MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON SUNDAY, 23 AUGUST 2026

1.0 OPENING

The meeting of the Nigeria–Benin Advocacy for Development Forum (NBADF) was called to order by His Excellency, Ambassador Oguntuase Kayode, Chairman, who welcomed members and expressed appreciation to Almighty God for preserving the lives of members and enabling them to participate in the meeting despite the various personal and other challenges confronting them.

His Excellency made particular reference to the presence of Dr. Raji, expressing gratitude to God concerning his situation and praying that God would continue to sustain and strengthen him. He observed that the circumstances reinforced the importance of investing in one's children, noting that such investments ultimately yield significant benefits when the children grow and become established.

He further stated that the members appreciated Dr. Raji and were committing him into God's hands, praying for his continued preservation and strength. He remarked that difficult circumstances often revealed the best qualities in people.

2.0 CHAIRMAN'S APPRECIATION TO THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL AND MEMBERS

His Excellency commended the Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Essien, for the work carried out over the preceding weekend, particularly the prompt circulation of the minutes of the previous meeting and the preparation and circulation of the six-month review of the Forum's activities.

He described the review as comprehensive and useful, noting that it provided members with a clearer understanding of:

• where the Forum currently stood;
• what had been achieved;
• what remained outstanding;
• the challenges confronting the Forum; and
• areas requiring follow-up and further action.

He expressed appreciation for the fact that the document properly captured activities that had been completed, those that had not been completed, and those still requiring attention.

His Excellency stated that he hoped members had taken time to review the documents, explaining that he and the Secretary had specifically encouraged members to study them because of the number of issues contained therein.

He acknowledged, however, that reviewing all the minutes and related documents would require considerable time, particularly as there were several issues which the Forum needed to address in order to catch up with its programme.

He also noted that, out of consideration for Dr. Raji, the meeting should not be unnecessarily prolonged. He expressed appreciation that Dr. Raji was able to join the meeting and stated that if the meeting extended beyond one hour, any outstanding matters could be taken up subsequently.

He thereafter welcomed all members and invited comments on his opening remarks before proceeding to the agenda and matters arising from the previous meeting.

3.0 REMARKS BY DR. RAJI

Dr. Raji thanked His Excellency and all members for their prayers and concern.

He acknowledged that the situation would not be easy but expressed confidence that he would survive it. He commended members for the manner in which they had continued to move forward and for their commitment to following developments and circumstances affecting the Forum.

He described the members' continued engagement as impressive and prayed that they would sustain the same commitment.

4.0 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING

At the direction of the Chairman, the Secretary was asked not to read the previous minutes in their entirety but to present the key action points arising from them.

The Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Essien, proceeded to present the major action points as follows:

4.1 Correction of the Record on the Soybean Presentation

The minutes were to reflect the correction that Dr. Raji did not attend the Ilorin event for the soybean presentation. The Director-General confirmed that the correction had already been affected.

4.2 Regularity of Meetings

The need to convene meetings regularly in order to avoid prolonged gaps between meetings remained an important action point.

4.3 Visit to His Royal Majesty, the Emir of Yashikira

The proposed follow-up visits to His Royal Majesty, the Emir of Yashikira, had been carried out.

4.4 Government and Institutional Engagement

Engagement with relevant government institutions on matters relating to trade, agriculture and cross-border development remained ongoing. The Director-General linked this particularly to the earlier discussion concerning the visit of the Vice President of Nigeria and six State Governors to Glo-Djigbe.

4.5 Postponement of Benin Republic Programme

The programme involving the Forum's counterparts in the Republic of Benin had been postponed.

4.6 Members' Financial Contributions

Members had been encouraged to regularise outstanding financial contributions by the middle of August 2026. The Director-General noted that the deadline had since passed.

4.7 Financial Secretary's Update

The Financial Secretary had provided an update on members' outstanding contributions as required.

4.8 Publication of Outstanding Contributions

The possibility of publishing members' outstanding financial obligations after the expiration of the grace period had been discussed, with the expectation that this would have been addressed by mid-August.

4.9 Voluntary Support for Members

The Forum had considered the possibility of members who were financially capable voluntarily supporting members who might be unable to meet their obligations.

4.10 Engagement with Previous Supporters

Efforts to reach out to individuals who had previously supported the Forum remained ongoing.

4.11 Expansion of Fundraising

The Forum was to expand its fundraising efforts to include State Governors, organisations, institutions and other potential supporters.

