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A Businessman and His Siren: Tunde Ayeni Refutes News of His Fatal Return to Gail Fajembola

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A Businessman and His Siren: Tunde Ayeni Refutes News of His Fatal Return to Gail Fajembola

 

The allure of forbidden passion often carries a price, and for Dr. Tunde Ayeni, the once-revered businessman whose rise and fall mirrors the trajectory of a Greek tragedy, the cost has been steep.

Amid the ruins of financial embarrassment, public disgrace, and familial strain, Ayeni has frantically disassociated himself from speculations of his purported return into the arms of the arms of Gail Fajembola, a woman whose name is synonymous with scandal.

In a bid to distance himself from Gail and their controversial past together, Ayeni went as far as instructing his property firm to notify tenants of a choice Ikoyi property that Gail should no longer be allowed to use the address for correspondence. “Dr. Ayeni has nothing to do with Gail’s relocation to Nigeria,” a source close to him declared. “He is focused on growing his businesses and spending quality time with his family and true friends.” Yet, despite these denials and calculated efforts to sanitize his image, insiders whisper of a rekindled liaison between the embattled businessman and his former mistress.

This revelation comes as a shock to many who recall Ayeni’s vehement disassociation from Gail years ago. Back then, he publicly vowed to sever all ties with her, swearing on his children’s lives that he would never return to the woman whose influence nearly dismantled his business empire and marriage. The reasons for this oath were both public and damning: Gail, with her extravagant lifestyle and insatiable demands, had drawn Ayeni into a vortex of corruption and financial impropriety that nearly consumed him.

 

The Return of the Femme Fatale

Gail Fajembola’s return to the Nigerian social scene, after a five-year sojourn in the United Kingdom, has been met with both intrigue and suspicion. Described by some as a “femme fatale” with a penchant for seducing powerful men, her arrival in Abuja has reignited whispers of her alleged connection to Ayeni. Sources suggest that Gail’s relocation may not be as innocent as claimed, with many speculating that her return signals a calculated move to reclaim her position in Ayeni’s life.

The woman once vilified for the chaos she sowed in Ayeni’s world seems undeterred by past scandals. Gail’s critics describe her as a chameleon—a master manipulator who has left a trail of broken relationships and tarnished reputations in her wake. Despite this, Ayeni appears to remain ensnared by her charms, prompting questions about what compels him to rekindle a relationship that has cost him so dearly.

 

A Scandalous. History

Gail’s romantic history reads like a cautionary tale of ambition and audacity. Her past liaisons include some of Nigeria’s most prominent men, from a former Senate President to influential oil industry magnates. Yet it is her relationship with Ayeni that has proven the most enduring—and destructive.

During their initial affair, Gail’s extravagant demands reportedly drained Ayeni’s finances and drew him into a web of questionable dealings. Her influence was so pervasive that Ayeni found himself under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with allegations of embezzlement and financial misconduct dominating headlines. The fallout left Ayeni’s reputation in tatters, his businesses struggling to recover, and his family in disarray.

In the years that followed their breakup, Ayeni’s public declarations of remorse and determination to rebuild his life were seen as an attempt at redemption. He sought to distance himself from Gail, focusing on salvaging what remained of his legacy. However, recent developments suggest that Ayeni’s resolve has faltered, raising questions about his judgment and the nature of his relationship with the woman who nearly destroyed him.

 

Gail’s Calculated Return

Observers note that Gail’s return to Nigeria coincides with a period of significant upheaval in Ayeni’s life. Once a high-flying billionaire, Ayeni’s financial empire has reportedly been reduced to a shadow of its former self. With mounting debts and diminishing influence, Ayeni’s renewed association with Gail appears both illogical and self-destructive.

For Gail, however, the motivations seem clear. Known for her ability to manipulate powerful men, she has often been described as a “hunter”—a woman who thrives on the wealth and influence of her targets. Critics argue that her return is a calculated move to regain access to Ayeni’s resources, despite his precarious financial state.

