Connect with us


BIG STORY

Assigned Portfolios: President Tinubu Silent On Petroleum Ministry

Published

on

President Bola Tinubu yesterday, assigned portfolios to the 45 confirmed ministerial nominees recently cleared for appointment by the Senate, with former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, in charge of the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Festus Keyamo manning the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

Presidential Spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, however, could not confirm the exact date for their inauguration.

It was earlier reported that the nominees are expected to be sworn in on Monday ahead of the inaugural Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting next week Wednesday. It was also gathered that a ministerial retreat for the ministers would take place before the swearing in ceremony.

While some nominees still await clearance, there are concerns whether President Tinubu will retain the portfolio of Minister of Petroleum for himself like former president, Muhammadu Buhari.

Expected were the portfolios assigned to Wale Edun (Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy), Bosun Tijani (Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy), Hannatu Musawa (Art, Culture and Creative Economy), Lateef Fagbemi (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) and Ali Pate (Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare).

However, a shock inclusion in the announcement was the portfolio assigned to Dele Alake (Solid Minerals Development), who had spearheaded the communications team of the President since his emergence as presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in May last year and had also assumed the same role since Tinubu’s inauguration on May 29.

Other portfolios as released by the President are as follows: Adegboyega Oyetola (Transportation), David Umahi (Works), Betta Edu (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation), Mohammed Badaru (Defence), Ahmed Dangiwa (Housing and Urban Development), and Simon Lalong (Labour and Employment).

Also named are Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management, Ishak Salaco; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Bunmi Tunji; Minister of Power, Adedayo Adelabu; Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa.

Minister of Tourism is Lola Ade-John; Minister of Transportation, Adegboyega Oyetola; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite; Minister of Innovation Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji; Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha; Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy; and Minister of Youth is Abubakar Momoh.

Others are: Minister of State, Gas Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo; Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri; Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh; Minister of State Defence, Bello Matawalle; Minister of State Education, Yusuf T. Sunumu; Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed M. Dangiwa; Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, Abdullah T. Gwarzo; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; and Minister of Environment and Ecological Management, a yet to be named Minister-nominee from Kaduna State, after Nasir el-Rufai’s nomination failed to scale through Senate’s screening.

Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Maimud Mairiga; Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello M. Toro; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari; Minister of Education, Tahir Maman; Minister of Interior, Sa’Idu A. Alkali; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf M. Tuggar; Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam; Minister of State, Steel Development, U. Maigari Ahmadu; and Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu A. Audu.

Minister of Information and National Orientation is Muhammed Idris; Minister of State, Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Zephaniah Jisalo; Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev; and Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

Earlier yesterday, Lanre Issa-Onilu, a former APC national director of publicity, had said the delay of the ministers’ inauguration was because the president was tinkering with the existing ministerial structure before inaugurating his cabinet.

The nominations of el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna; Stella Okotete (Delta) and Danladi Abubakar (Taraba) were withheld, pending security clearance.

Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, Issa-Onilu said there is an ongoing restructuring with the ministries, in order to lay a solid foundation for the ministers when they resume.

“What we should ask is we need to ensure that we lay a solid foundation even for the cabinet to come in and take off,” he said.

“This is a new government and Tinubu is a technocrat and if you bring someone to work with you, you must have a job description for the person.

“On Monday, they are going to be inaugurated. We have ministries, the president may have his ideas on how the ministries should work. He may want to tinker with the existing structure and he needs to prepare the bed before asking someone to come and lay on it.

“That is the only way to get things going. You don’t want to bring a minister in and say hold on you need to restructure the base. There is restructuring going on.

“You are going to hear ministries in terms of nomenclature you are not familiar with. And those are deliberate to ensure that you provide the necessary will to get things done fast enough. The bottom line is that there will be this exercise on Monday.”

BIG STORY

ECOWAS Caravan 2025 Highlights Barriers, Builds Support For Women In Cross-Border Trade

Published

on

The challenges facing women engaged in cross-border trade across West Africa took centre stage at the ECOWAS Caravan 2025, held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on July 11, 2025.

Launched this year by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Caravan is a transformative empowerment initiative designed to support small-scale women traders in West Africa’s informal trade sector.

The two-week journey followed the Abidjan–Lagos trade corridor, running from June 30 to July 14, with major stops in Abidjan, Lomé, Cotonou, and Lagos, culminating at the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre.

Speaking during the official launch of the Lagos leg and the caravan’s closing ceremony, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender, Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, emphasised the pivotal role women play in the region’s informal economy.

“Women are the lifeblood of informal trade in West Africa… this caravan is about visibility, voice, and value — it’s about shifting narratives and shaping policies that support women where it matters most: on the ground,” she said.

Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, officially launched the Lagos stage of the sensitisation and awareness campaign for small-scale women traders. She described the initiative as a timely and necessary intervention.

“This initiative is a direct response to equip and empower our women, who form the majority of traders along the corridor and represent the backbone of informal cross-border trade across the region.

“These women play a critical role in ensuring food security, creating jobs, and sustaining livelihoods in both border communities and their homes.”

