Connect with us

General

1,500 Niger Delta Amnesty Beneficiaries to Get NIRSAL Loans

Published

on

Niger Delta

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) is set to extend the single-digit interest loans to 1,500 ex-agitators trained under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in the Niger Delta region.

According to a statement, Mr Milland Dikio, the Interim Administrator of PAP said the initiative is part of the efforts to raise the economic prospects of people of the region by attracting financial support for small and medium scale enterprises.

He urged the beneficiaries to judiciously use the NIRSAL loans to become successful entrepreneurs, warning them against misuse of the facility, adding that diverting the facility would create more hardship for them and the region.

NIRSAL is a Central Bank of Nigeria backed programme targeted for entrepreneurs in the agricultural value chain at a concessionary interest rate of nine per cent.

The training, which took place at designated centres in Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom States, was in continuation of a programme for NIRSAL loans which PAP commenced in November 2021.

Represented by the Head of Reintegration, Mr Alfred Kemepado, Mr Dikio said that the training would help the beneficiaries of the loan to grow their businesses and mitigate risks, saying that the focus was to facilitate and enhance single-digit interest loans for entrepreneurs in the region.

At the Yenagoa and Port Harcourt Centers, Mr Dikio who spoke through his Special Adviser on Projects, Mr Godwin Ekpo asked the beneficiaries to form cooperatives and focus on agriculture.

“The facilitators were very engaging and it just gives us hope and we are hopeful that once we are done with this set and we go into the next batches, the subsequent things we will do with these people will yield results.

“We have asked them to form themselves into cooperatives, look at the Agriculture value chain, production, processing, packaging and logistics end to see where they fit in.

“A lot of them have shown interest and I am hoping that maybe by tomorrow they will form themselves into different clusters in the value chain of several products.

“We are saying to everybody that cares to hear is that the Niger Delta is ready for development. Come back to the Niger Delta, come back and invest here. We are ready to receive you and we are ready to support you.” Mr Dikio said.

In Warri, through a senior Reintegration Officer in PAP, Mr Benjamin Appah, he explained how the beneficiaries were drawn across the region for the various centres.

“The names were compiled across impacted communities, PAP success stories, PAP cooperatives and the documented bonafide beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme.

“We received the names through their camp leaders, their cooperatives and the post-training units.

“We also gathered from the success stories of people who have been previously empowered by the amnesty office and are doing well in their businesses.

“So the office of the Interim Administrator thought it wise to say that since they are doing well in their businesses, why don’t we help them expand.

“This loan is a scheme organized by the Federal government of Nigeria.

“However, PAP decided to bridge that gap and facilitate training by engaging a consultant who will train beneficiaries and show them the prerequisite of accessing the loan and also guide them through getting a credible business plan.

“In a nutshell, the current PAP administration is trying to facilitate the access for the beneficiaries to benefit from the Federal Government’s single-digit collateral-free loan programme.

“All the beneficiaries have to do is come down to their training centres, receive their training, and the office is responsible for all the other expenses that qualify them,” Mr Appah said.

Certificates of participation were issued to the beneficiaries across all centres at the end of the five-day workshop.

The certificate qualified the beneficiaries for other Central Bank of Nigeria, accredited loans, grants and credit facilities.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

General

Pastor Ogbueli’s Abuja Night of Glory Holds Today

Published

on

Abuja Night of Glory

By Blaise Udunze

Momentum is gathering for the Abuja Night of Glory taking place today, Friday, December 5, 2025, at the main bowl of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.

The crusade is being hosted by Dominion City Church headed by Pastor David Ogbueli and it starts by 7pm.

The all-night programme will feature dynamic worship leaders like Nathanial Bassey, Dunsin Oyekan, Theophilus Sunday, Chioma Jesus, Kaestrings, Sunmisola Agbebi Okeleye, Minister GUC, Ebuka Songs, Anthony Kani, and DC Angels.

Reputed as a teacher of righteousness and anointed minister of the gospel, evidenced by the miracles that have trailed his ministry, and one who champions the cause of the poor through empowerment initiatives, Dr. David Ogbueli will be joined by renowned ministers from within and outside Nigeria, including Evangelist Andres Bisonni, Dr. Charles Ndifon, Evangelist Dan Scott, Apostle Ikechukwu Nnajiofor, and several others.

