Featured

NADCEL 2022 GRANDFINALE : PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI LAUDS ARMY PROFESSIONALISM

Published

4 years ago

July 6, 2022

…….HAILS NA NATIONAL DEFENCE CAPABILITES

The Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces  , President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the  Nigerian Army's strategic pivotal role within the reinvigorated Military Jointness in  Combating insecurity  across the nation.

President Buhari stated this in a message to the grandfinale of the 2022 Nigerian Army Day Celebration, NADCEL held in Owerri, Imo State where he was represented by the Minister of Defence Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd) as special guest of honour.

He said since inception of the Force in 1863, precisely one hundred and fifty -nine years ago, it has transformed into a highly professionalised, disciplined Force to be reckoned with at regional and global levels.

President Buhari proudly recalled the gallantry of the Nigerian Army in expeditionary operations especially in the first and second World wars, Nigerian Civil War as well as:Army’s post – independence- Exploits in regional and global peace keeping efforts.

While appreciating the Services and sacrifices of our heroes past and those still alive, he thanked officers and soldiers for their unalloyed loyalty to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In his address Imo State Governor ,Hope Uzodinma appreciated the leadership of the Nigerian Army for choosing his Area of Responsibility for the hosting right of NADCEL 2022.
While appreciating the Nigerian Army for its sterling performance as a fighting Force, Governor Uzodinma said the hosting of top Military hierarchies has improved the internal security architecture of Imo State .

The Chief of Army Staff Lt General Faruk Yahaya in his opening address described 6th July of every year as an epochal historic date to commemorate the end of the thirty months Nigerian Civl war in 1967.

Lt Gen Yahaya said under his watch the Service has been repositioned to deliver robustly in meeting its constitutional mandate.
He appreciated serving and retired officers and soldiers for their sacrifices in defending the nation’s territorial integrity.
While warning officers and soldiers to remain apolitical he assured the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces that respect for Civil authority is unshaken and that it will be
resolutely guided.

The representative of the special guest of honour, General Magashi inspected the guard, reviewed the parade, visited the Research and Development R&D pavilion and presented awards to deserving officers and Personel as well as presented Hilux vehicles to some warrant officers.

Share on Facebook

Featured

Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold

Published

5 days ago

October 28, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.

The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.

Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.

According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.

“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.

“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”

The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.

Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.

“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.

Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.

Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.

He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.

Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.

He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.

To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization

Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.

Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.

“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.

In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee

is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.

The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Share on Facebook