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Food Security: Nigerian Government Calls for 3-Day Prayer and Fasting to End Hunger

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has declared a three-day period of prayer and fasting for divine intervention on food insecurity in the country.

The Ministry declared this via a circular dated June 11, 2025, and addressed to the ministry’s staff.

The ministry stated that the initiative was introduced by the ministry’s director of human resource management.

The ministry noted that the move aims to invoke spiritual support for the government’s agricultural objectives.

This is to invite all staff of the federal ministry of agriculture and food security to a solemn prayer session for God’s guidance and success in supporting the government’s efforts to achieve food security,” the circular read.

Themed “Divine Intervention for Protection and National Development,” the prayer sessions will be held at the ministry’s Conference Hall ‘B’, located at its headquarters in Area 11, Garki, Abuja. Each session will run from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

According to the directive, all staff are expected to fast and participate on three consecutive Mondays – June 16, June 23, and June 30, 2025.

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Tinubu
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Tinubu seeks approval for fresh $21.5bn, €2.2bn Foreign Loans

by Andrew Mailafia
written by Andrew Mailafia

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has written to the House of Representatives seeking approval for three major financial proposals involving external and domestic borrowings amounting to billions of dollars, euros, and naira.

In a set of letters read on Tuesday during plenary by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, the president requested legislative backing for the federal government’s external borrowing rolling plan for 2025–2026, a $2 billion foreign currency bond issuance in the domestic market, and the issuance of bonds to clear outstanding pension liabilities under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

In the first letter, Tinubu sought the House’s approval to raise up to $2 billion through the issuance of foreign currency-denominated financial instruments in Nigeria’s domestic debt market. The issuance, the President said, is in line with a Presidential Executive Order signed in October 2023.

“This request is pursuant to the provisions of Section 44 (1) and (2) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and Section 1(7) of the Executive Order, which requires National Assembly approval for all new borrowings and appropriation of the proceeds,” the president wrote.

The proceeds, according to the president, will be invested in critical sectors of the economy to drive growth, infrastructure, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings.

The strategy, he explained, aims to diversify government funding sources, stabilise the naira, and deepen the local financial market.

However, he acknowledged that the capital raising will increase Nigeria’s public debt stock and debt servicing costs.

In another communication, Tinubu presented a detailed external borrowing plan for the 2025–2026 period. He said the proposed loans amounting to $21.5 billion, €2.2 billion, 15 billion Japanese yen, and a €65 million in grants, would fund priority projects across infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, water supply, security, and employment generation.

“These projects were selected based on technical and economic evaluations and are geared toward addressing the country’s infrastructure deficit, reducing poverty, creating jobs, and boosting food security,” the president stated.

He added that most of the projects would be implemented across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Citing the impact of subsidy removal and dwindling domestic revenues, Tinubu emphasised the urgency of closing the financial gap through prudent external borrowing, noting that the funds will be targeted at sectors such as power, railways, and healthcare.

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Headlines

BREAKING: No fraud uncovered in NELFUND — Minister

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Wednesday, declared that there was no fraud uncovered in the student loan scheme.

Alausa made this known at the end of a meeting held with Vice Chancellors, officials of the National Universities Commission, Nigerian Education Loan Fund and the Federal Ministry of Education.

Alausa also described the statement put up by the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission and other related offences as incorrect.

“Let me start by saying that there is no fraud in NELFUND. ICPC reported that the information was not correct. There is no fraud in NELFUND; what we have are issues that have to do with the timeline.”

Recently, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission said it commenced a comprehensive investigation into alleged discrepancies surrounding the disbursement of student loans under the Nigeria Education Loan Fund.

The commission said its preliminary findings revealed that while the Federal Government released N100 billion for the scheme, only N28.8 billion was disbursed to students, leaving N71.2b unaccounted for.

Worried by the development, the National Association of Nigerian Students vowed to protest the alleged discrepancy.

The National Orientation Agency had alleged that certain schools, conniving with some banks, delayed payments to students who qualified for loans so they could make money off the situation.

This followed a media report that alleged that some institutions made unauthorised deductions ranging from N3,500 to N30,000 from students’ fees received from the loan fund.

In a statement last Thursday by the ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, the commission stated that its Special Task Force immediately commenced investigations upon receiving the allegations.

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Headlines

FG increases driver’s license, number plate fee

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Nigerians are expected to pay more for their vehicle and drivers license renewals and new ones even as the Joint Tax Board (JTB) has approved an increment in price.

The new price adjustment will be effective Sunday, 8th June 2025.

By this announcement, the JTB, being the apex body for revenue authorities in Nigeria, urges affected members of the public to take note of the new prices, and implores relevant government agencies and Motor Vehicle Licencing Authorities to comply with the price adjustment.

