Nollywood’s resilient star, Bisola Badmus, has been inundated with an outpouring of love and support following her heart-wrenching revelation about her ongoing battle with a brain tumor.

The actress, recently opened up about her struggles during a candid appearance on Biola Adebayo’s show.

In that revealing interview, Bisola laid bare the painful realities of her estranged relationship with her alleged baby daddy, Fuji icon KWAM 1 (King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall).

With raw emotion, she detailed how the singer has allegedly neglected his responsibilities towards their son, Malik, leaving her to shoulder the overwhelming burden of parenthood alone.

However, amidst the heartache came a beacon of hope. Following her passionate outcry, Biola Adebayo joyfully announced that Bisola’s son had just been awarded a scholarship from a kind-hearted Nigerian, a generous gesture that brought a sigh of relief to the struggling mother.

Biola expressed her gratitude to everyone who has rallied around Bisola, offering love and support since the interview aired.

Adebayo also shared the heartbreaking losses Bisola has endured: the passing of her mother, father, and younger brother, all while now battling her own sickness.

She wrote;

“THANK GOD WE FINALLY GOT A SCHOLARSHIP FOR MALIK! OLUWASEUN” God continue to help her, I pray she will never lack money and the gift of good people around you Thank you to everyone who has been supporting us since yesterday. Im grateful.,

“Within a few years, she lost her dad, mum and her younger brother. Now she has a Brain Tumor sad she has spent quite a fortune and she’s still spending. Thank God she’s getting better, but she needs all the love she could get now”

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In the comments section of Biola’s announcement about the scholarship, fans seized the moment to voice their frustrations with KWAM 1, dragging him for his apparent lack of involvement and responsibility.

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Nollywood’s vibrant comic actress and filmmaker, Ariyo Oluwakemisola Apesin, widely known as Kemity, recently dropped a bombshell about her chaotic romantic life that left jaws dropping.

In an electrifying live session with the fiery content creator Neecee Boss, streamed on her page, Kemity opened up about the tumultuous realities of love, marriage, and the men who have come and gone in her life.

Kemity, a mother of two, with a voice heavy with emotion, revealed a heart-wrenching experience involving her baby daddy that shattered her world.

According to her, while she was in the throes of labor at the hospital—teetering between life and death and fighting to bring her daughter Ifeoluwa into the world—her baby daddy, the very man who was supposed to be her pillar of support, was caught in a scandalous act of infidelity.

This follows the Yoruba movie star’s December 2023 announcement that she is officially off the market after sharing a video of herself proudly wearing her engagement ring.

Kemity revealed that she said “yes” to her boo and promised to share more details about their engagement.

In the heartwarming proposal video shared by one of her colleagues, Kemity looked stunned as her partner popped the question beside their Christmas tree, both dressed in matching Christmas pajamas.

Celebrating with her on Instagram were stars like Funke Akindele, Biola Bayo, Omowunmi Ajiboye, Yetunde Barnabas, Afeez Owo, Itele, and Bukola Adeeyo.

As the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year award slowly approaches, debates on who will win the men’s category have surfaced on social media.

With that in mind, we have compiled five reasons why Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman is guaranteed to win the prestigious African Footballer of the Year 2024 award.

Following the impressive form of Victor Osimhen in 2023, the Nigerian international became the fifth Nigerian footballer ever to clinch the award and the first in the 20s era to ever do so.

It is safe to say that Nigeria is returning to being the dominant force in African football as another Nigerian international, Ademola Lookman is perfectly poised to clinch the award making it back-to-back wins for Nigeria.

Questions as to what qualification Ademola Lookman possesses to win such an award have been asked and given his impressive run in the Serie A and also at AFCON 2023, it is safe to say that the winger is definitely not far from winning the award.

Can Ademola Lookman win the African Footballer of the Year 2024?

As things stand, Ademola Lookman is in the best position to be crowned the African Footballer of the Year 2024. The major prerequisites to clinch the award have been ticked by the Nigerian international at both club and national level.

Ademola Lookman’s individual stats

Ademola Lookman’s individual stats as a footballer for Atlanta in the 2023/2024 series A and Europa League season were exceptional and the Nigerian international has also carried the form into the 2024/2025 season at the club.

The winger has been exceptional and is not shy of creating chances and also converting them himself.

