The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved a Memorandum of Understanding for the renovation of the National Theatre, Iganmu Lagos worth N21.89bn.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this while speaking with journalists along with other ministers on the outcome of the FEC meeting in Abuja presided by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The MoU was signed by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture with the Central Bank of Nigeria, in which the Bankers Committee of the CBN would provide N21.89bn to refurbish and manage the National Theater for a few years before handing it over to the government.
Mohammed said, “I sought and obtained an approval to execute a memorandum of understanding between the Federal Ministry of Information, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bankers Committee worth N21bn for the renovation of the National Theatre Iganmu, Lagos.
“This is a landmark approval because it has paved the way for investment in the creative industry as part of the resolve of this government to create at least 1,000,000 jobs in the next three years from the creative industry.
“The CBN through the Bankers Committee is willing to invest N21,894,000,000 to renovate the National Theatre, refurbish it and run it profitably.”
FEC also approved N9.43bn for the completion of the digital switchover, which had previously missed the deadline set for implementation.
The council gave approval for a number of contracts worth over N26.7bn for projects under the ministries of Information and Culture; Communication and Digital Economy, and Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development.
This came as the Federal Government said the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy generated over 17.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic Products of the country.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, said FEC approved about N8.98bn for a new national ICT park in the FCT to coordinate public and private ICT hubs in the country.
He also said that the Federal Government would soon release the timelines for the replacement of BVN with NIN in bank accounts after his meeting with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other relevant stakeholders.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk, also said the council approved a new National Policy on Aging which would take care of the needs of the aged people in the country.
Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said that FEC approved a memo he presented for his ministry for the implementation of Damaturu water supply scheme at the cost of N8.43bn.
He said, “I presented a memo for the construction of Damaturu Water Supply project in Yobe State in favour of three contractors and a total sum of N8.43bn.”
FULL LIST: Phones that WhatsApp will no longer work on in 2025
WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business will no longer be available on some older smartphones starting May 5, 2025, as Meta phases out support for devices that don’t meet its updated system requirements.
This update is part of Meta’s commitment to enhancing security and ensuring the app performs smoothly on modern hardware and software. The company says the decision is aimed at helping the platform maintain its efficiency and safeguard user data.
While this change will mostly affect older phones — especially those released over a decade ago — users are advised to upgrade their devices to avoid losing access.
READ ALSO:
Apple devices affected:
WhatsApp will require iOS 15.1 or later iPhone models that won’t meet the minimum requirement include:
iPhone 5s
iPhone 6
iPhone 6 Plus
These models can only run iOS 12.5.7, which falls below WhatsApp’s new cutoff.
Android Devices Affected:
Back on January 1, 2025, WhatsApp ended support for Android phones running version 4.4 (KitKat) or older. Users with these devices were urged to update their operating systems where possible — but for phones stuck without official updates, using WhatsApp is no longer an option.
Affected Android phones include:
Samsung:
Galaxy S3
Galaxy Note 2
Galaxy Ace 3
Galaxy S4 Mini
Motorola:
Moto G (1st Generation)
Moto E (2014)
Razr HD
HTC:
One X
One X+
Desire 500
Desire 601
LG:
Optimus G
G2 Mini
L90
Nexus 4
Sony:
Xperia Z
Xperia SP
Xperia T
Xperia V
Users still relying on these older devices will need to upgrade to newer models if they want to keep using WhatsApp.
FCT traffic service confirms sale of number plates by touts
The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), yesterday advised residents not to patronise touts in registering their vehicles.
A statement by the Director, DRTS, Abdulateef Bello said: “ The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), wishes to inform the general public that the current scarcity of vehicle number plates in the FCT is due to irregular and insufficient supply from the National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS) Plant and efforts are ongoing to remedy the situation.
“We also wish to draw the attention of the motoring public to the activities of fraudsters impersonating DRTS officials in the attempt to take advantage of the situation to exploit vehicle owners.
READ ALSO:
“The DRTS firmly disassociates itself from these illegal activities and strongly caution members of the public against dealing with any individual either staff or agent who claim to be in position of number plates outside what is uploaded in the DRTS self-service portal (https://selfservice.fctevreg.com).
“Moreover, in order to ensure transparency, the approved costs of number plates and related services are readily available on our official communication platforms, and particularly our website.
