The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

Political class created insecurity in Nigeria, says Buratai
- Army refutes plan to stage charity walk in Edo
Immediate past Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, has blamed the political class for insecurity in the country.

Buratai disclosed this at the second stanza of the 2023 National Public Service Lecture and the 65th anniversary of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association on Friday.

Sharing his experience in a lecture titled “Public Service and the Imperatives for National Security in Nigeria”, Buratai stated that the call for his sack as COAS during the former President Muhammadu Buhari administration over insecurity stemmed from personal biases rather than an objective evaluation of his performance.

“These individuals might have held negative opinions of Gen. Buratai based on personal biases unrelated to his actual capabilities. It is crucial to approach discussions regarding national security matters with a fair mindset, focusing on relevant aspects rather than personal biases and idiosyncrasies.

“The National Assembly had more than twice passed resolutions calling for the sack of the service chiefs. The President, Muhammadu Buhari had told the Ninth National Assembly to mind their business. If properly interpreted, the call was to derail democracy by the military.

“This should be a lesson for political actors. It was a direct confrontation blaming the service chiefs as if they were the ones who started the insecurity. The insecurity being faced in the country since 2009 was the creation of the political class. With a strong political will, it can be surmounted.”

The former COAS advised political actors and public servants to live above board by eschewing corruption, saying, “Politicians make lofty promises during election campaigns but fail to fulfill them once in power. Lack of accountability erodes public confidence and perpetuates the perception that politicians are more interested in the people.”

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Meanwhile, the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin, yesterday, refuted a purported plan to stage a 10km three-day charity walk in Benin.

Capt. Yemi Sokoya, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, made the clarification in a statement while reacting to an online publication that the army planned the walk to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NOWA).

He described the report as false, saying the publication was fabricated by fraudulent individuals.

“The attention of 4 Brigade Nigerian Army has been drawn to a flyer on social media entitled: “A three-day charity exercise/10km trek 2023” to celebrate 25 years of Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA).

“The event, according to the fraudsters behind the publication, is scheduled to hold between Nov. 3 and Nov. 5, beginning from the Officers Mess, 4 Brigade, Ekehaun Army Barracks, Benin.

“The brigade states that this flyer is from fraudulent individuals and the general public should please kindly disregard their solicitation for funds.

“The brigade has put efforts in place to arrest the criminals hiding under a reputable organisation like NAOWA to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians,” Sokoya stated.

He advised members of the public to report any suspicious activities either online or within their vicinity to security agencies for immediate action.
November 5, 2023
Gaza: Israeli attacks intensify as US envoy faces Arab anger
- Turkey recalls ambassador to Israel over ‘humanitarian tragedy’
The Israeli strikes in Gaza entered into the fifth week Saturday, showing no signs of letting up even as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken faced a rising tide of anger in meetings with Arab foreign ministers.

A report by Gulf Times said Blinken reaffirmed US support for “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting in Gaza to ensure desperate civilians get help a day after Israel’s hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the idea short shrift.

Speaking at a news conference in Amman about sparing civilians and speeding up aid deliveries, the US top diplomat said: “The United States believes that all of these efforts will be facilitated by humanitarian pauses.”

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for all sides to work together to “stop a catastrophe that will haunt the region for generations”.

The Israeli army said its troops had launched an operation in southern Gaza overnight, after deadly strikes hit an ambulance convoy and a school-turned-refugee shelter in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Israeli forces have encircled Gaza’s largest city, trying to crush Hamas.

The Israeli military said it had come under attack several times from Hamas “tunnel shafts and military compounds” in northern Gaza and had killed many “terrorists” and destroyed three observation posts.

Hamas said it had hit an Israeli convoy with mortar fire.

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The health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, says more than 9,480 Gazans, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israeli strikes and the intensifying ground campaign.

The ministry said at least 12 people had been killed when Israel struck a United Nations school where thousands of displaced Palestinians were sheltering.

The fighting has provoked anti-Israeli protests around the world, and political opposition from key regional powers, including influential Turkey, which on Saturday recalled its ambassador from Israel.

