Category: PM News

A fresh internal disagreement has emerged within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after some of the party’s governorship candidates in the North-East rejected the appointment of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, as the party’s leader in the region.

The candidates, in a joint statement addressed to the national leadership of the party, said they would not recognise Lawal in the position, insisting that their decision was ‘collective, firm and final.’

The development has created fresh tension within the party ahead of the 2027 general election, with the candidates questioning the process that led to the appointment.

They argued that the decision was made without consultation with key stakeholders who had been involved in building the party’s structures and mobilising support across the region.

‘After due consideration, we have unanimously resolved not to recognise Engr. Babachir Lawal as the Leader of the NDC in the North-East, and we will not recognise him as such,’ the statement read.

The candidates said political decisions must reflect the realities of each region, arguing that those actively involved in party mobilisation should be carried along in major appointments.

They expressed concern that the appointment could affect the party’s prospects in the North-East, saying they did not believe the decision would add electoral value to the party in the region.

According to them, consultations with governorship candidates before the appointment would have helped the national leadership understand the political dynamics and concerns across the six states.

They appealed to the party’s leadership to review the appointment and engage affected stakeholders in order to strengthen unity and cohesion ahead of the 2027 elections.

The statement was signed by governorship candidates from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.

The candidates, while acknowledging the efforts of the NDC national leadership in creating a platform for political participation ahead of 2027, maintained that their opposition to Lawal’s appointment remained unchanged.

‘For the avoidance of doubt, our position is collective, firm and final: we do not recognise Engr. Babachir Lawal as the Leader of the NDC in the North-East, and we will not recognise him as such,’ they stated.

The Chairman-elect, Enugu South LGA, Chief Caleb Ani, has attributed the landslide victory of All Progressives Congress, APC in Saturday’s Local Government Elections in Enugu State to Gov. Peter Mbah’s massive developmental work in the state.

Ani spoke after collecting his certificate of return on Sunday.

Ani urged the residents of the state to vote for Mbah en masse in 2027 to enable him to continue his good work.

Also, the APC state Chairman, Dr Martin Chukwunweike, said the party’s resounding victory indicated the dominance of the national ruling party in the state.

‘We will not rest as we push the developmental efforts of President Bola Tinubu and our amiable governor for the world to see.

‘Tinubu, Mbah and all the APC candidates will be re-elected in 2027 because they have performed exceptionally well in the past three years,’ Chukwunweike said.

They spoke after Executive Chairman of the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), Prof Christian Ngwu, APC won all the 17 Chairmanship and 260 Councillorship positions in the Local Government Elections

Ngwu announced the outcome of the polls at the commission’s headquarters in Enugu, on Sunday.

Ngwu declared the election as ‘free and fair’, having been conducted according to rules guiding the commission.

According to him, the commission will go ahead to issue the winners with certificates of return.

The details of the results of the election show that APC chairmanship and councillorship candidates defeated their opponents with wide margins.

In Igbo-Eze South, the Chairman-elect, Chief Ugochukwu Ukwueze, secured all the 51,033 votes cast, and his counterpart in Igbo-Eze North, Dr Chris Onyebuchi, also clinched all the 137,751 votes cast.,

Also in Aninri LGA, Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, secured 17,016 votes against his BOOT opponent, Chief Emeka Amasie, who polled 2,006.

The incumbent Chairman and Chairman-elect for Enugu South LGA, Chief Caleb Ani, polled 71,335 votes to defeat his closest rival and NDC candidate, Mr A.A Ugwu, who scored 1,311 votes.

Chief Executive Officer of Winhomes Global Services Limited, Engr. Stella Ifeoma Okengwu, has commended Vice President Kashim Shettima for his openness to dialogue with Nigerians in the diaspora and willingness to listen to concerns surrounding investment in Nigeria.

Okengwu spoke on Monday while reflecting on her encounter with the Vice President on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

She said the interaction provided an opportunity to discuss Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), diaspora participation in national development, and the challenges confronting Nigerians abroad who bring their capital, expertise, and business interests back home.

