Business
Protect Women Against Abuse, Ambode Urges Govs
…As Ajimobi, Aregbesola, Dickson, Others Underscore Women’s Role In Nation Building
Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday acknowledged the resilient nature of women and their strategic role in national development, saying that it was important for concerted efforts to be made to protect them against abuse and anything that can inhibit their progress.
Speaking at the 2017 National Women Summit of Oyo State Officials’ Wives Association (OYSOWA) held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Governor Ambode said women are endowed with God-given abilities to get stronger no matter the circumstances and equally make positive difference in the lives of others even at their detriment.
The Governor, who attended the event alongside his wife, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, said the least to appreciate women is for efforts to be made to create space for them and fight for their rights.
According to Governor Ambode, “The least we can do to appreciate our women and reciprocate their resilience and sacrifice is to give them all the support they require to achieve their dreams.
“As a Governor, I am strongly committed and determined to create the space for our women and protect them against abuse and everything that will inhibit their progress.
“This is my commitment and I believe, it is the same for my other colleagues, including my brother, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State whose support for his darling wife has made this event a reality.”
While describing the theme of the summit which is “The Resilient Woman: Making a Difference,” as apt, Governor Ambode said it confirmed the hidden strengths of women which keep them going even in the face of most difficult challenges.
He added: “It is this resilience that has made the woman the warmth and bond that keeps the family together.
“This is very graphically expressed in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt who said “a woman is like a tea bag – you cannot tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water”. Our women have shown that they are not only strong but resilient, hardworking, gentle, loving and beautiful.
“Over the years, the indispensability of women in governance has continued to be appreciated and recognized particularly in this part of the world. In Lagos, whenever I have the opportunity I always say this; if you want a job done well, give it to a woman. Women make the difference,” Governor Ambode said.
Besides, Governor Ambode admonished women to positively deploy their skill set in any given position for the betterment of the country.
In their lectures, former Vice President of Zimbabwe, Dr Joice Musuru and former First Lady of Liberia, Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor, who were the keynote speakers, said African women must be inspired to do more even when the challenge appears insurmountable and also have the desire to make positive transformation.
They also advised women to be real, create their own stories, never give up and mentor the next generation of women leaders.
In their goodwill messages, Governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) and the host Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) all underscored the importance of women to nation building, saying any society or organization that position women other than the frontline role is destined for failure.
They also called on women to revive the tradition of productivity and responsibility to the country in their children, saying such would bring about a better society, better nation and better people.
Business
Dennis Ekamah Isn’t Building Houses—He’s Redefining What Home Means for Africans Through PropTech
Dennis Ekamah Isn’t Building Houses—He’s Redefining What Home Means for Africans Through PropTech.
The founder of coHouse.ng is reimagining how millions of Africans access, experience, and share housing through technology.
In Africa’s rapidly evolving innovation landscape, the most transformative companies are no longer defined by the industries they enter, but by the systems they redesign.
For Dennis Ekamah, the opportunity was never about constructing buildings, it was about confronting a deeper question.
why is access to housing still so structurally difficult for millions of Africans in a digital age?
Rather than stepping into real estate as a developer. Dennis chose a different path, positioning coHouse.ng as a PropTech platform rethinking how housing is accessed, experienced, and shared. At the heart of this vision which is connecting potential home owners together via resource pooling for the purpose of either Living or Growth. Simply, *Connect. Live. Grow.*
*A Platform Not a Property Company*
coHouse.ng is not a real estate company. It is a technology-driven ecosystem connecting like-minded individuals into structured communities where they can live intentionally, invest collectively, and grow within a shared system.
From Insight to Recognition
In 2025, coHouse.ng was recognised among the Top 50 Tech Startups in Africa. Even ahead of its official launch, the platform attracted over 1,000 early waitlist users, individuals eager to be part of a new way of living and investing.
Solving for Access, Alignment, and Trust
Dennis Ekamah’s diagnosis goes deeper than supply shortfalls. The real barriers he argues are access, coordination, and trust. coHouse.ng tackles all three through identity verification powered by a third party verification system api. coHouse is not flying solo without the help and collaboration with government bodies across Nigeria and other African countries.
In his words;
“Imagine what you would achieve as an individual or group if you’re living with the right people or like-minded individuals around you.”
