Employees of Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc have taken their commitment to community impact beyond the trading floor, volunteering their time and expertise to combat child malnutrition in underserved Lagos communities.

Through Project BLOOM (Bringing Life to Our Overlooked Minors), a multi-stakeholder initiative co-championed by NGX Group and Health Emergency Initiative (HEI) Nigeria, in partnership with the Lagos State Government, NGX Group staff volunteers joined healthcare workers at the inaugural outreach in Aiyetoro Primary Health Centre, Yaba, to distribute life-saving therapeutic foods, conduct health screenings, and train caregivers on preparing nutritious meals with locally sourced ingredients.

According to UNICEF, Nigeria ranks second globally in the percentage of children affected by stunting, with 32 per cent of children under five stunted and over two million suffering from severe acute malnutrition, many without access to treatment.

Project BLOOM targets severely malnourished children and their caregivers across seven underserved Lagos communities of Ifako Ijaiye, Agege, Iwaya, Makoko, Bariga, Ilaje, and Ajegunle, combining nutritional aid, health support, and education to drive long-term change.

The chief executive of NGX Group, Mr Temi Popoola, represented by Group Chief Finance, Investment and Strategy Officer, Mr Adebayo Opatade, said, “At NGX Group, we believe the growth of our markets must be matched by the growth of our communities.

“Project BLOOM shows how our platform, partnerships, and people can work together to address urgent social challenges. By empowering employees to lead from the front, we turn commitment into sustainable impact.”

Executive Director of HEI, Dr Pascal Achunine, added: “We cannot sit on the sidelines while our children suffer from preventable malnutrition. Project BLOOM is about immediate action today while creating a sustainable path forward for caregivers and their children.”

Speaking on behalf of the Lagos State Health District IV, Dr Oludolapo Shotunde described the outreach as: “A timely and commendable intervention that aligns perfectly with our health priorities and community needs”. Honourable Oladimeji Saheed, representing the Chairman of Yaba Local Council Development Area, commended the “bold vision and compassion” of the programme and pledged ongoing community support.

Project BLOOM, which aligns with NGX Group’s CSR pillars of Community and Workforce, supports UN SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Beneficiaries will be monitored over a three-month period in collaboration with local health authorities to track recovery and inform future interventions.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have filed a suit against the Niger State Governor, Mr Umar Bago, over the alleged threat to shut down a private radio station in the state, Badeggi FM Radio.

In the suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1587/2025, and filed on Friday, August 8, 2025, at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP and NGE sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the governor and NBC from further harassing, intimidating, and/or threatening to shut down Badeggi FM radio, revoke its licence, and profile the station’s owner.

“Unless the reliefs sought are granted, the governor will continue to threaten, intimidate, and harass the radio station and its owner and may weaponise the NBC against the station,” the groups said.

They asked the court to determine “whether by Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and Section 2(1)(t) of the NBC Act, the NBC has the legal duty to protect Badeggi FM from the ongoing intimidation from the governor.”

The plaintiffs also appealed to the court to declare “that by the combined provisions of Section 22 of the Constitution and Section 2(1)(t) of the NBC Act, the NBC has the legal duty to protect Badeggi FM station and other broadcasting outlets in Nigeria from any threat, intimidation and harassment”.

In the suit, SERAP and NGE argued that “the failure and/or neglect of the NBC to protect and defend the independence of Badeggi FM radio against arbitrary executive interference and ongoing intimidation constitutes a breach of its statutory duty to ensure fair, independent, and lawful broadcasting practices in Nigeria.”

They noted that “the ongoing intimidation, and threat by Mr Bago to strip Badeggi FM station of its licence, further threat to demolish the station’s premises and profile its owner is unlawful and a violation of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom”.

According to them, “the allegations of inciting violence against Badeggi FM and its owner are vague, unfounded and unsubstantiated and apparently made to silence the radio station”.

Recall that last week, SERAP and NGE asked the governor to reverse his directive of an immediate revocation of the operational licence of Badeggi Radio station. He accused the privately owned station of consistently inciting the public against the state government through its broadcasts.

Governor Bago issued the order during an expanded All Progressives Congress (APC) Caucus meeting held at the Hauwa Wali Multipurpose Hall in Government House, Minna.

According to him, such conduct was not only unprofessional but a deliberate attempt to destabilise the current administration’s efforts under the New Niger Development Agenda.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The manager of one of the retail stations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State has been suspended.

The action followed the alleged misconduct of one of the pump attendants of the affected filling station, a statement from the organisation said.

In the statement signed by the management of NNPC in Abuja on Friday, it was disclosed that the pump attendant accused of attempting to “swindle a customer” has been sacked and is longer working with the company.

The state-owned oil firm took these actions after its attention was “drawn to a recent video circulating on social media platforms depicting a pump attendant at a filling station attempting to swindle a customer.”

It was explained that after receiving the video, “a thorough investigation” was carried out and the incident was “traced to a station in Ikorodu, Lagos.”

NNPC Retail Limited, which is in charge of the downstream business of NNPC Limited, described the behaviour of the said pump attendant as “unacceptable,” emphasising that it “does not reflect the company’s commitment to integrity, transparency, and exceptional customer service.”

Apparently to deter others from emulating such, NNPC Retail Limited said, “The pump attendant involved has been disengaged, the Station Manager has been suspended, and a formal warning letter has been issued to the dealer” in charge of the facility.

“NNPC Retail would like to thank the public for their vigilance and encourage the reporting of any incidents through the appropriate channels (customer service numbers and email displayed at all stations) for immediate action.

“The company assures all customers of its continued strict enforcement of compliance with its operational standards across its network of filling stations,” the statement noted.