Author: Amina Ibrahim

A TOTAL sum of ₦1.681 trillion, being April 2025 Federation Account Revenue, has been shared to the Federal Government, States and the Local Government Councils. The revenue was shared at the May 2025 Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting held in Abuja, according to a statement released by FAAC spokesperson, Bawa Mokwa, on Friday. The ₦1.681 trillion total distributable revenue, according to Mokwa, comprised distributable statutory revenue of ₦962.882 billion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of ₦598.077 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of ₦38.862 billion and Exchange Difference ₦81.407 billion. A communiqué issued by the Federation Account…

THE Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has described the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) as a cornerstone of development in the nation’s tertiary institutions, noting that the agency will not be scrapped in the Tax Reform Bill. Alausa spoke on Friday in Lagos at a one-day Strategic Engagement with Heads of Institutions, Bursars, and Heads of Procurement of Beneficiary Institutions organised by TETFUND. The Minister allayed the fears of many stakeholders in the education space that TETFUND will be scrapped, stressing that President Bola Tinubu has approved more funding for the agency with 50 per cent development levy inclusive. Alausa…

VICE-CHANCELLOR of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Olufemi Peters, has implored new students to uphold the values of academic integrity, hard work and excellence as they sojourn in their academic activities with the institution. He was speaking on Wednesday in Abuja at the university’s 28th matriculation ceremony, where a total of 25,342 students matriculated across nine faculties. Out of the figure, 18,698 were admitted for various undergraduate degree programmes and 6,564 for postgraduate programmes, including doctorate students. In his speech, Peters urged the freshers to build positive networks and healthy relationships while shunning vices that would serve…

THE Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ending examination malpractice in Nigeria’s education sector, saying that it would go ahead with the transition to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) by 2026. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, stated this during a guest appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday. His comments came amid growing concerns about the integrity of public examinations, especially following the release of statistics from the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which revealed that over 1.5 million of the 1.95 million candidates…

THE controversy surrounding the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) took a twist on Friday as Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, denied allegations linking him to the internal rocking the association. In a statement posted via his Instagram account on Friday, Tinubu refuted the accusations made by Atiku Isah, who claimed to be the NANS President, describing them as false and defamatory. “Wow… how can someone lie with so much confidence? An attempt to defame my character. May God be with you, Comrade Atiku Isah,” Seyi wrote. He further stated, “I have never held a…

BANK customers will begin paying N6 for every SMS transaction alert starting tomorrow. The SMS charges were increased by 50% to N6 from the previous N4 per message. An email from Guaranty Trust Bank Limited with the heading “Increase in SMS Transaction Alert Fee” read: “Dear Valued Customer, Please be informed that effective Thursday, May 1, 2025, the SMS transaction alert fee will increase from N4 to N6 per message. “This adjustment is due to a recent increase in telecom rates as communicated by the telecommunication service providers. “Kindly note that transaction alerts are important and help you keep track…

ABOUT N1 trillion is required yearly for school feeding, the Federal Government said yesterday. Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Tanko Sununu made this known at a stakeholders’ meeting on the relaunch and scaling of the Renewed-Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (RH-NHGSFP in Abuja. The minister, in a statement by the Head of Communication and Public Relations of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Attari Hope emphasized the need for substantial funding, stating that approximately N900billion to N1trillion will be required annually to provide nutritious meals for primary school pupils in grades 1 to…

THE Federal Government has announced that “no fewer than 231 young Nigerians” trafficked to Ghana are “expected to arrive in Lagos on Friday,” where they will be received by government officials. The development followed the recent rescue of 219 victims by Ghanaian authorities from a human trafficking ring that forced them into cybercrime operations. The victims, mostly young men, were discovered confined in about 25 rooms within a residential estate in Accra. During a visit to the Economic and Organised Crime Office in Accra, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, expressed Nigeria’s appreciation for the rescue effort.…

A PROFESSOR of Public Health at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Gloria Oiyahumen Anetor, has stated that the One Health approach, which emphasises the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, cannot succeed unless it is anchored in robust and widespread public health education. She made this known during the 33rd Inaugural Lecture of the NOUN, held on Thursday at the university’s headquarters in Abuja. Anetor, of the university’s Faculty of Health Sciences, asserted that “achieving the One-Health concept is a mirage without public health education.” In the lecture, titled: “Achieving the One Health Concept: A Mirage Without…

A PROLONGED power outage in Kano State, now entering its 10th day, has severely disrupted socio-economic activities in the metropolis, leaving residents and business owners in distress. The blackout, compounded by recurrent failures of the national grid, has plunged communities into darkness, forcing businesses to rely on costly alternatives and pushing many into financial strain. Speaking to this newspaper, several residents lamented the impact of the outage. A supermarket owner and restaurant owner in Sabon Gari, Fagge Local Council, Jude Michael, described the situation as frustrating. “I have been running on a generator for days, which is making me incur…

