Author: Kenneth Jukpor
The Super Eagles have started training at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja, in preparation for Thursday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone. The Eagles returned to Nigeria on Friday after a two-game friendly tour of the United States, where they lost 1-2 to Mexico and 0-1 to Ecuador. According to officials of the team, all the players listed for the qualifiers are already in town, but the trio of Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey and Shehu Abdullahi did not take part in the evening’s training session, as they arrived late in the day. According to the Eagles’ itinerary, the…
Nigeria Air received the Air Transport Licence (ATL) for its operations yesterday, but the interim management of the national carrier has explained why the new airline is yet to take delivery of any aircraft required for operations. Speaking at the headquarters of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) after receiving an ATL for Nigeria Air, the Chief Executive of the airline’s management, Capt. Dapo Olumide stressed that it is very difficult to get the aircrafts and attributed this to the effects of COVID-19 on the aviation sector globally, as well as other factors. Olumide, who received the licence on…
Sequel to the recent gas leakage and inferno that engulfed a borehole site within the Caritas University, Amorji, in Enugu State, the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) has called for caution in addressing the situation. NAPE President, Dr. James Edet, in a statement at the weekend, said the rush to explain what happened, and processes should be left to the professionals such as NAPE and others to handle. “As NAPE, we are appealing to members of the public to tread with caution as they visit the site to avoid burns and other hazards associated with this type of…
The weekly activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) started with one of its subsidiary, the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), brandishing an impressive financial record of N12.95 billion profit. The profit was for the year ended Dec. 31, 2021 representing a 260 per cent increase over its net profit of N3.59 billion in 2020. Mr Umar Ajiya, the Alternate Chairman of PPMC Board of Directors and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of NNPC Ltd., disclosed this during the company’s 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) which held in Abuja. Ajiya said that the leap in profit was…
More than two years after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) initially approved the modernization project of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) also known as e-Customs project, a conflict among the concessionaires is set to cripple the $3.2billion contract already signed by the federal government. This is coming as the initial lead concessionaire Bionica Technology says it hasn’t exited the contract contrary to the reports by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed that the company pulled out following a disagreement in sharing stakes in the project. Findings by The News Diet also revealed that Bionica is considering litigation that could…
Nigerian maritime students and young cadets are planning a coordinated mass protest at the various offices of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to register their greviances over the inability of the agency to tackle numerous challenges impeding their career development. The group known as Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Maritime Cadets and Seafarers comprises young seafarers, maritime students and cadets from various maritime academies in Nigeria, said it has waited patiently for NIMASA to address the challenges, but to no avail. Speaking to newsmen shortly after the 6th AMSAY Conference held recently in Apapa, Lagos, leader of…
Over 35 people have been confirmed dead as gunmen attacked the Saint Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo, the headquarters of the Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, yesterday. The attack on the church in Owo, the hometown of the state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, came barely a week after the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Bishop Samuel Kanu-Uche, was kidnapped in Abia State by gunmen the priest later identified as Fulani youths. It was learnt the gunmen, who attacked the Catholic church, arrived at the premises, which is less than 200 metres from the palace of…
Hon. Olubunmi Olumekun is the President of Barge Operators Association of Nigeria (BOAN). In this exclusive interview with The News Diet, he speaks on a wide range of pertinent issues affecting barge operations and the maritime sector at large. Enjoy it: Barge operations have been on the frontburner following some concerns raised by regulators on night sailing. What’s your position on this? The regulators have said that they want to cancel night sailing for barge operations. In fact, there is actually a ban on night sailing. However, unlike other ferry services, our barges utilize tugboats that have proper lighting…
Freight agents many unanswered questions We don’t need stakeholders consultation – Customs Despite the much-anticipated gains accruable from automation, fiscal experts and veteran freight forwarders have described the recently signed $3.2 billion Customs modernization project as a misguided venture that would cripple the nation’s economy. The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed has also been accused of leading the nation into economic crisis with the e-Customs project tipped to prioritize exports, devalue the naira and send more Nigerians into abject poverty. Although the federal government is thrilled at the 20-year project to generate $176billion, analysts have expressed worry as…
In a bid to address the environmental hazards and consequent health challenges in Nigeria, environmental experts have stressed the need for proper advocacy on waste management and recycling. The federal government, state and local governments, as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have been encouraged to upscale sensitization of Nigerians on eco-friendly lifestyle for a healthy environment. This was the crux of the seminar organized by the Chartered Institute of Environmental and Public Health Management of Nigeria (CIEPHMN) and Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN), in Lagos, yesterday. Speaking at the summit, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Adegboyega…