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Peterside Harps on Strong Leadership at NCDMB Book Reading Series
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), on Wednesday at its Conference Centre hosted the 2026 first quarter edition of its Book Reading Series.
With Dr. Dakuku Peterside, former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Administration (NIMASA) as guest author, the event focused on the 204-page publication of the author, ‘Leading in a Storm: Practical Leadership Strategies in Crisis Situations’, published in 2025.
The capacity audience was drawn from higher institutions, the media, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), and Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), with several others participating virtually.
The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, represented by the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division (CCD), Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, said the book programme, which he described as “a signature event”, speaks to creativity, which is one of the core values of the Board.
He explained that the event is part of the Board’s strategy in fostering intellectual activity and sophistication among stakeholders, as well as building the abilities of Nigerians to operate productively in the oil and gas industry and linkage sectors, which is one of its core mandates.
The Executive Secretary enumerated several initiatives of the Board geared towards advancement of research and technology; notably six centres of excellence in the nation’s six geopolitical zones, each of which has a unique theme.
These are the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, with Marine and Petrochemical Technologies as theme; the Federal University of Technology, Minna (Engineering Design), and Federal University of Technology, Owerri (Local Raw Materials Substitution).
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Others are Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH), Yola (Safety and Environment Studies); Usman Dan Fodio University (UDUS), Sokoto (Renewable Energy), and Federal University of Technology, Akure (Geology and Geophysical Studies).
Additional research centres established by the Board include Geosciences Research Centre at the University of Lagos and Marine and Offshore Training Centre at Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
The latest is the Centres of Excellence in Gas Development at Delta State University, Abraka, being developed in partnership with Seplat Energy Plc.
According to Ogbe, the NCDMB is collaborating with Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited (RAEC), First Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited, and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), to organise the first Nigerian Engineering Olympiad (NEO), which was launched on November 20, 2025 in Abuja.
The Olympiad is to encourage final-year and postgraduate students to be innovative in applying engineering principles to real-world operational challenges in and out of the oil and gas industry.
In the book conversation segment, moderated by Mr. Victor Binawari, Peterside explained the inspiration behind ‘Leading in a Storm…,’ saying, “My own lived experience informed the contents and thrusts of the work.”
He added, “Every single day, Nigerians face one crisis or another, and the experiences posit weakness of leadership.”
He recalled his time at the National Assembly, when he served as Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Downstream Petroleum sector, with the unremitting crises in fuel supply.
As NIMASA Director General, he said he had to contend with recurring incidents of piracy within Nigeria’s territorial waters.
“Then the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw many world leaders fumbling, unable to determine how best to safeguard the health of citizens,” he said, adding that another inspiration was drawn from an uncomplimentary remark by a professor at America’s Kellog School of Management.
He said, “The professor remarked that ‘Africa is in a near-permanent state of crises.’ I began to investigate how leaders can perform better in crisis situations; calmness, clarity, adaptability, and resilience are critically important. What kind of choices leaders make when faced with crises would reveal the stuff they are made of.”
He outlined eight competencies of leadership, namely: “Contextual intelligence- the ability to read situations accurately and understand the deeper forces at play; Calm Confidence – which provides emotional stability; Sense-making – which enables a leader to find patterns in chaos and make meaning from confusion; Strategic Decision-making; Clear Communication; Strategic Flexibility; Coordinating Teamwork, and Facilitating Learning.
“Every great leader should rank high enough in these.”
On his style, which relies heavily on storytelling, he stated that stories are relatable, memorable and engaging, and that “stories teach you principles which you can apply.”
In closing remarks, Mr. Teleola Oyeleke, Supervisor, CCD of NCDMB, thanked Peterside for readily accepting the invitation and for the wealth of experience he shared at the event.
He also thanked all participants, while advising them to read and digest the contents of the book.
He also echoed the guest author in challenging attendees to have personal development programmes.
A member of the Ogun State House of Assembly representing Ijebu North I Constituency, Rasheed Kashamu, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deserves another four years in office, insisting that the administration’s economic reforms are beginning to produce tangible results and should not be abandoned midway.
Kashamu, son of the late Senator Buruji Kashamu and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), threw his weight behind Tinubu’s expected 2027 re-election bid in a statement issued on Sunday.
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According to the lawmaker, President Tinubu took office at one of the most difficult periods in Nigeria’s history, inheriting deep-rooted economic and structural challenges that had built up over the years.
He said rather than postponing difficult decisions, the President opted for bold reforms aimed at repositioning the country’s economy for long-term growth.
“The journey of rebuilding any nation is never an overnight exercise. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherited enormous economic and structural challenges that accumulated over several years, yet he chose the difficult path of reforms rather than the easy path of postponing problems.
“Today, the indicators are gradually showing that those courageous decisions are beginning to produce positive outcomes. What the country requires now is continuity, consistency and sustained leadership to fully harvest the gains of these reforms,” Kashamu said.