Shettima had led Nigeria’s delegation to the UNGA on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, where he participated in high-level engagements and also met with members of the Nigerian diaspora, urging them to contribute their investment, expertise and networks to national development.

According to Okengwu, what stood out for her during the interaction was the Vice President’s willingness to listen to the concerns of investors and engage them directly on issues affecting their confidence in the Nigerian business environment.

She said the conversation reinforced the importance of creating stronger institutional safeguards for Nigerians in the diaspora who invest their resources in the country.

‘Patriotism cannot replace investment protection.

‘If a Nigerian-American brings capital home, builds a legitimate enterprise, creates employment and introduces foreign investment, that person should be able to trust the institutions responsible for protecting lawful investment,’ she said.

Okengwu noted that the Federal Government’s efforts to attract diaspora capital would have greater impact when investors could also have confidence that their legitimate interests would be protected after committing their resources.

She said investor experiences could influence the decisions of other Nigerians abroad and international investors considering Nigeria.

‘When diaspora investors encounter serious institutional obstacles, the consequences extend beyond one investor or one project.

‘Stories travel. Investor confidence travels with them. And when confidence disappears, capital can disappear too,’ she said.

The Winhomes CEO described her interaction with Shettima as significant because it gave her an opportunity to communicate what she described as the human side of diaspora investment.

According to her, behind investment figures are families, employees, businesses and professionals who have chosen to commit their resources to Nigeria because of their belief in the country’s potential.

She described the Vice President as attentive and receptive during their conversation, adding that his willingness to hear the concerns of investors was important in building confidence between government and the diaspora community.

Okengwu, however, said such engagements would have greater significance when they translated into policies and institutional reforms that improved the experience of investors.

She also acknowledged the Federal Government’s development initiatives in the South-East, including the establishment of the South East Development Commission, saying the impact of such measures would ultimately be determined by their implementation.

She said residents of the region should be able to assess the benefits of government interventions through improved infrastructure, investment, employment opportunities and stronger confidence in public institutions.

‘Their ultimate significance will depend on implementation,’ she said.

‘The people of the South-East should be able to measure progress through infrastructure, investment, jobs, economic opportunities and improved confidence in institutions.’

Reflecting on Nigeria’s investment drive, Okengwu said attracting capital was only one part of the process, stressing that retaining investor confidence after investments had been made was equally important.

She said Nigeria could strengthen its investment reputation when investors could point to concrete experiences of institutional support and protection.

‘The strongest advertisement Nigeria can give the international investment community is not another conference brochure.

‘It is the testimony of an investor who can say: ‘I invested in Nigeria. The institutions worked. My rights were respected. My investment was protected. I would invest again,” she said.

Okengwu said Nigerians in the diaspora represented an important pool of capital, skills, professional networks and international business connections that could support Nigeria’s development.

She therefore called for diaspora engagement to go beyond remittances to encompass investment, entrepreneurship, technology transfer and professional expertise.

She also stressed that recognising positive engagements with public officials should not be interpreted as unconditional political support, saying officials should be acknowledged when they demonstrate openness while remaining accountable for the outcomes of government policies.

‘I can say that Vice President Shettima treated me with humility and listened compassionately to my concerns while still believing that government must be held accountable for results. Both things can be true,’ she said.

Okengwu said her encounter with the Vice President strengthened her optimism about the prospects of deeper engagement between government and Nigerians in the diaspora.

She called for continued collaboration among government, public institutions, citizens and investors to build greater confidence in Nigeria’s investment environment.

‘Let compassion become policy. Let listening become action. Let invitations to the diaspora be accompanied by institutional protection,’ she said.

She added that Nigerians abroad remained willing to contribute to national development but needed greater assurance that their investments would receive institutional protection.

‘Nigeria does not lack talent. Nigeria does not lack investors. And Nigeria certainly does not lack Nigerians abroad who desperately want their homeland to succeed. What we need is a bridge of trust between government, institutions, citizens and investors,’ she added.

