Author: Editor

Federal Government has approved Thursday, April 11, as additional public holiday to celebrate this year’s Eid el Fitr. The information is in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Aishetu Ndayako, on Tuesday in Abuja. She stated that the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who gave the additional approval on behalf of the Federal Government, congratulated Muslims for successful completion of the Holy month of Ramadan fast. Describing Ramadan as “the month of spiritual rejuvenation”, the minister reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to providing safe and prosperous Nigeria for all to thrive. The Federal Government…

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President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Fellows Programme, with young Nigerian fellows to be engaged in all the 774 local government areas in the country. This is contained in a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, on Monday in Abuja. Ngelale said that this was in Tinubu’s determination to comprehensively upgrade existing primary healthcare centres and construct over 8,800 new primary healthcare centres across all local government areas in the country. ALSO READ: WHD: WHO says Africa recording better health outcomes  He said the new centre was…

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The domestic stock market opened the trading week on Monday on a bearish note due to sell pressure in Tier-one banking stocks. Notably, sell-offs in shares of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), FBN Holdings, Zenith Bank, UBA, Access Corporation, United Capital, and Nigerian Breweries contributed to dragging down market performance. Specifically, investors incurred losses worth N222 billion or 0.38 percent, with the market capitalisation dropping from N58.498 trillion recorded on Friday to N58.276 trillion. Similarly, the All-Share Index also shed 0.38 percent or 390 points, settling at 103,047.23 compared to 103,437.67 on the previous trading day. Consequently, the Year-To-Date (YTD)…

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has warned bank customers to desist from using foreign currency as collateral for Naira loans. Acting Director, Banking Supervision Department of the CBN, Adetona Adedeji, gave the warning in a statement on Monday, in Abuja. The apex bank outlined the new regulations aimed at addressing prevailing practices in the banking sector. The directive highlights the observation by the CBN of the widespread practice where bank customers utilize Foreign Currency (FCY) as collaterals for Naira loans. Adedeji said that the current practice of using foreign currency-denominated collaterals for Naira loans would only be allowed in…

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The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), a pressure group, has said the policy thrust of the President Bola Tinubu administration has set the stage for Nigeria to attain the status of a one trillion dollars economy in the next eight years. This is contained in a statement on Monday in Abuja, by Chairman of the IMPI, Mr Niyi Akinsiju. Akinsiju said that the administration’s decision to partner with private sector players would make it a reality, adding that the feat could be achieved within the next eight years. “It is at this intersection of public and private spending and…

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Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the government to ensure policies that protect the populace and reduce cost of managing diseases to improve the nation’s health outlook. Senior Programme Manager, CAPPA, Mr Abayomi Sarumi, said in Lagos on Sunday that currently, over 80 percent of Nigerians pay for health care out-of-pocket. Sarumi said that this unsustainable health financing puts the country in greater danger. “To prevent decline in the health indices, government must urgently revise the #10/litre sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax to a minimum of #130/litre, adjusted for inflation, to help curb the menace of excessive…

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Some will have to go from Nigeria to Doha, on Qatar Airlines, to Addis Ababa on Ethiopia Airlines, to Cairo on Egypt Air, and to Abu Dhabi on Emirate, where they will be forced to spend many hours of inconvenient waiting to connect another flight, before they can be taken to their final destinations.

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