Meanwhile, Turkey says it has recalled its ambassador to Israel for consultations over Israel’s sustained bombing of civilians in the Gaza Strip and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday that Sakir Ozkan Torunlar was being recalled “in view of the unfolding humanitarian tragedy in Gaza caused by the continuing attacks by Israel against civilians and ‘Israels refusal of calls for a ceasefire and the continuous and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid.”

A report by Al Jazeera said tThe move has come as Ankara’s rhetoric has become increasingly critical of Israel, which has killed about 9,500 Palestinians, including 3,900 children, in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attacks by Hamas, which killed about 1,400 people.

Spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lior Haiat, criticised the decision as “another step by the Turkish president that sides with the Hamas terrorist organization,” in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Turkey hosts members of Hamas, which it does not consider a “terrorist” organisation like the United States and the European Union. It has called for an immediate ceasefire, unlike Western governments.

On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was breaking off contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off,” Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying. But he added that this does not mean Turkey is cutting its relations with Israel and his intelligence chief is in contact with Israeli and Palestinian authorities as well as Hamas.

Erdogan also said that when the war is over, Turkey wants “to see Gaza as a peaceful region that is a part of an independent Palestinian state, in line with 1967 borders, with territorial integrity, and with East Jerusalem as its capital”.

Last month, Israeli diplomats had left Turkey for security reasons after many pro-Palestinian demonstrations erupted across the country. Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs later said it had recalled the diplomats to assess the state of bilateral relations.

According to Erdogan, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will visit Turkey at the end of November. Erdogan also plans this month to attend a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Riyadh to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza with regional actors.

Even as international calls for a ceasefire in Gaza grow, Netanyahu has refused any such prospects as the Israeli military pushes into Gaza on the ground and continues to bomb it.

Humanitarian aid started trickling into Gaza late last month from the Rafah crossing, the only passage into the enclave not controlled by Israel, but rights organisations continue to warn that the humanitarian situation is dire.
November 5, 2023
FG to open 28 states for interstate water transportation

The Federal Government has announced its preparedness to open up the interstate water transportation system to curb high cost of transport fare following the removal of fuel subsidy.

The FG noted that 28 states of the federation are navigable and its decision to explore interstate water transportation will easily come to fruition.

Speaking with newsmen over the weekend, the Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority(NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji disclosed that the FG will efficiently manage water ways so as to add value to the country’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP).

According to him, “Certainly, in this period of high cost of transportation and all, we are exploring water ways as means of transportation. 28 out of 36 states if properly handled are navigable to enhance our water transportation, you can be rest assured that we are going to work on that and make use of our waterways.

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He assured that: “We will ensure that our waterways are efficiently managed so that we can add value to our GDP. We are going to maximize the opportunity of our water ways. Apart from transportations, there are a lot of benefits in our water systems that we can tap into. We are going to ensure that we add value to our waterways.”

Oyebamiji also stressed that the economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu will later put laughter on the faces of all Nigerians.

He said, “Nigerians have forgotten that the economic challenges have been existing in the country for a very long time. Since we took over from the British, we have not gotten our economic policy right. This is the only time that we have gotten our economic policy right. If you look back, we have a lot of challenges and to correct it, it will take time. The suffering might be big now but I am very sure that our people will laugh last.”

November 5, 2023
Adventist world leader charges Otti, Ikpeazu to sheath swords

The General Conference President of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Ted Wilson has urged the incumbent and former governors of Abia, Dr. Alex Otti and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to work for the interest of the state.

Recall that, there was no love lost between Otti and Ikpeazu since 2015 till date, especially following the decision of the incumbent administration to set-up a committee to probe the administration of the former governor of the state. The situation has generated bad blood not just among church members, but Abians as a whole.

Wilson who was speaking at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba, the commercial nerve of the state on Saturday during a church service to mark the end of a week-long Centenary celebration of the Eastern Nigeria Union Conference (ENUC) of the church emphasized on the need for both Otti and Ikpeazu to put their political differences behind and work for Abians.

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The Adventist Church World Leader who reminded Otti and Ikpeazu that they were also brothers of the same faith noted that both of them could work to bring more progress to the state if they should put away their political differences and reconcile.

“The former and current governors of Abia State are both Adventists. And to the two of you, my dear brothers, you are brothers in Christ.

