CBN approves payment service bank licenses to MTN, Airtel
Two major telecommunications firms in Nigeria, MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa, have been granted approval in principle (AIP) for payment service bank (PSB) licenses. MTN’s MoMo Payment Service Bank Limited and Airtel’s SMARTCASH Payment Service Bank Limited (Smartcash) were granted approval in principle. The telcos stated that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) granted the approvals on Thursday November 4. Uto Ukpanah,...
Femi Adesina: Why I stopped attending my church in Abuja
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has decried the manner many preachers have turned the pulpits to avenues to spew out hate, especially against government. Adesina, in an op-ed titled ‘This Kumuyi is simply different’, narrated how he stopped attending a branch of his church in Abuja as a result of the pastor’s persistent...
UNIABUJA professors, other abductees rescued – Police, VC, ASUU
All abducted victims of the University of Abuja have been rescued and reunited with their families. The police in Federal Capital Territory confirmed the release on Friday. DSP Josephine Adeh, Police Public Relations, said the feat was achieved through a joint operation with other security agencies. Armed men had on Tuesday morning invaded the Senior Staff Quarters of the University of Abuja. At...
CBN spends N58.bn to print banknotes in one year
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) spent a total of N58,618.50 million to print banknotes in 2020. This was revealed in the annual report of the apex bank’s Currency Operations Department (COD) released on Thursday. The N58.6 billion incurred on printing of banknotes in 2020 is less than what the CBN spent in 2019. In the report, the Bank’s total cost incurred...
Bianca Ojukwu blames Obiano for APGA’s dwindling fortunes
Widow of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Bianca, has expressed worry over the dwindling political fortunes of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Ojukwu, who spoke on Thursday to mark the posthumous birthday of the late Biafra warlord, on November 4, blamed Governor Willie Obiano for the defection of APGA members to other political parties, especially the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ojukwu...
NCC awards N20m grants to 4 innovative tech startups
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has awarded N20 million grant to four deserving Nigerian tech startups for their novel digital solutions aimed at curbing insecurity and advancing Internet of Things (IoT) frontier in Nigeria. Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja in his remarks at the grand prize award ceremony for ‘Virtual NCC Internet...
MTN Group begins sale of 575m shares to Nigerian investors
MTN Group has announced plans to sell 575 million shares in MTN Nigeria. This is contained in a notice signed by the Company Secretary, Mrs. Uto Ukpanah on Thursday in Lagos. The statement said the public offer would be by way of book build to institutional investors and fixed prices to retail investors. “Today we announce our intention to proceed with a...
Two days to Anambra election, guber candidate still with abductors
Two days to the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LLP), Mr. Obiora Agbasimalo, is still in the hands of abductors. Agbasimalo was last seen on September 18. He was reportedly kidnapped on Saturday, September 18, after he left a campaign ground at Ezinifitte in Nnewi South Local Government Area of the state. National...
IPOB cancels sit-at-home order, urges Anambra people to vote Saturday
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called off the one week sit-at-home order in the South-East. The decision to call off the action, which was meant to coincide with the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, was due to the intervention of traditional and religious leaders from the South-East. Comrade Emma Powerful, Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, in...
2 court officials arraigned for forging divorce certificate
The police on Thursday arraigned three persons including two staff of a Mapo Customary Court, Ibadan, before an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court for alleged forgery and bribery. The defendants namely: Abdul Hammed (53), Saka Afusat (54), both staff of a Mapo Customary Court and one Oladosu Olusola (43), are being tried on charges of conspiracy, forgery and receiving bribe. The Prosecutor, Insp....
