National
Issue mining license only if it adds value locally – Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday instructed the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to only issue mining licenses if they are tied to local value addition.
Tinubu gave the directive on Wednesday during the opening session of the African Natural Resources & Energy Investment Summit, 2024, held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tinubu was represented at the event by the Vice-President, Kashim Shettima.
He said that the directive would ensure that young Nigerians are actively engaged in economic activities, acquiring skills and contributing to the overall development of the economy.
Shettima said his administration was fully committed to creating an enabling business environment to attract investment that encouraged ‘value addition’ on solid minerals before they are exported.
“We recognise the losses incurred from exporting crude mineral commodities and understand that it is time to change this narrative.
“By doing so, we aim to ensure that our teeming youth are actively engaged in economic activities, acquiring skills, and contributing to the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.
“Therefore, the Ministry will only issue mining licenses if they are tied to local value addition,” the President noted.
President Tinubu noted that his administration’s target in the solid minerals sector was to make Nigeria a leader in critical metals.
He commended stakeholders for the establishment of the African Minerals Strategy Group with Nigeria as the first chairman of the initiative.
“We aim to set new standards in the mining industry and ensure that Africa gets an equitable slice of supplying the world with critical metals.
“In our transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy systems, we also recognise the pivotal role that natural gas plays.
“Natural gas is a transition fuel that will fundamentally restructure our nation’s economy,” he added.
Earlier, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, announced the government’s strategy under the Renewed Hope Agenda to position Nigeria as a major player in the global minerals market.
“We are committed to transforming Nigeria’s solid mineral sector into a cornerstone for our nation’s economic diversification,” he said. (NAN)
A total of 92 visually impaired candidates participated in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) at the Kano centre.
Prof. Muhammad Yahuza-Bello, JAMB Coordinator for the Kano centre, made the announcement while monitoring the exercise on Monday.
The examination took place at the School of Continuing Education, Bayero University Kano (BUK), under the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) initiative for candidates with special needs.
Yahuza-Bello, a former vice-chancellor of BUK, explained that the 92 candidates were drawn from Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna States.
He added that among the candidates, two had Down syndrome, while two others had autism.
The candidates, both male and female, were provided with specialized gadgets such as typewriters, braille machines, slates, styluses, and paper to facilitate their participation in the exams.
The coordinator also said over 500 candidates with special needs-ranging from visual impairments and albinism to Down syndrome and autism-had registered to take the exam at 11 centres across the country.
He said, unlike regular Computer-Based Testing (CBT) centres where candidates interact with screens and keyboards, special needs candidates benefit from adaptive materials to eliminate barriers to education.
Since its introduction in 2017, JEOG has seen positive results, with an increasing number of special needs candidates gaining admission into tertiary institutions.
Yahuza-Bello pointed out that while approximately 25% of regular candidates gain admission, over 33% of special needs candidates are successful in securing placements.
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National
Court Approves Federal Government’s Request to Protect Witness Identities in Nnamdi Kanu Trial
A federal high court in Abuja has authorized the federal government’s request to keep the identities of witnesses in the trial of Nnamdi Kanu confidential.
Kanu, who leads the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been held by the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021 on charges of terrorism and treasonable felony.
On Tuesday, prosecution attorney Adegboyega Awomolo informed the court that he had submitted an ex parte application on April 10 to safeguard the identities of the witnesses. He requested that the court provide screens and masks to ensure their anonymity.
“The purpose of this request is to ensure the safety and security of state officers who will serve as witnesses,” he stated.
Kanu Agabi, the defendant’s counsel, did not contest the application.
The trial is underway, with the first witness, a DSS operative, already called to testify.
Kanu was re-arraigned on March 21 before Judge James Omotosho of the federal high court in Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Aisha Achimugu.
The managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Felak Concept Group was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Achimugu was taken in around 5am on Tuesday after arriving in Nigeria from London.
More to follow…