Author: Amina Ibrahim

THE United Kingdom authorities have banned health workers from bringing dependants to the country. The UK Home Office made this known in a statement released on Monday. The statement said the new rules to cut net migration and tackle visa abuse “in force as part of the government’s plan to bring down unsustainable levels of legal migration”. The statement said last year alone, a total of 120,000 dependants accompanied 100,000 workers to the UK. “Care providers in England acting as sponsors for migrants will also be required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the industry regulator for…

THE wife of the president, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu has advocated for more investment in women in commemoration of the 2024 International Women’s Day (IWD). In a statement in Abuja on Friday, Tinubu argued that more investment in women would accelerate progress in all spheres of the economy. She said; “This is the time to invest in women more than ever. Accelerating progress in any sphere requires that women have to be more involved. “That is why I see investing in women, not as charity, but as a strategy to build the future of our dear nation, Nigeria. Equipping you with…

NIGERIA ’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic and bilateral relations with Russia. The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated this during his working visit to Russia on March 6, 2024, where he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Mr. Sergey Lavrov Amb. Tuggar stated that Nigeria and Russia have enjoyed cordial bilateral relations since establishing diplomatic ties on December 25, 1960. He also said that both countries supported each other in their quests for elective positions in the United Nations specialized agencies and other international engagements. He…

THE United Arab Emirates (UAE) has not resumed visa services for Nigerian citizens wishing to visit the country, the Presidency said yesterday. Speculations have been rife, following reports that UAE on March 4 lifted the visa restriction on Nigerian travellers. But the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in a post on his X handle, formerly Twitter on Tuesday said the development was not true. According to him, “UAE has not resumed visa issuance to Nigerians. The document in circulation is not authorized either by the Nigerian government or the UAE.” Recalled that in…

HUNDRED of millions of users of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram have been logged out of the mediums following an outage around 3:30 pm on Tuesday.  On Facebook, users were logged out of the platform with a message that read, “The password that you’ve entered is incorrect” while on Instagram, it returned the message, “Something went wrong. There’s an issue and the page could not be loaded”. Hundred of millions of users reported the outage on X with the hashtag #instagramdown and “Facebook and Instagram” among the top trends. A visit to the website Downdetector showed many users reporting…

THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on Monday, explained why some telecommunications subscribers who previously linked their SIM cards to their National Identification Numbers (NINs) have their mobile lines barred. NCC spokesman, Reuben Muoka, said “people who probably didn’t get a cleared or verified NIN” have been barred because “the earlier ones they submitted was not good”. Muoka, who was on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme monitored by News Point Nigeria, said some SIM cards have verification and identification issues like disparity in information such names and other data. “There are still some subscribers whose NINs are yet to be…

THE Backward Integration Policy of the Federal Government on Sugar will soon have a significant impact on Sugar production in Nigeria, as the Management of Dangote Sugar Plc is targeting an annual production of 1.5 million metric tons of sugar from locally grown sugarcane. Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Sugar, Ravindra Singhvi, made this disclosure when presenting details of the company’s 2023 full-year result to the Nigerian Exchange over the weekend. He said: “In line with the core objective of the National Sugar Master Plan which is for Nigeria to attain self-sufficiency in sugar production, Dangote Sugar is working on…

PRESIDENT, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has said that the Dangote Industries Limited, DIL, is a trail blazer of local content values. DIL, under the visionary leadership of the foremost Business man, Aliko Dangote, has been championing the cause of local content and contributing significantly to the economic growth of Nigeria and the African continent as a whole. He was represented at the ongoing Kaduna International Trade Fair by his Special Adviser, Fatima Wali-Abdulrahman. She said local content, at its core, is about harnessing the potential within a country’s borders for the benefit of its people. “By investing in local industries,…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revoked the licenses of 4,173 Bureau De Change Operators, accusing the affected institutions of failing to observe regulatory provisions. This was disclosed in a statement on Friday by the bank’s Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Sidi Ali Hakama. According to the apex bank, the move is part of efforts to restore confidence in the nation’s foreign exchange market. Noting that the list of affected BDC operators is available on its website, the CBN said it is revising the regulatory and supervisory guidelines for Bureau de Change operations in Nigeria, adding that compliance with the…

