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I have written many times deprecating the phenomenon of African heads of state or government rushing in and out of major metropolitan centres like London, Paris, Washington, Beijing, Tokyo and others to provide them comic relief and inviting African heads of government or state to come and make serious people laugh at their penury and global jamboree. It will soon be New Delhi, Lisbon, Madrid, Moscow and any global power that needs funny African rulers wearing what to them looks funny.

Recently 52 or so African heads of state and government assembled as they do annually in Beijing to meet With President Xi Jinping in a one-way dialogue in which the Chinese are presented with a list of requests on developmental projects spanning civil and military spheres of life. Most of the African countries are already indebted to China and they are not really in positions of serious binary negotiations. Sometimes, the African countries are just like Oliver Twist asking for more and more without understanding Chinese oriental mentality of asking for their last pint of blood from them and their children when their loans mature.

Orientals are generally not in the habit of forgiving creditors their debts. It is not just in their character and I am afraid that Africans will in future learn to their own detriment that the Chinese like other Orientals are incredible taskmasters not because they are wicked but because it is in their blood. There is no free lunch anywhere in the world! Whatever loans the Chinese are giving out now will be collected with interest in future or assets will be seized when the debtors are not able to pay. The experience of Sri Lanka which took generous Chinese loans for the development and modernisation of their ports and when they could not pay the Chinese simply seized the ports in lieu of the money owed.

I hope the African states will open their eyes when taking Chinese loans or any loans at all because they are not grants. Many of the projects the Chinese funded like the TANZAM railways running from Zambia to Tanzania built between 1970 and 1975 as the ‘UHURU RAILWAY’ is now not running and is virtually out of commission and has gone into a state of almost total disrepair and is being repaired with another loan of $1 billion provided by the Chinese. In our own case in Nigeria, the Kaduna- Abuja railway has been rendered hors de combat because of terrorists attack and bureaucratic thefts and it thus cannot pay its way. The Lagos-Ibadan railway is hardly a tale of success and the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport in Abuja runs fitfully and not always and only God knows the fate of the Kano-Katsina-Zinder railway all built with Chinese money. The intercity railway in Lagos stands as a case of success if the bureaucratic shenanigans and corruption are minimized.

The problem of these railways is that only sections are complete. For example the Lagos – Ibadan railway is the southern portion of the line going to Kano. Without its completion, it can hardly be expected to pay its way.

We also have the problem of Nigerians not willing to pay for infrastructural modernisation because they think government owes them a living! Toll roads and bridges are objects of protest and damage in Nigeria whereas in the civilised parts of the world, people are made to pay for new roads, railways and other means of modern transportation and communication. There is a need for civic education to inculcate into our people the primary responsibility of citizens to pay tax. Bill Gates on a recent visit to Nigeria pointed out that Nigerians do not pay taxes. Of course, it is generally known that only salary earners pay taxes while business people hardly pay taxes no matter how wealthy they are. They simply bribe their ways through. The complaint is that taxes are routinely stolen.

I am afraid we have come to a point in our country when we have to put our feet down and say no more stealing and police the state to prevent arrant looting after all, thieves are people not spirits. If we are serious we can do it. China that we run with begging hats and plates in hand to was one of the most corrupt societies in the world. China and India used to struggle with each other about which country was worse than the other until China of Mao Tsetung decided to deal brutally with any rogue pilfering from state coffers. Anyone pilfering was met by bullets. People sat up and this severe retribution continues till today.

Until we do this, corruption will continue until it destroys this country. The China we all run to borrow money was within my lifetime abjectly poor until the Chinese revolution in 1949. The country continued to engage in life and death struggle with poverty until Deng Xiaoping took power and ruled the country between 1978 and 1989 and completely transformed the country from being in the backwoods of development in the world into what it is today as the second most powerful country in the world, second to the United States and on the cusp of overtaking it in the next decade or two, all things being equal. The phenomenal development of China within a living memory should be what our people should try to emulate. Borrowing money and opening our markets to all kind of junks was not the Chinese way to development. The way the Chinese mobilised its huge population for development should be an example which a country like Nigeria should follow rather than importing all kinds of Chinese goods into our country.