A fight over a gift of N500 has resulted in the death of a 42-year-old man and attack on a police station at Kekoti community in Ajere area of Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The incident occurred at about 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, after a misunderstanding broke out between one Ayei Ibor and Ebino Ikpi over N500 said to have been given to them as a gift.

The misunderstanding resulted into a fight in which Ibor was stabbed and later confirmed dead, the spokesperson for the Cross Rivers Police Command, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed in a statement on Sunday in Calabar.

He confirmed that Ibor, was allegedly stabbed to death during a fight with one Ikpi at Kekoti, Ajere.

The Police spokesperson said Ikpi fled the scene immediately after the incident but was later arrested at about 8:40 a.m. at his hideout in Ajere-Ekori and taken to the Yakurr Police Division.

But the arrest triggered another crisis when some sympathisers mobilised and attacked the Ekori Police Division, demanding the release of the suspect.

He said the mob, on discovering that the suspect was not in the station, threw stones and other objects at the facility, damaging seven windows, the DPO/DCO office door, six

plastic chairs, a wall mirror, part of the roofing and the passenger-side glass of the DPO’s official vehicle.

He added that the residence of the Ajere Youth Leader, Omini Jacob, was also attacked over an allegation that he assisted the police in arresting the suspect.

Eitokpah said operatives later dispersed the crowd and restored normalcy, while reinforcement was drafted from the Area Command, Ugep, and the Violence and Cultism-Related Unit (VCRU), Ugep.

He said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ajo Ordue, had ordered the transfer of the murder suspect to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and a manhunt for those who attacked the police facility.

The command urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding, warning that attacks on police formations and obstruction of criminal investigations would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has warned that Nigeria’s current level of investment is not enough to create the jobs required to support its growing population, calling for increased investment in businesses, infrastructure and human capital.

The private-sector-led policy advocacy group issued the warning in a statement ahead of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit scheduled for October 26 and 27, 2026, in Abuja.

NESG said the country needs more productive investment to improve productivity, expand businesses and deliver the level of prosperity needed by millions of Nigerians.

According to the group, challenges including infrastructure gaps, limited access to long-term financing, regulatory uncertainty and high operating costs have continued to discourage productive investment.

NESG said while recent economic reforms aimed at stabilising the economy, improving fiscal sustainability and restoring investor confidence were important, they must be matched with stronger investment to generate meaningful opportunities.

The group stressed that economic stability must translate into increased business activity, higher incomes and job creation.

‘Nigeria needs greater investment in businesses, industries, infrastructure, innovation and human capital to support sustainable economic growth,’ the group said.

NESG noted that Nigeria adds an estimated 3.5 million new entrants to its labour force annually, increasing pressure on the economy to create enough employment opportunities.

It said the challenge is not only achieving economic growth but ensuring that growth creates jobs and improves living standards for Nigerians.

The warning comes ahead of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, which is themed ‘Growth that Works: Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity.’

The summit is expected to bring together government officials, private sector leaders, development institutions and other stakeholders to discuss ways of increasing investment, improving productivity and expanding economic opportunities.

NESG said moving Nigeria from economic stabilisation to sustainable growth would require deliberate efforts to increase investment and strengthen the country’s productive capacity.

The Federal Government has called for integrated management of Nigeria’s rivers, forests, wetlands and watersheds to safeguard water resources, public health and livelihoods.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, made the call on Monday in Abuja at the commemoration of the 2026 World Rivers Day.

Utsev said sustainable water resources management required coordinated action by governments, communities, traditional institutions, the private sector, development partners and civil society.

He said the theme of the celebration, ‘No Forests, No Rivers, No Water, No Life,’ underscored the interdependence between healthy ecosystems and sustainable water resources.

According to him, rivers support agriculture, food production, domestic and industrial water supply, fisheries, biodiversity, livelihoods and economic development.

He said forests, wetlands, floodplains and groundwater recharge areas helped protect river sources and regulate water flow, adding that their degradation threatened rivers and communities that depended on them.

