Business

Dangote to tackle unemployment

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Dangote Group’s Executive Director, Commercial Operations, Hajia Fatima Aliko-Dangote, has reiterated the company’s determination to eradicate the high youth unemployment in the country.

Aliko-Dangote, who made this disclosure at the just concluded Lagos International Trade Fair during the “Dangote Day”, said since inception, the desire of the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, was to assist the three tiers of government in the country in eradicating poverty.

According to her, the best way for Dangote Group to do this will be to contribute to eradicating youth unemployment in the country.

She noted that Dangote was the highest employer of labour in Nigeria, outside the Federal Government, adding that the priority of the group was to create more employment opportunities for the teeming Nigerian youths.

“The desire of our President, Aliko Dangote, is to ensure that Nigerian youths are ably employed, because it is only when this happens, that they can also contribute their own quota to the growth and development of the county. And once the youths are also positively engaged, the security challenges of the country will abate,” Aliko-Dangote stated.

Politics

‘Hunger, poverty fuelling secessionist agitations,’ Christian group tells Buhari

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The Southern Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) on Friday charged President Muhammadu Buhari to address hunger and poverty in order to stop the growing secessionist agitations in the country.

The Chairman of YOWICAN, Oluchukwu Green Nnabugwu, who made the call in Owerri, Imo State, as part of the group’s 61st independence anniversary message to Nigerian leaders, noted that the Buhari administration “does not believe in equity and fairness.”

He said: “Celebration of the nation’s 61 years of Independence amidst the increasing security challenges, poverty, different agitations by various groups, poor infrastructural facilities among others, we should rather have a solemn reflection on our existence as one Nigeria, noting that it is time for our leaders to start asking questions to know the way forward to these menace ravaging the country.

Time has come for our leaders to re-examine themselves, their stewardship, and tell themselves the truth. Hunger, poverty, and starvation are the bedrock of the various agitations by various ethnic groups. This is because a hungry man is an angry man. The current leadership doesn’t believe in equity and fairness.

“The country and our leaders must work to protect the nation in areas of employment, healthcare, empowerment among others. As a youth leader, I desire that the leadership of the country see children and youths as the hope of the country and as such invest in them.

“The Christian youths should also get involved in politics too to salvage the country. In Nigeria, youths have the greater population, hence it is time to take over the system so that we can be in the same realm with other developed countries.”

Politics

We want to help reduce poverty by sending Nigerians to China – Chinese Ambassador

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The Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, has said the China is ready to help Nigeria reduce by sending young Nigerians to China to understudy the system and return to impact the Nigerian system.

Jianchun disclosed this on Tuesday during the closing of the Nigeria-China Cultural week and award ceremony, a lineup of activities to commemorate the October 1 independence day of both countries.

I am hoping that next year after COVID-19, I am thinking of a possibility of how we can get young people from Nigeria to go to China and learn from the Chinese side, get experience. I believe that if China can do that, Nigeria can also. We can apply the Chinese not only model but the way of eradicating poverty.

“I think there is a need for the two countries to work on this poverty eradication. You know you have your goal. I think this is a very meaningful thing not only for Nigerian people but also for the international community,” he said.

The envoy had earlier revealed that Chinese government was in talks with Chinese-owned banks to establish operations in Nigeria.

Politics

We’ve lifted 10.5m Nigerians out of poverty in two years – President Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration has lifted 10.5 million Nigerians out of poverty in the last two years.

Buhari stated this during his Democracy Day speech on Saturday, June 12.

“In the last two years we lifted 10.5 million people out of poverty – farmers, small-scale traders, artisans, market women and the like,” he said.

The President said his administration is strongly committed to lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

He said; “I will be the first to admit that in spite of our efforts and achievements which are there for all to see, there is still much more to be done and we are doing our best in the face of scarce resources and galloping population growth rate that consistently outstrips our capacity to provide jobs for our populace. Our over-all economic target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years is our goal notwithstanding COVID-19.

“I am very convinced that this 100 million target can be met and this informed the development of a National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy. The specific details of this accelerated strategy will be unveiled shortly.”

Buhari disclosed that his administration disbursed N5,000 to 1 million Nigerians using a rapid response register and advanced N20,000 to 750,000 beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer progamme and provided 1.37 million Nigerians with palliatives from the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), a private sector-led organisation established to assist the government in combating COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time the Federal Government released 109,000 metric tonnes of food reserve stocks and 70,000 metric tonnes of grains to the poor and vulnerable in all 36 states of the federation.

