News

Edo: ERA Trains Women Impacted By Deforestation, Industrial Plantation Expansion

Published

2 years ago

October 31, 2024

Editor

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo|Benin

In an effort to provide alternative sources of livelihood for dwellers of communities impacted by deforestation and industrial plantation expansion, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, in Benin organised a one-day workshop for women in such impacted communities.

The one day workshop: ‘Promoting Solidarity Economy. Building Resilience,’ attracted women from no fewer than 15 communities spread across six local government areas of Edo State. The women numbering 30, were trained on Snail farming, mushroom cultivation, and soap making, with the potential to grow into a thriving local economy powered by women.

Speaking during the workshop, the Interim Administrator, ERA/FoEN, Rita Uwaka, said the workshop was aimed at empowering and supporting women from impacted communities through a structured learning and healing programme that would equip them with information on environmental issues, their rights, and their struggles with support for alternative livelihood options.

A cross section of women during the training.

Uwaka, who lamented that the impact of deforestation and industrial plantation expansion in the Niger Delta region has impacted every aspect of life, said this makes it more necessary to train and empower the women, whom she described as most affected, on alternative sources of livelihood.

“Women in these communities are particularly vulnerable, facing violence, disruptions to their livelihoods, health hazards, displacement, and increased gender inequalities. This workshop addresses these challenges by providing a supportive learning, healing, and empowerment environment,” she said.

She continued: “The once lush forests that provided for us are disappearing, taking with them resources that have sustained us for generations. We face challenges in providing for our families, accessing clean water, and in holding onto traditions that are rooted in the land. These are not just environmental losses; they are also social and economic ones.”

She expressed her organisation’s commitment to building a solidarity economy where every impacted community woman has skills, resources, and a support network that values her contributions and ensures her sustainability.

The women being trained on soap making.

According to Uwaka, the one day workshop was not just to train the women but also to “provide a safe space for emotional healing, resilience building, and a collective solidarity economy for women impacted by deforestation and land grabs for industrial plantation expansion in Edo State.”

The Interim Administrator, while assuring the women that they would not be left alone after the training, disclosed that “a modest grant will be given to all impacted women by Environmental Rights Action.”

Uwaka, while advocating for women and the environment’s rights, stated: “Women’s rights are human rights; Plant Actions are not Forests. People Before Profit. We are Hurting. Save Our Forests. Avert Climate Crisis.”

Giving testimony on how her community has been impacted and suffered, Deborah Omoruyi of Ora community said: “Multinational took over our farm, now we don’t have land to farm. We go to other communities to rent land as high as N70,000.00 to farm. And once you delay in renewing your rent, they threaten you with quit notice.”

Osaremen Jimoh, from Odiguetue community also lamented that due to deforestation and industrial plantation expansion, they have no land to farm, adding that this is their major livelihood.

The trainees thanked ERA/FoEN for giving them the opportunity to acquire skills for alternative source of livelihood.

News

Transfer: Premier League Clubs Scramble For Dele-Bashiru

Published

5 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Lazio midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is a subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports.

Lazio reportedly rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for the Nigeria international in January.

La Biancolesti are bracing for more interest in Dele-Bashiru ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Serie A club.

The attacking midfielder joined the Rome-based club from Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayspor in 2024.

He has been a regular feature for Lazio this season.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses

Published

6 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.

A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.

“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.

“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.

“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.

News

N5m, N10m Zero-interest Loans: SheVentures Opens Applications For Women Entrepreneurs

Published

8 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

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.

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).

“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.