Zenith Bank Plc reaffirmed its commitment to advancing trade, investment and economic cooperation between Canada and Africa as the Headline Conference Sponsor of the 6th Canada-Africa Business Conference, held on Wednesday, 24 June 2026 at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Organised by the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, the conference brought together a high-level Canadian business delegation representing 31 companies, alongside senior government officials, business leaders, investors, policymakers, diplomats and development partners. The gathering set out to strengthen commercial relations between Canada and Africa and to position Nigeria as a strategic gateway for Canadian businesses seeking opportunities across the continent.

The Canadian delegation comprised companies and institutions operating across financial services, security, mining and critical minerals, legal and professional services, infrastructure, technology, healthcare, education and clean energy. Among those present were GardaWorld, Dentons, Baywood Group, Element, Trilliant and other leading Canadian enterprises exploring commercial opportunities and strategic partnerships in Nigeria.

The Executive Director of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Akin Ogunranti, who delivered the keynote address on behalf of the Group Managing Director/CEO, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, described the conference as a timely platform for deepening commercial partnerships between Canada and Africa amid shifting global economic realities. He underscored Africa’s readiness to lead the next phase of global economic growth, stressing that the continent now possesses the institutions, policy frameworks and partnerships required to turn its immense potential into shared prosperity.

“The question is not whether Africa is rich in potential. It is whether we can turn that potential into prosperity our people can feel. For the first time, the answer is yes, because of the machinery we are now building,” he said.

Representing the Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mr. Babatunde Onigbanjo, reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to fostering an enabling environment for investment and international partnerships, and highlighted Lagos’ position as Nigeria’s commercial hub and gateway to African markets.

“Canada brings to the table considerable expertise, capital, innovation, and a strong tradition of institution building. Africa, and indeed Lagos, offer scale. We offer talent, creativity, market opportunities and an increasingly sophisticated business environment. Together, these strengths create a compelling foundation for transformative partnership,” he said.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Mr. Carlos Rojas-Arbulú, noted that the conference reflects the growing momentum in bilateral commercial collaboration between both countries. He said: “The relationship between Canada and Nigeria is not new. It is rooted in diplomacy, trade, education, culture, migration, and shared democratic values. But today, I believe we are entering a new chapter: one that is more ambitious, more practical, and more human.”

The Chair of the Board of the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, Paula Caldwell St-Onge, highlighted Nigeria’s growing economic significance, saying: “Nigeria’s growth is not theoretical. It is already being built by Nigerian entrepreneurs, investors, financial institutions, innovators and companies whose ambition reaches across Africa and around the world.”

She also acknowledged Zenith Bank’s role in advancing the conference’s objectives, stating: “Zenith Bank is not only one of Africa’s leading financial institutions, it is the capital behind what you see here today, and it represents the skill, ambition, discipline, innovation and excellence that this conference seeks to showcase.”

The conference featured high-level panel discussions on Canada-Africa commercial relations, investment opportunities across priority sectors, and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The sessions brought together policymakers, business executives and industry experts to identify practical pathways for strengthening commercial partnerships and accelerating sustainable economic development.

The conference is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s attractiveness as a destination for Canadian investment, while opening new opportunities for technology transfer, private sector collaboration, job creation and long-term economic growth. It also reinforces Nigeria’s position as a strategic hub for businesses seeking to access opportunities across Africa under the AfCFTA, supporting the country’s ambition to expand its role in regional and global trade.

VIEW PHOTOS BELOW:

(L-R) The Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Mr. Carlos Rojas-Arbulú; Chair of the Board, Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, Paula Caldwell St-Onge; Executive Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Akin Ogunranti; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mr. Babatunde Onigbanjo; the Asalu-Elemo of Ilemo Land, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, Ph.D; DG/CEO Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Chinyere Almona; and President, Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, Garreth Bloor; at the 6th Canada-Africa Business Conference held at the Grand Ball Room, Eko Hotel & Suites, VI, Lagos.

