Kano State’s Sardauna College of Health Sciences and Technology has named its administrative building after Dr Faruk Umar, investor and philanthropist.
The college, in a statement, said it named the building “Dr. Umar Faruk Administrative Block,” following his commitment to education, community growth and quality healthcare.
Provost, Najaatu Abdullahi, said the honour illustrated the college’s belief in Umar’s vision of empowering minds.
She said the college would confer the honour on Umar and unveil the building at its convocation tomorrow.
The school provides programmes in Community Health Extension Work, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Public Health, Dispensing Opticianry, and Health Information Management.
“This act, endorsed by the Governing Council, immortalises a life of monumental service—a life dedicated to elevation of knowledge, integrity of governance, and the relentless pursuit of community and national advancement,” it said.
The college noted Umar’s scholarly profile as Harvard Business School Certified Corporate Director, Fellow of Nigerian Institute of Directors and a Doctorate from University of Wisconsin in U.S. Umar also attended executive programmes at some world foremost institutions, including INSEAD, Stanford, and London Business School.
“His career is a tapestry of transformation: from shaping minds as lecturer, to steering state policy as permanent secretary, to governing institutions like Nigerian Exchange Limited and Ashaka Cement. Beyond boardrooms, he has contributed to seminal reviews of key legislation like Companies and Allied Matters Act.
“While Dr Umar’s accolades span sectors, it is his core ethos that resonates most powerfully with our college. He is an educator and an institution-builder. His lifelong advocacy for quality education, ethical professional development, and robust systemic frameworks underpins the advancement of all fields, including the vital science of healthcare. He has cultivated the fertile ground in which institutions like ours grow and thrive, it said.
“To name a building is to inscribe values in stone and glass. The “Dr. Umar Faruk Administrative Block” will stand not just as a facility, but as a permanent testament to a legacy defined by intellect, integrity, and indelible contribution. It will serve as a daily inspiration to every student who walks our halls and a guiding standard for every member of our faculty and staff,” the college stated.
world Bank–assisted Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project has begun a six-day training for 300 butchers, meat sellers and processors in Ondo State, to improve hygiene standards and curb illegal slaughtering practice.
The training, organised with Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Sailance International, is holding in Akure.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Commissioner for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources, Leye Akinola, said the programme targets value-chain actors in animal husbandry to ensure operations at abattoirs meet international standards.
Akinola said the training would promote hygienic meat processing and prevent transmission of animal-borne diseases to humans.
“This programme is an opportunity to educate those rearing and slaughtering animals meant for human consumption. It goes beyond boosting production to addressing public health concerns,” he said.
He lamented that “anthrax” and other “zoonotic” infections pose threats to humans when hygiene standards are compromised.
“So, we are training them on safe hygiene so the meat we consume is healthy. Health is wealth, and that is why governments, with support from the bank, are committed to this programme,” Akinola added.
He urged participants to take the training seriously and apply the knowledge gained, noting that improved hygiene would enhance productivity and attract more customers.
The commissioner also said the state was would establish a traceability system to monitor animals from entry to slaughter, ensuring only those that meet standards are processed for consumption.
National Project Coordinator, Sanusi Abubakar, said the training aligns with international safety requirements and will unlock opportunities for our meat in markets abroad.
Abubakar, represented by the project’s Livestock Value Chain Consultant, Mrs Heather-Ronke Akanni, stressed that meeting global standards in production, processing and packaging was crucial for accessing international markets.
She noted that the workshop was aimed at adding value to existing practices, improving technique, and opening new market opportunities for butchers and processors.
“We want to upscale what they are doing so it can meet international standards. This is not only for local consumption but also for export,” she said.
The Ondo State Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Mr Olufemi Adeogun, said the training was part of deliberate efforts to improve hygiene across the meat value chain and would be replicated in the Northern and Southern Senatorial Districts of the state.
According to him, poor hygiene practices among meat handlers pose serious risks to public health.
“If something is wrong with what we eat, it will affect our health. That is why participants are expected to apply what they have learnt here in their workplaces,” Adeogun said.
The Lead Consultant and Resource Person, Mr Rotimi Olaoluwa of Sailance International, trained participants on Good Hygiene Practices, Good Manufacturing Practices and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.
