By Adedapo Adesanya

The National Economic Council (NEC) has approved N83.2 billion for the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF) interventions to mitigate the impacts of anticipated flooding and other climate-related emergencies nationwide.

This is just as the chairman of the council, Vice President Kashim Shettima, called on states to work with the federal government in resolving the logistical and compliance barriers that prevent farm produce from reaching international markets.

The approval of the N83.2 billion intervention funds was made at the 158th meeting of the NEC on Thursday, following a presentation to the council by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Atiku Bagudu, on the need to proactively address issues associated with flooding across Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season.

In addition, the group noted the importance of the AATF in addressing disasters and emergencies across the country, underscoring that NEC cannot continue to be seen as always taking reactive measures in emergency and disaster management.

Speaking at the meeting, the Vice President said the President Bola Tinubu administration’s reform agenda must now produce visible results across the federation.

Mr Shettima noted that the council’s work must be judged by the changes it brings to the lives of ordinary Nigerians, especially farmers, manufacturers, vulnerable citizens, unemployed young people, and children who will inherit the country.

He stated, “When this council last met, I called our economy a workshop. A place of measurement and correction. A place where plans are turned into systems, and systems into institutions, before any of it becomes prosperity.

“A workshop is judged by one thing. Not by the plans pinned to its walls, but by what comes off the bench. We return to that bench today. Not to admire the image, but to ask the question that honours it. Is the work taking shape?”

He said Nigeria remains a federation moving from stabilisation to production, from aspiration to implementation, and from isolated interventions to coordinated national growth.

According to him, the agenda before the council was not a new conversation, but a continuation of the national assignment with greater pressure for action and results.

“The assignment has not changed. We remain a federation moving from stabilisation to production, from aspiration to implementation, from isolated interventions to coordinated national growth. What has changed, I hope, is our proximity to delivery.

“A federation does not earn its prosperity by leaving its most vulnerable behind and hoping they catch up. The dignity of the citizen with the least is the floor beneath which we have resolved that no Nigerian shall fall.”

Mr Shettima pointed out that the social protection agenda before the council was an opportunity to convert national conscience into a durable system that protects citizens and strengthens human capital.

On exports and production, the VP said Nigeria must stop relying on exporting raw materials while importing finished products from other countries.

He maintained that the country’s economic transformation depends on a complete value chain linking farms to factories, factories to standards, standards to ports, and ports to markets.

“We cannot continue to export raw materials and import finished products,” he said.

The VP also assured that the council would confront bottlenecks that weaken Nigeria’s agricultural exports, especially those affecting the movement of goods through ports and the standards required by international markets.

He averred that improving port processes and meeting export compliance requirements are central to rewarding farmers, strengthening manufacturers and expanding Nigeria’s participation in global trade.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

About 3,714 pre-retirees across Lagos, Akure, Port Harcourt, Abuja, and Kano were recently engaged by Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, through its 2026 Pre-Retirement Seminar series.

The programme was crafted to give attendees a thorough and practical understanding of what it truly means to retire well in today’s Nigeria.

The annual series has firmly established itself as one of the most impactful and far-reaching retirement education platforms in the country’s financial services industry.

One of the most anticipated elements of this year’s edition was a live interview panel session that brought together representatives from Stanbic IBTC’s subsidiaries speaking directly to the financial realities facing pre-retirees.

The panel addressed key market intelligence questions on pension management, income planning, and life after work. The open format encouraged substantive exchanges that helped participants gain clarity on complex decisions and understand the full range of options available to them as they transitioned out of active employment.

A dedicated health talk rounded out the core sessions, addressing a dimension of retirement planning that is often overlooked: the critical role of physical wellbeing in sustaining a fulfilling post-work life.

Throughout the day, carefully placed interludes highlighted the breadth of Stanbic IBTC’s product and service offerings, ensuring attendees left with both the knowledge and the resources to take meaningful steps towards securing their retirement.

“This seminar series reflects our broader definition of what financial services should deliver. Success is not just measured by the assets we manage, but by the quality of life our clients are able to live in retirement.

“The strong engagement across all five cities highlights a growing appetite among Nigerians to take ownership of their retirement journey,” the chief executive of Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, Mr Olumide Oyetan, said.

“For many, years of pension contributions have not always translated into a clear understanding of their future. These seminars are designed to address that gap in a direct and practical way – ensuring every client leaves with clarity on their current position, available options, and the steps to take next.

“This initiative is a clear expression of our commitment to our clients, and one we will continue to invest in, because they deserve nothing less,” Mr Oyetan added.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A self-acclaimed prophet, Mr Godwin Sunday Ajuluchukwucheya, also known as Prophet Sunday Koboko, is being questioned by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Enugu State over an alleged N70.3 million fraud.

He was accused of defrauding his church members of the said amount of money.

The anti-money laundering got into the matter after a petition from one of the members, identified as Mr Okey Uwakwe.

The petitioner claimed that Mr Ajuluchukwucheya presented himself as a true man of God, capable of luring his brother, who had been abroad since 1997, to return home. He also alleged that he paid the cleric about N6.2 million for spiritual works.

According to the petitioner, the suspect equally deceived him into believing that he had the power to make his sister-in-law, who has been without a child for over 15 years, conceive. It was alleged that Mr Ajuluchukwucheya collected about N3.3 million, also for spiritual works to that effect.

The petitioner further alleged that the suspect announced to his church members that he had won N33.0 billion in a lotto game, assuring that members who contribute financially to him shall receive dividends from the said amount.

The petitioner also alleged that members of Mr Ajuluchukwucheya’s ministry were also lured by the suspect to contribute to the suspect’s rice processing machine worth N1 billion to become partners in the business.

He allegedly contributed the sum of N500,000, claiming further that the total sum sent to the suspect was N13.3 million, without results.

During an investigation into the matter, members of the suspect’s ministry started flooding the agency with claims of how they were defrauded by the suspect.

“When I came there (the ministry), a whole lot of things were going on as investments in the church, which I partook in virtually all of them…ranging from the issue of him winning N33 billion with Baba Ijebu.

“He said the money cannot be retrieved due to how huge the amount was. So, members of the church will have to help him by buying holy ghost thunder to blast the spiritual army being organised by Baba Ijebu.

“He sold each of the spiritual thunder for N38,000, and we had to buy 1,000 pieces to fight Baba Ijebu’s spiritual army,” one of the members informed the EFCC, according to a statement on its website.

The total amount that members of Mr Ajuluchukwucheya’s church alleged he took from them is N70,.4 million.

Investigations showed that the suspect’s modus operandi is luring the members of his ministry into buying his “products” for prosperity, which include: miracle sticker, spiritual dragon and holy ghost thunder.

Another member and victim of the suspect said, “He asked me to do what they tagged holy ghost thunder, believing it was going to solve my problems. I bought it, and after all the payments, nothing happened, and my problems still persisted.”

The EFCC disclosed that as soon as investigations are concluded, the suspect would be arraigned before a court.