General
National Social Investment Programmes Not Marred by Fraud—Presidency
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments, Mrs Maryam Uwais, has denied reports that the National Social Investment Programmes have been hampered by fraud in some states of the federation.
In a statement personally signed by her, Mrs Uwais admitted that the scheme has a pocket of frauds in some states, but they were not enough to have marred the progress of the initiative.
According to her, some of the challenges being recorded in a few States are being tackled effectively and transparently.
She stressed that despite some limited process breaches recorded in some rural communities, the social investment programmes are recording profound successes and having the desired impact on lives, as envisaged by government, as designed and in implementation.
“The special interventions by the Federal Government continue to support the populace by addressing financial inclusion and supporting poor and vulnerable households around the country.
“We are indeed delighted that a total of 7,812,201 lives have been directly impacted by our programmes.
“This means that over seven million homes can testify to our efforts. Another set of 1,500,000 secondary beneficiaries comprising mainly farmers and cooks can also validate our claims to be true.
“We are encouraged by the unspeakable joy we see on the faces of the 297,973 poor and vulnerable beneficiaries of our National Cash Transfer Programme (NCTP) that is currently being implemented in the 217 local governments spread across the 20 States of the Federation,” she said.
Mrs Uwais clarified that the media chose to capitalise on her admittance of few breaches in some of the states, ignoring the successes the scheme has achived.
According to her, following the presentation made to the National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday, 15, February 2018, she addressed State House Correspondents on the significant progress being made with the social investment initiatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Mrs Uwais explained that in response to a specific question by a member of the State House Press Corps as to whether the instances of sharp practices being perpetrated at the State levels have impacted the quantum of funds available to the NSIO, she clarified that the amount involved in the identified sharp practices were insignificant to affect the desired social impact.
She went on to also state that the NSIO is working with security agencies to curb the breaches, as evidenced in a few minimal instances.
“It is rather curious therefore that several media reports towed the single lane of giving a negative slant to the bold efforts and successes of the National Social Investment Office by the sensational reporting,” she lamented.
However, the President’s aide appealed to the media to be much more circumspect in their reportage.
She said it was evident that the programmes have not been “hampered or marred” with the level of successes recorded around the country, witnessed by the numerous testimonials of beneficiaries on social media and elsewhere.
“Indeed, we encourage our media to engage the beneficiaries directly for a true picture of the impact of our efforts, around the country,” she further appealed.
According to her, “The NSIO will continue to drive the implementation of the SIPs with efficiency, diligence and transparency. And we call on Nigerians to be the true witnesses of the output of our activities.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To support innovative solutions that enhance financial accessibility and security in the digital asset ecosystem, Tether has made a strategic investment in a financial technology (fintech) company specializing in self-custody crypto wallets and digital payments, Fizen Limited.
This transaction will allow Fizen to integrate its innovative technology with Tether’s leadership in the stablecoin industry.
The objective is to accelerate digital asset utilization while upholding the utmost security standards. This will further solidify Tether’s role in advancing blockchain-based finance and its commitment to global financial inclusion.
According to the chief executive of Tether, Mr Paolo Ardoino, this investment in Fizen “underscores our commitment to expanding global access to efficient and reliable digital financial solutions that promote the informed responsible use of digital assets in everyday life.”
“At Tether, we recognize the crucial role of self-custodial payment infrastructure in driving real-world use cases.
“Fizen’s innovative model helps to bridge the gap between self-custody and digital payments, empowering users with greater financial independence while reinforcing our leadership as the most widely used stablecoin globally, advancing inclusive access to the financial system,” Mr Ardoino added.
Also, the chief executive of Fizen, Leo Vu, said, “Stablecoins like USD₮ will undoubtedly drive crypto payments and financial inclusion worldwide.
“The technology infrastructure is already in place, but we lack consumer-friendly applications with intuitive UI/UX to accelerate mass integration.
“Fizen is solving this by making crypto payments an intuitive part of daily transactions, allowing users to pay seamlessly without even realizing they are using blockchain technology.”
Fizen offers advanced payment technologies that facilitate seamless stablecoin transactions, making digital assets more accessible for consumers and businesses. It is one of the crypto companies delivering real value to consumers and businesses, bringing practical crypto use cases to life.
The World Bank’s Global Findex Report reveals that millions of individuals worldwide remain unbanked. People in this category consistently cite distance to the nearest financial institution and a lack of proper documentation requirements as the primary reasons they could not access traditional banking services.
This investment will enable Fizen to enhance its blockchain capabilities, facilitating the seamless integration of stablecoins across multiple blockchain ecosystems. It will also provide users access to a more efficient and user-friendly solution to store, transfer, and transact using stablecoins, eliminating restricted access or complicated documentation.
