Author: Alade Adisa

General Michael Langley, the Commander of the United States Africa Command, has visited the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja. The Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, noted that the AFRICOM Commander was accompanied by the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, in a statement released on Wednesday. Gusau, who said Langley commended the Defence Headquarters’ strategy in combating insecurity, stated, “General Langley praised Nigeria’s approach to tackling insecurity within the country and its strategic leadership role in the sub-region. He also congratulated the Chief of Defence Staff on his appointment…

ABOUT 28 million Nigerians – mostly in the rural areas – have no access to banking, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said.The apex bank Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Philip Ikeazor, who stated this, added that the CBN and stakeholders have been working tirelessly to reduce the financial exclusion rate.The demographics mostly affected by this financial exclusion are: women, youths, rural communities and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).According to him, as a result of these efforts, the exclusion rate had dropped from 46.3 per cent in 2010 to 26 per cent as of last year.He said: “Despite…

A tax expert, Dr. Titilayo Fowokan, has expressed excitement on the recently gazetted withholding tax regulation titled, ‘The Deduction of Tax at Source (Withholding) Regulations, 2024’, maintaining it aligned with international best practices in taxation as it will enhance business operations and economic transparency.Fowokan, who said this in a statement, declared that the alignment will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of tax collection in the country, which becomes effective January 1, 2025.She said, “The revised legislation offers rate reductions and full withholding tax exemptions for businesses, including SMEs with annual turnovers up to N25m.”“The regulation clarifies the application of withholding…

The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), in partnership with Coronation Group Ltd., has unveiled a permanent exhibition of late Ben Enwonwu’s 1956 sculptural masterpiece of Queen Elizabeth II.The exhibition, entitled “Building A Nation: Ben Enwonwu and the Impact of Sculpture”, also in partnership with Fine Art Auctioneers, Bonhams, was unveiled at NCMM in Lagos on Tuesday.This entailed a dynamic look into the career of Nigerian master sculptor, late Ben Enwonwu, as the exhibition took art lovers through his process of production of the masterpiece.The exhibition also featured some of the artist’s world-famous works, highlighting his influence on Nigerian…

The police have announced the death, on Monday, of 10 persons at the Yanfari village in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State. Confirming the accident in a statement on Tuesday, Jigawa State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam, said it had begun an investigation into the auto crash. He said, “The Jigawa State Police Command regrets to announce that on November 11, 2024, at about 2130hrs, a fatal motor vehicle accident occurred in Yanfari village, Taura LGA, along the Kano-Hadejia Road.” The spokesperson said the accident occurred when a Toyota Hummer bus with registration number HDJ…

A prophetess, Mrs Folashade Adekola, has been arrested by the Ondo State Police Command, over the death of a woman, Jumoke Adesuwa and her newborn baby inside the church. Confirming the incident on Tuesday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, said the prophetess was arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation. It was gathered on Tuesday that the deceased bled to death from complications after childbirth inside the suspect’s church located in the Oke-Aro area of Akure, the state capital. The baby was said to have also died immediately. The PPRO…

A United States court has reissued an order for the arrest of Allen Onyema, the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace Limited over a $20 million fraud case that has been pending against him for five years. According to Premium Times, the federal district court for Northern Georgia, Atlanta, renewed the arrest warrant on 9 October, following the addition of more charges to the case against Onyema and his co-defendant, Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance. US authorities filed the superseding indictment on 8 October, alleging obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The two counts…

Niger Republic wants Russian firms to invest in uranium and other natural resource production, its mining minister said on Wednesday, amid an ongoing dispute with former colonial master France.French nuclear group Orano halted uranium output in Niger last month as relations soured with the military junta that seized power in July 2023.”We have already met with Russian companies that are interested in coming to explore and exploit Niger’s natural resources… not only uranium,” mining minister Ousmane Abarchi told Russia’s Ria Novosti press agency in an interview.”With regards to French companies, the French government, via its head of state, has said…

The Federal Government has suspended 13 students of the Federal Government College in Enugu State for six-weeks for alleged bullying in the school.This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Folashade Boriowo.The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa ordered the suspension of the students based on a viral video showing some students of the school engaging in acts of bullying.Alausa, reaffirmed the ministry’s unwavering commitment to maintaining a safe and conducive learning environment in all federal schools across the country.According to him, a recent report received by…

Analysts are of the view that future millionaires and billionaires from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) subregion will emerge from among owners of Small and Medium Entreprise (SMEs).According to them, West Africa’s SMEs, leveraging the recently unveiled African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), will hit the ground running to become the next generation of mega-companies and achieve explosive, unprecedented economic growth.AfCFTA, which has now entered its operational phase with a permanent secretariat in Accra, Ghana, is said to provide the greatest opportunity and potential for SMEs to thrive and transform into mega firms and employers of labour.Under…