In an advertorial sighted in one of the national dailies, the new approved price for Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle number plates and driver’s licence as approved are as follows: Motor vehicle driver’s license for three years is N15,000 while for five years is N21,000. For tricycle/motorcycle drivers license, three years is N7,000 while five years is N11,000.

For number plates, the prices ranges in different categories and are as follow: Standard private vehicle number plate is N30,000; Standard commercial number plate, N30,000; Articulated vehicle number plate is N90,000; Dealer vehicle number plate is N100,000; Out of series number plate is N150,000; Fancy vehicle number plate is N400,000; Government standard vehicle number plate is N80,000; Government fancy vehicle number plate is N120,000.

The price adjustment, according to JTB, is due to the introduction of enhanced security features in the number plate and driver’s licence and incidental increase in production cost.

JTB stated that information on the price adjustment is on the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) website,www.frsc.gov.ng and the Motor Licencing Authority (MLA) at States’ Internal Revenue Service offices, or Motor Vehicle Administration Authorities across the country.

They noted that the price adjustment applies nationwide. Apply for your driver’s licence and number plate on the National Vehicle Identification System portal at nvis.frsc.gov.ng or the Vehicle Licensing Authority nearest to you.

JTB also cautioned Nigerians to beware of touts and not pay more than the approved price.

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Headlines

FG to establish centre to check Immigration, document fraud

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government on Tuesday said it will soon establish a centralized verification centre to check cases of immigration and document fraud.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo disclosed this in Abuja when he received the United Kingdom UK Minister of State for Home Affairs, David Hanson.

He said; “One of the key issues we also realized with border control is what we call immigration and document fraud. It is very key and we realized that one of the reasons why this is quite on the rise is because there is no centralized pool of authentication and verification of documents in real time.

“So today, if people submit 20 documents, you might need to go to 20 issuing agencies to verify 20 documents belonging to one person. So, if you have 1,000 people per day, you might need to look for 100,000 verification and authentication systems. That breeds inefficiency. And for us, we sincerely believe, and I will not shy away from this fact, and I will say this very clearly, that the unfortunate situation is that the bad reputation of a few is being magnified, is being amplified at the expense of the great reputation of the majority of Nigerians. But we are not blaming anybody for that. We are taking responsibility.

“Nigerians have a responsibility, and as such, as a country,we have decided to be able to create a real-time pool where authentication and verification of all documents, may it be bank statement, may it be passport, may it be birth certificate, may it be any document, just to one centre, where verification will happen.

So we are already working on that because we care about our image, and we care about our relationship and we want to be able to give people the opportunity to know what is right at any time that they wish to know it. It is not just about integration. It also affects investors. If somebody wants to invest in Nigeria, he will want to know who he is dealing with. As a government, we are trying to be more proactive than reactive, and we don’t want to judge our performance in terms of fraud by virtue of recoveries or convictions, but rather by the number of crimes or frauds that we prevented from happening. We want our performance to be based on our preventive measures and not just on our reactive measures. So we are also working on that”, he added.

Earlier, Hanson who led a delegation from the UK Home Office, the National Crime Agency and the UK High Commission in Nigeria, said both countries have to improve performance on criminal justice outcomes.

“There is a great common agenda that we can share and I am particularly keen to look at how we are working together closely. My visit this week will also look at the new Joint Centre that you are undertaking. I will meet with other colleagues in government departments.

“I think it is really important and I know that you visited recently and met with the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper and that there is a willingness and a hope that we can further engage and that you want to organize regional conferences along the lines that we have been trying to do in the United Kingdom to raise some of these criminal justice issues within your sphere of influence here in Nigeria and beyond”, he added.

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Headlines

FG Launches New Payroll Audit to Eliminate Ghost Workers

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government, through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation , has begun a personnel audit aimed at identifying and removing ‘ghost workers’ from the federal civil service payroll.

This move comes amid growing concerns over the mass exodus of civil servants—popularly known as japa—many of whom reportedly continue to receive government salaries after relocating abroad.

The development was disclosed in a memo signed by the Director of Administration, OAGF, Dauda Abdulhamid.

The circular, addressed to all Directors of Finance, Audit, and Federal Pay Offices across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, announced the commencement of a Service-wide Nominal Roll Update and a comprehensive personnel audit.

The memo reads in part: “Following the Service-wide Nominal Roll Update for officers under the pool of the OAGF and in line with the Accountant-General’s commitment to establishing a standardised and reliable personnel record, the AGF has approved the conduct of a Personnel Audit Exercise across the Headquarters, Federal Pay Offices, and all MDAs under the pool of the OAGF.

“To facilitate this process, all affected MDAs are required to complete the attached template accurately and in full. All desk officers must ensure compliance with the referenced circular before submitting the duly completed template by the deadline to avoid being classified as ghost workers.”

It added that completed templates, in Excel format alongside a scanned authentication sheet, should be submitted via email to the Office of the Director of Administration (director.administration@oagf.gov.ng) on or before May 2, 2025.

