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Ecobank Ellevate Celebrates “Fantastic Five” Female First Class Graduates
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As part of activities to commemorate this year’s International Women’s Month, Ecobank Ellevate has singled out and celebrated five first class female University graduates. The graduates who are being celebrated for their excellence and distinctive nature, include, Abolaji Awodein, a graduate of Social Works; Nusirat Eniola Yusuf, Economics; Faith Nwachinemere, Estate Management and Anthonia Owani, Economics all from the University of Lagos. Also included is Fisayo Ojo, who graduated from Covenant University with a degree in Computer Science.
Abolaji Awodein is a young and ambitious lady, graduated with a First Class (Hons) Degree in Social Work. She was the best graduating student in her department. She also has a Diploma in Social Development and Administration where she was also the best graduating student. The self-published writer published her book “And Then I Met You” in 2018, which sold many copies locally and internationally. Nusirat Eniola Yusuf is a young and ambitious Nigerian Economist who graduated with a First Class from the prestigious University of Lagos in 2021. She has keen interest in Data analytics and currently works as a Financial Analyst. Outside work, Nusirat can be best described as an individual who is passionate about humanity. She is big on IMPACT, particularly on promoting quality education for the Nigerian child.
Faith Nwachinemere is a young, ambitious, and talented lady who having studied Estate Management and earned a distinction at a Diploma level (OND), from Yaba College of Technology, proceeded to obtain her first degree (BSc) in the same course from University of Lagos. She graduated with a First Class (Hons) and was the best graduating student in the Faculty of Environmental sciences. While in school, she represented her department in the 51st annual quiz competition organized by the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) and came second place. Anthonia Owani is a First Class graduate of Economics from University of Lagos. She strives to always make an impact. In 2018, she led a team of five to organize a genotype awareness campaign at the University of Lagos where she educated over 800 students and community members about the intricacies of the human genotype. Fisayo Ojo graduated from Covenant University in 2021 with First Class Honors in Computer Science. She believes technology is a vehicle for change and loves building products that makes life easier for everyone. As an undergraduate, she also co-founded an NGO (TSC) to promote the inclusion of women in technology.
Head Marketing and Corporate Communications, Ecobank Nigeria, Babajide Sipe, said the recognition and celebration of the first-class female graduates is in line with the bank’s deliberate policy to promote distinction and excellence. According to him one of the ways to create a society that is free of bias and gender-based discrimination is to identify, recognize and reward excellence among the female folks in all spheres of life. This he noted would further encourage other women to aspire high and close the bias gap.
“I advise the honourees not to rest on their academic exploits but continue to mentor and be an inspiration to younger ones. The theme for this year’s IWD ‘’Break the Bias’’ suggests that there’s still more to be done the world over especially in Africa. Ecobank has made tremendous progress over the years in ensuring that women have similar access like men to the resources they need to grow, whether as employees or as entrepreneurs. It is imperative to join hands together to create a society that is free of bias and gender-based discrimination”.
“Across Ecobank, we are intent on ensuring that women have genuinely equal opportunities to men in achieving promotion, developing their careers, and reaching their full potential. Here at Ecobank Nigeria, our aim is to achieve 50/50 equality by 2030 at all levels of the bank. while IWD is just one day, gender equality is a phenomenon that even goes beyond women’s month. It should be firmly embedded in our beliefs, behaviors, and actions as the norm every single day. We understand that ultimately, the success of women is the success of the world.” He stated.
Ecobank Ellevate is a multi-award-winning initiative, through which the bank positions women-owned and women focused businesses for success. As part of the 2022 International Women’s Day celebrations, Ellevate by Ecobank had an Exhibition, a first-of-its-kind series of fairs and workshops for womenpreneurs in 4 different locations across the country – Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt & Ibadan. The fairs provided opportunities for hundreds of female entrepreneurs to showcase their products to a multi-cultural audience, expand their digital presence and reach new markets.
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US Lawmaker Weeps over Brutal Killing of Christians in Plateau
A United States representative, Anna Paulina Luna, has raised the alarm over what she described as the incessant attacks and killings of Christians across different communities in Plateau State by Fulani ethnic militia terrorists and Islamist extremists.
