Month: August 2025

FG eyes 21% GDP boost with e-governance bill

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According to the Federal Government, if the proposed National Digital and E-Government Bill is signed into law, the digital economy could significantly increase Nigeria’s GDP, with contributions expected to reach 21% by 2030. This was said by Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, during a stakeholder validation workshop on the bill on Thursday in Abuja. Mr. Rafiu Adeladan, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, represented him. According to Tijani, the bill is a landmark step in creating a digital economy that is inclusive and resilient. In…

Customs intercept N48.5m cannabis, seize N220m contraband in Kaduna

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The Nigeria Customs Service’s Federal Operations Unit Zone “B” in Kaduna reported that it had seized 185 blocks of cannabis sativa worth N48.5 million. On behalf of the Comptroller, Chief Superintendent of Customs Saidu Nuruddeen, the unit’s public relations officer, made this announcement in a statement released in Kaduna on Thursday. According to Nuruddeen, the seizure occurred on August 21 at around 3:30 a.m. and included additional contraband valued at N220.4 million that was found in several operations. “Operators stopped a vehicle along the Zaria flyover on the Kaduna–Zaria Expressway…

2027: I’ve no plan to contest any elective seat – El-rufai

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Nasir El-rufai, a former Kaduna State governor, has said that he will not run for any political office in the general elections of 2027. While welcoming Peoples Democratic Party defectors to the African Democratic Congress in Kaduna on Wednesday, El-rufai made this point clear. He claimed that his willingness to support credible leadership at all levels was what motivated his resumed political activity rather than personal ambition. The former Federal Capital Territory Minister clarified that his original intention upon leaving office in 2023 was to distance himself from party politics.…

Nigeria TikToker Peller safe after viral Kidnap scare, Police clarify

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Fears of a kidnapping involving well-known TikTok content creator Habeeb Hamzat, also known as Peller, have been dispelled by the Lagos State Police Command, which maintains that the performer is “safe and not abducted.” Early on Thursday morning, social media was engulfed in panic following a widely shared video that purported to show the comedian being violently pulled from a car by armed men who were thought to be kidnappers. The video, which went viral on X, Instagram, and TikTok, showed Peller fighting angrily with men beside a white minivan.…

Imo will start paying N104,000 minimum wage with August salaries – Gov’s aide

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Through Mr. Oguwike Nwachuku, the governor’s media adviser and chief press secretary, the Imo State government has defended its recent decision to raise the minimum wages for civil servants to N104,000. Nwachuku reassured the public and workers during his appearance on Channels TV’s The Morning Brief on Thursday that the increased salary is a sustainable policy supported by notable advancements in the state’s financial situation rather than a populist one. There was a mixture of excitement and skepticism following Governor Hope Uzodimma’s statement on Tuesday, with many people doubting the…

Immigration hikes passport fees to N100,000, N200,000

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With effect from September 1, 2025, the Nigeria Immigration Service has announced an increase in the cost of getting the Nigerian Standard Passport. The increased fees would only be applied to applications submitted within Nigeria, per a statement signed on Thursday by ACI AS Akinlabi, the Service Public Relations Officer. According to the announcement, “the review, which only affects passport application fees made in Nigeria, has set new fee thresholds for 32-page applications with a 5-year validity of N100,000 and 64-page applications with a 10-year validity of N200,000.” The statement…

2027: Amaechi rules out stepping down, declares interest in ADC presidential ticket

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Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State and an ADC leader, has stated that he has “no retreat, no surrender” in his intention to run for president in 2027 on the ADC’s platform. This was said by Amaechi, who was also Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation from 2015 to 2022, in an interview with reporters in Kano following a meeting with a group of the state’s traders. He emphasized that he would not step down for any candidate and stressed that the ADC primary race be open. Amaechi stated, “I…

Taxes: FG nets N393bn from Dangote, nine others

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According to an investigation, ten firms that are listed on the Nigerian Exchange paid N392.7 billion in income taxes to the Federal Government in the first half of 2025, up 16.1% year over year from N338.3 billion in the same time in 2024. The companies are Dangote Cement Plc, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc, BUA Cement Plc, International Breweries Plc, Julius Berger Plc, Nascon Allied Industries Plc, UAC of Nigeria Plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, and Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, according to their Condensed Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss…

I await full briefing on Abuja–Kaduna train disaster —Tinubu

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In order to guarantee prompt action and support for everyone impacted, President Bola Tinubu expressed his condolences to the passengers of the Abuja–Kaduna train that derailed on Tuesday along the Kaduna corridor. He stated that he was awaiting a comprehensive briefing. In the meantime, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, or NRC, has accepted full responsibility for the catastrophe. Following the recent derailment, Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential contender, urged the public to have more faith in Nigeria’s transportation system. Shortly…

FG, ASUU to meet; Alausa leads talks to resolve issues.

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A high-stakes meeting is anticipated in Abuja today as the federal government is expected to present a counter offer to university teachers in an attempt to turn years of stalled renegotiations into tangible, implementable commitments with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, or ASUU, in an effort to finally close the chapter on the lingering 2009 ASUU agreement. According to informed sources, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, will meet with ASUU leaders in Abuja along with the Minister of Labor, representatives from the National Salaries, Incomes and…