Author: David Great

A commercial mall under construction in Nigeria’s southeastern Anambra state collapsed late Monday, killing at least six people and leaving others trapped under the wreckage, according to the emergency agency. The building in Onitsha, which housed more than 120 shops, collapsed on Tuesday, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). “Some of the rescued persons have been taken to different hospitals in Onitsha for treatment,” NEMA said. Ibadan Explosion: Over 20 buildings affected – NEMA The Nigerian emergency agency said the search for other survivors was ongoing. Building collapses are common in Africa’s largest economy and top oil producer,…

By Femi Onakanren In April 2023, the Federal Government announced that Nigeria had secured an $800 million World Bank facility for its social welfare programme. This fund is the first tranche of cash transfer palliatives to be disbursed to about 50 million Nigerians, who belong to the most vulnerable category in the society. This concessional financing is part of the agreement between Nigeria and the International Development Association (IDA) to offer assistance to the economically challenged demography in different countries in the world. The FG is also implementing conditional cash transfers through the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty…

By Femi Onakanren I have always found the whole income insufficiency relative to the cost of living discussions fascinating. These discussions are often the harbinger of labour union strike actions, the excuse given for criminal activities of criminal minds in Nigeria, and the narrative often leveraged for social and political gamesmanship. However, the conversation is very surface analytics driven without proper, contextual review for a balanced reflection. Income, wages, salaries, etc. are all rewards for a service provided. Thus, one of the questions to ask is, are people in Nigeria are being underpaid for services provided, or are they demanding…

Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deceiving Nigerians following a report the electoral agency released on Friday. INEC stated in its 526-page report on the 2023 elections, which was publicly released before the election’s first anniversary, why the IREV failed to upload the presidential results despite the smooth operation of the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS). The commission ascribed the challenge to technical difficulties, which were eventually fixed and had no effect on the elections’ credibility. Obi, speaking through Dr. Yunusa Tanko, chief spokesperson for the Obi-Datti Campaign Committee, branded the…

Bayer Leverkusen defeated Mainz 05 2-1 on Friday to go 11 points ahead at the top of the league and set a new Bundesliga club record of 33 consecutive games without defeat in all competitions. The Bundesliga leaders, who lacked their typical efficiency up front while also giving the visitors plenty of opportunity to attack, required a mistake by Mainz custodian Robin Zentner to secure the victory. Xabi Alonso’s club, who ended Bayern Munich’s previous unbeaten streak of 32 games, is now on 61 points, with second-placed Bayern, on 50, facing RB Leipzig on Saturday. The home side took the…

Following a pair of missed monetary policy sessions, Nigeria is poised to raise interest rates twice in a little over a month to control inflation and support the naira, according to a Reuters poll released on Friday. A recent study forecasts that Nigeria’s monetary policy rate would be raised 225 basis points to 21.00% on February 27 in CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso’s first monetary policy meeting since taking office a few months ago. In March, interest rates are predicted to rise by 175 basis points to 22.75%. In January, consumer inflation in Africa’s largest economy increased for the 13th consecutive…

The Ilorin Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned the immediate past governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State. Abdulfatah Ahmed was arraigned on a 12-count charge bordering on alleged mismanagement of public funds to the tune of N10 billion. Count one of the charges reads: “That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) between 2015 and 2019 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court used an aggregate sum of N1,610,730,500.00 (One Billion, Six Hundred and Ten Million, Seven…

It’s hard to remember a time without touchscreen mobiles and tablets, and it’s also hard to believe that they’ve been with us since Apple rolled out the iPhone way back in 2007. The technological advances of the last two decades have been like nothing before, with innovation after innovation bringing capabilities to the devices we carry in our pockets and handbags that outshine some computers. Mobile tech has also revolutionised communication in developing areas of the world, such as Africa and some parts of Asia. So, it would be no exaggeration to say that mobile phones, in their modern iteration,…

Olympique de Marseille has fired manager Gennaro Gattuso following a drop in form, and Frenchman Jean-Louis Gasset has been appointed as his replacement, the Ligue 1 club said on Tuesday. Marseille signed Gattuso, 46, as Marcelino’s replacement in September last year. He has previously coached Valencia, Napoli, and AC Milan. Marseille are tenth in the top division after five games without a win, losing two and drawing three. “Olympique de Marseille announces the end of its collaboration with Gennaro Gattuso,” the club said in a statement. “Marseille would like to extend its special thanks to Gennaro and his entire staff…

The Ilorin Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested two Chinese: Yang Chao, 39, and Xiao Jiang 38 for suspected illegal mining activities. They were arrested alongside Chidi Joseph Osuji, 48, suspected to be an accomplice in the illegal mining business. Acting on intelligence, the suspects were trailed to their mining sites located at Ogunmakin and Ogere, Ogun State, where they were arrested after days of surveillance. Preliminary investigations showed that Chao and Chidi are working as factory manager and machine operator respectively with Cruis Chemical Nigeria Limited located at Ogunmakin in Ogun State, while Jiang…