General
Lagos Lauds BATN Foundation’s Support for Aquaculture
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has been applauded for supporting aquaculture and fish farmers in Lagos State.
Recently, the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority (LSADA) held a two-week capacity building workshop on breeding, production, processing and marketing of catfish.
The annual project called Fingerlings to Fork was organised by LSADA in partnership with BATN Foundation.
The project, which is in its third cycle, has supported 600 smallholder fish farmers across all zones in Lagos State and also empowered three cooperatives with 250kg smoking kiln each.
Speaking at the training, the Commissioner for Agriculture in Lagos State, Mrs Abisola Olusanya, commended BATN Foundation for its involvement in the fish value chain of LSADA, notably through its annual partnership to drive sustainable agriculture development in the state.
The Commissioner, who was represented by the Project Manager at LSADA, Dr Olamilekan Pereira-Sheteolu, described the completion of the workshop as a huge achievement for the agency, appealing to other well-meaning members of the private sector to support the programme.
Speaking through the Director of External Services, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Ayoade Abiola Olatokunbo, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Hakeem Adeniji, said the collaboration between the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and the BATN Foundation is always a fruitful one, which has seen both parties working towards the same goal of ensuring food security, agricultural sustainability and women empowerment.
“Lagos State government produces only 20 per cent of its food demand, leaving 80 per cent to be imported from other states of the federation. The government is making concerted efforts to boost food production from 20 per cent to 40 per cent.
“As an aquatic state, the state is particularly interested in the fish subsector as it generates income for artisanal fishermen and has potential for business opportunities. This includes breeding of fingerlings and juveniles, processing and packaging of fish for exports, input supply, etc,” he added.
Speaking further, he expressed appreciation to BATN Foundation for initiating the intervention which he said is expected to empower farmers and beneficiaries of the training with a view to improving their production.
Representing the General Manager of BATN Foundation, Ololade Johnson-Agiri, the Project Manager, Dare Odusanya, in his address, said that the partnership between LSADA and BATN Foundation is intended to ensure that smallholder farmers transition from subsistence to commercial farming, adding that the organisation believes in the wealth-creating opportunities in agriculture and is committed to promoting sustainable agribusiness development amongst smallholder farmers.
A significant feature of this year’s workshop was the participation of persons living with disability most of whom are hard of hearing.
Some of the beneficiaries of the workshop expressed delight about the training and particularly the new knowledge they acquired on catfish drying and smoking.
One of them, Mrs Cecilia Omoagbor, said that she was “glad to realize how economically viable catfish smoking is,” noting that, it is another stream of income in catfish farming, which is not time-consuming.
Another physically challenged beneficiary, Mr Oluseyi Moses, a farmer from Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA, Lagos, promised to share the knowledge acquired with youth farmers in his community.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The former chairman of the defunct Skye Bank Plc, Mr Tunde Ayeni, has been apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Spokesperson of the anti-money laundering agency, Mr Dele Oyewale, confirmed the arrest of the businessman on Friday but declined to provide further details, according to TheCable.
Mr Ayeni was accused of diverting the N36.5 billion and $30 million loans from Polaris Bank Limited to companies with which he has links.
He was alleged to have obtained the credit facilities for marine security, electricity distribution, and real estate projects, but moved them to telecom investments tied to NITEL/MTEL assets via a NATCOM account.
After the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revoked the operating licence of Skye Bank in 2018, it nationalised it to Polaris Bank.
The EFCC has been looking into the alleged diversion of funds by Mr Ayeni, resulting in his arrest in Abuja on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
He is being grilled over the matter and would be arraigned in court once the investigation is concluded.
This is not the first time Mr Ayeni has been nabbed and probed by the EFCC, as this happened a few months after his bank lost its licence.
The then acting spokesman for the EFCC, Mr Tony Orilade, said Mr Ayeni was quizzed by detectives over issues related to fraud and embezzlement allegedly committed by him when he was Chairman of the bank a few years ago.
By Adedapo Adesanya
“We are fully committed to working with the new Commissioner of Police and giving all necessary support towards the successful discharge of his responsibilities.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has approved a sweeping increase in peculiar allowances and other welfare benefits for civil servants, aimed at improving take-home pay and boosting morale across the public service.
The announcement was made on Friday by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, during a press briefing in Abuja, where she outlined key reforms endorsed by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
According to Mrs Walson-Jack, the review affects workers under both the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) and the Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS), ensuring a broad-based impact across all cadres.
She said the revised peculiar allowances have been structured to reflect across all grade levels, resulting in a meaningful increase in earnings for both junior and senior officers.
In addition, the government approved an upward review of several key allowances, including duty tour allowance (DTA), estacode, and book allowance.
Mrs Walson-Jack noted that virtually all allowances listed under the Public Service Rules have now been revised.
A major highlight of the reform is the approval of 100 per cent Duty Tour Allowance for civil servants attending approved training programmes, regardless of whether travel is involved.
Beyond salary-related adjustments, the government also introduced a new exit benefit scheme for retiring civil servants under the Contributory Pension Scheme. The scheme provides 100 per cent of a retiree’s total annual emoluments as an exit package, in addition to their pension, effective January 1, 2026.
Mrs Walson-Jack described the move as a step toward ensuring dignity in retirement, stressing that no public servant should leave service without adequate financial support.
The government also confirmed the operationalisation of the Employee Compensation Scheme, designed to provide financial protection for workers who suffer job-related injuries or death.
The reforms come amid growing calls from labour unions for improved welfare, as rising living costs continue to put pressure on workers. Analysts say the combined measures could significantly enhance financial stability for civil servants and improve overall productivity in the public sector.
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