Economy
NDSF Opening Ceremony, Gov. Umo Eno Tasks Participants On Building Friendship, Unity
NDSF Opening Ceremony, Gov. Umo Eno Tasks Participants On Building Friendship, Unity
NDSF opening ceremony, Gov. Umo Eno tasks participants on building friendship, unity. Despite the heavy downpour, Day 1 experience was fun and excess joy.
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has charged participants in the Niger Delta Sports Festival to build friendship, and promote peace in the region, even as he tasked the State’s contingent to host the competition to win.
Governor Eno was speaking at the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of the Festival held at the Uyo Township Stadium on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
Harping on the theme, “Beyond Oil: Harnessing Talents,” the Governor described the sports fiesta as being in line with one of the thematic areas of his administration’s ARISE Agenda: Human Capital development.
He said the vision of the current Niger Delta Development Commisson ( NDDC) management to restore the past glory of sporting excellence in the region alligns with the State Government’s vision of discovering talents through sport events as reflected in the State’s creation of a stand-alone Ministry of Sports.
According Governor Eno “The ministry is headed by a veteran Sport Journalist, and an International football Administrator, Paul “Sports” Bassey.
Time was, when athletes from our region dominated Nigerian Sports, from athletics to boxing, table tennis to weightlifting from our beautiful, peaceful and serene Capital City of Uyo to the bustling oil and gas hub in Eket, and to the Rafia City in Ikot Ekpene.
“To all the Athletes gathered here, I urge you to uphold discipline and the spirit of sportsmanship.”
He then charged the competitors to make judicious use of the opportunity by building friendship, promoting unity and showcasing their talents, while challenging the State’s contingent to put their best effort by winning medals to justify the hosting right.
In his words ” Beyond winning medals, this event is an opportunity to build friendship, promote unity and showcase the talent of the youths of the Niger Delta.
“To Akwa Ibom State Contingent, I Challenge you to go out there to win medals for our State. We are not only hosting these games, we are hosting to win.”
Speaking also, the Governor of Ondo State, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the support given to the NDDC to organize the festival, stressing that the sports fiesta will serve as a bridge and help to fastrack the discovery of sports talents in the Niger Delta region.

NDSF Opening Ceremony
The Chairman National Sports Commission, Alhaji Shehu Dikko, who represented President Tinubu commended Governor Eno for his proactive and impactful efforts at ensuring the successful hosting of the event.
Earlier, NDDC’s Executive Director, Finance and Administration and Chairman, Planning Committee of the Festival, Alabo Boma Iyaye, thanked Governor Eno for his support and for granting the NDDC the opportunity to host the competition in his State, noting that the success of the event would not have been possible without his cooperation and support.
He described the Festival as part of the vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda which aims at gathering youths across the Niger Delta to ensure that young talents are motivated, while calling on prospective volunteer hosts to indicate interests to enhance the effective planning of subsequent festivals.
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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