Author: Amina Ibrahim

THE Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD) has said that the reappointment of Fatima Shinkafi as Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund followed due processes. Last week, President Bola Tinubu reappointed Shinkafi as the Executive Secretary of the SMDF. Her reappointment was confirmed in a statement by the Asst. Director of Information & Public Relations, Ekwugha Chinwe in a statement. Her reappointment, however, met with criticisms with pundits arguing that she was meant to serve just one term. She has been serving as the Executive Secretary of SMDF since May 24, 2017, and her second term was renewed…

THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced Deputy Superintendent of Customs (Pilot) Olanike Nafisat Balogun as its first female pilot, marking a historic milestone and breaking barriers in aviation within the service. Customs’ National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, in a statement, said Balogun, a native of Odo-Otin Local Government Area, Osun State, was born in Kaduna and joined the service in 2002 as a customs assistant. Maiwada said Balogun earlier served as a cabin crew member in the air wing unit but her ambition and determination paved the way for her to transition into a licensed pilot. Balogun recounted…

THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged the public to disregard a fake list of ambassadorial nominees circulating on social media. In a press release issued on Sunday, and signed by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the ministry clarified that no such appointments have been made, as it emphasised that the appointment of ambassadors is solely the prerogative of the President. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the general public to kindly disregard the fake list of ambassadorial nominees which is currently in circulation on some social media platforms. “The ministry wishes to state unequivocally that the appointment of…

THE Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Yemi Cardoso has acknowledged that Nigeria remains in a financial and economic crisis, a situation inherited by the current CBN administration. Speaking at the 14th Annual Bankers’ Committee Retreat in Abuja, Cardoso explained that the role of the bankers’ committee remains critical towards addressing the challenge as well as reflating the economy. The CBN boss said that the nation faces challenges in how to address poverty, rising inflation, infrastructure deficits, insecurity, and unemployment, among others. He called on members of the bankers’ committee to reflect on the past year’s challenges and…

THE All Progressives Congress, on Thursday, distanced itself again from an alleged splinter group, Team New Nigeria, after the group flooded Kano metropolis with the campaign posters of former President Goodluck Jonathan. The ruling party insisted the group did not emanate from its fold and were not known members at any level of the APC. The rebuttal comes five days after the TNN announced that its loyalists were leaving the ruling party to form a new political party that would rescue Nigeria from the threshold of poverty, hunger, insecurity and devastation. The group’s National President, Modibbo Farakwai, boasted at the…

THE Kano State Government has begun the demolition of illegal structures erected on government land across the state. The operation, led by the Kano State Task Force on Development Control, targets buildings constructed without the necessary permits on government-owned properties. Speaking on Wednesday at Kwankwasiya city, the secretary of the task force, Hameed Sidi, said the exercise was part of the state’s efforts to reclaim and safeguard public spaces for developmental purposes. Sidi explained that the committee identified over 10 illegal structures at Kwankwasiya city. He said that the task force would focus on areas identified as hotspots for unauthorised…

KANO State Fire Service under the leadership of Hassan Muhammad has said that in November properties estimated at over N132,450,000 was destroyed by different fire outbreaks in the state. Also, the service successfully rescued not less than three persons, as well as recorded 43 fire calls in the same month. The spokesman for the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, who confirmed the operations of the service for the month under review, also disclosed that three lives were lost, while four others were saved. According to the statement, the fire service ‘personnel also saved property worth N310,600,000, just as it…

THE Nigerian Police Force has detailed how a group of police officers corruptly obtained a total of ₦43,160,000 from a cargo worker at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja last year. A statement by the NPF Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Ogunjobi on Wednesday, said the incident which occurred on August 2023, found Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode, all attached to the Zone 7 Headquarters culpable of the crime. The officers, led by Inspector Esther Okafor on the instruction of DSP Peter Ejike, unlawfully arrested Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, who…

NIGERIA’s Okonjo-Iweala has been reappointed as the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This is her second term in office. Her present stint will end on 31 August 2025. She was first elected as the WTO DG on February 15, 2021. Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and the first African to head the WTO was the only candidate in the race and had been all but assured a second term. The organisation’s 166 members “today agreed to give incumbent Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala a second term as director-general,” the WTO said in a statement. The 70-year-old Nigerian’s reappointment was approved by…

THE Federal Government has vowed to eliminate Malaria following a loss of $1.1bn annually to the health crisis. Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister for Health & Social Welfare made this declaration at the inaugural meeting of the Advisory on Malaria Elimination in Nigeria ( AMEN) held in Abuja. He described malaria as not just a health crisis, but also an economic and developmental emergency that must be eliminated. In his remarks, the Coordinating Minister stated that the federal government is resolute in its commitment to eliminate malaria. The launch of an advisory body, he pointed out, is therefore…

