General News
Empowering Women in Critical Sectors to Challenge the Status quo

By Lamin Manjang
Although women’s rights have seen a significant positive change in the last decade, it remains a critical topic of conversation across various sectors in different parts of the world.

According to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres, “Progress towards equal power and equal rights for women remains elusive. No country has achieved gender equality, and the COVID-19 crisis threatens to erode the limited gains that have been made.”
Women’s global economic development role provides significant progress and impact, charting new opportunities for women to continue to change the status quo. Even though we continue to record very many successes by women, there is still a lot more that can be achieved, especially in representing more women in the workforce.
According to the United Nations (2020), only 50% of working-age women are in the labour market for more than twenty years. This means that more women need access to resources and opportunities to break stereotypes resting in labour market positions.
As a Bank, one of the ways we commit to addressing this is how we strategically continue to support some of the UN Sustainable development goals that empower women, especially in this new-normal era.
I echo the words of the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres “The Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals and efforts to recover better from the pandemic offer a chance to transform the lives of women and girls, today and tomorrow”.
We see this as an invitation to work collaboratively with the United Nation as corporate organisations and individuals to achieve growth and sustainable progress for women.
In line with this year’s International Women’s Day theme, #ChooseToChallenge, our forward-thinking approach to initiatives and programs continues to deliver sustainable value for women, especially in a country like Nigeria, where women account for 49.34% of the total population.
We see that the fewer income-generating opportunities for the larger population may leave women in an even more financially vulnerable position, hence our motivation to set up various initiatives such as the Women in Technology Incubator program, which launched in Nigeria 2019, following successful launches in New York, Kenya and the UAE
This program aims to support female entrepreneurship with the call for increased gender representation and diversity in tech and for more opportunities for women to develop entrepreneurial and leadership expertise.
Also referred to as Women in Tech, the incubator supports early-to-mid stage professionals in technology and business sectors to have the requisite domain knowledge, experience, and perseverance to deliver results. Other markets equally running the program include Pakistan, Bahrain, Zambia, and Ghana
Our goal is to enhance women’s role through business incubation and generate business outputs that improve existing business and women entrepreneurs’ capacity.
Additionally, this program promotes and creates awareness about women business incubation globally and strengthens cooperation and network building between the various incubators.
This ripple effect will cause an increase in the investment that different incubators receive, therefore integrating and developing more women who are part of this program.
It has also created awareness about incubation challenges specific to Nigerian women and outlined various activities required to improve women-led enterprises’ technological infrastructure and structural support for Women Incubation.
To date in Nigeria, we have invested over $250,000 in this program and are committed to doing more to sustain the program for posterity
We understand that investing in Nigerian youth through education and creating productive and remunerative employment is the only way to support this growing demographic.
Additionally, SCB sees the need to do its part in empowering the estimated 600 million adolescent girls in the developing world. Hence, the introduction of our Global Goal programme to Nigeria in 2011.
Goal tackles female empowerment by imparting adolescent girls in rural communities with life skills through sports training in partnership with leading global non-profit organisations. We have strategically designed this programme for girls between 12 and 18 who live in under-served communities by enrolling them in sessions typically offered weekly for ten months.
The girls are being taught critical facts about health, communication, rights, and managing their finances. All this is done to understand how to share the knowledge with their friends, family, and communities.
To ensure that more girls are taught these essential skills, girls who complete the Goal programme and display exceptional leadership qualities are invited to become Goal Champions, making them eligible to receive training to deliver the Goal curriculum to their peers. Since its inception in 2006, the Goal programme has reached more than 525,000 girls and young women worldwide.
Without gender equality, efforts to empower women will only go so far. For example, our global Futuremakers initiative is set-to up tackle this and promote financial inclusion across our markets. We aim to raise US$50 million between 2019 and 2023, needed to empower the next generation to learn, earn and grow. This augments our desire to continuously #ChooseToChallenge as a Bank.
Our method is simple; to contribute to Sustainable Economic Growth by investing in strategic leadership training programmes under the youth’s employability project. Globally, we recently partnered with Young Business International (YBI) to support young entrepreneurs hit by the economic impact of Covid-19. The project is part of our Futuremakers by Standard Chartered global initiative to tackle inequality.
Bringing it home to Nigeria, our implementation partner, FATE Foundation, will provide holistic support through various initiatives, including Digital Transformation Workshop, Resilience-building Series, and Remote Consulting & Advisor services to be delivered virtually by our employees to 2,000 entrepreneurs across Nigeria. We will specifically target entrepreneurs between the ages of 18-35, who the crisis has hardest hit.
Between 2019 and 2020, we had also invested over USD50,000 in work-ready employability project training and equipping nearly 200 Nigerian youths with skills and resources to aid their career development journeys. Empowering the future is a gift that keeps on giving, and for us, we intend to continue to do this for a very long time.
For every woman or girl-child not empowered economically, our work is not done. We will continue to grow our current programmes and initiatives, partner with similar organisations, and start new ones in areas we have not yet covered. We strive for equal representation as we #ChooseToChallenge this year and always.
Lamin Manjang is the Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited
General News
Court Orders FG to Reveal Identity of Local Contractors in $460m Abuja CCTV Project

