News
FG Moves To Tackle Food Export Challenges
Published
8 months agoon
By
Editor
The Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare have collaborated to tackle irregularities in the food export system.
The collaboration is also expected to encourage efforts to unlock the healthcare value chain for effective transformation.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja.
Oduwole spoke while receiving the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Muhammad Pate, who was on a courtesy visit to her office.
READ ALSO: Why FG’s 2022 Financial Statement Is Delayed – AGF
Also on the courtesy visit was the Director-General, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the two ministries with their management, met to address some issues on irregularities in the exportation of food, areas on unlocking healthcare, and other important issues.
Pate said that the issues have been lingering between the ministries and needed to be tackled effectively.
He said that the issues were important to the two ministries, adding that the effort was to support President Bola Tinubu in his agenda towards transforming the country.
“This meeting is bringing two sectors that are ordinarily not closely connected. But there are specific things that have prompted me to reach out, which has to do with the exportation of food and its regulation. The second element is the role of the regulatory body, NAFDAC, in constraining or enabling the trade that we have across various borders.
“The third issue is the regulatory function links to our efforts to unlock the healthcare value chain. These are issues that have been lingering, and I thought we should use this opportunity to come together since we are all on the same team,” he said.
The minister said that the determination was to ensure that Nigeria achieved greatly in those areas in the long run.
Oduwole, while responding, said that both ministries would start working on areas of unlocking the healthcare value chain.
She said that the issues were very vital and required effective measures to be tackled.
“I was briefed about the draft policy and medical devices of syringe and needles manufacturing in Nigeria.
“We have to identify the areas and resolutions, and to identify areas of the ministry’s concern on the draft policy document and were we supposed to emit in further meeting with my ministry.
“The meeting is to discuss how to deliberate on the merit and demerit of the policy, as well as the issues of manufacturing. They are indeed under the eight-point agenda of Mr. President,” she said.
The NAFDAC DG said that Nigerians needed to change their mindsets in the area of the exportation of goods, adding that those regulatory agencies should regulate effectively.
According to her, the effort will help to avoid the embarrassment of rejection of our goods.
Earlier, the Technical Aide to the Industry, trade, and investment ministry, Temiloluwa Oluokun, mentioned some of the issues lingering in the ministry.
According to him, one of the issues from the regulatory reform programme was the denomination of permit fees in Naira.
“Some elements of those fees are not denominated in local currency.
“It is good to progressively shift all the fees to the local currency to protect our exporters from exchange rate altogether,” he said.
Oluokun said that another recurring issue that required urgent attention was the timeline for processing certificates and private sector participation.
“The recommendations are clear to revisit the export regulation 2024 with very wide industry consultation to balance oversight with efficiency altogether,” he said.
The Director, of the Federal Produce Inspectorate Service, Mr. Dafang Sule, appealed to the health ministry to assist in training some officers on the use of equipment to address the persistent pesticide residues in sesame seeds.
NAN reports that after long deliberation, the two ministries agreed that a team would be set up to address the issues discussed.
They said the team would schedule a meeting soon to check and revisit the issues for final resolution
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News
Sanwo-Olu makes U-turn, Unblocks Lawyer Who Sued Him Over Blocking On X
Published
4 hours agoon
September 13, 2025By
Editor
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has unblocked human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, on X after a meeting with him at Lagos House, Marina, on Friday.
The lawyer, who had accused the governor of rights violations, announced the development in a post on his X account on Saturday.
According to him, Sanwo-Olu personally invited him for a brief meeting to address his complaints.
“Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has unblocked me on X (Twitter). I met briefly with him yesterday at Lagos House Marina, on his invitation, to amicably resolve my complaint of human rights violations. We will continue to hold authorities accountable, regardless. Aluta continua!” Ogun wrote.
READ ALSO:Lawyer Sues Sanwo-Olu For Blocking Him On X
Tribune Online reports that Ogun had earlier filed a suit against Sanwo-Olu at a Federal High Court in Lagos, accusing him of violating his fundamental rights by blocking him on his verified X account.
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1739/25, which he shared on Facebook, the lawyer claimed the governor blocked him over his 2021 “constructive criticisms” and “demand for accountability” on the October 2020 #EndSARS killings.
“In 2021, I noticed that the Governor blocked me on his official X handle @jidesanwoolu owing to my constructive criticisms of his policies and demand for accountability in respect of the October 2020 #EndSARS Massacre.”
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Ogun said the action has prevented him from accessing vital government updates and information.
“Blocking me on X has prevented me from accessing public updates and receiving information about policies and governance in Lagos, which constitutes a violation of my right to receive information without interference,” he said.
