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Gabonese President Confers Prestigious Honours on Tony Elumelu

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

Published

8 months ago

May 7, 2025

OCHEFA

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•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.

Related Topics:Featured Tony Elumelu Tony Elumelu's Gabonese national honour

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FG approves 6-month maternity leave for female lecturers without pay

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during the presentation of the renegotiated agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU.

Published

3 hours ago

January 16, 2026

OCHEFA

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Photo: Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa (right), and Minister of State for Education

The Federal Government has announced that qualified female academic staff shall be entitled to a maternity Leave of six months as provided in the subsisting Public Service Rules,” Section 3.4(vii) reads.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during the presentation of the renegotiated agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU.

He clarified that the Section 3.4 of the agreement, which focuses on ‘Non-salary conditions of service’, makes provision for six-month maternity leave as a fringe benefit.

Alausa described the agreement as a historic turning point that symbolises renewed trust, restored confidence and a firm commitment to uninterrupted academic calendars in Nigerian universities.

Alausa emphasised that the agreement reflects the resolve of President Bola Tinubu to prioritise education as the foundation of national development, noting that it marked the first time a sitting president took full ownership of the long-standing challenges confronting the university system.

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Insurgency: Trump allocates N587bn to US Africa Command for military operations in Nigeria, others

The allocation is contained in the US National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026. The funds were approved under Title XLIII – Operation and Maintenance.

Published

4 hours ago

January 16, 2026

OCHEFA

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The United States plans to spend N587 billion ($413.046 million) on counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria and other African countries in 2026 amid worsening security conditions across West Africa.

The allocation is contained in the US National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026. The funds were approved under Title XLIII – Operation and Maintenance.

The security budget for the US Africa Command comes against the backdrop of the Christmas Day attacks on terrorists’ hideouts in Sokoto State by the Donald Trump administration.

On Tuesday, AFRICOM delivered a consignment of military equipment to Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security operations across the country.