Author: David Great

Major oil marketers are to begin the direct purchase of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery between Thursday and next week as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited pulls out as sole off-taker of the product from the $20bn plant. Multiple sources from NNPC and the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria confirmed on Tuesday that NNPCL was no longer the sole off-taker of Dangote petrol, giving room for other players in the downstream to buy products directly from the Dangote refinery. This came as unconfirmed reports stated that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream…

The United Kingdom’s (UK) population increased by 1% annually to 68.3 million as of mid-2023, mainly as a result of high immigration from Nigeria, India and Pakistan, according to official data released on Tuesday. In the year leading up to mid-2023, the UK’s Office for National Statistics reported that net international migration was the primary factor contributing to the population growth of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The UK natural change in population, which is the difference between births and deaths, fell by 16,300. The ONS’s previous projections indicated that a negative reading would not occur until the mid-2030s.…

An Italian court sentenced on Tuesday two Milan prosecutors to eight months in prison for failing to file documents that would have supported energy group Eni’s position in an international corruption case. Eni, Shell, and all the defendants were nevertheless acquitted by a court in Milan in March 2021 in what came to be known as the industry’s biggest corruption case, which revolved around the $1.3 billion acquisition of a Nigerian oilfield a decade ago. Judges in a court in the northern city of Brescia ruled that Milan prosecutors Fabio De Pasquale and Sergio Spadaro had a legal obligation to…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday Israeli airstrikes had killed two successors to Hezbollah’s slain leader, as Israel expanded its ground offensive against the Iran-backed group with a fourth army division deployed into south Lebanon. Netanyahu spoke in a video released by his office hours after the deputy leader of Hezbollah, which is reeling after a spate of killings of senior commanders in Israeli airstrikes, left the door open to a negotiated ceasefire. “We’ve degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities. We took out thousands of terrorists, including (Hassan) Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah’s replacement, and the replacement of the replacement,” Netanyahu said, without…

In a show of strong support for Guarantee TrustHolding Company (GTCO), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has debunk false allegations levelled against the bank and its Executive Management by faceless and unqualified entities using the media. The apex bank, in a press release issued on Tuesday assured customers of GTCO and banking public that their deposits with Nigerian Banks are safe. The Statement titled, “CBN Reaffirms Commitment to Financial System Stability, Safety of Depositors’ Funds” and signed by Ag. Director, Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi Ali (Mrs.), begins with a firm assurance: “The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) wishes to…

Popular American rapper, Kanye West and his wife, Bianca Censori are reportedly planning to divorce after less than two years of marriage. West legally married Bianca in December 2022 — have hit a rough patch, according to TMZ. The outlet reported Monday that the Yeezy founder and his executive-turned-muse have been telling their inner circle that they broke up a few weeks ago. Kanye West, 47, has been informing those close to him that he plans to divorce Censori, 29, and live in Tokyo, per the outlet. Their purported separation would allow the wife to spend time with her family…

Iran warned Israel on Tuesday against attacking any of its infrastructure amid fears of a possible Israeli assault on oil or nuclear sites following Iran’s missile barrage last week. “Any attack against infrastructure in Iran will provoke an even stronger response,” state television quoted Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying. He spoke after Israel said it was preparing a response to Iran’s October 1 missile attack on its arch-enemy, its second on the country in six months. On Monday, an official statement quoted Araghchi as saying Iran did not seek war in the region. On Friday, US President Joe Biden…

The supply of crude oil in naira to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is to last for six months in the first instance, pending a further review by the Technical Sub-Committee on Domestic Sales of Crude Oil in Local Currency. Multiple sources from the committee and the Dangote refinery confirmed on Monday that the naira-for-crude deal would last six months in the first phase because crude oil, being an international product, is priced in dollars. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported Monday that the Federal Government was set to deliver up to 400,000 barrels of Nigerian crude…

North Korean soldiers are likely fighting in Ukraine alongside Russian troops, with some believed already killed and more expected to be sent, Seoul’s defence chief said Tuesday. Ukrainian media reported this weekend that six North Korean military officers were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk on October 3. Seoul’s defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun, told lawmakers Tuesday that it was “highly likely, considering various circumstances” that the report was true. “We assess that the occurrence of casualties among North Korean officers and soldiers in Ukraine is highly likely, considering various circumstances,” he said. North Korea is…

Over 350 people have died from cholera in Nigeria in the first nine months of this year, a 239% jump from the same period last year, data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) showed on Monday. Cholera, a water-borne disease, is not uncommon in Nigeria where health authorities say there is a lack of potable drinking water in rural areas and urban slums. NCDC said 359 people had died between January and September compared to 106 during the same period last year. The number of suspected cases also surged to 10,837, up from 3,387 the previous year, with most…