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By Gloria Ikibah

The Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called for urgent policy reforms to strengthen Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), describing them as the backbone of the region’s economy and a critical driver of job creation, innovation and regional integration.

The call was made at the opening of the Joint Committee meeting on Industry and Private Sector, Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research, Administration, Finance and Budget, and Public Accounts on Monday, in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.

The meeting is focused on developing strategies to empower MSMEs as formal drivers of regional value chains.

Speaking on behalf of the joint committees, Co-Chairperson Hon. Alhagie Darbo said MSMEs play a central role in the economic life of West Africa but continue to face major challenges because many operate outside the formal sector.

He said: “Across our region, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises constitute the backbone of local economies. It generates employment, stimulate innovation, promote entrepreneurship, empower women and young people, and facilitate cross-border trade.

“Yet, despite their enormous contribution, a significant proportion of these enterprises continue to operate informally, limiting their access to finance, markets, technology, business support services and legal protection.

“It is estimated that the informal sector accounts for nearly 90% of economic activities and employs not less than 60% of our labour force across member states.

“While this demonstrates the entrepreneurial spirit of our people, it also highlights the urgent need to create enabling policies that encourage formalisation, improve productivity and integrate MSMEs into regional and continental value chains.”

Darbo stressed that empowering small businesses goes beyond economic growth, describing it as an essential tool for reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development across the sub-region.

He urged lawmakers and stakeholders to focus on practical reforms capable of removing barriers that continue to limit the growth of small businesses.

“As representatives of the peoples of West Africa, we have a collective responsibility to identify practical policy measures that will remove barriers confronting MSMEs and unlock their full potential. Formalising and strengthening these enterprises is not merely an economic imperative; a pathway to sustainable development and poverty reduction.

“Distinguished Members and other participants, the adoption of ECOWAS Vision 2050 provides us with a clear strategic framework for transforming our Community into a peaceful, prosperous and fully integrated region driven by its people.

“Achieving this vision requires stronger institutions commitment, including enabling business environment where MSMEs can thrive, compete and participate effectively in regional and beyond”,  he added.

He also challenged participants to ensure the meeting produces practical recommendations capable of transforming the region’s business environment.

“Our discussions over the coming days should therefore move beyond identifying challenges. We must focus on developing practical recommendations that will support harmonised policies, improve access to finance, enhance digital transformation, facilitate intra-regional trade, strengthen productive capacities, and promote the participation of MSMEs in regional value chains under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“I am confident that the wealth of experience represented in this room including Honourable Members, policy experts, representatives of the private sector and development partners will generate insightful discussions and actionable recommendations capable of advancing the economic transformation of our Community”, Hon. Darbo stated.

Declaring the meeting open, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, represented by the Second Deputy Speaker, Hon. Adjaratou Traore Coulibaly, described MSMEs as indispensable to the region’s economic growth and development.

She noted that strengthening small businesses would not only improve livelihoods but also contribute to tackling insecurity across the region by creating more opportunities for women and young people.

The Speaker observed that empowering entrepreneurs through targeted support and favourable policies would help reduce unemployment, promote inclusive growth and strengthen social stability in ECOWAS member states.

The week-long meeting is expected to produce recommendations aimed at harmonising regional policies, improving access to finance, promoting digital innovation, strengthening intra-African trade and expanding the participation of MSMEs in regional value chains under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Participants expressed optimism that implementing the outcomes of the meeting would strengthen the economies of ECOWAS member states, improve regional competitiveness and position West Africa as a stronger player in the global economy.

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By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the alleged operation of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) and the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) also heard fresh testimony from the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, who explained how a letter purportedly issued by the State House enabled the controversial council to obtain official administrative recognition.

Presenting his report, Ogunjimi said the Office of the Accountant-General first interacted with the council in November 2024 after receiving a letter dated November 7, 2024, requesting the creation of an administrative code for budgeting, accounting and reporting purposes.

