General News
Experts Deplore Mixture of Govt Communications with Nation Branding

Miss Wendy Tlou, chief marketing officer, Brand South Africa, has said one of the keys to a successful nation branding initiative is to separate it from the government communication programme.
Speaking as the guest speaker at this year’s Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) Annual Public Relations Gold Medal Lecture themed: “Destination Marketing: A Case Study of The South Africa Experience” in Lagos, Tlou said the inability to separate the two distinct functions could hamper the progress of a nation brand building project.
Drawing from South Africa’s experience in building “Brand South Africa”, a project whose marketing and communication programme she has been privileged to drive, Tlou noted that while the government’s activities and achievements could go a long way in supporting nation brand building, having the managers of that process to also act as mouth pieces of the government could be counter-productive.
She said: “The secret of successful destination marketing lies in separating national communication from government communication. The mistake we all make is to assume that government is the only source of information about the country. Government is a great source of information in terms of how it is running the country; it is not however the only source.
“The role of government is to communicate the steps and programmes, what service delivery it is putting in place to ensure that the lives of the citizens are improved every single day, while the role of the nation brand builders is to position the country to the world as a destination for tourism and investment, irrespective of what administration is in power at any particular point in time”.
According to Tlou, although ‘Brand South Africa’ is the brain child of former President Thabo Mbeki and also reports directly to the Presidency, it operates independently as a private enterprise.
Speaking further, she argued that building a successful nation brand is not about a geographical location but about the people in that location.
According to her, the government must obtain the buy-in of the citizens, who then naturally become the project’s ambassadors.
“At the heart of nation brand building must be the people of the nation. If the people are not convinced to buy into the dreams that the country is selling to the world, the whole effort will be nothing but a waste of resources.”
Tlou recalled that one mistake Brand South Africa made at the outset of its work was to ignore South Africans themselves – the citizens, business organisations, civil organizations and the media – and to run off, trying to sell their country to the international community.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Mr. John Ehiguese, CEO, Mediacraft Associates and president, PRCAN disclosed that the choice of the theme was informed by repeated past failures of Nigeria at nation brand building. He noted that there were lessons to learn from South Africa that has successfully turned itself into a tourism and investment destination of choice in Africa.
He said: “The choice of this year’s theme was informed by the simple fact that over the years our country Nigeria has made several efforts at destination marketing, but it does appear those efforts have not been particularly successful. On the other hand, South Africans who came out of the harrowing experience of apartheid have successfully turned their country into a destination for tourism and investment. So we said to ourselves that perhaps there are some lessons we can take home from them. Hence the choice of Wendy Tlou, who happens to have been deeply involved in the whole process in South Africa.”
The Annual Public Relations Gold Medal Lecture is a thought leadership initiative of PRCAN to stimulate public discourse on national issues that have direct bearing on Nigeria’s economic, political and social well-being.
This year’s is the second in the series. The first edition, held in October 2013, featured ex-Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who spoke on the topic: “The imperatives of Policy Communication in Deepening Democracy and Governance”.
General News
Harmonised Tax Bills Ready, May Get NASS Approval Today

The National Assembly has hinted that it may consider passing the harmonised tax reform bills by Tuesday, following a successful review of the troubling clauses in the proposed legislation.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, James Faleke, via his official X account on Sunday. Faleke is the leader of the House delegation for the bills harmonisation exercise.
He tweeted, “The conference committee set up by the House and the Senate on the Tax Reform Bills has successfully concluded its work. The joint committees thoroughly reviewed all sections and addressed the grey areas of the four bills, examining each clause strategically and resolving contentious issues.
“After an intensive deliberation that stretched through Thursday night, all day Friday, and into the early hours of Saturday, I am pleased to report that the bills are now ready for presentation to both the House and the Senate for final passage.
“I would like to especially appreciate the Senate conference committee, ably led by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, the Distinguished Senator Sani Musa, as well as all members of the Senate Conference Committee.
“I also extend heartfelt gratitude to my colleagues on the House Conference Committee, which I had the honour to lead, for their unwavering commitment to the Nigerian people. We are truly grateful for your dedication and resilience in bringing this important task to a conclusion.”
It was reported that the four tax bills were sent two weeks ago to the joint harmonisation committee made up of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to reconcile the amendments of both Chambers before it is transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for his assent.
After announcing the passage of the bills following a majority voice vote, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, praised the lawmakers for their sacrifice in ensuring that the tax system in Nigeria meets an international standard.
He said, “These four executive bills seek to transform and modernise the tax system in Nigeria.”
The move came barely 24 hours after the Upper Chamber earlier cleared two of the bills before pushing the remaining legislation for consideration on Thursday.
Addressing journalists after the plenary, the Chairman of the ad hoc committee for the tax reform bills and the lawmaker representing Niger East Senatorial District, Senator Sani Musa, explained that they did their best to ensure the taxation system in Nigeria meets international standards.
Musa also disclosed that parts of the tax proceeds will be used to fight cybercrime, boost defence infrastructure, the TETfund, and aid soldiers in their efforts to restore peace and safety in the country.
Continuing, the Niger Senator explained that the senators recommended that the President needs to appoint a chairman and create an ombudsman to arbitrate and adjudicate on tax-related matters.
The legislator also harped on the need for the establishment of a tax tribunal, which he said cannot be overemphasised.
“It is not à court of record. We have looked at the issue of VAT, coĺlection of taxes, development levies, and inheritance tax, which had been expunged.
“I believe Nigerians wiĺl see something nice from this. We also commend the President for giving a level playing field to all,” he said.
General News
Google I/O 2025 Showcases Temu’s Innovations in Digital Shopping with Web UI Primitives

