The Federal Government has launched the Government–Private Sector (GPS) Dialogue Series: Finance and SME Growth Roundtable in Lagos as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda to deepen collaboration between policymakers and business leaders for sustainable economic growth. Held on Saturday at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, the inaugural session brought together key stakeholders to discuss priority issues, remove investment barriers, and develop practical strategies to improve access to finance and boost enterprise development. The Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, reaffirmed the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s commitment to creating an enabling environment…
Author: National Update
The drive to unlock Nigeria’s economic potential gained momentum on Friday as the Honourable Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, led a delegation of prominent Southeast business leaders on a courtesy visit to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The meeting, held at the Lagos State Government House, focused on forging stronger partnerships between government and private sector players to accelerate growth, investment, and innovation across Nigeria. Dr. Uzoka-Anite commended Governor Sanwo-Olu’s transformative leadership and Lagos’ role as the nation’s commercial engine. “It’s always a pleasure to be in Lagos — a city that truly never…
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a dramatic turn on Saturday as the National Working Committee (NWC) suspended four top national officers, including the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), in what party insiders describe as a move to “restore order” ahead of its stalled national convention. Also affected by the one-month suspension are the National Organizing Secretary, Hon. Umar Bature, and Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha. The punitive action came barely 24 hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja halted the party’s planned national convention scheduled to hold in…
In a landmark ruling that underscores Nigeria’s growing intolerance for child sexual abuse, a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has sentenced a 19-year-old teacher, Abdullahi Abbass, to life imprisonment for raping his nine-year-old pupil. The judgment, delivered by Justice M. Osho–Adebiyi, came with no option of fine — a decision widely hailed as a strong statement of justice for survivors of sexual violence. Abbass, who taught at a school in Kwali, Abuja, was found guilty on a two-count charge of rape and sexual abuse, offences punishable under Section 2 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015 (VAPP Act).…
Nigeria has moved swiftly to counter former U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration naming it a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged killings of Christians, insisting that the claim distorts the nation’s complex security realities. In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the remarks “do not reflect Nigeria’s lived reality” and risk oversimplifying the nation’s multifaceted challenges. Trump had on Friday accused Nigeria of witnessing a “mass slaughter” of Christians, saying the country posed an existential threat to Christianity. “Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass…
***Rolls Out 40 Solar-Powered Water Schemes, Smart Streetlights, Markets, Empowerment Initiatives Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has marked her second anniversary in office with an unprecedented rollout of infrastructure and empowerment projects across the five local government areas of Kogi Central, turning what was once a promise of purposeful representation into visible progress on the ground. The anniversary celebrations, which began on Thursday, opened with the commissioning of a 50,000-litre solar-powered water reticulation system in Ganaja and solar-powered smart streetlights in Adogo, both in Ajaokuta Local Government Area—projects aimed at improving access to clean water and boosting security through…
***Calls for Targeted Sanctions on Corrupt, Complicit Officials Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has commended United States President Donald Trump for declaring Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over persistent human rights violations and the government’s failure to protect citizens from killings and insecurity. Frank also urged the U.S. to impose targeted sanctions on corrupt and complicit Nigerian officials fueling insecurity and impunity. President Trump had on Friday announced the designation, citing “widespread attacks on Christians in Nigeria,” and warning that “Christianity is facing an existential threat” in the country.…
***Suspect traced through X handle, cooperating with investigators The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a man identified as Innocent Chukwuma in Oyigbo, Rivers State, for allegedly using his social media handle to call for a military coup against Nigeria’s democratically elected government. Chukwuma, who operates the X (formerly Twitter) account @TheAgroman, reportedly made several posts urging the military to overthrow the current administration and “suspend the Nigerian government.” In one of his posts, Chukwuma wrote: “A coup in Nigeria is needed. Dispose of APC, suspend the Nigerian Government, and join the AES. That is all we need now.…
***Flays Tinubu’s Denial of Religious Killings The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has commended United States President Donald Trump for re-designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over the persecution of Christians, describing the move as “a courageous and moral intervention.” In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the U.S. action validates years of advocacy documenting the systematic killing of Christians across northern and Middle Belt states. “Trump’s declaration has vindicated our consistent warnings that the killings in Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Niger, Zamfara, and parts of Borno…
Africa is done selling raw beans. That was the unmistakable message from Comrade Adeola Adegoke, Global President of the Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA), at the African Cocoa Summit and Awards 2025, held at the University of Ghana’s ISSER Conference Centre in Accra. With fiery conviction, Adegoke declared that the continent which produces 70 percent of the world’s cocoa must no longer remain at the bottom of the value chain. “Cocoa is not just a commodity — it is our identity, our history, and our hope,” he said. “If Africa grows the beans, then Africa must own the…