President Bola Tinubu has called for synergy and stronger coordinated action to address economic frailties within African nations.

A statement by the president’s Special Adviser On Media Ajuri Ngelale said his principal made the call at the State House during the presentation of letters of credence by newly-appointed ambassadors to Nigeria.

The ambassadors who presented their credentials were Ambassador Edouard Nduwimana, Burundi’s ambassador to Nigeria; Ambassador Mersole Mellejor, Philippines ambassador to Nigeria, and the High Commissioner of Kenya to Nigeria, Isaac Parashina.

In separate meetings with each ambassador, President Tinubu emphasised that Nigeria values warm and brotherly relations with their respective countries and remains a steadfast partner in promoting democratic values and economic opportunities that benefit citizens of all partner nations.

The Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye says the lawsuit challenging the proposed mass marriage of 100 orphaned girls in Niger State has not been withdrawn.

“The case is not yet withdrawn. I want to make that clear. How do I withdraw a case in a day?” the minister said on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.

“Well, before I even withdraw the case, we have to go back to court and then tell the court that we have settled. We are withdrawing the case. Do you understand?

“How can I go and withdraw? We are still trying to organise ourselves on how to partner well and get this problem sorted.”

Her comment followed the Niger State House of Assembly Speaker Abdulmalik Sarkindaji’s proposed mass marriage of 100 orphaned girls in his constituency.

The move got a pushback from several quarters, prompting the minister to file a suit challenging the proposed marriage. Following the backlash, Sarkindaji said he was discontinuing with the plans.

Although the duo met on Friday to explore options to resolve the issue the minister explained that, “I filed a motion ex parte. I equally filled a motion on notice. Why did I do that before I met with my brothers and we decided to make peace?

“I filed it because, by the time motion ex parte expires, they must have gotten their seven days to file their response.

“But if I didn’t get the motion ex parte, the wedding could go on before they would be able to file and the whole thing must have been overtaken by events.”

Determined to give the orphaned girls a better life, Mrs Uju says the ladies will be empowered.

“Those that have finished secondary school, they could enter an open university while they’re doing their businesses or we would get a job for them while they’re doing their business when they’re going to school,” she said.

“Then those that have not finished secondary school will go back to school and finish. This is something that will be applicable to them: going to an open university and equally having something to do. Like this PoS, those that have finished secondary school and are both 18, we could allow them to start earning money while they are going to school.”

The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Shehu Gabam has faulted the immediate past government of Muhammadu Buhari for failing to address Nigeria’s challenges, accusing it of bequeathing a comatose economy to President Bola Tinubu.

Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) handed over to his party man Tinubu about a year ago.

But Gabam claims Tinubu inherited a terrible economy from Buhari.

“I have said several times that Buhari’s government is the worst that Nigeria has ever had. It is the consequence that President Bola Tinubu is suffering from because he knew he inherited an economy that has collapsed,” he said on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.

Following the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, the cost of living was pushed to new levels.

However, the SDP chieftain has faulted the moves, insisting President Tinubu’s reforms were rushed.

“He knew that he inherited an economy that had collapsed. His responsibility is to find the softer ways to revive the economy, not the harsh way because you cannot revive it in a day. When someone faints, it requires a lot of process to bring him back to life,” Gabam said but maintained that: “He inherited an economy that is in the ICU.”

Despite the reforms, inflation has reached historic highs, clocking 33.69% in April 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)’s Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Gabam has accused the handlers of the economy of not doing the right things. But to make things better, he has some advice for the President Tinubu-led administration.

The SDP chairman said, “what you need is strategic thinkers, strategic applications, and strategic implementation. It has nothing to do with rush hour.”

Gabam asked the Tinubu administration to go back to the basis and use the template already in place to revive the economy.

“There are records in the Ministry of Finance, there are records of successful management of the economy, both regime, both military and civilian regime,” he said.

“There is a base, there is a template for him to follow. And then given the dynamics of the new generation that we belong to, the modern economy that we run, all they need to do is to remodernise, reinject a lot of initiative, a lot of innovation to drive the economy.