National News
VP SHETTIMA TO NEW NCP MEMBERS: Be At The Forefront Of Executing Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda

VP SHETTIMA TO NEW NCP MEMBERS:
Be At The Forefront Of Executing Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima has implored new members of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) to station themselves on the frontline of actualising the renewed hope agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
The Council members, according to him, must do this by championing great reforms through disruptive minds and ideas, even as he noted that every great reform commences with a disruptive thinker, which he said the President symbolises.
The Vice President who stated this on Friday while inaugurating the newly constituted NCP in his conference room at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said President Tinubu’s choice of the Council’s membership is a reminder of what it can achieve with fresh ideas.
Noting that membership of the Council is as crucial as its mission, VP Shettima who is also Chairman of the Council observed that the diverse talents and great depth of experience of persons approved as members of the Council by President Tinubu speak volume of their ability to deliver.
He stated: “Membership in this distinguished council symbolizes more than mere participation; it signifies a steadfast commitment and a resolute belief in our shared vision for a Nigeria brimming with opportunities, growth, and empowerment. It represents our collective pledge to propel the economy forward, build robust infrastructure, forge pathways to employment, and nurture an environment where productivity flourishes.
“By his approval, Mr. President has entrusted us with the strategic national assignment of piloting the nation’s economic sector reform, privatization, commercialization, and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program for the next four years.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, today’s inauguration invites us to take a front seat in the effort to actualize the Renewed Hope agenda of this government. Every great reform starts with a disruptive thinker, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stands as a testament to this fact, reminding us of what we can achieve by infusing fresh ideas into this Council.
“This gathering underscores our drive towards economic rejuvenation and liberalization by unlocking the immense potential of Nigeria’s economy, with reforms, PPPs, and privatization at the forefront.”
Senator Shettima reminded members of the Council that their appointment is a privilege to serve the nation by contributing to the socio-economic development the Tinubu administration has promised to deliver.
He urged them not to rest on their oars in “ensuring accelerated growth of the economy, providing infrastructure, creating jobs, and providing an enabling environment for productive activities to flourish”, as they leverage on the nation’s enormous resources for the benefit of Nigerians.
The Vice President pointed out that their duty is to execute the statutory responsibilities of the Council in line with the Public Enterprises (Privatization and Commercialization) Act 1999.
He listed the Council’s objectives to include “approving policies on privatization and commercialization, approving guidelines and criteria for the valuation of public enterprises and choice of strategic investors, approving the prices for shares or assets of the public enterprises to be offered for privatization, approving the legal and regulatory framework for the reform of public enterprises.”
Others are “reviewing, from time to time, the socio-economic effect of the privatization and commercialization program and deciding on appropriate remedies, appointing committees comprising persons from the private and public sectors with requisite technical competence to advise on the privatization and commercialization of specific public enterprises.”
With him as Chairman, and Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, as Vice Chairman, the VP named members of the newly inaugurated NCP to include Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Minister Industries, Trade, and Investment, Dr. Doris Anite; Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Olayemi Cardoso.
Others are Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Dr. Tope Fasua; Mr. Oluwole Oshin (Private Member); Mal. Mohammed Mustapha (Private Member); Mr. Olayiwola Yahaya (Private Member); Mr. Akwa Effion Okon (Private Member), and Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex Okoh, as Secretary.
In his response, Minister of Finance and Vice Chairman of the Council, Edun, thanked the Chairman of the Council, Vice President Shettima, for inaugurating the Council.
The Minister noted that a cursory look at the 2024 appropriation bill and budget estimate indicate that privatization is among areas the government is relying on to fund the budget and grow the economy.
“But we do have the scope to go back to the National Assembly in the event that we find that we can actually do more.
“I would just like to thank the Chairman, National Council on privatization, His Excellency Kashim Shettima, GCON and to thank all of you as members in advance for the critical tasks that we have to carry out.
“And I will just end this brief vote of thanks, if I may, by reemphasising the strategy, the policy and, indeed, the objective of Mr. President, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,”. Edun stated.
VP SHETTIMA TO NEW NCP MEMBERS:
Be At The Forefront Of Executing Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda
National News
FG Urges Ethiopia to Expedite Action on Sentenced Persons Agreement

FG Urges Ethiopia to Expedite Action on Sentenced Persons Agreement
By: Michael Mike
The Federal Government has moved to secure the release of some Nigerians in prison in Ethiopia, urging the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia not to further delay the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Exchange of Sentenced Persons between both countries.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu stated the country’s position at a meeting in Abuja with the Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, Legesse Geremew Haile.
The minister while expressing the Federal Government’s displeasure over the spate of embarrassment and harassment suffered by Nigerians including those with Official and Diplomatic Passports in Addis Ababa,
reminded the Ethiopian Ambassador that the Nigeria side had concluded with reflection of the Ethiopian observations in the draft MOU on Exchange of Sentenced Persons between both countries and wondered why signing of the MOU was being delayed despite assurances at their meeting of March 6, 2025.
The minister highlighted with deep concern the plight of Nigerian inmates in Ethiopia who she said were not having access to medical care among other challenges. She also noted the overwhelming challenges this posed to the Ethiopian Government.

