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Umar Farouq Flags Off Rural Women Cash Grant In Adamawa, Says Women Are Household Pillars

Published

6 years ago

December 18, 2020

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq has described rural women as pillars of the family and the bedrock of small businesses which contribute in no small measure to the economy of the nation.

The Minister made the remark when in Yola on Thursday, December 17, 2020, when she launched the Federal Government’s Rural women Cash Grant.

The Minister who was represented by the Director Humanitarian Affairs, Alhaji Ali Grema noted that the program had changed lives of many enterprising rural women who invested the N20,000 grant in their petty businesses with a turnover profit.

“Transfer and grants are some of the methods used by the government to empower the poorest members of our communities. Since its introduction in 2016, it has impacted positively on the lives of the poor and vulnerable persons in Nigeria.

“I thank President Muhammadu Buhari for his support at enabling us to implement this noble programme specifically for women who are the pillars of our households”.

Umar Farouq noted that 16,988 Poor and Vulnerable Households In Adamawa state have been captured under the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, one of the numerous Social Development Programmes with beneficiaries from Gerei, Numan, Hong, Gombi Lamurde, Shelleng, Mubi North, Song, Maiha, Tongo, Michika and Madagali

Earlier, the Focal Person, Social Investment Programme in the state Mrs Mary Yuwadi stated in her remark that many graduates, undergraduates, micro-business owners as well as farmers have benefited from federal government’s various Social Investment Programmes.

“Adamawa women welcome and appreciate this gesture because it is a development to encourage women to start their own businesses and make a living. I see this as an investment stimulant to start a business. Adamawa women are hard-working and we assure you that they will make good use of the money”.

At least, 4,500 rural women in Adamawa state will receive a one-off cash grant of N20, 000 each to encourage household financial and asset acquisition and also engage sustainable livelihood.

Over 150,000 poor rural women across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory will benefit from the programme.

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

Published

23 hours 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.

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