Jobs/Appointments
Dele Alake Re-elected as Chairman of Africa Minerals Strategy Group
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, has been re-elected as the Chairman of Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG).
Mr Alake was first unanimously elected as the pioneer Chairman of AMSG in 2024 on the sidelines of Future Minerals Forum (FMF).
He was re-elected at the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the group, held on the sidelines of the same conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The continental ministerial forum of African ministers is responsible for minerals and mining, committed to coordinated action aimed at maximising value addition and beneficiation from Africa’s vast mineral resources.
A statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Segun Tomori, noted that the move is part of efforts to strengthen its institutional framework.
AMSG approved the creation of additional leadership positions, including Vice Chairman, Deputy Secretary-General, and Financial Secretary.
The forum further resolved that those positions be equitably distributed across Africa’s sub-regions to promote inclusion and regional balance.
While the positions of Chairman and Vice Chairman are elective and reserved for serving ministers, other positions are appointed by member states to which they are zoned.
Under the new leadership structure, Mr Alake continued as Chairman of the 24-member forum, representing West Africa.
The Minister of Mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mr Louis Watum Kabamba, was elected Vice Chairman, representing Central Africa.
The position of Secretary-General remained with Uganda (East Africa), Mauritania was appointed Deputy Secretary-General (North Africa), while South Africa was assigned the position of Financial Secretary.
The AGM also ratified a two-year tenure for the newly elected executive committee and agreed that zoned positions belong to member countries, such that where a serving minister is replaced, the successor automatically assumes the role.
In his acceptance speech, Alake expressed gratitude to his colleagues for the renewed confidence reposed in him, stressing the urgent need for African nations to work collaboratively to unlock the continent’s economic potential through solid minerals development.
He called on member states to agree on minimum financial contributions and to refine the group’s budgeting framework to strengthen its operational effectiveness.
“Once member states contribute, accountability will naturally follow. This will enhance transparency and strengthen the credibility of the AMSG before the global community,” Mr Alake stated.
The AGM further resolved to hold quarterly ministerial meetings and ratified the establishment of standing committees, including those for Legal, Institutional Affairs and Human Resources; Sustainability and Responsible Mining; Finance, Budget and Resource Mobilisation, among others.
It was also agreed that steps be taken towards hosting a global minerals conference in Africa, similar to FMF.
Speaking earlier at a Leadership Roundtable, Mr Alake emphasised that mineral production alone could not deliver lasting economic transformation without reliable infrastructure, coordinated policies, and deliberate value-addition strategies.
Mr Alake cited the Lobito Corridor as a model of what was achievable when rail, ports, energy systems, and policy alignment worked in synergy. He stated that similar opportunities existed across the continent, including the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor linking Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire; Walvis Bay Corridor connecting Southern Africa’s mining regions to global markets; Dar es Salaam and Central Corridors serving East and Central Africa, among others.
“The real question is not whether Africa has corridors, but whether these corridors are being financed, governed and structured to support industrial growth, regional integration and long-term stability.
“What matters is how financing is designed to reduce risk, attract private capital, and sustain commercial viability while advancing national and regional development objectives,” he said.
Mr Alake emphasised that unlocking capital required addressing issues, such as bankable and enforceable offtake arrangements; predictable and harmonised cross-border regulatory frameworks; alignment of rail, port, power, and industrial planning; and clear pathways for processing, smelting, logistics services, and industrial clusters along the corridors.
He added that the broader vision of AMSG was to ensure that Africa’s mineral infrastructure was strategically designed, responsibly financed, and efficiently managed in a rapidly evolving global environment, not to discourage investment, but to ensure it aligned with long-term stability, transparency, and shared economic prosperity.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Mr Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan has been appointed by President Bola Tinubu as the new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, effective August 27, 2026.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday disclosed that Mr Enitan replaces Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who will retire soon from the Federal Civil Service upon attaining the statutory retirement age of 60.
