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People’s Parliament Honours Minister of Steel with Special Tribute

Published

3 years ago

October 20, 2023

By our Correspondent

The People’s Parliament Network (PPN), in Kogi, paid a courtesy visit to the Honorable Minister of Steel, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, at his residence in Lokoja, Kogi state on Thursday, October 19, 2023.

During the visit, the group extended their congratulations to the Minister on his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Minister of Steel. They presented him with a portrait frame picture, a T-shirt, and exercise books. The exercise books, featuring the Minister’s picture on the cover, were intended to be mass-produced and distributed to school children in Kogi schools as a tribute to his role.

The Speaker of the Parliament, Comrade Musa Samuel, expressed gratitude to the Minister for granting an audience to the People’s Parliament and outlined the group’s core objectives, emphasizing their commitment to equity, fairness, and justice in Kogi state. He also extended an invitation to the Minister to become the Patron of the group.

In response, the Minister expressed his appreciation for the visit by the People’s Parliament and thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the privilege and honor of appointing him as Minister of Steel. He emphasized the potential of Nigeria as a country and a land of opportunities and stressed the need for hard work to correct various issues in the country. The Minister pointed out that the largest steel plant in West Africa is located in Kogi State, specifically in Ajaokuta LGA.

He acknowledged the challenges faced by the Ajaokuta Steel plant, which had been a long-standing issue despite previous administration’s efforts to revive the industry.

The Minister, however, highlighted that the President was committed to revitalizing Ajaokuta Steel and was actively working with a technical team to achieve this goal.

He urged all Nigerians to come together with prayers and support for the success of Ajaokuta Steel, emphasizing that its revival could generate approximately 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, including opportunities for members of the People’s Parliament Network.

The Minister also encouraged the People’s Parliament and the people of Kogi state to support the APC government, expressing President Tinubu’s dedication to preventing the state from falling into the hands of the opposition. He informed them about an upcoming Kogi Unity Consent event in Kogi state at Muhammadu Buhari Square in Lokoja, primarily aimed at fostering peace and harmony among the youth and ensuring peaceful, credible, and successful elections.

The Minister called on the group to support the APC in the forthcoming rally across the state, expressing confidence in the party’s chances of winning the governorship election.

He concluded by highlighting that the APC in the state had been founded by his late father, the former Governor of Kogi State, Late Prince Abubakar Audu. He expressed his unwavering commitment to the party, emphasizing that those who didn’t understand his roots might consider switching to another party.

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AWESSA 2026: Customs Assures Border Cooperation for Women Entrepreneurs

Published

8 hours ago

October 25, 2026

The Gleamer

By James Samuel, Abuja

The Nigeria Customs Service has said the nation’s borders must become gateways of opportunity for African women entrepreneurs, not obstacles that kill their businesses.

This was disclosed at the African Women’s Economic Sovereignty Summit and Awards (AWESSA) 2026 held at the Customs House, corporate headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service in Abuja.

Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, his representative, an Assistant Controller, said hosting the summit inside Customs premises was deliberate.

“That this summit holds within the Customs premises is no accident. It is a statement of intent,” he said.

“The border is where the promise of every African trader either comes alive or dies quietly. And the men and women of this Service have resolved that for every woman entrepreneur of this continent, that promise will never die.”

He said women account for an estimated 70% of informal cross-border trade in Africa and over half of agricultural labour, yet they face documentation, standards, finance and harassment challenges.

“Too often she meets the border as an obstacle rather than a gateway. Because she trades in small volumes, in cash, in informality without formal papers, capable business women are now trapped in informality, invisible to trade statistics,” he noted.

He added: “AfCFTA will not be delivered by treaties alone. It will be delivered at border posts, in conference halls, and in market stores.”

Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, represented by a Director, said women are central to Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.

According to her, NEPC’s focus is now on building export- ready competitive enterprises through programmes like the Women in Export Initiative, Export Clinic, and Zero to Export.

“Our focus is no longer on encouraging exports alone, it is on building competitive export-ready enterprises. We are supporting women to move beyond production into value addition, quality assurance, standard compliance, branding and market positioning,” she said.

She said AfCFTA offers a market of over one billion people, but women need knowledge, certifications and institutional support.

“Empowering women economically is one of the most effective tools for achieving poverty reduction, food security, job creation and inclusive growth,” she stated.

The Convener, Helen Okon, who is the Publisher of Business Review Africa & Africa Today Magazine, as well as representatives of NAFDAC DG and NEXIM Bank MD, reaffirmed commitment to supporting women-owned businesses access standards, certification and finance.

The summit, with the theme of positioning women as drivers of trade and sustainable development, is part of activities marking the International Year of the Women Farmer.

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