She expressed dismay that a Nigerian recently died in Ethiopian prison, and declared that as a government deeply committed to citizen diplomacy, the federal government would not want a repeat of such ugly incident.
She said: “Our people don’t want to hear that another Nigerian inmate died in Ethiopian prison.”
Odumegwu-Ojukwu further decried the continued delay in returning monies seized from Nigerian businessmen by the Ethiopian Government even after the country’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, had at the 40th Session of the Executive Council of the African Union held in February 2022, granted amnesty to all African travellers whose monies were seized at the Bole International Airport, due to non-declaration of the amount over and above three thousand US Dollars, as provided by then Ethiopian law.
She regretted that of the 25 Nigerians whose monies were seized as at the time, only 15 had been approved for refund, due to the stringent condition put by the Ethiopian side for the refunds. Even at that, only two persons had actually been refunded their seized money.
The minister cited the pathetic case of one Mr. Francis Chukwuma Uzoh whose US$70,000 was seized by the Ethiopian authorities. She bemoaned that despite meeting all the conditions, Francis was yet to be refunded since 2022.
She noted that Mr. Francis has become desolate, homeless, abandoned by family, hugely indebted and a shadow of his former self.
The minister, therefore, urged the Ethiopian envoy to press for a last chance for the Ethiopian Government to refund Mr. Francis his $70,000 while he is still alive, “so they don’t use the money to bury him when he has gone.”
She recalled that visa waiver for holders of Official and Diplomatic Passports was tied to the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) signed by the two countries.
She decried that going by what Nigerians faced at Addis Ababa, it seems that Ethiopia of unilaterally withdrawing from the MoU without notifying Nigeria.
According to her, it is of great concern because Addis is a hub and many Nigerians have adopted Ethiopian Airline as the airline of choice.
Meanwhile, she reiterated the nation’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Ethiopia, assuring that the 4th Session of Nigeria-Ethiopia Joint Commission would soon hold in Abuja.
Responding, the Ethiopian Ambassador, said that the visa waiver agreement was still in place but needed ratification by the country’s House of Representatives.
Haile said that the Embassy had issued visas to Nigerians with official and diplomatic passports, pointing out that the problem is actually when the applicant is with the regular passport.
He said: “The visa on arrival has neither been withdrawn nor abrogated,” stressing that: “We are very close to Nigeria. The Ethiopian Government views the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a very strategic partner.”
He also thanked the Nigerian Government for the additional seven slots recently approved for the Ethiopian Airline on the Lagos route.
FG Urges Ethiopia to Expedite Action on Sentenced Persons Agreement
National News
Tuggar: Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Needs to be Dynamic, Protect National Interest

