Jobs/Appointments
Kaduna is Sacking Workers to Save Scarce Funds—El-Rufai
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Governor of Kaduna State, Mr Nasir El-Rufai, has explained the reason his administration is trimming the workforce of the state’s public service is due to the dwindling financial resources and higher wage bills which the government cannot be able to sustain, noting that the exercise will help the government to save scarce funds.
The Kaduna state government had on April 6 disengaged 4,000 local government workers and this development has raised dust, especially from the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The body kicked against the decision, calling on the state government to reverse the decision and seek alternative means of running its affairs without inflicting additional pains on the public.
In a statement signed by his spokesman, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, Governor El-Rufai insisted that the government was not elected just to pay salaries of public servants alone, but to also develop the state by building schools, hospitals, upgrading infrastructure and making the state more secure and attractive to the private sector for jobs and investments.
Mr El-Rufai pointed out that what it has been receiving from the federal allocation committee since the middle of 2020, like most other sub-nationals, can barely pay salaries and overheads, adding that in the last six months, personnel costs have accounted for between 84.97 per cent and 96.63 per cent of Federation Account Allocation Communication (FAAC) transfers received by the Kaduna State Government.
“In November 2020, KDSG had only N162.9 million left after paying salaries. That month, Kaduna State got N4.83 billion from FAAC and paid N4.66 billion as wages. In March 2021, Kaduna State had only N321 million left after settling personnel costs,” a part of the statement read.
The statement pointed out that “last month, the state got N4.819 billion from FAAC and paid out N4.498 billion, representing 93 per cent of the money received.
‘’This does not include standing orders for overheads, funding security operations, running costs of schools and hospitals, and other overhead costs that the state has to bear for the machinery of government to run, for which the state government taps into IGR earnings.”
The Kaduna State Government said it believes that the overall wages of the public sector are still relatively low, noting that the current levels were obviously limited by the resources available to the government.
The government further argued that the public service of the state with less than 100,000 employees (and their families) cannot be consuming more than 90 per cent of government resources, with little left to positively impact the lives of the more than 9 million that are not political appointees or civil servants, adding that it is gross injustice for such a micro-minority to consume the majority of the resources of the state.
In addition, it pointed out that the measures which the government took to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic have shown clearly that the public service requires much fewer persons than it currently employs.
The statement recalled that “in September 2019, Kaduna State Government became the first government in the country to pay the new minimum wage and consequential adjustments. The state government followed this up by increasing the minimum pension of persons on the defined benefits scheme to N30,000 monthly.
“This step to advance the welfare of workers significantly increased the wage burden of the state government and immediately sapped up the funds of many local governments.”
According to the state government, “what each public servant earns might be puny in comparison to private-sector wages, but the total wage bill consumes much of the revenues of the state.
‘’Therefore, the state government has no choice but to shed some weight and reduce the size of the public service. It is a painful but necessary step to take, for the sake of the majority of the people of this state.”
While justifying the job cut, the statement, however, described it “as a painful but necessary step to take, for the sake of the majority of the people of this state.”
The Governor further said that the rationalisation exercise will also affect political appointees, stating that its purpose is to save funds and ensure that a strong and efficient public service exists to use those resources to implement progressive programmes and projects for the people, and thereby develop the state.
‘’The public service is an important institution, and it should therefore maintain only an optimum size.
“Faced with a difficult situation, the Kaduna State Government is persuaded that it cannot refuse to act or act in ways that only conduce to populist sentiment, without solving the fundamental problem,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
MultiChoice Nigeria has announced a change in its leadership, with Ms Kemi Omotosho emerging as the new chief executive, taking over from Mr John Ugbe, who is set to retire.
The company said the transition, effective this month, follows a structured succession process designed to ensure continuity in leadership and operations.
Mr Ugbe is stepping down after nearly 15 years in the role, a period during which MultiChoice Nigeria navigated shifts in consumer behaviour, technology and regulation within the pay-TV and broader media industry.
Last year, French group Canal+ took over the operations of the South-African broadcasting group and effected some changes management- and content-wise across key markets.
During his tenure, Mr Ugbe oversaw efforts to strengthen the company’s operational framework and position the business to respond to changing market conditions. MultiChoice described his exit as a planned retirement rather than a sudden departure.
Ms Omotosho joins the role with more than two decades of leadership experience spanning media, telecommunications and digital services across Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan African markets.
Within the MultiChoice Group, she has previously served as Executive Head of Customer Value Management in Nigeria and later as Group Executive Head of Customer Value Management for Rest of Africa, a role that involved oversight across more than 50 markets.
She most recently held the position of Regional Director for Southern Africa, where she had full profit and loss responsibility for operations covering seven countries. In her new role, Ms Omotosho will be responsible for overseeing MultiChoice Nigeria’s strategy, day-to-day operations and engagement with regulators, partners and other stakeholders.
