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VP SHETTIMA COMMENDS ACCESS BANK’S N30B DISCOUNTED LOANS FOR 700,000 MSMEs

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VP SHETTIMA COMMENDS ACCESS BANK’S N30B DISCOUNTED LOANS FOR 700,000 MSMEs

By: Our Reporter

The Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima has commended Access Bank for offering N30 billion discounted loans to 700,000 Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), in support of the Tinubu administration’s agenda for job creation and the growth of the MSME space.

Sen. Shettima who disclosed this Friday at a meeting with MSME stakeholders comprising key actors from the public and private sectors, at the Presidential Villa, added that the Access Bank loan scheme will commence as soon as possible.

“Every challenge, every problem is pregnant with opportunities for value addition and for repositioning of the society. I just met with the management of Access Bank, we had extensive discussions and they have offered to provide a N30 billion support to MSMEs focusing mostly on the youth and women as target beneficiaries. They are going to give these loans at 15% interest rate,” the Vice President announced.

The VP had earlier, in his office, met with a delegation from Access Bank led by its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Roosevelt Ogbonna.

Vice President Shettima acknowledged that though the challenges are daunting, Nigeria has the talents to overcome some of them, stressing that “in this room are the people that can bring about the changes we seek, be it in the agricultural value chain, the digital value chain and the manufacturing value chain.”

He urged the stakeholders to unite in order to overcome the common challenges confronting the country, noting that Nigeria is blessed with the human resources to address the projected global talent deficit.

“We can make this country work, with proper planning, zeal, commitment and leadership, this country can be repositioned. We have the platform to re-engineer this nation. The caliber of people present here today has rekindled my hope in the Nigerian dream,” the VP noted.

Yielding to the request of the stakeholders for the inauguration of the National Council on MSMEs, the Vice President directed the Special Adviser to the President on National Economic Council (NEC) to kickstart the processes for the inauguration of the Council and the sensitization of State governors to its functions.

Earlier, the Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr Charles Odii, on behalf of the stakeholders, thanked the Vice President for his leadership and zeal to ensure the transformation of the MSME space in Nigeria.

According to him, the stakeholders were keenly following the activities as well as interest shown by the VP in issues confronting MSMEs, and gave assurances that the stakeholders were “ready, willing, and committed to aligning to the vision of the Tinubu administration in the sector.”

He then requested the Vice President to pick a suitable date to inaugurate the National Council on MSMEs as part of a broad plan to galvanize robust support for the space.

In separate remarks, the chief executives of the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), spoke about their organisations’ contributions to the growth of the MSME sector and the administration’s job creation agenda.

They reassured the VP of their unwavering commitment and support, particularly in ensuring the actualization of the Tinubu administration’s economic diversification objectives.

The stakeholders were led to the meeting by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs, Mr Temitola Adekunle-Johnson.

VP SHETTIMA COMMENDS ACCESS BANK’S N30B DISCOUNTED LOANS FOR 700,000 MSMEs

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Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge

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Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge

By: Zagazola Makama

The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the sudden death of an unidentified man who collapsed and died at Government House Lodge, Minna. Zagazola learnt that the incident occurred on Friday, Aug. 2, 2025.

Sources said that the deceased had visited House No. 8, Government House Lodge, in an attempt to see Mr. Sammy, Chairman of Niger Foods. However, upon meeting his host’s absence, the man suddenly took ill.

Medical doctors were reportedly contacted from the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna, for urgent attention. Unfortunately, by the time the doctor arrived, the man had already passed away.

Following the report, a team of police operatives from GRA Division visited the scene. The body was photographed and evacuated to the IBB Specialist Hospital Mortuary for autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge

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Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027

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Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027

By Amina Ahmed Dankawuwa

The Senator representing Bauchi South at the national assembly, Senator Shehu Buba Umar has accepted the calls by the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bauchi North Senatorial District to contest for Governorship come 2027.

