General News
FG will stop borrowing to finance budget if it develops solid minerals sector-Sen Ogoshi
Senator Onawo Mohammed Ogoshi represents Nasarawa North, Central Senatorial district in Nasarawa state has maintained that Federal government would have no need engage in external borrowing to finance budget if it develops our rich solid minerals sector.
In this interview with IGNATIUS OKOROCHA, the lawmaker speaks on other issues of national importance.
Distinguished, your colleague, Senator Kenneth Eze is celebrating his birthday anniversary today. As a friend of the distinguished Senator,what do you have to say about him?
We thank God for his life. We felicitate with him for coming this far in his political sojourn
and we are thanking God for what he has done in his life. He is chairman of a committee that is leading us well.He is a team player and he is somebody that I always like to associate with because any leader who seeks an opinion of those he is leading to be able to lead them well, is somebody that you would always like to learn from.I wish him well and pray that he continues to age with grace. I want to assure him that as a young man, this is just the first step of the steps he is going to be climbing and the skey by the grace of God, will be his starting point.
Distinguished, you are from a state that is richly endowed with solid minerals but we are not exploring this huge potentials and Nigeria has been operating a mono-crop economy and this is why the whole nation is suffering today. what is your impression?
My impression is for the leadership of the nation to begin to have a rethink. Oil will soon become a thing of the past, everybody is now thinking towards green energy. Green energy is being generated by solid minerals and the earlier the government begins to give the solid minerals sector attention to develop, the better for the country
The effort being made to keep the oil sector afloat, if half of it is given to solid minerals sector, this country would not have to go and borrow money from anywhere. Just look at how much is a barrel of oil?
A barrel of oil is above $80 whereas one gram of solid minerals that you can just put under your finger nail is about 80 something. And so if you have one kilo of gold today, you are taking about eighty (80,000) something thousand dollars not Naira. So, if we could harness what we have, this country will be better for it and fortunately for us, every local government in Nigeria, (there are about 774 local government areas in Nigeria)have one form of solid minerals or the other just needs to be harnessed.
All this concentration on oil and the degradation of land that people can not fish, people can not farm within the oil region, will be a thing of the past. You can easily reclaim land that is dug to bring out a solid minerals. You can’t do that with oil. So, our government should understand where the world is tinting to. There so many countries that do not have solid minerals
They only have one or two major minerals.
What about renewable energy?
Renewable energy or green energy, I just explained that it is sourced from solid minerals. For instance Nigeria has large quantity of bitumen in every part of the country. This particular mineral has made some individuals very rich. Most people don’t even have it in their country and as such they come to Africa to buy it in large quantity.
So, why don’t we harness what we have. They come to Africa and harvest some of these things and go to their country and process them. We are loosing money. The mineral they buy for one thousand Naira, they could sell for one million Naira in their home country per gram and they are creating employment for their unemployed youths. Our youths have nothing to do and that is why all these kidnappings and other forms of criminality are striving. So, if we can give attention to the development of the solid minerals sector it will go a long way in improving our revenue
The parliament is an integral part of government, what is the National Assembly doing to ensure that the solid minerals sector is developed to the point that the solid minerals becomes an alternative source of revenue to the Federal government?
Fortunately we just resumed plenary today, we will discuss this burning issue with our chairman and we will also want to have an interaction with the Minister of Solid minerals to see what we can do to help government to push towards that direction. The exiting Act needs to be amended. There are a lot of clauses that need to be amended. Something urgent needs to be done so that at least progress can be made from where we are. Lots of work need to be done. The legislature and the Executive arm of government will have to work together to push this forward.
As the nation joined the rest of the world to celebrate the international labour Day last Wednesday and given the harsh economic situation in Nigerians that has subjected workers to untold hardship by the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, how do want the Federal government to relief this burden on the people?
The government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu came into power with aim of giving Nigerians hope by removing the fuel subsidy. The ordinary Nigerian thinks that when the subsidy on fuel is removed, his life would be better, cost of transportation would be go down, lots of things are going to changed and these things are not been seen. The workers are groning and the take home pay of ordinary worker in Nigerian is still below expectation compared to his counterparts in some countries of the world. And so, the workers would have to be patient with government. The government just came into office a few months ago and they are just trying to settle down. Let there be discussions between the leadership of labour and the government representatives. Strikes or violence can not provide the need solution. Let there be roundtable dialogue between labour and government to look at the two parties can do. We all have one country, we don’t have any other country except Nigeria and something can only be achieved if we negotiate, if we tell ourselves this is our problem and our leaders look at those problems with the aim of helping to solve those problems. I wish to remind Nigerian workers that they have endowed for centuries and there light at the end of the tunnel.
