The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • FX reforms, compliance drive Nigeria’sremoval from EU’s high-risk list

    FX reforms, compliance drive Nigeria’sremoval from EU’s high-risk list

    The European Union’s (EU) announcement that Nigeria has been removed from its list of high-risk jurisdictions for money laundering and terrorism financing underscores the success of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) reforms. It highlights growing transparency, stronger compliance in the financial sector, and effective implementation of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) measures, reports Assistant Editor COLLINS NWEZE

    Nigeria’s exit from the EU’s High-risk List is expected to enhance global trust and partnership for the domestic economy. It is also an indication that Nigeria’s financial sector has experienced major transformation in recent years, following reforms in the sector. From exchange rate unification, increasing regulatory guidance, transparency in the forex market operations, enhanced surveillance in financial flows to the economy.

    A large part of these reforms and policy implementations have brought significant benefits to the economy. A remarkable gain was the recent European Union (EU), removal of Nigeria from its list of high-risk jurisdictions for money laundering and terrorism financing, alongside South Africa and four other African countries.

    The move was generally seen by analysts as providing a further fillip to Nigeria’s economic prospects. A statement published on the European Commission’s website said: “The European Commission, in its assessment, concluded that Nigeria has significantly strengthened the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime and satisfactorily addressed the technical and strategic deficiencies highlighted by the FATF site, the move reflects decisions taken by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) at its June and October 2025 plenaries, where several countries were removed from the list of “Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring,” commonly referred to as the grey-list.

    The statement also said that the move means that enhanced due diligence requirements applied to transactions involving Nigeria and other delisted countries will be lifted from January 29, 2026, subject to procedural approval by the European Parliament and the Council. Analysts note that like its removal the FATF grey-list, Nigeria’s removal from the EU high-risk list also has significant economic and financial implications for the country.

    The fact remains that being classified as a high-risk jurisdiction often leads to higher transaction costs, delayed payments, restricted correspondent banking relationships, and reduced foreign investment. Nigeria was removed from the FATF grey-list in October last year after implementing a series of reforms aimed at strengthening its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) regime.

    CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, earlier said the deployment of the Electronic Forex Market Surveillance System (EFEMS), the shift to a single, market-determined foreign exchange rate regime, and enhanced risk-based banking supervision – underscore CBN’s track record of reform delivery. They have strengthened Nigeria’s capacity to absorb external shocks, from volatile oil prices to shifts in credit rating sentiment.

    “In 2026, we will deepen engagement with stakeholders, strengthen collaboration with other regulators and international partners, and foster responsible innovation across the financial system. We will continue to provide forward guidance, protect the integrity of our financial markets, leverage technology and AI to improve decision‑making, and build institutional capacity to support an evolving and resilient financial system,” he said.

    Reforms’ contributions to high-risk exit

    On assumption of office, the apex bank leadership led by Cardoso swung into action, dismantling the roadblocks and opaqueness in the financial system that put Nigerian on the EU list. From reforms in the bureau de change operations, which falls within the other financial sector segment of the economy, to the increase in surveillance and supervision of the deposit money banks, the CBN left no stone unturned to ensure that Nigeria exits the grey list.

    Part of the compliance records include Nigeria’s lenders being able to identify the beneficial owner, and taking reasonable measures to verify the identity of the beneficial owner, such that they become satisfied that beneficial owner in every transaction is known. As required by the law, the Nigeria’s financial institutions are also able to understand the ownership and control structure of their customers, obtain information on the purpose and intended nature of the business relationship and conduct due diligence on the business relationship. They equally ensured that scrutiny of transactions are undertaken throughout the course of every banking relationship.

    President, Bank Customers Association of Nigeria (BCAN), Dr. Uju Ogubunka, described Nigeria’s exit from the EU list as an excellent development, for the country. He praised the CBN’s efforts at ensuring that Nigeria is no longer burdened by the grey list challenges, following its exit. He said: “It opens new approach and opportunities in Nigeria banks and customers dealings with international financial institutions. It shows that Nigeria’s financial system is safe for payments and other transactions. It is worth celebrating by all Nigerians,” he said. Ogubunka advised that government should do more to ensure that Nigeria does not relapse, or return into the list by continuing to do things right.

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    More views from stakeholders

    Reacting to the country’s removal from the FATF grey list in a statement it issued at the time, the CBN said the move recognised “significant improvements in Nigeria’s regulatory, supervisory, and enforcement frameworks, particularly in combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.”

    It also added that the development “marks an important milestone in the country’s continuing efforts to strengthen financial system integrity, transparency, and international confidence.” The statement identified key reforms assessed by the FATF and the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), FATF’s regional assessment body.

    These include: Strengthened oversight of financial institutions through updated AML/ CFT regulations, risk-based supervision, and fit and-proper assessments; expansion of compliance reporting and monitoring across remittance channels, Bureaux De Change, and fintech platforms to improve traceability and transparency; enhanced inter-agency data sharing and enforcement coordination between the CBN, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), and law-enforcement bodies and implementation of market governance tools, including the Foreign Exchange Code (FX Code) and Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System (EFEMS).

    Furthermore, the statement said: “Nigeria’s removal from the grey list will yield tangible benefits for businesses and households alike including – lowering compliance costs, improving access to international finance, and making cross-border transactions faster and more affordable. In time, these gains will translate into smoother trade settlements, quicker remittance inflows, and even more predictable access to foreign exchange – enhancing livelihoods, supporting enterprise growth, and deepening financial inclusion.

    “The FATF decision reinforces the broader restoration of global confidence in Nigeria’s economic management. Recent international assessments underscore this momentum, with Moody’s and Fitch upgrading Nigeria’s ratings outlook on the back of stronger external balances, credible policy execution, and renewed monetary-policy credibility.”

    It also quoted Cardoso as saying: “The FATF’s decision to remove Nigeria from the grey list is a strong affirmation of our reform trajectory and the growing integrity of our financial system.

    “It reflects a clear policy direction and the coordinated efforts of key national institutions working together to deliver sustainable, standards-based reforms. Our priority now is to consolidate these gains, ensuring that compliance, innovation, and trust continue to advance hand in hand to reinforce financial stability and strengthen Nigeria’s global credibility.”

    Also, the CBN and Bank of Angola Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed late 2025, represents a major step to strengthen financial sector regulations and fight money laundering. Cardoso, who signed on behalf of the CBN alongside the Governor of the Central Bank of Angola, Manuel Antonio Tiago Diaz, noted that the MoU aligns with Africa’s broader goals of economic integration and financial stability. Both apex bank leaders said the partnership marks a critical development between the two institutions in their efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation and technical exchange.

    Both institutions are by the MoU expected to establish a bilateral forum for the reciprocal exchange and sharing of technical assistance between the authorities to enhance capacity in the execution of their respective Central Bank functions. They are also expected to cooperate and collaborate in the cross-border supervision of authorized institutions and exchange of cybersecurity information between them.

    According to them, the institutions are to partner on licensing, supervision, resolution planning and implementation of resolution measures for cross-border financial establishments. They are also to ensure transparent and smooth periodic exchange of information as well as define procedures for exchange of information. The cooperation will also extend to exchange control, financial markets and foreign reserves management, currency management and economic research.

    The partnership further extends to payment, clearing and settlement systems management, financial sector development, banking supervision and regulation as well as Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism. Both central bank leaders said it is their hope that the outcome of the MoU implementation will be a win-win for both parties.

    Cost of grey list to economy grey-listing of Nigeria carried a significant cost translating to more than $30 billion in potential investments. Cardoso said: “Nigeria’s grey-listing carried a significant cost: countries in this category typically experience a 7.6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) drop in capital inflows in the first year, for Nigeria, that translates to more than USD $30 billion in potential investment.  Exiting the list therefore signals a major restoration of confidence and eases compliance frictions for correspondent banks.”

    Cardoso said the global financial community has welcomed Nigeria’s exit, noting improved access to international finance and smoother cross‑border payments. He explained that one of the most significant achievements this year was Nigeria’s exit from the FATF grey list.

    “This milestone was the result of a coordinated national effort led by the Federal Government, with critical contributions from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Ministry of Justice, the NFIU, the EFCC, and our regional partners. Through stronger supervision, improved reporting standards, enhanced intelligence‑sharing, and governance tools such as the FX Code, we addressed the deficiencies identified by FATF during its on‑site assessment,” he said.

    X-ray on economy

     In the Global Economic Prospects report, the World Bank upgraded Nigeria’s economic growth forecast for 2026 to 4.4 per cent, from the 3.7 per cent projection it had announced for the country in June 2025. The report said: “Growth in Nigeria is forecast to strengthen to 4.4 per cent in both 2026 and 2027—the fastest pace in over a decade. This further firming of growth is anticipated to be underpinned by a continued expansion in services and a rebound in agricultural output, with a modest acceleration in non-oil industry.

    “Economic reforms, including in the tax system, along with continued prudent monetary policy, are expected to continue supporting activity. They are also expected to improve investor sentiment and reduce inflation further. Higher oil output is expected to offset lower international oil prices this year, helping to boost fiscal revenues and strengthen the external balance.”

    The apex bank appeared to have set the ball rolling in terms of forecasting positive economic outlooks for the country, when in its macroeconomic outlook for 2026, released last month, it made optimistic projections for the nation’s economy. The apex bank stated: “The year 2026 presents a realistic window of opportunity for macroeconomic stabilisation. The Nigerian economy is expected to continue expanding, with growth projected at 4.49 per cent in 2026. The projection is hinged on continued gains from broad-based structural reforms and a gradually easing monetary policy stance.”

  • How sustained government policies reshaped forex transactions

    How sustained government policies reshaped forex transactions

    Foreign exchange, often called “forex,” affects the daily lives of millions of Nigerians, even if many people do not deal with dollars or euros directly. The price of food in the market, the cost of fuel, school fees, medicines, and even transport fares are all linked to the exchange of the naira against other currencies. Over the past few years, Nigeria’s forex story has been one of big promises, tough policies and mixed results, reports Assistant Editor NDUKA CHIEJINA.

    At the onset of the current phase of forex reforms initiated by the Bola Tinubu administration, the situation was in dire straits. Nigeria’s economy heavily depended on imports of fuel, machinery and many household goods. This meant there was always strong demand for foreign currencies, especially the United States dollar. At the same time, the main source of forex inflow, which is crude oil exports, was facing challenges ranging from oil theft, lower production, and fluctuating global prices. Foreign investors were also cautious about bringing money into the country because of concerns over the difficulty of repatriating their proceeds.

    Before the initiation of the reforms, Nigeria operated a system where there were multiple exchange rates. There was an official rate set by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and there were other rates in the parallel market, often called the black market. This gap created confusion and opportunities for people to engage in round tripping. They buy dollars cheaply at the official rate and sell them at a higher price on the street. Many businesses complained that they could not access dollars at the official window, forcing them to rely on the parallel market, which was more expensive and unstable.

    When the new government came in, many Nigerians hoped for a fresh approach. President Bola Tinubu made it clear that he wanted a more transparent and market-driven forex system. He spoke about the need to remove practices that encouraged corruption. The President said the country could not continue to run a system where a few people benefited from cheap official dollars while ordinary Nigerians and genuine businesses struggled to survive.

    In one of his early pronouncements, President Tinubu explained that a single, unified exchange rate would help attract foreign investors and restore confidence in the Nigerian economy. According to him, investors want to know that when they bring money into the country, they can change it at a fair rate and take it out again without facing restrictions or heavy losses. He also linked a strong and stable forex market to job creation, saying that more investments would lead to more factories, offices, and opportunities for young people.

    In driving home the new policy thrust, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun said: “Nigeria now have a foreign exchange rate that is market based and also a deregulated oil market pricing which are two reforms that are long overdue over many decades that President Tinubu is currently implementing.