(L-R) Chair of the Board, Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, Paula Caldwell St-Onge; Executive Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Akin Ogunranti; and The Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Mr. Carlos Rojas-Arbulú; at the 6th Canada-Africa Business Conference held at the Grand Ball Room, Eko Hotel & Suites, VI, Lagos.

Delegates and Stakeholders at the 6th Canada-Africa Business Conference held at the Grand Ball Room, Eko Hotel & Suites, VI, Lagos.

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a self-styled native doctor, Olorunbukunmi Taiwo, and his wife, Awolegan Omolola Omotola, over an alleged contract scam amounting to ₦1,098,961,500 (One Billion, Ninety-Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-One Thousand, Five Hundred Naira only).

The couple were arraigned before Justice Abubakar Usman of the Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and retention of proceeds of crime, contrary to Section 17(a) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.

Taiwo and Omotola were arrested following a petition to the EFCC by a widow, Anazia Colina Kenechukwu, proprietor of a private school in Delta State. She alleged that the first defendant, Taiwo, approached her to finance a road construction contract purportedly awarded to him by the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

Kenechukwu further alleged that a total sum of ₦1,980,000,000 (One Billion, Nine Hundred and Eighty Million Naira only) was paid into Taiwo’s account domiciled with Access Bank Plc.

Investigations further revealed that the couple allegedly invested proceeds of the illicit activities in the acquisition of two properties in Ado-Ekiti, namely: Town Tavern Lounge, located at No. 1, Ikere Road, off Florence Court School, Ado-Ekiti, and a four-bedroom bungalow located on Florence Court, Irewolede Estate, Ado-Ekiti.

The Commission had, on Monday, May 25, 2026, secured the interim forfeiture of the two properties.

Count Two of the charge reads: “That you, Olorunbukunmi Taiwo and Awolegan Omolola Omotola, sometime between January 2024 and November 2025, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of ₦1,098,961,500 (One Billion, Ninety-Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-One Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) from one Anazia Colina Kenechukwu, which was paid to you through Olorunbukunmi Taiwo’s account number 0027303340 domiciled with Access Bank Plc, by falsely representing that same would be used to execute a road construction contract awarded to you by the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), a pretence you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.

Following their pleas, counsel to the EFCC, Sesan Ola, prayed the court to fix a date for trial and order the remand of the defendants.

Justice Usman adjourned the matter until Thursday, June 11, 2026, for hearing of the bail application and commencement of trial. The judge also ordered the remand of the defendants in the EFCC custody.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, June 1, 2026, presented its fifth prosecution witness (PW5) in the trial of former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye, before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Apo, Abuja.

The former minister is facing prosecution on an amended seven-count charge bordering on official corruption and the alleged fraudulent award of the Mambilla Power Project contract worth $6 billion to Sunrise Power Transmission Company Limited.

The witness, Iliya John Iyakwari, an Assistant Director of Legal in the Federal Ministry of Justice, currently serving in the Federal Ministry of Power as an Assistant Legal Adviser since August 2014, disclosed while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed, SAN, that he certified the extract of the minutes of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of May 21, 2003, following a request from the EFCC.

He narrated that sometime in June 2023, the EFCC sent a letter to the Ministry of Power, addressed to the Permanent Secretary, requesting the extract of the FEC meeting held on May 21, 2003.

“The Permanent Secretary forwarded the letter to the Legal Services Department, requesting the information contained in the letter. The legal department then wrote to the department responsible for such records to provide the extract. They forwarded a copy of the said extract, after which my Legal Adviser directed me to certify the copy. I then forwarded the certified extract to the EFCC using our official letterhead,” he said.

He was shown the letter containing the EFCC’s request, marked Exhibit EFCC 3J, and the Ministry’s reply, marked Exhibit EFCC 3K, both of which he identified and confirmed as true copies.

Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter until June 8, 2026, for the cross-examination of the witness.

Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity

June 1, 2026