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Smart Schools: EFCC Recovers N1.2bn from Sujimoto for Enugu
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
About N1.2 billion has been recovered from a prominent real estate company, Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and handed over to the Enugu State government.
Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited is owned by Mr Olasijibomi Ogundele.
The EFCC handed over the money to the state government on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, after recovery from the company in line with its unwavering commitment to the fight against corruption, economic and financial crimes and the recovery of public funds misappropriated or unutilized by fraudulent actors.
Sujimoto was contracted by the Enugu State government for the construction of 22 smart schools in the state.
On February 11, 2025, the EFCC received a petition against Sujimoto, stating that the sum of N2.289 billion was paid to Mr Ogundele as an advance fee for the construction of the 22 smart schools in the State.
“As the completion date stated in the contract awards lapsed on January 2, 2025, the persistent non-performance of the contractor as shown by the documents, is clear evidence of intention to defraud the state government.
“We identify Ogundele as the Group Managing Director of the company and jointly liable for the refund of the state funds, following an irremediable breach of the terms of the contract and diversion of the project funds towards personal or other uses unconnected to the contract,” the petitioner said.
Reacting to the petition, operatives of the Special Task Fraud Section attached to the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the commission, swung into action and the sum of N1, 234,350,000 was recovered for the state government.
Representing the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, during the handing over, the Zonal Director, Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Commission, Commander of the EFCC, Mr Daniel Isei, reiterated the commission’s commitment to recovering public funds.
“Where there are instances of economic and financial crimes against an individual or an agency of government, against government itself, the EFCC will ensure that every act that is contrary to law is dealt with, and where possible, restitution is made to the victim. It is on this basis that we received your petition as a state government that there was a case that needed EFCC to do as mandated by law. We are glad to announce to you that in doing our job, we have been able to recover some of those monies that were given to Sujimoto Construction,” he said.
While warning contractors, especially those entrusted with public funds to be mindful of the Procurement Act and be guided by integrity while handling public funds, Mr Olukoyede said that the commission will look at every facet of the petition against Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited and ensure that every kobo of Enugu State government that is not accounted for, is traced, tracked, and recovered.
“Where cases of criminality are established, the EFCC will take further steps of prosecution. That must be clearly understood. For us, we will continue to expect that people align their activities to processes and procedures. People must work clearly in line with extant laws, particularly the Procurement Act. Also, it is very important that where due diligence is applied in all cases, prevention will come into play.
“I advise that we continue to entrench professionalism in all that we do and on the part of other Nigerians that will be doing contracts for local governments, state or the federal governments to ensure that they are always guided by integrity, accountability and transparency in all they do. Every public fund that is given out must be adequately utilized or accounted for, else, the EFCC will move in and ensure that issues of economic and financial crimes are speedily dealt with”, he said.
Receiving the draft on behalf of the Enugu State Government, Mr Onyia lauded the commission for its professionalism and dedication exhibited while recovering the money. He noted that when the state submitted the petition, there were lots of distractions in the public space but the EFCC maintained its professional posture, followed the money and thorough investigations were done.
“EFCC, we thank you for being very focused on helping us recover this fund. This, for us, is a remarkable testimony of intergovernmental collaboration and transparency,” he said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the collapse of five transmission towers along the Ikot Abasi–Eket 132kV Double Circuit Transmission Line.
This was attributed to severe acts of vandalism, as TCN disclosed that the structure collapsed after vandals removed critical structural bracing members.
The affected towers were N9, J4, N10, N11 and N12, the organisation said in a statement on Friday.
It explained that the extensive damage was discovered during a routine joint line patrol conducted on August 9, 2026, by TCN linesmen.
Further inspection revealed that structural members from seven additional towers along the same transmission corridor had also been removed and stolen. The towers, J3, N8, N13, N14, N15, N18 and N19, are now structurally compromised and pose a risk of further collapse.
TCN condemned this act of sabotage and reiterated its commitment to working hard to maintain a robust and reliable national grid.
The statement said that to mitigate the impact on electricity supply, the network has been reconfigured to prioritise supply to Ekim transmission station, leaving Ibom Power as the only station without supply.
TCN said it is mobilising an urgent intervention to complete the reconstruction of the affected sections of the line, with security agencies also notified to aid investigations and prevent further acts of vandalism along the line route.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, has urged all relevant government agencies to promptly initiate actions for the full implementation of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026, following its signing into law by President Bola Tinubu.
