Month: February 2025

Dangote Refinery Targets Full Production Capacity, Remains Silent on Crude Supply

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The Dangote Petroleum Refinery says it has raised daily production to 85 per cent of its 650,000 barrels per day capacity, hoping to hit full capacity in the next 30 days. Officials of the firm, however, declined to state where the plant intends to source its crude oil, as supply from Nigeria has been limited. The 85 per cent capacity indicates that the refinery is currently running at 552,500 barrels per day. The Vice President of Dangote Industries, Devakumar Edwin, told Reuters that plans are underway to hit full capacity…

12-year basic education: FG meets NUT, principals

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The Federal Government is set to meet with the Nigeria Union of Teachers and the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools on Wednesday to discuss the proposal by the Minister of Education, Mr. Tunji Alausa, to extend basic education to 12 years. The proposal, which aims to integrate junior and senior secondary education into a single continuous programme, has sparked mixed reactions among education stakeholders, with calls for careful deliberation before any decision is made. In an exclusive interview, the National President of ANCOPPS, Mr. Musa Ibrahim, clarified…

[ICYMI] Civil servants get Feb 17 deadline for verification

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Federal civil servants have been given a February 17, 2025, deadline for identity verification as the government moves to weed out ghost workers. This was contained in a memo by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and sighted by our correspondent on Saturday. Civil servants are expected to verify their identities on the portal of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System amid the planned stoppage of salaries and other sanctions for ghost workers. Our correspondent gathered that civil servants had been in haste to generate their Taxpayers…

Beyond AI: Emotional Intelligence Also Crucial for Business Success, Says PMI Boss

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The game-changing role technology, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), has continued to play in individual and corporate systems, emotional intelligence and human values, have been identified as equally key to the success of such individuals and corporate organisations. A top Project Management professional and Managing Director, Project Management Institute (PMI), Sub-Saharan Africa, Dr. George Asamani, therefore stressed the need for orgnaisations, desirous of success, to create a balance between these two ends. He argued that, with technology becoming ‘omnipresent’, individuals must be ready to take personal responsibility for preserving their human…

Japa: Visa Dropbox Halted in Nigeria

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The United States has discontinued its visa dropbox service in Nigeria, requiring all applicants for visitor visa renewals to attend in-person interviews. This change eliminates the previous option for eligible applicants, especially those with recent US travel history, to submit their passports without an interview, which had significantly shortened processing times. The suspension of this service raises concerns about further delays in visa processing, as interview slots in Nigeria were already subject to extended wait times, sometimes exceeding a year. This shift could disrupt travel plans for many Nigerians, including…

Why I won’t deport Prince Harry — Trump

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United States President, Donald Trump, has dismissed deporting Prince Harry from the United States, despite ongoing litigation questioning the Duke of Sussex’s immigration status. Trump disclosed this in an interview with The New York Post on Friday, saying he does not want to take action against Harry “I don’t want to do that. I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible,” Trump said. This comes amid legal challenges involving Harry’s visa, particularly from the Heritage Foundation, which has raised concerns over Harry’s potential failure to…

NDLEA Operation: Drug Kingpins Apprehended, 125 Heroin Wraps Excreted

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two suspected drug kingpins at Port Harcourt International Airport and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, who excreted a total of 125 wraps of heroin. NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrests in a statement issued on Sunday, revealing that one of the suspects, Onyekwonike Elochuckwu Sylvanus, operates under dual identities to evade detection. Sylvanus, 30, was caught at Port Harcourt airport on February 2, 2025, using a Sierra Leonean passport under the name Kargbo Mohamed Foday. “He was intercepted during the inward…

Tinubu hails Fayemi’s sacrifice in stepping down at APC presidential primary

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President Bola Tinubu has commended former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, for his selflessness and political maturity, particularly his decision to step down for him in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary ahead of the 2023 elections. In a tribute marking Fayemi’s 60th birthday, Tinubu described him as a committed democrat, a strategic thinker, and a loyal ally who has played a crucial role in shaping Nigeria’s political landscape. The President praised Fayemi’s contributions to democracy, his leadership in governance, and his influence within the APC. Reflecting on…

Warri refinery undergoes maintenance one month after resuming operation

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Barely a month after announcing the commencement of the 125,000 barrels Warri refinery, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has said the facility is undergoing a planned routine maintenance programme aimed at ensuring optimal operations. It also denied reports of an explosion at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company. The company, in a statement signed by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, on Friday, said operations at WRPC were halted to carry out repairs for efficient service delivery. He added that routine maintenance was progressing and operations would be…

Tinubu Orders Database Clean-up After FG Uncovers 6,000 Nigeriens with NINs

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The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has identified over 6,000 Nigerien citizens registered in its database with National Identification Numbers (NINs). This discovery coincides with President Bola Tinubu’s directive for an inter-ministerial committee to ensure accurate data for the National Social Register, which is used for the Federal Government’s social investment programs. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, reportedly briefed the Federal Executive Council on NIMC’s activities and confirmed that these NINs have been withdrawn from the illegal holders during an ongoing database clean-up. This follows a 2022 incident where…