Dubai initiates construction on what is projected to be the globe’s largest airport terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler and the UAE’s prime minister, announced on Sunday the commencement of work on the terminal, revealing plans at a staggering cost of nearly $35 billion. “We have greenlit the designs for the new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport and are now breaking ground on the construction, with an investment totaling AED 128 billion ($34.85 billion),” stated Sheikh Mohammed. Upon completion, the airport is anticipated to accommodate a staggering 260…
Author: Editor Francis
The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, has dispatched a robust Election Observation Mission to Togo. The mission, comprising 40 observers, is slated to oversee the legislative and regional elections scheduled for April 29, 2024. According to a statement released by the regional bloc, this initiative aligns with Article 12 of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, underscoring the organization’s commitment to supporting its Member States in conducting free and fair elections. Heading the mission is Mrs. Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, former Vice-President of The Gambia, bringing a wealth of…
In a recent engagement with the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) at the Government House in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Governor Abdullahi Sule underscored the resistance to change as a significant obstacle to his governance agenda. Drawing from the insights of social psychologist Douglas McGregor’s Theory, Governor Sule lamented that many individuals in the state are reluctant to embrace responsibility and are resistant to change. Governor Sule, who brings a wealth of experience from his tenure in various international and national corporations, expressed his motivation to enter public office as a means to give back to society. He emphasised his commitment…
In a keynote address at the Special World Economic Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, President Bola Tinubu called upon the international community to focus on the underlying factors contributing to poverty and instability in Africa’s Sahel region. Stressing the imperative of economic collaboration and inclusiveness, President Tinubu emphasised the necessity for concerted efforts to foster stability, peace, and economic growth in the region. In his capacity as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Tinubu highlighted Nigeria’s endeavours to discourage unconstitutional changes of government and alleviate sanctions. He underscored the significance of trade and…
The President of the Practitioners of Content Creation, Skit Making, and Influencers’ Guild of Nigeria, Michael Nwabufo, has announced a collaborative effort with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to register unlicensed businesses in Nigeria. During a recent courtesy visit with his team to the Registrar General CAC in Abuja, Nwabufo commended the commission’s initiative, emphasising its importance in safeguarding and promoting the interests of all industry practitioners. He pledged full partnership with the commission to educate members on the advantages of registration and urged for a streamlined process devoid of bureaucratic hurdles. The Registrar-General, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, reiterated the government’s…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made significant arrests across various states in Nigeria, uncovering illicit drug production, distribution, and smuggling activities. In Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, a 28-year-old woman named Jennifer Iliya was apprehended for allegedly manufacturing and selling cakes infused with cannabis sativa. The NDLEA recovered a substantial quantity of these drugged cakes, weighing approximately 1.5kg, during her arrest. Alongside Iliya, two others, Josephine Odunu, a 20-year-old hair stylist, and Edesemi Ikporo, a 30-year-old dispatch rider, were also arrested for similar offenses in Yenagoa. In another incident at the Lagos airport, a suspect identified as Yahaya Danjuma…
In response to allegations of mismanagement and misappropriation of funds, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC). The lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/549/2024, seeks to compel the NNPC to account for and explain the whereabouts of $2.04 billion and N164 billion in oil revenues. This action follows the publication of the 2020 audited report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, which raised concerns about the NNPC’s failure to remit the aforementioned funds into the Federation Account. SERAP alleges that the…
Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), revealed that more than 2.5 million students have been registered on the Tertiary Education, Research, Applications and Services (TERAS) platform. Echono emphasized that while the platform has surplus capacity, priority is given to public institutions before extending it to private universities. Speaking at the 2nd Registrars’ Workshop and 75th Business Meeting of the Association of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (ARNU), Echono highlighted the agency’s collaboration with tertiary institutions to maximize the utilization of ICT infrastructure for administrative and research purposes. TERAS, launched by TETFund in 2023, serves as a…
Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello’s refund of $760,000 in advanced school fees for his children at the American International School, Abuja, has been confirmed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, verified the reimbursement on Friday, stating that the school had returned the entire sum to the EFCC’s recovery account. Bello had allegedly paid $720,000 upfront for the education of five of his children from the Kogi State Government’s funds. The children, enrolled in Grade Levels 2 to 8, prompted an investigation by the EFCC. This move came after EFCC operatives…
In the latter half of 2023, the Federal Government of Nigeria saw a significant boost in funds, with an additional N3.8 trillion injected into what appears to be fresh Ways and Means borrowing. This revelation comes from provisional data published in the Central Bank of Nigeria’s latest statistics bulletin for the fourth quarter of the year. Despite assertions from the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, that the administration led by President Bola Tinubu hadn’t borrowed from the CBN, the provisional data paints a different picture. The total figure surged from N4.4 trillion at the…
In a fervent display of advocacy, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), featuring prominent groups such as Project PinkBlue and the Diabetes Association of Nigeria (DAN), took to the streets in protest on Friday. Their destination: the headquarters of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Abuja. Brandishing placards emblazoned with their demands, the protesters voiced their discontent with the inclusion of sugar in baby formula within the country. Central to their outcry was the call for transparent nutrition labeling on these products and a robust regulatory framework enforced by the relevant authorities. The…
In a startling revelation, Mr. Olumati Festus, the manager of Calabar Ports, disclosed that the port has remained void of container vessels for a staggering 25 years. Festus made this assertion during a probing visit to the port by the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Ports and Harbours on Friday in Calabar. Attributing the absence of vessels to the inadequate dredging of the Calabar channel, Festus emphasised that the port’s incapacity to accommodate larger vessels has significantly hampered economic growth in the region. “The Calabar channel has not been dredged to allow bigger vessels to dock. Consequently, the economy…