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Senator Ndume Urges New Humanitarian Affairs Minister to Use Fintech for Poverty Alleviation
Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South has called on Nentawe Yilwatda, the newly appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, to leverage financial technology to improve support for Nigeria’s vulnerable populations.
During Yilwatda’s screening, Ndume highlighted the ministry’s importance, overseeing initiatives for the 60% of Nigerians living in poverty, and asked how he planned to address the crisis following the dismissal of his predecessor, Betta Edu, over alleged financial mismanagement.
Yilwatda responded by affirming his commitment to using technology to tackle humanitarian challenges. Senate President Godswill Akpabio then allowed him to take a bow.
Yilwatda, an engineer with significant experience in community development, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu to replace Edu, who denies the allegations leading to her suspension in January. Edu’s predecessor, Sadiya Farouq, had also faced financial scrutiny.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
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