He explained that the office followed established procedures by creating the administrative code and notifying the State House while copying the Office of the Auditor-General.

Subsequently, the office received additional requests relating to self-accounting status, Treasury Single Account (TSA), domiciliary accounts, staff deployment and funding.

Despite processing some administrative requests, Ogunjimi stressed that no public funds were released to the council.

“It is important to note that no funds were released under salaries, overhead, capital, or any form of intervention or special allocation to the council,” he told lawmakers.

He disclosed that although the council requested an establishment grant of N27.4 billion, the request was never approved because there was no budgetary provision for it.

He also explained that while the Central Bank of Nigeria opened two domiciliary accounts for the council, they never became operational because regulatory conditions were not met.

However, the most significant revelation came when Ogunjimi informed the committee that the original correspondence requesting the administrative code was later discovered not to have originated from the State House.

“The letter that was received by the Treasury. was respectfully addressed as coming from the State House.

“That letter was never issued by the State House”, he said.

The disclosure prompted lawmakers to describe the correspondence as a hijacked State House letter allegedly used to mislead government agencies into recognising a non-existent institution.

The Accountant-General further explained that two Treasury officers originally deployed to the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser in 2010 and 2013 remained there after the office was allegedly taken over by the new council because no formal notification was sent to his office.

“It was never assumed or written to us that those two officers were being taken over.

“The staff also never reported to the office to say that another council had taken over the office and the name had changed.

“As far as I was concerned, we were dealing with a new agency, not the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser,” he said.

He added that when the council later requested five additional officers, only three were approved because officials considered the organisation too small to justify the number requested.

“It was when all this matter came to light that I got to know that two of our staff were actually working or being absorbed by the agency.

“We never knew. We believed, based on the records available to us, that those officers were still with the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser,” he said.

The House committee is expected to continue its investigation on Wednesday when Adeyemi is expected to appear before lawmakers to respond to allegations surrounding the operation of the purported presidential council and the alleged forgery of official government documents.

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Hon TeeJay Yusuf a three-term former member of the House of Representatives on Monday threw a surprise 50th birthday party for his almost two decades aide, Mr Sunny Omotolu.

Unknowingly to Sunny his boss had sent him to his Guzape site of 25/11eatates for an inspection as a decoy.

On returning to the office at about 1.30pm Sunny received a shocker as his colleagues, family members, friends of his boss from House of Representatives, the construction and management secor were already waiting for him.

Suddenly Sunny realized that there has a family coup to surprise him by celebrating his 50th birthday.

It was indeed a birthday bash filled with glamour as family members, his childhood friends, classmates and friends of his boss poured encomiums on Sunny giving vivid details about his transparent lifestyle and exhibition of courage when it matters most.

Engr Bidemi Olabayo said his halmmark is consistency laced with honesty,” I am careless with figures but Sunny is always there to fix the figures right anyday anytime.

Arc Steve Adamu, too had lovely things to say as he he described him as a very honest person.

Barrister Chuma Chinye, a former Commissioner in Rivers narrated the story of one Emma who derailed after a good start and cautioned Sunny not to follow that trend as it will rubbish all his good deeds.

Hon Olufemi Sunday popularly known as Lagata hailed Sunny as one man that can with little or no supervision.

Hon Dum Dekor also poured encomiums on Sunny describing him as a delightful and deligent aide.

Bolaji Afolabi a senior colleague to Sunny also declared that he never regretted recommending him to Teejay as his PA 16yearas ago.

His boss Hon TeeJay penciled an emotional birthday message to Sunny which he read at the event.

Hear him:
“When I won the election, I had invested about 10 years of my life consciously serving God and trying not to do certain things.

“And different names came for PA. And I was saying the first thing that he must be a Christian.

“So that even when I’m tempted to do certain things, I can’t send my PA.

“I have known him before then. We were in the same neighbourhood. In fact, we were neighbours. And I have known him with my younger ones.