     “The exchange rate stability achieved makes Nigeria competitive globally, regionally and continentally,” he stated.

    On his part, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Olayemi Cardoso advocates for a “willing buyer, willing seller” model, believing that artificial controls are unsustainable. He stated that a stable exchange rate will boost investor confidence and attract foreign investment. The CBN management has adopted a market forces approach, noting that artificially holding down the price of a commodity determined by forex is unsustainable.  Cardoso also emphasised that closing the gap in exchange rates, though painful initially, showed commitment to transparency and sound monetary policy.

    Following these positions, the government and the Central Bank moved to change how forex was managed. The main policy initiative was the unification of the exchange rate. This meant that instead of having different rates for different users, the market would determine the value of the naira, based on demand and supply. The official and parallel market rates were expected to come closer, reducing the wide gap that had existed for years.

    The Central Bank also introduced measures to clear the backlog of unmet forex demands, especially for foreign airlines, manufacturers and international companies that had been waiting to repatriate their funds. The idea was to send a message to the world that Nigeria was serious about honouring its financial obligations and creating a friendly business environment.

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    Another part of the policy drive was to encourage more forex inflows. This included efforts to boost non-oil exports such as agriculture, solid minerals, and manufactured goods. The government talked about making it easier for Nigerians in the diaspora to send money home through official channels, offering better rates and fewer charges. There were also discussions about improving oil production and reducing theft so that more dollars could come into the country from crude sales.

    The outcome of these policies has been mixed. On the one hand, the unification of the exchange rate brought more transparency. The wide gap between the official and parallel market rates reduced, at least for a period. Some foreign investors began to show renewed interest, and Nigeria recorded improvements in capital inflows. Operators said the system was clearer, even though it came at a cost.

    On the other hand, the value of the naira weakened because the exchange rate was now market determined. This had a direct effect on the cost of living. Imported goods became more expensive, and the prices of locally produced items rose because many of the inputs, such as fuel and machinery, are linked to the dollar. Inflation climbed, and many families felt the pressure on their monthly budgets.

    Manufacturers also faced challenges. While they welcomed a more open forex system, the high cost of dollars made it harder for them to import raw materials and spare parts. Some companies reduced production, while others passed the extra costs to consumers. Small businesses, in particular, struggled to cope with the fast-changing exchange rates.

    Today, the inevitable adjustment is gradually gaining traction. Forex inflow has improved, although not in the required volume. Oil production has picked up compared to previous lows, but it has not yet reached levels that can comfortably support the country’s forex needs.

    The Central Bank has continued to adjust its policies, including raising interest rates to make naira investments more attractive. The idea is that higher interest rates can encourage foreign investors to bring money into Nigerian bonds and other financial instruments, increasing the supply of dollars. There have also been efforts to strengthen monitoring and reduce illegal forex trading.

    Many Nigerians now ask a simple question: where are we today? The answer depends on who you ask. Government officials often point to improvements in transparency and investor confidence. They say the system is now fairer and more open than before. Some economists agree that, in the long run, a market-driven forex system is better for the economy.

    However, for the ordinary Nigerian, the reality is tough. The high cost of living is the most visible sign of a weak naira. Food prices, transport fares, rent, and school fees have all risen, but are moderating. Looking ahead, projections for Nigeria’s forex market depend on several key factors. One is oil production. If Nigeria can increase output and reduce losses from theft and pipeline damage, more dollars will flow into the system. Another is non-oil exports. Expanding agriculture, mining, and manufacturing for export can help reduce the country’s heavy reliance on crude oil.

    Foreign investment is also crucial. If investors believe that Nigeria’s policies are stable and fair, they are more likely to bring in funds. This requires clear rules, respect for contracts, and a strong legal system. The government’s ability to manage inflation and public debt will also play a role in shaping confidence. Diaspora remittances offer another opportunity. Nigerians abroad send billions of dollars home every year. Making official channels more attractive can increase the amount that passes through the formal forex system, strengthening supply. There are also risks. Global oil prices can fall, reducing earnings. International interest rates can rise, making investors prefer safer markets. Local challenges such as insecurity and poor infrastructure can discourage business growth and export expansion.

    From a personal and professional point of view, the current state of Nigeria’s forex situation calls for patience, consistency, and deeper reforms. The move toward a more open and transparent system is a step in the right direction, but it should be supported by strong efforts to grow the local economy. Nigerians need more factories, better farms, and stronger industries that can produce what the country consumes and sell to the world.

    There is also a need for clear communication. Many people do not fully understand why the naira has fallen or what the long-term plan is. Simple and regular explanations from policymakers can help build trust and reduce fear and speculation in the market.

    In the end, forex is not just about numbers on a screen. It is about jobs, food on the table, school fees, and the future of young Nigerians. A stable and strong naira will not come from policy changes alone. It will come from a productive economy where Nigeria earns more from what it makes and sells, not just from what it digs out of the ground.

    As the country moves forward, the challenge will be to turn today’s difficult adjustments into tomorrow’s lasting gains. The road may be hard, but with steady policies, honest leadership, and the hard work of millions of Nigerians, the goal of a healthier and more stable forex market remains within reach.

    Speaking to this development, Dr. Galadima Simon: “Growth is projected to do better in 2026 than in the previous year, 4.49 per cent this year as against 3.89 per cent in the year prior. This would be driven by the non-oil sector meaning FX reserves inflows would be diversified, leaving the Naira stronger. FX reserves are expected to climb to around $51 billion, inflation to decelerate further and exchange rate to experience appreciation.

    “The situation is largely net positive in value as the gains outweigh the pains. However, it is not uhuru as market dichotomy still exists despite unification, foreign exchange earnings still not diversified enough with oil playing an outsized role.”

    On his part, Economic Analyst, Dr. Yusha’u Aliyu noted: “Looking at the market behaviour in the last six months, it’s likely that the current trend will extend to the six months of 2026 when the budget of the year will begin to translate some provisions to the economy and subsequently when the electioneering takes effect, some elements of political expenditures will trigger in balance of the exchange rate, especially dollarisation.”

  • Honouring a lifetime of risk, reinvention and business triumph

    Honouring a lifetime of risk, reinvention and business triumph

    At the University of Lagos (UNILAG) convocation, the loudest message did not come from the podium but from the symbolism on display. In conferring an honorary Doctorate in Business (Honoris Causa) on Wale Tinubu, the university elevated enterprise to the level of scholarship in action — implying that the rigour of building companies, weathering shocks and reinvesting in society is itself a vital form of national learning, reports Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF

    The hush inside the University of Lagos auditorium was the kind reserved for moments that feel larger than ceremony. On a humid January morning in Akoka, the university shimmered with the ritual pageantry of convocation — academic gowns in disciplined colours, proud families craning for photographs, and the low murmur of ambition hanging in the air. Then the name rang out — one more familiar to trading floors, oil fields, and global investment circles than to lecture theatres. Dr Jubril Adewale “Wale” Tinubu (CON), Group Chief Executive of Oando Plc, stepped forward to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Business (Honoris Causa), and in that brief walk across the stage, decades of enterprise, risk, controversy, reinvention, and nation-building seemed to compress into a single symbolic moment.

    It was more than a conferment. It was the convergence of two worlds: scholarship and enterprise, theory and execution. In Tinubu’s journey — from young Lagos lawyer to one of Africa’s most recognisable energy executives — the university found a narrative that mirrored Nigeria’s own uneven, determined climb.

    For UNILAG, founded in 1962 on the conviction that intellectual capital would anchor a young nation’s future, the honour was not merely ceremonial. It was a deliberate nod to a Nigerian whose career has been defined by bold bets, hard landings, and a stubborn refusal to stop building. For Tinubu, the recognition carried a personal weight. It was, he said, “not merely a celebration of past achievements, but a renewed call to service.”

    That phrase — renewed call to service — framed both the ceremony and the man. Tinubu’s story is not the tidy arc of inherited privilege or uninterrupted success. It is a study in calculated risk, institutional reinvention, and an unshakeable belief that nations, like businesses, are built by people willing to try, fail, learn, and try again.

    The philosophy of failure

    If there was a central thesis to Tinubu’s remarks around the convocation, it was disarmingly simple: failure must be acceptable. “We learn from our failures, and we get it right,” he said. “We stop condemning the country and believing it cannot go right. The country can go right, and it goes right by us as a people collectively moving in one direction.”

    In a country where public discourse often swings between euphoric optimism and corrosive cynicism, his message landed with unusual clarity. Tinubu was not romanticising hardship; he was reframing it as raw material. Nations that succeed, he argued, do not avoid failure — they metabolise it. He reached for the language of exploration: the repeated attempts before reaching the moon, the countless failed expeditions before summiting Everest. The analogy was deliberate. Progress, in his worldview, is iterative. “A lot of people are scared of failing,” he said. “They simply don’t try — and accordingly, they never succeed.” It is a philosophy that reads less like motivational rhetoric and more like a boardroom post-mortem. For Tinubu, failure is not an emotional event; it is a data point.

    Born on June 25, 1967, Tinubu’s early trajectory gave little away about the scale of enterprise he would later command. Educated in Nigeria before earning a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Liverpool in 1988 and a Master of Laws in International Business Law from the London School of Economics, he was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1990. The path ahead seemed mapped: chambers, clients, a respectable legal career.

    But history often pivots on moments that look like inconvenience. Early in his professional life, Tinubu encountered a logistical crisis involving stranded oil tankers offshore — a problem others saw as bureaucratic quicksand. He saw arbitrage. “As a young lawyer with no office, no corporate name and very little capital, I encountered the distress most people saw as a problem,” he recalled. “I saw it as a possibility… That moment taught me a lesson that has guided every step of my life: do not wait for perfect conditions.”

    That instinct — to treat systemic friction as commercial opportunity — became the seed of what would evolve into Ocean and Oil Group, co-founded in 1993. What began as an oil trading and shipping venture would, over three decades, morph into one of Africa’s most recognisable indigenous energy brands. The transformation from trader to integrated energy group did not happen through incrementalism. It came through aggressive, sometimes audacious acquisitions. In 2000, Ocean and Oil acquired a controlling stake in UniPetrol Plc. Two years later came what was then the largest acquisition of a quoted Nigerian company: UniPetrol’s purchase of Agip Nigeria Plc. The company was later rebranded Oando Plc.

    Under Tinubu’s leadership, Oando evolved from a petroleum marketing outfit into a diversified energy company with operations spanning upstream exploration, midstream infrastructure and downstream marketing. Its primary listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and cross-border listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange signalled a company — and a chief executive — comfortable operating beyond local ceilings. The numbers tell one story: hundreds of retail outlets, vast storage capacity, billions of dollars raised from international finance for acquisitions and development projects. But the more revealing narrative lies in the volatility. Oando’s journey has included boardroom battles, regulatory headwinds and market shocks — the sort of turbulence that buries less resilient firms.

    Yet resilience is Tinubu’s defining corporate motif. Each downturn became, in his telling, another iteration in a long experiment: how to build an African energy company that could compete on global terms.

    Betting on a different future

    In 2021, Tinubu founded Oando Clean Energy Limited (OCEL), a move that signalled strategic acknowledgement of a world tilting toward decarbonisation. For an executive whose fortune was forged in hydrocarbons, the pivot was less ideological than pragmatic. Africa’s energy paradox — abundant fossil resources but crippling energy poverty — demands a dual strategy: expand access while preparing for transition. OCEL’s mandate is to design and deliver sustainable energy projects aligned with Nigeria’s energy needs and the global race to net zero.

    In May 2023, in partnership with the Lagos State Government, OCEL rolled out electric mass transit buses as part of a proof-of-concept phase, with hundreds more planned. It was a modest but symbolic step: the oil executive investing in electrons. This duality — oil and renewables, legacy and transition — mirrors the tightrope many emerging economies must walk. Tinubu’s position is not that Africa should abandon hydrocarbons overnight, but that it must not be locked out of the future energy architecture.