The US lawmaker, who made the allegations in a statement shared on her verified X account on Friday, accused both the state and the federal governments of not doing enough to protect Christians in the state from the regular attacks they suffer when the terrorists descend on the communities.
In a post titled, “What is happening in Nigeria right now?”, the US lawmaker lamented that thousands of Christians in Plateau were facing a mortal threat while security forces had struggled to contain the situation.
“Hundreds of Fulani ethnic militia terrorists descended on Christian communities across Plateau State.
“Thousands of civilians are under mortal threat while the Nigerian Army and security forces struggle to hold the line,” Luna wrote.
According to her, the attacks were preceded by a series of violent incidents targeting Christians and other civilians in the affected communities.
Giving some specifics, Paulina said a pastor and his church secretary were shot dead while they were on their way to church in the days leading up to the latest attacks, while five Christians were attacked in another incident while travelling in a vehicle.
“A pastor and his church secretary were shot dead on their way to church. Five Christians were ambushed in their car.
“A civilian guard was killed outside his own home. A man and his son were beaten and left in critical condition,” the lawmaker said.
The US representative also alleged that security agencies had never taken warnings and security alerts issued before the attacks seriously, questioning why they had not been followed.
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Food for Living: Pursue Passion More Than Profit (Pt. 2)
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Last week, we began discussing a grey and near-controversial topic, “pursue passion more than profit”. The topic cannot be exhaustive. Depending on who one is speaking to, different answers and understanding will be received because different things work for different people, and as they say, ‘different strokes for different people’.
It I worthy of note that a family man who is passionate about teaching or working in the non-profit space will be tempted to engage in business to feed his family. But someone with a stable financial background can afford to follow his passion and work as a teacher or in the non-profit space where the pay is not lucrative.
From a practical perspective, I currently work for the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. This is an agency that pays a good salary to the uniformed officers after they work for 51/2 years. In addition to the money they receive, there are countless hours of overtime, which doubles their income depending on how many hours they work. Some call it blood money because they can hardly get the same money in other institutions.
Why am I sharing this information? According to most of the officers; they basically work in the agency because of the money. Most of the officers are of the opinion that they can hardly make such money working in other private or public enterprises. The majority of these officers are not passionate about the job; they are just there to take care of their pressing bills. Some of them even have a timeline: they can work and then resign to start up their business or work in their areas of interest. This goes to tell you that they are trading their passion for profit, which is kind of work if looked at from a particular point of view, but then they are trading their joy and peace.
Let me share another example. In Nigeria, a popular artist, David Adeleke, aka Davido, is one man who followed his passion. This young man came from a wealthy background. He literally left generational wealth to sing. Many thought he was crazy. Davido’s father, billionaire businessman Adedeji Adeleke, initially opposed his music career, but he eventually became fully supportive. Davido’s father went as far as having police shut down shows or arresting people involved when Davido left school in the US to pursue music in Nigeria. Due to his passion for singing, Davido had to fund his early career secretly and rebel against his family’s wishes before breaking through.
Once Davido achieved massive success and proved he could be successful in the industry, his father accepted his path and gave him his blessing. Davido once stated that despite making his own fortune, his billionaire father still surprises him with huge financial gifts, such as wiring him $300,000 after a major performance at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
I doubt that Davido would have become this famous if he didn’t follow his passion. Davido can be described as a man whose passion is stronger than power.
I had to share these two perspectives to give clarity on the relativity of passion and profit.
Let’s analyze the concept of passion and profit. If I may ask you, what is passion? What is profit? And what does passion and profit mean to you? According to Cambridge University, passion was defined as a very strong feeling, emotion, or deep enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause. For example, someone can have a strong emotion or a powerful state of feeling like intense love, excitement, anger, or hatred for something or somebody.
Passion can also be a deep interest or hobby which gives someone a strong liking or enthusiasm for an activity, such as cooking, music, or sports. In romantic cases, it can be a romantic or sexual desire: An intense physical or emotional attraction toward someone. In the spiritual context, it can be understood as the Sufferings of Jesus: Historically and in a religious context, it refers to the suffering and death of Jesus Christ between the Last Supper and the crucifixion (the Passion of Christ).
