Business
Mining Stakeholders Hails Return of Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi to drive non-oil sector

The Association of Small Scale Miners of Nigeria (ASSMN) Zamfara State Chapter , and the Nigerian Chamber of Mines and Geological Workers have applauded the reappointment of the Executive Secretary of Solid Minerals Development Fund/Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative (SMDF/PAGMI), Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi, by President Bola Tinubu.
In separate statements, the leadership of the associations expressed gratitudes to President Tinubu: “It’s a well-considered appointment that will further consolidate, deepen, and strengthen the solid minerals sector.”
The Chairman of ASSMN, Abubakar Rabiu, also congratulated Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi on President Tinubu’s renewal of her appointment and urged her to justify the confidence Nigerians reposed in her to drive the non-oil sector of the economy in tandem with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda of a prosperous, equitable, and just democratic nation.
The association praised Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi for her dedication and commitment to developing the solid minerals sector in Nigeria.
This sector has attracted foreign investors, empowered local miners, and provided jobs to thousands of youths, thus contributing significantly to the country’s gross domestic product.
According to the association, Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi is a paragon of excellence and will be motivated to take the solid minerals sector to the next level.
“The association is proud of Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi and will support her leadership of SMDS/PAGMI in revamping the nation’s economy and providing citizens with democratic dividends.
“We urge Nigerians to support this woman of destiny in our collective quest for a better society,” said Abubakar Rabiu.
Similarly, the Nigerian Chambers of Mines, Geological Workers, also throw its weight behind Fatima’s reappointment.
With a deep understanding of the solid minerals sector’s challenges and prospects, she will effectively tackle illegal mining, poor regulatory compliance and formulate policies that promote best practices in the industry.
The Association’s Chairman, Silas Kefas, described her reappointment as a well thought out decision and underscored the government’s confidence in her impactful leadership aimed at harnessing the solid minerals sector’s full potential and economic diversification essential for sustainable development and prosperity.
“A visionary leader and master strategist in the solid minerals industry, Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi’s laudable reform has revolutionalized the sector, attracted local and foreign investors and repositioned Nigeria as a competitive player in the global minerals market.
“With a renewed mandate, the solid minerals industry will witness significant advancement in the promotion of artisanal gold mining and value chain development, capacity building, job creation, infrastructural development, enhanced export capacity, financial prudence and significant contribution to the country’s gross domestic product that will revive the economy and foster prosperity to citizens.
With a deep understanding of the solid minerals sector’s challenges and prospects, she will effectively tackle illegal mining, poor regulatory compliance and formulate policies that promote best practices in the industry.
“We recall with pride the recent SMDF’s empowerment programme for 1000 women entrepreneurs in gemstone mining and utilisation as part of efforts towards contributing to the nation’s economic diversification starting with 100 womenparticipants in Lagos.
We are optimistic that thousands of women and youth will benefit from this worthy programme that will improve their well-being and make them self-reliant.
“We identify with Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi’s remarkable leadership and will always partner with SMDF/PAGMI to take the solid minerals sector to greater heights.
“We are all in it together to diversify and revamp the economy in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Congratulations to the great Amazon of the solid minerals sector. It is a well-deserved re-appointment for continuity, development and advancement of SMDF/PAGMI.”
Business
OPSN Applauds President Tinubu for FRC tax halt
The OPSN urges continued engagement between regulatory institutions and the private sector to co-create regulatory policies that drive economic growth without stifling entrepreneurship.

The OPSN and its stakeholders have been in active dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and other critical agencies, advocating for business-friendly policies that foster enterprise growth, protect jobs, and enhance national productivity.
The Organised Private Sector Nigeria (OPSN) comprising NACCIMA, MAN, NECA, NASSI and NASME commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for having suspended the implementation of certain provisions of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) Act 2023, which imposed financial caps and additional compliance dues on private companies.
Engr Jani Ibrahim, the National President of NACCIMA/Chairman OPSN, expressed gratitude on behalf of the private sector business, in a statement on Thursday.
The statement reads:” This action comes as a timely relief to the organised private sector members, including the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), many of whom had expressed deep concerns about the financial and administrative burden posed by the mandatory levies and reporting obligations under the current FRC framework.
The OPSN and its stakeholders have been in active dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and other critical agencies, advocating for business-friendly policies that foster enterprise growth, protect jobs, and enhance national productivity.
We therefore commend the efforts of the Government for this timely decision, which is a proactive and responsive measure that supports the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the ease of doing business and sustaining investor confidence.
The suspension provides a critical window for stakeholders to revisit the framework and ensure that future implementations of financial reporting obligations are transparent, equitable, and sensitive to the realities and legitimate concerns of Nigerian businesses.
The OPSN urges continued engagement between regulatory institutions and the private sector to co-create regulatory policies that drive economic growth without stifling entrepreneurship.
We remain committed to constructive dialogue and collaboration that will advance Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda.”
Business
Dangote Cement Creates 50 Agric Entrepreneurs
The beneficiaries were selected from the company’s host communities of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.