4.12 Low-Cost Visibility Initiatives

The development of low-cost initiatives capable of increasing the Forum's visibility and public engagement was identified as an activity for the second half of 2026.

4.13 Reconciliation Initiative in the Republic of Benin

The proposed reconciliation initiative involving the Forum's counterparts in the Republic of Benin had not yet been fully constituted. This referred specifically to the proposed Arbitration and Reconciliation Committee.

4.14 Engagement with the Principal Parties

Engagement with both principal parties and their respective supporters in the Republic of Benin remained outstanding.

4.15 Support for Yashikira

Members were to contribute towards the support initiative for the Yashikira Emirate.

4.16 Fundraising Target

A target of ₦500,000 had been set for the Yashikira support initiative.

4.17 Letter to the Emir of Yashikira

The Director-General confirmed that the letter to the Emir had been finalised and sent through Alhaji Umar Barka.

4.18 Further Government Engagement

The Forum was to continue exploring engagement with the Office of the Vice President, relevant Ministers and State Governors on matters concerning trade, agriculture and cross-border development.

The Secretary concluded the presentation and thanked His Excellency.

5.0 DISCUSSION ON REGULAR MEETINGS AND MEMBERS' PARTICIPATION

His Excellency thanked the Secretary and emphasized the importance of reviewing matters arising from previous meetings before proceeding to new business.

He particularly highlighted the need for regular meetings, expressing satisfaction with the level of attendance at the meeting. He noted that approximately eleven members were present on the platform and that members had joined promptly and on time.

He described the prompt attendance as encouraging and urged members to sustain the practice.

His Excellency explained that regular meetings were essential because they enabled members to hear one another's views, opinions, agreements and disagreements. He noted that disagreements could ultimately lead to agreement and better understanding.

He warned that prolonged periods without meetings could create a sense of disconnection among members and weaken the relationship and chemistry within the group. He illustrated the point by comparing regular interaction within an organization to the importance of regular interaction between a husband and wife.

He expressed gratitude that, despite the various challenges members were facing, they were continuing to keep the Forum active. He thanked God for His continued provision and stated that no challenge should prevent the Forum from doing what was necessary.

6.0 WELCOME TO MEMBERS

His Excellency proceeded to acknowledge and welcome members present.

He particularly welcomed Mr. Adetona, whom he described as not being a frequent participant, and expressed appreciation for his presence.

He also welcomed Alhaji Abdul-Salaam, noting the strategic importance of the northern axis to the Forum. He encouraged him to introduce additional members, including persons from Niger, in order to expand the Forum's membership, visibility and national spread across the relevant corridor.

His Excellency also acknowledged:

• Prince Yemi Akran;
• Dr. Ajibare;
• Mr. Ademola; and
• other members present.

He described Alhaji Shokunbi as a significant face of the organisation, particularly in critical situations, and stated that he would continue to play that role.

He also welcomed Madam Malaika, whom he affectionately described as "our Amazon". He noted that irrespective of where she might be in the world, including outside Nigeria, the Forum appreciated her commitment and continued engagement.

His Excellency emphasised that every member was important to the Forum.

He noted the absence of Alhaji Umar Barka, before subsequently being informed that he was on the platform. He also acknowledged the absence of Alhaja Habeebah, whom he said was missed because of her previous active participation.

7.0 STAKEHOLDER AND GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT

His Excellency gave an update on the Forum's efforts to strengthen engagement with relevant stakeholders and government institutions.

He explained that, at the beginning of the year, the Forum had written to several institutions with the expectation of establishing closer working relationships. However, some of the institutions had not responded positively or had not followed up with invitations for meetings.

Institutions mentioned included:

• the Export Promotion Council;
• the National Boundary Commission; and
• the Office of the National Security Adviser.

He noted that contact had been established with these institutions but that invitations for substantive meetings had not yet followed.

His Excellency also discussed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noting that, apart from the Forum's previous engagement with the outgoing Minister, Ambassador Tuggar, there were now new officials with whom the Forum needed to establish relationships.

He specifically mentioned:

• the new Minister of State, Bianca Ojukwu, whom he indicated was expected to be promoted to substantive Minister; and
• Ambassador Nicole Lai.

He stated that these engagements should be pursued more actively during the second half of 2026.

8.0 POSTPONEMENT OF PROGRAMME WITH BENIN REPUBLIC COUNTERPARTS

His Excellency explained that the programme involving the Forum's counterparts in the Republic of Benin had been postponed due to logistical challenges.

