•Nigerian OAU and Harvard scientist, Olakunle Jaiyesimi speaks on building Africa’s future through AI and Metabolomics
•Says, the most sustainable way to transform Africa is by training its youth in high-end technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Metabolomics
From the ancient Ijebu land to the hallowed halls of Harvard University, the journey of Dr. Olakunle Jaiyesimi is more than a personal success story; it is a blueprint for a continental scientific revolution, a testament to Nigerian ingenuity and a beacon of hope for the future of science and education on the continent. A proud alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Dr. Jaiyesimi is currently a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Extavour Lab at Harvard, where he uses cutting edge “Metabolomics” – a field with as much transformative power to answer many of biology’s outstanding questions.
Through his dual initiatives – STEMxAfrica and its grassroots arm, STEMxClubs – Dr. Jaiyesimi is on a mission to show that Africa is, amongst other things, the future hub of education and STEM innovation.
Why Metabolomics Matters
At the core of Jaiyesimi’s expertise is Metabolomics, a field he describes as biology’s ultimate precision tool.
“While genomics tells us what could happen based on our DNA, metabolomics reveals what is actually happening in the body right now. If our genes tell us what we ‘can’ be, metabolomics tells us what our bodies and environments ‘have become’,” Dr. Jaiyesimi explains.
By studying the unique chemical fingerprints associated with and left behind by cellular processes, his work addresses critical United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Supported by the Motsepe Presidential Accelerator Fund, he uses the fruit fly as a biosensor to detect the metabolic effects of oil pollution in the Niger Delta – an early warning system for human health and environmental safety (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being).
In May 2024, he visited the Ogoniland in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria, to carry out research on fruit flies, soil, plant and water from that region using metabolomics, the tool he is so much in love with, and with which he believes can be used to improve our understanding of the world around us.
Empowering 54 Nations: The STEMxAfrica Roadmap
Dr. Jaiyesimi believes that rather than relying solely on political shifts, the most sustainable way to transform Africa is by training its youth in high-end technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Metabolomics.
Along with other Metabolomics Experts from Africa, stationed around the world, he has founded Metabolomics Africa, a professional association of metabolomics experts from Africa, which is dedicated to increasing access to metabolomics on the African continent (https://metabolomicsafrica.org).
Just like the chess master, Tunde Onakoya is teaching kids in slums to be masters of the chess game, Jaiyesimi is using STEMxAfrica to train secondary school students across Africa inn Metabolism and AI, with the aim of positioning them as future African scientists who will leverage AI and metabolomics in solving African and global challenges.
STEMxAfrica already begun its continental journey, with its September 25 launch in Nigeria, partnering with relevant authorities, including Nigerian Teachers Organization, Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Intergovernmental Affairs, Dr. Olanrewaju Smart, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Association of Model Islamic Schools, Muslim Secondary School Proprietors Association, Association for Formidable Educational Development.
In November 2025,it expanded to Ghana, andis already biled for launching in Tanzania in February 2026.
The Goal, according to him, is to replicate tes model across all 54 African countries.
“These students aren’t just learning theory; they are being groomed for membership in Metabolomics Africa, our professional association of experts who will provide local solutions to food security (SDG 2: Zero Hunger) and personalised, predictive healthcare,” Jaiyesimi stated.
On Monday, January 5, 2025, Nigeria’s revered octogenarian industrialist, Chief Rasaq Akanni Okoya (CON), chose compassion over celebration to mark his 86th birthday. It was a moment that blended gratitude, grace and generosity; reinforcing a pattern many have come to identify with the billionaire industrialist.
The Chairman of Eleganza Industrial City Limited turned what could have been a lavish birthday affair into an extraordinary humanitarian spectacle, which left residents of Ajah and neighbouring communities not just deeply moved but fostered a sense of belonging in them.
For a man whose name has become synonymous with enterprise, resilience and enduring wealth, Chief Okoya once again rewrote the script of celebration. The billionaire businessman, whose multi-billion-naira empire spans industries under the iconic Eleganza brand along with decades of active inventiveness, stunned many as he flagged off a massive, free medical outreach for people living around him.
Fondly called Eleganza by admirers, Chief Okoya’s legacy stretches beyond boardrooms and factory floors. Generations of Nigerians, pupils, students of tertiary institutions, market leaders, artisans and other professionals have different stories to tell about using the famous Eleganza biro, a modest tool that quietly became part of the success stories of several generations.
At 86, the industrialist, rather than roll out drums for a flamboyant birthday bash as many who are not even in his class are wont to, Chief Okoya deliberately redirected his celebration to the streets and homes of ordinary people in Ajah and the wider Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.
For a people who ordinarily may never gain access to him, Chief Okoya unveiled the Okoya @86 Medical Outreach, a week-long programme designed to deliver free, quality healthcare services to people who might otherwise be denied such care due to poverty, limited education or lack of information.
As a result, his sprawling Oluwa ni Nshola Estate became a beehive of activities, as residents from near and far-flung communities including Ajah, Jakande, Ikota, Iru, Elegushi, Eleko, Epe and surrounding communities trooped out in their numbers – men, women, young parents and the elderly; hopeful and grateful as medical professionals attended to them with dignity and care.
The outreach, which continues until January 12, 2025, the actual birth date of the celebrant, stands as a bold testament to Chief Okoya’s long-standing commitment to community development, healthcare delivery and the service of mankind.
In what has been described as unprecedented, beneficiaries were doubly delighted when Dr. Jemilade Longe, Consultant for the Okoya @86 Medical Outreach and a retired Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Services Commission, announced that anyone who completed the cycle would go home with a food pack and N10,000 transport fare, courtesy the celebrator.
Addressing the guests, Chief Okoya explained that his decision to give back to the people of less means was born from observation and gratitude.
He noted that while he has been fortunate to enjoy quality healthcare throughout his life, many around him are not so lucky. “This birthday,” he implied, “is not about me — it is about giving people the chance to live healthier, happier lives.
