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In this report, BusinessDay Investigations found that despite billions of naira appropriated and spent by the Federal Government on security technology, several facilities have been abandoned, while fresh funds continue to be allocated to systems whose operational status remains unclear. SODIQ OJUROUNGBE writes

Arnong Freda, a Ghanaian based in Abuja, thought the commute home from her house fellowship near Maitama would be short, little did she know it would be her end.

Like every other evening, Freda boarded a taxi home on July 1, 2025, and found four men already seated inside. Unknown to her, it was a taxi operated by criminals posing as commuters to rob passengers, popularly called ‘one-chance’, that would soon veer off its route.

Hours later, Freda was found near the Moshood Abiola Stadium along Abuja’s Airport Road, blindfolded and badly beaten. She was rushed to the National Hospital, where she died six days later.

By then, the men who took her had disappeared, leaving police detectives little to piece together about her final journey.

Her death was one of many one-chance incidents where victims disappear along highways and roads while those responsible are rarely caught.

On the highway, the only security infrastructure that could have captured her journey stopped working less than two years after installation.

Across the country, commuters have been ambushed, abducted, or attacked while their assailants vanish without a trace.

According to Nextier, an intelligence and research firm, in 2024 alone, 2,452 people were kidnapped, with national highways featured among locations vulnerable to abductions.

Between July 2024 and June 2025, SBM Intelligence recorded 997 kidnapping incidents involving at least 4,722 abducted people and 762 deaths.

Beyond kidnapping, security incidents claimed 17,109 lives between January 2024 and August 2025, including 5,840 civilians, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).

While the Nigeria Police Force said it is expanding its use of technology, including telecom surveillance and device tracking, to fight kidnapping and violent crimes, BusinessDay Investigations traced some of these spendings from contract awards and budget allocations to commissioning records and physical locations.

The trail revealed deteriorating infrastructure, abandoned projects, and a lack of maintenance despite continuous spending on repairs over the years.

The technology meant to close the gaps

The Nigerian government has continued to invest in technology to strengthen policing, monitor movements, connect police formations and support emergency responses.

In 2010, the National Public Security Communication System awarded a $470 million security project to Chinese technology company ZTE.

The project was designed as a nationwide communications network, with about 2,000 surveillance cameras for Lagos and Abuja, hundreds of base stations, emergency communication, e-policing infrastructure, and command-and-control capabilities.

Beyond the $470 million system, government spending on technology-driven policing continued through subsequent projects, including the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Smart E-Policing Infrastructure at Force Headquarters and State CID formations nationwide, as well as the establishment and expansion of the Nigeria Police Command and Control Centre.

The 2025 executive budget proposal alone earmarked more than N516 million for Smart E-Policing.

But the trail after the contracts, budget approvals, and commissioning ceremonies was unclear.

Remnants of $470m project in Lagos

Our correspondent traced some of the locations where the security gadgets were installed in Lagos.

The installations were built on tall poles fitted with CCTV cameras, solar panels, and equipment cabinets intended to power and support the systems.

At Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park in Alausa, a security guard said maintenance workers who regularly checked the camera and associated equipment stopped visiting about five years ago.

‘Until about five years ago, they were always coming to check the camera and everything. But they stopped coming years ago,’ said the guard, who has worked around the axis for more than seven years.

At the Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, the signs of abandonment were more visible. Bundles of cables lay discarded beside the building, while some equipment cabinets had been left exposed to the weather.

Workers familiar with the installations told BusinessDay that the cables had been there for years. Around other facilities visited, vegetation had grown into and around the infrastructure, partly covering equipment that appeared to have been left without attention.

While some cameras and solar panels remained mounted, cables had been cut, removed or left hanging, and their equipment cabinets either damaged, left open or exposed to the weather.

BusinessDay observed cables lying in heaps beside some of the abandoned installations. At other locations, solar-powered surveillance cameras still stood above busy roads, while the equipment meant to support them below had deteriorated.

Billions budgeted for projects that ‘never started’

The uncertainty surrounding the abandoned security surveillance network did not end with the $470 million project.

Records examined by our correspondent for further investments in police technology showed that billions of naira continued to appear in federal budgets, while official project records give conflicting accounts of whether some of the projects had begun.

One of the projects was the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Modern Intelligent Smart E-Policing Infrastructure at the Force Headquarters in Abuja and State CID formations nationwide, tagged with budget code ERGP4103171.

