Former General Officer Commanding (GOC) and Minister of Communications, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd), has expressed his strong disapproval of the recent takeover of the Lagos State House of Assembly by security agents, labeling the action as an abuse of power. In a statement made on Monday following the unprecedented actions that saw the offices of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Clerk of the Assembly occupied by security forces, Olanrewaju called on indigenes of Lagos State to unite in defense of their heritage. He emphasized the need for solidarity, urging the citizens to safeguard the political integrity and legacy of…
Author: Abdoulaye Kay
African Union leaders on Sunday, February 16, 2025, demanded a massive increase in climate finance, calling for $1.3 trillion annually as Kenyan President, William Ruto, chaired a high-stake meeting ahead of upcoming global climate negotiations. The summit at AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, underscored the vast gap between developed nations’ commitments and Africa’s actual needs in the fight against climate change. “Africa presented a unified voice at COP29, with strong participation from African leaders, ministers, and experts. While the conference made some progress on key issues such as climate finance, adaptation, and carbon markets, the outcomes fell short of…
“As long as I remain the Minister of Defence, our soldiers will marry the prettiest women, live in the best houses, eat the best food, wear the best clothes, and drive the best cars because when war comes, they will be the ones to die first.” – Muhammadu Ribadu. If I did not get the above quotation right, I would not be far off the correct one. I vividly recall reading the book Power of Powers: A Biography of the Late Alhaji Muhammadu Ribadu, in which the above quotation was narrated the year it was published. The 100-page book, published…
Former Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd), has expressed his condolences over the demise of the leader of Afenifere, Yoruba Pan-African socio-cultural organisation, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who died in his Lekki, Lagos residence morning of Friday February 14, 2025. General Olanrewaju, in a statement released by his media office Friday evening, said the passing of the nanogenarian has left a vacuum that will be difficult to fill. “Baba Adebanjo’s demise has left a vacuum that will be difficult to fill in a long time. On a diversity page of Nigerian history, Baba Adebanjo was a hero for…
The Kingdom of Eswatini has celebrated a major diplomatic milestone following the election of its former Cabinet Minister, Moses Vilakati, as the African Union (AU) Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE). Vilakati secured a landslide victory in a highly competitive election held during the 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His appointment is seen as a significant achievement for Eswatini, positioning the country as a leader in African agricultural and environmental governance. Vilakati brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously served as Eswatini’s Minister of Agriculture (2013) and later as…
Residents of Ogale community in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State have taken to the streets in protest against an oil spill they allege was caused by Shell Nigeria. The protest, currently ongoing at a Shell Oil Serv Facility, is taking place in the same location where the spill reportedly occurred two weeks ago. Community members, holding placards with messages such as “Shell, Clean Up Your Mess,” are demanding immediate action to address the environmental damage. Shell Nigeria had earlier acknowledged the incident, stating that on February 5, an oil spill occurred in Ogale due to an overflow from…
After nearly a month of absence, TikTok has returned to Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store in the U.S., despite continued legal and political scrutiny over its Chinese ownership. The reinstatement follows a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice to Apple, reportedly assuring the company that there would be no immediate enforcement of the federal ban. However, some users still could not find the app in the App Store as of Thursday evening. Owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, TikTok was removed from app stores last month in response to a federal ban aimed at pressuring the company to sell…
Nigeria is actively fortifying its health system in response to the anticipated decline in global financial aid, particularly from the United States, according to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate. In a statement issued on Thursday by his media adviser, Tashikalmah Hallah, Pate acknowledged that Nigeria had long foreseen a reduction in international funding and has been taking steps to bolster healthcare through domestic resources and strategic partnerships. Despite these challenges, he expressed deep appreciation for the long-standing support from the U.S. government, which has played a crucial role in Nigeria’s fight against HIV, tuberculosis,…
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture, and the Agriculture Transformation Office (ATO), has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing climate change through climate-resilient agricultural initiatives. This was the key focus of discussions at the Agriculture-Climate Nexus Workshop, where stakeholders explored partnerships to drive sustainable agriculture in Tanzania. At the workshop, AGRA signed a new partnership agreement with Norway to support Tanzania in accelerating the implementation of the 2025 Agricultural Transformation Master Plan (AMP). The three-year initiative aims to enhance the coordination and commercialization of smallholder agriculture to promote…
The West African Development Bank (BOAD) has successfully raised $500 million through the issuance of a sustainable hybrid bond in the international capital market, marking a significant milestone in its financial strategy. The deeply subordinated instrument, with a 30-year maturity and a five-year non-call period, carries an equivalent euro coupon rate of 5.9%. Investor confidence in BOAD’s creditworthiness was evident as the bond attracted a $1.9 billion order book within a single day, resulting in an oversubscription ratio of 3.4 times and a price tightening of 37.5 basis points from its initial offer. This latest transaction follows BOAD’s earlier private…