He emphasised personal hygiene, safe water use, proper cleaning methods, pest control, waste disposal, and regular health screening, noting that contaminated environments directly affect meat safety.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Butchers, Ondo State chapter, Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde, commended the initiative and urged butchers and slaughterhouse operators to comply strictly with environmental and health regulations.
Ayinde, however, said adherence to approved standards would protect public health, improve the image of the butchers’ profession, and boost public confidence in meat sold across the state.
When Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo took the oath of office in November 2024, he inherited an education sector burdened by years of neglect — collapsing classrooms, demoralized teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and struggling tertiary institutions. Today, just over a year later, the narrative has changed dramatically. Edo State’s education system is now undergoing one of its most ambitious transformations in decades, and it is this sweeping turnaround that has earned Governor Okpebholo the New Telegraph Award for Best in Education.
This recognition is also a clear validation of his administration’s SHINE Agenda, the development blueprint guiding governance in Edo State. Education sits at the heart of SHINE because it drives every other sector — security, economic growth, innovation, social stability, and sustainable development. Okpebholo’s reforms show that SHINE is not a slogan, but a working framework delivering visible results.
For many observers of the Okpebholo government, the award is not a surprise. Education has emerged as one of the strongest pillars of his administration, not just in words but in measurable action. From early childhood to tertiary education, his government has rolled out policies and programmes that are redefining how learning is delivered, funded, and experienced across the state — all in line with SHINE’s focus on human capital development and social advancement.
At the heart of this reform is a simple but powerful belief: no society can rise above the quality of its education. Okpebholo made this principle central to his governance blueprint, treating education not as a social service alone but as an economic and developmental investment — a core objective of the SHINE Agenda’s prosperity and empowerment pillars.
The governor’s first major moves was a statewide audit of public schools. What emerged was a sobering picture — dilapidated buildings, leaking roofs, broken furniture, poor sanitation, and learning environments that discouraged both teachers and students. Rather than issue routine statements, the administration moved quickly into action, reflecting SHINE’s emphasis on action-oriented governance and institutional renewal.
Within his first 100 days in office, Okpebholo launched a massive school rehabilitation programme that targeted over 100 schools across Edo State. Classrooms were rebuilt, roofs replaced, water facilities restored, toilets upgraded, and school fences repaired. This was not cosmetic intervention. The goal was to create safe, functional, and dignified learning spaces where students could thrive and teachers could teach with pride — a practical expression of SHINE’s infrastructure and social development pillars.
As the months passed, the rehabilitation programme expanded. More schools were added, especially in rural communities in the three senatorial districts, that had suffered years of abandonment. Science laboratories were refurbished, and digital learning tools began to find their way into classrooms. The physical transformation of schools has become one of the most visible legacies of the Okpebholo administration and a clear reflection of SHINE’s commitment to equitable development across all communities.
But infrastructure alone does not educate children — teachers do. Recognising this, the governor placed teacher welfare and recruitment at the centre of his education reforms. Thousands of teachers who had served on contract for years were converted to permanent staff, bringing long-awaited job security and regular income. New teachers were recruited to fill staffing gaps, reduce classroom overcrowding, and improve learning outcomes — aligning directly with SHINE’s human capital and social protection objectives.
For many educators, this shift marked a turning point. Teachers who once struggled with irregular pay and poor working conditions now speak of renewed motivation and professional pride. Training programmes were also introduced to upgrade teaching skills, align classroom practices with modern standards, and prepare educators for digital learning environments — supporting SHINE’s innovation and capacity-building goals.
While basic education received urgent attention, Okpebholo did not overlook the crisis facing tertiary institutions. Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, the flagship state university, had been grappling with chronic underfunding, unpaid salaries, infrastructure decay, and student unrest. The administration responded decisively by increasing the institution’s monthly subvention from N41 million to N500 million — a historic jump that instantly stabilised operations and demonstrated SHINE’s focus on institutional sustainability and economic growth through education.
With improved funding, staff salaries were cleared, academic activities normalised, and critical infrastructure projects revived. Plans for a 1,500-seat lecture theatre and a 600-bed hostel were unveiled, aimed at easing overcrowding and improving student welfare. Administrative bottlenecks that had delayed the graduation and induction of medical and nursing students were resolved, allowing hundreds of young Edo citizens to proceed to national service after years of uncertainty — reinforcing SHINE’s vision of opportunity, inclusion, and social mobility.