NIGERIA’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.46% (year-on-year) in real terms in the third quarter of 2024, latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown. The growth rate is higher than the 2.54% recorded in the third quarter of 2023 and higher than the second quarter of 2024 growth of 3.19%. According to NBS, the performance of the GDP in the third quarter of 2024 was driven mainly by the services sector, which recorded a growth of 5.19% and contributed 53.58% to the aggregate GDP. The agriculture sector grew by 1.14%, from the growth of 1.30%…

STUDENTS across several tertiary institutions in Nigeria rejoice as they receive alert of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). The NELFUND, established by the Students Loan Act 2023 is managed and administered by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the money deposit banks. It aims to facilitate the mobilisation of funds to provide interest-free loans to students of tertiary institutions. Beneficiaries are expected to begin a repayment process of 10% of their salary to be deducted at source two years after the completion of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), while self-employed beneficiaries are required to remit the same…

A FORMER Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has sought to amend her suit before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja, challenging the order obtained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for final forfeiture of her seized assets. At the Resumed hearing, no counsel appeared for the EFCC. Justice Ekwo asked her counsel if he had received processes from the anti-graft agency and he responded in the affirmative. The lawyer, however, informed the court that they had filed a motion to amend their processes and that the commission had been duly served. Justice Ekwo subsequently adjourned…

THE Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has reiterated its resolve to sustain a seven-day warning strike and consider further actions if the Federal Government fails to address its demands. The MDCAN President, Prof. Muhammad A Muhammad disclosed this during a news conference in Kano on Tuesday, following the commencement of the nationwide strike on Monday. Speaking to journalists, Prof. Muhammad explained that the warning strike was a decision reached at an extraordinary virtual National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on November 11, 2024. The meeting followed the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum issued to the government, which,…

THE Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has approved the immediate payment of N70,000 new national minimum wage for staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). A statement signed by the Ag. Head of Civil Service of FCT, Grace Adayilo on Monday, said the approval was in a bid to ameliorate the plight of workers under the employ of the FCTA. The head of the service disclosed that the minister also granted approval for payment of 3]three months arrears for all staff of the administration with effect from November 2024. The statement further added that the move was…

VICE-CHANCELLOR of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Olufemi A. Peters, has been presented with an esteemed award by the Biotechnology Society of Nigeria in recognition of his exceptional leadership and invaluable contributions to the advancement of biotechnology education, research, and innovation. According to a statement by the Director, Media and Publicity, NOUN, Ibrahim Sheme, presenting the award in Abuja on Monday, the BSN said: “Under Prof. Peters’ guidance, NOUN has played a pivotal role in fostering scientific progress and promoting the development of biotechnology in Nigeria. “His unwavering commitment to academic excellence and the nurturing of future…

THE Federal Road Safety Corps said more than 3,767 people lost their lives in 7,011 road crashes between January and September 2024. The FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, stated this in Bauchi on Sunday, during the flag-off of the 2024 Road Traffic Crash Cictims Remembrance Week at St. John’s Evangelist Cathedral Church. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 2024 World Road Traffic Crash victims remembrance week is tagged: “That Day”, to tell the stories of the day traffic collisions stopped or changed the course of the victim’s lives forever. Represented by the Bauchi State Sector Commander, Istifanus Ibrahim,…

THE Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to “stop using the NBC Act and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code to impose fines, threaten to impose sanctions, harass and intimidate the broadcast stations and other independent media houses in the country.” The court declared that “the NBC and its agents lack the legal power and authority to impose penalty unlawfully and unilaterally, including fines, suspension, withdrawal of license or any form of punishment whatsoever on independent media houses for promoting access to diverse information on issues of public importance.” The judgment was delivered in June…

THE National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended Justice G. C Aguma of the High Court of Rivers State and Justice A.O Nwabunike of the Anambra State High Court from performing judicial functions. They were both suspended for the period of one year without pay and placed on watch list for two years thereafter. According to a statement by the council on Friday, the decision was taken at the 107th Meeting of the NJC chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun on 13 and 14 November 2024. A total of 5 serving Judicial Officers were sanctioned for…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) says it has reached the mark of 1.8 million barrels per day of crude oil production. The state-owned oil company which made the announcement on Thursday, also stated that it is set to hit the two million barrels per day target set by President Bola Tinubu by December 2024. The company also revealed that it is now producing 7.4 million standard cubic feet of gas to power the gas infrastructure especially the AKK. This is an improvement from 6.1 mmscf earlier in the year. The NNPCL noted that the accomplishment which aligns with…