I’m not a developer, I’m not a professional realtor, I’m just someone who sees the need for this solution based on the problem we face as youth/young entrepreneurs in today’s housing deficiency across Africa.
— Dennis Ekamah
Join our waitlist by visiting www.cohouse.ng
Business
Landmark Judgment: Federal High Court Dismisses ₦50bn Oil Spill Claim Against ExxonMobil
Landmark Judgment: Federal High Court Dismisses ₦50bn Oil Spill Claim Against ExxonMobil
The Federal High Court sitting in Uyo has dismissed a ₦50 billion lawsuit filed against ExxonMobil, sued as Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, now Seplat Energy Producing, in a ruling analysts say could significantly reshape oil spill litigation and compensation claims in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
Delivering judgment on April 29, 2026, Justice Onyetenu held that the suit instituted by the Ejige Ore Njenyisi Muma & Fishing Co-operative Society Ltd was incompetent and liable to dismissal for lack of jurisdiction.
The plaintiffs had sought ₦50 billion in damages over an alleged hydrocarbon spill said to have occurred on September 12, 2021.
However, counsel to the defendant, Chinonso Ekuma of KENNA LP, successfully argued that the claimants failed to disclose any legally recognisable violation attributable to the oil firm.
In its findings, the court held that the plaintiffs failed to establish any actionable wrongdoing against the defendant.
A key element in the court’s decision was the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) Report tendered by the plaintiffs themselves, which showed that the alleged spill incident was confined within ExxonMobil’s operational facility and did not impact the members of the cooperative society or their sources of livelihood.
The court further ruled that claims arising from such incidents must be pursued strictly under the statutory compensation framework provided in Section 11(5) of the Oil Pipelines Act, rather than through common-law claims founded on negligence or nuisance.
Justice Onyetenu held that the plaintiffs’ attempt to circumvent the statutory regime by framing the suit as a tort action rendered the matter incompetent before the court, thereby depriving it of jurisdiction.
Legal analysts say the judgment reinforces the supremacy of the Oil Pipelines Act in determining compensation procedures relating to oil pipeline incidents and environmental claims in Nigeria.
The ruling is also seen as strengthening the evidential weight of Joint Investigation Visit Reports, particularly in cases where such reports indicate no direct impact on claimants or host communities.
Industry observers believe the judgment will have far-reaching implications for future oil spill litigation, especially regarding the procedural requirements for compensation claims against oil operators.
The court’s decision further provides clarity for operators within Nigeria’s energy sector by reaffirming that compliance with Section 11(5) of the Oil Pipelines Act is mandatory and cannot be sidestepped through alternative legal formulations.
While K.O. Uzuokwu appeared for the plaintiffs, the defence was led by Chinonso Ekuma of KENNA LP on behalf of ExxonMobil.
Bank
Union Bank Honoured by ASBON at Nigeria National SME Business Awards
Union Bank Honoured by ASBON at Nigeria National SME Business Awards
Lagos, Nigeria – Union Bank of Nigeria has reaffirmed its reputation as a strong supporter of Nigerian businesses, receiving the Best SME Growth Banking Initiatives Award for 2025 from the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON) at the Nigeria National SME Business Awards, held recently in Lagos.
The award was presented to the Bank in recognition of its strategic leadership in advancing the growth and resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises, through a differentiated suite of solutions designed to enable business expansion and long-term value creation.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Bank, Ayokunnumi Abraham, Head of SME Segment at Union Bank, described the recognition as a strong endorsement of the Bank’s commitment to supporting small and medium-sized businesses. He said:
“We are honoured to receive this recognition, which reflects Union Bank’s continued commitment to helping SMEs grow by making banking simpler, faster, and more accessible. Through enhancements to our specialised platforms such as Union360, we have meaningfully reduced the time it takes for businesses to come on board and begin transacting. These improvements have shortened onboarding, increased digital adoption among our SME customers, and supported the acquisition of new business clients. Our focus remains on delivering practical solutions that help Nigerian businesses thrive.”
Organised by ASBON in partnership with the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, the event convened stakeholders from the public and private sectors to recognise individuals and organisations driving meaningful impact across Nigeria’s SME ecosystem.
Union Bank remains focused on deepening its support for SMEs through customer-led solutions and processes that strengthen business growth across the ecosystem.
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