Author: Akintayo Adams

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration is planning to come up with a scheme to accommodate unemployed graduates in Nigeria. This was made known by the Information and National Orientation Minister, Mohammed Idris, after a routine meeting with the President at The State House, Abuja. He said the scheme is one of those plans in stock for the youths of the country by the President to address the lingering economic hardship. According to him: “There is also the intervention the President is making for young men and women who have finished school and who are yet to get employed post NYSC.…

Scientists have discovered that sharks off the coast of Brazil have tested positive for cocaine. Marine biologists from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation found high levels of the drug in 13 Brazilian sharpnose sharks near Rio de Janeiro. The cocaine concentrations were up to 100 times higher than those found in other aquatic creatures. This research, which is the first to detect cocaine in sharks, suggests that the drug may be entering the waters through illegal manufacturing sites or through the excrement of drug users. Packs of cocaine lost or dumped by traffickers at sea could also be a source, though…

President Bola Tinubu has appealed to Nigerians to shelve a planned protest slated for next month. The protest, tagged #EndBadGovernance is trending on social media platforms. The President’s plea was made known by the Information Minister Mohammed Idris, who briefed selected State House correspondents after a meeting with the President on Tuesday. “The issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that. He’s asked them to shelve that plan. He’s asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas,” the minister said. The protest has been scheduled to be held across all states…

Kenya’s anti-government protesters on Tuesday defied President William Ruto’s warning of severe consequences and staged street demonstrations across the country, demanding his resignation. By noon, protests were reported in various parts of Mombasa, Kisumu, Nairobi, and Kajiado counties. In contrast to previous demonstrations, pro-government groups emerged in the capital, Nairobi, to counter the anti-Ruto campaigners, staging motorcycle rides in support of the Kenya Kwanza regime. The amorphous group, mainly composed of boda boda riders, crisscrossed the Central Business District, honking, whistling, and chanting in support of the President. The pro-Ruto protesters, who were granted free passage at all police roadblocks,…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has once again raised the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 50 basis points, increasing it from 26.25% to 26.75%. This decision comes amid soaring inflation which stands at 34.19% and skyrocketing food prices. CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso announced the rate hike following the apex bank’s 296th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday. Cardoso said, “The Committee’s decisions are as follows; Raise the MPR by 50 basis points to 26.75 % form 26.25%. Adjusted the asymmetric corridor around the MPR from +100 to -300, to +500 to 100 basis points. Retain the…

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed the National Minimum Wage Act 2019 (Amendment Bill). The bill was passed by the Upper Chamber in record time as it scaled second and third readings, just minutes after it was transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In a unanimous vote after a clause consideration in the Committee of the Whole, the National Minimum Wage Bill scaled third reading and was passed. The President had separately wrote the Senate and the House of Representatives requesting expedited consideration of a bill for an Act to amend the National Minimum Wage Act, 2019 to increase the…

Vice-President Kamala Harris has secured the support of a majority of Democratic delegates to become the party’s nominee for president. A survey by the Associated Press on Monday evening revealed she had received the endorsement of more than the 1,976 delegates needed to win the nomination in the first round of voting. This sets Harris on course to be the party’s standard bearer against Republican Donald Trump in November’s presidential election. The nomination will be officially confirmed when party delegates hold a roll call vote ahead of next month’s Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. While delegates’ pledges of support…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent the Minimum Wage bill to the House of Representatives for consideration and passage into law. Tinubu’s letter, read on the House floor, outlines a new national minimum wage and the legal framework for its implementation. In the letter, the president urged lawmakers to expedite the passage of the minimum wage bill for immediate implementation to benefit Nigerian workers. Tinubu also requested an amendment to the Nigeria Police Act in line with Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This follows Tinubu’s approval of ₦70,000 as the new national minimum wage after several meetings…

No fewer than 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes in eastern Khan Younis on Monday, following new evacuation orders from Israel. Israel issued these orders after claiming renewed attacks from the area, and adjusted the boundaries of a humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi to protect civilians from combat zones. Palestinian sources reported that 16 people were killed by Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes in Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis. Israel defended the evacuation orders by alleging that Palestinian rocket attacks originated from the specified areas, although health institutions were exempt from the orders. Palestinians, along with the UN and…

The Minister of State Petroleum Resources [Oil] Heineken Lokpobiri and other stakeholders have held a meeting with the Chairman and CEO of Dangote Group Aliko Dangote. This is premised on issues surrounding the Dangote Refinery. Dangote and Nigeria’s regulatory authorities have been in dispute in recent weeks over the refinery, and the conflict escalated when the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) announced that the government had not yet licensed the refinery for operation. To address the issues, Lokpobiri and other key figures in the oil and gas sector met with Dangote on Monday as part of efforts…