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President Tinubu Tasks Governors On Citizens’ Welfare, Grassroots Development

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Nationwide Democracy Day Broadcast Cancelled

President Tinubu Tasks Governors On Citizens’ Welfare, Grassroots Development

President Tinubu tasks governors on citizens’ welfare, grassroots development. The president also encouraged governors to allocate more resources to rural electrification.

President Bola Tinubu has urged state governors to prioritise the welfare of Nigerians by investing more in their future.

Mr Tinubu made the call at the 150th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), held at the State House Council Chambers in Abuja.

The president also encouraged governors to allocate more resources to rural electrification, agricultural mechanisation, poverty eradication, and infrastructure development.
He emphasised the need for governors to do more to positively impact the lives of Nigerians at the grassroots level.

“I want to appeal to you: let us change the story of our people in the rural areas. The economy is working. We are on the path to recovery, but we need to stimulate growth in the rural areas.

“We know the situation in the rural areas. Let us collaborate and do what will benefit the people,” Mr Tinubu said.

He urged governors to work closely with the federal government to drive economic development in rural communities across the country.

“We have to embrace mechanisation in agriculture, fight insecurity, and improve school enrolment through school feeding,” the president added.

Mr Tinubu also directed the NEC to establish a committee focused on enhancing the implementation of legacy infrastructure projects, especially the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry super highways.

To facilitate this, he ordered the transfer of the Office of the surveyor-general of the federation to the presidency for better coordination and execution.

The NEC endorsed a new ward-based development strategy known as the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP).

The programme aims to drive double-digit economic growth through direct intervention in Nigeria’s 8,809 administrative wards across all 36 states.

Presented by the minister of budget and economic planning, Abubakar Bagudu, the RHWDP received full endorsement as a collaborative effort between the federal, state, and local governments.

The programme is a key component of Mr Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which targets achieving a 1 trillion-dollar economy by 2030.

This would require a 15 per cent annual growth rate, far above the current rate of less than 4 per cent.

The RHWDP is legally grounded in the 1999 Constitution and the Fifth Alteration Act, which mandates government efforts to ensure food security and improved production methods.

Key targets include sustainable support for economic activities with minimum thresholds of 1,000 economically active individuals for smaller wards and 2,000 for larger wards.

A national steering committee comprising representatives from all six geopolitical zones will oversee implementation with the ministry of budget and economic planning serving as the secretariat.

In a related development, the NEC also directed the strengthening of State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) across all 36 states and instructed the Federal Ministry of Finance to release emergency funds to address the threat of flooding.

This resolution followed a presentation by Zubaida Umar, director-general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Nigeria’s 2025 flood preparedness and response strategies.

Ms Umar highlighted the agency’s achievements since 2024, including the development of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and Action Plan (2024–2027) with UN support, and ongoing validation of the Nigeria Hazard Risk Countrywide Analysis for 2024.

She noted that NEMA had improved civil-military coordination for disaster response, involving the military, Nigeria Police Force, Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigeria Red Cross.

Key preparedness actions in 2025 included expert analysis of meteorological forecasts and the dissemination of flood predictions to states between May and June.

Nationwide Democracy Day Broadcast Cancelled

Tinubu

She also said that SEMAs had been strengthened, Local Emergency Management Committees had been established, and the Emergency Coordination Forum had been activated, integrating military, police, and civil defence units.
“The Emergency Operations Centre was activated on May 29, 2025, with national and zonal centres now operational.

“NEMA has deployed search and rescue equipment to high-risk states and continues downscaling early warning messages to local communities through the National Preparedness and Response Campaign,” she said.

However, Ms Umar identified persistent challenges hampering effective flood response.

“These include poor drainage infrastructure, delayed data reporting from states, insecurity in flood-prone areas, weak SEMAs, and inactive Local Emergency Management Committees.”

She also cited poor compliance with urban planning laws, inadequate environmental hygiene, and poor waste management systems as contributing factors.

