Author: Akintayo Adams

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Finance, has announced that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has commenced the process of paying off its debt. The announcement was made by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, on Wednesday while meeting investors in Washington, DC. “In terms of NNPC and their situation, the reality is that although the subsidy was removed on May 29, 2023, and is no longer on the government’s balance sheet, it did rear its head—not in terms of petrol subsidy, but foreign exchange subsidy, which was…

The Federal Government, through the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said that prices of essential food items, including beans, eggs, bread, rice and tomatoes, experienced robust hikes in September 2024. This was contained in NBS Selected Food Prices Watch report for September 2024 released in Abuja on Wednesday. The report said that the average price of 1kg of brown beans increased by 281.97 per cent from ₦716.97 recorded in September 2023 to ₦2,738.59 in September 2024. The report said the average price of medium-sized Agric eggs (12 pieces) increased by 137.43 per cent on a year-on-year basis from ₦1,047.47…

Nigeria’s Mnister of state for petroleum resources (gas), Ekperipke Ekpo says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wants filling stations converted to compressed natural gas (CNG) outlets. He made the disclosure at the State House after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, presided over by the President. According to him, Tinubu “gave a charge” regarding CNG, through the minister of information, during the FEC meeting. “We are well aware that the president set up a presidential committee on the CNG to drive the CNG project,” Ekpo said. “As a minister who has been supervising what has been going on there,…

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has begun supplying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) directly to oil marketers, bypassing the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC). Some oil marketers are seeking to buy Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) directly from Dangote Refinery, while others are relying on imports. A recent report indicated that four vessels carrying a total of 123.4 million litres of imported PMS arrived at Nigerian seaports between October 18 and October 20. This is part of efforts to enhance the nation’s fuel supply as the market responds to the new direct purchase option and the influx of imported fuel. The facility is…

Idris Elba has announced plans to move to Africa within the next decade to support the continent’s film industry. Speaking at the Africa Cinema Summit in Accra, the actor emphasized the importance of Africans controlling their narratives and criticized the negative portrayals of the continent in global media. “If you watch any film or anything that has got to do with Africa, all you’re going to see is trauma, how we were slaves, how we were colonised, how it is just war and when you come to Africa, you will realise that it is not true,” Elba added. Elba expressed…

The Nigerian Senate has decided to organize a national summit to address the increasing issue of out-of-school children, with over 20 million affected, according to a 2022 UNESCO report. The Senate’s committee on education emphasized collaboration between federal and state governments. Some senators criticized state governments for not providing enough support and stressed the urgency of the situation, especially in northern Nigeria. Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin highlighted the urgency of the situation, calling for immediate action from all stakeholders. “This is a ticking time bomb and when it explodes it will consume us, especially the northern part of this…

King Charles has arrived in Samoa for a four-day state visit, where he will preside over the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) for the first time. Greeted by Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Charles and Queen Camilla were welcomed with a red carpet reception. The meeting, themed “One Resilient Common Future,” will focus on climate change, a priority for the King. Samoa has been preparing for the royal visit, and each village along the route to the capital has decorated homes with flags and festive displays. Get instant and latest news updates via Our WhatsApp Community, X/Twitter or Google News online channel.

FIFA is facing criticism for failing to pay the final installment of agreed sums to 420 players across Europe whose contracts were not honored by their clubs. Despite some payments being made, £3.09 million remains outstanding, with many affected players relying on FIFA’s Player Fund, established in 2020. The delay has caused financial strain for many, particularly unemployed or retired players. FIFA’s delay in payments has coincided with a dispute with FIFPro over the expanded Club World Cup and its impact on players’ well-being. Get instant and latest news updates via Our WhatsApp Community, X/Twitter or Google News online channel.

Nigeria’s cabinet has approved borrowing around $618 million to acquire six Italian-made M-346 attack jets and associated ammunition for the Nigerian Air Force. This is part of the country’s ongoing military fleet expansion, with plans revealed earlier in October to purchase 24 M-346 combat jets and 10 AW109 Trekker helicopters to address growing security threats. The first three jets are expected by early 2025, with the remainder arriving by mid-2026. Nigeria is boosting its military capabilities in response to increasing violence in the northwest and insurgency in the northeast. Get instant and latest news updates via Our WhatsApp Community, X/Twitter or Google News online channel.

Birmingham Airport resumed normal operations after a suspicious vehicle caused a temporary suspension of flights on Wednesday. Departing flights were canceled for several hours as police investigated the situation, during which some passengers were evacuated as a precaution. The investigation concluded, and the airport is slowly returning to regular schedules. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest updates. Birmingham Airport is the seventh busiest in the UK, handling about 11.5 million passengers annually in 2023. Get instant and latest news updates via Our WhatsApp Community, X/Twitter or Google News online channel.