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Obafemi Awolowo Foundation to Honour AfDB President Today

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akinwumi adesina AfDB President

By Enyi Ejike-Umunnabuike and Maryam Nwachukwu

Dr Akinwumi Ayode Adesina, the current President and Chairman of the Council of the 20-member Board of the African Development Bank (AfDB) is an urbane man of all seasons. He is an intellectually over-achieving personality, with a high affinity for creativity, uncommon value-addition, skilled corporate governance competencies, a rounded knowledge base, experience, brilliance and intelligence.

Before 2015, he was Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

During his period of development administrative stewardship, under President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s administration, Adesina left a highly enthralling scorecard as a political appointee of government, who was able the manage the positive gains of the electoral successes of that administration, achieving lots of feats, amidst very compelling and challenging circumstances.

Perhaps, the successes and lasting impressions that he left behind as Nigeria’s Minister provided a very unbiased career-premised evaluative template that found him worthy of selection and eventual endorsement as the most competent of all the candidates that vied for the exalted position.

This well-cultured, disciplined humble balanced personality will on March 6, 2024 (today), be honoured by the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation at the Lagos Continental Hotel with the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership.

As a tie-back to history, it will be recalled that the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership was first announced in December 2012, with the official award ceremony held on March 6, 2013.

Before Dr Adesina was announced as its fourth recipient, three other distinguished personalities had been conferred with the same award.

These include the Noble Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka; former South African President, Dr Thabo Mbeki; and the founder of the Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola.

A very significant aspect of this event is that it also coincides with the birth anniversary of the late foremost nationalist and statesman in whose memory the award was instituted.

The award is an initiative of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, set up in April 1992, to serve as the custodian of Chief Awolowo’s intellectual property and leadership legacy values and norms.

Established as an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organisation dedicated to immortalizing the democratic and development-oriented ideals of Awolowo, the organizers of the event, say the award is a “prestigious, biennial, international prize structured to follow a rigorous process of nomination and subsequent screening by a Selection Committee consisting of some of the most outstanding Nigerians”.

They further said that the prize serves as a strong motivational incentive for persons to pursue excellence in leadership and good governance. The award confers considerable honour and recognition to the recipient.

Speaking on the selection process which led to the choice of Adesina as the 2023 recipient, the foundation spokesperson Mrs Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, said the call for nomination for the award was published for several months in 2023 and at the close of entries, many nominations of eminent persons were received, with Dr Adesina emerging as a unanimous candidate for the 2023 award.

Expressing his delight about the award and being in the company of previous eminent recipients, Dr Adesina, who has a Five Point Blueprint for repositioning the AfDB, said, “I am delighted to have been selected as a recipient of the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership.

“Joining Nobel Prize laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka and former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, as well as Aree Afe Babalola as prior winners of the prize is such a great honour,” he said.

Adesina, who simply describes himself as a ‘Kenyan, is the eighth elected President of the AfDB and the first Nigerian to be so elected to the position, having been elected on May 28, 2015, for the first time by the bank’s Board of Governors at its Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

He was re-elected for a second term in 2020 following an excellent performance acknowledged by supporters and critics alike.

The agenda of Adesina’s presidency at the AfDB with the ambition to Feed Africa, Light Up Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa and Improve the Quality of Life in Africa, was particularly lauded by the organisers as capable of putting the development of the continent directly in the hands of its people.

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QNET’s Global Reach in 100+ Countries: What International Access Means for Local Distributors

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QNET

Global scale means market access and international supply chains. For individual distributors in direct selling, it can shape everything from product availability to income stability and long-term opportunity.

QNET, the multinational wellness and lifestyle direct selling company, positions its business model around that idea: connecting locally based independent distributors to an international operating platform. With activity spanning more than 100 countries, the company sits within a direct selling industry that, according to the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA), has stabilized after several relatively volatile post-pandemic years.

Global Reach Within a Stabilizing Industry

The WFDSA’s latest global report estimates worldwide direct selling retail sales at roughly $163.9 billion in 2024, essentially flat year over year. That flat performance, however, masks gradual improvement beneath the surface. Nearly half of reporting markets showed growth in 2024, and average market growth rates rebounded to positive territory.

The report estimates more than 104 million independent sales representatives globally in 2024, a figure that has remained largely stable year over year.

This stabilization sets a backdrop for companies like QNET. A global footprint is no longer about rapid expansion alone; it is increasingly tied to resilience: operating across regions with different economic cycles, consumer behaviors, and growth trajectories.

For distributors, this matters because opportunities extend beyond individual effort. They are often shaped by the health of the company’s broader channel and product reach.

A Platform Designed for Distributed Entrepreneurship

QNET’s model centers on local execution supported by centralized infrastructure. Products—ranging from nutritional supplements and wellness devices to home and lifestyle solutions—are sold through the company’s proprietary e-commerce platform. Independent distributors do not manage warehouses, shipment logistics, or customer service systems.

As Ramya Chandrasekaran, who heads communications at QNET, explained in a recent interview, the company views direct selling as a form of accessible “micro-entrepreneurship.” The idea is to reduce the operational burden typically associated with starting a business, allowing distributors to focus on product education, customer relationships, and market development.

Why Global Scale Changes the Distributor Equation

One practical benefit of international reach is product continuity. WFDSA data shows that wellness products account for roughly 29% of global direct selling sales, making it the largest category worldwide. In the Asia-Pacific region, the largest direct selling region by sales, wellness represents more than 40% of total category share.

QNET’s emphasis on wellness and lifestyle products places distributors in line with the strongest demand segments globally. Instead of relying on narrow local trends, distributors operate within product categories that have shown consistent global interest.

