The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $100 million for the establishment of the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank in Nigeria.

Akinwunmi Adesina, AfDB president, spoke on Friday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the 90th birthday lecture of former head of state Yakubu Gowon.

“I am delighted to announce here today that just three days ago, the African Development Bank’s board of directors approved $100m for the establishment of the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank for Nigeria,” he said.

Adesina said the initiative highlights AfDB’s commitment to supporting youths who he believes are critical to the development of the country.

The AfDB boss said the new bank will support the youths’ businesses in Nigeria using technical assistance, business incubation, quasi-equity, and debt.

Additionally, the bank will deploy guarantee instruments to de-risk the lending to the businesses by financial institutions in Nigeria.

“It will be a new day and a new dawn for Nigeria,” he added.

On June 25, 2023, Adesina said his institution was ready to establish an entrepreneurship investment bank in Nigeria.

The Cable

The Naira yesterday depreciated to N1,725 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,710 per dollar on Thursday.

However, the Naira appreciated to N1,600.78 per dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market, NAFEM.

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for NAFEM fell to N1,600.78 per dollar from N1,660.49 per dollar on Thursday, indicating N59.71 appreciation for the naira.

The volume of dollars traded (turnover) in the official market grew by 6.2 per cent to $350.72 million from $330.18 million traded on Thursday.

Vanguard

How Israel killed Hamas leader Sinwar in a chance encounter

Israeli troops had for more than a year hunted the leader of Hamas, who disappeared in Gaza soon after masterminding the 7 October attacks.

Yahya Sinwar, 61, was said to have spent much of his time hiding in the tunnels under the Strip, along with a cadre of bodyguards and a "human shield" of hostages seized from Israel.

But ultimately, it appears he met his end in a chance encounter with an Israeli patrol in southern Gaza. His guard detail was small. No hostages were found.

Details are still emerging, but here's what we know so far about Sinwar's killing.

Routine patrol

The Israel Defense Forces says a unit from its 828th Bislamach Brigade was patrolling Tal al-Sultan, an area of Rafah, on Wednesday.

Three fighters were identified and engaged by the Israeli troops - and all were eliminated.

At that stage nothing seemed particularly remarkable about the firefight and the soldiers did not return to the scene until Thursday morning.

It was then, as the dead were inspected, that one of the bodies was found to bear a striking resemblance to the leader of Hamas.

The corpse however remained at the site due to suspected booby traps and instead, part of a finger was removed and sent to Israel for testing.

His body was finally extracted and brought to Israel later that day as the area was made safe.

Daniel Hagari, the IDF's spokesman, said his forces "didn't know he was there but we continued to operate".

He said his troops had identified the three men running from house to house, and engaged them before they split up.

The man since identified as Sinwar "ran alone into one of the buildings". After being located by a drone, he was killed when a tank launched a shell at the building.

Sinwar's body was found with a flak jacket, a gun and 40,000 shekels (£8,240).

None of the hostages Sinwar was believed to be using as a human shield were present and his small retinue suggests either he was trying to move unnoticed, or had lost many of those protecting him.

Hagari also said the IDF had gained an indication of Sinwar's previous movements when they found his DNA in a tunnel close to where the bodies of six hostages were recovered around six weeks ago.

Israel is now searching for Sinwar's brother, Muhammad Sinwar, and all Hamas military commanders, Hagari said.

Yoav Gallant, Israel's defence minister, said: "Sinwar died while beaten, persecuted and on the run – he didn't die as a commander, but as someone who only cared for himself. This is a clear message to all of our enemies."

Drone footage released by the Israeli military late on Thursday was said to show Sinwar's final moments before he was killed.

The video appears to be shot from a drone flying through the open window of a mostly destroyed building.

It approaches a man, with his head covered, sitting in an armchair on the first floor of a house that is littered with debris.

The man, who seems to be injured, then throws what appears to be a stick at the drone and the video ends.

Sinwar 'eliminated'

Israel first announced it was "investigating the possibility" that Sinwar had been killed in Gaza on Thursday afternoon local time.