    Tinubu’s conception of nation-building extends well beyond GDP. Through the Oando Foundation, he has channelled resources into basic education, adopting dozens of public primary schools, supporting hundreds of thousands of pupils, enrolling out-of-school children and training thousands of teachers. Classrooms have been built, sanitation facilities installed and digital learning centres established. His humanitarian interventions have also reached conflict-affected regions. In 2018, he helped mobilise private-sector awareness and funding for Nigeria’s northeast humanitarian crisis, leading delegations to internally displaced persons camps in Borno State.

    These initiatives are not peripheral to his worldview; they are expressions of it. “The true measure of success,” he said, “is not how far we rise, but how much we lift others when we rise.” It is a philosophy that reframes philanthropy from charity to social investment — an attempt to widen the pipeline of future talent and stability upon which business itself ultimately depends.

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    Speaking on behalf of fellow honourees at UNILAG’s convocation, Tinubu situated the moment within the university’s historical mission. Established when Nigeria understood that political independence required intellectual infrastructure, UNILAG has produced leaders across disciplines — from public service to medicine, law to the creative industries. He paid tribute to a lineage of vice-chancellors and scholars who shaped the institution’s ethos, culminating in its current leadership. But his focus was forward-looking. Universities, he argued, are not spectators in national crises; they are engines of solutions. “Citadels of learning are not spectators to national challenge; they are drivers of it. They generate the ideas, train the innovators, test the evidence and nurture the ethical leadership that progress demands.”

    In his framing, the relationship between “town and gown” must tighten. Alumni engagement, private-sector collaboration and research partnerships are not luxuries; they are structural necessities in a knowledge-driven economy. Tinubu’s remarks also acknowledged Nigeria’s present inflection point. Economic reforms, he noted, are painful but necessary. Yet policy alone cannot deliver transformation. Ideas must inform action; evidence must guide leadership.

    Merit, in his view, is the institutional North Star. Societies that reward competence and integrity build durable systems. Those that sideline merit mortgage their future. “What we have done here today is witness a ceremony that has rewarded merit,” he said. “It is extremely important that merit be placed at the forefront of institution building.” It was both congratulatory and cautionary — praise for academic excellence, and a broader plea for standards in public life.

    Beyond corporate Nigeria, Tinubu occupies seats in global policy circles. He has been involved with the World Economic Forum’s oil and gas community, participates in high-level climate and investment dialogues, and serves on committees focused on long-term funding and infrastructure. His role in the US-Nigeria commercial investment dialogue places him at the intersection of diplomacy and commerce. These platforms amplify his influence, but they also reinforce a recurring theme: Africa must not be a passive recipient of global decisions. It must help shape them. His national honour — Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) — formalised state recognition of those contributions. But honours, like doctorates, are punctuation marks, not conclusions.

    The walk across the stage

    Back in the UNILAG auditorium, as cameras flashed and applause rose, Tinubu’s investiture carried layered symbolism. A lawyer who became an energy magnate. A hydrocarbons executive funding clean transport pilots. A businessman lecturing graduates on patriotism, failure and service. Universities confer honorary degrees not just to celebrate individuals, but to project values. In choosing Wale Tinubu, UNILAG spotlighted enterprise as a form of national service — provided it is tethered to societal progress.

    For the graduates watching, his message was stripped of corporate jargon: start before you are ready, accept failure as tuition, build anyway. For the country, it was a quieter challenge — to replace reflexive despair with disciplined effort. As the ceremony wound down and the crowd spilled into the Lagos heat, the doctorate settled onto Tinubu’s shoulders as both recognition and responsibility. In his telling, the real work lies ahead — in boardrooms, classrooms, policy tables and construction sites where Nigeria’s next chapters will be written. The gown will be folded away. The title will be added before his name. But the philosophy he carried onto that stage — that nations, like entrepreneurs, must dare, stumble, learn and dare again — is the part meant to endure.

  • Taiwan: ‘Big Brother’ (China) is watching you!

    Taiwan: ‘Big Brother’ (China) is watching you!

    By Olayinka Oyegbile

    Republic of China otherwise known as Taiwan is interpreted and viewed differently in many quarters. Although it has very little or no official diplomatic relations with many nations (only 12 at the last count), especially the powerful ones, some of the world’s powerful countries such as the United States of America, United Kingdom, Japan, and a few others recognise it even if they don’t deal with it as a sovereign nation. It is a country of ‘concern’ not in the negative sense to them.

    In an earlier part of this travelogue, I have tried to establish how this came to be. For instance, the US does lots of strategic businesses with Taiwan and has always warned Chinanot to back off. From feelers, the United States may come to the rescue of Taiwan in case of any attack. However, the experience of Ukraine with Russia has made a few analysts to doubt if America would be ready to lift a finger in its defence.

    According to records, the trade volume between both countries (US and Taiwan) has been growing significantly in the last few years. For instance, in 2024, the United States imported much more from Taiwan than it exported. About $159 billion goods were exported thus making Taiwan a major US partner in trade even though there are no official diplomatic relations between the two nations. Taiwan is the eighth largest sources of imports to the States and its 10th largest export market. The major Taiwanese exports to the US are semiconductors, computers, and steel, while U.S. exports focus on machinery, military tech, and data processing gear.

    Since the advent of President William Lai of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan, the quiet tension between China and Taiwan has heightened because the Communist leaders in China see the DPP president as a challenger of the dominance of China in the affairs of the island nation. China has therefore increased pressure on the island by organising military parade and exhibition perhaps as a way of showing Taiwan and others that it has the firepower.

    This is a tenuous situation which many Taiwanese are opposed to. They believe their democracy is working for them and are therefore not interested in having their affairs dictated to them from Beijing. For instance, after the recall election of some KMT legislators failed in July, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) accused the ruling DPP of “political manipulation” claiming the party had lost public support. However, in replying to the criticism, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Beijing, which operates a system that is far from being democratic, has no right or experience to comment on the recall election.

    According to MAC, the Beijing authorities “lack democratic experience, and therefore have no right to comment on, or misinterpret, Taiwan’s democratic system.” It went ahead to explain that the recall vote was a demonstration of Taiwan’s democratic constitutional system. Rather than see the failure of the recall as a setback, it said it was a triumph of its democratic experience that should be protected and upheld.

    A daily reading of major media reports, electronic, print and online, in Taiwan shows this line of arguments and thoughts. Those who support the mainland authorities and those who are against daily express their opinions across all media in the country. It shows clearly the overarching influence of China in the affairs of Taiwan, while Taiwan in return tries to demonstrate its independence and show that its democracy works.

    In July 2025, six different Taiwanese choir groups had gone for achoral competition at the Tokyo International Choir Competition in Japan. However, the Chinese authorities mounted pressure on the organisers to remove the national flag of Taiwan and replace the participants name not as Taiwanese but as “Chinese Taipei”, as part of the “One China policy”. After a long back and forth, the organisers of the event in Tokyo bowed to pressure and eventually removed the national flag of Taiwan. This did not go down well with Taiwanese authorities. The Taiwanese Deputy Representative Chou Shyue-yow, who was sent to cheer the choir to victory, condemned the act as unfair. He accused Japan of allowing another country dictate its policies to it. It was not the first time Taiwan was participating in the yearly event.

    Chou described the Chinese action as an interference in a sovereign country’s internal affairs, adding that the Japanese public knows that Taiwan and China are two distinct countries. He called it China’s brutal political tactics to suppress Taiwan’s choirs, emphasising that Taiwan is known for its high-tech industry, freedom and democracy, globally. According to him, Taiwan was already gaining worldwide attention and recognition, and that China’s arrogant suppression cannot change the fact that “Taiwan is Taiwan, and China is China.”

    As in George Orwell’s 1984 novel, that Taiwan is being watched by the “Big Brother” is not lost on the citizens. The awareness is being propagated on all media spaces. On August 2, 2025, a new TV series Zero Day Attack, was screened in Taipei. The premiere was watched by top a U.S. diplomat Raymond Greene, who is the director of the American Institute in Taiwan, as well as a Taiwanese tycoon Robert Tsao, a strident critic of Beijing and a host of other important personalities.

    In the series, which was first shown on Japanese Amazon Prime Video, the film is about a Chinese war plane which goes missing near Taiwan. China then sends a horde of military boats and planes for a blockade. The unleashing of the military boats led to panic on the streets of Taipei.

    Reuters news agency quoted a 35-year-old Blair Yeh after watching the premier as saying, “Presenting such a situation (of conflict) can lead to more discussion about what we should do if it really turns into reality one day.” The issue treated by the film is a very delicate topic which Taiwanese filmmakers and directors have been avoiding because of the fear of losing their large market in China if they treat controversial political topics that the Beijing authorities may frown at.

    Many African countries have no diplomatic relations with Taiwan (perhaps) due to the domineering influence of China in Africa, which the respected American journalist and media scholar, Howard French, has written a book in which he describes Africa as “China’s Second Continent”.

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    The only African country that has diplomatic relations with Taiwan is Eswatini. All the others because of the huge investments (size) and loans owed China quake in their boots when China sneezes over Taiwan!  This is regrettable according to Sabella Abidde, a professor of Political Science at Alabama State University who is a leading scholar on Africa-China-Taiwan Relations. He is of the view that “Of greater regret is the fact that — except for Eswatini — no other African country has the will, the courage, the integrity, and the political sensibility to rebuff China. I am aware that the PRC wields a heavy stick; therefore, no African government is willing to confront her in favor of a Two-China Policy. Taiwan is also good for the peace and prosperity of states and societies in Africa.”

    At a recent public function in Taipei, the Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao, who has been subject of attacks by Chinese authorities over his educational policy in the country, declared himself “an elegant Taiwanese,” adding that he is not afraid of being labeled by China as a “diehard Taiwan independence advocate.” He was responding to China’s Taiwan Affairs Office which had designated him, along with the Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang and High Prosecutors’Office prosecutor Chen Shu-yi, as “diehard Taiwan independence advocates.”

     Cheng told a Taiwanese newspaper the label would not affect his commitment to educational professionalism, promising that he would continue to fulfill the responsibilities stipulated by the Fundamental Act of Education to cultivate “a new generation with a strong sense of national identity, love for Taiwan and appreciation for the Republic of China [ROC], while also being deeply rooted locally and globally minded.”

    He went ahead to declare that “The ROC is a sovereign and independent country, different from the ROC that retreated to Taiwan under [former president] Chiang Kai-shek’s regime in 1949, and it has absolutely no relation to China.”

    He emphasised that education is to enlighten the mind and liberate citizens to know their history, “In daily life and in the international community, we are usually referred to as Taiwanese. These distinctions should be clearly explained to children through historical and international perspectives, rather than being conflated. What we aim for is a democratic and law-governed society, and education should help children develop a clear, stable and non-contradictory understanding.”

    Whichever way you look at it, Taiwan, which early Portuguese sailors called “Formosa,” meaning “Beautiful Island” (Ilha Formosa), is a beautiful bride being eyed and watched by you know who….Will the world let it be?

    (Concluded)

    Dr Oyegbile, journalist and media scholar just concluded a postdoctoral fellowship at Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD).

  • When insurance walked away: How Nigeria’s traders were financially excluded in their darkest hour

    When insurance walked away: How Nigeria’s traders were financially excluded in their darkest hour

    What burned at Balogun was not just GNI House, but Nigeria’s illusion of financial protection. When a Christmas Eve inferno turned prosperity into ashes, it exposed a dangerous gap in the country’s insurance safety net and the urgent need for Lagos State, regulators, insurers and market stakeholders to confront the exclusion of millions of economic participants. Omobola Tolu-Kusimo reports.

