Category: The Nation – Nigeria

The Association of Nigerian Artisans and Technicians (ASNAT) has pledged to mobilise more than five million votes for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 general election.

The pledge was made at the three-day Nigerian Artisans Leadership Summit at Ladi Kwali Hall, Continental Hotel, Abuja, where the association launched ‘Operation 30-30 2027,’ an initiative to mobilise at least 30 artisans per polling unit nationwide in support of the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.

ASNAT National Patron and Director-General of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations, Sanusi Garba Rikiji, said artisans contributed between 35 and 40 per cent of the votes that secured the APC’s 2023 victory, a claim not independently verified by this newspaper.

‘Operation 30-30 means mobilising 30 artisans per polling unit across each of the political wards nationwide that can influence others for Tinubu/Shettima 2027,’ Rikiji said, adding that the initiative would run through the association’s nationwide network.’

ASNAT National Coordinator, Adeshina Akinyemi, said the group would soon begin nationwide voter education and Permanent Voter Card mobilisation. Senator Abdul’aziz Yari Abubakar, represented by Senator Tijjani Yahaya, described artisans as the backbone of the economy and pledged support for their welfare.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), has charged officers, men and women of the anti-narcotics institution to remain resilient in the face of the persistent drug challenge, which he described as a generational responsibility.

He delivered the charge on Thursday during the 12th Chairman/Chief Executive Officer’s Commendations and Awards ceremony at the Agency’s national headquarters in Abuja, where he honoured 274 personnel for outstanding performance in the discharge of their duties, as well as 18 best-performing commands and 19 NGOs and media organisations for their commitment to the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy in Nigeria.

According to him, ‘The war against illicit drugs is not a campaign with an end date. It is a generational responsibility. For every cartel we dismantle, intelligence tells us another will attempt to rise. For every corridor we shut down, traffickers will search for another route.’

He explained that the fight against drug trafficking could never be won by enforcement alone, noting that NGOs work quietly within communities to walk young people back from the edge of addiction, while journalists have told difficult stories on trafficking routes, rehabilitation, and family recovery that are not always easy to tell.

He acknowledged that many more deserving organisations and media platforms across the country exist beyond the honourees, describing the gesture as ‘the beginning of a tradition, not a closed chapter,’ and assuring that subsequent editions of the ceremony will continue to identify and honour more individuals and organisations doing similar work.

‘The fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse was never going to be won by enforcement alone. It is won in the communities where NGOs quietly walk young people back from the edge of addiction. It is won in the newsrooms where journalists chose to tell the difficult stories, the stories of trafficking routes, of rehabilitation, of families rebuilding, even when those stories were not the easiest to tell. Our partners in civil society and the media have been the multiplier effect on everything this Agency does. You have taken our message into homes, schools, and communities that our uniforms alone could never reach.’

Marwa highlighted some recent major operations that he said captured the character of the Agency: the dismantling of the Amadi Simon drug cartel; the takedown of two Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine cartels operating in forests in Ogun and Oyo States; and the disruption of a tramadol cartel exploiting the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria corridor, which he described as a route that had for years fuelled a crisis of opioid abuse among Nigerian youth.

‘These were not simple raids. They were the product of patient intelligence-gathering, cross-border cooperation, and officers willing to go where criminals believed no one would follow,’ he noted.

The NDLEA boss charged officers of the Agency to see the honourees as a benchmark to aspire to rather than a ceiling to stop at, and urged partners in civil society and the media to view the recognition as an invitation to do more, not a reward to rest on.

He congratulated all recipients of awards and commendations, and thanked their families as well as Nigerians who continue to place their trust in the Agency.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate closure of the secretariat of the dissolved Ad-hoc Committee on Sales of Federal Government Houses (SFGH) in the territory.

Wike also approved the creation of a dedicated division within the Department of Land Administration to take over the committee’s former duties, according to a statement issued yesterday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.

The committee had completed its mandate, but its secretariat was retained temporarily to handle outstanding issues before Wike ordered its closure.

Members of the public seeking information on the sale of Federal Government houses in the FCT have been directed to the Department of Land Administration. The FCT Administration warned that neither the committee nor its secretariat existed any longer, cautioning the public against individuals who might pose as former officials or staff to perpetrate fraud.

