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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.

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate says it has commenced the implementation of the new pension increments for pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme, saying the adjustments will be reflected in the September 2025 payroll cycle.

In a statement signed by Management on Tuesday, PTAD said the increased package includes a fixed N32,000 payment alongside percentage increases of 10.66% and 12.95% for eligible categories, which will benefit about 832,000 pensioners under its management.

It would be recalled that PTAD in August announced President Bola Tinubu approved a series of measures, including new welfare benefits for pensioners under DBS.

The approval follows a formal request by PTAD’s Executive Secretary, Tolulope Odunaiya, seeking an emergency budgetary allocation to implement pension reforms and welfare benefits for the scheme’s retirees.

The measures include a N32,000 pension increment, percentage increases for pensioners of defunct and privatised agencies, pension harmonisation for all DBS pensioners, enrolment into the National Health Insurance Scheme, and the settlement of long-standing unfunded pension liabilities.

PTAD said the partial release of N820.188 billion by the Federal Ministry of Finance from the emergency funding has made it possible for pensioners to begin receiving the enhanced payments immediately.

The statement read, ‘Further to the President’s approval of the emergency budgetary allocation for the payment of the new pension increment rates for Pensioners under the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme (DBS) that was earlier published by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate on Friday, 8th August, 2025, the Directorate is delighted to announce the commencement of the implementation of the 832,000, 10.66% and 12.95% pension increment for eligible pensioners under the management of PTAD, in the September 2025 pension payroll cycle.

‘This achievement has been made possible through the partial release of 820.188 billion by the Federal Ministry of Finance, from the initial 845 billion emergency funding approval granted by the Federal Government.

‘This milestone clearly reaffirms the Federal Government’s dedication to safeguarding the welfare and entitlements of DBS Pensioners in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.’

The directorate thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the emergency allocation.

It also acknowledged the role of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun; the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; the Accountant-General of the Federation and key presidential aides and parliamentary committees for their ‘timely interventions’ and support.

The statement also expressed appreciation to organised pension groups, including the Nigeria Union of Pensioners and the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria, for their cooperation during negotiations and implementation planning.

‘We further assure all our DBS Pensioners and Stakeholders that the Directorate will continue to collaborate with the relevant authorities towards release of the outstanding approved funds and subsequent fulfilment of all future obligations relating to the pension increments and the landmark reforms,’ the statement added.

The DBS covers pensioners who retired before the introduction of the Contributory Pension Scheme in 2004, including those from defunct public institutions, privatised agencies, and treasury-funded parastatals.

Over the years, many have faced irregular payments, delayed harmonisation, and inadequate healthcare access, challenges that the new reforms are expected to address.

Renowned Islamic scholar, Ustadh Dhikrullahi Shafii, has called for the adoption of a central Friday sermon across major mosques in the country.

This, he noted, will provide Muslims with a unified message and common direction on issues affecting the society.

He made the call at the 2nd Annual Imam’s Conference organised by Daarus-Sa’aadah Islamic Centre in Ajase-Ipo, Kwara State.

The event with the theme, ‘The Mosque, the Imam and Da’wah’, attracted scholars, imams, traditional rulers and worshippers across the country.

Shafii, who delivered the first lecture on ‘The Role of the Mosque in Building the Ideal Muslim,’ said the mosque is not limited to being a place of prayer.

According to him, Masjid is historically a centre for decision-making, social welfare, refuge and including treatment of the sick.

He noted that the three aspects of the theme had been largely neglected in contemporary Muslim communities, with negative consequences for the Ummah.

He described the Imam as the principal of the mosque whose role goes beyond delivering stories.

‘Rather, it requires deep grounding in Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh and global issues’, Shafii who is the Grand Mufti of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), said.

He emphasised that no single individual could master all branches of Islamic jurisprudence and advised Imams and scholars to specialise in particular fields while working together for the benefit of the community.

The mosque, he noted, must be repositioned to serve the Ummah fully, including the creation of committees to address the needs of children, women, the aged, marriage, naming ceremonies and conflict resolution.

He stressed that when properly utilised, mosques could once again produce pious leaders and scholars as they did in the early history of Islam.

Shafii further recommended that the conference should be extended to two or three days in order to deepen its impact, with a communiqué issued and adopted by mosques across the state for implementation.

In his paper on ‘Da’wah without Bitterness: Etiquette of Disagreement in Islam,’ Dr. Sirajudeen Bila Al-Asra urged scholars and preachers to adopt humility, patience and wisdom in propagating Islam and resolving disputes.

He cautioned against arrogance in preaching and reminded participants that Islam abhors bitterness in da’wah, adding that the strength of the message lies in its truth and delivery, not in hostility.

Founder and sponsor of the conference, Alhaja Rahmat Mojisola Salih, a Lagos-based businesswoman, said her motivation for the annual event was inspired by her grandmother who instilled in her the habit of dedicating part of her earnings to the service of the mosque.

She recalled her early days hawking bread and other items in the town as a primary school pupil and narrated how her grandmother taught her to buy brooms and soap for cleaning the mosque.