The governor’s reforms extended beyond funding to systemic efficiency. Digitalisation was introduced into student records, certificate verification, and academic documentation, reducing fraud and making it easier for graduates to access their credentials anywhere in the world. This aligns squarely with SHINE’s innovation pillar, positioning Edo State’s education system for global competitiveness.
Access and inclusion have also defined Okpebholo’s education agenda. Recognising the dangers posed by out-of-school children, especially in underserved communities, the administration rolled out initiatives designed to bring young people back into classrooms. Free learning materials, community engagement campaigns, and partnerships with federal agencies were deployed to reduce dropout rates and expand enrolment — advancing SHINE’s commitment to inclusive development and social equity.
In higher education, collaboration with the Federal Government’s NELFund programme ensured that students were no longer sent home due to unpaid fees, easing the burden on families and allowing students to focus on their studies rather than survival. This reflects SHINE’s core belief that economic hardship should not block access to opportunity.
Another distinctive feature of Okpebholo’s education policy is the reintroduction of indigenous languages into school curricula. By reviving the teaching of Edo languages, the administration is strengthening cultural identity, preserving heritage, and enriching students’ cognitive development. This move aligns with SHINE’s emphasis on social cohesion, cultural sustainability, and community inclusion.
Vocational and technical education has also received renewed attention. The administration is repositioning technical colleges and skills acquisition centres to meet modern labour market demands, ensuring that students who choose vocational pathways graduate with employable skills. This approach aligns education with job creation, entrepreneurship, and economic diversification — key pillars of the SHINE Agenda.
Beyond policies and projects, what stands out is the coherence of the governor’s education strategy. Infrastructure, teacher welfare, student access, tertiary revitalisation, digital innovation, and cultural inclusion are not treated as isolated interventions but as interconnected components of a single vision: to build an education system that produces competent, confident, and competitive citizens — the human foundation of SHINE’s prosperity goals.
This holistic approach has not gone unnoticed. National leaders, education stakeholders, and international partners have commended Edo State’s progress under Okpebholo. The state’s Commissioner for Education has also received international recognition, reflecting the global resonance of the reforms underway and the credibility of Edo’s education transformation.
It is against this backdrop that New Telegraph’s decision to honour Governor Monday Okpebholo with the Best in Education Award must be understood. The award is not based on promises or political rhetoric but on visible, measurable, and impactful transformation across the education sector — and on the clear alignment of these reforms with the SHINE Agenda.
In just over a year, Edo State has moved from educational stagnation to purposeful renewal. Schools that were once unsafe are now functional. Teachers who were once uncertain about their future now work with stability and confidence. Students who faced exclusion now have renewed access to learning. Universities that were once in crisis are now regaining stability and academic focus.
For parents, the changes mean safer schools, better teachers, and brighter prospects for their children. For teachers, it means dignity, job security, and professional growth. For students, it means opportunity, hope, and the tools to compete in an increasingly complex world.
As Governor Okpebholo prepares to receive the New Telegraph Best in Education Award, the honour serves as both recognition and responsibility — recognition of achievements already recorded and responsibility to sustain and expand these gains. The education sector is dynamic, and reform is a continuous process. But if the past year is any indication, Edo State’s future under Okpebholo’s leadership looks intellectually brighter and structurally stronger.
In a country where education often struggles for attention amidst competing priorities, Edo State is proving that with focused leadership, political will, and strategic investment, meaningful change is possible. That is why Governor Monday Okpebholo is being celebrated — not just as a politician, but as an education reformer whose work, guided by the SHINE Agenda, is reshaping lives, communities, and the future of Edo State.
•Ebojele is the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo
The World Bank, and International Monetary Find (IMF), have reeled out positive outlook for Nigeria in 2026:2027, projecting a 4.4% growth with positive headline inflation, and food inflation trajectories as well as other macroeconomic indices indicating positive economic recovery. However, it is essential that we also take notes of some alerts by the World Bank, and IMF, so as to ensure that the macro economic trajectory is sustained and upscaled, and to also avoid what I call socio-economic “reflux”, especially considering the fact that we are in an election year. However, it is also important that we upscale Nigeria’s growth rate as soon as possible, so that we can achieve the actual economic growth rate that is desired to really turn around the economy of Nigeria in the mid to long term.
