Day: December 17, 2025

Nigerian Airways retirees push for pension onboarding, seek PTAD support

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Retirees of the defunct Nigerian Airways have called on the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to assist in resolving longstanding pension challenges. The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Tolulope Odunaiya, met on Tuesday with representatives of the Association of Airways Retired Workers of Nigeria (AARWN) to discuss the matter.   The meeting centered on the proposed onboarding of Nigerian Airways pensioners onto the pension payroll. In attendance were AARWN Chairman Mr. Onuh Stephen and Mr. Ahmed Sulu Gambari, who represented the collective concerns of retirees.   In her response, Ms. Odunaiya…

Tinubu nominates successors following resignations of NMDPRA,NUPRC CEOs

Lukman Laleye Babalola

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the Senate’s approval for new chief executives to lead Nigeria’s oil and gas regulatory bodies, following the resignations of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Gbenga Komolafe of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).   Both officials were originally appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to helm the agencies established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).   President Tinubu has proposed Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu…

Nigeria’s digital governance efforts earn global acclaim as NITDA, OGP move to deliver presidential digital agenda

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to open governance, transparency and inclusive digital development as the Open Government Partnership (OGP) formally presented the awards and certificates won by the country at the OGP Global Summit 2025 in Spain.   Nigeria emerged as the overall global winner in the Digital Governance category for its effective deployment of digital tools and policies to strengthen government transparency, accountability and citizen engagement. The country also secured the Regional Award for advancing Open Digital Governance across Africa and the Middle…

JUST IN: Farouk Ahmed quits as NMDPRA CEO

Emporium Reporters

Farouk Ahmed has resigned as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) following a high-level meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.   President Tinubu had on Wednesday summoned Ahmed amid grave allegations of economic sabotage and corruption, raising fresh concerns over regulatory integrity in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.   The controversy was triggered by claims from the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, who accused Ahmed and the leadership of the NMDPRA of involvement in multimillion-dollar corruption and actions…

Concerned Northern Elders reject NEF’s FIRS stance, endorse Tinubu’s Economic Reforms

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Concerned Northern Elders Forum has rejected and strongly criticised recent statements credited to the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) against the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), describing the position as a misrepresentation of the true aspirations of the North. In a press statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Dr. Nasir Manguno, the group said it was compelled to address Nigerians in the interest of truth, responsibility and historical accountability, warning that silence in the face of what it described as calculated distortion would amount to complicity. The elders stated…

As Bello Matawalle Swears By The Noble Book Of Allah (Qur’an), That He Has No Connection With The Bandits, Please, Who Are You To Disbelief In Him? By Imam Murtadha Gusau

Emporium Reporters

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, may the blessings and peace be upon our beloved master Muhammad, the last of Prophets, on his family, and all his companions. Dear brothers and sisters! The above headline in today’s piece captures an Islamic principle of trusting in divine justice and avoiding excessive confrontation with someone who has invoked Allah’s name. It implies that the sin of a false oath is so grave that the individual’s accountability is best…

Nigeria leads global digital transformation with WSIS+20 localisation strategy

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Nigeria has taken a bold step to lead the global digital agenda by unveiling a comprehensive strategy to localise WSIS+20 commitments, aimed to accelerate national transformation through robust digital infrastructure, transparent internet governance, and enhanced cybersecurity. Unveiled in New York during the high-level side event titled “Re-Imagining Digital Cooperation for Sustainable Development: From WSIS+20 Vision to Local Action,” the strategy positions Nigeria as a key architect in shaping the future of digital development.   The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, represented by…

Nigeria strengthens Early Warning Response System to tackle conflict, insecurity

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to strengthening its conflict prevention architecture with a focus on early warning and early response mechanisms, as stakeholders gathered in Abuja for a capacity-building engagement on peace and security.   The commitment was underscored by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, who was represented by the Ministry’s Spokesperson, Mr. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, at the Engagement Session on “Strengthening and Capacity Building of the National Early Warning Response Group (EWRG)”, held on Wednesday at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) Conference…

Customs begins sanctions on Banks over delayed revenue remittances

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the enforcement of penalties against Designated Banks found to be delaying the remittance of Customs revenue, following reconciliation of collections processed through the B’odogwu platform.   National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, noted that the Service had observed instances where some banks failed to remit collected revenue within agreed timelines. He described the practice as a breach of obligation that undermines the efficiency, transparency and integrity of government revenue administration.   According to the…

MURIC urges wealthy Nigerians to emulate Dangote’s N1trn Scholarship Initiative

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on wealthy Nigerians to emulate the philanthropic gesture of billionaire industrialist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, following the launch of a N1 trillion scholarship scheme targeted at Nigerian youths.   In a press release issued on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, described the Dangote Foundation’s scholarship programme as unprecedented, monumental and a landmark intervention in education and human capital development.   Dangote recently announced that the scholarship scheme would benefit about 1.3 million Nigerian students across the 774 local government…