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On Saturday 13th September, 2025 The Star NetworkPodcast (‘TSNP’) launched the first edition of its Business Meet and Greet series. The platform, Founded and Hosted by Zephia

Ovia-Ikem, is a Podcast and Business community thatshowcases the Entrepreneurial Journey of African Founders.From industry experts to startups and creatives, the platformshares what the African blueprint to business looks like.

Beyond story-telling, The Star Network Podcast is expanding its offerings to focused group engagements between industryexperts with over 30 years of corporate experience and young African Founders.

The first edition of the Business Meet and Greet series featured Mrs Munira Shonibare (CEO and Founder IO Furniture) Nigeria’s leading Furniture manufacturing company and interior design service. As the Business expert of the day, she shared valuablelessons with 16 young founders from The Star Network Podcast community, sharing on how to problem solve in various startup scenarios. The audience left the session enriched on amasterclass on leadership and business tools as well as connecting with other Founders

‘My vision is to support the next generation of Founders in theirentrepreneurial journey through direct access to expert-led communities, mentorship, startup tools, and avenues for funding by providing access to seasoned business leaders.Given this is the first edition, I’m excited to see how the initiative grows into different dimensions while maintaining the core goal – access for young entrepreneurs ‘ says Zephia Ovia-Ikem.

The Star Network Podcast currently has 6,000k+ subscribers onYouTube and is available on all major platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Instagram, LinkedIn etc

Africa’s fintech sector in 2025 is positioned to be a powerful force for economic growth, access to financial services, and global competitiveness. Its rapid expansion over the past decade has created a foundation for scaling operations, building trust with users, and extending influence beyond the continent. The coming years will be critical for solidifying gains and addressing persistent challenges.

In 2024, mobile money platforms in Africa processed over $1.1 trillion, representing almost three-quarters of the world’s mobile money transaction volume. This volume signals that digital financial services have moved from marginal to mainstream on the continent.

In parallel, cross-border payment initiatives, such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, have reduced intra-African transaction costs by nearly 27 percent, a significant step towards regional economic integration and increased trade. Despite a tightening regulatory environment and more cautious investment climates, fintech companies in Africa secured equity funding amounting to $2.2 billion in 2024, indicating investor confidence in the sector’s resilience and future potential.

Strengthening scale through innovation

For African fintechs to expand their reach, innovation must remain a central focus. Embedded finance is becoming increasingly widespread, enabling non-financial platforms to offer integrated financial products. E-commerce, agritech, and gig-economy platforms increasingly embed loans, insurance, and payment services directly within their user experience, eliminating barriers and simplifying access for informal and small businesses. This seamless integration facilitates growth beyond traditional banking channels, creating new opportunities to serve underbanked segments reliably and efficiently.

Moreover, cross-border payment solutions have made strides in simplifying and reducing the cost of remittances and trade payments within Africa. Startups utilising blockchain and stablecoin technologies have introduced faster settlement processes across national boundaries, crucial for the African Continental Free Trade Area’s ambitions to expand intra-continental commerce. These developments foster a larger addressable market and reinforce the potential for scale.

Building trust through transparency and compliance

Trust is a cornerstone for fintech adoption and sustained usage. African consumers and businesses require confidence in the security and transparency of digital financial services. Firms that commit to stringent security protocols, clear transaction processes, and adherence to evolving regulatory standards position themselves as reliable partners. Transparency in operations combats financial fraud and builds credibility in markets where consumer scepticism can be high due to historical mistrust of financial institutions.

Furthermore, regulatory frameworks across Africa are maturing to formalise fintech operations. While compliance requirements present operational challenges, they also provide clarity and protection for consumers and service providers alike. Regulatory progress on cryptocurrencies, data protection, and open banking demonstrates efforts to establish a robust ecosystem where fintech can flourish sustainably.

Pursuing global relevance

African fintech’s global relevance depends on its ability to demonstrate competitive advantages and innovative solutions in a crowded international market. The capacity to profitably serve low-income and previously excluded populations through cost-efficient models presents a unique value proposition. Diversity across financial services such as mobile money, lending, payments, and insurance creates multiple pathways to growth and cross-border collaboration.

