Author: David Great

By Toni Kan A wag once said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. This aphorism is important in considering the news from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announcing the sack of the board and executive directors of the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agriculture Lending (NIRSAL). Those affected include the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD), Abbas Umar Masanawa; Kennedy Nwaruh, Executive Director, Operations, and Olatunde Akande, Executive Director, Technical. The news did not come as a surprise to many watchers and financial analysts who have followed the unraveling mess at the…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called on Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) to ensure compliance with the Money Laundering Prohibition and Prevention Act 2022, emphasizing their critical role in curbing criminal activities and improving national security. Speaking during a one-day sensitization programme organized by the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) in Lagos, Michael T. Wetkaz, the Acting Director of the Lagos Directorate of the EFCC, highlighted the global focus on countering terrorism and money laundering. Wetkaz warned DNFBPs to ensure their operations do not provide loopholes for criminal elements to thrive. “The financial institutions,…

The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced Ikpaka Courage, a philosophy graduate, to two years imprisonment for impersonating Nigerian singer Chinedu Okoli, popularly known as Flavour, to defraud an American woman of $53,000. Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s Head of Media & Publicity, confirmed the sentencing in a press statement released on September 4, 2024. The presiding judge, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu handed down the sentence on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, following Courage’s guilty plea to charges of cybercrime and money laundering. The case, brought by the Lagos Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), revealed that Courage…

President Bola Tinubu, Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government, has called on world leaders to embrace multilateralism as a pathway to global peace, security, and prosperity. Speaking at the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, the Nigerian President emphasized the importance of partnerships built on mutual respect and inclusivity, while rejecting protectionism as a counterproductive approach to peacebuilding. Addressing a high-level meeting on peace and security, Tinubu highlighted the shared challenges facing the global community, such as food insecurity and armed conflicts, and underscored the need for…

In a significant move to enhance trade relations between the United States and Africa, the USAfrica Business Week is set to return to New York City in September 2024, marking its seventh edition. This event, themed “Bridging Continents, Empowering Trade,” promises to be a pivotal platform for advancing Nigeria-US trade relations, particularly in the non-oil sector. The USAfrica event will take place from September 16 to September 22, 2024, at the United Nations Headquarters, 760 United Nations Plaza, Manhattan, New York, United States. The Honorable Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, will host the event and has been a…

Cole Palmer has been excluded in Chelsea’s squad for the opening stages of the UEFA Conference League in a bid to manage the England star’s minutes in a season that could run till mid-July. Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana were also left out reportedly due to “load management” reasons with Chelsea set to participate in a new expanded Club World Cup in the United States, which runs from June 15th to July 13th. Palmer scored in England’s Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain just 33 days before the beginning of the Premier League season. He has pulled out of the…

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed deep disappointment over the Federal Government’s failure to accord the late Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, the designer of Nigeria’s national flag, a state burial. Atiku made the statement while reacting to a recent BBC report highlighting that, a year after Akinkunmi’s death, the promised state honors have yet to be fulfilled by President Bola Tinubu’s administration. “I am immensely disheartened that the Federal Government under Tinubu’s administration has failed to bestow upon the late Michael Akinkunmi, the creator of our national flag, the state burial he was so rightfully promised,” Atiku posted…

Political analyst and supporter of President Bola Tinubu, Daniel Bwala has criticized the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for its silence following the recent hike in petrol prices. In a statement posted on X.com (formerly Twitter), Bwala expressed disappointment with the lack of communication from key officials about the rationale behind the price increase. “When NNPCL announced a major policy decision like the increase of petrol, you would expect the GMD to make the media rounds, dissecting and explaining to Nigerians the genuine intentions of the government based on economic realities,” Bwala said. However, he pointed…

The nominees for the 2024 Ballon d’Or were announced on Wednesday, highlighting a strong presence from England and Spain, with six English stars and several players from Spain’s Euro 2024 squad and Real Madrid’s Champions League-winning team making the list. Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior is among the frontrunners after an impressive season with Real Madrid, where he helped secure both La Liga and Champions League titles. He is joined by five Real Madrid teammates: Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Antonio Rudiger, and Fede Valverde. Kylian Mbappe, who recently transferred from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid, is also a top…

Four people were killed and at least nine were injured Wednesday in a shooting at a high school outside of Atlanta where students ran to seek safety in the football stadium, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. Shots were fired Wednesday morning, and officers swarmed the campus of Apalachee High School as parents raced to find out if their children were safe at the school in Winder, Georgia. A suspect was in custody, authorities said. It was not immediately clear if the shooter was a student at the school. “What you see behind us is an evil thing,” Barrow County…