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EU Ambassador Advises ECOWAS to Take A Lesson from Brexit in Addressing Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Exit
EU Ambassador Advises ECOWAS to Take A Lesson from Brexit in Addressing Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Exit
By: Michael Mike
The Head of European Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ambassador
Gautier Mignot has asked the West African regional bloc to learn from Brexit by evolving a new way of managing its relationship with the departing member countries, the Alliance of Sahel States (Alliance des Etats du Sahel) AES-Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
Mignot, while revealing that the EU was not in support of ECOWAS splitting, insisted that regionalism is the path to prosperity and stability.
The envoy gave the suggestion in Abuja on Monday during a media parley.
The envoy who described the decision by the three countries as regrettable, said: “It is a decision that we regret, because we support very much West African integration. We ourselves probably the most autonomous model of regional integration in the world, and we think that this is a path to prosperity, to unity, to stability in all regions of the world, and especially in West Africa. So splitting doesn’t seem to us a good idea.”
Mignot noting that it was not up to the EU to tell ECOWAS how to handle the situation, said the EU would readily avail itself by sharing its experience of how it went about the exit of the United Kingdom.
He said: “And of course, as in other issues, if we can get any help, we would be happy to share our experience, our expertise with ECOWAS. Indeed, we had the experience of a former member state which decided to exit the European Union. And how did we manage to have a possible smooth exit ? It was through negotiation and dialogue.
“It was not easy. It took some time, but finally we reached an agreement with the United Kingdom, an agreement on the modalities of the exit and an agreement on our new relationship with them. And now we have constant dialogue on also adjusting this new agreement and trying to see how to make our new relationship more efficient.
“So, you know, even if you leave regional integration mobilisation, geographically you remain neighbours and you have to find new ways of coexisting and cooperating.
“So we hope very much that ECOWAS and the European Union will be able to do that also.”
On the EU engagement with the three allied countries belonging to the AES, the envoy said, “First, we have to remind that the EU has maintained its humanitarian aid in these countries. And we have adapted our development cooperation, focussing on support to the population.
“Because we are concerned about the security and humanitarian situation in the Sahel, the number of displaced people, refugees, and people in need of assistance, which is reaching unprecedented levels. And there is ongoing work in Brussels towards a renewed approach in the Sahel, for which, of course, dialogue and exchanges with partners in the region.”
The envoy, who only last week submitted his letter of credence to President Bola Tinubu, said he started dreaming of working in Nigeria during his first visit to the country ten years ago.
The envoy who was a former EU ambassador to Mexico, said: “I came here to Nigeria 10 years ago on a one-week mission to Abuja and Lagos, and I found it to be a fascinating country. I always thought how great it would be to come and work here in this country one day and this dream finally has come true.
“ So I’m very happy with that. I arrived here in Nigeria at the beginning of September, taking over from Ambassador Samuel Aissopi.I know you knew her very well. She was a very active ambassador. And again, I’m extremely happy to be here in Nigeria, the number one nation in Africa and a key player in the world.
“I already had the opportunity to discover some parts of the country, apart from the Federal capital, Lagos of course, but also the city, Calabar, and more recently Borno and the Adamawa states. And also, I discovered a bit of the Nigerian tribal culture, since the Calabar carnival last year.”
On his plan in Nigeria, he said he is here to improve EU-Nigeria partnership to positively impact on the people.
He stressed that the EU remains a constant and faithful and trusted partner that Nigeria can count on.
He said: “My mission is to bring the EU-Nigeria partnership to a higher level, with one goal: positively impact the Nigerian population. As I told the President, in uncertain times and in a fast-evolving, you need a constant and faithful partner on whom you know you can count: the EU is one for Nigeria.
“In turn we see Nigeria as a key partner and a major player in Africa and the world. New leaders are very much interested in Nigeria.
He also spoke about new initiatives that the EU wants to exploit in Nigeria, which include a better structured economic relation and dialogue to address and remove the issues that hamper more investment and trade, noting hat currently no agreement or dialogue framework between EU and Nigeria.
