Troops arrest suspected Boko Haram logistics supplier in Maiduguri

By: Zagazola Makama

The troops of Operation Hadin Kai in collaboration with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), have arrested a suspected Boko Haram logistics supplier in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Zagazola Makama gathered that the suspect, identified as Mr. Ahmadu Mohammed Dogo, was apprehended at Muna Garage at about 11:50 a.m. on Monday, following credible human intelligence.

According to preliminary investigations, the suspect was intercepted while allegedly attempting to convey Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) concealed in Fearless energy drink plastic bottles and packed in 12 sacks.

The suspect reportedly confessed during interrogation that he was transporting the fuel to Gamboru-Ngala, a border town in Borno State, believed to be a major logistics route for insurgents operating along the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin.

Items recovered from his possession included the PMS-filled plastic bottles, charms, suspected hard drugs, rings, syringes, and several personal effects.

Security sources said the arrest forms part of ongoing counter-terrorism efforts to cut off Boko Haram’s logistics and financial networks in the North East.

The suspect is currently in military custody and undergoing further interrogation.

Troops arrest suspected Boko Haram logistics supplier in Maiduguri

Again, FG Disburses ₦250,000 Each To Small Businesses At 7th MSMEs Clinic In Ondo

** Enabling environment for MSMEs central to President Tinubu’s economic policy, says VP Shettima

By: Our Reporter

The federal government, on Tuesday, disbursed ₦250,000 unconditional grants each to outstanding business owners in Ondo State as part of ongoing efforts to empower Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the country.

To this effect, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who announced the disbursement of the grants, said creating an enabling environment for MSMEs in Nigeria is central to the economic policy of the Renewed Hope administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking during the launch of the 7th Expanded National MSME Clinics in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Senator Shettima described the ₦250,000 grant as a gift from Nigerians, through their government, to the champions of local industry.

“I am also pleased to announce today, in line with President Tinubu’s unwavering support for grassroots enterprises, that every outstanding exhibiting MSME identified during this clinic will receive an unconditional grant of ₦250,000.

“This is not a loan. It is a gift from the Nigerian people, through their government, to the champions of local industry. It is our way of saying: we see you, we value you, and we believe in your journey,” he declared.

The Vice President noted that because MSMEs account for over 90 per cent of businesses in Nigeria, contributing over 45 per cent to the national economy and employing more than 60 million Nigerians, they are not only economic actors but also “the silent architects of survival, the lifelines of households, the pulse of every community”.

Explaining why MSMEs are central to the economic policy of the Tinubu administration, VP Shettima maintained that while they are the true engine of poverty alleviation, no sustainable effort to reduce poverty could be achieved without the jobs and opportunities they create.

Nigeria’s national prosperity, according to the VP, is entwined in the success of MSMEs, and the nation cannot grow its economy without empowering them.

He continued: “This is why the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu places the creation of an enabling environment for MSMEs at the heart of our economic policy. It is not rhetoric. It is a call to action. It is a covenant with the builders of our future.

“This administration is deliberate in walking the talk, and one of the ways we do so is through platforms such as the MSME Clinics, conceived to draw the Federal Government closer to the creators of jobs, the innovators, the dreamers who make things happen in our communities.”

Underscoring the essence of launching the Expanded MSMEs Clinic in Ondo State, the Vice President said they offer small businesses in the state an unprecedented opportunity “to engage directly with regulatory agencies, financial institutions, and business support organisations.”

Senator Shettima also outlined other interventions under the President Tinubu administration to include the creation of a ₦75 billion MSME Intervention Fund being administered by the Bank of Industry (BoI), ₦50 billion Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme to support one million nano businesses across the 774 local government areas of Nigeria with grants of ₦50,000 each, and ₦75 billion Manufacturers Fund for manufacturers to access up to ₦1 billion in funding at a 9 percent interest rate.

He said the idea is to ensure the challenges of small business owners “find answers, not in theories or wishful thinking, but in real-time, face-to-face, problem-solving conversations.”

The VP assured that MSMEs remain the centre of economic vision of the Tinubu administration, urging small business owners “to take full advantage of the opportunities before them by engaging with the agencies present, seeking guidance, asking questions, and seizing every chance to elevate their businesses.

He thanked the government of Ondo State for its partnership on investments in infrastructure, commending the state’s commitment to policies that welcome innovation and enterprise, as well as its support for local industry, which align perfectly with the federal government’s “broader agenda for a prosperous, inclusive economy.”

Earlier, the Governor of Ondo State, Dr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said the state government is also in alignment with the initiative of the federal government to drive MSME development and is implementing schemes that have enabled small businesses to address challenges inhibiting their growth.

He pointed out that his administration’s 7-point agenda, which prioritises MSME growth and development, has been impactful and has resulted in successes across different sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, and fashion, among others.

Acknowledging the determination of President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima to support growth in the sector, Governor Aiyedatiwa said, “Your presence here today demonstrates your unwavering commitment to the development of our state and key sectors of our nation’s economy.

