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Lagos Inaugurates First Govt ISO-certified Lab in Nigeria

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Lagos State Government has flagged-off the first ever ultra- modern International Standard Organisation, ISO, certified government-owned laboratory in Nigeria. The laboratory was facilitated by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaking on Friday, during the official commissioning of the ultra-modern Laboratory, located in the premises of LASEPA, Alausa Ikeja, said that the upgraded and re-equipped laboratory will further improve the quality of life for residents.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, said the State Government has recorded another first in its environmental protection drive and in setting pace for good governance and the general well being of residents of the state, with the establishment of the lab.

According to him, the upgrading of LASEPA Laboratory became necessary as a result of the growing population of the state and the need to enhance the capacity of the agency to effectively deliver on its core mandate of monitoring the environment for safety and sustainability.

The governor, expressed satisfaction that the Laboratory earned the accreditation of the International Organization of Standardization for Quality Management System (ISO/IEC 9001) and Laboratory Management System (ISO/IEC 17025) which now makes LASEPA the first Government-owned environmental laboratory in Nigeria.

“This accreditation has given Lagos State a global recognition and acceptance as results generated from this laboratory are consistent and accurate through industry-standard protocols; and in line with best practices obtainable worldwide,” the Governor stated.

Sanwo-Olu, therefore, urged the management and staff of LASEPA, particularly those that would be charged with the responsibility of operating the Laboratory to do so with utmost professional care and high sense of responsibility.

“The Management must also, always keep in mind that to whom much is given, much is expected in return. Our administration will continue to invest in projects that are consistent with our goal of ensuring a healthy, safe and Sustainable environment.

“As we strive to bring about a more resilient and environmentally sustainable State, we look forward to a more purpose driven partnership with local and international bodies, academic institutions, researchers and non-governmental organizations,” Sanwo-Olu stated.

Earlier, Chairman, House of Assembly Committee on Environment, Rotimi Abiru, said that ‘the rate of human activities in all parts of the state and the huge population of residents of the State with different industries makes it compelling for government to be deliberate about paying attention to the environment.”

While noting that the initiative led credence to LASEPA’s resolve to ensure that all residents of the State have access to quality air to breath, Abiru appreciated the General Manager of the Agency and other environment-friendly stakeholders for championing the protection of the Lagos environment.

Giving an overview of the upgraded Laboratory, the General Manager LASEPA, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, explained that the Laboratory formerly known as Laboratory Department, serving the then Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning was upgraded by Governor Sanwo-Olu.

According to her, the initiative of the ISO-certified laboratory, was in line with the present administration’s THEMES agenda which prioritizes Health and Environment, saying “the project resonates with LASEPA’s mandate of safeguarding the environmental quality of the state’s land, air and water resources.”

She described the ISO-certified laboratory as “a boost for the agency’s mandate in the area of monitoring the activities of industrial, commercial and government entities in the state to ensure compliance to the environmental management laws of the state while also achieving sustainable development.

Fasawe revealed that she identified the need for an upgrade and standardization of the agency’s laboratory processes following her deployment to the agency as the General Manager and upon realization that the mandate of LASEPA borders around effective laboratory services.

She explained; “The laboratory complex was constructed 32 years ago as a pollution control laboratory under the Governace of Raji Rasaki, a retired Brigadier-General in the Nigerian Army who was the then military governor of the state.

“However, during Governor Bola Tinubu regime, it metamorphosed into a full-fledged Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) laboratory with a strategic footprint, sectioned into seven different laboratory services.”

Fasawe added that the agency would not have been able to achieve the upgrading and re-equipping of the laboratory without Sanwo-Olu, who supported the initiative from incubation to completion, alongside the Commissioner for the Environment, some key members of the state Executive Council as well as some principal government officials.

The laboratory which was upgraded, through a carefully designed-work, now has a State-of-the-art environmental laboratory equipment and engineering processes according to ISO standards and best practices.


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Union Bank’s alpher Initiative Empowers SMEs, Strengthens Nigerian Economy

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Union Bank of Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment through its alpher initiative by sponsoring the Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) Women and Youth Entrepreneurship Development Centre (WYEDC) Cohort 2 Programme, which has graduated 125 entrepreneurs who have benefited from firsthand entrepreneurship training and business grants.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria account for more than 50% of industrial employment and contribute approximately 48% to the country’s GDP.

This makes entrepreneurship one of the economy’s building blocks and is a testament to Union Bank’s unwavering dedication to national development in partnership with NBCC.

In her welcome speech, the Director General of NBCC, Dr. Ebere Njoku, reiterated NBCC’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, and youth empowerment, citing these as catalysts for economic development and sustainability.

She appreciated the sponsors, partners and facilitators who devoted their resources and time to upskilling the participants.

The entrepreneurship initiative stemmed from the visionary goal of Mr. Ray Atelly, President and Chairman of the Council, NBCC, FRPA, to provide entrepreneurship and grant opportunities to Nigerian women and youths.

Mr. Atelly told the graduates in his speech, “This is your chance, make sure you take it. Don’t let any obstacle stop you because there will be many; if you let it stop you, your dreams are not strong enough. You need to keep pushing, someday you will sit at the top of a conglomerate and people will aspire to be like you.”

Also in attendance was the NBCC’s Patron, Senator Akin Odunsi, FRPA, who congratulated the Cohort 2 graduates.

He said, “I encourage all of you not to take the training you have received for granted. Use it as a landmark opportunity to be a beacon of hope to others who look up to you.”