IN recognition of an outstanding contribution to the tertiary education sector at home and abroad, the Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Mr Chris Maiyaki, has been appointed by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) of the United Kingdom, to its International Advisory Committee (IAC), Empowered Newswire reports. Lauding him for his professional excellence, the QAA in a statement by its Director of International and Professional Services for Higher Education in the UK, Eduardo Ramos, stated that the appointment was based on Maiyaki’s wealth of experience at the NUC as well as achievements recorded since his assumption of…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu will depart Lagos State and embark on a two-day official visit to the State of Qatar on Thursday. The media aide to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement on Wednesday, said the visit which is on invitation of His Highness, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, is to further strengthen cooperation between the two nations in several areas, including security, cultural exchange, and economic development. He said that during the visit, President Tinubu will witness the signing of several agreements focused on boosting Nigeria’s real sector and creating value-additive investments…

THE First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON says the economic transformation and development of the nation calls for collaborative efforts on the part of both the government and the governed. She was speaking at the flag off of the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI women Agricultural Support Programme (RHI-WASP) held in the South East Zone. Senator Oluremi Tinubu reiterated the commitment of the RHI to supporting women farmers across the nation. “The Renewed Hope initiative’s commitment to supporting women farmers aligns with the broader national agenda to strengthen the agricultural sector. His Excellency, President Bola…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu explained on Tuesday that the decision taken to remove subsidy on petrol was a challenging one but necessary to ensure a transparent and accountable energy sector. The President, who spoke at the opening of the 2024 Nigeria International Energy Summit, NIES, in Abuja, acknowledged that the decision has led to hardship, especially amongst low-income earners, assuring that eventually the economy will improve and the benefits will manifest. Represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, Tinubu said energy security was a priority for his administration. He said: The petroleum subsidy has, over the years,…

THE National Bureau of Statistics has listed the top ten states with the most internet users in the country. A check on the NBS database on Sunday revealed that the number of internet subscribers stood at 163.8 million as of December 2023. It added that as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, data on internet usage across the country reveals fascinating insights into which states are leading in digital connectivity. This figure means that internet users in the country have witnessed significant growth as more citizens have gained access to the internet despite the hardship orchestrated by…

A PROFESSOR of French language and literature at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Doris L. Obieje, has said that Francophone African women writers have challenged the patriarchal and colonial representation of women in Africa by creating complex and nuanced female characters who assert their identity and creativity. Obieje made the statement in the 24th Inaugural Lecture of the university titled “Herstory in the Words of Francophone Africa Novelists”, held on Thursday in Abuja. Obieje, a senior lecturer in the university’s Department of Linguistics, Foreign and Nigerian Languages, argued that Francophone African literature, which emerged in the first decades…

JUSTICE Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the National Population Commission (NPC) to release details of spending on the aborted 2023 Population Census to an Abuja-based lawyer, Opatola Victor within seven days. Justice Ekwo issued the order while delivering judgment in a suit instituted against the population commission. The judge declared that the refusal by the NPC to release the information or records of spending on the aborted census as requested by the lawyer on March 30, 2023 was wrongful, illegal and unconstitutional. While invoking Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, Justice Ekwo…

AS Bayero University Kano prepares  to install the  Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji  Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari as its 5th Chancellor  on Saturday 2nd March 2024, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Abuja, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, has congratulated him, describing the appointment as well deserved. Na’Allah, in a press release issued by the acting director, Information and University Relations of the University, Dr Habib Yakoob, stated that  he was confident that the Emir’s appointment by the University was  a testament to his  exceptional leadership quality. He said, “On behalf of  the entire University of Abuja Community, I  wish  to congratulate you on your appointment as…

THE Federal Government through the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation has commenced moves to ensure that official government documents classified as sensitive are not leaked to the public. The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, in a memo uploaded on the website of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation which was dated February 19, 2024, said the leakages of such documents have become embarrassing to the government and as such become unacceptable. The memo tagged HCSF/3065/VI/189 reads, “It has been observed with dismay, the increase in…

THE management of Dangote Cement Plc has stated that two of its trucks that were wrongly intercepted in Adamawa State have been released. The company stated the two trucks loaded with 900 bags of cement each from the Obajana Cement Plant were on their way to Jamtari, Maiha Local Government, Adamawa State, based on a customer’s request. However, they were intercepted by security agents who accused them of trying to export banned products to the Republic of Cameroun through the Adamawa routes. The interception, on Friday, February 9, 2024, followed an executive order banning the transportation of food and building…

THE President, MAAUN  Group of Universities, Prof. Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo has congratulated a Nigerian human rights activist and writer, Omoyele Sowore on his 53rd birthday. The congratulatory message is contained in a statement personally signed by Prof. Gwarzo, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Kano on Sunday. He said the popular pro-democracy campaigner cum writer, deserves to be celebrated at this auspicious occasion for his contribution to the development of journalism profession in Nigeria. “On behalf of myself and the MAAUN Group of Universities, I wish to felicitate with Omoyele Sowore, a pro-democracy campaigner on this…