News
Oil Theft: Otuaro Pledges PAP Support For Defence Team
The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, has assured the Defence Headquarters Joint Monitoring Team of PAP support on their mandate to curb crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta.
Otuaro, who stated this when the joint monitoring team led by Major General Jamil Jimoh paid him a courtesy visit at the PAP Office in Abuja, on Thursday, noted that the joint monitoring team deserved support towards reducing the menace of illegal oil bunkering, and attacks on critical oil assets.
The PAP helmsman, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Igoniko Oduma, said the Office was willing to work with the joint monitoring team.
He stressed that it was part of the mandate assigned to him by President Bola Tinubu in the government’s determination to address the challenges in the region.
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He expressed delight that the country’s oil production output had reached 1.8 million barrels per day due to the intensified fight against crude oil thieves and pipeline vandals.
Otuaro added that he was confident the increase would be sustained.
Otuaro said, “I know that the essence of the PAP is for national and human security in the country and the region. We are going to work with you at any time. It’s part of the things we can do within the mandate given to me by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Based on that, we will collaborate with you to ensure the eradication of oil bunkering and other related activities in the Niger Delta. The country’s oil production output is on the rise and has reached 1.8 million barrels per day as announced sometime last week by the NNPCL. We are confident that it will increase more than that.”
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He said the PAP was vigorously implementing the reintegration phase of the programme through initiatives in formal education, vocational training, and post-training empowerment of delegates, beneficiaries and women while also deepening stakeholders’ engagement for sustainable peace and stability in the region.
Otuaro further told the joint monitoring team that with more funding, the programme’s expanding scope would be better managed and administered in the strategic interest of national security and stability.
Earlier, the leader of the team, Major General Jamil Jimoh, had solicited the support of the PAP to enable them to do their work very well and explained that the visit was part of the team’s tour of the Niger Delta to interface with stakeholders.
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He applauded the PAP administrator for working hard to ensure sustainable peace and stability in the Niger Delta, stressing that Otuaro’s knowledge of the region was an asset to maintaining peace and stability in the area.
Jamil said, “We have been in the Niger Delta, and we have met with some stakeholders. But we felt that it is very important that we also visit the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme that was established by Federal Government and had brought peace to the Niger Delta.
“The Administrator knows a lot about that general area. He knows the people, and what is happening there and he will guide us on some of the things we want to do.
“We know that he has been doing a lot to make sure things are happening underground in the Niger Delta to maintain peace and stability. So we decided to meet him and his team today.”
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.
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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).
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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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