Connect with us

National News

PRESIDENT TINUBU PLEDGES 500,000 JOBS AS AJAOKUTA STEEL NEARS COMPLETION

Published

on

PRESIDENT TINUBU PLEDGES 500,000 JOBS AS AJAOKUTA STEEL NEARS COMPLETION

…Flags off Kogi APC governorship campaign

By: Our Reporter

President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared on Sunday that with the hitherto abandoned Ajaokuta Steel Complex now nearing completion, the project will have the capacity to employ 500,000 Nigerians once designated as a free trade zone.

The President further promised to fully harness the potentials of the Complex once it is completed, as it would boost Nigeria’s foreign direct investment and provide avenue for the creation of the much-needed conducive business environment for all sectors to thrive.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented the President, made this known at the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship campaign in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

The governorship poll in the state is slated for November 11.

Addressing a mammoth crowd in Lokoja, VP Shettima also noted that Tinubu remained committed to completing the constructions of the River Niger, the Kabba-Lokoja and the Abuja-Lokoja roads.

President Tinubu, VP Shettima stated, is a man of plenty ideas who is determined to reposition the nation in its rightful place, especially as it borders on restructuring and stimulating the Nigerian economy.

“Given Mr President’s commitment to the development of Kogi State and indeed the entirety of Nigeria, Kogi in particular being a confluence state, cannot afford to have a governor who is hostile to the center. We must be partners in progress and work hand in hand to develop this great nation,” the Vice President said.

He further hinted about plans by the Tinubu administration to make the Itakpe crop processing project a dream come true, just as he promised jobs and affordable education under the present government.

Reemphasising that the welfare of the citizenry would never be willfully compromised, VP Shettima called on Kogi citizens to come out en masse on November 11 to vote for the candidate of the APC, Ahmed Usman Ododo, in order to consolidate on the achievements of the APC government in the state.

He added that the natural endowments of Kogi State would be harnessed for the development of the state and the nation at large, adding that President Tinubu had further given his nod for the rehabilitation of Obajana-Okene road in Kogi State.

Speaking earlier, Kogi State Governor, Alh. Yahaya Bello, thanked President Tinubu for accepting to flag off the governorship campaign in his state, disclosing that his administration has achieved a lot, and it is time for consolidation in order to move the state forward.

“We have done a lot in the area of security, education and health, among others. We want to consolidate on that. I am, therefore, calling on the people of our dear state to vote for our candidate in order to move Kogi State forward,” he said.

For his part, APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, said because Governor Yahaya Bello has provided good governance to the people of Kogi, the state cannot afford to be left behind by giving power to another party different from the one at the center.

Also, the Chairman of the APC Campaign Council for Kogi State, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, enjoined the people of Kogi State to clean up their voter cards and turn out in numbers to vote for the candidate of the APC in the November 11 governorship election.

On his part, Kogi State APC governorship candidate, Ahmed Ododo, pledged to carry the people of the state along if elected, saying he remained committed to the development agenda of Kogi State.

“We will build on the legacies of my mentor, Governor Yahaya Bello. We will give attention to security, education, agriculture and health. Our women will also be empowered,” he said.

Other dignitaries at the campaign rally were the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq; Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, and members of the National Working Committee of the APC, among others.

The Vice President’s engagements in Kogi had started with an audience with traditional rulers and other stakeholders of the state ahead of the November 11 governorship election.

At the audience with the stakeholders, VP Shettima also solicited support for the APC candidate in the forthcoming election.

Responding on behalf of his colleagues, the President, Kogi State Traditional Council and the Attah of Igala, HRH Mathew Ipaluwa, pledged their support for President Bola Tinubu.

The royal father commended the state governor, Yahaya Bello, for working hard in addressing security challenges in the state.

PRESIDENT TINUBU PLEDGES 500,000 JOBS AS AJAOKUTA STEEL NEARS COMPLETION

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

National News

Nigeria Partners UNICEF To Train 20m Youth In Digital Skills By 2030

Published

on

Nigeria Partners UNICEF To Train 20m Youth In Digital Skills By 2030

** As VP Shettima chairs Generation Unlimited board

By: Our Reporter

The Federal Government of Nigeria has renewed its strategic partnership with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to train and empower 20 million young Nigerians with digital skills by 2030.

This is just as Vice President Kashim Shettima has accepted to chair the board of Generation Unlimited Nigeria (GenU 9JA), a public-private-youth partnership platform constituted to help young Nigerians between the ages of 10 and 24 transition from learning to earning through digital connectivity.

Speaking during a meeting with the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall; UNICEF Deputy Representative, Dr. Rownak Khan, and Chief of the UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, at the President Villa, Abuja on Monday, Senator Shettima warned that Nigeria’s rapidly growing population, currently estimated at over 230 million with an average age of 17, presents both a challenge and an opportunity.

“It is an honour for me to serve as the Chairman of Generation Unlimited (GenU 9JA). This platform provides a vista of opportunities for our young people. Beyond rhetoric, if we want to survive and thrive, we must empower our youth through digital means. That’s the only way forward,” the Vice President said.

The GenU 9JA initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises inclusive development, digital innovation, and youth empowerment as tools for national transformation.

VP Shettima stressed that Nigeria is not seeking handouts but sustainable, equitable partnerships.

“We are not looking for charity. We want a mutually beneficial relationship—one based on respect and shared interests. This is why I’m very passionate about the digital initiative. Beyond leadership in our enlightened self-interest, if we want to live in this part of the world, we have to involve them, we have to empower them,” he said.

The VP described the initiative as a beautiful programme that would enable the Nigerian youths trade their skills in the global market, saying “from earning to learning is a beautiful initiative and more than any other platform, the digital space gives us the easiest window to get the youth engaged effortlessly.

