President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate dissolution of the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on the Alienation of Federal Government Properties. A statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, disclosed that “henceforth, all matters relating to the activities of the committee will be coordinated by the Honourable […]
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President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on the Alienation of Federal Government Properties.
The PIC was set up in 2000 during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration to oversee the privatisation, sale and lease of Federal Government landed assets.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onananuga, who announced the dissolution on Thursday, said all matters relating to the committee’s activities will now be handled by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
Membership of the PIC included the then Minister of Housing as chairperson, alongside representatives of the Ministries of Transportation, Justice, Health and Agriculture, as well as the Nigeria Police Force.
Professor P.T. Ahire, then a Deputy Director in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, served as the pioneer secretary, while other members were drawn from both the public and private sectors.
On March 22, 2001, the Federal Executive Council approved the establishment of a Panel of Inquiry to produce a White Paper to guide the implementation of its recommendations. The panel worked for 21 months before submitting its report.
Explaining the decision to scrap the committee, the presidency said its activities had gone beyond its original mandate.
“After careful consideration, the Government has noted that the activities of the PIC had extended beyond its original mandate, resulting in multiple litigations across the country, and the continued existence of the Committee is no longer justified,” the statement said.
The AGF was asked to coordinate all matters relating to the committee with effect from November 5, 2025.
The statement further directed the committee’s former secretary, B. S. Dutsin-Ma, to stop acting on behalf of the dissolved committee and the Federal Government on related matters.
Tinubu Dissolves Obasanjo-Era Presidential Committee is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Nigerian rapper and songwriter, Phyno, has released a new freestyle titled “Na Afa Nna” to kick off the campaign for his forthcoming album, SPIDER.
The award-winning artiste announced the release in a post on his verified Instagram page on Thursday.
“NA AFA NNA (freestyle) audio and video out now!!!” the rapper wrote, adding, “Road to the album.”
The announcement was accompanied by a one-minute video of the freestyle, while another post featured the artwork for the track.
Although Phyno did not disclose the album’s release date, the freestyle suggests the beginning of the rollout for SPIDER, his next studio project under his Penthauze Music imprint.
Fans flooded the comment section to express excitement over the freestyle and anticipation for the forthcoming album.
Phyno, born Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike, has built one of the most successful careers in Nigerian hip-hop.
He began as a music producer in 2003 before switching to rap around 2010, later emerging as one of the leading voices in indigenous hip-hop by rapping primarily in Igbo while blending English and Nigerian Pidgin.
Since breaking into the mainstream, he has released five studio albums, No Guts No Glory (2014), The Playmaker (2016), Deal With It (2019), Something to Live For (2021) and Full Time Job (2024).
He teamed up with Olamide for the collaborative album 2 Kings in 2015, regarded as one of the defining rap albums of its era.
His catalogue includes hit songs such as Ghost Mode, Man of the Year (Obago), Parcel, Alobam, Fada Fada, Fuwa Sewa, Agu, The Bag and Do I (Remix) featuring Burna Boy. Over the years, he has also collaborated with artistes including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Flavour, Timaya, Falz, Ice Prince and P-Square.
The rapper has won multiple Headies awards, including Best Rap Single for Man of the Year and Parcel, and Best Collaboration for Ghost Mode. He was also named Comeback of the Year at the 2024 TurnTable Music Awards.
Phyno Kicks Off SPIDER Album Campaign With ‘Na Afa Nna’ is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Chairman of First HoldCo Plc, Femi Otedola, has increased his ownership in the financial services group to 25.87 per cent following the acquisition of an additional 1.779 billion ordinary shares valued at approximately N222.2bn, further strengthening his position as the company’s largest individual shareholder.
The latest acquisition, disclosed in a regulatory filing submitted to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), raises Otedola’s total beneficial interest in First HoldCo to 11.763 billion shares, with the holding now valued at approximately N1.47 trillion (about $1bn) based on the transaction price of N124.90 per share.
The purchase represents one of the largest individual investments in Nigeria’s financial services sector and underscores Otedola’s growing confidence in First HoldCo’s long-term growth prospects amid the company’s strong financial performance and improving market valuation.
The acquisition comes barely a week after Calvados Global Services Limited, a related entity associated with Otedola, purchased 706.13 million shares worth N77.59bn in First HoldCo, bringing the combined value of fresh investments linked to the businessman in the company to nearly N300bn within just over a week.
Following the latest transaction, Otedola’s stake has increased significantly from his previous holding position, reinforcing his strategic interest in the financial holding company, which owns one of Nigeria’s leading banking institutions.
The continued accumulation of First HoldCo shares comes amid a strong rally in the company’s stock price, which has gained more than 120 per cent over the past month, making it one of the best-performing large-cap stocks on the Nigerian Exchange during the period.
Market analysts said the sharp appreciation in First HoldCo’s share price reflects renewed investor interest in banking stocks, improved earnings expectations and broader market reassessment of the valuation of Nigerian financial institutions.
The development has also intensified discussions around the valuation gap between Nigerian banks and their continental peers. Despite delivering strong returns on average equity (ROAE), many Nigerian banks continue to trade below their book values.
According to the NGX filing, Otedola acquired 1,779,094,976 ordinary shares of First HoldCo at N124.90 per share, translating to a total transaction value of about N222.2bn.
The filing stated that following the acquisition, Otedola’s total beneficial ownership rose to 11,763,018,192 ordinary shares, representing 25.87 per cent of First HoldCo’s issued share capital.
The transaction further highlights the businessman’s commitment to increasing his exposure to the financial services sector, following his emergence as chairman of First HoldCo and his continued investment in the company.
Analysts noted that the increased ownership position could provide additional confidence to investors regarding the company’s strategic direction, particularly as First HoldCo continues efforts to strengthen its balance sheet, expand earnings capacity and enhance shareholder value.
