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Vice Chancellor of Augustine University, Ilara-Epe, Prof. Anthony Akinwale, has urged government to support private universities.

Speaking at a briefing to herald the seventh convocation, Akinwale said 148 students would get first degrees, while 21 would receive diplomas.

He said 22 had first-class honours, 57 in second class upper, 57 in second class lower and 12 in third class division.

The vice chancellor lamented exclusion of private universities from Tertiary Education Trust Fund, and others..

‘If we want to build a nation, we must build education. Unfortunately, government has not sufficiently invested in university education, public or private. We need to spend more on education spend on running government.’

He said we need more universities, contrary to belief the nation had too many. ”Our population of over 230 million warrants more institutions.”

Chancellor of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, also urged Tertiary Education Trust Fund support for private universities, to boost academic performance.

Gambari, who spoke at the institution’s 17th Convocation, where 667 students graduated for 2024/2025 session, said governments should also waive taxes for private universities. He lamented that most of them were struggling to survive due to the high costs of goods and services caused by removal of fuel subsidy.

He cited an instance where monthly electricity bill, about one million naira two years ago, rose to over N20 million.

Gambari stressed that costs for security, solar energy, water, Internet and WiFi subscriptions, library resources, and other overheads have increased.

He emphasised that the quality of education provided by private universities in the country cannot be overemphasised, especially in bridging the widening gap of admission-seeking youths, where government or state-owned institutions are unable to admit them. He appealed to the Federal Government to view private universities as partners in progress rather than merely revenue generators.

The Chancellor cited an instance where the university’s monthly electricity bill, which was around One Million Naira two years ago, has now risen to over N20 million. He emphasised that costs for the provision of security, solar energy, a constant water supply, internet and WiFi subscriptions, library resources, and several other overheads have significantly increased.

Gambari said: ‘I charge the Federal Government to include private universities in TETFUND. It should find ways and means to support private universities through competitive research grants and ensure that such support is spread across the six geopolitical zones in the country. Let me conclude by stressing that the government should see private universities as partners in progress rather than money spinners.

‘It is therefore apposite to propose to the Federal, State and Local Governments, a tax waiver for private universities, given their huge contributions to human capital development of Nigerian citizens. Many of these academic institutions are overburdened and struggling with financial difficulties. The government should value their social responsibility and the value they add to their communities.

‘At this juncture, attention of government must be drawn to the challenges private universities encounter daily. For instance, our monthly electricity bill alone at Crescent University, which used to be around One Million Naira two years ago, is now over N20m.

This includes the provision of security, solar power, a constant water supply, internet and WiFi subscription, library resources, and several other overheads. It is the responsibility of the constituted authority to ensure that private universities survive for the good of society.

‘Contributions of private universities to the nation’s development cannot be overemphasised. They have, no doubt, closed to an appreciable extent, the widening gap of admission-seeking youths in our country. These institutions have also substantially contributed to the provision of quality education at the tertiary level in Nigeria. The quality of private university graduates is seen in the performance of Crescent University alumni who replicated their exceptional academic performance in European and American universities with distinctions and PhD grades at the Master’s level.’

The Vice Chancellor of Crescent University, Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, also appealed to the FG to urgently extend the benefits of TETFUND grants and projects to private universities across the country. He expressed regret over the large amount of money spent by the administrative body of the institutions to run school activities during these current economic hardships.

Gbajabiamila, who congratulated the overall best graduating students for the 2024/2025 academic session, Ganiyu Feranmi of the Bola Ajibola College of Law, said that the school had, over the years, provided excellent brains in various fields of endeavours celebrated within and outside the country for their contributions to research and human development.

He said that the university had continued to uphold zero tolerance for examination malpractices, indecent dressing, cultism, drug abuse, anti-social vices, among the students, while urging parents to counsel their children on the importance of being law-abiding, and challenging the graduands to confront challenges head-on through hard work and innovation in order to achieve greatness in life.

Earlier, the Proprietor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Crescent University, Prince Muhammad Ajibola, emphasised that his late father, Prince Bola Ajibola’s legacy, continues to motivate the management to enhance the academic performance of students through advanced learning in modern technology, innovations, and research to make them exceptional in their respective fields.

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has dismissed reports suggesting that it disbursed $1.259 billion to major oil sector operators for the importation of refined petroleum products and related items, describing such claims as inaccurate and misleading.

In a statement yesterday, the CBN clarified that the figure referenced in its first quarter 2025 Sectoral Utilisation of Foreign Exchange data did not represent direct CBN disbursements.

