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Tinubu Launches Cash Transfer Programme for 15m Households

By Our Reporter
President Bola Tinubu has officially ordered the commencement of the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer programme intended to deliver financial intervention to 15 million households in the country and to mark the commemoration of the international Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Recall that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), had in November last year announced that about 133 million Nigerians are multidimensional poor, and the government said about 62 million Nigerians are expected to benefit from the programme which is geared towards poverty eradication.
The President, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the occasion was significant for Nigeria and for his administration as it presented him the opportunity to restate his administration’s commitment to poverty alleviation as expressed in his 8-point Agenda.
He noted his government’s plans for food security, ending hunger, poverty eradication, economic growth and job creation, were all means to fight poverty and help the most vulnerable members of the society.
These, Tinubu said, include restructuring of the ministry of humanitarian affairs to include poverty alleviation and providing the policy framework for an aggressive poverty alleviation drive in Nigeria; developing the Renewed Hope Agenda for humanitarian response and poverty alleviation, and expanding the National Social Register to capture Nigerians living below one dollar per day.
Other steps, he noted, are restructuring the National Social Investment Programme and repositioning it for quick and efficient delivery that is transparent and accountable and partnering with the World Bank Group and other development partners to implement conditional cash transfers, business grants and other forms of support for the most vulnerable households.
While noting the theme of this year’s commemoration; “Decent Work and Social Protection: Putting dignity in practice for all,” Tinubu said that it was no doubt in perfect alignment with the Renewed Hope agenda.
“My government will lead from the front in seeking to ensure that all Nigerians have decent opportunities for dignified work and sustained social protection.
“Today, my administration is launching the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer Program for vulnerable groups as an immediate intervention to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal and other economic shocks.
“However, the government is working to develop and deploy several more solutions and interventions to help Nigerians of all walks of life,” he explained.
The president called on stakeholders to continue to contribute their own quota in partnership with the ministry of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, saying that “It is only via a sustained collaborative approach that we can win this war against poverty in Nigeria and the world at large. Hope is here.
“I ask the Nigerian people to please ensure that they key into all the available programs because they are here to help. Our objective is to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty. Yet, this will only be possible that with the cooperation of the people we seek to help.
“Let us continue to work together to achieve our collective goal of eradicating poverty in Nigeria,” he added.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, warned that to ignore poverty alleviation in the country will amount to sitting on a keg of gunpowder.
The minister observed that the N75,000 already announced by the president for disbursement to vulnerable households in the country was enough to successfully run small scale businesses.
“Beyond this, the government will be providing low-cost shelter for the poor and internally displaced persons as a form of providing that cover for them. Several other interventions, including the rural vocational skills Intervention will be carried out at mass scale. All of these are targeted at the various dimensions of poverty in the country.
“As a nation, we must come together to fight poverty. Poverty is that scourge, poverty is that hydra headed cobra in the room that if not tackled, would consume everyone.
“Sitting and ignoring poverty at any level, will only seem or equate to sitting on a keg of gunpowder and that’s why today, the president is taking it headlong.
“We want to encourage Nigerians, we want to encourage the private sector, we want to encourage our development partners that are here, it’s time to step up to the occasion.
“We have a clear-cut roadmap, an action plan for implementation of the eradication of poverty from Nigeria. Everyone must key in and be part of it,” Dr Edu said.
She assured that Tinubu will eradicate poverty in the country by the year 2030.
Also speaking, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Mr Wale Edun said the 63 percent statistics of Nigerians living in poverty representing 84 million Nigerians is unacceptable to President Bola Tinubu
He said, “Clearly to Mr. President, it is totally unacceptable as it is to the rest of us. And that is why it is perhaps his number one priority, tackling poverty and he has a program to stabilize the economy and grow the economy in general.
Edun added that cash transfer program will help reduce poverty in a significant way.
The World Bank country representative, Shubham Chaudhuri confirmed that cash transfers are a method widely acknowledged and universally accepted.
Chaudhuri stressed that the method has proven to be one of the most effective ways to provide assistance to citizens, particularly the impoverished and vulnerable who have been impacted by economic shocks or rising living costs.
“This aid is crucial in helping them overcome the initial period during which they might otherwise be compelled to make decisions with long-term consequences.
“For instance, these decisions might include reducing daily meals to just one or withdrawing their children from school. The type of cash transfer referred to as “shock-responsive cash transfer” that is currently being implemented is utilized by countries worldwide to offer temporary relief in such situations, the World Bank representative stated.
