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ITC to Commence SheTrades Phase II in Nigeria

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ITC to Commence SheTrades Phase II in Nigeria

ITC to Commence SheTrades Phase II in Nigeria

The International Trade Centre (ITC) is to commence the second phase of its She Trades initiative in Nigeria, following the success of the first phase, according to the centre’s Executive Director, Ms Pamela Coke-Hamilton.

Coke-Hamilton disclosed this in Abuja while conducting journalists round the processing centre of one of its SheTrades beneficiaries, Bimkaf Palace Nig. Ltd.

Bimkaf Palace, owned by Mrs Kafilat Ayeni, is into agro-processing, training of women in similar fields and assisting them with necessary registrations.

Coke-Hamilton said that she was satisfied with the success stories of women empowerment at the Palace, adding that this indicated that the initiative was working.

She said that the flagship programme had been instrumental in exposing women to new markets and also building their capacity.

She said: “We believe that this is a real case of success and we really want to showcase a success story like this across the globe.

“We have a SheTrades Global in February next year in Dubai, and I think it will be important, not just to showcase this organisation but the other Small and Medium Entrepreneurs she trained.”

She added that: “This is what is important, it is not just about giving to one, it is the pyramid approach – it is one feeds two, two feeds four and then it escalates to the whole community. What she has done represents that; we think that is what makes it more phenomenal, it is not just her success but the success of all those around her and it is the success of the community.”

Coke-Hamilton disclosed that: “We are looking to have a SheTrades 2.0 which will increase our engagement at the level of women empowerment.”

The ITC boss commended the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) for its huge contributions to the success of the initiative.

Also Read: Internally Displaced persons in Borno receive NEMA Routine…

In his reaction, Mr Olusegun Awolowo, NEPC’s Chief Executive Officer, said that in spite of the seeming success of Bimkaf Palace, they are still grappling with many challenges.

Awolowo said that the NEPC tried to bridge such challenges like it had done with the centre to ensure it became a success story.

“We have carried Ayeni along in her journey to reach this stage. I am so proud of what she has achieved and we are promising that the Federal Government will continue to encourage entrepreneurs,” he said.

The NEPC boss added that the government would pay special attention to empowering women as they played key roles in advancing such empowerment to affect their communities.

In her remarks, Ayeni expressed gratitude at what the centre was able to achieve, with the support of the ITC and the NEPC.

She explained that she had trained and mentored over 250 women and a set of the women had already started processing some food and were now on the verge of obtaining NAFDAC number.

Ayeni added that the facility was also used to assist women who required NAFDAC number, noting that it could be used for processing and packaging before seeking registration and certification.

Said said: “Our next phase is on how we can train and support more women. We want to bring in more women into agricultural food processing and teach them what it takes to preserve farm produce, especially those that easily go bad.

“I must confess that I cannot over emphasise what SheTrades and NEPC have done for us. We remain grateful and appreciate their efforts.”

Ayeni added that the centre also assisted women in getting NAFDAC registrations, pointing out that it had so far made yam flour, coconut flour and coconut oil.

ITC to Commence SheTrades Phase II in Nigeria

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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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

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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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

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Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

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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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