In his originating summons, he asked the court to declare the move unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.
News
Tragedy Deepens As Prime Suspect in Taraba Student’s Death Found Dead
Published
5 hours agoon
September 13, 2025By
Editor
The investigation into the death of Comfort Jimtop, a 100-level Mass Communication student at Taraba State University, has taken a dramatic turn following the discovery of the lifeless body of Emmanuel Kefas, the prime suspect in the case.
Kefas’s body was discovered on Friday in the Tudiri community, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, under unclear circumstances, intensifying public concern and adding a tragic dimension to a case that has already gripped the university community and residents across Taraba State.
Confirming the development on Saturday, the spokesperson for the Taraba State Police Command, James Lashen, said the police received a report from the village head of Tudiri about the discovery.
READ ALSO:Army Kills Notorious Bandit, Babangida, In Kogi
“A lifeless body was found in Tudiri, and a Tecno Android phone was recovered beside it,” Lashen stated.
“Upon charging the phone, investigators found a photograph showing the deceased with the late Comfort Jimtop, suggesting they were in a romantic relationship.”
Lashen added that the body has been taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Jalingo for autopsy. At the same time, efforts are ongoing to officially identify the remains through the suspect’s family.
READ ALSO:Four Feared Killed As Gunmen Attack Burial Ceremony In Anambra
Police have yet to determine whether Kefas’s death was the result of suicide, homicide, or an accident. Investigations into both deaths are continuing.
Comfort Jimtop’s mysterious death had earlier sparked outrage on campus and across the state, with students and rights groups demanding justice. Kefas was named a prime suspect in the case, which remains open.
This latest development has left many unanswered questions and deepened the grief surrounding the case.
Students, residents, and civil society groups are closely monitoring the situation, calling on authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and bring clarity to the tragic chain of events.
News
Ossiomo, Chinese Impasse: This Is Our Story — Management
Published
7 hours agoon
September 13, 2025By
Editor
The management of Ossiomo Power Plant has cleared the air on the dispute between its Chinese partners and the circumstances surrounding the shutting down of the power plant early this month.
Representative of Ossiomo management, Engineer Festus Evbuomwan, during an interactive session with customers on the impasse between the two partners, said contrary to the rumour making the rounds, the management of Ossiomo Power Plant had paid over ₦2bn to its Chinese partner — Jiangsu Communication Clean Energy Technology (CCETC) — since the power plant started operation.
Recall that representative of CCETC who identified himself as Mr. ‘W’ had, during a telephone phone interview two weeks ago, claimed that “instruction to shutdown was because we lost lots of money and did not get any return on investment,” adding that “all the $20m investment was done by us including the distribution lines.”
But Evbuomwan during the interactive session, said the management was not aware of the $20m investment the Chinese partner claimed, just as he disclosed that “when they generate power, we sell and pay them.”
READ ALSO:Edo Govt Denies Shares As Ownership Tussle Rocks Ossiomo Power
He disclosed that after shutting down the power plant, the Chinese partners came up with a request of ₦185m to be paid to two Chinese not known to the management, stressing that this was declined.
According to him, the Chinese partner, having seen how lucrative the business is, “went to some quarters and raised some issues probably thinking they can manoeuvre us with the help of some big persons, so that they can use their machines to generate power and sideline us but this is not possible.”
“The Chinese partners also claimed that they borrowed $20m from their native land to invest, we are not aware of such investment, and we do not know where the money was invested up till now.
“They have been also saying they have not been receiving anything, but I want to tell you unequivocally that first, the partners run a joint account where their investment is going into. More so, The Chinese partners have received over ₦2bn so far for the power they generate with their machines. When they generate the power, we sell and pay them.”
READ ALSO: Five Years After, Edo Govt Reconnects To BEDC As Ossiomo Shut Down
Engr. Evbuomwan, while apologising to customers for the power outage caused by the dispute between the two partners, said Ossiomo had started power generation though not in full capacity, assuring that power generation would be fully restored soon.
“We have purchased turbines, and one have started working. They are working on the second one, so, by the time our five turbines start working we will be in full capacity. Even with that, those connected to the government may not be reached immediately. This is because the government bought the poles and contracted the wiring, and we cannot force the government to do our bid. Also, we are making efforts to site 33kva transformer along Airport Road and Lagos Road as soon as possible, so that our customers there will get power.”
He said the Edo State government does not have a stake in the company, just as he appealed to the “government to let us supply power to customers in through their Lines. I want to emphasise that Ossiomo is not completely shut down.”
He further urged the “government to encourage the Nigerian citizens to invest and not to work against local investors.”
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