Author: Ogochukwu Ndubuisi

French Embassy to Empower 1,500 Youths on Agric. Dev’t in Kano The Kano State Government has secured a project from the French Embassy aimed at empowering 1,500 youths through some agricultural development programmes to boost the state’s economy. The State Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr Yusuf Kofarmata, disclosed this shortly after defending his ministry’s budget at the State House of Assembly. He explained that the initiative, designed to strengthen the state’s economy, would provide training and resources to young people in various agricultural sectors. “The programme is expected to equip the participants with the necessary skills to succeed in agriculture…

FG Dismisses COVID-19 Variant XEC Claims, Reassures Nigerians The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has dismissed reports of the presence of the COVID-19 variant known as XEC in Nigeria, urging citizens to disregard misinformation circulating on social media. The ministry said this in a statement signed by Mr Alaba Balogun, Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations on Saturday in Abuja. Balogun reassured the public that no evidence supported the detection of the XEC variant within the country. The XEC variant of COVID-19, first identified in Australia, has reportedly spread to 29 countries. It is noted for its…

SAPZ Engages Farmers to Boost Agricultural Productivity in Kano The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Programme (SAPZ) in Kano State has inaugurated a community engagement and awareness campaign to improve knowledge on agriculture productivity. The programme, implemented in six Local Government Areas, namely Bichi, Dawakin Tofa, Danbatta, Gezawa, Garun Malam, and Bebeji, aims to raise awareness among the public, particularly targeted beneficiaries. According to SAPZ Coordinator in the state, Muktar El-kasim, said at the inauguration in Kano on Saturday that it seeks to enhance agricultural productivity and enterprise development. He said it also seeks to promote agriculture value chains and job…

Group Urges NNPCL to Clear Doubt About Port Harcourt Refinery Export The National Anti-Corruption Crusader (NACC) has urged Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) to silence its doubters by providing evidence of exporting Low-Sulphur Straight-Run fuel oil (LSSR) from Port Harcourt. The group’s coordinator, Mr Samson Idoko, said this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday. He said NNPCL should present the agreement for the oil export to Gulf Transport & Trading Limited (GTT) for public scrutiny. The NNPCL has said that it exported (LSSR) fuel oil to Gulf Transport & Trading Limited (GTT), a Dubai-based company. He raised concerns…

Lagos Boosts CNG Initiative for Sustainable Energy Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative in the state. Sanwo-Olu gave the assurance at the Lagos State Government Pilot Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Vehicle Conversion Training, organised by IBILE Oil & Gas Corporation (IOGC) at the Lagos Bus Service Limited Workshop, Yaba, Lagos. The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said the move was part of the government’s efforts to promote sustainable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create job opportunities. He emphasised the importance of…

Bring Kaduna Refinery Back into Operation, Youth group urges NNPCL Arewa Youths Initiative for Energy Reforms (AYIFER), has urged Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to do everything possible to bring Kaduna Refinery back into operation. National Coordinator of the group, Mr Bashir Al’Amin, stated this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja. Al’Amin specifically called on the Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kyari, to do all within his powers to rejuvenate the refinery and bring it up to global standard. He said that having delivered the Port Harcourt refinery, coupled with the establishment of Dangote Refinery…

JBPT Seizes Goods Worth N36.7bn in 4 Years – Coordinator The Joint Border Patrol Team Sector ‘2’ (JBPT) on Friday said that since its inception on Aug. 20, 2019, it had seized goods worth a Duty Paid Value of over N36.7 billion and intercepted 1,507 irregular immigrants. Mohammed Shuaibu, the Deputy Comptroller of Customs, also the Coordinator, JBPT, South-West Zone, disclosed this during an awards ceremony for 52 officers at the Customs Training College, Ikeja, Lagos. Shuaibu said that the team, which was formerly called “Operation Swift Response”, also boosted the Federal Government’s revenue through auction sales with an aggregate…

Shettima Tasks Banks on Cash Availability The Vice-President, Sen. Kashim Shettima has urged Nigerian Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to ensure seamless availability of Naira notes to the banking public. Shettima made the call on Friday in Abuja, at the 2024 Bankers ‘Committee Retreat. He was represented by Tope Fasua, Special Adviser on Economic Affairs, Office of the Vice-President. He urged the committee to address some unwholesome practices by some Point of Sale (PoS) agents which impeded the availability of cash. According to him, the scarcity of cash is constituting an impediment to financial inclusion. “We would like to take this…

AIF 2024 Closes with $180bn in Investments, Renewed Commitment Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, on Friday delivered a touching keynote speech at the closing ceremony of the Africa Investment Forum 2024 Market Days. The event, held in Rabat, Morocco, marked his final attendance as President of the African Development Bank Group, as he will be completing his two terms of five-year each in 2025. The forum had the theme ”Leveraging Innovative Partnership for Scale”. Adesina expressed satisfaction at the achievements of the Africa Investment Forum. According to him, the forum has attracted over $180 billion…

Air Peace’s 1-Hour Flight Costs a Whopping N14m Air Peace Ltd. says the operating cost for a one-hour flight exceeds N14 million. The airline’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mrs Oluwatoyin Olajide, disclosed at a news conference on Friday in Lagos. Olajide said that N7 million is required to purchase 4,000 liters of jet A1 (aviation fuel), currently sold for N1,400 per litre. She added that for Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI), the airline spends about 4,000 dollars for a one-hour flight. According to the COO, N5 million is required for every one-hour flight, a figure significantly higher than what…