    As the inferno consumed multi‑storey buildings and neighbouring shops, over 10 people lost their lives, dozens were injured, and hundreds of traders saw years of hard‑earned trillion naira investments wiped out in minutes.

    But as the smoke cleared, another tragedy emerged: many of the very market traders whose livelihoods fuel Nigeria‘s economy were not insured and were actively excluded by insurers.

    The blaze began on the fourth floor of the GNI House and quickly spread under dry, crowded, market conditions. Lagos State authorities would later confirm that flammable materials and stored explosive‑aided goods, including kerosene and banned electronics, accelerated the fire’s intensity.

    Residents and traders watched in horror as flames devoured stock worth billions of naira. What compounded their grief was the sting of knowing that while corporate offices and corporate risks were well covered by insurers, the traders who form the backbone of both the informal and formal economy were repeatedly denied fire, burglary and even life insurance.

    “They said the risk was too high, that premiums wouldn’t be profitable,” one trader lamented, tearfully recounting total loss of goods that took years to accumulate.

    Financial Inclusion or Exclusion

    Nigeria’s insurance penetration remains alarmingly low, with fewer than two million insured lives and businesses out of an estimated population of 230 million. Despite being Africa’s largest economy with bustling commercial hubs like Balogun Market, the vast majority of Nigerians still have no insurance protection.

    Investigations show that even when traders sought coverage for fire and other basic risks, many were systematically excluded by underwriters, who cited frequent fire outbreaks and volatile informal market dynamics. What should have been a financial inclusion venture became a case study in financial exclusion.

    This refusal not only denied traders protection, it also denied the insurance sector potential premiums, revenue streams, and opportunities for meaningful market expansion.

    “It’s not that the risk didn’t exist,” says a risk analyst familiar with market insurance portfolios. “It’s that insurers chose risk avoidance over innovation.”

    Emergency Response under Fire

    The tragedy was made worse by troubling allegations against Lagos State Fire Service. Multiple witnesses claim fire crews arrived late, more than 40 minutes after first alerts and initially demanded payments before proceeding with full suppression efforts.

    Social media videos captured traders pleading with fire personnel to act, suggesting that fire engines and personnel stood idle until unofficial negotiations were made.

    Activist Nedu Ani tweeted: “Fire service demanded millions before quenching the fire. How can safety be monetised like this?”

    Though the Lagos State government has not publicly confirmed demands for payment, the allegations have intensified frustrations with authorities whose role is to protect lives, enforce building codes, and ensure community safety.

    Voices from the Ground

    “Everything is gone, no insurance, no help, nothing”, said Mrs. Kemi Ade, trader affected by the fire.

    Mr. Olu Fashola, market leader also said If insurers can cover big corporate assets, they can innovate products for markets like ours.

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    We pay taxes and levies every month, but there’s no sprinkler system, no hydrants, not even basic enforcement of safety codes, he added.

    The Financial Cost of Exclusion

    Experts say the industry’s decision to shun high‑risk markets is both a social and economic failure. By excluding informal traders, insurers miss out on revenue opportunities in an economy where informal trade accounts for a significant share of GDP.

    Instead of tapping into premium streams from thousands of underwriters, the industry has concentrated on low‑risk corporate and compulsory covers, leaving behind millions of potential policyholders, an actuarial consultant, Dr. Aisha Ogunleye noted.

    A Nation at Risk, a Sector at Crossroads

    The GNI House fire is more than a tragedy. It is a stark reminder that financial exclusion in the insurance sector has grave human and economic costs. When insurers walked away and authorities failed to enforce safety and inclusion, ordinary Nigerians pay the price.

    Now, surviving traders, families of victims, and civil society are asking: Who will insure the people who make this economy thrive?

    Government’s Complicity and Safety Lapses

    While insurers have largely stepped back, market leaders have criticized the Lagos State Government for prioritising revenue collection over structured safety enforcement.

    The market traders who do not want their names mentioned complained that their taxes, levies, and licences earn them little more than routine inspections and occasional demolitions without meaningful investment in fire mitigation infrastructure.

    Despite repeated fire incidents in the Balogun area over the years, designated fire service points, hydrants, enforced building code compliance or sprinkler systems have not been systematically implemented, the traders assert.

    “We cannot keep paying taxes and watching our shops burn,” one frustrated vendor said.

    Insurance Regulator

    The Deputy Commissioner for Insurance Technical, Dr. Usman Jankara Jimada, admitted that the reported rejection of market traders by insurers was a new discovery for the regulator, even though repeated fires in commercial hubs such as Mandilas, Balogun and the GNI House suggest a long-standing protection gap. He said the issue deserves public attention, particularly because insurance is expected to play a stabilising role after large-scale losses.

    While stressing that he was not defending underwriters, Jankara explained that insurance globally operates on the principle of uncertainty, not inevitability. Where a risk is assessed as highly likely to occur, insurers are faced with two options: charge premiums so high they become unaffordable, or decline the risk altogether. “Insurance cannot sustainably cover certainty,” he said, noting that this dilemma is not unique to Nigeria.

    He cited international examples, including health insurance markets in developed countries, where high-risk individuals or communities are often excluded unless government intervention alters the risk framework. According to him, if the probability of loss approaches certainty, insurance ceases to function as a risk-pooling mechanism.

    However, Jankara was clear that traders are not solely responsible for the uninsurable nature of many markets. He pointed to weak housekeeping standards, lack of fire alarms, blocked access routes for fire engines, and the absence of enforced safety regulations as key contributors to elevated risk levels. These, he said, are failures of governance and enforcement rather than individual choice.

    He emphasised that risk mitigation is the bridge between exclusion and inclusion. Improving safety standards, enforcing building regulations, and ensuring functional firefighting infrastructure would significantly reduce loss probabilities and make such markets more attractive to insurers. “If the risk improves, insurance becomes possible,” he noted.

    On compulsory insurance, Jankara clarified that the major challenge is enforcement, not legislation. Nigeria’s insurance laws already provide for compulsory covers, but weak enforcement mechanisms, overstretched law enforcement agencies, and prosecutorial bottlenecks have undermined compliance over the years.

    He disclosed that NAICOM often faces frustration when cases are handed over to the police or prosecuting authorities, only for them to be deprioritised amid broader security challenges. This, he said, discourages sustained enforcement and weakens deterrence across the system.

    To address this, the commission is shifting towards a preventive approach by working with agencies responsible for building approvals and compliance. The aim, according to him, is to embed insurance and safety requirements into approval processes so that risks are addressed before losses occur, rather than relying solely on post-event enforcement.

    Jankara also acknowledged the limitations of the Fire Service Maintenance Fund, which is financed through a small percentage of fire insurance premiums. While the fund has been deployed in the past, he said its impact is constrained by Nigeria’s low fire insurance premium base, making it insufficient to meet nationwide needs.

    Ultimately, he argued that financial exclusion in insurance must be addressed through collaboration rather than compulsion. Government, regulators, insurers, fire services and market authorities must jointly reduce risks to make insurance viable. “Public discourse like this,” he said, “is the starting point for finding sustainable solutions.”

    The Director-General of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Mrs. Bola Odukale, said she did not have formal industry-wide data confirming that insurers were systematically rejecting traders in markets such as Balogun.

    However, speaking from professional experience as an insurance practitioner, she acknowledged that if such rejections were occurring, they would most likely be rooted in risk assessment rather than deliberate exclusion.

    She explained that insurers have a duty to assess risks before underwriting them, and where a risk is considered excessively high, companies may legitimately decline to provide cover.

    According to her, the physical layout of many markets, the way shops are organised, and daily operating practices often elevate the level of risk beyond what insurers can prudently accept.

    The NIA DG pointed specifically to unsafe practices commonly observed in markets, including the storage of petrol and other flammable materials inside shops, overcrowding of electrical appliances, and the indiscriminate placement of generators. These conditions, she said, create what insurers classify as near-certain loss scenarios rather than uncertain events.

    She stressed that insurance is fundamentally designed to cover unexpected occurrences, not situations where loss is highly predictable.

    Drawing an analogy, she noted that insurers would not cover a person with a terminal illness because the outcome is no longer uncertain. “Insurance does not cover certainty; it covers uncertainty,” she said.

    While acknowledging concerns around financial inclusion, the NIA DG cautioned against treating insurance as a social service.

    She emphasised that insurance remains a commercial enterprise and must operate within the bounds of sound underwriting principles. Granting cover “just anyhow,” she warned, would undermine the sustainability of the industry.

    She made comparisons with other high-risk sectors, such as commercial transport, where poor driving culture, substance abuse, and lack of formal training significantly increase accident rates. In such cases, insurers also struggle to provide affordable or viable coverage unless risks are properly managed.

    She agreed that collaboration with government could help address some of the underlying problems, particularly through improved regulation, safety standards, and enforcement. However, he maintained that such partnerships must still respect the fundamentals of underwriting and exposure management.

    Ultimately, the NIA DG acknowledged that markets represent a significant opportunity for insurance expansion, potentially worth trillions of naira. He said the industry recognises this potential but insists that any meaningful penetration must be preceded by deliberate efforts at risk mitigation, awareness, and structured engagement to make coverage viable and sustainable.

    Conclusion

    Risk, Responsibility, and the Cost of Exclusion

    The market fires that have devastated Nigeria’s commercial centres are more than isolated tragedies; they are a public interest failure with national economic consequences.

    When entire trading communities operate without insurance, losses cascade beyond individual traders to families, supply chains, lenders, and ultimately the state. This is not a niche industry issue but a systemic vulnerability affecting millions of livelihoods and the resilience of the informal economy.

    The investigation shows that exclusion did not occur in a vacuum. Insurers insist, correctly, that insurance cannot cover certainty, only uncertainty. Regulators admit that enforcement of safety standards and compulsory insurance remains weak. Market environments, shaped by years of regulatory neglect, now present risks so elevated that exclusion becomes the rational outcome. In this chain, no single actor is solely to blame, but each bears responsibility.

    Accountability therefore lies not in assigning guilt after infernos, but in examining why certainty was allowed to replace uncertainty in the first place. Unsafe electrical systems, blocked access routes, fuel storage inside shops, and the absence of functional fire infrastructure are not acts of nature. They are the result of policy gaps, weak oversight, and a failure to integrate risk management into market governance.

    The voices of regulators and industry leaders point to a shared truth that insurance exclusion is the consequence of unmanaged risk. Yet risk management itself has been treated as an afterthought, activated only after lives and capital have been lost. This reactive posture undermines both financial inclusion and public trust in the insurance system.

    Solutions, however, are neither abstract nor unattainable. Embedding safety and insurance compliance into market approvals, strengthening enforcement of existing compulsory insurance laws, and fostering structured collaboration between insurers, regulators, fire services and market authorities can gradually convert certainty back into insurable uncertainty.

    For insurers, this means investing in risk awareness and phased underwriting models rather than blanket rejection. For regulators, it requires shifting from post-disaster responses to preventive oversight. For government, it demands recognising markets as critical economic infrastructure deserving of the same risk governance applied to formal commercial assets.

    Until these responsibilities align, Nigeria will continue to witness fires that are described as “uninsurable” despite being entirely foreseeable.

    The real failure, therefore, is not that insurance walked away when certainty prevailed, but that the system allowed certainty to flourish unchecked. Addressing that failure is where true financial inclusion in insurance must begin.

  • ‘Tribute to my dad at 65’

    ‘Tribute to my dad at 65’

    By Samuel Moyosore Ekundayo

    If I were to describe my dad using just three words, they would be intentional, resilient, and exemplary.

    My dad is one of the clearest expressions of leadership I have ever known. Not leadership by title or position, but leadership by example. The kind that is lived passionately, consistently, and convincingly. Everything about him is deliberate. You see it in the decisions he makes, the standards he keeps, the people he nurtures, and the organisations he leads. You can tell he is a man consciously building a legacy, not for applause, but for impact. He leads with depth, conviction, and care, and that example has shaped the man I am today.