The President presented symbolically cheques of N25,000 each to beneficiaries who were present at the flag off ceremony: Larai Suleiman, Shuaibu Hassana, Sariki Bala Gamu,Okor Jonah and Hameed Kosemani Isiaka.
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Afreximbank Facilitates $4bn Refinancing Loan for Dangote Refinery

By Tony Obiechina Abuja
African Export-Import Bank has signed a $1.35bn financing facility in favour of Dangote Industries Limited.A statement from Afreximbank disclosed that the facility is part of a larger $4bn syndicated financing arrangement for Dangote Industries Limited in which Afreximbank acted as the Mandated Lead Arranger for the syndication.
This financing, one of the largest syndicated loans in recent African financial markets, will refinance capital expended on constructing the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Complex, the biggest single-train refinery in the world with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. The financing alleviates initial operational expenditures and enhances DIL’s balance sheet, supporting its continued growth trajectory.Afreximbank contributed $1.35bn, the largest share among participating banks, underscoring its commitment to large-scale infrastructure that advances Africa’s industrialisation, energy security, and intra-African trade.Commenting on the development, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Afreximbank, Professor Benedict Oramah, said “with this landmark deal, we once again demonstrate that Africa’s development can only be meaningfully financed from within. It is only when African institutions lead the way that others can follow. The journey to utilise African resources for its own economic transformation is well underway.“Through the bank’s funding support, we are enhancing the capacity of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Ltd to produce and supply high-quality refined petroleum products to the Nigerian market, as well as for export to the entire continent and the world. Our energy security is in sight.”President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, added, “Afreximbank’s contribution to this milestone financing underscores our shared vision to industrialise Africa from within. This refinancing strengthens our balance sheet and accelerates with ease the refinery’s supply of high-quality refined petroleum products across Africa.”Afreximbank said that since operations at the refinery complex began in February 2024, it has continued to support the Dangote Refinery by providing key financing solutions for crude supply and product offtake, ensuring uninterrupted operations and reinforcing its role in Africa’s most significant refining intervention.The syndicated facility attracted strong participation from leading African and international financial institutions, reflecting enduring confidence in Africa’s industrial potential and Dangote’s vision in transforming Africa.COVER
Ghanaian Defense, Environment Ministers, Others Perish in Military Helicopter Crash

By James Samuel, Abuja
Ghana’s Ministers of Defense and Environment died after a military helicopter crashed, killing all eight people on board, a government spokesman and the armed forces said on Wednesday.Among the dead were Edward Omane Boamah, the Minister of Defense and Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Chief of Staff to the President of Ghana, Julius Debrah, said in a televised news conference on Wednesday.
“I have the unpleasant duty, suddenly, to announce a national tragedy involving the crash of a military helicopter this morning,” Mr. Debrah said. It was not immediately clear why the helicopter crashed.The deaths were announced hours after Ghana’s armed forces said in a post on social media that a helicopter traveling from Accra, the capital, to a mining community in the Ashanti region had gone “off the radar.” The post said efforts were being made to re-establish contact.The armed forces subsequently confirmed the deaths of all on-board the helicopter in a statement on social media. It extended condolences to the families and said investigations were underway to determine the cause of the crash.Also killed were the acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Muniru Mohammed; the Vice Chair of the National Democratic Congress political party, Samuel Sarpong; the Deputy Director General of Ghana’s Disaster Relief Agency, Samuel Aboagye; and three members of the military, including the pilot, according to Debrah.The officials were headed to a gathering on illegal mining at the Obuasi Black Park in the Ashanti region as part of a broader government effort to encourage responsible practices, according to local news reports.The gathering was meant to bring together Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, along with other government and local leaders, mining association members and development partners, according to a program line-up posted online by officials ahead of the event. Obuasi is about 170 miles northwest of the capital.As a result of the national tragedy, the Chief of Staff said all flags would immediately be flown at half-staff until further notice. Tinubu Condoles with Ghanaian President President Bola Tinubu has sent his “deepest condolences” to President John Mahama, the government and people of Ghana following the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, and six others. Tinubu assured his Ghanaian counterpart and indeed all Ghanaians that the thoughts and prayers of the government and people of Nigeria were with them during this time of “profound national loss”. In a statement in Abuja last night, Special Adviser to the President(Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga said the President urged the Ghanaian nation and the bereaved families and friends to find comfort in the knowledge that their loved ones died in the line of patriotic service to the country.COVER
Insecurity: 24,000 Nigerians Missing Since 2015 says ICRC

From Al-amin Tubo, Maiduguri and Attah Ede, Makurdi
No fewer than 24,000 Nigerians were declared missing by their families since 2015, as a result of insecurity that has affected most parts of the country, the International Committee of the Red Cross ( ICRC ) data has revealed.In Benue however, the state Police Command has confirmed the arrest of 176 suspects for allegedly committing various crimes in the Month of July.
