Author: Soffiyyah Olamide

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the leading philanthropy empowering young African entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries, has announced the successful entrepreneurs in its tenth selection for the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme. This new cohort brings to 20,000, the number of young African entrepreneurs who have received funding, mentoring, and capacity-building support from the Foundation, double the initial commitment. The Tony Elumelu Foundation has disbursed US$100,000,000 directly to young African entrepreneurs, who have created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs, contributing significantly to Africa’s economic growth and development. 46% of these beneficiaries are women, reiterating the Foundation’s commitment to gender inclusion…

By Temitope Ajayi Barely a month after the Federal Executive Council approved the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal superhighway, the contractor has moved to site to build what will be a monumental civil engineering project that Nigeria has ever seen. Since the construction of the iconic Third Mainland Bridge that stretched over 11 kilometres across the lagoon, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal road will usher in a new era of ambitious road infrastructural development projects in Nigeria. The Third Mainland Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world, started during the administration of President Shehu Shagari in 1980. It was completed…

Shares Indomie Noodles to vulnerable Communities In a commendable display of corporate social responsibility, Dufil Prima Foods’ makers of Indomie Instant Noodles, has joined forces with the Kokun Foundation Food Bank, a non-governmental organization to bring relief and joy to the vulnerable by providing free cartons of Indomie Noodles to thousands of Nigerians. During a distribution event held at the Ojodu area of Lagos State, Indomie generously contributed cartons of noodles to individuals in the community worst hit by the current economic hardship in the country. The donation, made in conjunction with the Foundation, underscored the collaborative effort to combat…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, says it will collaborate with the Bayelsa State Government and a private firm to train youths in aquaculture at the multi-million-naira Bayelsa Aquaculture Village in Yenegwe, Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state. The NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Sir Victor Antai, stated this when he visited the Bayelsa State-owned aquaculture farm, currently operated by Aquaseas Company Limited, accompanied by the NDDC Director Agric and Fisheries, Mrs. Winifred Madume; the Director, Procurement, Dr Week Doodei and other directors of the Commission. Incidentally, Dr Doodei was the state’s commissioner of agriculture when the facility was built. Antai said: “We decided to…

In a practical demonstration of love and empathy, the Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, who turns 60 today, Monday, 25 March, 2024, has decided to use the occasion to reach out to vulnerable members of his Senatorial District who are experiencing economic hardship. Senator Abiru, who has been supporting the needy with food packs every quarter, increased the food packs to 10,000 food to vulnerable households across the 98 wards in the 16 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs and five Local Government Areas in Lagos East Senatorial district. In his 60th birthday goodwill message to the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike 44-year-old Senegalese politician, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a former tax inspector is on course of being the youngest elected leader on the African continent. Recall that Faye, who was in prison 10 days before the election, was leading in the race. While Faye’s main rival, Amadou Ba, from the ruling coalition had said a run-off might happen to determine the winner, at least five of the 19 candidates in the race issued statements to congratulate Faye as of early Monday, 25 March, 2024. “For our part, and considering the feedback of the results from our team of experts,…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, says that it will deploy modern technology to tackle the erosion scourge in Sangana community, in Brass local Government Area of Bayelsa State. This follows the recent devastating ocean surge in the community. Speaking during an inspection of the eroded shoreline, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, stated that the intervention of the Commission was a response to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for urgent action to ameliorate the sufferings of the people. He described President Tinubu as a caring leader who had the interest of the people at heart, hence his call…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A document from the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) has revealed that thirty-one states owed the apex bank N330.9 billion obtained to pay workers’ salaries between 2015 and 2023. The Apex Bank disclosed this in its Salary Bailout Facility, a strategic intervention report. According to the report, this was part of the N10.3 trillion intervention fund made available by the apex bank under its former governor, Godwin Emefiele. However, the current CBN governor, Olayemi Cardoso, vowed to fine-tune the bank’s focus to its primary function. Meanwhile, the SBF report breakdown showed that 31 state governments benefited from the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A review of foreign exchange trading in the past four weeks shows that Naira is on the ascendancy as it gained N234.01 and N340 against the US Dollar at the official and parallel foreign exchange market. In the latest FMDQ data, it indicated that Naira traded for 1,431.49 per USD on Friday, March 22, compared to N1,665.50 on February 23, 2024. This represents a N234.01 gain in the past four weeks. Similarly, the Naira gained N340 against the USD in the parallel market. This is as Naira exchanged at N1,460 per USD on Friday, March 22, compared…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike In a show of philosophy of religious tolerance among his subjects, the Emir of Jama’a in Kaduna State, Alhaji Muhammad Isa Muhammad II, recently hosted Muslims and Christians to Iftar (breaking of fast), at his palace in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government headquarters of the state. During the event, the emir said the get-together was intended to further strengthen the existing peaceful coexistence among those in the emirate. The state Commissioner of Kafanchan Nuncio Authority, Mrs. Phoebe Sukai Yayi, emphasized the role of peace in driving development. Sukai Yayi noted the relative peace in southern part of the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Pope Francis on Sunday, 24 March, 2024, sent prayers to the victims of the concert hall attack in Moscow, calling the violence “inhuman acts” that offended God. “I assure my prayers for the victims of the cowardly terrorist attack carried out the other evening in Moscow,” said the 87-year-old pope, following a Palm Sunday mass in Saint Peter’s Square. “May the Lord welcome them in his peace and comfort their families, and convert the hearts of those… who organise and carry out these inhuman actions which offend God, who commanded ‘Thou shalt not kill’” The pontiff presided…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike As a result of the challenging times such as economic hardship and security challenges the country is facing, President Bola Tinubu has called on his friends and associates not to organise any events to celebrate his birthday but instead use the opportunity to reflect and re-dedicate themselves to the task of building. Tinubu said he has opted for a low key 72 birthday celebrations which will come up on Friday, 29 March, 2024. The President, in a statement on Sunday, 24 March, 2024 by his Special Adviser, Media and Information Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted the recent killings…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Yobe State Police Command has confirmed that suspected terrorists about midnight of Saturday, 23 March, 2024, attacked a military base in Gujba town, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State, killing a soldier. Yobe State Police Command’s spokesman, DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, who confirmed the attack on Sunday, 24 March, 2024 to an online medium, said a military patrol vehicle was also torched by the suspected terrorists. “The only thing I can confirm to you now is the attack. A soldier was killed, and troops and CJTF engaged the suspected terrorists,” he said. According to sources, that the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike President Bola Tinubu has vowed that his administration will ensure that schools become safer and secure for teaching and learning. Tinubu made the vow through a statement issued by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Sunday, 24 March, 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power According to Ngelale, he said that the President reiterated the pledge when he received the news of the release of the Kuriga schoolchildren in Kaduna State. Recall that gunmen on March 7 abducted 137 pupils and teachers at Local Government Education Authority Teachers Primary School, Kuriga,…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Police Service Commission (PSC) has called for sanctions against the Commissioners of Police in Imo and Delta States over killings of some police officers. According to the commission, the killings in some states had become worrisome while calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to take another look at the capacity of CPs in state commands. Recall that at least six officers of the Nigeria Police Force were killed a few days ago in an ambush that happened in Ohoro Forest, Ughelli North Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta, while six other officers were declared…

