General News
Tony Elumelu Foundation Announces New Chief Executive
The board of Trustees of the Tony Elumelu Foundation announces the appointment of Professor Reid E. Whitlock as Chief Executive of the Foundation, commencing February 15.
Professor Whitlock’s appointment follows Dr Wiebe Boer, the inaugural Chief Executive of the Foundation, becoming Director of Strategy at Heirs Holdings, Mr. Elumelu’s pan-African proprietary investment company.
Founded in 2010 by serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Tony O. Elumelu, the Foundation is Africa’s leading advocate for entrepreneurship, responsible for programmes designed to ensure that entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship become the primary driver of Africa’s economic growth and social transformation.
Professor Whitlock brings thirty years of experience as a business school rector, diplomat, entrepreneur, strategy consultant and advisor to leaders in Africa, Asia and the Middle East on economic development.
He received his Ph.D. and law degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
He also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and is a cum laude graduate of Princeton University.
Commenting on Professor Whitlock’s appointment, Founding Patron of the Foundation, Professor Michael Porter said, “Tony’s commitment to African entrepreneurship is unshakeable and I salute his appointment of Professor Whitlock as the CEO of his Foundation. Professor Whitlock has unique experience in driving competitiveness and entrepreneurship growth in Africa, including in Rwanda that has achieved remarkable progress. I look forward to continuing to support Tony, as he furthers Africa’s revival through the great work of the Tony Elumelu Foundation.”
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda stated “I am delighted to hear of Reid Whitlock’s appointment as the CEO of Tony’s Foundation. Reid’s work was instrumental in improving Rwanda’s public sector service delivery, competitiveness, and business education. As CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, he now has a unique platform to ensure this work continues across Africa.”
Tony Elumelu, founder and chairman of the Board of Trustees, said, “As Dr. Boer becomes Director of Strategy for Heirs Holdings, I want to thank him for the leadership he has provided, helping transform the Tony Elumelu Foundation from just an idea into a preeminent global philanthropic institution. I welcome Professor Whitlock, who brings considerable global experience in the private, public, and academic sectors, which will significantly assist in realising the mission of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, in empowering Africa’s next generation of entrepreneurs and driving the continent’s economic and social transformation.”
Speaking on his appointment, Professor Whitlock stated “I am honoured by the opportunity the Board of Trustees has given me. I am excited to join such a dynamic institution, with a truly pan-African focus and an ambitious agenda. I look forward to leveraging my extensive experience and networks to further help the Foundation achieve its important goals.”
Dr. Whitlock will focus on supervising the Foundation’s four key projects and programmes:
• The $100 million pan-African Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme – Africa’s largest direct intervention in support of entrepreneurship.
• The Africapitalism Institute, the Foundation’s policy and research arm, which provides a rigorous programme of research and advocacy, in support of the Foundation’s goals.
• The Elumelu Nigeria Empowerment Fund, directly assisting, through private sector strategies, conflict affected and disadvantaged communities across Nigeria.
• The Tony & Awele Elumelu Prize, which champions academic excellence on the African continent.
Professor Whitlock will be supported by the Foundation’s senior leadership team, including:
• Parminder Vir, OBE, the Foundation’s Director of Entrepreneurship, responsible for implementing the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme. Parminder has over thirty years of experience in the creative industries and is the former CEO of PVL Media, a specialist consultancy facilitating cross-border business development in emerging markets.
• Bob Wheeler, who recently joined as inaugural Dean to lead the establishment of the Tony Elumelu Business School. Bob has decades of experience in business education, most recently establishing business schools in Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.
• David Rice serves as the Director of the Africapitalism Institute. David is an economist, who led the Milken Institute’s Africa programming, and was also a faculty member at New York University.
• Abimbola Adebakin, who will be joining as the Director of Operations after a successful career, including working as a consultant with Accenture, and heading the consulting arm of the Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC), Nigeria.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), has explained why kidnappers and terrorists are not always traceable despite the country’s expanding digital identity infrastructure.
NIMC explanation pointed to a simple but significant gap in the system.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director-general of the agency said that: “A lot of the time, you find out the kidnappers use the phones of the people they have abducted, which means how do you trace them because they are not using their own phones?” she said.
Coker-Odusote spoke during an appearance on Channels Television, where she was asked to explain why criminals remain difficult to trace despite the mandatory NIN-SIM linkage policy.
She said criminals frequently frustrate investigations by using mobile phones belonging to their victims, instead of their own registered lines.
“We already know the NIN is the foundational identity for the security architecture, but a lot of the time, you find out the kidnappers use the phones of the people they have abducted. Which means, how do you trace them because they are not using their own phones?” she said.
She also suggested that some criminal elements involved in kidnapping operations may not even be captured in Nigeria’s identity database.
“There is a theory that it may be possible that these kidnappers are not Nigerians and are brought into the country 48 or 72 hours before a kidnapping takes place specifically for that purpose. I’m not insinuating anything, but if that were the case, they naturally would not be captured in our database,” she added.
