State governors and local government chairmen must be held accountable for translating government interventions into tangible benefits for citizens, Convener of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group, Bamidele Atoyebi, has said.
Atoyebi charged governors and local government leaders to stop waiting for Abuja before tackling pressing needs in their communities, insisting that the impact of federal programmes would remain limited unless sub-national governments took ownership of complementary interventions.
He made the call in a statement titled, “Progressive Governors, LG Chairmen Should Complement First Lady’s Drive,” in which he urged the three tiers of government to coordinate programmes and ensure that public interventions produce measurable results.
Atoyebi said the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), launched in 2023 by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, had demonstrated the potential of targeted interventions in agriculture, economic empowerment, healthcare, education and social investment.
He cited the RHI-Tony Elumelu Foundation women empowerment programme, which targeted 18,500 women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with each beneficiary receiving N50,000 to recapitalise an existing business.
But he argued that federal intervention should not become an excuse for states and local governments to remain passive.
“If women receive N50,000 to restart a business, what stops a state or local government from creating an additional business-support scheme?” he asked.
He said states could complement agricultural support by providing farmers with equipment, access roads, storage facilities and additional funding, thereby increasing the economic value of federal interventions.
Atoyebi cited Imo State, which he said increased the number of women benefiting from the empowerment programme from the original 500 allocated to each state to 2,500, alongside additional assistance.
He also cited the renovated Alternative High School for Girls in Agboju, Lagos, commissioned in August 2026, as an example of intervention at the state level that could complement broader government initiatives.
The Tinubu group convener said governors should not wait for federal programmes before addressing basic deficiencies in their jurisdictions.
“A governor does not need to wait for Abuja before renovating a primary healthcare centre, equipping a rural school, providing learning materials or supporting children from poor households,” he stated.
Atoyebi said the performance of government should be assessed by measurable improvements in citizens’ lives, including access to healthcare, education, roads, water, electricity and economic opportunities.
He particularly urged state and local governments to support women traders, farmers, artisans and young entrepreneurs whose businesses could contribute to local economic growth if provided with appropriate support.
He further pointed to the National Community Food Bank as an example of collaboration among different stakeholders, noting that the programme involved federal institutions, private foundations and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
According to him, the First Lady contributed N500 million to the initiative, while the NGF pledged N17 billion as part of its announced funding structure.
Atoyebi urged governors to build on such interventions while local government chairmen should identify specific needs within their jurisdictions and establish programmes with clear targets and measurable outcomes.
“The Federal Government cannot do everything alone,” he said.
BRIPAN Announces 2026 International Insolvency Conference
The Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN) has announced plans for its Annual International Insolvency Conference 2026, scheduled to hold 24th and 25th September 2026, in Lagos.
The conference, themed ‘Building an Insolvency Architecture for a New World Order’, is expected to bring together insolvency practitioners, regulators, policymakers, judges, legal professionals, financial experts, business leaders, academics, development partners, and other key stakeholders to discuss the future of business recovery, restructuring, and insolvency practice in Nigeria and beyond.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the event, the Vice President of BRIPAN and the Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, Abiodun Ariyibi, said the conference comes at a time when businesses and economies around the world are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities.
According to him, economic uncertainty, technological disruption, evolving regulatory frameworks, climate-related risks, and changing stakeholder expectations are reshaping the operating environment for businesses, making effective insolvency and business recovery systems more important than ever.
“As Nigeria continues its journey toward economic transformation, the conversations taking place at this conference are critical. We must collectively examine how our insolvency architecture can respond to emerging realities while aligning with global best practices. We must explore innovative solutions, leverage technology, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and encourage collaboration among all actors within the insolvency ecosystem,” Ariyibi said.
Ariyibi also emphasised that modern insolvency practice is not simply about managing business failure but about creating pathways for business recovery, restructuring, and renewal.