“I prayed to God that I know this year. Health is wealth. I have been going in and out of the country but by the grace of God, now, I feel better. I see that most of us, if we detect our health challenges earlier enough, we won’t have problem. Six years ago, I even had prostate cancer, which I detected on time, I had been operated and I am happy with it.
“Today we have tests here, anyone who wants to do test for prostate cancer, HIV; it’s available. There is no disease that is untreatable once it is earlier detected and you know your status and you take care of yourself; you know what to eat, what to drink and you are taking good care of your health. So, health is wealth. You can live up to the age of 100 years or more,” he told the guests.
Chief Okoya added, “And this is why I am grateful today and I said I should extend what I have been enjoying to my community, so that everyone can know the status of his or her health and this is why we are here with this medical outreach today.”
He thanked the government of Lagos State, doctors, pharmacists, whom he described as ‘high caliber.’
“They are here for the next one week and we are ready to give our services; whoever needs attention, our doctors will take care of them,” he finished off.
Mrs Folashade Okoya, MON, wife of the celebrator and Managing Director of Eleganza Industrial City Limited, would, however, state that it was not the first time the Chief would be doing a social responsibility of this nature.
“Chief Rasak Okoya @86 Medical Outreach is just something we decided to do so that everybody will be conscious of their health status and they can control from there. So, this is just an awareness for people to know what is wrong with them physically and mentally. When you know your health status, you will be able to now start checking and start controlling and know what to do, what to eat, how to ensure that you are in the best state of health and today marks the first day.”
For Shubomi Okoya, son and director at Eleganza Industry, “These are some of the things that we as young boys aspire to do like him. So, we all support him today. He loves to give out. You can help just one person today; he will be grateful for life. We give glory to God for everything.”
Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, who represented Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the event, said, “I am very, very elated to be here representing the Ministry of Health, representing the Governor of Lagos State Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu. When I was called to come here to flag off this event, I said to myself, perfect! I didn’t even have to think about it twice and chief has said it all: “Health is wealth”.
“The governor cannot do it all; everybody has to be responsible for their health. So, when events like this occur, when philanthropists like Chief Okoya decides to do this, it’s not just because of his community, it is also to honour God and, like he said, also to thank God because a lot of us has been through healthcare and the best thing is to lead other people and say ‘I do not want bad thing to happen to you’.
“Early detection is going to save life. That’s what this outreach is all about. There are many other outreaches that are going on in different places but this is such a comprehensive one. This is excellent, and I got the list of all the things you are providing, not only lab services even family planning that we are always talking about in Ministry of Health that people space out their children so that we can reduce our maternal and infant mortality rate. We have HIV screening, very, very important, tuberculosis, dental services, eye screening services, breast and cervical cancer, prostate cancer and, of course, you are going to get drugs….
Ayakoromo Grammar School in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, the once-proud citadel of learning has become a haunting symbol of neglect and decay, writes Correspondent Simon Utebor.
Education is universally acknowledged as the heartbeat of development and the engine that drives societal progress. Yet, at Ayakoromo Grammar School, this noble ideal lies in ruins—buried beneath collapsing walls, broken roofs, abandoned classrooms, and a system that appears to have forgotten the children it was meant to serve.
Located in Ayakoromo community, Burutu Local Government Area of oil-rich Delta State, the once-proud citadel of learning has become a haunting symbol of neglect and decay.
A visibly disturbed community stakeholder, Mr. Police Patani, has raised a passionate alarm, calling on government at all levels to urgently intervene and rescue the school from total collapse before lives are lost and futures permanently damaged.
According to Patani, the condition of the school is nothing short of terrifying. Classroom walls have crumbled and cracked beyond repair, roofs hang precariously with broken sheets, and the structures—meant to shelter young minds—now threaten to crush them.
“The classrooms are death traps,” he lamented. “Any day, a roof or wall could give way while students are inside.”
Inside these classrooms, the situation is equally distressing. Floors are split open, doors are battered, and desks and chairs have been eaten away by wood ants.
Many students, he said, are left with no choice but to sit on bare floors during lessons—exposed to cold, radiation, and severe health risks—while trying to pursue their dreams against all odds.
Outside, the school environment paints an even darker picture. The premises are overrun by thick weeds, resembling a forest rather than a place of learning. The unchecked vegetation has turned the school into a haven for rodents, snakes, and other dangerous reptiles, placing students in constant fear.
But beyond the physical decay lies an even deeper crisis—the collapse of academic discipline.
Patani alleged that several teachers have abandoned their duty posts for months, exploiting weak supervision from education authorities.
He accused them of traveling without approval, sneaking out of their stations, and leaving students without instruction or guidance.
“This is nothing but gross dereliction of duty,” he said. “Students are abandoned, classrooms are empty, and learning has come to a standstill.”
The consequences, he noted, are glaring. Students of Ayakoromo Grammar School are increasingly left untaught and unattended to, leading to dismal academic outcomes.
Patani linked the situation directly to the school’s consistently poor performance in recent West African Examinations Council (WAEC) results.
He recalled with sadness that the school was once a beacon of academic excellence, producing students with outstanding results and strong moral grounding.
“Today,” he lamented, “that proud legacy has been reduced to rubble.”
Patani urged community leaders, parents, and stakeholders to rise in defence of their children by closely monitoring teachers’ attendance and reporting absenteeism to the appropriate authorities.
He further appealed to the Delta State Government, Burutu Local Government Area, and relevant education agencies to act swiftly and decisively to rehabilitate, remodel, and restore Ayakoromo Grammar School.
“The future of our children is bleeding,” Patani warned. “If nothing is done now, we will be destroying generations yet unborn.”
Calling for immediate action, he stressed that timely intervention would not only prevent disaster but also resurrect the school to its former glory—a place of safety, excellence, and hope.
“A stitch in time saves nine,” he concluded. “Let Ayakoromo Grammar School not die in silence.”