The paper trail showed that the project code received allocations over several years, while the description attached to it changed.

In 2019, the project code received N122.37 million. The allocation rose to N602.27 million in 2020, followed by N134.63 million in 2021 and N825.43 million in 2022.

The 2023 budget records examined by BusinessDay listed the code as Smart E-Policing Infrastructure and provided N696.66 million, while the 2024 budget allocated N508.38 million.

The figures identified in those six budget years amount to about N2.89 billion.

While budget documents described the project as ongoing, there is no publicly available record that indicates whether the project was delivered.

BusinessDay Investigations observed a similar contradiction in the records of the Nigeria Police Command and Control Centre at Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The centre was publicly commissioned in 2019, yet the project-monitoring record for its establishment, under code ERGP4103135, continued to raise questions about its implementation status.

The 2020 Executive Budget Proposal, for instance, classified the establishment of the centre’s Phase 1 as an ongoing project and allocated N124.33 million to it.

Funding continued years after the commissioning. The 2025 Executive Budget Proposal earmarked N4.37 billion under the same project code for annual licensing, internet services, repairs and maintenance of Police Command and Control Centres.

Technology cost does not end with installation

The gaps in the records and infrastructure traced by BusinessDay also show that spending on security technology continues beyond installation to keep the systems operational.

The spending records obtained by this paper showed how the cost of security technology can continue long after installation.

It was observed that a system requires funds to operate and maintain it, and when equipment is allowed to deteriorate or fall out of use, further public money may be needed to restore or replace what had already been installed.

This responsibility falls within the work of the Nigeria Police Force’s ICT Department, which is responsible for deploying and maintaining communication networks and repairing police information and communications equipment nationwide.

For the three investments examined by BusinessDay, the trail moved in different directions.

It was discovered that while the $470 million NPSCS was completed before becoming dormant and later requiring revival, the Smart E-Policing project continued to receive budget allocations despite conflicting records about its implementation, and the Command and Control Centre was commissioned and later received fresh provisions for maintenance and expansion.

Findings by BusinessDay showed that the cost of security technology did not necessarily end when contracts were awarded or facilities commissioned.

Years later, government records were still carrying provisions for rehabilitation, maintenance and expansion, while parts of an earlier network had already deteriorated and the public trail for some later projects remained incomplete.

Meanwhile, security experts said the implications extend beyond project records and budget figures.

According to them, surveillance, communication and command systems are intended to preserve information and support responses when crimes occur. When those systems are unavailable, deteriorating, or difficult to account for, the gap can also affect what security agencies are able to trace afterwards.

Maintenance gaps weaken security technology

Timothy Avele, an OSINT and digital forensic consultant to the National Counter Terrorism Centre and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), said the failure of security technology often begins with how maintenance is treated from the start of a project.

According to Avele, maintenance should be funded and contracted as part of the initial procurement, with clear obligations on contractors to keep systems operational.

He said reliable power and connectivity, trained local technical personnel, and equipment suited to Nigeria’s heat, dust, flooding, and power fluctuations were also necessary to keep the systems working.

He said when surveillance and communication systems become dormant, the consequences extend beyond damaged equipment.

‘When such systems go dormant, there are investigative gaps when incidents are not captured,’ Avele said.

He added that a command and control network is only as effective as its weakest operational point.

For security agencies, he said, the loss of functioning cameras, communication links or other connected infrastructure can reduce the information available when an incident occurs and make it harder to reconstruct what happened afterwards.

Avele, who is also the Group Managing Director of AGXII Intelligence and Investigations Ltd and a cybersecurity expert, said government should also maintain independent technical audits and a live register showing the location, condition and maintenance history of each installation.

He noted such records would help authorities distinguish between equipment that needs routine repairs and systems that genuinely require replacement.

He also linked the problem to how government tracks security technology over its lifetime.

According to him, procurement records should be followed through installation, operation, maintenance, rehabilitation and eventual replacement.

Without that trail, Avele said, the government may not know what equipment it has, what has failed or whether a system needs to be repaired or replaced.

This, he said, could allow repeated rehabilitation spending without a clear account of why the original system stopped working.

No response

On September 15, 2026, BusinessDay contacted CSP Anietie Iniedu, the Police spokesperson, via calls, text messages and WhatsApp, but received no response.

