Author: Gbenga Olaleye

A new wave of industrial unrest is brewing in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, following confirmation by the President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Festus Osifo, that Dangote Petroleum Refinery has dismissed all its Nigerian workers shortly after they joined the union. In an exclusive interview on Friday, Osifo, who also serves as the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria, confirmed the development and expressed confidence that the decision would be reversed. “Yes, it is true. We saw the letter late last night (Wednesday),” Osifo stated. “I can assure you…

The leadership of the opposition coalition has called on its members to resign from their current political parties and fully join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), although no specific deadline has been set for this transition, New Daily Prime reports. The National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, made this announcement in Abuja on Thursday following a caucus meeting with senior party leaders and prominent political figures. Since its launch on July 2 as the coalition platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, the ADC has seen a handful of opposition leaders switch allegiance, but most…

The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has terminated the employment of all its Nigerian staff, citing an internal “reorganisation” of the plant, less than 24 hours after the majority of its workforce joined the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). The news was first disclosed on Wednesday via X (formerly Twitter) by political commentator Imran Wakili, who alleged that the move was linked to unionisation efforts at the facility. “Dangote Refinery has officially laid off all of its Nigerian workers under the guise of ‘reorganisation’, less than 24 hours after 90% of them joined PENGASSAN,” Wakili…

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticized Governor Ademola Adeleke for awarding a ₦678 million contract for the reconstruction of the Sango-Timi Shrine and Grove at Timi’s Palace in Ede, describing the project as a misplaced priority and an act of favoritism. In a press statement signed on Thursday by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the APC accused the state government of including other historical sites in its tourism development plan only after a backlash followed the controversial contract award for the Ede shrine. “Why was it that it was only…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has called on Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, to continue praying for him, admitting that he was not called by God to be a pastor. Wike made the remark on Wednesday during the commissioning of the Ikot-Esu-Otomo-Azumini Road project in Akwa Ibom State. Speaking in a light-hearted but pointed tone, he acknowledged Governor Eno’s spiritual background while pledging continued political support. “You are a humble man, you are a man of God. Continue to pray for me because God has given it to you. But me, I will continue to support…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has assured that the interests of the Yoruba ethnic group will be a top priority in his administration’s policies if elected president in the 2027 general elections. In a statement released on Thursday by his media consultant, Kola Johnson, Atiku dismissed fears of ethnic domination under his leadership, describing concerns over possible Hausa/Fulani dominance as “absolutely unfounded.” “The entire Yoruba stock is my larger extended family and in-laws,” Atiku stated, citing his longstanding personal and familial ties to the South-West. “I count myself extremely lucky indeed to have had a wife from amongst this noble…

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has disclosed that a total of 148,077 electricity customers were metered across the country during May and June 2025, marking a gradual improvement in the nation’s electricity metering status. According to the commission’s latest factsheet on the Metering Status of Distribution Companies (DisCos), released on Wednesday, 63,180 customers were metered in May, while 84,897 were metered in June. This brought the total number of metered customers nationwide to 6,422,933 as of June 2025. The figures represent a modest rise in the national metering rate, increasing from 53.78 per cent in May to 54.33 per…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has raised concerns over the increasing costs of printing and replacing naira banknotes due to widespread abuse and poor handling. The warning was issued during the launch of a nationwide sensitisation campaign themed “Naira Our Pride: Handle with Care” in Abuja on Wednesday. Deputy Governor, Operations Directorate, Dr Bala Bello, speaking through Dr Adedeji Adetona, Director of Currency Operations and Branch Management, stressed that the naira is more than just a means of payment, it embodies Nigeria’s national pride and sovereignty. He criticised careless behaviours such as folding, tearing, writing on notes, spraying notes…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has received ₦318.05 billion between January and August 2025 for frontier oil exploration activities, according to documents from the September 2025 Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting. The amount represents 30 per cent of profits from Production Sharing Contracts (PSC), which are statutorily deducted each month and channelled into the Frontier Exploration Fund. The fund, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is intended to finance exploration in Nigeria’s under-explored inland basins, including Anambra, Bida, Benue, Chad, Dahomey, and Sokoto. Documents obtained by New Daily Prime indicate that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory…

Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Bola Tinubu, delivered Nigeria’s national statement at the ongoing 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. In his address, Tinubu called for the UN to consider Nigeria for permanent membership. He also urged countries that host strategic minerals to ensure that they fairly benefit from these resources through investments, local processing, and job creation. The full text: NATIONAL STATEMENT OF HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU GCFR, DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, KASHIM SHETTIMA, GCON, VICE-PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, DURING THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 80TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS…