By Maureen Okon

The Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) says plans are underway to rescue some Nigerians who were allegedly being maltreated in Central Africa Republic (CAR).

The commission gave the assurances on Saturday in a statement signed by Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of the agency in Abuja.

It stated that the attention of NIDCOM had been drawn to the distress call in a viral video where some Nigerians were allegedly being maltreated in CAR.

These Nigerians were deceived and abandoned in a foreign land, forced to work for 11 months without pay.

Also, their passports were confiscated, leaving them stranded. They are now, urging the Nigerian government to intervene and rescue them.

Sequel to this, the commission immediately contacted officials of the Embassy in the CAR to look into the matter.

“It is gratifying to inform members of the public that contact has been established with them, their seized passports retrieved while plans are on to send a bus to convey them to the embassy in Bangui which is at least an eight-hour drive.

“The agent in question has also been identified. This is to express the appreciation of the commission to the officials of the Nigerian Embassy for their swift action,” it stated. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Gregg Mmaduakolam/Maureen Atuonwu

By Sarafina Christopher

The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria has initiated an investigation into an alleged abandonment of Nigerian miners by a Chinese mining company in the Central African Republic (CAR).

The Embassy made this known, in a statement, on Friday in Abuja.

It said that the probe was in response to a social media video depicting Nigerian miners allegedly abandoned by a Chinese mining enterprise in CAR.

According to the statement, the Embassy attaches great importance to this matter and has initiated an immediate investigation, which continues to ascertain the facts.

It also said that the Chinese government had consistently mandated that all Chinese enterprises and citizens operating abroad strictly comply with local laws and regulations.

“The Chinese side will urge the involved companies to address this matter appropriately.

“We will maintain close communication with Nigerian authorities throughout the investigation and work together to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of citizens of both nations,” the statement added. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Joe Idika

By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

The European Union (EU) has expressed satisfaction with the implementation of the Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (SARAH) programme in Kwara State.

The EU Country Health Adviser, Dr Anthony Anyeke, made this known in Ilorin during an interview with journalists at the close of a two-day National Steering Committee Meeting on the EU-SARAH programme.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that part of the event included a tour of healthcare facilities such as the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH) and the Primary Healthcare Centre in Alanamu, Ilorin.

Anyeke noted that the health intervention programme was backed by a 40-million-euro budget.

He said the facility tour indicated that the implementing states understood the programme’s objectives and had fully taken ownership.

Also speaking, Dr Fatima Gohar, Health Manager for Health System Strengthening at UNICEF, said the programme focused on supporting mothers and adolescents by improving healthcare delivery.

She noted that the initiative was being implemented in Kwara, Sokoto, and Adamawa States.

“A lot of investment and technical support has gone into the three states, and the impact is significant. We are impressed by the progress recorded in Kwara,” she said.

Gohar added that the visited facilities were functioning effectively and that beneficiaries were satisfied with the services provided.

On her part, Mrs Abigail Msemburi, a representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said the programme was focused on improving reproductive health for adolescents and young adults.

“We don’t want women dying during childbirth. This initiative ensures the availability of family planning commodities to improve maternal healthcare,” she stated.

Earlier, the Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, expressed optimism that the EU-SARAH programme would become a permanent part of the state’s health system, thanks to the structures being established by the current administration.

She appreciated the Federal and State Governments, along with development partners, for their contributions to the success of the programme. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

By Lucy Ogalue

The United Kingdom and Nigeria are strengthening bilateral trade relations through a UK-funded programme that focuses on improving Nigeria’s quality infrastructure and helping local businesses meet international standards.

Dr Simeon Umukoro, Trade Market Access Lead for the UK Department for Business and Trade in Nigeria, said this during the presentation of the Standards Partnership Programme in Abuja on Thursday.

Umukoro said the initiative aimed to enhance Nigeria’s ability to access global markets, particularly the UK, by supporting local institutions and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Hec noted that the partnership aligned with the UK’s commitment under the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP) with Nigeria.

He explained that the programme would enable Nigerian businesses, especially SMEs, to take advantage of the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which allowed duty-free access to the UK market for over 3,500 Nigerian commodities.

“The Standards Partnership is not just for large industries. It is tailored to support SMEs in meeting the international requirements necessary to export their goods.

“We are setting up structures and building the capacity of Nigerian institutions like the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Nigeria National Accreditation System (NiNAS) to ensure products meet global specifications,” he said.

The trade market access lead also said that the programme worked directly with Nigeria’s National Quality Council and related institutions to implement the National Quality Policy.

