Author: Amina Ibrahim

FIFTY-EIGHT of the 164 member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) members have voiced support for a proposal from the African Group backing incumbent Director General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to serve a second term. The 58 member countries of the trade association made this known at a July 22 meeting of the WTO General Council, according to a statement by the world trade body. “The African Group requests that the current Director-General make herself available to serve a second term, and has proposed that the process of reappointing the Director-General should be started as soon as possible,” the statement partly…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria has directed all banks and other financial institutions to transfer all dormant accounts, unclaimed balances and other financial assets to its dedicated account. A circular released on Friday and signed by its acting Director of the Financial Policy and Banking Regulation Department, John Onojah, said all dormant accounts and unclaimed balances with banks for at least 10 years, will be warehoused in a dedicated account known as the Unclaimed Balances Trust Fund Pool Account. The apex bank added that the funds from dormant accounts, and unclaimed balances may be invested in Nigerian Treasury Bills and…

NIGERIA and South Africa have called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Mr Ronald Lamola, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation in South Africa, on 19 July 2024, made the call after a meeting on the sidelines of the African Union Executive Council in Accra. A statement Saturday by Alkasim Abdulkadir, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to Amb Tuggar, said the two officials lamented the loss of innocent civilian lives, humanitarian crisis and displacement…

THE National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE) in partnership with commissioners of education of some northern states, has pledged to visit the six area councils in the nation’s capital, to identify and enroll not less than 10,000 out-of-school children before September. The pledge was made on Friday during the inauguration of the out-of-school children enrollment champions at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. The Executive Secretary of the commission, Mohammed Idris, acknowledged the leadership and unwavering support of President Bola Tinubu, who has been instrumental in advancing efforts to eradicate the challenges faced by Almajiri and out-of-school children…

THE Cholera outbreak in Nigeria has claimed at least 103 lives, while over 3,000 suspected cases have been recorded. The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Jide Idris, confirmed the figures at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday. He added that the outbreak has now been recorded across 187 local government areas in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). According to the NCDC boss, the top six states contributing about 83 percent of infections are Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Ebonyi, Katsina and Zamfara. He attributed the infections to the incessant flooding recorded…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Monday gave fresh hope to Nigerians, reassuring them that the economy will emerge strong from the current economic challenges. CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, through his Deputy on Economic Policy, Muhammad Abdullahi, at an emergency session of a National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance, said that in spite of the ailing economy, the tough decisions taken over the last 12 months have started addressing the decades-long issues. Also, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, explained that the Port Harcourt Refinery would kick off production by early…

-Hails Naming Of National Theatre After Soyinka THE Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa has joined Nigerians and the global community in celebrating Nigeria’s literary legend, Professor Wole Soyinka on his 90th birthday today. According to a statement by the Special Adviser, Media to the Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, Saturday, the  Minister congratulated Professor Soyinka on this remarkable milestone and acknowledged his enduring legacy. “I wish to extend our warmest congratulations to the Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka on his 90th birthday. His contributions to literature and culture…

MANY are feared trapped as a two-storey residential building located in Phase Two, Site Two in the Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory collapsed on Saturday. The building, it was gathered collapsed around 7 am. Details about the incident are still sketchy as of the time of filing this report. First responders comprising personnel of the Federal Fire Service, (FFS), FCT Fire Service and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) as well as FCT Emergency Management Agency (FERMA) were carrying out evacuation and rescue operations at the site of the building collapse. Videos and pictures showed a crowd trying to…

THE National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has recently identified several malicious apps targeting Android users in Nigeria. These apps are designed to infiltrate devices, steal sensitive information, and compromise user privacy. As cybercriminals become more sophisticated, it is crucial for individuals to remain vigilant and informed about potential threats. Malicious apps can masquerade as legitimate software, often offering attractive features or services to lure unsuspecting users into downloading them. Once installed, these apps can execute harmful activities such as data theft, unauthorized access to personal information, and financial fraud. In its latest statement NITDA revealed four very malicious apps…

THE Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says herders and traders can soon move their cows from northern Nigeria to the country’s southern region using rail services. NRC Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria, disclosed this on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief breakfast show on Wednesday, hours after President Bola Tinubu announced the creation of a new ministry for livestock development. He said the movement of cows and other goods would resume with the Warri-Itakpe route. The NRC, famous for passenger traffic, had in 2017 suspended the movement of cattle by train following technical hitches. However, Okhiria said in a matter of one or…

