Economy
FG Reaffirmed Commitment To peace In Niger Delta Through Youth Empowerment
FG Reaffirmed Commitment To peace In Niger Delta Through Youth Empowerment
FG reaffirmed commitment to peace in Niger Delta through youth empowerment. The minister also reiterated his commitment to supporting resolutions that would emerge from the discussions.
The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving peace and security in the Niger Delta region through youth empowerment.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said this at the One-Day Multi-Stakeholder Consultative Engagement on the Niger Delta in Abuja on Monday.
The event was organised by Search for Common Ground (SFCG), Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), and the Partnership Initiative for the Niger Delta (PIND), with support from the European Union.
Mr Olawande, represented by Obinna Nwaka, the director-general of the Committee of Youth on Mobilisation and Sensitization (CYMS), said youth empowerment would play a central role in the region’s transformation.
He emphasised the importance of community-driven approaches to tackling persistent security issues and criminal activities in the region.
He said the consultative meeting was part of ongoing efforts aimed at building a peaceful and secure future for the people of the Niger Delta.
The minister, who commended the organisers for bringing together diverse stakeholders, described the dialogue as a crucial step towards achieving sustainable peace in the region.
He highlighted the progress made in addressing some challenges and called on participants to collaborate on solutions in line with global peace-building practices.
“The objective of the event is to present findings from the `Community-Centered Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta’ project, as well as to explore strategies for promoting peace.
“This engagement provides an invaluable opportunity to exchange knowledge, ideas, and locally relevant strategies to combat violence and criminality in the Niger Delta.
“It is also crucial to involve youth and women’s groups, as they are both the most affected by the conflict and central to driving change in their communities.
“We believe that empowering youth and women is crucial to driving change in the region. Therefore, the federal government is committed to supporting community-driven initiatives that promote peace and security in the Niger Delta,” he said.
The minister also reiterated his commitment to supporting resolutions that would emerge from the discussions.
Mr Olawande urged stakeholders to continue their collective efforts to ensure the successful implementation of strategies that would transform the region into a model of peace and prosperity.
He expressed the ministry’s support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration initiatives in areas of security, job creation, and education in the Niger Delta, assuring participants that the ministry would complement the President’s efforts.
NDDC
Mr Olawande said this would be achieved through initiatives like the National Integrated Youth Agency (NIYA), the Youth Pi-CNG Initiative, and the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF).
“The federal government is committed to creating opportunities for youth in the Niger Delta to thrive,” he said.
Mr Olawande called on all stakeholders to collaborate with a shared purpose, ensuring that the outcomes of the engagement lead to meaningful, actionable solutions for the benefit of the Niger Delta.
EFCC Warns Lawyers Against Charging Clients in Foreign Currencies
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has called on legal practitioners across the country to desist from the illegal and unethical practice of charging clients in foreign currencies.
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The call was made on Friday, September 11, 2026, in Lagos by the Acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, Ikoyi, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA’s Lagos Task Force on Illegal Practice of Law, led by its Head, Moshood Abiola, on a courtesy visit to his office.
Speaking during the interactive session, Kaltungo expressed concern over the activities of lawyers who engage in illegal and unethical practices, stressing that the Commission would not hesitate to prosecute anyone found culpable.
According to him, the Directorate is currently handling two cases involving lawyers who allegedly charged their clients in foreign currencies.
He said: “We are also worried about the activities of lawyers who are involved in illegal and unethical practices.
“We have two cases of lawyers who were found to have charged fees in dollars. This is unethical and illegal, as the Naira is the country’s legal tender.
“We usually don’t want to have issues with members of the NBA. However, some lawyers are pushing us. Any lawyer we find culpable of charging clients in foreign currencies will be prosecuted.”
The Acting Zonal Director also cautioned lawyers against invoking the name of the EFCC to impose excessive charges on clients.
He said although lawyers had the right to determine their professional fees, they should not misrepresent the Commission or falsely claim that the fees demanded from clients were required by the EFCC.
“Also, lawyers should stop name-dropping the EFCC to overcharge their clients.
“They have the right to charge their clients as much as they like, but they shouldn’t drag the EFCC into it. They should desist from all these unethical practices,” he said.
Earlier, Abiola commended the Commission for its recent prosecution and conviction of a fake lawyer, describing the process as “swift and reassuring.”
He said the NBA Task Force had several cases involving lawyers allegedly engaged in malpractice, hence the need for stronger collaboration with the EFCC to ensure that legal practitioners found culpable of criminal conduct were prosecuted.
