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Agusto’s Vivien Shobo Wins African Banker Icon Award 2020
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The former Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria’s foremost credit rating agency, Agusto & Co, Ms Vivien Shobo, has clinched the African Banker Icon Award 2020.
She received the honour at the 2020 African Banker Awards held in Ivory Coast at the just-concluded annual meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The recognition was for her outstanding work and exemplary career during her tenure at Agusto and helping to transform the debt capital market in Nigeria and beyond; which has facilitated multibillion naira transactions and enabled companies to grow and thrive.
In addition, the Award Committee acknowledged her part in contributing to the development of a world-class organisation that competes effectively with global competition.
According to the African Bankers Awards committee, “The impact of her work is beyond measure and we are proud to have an African Champion that has been able to play such an important role and compete with and out-do global competitors with larger resources.”
Agusto & Co recorded several milestones during Ms Shobo’s tenure, including rating the largest municipal bond programme and single largest tranche issuance, Lagos State government’s N500 billion bond programme and N87.5 billion bond issuance, rating Nigeria’s first 15-year corporate green bond, as well as issued first ratings to the first bond issued by a deposit money bank in Nigeria, the first bond issuance by an insurance company, and rating the first commercial paper issuance under the new guidelines of FMDQ.
She also led the firm’s African expansion initiatives by obtaining Credit Rating Agency licenses from the Capital Market Authorities of Kenya and Rwanda.
Commenting on the award, Ms Shobo remarked that recognition is an honour and source of encouragement to African women leaders in various sectors.
“Winning the African Banker Icon Award 2020 is truly an honour. I am particularly excited that our commitment and contributions to the development of debt capital markets over the years is being recognized and rewarded.
“I urge all women leaders especially those in the financial services to be inspired by this win as this is an award for all of us. I thank my colleagues at Agusto & Co for all their solidarity,” she said.
The African Bankers Award recognises personalities and banks that are driving Africa’s rapidly transforming financial sector and celebrates the achievements of those who are driving growth and development and creating new economic opportunities for citizens and communities all over the continent and inspire new generations of bankers who are shaping Africa’s future.
The African Banker Icon category is awarded to person for their helping transform the financial services sector but who is not necessarily within banking.
Previous winners include Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Adebayo Ogunlesi, one of Wall Street’s most eminent financiers, Tidjame Thiam and Eleni Gabre-Madhin, founder of the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange and many African luminaries
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The United States government gave some terrorists in Nigeria a Christmas gift that sent many of them to the great beyond.
On Thursday, December 25, 2025, the United States President, Mr Donald Trump, directed his country’s military to launch air strikes on camps of members of the dreaded Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Sokoto State.
According to Mr Trump, the military action, which he threatened to carry out a few weeks ago if the Nigerian government does not stop the killing of Christians in the country, occurred on Thursday night.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
“Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical islamic terrorism to prosper. May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Department of War of the United States posted the below video of the air strikes;
https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2004351717131903272
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The presidency has reacted to speculations that Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has been removed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
It was alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila has been replaced with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Mr Muri-Okunola went to Abuja to take up this role after leaving as the Head of Service of the Lagos State Civil Service.
Reacting to the reports on social media on the purported removal of Mr Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the presidency said no such change has been made.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, members of the public were advised to disregard the report as “there is absolutely no truth to this story.”
“The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.
“We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The new chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has assumed office with a clear message to advance the country’s upstream oil and gas sector in line with the mandate of the commission as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
According to a statement signed by Mr Eniola Akinkuotu, the Head of Media & Strategic Communications at the upstream regulator, the NUPRC boss made this assertation during her first town hall meeting with management and staff on Tuesday December 23, 2025.
She further disclosed plans to make the commission a business enabler and re-ignite investments in the upstream sector.
Recall that President Tinubu nominated Mrs Eyesan to take over the NUPRC after the abrupt resignation of her predecessor, Mr Gbenga Komolafe as well as his counterpart in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed.
In her new capacity, Mrs Eyesan also set a firm production ambition of growing Nigeria’s output and increasing gas production.
“The goal is that we must enable the industry, we are regulators. We must enable the industry from our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody.
“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the Center of the industry,” she said.
The commission boss who has served for over three decades in the oil and gas sector, promised to entrench digitisation, transparency and efficiency in operations.
The NUPRC head said with the support of staff and management, the NUPRC will become the gold-standard regulator in Africa. She also promised capacity development, stronger technical depth and sustained engagement with stakeholders, unions and professional teams.
On leadership style, Mrs Eyesan promised an open-door policy and frequent staff engagement, while also soliciting for support and cooperation as the industry embarks on the next phase of transformation.
“If we work together we can unleash opportunities, I don’t see impediments only opportunities,” she added.
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