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Thursday, 04 July 2024 04:51

Anger as FG signs $150bn deal in exchange for recognition of LGBTQ rights

Some clerics, rights activists, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria are furious following the decision of the federal government to sign the controversial Samoa Agreement. The agreement reportedly has some clauses that compel underdeveloped and developing nations to support the agitations by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community for recognition, as condition for getting financial and other supports from advanced societies. Named after the Pacific Island Samoa, where it was signed on November 15, 2023, the agreement is gradually gaining traction, despite opposition by many countries that cherish Islamic and Christianity values, in addition to the sensitivity of…

Thursday, 04 July 2024 04:50

Band A customers to pay more as DisCos increase tariff again

Four electricity distribution companies have announced a tariff increase from N206.80 per kilowatt to N209.5 per kilowatt-hour (kwh) for premium customers under the Band A category, effective July 1, 2024. This change applies to both prepaid and postpaid customers. Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Ikeja DisCos all confirmed the increase in separate statements, assuring Band A customers of continued 20-24 hours of daily power supply as stipulated in the service-based tariff regime. The companies emphasized that tariffs for Bands B, C, D, and E remain unchanged. Ikeja Electric stated that the increase aligns with the service-based tariff regime and will…

Thursday, 04 July 2024 04:49

‘We have only one hour of electricity daily’, protesting students say as Benin highway is blocked

Students of the University of Benin on Wednesday took to the streets, blocking the ever-busy Benin-Ore Highway to protest weeks of power outages on the campus. The students, who have only two weeks until their first semester examinations, said the situation was severely affecting their preparation. The university was thrown into a blackout following the inability to reach an agreement with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over a contentious electricity bill. The management of the institution was said to have expressed discontent after the Benin Disco reportedly made an upward review of the institution’s monthly electricity charges by over…

Thursday, 04 July 2024 04:46

Businesses grounded, transport fares soar as Lagos goes under flood

Business and commercial activities were grounded on Wednesday following a 10-hour downpour in many parts centres of Lagos and Ogun states. The resulting flooding brought down a two-storey building in the Mushin area of Lagos, grounded vehicular movement on the roads and overwhelmed thousands of residents while pupils could not attend schools in parts of the states. Though the Lagos State government said the rain lasted for nine hours, in some parts of the state, it started at midnight and did not subside until noon, making it 12 hours. Such places include Berger, Ikeja, Ogba and in some parts, the…

Wednesday, 03 July 2024 04:32

‘War means war. We know what to fight’, NNPC says as it declares state of emergency on oil production

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has declared a state of emergency on oil production, aiming to boost the country's crude oil output and grow its reserves. This announcement was made by the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, during his keynote address at the 23rd Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition Week in Abuja on Tuesday. "We have decided to stop the debate. We have declared war on the challenges affecting our crude oil production. War means war. We have the right tools. We know what to fight. We know what we have to do…

Wednesday, 03 July 2024 04:28

‘We are determined to push for the president's resignation’: Kenya protesters insist ‘Ruto must go’

Riot police fired tear gas grenades and charged at stone-throwing protesters in downtown Nairobi and across Kenya on Tuesday in the most widespread unrest since at least two dozen protesters died in clashes a week ago. The nationwide demonstrations signalled that President William Ruto had failed to appease a spontaneous youth protest movement, despite having abandoned plans for tax rises that triggered the unrest last week. Tuesday's demonstrations began in ebullient mood but turned violent as the day wore on. In Nairobi's downtown business district, police wearing helmets and carrying shields and wooden clubs charged at the protesters, and tear…

Wednesday, 03 July 2024 04:28

Hunger riots imminent in Nigeria, Agbakoba warns

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba, has warned that a "hunger riot" may soon erupt in Nigeria if the Federal Government does not take swift action. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday at his office in Ikoyi, Lagos, Agbakoba highlighted the extreme poverty that has left many Nigerians unable to afford basic food. Despite Nigeria's vast oil and gas resources, Agbakoba noted that these have been largely controlled by foreign interests, leaving the local population in dire straits. He cautioned that if the government fails to address this issue, widespread protests could ensue, with people potentially resorting to theft in broad…

Tuesday, 02 July 2024 04:39

90 percent of diesel in fuel stations produced from crude oil stolen by communities, N’Delta security firm alleges

Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited has alleged that oil companies purchase refined Automotive Gas Oil, commonly known as diesel, from illegal refineries in various host communities in the Niger Delta region. This claim was made on Monday during the Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week Conference in Abuja. Tantita Security Services, headquartered in Warri, Delta State, specializes in providing security solutions for the oil and gas sector, including services for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. Speaking at a session titled “Exploring Nigerian Content Solutions to Meet Energy Demand,” Warredi Enisuoh, the Executive Director of Operations and Technical at Tantita…

Monday, 01 July 2024 04:27

FG’s increased borrowings push Nigeria’s Debt-to-GDP ratio past 50 percent

Nigeria’s debt-to-GDP ratio surpassed 50% for the first time, according to the latest public debt figures published by the Debt Management Office (DMO). The country’s public debt now totals N121 trillion, comprising N65.6 trillion in domestic debt and $42.1 billion in foreign debt (equivalent to N56 trillion). As of December 2023, Nigeria's total gross domestic product (GDP) was N229.9 trillion in nominal terms, with a real growth rate of 2.74%. This pushed the debt-to-GDP ratio above 50%. Recent GDP and Debt Figures In the first quarter of 2024, Nigeria’s nominal GDP was N58.5 trillion, up from N51.2 trillion in the…

Saturday, 29 June 2024 04:57

Continuous depreciation makes Naira worst performing currency in the world in Half 1 2024 - Bloomberg

Nigeria’s naira weakened for a ninth straight day against the dollar, making it the worst-performing currency in the first half as a steep devaluation, insufficient dollar liquidity and market volatility hampered efforts to stem its rout. It’s weakened 0.2% to 1,510 per dollar by the close on Thursday, FMDQ data compiled by Bloomberg show. The losing streak is the longest since July 2017 and takes the decline since the start of the year to 40%. Nigeria's Naira Leads First-Half Declines Against the Dollar The currency has depreciated 40% against the dollar in 2024. The naira’s performance is the worst among…

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Saturday, 29 June 2024 04:56

Mass hunger to worsen in Nigeria’s Northeast as UN funding dwindles, official warns

The United Nations humanitarian agency is struggling to secure funding to combat severe food insecurity in Nigeria's insurgency-hit northeast, raising fears of mass hunger and deaths, its resident coordinator warned. In April, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launched a $306 million appeal alongside Nigeria on behalf of 2.8 million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, states ravaged by a 15-year Islamist insurgency, during the lean season, a period of peak food scarcity. OCHA chief Mohamed Malick Fall told Reuters that, despite an initial $11 million commitment from Nigeria and another $11 million from the…

Friday, 28 June 2024 04:49

After stormy session, N’Assembly approves Tinubu’s request for 2023 budget extension till December

The national assembly has passed the bills seeking the extension of the capital component of the 2023 budget and the Supplementary Appropriation Act. The federal lawmakers granted an extension from June to December, following a request by President Bola Tinubu. The senate and house of representatives passed the bills on Thursday after considering their clauses at the committee on supply. The passage was preceded by a rowdy session at the house of representatives. The president, in a letter read by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, asked the green chamber to extend the implementation of the capital components of the…

Friday, 28 June 2024 04:47

Nigerian student volunteered to fight for Russia in Ukraine war, qualifies for Russian citizenship

A Nigerian national, Adam Mohammad Bakur Mohammad Ibrahim, 24, has been seeking Russian citizenship since May 2024. He joined the Skif Cossack battalion in November 2023, where he was given the call sign 'Vanka' and participated in special military operations (SVO) as a member of the unit. In December 2023, Russian media featured a story on Vanka, a Nigerian national who had captured a Ukrainian soldier, as seen in a video posted online, RT reports. After completing his six-month contract, Adam returned to Voronezh, where he had previously studied at the Academy of Sports. He hoped to resume his studies…

Thursday, 27 June 2024 14:25

After victory over tax raises, battle cry of Kenya protesters turns into #RutoMustGo. This is how it’s going right now

Kenyan police fired teargas at dozens of protesters and blocked off streets leading to the presidential palace on Thursday as small demonstrations continued in several cities, even after the president bowed to pressure to withdraw a tax hike bill. Turnout was well down from the height of the mass rallies sparked by the bill over the past week. President William Ruto withdrew the legislation on Wednesday, a day after clashes killed at least 23 people and parliament was briefly stormed and set alight. Ruto is grappling with the most serious crisis of his two-year-old presidency as the youth-led protest movement…

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