THE Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has announced the extension of the deadline for registration of all Point of Sale Operators (PoS) by additional sixty days. According to the Commission, the extension period which begins from 7th July, 2024 to 5th September, 2024, is to allow operators, especially those in remote areas who might have encountered network glitches to register. Channels Television reports that the Commission had earlier in May 2024, given a deadline of 7th July 2024. But in a statement posted on its X handle on Sunday, it noted that the registration will now end in September. “The Corporate…

THE National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, on Thursday, handed another set of 16 abducted victims to the officials of Zamfara Government. This is contained in a statement by Michael Abuh, Head, Strategic Communications, National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser, NCTC-ONSA, on Thursday in Abuja. Ribadu said the handing over was a demonstration of the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment towards the safety, and protection of Nigerians, as evident in various rescue operations of kidnap victims in the country. He said the victims who were rescued in two batches on June 27 in Shinkafi and Tsafe Local Government…

IN furtherance to its efforts at purging the Nigerian educational system, the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) has raised the alarm, saying it had uncovered 3,000 fake graduates in possession of illegal certificates across the country. The Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, who made this known in a report published in the board’s bulletin, said those involved were discovered to have never set foot within the four walls of a classroom. Oloyede during a meeting with the delegation of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities in Nigeria (COPSUN) in his office, at the National Headquarters, Bwari, Abuja, also condemned the…

THE Senate, on Wednesday, raised an alarm over the influx of substandard Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol, and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) or diesel into the Nigerian market. In a matter of urgent national importance, Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong observed that on June 16, 2024, a report revealed that 12 diesel cargoes conveying a total of 660 kilotons of diesel, were exported by refineries to offshore Lome, Togo for further distribution to West African markets, mainly Nigeria. According to him, the quality of the said diesel was below the Nigerian standard in terms of flash and Sulphur levels.…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a warning to Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and authorised forex dealers, advising them against rejecting old and lower dollar denominations from customers in the country. According to the apex bank, the directive became necessary as it had been inundated with complaints from customers after it conducted consumer market intelligence. In a circular dated June 27, 2024 but made public by the apex bank on Monday, CBN’s Acting Director, Currency Operations Department, Solaja Olayemi, said the regulator frowned at “this selective acceptance of deposit” and that all relevant parties comply accordingly. The CBN…

A POPULAR tap-2-earn app, Tapswap, powered by TON Blockchain, has said the token allocation to users has been postponed to quarter three of the year. The app, which required users to repeatedly tap the icon in the centre of the Telegram Tapswap bot screen to mine coins, recently gained momentum among Nigerians tapping on their phone screens in pursuit of financial earnings and has amassed over 50 million users since it launched on February 15, 2024. The management said it decided to move the share-to-token exchange event scheduled for July 1st to the third quarter to better serve its players.…

IN a tragic incident early Monday morning, a fatal road traffic crash at Dangwaro Flyover along Kano-Zaria Road, claimed the lives of 25 persons, leaving 53 others injured. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), RS1.2 Kano Sector Command, confirmed the tragic event which occurred around 3:30 AM. The accident involved a trailer (IVECO) with registration number KMC 311 ZB, which reportedly lost control due to overspeeding. The trailer was carrying 90 individuals, resulting in significant casualties and injuries. Fortunately, 12 people were rescued unhurt. Sector Commander, CC Ibrahim Abdullahi stated, “Preliminary investigations suggest that the probable cause of the crash…

A FORMER Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ibrahim Ogohi, has died after a brief illness. Family sources said he had been clinically ill due to old aged related sickness for weeks before he died in his Abuja home in the early hours of Sunday. “Admiral Ibrahim Ogohi passed on to glory a few minutes ago, early Sunday morning,” a family source said. The late Admiral was Chief of Defence Staff between 1999 and 2003. He was the first Naval officer to reach four star rank in the Nigerian military, including being the first chief of Defence Staff from Navy. The…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Friday approved the appointment of eight new permanent secretaries to fill existing and impending vacancies in some states and geo-political zones in the top administrative cadre of the federal civil service. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement on Friday titled ‘President Tinubu appoints eight new permanent secretaries.’ “The new Federal Permanent Secretaries (were) appointed after a diligent selection process by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation,” said Ngelale. They are Dr. Emanso Okop (Akwa-Ibom), Obi Vitalis (Anambra), Mahmood Tabi’a…

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the results of candidates who participated in the supplementary Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted between June 21 and 22, 2024. This board’s spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Friday. According to JAMB, 28,835 applicants who were not able to provide biometric verification during the main 2024 UTME took the supplementary exam. In a similar vein, the board stated that students who were given a second opportunity to take the exam but were suspected of engaging in examination misconduct during the main UTME comprised the other category…