Instead, it reflected the total foreign exchange transactions conducted by participants in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) under the willing buyer, willing seller framework.

According to the bank’s spokesperson, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, ‘Since the unification of exchange rates in 2023, the NFEM has operated as a market-driven system, where foreign exchange is sourced and supplied by market participants, not allocated by the CBN. Accordingly, the Bank has not sold foreign exchange specifically for the importation of refined petroleum nor any other products.’

She explained that the figure of $1.259 billion merely represents aggregate utilisation by authorised dealers and end-users who independently sourced foreign exchange through the market in compliance with existing regulations.

‘The data cited in the report only captures legitimate market transactions and does not reflect any form of direct CBN intervention in the oil sector,’ she stated.

Sidi Ali noted that the willing buyer, willing seller system allows for transparency and fair price discovery in the foreign exchange market, reinforcing the CBN’s commitment to maintaining a market-based framework.

She further assured the public that the Central Bank remains committed to transparency and stability in Nigeria’s financial system.

‘The CBN continues to promote a transparent, market-based foreign exchange regime that supports efficient price discovery, economic stability, and confidence in the Nigerian financial system,’ she said.

The Bank therefore urged the media and the public to verify information before publication, especially when it concerns sensitive economic data, to avoid creating false impressions about government policies or the management of the nation’s foreign exchange market.

When the lights dimmed at Bradford City Library on the evening of September 24, 2025, something special stirred in the room. The occasion was Fragments of West Yorkshire, a multidisciplinary art and poetry exhibition celebrating the spirit, struggles, and splendour of the region, and the artist at its centre was Daniel Okezue, a performing poet and creative curator whose influence in Bradford’s cultural scene has become quietly undeniable.

‘I wanted Fragments to be more than an event,’ Daniel tells me, eyes glinting with that familiar performer’s intensity. ‘I wanted it to feel like a heartbeat, a pulse of this land, these people, and our shared stories. West Yorkshire has such a layered identity, and art allows us to peel it back gently.’

The exhibition brought together a visual artist ‘Jumoke Muritala’ and a constellation of poetic voices, including Raphael Olukoya, Oluwaseyi Oyetunbi, Mofe Fasanya, Zowie Norris, Laura Baldwin, Kyle Coare, Lauren Kara, and Noor Afasa, each presenting verses inspired by the region’s landscapes and legacies. From the Calder Valley floods and the Colne Bridge Mill fire of 1818 to the textile heritage of Bradford, the evening became an emotional tapestry woven from memory and meaning.

As host, Okezue moved with ease, humorous yet soulful, weaving his own performances between poets with an unforced elegance that left the audience entranced. His original poem, performed midway through the evening, explored resilience and renewal in the face of adversity, a fitting metaphor for West Yorkshire itself.

‘I think of poetry as a bridge,’ he says. ‘It connects the past to the present, the personal to the public. My work has always been about making people feel, laugh, reflect, sometimes even grieve, but always to see beauty, even in brokenness.’

The event also featured keynotes from John McMahon, Director of Skills, Volunteering and Wellbeing at Bradford 2025; Dr. Olushola Kolawole (OAK), Director, Bradford African Festival of Arts; and Seun Dosumu, Art and Wellness Accelerator. Together, they echoed Okezue’s sentiment: that creativity and culture are cornerstones of community healing.

Okezue’s artistic journey spans continents and disciplines, from theatre and comedy in Nigeria to poetry, performance, and curation in the UK. In Bradford, he has become a bridge between the emerging and the established, founding Testing the Mic, a monthly performance space nurturing new voices in poetry, theatre, and music.

‘What excites me about Bradford,’ Daniel explains, ‘is its honesty. The city wears its history on its sleeve, from the textile mills to the multicultural rhythms on its streets. Every artist here is telling a version of the Bradford story, and I’m honoured to be part of that chorus.’

As the city continues to bloom as UK City of Culture 2025, artists like Okezue continue to shape the conversation, redefining what it means to belong, to create, and to tell stories that echo beyond borders. ‘Bradford feels like an unfinished poem,’ he smiles. ‘And maybe that’s the beauty of it, we’re all still writing it together.’

Lagos had a storied past of water commerce – Ebute-Ero, Ebute-Elefun, Ije, Oja Oyingbo, Ebute Ejinrin, Badagry, the Lagos Marina, etc – all jetties, linked to markets. Boats berthed at these jetties to discharge and convey buyers and sellers, on weekly market days. More than roads, the vast Lagos waterways powered this traffic.

