The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC) has called for a review of the 15 per cent port tariff increase introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), warning it could raise costs for port users and weaken Nigeria’s competitiveness in maritime trade. In a statement issued in Abuja, Eugene Nweke, SEREC’s Head of Research, said the increase is already pushing up operational expenses for terminal operators and shipping companies, costs that are ultimately passed on to importers and exporters. According to him, port-related charges in Nigeria need to be harmonised and rationalised to reduce inefficiencies and excessive cost burdens across…
Author: Elvis Eromosele
The Federal Government has announced a two-week maintenance exercise on Kara Bridge, outbound Lagos, from March 10 to March 24, 2026, warning motorists to expect traffic disruptions. In a statement, Olayiwola Komolafe, Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, said the repair will involve replacing damaged expansion joints, requiring a temporary partial closure of the bridge. The Federal Ministry of Works urged motorists to drive cautiously near the construction area, follow traffic instructions, and plan trips early to avoid delays. To reduce congestion during the repairs, the ministry advised motorists to use alternative routes: Ikorodu to Mowe, Sagamu, and Ibadan:…
The Cross River State Government has banned Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) from conducting road operations and reduced transport fines across the state following complaints from commercial drivers. Governor Benedict Otu announced the directive in Calabar, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Linus Obogo, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The decision follows protests by bus and tricycle operators who accused enforcement teams of excessive fines, high ticket fees, and harassment. Under the new directive, VIO officers will no longer be permitted to operate on roads and are restricted to office-based duties. The government also…
The number of Nigerians covered by health insurance increased to 21.7 million in 2025, up from 19.2 million in 2024, representing about 13 per cent of the country’s population, according to the 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report. The report, released by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, tracks progress in Nigeria’s health sector under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the Sector-Wide Approach for coordinating health reforms and investments. The report highlights government efforts to expand access to healthcare through mandatory health insurance and improved funding for services. To reflect current economic realities,…
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has urged the Federal Government to review the policy requiring aviation agencies to remit 50 per cent of their internally generated revenue (IGR) to the Treasury Single Account (TSA), warning that it is limiting funding for airport development. NUATE National President Ben Nnabue made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, stating that the policy is constraining aviation agencies’ ability to maintain infrastructure and improve operations. According to Nnabue, the deduction affects four key aviation bodies, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Civil…
Lagos State attracted $2.73 billion in capital inflows in the third quarter of 2025, accounting for 45 per cent of Nigeria’s total inflows during the period, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said. Sanwo-Olu disclosed this while speaking at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum on Africa’s Urban Future at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics in Boston, United States. According to a statement from the Lagos State Government, the governor described Lagos as central to Africa’s urban transformation and economic growth. Sanwo-Olu highlighted the state’s strong economic indicators, noting that internally generated revenue (IGR) reached $821.9 million (N1.26 trillion) in…
Long queues have begun forming at filling stations across Lagos as motorists rush to buy petrol from outlets still selling below ₦1,000 per litre following recent price increases. A market survey on Saturday showed that many retail stations on both the Lagos mainland and island have raised pump prices above the ₦1,000 mark, triggering a rush for cheaper fuel. Stations operated by MRS Oil along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway recorded long queues as petrol sold for about ₦937 per litre, one of the lowest prices currently available. Other marketers have adjusted prices upward. Eterna Plc sold petrol at about ₦1,040 per…
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in a media chat during his 80th birthday, referred to himself as an accidental achiever, and that is a level of sincere acknowledgement that is expected of an elderly man. His life journey actually depicted it. From a village boy who never sees himself achieving anything better than a local farmer, a life ambition that was shared by his father, which was why the first attempt by his uncle-in-law to give him a Western education in Abeokuta was halted because, just two days afterwards, his father came to Abeokuta with ridiculous reasons of fear that Western education…
By Dr. Abdul Mahmud “It was the spectacle of a man trying to escape the shadow of his own words. Again and again Bwala was confronted with statements he had made in the past. Statements that sharply criticised the same government he now defends. Each time he retreated into a familiar refuge. “Context matters”, he said. The circumstances were different. The statements must be understood within a broader setting. But the problem with his defence was painfully obvious. Context cannot erase conviction. When context becomes the permanent shelter of argument, it begins to look less like explanation and more like…
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has formally called on Nigeria’s leadership across the three arms of government to initiate urgent constitutional reforms aimed at decentralising the country’s governance structure. In a letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Kudirat Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, the organisation appealed for the commencement of a political programme that would restructure the Nigerian federation and devolve greater powers to the regions. The letter, dated March 1, 2026, was signed by Dr. Akin Fapohunda, Director of Research and Strategy of…