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Minister of State for Industry Pledges Support for Industries to Drive Productivity, Economic Growth
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The Honourable Minister of State for Industry, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, has pledged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will provide the necessary support and incentives to address the numerous challenges facing key industries in Nigeria inorder to unleash the industrial revolution drive of the Tinubu administration.
Senator John Owan Enoh gave this assurance at the commencement of the South West leg of the nationwide Industrial Tour during which he visited select industries in Lagos and Ogun States. During the 3-day tour, the minister and his delegation composed of technocrats and policy planners from the Ministry visited leading industrial giants such as Sunflag Nigeria Limited, GB Foods, Berger Paints, Friesland Campina WAMCO Plc and Mojec Group in Lagos State and TGI, Veenocks Nigeria Limited, Coleman Cables and Wires, Equipment and Protective Applications International Limited (EPAIL) and Mikano Industries in Ogun State.
Speaking to the media during the tour of Sunflag Nigeria Limited in Lagos, the Minister acknowledged that the decline in the textile industry was real and negatively impacted productivity and employment in this critical sector of the economy. He assured the company represented by the Management Director and its top executives that under his leadership, the Ministry is determined to provide the support needed for local manufacturers to thrive. He announced that the Ministry will soon convene a session for Cotton Textile Garments stakeholders to address the challenges that has affected growth within the industry.
The Minister further stated that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, in line with its renewed hope agenda, is unwavering in its commitment to revive all ailing industries to promote made-in-Nigeria goods and services in order to grow the economy and create massive job opportunities for Nigerians.
“I have the immediate mandate to promote Made-in-Nigeria goods and services. My visit here is to assure you that if there is a government that is committed to doing that, it is the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. You can see that this government has continued to show a lot of courage and energy. And that’s what this country requires now,’ he said.
He revealed that the government has put in place various incentives to lessen the challenges affecting the ease of doing business and will continue to encourage those still in operation to drive their growth and expansion.
Enoh praised the companies’ resilience in the face of the country’s daunting economic challenges. He said, “We commend the resilience of these companies for believing in the country despite the challenges; we want to assure them that the goal of the government is to lessen challenges that continue to impact the ease of doing business in Nigeria.”
The honourable Minister announced the upcoming inauguration of the Industrial Revolution Work Group, comprising representatives of different sectors, including the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). The group will serve as a think tank and a bridge between the industries and the government to understand key issues and collaboratively propose and implement solutions.
He noted that the Industrial Revolution Work Group (IRWG) is part of his six key priorities, which also include the Nigeria Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP), Special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZ), Cotton, Textiles and Garments (CTG) Industry, Petrochemical, Chemical & Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and MSME Census.
Some of the CEOs of the industries visited commended the minister on his hands on approach to leadership and the government’s commitment to foster collaboration with industry stakeholders in advancing Nigeria’s manufacturing sector.
News
Transport minister refutes claims of high-speed rail approval
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The Federal Ministry of Transportation has dismissed reports claiming that a high-speed bullet train linking Lagos and Abuja is set to cut travel time between both cities to just two to three hours.
In a statement issued by the ministry’s management, it was clarified that the news report, published by a major news media (not Vanguard) on February 18, 2025, was false and misleading.
The report alleged that Nigeria’s transport sector was undergoing a revolution with the imminent launch of the bullet train, citing the Director of Operations at Geofocus Consortium, Engineer Yinka Idris, as its source.
The ministry confirmed that Geofocus Consortium had submitted an unsolicited proposal for the Lagos-Abuja bullet train project in 2016 under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with 100% private sector financing.
However, it was only in 2024 that the Outline Business Case (OBC) for the project was forwarded to the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for due diligence.
News
I don’t have godfathers — Gov Okpebholo
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Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has dismissed claims that he was handpicked by political godfathers to be remotely controlled as the state’s number one citizen.
Okpebholo debunked the claims during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme when questioned about his political lineage.
According to him, it was Almighty God who used certain individuals to support his governorship ambition and help him assume office.
“Can you even point out one godfather who was pushing me?” he asked.
“God was using people to help me, to support me, to get to where I am today,” he added.
News
Nigeria’s NNPC gives update on fire outbreak at oil facility in Rivers
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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC, has said the fire outbreak that started on a dry crude storage barge at Cawthorne Channel 1 in Rivers State has been successfully extinguished.
The spokesperson for NNPC, Olufemi Soneye, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
Recall that the BESTAF 5 barge caught fire around 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, causing panic in the area.
However, NNPC confirmed that the incident did not affect operations at the flow station in the vicinity.
According to the state-owned oil firm, no lives were lost during the incident.
“Thanks to the swift response of our emergency teams and industry partners, the fire was successfully contained. The incident did not impact flow station operations,” Soneye said.
The NNPC spokesperson also assured the public of the company’s commitment to safety, environmental protection, and operational integrity.
“Most importantly, there were no casualties, and all personnel are safe. NNPC Ltd. prioritizes safety and remains fully committed to environmental protection and operational integrity,” Soneye stated.
Reports indicate that government authorities have commenced investigations to determine the cause of the incident.
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