Additionally, attracting global investment and partnerships will be key. Leading fintech hubs like Lagos, Nairobi, Cairo, and Johannesburg continue to secure significant funding rounds, which facilitate product development and market expansion. The success of unicorns such as Flutterwave and OPay acts as proof points for Africa’s fintech capacity to meet global standards while addressing local needs.

Africa’s fintech at a crossroads

Despite promising trends, challenges remain. Customer acquisition costs in Africa are substantially higher compared to other regions, pressuring fintechs to balance growth with financial sustainability. Infrastructure gaps, digital literacy, and regulatory complexities also require ongoing attention. However, these issues also create high entry barriers, protecting market share for well-capitalised and locally knowledgeable players.

Africa’s fintech sector must continue to sharpen its focus on scalable innovation, trust-building, and regulatory cooperation. Collaboration between fintech companies, banks, regulators, and technology providers will be essential to cultivate a conducive environment for growth. By doing so, African fintech can reinforce its role as a critical driver of economic development, financial inclusion, and a competitive player on the global stage.

In summary, 2025 represents a crucial juncture for Africa’s fintech industry. With over $1.1 trillion in mobile money transactions processed in 2024 and institutional advances making cross-border payments simpler and cheaper, Africa is demonstrating its capacity to innovate and scale. The challenge now is to build lasting trust and sustain that growth to secure a position of global relevance. If met, these goals will mark a significant shift in the global financial landscape and provide millions of Africans with new economic opportunities.

‘Sweet Us’, the masterpiece song by a hitmaker Timaya, was popularised by former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

While he was in Rivers and now in Abuja, he adopted the song as his signature tune and dances to its rhythm. In fact, he relishes the lyrics every time he commissions a project.

Is he living the music? Your guess is as good of mine!

For 65 years, Nigeria has had a combination of military and democratic regimes. In all of these years, one thing has remained constant- they against us!

The ruling class smiles while we frown. They laugh while we cry. They celebrate while we weep. They enjoy themselves to the fullest while we pine in abject poverty. They parrot patriotism while they are the most unpatriotic, and they preach belt-tightening but revel in all manner of extravagance.

The ruling class has always considered itself a special breed. They use the opportunity of office to better their lots. That is why ‘former this and former that.’ in Nigeria never know poverty again after holding public office no matter how short their exposure to power is. They use the opportunity of their office to make themselves stupendously rich.

Whether it was in the military era or in the democratic era, former and present leaders are among the wealthiest citizens. They flaunt this wealth to the chagrin on many of their compatriots.

Since Independence in 1960, no past president or head of state of Nigeria has ever been officially probed over appropriation or misappropriation of funds, even when there are stark evidences pointing to their high level of maleficence.

In all of these years, Nigeria has been mercilessly milked and raped by so-called leaders.

While the nation’s public debt stock continues to rise dangerously, currently standing at N149.39trillion (about US$97billion, there are few individuals in Nigeria that can be said to be richer than the country with no known viable businesses other than their exposure to public till.

Nigeria’s borrowing binge became a serious concern recently that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas cried out, calling for urgent reforms in borrowing practices and oversight.

‘.Even more concerning is the debt to GDP ratio, which now stands at roughly 52 percent, well above the statutory ceiling of 40 percent set by our own laws. This is not just a budgetary concern but a structural crisis that demands urgent parliamentary attention and coordinated reform,’ Abbas said.

But the greater concern is in the outlandish lifestyle of those who should be cautious about the perilous and state of the country. They rather chose to live above their means and drive the costliest automobiles in town in a country with high multidimensional poverty with the 2022 National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) indicating that 63 percent of the population (133 million people) are multi-dimensionally poor

Today, it is safe for leaders to reel out their efforts in steadying the economy, but at the same time they flaunt their lavish lifestyles before the traumatized citizens. Confucius, Chinese philosopher, said: ‘In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of; in a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.’

What this means is that when a government is effective and provides for its people, the existence of poverty is a sign of a societal failure, reflecting a lack of capability in the populace. Conversely, in a poorly governed society, immense wealth (such as the one being exhibited by leaders) can be seen as a symptom of corruption or exploitation of others, making it a source of shame.

