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Shettima restates FG’s dedication to workers’ welfare, wage reforms
*Applauds Nigeria’s Labour movement, assures ILO chief of nation’s inclusive labour policies
Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed the Nigerian government’s dedication to the welfare of members of the organised labour, inclusive economic policies, and wage reforms.
According to the Vice President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to a thriving workforce and an efficient labour ecosystem.
Speaking on Thursday during a meeting with a delegation led by the visiting Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mr Gilbert Houngbo, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Muhammad Dingyadi, Shettima lauded what he described as Nigeria’s vibrant labour movement and its role in national development.
He said, “We have a very vibrant labour movement, led by a competent and patriotic Nigerian. President Tinubu is deeply passionate about the welfare of Nigerian workers. We raised the minimum wage, and most states have started implementing it.
“Some have even gone beyond the N70,000 agreed at the national level. I commend the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for their statesmanship and commitment to workers’ rights.”
The Vice President noted the global workforce transformation and Nigeria’s potential to bridge talent gaps, citing the country’s youthful population as a major advantage.
He said, “One in four black men is a Nigerian, and by 2050, we will surpass the United States to become the third most populous nation on earth. The average age in Nigeria is 16.9 years. We have a demographic bulge, but with the right policies, we can transform it into a demographic dividend rather than a demographic disaster.”
Shettima expressed confidence in the country’s future workforce, saying, “Our young people are digitally more literate than us. While some traditional jobs may disappear, new opportunities will emerge, and we will equip our youth with the skills to thrive in the evolving global economy.”
The Vice President told the ILO chief that the Nigerian government remains committed to inclusive labour policies, fair wages, and economic growth.
“We will continue to engage with our friends in the labour movement to ensure progress. We are all patriots and partners in building a stronger Nigeria,” he stated.
Shettima assured the ILO delegation that President Tinubu, whom he described as an activist himself, would be briefed on their requests upon his return to the country.
He said, “We are all patriots and partners in progress. The President is very much at home with the labour ecosystem.”
Earlier in his remarks, the ILO DG, Mr Houngbo, thanked the Vice President for receiving him and the delegation, noting that his visit to the country as DG was long overdue, particularly given the strategic importance of Nigeria in the ILO, including the period between June 2023 and June 2024 when it presided over the affairs of the ILO Board of Directors.
Recalling and appreciating Nigeria’s support for his election, Mr Houngbo said, “Without the mobilisation of the government of Nigeria and social partners in the country, my election would have been very difficult. Nigeria mobilised a lot of the African constituents in ensuring my election as DG.”
He further said his visit had afforded him the opportunity to interact with ILO’s social partners in Nigeria, including the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and others, noting that their discussions were fruitful.
He appealed to the Federal Government to speed up the finalisation of the reform of the labour code, even as he sought the support of the Vice President for the revival of the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC), a forum for social dialogue amongst the tripartite constituents.
“We believe that, given the dynamism of the labour market in Nigeria, its population, ambition and role in Africa, having the NLAC revived will really be beneficial to all,” he added.
Other dignitaries present at the meeting included the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkiruka Onyejeocha; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Salihu Usman; Director General, National Directorate of Employment, Mr Silas Agara; Director General, National Productivity Centre, Hon. Baffa Dan Agundi; the Director General, Michael Imoudu Institute for Labour Studies, Comrade Isa Aremu; President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and the 1st National Deputy President of the Trade Union Congress, Dr Tommy Etim-Okon, among others.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Nigerian singer Speed Darlington is calling for a rematch against Portable after losing to him in a celebrity boxing match.
Speed Darlington was knocked out in the second round, and he’s unhappy about the outcome.
In a video, he claimed Portable didn’t deserve the win and the prize money, saying he had plans to use the money to build a swimming pool for his community in Imo State.
Portable, I want a rematch. E dey pain me say you dey carry all that money dey go. E dey break my heart.
” I want a rematch. It’s so unfair. You have up to two experience before me and you fight. I never enter ring before. I did not come from poverty,” he said.
“You don’t deserve that money. E dey pain me. I want to build swimming pool for my villagers. I need a rematch, Portable”, he said.
According to Speed Darlington, Portable had an unfair advantage due to his experience, accusing him of using supernatural means to win the fight.
He also claimed he suffered a shoulder injury during the match despite not feeling tired.
Speed Darlington, who wants a rematch, said he needs 30 days to prepare better
At first glance, there is nothing unusual about the bulky bulldozer turning up soil at a testing site in central Israel, but as it pulled closer it became clear: the driver’s cabin is eerily empty.
This is the Robdozer, a fortified engineering vehicle manned remotely, and in this case operated from a military expo halfway across the globe in Alabama.
Army engineers and military experts say that the Robdozer — the robotic version of Caterpillar’s D9 bulldozer — is the future of automated combat.
The Israeli military has used D9 for years to carry out frontline tasks like trowelling roads for advancing troops, removing rubble and flattening terrain.
But since war in Gaza broke out in October 2023 and later in Lebanon, the Israeli military has increasingly deployed this robotic version in a bid to enhance its field operations and reduce the risks to its troops.
“The idea is to eliminate the person from the cockpit of the dozer,” said Rani, whose team at the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries developed the Robdozer.
An unmanned D9 bulldozer digs up a field during a demonstration to the press at the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) quarters near Tel Aviv on March 26, 2025. Israel’s increasing use of advanced technology on the battlefield, from air defence systems to a broad range of AI-driven intelligence tools, has been well-documented but also criticised for inaccuracies, lack of human oversight and potential violations of international law. (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)
During the Gaza war, the military has increasingly opted for the unmanned version, which can carry out a full range of tasks “even better than a human”, said Rani, using his first name only for security reasons.
While such vehicles and other systems are currently operated by humans, future versions could be autonomous, raising ethical and legal concerns over the unchartered future of warfare being shaped by the Israeli military in the Gaza war.
‘Changing the paradigm’
Israel’s increasing use of advanced technology on the battlefield, from air defence systems to a broad range of AI-driven intelligence tools, has been well-documented but also criticised for inaccuracies, lack of human oversight and potential violations of international law.
Analysts say the growing Israeli deployment of the Robdozer reflects broader global trends towards automation in heavy combat vehicles, like remote-controlled personnel carriers that operate much like drones.
An Israeli military official, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, told AFP that the army has been using “robotic tools for over a decade, but in very small numbers. Now it is being used in large-scale warfare”.
Nigerian chess sensation and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, has broken the chess marathon record of 61 hours, 3 minutes, and 34 seconds, set by two Norwegian players, Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad, in June 2024.
Onakoya and his chess partner, Shawn Martinez, are currently aiming to complete a 70-hour chess marathon in Times Square, New York.
The marathon, a four-day non-stop gameplay, started on April 17.
In a post shared on X shortly after surpassing the current record, he expressed fulfillment and called for action to educate and create opportunities for street children in Nigeria.
For all the dreamers! We’ve officially BROKEN THE RECORD with my brother,” he wrote.
Although the official confirmation from Guinness World Records is still being awaited, Nigerians and chess lovers from different parts of the world have congratulated the chess master on his latest achievement.
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