Speaking on the grim reality, Mr. Austin Ebipade, a public affairs analyst from Ayakoromo community, said a recent visit to the school left him deeply troubled.
According to him, the learning environment is not only poor but outright unfit for human habitation, let alone education, due to the shocking state of its infrastructure.
Ebipade disclosed that classroom roofs are broken and threatening to cave in, while reading tables and chairs have deteriorated beyond use.
He said many students have been stripped of basic dignity, forced to study while sitting on bare floors—an unhealthy and demeaning condition that crushes concentration and morale.
“The situation is worse than we imagined,” he said. “Students are compelled to endure discomfort and risk their health just to attend school.”
He further revealed that both male and female students are forced to urinate and defecate in a ramshackle, zinc-built toilet that is unhygienic and degrading, a facility he described as a clear violation of human dignity. The school compound itself, he added, has been swallowed by weeds and bushes, now serving as a habitat for snakes and other dangerous crawling reptiles.
Ebipade called on the Delta State Government and Burutu Local Government Council to urgently intervene and rescue the school from total collapse. He urged authorities to take pragmatic and decisive steps to rehabilitate and remodel Ayakoromo Grammar School into a befitting citadel of learning capable of delivering quality education to the children—whom he described as the future leaders of the state and the nation.
Echoing this distress call, Mrs. Florence Amaebi, a parent and trader from the community, lamented that the school environment has become hostile to learning.
She said the deteriorating conditions have shattered students’ confidence and are gradually extinguishing their hope for a brighter future.
“Our children no longer feel motivated,” she said. “How can they dream big when the place meant to prepare them for life is falling apart?”
Mrs. Amaebi also decried the worsening issue of teacher absenteeism, alleging that some teachers rarely step into classrooms and often travel out of their duty posts without the knowledge or approval of authorities.
She described the situation as a grave disservice to both the students and the entire Ayakoromo community.
According to her, the future of the community’s children hinges on the urgent rehabilitation and total overhaul of the school.
She linked the decaying facilities and poor teaching culture to the recurring failure of students in Junior and Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (JSSCE/SSSCE), calling the situation an educational emergency that demands immediate attention.
Adding his voice, Mr. Ikpaipa Tamarakuro, a retired teacher, described the steady collapse of Ayakoromo Grammar School as painful and unacceptable.
He warned that continued neglect of the institution would have far-reaching consequences beyond the community.
“Education and development are inseparable,” Tamarakuro said. “If government truly seeks sustainable development, it must prioritise the revitalisation of primary and secondary education. The future of our children—and by extension, the nation’s economy—depends on it.”
A teacher in the school said the deplorable situation of the secondary school has been there for years, claiming that a lot of efforts have been made to get the authorities to do the needful
The teacher, who craved anonymity because she was not authorized to speak on the matter, implored the state government to come to their rescue before things go completely awry.
“I am begging the government of Delta State to urgently come to our assistance to rescue the school from total collapse. The situation of the school is bad and quick action is needed for it to bounce back. Because of the bad state of the situation, many of our students have been moving to other schools that are better off,” she asserted.
Efforts to speak with Commissioner for Basic Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, hit the brick wall as calls to her mobile phone rang out several times. Also, she did not respond to a text message sent to her phone as of the time of filling this report.
A teacher in the school said the deplorable situation of the secondary school has been there for years, claiming that a lot of efforts have been made to get the authorities to do the needful
The teacher, who craved anonymity because she was not authorized to speak on the matter, implored the state government to come to their rescue before things go completely awry.
“I am begging the government of Delta State to urgently come to our assistance to rescue the school from total collapse. The situation of the school is bad and quick action is needed for it to bounce back. Because of the bad state of the situation, many of our students have been moving to other schools that are better off,” she asserted.
Efforts to speak with Commissioner for Basic Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, hit the brick wall as calls to her mobile phone rang out several times. Also, she did not respond to a text message sent to her phone as of the time of filling this report.
As voices continue to rise from Ayakoromo, one message rings clear and urgent: the school cannot be allowed to decay any further without decisive action.
• Lagos Island CBD environs overdue for urban renewal – Expert
It is no longer news that the Great Insurance building, located on Lagos Island, was razed on Christmas Eve. What is news, however, is that more than two weeks after the incident, the fate of traders and business owners in the Central Business District hangs in the balance, as demolitions continue. GBENGA ADERANTI reports.
It was a Monday morning, and a group of people gathered at a corner, talking in hushed tones; however, their gesticulations and facial expressions were very loud. Visibly written on their faces were pains of loss.
When our correspondent attempted to talk to a few of them, he was met with a rebuff; clearly, they preferred to be left alone to bemoan their losses.
They were traders and businessmen who lost millions of naira in the Great Nigeria Insurance building fire that engulfed many other buildings around it on Lagos Island on last Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025, precisely.
But sitting quietly in a corner not far from the site of the incident was Tochukwu, who had his shop near the GNI building. Deep in thought, with his hand on his chin, a gentle tap on his shoulder by our correspondent jolted him from his deep thoughts. “How you dey? Are you one of the victims?” The reporter asked. “Yes, I have a shop here, he answered, even without looking up to see who was talking to him.
“My plaza is opposite the GNI building, and my own goods were not affected. I removed and kept them in a store before the fire escalated.”
With the demolitions ongoing, Tochukwu is afraid that he might lose his shop and be moved to other areas. “If they can bring the building that got burnt down, we will continue our business here. We don’t have any issue with this place; this place is okay. Bring the building that was burnt down so that people can have access to their businesses. We are happy with this place,” Tochukwu said.
Tochukwu’s fear could be genuine, considering the volume of demolition that is currently ongoing at the site.
While traders like Tochukwu are afraid that the action of the government might adversely affect the traders and the business owners, another trader, Chukwu Moses, whose shop has been cordoned off, told The Nation that the governor should act as governor to bring sanity to the environment.
