African philanthropist and business leader, Tony Elumelu, will make Africa’s transformative economic growth, youth employment, and energy transition central to the discussions at this year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), taking place late September in New York.

Elumelu will call for urgent action in a series of engagements, including a roundtable discussion at the Clinton Global Initiative with former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, and at an event co-hosted by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), led by WFP Executive Director, Cindy McCain.

Elumelu will bring his perspective both from extensive experience in building industry-leading businesses across the continent, and the success of the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s catalytic programmes empowering young Africans. Elumelu is a realist, challenging Africa and Africans to solve their problems, bringing African solutions, but also recognizing Africa’s responsibility to act.

As Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group and pan-African investment company, Heirs Holdings, as well as Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Elumelu is a leading driver of Africa’s transformation agenda, helping shape the continent’s narrative on the global stage. His thought leadership and advocacy challenge conventional views, offering innovative strategies for collaboration and growth. The success of his Foundation in promoting youth entrepreneurship as a pathway out of poverty, has featured in case studies from Harvard, Chicago Business School, Stanford and Cambridge.

With over 60% of Africans lacking access to electricity and young people making up more than 60% of the continent’s 1.3 billion population, Africa faces challenges that impact the world. Africa, most recently with tragic floods in West Africa, is suffering climate driven environmental crises, caused by global emissions, whilst Africa’s development is held back by huge infrastructure deficits.

In a recent statement, Elumelu emphasised, “I have often said that there is nowhere else in the world you can reap the kind of investments as in Africa. However, I am acutely aware of the fundamental challenges our continent faces. Addressing the issues of sustainable economic growth, youth unemployment, genda inequality, and Africa’s energy transition is critical not only for meeting the continent’s basic developmental needs, but also for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and unlocking the immense economic potential that Africa offers.”

An economist and visionary entrepreneur, Elumelu’s economic philosophy of Africapitalism, serves as a blueprint for accelerating Africa’s economic transformation, advocating for the private sector to take the lead in delivering social and economic wealth, and shared prosperity for all.

Alongside Elumelu’s advocacy, the United Bank for Africa, which he chairs, will host a networking gala on the sidelines of UNGA – a platform to spotlight investment opportunities on the continent. The Gala will convene prominent leaders across four continents, in commemoration of UBA Group’s 75th anniversary and the Group’s 40 years of operations in the United States.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday granted the request by the federal government and former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen to settle an appeal challenging his removal as CJN out of court.

During Thursday’s proceedings, parties told the court that they have intensified efforts to reach an amicable settlement of all issues in dispute.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari, had in 2019 removed Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria during the pendency of a charge against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

However, at Thursday’s proceedings in the appeal, lead counsel to the former CJN, Dr Ogwu Onoja, informed a 3-man panel of justices of the Appeal Court that the two parties are already having discussions on a peaceful resolution of the dispute.

Onoja informed the court that the parties had an engagement up until Wednesday, September 18 and expressed optimism that the discussion would bear fruitful results.

The senior lawyer subsequently appealed to the appellate court for a one-month adjournment for final settlement of the matter.

Counsel to the federal government, Tijani Gazali corroborated the submission of Onoja and requested that the matter be shifted forward for a possible amicable settlement.

“My Lords, I wish to humbly confirm the information. It is our position to settle the matter out of court,” he said.

In a brief remark, Justice J. O. Oyewole, who presided over Thursday’s proceedings, directed them to file terms of settlement for adoption when eventually agreed upon.

Justice Oyewole held that the terms of settlement must be documented and filed before the adjourned date for the court to adopt as its judgement in the matter.

He subsequently fixed November 4 as the return date for the two parties.

Onnoghen was prosecuted in 2019 by the federal government on false declaration of assets at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, found guilty and removed from office.

He was also made to forfeit the undeclared assets to the federal government.

Unlike the August 20 proceedings, Onnoghen was not in court to witness his appeal, in which he is praying the Court to set aside the judgement of the CCT that removed him from office and ordered the forfeiture of his five bank accounts.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has closed an illegal cosmetics manufacturing facility at Benue Plaza, Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State, in a significant enforcement operation targeting counterfeit products.

In a post shared by NAFDAC on X (formerly Twitter), the agency revealed that its officers uncovered large quantities of unregistered chemicals, expired products, and packaging materials intended for the production of fake cosmetics.

Over 1,200 cartons of counterfeit goods were seized from the location. Expired cosmetics were reportedly being revalidated for sale, raising serious concerns about consumer safety.

The agency also confiscated equipment used in the illicit manufacturing process, such as mini-mixing containers, unlabelled chemicals, batch coding materials, and thinners.

These materials were transported to NAFDAC’s office for further investigation. The agency estimates the street value of the confiscated goods at approximately N50 million.

NAFDAC has reiterated its commitment to protecting public health by clamping down on illegal and unregulated products in the Nigerian market. In a statement, the agency urged consumers to exercise caution when purchasing cosmetics, particularly from unverified sources, and to report any suspicious products to NAFDAC for further action.

This operation underscores NAFDAC’s ongoing efforts to combat the production and distribution of counterfeit goods, which pose significant risks to public health and safety.

The agency has emphasized that such enforcement actions are part of a broader strategy to ensure that only regulated and certified products reach consumers, safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s cosmetics market.

What to Know

In a related development, about 5 months ago NAFDAC sealed several unregistered bakeries and water-packaging companies operating without the agency’s approval in Plateau State.

According to Mr. Shaba Mohammed, Director of NAFDAC’s North Central Zone, the closure followed inspections that revealed substandard Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in the water-packaging firms. As a result, these companies were shut down to prevent the circulation of potentially unsafe products.

In addition to this, numerous patent medicine stores were sealed for selling expired and unregistered medical products. The raid, part of NAFDAC’s routine inspections in local government areas such as Dengi, Wase, Yelwa Shendam, and Namu, was aimed at enforcing compliance with safety standards and protecting public health.

Mr. Mohammed emphasized that NAFDAC remains committed to ensuring only certified and safe products are available to Nigerian consumers.

He urged the public to be vigilant, choosing only NAFDAC-registered goods, and to report any suspicious or expired products.

He also reiterated that businesses found violating the agency’s regulations would face appropriate sanctions, while advising aspiring entrepreneurs to seek guidance on product registration to avoid penalties.