General
Jubilation in Ibese, Itori, Ijebu-Igbo as Dangote Foundation Distributes Rice
Over 30 host communities to Dangote Cement Ibese Plant as well as those in Itori in Yewa North, and Ewekoro local government areas of Ogun State, respectively, were thrown into excitement as the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) extended its National Food Intervention programme to the people distributing over 3,000 bags of rice to the less privileged in the communities.
It was the same at the host communities to Dangote Granite and Mines in Ijebu-Igbo as the beneficiaries turned up in large numbers at the Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo palace and that of Sopenlukale of Oke-Sopen where the bags of rice were distributed to the deserving populace.
Aboro of Ibese, Oba Rotimi Mulero and his counterpart in Itori, the Olu of Itori, Oba Abdulfatai Akamo were full of praises to the Chairman of the Foundation, Aliko Dangote for his magnanimity in ensuring food security in the host communities and thereby reducing hunger among their people.
While presenting bags of rice to some of the beneficiaries in Ibese, Oba Mulero explained to the people that the initiative is focused on reaching out to the aged, people living with disabilities and other vulnerable groups facing hardship in the face of current biting economic climate.
He stated that beyond the rice distribution there has existed a longstanding collaboration between the host communities and the ADF on one hand and the Dangote Cement on another hand, especially in the areas of empowerments and capacity building. He also acknowledged ADF’s consistent corporate social responsibility efforts, particularly towards host communities.
Said he: “We all were here last year, we are also here this year, for distribution of food items. Let me on behalf of the community which I am the prescribing authority over, appreciate the management team of Aliko Dangote Foundation for this gesture. We would continue to pray that the organization continue to flourish. Last year, I called this exercise” Operation Feed the Nation” which we have witnessed some years ago in the country. We are seeing Alhaji Aliko Dangote reintroducing the programme with this yearly rice distribution exercise. We are proud of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Dangote Group and Aliko Dangote Foundation.
“With this gesture, God will continue to strengthen the managements of Dangote Foundation and Dangote Cement. You can see that our people have turned out in their thousands, waiting to get the item, when we started sharing, you saw the smiles in the faces”.
Earlier in his remarks, representative of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Victor Edero said the Foundation’s food inflation intervention was designed to complement the government’s food security efforts toward distribution of food items to all the 774 local government areas across the country.
He explained that the economic downturn has made it increasingly difficult for many Nigerians to afford basic staples like rice, making such support crucial, adding that the foundation gives priorities to the host communities, especially Ibese that’s hosting cement factory and other host communities.
Mr Ejiro reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to capture its target audiences like the vulnerable, downtrodden and aged, while urging for fair and equitable distribution to ensure all targeted beneficiaries get their share.
In their appreciations, some of the beneficiaries lauded the initiative, stating it was a clear example of how public-private partnerships can be harnessed to ease people’s burdens and promote inclusive development.
Earlier, the Olu itori thanked Alhaji Dangote for cunting Itori worthy of benefiting from the food intervention programme, given that the Cement Plant in the area is still under construction and his people will give all necessary cooperation to ensure the plant takes off smoothly.
He described the construction of the plant as a fulfilment of long time promise made to his people that he would ensure a notable company is established in his domain through which the people could be gainfully employed and the economy of the community turned around
It would be recalled that the Aliko Dangote Foundation under its National Food Intervention Programme had last week distributed Forty (40,000) thousand 10kg bags of rice across the twenty (20) local government areas of Ogun State.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No doubt, moving money among African markets remains a slow, fragmented process that relies on multiple intermediaries and prolonged settlement cycles.
To solve this issue and drive the development of stablecoin-enabled payment services for businesses across the continent, Onafriq has joined forces with a leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, Privy.
The collaboration will enable Onafriq to create and manage embedded digital asset solutions for its partners and, in time, institutional clients where regulation allows. The initial phase focuses on cross-chain stablecoin transfers and treasury and settlement workflows, creating the foundation for future cross-border payment and liquidity solutions.
Integrating Privy’s secure infrastructure enables Onafriq to build the capabilities required to support a new generation of efficient digital payment services for banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators.
This partnership is a key component of Onafriq’s broader strategy to modernise pan-African payment infrastructure, enabling secure multi-modal wallets and more efficient movement of value across the continent.
The outcome will support a range of future institutional use cases, including stablecoin-enabled settlement, treasury management and liquidity services, as it reflects Onafriq’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation agenda by investing in technologies that make financial services more efficient, connected and accessible.
It was gathered that Onafriq selected Privy for its enterprise-grade infrastructure to enable the seamless integration of digital asset wallet capabilities into its products, subject to regulatory approval, and deliver a simple user experience while abstracting the complexity of blockchain technology.
“At Onafriq, we keep investing in technology that makes payments faster and more accessible. Privy gives us a building block for faster settlement and better liquidity management. As demand for digital asset services grows, our goal is to ensure Africa’s payment ecosystem benefits securely and in line with regulatory frameworks,” the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq,” Mr Luke Kyohere, said.
The chief executive of Privy, Mr Henri Stern, said, “Stablecoins will play an increasingly important role in the future of global payments, but real-world adoption depends on infrastructure that is secure, scalable and simple to implement. Working with Onafriq allows us to help build that foundation across Africa and beyond.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Osun State Government has announced plans to institute legal action against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following an alleged freezing of the state’s bank account, describing the action as unlawful and capable of disrupting governance.
The Governor of the state, Mr Ademola Adeleke, through the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Oluwole Jimi-Bada, made this disclosure on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Governor Adeleke has directed him to challenge the anti-graft agency’s decision at the Federal High Court.
It was widely reported that the anti-graft agency issued a “Post No Debit” directive to the management of First Bank, where the state’s accounts are domiciled, effectively restricting transactions.
He argued that while the commission has the authority to investigate financial records, it cannot freeze a state government’s accounts without first obtaining a court order.
“I have the mandate of the governor to proceed to the Federal High Court to challenge this move. EFCC can investigate the accounts, but it can’t freeze the accounts without an order of court.
“This step will affect government running, but we will challenge the move and ensure that the agency acts within the ambit of the law,” Mr Jimi-Bada said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Sola Ogungbile, alleged that police officers stormed the main branch of First Bank in Osogbo and arrested some members of the bank’s staff.
Mr Ogungbile maintained that Governor Adeleke was not deploying state resources for his re-election campaign and urged the EFCC to consider the potential impact of its actions on public services and the welfare of residents.
Governor Adeleke had earlier raised concerns over an alleged plan by the EFCC to freeze all Osun State Government accounts, including those of senior government officials.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the reported move as unlawful and politically motivated.
He alleged that the planned freezing of the accounts was intended to cripple government operations ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Governor Adeleke further insisted that there was no legal justification for freezing the state’s accounts, arguing that the EFCC lacks the authority to take such action against a state government without due legal process.
The EFCC had not issued an official response to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
