The family of a 12-year-old Nigerian boy, Damilola Afolabi who drowned in a Canadian lake, has been thrown into mourning after the tragic incident occurred barely two months after they relocated abroad in search of a better life.

Damilola reportedly drowned at Mahogany Lake in Calgary on Sunday after jumping into the water while playing with friends

According to reports, the boy did not know how to swim and failed to resurface after entering the lake.

He was later pulled from the bottom of the lake and rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The deceased was buried on Wednesday at the Muslim Cemetery of Calgary as relatives and members of the community gathered to mourn him.

Speaking on the tragedy, family spokesperson Patrick Adda said the family had only recently moved from Ghana to Canada and were still trying to settle into their new environment.

“They came in here,” Adda said. “They have no one. And all of us here. We’re like angels that came in their lives to see how best we can help them migrating to the best place to live and work, which is in Calgary.”

According to the family, Damilola had been trying to make new friends and adapt to life in Canada. He was said to enjoy riding bicycles and spending time outdoors in his neighbourhood.

His grieving father, Jubreel Afolabi, said his son had returned from church on the day of the incident before asking to go outside and play.

“On Sunday, my son just came from the church, and he wanted to play a little at the front of the house,” he said.

“That’s the end. I would never see my son again, when I see my son, I saw his body lying there.”

The distraught father added that the family relocated abroad hoping to secure a brighter future for their children.

“When we were about to leave Ghana Dami said, ‘Daddy, thank you for the good life you are going to give us in Canada,’” Jubreel recalled emotionally.

“I didn’t know that my son would never be with me at this moment anymore.”

Damilola was one of four children in the family. Adda revealed that his younger sister has continued asking about him since his death.

“His little sister calls him Da,” Adda said. “And the little sister, who is just a few years old, had Da changing her diapers and everything, and she was asking,

‘Where is Da?’”

The incident has also reignited concerns over safety at Mahogany Lake, where several drowning cases have been recorded over the years.

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas reacted to the tragedy, saying it raises serious questions about public safety infrastructure around the lake area.

“It does make a bigger question, though, in terms of the type of supports and infrastructure and equipment we provide for our Calgary police and county fire departments,” he said.

Still overwhelmed by grief, the boy’s father said burying his son was a painful experience no parent should endure.

“I wish my sons would be the ones to bury me and not the other way around,” Jubreel said.

Reports added that a crowdfunding campaign has since been launched to support the bereaved family.

The federal government has exempted candidates seeking admission into colleges of education from writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the decision on Monday in Abuja during the 2026 UTME admission policy meeting, stating that the new guideline will take effect from next year.

Under the new arrangement, candidates with at least four credit passes in relevant subjects will be eligible to apply for admission into colleges of education without sitting for the UTME.

However, the minister explained that all prospective candidates must still register with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board). Their credentials will be screened, verified, and certified before admission letters are issued through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), in line with existing regulations.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, there is compelling evidence, including empirical data from the JAMB, that colleges of education possess significant capacity to admit willing candidates, particularly from their immediate localities,” Alausa said.

“This is attributable to a range of factors, including proximity, cultural alignment, affordability, and community-based demand for teacher education.”

The minister added that the federal government has also extended exemptions to candidates seeking admission into National Diploma programmes in non-technology, agricultural and agriculture-related courses.

According to him, this approach strikes a necessary balance between widening access and preserving the integrity of our admission system.

“It will not only ease the pressure associated with UTME but also encourage greater participation in teacher education and agricultural programmes, both of which are critical to national development,” the minister said.

Against the backdrop of rising costs of living and declining purchasing power, brewing companies have recorded sharp rise in revenues.

Filings by the companies to Nigeria Exchange Limited, NGX, indicate that leading brewers, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc, International Breweries Plc, and Champion Breweries Plc recorded combined revenue of over N2.8 trillion from the sale of mainly beer and spirits, in addition to their non-alcoholic beverages in the year ended December 31, 2025, up from N1.89 trillion recorded in the corresponding period of 2024, representing an increase of 48.1%.

Analysts noted that the figure underscores the scale of beer and other alcoholic beverage consumption in Nigeria despite prevailing economic pressures.

According to the financial statements of the four major brewers profit was even more impressive with Profit Before Tax (PBT) rising 117.2 percent to N317.213 billion, up from N146.050 billion in 2024.

Meanwhile, the growth rate in revenue and profit were far higher than their cost of doing business despite the inflationary pressures in the economy.

The companies’ cost of sales rose 36.5% to N1.8 trillion from N1.3trillion, while administrative expenses rose by 17.6%, to N639.8billion from N544.04 billion.

Revenue generated

Nigerian Breweries Plc, the largest brewer, recorded revenue of N1.467 trillion for the period, up from N1.084 trillion in the corresponding period of 2024, indicating a 35.3% increase.

Guinness Nigeria followed as the second-largest revenue generator in absolute terms, posting N730.808 billion, up by 144.0% from N299.489 billion in 2024. International Breweries ranked third, posting N620.149 billion, up by 26.8% from N488.955 billion in 2024, while Champion Breweries recorded the least revenue of N29.797 billion, up by 42.6% from N20.890 billion in 2024.

Profit Before Tax

A breakdown of industry profit shows that Nigerian Breweries also topped the chart in absolute terms, posting N161.062 billion, though down by 11.9% from N182.917 billion in 2024.

Trailing Nigerian Breweries is International Breweries, which recorded N85.108 billion, improving from a loss of N111.820 billion in 2024.

Guinness Nigeria ranked third with N68.392 billion, declining by 7.2% from N73.679 billion in 2024, while Champion Breweries recorded N2.651 billion, up from N1.274 billion, representing a 108.1% increase.

Cost of sales/Operating expenses

Breakdown of cost of sales shows that Nigerian Breweries recorded the highest in absolute terms at N902.239 billion, compared to N764.520 billion in 2024.

Guinness Nigeria followed with N500.326 billion against N208.031 billion in 2024; International Breweries recorded N415.707 billion from N357.605 billion, while Champion Breweries posted N14.427 billion from N12.172 billion.

Similarly, operating and administrative expenses showed that Nigerian Breweries rose by 44.7% to N361.782 billion from N249.993 billion. Guinness increased by 104.2% to N141.496 billion from N69.288 billion. International Breweries recorded N131.649 billion, down from N222.428 billion in 2024, representing a 40.8% decline, while Champion Breweries rose to N4.829 billion from N2.328 billion, up by 107.4%.