General
Women Need to Own Their Stories, Collaborate—Ayo Mario-Ese
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Celebrated broadcaster with Arise TV, Mrs Ayo Mario-Ese, has charged women to be open to collaboration and not limit themselves.
The charming media personality was one of the panellists at the UBA Business Series themed Introducing Gen W – The Evolved Woman, held at the UBA House in Lagos last Thursday.
At the event moderated by popular actor, Mr Tobi Bakre, the Morning Show anchor on Arise TV expressed worry about females who are usually laidback about speaking up and sharing their achievements, and said that women need to own their stories.
“A lot of women are doing phenomenal work and are sometimes afraid of showcasing what they are doing. As an evolved woman, you have to find out what you are comfortable doing, create your own unique offering, and also be open to collaboration,” she submitted.
Another panellist, Ms Joycee Awosika, described an evolved woman as one who has awareness of who she is.
“That woman does not need to ask to sit at the table; she is creating her own table and adding value. As your company is growing, you must grow too, and always do an audit of where you need to become a better leader,” the energy economist stated.
For a digital entrepreneur, Ms Tomike Adeoye, the question of what a woman is bringing to the table has now become obsolete, as the evolved woman is now bringing their own table.
“She is now more vocal about their struggles, setting the standards, and she is not ready to give up on her dreams,” she declared.
For the founder of Fine-Funky, Ms Olufunke Davies, she remarked that, “Creating unique designs that are affordable remains my driving force and something that has helped me grow as an evolved woman.”
In her remarks, the Group Head for Brand, Marketing and Corporate Communications at UBA, Ms Alero Ladipo, said, “Raising each woman is actually not that hard, because everyone has their community as well as their story; and so as women, we need to take a position so that we can give to others.”
She said the Gen W platform of the lender is dedicated to the evolved woman, adding, “Through expert insights, real stories, and practical resources, the platform connects women who are building brands, creating businesses, growing careers, and leading across industries. They also have access to a plethora of discounted products and loans. The best part: it is open to every woman. No UBA account needed. This is Gen W, for the evolved woman.”
This edition of the UBA Business Series was hosted to mark International Women’s Month.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu will on Saturday, May 2, 2026, leave Nigeria for a three-nation trip, a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said.
In the notice issued on Friday night, it was disclosed that Mr Tinubu would visit France, after which he would depart for Nairobi, Kenya, to attend the Africa-France Summit scheduled to begin next week.
Co-chaired by President Emmanuel Macron of France and President William Ruto of Kenya, the summit focuses on energy transition, green industrialisation, digital transformation, restructuring of global financing architecture, and climate action.
President Tinubu’s participation at the summit from May 11 to May 12. will underscore Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to strengthening strategic partnerships with African nations and the French Republic.
The summit, with the theme Africa Forward: Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth, will provide a high-level platform for African leaders and their French counterparts to deliberate on critical issues affecting the continent, including economic transformation, climate resilience, infrastructure development, youth empowerment, technological advancement, and peace-building initiatives.
At the end of the Kenyan summit, President Tinubu will depart for Kigali, Rwanda, to attend the annual Africa CEO Forum, taking place between May 14 and 15.
With the theme Scale or Fail, this year’s Africa CEO Forum will be the largest gathering of African private sector leaders, investors, and policymakers, focusing on accelerating economic transformation through shared scale, regional integration, and increased cross-border investment.
Held in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the summit brings together over 2,000 top executives and national leaders to debate strategies for building resilient, competitive industries.
At the two summits, the Nigerian leader will deliver statements highlighting his administration’s ongoing reforms to reposition the nation as a prime destination for investment and growth. He will also hold high-level meetings with top-tier global and African business leaders.
President Tinubu will be accompanied on the trip by some of his ministers and senior aides. He will return to Nigeria at the end of the Rwanda summit.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Economic Council (NEC) has approved the adoption of 112 as the national emergency number at all levels and across relevant agencies.
It is part of measures to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency lifeline and build a unified and coordinated national response to emergencies.
The council also approved the establishment of a multi-agency implementation committee and programme coordination led by the Office of the Vice President and the National Communications Commission (NCC).
The approval was part of decisions taken at the 157th meeting of the NEC held virtually and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Mr Shettima said the 112 emergency lifeline had become necessary to prevent delay caused by bureaucratic bottlenecks, noting that what the citizens seek urgently when confronted by a natural disaster or insecurity is an urgent response and not bureaucracy.
“This is not only a technical reform. It is a test of the state’s humanity. In moments of fire, accident, robbery, medical emergency, flood, violence, or panic, citizens do not need bureaucracy.
“They need a response. They need to know one number to call, one system to trust, and one coordinated chain of action that moves quickly enough to save lives,” he stated.
He explained that while Nigeria is not beginning from zero, as the emergency number had been in existence, what is required at the moment “is coordination, adoption, standard operating procedures, public awareness, institutional ownership, and trust”.
The vice president described NEC as the nation’s economic engine room, where the federal government and the states must convert the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu into practical outcomes.
“We cannot build our way to a one-trillion-dollar economy by federal effort alone. We cannot create millions of jobs by speeches alone.
“We cannot expand exports, attract investment, secure communities, or unlock productivity unless every tier of government understands its role and performs it with urgency,” the VP noted.
Mr Shettima noted that the council will continue to focus on decisions that would have a positive impact on the lives of Nigerians.
“History will not ask how many meetings we held. It will ask what changed because we met.
“It will ask whether our decisions reached the farmer, the manufacturer, the artist, the investor, the accident victim, the unemployed graduate, and the child waiting to inherit the country we are rebuilding.”
NEC also received a presentation on the rehabilitation of police training institutions across the country from its ad hoc committee led by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, and commended the ad hoc committee for the work done so far.
It also called on the Ministry of Finance to expedite the release of the balance of approved funds for the take-off of the project and urged the committee to ensure national spread by capturing training institutions in each geopolitical zone in the first phase of the intervention.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Supreme Court has recognised Mr David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a judgment on Friday, the apex court restored the leadership of the former Senate President, after an appellate court had ordered a status quo ante bellum.
The Supreme Court held that the decision of the Appeal Court on status quo ante bellum was improper and unwarranted.
It also refused to uphold the preliminary objections by counsel to Mr Nafiu Bala, who is challenging the leadership of Mr Mark, directing that the suit should head back to the trial court for determination. Mr Bala went to court to seek an ex parte to stop Mr Mark and his team from parading themselves as leaders of the opposition party.
The ADC, which was asked to put on notice to explain why the injunction should not be given, appealed the matter, but the parties were asked to maintain the status quo ante bellum. This was interpreted to mean the ADC was without a leader.
The matter went to the apex court, which decided it today, affirming Mr Mark as the party’s chairman, which seeks to eject President Bola Tinubu from Aso Rock via the 2027 presidential election.
Mr Bala, a former vice chairman of the party, was said to have resigned his position to pave the way for Mr Mark and others, who joined the party from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP).
However, he claimed he did not resign and that his signature was forged, seeking the court’s help to install him as the party’s chairman, based on ADC’s constitution, according to him.
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