FG Secures $500m Loan to Fund Digital Economy World Bank to provide digital IDs for 148m Nigerians by 2024
Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has disclosed that the federal government has secured a
$500million loan for a local funding programme. This initiative, he said, is aimed at boosting innovation and entrepreneurship within the country's digital sector.
Tijani, who stated this at a dinner Friday organised in his honour by the ministry in partnership with the World Bank said, “So, we've got access to about half a billion dollars to start local funding.”
This is as the World Bank has unveiled an ambitious target to provide at least 148 million people of working age with a digital national ID by the middle of next year, marking a significant step towards
inclusion and accessibility. Tijani outlined federal government's plan to domicile local funding in Nigeria and ensure that it benefits true Nigerian businesses, adding that it will be collaborating
with the Bank of Industry (BoI). He, however, highlighted the importance of supporting and promoting Nigerian businesses, Continued on page 5
See eCopy of THISDAY Style on www.thisdaylive.com Sunday 27 August, 2023 Vol 28. No 10364
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NCDC Dismisses Scare over New COVID-19 Variants… Page 10
NSA, Service Chiefs, Ministers, NNPCL Up the Ante in War against Oil Theft Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt and Sylvester Idowu in Warri In a bid to curb oil theft and illegal refining of crude oil in the Niger
Delta, President Bola Tinubu has dispatched a powerful presidential delegation to the oil-rich region to inspect the federal government’s assets and meet with the governors.
The members of the delegation, which was led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, include the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher
Musa; and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja. Others include Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru; Minister of State for Defence,
Bello Matawalle; Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri; and Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources, Ekperipe Ekpo.
Also, senior officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, led Continued on page 5
Tinubu: Niger’s Crisis will Not Deter Me from Concluding Nigeria's Economic Reform Programme Tasks US on defence of democracy in West Africa Niger junta puts troops on red alert Denies expelling Nigerian ambassador You have no authority to expel our ambassador, France tells junta Biden agrees to meet with Tinubu at UNGA Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Bola Tinubu has expressed his readiness to pursue Nigeria's economic reforms policy to a logical conclusion despite the political crisis rocking the neighbouring Niger Republic. Speaking while receiving in the audience at the State House, Abuja, the United States Presidential Envoy and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Molly Phee, the Nigerian President, who also doubles as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), emphasised that the crisis in Niger Republic would not deter him from concluding his economic reform programme successfully for the benefit of Nigerians. But despite the clarification by ECOWAS that it has no plans to invade the Niger Republic in the aftermath of a coup, the junta has ordered the country’s armed forces Continued on page 5
RENEWED WAR AGAINST OIL THIEVES… L-R: Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri; National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; Rivers State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara; Minister of Defence, Mr. Mohammed Badaru; and Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Bello Matawalle, during the visit of the presidential security delegation on national issues relating to crude oil assets and investments to Port Harcourt…yesterday.