 

The Anatomy of Obsession

What drives Ayeni’s apparent inability to break free from Gail’s grasp? Psychologists might label it as a classic case of compulsive attachment, a destructive bond fueled by a mix of passion, vulnerability, and dependency. Others see it as a testament to Gail’s unparalleled skill in exploiting the weaknesses of her partners, drawing them into a cycle of desire and destruction.

For Ayeni, the consequences of this renewed liaison could be dire. Already besieged by financial woes and public skepticism, his decision to re-engage with Gail risks alienating his family and further tarnishing what remains of his reputation. His critics have been unsparing in their condemnation, describing him as a “shameless man” who has returned to his vomit, defying both logic and morality.

Gail, too, has faced harsh judgment, with detractors labeling her as a woman devoid of dignity. Her willingness to endure public humiliation for another chance at affluence has only reinforced her reputation as a manipulative figure, willing to go to any lengths to achieve her goals.

The story of Tunde Ayeni and Gail Fajembola serves as an admonition about the perils of unchecked desire and the corrosive effects of scandal. Their relationship, a volatile mix of passion, ambition, and self-destruction, offers a stark reminder of the dangers of succumbing to temptation.

For Ayeni, the stakes could not be higher. His continued association with Gail risks sealing his fate as a man undone by his own desires. For Gail, the narrative is one of relentless ambition and calculated opportunism, a woman whose pursuit of power and influence knows no bounds.

As their story continues to unfold, one thing is certain: the saga of Tunde Ayeni and Gail Fajembola is far from over. Whether it ends in redemption or ruin, it will undoubtedly remain a stark reminder of the high cost of forbidden love.

Findings reveal that to ensure a clean break from this past relationship, Tunde Ayeni’s property firm recently wrote to the occupants of one of his choice properties in Victoria Island to inform them that Gail Fajembola should no longer be allowed to use the address as her mailing address and should no longer receive her mails through the office address. The correspondence was firm in its assertion that the business mogul and his company no longer have anything to do with Gail. ( letter attached).

To further lend credence to the position that the relationship has since been consigned to the backyard of history, another source disclosed that Dr Ayeni, nowadays, often makes it clear to confidants and close business associates that he was done with the past social life and that the new chapter of his life is focused on expanding and deepening his business interests.

When contacted on the Gail relocation issue and the allegation that he facilitated it, the businessman said: “When will you guys leave me alone and stop disturbing me over mundane issues. I have made it clear, and it is in the media space: I’m done with all these issues of this relationship, that relationship. I have moved on, and I’m not looking back. What you are asking is in the realms of the past, and I’m now focused on the present and the future. Spare me, please. “t and the future. Spare me, please.”

A Businessman and His Siren: Tunde Ayeni Refutes News of His Fatal Return to Gail Fajembola

Business

BUA Foods Records 91% Surge in Profit After Tax, Hits ₦508bn in 2025

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BUA FOODS PLC RECORDS 101% PROFIT GROWTH IN H1 2025, CONSOLIDATES LEADERSHIP IN NIGERIA’S FOOD SECTOR …Revenue Rises to ₦912.5 Billion; PBT Hits ₦276.1 Billion

