The Government of Canada has announced an increase in permanent residence application fees, with the new rates set to take effect from April 30, 2026. The revised fee schedule was published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Under the new structure, applicants across various immigration pathways will pay higher fees, with increases ranging from $15 to $85 depending on the category. The Canadian immigration stated that the fee adjustment is part of a regular review process designed to sustain immigration services amid rising demand. The fee changes apply to principal applicants across several immigration pathways, including family sponsorship, business immigration, and humanitarian…
Author: Honesty Victor
Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday inaugurated the Office of the Vice-President-Generation Unlimited (OVP-GenU) Secretariat. Ashenews gathered through NAN reports that the initiative is a UNICEF-led Public-Private-Youth Partnership programme designed to connect 20 million youths to education, skills, and livelihood opportunities by 2030. At the inauguration, Shettima said the secretariat would accelerate the execution of the programme and deepen partnership across various agencies of government. Represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hadejia, he explained that the secretariat would enable the programme to align skills with the demands of community and industry. This, according to him, will…
The Benue State Government has declared a one-week Easter holiday for public and civil servants across the state. The directive was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Permanent Secretary (General Services), Godwin Tighil, on behalf of the Secretary to the State Government, Deborah Aber. According to the statement titled “Declaration of Public Holiday To Mark Easter Celebration,” workers are to commence the holiday from Tuesday, March 31, 2026, and resume duties on April 8, 2026. The statement said the directive was approved by the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia. “The Governor of…
Akasa Air on Tuesday issued an updated travel advisory amid the escalating West Asia crisis, announcing continued operations on select routes while suspending flights to Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait until April 5. In a statement posted on X, Akasa Air said, “Following our ongoing safety assessment and a review of the prevailing situation in the Middle East, we continue to operate flights to/from Jeddah and Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kochi and Kozhikode.” The airline added that operations remain subject to change depending on the evolving situation. However, the airline confirmed suspension of services to Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait until April 5.…
Fresh reports suggest that Oracle has launched a massive wave of redundancies, with its Indian workforce appearing to bear the brunt of the cuts. Employees across several regions reportedly woke up on Wednesday to find termination notices in their inboxes as early as 5 am, informing them that their roles had been eliminated with immediate effect. While Oracle has yet to provide an official figure, the scale of the cull is estimated to be significant. Internal chatter on platforms like Blind and Reddit, alongside reports from the media, suggests that as many as 12,000 employees in India alone may have…
The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has called for stronger coordination and inclusive systems to amplify voices of women and girls with disabilities. She made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a joint symposium for special needs groups commemorating the 2026 International Women’s Day, convened by UN Women. The symposium theme was “Rights, justice, action for women and girls with special needs in Nigeria: Exploring strategies for acceleration and sustainable development.” Represented by Princess Jumai Idonije, the minister urged commitment to building a Nigeria where no woman is invisible, no right denied, and every girl empowered with dignity.…
The Police Command in Lagos State has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce) from traffic enforcement duties. The command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos. She said the directive was issued by the Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, to streamline traffic management and enhance professionalism, accountability and operational clarity. “The withdrawal applies strictly to traffic-related functions. The taskforce will continue to carry out its other statutory duties and operational mandates,” she said. Adebisi urged residents to note that the unit is not the…
Nigeria is strengthening its public health system through strategic global partnerships, with a strong focus on learning from China’s pandemic response models. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, stated this on Monday in Abuja at a high-level public health symposium themed “Lessons on Pandemic Preparedness and Response: Insights from China and Nigeria.” Pate underscored the need to build a resilient health system capable of preventing outbreaks, epidemics, and future pandemics. “At the core of resilience is a strong public health system,” he said. Reflecting on Nigeria’s experience with Ebola, COVID-19, and other outbreaks, Pate said the…
Health experts have stressed that trust, community engagement, and effective communication are critical to controlling infectious disease outbreaks. They made this known at a one-day high-level public health symposium themed “Lessons on Pandemic Preparedness and Response: Insights from China and Nigeria,” held on Monday in Abuja. The event brought together public health professionals, scientists, and key stakeholders to review lessons from both countries’ responses to past health emergencies. Dr Liukui Wang of the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said pandemic response is not only a technical challenge but fundamentally a social one. “Even the most effective interventions only…
The Federal Government’s N501.02 billion bond issuance marks a significant step in efforts to address longstanding liquidity challenges in Nigeria’s power sector. Mr Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja. Tunji said the bond is central to restoring confidence in the electricity market and repositioning the sector for long-term sustainability. He described the issuance—executed through the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET)—as part of the N4 trillion Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme approved by President Bola Tinubu. According to him,…