Speaking on her appointment, Ms Omotosho said, “It is a privilege to be entrusted with the leadership of MultiChoice Nigeria at this important moment.
“Nigeria remains one of the Group’s most strategic and dynamic markets. I look forward to working with our teams and partners to deepen our relationship with consumers, champion local storytelling and the creative economy as well build a future-ready organisation that delivers sustainable value.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The board of Presco Plc has appointed Mr Adewale Arikawe as a non-executive director, replacing Mr Felix Nwabuko, retired from the position.
A statement from the organisation disclosed that the appointment of Arikawa took effect from Friday, January 2, 2026, until the next Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Also, he is now the chief executive of all SIAT subsidiaries, including Presco Plc, SIAT Nigeria Limited, and Ghana Oil Palm Development Company Limited.
In this capacity, Mr Arikawe will work alongside the existing leadership teams to strengthen execution, accelerate strategic growth, and foster a high-performance culture across the Group.
He is committed to empowering teams, enhancing leadership capability, and creating an enabling environment for continuous improvement and sustainable results.
Mr Arikawe brings over 26 years of leadership experience spanning across general management, commercial strategy, sales, customer development, and brand management. He has held senior leadership roles at Royal FrieslandCampina, overseeing operations across Sub-Saharan Africa, and at FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria.
His career also includes senior leadership positions at Nestlé Nigeria Plc, where he managed multi-channel sales operations and contributed to key strategic growth initiatives.
He holds an MBA in Business Administration and Management from the University of Chichester and has completed executive education programmes at London Business School and IMD (International Institute for Management Development), Lausanne, Switzerland, with a focus on leadership, execution excellence, and business impact.
The board, in the statement, welcomed Mr Arikawe with open arms, looking “forward to his valuable contributions to the company and the wider SIAT Group.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
First Holdco Plc, formerly FBN Holdings Plc, has announced new board appointments across its non-commercial banking subsidiaries as it commits to building stronger businesses across board.
The move, following regulatory approvals from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), is part of efforts to deepen governance, strengthen oversight and position the business for sustainable growth.
FBN Holdings Plc rebranded to First HoldCo Plc in February 2025 to reflect its broader financial services focus beyond just banking.
Its services includes commercial banking (First Bank of Nigeria), merchant banking, asset management (FBNQuest), insurance brokerage, and trusteeship. It operates across Africa and has global offices in London, Paris, and Beijing, serving individuals, small businesses, and corporations.
At First Asset Management Limited, Mrs Ebikabo Williams has been appointed chairman of the board, bringing her extensive industry knowledge spanning banking, capital markets, and consulting. She will be supported by equally experienced board members like Mr Usman Dantata Jr., Mrs Binta Max Gbinije, and Mrs Alero Mobola Adollo.
At FirstCap Limited, its investment management firm, Mrs Yewande Amusan has been appointed chairman. She is an accomplished finance professional with experience cutting across both public and private sectors. Mr Ahmed Indimi and Mrs Irene Akpofure were appointed along with Mrs Adenike Kuti and Mr Zeal Akaraiwe.
First Securities Brokers Limited, which recently emerged as the top performer in the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Brokers Performance Report in terms of both trading volume and transaction value, has named Mr John Akpeki as chairman. He is expected to leverage his vast experience in global marketing and networking. He is joined by Mrs Omolara Adeyemi, ,Mrs Susan Younis and Mrs Kemi Andu-Alausa.
Similarly, First Trustees Limited, one of the Group’s long-standing subsidiaries in trust and estate management, has strengthened its governance structure with the appointment of Mr John Lee as its chairman. He has over 40 years’ experience in global financial services, specialising in Corporate & Institutional Banking and Wealth Management across Africa. The other members of the board who are bringing their combined rich wealth of experience are Mrs Abiola Alabi, Mrs Adebisi Sola-Adeyemi, and Mrs Ugochukwu Obi-Chukwu.
For its insurance business, First Insurance Brokers, the firm has appointed Mr Akinola Phillips as Chairman. He is joined by Mrs Ije Onejeme, Mrs Folukemi Akinmeji and Mrs Mojisola Cardozo.
First Holdco said these appointments are expected to further consolidate the firm’s position as a dominant player in the asset and wealth management space in Nigeria.
The chairman of First Holdco, Mr Femi Otedola, while commenting on the appointments, said, “We are delighted to welcome these distinguished professionals to the boards of our non-commercial banking subsidiaries. Their proven expertise, impeccable track records, and leadership will play a critical role in shaping the next phase of our growth, enhancing stakeholder value, and reinforcing our position as a trusted African leader delivering innovative solutions across diverse sectors.”
“These appointments reaffirm our commitment to building resilient businesses that contribute meaningfully to economic development in the broader ecosystem in which we operate,” he added.
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