FEATURES

FEATURES

The former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi has stated that President Bola Tinubu desire to give Nigeria the best is not enough in leadership.

He asserted that there must be a framework in place to bring about the change Nigerians are earnestly awaiting.

 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain shared his reservation on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday.

 

The ex-governor, who described the president as his elder brother, said that intentionality is critical to the success of the Nigeria project.

 

“He (Tinubu) is well-meaning but well-meaning is not enough in leadership; intentionality is critical to success,” he said.

 

Fayemi said those in power know the truth but do not act the truth “because sometimes there are many mediating factors”.

 

He said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done many good things, we all must acknowledge that. He’s been bold to take on some of the most difficult decisions that previous leaders have been reluctant to take on.

 

“The fallout of those decisions has caused us huge cost of living crisis. Fuel subsidy removal, convergence of FX window.

 

“Whether you talk about student loan or other efforts at resisting insurgency, taming insecurity, tax policy reform, increase revenue into the federal coffers, some elements are there but need to come together.

 

“This is where effective policy framework go side by side with leadership acumen to get a change of narrative to the story. Maybe that’s the area where we need to do lots more.”

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has vowed to “down tools,” arguing that citizens are “feeding from hand to mouth” following the recent hike in telecom tariff.

 

Festus Osifo, the President of TUC, made this known when he appeared on Channels Television’s *

 

Politics Today on Thursday, blaming the hike on mismanagement of foreign exchange, which he believes the government can handle easily.

 

 

e said the TUC is not begrudging the telcos, knowing very well that the socio-economic landscape they operate in has changed dramatically, but insisted that the government has the responsibility to ensure that the economic outlook of the country is stable for businesses to thrive.

 

According to him, “Government has the tools and wherewithal to be able to manage the landscape to ensure that the cost of doing business goes down. And one of the ways is that exchange rate because that is the root cause of the problem.”

 

Asked what ultimatum they are giving to the Nigerian government, he added, “The NAC [TUC, which is like the National Working Committee] has met today. After that, we’ll have the Central Working Committee meeting, and we also have the NEC.

 

“So at the NEC, we’ll take the final decision. So the NAC was the one that met today.

 

“All we are saying is that if you allow your currency to slide, it will affect all of us.”

 

He added, “We are completely apolitical. For one, I don’t belong to any political party; I’ve said that severally, so we look for what is in the best interest of the Nigerian workers and Nigerians in general.

 

“We started shouting about this early last year; if our exchange rate is better managed, at the end you are going to see that there is no need for that increment.”

 

Asked if the TUC is proceeding with an industrial action, he said, “Absolutely,” adding that they will “down tools and go to the streets.”

 

He said the NEC of TUC has the responsibility to give a date for the strike.

 

DAILY POST reports that members of the Trade Union Congress are in charge of the oil sector and other sectors crucial to the running of the economy

A manufacturer, the Operations Director of Manufacturing Industry Canada, Olufemi Johnson, said what is consumed as milk in Nigeria are creamers.

 

Johnson made this known in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday while speaking on the challenges facing Nigeria’s dairy industry.

 

According to him, Nigeria’s dairy has remained stagnated due to under-investment.

 

 

“When it comes to the dairy industry, we are not anywhere in Nigeria.

 

“As a society, we don’t have milk, or kids don’t have milk protein. We didn’t grow with milk protein. What we called milk in Nigeria is not milk but creamers. They are not qualified to be called milk.

 

“There is a global standard of what is called milk. You don’t milk, milk, but bottle it,” he stated.

 

Experts in the have lamented the widespread of inferior milk in Nigeria.

 

Recall that the federal government in June 2024 launched the National Dairy Policy, 2023-2028 to drive growth in the sector

Last modified on Friday, 07 February 2025 05:21

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has issued guidelines for the sale of foreign exchange (FX) to Bureaux De Change, BDC, operators.

 

The modalities are outlined in a statement issued by the Trade and Exchange Department of the CBN on Wednesday.

