NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
Foreign

Shettima seeks int’l collaboration on Nigeria’s HCD strategy

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By Salisu Sani-Idris

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has called for stronger international collaboration to advance Nigeria’s Human Capital Development 2.0 (HCD 2.0) strategy.

Shettima made the call virtually at a high-level roundtable on the sidelines of the 2025 World Bank/International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the HCD 2.0 programme is designed to elevate Nigeria’s Human Capital Index (HCI).

It will equip Nigeria to face both national and global challenges, including climate change and digital transformation.

The vice-president stated that the success of HCD 2.0 would hinge on data-driven, evidence-based interventions and sustained political will.

He reaffirmed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to positioning human potential at the heart of national development.

He pointed out that the meeting was necessitated by the urgency to invest in the Nigerian people and by the recognition that true national wealth was found, not in natural resources, but in human potential.

“This meeting, for us, is not just another item on our global agenda. It is a continuation of a journey whose beginnings I had the privilege of witnessing about seven years ago.

“True national wealth is found not in natural resources, but in human potential.

“We will offer our HCD 2.0 Strategy the political backing it deserves to be the priority of our nation, and Tinubu has never wavered on this,” he said.

Shettima reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to ensure the continuity and deepening of the HCD agenda.

“Government is a continuum. Nowhere is this truer than in programmes that demand patience, vision, and long-term commitment—programmes such as our Human Capital Development programme,” he said.

The vice-president revealed that under HCD 2.0, six priority indicators from the health, education, and labour force sectors have been selected as “quick wins” to guide policy interventions and track measurable progress.

“We have carefully curated priority indicators and an HCD Dashboard to track them.

“This allows us to make informed policy decisions and measure our progress against tangible benchmarks,” Shettima said.

The vice-president also reaffirmed the administration’s resolve to remain transparent and results-oriented to achieve measurable outcomes.

“We will continue to hold ourselves accountable and press forward toward our bold goal to elevate Nigeria among the top 80 countries in Human Capital Index rankings,” he said.

Shettima also called on the World Bank and other development partners to support the availability of disaggregated, state-level Human Capital Index (HCI) data to enable more targeted interventions.

He stressed the need for equity and inclusiveness in implementing the HCD 2.0 strategy.

Shettima said, “We are leaving no sub-national in Nigeria behind. Some of the states have already set a template for the others, having localised the HCD strategies to align with the peculiarities of their people.

“While, of course, aligning them with the national strategy.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

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Foreign

FG to reduce inflation, create more jobs- Edun

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By Nana Musa

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, says the Federal Government plans to reduce inflation rate to single digit and create more jobs.

 

Edun stated this during a press conference addressed by the Nigerian economic team, as part of activities marking the end of the 2025 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring Meetings on Saturday in Washington D.C.

 

He said that the government was collaborating with development partners like the World Bank to create jobs for Nigerians in pursuit of sustainable employment and poverty eradication.

 

“The objective is to create jobs locally, empower youths, and support them through essential infrastructure.

 

“That includes digital infrastructure, access to data, internet, and fibre optic networks, to enable them to work remotely,” the minister said.

 

Edun said that the country’s unemployment rate had dropped to 4.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2024 from 5.3 per cent in first quarter 2024.

 

According to him, the world now faces a very uncertain future, but Nigeria is well positioned to survive the shocks in spite of heightened tensions, inflation, and declining global growth.

 

The minister also said that President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda were working and the results were commendable.

 

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, said that the government acknowledged the impact of inflationary pressures on the country.

 

“We recognise that inflation remains the most disruptive force to the economic welfare of Nigerians.

 

“Our policy stance is firmly focused on bringing inflation down to single digits in a sustainable manner over the medium term,” Cardoso said.

 

The CBN governor said that the painful reforms embarked upon by the country was now yielding positive results.

 

“At the IMF meetings the nation was a reference point of how reforms could change the economic trajectory of a nation for the better.

 

“The reforms are not easy, but they are delivering results. We have moved from a position of vulnerability towards one of growing strength,” he said.

 

Cardoso said that the significance of Nigeria’s efforts was restoring investors confidence.