General News
Kiloshele lauds NANS Leadership Under Babatunde For peaceful protest for release of Abducted Students, Teachers of Oyo State
By David Owei
A forefront NAUS Presidential Aspirant, Comr. David Aladesanmi popularly referred as Mr. Kiloshele, has lauded the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), *Akinteye Babatunde Afeez GCNS*, for his exemplary leadership and unwavering commitment to the welfare of Nigerian students.
He particularly commended the *NANS President* for peacefully mobilizing and coordinating efforts towards the abducted students and teachers in Orire Local Government Area. According to Mr. Kiloshele, the mature and responsible approach adopted by the student body under Akinteye’s leadership demonstrates the power of unity, dialogue, and constructive engagement in addressing national challenges.
Mr. Kiloshele further praised NANS for its consistent advocacy for student safety and security across educational institutions nationwide. He emphasized the need for all stakeholders, including government agencies and security operatives, to strengthen security measures in schools to safeguard students, teachers, and learning environments.
He called for sustained collaboration between student leaders, educational authorities, and security agencies to ensure that schools remain safe havens for learning and development, while applauding NANS, NAUS & sister bodies for standing firmly in defense of Nigerian students.
“Leadership is best measured by service, courage, and results. He conclusively, called upon media agencies to give this movement a worldwide publication as days is given to return our students, teachers back to thier schools and make Nigeria safe & safer for our education.
General News
Nigeria’s milk self-sufficiency will be won at states, LGs, not in Abuja -Expert
By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi
Nigeria’s journey to dairy self-sufficiency must shift from federal policy documents to deliberate action by states and local governments, a member of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee, PLRIC, and Acting Director of the TETFUND Centre of Excellence on Dairy Research and Development, ATBU Bauchi, Prof. Demo Kalla has said.
Kalla spoke during a panel session on “Mainstreaming Dairy Development Policy at the Sub-national Level for Self-sufficiency: Opportunities, Challenges and Way Forward” as part of activities to mark the 2026 World Milk Day.
The session was moderated by a Radio Nigeria presenter Rita Ene Okwanihe while other panelists included Mr Snorri Sigurdsson, Head of Raw Milk Production, Arla Foods Nigeria; Dr Ishaq Bello, Special Adviser to the Minister of Livestock Development; Mr Brighton Ochieng, Chief Technical Officer, Promasidor Nigeria; and Hon. Adamu Mammagi Abdullahi, Commissioner for Livestock Development, Niger State.
Setting the context, Kalla said mainstreaming dairy development at the sub-national level means making dairy a deliberate part of state and local government planning, budgeting, investment promotion and rural economic strategy.
“In practical terms, it means moving dairy development from being viewed as a federal livestock initiative to becoming a priority economic sector owned and driven by states and local governments,” he stated.
He described it as “the missing link between Nigeria’s enormous livestock potential and the realization of dairy self-sufficiency.”
“Given that milk is produced in communities, not in policy documents, the success of Nigeria’s dairy transformation agenda will ultimately depend on actions taken at the state and local levels,” Kalla added.
He urged states and local government areas to domesticate the National Dairy Policy and create frameworks to attract investors, while promoting milk as a “super food for nutritional security.”
On the role of academia, Kalla said universities, research institutions and extension services are “the backbone of sustainable dairy development” because they generate knowledge, adapt technologies and build human capacity.
“Our mandate is to solve immediate local problems at the sub-national level. They must become active partners in the dairy transformation agenda by supporting state governments, dairy cooperatives, processors, and producers with evidence-based solutions,” he said.
He listed three immediate priorities: demand-driven research, technology transfer through demonstration farms and digital platforms, and capacity building and skills development.
“The dairy industry we desire will not emerge from investments in infrastructure alone. It will be built on knowledge, innovation, skills, and partnerships,” Kalla stressed.
Announcing a practical step, the expert said the Dairy Research and Development Centre, DRDC, stands ready to serve as a national platform for dairy science research, capacity building, innovation and knowledge sharing.