‘The general public is hereby enjoined to henceforth approach the Department of Land Administration on all issues relating to sale of Federal Government Houses in the FCT,’ the statement said, adding that the directive was with immediate effect.

The House of Representatives candidate, Francis Eniade, has alleged that he and his aides were attacked by suspected thugs at a police station in Okuku, headquarters of Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State, on Wednesday night.

The Nation learnt that Eniade’s convoy was reportedly waylaid by suspected thugs while returning from Inisa, forcing him to seek refuge at the Okuku Divisional Police Station.

However, two of his aides were allegedly attacked at the station, while Eniade narrowly escaped. Two vehicles in his convoy were reportedly left at the police station.

Reacting to the incident, Eniade alleged that the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, was behind the attack.

Speaking with newsmen, Eniade said his convoy was attacked while returning from Inisa by suspected thugs and security personnel allegedly attached to Egbedun.

‘My convoy was waylaid while returning from Inisa by suspected thugs and security personnel attached to Hon. Egbedun, who were travelling in a Lexus Jeep,’ he alleged.

‘I sensed the danger, I directed my driver to increase his speed and head to the Okuku Divisional Police Station for safety.

‘But Egbedun’s security details and suspected thugs invaded the police station, where I was. I escaped narrowly, but my driver was wounded while Hilux and other vehicles were damaged.’

Eniade called for an investigation into the incident and demanded the arrest of everyone allegedly involved.

The Speaker, however, denied the allegation through his Chief Press Secretary, Olamide Tiamiyu.

Tiamiyu alleged that Eniade had earlier threatened residents of Egbedun’s constituency and attempted to attack the Chairman of Odo-Otin Local Government Area, Adewale Adeyinka, with men allegedly dressed as police officers.

He said residents resisted the alleged attack, forcing Eniade and his entourage to flee.

‘Eniade, who had earlier threatened the people of my constituency, wanted to attack the council chairman of Odo-Otin, Adewale Adeyinka, with fake policemen when residents stood against him in town,’ Tiamiyu said.

‘They were chased and, for fear of the mob, they tried to escape, but two of the fake policemen were eventually arrested with guns and taken to the DSS Command in Osogbo.’

Adeyinka, the council chairman, also gave his account of the incident, saying he encountered Eniade’s convoy while returning from a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo.

‘I was on my way home from a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo when, upon getting to Inisa, I noticed a three-vehicle convoy belonging to Francis Eniade. The convoy consisted of his personal vehicle, a Hilux truck and a van,’ he said.

Adeyinka said he immediately attempted to contact the Divisional Police Officer of the Okuku Division to alert him to what he considered a threat to his life, but the DPO did not answer his calls.

He said he subsequently contacted the Speaker, who advised him to return to the police station and seek protection.

‘We turned back and headed towards the police station. When we arrived, the gate was still locked but later an officer rushed to open the gate for us and we drove in. The vehicle belonging to Eniade followed and drove in behind us, while the van carrying the suspected thugs and persons dressed in fake security uniforms remained at some distance,’ Adeyinka said.

According to him, the occupants of the van fled after hearing the siren of the Speaker’s convoy, prompting members of the public who witnessed the incident to pursue them.

‘However, immediately the occupants of the van heard the siren of the convoy conveying the Honourable Speaker, without even knowing who they fled the scene. Members of the public who had witnessed the chase and understood the danger involved then pursued them,’ he said.

Adeyinka said two of the fleeing suspects were subsequently apprehended by members of the public, while a firearm was recovered from them.

He added that security personnel attached to the Speaker’s convoy took the suspects from the crowd when the Speaker arrived to prevent possible mob action.

The Federal Government has graduated the first batch of agricultural mechanisation service providers under a nationwide programme aimed at building a pool of skilled tractor operators and mechanics to support Nigeria’s drive towards increased food production.

The 10-day National Agricultural Mechanisation Service Providers (NAMSP) Training Programme, organised by the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, AGCOMS and other public and private-sector partners, brought together about 250 participants from across the country.

The initiative is expected to ultimately train 4,000 tractor operators and mechanics in machinery operation, maintenance, occupational safety, enterprise development and sustainable mechanisation service delivery.

Speaking at the closing ceremony in Gora, Nasarawa State, on Thursday, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the initiative was designed to address one of the major challenges confronting agricultural mechanisation in Nigeria, the shortage of skilled personnel capable of operating and maintaining farm machinery.