He said this provided a unique framework for inter-agency coordination, which many countries lacked, allowing Nigeria to gain an edge in global trade.

He added that the Standards Partnership Programme, which began in 2022, was now in its third phase and would run until March 2026.

“The project currently targets four pilot sectors: leather, tea, cashew, and coffee.

“We are helping these sectors identify where the gaps lie in their ability to meet export standards, whether in metrology, accreditation or conformity assessment and working with stakeholders to close those gaps,” he said.

Umukoro revealed that international experts would be deployed to support Nigerian businesses directly, enhancing their competitiveness both at home and abroad.

Similarly, Mr Olalekan Omoniyi, Deputy Director, Standards Development, SON, described the partnership as instrumental in aligning stakeholders with the critical role of standards in trade and export promotion.

Omoniyi said the collaboration had helped SON identify key export products that required standardisation.

He noted that no country could effectively trade or achieve economic growth without a strong national quality infrastructure.

He expressed concern over the low value placed on standards in Nigeria, saying that the partnership was helping to change this mindset by raising awareness on the importance of standards and metrology.

Omoniyi disclosed that SON, as Nigeria’s national standards body, also hosts the scientific and industrial metrology components, and was working to strengthen procedures and frameworks that support both local compliance and international competitiveness.

In the same vein, the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST), Dr Awal Imam, said the standards partnership had significantly boosted efforts to reposition the leather sector for international competitiveness.

Imam, represented by Mr Badmos Tope, Assistant Registrar at the NILEST, said the programme had helped address infrastructural gaps and aligned the leather value chain with national and international policy frameworks.

He said that with proper implementation of the National Leather Policy, Nigeria’s leather industry could generate over 1 billion dollars by the end of 2025.

He stressed the need to discourage the local consumption of raw hide, known as ‘Ponmo’, which undermined the tanning industry.

He also called for compliance with standards that required hides to be processed to at least crust level before export.

According to him, transforming hides into finished leather products will boost foreign exchange earnings and create job opportunities for Nigerian youth.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Standards Partnership is part of the UK government’s broader effort to promote mutual prosperity by unlocking trade potential between Nigeria and the UK, while also safeguarding product quality and consumer safety within Nigeria. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Deborah Coker

“One in the north called Egypt, in the west called Nigeria and in the south called South Africa.

“So, we can work closely together to coordinate measures driven for the benefits, stability and prosperity of the African continent and the African people.

By EricJames Ochigbo

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic and economic relations with Egypt.

Speaking at the opening of the Nigeria-Egypt Business Forum in Abuja on Monday, Tuggar highlighted the historic ties between both nations, dating back to 1961, rooted in African solidarity and shared development goals.

However, he expressed concern over the low volume of bilateral trade, which stood at just 211.2 million dollars in 2023, with Nigeria’s exports accounting for only 12.2 million dollars.

He called for concerted efforts to balance the trade relationship and urged both countries to work towards achieving the Developing-8 (D-8) group’s goal of boosting intra-bloc trade to 500 billion dollars by 2030.

Tuggar emphasised the need for collaboration in key sectors such as solid minerals, agriculture, renewable energy, ICT, aviation, pharmaceuticals, garments, leather, and tourism.

“The private sector is the real driver of integration. Let this forum ignite deeper collaboration, joint ventures, trade facilitation, and technology transfer.

“Now is the time for action and partnership. Let us move forward not just as partners, but as brothers and sisters bound by history, vision, and destiny,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) through regulatory harmonisation, the removal of trade barriers, and investment promotion.

Tuggar described the forum as a strategic platform for unlocking the vast potential between both African economic giants, especially in food security.

Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Badr Abdelatty, also spoke at the event, revealing that trade between both countries grew from 187 million dollars in 2023 to 315 million dollars in 2024.

While welcoming the increase, he noted that it still fell short of the potential offered by both economies.

“We must diversify the nature of our trade and fully leverage the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement,” Abdelatty said.

He cited Nigeria’s 2023 export of 160 million dollars’ worth of LNG to Egypt as an example of beneficial complementarity.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, reaffirmed that the country remained open for business under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.

She noted that bold fiscal, monetary, and regulatory reforms were underway to improve the investment climate and ease of doing business.

Also present was the President of the Nigeria-Egypt Business Council (NEBC), Mr Muhammed Lere, who pledged the council’s commitment to implementing business resolutions made at the forum.

He encouraged participants to pursue business dealings through proper channels to maximise benefits and avoid litigation. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru