Minister of information Tours projects in Borno state

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, recently visited and toured projects set up by Governor Babagana Zulum.

The inspection tour involved key legacy projects executed by the administration of Prof. Babagana Zulum, including one of the 104 mega schools.

They also inspected the newly installed Electric Vehicle (EV) charging terminals in Maiduguri set up to allow owners of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles to re charge.

The tour was a highlight of the ongoing strategy meeting for Commissioners of Information from All Progressives Congress (APC)-governed states held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Accompanied by his Borno State counterpart, Prof. Usman Tar, and information Commissioners from across the APC states, the minister assessed the scale and quality of the infrastructure developments championed by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum.

The first point of call was one of the mega schools named after President Tinubu which was constructed to provide quality education and a conducive learning environment for children, many of whom have been affected by the 16 year old insurgency in Borno.

The Minister and his delegation commended the modern facilities which included spacious classrooms, laboratories, libraries and sporting facilities.

The team also visited the location of the newly constructed EV charging terminal believed to be the largest in Nigeria.

This project is believed to be part of Zulum’s forward-looking policy to promote green energy and modernise the state’s transport infrastructure.

Speaking to journalists after the tour, the Minister lauded Governor Zulum’s visionary leadership and transformative projects adding that “We have seen flyover bridges, a number of projects and investments that the state government have executed in education. We have been to some of the schools built by Borno State government. About 104 of them have been completed. We have seen the world-class facility in those schools,” the minister stated.

The minister also visited some federal government facilities in Maiduguri, including the Maiduguri power plant, the University of Maiduguri Solar Farm, and Muhammadu Buhari International Airport.

The strategy meeting has since concluded today with a communiqué outlining a unified communication framework for the federal government and the information commissioners of the APC states.

Minister of information Tours projects in Borno state

5th WenA Conference: FG pledges reforms to boost women-owned businesses, inclusive growth

By: Michael Mike

The Presidency has lauded the invaluable contributions of Nigerian women and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to national development, describing them as the lifeblood of the country’s economy.

Speaking at the 5th Women Enterprise Alliance (WenA) Conference held in Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation in the Digital Economy, Ms. Chayla Shagaya, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening the ecosystem for women entrepreneurs through targeted reforms that reduce the cost of doing business, expand access to finance, and promote gender-responsive policies for inclusive economic growth.

Themed “Policy Reforms and Resilience Strategies for Small and Medium Enterprises in a New Economy,” the conference brought together key policymakers, development partners, financiers, and entrepreneurs from across Nigeria.

Shagaya noted that under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, women-led SMEs remain “the quiet economists of every household” and a central pillar of Nigeria’s economic resilience.

She said d: “Across Nigeria, women entrepreneurs are doing the hard work of keeping our economy alive — innovating, employing, and solving local problems with global relevance. About 70 per cent of public submissions on SME policy reforms came from women.”

She highlighted ongoing government reforms such as the Presidential Power Initiative, digital financing pathways, and tax harmonisation frameworks, all aimed at lowering operational costs for SMEs, most of which are women-led.

She further revealed partnerships between the Bank of Industry and other financial institutions aimed at improving access to affordable credit for female entrepreneurs, who often face challenges related to collateral.

“You no longer need to bring your grandmother’s land title to secure a loan,” she added humorously.

According to her, a digital feedback call recently hosted by her office received over 100,000 submissions, with more than 70 per cent coming from women business owners.

“This is no longer a time for policy on paper; it is time for policy that reaches people where they are — especially the women at the heart of our enterprise sector,” she affirmed.

In her address, the Founder of WenA, Aisha Babangida, described the conference as a platform to accelerate the translation of national and global policy commitments into measurable outcomes for women-led enterprises.

She underscored the need for continuous advocacy, lamenting that many women still lack access to information, capital, and markets, and are often constrained by rigid and complex regulatory frameworks.

She said: “When I founded WenA, I thought passion was enough. But it wasn’t. The paperwork, the tax codes, the licensing rules — these were heavy even for those of us with networks. Imagine what it’s like for a woman starting a micro-business in a rural town with little support.”

Babangida commended UN Women Nigeria for its Affirmative Action Procurement Reform Initiative in Kaduna State, which has introduced female representation on procurement boards, waived registration fees, and reserved a portion of public contracts for women-led enterprises.

