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Renewed hope : Tinubu set to relaunch Tradermoni, beneficiaries to get N50,000 each, Says Betta Edu
The federal government on Monday, October 9, said that it would reintroduce the TraderMoni scheme next month.
In the past administration, Tradermoni was one of the programmes under the Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP).
The interest-free loan scheme for traders which started in 2018, has been on hold for some time.
With the reintroduction of the scheme, each beneficiary is expected to get N50,000 to support their business.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu disclosed this in an interview on television.
Edu said: “Now, for the first set, which we are starting in November, we are selecting one big market per senatorial district. That is 109 markets and we are going into the markets, capturing the traders in their shops in the markets.
“Unlike the N10,000 given to traders in the earlier phases, there is more money for the beneficiaries. It’s N50,000 to support their businesses.
“We are not interested in party lines, or any social or personal interest. We will capture them in the market and then after doing so, we will create a bank account just as they are being captured, the monies are sent directly from the CBN account.”
According to her, it is a one-off interest-free loan with those who repay qualifying for another loan.
She equally said the conditional cash transfer policy of the government is set to return later in the month.
She said: “With the approval from the President which we hope to get this week, on the 17th of October, we will be officially launching the conditional cash transfer to 15m households in Nigeria.
“Presently we are having a verification exercise, every State can bear us witness that we have put boots on the ground, persons are working with the state cash transfer office as well as the governors who are the head of the steering committee, and then several other persons in the state the local government heads, the community heads can testify also that we are on ground to ensure that those who are on the national social register truly are Nigerians and they fall within the under $1.95 a day and they deserve to have it.”
On why the verification was important, she said: “Remember some people on the register will probably be dead, some people on the register would have moved out of that bracket because they got a job and they’re no longer where they used to be and all of that, we need to be able to mind find that data and get these people out and deal with people.
“We are on the field cleaning up that data and doing a complete verification and we’re putting juxtaposing both the BVN and the rest of it to identify these people and be sure that we are dealing with authentic persons.
“We are also capturing the head of the households as well as a picture of the household, so we can locate each of households, they’re numbered so people can go there and verify against the register.
“We are equally doing a kind of rapid response expansion by capturing persons who were left out of the register just to fill in the spaces of those who are either dead or have moved out of that bracket.”
On the number of people the government hopes to lift out of poverty through its various programmes in one year, she said: “For the conditional cash transfer, we’re working with 15 million households which amount to about 60 million individuals directly touched by the conditional cash transfer.
She added: “On the N-Power job creation which is the renewed hope job creation scheme, we are working on 5 million Nigerian youth between the ages of 18 and 40 and this will be taken 1 million per year on the
“GEEP programme, we are working on 1.5 million Nigerians and this will include the market women, the traders for capital, and then the farmers.
“For the Homegrown School feeding which is expected to deal with the nutrition, health and in a way act as an incentive to keep children in school, we are looking at reaching out to over 10 million children within the next four years. So in the next year, we would have directly touched at least 70 million Nigerians.”
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BREAKING: Court Puts Off El-Rufai’s Bail Hearing, Sets New Date
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The Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of the bail application filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, till Wednesday.
The adjournment followed proceedings that took place under tight security, reflecting heightened public interest in the high-profile corruption trial.
Counsel for the ex-governor, Ukpong Akpan, confirmed the development shortly after the session but declined to give details.
“I’m sorry, I can’t talk now, we are in the middle of work. I have to go and file responses. The hearing of the bail application has been adjourned till tomorrow,” he said.
Shortly after the court rose, El-Rufai was escorted out of the premises by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission in a white Hilux vehicle.
Earlier, the former governor had returned to court amid heavy security for the continuation of proceedings on his bail request.
The security arrangement mirrored the situation during his arraignment last week when he was first docked before the court.
El-Rufai is standing trial before Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged conversion and possession of public property as well as money laundering.
He was brought to court after spending over a month in detention, a development that has continued to draw widespread attention across the country.
The court had earlier fixed March 31, 2026, for the hearing of all pending applications, including the bail request.
However, the anti-graft agency had on March 27, 2026, released him on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother, Hajiya Ummar El-Rufai, in Cairo, Egypt.
In a related development, the former governor was earlier on Tuesday arraigned before a Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kawo on separate charges.
At the State High Court, he was docked alongside one Amadu Sule on allegations ranging from abuse of office and fraud to intent to commit fraud and conferring undue advantage.