E-commerce platform highlighted as a case study in applying Google’s latest Web UI primitives to enhance interactivity and performance in online shopping experiences.
Temu was featured at Google I/O 2025 as an early adopter of Google’s new Web UI primitives—a set of Web UI APIs designed to improve interactivity, performance, and responsiveness in web applications. The e-commerce platform was presented at the conference as a case study for implementing these technologies to deliver a more dynamic and engaging digital shopping experience.
Google I/O is Google’s premier annual developer conference, where the company unveils its latest products, showcases innovations across its portfolio, and shares its vision for the future of technology.
This year, the conference’s focus includes new Web UI primitives designed to simplify the development of common yet complex components—such as Carousels, Tooltips, and Drop-down menus—to create more seamless and responsive user experiences.
“Temu, the e-commerce company, has been setting the bar when it comes to applying these new primitives to their full potential,” said Paul Kinlan, Lead of Chrome Developer Relations at Google I/O 2025. “The web is becoming more stylish and responsive every single day.”
Since integrating the MPA View Transitions API, Temu has seen a 10% increase in user session duration and a 15% rise in page views, according to Paul Kinlan’s presentation. The platform has also been piloting several new APIs—including Carousels, Popover, Anchor Positioning, and Customizable Select—which have improved page performance and reduced CPU load by 10–15%, helping to lower device battery consumption and interactivity latencies. Google also highlighted its collaboration with Temu to enable next-generation capabilities for select features.
Temu has been actively adopting cutting-edge technologies to enhance customers’ digital shopping experiences. It was one of the first developers to optimize its app for the Google Pixel Fold and integrate Android’s “dialog full-screen dim” feature, earning recognition from Google. Temu is listed as an Editors’ Choice on the Google Play Store.
Since its debut in September 2022, Temu has rapidly expanded to over 90 markets worldwide, offering a diverse range of merchandise at highly competitive prices. Temu was named a top Apple-recommended app of 2024 and operates one of the most visited e-commerce websites in the world.
General News
HEDA Sues FG, Oil Giants over Alleged Unlawful Oil Licence Transfer

Incorporated Trustees of HEDA Resource Centre have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government, multinational oil companies, and Nigerian government agencies at the Federal High Court in Lagos, challenging the legality of a significant oil asset divestment deal.
In suit number FHC/L/CS/850/25, filed by Kunle Adegoke (SAN), HEDA is seeking a court determination on whether the transfer of interests in oil mining lease assets by Eni Societa Per Azioni, Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, and Oando PLC complied with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 and other relevant regulatory frameworks.
The civil society group alleges that the transaction violated multiple statutory provisions, including the Guidelines for Obtaining Minister’s Consent to Assignment of Interest in Oil and Gas Assets (2021), the Upstream Petroleum Environmental Regulations (2022), the Gas Flaring, Venting and Methane Emissions Regulations (2023), and the Upstream Petroleum Environmental Remediation Regulations (2024).
The defendants in the suit include the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
HEDA is asking the court to declare the transaction unlawful, invalid, and of no legal effect, asserting that proper legal and environmental procedures were not observed.
The organisation also seeks a perpetual injunction restraining the government agencies from recognizing or approving the deal and an order nullifying any ministerial consent already granted.
Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, chairman, HEDA, stated that the legal action reflects the organisation’s enduring commitment to transparency, environmental justice, and regulatory compliance in Nigeria’s extractive sector.
“This suit is about more than a corporate deal; it’s about the integrity of our regulatory systems and the future of environmental governance in Nigeria. We cannot allow powerful interests to bypass laws meant to protect citizens, the environment, the economy, and the integrity of the country,” he said.
HEDA maintains that this case represents a crucial test of the Nigerian government’s willingness to enforce the PIA and uphold accountability within the oil and gas industry.
“With this legal step, HEDA aims to set a precedent that oil licence transfers and divestments must strictly adhere to Nigerian law, especially in an era where environmental sustainability and responsible governance are paramount,” the statement concluded.
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