Ondo State Government has initiated the disbursement of two hundred and twenty million Naira (N220 million) to artisans and small business owners across the state. In a statement shared on his X page on Wednesday, State Deputy Governor Olayide Adelami said this initiative aims to bolster small-scale businesses and enhance the state’s economy. During a symbolic cheque presentation ceremony held in Akure on Tuesday, Mr Adelami, who represented Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, acknowledged…

Bemoaning the acute shortage of security personnel in the country, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has said that it is unrealistic to secure over 200 million Nigerians with two million security personnel, out of whom, a little over 100,000 are active soldiers of the Nigerian Army without any reserved forces.Disclosing this while speaking at the 2024 Distinguished Personality Lecture titled, “The Roles and Contributions of…

At the ongoing 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) at the UN headquarters in New York, United States, Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, asked the United Nations to prioritize debt forgiveness for Nigeria and other developing countries from creditors and the various financial institutions.Tinubu, who is Chairman of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), made the calls…

The Swiss police have arrested several individuals in the northern canton of Schaffhausen, following the first recorded use of the controversial capsule, ‘Sarco’ capsule, a futuristic device designed to facilitate suicide.The Sarco capsule, created by Dr. Philip Nitschke, also known as ‘Dr. Death,’ utilizes liquid nitrogen to reduce oxygen levels, leading to unconsciousness within one minute and death in nine minutes.The debut of the Sarco capsule has ignited intense debate…

A group of monkeys reportedly stopped a man from raping a six-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat, India.The child was playing outside her house when the man lured her into an abandoned building.However, monkeys attacked the man, forcing him to flee.According to The Times of India, the incident took place on Saturday.The reports stated that the victim, a kindergarten pupil, narrated the incident to her family, telling them how the…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has increased its Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 27.25%.According to a statement, the decision was made during the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting chaired by CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso on Tuesday.In July 2024, the CBN raised its MPR by 800 basis points to 26.75 percent, up from 13 percent in May 2022. Stressing that the move will help improve confidence, and enable economic agents…

The United States Government has commended the Saturday governorship election of Edo State, praising the people of the state over their peaceful conduct during the polls.The US also commended Governor Godwin Obaseki for his appeal for peace in the aftermath of the election.This was disclosed in a statement signed by Ambassador Richard Mills Jr., United States Ambassador to Nigeria on the Embassy’s website, which read, “The U.S. Mission in Nigeria…

Vice President Kashim Shettima announced that the United States Chamber of Commerce has committed $320 million in investments to support mortgage refinancing and the funding of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. Mr Shettima shared the news on his X page Tuesday, reaffirming President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to fostering an investor-friendly environment in the country. Representing President Tinubu at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rebuked civil society organisation Yiaga Africa for questioning the results of the recently concluded Edo State Governorship election. Yiaga Africa, one of the accredited observers for the election, claimed that the poll failed to meet integrity standards due to widespread manipulation. In a post-election statement co-signed by Dr Aisha Abdullahi, Chair of the 2024 Edo Election Mission, and Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga…

A National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) survey for the first quarter of 2024 has indicated that Nigeria’s unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2024 rose to 5.3 percent, a 0.3 percent points increase from 5.0 percent in the third quarter of 2023.According to the report, released on Tuesday, the unemployment rate for males stood at 4.3 percent, while females experienced a higher rate of 6.2 percent.The NBS defines underemployment…

Africa’s richest man, and the President and Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has called on the Federal Government to put an end to fuel subsidies completely now.In an interview with Bloomberg Television in New York on Monday, Dangote said the government should immediately end all fuel subsidies, adding that the removal would help determine the actual petrol consumption in the country.Dangote further noted that ending petrol imports…

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has approved a new working schedule for different categories of civil servants, alongside a two-month extension for the distribution of palliatives to public servants. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Mallam Rasheed, explained that the adjustments were made in response to the rising cost of transportation. According to the statement, the decision was outlined in a circular from the Office of the…