He also urged the Chamber to provide internship opportunities after the six-month entrepreneurship training in organisations for the incoming Cohort 3 and beyond.

He added that the internship experience will give trainees the unique chance to practice what they learned and, in return, benefit the organisations from their acquired skills.

The goodwill message at the graduation ceremony was delivered on behalf of Mrs. Yetunde Oni, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank of Nigeria, by Mrs. Vivian Imoh-Ita, the Bank’s Head of Retail and SME Business, who appreciated NBCC for the life-transforming training they are providing to the youth and women entrepreneurs.

She further stated, “As a Bank, we understand that when we invest in women and youth entrepreneurs, we are investing in the most powerful catalysts of economic transformation. Through the Bank’s alpher initiative, we have enabled success for women-led businesses. In a volatile economy like Nigeria, the challenges facing entrepreneurs are dynamic and significant. As a Bank, we intend to prove that these barriers are not unconquerable and are growth opportunities.”

Three entrepreneurs, namely Evelyn Ekene Ani of Evani.Ng (First place), Martha Padonu of Beyond Photography (Second place), and Therietta Vershima of La Teriz (Third place) were declared winners of the Union Bank Business Pitch competition held during the graduation ceremony and were rewarded with funding for their businesses.

The Bank’s sponsorship of the training demonstrates its commitment to fostering a vibrant, innovative, and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem for women and all individuals.


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Wema Bank Workers, Others Arraigned over Alleged N8.9Bn Cybercrime

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The trial of three employees of Wema Bank Plc and four others accused of orchestrating N8.9 billion cyber heist has been stalled due to the Eid-el-Kabir public holiday.

Wema Bank Workers, Others Arraigned over Alleged N8.9Bn Cybercrime

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the bank staff—Samuel Asiegbu, Fabian Onyeimachi, and Kingsley Kejim—alongside four alleged accomplices: Hannah Okunlola Adesokan, Hamza Zakariya, Achionu Ubaku, and Sunday Osademe, before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos on May 25, 2025.

The seven defendants face an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cybercrime, and obtaining money under false pretences. They were accused of hacking into Wema Bank’s computer systems in January 2025 and unlawfully transferring N8,568,090,500 to various accounts.

According  S.O. Larry Peters,  counsel, EFCC, the defendants acted in concert with two other suspects—Nurudeen Ibrahim and Alhaji Sulaiman—who are currently at large. The syndicate allegedly manipulated the bank’s data using sophisticated digital tools to cause financial loss and confer illegal economic gains on themselves.

Peters further revealed that two of the defendants—Hannah Okunlola and Sunday Osademe—provided personal bank accounts for the illicit proceeds. Investigators traced N199 million to Okunlola’s UBA account registered under Search Light Media Concept, and N2.25 million to Osademe’s Union Bank account.

The offences, according to the charge sheet, violate Sections 6(2), 8, 14(1), 14(5), and 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as well as Sections 17(a)(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004.

All seven defendants pleaded not guilty. Following their plea, the court remanded five of the accused in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services, while Kingsley Kejim continued on existing bail terms.

The court granted a special request by defence counsel to remand Hannah Okunlola in EFCC custody due to medical concerns.

Justice Aneke had adjourned the matter to June 6, 2025, for commencement of trial. However, due to the nationwide Sallah holiday declared by the federal government, the proceedings could not go ahead as scheduled.

A charge reads: “That you, Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, and others now at large, in January 2025, conspired to alter Wema Bank data to cause the loss of N8.568 billion in order to benefit economically, thereby committing an offence under Section 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015.”

The case has drawn significant attention as one of the most audacious cybercrime cases involving bank insiders in Nigeria’s recent history.


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Music Stars, Comedians Light Up “Evening with Glo” in Ijebu Ode

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The 2025 Ojude Oba celebrations kicked off on Friday evening with “Evening with Glo,” a special event organized by Globacom and headlined by Juju music legend Evangelist Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi and Fuji maestro Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM 1)

This year marks a significant milestone: Globacom’s 20th anniversary as sponsors of the Ojude Oba festival, an event it has helped transform into a globally recognized cultural spectacle.

The “Evening with Glo” was a vibrant mix of live music, delicious food, and captivating comedy from Gbenga Adeyinka, Bash, and Kiekie. The Conference Hall venue was packed as guests enjoyed more than two hours of Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi’s timeless hits, with the audience singing along and dancing.

Globacom organized the event as a gesture of appreciation to the Ijebu community for their unwavering support over the past two decades of the Ojude Oba festival. “We decided to bring together great sons and daughters of Ijebuland to celebrate our shared heritage, and indulge in the melodious rhythms that resonate deeply throughout Yorubaland,” the company stated.

The company explained their choice of musical icons, noting that the “ageless icon and Juju music maestro, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, has contributed decades of good, sonorous and philosophical songs to our society. His songs are still as fresh and full of inspirational messages as they were yesterday.”

Regarding KWAM 1, the company highlighted that “For decades, King of Fuji, K1 De Ultimate, the Fuji master, has been a great part of the music firmament in Nigeria, with his unique brand of Fuji that has elicited huge interest.”

The event saw a strong turnout of prominent Ijebu figures, including the Olori of Oba Awujale, Chief Mrs. Olukemi Adetona; the Coordinator of Ojude Oba Festival Planning Committee, Professor Fassy Yusuff; and a committee member and Iyalode of Ijebuland, Chief Mrs. Bisi Osibogun.


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