Author: Kenneth Jukpor

Worried by the high rate of rejection of Nigerian exports by the United Kingdom, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Mohammed Bello- Koko has urged the British government to address the negative labelling and rejection of exports from Nigeria by the UK, lamenting a preconceived hostile perception of Nigeria and the nation’s exports. Bello-Koko made this call while receiving the UK Minister for Export, Mr Mike Freer MP who was in Nigeria last week on trade facilitation and visited the Lagos Port Complex (LPC). The NPA Managing Director, who was represented by the Executive Director- Operations,…

A postgraduate student of the Department of Political Science at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Mr. Oyeniyi Iwakun has withdrawn his admission over the recent killing of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto State. Oyeniyi, with the admission number: P21SSPS8018, revealed his decision to terminate his studentship at ABU in an open letter addressed to the Vice Chancellor of the university. Noting that the move is to protest the gruesome murder of Miss Deborah Samuel, a 200 level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, who was killed on Thursday, May 12, 2022, Oyeniyi lamented that there was no…

By Kenneth Jukpor Frieght forwarders under the aegis of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) are pushing for the passage of a bill to indigenize freight forwarding practice in Nigeria under the 9th National Assembly, especially Customs brokerage. The Acting President of ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto revealed this at the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting which held at the National Secretariat in Lagos, on Thursday. Farinto decried the influx of foreign players as freight agents in the nation amid the high rate of unemployment and consequent national security threats plaguing the country. According to him, a veteran maritime…

Dr. Umar Gwandu, a Spokesman for the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has explained why his principal decided to dump his governorship ambition. Gwandu said his boss shelved his dream of becoming the next governor of Kebbi State out of patriotism. He said in a statement on Saturday that Malami did not resign as AGF despite attending the valedictory ceremony hosted by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). The aide argued that Malami has the right to shelve his governorship ambition, adding that it is a matter of personal conviction and individual rights which didn’t violate any law.…

Political Interference, poor asset quality, weak corporate governance have been identified as major challenges facing laudable goals of Development Finance Institutions [DFIs] in Nigeria and in Africa generally. Similarly, inefficient risk management practices, under-capitalisation, restrictive mandates as well as limited use of information technology, among others have all contributed to the menace. Although the Federal Government has over the years facilitated the establishment of a few DFIs expected to provide financial interventions for enterprises in key sectors of the economy to complement the efforts of the conventional banks towards the financing of long-term developmental projects, the efforts have, however, failed…

…Dollar rises to over N600/$ at P2P platforms The Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) has called for what it called BDC Autonomous Foreign Exchange Trading Window (BAFEX), saying this would help to restore sanity to the market and save the naira from further debasement. ABCON said the mechanism, which would serve as a pathway to mainstreaming BDCs into the official foreign exchange (FX) management system, would enable its members to source foreign currencies from banks and other autonomous sources and offer a window for regulation of their activities. This comes as naira faces fresh volatility, slipping…

• Echoes Of Conspiracies In 1992, they featured in the transition to civil rule programme of military President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. One became a Senator; the other unsuccessfully sought to be President and Vice President. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu have been around in Nigerian politics. They belonged to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which symbol was a white horse. Surviving the turbulence that followed the failed third republic, they featured prominently in the politics of the fourth republic: One became governor, the other jumped from the governorship seat he never sat on to the Vice Presidency…

Sergio Aguero admitted he was grateful to Manchester City as his former club prepared to unveil a statue celebrating their record scorer’s most famous goal. Aguero memorably netted the stoppage-time strike against QPR that sealed City’s Premier League title triumph at the Etihad Stadium in 2012. The Argentine forward’s 93rd minute goal gave City their first English title since 1968, with the added bonus of pipping arch rivals Manchester United on the last day of the season. Friday marks the 10th anniversary of Aguero’s dramatic contribution to City’s rise, which now includes five top-flight titles under the club’s Abu Dhabi-based…

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has charged passengers and boat drivers to obey guidelines regulating waterways transportation. NIWA, while expressing condolence to the families of the victims of the Lagos boat mishap and government of Kastina State, said it would not relent on efforts to make inland waterway transportation safe. Recall that about 15 persons lost their lives on May 4 in a boat mishap that occurred around 11 pm in Mai-Adua Local Government Area of Katsina State, with President Muhammadu Buhari warning against the use of rickety boats, overloading and none use of life jackets by passengers. In…

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Friday in Abuja, said a significant number of the outgoing members of the Federal Executive Council have been sufficiently equipped to aspire to higher elective offices, including the office of the President. The President said this at a valedictory session for 10 of his cabinet members who are vying for various electoral offices in next year’s general elections, according to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina. The statement was titled, ‘President Buhari to outgoing FEC members: Significant number of you sufficiently equipped…