One of the responders at the site told our correspondent that the firefighters had to empty two trucks of water in one of the stores before they could put out the fire in one of the sections of the building.
He also explained further that assessing some of the stores was a herculean task, adding that the amount of clothing materials and some combustible items also made putting out the fire very difficult.
“It was difficult for us to access some of the stores. This made the job difficult. I had to beg one of the boys living here to help navigate this difficult terrain.
“The clothing materials that are kept inside the shops also did not help matters, as they helped the fire to burn more.”
It was gathered that some of the shops had no fire extinguisher, though one of the traders told our correspondent that the availability of a fire extinguisher played a major role in stopping the fire from spreading.
But for fire extinguishers…
Speaking to The Nation, Joseph Okike, whose business was on Oluwole Plaza close to the burnt GNI building, was lucky. He said it was the fire extinguishers they had in place that helped; the plaza would have been completely razed.
He said he lost a substantial part of his goods in the process of moving them out of the store to a safe place. “As we were bringing our goods out, because we didn’t have anybody to help us look after them, other people made away with them.”
While giving kudos to the firefighters for their efforts, he said, “We were able to manage the ones that would have engulfed Oluwole Plaza, but those buildings around the Great Nigeria House got burnt. Oluwole was only partially affected.
“Our Iyaloja had mandated every shop to have a fire extinguisher. When the thing escalated and was coming to Oluwole, those who were around brought out fire extinguishers, while the firefighters were trying to put out the major one,” Okike said.
He disclosed that if the management of the plaza gets its fire-fighter truck in the near future, it would surely help because part of the firefighters that were available came from the United Bank for Africa building.
Unfortunately, while places like Oluwole had fire extinguishers, the majority of the stores and offices had none.
Another trader, still sorrowing over his loss, told The Nation that his goods were stolen. He was, however, lucky that some of them were arrested and were being detained at Zone 2 Police headquarters.
“They burgled my business. I sell ladies’ wear; some of them have been arrested.”
Even days after the fire incident, The Nation noticed that big generators were still being kept on their decked shops.
This reporter counted up to four generators placed on decked buildings. Some of the decked houses had industrial generators on top of them.
It was also observed that traders and residents had started decongesting the vicinity, many of them demolishing extra structures which were not part of the original plan of the building, but constructed for business purposes.
Before the incident, all the available spaces had been turned into shops and stalls, with many having ‘shoot out’. All those were being demolished, not by the government, but by the property owners themselves, irrespective of whether the building was affected or not.
Last Monday morning, when The Nation visited the site, there was near commotion between some hoodlums, traders and the security agents, as security personnel tried to evict them from the adjoining shops, in compliance with the order of the Lagos State Governor that all the traders should vacate the scene of the incident.
The Nation gathered that most of the traders were not happy with the situation in the Central Business District, but could only complain in silence.
One of the traders, Chukwu Moses, confirmed that the fire that destroyed the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance building started around 3-4 pm, and by 8 pm, it had escalated.
Moses, while sympathising with those who lost their goods in the fire, disclosed that he was lucky; he did not lose anything in the fire, but worried that his means of livelihood had been suspended.
He, however, expressed support for the governor for bringing sanity to the area.
He explained that the ongoing private demolitions by the property owners were on Governor Sanwo- Olu’s orders.
A visibly angry Moses said the governor should do what he ought to do because “most of these fire incidents are always caused by shoot–outs (building extension) and ‘facing generators’ in addition to wrong wire connection. I would advise that the governor should act as a governor.”
Sanwo-Olu reads the riot act
The governor was appalled by what he saw; many of the shop owners and traders had contravened building codes, he lamented.
Sanwo-Olu said he observed reckless flouting of the State’s building regulations to an unacceptable level, noting that the traders were lawless. He said each time people flouted the rules and refused to obey regulations, the effects were always greater in impact.
He said: “In the last hour, I have gone round the streets within the market. From a non-professional assessment, it was clear that most of the buildings in the market are completely distressed. But we will conduct a professional assessment on all the buildings to ascertain our findings. We will not sit back and listen to people doing as they like. Lives have been lost, properties destroyed, and means of livelihood shattered.
“We have seen that there has been a lot of recklessness and carelessness on the part of the traders. Going round the market, I personally counted over 14 industrial generators placed on the fourth and fifth floors of some buildings. We saw unapproved structures built on original floors approved in certain buildings. I saw shops built next to electric transformers, which goes to show how traders have been careless with their lives.
“This is an opportunity for us to embark on the complete regeneration of the whole area. We are sending messages to property owners and developers to come forward; we will be evaluating all the buildings in the market. Regenerating the trading space is going to be a tough decision for us, but it is a proper step to take to preserve lives and properties. We will not shy away from taking this responsibility.”
Sanwo-Olu, therefore, ordered a complete regeneration of the market for the restoration of its aesthetics and space.
He also said trading in unapproved areas made vehicular movement difficult in the market, which hindered the first responders from getting access to the scene on time.
“When the fire was raging, people were told to leave the building and the nearby buildings, but some of them stayed back to salvage their goods at the risk of their lives,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor designated the site as “active site”, disclosing that emergency responders comprising Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), NEMA, police, Department of State Service, the Army, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA), Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) and Central Business District (CBD) Office would remain on the site to assist families seeking information.
For continuous emergency management at the scene, Sanwo-Olu on Friday directed that all shops and buildings within 100 metre radius of the fire site should remain shut until further notice, stressing that the area was still not safe for movement.
While the environment has currently been cordoned off, one clear signal this reporter got was that many traders were anxiously waiting to restart their businesses. It took the efforts of the police and the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) to stop them.
Most ironic was the fact that many of the traders on the ground that Monday morning were eager to enter the site of the fire accident.
One of the traders disclosed that the fire would have been curtailed if necessary actions had been taken. The Nation learnt that on that evening of December 24, some people who were having a party around 4 pm had noticed smoke coming out of the GNI building, but overlooked it, thinking it was not something serious. “Unfortunately, by 8pm, the fire had escalated. If only they had acted promptly or drawn the attention of the firefighters to it, we would not be where we are today,” a source said.
