Author: Friday Omosola

Six months after President Bola Tinubu approved an increase in the minimum wage for Nigerian workers from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, the implementation has seen varying responses across states. While some governors have adopted the new wage, others are yet to comply.Although the implementation of new pay across states has been gradual, however, a few governors have pledged to meet the ₦70,000 minimum wage, while others have gone beyond the federal government benchmark, committing to pay amounts higher than ₦70,000. In this analysis, the New Daily Prime lists the governors ( 18)who announced plans and commenced the payment of new minimum…

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has disbursed N140 million in cheques to young farmers engaged in commercial agriculture under the “Bring Back the Youth in Agriculture” initiative. In a statement on the state government’s Facebook page today, the programme, executed in collaboration with YSJ Farms Limited, targets boosting food production and youth engagement in farming across six farm clusters in the state. Presenting the cheques at the Osuntokun Pavilion, Government House, Ado-Ekiti yesterday, Oyebanji highlighted the critical global and national food shortages witnessed this year. He emphasised his administration’s commitment to agriculture as a tool for economic empowerment and food…

A day of reckoning came yesterday for Aisha ‘Mama Boko Haram’ Wakil and two others asJustice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court in Maiduguri convicted and sentenced them to five years imprisonment each for fraud involving N6 million. The Head, Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),Dele Oyewale disclosed this in a statement on the anti-graft agency X page. Mama Boko Haram, the Chief Executive Officer of Complete Care and Aid Foundation, an NGO, alongside Programme Manager ,Tahiru Daura and Country Director Lawal Shoyode, were re-arraigned yesterdayon a four-count amended charge of conspiracy, cheating,…

Ondo State owned Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) has began its 13th convocation ceremony and 25th anniversary with an impressive record of academic excellence and institutional achievements. Speaking at a press briefing in Akure, AAUA Vice-Chancellor, Olugbenga Ige, announced that 6,882 students from the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions will be graduating during the convocation ceremony.Meanwhile, Achievers University, Owo, will also hold its 14th convocation ceremony this week Saturday, with about 71 students earning First Class Honours in various disciplines.Prof lge said 62 students earned First Class Honours, while 1,941 and 3,486 graduates got Second Class Upper and Lower Divisions,…

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has commenced an comprehensive remodelling of public schools across the state. The announcement was made by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, in a statement shared on Facebook today. The project was unveiled yesterday during the distribution of notebooks, textbooks, and other instructional materials in Benin City, the state capital. Speaking at the event, Governor Okpebholo directed the immediate distribution of the materials to schools in all 18 Local Government Areas of the state. He condemned the previous hoarding of educational materials as an act of “wickedness,” emphasising his administration’s commitment to improving education…

Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has condemned the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and others for allegedly visiting legal luminary Afe Babalola to plead on behalf of human activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi. The New Daily Prime had reported that Farotimi was arrested at his Lagos chambers over allegations of defaming Babalola in his book, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.’ Following his arrest, Farotimi was arraigned before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ekiti State and remanded at a correctional facility. He was later granted bail of N50 million yesterday by a Federal High Court court.…

Vice President Kashim Shettima has lauded the significant contributions of Nigerians abroad to the global economy, emphasising their role as economic drivers and global ambassadors excelling in various fields. Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima’s spokesperson in a statement on his X page today said, the Vice President stated this at the 10th Annual National Migration Dialogue with theme “Beyond Borders: Celebrating Migrants’ Legacy, Protecting Their Rights” held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Shettima stressed the dual essence of migration—its benefits and associated challenges and revealed that in 2022, Nigeria accounted for $21.9 billion in diaspora remittances, representing 64 per cent of total…

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has decried corruption as the primary obstacle to Nigeria’s development. Obi made this assertion on his X (formerly Twitter) page today while marking the International Anti-Corruption Day, a day he described as holding profound lessons for Nigeria. Highlighting the pervasive nature of corruption in the country, the former Anambra State Governor lamented its crippling effects on governance, the economy, and social cohesion. “For years, Nigeria has been burdened by a sickening level of corruption at all levels and across all arms of government,” he said. Citing a report by…

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 Lagos State election, has declared his intention to contest for the same slot in 2027. Rhodes-Vivour, who emerged as the runner-up in the 2023 race, losing to incumbent Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress(APC), disclosed this during an interview on ‘Gold Room’, hosted by actress Iyabo Ojo. Reflecting on his political journey, Rhodes-Vivour, who contested as the People’s Democratic Party candidate for Lagos West in the 2019 senatorial election, stated that he and his party were addressing the shortcomings that affected their performance in the last polls. He…

Ostensibly to boost commercial agriculture in Ekiti State, Governor Biodun Oyebanji has disbursed N146 million as compensation to 46 landowners in Oke Ako, whose land was acquired for the state’s agribusiness initiative. In a statement on the state government’s Facebook page yesterday, it was disclosed that the initiative was part of the “Bring Back the Youth in Agriculture” scheme, involving the allocation of 4,000 hectares of land to young farmers in partnership with YSJ Farms Limited. The scheme aims to promote agribusiness, engage youth in large-scale farming, and stimulate economic growth in the Oke Ako area. The governor inaugurated a…