Furthermore, while the macroeconomics indicators are very important, the microeconomic indicators and the impacts on the common man in Nigeria, are most critical. For instance, the World Bank report also projected that there will be further increase of poverty in northeastern Nigeria. And we should also not forget that the over 140 million multidimensionally poor Nigerians have not really significantly been reduced, even according to the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). So these are crucial points we need to take note of while we are celebrating the positive macroeconomic trends and outlook.
We must also interrogate the overall performance of the economy, i.e, macro and micro, so as to ensure that, the average Nigerian is really feeling the impacts of those economic indicators, and to hedge against insecurity and the escalation of poverty, in the northeast as mentioned by World Bank, etc. ,
In my view, here are some critical success factors:
Fiscal Discipline:
I have been consistently advocating that there is the urgent need to properly align Nigeria’s fiscal policy with the monetary policy. And we can only achievement of the fiscal policy with the monetary policy, if the federal government entrenches fiscal discipline. Indeed the lack of fiscal discipline had been the bane successive administrations in Nigeria including the incumbent. That is why we have not been able to achieve that level of growth and consistency required to fully recover and grow Nigeria’s economy.
Fiscal discipline include; how we rein in the national income, how we spend the money, what our priorities are, issues of budget padding, how we prioritize and manage our capital expenditure. Certainly, the lack of fiscal discipline is why Nigeria is currently, simultaneously operating three different budgets, which further complicate the economic situation.
For example, for the first time in a long time in Nigeria, local contractors have gone on strike and have carrying placards, demanding for the payment of the backlog of payments of contacts awarded and executed as far back as 2024. Interestingly, we the Honorable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Chief Wale Edun, has stated about a week ago that about N1.8trillion have been earmarked to pay contractors (foreign and local). These are indications of lack fiscal discipline, which is negatively impacting and is misaligned with the current Monetary policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Therefore, there should be policy cohesion, policy coherence, and policy coordination amongst and across MDAs. The federal government should also ensure that while we are making the progress, the gains are penetrating into the economy and making the desired impacts. Because no matter how well we want to talk about how the economy is doing, the fact that we are operating three budgets in the same year should not be the practice and should not be acceptable. Unless and until we are able to address those fundamental issues, we will not be able to have traction.
Meanwhile, while 4.4% rate projected is good good as it sounds; the truth is that, the growth rate will not actually make Nigeria a $1 trillion economy as quickly as possible, which is what will actually really turn around the economy. We need at least an annual growth rate of from 7% to something about 8.5% consistently for the next to four years and beyond to nearly achieved the objective.
So there’s a lot of work to be done. Interestingly, we have an election year. Politicking will take a chunk of the time of the administration. I hope that the federal government will remain focused on achieving sustainable micro economic impacts , to hedge against the opposition political parties, while they are doing the politicking so that people will really appreciate that they are doing something that is making sense to them, not just for the macroeconomic indicators or for analysts like us.
Full Activation of the Local Governments Autonomy and Administration:
Local Government administration is also part of national fiscal framework, because fiscal discipline is also addressing the constitutional provision for allocation of resources. And the local government is a crucial part of that.
For many years, that particular level of government, has been used as a special purpose vehicle for corruption, or for alienating the people. I am happy that, despite resistance by some state governors, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been able to operationalize the autonomy the local government administration in line with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has done that by first, making sure that the Supreme Court of the Federation has affirmed the sanctity of the relevant sections of the Constitution that gives local government administrations their structural, financial, and operational autonomies. Two weeks ago at the beginning of the year, 2026, Mr. President re-affirmed his commitment by stating that he will ensure that local governments directly funded and supported even if he will have issue executive orders. Kudos to Mr. President. We hope that will be done as soon as possible, because we need to detach the local government from this chokehold of the governance.
Accordingly, if we are able to detach the local government, we can be able to focus on the local government as well and give them those responsibilities and ensure they deliver because they are the closest, you know, to the common man in Nigeria.
Local government administration is a critical success factor to the success of Nigeria’s fiscal framework.
National Security:
The criticality of national security to Nigeria’s existence, unity, prosperity and sustainability, growth and development cannot be over-emphasized. Without national security, the visions, social and economic strategies, and policies will amount to nothing.
What is critical is also to ensuring we strengthen our institutions, while dealing with insecurity.Therefore, the leadership at federal and state levels must ensure the achievement of national security and safety of citizens, in with section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended] provides that, “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
Activation and Operation of FDI Pipelines:
Trade and Investment are live wires of any country. President Bola Tinubu has done a lot of Investment and Trade mobilization since the beginning of his administration in May 2023. He has traveling around the world, mobilizing Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and trade for Nigeria. The recent engagement is Mr. President’s trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last week where he attended the Sustainability Summit and also his interactions with the President of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which resulted in the signing of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA) across various sectors.
