*BOI, GIZ seals strategic partnership to drive enterprise growth, boost climate resilience*

Bank of Industry (BOI), Nigeria’s foremost Development finance institution and a globally recognised organisation specialising in international development cooperation with countries, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), on Wednesday April 15, 2026, signs a Partnership Framework Agreement to drive sustainable innovation and economic development for large enterprise, and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector in Nigeria.

The partnership is hinged on delivering coordinated interventions across key strategic pillars including access to finance, entrepreneurship development, capacity building, and market access; and integrates focused support for climate finance and renewable energy investments; and a robust alignment with global sustainability priorities that enables MSMEs to as engines of economic development.

With this landmark agreement, BOI and GIZ are positioned to mutually ensure that capacity building efforts for businesses focuses on strengthening the technical and institutional capabilities of BOI’s Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs), equipping them to deliver higher-impact advisory services to the Bank’s customers; as well as enshrine a structured vocational training provided under the ICSS (Inspire, Create, Start and Scale) entrepreneurship programme to enhance productivity, workforce quality and overall business competitiveness to MSMEs.

The central pillar of this year’s partnership framework is it women’s economic empowerment through targeted financing initiatives; agribusiness development and rural enterprise growth; and climate-focused investment imperative to scale its renewable energy and energy efficiency financing portfolio.

BOI will strategically deepen its efforts to secure endorsement with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) with support from GIZ, a German-led development agency.

Speaking at the announcement ceremony, MD/CEO, Bank of Industry (BOI), Dr. Olasupo Olusi, said “This partnership is about closing the gap between enterprise potential and enterprise reality. Too many Nigerian businesses, particularly MSMEs, have the ideas, the drive, and the market opportunity, but lack the financing, technical capacity, or market access needed to scale. This partnership reflects our unwavering commitment to constantly form new partnerships to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Nigeria. By combining our financing expertise with our partner’s international development experience, we are building a comprehensive framework that will directly translate into jobs, innovation, affordable, long-term financing and sustainable growth for MSMEs in Nigeria.”

In his remarks, Country Director, GIZ Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr. Magnus Wagner, said, “This partnership demonstrates our joint commitments to strengthening Nigeria’s private sector and to advancing sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Through this partnership, we aim to support small and medium enterprises. We are trying more to look at SME, formalized business, which is the resilient backbone of Nigeria’s economy. So, we would like to work, we have decided in areas such as climate and sustainable finance, renewable energy and energy efficiency, entrepreneurship and innovation, women’s economic empowerment, agribusiness and rural transformation, and digital trade and market access. We look forward to a close and successful collaboration with the Bank of Industry, one that delivers tangible results for business, communities, and the country and the population as a whole”.

ADC Convention: We Are Unstoppable; “We Dare To Stand Up,” – Rauf Aregbesola

By Shaba Gbenga

In Abuja, under the charged atmosphere of a convention that felt more like a declaration of intent than routine political gathering, Rauf Aregbesola stood before party faithful and delivered a message anchored on inevitability and resistance, insisting that just as no force can halt the rising of the sun, the African Democratic Congress cannot be stopped. Speaking at the party’s 8th National Convention, he cast the ADC not merely as an opposition platform but as a movement forged in defiance, determined to confront what he described as a system defined by incompetence and drift.

He painted a stark portrait of the nation’s economy, reducing official narratives to what he implied were illusions detached from the lived reality of Nigerians. According to him, the figures speak more honestly than any government statement ever could. A currency that has fallen from about seven hundred naira to the dollar to roughly one thousand four hundred, he argued, represents not just depreciation but a complete erosion of economic stability in a country heavily dependent on imports. The ripple effects, he noted, are visible everywhere, from the soaring cost of fuel to the daily struggle of workers who now find the simple act of going to work financially burdensome. In his telling, an economy once strained is now suffocating, and the promise of renewed hope has become a refrain repeated without substance, an echo stretched across years without delivery.

Yet beyond the numbers, he directed his sharpest criticism at what he described as a troubling absence of empathy at the highest levels of leadership. He recalled moments of national grief where, in his view, presence was replaced with distance and compassion substituted with protocol. Communities struck by violence, he suggested, were left to grapple not only with loss but with the symbolism of a leadership that appeared removed from their pain. For him, these were not isolated incidents but defining examples of a deeper disconnect between the governed and those in power, a gap he warned could no longer be ignored.

He then turned to the controversy surrounding the legitimacy of the convention itself, methodically defending the processes that led to the current leadership structure within the party. He traced decisions, meetings, and resolutions, insisting that due process had been followed and acknowledged at every stage. His frustration was reserved for the electoral body, which he accused of abandoning neutrality and failing in its responsibility by refusing to monitor the convention despite formal notification. In his view, such actions were not mere administrative lapses but deliberate steps in a broader design to narrow Nigeria’s political space ahead of the next general election.

From there, his argument widened into a critique of what he described as a dangerous normalization of political manipulation. He questioned a system where, in his words, wrongdoing is increasingly shielded by law and strategy, warning that when illegality becomes a tool rather than an offence, democracy itself begins to lose meaning. Drawing from the legacy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, he framed opposition not as an inconvenience to power but as its necessary conscience, a force meant to challenge excess and preserve balance. Without it, he cautioned, the country risks sliding quietly into a future where elections become formalities and leadership transitions resemble coronations rather than choices.

Still, his message was not without forward motion. He spoke of a party reorganizing itself from the ground up, refining its policies, strengthening its internal structures, and preparing for the contests ahead. Losses in recent elections, he admitted, had exposed weaknesses, but they had also provided lessons the party intends to build on. What emerged from his address was not a claim of perfection but a declaration of readiness, a belief that momentum is shifting and that the groundwork for a different political outcome is being laid.

As he closed, the rhythm of his speech returned to its central theme, one of courage and inevitability. The struggle, he implied, is not merely about power but about principle, not just about winning elections but about restoring direction. In that conviction, he urged those still watching from the sidelines to make a choice, warning that moments demanding clarity leave little room for neutrality. For him and for the movement he represents, standing up is no longer optional, and in that act of defiance, he placed his faith in victory, not just for a party, but for a nation he believes can still be reclaimed.

Governor Dauda Lawal Receives Nigerian Air Force Delegation in Gusau to Strengthen Security, Combat Terrorism 

Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal P.hD, received a high-level delegation from the Nigerian Air Force during a strategic visit aimed at strengthening ongoing efforts to combat insecurity across the state.

The visit featured a presentation and inspection of key military air assets, including a combat-equipped helicopter designed for rapid response and real-time operations.

The Governor, alongside top government officials and security chiefs, was briefed on the aircraft’s capabilities, operational features, and its role in tackling banditry and other security challenges.

During the session, Air Force personnel demonstrated key features of the aircraft, including weapon systems and surveillance technology, highlighting its effectiveness in reconnaissance and combat missions.

Governor Lawal expressed strong interest, inspecting the equipment and asking questions about deployment and coordination with ground forces.

He commended the Federal Government and Air Force leadership for their commitment to restoring peace in Zamfara and reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to supporting all security agencies through collaboration and strategic initiatives.

The visit marks a significant step toward enhancing aerial surveillance and rapid response capabilities in Zamfara, reflecting renewed progress in addressing insecurity in the state.