She explained that the annual Imam Conference was her way of sustaining that tradition of service and philanthropy, urging others to emulate the gesture to promote a safer and more dedicated society.

The Chief Imam of Ajase-Ipo, Shaykh Aliyu Taofeeq Atoloye, who chaired the occasion, said the programme has continued to have great impact on Islamic scholars and imams who used the gathering to exchange ideas and strengthen their knowledge.

He said this year’s theme opened a deeper understanding of the role of the mosque beyond worship, stressing that the institution must remain central to the moral and spiritual life of the Ummah.

In his goodwill message, the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Muhammed Yahya Atoloye, described the programme as a blessed exercise and recommended its extension to three days because of the immense benefits embedded in it.

He called for the sustainability of the initiative and urged that more people should key into it to strengthen the religious and social life of the community.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in his goodwill message, described the event as highly educative.

He appreciated the organisers for championing a noble cause aimed at equipping Imams and scholars with deeper religious knowledge for the advancement of Islam.

Nigerians have expressed mixed reactions over recovery of the country’s economy, raising concerns about how it has fared over the last 65 years.

They shared their views in separate interviews with Daily Trust, calling on the federal government to take decisive actions to reflate the economy.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had recently declared that the economy has rebounded, saying the local currency and foreign reserves continue to improve.

Adu Abiodun expressed concerns over the borrowing spree by successive administrations, saying it has plunged the country into a huge debt profile without sustaining the economy.

‘Nigeria is like an old man at 65, who has obviously advanced in age but is still struggling to figure out life. There’s a syndrome bedeviling the nation, and from diagnosis, it’s a case of two steps forward and ten steps backward.

‘For instance, former President Obasanjo was able to secure debt clearance for Nigeria, marking a remarkable era and setting the trajectory for economic growth. However, subsequent presidents have incurred debts that even our great-grandchildren might inherit,’ he said.

He urged leaders at the helm of affairs to focus on governance and bury partisan politics, describing misplaced priorities as the bane of the country.

‘In my opinion, the bane of this country is that we put politics ahead of governance. Hence, the ‘anyhowness’ we witness among government officials and those tasked with the delicate responsibility of piloting the affairs of this country.

‘At 65, I desire and hope that our leaders will relegate stupendous partisan politics, put the people first, roll up their sleeves, and do the real work for which they were elected-or selected, as the case may be,’ he said.

Paul Oyewusi, however, expressed optimism, commending the policies initiated by President Bola Tinubu and describing them as a pathway to economic recovery.

‘I would like to thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the initiatives he is putting in place and the amazing professionals working with him. Nigeria is not where we want it to be, but I believe we are heading in the right direction with the right policies, initiatives, and encouragement. I believe we will get there someday,’ he said.

He urged the federal government to build a culture of resilience and a ‘we-can-do’ spirit, describing them as the bedrock of nation-building.

‘We cannot always compare ourselves with the United States or Britain-our colonial masters-who have been around for hundreds of years. They didn’t get there in a day. One thing I see in them is a culture nurtured over the years that has improved their societies. I think it is high time Nigeria also started nurturing a particular set of values.

‘We need to nurture the culture of resilience and the spirit of ‘what we can do.’ There are things unique to us as a nation. If we stay true to them, teach the next generation, and give due spotlight to those doing well, I believe things will keep getting better for us as a nation.

‘We are not there yet. In fact, we are far from it, but we are heading in the right direction. As a country, it is a good thing that we are growing. I would say Nigeria is actually making progress under the current administration. Many things are not yet the way we want, but judging from the previous administration up until now, I think we are moving in a promising direction,’ he said.

Charles Apoki stressed that the oil greasing the country’s wheel of progress has not stopped in the last 65 years, noting that Nigeria is still faring better than some countries on the continent.

‘Nigeria has made tremendous progress. In several aspects, we are not where we used to be, though we are not yet where we ought to be. What seems to frustrate Nigerians is that we are too intelligent for our leaders.

‘Our leaders are several miles behind us, while the public is more intelligent and more ambitious. That is why we see the criticism and frustration around us. Even if you look at Nigerian roads, compare them with those in Madagascar or Niger-we are far ahead.

‘But there is hope with technology, AI, and social media revolution,’ he said.

Economy facing significant challenges – NES

Speaking with our correspondent, the President of the Nigerian Economic Society, Prof. Adeola Adenikinju said while a lot of gains have been made in the last 65 years, the economy is still bedeviled with a lot of challenges.

He said the country’s economy is not as diversified as expected, especially in the area of exports.

‘Economy still driven by primary production, no productivity, no value added, manufacturing is still very weak. It is less than 10 per cent. In terms of the social sector, education, health, gender related issues. We are not doing very well,’ he said.

However he stated that the macroeconomic outlook is becoming a bit brighter. ‘Inflation is decelerating; we have an exchange rate now appreciating and it is stable. Output in the petroleum sector is inching towards 2m barrels per day. We have the Dangote Refinery producing and exporting petroleum products except for the strike now we have stability in the petroleum market,’ he added.