“The Directorate therefore encourages the public to stick and insist on the stipulated prices.
‘‘In collaboration with the Security Agencies, the Directorate has intensified efforts to bring these impostors to justice.’’
“We urge the public to report suspicious individuals or illegal activities to the Management of the DRTS. The DRTS remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering transparent, efficient, and accountable services to the motoring public”.
Filling stations yet to reduce petrol price after Dangote slashes rate
For the second time in one week, Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a reduction in the price of premium motor spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol.
With effect from yesterday (April 16th, 2025), the gantry price (ex-depot price) of petrol would now go from N865 to N835.
This would be the second price reduction within a week as Dangote Refinery earlier slashed the price from N880 to N865 per litre.
However, as of yesterday, prices are yet to change at most filling stations including the retail outlets belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
While marketers welcomed the decision by Dangote, they however expressed mixed reactions over what they called, “arbitrary” reduction which portends losses to the market.
Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer of Dangote Industries, Anthony Chiejina, in a statement said, “High-quality Dangote petrol will now be available at the following prices across all our partner retail outlets….”
He said key partners, including MRS, AP (Ardova), Heyden, Optima Energy, Hyde and Techno Oil, will offer petrol at N890 per litre, down from N920 in Lagos.
In the South West, the price will be N900 per litre, reduced from N930 while in the North West and North Central, the price will be N910 per litre, lowered from N940.
READ ALSO:
In the South East, South South, and North East, the price will be N920 per litre, down from N950.
The statement said, “These price reductions reaffirm our commitment to providing high-quality petrol at affordable rates, benefiting consumers across the nation. In addition, we are working collaboratively with our partners to ensure equitable reflection of this price reduction.
“Dangote Petroleum Refinery has consistently worked to reduce the prices of petrol and other refined petroleum products, ensuring the continued benefit of Nigerian consumers. For example, in February, the refinery reduced prices twice by N125. In addition, products such as diesel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) have also experienced significant price reductions due to the refinery’s sustained efforts.
“We anticipate that this latest reduction in PMS prices will generate a positive ripple effect throughout various sectors of the economy, providing much-needed relief to consumers and contributing to broader economic growth, particularly during the Easter season.
“Dangote Petroleum Refinery remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring a steady supply of premium-quality petroleum products, with sufficient reserves to meet domestic demand, along with a surplus for export. This strategy is designed to support the stability of the domestic market while also contributing to the growth of Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves.”
The refinery however called on industry stakeholders, including marketers and distributors, to continue sourcing their products from the refinery, ensuring that the benefits of these price reductions are fully realised across the country.
It was learnt that the reduction in price of crude oil was one of the reasons behind the price change.
Global crude oil price has been experiencing volatility in recent times as the US tariff war rages.
Crude oil edged more than 2% higher on Wednesday following expectations of tensions easing in the US-China trade war.
At 1:28 p.m. ET, Brent crude was trading up 2.09% at $66.02, while the US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), was trading up 2.12% at $62.63.
But as of 8 p.m. yesterday, Brent Crude further dipped to 65.77.
As of the time of filing this report, most filling stations across the country are yet to adjust their pump prices with a litre of PMS still sold as much as N990 in some parts of Nigeria.
In Kano, some independent stations were selling at N990 while the NNPC and MRS were selling at N945. In Maiduguri, Bornu State, a litre was sold at between N950 and N980.
In Abuja, NNPCL sells at N950 per litre while other major stations sell between N955 and N960.
There are indications that NNPCL would also adjust its pump price as it is always the case when Dangote slashes its price but as of the time of filing this report, the price adjustment has not been done.
Daily Trust
5 facts about trending digital trading platform, CBEX
Lasaco Assurance attains ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification for information security management
Rivers administrator demands N300m refund from NBA after relocating conference
Obama reacts as Trump freezes $2.3b Harvard University funding
2027: PDP governors reject alliance of opposition parties
BREAKING: Court strikes out defection suit against 27 pro-Wike Rivers lawmakers
Natasha’s allegation against Akpabio has contradictions – Agbakoba
NNPP lawmakers seek to rejoin APC after fallout with Kwankwaso
You must be logged in to post a comment Login