And when he became a Christian, and I don’t know if you have this, I was living in Area 1 then. If I have new thoughts, I have a new opinion, I have a new thing I read that catches my eye, I drive to Area 1 to sit with him and begin to share new stuff with him.

So it was very easy for me to transit from that relationship and make him my PA. And a lot have been said? I don’t know how to transfer money.

“So if I have money, I would rather you pay it to him than pay it to me. Because if you pay it to me, if you have any pressing thing to do, I don’t know how to transfer. Why? Because I have somebody, it was him and my wife that had those, my hospital card, my account number, I don’t know my account number.

“So when my wife passed, it became only him. So when I was 50, I said this man won’t like this kind of level, he won’t do elaborate parties, but we will just celebrate this thing and let him realise that we appreciate him.

“This office runs because God equips him and energises him. There was a day we were here, I don’t know what happened. I wanted to do something. I said Sunny has gone home, there is nothing we can do. It was on Friday and they said Sunny has gone home.

“Like you said, the PA job is open-ended. But there are some, you regret calling them on that kind of assignment. You wouldn’t want to call them.

“At every point in time, when you call him, he’s giving his best. That’s why I say I’ve been privileged. I don’t know what would have happened to me because I’m not that detailed about certain things.
Money, you know what? I’m not talking about money.

” Anything you say, it is as good as done. I just call I want to buy this colour of dress. I don’t choose the material. I don’t choose the design. I don’t choose the tailor. I just love the material I wear.

“Even if I don’t remember, he remembers that, come, you need to change your wardrobe. So, I don’t bother about the costs or the price or what have you.

” All I know is that he will bring me, you see a lot of log sheets, give me this one, this one.
And I recollected that at a point, I just started building, I had a client. I do real estate. I’m not doing that business. Before I came here, when I was running my election, I had about three clients.

“One had the house in …. He doesn’t even live in the house he is a Kano man. If I do any transaction with this man, the money is always with me. He spent it on me.

“He had the house in Maitama. And so, 2006, he wanted me to sell the house for, I guess it’s 40 or 50 million naira. I innovated the house. I sold the house for one hundred and something million naira. And he was shocked as of that that I brought him his money.

“I pay for DSTV. I pay for children’s school fees. If he wants to spend money, maybe he has an investment he wants to pay some money for. He will take me to Kano to show me. As if wants to convince me to release his money. His property in Asokoro, the same one is with me.

Anywhere he has property, I have the C of O, it’s with me. If you are not dealing with me, if you want to buy his property, he will just give you a note. Do transaction with TJ and pay him, and if you cannot pay him, don’t buy my property.
So when I saw that, I said, oh, it’s God. Because I didn’t know I was on the level.

“The only time I saw Sunny broke down in tears was a point I had a reason to doubt something about him. We where in the office and something happened and I was angry with everybody.

“I came back and saw him in serious tears that I could doubt him. He invested so much into his honesty.

“So Sunny has been very, very, very, very loyal, dedicated, committed young ones. So, I sent this message to him on his birthday. I want to read it because when I woke up that day, it took me time before I sent the message.
I said, I don’t just want to wish you a happy birthday.

” I want to tell him something because it’s common with us, almost all of us. We do not remember to appreciate people that work with us or work for others. We take it for granted. And we think that it is normal. It is not normal, I’m guilty of it.

“But that morning, God reminded me. I said, Happy Golden Jubilee Sunny. Thank you for your loyalty, dedication, steadfast love. As you celebrate this milestone, I pray that this new season marks the beginning of greater glory.

“May God establish the work of your hands. Enlarge your influence. Grant you divine favour. And surround you with peace.
May every door he has ordained for you open.

“Every delay give way to acceleration. And may you walk in uncommon wisdom, strength, good health, and lasting joy.
Your best years are ahead of you. Happy 50th birthday. And may the Lord continue to bless and keep you.

“Madam, thank you too because all this we say, if you do not have peace in the home front. I tell people that one of the greatest …