By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A bridge connecting the Luma-Babana-Agwara communities in Niger State was destroyed by terrorists on Monday. The incident claimed the lives of eight people.

The bridge is a vital route used by residents travelling to the Babanna border market, which operates every Monday.

According to reports, the hoodlums used an improvised explosive device (IED) to bring down the facility located along Luma Road in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The Chairman of Borgu Local Government, Mr Mohammed Nasir Abdullahi, who confirmed the attack, noted that authorities were working to verify the full extent of the damage.

“There was actually an attack by the bandits, and we are trying to verify the magnitude. A bridge was actually damaged. Already, we have sent people to the area to verify things for us,” Vanguard quoted him as saying.

It also quoted a source as saying, “In the early hours today, bandits stormed Borgu local government area of the state and bombed the Lunma-Babana bridge. Apart from bombing the bridge, the bandits also detonated bombs between Rafingiwa and Babana, and another at Woro and Kaiama, forcing residents to flee the area.”

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

No fewer than 40 residents of Iwaa, Oyo, Obajana and Apata communities in Kogi State have completed a training programme on fish farming and entrepreneurship.

This is an initiative of the Obajana plant of Dangote Cement Plc designed to empower inhabitants of its host communities.

This scheme builds on a series of previous community empowerment programmes, including training in poultry production, solar entrepreneurship, and fashion design, among others.

At the graduation ceremony witnessed by representatives of the federal government, the Kogi State Government, and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), as well as traditional rulers and other key stakeholders, the Plant Director, Mr Azad Nawabuddin, described the skills acquisition programme as a strategic scheme aimed at promoting job creation and driving overall economic development within the host communities.

“In learning the art and business of fish farming, you have embraced a cycle of life that teaches responsibility. You nurture, you wait, you adapt, and in time, you harvest. This mirrors the journey of community development itself: it is not built in a day, but through consistent effort, shared knowledge, and collective commitment,” he stated.

According to him, fish farming does not stand alone. It creates ripples by providing food for families, income for households, and opportunities for others.

“One fishpond can support a network: feed suppliers, transporters, market women, and processors. In this way, what begins as an individual skill becomes a communal asset,” he added.

Also commenting, the General Manager and Head of the Social Performance Department at Dangote Cement in Obajana, Mr Ademola Adeyemi, said the event was part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme of the company.

“We don’t Lord ourself on the communities. We jointly agree to carry out this CSR programme. We invest proactively in skills, in people, and in ideas that can uplift communities. Through partnerships like the one we have with the Industrial Training Fund, we ensure that our interventions are not just well-intentioned, but impactful and sustainable,” he disclosed.

A representative of the Technical Adviser on CSR to the Kogi State Governor, Mr Akinola Oluropo Babatunde, commended Aliko Dangote for his support for communities in Kogi State.

He urged beneficiaries to make proper use of the opportunity and have a positive impact on their communities.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has called for the establishment of regional energy hubs as a strategic pathway to accelerate cross-border mining industrialisation and strengthen the supply chain of critical minerals essential for the global energy transition.

He called for the development of regional industrial corridors akin to the Lobito Corridor, noting that similar belts —such as the Lagos–Abidjan corridor, spanning Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the Walvis Bay Corridor linking Southern and Central Africa to global markets— could unlock vast mineral potential across the continent.

Speaking at a high-level panel themed: “Critical Minerals in Africa: Meeting Global Demand” at the ongoing Powering Africa Summit in Washington, D.C., United States, Mr Alake also said more investments had been attracted into Nigeria in the last two years.

The Minister emphasised that despite being open to investment, the country to prioritise strict compliance with local laws and regulations while outlining key investment incentives, including tax waivers on imported mining equipment and full repatriation of profits after due payment of royalties and taxes.

“We have successfully de-risked and sanitised the mining environment, making it conducive to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Within the last two and a half years, we have attracted over $2.6 billion in FDI into the sector,” he affirmed.

He stressed that sustainable partnerships with Africa remain the fastest route to meeting rising global demand for critical minerals.

According to the Minister, such corridors would serve as economic catalysts by driving infrastructure development, enhancing energy access, and promoting regional integration. “The development of nuclear power in one West African country, for instance, can service an entire corridor.

With that in place, local beneficiation, technology transfer, manufacturing, and cross-border industrialisation will naturally follow. If three to five such corridors are developed in Africa, we would significantly advance industrialisation across the continent, creating a win-win outcome for both Africa and the West,” he stated.

Mr Alake noted that under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the ministry has carried out some reforms, including strengthened governance structures, improved regulatory frameworks, digitisation of licensing processes, and enhanced ease of doing business, which have repositioned Nigeria’s mining sector as a key driver of economic diversification.