General
Aliko Dangote Foundation Distributes Rice to Okpella Residents
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Thousands of 10kg bag of rice have been distributed to residents of Okpella in the Etsako East Local Government of Edo State by the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF).
Okpella hosts a factory of Dangote Cement Plc, an organisation established by the president of ADF, Mr Aliko Dangote.
The food item was shared to the community to alleviate food sufferings among Nigerians through the nationwide food palliative programme of the organisation.
The foundation is distributing one million bags of rice worth about N16 billion to the 774 Local Government Areas of the federation.
The relief initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Zero Hunger, one that has been adopted and strongly upheld by ADF, evidencing his commitment to fighting food insecurity in Nigeria.
Speaking during the distribution at the weekend at the palace of Okuokpellagbe of Okpella, Mr Michael Sado, the Director of Stakeholder Management at Dangote Cement, Mr Patrick Omokagbo, said the distribution is part of the CSR palliative measures to the people of the host community in appreciation of their cooperation with the management of the company for peaceful cohabitation.
“This is one of the social responsibilities of Dangote to host communities to his numerous businesses across the nation. Given the unsavoury economic situation in the country with its attendant poverty and hunger, Aliko Dangote finds it necessary by providing free rice to the people so they can heave a sigh of relief.”
Speaking also, the Okuopellagbe Palace Secretary, Barrister Akuri Afegbua, expressed the appreciation of royal fathers in the communities to Mr Dangote and the ADF for singling out the host communities for rice donation.
Some of the beneficiaries, Mrs Mercy Sado and Mr Inusa Ahmed, thanked ADF for the food intervention and described the initiative as timely in view of the high inflation that make many staple foods to be out of the reach of poor Nigerians.
Meanwhile, while flagging off the sharing of the rice in Edo State, the Governor, Mr Monday Okpebholo, urged well-meaning Nigerians to emulate Mr Dangote in collaborating with government at all levels to fight against poverty and hunger by creating job opportunities through investments.
“This donation is a testament to the Foundation’s commitment to alleviating poverty and promoting food security as well as supporting the most vulnerable members of the society.
“We have launched the Back to Farm project, which is aimed at cultivating 3,000 hectares of land across the three Senatorial districts of Edo State. This effort underscores our administration’s commitment to achieving food sufficiency and enhancing agricultural productivity across the state.
“This donation from ADF is, therefore, timely as it will complement our efforts at reducing hunger in the land.
“As we commence the distribution of rice to the vulnerable across the State, I assure you that the process will be transparent, equitable, and will be carried out with utmost integrity. We will ensure that these items reach the vulnerable and communities that they are intended for,” the Governor said via his deputy, Mr Dennis Idahosa.
In his remarks, a representative of ADF, Mr Opeoluwa Olajide, said the initiative was designed to provide relief from hunger through food security.
“This programme is dear to the heart of Mr Dangote and he sees the rice distribution as the foundation’s commitment to upholding the values of compassion and solidarity that are at the core of humanity,” he stated.
On her part, the leader of the market women in Edo State, Mrs Josephine Ebhaguejezele, thanked the organisation for helping the vulnerable in the state.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No doubt, moving money among African markets remains a slow, fragmented process that relies on multiple intermediaries and prolonged settlement cycles.
To solve this issue and drive the development of stablecoin-enabled payment services for businesses across the continent, Onafriq has joined forces with a leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, Privy.
The collaboration will enable Onafriq to create and manage embedded digital asset solutions for its partners and, in time, institutional clients where regulation allows. The initial phase focuses on cross-chain stablecoin transfers and treasury and settlement workflows, creating the foundation for future cross-border payment and liquidity solutions.
Integrating Privy’s secure infrastructure enables Onafriq to build the capabilities required to support a new generation of efficient digital payment services for banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators.
This partnership is a key component of Onafriq’s broader strategy to modernise pan-African payment infrastructure, enabling secure multi-modal wallets and more efficient movement of value across the continent.
The outcome will support a range of future institutional use cases, including stablecoin-enabled settlement, treasury management and liquidity services, as it reflects Onafriq’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation agenda by investing in technologies that make financial services more efficient, connected and accessible.
It was gathered that Onafriq selected Privy for its enterprise-grade infrastructure to enable the seamless integration of digital asset wallet capabilities into its products, subject to regulatory approval, and deliver a simple user experience while abstracting the complexity of blockchain technology.
“At Onafriq, we keep investing in technology that makes payments faster and more accessible. Privy gives us a building block for faster settlement and better liquidity management. As demand for digital asset services grows, our goal is to ensure Africa’s payment ecosystem benefits securely and in line with regulatory frameworks,” the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq,” Mr Luke Kyohere, said.
The chief executive of Privy, Mr Henri Stern, said, “Stablecoins will play an increasingly important role in the future of global payments, but real-world adoption depends on infrastructure that is secure, scalable and simple to implement. Working with Onafriq allows us to help build that foundation across Africa and beyond.”