Probably without the prompt response by LASEMA, NEMA, firefighters, police, and neighbourhood watch on that Christmas Eve, things would have been worse.
Fire emanated from fourth floor – LASEMA
In an update on December 25, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), in a preliminary report signed by the Permanent Secretary of the agency, said preliminary investigations showed that the fire originated from an apartment on the fourth floor before rapidly escalating to the sixth floor and beyond.
As of last Friday, eight people had been confirmed dead.
As of the time of writing this report, investigations were ongoing into what caused the incident.
While the demolitions are ongoing, this reporter observed that the surroundings of the fire incident looked much like a place just ravaged by war. Curiously, one of the nearby building owners was seen trying to carry out some renovations, but he was promptly stopped by LASBCA officials, amidst stern warnings.
Although the 25-storey building was still standing at the time of the visit, it was looking grotesque. The faint sound of debris dropping intermittently from the building could be heard, an indication of a disaster waiting to happen.
In the same vein, smoke still bellowed, while fire continued to rage within and outside the GNI building that Monday noon.
Explaining the complexity of the area, one of the residents told The Nation that probably the damage could have been minimised if the firefighter had easy access to the site.
Aside from the crowd and hoodlums that made the job of responders a bit difficult, it was also gathered that it was difficult for the responders who had no knowledge of the area to navigate through shops and stores, which had little or no space for vehicular movements.
It was also gathered that, beyond what many see at the surface, the GNI building is a building that has many business interests.
Underneath the 25-story building were stores where traders kept different goods, especially textiles. “Clothing material in some of the stores and shops aggravated the fire. That is why you see fire still burning in certain places,” one of the responders at the site said.
While many had blamed the Great Nigeria Insurance for not adhering to safety measures, it has come out to say it had no control over the property with no office in the razed building.
Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc. says it does not have an office in the building that was gutted by fire.
In a statement dated December 26, 2025, GNI clarified its position on the property, expressing sympathy with those affected by the inferno.
GNI said it was granted a long-term lease of bare land at the address by the Shitta-Bey family, which is expected to expire on December 31, 2036.
The company said it erected a 25-storey building on the land for strategic investment purposes.
“It is noteworthy that GNI has since been in court with the Shitta-Bey family on the property because the family instituted three separate suits against GNI at both the Lagos State High Court and the Federal High Court,” the statement reads.
“All the suits were decided in favour of GNI.
“Thereafter, the family filed separate appeals in the Lagos Judicial Division of the Court of Appeal. In the year 2020, during the pendency of these appeals, the Shitta-Bey family, in utter disregard of the court orders in the suits between it and GNI, and during the subsistence of the unexpired leasehold of GNI, resorted to self-help, forcefully entered, and took over possession of the property.
“The Shitta-Bey family also proceeded to lease out the property to tenants without recourse to GNI. A responsible (sic) corporate organisation with its cherished corporate image to protect, GNI followed the legal path by approaching the High Court of Lagos State through a trespass action.
“The High Court ordered the Shitta-Bey family to vacate possession of the property and also restrained the family from continuing with further acts of trespass on the property.
“The family, being dissatisfied, appealed against the said ruling of the court.
“In the interim, the substantive suit challenging the family for trespass is still pending at the Lagos Judicial Division of the High Court of Lagos State.
“Consequently, GNI has for over five years been denied physical possession of the property.”
Before the Christmas Eve fire accident, multi-million naira businesses were ongoing around the vicinity with traffic of people, except on Sundays. That has changed right now as many of the traders are not sure of the fate that would befall their business.
The excavator drivers continue to pull down the walls of distressed buildings that were affected by the fire.
Although the GNI building is located on 47/57 Martin Street, The Nation observed on Monday that other adjacent buildings on Nnamdi Azikiwe Street were not spared, including the iconic Shitta Bey Mosque, which was opened in 1891. The charade of the mosque was looking grotesque. Scaffolding has been erected in front of the dilapidated building, indicating that renovation could start anytime soon.
While the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) continued to demolish distressed buildings, LASEMA was still at the scene of the incident with its search and rescue mission team. “We have been here since the incident happened, and we will continue to be here,” said one of the LASEMA staff members.
Though the possibility of rescuing survivors from the scene of the fire incident had become grim, LASEMA still maintained the registry of missing people.
‘Lagos Island CBD environs are overdue for urban renewal’
Dr Olabode Jegede (fnia, FOSHA), is an Architect, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, also a Fellow of the Occupational Safety and Health Association, United Kingdom and Principal Partner at Archiworth Associates, reacts to the Christmas Eve fire.
GNI building and the surroundings…
According to Dr. Jegede, “It is sad, but obviously, the building has to come down. Visual impression of the burnt edifice on Martins Street already shows an unstable relic of a once-bubbling activity centre. It is not a good sight to behold.
“Martins Street, Balogun and Idumota markets and Lagos Island CBD environs are overdue for urban renewal. Beyond the demolition, it is the government that has a statutory responsibility for urban renewal. You cannot just look at an urban space continually experiencing negative growth and do nothing.
“The government began some urban renewal projects in the Central Business District on the island, and there was a barrage of complaints from affected dwellers. People were complaining as expected, but there must be civil handshakes for the right thing to be done. The neglect has been there for ages, but something has to be done to prevent further calamities in that axis.
“There is no shortcut to these things. People have built beyond their statutory spaces and made both vehicular and pedestrian flows quite a nightmare. Walkways became extensions of shops, and all sorts of commerce were going on everywhere without regard to other road users. It is a shame this scenario played out for so long, but this GNI fire incident should inspire the government to correct the wrongs.
“We cannot continue this route of reckless disregard for our urban spaces. It affects our quality of life, the air we breathe in and of course, our wellbeing. It is time to say no to reckless abuse of our air corridor.