Profit, on the other hand, is the financial gain that remains when total revenue from an activity or business exceeds the total expenses and costs incurred, according to Investopedia. There are different types of profit:
- Gross Profit: Revenue minus the direct cost of producing goods or services (COGS).
- Operating Profit: Gross profit minus day-to-day operating expenses, excluding interest and taxes.
- Net Profit: The final “bottom line” earnings left after all expenses, taxes, and interest are deducted.
Having given an overview of what passion and profit entail, let’s take a minute to understand the thin line between passion and profit. Just like authority is respected more than power, passion has more influence and is generally respected more than profit. No doubt, it’s good to make a profit in business, but in this context, I am referring to the human resource space or human capacity development
On the surface, people may respect someone for the money one has, but they will value a person who is more passionate about a cause than one who has money but does not believe in the message they are preaching. There’s a saying: human beings are more than money. Just like, it’s better to have a good name than to have money.
People generally follow a leader or someone who they can relate to rather than someone who gives them money but is careless about their feelings. One message I heard countless times from one of my revered mentors regarding my career was to pursue passion over profits. According to him, passion is stronger than power. He likened passion to a scenario where a woman loves a man who has less money compared to a man who has money but does not have the values and vision she represents. According to these sets of ladies, money is good, but love conquers everything because if tomorrow the money travels, the marriage is bound to hit a rock, compared to a scene where a lady loves a man for who he is and what he represents. Even when the money is out, the friendship will still thrive.
According to the opposing schools of thought, while passion is good, it is they also believe that hard work beats talent, especially when talent is not put to good use. So, even if one is passionate about a cause or has a talent that is yet to be developed, if one does not intentionally develop it, it will lie fallow. So, invariably, even if one is passionate about a cause, if they don’t have the strength to work on their passion, it’s advisable for them to focus on making money.
Here is my opinion: even though I subscribe to the position of focusing on or working for passion rather than for money, one must apply wisdom in navigating this tough terrain. One can decide to work for money and gather enough money to fund their passion because, at the end of the day, we all want to be happy, because happiness and fulfilment mean everything
In summary, while it is good to do what works for one and what is readily available, it’s imperatively important for one to strive for excellence and perfection, which can be found in passion.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny- Actualizing Your Birthright to Success, Unleash Your Destiny and The Six Pillars of Success . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
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Police Detain Inspector over Ethnic Slur Against Igbo, Peter Obi
The Lagos State Police Command has commenced disciplinary action against an inspector following a viral video in which he was seen making disparaging ethnic remarks while travelling in a public vehicle.
The officer, identified as Inspector Osumah Frank, made what the Command described as “careless, inappropriate and uncultured remarks,” according to a statement issued on Friday, September 25, 2026, and signed by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi.
In the video, Frank, who was in police uniform, was heard making remarks about Igbo people and discussing the political ambitions of a former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi. He also made comments involving President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The inspector was further heard suggesting that police officers could collect money to frustrate a political candidate’s chances of succeeding.
Reacting to the video, the Command said the officer’s remarks were made in his personal capacity and did not represent the position or views of either the Lagos State Police Command or the Nigeria Police Force.
“The Command has commenced appropriate disciplinary action against the officer in line with established regulations of the Nigeria Police Force,” the statement said.
“It also wishes to make it clear that the statements made by the officer were made in his personal capacity and do not represent the position, views or official disposition of the Lagos State Police Command or the Nigeria Police Force,” it added.
The Commissioner of Police (CP) Tijani Fatai, said police personnel are required to maintain professionalism and respect for members of the public at all times.
“All personnel are expected to maintain professionalism, civility, discipline and respect for members of the public at all times,” the statement quoted Fatai as saying.
He said wearing the police uniform came with a responsibility to uphold the dignity and integrity of the Force, adding that the Command would not condone any conduct capable of bringing the police into disrepute or undermining public confidence in the Force.
The Command reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and “policing with humility and integrity.”
The video, which circulated widely on social media from around September 23, had drawn criticism over the officer’s remarks, particularly those concerning Igbo people and his comments about police officers collecting money to frustrate a political candidate.
The police did not state the specific disciplinary measures being taken against Frank.