The company has recently recorded improved financial performance, supported by growth across its banking operations, stronger digital platforms and improved efficiency across its businesses.
The latest investment also comes at a time when Nigerian banking stocks have experienced renewed investor interest following improved earnings, stronger capital positions and expectations of sustained profitability in the sector.
With Otedola’s expanded stake now approaching a market value of N1.47tn, the investment ranks among the most significant individual holdings on the Nigerian Exchange and reinforces his position as one of the most influential investors in Nigeria’s financial sector.
Otedola’s First HoldCo Stake Hits N1.47trn After N222bn Acquisition is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
The Osun State Police Command has released the Secretary to the State Government, SSG Mr Teslim Igbalaye, from its custody.
DAILY POST recalls that Igbalaye was arrested along with five others for allegedly committing vote-buying-related offences, as the police recovered Permanent Voter’s Cards, PVCs, cash sums and a voters’ register from his house.
The police also identified the other suspects arrested at the residence as Abiodun Arowomole, popularly known as “Ashipa”, who was described as a wanted murder suspect on the command’s watch list, alongside Taiwo Akande, Lukman Adeyemo, Muftau Olaoye, and Musiliu Aderemi.
The command’s spokesperson DSP Abiodun Ojelabi said the SSG has been released this afternoon, but the investigation is ongoing in the matter.
“I can only tell you that the SSG, Mr Teslim Igbalaye, has been released this afternoon, and the investigation is still ongoing,” he said.
Nigeria’s Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, has charged operators in the tourism sector to embrace digital transformation, sustainability and quality service delivery in order to remain competitive, noting that global tourism is driven by competition. This is as the President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria […]
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The Nigerian Government has destroyed 2,809 illicit, decommissioned and unserviceable small arms and light weapons, reaffirming its resolve to stem the proliferation of illegal weapons fuelling insecurity across the country.
The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, NCCSALW, carried out the destruction in Abuja on Thursday, bringing the cumulative number of weapons destroyed by the centre to 19,000.
The National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, while speaking at the event, said the exercise demonstrated the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability and national security.
Represented by the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, the NSA stated that terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes and other violent crimes were sustained by the widespread availability of illicit arms.
According to him, every weapon recovered and permanently destroyed represents a threat eliminated from society.
“It is important to emphasise that recovering weapons alone is not enough.
“Public, transparent and verifiable destruction guarantees that these recovered weapons can never again be used against any Nigerian,” he said.
He added that his office, with the support of President Bola Tinubu has pursued an intelligence-led national security strategy anchored on stronger inter-agency collaboration, disruption of criminal financing networks, enhanced border security and renewed international partnerships.
According to him, the strategy produced measurable gains by degrading terrorist capabilities and strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture, calling on Nigerians to support security agencies by reporting illegal possession, manufacture, trafficking and movement of arms.
Ribadu also urged traditional and religious leaders to promote peace, dialogue and voluntary disarmament within their communities.
Nigerian govt destroys 2,809 illicit arms, vows tougher action against traffickers
A Professor of Industrial and Technology Education at the Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna, Professor Emmanuel Raymond, has identified Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET, as Nigeria’s most potent tool for tackling unemployment, reducing insecurity and driving sustainable economic growth.
Raymond stated this while delivering the university’s 131st Lecture, titled “The Marriage Between TVET and Job Creation: Let No One Put Asunder,” at it’s Gidan-Kwano campus.
He argued that Nigeria’s continued emphasis on certificate acquisition rather than practical skills has left millions of graduates unemployed and unable to meet labour market demands.
Prof Raymond lamented that the nation’s education system has become overly theoretical, producing graduates who possess academic qualifications but lack the technical and entrepreneurial competencies required by industries, businesses and the modern economy.
According to him, Nigerians have become fixated on white-collar jobs while neglecting blue-collar skilled occupations and other vocational careers capable of creating wealth and reducing dependence on government employment.
“Today, Nigeria has over 10 million unemployed youths, while more than 700,000 university graduates remain jobless. At the same time, about 80 per cent of the nation’s workforce operates in the informal sector without formal certification.
” Theory alone cannot feed our people or grow the economy. Skills create jobs, jobs reduce poverty, and when our young people are meaningfully engaged, insecurity will naturally decline. That is why Nigeria must embrace Technical and Vocational Education and Training as a national priority,” Raymond said.
The professor warned that neglecting skills development has contributed significantly to rising unemployment and insecurity, stressing that an idle youth population poses a serious threat to national stability and development.
He questioned why many graduates still depend on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to acquire basic vocational skills, arguing that higher institutions should have equipped them with employable skills before graduation.
Raymond called on governments at all levels to increase investment in TVET through improved funding, modern training facilities, stronger industry partnerships, curriculum reforms and the establishment of a National Skills Development Fund, while making vocational education compulsory in secondary schools.
He further urged the private sector to expand apprenticeship and internship opportunities and actively participate in curriculum development to ensure graduates acquire skills relevant to the changing labour market and emerging technologies.
Speaking at the lecture, the Vice-Chancellor of FUT Minna, Professor Faruk Adamu Kuta, described the topic as timely, saying it addressed one of Nigeria’s most pressing national challenges—job creation—which has continued to fuel insecurity and other social problems.
Kuta said the university would continue to organise similar academic engagements to inspire students to embrace entrepreneurship and practical skills, stressing that graduates should become employers of labour rather than job seekers.
Skills create jobs – University Don condemns Nigeria’s focus on paper certificate
A delegation of Kano business leaders and senior government officials has met with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, to seek the immediate release of the ₦5 billion relief fund approved by the Federal Government for victims of the Singer Market fire disaster
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Beyond Nigeria, Prophet Alogbo played a leading role in establishing the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church in
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