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Need For Responsible Leadership Takes Centre Stage At Youth Leaders Clinic In Benin

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The need for a responsible leadership in Nigeria took the centre stage at a Youth Leaders Clinic for Secondary School Students in Edo State, organized in Benin by Abuja Leadership Centre.

INFO DAILY reports that the Abuja Leadership Centre is a TETFUND Centre of Excellence in Public Governance and Leadership located within the University of Abuja. The centre aims to promote excellence in public governance, leadership, and policy development in Nigeria.

The event which was held on Tuesday attracted over 200 students drawn from various secondary schools in Benin City.

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In his keynote address, governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, said lack of good leadership has been a major factor stalling Nigeria’s development.

READ ALSO: Alleged N95bn LG Fraud: Edo To Prosecute Obaseki, PDP Leaders, Others, Says Okpebholo

Represented by Joy Adesina (SAN), a student of Public Governance and Leadership at the Abuja Leadership Centre, Okpebholo, while speaking on the topic: “Shaping the Future: The Importance of Leadership in Edo State Youth Development,” noted that “Leaders must be courageous, visionary, empathetic, and uphold integrity.”

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Okpebholo, while urging the students to embrace leadership roles, said: “Discover your strengths, set goals, take action, speak out, and be the leaders Edo State needs.”

Earlier, in his welcome remarks, Director, Abuja Leadership Centre, Prof. Gabriel Moti, also identified lack of good leadership and governance as the banes of the Nigeria system, stressing that Nigeria ought not to be where it is currently if the country leaders were responsible.

One of the biggest reasons, concern and setback in Nigeria is good leadership. We are not supposed to be where we are today. We are blessed with human and natural resources. After 60 years of independence, we should have been better than this, but unfortunately here we are,” he added.

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READ ALSO: Okpebholo Renovating, Reconstructing 100 Schools To Mark 100 Days In Office, Says SUBEB

Moti said to bridge the gap of this leadership challenge was the reason why the centre intentionally moved to secondary schools with the aim of catching them young.

Also, in his opening remarks, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the University of Abuja and Team Lead of the programme, Prof. Philip Afaha, lamented that many individuals only grasp leadership responsibilities after assuming positions of power, describing this as an anomaly.

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He emphasised the importance of grooming future leaders from an early stage and urged students to take advantage of the training.

In his presentation titled: Understanding Leadership in the Context of Youth Development, Hon. Patrick Ikariale, urged the students to be visionary, and disciplined even as they prepare for leadership role.

READ ALSO: Securing Farmers Amidst Rising Attacks In Edo Communities

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He added: “You must have a vision; if you don’t have vision you can’t lead. Vision does not refer to sight here, you must have plans in attaining your leadership role.”

Also in his presentation, titled: Technology and Innovation in Shaping Future Leaders, Abdul Oroh, said they as students of the Abuja Leadership Centre decided to come down to groom the younger ones with a view to developing the leadership in them

Austin Aigbe, in his presentation titled: Leadership Ethics and Accountability for Young Leaders, urged the students to be impactful leaders even as they prepare for the future.

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In his goodwil message, Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, commended the initiative for its focus on addressing the leadership deficit in the country.

Represented by Kenneth Eguakun, Iyamu assured that the state government would collaborate with the Centre to sustain the training.

 

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JUST IN: PENGASSAN Strike May Trigger Nationwide Blackout, Thermal Plants Shut Down

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Nigerians may face a nationwide blackout from Monday as power generation companies have raised the alarm over an imminent shutdown of thermal plants following directives from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary of the Association of Power Generating Companies, Joy Ogaji, raised the alarm over the imminent blackout in a WhatsApp message on Sunday.

She revealed that gas suppliers had issued notices to halt supply to thermal power stations in line with PENGASSAN’s strike resolution.

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READ ALSO:Why We Rejected Govt’s Plan To Sell Assets – PENGASSAN President

Good day, all. Thermal GenCos have received notification from our gas suppliers to shut down our thermal power plants following directives from PENGASSAN. The Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company has specifically requested GenCos to comply,” Ogaji said in the post.

She warned that the development could plunge the country into darkness, as hydroelectric dams alone cannot sustain the national grid.

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Please all be notified of the imminent darkness, as hydros alone cannot sustain the system,” she added.

READ ALSO:PENGASSAN Shuts OML-18 Over Labour Dispute With NNPC Subsidiary

The warning comes hours after PENGASSAN announced that it would commence a nationwide strike on Monday to protest the dismissal of over 800 workers at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

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The oil workers’ union, after an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Saturday, directed its members in all oil and gas installations to down tools until the sackings were reversed.

The action could cripple crude production, fuel supply, gas distribution and now electricity generation, worsening the hardship faced by Nigerians.

