The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has announced the approval of N21 billion for 11 electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to provide meters for customers. This announcement was made in NERC’s ORDER NO: NERC/2024/072 on the Operationalization of “Tranche A” of the Presidential Metering Initiative Under the Framework of Meter Acquisition Fund. ”The order signed by NERC Chairman, Mr Sanusi Garba and Commissioner Legal, Dafe Akpeneye, shall become effective from June 2024 and may be amended or revoked by subsequent orders issued by the commission./ 1:00 “The commission hereby approves the sum of N21 billion apportioned pro rata to contribution by…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
The World Bank has supported the Oyo State Government with an N3.5 billion grant for the renovation of 105 selected public primary schools across the state. The state governor, Seyi Makinde, made the disclosure on Friday in Ibadan during a symbolic presentation of cheques to representatives of some of the beneficiary schools. Makinde, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Bayo Lawal said the grant was meant for the renovation of primary schools with critical attention. The governor explained that the works would commence simultaneously in all the 105 schools selected across the three senatorial districts of the state. He…
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has pledged $1.58 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, over the next five years. The pledge, unveiled by USAID Administrator Samantha Power on June 20, 2024, aims to vaccinate half a billion children globally and fortify international health security. Building on a 24-year partnership that has already immunized over one billion children and saved 17 million lives, the U.S. is increasing its support by eight percent compared to the previous five-year period. This pledge, made at Gavi’s replenishment launch in Paris, is the U.S.’s first-ever five-year commitment to Gavi and signals a…
Torrential rains across Central America have left at least 27 dead in landslides and flooding over the past week, mainly in El Salvador, but also in Guatemala and Honduras, officials said Friday. El Salvador’s Environment Minister Fernando Lopez said the deluge was a result of low pressure over the Pacific Ocean, with indirect influence from tropical storm Alberto which left four people dead in Mexico. “Unfortunately, the death toll has now reached 19, a very regrettable event,” said El Salvador civil protection boss Luis Amaya, in a television interview. Among those killed were two girls whose home was buried by…
A Swiss court handed jail sentences to four members of Britain’s richest family on Friday for exploiting Indian staff at their Geneva mansion. The Hindujas — who were not present in court — were acquitted of human trafficking, but convicted on other charges in a stunning verdict for the family whose fortune is estimated at 37 billion pounds ($47 billion). Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal Hinduja each got four years and six months, while their son Ajay and his wife Namrata received four-year terms, the presiding judge in Geneva ruled. The cases stem from the family’s practice of bringing…
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has inaugurated the N62.8 billion Gusau International Airport project to enhance agricultural, tourism, and educational opportunities in Zamfara state. Speaking at the ceremony, Keyamo stated the strategic importance of the Gusau International Airport in bridging the gap left by the lack of air transport facilities in the state, which has long lagged behind other North-Western states in Nigeria. “Zamfara stands out as the food basket of the entire North-West,” Keyamo remarked. “This airport will not only provide logistical support for agricultural processes but also place Zamfara on the map as a hub of agro-business…
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Nigeria has announced plans to gradually eliminate the use of paper in the conduct of its examinations. Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of National Office, revealed this development on Thursday while monitoring the ongoing West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Abeokuta. Dr. Dangut, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the Ogun Ministry of Education, Mrs. Mariam Oloko, stated that WAEC is preparing to deploy electronic devices to various recognized examination centers across the country. “In the future, we will enable schools with the necessary facilities to conduct computer-based testing for the…
A man died on the sidelines of mass demonstrations against proposed tax hikes in the Kenyan capital, police said Friday, with the mounting protest a day earlier also leaving 200 people injured. A police watchdog said it was investigating allegations that the man was shot by police after Thursday’s demonstrations in Nairobi, the second this week. Led largely by young Kenyans, the protests began in Nairobi on Tuesday before spreading nationwide. They have been galvanised by widespread discontent over President William Ruto’s economic policies as many people already grapple with a cost-of-living crisis. Thursday’s demonstrations in Nairobi were mostly peaceful,…
A top Namibian court on Friday struck down the African country’s colonial-era laws criminalising same-sex relationships, in a victory for the LGBTQ community. The high court in the capital, Windhoek, declared the crimes of “sodomy” and “unnatural sexual offences” as “unconstitutional and invalid” in a ruling hailed by LGBTQ rights groups. “We are not persuaded that in a democratic society such as ours… it is reasonably justifiable to make an activity criminal just because a segment, maybe a majority, of the citizenry consider it to be unacceptable,” the judges wrote. The judgement overturns rarely enforced laws dating back to 1927,…
At a United Nations Security Council Arria-formula meeting, U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood delivered an address on the urgent need to combat the rise of terrorism and violent extremism in West Africa and the Sahel. Ambassador Robert Wood stated the role of inclusive democratic processes and international partnerships in addressing the growing threat. The Sahel has become the global epicenter of terrorism-related deaths. Ambassador Robert Wood highlighted the necessity of involving civil society in counterterrorism efforts to address the underlying conditions that foster terrorism and violent extremism. He noted that overly broad counterterrorism laws can inadvertently contribute to radicalization by shrinking…
Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Thursday, warned South Korea that sending lethal weapons to Ukraine would be a “big mistake.” Putin’s comment comes a day after he signed a new strategic agreement with North Korea, and Seoul announced it would consider arming Ukraine in response to Russia and North Korea signing a mutual defence pact. Speaking during a visit to Vietnam, Putin said, “With regard to deliveries of lethal weapons to Ukraine to combat zones, this would be a very big mistake. “If that happens, then we will take the according decision, which the current leadership of South Korea will…
Jihadi fighters from Africa’s Sahel region have established a presence in northwestern Nigeria, according to a recent report by the Clingendael Institute. The report reveals that extremists, likely linked to al-Qaida, have crossed from northern Benin into Nigeria and settled in Kainji Lake National Park. This vast protected area, once a hub for tourism, has now become a hotspot for armed groups an issue of serious security and environmental concerns. This is the first major link between Nigeria’s homegrown extremists, engaged in a decade-long insurgency in the north, and al-Qaida-linked militants from the Sahel, a vast arid region south of…