 

“The country had a high-level investment forum at the Nasdaq Market Site in New York.

 

“That gave insights into the positive impact of the reforms and growing appetite for investment in Nigeria by Diaspora Nigerians and non-Nigerians.

 

“The New York forum delivered powerful outcomes, it significantly bolstered investor confidence in the country’s market fundamentals, with leading voices affirming the country’s economic progress and renewed standing as a compelling investment destination,” he said.

 

The CBN governor said that the country  recorded a balance of payments surplus of 6.83 billion dollars in 2024, principally on the back of rising exports and capital inflows.

 

According to him, this has supported the stability of the domestic unit amidst boosted investor confidence, discouraged speculative arbitrage and closed the gap between official and parallel market rates.

 

Cardoso said that the recapitalisation efforts were gaining momentum with maximum support and compliance from all stakeholders in the banking sector.

 

He said that the Tinubu-led government planed to set the nation on an ambitious trajectory of becoming a one trillion dollar economy by 2030.

 

According to him, the CBN has set the capital base for financial lenders nationwide, highlighting its goal of enhancing banks’ ability to fund large-scale projects and drive economic activities.

 

“The banking sector recapitalisation is well underway, with strong momentum and stakeholder alignment,” Cardoso said.

 

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. Sani Musa, said that the country was doing well to reposition the financial system so as to restore confidence.

 

“The economic team of this administration is doing very well on the fiscal aspect of our economy, so that poverty will be reduced.

 

“I think we have done all the needful in terms of activities to the tax reform bills to make them workable,” he said.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the delegation, which was led by Edun, include Cardoso, Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha, and other top government officials.

 

NAN reports that the delegation had a series of meetings with fund managers, global financial leaders, and multilateral institutions investors.

 

Also, meetings were held with other development partners to cement existing relationships, create new partnerships and spread the news of the dividends of Nigeria’s economic reforms.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Foreign

Prince William pays respects to Pope Francis at funeral in Vatican

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Britain’s Prince William on Saturday paid his respects to the Pope on behalf of King Charles III, as he gathered with world leaders for the historic funeral in St. Peter’s Square.

William, side by side with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stood for a moment’s silence in front of Pope Francis’s sealed wooden and zinc coffin in its place before the altar in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The prince, with his hands clasped, solemnly bowed his head as he stood in reflection ahead of the funeral mass.

William, dressed in a dark blue suit and black tie, then walked through the ornate basilica and down the steps into St. Peter’s Square, before shaking hands with a member of the clergy and being guided to his seat.

He was carrying out his most significant duty so far as heir to the throne as he made the solo journey to the Vatican on Saturday.

It is the first time the prince has represented the monarch at an international funeral.

William spoke briefly to U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in the basilica on his way to the service.

He also spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron ahead of the mass.

William was seated in the third row, and placed seemingly unexpectedly next to the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The prince, a non-Catholic heir to the throne, had been expected to sit alongside fellow heir apparent, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, who was accompanied by his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

But this element of the delicately arranged diplomacy of the previously announced seating plan – in order of precedence and alphabetically in French – appeared not to have been followed.

The prince was seen reading the order of service booklet containing an English translation during the ceremony.

In the row in front of William were Jordan’s King Abdullah and Queen Rania.

Some 55 heads of state, 14 heads of government and 12 reigning monarchs joined mourners for the open-air service in front of St Peter’s Basilica.

The U.S. and French presidents and their wives were among those who, like William and Starmer, paused in front of the pope’s coffin to pay their respects.

William made the journey on behalf of Charles, head of the Church of England, in honour of Pope Francis, who was head of the Roman Catholic Church.

The decision for William, a future Supreme Governor of the Anglican church, to represent his father is in keeping with modern tradition and protocol, with Charles as the Prince of Wales attending Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005 on behalf of Elizabeth II.

It marks a major milestone in William’s role as a global statesman and future king.

A complex security operation is in place around the Vatican as hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets of Vatican City. (PA Media/dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

Foreign , Religious

Pope Francis buried in Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major

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Pope Francis has been buried in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, his favourite church in Rome, on Saturday afternoon, after a two-hour funeral service held in St Peter’s Square, the Holy See says.