 

The Apex Bank stated that this is in response to its earlier authorization granting temporary access to existing BDCs to the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) for the purchase of FX from authorized dealers.

 

 

The CBN noted that authorized dealers are only allowed to sell foreign exchange cash to BDCs, subject to a maximum of USD 25,000.00 per week per BDC.

 

The Apex Bank warned that any breach of this condition will attract appropriate sanctions.

 

The CBN emphasized that the selling rate by authorized dealers to BDCs shall be the prevailing day rate at the NFEM window.

 

According to the statement from the bank, “foreign exchange cash purchased by BDCs from authorized dealer banks shall be sold to foreign exchange end-users at a rate not exceeding a one percent margin above the buying rate.

 

“While the one percent margin stated above shall be applicable to all funds to be retailed by BDCs, regardless of the source of funds.”

The mother of famous Nigerian singer Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, aka Ayra Starr, has urged Nigerians to encourage their middle-aged mothers to join social media platform, TikTok.

 

Mrs Aderibigbe, who is known for her trendy content on TikTok, claimed that the platform helps middle-aged women mentally.

 

She made the claim in a video message shared via her TikTok page recently.

 

 

“I’m so grateful to be on TikTok. I’m so privileged to have you all in my life as part of me. Thanks you for your support.

 

“If your mum is between 40-60 years old, encourage them to be on TikTok because it helps them mentally.

 

“I’m on TikTok now and I can testify to it. My thinking now is different from before. Now, I’m creative in my thoughts.

 

“You guys can see the way I’m looking. So please, encourage your mums, let them come and teach us their experiences in life,” she said

Media

Last modified on Friday, 07 February 2025 07:46

Former Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye has joined the Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood.

 

Kennedy joined Nollywood a few months after being sacked by President Bola Tinubu.

 

DAILY POST reports that Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye was appointed as minister in August 2023, and removed alongside four others in a cabinet reshuffle on October 23, 2024.

 

 

The 51-year-old politician has now shifted her focus to filmmaking barely four months after her removal from the cabinet.

 

Announcing her acting career on her X handle, the former minister shared a video of her latest project.

 

Kennedy who is also a lawyer and entrepreneur, joined the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2015 and emerged the party’s first female presidential aspirant in 2023, before ultimately withdrawing to support Tinubu.

 

Veteran Nollywood actor, Columbus Irisoanga, popularly known as ‘Igbudu’ is dead.

 

Columbus Irisoanga’s death was announced by another veteran actress and politician, Hilda Dokubo, in a post on Instagram.

 

Hilda said that Irisoanga had gone to be with the Lord.

 

 

She also stated that the actor’s death is a heavy one on University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Nollywood.

 

“Our uncle Coli @colu_mbusirisoanga has gone to be with the lord. Ikoli eh dein na mu.

 

“There can’t be shortage of Angels in heaven that the few here are called home like this na! This one is heavy on Uniport Rivers state Nollywood,” she wrote.

 

Columbus’s death comes just a few days after another Nollywood actress, Pat Ugwu, 35, died.

Reality TV star and disc jockey, Tolani Shobajo, popularly known as Tolanibaj, has revealed that one of her best decisions was relocating to Nigeria from the United States.

 

In a post on her X handle, Tolanibaj revealed that the thought of her relocation didn’t make complete sense to her at the time, but she took the risk.

 

The reality star noted how it’s been six years since she moved to Nigeria, and she couldn’t be happier.

 

 

She wrote: “Honestly, one of the best choices I ever made in life was relocating to Nigeria. I’m grateful to God for the timing of my move. The thought of moving didn’t make complete sense to me at the time, but it just felt right, and I took the risk. It’s been six interesting years, and I couldn’t be happier.”

 

Tolanibaj was born on 20th October 1993 in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

 

She rose to fame after participating in the Big Brother Naija reality show in 2020.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations has raised concerns over the high rate of malnutrition in North Eastern Nigeria, revealing that 3.7 million children in the region are stunted, wasted, or anaemic.