According to him, the counterparts had encountered difficulties and decided to postpone the programme until the issues had been resolved.

He noted that the programme was expected to lead to other engagements, including an event in a location referred to as Nikki, but that logistical constraints, particularly the lack of available funding, had necessitated the postponement.

He expressed hope that God would open up opportunities for the Forum during the second half of the year.

9.0 VISIBILITY OF THE FORUM

His Excellency identified visibility as another area requiring attention.

He acknowledged that the Forum had achieved some level of visibility but stressed that there was significant room for improvement.

He stated that the Forum could not afford to remain stagnant, particularly in view of developments and ongoing issues in the Republic of Benin in which the Forum was expected to participate.

He observed that if the Forum's visibility were already at an optimal level, its presence and influence would be more pronounced.

He therefore stated that the Forum would need to work deliberately towards improving its visibility.

10.0 ARBITRATION AND RECONCILIATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF BENIN

The Chairman raised the issue of arbitration and reconciliation among the Forum's counterparts in the Republic of Benin.

He described the matter as a major challenge and stated that a committee had been proposed to look into the issue.

The matter was noted for further consideration and action.

11.0 NETWORK CHALLENGES AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION

During the meeting, members discussed recurring network challenges affecting online participation.

It was suggested that where network problems disrupted a member's ability to participate verbally, the matter could be handled through voice notes on the Forum's group platform.

Under the proposal, a member could record a voice note and post it on the platform for other members to listen to. Members wishing to respond could similarly record and post their contributions.

It was observed that this approach could also assist in establishing a clearer schedule and timeframe for discussions.

His Excellency thanked the member for the suggestion.

Another member observed that the discussion could continue during the live meeting while members could also revert to the group platform through voice notes where necessary. It was further noted that the group platform was not being fully utilised and that voice notes could help ensure that important contributions were not lost.

His Excellency subsequently asked whether the network had improved.

A member confirmed that it appeared to have improved and suggested that His Excellency might have changed networks, possibly having initially been connected through Glo.

It was agreed that should the network fail again while His Excellency was speaking, he could resort to the voice-note approach to ensure that his full contribution was captured.

His Excellency thanked the member for the technological guidance.

12.0 POSTPONEMENT OF DISCUSSION ON THE SIX-MONTH ACTIVITY REPORT

His Excellency explained that, given the limited time remaining and the comprehensive nature of the January–June 2026 six-month activity report, it would not be appropriate to rush its consideration.

He noted that the report was detailed and contained important issues that required proper study and consideration.

He therefore proposed that members should be given additional time to study the report individually and return at the next meeting with their:

• observations;
• suggestions;
• comments; and
• recommendations on the way forward.

He invited members to comment on the proposal.

12.1 Contribution by Barrister Bisiriyu Fanu Lasisi

Barrister Bisiriyu Fanu Lasisi agreed with the Chairman that consideration of the report should be postponed to the next meeting.

He noted that the network was currently functioning better and suggested that the opportunity could be used to continue with other aspects of the meeting.

His Excellency thanked him and asked whether there was any dissenting view. None was raised.

12.2 Decision to Defer Consideration

The Chairman therefore concluded that the house had agreed that detailed consideration of the Forum's first-half activity report should be postponed to the next meeting.

He proposed that the next meeting should be held as soon as possible, potentially as early as the following week.

He noted that the Director-General could continue to circulate the report through the platform or directly to members. It was confirmed that the report was already available on the platform.

Members were encouraged to read the report in advance so that any objections, comments and recommendations could be properly considered at the next meeting.

13.0 PROPOSAL FOR SLIDE-BASED ONLINE MEETINGS

Mr. Ademola Kehinde reminded members who were not speaking to mute their microphones to ensure that the person speaking could be heard clearly.

He then made a further proposal concerning the conduct of future meetings.

He suggested that, notwithstanding the postponement of the report discussion, future meetings could incorporate a slide-based presentation format, whereby the moderator would share the relevant material on screen while members followed the discussion.

He explained that this would make meetings more interactive and encourage fuller participation rather than having meetings conducted primarily as audio sessions.

Under the proposed format, members would be able to see the slides and follow the points being discussed in real time.

Mr. Kehinde disclosed that he was a computer engineer by profession and offered to work out how he could assist with moderating meetings in this manner before the next meeting.