Earlier, some 150,000 people bid farewell to the pope from the roadside as his funeral procession passed through central Rome, according to estimates by the Vatican.

Earlier, leaders and dignitaries from around the world attended his funeral service, held in St. Peter’s Square.

The pontiff died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday.

Some 150,000 people watched Pope Francis’ funeral procession through Rome from the roadside, according to estimates by the Vatican.

The pontiff’s coffin was brought to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, the pope’s favourite church in central Rome, in an old popemobile, following the funeral service in St Peter’s Square.

The convoy travelled through the centre of Rome, passing some of its best-known sites including the Forum and Colosseum, accompanied by several escort vehicles and police motorbikes.

Some 250,000 gathered for the funeral service, both in St Peter’s Square itself and in the surrounding streets.

In total, the authorities counted around 400,000 people, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said, according to media reports. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

Foreign

UN chief Guterres, others to attend Pope Francis’ funeral

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By Cecilia Ologunagba

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is among the world leaders converging at the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.

According to the UN Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, Guterres left New York on Thursday for the burial.

Dujarric said the Secretary-General signed the Book of Condolences for the Pope at the Observer Mission of the Holy See before departing for Rome.

“On Tuesday, the UN flag will fly at half-mast to honour the passing of the late Pontiff,’’ he said.

Also, U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei are in Rome on Friday, the last day the Pope will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica.

This is prior to when his coffin is sealed in the evening in preparation for his funeral on Saturday.

The Vatican said 130 delegations are confirmed to attend the funeral, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns.

Tens of thousands of mourners have waited hours in line to bid farewell to Francis, who died on Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 88.

By Friday morning, more than 128,000 people had filed past Pope Francis’ open coffin placed in front of the Basilica’s main altar to pay their respects.

Mourners filed past at times praying, at times holding smart phones aloft amidst instructions not to take photo of the late pontiff laid out in red robes, a bishop’s pointed miter and a rosary entwined in his hands.

St. Peter’s Basilica remained open most of the second night, closing for just a few hours. Mourners began arriving before dawn and sprinted into the piazza when security reopened the flows.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell will preside over the closing and sealing of the coffin in his role of camerlengo, or interim Vatican administrator.

A white cloth will be placed over the Pope’s face, and a bag containing coins minted during his papacy will be put in the coffin along with a one-page written account of his papacy.

The work of the conclave to choose a new Pope won’t start until at least May 5, after nine days of public mourning.

Cardinals have started arriving in Rome, while 113 met Thursday morning to discuss church business.

They will meet again on Friday before taking a break for the weekend. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Tayo Ikujuni

Foreign

28 children benefit from KSrelief cochlear implant surgeries

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By Hadiza Mohammed

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center’s (KSrelief) volunteer medical team has performed 28 cochlear implant surgeries for children in the Republic of Kenya.

 

In a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, KSrelief said the operations were successfully carried out on Saturday.

 

It added that speech and language rehabilitation services were also provided to the children.

 

In addition, 28 educational sessions for the children’s families were organised, benefiting 50 individuals.

 

A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing.

 

The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin.

 

An implant does not restore normal hearing. Instead, it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and help him or her to understand speech.

 

The assistance was part of the Saudi Sama’a Volunteer Programme for cochlear implantation and auditory rehabilitation for Kenyan and Somali children in Kenya.

 

It include the participation of 20 volunteers from various medical specialties.

 

NAN reports that statistics have shown that in Kenya, 14 in every 1,000 children have moderate or severe hearing loss.

 

Only a very small percentage of them have access to education in sign language.

 

The lack of access to education hinders not only their academic progress, but also their overall social and economic development.(SPA/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Foreign

ECOWAS solicits support for standby force following Bénin terrorist attack

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By Mark Longyen

ECOWAS has solicited the full support of member states for the operation of its regional counter-terrorism initiative, the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF), following the recent terrorist attack on Bénin Republic.