One performance that would not be forgotten for days or years to come would be his trailblazing performance at the UEFA 2023/2024 Europa League final fixture Atalanta vs Bayer Leverkusen where he became the first African footballer in the history of any UEFA competition to score a hattrick in the finals.

Ademola Lookman’s Serie A stats (2023/2024)

• Matches Played: 31
• Goals Scored: 11
• Assists: 7
• Shots on Target: 25
• Yellow Cards: 4
• Red Cards: 0

Ademola Lookman’s UEFA Europa League stats (2023/2024)

• Matches Played: 11
• Goals Scored: 5
• Assists: 1
• Shots on Target: 9
• Yellow Cards: 2
• Red Cards: 0

Lookman’s Ballon d’Or 2024 nomination

Ademola Lookman became the only African player to be shortlisted in the final 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or 2024 Men’s Player of the Year award. This is a huge booster for his quest for the African Footballer of the Year 2024, as him being the only player with a nod in the men’s category recognizes his exceptional abilities in the 2023/2024 season. It remains to be seen if he would make the final top 10 shortlist at the award ceremony but Lookman seems to be focused now on working hard in the 2024/2025 season.

Ademola Lookman at AFCON 2023

Ademola Lookman was a game-changer for Nigeria at AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast. It is safe to say he played a huge role in Nigeria’s progression to the finals of the tournament against all odds.

AFCON performance of both the player and his country would also be a huge decider in determining the winner of the African Footballer of the Year and as of the moment, the Atalanta forward ticks the two boxes with ease.

Ademola Lookman delivered an impressive performance during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with the following key stats:

• Goals Scored: 3
• Netted twice in the Round of 16 against Cameroon.
• Scored the decisive goal in the quarter-final clash with Angola.
• Assists: 1
• Matches Played: 4
• Man of the Match Awards: 1 (in the match against Cameroon)
• Big Chances Created: 2
• Chances Created: 7
• Key Passes: 6

Importance in both the national team and at club level

The importance of a player at both national and club level would also play a huge role in selecting the African Footballer of the Year in the Men’s category.

The importance of a player in any team can be determined by the number of appearances such a player makes for his side and how much of a game-changer he is in such a team.

Over time Ademola Lookman has exerted his dominance in both the national and the club level making it almost impossible for both teams to function effectively in his noticeable absence.

Whenever Lookman is on the field of player there is always an extra spring in the gameplay of both Nigeria and Atalanta as he can be found opening spaces and creating chances during an attack.

Ademola Lookman titles won

Recognizing football as a team sport is also important which is why aside from what you have achieved as an individual on the field of play, what your team has achieved also plays a huge role in determining the winner of the Footballer of the Year award.

With Ademola Lookman’s side Atalanta picking up the UEFA Europa League title in the 2023/2024 club football season with him being a major contributor in guaranteeing his side the title in the finals, the scales of the African Footballer of the Year 2024 have officially tipped in his favour.

These five key reasons could tip the scales in favour of Ademola Lookman for the highly coveted African Footballer of the Year awards 2024.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has disclosed that Nigerians living abroad contribute $20 billion annually to the country’s economy, representing 6.1% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This was announced by NIDCOM Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, during her presentation at the “Africa Diaspora Day on the Hill” event, part of the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.

Dabiri-Erewa highlighted the remarkable achievements of Nigerians in various sectors globally, commending their role as strategic partners in the country’s growth. She noted that the remittances have played a crucial role in supporting families, boosting local economies, and aiding national development.

The Chairman also emphasized NiDCOM’s efforts to engage the diaspora through the National Diaspora Policy, which seeks to harness the resources, skills, and expertise of Nigerians abroad. This policy aims to create opportunities for increased participation in the nation’s development, including investment in key sectors such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

She stated, “Nigerians abroad continue to significantly impact both the Nigerian economy and their host countries. Their contributions in areas such as technology, medicine, education, and business have elevated Nigeria’s global profile.”

The “Africa Diaspora Day on the Hill” event provided a platform for discussions on how African diasporas can drive positive change in their home countries. Dabiri-Erewa stressed the importance of stronger ties between the Nigerian government and its diaspora community to ensure continued contributions to Nigeria’s economic growth.

The statement issued by Gabriel Odu of NIDCOM’s Media, Public Relations, and Protocols Unit also highlighted the need for more initiatives to mobilize resources from the diaspora for national development, as well as fostering collaboration between Nigeria and other African countries with large diaspora populations.