According to Ambrose-Medebem, these women are more than traders; they are economic builders who continue to operate under conditions marked by uncertainty and frequent harassment.

She stressed that the campaign represents a significant step forward, aiming to expand awareness of trade regulations, legal frameworks, and ECOWAS community protocols that govern cross-border commerce.

Speaking to the press, the commissioner noted that the Lagos State Government remains committed to supporting informal sector traders, particularly women entrepreneurs.

“I want to say that Mr Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, approved ₦500 billion for MSMEs under the Lagos State Access to Finance initiative for small businesses through cooperatives at 0% interest,” she disclosed.

The fund, matched by the Bank of Industry with another ₦500 billion, is non-collateralised, features a six-month moratorium, and offers a competitive 9% interest rate.

Dr Chinyere Almona, Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), applauded ECOWAS for its commitment to gender equality and regional integration, calling this year’s campaign “symbolic and necessary.”

“For women working in agriculture, fisheries, artisanal value chains, and cross-border trade, their daily grind is not just a livelihood; it’s an act of resilience and enterprise.

“Women traders form the uncelebrated backbone of West Africa’s informal trade economy, representing over 70% of informal cross-border traders and playing an indispensable role in food supply.”

Almona urged governments and stakeholders to invest in institutionalised, continuous capacity building through community-based training hubs in local languages, digitalisation of border procedures, and the creation of mobile-friendly platforms to expedite trade clearance and improve efficiency.

“Women in the informal trade are producing the formal results that is adding to the GDP and creating major employments.”

In her remarks, Princess Omotola Omole, National President of the Federation of Business Women Entrepreneurs (FEBWE), commended ECOWAS for its steadfast support of women.

“ECOWAS has consistently stood with women, ready to support, connect, and empower every woman who dares to dream big and trade to uplift her community,” she said.

Others who presented papers included the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Ruth Abisola Olusanya, who sent a representative.

The ECOWAS Small Business Coalition also expressed heartfelt appreciation to the ECOWAS Commission, partners, collaborators, and delegates for their pivotal roles in making the ECOWAS Caravan 2025 a landmark success.

Dr. Abdulrashid Yerima, speaking on behalf of the coalition, emphasised the collaborative impact of the caravan, stating, “The bridges we build today become the trade routes of tomorrow’s prosperity.”

He also praised the ECOWAS Commission for its leadership and credited the collective synergy of partners and delegates for transforming challenges into opportunities.

The closing ceremony, which hosted over 300 participants from across ECOWAS member states, featured an interactive town hall meeting where panellists addressed key topics such as capacity building, awareness strategies, and toolkit presentations, while also responding to audience questions.

Building on the successes of previous editions, the Tema–Paga corridor in 2023 and the Dakar–Banjul–Bissau route in 2024, the 2025 ECOWAS Caravan not only boosted the economic potential of women traders but also strengthened trade facilitation, enhanced market access, and fostered robust institutional partnerships across participating nations.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

BREAKING: Buhari’s Burial Postponed To Tuesday In Daura

Published

on

Former President Muhammadu Buhari will now be laid to rest on Tuesday instead of today, contrary to earlier reports.

He passed away on Sunday afternoon at a clinic in London.

According to an earlier report by The Nation, a presidential team arrived in London on Monday morning to bring his remains back to Nigeria.

Katsina Deputy Governor Lawal Jobe informed journalists on Monday afternoon that the burial had been rescheduled.

Jobe visited Buhari’s Daura home at 11.27am to assess the location where the burial is to take place.

 

More to come…

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Buhari’s Integrity Gave Hope To Millions Of Nigerians — Tunde Bakare

Published

on

Tunde Bakare, the serving overseer of Citadel Global Community Church, has honoured the memory of former President Muhammadu Buhari with a heartfelt tribute.

Buhari passed away on Sunday at a clinic in London at the age of 82.

In a statement released on Monday, Bakare described Buhari’s life as “extremely impactful”, referring to him as a respected elder statesman and fellow patriot.

He shared memories of their first meeting in 1985 and said Buhari’s policies at the time created the foundation for his journey as a young legal practitioner.

This was a man whose integrity and discipline gave hope to millions of Nigerians across the length and breadth of our nation, he wrote.

This was a man with a dream of a New Nigeria — a dream he lived for; a dream he worked tirelessly towards from his youth; a dream he pursued persistently despite the challenges he encountered; a dream I had the privilege of teaming up with him in his tireless quest to fulfill; a dream that brought tears to his eyes; a dream, the heart of which he shared with me in intimate conversations — a dream that revealed the soul of a man whose lifelong desire was to make life better for the ordinary Nigerian.

He referred to Buhari as a colossus whose kind is hard to replace.

Bakare offered a prayer, hoping that Buhari will be remembered kindly by history and that the Nigeria he envisioned will still come to life even after you have departed.

I express my deep condolences to his beloved wife, former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, and to his children and grandchildren. May God, the husband of the widow and the father of the fatherless, fill the void, the statement reads.

And to our dear nation, Nigeria, may God be our strength and comfort in this solemn season.

Continue Reading



 

Join Us On Facebook

Most Popular