Zenith Bank Plc is set to launch the maiden edition of its Girl-Child Empowerment Programme, an initiative aimed at inspiring young girls to dream boldly, develop the skills and confidence to pursue their aspirations, and prepare for meaningful opportunities in the future.

The event, themed “Banking On Her Tomorrow,” is the brainchild of the Bank’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, the first female GMD/CEO in Zenith Bank’s history and a strong advocate for girl-child education and empowerment. The event will be held virtually on Monday, October 12, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., a day after the International Day of the Girl Child, observed globally on October 11.

The programme, which will feature an impressive lineup of distinguished experts in various fields, seeks to provide girls with the inspiration, knowledge and practical perspectives needed to navigate their education and careers, while exposing them to opportunities in skills development, mentorship and leadership. As an annual platform, it will encourage girls to recognise their potential, broaden their aspirations and equip themselves to make informed choices about their future.

The initiative builds on Zenith Bank’s longstanding commitment to women and girls, demonstrated through programmes and platforms including the Bank’s annual International Women’s Day Seminar, its sole sponsorship of the Zenith Women’s Basketball League, the Women of Honour Awards in partnership with the Ford Foundation, and the Pad-a-Queen Initiative. These complement the Bank’s women-focused financial solutions, including the Z-Woman initiative, an empowerment programme that supports women-owned and women-led businesses through specialised funding, capacity building and networking. Together, these initiatives reflect the Bank’s broader commitment to supporting women and girls at different stages of their lives, and to contributing meaningfully to national development.

This maiden edition is open to all, with girls, parents, educators and other members of the public invited to participate. Interested participants can register via the link below. Those unable to join via Zoom can follow the live stream on Zenith Bank’s social media platforms.

https://events.zoom.us/ev/AhU2FESLzXuo9VUK0jA1HzBmWCpvvDtRdcYMObih7zgSUjKEyTFs~AlKZVoKpnzFj0-Gs0a5KJNz9_lzYA2oDrpUePQJtAte6EPk4smEHGNT-Lg

The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria (COPSUN) has commended the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, for his support for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and efforts to boost the education sector.

The Chairman of COPSUN, Prof. Ayodeji Omole, gave the commendation in Abuja on Thursday, September 17, 2026, when he led a delegation of the committee on a courtesy visit to the EFCC’s Corporate Headquarters.

Omole said the committee appreciated Olukoyede’s role in supporting NELFUND, noting that the scheme had helped prevent many students from dropping out of school.

He urged Olukoyede to sustain his support for the scheme while also calling for stronger collaboration between the EFCC and state-owned universities.

The COPSUN Chairman said, “We appreciate the EFCC Chairman for the role he has played in NELFUND. As university policymakers, we know what NELFUND has done in the lives of some students who ordinarily would have dropped out of school as a result of financial constraints. We continue to encourage the Executive Chairman and his team to support the scheme.”

He proposed that the Commission establish institutes in universities where some of its activities could be domiciled, stressing that such collaboration would promote knowledge-sharing and research.

Omole added that the EFCC could leverage the expertise of university lecturers in research and other areas, while the partnership could also provide an avenue to educate students on the dangers of corruption.

“We appeal to the Commission to collaborate with our universities. The Executive Chairman cannot fight corruption alone. The Commission needs the support of our lecturers and experts in the universities in areas such as research, among others. The opportunities will also be used to train our students on the dangers of corruption and cybercrime,” he said.

Olukoyede, in his response, thanked the lecturers for their dedication and commitment to upholding standards in state-owned universities.

He stressed the importance of education to national development, noting that depriving a country of a functional education system would undermine its progress and leadership.

Olukoyede said, “When you take the educational sector from a nation, it cannot be developed, and there will be no good leadership, as education gives knowledge.

“We need to discourage the younger ones from doing the wrong things and let them know the consequences. We need to encourage them to channel their skills to add value to themselves. That is what motivated us to develop a Cyber Research Academy. With time, we will incorporate the universities into this structure. The idea is to develop the skills of our younger ones in the areas of ICT and research.”

In August 2026, President Bola Tinubu directed that additional recovered funds from the Commission be diverted to NELFUND to sustain its growing funding obligations.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is compelled to publicly address issues pertaining to its preventive moves in freezing the bank account of the Osun State government, without prejudice to the imminent governorship election in the state.

The Commission has been busy investigating the Osun state government since March, 2026, regarding alleged fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC account to the tune of ₦11,000,000,000 (Eleven Billion Naira only). To this end, some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.

These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026. The Commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved.

The EFCC’s preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources. The Commission cannot watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged. While the Commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the Commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions.

It is equally needful to state that the Commission is keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the Commission to ensure accountability and probity. The Commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.

The public is enjoined to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonization of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the Commission.