Instead of wasting our time and the little money we have on constitutional debates and writing and rewriting our constitution, we should take our ploughs, hoes and cutlasses and go to farms with the aim of not only feeding ourselves but the rest of the world as Americans do.

I am opposed to all the presidents of Africa queuing up in foreign countries to beg for assistance when we are endowed with available land, sunshine, water, air, minerals underneath the earth and flowing water that can be harnessed for hydroelectricity. It is not just the humiliation in Beijing that I am opposed to; I am also opposed to all African presidents going to Paris as begging children every year for France – Africa powwow. The same goes for the similar phenomenon in London, Washington, Tokyo, in New Delhi, Berlin with Madrid and who knows when even puny Lisbon will follow.

These African rulers will fly in their executive jets costing millions of dollars to purchase, to beg for money which is sometimes not up to the cost of their planes. We are told that the Chinese is sharing $50 billion among the 52 African states assembled in Beijing. This means some of these presidents would go home with less than $1 billion when prorated. It just doesn’t make sense when the monarch of Britain, heads of state and government in Germany, France, Spain, and Italy rents planes from their national airlines when they want to fly and make an impression. No one can begrudge the United States, Russia and even France for using executive personalised aircraft’s for their trips abroad, after all, they make them and can afford them without borrowing or breaking the backs of their people to buy them

If there is need for all African countries to meet with these powerful countries for assistance, let the OAU decide that as from now onwards, African ambassadors would represent their countries in bilateral relations one on one and if they have to be met as a collective, there should be no problem and for the countries that have no ambassadors in these major capitals, they should be represented by neighbouring countries’ ambassadors or those of regional organisations like Economic Community of West Africa – ECOWAS or SADC or such regional bodies. This annual jamborees reminds me of what the late President George Walker Bush said about such International jamborees. He said the smaller countries speak longer than the bigger and more important participants representing important countries and that their long speeches are simply ignored. I hope this is not the case with these African jamborees simply providing comic relief for the government leaders of busy and serious countries!

Academia Campus Journalists, Centre for Undergraduate Programmes (CUDEP) of the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, an affiliate of University of Ibadan, has elected new executives for the 2024-2025 year.

The new executives, who took the mantle of upholding the standard the organisation has set since its inception, were sworn in by the outgoing Chief Journalist Adekunle Joel.

These executives elected from the highest to the lowest include, Chief Journalist, Modadeoluwa Tunde-Oso; Deputy Chief Journalist, Adeyinka Adetutu; Editor-in-Chief Isaac Joseph Inyang and General Secretary Oloyede Boluwatife. Others are the Treasurer Anyenkegbe Destiny Ebosereme; Public Relations Officer Popoola Ayooluwa; Journalist Marshal Anosiri Henry; Auditor Akah Miracle and the Assistant General Secretary Oke Prestige.

In his acceptance speech, Tunde-Oso said: ‘It was a moment of mixed feelings, I never expected it, but I guess members must have seen something in me that made them elect me, finding me worthy of this position.’

When asked about his programmes, he stated: ‘My goal is to keep the fire burning. The flame of the academia must not die.

‘This ‘Flame’ represents the standard of truth, excellence and creativity in reporting that my predecessors had set during their time. I also aim not only to engender continuity but also to bring innovation and improvement to the organisation.

‘We need cooperation among members and executives in order to make this administration better than the last.’

Fintech startup, Cardri, has launched its intra-Africa payment solution.

As intra-African trade suffers from delays, high fees, and complexity of navigating 42 currencies, Cardri’s platform promises a seamless solution – allowing users to fund their wallets in local currency (naira) and make instant cross-border payments to African countries.

Beyond Africa, the app supports global payouts to 92 countries, instant domicilliary funding and even Alipay and Chinese account funding – opening up frontiers for businesses and individuals seeking to operate internationally.

But the most revolutionary feature is Cardri’s AI-powered risk management tool to help users hedge against currency fluctuations, inflation shocks and others. While still in development, this tool is critical for small businesses and importers navigating unpredictable market conditions.

According to founders, the goal is to make Cardri Africa’s Financial Super App, combining payments, reach and smart risk management in a single ecosystem.

With African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) gaining momentum, this could bridge the financial divide holding back intra-African commerce to create a frictionless economy where money moves easily as ideas and businesses are able to protect themselves from market volatilities all from a single app for the first time

The Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, has said the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, is becoming a comfort zone for human traffickers.

