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Tony Elumelu Foundation Donates N1bn for Empowerment of Women in 36 States, FCT

Tony Elumelu Foundation Donates N1bn for Empowerment of Women in 36 States, FCT

Tony Icheku in Owerri 

The Tony Elumelu Foundation has donated N1billion to the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to support 500 women from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to receive N50,000 to strengthen their businesses.

This is coming as the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has challenged the Board and management of the Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority to close the gaps that exist in water, agriculture, power, food security, livestock, and other sectors in the South-east in particular and Nigeria at large in the course of discharging their duties.

Speaking in Owerri, Imo State capital, during the launch of the Women Economic Empowerment Programme, the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said the programme launched under the auspices of the Renewed Hope Initiative Women, in conjunction with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, is part of the federal government’s efforts to empower women economically.

Flagging off the programme at the Banquet Hall, Government House Owerri, in an address read on her behalf by the wife of the Imo State Governor, Mrs Chioma Uzodimma, Mrs Tinubu disclosed that the economic empowerment programme is about supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of women traders and small-scale business owners who provide for their families, educate their children as well as uplift their communities. 

The First Lady further disclosed that the Governor of Imo State, in his magnanimity, increased the Tony Elumelu kind gesture by adding another N50,000 each, making it N100,000 to be given to the pre-selected beneficiaries from the 27 local government areas in Imo State.

Senator Oluremi emphasised that the empowerment is not a loan, stressing that it is a grant, a seed of the Renewed Hope Initiative to help them re-capitalise their existing businesses.

 “I believe that when you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed a nation”, the First Lady opined.

She expressed gratitude to Governor Uzodimma and his wife for their support in executing all the programmes of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).

Highpoint of the programme was the presentation of N100,000 cash each to the selected 500 women by Mrs Uzodimma.

In another development, Governor Uzodimma has challenged the Board and management of the Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority to close the gaps that exist in water, agriculture, power, food security, livestock, and other sectors in the South-east in particular and Nigeria at large in the course of discharging their duties.

Uzodimma, who spoke while receiving the Board and Management of the Authority led by the Chairman, Senator Emmanuel Anosike, during a courtesy call at Government House, Owerri, expressed confidence in the integrity of the new board, given the background of the Chairman, Senator Anosike, and the Managing Director of the agency, Hon. Emeka Nduka.

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Tony Icheku in Owerri  The Tony Elumelu Foundation has donated N1billion to the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to support 500 women from each of the 36 states and the Federal

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Over 90% of Informal Sector Operators Have No Capacity to Pay Tax, Says Taiwo Oyedele

Over 90% of Informal Sector Operators Have No Capacity to Pay Tax, Says Taiwo Oyedele

The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has said more than 90 per cent of Nigeria’s informal sector operators do not have the capacity to pay taxes.

Speaking during an interactive session with journalists, influencers, and public analysts on the new tax laws at the weekend, Oyedele said data available to the committee does not support the widespread narrative that government revenue lies untapped in the informal sector.

“This is the reason why Nigeria has ended up introducing multiple taxes, because we are trying to chase people in the informal sector now and then,” the chairman said.

“When in fact, more than 90 per cent of operators in that sector are just there for survival. They are just trying to find how to put food on the table from one day to another. They have no capacity to pay taxes.

“If somebody is roasting corn by the roadside, if they have customers from when they resume in the morning until they close at night, they are still a poor person. If somebody is a vulcaniser, and they have customers all around for the day, they are still poor.

“If somebody is pushing wheelbarrows to carry goods for people, and they have customers all the time around day long, they are still poor. They have no capacity to pay taxes and should not be taxed.”

He said this is why President Bola Tinubu insisted that poverty and capital should not be taxed.

“We should not tax seeds but wait for the fruits,” he added.

Oyedele said Nigeria’s new tax laws have made evading taxes expensive for both individuals and professionals in the system.

He stated that while the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) collected over N20 trillion in taxes last year, and is already on track to surpass that figure this year, the reforms have introduced tighter structures and stronger accountability.

 “These new tax laws have put in place more structures, more provisions, and more requirements to hold them to account, to make sure that they do their work with responsibility, that they are more diligent,” he said.

“There are even instances in the new tax law where there are personal liabilities for an officer not doing what they are supposed to do. So, we have strengthened the governance, also accountability, their report that they must present now, and make public, which they were not doing before.

“Whatever it is that the FRS is doing today, under the new tax law, it will be a better agency from all angles.”

The fiscal policy chief said the reforms also removed opportunities for leakages, noting that all taxes now go directly into the federation account rather than accounts controlled by FIRS.

On corruption in the tax system, Oyedele said taxpayers, tax officers, and consultants had all contributed to malpractice in the past.

“These new tax laws have now made provisions to address all the parties,” he said.

“As a taxpayer, trying to evade your taxes now is more expensive under the new tax law. As a consultant, you are being monitored for what you do.

“In fact, there is a requirement for registration of a tax agent, and we monitor what they do on the system, and then for the tax officer, that is even the one who is riskier now. So overall, we think this is taking us in the right direction,” he added.