International scale also supports consistency in training, compensation structures, and digital tools. Distributors in different countries access identical back-end systems, tracking referrals, commissions, and orders through the same platform. This standardization reduces friction and uncertainty, particularly for individuals operating in markets where informal commerce is common.

Workforce Shifts

The WFDSA’s report highlights notable shifts in the global direct selling workforce. Women continue to make up more than 70% of participants worldwide, and representation among individuals aged 35 to 54 remains the largest cohort.

Independent Distributors increasingly value flexibility, long-term viability, and support systems that allow them to operate sustainably rather than aggressively scale. QNET’s emphasis on digital access, centralized operations, and gradual business building reflects those priorities.

For many participants, especially those balancing work with caregiving or other responsibilities, direct selling infrastructure offers a way to stay engaged at their own pace.

Training, Exposure, and Cross-Market Learning

QNET’s international conventions and training programs connect distributors across regions, creating informal networks for peer learning. Events that draw participants from dozens of countries expose distributors to varied approaches to sales, customer engagement, and market adaptation.

This mirrors one of WFDSA’s broader conclusions: direct selling increasingly functions as a global learning ecosystem, with companies providing tools and education that help individuals navigate uncertain economic conditions.

For distributors, exposure to cross-border experiences can recalibrate expectations, reinforcing that success often comes from steady engagement rather than rapid recruitment or short-term activity.

International Access, Interpreted Locally

Despite its global scale, QNET’s business ultimately plays out in local communities. Distributors adapt messaging around wellness, home quality, and lifestyle enhancement to cultural norms and household priorities. The international platform provides reach and structure, but relevance is built locally.

That balance, global systems supporting local relationships, defines much of modern direct selling. The WFDSA describes the industry not as a single growth story, but as a framework that can scale proportionally with economic conditions across regions.

For QNET distributors, international presence does not guarantee income or uniform outcomes. What it offers is access: to resilient product categories, standardized systems, training resources, and a global marketplace that extends beyond any single region. For local distributors navigating today’s uncertain global economic environment, that is an important foundation to maintain.

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FCCPC Unseals Ikeja Electric Headquarters

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Ikeja Electric

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has unsealed the headquarters of Ikeja Electric Plc in the Lagos State capital after a week under lock and key.

According to a statement on Friday, the electricity distribution company committed to a binding undertaking to comply with the remedial process following consumer rights violations.

The statement signed by Mr Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs at the commission, Ikeja Electric undertook to resolve all consumer complaints referred to it by the FCCPC within agreed timelines

The headquarters was earlier sealed on December 11, 2025, because Ikeja Electric allegedly failed to comply with a directive by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to unbundle a Maximum Demand account into 20 individual accounts for a customer who had been without power for over two and half years.

The FCCPC noted that following the resolution, any breach of the undertaking would expose it to renewed and escalated enforcement action under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act.

Reacting, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr Tunji Bello, said the Commission’s intervention was necessary to enforce the provisions of the FCCPA (2018).

“Our responsibility is to ensure that consumers are treated fairly and that service providers comply with lawful decisions and directives. Enforcement is not an end in itself. Where compliance is achieved and credible commitments are made, the Commission will respond appropriately,” he said.

Clarifying further, Mr Bello said the outcome reflects the commission’s balanced approach to regulation.

“We intervene decisively where consumer harm persists, and we de-escalate where enforceable compliance is secured. What remains constant is our duty to protect consumers and uphold regulatory accountability,” he said.

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All On’s Clean Energy Access Transforms Over One Million Lives

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All On

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The decision by a leading impact investment company focused on expanding clean energy access, All On, to support over 50 clean energy businesses and provide grants and technical assistance to more than 80 enterprises in Nigeria is already yielding positive results.

This is because the organisation’s Impact Evaluation Report indicated that more than one million lives have been transformed through clean energy access.

The report covered from 2018 t0 2024 and it was discovered that the interventions of All On enabled the connection of over 230,000 households, businesses, and public facilities to reliable energy solutions, while strengthening the operational capacity of energy providers and improving affordability and service reliability for end users.

Prior to the commencement of All On’s operations in 2016, nearly half of Nigeria’s population lacked access to electricity, and the sector faced an estimated 92 per cent annual funding gap.

In response, the group adopted a bold, risk-tolerant strategy—deploying catalytic capital, innovative financing instruments, and ecosystem-building initiatives to unlock private sector participation and drive progress toward universal energy access.

Central to these achievements is All On’s holistic support model, which combines rigorous, tailored due diligence, deep sector expertise, and active ecosystem engagement.

This approach has positioned All On as a trusted partner capable of delivering both commercial viability and systemic impact.

Flagship initiatives such as the Demand Aggregation for Renewable Technology (DART) programme have further amplified results by reducing procurement costs for supported businesses by up to 50 per cent, enabling developers to scale faster and pass cost savings on to consumers due to access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions.

In the report, it was revealed that half of supported households reported improved air quality, enhanced safety, and reduced noise pollution, contributing to better health outcomes and improved quality of life, alongside measurable environmental benefits.

“This report confirms that our approach is delivering real results. By combining patient capital, technical assistance, and ecosystem support, we are enabling scalable and sustainable energy solutions for Nigeria’s unserved and underserved communities,” the chief executive of All On, Ms Caroline Eboumbou.

The company plans plans to scale proven models, strengthen local capacity, and expand its reach—particularly in underserved regions such as the Niger Delta.

“While the progress to date is encouraging, our work is far from done. As we look toward 2030, we remain committed to deepening our impact and creating even more meaningful connections across Nigeria,” Ms Eboumbou added.

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