Within minutes of the announcement, pictures posted to social media showed the body of a man with very similar features to the Hamas leader, who had suffered catastrophic head wounds. The images are too graphic to republish.

However, officials warned "at this stage" the identity of any of the three men killed could not be confirmed.

Not long after that, Israeli sources told the BBC leaders were "increasingly confident" they had killed him. However, they said all necessary tests must be carried out before the death could be confirmed.

Those tests did not take long. By Thursday evening, Israel had announced they had been completed and that Sinwar was confirmed "eliminated".

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said "evil" had been "dealt a blow", but warned the Israeli war in Gaza had not been completed.

A tightening noose

While Sinwar was not killed during a targeted operation, the IDF said that it had for weeks been operating in areas where intelligence indicated his presence.

In short, Israeli forces had narrowed Sinwar's rough location to the southern city of Rafah, and were slowly moving in to get him.

Sinwar had been on the run for more than a year. He had undoubtedly felt the Israeli pressure growing as other Hamas leaders, such as Mohammad Dief and Ismail Haniyeh, were killed, and as Israel destroyed the infrastructure he had used to prosecute the atrocities of 7 October.

In a statement, the IDF said its operations in recent weeks in the south had "restricted Yahya Sinwar's operational movement as he was pursued by the forces and led to his elimination".

Major goal, but not the end

Killing Sinwar was a major goal for Israel, which marked him for death soon after the 7 October attacks. But his end does not end the war in Gaza.

On Friday, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, Basem Naim, said in a statement that it seems “Israel believes that killing our leaders means the end of our movement and the struggle of the Palestinian people”, but said Hamas as a movement could not be eliminated.

Naim did not directly name Sinwar or confirm his death, but said “it is very painful and distressing to lose beloved people”.

While Netanyahu said he had "settled the score", he insisted the war would continue - not least to save the 101 hostages still held by Hamas.

"To the dear hostage families, I say: this is an important moment in the war. We will continue full force until all your loved ones, our loved ones, are home."

In Israel, families of hostages said they hoped a ceasefire could now be reached that would bring home the captives.

BBC

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Putin warns Ukraine about nuclear weapons

Moscow will never allow Kiev to acquire nuclear weapons and any attempt to do this would be met with an appropriate reaction, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that Kiev would need either atomic weapons or NATO membership to ensure its security. He rejected media reports that Kiev stood ready to produce an atomic bomb on short notice, saying that the nuclear talk was only meant to implythere was no alternative to the US-led military bloc.

“This is another provocation,” Putin said on Friday at a press conference for media from BRICS countries in Moscow. “This is a dangerous provocation because, obviously, any step in this direction will be met with an appropriate reaction.”

Ukraine’s political leadership has repeatedly expressed a desire for nuclear weapons, “even before the crisis turned hot,” the Russian president noted.

I can say this: Russia will not allow such a thing under any circumstances.

Making nuclear weapons in this day and age is “not that difficult,” Putin argued. He added, however, that he does not “know if Ukraine is capable of achieving this,” and that acquiring a nuclear arsenal “would not be that simple for Ukraine in its current state.”

Asked whether another country, such as the UK, could secretly provide Ukraine with atomic weapons, Putin said that it would be “impossible to hide,” and that Moscow is “capable of tracking down any movement in this direction.”

Last month, Putin announced a series of changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, expanding the criteria for the use of the strategic deterrent. The move came as Kiev was requesting that NATO countries lift the restrictions on the use of foreign-supplied longer-range weapons for strikes deep inside Russia. The amended doctrine also extended Russia’s nuclear umbrella to Belarus.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Residents flee Ukraine's Kupiansk as Russia presses down on northeast hub

Yuliia Baibak could not bear another Russian air strike on her neighbourhood before complying with the order to evacuate her parents from the besieged Ukrainian city of Kupiansk.

A plea for mass evacuation was also issued on Friday for the city of Pokrovsk further south, a key target of Russian forces advancing westward through the Donetsk region.

