General
Army Officers Wives Empower 100 Women In Lagos
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
About 100 women in Lagos State have been empowered with working equipment by the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA).
This, it was gathered, is part of its objectives to raise women’s standard of living.
The beneficiaries were presented with the equipment to work with by the National President of NAOWA, Mrs Umma-Kaslum Buratai at the Ojo Cantonment, Lagos.
Mrs Buratai said she was pleased that the women and youths living in the barracks were beneficiaries of the laudable entrepreneurship initiative.
“NAOWA’s Empowerment Initiative is thriving considering government’s drive to encourage local production and reduce importation of goods into the country. In view of this, NAOWA engaged the services of well-trained instructors who are conversant with the barrack’s mentality, interest and people.
“This certainly made the learning environment conducive as the participants were trained for two weeks on a familiar terrain and in various fields such as catering and hotel management, fashion and textile, cake, bead and soap making as well as barbing salon and hair dressing,” Mrs Buratai said.
She reiterated that the decision of NAOWA to assist and empower women was aimed at reducing joblessness.
“There is no job so we deemed it necessary to train these people so that they can start up something on their own,” the NAOWA President stressed.
The renovated NAOWA’s Nursery and Primary School at the Cantonment was also inaugurated.
“The renovation is part of the contributions the association is making to provide good schools in the barracks…This is because education is the key to development and there is no better investment we can make other than investing in education, to ensure that our children are educated in a conducive environment.
“On my assumption of office as the NAOWA president, I paid a visit to this school and the learning condition of the school was deplorable. It was against this background that we decided to renovate the school and we are going to extend this exercise to other parts of the country,’’ she explained.
The wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode said she was impressed with the renovation and the empowerment initiative.
Mrs Ambode stated that NAOWA, a progressive association had been able to take care of women, children and youths.
“The association has continually complemented the efforts of both state government and the Nigerian government towards improving the lives of members of their dependants,’’ she added.
Mrs Ganiat Bolaji represented the wife of the Lagos State Governor at the event.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Yahaya Isa expressed her gratitude to the association for empowering her and promised to make good use of the equipment.
Another beneficiary, Kadijat Umar, thanked the NAOWA President for the initiative, saying that it was a way out of the unemployment problem.
Some of the equipment given to the beneficiaries were sewing machines, hair clippers, hair dressing equipment, among others.
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.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to embrace religious tolerance, peace, and unity, urging citizens of all faiths to reject violence and intolerance amid ongoing security challenges across the country.
In his 2025 Christmas goodwill message issued on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President emphasised that no Nigerian should suffer discrimination or violence because of their religious beliefs, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to safeguarding freedom of worship and national cohesion.
“As your President, I remain committed to doing everything within my power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect all people of different faiths from violence,” Mr Tinubu said, noting that all Nigerians have the constitutional right to live, worship, and pursue their aspirations in safety and dignity.
The President acknowledged growing concerns around religious intolerance and insecurity, revealing that he had engaged extensively throughout the year with leaders of Nigeria’s two major faiths.
In the last few months, the country faced a spate of attacks including kidnapping of school children and armed terror, involving the death of a high ranking army personnel.
He also said the government would continue to build on these engagements to strengthen collaboration with religious institutions, prevent conflict, and promote peaceful coexistence.
President Tinubu described Christmas as a period for reflection on the message of Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace, urging Nigerians to draw inspiration from values of love, compassion, and goodwill that cut across all major religions.
He commended Christians in Nigeria for their contributions to national development, particularly their role in caring for the vulnerable and promoting harmony within communities.
“The love for God and love for humanity is at the heart of all the great faiths. These shared values must continue to bind us together as one indivisible and resilient people,” he said.
Reiterating his administration’s stance on security, the President said the government’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s unity and stability has remained unwavering since he assumed office in 2023. He stressed that the state would not tolerate violence targeted at any group on the basis of ethnicity or belief.
President Tinubu also appealed to Nigerians travelling during the festive season to exercise patience and discipline on the roads, wishing them safe journeys and returns.
Expressing optimism about the country’s future, the President said that with faith in God and collective resolve, Nigeria would overcome its challenges and build a nation that future generations would be proud of.
He concluded by wishing Christians in Nigeria and around the world a Merry Christmas and Nigerians a happy New Year in advance.
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