BUA Foods Records 91% Surge in Profit After Tax, Hits ₦508bn in 2025

By femi Oyewale

BUA Foods Plc has delivered one of the most impressive financial performances in Nigeria’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, recording a 91 per cent increase in Profit After Tax (PAT) for the 2025 financial year.
According to the company’s unaudited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2025, Profit After Tax rose sharply to ₦508 billion, compared with ₦266 billion recorded in 2024, underscoring strong operational efficiency, improved cost management, and resilience despite a challenging macroeconomic environment.
The near-doubling of profit reflects BUA Foods’ ability to navigate rising input costs, foreign exchange volatility, and inflationary pressures that weighed heavily on manufacturers throughout the year. Analysts note that the performance places the company among the strongest earnings growers on the Nigerian Exchange in 2025.
The company’s Q4 2025 performance further highlights this momentum. Group turnover stood at ₦383.4 billion, while gross profit came in at ₦151.5 billion, demonstrating sustained demand across its core product lines including sugar, flour, pasta, and rice.
Despite a year marked by higher operating costs across the industry, BUA Foods maintained disciplined spending. Administrative and selling expenses were kept under control relative to revenue, helping to protect margins.
Operating profit for Q4 2025 stood at ₦126.9 billion, reinforcing the company’s strong core earnings capacity. Although finance costs and foreign exchange losses remained a factor, reflecting the broader economic realities, BUA Foods still closed the period with a Net Profit Before Tax of ₦102.3 billion for the quarter.
Earnings Per Share Rise Sharply
Shareholders were among the biggest beneficiaries of the strong performance. Earnings Per Share (EPS) rose significantly, reflecting the substantial growth in net income and strengthening the company’s investment appeal.
Market watchers say the improved earnings profile could support sustained investor confidence, especially as the company continues to consolidate its leadership position in Nigeria’s food manufacturing space.
BUA Foods Records 91% Surge in Profit After Tax, Hits ₦508bn in 2025

By femi Oyewale
Industry Leadership Amid Economic Headwinds
BUA Foods’ 2025 results stand out against a backdrop of currency depreciation, energy cost spikes, and logistics challenges that constrained many manufacturers. The company’s scale, backward integration strategy, and local sourcing advantages are widely seen as key contributors to its resilience.
Outlook
With a 91% year-on-year growth in PAT, BUA Foods enters 2026 on a strong footing. Analysts expect the company to remain a major driver of growth in the consumer goods sector, provided macroeconomic stability improves and cost pressures ease.
For now, the 2025 numbers send a clear signal: BUA Foods is not only growing—it is accelerating.
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Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards

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Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards

Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards

In celebration of the season of love, Adron Homes and Properties has announced the launch of its special Valentine campaign, “Love for Love” Promo, a customer-centric initiative designed to reward Nigerians who choose to express love through smart, lasting real estate investments.

The Love for Love Promo offers clients attractive discounts, flexible payment options, and an array of exclusive gift items, reinforcing Adron Homes’ commitment to making property ownership both rewarding and accessible. The campaign runs throughout the Valentine season and applies to the company’s wide portfolio of estates and housing projects strategically located across Nigeria.

 

Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards

Speaking on the promo, the company’s Managing Director, Mrs Adenike Ajobo, stated that the initiative is aimed at encouraging individuals and families to move beyond conventional Valentine gifts by investing in assets that secure their future. According to the company, love is best demonstrated through stability, legacy, and long-term value—principles that real estate ownership represents.

Under the promo structure, clients who make a payment of ₦100,000 receive cake, chocolates, and a bottle of wine, while those who pay ₦200,000 are rewarded with a Love Hamper. Payments of ₦500,000 attract a Love Hamper plus cake, and clients who pay ₦1,000,000 enjoy a choice of a Samsung phone or a Love Hamper with cake.

The rewards become increasingly premium as commitment grows. Clients who pay ₦5,000,000 receive either an iPad or an all-expenses-paid romantic getaway for a couple at one of Nigeria’s finest hotels, which includes two nights’ accommodation, special treats, and a Love Hamper. A payment of ₦10,000,000 comes with a choice of a Samsung Z Fold 7, three nights at a top-tier resort in Nigeria, or a full solar power installation.

For high-value investors, the Love for Love Promo delivers exceptional lifestyle experiences. Clients who pay ₦30,000,000 on land are rewarded with a three-night couple’s trip to Doha, Qatar, or South Africa, while purchasers of any Adron Homes house valued at ₦50,000,000 receive a double-door refrigerator.

The promo covers Adron Homes’ estates located in Lagos, Shimawa, Sagamu, Atan–Ota, Papalanto, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Osun, Ekiti, Abuja, Nasarawa, and Niger States, offering clients the opportunity to invest in fast-growing, strategically positioned communities nationwide.

