain that the partnership that has taken place between the private sector and public sector that has resulted in this, that spirit, in conjunction with the Nigerian people, will take us to the next level,’ he said.

The Bankers’ Committee also, funded the prototype cluster located to the north of the National Arts Theatre, labelled the ‘Signature Cluster’ consisting of a building each for Music, Film, Fashion and Information Technology verticals.

The main contractor for the project is Cappa and D’Alberto Limited while the Electrical Sub Contractor is being handled by Nairda Limited, and VACC Limited is in charge of the Mechanical Sub Contractor.

The aim is to deliver a successful Creative and Entertainment city that will encourage additional investment into Nigeria’s creative industry.

According to the Bankers’ Committee, a portion of the site was earmarked for the construction of the ‘Signature Cluster’, which consists of one building each for Fashion, Music, Film and IT.

The committee, said each structure was uniquely designed to function independently, yet providing the opportunity for extensive collaborations between the different creative communities.

The 44-hectare site adjourning the National Theatre will be developed and utilised for the development of purpose-built creative hubs for the Fashion Industry, Music and Film as well as Information Technology (IT).

The Bankers Committee said the project will deliver a successful Creative and Entertainment city that will encourage additional investment into Nigeria’s creative industry.

National Arts Theatre in brief

The National Arts Theatre stands as one of Nigeria’s most iconic landmarks. Analysts believe the project will open financing opportunities for commercial banks when activities fully commence after the renovation.

On October 5, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the reconstruction of the National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, into a world-class convention center for the development of the creative sector in diverse areas, including entertainment, movies, music, fashion, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

As the initial investment in the creative industry, the government expects to create at least 1 million jobs when the project begins operations.

In 2022, the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee collectively agreed to invest over N65 billion to rehabilitate the National Arts Theatre and restore it to its former glory. This effort has been carried out in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture (FMIC), the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, and the Lagos State Government.

Analysts said banks have opportunity to finance activities at the National Theatre but that depends how it is managed. According to them, there would be a lot of activities such as cultural, training schools, events, and skill development, among other activities that will require banks involvement.

According to the analyst, the reopening of Nigeria’s National Theatre (now the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts) is economically significant by potentially generating billions in foreign exchange and jobs for the creative sector, acting as a powerful signal for public-private collaboration, boosting tourism, creating infrastructure for global conferences, and stimulating associated businesses through increased audience and visitor activity.

Interestingly, they cited the economic impact and revenue generation opportunities it portends.

In terms of foreign exchange inflows, the revitalised creative industry has the potential to generate $25 billion, with the National Theatre serving as a catalyst for this growth and foreign exchange.

They said the expanded role of the creative sector, supported by the theatre, is projected to create millions of jobs, just as the facility will serve as a major cultural hub, attracting national and international tourists, boosting the local economy through accommodation, dining, and shopping.

In the area of infrastructure, the theatre has been upgraded with modern audio-visual technology, enhanced safety systems, and world-class performance and conference spaces, attracting high-profile events and festivals.

The project is a model for successful public-private collaboration, where the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee invested significantly thus proving that unified national efforts can achieve major outcomes.

The centre will serve as a physical space to nurture and elevate the skills of young creatives and artists, enabling them to compete globally.

As a catalyst for growth, its offshoots such as productions and events at the theatre will draw large audiences, leading to increased business for hotels, restaurants, and local shops, thereby fostering overall community prosperity.

The cinema halls and large main hall are expected to host Nollywood premieres, global film showcases, and international conferences, positioning Nigeria as a cultural powerhouse.

The project represents more than just a building; it is a symbol of Nigeria’s cultural revival and a powerful signal of the nation’s potential for economic growth, inspiring further investments in the sector.

It is being argued in certain quarters that it is too early to talk about 2027. What is your take on this?

Nobody is campaigning yet, as that will negate the INEC rules, but what everybody is doing now is to create awareness through sensitisation of the people and the voters about the policies and good work of Mr President.

The rumour is very rife that the former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, is going to join the presidential race. How comfortable is your party with this development?

Very comfortable, so long as the law permits him. The more the merrier. But he should be reminded that Nigerians can’t forget in a hurry how insecurity almost overran his government and corruption was highly endemic under his watch. The track record of each person will speak for themselves, that is, if he gets his party’s ticket. But if you ask me, the nation has moved beyond a Jonathan. Better times are here.

In what way will this affect the fortune of your presidential candidate in 2027?

The scoreboard will be there to be presented to Nigerians. The things that Jonathan didn’t have the courage and political will to do have been done by President Tinubu. The subsidy that was almost ruining the nation’s economy has been removed, our refinery is working, Nigeria, which used to be the highest importer of fuel, is now the highest exporter of fuel in West Africa, and many other strides have been accomplished, and all that will count for good in the re-election of Asiwaju as president. GEJ must be reminded that he had power but lost it to Buhari with the help of PBAT, who is now in power. How on earth does he think that he can wrestle and get that power from PBAT! To me, he is no threat at all to us in the APC.

The coalition group is getting stronger both in size and popularity. What do you have to say about this?

Getting stronger as how, at where? As far as I am concerned, the coalition is a fluke, a gathering of disgruntled individuals who have been in power and are being pushed by their presidential ambition. Gathering they shall surely gather, but they will by themselves self-destruct. It is a gang of disgruntled elements and politicians who didn’t get access to the commonwealth as they used to, and are driven by their inordinate ambition. Nigerians can see through their intent and deceit. They are spent forces.

