By Elvis Eromosele Nigeria is Africa’s largest ICT market, accounting for 82 per cent of the continent’s telecom subscribers and 29 per cent of internet usage. This is according to Wikipedia. It goes on to say that globally, Nigeria ranks 11th in the absolute number of internet users and 7th in the absolute number of mobile phones. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), has equally established that the telecommunications sector is the largest segment of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. Today, Nigeria has one of the largest telecoms markets in Africa, contributing over 17 per cent to the…
Author: Elvis Eromosele
By Adetunji Faleye Widespread hunger in Nigeria has shown clearly that the post-pandemic period has been very difficult for consumers more than the pandemic era when the man-made virus inflicted heftier punishment on the human race. Intensely, most families struggle to get their three-square meals set on the table in the face of skyrocketing foodstuff prices at every opportunity dollar shakes the table against naira. Sadly, while the exchange rate of naira to dollar keeps falling, the rate at which Nigeria’s naira loses value against most currencies in Africa is beyond comprehension. This has drastically reduced purchasing power of most…
Whatsapp, the leading worldwide instant messaging app, has introduced new features as part of security measures to make the app safer and easier for users. The green app is widely acclaimed as one of the most used social media used for both personal use and business with approximately two billion downloads. According to Mark Zuckerberg, Founder of Meta, owners of WhatsApp, “we’ll keep building new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations.” The new privacy features added to the latest update include exit group chats without notifying everyone; the power to choose…
Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Prof. Mohammed Sambo has said the new NHIA Act will ensure that 83 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians have access to quality healthcare services. Sambo explained that the NHIA Act contains provisions for the Vulnerable Group Fund (VGF), ‘which shall be expended to provide subsidy for health insurance coverage of vulnerable persons as determined by the Council; and for the payment of health insurance premiums for the indigent’. ‘The Vulnerable Group Fund will be funded through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), health insurance levy, special intervention allocated by the government,…
By Michael Owhoko, Ph.D The Urhobo is among the first 10 major ethnic groups, and the fifth largest in Nigeria, yet, its initial capacity to command considerable influence in the Nigerian polity was weakened by a lack of brotherliness, unity, and trust among its people, unarguably, owing to the multiplicity of dialects, as depicted in the 24 kingdoms that make up the nationality. In an attempt to eliminate this deficit, prevent disunity-induced regression, and raise sustained awareness for unity and trust across the divide, the founding Urhobo leaders came up with a philosophical slogan of “Urhobo Ovuovo”. Specifically, the concept…
ONE Campaign, an international, non-partisan, non-profitable, advocacy and campaign organisation that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, through public awareness, among others, has recognized Enugu State as the second highest performing state in Primary Healthcare Service Delivery in Nigeria for 2019-2021. Presenting the award of recognition to the Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ENSPHCDA), Dr. George Ugwu, the Country Director of One Campaign in Nigeria, Stanley Achonu, commended the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for the excellent status of the primary healthcare system in the state. Achonu disclosed that ONE Campaign, which is also…
The federal government has confirmed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is being owed N20 trillion ($47 billion), which is yet to be added to the country’s outstanding public debt, according to a report by the Budget Office of the Federation. This is coming as a think-tank backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is seeking $50 billion in aid to help debt-ridden African countries re-enter capital markets and avoid future defaults. The debt figure was as of July 31, the Budget Office said, in a document, which gave the details of the country’s expenditure plans from 2023-2025.…
Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) earned N125.39 billion in the financial year ended December 31, 2021, the National Pensions Commission of Nigeria (PenCom) said in a report. The Commission said the figure indicated an increase of 14.33 per cent, compared to the total income of N109.68 billion earned in 2020. PenCom stated that the total operating expenses of the PFAs amounted to N65.58 billion, as against N55.20 billion recorded in 2020, while gross operating profits in the industry increased from N54.78 billion in 2020 to N59.52 billion in 2021. According to the Commission, the major source of income for the PFAs…
The Federal Government has approved a concession arrangement for developing the Badagry deep seaport at a cost of $2.59 billion over a period of 45 years. The approval was finalised following a presentation by the Federal Ministry of Transportation at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) weekly meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja last week. The port, according to officials, is expected to generate $53.6 billion in revenue over the 45 years concession period. The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo confirmed the deal shortly after the meeting at the State House, Abuja. “I am pleased to announce…
Oando Clean Energy has partnered with the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation to roll out 3,000 electric buses by 2030. Mr. Ademola Odunbanjo, Executive Vice President Oando Clean Energy, disclosed this at the ongoing ninth edition of the Lagos Climate Change Summit in Lagos, Wednesday. The News Agency of Nigeria ((NAN) reports that at the two-day event titled: “Integrating Climate Actions in Lagos State Development: Investment Opportunities and Trade-offs”, Odunbanjo spoke on the topic: De-carbonising Industries/Mobility via Innovative Clean Energy. He said that Oando would be experimenting with different energy mixes to come out with affordable green energy for consumers, mobility…