ECOWAS President, Dr Omar Touray, made this known in a statement issued by the commission’s spokesman, Joel Ahofodji, on Thursday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 54 soldiers were killed in the terrorist attack in northern Benin on April 17, according to Beninese government spokesman, Wilfried Houngbedji.

Touray, who condemned the attack, described the incident as a “barbaric, cowardly and heinous act”, which aimed at sowing the seed of terror and destabilising the subregion.

According to him, the attack underscores the urgent need to enhance the collaboration and support of member states, by pooling security resources together to effectively tackle the menace.

“It is with profound dismay and shock that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has learnt of the heinous terrorist attack perpetrated on 17 April 2025 in the Republic of Benin, which resulted in the loss of human lives and several injuries.

“ECOWAS condemns in the strongest terms this barbaric and cowardly act, which once again seeks to sow terror and destabilise our Member States.

“The President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr Omar Alieu Touray, on behalf of all the institutions of the Community and all West African citizens, extends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims.

“He also extends condolences to the Government and people of Benin, and wishes a full and speedy recovery to the injured,” he said.

Touray emphasised ECOWAS’ unwavering support and full solidarity with the President of Bénin Republic, the Government, and the people of the country amid the ordeal.

The commission’s president said that ECOWAS stood firmly by the Beninese authorities in their determination to combat the scourge of terrorism and ensure the security of their citizens and territory.

“In view of the persistence and complexity of the terrorist threat in our region, this tragic incident highlights the urgent need for essential and enhanced cooperation among all Member States, particularly those that share common borders and are directly confronted with this scourge.

“Pooling efforts in the area of security is more essential than ever, if we are to mount a collective and effective response to the terrorist groups that threaten the peace, stability, security and development of our region.

“ECOWAS remains resolutely committed to working alongside the states of the region in implementing its regional counter-terrorism strategy, including the operationalisation of its Standby Force, and calls on all partners to support regional and national efforts to eradicate this scourge,” he said.(NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Foreign

U.S. to execute man convicted of rape, murder

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A U.S. citizen is scheduled to be executed in Alabama on Thursday evening after dropping his appeals, saying he was guilty of raping and murdering a woman in 2010.

The convict said he did not want to keep “wasting everybody’s time” and money.

James Osgood, 55, will be executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. CDT at William Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama.

This will make him join the approximately one in 10 people on death rows across America who have asked for their own executions.

A jury convicted Osgood of capital murder for the killing of Tracy Lynn Brown in Chilton County.

Prosecutors said Osgood cut Brown’s throat after he and his girlfriend sexually assaulted her.

Osgood told The Associated Press that he wanted to apologise to Brown’s family and that he dropped his appeals because, “I am guilty of murder.”

In a letter to his lawyer explaining his decision to seek an execution date, he wrote that he was tired and no longer felt like he was “even existing.”

“I’m a firm believer in, like I said in court, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I took a life so mine was forfeited.

“I don’t believe in sitting here and wasting everybody’s time and everybody’s money,” Osgood told the AP.

Brown was found dead in her home on Oct. 23, 2010.

Prosecutors said Osgood admitted to police that he and his girlfriend sexually assaulted Brown, and forced her to perform sex acts.

These, they said, was after discussing how they had fantasies about kidnapping and torturing someone.

Then he cut her throat.

His girlfriend, who was Brown’s cousin, was sentenced to life in prison.

“I can’t imagine anyone doing that to someone, even their worst enemy. I don’t know what kind of mind has that kind of thinking,” Jackie Wileman, Brown’s stepmother, told the judge at Osgood’s 2014 sentencing hearing.

In handing down the death sentence, the judge noted that Osgood had a difficult childhood that included sexual abuse, abandonment and a suicide attempt.

The judge, however, also said that it was Osgood who cut Brown’s neck and stabbed her as she begged the couple not to hurt her.

Osgood said last week that he regretted all the “pain and suffering” he had caused Brown’s family, and his own.

“I would like to say to the victim’s family, I apologize,” Osgood said.

“I’m not going to ask their forgiveness because I know they can’t give it, only God can grant forgiveness,” he said.

Osgood’s initial death sentence was thrown out by an appeals court ruling that jurors were given improper instructions.