“The two of you, working together under the power of the Holy Spirit, can bring about amazing forward progress and reconciliation to help the people of the great state of Abia.”

November 5, 2023
Court jails 41 internet fraudsters in Oyo, Ogun

The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentencing of 41 internet fraudsters to various jail terms in Oyo and Ogun states respectively.

They were jailed after pleading guilty to a one -one-count charge each preferred against them by the EFCC.

According to the Head, of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale in a statement, Justices Ladiran Akintola and Adebukola Olajide of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan; Justices Abiodun Akinyemi, A.A. Babawale and B.B. Adebowale of the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta and Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State, jailed the 41 convicts.

The convicts are Siyanbade Timilehin Omobosola, Ilugbo Emmanuel Adekunle, Odude Ayomide Michael, Aderounmu Gbenga Michael, Oluwole David Dare, Habeeblahi Abdullateef Akande, Ololade Sunday Olamide, Ibrahim Victor Abayomi, Adewusi Mojeed Adedeji, Afeez Lekan Jimoh, Peter Seyi Iyanuoluwa, Olatunde Abass, Alan-Oni Joseph Opeyemi, Adetunji Abolaji Adeola and Ogunmola Oluwabori Micheal.

Others are Ajayi Raymond Damilare, Cyril Stephen Oluwaseyi, Adekunle Solomon, Olalekan Taoreed Miller, Oladipupo Imoleayo Falohun, Moboluwaduro Olalekan Soetan, Ibikunle Oluwadamilare James, Olumoroti Ayomide Segun, Fetuga Olajide Abiodun, Agbolade Mayowa Oluwafemi , Felix Folorunsho Ayodele, Dauda Rokeeb Opeyemi, Adeife Adeleke Oluwasegun, Agbe Simon Abuo, Alonge Timileyin Israel.

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The rest are: Lasisi Hassan Ayobami, Olakode Ajibola Ibrahim, Ogundiya Fredrick Olajide, Emmanuel Chidi Peter, Ayanmo Taiwo Wasiu, Daud Sodiq Temidayo, Hammed Ibrahim Ola, Adenuga Tope Lekan, Ibrahim Odewande Olasumbo, Adekunle Habeeb Olamilekan and Monday Blessing Patrick.

Oyewale added that upon their arraignments, they all pleaded “guilty” to the one-count charge when it was read to them individually. “Consequently, facts of the cases were reviewed by the prosecution as they prayed the courts to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.

“The courts, having listened to the submissions and prayers of the prosecution and defense counsels, convicted and sentenced Patrick, Olasumbo, Lekan, Ola, Temidayo, Olajide, Ibrahim, Ayobami, Israel, James, Soetan, Solomon and Oluwaseyi to one-year imprisonment each while Olamilekan was sentenced to nine months jail term and Falohun to ten months imprisonment.

“Also, Wasiu, Peter, Oluwafemi, Abiodun, and Olumoroti bagged three months imprisonment each but Oluwafemi, Abiodun, and Olumoroti were given the option of a N50,000 fine each instead of their sentence.

“Furthermore, Oluwasegun, Opeyemi, Ayodele, Damilare, Micheal, Adeola, Opeyemi, Abass, Iyanuoluwa, Jimoh, Adedeji, Abayomi, Olamide, Akande, Michael, Adekunle, and Omobosola were convicted and sentenced to six months community service each as Adekunle and Omobosola got a N50,000 and N100, 000 fine alongside their sentences respectively.

“The courts also convicted and sentenced Abuo, Miller, Dare, and Michael to three months community service each but Abuo got a N50,000.00 fine in lieu of his sentence while Michael was to pay a fine of N30k alongside his sentence.

“The convicts were ordered to restitute their various victims and forfeit all items recovered from them to the Federal Government of Nigeria, including a green colour Toyota Highlander with Registration Number: LSD – 400 – GX and one sky blue colour Toyota Camry with Registration Number: DG – 453 – FT”, the statement added.

All 41 convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested by operatives of the EFCC for internet-related offenses. They were investigated, prosecuted, and convicted

November 5, 2023
Lagos BRT 50% discount ends tomorrow

The 50% discount on BRT transport fares in Lagos state expires tomorrow. This discount kicked off on 2nd August 2023 and was part of the palliative put in place to bring succor to the lives of citizens in the state. The discount was implemented after a directive from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who said that the measure was to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government as well as the harsh economic situation in the country.

