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Lawmakers Sound Alarm Over Youth Joblessness in West Africa

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…push for strategic investment framework as unemployment deepen

By Gloria Ikibah

The Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has raised concerns over what they describe as a growing employment crisis, as the region grapples with soaring jobless rates, especially among young people.

At the opening of the Joint Committee on Administration, Finance and Budget, Public Accounts, Macroeconomic Policy & Economic Research, Industry and Private Sector held on Monday, June 16, 2025, in Monrovia, Liberia, delegates of the ECOWAS Parliament called for coordinated and immediate policy responses to reverse the trend. 

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The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima, represented by Fourth Deputy Speaker Billa Tunkara, cautioned that while economic indicators in some member states show growth, the lack of jobs remains a serious vulnerability.

Tunkara referenced data suggesting that unemployment levels across the bloc average around 15%, with some countries recording youth unemployment rates as high as 30%. He warned that without decisive steps to stimulate investment and improve job creation, the region risks further instability and stalled integration efforts.

“We cannot afford to allow this issue to fester. It touches directly on the future of our communities and the cohesion of the region”, he said

The ECOWAS Parliament’s meeting is centred on “Assessing the Effectiveness of the ECOWAS Investment Policy (EIP) as a Panacea for Addressing the Rising Levels of Unemployment.” 
 
The EIP was adopted with key pillars including fostering a conducive investment climate, promoting regional market integration, enhancing investment in high-employment sectors like agriculture and manufacturing, supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and leveraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
 
While there has been “encouraging progress” in investment flows, including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and some policy reforms across member states, the impact on overall employment levels remains “relatively modest.”
 
The Speaker pointed to several critical challenges impeding the full realisation of investment potential:
 
Limited Institutional Capacity: Many member states lack the robust institutional frameworks needed for effective policy implementation.
Inadequate Infrastructure: Poor infrastructure remains a significant barrier, slowing economic diversification and efficient investment.
 
Limited Access to Finance: SMEs, crucial engines of job creation, often struggle to access affordable finance, limiting their growth and ability to scale.
 
Mismatch of Investment: Investments have not consistently targeted high-employment sectors, leading to a disconnect between capital inflows and actual job creation.
 
Uneven Distribution: Investments are often unevenly distributed across the sub-region, exacerbating disparities in development and job opportunities.
Quality of Jobs: Even where jobs are created, they often fall short of standards for “decent work,” highlighting a need for more targeted strategies.
Path Forward: Strategic Enhancements for Job Creation.
 
To transform the ECOWAS Investment Policy into a truly effective instrument against unemployment, the Parliament is calling for significant strategic enhancements:
 
Targeted Investment: Prioritise aligning investment flows with employment-intensive sectors such as agriculture, agro-processing, light manufacturing, and services, placing job creation at the core of all investment strategies.
 
Stronger Institutions: Strengthen the institutional capacity of both national and regional bodies to effectively monitor, implement, and enforce investment policies, creating a more predictable environment for investors.
 
Access to Finance for SMEs: Facilitate access to finance through regional funds, credit guarantee schemes, and specific incentives for SMEs and entrepreneurs, recognising their pivotal role in innovation and employment.
 
Infrastructure Development: Continue investing in critical infrastructure and connectivity to reduce operational costs, improve logistics, and enhance market access, making the region more appealing to investors.
 
Skills Development: Place greater emphasis on skills development and entrepreneurship, aligning education and vocational training with market needs and empowering youth and marginalised groups.
 
Deepened Regional Cooperation: Harmonise regulations and eliminate redundancies to foster a more integrated investment space, thereby facilitating cross-border investments and maximising the region’s collective potential.
 
Private Sector Engagement: Foster an environment that allows entrepreneurs to thrive, leveraging public-private partnerships and involving civil society and international organisations to mobilise resources and expertise.
 
The Speaker therefore all participants to engage openly and constructively, viewing the meeting as “not merely as an advocacy exercise but as a strategic platform to recommit ourselves to transforming policies into tangible realities, creating jobs, empowering youth, and fostering resilient economies across our beloved sub-region.”
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Buhari’s minister, Sylva finally dumps APC

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Ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has dumped All Progressives Congress (APC).

His resignation was contained in a letter dated August 31, 2026, addressed and electronically transmitted to the APC Chairman of Ward 4 in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

In the letter, Sylva accused the ruling party of abandoning the ideals on which it was founded, saying he could no longer remain in the party.

