A wave of unity and purpose has swept across Remoland as traditional rulers, political leaders, and prominent stakeholders stand firmly behind the call for the creation of Remo State, a separate and sovereign entity within the Nigerian federation.

This bold declaration follows decades of marginalization and the failed attempt to co-create Ijebu-Remo State. Today, Remo leaders assert that their future lies in charting a distinct course—one anchored in their shared identity, cultural heritage, and economic potential. The proposed capital of the envisioned Remo State is Sagamu.

At the recent press conference held at the palace of the Akarigbo of Remoland, speakers emphasized that Remo is no longer aligning with the Ijebu in the state creation struggle. While expressing goodwill towards their Ijebu counterparts, the Remo delegation stated clearly that any arrangement that attempts to subsume Remo under another identity will be firmly rejected.

The Remo State proposal includes the local government areas of Sagamu, Ikenne, and Remo North, along with other Remo-speaking communities. With a strong industrial base, strategic proximity to Lagos, and the ongoing development of key infrastructure such as the Ogun Agro-Cargo Airport, Remo leaders believe their region is economically and administratively capable of sustaining a state.

Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD), representing Ogun East Senatorial District, praised the initiative and pledged to foster peaceful dialogue between the Remo and Ijebu people. He acknowledged the strong leadership of the Remo Committee on State Creation and called for continued engagement across all levels.

Elder statesmen, including Chief S.K. Onafowokan and Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, lent their voices to the cause, calling for strategic diplomacy while reiterating Remo’s stance on autonomy.

Aare Dr. Kola Oyefeso, Chairman of the Remo State Creation Committee, reiterated that the campaign is peaceful, democratic, and people-driven. He assured that Remo would not accept any merger that erodes its identity and would prefer to remain within Ogun State rather than be annexed into an unfamiliar structure.

• As the movement gains momentum, calls are being made to all Remo indigenes, at home and in the diaspora, to support the cause through advocacy, representation, and resource mobilization.

Gabonese President Honours Tony Elumelu with National Award for Championing African Development.

The President of the Republic of Gabon, His Excellency, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, has conferred the nation’s honours – the Commander in the National Order of Gabonese Merit – on the Group Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr. Tony Elumelu.

The distinguished award recognises Elumelu’s enduring contribution to Africa’s economic development, particularly his impact on youth entrepreneurship and infrastructure growth in Gabon and across the continent.

Speaking at the presidential palace while presenting the recognition in Libreville on Monday, Nguema, who was on Saturday sworn in as the newly elected President of the oil-rich country, praised Elumelu’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development in Africa, adding that ‘Tony Elumelu is not only a visionary entrepreneur but also a committed friend of our nation Gabon. Through his Foundation and the UBA Group, he has consistently shown that investing in Africa is not just good business – it is the key to our shared future. Today, we honour a man whose actions continue to empower young Africans and inspire nations.”

While acknowledging the recognition, Elumelu, who has made several high-level visits to Gabon in recent months, expressed deep gratitude for the recognition and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the country’s development agenda:

“I am truly humbled by this honour. It is a reflection not just of my personal journey, but of a shared belief – that African-led solutions, African entrepreneurs, and African institutions will shape the future of this continent. Gabon holds enormous potential, and I am proud that the Tony Elumelu Foundation and UBA Group can play a role in unlocking it,” Elumelu said.

“This is more than a medal – it is a reminder of what we can achieve together as Africans,” Elumelu stated adding that, “At UBA and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, we remain committed to building bridges, not just between nations, but between ambition and opportunity.”

The recognition comes at a crucial time for Gabon, as the country accelerates its economic recovery and prioritises inclusive growth under the new leadership.

Elumelu’s engagement focuses on two key pillars of Infrastructure financing which is essential for long-term economic transformation and Youth entrepreneurship, championed through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which offers training, mentorship, and $5,000 in non-refundable seed capital to young Gabonese and African entrepreneurs each year.

The award also highlights the strengthening of financial partnership between Gabon and the UBA, which has a strong presence across the continent and is a key driver of financial inclusion and development.

Elumelu is the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, his family owned investment company committed to improving lives and transforming Africa, through long-term investments in strategic sectors of the African economy, including financial services, hospitality, power, energy, technology and healthcare.

He is the Chairman of pan-African financial services group, the United Bank for Africa (UBA), which operates in 20 countries across Africa, the United Kingdom, France, the UAE and is the only African bank with a commercial deposit taking presence in the United States. UBA provides corporate, commercial, SME and consumer banking services to more than 35 million customers globally. He also chairs Nigeria’s largest quoted conglomerate, Transcorp whose subsidiaries include Transcorp Power, one of the leading producers of electricity in Nigeria and Transcorp Hotels Plc, Nigeria’s foremost hospitality brand.

Tony is the most prominent champion of entrepreneurship in Africa. In 2010, he created The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the leading philanthropy, empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, catalysing economic growth, driving poverty eradication and driving job creation across all 54 African countries. Since inception, the Foundation’s flagship programme has identified and catalysed 18,500 entrepreneurs and created a digital ecosystem of over one million Africans, as part of a ten-year US$100m commitment to fund, mentor and train young Africans.

Tony’s businesses and the Foundation are inspired by his economic philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions the private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the African continent.

In 2020, in recognition of his business leadership and economic empowerment of young African entrepreneurs, Tony was named in the TIME100 Most Influential People in the World, and recognised with Belgium’s oldest royal order.