He also offered to train any member who might not be familiar with screen-sharing, thereby enabling different members to share their screens during meetings.

His Excellency welcomed the suggestion and agreed that the issues contained in the report were sufficiently important to require full participation.

He reiterated that screen-sharing and slide presentations would enable members to see the issues under consideration and discuss them in greater depth.

He therefore recommended that the detailed discussion of the six-month activity report be postponed to another meeting to give members sufficient time to study it.

He observed that some members might not even have been aware that the report was already on the platform, let alone having reviewed it.

He further proposed that the slide format be introduced at the next meeting to enable members to read and discuss the material together and thereby save time.

14.0 FINANCIAL MATTERS

The Chairman moved the meeting to the issue of finance before proceeding to Any Other Business and the eventual closing of the meeting.

He invited the Financial Secretary to present the financial update.

14.1 Financial Secretary's Report

Alhaji Bisiriyu Fanu presented the financial update.

He reported that the general financial position remained substantially unchanged from the previous meeting.

Members had previously been urged to make their contributions, but no significant additional payment had been received since the matter was last presented to the house.

14.2 Yashikira Contribution

The Financial Secretary reported on the contributions towards the Yashikira support initiative.

He stated that ₦350,000 had been received at one stage and recalled that:

• Alhaji Shokunbi contributed ₦150,000; and
• Alhaji Jubril Abdulsalam subsequently contributed ₦100,000.

He further clarified that, taking the contributions together, a total of ₦600,000 had ultimately been realised for the Yashikira initiative.

Of this amount, ₦500,000, being the amount agreed upon by the Forum, had been sent to the beneficiaries.

He clarified that the ₦100,000 contribution from Alhaji Abdulsalam had fortunately been paid directly into the Forum's account rather than into the personal account normally used for receiving contributions.

Consequently, the balance remained in the Forum's account.

15.0 MONTHLY CONTRIBUTION OF ₦5,000

The Financial Secretary appealed to His Excellency to address members concerning the agreed ₦5,000 monthly contribution.

He suggested that members who might not be able to pay the entire ₦5,000 at once could make payments in smaller instalments, such as ₦1,000 at a time, provided that the total of ₦5,000 was achieved within the month.

He stated that members on the platform should be able to contribute at least the minimum ₦5,000 per month, or more according to their individual capacity.

He emphasised that the amount was ₦5,000 in naira and not dollars or CFA, and appealed particularly to members who had not made any contribution at all.

He stressed that no organisation could function without financial resources because correspondence, administrative activities and other operations required funding.

He further observed that the Forum could not depend indefinitely on the goodwill and personal resources of one individual.

He highlighted the practical financial challenges, including the difficulty of maintaining an office in Badagry and the additional financial implications of establishing an office or address in Abuja.

He noted that the lack of funds remained a major obstacle to establishing an Abuja address to which official correspondence could be directed.

He concluded by stressing that finance remained one of the Forum's most pressing constraints.

16.0 CHAIRMAN'S RESPONSE ON FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE

His Excellency thanked Barrister Bisiriyu Fanu Lasisi for his diligence in carrying out his responsibilities.

He observed that virtually every strategy available had already been attempted to encourage members to contribute.

He expressed hope that God would help the Forum improve its financial position and emphasised that financial discipline was very important.

Before making further comments, he invited other members to contribute ideas on how the financial position of the Forum could be improved.

17.0 PROPOSAL FOR DISCLOSURE OF MEMBERS' CONTRIBUTIONS

Barrister Bisiriyu Fanu Lasisi asked whether he should publish the record of members' payments on the Forum's platform.

He explained that some members had already paid for the entire year. He cited Alhaji Moba as an example, noting that he had paid the full ₦10,000 monthly contribution for the entire year.

He further stated that some members had paid up to August, while a few had made payments extending as far as December.

His Excellency thanked him for the information.

The Chairman observed that financial contributions were also an indication of members' commitment to the organisation.

He stated that members could not fail to contribute and at the same time expect the organisation to make progress.

He noted that the Forum had several programmes that could be implemented if sufficient financial resources were available.

He also acknowledged the contribution of the Secretariat, noting that the Secretariat had continued to keep the organisation functioning through the personal commitment and magnanimity of Mr. Emmanuel Essien, who had continued to work without pay or reward.

His Excellency appealed to members to continue making their contributions.

However, he stated that he would not go as far as publishing individual members' financial records on the platform, as this could make some members feel singled out.

