General
Women Can’t Help in Nation-Building if Excluded by Law, Cultural Practices—Johnson
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The chairman of Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mrs Omobola Johnson, has lamented the imbalance in female representation in all facets of life, warning that it could hinder women from being part of nation-building.
She said this on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, when the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited hosted a digital closing gong ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of female chairpersons of NGX listed companies and their affiliates who were appointed in 2021.
The event was organised in line with the exchange’s ongoing collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) which aimed to reduce the gender gaps in leadership, employment, and entrepreneurship under the Nigeria2Equal programme.
In her presentation, the businesswoman said, “It is quite ironic that we are celebrating the advancements we have made in corporate governance a day after the National Assembly voted very strongly against a bill that was seeking to address the imbalance in female representation in all facets of our national life.”
“Building a greater nation requires all hands to be on deck. Women want to be partners and collaborators on this journey and we cannot be if we are excluded by law, cultural practices and norms,” she submitted.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of NGX Real Estate Limited, Mrs Angela Adebayo, appreciated the board of directors of the bourse for the laudable initiative.
She acknowledged the transition of NGX Group of Companies from a company with less than 30 per cent female representation on the National Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) to a group of four companies with two female Chairs.
She also commended NGX for its continuous efforts in collaborating with renowned organisations such as the IFC and leveraging its platform to make gender issues front and centre in the economic agenda.
On her part, Mrs Catherine Echeozo, Chairman of NGX Regulation Limited, acknowledged and congratulated the board chairperson appointees being celebrated, highlighting the benefits of diversity. “Diversity is about tapping on the full breadth and depth of talent available and equipping companies with diverse talents and viewpoints so that they can better navigate and address challenges in an increasingly complex and competitive global environment,” she stated.
Commenting on the opportunities that corporate organisations can leverage from promoting gender equality, the chairman of Ecobank Nigeria, Mrs Bola Adesola, stated that, “As a pre-eminent Pan-African institution in over 33 African countries, our focus on gender balance supports our mission to contribute to the economic and financial development of our continent.
“This is so because one in four Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, in Africa is managed by a woman. Ecobank is very happy to continue to collaborate with NGX and IFC to Break the Bias. I would like to urge us all to diligently work against actions that threaten the human rights of half the population of our dear country.”
The Chairman of Access Bank Plc, Mrs Ajoritsedere Awosika, congratulated all the recent board appointees and highlighted the importance of celebrating female leaders as a critical step to inspiring younger professional women.
She said, “This closing gong ceremony is a laudable occasion where NGX has shown that evidently, there is a need to celebrate women in order for other women to come up.
“This celebration of women that NGX is implementing in partnership with IFC is going to go a long way to show other institutions the need to promote what is ongoing at all levels of human endeavour that women are actively getting into positions of service to make a positive difference.”
During his opening remarks, the CEO of NGX, Mr Temi Popoola, assured that the organisation will continue to provide the platforms to support issuers and market participants to achieve their gender goals and aspirations.
As for the Senior Country Manager for Nigeria, IFC, Mr Kalim Shah, the IFC will continue to invest in increasing women’s participation in corporate leadership, employment and entrepreneurship.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria is eyeing stronger diplomatic and strategic ties when it comes to sustainable development as it participates in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).
President Bola Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Sunday. His plane landed at the Presidential Wing of Zayed International Airport at exactly 11:30 pm local time.
He was received by Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi; Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; and members of the Nigerian diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi.
Several other ministers, including the Minister of Budget and Planning, Mr Atiku Bagudu; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Jumoke Oduwole; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mr Mohammed Mohammed, welcomed President Tinubu at his hotel.
President Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi from Europe, where he spent part of his end-of-year break, engaging in fruitful discussions with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a statement by the presidency.
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, with the theme The Nexus of Next, All Systems Go, is a global platform that brings together world leaders, policymakers, investors, and experts to advance dialogue and action on sustainable development, climate action, energy transition, and inclusive economic growth.
This visit further reinforces the strong diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while positioning Nigeria as an active contributor to global conversations on sustainable development.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to account for about N55.9 billion earmarked for the purchase of some materials for the 2019 general elections has forced the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to file a lawsuit against the commission.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/38/2026 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP asked the court for an order of mandamus to compel INEC to disclose the names of all contractors paid the sum of money.
It was claimed that the N55.9 billion was meant for the purchase of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other election materials for the 2019 general elections, which produced the late Mr Muhammadu Buhari as President for a second term in office.
SERAP is relying on the latest annual report published by the Auditor-General on September 9, 2025, to ask for the use of the funds, which is said to be missing or diverted.
The organisation argued that the electoral umpire “must operate without corruption if the commission is to ensure free and fair elections in the country and uphold Nigerians’ right to participation.”
“INEC cannot ensure impartial administration of future elections if these allegations are not satisfactorily addressed, perpetrators including the contractors involved are not prosecuted and the proceeds of corruption are not fully recovered,” a part of the statement issued by the group stated.
“INEC cannot properly carry out its constitutional and statutory responsibilities to conduct free and fair elections in the country if it continues to fail to uphold the basic principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
“These allegations also constitute abuse of public office and show the urgent need by INEC to commit to transparency, accountability, clean governance and the rule of law,” it further declared.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ministry of Finance has directed all shipping companies and airlines operating in Nigeria to submit their manifests through the Single Window Project (SWP) as part of efforts to strengthen cargo tracking and transparency.
The submission of shipping manifests before the change of policy was handled exclusively by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for onward cargo processing and port clearance.
However, following a memo from late last year signed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, all shipping firms and airlines were directed to integrate with the National Single Window platform to ensure seamless Manifests submission.
“I would like to bring to your attention that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inaugurated the National Single Window (NSW) Project on the 16th of April 2024.
The NSW Project aims to streamline and automate import and export processes at Nigeria’s entry & exit ports, with the dual goals of enhancing trade facilitation and increasing government revenue.
“By integrating the operations of multiple government agencies involved in trade processes on one platform, the NSW platform will ensure faster clearance of goods and services, improve operational efficiencies at the imports and significantly reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“Key components of the Single Window as defined by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and World Customs Organisation (WCO) include: (a) a single-entry point i.e. traders, shipping lines, airlines and other stakeholders should submit all required import and export documentation through a single-entry point on a centralized digital platform, and (b) single submission i.e. all documentation should only be submitted once and data only entered once.
“As a result, the NSW Platform will be the single-entry point of submission for all Sea and Air Manifests. Therefore, all shipping lines and airlines are therefore directed to integrate with the NSW Platform to ensure seamless Manifests submission,” parts of the memo read.
The Comptroller-General of the NCS, the chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) were copied in the memo.
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