General
TikTok, ICC Unveil Digital Commerce Labs to Equip Entrepreneurs
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An initiative designed to equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge, tools and confidence to participate fully in an increasingly digital marketplace, helping them compete, scale and thrive on their own terms, has been launched by TikTok in partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
Known as the Digital Commerce Labs, this programme will empower small business owners in Nigeria and accelerate economic inclusion and digital skills development across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The scheme is supported by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF).
At the unveiling in Lagos recently, stakeholders involving small businesses, entrepreneurs, digital creators, business associations, and government and industry representatives brainstormed on how Nigerian small businesses can harness the power of digital to grow, scale and build lasting impact.
“Digital commerce is reshaping how businesses grow across Sub-Saharan Africa, and Nigerian entrepreneurs are at the heart of that shift,” the acting Head of Government Relations and Public Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, Tokunbo Ibrahim, stated.
“Through our partnership with ICC, we are committed to making sure that the benefits of that transformation reach every small business owner in this region.
“We have seen how TikTok has made discoverability and purchase decision-making easy with hashtags such as #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt. Social commerce has an extraordinary power to unlock opportunity, level the playing field and place the tools of growth in the hands of those who need them most,” Ibrahim added.
Also speaking, the chief executive of NITDA, Mr Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said, “At NITDA, our vision is to make Nigeria a digitally enabled nation, fostering inclusive economic development through technological innovation. We will achieve this by fostering digital literacy and cultivating the digital talent needed among our youth to thrive in a global market.
“We have seen that platforms like TikTok have evolved beyond entertainment; they are now powerful engines for economic growth, enabling small businesses to reach new audiences, tell their unique stories, and scale rapidly.
“We highly commend TikTok’s commitment to supporting our local ecosystem through this small business event. By bridging the gap between creativity and digital commerce, we are collectively fostering innovation and building a more inclusive, digitally empowered Nigeria.”
“Digital commerce is a powerful engine for inclusive growth. By equipping small businesses with the tools and skills they need to participate in the digital economy, we are opening new pathways for entrepreneurship, trade and job creation. With the Digital Commerce Labs, ICC is committed to ensuring that small businesses in Nigeria can fully seize these opportunities and grow beyond their local markets,” the ICC Deputy Secretary General, Julian Kassum, stated.
Social commerce and the MSME opportunity in Nigeria
The timing of the DCL launch could not be more significant. Nigeria’s social commerce market is one of the fastest-growing in the world, projected to reach $2.04 billion in 2025 and expand to nearly $4 billion by 2030. Across the African continent, the social commerce sector is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.2%, reaching $9.43 billion by 2030.
For Nigerian small businesses, social media is already the primary engine of online trade. A GSMA survey found that 56 per cent of Nigerian businesses sell online exclusively through social media, with a further 19 per cent combining social platforms with a website or marketplace. Meanwhile, over 40 per cent of internet users in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa have already purchased through social commerce platforms. These figures point to an ecosystem in which the line between content and commerce has already blurred, and where the right skills and support can be genuinely transformative.
It was against this backdrop that a lecturer from Lagos Business School, Dr Henrietta Onwuegbuzie, addressed event participants on the rapid growth of social commerce in Nigeria and across the continent, reinforcing a central theme of the day: “This is not a prospect for Nigerian businesses. It is happening now, and those equipped with the right skills are already seeing the results.”
Funding made accessible by Lagos State Employment Trust Fund
In a strategic move to fortify the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) has joined the Digital Commerce Labs to provide critical operational support for small businesses. Through this collaboration, LSETF will deliver robust capacity-building training focused on essential pillars of business sustainability, including financial literacy and wellness, strategic business structuring, book and record keeping, and expert taxation and legal advisory services.
Following completion of the program, market-ready small businesses will directly enter into LSETF’s financial ecosystem, with an opportunity to directly access SME funding.
A day of learning, conversation and community
Two keynote lectures set the tone for the day, examining how digital commerce is reshaping the landscape for small businesses in Nigeria. The first explored how digital platforms are fundamentally changing how small businesses reach customers, manage operations and build brand credibility. The second took a broader view, considering how digital commerce is enabling MSMEs to grow beyond profit: strengthening customer relationships, deepening community connections and building businesses with a clear sense of purpose.
Attendees were then introduced to the full DCL programme through a dedicated presentation, which offered a preview of the learning modules available, outlined the benefits of participation and explained how entrepreneurs can apply and register.
The Digital Commerce Labs offer a comprehensive, two-part learning experience designed to help Nigerian businesses harness the full potential of digital commerce. Starting in July, participants can access self-taught online modules — developed by local experts and covering topics from building a digital presence and creating effective content, to leveraging AI-driven e-commerce tools and preparing for both domestic and international growth. Delivered in a mobile-first format through short, engaging lessons with interactive elements, the modules are tailored to the Nigerian market to ensure relevant, high-quality learning. From there, virtual classrooms will complement the online modules with live, trainer-led sessions that bring theory to life in a collaborative setting, helping Nigerian entrepreneurs and businesses explore real-world digital commerce growth opportunities.
