Author: Lanre Akilu

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.…

UEFA has given Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS until Monday to demonstrate why both Manchester United and Nice should be permitted to compete in the Europa League next season. United earned qualification by winning the FA Cup on Saturday but may face expulsion due to their lower league position compared to Nice, another club owned by INEOS. Ratcliffe completed his purchase of a 27.7 per cent stake in February, gaining significant influence over all aspects of the Red Devils’ operations. His INEOS group also holds the majority stake in Nice following a takeover in 2019. The French club secured a…

Manchester United staff have been offered early payment of an annual bonus if they resign by next ­Wednesday, as part of Sir Jim ­Ratcliffe’s edict to get all employees into the club’s offices and his push to trim the workforce. United have made it compulsory from 1 June for staff to work from their offices in either ­Manchester or London rather than at home. Staff were informed in an email on Tuesday that anyone who does not wish to ­conform can quit and claim their bonus early for this season. It is understood the terms are also on offer to those who…

The Federal Government on Tuesday said it had reinstated the suspended social investment programme, disclosing the scheme would provide direct payments to 75 million Nigerians in 50 million households to reduce the suffering of citizens, especially vulnerable groups. It stated that the cash transfer programme was overhauled to tackle fraud. The Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, announced this at the ministerial sectoral briefing to mark the first year in office of the President Bola Tinubu administration in Abuja. On January 12,  Tinubu suspended all the programmes administered by the National Social Investment Programme…