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Abuja Collapsed building: Wike directs payment of victims’ hospital bills

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, to facilitate the prompt payment of the hospital bills of the victims of the collapsed building in the FCT.

It was earlier reported that a two-storey at the Lagos Crescent, in Garki 2, Abuja, collapsed on Wednesday, at about 11.30pm, following a heavy downpour.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, who confirmed the incident in a press statement on Thursday morning, said 37 persons had been rescued, with two of them fatally injured.

Wike who visited the scene of the building collapse, together with the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Bariya Mahmoud, and the Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Olusade Adesola, before embarking on a project tour, thanked the agencies for rescuing the victims, while directing immediate payment of hospital bills for the victims still alive.

“Let me thank the agencies, particularly NEMA and FEMA that have supported us to rescue not less than 32 lives. It is unfortunate the two that are dead. I will discuss with the Permanent Secretary, to make sure that funds are raised to pay the hospital bills of those who are rescued. We don’t want to hear that any other person has passed on, and that should be done immediately”.

The Minister also used the opportunity to reiterate that taking action against poorly constructed buildings was not a personal vendetta against anyone, but a move to save as many lives as possible from disaster.

“These are the things we have been saying nobody knows whose turn it will be. And therefore it is important that when government says it will take action on certain areas that we believe are illegal development, or even buildings that do not comply with standard codes, it is not as if anybody has any personal vendetta. But for God, we would have lost virtually everybody”.

He directed that work continues on the site until they were certain that no other survivor was left trapped under the collapsed building.

Learning that the residents in the building were supposed to be resettled in Apo and that the developer did not get proper approval for the construction of the building, Wike ordered the immediate identification and arrest of the owner of the building, while faulting the FCTA for taking time to relocate the inhabitants of the building.

Meanwhile, our correspondent learnt that the rescued victims had been taken to various hospitals across the city, including the National Hospital, Asokoro, Nyanya and Garki District Hospitals, Alliance Hospital, and Zenith Hospital.

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JUST IN: President Tinubu set to return to Nigeria after Saint Lucia, Brazil trip

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President Bola Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria on Saturday (today) two weeks after his two-nation visit to Saint Lucia and Brazil.

The President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga announced this in a post on his official X handle.

Recall that Tinubu departed Abuja for Saint Lucia and Brazil on Saturday, June 28, 2025.

The President paid a state visit to Saint Lucia as part of efforts to deepen Nigeria’s engagement with Caribbean nations and strengthen South-South cooperation.

Tinubu on July 4th departed Saint Lucia for Brazil where he attend the 2025 BRICS Summit, held July 6-7, 2025.

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CBN And Bank of Industry Partner With CEAN To Stabilise Nigeria’s Creative Sector Post-COVID

For more than a decade, CEAN has played a vital role in connecting Nigeria’s informal creative workforce to structured policy, funding, and formal economic opportunities.

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September 12, 2022, Lagos, Nigeria

In a bold and strategic move to rescue Nigeria’s creative industries from the lingering economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bank of Industry (BOI) partnered with the Creative Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria (CEAN) to design and implement a nationwide intervention targeting vulnerable creative businesses.

The collaboration, launched in mid-2022, marks a milestone in the recognition of Nigeria’s creative economy as a critical pillar of national development—and affirms CEAN’s position as a trusted stakeholder in industry policy and infrastructure development.

Responding to a Sector in Crisis

The partnership was galvanized by CEAN’s early post-pandemic white paper, “Creating Through Crisis: The Future of Nigerian Creativity Post-COVID.

It presented compelling data and policy recommendations that influenced federal strategy.

While other sectors received initial support under the government’s economic recovery plans, it was CEAN’s persistent advocacy and detailed sector mapping that brought national attention to the creative industries’ urgent needs.

CEAN’s nationwide rollout had seen the training of over 2,000 creative entrepreneurs, advisory support to more than 500 micro-businesses, and the establishment of regional Creative Recovery Hubs in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu.

“From day one of the pandemic, we understood that Nigeria’s cultural workforce—millions strong—was at risk of collapse,” said Adebowale Ewedemi, CEAN founding executive and veteran media entrepreneur.

“We didn’t just lobby for change; we brought the tools, the structure, and the roadmap,” said Ewedemi.

From Blueprint to Implementation

The result was a landmark intervention program backed by BOI and regulated by CBN, with CEAN serving as the official implementation partner.

The program delivers targeted support to struggling sub-sectors including independent film, performance art, fashion, radio, music, design, and digital content production.

Highlights of the program include:

• Access to low-interest working capital for creative entrepreneurs

• Training grants and accelerator programs for skill development

• Support for studio and performance infrastructure

• Technical assistance for digital transformation and business retooling.

CEAN’s nationwide rollout had seen the training of over 2,000 creative entrepreneurs, advisory support to more than 500 micro-businesses, and the establishment of regional Creative Recovery Hubs in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu.

Sustained Leadership in Nigeria’s Creative Economy

This intervention is only the latest in CEAN’s long record of national impact. During the peak of the COVID-19 lockdowns, the association served as a frontline support system—offering emergency relief, transitioning training programs online, and shaping portions of the Federal Government’s Survival Fund.

For more than a decade, CEAN has played a vital role in connecting Nigeria’s informal creative workforce to structured policy, funding, and formal economic opportunities.

Through this work, the association—under Ewedemi’s leadership—has consistently introduced original models, innovative frameworks, and institutional partnerships that define sustainable creative sector governance in Africa.

Architects of a New Creative Economy

This partnership with CBN and BOI reflects a broader understanding that Nigeria’s future is tied to the creative ingenuity of its people—and that long-term development requires strategic institutions with deep insight, trust, and capacity.

“We’re proud to move beyond advocacy into implementation. This is not a moment—it’s a movement. We are helping to reshape the creative industry into a nationally recognized economic force, ”said Ewedemi.

As the creative sector continues to recover and rebuild, CEAN remains committed to ensuring that no artist, content creator, or cultural innovator is left behind.

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President Tinubu congratulates Governor Okpebholo on Supreme Court Victory

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Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State on the affirmation of his election by the Supreme Court.

The Edo State governorship election took place in September 2024, and Governor Okpebholo was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Supreme Court, as the final arbiter, upheld the election of the governor today.

According to the press statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), President Tinubu encourages Governor Okpebholo to be magnanimous in victory and rally the citizens of Edo across divides towards a singular vision of advancing the state’s development.

The President advises that now that the governor has cleared the legal hurdles, it is time for him to accelerate the delivery of exceptional services and good governance to the people of Edo State, which he has already begun to do.

President Tinubu also congratulates the leadership and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State and calls for cohesion and dedication in effectively discharging the mandate given by the people.

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