“Inclusive procurement is not a concession to women; it is an economic strategy,” she emphasised.

She announced that WenA will soon launch a National Certification Programme to help women entrepreneurs qualify for public contracts through enhanced documentation, compliance, and capacity building.

She disclosed that: “Our goal is not to highlight problems but to unlock solutions. Today, we move from policy talk to practical tools — from exclusion to empowerment,” Babangida declared.

During the pre-conference policy workshop, Ms Aisha Bendo-Alkali of UN Women Nigeria highlighted the urgent need to address unpaid care work, a significant barrier limiting women’s participation in the economy.

Supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), the initiative promotes care-responsive policies and the integration of women’s economic empowerment into national planning.

“Reducing the burden of unpaid care is not just a gender equality goal — it is essential to unlocking national productivity,” she said, calling for the scale-up of inclusive procurement policies nationwide.

In his goodwill address, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr Zach Adedeji, unveiled key fiscal reforms designed to ease tax burdens on small businesses, especially those run by women.

He announced that, effective January 2026, businesses earning not more than ₦100 million in annual turnover will be exempted from corporate income tax — a measure he described as “a deliberate strategy to incentivise growth, not penalise enterprise.”

“Taxation should support the formalisation and scaling of small businesses — not stifle them,” he stated.

Adedeji also revealed the introduction of a Unified Tax Identification Number (UTIN), integrated across the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), FIRS, and other agencies to simplify compliance for SMEs.

He added that the FIRS is transitioning to fully digital tax filing and correspondence systems, eliminating paper-based bureaucracy.

The 5th WenA Conference attracted participation from senior government officials, development agencies, private sector leaders, and entrepreneurs — all reaffirming the central role of women in driving inclusive growth, job creation, and national resilience.

In her closing remarks, Aisha Babangida emphasised that real reform must be measured by tangible impact, not policy statements.

She said: “A real reform is when a woman in Kaduna, Aba, or Makurdi feels the change in her daily hustle — when she can register her business in minutes, access capital without fear, and supply to the government without discrimination.”

The event, supported by FIRS, FCMB, and UN Women, concluded with a collective pledge to advance a gender-inclusive economic framework that leaves no woman behind.

“Empowering women entrepreneurs is not charity,” Ms Shagaya asserted. “It is a national strategy — and the path to building a resilient and inclusive Nigerian economy.”

5th WenA Conference: FG pledges reforms to boost women-owned businesses, inclusive growth

Several Mopol, three local security operatives, killed by bandits in deadly ambush in Tsafe, Zamfara

By: Zagazola Makama

Armed bandits on Wednesday launched multiple attacks in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing three local security operatives and ambushing a team of Mobile Police (MOPOL) officers near Tsafe town.

Zagazola Makama gathered from sources, that the incident occurred early Wednesday morning when members of the Askarawa security outfit and their counterparts from the Yan Maiduguri group were on their way to Sungawa village for a rescue operation.

The operatives reportedly ran into an ambush laid by armed bandits, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire. Three members of the team were killed on the spot, two from the Askarawa unit and one from the Yan Maiduguri group.

Those who lost their lives were identified as Sani Lawali (popularly known as Danjinjiri) and Garba Sarkin Arna, both from the Askarawa vigilante, and Umar Mustapha, a member of the Yan Maiduguri team.

One other operative, Umar Usman of the Yan Maiduguri, was declared missing after the attack. Search efforts are ongoing to locate him.

The Yan Maiduguri security group was recently engaged by the Executive Chairman of Tsafe Local Government Council, Hon. Garba Shehu Fancher, to work alongside the Askarawa in strengthening community-based security and protecting rural communities from bandit incursions.

In a related development, Eight Mobile Police (MOPOL) officers were reportedly ambushed by bandits near Mulasa Poultry Farm, Gidan Giye about one kilometre from Tsafe town. Six Mopol were reportedly killed while two were hospitalized with various degrees of injuries.

Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA have since mobilized reinforcements to the affected areas, while investigations and coordinated search operations are ongoing to track down the attackers.

Several Mopol, three local security operatives, killed by bandits in deadly ambush in Tsafe, Zamfara