She stated this yesterday when she led an operation to the airport, which led to the rescue of 24 victims of human trafficking and arrest of five suspected trafficking agents.

The victims whose ages range from 15 to 26 years, were recruited from Kano, Kastina, Oyo, Ondo and Rivers states, and were heading to Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Afghanistan.

According to a statement in Abuja by the Press Officer of NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, one of the suspected human traffickers, was a retired senior law enforcement officer.

The suspect is alleged to be a prominent member of the trafficking syndicate operating within the Southwest.

On how the raid was carried out, the agency stated: ‘The latest raid followed a tip-off from concerned stakeholders and partners who alerted us to an influx of suspected human trafficking victims at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and the unwholesome activities of some suspected traffickers.

‘At the end of nearly six hours of operation, the human trafficking were disrupted, leading to the arrest of five suspected traffickers and rescue of 24 suspected victims.

Revolution isn’t cooking spice. It is not something you purchase in small nylon sachets on a busy streets. Yet, folk sell it like spices, summoning its aroma in flavoured words, promising to make everything taste new.

The sellers shout and the crowd leans in, clutching their coins and heady fantasies. But Nigeria is not a kitchen stall; it is an ecology of households and habits, of private demons and public horrors.

If Nigeria is to mark 65 years of independence with anything resembling true rebirth, let that rebirth be a deliberate, internal jihad. It’s about time we shunned the fireworks of rage and mob grandeur frequently broadcast by conflict profiteers and romanticised by the disillusioned.

Revolutions that do not tend to the seedbed of civic character result in anarchy. The consequences are better imagined: ethnic cleansing, random murders, rampant rape, burning markets, crushed neighbourhoods, displaced families and orphaned children.

We must reject the rage-fuelled template. History and recent memory establish that uprisings, especially in a fragile polity, can be a match that sets dry tinder aflame; and the fire rarely knows the difference between palaces and boondocks. The so-called Arab Spring began as an earnest cry against corruption and tyranny; in places it yielded openings, but elsewhere it snowballed into protracted internecine wars, destructive vacuums and authoritarian relapse. Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen, among others, show how revolutionary fervor without robust institutions or measured stewardship can produce catastrophe as often as it produces reform.

The lesson is not that people must never act, but that action divorced from civic preparation and a plan for long-term governance risks annihilation of the very goods people seek: safety, livelihoods and dignity. Those who romanticise a fast, thunderous overthrow: demagogues, disgruntled election losers, and entrepreneurial rabble-rousers who dress ambition as moral crusade are desperate actors, who are less interested in the public good than in the power and patronage that follow breakdown.

Others, sometimes foreign actors or ideologues, exploit youthful anger and digital fervour to accelerate outcomes that suit external agendas. Movements started online can be genuine, righteous and necessary; they can also be manipulated, redirected and weaponised. The #EndSARS movement of 2020, for example, began as a clarion call against police brutality and produced powerful civic energy and urgent reforms. But like most mass uprisings, its narrative was complex: genuine grassroots anger, social media amplification, and contested claims of outside manipulation and incendiary messaging all coexisted. The movement’s tragic collapse is a reminder that popular protest can be a force for accountability and also a prism through which external interests and local secessionist tensions play out, often leaving scars between communities.

Nations do not emerge fully formed from constitutions or borderlines. Nations are neither remade nor redeemed by violent uprisings, but by the character of the citizenry. And the latter, in turn, are shaped by their most intimate institution: the family. The family is the receptacle in which the values of a nation are first kindled or corrupted. It is where character and social conscience are either nurtured or strangled in the cradle. The integrity of our public life, therefore, depends on the morality of our private lives.

Family is key. From this sacred unit, a people’s sense of self, place, and purpose begins. If the family is compromised, then society itself becomes a ghost town of ethics: full of laws but lacking justice and compassion; rich in rhetoric but bankrupt of vision. Societal growth, therefore, cannot be engineered solely by policies or economic indices. It must be cultivated through the slow, careful evolution of the human spirit.

