General
Nigeria to Fast Track SAPZ Programme
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has expressed its commitment to accelerate the implementation of the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) project in the country.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Abubarka Kyari, said this at the SAPZ Phase II Inception Workshop on Wednesday in Abuja, noting that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is determined to give unprecedented attention to agriculture and food security.
“We are determined to fast-track Phase I and Phase II of this project to unlock the opportunities for food security, and job security and increase the contribution of the sector to the GDP.
“SAPZ has come to stay. All hands must therefore be on deck to ensure a successful implementation of the programme in Nigeria,” Mr Kyari said.
According to the Minister, the project is designed to diversify the country’s economy by changing agriculture to become a profitable economic venture.
He said it would provide a win-win scenario for investors, government and citizens, adding that it was open for more collaboration from investors.
The Minister then pledged the commitment of the government to work with the states and private sector to mobilise resources for the implementation of the project.
On his part, the Director-General of the Nigeria Country Department of AfDB, Mr Lamin Barrow, said the SAPZ sought to promote the development of a value chain for strategic commodities in Nigeria and across Africa.
“They will provide world-class infrastructure to support food agribusinesses to locate close to zones of production and develop competitive value chains supported by logistic systems that will drive food processing and value addition.
“The SAPZs will help create massive wealth and jobs in rural areas and turn rural areas away from being zones of economic misery to zones of economic prosperity,” he said
According to Mr Barrow, AfDB is developing SAPZs in 11 African countries. One each in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Madagascar, Senegal, and Togo, and four in Ethiopia.
He said that the SAPZ programme in Nigeria was the largest, both in scale and scope as phase 1 is currently being implemented over five years in seven states.
He said the states included Cross River, Imo Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun and Oyo, adding that the states were chosen based on readiness and to achieve a balance across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
According to him, there has been a growing interest and enthusiasm from both the Government and private sector players in the Phase II of the SAPZ Programme.
“So far, the Bank has received Expression of Interest (EOI) from no fewer than 23 States across the six geo-political zones in the country. “The States are: Lagos, Anambra, Benue, Ekiti, Delta, Gombe, Ondo, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Enugu, Osun, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba and Borno.
“It is expected that at the end of the 2-Day discussion, the participating states will be screened and onboarded based on readiness and quality of entry criteria which will be deliberated upon during the workshop,” he added.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Mr Tony Elumelu, expressed his displeasure over the way he was addressed by one of the company’s graduate trainees at an interactive session in a viral video.
The financial institution organised a Graduate Management Accelerated Programme graduation ceremony on Thursday, and the former banker was in attendance.
During a question-and-answer session, one of the graduating trainees stood and called Mr Elumelu by his first name, Tony.
“Good morning, Tony,” she said.
Mr Elumelu initially thought the lady meant to say Toyin, but she repeated “Good morning, Tony,” a development the UBA chairman was not happy about.
He quickly responded by saying, “No, you won’t call me Tony. You’ll call me Mr Elumelu or TOE. You won’t call me Tony, or Chairman. I don’t subscribe to that kind of… Oyinbo life, okay?”
Though without offering any apology for the error, the female graduate trainee subsequently corrected herself, saying, “Good morning, Mr Elumelu,” before proceeding with her question.
The video clip from the event has already generated mixed reactions, with many happy that the business mogul quickly rebuffed the lady.
They described her as rude, fearing she could lose her job for being disrespectful to the chairman of the organisation.
However, some others said calling colleagues by their first names in a corporate ecosystem is not new, as such happens in the banking sector.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has promised to return the payment of subsidies for premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, if he is elected President in 2027.
Mr Atiku is seeking to become Nigeria’s President next year. He is contesting for the position under the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The presidential election is slated for January 16, 2027.
Answering questions in a trending interview on social media, the former second citizen of the country said the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu in 2023 has not done Nigerians any good.
According to him, the economy has been in shambles, noting that the subsidy removal is responsible for high living costs in Nigeria.
On Wednesday, the Minister of Finance, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed that the nation saved about N15.8 trillion between June 2023 and December 2025 from the policy, noting that over N10 trillion was made available to the 36 state governments and the 774 local government areas from the savings.
But the ADC presidential candidate was not impressed with this explanation, stressing that there is nothing to show for the purported gains of the policy.
“I initially did not oppose the removal of the fuel subsidy. But now that it has been removed, where is the money? Where has the subsidy money gone? Has it been used to improve healthcare, education or security?” he queried.
“If I win the presidential election, I will restore the subsidy. And anyone who stole Nigeria’s subsidy funds must return the money,” he declared.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Army has arrested 18 suspected illegal miners at a mining site in Izom, Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, recovering equipment and N2.47 million in cash from the operation.
The suspects were arrested by troops of the 102 Guard Battalion during a routine operation in the area, where the soldiers reportedly discovered unauthorised mining activities.
Following the arrests, the army handed over the suspects and recovered items to the headquarters of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals in Sauka, Abuja, in line with established inter-agency procedures.
The operation is part of intensified efforts by security and regulatory agencies to curb illegal mining, which has been linked to revenue losses, environmental degradation and the unlawful exploitation of Nigeria’s mineral resources.
Reacting to the development, the Commander of the NSCDC Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps John Onoja Attah, commended the Nigerian Army for what he described as a strong demonstration of professionalism and commitment to protecting the country’s mineral wealth.
“The Nigerian Army has once again distinguished itself through professionalism, discipline and patriotism. The swift arrest of the suspects and their prompt handover to the Mining Marshals reflect a commendable commitment to the rule of law and the protection of Nigeria’s solid mineral resources,” he said.
Preliminary investigations by the Mining Marshals indicated that the suspects allegedly operated without licences, permits or any affiliation with a registered mining company. Investigators also said they could not produce evidence of valid mineral titles or authorisation from the relevant regulatory authorities.
Items recovered from the mining site included motorcycles, pumping machines, crusher engines, communication devices and cash totalling N2,468,750.
Mr Attah said the Mining Marshals would continue to pursue individuals involved in illegal mining and strengthen intelligence-led operations against activities that undermine the formal mining industry and deprive government of legitimate revenue.
He added that the Corps, under its Commandant-General, Mr Ahmed Audi, remained committed to enforcing the provisions of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act and protecting Nigeria’s mineral resources from unlawful exploitation.
The Mining Marshals said the investigation had been concluded and that the 18 suspects were being processed for prosecution under the relevant provisions of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007.
