General News
Press Freedom in a Democratic Society: The Gambia Supreme Court Decision

By Adeboro Odunlami
About three months ago, precisely on the 14th of February 2018, the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States, pointedly delivered a judgment in favor of press freedom in the Gambia.
The case before the ECOWAS court had been triggered by the story of four Gambian journalists, Fatou Camara, Fataou Jaw Manneh, Alhagie Jobe, and Lamin Fatty, who had been arrested, detained and intimidated for their work as journalists in the Gambia; a ‘democratic’ country.
They had so much feared further persecution “including the fear of physical and mental harm” that they fled their country into exile.
The case (Suit No: ECW/CCJ/APP/ 36/15) was then filed in the name of the Federation of African Journalist (FAJ) and the four aforementioned journalists, against the Republic of the Gambia and the ECOWAS court was called upon to determine the appropriateness of such laws upon which the Gambian government rely to repress press freedom, namely the Information and Communications Act and some provisions in the Gambia Criminal Code, and for the ECOWAS court to order The Gambia to repeal those laws and enact more favourable laws.
These laws did not only repress press freedom, the right to information and expression, right to liberty and security and the freedom from torture and inhuman treatment, it also imposed ridiculous penalties.
For instance, one of the journalists had been slammed with the penalty of paying 250,000 GMD (approx. $5299.42USD) for criticizing the government and the president.
Even more ridiculous was that the penalty was to be payable within 2 hours and if not, she’d have to spend 4 years in prison.
In giving its judgment, the ECOWAS court declared that the Gambian government had violated the rights of the Defendant and directed her to immediately repeal and/or amend the relevant laws in line with its obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the ECOWAS revised treaty and other international instruments.
This laudable judgment has been described as a landmark one which restored hope to press freedom in the Gambia, providing justice and respect for the rights of the Gambian people, especially the journalist.
However, on the 9th of May 2018, the Supreme Court of Gambia declared that although criminal defamation and false publication are unconstitutional, sedition is only partially unconstitutional.
That is, that Sedition still validly exists as an offense only when said speech is made against the President. Why this was declared by the Supreme Court of a nation that subscribes to democracy is beyond comprehension.
In addition to this declaration being overtly against the order made by the ECOWAS court in FAJ v. The Gambia, it also negates other components of the principle of democracy.
Democracy shows no favoritism for a single elected representative without any democratically sound reason. Democracy favors the good of the people over the interests of the government; whether as a whole or for an individual politician.
The rule of law, a component of democracy, requires that the law is to govern above all persons and no one is to be above the law. The question therefore is: If it isn’t constitutional for sedition to exist as a crime against the government, why then should it be constitutional for it to exist against the President?
Above all of these, a major reason why this ruling by the Supreme Court of Gambia is anti-democratic is that by going against the express Order of a superior court, it is has placed itself in opposition to the democratic mechanism of checks and balances.
By virtue of Article 5(3) of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty, each Member State undertakes to honor its obligations under the treaty. Article 15(4) more directly states that the judgments of the ECOWAS court are binding on the Member States.
The Gambia (which includes the judiciary) cannot claim that it has absolute powers to make decisions as it deems fit over the Gambia people as it has ceded some of those powers to the ECOWAS court and must comply when such ceded powers are exercised.
The ECOWAS Court addressing this issue in Musa Saidykhan vs. The Republic of The Gambia said:
“ECOWAS is a supranational authority created by the Member States wherein they expressly ceded some of their sovereign powers to ECOWAS to act in their common interest.
“Therefore, in respect of those areas where the Member States have ceded part of their sovereign powers to ECOWAS, the rules made by ECOWAS supersede rules made by the individual Member States if they are inconsistent …
“Therefore, it is untenable for the Member State of ECOWAS to claim that a matter is essentially within its domestic jurisdiction when it had expressly or by necessary implication granted ECOWAS powers to act solely or concurrently with national jurisdiction in respect of that matter”
The Republic of Gambia is therefore called upon to do the right thing; to entirely comply with the order by the ECOWAS court by ruling Sedition as fully unconstitutional – both regarding the government and the President.
General News
CAC Lists 15 Unregistered Firms Operating in Nigeria

Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has warned Nigerians against dealing with 15 unregistered entities using company names and registration numbers that are not in the commission’s records.

In a public notice signed by CAC Management, the commission said it had discovered the use of purported company names and RC numbers that are not registered with the CAC, urging the public to disregard them and verify all business information directly from its portal.
“The CAC remains committed to protecting the integrity of the Companies Register, upholding the law, and ensuring a safe and transparent business environment in Nigeria,” the CAC said.
According to the notice, the following are the entities not registered with the CAC:
Famas Services Nigeria Limited (RC: 216312)
Promo Dutch Investment Limited (RC: 396654)
Dialack Concept Nig. Ltd (RC: 297772)
Purpleheart Construction and Real Estate Mgt. Co. Ltd (RC: 1210548)
M/S Loktu Enterprises (BN: 373466)
Loktu Enterprises (BN: 400390)
Badatoyak Ltd (RC: 521322)
Johson Nats Limited (RC: 198492)
Peoples Club Nigeria International (CAC/IT/41191)
Jiba Enterprise (BN: 577523)
Civil Engineering Solutions Nigeria Limited (RC: 33001)
Gabdoff Hotel Ltd (RC: 112409)
Amoka Group (BN: 545221)
BEEC Nigeria Limited (RC: 30143)
- Adetunji (BN: 657466)
Explaining the reason for the commission’s publication, the statement noted that it aligns with its statutory role of maintaining an accurate and reliable companies register, protecting investors, and preventing fraudulent activities in the business environment.
The commission urged Nigerians to always confirm the status of any company or business name through its official portal.
General News
IHS Nigeria Leads Gender Based Violence Awareness Walk, Reaffirms Zero Tolerance with Advocacy Seminar

