The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Mrs. Hajia Sadiya Farouq, has disclosed that the Federal Government has spent over $5billion (N4 trillion) to combat poverty in the country.

The minister noted the total sum of $5bn (N4trn) was spent from the period of 2016 to 2020.

According to the official exchange rate of Monday, the money spent might be equivalent to N4 trillion.

Speaking further, she disclosed that the fund was spent as part of the promises of President Muhammadu Buhari to lift 100 million Nigerians from poverty.

Recall that Buhari during his democracy speech on June 12 had said his administration has been able to pull 10 million Nigerians out of poverty, while assuring that the target is to lift 100 million Nigerians through various poverty alleviation schemes.

In her explanation, the minister stated that the Federal Government has been committing $1bn to the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), as part of the fight to reduce poverty and inequality.

The National Coordinator of NSIP, Dr Umar Bindir, who represented the minister, made this known during a presentation of letters of engagement and electronic tablets to 248 monitors of the NSIP programme in Adamawa.

Lagos has become the top African start-up ecosystem after ranking 122nd on the Global Start-up Ecosystem Index.

Reports say that the state overtook Nairobi, the Kenyan capital which became 136th.

The Global Start-up Ecosystem Index by StartupBlink is a ranking of 1.000 cities and 100 countries.

Globally, Nigeria ranked 63rd, which is the highest-ranking country in West Africa and the third in Africa while Lagos gained five spots from last year’s ranking to climb to 122nd.

Lagos is in the global top 50 cities for e-commerce and retail technology and in the global top 100 for transportation technology and education technology.

Ibadan jumped 601 spots to 353rd globally and second in Nigeria, overtaking Abuja.

The index report said, “Nigerian start-ups face some major challenges, such as a lack of financing options and even a lack of broadband Internet infrastructure. Government entrepreneurship programmes are present but need to be developed as does legislation and public sector support.”

Abuja fell 12 spots to 466th, while Port Harcourt decreased by six spots to 906th globally. Enugu ranked 978th globally and fifth nationally. Benin City was 979th, while Kano jumped 14 spots to 981st.

Altogether, Nigeria has seven cities in the global top 1,000 and continues to have the highest number of ranked cities in Africa.

According to the report, Nigeria has a massive consumer market and more than 500 active start-ups and is one of the largest start-up ecosystems in Africa.

Report has it that e-commerce and remote work were growing at unprecedented speed as a result of the pandemic, accelerating the world towards a future where digital presence is more dominant than physical presence

South Africa is ranked number one in Africa and is the first African to reach the global top 50 since the rankings began in 2017. Cape Town is the third highest-ranked city in Africa. The Johannesburg’s fintech industry is ranked fourth regionally.

Kenya is the second highest-ranked nation in Africa. The report described the country as one of the most advanced economies in Africa, saying the launch of Konzo Techno City by the government in 2013 had attracted global tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Samsung, and Intel to the country.

Protesting youths have stormed the Umaru Yar’Adua Way leading to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

According to correspondents the youths, under the aegis of #RevolutionNow, blocked the road on Monday morning.

Protesters got motorists plying route stranded as they made bonfires on the ever-busy road.

Worst hit are workers who live in Lugbe, Kuje, and other areas along the Airport road making their way to the city centre to resume work after the weekend.

slamic Scholar, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi has said that no school is safe until the government negotiate with bandits.

sources report that controversial Islamic cleric, Sheik Abubakar Gumi, has said that no school is safe until the government negotiate with bandits noting that there are about 100,000 armed bandits in the North-West alone.

He insisted that no school could be safe until the government engaged with the bandits.

Gumi said the bandits kidnapping school pupils were disappointed that he negotiated with them without the involvement of the Federal Government.

Gumi stated this during an interview with The PUNCH on efforts to rescue the kidnapped pupils of Tegina Islamic School, Niger State, North Central, Nigeria.

The bandits had requested N200m from the victims’ parents, which was subsequently reduced to N150m.

Gumi said despite efforts to get the pupils out, the bandits were adamant in their financial demand.

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the composition of the Federal Government’s Team to engage with Twitter.

Sources report that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the composition of the Federal Government’s Team to engage with Twitter over the recent suspension of the operations of the microblogging and social networking service in Nigeria.

The approval was announced in a statement in by Special Assistant To The President (Media) Office of the Minister of Information and Culture, Abuja, Segun Adeyemi.

The statement said that Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed will chair the team.

The Federal Government’s team also comprises the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Works and Housing, Minister of State for Labour and Employment as well as other relevant government agencies.

Following the indefinite suspension of its operations in Nigeria, for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence, Twitter wrote to President Buhari seeking to engage with the Federal Government over the suspension, with a view to charting a path forward.

The Federal Government had earlier suspended indefinitely the operations of the microblogging and social networking service Twitter in Nigeria.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced the suspension in a statement citing the presistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said youths will have a better chance of making a significant impact in politics through productive ideas.

Ln247news gathered that Osinbajo said this on Monday during a conference hosted by the youth wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to him, dependence on age as youth is of no relevance, rather, making impact through “big ideas, great solutions and creative plans.”