Determined to support the government in its food security efforts, Dangote Cement Plc has launched a Farmers Empowerment Programme in Benue State.
The initiative is aimed at enabling 50 farmers to produce subsistence and cash crops in commercial quantities from Benue State, considered to be the food basket of the nation.
The programme is coming barely two months after the company empowered businesswomen in Gboko host communities of the State with cash grants, thus deepening business activities in the State.
Earlier, the company had increased bursary payments to students of host communities by more than 100 percent.
Speaking Thursday at the launch of the Farmers Empowerment Programme, General Manager Social Performance, Johnson Kor, described the programme as ‘historic and innovative.’
He said that the beneficiaries were selected from the company’s host communities of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to him, the beneficiaries were carefully selected from the six catchment areas of the Local Government.

Mr. Kor said the projects have been earmarked for the communities as captured in the extant Community Development Agreement (CDA), adding that the contents of the CDA are progressively being executed. “Today we are witnessing an historic occasion in our journey of mutual development.
Farmers Empowerment Programme is the first programme to be launched since we signed the CDA with the immediate host communities in December 2024,” he said.
In his speech, Plant Director, Dangote Cement, Gboko Plant, Munusamy Murugan, said the company will also support farmers with fertilizers, Agro chemicals, Knapsack Sprayers and various types of seedlings. Mr. Murugan who was represented by Head of Production Department, Engr Soom Kiishi said: “This is the first batch but certainly just the beginning, and certainly not the end.
We plan it to be an annual event, but the choice of the Farmers programme may change, depending on the choice of the benefiting communities.”
He said that other economic empowerment programmes are lined up in the coming weeks.
“The Youth Empowerment Programme will soon be launched, and selected beneficiaries will receive training in Welding & Fabrication, and Solar Electrical Installation from Professional personnels,” he added.
He said the company’s scholarship scheme cuts across students from various disciplines and tertiary institutions.
In his address to the communities, a Consultant from Abbass Corporate Services, Dr. Ahemen Aondoaver Samuel, advised the beneficiaries to make use of what he described as a rare opportunity from the Dangote Cement Plc.
The Consultant said that the company’s effort will help transform beneficiaries into entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector and enable them to support the government’s food security effort.
A member of the community, Kwaghgba Isaac, described the Farmers Empowerment Programme as a historic and huge intervention from the company, noting that the effort will not only boost subsistence farming, but help feed the nation.
He urged members of the communities to sustain the peaceful coexistence currently being enjoyed with the company.
Business
Nigeria’s economy grows 3.7% in H1- Stanbic IBTC report
Muyiwa Oni, Head of Equity Research, West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank, said that the estimated 3.7 percent year-on-year GDP growth aligns with expectations for annual growth of 3.5 percent.

• President Bola Tinubu
The Nigerian economy grew by 3.7 percent in the first half of 2025, driven by improved business conditions and increased oil production.
This was revealed in the Stanbic IBTC Bank Nigeria Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) report compiled by S&P Global and released on Tuesday.
Earlier, the World Bank estimated that Nigeria’s economy would grow by 3.6 percent in 2025, higher than the 3.4 percent recorded in 2024, despite shifts in global trade dynamics.
This projection is lower than the Central Bank of Nigeria’s estimate of 4.17 percent and the ambitious 5.5 percent GDP growth forecasted by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group in January.
Muyiwa Oni, Head of Equity Research, West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank, said that the estimated 3.7 percent year-on-year GDP growth aligns with expectations for annual growth of 3.5 percent.
He said, “Insights from the monthly PMIs and crude oil production data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission suggest an economy that grew by an estimated 3.7 per cent y/y in H1 2025, supported by higher crude oil production and improved growth in manufacturing and services, while agriculture continues to lag its long-term average growth rate of 3.6 per cent.”
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