Author: Olamide Obayemi

A conglomerate of Civil Society Organisations, community leaders, and concerned citizens have called on President Bola Tinubu to sustain the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s (NUPRC) rejection of Shell’s request to sell its remaining shares in the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to the Renaissance consortium. The group while alleging that other international oil corporations, such as TotalEnergies, are also attempting to sell their stakes in SPDC and other Nigerian onshore oil assets, stated that any approval of Shell’s and Total’s requests would weaken regulatory independence, ignore the interests of the Niger Delta communities, jeopardize the environmental and social well-being…

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has launched the US$365 million Sub-Saharan Africa Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Plus (SWEDD+) project, with Nigeria among the countries to benefit. The regional initiative for sub-Saharan Africa Women’s Empowerment and the Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) is a concerted response by the World Bank and the United Nations to the call for action made in 2013 by the Heads of State on the demographic challenges in the Sahel. The programme aims to address development challenges through the empowerment of women and girls in the region. initially targets five countries—Burkina Faso, Chad, The…

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has cautioned members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over writing unnecessary and frivolous petitions against anti-corruption agencies and judges in the course of litigations. The ICPC Boss issued the caution on Monday, 16 December, 2024, when he played host to the Chairman and members of National Litigation Committee (NLT) of the NBA, at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja. According to Dr. Aliyu, “writing unnecessary petitions against officers of the Commission and Judges without concrete justification is not proper, as we are…

The lawmaker representing Badagry Constituency State Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Bonu Saanu has expressed appreciation to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa for being supportive of the historical town. Hon Saanu spoke against the backdrop of the recent comments of Governor Sanwo-Olu on Badagry, when he expressed his satisfaction with the historical nature of the town. The Governor was quoted to have said that Badagry is experiencing the fulfilment of his promise to develop all parts of the state. “My promise is that no…

United Bank for Africa(UBA) through UBA Foundation, its corporate social responsibility arm, has donated the sum of N500 million to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), as part of its continued commitment to secure environment for individuals and businesses The N500 million cheque was presented to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, by the UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, who was accompanied by the bank’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Muyiwa Akinyemi, at the State House, Marina, Lagos on Sunday, 15 December, 2024. Speaking during the presentation, Elumelu reiterated the bank’s dedication to supporting initiatives that ensure the safety and…

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barrister Ukeyima Akutah, has said that based on the remarkable level of the Ease of Doing Business Index in Ogun State, the state is leading the rest of the country in the ongoing industrial revolution embarked upon by the Federal Government. He noted that this is in tandem with the policy statement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to change the old system of production and make the country more industrialized to the level of appreciable prosperity and job creation. Akutah added that the efforts of the Ogun…

His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu Governor of Lagos State Lagos State Government House Alausa, Ikeja Lagos State, Nigeria Dear Governor Sanwo-Olu, Open Letter to the Governor of Lagos State Urgent Call for the Appointment of Members of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) in Acting Capacity I hope this letter finds you well. We, the concerned citizens of Lagos State, write to respectfully urge Your Excellency to take immediate action by appointing members of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) in acting capacity, pending when the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) is ready to fulfill its constitutional…

A Call to Action: Demand for Accountability in Lagos State Governance. To the citizens of Lagos State and esteemed members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) We write once again as concerned citizens of Lagos, deeply troubled by recent developments in the governance of our beloved state. Specifically, we take issue with the refusal of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) to screen and consider the names of members of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), which, regrettably, was directly influenced by the APC leadership under the aegis of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC). It is alarming and…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcome Shell and its partners’ announcement today, Monday, 16 December, 2024, of the Final Investment Decision (FID) on the Bonga North Deep Offshore Field. According to the President, “this landmark development, Nigeria’s first deepwater oil project in over a decade, underscores the transformative impact of the President’s policies and reforms in attracting investments in the oil and gas sector. “The Bonga North oilfield, located 130 kilometres offshore in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 118, represents an impressive estimated $5 billion investment and is expected to yield approximately 350 million barrels of crude oil. Shell holds the…

President Bola Tinubu has urged leaders in West Africa to draw inspiration from Ghana’s recent peaceful elections as a model of democratic maturity and commitment to national unity. At the opening of the 66th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS on Sunday in Abuja, President Tinubu lauded President Nana Akufo-Addo and the people of Ghana for the resounding success of their recent presidential and parliamentary elections, setting a high standard for the region. “I urge all of us in the region to learn from this good democratic practice and prioritise our country’s national unity to ensure political stability of the region so…

The Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS has given Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger six months, from January 29 to July 29, 2025, to reconsider their decision to exit the regional bloc. President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, announced the six-month grace on Sunday, 15 December, 2024, in Abuja after the 66th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government. “The Authority takes note of the notification by the Republic of Burkina Faso, Republic of Mali and Republic of Niger of their decision to withdraw from ECOWAS. “The Authority acknowledges that…