THE Federal Government has introduced the BisonFly Project, a new nationwide initiative aimed at reducing air travel costs within the Federal Civil Service. A statement from the Ministry of Finance said the programme will be implemented through a centralised, optimised, and technology-driven discount system designed to streamline air travel arrangements for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government. At the project launch in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, described BisonFly as a strategic initiative crafted by the Federal Ministry of Finance. He revealed that the project is…

THE prevailing barrage of tariffs initiated by the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump may well be a blessing in disguise for African countries. News Point Nigeria reports that the Minister for Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake made this remark at the Fireside Chat session on Foreign Direct Investment titled: The Alchemy of Foreign Direct Investment – Turning Policies into prosperity for Emerging Global Markets,” during the 14th edition of the AIM Congress held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, during the week. In his contribution to the fireside chat on the impact of the tariffs…

THE Federal Government has announced stricter immigration penalties, warning that expatriates who overstay their visas beyond six months will face a five-year entry ban, while overstaying for one year will attract a 10-year ban. Additionally, the government said overstaying will incur a daily fine of $15, starting from the visa’s stated exit date, effective from August 1. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this during a meeting with the Organised Private Sector and other stakeholders at the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association House in Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday. Tunji-Ojo made the announcement while unveiling the Ministry of Interior’s new Expatriate…

A SEASONED and well versed Public Administration scholar at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Ali S. Yusufu Bagaji, has proposed the adoption of a new framework of policy pillars to move the country forward. Bagaji, a senior lecturer in the NOUN’s Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management Science, spoke on Monday in the university’s 32nd Inaugural Lecture held at its headquarters in Abuja. In the lecture, titled, “State-building Experiments in Nigeria’s Multi-ethnic Society: Policy Pillars for Achieving Pre-set Triple National Goals?” he traced the country’s political and administrative evolution, examining the patterns and outcomes of various…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the disbursement of over N700bn to tertiary institutions through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2025, with benefiting universities expected to get N2.8bn The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, announced this during the 2025 Strategic Planning Meeting with heads of tertiary institutions in Abuja on Thursday. Echono outlined the allocation structure, stating that 91.08% of the funds would be distributed directly. This includes 48.90% for annual direct disbursement and 42.18% for special direct disbursement. Additionally, 8.72% is earmarked for designated projects, while 0.20% is allocated to stabilisation funds. “Based on this approval, each university…

THE Muslim Opinion Leaders (MOLs) under the development Research and Projects Centre’s (dRPC), Muslim Opinion Leaders Project for the prevention of gender-based violence in northern Nigeria, supported by the Ford Foundation, have asked the ummah, and governments at all levels to protect women and children as Islam strictly prohibits all forms of violence and harm while promoting the dignity and well-being of women. In a statement signed by Associate Professor Taufiq Abubakar, Director of the Centre for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith, Bayero University, Kano, and Secretary of the Muslim Opinion Leaders (MOLs) for GBV Prevention in Northern Nigeria, on behalf…

THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday ordered the demolition of over houses in the right of way of the ongoing road construction in Gishiri, under the Katampe area of the nation’s capital. Wike, who personally supervised the demolition, was seen furiously addressing the community chief saying, “We gave you time.” Some of the residents tried to resist and stop the excavators from demolishing their properties but were dispersed with tear gas by security operatives. Briefing journalists, the minister explained that compensation was offered to the residents, but rather than accepting it, they turned it down…

THE Federal Government has enlisted 154 health facilities across Nigeria for free treatment of women who have obstetric complications. According to the Minister who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday monitored by News Point Nigeria, the health and wellbeing of Nigerians are fundamental to President Bola Tinubu’s vision for Nigeria. Pate added the facilities have quality manpower, rich standard and equipment. He also announced 18 centres across the nation for free treatment of vesicovaginal fistula (VVF). “These are women who have health problems or difficulties that arise during pregnancy, labour, delivery, or the postpartum period, potentially…

THE Federal Government through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) will, on May 28, arraign Karl Toriola, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc. Toriola, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, and others will be arraigned over the alleged failure to produce documents and information required by the commission in compliance with a lawful summons, contrary to the FCCPC Act. The company and its CEO will be arraigned alongside Tobechukwu Okigbo, MTN’s Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, and Ikenna Ikeme, General Manager, Regulatory Affairs of MTN, before Justice H.J. Yilwa of the Federal…

A NATIONAL Youth Service Corps member, Rofiat Lawal, who was abducted along the Benin-Ore Expressway last Tuesday, has disclosed that her abductors threatened to force her into marriage and take her to Sokoto if her family refused to pay a ransom. This is just as she narrated that one of the abductors, who are bandits, took her NYSC uniform and wore it. This newspaper reports that Rofiat was abducted on her way to her place of primary assignment in Oyo State while coming from Edo State. The abductors initially demanded a ransom of N20m but after several negotiations, they reduced…