“In addition, Government reduced interest rates from 9% to 5% for struggling businesses and extended credit facilities to 548,345 beneficiaries,” he said.

Politics

Boko Haram fuelled by unemployment, poverty – Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari says the Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria is largely fuelled by youth unemployment and poverty, noting that the “level of poverty is almost unimaginable.”

He said this in an interview with Arise TV on Thursday, June 10, 2021.

According to Buhari, his government has done a lot to fight the terrorists but the problem in the “North-East is very difficult.”

He said he believes majority of the Boko Haram members are Nigerians after being told so by the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, who according to him, is working very hard and taking a lot of risks.

He noted that he recently changed service chiefs to re-energise the fight against Boko Haram and other security challenges.

Condemning the Boko Haram terrorists, President Buhari said: “You can’t kill innocent people and say God is great.”

He, however, added that his administration has recorded significant achievements, noting that Nigerians know the difference between when he came in and now.

Politics

Groups mobilise for national protest against insecurity, poverty

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Civil Society organisations under the aegis of The Peoples Alternative Political Movement (TPAP-M) are planning a nationwide campaign against insecurity and poverty in Nigeria on May 31.

TPAP-M stated that the campaign to commence on the last day of May is aimed at asking critical questions which the political elite in the country must provide answers to.

It also said the protest is basically to put a stop to the security crises ravaging the country and impoverishment bedevilling Nigerian citizens, thereby asking people and organisations to join in the planned demonstration that will put an end to an avalanche of problems in the country.

The group made this disclosure in a statement made available on Wednesday.

It said, “We are a very broad, diverse, and united alliance of social forces, including the The Peoples Alternative Political Movement (TPAP-M) – and her affiliates; the Labour Movement (organised trade unions); the Alliance On Surviving COVID 19 And Beyond (ASCAB) and her affiliates; Joint Action Front (JAF) and her affiliates; Coalition Of Northern Groups (CNG) and her affiliates; Green Alliance Nigeria (GAN) and her affiliates; CONGOS – Edo; North East Development Association; among several others.

“We have all come together at this critical juncture in our history, when due to the historical incompetence and negligence of the ruling class and their various political regimes, over the past few decades, have brought our nation to the brink of a major catastrophic existential crisis, threatening the precipitous collapse of our country and the annihilation of our people across the country.

“We are today as a nation and people confronted with the twin crises of insecurity and mass poverty and misery, both of which have reached pandemic proportions. No single part of the country is safe and secure.

“It is not a coincidence that mass poverty; mass misery; joblessness; collapse of means of livelihood, systems and opportunities; homelessness; levels of collapse of basic social services in education, health, housing, etc.; rising energy costs – fuel and electricity; and intensifying levels, scope, and degree of violent crimes and insecurity; are currently at their highest levels, not only in living memory, but also in our history.

This is why we have come together to collectively take our destiny into our owns, to Stand Up, Stand Firm, and Shout Out that ‘Enough Is Enough.’”

With the commencement of the campaign, the group asked the Nigerian government to call for meetings involving the Nigeria Police Council and the National Economic Council, among other demands made to address the current situations in the country.

“The National Day Of Action Against Insecurity And Mass Poverty, as the beginning of a peoples campaign, is thus being called not only to make demands on the state, the current regime, and the inept and congenitally corrupt ruling class.

It is also being called to enable the working peoples and the labouring masses of our country, impoverished by the anti-people policies and governance of this ruling class, and victims of its incompetence and governance failure, who bear the brunt of the consequences of insecurity; to come together, agitate, make their demands, and take their place on the pedestal of history, and assert our right to live in dignity, comfort, free from fear and want, and able to act in our own interests.

“Towards this end, the Campaign Against Insecurity And Mass Poverty, beginning with the National Day Of Action makes the following demands on the state, the regime, and the ruling class; and insists that the demands be met:

“Immediate convening of the Nigeria Police Council to discuss the security challenges facing the country and adopt a pro-people policing plan, to secure the lives and properties and livelihoods of all citizens and residents;

“The Policing Plan must involve the people and their representatives and must guarantee the right of self-defence of communities, such the communities and neighborhoods are enabled to establish Community Self Defence Committees, drawn from residents of each community and neighborhood, and the management of which must include representatives of all stakeholders and residents in the given communities and neighborhoods;

“We further demand the immediate convening of the meeting of the National Economic Council to deliberate on the economic crisis facing the country and our people, and the initiation of a broad, inclusive, multi stakeholder process to review all subsisting economic policies and the policy environment on the economy, with a view to terminating and replacing all anti people economic policies;

“We demand that the pro-people policing plan, must include mechanisms to ensure that this raging violence is nipped in the bud, that perpetrators and perpetuators, are arrested and prosecuted, and that victims are compensated by the state;

“We demand a total upgrade of our policing agencies; by increasing the personnel strength, equipping and training them and adequate provision for their welfare.