Utsev said Nigeria’s rivers, including the Niger and Benue, as well as streams, wetlands and tributaries, constituted a shared national heritage requiring collective protection.

He identified population growth, urbanisation, untreated wastewater, indiscriminate dumping, agricultural runoff, erosion and sand mining among pressures threatening the country’s rivers.

The minister added that climate change, changing rainfall patterns, flooding and drought were compounding the challenges, requiring integrated management of watersheds and water resources.

He said the ministry was strengthening its capacity to collect, analyse and use data on rainfall, river flows, groundwater and water quality to support evidence-based water management.

Utsev said sanitation was central to river protection, noting that untreated sewage and wastewater could contaminate water sources, threaten public health, affect livelihoods and compromise water supplies.

He said 179 Local Government Areas had been validated as Open Defecation Free under the Clean Nigeria Campaign, while more than 5,238 public sanitation facilities had been supported nationwide.

‘These achievements reflect our commitment to keeping human waste out of our drains, streams and rivers,’ he said.

The minister urged Nigerians to stop open defecation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, plastics and effluents into drains, streams and rivers.

He also called for conservation of forests and wetlands, responsible wastewater management, efficient water use and stronger collaboration among stakeholders.

Utsev said the government was identifying dams requiring rehabilitation and locations for new ones as part of measures to manage excess water and mitigate flooding.

He said the government was exploring private-sector participation in dam construction and rehabilitation, stressing that government alone could not undertake all the required projects.

The minister said the ministry was also engaging relevant state governments on water-resource management, including discussions with Kebbi on measures to manage water from the Lagdo Dam.

He urged young Nigerians to deploy education, technology, entrepreneurship and community action to tackle plastic pollution, open defecation, wastewater management and ecosystem degradation.

Utsev called on the media to sustain public awareness on the relationship between forests, rivers, water and sanitation, saying behavioural change was essential to protecting water resources.

He said the Federal Government would continue to strengthen policies, institutions and programmes aimed at sustainable water resources management and improved sanitation services nationwide.

Earlier, Ali Dallah, Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said the choice of Wupa River as the venue provided an opportunity to demonstrate the need to protect and restore water bodies.

Dallah said activities for the celebration, including public enlightenment, environmental awareness and stakeholder engagement, were designed to encourage practical action to protect rivers.

He said Nigerian rivers faced pollution from domestic, industrial and agricultural activities, indiscriminate waste disposal, deforestation, erosion and uncontrolled development along river corridors.

According to him, the challenges had implications for water quality, public health, agriculture, biodiversity and the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians dependent on water resources.

Dallah said healthy forests and watersheds helped regulate water flows, reduce soil erosion, protect water quality, support groundwater recharge and maintain aquatic ecosystems.

He urged communities, institutions, businesses and individuals to support government efforts by preventing pollution, protecting watersheds and forests and promoting responsible waste management.

World Rivers Day is observed annually on the fourth Sunday of September to raise awareness of the importance of rivers and promote their conservation and sustainable management.

The event has grown into an international observance involving communities in more than 100 countries through activities such as river clean-ups, restoration projects, educational programmes and community events.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has uncovered an alleged child trafficking operation involving newborn babies in Cross River.

The Head of Operations, NAPTIP, Cross River Command, Mr Jacob Oba, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Calabar on Monday.

Oba said the agency uncovered the operation following the interception of some women allegedly involved in acquiring babies through fraudulent pregnancy claims.

According to him three women in Obubura allegedly claimed to be pregnant with ‘cryptic pregnancies’ which they said could not be detected, meanwhile they had arranged with midwives to obtain newborn babies.

He said another woman from Akwa Ibom allegedly stole a week-old baby girl and sold the child to one of the women who claimed to have been pregnant, for N3 million.

He added that the suspect who bought the first baby and the other two were allegedly making arrangements to obtain additional babies when they were intercepted.

Oba said investigations had established that the sold baby’s biological mother was in Akwa Ibom, confirming that the week-old child had allegedly been stolen.

He added that the women involved were also suspected of operating baby factories, though the particular baby in the case was allegedly not obtained from the suspect’s facility.

