Category Nigeria News

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday received the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at the Aso Villa in Abuja.

Tinubu and Okonjo-Iweala were in a closed-door meeting at the nation’s political capital where they discussed trade matters as they relate to national, continental and global relevance.

In a chat with newsmen after the meeting, the WTO boss, who was in company of Trade Minister Jumoke Oduwole, said, “We came to brief him about something very joyful that we did today with the help of the first lady.

“We launched a Women’s Exporters’ Fund for the digital economy. This is a fund that is jointly managed by the World Trade Organisation and the International Trade Centre and support women to weather the storms of the economy and create jobs for themselves.

“It is part of the thinking of social safety net and what we can do to support Nigerian women to contribute more to the economy and to themselves.

“Nigeria competed and one, one of four countries that won globally to be part of this initiative.

“We have 67,000 Nigerian women who applied for this and 146 of them won and they are going to have money disbursed directly to them.

“16 of them won what we called the Booster Track; those who already have businesses but their businesses would be scaled up. They would receive technical and business supports from the WTO and the ITC for 18 months.

“Another 100 would get $5,000 each to start and strengthen their businesses, with 12-month reforms.”

The Nigerian president’s meeting with Okonjo-Iweala occurred two weeks before the expiration of her first term as WTO boss on August 31, 2025, and the commencement of her second term on September 1, 2025.

The renowned development economist and global finance expert made history in 2021 as the first African and first woman to lead the 164-nation-member WTO.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Thursday, arrived at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu State, to commence a two-day sensitisation and tour of ongoing and commissioned Federal Government projects in Enugu and Ebonyi states.

After the tour of projects, the minister is expected to host a ‘Citizens Engagement Forum’ in the Enugu State Government House, to rub minds and get feedback from various stakeholders and the people in Enugu State.

The minister also met with Governor Peter Mbah at the Government House in Enugu, where he said Enugu remained an important state in the South-East geopolitical zone and Nigeria as a whole.

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He said President Bola Tinubu is making reforms to make Nigeria work again and has made tremendous progress in the past two years.

He explained that the removal of fuel subsidy was a bold decision taken by the president, and the action has freed up resources for impactful governance for Nigerians.

In his address, the governor explained that the projects embarked upon in the state wouldn’t have been possible without the reforms taken by the president.

The last may not have been heard about the invasion of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) as the management has handed a seven-day ultimatum to the anti-graft agency to tender an unreserved public apology for the Gestapo-like invasion of its facilities last Sunday.

While demanding thorough investigations by security operatives, the Managing Director of the outfit, Vitalis Ortese, demanded the sum of ₦3.5bn as damages for victims and the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library and sought legal redress if the demands were not met within seven days.

Ortese alleged that the invasion of the premises was ultimately to attack the dignity of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He described the invasion as “unlawful” and “a direct assault on everything this institution stands for”.

He demanded a comprehensive investigation into the incident, with reports openly published.

He noted that the invasion caused the loss of at least ₦1 billion in damages and bodily injuries suffered by those arrested.

The management threatened to seek legal redress if these demands are not met within the next seven days, starting from August 13, 2025.

“Immediate restitution for the damage caused, be made to those persons who were arrested and whose vehicle were carted away by the invasion force of the Police and EFCC, as well as for bodily injuries suffered by these persons numbering at least one hundred (100); be paid in the amount of at least One Billion Naira (N1Billion).

“We also demand that a further Two Billion and Five Hundred Million Naira (N 2.5 Billion) be paid in token acknowledgement and atonement for the immense damage caused to the reputation, business and our financial reputation as well to the reputation of our Chief Promoter.

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has expressed the desire of the state government to partner with relevant authorities in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to fast-track the prosecution of inmates awaiting trial currently kept at the Keffi Medium Custodial Centre.

Governor Sule visited the facility on Wednesday after a reported jailbreak on Tuesday, where 16 inmates reportedly escaped.

While interacting with officials and later inmates at the centre, he noted that most of the inmates awaiting trial and kept in the facility were those whose cases were before the courts in the FCT.

While addressing the inmates, the governor charged them to be of good behavior and law-abiding.

He promised that the government would explore means to fast-track the trial of accused persons to reduce congestion in the facility.

He noted that many of the inmates were sitting on bare floors and directed that 500 mattresses be supplied to the centre by the state government to improve the living conditions of the inmates.

He commended officers and men of the service, as well as other security agencies, for the re-arrest of some of the escapees.

Sule also charged citizens in the state to remain vigilant and report any suspicious persons to security agencies.

Sixteen inmates had escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in the early hours of Tuesday after a breach of the facility’s security, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Umar Abubakar, wrote in a statement.

The inmates overpowered the personnel on duty during the jailbreak.

“In the course of containing the situation, five personnel of the Custodial Centre sustained varying degrees of injury, with two currently serious and receiving urgent medical attention at a government health facility. Seven of the fleeing inmates have been recaptured and are now in custody,” the statement read.

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However, efforts were said to be ongoing to locate and apprehend the remaining inmates.

The Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, had visited the facility following the incident and had ordered a comprehensive investigation into the escape.

The House of Representatives Committee on NG-CARES, on Wednesday, began an investigation into the implementation of the $696 million (₦1.06trillion) Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) social intervention programme of the Federal Government.

The Chairman of the committee, Abubakar Kusada, who disclosed this at a briefing in Abuja after the committee meeting on Wednesday said the investigation became inevitable since the masses were not feeling the impact of the palliatives and safety nets despite the government fulfilling its funding obligations and providing the guidelines, and the operational arrangements for the effective implementation of NG-CARES.

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“A total of $696 million or ₦1.06 trillion has been released as social intervention, safety nets, and palliatives, to Nigerians in the 36 states and the FCT, through the various delivery platforms.

“It is therefore most surprising that the effect of these palliatives is not being felt by the target vulnerable groups in Nigeria after the government has committed so many resources to this purpose through the states.

“There is still a loud cry of government neglect of the plight of Nigerians enduring the brunt of economic reforms,” Kusada said at the briefing.

He disclosed that the House Committee on NG-CARES, in exercise of its powers under sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, had resolved to commence immediate and full investigation of the NG-CARES programme to unravel the disconnect and ascertain the propriety of expenditure of the huge sums provided by the government for the administration of social welfare.

The lawmaker said, “The envisaged investigation should provide answers to the following nagging questions that create the disconnect between cause and effect: Were the funds embezzled? Were the funds misappropriated or diverted to serve other purposes in the state?

“Did the utilisation of the funds create enough value for money (VFM). In other words, was there an undue inflation of contracts?

“Can the integrity and fairness of the procurement process stand scrutiny? In other words, did the contract procurement follow due process?

“Was the distribution of notional amounts fairly done? Why did some states manage to get more than the attributable notional amounts?”

Lamenting the state of affairs, Kusada added, “Several states have claimed billions for social transfer. These beneficiaries are Nigerians who can be reached. If fake names have been used to claim social transfer, we will say so.

“States have collected billions for agric inputs and services, for labour-intensive agric infrastructure, for procurement of agric assets, and development and upgrading of wet markets and storage facilities.

“If we verify these claims, we will also disclose the impact they have had on food supply, food prices, and the plight of ordinary Nigerians. If we are unable to verify the claims, we will name and shame the affected states and insist that the right thing be done.

“If the funds have been diverted, the affected states should restore the funds and utilise them properly. If there has been a gross mismanagement of funds, the people will know that the funds for palliatives have been misused, and who to hold responsible.

President Bola Tinubu will on Thursday embark on a two-nation trip to Japan and Brazil, with a brief stopover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

He said that the President’s first stop would be Japan for the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama from August 20 to 22.

With the theme, “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa,” Onanuga stated that TICAD9 would focus on driving Africa’s economic transformation, improving business environments and institutions through private investment and innovation, and promoting a resilient, sustainable African society anchored on human security, peace, and stability.

According to the statement, beyond the plenary sessions, Tinubu will hold bilateral meetings and engage with the chief executives of Japanese companies investing in Nigeria.

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Initiated in 1993 by the Japanese government and co-hosted by the UN, UNDP, African Union Commission, and the World Bank, TICAD is held every three years, alternating between Japan and Africa.

The last edition took place in Tunisia in August 2022.

After the Japan engagement, Tinubu will proceed to Brasília for a two-day state visit from Sunday, August 24, to Monday, August 25, at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

While in Brazil, President Tinubu will hold a bilateral meeting with his host and attend a business forum with Brazilian investors.

His delegation, comprising key ministers and senior officials, will explore opportunities to strengthen cooperation and sign agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Brazilian government.

See the full statement below:

PRESIDENT TINUBU DEPARTS ABUJA ON A TWO-NATION VISIT

President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Thursday, August 14, for a two-nation trip to Japan and Brazil.

The President will stop over in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before proceeding to Japan.

In Japan, President Tinubu will attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in the City of Yokohama from August 20 to 22.

With the theme “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa,” TICAD9 will focus on Africa’s economic transformation and improvements in the business environment and institutions through private investment and innovation. It will also promote a resilient and sustainable African society for human security, peace, and stability.

In addition to attending plenary sessions on themes linked to the conference, the Nigerian President will hold bilateral meetings and meet the chief executive officers of some Japanese companies with investments in Nigeria.

Initiated in 1993 by the Japanese government and co-hosted by the United Nations, UNDP, the African Union Commission, and the World Bank, TICAD is a triennial conference held alternately in Japan and Africa. The last one took place in August 2022 in Tunisia.

The forum fosters high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners.

At the end of the TICAD9, President Tinubu will leave for Brasilia, the capital of the Federative Republic of Brazil, on a two-day state visit from Sunday, August 24, to Monday, August 25.

This follows an invitation by the Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

While in Brazil, President Tinubu will hold a bilateral meeting with his host and attend a business forum with Brazilian investors.

His delegation—comprising key ministers and senior officials—will explore opportunities to strengthen cooperation and sign agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Brazilian government.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President