Ibrahim, who was represented by the Fund’s General Manager, Technical, Ernest Ihedigbo, said increasing the number of tractors and other agricultural equipment would have limited impact without developing the technical expertise and maintenance culture required to keep the machines productive.

He said the graduation represented an important milestone in the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise agriculture through mechanisation, innovation and human capital development.

He noted that the programme goes beyond training machinery operators, as it seeks to develop the skills, systems and professional culture required to sustain agricultural productivity and strengthen food and nutrition security.

He said participants drawn from the six geopolitical zones received intensive training in agricultural mechanisation service delivery, machinery and equipment management, occupational safety, enterprise development, sustainable maintenance and environmental conservation.

‘Beyond technical skills, the programme has strengthened professionalism, enterprise mindset and operational discipline required to sustain an efficient mechanisation ecosystem,’ Ibrahim said.

He explained that the pilot cohort comprised about 232 trainees, who would be certified by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and subsequently considered for inclusion in a national database of proficient mechanisation service providers being developed by NADF.

The database, he said, would provide a pool of trained professionals that could support public and private investments in agricultural machinery, with certified operators potentially entrusted with agricultural assets worth millions of naira.

Ibrahim stressed that the success of agricultural mechanisation should not be judged merely by the number of tractors and machines procured but by how effectively such equipment is operated, maintained and kept economically viable.

He noted that previous investments in mechanisation had sometimes failed to achieve their full potential because of inadequate technical capacity, weak maintenance systems and poor accountability.

‘The future of agricultural mechanisation in Nigeria depends not only on acquiring machines, but on sustaining them through technical competence, accountability, and responsible asset and environmental stewardship,’ he said.

The NADF boss commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for placing agriculture at the centre of the administration’s food security, economic diversification, employment and national prosperity agenda.

He also praised the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, for driving reforms and partnerships targeted at strengthening agricultural value chains and improving farmers’ livelihoods.

Ibrahim said the NAMSP programme formed part of NADF’s wider interventions to tackle constraints across agricultural value chains.

He said the Fund’s Farm Input Support Programme was supporting about 109,000 smallholder farmers, while its Grassroots Digital Extension Corps initiative had trained 1,884 extension agents and food security specialists across the country.

He added that NADF was strengthening agricultural research institutions through investments in modern laboratories, biotechnology facilities, digital extension infrastructure, renewable energy systems, irrigation facilities and innovation platforms.

Ibrahim urged mechanisation associations and State Agricultural Development Projects to increase the recruitment and training of young people and women, particularly as rural-urban migration and an ageing farming population continue to affect the agricultural sector.

He described the graduates as a new generation of skilled mechanisation practitioners who could improve machinery utilisation, reduce equipment downtime, expand farmers’ access to mechanisation services and safeguard investments in agricultural assets.

‘Let your work increase productivity, expand access to mechanisation, preserve national investments, and accelerate Nigeria’s agricultural prosperity,’ he told the graduates.

Tractor owners seek sustained training

National President of the Tractor Owners and Hiring Facilities Association of Nigeria (TOHFAN), Abdullahi Mohammed, commended NADF for bringing participants from different parts of the country together for the programme.

Mohammed said continuous capacity building for tractor operators, mechanics and service providers was necessary to ensure that agricultural machinery remained productive throughout its lifespan.

He explained that although machinery manufacturers and vendors often provide initial training, they may not always be available in communities where tractors and other equipment are eventually deployed.

‘We need much of this training. The service provider wants training, the operator and the mechanic also need this type of training,’ he said.

He called for sustained collaboration among NADF, machinery manufacturers, vendors and mechanisation service providers, while appealing for government interventions that would make agricultural machinery more affordable.

Mohammed said the programme had also provided an opportunity to bring tractor operators from different associations and parts of the country under a common platform.

Director of Training at the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Hayatu Tambuwal, said the agency was satisfied with the outcome of the programme after monitoring the exercise from commencement to completion.

Tambuwal said ITF’s responsibility was to evaluate the training and provide certification, adding that officials observed positive attitudes among participants and evidence that the required learning had taken place.

He urged NADF to sustain its partnership with the ITF and expand the programme to other parts of the country, noting that adequate funding and resources would be required to achieve the desired scale.