Federal High Court has ordered the Ministry of Finance to disclose the total amount paid under the $460 million Abuja CCTV loan, the identities of local and Chinese contractors who received the funds, the status of the project’s implementation, and details relating to the N1.5 billion reportedly paid for the Code of Conduct Bureau headquarters project.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy to immediately disclose the identities of all local contractors, subcontractors, consultants, vendors, and other entities that benefited from the payments under the National Public Security Communication System project in Abuja, commonly referred to as the $460 million Abuja CCTV Project.
The Federal Ministry of Finance, in response to SERAP’s contempt proceedings, had recently disclosed that: “Records from the Ministry of Police Affairs indicate that while local subcontractors may have been engaged, there is an absence of detailed subcontracting records identifying specific local companies that received funds directly from the Chinese loan.”
The Ministry made the disclosure in a letter dated 15 May 2026 and signed by R. O. Omachi, permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance,.
Responding, SERAP in a letter dated 23 May 2026 and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, said: “We are concerned that although the judgment was delivered in May 2023, the Ministry only released some information after we commenced contempt proceedings and served a Notice to show cause in January 2026.”
According to SERAP, “Nigerians still do not know exactly the names of local contractors for the project. The absence of this information raises serious concerns about record keeping, transparency and accountability, and whether the project was implemented in a manner consistent with the public interest.”
On 15 May 2023, the Federal High Court ordered the Ministry of Finance to disclose the total amount paid under the $460 million Abuja CCTV loan, the identities of local and Chinese contractors who received the funds, the status of the project’s implementation, and details relating to the N1.5 billion reportedly paid for the Code of Conduct Bureau headquarters project.
SERAP said, “The details provided amount to only partial compliance with Justice Emeka Nwite’s judgment. Key questions remain unanswered, and further clarification is needed to ensure full and effective compliance with the judgment.”
SERAP’s letter, read in part: “We would be grateful if the requested details are provided within 48 hours of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall proceed with our contempt proceedings against the Federal Ministry of Finance for failure to fully and effectively comply with the judgment of the Federal High Court.
“SERAP appreciates the steps taken by the Ministry to provide some information concerning the Chinese loan drawdown, counterpart funding arrangements, and certain records on equipment deliveries connected with the project.
“However, there is still no explanation regarding the missing 6,035 items as part of the status of implementation of the project. It remains unclear whether the items were subsequently delivered, whether payment was made for them, whether the contractor defaulted, whether Nigeria suffered any financial loss, and whether any steps were taken to recover public funds.
“The Ministry lists items reportedly delivered in 2013. However, it has failed to clarify how many cameras were installed, if any; where they were installed; whether the cameras are currently operational; and whether the project delivered value for money.
“The inability or failure to disclose these records raises serious public interest concerns about record keeping, contract administration, and accountability for public expenditure.
“For a project financed through public borrowing—debt Nigerians continue to repay—full transparency over all beneficiaries, foreign and domestic, is essential. Nigerians have the right to know how public funds were spent, who received them, and what was delivered in return.
“Compliance with court judgments is fundamental to the rule of law and constitutional governance. Government agencies cannot selectively comply with judicial orders or release partial information while withholding records central to public accountability.”
SERAP, therefore, urged Mr Oyedele and the Federal Ministry of Finance to fully, effectively, and urgently implement the judgment of the Federal High Court ordering disclosure of information relating to the Abuja CCTV project including by:
*Publishing the names of all Nigerian companies, subcontractors, consultants, and vendors involved in the project.
*Disclosing the amount paid to each contractor or subcontractor and the nature of work performed.
*Provide details of the status of implementation of the project including by releasing the certificates of completion, and accounting for the 6,035 project items identified as undelivered.
General News
NCAA Suspends Services to Air Peace, Others over Debts

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has placed 11 domestic airlines on its updated “No-Pay-No-Service” list over unpaid statutory charges, a move that could affect the renewal of key operational approvals, including Air Operator’s Certificates (AOC).