Nigerian musician Paul Okoye, aka Rudeboy of the P-Square duo, has insisted on splitting with his twin brother, Peter Okoye.

Recalls that the crisis between the two brothers became public after Paul, in an interview, accused Peter of petitioning the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arrest him.

However, expressing his frustration during an Instagram live session on Wednesday, Paul claimed he did most of the work while others benefitted.

Speaking in pidgin, he said: “Those days of monkey dey work, baboon dey chop, I no dey do again. So I would rather continue working for myself. Every time, only me dey sing all the songs. I no dey do again.”

The singer had recently noted that the rift between him and his brother is more complicated than it is viewed.

P-Square first split in 2017 and reunited in November 2021.

There are strong indications that President Bola Tinubu may scrap the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation as part of a major cabinet rejig.

The exercise would also see some portfolios split and others merged into a single entity, while some ministers would be relieved of their duties, a Presidency source told The PUNCH.

Tinubu has been facing increasing pressure from within and outside his party, the All Progressives Congress, to sack underperforming ministers in his cabinet.

Although the President had warned against underperformance about 10 months ago, the cabinet had remained largely intact, save for the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu.

Last November, after a three-day retreat for cabinet members and presidential aides, Tinubu announced that a Central Delivery Coordination Unit headed by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Mrs. Hadiza Bala-Usman, would measure the performance of ministers and other top government officials.

Their performance would determine who would leave or remain, Tinubu stated.

 “If you are performing, nothing to fear. If you miss the objective, we’ll review it. If no performance, you leave us. No one is an island and the buck stops on my desk,” the President told participants.

In early September, Sunday PUNCH stated that a cabinet reshuffle was imminent.

However, sources in the Presidency who confided in our correspondent said the reshuffle would transcend portfolio swaps. Instead, some portfolios and ministries would be split, merged or scrapped.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the matter, said the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, whose helmswoman, Dr. Betta Edu, was suspended in January, would be scrapped entirely. Nonetheless, the officials were reluctant to disclose which other ministries would be affected.

“I think it is overdue now. In fact, he (Tinubu) was supposed to announce the changes last week, but he was out of the country; that was why. But he wants to do it while he is around.

“It is not just about reshuffling his cabinet. He is also going to restructure some of the ministries for effectiveness and output because the current structure in some of them is not effective.

“Just to let you know, he may be scrapping the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs because he does not think there is a need for it. There are several agencies that are performing those functions already and they can do it without a ministry. So, he sees no need for it,” the source said.

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development was established in August 2019 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. 

Buhari said its formation was part of his strategy to streamline and coordinate humanitarian interventions, disaster response, and social welfare programmes in the country.

Nigeria has been dealing with numerous crises such as internal conflicts, particularly from Boko Haram insurgencies, natural disasters, and a rising number of internally displaced persons.

The ministry was tasked with managing these matters, along with various social investment programmes such as the N-Power scheme, Conditional Cash Transfer and the Homegrown School Feeding Programme, amongst others.

While announcing his new ministers in August 2023, President Tinubu re-scoped the ministry to ‘Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.’

However, the ministry had been mired with various allegations of corruption, mismanagement and inefficiency, with most of these controversies centering on its first minister, Sadiya Farouq, who served from its inception until 2023.

Farouq’s successor, Edu, was also suspended for allegedly diverting ₦585m in ministry funds to a personal bank account.

While announcing her suspension January 7, the Presidency said Tinubu had tasked a panel, headed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to, among other functions, “conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes to conclusively reform the relevant institutions and programmes in a determined bid to eliminate all institutional frailties for the exclusive benefit of disadvantaged households and win back lost public confidence in the initiative.”

On the timing of the reshuffle, another source disclosed that the President planned to finalise it before departing for New York, USA to participate in the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“Soon, I can say it will happen soon. The arrangement is that he is supposed to do it before leaving for the UNGA this week. And I see nothing hindering that for now.

 “It is confirmed. There is a particular portfolio that has to be split into two. Others will be merged, and some will be scrapped. That is what I know,” the source said.

Meanwhile, a third source confirmed that some frantic lobbying had begun as some cabinet members had been contacting their godfathers to prevail on the President in their favour.

