CBN, Partners host 2nd IFIC; unveil We-Fi Code, WFID, roadmap for FDPs

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso has reaffirmed that inclusive finance is not just about access to banking—it is the bedrock for #EconomicGrowth in Nigeria. Cardoso restated this at the 2nd International Financial Inclusion Conference (IFIC) in Lagos on Tuesday.  He craved for Bank’s unwavering commitment to financial inclusion, just as he pledged to reduce barriers and make finance accessible to all.  “By reaching the unbanked, we are building a resilient, $1 trillion economy. “Financial inclusion is not just a goal; it is key to poverty reduction, income equality, and economic growth. For Nigeria, this means empowering citizens to save, invest, and thrive economically. “Women are essential to Nigeria’s economic growth, yet they face financial exclusion. When women thrive financially, they uplift families and communities. The CBN is committed to closing this gap, offering support for women and youth to achieve financial independence and drive economic growth,” Cardoso assured.  Nigeria is advancing in financial inclusion through resilient policies, digital solutions, and financial literacy programmes that empower young Nigerians to achieve financial independence, foster entrepreneurship, and drive growth. Let us invest in the next generation!  In a similar vein, CBN Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability (FSS), Mr. Phillip Ikeazor, called for greater teamwork across government, private sector, FinTech, and civil society to achieve the goal of 95% financial inclusion by 2024.  “Nigeria’s commitment to the #MayaDeclaration has driven progress in financial access. Since our 2012 National Financial Inclusion Strategy, the adult exclusion rate dropped from 46.3% in 2010 to 26% in 2023. A collaborative journey!”

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Elegbeta: Lagos Govt removes shanties, dislodges illegal occupants

In consolidation of existing efforts aimed at reducing the spate of environmental nuisances to the barest minimum in the metropolis, the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) popularly known as KAI effected the removal of 54 illegal shanties which harboured 84 illegal occupants and eight make-shift toilets beneath Eko Bridge at the Ebute-Ero area of the State on Monday. This disclosure was made by the Corps Marshal of the Agency, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (rtd) who led the dislodgement operation. According to the Corps Marshal, ‘‘The Elegbeta Water Channel which spans the Lagos Lagoon right under the Eko Bridge around the Ebute-Ero axis turned home to miscreants, illegal occupants occupying the waterfront, usually in the habit of promoting indiscriminate dumping of refuse into the lagoon, activating the base of the bridge as a criminal hideout and enjoining open defecation, urination have been removed after serving the squatters a seven-day abatement notice which was not adhered to’’. Cole appreciated the laudable leadership of the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, stressing that the mandate of the Agency to maintain a cleaner and greener environment as enshrined in the THEMES+ agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu remains paramount and sacrosanct to the collective cleanliness of the State’s environs. The Corps Marshal also sounded a strong warning to environmental defaulters, usually in the habit of indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and water bodies, and erection of illegal structures on road setbacks, lay-bys, kerbs, medians and verges. He maintained that the law will soon catch up with all those involved in due course and deal decisively with defaulters who show clear disregard for the State’s environmental laws. The KAI boss also echoed the need for commuting Lagos residents to make appropriate use of pedestrian bridges instead of crossing highways, affirming that defaulters will be arrested and prosecuted on a daily to serve as a deterrent to others. Also, Cole enjoined Lagosians to be more safety-conscious as the yuletide approaches as he made a case for law enforcement to be provided with community-based intelligence when security issues are identified.

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Europa League: Osimhen fires brace in Galatasaray five-goal thriller