    My dad, Dr. JMO Ekundayo, has taught me many things, but a few stand out as truly life defining.

    One of the most profound lessons he taught me was a lifestyle of giving. My dad is known for generosity, not as an occasional act, but as a way of life. From a very young age, I watched both my dad and mum give sacrificially, even in seasons when we ourselves had little. I witnessed them give away our Mercedes Benz without having a replacement. I saw them open our home to accommodate people while we were struggling to survive ourselves. I often say there is nothing my dad cannot give. Sometimes I joke that he could give away his eyes before realising he needs them to see. That is how deeply generosity is woven into his being. This lifestyle of giving has rubbed off on me, and today I find myself intentionally emulating the example he modelled long before I understood its power.

    Another thing my dad imparted to me was the love of reading. He is an avid reader, deeply passionate about books. His personal library is filled with volumes that reflect curiosity, faith, and wisdom. Over the years, I have shamelessly “borrowed” many books from his shelves, and even till today, he continues to give me books and recommend what I should read. The last time he visited me in New Zealand, he still arrived bearing books.

    There are two books he gave me that I will never forget.

    The first was when I was eight years old. The book was titled:  “I Saw Heaven” by Robert Liardon. While I may not have received a literal revelation of heaven from that book, I received something far more transformative, a revelation of who God is. That book awakened in me a deep hunger for intimacy with God, a desire that has fuelled my love for Him to this very day. That seed planted in childhood still bears fruit, and for that, I will always be grateful.

    The second book was: “In Pursuit of Purpose” by Dr Myles Munroe, given to me during my teenage years. That book marked a turning point in my life. It introduced me to the truth that life is intentional, that man has purpose, and that I was not an accident or a mistake. It showed me that God was deliberate about my existence. At the time, neither my dad nor I knew that my life’s calling would be to help others discover their purpose. Today, that book has become like a second Bible to me. It laid the foundation for what I now do, helping thousands of people find purpose and maximise their God given potential.

    My dad also taught me how to write. He is an avid writer and has authored several books himself. Today, by the grace of God, I am the author of fourteen books, and I trace that grace back to having an exemplary leader who modelled discipline, consistency, and devotion to words put into writing.

    He also taught me how to preach. Watching him handle the Word of God shaped and sharpened my own preaching style. Even the way I mark my Bible, pen in hand like an old-fashioned preacher, I learned from my dad. These are quiet imprints that last a lifetime.

    Beyond these lessons, there were decisive decisions my dad made that altered the trajectory of my life. One of such came when I turned eighteen. One day, he invited me into his room and we sat together on his bed. He looked at me and said, “You are now a grown man. From today, I want our relationship to change. I want you to be my confidant and my friend.” He told me he would begin to share things with me that he had never shared before and that he wanted my input. That moment redefined how I saw myself. It told me that my father believed in me. That affirmation marked me deeply, and it is a moment I hope to replicate with my own sons someday.

    Another defining aspect of my dad’s leadership has been his spiritual sensitivity. There are moments where his prophetic insight redirected my destiny. One of those moments was around my marriage. I was already convinced I had heard from God about my wife, but I will never forget the day my dad confirmed it. He told me he had seen a dream of visiting us in New Zealand, which at the time we did not live in. In the dream, he saw my wife and I holding a baby boy. That confirmation sealed what God had already spoken to my heart. Truly, every matter is established by confirmation.

    Another moment came during my PhD journey. At the time, I was considering the United States and Canada. Then my dad received a strong spiritual inclination that New Zealand was where I should go. Around that period, one of his friends called him unexpectedly from a number beginning with plus sixty-four, which we later discovered was New Zealand. God used that moment to confirm direction. I remain deeply grateful for a father with such spiritual discernment.

    During one of the lowest points of my PhD, when termination was looming, I shared a troubling dream with my dad. I saw myself in a helicopter with a man of God, the helicopter crashed, but we emerged unscathed. While I could not interpret it, my dad did. He told me the PhD would crash, but I would come out unharmed and still fulfil God’s purpose in New Zealand. At the time, everything around me contradicted that word. Yet today, I stand as living proof of its fulfilment. The PhD crashed, God made another way, I completed my PhD research study in another university – Auckland University of Technology. Counting, this is now my seventeenth year in New Zealand, preaching the gospel and walking in purpose.

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    The most decisive legacy shaping decision my dad ever made, however, was one that changed the destiny of our entire family. Between 2004 and 2006, life was extremely tough. We lived in Ikota, Lekki Phase 2, Lagos, in a one-bedroom flat that we had to modify just to survive. It was a seeming slum settlement tucked within the wealthy Lekki corridor of Lagos. My dad and I dug the soak away pit ourselves. We dug the well for water. Our door was broken for days. I saw sacrifice, pain, and perseverance up close.

    In the midst of that hardship, my dad sought God for a way forward. He received an insight to travel to Asia, to Singapore. We partly borrowed money to make the journey possible. For months after he left, we were still sending him money. Things were not working. Until God gave him another instruction, to put mission first. He commenced the African Service at Cornerstone Community Church, Katong, Singapore.

    That vision was received with favour. The service grew, lives were touched, and one day the senior leadership asked him a simple question, “John, what is one thing we can do for you?”

    He could have asked for anything. But instead, he asked that they bring his family, his wife and four children. The church paid for our tickets, and in April 2006, we arrived in Singapore together. That single decision rewrote our family’s story.

    Someone once said that inheritance is what you leave behind, but legacy is who you leave behind. That decision is living legacy. It is a story I have told my children and will continue to tell them, just as one generation tells the next.

    As I write this today, I am seventeen years in New Zealand, and God has been faithful. I celebrated my 40th natal anniversary in 2025. I am married. The marriage produces two grandsons for Grandpa JMO Ekundayo. He loves all his children; and also his precious five grandchildren in New Zealand, United Kingdom and Nigeria.

    Dad, on your 65th birthday, I honour you. I celebrate you. I am grateful for your intentionality, your faith, resilience, your generosity, and your exemplary leadership. Not in a million years would I ask for another father. We may not have had much growing up, but because I had you, I felt like we had everything.

    Thank you, Daddy.

    God bless you.

    Happy 65th Birthday.

    •Samuel Moyosore Ekundayo, PhD (Business Information Systems) (aka “Purpose Preacher”) sent in this piece from Auckland New Zealand and can be reached via: samuelekundayo.com/contact

  • ‘My transformation from OAU dropout to UNILAG First Class graduate’

    ‘My transformation from OAU dropout to UNILAG First Class graduate’

    Elizabeth Abisola Akano’s life story is a proof that determination pays. Advised to withdraw from Obafemi Awolowo University on account of poor grades, she eventually graduated from the University of Lagos with First Class Honours degree and a CGPA of 4.91. She tells GBENGA ADERANTI her story of trials, despondency and triumph.

    What was life like at Obafemi Awolowo University?

    I would say it was an experience. I enjoyed it for the most part because everything was different from what I was used to. The experience became sour when my main reason for being there was not going well. From my very first semester there, I carried over about three courses, and they were really heavy (3 and 4 units), and even the other courses were Es. What kept me at 1.0 were my practical courses, which were 1-unit courses and were As. The results went downhill from there. By the end of my 100-level, I had about five carryovers. My CGPA sank before it got a chance to rise.

    I tried to make it work in my 200-level and retook the courses I carried over, but the damage had been done. I had gone below 1.0 in two consecutive semesters (100 level second semester and 200 level first semester), so I was advised to withdraw. I tried to cross into the Economics Department at that point, but I was told my CGPA was too low to cross to any department. At that time, I knew there was no point staying, so I called home and told them I was done.

    Why did you initially opt to read Biochemistry at OAU?

    I didn’t pick the course. It was given to me. The course I picked was Pharmacy, but I was given Biochemistry because I didn’t meet the cut-off for Pharmacy. I accepted the offer with a plan to cross to Pharmacy after my 100 level. It didn’t happen because I failed in Biochemistry.

    What was your life ambition?

    My life ambition was to become a Pharmacist. That had been my plan since I entered science class in SS1. I just loved the idea of being a Pharmacist. I wanted to be in the health profession, and I knew I couldn’t handle Medicine or Nursing. Pharmacy was the next best thing at that time.

    At what point did you leave OAU?

    I left when I saw that there was no point staying. I had gone below 1.0, and my portal status was saying withdrawal. I was tired of fighting and deceiving myself. I had heard stories of people who stayed back after being told to withdraw and coming out with nothing to show for it because they couldn’t tell anyone at home. I did not want to be one of them. It was better to face the shame of going home than to be stuck and not moving forward. My parents knew I was trying to change departments. They didn’t know it had gotten so bad until I called to say that I was done.

    When you were advised to withdraw from OAU, how did you feel? What was the first thing that came to your mind?

    I was so sad and pained. I had a plan for my life. I wanted to be done with school at 20/21. The first thing on my mind was how am I going to tell Daddy and Mummy? I lived comfortably in school. I had my own room, self-contained, that they rented for me because of the experiences of my elder siblings. They spent money that they could have used for other things just so that I could have an education comfortably. I was too ashamed to tell them that after everything, I was leaving school with nothing.

    You started failing in the first semester, which you described as weird. What could have been responsible for that?

    Looking back now, I think I overestimated my abilities, and I was overconfident. I felt it was business as usual. I never had to over-read to pass an exam. I did the minimum, and I was able to pass. I was a bright student. I was well above average in my secondary school. I didn’t know myself; I just had an idea of who I was, and I ran with it. I didn’t understand that I was in a class with a lot of above-average students who were better than me and understood concepts better.

    I was a timid girl who found it difficult to ask questions because I didn’t want to be seen as not knowing. It was a very bad way of thinking, but I didn’t know better. It really affected me, and when I finally sought help, it was too late.

    Would you describe your exit as an act of God? If not, how would you explain it?

    It was definitely an act of God. I was fighting a lost battle from my very first semester. I had to leave that situation for me to see the bigger picture for my life. I was in the wrong course and not in the right atmosphere where I could thrive. God created a way to take me out of it, and with a lesson. I wasn’t meant to be struggling academically and barely finishing school. He knows my end from the beginning. I was meant to be on top academically. God made it happen. At that point in time, it felt like punishment. Over the years, I understood why it had to happen. I needed realignment.

    What were your parents’ reactions when they discovered that you would not continue at OAU?

    My parents had similar but very unique reactions, and that was because of their personalities. My father was a softie when it came to his children. On that Sunday night, I called my immediate sister, Olamide, in tears to tell her that I was done and she should help me relay it to my parents because I was too afraid to tell them directly. My father called me barely five minutes later, begging me to stop crying. It was around the time students were committing suicide, so his initial worry was that I shouldn’t hurt myself. He was so scared that he was telling me to sleep at my neighbour’s place that night. I told him I was fine. It took a lot of convincing to get him to drop the call. I saw my father in Ife the following morning. He took me to my department. He met who he could meet and then took me to my room. We packed some clothes, and we went to Lagos.

    My mum’s reaction was a mix of care, worry and disappointment. I understood because she had high hopes. She told me that I would just have to try again. In the meantime, she paid for baking school and provided everything I needed so that I wouldn’t be at home, thinking. My parents didn’t like the idea of being idle. You must be learning something at any point in time. I opened my baking business at that time, BiziCakery.

    What were the initial challenges you faced when you left OAU?

    The very first was shame. I didn’t know what to tell people if they asked. Everyone in my neighbourhood knew I was in school, so how would I explain being at home for close to a year? I just said I took a leave of absence to learn baking when they asked. That reduced the questions, and I was able to move from that. I spent my days indoors except when I had to go to baking school. I couldn’t tell my colleagues in school because I was too ashamed. Another challenge was proving to my parents that I wasn’t a lost cause. I could still make something out of my life.