What is the Asiwaju Mandate Group (AMG) all about?

Asiwaju Mandate Group is a socio-political group put together by the Honourable Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji Ojo on the 8th of March 2024 with the sole aim of proclaiming and publicizing the good works of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), and to explain to the people how the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President is touching positively on the lives of the common man. When you sensitise the people, they will know, and when they know, they can benefit from it, then they wouldn’t have any reason not to support Mr President for a second term in office.

Why is your group supporting President Tinubu, especially when you have another aspirant from Ondo, Adewole Adebayo, who is interested in the same position?

Adewole Adebayo could have been a good candidate, but he lacks the experience and is possibly not mature enough to govern a multi-tribal country like Nigeria. He will do well to learn in Tinubu’s cabinet and contribute his ‘brilliant’ ideas like Dr Olubunmi-Tunji -Tunji Ojo is doing, but as president. He isn’t ripe for such yet, with due respect to him.

In which way are you supporting your candidate?

Advocacy, policy interpretation, and mobilisation for INEC voters registration, among others.

The attitude of many is that support groups do not win elections; rather, it is the electorate that determine the fate of any candidate. How would you react to this?

It is a support group, as the name implies. It is a mobilisation tool and a means of ensuring that democratic dividends reach a larger number of people through grassroots mobilisation. It’s on record that our convener, Hon. Dr Olubumi Tunji-Ojo, has initiated, perfected and financed the decamping of prominent politicians in opposition parties in Ondo State for over two years to date through Asiwaju Mandate Group to add value to our great party, the APC, thereby reducing the influx of prominent politicians into the African Democratic Congress (ADC) or ADA.

Do you see your party surpassing the 2023 feat ? What measures are you putting in place to do this?

Yes, we will beat them silly come 2027 because they can never talk in one accord. By the grace of God, we are targeting a 90% vote return for the president in Ondo State, and we hope that gets replicated in other states too.

How would you rate the performance of the Ondo State governor so far?

He seems to be doing his best, but I believe he can achieve more with a faster speed.

Would you say Nigeria is practising true federalism?

Yes in quote

What are your roles as the DG of AMG?

To coordinate other members of the executive in making decisions for the overall good of the members and the general public; direct the affairs of the Secretariat and ensure that it runs smoothly; coordinate dividends of the government and the goodwill of the groups convener to the people all across Ondo State.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme is overdue for rejigging to make it less cumbersome, safer, and more attractive to potential corps members. About 650,000 of them are projected to be mobilised next year. But a perusal of Nigeria’s political development casts doubt on whether some of the key objectives of the scheme are even realisable. It is unclear, therefore, whether the federal government’s proposal to qualify a corps member is really the appropriate measure to embark on at the moment, not to talk of stampeding the process to commence on October 6.

To be mobilised for the scheme, a graduate is expected to attach comprehensive proof of his dissertation in compliance with the national policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD). The government’s logic is that the NERD requirements could not be satisfied by other means, and that the measure would help raise educational standards. Again, the government presupposes that high standard is an abstraction uncorrelated with Nigeria’s abysmally poor educational infrastructure. However, the government includes some reward scheme for students and lecturers alike in the NERD policy. But is the government saying the reward schemes couldn’t be secured by other means, except by the NYSC route?

Potential corps members already apprehensive about being posted to danger zones will be reluctant to complain against this extra layer of bureaucracy; but it will certainly add to their frustrations about the country, not to say the frustrations of parents who have always subsidised a scheme that can no longer pay for corpers’ upkeep.

Managing Director and CEO UTMOL, Mr. Julius Rone has said there are lots of incentives and good return of investment (ROI) for investors willing to invest in Nigeria and Africa as a continent.

Rone disclosed this at the just concluded Africa Energy Week in Cape Town, South Africa.

Rone , who joined other top executives from across the globe to speak at the event and spoke during a panel session on LNG.

He also provided a project update on the planned FLNG facility, detailing the role floating liquefaction plays in Africa and the project’s impact on the Nigerian energy industry.

He also mentioned that Africa must develop its God given resources to attract investors around the world.

‘Africa is a beautiful bride for the world to exploit. We have the resources and we must be allowed to develop our resources for the world to come and invest. This is actually the reason we gather every year for Africa Energy Week, to discuss how to develop our resources in Africa’

The MD of UTM also appreciates the effort of African leaders especially President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his effort to bring large investment to Nigeria.

‘So you’re aware the president has been travelling round the world to galvanise investors to ensure that the oil and gas industry is fully amortized and developed. The President has also given a lot of incentive to encourage investors back to the country.

Nigeria is pushing so much amenities and so much incentive for investors to come in, Brazilian national oil company is coming back to Nigeria to develop oil and gas in the deep offshore location, so you can see everybody is coming back to the energy sector. I also want to thank the management of NNPC, Mr. Bayo Ojulari and his team for the leadership and carrying out Mr. President’s directive to ensure that the gas is developed based on the directive that is given to the new management of NNPC by Mr president they swing into action so immediately they came they invited UTM to present our position’ He added.

Rone also revealed that his company UTM will be signing a gas agreement soon with SEPLAT.

‘SEPLAT has been fully cooperative. We’ve advanced the negotiation and within the next two weeks maximum we should be signing the gas supply agreement and that is a gamechanger for Nigeria for Nigeria oil and gas industry having our first floating LNG and I think that we are quite excited over this.

In addition to his participation in the panel discussions, Rone’s engaged with global and regional stakeholders saying Nigeria has opened new pathways for collaboration across the gas industry.