From November 1, 2024, vehicle owners will be expected to pay N21,000 and N15,000, respectively, to obtain a five-year and three-year driver’s licence, and number plate. The new rates followed a review recently approved by the Joint Tax Board (JTB). Also, a revised price to obtain a five-year and three-year driver’s licence for a motorcycle/tricycle will be N11,000 and N7,000 respectively. However, Olusegun Adesokan, the secretary of JTB, in a circular sighted by BusinessDay, stated that the approval for the increased rates was subject to the ability of the Federal Road Safety Corps to adequately educate and sensitise the public…
Author: Abdoulaye Kay
Nigerian Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) recorded the sum of N431.16 billion as revenues from customers in Q2 2024, reflecting a collection efficiency of 79.31%. This is contained in the quarterly report of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) covering the second quarter of 2024. This performance, derived from a total billing of N543.64 billion, shows a modest increase of 0.20 percentage points compared to the previous quarter’s 79.11% efficiency. The rise in collection efficiency indicates an improvement in DisCos’ ability to recover billed revenues despite ongoing challenges in the power sector. In addition to revenue collections, the report shows that DisCos’ remittance to the upstream market players…
State governments participating in the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) project have pledged their commitment to the speedy and effective implementation of the initiative. The states involved include Cross River, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The commitments were made during separate interviews with journalists at the SAPZ Phase 1 High-Level Implementation Acceleration Dialogue and States Steering/Technical Committee Workshop held on Wednesday in Abuja. SAPZ is an inclusive agro-industrialisation programme aimed at creating integrated, agriculturally focused platforms to drive private sector investment in value-added agro-processing. The project seeks to unlock opportunities in food security,…
Nigeria must enhance its crude oil production capacity and effectively manage supply to ensure adequate feedstock for domestic refineries, in order to transition from a net importer to a net exporter of petroleum products, according to Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals Company Limited. Speaking during his keynote address at a summit organized by the Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN) in Lagos, Dangote expressed concern over Africa’s dependency on petroleum imports, despite the continent’s abundant crude oil resources. He highlighted that Africa imports around 3 million barrels of petroleum products daily, which cost approximately $17…
Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, aged 91, has not been seen in public for weeks, sparking concerns about his health and the country’s future leadership. Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982, is Africa’s second-longest-serving leader and the world’s longest-serving non-royal head of state. His long tenure has often raised questions about succession, given his advanced age and the increasing fragility of his appearances over recent years. Public speculation over Biya’s health has been fueled by the government’s continued silence regarding his absence. The last time Biya was seen publicly was at the China-Africa Summit in September, and since then, there…
A tragic accident has claimed the life of a Prince of the Zazzau Emirate, Umar Shehu Idris Dan-Isan Zazzau, who died in a road crash along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway on Tuesday evening. The sad news was confirmed by the spokesperson of the Emirate, Abdullahi Aliyu Kwarbai. Umar Shehu, 41, was a prominent figure in the Zazzau Emirate of Kaduna state, serving as the Assistant Secretary of the Emirate Council. His untimely death has left the community in deep mourning. He is survived by his wife and two young children. The loss is even more profound as it comes just 40…
The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote stated on Tuesday that the Dangote Refinery was constructed without receiving any incentives from the Nigerian government. This announcement was made during his keynote address at the Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN) Summit in Lagos, themed “Making Nigeria a Net Exporter of Petroleum Products.” Represented by Mr. Ahmed Mansur of the Dangote Group, Dangote emphasized the need for more investor incentives to achieve Nigeria’s vision of becoming a refining hub. He stressed the importance of ensuring a consistent crude oil supply and urged the government to end the practice…
The Federal Government has issued a new flood warning for Nigeria as excess water is being released from Jebba Dam. This development follows the regulated water release by Kainji Dam operators, who had maintained a 53cm buffer to manage inflows until now. In a statement, the Director General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Umar Ibrahim Mohammed, explained that the agency is closely coordinating with the operators of both Kainji Dam and Jebba Dam, both in Niger state. “We are working closely with the dam operators to manage the reservoirs effectively,” said Mohammed. NIHSA’s Director of Operational Hydrology, Femi…
The Sokoto State Government has acquired relief materials worth over ₦1.7 billion for distribution to flood victims, according to Bashir Muhammad, the Executive Secretary of the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). In a press briefing, Muhammad provided an update on the government’s efforts to offer immediate aid to those affected by recent flooding in 22 of the state’s 23 local governments, with Sokoto North being the only area unaffected. The relief package includes essential food items like rice, maize, and garri, as well as non-food items such as wrappers, brocade, mattresses, cement, roofing sheets, ceiling boards, blankets, and various…
The Deputy Governor of Niger State, Yakubu Garba, on Saturday, inaugurated a new 20-bed capacity ward at the Kuta General Hospital. The ward, constructed by the Okoknyi Consultative Forum Kuta, headquarters of the Shiroro local government area of the state, is aimed at enhancing healthcare services within the area. A statement by the Information Officer of the Local Government Council, Abubakar Abdullahi, said the Deputy Governor, in his keynote address, commended the Forum for its exemplary initiative in advancing community healthcare. He also lauded the project as a commendable act of charity, while emphasizing its role in fostering unity and…