The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded that the helicopter crash which claimed the lives of former Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son, and three others in February 2024 was caused by pilot error stemming from spatial disorientation.

In its final report released on Wednesday, the NTSB said the accident occurred after the pilot continued flying under visual flight rules (VFR) into weather conditions that required instrument flight protocols.

“The pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control,” was cited as the probable cause of the crash.

•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