Speaking on behalf of Women in Mechanised Agriculture (WIMA), one of the beneficiaries, Akuhwa Sewuese Michelle, said the training equipped participants with practical skills in tractor operation, safety, maintenance, servicing, basic troubleshooting and the use of agricultural implements.

Michelle said the programme had increased the confidence of participating women and demonstrated that they could play significant roles in Nigeria’s mechanisation industry.

‘We are not only here to learn; we are here to take these skills back to our communities and contribute to increased agricultural productivity, food security, employment and economic empowerment,’ she said.

She pledged that WIMA members would continue to improve their skills, comply with safety standards, properly maintain equipment entrusted to them and transfer their knowledge to other women and young people seeking opportunities in agricultural mechanisation.

Eighteen people have been confirmed dead and 21 injured when a truck conveying several people and goods plunged into a river in Bida Local Government Area of Niger State.

The accident was said to have occurred late Tuesday night.

Eyewitnesses said the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Bida responded when the crash occurred but were unable to save those who died.

The state FRSC Sector Commander, Aishat Saadu, said the vehicle was travelling from Lagos to Kano, adding that it was a ditch and not a river as alleged by eyewitnesses.

‘The incident occurred at Wuya Village and it is not a river but a ditch. The ditch is big enough, enough for the vehicle to submerge,’ she stated.

She said only two people were not injured and the deceased had been taken to the mortuary while the injured were taken to the hospital for treatment.

A leading licensed stablecoin infrastructure and payments provider, Yellow Card, yesterday said it is advancing its global expansion following a series of major milestones, including a $40 million strategic funding round, an expanding regulatory footprint and growing partnerships with global financial and payments companies.

The company now operates across more than 50 markets, providing stablecoin payments, fiat settlement rails, wallet services and custom local stablecoin issuance. Its latest funding round included investment from SC Ventures by Standard Chartered, Sony Innovation Fund, Polychain Capital, Blockchain Capital, and other strategic investors, bringing Yellow Card’s total equity financing to more than $120 million.

Speaking during a media interactive session in Lagos, Group Vice President of Operations and Managing Director of Yellow Card Nigeria, Lasbery Oludimu, said the company’s expansion reflects a deliberate strategy focused on building the infrastructure, partnerships and regulatory foundations required to operate globally.

‘Our growth is not simply about entering more countries. We are building the infrastructure, regulatory footprint and partnerships required to connect businesses across markets reliably and compliantly. Africa remains central to that story, even as we expand globally,’ she said.

The new funding will support the expansion of Global USD Accounts, Yellow Card’s end-to-end dollar account for businesses, and strengthen the stablecoin rails connecting its markets worldwide. The company is also deepening its presence in Latin America and Asia-Pacific.

According to Mrs Oludimu, Yellow Card’s expansion has been accompanied by continued regulatory progress. In June, the company secured regulatory AML affiliation in Switzerland as a supervised financial intermediary, providing banking partners and institutional clients with a regulated point of access to its stablecoin infrastructure across Africa and other international markets.

The company has also strengthened relationships with global institutions including Visa, Mastercard, Western Union, Thunes and MoneyGram and was recently named to Fortune’s inaugural Crypto Innovators list, recognizing organizations advancing the global digital asset ecosystem through technology, infrastructure, security and adoption.

‘Stablecoins are increasingly moving beyond being viewed simply as a crypto product. They are becoming practical infrastructure for businesses that need more efficient ways to move money, manage treasury and participate in global commerce. Our focus is on building that infrastructure responsibly and ensuring African businesses are part of this evolution,’ Mrs Oludimu added.

Yellow Card says it will continue expanding its regulatory footprint, payment corridors and institutional partnerships as it builds infrastructure connecting businesses across global markets.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Chief Dele Omosehin, said his next assignment is to mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 general elections.

He urged his followers to work assiduously for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in the forthcoming election.

Speaking while hosting his teeming supporters three months after the APC primary election, Omosehin stated that Nigerians should re-elect President Tinubu so he can continue to fulfil his Renewed Hope agenda.

He said, ‘I call on all leaders across Ikale land to support the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is the best for the job. The primary election has come and gone; what is important now is to re-elect our President.’