He instead called for continued appeals to members while maintaining consideration and sensitivity towards individual circumstances.

18.0 INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION ON OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS

Another member observed that some members might not know exactly how much they owed.

He explained that this was one of the reasons behind the earlier suggestion to publish the payment record, so that members could see their positions from the commencement of contributions in November of the previous year to the present.

As an alternative to publishing individual records publicly, he proposed that the Secretariat should send individual WhatsApp messages to members indicating:

• the amount expected from each member up to the end of August; and
• the outstanding balance.

He suggested that the exercise should initially focus on the August position so that the Forum could assess the amount that could be accumulated.

His Excellency agreed with the approach and stated that he would revert to the Secretariat to obtain the WhatsApp numbers of the Ambassador and other members so that the individual messages could be circulated.

He appealed to all members with outstanding contributions prior to August to make payment.

He further stated that members should not wait until they received the individual WhatsApp reminders before making payment.

He emphasised that timely contributions would provide the Secretariat with funds to carry out basic activities.

While acknowledging the difficult economic circumstances facing members, His Excellency stressed that the difficulties should not prevent members from doing what was necessary, particularly in respect of the matters currently under consideration.

He urged members to treat the Forum's financial obligations as a priority in their spending.

He reiterated that the minimum monthly contribution was ₦5,000 and encouraged members to make every effort to meet the obligation.

18.1 Receipts for Payments

Barrister Bisiriyu Fanu Lasisi further stated that members who made payments should post their receipts on the platform so that payments could be properly recorded.

He confirmed that he would also make his own contribution and post the receipt on the platform.

19.0 UPDATE ON THE EMIR OF YASHIKIRA

His Excellency welcomed Alhaji Umar Abdul Bakar and invited him to provide an update on the Emir of Yashikira and developments concerning the Emirate.

Alhaji Umar Abdul Bakar greeted His Excellency and the members and reported that, as previously known, the family members who had been held had been released and were receiving treatment in hospital.

He further reported that the Emir himself was in Sokoto, had recovered from his illness and had returned to Yashikira.

According to him, the Emir was doing fairly well and was much better than previously.

His Excellency expressed happiness at the development and thanked Alhaji Umar Abdul Bakar for maintaining contact and providing assistance throughout the matter.

He confirmed that the update had been communicated to the house.

He urged Alhaji Umar Abdul Bakar to continue to maintain contact with the Emir and expressed the hope that the Emir would never lack anything.

He assured him that the Forum would look into any need that might arise and provide assistance if it was within its capacity.

Alhaji Umar Abdul Bakar responded that there was no problem and stated that, after the meeting, he would contact the Emir the following day to relay the issues discussed.

His Excellency thanked him for his continued support.

20.0 APPRECIATION OF THE FORUM'S RESPONSE TO THE YASHIKIRA SITUATION

His Excellency took the opportunity to appreciate members and the entire organisation for the assistance rendered during the Yashikira crisis.

He stressed that time was of the essence, noting that any delay could have reduced the impact of the Forum's intervention, even though the intervention would still have been meaningful.

He recalled the visit by Alhaji Alaso-Adura to Yashikira, during which bags of rice and other items were delivered.

He further recalled the subsequent financial contribution of approximately ₦500,000, which the Forum raised and sent to the Emirate in good time.

He noted that the Forum also wrote a letter to the Commissioner and sent representatives to make a physical presence in the area in addition to the financial assistance.

He referred to the response received from the Emirate as evidence of appreciation for the Forum's intervention.

His Excellency thanked all members who contributed financially or in other ways.

He acknowledged that the issue of funding had at one point threatened to become a major problem but noted that some members had stepped forward and helped to save the situation.

He prayed that God would continue to sustain the Emir, his family and the entire Emirate.

He described the Emir as a good and royal man and observed that good deeds often continue to create positive impact even after a person is no longer present.

He noted that if the Forum had not been able to intervene at a time of financial difficulty, the outcome might have been different.

He therefore expressed deep appreciation to all members for their support and prayed that none of them would experience such distress.

21.0 RECOGNITION OF THE SECRETARY’S WORK

His Excellency also commended the Secretary for the work undertaken in documenting the activities and engagements of the Forum.

He specifically identified the following areas:

• soybean intervention;
• advocacy engagement with government and public institutions;
• diplomatic engagements;
• security engagements;
• humanitarian engagements; and
• membership participation and meetings.

