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ECOWAS Expends Over $26 million on humanitarian activities between 2023-2024- Commissioner
ECOWAS Expends Over $26 million on humanitarian activities between 2023-2024- Commissioner
By: Michael Mike
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said between 2023 and 2024 it splashed over $26 million on humanitarian activities in West Africa.
The regional political cum economic bloc said it also supported sport federations in the region with $100,000 each per year.
Addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Professor Fatou Sow Sarr said the regional body startups in scientific innovation with the sum of $50,000 in the area of youth innovation.
Sarr said a total of $700,000 was used for the training of 30 young people from the region in Masters and PHD programmes.
She also revealed that countries under sanctions were not excluded from the humanitarian gesture of the regional body.
She stressed that ECOWAS puts significant resources into the humanitarian sector for displaced people, migration, floods and various forms of disaster:
She said, “Guinea under sanctions received nearly 600,000 dollars in January 2024, namely: 100,000 dollars for the fire at the oil depot and 499,390 dollars for the floods.”
For the displaced people within the region, Prof. Sarr said, “In 2023 for floods and nutrition out of a total of 8.5 million people affected, ECOWAS provided support to half of the victims, or 4 million people for an amount of $12.6 million.
“In 2024, ECOWAS has released 9 million dollars for internally displaced people, refugees, asylum seekers, as well as for the communities that welcome them (i.e. all 15 countries).
” ECOWAS has allocated $1 million for stabilization in Nigeria (victims of terrorism, displaced people, injured people, rehabilitation and strengthening community resilience).”
The Commissioner also revealed that “Out of a fund of 25 million dollars intended for the fight against terrorism (Nigeria, Burkina, Mali and Niger), ECOWAS has reserved 4 million dollars for humanitarian actions.”
She explained that ECOWAS places more emphasizes on prevention, adding “We have a disaster reduction strategy and tools such as the observation, monitoring and alert center which allows ECOWAS to monitor displaced populations and floods, to anticipate problems. and better manage crisis situations.”
On the programmes for the youth integration within the region she said that the commission intervention was in the area of Volunteers programs, Sport and Economic Integration
According to her “Since 2014, ECOWAS has posted 217 volunteers in the following countries: Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria, Burkina, Benin.
“ECOWAS works to promote the spirit of volunteering among young people to give them opportunity for professional development, enhance their civic engagement and foster their conscience for community service.”
ECOWAS, she also said supported sports federation of each member states with $100,000 per year.
Sarr also listed other sporting activities and Union supported to include the Union of deaf sports associations, university sport development organizations. ECOWAS cycling tours Lagos- Accra 2010, Lagos Abidjan 2012.
“The Ecowas Game Event that included 5 to 6 sports disciplines were organized in 2009 and 2011,” she added.
She also said ECOWAS supported the Entrepreneurship project and youth mentoring Business incubation project.
She listed the area of training to include “Training in agrosylvopastoral farming from 2010-2018 at the Shanghai Center for 1,300 young people
“Training in refrigeration and air conditioning, auto mechanics in Burkina between 2014 and 2019 for 500 young people
“Training in building electricity in Mali for 500 young people.”
Prof. Sarr also revealed that ECOWAS initiated cooperation with the People’s Republic of China in 2023 to support young people, “Thus 12 entrepreneurship projects for young people in the sub-region received an awardcompetitors out of a total of 100 worldwide.”
In the area of Science Education, the ECOWAS Commissioner said the programs of the Directorate of Education, Science and Culture focus largely on young people, we can cite
“The academic mobility and professional integration program for young people within ECOWAS institutions, which from 2016 to 2024 enrolled 845 young people.
“The youth integration program in industries and the private sector in ECOWAS countries, which benefitted 180 young people between 2021 and 2022.”
Sarr added that: “Since 2019 ECOWAS has sent 42 young people for master’s degrees in diplomacy and international relations in Spain.
“Support for young people through prizes to the most successful startups in scientific innovation ($50,000).
“With PARI (Research and Innovation Support Program) from 2018 to 2024, it was possible to train more than 30 young people in Masters and PHD through funds donated to research consortia, for a total of $700,000.”
She also said the commission was supported the youths during film and art festivals, ad prizes were awarded to young artists.
For the ECOWAS Gender Center, Sarr said: “1,720 excellence scholarships were distributed from 2010 to 2022 to young girls from disadvantaged families.”
The Commissioner also revealed that there are plans to host ECOWAS Youth Forum in the coming month.
The forum, she said is “to take stock of the current situation, identify the changes and ruptures which have led to the general malaise observed in the sub- region.
“Consultations will be organized in member countries by bringing together young people concerned in their geographic, social and socio-professional diversity.”
The forum which will be extended by webinars to reach a larger number of people, television shows and radio debates, she said “will allow populations in each country to know that ECOWAS is looking into youth problems.
” At the end of the process, the ECOWAS meetings will be organized in a member country, allowing the regional organization to review its policy, strategy and roadmap accordingly.”