A tragic collision involving a J5 Ford bus (FKJ 724 YC) and a Mercedes truck (FKJ 746 YC) at Ilubirin, inward Sura, along the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge has left one person dead and five others injured, reports thegazellenews.com. According to Adebayo Taofik, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), who confirmed the tragic event, the accident occurred early Monday, 16 December, 2024. According to him, preliminary findings suggested that the J5 Ford bus experienced brake failure while traveling at high speed, resulting in a collision with the Mercedes truck. “LASTMA Officials, under…

Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power is playing host to influx of senior policemen seeking promotion into the next rank of their professional career, reports thegazellenews.com This medium learnt that the Police Service Commission (PSC) in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General of Police under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, is embarking on massive promotion of officers particularly those in the senior ranks. The senior officers will go through promotion examinations for them to attain the next ranks. TheGazelleNews.com learnt further that the promotion examinations will take place at the Force headquarters and senior officers have…

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and the Chairman of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor (Dr) Cornelius Ojelabi have called on Nigerians, irrespective of religious beliefs, to love one another and live in peace among themselves, reports thegazellenews.com. They also called on Nigerians to support cooperate with the party’s administrations at the federal and state levels as they strive to make live better for the people. Sanwo-Olu and Pastor Ojelabi, gave this advice while speaking at the ACME road secretariat of the party during the 2nd Christmas Carol held on Sunday, 15 December, 2024.…

The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim has told Nigerians to count on her as she take the lead in championing and reviewing policies that will strengthen the fight against sexual and gender based violence in Nigeria. She gave this promise at the sidelines of a music show to roundup the French embassy activities to celebrate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence. Speaking to journalists at the event which featured a performance by Nigerian artist Morell, who created a special Hausa song for the occasion, and a documentary screening by Anti-Sexual Violence Lead Support Initiative …

Multi-billion-naira worth of shipments of Methamphetamine and Loud, a strong synthetic strain of cannabis meant for distribution during the Christmas and New Year festive season, concealed in automobile spare parts imported from Canada, have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Tincan seaport in Lagos after months of intelligence-driven tracking of the cargoes across three continents. For the first time in the history of NDLEA’s anti-narcotic operations, two consignments of methamphetamine weighing 83.301 kilograms were on Thursday, 12 December, and Friday, 13 December, 2024, recovered from separate containers bearing vehicles and spare parts…

The Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM (Chartered), has given an outstanding leadership award to the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku. Speaking at the End-of-Year Lecture and Award Night of the NDDC Chapter of the Institute, the President and Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Management, Dr (Mrs) Christiana Atako, lauded the NDDC Chief Executive Officer for his efforts in fostering professional excellence and contributing to the development of Nigeria. She commended him for leading with purpose and distinction. Atako remarked: “Leadership is not just about authority but about vision, influence, and responsibility to…

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu was awarded the prestigious 2024 Democracy Award at the 7th Africa Political Summit and Diamond Awards, organized by the Association of Political Consultants Africa (APCA). Held from Wednesday, 11 December, 2024 to Saturday, 14 December, 2024, at Lux Marijani in Zanzibar, Tanzania, the event gathered political consultants, leaders, and stakeholders to discuss the theme, “Building Resilient Democracies: Elections, Transitions, and Governance.” Represented by Dr. Nurudeen Yekinni Agbaje, his Special Adviser on Rural Development, Governor Sanwo-Olu emphasized the essential role of resilient democracies in promoting effective governance, safeguarding human rights, and fostering inclusivity across Africa. In…

Famous Nigerian Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, has urged the governments of African countries to ban the leader of the United Kingdom, UK, Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, from coming to the continent following her remarks about Nigeria. Recall that Badenoch has stood by her position on Nigeria, despite accusations from Vice President Kashim Shettima and others who claim she has denigrated the country. Badenoch has allegedly described her upbringing in Nigeria as being overshadowed by fear and insecurity in a country plagued by corruption. Reacting during a recent Instagram live session, Kuti called for the leader of the UK’s Conservative Party…

Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) has ended the week on a bullish note as equities market capitalization crossed the N60 trillion mark at the close of trading on Friday, 13 December, 2024. This comes amid an increase in the share prices of stocks like ARADEL, CAVERTON, and IKEJA HOTEL, amongst others, on the trading floor. After five hours of trading at the capital market, the equity capitalisation rose by N375 billion to N60.2 trillion from N59.8 trillion recorded by the bourse on Thursday, 12 December, 2024 The benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) increased to 99,378.06 from 98,760.59 recorded the previous day. The…