National News
Ghana, Nigeria to invest in non-oil sector- Envoy

Ghana, Nigeria to invest in non-oil sector- Envoy
By: Michael Mike
The Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Rashid Bawa on Thursday revealed plans by his country and Nigeria to partner in area of non-oil sector.
The Envoy stated this at the 2022 Ghana Nigeria Business Council CEO Forum in Abuja.
Bawa said the latest partnership between the two countries would extend to the agricultural sector such as cassava and ginger production.
He said: “This is the first Ghana Business Council Meeting. We are looking at various areas of cooperation. There have been series of meetings in the last few days. We are looking at the non-oil sector; in the area of cassava and ginger production.”
Bawa, while noting that the relationship between Nigeria and Ghana have been for ages, said: “It is difficult to put a finger on the number of Nigerians visiting Ghana for various reasons daily, and vice versa.”
He added that: “However, according to a report published by the US Department of Economic and Social Studies in 2019, there were more Ghanian residents in Nigeria than any other country in the world with 233,002 persons. This was followed by Ghanians living in UK and the US.”
The forum, which is historic according to him, is the first of its kind since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA.
He said: “The forum aims to encourage the private sector operatives of our two countries to pull resources together to be competitive when trading under AfCFTA,” insisting that: “We have the framework of ECOWAS protocol in the last fourty years to promote this kind of activities,” and then with the coming up of AfCFTA, “Ghana-Nigeria have the biggest economies in West Africa region, it is high time we formalize these engagements in order to take full advantage of the potentials between both countries.”
He said with this forum, there should be many more to come, for “we don’t want it to be a one-time forum. We want to sustain it. As we speak, the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council and Ghana Investment Promotion Council are working out arrangement in ways they will have annual meetings among themselves.
“There will be coordination between Nigeria and Ghana businessmen. We believe that pretty soon, we are going to have certain collaboration that will be beneficial to both countries.”
Meanwhile, Ghanians CEOs have been urged to create platforms for Nigerians to connect with investments opportunities that can generate growth for economies of both Ghana and Nigeria and create a win-win situation for both countries.
The President, Abuja Chambers of Commerce and Industry, ACCI, Dr. Al-Mujtaba Abubakar in his opening remark at the 2022 Ghana Nigeria Business Council CEO Forum in Abuja urged Ghana to take advantage of the population of Nigeria as it presents a large consumer market for investors and traders.
He said: “In 2009, Nigeria net trade with Ghana in the export of metal was $2.1 billion, transportation $1.59 billion, mineral product $232 million.
“In 2019, Ghana had a trade net with Nigeria in the export of footwear and headwear worth almost $105 million, foodstuffs worth $25million and chemical products worth over $11million dollars.
Abubakar who was represented by Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong, a former minister of state for health and later foreign affairs, who is the Vice President Communication, Strategy and External Relations of the ACCI, said the forum underscores the importance of the partnership between the countries over the years, urging that the forum should not just be a one off thing.
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Abubakar commended the effort of ECOWAS and the governments of Nigeria and Ghana towards the quick intervention in resolving the crisis between the Nigerian and Ghanians traders in Ghana.
He said: “I think the intervention will go a long way in making sure that the relationship between the two countries and the vision of the ECOWAS to be quickly integrated.
“So it is highly commendable that the government of these countries have taken initiative towards solving this crisis.”
He however lamented that the forum was coming a little late for if had existed the crisis between Nigerian and Ghanaian businessmen would not have festered. He admitted though that it was rather late than never.
Ghana, Nigeria to invest in non-oil sector- Envo
National News
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
By: Michael Mike
Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep grief over the passing of prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.
The late Dantata, an uncle of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, passed away at the age of 94 in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid, his Personal Private Secretary (PPS), who confirmed the death.
In a condolence message, Vice President Shettima praised the late businessman for his lifetime of service, describing him as “a living bridge that connected us to our past.
“We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution,” Senator Shettima said, describing Dantata as “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history” whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country’s economic and democratic evolution.
“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.
The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.
Born into the legendary Dantata family of Kano, Alhaji Aminu built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures. His empire spans construction, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, and the oil and gas sectors.
Beyond business, Dantata was renowned for his extensive philanthropic work, funding schools, mosques, health centres, and supporting widows and the underprivileged across Nigeria.
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
National News
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
By: Michael Mike
The Senior Officials Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.
A statement on Saturday by the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, read: “The Delegation of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS wishes to inform that the Senior Officials Meeting between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja.
“The agenda of the very important meeting is to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.”
According to the statement, the Senior Officials Meeting will be co-chaired by the Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director, and the Deputy Managing Director for Africa Department, European External Action Service, European Union, Mr Mathieu Briens.
The statement revealed that the agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria – EU partnership, such as: Cooperation on multilateral and regional issues; Peace, Security and Governance; Humanitarian situation; Trade and Investment; Human Development: Health, Education, Social Protection; Science, technology, innovation and digital transition; Migration; Energy, climate change and green economy transition among others.
Nigeria and the European Union share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests as well as support for multilateralism and rule-based international order, the statement said.
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
National News
Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People
…. Donates relief materials to displaced persons in Yelwata, IDP camp
By: Michael Mike
Former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri has charged former governors, legislators, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Benue state to set aside rivalry, unite and act with urgency to save their people from incessant attacks and killings.
Waziri, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and Principal Partner, Brookfield Chambers Abuja stated this on Saturday 28th June 2025 while donating relief materials to victims of the recent gunmen attacks in Yelwata community and displaced persons at the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.
Some of the items donated under the banner of Women, Youth, Children and Crime Organisation (WYCCO), a non-governmental organization founded by her, include: bags of rice, sugar, tubers of yam and other household items.

She said: “This is no time for division. It is no time for political squabbling or ego-driven manoeuvring. Among us are men and women who have led this state — former governors, legislators, traditional rulers — individuals with influence and authority. The time has come to set aside our differences and stand united, for the sake of the ordinary Benue man, woman, and child.
“That is why I stand here today to make this urgent and heartfelt appeal to our leaders: cast aside rivalry, unite, and act. Act with urgency. Act with purpose. Because what we face now increasingly resembles a deliberate, coordinated effort to erase our people and our heritage.
“We must take heed of the words of Sir Winston Churchill, who once said:
‘Our difficulties and dangers will not be removed by closing our eyes to them.’
Another of Churchill’s warnings is just as relevant to our present predicament:
‘If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed… you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.”
Waziri, while stating that her call was a build up to the earlier proposal by President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit Beforehand Benue, noted that meetings alone would not solve the problem, urging that: “But let us be sincere: peace will not come from meetings alone. To end the cycle of violence, we must confront its roots. Before the Yelwata massacre, communities in Gwer West, Apa, and Guma had already endured weeks of killings, kidnappings, and raids. These horrors did not emerge in a vacuum; they are symptoms of deeper issues.
“We must therefore confront the real causes — ethnic and religious tensions, unchecked banditry, and the rise of cultism as well as the abuse of illicit drugs. These forces must be tackled, along with the herder-farmer conflict, with honesty and courage. We cannot afford to keep going in circles. And there is no room for blame games. Our leaders — and indeed, all of us — must be pragmatic. So today, let us commit, as one people, to healing our wounds, reclaiming our land, and ensuring that never again will a child in Benue grow up in a camp instead of a home”
She said the development in Benue must be of “concern to all sons and daughters of Benue regardless of whether we live within its borders or far away in the diaspora to find out the root cause of these attacks with a view to proferring solutions that will bring an end to these barbaric acts”
Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People
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