Author: Atoyebi Adenike
By Atoyebi Nike Civic-tech advocacy group Citizen Monitors has called on the Federal Government to make its borrowing records fully accessible to the public, as Nigeria’s total public debt climbs to ₦149.39 trillion ($97.24 billion). The appeal, issued in a statement on Monday by co-founder Adeshope Haastrup, comes shortly after the Senate approved a new $21 billion external borrowing plan. “Debt isn’t the enemy; opacity is,” Haastrup said in the statement titled Unchecked Borrowings: Citizen Monitors Demands Transparency. “If loans are truly for classrooms, clinics, power, and jobs, then publish the term sheets, publish the project milestones, and let citizens…
By Atoyebi Nike Over 1.9 million Nigerians have applied for the 2025 Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) recruitment, according to figures released after the application portal closed on Monday, August 11. Data from the board’s website shows a total of 1,911,141 applications were submitted before the deadline. Kogi State recorded the highest number of applicants with 116,162, followed by Kaduna (114,536) and Benue (110,565). Bayelsa and Lagos had the fewest, with 11,669 and 14,216 applications, respectively. The top five states by application numbers Kogi, Kaduna, Benue, Kano, and Niger accounted for 510,174 applicants, while the bottom…
By Atoyebi Nike Nigeria’s aviation sector will continue normal operations this week after workers’ unions called off a planned nationwide strike scheduled to begin on Monday. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo confirmed the suspension in a statement on Sunday, saying the decision followed government intervention and constructive dialogue with union leaders. The strike threat was initially issued in a joint statement on August 8 by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service…
By Atoyebi Nike The Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has begun receiving the first batch of its 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered trucks, a critical component of its fuel distribution logistics program scheduled to commence on August 15. In a statement issued on Sunday, the company said the initiative is designed to revolutionize fuel delivery across Nigeria by cutting transportation expenses and improving supply efficiency for consumers. The trucks, valued at an estimated ₦720 billion, are being imported through Apapa Port. The first shipment recently departed the port and was officially welcomed at the Ibeju-Lekki refinery by Devakumar Edwin, Vice-President…
By Atoyebi Nike Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and a risk of flooding are expected across Nigeria from Monday through Wednesday, according to a three-day forecast by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet). In its weather outlook issued on Sunday in Abuja, the agency said Monday would begin with thunderstorms in the northern region, with moderate rainfall over parts of Sokoto, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Taraba States. Later in the day, thunderstorms are projected to extend to Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Taraba, and Adamawa States. NiMet also highlighted a high risk of flooding in Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara, and Sokoto during the forecast period.…
By Atoyebi Nike Afrobeat sensation David Adeleke, widely known as Davido, has presented his wife, Chioma, with a diamond-encrusted Richard Mille wristwatch valued at $300,000 during their white wedding in Miami, United States. The luxury timepiece was unveiled on Sunday as part of the couple’s lavish celebration, marking yet another high-end gift from the singer. It is Chioma’s second Richard Mille watch from Davido, following one he gifted her in 2023 alongside luxury Birkin bags for her birthday. The Miami white wedding comes after their traditional ceremony in Lagos in June 2024 and a court wedding in March 2023. Social…
By Atoyebi Nike President Bola Tinubu has nominated Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat as the new Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). Ramat, 39, an electrical engineer with a PhD in Strategic Management, is to take over in acting capacity pending Senate confirmation. The President also nominated Mr. Abubakar Yusuf as Commissioner for Consumer Affairs and Dr. Fouad Olayinka Animashun as Commissioner for Finance and Management Services at NERC. This was disclosed in a statement on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, who noted that the move aims to prevent…
By Atoyebi Nike The Bank of England has cut its benchmark interest rate to 4 percent the lowest since early 2023 in a bid to support the UK economy amid lingering fallout from US trade tariffs. Thursday’s quarter-point reduction, backed by a narrow 5-4 vote after a rare second ballot, comes as the central bank projects modest growth of 1.25 percent this year, slightly up from earlier forecasts. Governor Andrew Bailey warned that while rates may continue to fall, future cuts would need to be “gradual and careful.” The UK’s inflation rate surged to 3.6 percent in June, with the…
By Atoyebi Nike Chaos erupted in Kiambu County on Thursday when a helicopter crashed in a residential area near Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident, noting that emergency responders were on their way to the scene. Local reports described a rapid mobilization of security forces. Military and police units swiftly arrived to cordon off the crash site, though the number of passengers and potential casualties remains unclear. Authorities have yet to provide details on the cause of the crash or the identities of those involved.
By Bagudu Mohammed A post has been making rounds across social media one that lists the new directors appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under Governor Yemi Cardoso. The names, sixteen in all, have been dissected with surgical precision, and the conclusion that’s gone viral is this: ten are Yoruba, while the Hausa and Igbo share the remaining six equally. And with that, the ever-familiar cry resurfaces Tinubu’s government is nepotistic, or, as some have mockingly put it, he is “the president of the Oduduwa Republic.” In truth, verifying the exact ethnic identities behind every name is tricky.…