National News
EBID Signs USD30 Million Credit Line with Access Bank

EBID Signs USD30 Million Credit Line with Access Bank
… Other Financial Lifeline with Two Malian Companies
By: Michael Mike
ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has signed a credit line of $30 million with Access Bank Plc in Ghana Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to boost the agricultural business and related sectors, including processing, infrastructure, transport, and
women-owned businesses in the West African country.
The bank also signed two other separate finance agreements with two companies Baraka and Societe Niangadou Distribution Compagnie (NDC).
A statement from the bank on Wednesday read that: “On the side lines of the 30th Annual Meetings of the Afreximbank, the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Dr George Agyekum Donkor, has signed three separate finance agreements with three companies namely Baraka, Societe Niangadou Distribution Compagnie (NDC)
and Access Bank Plc on Tuesday June 20, 2023, in Accra, Ghana.”
According to the statement, the first agreement entails an extension of facility amounting to EUR 10 million, aimed
at increasing Baraka’s capacity to finance the supply of petroleum products to marketers and mining companies in the Republic of Mali. This follows a previous agreement in 2022, where EBID extended a facility of EUR 7 million to Baraka SBP for the acquisition of 47 tanker trucks, expanding the company’s fleet to meet the growing demands of the Malian economy.
The second agreement focuses on enabling Societe NDC SAU to expand its interventions in the energy sector of Mali as a petroleum product supplier. It provides a revolving facility of EUR 10 million for the importation and marketing of petroleum products.
The statement said together, these two agreements demonstrate EBID’s commitment to supporting projects in both the private and public sectors in Mali, with a cumulative commitment of 275 billion FCFA.
The third agreement involves a credit line of $30 million to Access Bank Plc in Ghana, dedicated to on-lending to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the agricultural business and related sectors, including processing, infrastructure, transport, and women-owned businesses.
The statement said “Dr George Agyekum Donkor, President of EBID, emphasized that the signing of these agreements aligns with the bank’s strategic orientation to invest in the growth poles of ECOWAS Member States. He highlighted Mali as a landlocked, non-oil-producing country heavily dependent on fuel transported by tankers from neighboring countries.
“Dr Donkor stressed the importance of ensuring a consistent supply of petroleum products to support key economic activities, particularly in sectors such as industry and mining. He urged all stakeholders to utilize these facilities effectively to foster the transformation of ECOWAS communities.”
According to the statement, representatives from each company, including Mr. Sadio Bathily, Managing Director of Baraka, Mr. Mamadou Niangadou, Chief Executive Officer of Societe NDC SAU of Mali, and Mr. Olumide Olatunji Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, expressed their appreciation and commitment to utilizing the financing to drive growth, enhance operations, and contribute to the development of their respective sectors.
The statement added that: “The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development remains dedicated to its mandate of promoting economic and social development in the ECOWAS region through strategic investments and partnerships. These agreements signify EBID’s ongoing efforts to provide financial solutions that spur private sector development and contribute to the sustainable growth of the region.”
ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) is a leading regional investment and development bank, owned by the 15 ECOWAS Member States, namely, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Based in Lomé, Togolese Republic, the Bank is committed to financing developmental projects and programmes covering diverse initiatives from infrastructure and basic amenities, rural development and environment, industry, and social services sectors, through its private and public sector windows.
EBID intervenes through long, medium, and short-term loans, equity participation, lines of credit, refinancing, financial engineering operations, and related services.
EBID Signs USD30 Million Credit Line with Access Bank
National News
Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger

Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger
By: Zagazola Makama
A renewed chieftaincy tussle in Muye village, Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State, has sparked violent confrontations between rival supporters, prompting swift intervention by security operatives.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the crisis began around 6:20 p.m. on Thursday when the deposed village head, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulkadir Maigari II, forcefully returned to Muye and broke into the palace.
The incident provoked tension among residents, especially after supporters of the current Dakachi confronted the deposed monarch. The situation was immediately brought under control by a team of security personnel from Lapai.
However, Zagazola learnt that the situation escalated on Friday morning when supporters of both camps clashed again, leading to a free-for-all fight that disrupted public peace in the community.
Security sources were swiftly deployed to Muye to restore normalcy.
“The combined security teams have brought the situation under control. Monitoring and surveillance operations are ongoing to prevent further breakdown of law and order,” the source said.
No casualties or arrests have been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger
National News
Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony

Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony
By: Michael Mike
Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has called on Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress.
The advice was given by the Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, in his message on Eid-el-Kabir.
The Institute, while extending warm greetings to Nigerians, wished them a joyous and peaceful celebration, marked by love, compassion, and unity.
The Institute while noting that Sallah is a significant occasion in the Islamic calendar, symbolizing the values of sacrifice, gratitude, and community, emphasized that the spirit of Sallah should guide Nigerians in their interactions with one another, fostering a culture of peace, tolerance, and understanding.
The IPCR urged Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress, while
encouraging individuals to embrace the values of Sallah, including forgiveness, empathy, and kindness, in their daily lives.
According to IPCR, peace is critical to promoting national stability and cohesion.
The Institute also urged Nigerians to use this period of Sallah celebration to address conflicts and promote dialogue, which could help to build trust and understanding among Nigerians and also contribute to a more peaceful society.
It recognized that the country’s many ethnic and religious groups can work together to build a more harmonious society, celebrating their differences and promoting a culture of tolerance.
End
National News
Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing

Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing
By: Michael Mike
A community leader and the Waziri Mushere of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Chief Yohana Margif has expressed dismay over the incessant killing of innocent citizens of the community.
Margif made this known in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Abuja.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene to halt what he described as genocide against the people, which he said was being perpetrated by suspected herdsmen.
Margif also called on Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, and other security chiefs in the country, to rein in the alleged culprits.
He said: “I would like to draw the attention of the topmost leadership in Nigeria to the deteriorating dire security situation in Plateau, particularly in Mushere Chiefdom of Bokkos LGA.
“I urge President Tinubu to take immediate decisive action to halt these endless and senseless killings, protect lives and properties, and secure the future of the Mushere people, and other victims of obvious genocide against the people.
“Herdsmen are killing our innocent people, burning their homes, looting their foodstuff, property, livestock, and taking over their ancestral lands,” he said.
According to the Abuja-based real estate mogul, the attacks and attendant killings have intensified recently since the onset of this year’s farming season.
Margif further said that the people had been displaced from their villages and ancestral homes and were forced to become internally displaced persons in the country.
He emphasised that the situation required immediate intervention by all stakeholders in order to prevent further escalation and inflict an irredeemable harm by wiping out the entire community from the surface of the earth.
He lamented that: “Since President Tinubu’s administration began, Plateau State has witnessed an unprecedented escalation of violence and loss of lives.
“This is the current sad reality. Our people are constantly under the threat of the enemy’s bullets and can’t sleep with two eyes closed due to the perpetual unleashing of violence against them by external forces.
“Something urgent must be done to stem the tide of violence and end this war against the people in order not to
harm this administration’s reputation,” Margif said.
In the past couple of days, suspected herdsmen militia killed no fewer than 35 people in the localities of Hokk, Pangkap, Fokoldep, Kopmur, Margif, Horop, Mbor, Mushere and Kwahas localities in Mushere Chiefdom.
Chairman, Bokkos Community Peace Observers, Kefas Mallai, who confirmed the killings to newsmen, said the victims included a 70-year-old Pastor of COCIN LCC Kwakas-Mushere, Mimang Lekyil, who was attacked and killed in the church.
He said that the pastor’s wife was also shot in the leg and was admitted at the Jos University Teaching Hospital for treatment, he said.
“Bokkos has never been this insecure, with the people being butchered as we are currently witnessing,” Lilian Madaki, from the Mushere community told journalists.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Emmanuel Adesina, also confirmed the incident in a statement saying security forces including police and military personnel, had been deployed in the affected communities.
Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing
-
News1 year ago
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions3 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
Opinions3 years ago
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News1 year ago
EYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Columns1 year ago
Army University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
ACADEMICS1 year ago
A History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Opinions1 year ago
Tinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
-
Politics10 months ago
Kashim Shettima: Of Sentiments, Their Opinions, and the 21 billion Naira VP’s Official Resident