Month: March 2025

NCS Seme Command Generates N743.7 Million in One Month, Hands Over 444 Parcels of Cannabis to NDLEA

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Seme Area Command has recorded remarkable achievements in revenue generation and anti-smuggling operations, raking in N743,728,652.16 in one month. The Command also intercepted large consignments of contraband, including 444 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, which were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).   Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, March 13, 2025, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Dr. Ben Oramalugo, attributed these successes to enhanced intelligence sharing, inter-agency collaboration, and operational restructuring aimed at improving efficiency and vigilance.   Within…

Tinubu to Catholic Bishops: Economic Reforms Tough but Necessary for Nigeria’s Future

Lukman Laleye Babalola

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reassured Nigerians that his administration understands the economic hardships they face but emphasized that ongoing reforms are necessary to build a resilient nation and secure the future of younger generations.   Speaking at the State House in Abuja on Friday while receiving the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), President Tinubu defended his government’s policy decisions, including the removal of fuel subsidies and tax reforms, as essential steps to prevent the country from financial collapse.   “Yes, removing the fuel subsidy was hard, tough for…

USPF Secretary applauds ITU, UK-FCDO for Supporting Nigeria’s Rural Connectivity Efforts

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Secretary of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Yomi Arowosafe, has commended the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UK-FCDO) for their collaboration with the Nigerian government to enhance rural connectivity and drive socio-economic development.   Arowosafe gave the commendation at an Industry-Focused Stakeholders Engagement Session held in Lagos over the weekend. The event, organized by the USPF in collaboration with the UK-FCDO and ITU, aimed to advance efforts to expand network coverage in unserved…

Ekiti’s next leap! By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Emporium Reporters

One of the off-cycle elections next year will take place in Ekiti State, where Governor Biodun Oyebanji will face reelection. Oyebanji has several strengths to leverage when campaigning begins, particularly his efforts to redirect the state’s political economy in a positive direction, as widely acknowledged by conventional wisdom. Ekiti State has navigated the current economic transformation in very steady ways. The state’s poverty level is relatively manageable, rather than crippling. The governor’s strategic intervention in agriculture has built up buffers of price-modulating as well as supply-adjustment mechanisms. This approach has…

Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace: The Right Man Steering VON to Global Excellence ,By Lukman Laleye Babalola

Emporium Reporters

In today’s fast-paced media landscape, leadership in public broadcasting demands more than just routine administration it requires vision, strategic engagement, and the ability to shape narratives that project national identity on a global stage. In Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace, Nigeria has found a leader who embodies these qualities. A thoroughbred journalist, Security Analyst, and Public Affairs Strategist, Ndace’s career span decades in print, broadcast, and digital media. His sharp analytical skills, deep understanding of Nigeria’s geopolitical landscape, and ability to communicate complex issues with clarity have earned him respect across…

NNPCL woos global Investors at CERAWeek, highlights Nigeria’s Oil and Gas potential

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has urged global investors to explore the vast opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, citing robust regulatory reforms and investment-friendly policies that have transformed the country into an attractive investment hub. The Executive Vice President, Upstream, NNPC Ltd, Mr. Udy Ntia, made this call on Tuesday during a session at the 2025 CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston, Texas, United States. Speaking on the theme “Spotlight: Attracting Investment for Oil and Gas,” Ntia emphasized that Nigeria is well-positioned as a stable…

Natashagate: Suspension in the eyes of court ruling By Abba Dukawa

Emporium Reporters

Despite the position of the Court of Appeal in the case of the Speaker of Bauchi State House of Assembly Vs Hon Rifkatu Samson Danna (2017) 49 W.R.N that a lawmaker is a representative of his people whose membership of the House is guaranteed by the Constitution and not by any other person or persons, the Senate and its leadership have continued to use suspension as an instrument to oppress, intimidate and whip lawmakers into line. Sadly, the National Assembly has continued to ignore the position of the courts on…

Gov Bago proposes exclusive LG Vice-Chairmanship slots for Women to boost Gender Inclusion

Emporium Reporters

The Niger State Governor, His Excellency Mohammed Umaru Bago, has proposed that all vice-chairmanship positions in the forthcoming local government elections be exclusively reserved for women, as part of efforts to promote gender inclusion in governance. The governor made this proposal in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Print Media, Mrs. Aisha Wakaso, in Minna. He emphasized that women have been sidelined for too long despite their significant contributions to society and development. Governor Bago, who has consistently advocated for gender inclusivity, stressed that empowering women at the…

El-Rufai’s Defection a Betrayal – APC Professionals …insist nothing is beyond resolution

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The APC Professional Network, an umbrella body for professionals within the All Progressives Congress (APC), has expressed disappointment over the defection of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, calling it a “massive betrayal.”   Despite El-Rufai’s sudden move to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the group insists that the matter is not beyond resolution and calls for unity within the party.   In a statement signed by its President General, Victor Walsh Oluwafemi, on Monday, the group acknowledged El-Rufai’s significant contributions to the APC but described his departure as unexpected…

Customs dismantles smuggling network, seizes 34,470 litres of PMS in Adamawa-Taraba border raid … CGC orders public auction at subsidised rate

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 34,470 litres of smuggled Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) along the Adamawa-Taraba border corridors, dealing a major blow to transnational smuggling networks. Acting on credible intelligence, Customs operatives seized 1,149 jerrycans of PMS along with a specially modified transport vehicle valued at ₦4 million, bringing the total duty-paid value of the confiscated items to ₦37.78 million.   Addressing journalists in Jalingo, Taraba State, on Thursday, March 13, 2025, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, described the operation as a strategic response to the…