Nigeria’s Creator Economy Spotlight: Real stories, real growth
One of the most eagerly anticipated segments of the day was the Creator Economy Spotlight, in which three successful entrepreneurs and content creators shared candid accounts of how they built their businesses using platforms like TikTok. This fireside chat included Nigeria’s Dr Olawale Ogunlana, Medical Doctor, World Health Organisation’s Fides Network Creator, TikTok’s 2026 Global Discover List Creator, and Founder of HealthKraft Consulting. He was joined on stage by Kolade Mayowa, the innovative owner of the fashion brand HookedByLade, and Oluwatobi Anointing, the creative force behind the fashion business, Tobi Closet, both of whom shared invaluable insights into leveraging their TikTok platform to scale their brands.
Their accounts offered an honest and inspiring perspective on what it means to build a business in the digital age, grounded in the lived experience of entrepreneurs who use platforms like TikTok to reach customers and clients they would never otherwise have found.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A former member of the House of Representatives, Mr Onamusi Onadeko, has been sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment with an option of a fine of N50,000.
The former lawmaker, who represented Ogun East Federal Constituency in the National Assembly from 1999 to 2003, was sentenced by Justice Chizoba Oji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
He was found guilty on count 11 and convicted for making inconsistent statements but discharged and acquitted on counts 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Mr Onadeko’s journey to the court started in 2017, when he was charged by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for his alleged involvement in the award and execution of a N68.7 million contract.
The politician, according to a statement from the ICPC, was accused of using his private companies, Stanton Engineering Limited and Haines and Baines Limited, to execute several constituency projects while working as a Senior Legislative Aide to late Senator Buruji Kashamu, who represented Ogun East Senatorial District between 2015 and 2019.
The commission, had in the course of the eight years trial told the court that several contracts like buying of ambulance vehicles, supply of hospital equipment and drugs for Primary Health Centres, as well as construction of classrooms for some selected schools in six communities of Ogun East Senatorial District, were awarded to both Stanton Engineering Limited and Haines and Baines, where the convict doubles as a Managing Director and nominal Director, respectively, an action that violates Sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
ICPC also accused Mr Onadeko of making an inconsistent statement that contradicted the one previously made to the Commissioner for Oaths, where he stated that he is a Director of Haines and Baines Limited in an affidavit dated June 30, 20216, but subsequently wrote another statement while under investigation on May 5, 2017, that he is not a shareholder or Director of Haines and Baines Limited.
This action violates Section 25(1)(b) of the ICPC Act and, upon conviction, is liable to a fine not exceeding N100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both such fine and imprisonment.
However, Mr Onadeko, through his counsel, Mr Wahab Olatoyebi, argued in the course of the trial that his client was not a public officer as his appointment at that material time was on a short-term basis and non-pensionable, hence he, (Onadeko) did not fall within the category of those that could be tried under Sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 which criminalize and punish abuse of office by public officers.
But this argument was rejected by Justice Oji, who stressed that based on the defendant’s letter of appointment as well as the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Federal Government of Nigeria v. Farouk Lawan, legislative aides are public officers and therefore could be prosecuted under the relevant provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Governor of Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde, has inaugurated a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the abduction of students and teachers from Esinele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The governor formally inaugurated the commission at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
Speaking at the event, Governor Makinde said that although the successful rescue of the victims brought relief to the state, it did not provide complete closure.
He explained that the decision to set up an independent commission was not intended to undermine the efforts of security agencies but to ensure that every question surrounding the incident is thoroughly addressed and lessons are learnt to prevent a recurrence.
He charged members of the commission to conduct a thorough, impartial, and evidence-based investigation, assuring them of the state government’s full support. He also called on individuals and relevant institutions to cooperate fully with the panel.
Speaking on behalf of the commission, its chairman, Professor Mojeed Owoade, pledged that members would carry out the assignment with integrity, professionalism, and fairness. He added that the panel would seek an extension if necessary to complete its work.
Governor Makinde gave the commission four weeks to submit its report.
Earlier this month, the pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State regained their freedom after 56 days in captivity.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, eight of the kidnappers had been arrested, but the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 23 sentenced three suspects in the abduction to life imprisonment.
According to the court, the sentencing of Mr Abdulrazak Umar, known under the alias Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid; Mr Yunusa Musa, alias Yunusa Bin Musa; and Mr Shamsu Adamu Sani, alias Abu Itisar, will start from the date of their arrest.
Before their sentencing by Justice Salim Ibrahim, counsel for the defendants pleaded with the court to sentence them on liberal terms, adding that they were first-time offenders and had pleaded guilty.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Two Chinese, Mr Zhang Hong Lin and Mr Gao Pei Hai, have been convicted and sentenced by Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, for conspiracy and the illegal mining of solid minerals.
They were both found guilty on all five counts levelled against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and sentenced each to five years’ imprisonment on each count, with an option of a N50 million fine covering all five counts.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of the mineral resources recovered from them to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The defendants were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy and the unlawful possession of mineral resources intended for export without lawful authority.
“That you, Zhang Hong Lin, Gao Pei Hai, and Gao Pei Yu (currently at large), sometime in 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court, conspired among yourselves, with the intent to defraud the Federal Government of Nigeria of revenue accruing therefrom, and without the permission of the appropriate authority, engaged in the exportation of mica products, copper-bearing, and lithium-bearing mineral resources out of Nigeria, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1(8)(a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983, and punishable under Section 8 of the same Act,” one of the charges read.
The defendants pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them, with the prosecution counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa, calling the investigating officer, Matthew Orogwu, who reviewed the facts of the case and tendered documentary evidence before the court.
After presenting the evidence, Kofarnaisa urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants in line with the charges.
