Gov Alia’s entrepreneurship initiative begins training at Belarus’ RIPO to equip youths with global, industry-ready skills

By Felix Umande, Makurdi

The Benue State Government has launched the first phase of its International Entrepreneurship and Youth Empowerment Programme, a flagship initiative aimed at equipping young people with globally competitive vocational and technical skills.

The programme, driven by Governor Hyacinth Alia in partnership with the National Directorate of Employment, is currently underway at the Republican Institute for Vocational Studies (RIPO) in Belarus. Selected participants have already begun intensive artisanal training combining classroom instruction with hands-on practical experience.

The curriculum focuses on infrastructural development and a wide range of vocational disciplines, with an emphasis on modern digital and technical competencies. Officials say the design is to prepare Benue youths to compete effectively in a rapidly evolving global labour market.

The programme is framed as a strategic investment in human capital development, with certification and industry relevance at its core. Governor Alia has indicated plans to expand the initiative to cover the agricultural and automotive sectors, reinforcing his administration’s focus on sustainable youth empowerment and international collaboration.

The Benue delegation, led by the Director General of the Bureau of Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation, Benita Shuluwa, was formally received by RIPO officials, with training commencing immediately after the welcome.

Both the Benue State Government and RIPO have expressed optimism about deepening the partnership. Discussions are already ongoing to extend the programme across multiple Centres of Excellence within the institute.

If expanded as planned, the collaboration is expected to open new pathways for skills acquisition, innovation, and international exposure for youths in Benue State.

By Wumi Tewogbade,Abuja

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of ongoing road projects across Abuja, saying residents can now “see governance in action.”

Wike spoke on Wednesday while inspecting ongoing infrastructure projects in Karu, Apo-Karshi and Gbazango, popularly known as Arab Road in Kubwa.

The minister commended contractors handling the various projects, particularly local construction firm Abdul Val and Zeberced, for delivering quality work within schedule.

“With what we have seen today, right from the roads in Karu down to Apo-Karshi and now to Gbazango, which is popularly called Arab Road in Kubwa, we are very satisfied with the level of work that has taken place,” Wike said.

He praised Abdul Val for the quality of work on the Karu road project, noting that the company had earlier delivered the Ushafa road project commissioned last year by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through Vice President Kashim Shettima.

“I’m quite impressed. This is the second time. If you remember, the Ushafa road commissioned last year was also carried out by Abdul Val, and they are doing the one in Karu now. They are doing a good quality job,” he stated.

According to him, the Karu road project will be among projects slated for inauguration during President Tinubu’s third anniversary in office.

Speaking on the Apo-Karshi road being handled by SCC, Wike described it as a critical project frequently demanded by residents, expressing optimism that it would be completed before the end of the year.

He also commended Zeberced for the ongoing Gbazango road project, which he said would also be inaugurated during the President’s third anniversary celebrations.

“If you remember, this company handled the A2 to Pai road commissioned by Mr. President last year. They are also handling the Goma to Yangoji road, which will also be inaugurated during the third anniversary,” he said.

“You can see the quality of work. You can see how happy the residents are seeing us here. Without invitation, they came out to appreciate the fact that they can now see governance in action.”

Wike stressed that beyond quality delivery, meeting project timelines remained equally important.

“One thing is doing a quality job, another thing is keeping to timeline. I’m very happy. I think the President’s third anniversary will be full of activities,” he added.

By Our Reporter

Terrorist groups in Nigeria may be getting more sophisticated and determined in their ways especially by employing Elon Musk’s Starlink communication devices. To counter this, the Nigerian Army
Troops are evolving new strategies that are recording successes leading to intercepting and seizing over 400 Starlink communication devices being used by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists across the northeastern parts of Nigeria,

The Commander of Sector 2, Operation HADIN KAI, Brigadier General Beyidi Martins, disclosed this while briefing defence correspondents on ongoing military offensives and intelligence-driven operations targeted at dismantling terrorist logistics and communication networks in the insurgency-ravaged region, according to a report by Zagazola.

He said the recovered Starlink terminals, linked to Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, were intercepted during sustained operations across Sambisa Forest, the Timbuktu Triangle and other terrorist enclaves in the North-East.

According to Brigadier General Beyidi Martins, the seizures formed part of broader efforts by troops to disrupt the logistics lifelines sustaining terrorist activities in the region.

“The lifeblood of terrorist activities is logistics resupply, and we are deliberately denying them freedom to move supplies, communication equipment, fuel and other operational items across the theatre,” he said.

The commander explained that the asymmetric nature of the insurgency had enabled terrorists to rely heavily on civilian supply chains and collaborators for the movement of food, fuel, drugs, communication gadgets and motorcycle spare parts into remote hideouts.

“This movement is made easy because of the asymmetric nature of the environment where the populace is closely interacting with the terrorists, thereby helping to resupply the terrorists with ease.

“And because of the asymmetric nature, as I’ve mentioned earlier, it is very easy for logistics items—fuel, food, and other important spare parts, especially for motorcycles and other vehicles used by the terrorists—to be resupplied to them through this same populace.”

Explaining the complex situation in his words, “I must also accept the fact that there is some high level of collusion between the civil populace and the terrorists; some willingly, some unwillingly, due to coercion. And this has continued to fuel the activities of these terrorists,” Martins stated.

According to the strategies being used, he disclosed that “Now, we have succeeded in infiltrating, through the use of the transport networks, the various associations of people that are doing business within the area, and we’re able to track. And it will interest you to note that a lot of arrests have been made on a daily basis.

“For example, the terrorists use the Starlink satellite network. And I think so far within this sector, we have arrested over 400 pieces of the Starlink network—over 400 pieces. And that has helped to deny them the ability to be able to get a connection easily.”

He said, “Apart from so many other logistics items and equipment that we’ve intercepted, running across the route from Kano through Umburu to Bukarti down to Gaidam, and then into some parts of the Sambisa Forest, as well as the ones that are moving within the Tumbuns of Lake Chad, that are intercepted within our local markets of Gudu, Baga, and Doron Baga.”

Martins further revealed that insurgents had also exploited local livestock markets to dispose of rustled animals and generate operational funds.

“The various cattle markets also serve as points where some of the animals that are rustled by these terrorists are sold through proxies.

“As such, if these animals are not properly identified through the network we have created between us and the Borno State Government and Yobe State, the animals will not be sold. So, for an animal to be sold must be properly identified by the owner.

“If animals are not properly identified, they will not be sold. Through that arrangement, we are tracking and disrupting their sources of financing,” Martins disclosed.