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Why Nigerians are hungry – Sultan Of Sokoto reveals

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The Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), Alhaji Dr. Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, has charged traditional rulers nationwide to support the implementation of the recently approved and launched National Ethics and Integrity Policy, a brainchild of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).  The Sultan made this statement during the Plenary session of the 12th General Assembly of NCTRN which took place on Monday in Kano, after a presentation of the Policy to the Council by the ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN.  According to the Sultan, traditional rulers have a key role to play in governance including the promotion of government policies. He cited the example of the polio vaccine and noted that the support of traditional rulers in the distribution of the vaccine led to the successful eradication of polio from the country.  “Whatever you support, succeeds” the Sultan stated.  He, therefore, called on the royal fathers to put their weight solidly behind ICPC and NOA, to ensure a successful implementation of the Policy. Furthermore, the Sultan urged ICPC and its partners to collaborate with relevant stakeholders such as the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), who are experts on policy formulation and implementation, as well as the media to give the work of the Commission more publicity. He charged ICPC to take the message of the core values of the policy to every state and local government of the Federation.  The Chairman of ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, had requested the support and collaboration of the traditional rulers in the implementation of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy, which he said would restore the lost values of honesty and integrity Nigeria was known for. He stated that ICPC, OSGF, and NOA recognized the powers and responsibilities of traditional rulers as custodians of the culture and traditions of the people, adding that the support and cooperation of traditional rulers in the implementation of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy would bring about the success of the policy.  He further explained the policy has been simplified and translated into pidgin English, Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba to enhance communication and understanding about its contents. Giving a background to the policy and its objectives, the ICPC boss dwelt on the implementation of the policy using a National Action Plan and Consequence Management Template, both of which are meant to serve as guidelines on how they can promote the values towards attaining a better society.  He explained that beyond prescribed penal and administrative sanctions contained in the policy, traditional rulers could enforce social sanctions of denouncing conduct not in alignment with acceptable societal values by naming and shaming defaulters, pointing out that “every violation of a cherished value should be seen as a violation of the law”. Explaining further, the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari said the central focus of the policy was the 7 core values it contained, adding that as first-class traditional rulers, their support and cooperation would help in making the public own and practice those core values of Human Dignity, Voice and Participation, Patriotism, Personal Responsibility, Integrity, National Unity and Professionalism.  Other royal fathers who spoke at the occasion commended the efforts of ICPC, NOA, and OSGF, saying that the Policy could bring a long-term solution to the problems of corruption in Nigeria.

 

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar has said there is hunger in the land (Nigeria) because people are lazy.

He was responding to the remarks of the chairman of the Shura committee of the National Islamic Centre, Ahmad Bello who said that there is extreme hunger in the land at the 22rd annual Ummah Convention held in Sokoto.

According to the Sultan, Nigeria is endowed with fertile land that if properly harnessed could lead the country to greatness but for the laziness of the people.

“The chairman, Shura committee talk about hunger in the land but let me make it clear that we are hungry because we are lazy.
Let us be very frank and blunt about this- there is hunger, extreme hunger in the  land.

There is no more vociferous and forceful evidence on this than the millions of our hapless children, all victims of cruel parental neglect, who go about begging for food from households, on streets, or just eating out of dustbin.”

Daily Trust reports the monarch recalled that agriculture had been the pride of the north in the past which need to be restored.

He also urged Nigerians, particularly northerners to take advantage of the agricultural programmes initiated by their state and federal governments for development of the region and the country in general.

 

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Dennis Ekamah Isn’t Building Houses—He’s Redefining What Home Means for Africans Through PropTech

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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

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Landmark Judgment: Federal High Court Dismisses ₦50bn Oil Spill Claim Against ExxonMobil

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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.

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Union Bank Honoured by ASBON at Nigeria National SME Business Awards

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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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