General News
CADEF and JLA Spotlight Green Entrepreneurs, Open Applications for Food Innovation Program
The Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), in collaboration with Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA), has celebrated the graduation of the inaugural cohort of its GreenLabs Renewable Energy Innovation Challenge, a 10-month incubation programme designed to equip young Nigerians with practical skills in renewable energy and green entrepreneurship.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, Executive Director of CADEF, lauded the graduates for transforming ideas into real-world innovations. She recalled that the GreenLabs vision began as a conversation in South Africa and has now taken root in Nigeria, embodying a vision of homegrown creativity and sustainable progress.
“I see the wisdom of God in how these young people birthed ideas and turned them into reality,” Prof. Ndukwe-Okafor said. “This embodies my vision of a Nigeria where we become producers, not just consumers; innovators, not imitators.”
She urged participants to “go beyond the narrative and become the narrative,” challenging them to lead innovations that drive national development and sustainability.
Prof. Ndukwe-Okafor also announced that applications for Cohort 2 of the GreenLabs Innovation Challenge will soon open, with the theme “Food Systems, Green Energy, Green Economy, and Food Security.”
The event, held in Lagos, featured goodwill messages from representatives of key Lagos State ministries. Representing the Permanent Secretary, Engr. (Mrs.) Ibilola Olufolake Kasunmu, Engr. Kanike Akmed Abayomi, Assistant Director at the Engineering and IT Infrastructure Unit of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, congratulated the graduates for their creativity and resilience.
Abayomi encouraged them to continue developing solutions that align with the State’s smart city vision and contribute to a greener, energy-efficient Lagos.
From the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mrs. Sorun Sayo Olohejeveri, Deputy Director, Youth Development, conveyed the goodwill message of the Permanent Secretary, Pharm. (Mrs.) Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu.
Olohejeveri applauded the graduates’ mastery of renewable energy skills, emphasizing that “renewable energy is not just beneficial it is essential.” She assured participants of the government’s continued support for innovation, youth empowerment, and skills development.
In her remarks, Sellah Bogonko, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA), commended the graduates for their perseverance and innovation throughout the incubation journey.
“Africa’s greatest resource is its people especially its young innovators,” Bogonko stated. “What we’re seeing here today is not just a graduation; it’s a movement of young Africans designing the future of clean energy and sustainability.”
She reaffirmed JLA’s commitment to scaling the GreenLabs model across Africa, enabling more youth to transform ideas into sustainable businesses and livelihoods.
Mr. Olufunsho Peters, Chief Executive Officer of Infinion Technologies Limited, also delivered an inspiring address, describing the graduates as “energy architects” who have the potential to reshape Nigeria’s renewable energy landscape.
“Your graduation today is not an ending, it’s the beginning of a new sprint,” he said. “Every business must evolve. Keep innovating, because the market will catch up faster than you expect.”
Peters shared insights from his own entrepreneurial journey in Lagos, highlighting the value of mentorship and incubation programmes like GreenLabs, which he said provide young innovators with the guidance and resources that were once scarce.
The ceremony concluded with acknowledgements to mentors, investors, and institutional partners whose collaboration has helped position GreenLabs as a leading platform for youth-led climate innovation and green entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
Chinonso Akujobi, former staff of Access Bank in Lagos, has been remanded in Ikoyi prison after she was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on stealing to the tune of N294.5m.
Akujobi who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was arraigned before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
EFCC alleged that Akujobi stole the money between January and December 2025 while under the employment of Access Bank Plc.
As stated in one the charges, the defendant stole the money through unauthorized payments from the general ledger of Access Bank to her account number 0036668871 with the name Chinonso A., Uchechi A. and Florence A., thereby committing an offence of stealing, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendant pleaded “not guilty“ to the charges when they were read to her.
In view of this, S.M.Yabo, prosecution counsel, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed for the remand of the defendant in a Correctional centre.
Justice Ijelu, thereafter, adjourned the case till October 8, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and the commencement of trial.
The Judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional Centre.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says the flight captain of the VMO Aero aircraft that landed on a roadway near Asaba Airport in Delta State told investigators that the observer pilot mistakenly identified the paved road as the runway before touchdown.
The bureau disclosed this in a preliminary report released on Thursday on the June 10 incident, which prompted the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ground the private jet.
The aircraft had seven people on board, including the pilot-in-command (PIC), second-in-command (SIC), an observer pilot, a cabin crew member and three passengers.
According to the report, the aircraft was cleared by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to approach Runway 11 at Asaba Airport after the crew requested a right orbit.
The crew initially discontinued the approach, executed a missed approach and repositioned for a second landing attempt.
NSIB said the crew reported that the aircraft’s navigation systems indicated it was correctly established on the published RNAV Runway 11 approach.
“The PIC and SIC reported that the observer pilot identified the paved surface ahead as the runway,” the report stated.
However, the observer pilot gave investigators a different version of events.
According to NSIB, he said the aircraft remained inside cloud until late in the approach and that the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) repeatedly issued “TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP” alerts.
He also said he observed a telecommunications mast directly ahead and instructed the flight captain to abandon the approach and climb immediately.
The bureau further disclosed that a cabin crew member reported that one of the passengers became concerned after overhearing discussions among the pilots and asked whether one of them was undergoing training. The passenger was reportedly reassured that all three pilots on board were experienced captains.
NSIB said no abnormal events were reported in the cabin before touchdown.
The aircraft eventually landed at about 8:57 a.m. on an under-construction paved roadway near Asaba Airport instead of the designated runway.
The bureau said its investigation into the incident is ongoing, while the preliminary report highlights conflicting accounts among the cockpit crew over the circumstances that led to the erroneous landing.
European Union has warned Meta Platforms Inc. that it could face a significant financial penalty unless it changes what regulators describe as the “addictive design” features of Facebook and Instagram.
The European Commission issued the warning in preliminary findings released on Friday, saying Meta had failed to sufficiently address risks posed by its platforms, particularly to children and vulnerable users.
The Commission said features such as infinite scrolling, personalised content recommendations and automatic video playback were designed in ways that encouraged excessive engagement with the platforms.
EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said protecting the physical and mental well-being of European citizens should be a priority for social media companies.
The Commission said Meta should consider introducing design changes, including disabling autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, providing effective screen-time reminders and adjusting recommendation systems to reduce the focus on maximising user engagement.
The findings were issued under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets obligations for major online platforms to address risks associated with their services.
Meta, however, rejected the Commission’s conclusions, saying it disagreed with the findings but would continue engaging with European regulators.
The company said it had already implemented measures aimed at protecting younger users, including Teen Accounts that allow parents to manage screen time limits and restrict access during night hours.
The EU said its investigation, which began in 2024, found that existing time-management tools on Facebook and Instagram could easily be bypassed, while parental controls required technical knowledge that limited their effectiveness.
Regulators also expressed concerns over children’s nighttime use of the platforms and the possibility that features such as Reels and Stories could encourage compulsive behaviour.
If the Commission’s preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta could face a fine of up to six per cent of its annual global revenue under the DSA.
The warning comes as the EU steps up efforts to strengthen online safety measures for children, with an expert panel established by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected to present recommendations on protecting minors online.
Several EU member states, including France, have also supported discussions on restricting social media access for children, following Australia’s decision to ban users under 16 from accessing social media platforms.
Meanwhile, the Commission is continuing a separate investigation into whether Meta’s recommendation algorithms create “rabbit hole” effects by directing users towards increasingly extreme content.
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