Team Leader for Protection of Family Links of ICRC, María Toscano, who released data about the missing persons at a media workshop in Maiduguri said the international body was still on the trace of the missing persons. Referencing the data, the diplomat said Borno had the highest number of the missing persons with about 9,000 out of the 16,000 registered by ICRC in the North-East region.According to her, 11 persons have so far been reunited with their families this year, in addition to the 13 persons that were reintegrated with their families in 2024.Toscano said of the 24,000 registered missing persons, 71 per cent of the incidents occurred from 2014 – 2015, adding that Bama Local Government Area of Borno had the highest caseload of about 5,000 missing persons.The diplomat also said 65 per cent of those missing in the North-East were children at the time they were missing.Toscano, however, identified lack of access to conflict-affected areas and difficulties in contacting families, among the challenges faced by ICRC in the course of its assignment. Head of ICRC sub-delegation in Maiduguri, Diana Japaridze, in her speech, expressed concern over the increasing rate of missing persons and families, who were yet to be reunited after suffering displacement due to armed conflict for over a decade.“Some people spend years searching for loved ones, often with no result. Families have a right to know their fate.“In the chaos of armed conflict, situations of violence and disasters, families can become separated in a matter of minutes, creating anguish and vulnerability and sometimes leading to long years of uncertainty about the fate of children, spouses or parents,” she said.Japaridze urged media practitioners to contribute to awareness creation and draw the public’s attention to the needs of missing persons“While States should raise public awareness of the problem of missing persons as a fundamental concern of international humanitarian law and human rights law, the mass media must draw the public attention to this problem and the needs of families of missing persons.“We hope the knowledge and discussions we are going to share and have during the training will help you, the media professionals, research on the topic more deeply, ask better questions, write quality content, and thus report it in a more professional, unbiased, and empathetic manner,” she said.Police Arrest 176 Suspects for Various Crimes in Benue The Police Command in Benue has confirmed the arrest of 176 suspects for allegedly committing various crimes in July.Mr Ifeanyi Emenari, Commissioner of Police (CP), Benue Command, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press conference in Makurdi.Emenari said that the suspects were arrested for cult activities, armed robbery, banditry, theft and culpable homicide, among others.The CP said that out of the 176,arrested persons, 22 were held for alleged cultism, 26 for alleged armed robbery, while others were for other various offences.He also stated that the command within the said period recovered 30 different types of arms, 4,000 different types of ammunition, 8 motorcycles, one tricycle and two vehicles from the criminals.Emenari explained further that some of the arms recovered included four rocket launchers, 12 AK-47s, 11 locally made pistols and four locally fabricated rifles, among others.The CP added that the command, in collaboration with other security agencies, has successfully destroyed all the bandits’ camps in Benue.He pointed out that with the destruction of the bandits camps, many locals have returned to their ancestral homes and farms in most parts of the state.Emenari said that criminals committing all kinds of atrocities and hiding under cover of bandits would be arrested and prosecuted.The CP announced that he has relocated the area commander overseeing Otukpo axis to Agatu with strict orders to apprehend all criminals terrorising the area.According to him, the command was conducting series of operations and raids in Sankara axis to ensure that all the bandits and other criminal elements terrorising the area were apprehended.“A large number of bandits have been repelled from these areas, while some were neutralised in the course of these operations.“It is important at this point to mention that some police officers lost their lives during these operations.“While we commiserate with their friends and families, we remain committed to this course, as our dear state cannot be left in the hands of criminals.“Our desire is to provide security to all Benue residents, and the command under my watch in the month of July has been able to reduce crime to the barest minimum and will continue to ensure that the state is crime-free.“Measures put in place during the period under review include planned operations in the hinterlands to raid communities of bandits, patrols within the metropolis, intelligence gathering for proactive policing, raids of black spots and stop and search operations,” he said.