Baibak, who was with her parents, was among the thousands slated for evacuation from Kupiansk and several surrounding settlements as Russian troops bore down on the strategic hub in Kharkiv region.

"I came (to my parents) all white, crying and scared, and said, 'Either we leave or they'll kill us all here,'" she said on Thursday while helping her wheelchair-bound mother to a car.

Kyiv's troops reclaimed Kupiansk six months after its capture by Russia in its February 2022 invasion, but it has come under increasing attack as Moscow steps up an offensive along the sprawling eastern front.

In the Donetsk region further south, Kremlin troops are advancing village-by-village to threaten other key transit hubs that supply much of Ukraine's eastern forces.

The head of Pokrovsk's military administration, Serhiy Dobrak, urged residents to evacuate as there was no way to provide essential services, the RBK Ukraine media outlet reported.

"It is already clear that there will be no heating in the city," Dobrak was quoted as saying. "I appeal to city residents -- if you see dragon's teeth (anti-tank traps) being installed nearby, do not delay, pack up and leave. It will be dangerous."

In Kupiansk, residents interviewed by Reuters reported sleepless nights under regular Russian fire across the area, some 100 kilometres (62 miles) east of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

In some parts, Moscow's troops are as close as 4 kilometres from the city limits, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Ukrainian television this week.

He said he ordered the evacuation because constant Russian shelling had rendered repairs to local electricity, heat and water too difficult.

Speaking to reporters in Kharkiv on Thursday, Syniehubov said the priority was to evacuate the entire civilian population from the left bank of the Oskil River, or around 4,000 people.

The Defence Ministry's GUR Intelligence directorate issued a statement on Friday saying Ukrainian forces had cleared Russian troops from a village south of Kupiansk in a week-long operation. It said the village of Kruhlyakivka, was essential to the city's defence.

RT/Reuters

Life is way too short for a bad meal (at least, that's what I say). So when choosing where to dine out, you want to choose wisely. Luckily, a few red flags might help you decipher a mediocre restaurant from a great one. So, redditor u/ArtsyAksel asked, "What are red flags at a restaurant?" Here's what people (along with some members of the BuzzFeed Community) said.

1. "If they serve cold butter with the bread. Don't give me cold butter! If you can’t be bothered to give me butter that I can actually spread, I can’t be bothered with you."

—jmacxjr

2. "Dirty bathrooms. In the words of Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential : They let you see the bathroom! If it's dirty, imagine what the parts they don't let you see look like. "

—u/CoreyTrevor1

3. "Too many items on the menu. It's a sign that a restaurant probably uses all frozen food. Nothing against frozen food. It's ideal for some things. Some things, not all things."

—u/CTnaturist

4. "The kiss of death for me is if I see only one demographic eating at a restaurant. You ideally want to see a good mix of people. If I see blue- and white-collar types in the same place, I know it is probably pretty good quality."

—u/Misterstaberinde

5. "When you go in and see most of the guests have dirty plates on their tables and are looking around for a server. Add empty tables still piled with plates, and you know the place is incredibly short-staffed. Time to bail out."

—u/Caspers_Shadow

6. "Plastic menus that have residue of food splatter on them and smell. Yuck."

—u/Cool_Owl2609

7. "As a non-American myself, it's cultural restaurants that have zero people of that culture eating there. It's a huge green flag to me when I go to an Indian, Chinese, or Middle Eastern restaurant, for example, and the clientele is all of that particular region."

—u/ironsheik84

YOU MIGHT LIKE

8. "If you're looking at the menu outside, and an employee/manager comes out to usher you into the restaurant, walk away. I've only had this happen to me once, but it was clear quickly why they were so desperate for my business."

—u/Abloy702

9. "As someone who used to be a waiter, I can't stand seeing waiting staff grab clean glasses at the top when handling them."

—u/arseniy1234555

10. "An incoherent menu or a menu that offers various cuisines that don't share common ingredients. This means some ingredients may sit longer than others."

