From Jude Dangwam, Jos

The Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Plateau State Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof.

Nentawe Yilwatda, on Saturday joined other prominent Nigerians in celebrating former Plateau State Governor and elder statesman, Senator Jonah David Jang, as he marked his 80th birthday with the public presentation of his autobiography, Airman to Politics: My Life, in Jos.

The event attracted political leaders across party lines, traditional rulers, clergy, diplomats, captains of industry, and other distinguished guests who gathered to honour Senator Jang’s decades of service in the military, politics, and public life.

In his remarks, Vice President Shettima described Jang as a leader whose life has been defined by sacrifice, courage, compassion, and unwavering commitment to peace and national unity. He urged younger Nigerians to embrace reconciliation instead of division and called on Plateau leaders to work together for lasting peace.

“I challenge the elites of Plateau, all seated here, to rally together and bring enduring peace to the state. Plateau possesses enormous opportunities. With the right mix of leadership, innovation, and unity, Plateau can become a model of national cohesion and prosperity,” he said.

Shettima added that Nigeria’s diversity should remain a source of strength rather than division. He also announced the appointment of Hon. Yakubu David Jang as Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu, describing the appointment as recognition of competence and service.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan described the occasion as a celebration of faith, service, leadership, and sacrifice, noting that Jang’s autobiography is more than a personal memoir, but an important contribution to Nigeria’s political history.

Recalling their working relationship, Jonathan praised the former governor’s commitment to Plateau State and national unity, saying, “Senator Jang is positively stubborn whenever he believes a decision is in the best interest of Plateau people,” describing the trait as evidence of principled and courageous leadership.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang paid glowing tribute to his predecessor, describing him as a father, mentor, and exemplary statesman whose leadership inspired his own political journey. He revealed that a private leadership conversation with Jang in 2016 significantly shaped his philosophy of governance.

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has approved the appointment of Engr. Adeleye Falade, FNSE, as a Director on its Board.

The appointment, according to a statement  yesterday by NESG Chief Exwcutjve Officer, Dr Tayo Aduloju,  was announced at the NESG 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM), held on July 14, 2026, at the NESG Summit House in Lagos and virtually.

According to the statement, the AGM, which reviewed the activities and financial performance of the organisation for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, brought together members of the Board of Directors, members of the Group, auditors, company secretaries, and key stakeholders.

The appointment of Falade further reflects the NESG’s commitment to strengthening its leadership with accomplished professionals whose expertise and experience will support the Group’s mission of promoting sustainable economic development, inclusive growth, and private sector-driven transformation in Nigeria.

 Falade is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), one of the world’s leading liquefied natural gas companies and a strategic contributor to Nigeria’s economic development and energy transition agenda. He brings close to three decades of leadership experience across the global oil and gas industry, spanning upstream, midstream, and LNG operations.

Over the course of his career, Falade has built a distinguished record within the Shell Group and the international LNG industry, holding senior technical, operational, and executive leadership positions across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Russia, and Africa. His expertise spans operations management, business transformation, engineering, production optimisation, organisational effectiveness, operational excellence, and stakeholder engagement.

Prior to his appointment as Managing Director and CEO of NLNG, Falade served as Managing Director of Brunei LNG Sendirian Berhad, where he led one of the world’s established LNG producers. He also served as Country Chair for Shell Namibia, providing strategic leadership for Shell’s business and stakeholder engagements in the country.

He held key leadership positions at NLNG, including General Manager, Production, and Operations Manager, where he contributed to advancing plant reliability, operational performance, safety, and business improvement initiatives. He is widely recognised for his commitment to safety, operational discipline, governance excellence, organisational transformation, and sustainable value creation.

Falade holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering from the University of Ibadan and an MBA from Henley Business School, University of Reading, United Kingdom. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) and a registered engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).

As a Director on the NESG Board, Falade brings deep expertise in energy, infrastructure, governance, business transformation, and national economic development. His extensive private-sector experience will contribute valuable perspectives to the NESG’s policy dialogue and its efforts to advance reforms that promote investment, productivity, competitiveness, and sustainable economic growth.

By Tambaya Julius, Abuja

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has earned international recognition after its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Customs Cares, won the Commonwealth Environment and CSR Gold Award in Glasgow, Scotland.

The prestigious award, presented on Friday, July 31, 2026, recognises organisations implementing measurable, sustainable and community-driven initiatives that contribute significantly to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Customs Cares received the top honour for its impactful interventions in education, healthcare, food security and environmental sustainability across communities in Nigeria.

Receiving the award on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, described the recognition as a landmark achievement in the Service’s ongoing transformation.

“This award is both humbling and inspiring. It affirms our belief that public institutions create their greatest value not only by fulfilling their statutory mandates, but by improving lives and strengthening the communities they serve,” Bomodi said.

Adeniyi attributed the international recognition to the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that the Customs Cares initiative has positively impacted more than 10 million Nigerians across 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the CGC, the programme has delivered school renovation projects, healthcare interventions, clean water facilities, food support and the Green Borders Initiative aimed at promoting environmental sustainability.

“Beyond every classroom renovated, every borehole commissioned and every tree planted is something even more enduring; trust,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, the Governor of Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya, Muthomi Njuki, stressed the importance of global collaboration in addressing climate change.

He said no nation could tackle the climate crisis alone, emphasising that accountability, partnerships, innovation and shared responsibility remain essential to building a greener, safer and more prosperous world.

The Comptroller in charge of CSR at the Nigeria Customs Service, Mbwiduffu Ibrahim, said the global recognition would further motivate the Service to expand its community development efforts.

“For a long time, we worked believing that the impact in our communities was reward enough. Today, this international recognition tells us that those efforts have not gone unnoticed,” she said.

According to the organisers, the Nigeria Customs Service earned the award for its innovative Hub-and-Spoke Community Activation Model, which has strengthened community engagement and expanded the reach of its CSR interventions.

The organisers added that the award reinforces the NCS’s growing reputation as a modern customs administration committed to revenue generation, trade facilitation, border security and sustainable national development.