Day: May 16, 2025

Nnanyelugo and the 30 Percent Value-Added Raw Materials Fortune

Emporium Reporters

In the heart of a continent brimming with natural wealth yet shackled by economic underdevelopment, Nigeria has taken a bold and historic step toward economic transformation. That step is the proposed law mandating that no raw material be exported from Nigeria without a minimum of 30 percent value addition. It’s a bill that does more than legislate it philosophically repositions Nigeria in the global economic architecture. And at the center of this pivotal reform is Professor Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, the quiet revolutionary at the helm of the Raw Materials Research…

NHRC April 2025 Dashboard reveals alarming surge in Human Rights violations across Nigeria

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has released its Human Rights Situation Dashboard for April 2025, revealing a troubling escalation in violations across the country. The report documented a total of 261,483 complaints, reflecting a 20% increase compared to figures from March 2025.   According to the Commission, incidents of killings and kidnappings have surged drastically. The month recorded 570 killings, representing a 160% increase, while 278 cases of kidnapping were reported a 240% spike from the previous month.   A regional breakdown shown that the North Central zone recorded…

Dabiri-Erewa urges FG to declare Total War on Human Trafficking

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has urged the Federal Government to declare total war on human trafficking, stressing the need for a united and coordinated national response to end the menace. Dabiri-Erewa made the call during a strategic meeting with the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Hajia Binta Adamu Bello, held at NiDCOM Headquarters in Abuja. While acknowledging ongoing efforts, she emphasized that more must be done, including naming and shaming traffickers and imposing stricter…

CBN Act ‘Out of Touch with Culture’ — Adeyanju urges National Assembly to Repeal Naira Abuse Law

Emporium Reporters

Prominent human rights lawyer and activist,Barr. Deji Adeyanju, has called on the National Assembly to urgently review and repeal Section 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, 2007, which criminalises acts such as spraying, writing on, mutilating, stapling, or otherwise defacing the naira. In an open letter addressed to lawmakers, Adeyanju described the law as “out of touch with the lived realities of Nigerians”, and accused the government of weaponising legislation to suppress cultural expressions. “The law must serve the people, not the other way around,” he said,…

Hijab Controversy: MURIC condemns JAMB Supervisor, PEFTI Centre over alleged rights violation

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has strongly condemned the reported action of a Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) supervisor at the PEFTI CBT Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State, for allegedly forcing a Muslim candidate, Lawal Hameedat Adenike, to remove her hijab before being allowed to take the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).   In a statement issued on Friday, 16th May 2025, the General Secretary of MURIC, Oyo State Chapter, Ambassador Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade, described the act as a violation of the candidate’s fundamental human rights, citing the…

Embrace Integrity, Digital Skills – Keystone Bank Chairman urges new ICAN members … As ICAN inducts 1,851 new Accountants in Lagos

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Chairman of Keystone Bank PLC, Lady Ada Chukwudozie, has called on newly inducted members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and digital competence in their careers. Speaking as the keynote speaker at ICAN’s 75th induction ceremony held on Wednesday in Lagos, Lady Chukwudozie emphasised the importance of ethical leadership and innovation in strengthening Nigeria’s financial sector. “Accountancy in Nigeria goes beyond the mere recording of financial transactions; it is the very foundation upon which financial integrity, economic transparency,…

DL4ALL: NITDA, Cisco empower youth with Digital Skills

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Fifty young unemployed Nigerians have successfully completed a four-week intensive digital skills bootcamp under the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative gaining hands-on training in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and IT Essentials.   The transformative programme, a collaborative effort between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Cisco, was held at NITDA’s South West Zonal Office, Victoria Island, Lagos.   Speaking at the closing ceremony on behalf of NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, the Head of the South West Zonal Office, Mrs. Chioma Okee-Agugwo, described the initiative as…

NAHCON intensifies quality control as over 17,000 Nigerian pilgrims receive daily meals in Madinah

Lukman Laleye Babalola

With over 17,000 Nigerian pilgrims already in Madinah for the 2025 Hajj, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has reinforced its commitment to pilgrim welfare through a rigorous oversight system that ensured the consistent quality of its extensive feeding operations delivering breakfast and dinner daily to each pilgrim.   The Commission’s Madinah Feeding Committee, led by Alhaji Abdullahi Kabir, conducted regular inspections of the seven contracted catering facilities, maintaining vigilant supervision as the large-scale feeding program unfolds in real time.   “The continual monitoring of every aspect of the…

Tinubu to attend inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in Rome

Lukman Laleye Babalola

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Saturday depart Abuja for Rome, Italy, to attend the inauguration of the new head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV. The President’s visit followed an official invitation extended by His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, who is set to begin his pontificate as the 267th Bishop of Rome. The solemn inaugural Mass will take place on Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. In a message conveyed through Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope underscored the significance of President Tinubu’s attendance,…

Senate seeks deployment of Digital Technology to tackle Oil Theft

Emporium Reporters

By James Isaac ,Abuja   In a decisive move to curb the perennial issue of crude oil theft, the Nigerian Senate on Thursday launched a two-day public hearing aimed at crafting sustainable solutions to the economic sabotage plaguing the oil and gas sector.   Declaring the session open, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio represented by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin I. Barau underscored the urgency of deploying digital technology and instituting stiffer legal measures to protect Nigeria’s critical oil assets.   He stated that the…