Personality in Focus
Christian Varsity Honours Security Entrepreneur, Cynthia Gregg, with Honorary Doctorate Degree for Service to Humanity
By Oki Samson
The MD/CEO of Safety Signature Ltd., Mrs. Cynthia Gregg, has been awarded a honorary doctorate degree in Church Growth and Ministry by the Ames Christian University. The ordained Deaconess and Lecturer at the Bible College of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) was honored at the annual graduation ceremony of the International College of Ministry, Ibadan on Saturday.
Dedicating the topmost educational degree to God, the security entrepreneur and philanthropist noted: ‘This is a huge responsibility placed on me to be a blessing to humanity. It will motivate me to do more to enthrone the ideals of Christ, support for the less privileged, and of course, fashion ways to ensure safety and security which is my core line of business’ in her brief chat with the Publisher of Trek Africa Newspaper, Mr. Oki Samson.
The graceful woman, who has vast experience in security operations and business management is also the Director of a chain of SME businesses into Branding, Advertising, Hospitality, HR consultancy and Business Development. With a rich resumé comprising an Executive MBA from Commonwealth of Learning, Canada and fellowships with the Institute of Security Nigeria (ISN), Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies (AES), Nigerian Institute of Industrial Security (NIIS) and National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), National Institute of Management (NIM), International Institute of Professional Security (IIPS) and many other professional bodies.
The National Assistant General Secretary of The Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN) who also holds an Advanced Diploma certificate from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in Security Operations and Management started out as a journalist with Voice Of Nigeria (VON) before joining Nigerian Breweries Plc Lagos as a Sales Representative (All SKUs) was rose to the position of a Brand Manager (Amstel Malta) within a year of consistently exceeding her sales target.
She resigned to join the security industry in 2005 when she registered Safety Signatures Limited and secured a Category ‘A’ license to operate a private security company with its headquarter in Lagos and branches spreading to other states of the federation.
As part of its ongoing transformation from a training institute to a regulatory authority, the Director-General/CEO of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Aare (Dr) Abisoye Fagade, has embarked on a high-level courtesy visits to key government agencies.
These engagements aim to foster collaboration, enhance industry standards, and strengthen NIHOTOUR’s regulatory framework for the hospitality, travel, and tourism sector.
So far, Dr. Fagade has met with top officials, including Mr. Ayodele Subair, Executive Chairman of the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS); Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); and Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
Discussions focused on strategic partnerships to ensure compliance, professional certification, and improved service delivery within the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry.
“Our vision is clear – to build a robust, well-regulated travel, hospitality, and tourism sector that meets global standards. This transition requires strong collaboration with key agencies to align our training, certification, and regulatory frameworks with international best practices,” said Dr. Abisoye Fagade.
With more agencies scheduled for engagement, NIHOTOUR remains committed to promoting excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s travel, hospitality, and tourism industry.
Access Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Uche Orji as an Independent Non-Executive Director of its flagship subsidiary, Access Bank Plc.
The Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, said the appointment, which takes effect from January 7, 2025, has been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“This appointment reflects our commitment to enhancing our governance practices and ensuring a diverse and experienced board”, Access Holdings said.
Orji is a renowned investment banking professional, information technology entrepreneur, and finance expert with three decades of professional and board experience. He is the Co-founder and Partner of Titangate Capital Management, an equity firm that invests in deep-tech, enterprise software, semi-conductors, hardware, and artificial intelligence companies.
Orji is the Founder and Director of Vitesse Africa Limited, an investment advisory firm focused on African energy, technology and infrastructure sectors.
He serves as an Executive Board member and investor in Ultrasafe AI, an artificial intelligence/IT development firm that maintains strategic collaborations with leading technology companies.
He also sits on the Board of Private Infrastructure Development Group, London, and chairs the Risk Committee.
Previously, Orji served as the founding Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
He held positions as Managing Director and Senior Analyst at UBS Securities Limited New York and Managing Director and Head of European Technology/Semiconductor Equity Research at JP Morgan Securities, London.
He also served as Executive Director/Portfolio Manager at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, London. Earlier in his career, he was Acting Financial Controller at Diamond Bank Limited and an Audit Trainee at Arthur Andersen & Co.
He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Port Harcourt and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
Commenting on the appointment, the Chairman of the Bank, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), said: “Mr. Orji has been appointed based on his exceptionally rich professional, academic, and corporate board experience which will be invaluable to the Bank as we continue to pursue our strategic objectives.
“We are confident that his addition to the Board would further enrich the quality of our decision-making process, enabling us to deliver even greater value to our customers and stakeholders.
“His appointment has been made in accordance with the Bank’s internal policies and has been notified to all relevant regulatory authorities underscoring our commitment to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance.
“On behalf of the Board, Management and staff, I warmly welcome Mr. Orji to the Board and look forward to his contributions towards our goal of becoming one of the top five African banks in the shortest possible time.”
A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lt Gen. Jeremiah Useni (retd), is dead.
He passed away on Thursday at the age of 82 after a protracted illness.
His death was announced in a statement issued in Jos by Gyang Bere, the Director of Press and Public Affairs to Plateau State governor, Caleb Mutfwang.
He described the of the former Minister and Quarter Master General of the Nigerian Army as a tremendous loss not only to his immediate family but also to the Nigerian Armed Forces, Plateau State, and the entire nation.
Highlighting the roles played by the late army general, Governor Mutfwang noted that he left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s security and political landscape with his tireless efforts to promote peace and security, especially in Northern Nigeria and Plateau State.
The governor prayed that god grants the family, plateau state, and the nation the strength and fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss, and also asked for God’s divine presence to comfort and provide solace in the days ahead.
