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Ekweremadu, Ikpeazu Honour Journalists In Lagos

By Dipo Olowookere
Memories of the Nigerian Breweries Golden Pen Awards, which took place in Lagos at the weekend, will linger on for a long time in the minds of journalists at the occasion.
The awards ceremony was truly theirs as Nigerian Breweries spared nothing to ensure pen-pushers in the country were treated with honour and like kings they truly are.
Gentlemen of the press from across the country and several media houses were present at the event as well as those on the corridors of power in Nigeria, including the Deputy Senate President, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, among others.
Entries were received from journalists on Education, Youth Empowerment and Talent Development in 2015.
The award which is the 8th in the series is aimed at promoting professionalism and objective reportage of events in Nigeria. It is also meant to reward such journalists who abide by the fine ethics of the journalism profession.
The night of glitz and glamour saw Tobi Aworinde of The Punch Newspaper emerge as the NB Golden Pen Reporter of the Year. The first runner-up was Gbenga Salau of The Guardian Newspaper, while Charles Abah, also of The Punch emerged as the second runner-up.
The Photo Journalist of the Year award went to Sodiq Adelakun of The Punch Newspaper. Odutayo Odusanya also of The Punch emerged as the first runner-up, while Ayodele Ojo of The Sun Newspaper was the second runner-up. Gabriel Dike, an education reporter with The Sun Newspaper won the ‘NB Report of the Year’.
All the winning journalists also got cash prizes and high-end mobile devices as part of the reward package.
While welcoming guests at the event, the Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mr Nicolaas Vervelde, disclosed that the award was launched eight years ago to promote professionalism and objectivity of media reports. He explained that the choice of Education, Youth Empowerment and Talent Development as the focus of this year’s edition, like in the last two years, is hinged on the fact that no country can lay claim to development and prosperity without adequate attention to the education and empowerment of the youth.
Deputy Senate President, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, praised Nigerian Breweries for sustaining the award over eight years and saluted the courage of journalists for their contribution to the nation’s development. He appealed to the media to continue to be the watchdog and gatekeeper of the nation’s democracy.
Mr John Momoh, Chairman/CEO, Channels Television, guest speaker at the event, called for soul-searching by the media and extolled them to bridge the gap between training and practice.
Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi, Managing Director of Tanus Communications and Chairman of the Panel of Judges commended Nigerian Breweries for the initiative and enjoined journalists to aspire to the highest standards
Mr Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc, disclosed that a total of 267 entries were received when submission closed for the award. He explained that the award criteria of quality, professionalism and objectivity remain the filters upon which entries were shortlisted for the award, as decided by the independent judging panel.
General
Women Need to Own Their Stories, Collaborate—Ayo Mario-Ese
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Celebrated broadcaster with Arise TV, Mrs Ayo Mario-Ese, has charged women to be open to collaboration and not limit themselves.
The charming media personality was one of the panellists at the UBA Business Series themed Introducing Gen W – The Evolved Woman, held at the UBA House in Lagos last Thursday.
At the event moderated by popular actor, Mr Tobi Bakre, the Morning Show anchor on Arise TV expressed worry about females who are usually laidback about speaking up and sharing their achievements, and said that women need to own their stories.
“A lot of women are doing phenomenal work and are sometimes afraid of showcasing what they are doing. As an evolved woman, you have to find out what you are comfortable doing, create your own unique offering, and also be open to collaboration,” she submitted.
Another panellist, Ms Joycee Awosika, described an evolved woman as one who has awareness of who she is.
“That woman does not need to ask to sit at the table; she is creating her own table and adding value. As your company is growing, you must grow too, and always do an audit of where you need to become a better leader,” the energy economist stated.
For a digital entrepreneur, Ms Tomike Adeoye, the question of what a woman is bringing to the table has now become obsolete, as the evolved woman is now bringing their own table.
“She is now more vocal about their struggles, setting the standards, and she is not ready to give up on her dreams,” she declared.
For the founder of Fine-Funky, Ms Olufunke Davies, she remarked that, “Creating unique designs that are affordable remains my driving force and something that has helped me grow as an evolved woman.”