The expiration announcement was made in a statement shared on the X account of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority yesterday.LAMATA noted that transportation fares will revert to their pre-August 2 rates from Monday, November 06.

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The agency called on residents to take note of the change and make necessary preparations for the resumption of regular transport fare rates that were in place before the adjustment made in August.

According to the statement, “The 50% rebate in transport fare in the regulated transport system in Lagos ends on Sunday. The 50% fare rebate was announced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on August 2, 2023. The public is hereby informed that from Monday, November 6, 2023, transport fare will return to the pre-2nd August 2023 rate.”

November 5, 2023
Dabiri-Erewa promises support for DAWN
- Regional integration is the answer
The Chairman of Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa. has emphasised the role of the commission in providing adequate support to boost the economy of SouthWest states.

She said the concept of infrastructural drive and the push for a smart city in Ondo State was a welcome idea, adding that quick attention would be given to its speedy implementation.

Dabiri-Erewa hosted the Ondo State Commissioner, of Regional Integration and Diaspora Relations, Prince Boye Ologbese, alongside the Director General, of Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Dr. Seye Oyeleye and his team in Abuja.

Dabiri-Erewa noted that Ondo State indigenes in Diaspora have been contributing their quota to the social and economic development of the State in line with the ‘Redeemed Agenda of Akeredolu Administration’.

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In a statement by the Ondo ministry’s media officer, Debbie Funmilayo, the NIDCOM chairman said they should be encouraged to do more with the innovations underway.

She said regional Integration is the answer to the push for greater economic development by the geo-political zone.

Dabiri-Erewa said NiDCOM would provide the necessary support to intensify efforts in facilitating the process to boost the economy so that the proposed projects can be actualised for the benefit of indigenes.

She thanked Ologbese for his proactiveness towards the growth of the State and submitted that the Ministry will enjoy continued support from the Commission, leaving indelible imprints on the sand of time for generations to witness.

Ologbese appreciated Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa for the opportunity, saying it was necessary for such a formal physical meeting with the Commission to deliberate upon feasible working documents to set in motion plans for a better economy and to ensure no stone is left unturned in actualizing the goals of the SouthWest region.

He said: “In pursuing any given project, be it long-term or short-term, time is a crucial element as well as the involvement of key players; the economic boost plan of SouthWest region through efficient power supply and effective rail system requires much effort from various sources and we cannot expect to achieve such a dream by folding our arms”

DAWN Commission Director, Dr. Seye Oyeleye said Ondo State, through the Ministry of Regional Integration and Diaspora Relations, deserved support to fast-track its activities.

He said: “Ondo State is a force in the SouthWest with readily available resources sufficient to bring about rapid change in the SouthWest region and the DAWN Commission had no other option than to throw its weight behind the State to collectively witness the transformational impacts yet to come”.
November 5, 2023
Dredging Ogun river would curb flooding at Isheri – Abiodun

Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has said that adequate dredging and channelisation of the Ogun River would go a long way in curbing the perennial flooding of Isheri and its environs.

Governor Abiodun made the suggestion when he received the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. (Miss) Betta Edu, who paid him a courtesy call in his office at Oke-Mosan Abeokuta at the weekend.

Abiodun also observed that water released from Cameroon contributed to the disaster.

He said: “We have identified some immediate causes. We have the Oyan Dam, and it is being overseen by the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority. The Minister of Water Resources and State for the Environment were here to see for themselves that it was the consequences of the flooding.

“We identified together that the Dam itself contributed to the problem, and of course, it is not intentional because Dams were built to capture bodies of water that are in the channel. It serves as sources of water supply, irrigation, and also the control of flooding.

“The other part is that the Ogun River is channeled to go through the area in question. That channel itself requires proper channelization. There is evidence that the channel needs to be disilted. The Ogun River emptied into the Lagoon, so when you have the channel where people build houses on, when there is a downpour, when the Dam itself is opened, the water overflows.”