The important next steps in 2026, are the full activation and operations of those FDI and Trade mobilizations, particularly the agriculture, power, and manufacturing sectors, because those are sectors that will actually drive the economy. The performance of investment and trade in 2025 was very good. However the big investments were in Financial Services, and Portfolio investments.
According to the CBN, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rose to $720 million in the third quarter (Q3) of 2025 from $90 million in the preceding quarter. Year-on-year FDI inflows we’re also higher than the $570 million posted in Q3 2024, reflecting 26.3% increase.
Interestingly, out of the total 2025 Nigeria’s annual investment, $3.1 billion, representing 54%, was to the banking sector, but about 2.3%, which is $129 million production and manufacturing. So you can see where we should focus on, to actually get the actual growth target, in the economy.
Overall, efficient and effective execution, performance and impacts are critical.
Hospitals ordinarily are places people go to get healed when ill, or to sustain good health. Meaning they are conventionally life-savers, not death purveyors. When, however, patients who otherwise might have lived get hastened unto their death through hospital treatment, it is an alarming role reversal that should be called out.
A 30-year-old Lagos father cried out for justice lately after accusing a primary healthcare centre in the state of causing the deaths of his nine-month-old twin boys whom he took there for routine immunisation. The father, Samuel Alozie, known as Promise Samuel on TikTok, alleged that the twin boys, Testimony and Timothy, died same day after being administered immunisation at Ajangbadi primary health centre in Ojo council area.
In a social media post, Alozie said he took the children for immunisation on December 24, 2005, and they died on Christmas Day. According to him, the immunisation made the boys very weak and high temperatured, for which reason he gave them paracetamol as advised by the nurse. “My wife and I, after we left the health centre, went home and gave the two of them paracetamol, which didn’t solve anything. We even bathed them. My wife bathed them in cold water,” he recalled.
The distraught father also alleged that the nurse on duty had given the children some oral medication without his consent. He dismissed explanation by the health facility that food bacteria was responsible for the kids’ death, saying: “The nurse said it was food bacteria that killed my children… Food that I’ve been giving them from one month to nine months, and it didn’t kill them?” Alozie accused the health centre of administering expired or fake vaccines or an overdose on the twins, and called out government as liable. He noted that while an autopsy had been conducted, he has reservations about the possible outcome: “The reason I’m scared is that I don’t know if government will give me justice because this is government-to-government. The primary health centre is government’s, and the people running the case are government people.” He sought help from human rights lawyers to get justice.
Alozie’s story broke against the backdrop of the death of one of the twin boys of ace writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, in a private Lagos hospital. Adichie accused the hospital of negligence and vowed to seek justice. The Lagos State government weighed in and promised “thorough, independent and transparent” probe of circumstances surrounding the death, saying any individual or institution found culpable of negligence, professional misconduct or regulatory violations would face the full wrath of the law. Meanwhile, the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Primary Health Care Board had yet to issue any official statement about the Alozie twins’ death or findings of the autopsy conducted on them.
Could this be because Alozie isn’t famous? Sauce for goose should be sauce for gander.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the posting of four Ambassador-Designates to strategic foreign missions, marking the first set of postings from the 68 nominees confirmed by the Senate in December 2025.
According to a statement on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the postings include Ambassador Ayodele Oke as Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to France and Colonel Lateef Are as Ambassador-designate to the United States of America.
Also approved is the posting of Ambassador Amin Dalhatu, a former Nigerian envoy to South Korea, as High Commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom while former Kebbi Governor, Usman Isa Dakingari Suleiman, has been named Ambassador-designate to Turkey.
Tinubu is scheduled to embark on a state visit to Turkey next week.
In a memo to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the President directed that the governments of the four countries be formally notified of the postings in line with established diplomatic procedures.
The postings come against the backdrop of the Senate’s confirmation of a new set of Ambassadors in December 2025, ending a prolonged delay in filling diplomatic vacancies across the country’s foreign missions.
In mid-December, the Senate confirmed an initial batch of three non-career ambassadors, including Lateef Kayode Are, Aminu Mohammed Dalhatu and Emmanuel Ayodele Oke.
