Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Dangote Refinery Loading Bay. Credit: Dangote Refinery Due to rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and their ripple effects on global energy markets, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has increased the gantry price of petrol and diesel, further tightening pressure on consumers and businesses across Nigeria. A top official at the refinery, who confirmed the development to our correspondent on Tuesday night, said the facility adjusted its pricing in response to prevailing international crude oil benchmarks and market realities. The new pricing template shows that petrol rose by N75 per litre to N1,275, representing an increase of about 5.02 per…

A socio-political group in Delta State has cautioned against the politicisation of pipeline surveillance in Nigeria’s oil-producing region, noting that such developments could affect coordination and ongoing efforts to support crude oil production. The Itsekiri Grassroot Coalition (IGC) stated that pipeline surveillance should not be approached as a political settlement or patronage system, emphasizing that it is a sensitive national responsibility requiring technical capacity, coordination, and accountability. In a statement jointly signed by Comr. Oritseneye Fredrick, Coordinator, Warri South, and Noyor Juliet A., Coordinator, Warri South West, the group noted that discussions around decentralising pipeline surveillance contracts along community lines,…

The Debt Paradox (A DeeEnvoy Policy Reflection) They say Africa is rising. It is a phrase that appears frequently in global development discourse, featured in reports by institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and echoed across investment forums and diplomatic conversations. It is convenient. It is optimistic. It is marketable. But it is also deeply misleading, because what is often framed as “rise” is, in reality, structured resistance within unequal systems. Africa’s economic growth narrative is frequently cited as evidence of progress, yet this growth is increasingly constrained by external financial pressures. As of 2024,…

Elegbede Abiodun … financial institutions have a critical role in supporting Nigeria’s smallholder-driven agricultural sector. Stakeholders in Nigeria’s agriculture sector have called for stronger coordination across the value chain to boost productivity and enhance food security. The call was made at the BusinessDay Future of Agriculture Conference held in Lagos, where participants examined challenges affecting agricultural inputs, financing, and infrastructure. The conference, themed “From Seed to Feed: Strengthening Agricultural Inputs for Food Security,” brought together policymakers, agribusiness operators, financial institutions, and development partners. Among attendees were Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, who represented Governor Babajide…

Elegbede Abiodun The Alternative Bank (‘AltBank’) is making a major push into electric vehicle (EV) financing, positioning the sector as a key growth opportunity as it seeks to bring Nigeria’s largely informal transport market into the formal financial system. The Bank said beyond clean energy, EVs are emerging as income-generating assets that can create jobs, reduce operating costs, and open new pathways to financial inclusion for transport operators who have historically been shut out of conventional lending. Divisional head, Commercial & Institutional Banking (Core North),Mohammed Abdul, laid out the case at the Abuja Compact on Electric Mobility Roundtable, where government…

The Zamfara State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has canceled signing-out activities in all schools across the state due to rising concerns over students misconduct.  This decision was made public in a circular released on Monday by the Commissioner for Education, Abdulmalik Abubakar Gajam. The notice was also sent to Governor Dauda Lawal, security agencies, school managements and other concerned groups. The ministry said farewell activities organised by final-year students have recently turned into events where many students engage in misconduct and actions that go against the values expected in schools. It noted that such behaviour does not align…

From 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., another event will be held at Eko Hotel and within Victoria Island, with motorists advised to avoid the corridor or expect delays. The Lagos State Government has announced partial road closures across key parts of the state for the commissioning of critical infrastructure projects scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the temporary closures were necessary to ensure safety and the smooth conduct of the events. The government advised motorists to plan their movements and avoid affected corridors during the specified…

The European Union, along with the Federal Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, has called for urgent action to end food waste and promote sustainable consumption and production. They noted that when food is wasted, the water, energy, and labour that went into producing it are also wasted, while accelerating climate change and undermining global efforts to build a zero-waste circular future. This was disclosed in a statement by the EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS on Monday. Speaking in Abuja, during the commemoration of this year’s International Zero Waste Day, with the theme “Food waste reduction –…

The Gateway Air…Photo Credit: Yoruba Times “The aircraft are fully owned by the Ogun State Government, while flight operations are being managed by ValueJet,” Ojo said. The Ogun State Government has dismissed claims that it does not own Gateway Air, describing such assertions as misleading and politically motivated. The Senior Special Assistant to the governor on New Media, Emmanuel Ojo, clarified the position in a statement on Tuesday, insisting that the state fully owns the airline’s aircraft while operational responsibilities have been outsourced to a private operator. According to him, the arrangement involves a partnership with ValueJet, which manages flight…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) supplied 10 crude oil cargoes to the Dangote Refinery in March, marking a significant step in ramping up operations at Africa’s largest oil processing facility. Bloomberg reports that president of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, who controls the continent’s largest crude processing plant, confirmed this to reporters at a briefing on Monday. Nigeria doubled crude supply to Dangote Refinery in March as Africa’s top oil producer moved to shore up fuel availability after the Iran war disrupted Middle East shipments. “Last month, they gave us six cargoes for naira and four cargoes for dollars,” Dangote…