    Did you feel like committing suicide at the time of your travail?

    One thing I am grateful for is that the thought of suicide never crossed my mind. I heard stories about students committing suicide, and I knew it wasn’t an option at all. No matter the emotional turmoil I was going through, I knew I wanted to live my life to the fullest, so ending it wasn’t on my mind.

    How did you manage to summon enough courage to write UTME?

    As I mentioned before, I have a very supportive family. My father personally took me to the library to read before I started tutorials in September, 2018. I attended Rise-up tutorials, and I learnt a lot about myself during that period. Luckily for me, I didn’t need to write another WAEC because I did Economics and Geography. I only needed to learn Government for my JAMB. My mum taught Government as she is a teacher, so it was very easy for me to read and understand the subject.

    I have always been good at Maths, English and Economics, but I entered the tutorial as someone who knew nothing, just so I could learn. I did tutorials and still read at the centre till 7 pm before making my way home. I left no stone unturned and read as if my life depended on it, and it worked. I scored 290 in my UTME and went on to score 25 out of 30 in my post UTME.

    How did your friends within and outside the school react when they discovered that you were asked to withdraw?

    I didn’t tell them immediately because I was fighting a lot of battles internally, and I was also ashamed. When I told them, the popular opinion was “why didn’t you say anything earlier?” They were very apologetic and sad on my behalf. They were supportive and checked on me every now and then. I still talk to a number of my friends in OAU to this day, so we haven’t lost contact.

    Why did you opt to study Economics Education?

    I took my time to look at my strengths. I discovered that the social sciences came easily to me, and I could relate with it better. I knew I was mentally done with sciences because there is no course that I wouldn’t have to do Chemistry and Physics which were the courses I failed in OAU. I did my research and I wasn’t bad at Mathematics. I would have done Pure Economics, but I realised that I would have to do Accounting, which I have never done in my life, and learning it at that point in time was going to be a lot for me as I was learning Government too. My parents advised me to go for Education instead because of the opportunities. I can major in either Economics or the Education aspect for my Masters so I took their advice and went for Economics Education.

    To what extent did your experience at the OAU help you at the University of Lagos?

    I had experience with higher institutions when I entered UNILAG because of my OAU experience, so nothing shocked me. I believe I had an edge in my class because of that. OAU had a way of teaching resilience in the face of struggle, and I took that into UNILAG. When my classmates complained about how difficult a thing was, I would just smile because I had seen something similar before and I knew how to pace myself to solve it. I understood how the system worked, and I used it to my advantage.

    What would you tell other students who are currently facing the same challenges you faced at OAU?

    There is so much I want to say. Failure is not the end of the world. People have failed, and people will still fail. It doesn’t mean you are dumb or a dullard. You haven’t just had an understanding of who you are and your abilities. It is okay to take a step back and reassess yourself. Don’t ever give in to the thought of not being brilliant. You might just be taking the wrong course. You failed academically, but that doesn’t mean you failed in life.

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    SEEK HELP. Don’t keep quiet. If you are failing, don’t wait before you ask for assistance. Never be too shy to ask your classmates for help; that’s why you are not schooling in solitude. Ask questions early and don’t be afraid to leave. You might feel terrible, but it is better than being stuck and not moving forward. It would seem like you are moving backward but you aren’t; you are just taking a step back to realign yourself, and you would be the better for it.

    Most importantly, have a relationship with God. He helped me through the dark time. God doesn’t need you for anything, but you need Him for everything.

    What did you do differently at the University of Lagos that you did not do while at the OAU?

    The very first thing I did was to stop keeping quiet and ask questions. Part of what affected me in OAU was that I was too timid to talk to people and ask for assistance. I was just in my little bubble. I got to know myself first and the type of learner I am. I got to know that I understand things better visually and also by writing things out. I also got to know that I learn better when I start at the beginning of any topic and work my way to the complex parts. So I read better and smarter. I didn’t study daily, but I made sure that when I did, I learnt something. I also did a lot of tutoring because I realised that things stuck more when I taught my peers.

     What was the culture shock you experienced at UNILAG?

    The first shock was how small UNILAG premises were, compared to OAU. Another shock was that I got to see my advisers and lecturers more often than I was used to. They were always willing to listen. I had an adviser in OAU, but I wasn’t in tune enough to figure out who they were, as I didn’t see them during my orientation. I also didn’t have anything to do in my department in my first few semesters at OAU, so I couldn’t meet them.

    Another shock was that UNILAG had so many programmes and opportunities for students to grow beyond academics. I got to be a part of so many trainings and student-led initiatives.

    How has the change in course and varsity changed your ambition?

    It has changed so much. From a Biochemist who never was to an Educator and Economist. I want to make an impact in the education space because I know my story isn’t meant for me alone. I changed my mindset, and I am the better for it. I derive joy from educating, and I know I have a calling in education. I don’t want other people to go through what I did. What happened to me would have been avoided if I had someone take a second look at me and ask me the right questions so that I could discover myself.

    Tell me something you are not likely to forget in a hurry at the OAU and UNILAG.

    The feeling of failure in OAU and the feeling of victory in UNILAG that I felt, and the lesson from that, is what I will not forget in a hurry. I learnt a life lesson and the role of realignment when things get bad. I also learnt that with humility, you can learn anything and from anyone.

    Your regrets?

    My regrets are not knowing myself before entering OAU, and I wish I had finished school younger. But with the outcome I have, the regrets have been overshadowed. I learnt during this journey, and I can’t buy it anywhere.

    Do you still want to pursue a career in education?

    And yes, I definitely want to pursue a career in education. As I said before, my story is not meant for me alone. There are lessons to draw from it. I want to build a career around making sure that other students don’t have to go through what I went through, and discover themselves early.

  • How I became pregnant for my husband’s son — Nasarawa housewife

    How I became pregnant for my husband’s son — Nasarawa housewife

    • Say I slept with him because my husband lost his potency  

    • Husband: I know who was responsible for my impotence

    Tongues are wagging in Bargu, a community in Awe Local Government Area, Nasarawa State over the confession of a 40-year-old housewife, Mrs Esther Jemkwe, who slept with her 23-year-old stepson because she was desperate to produce a child for her husband.

    Esther said she hit on the idea of sleeping with the only child her husband, Audu Jemkwe, had from a failed marriage he had before they met because she realised that he became impotent a few weeks after they got married in 2022.

    Our correspondent gathered that before 51-year-old Audu’s marriage to Esther in 2022, he had been involved 27 years earlier in another marriage that was blessed with a son named Theophilus before it collapsed and they parted ways. Theophilus, however, chose to stay with his father.

    It was gathered that before his second marriage in 2022, Audu, a carpenter by profession, was sexually very active, which was one of the reasons he chose to remarry. Theophilus, on his part, was an automobile mechanic and, like his father, had no meaningful education.

    Trouble began after Esther got married to Audu only to find that her once virile partner had lost his potency.

    Recalling the shocking discovery, Esther said: “His manhood stopped functioning the moment I moved into his house. We did everything humanly possible to revive it but to no avail. I was worried, but I could not discuss it with anybody because it is embarrassing.”

    Recalling the good memories of their earlier days together, she said: “We bonded together and were in love. He proposed marriage to me and we agreed to it. We planned towards a particular date.

    “What attracted me to him was that he was very good in bed and he satisfied me sexually.

    “Honestly, apart from his caring nature, his performance in bed was among the factors that attracted me to him.

    “I am the only daughter of my parents, and they are no longer alive. They died during the farmers/herders crisis in Nasarawa.

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    “I had difficulty getting a husband while I needed to get married to have a rest of mind since we lived in a village where herders disturb often. But the people who kept coming were only interested in sleeping with me until Mr Audu Jemkwe, a carpenter, came with genuine intentions and we made it.

    “So, moving into his house, my dream was to have children. Jemkwe (Audu) was sexually fit until we got married. But shortly after, his manhood started failing. I became worried because he became impotent.

    “I endured this for over year and kept hoping that the problem would go away, but months passed and the situation did not improve. So I decided to inform his first son.”

    From Esther’s discussion with Theophilus who practices his vehicle mechanic in Lafia while Esther was a trader, buying and selling goods between Awe and Lafia, the state capital, a relationship developed between the two.

    Given the mutual feelings shared by the two, they did not see any reason why they could not engage each other instead of going outside, especially as Theophilus shares the same blood with her husband with whom she was now living like cat and dog after orthodox and traditional efforts made to fix his impotence failed.

    The situation resulted in accusations and counter-accusations between the couple. Putting the blame on her husband, Esther said that while she was willing to approach a soothsayer to ascertain what was wrong with Audu, he on his part was not favourably disposed to the idea.

    She believes that Audu knew the source of the problem but chose to hide it from her. But to be doubly sure that the problem did not lie with her, Esther decided to test her own virility by luring her husband’s son into a secret affair with a stem warning not to reveal it to anyone. Investigation revealed that their intimate affair lasted the entire Year 2025.

    Each time Esther came down to Lafia for her business, she would pass a night at Theophilus’ place. The reason, she said, was to ascertain her ability to conceive a baby, because she needed a child badly and age was no longer on her side.

    After frequent visits to Lafia, Esther eventually missed her period, signaling that she was pregnant. But when she broke the news to her husband, what ordinarily should be a piece of good news became a source of quarrel. Audu vehemently denied ownership of the pregnancy and also alleged foul play. He said since they got married, there had been no intercourse between them because his manhood had been down.

    The angry husband, accusing Esther of infidelity, asked her to pack her things and move out of his house to live with the man responsible for her pregnancy.

    Pressured by our correspondent, Esther eventually opened up to tell her own side of the story.

    She said: “I am not a loose woman. I am just a woman who loves her husband very much and didn’t want to lose him. I did what I did to save my marriage even though I feel guilty about it.

    “It was not easy, but I slept with his first son from his first wife so that I could give my husband a child. But rather than sustain my marriage, the plan has scattered it.

    “I got married to my husband over four years ago. We had no child. The worst was that I never got pregnant even for one day, because we were not mating. He is impotent.

    “When I realised that I was no longer getting younger, I was worried as much as he was. His relations became so impatient that they started breathing down my neck.

    “They gave me no breathing space at all. They said I was cheating on their son and that I had no womb to bear a child. They did not know that their son was impotent.

    “The mother decided to move in to live with us in Awe and practically made life in my matrimonial home unbearable for me.

    “At a point, she stopped talking to me. The only time she would talk to me was when she wanted to insult me and remind me of how less a woman I was.

    “I was confused. More so when my husband kept mute and refused further efforts to ascertain the source of the problem.

    “But any time I was in Lafia with Theophilus, we used to have serious lovemaking sessions, especially during my ovulation period, all in a bid to get pregnant so that my mother-in-law would stop humiliating me.

    “Luckily, God answered my prayers

    “I was moved to continue my affair with Theophilus in Lafia because the insult from my mother-in-law was getting too much, too unbearable for me. She vowed to frustrate me out of her son’s home, not knowing their son was impotent.

    “It is so agonising to say this. Instead of testing someone else to ascertain my fertility, I seduced and slept with his son. Theophilus is a young man in his early 20s.He had not started sleeping with women before I lured him into making love with me.

    “I started by buying good things for him anytime I went to Lafia, sleeping with him on the same bed and playing with his manhood. Gradually, one thing led to another.

    “There was a time I asked him if he had tested sex before and he said no. I wondered why a 23 years old boy had not known a woman. I compelled him to take an oath not to disclose it to anybody, and I said I would teach him.

    “I ensured that I did that during my ovulation period. I never disclosed the reason for this, but deep in my mind, I wanted to test my fertility.