Twenty-four hours later, our correspondent reached out again, only to receive an automated reply stating he was unavailable and directing enquiries to his assistant via a number provided.

This Newspaper contacted the assistant, who in turn referred us to a contact identified as RC5 Koji FPRO.

Calls and messages sent to that contact had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.

BusinessDay also sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Nigeria Police Force and the Ministry of Police Affairs on October 2nd; no response has been received after the seven-day timeframe required by law has lapsed.

Efforts to strengthen food security and transform livestock production have received a major boost as the Federal Government completes 21 model veterinary hospitals across 21 States to improve animal health and raise productivity in the sector.

Idi Mukhtar Maiha, Minister of Livestock Development, who spoke while inaugurating one of the hospitals in Ondo Town, Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State, said the hospitals were to reposition Nigeria’s livestock sector as a major driver of national economic growth, food security, employment generation, and sustainable livelihood.

According to him, the hospitals are constructed and equipped through the World Bank-supported Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES).

‘These hospitals are dear to President Tinubu, with plans to extend similar interventions to the remaining 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Very soon, every local government will have one fully functional veterinary clinic.

‘Mr President’s directive is that veterinary services should be running after the farmers, stay ahead of the farmer’s needs, and not the other way round. We are conscious of this, and we are bringing these facilities to the last miles.

‘Our vision is to ensure that veterinary services are not confined to government facilities, but are accessible to farmers wherever production and commercial activities take place,’ Maiha said.

The minister, therefore, called on State Governments to continue strengthening the self-veterinary workforce through the recruitment and deployment of additional veterinarians and veterinary professionals.

‘Today we have one veterinary doctor to 10,000 animals. That is not acceptable. We must reduce the number.

‘We want good meat. We want healthy meat. We also want to access the international red meat market. We must reduce our disease burden and control all zoonotic diseases,’ he said.

Earlier, Sanusi Abubakar, National Project Coordinator (NPC) L-PRES, said the facilities were intended for expanded access to quality veterinary service and bring professional animal healthcare closer to livestock farmers in the country.

Abubakar also said the project was coordinated by the national and state project coordination office to enhance livestock production, healthcare and marketing.

‘The modern livestock market is a strategic investment in the value chain and the facilities will create economic opportunities for farmers, transporters, and processors,’ he said.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who also spoke at the event, commended the Federal Government, saying the project was a testament to the collaboration between federal and state governments in transforming Nigeria’s livestock sector.

Governor Aiyedatiwa, represented by Leye Akinola, State Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, urged farmers, traders and stakeholders to take full advantage of the hospital and the modern livestock market inaugurated with it.

He explained that the establishment would increase commercial activities, improve access to markets, enhance opportunity for livestock farmers and ensure greater economic benefit for the host community and the state at large.

Similarly, the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Victor Kiladejo, commended the Federal Government for establishing the hospital in the town.

He assured that all measures would be taken to ensure maintenance and the fulfilment of Federal Government aspirations.

The Federal Government has unveiled plans to establish three lithium processing factories in Nasarawa, Kaduna and Abuja as part of efforts to position Nigeria in the global critical minerals and battery manufacturing value chain.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, warning that Nigeria must not continue exporting strategic minerals in their raw form only to import finished products manufactured from those resources at significantly higher prices.

Shettima, who was represented by Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Economic Affairs, made the disclosure while delivering the opening address at the international conference on AfCFTA and the Geoeconomics of African States: Integration, Power and Structural Transformation.

He said the global competition for critical minerals, energy security, semiconductors and artificial intelligence had fundamentally changed international trade, making it increasingly important for countries to control strategic resources and secure positions across global production networks.

According to him, trade is no longer driven exclusively by conventional economic considerations but is increasingly shaped by geopolitical competition, national security interests and the pursuit of technological supremacy.

‘The contest for critical minerals, energy security, semiconductors, artificial intelligence or, as Nancy advised us, superintelligence, advancing manufacturing and technological supremacy has changed the character of global commerce,’ he said.

He noted that export controls, sanctions, tariffs, industrial subsidies and restrictions on technology transfers had become instruments of economic statecraft, requiring African countries to rethink their approach to international trade.

Shettima argued that natural resources alone could not guarantee economic prosperity, stressing that the ability to process, transform and manufacture products from those resources was what ultimately generated greater economic value.

‘The uncomfortable truth is that Africa has often supplied the raw materials for the prosperity of others, while importing the finished products at much higher prices.

‘We export cocoa and import chocolate. We export crude oil and import refined petroleum products until very recently, with the momentous changes that we have seen in that sector as a result of the coming on board of Dangote and some other refineries,’ he said.

He also cited the exportation of minerals that are subsequently processed abroad into batteries, electronics and sophisticated industrial products as evidence of Africa’s structural disadvantage in global trade.

It was in this context that he disclosed President Bola Tinubu’s support for the establishment of three lithium processing factories in Nasarawa, Kaduna and Abuja, although he did not provide details of their investment value, ownership structure, implementation timelines or production capacity.

Shettima said Nigeria must move beyond the extraction of lithium and other strategic minerals to developing the industrial capacity required to process them and manufacture components for the global battery and clean energy industries.

The Vice-President maintained that Africa’s greatest opportunity lay in moving from primary commodity production to higher-value manufacturing, advanced technology and knowledge-based services.

He outlined a progression from primary production, including agriculture, minerals and crude oil, to secondary production involving processing, refining, fabrication and manufacturing.

Beyond these, he identified transport, logistics, finance, insurance and professional services as important areas of economic activity, while highlighting research and development, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, advanced engineering, intellectual property and data science as increasingly important sources of global value.

‘Our ambition must be to participate across the entire spectrum,’ he said.

He cited cocoa as another example, arguing that African countries should move beyond exporting cocoa beans to producing chocolate, cosmetics, food ingredients and other derivatives while developing their own brands, logistics and distribution networks.

Shettima also said the same approach should apply to agriculture, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, automobiles and digital services.

On industrialisation, he stressed that Africa must adopt modern production systems capable of competing in an era of automation, artificial intelligence and rapidly evolving technologies.

‘Industrialisation does not happen by declaration. It requires capable institutions, infrastructure, skills, finance, technology and sustained collaboration between government and the private sector,’ he said.

He added that modern industrialisation should not involve reproducing outdated manufacturing systems but building competitive industries that can thrive in the emerging global economy.

‘Africa must industrialise intelligently, not nostalgically,’ he said.

The Vice-President further described the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as one of the continent’s most consequential economic initiatives, capable of creating a larger integrated market, supporting economies of scale, attracting investment and strengthening Africa’s bargaining position in international trade.

However, he warned that signing trade agreements would not automatically translate into economic integration, noting that African businesses continued to face expensive border procedures, fragmented standards, poor transport connections, inadequate electricity, limited trade finance and persistent non-tariff barriers.

‘A free trade area that is difficult to cross is free only on paper,’ he said.

He called for the development of regional production networks in which African countries could specialise and cooperate in manufacturing goods and services for continental and international markets.

He also urged African governments to harmonise standards, improve customs administration, strengthen regional payment systems and invest in transport, energy and digital infrastructure to reduce the cost of doing business across borders.

Shettima identified strategic value chains, productive infrastructure, long-term financing, human capital development and collective trade negotiations as priorities for African governments seeking to benefit from AfCFTA.

He said African development banks, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, commercial banks and private investors should be encouraged to finance productive enterprises, industrial parks, technology adoption and export-oriented businesses.

He also maintained that Nigeria and other African countries needed to strengthen their technical capacity and coordination to negotiate international trade agreements from positions of informed strength.

Addressing African WTO Chairs, Shettima urged universities and research institutions to move beyond academic analysis and provide practical recommendations that could guide government policies and business decisions.

He said the continent needed research on the implications of emerging global trade regulations, opportunities in new technologies and the economic costs of remaining outside strategic value chains.

‘The measure of our success should not be the number of conferences we hold or papers we publish. It should be the extent to which AfCFTA increases trade, our policy strengthens production and our production improves the lives of our people,’ he said.

He concluded that Africa must move from market access to market power by developing the productive capabilities required to create, rather than merely export, economic value.

Also speaking, former President Goodluck Jonathan said Africa must move beyond the ambition of creating a single continental market to building an integrated productive economy capable of generating jobs, improving productivity and increasing the continent’s influence in global trade.

Jonathan, who was represented by John-Kennedy Opara, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), , said the AfCFTA offered an important opportunity to overcome the fragmentation of African markets and strengthen cooperation among countries.

