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Kaduna To Spend Subsidy Fund On Security, Agric

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The Kaduna State Government said it would spend its allocation of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) on security and agriculture.

The Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Sa’idu Adamu, disclosed this to newsmen last week in Kaduna.

He was speaking after a special Executive Council meeting that deliberated on a report of the state Committee on Subsidy Reinvestment, headed by the Dep. Gov. of the state, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan.

Adamu said other sectors that had been identified for reinvestment included health, education, women and youth empowerment as well as the provision of infrastructure.

He said that a draft white paper on the utilisation of the fund submitted to the council was approved at the meeting.

“These are the aspects we intend to spend our own share of the revenue on. More details will be out when we roll out the programme,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Justice, Mr Kish Adamu, has said that some bills passed by the state House of Assembly had been assented to by Governor Patrick Yakowa.

Kish, told newsmen in Kaduna, that the bills included the Hotel Accommodation Levy Bill, Quality Assurance Bill and the Prerogative of Mercy Bill.

He also said that two per cent levy would be remitted to the state government per night for every customer from the services being provided by hotels and tourism establishments in the state.

According to him, the licencing of hotels and tourism establishments law has mandated the Ministry for Culture and Tourism to register and classify hotels in the state.

“It provides sanctions for any hotel that refuses to submit itself to be licenced. There will be a grace period for compliance in both laws,’’ he said.

According to him, defaulting hotels will pay a fine of N200,000 in addition to the sum due.

“Additionally, for every day that the offence continues, you will pay N10,000, and the hotel owner will be fined N50,000 or imprisonment for three months.

“For anybody who operates hotel for three months after the commencement of the law without complying with the requirement of the law, he would pay a fine of N100,000.

“And where the offence continued, he would pay a fine of N20,000 for everyday the offence continued. ‘’

On Quality Assurance law, Kish said the bill provided for the establishment of Quality Assurance Law Board to enhance quality of education,

According to him, the board will design a code of conduct and provide other details on the organisation of schools.

He said that the amended Prerogative of Mercy Act provided for the review of the membership of the state committee and other provisions to strengthen its effectiveness.

He explained that the penalty for breach of any regulation, would attract a fine of N10,000 and N5,000 for each day that the offence continued.

“They are strict penalties, we hope that nobody would fall foul of the law as we intend to strictly enforce compliance with the law,’’ he said.

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Association Woos Govt, Coys On  Boat Operators  Employments

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4 days ago

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June 12, 2026

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The leadership of Bonny Maritime Boat Association has called on Rivers state Government and oil companies operating in the state to provide sustainable employment to unemployed boat Operators.
The Association also want the government, companies and other relevant employers of labour to provide trainings for boat Operators to enhance their skills
Safety Officer of the Association, Comrade Kingdom Kingsley made this known in  a  telephone interview with  The Tide.
He noted that most of the boat Operators and owners plying Bonny route lacks jobs due to the fleets of boats introduced by Bonny Road Transport that had taken over the passengers to the Island
He noted that passengers are no longer patronizing boats owned by the Association, thereby rendering the operators redundant
“Most of our operators can not afford to feed their families due to no jobs, we don’t want to indulge in crime, government should fix our members with  sustainable jobs to take care of their immediate needs”
He called on oil companies operating in the state to engage their skilled boat Operators in their companies to reduce the sufferings faced by the Association.
The Safety Officer called on the state government  to made funds available to unemployed youths in the state to start up business than roam the streets.
He noted that provision of funds to youths would reduce crime rates and reposition their mindsets for a better life
“The  youths of Rivers state are suffering, have no job to feed their families, thereby indulging in criminality daily”
“The youths need empowerment,  jobs,  recreational facilities and better things of life as citizens of this Nation”, Kingsley said.
CHINEDU WOSU
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FG Approves $1 Bn AFCFTA Credit Facility For Nigerian Exporters

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4 days ago

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June 12, 2026

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The Federal Government has approved a whooping $1bn credit facility to support Nigerian exporters and small scale businesses to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in order to boost production, competitiveness and intra-African trade.
The $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility is also expected to address some of the financing gap being faced by Nigerian exporters and enhance the competitiveness of African businesses within the continental market.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed this  during the second quarter 2026 meeting of the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee held in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Obilor-Duru Okechi, Oduwole said the financing facility represented a major opportunity for Nigerian businesses seeking to expand operations, modernise production processes and increase exports to African markets.
The statement partly read, “?The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s export-led growth agenda under the African Continental Free Trade Area, unveiling opportunities for businesses to access a US$1 billion AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility aimed at boosting production, competitiveness, and intra-African trade.”
She noted that despite the progress Nigeria had made in implementing the continental trade agreement, many local businesses continued to face obstacles that limited their ability to take advantage of the single African market.
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“Many businesses still face challenges relating to export documentation, certification, standards compliance and market access,” the minister said.
She explained that the Federal Government was addressing these bottlenecks through enhanced trade facilitation measures, simplified AfCFTA guidance tools, stakeholder engagement programmes and stronger collaboration with institutions such as the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
Oduwole stressed the need to strengthen Nigeria’s legal and regulatory framework by domesticating key AfCFTA protocols, particularly the Digital Trade Protocol, to position the country as a major player in Africa’s growing digital economy.
The minister also highlighted some of the gains recorded in Nigeria’s AfCFTA implementation efforts.
According to her, the expansion of Nigeria’s Air Cargo Corridor Initiative to Rwanda, increased collaboration with development partners and private sector players, as well as sustained engagement with state governments, were helping to deepen awareness and participation in the continental market.
In her welcome address and first-quarter update, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mrs Patience Okala, provided details of the financing initiative.
Okala said the $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility was targeted at large African businesses with a minimum financing capacity of $10m.
She revealed that the National AfCFTA Coordination Office was working closely with fund managers to facilitate access for eligible Nigerian companies and had begun assembling a pilot group of businesses to ensure that Nigeria maximised the opportunities provided by the facility.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NIWA Harps On  Avoidance Of Leaking Boats

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4 days ago

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June 12, 2026

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The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has advised Nigerians against boarding boats that require constant bailing of water in the interest of their safety.
 NIWA Area Manager for Cross River and Ebonyi, Mr Stanley Onuoha gave this warning in an interview with Newsmen in Calabar.
Onuoha who spoke on waterway
safety, said that passengers should take responsibility for their safety by inspecting boats before embarking on any journey.
According to him, repeated scooping of water from a boat is a clear indication that the vessel may be leaking.
“If you are entering a boat and see people using a bailer to remove water, it is the first signal that the boat is leaking,” he said.
He urged passengers to check the integrity of boats, including seating arrangements and other visible safety features.
The Manager restated the importance of using safety jackets, saying that damaged jackets may fail during emergencies.
He further said that passengers should ensure that safety jackets were appropriate for their body sizes in order to guarantee effective flotation.
 Onuoha reiterated the need for passengers to fill manifests before departure to aid accountability during emergencies.
The NIWA official further advised travellers to monitor weather conditions and avoid boarding boats when the weather is unfavourable.
According to him, poor weather conditions can trigger strong tidal waves capable of affecting small boats commonly used on inland waterways.
He said that waterway journeys should be embarked upon between 6.00a.m and 6.00p.m for clearer visibility.
Onuoha said  the Authority had continued to sensitise riverine communities to the need for safety precautions during waterway journeys.
He stated that sustained awareness campaigns and enforcement measures had contributed to safety waterway safety in Cross River.
CHINEDU WOSU
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