At his re-sentencing in 2018, Osgood asked to be executed, saying he didn’t want the families to endure another hearing.

The Death Penalty Information Center reported last year that 165 of the people were executed since a moratorium on the death penalty ended in 1977.

The total of people who asked to be put to death has since grown to more than 1650.

The center also said that the overwhelming majority of these volunteers had histories of mental illness, substance abuse or suicidal ideation.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey made a rare move this year to grant clemency to another death row inmate, commuting the death sentence of Robin “Rocky” Myers to life in prison.

The governor said there were enough questions about his guilt that she could not move forward with his execution.

It was the only time Ivey had granted clemency, and the first time any Alabama governor commuted a death sentence since 1999.(AP/NAN)

Edited by Mark Longyen

Foreign

China denies tariff talks with U.S.

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China on Thursday denied any suggestion on negotiations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump over tariffs.

China’s comments come after Trump had earlier on Tuesday said that things were going on fine with China and that the final tariff rate on Chinese exports would come down substantially from the current 145 per cent.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, said during a briefing that, “for all I know, China and the U.S. are not having any consultation or negotiation on tariffs, still less reaching a deal.

“China’s position is consistent and we are open to consultations and dialogues, but any form of consultations and negotiations must be conducted on the basis of mutual respect and in an equal manner,” Commerce Ministry spokesman He Yadong said.

“Any claims about the progress of China-U.S. trade negotiations are groundless as trying to catch the wind and have no factual basis,” the spokesman said.

Trump had told reporters earlier in the week that “everything’s active” when asked if he was engaging with China, although his treasury secretary had said there were no formal negotiations.

Trump had put 145 per cent tariffs on imports from China, while China hit back with 125 per cent tariffs on U.S. products.

While Trump had given other countries a 90-day pause on the tariffs, as their leaders pledged to negotiate with the U.S., China remained the exception.

Instead, Beijing raised its own tariffs and deployed other economic measures in response while vowing to fight to the end.

For example, China restricted exports of rare earth minerals and raised multiple cases against the U.S. at the World Trade Organisation.

China also made it clear that talks should involve the cancellation of all tariffs it currently faces.

“The unilateral tariff increase measures were initiated by the United States.

“If the United States really wants to solve the problem, it should face up to the rational voices of the international community and all parties at home.

“It should completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China, and find ways to resolve differences through equal dialogue,” said the Commerce Ministry spokesman.

In spite of the economic measures leveled against China, Trump had earlier said that it would be “very nice” and not play hardball with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“We are going to live together very happily and ideally work together,” Trump said. (AP/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Halima Sheji

Foreign

Russia’s biggest strike on Kyiv kills 9

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Russia attacked Kyiv on Thursday with an hour-long barrage of missiles and drones, killing nine people and injuring more than 70.

This was said to be the deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since July 2024, and just as peace efforts are coming to a head.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after the attack, that he was cutting short his official trip to South Africa and returning home as the city reeled from the bombardment that kept residents on edge for about 11 hours.

Zelenskyy said this appeared to be Russia’s biggest attack on Kyiv in nine months and called it one of Russia’s “most outrageous.’’

The attack drew a rare rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he was “not happy” with it.

“Not necessary, and terrible timing. Vladimir, STOP!” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.

However, senior U.S. officials have warned that the Trump administration could soon give up its efforts to stop the war if the two sides don’t compromise.

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko announced that Friday would be an official day of mourning in the capital.

The Ukrainian air force said Russia fired 66 ballistic and cruise missiles, four plane-launched air-to-surface missiles, and 145 Shahed and decoy drones at Kyiv and four other regions of Ukraine.

Rescue workers with flashlights scoured the charred rubble of partly collapsed homes as the blue lights of emergency vehicles lit up the dark city streets.

The attack came as weeks of peace negotiations appeared to culminate without an agreement.

Reports also said the attack came hours after Trump lashed out at Zelenskyy.

Trump had accused him of prolonging the “killing field” by refusing to surrender the Russia-occupied Crimea Peninsula as part of a possible deal. (AP/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Hadiza Mohammed/Mark Longyen

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