He said: “We appreciate the EFCC for the recent prosecution of a fake lawyer. It was swift, and we are glad that the EFCC was able to get the court to convict him.
“However, recently, we have a case involving a lawyer who has been engaging in malpractice. We have several cases like that, and we would like to strengthen our collaboration with the EFCC so that these individuals can be prosecuted and made to face the law.”
Reacting to one of Abiola’s remarks, ACE I Orhieoghene Adewunmi of the Department of Legal and Prosecution, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, urged the NBA to ensure that appropriate publications were made concerning lawyers found culpable of unethical practices.
She said such publicity would help members of the public identify practitioners who had been sanctioned for professional misconduct and avoid engaging their services.
In the same vein, ACE II Henry Anasoh, also of the Department of Legal and Prosecution, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, raised concerns over practices by some legal practitioners who assist suspects in obstructing investigations or frustrating the administration of justice.
He said there had been instances of lawyers helping clients to forge documents for bail purposes, including cases where purported medical records were presented in support of bail applications.
EFCC
Anasoh also expressed concern over cases in which lawyers approach courts to restrain the EFCC from investigating or prosecuting their clients, including through fundamental rights enforcement suits arising from invitations issued by the Commission.
He, therefore, urged the NBA to assist the EFCC in its efforts to rid the legal profession of “unscrupulous practitioners”, stressing that the conduct of a few lawyers should not undermine the integrity of the profession.
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Gastech 2026, NNPC Reels Out Strategies to Transform Nigeria into Global Gas Hub
NNPC Ltd.’s Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, today headlined the Opening Day of the ongoing 2026 Gas Technology & Exhibition Conference (GASTECH), taking place in Bangkok, Thailand.
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Ogunleye, who spoke on a panel themed “The New LNG Order: Leadership Strategies for Energy Security and Growth”, said that as geopolitics, conflict and other factors continue to affect global energy supply and demand, Nigeria is leveraging its over 215 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of proven reserves to power domestic industrialisation and expand export reach.
Ogunleye said that NNPC Ltd. has already activated multiple pathways aimed at transforming Nigeria into a global gas hub, adding that the Company is focused on reinforcing coordination, anchored on the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA 2021), Decade of Gas Framework and the Gas Master Plan (GMP), with the near-term target to ramp up national production of gas to 10 billion standard cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by 2027 and 12 Bcf/d by 2030.
NNPC
GASTECH is the world’s largest exhibition and conference focused on natural gas, LNG, hydrogen and low-carbon solutions. Now in its 54th edition, the conference brings together about 50,000 participants from over 150 countries, including energy experts, CEOs, policymakers, investors and technology leaders, to discuss the future of energy security, LNG supply, infrastructure investment and decarbonisation.
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SCUML, REDAN Deepen Collaboration on Anti -Money Laundering Compliance
The Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), and the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) have expressed commitment to ensure a full compliance with the Anti Money Laundering/Counter Finance on Terrorism/Counter Proliferation Financing, (AML/CFT/CPF) laws within the Nigeria’s real estate sector.
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They made the resolve during a stakeholders’ engagement held on Thursday, September 10, 2026
The engagement focused on Mutual Evaluation readiness, risk-based supervision, beneficial ownership transparency, customer due diligence, internal controls and stronger collaboration between SCUML and the real estate sector.
Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE 1 Ibinabo Amachree, speaking on behalf of SCUML highlighted the strategic role of real estate operators in protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system, particularly given the sector’s vulnerability to money laundering and other financial crime risks.
Amachree encouraged REDAN members to move beyond registration to ensure that compliance is embedded in their day-to-day operations. He mentioned the areas to include: understanding institutional risks, knowing customers and beneficial owners, identifying politically exposed persons, conducting appropriate sanctions screening, maintaining effective internal controls and meeting applicable reporting obligations
He, therefore, reaffirmed readiness to working closely with REDAN and other stakeholders to improve compliance, build capacity and promote a stronger culture of accountability across the real estate sector
“The message is clear: effective compliance is not just about meeting regulatory requirements; it is about protecting businesses, strengthening the real estate sector and safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system”, she said.
SCUML, REDAN
In his remarks, the Chairman of REDAN, Lagos state, Mr Tony Kolawole pledged readiness to partner with SCUML in ensuring compliance with AML/CFT/CPF in the real estate sector to uphold financial integrity.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for REDAN members to share practical regulatory and operational challenges affecting the sector, reinforcing the importance of continuous dialogue between regulators and industry stakeholders.
Eereporter.com
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