Adron Homes reiterated that beyond the incentives, the campaign underscores the company’s strong reputation for secure land titles, affordable pricing, strategic locations, and a proven legacy in real estate development.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, Adron Homes encourages Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to take advantage of the Love for Love Promo to enjoy exceptional value, exclusive rewards, and the opportunity to build a future rooted in love, security, and prosperity.

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Why Nigeria’s Banks Still on Shaky Ground with Big Profits, Weak Capital

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*Why Nigeria’s Banks Still on Shaky Ground with Big Profits, Weak Capital*

*BY BLAISE UDUNZE*

Despite the fragile 2024 economy grappling with inflation, currency volatility, and weak growth, Nigeria’s banking industry was widely portrayed as successful and strong amid triumphal headlines. The figures appeared to signal strength, resilience, and superior management as the Tier-1 banks such as Access Bank, Zenith Bank, GTBank, UBA, and First Bank of Nigeria, collectively reported profits approaching, and in some cases exceeding, N1 trillion. Surprisingly, a year later, these same banks touted as sound and solid are locked in a frenetic race to the capital markets, issuing rights offers and public placements back-to-back to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s N500 billion recapitalisation thresholds.

 

The contradiction is glaring. If Nigeria’s biggest banks are so profitable, why are they unable to internally fund their new capital requirements? Why have no fewer than 27 banks tapped the capital market in quick succession despite repeated assurances of balance-sheet robustness? And more fundamentally, what do these record profits actually say about the real health of the banking system?

 

The recapitalisation directive announced by the CBN in 2024 was ambitious by design. Banks with international licences were required to raise minimum capital to N500 billion by March 2026, while national and regional banks faced lower but still substantial thresholds ranging from N200 billion to N50 billion, respectively. Looking at the policy, it was sold as a modern reform meant to make banks stronger, more resilient in tough times, and better able to support major long-term economic development. In theory, strong banks should welcome such reforms. In practice, the scramble that followed has exposed uncomfortable truths about the structure of bank profitability in Nigeria.

 

At the heart of the inconsistency is a fundamental misunderstanding often encouraged by the banks themselves between profits and capital. Unknown to many, profitability, no matter how impressive, does not automatically translate into regulatory capital. Primarily, the CBN’s recapitalisation framework actually focuses on money paid in by shareholders when buying shares, fresh equity injected by investors over retained earnings or profits that exist mainly on paper.

 

This distinction matters because much of the profit surge recorded in 2024 and early 2025 was neither cash-generative nor sustainably repeatable. A significant portion of those headline banks’ profits reported actually came from foreign exchange revaluation gains following the sharp fall of the naira after exchange-rate unification. The industry witnessed that banks’ holding dollar-denominated assets their books showed bigger numbers as their balance sheets swell in naira terms, creating enormous paper profits without a corresponding improvement in underlying operational strength. These gains inflated income statements but did little to strengthen core capital, especially after the CBN barred banks from using FX revaluation gains for dividends or routine operations. In effect, banks looked richer without becoming stronger.

 

Beyond FX effects, Nigerian banks have increasingly relied on non-interest income fees, charges, and transaction levies to drive profitability. While this model is lucrative, it does not necessarily deepen financial intermediation or expand productive lending. High profits built on customer charges rather than loan growth offer limited support for long-term balance-sheet expansion. They also leave banks vulnerable when macroeconomic conditions shift, as is now happening.

Indeed, the recapitalisation exercise coincides with a turning point in the monetary cycle. The extraordinary conditions that supported bank earnings in 2024 and 2025 are beginning to unwind. Analysts now warn that Nigerian banks are approaching earnings reset, as net interest margins the backbone of traditional banking profitability, come under sustained pressure.

Renaissance Capital, in a January note, projects that major banks including Zenith, GTCO, Access Holdings, and UBA will struggle to deliver earnings growth in 2026 comparable to recent performance.