 “Yes, that is a typical thing. Some of the ministers will be calling their godfathers to influence the President. It is a normal thing. But the President will still do what is on his mind for the country.”

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Wednesday, beseiged the Kogi State Government Lodge in Abuja in an attempt to arrest former govenor, Yahaya Bello.

The Director of Yahaya Bello’s Media Office, Ohiare Michael, raised the alarm in a statement on Wednesday night, titled, “Despite voluntary visit, EFCC officials surround Kogi Government Lodge, Abuja in an attempt to forcefully arrest former governor Yahaya Bello, fire gunshots.”

Earlier in the day, the ex-governor’s media team and the anti-graft agency  were engaged in a verbal dispute over the controversial visit of the ex-governor to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

A statement on Wednesday by Bello’s media team said the ex-governor finally surrendered himself and visited the EFCC headquarters months after being declared wanted by the anti-graft agency over an alleged N80.2bn fraud.

Michael said Bello went to the EFCC headquarters voluntarily to clear his name but the anti-graft agency refused to attend to him.

But the spokesman for the EFCC, in a statement, insisted that Bello was not in the custody of the anti-graft agency.

In their Wednesday night state, Bello’s media office raised the alarm about attempt by EFCC operatives to arrest Bello at the Kogi Government Lodge in Abuja.

Michale said, “It has come to our notice that people suspected to be operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are currently around the Kogi Government Lodge, Asokoro in an attempt to forcefully arrest former Governor Yahaya Bello. They were shooting sporadically.

“It was reported earlier that the former Governor went to the EFCC office voluntarily earlier today but the commission told him to leave and come at a later date, only to mount a Gestapo-like attack on the Kogi State Government facility in Asokoro.

“We want to place it on record that the EFCC should be held accountable if anything untoward happens to him.

“Tonight’s attack was needless as the former governor made himself available to the EFCC in their office for interrogation. The EFCC had no question to ask Alhaji Yahaya Bello in the morning, but suddenly, they are out to arrest him.

“ This action is condemnable. They have displayed the very reason many Nigerians believe they were fighting political battles instead of the mandate to fight corruption. This action reflects much more than the fight against corruption.”

The PUNCH reports that the EFCC preferred 19 charges against the former Kogi governor alongside his nephew, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu, for money laundering offences amounting to N80,246,470,088.88.

After failed attempts to arrest and arraign him, the EFCC  in April declared the former Kogi governor wanted.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on August 20 ordered Bello to surrender himself for arraignment.

However, on Wednesday, Michael said the ex-governor honoured the EFCC invitation after consultation with his legal team and political associates. Michael added that Bello had nothing to hide.

Reacting, the anti-graft agency’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, denied that the former governor was in its custody, adding that Bello remained wanted.

Oyewale said, “Media reports today that a former governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello, is in the holding facility of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is incorrect. The commission wishes to state that Bello is not in its custody. Bello, already declared wanted by the commission for alleged N80.2 billion money laundering charges, remains wanted with a subsisting warrant for his arrest.”

The EFCC’s statement contradicted the one released by Michael, which claimed that the former governor had voluntarily honoured the anti-graft agency’s invitation.

But Bello’s team, in another statement by its director, said Bello was at the EFCC office alongside his successor, Usman Ododo. Michael alleged that the EFCC did not interrogate him and told him he could leave.

Michael said, “Earlier today, we reported the voluntary visit of former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission office to honour the commission’s invitation.

“In the statement, we reiterated the former governor’s great respect for the rule of law and constituted authority and stressed that all the while, he only sought the enforcement of his fundamental rights to ensure due process.

“The EFCC did not, however, interrogate him as officials told him he could leave. We don’t know what this means yet. As we write, Yahaya Bello has left the EFCC office. He was accompanied there by the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo.

“Recall that the case has been before a competent court of jurisdiction, and Alhaji Yahaya Bello had been duly represented by his legal team at every hearing. The former governor decided to honour the invitation to clear his name as he has nothing to hide and nothing to fear.”

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, declined assent to the Presumptive Tax Bill passed by the state House of Assembly, citing the current plight of the people.

 Makinde rejected the bill on the grounds that it would impose additional burdens on the poor, stating that the people were already struggling due to the current economic reality in the country.

“Anything that will put money in the pocket of the people is what I am interested in, so they can use it where it is needed most. At this time, I’m not interested in any policy that will empty their pockets. I’ll continue to fight poverty and not fight the poor,” the governor said.

