Author: Ogochukwu Ndubuisi

FG Approves Kashimbila Integrated Cargo/Agro-Allied Airport Concessioning The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the concession of the Kashimbila Integrated Cargo/Agro-Allied Airport in Taraba, under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. A statement issued in Abuja on Friday by Ifeanyi Nwoko, Acting Head, Media and Publicity, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), said that the projects were approved under the regulatory guidance of the ICRC. The statement said the project cuts across agriculture, water resources and aviation sectors. It said that on one hand, it featured the upgrade of an airstrip in Kashimbilla to a Cargo/Agro-Allied Airport. “On the other hand,…

NIS Introduces Contactless Passport Application System for Nigerians in Europe The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) says it will introduce its contactless passport application system in some European countries to ease the burden of passport acquisition and renewal for Nigerians resident in those countries. A statement issued in Abuja by the Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO), Mr Akinsola Akinlabi, quoted the NIS Comptroller General, Kemi Nandap as saying that the contactless passport application system will be introduced in Europe on Feb. 7 (today). Nandap said that Nigerians in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland would be the first beneficiaries in Europe.…

Clean Energy: Global Stakeholders Set to Advance Africa’s CNG transition Global and regional stakeholders in the energy sector are set to converge on Lagos to promote the development and adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a clean, viable alternative fuel source for Nigeria and Africa at large. Mr Jeffrey Leung, Director of LPG Expo, in a statement on Friday in Lagos, said the stakeholders would meet at the second CNG Africa Expo in March. Leung said the event would run concurrently with the sixth West Africa LPG Expo, bringing together two of Africa’s leading clean energy events under one…

Ondo Partners ZNT AgriHub to Boost Food Production The Ondo State Government says it is partnering with the ZNT AgriHub and other relevant stakeholders to become an agricultural hub in Nigeria. Mr Wemimo Akinsola, Senior Special Assistant (S.S.A) to the Governor on Agriculture and Agribusiness, disclosed this on Thursday in Akure during a courtesy visit to the management team of the company. According to him, the partnership aims to align with the Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa-led administration’s vision of ensuring food security and providing job opportunities for youths. Akinsola said the project was to develop an agriculture template of cultivating more…

FCTA Approves N795.6m to Insure Movable, Immovable Assets The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has approved N795.6 million to provide a 12-month insurance cover for its movable and immovable assets. Mrs Grace Adayilo, FCT Head of Civil Service disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the FCT Executive Committee meeting, the first in 2025. Adayilo said that the committee approved the contract to four insurance companies and three insurance brokers. According to her, the insurance policy is mainly to safeguard FCT’s assets against various risks, including damage, loss or destruction. “This will ensure the…

Trade Union Congress Rejects Proposed 65% Hike in Electricity Tariff The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has rejected the proposed 65 per cent increase in electricity tariffs. TUC position is contained in a communique issued at the end of its first quarter of 2025 National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting held on Thursday in Abuja. Addressing newsmen after the meeting, Mr Festus Osifo, President of TUC, said the NAC, on behalf of the congress, “strongly” condemned the proposed 65 per increase in electricity tariffs. “It is alarming that the government is considering this hike when the previous increment has already…

Nissan to End Merger Talks With Honda Nissan Motor Co. has formally informed Honda Motor Co. of its decision to terminate merger negotiations. This move would likely bring an end to the restructuring attempt that aimed to create the world’s third-largest automotive group. Local media reported this on Thursday, Nissan CEO, Makoto Uchida directly conveyed the decision to Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe during a meeting in Tokyo on Thursday, Nikkei reported. The move followed Nissan’s board meeting on Wednesday, where the company solidified its plan to withdraw from the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in December 2024. The merger discussions…

Saudi Arabia Rejects Trump’s U.S. Gaza Takeover Proposal The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia says it has “unequivocally rejected” Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to take over the Gaza Strip, a Palestine territory. A statement from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Saudi Arabia was vehemently opposed to the idea, and would rather continue its efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state. Saudi Arabia stressed that Palestinians would “not move” from their land and it would not normalise ties with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s…

NDDC Begins N50,000 Monthly Payment to 10,000 Niger Delta Youths The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has began the payment of N50,000 monthly stipends to 10,000 indigenous youths from the Niger Delta under its Youths Internship Scheme. Mrs Seledi-Thompson-Wakama, Director of Corporate Affairs at the NDDC, disclosed this to journalists in Port Harcourt on Thursday. She explained that the beneficiaries would undergo practical, hands-on training across the various organisations for 12 months to develop critical skills. During the inauguration of the scheme on 31 July, 2024, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the Federal Government’s approval of a N50,000 monthly stipend…

LCCI Seeks Suspension of 4% Customs Processing Charge The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the Federal Government and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to suspend enforcement of the newly introduced four per cent processing charge. Dr Chinyere Almona, Director General, LCCI, made the call on Thursday in Lagos, via a statement. Almona expressed concerns over the abrupt implementation of the processing charge, which took effect on Feb. 4. She urged government and the customs service to engage in a structured sensitisation process to ensure stakeholders were adequately informed and prepared before its implementation. She noted that while…