News

SHIFT Initiative Trains Plateau Artisans in Financial Literacy and Business Management – Your Hub for News, Events & Entertainment

Published

2 months ago

August 6, 2026

Artisans and entrepreneurs in Plateau State have received practical financial literacy and business-management training through a one-day empowerment programme delivered by the SHIFT Initiative in collaboration with the Sustainable Development Goals Project Support Unit, Plateau State.

The training was led by SHIFT Initiative’s Executive Director, Ulan V. Jatau, PhD, alongside members of the organisation’s team.

Participants were taken through practical sessions covering budgeting, bookkeeping, record-keeping, digital finance, modern business management and sustainable entrepreneurship.

The programme was designed to bridge the gap between vocational competence and business sustainability. While many artisans have valuable technical skills, inadequate knowledge of financial management can make it difficult to track income, control expenditure, reinvest profits and plan for expansion.

Through the sessions, participants learned how to make informed financial decisions, separate personal and business finances, monitor profitability and develop stronger structures for long-term growth.

Beneficiaries were selected from across Plateau State’s 17 local government areas and also received equipment and financial assistance under the wider empowerment programme.

Dr. Jatau and the SHIFT team emphasised that meaningful empowerment must combine tangible resources with knowledge. Providing business tools can improve immediate productivity, but financial discipline and management capacity are necessary to ensure those businesses remain viable.

The programme further demonstrated SHIFT Initiative’s role in supporting grassroots enterprise development through practical education, mentorship and community-focused capacity building.

By providing artisans with both knowledge and support, the initiative is helping strengthen local businesses, improve livelihoods and create opportunities for sustainable economic growth across Plateau State.

Related Topics:Artisans business Entertainment events financial hub Initiative Literacy Management news plateau shift trains

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Business

The Extra Mile: PenCom marks 2026 Customer Service Week

Published

1 hour ago

October 6, 2026

PlateauReports

BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has joined in the celebration of Customer Service Week, aimed at celebrating retirees and workers in the country.

According to PenCom, day one of the week kicked off on a high note as staff celebrated their colleagues, customers and the commitment to going “the extra mile” in delivering exceptional customer experience.

From engaging conversations and interactive sessions to team spirit, smiles and celebrations, the opening day set the tone for a week focused on putting the customer at the heart of the Commission’s work.

This year, the Commission is reminded that great customer service is not just about meeting expectations; it is about exceeding them, creating value and making every interaction count.

The highlight of the event was the cutting of the cake by the Director-General of PenCom, Ms. Omolola Bridget Oloworaran, and her management team.

The post The Extra Mile: PenCom marks 2026 Customer Service Week appeared first on Business Today NG.

News

Lucid Motors’ EV output falls to lowest level in almost 2 years

Published

1 hour ago

October 6, 2026

PlateauReports

Lucid Motors built 2,954 electric vehicles (EVs) in the third quarter of this year, a 54% drop from a year ago, as the company purposely limits production to better meet demand for its EVs.

This was the third straight quarter in which the number of EVs Lucid built has declined. It’s also the lowest quarterly output since the first quarter of 2025, which was just after Lucid Motors started production of its second EV, the Gravity SUV.

Lucid delivered 3,806 EVs in the third quarter, roughly flat with the second quarter and down about 200 vehicles from the third quarter of 2025. The company has struggled to find buyers for either of its first two luxury EVs. In five of the last six quarters, it built more vehicles than it delivered.

Lucid’s new CEO, Silvio Napoli, has spent the last few months leading an effort to “simplify the company.” That effort has included laying off around 1,500 employees, streamlining the company’s leadership, and eliminating a second shift at its factory in Arizona in a bid to reach cost savings of $1.4 billion. Lucid also delayed the release of its third EV, the Cosmos. That model is supposed to be much cheaper, starting at under $50,000.

The third-quarter figures, released Monday afternoon, come just a few days after rival EV upstart Rivian posted its best quarter in history on the back of the R2, its new, more affordable SUV. Although Rivian didn’t break out specific delivery figures for the R2, the company shipped nearly 20,000 vehicles in the third quarter, the first full quarter with the R2 in production, up from 12,194 in the second quarter.

Lucid’s failure to find a large market of buyers for its EVs is even more stark when compared with the promises the company made when it went public in 2021. That year, Lucid Motors merged with a special purpose acquisition company and estimated it would ship as many as 90,000 EVs in 2024 alone. The company raised $4 billion in the transaction.

On Lucid’s second-quarter earnings call in August, Napoli spoke about why he thinks the company has failed to make a dent in the EV market.

“While there is no question that Lucid brought leading innovations and outstanding products to the market, we have disappointed on several fronts, and for far too long,” he said. “We have not executed consistently. We missed commitments, launched products before they were ready, underinvested in service, responded too slowly to quality issues, and allowed complexity to slow decisions down.”

The Cosmos’ lower price could, in theory, let Lucid access a wider market, but Napoli cautioned shareholders that rushing the new EV out could create more trouble.

“We will not repeat the mistakes of the past by bringing a product to market before it is ready,” Napoli said on the call.

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