This was followed by the confirmation of a larger list of 64 nominees—comprising 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners, and 30 non-career envoys—bringing the total number of confirmed nominees to 68.
The expanded list was transmitted to the Senate by President Tinubu on December 4, 2025, although one nominee from Yobe State was excluded following his death before confirmation.
The confirmed list includes several prominent political figures and technocrats, among them former ministers, ex-governors, senior diplomats and retired military officers, as well as a broad spread of career foreign service officers.
The new Ambassadors and High Commissioners are expected to assume duties across Nigeria’s diplomatic missions in 2026 as the Tinubu administration moves to reinvigorate the country’s foreign service and strengthen diplomatic engagement with key international partners.
Peakworks Nigeria, a real estate development firm operating in Ogun State, has restated commitment to the delivery of affordable housing targeted at middle-income earners and first-time homeowners within the state.
The company said it plans to deliver up to 100 housing units by 2030 aimed at contributing to housing supply while responding to rising demand in areas outside Lagos.
Speaking on the company’s approach, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Olaotan A. Akinduro, said the firm’s focus was driven by the realities of rising property costs in Lagos and the increasing interest in nearby urban centres.
According to him: “There is growing pressure on housing in Lagos, and we are seeing more people look towards Ogun State for alternatives that are more affordable and still within reasonable commuting distance.”
Peakworks Nigeria operates from Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, which has attracted increased residential interest in recent years due to its proximity to Lagos, expanding road infrastructure, and improved rail connectivity.
The company is developing a bungalow housing project known as Fairview Bungalows in Kobape.
The development comprises detached and semi-detached bungalow units located close to Kings Court Estate, a large residential project owned by the Ogun State Government.
Akinduro said the decision to site the project in the area was informed by existing infrastructure and ongoing government-backed residential development.
“We are deliberate about where we build. Proximity to existing estates and public infrastructure plays a role in our location decisions,” he said.
On affordability and payment structure, the company stated that it offers flexible payment plans to subscribers, alongside a milestone-based payment system tied to construction stages.
According to the firm, the model allows subscribers to track progress on-site while aligning payments with delivery milestones.
Akinduro noted that transparency was central to the company’s operating model.
“In real estate, trust is critical. We try to be clear with clients about timelines, costs, and delivery stages. Long-term credibility matters more to us than short-term gains,” he said.
The company also said it works with financial institutions, construction professionals, and other partners to support project delivery and financing. In addition to development, Peakworks Nigeria provides property management and real estate consultancy services.
Industry observers note that such private sector developments align with ongoing efforts by the Ogun State Government to support orderly urban growth and residential expansion across the state.
As housing demand continues to increase in urban corridors around Lagos, Peakworks Nigeria said it will continue to focus on housing delivery within Ogun State, with emphasis on affordability, location, and transparent project execution.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, on Thursday led a high-powered delegation of the Federal Government on a condolence visit to Katsina State over the passing of: a renowned Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Habibu Yahaya Kaura and a former Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Lawal Bagiwa.
The duo, who died on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, have since been buried in line with Islamic Injunctions.
Katsina Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, received the delegation comprising the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, the Yobe State Governor, His Excellency, Mai Mala Buni, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, Rt Hon James Abiodun Faleke and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political and other matters, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabiru Masari.
At the residence of the late cleric, Senator Barau expressed the Federal Government’s profound condolences to the deceased’s immediate family, the people and government of Katsina State, saying Sheikh Kaura was a truthful and upright cleric whose life was devoted to serving Allah and humanity.
“This is a delegation of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, sent to convey his condolences over the passing of Sheikh Kaura. His Excellency is aware of and appreciative of the Sheikh’s immense contributions to the country.
“Mr President recognises that the late Sheikh was a truthful and upright cleric whose life was devoted to the service of Allah and humanity.
“For this reason, the President has described his death as a great loss, not only to his immediate community but to the nation as a whole,” he said.
Prayers were offered to Allah SWT to grant the cleric Aljannatul Firdaus and give all those he left behind the fortitude to bear his passing.
Members of the delegation were also at the residence of the late retired Customs ACG and elder statesman, Alhaji Lawal Bagiwa, where they condoled with the family, the people, and the government of Katsina State over his passing.
On behalf of the President, Senator Barau described Alhaji Bagiwa as an accomplished public servant who served the nation diligently in the Nigeria Customs Service, rising to the position of ACG.