The head of operation said the case came to the attention of security personnel after community members stopped a vehicle carrying the women and a baby.

‘The main buyer claimed to be the baby’s mother but could not breastfeed the child when security personnel asked her to do so.

‘The woman and the two others were taken for questioning, through which the alleged supplier of the child was subsequently arrested and confessed to selling the baby, leading to further investigation by NAPTIP.

Oba said the suspects were arrested on June 22, but had to be properly investigated before the matter was brought before the public.

He added that the matter would be charged to court, with further proceedings expected in October

Speaking at a high-level United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) side event organised by Vivacity Development, Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, issued a strong call for unified execution systems between government, private sector leaders and development partners to build accessible pathways for women and young girls across high-value sectors.

Addressing diplomats, global investors and civil society leaders, Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim stressed that economic empowerment requires moving beyond viewing women as passive beneficiaries of social programmes.

Instead, stakeholders must establish clear entry points that enable women to participate as fabricators, owners and critical leaders across key value chains, including technology, artificial intelligence, fintech and clean energy.

‘We have to put heads together-the government and practitioners-to provide various pathways and entry points for women,’ stated Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim.

‘Women should not only be beneficiaries of initiatives like clean cooking; they must be empowered to fabricate the technology, own the local skills and access multi-million-dollar credit tools to build real economic power.’

Highlighting national policy momentum under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the Minister pointed to the 35% Affirmative Procurement Policy, which mandates that over a third of public procurement contracts be reserved for women-owned and women-led enterprises.

Opening the session, Engr. Oluwakemi Ann-Melody Areola, Convener and CEO of Vivacity Development, emphasised the urgency of structural collaboration in preparing Africa’s next generation for the global economy.

‘Building sustainable economic mobility requires more than isolated interventions; it demands intentional alignment between government policy, private capital and practical skills development.

‘Our goal through this platform is to ensure young women and youth are not just included in the conversation, but are equipped to compete and lead in the global marketplace.’

The Minister reinforced that while government creates supportive policy frameworks and financial access mechanisms, private sector captains and practitioners are essential to scaling these solutions effectively.

About Vivacity Development

Vivacity Development is a global social enterprise and development practice dedicated to bridging the gap between raw talent, global institutional capital and market access.

Driven by a mission to democratise access to future-ready skills, close critical industry competency gaps and build sustainable economic mobility corridors across Africa, Vivacity Development creates research-driven interventions and strategic platforms that connect local potential with international opportunity.

A fresh disagreement has emerged between the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and support groups backing its 2027 presidential ticket over the party’s move to register and coordinate support organisations ahead of the election.

The development has sparked resistance from the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement and Kwankwasiyya groups, who insist that their structures should remain independent despite their support for the NDC presidential ticket.

In separate exclusive interviews with The Punch, representatives of the groups expressed reservations about the registration process, arguing that existing political movements should not be absorbed into the party structure.

The disagreement follows the NDC’s announcement that registration of support groups would be handled exclusively by its Directorate of Support Groups at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, had said the exercise was free and warned state chapters and officials against collecting fees or independently registering support groups.

He said the process was designed to properly coordinate organisations working with the party ahead of the 2027 election.

However, the Director-General of the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, John Ughulu, rejected the arrangement, saying the movement remained an independent political organisation.

Speaking exclusively with Punch, Ughulu said the movement would not allow its structure to be taken over or controlled by the party.

He argued that while the NDC had the right to create and manage its own campaign structures, independent organisations also had the right to maintain their own leadership and organisational systems.

‘The OK Movement therefore makes it clear that we will not accept any attempt by any individual or group to undermine, appropriate, dissolve or otherwise interfere with the legitimate structure and leadership of the movement,’ Ughulu said.

He added that the movement would resist any attempt to interfere with its operations.

‘The meaning of ‘independent’ is straightforward. The NDC has the right to constitute and manage its own campaign structures. Likewise, an independent political organisation has the right to constitute and manage its own organisational structures, subject always to the law,’ he said.