Night of Glory has, in previous editions held across Nigeria’s cities, recorded remarkable results, such as immediate healings and freedom from chronic ailments, recovery of vision and movement after many years of paralysis, along with liberation from dependencies and emotional distress. Numerous participants have also shared testimonies of breakthroughs and big personal changes after the experience. Organisers state that this year’s event, in Abuja, is anticipated to exceed previous editions.

The event is intended for all individuals trusting God for divine intervention in any area of life.

Understanding the role of faith in the destiny of individuals and nations, a dedicated prayer session for Nigeria will take place during the crusade to tackle some of the current challenges being faced in the country and also to uplift he leaders and institutions before God.

Attendance is free, and registration is encouraged via the QR codes on event banners. Organisers expect a massive turnout as worshippers travel from across the country for what is anticipated to be a transformative encounter.

Adequate security and free transportation have been put in place ALL over the city of Abuja, while those outside Abuja are expected to join online.

Continue Reading

General

Rivers Speaker, 15 Other Lawmakers Leave PDP for APC

Published

on

rivers speaker Martin Amaewhule defect

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Martin Amaewhule, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

At the plenary on Friday, Mr Amaewhule joined the ruling party from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), along with 15 other members of the state parliament.

This development comes some months after they had earlier declared their support for the APC in the wake of a crisis with the state governor, Mr Sim Fubura.

The lawmakers had an issue with Mr Fubura, which led to a state of emergency declared on the oil-rich state by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025.

This embargo was only lift in September 2025 after the duration of the six-month emergency rule in the state.

A few days ago, members of the Rivers Assembly passed a vote of confidence on President Tinubu, backing him to remain in office till 2031, when he would have spent eight years in office if re-elected in 2027.

Announcing their defection today, the lawmakers pinned their decision on the crisis rocking the PDP at the national level.

It is not certain if their political godfather, Mr Nyesom Wike, who is the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will join them in APC.

Mr Wike, who governed Rivers State from 2015 to 2023, has been accused of instigating the crisis in the opposition PDP. He was expelled from the party last month at a national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Continue Reading

General

Nigeria Risks Brain Drain in Energy Sector—PENGASSAN

Published

on

energy sector

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has warned that Nigeria risks massive brain drain in the oil and gas sector due to poor remuneration.

The president of PENGASSAN, Mr Festus Osifo, said at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union on Thursday in Abuja that the industry was facing challenges arising from Naira devaluation and inflation, noting that, oil and gas skills remained globally competitive.

Painting an example, he said, “A drilling engineer in Nigeria does the same job as one in the US or Abu Dhabi,” noting that the union must take steps to bridge the wage gap to prevent members from leaving the country for better opportunities abroad.

“If we don’t act, the brain drain seen in other sectors will be child’s play,” he said.

According to him, PENGASSAN has recorded significant gains through collective bargaining across oil and gas branches.

“We signed numerous agreements across government agencies, IOCs, service and marketing sectors,” he said.

He said the agreements brought relief to members facing rising costs of living, adding that, the association’s duty is to protect members’ jobs and enhance their pay.

Mr Osifo urged companies delaying salary reviews and those foot-dragging as a result of the prevailing economic realities, to do the needful.

He said the industry employed some of the nation’s best talents, making competitive pay critical to retaining skilled workers.

“This industry recruits the best. Companies must provide the best conditions,” he said.

On insecurity, Mr Osifo urged government to take decisive action against terrorism and kidnappings across the country.

“We are tired of condemnations. government must expose sponsors and protect citizens,” he said.

He urged government at all levels to prioritise tackling insecurity through better funding and equipment for security agencies.

Mr Osifo said PENGASSAN supported calls for state police to improve local security response, adding that decentralising policing will protect citizens better than rhetoric.

He also said economic indicators meant little, if food prices remained high and farmers could not return to farms due to insecurity.

“Nigerians want to see food on the table, not macroeconomic figures,” he said, urging the government to coordinate fiscal and monetary policies to ensure economic gains reach households.

Continue Reading

Trending