Politics
FG Commissions National Geodata Centre In Abuja
FG Commissions National Geodata Centre In Abuja

By Lateef Taiwo
Federal government on Thursday in Abuja commissioned her National Geodata Centre, NGC, at the headquarters of the Nigerian Geological Survey, NGSA, in Abuja.
Performing the commissioning, Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite, who expressed delight that the milestone was achieved within his tenure in office, said what the development means is that Nigeria is now fully prepared to showcase its rich mineral potentials and attract local and international investors into the sector for the overall growth of the economy.
A geodata centre represents the long term national geoscience knowledge based, which is essential for identifying the mineral potential of a country.
According to him, most renowned mining countries, such as Australia, Canada, Namibia in Africa, are successful due to their policy of open access to data.
“It is common knowledge that mining companies of many countries are willing to choose, and they decide where to go and invest based on the availability of data, so as to minimise their risk and, of course, maximise their profit.
“The World Bank has been assisting Nigeria through the MINDIVER project, to attain data that would be able to attract the requisite investment into the mining sector,” he said.
Adegbite noted that the geodata centre being launched would create a modern digital accessible infrastructure, that would be domiciled at the NGSA.
“It has a particular focus on data relevant to the mineral sector, with the aim of improving access by investors to data and information,” he noted further, stressing that the centre is not static continual information or data will be uploaded onto it centre from time to time.
He said though centre is located at the headquarters of the NGSA, it’s linked with it’s two arms in Kaduna, i.e. the NGSA office there and then the National steel Raw Material Agency.
“The three of them are linked by dedicated platforms which have come to stay and the data will be accessible would-be investors, both local and international,” he said.
He commended NGSA for the various milestones achieved by the agency under him as Minister, adding that one of such is the National Integrated Mineral Exploration Project, NIMEP, which proved to be successful with “very good results”.
In her address earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade, stressed the importance the federal government attach to the geodata project, noting that the centre was designed as a one-stop shop for geoscientific data and information.
“The Nigerian Geo-Data Centre was conceived as a national reliable repository of digital geoscience information on Nigeria. It was designed to be robust, comprehensive, easy to find and readily accessible.
“Due fo its importance as a one stop shop for geoscientific data and information, the British Geological Survey (BGS) UK was contracted to establish this high level infrastructure that provides security, resilience, access to mining investors, researchers, development experts and the general public,” she said.
Giving the vote of thanks, the director general, NGSA, Abdulrazak Garba appreciated the Minister for providing the right leadership and enabling environment for the agency to succeed, while also commending the support of the World Bank assisted MINDIVER project and the technical partners.
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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