Our collective persona as a nation is reflected in the governor who once stole $4.2 million from his state’s coffers and stashed it to fund his vanities abroad, not minding what good such loot could do in resolving the educational, healthcare, and infrastructure woes of his state. It is reflected in the shenanigans of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor who currently seeks a plea bargain to escape punishment for fraud running into billions of naira, among others.

It is reflected in the former female Minister of Petroleum, who aggravated fuel scarcity and economic recession through reckless looting of public fund. Yet she fights to walk free.

Our collective personae flourishes in the antics of youths feverishly flying ethnic flags in defense of their ‘brother’ and ‘sister’ lawmaker, governor, minister, and ex-CBN governor irrespective of the atrocities committed by them and the criminal charges levelled against them.

Our public offices aid and abett dubious citizenship. They legitimise our culture of being, which enables and justifies a public officer’s immediate descent into a basement of opportunism right after emerging as an elected representative. The latter locks himself or herself in that amoral cellar and embarks on a quest of inordinate acquisition, counting his spoils in material possessions.

Such characters are, however, mere fragments of our bigger cultural dilemma. They are our decadence; our disease.

Yet even as we have rightly identified their emergence as an affliction of the eye and disease of the mind, our chances at healing are hindered by chinks in our surgical armour: the fissures of ethnoreligious bias, illiteracy, willful degeneracy, greed, poverty, savage ego, and sheer malevolence.

Nigeria’s geographic, religious and ethnic fault lines make reckless upheaval especially dangerous. Where social trust is thin, identities are layered and historical grievances fester unhealed, the romanticised revolt too often degenerates into intercommunal violence.

We must therefore be honest: to overthrow a corrupt structure is not the same as constructing a just polity. Too often the poor pay the heaviest price for our experiments in instant remaking. Thus, must teach a new civic grammar: that the right to revolt is philosophically bound to responsibility and respect for rule of law.

President Bola Tinubu’s administration,on his part, must build institutions that make governance responsive, humane and honorable. His government must measure policy success by lives improved, not by patronage expanded. The incumbent ruling class must avoid financial recklessness and obscenities while urging the citizenry to tighten their belts.

The youth on their part must be sceptical of leaders who promise instant catharsis. They must look beyond what their rhetoric destroys to see what it builds. Those who live by humiliation, intimidation and petty cruelty will never make a humane state.

The revolution Nigeria needs must be borne of patience. It will not photograph as readily as a burning barricade, but its fruits are durable: trust, predictable markets, better schools, safer streets, and a political class kept honest by a public unwilling to tolerate theft.

If Nigeria is to become a decisive actor in Africa’s future, economically, culturally and politically, it must first become a more decent assembly of persons. Nations rarely thrive by grand treaties and trade deals; they are made by how neighbours treat each other, how families rear children and citizens stand for truth. Every country’s reach in the world is directly proportional to the nature of its civic interior.

It’s about time we renounced our easy romance of rage. We must stop inciting our youths to equate destruction with virtue and instead cultivate a different heroism: the courage to be honest when it costs us convenience and the patience to build institutions that outlast us. That is the revolution we must espouse; the type that moulds citizens into caretakers of our common destiny and Nigeria into an inheritance worth passing on.

A new wave of innovation is sweeping through the financial technology sector.

A pioneering study published in the International Journal of Advanced Artificial Intelligence Research, authored by Olabayoji Oluwatofunmi Oladepo and Opeyemi Eebru Alao of Swansea University, has unveiled a user-friendly machine learning tool that promises to transform how traders analyse and forecast stock market trends.

The study addresses a long-standing challenge in stock trading: the complexity of technical analysis.

Traditionally, traders rely on intricate charts and indicators to identify market patterns, but interpreting these visuals can be daunting, especially for beginners.

Most existing trading platforms either lack predictive capabilities or function as opaque ‘black-box’ systems, leaving users in the dark about how decisions are made.

At the heart of the tool among many others is a Random Forest machine learning model, chosen for its robust performance and ability to highlight which features most impact predictions.

The researchers engineered a range of financial indicators into the model, and used advanced techniques like SMOTE to address class imbalances in market data.

The model’s predictions are presented alongside clear visualisations of feature importance, allowing users to see exactly which factors drive the results.

To evaluate the tool’s effectiveness, the researchers conducted a virtual workshop with 14 participants of varying trading experience.

