Author: New Daily Prime

With Nigeria rated as having the highest number of Out-School-Children, OSC, in the world, with estimate at about 20.5 million, the figure is not coming down soon, as the harsh economic condition in the country is aggravating the situation. This is just as the rate of Learning Poverty is also not receding. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) defines learning poverty as a child’s inability to read and understand simple text by age 10. The Learning Poverty Indicator (LPI) is used to measure learning poverty. The LPI combines the percentage of children who haven’t achieved minimum reading proficiency…

By Alade Adisa The Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has decried the level of hunger and poverty in the country, saying it has become unbearable and that governments at all levels should take urgent actions to address the menace.The group, which consists of opposition parties in the country, noted that the high level hunger and poverty was the main cause of the stampedes that occurred recently in some parts of the country where many people died while waiting to be given palliative.In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Chinyere Oge-Kalu, it also joined millions of Christians in…

In a disturbing turn of events, suspected political thugs stormed the Oredo Local Government Area secretariat in Edo State on Monday, forcibly preventing Chairman Tom Obaseki from accessing his office. Armed and chanting war songs, the hoodlums occupied strategic positions within the secretariat, prompting Obaseki to retreat. Obaseki, who had resumed work following a recent Edo State High Court ruling that nullified his suspension, expressed concern over the escalating situation. “I came here to continue my work as elected chairman of Oredo Local Government. I met a whole lot of thugs who have already overtaken the council. This is a…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved long-awaited telecom tariff increases, which will take effect in January 2025. This decision ends over a decade of lobbying by telecom giants such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel, and 9Mobile, who have advocated for price adjustments to align with the economic realities faced by the industry. Despite rising operational costs, driven by inflation, telecom operators have not been able to raise their tariffs for over 11 years. An NCC spokesperson confirmed to TechCabal that more details about the adjustments will be provided in an official announcement soon. The spokesperson highlighted that the proposed changes…

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has partnered with the Blessed Royal Jewel Foundation to distribute food and non-food items to victims of the September 10th floods and other vulnerable residents in Maiduguri, Borno State. The aid package included bags of rice, mats, sugar, detergent, mosquito nets, coils, cooking oil, and Milo beverages, all intended to alleviate the hardship faced by the affected individuals. Representing the Blessed Royal Jewel Foundation, Nigerian actor and film producer Uzee Usman led the distribution, describing the initiative as timely given the devastation caused by the flood. “Blessed Royal Jewel Foundation brought me to Maiduguri…

Former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has stated that the Oke-Ogun region in Oyo State is determined to produce the next governor of the state in the 2027 elections. He emphasised that the region will not settle for the deputy governorship position and that political leaders from the zone, especially those in the All Progressives Congress (APC), have begun strategic discussions to ensure the region’s candidate emerges as the governor. Speaking to The PUNCH on Monday, December 23, Shittu revealed that recent meetings were held, including one at the residence of the former Deputy Governor, Iyiola Oladokun, in Ado Awaye. …

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have expressed dissatisfaction with the recent reduction in the price of petrol to N935 per litre, calling for further cuts. While the price drop, announced by Dangote Petroleum Refinery in collaboration with MRS Oil and Gas, brought the cost of petrol down from over N1,030/litre in Lagos and N1,060/litre in Abuja, the labour unions argue that the new price is still too high. They argue that the pricing mechanism remains based on imported products, despite Nigeria having local refining capacity. NLC official Chris Onyeka emphasised that the true cost of…

….Nigerian users to pay N34k monthly The microblogging platform owned by Elon Musk, X, has increased the subscription price for its Premium+ plan globally. The increment means that the price for users in Nigeria was jerked up by 51 per cent, one of the highest increments. Nigerian users will now pay N34,000 monthly on the Premium+ subscription plan instead of the previous N22,550, representing a 51 per cent increase. The platform noted that the increment of the Premium+ subscription plan, which completely removes ads for users, among other features, varies by country and took effect from December 21, 2024, for new…

The Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has issued a final ultimatum to Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to resolve the long-standing N250 billion Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) debt dispute. In a joint circular released on December 20, 2024, the regulatory bodies outlined a structured payment plan to clear the debt, alongside new operational guidelines for USSD services. The circular was signed by Oladimeji Taiwo, the Acting Director of Payments System Management at the CBN, and Chizua Whyte, the Head of Legal and Regulatory Services at…

… Govt Officials, Tourists, Others tour Lagos Waterways on boat Amidst a festive atmosphere of cultural brilliance and aquatic excellence, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, alongside his wife, Dr. Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and his wife, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, led other dignitaries to witness the Lagos Boat Regatta 2024 on Saturday at Victoria Island area of the State. The Regatta, held simultaneously across multiple locations, showcased the rich cultural and aquatic heritage of Lagos with colorful displays by the five Ibile divisions in the State, featuring intricately decorated boats that thrilled attendees at the Regatta. Rowing…