Vice President Kassim Shettima, speaking at the Nigeria Economic Summit in Abuja, expressed deep empathy on behalf of himself and President Bola Tinubu for the hardships Nigerians are facing due to the government’s economic reforms.

Despite the challenges, Shettima stated that the reforms are crucial to achieving sustainable growth.

“Our hearts go out to Nigerians, especially the poor and young, enduring difficult times,” Shettima said. “But we have no option if we must return Nigeria to the path of sustainable economic growth.”

He emphasised that Nigeria’s economy has been volatile, over-reliant on oil, and unable to create enough jobs for the country’s rapidly growing population. To address this, Shettima outlined the government’s focus on diversifying the economy through sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and the digital economy.

He also highlighted the government’s efforts to support small and medium-sized businesses, improve infrastructure, and remove regulatory bottlenecks. Shettima noted that the administration has introduced single-digit interest loans for manufacturers and a new credit corporation to offer consumer loans to workers.

On security, the Vice President stressed the government’s commitment to combating terrorism and banditry, while also implementing fiscal reforms like subsidy removal and debt management to stabilize the economy.

Shettima urged collaboration between the public and private sectors to overcome Nigeria’s economic challenges, adding that the Nigeria Economic Summit serves as a platform to foster dialogue and drive actionable recommendations for growth and stability.

“The challenges are significant, but they are manageable,”

Shettima concluded. “With the right policies, partnerships, and cohesion, Nigeria can emerge stronger, more competitive, and resilient.”

Tinuade Ladoja, one of the wives of the former governor of Oyo State and the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Rashidi Ladoja, has died.

She passed away at the age of 71 on Monday morning after a brief illness.

The media aide to former Governor Ladoja, Adeola Oloko, confirmed her demise in a telephone interview with PUNCH Online in Ibadan, the state capital.

Oloko said, “Yes, it is confirmed. She is dead. May God repose her soul.”
Until her demise, Tinuade was an influential member of the Pastor-in-Council of the Celestial Church of Christ, the highest decision-making body of the church.

The CCC Ikeja Parish 1 Cathedral, the parish she attended, also confirmed her death in a post on its Facebook page.

In the Facebook post, the church wrote, “It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

“We submit to His will. #farewell.”

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Monday, approved the sum of N77,000 as the minimum wage for the lowest worker in the state, and the payment takes immediate effect.

This decision was revealed after a meeting of the state Government led by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi, and the leadership of the Organised Labour in Ogun state, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and the Joint Negotiating Council to discuss the implementation of the new minimum wage.

Talabi said, “The meeting is at the instance of Governor Abiodun, who has directed that no worker in the state should earn less than N77,000 starting from October.

“The governor means well for the people of the state and has proactively taken steps to further ameliorate the suffering of the people.”

He added that “the governor has also advised the organized private sector to take a cue from the policy, as their workers are not exempted from the economic realities in the country, to improve the living standards of people in the state holistically.”

The SSG also noted that Abiodun has therefore advised that the private sector should dialogue with their relevant stakeholders to arrive at a commensurate minimum wage for the sector while he will set up a monitoring team to see how it is implemented by the private sector to ensure no one is short-changed.

On his part, the state NLC Chairman, Hameed Benco, said the organised labour in the state is very pleased with the governor having approved the N77,000 in consultation with labour leaders, which today is the highest in the country.

Benco noted that some states that have implemented the new minimum wage are paying N70,000, while some pay N70,250 or less, adding that the other sectorial salaries will be affected accordingly.

He also mentioned that the government has graciously approved the submission of labour and that the new basic salary should not be taxed.

In the same vein, Comrade Akeem Lasisi of the TUC and his counterpart, Comrade Isa Olude of the JNC, commended the government for being worker-friendly, while they noted that consequential adjustments for pensioners and other matters will be announced after due consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

In his reaction, Ogun State Head of Service, Mr Kehinde Onasanya, said the approval of the generous minimum wage for workers underscores the responsiveness and sensitivity of the Governor and the government to the plight of the workers and the general populace of the state.

Onasanya expressed optimism that the gestures by the government will further boost the morale of the workers in committing themselves to the implementation of the government’s policies.