Mr Tinubu thanked Mrs Walson-Jack for her distinguished service to the nation and for the reforms, impact and innovations witnessed in the civil service during her tenure.
He also wished her a fulfilling and successful life after service and conveyed the nation’s gratitude for her years of dedicated and impactful public service.
As for Mr Enitan, the President charged him to consolidate on the reforms and innovations already underway, deepen professionalism and efficiency across the service, and build a more effective and responsive civil service.
He further urged him to lead a civil service that is professional, merit-driven, accountable, innovative, and responsive to Nigerians’ needs and aspirations.
Mr Enitan, from Osun State, is the most senior Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service. He has served as Permanent Secretary for seven years and seven months, working at the Ministry of Police Affairs, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Office of the Vice President. He is currently the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education.
He brings considerable institutional experience and a deep understanding of how the Federal Civil Service works to his new responsibility.
Mr Enitan was born on December 12, 1966. He had his secondary education at Ajibode Grammar School, Ibadan and the College of Arts and Science, Ile-Ife. He later attended the University of Lagos and graduated in 1988 with a BSc in Finance and Banking. In 2015, he obtained an MSc in Public Policy Analysis from Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The board of FTN Cocoa Processors Plc has appointed Mr Wale Jubril as its interim chairman following the death of the former occupier of the position, Mr S.O. Oguntimehin, in March 2026.
The appointment of Mr Jubril was decided at the company’s board meeting held in July 2026, a statement from the organisation disclosed.
He will pilot the affairs of the organisation pending the appointment of a substantive chairman, a part of the notice submitted to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited stated.
The interim chairman of FTN Cocoa is a seasoned banker, chartered stockbroker and corporate executive with over three decades of professional experience spanning banking, capital markets, finance and corporate governance.
The Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State-born financial expert holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Lagos, obtained in 1988, and three Master’s Degrees from the same institution in Marketing (1993), International Law and Diplomacy (1998), and Economics (1999).
He qualified as an Authorised Dealing Clerk of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 1992 and became a chartered stockbroker in the same year. He subsequently built a career in banking and the capital market before joining Paints and Coatings Manufacturers Nigeria Plc in 2009 as Executive Director, Finance. In that capacity, he provided leadership in financial planning, project appraisal, pricing and negotiations, particularly in relation to major oil and gas projects and engagements involving Chevron, NLNG, Total and other industry participants.
Mr Jubril also contributed to the development of the company’s financial sustainability through strategic planning, policy development, departmental restructuring and financial management, and served on the company’s Planning and Policy-Making Committee of the Board.
In 2021, he joined Float Securities Limited, where he currently serves as the chief executive. He has also served as a non-executive director of FTN Cocoa since 2015.
In recognition of his extensive experience in the private and public sectors, he was appointed an independent non-executive director of Gateway Mortgage Bank, a mortgage bank wholly owned by the Ogun State Government, in November 2022.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Geregu Power Plc has sought the approval of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for the appointment of its acting chief executive, Mr Mohammed Sani Jaoji.
Mr Jaoji was selected by the board to lead the affairs of the organisation in an acting capacity with effect from Monday, August 17, 2026.
In a notice to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, Geregu Power, which was recently in the news over a bond coupon payment default, noted that the appointment of an acting CEO followed the non-renewal of the term of the interim CEO, Mr Sean Manley, which ended on August 14, 2026.
The board expressed confidence that the appointment of Mr Jaoji will strengthen the governance structure and strategic direction of the company pending the appointment of a substantive CEO.
The board thanked Mr Manley for his service and contributions to the energy firm during his tenure and wished him success in his future endeavours.
Mr Jaoji holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and is a registered member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
He brings over three decades of experience in the power sector, spanning technical and leadership roles at the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and Geregu Power Plc, where he served as Head, Maintenance Planning and Performance between 2007 and 2019. He subsequently served as Technical Assistant to the Minister of Power between 2019 and 2023, before returning to Geregu Power.