ECOWAS Expends Over $26 million on humanitarian activities between 2023-2024- Commissioner
News
Akpeme’s Suspension Of Delta State NAPPS Exco Is Illegal -Young
Akpeme’s Suspension Of Delta State NAPPS Exco Is Illegal -Young
The Chairman, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Delta State Wing, Deaconess (Mrs.) Young P.N, has said that Dr. Ochuko Akpeme lacks powers to suspend the state executive.
She said this during a phone conversation with Oasis Magazine on Monday night.
Recall that online media reports on Monday quoted Dr. Akpeme declaring the Young-led executive suspended in Asaba during a press conference.
Reacting, Deacon Young, added that he simply wants to remain a life president.
Her words: “He claims to be the South South Vice President and we do not recognize him as so and we have no dealings with him. He just wants to cause confusion. He and other NAPPS members he picked from Asaba who he said her regional executive members are impersonators and we will deal with him and his accomplices legally if he continues in this direction,” saying that the suspension pronounced on them by Akpeme and his cohorts is illegal, null and void.
According to her, just last week, a letter of caution was sent to him warning him to desist from parading himself round the chapters in the state as the Vice President, South South, adding that they also reminded him in the said letter that they were sworn-in with the 2017 constitution and not that of 2023.
She continued: “What he did today is unacceptable. He should look for his loyalists and work with them and not my excos.”
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Furthermore, she called on NAPPS members in the state to be calm and resolute, saying that they are on the matter and that there was no cause for alarm.
She said further: “We are not under Akpeme, our NVP is Hon Ekhosuehi Rueben Ikponwwmen Dr. Hajia Samari as our National President. He wants to force Delta NAPPS to join him in his group. He is recruiting young people who are new in the association and have little knowledge about the issues. We did not vote for him as he claims.”
Continuing, she hinted that the state exco has held an online emergency meeting and they have agreed that will remain where they are and that they will not change their minds on not supporting Akpeme.
Meanwhile, she said the state general meeting for Wednesday scheduled to hold in Sapele will still hold, just as she disclosed that he has not been attending their meetings and they are not expecting him, while threatening to arrest him if he shows up at the venue.
Akpeme’s Suspension Of Delta State NAPPS Exco Is Illegal -Young
News
Singer Market Inferno: FG, APC Govs Donate N8bn To Kano Traders
Singer Market Inferno: FG, APC Govs Donate N8bn To Kano Traders
As VP Shettima receives Yusuf into APC, says governor’s place in party is second to none
By: Our Reporter
The Federal Government has approved the sum of N5 billion as intervention fund for traders affected by the fire outbreak that razed large sections of the popular Singer Market in Kano.
This is just as state governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the aegis of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), also donated N3 billion to victims of the inferno, totalling N8 billion to provide relief to hundreds of affected traders.

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, who announced the donations on Monday when he led a Federal Government delegation to condole with traders at the market on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, sympathized with the traders, praying Almighty God to prevent future occurrence of fire disaster in the market.
Senator Shettima also formally received Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State and his teeming supporters into the APC fold on behalf of the President.

Speaking during the grand reception to welcome Governor Yusuf to the APC at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, the Vice President reiterated President Tinubu’s assurance that the governor’s place in the governing party was second to none.
He noted that the governor’s decision to join the governing party has strengthened the collective resolve of the Tinubu administration and the party to build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.ll

“Your Excellency, we have watched the transformation that Kano has undergone under your leadership. We have seen a commitment to people-centred governance and a respect for the mandate of history. Today, we are proud to welcome you aboard the All Progressives Congress train.
“We welcome you with open hands and open hearts. His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made it abundantly clear that your place in this party is second to none and that your presence strengthens our collective resolve to build a more inclusive and prosperous Nigeria,” the VP stated.
Describing Kano as “an eloquent expression of Nigeria’s cosmopolitan soul” and a state that “welcomes every Nigerian, absorbs every accent, accommodates every ambition, and turns diversity into destiny,” VP Shettima acknowledged the state’s contributions to Nigeria, which he said “stretch far beyond the arithmetic of elections.

“In commerce, Kano has been the heartbeat of enterprise and trade. In scholarship, it has produced minds that interrogate power and redefine ideas. In politics, in culture, in faith, in industry, Kano has consistently offered Nigeria more than it has ever demanded in return. This is a state whose influence transcends geography and whose legacy outgrows any single political moment,” he maintained.
The Vice President recalled that Kano had gifted Nigeria “towering figures who reshaped” the nation’s “political philosophy and moral imagination,” citing prominent politicians like the late Alhaji Maitama Sule and Alhaji Aminu Kano as examples.
Welcoming Governor Yusuf to the APC, Senator Shettima described the governor as “another visionary son of Kano,” observing that the governor and his supporters are on “a political journey that speaks to the future of” Nigeria.