He however said the EU , through the Global Gateway investment agenda, will be focusing more on creating jobs and opportunities, especially for young people in Nigeria, building on Nigeria’s great sense of entrepreneurship, sectors like green economy, digital, agri-food and health: this is actually already an ongoing work.”
He also added that special attention would be paid to the North of the country where there are specific needs.
EU Ambassador Advises ECOWAS to Take A Lesson from Brexit in Addressing Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Exit
VP Shettima To Represent Nigeria At 2nd UN Food Systems Summit In Addis Ababa
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has departed Abuja for Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, to represent Nigeria at the second United Nations (UN) Food Systems Summit being held from July 27 to 29, 2025.
Senator Shettima will join other global leaders at the high-level event on advancing the transformation of the coffee value chain as well as engage in other roundtables and meetings aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s food security drive.
The summit will bring together global leaders to reflect on progress made since the inaugural 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and accelerate commitments towards building resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems.
The VP will also participate in other events on the sidelines of the summit designed to spotlight real-world examples of food systems transformation, promote knowledge exchange and partnership, and inspire collective action through evidence-based solutions and creative expression.
One of the events on the sidelines of the summit is a ministerial roundtable on public finance, trade, and responsible investment to accelerate the transition, field trips, and networking sessions.
At a recent briefing by the Task Force on the 2nd UN Food Systems Summit, VP Shettima had outlined three key objectives for Nigeria’s delegation: positioning Nigeria as a leader of thought on African food systems reform, leveraging international partnerships aligned with domestic priorities, and advancing a private sector-led model for continental food transformation.
The summit is organised in collaboration with the United Nations, the governments of Ethiopia and Italy. #UNFSS2025
The Vice President is expected back in Nigeria after his participation in the activities at the summit.
VP Shettima To Represent Nigeria At 2nd UN Food Systems Summit In Addis Ababa
Chinese Businessman, 80-year old Grandma Arrested as NDLEA Seizes “Colos” in Moimoi Satchets
By: Michael Mike
A Chinese businessman, Liang Tak You and an 80-year-old grandma, Mrs. Grace Ekpeme were among those arrested in the course of last week by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in nationwide interdiction operations leading to the seizure of consignments of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis hidden in bean pudding (moimoi) sachets and Canadian Loud, another strong strain of cannabis concealed in canned food items imported from Canada.
According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, Liang was arrested by NDLEA operatives at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos last Friday based on actionable intelligence.
He said the suspect, who arrived Nigeria from Bangkok via Dubai, UAE, on Emirates Airline flight, is a Chinese national, naturalised and based in Malaysia, but flew to Thailand where he picked two suitcases filled with 50 parcels of Loud weighing 26.1 kilogrammes before heading to Nigeria via UAE.
Babafemi said upon his arrival at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives who were tracking his movement from his port of departure allowed him to pass through necessary protocols before picking him up on his way out of the airport.
The octogenarian grandma, Mrs. Grace Ekpeme, according to Babafemi, was arrested at Edet-Nsa street, Base Site, Calabar South, Cross River state with over 3 kilogrammes skunk in the early hours of Saturday following intelligence on her drug dealing activities.
He said in Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Wednesday intercepted a suspect Chidi Agbafo along Epe – Ajah expressway while taking consignments of 21.7 kilogrammes Colorado, some of which were packaged in moimoi cooking sachets and 3.8 litres of codeine based syrup in a commercial bus to deliver in Warri and Oghara, Delta state.
The spokesman said at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, a total of 101 kilogrammes Canadian Loud factory packed in 202 tins of imported food item labelled ‘Bean Salad Mix’ and concealed in two Toyota Sienna buses in a container that came from Canada, were recovered, adding that the discovery was made during a joint examination of the container by NDLEA officers, men of Customs Service and other security agencies last Friday.
