•Gabonese President Oligui Nguema, in a handshake with Tony Elumelu.

The President of the Republic of Gabon, His Excellency, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, has conferred the nation’s prestigious national 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.

The recognition was conferred on him at the presidential palace in Libreville on Monday.

Oligui Nguema, who was recently sworn in as the newly elected President of the oil-rich country, praised Elumelu’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development in Africa

‘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.

Lagos State Government has said that despite training over 100,000 farmers and fishermen in modern agriculture practices, over 75 per cent of the state’s food supply comes from other states.

The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abiola Olusanya, said this yesterday, during the ongoing media briefing to mark the second year of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in office.

Olusanya, while giving an account of his ministry, said that the training of the farmers and fishermen in modern agricultural practices had significantly boosted productivity and improved livelihood in the last one year.

She said the ministry had continued to promote urban farming initiatives, including supporting farmers with various grants to boost agro entrepreneurship and the value chain in collaboration with the State Employment Trust Fund.

The commissioner said the ministry, through the agric innovation club, had engaged young minds and aspiring agripreneurs in agricultural innovation, technology and entrepreneurship, while providing grant of up to N100,000 million for 26 agro innovators.

Also, yesterday, Olusanya said that the state government is in the process of completing a central food system and logistics hub in the Epe area of the state, saying that the facilities, on completion, will help to push the state food value chain to a N14 trillion worth of food market.

Source: The Guardian

Retired military generals have again called on the Federal Government to urgently equip the Nigerian Armed Forces, amid growing concerns over the resurgence of terrorists’ attacks and killings in the North-East.

This comes as the House of Representatives on Tuesday expressed deep concern over a recent deadly attack on a military facility in Giwa, Borno State, describing the incident as a glaring indicator that Boko Haram insurgents are better armed than the military.

During Tuesday’s plenary, the lawmakers lamented the gradual return of the terrorist group and the loss of lives in recent times in Borno and neighbouring Yobe States.

Though budgetary allocations to the defence and security sectors have steadily increased, there have been complaints and questions about the quality and volume of arms available to the troops.

In 2023, the Federal Government earmarked N2.98 trillion for defence and security. This rose to N3.25 trillion in the 2024 budget, and for 2025, President Bola Tinubu proposed a record N4.91tn out of the N49.7tn national budget, aimed at enhancing the operational effectiveness of security agencies.

Despite these substantial investments, Nigeria continues to grapple with deep-rooted security challenges, including insurgency and banditry.

The Defence Headquarters did not respond to the assertion by the House that the troops are ill-equipped when contacted on Tuesday.

The Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, referred inquiries to the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye. But Kangye did not respond to phone calls or a text message sent to him on the issue.

However, retired senior military officers urged the Federal Government to prioritise the procurement of modern combat equipment and improved intelligence support to the frontline troops.

They warned that without immediate intervention, the hard-won gains in the war against insurgency could be reversed.

Brigadier General Peter Aro (retd.) said the question of whether terrorists are better armed than the Nigerian military “is no longer rhetorical.

”Describing it as a red flag that demanded urgent intervention, Aro warned that the insurgent groups have evolved from ragtag militias to highly equipped forces with access to encrypted communications, drone surveillance, night-vision devices, GPS-guided explosives, and coordinated strike systems.

He stated, “While our troops remain committed and valiant, the battlefield has shifted from muscle to machine. Without matching this evolution, we risk sending brave soldiers into asymmetric warfare ill-equipped for modern threats. This isn’t about panic, it’s about parity.

“To stay ahead, Nigeria must make an urgent, strategic shift: fund intelligence, equip the army, and fast-track tech superiority. Gadgets that drive modern warfare, from satellite-linked sensors to AI-based surveillance tools, are prohibitively expensive, yet necessary.

“The army, under the leadership of one of the most competent, tested, and forward-thinking Chiefs of Army Staff in recent times, cannot afford to be left behind.

He has the vision, the field experience, and the strategic acumen; what he needs now is full backing. Not just in words, but in robust budgetary commitments that reflect the true cost of winning an intelligence-driven war.

The political leaders must show they have the willpower to take crucial decisions.

”Similarly, retired Brigadier General Bashir Adewinbi called for the military to be empowered with advanced intelligence-gathering tools such as surveillance drones and surveillance technologies that could aid in planning and executing strategic counterterrorism operations.

“You see what they (the terrorists) carry—it is above what our military is carrying,” Adewinbi affirmed. “We need equipment that can gather intelligence, monitor insurgents’ activities so the military knows what action to take,” he added.

Beyond a military solution, Adewinbi advocated for strong political will to address the root causes of insecurity, warning that some political actors may be exploiting the crisis for personal or partisan gain.

“They should be more stringent with whoever is involved in banditry or terrorist activities, regardless of who they are. Nigeria is our country, you don’t invite an enemy from outside just to discredit your political opponent, “ he said.

He also decried Nigeria’s porous borders, which he described as an open gateway for individuals with dangerous intentions.

“Anybody can go and come, anyhow, anytime, without being monitored,” he noted.

A former spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force, Group Captain Sadique Shehu (retd.), demanded strict accountability, pointing out that without proper monitoring, funds allocated to the armed forces may be misused.

Speaking in an interview, Shehu said, “If you allow the military on their own to decide how to do their work and how to spend their money, the funds won’t get anywhere.

In a democracy, either the executive branch or the legislature is supposed to be in a position to check these people. The system is awash with money, but there must be accountability.

’’According to him, the Nigerian public did not elect the service chiefs, and as such, the responsibility for ensuring that defence funds are well spent lies squarely with the elected officials.

“People do not elect the Chief of Army Staff or the Chief of Air Staff. They elected the president and lawmakers. They are the ones responsible. Yes, you are giving the military money, but did you follow the money and see where it was put?” he queried.

He likened the situation to household spending, saying, “Even if you give your wife a million naira and you don’t check how the children are feeding, she might be the kind of woman that likes buying gold or spending at ceremonies.

Certainly, you gave her one million – there’s no doubt about that – but what is being done with that money? There is no oversight.

There’s no oversight by the executive, there’s no oversight by the legislature.

”During the resumption of plenary on Tuesday, the member representing Jere Federal Constituency, Borno State, Ahmed Satomi, presented a motion of urgent public importance on the renewed attacks by terrorists in his state.

Rallying support for the motion, Satomi, a member of the All Progressives Congress, lamented the recent fire incident in Giwa Barracks and the attacks on military formations in Borno and Yobe States.