In her remarks, the Group Head for Brand, Marketing and Corporate Communications at UBA, Ms Alero Ladipo, said, “Raising each woman is actually not that hard, because everyone has their community as well as their story; and so as women, we need to take a position so that we can give to others.”
She said the Gen W platform of the lender is dedicated to the evolved woman, adding, “Through expert insights, real stories, and practical resources, the platform connects women who are building brands, creating businesses, growing careers, and leading across industries. They also have access to a plethora of discounted products and loans. The best part: it is open to every woman. No UBA account needed. This is Gen W, for the evolved woman.”
This edition of the UBA Business Series was hosted to mark International Women’s Month.
General
Navy Intensifies Crackdown on Oil Theft in Rivers, Calabar
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, destroying a reactivated illegal refinery site in Rivers State and intercepting suspected stolen petroleum products in Calabar.
The Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, revealing that personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH, operating under Operation Delta Sentinel, destroyed a reactivated illegal refinery site at Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State.
He said the action followed credible intelligence that a previously dismantled illegal refining site had resumed operations.
According to him, an Anti–Crude Oil Theft (Anti-COT) team deployed to the location discovered that the dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed.
“Further exploitation of the area led to the discovery of additional refining equipment and storage facilities containing about 3,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO),” he said.
Mr Folorunsho added that the illegal refining infrastructure—including ovens, storage tanks, hoses, connected pipes and newly acquired metal components used for illegal refining—was destroyed in line with operational procedures.
He said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory, in another operation, intercepted about 3,950 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) area in Calabar, Cross River.
He said the interception was based on credible intelligence on suspected siphoning of petroleum products from vessels berthed at the port.
The naval patrol team, according to him, swiftly deployed to the area and traced the illegally siphoned products to a trailer park within the port facility.
“On sighting the naval patrol team, the suspected perpetrators fled the scene, after which the area was cordoned off and the illegally siphoned products secured,” he said.
The official said further inspection led to the recovery of about 3,950 litres of Automotive Gas Oil stored in drums and jerrycans, which had been evacuated to the naval base for further necessary action in line with extant regulations.
He noted that the successes aligned with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, to intensify operations against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The captain reiterated the Navy’s commitment to sustaining the operational tempo of Operation Delta Sentinel through intensified surveillance, patrols and intelligence-driven operations aimed at combating crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage.
General
Mastering SEO: Proven Methods to Grow Your Online Presence
Search Engine Optimization isn’t what it used to be.
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At RiseGrower.com, we’re launching with one mission:
To help brands grow through ethical, scalable, authority-driven SEO.
This isn’t just another SEO agency. This is the next evolution of ranking strategy.
🌍 SEO in 2026: What Has Changed?
Search engines—especially Google—have become dramatically smarter.
Modern ranking systems analyze:
- Topical authority
- Content depth and expertise
- User engagement signals
- Link quality (not quantity)
- Brand credibility
- Search intent satisfaction
SEO today is no longer about “gaming the algorithm.” It’s about becoming the most trusted answer in your industry.
That’s where RiseGrower comes in.
🚀 What RiseGrower.com Is Built For
We specialize in performance-focused SEO strategies designed to:
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Search engines reward expertise and trust.
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We help brands dominate entire keyword clusters—not just single keywords.
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From crawl optimization to structured data, we ensure search engines fully understand and prioritize your content.
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Many businesses struggle with SEO because:
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Every campaign starts with:
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If your goal is sustainable organic growth, you’re in the right place.
⚖️ White-Hat SEO Only
We believe in:
- Real editorial placements
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We do not use:
- Private Blog Networks (PBNs)
- Spammy link schemes
- Automated backlink tools
- Manipulative ranking shortcuts
Long-term growth requires integrity.
📈 The Rise of Performance-Based SEO
The future of SEO isn’t “deliverables.”
It’s measurable outcomes.
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AI-generated content is flooding the internet. Competition is rising daily.
Search engines will increasingly reward:
- Authentic expertise
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The brands that invest in authority now will dominate tomorrow.
RiseGrower was created for that future.
🚀 Launching Soon
RiseGrower.com is preparing to launch with a clear promise:
Growth through strategic SEO authority.
If you’re ready to:
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We’re ready to grow with you.
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