Meanwhile, spokesman of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Habibu Muhammed, called for understanding between the party and the support groups.

Muhammed said the disagreement was partly linked to the process of a new political party attempting to build its structures.

‘The truth is that the NDC is evolving and they are trying to do things differently. That is why there are some forms of misunderstanding here and there. But I believe that at the end of the day, everybody will be on the same page,’ he said.

He maintained that movements such as Kwankwasiyya and the Obidient Movement had historically operated independently of political parties.

According to him, many members of the groups were not necessarily members of the NDC but were supporting the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket because of their confidence in the candidates.

He urged the party to create a structure that would allow different support groups to operate while still working toward the same political objective.

‘The most important thing is for the party to understand this as well and work out something that will be better than just fixing things that are not literally important, as it is doing now,’ he said.

The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, however, appealed to the various groups to avoid disagreements that could distract from the 2027 election.

Tanko said the NDC remained the platform on which Peter Obi was contesting and urged supporters to focus on the broader political objective.

‘The party is a vehicle in which our principal is running. He is contesting on the platform of the NDC,’ he said.

Tanko added that any legitimate process that would help the party and its candidate should be supported.

The Federal Government says it plans to lift five million young Nigerians out of poverty through its skills acquisition and empowerment programmes aimed at promoting sustainable livelihoods.

The initiative, being implemented under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), is designed to equip young Nigerians with practical, market-relevant skills to enhance their economic independence and employability.

Dr Abiola Arogundade, Senior Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE), coordinator of the programme, disclosed this on Monday in Ibadan at the commencement of the programme’s Oyo State phase, which will run from September 28 to October 9.

She said the training is part of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to empowering Nigerians through technical, vocational and entrepreneurial education.

Arogundade said the programme, which commenced in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had moved to Oyo State and would be extended to other states and geopolitical zones across the country.

Under the Oyo State phase, 200 young Nigerians are being trained in Graphics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), makeup artistry and fashion designing.

Of the beneficiaries, 30 participants are undergoing training in Graphics/AI, while 85 each are receiving training in makeup artistry and fashion designing.

Arogundade said the initiative went beyond skills acquisition, adding that beneficiaries would be connected to organisations and business opportunities to support their transition into sustainable livelihoods.

‘So with this programme, we are training 200 people. We will also be distributing 500 tablets during the grand finale of the programme as part of the Federal Government’s digital empowerment drive.

‘We are directly empowering 700 people in this programme and there will be multiplier effect.

‘We are not just training them for themselves but we are training them for their communities, for the population, and for all the states in Nigeria,’ she said.

She urged participants to take the training seriously, maximise the opportunity and use their newly acquired skills to empower others within their communities.

I want to just encourage them to do their best.

‘I want to encourage them to know that President Bola Tinubu is thinking about all Nigerians, all young Nigerians in the country and ready to address their plights,’ she said.

The presidential aide reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to creating opportunities for young Nigerians to become economically self-reliant through practical training and entrepreneurship development.

Earlier, the keynote speaker for the Graphics/AI training, Mrs Oluronke Shonubi, said the growing adoption of artificial intelligence presented Nigeria with opportunities to accelerate development, improve employability and prepare young people for emerging jobs.

One of the beneficiaries, Idowu Olalere, a 400-level student of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for providing young Nigerians with opportunities to acquire emerging digital skills.

Olalere said the training would help bridge the gap between existing skills and evolving labour market requirements.

Two other beneficiaries, Mrs Iyabo Ajayi, a makeup trainee, and Fatunbi Joshua, a fashion designing trainee, also expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for the opportunity.

They expressed optimism that the initiative would contribute to reducing unemployment by equipping participants with practical skills and opportunities for self-employment.

At the conclusion of the training, participants will receive laptops, sewing machines and fully equipped makeup kits to support their entrepreneurial pursuits and facilitate the establishment of sustainable businesses.

The programme forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to promote inclusive economic growth, reduce poverty and expand opportunities for young Nigerians through technical and vocational education.