With thermal stations accounting for more than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s electricity supply, industry experts say the shutdown will trigger widespread outages, stretch hydro plants beyond capacity and heighten the risk of a nationwide system collapse.

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Customs Launches One-stop-shop To Cut Cargo Clearance To 48 Hours

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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has officially introduced its ‘One-Stop-Shop (OSS)’ initiative aimed at reducing cargo clearance time to 48 hours.

NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Maiwada said the initiative was unveiled recently during a meeting between NCS management and Customs Area Controllers, chaired by the Comptroller-General (C-G), Adewale Adeniyi, in Abuja.

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He said the meeting deliberated on the service’s modernisation agenda and the role of leadership in driving reforms across commands.

READ ALSO:10 Things Candidates Should Know About Customs Recruitment CBT Exams

Maiwada quoted the C-G as describing the OSS as a “transformative shift” which aligned with global best practices and the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy.

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Adeniyi said the reform was designed to sanitise operations, reduce duplication of efforts and ensure predictability in customs procedures.

The OSS initiative will not only shorten clearance time from 21 days to 48 hours, but it will also strengthen trader confidence, restore transparency and make our operations more business-friendly,” Adeniyi said.

The C-G acknowledged the role of technology in customs operations but also emphasised the importance of physical engagement with officers.

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READ ALSO:Customs Seize N905m Rolls Royce, Other Contrabands In Ogun

As much as technology has helped us, it has its limits. There are moments when physical presence, coming together under one roof, adds weight and value to our deliberations,” he said.

The NCS boss said the reform would be piloted at Apapa, Tin Can Island and Onne Ports before being rolled out nationwide.

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He added that the initiative was constitutionally supported by the NCS Act 2023 and aligned with the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

This is not just a policy. It is a statement of intent that reflects our determination to build a modern, transparent and trader-friendly Customs Service,” he said.

READ ALSO:Customs Intercepts N5.1b Illicit Drugs From India, Canada At Lagos Airport

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The spokesperson said that under the OSS framework, all customs units would work jointly on flagged declarations, eliminating multiple checks and reducing delays.

According to him, consignments cleared under the OSS will not be subject to re-interception, thereby reducing costs and enhancing trade facilitation.

He said the meeting also provided a platform to review the NCS accountability framework, including a new central dashboard that tracks clearance times, interventions and stakeholder satisfaction.

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SEC Warns Nigerians Over AI-generated Investment Scams

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The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned Nigerians to be cautious of a rising wave of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven scams that are targeting unsuspecting investors with promises of guaranteed profits and fake celebrity endorsements.

The Commission, in a statement, recalled that platforms such as CBEX, Silverkuun, and TOFRO were operating illegally by advertising AI-powered trading systems that promised unrealistic returns.

These platforms are not registered or regulated by the SEC, yet they continue to mislead the public with false claims of AI-driven investments. They pose serious risks to investors; hence, the Commission issued a series of disclaimers against their activities,” the Commission stated.

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READ ALSO:20-year-old TikToker Peller Buys N350m Lekki Mansion, Promises To Reveal Secret Benefactors

The SEC explained that fraudsters are increasingly turning to deepfake videos and AI-generated content to lure victims, noting that manipulated videos featuring politicians, celebrities, and television hosts are being shared through Facebook adverts, Instagram reels, and Telegram groups to give fraudulent platforms an air of credibility.

According to the Commission, “Scammers are exploiting AI to fabricate endorsements and testimonials that appear genuine. This has made traditional fraud detection methods less effective, hence the need for tech-enabled regulation and greater public awareness.”

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To counter the growing threat, the SEC explained that it is adopting advanced surveillance systems capable of detecting fraudulent activity in real time, adding that partnerships with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) are being strengthened to enable data sharing and joint enforcement actions.

READ ALSO:FG Security Agency, Nigerian Army Move To Tackle Illicit Small Arms, Light Weapons

We are moving from reactive to predictive oversight. This is essential in combating fraud and systemic risks in our market,” the Commission emphasised.

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The regulator said it has also engaged social media companies to clamp down on misleading adverts and cautioned influencers against promoting unlicensed investment schemes.

Any influencer or blogger found to be complicit in promoting illegal platforms will face regulatory sanctions or even prosecution,” the SEC warned.

READ ALSO:US Commits $32.5m To Support Food Security In Nigeria

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The Commission urged Nigerians to take extra precautions before investing, stressing that any scheme promising daily profits, zero risk, or celebrity-backed endorsements should be treated with suspicion.

It stated: “Any investment that guarantees unrealistic returns or uses manipulated videos of public figures should immediately raise a red flag.”

The Commission further encouraged Nigerians to verify the registration status of any investment platform on its website, where a list of licensed Capital Market Operators is available.

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It added that investors should confirm that registration numbers displayed on company websites match the details on the SEC portal and avoid platforms that only operate through Telegram or WhatsApp without a verifiable office address.

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