Security

On this front, Nigeria has moved from a nation where citizens moved freely in the past to a point where any movement from one part of the country to another is fraught with enormous danger. Killers in the name of bandits, kidnappers, organ harvesters, Boko Haram and other assorted criminals lay siege every inch of the way, so much so that Nigerians now engage in days of prayer and fasting before they embark on interstate journeys. In those days, parents would hand over their children to complete strangers travelling with commercial busses or train to another part of the country, several kilometers away. Those children arrived their destinations in peace. Such things no longer happen today. Only politicians with heavy armada of security personnel and body guards easily move around these days. Nigeria has descended to a level where communities are signing memorandum of understanding (MoU) with bandits to be allowed to live in peace in their own domain.

Housing

This is another serious challenge in the country. With housing deficit over 20 million, many citizens live in unhealthy environments. Thousands of citizens live and sleep under the bridges and in uncompleted buildings in cities whereas their leaders in government live in palatial homes provided for them with tax payers’ money. They also own multiple houses within and outside Nigeria. A good number of public office holders are said to hide stolen wealth in real estate. High rise buildings and estates are built in highbrow areas of the country and in undeveloped places in Abuja, Lagos and other places across the country.

These buildings are left uninhabited for many years because the owners did not make the money in clean ways. Such buildings serve as store of value, whereas people are homeless everywhere.

Education

The story of education in Nigeria has moved from one that was qualitative to being wishy-washy as a result of many years of neglect of the sector. In the early years after Independence, the nation’s universities attracted students from foreign countries, who deliberately proffered to school in Nigeria to other places. They admired the quality education in Nigeria and they got it.

In those days, there were scholarships to certain levels which enabled children from poor homes to go to school. Many of them, upon graduation, got good jobs through which they lifted their poor families. But as years rolled by, those who were responsible for making policies for the nation’s education watered down everything and scholarship became a matter of ‘who you know.’ Corruption also became entrenched in the system. Education budgets became food for the boys and government schools began to lose their charm. Then, those who used to come from other lands became discouraged and disinterested. Private schools began to spring up to the point that quality became compromised.

Public office holders and other wealthy Nigerians began to send their children abroad for studies. Although Nigeria today has about 276 registered universities (73 federal, 67 state and 136 private) according to the National Universities Commission (NUC), many of them are just existing by name. The growth of a nation’s education cannot be determined by the number of schools there are in a country. It is the quality that determines it. The most pathetic story is that over 70 percent of the graduates every year do not have a job. Many of them are forced to go into ‘menial jobs’ to eke out a living. There is the need, urgent need for that matter, to declare an emergency in the nation’s education sector.

Healthcare

Perhaps, no other sector captures the stunted growth of Nigeria than the health sector. There is no denying the fact that a lot is being done and has been done, but they all amounted to ‘too little too late’. In the past, many Nigerians believed so much in the health institutions in the country. The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), University Teaching Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) and a few others were go-to places and gave Nigerians hope, but today, they have become a shadow of their old selves. Apart from chronic dearth of qualified personnel because of the ‘japa’ syndrome occasioned by frustrating operating environment, the high cost of running the facilities has hampered quality service delivery. Today, such institutions are groaning under the weight of high electricity bill among others. The neglect of the nation’s healthcare sector became total when presidents and other public office holders began to jet out to London, France and India to treat throat and ear infections.

Deepening fault lines

Many Nigerians, except those in government, speak in tandem that Nigeria is perhaps, more divided today than it has ever been in its 65 years. The acclaimed social cohesion is non-existent, and the evidence is everywhere. What many Nigerians are seeing today is a nation that is being gradually driven to a precipice. People now talk about their ethnic leaning more than their Nigerianness. People today are apprehensive living outside their geo-political zones. These are no signs of a progressive country. And as e dey sweet the powers that be, e dey pain the people!

While the leaders revel in endless enjoyment and claim of a burgeoning nation, the masses are gnashing their teeth and the nation continues to totter.

One thing that has so much affected the country is the increasing trust deficit. Until the ruling class begins to win back the trust of the people, the expected growth may continue to be in the realm of aspiration.

Recently, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) faced criticism for allegedly lacking insurance coverage for federal government-managed airports.