Regarding the meeting’s rationale, Omosehin, an APC aspirant for the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency, said the meeting was imperative to reassure his people that he neither won nor lost, but that someone else decided his fate. He added that the setback would not stop him from returning to appreciate those who supported him during the primary election.

He said, ‘What Dele did was unprecedented in Ikale Nation. Over the years, we have seen many aspirants come to contest elections, but once they lost, you would hardly see them again. Even some of those who won hardly come back home to say thank you, let alone someone who did not get the ticket.

‘I came back to assure my people that all the programmes I intended to implement will still be carried out, whether I am in public office or not. Empowering the youths and impacting my immediate constituency is a duty to me, and I believe lifting people up is the best thing any good leader should embark on, rather than making fake promises.’

Those in attendance at the meeting included Omosehin’s supporters from Okitipupa and Irele, as well as people from various communities and villages that make up the 23 wards in the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency.

The Federal Government has announced a major shift in agricultural education, with tertiary institutions expected to adopt an 80 per cent practical and 20 per cent theoretical training model to equip Nigerian youths with skills required to participate effectively in the agricultural sector.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the report of the National Implementation Committee on the Review and Development of Agricultural Curricula for Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria.

Alausa said the new approach represented a significant departure from the previous model of 70 per cent theoretical and 30 per cent practical training, stressing that the reform was designed to produce graduates with hands-on skills that could be applied beyond the classroom.

He said the initiative was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration’s commitment to developing agriculture as a skills-based sector.

The minister said, ‘The shift to 80 per cent practical training is a major step towards equipping Nigerian youths with relevant skills and advancing the economic objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.’

He expressed optimism that the revised curricula would produce a better-trained workforce, strengthen capacity in the agricultural sector and transform training into productive economic activities.

Alausa also called for a comprehensive rollout of the new curricula, urging the ministry to sensitise industry players, academics, teachers and other stakeholders on the rationale behind the reforms.

He emphasised the need for adequate teacher training and institutional support to ensure effective implementation of the new programmes.

Earlier, the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, commended members of the committee for their commitment to the curriculum review.

She acknowledged the contributions of the National Board for Technical Education, Skills Council, industry representatives and academics, saying their collaboration strengthened the review process.

Ahmad said she was optimistic that the reviewed curricula would produce visible results in the agricultural sector, urging stakeholders and the public to support the reforms, particularly the increased emphasis on practical training.

Presenting the report, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Prof Idris Bugaje, disclosed that the exercise produced 36 new and reviewed National Diploma and Higher National Diploma curricula, three National Certificate in Education curricula and 31 National Occupational Standards.

He said 27 of the occupational standards were developed from scratch, while four existing standards were reviewed.

According to him, the documents have been considered and approved by the relevant regulatory bodies, including the Board and Commission.

Bugaje said the complete set of curricula would be formally presented at a later public event, describing the outcome as a major boost to agricultural skills development in the country.

Alausa assured that the ministry would work with NBTE, tertiary institutions, industry and other stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the reviewed curricula.

He said the focus would remain on equipping young Nigerians with practical skills, strengthening the agricultural sector and turning Nigeria’s agricultural potential into productive opportunities.

Suspended Delta State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Reuben Izeze, has remained in high spirits and continued to extend support to inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Warri, even while being remanded at the facility.

Izeze was on Monday arraigned at the Delta State High Court sitting in Effurun over an alleged assault on Simon Mudi, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on Protocol.

Following the proceedings, the court remanded Izeze at the custodial centre alongside his associate, Simeon Aguariavwodo, pending further proceedings in the case.

Despite his detention, however, Izeze has reportedly continued to show concern for the welfare of inmates through interventions aimed at providing relief and improving their well-being.

Sources at the facility said Izeze was planning to organise the ‘Ukodo na Tevwe’ football tournament for inmates, despite his reported health challenges and ongoing legal battle.

The suspended commissioner is also said to have paid fines for some inmates, who were unable to meet their financial obligations, thereby facilitating their release and easing the burden on their families.

In another intervention, Izeze is reportedly collaborating with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on the provision of a water project for the custodial centre, aimed at improving inmates’ access to potable water.

His conduct has reportedly attracted attention within the facility, with sources describing him as maintaining a positive disposition, showing compassion for fellow inmates and displaying remarkable composure despite his current legal predicament.