By Adedapo Adesanya The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has written to the World Bank to suspend issuing loans to Nigeria’s 36 states over allegations of mismanaging public funds which may include loans obtained from the institution. In the letter dated November 25, 2023, the group specifically wants the bank’s President, Mr Ajay Banga, “to promptly, transparently and effectively conduct an investigation into the spending of loans and other facilities by the country’s 36 state governors and to suspend any loans and funding if there is relevant admissible evidence of mismanagement or diversion of public funds by any of

By Adedapo Adesanya  The Kwara State Government has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IHS Nigeria for the development of a technology innovation facility in the state. In a statement released by the government’s spokesperson, Mr Rafiu Ajakaye, it was said that Mr AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the governor of the state, signed the MoU alongside IHS Nigeria CEO, Mr Mohamad Darwish, at a brief ceremony attended by several officials in Ilorin, Kwara State on Saturday, November 18, 2023. The project tagged Ilorin Innovation Hub is part of the state government’s efforts to stimulate and deepen the alignment

By Modupe Gbadeyanka The Programme Coordinator for Media and Policy at the Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Mr Jerome-Mario Utomi, has challenged the Lagos State government to lead the movement against environmental injustice. Mr Utomi, while speaking on Tuesday as a panellist at the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, also advised the government to stop being the coach and captain during environmental conversations. At the panel discussion themed “The role of multi-stakeholder engagement in achieving environmental justice, he noted engagement and collaboration have been overused by those in the position of

By Adedapo Adesanya A Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, has adjourned an alleged procurement fraud case involving ex-Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, to January 18 and 19, 2024, for continuation of trial. Mr Emefiele is standing trial on a six-count amended charge on alleged procurement of vehicles to the tune of N1.6 billion. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was granted bail on November 17, 2023, to the tune of N300 million, and two sureties and remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, pending when he meets his bail conditions. However,

By Modupe Gbadeyanka A collaboration towards ensuring maximum utilization of local capacities in the construction of petroleum refinery plant with 650,000 barrels capacity has been entered into by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Dangote Industries Limited. Recently, both parties met in Lagos and agreed to work towards achieving this goal. Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr Simbi Wabote, led a team from the Board to meet with the management of Dangote Group, led by the President, Mr Aliko Dangote. During the meeting, Dangote pledged, among other things, to utilize certified Nigerian service companies for the fabrication of

**Cuts Carbon Emission by 1.67 tonnes By Dipo Olowookere In order to improve societies for humanity and advance sustainable development, the United Nations (UN) came up with some Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), which countries, organisations and others were advised to key into. As a responsible corporate firm, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, a member of Standard Bank Group, came up with a strategy to achieve these goals. The company designed its sustainability strategy and anchored it on four pillars; building environmental resilience, expanding business model and innovation, enhancing social relationships, and strengthening leadership for sustainability governance. These sustainability pillars are aligned

By Modupe Gbadeyanka The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has described the judgement of the Supreme Court which overruled the conviction of former Governor of Abia State, Mr Orji Kalu, as “quite unfortunate.” On Friday, May 8, 2020, the apex court held that Justice Mohammed Idris, who convicted the Senator, lacked the power to sentence him. The former Governor was sent to the correctional centre for an alleged N7.65billion fraud perpetuated when he was Governor of Abia State between 1999 and 2007. He was convicted alongside his company, Slok Nigeria Limited and former Abia State director of finance, Mr

By Bliss Okperan A mobility technology company based in Nigeria providing a platform to aggregate intercity bus transportation in Africa, Bus54, is seeking to pick the African spot at the forthcoming Startup World Cup in December 2023 in the United States. The Startup World Cup is a global conference and competition with the goal of bridging start-up ecosystems worldwide. The competition gives startup companies from all over the world a chance to win $1 million in the form of an investment. Bus54, which allows passengers to search, compare, book, and manage their journeys online, could make it to the tourney

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh While Russia’s interest in sub-Saharan Africa is nothing new, Russian authorities have realized that it’s time to move back primarily to reclaim its economic footprints and to find old Soviet-era allies, but that step comes with new challenges, especially from other foreign players and the changing internal political and economic conditions in Africa. Long before it held its first symbolic summit in October 2019, many experts indicated in several policy reports that “Russia has often failed to capitalize on the historical connection between Moscow and those African elites who had been educated in the Soviet Union

By Dipo Olowookere The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed retrieving the mace stolen on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday by hoodlums allegedly led by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. This came less than the 24-hour deadline given to the security operatives by the Senate to recover the mace. A statement issued on Thursday morning by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer of the Force Headquarters in Abuja, SP Aremu Adeniran, disclosed that the Senate’s symbol of authority was recovered from where it was dumped under a bridge in Abuja. It was disclosed that the police a tipoff from passers-by, who

By Adedapo Adesanya Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has called on authorities across the continent to take the right policy actions to actualise the limitless opportunities for the industrialisation of Africa offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). According to his media aide, Mr Laolu Akande, the VP stated this in a message delivered on Thursday at a Roundtable on Industrialisation in Africa in which he listed such actions to include the protection of local industries and improvement of value chains. The roundtable themed Positioning African Industries for Economic Transformation and Continental Free Trade was organised by the Manufacturers

By Dipo Olowookere The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday released calendar for the issuance of treasury bill for the fourth quarter of 2017. Check the timetable in the above picture.