“Economic transformation cannot be achieved by creating new businesses alone; it also requires preserving and revitalising existing ones. Effective business recovery and restructuring mechanisms help organisations overcome distress, protect livelihoods, retain value within the economy, and contribute to sustainable national development,” he said.
He noted that the conference is designed to serve as a platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and professional development while advancing discussions that can strengthen Nigeria’s business recovery and restructuring framework.
Participants can expect insightful discussions, practical case studies, expert perspectives, and valuable networking opportunities that will help shape the future of business recovery and restructuring in Nigeria and beyond.
The two-day event will feature presentations from leading local and international experts, panel discussions on emerging trends and regulatory developments, and conversations focused on strengthening economic resilience through effective insolvency and restructuring practices.
Beyond the technical sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with senior decision-makers from the legal, financial, regulatory, corporate, and advisory sectors, creating avenues for collaboration, partnership, and professional growth.
A major highlight of the conference will be the Conference Gala Night, which will bring together participants in a relaxed and engaging setting to celebrate excellence within the profession, foster deeper connections, and strengthen relationships across the insolvency and business recovery ecosystem.
BRIPAN is encouraging professionals, business leaders, corporate executives, regulators, academics, students, investors, and other stakeholders to register and participate in what promises to be one of the most significant gatherings of insolvency and restructuring professionals in the country.
The Association is also inviting corporate organisations, professional service firms, financial institutions, development partners, and other stakeholders to support the conference through sponsorship and strategic partnerships.
He concluded by calling on all stakeholders to take advantage of the conference’s unique combination of learning, networking, collaboration, and professional engagement.
“Those now blurring the line between allegation and finding should understand that distinction better than most. In Mambilla, they point to an allegation and demand that Nigerians treat it as guilt. In the United States case, there is an actual court decree, and yet the law still requires careful language about precisely what was, and what was not, decided.
“That is how the law works. The same standard must apply to everyone. Do not convert allegation into conviction. Do not transfer findings from one person to another. Do not manufacture a verdict where none has been produced.
“If the Mambilla tribunal made against Atiku Abubakar anything remotely comparable to the formal judicial decree entered in the Tinubu forfeiture case, then let his accusers stop the political theatre, produce the exact paragraph and allow Nigerians to read it for themselves.”
He said the central question in the Mambilla controversy remained narrow and should not be buried beneath campaign rhetoric.
“The question is not whether the $500,000 transaction deserved scrutiny. It did, and it was scrutinised. The question is whether the tribunal took the further step the APC now attributes to it and found that Atiku Abubakar received a bribe and corruptly influenced the award of the Mambilla project.
“Let the APC produce that finding.
“Let it identify the paragraph where the tribunal found that Atiku solicited a bribe.
“Let it identify the paragraph where the tribunal found that Atiku received $500,000 in exchange for influencing the Mambilla contract.
“Let it identify the paragraph where the tribunal found that Atiku instructed Olu Agunloye to award the contract to Sunrise.
“And let it identify the paragraph where the tribunal found Atiku culpable of corruption in relation to the project.
“These are not questions of political opinion. They are questions of record. They have factual answers. If the APC has those paragraphs, it should publish them in full and allow Nigerians to read the words of the tribunal themselves.”
Atiku said the controversy should not be used to distract Nigerians from the issues on which the 2027 election will ultimately be decided, including the cost of living, jobs, security and the consequences of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies.
“Nigerians can read. Nigerians can distinguish allegation from adjudication. And Nigerians should not be asked to surrender their judgment to campaign propaganda.
“If officials of the Tinubu administration insist on precise legal distinctions when discussing the President’s own United States civil-forfeiture record, then they should have no difficulty applying precisely the same discipline to the Mambilla award. They cannot demand legal precision for themselves and abandon it when talking about their opponents.”
Atiku said until the APC produces the portions of the award it claims support its accusation, it should stop dressing campaign allegations in the robes of an international tribunal.
“An allegation is not a finding. Suspicion is not proof. The rejection of one man’s explanation is not the conviction of another man.
