President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has got this appointment spot on.

He has just appointed Sunday Akin Dare, as special adviser on Public Communications and Orientation.

Sunday Dare

Dare is a square peg in a square hole and a great public writer with poise and balance, who conveys confidence and provide a firm base from which to project his voice.

He is a Nigerian journalist, who served as minister of Youth and Sports from 2019 to 2023.

Dare previously held the position of executive commissioner, Stakeholder Management at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), having been appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2016.

With mastery of public writing and speaking, Dare, has an impeccable professional and public record.

Born May 29, 1966, he is arguably the most strategic, intelligent, passion driven, goal oriented, role fulfilling and competent best youth and sports minister in the history of Nigeria.

Committed, determined, hardworking and team spirited; Dare has requisite education which has equipped him for duties assigned to him.

Until his appointment at NCC, he was the convener of the Social Media Clinic (SMC), a Media/Information Technology (New Media) initiative, committed to educating private citizens on IT development and also in the use of telecommunication as an information tool and creating awareness on how to responsibly use the platform provided by advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

At NCC, he has brought a wonderful combination of incisiveness and approachability, and completely demystified public office with his open door policy.

He was assigned to oversee aspects of the operations of the NCC and brief the minister on issues, challenges and opportunities in Nigeria’s emerging telecommunications market

A great motivator, he has always left indelible marks wherever he been called upon to serve.

He was chief of staff /special adviser (Media) to Ahmed Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State Governor, as well as senior special assistant (Media) / chief of staff to the Minister of Information and Communications in 2009.

A graduate of International Studies from Ahmadu Bello University, Dare has decades of multimedia journalism experience spanning about 25 years (1991 and 2016).

He was the chief, Hausa Service, African Division, Voice of America (VOA) in Washington, DC from 2001 to 2009, and was a founding member of the Nigerian weekly magazines The News and Tempo in the heady days of the military, where he served as editor, Tempo magazine and pioneer online editor/general.

Dare is a recipient of many awards and has been recognized internationally, including being identified as one of the 50 Leading Nigerians in North America 2010 in commemoration of Nigeria’s 50th Anniversary.

He also won the Voice of America Meritorious Honour Award 2009 in recognition of his skillful leadership and outstanding performance; and he also bagged a Committee to Protect Journalists Citation in 2000 by the New York based organization in acknowledgement of his courage as a journalist.

A right peg in every place he has served, Dare, is a member and associate of several professional bodies including the US based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) the Investigative Workshop, American University and a former Knight Fellow, International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), Washington DC.

Dare, will be a valuable asset to President Tinubu’s government as he brings his uncommon candour to nation building.

His critical thinking and strategic planning skills will come handy for the administration. He is good pick.

In a move that strengthens its senior leadership team and solidifies its business transformation strategy, 9mobile has appointed trusted Human Resources advisor, Dorothy Tunde-Ajala as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO).

With over 20 years of HR experience, Dorothy is a seasoned leader known for her ability to drive business transformation through strategic HR initiatives. Her appointment underscores 9mobile’s commitment to fostering an inclusive culture and advancing its people’s vision in alignment with the company’s values and strategic goals.

Dorothy brings a wealth of experience from various sectors, including Telecoms, Energy, and Business Services. Prior to joining 9Mobile, she served as Chief Talent & Strategy Officer at Accelerate Leadership Ltd. and as an Associate Coach with Randstad RiseSmart, a global outplacement company; HR Director Anglophone West Africa, Schneider Electric; General Manager HR & Admin, Pan African International Group; Country Head, Human Resources, Siemens Nigeria; HR Manager/Business Partner, MTN Nigeria Communications,  and Head of People Management at Restral Consulting.

Throughout her career, Dorothy has established herself as a trusted advisor to business leaders, providing valuable HR insights to create high-performance cultures. She has led HR transformations, developed leadership pipelines, and implemented innovative HR strategies that have positively impacted organizational effectiveness.

“We are excited to welcome Dorothy to our leadership team,” said Obafemi Banigbe, CEO of 9mobile. “Her expertise will significantly enhance our commitment to excellence and employee engagement, crucial elements of our business transformation strategy.

“This strategic expansion of our leadership team began four months ago, with the appointment of a new CFO and CTIO. Together, we are poised to drive 9mobile’s growth and innovation, marking an exciting chapter in our journey.”

“We look forward to working with her as she drives our people-focused strategy forward. Her expertise will be crucial in achieving our key objectives, including, Enhancing Employee Engagement, well-being initiatives, professional development, performance management, and talent attraction and retention.  Dorothy’s expertise will undoubtedly empower our team to reach new heights, driving business success and sustainable growth.”

“I am excited to join 9mobile at this transformative moment in the company’s journey,” Dorothy said. “With a strong foundation already established, we are well-positioned for sustained growth and innovation.

“My focus will be on nurturing our most critical asset—our people—by aligning talent development with our strategic objectives, fostering a culture of collaboration, and maximizing our team’s potential. This is an inspiring time to be part of 9mobile, and I am confident in our collective ability to achieve great things for both our people and the business.”

Dorothy holds a B.Sc. in Sociology from the University of Lagos and is a Global Professional in Human Resources. She is also a Certified John Maxwell Trainer, Speaker and Coach; a Certified Behavioural Analysis (DISC) Trainer, and a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Nigeria. She is also a member of the Institute of Directors (IOD), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and an Associate of Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD)).

As Chief Human Resources Officer, Dorothy will report directly to the CEO and play a pivotal role in aligning human capital strategies with the organization’s broader strategic goals.

Drawing on her deep expertise, she will focus on driving leadership development, enhancing organizational effectiveness, and fostering a culture of high performance that supports 9mobile’s long-term vision and growth objectives.

The World Bank in its latest Nigeria Development Update (NDU), has said that more than half of Nigeria’s population lives in poverty.

The report titled ‘Staying the course: Progress amid pressing challenges,’ World Bank said about 129 million Nigerians are living in poverty.

The Washington-based institution also said the country needs to create productive jobs to reduce poverty.

“Without jobs, poor Nigerians will not be able to escape poverty. Poverty is high and rising in Nigeria,” the World Bank said.

“More than half of the population lives in poverty. This partly reflects the modest overall pace of economic growth, which is insufficient to compensate for the erosion of purchasing power brought about by inflation.

“With growth proving too slow to outpace inflation, poverty has risen sharply. Since 2018, the share of Nigerians living below the national poverty is estimated to have risen sharply from 40.1 per cent to 56.0 per cent.

“Combined with population growth, this means that some 129 million Nigerians are living in poverty. This stark increase partly reflects Nigeria’s beleaguered growth record. Real GDP per capita has not recovered to the level it was at prior to the oil price-induced recession in 2016.

“The COVID-19 pandemic compounded this drop in economic activity. Moreover, growth is failing to outpace inflation: large increases in prices across almost all goods have diminished purchasing power.”

The World Bank also said poverty reflects the non-inclusive structure of growth.

According to the World Bank, the  best way to share the proceeds of growth is through jobs, however, employment is not enough to lift people out of poverty.

“Even when GDP was expanding more rapidly in the early 2010s, richer households benefited more. Jobs hold the key to sharing the proceeds of growth,” the Bretton Woods institution said.

“However, employment on its own is not enough to lift people out of poverty: Nigeria needs productive jobs, but these are scarce.

“Many jobs are not productive and therefore remunerative enough to afford a life beyond poverty.

“In Nigeria, as in many countries, high employment and high poverty coexist. In-work poverty is common as many jobs do not generate earnings that are high enough to escape poverty.

“Low incomes are symptomatic of low productivity jobs. Nigeria’s labor market is changing – with employment shifting from agriculture to services – but these changes are not increasing overall productivity and living standards, because many of the new service-sector jobs are in low-productivity sub-sectors like retail and wholesale trade.

“Sustained poverty reduction depends on creating wage jobs through macro-fiscal stability, growth, and private sector development, complemented by building human capital.”