—u/Freshlyhonkedgoose

11. "Ask where your oysters come from. If the server doesn't know, you don’t want them. This tactic works for most seafood."

—u/MaterialImportance

12. "When the menu is really long, and yet the food comes out of the kitchen really fast."

—u/LittleIrishGuy80

13. "When a menu has blurry, poorly taken photos of the dishes, it's either a really bad restaurant or you're about to have the best meal of your life. There is no in-between."

—u/Electronic-Pool-7458

14. "Does a restaurant sound like it could be two or more restaurants? For example, if they're serving sushi and pizza at the same place, they can't do either well."

—u/rukasu83

15. "If all anyone can talk about is the view, then you might as well go to a diner because the food will be bad (awful for what you'll pay). I've never worked nor eaten anywhere with a 'stunning view' that didn't serve lukewarm garbage at a highway robbery price."

—u/ClintDisaster

YOU MIGHT LIKE

16. "I'm an ex-restaurant manager, and I always look at how happy the staff looks. Do they seem like they like their jobs? You won't get quality food or service if the staff are miserable. It's worth seeking out restaurants that treat their staff well. If they're treated well, they'll treat you well."

—u/ohno

17. "At Mexican restaurants, I always automatically assume if the chips and salsa aren’t good, the food won’t be either. Can you tell if the chips are fresh and made in-house versus out of a bag? Does the salsa have good flavor and depth, or is it similar to jarred or store-bought?"

—JAlli

18. "If you ask about your food allergy and the waitstaff can't answer because they don't know what's in the food."

—u/friendly-sam
19. "Food that focuses on presentation. For example, those extreme Bloody Mary's with an entire burger stuck to the glass are designed for people to post on Instagram. The quality will never be good, and it probably means the restaurant relies on people coming for the spectacle rather than the taste of the food."

—u/stumptruck
20. "If a place changes its name or cuisine frequently, they're cycling owners, which means there are better options in the area, or there's something toxic in the chain."

—kathryna456a720b8

21. "When the chef will not remove an ingredient, especially if it’s not essential to cooking. If I ask for a burger or sandwich without one topping or ingredient and they can’t do it, it gives off the impression that they are just mindlessly slapping together sandwiches."

—TRUdiva

Buzzfeed

The Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) has distributed N1.298 trillion to the federal government, states, and local government councils (LGCs) for September, 2024. This was disclosed in a communiqué issued after the FAAC’s October meeting, held in Abuja.

Bawa Mokwa, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAGF), shared the details with journalists. According to the communiqué, the total distributable revenue of N1.298 trillion included N124.716 billion from statutory revenue and N543.518 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT).

Additional sources of the distributable revenue were N18.445 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), N462.191 billion from exchange differences, and an augmentation of N150 billion. The total available revenue for September was reported as N2.258 trillion.

Out of this, N80.993 billion was deducted for collection costs, while N878.946 billion was allocated to transfers, interventions, and refunds. The gross statutory revenue for September amounted to N1.043 trillion, which was a decrease of N177.426 billion from the N1.221 trillion collected in August.

VAT collections for September totaled N583.675 billion, an increase of N10.334 billion compared to the N573.341 billion collected in August.

From the total distributable revenue of N1.298 trillion, the federal government received N424.867 billion, while state governments got N453.724 billion. Local governments were allocated N329.864 billion, with an additional N90.415 billion (13% of mineral revenue) going to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.

Regarding statutory revenue, the federal government received N43.037 billion, state governments N21.829 billion, and local governments N16.829 billion. A further N43.021 billion in mineral revenue was allocated to the oil-producing states.

From the N543.518 billion in VAT revenue, the federal government received N81.528 billion, state governments N271.759 billion, and local governments N190.231 billion.

The communiqué noted that Oil and Gas Royalty, Excise Duty, EMTL, and CET Levies showed substantial increases, while VAT and Import Duty recorded marginal growth. However, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and Companies Income Tax (CIT) saw significant declines.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has said that a sizable number of illicit arms being used to commit crimes in the country originally belonged to the government.