Edward Boyo, founder and CEO of Overland Airways, publicly expressed concerns at an industry event, stating that FAAN’s failure to insure airports across the country exposes airline operators’ equipment to potential damage.

Boyo urged the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to engage with relevant authorities to ensure that all airports in Nigeria are properly insured, lamenting that poor airport infrastructure has resulted in significant damage to aircraft, with airlines bearing the financial burden.

Boyo highlighted the need for proper insurance coverage for airports, citing issues such as inadequate wildlife control and runway deterioration, which have caused damage to aircraft. ‘These infrastructures are not insured,’ he emphasised. ‘The government would have to meet its own responsibility.’

However, Olubunmi Kuku, managing director of FAAN, debunked Boyo’s claims, stressing that all federal government’s airports managed by FAAN are insured, with the insurance coverage up to date.

‘Derubberization and runway hygiene have been maintained; records are available. The only area I would concur is habitation and community issues that have impacted wildlife/bird strikes, and we have been working closely with relevant stakeholders to control,’ she stated.

According to Kuku, historical runway issues based on structural and engineering problems on some of the runways, along with those exceeding their lifespan, are being corrected gradually with complete overhauls and maintenance.

Some stakeholders have raised concerns about why airlines still pay substantial sums of money for damage resulting from poor infrastructure at the airport, such as bad runways, bird strikes, broken conveyor belts, and tight parking spaces, among others. They argue that if the airports are truly insured, FAAN should be liable for damages caused by its inefficiencies.

Insurance experts, however, clarify that airport insurance does not function in this manner as individuals and companies are responsible for insuring their own properties.

Sunny Ateba, an airline insurance expert, explained that operators and agencies have the responsibility to insure their own equipment against damages and should therefore have their own insurance coverage.

‘FAAN owns the airport terminals, so they are responsible for providing insurance to cover public liability and terminal buildings against damage,’ Ateba said.

Ateba provided an example, stating that if an airplane or moving equipment damages another plane parked on the tarmac, a third-party claim should suffice. He noted that airlines are also expected to insure their passengers in case of crashes or incidents.

‘If you rent a shop from FAAN to sell shoes, it’s your duty to insure your shoes. Similarly, if your aircraft hits the runway and the tyres are damaged, you can make claims for insurance to cover the damages, provided the aircraft is fully insured,’ the aviation expert explained.

Ado Sanusi, managing director of Aero Contractors, corroborated this view, stating that when airline operators insure their equipment, any damage would be covered by the insurance company.

‘If I insure my airplane and damage it due to poor infrastructure, my insurance company would cover the damage. Insurance is a stabilising factor in everyone’s business, and everyone is expected to insure their properties,’ Sanusi emphasised.

He added that FAAN’s insurance coverage does not extend to individual airline operators’ equipment, and each party is responsible for insuring their respective assets.

‘As FAAN insures its assets, so do the airlines, vendors, ground handlers, and airline operators,’ Sanusi concluded.

Sterling Bank has announced the removal of Account Maintenance Fees (AMF) on all personal accounts, marking another bold step in its push for customer-focused banking in Nigeria.

The announcement, made on Independence Day, comes just months after the bank scrapped transfer fees on local online transactions in April. Together, the two decisions position Sterling as one of the most aggressive challengers of long-standing industry practices in the Nigerian banking sector.

In 2024 alone, Nigerian tier-1 banks earned more than ?650 billion from account maintenance and e-banking charges, according to industry data. Sterling’s decision effectively strikes at a key revenue stream for banks, while offering its customers relief from charges that have long been a source of complaint.

‘Every fee we remove is one less barrier between our customers and true financial freedom,’ said Abubakar Suleiman, Managing Director of Sterling Bank. ‘This was the rationale behind eliminating transfer fees in April, and it is the same principle we uphold as we eliminate account maintenance fees.’ Reinforcing this, Obinna Ukachukwu, Growth Executive for Consumer and Business Banking, said:

‘This initiative is about building lasting relationships that fuel sustainable growth. We put transparency and customer value first, and in doing so, we are building a foundation that serves both our customers and Sterling’s future.’