Opportunity to reset economy

On his part, Dr. Muda Yusuf, Director/Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE) stated that Nigeria’s economic history at 65 is one of resilience, missed opportunities, and enormous untapped potential.

‘The current reform agenda presents a rare opportunity to reset the economy on a path of stability, competitiveness, and shared prosperity. Seizing this moment will require consistent policies, institutional strengthening, and a deliberate effort to ensure that economic growth translates into improved living standards for citizens,’ he stated.

He listed strategic priorities for the next decade to include deepening economic diversification by scaling up value addition in agriculture, manufacturing, and solid minerals; strengthening governance and institutions by ‘enhancing transparency, reducing the cost of governance, and improving fiscal responsibility and management and investing in human capital.

He stated that Nigeria must accelerate infrastructure development saying Power, transport, and broadband must be prioritized through PPPs and innovative finance.

He said, ‘In the last two years, the government has implemented bold reforms, including exchange rate unification, fuel subsidy removal, and tax policy adjustments. These measures have imposed short-term pain – high inflation and reduced household purchasing power – but early signs of macroeconomic stabilization are emerging.

‘To sustain reform momentum, these measures must be complemented by targeted social protection programs – cash transfers, food security interventions, and job-creation initiatives – to shield vulnerable households and maintain public support.’

Yusuf further stated persistent macroeconomic instability continues to weigh on growth, saying, ‘The naira’s dramatic depreciation – from being stronger than the U.S. dollar in the 1970s to N1,600/$ in 2024 – has eroded purchasing power, raised production costs, and discouraged investment. Rising public debt and unsustainable debt-service-to-revenue ratios have constrained the fiscal space, limiting governments’ capacity to fund critical infrastructures.

‘Policy priorities must focus on restoring currency stability through credible monetary policy, expanding foreign exchange supply by growing non-oil exports, improving public spending efficiency, plugging fiscal leakages, and raising non-oil revenue without stifling private enterprise. The good news is that the economy is beginning to experience a remarkable degree of stability over the last one year.’

He added that despite challenges, Nigeria has achieved notable successes, adding, ‘The ICT and telecommunications sector has grown from fewer than 20,000 telephone lines in 1960 to over 165 million active lines today, transforming commerce, banking, and governance. Financial services have deepened, fintech has flourished, and capital markets have expanded. Nollywood and Afrobeats have turned Nigeria into a global cultural powerhouse.’

Too much money with little accountability- CEPTI

Providing his assessment, the Executive Director, Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, Dr. Umar Yakubu noted that since the inception of the current administration, there have been reforms especially the fuel subsidy removal and the exchange rate unification so that Nigeria will have a more determined value for the Naira.

He however lamented that since then, there hasn’t been accountability on how these monies are spent.

‘The removal of fuel subsidy has led to a high increase in revenue for the government as revenue for states and local governments have doubled but the issue we have is that there is a lack of transparency and no accountability mechanisms.

‘This is why anti-corruption agencies seem to be battling more with corruption cases because there is so much money but a low accountability mechanism,’ he said.

Speaking further, he noted that ‘Because there is so much money, we now have misplaced priorities as governments is now spending money on bridges, roads, and investments that are so capital intensive but don’t show the impact on people and the federal and state governments are just reckless in their spending,’ he further lamented

He advised that going forward there should be set mechanisms to checkmate how public funds are spent.

A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday sentenced ex-president Joseph Kabila to death in absentia for ‘treason’.

Kabila, 54, who was not present at the trial in the capital nor represented, was found guilty of complicity with the M23 anti-government armed group, which has seized swathes of the resource-rich Congolese east with Rwandan help.

He left the vast central African country in 2023 and briefly reappeared in Goma in the volatile east in May, causing disquiet in Kinshasa.

Observers say the death sentence aims to remove the possibility he could unite the opposition within the country, despite his exact current whereabouts being unknown. The DRC, ravaged by violence for more than three decades, lifted a moratorium on the death penalty last year, but no judicial executions have been carried out since.

Military prosecutor General Lucien Rene Likulia had demanded the death penalty for Kabila, whose party slammed the proceedings as ‘a political trial’.

Likulia accused the ex-leader of plotting to overthrow President Felix Tshisekedi, and further charges against him included homicide, torture and rape linked to M23.

Likulia said Kabila, in coordination with Rwanda, sought to spring a coup against Tshisekedi, notably with the help of Corneille Nangaa, who presided over the electoral commission during the 2018 presidential election, which Tshisekedi won.

Kabila ruled the country between 2001 and 2019, taking power following the assassination of his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila.

On his visit to Goma in May, Kabila met local religious leaders in the presence of M23 spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka.

Tshisekedi has branded Kabila the brains behind the armed group, while Kabila has dubbed Tshisekedi’s government a ‘dictatorship.’

Rwanda denies providing military backing to the M23, but UN experts say its army played a ‘critical’ role in the group’s offensive.