Ribadu said this on Thursday during the Arms Destruction Exercise organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms And Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), at Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment Giri, Abuja.

He explained that the weapons ended up in the hands of non-state actors due to corrupt elements within the security agencies.

The NSA condemned and rained curses on the security personnel who facilitate the movement of weapons to terrorists, bandits and other non-state actors.

He assured that the government would do everything possible to ensure the country’s safety, security, and protection.

“We have to find a way of putting a stop to this. We must if we want to recover our country and live in peace and stability.

“The worst human being is a policeman or a soldier who will take arms from his own formations and sell it or hire it out for the bad people to come and kill his own colleagues.

“We must fight these people but also there are merchants of death and evil from outside the world.

“The proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons remains a major threat to our national security, exacerbating issues such as insurgency, banditry and other violent crimes,” he said.

Ribadu said the arms destruction exercise was one of several conducted by the centre in the past, and it was a major focus and a decisive step in the concerted effort to address the challenge of arms proliferation in Nigeria.

The NSA said the federal government had remained committed to providing the necessary support to the centre towards ensuring the safety of every Nigerian.

According to him, by destroying unserviceable, obsolete and recovered arms, we are demonstrating our commitment to a secure future for all Nigerians.

“All illicit arms, not only unserviceable, all illicit. Any weapon that is taken is out there that is through an illegal process.

“We have laws that govern ownership of small arms. If you do not follow it, it is an illegal arm and it is supposed to be destroyed completely,” he added.

The Director-General of NCCSALW, Johnson Kokumo, said the arms destruction exercise was the third in a series since the centre was established and the first since his assumption of command.

Kokumo, a retired deputy inspector general of police, said the challenge posed by the proliferation of SALW was one of the major threats to peace and security in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

He said the exercise would witness the destruction of over 2,400 illicit weapons, comprising a mix of unserviceable, decommissioned and recovered arms.

“These weapons have been mopped up by the military, police and other security agencies across the country.

“By permanently removing these arms from circulation, we reduce the risk they pose to our communities and send a clear message that Nigeria will not tolerate the illegal trafficking and possession of small arms and light weapons.

“It is also important to state that the National Centre has in its custody some recovered/captured illicit SALW still undergoing tracing as well as investigations and legal processes.

“These include the illicit weapons handed over to the centre by the Nigeria Customs Service.

“These categories of weapons would be destroyed on completion of the proceedings during subsequent routine destruction exercises,” he said.

Kokumo said the destruction had successfully removed thousands of illegal dangerous weapons from circulation with serious security implications for the country.

According to him, this exercise is in line with the provisions of Article 17 of the ECOWAS Convention on small arms and light weapons as well as the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALW.

He thanked the NSA and the military for supporting the Centre in meeting its constitutional mandate.

The event was attended by the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, representatives of the services chiefs and heads of other security agencies.

NAN

The federal government on Thursday received one million doses of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine donated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

It is the first-ever malaria vaccine delivered to the federal government, ahead of the rollout in the country.

Speaking during the handover ceremony in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, said the arrival of the malaria vaccine was a monumental step in the country’s efforts to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality.

He said, “With the support of UNICEF, Gavi, and WHO, we are on a path toward achieving our goal of a malaria-free Nigeria.”

He said vaccines helped prevent diseases from happening, adding that they also provided an opportunity for every child to live a healthy life.

He said, “Every child that has full course of the vaccine has an opportunity to live a healthy life. A child that is immunised against a disease has an opportunity to live a life free of that disease. So it’s a miracle, but it’s also a source of opportunity.”

While saying that the vaccines were safe and effective, he enjoined Nigerians to utilise the opportunity to get their children and wards vaccinated against malaria.

The executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Muyi Aina, said Nigeria was among the top 10 contributors to the global burden of malaria, accounting for approximately 27% of the global burden and 31% of malaria deaths worldwide.

He said in 2022, nearly 200,000 deaths from malaria occurred in Nigeria. Children under five years of age, and pregnant women were the most affected, with a national malaria prevalence rate of 22% in children aged 6-59 months as of 2021.