Industry analysts say the move could trigger fresh debate on banking charges in Nigeria, particularly as regulators continue to face pressure from consumer groups to reduce the cost of financial services.

Sterling Bank described the scrapping of AMF as a ‘declaration of financial independence’ for its customers, in line with the symbolism of the October 1st holiday.

With the back-to-back removal of transfer fees and now account maintenance charges, Sterling is consolidating its reputation as one of the most disruptive players in Nigeria’s retail banking landscape.

The future of payment will take centre stage on Thursday October 2, 2025, as leading voices from Africa’s fintech and enterprise ecosystem gather for a virtual webinar titled ‘Managing Payment Operations at Scale with APIs’.

The webinar will bring together senior executives and product leaders who have been instrumental in shaping Africa’s digital finance infrastructure.

Organisers say the session is designed to provide practical strategies for CTOs, CFOs, and product leaders grappling with the demands of scaling financial operations.

The 90-minute session scheduled for 12 noon on Zoom, will explore how businesses can simplify reconciliation, reduce operational costs, and adapt to rising transaction volumes through the use of APIs.

‘APIs are the connective tissue for modern payments,’ Okoronkwo Kanno, senior product manager, Kuda Business, said in a statement ahead of the webinar.

Kanno, who will give the keynote address, is expected to highlight the role of APIs in scaling payment operations for enterprises.

‘When businesses can automate reconciliation and scale financial operations seamlessly, they don’t just cut costs, they unlock entirely new growth opportunities. That’s the conversation we want to bring to the ecosystem.’

The discussion will cover real-world use cases from industries such as airlines, schools, and betting, where high-volume transactions and back-end reconciliation remain a pressing challenge.

Speakers include Obianuju Odukwe, vice president of digital and API ecosystems at Interswitch; Segun Adeyemi, CEO of Anchor, and Tochukwu Achebe, founder, The Nwa-Amaka Achebe Trust.

Together, they will share insights from the frontlines of digital payments, alongside other senior executives shaping the continent’s financial technology landscape.

By convening experienced practitioners and innovators, the webinar aims to arm enterprises with the tools and knowledge needed to scale in a digital marketplace.

President Bola Tinubu has charged Nigerian youths to dream big, innovate and conquer more territories in their various fields of endeavour

The President, speaking on 1st October, nationwide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day anniversary, assured the youths of his administration’s support through policies and funding.

‘You must continue to dream big, innovate, and conquer more territories in your various fields of science, technology, sports, and the art and creative sector.

‘Our administration, through policies and funding, will continue to give you wings to fly sky-high’

The President cited the creation of the National Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, saying the initiative is to support students with loans for their educational pursuits.

‘ Approximately 510,000 students across 36 states and the FCT have benefited from this initiative, covering 228 higher institutions. As of September 10, the total loan disbursed was N99.5 billion, while the upkeep allowance stood at N44.7 billion.

The President also revealed that Credicorp, another initiative of the administration, has granted 153,000 Nigerians N30 billion in affordable loans for vehicles, solar energy, home upgrades, digital devices, and more. Speaking on other measures aimed at giving support to young people, the President assured that the ‘YouthCred, which I promised last June, is a reality, with tens of thousands of NYSC members now active beneficiaries of consumer credit for resettlement’

‘Under our Renewed Hope Agenda, we promised to build a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of background, has an equitable opportunity to access a better future-thus, the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme. ‘This initiative is at the cusp of implementation. Over the last two years, we have collaborated with our partners to launch the programme, supporting our young builders and dreamers in the technology and creative sectors.

‘Fellow Nigerians, I have always candidly acknowledged that these reforms have come with some temporary pains.

‘The biting effects of inflation and the rising cost of living remain a significant concern to our government. However, the alternative of allowing our country to descend into economic chaos or bankruptcy was not an option. Our macro-economic progress has proven that our sacrifices have not been in vain. Together, we are laying a new foundation cast in concrete, not on quicksand.

‘The accurate measure of our success will not be limited to economic statistics alone, but rather in the food on our families’ tables, the quality of education our children receive, the electricity in our homes, and the security in our communities. Let me assure you of our administration’s determination to ensure that the resources we have saved and the stability we have built are channelled into these critical areas. Today, the governors at the state level and local government autonomy are yielding more developments.