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He also described the APC as a floundering ship whose fate appears irredeemable by the load of its iniquities.

The resignation letter were also sent to the National Chairman of the APC, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Bayelsa State Chairman of the party.

The former Governor of Bayelsa State said his decision followed extensive consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and sympathisers.

“Having consulted widely with my family, associates, colleagues and sympathisers, I wish to formally tender my resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), with immediate effect,” he stated.

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Sylva, who described himself as a founding member of the APC, accused the current leadership of abandoning the ideals that initially attracted him and other Nigerians to the party.

He said their actions have shown that the basic standards of morality and decency have been abandoned by the leaders who now believe that ‘all is fair in politics.’

“As a founding member of the APC, and one who joined other well-meaning Nigerians in building the Party with sweat and money, it is deeply saddening to witness how the ideals we espoused have been so thoroughly and unrecognisably thwarted.

“Moreover, I cannot, in all good conscience, continue to belong to a Party whose leaders believe that ‘all is fair in politics,’ and have consistently demonstrated that belief in practice.

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“All cannot be fair in any endeavour of life. The demands of basic decency and morality forbid it,” he said.

Sylva alleged that the current APC leadership and the federal government have disappointed a lot of Nigerians.

“The present Government, formed under the banner of the APC we once loved, has disappointed the vast majority of Nigerians. And I can see neither a credible attempt nor any possibility of a revamp.

“I am therefore left with no other choice than to jettison a floundering ship whose fate appears to have been sealed by its irredeemable load of iniquities,” he said.

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The former Governor called on Nigerians to vote out the APC in the 2027 elections and free the country from a political stronghold.

“I have no doubt that, in the coming election, Nigerians will vote for Nigeria and free the Country from this stranglehold on our beautiful country,” he stated.

He also accused the EFCC of conducting itself like an arm of the APC rather than an independent institution of state.

Sylva acknowledged that his resignation could expose him and his associates to increased scrutiny or investigation by the anti-graft agencies and other security forces.

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“I am deliberately putting the EFCC in copy of this letter because, of late, it has conducted itself more as an organ of the APC than as an institution of State.

“I am fully aware that this action of mine may invite a redoubled witch-hunt against me and my associates, but that is a risk I am willing to take,” he stated.

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SAD! Unknown gunmen k!ll popular comedian, Aiza in South East

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Unknown gunmen have struck in Awka, the Anambra State capital, killing popular comedian Isaac Nwosu, a.k.a Aiza, and one other person.

The ace comedian, who was gunned down with the other victim on Sunday, August 30, 2026, is widely known in Awka and its environs by both residents and politicians who hired him during campaigns to promote their candidacy.

He came to limelight in the political field of Anambra State in 2003 when he threw his weight behind former Governor Peter Obi during his battle in court to return to office.

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The Anambra State Police Command has condemned yesterday’s killings in the strongest terms. The Command in a statement this Monday morning by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said it has intensified the ongoing manhunt for the perpetrators.

It called for the support and cooperation of members of the public to assist in bringing the suspects to justice.

According Ikenga, information gathered so far reveals that three unidentified persons, travelling in a silver-coloured Toyota Corolla, with registration number yet to be ascertained, reportedly shot two persons at separate locations within Awka.

He said: “Upon receipt of the distress information, Command operatives immediately mobilised patrol teams to the affected areas and commenced efforts to track down the assailants.

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“Upon arrival at the scenes, the operatives recovered the bodies of the victims along Capital City Road, Amaenyi, and S.M. Okeke Street, Amaikwo, Awka, respectively. The victims were taken to a hospital, where they were subsequently confirmed dead by medical personnel.

“While one of the victims is yet to be identified, the second victim has been identified as Isaac Nwosu, male, also known as “Aiza.”

The operatives also recovered from the scenes the sum of N7,550, one Moniepoint ATM card and a pair of slippers”, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, has condemned the dastardly act and described the killings as unacceptable and a direct affront to the peace and security of the State.

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He further directed the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, for discreet and comprehensive investigation, even as security operatives have intensified patrols, surveillance and intelligence gathering across Awka and adjoining areas.

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Wike’s message is clear: Open your hands for people to enable you rise (Video)

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Federal Capital Territory FCT minister Nyesom Wike has said it all, if you want to rise you must open your hands for people.

He said: “Politics is sacrifice. You cannot get to where I am today if your hands are tight.

Open your hands for people. People made us to be what we are today, open your hands for them.”

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