Author: Chronicle Editor

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, and Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, the German Development Finance Institution, have entered into a partnership aimed at supporting small and medium scale businesses (SMEs) in Nigeria. To this end, both institutions have signed a USD 50m Term Facility Agreement. The facility with a tenor of six years is targeted at supporting SMEs and family owned businesses in Nigeria. UBA America’s Chief Executive Officer, Sola Yomi-Ajayi, who spoke about the partnership, said as a financial institution, UBA remains passionate about the growth of the private sector and small businesses which according to her, remains…

The Senate has passed the Nigerian Postal Service (Repeal and Reenactment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to unbundle the agency to ensure efficiency in service delivery. Also passed during plenary on Tuesday was a bill to enact the Medical and Dental Practitioners Bill to establish the Medical and Dental Professions in Nigeria. The passage of both bills followed the clause-by-clause consideration of two separate reports by the Senate Committees on Communications; and Health (Secondary and Tertiary). The reports were considered after being laid by the Communications Committee Chairperson, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central); and Yahaya Oloriegbe, Chairman of the Health…

French President Emmanuel Macron was been slapped in the face on an official visit to the southeast of France. In a video circulating on social media, Mr Macron is seen walking up to a barrier on a trip to Tain-l’Hermitage outside the city of Valence. A man slaps Mr Macron in the face before officers quickly move in. The president, meanwhile, is pulled away. French President Emmanuel Macron has been slapped in the face on an official visit to the south-east of France. In a video circulating on social media, Mr Macron is seen walking up to a barrier on…

Head coach of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr, has confirmed that Ahmed Musa, Francis Uzoho and Valentine Ozornwafor will be among the starting eleven against Cameroon in Tuesday’s international friendly match. Rohr stated this after the team’s training on Monday at Wiener Neustadt Stadium. Nigeria faces the Indomitable Lions for the second time within four days. Musa came on in the second half to replace Kelechi Iheanacho in the first game, while Uzoho was left out for Maduka Okoye. Gernot Rohr accepts NFF contract extension offer “There will be some changes in the team, Francis Uzoho will be in goal,…

Minister of Foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has revealed that the  government is in discussions with Twitter after it suspended the social media giant’s operations in the country. “There are discussions ongoing with Twitter, we will see how that progresses, so I cannot say for now the duration of the suspension,” Onyeama said after a meeting with diplomats on the issue. Twitter was suspended in Nigeria after it deleted a comment from the president’s account for violating its rules. The suspension came into effect on Saturday as many Nigerian users resorted to Virtual Private Networks to access Twitter. On Monday, the…

Popular Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has revealed that bandits are tired and they want peace. The Kaduna-based Islamic scholar said bandits were ready to lay down their arms if they get a genuine partnership from the government. When asked if bandits were tired, Gumi said: “Yes, it’s very true because bandits are saying they were pushed into banditry by circumstances. “If they have a genuine partner, they are ready to stop it; they are tired and want peace. “As regards their ongoing activities, you realize that even when soldiers are fighting and a ceasefire is declared, it takes a…

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has condemned “the patently unlawful and unconstitutional directive by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to all broadcast stations in the country to suspend the patronage of Twitter with immediate effect.” The NBC had reportedly stated that the decision followed the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria by the Federal Government over purported use of the platform for “activities that are capable of undermining the corporate existence of Nigeria.” But SERAP in a statement today by its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare stated: “This directive by the NBC is itself unlawful because it is based on…

As the face-off between the Federal Government and Twitter persists, there are indications that some Western nations had earlier received a formal designation of the activities of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as terrorists. A top Federal Government official, who made the disclosure, said the government, which turned in the petition almost two months ago, was surprised when a number of such Western diplomats issued a statement over the weekend on the Twitter ban. The source said the statement completely ignored the violence being incited by Kanu, a concern the president’s deleted tweet…

The Federal Government has stated that the destruction of public assets and facilities will henceforth be treated as a terrorist act, adding that such actions will attract death sentence This position was made public on Monday at a Town Hall meeting – the 19th by the Federal Government  – in Abuja. Its theme was ‘Protection of Public Infrastructure.’ Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, was joined at the meeting by Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola, Transport Minister Chibuike Amaechi, Federal Capital Territory Minister Mohammed Bello and Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika. The Information minister listed the assets being wantonly destroyed…

US Vice President Kamala Harris has urged would-be migrants in Guatemala not to try to enter the United States illegally. Speaking on her first overseas trip since taking office, she said the journey north was dangerous and would mainly benefit people smugglers. Ms Harris warned people they would be turned back at the border. She has been tasked by President Joe Biden with controlling a surge in migration at the southern border. Ms Harris has described her task as finding solutions to tackle the root causes of the border crisis, including corruption and the lack of economic opportunities. Her staff…