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Borno: Zulum to resuscitate moribund tomato factory

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Borno: Zulum to resuscitate moribund tomato factory

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Government is set to revive the state-owned tomato factory.

The plan of the government was announced by the State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum when he paid an unscheduled visit to the factory located along the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway.

During the visit, Zulum directed that while the state would resuscitate the existing facilities at the factory, additional modern facilities would be procured to enhance its operational capacity.

Zulum noted that in preparation for reviving the factory, the state has established 5 hectares of drip-irrigated tomato farms, which will be expanded to about 100 hectares when it starts full-capacity operation.

He said: “My main intention is to see how we shall resuscitate the moribund factories at the Borno industrial park, particularly the paste factory. I understand that the challenge is the lack of raw materials that would provide a feed stock for the tomato factory.”

He added that: “We have decided to establish a robust drip irrigation system using net house to produce tomatoes. I am happy to note that we are working under a public-private partnership to establish at least a minimum of 100 hectares of tomato plantation.

“You can see we started with 5 hectares, and because of the variety of tomatoes we produce here, each hectare will produce about 60 tons. When we expand it to 100 hectares, we will get nothing less than 6,000 tonnes.”

Earlier last week, the governor was at NEITEL Shoe and Tenary Factory to assess the progress made in its operations.

The company had been resuscitated through a public-private partnership aimed at creating jobs and generating wealth for the state.

Speaking during the visit to NEITEL, said: “The government has entered a public-private partnership to run this important factory. You have seen it all: the factory now operates at about 70% capacity. Let me commend our partner for partnering with Borno State Government.”

He added that: “You can see the company is ready to export about four containers of hide and skin. The products were taken to Italy, and it has been certified that our products are of good quality.

The Governor also stated that: “The factory now produces about 100,000 hides and skin monthly. This is part of government’s effort to create jobs, generate income and expand the sources of wealth creation in the state.”

Borno: Zulum to resuscitate moribund tomato factory

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Gombe: FRSC sensitises schoolchildren on safety

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Gombe: FRSC sensitises schoolchildren on safety

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Gombe State Command, on Thursday visited students of Bethany International College in the state to educate them on safety issues.

Mr Suleiman Bilayabu, the Officer in-charge of Youth Safety Education (YSE), FRSC, Gombe State Command while speaking to the students at the school premises in Nasarawo community, Gombe said road safety remained a collective responsibility.

Bilayabu said that the awareness was part of activities to commemorate the 8th United Nations Global Safety Week which he said was a biennial event aimed at raising awareness about road safety and accident prevention.
He said that the awareness would help to prepare the students early enough as the next generation of drivers and road users in the country.

YSE was conceived as an initiative to impact good road culture amongst the young pupils and students.


“This is done to ‘Catch them Young ‘and lay a foundation so that the pupils imbibe good road behaviour at early age before adulthood; that’s why we are here on this special day,” he said.


While sensitising the students, Janet Kassa, the Command’s Public Enlightenment Officer, in the state told them to imbibe good road use as well as discouraging them from engaging in underage driving.


Kassa enlightened the students on road signs to safeguard them from avoidable accidents.
She said that such enlightenment was key to reducing accidents and children being the future of the country, needed to be empowered with necessary information on how to stay alive by being cautious while on the road.


She commended the school for inculcating road safety education as part of the topics that students were being taught.
“This is why the students are highly knowledgeable on safety rules and signs; its impressive,” she said.


On her part, the Manager of the school, Mrs Benedicta Olaniyan, commended the FRSC for coming to the school to enlighten young people on good road use.


Olaniyan who was represented by Mr Olabisi Samuel, the College’s principal appealed to the Command to assist in establishing a safety club at the college, a request which Bilayabu said would be facilitated within a month.

Our Correspondent reports that materials containing safety tips were handled over to the school for road safety education.
This year’s theme is, “Streets for Life: Make Walking Safe, Make Cycling Safe,”

Gombe: FRSC sensitises schoolchildren on safety

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Stop the Lies!!!!This Viral Video Is Not from the attack in Marte or Any New Attack in Nigeria

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Stop the Lies!!!!This Viral Video Is Not from the attack in Marte or Any New Attack in Nigeria

By: Zagazola Makama

Once again, the rumor mill is working overtime and this time, it’s recycling a tired, grim old lie.

A gruesome video is making the rounds on social media again, some claiming it’s from the Marte attack purporting that captured Nigerian soldiers were allegedly executed by ISWAP; others claiming it’s a recent bandit attack. But here’s the annoying part: this same video has been circulating since 2020. Yes, 2020. That’s five years ago  and yet people keep resharing it like it’s fresh off the battlefield.