This research marks a significant step toward making financial trading more approachable and trustworthy.

A senior lecturer at Imo State University(IMSU) Prof. Fabian Ukozor has urged old students to be united to further strengthen their developmental strides and impact.

Ukozor spoke at the sixth anniversary of the old students of Township Comprehensive Secondary School, Amaifeke (TCSSA), Orlu, Imo State.

The ceremony, which was held in Lagos ,attracted guests from across Nigeria as well as South Africa and Swaziland.

The don, who was chairman of the occasion reminisced on how the TCSSA was established at a temporary site in 1980 after which it was moved to the present location in 1984, while highlighting how the graduates have impacted learning, business and philanthropy in Nigeria and around the world.

Ukozor enjoined the old students to embrace unity as a tool to impact more on the school for the coming generations.

Among the dignitaries that attended the annual event are Chairman of Orlu Local Government, Pastor Chris Mbarie; a Lagos businessman, Chief CY Utah; and Eze Aneche 1 of Amaifeke, Chief Emmanuel Ohajimadu.

Highlights of the event included a video narration of the state of TCSSA needing rehabilitation by the Chairman, Planning Committee Coalition of the school, Pastor Victor Mcdonald, a N150 million appeal fund for the rehabilitation, presentation of gifts to special guests and the launch of the old students’ magazine.

Sir: Nigeria’s energy deficit is quite evident; over 84 million Nigerians live without access to electricity, while countless others rely daily on diesel and petrol generators due to unreliable electricity supply and grid instability. While the cost of powering these generators annually is quite significant, they also pollute the environment and pose threat to human health, stifling productivity. Yet, the country is blessed with abundant renewable resources (especially solar) that stand as a viable means to addressing Nigeria’s energy crisis but remain under-utilized. The missing link is financing.

Estimates suggest that Nigeria needs around $9 to $10 billion dollars annually until 2030 to achieve universal electricity access under its Energy Transition Plan. Clearly, public funds and donor contributions alone cannot meet this need. The key lies in unlocking private capital from commercial banks, institutional investors, and other financiers. To attract this much needed investment, several priorities stand out.

First, it is important to de-risk the renewable energy sector. Investors are naturally cautious and in Nigeria, there are concerns about currency volatility, unclear regulations, and repayment challenges. Innovative measures such as guarantees, blended finance, and insurance products can help share risks, giving investors greater confidence to participate.

Second, there is the need to bring forward more bankable projects. Many renewable energy ideas stall because they lack solid financial structures, credible customers, or regulatory backing. Renewable energy project developers must be supported to prepare projects in ways that meet investor requirements and ensure long-term viability.

Third, we have to design tailored financial tools for Nigeria’s market. Renewable energy projects are not like conventional businesses in that they usually require patient capital which means longer repayment periods and flexible structures. Local financial institutions should also create products such as ‘pay-as-you-go’ or ‘lease-to-own’ models that reflect how renewable energy projects actually generate income.

In addition, we need stronger policy and regulatory frameworks. Streamlined approvals, enforceable contracts, predictable tariffs, and better coordination among regulators can make Nigeria a far more attractive destination for private investment.

Finally, leverage climate finance. Instruments such as green bonds, sukuks, and carbon markets represent an untapped pool of funding. When combined with private capital, these tools can significantly accelerate renewable energy expansion.

The future of Nigeria’s renewable energy sector depends not only on technology but also on finance. By reducing risks, strengthening policies, and being innovative in our financial design, the country can unlock billions in private investment. The prize is enormous; we will have affordable and reliable energy for households and businesses, reduced dependence on fossil fuels, and a cleaner, more sustainable economy. The path forward is clear, if we will take it.

Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited has disowned a suit filed on its behalf by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) , Anthony Aikhunegbe Malik, alleging it was done without authorisation.

In a letter to Malik, the firm stated that neither its board nor management approved the action purportedly filed by his law firm, A. A. Malik and Co, against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

The company demanded the withdrawal of the suit, requesting evidence of compliance.

It warned that failure to comply would lead to petitions to law enforcement agencies, the Body of Benchers, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee.

