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COPE Africa Honours Oyo Ex -Commissioner, Olowofela With SGB Icon Award

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THE immediate past commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology in Oyo state, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela has been recognised and honoured by the Centre for Organizational And Professional Ethnics (COPE-AFRICA) with SGB Icon award.

Speaking at the award ceremony on Monday which was held at the Lekan Are Hall, Government College Ibadan, the Chairman, COPE AFRICA, a UNDP consultant, Dr Adeyeye Adewole informed that the Centre deemed it fit to honour Olowofela due to his creative ideas, passion for development, innovative solutions to recurring problems in secondary sub-sector which led to the School Governing Board (SGB) initiative.

The Associate Professor, Adeyeye said from the onset the School Governing Boards (SGBs) initiative was one of the best thing that has happened to Oyo state in recent time. According to him, “every secondary schools across Oyo state is now being piloted by a governing council that work assiduously to enhance quality of administration; institute better policy directions; push for innovative practices and adopt creative solutions to specific problems and more importantly attract massive infrastructure and growth.

“In 2018 alone, the monetary worth of the quantum of infrastructure and other resources have been injected into Oyo State Secondary School system through the ingenuity of SGB is over N2billion. Many Schools are now experiencing phenomenal growth and infrastructure transformation through creative approach propelled outside the regular and mostly inadequate government provisions. On this special note, we commend the Oyo State School Governing Boards (SGBs) for this towering feat. We also commend the Chairmen and respected members of School Governing Boards (SGBs) across Oyo State for commitment in their services to humanity as well as implementation of legacy projects that has helped to reposition secondary education sub -sector for the benefits of unborn generation”, he added.

The COPE AFRICA chair further appreciated the Abiola Ajimobi led administration for this initiative ” that  has become the toast of many states across Nigeria”.

In his remarks, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela, while expressing gratitude to Governor Ajimobi for the opportunity given to serve explained, “when we started the School Governing Board (SGB) system, we have to do advocacy. We moved throughout the entire education zone in the state to do training upon training for people and we thank God that today the School Governing Board (SGB) system is well understood. And as a dynamic system, definitely there will be improvement, so as you are moving forward using the template of the manual, we belief strongly that we will ultimately reach the peak as far as the best practices in education are concerned.

” I also want to congratulate you because Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN Commission), look at the School Governing Board system and they have adopted it as a policy for the entire Southwest of Nigeria. When they told me that they will be giving me award as ICON for School Governing Board, to me this is a collective award, its not a token of recognition of your efforts, especially all the members of the School Governing Board that are not taking one kobo for their service.

“But I know that it gladdens their hearts that they are contributing immensely to education in the state and it has also afforded them the opportunity to change the paradigm in the state. It is easy to criticize, it is even easy to condemn government, but what are your contributions to make sure that Nigeria and Oyo state change from what it used to be to where we are supposed to be? So, I thank you for your support, especially when it is selfless.

” Let me also say that we have to commend the secretaries of the School Governing Board, those that are the principals of the schools. They are the ones that are there every now and then to know the problems facing a particular school system and we know that they have been judiciously and wisely spending the funds in conjunction with the members of the board, money accrue or accruable to the school either through education development levy or by some direct supports from old students or community at large in moving education forward in the state.

“It also gladdens my heart that the intervention fund of SUBEB; as at the last time we had it was 2012 but as at today, Oyo State Government has been able to access, even up to 2018. The simple implication is that this will also affect our primary education positively. When you also see that the statistics and the job done by the Ministry of Education and all education stakeholders led to the fact that the discovery of out of school children in the state.

“Based on the policy paper written by these gentlemen in various ministries, Oyo State Government has secured the sum of $500m to tackle the issue of out of school children in the next five years. This is a project that will outlived this government and that’s how a good government must think, you must think beyond immediate, you must think about the future.

“Essentially this project is inter ministerial in approach, it may be resident in the ministry of education, but everybody must participate in it because each child counts as far as education is concern.

“When you want to destroy a nation, destroy the education of that nation and when you want to build a nation build the education of that nation”, Olowofela continued.

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Iran War Disrupts Oil Supply, Global Loss Hits $50bn

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The global oil market has recorded losses exceeding $50bn following massive supply disruptions triggered by the ongoing Iran war, which has now stretched to nearly 50 days.

Data from energy analytics firm Kpler showed that more than 500 million barrels of crude oil and condensate have been wiped off the global market since the crisis began in late February, making it the largest energy supply disruption in modern history.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, on Friday said the Strait of Hormuz had been reopened after a ceasefire agreement reached in Lebanon.