Governor Abiodun described this year’s flooding in the Isheri axis as the worst in recent times, saying it has affected the commercial and social life of the people as residents now take refuge in camps of various religious bodies across the State.

He said though the area is floodplain, successive governments allocated the land for development purposes, saying the immediate concern of his administration was to look at the remote causes and the interventions that could be deployed to bring relief to the residents as the government could not embark on demolition exercise as there are warehouses, different estates, businesses, and schools in the axis.

While emphasizing the need for correctional work on roads in the axis, Governor Abiodun opined that the flooding is not localized as the State has to contend with water released from the Republic of Cameroon, noting that there is an urgent need to engage a Consultant to conduct a proper study and come up with a holistic plan that could lead to permanent and sustainable solutions to the problem.

Abiodun appreciated President Bola Tinubu for the laudable intervention programmes put in place to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal and the ones meant for the State, saying he would personally review the State’s Social Register to ensure fairness and inclusiveness.

“I have set up an expanded Committee under the Ministry of Budget and Planning and I have also expanded the participation to ensure that it is an inter-ministerial team working alongside Council Chairmen, and religious bodies, to look at the list and ensure inclusiveness and that it is the true representative of those that are in need.

“Soon the list will be ready, and the state will join the comity of states that are enjoying the programmes,” Abiodun submitted.

Speaking earlier, Edu said the federal government is considering the construction of buffer dams to control flooding around communities abutting the Ogun River.

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The minister said she and her counterpart in the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation had discussed the issue at the last Federal Executive Council meeting on the need to have dams that would act as buffer to prevent further flooding in the axis.

She also hinted at the Federal Government’s plan to take 50 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 42 months and get every single person in the country out of the poverty line by the year 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She lamented the recent flooding in many parts of the country, which she noted has pushed people into humanitarian crises and further pushed them down the poverty line.

Edu said she was in Ogun State to assess how the federal government could provide immediate succor in terms of relief to the affected people.

The minister noted that the government at the center has put in place various programmes to meet the objectives it has set for itself in eradicating poverty in the country.

She also said she was in the state to have the sign-off of the Ogun State Social Register, which fits into the National Social Register so that people in the State could begin to receive the N25,000 Conditional Cash Transfer which has already started in other states of the Federation.

“Beyond this, we have carefully mapped out immediate interventions that will be carried out in Ogun State. Some are designed specifically for the state, like the Adire fabric scheme, with which we want to support women to produce the Adire. We also have the GIP programme, which is the market and traders, as well as the farmers’ money.

“We have the End-Hunger Programme, which will be started almost immediately. The State’s sensitization team would engage with the communities, market women, and the state government so that we can have a smooth flow of the interventions,” she said.

Edu said the federal government is also working with the state government to provide grants for vulnerable women to set up their businesses, adding that the GIP programme which is a zero-interest loan to the vulnerable, is aimed at supporting the already existing programme being implemented in the State.

a”The GIP is a zero-interest loan to the vulnerable, but the grant will also be supporting a programme already being implemented here in Ogun State, and all of these are targeted at seeing that we can achieve the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s instrument of getting 50 million people out of poverty within the next 42 months, while we work towards getting every single person out of poverty by 2030 which is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

“It is a transparent process that we want to use to build the confidence of Nigerians that President Tinubu truly means well for this country and wants the interventions to go to the people that truly need them,” the minister explained.

November 5, 2023
Tinubu to establish three million self-sustaining tech talents

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised to establish three million independent technology talents that will drive the nation’s economy as part of his administration’s renewed hope agenda.

Tinubu spoke at the just-concluded Innovation to Market (I2M) program where he was represented by his Special Assistant on Entrepreneurship Development in Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Jennifer Adighije.

I2M, an initiative of the Innovation and Technology Management Office of the University of Lagos, funded by the UKaid through the Research and Innovation System for Africa (RISA).

The grand finale of the six-week program, which was held at Arthur Research Centre, University of Lagos on Friday, November 3, was attended by the varsity’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folashade Ogunsola, represented by her deputy Prof Lucian Chukwu (Management Services) along with the varsity’s senior management among others guests who lauded the founders of the initiative.

50 innovators including researchers, students as well as street pathfinders, selected from across the country were trained on the nuances of their innovation in a view to helping them become fully commercialised in their various fields of endeavours.