However, while stablecoins offer a compelling alternative for those excluded from traditional financial systems, their practical use in everyday commerce still faces hurdles despite clear advantages, such as lower fees, enhanced security, and near-instant transactions.
Merchant usage remains a key challenge. Through this investment, Fizen aims to bridge this gap by enabling users to pay seamlessly with stablecoins.
At the same time, merchants receive instant fiat settlements through known payment methods like QR codes and card readers. This eliminates the need for additional infrastructure, making digital asset payments more accessible and efficient for businesses worldwide.
Market projections for 2024 state that QR code payments are expected to surpass $3 trillion, with 2.2 billion users by 2025, driven by increasing smartphone penetration and the rising demand for frictionless, secure, and convenient digital transactions.
With this strategy and strong technological and business development foundations, the collaboration between Fizen and Tether looks to accelerate the widespread use of crypto payments at scale to usher in an era of seamless digital transactions.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) has been commended for its contribution to the growth of Nigeria’s economy and general Arica’s development.
This applause came from the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ECCIMA) during the Dangote Group Special Day at the 2025 Enugu International Trade Fair.
The Deputy President of ECCIMA, Mr Eric Chime, who was at the event, said the conglomerate, through its various investments, has contributed to the growth and development of the domestic economy.
“We are highly delighted to welcome Dangote Plc once again to their special day at the ongoing trade fair. Their continued presence and commitment have been instrumental to the success of this annual gathering.
“Dangote’s contribution to the Nigerian economy is enormous spanning virtually every sector, from cement and food production to their recent game-changing entry into the oil and gas sector through the Dangote Refinery,” he stated.
He emphasized that the impact of the refinery, especially in regulating petroleum product prices, deserves national recognition and support.
“We call on the Federal Government to continue to support Dangote Group in its efforts to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians,” he urged.
Mr Chime further praised the president of DIL, Mr Aliko Dangote, for his visionary leadership and relentless drive for innovation, noting that the Dangote business empire represents a perfect example of what entrepreneurial excellence can achieve through research, resilience, and dedication.
In his remarks, the Deputy Regional Director for Southeast at Dangote Cement Plc, Mr Ayirioritse Okerentie, expressed gratitude to ECCIMA for providing a viable platform to engage stakeholders and show case Dangote Group’s contributions to Nigeria’s economic development. He said that the theme of the Fair, “Developing Nigeria’s Industrial Sector/SMEs for Economic Advancement & Global Recognition” speaks directly to the core mission of Dangote Group.
“As Africa’s largest indigenous manufacturing conglomerate, we are focused on Production, Prosperity, Power, and Pride. We believe the industrial sector, and by extension SMEs, can play a transformative role in job creation, import substitution, and overall economic advancement.
“The industrial/manufacturing sector has the capacity to impact significantly on the economy especially in the creation of jobs, provision of goods, reduction in imports of finished products and adding of value to our raw materials. It is generally accepted that a nation’s economic wellbeing is largely dependent on the industrial/manufacturing sector,” Mr Okerentie said.
“The industrial/manufacturing sector is labour intensive, could create millions of both direct and indirect employments for people of diverse skills such as administrators, accountants, engineers, technicians, marketing & sales among others.
“It can also create indirect employment for supply chain actors in other sectors of the economy such as raw materials suppliers, logistics and transportation, farmers, and miners,” he added.
By Dipo Olowookere
On Friday, April 18, 2025, all roads will lead to the headquarters of the Love of God in Christ (LOGIC) Church in the Lekki area of Lagos State for an uplifting evening dedicated to expressing the message of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ in music.
The day, which is Good Friday, has been set aside to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the cornerstone of Christian faith.
Christian faithful from across the global will gather for the hybrid programme tagged Jesus + Nothing Worship, a platform that provides worshippers an opportunity to connect with the essence of the Gospel in worship.
Soul-lifting singers expected to minister on that day include Neon Adejo, Greatman Takit, Victor Thompson, Timi Dakolo, Samuel Giveson (SMJ), Noble G, Steve Hills, and Lily Perez.
Others are Joxie, Anderson Qozan, Pastor Victor Paul, EmekaSongz, Flo, Dorcas Moore, Magpsalms, Mera Owili, Gerald Bishung, Phebe Lion, and the vibrant Evolution Children’s Choir.
The Lead Pastor and Apostolic Head of the LOGIC Church, Apostle Flourish Peters, while commenting ahead of the event, said, “As a Christocentric faith community, this event is a great way to celebrate the gift of Christ, who laid down his life for our redemption. Good Friday is a great time to have a worship celebration like this.”
“Nothing speaks to the culture of a people like the music they listen to. Jesus + Nothing Worship will contribute to shaping and mainstreaming a culture of christocentric worship, where the Gospel of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection is platformed through worship,” he added.
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