News

FG to start paying youth unemployment benefits to graduates, sets up consumer credit programme

Published

1 year ago

February 27, 2024

ADMIN

By Emmanuel Agaji

The Federal Government on Monday said it would extend its social security payments net to graduates with qualifications from NCE and upwards.

Addressing journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Monday, the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Wale Edun, disclosed that the programme would see unemployed Nigerian youths being paid stipends.

“At this period of heightened food prices, Mr. President has committed to doing all that can be done to assist in giving purchasing power to the poorest and in that line.

“He has committed and instructed that the Social Security unemployment programme be devised, particularly to cater for the youth, for the unemployed graduates, as well as the society as a whole.

“So, we have coming, in the nearest future, an unemployment benefit for the young unemployed, in particular,” the Minister announced.

Similarly, Edun said the FG will urgently establish a consumer credit scheme to alleviate the pains of economic adjustment.

He explained that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, will lead a committee that includes the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, the Attorney-General of the Federation and himself, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

“There is coming a social consumer credit programme. By making consumer credit available, goods become more affordable, the economy even gets a chance to revive faster, because people have purchasing power that allows them to order goods, products,” he stated.

Edun also spoke on the review implemented by the Special Presidential panel on the National Social Investment Programme, which has submitted a preliminary report to the president.

He noted that the president gave the highlights to the Council meeting noting that what was done was “a review of the existing mechanisms, a review of the existing programmes, and where there have been successes, such as the 400,000 beneficiaries of the GEEP programme.”

He added, “So, the direct payments to 12 million households comprising 60 million Nigerians is to resume immediately with the important proviso that every beneficiary will be identified by their national identity number and the bank verification number.

“Therefore, payments will be made into bank accounts or mobile money wallets. So, that whether it is before or after, there is verification of the identity of beneficiaries.

“Each person that receives 25,000 Naira for a total of three months will be identifiable, even after they have received the money, it will be clear who it went to and when it went to them. And that is the big change that has allowed Mr. president to approve the restart of that direct payments to beneficiaries programme.”

On his part, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijjani, explained that beneficiaries would be vetted through their Bank Verification Number and National Identity Numbers to avoid multiple payouts to one individual.

He said, “One of the initial moves that we’re making is leveraging the existing dataset that we have on our people. As you know, the BVN is well known to be extremely credible. NIN on the other side, which is now the most popular data identity system for Nigeriansm, is also to a largest and credible, and it covers quite a significant number of people as well.

“And what we’re looking to do here is the triangulation of this data set to ensure that not only are we using the register that has been properly populated, but that we also do proper verification of every individual that will benefit from that social investment programme, which means we will get commitment to ensuring that no one is paid twice, because you have to be properly IDed before you can benefit from that programme.”

News

Civil Service Week: Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation Strengthens Public Sector Reform Efforts

Published

5 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Gloria Ikibah

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.

News

“I am not happy Iran, Israel violated ceasefire deal -Trump declares

Published

6 hours ago

June 24, 2025

ADMIN

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.

News

Just in: Senate extends 2024 budget cycle to December 2025

Published

6 hours ago

June 24, 2025

ADMIN

A bill for an Act to amend the 2024 Appropriation Act to further extend deadline for the capital component of the Act and for other related matters 2025 was passed into law by the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday.

The bill was passed into law by the Senate after it passed third reading, following a motion moved by Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, that was seconded by Minority Leader, Abba Moro.

The Nigerian Senate, during a plenary session presided over by Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, amended the 2024 budget and further extended the deadline set for implementation of the capital component from 30 June 2025 to 31 December 2025.

A bill for an act to amend the 2024 Appropriation Act to further extend the capital component of the Act from 30th June 2025 to 31st December 2025 and for other related matters 2025; third reading taken and passed,” the Deputy Senate President declared.