Economy

Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition

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Lagos Assembly

Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition

Lagos assembly strongly seeks suspension of Makoko demolition. The Lagos state house of assembly has called for the suspension of demolition activities in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro waterfront communities following protests by displaced residents and growing public concern over the exercise.

The call was announced on Tuesday by Noheem Adams, chairman of an ad hoc committee set up by Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the house, during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Lateef Jakande auditorium.

Adams called on all state ministries to cease demolition work and promised compensation to the affected residents.
“On behalf of the speaker and all 40 members of the house, we are directing that all demolitions in Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Shogunro communities should stop from today until further notice,” New Telegraph quoted Adams as saying.

He called for transparency by demanding the full list of taskforce members and the criteria used for engagement, insisting that residents must be actively involved in the process.

“That the taskforce that was constituted, we want to see the list of the taskforce because we want the residents to be duly involved and to be carried along. So we want to have the schedule of those task forces and the criteria for those that we are inviting,” Adams added.

Lagos Assembly

Lagos Assembly

“To the residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro communities, as your representatives, we are giving you all assurances that they will stop demolitions henceforth and there will be compensations for all those whose properties have been demolished.”

Stephen Ogundipe, member of the ad-hoc, said there is need for clear communication, adding that residents targeted for relocation or redevelopment must be informed of the government’s plans in advance.

Babatunde Olajide, special adviser to governor of Lagos on E-GIS and urban renewal, confirmed that $2 million had been earmarked since 2021 to transform Makoko into a modern, internationally compliant water city.

He said enumeration of affected properties is underway and reiterated the administration’s commitment to handling the situation with a human face, prioritizing resident safety and fair compensation.

Yusuf Sagra, baale of Makoko, described the assembly’s decision as a “word of peace,” while Orioye Ogungbure, another leader of the community, praised the “democratic responsiveness” of the government.

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Crime

EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video

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EFCC Probes Man

EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video

EFCC arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for alleged naira mutilation in viral video. The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,   on Tuesday, February 3, 2026  arrested a Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa over alleged Naira mutilation.

Inuwa was arrested following a viral video circulated on social media platforms where she was seen conspicuously cleaning mucus from her nose using Naira notes.

EFCC Probes Man

EFCC

Following the release of the viral video, the Commission swung into action by tracing and subsequently arrested her to answer questions.
She is currently being held at the Commission’s detention facility while investigation is ongoing.

The suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.

Dele Oyewale
Head,  Media & Publicity
February 3, 2026

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Economy

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime

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National Bank Of Kenya

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime

Access Bank gets new board chair Ifeyinwa Osime. Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29.

Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29, according to a statement to the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. on Monday.

Ms Osime, a legal practitioner, joined Access Bank’s board in November 2019 as an independent non-executive director and had chaired its Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Governance, Nomination, and Remuneration Committee. This role made her contribute significantly to the bank’s corporate governance, leadership development, and sustainability initiatives.

Additionally, Ms Osime is a director at Ebudo Trust Ltd. and a partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial matters and contributes to strategic leadership.

She is also a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Women Corporate Directors, Nigeria Chapter, and the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Women Sectoral Group.

National Bank Of Kenya

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime

Beyond her professional responsibilities, Ms Osime is committed to mentoring youths and is actively involved in the Autism and Developmental Delays Support Community, reflecting her dedication to inclusion and social impact.
Speaking on her appointment, the group chairman, Aigboje Aig-lmoukhuede, said, “Mrs Osime is a principled and experienced leader with a deep understanding of the Bank’s strategy and values.

“She has demonstrated strong commitment to the bank’s vision and mission, and I am confident that, under her leadership, the bank will continue to advance its strategic objectives of delivering sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders in the pursuit of its vision to become the world’s most respected African bank.”

Mr Aig-lmoukhuede also congratulated Mr Usoro on the completion of his tenure and on his exemplary leadership, dedication, and significant contributions to the group, saying he remains a valued member of the Access family.

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