He, however, warned that the existence of a continental free trade agreement would not automatically deliver economic transformation without deliberate policies, effective institutions, infrastructure, financing and sustained political commitment.

‘Our task is not merely to create one African market. It is to create one African productive economy,’ he said.

The former President said Africa had for decades participated in international trade largely as an exporter of primary commodities and an importer of manufactured products and sophisticated technologies, a pattern that had limited the continent’s ability to capture greater value from its natural resources.

He argued that Africa’s bargaining power in the global economy would depend less on the resources beneath its soil than on its capacity to transform them into productive assets.

‘Africa’s greatest bargaining power will not come from the resources beneath the soil alone, but from its ability to transform those resources into productive capacity,’ Jonathan said.

He called for greater local value addition, industrial development and stronger African enterprises, warning that competition among African countries should not undermine their collective negotiating position in international economic relations.

Jonathan identified agricultural transformation, industrialisation, human capital development and inclusive economic participation as priority areas requiring attention under the continental trade arrangement.

On food security, he urged African countries to move beyond exporting agricultural commodities in their raw form and invest in agro-processing, modern farming systems, storage facilities and integrated food value chains.

Meanwhile, Jumoke Oduwole, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, called for stronger coordination among governments, regulators, businesses and research institutions to address the practical obstacles preventing African enterprises from benefiting fully from the AfCFTA.

Oduwole, who was represented by Nda Ali, Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, said trade preferences alone could not resolve the challenges confronting businesses that struggled to obtain certificates of origin, identify buyers and move goods across borders at competitive costs.

She said Nigeria was working through its AfCFTA Coordination Office to bring trade partners, institutions and private-sector operators together to identify obstacles and develop practical solutions.

According to her, Nigeria’s subnational engagement, cargo business initiatives, export relations and participation in AfCFTA trade arrangements were intended to bring the implementation of the continental agreement closer to businesses.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Osun State Council, has directed its affiliate unions to commence a three-day sympathy strike in support of Local Government workers over the continued withholding of statutory allocations to councils in the State.

In a statement jointly signed by Christopher Arapasopo, State Chairperson of the NLC and Victor Amusan, Secretary, the Congress said the industrial action followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government and the Osun State Government by the labour movement to resolve the dispute over local government funds.

They said the issues raised in the ultimatum remains unresolved despite the expiration of the deadline.

The statement partly read, ‘Following the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government and Osun State Government over the continued withholding of Local Government statutory allocations, the Congress regrets to inform all affiliate unions that the issues raised remain unresolved.

‘Consequently, having exhausted all reasonable avenues and in accordance with the resolutions reached at the emergency meeting of the State Executive Council (SEC) held on Wednesday, 28th October, 2026, ALL AFFILIATE UNIONS OF THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC), OSUN STATE COUNCIL, ARE HEREBY DIRECTED TO PROCEED ON THE THREE-DAY SYMPATHY STRIKE IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE NIGERIA UNION

OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (NULGE), OSUN STATE COUNCIL.

‘Accordingly, all affiliate unions are directed to immediately communicate this directive in writing to their members and ensure total and full compliance across all workplaces.

‘Any union found deliberately working against or undermining this directive shall face appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with the provisions of the Congress. All unions are enjoined to demonstrate maximum solidarity, unity and commitment to the collective struggle for the protection of workers’ rights and welfare.

‘We must emphasise that an injury to one is an injury to all. The continued hardship confronting our comrades in NULGE is a collective concern of the entire labour movement, and our response must reflect our shared commitment to workers’ rights, dignity, welfare and economic security.’

Eleven innovator startups have received N300 million reward at the seventh edition of Wema Bank’s Hackaholics programme. Hackaholics is designed to fund technology-driven solutions and support entrepreneurship in Nigeria.

The awards were presented at the grand finale of Hackaholics 7.0, themed Festival of the Future, held in Lagos on November 6, 2026. The competition attracted 5,329 participants, generating 1,632 ideas across seven centres nationwide, with 21 finalists competing in four categories: Startup/Ideathon, Social Impact, Women-Led and Hackathon.

Tony Niteon Nwose, founder of Niteon, emerged overall winner, receiving the N60 million grand prize for an agricultural technology platform connecting farmers to processors, financial services and markets.

Other major beneficiaries included Emmanuel Adeboje of Acceede, who received N40 million for an education-focused solution, and Kabir Olaosebikan of Craft Planet, awarded N40 million for converting plastic waste into sustainable building materials.

