Author: Opalim Lifted

The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, urged Nigerians to map out survival strategies amid the economic fallout of the removal of fuel subsidy by the President Bola Tinubu administration. Issa-Onilu, a former spokesman for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said poverty will worsen if fuel subsidy is returned, as being demanded by #EndBadGovernance protesters in the last week. “Anybody who is making a demand that subsidy removal should be brought back is making an emotional demand, not an economic demand because you have to also prove that if it is brought back, it will solve…

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has revealed that Nigeria currently spends $600m monthly for the nation and neighbouring countries on fuel importation. He stated that the high import bill is due to neighbouring countries, up to Central Africa, benefiting from the country’s fuel imports. The minister stated this during an interview on AIT’s Moneyline programme, which was posted on its Youtube channel on Wednesday. Edun explained that the situation was the reason President Bola Tinubu removed fuel subsidy, as the country does not know the exact amount of fuel consumed internally. According to…

World champion Tobi Amusan has qualified for the 100-metre hurdles semi-finals in the ongoing 2024 Olympics in Paris. Tobi Amusan led the pack of eight athletes with 12.49 seconds, followed by America’s Alaysha Johnson with 12.61 and Jamaica’s Janeek Brown qualified with 12.84 seconds. Tobi Amusan is certainly among the favourites for the gold medal, but that won’t come easy, contending with a strong field that includes the Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton, USA’s Alaysha Johnson, world champion Danielle Williams and reigning Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico. The semi-finals will hold on Friday, August 9, while the final is slated…

Two years after a global outbreak, fears are rife that a new strain of mpox, previously known as monkeypox, identified in DR Congo and now also in several neighbouring countries could further spread. Deadlier and more transmissible than previous forms, the mpox strain surging in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since September, known as the Clade Ib subclade, is spread person-to-person. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday it was considering convening an expert committee to advise on whether to declare an international emergency, as it did during the global mpox outbreak in 2022. The Clade Ib strain…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of seven persons to head agencies and programmes under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu’s spokesperson disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday. The appointments include: Chief Executive Officers for the National Social Investment Programme Agency, Badamasi Lawal, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Lami Bello, Programme Manager, National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office, Funmilola Olotu. Others are Programme Manager, Grant for Vulnerable Groups, Aishat Alubankudi, Programme Manager, Home Grown School Feeding, Aderemi Adebowale, Programme Manager, National Cash Transfer Office, Abdullahi Imam and…

Bangladesh’s Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus will head the country’s interim government after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down and fled the country amid a mass uprising against her rule led mostly by students. Joynal Abedin, the press secretary of President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced it on Wednesday, AP reported. Abedin also said that the other members of the Yunus-led government would be decided soon after discussion with political parties and other stakeholders. The leaders of the student protests, the chiefs of the country’s three divisions of the military, and civil society members, as well as some business leaders held a…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the merger of Providus Bank and Unity Bank. The apex bank on Tuesday announced the approval for a pivotal financial accommodation to support the proposed merger between Unity Bank Plc and the Providus Bank Limited. The apex bank, in a statement by its acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi-Ali, said the move is designed to bolster the stability of the nation’s financial system and avert potential systemic risks. “The merger is contingent upon the financial support from Central Bank. The fund will be instrumental in addressing Unity Bank’s total obligations to…

Comr. Blessing Alims, the first female President of the Student Union Government (SUG) at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), has appointed 50 individuals as advisors in her administration. Blessing Alims, who gained widespread attention on social media for being the first female president in the university’s 49-year history, announced the unprecedented appointments shortly after her election in June 2024. This decision has sparked reactions on social media regarding her leadership style. According to UNICAL’s first female SUG, the decision to appoint 50 aides was based on her rigorous evaluation of their conduct and potential to contribute effectively. “After carefully examining…

The United Kingdom announced the opening of the application for Chevening Scholarships. The announcement, which was contained in a statement on Tuesday from the British High Commission in Abuja, noted that prospective scholars can apply from August 6 to November 5, 2024, through the online portal. This announcement follows the selection of 32 scholars from Nigeria for the current academic year. The statement reads partly, “Applications for Chevening Scholarships to study in the UK open today – from August 6 to November 5, 2024. Applications are to be submitted via the online application form at chevening.org/apply. “The scholarship offers full…

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed has expressed his disappointment over President Bola Tinubu’s recent nationwide broadcast, stating that no consultation was made with state governors prior to the address. Mohammed said, Tinubu’s speech did not reflect the reality on ground, adding that there is a huge gap between the government and the governed in the country. The governor spoke while addressing journalists at the end of an emergency security council meeting held at the Government House, Bauchi, on Monday. Chronicle NG reports that the state government declared a 24-hour curfew in Katagum LGA on Monday following the escalation of crisis…