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The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has said more than 90 per cent of Nigeria’s informal sector operators do not have the capacity

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On Occasion of World Teachers’ Day, UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF Say 44m Additional Teachers Needed Worldwide

On Occasion of World Teachers’ Day, UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF Say 44m Additional Teachers Needed Worldwide

• ASUSS decries non-implementation of new teachers’ retirement age in 16 states

Uchechukwu Nnaike and Funmi Ogundare 

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the World Teachers’ Day, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Education International have raised the alarm that additional 44 million teachers are needed worldwide to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030.

In their joint message to mark the occasion, which is celebrated worldwide today, they also called on governments, partners and the international community to make a collective commitment to ensuring that collaboration is recognised as a norm within the teaching profession.

This is as the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) has expressed dismay over the non-implementation of the harmonised retirement age for teachers by some state governors, describing it as demoralising.

UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF and Education International emphasised that “it is only through effective cooperation at all levels that we can build truly inclusive, equitable and resilient education systems worldwide.”

World Teachers’ Day is observed every October 5 to celebrate all teachers around the world.

It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the status of teachers, which sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. 

The 2025 theme, ‘Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession’, emphasises the importance of teamwork, mentorship and mutual support among teachers, school leaders, and the broader education community to improve educational outcomes and strengthen the profession as a whole.

In a joint message, Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Audrey Azoulay; Director-General of the International Labour Organisation, Mr. Gilbert Houngbo; Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Catherine Russell; and General Secretary, Education International, Mr. David Edwards, said though teachers are the backbone of quality education, the profession is currently facing an  unprecedented crisis – one requiring  political mobilisation at the highest  level.

According to them, “the Global Report on Teachers warns that an additional 44 million teachers are needed worldwide if we are to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030. In just seven years, the number of teachers leaving the profession has doubled – further exacerbating the widespread shortage.

“This crisis is compounded by teachers’ working conditions. Teachers all too often experience professional isolation, with few opportunities for continued development, peer learning and the cooperation needed to ensure effective teaching practices.”

They argued that reversing current trends in teacher attrition and recruitment demands not only increased investment, but also policies that foster collaborative working environments throughout teachers’ careers.

They stated that this year’s theme “reminds us of the fundamentally collective and relational nature of education. It calls for teacher collaboration – in the classroom, in the digital sphere and in decision-making spaces – in order to strengthen motivation and resilience within this essential profession, and enhance the quality of education for millions of students.”

They stressed that rooting the profession in collaboration starts from “the earliest days of a teacher’s career. “Shaping a professional identity grounded in cooperation, rather than isolation, requires peer learning, co-teaching and mentoring to be placed at the heart of their initial and continued training. This is why UNESCO has supported the training of over 1.4 million teachers worldwide since 2018, providing them with opportunities to   strengthen their skills alongside experts and peers.” 

Meanwhile, the National President of ASUSS, Comrade Sola Adigun, said that the 2025 theme underscores the need for unity among teachers, government, parents, communities and education authorities.

Adigun expressed dismay over the non-implementation of the harmonised retirement age for teachers by some state governors, describing it as demoralising.

In a statement issued at the weekend, Adigun said about 16 states are yet to adopt the new retirement age policy for teachers.

The new retirement age was announced by the late former President Muhammad Buhari on World Teachers’ Day in 2020.

The Federal Executive Council approved the bill in January 2021, and it was subsequently transmitted to the National Assembly in June 2021.

Section 1 of the Act stipulates that Nigerian teachers shall compulsorily retire upon reaching 65 years of age or completing 40 years of pensionable service, whichever comes first.

Adigun lamented that the failure of some state governors to implement this policy undermines collaboration among stakeholders necessary for quality secondary education in the country.

The ASUSS president urged states yet to establish Senior Secondary Education Boards to do so promptly, recruit qualified teachers and prioritiSe teacher welfare.

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• ASUSS decries non-implementation of new teachers’ retirement age in 16 states Uchechukwu Nnaike and Funmi Ogundare  As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the World Teachers’ Day,

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Omisore Declares Intention to Run for Osun Governorship on APC Platform in 2026

Omisore Declares Intention to Run for Osun Governorship on APC Platform in 2026

Segun James

A former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore, has announced his intention to contest the 2026 governorship election in Osun State under the platform of the APC.

Omisore made the declaration in a post on his X handle yesterday, saying the formal announcement would take place on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at the Osun APC Secretariat in Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo.

The declaration, themed “Fix the Broken, Restore Our Dreams.”

“My beloved people of Osun State, after deep reflection and wide consultations, I have decided to formally declare my intention to contest for the Governor of Osun State in 2026 under our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC),” Omisore wrote.

He added that his campaign would focus on restoring hope, strengthening governance, and delivering a brighter future for the people of the state.

“This is not just my mission; it is a collective one. I humbly invite you to join me as we take this bold step towards the Osun Rescue Mission 2026,” he said.

Omisore, who contested the 2014 governorship election in Osun State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before joining the APC, is expected to be among the frontline aspirants in the ruling party’s race for the governorship ticket.

Omisore, who served as deputy governor of Osun State between 1999 and 2003 under the Alliance for Democracy (AD), later became a senator representing Osun East from 2003 to 2011.

He was also the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee during his time in the National Assembly.

He contested the 2014 Osun State governorship election on the platform of the PDP but lost to the then-incumbent governor, Rauf Aregbesola.

After a brief stint with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), under which he contested the 2018 election, Omisore later joined the APC in 2021 and emerged National Secretary.

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Segun James A former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore, has announced his intention to contest the 2026 governorship election in Osun State under the