According to the project supervisor, Abiodun Gbenga Ilori, the initiative with over 500 beneficiaries nationwide since its establishment, seeks to identify problem-solvers, effectively fine-tune their ideas, facilitate their marketability; more importantly, aid their longevity.

“Innovation to Market (I2M) incubator program is a groundbreaking venture that recognises the immense potential of groundbreaking ideas and seeks to bridge the gap between innovation and commercialisation.

“Its primary objective is to provide innovators with the necessary resources, and mentorship to transform their ideas into market-ready products and services”, she stated.

Chukwu underlined consistency as the major challenge of start-ups but expressed hope that with the training and grant, they would thrive in their sector and stay afloat for a long time.

“Over the last six weeks, this program has equipped these innovators with the know-how to run a start-up and scale up very rapidly. This is one of the major challenges we have with start-ups, consistency. Being able to move their project and scale it up to where it can get to commercialisation. And therefore, this training is very key. And we hope and believe that out of this group, we’re going to get some more Elon Musk and the rest”, said the VC (management services)

He emphasised the importance of the program to the current VC and “the future agenda of this great university.”

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In her address, Adighije underpinned the president’s commitment to actualising his vision of empowering young avant-gardists to steer the rapidly-growing digital sphere as the new economy boom considering the upheavals besetting our oil and gas sector which the previous administration relied majorly on to propel the economy.

She said: “I bring you greetings from my boss, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. My mission here is simple, it is tied to his vision. What is his vision for the young people? It is to enable three million self-sustaining tech talents that will drive our digital economy. So, invariably, the future of Nigeria is in your hands because we are depending on you to drive this economy in the future.

“Previous administrations had depended on oil to drive our economy but with the many challenges bedeviling the oil and gas industry, Mr President thought it forward and right to understand that the future of our economy boom lies in your hands as our youth. And the digital economy will drive out the new economy boom in the years to come.”

Adighije highlighted several initiatives already set up by the ruling administration to ensure the implementation of their vision for youth pathfinders.

“On the part of the government, we are there for you. Mr. President is so keen on investing in the creative sector.

“$600 million has been pledged through the office of the vice president to support creatives. As we speak, the honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Dr Tijani has also just launched a 3MTT program called the 3 Million Technical Talents Programme, a training and empowerment program for young people, designed for your people like you to nurture your concepts to reality.

“The Honourable Minister of Trade and Investment has a similar programme as well called the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP). The honourable Minister of Science and Technology has a similar programme, the director general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) also just launched a programme for female tech founders.”

Besides the N850,000 seed grants given to 20 out of the 50 innovators, with best ideas, the president’s aide further supported two outstanding talents that resonated the most with her with N500,000 each.

One of the double beneficiaries, Chimela Anosike, the founder of Solaris Renewable Energy told The Nation that she came from Aba in Abia State to partake in the programme.

November 5, 2023
Anthony Lions Club installs new president

Anthony Village NGChuks Lions Club has installed Lion Ngozi Paschal-Okoye as its third president.

The event, which held at St. Raphael The Archangel New Event Hall, Ajao Estate, Anthony Village, also doubled as a fundraiser for the club’s proposed N20million ICT Centre for youths in the community, to be situated in Aladura Comprehensive High School, Anthony Village.

A visibly elated Lion Paschal-Okoye expressed her delight at being elected to lead a club formed in memory of a great member, Lion Ngozi Chucks Okeke, whom she and other members testified served selflessly in her lifetime.

Aside from continuing in the tradition of feeding the poor and ensuring a clean environment, she said the club has taken up the challenge to build an ICT Center for the youths because developing and building the youths remains its focal point.

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“Whether we like it or not, ICT is the way to go, and a well-equipped Nigerian youth can be here and be making money from abroad,” she remarked.

Since her election, she said the club has been planting trees but added that it will be carrying out free feeding at the Pacelli School for the Blind and holding a huge medical fair where people can be tested for free and illnesses can be detected and nipped in the bud.

Lions Joseph Alade and Ekene Uwuseba emerged as 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents while Martina Odudu emerged as Secretary amongst others.

November 5, 2023