The Director General of the campaign for the actualisation of Sen Buba’s Gubernatorial ambition, Alhaji Muhammad Sade (Usman) accepted the calls on behalf of the Senator during a town hall meeting held on Saturday by the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bauchi North Senatorial in Azare.

He appealed to members of APC to maintain peace with all other aspirants within the party.

“Let’s respect other aspirants, such that anybody who win the primary election can have will be assisted by others, so we must value and respect each other”, he reasoned.

Muhammad Sade also called on party members to commence looking for delegates for ahead of the party primaries.

“It is now that we have to look for those that have votes. I call on our esteemed supporters to start mobilizing for delegate”, he emphasized.

He also advised social media handlers (citizens journalist) to avoid creating problems for personal gain, adding that social media some times create a lot of problem within and out side the party endorsed Senator representing Bauchi South, Senator Shehu Buba Umar for Bauchi Governor come 2027.

Baushe Daily Times reports that members of the APC gathered in thousands during the meeting in Azare during which they unanimously agreed to support Senator Shehu Buba for Governor come 2027.

Earlier in a welcoming address, former majority leader in the Bauchi state house of assembly, Hon Tijjani Mohammed Aliyu, the choice to support Sen Shehu buba Umar’s Governorship ambition was due to his concern and care he has for the people of Bauchi state.

“He respects us, he values our people politically and he also call on party members to respect each other because politics shouldn’t be considered as a do or die affair”, he said.

Also speaking, Alhaji Bashir Bukar Rimin Zayam charged the youth to cast their votes for the youth only and avoid voting older politicians who will always be going abroad for medical attention.

He therefore, appealed to members of APC to mobilised people to support Sen Shehu Buba for Governor.

Among those who attended the town hall meeting include state assembly member Azare/Madangala Hon Zakariyya sale maigero, comr sabo Mohammed S A to Sen Shehu Buba on media and communication, Hon kasuwa Shehu Damana, Hon Adamu Fanta Misau, Hon maiwada Misau,Hon Mohammed Hassan, Barr Muktar Umar, Alhaji Nura Adamu among others.

Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027

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NHRC: Closure of Badeggi Radio, A Suppression of Press Freedom, Affront to Democracy

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NHRC: Closure of Badeggi Radio, A Suppression of Press Freedom, Affront to Democracy

By: Michael Mike

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has condemned in strong terms the closure of Badeggi Radio in Niger State by the State Governor Mohammed Bago, discribing it as not only a suppression of press freedom but an affront to democracy.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission Dr Tony Ojukwu, condemned the action while reacting to the ugly incident. He said the governor’s decision to shut down the radio station without following due process is disappointing and a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed by Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Ojukwu noted that the consequences of suppressing press freedom are far-reaching and can lead to increased government opacity, reduced citizen participation, creat obstacles to accountability, and weakening of democratic institutions.

He said: “The arbitrary shutdown of media outlets undermines the checks and balances essential to a functioning democracy.”

He called on Governor Bago to immediately unseal the Radio Station and allow it to resume full operations, asking him to channel issues concerning any alleged unconstitutional operations of the Radio Station to the appropriate authority and not act with impunity.

He said: “This is both a moral imperative and a democratic requirement.”

Ojukwu who is also the president of the Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa ( NNHRI-WA) urged the governments to protect journalists and media freedom, foster a culture of tolerance, and support independent media. “Journalists must be able to operate without fear of harassment, intimidation, or violence,” He emphasized.

He lamented that the media has severally come under attack in various forms, a situation he termed as unacceptable in a civilized society.

He called on the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to be firm in carrying out its Statutory mandate which must not be abused at any slight opportunity.

He used the opportunity to ask media practitioners to be professional at all times in order to prevent needless censorship by political office holders.

He also called on Nigerian Guild of Editors to provide professional guidance at regular intervals as this will curb the use of hate speech, fake news and other unprofessional conducts capable of adversely affecting the media houses.

He insisted that the Commission remains committed to promoting and protecting human rights in Nigeria and would continue to monitor the situation closely.

NHRC: Closure of Badeggi Radio, A Suppression of Press Freedom, Affront to Democracy

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