“The poor vehicular access and raging mob contributed to the inability of the firefighters to arrive at the spot early enough. How could a fire truck navigate a space that even tricycles struggle to pass in the daytime? It is impossible!
“The government obviously needs to build fire stations within 150 meters radius of that neighbourhood, considering the recurrent incidence of fire outbreaks in the Lagos Island CBD. But building Fire stations is not enough; those stations should be ready with water and support from other Fire stations and the fire departments of other buildings in the neighbourhood. We remembered how some of the banks on Martin Street used to bring out their fire trucks to help during outbreaks on the island.
“The government showed up with Fire Brigades, LASEMA, and NEMA for emergency services, but they can improve on the response time, and the public should offer more assistance rather than taking videos and pictures.”
On the legal status of the building
“The legal status of the building in terms of ownership might have contributed to the maintenance of the services and preparedness for emergencies in the building itself. It was in the public domain that there were issues with subsisting ownership between the management of Great Nigerian Insurance and a popular Lagos family with respect to the lease agreement. Such disagreements could have a remote effect on the scheduled maintenance programme of the building.
“A 23-storey building obviously has a maintenance manual which should be religiously followed. There are scheduled checks on the fire preparedness through fire drills, Fire pumps, extinguishers and dedicated water tanks for the fire equipment. No one could ascertain the status of all these primary fire prevention and fire-fighting facilities in the building. There is a possibility of a compromise of such an important exercise due to distractions on the legality of the lease agreement.
“It was mentioned during the stampede that the fire outbreak began at one of the lower floors, yet it consumed the whole building without a sustained capacity to curtail the spread. It was a big shame and quite devastating that this situation occurred.
“As an architect and a safety practitioner, one wonders what the Safety, Health and Environmental (SH&E) factors were in place before this fire incident. To extend this further, all high-rise companies should take a lesson from this loss, then evaluate and upgrade their SH&E compliance as a matter of urgency. The best time to prepare for a fire outbreak in a building is purely at the design stage of the structure. This could be effectively done, proactively, through design layout, choice of building materials and technical specification of fire equipment and installation.”
Why buildings have to come down
Jegede would go on to say that the state government has declared that the building has to come down. “That building needs to be brought down for two other reasons. There is what we call Post -Occupancy Evaluation (POE) of a building. When a structure is designed and built for a specific purpose, there is a limit to which such a building should be stressed beyond the design resilience.
“The Great Nigerian Insurance had commissioned their architects and the design team to design an office space, and it was primarily built for that purpose. However, in recent years, POE shows that the building has transitioned from formal use as an office complex to a typical village market in which everybody appropriates their space, and uses it the way they like because there is no central control, turning them to warehouses for the storage of heavy tonnage of goods even on the higher floors. This implied that the structural integrity of that building has been stretched far beyond the design function.
“Secondly, the building was abandoned for a while, possibly due to legal issues with the lease agreement. However, it got renovated later and became a commercial nerve centre for all sorts of businesses. The implications are more structural partitions for different shop owners with their attendant storage purposes and the possibility of reckless use of power generation at different levels, which was at variance with the designed centralised power supply from a unitary source.
“Also, electrical cables, both low voltage (LV) and high voltage installations in the building, have been exposed to intensive heats which must have denatured them. The concrete and reinforcement bars installed have limits to intense heat exposure, thereby compromising their properties and function.
“The Lagos state government has constituted a technical recovery and demolition committee to ensure safe and controlled demolition of the 23-storey GNI building on Martins Street. It is my prayer that the committee also includes as part of their terms of reference a comprehensive evaluation of the safety and structural integrity of adjacent buildings and ensure their compliance with SH&E.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has called on Nigerians to humbly seek God’s mercy for total breakthrough and a complete turnaround in the New Year.
He also attributed the survival of British-Nigerian boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, in a recent auto crash that claimed two lives, to the mercy of God.
Adeboye made these remarks during the 2026 Special Sunday Thanksgiving Service at the Throne of Grace, RCCG Headquarters, Ebute Metta, Lagos, where he offered prayers for families and generations.
The revered cleric repeatedly attributed his life, ministry, and continued relevance to divine mercy, stressing that his journey has been sustained not by intellect, strength, or human effort, but by God’s compassion.
“I am alive today because of the mercy of the Lord,” Adeboye said, citing Psalm 18:35 and Romans 9:14–16 to underscore that greatness, preservation, and fulfilment are products of God’s mercy, not human will.
Reflecting on his personal salvation story, he recalled how he initially mocked the church’s name and humble beginnings before God, through mercy, drew him to repentance and faith.
“It was mercy that brought me to the foot of the cross and mercy that has kept me till today,” he said.
Adeboye cautioned believers against overconfidence and self-reliance, warning that such attitudes often lead people away from God. He referenced biblical figures and contemporary ministers who once walked in power but later fell.
“I am standing today by mercy,” he declared. “And the same mercy that brought me this far will take me all the way home.”
Speaking at the event, the Special Assistant to the General Overseer (Administration) and Pastor in charge of RCCG Region 1, Pastor Dele Balogun, warned that God’s mercy should not be abused.
“God is sovereign and shows mercy according to His will,” Balogun said. “But man must be careful not to abuse this privilege, or it could be withdrawn.”
He urged Nigerians to turn away from violence and immorality.
“God opposes the shedding of innocent blood, and a lot of blood has been shed in this country,” he said. “For Nigerians to be entitled to God’s mercy, they must repent and seek His face.”
The youth will take centre stage at the second edition of the Pastor SGO Uyeh Public Lecture Series scheduled to hold on Saturday, January 17, at the premises of The Apostolic Church Nigeria (TACN), LAWMA Territory, Olorunda Ketu, Lagos State.
The lecture will be delivered by renowned youth mentor and influencer, Elder TPL Toyin Ayinde, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development and the 2nd Deputy President of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN). He will speak on the theme, ‘The Place and Impact of Christian Youth in National Transformation and Development.’