It was published by NairaLand on 5 April 2020 and  due to its gory nature, YouTube deleted the video from circulation

Let’s be clear: the video is not from Nigeria, and certainly not from Marte attack. It was originally recorded in the Sahel region, where JNIM terrorists captured and executed some soldiers.  This has been verified, debunked, and buried  and yet, here it is again in 2025, haunting our timelines with false claims.

So, before you hit the share button next time, maybe take a moment to check your facts or better yet, stop spreading recycled horror content from a completely different conflict zone and attributing it to the Nigerian military.

Disinformation like this isn’t just lazy,  it’s dangerous. And frankly, it’s exhausting.

@DHQNigeria
@HQNigerianArmy

Stop the Lies!!!!This Viral Video Is Not from the attack in Marte or Any New Attack in Nigeria

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Petrobras Eyes Return To Nigeria’s Oil Sector, Targets Deepwater Acreage

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Petrobras Eyes Return To Nigeria’s Oil Sector, Targets Deepwater Acreage

** As VP Shettima mobilises ministers to capitalise on Brazil’s hosting of BRICS, G20, COP30

By: Our Reporter

Petrobras, the state oil company of Brazil, is seeking to re-enter Nigeria’s oil sector, with a specific interest in frontier deepwater acreage.

As the economic reforms of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu take root, the company, which had previously wound down its operations in Nigeria at the Agbami Field, is now actively engaging with Nigerian authorities as part of broader efforts to revitalise bilateral cooperation ahead of the 2025 Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism (SDM).

This was part of the discussions on Wednesday during the interministerial review meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to coordinate Nigeria’s preparations for the second session of the SDM scheduled for June 2025.

Speaking at the meeting, VP Shettima said, “The presence of six ministers and the Solicitor-General of the federation in this review meeting ahead of the second session of the Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism shows the importance we have attached to our relationship with Brazil.

“We have not maximally capitalised on the fraternity between us and Brazil, but it is better late than never. The upcoming SDM presents an opportunity to execute sector-specific Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and unlock investment flows.”

The Vice President particularly noted that 2025 represents a critical moment of interface with Brazil, emphasising that the convergence of international events provides Nigeria a unique opportunity to advance its interests on the global stage.

“This year is our moment of interface with Brazil. Brazil is hosting so many global events this year, from the BRICS Summit to the G20 Summit and COP30. This convergence of events provides us with a unique opportunity to advance our interests on the global stage,” the Vice President said.

VP Shettima commended the ministers for their passion and aggression in pursuing Nigeria’s national interest, noting that “there is a sea change in our attitude, disposition, and commitment.”

Earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed ongoing engagements with Petrobras, saying, “Apart from Ethanol, which they are hoping to engage the NNPCL for blending, Petrobras is also being actively engaged, and we expect they will form part of the delegation to Nigeria. Petrobras is no longer active in Nigeria, but they are very keen on coming back to Nigeria. They said they want frontier acreage in deep waters.”

The Foreign Affairs Minister further reported that Brazil’s preparations for the dialogue are well advanced, with both government agencies and private sector players being actively engaged by the Brazilian Vice President.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is coordinating the interministerial working groups, has compiled at least 12 draft MOUs pending approval from the Ministry of Justice. These cover areas such as energy, health, culture, and agriculture.

Also, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, emphasised the historical and ancestral connections between Nigeria and Brazil, noting that a significant percentage of Brazilians trace their roots to Nigeria.

“We must not only preserve this relationship but deepen it. We’ve finalised MOUs with the Nigerian Film Corporation on audiovisual co-productions, the National Gallery of Arts for joint exhibitions, and the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation ahead of FESTAC at 50 next year,” Musawa said.

On agriculture, Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, outlined completed MOUs focused on research collaborations: “We have finalised MOUs that focus on research in three areas of soybean value chain development, cassava research and technology transfer and agro-forestry systems, which promote integrated crop and livestock models and erosion control and climate adaptation,” he said.

The minister noted that these efforts build on the previously signed Green Imperative Project (GIP) agreement between Nigeria and Brazil.

Also, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, pointed to Brazil’s achievements in universal health coverage as a model for Nigeria.

He said, “There are important opportunities for us in several areas in our efforts to achieve universal health coverage and primary health care between Nigeria and Brazil- they have done a lot that we can learn from them. There is the aspect of knowledge sharing and workforce, and human capital training in specialised areas.

“We see potential for collaboration in pharmaceutical research, local drug manufacturing, and workforce training. Brazil’s experience in addressing tropical and sub-tropical diseases makes it an ideal partner for joint research and development.”

Other ministers present at the meeting included the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha and the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal.

Petrobras Eyes Return To Nigeria’s Oil Sector, Targets Deepwater Acreage

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