He called on the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration to accelerate Nigeria’s path to milk self-sufficiency, improved nutrition and rural prosperity.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the Special Adviser to the President on Livestock Development, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said dairy development is a strategic economic enterprise that can create jobs, improve nutrition and reduce Nigeria’s import dependence.
Jega, who is also Co-Chairman of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee, PLRIC, said
this year’s theme is “Celebrating Women Dairy Farmers: Promoting Fresh Milk Consumption for a Healthy Nation,” stressing that it recognizes the pivotal role women play in milk production, processing, marketing and value addition across Nigeria.
He noted that the United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, IYWF 2026, underscoring women’s contributions to food security and economic growth.
“For Nigeria’s dairy sector, it reinforces the imperative of empowering women dairy farmers through improved access to productive assets, finance, technology, skills development, markets, and leadership opportunities,” he said.
The presidential adviser added that under President Bola Tinubu, the ongoing livestock reforms have placed dairy development at the heart of efforts to transform the livestock economy.
According to him, promoting fresh milk consumption is both a public health and economic imperative, saying “every litre of locally produced and consumed milk strengthens domestic value chains, creates opportunities for farmers and processors, improves household incomes, and contributes to national food and nutrition security.”
He said PLRIC remains committed to sustainable dairy development through policy reforms, investment promotion, breed improvement, pasture development, One Health, infrastructure expansion and stronger public-private partnerships.
Jega called on state governments, development partners, financial institutions, processors and investors to collaborate in mainstreaming dairy development at the sub-national level.
He concluded that a competitive dairy subsector will create wealth, employment and deliver nutritious fresh milk for a healthier and prosperous Nigeria.
General News
Tinubu commissions Jahi CNG Station as Rolling Energy leads clean fuel drive
By Olugbenga Salami
President Bola Tinubu has commissioned a state-of-the-art Compressed Natural Gas Daughter Booster Station in Jahi, Abuja, in a fresh push to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on costly petroleum products and unlock the value of its gas reserves.
Tinubu, who was by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo, described the facility as a centrepiece of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the agenda places domestic gas utilisation at the heart of Nigeria’s industrial and economic future.
Nigeria holds about 215 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves. Yet for decades, much of the resource has been exported while Nigerians grapple with expensive and polluting fossil fuels.
The Tinubu administration is now moving to reverse that trend. The Jahi commissioning is one of four gas infrastructure projects unveiled simultaneously nationwide.
Similar facilities were launched by Ibile Oil and Gas and Portland Energy in Lagos and Owerri respectively.
“This facility marks another important milestone in our collective drive to deepen gas utilisation, expand access to cleaner energy solutions, and strengthen Nigeria’s gas value chain,” Ekpo declared at the event.
At the forefront of the transformation is Rolling Energy Limited, the private firm behind the Jahi station which developed the project in partnership with the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, MDGIF.
Chairman of Rolling Energy, Mubarak Umar Dambata, said the company’s footprint extends beyond Abuja.
He disclosed that Rolling Energy is rolling out CNG mother stations, daughter stations and Liquefied Natural Gas facilities in Kaduna, Kano and Borno states.
The firm has also partnered with the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles to convert over 8,000 vehicles to gas-powered systems.
The initiative is designed to translate policy into direct savings for commuters, tricycle operators and businesses.
The Jahi facility has a sales capacity of 1,000 Standard Cubic Metres, SCM, per hour.
It features two CNG tube skids with a combined storage capacity of 17,000 SCM.
The station also houses a Mass Conversion Centre that can convert up to 20 vehicles and 25 tricycles daily.
Since commercial operations began, it has been serving 350–400 vehicles per day.
Projected capacity is to serve more than 1,000 CNG vehicles and 100 trucks daily across the FCT and surrounding regions.
Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles, Ismahil Ahmed, said the removal of fuel subsidies created urgency for alternative energy.
“CNG offers a cleaner and more economically viable option,” Ahmed argued. He urged investors to move quickly into a market where demand for gas infrastructure is rising.
Presidential Adviser Sunday Dare said the administration has commissioned 25 projects nationwide to mark its third anniversary, with clean energy and gas infrastructure featuring prominently.
With regulatory backing from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and financial support from MDGIF, officials say the foundation for a CNG-powered Nigeria is now in place.
For truck drivers, tricycle operators and factory owners, the promise is lower costs, cleaner air and greater energy reliability.
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