Author: Opalim Lifted

Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has reduced the price of aviation fuel (Jet A1) from N1,750 per litre to N1,650 per litre, in a move designed to ease cost pressures on airlines and support steady fuel supply across Nigeria. The adjustment, announced in a statement on Monday, forms part of a broader set of measures introduced to stabilise fuel distribution and reduce operational strain in the aviation sector. Alongside the price reduction, the refinery has introduced a 30-day interest-free credit facility for marketers and airline operators. The arrangement is backed by bank guarantees, allowing eligible operators to access fuel on…

Organised labour in Nigeria is intensifying pressure for another national minimum wage review despite complaints that several state governments are yet to fully implement the existing ₦70,000 wage approved in 2024. The push has heightened tensions between labour unions and state governments, with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) accusing some governors of selective implementation of the wage law. President Bola Tinubu signed the ₦70,000 national minimum wage into law on July 29, 2024, raising the benchmark from ₦30,000. However, labour leaders say implementation remains uneven nearly two…

Teachers in Ogbomoso on Monday shut down classroom activities and staged a peaceful protest to the Oyo State TESCOM office following the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The protesters marched through the town carrying placards with different inscriptions, urging authorities at all levels to intensify efforts to secure the release of victims still being held by kidnappers. The demonstration comes amid growing concern among education stakeholders and residents after the abduction incident, which has heightened fears over safety in schools across the state. The teachers demanded tighter security around schools and…

Jose Mourinho is reportedly poised for a dramatic return to Real Madrid, with multiple reports indicating a verbal agreement has been reached for him to take over as head coach. The Portuguese manager, known globally as “The Special One”, is understood to have agreed an initial two-year contract with the Spanish side, pending the completion of formal documentation and final sign-off. Football transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano stated on social media platform X that all key terms have been verbally settled between Mourinho and Real Madrid. He added that only official paperwork remains before the appointment is finalised, with the manager…

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed concern over the increasing wave of terror attacks in Nigeria’s South-West region and called on governors in the zone to take urgent action. The group condemned the coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where gunmen reportedly invaded communities and abducted pupils, Guardian reports. In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere said its leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, was saddened by the attacks and urged authorities to decisively address insecurity across the country. The affected schools reportedly include Baptist Nursery and Primary School,…

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has visited Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State following Friday’s deadly attack and abduction of pupils, teachers and residents in communities within the council. The visit comes amid heightened tension after gunmen invaded schools in the Ahoro-Esinle axis, killing a teacher and abducting several pupils and education workers. During the visit, Disu expressed concern over the incident and extended condolences to families of those killed in the attack. The IGP was accompanied by Ojo Adekimi, commissioner of police for Kwara State, due to the proximity of the affected communities to the Oyo-Kwara…

Nigeria’s military has clarified that no American troops participated on the ground in the operation that killed Abu Bilal Al-Minuki, a senior Islamic State commander linked to ISIS operations across West Africa and the Sahel. The operation was carried out near Metele in Borno State under Operation Hadin Kai, with support from the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). According to the military, the US provided intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and other operational assistance, while Nigerian forces conducted the ground mission. Speaking in televised remarks monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, Director of Defence Media Operations, said…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the federal government’s response to renewed anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa. At least two Nigerians have been killed since anti-foreigner tensions intensified in South Africa last month. In a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, his senior special assistant on public communication, Atiku said it was embarrassing that Nigeria appeared to have been “shamed into action” while smaller African countries moved swiftly to protect their citizens. The former vice president said the government of Ghana had demonstrated urgency by approving the evacuation of more than 300 distressed citizens following the latest wave…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. In a statement issued on Saturday, the WHO said the outbreak does not yet meet the threshold for a pandemic emergency under the International Health Regulations. The agency said the declaration followed consultations with authorities in DR Congo and Uganda over the escalating spread of the virus and the risk of cross-border transmission. According to the WHO, as of Saturday, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases, and 80 suspected deaths had been recorded in…

An Ebola outbreak in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed 65 people, with at least 246 suspected cases reported in Ituri province, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Health officials said the outbreak has been detected mainly in Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, with additional suspected cases reported in Bunia awaiting confirmation. Laboratory analysis by the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) found evidence of the Ebola virus in 13 out of 20 samples tested. Preliminary findings suggest a non-Zaire strain, with full genetic sequencing still ongoing to determine the exact variant. Four confirmed…