“And no amount of political repetition can write into an arbitral award a verdict that the tribunal itself did not deliver.”
Meanwhile, the promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, Adesanya, said Sunrise’s legal team was reviewing the award of the International Arbitration Tribunal constituted under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, France, with a view to advising the company on the appropriate legal steps to take.
His comments indicate that the company is yet to determine its formal response to the arbitration outcome, as its lawyers examine the tribunal’s findings, reasoning and the implications of the award for the parties involved in the long-running dispute.
“The battle is not over. Our lawyers are currently reviewing the arbitration decision and will advise us on the appropriate next steps,” Adesanya said.
He stressed that Sunrise respected the arbitration process and the decision of the tribunal but would not make extensive comments on the award until its legal review was completed.
“We respect the arbitration process and the decision of the tribunal, but we are carefully studying the award, including its findings, reasoning and the implications for the parties,” he said.
According to him, it would be premature to draw definitive conclusions on the consequences of the arbitration decision before the company had received detailed legal advice.
“Until our legal team has completed its review, it would be premature to comment extensively on the decision or the issues arising from it,” he added.
The latest development comes against the backdrop of a prolonged dispute surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and agreements connected with its development.
The dispute has involved Sunrise Power and the federal government and has been pursued through legal and arbitration processes over several years, contributing to the uncertainty surrounding the proposed project.
While the ICC arbitration decision represents a major development in the dispute, Sunrise’s latest position suggests that the company is still assessing its consequences and has not yet publicly stated that it considers all avenues of redress exhausted.
Adesanya said the company remained committed to protecting its rights and interests in relation to the Mambilla project, adding that Sunrise would consider all lawful options available to it on the advice of its lawyers.
“Sunrise remains committed to protecting its rights and interests in relation to the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
“We will consider all lawful options available to us based on the advice of our lawyers,” he said.
The statement is significant because it leaves open the possibility of further legal steps, although Adesanya did not specify what those steps might be or confirm that the company had decided to challenge the tribunal’s award.
Rather, he said the company would be guided by the outcome of the legal review currently being undertaken by its lawyers.
The Mambilla project has for years been presented as one of Nigeria’s major potential interventions in the electricity sector, with its proposed development expected to significantly expand the country’s generation capacity.
Its prolonged delay, however, has continued to attract concern, particularly against the backdrop of Nigeria’s persistent electricity supply challenges and the Federal Government’s efforts to increase generation and improve the stability of the power sector.
For Sunrise, the dispute is not merely about the arbitration outcome but also about the rights and agreements underlying its involvement in the project.
Adesanya maintained that the company remained hopeful that the outstanding issues could ultimately be resolved in a way that would protect the interests of all parties while enabling Nigeria to benefit from the project’s potential.
“We also remain hopeful that the long-running issues surrounding the project can ultimately be resolved in a manner that protects the interests of all parties and supports the realisation of the enormous potential of the Mambilla project for Nigeria’s power sector,” he said.
The Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, proposed for Taraba State, has long been regarded as a potentially transformative infrastructure project for Nigeria’s electricity industry.
However, the project has faced a combination of contractual, legal, financing and implementation challenges over the years.
The latest arbitration proceeding was expected to provide greater clarity on aspects of the dispute involving Sunrise Power and the Federal Government.
But Adesanya’s statement suggests that the company is awaiting a comprehensive legal assessment before determining its position on the award.
He said Sunrise would make further comments once its legal team had completed its review and advised the company on the appropriate course of action.
“We will make further comments when our legal team has concluded its review and advised us on the appropriate course of action,” he said.
The company’s position therefore leaves the next phase of the Mambilla dispute dependent on the outcome of the legal assessment of the ICC tribunal’s award.
Until then, Sunrise has declined to give a definitive account of the award’s legal or commercial consequences, maintaining that its lawyers must first examine the tribunal’s findings and advise the company.
Bennett Oghifo
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