Economy
Diaspora Concerns: Nigerian Missions In U.S. Hold Virtual Town Hall
Diaspora Concerns: Nigerian Missions In U.S. Hold Virtual Town Hall
Diaspora concerns: Nigerian missions in U.S. hold virtual town hall. The participants raised pressing issues and received candid answers on matters ranging from passports and visas to investment, trade, and national image.
Nigerian missions in the U.S. held a virtual town hall meeting on Sunday with Nigerians across the country to address diaspora concerns and counter online misinformation.
The three missions are the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C., the consulate general of Nigeria in New York, and the consulate general of Nigeria in Atlanta
From 7:00 p.m. until 11:15 p.m., as against the initial 9:00 p.m. (New York time), hundreds of Nigerians tuned in, speaking directly to their diplomats.
The participants raised pressing issues and received candid answers on matters ranging from passports and visas to investment, trade, and national image.
The meeting also offered constructive criticisms and discussed practical solutions for improving services at the missions.
Samson Itegboje, Nigeria’s acting ambassador to the U.S., announced that New York and Atlanta now each have a passport printer, with Washington, D.C., operating two, to expedite processing.
The passport printers were initially based only in Washington, while the Consulates General in Atlanta and New York took turns traveling to Washington to print passports on a monthly basis.
He, however, regretted that “Nigerians apply for passports, visas, and other consular services at the last hours and want us to do magic.”
“This meeting is to hear Nigerians out, know their problems and seek ways to address them,” Mr Itegboje said. “We have been improving in our service delivery. We’ve been having good reviews, and we will continue to improve.
He added, “We’re going to continue to do our best because we don’t want any Nigerian to suffer. This government attaches great importance to the Nigerian diaspora community, and it’s why it is part of the 4Ds.”
He said President Bola Tinubu’s 4Ds foreign policy doctrine was democracy, development, demography, and diaspora.
The Nigerian diplomat explained that the Nigerian government would leverage the power of the Nigerian diaspora to enhance diplomatic relations.
The consul general of Nigeria in New York, Abubakar Jidda, reminded the diaspora that Nigeria remains their country and cautioned them against destructive criticism.
“Whatever name you give your country is the name others will call it,” Mr Jidda said. “Let’s continue to identify challenges and solutions to those challenges in order to make Nigeria better. But these problems are not even one-sided. You have some Nigerians who come to the missions with some tones of disrespect, and some of us have experienced it firsthand.”
Mr Yidda said, “Nigerians should help us to help them. Let us continue to meet like this so as to understand your problems while you also understand our challenges.”
Mr Jidda cautioned Nigerians against engaging in what he described as “mischievous and injurious” impressions against the missions in a desperate attempt to gain social media attention.
“This is not only unfair to our officers who go above and beyond but also harmful to Nigeria’s image,” Mr Jidda stated.
He pledged that Nigerian diplomats “will not allow deliberate misrepresentation to undermine our mission”.
“While we criticise, we should endeavour to acknowledge the good works that the Nigerian missions in the U.S. are doing,” added Mr Jidda.

Diaspora Concerns
“We must also counter negative narratives mischievously meant to tarnish our image or isolated cases while overlooking excellent services that are being rendered to hundreds of thousands of Nigerians in the U.S.”
The consul general of Nigeria in Atlanta, Auwalu Namadina, stressed that “fixing Nigeria is not for some, but for everybody”.
Mr Namadina urged continuous dialogue so that the missions and Nigerian nationals in the U.S. understand each other’s challenges and proffer lasting solutions to them. He also pledged to address every concern brought to his attention about the Nigerian consulate in Atlanta.
Economy
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
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
“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.
Crime
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
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
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
Economy
Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
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.

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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