Several Nigerian students enrolled at Teesside University in the United Kingdom were recently removed from their academic programs and ordered to leave the country due to difficulties paying tuition fees on time. The BBC reports that the issue stems from the devaluation of the Nigerian naira, making it challenging for the students to meet their financial obligations. According to the report, this situation has resulted in a breach of the students’ visa sponsorship requirements. Consequently, the university blocked their access to educational resources, reported them to the Home Office, and initiated deportation proceedings. The affected students expressed…
Author: Omolemi Eboisetale
The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has called for the scrapping of the Higher National Diploma (HND) to resolve the ongoing professional rivalry between HND and university degree holders in Nigeria. Speaking at a one-day dialogue on the future of HND in the Nigerian educational landscape, Olaopa emphasized that eliminating the HND would help end the “lingering professional war” between Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) and HND qualifications. Olaopa advocated for the conversion of polytechnics into degree-awarding institutions, retaining the National Diploma (ND) as a qualifying certificate for entrance into these newly designated universities of technology.…
The University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) has announced plans to conduct a mass burial for 270 unclaimed corpses if they are not claimed by their owners within the next six weeks. The announcement was made by Ehizogie Adeyemi, the Coordinator of Mortuary Services at UBTH, during a press briefing on Tuesday. The breakdown of the unclaimed corpses includes 201 infants and 69 adults. According to Adeyemi, the infants’ bodies have been in the hospital since 2023, while the adult bodies have remained unclaimed from April 2021 to December 2022. The hospital management had previously issued a statement on Monday,…
Migration is a crucial driver of economic resilience, growth and prosperity, Amy Pope, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said on Tuesday. Pope said in Lagos that migrants were often a solution to some of the world’s most pressing problems, including climate change. She spoke at the opening of the 2024 International Dialogue on Migration. The dialogue, with the theme – Facilitating Regular Pathways to a Better Future: Harnessing the Power of Migration – was organised by IOM. According to Pope, the 2030 Agenda explicitly recognises that migration can be a powerful catalyst for sustainable development because of…
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has called on the Nigerian House of Representatives to reject the proposed death penalty bill for drug offenders. This appeal follows the Senate’s approval of the bill, which now requires concurrence from the House before being presented to President Bola Tinubu for assent. UNODC Representative in Nigeria, Oliver Stolpe, voiced the organization’s strong opposition during the 2024 Media Personnel Training on Anti-corruption, Police Accountability, Wildlife Crime, and Sensitisation on Drugs and Drug Prevention, Treatment, and Care held in Abuja. The training event was co-organized by the UNODC and the National Drug…
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Taiwan’s newly-inaugurated President Lai Ching-te “disgraceful” on Tuesday, stepping up Beijing’s rhetoric just a day after he took office. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, believes Lai to be a “separatist”, and has rebuffed his offers of talks. China’s government has generally avoided directly naming Lai since he won election in January, unlike in the run-up to the vote where they regularly denounced him by name and said the election was a choice between war and peace. Speaking at a foreign ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Kazakhstan, Wang said…
The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to review the policies governing the implementation of its National Blockchain Policy. This aims to incorporate new emerging technologies and economic realities, expanding the policy’s reach to sectors such as land registration, health, and education. Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), announced the review at a three-day co-creation workshop in Abuja. The event focused on validating trends in blockchain technology and integrating new stakeholders to ensure inclusive adoption and implementation. Blockchain, as defined by Investopedia, is a digital database that allows for simultaneous use and…
TotalEnergies has chosen Angola over Nigeria for its $6 billion energy projects due to Angola’s stable policy framework, according to CEO Patrick Pouyanne. Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Pouyanne highlighted the lmportant role of a consistent policy environment in attracting substantial investments. “Nigeria’s policy inconsistency and frequent legislative debates have made long-term investments untenable,” Pouyanne stated. Despite the Niger Delta’s status as the most productive oil region in West Africa, the region has seen no new oil exploration for 12 years due to the erratic policy environment. “In Nigeria, there’s always a new legislature about petroleum laws,…
The Nigerian Army has handed over 350 individuals rescued from Sambisa Forest to the Borno State Government for rehabilitation and reintegration. The handover ceremony took place on Monday in Maiduguri, where Major General Kenneth Chigbu, Deputy Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai, highlighted the successful 10-day clearance operation in Sambisa Forest that led to the rescue. “The people we are handing over today, totaling 350, comprised six adult males, 134 females, and 209 children found in Sambisa Forest,” said Maj.-Gen. Chigbu. “This effort is a demonstration of professionalism exhibited by the joint task…
In a distressing incident late Monday evening, two students from Lagos State University (LASU) were injured by stray bullets in the vicinity of a popular student residential area known as PPL, situated outside the campus premises. Details surrounding the incident remain sparse, with neither the identities of the victims nor the shooter(s) being disclosed at the time of reporting. The unfortunate event occurred around 8 pm when the students ventured out to procure food. The alarming situation was first brought to public attention through social media, with a user identified as Baddy of Lasu, tweeting under #belikebaddy, issuing a cautionary…
The revered Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has levied accusations against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging complicity in aiding crimes within the country. The monarch made these allegations during a meeting with the newly appointed Benin Zonal Director of EFCC, Effa Okim, at his Palace in Benin on Monday. Oba Ewuare II referenced a particular case involving former palace officials who were apprehended for fraud and subsequently handed over to the EFCC in Benin for investigation and prosecution. The monarch claimed that certain EFCC operatives handled the case with leniency, resulting in the release of the accused…
The Nigerian High Commission in London has found itself in the spotlight as it emerges that it has accumulated a staggering £8.4 million in unpaid congestion charges. Transport for London (TfL) released a revealing datasheet, exposing the extent of unpaid fees and fines amassed by diplomats over the years, dating back to the inception of the congestion charge scheme in 2003 until the close of last year. The congestion charge scheme, implemented by TfL, imposes a £15 daily fee for driving within central London during specified hours on weekdays and weekends. While various groups, including residents, taxis, and electric cars,…