Makinde expressed his position on the bill while recognising the Speaker of the Oyo Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin, during the flag-off of the upgrade of Samuel Akintola Airport to an international standard. 

He stated that he would not implement the bill for the moment.

The governor, however, praised the Assembly for the initiative, which he believed was aimed at increasing the state’s Internally Generated Revenue.

Last week Thursday, the Oyo State House of Assembly passed the State Presumptive Tax Bill, 2023, which provides for the imposition, administration, and collection of presumptive tax on individuals and entities whose income cannot be ascertained due to lack of financial records.

The bill outlines various presumptive tax rates for different enterprises, including artists and sign writers, barbers, bricklayers, carpenters, grinding mills, gas refilling depots, hairdressers, horticulturists, photographers, plank sellers, plumbers, welders, mechanics, block makers, saw millers, book stores, and typing studios.

Under the section of the law titled: “Oyo State Negotiated Presumptive Tax Rate,” owners of adult wear boutiques are liable to pay a minimum of N10,000 yearly and maximum of N50,000; barbers to pay from N3,000 to N10,000; artists and sign writers to pay from N5,000 to N50,000; bicycle repairers to pay between N2,000 and N10,000; bookshop/stationary stores to pay a minimum of N10,000 and maximum of N20,000; bricklayers to pay from N10,000 to N30,000; sellers of building materials to pay from N15,000 to N50,000; furniture makers to pay N25,000 to N40,000; carpenters are to pay between N10,000 and N35,000; gas station operators are to pay between N25,000 and N45,000; while photographers to pay between N2,000 and N5,000.

Also, plumbers are to pay between N2,000 and N10,000; welders to pay from N5,000 to N20,000; fruit sellers to pay from N1,000 to N5000; sallers/repairers of handset to pay between N2,500 and N4,000; shoemakers to pay between N500 and N2,000; laundry shop owners to pay from N1,000 to N2,500; block makers to pay between N15,000 and N25,000; vulcanisers to pay between N2,500 and N7,500; mechanic/welder/rewire are to pay between N1,500 and N5,000 and plank sellers to pay between N2,500 and N10,000.

The bill stipulates that a taxable person who fails to make the payment of the tax shall be liable to pay the sum and a penalty equal to 10 per cent per annum, while those who maintain up-to-date records and file returns within the stipulated period shall be granted a rebate of two per cent of the tax payable.

The law also specifies that persons subject to presumptive tax must file returns on or before 90 days from the commencement of each year.

 Upon payment of all tax assessments, taxable persons will be issued a tax clearance certificate.

The Federal Government is set to receive a fresh loan from the World Bank, with approval expected for loans worth $1.7 billion.

The loan is expected to be approved on September 26, 2024, according to official documents obtained by The PUNCH.

The funds will be received via three major development projects aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s economic stability and resource mobilisation capabilities.

The first project is the Nigeria: Primary Healthcare Provision Strengthening Programme, which is set to receive $500m.

The second project, Nigeria Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity Governance, has proposed funding of $500m.

While the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria Project will receive the highest funding of $700m.

The document stated that these projects have reached the negotiation stage and are expected to be approved on September 26, 2024. (As of board presentation).

The negotiation stage, the final phase of the loan process, indicates that the request has successfully cleared the appraisal stage between Nigeria, represented by the Minister of Finance, and the World Bank.

If approved, Nigeria will have secured a total of $3.95bn in loans from the bank this year alone and a cumulative $6.65bn under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The proposed loan projects, targeting crucial sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and infrastructure, are pivotal for the country’s sustainable development and economic stability.

The Nigeria Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity, which will receive $500m, focuses on enhancing human capital by improving education, health, and social protection services.

According to the draft copy of the Environment and Social Systems Assessment prepared by the bank, the project is to improve quality and utilisation of essential health care services and health system resilience in Nigeria.

The document read, “The proposed HOPE-Health provides a Sector-Wide Approach platform, leveraging significant additional resources to support a critical agenda.

“By aligning donor financing with the government’s resources, the proposed operation will foster convergence around a common set of results that are reflective of Nigeria’s disease burden.

Continuing, it said, “The Programme Development Objective is to improve quality and utilisation of essential healthcare services and health system resilience in Nigeria. Four PDO-level indicators align with the PDO emphasis on utilization, and quality of essential health care services.

