General
Olatubosun Suggests Home-grown Method of Teaching Yoruba Culture
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in Oyo State, Mr Wasiu Olatubosun, has suggested that the Yoruba culture can be taught effectively through a home-grown teaching method.
At the 2022 Ijala Are-Ode Cultural Festival in Ibadan, the Commissioner emphasised that for the Yoruba race to conquer the world, its people must appreciate who they are, learn the things of the race, and behave truly like omoluabis.
He informed participants of the programme with the theme Ijala: Beyond Social Gyration to Intellectual Exposition of Yoruba Cultural Heritage that the state government, under Governor Seyi Makinde, has shown commitment to resuscitating the Yoruba culture and tradition among the younger generation through a re-introduction of history classes to public schools in the state.
Mr Olatubosun, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Oye Oyedele, assured that the state government would continue to promote the growth of the language and the culture of Yoruba.
In his contribution, a veteran actor and Araba Awo of Osogbo, Mr Yemi Elebuibon, urged Africans to develop their culture, observing that it is a must to “first appreciate who they are and what they are.”
He also warned the Yorubas against jettisoning Ifa science and technology, adding that if care is not taken, in no distant future, people of the Yoruba tribe will soon be paying the Europeans for Ifa divination.
During his lecture, a scholar, Prof. Akinkunmi Adegbola Alao, said there was a need to go back to the basics, look beyond the social gyrations derived from Ijala by hunters, and find ways to deploy the intellectual foundation of Ijala in Yoruba cultural heritage, urging historians to research Yoruba cultural values that can benefit the society constantly.
He noted that although the immediate purpose of any traditional music performance is to entertain, the genre of music could influence a renaissance of Yoruba Culture and traditions, appealing to Africans, especially the Yorubas, to embrace and leverage indigenous technology to develop human society.
“We need to go back to the basics. Go beyond just the gyrations of individuals, amusing themselves, to unearth the intellectual premise of this rich cultural tradition,” he said.
Speaking on what led to the celebration of Ijala by hunters in those days, Mr Alao noted that the neglect by the political class gave room for chanting Ijala by the hunters to celebrate their contributions to society.
He applauded the efforts of hunters in maintaining peace within the boundaries of their society, admonishing the political class to stop forthwith diminishing their importance.
“The nature of their profession takes them away from domestic politics. They are always engaged in warfare and deep forest hunting, and so many other activities outside the immediate precinct of the established kingdoms. So many times, they are not on the ground to take part in the political process, so the political class diminished their importance,” he observed.
“But they resorted to Ijala to celebrate themselves, to call attention to their importance and to let people know they have contributed a lot to the development of the society,” he continued.
The culture enthusiast commended the Oyo State Government for partnering Ona-ara Development Forum in celebrating the Ijala are-ode cultural renaissance.
“Rather than denouncing our hunters, we must encourage them to use their knowledge towards the development of human society positively,” he noted, stating that the festival will open doors of opportunities to hunters, showcasing talents and the importance of the hunters’ guild.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman Organising Committee, Ijala Are-Ode Cultural Festival, Mr Dipo Gbenro, noted that the Ona Ara Development Forum seeks the development of Ona-Ara.
He also revealed that the forefathers of all Ona-Ara indigenes were hunters and warriors who played pivotal roles in the Agbekoya war, stating that Ijala is expository of intellectual content, spells history, and family lineage.
“Ijala explores and exposes the inadequacies of our leaders, promotes social relations and is rich with powerful words,” he said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Efforts by the federal government to improve its revenue collection are being boosted by the adoption of Interswitch’s Revenue Assurance and Optimisation (RevOP) platform.
As a Payment Service Solution Provider (PSSP), the leading integrated payments and digital commerce company has used its platform to strengthen public sector payment infrastructure and support Treasury Single Account (TSA) collections in Nigeria.
Through its integration with the RevOP platform, Interswitch continues to enable secure, end-to-end processing of payments initiated via the portal. Transactions are seamlessly routed into the TSA framework, ensuring compliance with federal government financial regulations while supporting efficient and accountable revenue management.
Leveraging its robust payment infrastructure, Interswitch facilitates multiple payment channels, including card and digital payments, delivering a seamless and reliable experience for citizens, businesses, and government agencies, fulfilling their payment obligations.
Interswitch’s continued role on the platform builds on its longstanding experience in supporting critical national payment infrastructure and collaborating with regulatory and financial institutions to drive digital transformation across Nigeria’s public sector. Its infrastructure is designed to ensure high transaction uptime, real-time processing, and secure data handling, all essential for effective public revenue collection.
By deepening its participation on the RevOP platform, Interswitch further strengthens its position as a trusted partner within Nigeria’s evolving digital payments ecosystem, while continuing to support initiatives that promote fiscal transparency, operational efficiency, and sustainable governance across government institutions.
“Interswitch is proud to continue supporting the federal government’s drive toward greater transparency and efficiency in public revenue management.
“Our role on the RevOP platform reflects our commitment to delivering a secure, seamless, and compliant payment infrastructure that enables all stakeholders to meet their obligations with confidence,” the Managing Director for INCLUSIO at Interswitch, Mr Muyiwa Asagba, stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Purple Group has confirmed it is in discussions with investors over potential acquisition and strategic investment opportunities involving the Maryland Mall in Lagos, which has been put for sale, as the company intensifies efforts to restructure obligations tied to the asset.
Business Post gathered that the group has debt obligations to Vantage Mezzanine Fund II, which typically sits between senior debt and equity.
In a statement, Purple said it had received recent enquiries and expressions of interest regarding possible investments in the mall following reports published last week.
The real estate and lifestyle company stated that it remains supportive of “any value-enhancing transaction undertaken at an appropriate valuation” and is working with Vantage Mezzanine Fund II, property advisory firm Broll, and investment house Renaissance Capital Africa to achieve what it described as a mutually beneficial outcome for stakeholders.
It disclosed that it had presented a “structured repayment and settlement plan” to Vantage as part of ongoing engagements linked to the asset. According to the company, the proposed plan contemplates the potential sale of all or part of the Maryland Mall asset.
The statement further revealed that discussions are ongoing with credible investors and prospective purchasers interested in acquiring a 100 per cent stake in the mall, taking a partial interest in the property, or participating in a broader strategic investment tied to Purple’s future listing ambitions.
The firm stressed that any transaction would be expected to align with the most recent valuation of the asset or any revised valuation subsequently agreed upon by the parties involved.
It also called for a coordinated and transparent process involving all stakeholders, including Broll and Rencap, saying this would help preserve stakeholder value and ensure efficient execution of any transaction.
Maryland Mall, located along Ikorodu Road in Lagos, is regarded as one of the prominent retail and mixed-use developments on the mainland. However, since its launch in 2016, the facility has faced several operational challenges. In October 2023, Mr Richard Ayodele Akintunde was named the Receiver Manager, and years later, the management agreement between Purple Group and the receiver manager was terminated, and Broll was appointed the new Facility Manager.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A new partner hub designed to help organisations overcome operational friction has been launched by Sumsub, a leading full-cycle verification platform that enables scalable compliance.
This new addition comes as businesses across Africa and other emerging markets continue scaling rapidly, driving greater demand for compliance, verification, and fraud prevention infrastructure as fintech and digital finance ecosystems continue evolving across the continent.
The new portal unites all the required sales, marketing, deal management and compliance education resources.
A statement from the firm said the Sumsub Partner Hub was designed to address the most common challenges in partnerships, namely, scattered resources, slow alignment, and limited partner visibility. It replaces fragmented workflows with a structured, scalable system built for growth.
By centralising resources, enablement, and deal processes, the Hub helps partners operate faster in client engagements and move towards their business goals with greater confidence, transparency and consistency.
“Our collaboration with Sumsub was noticeably enhanced with the launch of the Partner Hub”, confirms Walid Bou Abssi, Country Manager for Nigeria and Ghana at SHELT Global Ltd. “We appreciate having direct access to all the consolidated resources and training materials within the platform, which boosted deal management and operational efficiency of our partnership”.
“Most partnerships don’t fail because of strategy. They fail because of unnecessary friction”, says Tom Schoon, Head of Strategic Partnerships for Africa at Sumsub. “That’s why we built the Sumsub Partner Hub: to help our allies across tech, compliance, financial services and other sectors move quickly across the partnership lifecycle, from onboarding and certification to deal activation and co-marketing. Ultimately, our shared goal is to capture new opportunities faster and reinforce each other’s business growth strategies from day one”.
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