Author: Lanre Akilu

At the 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Dangote Cement Plc in Lagos, Chairman Aliko Dangote announced that the company is preparing for thousands of its delivery trucks to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), aligning with the Federal Government’s initiative to adopt alternative fuels for official vehicles. Dangote emphasized that this transition supports the government’s efforts to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, enhance Nigeria’s energy independence, and contribute to a secure energy future. “We are now going to start using CNG vehicles, especially with the new policy of the Federal Government, launched by the Renewed Hope Agenda by His…

North Korea has reportedly sent balloons filled with trash, toilet paper, and suspected animal faeces into South Korea, an act that has been widely condemned by Seoul’s military as “low class.” The incident follows North Korea’s weekend warning that it would inundate border areas with “mounds of wastepaper and filth” in retaliation against South Korea. South Korean media shared photographs of white balloons carrying garbage bags containing what appeared to be excrement. Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that “unidentified objects believed to be North Korean propaganda leaflets have been identified in the Gyeonggi-Gangwon border area, and the military is…

Equities fell Wednesday on lingering worries about the outlook for US interest rates, while oil prices extended their gains after an attack on a ship in the Red Sea stoked fresh worries about supplies from the Middle East. With crucial inflation data out of the United States due at the end of the week, investors are largely playing a waiting game, with many inclined to sell after a recent run-up. Asian investors shifted nervously Wednesday and markets fell across the region, with Hong Kong leading the losses owing to heavy selling in Chinese tech firms. Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Mumbai,…

Kano Governor Abba Yusuf has banned all forms of public demonstrations in the State. He imposed stringent restrictions on all public gatherings intended to protest within the state. The Governor, in a statement by his Media and Publicity Director Sanusi Bature on Wednesday, said he was exercising the authority vested in him as the chief security officer of the State. “By virtue of his position, the Governor has directed the police, the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps to apprehend, detain, and prosecute any individual or group partaking in demonstrations on the streets of…

Olympic Lyon, the renowned Ligue 1 club, has shown keen interest in securing the services of Nigerian midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi. Reports from a reputable French source, Foot Mercato, indicate that Lyon is aiming to bolster their midfield for the upcoming season and has pinpointed Ndidi as a prime transfer target. This pursuit by Lyon is not entirely new, as they made an attempt to acquire the defensive midfielder from Leicester City on loan last summer, although Leicester declined the offer. Ndidi’s contractual situation adds an element of uncertainty to his future, as he is set to become a free agent…

The equity market sustained its bullish trend on Tuesday as investors gained N294bn. At the close of trading, the market capitalisation of the Nigerian Exchange and the All-Share Index rose by 0.53 per cent to settle at N55.65tn and 98,383.04 basis points, respectively. Market participation also increased as the volume of traded units increased by 52.49 per cent to 559,608,966 units. Bullish activity dominated the day’s trade with the exchange recording more gainers at 28 than losers at 14. Leading the gainers’ chart was Dangote Sugar with a 10 per cent appreciation to N42.90, Morison Industries Plc stocks rose by…

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has expressed his administration’s determination to develop and transform Aba into a thriving commercial city. Otti made this known on Tuesday during a town hall meeting in Aba organised by the state government for the people of Abia South Senatorial District as part of the activities marking his first anniversary in office. The governor said that in the past 12 months, his administration had made concerted efforts to ensure that the glory of Aba as a commercial hub was restored. He said that years of poor leadership by past administrations had thrown Aba into a…

The Federal Government has instructed outgoing vice-chancellors in federal universities to nominate their deputies to temporarily serve as acting vice-chancellors. This directive was communicated by the National Universities Commission in a letter to the outgoing vice-chancellors dated May 28, 2024. The letter, signed by the acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Chris Maiyaki, stated that the move was prompted by a directive from the Federal Ministry of Education, which duly informed the commission about the end of the tenure of some vice-chancellors. While stating that the appointment of the acting vice-chancellors should be made through the recommendations of the universities’ senates,…

The Government of Nigeria is poised to commence the manufacturing and supply of tyres, batteries, brake pads, and other automobile components to bolster the Nigerian automotive industry. This policy initiative aims to enhance the local supply of components to the auto part markets by 40 per cent. Doris Aniete, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, disclosed this initiative during a ministerial sectoral briefing marking President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office, held on Tuesday in Abuja. The programme will be implemented in collaboration with manufacturers, dealers, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders in the automobile ecosystem. For a considerable period,…

Real Madrid attacking midfielder Jude Bellingham has revealed that he received a supportive message from Jadon Sancho ahead of the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday at Wembley Stadium. Bellingham and Sancho were former teammates at Borussia Dortmund before both players left for Real Madrid and Manchester United, respectively. In an interview with Real Madrid’s media channel, Bellingham was asked if he had been in touch with any Dortmund players ahead of the Champions League final. The 20-year-old said, “I haven’t been speaking with any of them this week. When we first advanced, I got a little message from Jadon.…