“His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, may be a man of few words, but his principles speak loudly. They speak in the language of conviction. They speak in the language of discipline. They speak in the language of service. They speak in a tone that cannot be doubted because they are anchored in consistency and guided by purpose,” he stated.
On behalf of the Federal Government, the VP sympathised with Governor Yusuf over the fire outbreak at Singer Market, assuring that the government at the centre will work collaboratively with the state “to ensure that support is extended to all those affected and that recovery efforts are swift and effective.”
Also, Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, noted that with the governor’s defection to the APC, Kano was now in the main stream of Nigerian politics and will benefit more from the government at the centre.
“What this means is that Kano will begin to benefit more from the national government. We will have more infrastructure and healthcare delivery as well as all other facets of development. When you (Governor Yusuf) complete your eight years, Kano will become an eldorado,” he said.
On his part, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, said the coming of Governor Yusuf into the APC was very important and strategic for the party.
“Kano is the powerhouse of our democracy, and today, Allah has made it possible for the governor to move and this will be the beginning of the coming of so many good things to Kano. The future of Kano will be brighter under him,” the Speaker assured.
For his part, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the Governor has made the right move by joining the APC, and the state is set to reap the benefits of the decision.
He praised the infrastructural development witnessed by the state under the governor, assuring that the party will support him to do more for the State.
Prof Yilwatda handed over the symbolic APC flag to the Governor and some federal legislators who also decamped to the APC
Also, Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, described Governor Yusuf as an original breed of the APC who “only went on sabbatical and has returned home.”
Uzodinma urged supporters and local government chairmen in the state to work hard to ensure victory for APC, saying President Tinubu is happy with the political development in Kano.
Thanking Vice President and the APC entourage for the grand reception, Governor Yusuf said his official entry into the APC was a very important occasion and a defining moment for the state, noting that “the reason for politics should always be to serve the people.”
The governor said he decided to join the APC family in order to deliver results for the people of Kano, adding that all the decisions he has taken as a governor were guided by the need to better the lot of the people.
Explaining why he dump the NNPP, Governor Yusuf said his former party was not providing the cohesion and stability required for the development of the state.
“Kano is too large and too important to be disconnected from the government at the centre,” he added, even as he pledged his support and loyalty to President Bola Tinubu.
Also, former National Chairman of APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, noted that Governor Yusuf’s defection has not only increased the numerical strength of the APC in Kano State but also consolidated the position of the party in the state.
“This move of the governor is a compound of party followers that will continue to think, act, plan and move together to ensure an all round development of Kano State,” he said.
Singer Market Inferno: FG, APC Govs Donate N8bn To Kano Traders
News
NCSP DG Salutes China on Spring Festival, Unveils Push for Export-Driven Economic Reset
NCSP DG Salutes China on Spring Festival, Unveils Push for Export-Driven Economic Reset
By: Michael Mike
The Director-General of the Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), Joseph Tegbe, has congratulated the government and people of China on the Spring Festival, describing the celebration as symbolic of a renewed and more ambitious phase in Nigeria–China economic relations.
In a statement marking the Lunar New Year, Tegbe noted that this year’s festivities coincide with the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Nigeria and China, established in 1971. He said the milestone reflects a resilient partnership that has grown from formal diplomatic engagement into one of Africa’s most consequential economic relationships.
According to him, the relationship—now elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership—has expanded beyond trade to encompass infrastructure financing, industrial investment, technology cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.
He said China remains Nigeria’s largest trading partner and a major contributor to strategic infrastructure projects spanning rail, ports, power and industrial parks.
Tegbe, however, stressed that the next chapter of engagement must go beyond infrastructure development to focus on value addition, manufacturing and export competitiveness.
He described the Zero-Tariff initiative introduced by the Chinese government for qualifying African exports as a potential game-changer for Nigeria’s non-oil sector. The policy, he said, opens a pathway for Nigerian producers to access one of the world’s largest consumer markets under preferential trade terms.
“The Zero-Tariff arrangement provides Nigerian businesses with an unprecedented opportunity to scale exports, deepen industrial processing and create jobs at home,” Tegbe stated. “But access alone is not enough—success will depend on quality standards, efficient logistics and strong collaboration between government and the private sector.”
He disclosed that the NCSP is engaging stakeholders across manufacturing, agriculture and export promotion agencies to ensure Nigeria maximises the preferential trade window and translates diplomatic goodwill into measurable economic gains.
Tegbe added that as both countries commemorate 55 years of diplomatic engagement, the symbolism of the Spring Festival—renewal, growth and prosperity—mirrors what he described as a strategic recalibration of bilateral ties toward sustainable development and shared prosperity.
“With deliberate execution and policy discipline, this next phase of Nigeria–China relations can redefine our export landscape and strengthen industrial capacity,” he said.
Observers say the renewed emphasis on export diversification signals a broader shift in Nigeria’s foreign economic strategy, positioning China not just as an infrastructure partner but as a gateway for industrial expansion and global market access.
NCSP DG Salutes China on Spring Festival, Unveils Push for Export-Driven Economic Reset
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