News
Amnesty Partners NPA, Restates Commitment To Tackling Unemployment, Restiveness
The Presidential Amnesty Programme has been repositioned to tackle unrest and unemployment in the Niger Delta by empowering youths in the area with requisite skills.
Interim Administrator of the Programme, Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd), disclosed this during a courtesy call to the Nigerian Ports Authority in Lagos.
While soliciting the partnership of the authority for some of its programmes, especially the Deep Sea Diving School in Rivers State, Ndiomu who was received by NPA’s Managing Director, Mohammed Bello-Koko and other management team, said he has had to redirect the programme to its primary objective of boosting the capacity of youths in the Niger Delta.
“When I took over in September 2022, I discovered that the programme had been drifting away from the core objectives of why it was established. I have to redirect the vision towards the initial concept, which is essentially to build the capacity of the teeming restive youths in the region. Like they say, ‘an idle mind is the devil’s workshop’. When these boys are jobless, what do you expect from them? They engage in criminal activities, including pipeline vandalization, piracy and other activities which affect the economy,” he said.
READ ALSO: We’ve Repositioned PAP To Tackle Unrest, Unemployment In Niger Delta — Ndiomu
He said the Amnesty Programme has five vocational centres, which were established with different specialisations such as in Agadagba in Ondo state aimed at training youths in oil & gas related activities; another in Bomadi, Delta state with the objectives of building capacity in energy related activities while the one in Rivers state is for deep sea diving training.
While lamenting that the centre in Boro town, Bayelsa state was vandalised after its completion, Ndiomu solicited technical support as well as long-term strategic collaboration in utilising one of the jetties of the NPA for the deep sea diving school in Rivers state.
“I want to solicit your support and assistance with a view to use of one of your jetties in Rivers state which we can develop further together for the purpose of the deep sea diving school and other related marine training. This is one area we can get the youths to create sustainable livelihood.
“These boys are willing to learn. Many of them have been trained but sadly, they are unemployed. I don’t think this is in the best interest of the country. We have been managing them by paying them the recommended stipend monthly but it is not the right way to go because we are indirectly encouraging the culture of indolence and dependency. It is not something we should encourage in our youths, rather we should give them the opportunity to be self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the economy,” he added.
The MD of NPA, Bello-Koko, who commended Ndiomu for boosting the capacity of youths in the Niger Delta, said the programme has helped in addressing unrest in the region.
READ ALSO: Ndiomu Visits NIMASA DG, Seeks Opportunities For Youths In Maritime Industry
He assured the PAP team of the willingness of NPA to provide technical support and other assistance needed for the success of the deep sea diving school. He said the authority has improved activities in the ports in the region as a way of gainfully engaging the youths through provision of jobs.
“For us in NPA, we have tried to improve activities of our ports in the region as a way of tackling restiveness because with these activities, jobs are created and the youths are engaged. We will work with you to give you all the support you need. We’ll work with you to see any available jetty for the purpose you want to use it for. When it comes to deep sea diving and other marine related training, we have experienced staff here that we can always send to you to offer training and advisories whenever the need arises.
“We have tried as much as possible to have a very good working relationship with the host communities in the Niger Delta. We have seen a reduction in restiveness because of what you have been doing as well as our engagement with the host communities. We also seek your support when you are engaging with the communities around the port locations; they need to realise that their action and inaction will determine how viable the ports are,” he said.
News
N5m, N10m Zero-interest Loans: SheVentures Opens Applications For Women Entrepreneurs
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to ₦10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.
The facility provides loans ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million under a general category, and ₦5 million to ₦10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.
At the centre of the offering is a 0% interest rate, with all charges embedded in a transparent structure.
Repayment is structured over four or six months, allowing businesses to match obligations with their cash flow cycles.
READ ALSO:I’ve Been Blacklisted In Music Industry For 13 Years – Seun Kuti
Yemisi Edun, Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.
“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively.
“Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.
This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs.”
“Access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs,” said Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
READ ALSO:My Beef With Wizkid Is For Life – Seun Kuti
“By removing the cost barrier and offering quick, flexible funding, this zero-interest loan is designed to safeguard existing jobs, enable businesses to invest in growth initiatives, and foster resilience in challenging economic conditions.”
Women-owned businesses account for a significant share of Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises but continue to face high borrowing costs and limited access to credit.
Through these efforts, SheVentures tackles persistent financing gaps facing women-led businesses, combining targeted funding with broader support to empower women entrepreneurs, encourage business innovation, and enhance their ability to compete on a national scale.
Applications for the zero-interest loan are now open.Apply now.
News
Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria
Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.
He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.
READ ALSO:South Africa To Investigate ‘Mystery’ Of Planeload Of Palestinians
“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.
He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.
“When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.
READ ALSO:South African Ambassador Found Dead Outside Paris Hotel
“We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.
DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.
News
IGP Orders Officers Display Name Tag On Uniform, Gives Update On State Police
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Tunji Disu, has ordered all police personnel to always have their name tags on their uniforms for easy identification.
Disu disclosed that only police personnel who are undercover are exempted from displaying their name tags.
Speaking on Tuesday, Disu said: “All police officers should have their name tags. All of us on the high table have our names apart from the undercover among us so if you look at all the Commissioners of Police we have our name tags, so it’s not our standard.
READ ALSO:
“All the Commissioners of Police are here and that is why we called this meeting, we have list of things like this that we will want to discuss with the Commissioners of Police, we have told them earlier and we will still let them know that every that happens within their area of jurisdiction falls under their control.”
On the issue of state police, the IGP said: “Since we got the signal that the Federal Government of Nigeria intend to establish State Police and since we are the federal police, we decided to take the bull by the horn and put down our own side of what we believe on how the state police should be run.
“A lot of things were taken into consideration, a lot of comparative analysis was done and it has been transmitted to the National Assembly.”
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