He acknowledged the effort involved in documenting these activities and providing members with a structured review of the Forum's progress.

22.0 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL ON HIS APPOINTMENT

His Excellency congratulated the Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Essien, on his appointment to the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Trade Group of NACCIMA.

In his remarks, His Excellency initially referred to the appointment as involving one of the boards or committees within the petroleum sector and described the development as good news both for the Director-General personally and for the organizations he represented.

He described the appointment as recognition of the Director-General's competence, resilience and commitment.

He commended the manner in which Mr. Essien had continued to discharge his responsibilities despite various challenges.

His Excellency stated that achievements of this nature should be acknowledged and celebrated, noting that good work could not remain hidden and that one's light would continue to shine.

He then invited the Director-General to speak.

22.1 Response by the Secretary

Mr. Emmanuel Essien thanked His Excellency and clarified that the appointment was to the NACCIMA Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Trade Group.

He expressed appreciation to His Excellency and members for the congratulations.

Other members joined in congratulating him and expressed good wishes for greater achievements and higher responsibilities in the future.

Members observed that the sky was the limit for anyone who consistently gave his best regardless of challenges and noted that such commitment was increasingly being recognized by both members and relevant authorities.

The Director-General thanked everyone for their kind words and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to share the development with the Forum.

23.0 PROPOSAL FOR VALUE-ADDING PRESENTATIONS AT MONTHLY MEETINGS

Mr. Ademola Kehinde thanked His Excellency and made a proposal aimed at making the Forum's monthly meetings more engaging and attractive to members.

He suggested that, irrespective of how tight the meeting schedule might be, a short segment of approximately ten minutes could be allocated during each monthly meeting for a professional or subject-matter expert to speak on a relevant topic.

Possible areas mentioned included:

• technology;
• health;
• finance; and
• other areas of interest to members.

He explained that the initiative would add value to the meetings in addition to the Forum's existing mandate of promoting the area and its interests.

Drawing from his own experience, he stated that such short learning sessions could encourage members to look forward to meetings because they would anticipate learning something new at each meeting.

He further noted that a similar approach had helped to increase participation in another association with which he was familiar.

He thanked the house for its attention.

23.1 Chairman's Response

His Excellency thanked Mr. Kehinde and described the proposal as a very good innovation.

He agreed that it was not ideal for meetings to focus exclusively on financial matters and the minutes of previous meetings.

He stated that members should periodically have access to relevant experts, mentioning possible speakers in areas such as:

• trade facilitation;
• diplomacy; and
• governance.

He stated that the Forum would examine how the proposal could be implemented and agreed that it would make meetings livelier and more valuable.

24.0 GENDER INCLUSIVENESS AND MOBILE COURT AT THE BORDER

His Excellency moved to the related issue of gender inclusiveness.

He recalled an earlier discussion in which Dr. Raji had raised the issue of a mobile court at the border.

He stated that such issues should also receive attention as part of the Forum's broader advocacy activities.

He directed the Secretary to follow up on the matter of the mobile court and appreciated the contribution.

25.0 CLOSING REMARKS

His Excellency asked whether there were any further issues for consideration.

As no further matter was raised, he remarked that the meeting had been very robust and that the discussions had been useful and productive.

He acknowledged the network problems experienced on his end during the meeting and expressed gratitude to God that the connection was eventually restored and that the meeting was not brought to an abrupt end.

He noted that approximately eleven members remained on the platform at that stage, out of about thirteen members who had initially joined, with approximately two members appearing to have dropped off because of the internet disruption.

He described the attendance as impressive and prayed that the same level of participation would continue.

His Excellency encouraged members to sustain their commitment to meetings, including making time for social interaction and fellowship among themselves.

He emphasised that the Forum should not only maintain prompt attendance and active online participation but should also continue to build the relationships and fellowship that bind its members together.

He thanked all members for their:

• time;
• resources;
• commitment; and
• continued support for the Forum.

26.0 ADJOURNMENT

His Excellency called for a motion for the adjournment of the meeting.

Mr. Ademola Kehinde moved the motion for adjournment.

The motion was seconded by Barrister Bisiriyu Fanu Lasisi.

27.0 CLOSING PRAYER

The Director-General, Mr. Emmanuel Essien, led the closing prayer.

28.0 KEY DECISIONS AND ACTION POINTS

Attendance:

Prepared by:
Mr. Emmanuel Essien
Director-General / Secretary