1. A diplomat diagnosed with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has reportedly deteriorated into multi-organ failure, as the Federal Government and state governments intensify surveillance, contact tracing and emergency preparedness to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

The patient’s name and nationality were, however, not disclosed.

The Director of Public Health Laboratory Service at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Olajumoke Babatunde, gave the update at an emergency meeting of the agency in Abuja on Wednesday.

2. The Ogun State Government has again shut some schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ago-Iwoye and Ijebu-Igbo after more than 100 pupils were reportedly hospitalised on Wednesday following exposure to an offensive gaseous substance. The affected pupils were taken to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, the General Hospital, Ijebu-Igbo, and other healthcare facilities for treatment.

3. The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday warned the defence lawyers against delay in the trial of four suspects who allegedly kidnapped and killed Ekpeyong Asuquo Owoh, an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS). Justice Joyce Abdulmalik gave the warning after Kelvin Ekwe and Geoffrey Uwadiegu, who appeared for the defendants, expressed unreadiness to commence trial and sought an application for adjournment.

4. The Federal Government says it has settled more than N100bn in longstanding gas debts since January 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen the gas-to-power value chain. The Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, Mrs Olu Verheijen, disclosed this on Wednesday in her keynote address at the Africa Interviews Sustainability Forum 2026 in Lagos. She said the settlement was carried out under the administration’s Presidential Power Sector Financial Reforms Programme.

5. Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday urged state governments to end their dependence on the Federal Government for solutions to local power problems. He said states should set up functional electricity markets under the Electricity Act 2023. He spoke at the opening of the National Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Electricity Act 2023 at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

6. The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed that lives were lost after a boat reportedly capsized during a confrontation between youths and men in military uniform over an oil spill in Kula, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state. Police said an investigation had begun to determine the exact number of casualties and the circumstances surrounding the incident, which occurred on Tuesday evening.

7. The Ekiti and Kebbi State Houses of Assembly have endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment to pave the way for the establishment of state police, with Ekiti passing the bill and Kebbi lawmakers adopting a resolution in support of decentralised policing to tackle insecurity. Before the latest endorsements, at least 13 states — Osun, Edo, Oyo, Rivers, Zamfara, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Delta, Taraba, Cross River, Plateau and Enugu — had passed the bill.

8. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said his political differences with former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso will not diminish his personal affection for the opposition politician. Tinubu made the declaration on Wednesday in a birthday tribute to Kwankwaso, who turned 70, describing the former Minister of Defence as a longstanding friend and influential figure in Nigeria’s political development.

9. The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has said that accessing student loans is voluntary, urging tertiary institution students to apply only when they genuinely need financial assistance to pursue their education. The clarification was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Strategic Communications, NELFUND, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, in Abuja on Wednesday.

10. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that it is targeting maximum votes in the forthcoming 2027 presidential poll. This follows the commitment of Nigerians in the Diaspora to join the campaign train for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. ​Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at a briefing held by the Presidential Campaign Council’s Directorate of Diaspora Mobilisation, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), emphasized the immense value of Nigerians abroad to the nation’s economic development

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says his political differences with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State, will not diminish his personal affection for the opposition politician.

Tinubu made the remark on Wednesday in a birthday tribute to Kwankwaso, who turned 70, describing the former Minister of Defence as a longstanding friend and influential figure in Nigeria’s political development.

The President, who is running for a second term on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and running mate to Peter Obi, are currently on opposite sides of the political divide.

But in what appeared to affirm personal friendship over partisan considerations, Tinubu maintained that their political rivalry would not undermine the relationship they had built over more than three decades.

“That we are in different political parties and competing on different platforms in the January 2027 election will not remove my affection for Senator Kwankwaso,” the President declared.

The tribute comes as political activities intensify ahead of the presidential election, with the two politicians from rival camps seeking victory at the polls.

Tinubu recalled that his relationship with Kwankwaso dated back to 1992, when both served in the National Assembly during the aborted Third Republic, with Kwankwaso in the House of Representatives and himself in the Senate.

He noted that their political paths crossed again in 1999 when they were elected governors of Kano and Lagos states, respectively, at the beginning of the Fourth Republic.

According to the President, their shared experience as members of the pioneering class of governors in the current democratic dispensation helped forge a relationship that has endured despite their subsequent political disagreements.

“Senator Kwankwaso and I have had a longstanding association, dating back to our time in the National Assembly in 1992, he in the House of Representatives and I in the Senate, and later in 1999 when we both emerged as governors of our respective states.

“As members of the Class of ’99 Governors, we both played pivotal roles in laying the foundation for the democracy the nation enjoys today”, Tinubu stated.

The President also reflected on their political journey, acknowledging that although they took different political routes over the years, circumstances brought them together in 2013 when they formed the APC.

“Shaped by different political choices, our political paths differed until we coalesced in 2013 to form the All Progressives Congress. Since then, history and service have kept us intertwined”, he said.

Tinubu further acknowledged Kwankwaso’s contributions to governance and national development, particularly his service as a two-term governor of Kano State, Minister of Defence, senator and presidential candidate.

