Economy
Eva Adelaja Girls’ at 60: Family Unveils Ben and Eva Adelaja Prize
By Adedapo Adesanya
The week-long 60th Anniversary of Eva Adelaja Girls’ Secondary Grammar School, Bariga, commenced on Saturday, February 17 with the Praise Day and Community Hymn Singing held at Chapel of Christ the Light in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
The event witnessed personalities from different sets of the six-decade-old school grace the chapel at the heart of Lagos to sing hymns to honour God and extol the virtues of the late founder, Mrs Eva Adebayo Adelaja.
Eva Adelaja Girls’ Secondary Grammar School, Bariga was founded in 1964 by Mrs Evangeline Adebayo Adelaja. The school was formerly known as Girls Secondary School. It was privately owned until 1969 when it became grant-aided by the Lagos State Government. In 1974, it was completely taken over by the government.
Speaking during the service, Revd Oladele Ajayi, the Presiding Chaplain, lauded the life of the educator and appreciated her contribution to the education of the girl child.
He called on those present, including family members, alumni, present students, and other well-wishers to emulate her.
On her part, the president of the Eva Adelaja Girls’ Secondary Grammar School Old Girls’ Association, Mrs Rhoda Ayinde, said the milestone provided an opportunity to thank God for using Mrs Adelaja as a vessel to raise a generation of girls on the right path.
“It’s an opportunity for us to thank God for the impact of the last six decades, for the journey of raising role models that Mama started 60 years ago and that’s why we decided to start our celebration with thanksgiving.
“It is of great impact that the mighty tree that Mama planted is providing shade and is being felt by everyone. By the Bariga community, by the state, and the nation at large,” she said.
The highlight of the event was the announcement of the establishment of the N1 million Prize known as the Ben and Eva Adelaja Prize, which will be awarded to the best-graduating student moving forward.
This was announced by the representative of the family of the founder, Mrs Kehinde Kamson, the daughter of the late founder in memory of their mother and father.
“To commemorate this milestone anniversary, the Adelaja family has decided to commit in perpetuity, to providing an annual prize to be called the Ben and Eva Adelaja Prize.
She said the prize would be given at the end of each school year to a graduating student across the board with criteria including the best performance in academic excellence, leadership, commitment to community, and vision.
She added that the family wished this would be the top prize at the school in honour of the founder’s legacy starting in 2024, noting that a fund will be established to also recognise other exemplary students at the school.
On her part, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mrs Folashade Laja, lauded the foot at which the celebrations commenced and said the next set of activities would impact others.
The next event will be a Fun Day scheduled for Tuesday, February 20, at the school compound located at 1, Adepeju Street, Bariga, Lagos from 8 a.m. onwards. This will feature a novelty match, charity visit, rally, health talk, and a raffle draw.
On Thursday, February 22, there will be an anniversary lecture and documentary from 10 a.m. at 10 Degrees Event Centre Plot A2, along Billings Way in Oregun.
The celebration will culminate with a dual event starting with a thanksgiving at Chapel of Christ the Light scheduled to start by 9 a.m. This is followed by a reception and awards ceremony by 12 noon.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu will, on Friday, present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly.
The presentation, scheduled for 2:00 pm, was conveyed in a notice issued on Wednesday by the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly.
According to the notice, all accredited persons are required to be at their duty posts by 11:00 am on the day of the presentation, as access into the National Assembly Complex will be restricted thereafter for security reasons.
The notice, signed by the Secretary, Human Resources and Staff Development, Mr Essien Eyo Essien, on behalf of the Clerk to the National Assembly, urged all concerned to ensure strict compliance with the arrangements ahead of the President’s budget presentation.
The 2026 budget is projected at N54.4 trillion, according to the approved 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has asked the National Assembly to repeal and re-enact the 2024 appropriation act in separate letters to the Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday and read during plenary by the presiding officers.
The bill was titled Appropriation (Repeal and Re-enactment Bill 2) 2024, involving a total proposed expenditure of N43.56 trillion.
In a letter dated December 16, 2025, the President said the bill seeks authorisation for the issuance of a total sum of N43.56 trillion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation for the year ending December 31, 2025.