    “I planned it during my ovulation. In fact, any time I was in my ovulation period, I ensured I visited him in Lafia where he works as a mechanic.

    “I had the key to his room and most people thought I was his mother.

    “I knew I was doing the wrong thing and betraying my husband, but I saw it as a necessary action to save my marriage.

    “I didn’t want to go sleeping with another man outside. I knew it was wrong, so I preferred it from his son. After some months, I discovered that I was pregnant.”

    Now that the deed had been done and her husband has sent her packing from their matrimonial home, she said she would do nothing else but try to reassemble the pieces of her broken life and move on.

    She has since relocated to Lafia to continue with her business

    Although she regrets her action, she said she had decided to keep the pregnancy “because it is blood within blood”.

    I know who was responsible for my impotence — Husband

    Lamenting the incident, Audu said: “I know where my problem came from. A man in my village whose wife I dated for years before I got married is behind my predicament.

    “I was lucky that he allowed me to produce a child with my first wife. But he has vowed that I would not give birth.

    “He got me through my old shoes. And when my manhood stopped functioning, I consulted a native doctor somewhere without my wife knowing. That was shortly after I got married.

    “The native doctor told me everything, that the old man I was dating his wife in the village was the brains behind my sudden impotency. He advised me to go and beg the man. I did, but the man is yet to forgive me.

    “At first, he denied responsibility but later accepted and told me he would look into it.

    “I’m confused about my life. My dream of getting married to bear children that will add to Theophilus was aborted,

    “I am the only male child of my parents and they are old. In fact, my father is not alive, though he warned me against my affairs with women before he died.

    “Yes, I asked my wife to pack and leave my house. She has since moved to Lafia.

    “People are telling me that since she did it with Theophilus who is my son, I should consider her decision and allow her.

    “I’m still thinking about it.”

    Contacted, Theophilus admitted having such an affair with his father’s wife. But he said “it is a family matter that will be settled with time”.

  • Mother of three brutally attacked by neighbors over prepaid meter’s recharge cries for Justice

    Mother of three brutally attacked by neighbors over prepaid meter’s recharge cries for Justice

    A mother of three has cried out for justice after she was brutally flogged by neigbhours in the Ikola area of Alimosho, a Lagos suburb, following a disagreement over the recharge of prepaid meter installed at their residence, reports KUNLE AKINRINADE.

    A brutal scene unfolded at Paul Ekundayo Close, Diamond Estate, a middle class neighbourhood in Ikola, Alimosho, Lagos. The scene had the trappings of the Yoruba masquerade festival in which devotees flog bystanders in public.

    On this occasion, however, there were no festivities. Rather, it was an aggressive scene wherein a woman and two young men said to be her sons descended on a female neighbour and mother of three, Ms Eniola Agboola.

    Eniola and two of her children who both shared in the flogging, had cried and shouted for help but got none as the flogging which started at nightfall continued until her attackers felt satisfied and bolted.

    The flogging was a culmination of domestic disagreements that had simmered among the occupants of the building in the last few months. What began as agitation over lack of openness in the handling of a prepaid meter shared by four occupants of the building and three traders at the shops located at the entrance of the house had snowballed into mutual mistrust.

    It reached a climax on Christmas eve after the neighbour and her children stormed Eniola’s apartment with canes and flogged her and her children mercilessly.

    “The incident happened around 8.30pm on December 24, 2025 while I was trying to clean my corridor in preparation for the Christmas celebration the next day,” Eniola had said as she writhed in pains.

    “I wanted to remove my youngest son’s bicycle from the corridor of my apartment when my neighbour, Ms Ronke Olanrewaju, her daughter Wunmi and her son, Dare Olanrewaju appeared and splashed water on me.

    “As I was about to protest, they yelled at me and accused me of pouring water on them earlier, then they brought out canes.

    “I ran into my apartment but they smashed my door with a big stone and subjected me to brutal flogging.

    “One of them called a lady named Faith, who was selling grocery in one of the shops in front of our house, to block the entrance to my apartment in case I tried to escape through the door.

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    “They stripped me and dragged me on the floor inside my parlour and continued to flog me until they were satisfied.

    “They then left me to lick my wounds as blood started gushing out of my wounded body.

    “Even my daughters were not spared, as they were flogged too until they sustained injuries from the beating.

    “I was rushed to a hospital for treatment that night and my children also received treatment for the injuries they sustained from the beating.

    “I reported the case at the Meiran Police Division and they were arrested on December 24 but released on December 27.

    “The matter also drew the attention of a community leader in Ikola, who mediated and blamed the woman for her reckless and brutal attack on me and my children.

    “Ms Olanrewaju later sent N200,000 to me as compensation when I insisted on pressing for justice. I declined the offer of monetary compensation for a brutal assault she meted out to me and my family.”

    Recalling the events that led to the brutal assault, Eniola said she was a victim of conspiracy following her outspokenness about the management of the prepaid meter installed in the building.

    She said: “I moved into the building in 2023, and we have a prepaid meter that serves five apartments and four shops.

    “We were taking turns to recharge the meter, and every recharge was to last a month.

    “However, she does not load the meter as and when due. It was discovered that every recharge she did lasted just three days.

    “Other occupants became worried and asked that I speak with her to show the receipt of the electricity token purchased.

    “I did as mandated and she became angry that I requested the receipts for the recharge she did on the prepaid meter.

    “She was also fond of sending my daughters on errands while her own children were at home doing nothing.

    “I told her to stop sending my children on errands, especially in the night, and she started telling people that I provoked her for daring to ask her to provide evidence of payment for recharge of meter and for stopping her from sending my children on errands.

    “She subsequently got the support of some of the tenan, who have since subjected me and my children to verbal insults and diabolical jokes.

    “They called me all sort of names like olosho, asewo (prostitute), among others, but I did not respond to their insults.

    “One of them, Ms Faith Omoshe, who sells groceries in a shop in the building, used a chair to block the entrance to the pathway to my apartment and I removed the chair, leading to her biting off my hand in April 2025.

    “I reported the case at the Meiran Police Division where she was detained and made to sign an undertaking that she would never attack me again.

    “Yet, it was she that ganged up with Ms Olanrewaju to attack me by blocking the exit door to prevent me from running outside while the flogging lasted.

    “Although she was arrested too, she was later released and has since locked her shop and has not been seen.

    “She told the police that she travelled out of Lagos, perhaps for the yuletide.”

    The 44-year-old victim explained that she resorted to demanding for justice when the alleged culprits failed to honour the terms of a truce brokered by some community leaders.

    ”They damaged my doors and stole my smart phones worth N1.5 million and have been telling people around how they dealt with me mercilessly by logging me and my children, boasting that there was nothing anyone could do to them.

    “They have refused to honour the terms of an intervention by some community leaders, including the Baale of Ikola.

    “The community leaders tried to intervene to discourage me from pressing for justice, and they asked the woman to pay the sum of N1.5 million being the cost of the smart phones they took away and other damages they did at the scene.

    “Instead, they dropped N200,000, which I have since rejected.

    ”They have refused to visit the police station despite several invitations and they have also refused to pick the N200,000 they dropped for my treatment and the phone they took away after I rejected monetary compensation.

    “They have also failed to honour several invitations by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, a state-owned parastatal with the mandate to handle incidents of sexual and domestic assaults.

    ”All I want is justice, because the brutal assault was premeditated and it shows in the manner it was executed by the woman, her children and collaborators.

    “As I speak, my body still aches from the floggings that left me with wounds, swollen face and dislocated joints.”

     A footage sighted by our correspondent showed moments Eniola was being brutalised by the alleged culprits. In the video, Eniola was seen being dragged on the floor while a woman holding canes and boy warned, “run whenever you see my mother, run when you see my mother” while the victim’s daughter was crying for help.

    The police spokesperson for the Lagos Command, Ms Abimbola Adebisi, was contacted for response, but at press time, she had not responded to an inquiry our correspondent sent to her mobile phone.

    Efforts made by the reporter to get Ms Olanrewaju’s response yielded no result.

    A visit our correspondent made to a building identified as her tailoring shop in the Ikola neighbourhood on Thursday and Friday did not yield fruits as the shop was locked in the early part of Thursday.

    The people who spoke with the reporter around the site of the shop also declined to give out her phone number when he visited again on Friday.

    In a Whatsapp chat with the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, Mrs Abimbola Adebisi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), she quoted the Meiran Divisional Police Officer, Oluwakemi Adegboye,  as saying that a case of assault occasioning harm was reported on December 28, 2025 by one Eniola Oladapo (f) against Olanrewaju Oluronke (f) and others.

    “The victim went on agreement of collection of N500,000 from the suspect without the consent of police. Unfortunately, N200,000 was given with promise of paying the balance of N300,000 in the middle of February 2026,” the DPO said.

    Asked the current status of the case, the DPO said: “Our last discussion with the victim was that she wanted to go and refund the money she collected in order to charge the case to court.”

  • How Lagos is battling widespread refuse mess

    How Lagos is battling widespread refuse mess

    In Lagos, the refuse crisis has spilled into the heart of everyday life, transforming roadsides, markets and bus stops into informal dumpsites. Beyond the stench and visual blight lies a growing public health threat, as uncollected waste breeds disease, contaminates water and clogs drainage, turning what seems like a sanitation lapse into a warning that the city’s growth is outpacing its capacity to protect lives, report Raymond Mordi, Daniel Essiet and Udeh Onyebuchi

    You perceive the smell before you see the garbage. On Agege Motor Road in Oshodi, near the Iyana Brown bus stop, a massive pile of trash occupies almost half a lane. Black plastic bags, rotting food, empty bottles, and discarded packaging form a putrid mound that greets anyone entering Lagos. The mix of decay and diesel fumes is a warning sign: the city’s waste management system is under severe strain. And this is far from an isolated case.

    From Ajah in the east to Idi-Oro in Mushin, from Ikotun Market to Megida bus stop in Ayobo, refuse piles line roads, clog drainage channels, and crowd medians. The Nation observed that since early December 2025, garbage has become a regular, unavoidable feature of the metropolis. What began as isolated heaps has now spread, creating both a visual and health hazard. Even after the festive season, Lagos, a city renowned for its energy and constant change, remains stuck with its own waste.

    The seasonal surge in waste is one factor. December in Lagos brings street parties, concerts and bustling markets, all accompanied by increased consumption. Disposable plates, cups and food packaging flood the streets. Yet, weeks after the festivities, much of the refuse remains uncollected. “You will find garbage on the road median every time,” says Samuel Oluwashola, a resident of Ijesha in Surulere. “Even if LAWMA clears it, two days later, people start dumping again.”

    Residents, traders and drivers alike said they are feeling the impact. Heaps of refuse along the Ikorodu Garage, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Surulere, Iyana Ipaja, Abule Egba, and Toll Gate near Ogun State have become obstacles rather than mere eyesores. Traders lament declining sales as customers avoid smelly, congested streets. Drivers complain of longer trips and damage to vehicles. Health concerns are widespread, with residents worrying about malaria, cholera, and other sanitation-related diseases.

    The Lagos State Government acknowledges that the festive season worsened the situation, but insists that deeper structural problems are to blame. The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has cited the closure of the Olusosun landfill as a major setback to waste disposal. Many residents, however, remain unconvinced. For weeks, they have watched garbage piles swell across major roads with little visible response.

    The current garbage crisis is not an aberration; it is the latest chapter in a decades-long struggle. Lagos, a megacity of more than 20 million people, generates an estimated 13,000 metric tonnes of waste daily. Official figures suggest that only about one-third of this volume is properly collected. The remainder finds its way into canals, lagoons, informal dumpsites and, increasingly, onto the streets.