“We demand an immediate end to the arbitrary sacking of workers across the country; and demand immediate compliance with the National Minimum Wage Act, by all employers of labour in public and private sectors; We demand that all outstanding wages and allowances owed to workers be paid, and reject the arbitrary practice of state governments in reducing the wages, and allowances of workers, and in reducing and refusing to pay the pensions and gratuities of retired workers;

“We reject any plan to further hike energy costs – in price of fuel and electricity tariff; as these costs are not only already at unbearable levels, but also because these prices hikes are the major contributants to the rising and unbearable costs of living, expressed in rising inflation.

“To enforce these demands and ensure that they are met by the state, we are launching a campaign, commencing with a National Day Of Action on Monday, 31st May, 2021,” the statement further read.

TPAP-M called on Nigerians in the country to join the protest.

“We urge all Nigerians, every citizen and resident, the working peoples and the labouring masses, to commence preparations for this campaign and the national day of action; and to organise and mobilise towards its success.

“The statement above is to be endorsed by organisations that support the Campaign Against Insecurity and the Proposed National Day of Action. Please if you support the statement send the name of your organisation to this email; tpapsnigeria@gmail.com; so that it can be added to the finalised document.

“Organise Now! Mobilise Now!! Act Now!” the statement added.

Politics

We have to make a choice; Do we remain tools, risk our lives or settle for long term benefits?

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If we say Better Days Ahead , Better Days is not unconnected with Better People. People who fit into this dispensation; dispensation of relevant technology and mind blowing innovations.

We still have people in this dispensation who think about short term benefits and not long term benefits, we need to think as smart as those leading us. Truth be told, our leaders are quite clever but the citizens ought to be smarter already.


During my basic education, we were taught elementary things we needed to know about Human Rights and Basic Amenities we are to enjoy as citizens. Basic amenities which are; electricity, pipe borne water, good infrastructures, free education and good standard of living. However today in Nigeria what do we have?

We have high level of unemployment, poor health facilities , dystopian educational standard , high cost of living, poor infrastructures and a lagging development of the economy as a whole.


Now education provided by the government isn’t free anymore. At the primary and secondary school levels, they still pay some thousands , yet most of these children still learn in the most inconducive environment you can imagine. The levy paid isn’t used to accomplish an improved environment to aid teaching and good assimilation. This is as a result of the corruption that is deeply rooted in this system.

Youths graduate from the tertiary institutions every year and in the course of searching for jobs, they are expected to have certain years of experience in order to be absorbed. Where exactly do they get these experience from if they have never been offered employment after successfully completing the compulsory service year?


We face many challenges as a nation, most roads are bad, it is so difficult for most people to have good meals, people who have little money or none can’t enjoy good health facility, the economy is bad.

Talking about politicIal sycophants and supporters , for how long will they keep giving support to leaders who treat civil servants like beggars, leaders who have no prepared plan for the youths and have used their policies to wreck the Nigerian currency.

ASUU (Academic Staff Union Of Universities) is currently on strike and despite elections being near, the government does not seem bothered. This level of confidence on the government part is alarming. Despite all these ,our politicians have been engaged in campaigns and making futile promises to the citizens as they have always been doing in the past.

Despite all these, sycophants and poverty stricken citizens still turn out to support these politicians because of the short term benefit. They get paid for a day, spend the money the same day or following day and then, suffer for the following years. I understand they have a lot to deal with, poverty and depression is real. Campaigns aren’t done everyday but during periods of elections.

So the question is, how have these people been surviving? We have to make a choice, do we keep making ourselves tools in the hands of these politicians , risking our lives while campaigning for them or refuse to be used by them and settle for long term benefits?

Why can’t they offer our children scholarships , provide shelter with little interest, provide incentives and secure a better future for us? They only make these promises during campaigns but never fufill them. Shouldn’t they do these things while in power? No, they won’t . They refuse to do these things and while poverty keeps plunging into our society, they come back as saviour, pretending to be doing us a favour and taking advantage of the poor by giving them stipends.

The poor need to be wise already because when a bad government is elected, they are the first set of people to feel the heat of the difficulty in the nation. How do they survive when the economy is bad and the cost of living is high? Yet, they haven’t understood.

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