The Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, has announced that its 2025 Press Week will hold between Thursday, August 28 and Sunday, August 31, with a series of high-profile activities designed to tackle pressing societal issues and celebrate journalism.

The landmark event, themed “Journalism and the Fight Against Misinformation in a Digital Age”, will begin on Thursday, August 28, with a national advocacy discourse on child abuse in Nigeria. The session will be hosted by the Founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, at his church auditorium in Ejigbo, Lagos, by 10am.

In a statement jointly signed by the Chapel Chairman, Comrade Abraham Akpabio, and the Chairman of the 2025 Press Week Planning Committee, Comrade Joshua Uloko, the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel said:

“The landmark event would witness series of activities lined up to make it memorable and would be formally flagged off on Thursday, August 28 with an advocacy drive – a national discourse on the growing crisis of child abuse in Nigeria.”

Programme of Events

The four-day Press Week will feature diverse activities to engage journalists, policymakers, civil society, and the public:

Friday, August 29: A Muslim Jumuah Prayer at the Secretariat Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja, at 2pm.

Saturday, August 30: A health talk led by the Lagos State Health Management Agency in the morning, followed by a lecture, awards ceremony, and the unveiling of the Correspondents’ Chapel Magazine.

The event will take place at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Conference and Exhibition Center, Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, by 11am. It will be chaired by Otunba Olarenwaju Kazeem Lawal (Lanre Success).

Sunday, August 31: A thanksgiving service at United Evangelical Church (Founded as Qua Iboe Church), Barracks Bus Stop, Ojuelegba, Surulere, Lagos, starting at 9am.

According to the organisers, the Press Week will bring together media practitioners, policymakers, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, entertainers, clerics, socio-cultural organisations, and stakeholders across both the political and corporate sectors. The event aims to enhance standards and ethics in journalism while fostering meaningful dialogue on issues affecting society.

“The Correspondents’ Chapel encourage our esteemed guests, friends of the Chapel, and all journalists in the state to join us in all activities that have been lined up to make the 2025 Press Week a worthy event all through the week,” the statement added.

Wider Significance

With its dual focus on child abuse advocacy and misinformation in the digital space, the 2025 Press Week is expected to serve not only as a professional gathering for journalists but also as a platform to raise awareness on issues that directly impact Nigerian society.

The Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Oba Joseph Oloyede, has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison in the United States for orchestrating a $4.2m COVID-19 loan fraud.

Oloyede, 62, who holds dual Nigerian and American citizenship, was convicted alongside his associate, Edward Oluwasanmi, for defrauding pandemic relief programmes meant to support struggling businesses.

U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko, sitting in Ohio, handed down the sentence on August 26, ordering Oloyede to serve 56 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and to repay $4,408,543.38 in restitution.

The monarch also forfeited his Medina, Ohio, residence and nearly $100,000 in additional fraud proceeds seized by investigators.

‘Fraud on struggling businesses’

According to prosecutors, Oloyede led a conspiracy to exploit emergency loan schemes created during the COVID-19 pandemic under the U.S. government’s CARES Act.

“From about April 2020 to February 2022, Oloyede and his co-conspirator, Edward Oluwasanmi, conspired to submit fraudulent applications for loans that were made available through the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA),” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio said in a statement.

Both men pleaded guilty in April to wire fraud and tax fraud charges. Investigators said they submitted dozens of fake applications using false information, channeling the funds through multiple businesses and nonprofits under their control.

The court heard that Oloyede personally operated five businesses and one nonprofit, while Oluwasanmi owned three business entities. Together, they obtained more than $2.9m in SBA loans.

Kickbacks and luxury spending

Investigators revealed that Oloyede also submitted fraudulent applications on behalf of some of his tax clients, charging a 15–20% fee from their loans as kickbacks. This illicit income was never reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

“The defendant used funds obtained from these loans to acquire land, build a home, and purchase a luxury vehicle,” prosecutors disclosed.

In total, Oloyede was linked to 38 fraudulent applications, worth more than $4.2m in federal loans and advances.