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Headlines

FG Declares Monday & Tuesday Public Holidays for Eid-El-Fitr Celebration

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government has declared Monday, March 31 and Tuesday, April 1 as public holidays to mark the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Magdalene Ajani.

The minister congratulated all Muslims for the successful completion of the fasting in the holy month of Ramadan.

He urged all Muslims to “embrace the virtues of self-discipline, compassion, generosity and peace, emphasising the importance of love, forgiveness, and solidarity in building a harmonious society.”

Tunji-Ojo called on Nigerians to use this festive period to pray for peace, stability, and prosperity of the nation.

He expressed hope that the joyous occasion of Eid-el-Fitr would inspire unity and cooperation across religious and ethnic lines.

“Dr. Tunji-Ojo also encouraged citizens to celebrate safely and responsibly, while remembering the less privileged through acts of kindness and charity, in keeping with the true spirit of Ramadan and Eid.

On behalf of the Federal Government, he extended heartfelt Eid Mubarak wishes to all Muslim faithful and prayed that the blessings of the season bring happiness, success, and fulfillment to everyone,” the statement read.

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Headlines

FG to release Rivers allocation to Administrator

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government on Wednesday said that the allocation for Rivers State will be released to the Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (retd).

The government also said President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State was timely and meant to avert an implosion in the state.

This is as it has said that the former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has no role in the political crisis in Rivers State that culminated in the declaration of a state of emergency.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, stated this while briefing State House correspondents at the presidential Villa, Abuja.

While fielding questions on whether the Federal Government would release the allocation from the federation account to the state in view of the latest development, the Minister said if the administrator requests for it, it will be released to him.

“And to me, it will be in order for the release of that fund because the event of the extraordinary situation has brought them out of the normal situation of things.”

He justified the decision of the President to declare a state of emergency in the state.

According to him, “We have about two years into the administration in the state.

“Now, when do you think he (President Tinubu) should have come in? Is it when everything has been destroyed? I don’t think so.

“I think the President has acted timeously. He has given the opportunity to all the parties involved, to make amends. Before then, he had to assemble them, he had tried to mediate,” he stated.

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Headlines

FG bans 60,000-litre fuel tankers on roads from March 1

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced a ban on fuel tankers exceeding 60,000 litres from operating on Nigerian roads.

The ban is expected to take effect from 1 March 2025, as revealed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA.

The agency also specified that, by the fourth quarter of 2025, no truck with a capacity exceeding 45,000 litres will be permitted to load petroleum products.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, Ogbugo Ukoha, NMDPRA Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure, stated that the decision was made in response to the rising number of road accidents involving heavy-duty petroleum tankers.

“The first stakeholders’ technical committee met today to establish timelines for about 10 resolutions aimed at addressing the significant increase in truck transit incidents and fatalities,” he said.

According to him, after deliberations involving key agencies—including the Department of State Services, DSS, Federal Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, DAPPMAN, and NMDPRA—it was agreed that from 1 March 2025, any truck with an axle load exceeding 60,000 litres of hydrocarbons will not be allowed to load at any depot.

“The key point here is that, for the first time, consensus was reached among all stakeholders, and we will continue to work together cohesively to ensure the safe transportation of petroleum products across the country,” he said.

Ukoha dismissed recent claims questioning the quality of fuel in circulation across the country, describing them as bogus, misleading, and unscientific.

He assured Nigerians that all imported and locally refined petroleum products meet strict regulatory standards before being released into the market.

The regulator vowed to ensure compliance with petroleum industry standards and specifications, stressing that recent social media claims about the quality of fuel products in circulation are baseless and should be disregarded.

“The regulator would usually be more circumspect and not respond to every comment made in public,” he said.

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Business

FG Takes Full Ownership Of Keystone Bank

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government has taken full ownership of Keystone Bank.

This is according to a statement by the bank posted on its X handle on Tuesday evening.

It read, “Keystone Bank Limited wishes to clarify media report of a judgement by the Lagos State Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, regarding the status of the former shareholders of the bank: Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited and Alhaji Umaru H. Modibbo.

“Recall that on January 10, 2024, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced the dissolution of the previous Board and Management of the Bank for corporate governance breaches. The CBN followed this action with the appointment of a new Board and Management for the Bank.

“Subsequently the Federal Government through the EFCC filed a court action at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, against the former owners challenging the acquisition of the bank. At the sitting of the court today, February 11, 2025, the court ordered the forfeiture of the shares of the Bank previously held by the shareholders in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria. The implication of this judgment is that Keystone Bank Limited is now fully owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

Keystone Bank. Stronger Than Ever.

Keystone Bank is entering a new era of stability and growth. Our foundation is solid, our future is bright, and our commitment to you remains stronger than ever. We move forward—together. #KeystoneBank #WeGrowTogether pic.twitter.com/aHV9XVd4T6

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