The Tinubu administration just rolled out an urban farming training scheme in Lagos through presidential aide Yejide Ogundipe, teaming up with UNESCO REF and the Police Officers' Wives Association. The whole thing connects to a 500 billion naira fund from the Produce for Lagos initiative that kicked off earlier this year, and participants apparently get paid every couple of weeks from their harvest sales. Ogundipe said the program backs female farmers as critical players in keeping the country fed.
UNESCO REF head Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan made it clear that this is capacity building rather than handouts, claiming it will eventually spread nationwide. Lagos POWA chair Risqat Jimoh mentioned trainees get Tier 2 certificates that...
Nigeria's maritime regulator, NIMASA, and Tanzania's shipping agency, TASAC, just signed an MoU on the sidelines of an IMO General Assembly meeting. NIMASA boss Dayo Mobereola and Tanzania's IMO rep Devotha Edward Mandanda put pen to paper, with the deal covering surveillance coordination, seafarer training programs, cabotage rules, and digital system integration between the two countries.
Mobereola said the partnership pushes forward Africa's maritime development through better monitoring capabilities and knowledge sharing. Mandanda called it a turning point for regional cooperation that should boost governance and build stronger institutions.
The signing had NIMASA's board chairman, Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar, and other officials...
Cross River State just locked down a public-private partnership with Mesotho Group to build the Calabar Ultramodern International Market in the Esit Ebom community. Commerce Commissioner Abigail Orok said the whole thing has been Governor Bassey Otu's pet project since he took office, and the deal finally got signed after Mesotho beat out other bidders. CEO Jerry Joseph Damara confirmed his company does market development, and he asked the state to back them up since they're coming from Abuja.
The new facility is supposed to have a jetty, solid security, and water views when it opens in about two years. They've already grabbed over 40 plots for the site, and different trader categories will get their own dedicated sections.
Orok...
Some energy advocacy crew called the Forum for Energy Accountability went after the House of Representatives for basically turning NNPC into a punching bag with back-to-back investigations that make foreign investors nervous about putting money into Nigerian oil and gas. President Ebikeme Jonathan-Ogula from the group said multiple committees keep summoning executives for overlapping probes that dig up nothing new, while scaring off capital that the country desperately needs.
The forum pointed out that lawmakers have every right to check on public companies, but flooding NNPC with redundant hearings during a sensitive reform period just makes the whole sector look unstable and unpredictable to outside money.
Jonathan-Ogula told House...
Osun State petroleum regulator Kunle Adeyemo from NMDPRA told gas station owners to quit hoarding fuel or messing with pumps during the holiday season, while warning locals against stockpiling products at home because of fire risks. The agency coordinator said supplies are solid across depots nationwide, and monitoring teams will catch anyone running scams like short-dispensing or adulterating product.
Adeyemo mentioned operators who get busted pulling shady moves will face consequences, while the federal government has made enough petroleum available to last well past the festive period. He pushed residents to stick with certified facilities instead of sketchy operations.
Nigerian Breweries boss Thibaut Boidin wrapped up the EDGE training program in Lagos after hitting 360 retail partners and sub-distributors across 12 regions with business skills since July. The brewing company built the whole thing after customers kept saying they were drowning trying to manage finances and keep operations running while shops kept closing left and right.
Tom Associates CEO Temitope Jegede ran sessions on balance sheets, cash flow tracking, and inventory management apps that people admitted they had been screwing up for years. Retailer Awesu Ahmed said the free inventory software fixed gaps he never knew existed, while Juliet Nwafor mentioned the bookkeeping modules would help her actually track daily transactions...
Jesufemi Adeogun from New Chip Technology told reporters at Ikeja Club that government policies look decent on paper but completely miss what small businesses actually need to survive. The CEO pointed out how entrepreneurs at Computer Village and Alaba International Market burn cash on generators because the power grid is trash, and even basic cell service barely works in spots, generating massive revenue daily.
Adeogun wants officials to pump infrastructure subsidies into these business hubs and maybe grab minority stakes in successful local companies the same way they did with Dangote Refinery. He mentioned that tax breaks sound great until business owners get slapped with penalties because nobody told them they still need to file...
Cross River Governor Bassey Otu locked down World Bank backing for a maritime training program that gives locals the technical chops to work in Nigeria's blue economy sector. Deputy Governor Peter Odey showed up at the Calabar launch and said the state's long coastline makes it perfect for cashing in on marine resources. Presidential adviser Busayo Fakinlede called Cross River a strategic player because of its coastal setup and fishing output.
The training covers modern maritime skills like port operations, fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal tourism while handing out globally recognized certificates. Governor's adviser Melodie Lebo said participants get access to internships and job opportunities through the World Bank partnership...
Nigeria rolled out 40 electric buses in Abuja through the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, with Gas Minister Ekperikpe Ekpo backing the clean energy push. PiCNG boss Ismael Ahmed said these vehicles will hit the streets by next week to cut transportation costs during the holiday season, and the program plans to power charging stations using CNG instead of relying on the grid.
Ahmed broke down how the initiative expanded over 20 months by building 58 refueling stations across 28 states, training over 6000 people, and landing more than $2 billion in investment commitments. The next phase targets local manufacturing of CNG equipment at Ajaokuta Industrial Park and more charging infrastructure along major highways...