Co-conspirator jailed in July

His partner, Oluwasanmi, also 62, of Willoughby, Ohio, was sentenced in July to 27 months in prison. He was ordered to pay $1.2m in restitution, forfeit a commercial property, and surrender more than $600,000 from financial accounts linked to the fraud.

Federal task force

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General, and IRS-Criminal Investigations as part of the U.S. Pandemic Response Accountability Committee’s Fraud Task Force.

“This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward D. Brydle and James L. Morford for the Northern District of Ohio,” the statement concluded.

The Rotary Club of Anthony Golden, District 9112, Nigeria, has officially installed Rotarian Olufikayo Ogundairo, a seasoned brand management and communications expert, as its 6th President. The installation, held on Sunday, August 24, at the Banquet Hall of FishFarm Hotel, Lagos, was marked by pomp, cultural displays, and the unveiling of a ₦20 million development plan for community projects.

High-profile attendance

The event drew dignitaries from Nigeria’s corporate, public service, and traditional institutions. Among them were the Governor of Rotary District 9112, Rotarian (Barr.) Lanre Adedoyin; Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Datanwaye Miller, who also serves as the club’s pioneer president; immediate past District Governor of District 9112 District Governor, Rotarian Femi Adenekan, and Mazi Kelechi Nwosu, Chief Executive Officer of TBWA Concept, who chaired the occasion.

Traditional leaders also graced the event, including His Royal Highness, Oba Sulaimon Oloko, Oniwaya of Iwaya Kingdom, and Olori Bernitha Agboge as Mother of the Day.

The ceremony also featured the induction of new members, including Mazi Kelechi Nwosu, Umoru Patience Avwerosoughene, Adeniyi Nnema Esther, Banjoko Olamekan Emmanuel, Adedeyi Opeyemi Adeleye, Oluwatosin Illori, and Umoru Olusola Olawumi, alongside ResQ Promotion as a corporate member.

Who is Olufikayo “Don Fiki” Ogundairo?

Ogundairo, popularly known as “Don Fiki,” is a marketing and digital solutions strategist with over two decades of professional experience. He is the Chief Executive Officer of UnoVortex Ltd and an alumnus of the Business School of Netherlands.

His portfolio includes leadership roles at Prima Garnet Ogilvy, TBWA/Concept, Insight Grey, Stallion Motors, and Insight Publicis. He has also managed global and Nigerian brands including Nestlé, British American Tobacco, Indomie, Stanbic IBTC, Globacom, and Nigerian Breweries.

Ogundairo is credited with signing hip-hop stars Burna Boy and Tiwa Savage as brand ambassadors during his corporate career. He is a member of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and Ikoyi Club, and has trained across Europe and Africa in leadership and brand strategy.

Rotary’s call to service

District Governor Adedoyin, who conducted the installation, urged Ogundairo to channel his expertise into promoting Rotary’s humanitarian mandate.

“Rotary is purely a call to service. I urge you to manifest this obligation in visible and impactful projects and programmes that would help humanity in your immediate and extended community,” Adedoyin said.

Guest Speaker PDG Bola Oyebade also highlighted Rotary’s global impact. He said:

“Most of you here as friends of Rotary are not yet Rotarians because you have not been properly invited to the organisation. Therefore, I am officially inviting you to join us in this noble humanitarian cause. Your membership of this international humanitarian organisation is an invitation to endless opportunity of service to humanity.”

₦20m community projects unveiled

In his acceptance speech, Ogundairo pledged to uphold the club’s legacy of service while expanding its reach.

“To walk the talk, we have articulated strategic projects that would touch different aspects of our communities, from economic and vocational empowerment, to public healthcare, maternal and child mortality, tree planting, peace building and conflict resolution, and basic education and literacy, among others. We are expending a total sum of ₦20 million and more on these projects,” he announced.

His predecessor, Rotarian (Chief) Chidi Ogu, handed over the baton of leadership at the event, while Ogundairo’s wife, Dr. Temitope Ogundairo, and their children looked on with pride.

The new president’s tenure is expected to focus on building partnerships between Rotary and corporate organisations, while delivering grassroots programmes to alleviate hardship in Nigerian communities.