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2027: Makinde faults past, present leaders over failure to harness Nigeria’s resources
Presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement, APM, Seyi Makinde, has slammed past and present leaders of Nigeria, saying they lacked and still have no ideas on what to do with the country’s abundant natural and human resources.
Faulting Nigeria’s quality of leaders, Makinde said the country has yet to fully harness its potential because of a lack of innovative ideas and effective leadership.
The Oyo State Governor made the assertion on Wednesday in Abuja at the unveiling of his manifesto.
“Nigeria has the resources and the capacity to achieve greatness. Nigeria is rich in natural resources and human resources, but our leaders are poor in ideas, he said.
“Our simple proposition is that government must make life easier for the people. That is all. Nigeria needs a leadership that works.
“The narrative of projecting Nigeria as being poor, I disagree."
The APM standard-bearer also called for greater government accountability, saying every political promise must be tied to a responsible institution, a delivery plan, and measurable outcomes that citizens can independently verify.
Makinde demanded stronger national institutions to bridge the political gaps in the country and reconcile differences, warning that conflicts must not undermine national development.
Makinde, again, criticised the federal government for shifting its responsibilities to states, especially over the country’s persistent power sector challenges, asking Nigerians to hold the government accountable for its promises.
On Nigeria’s electoral act, the Oyo governor said the current policy, as it is, has the potential to produce presidents without sufficient support from most Nigerians and could create opportunities for compromises that undermine democratic institutions.
The APM candidate urged Nigerians to study his party’s manifesto, challenge existing assumptions and join him in pursuing a new political and economic order that delivers meaningful results.
2027: Makinde faults past, present leaders over failure to harness Nigeria’s resources
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MTN Nigeria appoints five new directors, names ex-Etisalat executive Ibrahim Dikko, Ajogwu – Technology Times
MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has appointed five new directors to its board, bringing together expertise in telecommunications, corporate governance, financial services, infrastructure investment and enterprise risk management as the company strengthens its leadership oversight.
The appointments, which take effect from December 1, 2026, include Ibrahim Dikko, a former senior executive at Etisalat Nigeria, and Professor Fabian Ajogwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and corporate governance expert.
The nation’s largest telecommunications company disclosed the appointments in a notification to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) and the investing public dated November 3, 2026.
The other appointees are Boye Olusanya, Group Chief Executive Officer of FMN Holdings Limited; Imoni Akpofure, an infrastructure and finance expert; and Lwazi Bam, MTN Group’s Chief Risk Officer.
According to the notification, Dikko and Olusanya will serve as Independent Non-Executive Directors, while Ajogwu, Akpofure and Bam will join the board as Non-Executive Directors. MTN Nigeria said the appointments would strengthen the experience and expertise available to the board, supporting its operations, growth ambitions and future strategic direction.
According to the notification, Dikko and Olusanya will serve as Independent Non-Executive Directors, while Ajogwu, Akpofure and Bam will join the board as Non-Executive Directors. MTN Nigeria said the appointments would strengthen the experience and expertise available to the board, supporting its operations, growth ambitions and future strategic direction.
MTN Nigeria: Ibrahim Dikko brings telecommunications and regulatory experience
Dikko brings more than 30 years of professional experience spanning banking, telecommunications, information and communications technology, and regulatory advisory.
He previously served as Chairman of First Securities Discount House Limited between 2002 and 2012. He also held the position of Vice President, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs at EMTS Limited, the company that operated Etisalat Nigeria, from 2007 to 2017.
His experience in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, particularly in regulatory and corporate affairs, adds sector-specific expertise to MTN Nigeria’s board.
Dikko holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Buckingham and a Master of Laws degree from Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London.
He is a Fellow of the Society of Corporate Governance Nigeria and a member of the Institute of Directors, Nigeria.
Professor Fabian Ajogwu, Non Executive Director, MTN. Image credit: Professor Fabian Ajogwu.
Fabian Ajogwu brings corporate governance and legal expertise
Professor Ajogwu joins the board as a Non-Executive Director, bringing extensive legal and corporate governance experience accumulated over 35 years of legal practice, including 17 years in the Inner Bar. He is a Professor of Corporate Governance at Lagos Business School and Senior Partner at KENNA LP.
Ajogwu has played a role in the development of Nigeria’s corporate governance framework, having assisted the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in drafting the country’s pioneering Code of Corporate Governance.
The MTN Nigeria notification also disclosed that he served on the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Committee on the National Code of Corporate Governance 2018.
His academic qualifications include a PhD in Law from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona, and law degrees from the University of Nigeria and the University of Lagos.
Boye Olusanya brings executive leadership experience
Olusanya, who currently leads FMN Holdings as Group Chief Executive Officer, brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience across fast-moving consumer goods, agriculture, telecommunications, technology, energy, infrastructure and financial services.
At FMN Holdings, he is leading the transformation of the business into a vertically integrated, consumer-centric food and agro-industrial platform.
His appointment as an Independent Non-Executive Director adds experience in corporate transformation, business strategy and leadership across multiple sectors to MTN Nigeria’s board.
Imoni Akpofure adds infrastructure and sustainable investment experience
Akpofure brings nearly three decades of leadership experience across finance, infrastructure and sustainability, with a professional background spanning Sub-Saharan Africa.
Her career includes senior leadership positions at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), CDC Group, now British International Investment, and KINA Advisory.
She currently serves on the boards of Africa50 and the Development Bank of Nigeria, bringing experience in infrastructure investment, sustainable growth and corporate governance.
Her appointment adds financial and infrastructure investment expertise to the board’s collective experience.
Lwazi Bam brings risk management and international business experience
Bam, the fifth appointee, joined MTN Group on June 1, 2026, as Group Chief Risk Officer.
Before joining the telecommunications group, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Deloitte Africa and Deloitte Southern Africa between 2012 and 2022, overseeing the integration and expansion of Deloitte’s pan-African operations.
During nearly three decades at Deloitte, Bam held several senior leadership positions and served on the Deloitte Global Executive Committee.
He also served as a Non-Executive Director on the boards of Standard Bank Group and Valterra Platinum between 2022 and 2026. He currently serves on the boards of Woolworths Holdings Limited and ZEDA Limited.
Bam is a qualified Chartered Accountant in South Africa and completed the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School.
His appointment brings international corporate leadership and enterprise risk management experience to MTN Nigeria’s board.
The five appointments expand the range of professional expertise represented on the board, combining telecommunications industry knowledge with corporate governance, legal practice, financial services, infrastructure investment, business transformation and risk management.
With the appointments scheduled to take effect on December 1, 2026, MTN Nigeria is set to strengthen the breadth of experience available to guide its board oversight and strategic direction.
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