If the proverbial ‘Oja Oyingbo’ was packed to the brim – as the Juju music legend Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey crooned in one of his great numbers – it was the Lagos Lagoon, more than the roads, that ensured that commercial mobility and opportunity.

Now, ‘Omi Eko’, the waterway shuttle project that the Lagos State government just launched, at the Three Cowries Jetty, near Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos, is set for a glorious encore – but with much more value-added.

It’s an innovative project to further integrate water transportation into the government’s THEMES-plus policy framework. It’s also set to modernise the waterways as choice Lagos commuter hub, thus reducing pressure on the over-flogged roads.

Omi Eko, planned over two phases, is well and truly ambitious. It could alter the Lagos transportation – and economy – for good. Omi Eko, with its smart ferries, could also boost water-driven tourism, now the near-monopoly of the well-heeled. That putative expansion is a win-win for the Lagos economy.

The first phase is an infrastructural-support push: the dredging and adequate marking of a marine track, covering 140 kilometres. That track covers 15 priority ferry routes. Under that phase, 25 ferry jetties and terminals will be put in place, with old ones upgraded – all fitted with electric charging points, for the electric ferries soon to be deployed.

Also attached to jetties/terminals are boat maintenance depots. This phase will also build roads connecting the jetties/terminals to the main arteries linking the final commuter communities and destinations.

Obvious and paramount in this first phase is the all-crucial question of safety, in these days of boat mishaps, in some parts of the country. Safety is critical for commuter confidence; and it’s reassuring that the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), the implementing agency, is giving safety due attention.

The second phase is the business side: the ‘make-or-mar’ of the dream. It plans to infuse 75 electric ferries, fool-proof and fraud-resistant ticketing, and sound shuttle information management to give a rich travel experience that would keep commuters trooping back for more.

If management makes the difference between failed and thriving ventures, LASWA should develop the capacity to handle the business. Also imbued in the plan is adequate technology transfer to strengthen LASWA’s technical capacity: for prompt maintenance and repairs, as well as forging spare parts.

Aside drawing passenger traffic to some 25, 000 yearly, Omi Eko is projected to cut travel times by some three hours per trip. Funding for the informal boat sector, outside the government-backed ferry services, will also be taken care off. Indeed, building an integrated lagoon economy is logical thinking, as 15 local governments in the state are linked by water. That should provide more jobs for the youth.

Omi Eko came under the EU Gateway Initiative, with the French Development Agency (AFD); and the European Investment Bank (EIB), which provided a ‘subsidised’ pound 360 million, out of a pound 410-million loan. LASWA’s ability to grow a lean-and-mean water transport business is vital. For this upgrade, LASWA should draw inspiration from the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), which already runs the Lagos integrated road and rail services, with the Blue and Red urban rail lines.

So, LASWA should brace itself to make Omi Eko a thriving business, sustainable and profitable to pay off its loan. If that is well done, LASWA should, in no time, sit back as industry regulator, while private sector players, big and small, drive the business.

But there is another aspect that should also be emphasised: marine security. While safety is clear from the infrastructure plan, security is muted. In this era of kidnapping for ransom, security should receive that added attention. As more commuters get drawn to water transport, there is likelihood for opportunistic crimes, targeting the busy commuter channels. Robust marine security should, therefore, form a doughty part of the mix.

With Lagos defined by water – the Lagoon and its mightier cousin, the Atlantic Ocean – not integrating this mass of water into its transport mode is a clear waste. Though Omi Eko is picking up from a storied past, using every resource of the state to boost citizen wellbeing is smart policy thinking.

Asiwaju Mandate Group (AMG) has inaugurated its women’s wing in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, with a call for unity, mobilisation and grassroots engagement ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The state Women Coordinator of AMG and former commissioner, Yetunde Adeyanju, expressed appreciation to the leadership of the group and hailed the women for their steadfastness and courage despite intimidation and harassment.

She said the purpose of the gathering was to sensitise women across the state on the re-election bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, emphasising that Ondo State women must take the lead in mobilising massive support for his victory.

Adeyanju lauded President Tinubu for his developmental projects in Ondo State and across the country, as well as his empowerment initiatives that had positively impacted women through federal schemes.

She also commended the Minister of Interior and convener of AMG, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for his people-oriented leadership and continuous support for women in Ondo State.

She described him as ‘a minister with a human face, ever willing to listen and always ready to help.’

She said his stabilising role in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State could not be overemphasised.

The women offered prayers for the minister’s continued success in office and in all his endeavours.