‘Therefore, on this 65th Anniversary of Our Independence, my message is hope and a call to action. The federal government will continue to do its part to fix the plumbing in our economy. Now, we must all turn on the taps of productivity, innovation, and enterprise, just like the Ministry of Interior has done with our travel passports, by quickening the processing. In this regard, I urge the sub-national entities to join us in nation-building. Let us be a nation of producers, not just consumers.’

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has delisted 101 drugs from circulation in Nigeria.

In a statement on Tuesday, the agency said the affected products are no longer permitted for manufacturing, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale, or use in the country.

NAFDAC explained that some of the products were withdrawn voluntarily at the request of market authorisation holders, while others were suspended or outrightly cancelled by the agency.

A suspension, it said, applies when the conditions under which a registration licence was issued are no longer met, while a cancellation occurs when the agency revokes a product’s licence.

Popular medicines on the list

The delisted products cut across a wide range of medicines and health items – from antimalarials and cough treatments to vaccines, insulin and growth-hormone injectables, diabetes medicines, inhalers, and eye drops.

Some widely used medicines are on the list, including:

Flagyl suspension and tablets, used to treat diarrhoea

Penicillin G Sodium Sandoz, prescribed for bacterial infections

Artemether/Lumefantrine, a frontline antimalarial

Elisca eye drops, used in treating infections

‘This is to inform the general public that the following products are approved for withdrawal, suspension and cancellation by NAFDAC. They are therefore no longer permitted for manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use within Nigeria,’ the statement reads.

‘Please note that the certificate of registration of a product is said to be withdrawn when the use of the Certificate of Registration of that product is discontinued upon request of the Market Authorization Holder.’

List of affected products

Some of the delisted drugs include:

Abacavir Sulfate/Lamivudine Dispersible Tablets 60mg/30mg – withdrawn voluntarily by Healthline Limited

Amaryl M Tablets – withdrawn voluntarily by Sanofi Aventis Nigeria Ltd

Amaryl M SR Tablets – withdrawn voluntarily by Sanofi Aventis Nigeria Ltd

Aprovasc 150mg/5mg Tablets – withdrawn voluntarily by Sanofi Aventis Nigeria Ltd

Artemether/Lumefantrine 40mg/240mg Tablets – withdrawn voluntarily by Healthline Limited

ASAQ (Artesunate amodiaquine Winthrop) Tablets (various strengths) – withdrawn voluntarily by Sanofi Aventis Nigeria Ltd

Betopic Eye Drops – withdrawn voluntarily by Novartis Nigeria Limited

Coaprovel 300mg/25mg Tablets – withdrawn voluntarily by Sanofi Aventis Nigeria Ltd

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has raised the alarm over disturbing reports of rape, assault, and forced drugging of Nigerian girls allegedly held in deportation camps in New Delhi, India, describing the development as ‘heartbreaking and unacceptable.’

In a statement issued on Tuesday by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, the Commission said it was deeply distressed by videos and testimonies circulating from some victims, which point to serious violations of human dignity and fundamental rights.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, NiDCOM’s Chairman/CEO, condemned the alleged abuses in strong terms, stressing that Nigerian citizens, irrespective of their location, must not be treated ‘as less than human’ under the guise of immigration control.

‘The alleged acts of sexual violence, physical abuse, and intimidation are both heartbreaking and unacceptable.

‘Nigerian citizens, wherever they are in the world, must not be treated as less than human, nor should their vulnerability be exploited under immigration procedures,’ Dabiri-Erewa said.

The Commission expressed concern that corrupt middlemen and organised groups may be worsening the ordeal of the detainees through exploitation and extortion, warning that such practices, if proven, undermine justice and endanger lives. The Commission disclosed that it is already working with the Nigerian High Commission in India, relevant Indian authorities, and international human rights bodies to verify the claims, provide medical and psychological support to affected persons, and ensure perpetrators face justice.

It further called on the Indian government to urgently investigate the allegations, dismantle exploitative channels, and guarantee the safety and dignity of Nigerians within its borders.

‘Our hearts go out to the young women and men enduring such traumatic experiences. We stand in solidarity with them and affirm that Nigeria will never abandon its citizens in their time of need,’ the statement read.