Tuggar: Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Needs to be Dynamic, Protect National Interest
By: Michael Mike
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has said current happening on the globe has called for a review of Nigeria’s foreign policy, demanding its dynamism, and ensure the protection of our national interest.
He insisted that diplomacy should take the lead over war, urging leaders worldwide to encourage dialogue for conflict resolution over the money draining, blood spilling war.
Delivering a speech on Thursday at the Inaugural Session of the Agora Policy Forum with the theme: “Nigeria’s Foreign Policy at a Time of Global Uncertainty,” said: “We are gathered here at a time when the international order is undergoing significant transformation. Geopolitical tensions, economic realignments, daily tariffs and trade wars, security threats, climate change, and technological disruptions are reshaping the global landscape in ways that demand strategic recalibration from all nations. Traditional assumptions about democracy and markets are being questioned by state and non-state actors.”
He noted that: “As Africa’s most populous country and a key economic and diplomatic actor, Nigeria must protect and promote our values and commitment to democratic freedoms and the celebration of diversity, as we navigate these new complexities with foresight, pragmatism, and resilience.”
Tuggar said: “The post-Cold War consensus that shaped global governance for the past three decades is increasingly fracturing. The resurgence of great power competition, the fragmentation of multilateralism, and the proliferation of regional conflicts have created a more unpredictable world than ever in our post-independence history.
“The war in Ukraine has reshaped energy markets, disrupted supply chains, and exacerbated food insecurity, particularly for developing economies like ours.
“Conflict in Sudan and the Sahel has illustrated the limits of the old rules-based order, as new state and non-state actors flex influence in areas of chronic instability.
- The global economy is experiencing persistent inflationary pressures, debt crises in emerging markets, and a reconfiguration of trade partnerships.
“The rise of new technologies, from artificial intelligence to digital currencies, introduces opportunities and challenges for economic governance and national security.
“Climate change continues to pose an existential threat, with Africa disproportionately affected, despite contributing the least to global emissions.
“In this context, Nigeria’s foreign policy must be dynamic. It must ensure that our national interests are protected while we remain a responsible and engaged member of the international community. And above all, foreign policy must be efficient. If diplomacy is war by other means, the terrible costs of conflict must at least partially be a measure of diplomatic failure.”
He stressed that: “We should invest in capacity and exhaust all available avenues, because the alternatives are much worse. In that sense, the triumph of diplomacy should be measured as much by what we do not see, what we can avoid, and what we do see. To take examples from our history: we still reference – and rightly so – the sacrifice Nigeria made in Liberia and Sierra Leone in the 1990s, but not so much the efforts, through public diplomacy, back channels, direct engagement, third-party involvement, the balancing of principle with practical detail – all tricks in the diplomatic toolbox – that led to the transfer of power in Gambia without a drop of blood spilt.”
He insisted that: “Tragedies avoided are more easily forgotten than sacrifices made. For this reason, with defence budgets escalating around the world, we need to be reminded, even in a transactional world, that diplomacy should take the lead. It is always better to talk. We do not always deliver perfect outcomes, especially where those areas of common interest and good faith are narrow, where one side may face particular local pressures that trump what partnership might deliver. Realistic outcomes are shaped by realistic expectations.”
The minister decried that: “We see the existing order deconstructing. It was an order that did not present a level playing field for Nigeria and Africa, in terms of access to financing and markets and the tools to facilitate peace, prosperity and opportunity. As that order breaks down, what follows is much less clear.
It is our responsibility, as the region’s key power, to be a voice for Africa – to play our part in helping create a modern and dynamic order that reflects our national and shared interests.
“And that responsibility is fundamentally diplomatic: securitisation shifts thinking from strategic to tactical, to a reduction in the space for dialogue, compromise and manoeuvre. Security more than ever tilts towards hardware and technology.
“Diplomacy at its best is a very human process of interaction. Of course, a strong defence capability and the unspoken jeopardy it carries can be significant assets in negotiation, and there are moments when diplomatic routes have failed that the national interest must be defended by force. But sequencing is everything. Lives and livelihoods depend on it.”
He added that: “Nigeria’s foreign policy has traditionally been anchored on Africa as the centerpiece, supported by non-alignment, economic diplomacy, and global multilateralism. While these principles remain relevant, they must evolve to reflect the realities of our time.”
Tuggar noted that: “A nation’s foreign policy is only as firm as the intellectual and strategic framework that underpins it. This is why fora such as the Agora Policy Roundtable are invaluable. Policymakers, scholars, and industry leaders must collaborate to provide thought leadership that informs our diplomatic choices.
“Nigeria must remain proactive, adaptive, and innovative in its foreign engagements as it navigates global uncertainty. Evidence-based policymaking, a long-term vision, and a commitment to national and continental advancement must underpin our strategy.”
He insisted that: “Nigeria’s foreign policy during a time of global uncertainty is not merely about responding to external pressures but also about shaping our destiny within the international order. It is about ensuring that our economy is resilient, our security is safeguarded, and our voice is amplified in global decision-making.”
Tuggar: Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Needs to be Dynamic, Protect National Interest
Crime
Gunmen Attack Senator Natasha Akpoti’s Family Residence in Kogi

Gunmen Attack Senator Natasha Akpoti’s Family Residence in Kogi
By: Zagazola Makama
Unknown hoodlums wielding cutlasses and firearms reportedly attacked the family residence of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in the early hours of Tuesday in Obeiba-Ihima area, Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the Chief Security Officer to the Senator, Yakubu Ovanja, reported the incident to security authorities, revealing that the attack occurred around 1:00 a.m. and involved at least three armed individuals who vandalized the building, including shattering window panes.
Following a distress alert, a team of security operatives from Okehi Division swiftly mobilized to the scene. While no casualties were reported and no arrests have been made, the premises were documented and preliminary investigations have commenced.
The motive behind the attack remains unknown as investigations continue.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, a prominent political figure in Kogi Central Senatorial District, has not issued a public statement as of press time.
Gunmen Attack Senator Natasha Akpoti’s Family Residence in Kogi
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