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VP Shettima seeks close collaboration among MDAs, as NCP ratifies BPE’s 2021, 2022 audited financial reports.
Senator Kashim Shettima, the Vice President of Nigeria, has urged close collaboration among ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government to actualise the agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu across different sectors.
This is coming as the National Council on Privatization (NCP) chaired by the Vice President on Wednesday ratified the 2021 and 2022 audit financial reports of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).
The Council also approved the progress made so far by the BPE in the implementation of its 2024 work plan aimed at strengthening its operations.
The Council’s approvals were among the decisions taken at the 3rd meeting of the NCP chaired by Vice President Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
A statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President) which was sent to Nationwide Reports stated that the Council also directed the BPE to further engage with the relevant parties in the resolution of the dispute in the sale of the Sapele II (Ogorode Generation Company Ltd) and the sale of coal blocks belonging to the Nigerian Coal Corporation.
In his remarks during the meeting, the Vice President commended the new management of the BPE for its diligence and renewed vision, urging stakeholders to support the realization of the bureau’s set objectives.
He particularly commended the agency for its close supervision and conclusion of the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant concession, as well as efforts to establish an Independent System Operator.
Senator Shettima further tasked the agency to work with the various committees of the NCP and the Ministry of Justice, and come up with a robust road map to expedite the completion of outstanding transactions, in the interest of the nation.
The Vice President noted that making important decisions in the power sector would be critical to tackling the perennial issues in the country’s energy industry.
Presenting a progress report on the 2024 work plan of the BPE, the Director General, Mr Ayodeji Gbeleyi, reported that the Bureau generated the sum of N93.47 billion in the first and second quarters of the year 2024 from three transactions, representing 35.9% of the expected revenues during the period under review.
The DG highlighted measures adopted by the agency to improve its operations such as the strengthening of concession management capacity, reinvigoration of post-transaction management capacity for effective performance and the deployment of best practices in reform optimization of public enterprises.
Also present at the meeting were Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr Wale Edun; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu; Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu; Solicitor General of the Federation & Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communication, Engr Faruk Yabo, and the representative of the CBN Governor among others.
Two Nigerian-born scientists—Adesola Adegoke, a researcher at Arizona State University (ASU), and Seunnla Adelusi, a PhD candidate at the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada—have been named among the 20 global winners of the Digital GreenTalents Award 2025.
These two Nigerians were announced among the winners during a virtual ceremony held on 25 November. In a statement following the virtual announcement ceremony, the organisers said the 20 awardees for this year joined from different time zones, including “very early morning in Canada and evening hours in the Philippines.”
The digital Green Talent Award is an annual initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) that recognises outstanding young researchers whose work advances sustainability through digital innovation.
Each year, 20 scientists are selected from a competitive global pool for their cutting-edge ideas at the intersection of digitalisation and environmental sustainability.
Alex Otti, the Abia State Governor, on Sunday paid a visit to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
The governor was accompanied by officials of the Sokoto State Government during the closed-door visit.
Nnamdi Kanu was recently moved to Sokoto after he was convicted on terrorism-related charges and handed a life sentence by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Governor Otti had earlier promised to pursue every lawful and political avenue to ensure that Kanu gets justice. Sunday’s visit is seen as part of ongoing efforts by the Abia State Government regarding his case.
Details of the meeting were not made public as of the time of this report.
Armed terrorists have abducted a bride-to-be, her bridesmaid, and eight other residents from Chacho village in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State
The Sokoto abduction occurred around 1:30 a.m., according to residents, when the attackers stormed the village. Most of the victims were women, with only one man also taken.
One resident sustained injuries and is receiving medical treatment. Villagers told reporters that the bride was preparing for her wedding scheduled for later that morning when the raid struck, plunging the community into shock and mourning.
A community member described the attack as “tragic,” noting the delay in security response. “Security operatives were alerted immediately, but they only arrived about an hour after the bandits had fled,” he said, expressing frustration.
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