Nigeria Latest News

  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday published the comprehensive information of collected and uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) on polling unit basis in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states. This follows a meeting of the Commission on Monday  to review the ongoing preparations for the off-cycle governorship elections in the three states scheduled for Saturday, November 11, 2023. “As was done in recent elections, including the 2023 General Election, the Commission is publishing the comprehensive information of collected and uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) in the three States on polling unit basis. “The information also gives the distribution of the polling units by Local Government Areas, Registration Areas/Wards, the names of the polling units, their code numbers, number of registered voters and the number of collected as well as uncollected PVCs. “Equally significantly, the list provides the names and locations of the two polling units in Bayel

  Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has won the 2023 Ballon d’Or, making it a record-extending award for the 2022 World Cup winner.  The Inter Miami star was named the winner of the prestigious prize on Monday night in the French city of Paris in what many see as a fitting reward for leading the Abiscelete to a World Cup triumph late last year. Messi, 36, succeeds Karim Benzema as the winner of the prize awarded for his performances last season when he inspired Argentina to glory at the World Cup

  Oluyole Chairmanship Candidate for the forthcoming Local Government Elections, Engr Akeem Olatunji, has extended heartfelt congratulations to Victor Olojede and Abiodun Oluwaseun Laurel on their well-deserved reappointment as Senior Special Assistants to Governor Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde. Adding their remarkable dedication and exceptional performance during the first term administration, known as Omititun 1.0, have earned them the trust and recognition of the governor once again. Having served as Special Assistants to the Governor, Olojede and Oluwaseun have consistently demonstrated brilliance and expertise in their respective roles. Victor Olojede's unwavering commitment to student affairs has positively impacted the lives of countless young individuals under the Governor Makinde's administration. Mr. Abiodun Oluwaseun's relentless efforts in project delivery have contributed significantly to the successful execution of developmental projects, further cementing Governo

  The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, says that all is set for the smooth take-off of the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) in 10 pilot states. He made this known in his address at opening ceremony of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers at the Landmark Event Centre in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Monday. According to the IGP, the establishment of the Squad, a standby team of specially trained officers to rapidly intervene in major incidents, is a priority in his administration’s effort to confront the menace of violent crimes in the country. Egbetokun noted that after the 10 pilot states identified based on the recent violent crime assessment carried out in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the other 27 states will immediately follow. The IGP said, “The Police Force under my watch is poised to confront head on the menace of violent crimes in our country, restore calm to troubled areas and engender an atmo

  The World Bank has warned that the war between Israel and Hamas could trigger price shocks for raw materials such as oil and agricultural products if the conflict escalates across the Middle East. The World Bank gave this warning on Monday, in a report. Israeli officials said the oil has already risen six percent since the latest round of fighting, sparked when Hamas militants from Gaza stormed southern Israel and killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and seized nearly 240 hostages. Israel has responded with an unrelenting bombardment of Gaza, which the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed more than 8,000 people, nearly half of them children. The conflict between Israel and Hamas comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine has already put pressure on markets, with that war being “the biggest shock to commodity markets since the 1970s,” warned World Bank chief economist Indermit Gill. “That had disruptive effects on the global economy that persist to this day,” Gill said in a sta

  Importers have returned to the parallel market to source for their forex needs as liquidity challenges persist in the official market, analysts have said. This is despite the lifting of forex ban on importers of 43 items by the Central Bank of Nigeria recently. Naira had recorded gains at the parallel market after recent fall. According to figures obtained from Aboki Forex on Saturday, the naira was bought and sold for 1,140/$ and 1,150/$; It had earlier traded at 1,310/$ on Tuesday at the parallel market. Analysts at Cordros Securities said, “Given the CBN’s unbanning of importers of all the 43 items previously restricted from the NAFEM in 2015, the market realised that FX supply is still minimal at the official market faster than we anticipated. “Accordingly, importers have returned to the parallel market to fulfil their FX obligations.”

  Oyo PDP Mourns Sudden Death of Nat’l Women Leader Condolences on the Demise of Professor Stella Effah-Attoe, PDP National Women Leader It is with heavy  hearts  and profound sorrow that we learnt about the passing of Professor Stella Effah-Attoe, the esteemed National Women Leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). She departed from us after a brief illness, leaving a void that will be deeply felt by all who had the privilege of knowing her. Professor Stella Effah-Attoe was not only a distinguished academician but also a political luminary, a prolific author, and a woman of remarkable substance. Her contributions to both the academic and political spheres have left an indelible mark on our society. We, the State Executives of the PDP in Oyo State, along with Alhaja Chief Mrs Wulemot Ibitoye, the Oyo State Women Leader of the PDP, extend our heartfelt condolences to the entire PDP family, especially the women wing. This loss is not only a bereavement for our party, but for the na

 Governor Seyi Makinde’s comparative advantage is his brainpower. His ability to think through complex issues and come up with unconventional albeit unimpeachable results is mindboggling. He dissects issues with the contemplation of a philosopher, the equanimity of a neurosurgeon, the dexterity of a scientist, the precision of an engineer, the prescience of an entrepreneur and the altruism of a leader. The application of this in his business transformed it into a multinational organisation within a decade. Introducing same to governance made him a trendsetter in less than a year as a state governor. The well-told story of how Governor Makinde’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis in Oyo State became the national standard still remains music to the ears and balm to the soul. Following in this tradition, Governor Makinde on October 24, 2023, signed two Executive Orders; one was on the creation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism following the excising of same from the Ministry of Informat