The comments have revived questions about whether expectations placed on the NIN-SIM linkage have exceeded what the system was designed to deliver.
The NIN-SIM linkage exercise was introduced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in collaboration with NIMC to strengthen identity management, eliminate anonymous SIM ownership and support national security.
Over the years, the exercise resulted in millions of subscribers linking their SIM cards with their National Identification Numbers, while telecom operators also deactivated millions of lines that failed to comply with regulatory directives.
Earlier, the NCC maintained that the policy was aimed at improving the integrity of Nigeria’s SIM registration database, strengthening identity verification and supporting security agencies in criminal investigations.
The regulator also described the exercise as an important component of the country’s digital economy and national security framework.
Telecommunications operators have consistently maintained that while they play a critical role in implementing the NIN-SIM linkage policy, they are not responsible for tracking criminals.
Quest Merchant Bank recently hosted the second edition of the Great Place to Work® Nigeria Study Mission, reaffirming its commitment to fostering a high-performance workplace culture and advancing people-centric leadership practices.
The Study Mission serves as a collaborative learning platform that brings together Great Place to Work® Certified organizations to exchange insights, share best practices, and strengthen workplace cultures.
The event welcomed Human Resources leaders and representatives from FITC, Princeps Credit Systems, Tonic Technologies and Esentry Limited for an engaging and insightful session focused on building thriving workplace cultures, promoting continuous learning, and advancing employee-centric practices that drive organizational success.
Speaking at the event, Tolulope Dayo-Peters, Head of People Management, emphasized the importance of continuous learning and collaboration in building sustainable workplace cultures.
“We are delighted to host the second edition of the Great Place to Work® Nigeria Study Mission. At Quest Merchant Bank, we believe building a great workplace is an ongoing journey rooted in trust, purposeful leadership, and a genuine commitment to our people.
“We are pleased to share the practices that have shaped our culture and look forward to more opportunities to learn and collaborate with like-minded organizations.”
Also speaking at the event, Afolabi Olorode, Acting Managing Director/CEO, Quest Merchant Bank Limited, highlighted the critical role workplace culture plays in driving long-term business success.
“We recognize that a strong workplace culture is fundamental to sustainable business success. Creating an environment where our people are empowered to grow, innovate, and perform at their best enables us to consistently deliver value to our clients and stakeholders. We are proud to support initiatives like the Great Place to Work® Nigeria Study Mission that encourage organizations to learn from one another and collectively raise the standard of workplace excellence in Nigeria.”
The Study Mission reinforced the importance of collaboration among organizations committed to creating exceptional employee experiences.
By providing a platform for open dialogue, peer learning, and the exchange of practical ideas, the initiative enabled participants to explore innovative approaches to employee engagement, organizational culture, leadership development, and talent management while strengthening a growing community of employers dedicated to workplace excellence.
Hosting the Great Place to Work® Nigeria Study Mission further strengthens Quest Merchant Bank’s position as a thought leader in workplace culture and talent management.
It also enhances the Bank’s employer brand and demonstrates its unwavering commitment to creating an environment where employees can grow, innovate, and achieve their full potential.
Quest Merchant Bank remains committed to championing initiatives that promote learning, innovation, and people-centric leadership. Through strategic partnerships and knowledge-sharing platforms such as the Great Place to Work® Nigeria Study Mission, the Bank continues to contribute to the advancement of exceptional workplace cultures and the future of work across Nigeria’s corporate landscape.
Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) has warned of possible floods in parts of Adamawa, Bauchi, Edo, Imo, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kaduna, Plateau, Niger, Benue, and Borno states within the next seven days.
According to information posted on NIHSA X handle, the Agency announced medium flood advisory in force for the next 7 days across Adamawa, Bauchi, and 11 other States.
“Localised inundation is forecast along the main channel; named communities below sit on the projected footprint. Stations: Saminara on the Karam river, Waya Dam Site on the Waya river, Amber on the Amber river.
“Adamawa; Lemsa, Lamurde, Numan Exposure: 147 comm. 49 schis 40 hith 6 mkts17 relig. Bauchi-Bauchi, Ningi, Shira. Exposure: 4 comm. Kaduna; Chikun, Giwa, Igabi, Jaba, Jema’a, Kachia, Kaura, Kauru, +6 more. Exposure: 1 comm.
“Borno-Gubio, Mobbar. Exposure: 680 comm. 8 schls 6 hith 5 mkts 21 relig. Edo-Akoko-Ed, EtsakoEa, EtsakoWe, Ikpoba-Okha, Orhionmw, OviaNort, OviaSo.. Exposure: 3 comm.
“Imo-Aboh-Mba, Oguta, Ohaji/Eg, Okigwe, Owerri North, Owerri West. Exposure: 3 comm. 7 more states affected and severity LGAs”.
NIHSA advised people in the affected areas to “do NOT cross flooded roads, bridges, or fast-moving water on foot or by vehicle.
“Clear drainage channels and river-mouth blockages; avoid building or living in the floodplain and move people, livestock and valuables from the floodplain to pre-identified higher ground,” NIHSA stated.
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