Author: Festus Adeloye

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Wednesday, announced President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the implementation of a Zero Percent Duty Rate (0%) and Value Added Tax (VAT) exemption on selected basic food items.  Customs spokesman Abdullahi Maiwada said in a statement said the presidential approval was communicated through the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun. This policy is effective from 15th July 2024 and will remain in force until 31st December 2024, Maiwada added. He said the move would alleviate hardship faced by Nigerians due to high prices of essential food items. “However, it…

The Minister Of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, on Wednesday, said the Armed Forces of Nigeria requires 200 million rounds of ammunition annually for its operations. This, he said, cost the government at least $2 per ammunition. Matawalle also blamed past governments for the nation’s failure to achieve self-sufficiency in defence production. The minister disclosed this during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Defense, Defence Industries Corporations of Nigeria, and the National Agency for Science and Engineering on the establishment of an ammunition production factory in Nigeria. He assured the president that before the end…

The European Union has announced it will donate 215,000 doses of vaccines to Africa in a significant move to combat the ongoing Mpox outbreak on the continent. According to a statement on Wednesday, EU said the donation includes 175,420 doses of the Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic Mpox vaccine, with an additional 40,000 doses contributed directly by the pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic. The MVA-BN vaccine, a non-replicating smallpox vaccine, is the only Mpox vaccine approved in the EU and is authorised for use in individuals aged 18 and older. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention will oversee the distribution…

Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga will miss the start of the season after the Spanish club confirmed Wednesday he suffered a knee ligament sprain. Spanish reports suggest the France international will be sidelined for up to seven weeks, potentially missing Madrid’s first matches in the Champions League in September and October. “After tests conducted today our player Eduardo Camavinga has been diagnosed with a ligament sprain in his left knee,” said Madrid in a statement. Camavinga suffered the injury on Tuesday during a training session when he slipped and collided with team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni. Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos retired from…

Following the nationwide protest that turned violent in Kano State, the state government has confirmed that thugs stormed and severely damaged the premises of the Kano State High Court, carting away crucial documents related to corruption charges against the former governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, confirmed this to journalists when he paid a visit to the court for an on-the-spot assessment of the damages. He was accompanied by the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Isah Dederi, the Chief Registrar of the High Court, Abdullahi Ado Bayero, and other high-ranking judiciary…

The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, has called on security agencies to remain vigilant and ensure the smooth conduct of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections. Yakubu made this call at a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in Abuja, on Wednesday. The Edo and Ondo governorship polls are slated for September 21, 2024, and November 16, 2024, respectively. The INEC boss emphasised the need to protect election materials, personnel, and polling activities while reminding security forces to adhere to the rules of engagement for electoral duties. Yakubu expressed gratitude to security agencies for their…

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if their abducted colleague, Dr Ganiyat Popoola, is not released by August 26. The President of NARD, Dr Dele Abdullahi, made this declaration at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, stating that the association has lost patience with the government’s inaction over the abduction. Dr Ganiyat, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, was abducted on December 27, 2023, along with her husband and nephew. While her husband was released in March, Dr Ganiyat and her nephew remain in…

Thailand’s Constitutional Court sacked Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday, branding him dishonest in a ruling in an ethics case that throws the kingdom into fresh political turmoil. The judges ruled 5-4 that Srettha breached regulations by appointing a cabinet minister with a criminal conviction. The ruling comes a week after the same court dissolved the main opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) and banned its former leader from politics for 10 years. Srettha’s appointment showed he “has no honesty and breached ethical standards,” Judge Punya Udchachon said in reading the court’s judgment that “the ministerial position of the prime minister…

The lawmaker representing Kano South, Senator Sumaila Kawu, has revealed that he earns over N21m monthly as a total take-home package. This revelation is coming barely 24 hours after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission said that each of the 109 senators in the upper chamber receives a total of N1.06m in salary and allowances per month. The RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, said this as a form of clarification in response to recent controversies over the real amount each lawmaker earns per month. Based on Shehu’s disclosure, it would mean each lawmaker earns N12.72m in 12 months and the…

Nigeria’s external reserves have declined by 0.68 per cent to $36.620bn as of August 12, 2024, from $36.872bn recorded on August 7, 2024, data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) indicated. The development comes after it increased to US$37.88bn as of July 15, 2024, from US$34.76bn as of June 2024 ending. The CBN had in July, predicted that Nigeria’s external reserves could reduce slightly in 2024. This was disclosed in the maiden edition of its ‘Macroeconomic Outlook: Price Discovery for Economic Stabilisation’ report. The apex bank had attributed the projected decline to debt service and other obligations. The outlook…