The President, who recognised Kwankwaso’s current position as a vice-presidential candidate, described him as an important political figure whose contributions to the nation’s democratic evolution deserved acknowledgement irrespective of partisan affiliations.

“I must acknowledge Senator Kwankwaso’s immense contributions to Kano State and Nigeria as a two-term Governor, former Minister of Defence, former Senator, former presidential candidate, and now a presidential running mate.

“Senator Kwankwaso remains an influential figure and a progressive politician,” Tinubu said.

Kwankwaso, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) platform, is now seeking the vice-presidency alongside Obi on the NDC platform in the January 2027 election.

The President wished Kwankwaso continued good health and fulfilment, expressing hope that he would remain actively involved in the country’s democratic process.

“As the former governor marks this milestone, I wish him good health, personal fulfilment, and many more years of engagement in the nation’s democratic process”, Tinubu stated.

Mrs. Bola Tinubu has underscored the need for stronger corporate governance anchored on board accountability, ethical leadership, effective risk oversight and long-term value creation, warning that the durability of institutions depends on the quality of decisions made in their boardrooms today.

In a message ahead of the Corporate Governance Triangle Annual Colloquium scheduled for Thursday, October 22, Country Managing Partner, DLA Piper Africa said corporate governance must be understood as more than adherence to regulations, stressing that it is fundamental to building resilient institutions, protecting stakeholder interests and sustaining investor confidence.

“Good governance is not simply about compliance. It is about leadership, accountability and making the right decisions for the future,” she said.

The colloquium, convened by the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL), the Convention on Business Integrity’s Centre for Leadership and Governance (CloD Nigeria), and the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), is themed “Governing for the Future.”

The gathering comes at a time when corporate boards face increasing pressure to demonstrate stronger oversight, transparent decision-making and the capacity to navigate economic volatility, technological disruption and evolving stakeholder expectations.

Tinubu’s position places board effectiveness at the centre of the corporate governance conversation, emphasising that compliance with statutory requirements, while indispensable, is not sufficient to guarantee institutional integrity or sustainable performance.

Effective corporate governance requires boards to establish clear accountability structures, exercise independent judgement, challenge management assumptions and ensure that corporate strategy is aligned with the long-term interests of shareholders and other stakeholders.

It also demands robust internal controls, credible financial reporting, ethical conduct and risk management frameworks capable of identifying threats before they undermine organisational stability.

“At a time of rapid change and growing uncertainty, the quality of board leadership matters more than ever,” She said.

As a Keynote Speaker at the event, statement highlights the strategic responsibility of directors to look beyond short-term earnings and immediate operational pressures to consider the broader implications of their decisions for institutional continuity, reputation and value creation.

For companies operating in Nigeria’s evolving business environment, these responsibilities have significant implications for investor confidence and access to capital. Investors increasingly assess not only financial performance but also the quality of oversight, transparency of disclosures, protection of minority shareholders and the ability of boards to manage material risks.

Weak governance can expose companies to financial mismanagement, conflicts of interest, reputational damage and regulatory sanctions. Conversely, credible governance structures can strengthen market confidence, improve accountability and create the conditions for sustainable business growth.

Tinubu stressed that boards must demonstrate the courage and discipline required to prepare institutions for challenges beyond their immediate operating environment.

“Boards must look beyond today’s challenges and have the courage, foresight and discipline to build institutions that will stand the test of time,” she stated.

This approach places a premium on forward-looking board oversight. Directors must interrogate business assumptions, monitor emerging risks, evaluate management performance and ensure that succession planning, capital allocation and corporate strategy support institutional resilience.

It also reinforces the importance of board independence and diversity of experience in strengthening deliberations and preventing excessive concentration of decision-making authority. Effective oversight depends on directors who can exercise sound judgement, ask difficult questions and hold management accountable without compromising their fiduciary responsibilities.

Beyond individual companies, stronger corporate governance has implications for the wider Nigerian economy. Transparent and well-governed companies are better positioned to attract long-term investment, deepen capital markets and support the development of a business environment in which capital is allocated with greater confidence.

The collaboration among the NBA-SBL, CloD Nigeria and NGX in convening the colloquium also reflects the importance of a coordinated approach to governance. Legal standards, leadership development, market discipline and professional accountability must work together to translate governance principles into measurable institutional outcomes.

The challenge, therefore, is not simply to establish governance codes or satisfy regulatory expectations, but to embed accountability and ethical conduct in everyday corporate decision-making.

Tinubu expressed optimism about the discussions expected at the colloquium, noting that the demands of contemporary leadership require sustained reflection on how institutions are governed and prepared for the future.

“I look forward to a thought-provoking conversation on what this demands of us as leaders,” she added.

As corporate governance increasingly shapes investor perceptions and institutional credibility, the central question for boards is whether their decisions merely address today’s obligations or build the foundations for tomorrow’s success.

The distinction, ultimately, lies in the ability to translate compliance into a culture of accountability, oversight into strategic value and leadership into lasting institutional strength.