News
Solid Minerals: We’re Set to Implement Tinubu’s Agenda – Minister
The newly sworn in Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, said his team is set to implement President Bola Tinubu’s directive in line with the mandate of the sector.
The Minister, who assume duty at the Ministry headquarters on Monday in Abuja, however said that he has a roadmap to be unveil in the days ahead for the sector.
Alake said: “Having worked with Mr. President in his cabinet as a commissioner for eight years, I understood what results are, and we are here to achieve results. I believe we can do it with all hands on deck.”
“We won’t allow bottlenecks to stifled our set goals, it’s either you shape in or you ship out. If you can really sit down to listen, you would understand that, Hydrocarbon is fading out and the attention of the world is shifting to solid minerals. So, we must get it right.”
Also, the Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, said it was time to move the country to the G-20 industrialized nations.
He said, “The mandate of Mr. President is to ensure that we get it right in the steel sector and as a young ministry, we would work towards the production of steel in the country in no distance time. We are set to kick start the Ajaokuta steel machine and Nigeria can not afford to fail in steel production.”
News
AWESSA 2026: Customs Assures Border Cooperation for Women Entrepreneurs
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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