He said, “The vaccine would quicken our malaria control and elimination efforts, as we expect about 13% reduction in all-cause mortality in children under five and a 22% reduction in hospitalized severe malaria cases.”

He highlighted that the WHO recommends prioritization of the vaccine in areas of high to moderate transmission and this is guiding our phased introduction strategy.

Aina said consequently, Nigeria will commence the first phase of the malaria vaccine roll out  in November, in two States – Kebbi and Bayelsa, with high prevalence of malaria.

He added that  Kebbi was chosen because it has the highest prevalence rate in the country (52%); while Bayelsa was selected because its target population of 69,935, and that of Kebbi’s 162,014, aligns with the one million doses available for the phase.

He said the vaccine will be administered to children aged five months to 15 months as part of Routine Immunization. “Each child requires four doses, given at 5, 6, 7, and 15 months of age, to be fully protected.

“The introduction will be expanded to other States and integrated into our national routine immunization schedule, as we receive additional doses.  The second phase will target 19 States and FCT, while the third phase will target the remaining 15 States. Both phases are scheduled for 2025,” he added.

Meanwhile a joint statement from UNICEF, GavI, the  World Health Organization ( WHO) and NPHCDA said the historic handover of the vaccines marks a critical milestone in the fight against malaria, a disease that continues to claim the lives of thousands of children under five every year in Nigeria.

The Statement said Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health has been leading critical malaria control interventions, including the distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticide-Treated Nets (LLINs) and Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC).

It added that the introduction of the malaria vaccine marks another powerful tool in the country’s comprehensive strategy to combat the disease.

UNICEF and Gavi have played crucial roles in supporting the procurement and distribution of the vaccines. The cost of vaccines, transport and administration are supported by Gavi and the Government of Nigeria, with UNICEF responsible for procurement and shipment, and working with WHO to support administration.

Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria said, “This is a landmark moment in our collective mission to save lives and protect children from preventable diseases like malaria,” said The introduction of this vaccine will be life-changing for millions of Nigerian families, especially in the regions most affected by malaria.”

Gavi, emphasized the critical role of global collaboration in the fight against malaria.

Tokunbo Oshin, Director of High Impact Countries, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance said, “Malaria remains one of Nigeria’s and Africa’s deadliest diseases, taking the lives of hundreds of thousands of children under the age of 5 each year. Rolling out this vaccine, alongside the other powerful tools we have to fight this disease, represents a major step forward towards our goal of a malaria-free future.

“We look forward to working with the government of Nigeria, WHO, UNICEF, the Global Fund, civil society and other partners towards a successful rollout.”

Walter Mulombo, WHO Representative in Nigeria said, “We are confident that this vaccine in combination with other preventive measures will drastically reduce the burden of malaria in Nigeria and help us move closer to achieving the goal of a malaria free Africa.”

Daily Trust

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, says Nigeria’s score on the Cape Town Convention (CTC) compliance index has been increased from 70.5 percent to 75.5 percent.

The CTC compliance index monitors and assesses compliance by contracting states to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and Aircraft Protocol (the CTC) with their respective undertakings.

In a statement on Thursday by Tunde Moshood, Keyamo’s special adviser, the minister said the development marks Nigeria’s official removal from the aviation working group (AWG’s) watchlist of non-compliant countries.

“Nigeria’s global aviation compliance score has seen a significant improvement following the signing of the Administrative Rules governing aircraft repossession by creditors and lessors, known as the Irrevocable De-registration and Export Request Authorization (IDERA),” he said.

“The Aviation Working Group (AWG) announced yesterday that Nigeria’s score on the Cape Town Convention (CTC) Compliance Index has been increased from 70.5% to 75.5%, placing the country in the ‘high category.”

According to the statement, in a communication to Keyamo, the AWG confirmed that the signing of the IDERA “concludes Nigeria’s compliance process, unlocking numerous opportunities for the country’s aviation sector”.

