Headlines

Shettima unveils SMEDAN headquarters, reiterates FG’s commitment to poverty reduction

Published

1 year ago

December 20, 2023

Shettima unveils SMEDAN headquarters, reiterates FG’s commitment to poverty reduction

Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday reiterated the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to poverty reduction and economic revitalisation.

Shettima stated this while inaugurating the corporate headquarters of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) in Abuja.

According to him, Tinubu’s administration is strategically focusing on job creation, capital accessibility, economic growth, and poverty eradication to revamp the economy.

Shettima said the federal government under President Tinubu’s watch would never shift ground in its determination to protect businesses in the country.

The vice president noted that enterprises are not only the very bedrock of a society but also reflect the direction the government is heading and the speed with which it is doing so.

“Allow me to emphasise the importance of this moment: there is no more fitting time than now to reinforce the protection of enterprises in Nigeria.

“These enterprises not only stand as the very bedrock of our society but also reflect the direction the government is headed and the velocity with which we do so.

“This moment solidifies President Bola Tinubu’s assurance to protect our enterprises. It resonates deeply within our economic revitalisation plan.

“His focus on job creation, capital accessibility, economic growth, and poverty eradication forms the very skeleton of our strategy to invigorate the economy. Inevitably, this path demands tough decisions, yet ones essential to our success,” he said.

Shettima also recalled that he had inaugurated the National MSME Council ten days ago, adding that it was just the beginning that sets the stage for what is up ahead.

He said that President Tinubu intends to make sure businesses and other economic enterprises prosper in the country.

Shettima lauded the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, and the leadership of SMEDAN for the project, adding they had proven that they are ready to transform “concepts into tangible actions.

In her remarks, Uzoka-Anite thanked the vice president for his unwavering support of MSMEs in the country.

She said the completion and commissioning of the new SMEDAN Complex was a clear demonstration of the commitment of the Tinubu administration to the development of the MSME space.

She also outlined other initiatives of the federal government targeted at building capacity and linking MSMEs to markets at home and abroad.

The Director-General of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii, also thanked Shettima for his support and guidance in the actualisation of the project and leadership in the MSME space.

He said the agency and the entire MSME community in Nigeria had recorded significant achievements within a short time under his stewardship.

Odii assured that the agency will continue to collaborate with sister organisations to ensure sustainable growth in the sector.

Also, Mr Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs, Office of the Vice-President, said the federal government would continue collaboration with stakeholders across the public and private sectors to support MSMEs both in grants and loans.

(NAN)

Education

NUC grants ESUT full accreditation for Law, 7 other programmes

Published

1 week ago

May 21, 2025

Saadatu Sahabo

The National Universities Commission, (NUC), has given full accreditation to the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), for her Law programme.

According to the Public Relations Officer of ESUT, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, this is contained in a letter addressed to the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aloysius Okolie, on Wednesday in Enugu by the NUC.

Ani said that in the letter, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu said the report was contained in the result of the October/November 2024 accreditation of academic programmes in Nigerian universities.

Ani disclosed that other programmes in the institution accredited by the NUC include Master of Science in Business Management; Education Computer Science; Education Physics and Agricultural Engineering.

Other accredited programmes he said were Quantity Surveying; Urban and Regional Planning; and Applied Microbiology.

He said that the letter quoted Section 10 (1) of the Education National Minimum Standard and Establishment of Institutions, Act CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as empowering the NUC to lay down minimum academic standards for all academic programmes taught in Nigerian universities.

He said the session also empowers the NUC to accredit such programmes.

Crime

Court remands 2 over alleged attempted murder

Published

1 week ago

May 21, 2025

Saadatu Sahabo

Court discharges man accused of burning father’s house in Abuja

An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Wednesday, remanded two persons, Olaitan Fasasi and Kehinde Tobiloba in a correctional facility over alleged attempted murder.

Fasasi, 40, and Tobiloba, 26, whose addresses were not provided, are being charged with conspiracy, attempted murder and membership of a secret society.

The Magistrate, Mr L.A Owolabi, did not take the plea of the defendants for want of jurisdiction.

Owolabi directed the police to forward the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.

He thereafter adjourned the case until May 31 for mention.

The Prosecutor, Josephine Ikhayere, told the court that the defendants committed the offences at about 5.02p.m on Feb. 15, at Mushin, Lagos.

She said that Fasasi, Tobiloba and others now at large, attempted to commit murder by shooting at a resident, Alfred Ademola.

“They armed themselves with a locally made gun. They belong to Eiye Confraternity, a group proscribed by law,”, she said.

Ikhayere said that the offences contravened Sections 230(1) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2012.

He said that the actions of the defendants also contravened Section 2(3)(a)(b)(c)(d) of the unlawful societies and Cultism Law of Lagos State Law.

Headlines

Plateau Governor Sets Up Committee to Probe Two Decades of Attacks

Published

1 week ago

May 20, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has inaugurated a 10-member fact-finding committee tasked with uncovering the root causes of the persistent attacks plaguing communities across the state.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday in Jos, Governor Mutfwang charged the committee with conducting a comprehensive review of violent incidents from 2001 to date. “We thought that we should set up this high-powered fact-finding committee to look at the incessant attacks on our communities,” the governor stated.

According to Mutfwang, the committee is expected to perform an in-depth assessment of the recurring security breaches, determine the number of affected communities, and assess the extent of damage done over the years. “We want to understand the root causes and propose actionable recommendations for lasting peace, justice, and stability in the affected communities,” he said.

The committee’s mandate also includes establishing the number of casualties, identifying possible perpetrators and their motives, and uncovering potential routes used by bandits to access Plateau State. “Identify possible routes of bandits into the state and recommend measures to limit their access,” the governor added.

Chairman of the committee, retired Maj.-Gen. Rojas Nicholas, thanked the governor for the confidence reposed in the members. He pledged that the committee would approach its assignment with fairness and commitment. “We will do our best to produce a report that would befit its assignment,” Nicholas assured.

The committee is expected to submit its findings and recommendations in due course, with hopes that the report will provide a pathway to durable peace and security in the state.