NiDCOM said it would continue to monitor developments closely and press for justice until the dignity of every Nigerian affected is restored.

The Golden Rule is a universal truth that has transcended time: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ Let’s transpose this rule onto the leadership spectrum, and this is as simple and profound as treating your team members the same way you would want your son or daughter to be treated in the workplace. Simply said, empathy and respect for others should be the bedrock of any transformational leader. Picture a scenario where your son or daughter is being reprimanded with a high-pitched tone and extreme harshness. Imagine your son’s supervisor unjustly criticising him for an error that isn’t his fault. These scenarios evoke discomfort because they mirror potential flaws in the leadership approach.

In the bustling corridors of corporate power, where ambition and productivity often overshadow empathy, there is the possibility of overlooking the humanity that should exist in the workplace. The Golden Rule has the potential to revolutionise workplace dynamics. If all managers could apply this introspective filter before making decisions or interacting with their teams, the office environment would be significantly more uplifting and motivating. Regrettably, some leaders have fostered a hostile work environment due to a lack of understanding and empathy, adversely affecting many employees. For emphasis, only do things you would be comfortable with if a manager did the same to your son or daughter. Integrating the Golden Rule into leadership practices can indeed make the workplace a more vibrant and productive space, benefiting both the employees and the organisation.

Indra Nooyi’s leadership style at PepsiCo exemplified the power of leading with empathy. Known for her compassionate approach, Nooyi often personalised her interactions with her employees. She pioneered an initiative to write letters to employees’ parents, acknowledging their contributions to the company. This gesture highlighted her belief in treating her team as an extended family, a principle reflective of the Golden Rule. In doing so, not only did Nooyi foster loyalty and motivation among her team, but she also demonstrated how empathy and understanding can bridge the gap between leadership and execution. Ultimately, effective leadership boils down to empathy, respect, and treating others as you would like your closest family to be treated.

On the other hand, many have made the workplace a hellish landscape, punctuated by ridicule, maltreatment, and a crushing sense of worthlessness. This is a tragedy, but it doesn’t have to be this way. By adopting the Golden Rule, we can transform our offices into bastions of mutual respect, creativity, and fulfillment. We can attempt to move away from authority-driven tactics and lean towards a model of leadership that emphasises connection, compassion, and support. We can ensure a culture where respect fosters collaboration and where leaders nurture potential rather than constrain it. We can create an environment where treating others well isn’t the exception but the norm.

Southwest Airlines, under Herb Kelleher’s leadership, demonstrated the golden rule. Kelleher famously said he would rather hire someone with a great attitude and teach them skills than hire someone with great skills and a poor attitude. More importantly, he treated every employee like family members. During the post-9/11 crisis that devastated the airline industry, while competitors were conducting mass layoffs, Kelleher found creative ways to avoid letting people go. He asked himself the same question, similar to the Golden Rule: ‘Would I abandon my own children during tough times?’ The result of this was that Southwest was one of the few airlines to remain profitable during that period, largely because employees went above and beyond to help the company survive. They didn’t do it out of fear; they did it out of love and loyalty for a leader who had consistently treated them with dignity.

Contrast this with Uber’s early days under Travis Kalanick. His ‘always be hustling’ mentality normalised aggression. Managers publicly shamed underperformers, and turnover spiked. When a female engineer exposed systemic harassment, Kalanick’s dismissive response sparked global outrage. The result was a toxic brand reputation, lawsuits and his eventual ouster. Employees who were treated like expendable cogs revolted. His leadership style was reportedly aggressive, leading to a toxic work environment. This poor treatment led to a loss of trust from team members.

Finally, I would like to challenge every manager. For one week, approach every interaction with your team as if you were dealing with your own flesh and blood. Watch how it changes not just your leadership style but the very fabric of your workplace culture. After all, in the issues of life, we are all someone’s child, deserving dignity and respect. Remember, true leadership isn’t about wielding power; it’s about empowering others. The workplace does not need to be a gladiatorial arena where only the toughest survive. It can and should be a nurturing ground where talents are cultivated, mistakes are learning opportunities, and respect is the currency of choice.