The bill, sponsored by Speaker Abbas, was aimed at repealing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act, Cap. N133, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and establish the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports while safeguarding the interests of shippers, service providers, and users of regulated port services. With the President’s assent, it has now been enacted as an Act of Parliament.
The legislation represents one of the landmark achievements of the 10th National Assembly. It reflects the Speaker’s commitment to legislative excellence, institutional reform, and sustainable economic growth, according to a press statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Mr Musa Krishi.
The bill underwent a rigorous and inclusive legislative process, including extensive stakeholder consultations and a public hearing. It was passed by both Chambers of the National Assembly and subsequently assented to by the President.
The Act provides a robust legal and institutional framework to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports by fostering transparency, competitiveness, and efficiency in port operations; protecting the rights and interests of shippers, service providers, and other port users; and aligning Nigeria’s port regulatory system with global best practices, thereby enhancing the ease and cost-effectiveness of doing business.
Despite receiving presidential assent, the Act has yet to be fully operationalised.
He warned that any further delay would undermine the legislative intent of the reform, prolong the exposure of port users to arbitrary charges and operational inefficiencies, and deny the nation the anticipated benefits of increased revenue, improved trade facilitation, and stronger investor confidence in the marine and blue economy sector.
The Speaker urged the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, in collaboration with all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government, to take the necessary administrative, institutional, and financial measures for the prompt implementation of the Act.
He said this should include the formal transition to, as well as operational empowerment of, the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to discharge its statutory mandate effectively.
The full implementation of the Act is critical to unlocking the economic potential of Nigeria’s ports, reducing the cost of doing business, strengthening trade competitiveness, and positioning Nigeria as the leading maritime and logistics hub in West and Central Africa.
The statement noted that the Speaker reaffirmed the 10th House’s commitment to exercising the necessary legislative oversight to ensure this landmark legislation, along with others assented to by the President, is fully implemented and achieves its intended goals for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD), through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), has partnered with Cascador, a Nigeria-focused platform for growth-stage founders, to provide funding and support for the next generation of Nigerian youth entrepreneurs.
The announcement coincides with International Youth Day 2026, whose global theme this year — Different Contexts, Common Aspirations — calls on institutions to close the gap between young people’s circumstances and their opportunities. The pilot is an early step toward NiYA’s broader ambition to train and empower 7 million Nigerian youth within two years.
The NiYA and Cascador Founders Programme will begin with a pilot cohort of 20 early-stage Nigerian youth founders, including entrepreneurs without formal business registration or established financial records.
Over four weeks, participants will undergo intensive training focused on business fundamentals, investment readiness and pitch preparation. At the end of the programme, the eight top-performing founders will receive non-dilutive funding of up to N5 million each from Cascador, alongside an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to help them structure, manage and scale their businesses.
The funding and support will be presented at a Pitch Day organised by NiYA and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
The Minister for Youth Development, Mr s Ayodele Olawande, said the partnership would enable NiYA to move beyond training by helping young people transform ideas into investable businesses and achieve sustainable economic participation through business preparation and access to capital.
“The pilot is deliberately designed to test a model that can go beyond one cohort. If young founders can be identified early, prepared properly, connected to credible capital and supported to build stronger business systems, then access to opportunity becomes less dependent on background or existing networks. That is the larger objective: to build a youth entrepreneurship ecosystem in which readiness, ideas and execution can increasingly determine who gets the opportunity to grow.”
The pilot will run in-person in Abuja with virtual touchpoints and 1:1 mentorship. All 20 graduates retain NiYA alumni status, with priority consideration for future opportunities.
NiYA and FMYD have already shown what real commitment to Nigeria’s youth looks like — the platforms, the reach, the ambition to train millions. What we’re building together now is the missing piece, a practical bridge from the ideation stage to real capital-readiness. When a Ministry so dedicated to its young people asked Cascador to help build that bridge, it was an easy decision,” said Trish Thomas, CEO of Cascador.
Ms Oyin Solebo, COO of Cascador and former Managing Director of the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator, highlighted the partnership’s impact, saying, “This is what innovative capital deployment looks like: a government building real investment readiness at scale, and a partner meeting that foundational work with non-dilutive funding at exactly the moment it’s needed. Partnerships like this open doors that neither of us could open alone.”
