General News
Austin Okere Appointed to the Global Business Practices Council of AACSB International
The Founder of CWG Plc and the Ausso Leadership Academy, Austin Okere has been appointed to the Global Business Practices Council. The purpose of the Business Practices Council (BPC) is to serve as a collaborative partnership for an ongoing and sustainable relationship between the business community and business schools through the AACSB.
As the world’s largest business education alliance, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) connects educators, students, and businesses to achieve a common goal of creating the next generation of great leaders. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, the AACSB serves over 1,700 members and more than 900 accredited business schools worldwide.
Accepting the invitation, an elated Mr Okere said: “Thank you for the invitation to serve on the Business Practices Council, I am honoured and pleased to accept.” In welcoming him to the Council, Becky Gann, Vice President, Global Business Membership and Strategic Relationships said “This is super news! We are delighted to welcome you to the AACSB Business Practices Council and to have the opportunity to work with you.”
Consisting of 20 corporate executives and business school deans, Council members are invited to bring their perspectives, expertise, and insights to improve business education worldwide, ensuring that the world’s top institutions continue to graduate high-potential leaders with the skills needed to build a more prosperous future.
The BCP is charged to get connected to the best practices, thinkers, and ideas and to build partnerships to co-create and solve some of the world’s most challenging business problems.
Chaired by Jikyeong Kang, other members of the Business Practices Council are: Austin Okere, Founder CWG Plc and the Ausso Leadership Academy, Jake Hansen, Apple Inc, Michael Smith of NASDAQ; Molly Nagler of PepsiCo, Inc.; Xuan Yan of Microsoft; Ignacio Bartesaghi, Universidad Católica del Uruguay ámaso A. Larrañaga; Caryn L. Beck-Dudley, President and Chief Executive Officer, AACSB International; Shaun L. Budnik, Think Boldly LLC, Deborah H. Caplan, NextEra Energy; Sophie Chogovadze, Wendy’s Europe, the Middle East and Africa; Andrew Currah, Apple Inc.; Raj Echambadi, Northeastern University, among others.
Austin Okere is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Columbia Business School, New York. He was appointed to the Advisory Board of the Global Business School Network (GBSN) in Washington DC in recognition of his contribution to the development of business education and knowledge transfer in Africa.
Austin has facilitated at the United States International University (USIU) in Kenya and has served as a Consultant to the Sustainable Development Goals, African Center (SDGCA) in Rwanda. Austin served as a member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Agenda Council, and was listed on the United Kingdom’s C.Hub Magazine 100 Most Influential Creatives in 2016.
After retiring from CWG Plc, the company which he founded and the largest security in the technology sector of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Austin Okere set up the Ausso Leadership Academy in pursuance of his vision of Shared Prosperity.
Since its inception in 2018, ALA has mentored over 120 Delegates from about 40 Businesses and impacted over 1,200 beneficiaries to scale their businesses.
Police in Abuja have uncovered a criminal group making fake diplomatic and government number plates.
Ahmed Sanusi, commissioner of Police FCT, stated this during a press briefing on Friday.
He explained that criminals use these fake plates to dodge security checks and enter restricted areas.
The investigation started soon after Sanusi took office.
He noticed too many unauthorized cars driving around with official government and diplomatic tags.
“I immediately ordered a comprehensive investigation into this disturbing trend,” Sanusi said. He noted that these individuals use the plates as a cover to commit crimes and avoid arrest.
The police have already arrested several people caught using the fake plates.
They have also figured out who is making them.
The manufacturers operate outside Abuja, and police are actively hunting them down.
Sanusi kept their names secret so they would not flee.
He stressed that this is a highly profitable illegal business.
Buyers pay between N500,000 and N1.7 million for a single fake plate.
“This will tell you that they are making such huge expenditure because they have an agenda,” Sanusi explained.
“Now they will face punishment that is bigger than both the cost they incur and the agenda they are planning.”
The commissioner urged residents to report any cars with suspicious diplomatic plates.
He reminded the public that real diplomatic tags follow a very specific format.
A diplomatic number plate in Nigeria is a special vehicle identification tag issued to foreign embassies, high commissions, and accredited international diplomats.
Gavi has approved $500 million to strengthen Nigeria’s immunisation programme, primary healthcare services and long-term vaccine financing.
The move followed high-level discussions between Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, ]and Dr. Sania Nishtar, chief executive officer, Gavi in Abuja.
The funding, approved under the Gavi 6.0 programme, will support Nigeria’s efforts to accelerate routine immunisation, sustain polio eradication, expand HPV vaccination, strengthen primary healthcare services, and improve long-term vaccine financing.
Speaking during the meeting, Pate said Nigeria was strengthening its partnership with Gavi to accelerate immunisation, expand primary healthcare services, and ensure sustainable financing for vaccines.
He welcomed Gavi’s country-focused reforms, including the introduction of a predictable five-year funding envelope.
Pate said the US$500 million allocation will enable Nigeria to plan more effectively and deliver life-saving vaccines to more children and vulnerable populations.
The minister also revealed that quarterly visits to primary healthcare centreshad increased from about 10 million in 2023 to more than 45 million, reflecting significant progress in revitalising the country’s primary healthcare system.
Pate welcomed the announcement of a US$600 million pledge by the United States government to Gavi, describing it as a strong endorsement of the alliance’s leadership and the global value of vaccines.
He also commended Nishtar for prioritising Nigeria and praised the closer coordination among Gavi, World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, World Bank, Gates Foundation, and other development partners, describing it as a model that has improved efficiency and aligned support with Nigeria’s health sector reforms.
The minister expressed appreciation to Gavi and its partners for their continued technical and financial support, while calling on state governments to invest more in healthcare and immunisation to complement federal efforts.
For many women, financial independence means the freedom to provide for their families and build a better future. Yet, this remains out of reach due to limited access to opportunities, business support, and secure payment solutions.
Like millions of women in Nigeria determined to be financially independent, Pricillia started with a single PalmPay POS terminal, and as an agent, every successful transaction provided a commission which brought her one step closer to achieving her dream.
Through consistency, discipline, and support from the payment platform, she reinvested her earnings and eventually opened her own provision store.
“I started as just a PalmPay agent with one POS. The consistency of the platform gave me the confidence to expand. With the income I earned, I was able to open my own provision shop.” Priscilla said.
For Priscilla, PalmPay was more than a payment platform. Its secure payment infrastructure gave her the confidence to serve her customers, build trust, and grow her income.
Today, Pricillia has joined the statistics of SMEs powering Nigeria’s economy and PalmPay continues to support her daily operations, helping her receive payments, as she works towards her next business milestone. Her journey is a reminder that when women have access to secure financial tools and opportunities, they can build lasting economic independence.
Speaking on Pricillia’s journey, Femi Hanson, Head of Marketing, PalmPay said: “Providing a secure platform that users can trust, whether for everyday payments or high-value transactions, is central to our vision of advancing financial inclusion. Priscilla’s story reflects our commitment to supporting the ambitions of Nigerians by providing a platform they can rely on to grow their finances. After all, seamless banking begins with security, and every successful transaction reinforces the trust our users place in us.”
Priscilla stands among thousands of PalmPay agents nationwide who are helping to expand financial access across Nigeria while earning commissions to create sustainable sources of income for themselves.
Every payment tells a story. It begins with trust, the confidence that your money is secure and that financial services are accessible. And when that opportunity reaches women, it creates ripple effects that transform families, strengthen communities, and drive economic growth.
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