 

In a real sense, the CBN is expected to lower interest rates by 400 to 500 basis points because inflation is slowing down, and this means that banks will earn less on loans and government bonds, but they may not be able to quickly lower the interest they pay on deposits or other debts. The cash reserve requirements are still elevated, which does not earn interest; banks can’t easily increase or expand lending investments to make up for lower returns. The implications are significant. Net interest margin, the difference between what banks earn on loans and investments and what they pay on deposits, is poised to contract. Deposit competition is intensifying as lenders fight to shore up liquidity ahead of recapitalisation deadlines, pushing up funding costs. At the same time, yields on treasury bills and bonds, long a safe and lucrative haven for banks are expected to soften in a lower-rate environment. The result is a narrowing profit cushion just as banks are being asked to carry far larger equity bases.

 

Compounding this challenge is the fading of FX revaluation windfalls. With the naira relatively more stable in early 2026, the non-cash gains that once flattered bank earnings have largely evaporated. What remains is the less glamorous reality of core banking operations: credit risk management, cost efficiency, and genuine loan growth in a sluggish economy. In this new environment, maintaining headline profits will be far harder, even before accounting for the dilutive impact of recapitalisation.

 

That dilution is another underappreciated consequence of the capital rush. Massive share issuances mean that even if banks manage to sustain absolute profit levels, earnings per share and return on equity are likely to decline. Zenith, Access, UBA, and others are dramatically increasing their share counts. The same earnings pie is now being divided among many more shareholders, making individual returns leaner than during the pre-recapitalisation boom. For investors, the optics of strong profits may soon give way to the reality of weaker per-share performance.

Yet banks have pressed ahead, not only out of regulatory necessity but also strategic calculation.

 

During this period of recapitalization, investors are interested in the stock market with optimism, especially about bank shares, as banks are raising fresh capital, and this makes it easier to attract investments. This has become a season for the management teams to seize the moment to raise funds at relatively attractive valuations, strengthen ownership positions, and position themselves for post-recapitalisation dominance. In several cases, major shareholders and insiders have increased their stakes, as projected in the media, signalling confidence in long-term prospects even as near-term returns face pressure.

 

There is also a broader structural ambition at play. Well-capitalised banks can take on larger single obligor exposures, finance infrastructure projects, expand regionally, and compete more credibly with pan-African and global peers. From this perspective, recapitalisation is not merely about compliance but about reshaping the competitive hierarchy of Nigerian banking. What will be witnessed in the industry is that those who succeed will emerge larger, fewer, and more powerful. Those that fail will be forced into consolidation, retreat, or irrelevance.

 

For the wider economy, the outcome is ambiguous. Stronger banks with deeper capital buffers could improve systemic stability and enhance Nigeria’s ability to fund long-term development. The point is that while merging or consolidating banks may make them safer, it can also harm the market and the economy because it will reduce competition, let a few banks dominate, and encourage them to earn easy money from bonds and fees instead of funding real businesses. The truth be told, injecting more capital into the banks without complementary reforms in credit infrastructure, risk-sharing mechanisms, and fiscal discipline, isn’t enough as the aforementioned reforms are also needed.

 

The rush as exposed in this period, is that the moment Nigerian banks started raising new capital, the glaring reality behind their reported profits became clearer, that profits weren’t purely from good management, while the financial industry is not as sound and strong as its headline figures. The fact that trillion-naira profit banks must return repeatedly to shareholders for fresh capital is not a sign of excess strength, but of structural imbalance.

 

With the deadline for banks to raise new capital coming soon, by 31 March 2026, the focus has shifted from just raising N500 billion. N200 billion or N50 billion to think about the future shape and quality of Nigeria’s financial industry, or what it will actually look like afterward. Will recapitalisation mark a turning point toward deeper intermediation, lower dependence on speculative gains, and stronger support for economic growth? Or will it simply reset the numbers while leaving underlying incentives unchanged?

The answer will define the next chapter of Nigerian banking long after the capital market roadshows have ended and the profit headlines have faded.

 

 

Blaise, a journalist and PR professional, writes from Lagos and can be reached via: [email protected]

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