The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has opposed the proposed establishment of the National Commission for Decommissioning of Oil and Gas Installations (NC-DOGI) under the 2024 bill currently before the National Assembly. NUPRC’s position was contained in a memorandum submitted at a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) in Abuja. Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Ado Doguwa (APC–Kano), said Nigeria’s petroleum industry had over the years faced persistent challenges in the decommissioning and abandonment of oil and gas facilities. According to him, these challenges have had environmental, economic, and social impacts, particularly…
Author: Abdoulaye Kay
The 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) Report shows that Nigeria’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has declined from 5.3 children per woman in 2018 to 4.8 in 2024, marking a major demographic shift over the past five years. The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja at the launch of the report. Salako said the decline reflects gradual progress in access to and use of family planning services nationwide. “Modern contraceptive use among currently married women increased modestly to 15 per cent in 2023 from 12 per cent in…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has appointed Dr Pavel Ursu as its new Representative to Nigeria, reaffirming its commitment to strengthen health partnerships and improve healthcare outcomes nationwide. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, welcomed the appointment during an official announcement in Abuja, describing it as a boost for Nigeria–WHO collaboration. “We welcome Dr Ursu to Nigeria and look forward to deepening our collaboration with WHO under his leadership,” Tuggar said. He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical gaps in the country’s health system, reinforcing the need for investment in local vaccine production and health infrastructure. “Health…
The Kano State Government, in collaboration with the Federal Government and development partners, will host the 2025 World Nutrition Day celebration on Thursday. The landmark event is aimed at promoting healthy eating habits and raising public awareness on nutrition, in line with the United Nations’ annual observance. The Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Musa Shanono, announced this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kano. He said the celebration would focus on enlightening the public about the importance of consuming nutritious food for overall health and well-being. According to him, the event will also feature an exhibition of nutritional products…
The Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Pieter Leenknegt, has disclosed that cocoa has surpassed crude oil as Nigeria’s main export to Belgium since 2024. Leenknegt made this known during a courtesy visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his palace in Ibadan on Tuesday. He said Belgium, famous for its chocolate industry, now relies more on Nigerian cocoa as a key raw material. “Oyo State is known for its cocoa production, and since 2024, cocoa has overtaken crude oil as Nigeria’s top export to Belgium. The rising price of cocoa is good news for farmers, as it means…
President Bola Tinubu has welcomed the news of Shell’s $2 billion Final Investment Decision (FID) on a new gas project in the shallow offshore HI Field, in OML 144. When completed, the new Non-Associated Gas (NAG) development project will deliver approximately 350 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscf/d) from 2028—equivalent to almost a third of the requirements of Nigeria LNG Limited’s Train 7 project. According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Tuesday, the announcement brings total significant upstream investment commitments through Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) in…
Nigeria’s National Assembly (NASS) is proposing that the 2027 general elections be held in November 2026, six months before the end of the current administration’s tenure. The proposal, contained in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025, seeks to ensure that all election petitions are concluded before the May 29, 2027 handover, ending the era of post-swearing-in litigations. The draft bill was presented at a public hearing jointly organised by the Senate and House Committees on Electoral Matters in Abuja, with participation from INEC, political parties, and civil society groups. Under the amendment, presidential and governorship elections must be conducted not…
Dangote Cement, a subsidiary of the Nigerian conglomerate founded by Aliko Dangote, has officially commenced operations at its new cement plant in Attingué, Côte d’Ivoire, about 30 kilometers from Abidjan. The announcement was made by the Managing Director of Dangote Cement Côte d’Ivoire, Serge Gbotta, during a press briefing held at Novotel Abidjan-Marcory. The state-of-the-art facility, built on a 50-hectare site, boasts an annual production capacity of 3 million metric tonnes, making it one of the largest Dangote Cement plants outside Nigeria. The project, valued at 100 billion CFA francs, represents a strategic investment that underscores the company’s commitment to…
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent exercise of presidential pardon, describing it as “reckless” and a dangerous precedent that weakens Nigeria’s justice system and emboldens criminality.www.statehouse.gov.ng In a strongly worded statement titled “Tinubu’s Reckless Use of Presidential Pardon Undermines Justice and Emboldens Criminality,” and posted on his Facebook page on Sunday , Atiku said the decision to grant clemency to persons convicted of “grave crimes such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption” was indefensible and contrary to the moral duty of leadership. Atiku said the constitutional power of pardon should serve as a…
The Federal Government’s recent decision to slash the cost of kidney dialysis from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000 per session has brought immense relief to patients at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, and across the country. The move represents a 76 to 80 per cent subsidy under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at making life-saving dialysis treatment affordable for Nigerians battling kidney-related diseases. Across the country, 11 federal tertiary hospitals have begun implementing the initiative, including the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan; Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH); Federal Medical Centres (FMCs) in…