However, tensions escalated again on Saturday as Tehran warned it could shut the strategic waterway if the United States sustains its blockade of Iranian ports.

Also, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism that a deal to end the conflict could be reached “soon,” although he did not provide a definite timeline.

Analysts warned that the scale of disruption could have prolonged effects on global energy stability, with shocks expected to linger for months or even years.

Providing context, Principal Analyst at Wood Mackenzie, Iain Mowat, said the 500 million barrels lost is equivalent to grounding global aviation demand for 10 weeks, halting all road transport worldwide for 11 days, or shutting down the entire global oil supply for five days.

Further estimates showed that the lost volume is nearly equal to one month of oil demand in the United States or more than a month’s supply for Europe. It also represents about six years of fuel consumption by the U.S. military and could power global shipping activities for approximately four months.

The crisis has significantly affected oil-producing nations in the Gulf, with output losses reaching about eight million barrels per day in March—roughly equivalent to the combined production of two of the world’s largest oil companies.

Jet fuel exports from major producers, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, dropped sharply from 19.6 million barrels in February to just 4.1 million barrels recorded across March and April combined. Analysts said the shortfall could have powered about 20,000 round-trip international flights.

With crude prices averaging around $100 per barrel since the onset of the conflict, the lost volumes translate to an estimated $50bn in revenue. Experts noted that this figure is equivalent to about one per cent of Germany’s annual Gross Domestic Product, or roughly the size of the economies of smaller European countries.

Meanwhile, global onshore crude inventories have declined by about 45 million barrels in April alone, while total production outages have risen to approximately 12 million barrels per day since late March.

Industry experts cautioned that unless a lasting resolution is reached, the disruption could intensify volatility in global oil markets, worsen inflationary pressures, and further strain fragile economies worldwide.

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Oseni Secures Prestigious City People Political Award Nomination

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A member of the House of Representatives representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Aderemi Oseni, has been nominated for a Special Award in Politics at the 2026 City People Political Awards.

The nomination was conveyed in a letter dated April 13, 2026, signed by the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of City People Magazine, Seye Kehinde.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by Oseni’s media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday.

According to the statement, the lawmaker earned the nomination in recognition of his “outstanding contributions to politics in Oyo State, particularly in Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency.”

The organisers noted that Oseni emerged as a nominee following a comprehensive review of performances across sectors by the award’s selection committee.

Part of the letter read, “Having performed creditably well in your sector last year, the Organising Committee presented you as a nominee in your sector.”

The award ceremony is scheduled to hold on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at Etal Hall, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, at 4pm.

The City People Awards is an annual event that recognises individuals who have distinguished themselves in governance, public service and other sectors of national development.

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Kaduna Electric to prosecute, expose attackers of staff

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The Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company has announced a crackdown on individuals who assault its staff, warning that offenders will face prosecution and public exposure.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the company expressed concern over what it described as a “disturbing surge” in attacks on its field workers and third-party partners.

It noted that the affected personnel were mainly engaged in meter installation, revenue collection and maintenance of electricity infrastructure.

According to the firm, the increasing cases of harassment, physical assault and unlawful detention of its workers pose a serious threat to employee safety and the stability of electricity service delivery across its franchise areas.

The Deputy Managing Director, Abubakar Mohammed, said the company would no longer tolerate any form of aggression against its workforce.

“Let this serve as a clear warning to anyone who engages in the assault of our staff. Kaduna Electric will pursue every case to its logical conclusion,” he said.

“We will work closely with security agencies to ensure offenders are brought to justice and face the full weight of the law,” Mohammed added.

He further disclosed that the company would publicly reveal the identities of individuals found culpable.

According to him, names, photographs and other details of offenders would be published on the company’s official platforms as well as in national and local media.

“This measure is intended to ensure accountability and serve as a strong deterrent. Anyone who chooses to attack our personnel should be prepared not only to face prosecution but also public exposure,” he added.

The company stressed that assaults on utility workers attract serious legal and financial consequences, noting that offenders risk criminal charges that may lead to fines or imprisonment.

It added that perpetrators could also face civil liabilities, including compensation for medical treatment, psychological trauma and loss of work hours.
While condemning the attacks, Kaduna Electric urged customers to adopt peaceful and lawful means of resolving disputes.

It advised aggrieved customers to channel complaints through its customer service units or appropriate regulatory bodies.

The management reaffirmed its commitment to protecting its workforce and partners, stressing that a safe working environment is essential for delivering reliable and efficient electricity services.

Although disputes between electricity providers and consumers are often linked to billing issues, metering challenges and service delivery concerns, the company maintained that such matters must be resolved through dialogue, insisting that violence against its staff will no longer be tolerated.

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