    Lagos’s battle with filth has long been notorious. In the 1970s, ahead of the FESTAC ’77 cultural festival, a federal official infamously described the city as the dirtiest capital in the world. The public embarrassment spurred the creation of the Lagos State Refuse Disposal Board in 1977, which later evolved into the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) in 1991. Over the years, reform efforts have yielded mixed results. The introduction of the Private Sector Participation (PSP) scheme in the early 2000s improved waste collection in several neighbourhoods and brought relative order to parts of the city. Yet fundamental weaknesses persisted, including a shortage of trucks and personnel, inefficient transfer loading stations, and heavy dependence on overstretched dumpsites.

    The disposal system itself remains fragile. Lagos produces thousands of tonnes of largely non-biodegradable waste—much of it plastic—every day. Landfills such as Olusosun have operated far beyond their designed lifespan. Attempts to modernise waste handling through waste-to-energy projects and partnerships with foreign firms have repeatedly stalled. A sweeping reform plan unveiled in the late 2010s promised a decisive break from the past, but collapsed amid disputes, leaving the city largely dependent on the old, failing framework.

    By December 2025, these long-standing problems reached crisis levels. Residents and waste workers alike said multiple failures occurred simultaneously. The holiday rush compressed already strained collection schedules. Some PSP operators reportedly suspended services on certain routes over payment disputes. Ageing trucks broke down and were not replaced. In high-traffic areas such as Oshodi, drivers avoided congested corridors or streets narrowed by illegal dumping, effectively abandoning some locations.

    As refuse continues to accumulate, a familiar blame game has emerged. Government officials and LAWMA frequently fault residents for refusing to pay for waste services. “The main issue is that many Lagos residents are unwilling to pay,” said Kunle Adeshina, spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment. He described a recurring pattern in which LAWMA clears road medians at dawn, only for them to be blanketed with refuse again by early morning.

    Others see the problem differently. “There is no incentive to come here,” said a middle-aged trader who sells spare parts near the massive heap along Agege Motor Road. “The trucks can’t turn properly. If they get stuck, nobody helps them. So they just leave it.”

    A former LAWMA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said politics and poor coordination often worsen operational failures. “Waste management looks simple from the outside, but it depends on fuel supply, vehicle maintenance, staff welfare and enforcement,” the source explained. “When one segment breaks down, the entire chain suffers. In December, several links failed at the same time.”

    Enforcement remains one of the most contentious aspects of the crisis. While Lagos has laws prohibiting indiscriminate dumping, many of the refuse heaps lining major roads are not solely the result of individual misconduct. In some cases, waste is deposited at temporary collection points in anticipation of swift evacuation. When that evacuation does not occur, the piles expand and invite further dumping.

    Areas most prone to refuse build-up tend to share common characteristics: high population density, intense commercial activity and poor road access. Oshodi, Agege, Mushin and parts of Surulere fit this profile. Ajegunle and Ijora contend with additional challenges linked to informal housing and industrial waste.

    On Lagos Island, narrow streets and heavy pedestrian traffic complicate collection logistics. In Apapa and Mile 2, chronic port-related gridlock adds another layer of difficulty, often relegating waste evacuation to a secondary concern in an already congested urban landscape. Residents in many of the affected neighbourhoods speak of a growing sense of abandonment. “When you complain, they tell you to be patient,” said a shop owner in Mushin, gesturing at a mound of refuse behind her stall. “We have been patient for weeks. The rubbish is still here.”

    Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators argue that policy shifts have compounded operational challenges. Kehinde, who works in Iyana Ipaja, blamed the sudden closure of the Igando dumpsite and the redirection of waste to Badagry. The longer haul, he explained, translates into higher fuel costs, faster vehicle wear and tear, and fewer collection trips per day. Another operator, Samson, was blunt: “If you spend most of the day travelling, your street coverage collapses. That is why you now see mountains of refuse.”

    For residents, irregular collection erodes any incentive to pay for waste services. “People dump it on the road because nobody is coming to collect it,” said Abosede Aremu, a resident of Ikorodu. LAWMA’s Managing Director, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, has acknowledged service gaps and admitted that some operators are underperforming. He has promised tougher enforcement, additional waste bins and improved accountability. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has also announced plans for new recycling facilities and more collection trucks. To many residents, however, these assurances feel distant and abstract.

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    Meanwhile, the health and environmental consequences are immediate and severe. Open refuse heaps attract rats, flies and other disease vectors. As organic waste decomposes, it releases noxious gases, while plastics fragment into micro-particles that wash into drains and lagoons. Blocked gutters heighten the risk of flash flooding during the rainy season, sending contaminated water into homes and onto streets.

    Public health experts warn that the outcomes are predictable. Cholera, typhoid and other water-borne diseases flourish where waste and stagnant water intersect. Respiratory ailments rise when refuse is burned—an all-too-common response when heaps are left unattended. Children, who often play near these informal dumpsites, are particularly vulnerable. Beyond health risks, the city’s reputation is also at stake. Lagos aspires to be a global African city, attractive to investors, tourists and creatives. “Detty December” has become part of that brand, drawing international attention and revenue. Yet images of trash-choked streets tell a less flattering story. For visitors, the thrill of concerts and nightlife quickly fades when the drive from the airport passes piles of rotting waste.

    Some officials privately concede the scale of the challenge but insist that remedies are underway. A senior government source, who was not authorised to speak publicly, cited logistical bottlenecks as the cause of delays. “It is not a lack of concern,” the source said. “It is a question of capacity catching up with demand.” Critics remain sceptical. Environmental advocates note that Lagos has endured similar crises before. “Every few years, we find ourselves here again,” said one campaigner. “The root causes are well known: we generate too much waste, depend excessively on landfills, and underinvest in recycling, reduction and sorting.”

    Looking back, the city is littered with missed opportunities—community-based sorting schemes that collapsed, recycling initiatives that never gained traction, and pledges to decentralise waste management to local councils that were quietly abandoned. Each administration unveils a new blueprint, only to confront the same structural weaknesses. For residents living beside the garbage heaps, such analysis offers little comfort. What they want is immediate action: clear the roads, restore access and eliminate the stench. A bus driver navigating around the pile on Agege Motor Road put it plainly: “We can manage traffic. We can manage stress. But living with rubbish on the road every day is too much.”

    Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) under pressure

    The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) faces enormous pressure. The system relies heavily on Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, who are responsible for collecting waste from households, markets and commercial areas. Lagos has roughly 450 PSP operators across 377 political wards. In theory, this ensures that every ward has at least one operator, with larger wards serviced by more. In practice, the system is overstretched. “Lagos is one of the largest megacities in the world, with a projected population of about 27 million,” says Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director and CEO of LAWMA. “Each resident generates roughly half a kilogramme of waste daily. When you do the arithmetic, that amounts to between 13,000 and 15,000 tonnes of waste every single day.”

    But collection is only part of the challenge. Financing, infrastructure, and disposal capacity are major bottlenecks. A new compactor truck costs about N250 million, making fleet expansion prohibitively expensive. Meanwhile, the city’s major landfills, including Olusosun and Soluos, are nearing capacity. Soluos, located near Alimosho General Hospital, was recently shut after reaching dangerous levels, forcing operators to travel farther to disposal sites in Badagry and other distant locations.

    “The closure of a landfill has ripple effects,” Gbadegesin explains. “PSP operators spend more time travelling and dumping, delaying their return to complete collections. When trucks break down or are delayed, residents often dump refuse on the roads. At that point, LAWMA has no choice but to intervene.”

    Currently, LAWMA deploys about 100 trucks across 44 operational routes, working day and night to clear illegal dump sites and backlogs. “But 100 trucks are not enough for a city of this size,” Gbadegesin admits. Ideally, Lagos needs at least 1,000 compactor trucks, with another 1,000 as backup. Over the next decade, LAWMA plans to acquire 100–200 trucks annually to meet that target.

    Beyond expanding collection capacity, the authority is pursuing transfer loading stations to reduce the distance waste must travel before disposal or treatment. Enforcement has been intensified, with teams expanded from one to four, covering strategic corridors across the metropolis. “We are increasingly becoming an enforcement agency,” Gbadegesin says. “We are even considering becoming a uniformed agency if that is what it will take. Every day, we arrest individuals who dump waste illegally and prosecute them through mobile courts. By law, every household must register with a PSP operator and pay its waste bill. Failure to comply carries consequences.”

    However, enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. LAWMA is emphasising waste reduction, recycling and reuse. “Ninety per cent of what people throw away has value to someone,” Gbadegesin notes. “Throwing waste away is, literally, throwing money away.” The state’s long-term waste management strategy embraces a circular economy, viewing waste as a resource rather than a burden. Recovery of energy and materials from waste that would otherwise reach landfills is now central to the plan, alongside recycling and treatment initiatives.

    Community recycling programmes have already been rolled out, including weekly buy-back schemes at transfer stations, where residents can exchange plastics, metals, paper, and even organic waste for cash. Plans are underway to expand these initiatives to Mushin, Ikeja, and all local government areas. LAWMA is also experimenting with lower-cost tricycle compactors for narrow streets and hard-to-reach areas. “A tricycle compactor costs about N7 million, compared to N250 million for a full truck. They may carry only one or two tonnes, but they improve coverage and create jobs,” Gbadegesin says.

    Collaboration is also critical. LAWMA is deepening partnerships with local governments, market associations, and transport unions. “Cleanliness must be seen as a cost of doing business,” Gbadegesin stresses. “If you make money at a bus stop or in a market, you must keep that environment clean.”

    Lagos is fast losing its clean status, warns AWAMN

    From the private sector, concerns are mounting that Lagos is losing ground it once painstakingly gained. Dr. Olugbenga Adebola, President of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN), warns that weak enforcement, inconsistent policy, and inadequate government support are steadily eroding decades of progress. “There was a time Lagos moved from being one of the dirtiest cities in the world to one of the cleanest in Africa,” Adebola recalls. “By the end of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tenure as governor, Lagos had won awards and became a model for other states and African countries. We should not be back at this level.”

    Adebola stresses that waste management is capital-intensive and largely private-sector driven. Investors will only engage where returns are assured. Currently, poor compliance with laws requiring households to register with PSP operators is a major problem. “Those who refuse to pay are often the same people dumping waste on highways and in drainages, destroying the city’s aesthetics,” he notes.

    Population pressure compounds the challenge. Lagos attracts millions of daily visitors, who generate vast quantities of waste. “Lagos is catering to a massive population with a relatively limited budget,” Adebola says. He renews calls for special federal status to reflect the city’s unique burden. He also criticises the reliance on ageing dumpsites: “Olusosun is almost 40 years old. We should have moved from burying waste to treating it. Waste is not waste unless you waste it.”

    More than half of Africa’s waste stream is organic and can be converted into fertiliser, biogas, or biomethane, while high-calorific waste can be turned into refuse-derived fuel. Globally, governments subsidise waste management as a public good. “Here, operators struggle with bank loans at 29–30 per cent interest. That is not sustainable,” Adebola warns. Poor waste management, he stresses, is a form of “pre-healthcare failure,” directly linked to malaria, cholera, dysentery, and Lassa fever. Without subsidies, grants, and affordable financing, Lagos risks losing hard-won gains.

    Inflation is making matters worse. Foreign-used compactor trucks that sold for N8–N10 million a few years ago now cost between N55 million and N60 million. “This is the reality we are facing,” Adebola says. “That is why we are calling on the Federal Government, and on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to establish special funding to support waste management. Without intervention, the gains we once made will continue to slip away.”

    As Lagos searches for solutions—from expanded recycling and tricycle compactors to waste-to-energy initiatives—the message from both regulators and operators is clear: a clean city cannot be achieved by trucks and laws alone. Consistent policy, sustained investment, and, above all, a shift in public behaviour are essential. For a megacity already straining under its own success, how Lagos manages its waste will ultimately determine its health, longevity, and economic resilience.