This is according to a statement shared via email with our correspondent by FAO’s Communication Specialist, David Tsokar, on Thursday.

This statistic was disclosed during a high-level roundtable discussion convened by the Government of Borno State in collaboration with FAO to scale up the production and utilisation of the Tom Brown initiative.

The event, held at the UN House in Abuja on Wednesday, brought together representatives of federal ministries, donors, UN agencies, and NGOs, reaffirming their commitment to addressing food insecurity in the region.

 

According to the Northeast Nutrition Sector, represented by the Nutrition Sector Coordinator, John Mukisa, “an alarming 3.7 million children in northeastern Nigeria are stunted, wasted, or anaemic. Investments in low-cost, innovative, and locally sourced solutions such as Tom Brown could save the Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States an estimated USD 120 million annually.”

The roundtable was held against the backdrop of a worsening food crisis in Nigeria, as recent Cadre Harmonisé figures indicate that 25 million Nigerians are currently food insecure—a number projected to rise to 33.1 million across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory between June and August 2025.

Borno State Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Professor Baba Gana, stressed the urgency of combating malnutrition, stating, “Nigeria continues to bear one of the highest burdens of malnutrition globally. This reality underscores the urgency of our gathering today. It is imperative that we adopt innovative, community-driven approaches to combat malnutrition and ensure food security. Tom Brown has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in addressing malnutrition, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children under five and lactating mothers.”

 

The FAO Representative ad interim, Koffy Dominique Kouacou, emphasised the broader benefits of the initiative, saying, “Scaling up Tom Brown will not only meet urgent nutritional needs but also create livelihood opportunities, strengthen local markets, and generate revenue for regional development. To bring this vision to life, we need partnership, expertise, and resources. Beyond figures and policies, we must remember the human faces behind the statistics—the children whose lives we can save, the families we can uplift, and the communities we can transform.”

The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, underscored the economic potential of Tom Brown, stating, “The production and commercialization of Tom Brown will attract investment from the private sector, boosting state revenue and positioning Borno as a leader in nutrition-sensitive agriculture.”

Stakeholders at the roundtable deliberated on the challenges and opportunities in scaling up Tom Brown production, with a focus on establishing a dedicated production facility in Borno State. The meeting resulted in a draft roadmap outlining expansion efforts, including strategies to sustain the initiative.

Tom Brown, a nutrient-dense food made from locally available ingredients, has been recognized as an effective intervention in reducing malnutrition and preventing relapse by up to 35 per cent among children discharged from UNICEF and WFP-supported nutrition centres.

FAO has also enhanced the product with fish protein, which has been distributed as emergency nutritional assistance to flood-affected families.

FAO and the Borno State Government have called on donors, government agencies, private sector investors, and humanitarian organizations to support the initiative.

“Scaling up Tom Brown production in Borno State and beyond has the potential to significantly reduce malnutrition and improve food security for the most vulnerable populations across Nigeria,” the FAO statement added.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that the country’s security and economy improved significantly during his eight-year tenure.

Buhari stated this on Wednesday while receiving members of the Katsina State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists at his country home in Daura, Katsina State.

The former President stated that he inherited a bad economy and security challenges from the Peoples Democratic Party, which was in government for 16 years.

Buhari, however, asserted that his government’s strategies successfully tackled these challenges, curbing terrorism and economic hardship.

 

He said, “Nigeria’s security and economy improved significantly under my administration compared to what we met in 2015. Things will continue to improve in Nigeria.”

The former President also acknowledged the country’s administrative challenges, noting that only those in positions of power truly understand these obstacles.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Yusuf Ibrahim-Jargaba, lauded Buhari’s efforts in tackling terrorism, banditry, and other security challenges during his tenure.

 

Ibrahim-Jargaba also commended the former president’s hard work, dedication, and selfless service, which he believes helped maintain the country’s unity.

Last modified on Thursday, 06 February 2025 17:04