“They can trade their skills in the global market. I know of a lot of young Nigerians who are working for global firms from the comfort of their homes,” he added.

Earlier, UN Resident Coordinator, Fall, praised Nigeria’s leadership under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the GenU platform is central to addressing youth unemployment, educational inequality, and digital exclusion.

“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, youth-focused initiatives—skills, digital access, and employment—are critical. And GenU is helping to drive those priorities,” Fall said.

Also, UNICEF Deputy Representative, Dr. Khan, added that GenU 9JA is one of UNICEF’s most successful global youth empowerment programmes, with Nigeria showcased as a model.

“We’ve seen incredible results from Nigeria. Few countries globally have recorded the level of youth impact that GenU 9JA has achieved,” she said.

According to Khan, the programme is built on three pillars: digital connectivity, pathways from learning to earning, and youth engagement and empowerment—all designed to prepare Nigerian youth for today’s job market.

On her part, UNICEF Lagos Chief, Celine Lafoucriere, noted that since its launch in 2022, GenU 9JA has impacted over 10 million young people, with 1,500 job linkages already secured.

“To reach our target of 20 million youth by 2030, we must now strengthen coordination among partners and align even more closely with national policy,” Lafoucriere said.
End

Continue Reading

National News

OAU RETREAT: STAKEHOLDERS RESOLVED TO COME TOGETHER FOR THE INSTITUTION’S DEVELOPMENT

Published

on

OAU RETREAT: STAKEHOLDERS RESOLVED TO COME TOGETHER FOR THE INSTITUTION’S DEVELOPMENT

By: Michael Mike

Stakeholders at the just concluded four-day strategic Obafemi Awolowo University Council Management Retreat have resolved to work together and use their respective expertise towards the development of the institution.

Rising from the retreat held from May 28 to May 31, 2025 at Ede, Osun state, the Stakeholders used the opportunity to restrategise on challenges and opportunities confronting the 63 years old institution.

The retreat tagged: “Towards A Better Working Relationship Between Council and Management” had Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka, former Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan as the keynote speaker.

Other stakeholders in attendance include Prof. Siyan Oyeweso, Pro-Chancellor of the Institution, Prof. Simeon Adebayo Bamire, OAU Vice Chancellor, his DVC Administration, Prof. O.M.A. Daramola and newly elected Great Ife Alumni Association President, Barrister Leye Bunmi Falode.

Others in attendance were Prof. M. Olubola Babalola, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Akanni Akinyemi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Development and all other principal officers of the University which include the Registrar, Librarian and the Bursar.

All the registered unions like ASUU, CONUA, Students Union Government among other stakeholders at the institution were equally in attendance during the retreat.

In his goodwill message, Barrister Falode used the opportunity to unveil the Alumni 14-point agenda which include giving priority to the needs of the University as the Federal Government allocation alone cannot sustain it.

He also said that working together with all stakeholders in a rancour-free atmosphere is what they need to achieve all the set goals of the Alumni for the university.

Falode, who was sworn in as Global President on Saturday May 24, however, urged all stakeholders to work in harmony with the management and Council of the Institutions towards making it a true centre of academic excellence.

OAU RETREAT: STAKEHOLDERS RESOLVED TO COME TOGETHER FOR THE INSTITUTION’S DEVELOPMENT

Continue Reading

National News

ECOWAS Court President Calls for Strategic Renewal and Institutional Realignment

Published

on

ECOWAS Court President Calls for Strategic Renewal and Institutional Realignment

By: Michael Mike

The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves on Monday emphasised the critical need for transparent financial management and strategic institutional reform as the Court navigates a defining moment in its administrative evolution.
 
Speaking at the 17th Administration and Budget Retreat of the Court, the President said the retreat was not merely a routine institutional exercise, but one that requires renewed commitment, clear vision, and adaptive leadership.
 
“This is not just another meeting,” he said. “It is a decisive moment that will shape the future of the Court. The complex administrative and financial environment we are operating in, demands not only compliance but also innovation, resilience, and courage.”
 
Gonçalves stressed the importance of building a more efficient and accountable institutional framework. He called for a renewed sense of purpose among departments, urging managers and staff to embrace transparency and creativity in tackling challenges.
 
“The Court must reflect a strong strategic direction and realign its priorities to match regional realities. We cannot afford to be passive. We must act decisively to redefine our priorities, streamline our procedures, and reinforce our core mission”.
 
Highlighting the economic challenges facing the West African region, the President underscored the need for efficient use of financial resources and ensure that all initiatives, are results-oriented, impactful, and aligned with the Court’s long-term vision.
 
He emphasised that the Court must serve as a model of integrity, foresight, and adaptability: “We are not only managing numbers; we are shaping the future of regional justice. Our financial and administrative actions must match the responsibility we carry as custodian of community law.
 
The President called for the consolidation of strategic plans into concrete, measurable reforms and encouraged collaboration across departments to foster a professional and inclusive working environment, one that motivates, empowers, and attracts talent.
 
The Director of Administration and Finance of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Chief Dr. William Deiyan Towah who made a presentation on the «Objectives and Expectations of the Retreat,” emphasised the importance of strategic reflection, data-driven planning, and institutional renewal. He urged participants to go beyond routine planning and embrace a future-ready approach that prioritises impact, sustainability, and risk management.
 
“This is not just about doing our best,” he stated. “It is about ensuring our efforts are effective, sustainable, and align with the Court’s evolving realities.”

Participants at the retreat include directors, heads of divisions and units, administrative and finance staff and other key staff of the Court.

ECOWAS Court President Calls for Strategic Renewal and Institutional Realignment

Continue Reading

Trending

Verified by MonsterInsights