“This milestone is expected to open new avenues for aircraft financing and dry-leasing for Nigerian airline operators, ensuring greater access to aircraft leasing markets globally,” the statement reads.

The minister said the development would positively impact the Nigerian public by increasing flight frequency, expanding serviced routes, and lowering ticket prices.

On September 12, the Nigerian government had officially signed the Cape Town Convention (CTC) practice direction to enable domestic airline operators access aircraft on dry lease.

Following the signing, the AWG increased Nigeria’s CTC compliance index score from 49 percent to 70.5 percent — implying that the country is considered safe for aircraft leasing by the aviation body.

The Cable

Hezbollah says it will escalate war with Israel after Hamas leader killed

Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group said on Friday it was moving to a new and escalating phase in its war against Israel while Iran said "the spirit of resistance will be strengthened" after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Sinwar, a mastermind of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the Gaza war, was killed during an operation by Israeli soldiers in the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday, a pivotal event in the year-long conflict.

Western leaders said his death offered an opportunity for the conflict to end, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war would go on until the hostages seized by Hamas militants were returned.

"Today we have settled the score. Today evil has been dealt a blow but our task has still not been completed," Netanyahu said in a recorded video statement after the death was confirmed on Thursday.

"To the dear hostage families, I say: This is an important moment in the war. We will continue full force until all your loved ones, our loved ones, are home."

Sinwar, who was named as Hamas' overall leader following the assassination of political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July, was believed to have been hiding in the warren of tunnels Hamas has built under Gaza over the past two decades.

He was killed during a gun battle in southern Gaza on Wednesday by Israeli troops who were initially unaware that they had caught their country's number one enemy, Israeli officials said.

The military released drone video of what it said was Sinwar, sitting on an armchair and covered in dust inside a destroyed building.

Hamas has not made any comment itself, but sources within the group have said the indications they have seen suggest Sinwar was indeed killed by Israeli troops.

'CHIEF OBSTACLE'

Despite Western hopes of a ceasefire, Sinwar's death could dial up hostilities in the Middle East where the prospect of an even wider conflicthas grown.

Israel has launched a ground campaign in Lebanon over the past month and is now planning a response to an Oct. 1 missile attack carried out by Iran, ally of Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

But the demise of the man who planned the attack last year in which fighters killed 1,200 people in Israel and captured more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies, could also help push forward stalled efforts to end the war in which Israel has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who spoke to Netanyahu by phone to congratulate him, said Sinwar's death provided a chance for the conflict in Gaza to finally end and for Israeli hostages to be brought home.

The U.S. wants to kick-start talks on a proposal to achieve a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, calling Sinwar the "chief obstacle" to ending the war.

"That obstacle has obviously been removed. Can’t predict that that means whoever replaces (Sinwar) will agree to a ceasefire, but it does remove what has been in recent months the chief obstacle to getting one," he said. In recent weeks, Sinwar had refused to negotiate at all, Miller said.

Iran indicated no sign the killing would shift its support. "The spirit of resistance will be strengthened" following the death of Sinwar, its mission to the United Nations said.

Hezbollah was also defiant, announcing "the transition to a new and escalating phase in the confrontation with Israel".

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held separate phone calls on Thursday with leaders in Saudi Arabia and Qatar aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East, the State Department said.

NO COMFORT, NO COMPROMISE

Families of Israeli hostages said that while the killing of Sinwar was a significant achievement, it would not be complete while hostages are still in Gaza.

Avi Marciano, the father of Noa Marciano, who was killed in captivity by Hamas, told Israeli broadcaster KAN that "the monster, the one who took her from me, who had the blood of all our daughters on his hands, finally met the gates of hell."

"A little justice, but no comfort," he said. "There will be comfort only when Naama, Liri, Agam, Daniela and Karina, our girls' friends, return home."

In Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip, a displaced Palestinian named Thabet Amour told Reuters the Palestinian fight would continue.

"This is resistance that does not disappear when men disappear," he said. "The assassination of Sinwar will not lead to the end of the resistance or to a compromise or surrender and raising the white flag."

Reuters