“Number of women and children who receive tracer essential health services by community health workers. The number of PHC facilities achieving service readiness assessment criteria. The proportion of deliveries with skilled birth attendants present and the number of empaneled EDGE level 1 CEmONC facilities certified.”

This project has the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and Federal Ministry of Education as the implementing agency.

Also, the international lender stated that the loan request for the Nigeria: Primary Healthcare Provision Strengthening Program, is to fortify Nigeria’s primary healthcare system by enhancing healthcare infrastructure, training healthcare professionals, and improving service delivery. This project will be implemented by the Ministry of Health.

The third project, Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria Project, will focus on sustainable power generation and irrigation, both of which are essential for agricultural and industrial development.

It will be supervised and implemented by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation.

Our correspondent also observed that two loan requests including the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project – Scale Up project will receive $500m by December 16, 2024, and the Solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities Project has been slated for an approval date of April 8, 2025.

Recall that on June 13, the World Bank announced the approval of two loan projects aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s economic stability and supporting its vulnerable populations.

According to a statement from the bank, the combined package, totaling $2.25bn, comprises the $1.5bn Nigeria Reforms for Economic Stabilization to Enable Transformation Development Policy Financing Program and the $750m Nigeria Accelerating Resource Mobilization Reforms Program-for-Results.

Already, the international lender has received $751.88m of the $1.5bn under the Nigeria Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation.

So far, Nigeria has secured a total of $4.95bn in loans from the World Bank under the administration of President Bola Tinubu amid concerns over the country’s rising external debt servicing costs.

Not less than six loan projects have been approved and they include loans for power ($750m), women empowerment ($500m), girl’s education ($700m), renewable energy ($750m), economic stabilization reforms ($1.5bn) and resource mobilization reforms ($750m).

Data from the external debt stock report of the Debt Management Office shows that Nigeria owes the World Bank a total of $15.59 billion as of March 31, 2024.

On Tuesday, The PUNCH reported that 20 state governors have borrowed N446.29bn in six months highlighting the significant financial burden the sub-nationals currently face.

The Federal Government has called on agencies recruiting for the private sector to adhere to the N70,000 minimum wage, warning that any deviation would not be tolerated.

According to the FG, the new minimum wage is necessary to address the current economic reality, emphasising that no Nigerian worker, whether in government or private employment, should be paid less than the minimum wage.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kachollom Daju, stated this on Wednesday while speaking at the 13th Annual General Meeting of the Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria, held in Ikeja, Lagos.

Daju, who was represented by the Director of Employment and Wages of the ministry, John Nyamali, said, “The minimum wage is now a law, and as a result, it is a punishable crime for any employer to pay less than N70,000 to any of its workers.

“The private employment agencies should make it compulsory in any contract they take from their principal that their workers should not earn less than the minimum wage. The least paid worker in Nigeria should earn N70,000, and I think that should be after all deductions.

“The minimum wage is a law, and you can be jailed if you fail to implement it. The Federal Government is committed to ensuring that the least paid worker goes home with N70,000.”

In his remarks, the President of the Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria, Dr. Olufemi Ogunlowo, asked the government and Nigeria Labour Congress to clarify whether the N70,000 minimum wage is net or gross, stating that all ambiguities in the Act should be highlighted and explained.

 According to Okoye, the EAPEAN is already committed to the minimum wage, as well as providing decent jobs for Nigerians and guarding against the exploitation of human resources.

“As a labour union in the private sector, we are committed to the implementation of the minimum wage. We are a law-abiding and guided association. Our principals and clients have also keyed into the minimum wage.

“However, the government must clarify whether the N70,000 minimum wage is net or gross. The government and NLC should address all ambiguities in the minimum wage,” he stated.

Speaking at the programme, the Chairperson of the NLC, Lagos State chapter, Funmilayo Sessi, said the prevailing hardship had made a mess of whatever income any worker was earning in Nigeria, calling on private employers to ensure the payment of the N70,000 minimum wage.

She said: “The N70,000 isn’t enough in the current economic realities. By the time the consequential adjustment is concluded, all private employment agencies should immediately start paying their workers the N70,000 minimum wage.

“The NLC in Lagos State will see to the strict enforcement of the minimum wage. EAPEAN should avoid confrontation with the NLC on the minimum wage.”