In the women-led category, Zainab Boluwatife Adeagbo of MamaAlert won N20 million for her digital healthcare solution, while Kelvin Nnadi of Neural Forge received N30 million for an AI-powered medical diagnostic innovation in the Hackathon category.

Moruf Oseni, managing director/CEO, Wema Bank, said the N300 million investment demonstrated the financial institution’s confidence in young Nigerian innovators and their capacity to drive economic growth.

He said the hackaholics would continue to provide entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship, industry exposure and networks to transform promising ideas into scalable businesses.

Launched in 2019, Wema Bank’s hackaholics has recorded over 21,000 applicants across seven editions and supported more than 10,000 startups across three countries.

The Oyo State Government has launched the Oyo State Reforestation Plan (OYRP) to restore degraded forest resources, expand forest cover and promote environmental sustainability across the State.

According to Ademola Aderinto, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources and chief host of the programme, the goal is to ensure that forest resources lost in the past due to mismanagement, illegal encroachment and other unauthorised activities are restored.

He said Oyo State had identified a deficit of 240 million trees and was taking the necessary steps to address the challenge through a 10-year reforestation plan.

Aderinto explained that the Reforestation Summit would become an annual event where stakeholders would assess progress, identify outstanding challenges and determine further actions needed to achieve the target.

He added that the initiative was also aimed at addressing climate change, noting that the state was determined to take the lead in Nigeria’s efforts towards environmental restoration.

He said the Oyo State Government is open to partnerships to ensure a safer environment.

The commissioner promised to engage schools, train students and compensate schools that establish more trees within their premises. He added that the government is working to ensure that every corp member posted to Oyo State plant at least one tree before the end of the service year. The best corps member, based on the number of trees planted and maintained, would also receive cash prizes and awards.

Aderinto urged all stakeholders to join hands in achieving the set goals.

The commissioner appreciated His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, for making the programme a reality. He also appreciated the management and staff of his ministry and all the stakeholders present.

Earlier in his welcome address, Sunday Akinwale Moradeyo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, appreciated Governor Seyi Makinde for approving the relocation of the Forestry Department from the then Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in 2019.

He said the move had created better opportunities for the department in terms of government attention, support and resource allocation.

He noted that, for the first time in its history, the Director of Forestry would be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP), as one of the state representative.

Moradeyo attributed the progress to the efforts of the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Hon. Ademola Aderinto, particularly his commitment to tree planting. He recalled how the commissioner regularly requested trees for planting at different locations, describing this as a demonstration of his passion for environmental protection.

He also disclosed that the Reforestation Plan was initiated by the commissioner, adding that the department had benefited directly from intervention projects through the Federal Ministry of Environment and related agencies.

He said the public-private partnership arrangement offered a more sustainable approach to restoring forests, expanding forest cover and returning degraded lands to productive use.

According to him, relying solely on government ownership and management of forest resources at the sub-national level was no longer sufficient to tackle deforestation and forest degradation, which also threaten the livelihoods of individuals and stakeholders whose economic activities depend on forest resources.

During the stakeholders’ engagement meeting, themed ‘Shared Responsibility for a Greener Oyo State: Financing Restoration through Public-Private Partnership,’ stakeholders called for an evaluation of the measures already put in place and their continuous monitoring. They maintained that a well-managed forest reserve would contribute to improved security.

They urged the Oyo State Government to revive the compartmentalisation arrangement, which was previously adopted to monitor the forests in the area.

They also called for full collaboration among all stakeholders, noting that this would help curb kidnapping by ensuring that the forests are properly monitored and secured, thereby supporting the government’s efforts.

The stakeholders further urged the State Government to establish a committee comprising representatives of all forest users to ensure the sustainability of the reforestation plan. They also expressed their readiness to work with the state government towards improving forestry management in the state.

The programme was attended by the Commissioner, Ministry of Lands and Urban Development, Williams Akinfunmilayo; directors from different ministries; and representatives of FRIN, CENRAD, OYSIPA, the Department of Social and Environmental Forestry, University of Ibadan, the Department of Forest Production and Protection, University of Ibadan, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Forestry Association of Nigeria, Head of Forest Centre, IITA, sawmillers, timber contractors, charcoal dealers and other stakeholders.

