Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe

Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc on Monday posted a profit before tax (PBT) of N24.70 billion for the six months ended June 30. This was stated in the bank’s consolidated and separate interim financial statements signed by the Company Secretary, Mr Chidi Okezie as posted on the website of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited in Lagos. The Group PBT represents a decrease of 52.85 per cent for the period ended June 30, compared to N52.40 billion recorded in the comparative period of 2020. The Group also reported a 50.13 per cent decrease in profit after tax (PAT) to N22.54 billion in…

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The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), says financing remains critical, in meeting any climate change target for developing countries. Dr Mohammad Barkindo, OPEC Secretary General, disclosed this at a video conference, entitled: “Ministerial Roundtable on Energy, Climate and Sustainability on Monday. “Financing is critical to reach any climate targets set in developing countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). There has been a lot of talk about finance issues from developed countries, but so far,  a disappointing amount of pledges have been realised. “Developing countries have indicated the need for enhanced support, including financial resources, technology development, transfer, capacity building to aid adaptation, and back increased…

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The nation’s bourse opened trading for the week on Monday on a bearish mood with the market indices dropping by 0.02 per cent. Specifically, the market capitalisation, which opened at N20.455 trillion, shed N4 billion or 0.02 per cent to close at N20.451 trillion. Also, the All-Share Index lost 8.12 per cent or 0.02 per cent to close at 39,252.89 from 39,261.01 achieved on Friday. Accordingly, month-to-date return and year-to-date loss stood at 0.1 per cent and 2.5 per cent, respectively. The downturn was due to market watchers’ sell-off sentiment in the consumer goods sector. The market loss was driven…

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The federal government says it has enrolled 711 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform. The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris, made this known in Lagos on Monday, at  a training for IPPIS Role Players in the South-West. Idris, who was represented by Mr Salawu Zubairu, Director, Consolidated Account, office of the AGF, said the number enrolled was out of a thousand MDAs in the country. The AGF said that his office would not relent on its mandate, until all government employees were migrated into the IPPIS platform. He said the…

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Ebonyi state governor, Dave Umahi says President Muhammadu Buhari is set to inaugurate 20 projects successfully executed by the State Government to uplift the quality of life of the people. Umahi disclosed this when he briefed State House correspondents at the end of a closed door meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday. He revealed that the projects ready for inauguration by the president in November include roads, medical centres, malls and bridges. The governor commended Buhari for the execution of mega projects in the South Eastern part of the country, saying such projects, when completed,…

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By Abujah Racheal As efforts continue to improve on the ongoing COVID-19 vaccine campaign across Nigeria, the U.S Centre for Disease Control (USCDC) has identified traditional leaders in northern Nigeria as key players in curbing the pandemic. The Country Director of US-CDC, Dr. Mary Boyd, said this at the third Quarter review meeting of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee on Primary Health Care (PHC), on Monday, in Abuja. Boyd, who was represented by the director of immunisation, for USCDC Nigeria, Dr. Omotayo Bolu, said Northern leaders had in the past showed that they wielded some influence in keeping their communities…

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President Muhammadu Buhari has approved  setting up of a Health Sector Reform Committee, for  development and implementation of a Health Sector Reform programme for Nigeria. The committee, to be chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, would also work in collaboration with State Governments and the FCT administration. Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed this development in a statement on Monday in Abuja. According to the presidential aide, the approval of the committee is sequel to a Health Sector Diagnostic Review Report, developed by a consultant, Vesta Healthcare Partners and the Federal Ministry of Health. He said…

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President Muhammadu Buhari has called for sustainable dialogue to achieve sustainable peace in Plateau, following recent attacks in the state. The President made the call in an interactive session with stakeholders in the state on Monday at Government House, Jos. The Nigerian Inter-religious Council (NIREC) and members of the Nigerian Governors Forum also attended the meeting aimed at seeking lasting solutions to the insecurity in the state. Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, the president said that to attain the process of peace,” the strategy must be inclusive, diverse and transparent and sustained”.…

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President Muhammadu Buhari has thanked Rotary Club for its various interventions in the health sector, particularly putting in 268 million dollars in the fight against Polio. The president gave the commendation when he received Rotary International President, Mr Shekhar Mehta and some officials, at the State House, Abuja on Monday. According to the Nigerian leader, the federal government will continue drawing from the expertise, partnership and consistency learnt from the eradication of Polio in the country to strengthen the health sector. “Nigeria has benefitted from your kind support, most particularly in the fight against Polio, with a total sum of…

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By Charles Schmidt Nikolai Petrovsky was scrolling through social media after a day on the ski slopes when reports describing a mysterious cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China caught his eye. It was early January 2020, and Petrovsky, an immunologist, was at his vacation getaway in Keystone, Colorado, which is where he goes most years with his family to flee the searingly hot summers at home in South Australia. He was soon struck by an odd discrepancy in how the pneumonia cases were portrayed. Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization were saying there was nothing to worry about,…

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