NEWS
Fashola Gives Self Credit for Luring DPRP to Lagos with Land Allocation
A former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has claimed that the state government deliberately discounted the price of land allocated to the Dangote Group to ensure that the multi-billion-dollar refinery project was sited in Lagos.
According to Fashola, the decision made by his administration proved to be a strategic investment that ultimately paved the way for what has become the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) in the Lekki Free Zone.
He made the assertions at the Chartered Institute of Directors (CIoD) Nigeria Women Directors’ Biennial Conference in Lagos, where he delivered a keynote address titled “From Presence to Power: Advancing Women’s Influence in the Boardroom.”
The former governor was quoted by Nairametrics as saying that the breakthrough came after then Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Olusola Oworu, urged the state government to look beyond immediate revenue from land sales.
According to him, negotiations with the Dangote Group had reached a stalemate after the company considered the state’s asking price for the land too high.
ALSO READ: Old Stock doesn’t Justify High Fuel Prices – FG
Fashola explained that Lagos operated a fixed pricing regime for land allocations, making it difficult to depart from established rates. However, Oworu argued that attracting a transformational investment was more valuable than insisting on the land’s full price.
Recalling the deliberations at the State Executive Council (SEC), Fashola quoted the former commissioner as saying that with thousands of hectares in the Lekki Free Zone still awaiting development, it was economically wiser to offer a concession to an investor willing to commit about $19 billion to build a refinery.
According to him, she argued that once such a landmark investment took off, it would attract other investors and significantly enhance the value of the remaining land.
“That was a thinking decision. The whole council then looked at me, and I surrendered,” Fashola said, noting that the intervention altered the course of the discussions and ensured that Lagos retained the project.
He said the experience demonstrated that effective leadership should be judged by competence and strategic thinking rather than gender.
“Ineffectiveness is not a gender thing; it is a human thing,” he added.
Fashola cited the episode as an illustration of the value women bring to leadership when allowed to influence critical decisions, stressing that organisations should place greater emphasis on competence, preparation and impact.
Earlier, speakers at the conference urged public and private institutions to move beyond increasing the numerical representation of women on corporate boards and instead create opportunities for them to shape strategic decisions.
First Vice-President of CIoD Nigeria, Amina Oyagbola, observed that although more women served on boards and occupied leadership positions, they remained underrepresented in board chairmanships and executive offices where major corporate decisions are taken.
She called for stronger mentorship and sponsorship programmes to better prepare more women for top leadership roles.
In his remarks, President and Chairman of the Governing Council of CIoD Nigeria, Adetunji Oyebanji, said board appointments should be based on competence, integrity and professional capability rather than traditional pathways that have historically limited women’s access to senior leadership positions.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has warned motorists against driving against traffic, popularly known as one-way, cautioning that influential connections or calls from senior police officers and government officials will not shield offenders from prosecution.
The Command said the practice, particularly around road construction sites, diversion points and restricted routes, poses serious risks to lives and property.
SEE ALSO: Ogun Police Win Public Safety Award as Ojajuni Emerges NUJ Golden Jubilee Ambassador
In a press statement issued on Monday, November 9, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said the Command was concerned about the increasing disregard for traffic regulations by motorists who deliberately drive against traffic, ignore road signs and bypass designated diversions to avoid congestion.
Adeh stressed that no individual, regardless of status, position or connections, would be exempted from the consequences of violating traffic regulations.
She disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Muhammad Sanusi, had directed the Command’s Motor Traffic Department (MOTOPOL) and all Divisional Traffic Officers (DTOs) to collaborate with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other relevant agencies to intensify enforcement operations.
According to the statement, the directive includes the arrest and immediate prosecution of motorists caught driving against traffic or disobeying lawful traffic instructions.
The Commissioner also warned police officers involved in the enforcement exercise against exploiting the operation to extort motorists, stressing that any officer found engaging in such misconduct would face disciplinary action in line with existing police rules and regulations.
The Command urged motorists to exercise patience, obey traffic signs and follow instructions from authorised traffic officers, noting that saving a few minutes through reckless driving was not worth the risk of losing lives or damaging property.
It also called on residents to remain security-conscious and report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station.
The Command provided the following emergency contact numbers for security-related reports: 08032003913 and 08061581938.
The Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, CP Ahmed Muhammad Sanusi, has inspected security deployments at churches across the territory, urging officers to maintain professionalism and vigilance during religious activities.
The inspection was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh.
Sanusi conducted the inspection on November 8, 2026, to assess the operational readiness of personnel deployed to worship centres and evaluate security arrangements for residents and worshippers.
SEE ALSO: October 1 Protests: FCT Police Call For Increased Vigilance Among Residents
The exercise followed a similar inspection of mosques across the FCT on Friday, November 6, as the Command sustained efforts to strengthen security around religious centres.
During the visits, the police commissioner charged officers to remain professional and responsive in the discharge of their duties.
He also commended residents for their peaceful and orderly conduct following mosque and church services, noting that public cooperation remained essential to maintaining security and public order across the territory.
The commissioner urged residents to continue cooperating with the police and other law enforcement agencies, remain security-conscious and promptly report suspicious persons, movements or activities to the nearest police station.
He further encouraged residents to utilise the Command’s emergency lines, 08032003913 and 08061581938, to report security concerns.
Adeh said the Command’s Public Relations Office remained open and accessible to members of the public for enquiries, complaints, information and other security-related matters.
The FCT Police Command reiterated its commitment to protecting residents and worshippers and maintaining security across the Federal Capital Territory.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development was disclosed on Friday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President.
Akwa Ibom occupies a strategic position in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with major federal investments expected to strengthen infrastructure and economic activities across the state.
SEE ALSO: 2027: Shettima Arrives in Lafia to Rally Support for Tinubu’s Re-election
One of the major projects is the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, which has an approximately 82.8-kilometre stretch passing through Akwa Ibom.
The project, according to the statement, “promises improved connectivity, expanded trade, greater investment and new economic opportunities for communities across the region.”
Beyond infrastructure, the administration’s interventions in education, agriculture, healthcare, youth empowerment and social protection are also designed to improve livelihoods and broaden economic participation.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) is among the initiatives highlighted, complementing Governor Umo Eno’s investments in roads, aviation, tourism and human capital development.
The statement noted that the Uyo rally provides “another opportunity to strengthen the APC’s growing political presence in the South-South and make the case for continuity in 2027.”
Shell Advocates for Expansion of Gas Pipelines for Industries
Dangote Deploys Football to Unite Ibese, Okpella Host Communities
FCT Police Warn Motorists Against One-Way Driving, Reject Calls From VIPs
Shettima Heads to Ebonyi for APC Presidential Campaign Rally
Flamingos Return To Abuja After Historic U-17 World Cup Triumph
FCT Police Chief Inspects Worship Centres, Commends Residents for Peaceful Conduct
Trump’s Family Unveils New Cryptocurrency Platform
Senate Denies Receiving Petitions Against Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees
Dangote Cement Lights Up Benue Host Communities With CSR Initiatives
Reps Recommend 3-year Jail Term For Aviation minister
Tems Sets New Record On Billboard Hot 100 Chart