The public lecture series is one of the key initiatives of the SGO Uyeh Foundation aimed at promoting church growth, Christian development and national transformation.
According to the organisers, the lecture is designed to provide valuable insights, particularly for young people, while raising awareness on socio-spiritual challenges confronting nation-building in Nigeria.
The event also serves to immortalise Pastor (Dr) S. G. O. Uyeh, the incumbent Territorial Chairman of TACN LAWMA Territory, by celebrating his values and contributions to church leadership and Christian service.
The National President of The Apostolic Church Nigeria, Pastor Dr L. O. Oladele, will chair the occasion, with several top Christian leaders and dignitaries from various walks of life expected to grace the event.
Speaking ahead of the programme, the Planning Committee Chairman, Pastor E. O. Olowoyeye, explained that the focus of the second edition is to examine the scriptural placement of youths in fulfilling the mission of the Church.
He noted that the lecture would also highlight the influence Christian youths can wield in advancing the Church’s mission, while offering practical recommendations on how they can positively impact Nigeria’s socio-political and economic transformation and development.
The Pastor SGO Uyeh Public Lecture Series is powered by the SGO Uyeh Foundation in collaboration with Delta Media Trend.
The Former Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu Uche, has called on Nigerians to embrace implicit faith in God, good character and national unity as the country navigates the challenges of a new year.
Uche said this in an interview with The Nation in his New Year message, stressing that true religion must be reflected in character, not merely in worship.
According to him, Nigerians—regardless of religious affiliation—must live lives marked by integrity, patriotism, tolerance and love.
“Everybody that worships God, whether Muslim or Christian, should have good character. It is good character that elevates a nation,” he said, adding that tribalism and religious bigotry must be eliminated for Nigeria to make meaningful progress.
Prelate Uche urged citizens to see one another as people created in the image of God, noting that such an attitude would help curb violence, corruption and social decay. “When we have these values, there will be no killing, no destruction, no amassing of wealth through illegal means,” he said.
Reflecting on the outgoing year, the Prelate described it as “very tough,” but expressed cautious optimism about Nigeria’s economic direction. He noted signs of improvement, particularly a gradual reduction in the prices of goods and services.
He specifically commended industrialist Aliko Dangote for what he described as a stabilising role in the fuel sector, noting that fuel prices did not rise during the Christmas period. “He should be commended and even honoured with a national award commensurate with what he has done for Nigeria,” he said.
As Nigerians step into the New Year, General Superintendent of the Holy Spirit Mission (also known as Happy Family Centre) in Lagos, Bishop Charles Ighele has called on citizens and leaders alike to return to what he described as God’s timeless message to humanity — righteousness.
Speaking on the divine focus for the New Year, the cleric said God’s plan for mankind has remained unchanged since creation: that people should live according to His righteousness, not their own.
“From the Garden of Eden till today, God’s message has been the same — that men should live their lives in the righteousness of God,” Ighele said, citing 2 Corinthians 5:21, which affirms that Christ became sin so that believers might become the righteousness of God in Him.
According to him, the tragedy of humanity began when man chose self-defined righteousness over God’s standard, a mistake he said modern society continues to repeat.
“The early church in Acts 4:32 lived as one heart, one soul and one mind because they were discipled into the righteousness of God, not into culture, tribe or the charisma of any pastor,” he explained.
Ighele lamented that Nigeria, particularly its elite class across all sectors, has drifted from the path of righteousness. He warned that this departure is at the heart of many of the nation’s challenges.
“Righteousness exalts a nation,” he said. “Even in countries where people are not born again, when they do what is right in governance, God honours such systems. God wants governments to lift the quality of human life.”
He stressed that man is the central purpose of creation, urging leaders to place human welfare above religious, political or ethnic divides.
“Whether Christian or Muslim is not the issue now. Let leaders bring in righteousness and see how people will live better lives this year and beyond,” he added.
On the country’s economic direction, the bishop expressed concern about the new tax regime expected to take effect, noting that excessive taxation may worsen hardship rather than solve it.
“Poor nations do not grow by heavy taxation. They grow by encouraging productivity,” he said. “Overtaxing companies discourages productivity, and when productivity drops, everyone suffers.”
He argued that governments should focus on strengthening the four factors of production — labour, capital, land and entrepreneurship — by improving access to quality education, affordable loans, land ownership, and business support.
“How can people build businesses when interest rates are 20 to 70 per cent? No company survives that,” he queried. “Access to capital must be made easier, and education must be improved to make our labour force competitive globally.”
Book: Daily Manna: A daily devotional guide, January-December 2026
Author: W.F. Kumuyi
Pages: 379
Publishers: Life Press Ltd, Lagos, Nigeria
Reviewer: Banji Ojewale
In ancient times, the sages sought to know the bowels of the future by looking into the bowels of animals. They would spread the skin of a slain beast, and after studying the surface contours, lines and features, they would determine whether a journey scheduled for a future should be undertaken or not or whether the gods approved or disapproved the levying of a war.
For a long time in history, according to legend, this meeting point between living men and lifeless creatures was the answer to man’s immanent crave to see beyond his present.
These men and women of the age knew the past; they claimed they could handle its consequences on the present, good or bad. The tricky tomorrow was the challenge. Its portly portentous potbelly needed to be opened up, so man could prevent the unpleasant before their discharge. So, generation after generation, mankind came up with motley divinations, shamanism, witchcraft, voyeurism, necromancy, occultism, pseudo-religious practices etc. to try to outsmart the close or distant future.
However, in his Daily Manna: A Daily Devotional Guide, January-December 2026, Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi, General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, DCLM, strongly presents the case that mankind is chasing the will-o’-the-wisp with their effort to gatecrash into tomorrow. That space, with the past and the present, belongs to God, he says, and only in knowing Him and His laws through His Word, can we understand that He desires man to live one day at a time. “Why seek to hurry into tomorrow or worry about it when you’ve not fully enjoyed the countless blessings the Creator is providing in the present?
