Nigeria
CBN: Nigeria far from financial inclusion target
A report by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access has said that Nigeria is far from achieving its financial inclusion target in 2020. The CBN disclosed this in the report titled ‘Assessment of women’s financial inclusion in Nigeria’ for December 2019 period which was released on Monday. Part of the report read, “Not surprisingly, financial exclusion stands at 36 per cent for women and 24 per cent for men. “The relative gender gap related to financial inclusion is ~20-30 per cent, placing Nigeria below its peers. “Since 2012, although women’s exclusion has dropped, the gender gap has grown, revealing that men’s inclusion has improved more rapidly than women’s. “The National Financial Inclusion Strategy was launched in 2012 to reduce financial exclus...
Nigeria records 136 new virus cases, three more deaths
Nigeria reported 136 new cases of coronavirus and three more deaths from the virus in the past 24 hours, the country’s infectious disease agency, NCDC, said on Monday. With the new figures, the total coronavirus infections in the country is now 58,640 while 1,111 COVID-19 related deaths have so far been reported. The health agency said almost 50,000 patients have recovered from the virus, which translates to a recovery rate of about 85 per cent. Meanwhile, the are still about 7,400 active infections in Nigeria. The 136 new cases were reported from 13 states: Lagos (71), Rivers (23), Plateau (12), Adamawa (6), Oyo (6), Kaduna (5), Abia (3), FCT (3), Katsina (2), Kwara (2), Bauchi (1), Borno (1), Edo (1). Lagos had the highest number of new cases on Monday with 71 infections. The commercial ...
Lagos Assembly urges Governor Sanwo-Olu to create MSMEs hubs
Pool Photo Lagos State House of Assembly has called on the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to create Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, hubs in the three senatorial districts in the state. The call was part of the Motion entitled; “Call on the State Government to Establish Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises MSMEs, Commercial Hubs In All The Senatorial Districts of Lagos State,” raised by a member representing Kosofe Constituency 1, Mr. Ganiyu Okanlawon, during yesterday plenary. Moving the motion, Okanlawon opined that, life will become bearable if MSMEs grow, stating that the idea of SMEs as conceived by China brought about growth in the nation’s economy. According to him, establishing commercial hubs in places including Epe, Ibeju Lekki among others would grow the economy of t...
VP Osinbajo urges destination countries to insist on repatriation of illicit funds
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has urged leaders of destination countries to insist on repatriation of illicit funds and proceeds. Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said the Vice President made the submission at the virtual inauguration of a publication by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on the impact of illicit financial flows (IFFs) on African Development. Osinbajo called for an overhaul of the international tax system in order to tackle the scourge. “The enormity of efforts required to tackle illicit financial flows is evident in the many dimensions the scourge presents itself. “It manifests through harmful tax policies and practices, abusive transfer pricing, trade mis-pricing and mis-invoicing illegal exploitation of natural resou...
Ministry dissociates self from diverted school feeding funds
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has dissociated itself from reports that N2.67bn meant for the feeding of schoolchildren during the lockdown was diverted to private accounts. In a statement issued on Monday night by the Special Assistant on Media to the ministry’s minister, Nneka Anibeze, the ministry stated that the statement by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on the said funds was twisted and misinterpreted. “The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development hereby informs the public that the Federal Government colleges school feeding in question is different from the Home Grown School Feeding which is one of its Social Investment Programmes,” it said in the statement. ...
Ondo election: IGP promises hitch-free guber poll
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has assured Nigerians especially the people of Ondo State, of the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to build upon the gains recorded during the Edo governorship election. He said the force was preparing hard for the October 10 election in the state. The force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, said this in a statement titled, ‘Ahead of Ondo Gov election: IGP meets with the Nigeria Civil Society Room,’ in Abuja, on Monday. He quoted the IG as giving this assurance when the Convener and Co-convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Clement Nwankwo and Esther Uzoma, led other representatives of civil society organisations on a courtesy call to the IGP at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. The delegation was at the Force Headquarters to congratulat...