He maintained that policies such as the unification of the foreign exchange market, fiscal discipline, revenue expansion and efforts to attract local and foreign investments have strengthened Nigeria’s economic outlook and boosted investor confidence.
Kashamu also applauded the Federal Government’s aggressive infrastructure drive, pointing to flagship projects including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road.
He added that ongoing investments in rail transportation and inland dry ports would improve connectivity, reduce transportation costs and stimulate economic activities across the country.
The lawmaker further praised the Tinubu administration’s interventions in agriculture, saying increased support for mechanised farming, dry-season cultivation, improved seedlings and fertiliser distribution would enhance food production, reduce dependence on imports and create jobs for thousands of Nigerians.
On education, he described the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a game-changing initiative that has expanded access to tertiary education for students who previously struggled to finance their studies.
Kashamu also commended the administration’s focus on youth empowerment through entrepreneurship, innovation, digital skills and vocational training.
“Our youths represent the greatest asset of this nation. President Tinubu understands this reality and continues to create opportunities that empower them through education, entrepreneurship, innovation and access to finance,” he said.
He equally hailed reforms in the health sector, including efforts to strengthen primary healthcare, improve access to essential medicines, upgrade medical facilities and expand health insurance coverage.
While acknowledging that insecurity remains a major concern, Kashamu said the Federal Government has intensified efforts to tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes through enhanced intelligence gathering, improved collaboration among security agencies and increased investment in military hardware.
He stressed that continuity in leadership would enable the current administration to consolidate its reforms and deliver greater economic and developmental benefits to Nigerians.
The Benue State Police Command has arrested 10 suspects in connection with the killing of the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the state, Alhaji Ardo Mohammed.
The arrests were made during a coordinated operation by tactical police teams in Otukpo Local Government Area following intelligence-driven investigations into the fatal attack.
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In a statement issued on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, said the suspects were apprehended on the night of June 27 after security operatives intensified efforts to track those behind the killing.
According to Edet, “The suspects were arrested on the night of June 27, 2026, during a coordinated operation by tactical teams in the Otukpo area of the state.”
The police identified the suspects as Titus Thyodenda, 25; Utibe Sam, 20; Owoicho Ameh, 18; Sunday Useni, 21; Sunday Ogbanje, 46; Daniel Raphael, 23; Adokole John, 24; Samuel Ogazi, 32; Agbo Daniel, 25; and Onazi James, 30.
Mohammed was murdered alongside his associate, Yakubu Isah, on Friday while returning from a peace meeting held in Ohinmini Local Government Area.
The victims had reportedly attended the meeting, which was convened by the Divisional Police Officer of Ohinmini and attended by community leaders and Fulani herders in a bid to promote peace in the area.
However, while travelling home, gunmen ambushed their vehicle at Okudu village in neighbouring Otukpo Local Government Area and shot both men dead, sparking concerns over renewed insecurity and communal tensions in parts of Benue State.
Reacting to the arrests, the Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Cletus Nwadiogbu, commended the tactical teams and investigators for their swift response and professionalism.
He assured residents that investigations were ongoing and pledged that security agencies would pursue every individual connected to the crime.
The commissioner also urged members of the public to remain calm and continue supporting law enforcement agencies by providing credible information that could assist in the investigation.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property while sustaining peace and security across Benue State.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a Boko Haram member, Alkali Yarima, also known as La’ari, to death by hanging for his involvement in the 2015 terrorist attacks on Maiduguri, Borno State.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment on Friday, finding Yarima guilty of participating in acts of terrorism that led to the deadly attacks.
The court also imposed multiple prison terms on the convict for other terrorism-related offences.
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Aside from the death sentence on count seven, the court sentenced Yarima to life imprisonment on count six for receiving arms and weapons training in preparation for carrying out terrorist activities.
Justice Omotosho also handed him 35 years imprisonment on count one for professing membership of the proscribed Boko Haram terrorist group, and 30 years imprisonment on count five.
In addition, the court sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment each on counts two, three and four.
The Federal Government had arraigned Yarima on a seven-count charge marked FHC/KNJ/CR/971/2026, filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
According to the prosecution, Yarima, who hails from the Lawanti area of Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State, belonged to Boko Haram between 2009 and 2015 before his arrest.
He was also accused of accepting the teachings (Da’awah) of the sect’s late founder, Mohammed Yusuf, and remaining a member of the terrorist organisation despite its proscription.
The prosecution further told the court that Yarima travelled to an Arab country where he received training in arms and weapon handling in preparation for terrorist operations, an offence punishable under the Terrorism (Prevention Amendment) Act, 2013.
He was also found guilty of participating in the 2015 attacks on Maiduguri, an offence that attracted the death penalty under Section 2(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention Amendment) Act, 2013.
The trial, which is usually conducted in Kainji, Niger State, was moved to the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Speaking after the judgment, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to eliminate terrorism in Nigeria.
“We will fight with every inch of our blood to ensure that we make Nigeria a safe place for everybody,” Fagbemi said.
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