Five small business entrepreneurs have received a N10 million grant each from Fire Data Limited to assist them grow their businesses and contribute to the economic development of Nigeria.

The entrepreneurs were picked after a Business Growth and Data Clarity (BGDC) session during which every participant went through a commercial framework and a real-time data profile was created for each business, connecting them to capital, advisory and business intelligence infrastructure.

Speaking at the presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries, Lydia Emeka, founder of Fire Data Limited, said over 1,000 businesses applied, out of which the five successful five were selected.

She added that the initiative was to provide a platform for small businesses to grow, noting that a structure has been put in place to monitor the growth of the beneficiaries and how they use the grant.

‘We wanted to provide a platform that makes everybody grow as a unified system. It’s high time that we begin to grow as a unified system. These grant recipients were selected, not just because they could speak the best English but because of their ability and what the data from the back-end shows us,’ she said.

Lydia further said the company is targeting 5,000 SMEs in the future and called on more corporate organisations to support Fire Data to achieve its target.

One of the partners, Banire Olayinka, commended Lydia and Fire Data for empowering small business owners with the grant.

He also urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the grant, grow their businesses and later support other small business owners.

‘We are witnessing the mindset of a young person who is highly intelligent, capable and genuinely compassionate. It takes an empathetic mindset to undertake something of this nature. We can change people’s mindsets and empower individuals to grow without necessarily depending on the government. We are also looking forward to creating opportunities for more people to benefit from grants and for the second cohort to emerge. This is how we can collectively reduce poverty and give more people the opportunity to achieve their dreams,’ Banire said.

One of the beneficiaries, Obiefule Lawrence, who owns a small confectionery, thanked Fire Data ‘for this opportunity and the gift of the grant.’

‘In times like this for businesses like ours, N10 million goes a long way. In the next year, we will grow. We are looking forward to the future in Nigeria’s business space,’ he said.

Olubunmi Badejo, who is into the fashion business, said she felt ‘blessed to be among the recipients of this grant.’

‘With the current economic situation, a N10m grant is a huge relief for any brand. I want to assure Fire Data that they are helping us to build a community of brands,’ she said.

Kunle Ahmed, chief executive officer of AXA Mansard Insurance Plc, is strengthening the company’s position for market leadership through a strategic focus on innovation, customer-centric services, institutional resilience and efforts to deepen insurance penetration in Nigeria.

Under his leadership, AXA Mansard has continued to pursue a business strategy centred on making insurance more accessible, improving customer experience and building a resilient institution capable of responding to changing market demands.

Ahmed’s approach also reflects his broader commitment to the development of Nigeria’s insurance industry, drawing on his experience as a former chairman of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), where he contributed to industry collaboration and initiatives aimed at strengthening public confidence in insurance.

His leadership and contributions to the sector have earned him the Outstanding Insurance Brand Personality of the Decade recognition , acknowledging his role in advancing insurance development and promoting greater awareness of risk protection. Reacting to the recognition, Ahmed said the achievement reflected the collective efforts of stakeholders working to strengthen the industry and demonstrate the value of insurance to more Nigerians.

‘I am honoured to receive this recognition . I see it not only as a milestone but as an acknowledgement of the collective work being done to strengthen Nigeria’s insurance industry and demonstrate the value of protection to more people,’ he said.

He noted that his experience at AXA Mansard and the NIA had reinforced the importance of collaboration, innovation and sustained efforts to build trust in insurance.

According to him, despite the progress recorded by the industry, more work is required to improve penetration and make insurance protection accessible and relevant to individuals, families and businesses.

He also expressed appreciation to colleagues at AXA Mansard, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), industry trade associations and other professionals for their contributions to the sector’s development, describing the recognition as encouragement to sustain efforts towards industry growth.

Reacting on behalf of the company, Omowunmi Mabel-Adewusi, general counsel and human resources director of AXA Mansard, said the recognition reflected Ahmed’s commitment to excellence, innovation and building enduring institutions.

She said his leadership had strengthened the company’s ambition to build a resilient, customer-focused and purpose-led business.

‘We are delighted to see Kunle receive this recognition. It reflects his commitment to excellence, innovation and the continued development of the insurance industry.

‘His leadership at AXA Mansard has helped strengthen our focus on building a resilient, customer-focused and purpose-led business. We are proud of his contributions and the example he continues to set for our organisation and the sector,’ Mabel-Adewusi said.