Lagos financially, economically viable – official
Contrary to the publication by BudgIT, a public finance analyst, the Lagos State Government said it is economically and financially solid. The state Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, made the assertion in a statement on Monday in reaction to BudgIT, publication, titled: ‘Ability of States to Meet Monthly Recurrent Expenditure and Loan Repayment Obligations, 2019’, which the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, administration described as “misinformation”. According to Olowo, BudgIT has apologized for its error in the report. According to Olowo, the facts are: “Lagos State continues to meet all its recurrent and loan service obligations and the information that was published in incorrect, inaccurate and a gross distortion of the actual facts. “The accurate information that ought to ...
Flood: Nigerian government to build walls round River Kaduna
The Federal Government has said help was on the way for flood victims in Kaduna, following plans to build flood walls around River Kaduna to protect the people and their properties. The Acting Director, National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna, Dr. Martin Edufie, who disclosed this yesterday, regretted that Kaduna had in recent years suffered spates of floods, leading to loss of lives and properties, including houses, crops and even farmlands. While addressing the ‘2020 World Rivers Day’ yesterday in Kaduna, with the theme: ‘’Waterways in our Communities’’, Edufie said the Federal Government’s plan was based on yearly study on flood in Kaduna State. He said: “Very soon, we are going to have a flood control project in Kaduna. We are going to have flood walls on both banks of River Kaduna ...
Super Eagles star bids Serie A club goodbye as Watford switch nears
William Troost-Ekong has taken to social media to say his goodbyes to Serie A club Udinese as he nears a switch to Championship side Watford. The 27-year-old Nigerian centre-back has been with the Little Zebras since the 2018-19 season, when he joined from Turkish outfit Bursaspor. He has been a regular fixture in the Udinese squad since then, racking up 66 appearances in all competitions, all which have seen the club comfortably avoid relegation, finishing 12th and 13th, with 43 and 45 points, in respective seasons. Troost-Ekong’s time in Udine is, however, coming to an end with an eminent switch to Vicarage Road as reported by Watford Observer, set to be completed soon. Though he participated in pre-season, Troost-Ekong was an unused substitute in Udinese’s season opener at Hellas Verona...
Cross River rice farmers protest unpaid salaries
At least, 300 youths engaged as Rice farmers by the Cross River State Government protested on Monday over the non-payment of three months salaries. The workers, who protested with placards at the Ministry of Agriculture in Calabar, said they worked at the state rice farm and they could no longer continue working everyday without being paid at the end of the month. According to one of the workers, they have started harvesting the rice, which they planted three months ago, yet they have not been paid their salaries. The worker said, “We are some of the people who worked in the Cross River State rice farm at the time. We resumed on May 4, this year. “We worked and they paid us salaries on the 6th of June. But they did not pay everybody because they left that day when the governor personally c...
TUC begs Nigerians not to lose faith in labour movement
File Photo The Lagos State Council, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), has urged people not to despair or lose faith in the labour movement over suspension of the much publicised nationwide industrial action. The state Chairman, Mr Gbenga Ekundayo, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Lagos. “Quite expectedly, Lagosians would feel disappointed; however, they should not despair or lose faith in our labour. “When labour leaders go into a negotiation, it is for a purpose, and when that purpose is not served, we press home the demands of our own by withdrawing services of our members. “Our national leaders went into further negotiations last night, which lasted till early hours of today. An understanding has been reached and the strike was called off,” he said. Ekunday...
Deportivo La Coruna sign Uche Agbo from Standard Liege
Segunda Division B side Deportivo La Coruna has announced the permanent signing of Uche Agbo from Belgian First Division A club Standard Liege. The centre-forward put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Spanish third-tier club after successful medicals. The 24-year-old spent the second half of the 2019-20 season with the side and featured in nine league games but his efforts were not enough to help Fernando Vazquez’s men avoid relegation after finishing 19th on the table. Swayed by his performances during his short stint with the club, the Blues and Whites have decided to secure the forward permanently. “Uche Henry Agbo will continue in the ranks of the Real Club Deportivo,” read a statement from the club website. “The Nigerian midfielder, who played for Depor in the second half of l...