Houses for Africa also raised concerns about the transfer of the case from Court 38 to Court 37 in Jikwoyi, and the assignment of the matter to Justice Mohammed Zubairu of the FCT High Court, despite other pending cases on the same subject.

It described the process as questionable and urged the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to ensure that the integrity of ministerial decisions on the River Park Estate crisis was maintained.

The eighth edition of a Career, Business and Skill Acquisition (CABSA) initiative, combining grants, exhibitions, open markets exhibition and career clinics to support entrepreneurs and professionals in the country’s largest local government, Alimosho, kicked off yesterday. The five-day empowerment programme is powered by the Calvary Bible Church.

The Founder and General Overseer of the church, Dr. Olumide Emmanuel said at the event tagged ‘CABSA 8.0: The Alimosho Exhibition and Business Summit’, participants will benefit from free business consultancy, career guidance, wholesale markets, panel sessions and business showcases, while several entrepreneurs will also receive grants worth millions of naira.

He described CABSA as a transformational initiative that has evolved beyond skills training to become a hub for business and career growth.

‘Some of the exhibitors you see today came here eight years ago to learn soap-making or photography. They have now built businesses, employ others and are exhibiting their products. That’s the transformation we want to see,’ Emmanuel said.

CABSA, which began as a skills acquisition project during an Easter programme organized by the church, has grown into a multi-faceted empowerment platform. According to the wealth coach, its uniqueness this year lies in the Alimosho Exhibition, where entrepreneurs and businesses will connect directly with consumers and wholesalers.

Emmanuel explained that CABSA is not just a church project but a ‘strategic effort to put Alimosho on the global map’, noting that the community’s size and electoral influence made it central to Lagos and Nigeria’s socio-economic future.

‘Alimosho is the largest local government in the country. For 30 years I’ve told my people, we are not here by accident. We are here to say, Alimosho must be put on the global map. Together, we will change this,’ he said.

Although he could not quantify CABSA’s overall impact in monetary terms, the life coach however, stressed that the initiative had touched thousands of lives, created hundreds of entrepreneurs and strengthened businesses through grants and training.

He pointed to the church’s wider social projects, including 27 years of scholarship schemes and feeding initiatives through ‘Martha’s Kitchen’ since 2008, as proof of its long-standing commitment to community development.

‘In the business world, we measure by cost-benefit analysis. In the kingdom, it’s different. You can spend N100 million to win one soul because one soul is worth more than a $1trillion. Our focus is on transformed lives,’ Emmanuel added.

Meanwhile, exhibitors at CABSA 8.0 credited the platform with giving them visibility, confidence and direct customer engagement.

Fashion entrepreneur, Favour Ogedengbe, who recently graduated from a tertiary institution and now runs a clothing and skincare brand, said the programme had accelerated her business growth.

‘CABSA has really given me visibility. Unlike social media, here you see customers face-to-face, understand their needs, and grow your business in real terms. It has given me exposure at the right time,’ she said.

For Pertinence Group, the event was an opportunity to introduce its fintech innovation, Genius by Pettisave, designed to build saving cultures among SMEs.

‘The church has a significant role to play in society. Supporting businesses is one of the critical pillars of nation-building. This exhibition shows how the church can foster unity and enterprise development,’ the firm’s Assistant General Manager, Tolulope Oduselu said.

Food brand, Eagle Foods, also a first-time participant, said CABSA enabled them to sell healthy food products at wholesale prices, helping families cope with economic challenges.

‘CABSA is an impactful programme that builds confidence and helps businesses project themselves beyond Lagos to the world. It’s about growth, visibility, and encouraging entrepreneurs to aim higher,’ co-founder, Temitope Ayo-Joshua said.

Looking ahead, Emmanuel projected bigger grants and broader reach for future editions of CABSA.

‘When we started, we shared N20,000 grants. Today, we’re giving out millions. By CABSA 10.0, we may be talking about N20 million or N50 million in grants, with hundreds more entrepreneurs empowered and exhibiting their businesses,’ he said.

On government support, Emmanuel argued that effective institutions, not political handouts, were what the country needed. According to him, CABSA thrives on personal responsibility, partnerships, and sustainable structures rather than politics.

‘When government does its job, much of what we are doing won’t be necessary. But as long as there is a need, we will keep doing our part to transform lives,’ he stressed.