General
40 Complete Ikeja Electric’s Youth Empowerment Program
No fewer than 40 young persons have completed a training exercise put together by Ikeja Electric Plc and Slot Foundation.
They underwent a skill acquisition and capacity building empowerment scheme tagged Youth Empowerment Program (YEP), one of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of the electricity firm designed to empower youths who are mainly residents of its host communities, to be economically and socially responsible through technical skill acquisition.
The training session lasted for three months and was held at the Slot Academy, with participants selected from across the Ikeja Electric host communities. They were trained in computer, phones and accessories maintenance and repair as well as business entrepreneurship ideas web design, hoisting and maintenance.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony last week, Chief Executive Officer of Ikeja Electric, Mr Anthony Youdeowei, noted that the company has demonstrated its commitment to improving the quality of lives of residents of its areas of operation as evidenced by the impact of its personal CSR initiatives across its network, since inception.
According to a World Economic Forum report on youth population in 2018, four in every 10 people are aged under 25 and they constitute 42 percent of the global population. Nearly half of the World’s young people live in sub-Saharan Africa
“So, it becomes imperative that young people are empowered to earn a living through entrepreneurship. This effort is also a crucial contribution to poverty reduction which is the whole idea behind Ikeja Electric’s support for this laudable project”, Mr Youdeowei stressed.
He commended Slot Systems Limited for partnering with Ikeja Electric to achieve this milestone initiative, saying, “We are very delighted to have partnered the leading household name in Phone and computer repairs. We have no doubt that the knowledge that these youth have gained in this program will equip them adequately as they venture into the world of entrepreneurs.”
He noted that the YEP Initiative has the potential of integrating the values of a good and productive citizenship in our youths, by motivating them to lead a normal life and by providing them a platform to develop and showcase their skills.
Mr Youdeowei urged the beneficiaries to ensure that they make the best use of the opportunity that has been granted them, to achieve self-sufficiency.
“For those of you graduating today, you have made the right choice. I congratulate you and urge you all to make good use of this great opportunity given to you to set up your own business and become employers of labour,” he said.
Managing Director of Slot Systems Limited, Mr Nnamdi Ezeigbo, expressed delight at the partnership with IE, which he described as a collaboration of value.
In his words: “The training exercise for me is very impactful. It is the kind of empowerment that the young people should ask from the multi-national companies that are willing to create value for the society. Companies that are interested in Corporate Social Responsibilities.”
“We are not just saying that empowerment should be about giving people money. We feel that empowerment should be about skill acquisition. This programme will help young people to become skillful and help them to become employable and most of them might even chose to be self-employed,” he stated.
In recent times, Ikeja Electric has been at the forefront of youth empowerment with focus on improving the lives of customers within its host communities across its six Business Units with empowerment initiatives aimed at contributing to the growth of the society.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ministry of Finance has directed all shipping companies and airlines operating in Nigeria to submit their manifests through the Single Window Project (SWP) as part of efforts to strengthen cargo tracking and transparency.
The submission of shipping manifests before the change of policy was handled exclusively by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for onward cargo processing and port clearance.
However, following a memo from late last year signed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, all shipping firms and airlines were directed to integrate with the National Single Window platform to ensure seamless Manifests submission.
“I would like to bring to your attention that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inaugurated the National Single Window (NSW) Project on the 16th of April 2024.
The NSW Project aims to streamline and automate import and export processes at Nigeria’s entry & exit ports, with the dual goals of enhancing trade facilitation and increasing government revenue.
“By integrating the operations of multiple government agencies involved in trade processes on one platform, the NSW platform will ensure faster clearance of goods and services, improve operational efficiencies at the imports and significantly reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“Key components of the Single Window as defined by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and World Customs Organisation (WCO) include: (a) a single-entry point i.e. traders, shipping lines, airlines and other stakeholders should submit all required import and export documentation through a single-entry point on a centralized digital platform, and (b) single submission i.e. all documentation should only be submitted once and data only entered once.
“As a result, the NSW Platform will be the single-entry point of submission for all Sea and Air Manifests. Therefore, all shipping lines and airlines are therefore directed to integrate with the NSW Platform to ensure seamless Manifests submission,” parts of the memo read.
The Comptroller-General of the NCS, the chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) were copied in the memo.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The petition written against the immediate past chief executive of the Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed, which was withdrawn from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has now been taken to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The letter was written by the chairman of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Mr Aliko Dangote. It contained allegations of allegations of abuse of office and corrupt enrichment against Mr Ahmed.
The petition led to the resignation of the former NMDPRA chief from office last month.
It was gathered that Mr Dangote, through his legal representative, filed a formal corruption petition against him at the headquarters of the EFCC, with specific plea of prosecuting Mr Ahmed if found culpable.
The businessman said the withdrawal of the petition from the ICPC was a strategic move aimed at accelerating the prosecution process.
In the petition signed by his lead counsel Mr O.J. Onoja (SAN), Mr Dangote noted that, “We make bold to state that the commission is strategically positioned along with sister agencies to prosecute financial crimes and corruption related offences, and upon establishing a prima facie case, the courts do not hesitate to punish offenders. See Lawan v. F.R.N (2024) 12 NWLR (Pt. 1953) 501 and Shema v. F.R.N. (2018) 9 NWLR (Pt.1624)337.”
He further urged the anti-money laundering agency, under the leadership of Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, “…to investigate the complaint of Abuse of Office and Corruption against Engr. Farouk Ahmed and to accordingly prosecute him if found wanting.”
“The commission’s firm resolve in handling this matter with dispatch is not only imperative and expedient but will also serve as a deterrent to other public officers out there with such corrupt proneness and tendencies,” he added.
Recall that on December 14, 2025, Mr Dangote raised concerns about Mr. Ahmed’s financial dealings, alleging that the former regulator is living far beyond his legitimate means.
According to him, four of Mr Ahmed’s children attended elite secondary schools in Switzerland, incurring costs running into several millions of dollars—an expenditure that raises questions about potential conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum industry.
Mr Dangote listed the schools attended by Mr. Ahmed’s children: Faisal Farouk (Montreux School), Farouk Jr. (Aiglon College), Ashraf Farouk (Institut Le Rosey), and Farhana Farouk (La Garenne International School), noting that each child spent six years in these institutions. He estimated annual tuition, travel, and upkeep per child at $200,000, totaling approximately $5 million for their secondary education.
Additionally, he alleged that Mr Ahmed spent another $2 million on tertiary education for the four children, including $210,000 for Faisal’s 2025 Harvard MBA program.
“Nigerians deserve to know the source of these funds, especially when many parents in Mr Ahmed’s home state of Sokoto struggle to pay as little as N10,000 in school fees,” Mr Dangote stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian author, Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, have lost one of their twin sons, Nkanu Nnamdi.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by Ms Omawumi Ogbe, on behalf of the family, the 21-month-old baby passed away on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, after a brief illness.
The statement said the family is devastated by the loss, and requested that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.
“We’re deeply saddened to confirm the passing of one of Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr Ivara Esege’s twin boys, Nkanu Nnamdi, who passed on Wednesday, 7th of January 2026, after a brief illness. He was 21 months old.
“The family is devastated by this profound loss, and we request that their privacy be respected during this incredibly difficult time.
“We ask for your grace and prayers as they mourn in private.
“No further statements will be made, and we thank the public and the media for respecting their need for seclusion during this period of immense grief,” the statement read.
Ms Adichie is known for works including Half of a Yellow Sun, Americanah and her 2012 Ted Talk and essay We Should All Be Feminists, which was sampled by Beyoncé on her 2013 song Flawless.
The 48 year old writer had her first child, a daughter, in 2016. In 2024, her twin boys were born using a surrogate.
In 2020, her 2006 novel Half of a Yellow Sun was voted the best book to have won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in its 25-year history.
Her latest book, Dream Count, was published in 2025.
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