Demonstrating unwavering commitment to a safe and dignified workplace, IHS Nigeria held an awareness walk followed by a high-impact seminar as part of activities to commemorate the global 16 days of activism to End Gender-Based Violence against women and girls.

The initiative underscored the organisation’s ongoing efforts to sensitize the community, educate employees, strengthen internal safeguards, and reinforce its zero-tolerance policy for all forms of harassment and abuse.
After the walk along Adeola Odeku and Idejo Streets on Victoria Island, employees convened for a seminar at the IHS Nigeria corporate head office, where Bukola Konkwo, Associate Director, Operations Excellence IHS Nigeria and one of the leaders of the Women in IHS Network (WIIN), reiterated the organisation’s position on gender-based violence in her opening remarks:
“Violence does not discriminate, and neither should our compassion. At IHS Nigeria, boldness is not just a value on paper, it is a call to action. We are intentional about ensuring every employee feels safe, respected, and empowered.”
The seminar featured two leading voices in Gender Based Violence advocacy. Titiola Vivour Adeniyi, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency and Nwanne Okafor, Victimologist and Gender Based Violence Advocate. Speaking during the seminar, Titilope stressed the urgency of prevention and education:
“Gender-based violence is not a special-class problem. Anybody can be a victim. Our responsibility is to know the signs, protect one another, and intervene early. When we know better, we do better.”
She also encouraged organisations to prioritise consent education, confidential reporting, and background checks, practices IHS Nigeria has already integrated through its Safe Zone Committee, a confidential support system for staff.
Nwanne Okafor, also spoke on the role of colleagues in recognizing and responding to abuse in the workplace:
“Many victims don’t need you to fix their situation, they need your support, your sensitivity, and your discretion. Speak up when necessary. Silence gives violence permission.”
Her session included real-life cases that underscored how abuse affects workplace productivity, mental health, and safety.
The awareness walk, saw both male and female staff members from across various departments marching in solidarity with survivors and advocates worldwide and served as a public declaration of IHS Nigeria’s commitment to building a culture rooted in respect, safety, and accountability.
Reinforcing IHS Nigeria’s stand, during her closing remarks, Titilope Oguntuga, Director, Sustainability, IHS Nigeria, captured the spirit of the event:
“This conversation doesn’t end today. Now that we know better, we must all do better, by advocating, supporting, and actively contributing to a workplace free of violence in any form.”
IHS Nigeria continues to strengthen its internal systems, policy frameworks, training programs, safe reporting channels, and continuous awareness sessions, to ensure that every employee is protected and empowered. The organisation reaffirms its zero-tolerance policy for any form of harassment, abuse, or violence, and remains committed to leading the corporate sector in progressive, people-centered safety standards.
General News
Nigeria’s GDP Rises to 3.98% in Q3 2025, Driven by Agriculture, ICT, and Finance

Nigeria’s economy expanded by $3.98$ per cent in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday.

GDP
This growth rate marks a slight improvement from the $3.86$ per cent recorded in the same period of 2024.The report highlights a mixed but generally positive recovery across key sectors. Aggregate GDP in real terms stood at ₦57.03 trillion, up from ₦54.85 trillion in Q3 2024.
The Services sector remained the largest contributor to overall output at $53.02$ per cent, followed by Agriculture at $31.21$ per cent. Key growth drivers included crop production, telecommunications, real estate, trade, and financial services.
The non-oil sector continued to be the main engine of the economy, expanding by $3.91$ per cent. This strong performance outpaced both Q3 2024 ($3.79$ per cent) and Q2 2025 ($3.64$ per cent). Agriculture grew by $3.79$ per cent, driven predominantly by crop production.
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector posted a particularly strong real growth of $5.78$ per cent, with its contribution to real GDP rising to $9.10$ per cent. Furthermore, Financial and Insurance Services recorded a significant real growth of $19.63$ per cent.
In contrast, real growth in the Manufacturing sector slowed to $1.25$ per cent, down from $1.74$ per cent in the previous quarter.
The oil sector posted a real growth of $5.84$ per cent, a marginal increase from $5.66$ per cent in Q3 2024. This growth was linked to an average crude oil production rise to $1.64$ million barrels per day (mbpd), up from $1.47$ mbpd a year earlier.
Despite this positive change in output, the sector’s contribution to real GDP remains modest at **$3.44$ per cent$.Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, noted that while most sectors sustained positive momentum, growth remains uneven.
Strong gains in ICT, finance, agriculture, and trade were crucial in stabilizing overall output. This data aligns with projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which, in October 2025, revised Nigeria’s 2025 growth outlook upward to $3.9$ per cent, citing higher oil production, stronger investor confidence, and a supportive fiscal stance as key drivers.
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