Therefore, in each entry for the 365 days of 2026, Kumuyi’s Daily Manna delivers a masterly matching message for the moment. Steeped in the inerrancy of the Holy Bible, his articles are missiles guided at all souls under Heaven. Each presentation comes as one unit housing different apartments, in a manner of speaking. The Deeper Life Bible Church, DLBC, leader, opens with a pithy topic that gets you ready for the Scripture reading, which leads you to the Key Verse.
Then there’s the body wrapped in four paragraphs: introduction by way of illustrative narrative to guide the reader into the subject matter; next is an exploratory link and discussion of the Bible text; this is quickly followed by a life application of the teaching in a historical or contemporary context. In the final delivery, the Daily Manna drops the ball in the court of the reader: examine your ways and be instructed by the Divine demands.
Kumuyi then leaves the scene with what he calls Thought for the day. It’s a one-liner that never departs from you. All day, it provokes you to noble service for Heaven and humanity. There’s yet one more column, a plan to have you read the entire Bible in one year through given chapters of each of its books.
It’s a neat arrangement from the Mathematical mind of a cleric whose devotional, now a household item worldwide, is turning into a silent evangelist and a foolproof tool to reorient lost mankind and return them to their Creator. Its advantage is that whereas you don’t have a preacher to teach you every day, you have Daily Manna to preach to you all the time for life-saving messages. It is what Latin scholars call, Vade Mecum, (carry me wherever you go). You
A guest in a hotel in Nigeria had an encounter with this nature of the book recently. He read a few pages, and although he was a believer and preacher himself, he said Kumuyi’s expositions were exceptional. He said if you ate food, regardless of how delectable or exotic, at a point you’d say your tummy has had enough. “But with Kumuyi’s Daily Manna,’’ he said as he waved the book during a universally televised programme, ‘’you can never say, it’s enough. You always want more.’’ He was given permission to keep the devotional. He took it to his base in Canada, and with it he sparked a flame of revival and a thirst for righteous living that led Kumuyi to stage crusades in the North American country.
There’s a promise for more of such impact in the 2026 outing of Daily Manna. We get a glimpse in Kumuyi’s article on the first day of the year. Alliteratively titled, Recall, Reflect and Renew, the piece confidently ushers you into a new relationship with God Who, in the words of Kumuyi, ‘’is greater than our weaknesses and the threats in the environment.’’ This prophetic adumbration should not scare us, the devotional writer says, because ‘’With God on our side in the New Year, we shall triumph by His Grace and all shall be well.’’
This call to mankind to get back to the Almighty as the way out of their perilous satanic maze is the fundamental purpose of the book. It turns up in a host of topics: Fret Not, Treasure Through Obedience, Consequences of Trafficking in Idolatry, Quest for Revival, Fruitful Followers, Enjoying His Abiding Presence, Responding to God’s Love, Celebrating What? The Good News of the Second Birth, End-time Deceivers, Avoid Costly Mistakes, Vanity of Vanities, What the Lord Commands, Don’t Distort God’s Word, Balancing the Scales, Get Heavenly Wisdom etc.
Pastor Kumuyi converts these into vehicles to drive home his point that God is love, and that in 2026 He is available all year round and beyond for those who heed His message of saintly living instead of a godless lifestyle. He insists that God’s salvation plan through Jesus Christ is what the hurting world on its deathbed needs, not more of man’s fatal and futile philosophy and science.
Now, although Kumuyi will justifiably talk endlessly of the Lord’s correspondingly ceaseless readiness to receive the genuinely penitent, he is also a hard hitter, bucking the notion of devotionals as a platform for pampering sinners with motivational cant. Not at all. In the piece, Escaping Looming Catastrophe, the evangelist is unsparing as he tackles those who abuse Heaven’s longsuffering Grace, especially society’s elite. He warns: ‘’You can’t ride roughshod over His Son’s painful death on the cross and expect a soft-glove treatment.’’
It’s a message Daily Manna is sharing globally with its print run of hundreds of thousands. Kumuyi needs to be taken seriously to steer man and their system from where they are precariously perched: a cusp overlooking a bottomless abyss asking them to hurry into it. The 2026 Daily Manna is timely, coming at a point in mankind’s history when 2025 is transferring its unresolved crises to the incoming one.
Consulting the Omniscient God, not the skin of beasts or the faculty of frail man, is the right direction to go in the search to rescue human beings.
•Ojewale is an author from Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.
The Cherubim and Seraphim Church Unification Campus Fellowship, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Chapter, is gearing up to commemorate its 30th Anniversary with a week-long celebration from September 7 to 13, 2026.
Themed “Enlarge My Coast” (1 Chronicles 4:10), the event promises a series of impactful programs and activities.
The fellowship, also known as Heirs of God Chapel, has been a beacon of spiritual growth, leadership development, and community transformation for three decades.
According to the Head of Publicity Committee, Sister Temitope Lajuwomi, the anniversary celebration is a testament to God’s faithfulness and a call to expansion, divine favor, and renewed influence.
Lajuwomi said highlights of the event include; community outreach and empowerment initiative, entrepreneurship masterclasses, power-packed revival services
She said the grand reunion & awards ceremony will hold on September 12, 2026
According to the press statement by Lajuwomi, the chairman of the graduate Forum, Prophet Wale Bakare, described the anniversary as “a divine moment of reconnection and revival.”
“The current fellowship president, Bro. Oluwatimilehin Akintola emphasised the importance of the anniversary to current students
“This is a life-changing opportunity for students to learn, grow, and serve. Beyond the celebration, we are building spiritual and moral foundations that will strengthen faith, inspire excellence, and prepare our members to be light wherever they go,” he noted.
On his part, Elder Brother Ogo Odubote, Chairman of the Anniversary Planning Committee, explained the vision behind the theme: “The prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10 – ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my coast’ – is our heart cry as a fellowship and as a nation.