Adeyanju reaffirms that as the AMG state women coordinator, her mandate is to ensure every woman in Ondo State votes for the APC and President Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

She said AMG women’s wing would intensify its campaigns across the nooks and crannies of the state, with ward-level meetings and grassroots engagements to guarantee overwhelming victory for the President.

The women’s gathering unanimously endorsed President Tinubu’s re-election bid, pledging total commitment to the cause.

In their remarks, several speakers praised the Minister of Interior for his steadfastness in strengthening APC in Ondo State, noting that through his influence and grassroots connections, many individuals from opposition parties had joined APC.

The Director General of AMG, Asiwaju Olumuyiwa Asagunla, hailed the state women coordinator and the entire women’s structure for their passion and loyalty to the AMG movement. He conveyed greetings from the convener, Dr. Tunji-Ojo, reiterating that AMG was birthed to propagate the achievements of President Tinubu and ensure his overwhelming re-election victory in 2027.

The event was attended by prominent members of the AMG, including the Chairman, Leaders Council, Senator Yele Omogunwa; Ondo State Commissioner at Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Otito Atikase; Deputy DG, Ondo South, Afolabi Iwalewa and AMG Secretary, Corporal Nanaopri, among others.

A 23-year-old woman has been arrested over alleged involvement in abduction and robbery of a businessman of ?24 million and his Toyota Highlander SUV in Nkwelle-Ezunaka in Umuoji in Idemili North local government area of Anambra state.

Police Spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga who disclosed this on Wednesday, said Okonkwo Onyinye, was arrested by Police operatives in collaboration with members of Agunechemba Security outfit.

He said the victim was forced into the boot of his vehicle after his abduction and driven to a bush and dumped after being dispossessed of the ?24 million.

Ikenga however revealed that the stolen vehicle with registration number RBC 649 CN was recovered while the suspect was assisting assisting with credible information to arrest her accomplices.

He said: ‘Anambra State Police Command operatives attached to the 3-3 Police Station, in collaboration with Agunechemba Security, Nkwelle-Ezunaka Unit, in the early hours of October 27, 2025, arrested one Okonkwo Onyinye, aged 23 years, a female accomplice in a reported case of armed robbery and kidnap incident.

‘The team also recovered a snatched Toyota Highlander SUV of the victim in Ogidi.

‘Preliminary information revealed that the victim was double-crossed by five armed men operating in a Toyota Corolla car at Nkwelle GRA Gate.

‘The suspects forcefully placed the victim in the boot of his vehicle and drove off to a bush in Umuoji Town, where they dispossessed him of his phone and transferred the sum of ?24,000,000 from his account before abandoning him and escaping with the vehicle.

‘Following the report, the Joint Security Team, acting on technologically driven intelligence, traced the movement of the suspects to Nawfia and subsequently to Ogidi, where the armed hoodlums engaged the operatives in sporadic gunfire before fleeing the scene.

‘Meanwhile, the Toyota Highlander, white in colour with registration number RBC 649 CN, was recovered and the female accomplice, Okonkwo Onyinye, was later arrested at the scene.

‘She is currently assisting Police detectives with credible information that will aid in the arrest of other fleeing gang members.

‘Furthermore, the Police have intensified patrols within the State, ahead of the Anambra State Governorship Election scheduled for November 8, 2025. Further developments will be communicated accordingly.’

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has begun revalidation to register members ahead of 2026 governorship election.

The Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, who hosted the 12-member revalidation team and state co-ordinators led by Mr John Malumi, the deputy director, Elections Management (Organising Department), enjoined the party chairmen in the local governments and area office in Modakeke to assist the team during the exercise.

He said it was imperative for the party’s stakeholders to join hands with the visiting team for a desired result.

Lawal, represented by the state Secretary of the party, Alhaji Alao Kamoru, told the visiting membership validation team that the party had put everything in place for them, in order to make the programme a success.

Malumi told the APC state Working Committee and the chairmen of the party in the local governments that the exercise was not about registration of new members into the party, but rather to work on the existing members.

Seeking the cooperation of the party chairmen in the local government, he said members of the party must be financial members and that they all had the right to vote and be voted for.

He said: ‘Credible members of the party must pay N200 per month for one year each and they have the right to contest for any position.

‘Some members have left the party; some are dead, while others have just joined. We have a mechanism of authenticating if any member of our party has paid.

‘The ward secretaries, ward organising secretaries and similar officers of the party at the local government level will have crucial roles to play in the party’s membership revalidation.’

