Politics
Sit -at-home in South East has Affected Movement of Goods Between North, South-Deputy Speaker
From Lateef Taiwo
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has said that the observance of sit-at-home in the south east on Mondays has in no small measure affected the movement of goods and services between the northern and the southern hemispheres of Nigeria.
Relying on available statistics, Hon.Kalu said that the south East looses an estimated N10 billion to N13 billion in the transportation sector alone on every sit-at-home day.
The Deputy Speaker made the submissions during a courtesy call on him by the Nigerian Association Of Small And Medium Enterprises (NASMEs) led by its President, Dr. Abdulrashid Yerima in his office on Friday in Abuja.
Kalu said that insecurity in the region was affecting the small and medium enterprises which he recognized as a major contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He however assured the commitment of the House to review the laws that are inhibiting the operations of the SMEs in the country.
He said: “According to a recent data, SMEs account for 48% of the National GDP in emerging economies, additionally the world bank report SMEs play pivotal role in job creation.
“Therefore, up scaling entrepreneurship because its strategic imperative to revitalizing the Nigerian economy. SMEs must be seen as a strategic tool to our economic development.
“As legislators, we are aware of security problems facing our nation. In recent years, the security situation has posed hurdles. The sit -at-home in the South East has affected the movement of goods between the north and the south. It ought not to be so.
“Why this issue affects the entire nation. We can examine specific examples. Our businesses are going down and most of our businesses are SME businesses and the security challenges are suffocating the SMEs businesses in their numbers.
“Also billions and trillions of Naira are being lost to the sit at home order.
“There are other parts of the country where insecurity has suffocated SMEs and something must be done about this. It’s disheartening to note that the ongoing insecurity in the region will have a profound impact to trade and socioeconomic outcomes.
“Statistics from SBM Intelligence revealed that the south East looses an estimated ten billion naira to 13 billion in the transportation sector alone, every sit at home day.
“Traders on the other hand face looses ranging from N5.4 billion to N31 billion daily. These figures are alarming and underscore the urgency of addressing the security challenges in the region. So if there’s no reason for these non state actors to stop this, let this be their reason. That they are killing their own region with insecurities created by themselves. When you sit at home other regions are not sitting at home.
“When the SMEs in the south east suffer due to insecurity, the country suffers. It impacts the whole country.
“There must be legislative commitment in order to address some of your concerns. The SMEs are the backbone of every country. As legislators, we are committed to supporting and making laws to grow SMEs. My office is ready to partner with the association, we will find ways to review existing laws that will be not SMEs friendly. We believe that by creating more enabling environment for SMEs to thrive, we can address some of the economic challenges facing our great nation”.
Earlier in his presentation, the President of the Nigerian Association Of Small And Medium Enterprises (NASME) led by its President, Dr. Abdulrashid Yerima appealed to the Deputy Speaker to help the body enact laws that will support the growth of SMEs in the country.
Politics
Tinubu Assures Investors Nigeria Is Open for Business, Welcomes Coca-Cola’s $1bn Plan
By Francis Wilfred
President Bola Tinubu has assured local and international investors that Nigeria remains open for business, saying his administration is implementing reforms aimed at creating a more predictable, competitive and investment-friendly environment.
Speaking through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the 75th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) in Abuja on Monday, the President said the government is addressing key challenges facing businesses under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Our message to investors, both Nigerian and international, is clear: Nigeria is open for business,” Tinubu said,
He noted that reliable infrastructure, efficient logistics, access to foreign exchange, stable regulations and a supportive tax system are critical to attracting investment and expanding production.
According to Yomi Odunuga, the President said ongoing economic reforms are designed to build a more productive and competitive economy, reduce dependence on imports, strengthen local manufacturing and create jobs for Nigerians.
Tinubu welcomed the Coca-Cola System’s proposed $1 billion investment in Nigeria over five years, announced in 2024, describing it as a strong vote of confidence in the country’s economy.
He said the administration is focused not only on the volume of investment attracted but also on its impact on employment, skills development, technology transfer and local sourcing.
“We are interested not only in the amount of capital that comes into Nigeria, but in what that capital does here,” he said.
The President also praised NBC’s continued expansion of production capacity, including new production lines in Oyo and Kano states, describing such investments as vital to strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving policies, infrastructure and regulations to support businesses, while urging the private sector to complement government efforts through investment, innovation and job creation.
Tinubu further highlighted the importance of human capital development, commending NBC’s Supply Chain Academy for training over 1,400 young Nigerians and supporting women’s empowerment and community development initiatives.
He urged investors to take advantage of opportunities across Nigeria, expressing confidence that the country can build a stronger economy driven by local production, exports and globally competitive industries.
Politics
Kano Governorship: Accord Party Governorship Candidate Gashash Getting More Endorsement From Kano Electorates.
By Jabiru Hassan.
The movement for Democratic Protection and good governance (MDSG) declared it's full support to the Accord Party Governorship Candidate Ambassador Dr. Mukhtar Gashash in the forthcoming general elections.
In a chat with our correspondent in kano, the national president of the movement, Alhaji Dauda Mohammed Ali, stated that it is time for the people of kano state to bring new steward who is seriously planning to transform the state with highest regard.
He expressed his confidence that Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash will do his best to ensure that kano state becomes more examplary at both sector without bias which is the task previous administrators failed to achieve.
Alhaji Dauda Mohammed Ali reiterated that " this time around, our movement is working day and night to make sure that Kano people mostly youths remained Committed to actualize real change in the state's politics, leadership and transformation under the Accord Party government".
He called on the people of kano state especially the eligible voters to vote Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash due to his Transformation plans for the progress of kano state and it's citizens at both Urban and rural settlements.
Responding to a question about Accord party's strength in kano state, Dauda Mohammed Ali disclosed that in today's democracy, competent candidates should be tipped for an elective positions not the popularity of the political parties stressing that Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash has been found to be the best option for kano state due to his track record on competency, transparency as a real democrat.
Politics
Caught in the middle: Ortom’s silent dance between two camps.
There are growing questions about where Mr. Samuel Ortom, a former Governor of Benue State and a prominent figure in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), truly stands politically ahead of 2027.
Ortom was a key figure in the divisions within the PDP before the 2023 general elections and was widely associated with support for Mr. Peter Obi, who finished third in that contest. More recently, however, he has publicly expressed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The latest discussion began after a visit by Mr. Peter Obi to Benue State. Reports indicate that a vehicle said to belong to Ortom was used to receive Obi at the Air Force Base airport in Makurdi. It is not clear who authorized the use of the vehicle, and Ortom has not commented publicly on the matter.
During the same visit, Obi was reportedly prevented from travelling to Yelewata, where he had intended to condole with families affected by violence. Obi’s team attributed the blockage to supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The Governor’s spokesman, Sir Tersoo Kula, denied any involvement by the Governor. He suggested the incident may have been staged to damage the Governor’s reputation, or that it could have resulted from disagreements within Obi’s own support base.
Ortom has not issued a statement clarifying his position on the 2027 elections or on the vehicle in question. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
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