The United Kingdom Government has hosted a multi-stakeholder meeting in Abuja to discuss how its Serious & Organised Crime (SOC) Prevent Programme is making significant strides in deterring vulnerable young people from joining Organised Crime Groups in Nigeria. Launched as a three-year pilot in December 2021, the programme is designed to disrupt Nigerian Organised Crime Groups by redirecting at-risk youth towards positive alternatives in Bayelsa, Edo, Zamfara and Lagos states. In select local governments of these states, the SOC Prevent Programme has established robust structures and delivered various interventions, including Back-to-School Initiatives, Digital Skills Acquisition, Dance and Drama Workshops and…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
Stiffer measures to cut raw mineral exports and boost value addition topped talks among African ministers of mining at the Ministerial Roundtable held yesterday to flag off the annual Africa Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) in Abuja. The measures include an upward review of licence fees, royalties and charges, support for indigenous miners, and value addition as a condition for licences. The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, who chairs the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), urged member-countries to ensure control of their mineral resources, leveraging the global shift to green energy to maximize the benefits…
Abdullahi Hurso Bashir, a former councilor from Marte Local Government Area in Borno State, has shared his harrowing tale of survival and resilience in the face of Boko Haram’s insurgency. Bashir’s life was forever changed when his community was attacked in 2014, forcing him to flee and become an internally displaced person (IDP). This was disclosed in a statement yesterday by Ahmed Mustapha, the spokesperson of The Truth Alliance, which is a a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) dedicated to exposing the evil agenda and countering the narratives of Boko Haram terrorists and splinter groups like the Islamic State…
The United Kingdom has appointed Mr. Mark Smithson the Country Director for the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in Nigeria. He takes over from Chim Chalemera who recently concluded a three-year posting in that role. Smithson is an experienced civil servant having undertaken a wide variety of roles both in the UK and overseas. In this new role, he will lead on the UK-Nigeria’s trade and investment relations to deliver an increased high value inward investment and greater exports into the UK and Nigeria as well as support market access and trade policy priorities. To mark his arrival…
The Chinese government has commenced preparation towards hosting this year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, the Charge d’Affaires of Chinese Embassy, Zhang Yi has disclosed Speaking at the Capacity Building Workshop for Diplomatic Correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday with the theme: “Enhancing Diplomatic Reporting in Nigeria”, the envoy said Nigeria has become China’s biggest contractor market and third largest trading partner and major investment destination in Africa He said: “We are making full preparations for the approaching summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which will be held from September 4 to 6. “We hope this summit will…
Plans are underway to further strengthen areas of partnership and collaboration between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This way revealed during the visit of the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa to the Embassy of UAE in Abuja following the removal of the visa ban by placed on Nigeria by the Arab country. Dabiri-Erewa who was received by the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, stated that NiDCOM intends to engage and sensitize Nigerians in the UAE to be good ambassadors of their country of stay and country of origin, to excel in whatever…
Tragedy occurred in the Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as couple- Alhaji Musa Baba and his wife, Fatima Baba, were fatally knocked down by a car while on their way to the farm on a motorcycle. A witness report stated that the accident occurred around 3 pm near the Abaji General Hospital junction. According to the witness, a Mercedes Benz, traveling from the Gwagwalada axis, ran over the couple. “The man died on the spot while his wife gave up at the hospital where she was rushed to,” the source said. The witness said that officials…
By Walter Duru, Ph.D The digital age has reshaped how we consume and disseminate information, with online media playing a crucial role in shaping public perception and opinion. Recognizing this, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), with support from the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) Project, recently organized a two-day roundtable with online newspaper publishers in Nigeria. The Roundtable, held in two batches, at Lagos and Abuja, respectively, provided participants the opportunity to understand and appreciate the activities, strategy, approach, achievements, and challenges of NIMC. It was the first of its kind, since the establishment of the commission. This…
The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has paid a condolence visit to the Saraki family ahead of the funeral of their Mother, Mrs Florence Morenike Saraki in Lagos. While condoling with the children she noted that her visit which has the permission of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a way of letting the family know that the Tinubus love them. “We are one family. You know that politics aside, Mr President will always look out for you “Mama lived a good life. I know it hurts so much but we thank God for the good life she lived,”…
The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said chop owners at the Oba Lipede International Market, Kuto, Abeokuta, who lost valuables during Saturday night’s inferno would be supported by the state government. Governor Abiodun gave the assurance when he toured the market to ascertain the level of destruction caused by the fire incident. He said that enumeration would be carried out to determine the loses incurred by shop owners at the market so as to immediately provide succour to those affected and ensure that they can quickly come back on their feet. He commended the state fire service for their…