A breakdown of the proposed expenditure shows N1.74 trillion for statutory transfers, N8.27 trillion for debt service, N11.27 trillion for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, and N22.28 trillion for capital expenditure and development fund contributions.
The President said the proposed legislation is aimed at ending the practice of running multiple budgets concurrently, while ensuring reasonable – indeed unprecedentedly high – capital performance rates on the 2024 and 2025 capital budgets.
He explained that the bill also provides a transparent and constitutionally grounded framework for consolidating and appropriating critical and time-sensitive expenditures undertaken in response to emergency situations, national security concerns, and other urgent needs.
President Tinubu added that the bill strengthens fiscal discipline and accountability by mandating that funds be released strictly for purposes approved by the National Assembly, restricting virement without prior legislative approval, and setting conditions for corrigenda in cases of genuine implementation errors.
The bill, which passed first and second reading in the House of Representatives, has been referred to the Committee on Appropriations for further legislative action.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has imposed an immediate nationwide ban on the export of wood and allied products, revoking all previously issued licenses and permits to exporters.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Lawal, during the 18th meeting of the National Council on Environment in Katsina State.
Mr Lawal said the directive, outlined in the Presidential Executive Order titled Presidential Executive Order on the Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025, became necessary to curb illegal logging and deforestation across the country.
“Nigeria’s forests are central to environmental sustainability, providing clean air and water, supporting livelihoods, conserving biodiversity, and mitigating the effects of climate change,” the Minister said, warning that the continued exportation of wood threatens these benefits and the long-term health of the environment.
The order, published in the Extraordinary Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 180, Vol. 112 of 16 October 2025, relies on Sections 17(2) and 20 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empower the state to protect the environment, forests, and wildlife and prevent the exploitation of natural resources for private gain.
Under the new policy, security agencies and relevant ministries are expected to enforce a total clampdown on illegal logging activities nationwide.
On his part, the Katsina State Deputy Governor, Mr Faruk Lawal Jobe highlighted the state’s history of pioneering socio-economic policies that have influenced national policy. He emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing environmental challenges across the country.
“Environmental sustainability is critical to achieving growth and improving the quality of life of our people,” he said. “Our administration has prioritised initiatives aimed at combating desertification and promoting afforestation.”
The ban reflects the government’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s shrinking forest cover and addressing climate change, while ensuring sustainable use of natural resources for future generations.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.24 per cent on Wednesday, December 17, pulling the Unlisted Security Index (NSI) up by 8.62 points to 3,614.64 points from 3,606.02 points.
In the same vein, the market capitalisation added N4.72 billion to close at N2.164 billion compared with the N2.160 trillion it ended on Tuesday.
The growth was inspired by four securities, which finished on the gainers’ log, neutralising the losses printed by two other securities on the trading platform.
MRS Oil Plc gained N17.90 on Wednesday to end at N196.90 per unit versus N179.00 per unit, NASD Plc appreciated by 59 Kobo to N58.50 per share from N57.91 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc added 15 Kobo to sell at N60.19 per unit versus N60.04 per unit, and Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc rose by 6 Kobo to 64 Kobo per share from 58 Kobo per share.
On the flip side, Golden Capital Plc extended its loss by 76 Kobo to end at N7.75 per unit versus N8.51 per unit, and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc slipped by 35 Kobo to N39.65 per share from N40.00 per share.
Yesterday, the volume of transactions increased by 737.3 per cent to 20.4 million units from 2.4 million units, but the value of trades fell by 33.8 per cent to N72.2 million from N109.1 million, and the number of deals slid by 62.5 per cent to 21 deals from 56 deals.
Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company (InfraCredit) Plc remained the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units sold for N16.4 billion, the second position was occupied by Okitipupa Plc with 178.9 million units transacted for N9.5 billion, and the third place was taken by MRS Oil Plc with 36.1 million units worth N4.9 billion.
InfraCredit Plc was also the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units traded for N16.4 billion, followed by IGI Plc with 1.2 billion units valued at N420.7 million, and Impresit Bakolori Plc with 536.9 million units worth N524.9 million.
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