“Your interest in promoting MSMEs across Nigeria has changed the fortunes and stories of small businesses across our country, and we remain grateful.”

In a goodwill message, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State appreciated the federal government, particularly the Vice President, for personally driving the initiative of the Clinics.

He acknowledged that the Ekiti edition of the clinics had been impactful and remains invaluable, as businesses have continued to benefit from the network created through the programme.

Governor Oyebanji said the programme is the first attempt by any government in Nigeria to align growth to development through a deliberate and direct interface between facilitators and small business operators across the country.

In his welcome address, the Special Adviser to the President on Job Creation and MSME, Mr Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, said the Clinics have so far been very impactful, given the testimonials from operators in the sector.

He noted that the edition in Ondo State will not be different, as MSMEs were already interacting with regulatory agencies and partners to resolve issues affecting the growth of their businesses.

On his part, the Ooni of Ife, His Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, acknowledged the contributions of the Vice President and Ondo state Governor to the growth of the MSME sector in the state, urging all stakeholders to support and promote made-in-Nigeria products as part of the broad plan to support budding entrepreneurs across the country.

On his part, the Director General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), Mr Charles Odii, said that through the Clinics, the Tinubu administration’s agenda for small businesses is being actualised as evidenced in the feedback received from participants at the Ondo clinics.

The high point of the occasion was the tour of the products exhibition by small business operators in Ondo and beyond by the Vice President, accompanied by the governors of Ondo and Ekiti, among other dignitaries.

Earlier, while addressing the traditional council at their chamber, Vice President Shettima thanked the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adedeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ojaja II, describing him as a bridge builder who is endeared by the Tinubu Administration.

He told the traditional council that President Tinubu, “being a son of the South West, is a man of courage who means well for traditional institutions.”

VP Shettima noted that President Tinubu is aware of the condition of the people across the country, and has summoned the courage to remove fuel subsidy, stop multiple taxation and open the Lagos-Badagry-Calabar Highway for economic activities along that corridor,” among many other policies of government to mitigate the sufferings of the people.

Earlier, the Chairman of Ondo State Council of Chiefs, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr) Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, commended President Tinubu for removing fuel subsidy, noting that this has enabled the federal government to deploy the subsidy funds to other sectors of the economy for which Ondo State is a beneficiary.

He also commended the federal government for being focused and pledged the support of the traditional council to the success of government policies, both at the national and Ondo state levels.

Again, FG Disburses ₦250,000 Each To Small Businesses At 7th MSMEs Clinic In Ondo

We Share in Your Loss: Senator Oluremi Tinubu Visits Adamawa State Over Flood Disaster, Donates ₦500 Million, Food Items, and Launches Entrepreneur Support Fund

By: Our Reporter

The flood disaster which occurred in Sabon Pegi, Shagari Phase 2, Lakare, and other settlements in Yola South affected one hundred and eighty thousand (180,000) households and claimed twenty-nine (29) lives. Sources of livelihood were also destroyed by the disaster.

First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, disclosed that the loss suffered by the people of Adamawa State is shared by the nation.

Represented by the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Nana Shettima, who visited Yola, the Adamawa State capital, to sympathize with Governor Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Fintiri, the Government, and the people of Adamawa, she offered her deepest condolences over the tragedy.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu said:

“I pray that Almighty God comforts the bereaved families, heals the injured, and strengthens all those affected. May God grant eternal rest to the souls of the departed.”

The First Lady added:

“I wish to announce that the Governing Council of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) has approved the donation of ₦500 million to flood victims in the state to help them rebuild and heal. We are also donating 100 bales of Ankara fabrics.”

In addition to this support during the flood relief effort, the RHI Women Economic Empowerment Programme, in conjunction with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, is distributing ₦50,000 each to fifty thousand (50,000) women entrepreneurs in Adamawa, as well as in the other thirty-six (36) states, to help recapitalize their businesses.

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, represented by the Deputy Governor, Professor Kaletapwa George Farauta, expressed gratitude to the First Lady and the Renewed Hope Initiative for the generous assistance, which she said had given the state confidence in overcoming the challenges caused by the flood disaster. The Deputy Governor stated that the quick intervention of the Adamawa State Government had cushioned the effect on affected communities and that, with this donation from RHI, the healing process would be fast-tracked.

Food items under the Social Investment Scheme of RHI were presented to the Government of Adamawa State for distribution. The RHI Food Outreach Programme, which addresses the immediate needs of beneficiaries, mostly persons living with disabilities, is aimed at ensuring that the vulnerable have access to nutritious food and that their dignity is preserved.

Dr. Ubon Udoh of the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa), one of the industrialists supporting the programme, said they share the same ideology with RHI of giving succour to the less privileged, hence their partnership.

We Share in Your Loss: Senator Oluremi Tinubu Visits Adamawa State Over Flood Disaster, Donates ₦500 Million, Food Items, and Launches Entrepreneur Support Fund