Economy
Nigeria Sets To Harness Youth’s Potential To Thrive In Digital Economy: Ministry
Nigeria Sets To Harness Youth’s Potential To Thrive In Digital Economy: Ministry
Nigeria Sets to harness youth’s potential to thrive in digital economy: Ministry. Technical Adviser to the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Francis Sani, has said Nigeria is ready to thrive in the digital economy.
This he said was possible by leveraging its youth and global demand for digital skills.
Mr Sani, also Programme Director of 3MTT Nigeria, spoke at the launch of Darey.io and Xterns.ai, their new tech hub. The event, held Saturday in Lagos, had the theme: “Tech and Tea: Brewing Nigeria’s Technology Innovation Future.’’
Highlighting the role of digital skills, Mr Sani said they were crucial for economic growth, enabling Nigeria to tap into the global outsourcing market.
He stressed the ministry’s aim was to ensure every Nigerian could access technical training, regardless of financial or geographical barriers.
According to him, the partnership with Darey.io would provide practical, AI-driven, project-based learning to enhance training quality and effectiveness.
He explained that the ministry’s approach centres on five pillars: knowledge, policy, infrastructure, innovation and entrepreneurship, and trade, to spur national development.
Mr Sani also highlighted Nigeria’s large youth population as a major advantage in the global digital economy.
He said the ministry was creating an environment to attract tech companies to Nigeria, generating jobs for young people.
Discussing AI’s economic impact, he said it would transform work and value creation, urging Nigeria to position itself for the changes.
Founder and CEO of Darey.io, Dare Oluwafunmilayo, outlined plans to bridge gaps in Nigeria’s digital economy through partnerships and infrastructure development.
Mr Olufunmilayo said their tech hub aimed to create a collaborative space where young people could learn and develop essential digital skills.
He said, “Our aim is to offer young people a platform to gain skills, network with professionals, and build a pipeline of talent for the digital economy.’’
Speaking on their 3MTT partnership, he said the goal was to train three million technical talents using digital tools to track progress and provide career metrics.
Mr Olufunmilayo noted that over 5,000 people had been trained in four and a half years, with 100,000 more currently enrolled through the 3MTT programme.
He noted the education offered was free due to 3MTT support, underlining the importance of public-private collaboration for economic advancement.
He also emphasised soft skills, stating technical expertise alone does not ensure employment; communication and teamwork are equally vital.
Mr Olufunmilayo said the hub fosters collaboration and innovation, with professionals delivering training to enhance learning experiences.

Digital Economy, Ministry of communication
To further empower youth, he announced the launch of the Dare Olufunmilayo Human Capital Foundation.
“The foundation aims to partner with organisations to provide laptops and stipends, supporting talented individuals and encouraging economic growth,” he said.
Regarding certification, he said training would be recognised by platforms such as Microsoft, AWS, and Google.
He added that Darey.io would also issue its own in-house certifications for trainees.
Abuja
Strike: Normalcy Returns At FCT Secretariat As Workers Resume
Strike: Normalcy Returns At FCT Secretariat As Workers Resume
Strike: Normalcy returns at FCT secretariat as workers resume. The FCTA secretariat is bustling with activities as normalcy returns after the suspension of the planned solidarity protest by labour unions on Tuesday.
The secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration is bustling with activities as normalcy returns after the suspension of the planned solidarity protest by labour unions on Tuesday.
The protest was suspended after a truce was reached between FCT minister Nyesom Wike and the labour unions in the early hours of Tuesday.
The workers, who resumed work on Monday, were seen carrying out their activities and providing various services.
A visit to some offices in the Minister’s Block, the Treasury Department, the Federal Capital Development Authority, the Abuja Geographical System, and others on Wednesday showed that workers were at work, carrying out their duties.
The FCTA workers under the Joint Union Action Committee had on January 19 embarked on industrial action over unresolved welfare concerns.
The strike, however, was halted by a ruling of the National Industrial Court on January 27, which ordered the workers to resume work, a decision that didn’t sit well with the union leaders, who insisted that the strike must continue.
A truce was reached after several hours of meeting, from late night Monday to the early hours of Tuesday, between the union leaders, officials of the FCTA, Mr Wike, and the chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Mohammed Bomoi.
Reacting to the truce, the minister told journalists after inspecting some ongoing projects in Abuja on Tuesday that there were no winners or losers.
He expressed delight that the union leaders have seen the realities on the ground, which have helped to clear misconceptions.
“I’m happy that the trade union and labour congress came to see things for themselves. Sometimes it’s good. What they were told is not really what’s on the ground.

Wike
“But by and large, we have had a good meeting, and they’ve directed the workers to go back to work, which you can see has been done. So, we’re happy that at the end of the day, there is no winner, no loser. It’s in the interest of Abuja to progress,” he said.
The organised labour had on Tuesday resolved the dispute between JUAC and Mr Wike, leading to the immediate resumption of work by affected employees.
A circular, jointly signed by the secretary-general of the TUC, Nuhu Toro, and the acting general secretary of the NLC, Benson Upah, stated that the minister assured labour of mutual respect and sustained engagement on labour-related matters in the FCT.
It said the parties also agreed that no worker would be victimised for participating in the strike action and that all outstanding cases at the National Industrial Court would be withdrawn immediately.
Following the agreement, the NLC and TUC directed all affected workers to resume duty without delay.
Economy
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
Lagos assembly strongly seeks suspension of Makoko demolition. The Lagos state house of assembly has called for the suspension of demolition activities in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro waterfront communities following protests by displaced residents and growing public concern over the exercise.
The call was announced on Tuesday by Noheem Adams, chairman of an ad hoc committee set up by Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the house, during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Lateef Jakande auditorium.
Adams called on all state ministries to cease demolition work and promised compensation to the affected residents.
“On behalf of the speaker and all 40 members of the house, we are directing that all demolitions in Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Shogunro communities should stop from today until further notice,” New Telegraph quoted Adams as saying.
He called for transparency by demanding the full list of taskforce members and the criteria used for engagement, insisting that residents must be actively involved in the process.
“That the taskforce that was constituted, we want to see the list of the taskforce because we want the residents to be duly involved and to be carried along. So we want to have the schedule of those task forces and the criteria for those that we are inviting,” Adams added.

Lagos Assembly
“To the residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro communities, as your representatives, we are giving you all assurances that they will stop demolitions henceforth and there will be compensations for all those whose properties have been demolished.”
Stephen Ogundipe, member of the ad-hoc, said there is need for clear communication, adding that residents targeted for relocation or redevelopment must be informed of the government’s plans in advance.
Babatunde Olajide, special adviser to governor of Lagos on E-GIS and urban renewal, confirmed that $2 million had been earmarked since 2021 to transform Makoko into a modern, internationally compliant water city.
He said enumeration of affected properties is underway and reiterated the administration’s commitment to handling the situation with a human face, prioritizing resident safety and fair compensation.
Yusuf Sagra, baale of Makoko, described the assembly’s decision as a “word of peace,” while Orioye Ogungbure, another leader of the community, praised the “democratic responsiveness” of the government.
Crime
EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video
EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video
EFCC arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for alleged naira mutilation in viral video. The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 arrested a Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa over alleged Naira mutilation.
Inuwa was arrested following a viral video circulated on social media platforms where she was seen conspicuously cleaning mucus from her nose using Naira notes.

EFCC
Following the release of the viral video, the Commission swung into action by tracing and subsequently arrested her to answer questions.
She is currently being held at the Commission’s detention facility while investigation is ongoing.
The suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity
February 3, 2026
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