He said the exercise, which started on October 20, would end on the 31st, in line with the APC National Headquarters’ outline for the 2026 Osun State governorship primary election.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Ondo State on Public Enlightenment, Comrade Olufemi Lawson, has lauded Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for his visionary leadership and commitment to positioning the state as a trailblazer in technological innovation through the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Lawson in a statement following the recent Ondo State Artificial Intelligence Adoption Summit, described the Governor’s foresight in embracing AI as ‘a defining moment in the state’s march toward a smarter, more inclusive, and digitally driven governance model.’

The two-day summit, organized by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), is being hosted under the theme of responsible and inclusive AI adoption, with participants drawn from government institutions, academia, private sector innovators, and youth-led tech initiatives.

Lawson particularly commended the Executive Chairman of SITA, Hon. Tomide Akinribido, for his ‘exceptional leadership, dedication, and vision,’ noting that his stewardship is turning SITA into a hub of innovation and a key driver of Ondo State’s digital transformation agenda.

Quoting from Akinribido’s welcome address at the event, the SSA said: ‘This summit is more than an event; it is a movement, a call to action for governments, industries, academia, and citizens to embrace artificial intelligence not as a threat, but as an enabler of progress, innovation, and inclusive growth.’

Lawson praised the emphasis on ethical, transparent, and inclusive AI deployment, stressing that the summit underscores the Governor’s broader commitment to using technology to enhance public service delivery, drive economic growth, and improve the quality of life of citizens.

He further noted that under Governor Aiyedatiwa’s administration, Ondo State has made remarkable strides in digital governance, automation of public services, and capacity building among civil servants and youths, which have collectively laid the groundwork for this new AI initiative.

‘Governor Aiyedatiwa’s decision to champion AI adoption demonstrates courage and clarity of purpose. It reflects a leadership that is not afraid of the future but is determined to shape it responsibly,’ Lawson said.

He added that the government’s partnership with innovators and technology stakeholders through SITA represents a sustainable model of public-private collaboration in advancing the state’s digital ecosystem.

As deliberations continue at the summit, the SSA expressed optimism that the outcome would define Ondo State’s strategic roadmap for AI integration in critical sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, security, and governance, making the Sunshine State a reference point in Nigeria and beyond.

‘The Aiyedatiwa administration is not just building infrastructure; it is building intelligence, transforming governance through knowledge, data, and innovation,’ Lawson said.

The Service Chiefs-designate yesterday met with Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru and National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu ahead of their screening today by the Senate.

Chief of Defence Staff Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede led Chief of Army Staff Maj.- Gen. Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Idi Abbas and Chief of Air Staff Air Vice Marshal Sunday Aneke on the visits.

There was no statement from the NSA’s after the visit, but spokesman of the Defence Minister Mati Ali in statement said the visit underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to building cohesive defence leadership anchored on trust, collaboration and shared purpose.

On Monday, 72 hours after they were named, the Service Chiefs met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced yesterday in plenary after reading the correspondence for the President, that the Service Chiefs will be screened for confirmation today.

President Tinubu’s letter urged the Senate to give ‘expeditious consideration’ to his request for clearance of the new security chiefs.

The Senate President referred the letter to the Committee of the Whole, which he chairs.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has rescheduled the planned arraignment of Senator Andy Uba and Benjamin Etu in the alleged N400 million fraud case for November 6.

Uba and Etu were to be arraigned yesterday but for the absence of the judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, who was said to be sitting at another division of the court outside Abuja.

With the agreement of lawyers in the case, officials of the court rescheduled the arrangement for November 6.

The judge, on September 24, threatened to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of Uba, the former Senator representing Anambra South, should he fail to appear in court on October 28.

The threat to issue bench warrant was informed by an application by the prosecuting lawyer, Aminu Abdullahi, that the court should compel UBA to attend court.

Uba’s lawyer, C.F. Odiniru pleaded with the judge to reject the prosecution’a request for a bench warrant.

Odiniru attributed Uba’s continued absence to ill health.

In count one of the two-count charge, Uba, Etu and Hajiya Fatima now at large, are alleged to have, sometimes in 2022 conspired amongst themselves to commit the offence.

Uba and others were accused of obtaining by false pretence, by making a presentation to Mr George Uboh that they had perfected ways for the appointment of the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to any interested persons who could afford N400 million.

Uboh, in a letter dated April 5, 2023, and addressed to the I-G, said the petition was based on documentary and voice recording.

According to Uboh, the evidence is overwhelming and irrefutable.

No fewer than six witnesses had been listed to testify against the ex-lawmaker and Etu.