The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a three-year loan deal for Republic of Niger worth around $276 million. The IMF said on Thursday, warning that security risks threatened the West African nation’s economic outlook. According to UN data, the decision allows the immediate disbursement of $55 million to support basic infrastructure and social spending plans, desperately needed by the 10 million Nigeriens or 40 per cent of the population living in extreme poverty. The Coronavirus pandemic slowed economic growth by over two per cent points to 3.6 per cent in 2020. But the IMF forecasts a rebound to 5.4…
Author: Newsdesk
South Africa on Wednesday, reported nearly 20,000 new COVID-19 cases, a record since the Omicron variant was detected and 36 new COVID-related deaths. It was not immediately clear how many of the infections were caused by Omicron, given only a fraction of samples are sequenced. But experts believe it is driving South Africa’s fourth wave of infections. The statistics from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) brought the confirmed number of cases in the country to 3.071 million, with more than 90,000 COVID-linked deaths since the pandemic started. Early evidence suggests Omicron is more transmissible than any previous variant,…
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday inaugurated the 106.341 kilometer Kano – Maiduguri Road, Section 3 Azare – Potiskum linking Bauchi and Yobe States. The President inaugurated the completed Section 3 of the giant road project in Azare, headquarters of Katatagum local government area of Bauchi state. Buhari, represented by Amb. Maryam Yalwaji-Katagum, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, said the the project was part of his administration’s commitment to provide quality road infrastructure in the country. “Our commitment to improve road transport infrastructure; our determination to improve Ease of Doing Business, create jobs and prosperity to lift people…
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday inaugurated a locally-built Seaward Defence Boat (SDB) 111 in Lagos. The vessel built by NNS Oji is the third of its series to be built by the Nigerian Navy, a statement by a presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina said. Buhari at the event said the new inductions to the naval fleet, would increase the agency’s capacity in securing the nation’s maritime domain. ‘‘We should note that we are in a critical period where our country is faced with a serious decline in our revenue and the security challenges we are facing,” Buhari added, urging the personnel…
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad has warned agencies of the government against further harassment and embarrassment of judicial officers in the country. He gave the warning at a special session organised to herald the formal commencement of the 2021/2022 legal year of the Supreme Court in Abuja on Wednesday. The Chief Justice was very specific about the siege on the Abuja residence of Justice Mary Odili of the apex court. “I must say, we were jolted with embarrassing news of the invasion of the official residence of one of our brother Justices, Honourable Justice Mary Peter Odili,…
The United Nations Children’s Agency (UNICEF) has said that COVID-19 has been the worst crisis for children in the Fund’s 75 years history. In a report released Thursday, UNICEF said COVID-19 was challenging decades of progress on key childhood challenges including poverty, access to education, nutrition and mental well-being. UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, said the widespread impact of COVID-19 continues to deepen, increasing poverty, entrenching inequality and threatening the rights of children. “While the number of children who are hungry, out of school, abused, living in poverty or forced into marriage is going up, the number of children with…
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Miss Health Beauty Pageant, Nick Bebiem on Wednesday, said it was postponing 2021 edition of the pageant due to the newly emerged COVID-19 Omicron variant. Bebiem said this during a news conference organised by the Miss Health Beauty International in Abuja. According to him, the December 11, earlier scheduled date has been cancelled. Bebiem said that this decision was because of the newly discovered COVID-19 Omicron variant as disclosed by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC). “The 2021 Miss Health Beauty Pageant scheduled to hold on the December 11, has been cancelled and the…
Borno state government has banned organisations from distributing food and non-food items to resettled communities in the state. The request for the ban is contained in a letter personally signed by the state governor, Babagana Zulum, dated December 6, 2021, and addressed to all humanitarian and development partners through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNOCHA. “The Borno state government wishes to acknowledge and thank you for all your support to the people and government of the state and in particular your support for people displaced internally by insurgency. “As you are aware, the Borno state…
By Newsdiaryonline Nigeria’s Supreme Court has adjourned a 16-year old case, which is awaiting the apex court verdict on a 2016 Sokoto Court of Appeal judgment to November 2023. The development is coming barely a week after both President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo decried incessant delays in justice delivery. The Supreme Court also took the unprecedented step of suspending its scheduled motion/hearing on the case to await the Sokoto Court of Appeal decision on a fresh motion filed before it on the matter, thereby waiving the priority accorded courts of superior jurisdiction over lower courts. The apex…
The Presidency has dismissed media report that President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday ordered the sack and replacement of the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC). Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, confirmed this development in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja. The presidential aide quoted President Buhari as reassuring investors in the economy that he did not order the sack of the management of AEDC, neither does he intend to interfere in the running of the affairs of private business entities. The statement read in part: “The Presidency wishes to react to a news item…