By Gloria Ikibah

Senior officials from the governments of the United States and Nigeria, along with key business leaders from both countries, gathered in Abuja to mark the official launch of working group sessions under a new commercial and investment initiative. The gathering signals a renewed push to strengthen economic ties and foster cross-border collaboration in sectors critical to both nations.

The effort, operating under the United States–Nigeria Commercial and Investment Partnership (CIP), stems from a five-year Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2024 by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Nigeria’s former Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment. Designed to boost cooperation in trade and investment, the CIP seeks to create long-term economic benefits on both sides of the Atlantic.

The event featured remarks from Ambassador Richard Mills, the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria; Julie LeBlanc of the U.S. Department of Commerce; Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; and Ambassador Nura Rimi, Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s trade ministry. Together, they emphasised the importance of ongoing dialogue and cooperation to drive mutual prosperity.

Ambassador Mills noted that the initiative ranks among the top priorities during his tenure, and said its launch “demonstrates our commitment to building a stronger, more dynamic economic relationship with Nigeria.”

Discussions centered around three core areas: agriculture, digital innovation, and infrastructure. Working groups made up of private-sector representatives from both countries have begun mapping out action plans, identifying regulatory obstacles, and selecting leadership for ongoing engagement.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Middle East and Africa, Thomas Bruns, highlighted the strategic intent behind the partnership.

He said, “By aligning on key sectors, we’re not just exchanging ideas, we’re setting the stage for practical, lasting outcomes that support job growth and innovation.”

The two nations agreed to review progress twice a year and to continue exploring new areas for collaboration. The next formal CIP meeting is scheduled for the fall of 2025.

By Gloria Ikibah 

The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has reinforced its commitment to public sector transformation in Nigeria by serving as the Diamond Partner at the inaugural International Civil Service Conference (ICSC), which will be held in Abuja from June 25 to 26, 2025.

The Foundation’s involvement in the conference underscores its ongoing partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), a relationship rooted in years of collaboration aimed at modernising Nigeria’s civil service. Key initiatives from the partnership include the co-development of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP25), digital reform programmes, and large-scale civil servant training initiatives.

Executive Vice Chair of the Foundation, Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, said: “Our partnership reflects a shared vision of building a world-class civil service capable of delivering transformative iimpact. 

“We believe in the role of a strong public sector in shaping Africa’s future, and we remain committed to nurturing leadership and innovation within Nigeria’s civil service”.

One of the highlights of the Civil Service Week celebrations is the expansion of the Emily Aig-Imoukhuede Endowment Fund, which recognises excellence in public service. 

This year’s edition introduces two new award categories: the Presidential Civil Service Merit Award with a ₦500,000 cash prize and the EPIC Award from the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, offering ₦250,000. Since its inception, the Fund has distributed over ₦50 million in prizes to 111 outstanding civil servants.

In addition to recognition initiatives, the Foundation has played a central role in supporting the digitalisation of the OHCSF, a project that has sparked similar reforms across various ministries and agencies. Through signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs), the Foundation is working with other public sector institutions to extend these reforms and foster a digitally empowered civil service.

The upcoming conference will bring together public sector leaders from across Africa to exchange ideas, share reform strategies, and explore opportunities for cross-border collaboration. 

The event is seen as a milestone in Nigeria’s civil service reform agenda and a step toward positioning the country as a regional leader in governance innovation.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was holding, shortly after he lashed out at both countries and cursed as he accused them of violating the truce.

In a fast-moving series of declarations, the 79-year-old Republican, who was on his way to attend a NATO summit in The Hague, posted on his Truth Social app that “the Ceasefire is in effect!”

“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt,” Trump wrote.

Minutes earlier, he had castigated Iran and also close US ally Israel for violating a ceasefire he had originally announced late Monday.

The two countries have been “fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing, do you understand that?” the president told reporters at the White House.

Iran violated the ceasefire, “but Israel violated it too,” Trump told reporters on the White House’s South Lawn as he departed for the NATO summit.

“So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran either. But I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning.”

“I’ve got to get Israel to calm down,” he said. “Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before.”

Trump’s unusually public display of anger at Israel saw the US leader apparently trying to cajole his ally to call off warplanes in real time.

A man looks at items found in the rubble of a destroyed home in the northern Arab-Israeli city of Tamra, on June 24, 2025, days after an Iranian ballistic missile slammed into the neighbourhood. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)

Earlier the same morning, he had posted on Truth Social: “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS” — without it being clear which bombs he was referring to.

“IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”

If it holds, the truce would be a big political win for Trump in the wake of his risky decision to send US bombers over the weekend to attack three nuclear facilities in Iran that Israel and the United States say were being used to build an atomic bomb in secret.

The US leader had said the truce would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations first. He said Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.

Israel has been bombing Iran in an offensive that began June 13. The United States joined the attack with a mission starting overnight Friday to Saturday against the deeply buried Fordow complex and two other sites.

cease-fire-iran-israel

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump insisted that the US bombing mission was a success.

“I think it’s been completely demolished,” he said, savaging US journalists for “fake news” and calling two networks “scum” for reporting that it remains unclear whether the Iranian nuclear infrastructure was truly dismantled.

“IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!” he posted separately on Truth Social.