Author: Festus Adeloye

Akinwunmi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has criticised the “monopoly” accusations against Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL). Adesina spoke in an X post shared by Femi Otedola on Tuesday. On July 20, Dangote said the board of directors agreed that the company should halt plans to invest in Nigeria’s steel industry “to prevent accusations of being branded a monopoly”. Prior to this, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) claimed that refineries in the country — including the Dangote refinery — produce inferior petroleum products. The regulator also accused Dangote of monopoly…

Mele Kyari, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, says he does not own a blending plant in Malta. Kyari spoke on Tuesday in response to claims by Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person, that officials of the NNPC operate an oil facility in Malta — an island country located in the central Mediterranean Sea. Apart from the NNPC personnel, Dangote, who addressed the house of representatives on July 22, also alleged that oil traders and terminals have opened a blending plant in the island nation. An oil blending plant has no refining capability…

Armed robbers have raped two female students of the Ogun State-owned Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu Ode. It was gathered that the two first-year female students of the institution were raped by robbers on Monday. The incident reportedly occurred around 12:30 am when the robbers invaded students’ apartments. A source at the school disclosed that the suspects, armed with guns, forced the students to surrender their phones and other belongings before leading them to an uncompleted building where they took turns to rape them. Police spokesperson in the state Omolola Odutola confirmed the incident in Abeokuta, the state…

Fifty-eight of the 164 member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) members have voiced support for a proposal from the African Group backing incumbent Director General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to serve a second term. The 58 member countries of the trade association made this known at a July 22 meeting of the WTO General Council, according to a statement by the world trade body. “The African Group requests that the current Director-General make herself available to serve a second term, and has proposed that the process of reappointing the Director-General should be started as soon as possible,” the statement partly…

The Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, has expressed concern over the rising cases of out-of-school children, poverty and other socioeconomic problems in the North, stating that the region was on the brink of collapse if the leaders do not come together to find solutions to the challenges. Sani raised the alarm during a courtesy visit of the National Chairman of the Arewa Consutative Forum (ACF), Mamman Osuman to Kaduna State. He said, “This new executive committee has emerged at a time of great challenges. We are confronted with difficult developmental and security questions. Criminal elements have been laying siege…

World record holder Tobi Amusan has been selected as the country’s flagbearer for the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This appointment marks a historic moment for Nigerian athletics, as Amusan becomes the first track and field athlete in two decades to receive this honour. A tweet by Making of Champions on social media platform X on Tuesday said, “Tobi Amusan has been named as Nigeria’s flagbearer for the opening ceremony of #Paris2024 #Olympics – she becomes the first athlete from Athletics in 20yrs, since Mary Onyali at the Athens 2004 Games, to have such honours.” Amusan, known…

Justice (Professor) C. A. Obiozor of the Federal High Court sitting in Benin City has convicted and sentenced one Olabinjor Ajobor, a businessman to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine. The defendant was first arraigned in 2018 before being re-arraigned in July 2023 on an amended three-count charge of obtaining by false pretence. One of the charges reads: “That you OLABINJOR AJOBOR and BISOFRANK INVESTMENT LIMITED on or about the 21st day of February 2017 in Benin, Edo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable did with intent to defraud induced one Mr George Ezomo to deposit the…

Former Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to listen to the yearnings of Nigerians which inform the planned protest. Ndume made the call during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today. When asked to comment on the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero’s call to the president to talk to President Tinubu, Ndume said he endorsed the motion. He said, “I second his motion. The NLC president moved that motion. Tell him I support his motion that the president should listen to Nigerians. “We are 26 days away from the attack in Gworza.…

The Senate and the National Council for Women Society (NCWS) have sought for inclusion of domestic servants in the proposed 70,000 naira National Minimum Wage Scheme. This was highlighted during a public hearing by the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour, and Productivity on a bill for an Act to Provide for Domestication and Registration of Domestic Workers and Employers in Nigeria. The Senator representing Imo West Osita Izunaso as well as the Acting National President of NCWS Geraldeen Etuk especially argued for the inclusion of domestic servants in the proposed National Minimum Wage law and asserted that part of the…

The Federal Government has moved to resolve the ongoing dispute between Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, over the quality of diesel distributed in the country. To resolve the issue, the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), on Monday night, convened a high-level meeting with key stakeholders to address and resolve the ongoing issues surrounding the Dangote Refinery. A statement by the Minister’s media aide, Nneamaka Okafor listed those present at the meeting as: Mr. Aliko Dangote, Chairman/CEO of Dangote Group, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, Authority Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority…