Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

Economic Management Team Announces Crop Production Growth Amid Rising Costs. The Economic Management Team (EMT) has reported a 4.5% increase in overall crop production for 2024, despite a marginal 0.2% decline in millet output. This announcement was made during a recent meeting in Abuja, led by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun. The minister presented the findings alongside concerns over escalating production costs, which have significantly impacted key sectors. Maize production costs surged by 69.7%, while cowpea prices experienced an unprecedented 300% increase. These spikes have contributed to food crises in 31 states,…

Biden Commutes 37 Federal Death Sentences Before Trump’s Return To Office. United States President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, converting their punishment to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. This decision comes just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump is set to assume office in January. The commutation applies to 37 of the 40 individuals on federal death row, excluding three inmates, including the Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof, and Robert Bowers, the perpetrator of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre. In a statement, Biden reaffirmed his…

FEMD Rescues 105 Lives In 2024 Amid Multiple Disasters. The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has announced that 105 individuals were rescued this year from building collapses across Abuja, although four lives were tragically lost. The acting Director-General of FEMD, Engr. Abdulrahman Mohammed, disclosed these figures during a press briefing held in Abuja on Monday. He identified the affected areas as Prince and Princess Estate, Guzape District, Garki 2, Kubwa, and Sabon Lugbe near Airport Road. Engr. Mohammed detailed FEMD’s extensive emergency response efforts in 2024, which included building collapses, fire outbreaks, flooding, earth tremors, and…

Trump Vows To End ‘Transgender Lunacy’ And Usher In A ‘Golden Age’ In Second Term. American President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to take decisive action on transgender issues and other key policies as he prepares to assume office. Speaking at an event for young conservatives in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday, Trump promised sweeping changes, declaring his intent to “stop the transgender lunacy” on his first day in office. Trump outlined a series of executive orders targeting transgender rights. “I will sign executive orders to end child sexual mutilation, get transgender out of the military and out of our elementary…

FG Declares December 25, 26, And January 1 As Public Holidays. The Federal Government has officially declared Wednesday, 25th December, Thursday, 26th December 2024, and Wednesday, 1st January 2025, as public holidays. These dates are set aside to celebrate Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year respectively. In a statement issued on Monday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, announced that the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government. The minister extended warm greetings to all Nigerians and encouraged everyone to use the festive season as a…

Ghana Triumphs Over Nigeria Via Shootout To Win Inaugural WAFU-B U-17 Girls’ Cup.   Hosts Ghana clinched the maiden WAFU-B U-17 Girls’ Cup title on Sunday, edging Nigeria 5-4 in a dramatic penalty shootout after an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Ghanaian Centre of Excellence in Prampram, near Accra. The match proved a thrilling contrast to the goalless African Nations Championship qualifier played by both nations’ senior home-based teams in Accra earlier in the day. The young talents lit up the tournament’s finale with determination and skill, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. Ghana started strongly, with…

Super Lig: Osimhen Shines With Brace In Galatasaray’s Dominant Victory. Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen delivered a stellar performance on Sunday, scoring twice as Galatasaray secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over Kayserispor in the Turkish Super Lig. Osimhen wasted no time making his mark, converting a penalty in the 4th minute to give Galatasaray an early lead. However, Kayserispor’s Bahoken equalised ten minutes later, setting up what seemed to be a competitive encounter. The visitors regained their advantage in the 29th minute through Yilmaz, and Yunus Akgün extended the lead to 3-1 midway through the second half, showcasing Galatasaray’s…

NPFL Round-Up: 3SC Ends Rangers’ Unbeaten Run, As Sunshine Stars secure Crucial Win. Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan ended Rangers International’s impressive 10-match unbeaten run with a narrow away victory in an NPFL Matchday 18 encounter at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu. The decisive moment came in the 27th minute when Ikouwem Utin found the net for Gbenga Ogunbote’s side. Rangers had an opportunity to salvage a draw late in the game, but they missed a crucial penalty five minutes from time, leaving the home fans disappointed. In Lafia, Rivers United managed to secure a hard-fought…

SERAP Criticises Proposed ₦9.4 Billion Allocation For Refreshments And Travels In 2025 Budget. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to reduce the proposed ₦9.4 billion budget for refreshments, travels, and catering materials for the presidency. SERAP also urged a review of the ₦344.85 billion budget allocated to the National Assembly, suggesting the savings be redirected towards addressing Nigeria’s budget deficit. In a letter dated 21st December 2024, signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation expressed concerns over what it described as “unnecessary…

Customs Intercepts Smuggled Petrol, Sells To Oyo Residents At ₦630 per Litre. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has sold approximately 20,000 litres of seized petrol to residents of Ibadan, Oyo State, at ₦630 per litre. The sale, conducted on Saturday at Afoo Filling Station in the Masfala area, was part of efforts to deter smuggling and make fuel accessible to the public during the festive season. The petrol, intercepted by operatives of Operation Whirlwind in the Oyo/Osun axis, included a tanker and 30 kegs containing 25 litres each. Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, the national coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, revealed that…

403 Stranded Nigerians Safely Repatriated From Niger Republic. The Federal Government has successfully facilitated the return of 403 Nigerians, including children and infants, who were stranded in Niger Republic. The group, comprising 52 households, arrived in two batches and was received at the Nigeria Immigration Service Training School in Kano. The Federal Commissioner for the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Hon. Aliyu Tijani, represented by the Commission’s State Coordinator, Mrs Lubah Liman, confirmed the details during a reception for the returnees. The group included 165 males, 56 females, and 182 children and infants. The first…

NANS Urges Federal Government To Address Hunger Crisis Amid Stampedes. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on President Bola Tinubu to take immediate action to address the worsening hunger crisis in the country, which has led to tragic stampedes during the distribution of palliatives. In a statement issued on Sunday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Abdul-Yekinn Odunayo, NANS described the recent stampedes as a “national embarrassment.” The student body pointed to incidents in Ibadan, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and Anambra State, where lives were lost, including those…