Ambassador Ifenyinwa Bernice Egbosiuba,the Founder & President of the Virtuous Widows International Foundation (VWIF) has been named the recipient of the Most Impactful NGO of the Year Award, courtesy of Africa Future Leadership and Conference Awards (AFLCA).

The Africa Future Leadership Conference and Awards is an annual summit organized by Africa Future Leadership Magazine.

In a statement on Monday, AFLCA said that the award will be conferred on her during the 10th edition of the event, scheduled for Saturday, 25th October 2025 Maryland, Lagos.The statement reads: “Amb.

Ifenyinwa Bernice Egbosiuba is a visionary humanitarian, reform advocate, and the Founder & President of the Virtuous Widows International Foundation (VWIF) — a transformative organisation dedicated to empowering widows, advancing human dignity, and promoting social justice across Africa.

Having journeyed through personal loss and recovery, she turned her pain into purpose — building a movement that restores hope, skills, and independence to widows through shelter, food, vocational training, and financial empowerment programs.“Talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not. Widows deserve dignity, not pity.” — Amb. Ifenyinwa Bernice Egbosiuba.

Beyond widowhood advocacy, she is also a global voice against xenophobia and discrimination, calling on African leaders to build unity, compassion, and equality across borders.

Her work — featured in The Sun Nigeria, AllAfrica.com, and other major platforms — continues to inspire women, youth, and reformers to lead with empathy, courage, and conviction.

Ambassador Egbosiuba’s story reflects the heartbeat of AFLCA — leadership that heals, empowers, and transforms Africa’s future. “

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) appointed Nigeria’s former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, to head its Election Observation Mission for the presidential election in Côte d’Ivoire this week.

In statement from ECOWAS, the election is scheduled to be held on October 25, 2025, while the observation mission will be deployed from October 19 to 29, 2025, in accordance with the provisions of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.

“As Head of Mission, Osinbajo will lead a delegation of eminent West Africans who will engage with key national stakeholders to encourage a peaceful and credible electoral process,” the statement said.

“The team will also collaborate with international and domestic observer groups to assess the conduct of the polls.”

The regional body said the deployment of the mission underscores ECOWAS’ commitment to promoting peace, stability, and credible elections across West Africa.

The Côte d’Ivoire election comes at a critical time for the region, where several member states are preparing for key national polls amid efforts to consolidate democratic governance

The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) is urging the Federal Government to urgently review and rationalise the list of individuals granted the prerogative of mercy by President Bola Tinubu, which includes both living and deceased Nigerians.

In a policy brief made available to our editor on Sunday, the CPPE asserted that while the prerogative of mercy is a legitimate constitutional tool, its application to serious economic and financial offences, as well as other criminal acts, requires utmost discretion, transparency, and alignment with Nigeria’s commitments to anti-corruption, drug control, and the sanctity of human life.

Dr Muda Yusuf, Director/CEO of CPPE, expressed concerns about the inclusion of individuals convicted of corruption, financial crimes, murder, drug trafficking, and illegal mining.

He stated, “Extending clemency and pardons to persons convicted of corruption, financial fraud, illegal mining, murder, and drug-related crimes has far-reaching economic and social consequences.”

He highlighted the following issues:

– Illegal Mining: It undermines legitimate enterprises, depletes national revenue, and fuels insecurity in mining communities.

– Corruption and Financial Crimes: These distort markets, weaken institutions, and discourage fair competition.

– Drug Trafficking: This tarnishes Nigeria’s global image, exacerbates insecurity, and imposes significant social costs.

Leniency toward financial and economic crimes erodes deterrence, weakens enforcement, and signals a tolerance for misconduct.

A lenient approach undermines respect for the law and the credibility of governance.

Damage to Investor Confidence

Investor confidence thrives on predictability, fairness, and justice. When individuals convicted of economic or financial crimes are pardoned, it raises concerns about policy consistency, the sanctity of contracts, and investment security, thereby discouraging both domestic and foreign investors.

Reputational and Governance Risks

Excessive clemency could reverse gains in governance credibility and reinforce perceptions of institutional weakness.

Such perceptions can negatively impact sovereign risk ratings, capital inflows, and the overall attractiveness of Nigeria’s investment climate.”