Author: Staff Reporter

Otti Presents N1.016trn 2026 Appropriation Bill to Assembly Gov. Alex Otti of Abia, on Tuesday, presented a N1.016 trillion Appropriation Bill for the 2026 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly. Presenting the budget, christened “Budget of Acceleration and New Possibilities”, at the assembly complex in Umuahia, Otti said that the proposal represented a 13 per cent rise from the 2025 appropriation, which stood at N750.28 billion. He said that the budget had been designed to fast-track infrastructure expansion, boost social services and deepen ongoing reforms across the state. He allocated N811.8 billion, representing 80 per cent of the…

Lagos: Sanwo-Olu Presents N4.24trn Budget Proposal for 2026 Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, presented a N4.24 trillion budget proposal for 2026 to the Lagos State House of Assembly, describing it as a transformative plan for inclusive growth. Presenting what he called the last full-year budget of his administration, Sanwo-Olu said the budget proposal would build on the foundations laid by the 2025 Budget of Sustainability and advance the state’s long-term development trajectory. He tagged the 2026 budget – ‘The Budget of Shared Prosperity’. “This budget reflects our unwavering commitment to eradicate poverty, expanding opportunities and building a Lagos that works…

Alleged N4bn Fraud: Court Adjourns Ex-Governor Obiano’s Trial Indefinitely The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, adjourned the trial of former Anambra Governor Willie Obiano over alleged ₦4 billion fraud indefinitely. This followed an application by the prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that the matter be adjourned sine die. (Indefinitely) When the case was called before Justice Mohammed Umar, the prosecuting counsel Mr S.O. Obila informed the court that, the matter was coming up before the judge for the first time. He, however, said that he had instruction from the lead prosecuting counsel to ask the…

Alleged $14.8m Fraud: Senate Summons NCDMB Executive Secretary The Senate has summoned the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian content Development and monitoring board (NCDMB), giving him two weeks to appear before the committee on local content over an alleged $14.86 million fraud linked to investments in Atlantic International refinery and petrochemical Ltd. Following an interactive session, the Senate resolved that the NCDMB management must provide the committee with full documentation on all transactions connected to the alleged conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257 by December 2. The directive follows recent reports from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declaring…

Shettima in South Africa for G20 Summit Vice-President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the G20 Leaders’ Summit. The Vice-President who will represent President Bola Tinubu at the summit, is scheduled to engage foreign leaders and development partners on issues relating to the economy, security, climate change, among others. On arrival at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Johannesburg, Shettima was received by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; and Chargé d’Affaires, Amb. Alexander Ajayi. Others are Consul General, Amb. Umar Bashir; the Defence Adviser, Commodore Ibrahim Ari-Gwaska; and the Chief…

Ending Hunger by 2030 Will Cost $93bn Annually – WFP The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has said ending hunger by 2030 would cost just $93 billion a year—less than one per cent of the $21.9 trillion spent on military budgets over the past decade. By 2026 a staggering 318 million people would face crisis levels of hunger or worse, more than double the figure recorded in 2019, the food agency reported in its 2026 Global Outlook. International support for the world’s hungriest people is “slow, fragmented, and Underfunded,” meaning that many living in the world’s trouble spots will likely…

President Bola Tinubu has assured potential partners and foreign investors that the right time to invest in Nigeria’s aviation is now, as the industry

COP30: Nigeria Set to Boost Green Economy, Tackle Climate Change Mrs Tenioye Majekodunmi, Director-General, National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), says Nigeria will intensify efforts to advance the green economy toward mitigating climate change. Majekodunmi said this on Monday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on the sidelines of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Belém, Brazil. She said focus on overall environmental sustainability including renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and waste management would be maintained nationwide. According to her, Nigeria has taken this charge to heart. Our commitment is not just an…

Pension Delay for Treasury-Funded MDAs Retirees Over – PenCom The National Pension Commission (PenCom) says the era of delayed pension payments for retirees of treasury-funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) is over. Mr Ibrahim Buwai, Head of the Corporate Communications Department in the commission, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja on Sunday. According to Buwai, PenCom has achieved promptness in the remittance of accrued pension rights, following a sustained reforms and improved remittance systems. He said the commission has been paying accrued pension rights as and when due, since July, ensuring that…

Air Peace Loses $15m to Disruptions As Lessor Withdraws Aircraft Air Peace Ltd. has attributed sudden disruptions in its domestic operations to ‘illegal’ withdrawal of three aircraft by its wet lessor, Smartlynx Airlines. The airline said on Friday that the disruptions cost it 15 million U.S. dollars. The Chief Commercial Officer at Air Peace, Mr Nowel Ngala, disclosed this at a news conference in Lagos. According to Ngala, Air Peace has experienced a number of operational disruptions, resulting in flight delays and cancellations. He said that Air Peace entered a wet-lease agreement with Smartlynx because 13 of its aircraft were undergoing scheduled maintenance abroad. According…