By Enitan Olukotun Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions in the 10th Senate and the Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial district is a man of extraordinary passion for the development of his people, his pursuit of excellence has driven him to a point where nothing but the best is good enough for him. Before his sojourn at the Red Chamber, Tokunbo Abiru had carved out a stellar career in banking, ascending to the pinnacle of his career as the Managing Director of Polaris Bank. He retired in 2020 after lifting Polaris…

In the spirit of the Easter celebration and the ongoing Ramadan, the Ogun State government on Sunday continues its palliative distribution across the three senatorial districts of the state to cushion the effect of the current economic challenges on the people. It was the turn of Christians as the palliative got to many churches, while some mosques also benefited from the gesture, an initiative of Governor Dapo Abiodun, on Friday. The palliative, which included rice, were shared in churches and mosques in the three senatorial districts on Sunday and Friday. In Ogun Central Senatorial District, the gift was extended to…

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Sunday called on the Defence Headquarters to direct its energy to Finland-based legal practitioner, Simon Ekpa who has been terrorising the South East with violence. IPOB was reacting to the declaration of its Head, Directorate of State, Mazi Chika Edoziem as a wanted person by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters. But in his response to the declaration, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Lead Counsel for IPOB and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in a statement, said he would proceed to court to challenge the declaration. He said, “I have been inundated with calls and messages from…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike SITE Intelligence Group has said that a video apparently shot by gunmen who carried out the deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall has been posted on social media accounts typically used by the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) The video, which lasts a minute and a half, shows several individuals with blurred faces and garbled voices, armed with assault rifles and knives. They appear to be at the lobby of the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Krasnogorsk, northwest of the Russian capital. The attackers fire several bursts of gunfire, numerous inert bodies are strewn about…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Gunmen on the night of Saturday, 23 March, 2024 invaded a Mairuwa village in Faskari local government area of Katsina State and killed a politician named Alhaji Lado, who was observing Ramadan prayers with other worshippers in a mosque. Although details of the incident are still sketchy at at the time of filing in this report, it was, however, gathered that the victim was killed when he refused to take orders from his murderers. One of the survivors of the mosque attack, stated that the attackers kidnapped the wife and two daughters of Alhaji Lado. An eyewitness…