Victor Osimhen scored twice to inflict a first Europa League defeat on 10-player Tottenham and earn a 3-2 victory for wasteful Galatasaray. Spurs conceded 28 shots and had just five of their own yet escaped from Istanbul with a respectable scoreline despite having Will Lankshear sent off in the second half. Galatasaray stormed into a sixth-minute lead when Yunus Akgun’s stunning volley from the edge of the box crashed into the top-right corner but Spurs responded through 19-year-old striker Lankshear, who tapped in his first goal for the club after Brennan Johnson had squared a cross. Tottenham’s Will Lankshear, second from left, celebrates with his team-mates after scoring his side’s opening goal against Galatasaray However, the visitors were vulnerable at the back throughout with Osimhen forcing a good save from Forster and then having a goal ruled out for offside before restoring his side’s lead with a clever toe-poke after Radu Dragusin gave the ball away. Forster saved again from Osimhen but just 60 seconds later the striker netted his second of the first half with a cushioned volley from Dries Mertens’ perfect cross. Ange Postecoglou brought on Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur for Brennan Johnson and Heung-Min Son at half-time – but Spurs got worse. Abdulkerim Bardakci had a goalbound shot blocked after Forster dropped an easy cross before Akgun’s volley was deflected inches wide and Osimhen missed two chances. Lankshear then picked up his second yellow card, just seven minutes after his first, for a silly tackle on the halfway line and then Forster made two more saves. Solanke, though, cleverly flicked Pedro Porro’s low pullback into the net against the run of play to put Spurs within one goal and Kulusevski could have equalised in injury-time when his long-range shot rolled wide with goalkeeper Fernando Muslera way out of his goal. Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said: “I just felt it was self-inflicted. We had really simple solutions out there to keep the ball. It wasn’t that hard. We showed it with 10 men. We just needed to be stronger on the ball and play the kind of football we play every week. “Maybe it was a little bit the changes I made and the environment and atmosphere, but the moments that stick out to me was giving the ball away. We were playing through them quite easily with 10 men but with 11 men we had nowhere near that conviction and that was disappointing.” On Will Lankshear: “Will took his goal well, he worked hard for the team. He hasn’t had a lot of experience at senior football so he would have learnt a lot today. The red card, it was a bit of overenthusiasm in that moment to give away a foul, but he’ll learn from that.” Galatasaray have won three of their opening four games in a major European campaign for the first time since 2009-10, also in the Europa League. Tottenham faced 28 shots in their loss to Galatasaray, their most in a game under manager Ange Postecoglou; it is the most efforts faced by an English team in a Europa League group stage match since Everton faced 39 shots against Wolfsburg in November 2014.

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Dangote donates ambulance to Apapa General Hospital

As part of efforts to enhance performances in its core area of healthcare delivery, the Apapa General Hospital has received a brand new ambulance and consumables donated by the Aliko Dangote Foundation. Receiving the donated items, the Medical Director/CEO of the Hospital, Dr. Lateefat Agbaje, stated that the management team reached out to the Dangote Foundation for assistance, and she is happy that the organisation supported them with the donated items. Dr. Agbaje listed other consumables donated by the Foundation as 9500 disposable nylon aprons, 450 booties, 13570 face masks, 670 face shields, 45000 hand gloves, 3743 eyeglasses, 28000 Nurse caps, 37 thermometers, 26,500 PPE corvettes, 3592 theatre booths, and one ultrasound scanner. The hospital team, she said, is working assiduously to improve the facility through various initiatives embarked upon, including ensuring that the clinics are relocated from the hospital upstairs to downstairs for easy accessibility of patients and residents of Apapa. According to her, “Apapa General Hospital is willing to collaborate with the Foundation in the area of pediatric and children’s healthcare services. For instance, during the last anniversary celebration, there was a medical outreach for children in the area”. The Medical Director, therefore, thanked the foundation for its generosity, promising to use them judiciously for an enhanced healthcare delivery to the residents. In his remarks, the Director, Health & Nutrition, Aliko Dangote Foundation, Dr. Francis Aminu said the purpose for the donation of the ambulance and medical consumables is for health and wellbeing of Apapa residents. “To achieve a healthy living, there’s a need to support the hospital to deliver quality health services to residents, especially for children. If the children are healthy, residents would be able to make more economic gain for the family”, Aminu said. He noted that the primary healthcare service is very important to residents, stressing that nobody will want to visit the General Hospital if the primary healthcare is well equipped. The General Hospitals are meant to handle the secondary aspect of health care services. The Foundation, he said, has supported the Federal Government and many States of the federation in the areas of infrastructure, health and education.

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