The charges, also filed by the anti-corruption commission, are separate from those before the Federal High Court.
After the proceedings at the State High Court, the commission moved El-Rufai to the Federal High Court within the same premises for continuation of proceedings.
With the adjournment, the hearing of the bail application is expected to resume on Wednesday.
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Araraume Felicitates President Tinubu on his birthday. Hails his Reform Agenda and National Milestones
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Senator Ifeanyi Araraume has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the occasion of his birthday, praising the President’s leadership style and the series of reforms that have shaped the direction of the country since he assumed office.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Araraume described President Tinubu as “a courageous reformer whose decisions continue to redefine Nigeria’s economic and governance landscape.” He noted that the President’s first year in office has been marked by bold policy choices aimed at stabilizing the economy and laying the groundwork for long term national development.
Araraume highlighted the removal of the petrol subsidy as one of the most significant economic decisions in recent decades, saying it demonstrated the President’s willingness to confront long‑standing structural challenges. According to him, the policy, though demanding, has redirected national resources toward infrastructure, social investment, and other critical sectors.
He also commended the administration’s unification of the foreign exchange market, describing it as a major step toward restoring investor confidence and strengthening Nigeria’s global competitiveness. The senator noted that the reforms have attracted renewed interest from international partners and signaled a commitment to transparent economic management.
Beyond economic restructuring, Araraume pointed to ongoing infrastructure expansion as evidence of the administration’s focus on national development. He cited the acceleration of key road projects, renewed efforts to expand rail connectivity, and the push to improve power generation and distribution as initiatives that reflect the President’s long term vision for a more productive Nigeria.
The senator further acknowledged the government’s interventions in agriculture, including support for mechanization and targeted programs aimed at boosting food security. He said these efforts are essential to reducing dependence on imports and strengthening local production.
On the diplomatic front, Araraume praised President Tinubu’s engagements across Africa and beyond, noting his role in strengthening regional cooperation within ECOWAS and advancing Nigeria’s interests on the global stage.
“As we celebrate this milestone, it is important to recognize the resilience and determination with which President Tinubu has approached the task of nation building,” Araraume said. “His commitment to reforms, economic stability, and democratic governance continues to inspire confidence in Nigeria’s future.”
He wished the President good health, renewed strength, and continued wisdom as he leads the country through what he described as “a defining period in Nigeria’s history.”
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Araraume Salutes Tinubu’s Vision, Lists Key Achievements on Birthday
Senator Ifeanyi Araraume has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the occasion of his birthday, praising his leadership style and the series of reforms that have shaped the country’s direction since he assumed office.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Araraume described the President as “a courageous reformer whose decisions continue to redefine Nigeria’s economic and governance landscape.” He noted that Tinubu’s first year in office has been marked by bold policy choices aimed at stabilizing the economy and laying the groundwork for long-term national development.
Araraume highlighted the removal of the petrol subsidy as one of the most significant economic decisions in recent decades, saying it demonstrated the President’s willingness to confront long-standing structural challenges. According to him, the policy, though demanding, has redirected national resources toward infrastructure, social investment, and other critical sectors.
He also commended the administration’s unification of the foreign exchange market, describing it as a major step toward restoring investor confidence and strengthening Nigeria’s global competitiveness. The senator noted that the reforms have attracted renewed interest from international partners and signaled a commitment to transparent economic management.
Beyond economic restructuring, Araraume pointed to ongoing infrastructure expansion as evidence of the administration’s focus on national development. He cited the acceleration of key road projects, renewed efforts to expand rail connectivity, and the push to improve power generation and distribution as initiatives that reflect the President’s long-term vision for a more productive Nigeria.
The senator further acknowledged the government’s interventions in agriculture, including support for mechanization and targeted programmes aimed at boosting food security. He said these efforts are essential to reducing dependence on imports and strengthening local production.
On the diplomatic front, Araraume praised Tinubu’s engagements across Africa and beyond, noting his role in strengthening regional cooperation within ECOWAS and advancing Nigeria’s interests on the global stage.
“As we celebrate this milestone, it is important to recognise the resilience and determination with which President Tinubu has approached the task of nation-building,” Araraume said. “His commitment to reforms, economic stability, and democratic governance continues to inspire confidence in Nigeria’s future.”
He wished the President good health, renewed strength, and continued wisdom as he leads the country through what he described as “a defining period in Nigeria’s history.”
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