Akwa Ibom Urges FG to Revamp Fallow ALSCON 

By Bliss Okperan The Tincan Island Port (TCIP) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has created a mobile application to automate its bond and license unit, Transire. At the unveiling of the app on Thursday, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Dera Nnadi, said the need to automate the Bond and License Unit had become imperative for administrative and procedural ease of doing business in the command. Speaking at a sensitization program on the automation process, Mr Nnadi informed participants that the application was developed by Superintendent of Customs Samuel Bello, to reduce the volumes of documents being deployed in

By Bliss Okperan The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has announced its election of Danladi Jatau, representing Kokona West Constituency, as the new Speaker. The state parliament also disclosed on Friday that it now has a new Deputy Speaker, who is Mohammed Oyanki, the lawmaker representing Doma North Constituency. The election of the two principal officers of the legislative arm of the state followed the sacking of its former Speaker, Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi, by the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday. While the new Speaker is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), his deputy is a member

By Bliss Okperan A 21-year-old Spanish international winger, Nico Williams, has extended his current deal with Athletic Bilbao, which expires in June 2024, by three seasons. He agreed to remain with the Spanish football outfit until 2027, the La Liga club confirmed this action on Friday. Nico Williams, whose elder brother, Inaki Williams, also plays for Athletic Bilbao, scored nine goals in 43 games in all competitions for the club last season. He represented Spain in the last World Cup in Qatar, while his brother played for their home country, Ghana. The younger Williams has reportedly been targeted by league

By Bliss Okperan Twelve officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have faced a disciplinary panel constituted to look into the allegations of unethical misconduct against them. The Acting General Manager of LASTMA Mr Olalekan Bakare Oki, confirmed on Thursday that the affected personnel of the agency could be dismissed or demoted if found guilty. He disclosed that the disciplinary panel was statutorily constituted with three Permanent Secretaries as guided by the Lagos State Civil Service Rules and Regulations. Mr Oki said one of the 12 persons was exonerated, while the others have been recommended for dismissal and

By Adedapo Adesanya Nigeria will accept and work with a production quota of 1.5 million barrels of crude oil per day in 2024 as the country aims to grow on the back of its oil resources, following a revision done by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, OPEC+. According to a statement issued by the Press and Public Relations unit of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Thursday’s meeting of the 23-man group addressed crucial aspects, including the completion of assessments by independent sources (IHS, Wood Mackenzie, and Rystad Energy) on the projected production levels for Angola,

By Adedapo Adesanya  The Vice President,  Mr Kashim Shettima,  has said the private sector forms an integral half of the crucial foundation that holds the Nigerian government, noting that President Bola Tinubu is committed to creating an environment that fosters entrepreneurship and innovation. This, according to him, explains why the president’s vision for Nigeria is grounded in eight priority areas, including poverty eradication, economic growth, job creation, and equitable access to capital. The Vice President spoke on Thursday while commissioning some projects, including the Ijele 93.1 FM Radio Station, Phase Two of the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF) Touch-a-Life Housing

By Bliss Okperan A helicopter operated by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Friday crash-landed and exploded at the NAF Base, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that the NAF-35p had taken off on an operation against oil thieves in Rivers State before the unfortunate incident. He said five persons on board survived the air mishap with minor injuries. “A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) MI-35P helicopter crashed at Port Harcourt today, December 1, 2023. The unfortunate incident occurred at about 7.45 am shortly

By Adedapo Adesanya  Angola, one of Africa’s top crude oil producers and a key member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has officially rejected the proposed production quota for the year 2024 and may even exit the group. This was signalled by Mr Diamantino Pedro Azevedo, Angola’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, confirming the nation’s decision and indicating a divergence from OPEC’s suggested allocations for both member and non-member countries. The announcement was made during the 26th OPEC+ Meeting on Thursday, where the organisation proposed 1.11 million barrels of crude oil per day production quota for

By Bliss Okperan A digital investment platform known as AltInvest has been introduced by a new kid in the banking industry in Nigeria, Alternative Bank. According to the non-interest lender, which commenced operations in October 2023, the new product empowers individuals to navigate seamlessly the investment world, blending ethical and digital features for increased accessibility. At the unveiling of the innovative financial solution at the 44th Kano International Trade Fair, the company also launched another produced AltBiz, which it said caters to the financial needs of businesses, offering a comprehensive suite of services to fuel growth, innovation, and sustainability. “These

By Bliss Okperan A federal judge has temporarily blocked a ban on TikTok set to come into effect next year in Montana, stating that the popular video-sharing app was likely to win its pending legal challenge. The US District Court Judge, Donald Molly, placed the injunction on the ban on Thursday, until the case originally filed by TikTok in May, has been ruled on its merits. During the ruling, he said, “The current record leaves little doubt that Montana’s legislature and attorney general were more interested in targeting China’s ostensible role in TikTok than they with protecting Montana consumers.” However,