He said no fewer than 71,000 pills of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 were recovered from Usman Musa by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Abuja- Kaduna highway last Wednesday when the suspect was travelling with the consignment of opioids in a commercial bus going to Kano.
In Borno, a 30-year-old lady Binta Usman was last Wednesday arrested by NDLEA officers who recovered 30.1 kilogrammes skunk from her house at Muna Moforo area of Maiduguri, with a follow up operation leading to the arrest of her accomplice Bala Abdullahi in the same area of the Borno state capital on Friday.
Babafemi said three brothers: Nanna Ozirinye, Chizom Ozirinye and Maxwell Ozirinye were on Saturday arrested when NDLEA operatives raided a cannabis plantation at bending corner forest, Idoani, Ose local council area of Ondo State where they destroyed 2,500 kilogrammes of skunk on an hectare of land and recovered already processed 121.4 kilogrammes of same psychoactive substance.
In Edo state, NDLEA officers last Wednesday raided the Asakpa community in Benin city, where they arrested a 26-year-old lady Bright Okon and recovered various quantities of Colorado, Loud, Arizona and skunk, all strains of cannabis as well as Methamphetamine from her.
He said while a total of 105.4 kilogrammes skunk was recovered by NDLEA operatives from an abandoned Honda car marked ABC 204 KM in Keffi, Nasarawa state, their counterparts in Niger state last Monday arrested a suspect Bashir Abdullahi with 6,400 pills of tramadol 225mg at Kasuwan Gwari area of Minna, even as a notorious drug dealer Jamiu Omolaja was taken into custody and 113 kilogrammes skunk retrieved from his enclave in Ifo, Ogun state last Thursday after a violent resistance and attack on NDLEA operatives by members of his gang.
Babafemi said a total of 10,910 capsules of tramadol were seized from a suspect Adamu Adamu (a.k.a Dankyado) by NDLEA officers on patrol along Gombe-Bajoga road, Gombe state on Saturday, while operatives in Kogi state last Thursday intercepted a consignment of skunk concealed inside garri, dried scent leaves, and other food items along Okene-Lokoja highway.
He disclosed that a follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of 27-year-old Kindness Bala who was planning to travel to Katsina state with the cargo and later to Qatar.
Similarly, operatives in Kogi on Saturday recovered 23,600 pills of tramadol, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 700 grammes of skunk from a truck at a motor park in Ayingba area of the state.
Babafemi said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of MMIA, Apapa, Lagos, Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Nasarawa, Borno, Niger, Ogun, Gombe, Kaduna and Kogi commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Chinese Businessman, 80-year old Grandma Arrested as NDLEA Seizes “Colos” in Moimoi Satchets
Police arrest man for killing mother-in-law in Kogi over false theft alarm
By: Zagazola Makama
The Kogi State Police Command has arrested a man, Yayu Musa, for allegedly killing his 50-year-old mother-in-law, Atayi Abdul, in Olla Community of Omala Local Government Area.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the incident occurred on Friday, July 25, at about 8:00 p.m., when the suspect lured the deceased to her farm under the pretense that thieves were stealing palm fruits from it.
Upon arrival at the farm, Musa reportedly attacked and slaughtered the woman with a knife.
Police detectives were immediately mobilised to the scene where photographs of the crime scene were taken. The suspect was arrested and is currently in custody.
According to police sources, the family of the deceased refused evacuation of the corpse to the hospital for autopsy, opting for immediate burial in accordance with religious and cultural practices.
The command has deployed joint security patrol teams to the community to prevent a possible breakdown of law and order due to rising tension.
Investigation into the motive behind the killing is ongoing.
Police arrest man for killing mother-in-law in Kogi over false theft alarm
VP Shettima To Represent Nigeria At 2nd UN Food Systems Summit In Addis Ababa
Chinese Businessman, 80-year old Grandma Arrested as NDLEA Seizes “Colos” in Moimoi Satchets
Tuggar Congratulates Super Falcons on 10th WAFCON Win, Praises Their Resilience
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