According to an internal memo dated May 22, 2026, the regulator directed all its directorates to suspend regulatory and administrative services to the affected carriers until they clear outstanding debts or agree on repayment terms.
The directive means that services linked to certification and oversight, such as AOC renewals, Air Transport Licences (ATL), and Airline Operating Permits (AOP), may be withheld, raising concerns over possible operational disruptions in the aviation sector.
The affected airlines include Air Peace Limited, Ibom Air, Arik Air, ValueJet, United Nigeria Airlines, Umza Air, NG Eagle, Max Air, Caverton Helicopters, Overland Airways, and Rano Air.
At the centre of the dispute is the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge, which airlines collect on behalf of the NCAA to fund safety oversight, personnel training, and economic regulation in the industry.
The memo, signed by Olufemi Odukoya, director of Finance and Accounts, NCAA, and circulated to regional offices, instructed that no directorate should render services to the listed airlines without financial clearance from the finance department.
It further warned that all services remain suspended pending verification and clearance of outstanding obligations.
While the directive has sparked concerns among industry stakeholders about possible delays in regulatory processes, some affected operators say they are unaware of the order.
Banji Ola, Arik Air’s spokesperson, said the airline had no knowledge of such a directive.
“I am not aware of any such directive or report.” Ola said
Whisky Efe and Anietie Essienette, spokespersons of Air Peace and Ibom Air, respectively did not respond as of the time of filing this report.
The development has raised fresh uncertainty in the sector, with operators and passengers wary of potential disruptions if the standoff persists
General News
FG Classifies Ebola Importation into Nigeria as High Risk

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has classified the risk of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) importation into Nigeria as high amid the ongoing outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, though the agency confirmed that no case linked to the regional outbreak has been detected in the country.

Dr Jide Idris, director-general of the NCDC, in a public health advisory released on Sunday, stated that the assessment followed the World Health Organization’s declaration of the outbreaks as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
According to Dr Idris, the high-risk classification was informed by increasing international travel and population movement, continued transmission in the affected countries, uncertainty surrounding the full scale of the outbreak, and the possibility of delayed detection because Ebola symptoms resemble other endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever.
He, however, assured Nigerians that high-risk states, border communities, major transport hubs, and Points of Entry had already been identified as part of ongoing preparedness efforts.
Despite the risk, Dr Idris noted that the country possesses critical response capacities, including functional laboratories, trained rapid response teams, emergency operations centres, and existing viral haemorrhagic fever preparedness structures strengthened by previous successful responses to Ebola and similar outbreaks.
He also stated that the National Emergency Operations Centre had been placed on alert mode, while the National Incident Management System had also been activated to strengthen coordination, reporting, and rapid response mechanisms nationwide.
He explained that epidemiologists and rapid response teams had been placed on standby for possible deployment, while collaboration among state ministries of health, port health services, and other relevant agencies had been intensified.
According to him, surveillance activities have also been strengthened nationwide through enhanced monitoring of alerts, rumours, and unusual health events to support early detection and response.
Dr Idris said border communities and points of entry are under increased surveillance, while health workers across the country are undergoing refresher sensitisation on infection prevention and control measures, early identification of suspected cases, and proper triage procedures.
He further said that states had been advised to incorporate Ebola preparedness into their emergency response systems by designating isolation and treatment centres, assessing bed capacity, strengthening referral pathways, and ensuring the availability of logistics and essential medical supplies.
He also revealed that plans were ongoing to preposition critical response commodities such as personal protective equipment (PPEs), laboratory consumables, body bags, and emergency medical supplies in strategic locations across the country.
On laboratory readiness, Dr Idris said Nigeria currently maintains Ebola testing capacity in states with international points of entry and within the national public health laboratory network, with surge testing capability available if needed.
He said the agency has intensified public awareness campaigns and risk communication efforts aimed at combating misinformation and false claims circulating online about Ebola.
While urging Nigerians not to panic, Dr Idris advised members of the public to maintain proper hand hygiene, avoid direct contact with bodily fluids of sick persons, refrain from handling corpses of individuals who died from unexplained illnesses, and avoid bushmeat from unknown sources.
He advised travellers arriving from countries with confirmed Ebola cases to monitor their health for 21 days and immediately contact health authorities if symptoms develop.
He also urged healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion for Ebola cases, strictly observe infection prevention protocols, use PPEs appropriately, and promptly report suspected cases through established channels.
Telecom3 days agoNCC Drafts New Rules for Virtual Mobile Operators
Telecom3 days agoAirtel Africa Launches $110m Share Buyback Programme for Capital Efficiency
General News3 days agoWHO Says Ebola Risk Now at Highest Level
E-Business3 days agoLG Electronics Showcases Advanced HVAC Solutions at Mega Clima Nigeria 2026
Telecom3 days agoMTN Nigeria Tops Gender Equality Rankings After Major Workplace Transformation, IFC Report Reveals
News3 days agoFG Unveils AI Public Services Platform
Telecom3 days agoMicrosoft, Partners Launch ‘LINGUA Initiative’ to Save African Languages From Digital Extinction
Telecom3 days agoAustralian Court Upholds Fine Against X Over Child Safety Compliance Failures

















