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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.”
Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has extended warm felicitations to Muslims in Nigeria and across the globe on the joyous occasion of Eid-el-Fitr.
In a statement to mark the end of Ramadan, Araraume highlighted the significance of the month long period of spiritual reflection, fasting, and devotion. “As Muslims gather with loved ones to share in the festivities, I join in the cheer, wishing everyone a blessed and peaceful Eid,” he said.
The Senator expressed profound appreciation to Muslim Nigerians for their contributions to the nation’s growth, describing their faith, resilience, and patriotism as beacons of hope. “Your unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s progress is truly commendable,” he stated.
As the country navigates its current challenges, Araraume called for unity, understanding, and collective effort. “Let us embrace the spirit of Eid, forgiveness, generosity, and kindness, to build a brighter future for ourselves and generations to come,” he urged.
Araraume also extended solidarity to President Bola Tinubu, a distinguished Muslim and the leader of APC, praising his visionary leadership and dedication to nation building. “President Tinubu’s commitment to serving Nigeria has been exemplary, and we assure him of our continued support,” he said.
Reaffirming the APC’s commitment to national prosperity, Araraume emphasized that the values of compassion, unity, and progress embodied by Eid align deeply with the party’s ethos. “As we mark this occasion, we reaffirm our dedication to creating a Nigeria where faith and ethnic background are not barriers to success,” he concluded.
President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a high-level bilateral engagement aimed at strengthening ties between Nigeria and Britain.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday, said the meeting will culminate in the signing of various Memoranda of Understanding and agreements, including those on trade, investment, defence, and cultural cooperation.
The statement said the meeting reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to deepening bilateral relations, attracting foreign investment, and modernising key infrastructure to support economic growth.
It added that a major highlight of the visit was the signing of a £746 million financing agreement between UK Export Finance, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Morning Recap: Nigeria, Britain set for fresh security alliances, Saudi Arabia declares Friday Eid-el-Fitr, other top stories
The statement said the deal will fund the refurbishment of two key maritime infrastructures — the Lagos Port Complex (Apapa Quays) and the Tin Can Island Port Complex.
The President and the First Lady had earlier been the guests of their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.
Tinubu was accompanied by a high-profile delegation, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi; Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu.
Other members of the delegation include Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani; Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa; National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.
Morocco have been officially crowned champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the CAF Appeal Board overturned the result of the final against Senegal. The decision comes after extraordinary scenes in Rabat where the Lions of Teranga walked off the pitch in protest, leading to a retrospective 3-0 forfeit victory for the host nation.
In a detailed statement, the CAF Appeal Board confirmed that the appeal lodged by the FRMF was “declared admissible in form and the appeal is upheld.” This landmark ruling effectively strips Senegal of what would have been their second continental crown, rewarding the hosts for a match that descended into chaos during extra time.
The roots of the controversy lie in a heated moment deep into stoppage time when Morocco’s Brahim Diaz went down in the box. While the referee initially waved play away, a VAR review resulted in a spot-kick for the hosts. This sparked a furious reaction from the Senegalese bench, with head coach Pape Thiaw instructing his players to return to the dressing room in a protest that lasted several minutes.
The CAF Appeal Board found that “the conduct of the Senegal team falls within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations.” By leaving the field of play, Senegal was deemed to have infringed on the regulations, leading to the administrative 3-0 defeat. The ruling sets aside the previous CAF Disciplinary Board decision and confirms that the protest lodged by Morocco has been fully upheld
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