Responding, Governor Radda thanked President Tinubu and members of the delegation for the condolence visit.
“This means a lot to us. I wish to sincerely thank Mr President and the entire delegation on behalf of the government and people of Katsina State, as well as the entire family of the deceased persons. This is a great honour which we deeply appreciate and will never take for granted,” he said.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the gazetting of targeted, investment-linked incentives to support the proposed Bonga South West deep-offshore oil project by Shell Plc and its partners, in a move aimed at unlocking jobs, boosting foreign-exchange inflows and accelerating new capital investment in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The President also directed the Special Adviser on Energy, Olu Verheijen, to facilitate the gazette of the incentives in line with Nigeria’s existing legal and fiscal frameworks.
Speaking while receiving a Shell delegation led by its Global Chief Executive Officer, Wael Sawan, Tinubu said the incentives were carefully designed to attract fresh investments without eroding government revenues.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, the President said: “These incentives are not blanket concessions. They are ring-fenced and investment-linked, focused on new capital and incremental production, strong local content delivery, and in-country value addition.”
He added that the administration expects the Bonga South West project to reach a Final Investment Decision (FID) within his first term in office.
“My expectation is clear: Bonga South West must reach a Final Investment Decision within the first term of this administration,” Tinubu stated.
The President described the project as strategic to Nigeria’s economy, noting that it has the potential to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, generate substantial foreign-exchange inflows and deliver sustained government revenues over its lifespan.
He said the development would also deepen Nigerian participation in offshore engineering, fabrication, logistics and other energy-related services.
Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to policy stability, regulatory certainty and speed, stressing that these elements are critical to restoring investor confidence and positioning Nigeria as a preferred destination for large-scale energy investments.
He further acknowledged that Shell and its partners have invested nearly $7 billion in Nigeria over the past 13 months, particularly in the Bonga North and HI projects, describing the inflows as evidence that ongoing economic and energy-sector reforms are yielding tangible results.
Sawan said Nigeria’s investment climate had improved significantly under the Tinubu administration, adding that Shell was increasingly confident in the country as a destination for long-term energy investments.
The Shell delegation included senior executives from the company’s global and Nigerian leadership teams.
Kogi State has announced plans to raise a ₦50 billion Sukuk bond to fast-track the construction of the Kogi State International Airport and the Lokoja International Market, with the government targeting March 2026 for the commencement of construction.
The plan was unveiled at an investor engagement and market sensitisation forum in Abuja where the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Asiru Idris, said the Sukuk would be asset-backed, infrastructure-focused and aligned with the state’s long-term development framework.
Idris said the bond programme was designed to accelerate the delivery of critical infrastructure and not as a response to fiscal pressure.
“This ₦50 billion Sukuk is strictly for infrastructure. It is dedicated to the Kogi State International Airport and the Lokoja International Market,” he said.
He disclosed that the State Executive Council and the House of Assembly had approved the transaction, while the government had also applied for an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) from the Federal Government to strengthen investor confidence.
According to him, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has directed that the state should move swiftly, with March set as the target period for fund release and construction take-off.
“Our target is March. If it shifts slightly, it will not derail the project, but we are determined to avoid unnecessary delays,” Idris said.
He added that the procurement process for the airport project would begin within weeks, noting that the state had engaged experienced financial and technical advisers to fast-track documentation and regulatory approvals.
The Sukuk, structured as a senior unsecured Ijara Sukuk, will be issued at ₦1,000 per unit, with a total programme size of ₦50 billion and a tenure of between five and seven years. It will be offered through a book-building process, with a minimum subscription of ₦5 million.
Managing Director of AVA Capital Group, Kayode Fadahunsi, said the projects were structured to generate revenue capable of supporting repayment.
He explained that the funds would be monitored through multiple oversight layers, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a Sharia Advisory Board and an independent Project Management Committee, which will provide quarterly reports to stakeholders.
Addressing concerns on pricing and listing platforms, Fadahunsi said Sukuk instruments were generally competitively priced and could be listed on either the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) or FMDQ for secondary market trading.
Officials also clarified that any call option on the Sukuk would only arise after the completion and delivery of the underlying assets, in line with Sukuk requirements.
On security, Idris said the state had strengthened safety measures through the deployment of surveillance drones, training of over 1,050 hunters across local government areas and the absorption of vigilante operatives into the civil service.
