Business
Afe Babalola to Tinubu: Seek debt relief from international creditors

Afe Babalola to Tinubu: Seek debt relief from international creditors
Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, has advised President Bola Tinubu to seek debt relief from international creditors.
He stated this call during the 6th Induction Ceremony of 2023 graduating set of College of Medical and Health Sciences, ABUAD, by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday.
He said, “Nigeria is one of the heaviest debtors in the world. I have written articles about it. Let us investigate how we came to several trillions of dollars. What do we spend it on? I can assure you, this money is pocketed by those who said they collected it.
“Let us call on Obasanjo again to advise the present government. When we were in serious trouble in the 90s, after he took over, he went round all the creditors and begged them; one, to peg the interest; two, to even reduce the indebtedness and today, we are better for it.
“Unless we do that, this indebtedness will cripple this country and it will lead to anything. I have seen people especially, in the North who are agitating because of the fact that the naira is getting worse; food prices are high; no employment, and those who get it are not paid. Something has to be done about it.”
He urged President Bola Tinubu to adopt former President Obasanjo’s style, by seeking reduction in the interest of the loan and the loan itself.
This according to him will lessen the burden of the loan on the country and bolster its economic growth.
Babalola also condemned the recent killings of two traditional rulers in Ekiti State and hike in food prices, attributing the phenomenon to the ‘worthless’ value of naira currency which has propelled an average Nigerian to succumb to heinous acts and other criminalities in order to make ends meet.
He urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts at tackling insecurity so that farmers could access their farms without fear and enable all Nigerians to be producers of crops by investing in agriculture.
The legal icon also called on the government to increase the salaries of teachers across all the levels of education to bolster their teaching delivery towards achieving and sustaining quality education in the country, as it has been in the 20th century.
His words: “Monarchs are killed; it is an unusual development. So, what is behind all these is the fact that we have no money, our money has no value; our currency is as worthless as toilet paper. Something has to be done about naira and productivity.
“Farmers have left their farms now because of kidnappers, something has to be done about kidnapping and farmers have to be encouraged to go back to their farms.”
The legal luminary urged the inductees not to contribute to the brain drain syndrome adversely affecting medical profession in Nigeria.
At the 6th induction ceremony, no fewer than 12 students of College of Medicine and Health Sciences of ABUAD bagged distinctions as the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) inducted 161 students of 2023 graduating set.
The students recorded excellence in courses such as Community Medicine, Surgery, Pathology, Pharmacology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology and Integrated General Medical Courses.
After the physician pledge, the Registrar, MDCN, Dr Tajudeen Sanusi, condemned the trends of japa syndrome and advised the inductees to return to Nigeria if given placements to train outside the country.
Business
I’m honoured, excited over World Bank’s appointment – Dangote

I’m honoured, excited over World Bank’s appointment – Dangote
President and CEO of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has expressed gratitude following his appointment to the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, a global initiative aimed at accelerating private investment and job creation in emerging economies.
In a statement confirming the development, Dangote described the appointment as both an honour and a reflection of his long-standing commitment to economic development through private enterprise.
“I am both honoured and excited to accept my appointment to the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, dedicated to advancing investment and employment in emerging economies,” Dangote said.
“This opportunity aligns with my long-standing commitment to sustainable development and unlocking the potential of developing economies.”
He referenced the successes of the so-called Asian Tigers, economies that experienced rapid growth through strategic investment, as a source of inspiration for advancing similar outcomes in other parts of the world.
The World Bank announced Dangote’s inclusion on Wednesday as part of a broader expansion of the Lab, which enters a new phase focused on scaling up solutions that attract private capital and generate employment in developing countries.
Other newly appointed members include Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer AG; Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises; and Mark Hoplamazian, President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
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World Bank Group President Ajay Banga noted that the expanded membership underscores the institution’s focus on integrating private-sector leadership into its strategy for global job creation.
“With the expanded membership, we are mainstreaming this work across our operations and tying it directly to the jobs agenda that is driving our strategy,” Banga said.
“This isn’t about altruism—it’s about helping the private sector see a path to investments that will deliver returns, and lift people and economies alike. It’s central to our mandate.”
The lab, which was co-chaired in 2023 by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, previously sought to mobilise £1 trillion in sustainable investment, particularly targeting energy transition projects in emerging markets.
Aviation
Air Peace suspends flights nationwide over NiMet strike

Air Peace suspends flights nationwide over NiMet strike
Air Peace has suspended all its flight operations across the country due to the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
The airline said in a statement on Wednesday that it was also suspending operations due to the unavailability of QNH (hazardous weather) reports required for safe landings.
“Due to the ongoing NiMet strike and the unavailability of QNH (hazardous weather) reports required for safe landings, Air Peace has suspended all flight operations nationwide until the strike is over,” Air Peace said.
“Your safety is our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and will share updates as the situation unfolds.”
The airline had earlier announced that the NiMet strike could lead to flight delays and cancellations across its network.
Air Peace added that it was monitoring the situation and working with relevant stakeholders to minimise the impact on customers’ travel plans.
Employees of NiMet commenced a nationwide indefinite strike over welfare issues on Wednesday.
Some of the issues raised involve “NiMet’s refusal to negotiate or implement agreed financial allowances and unresolved entitlements,” including wage awards, peculiar allowances, and outstanding payments from the 2019 minimum wage.
They also accused the management of the agency of withholding important documents, ignoring requests for inclusion of omitted staff in past payments, and neglecting key training programmes in favour of executive retreats.
Business
Nigeria’s gas production increases by 15.6% to 227,931.65 mscf

Nigeria’s gas production increases by 15.6% to 227,931.65 mscf
Nigeria’s gas output has increased 15,6 percent month-on-month, MoM, to 227,931.65 million standard cubic feet, mscf, in March 2025.
But on year-on-year, YoY basis, the nation’s gas output recorded a marginal increase to 227,931.65 mscf in March 2025, from 198,353.62 mscf, recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.
Data obtained from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Gas Production Status reports indicated that of the total of 227,931.65 mscf produced in March 2025, 119,552.75 mscf was associated while 108,378.90 mscf was non-associated gas.
Associated gas is extracted in the process of producing crude oil while non-associated gas is produced without crude oil after much investment, exploration and development.
The Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), which is directly involved in the development of policies, targeted at increasing investment in the sector said efforts have been made to increase investment and production of gas in Nigeria.
Similarly, in its recent report obtained by Vanguard, the Nigerian LNG Limited stated: “We are fully committed to expanding our operations with the NLNG Train 7 Project, which will boost our production capacity by 35%, increasing from 22 Million Tonnes Per Annum (mtpa) to 30 mtpa. This project underscores our role as a key player in the global LNG market and positions Nigeria as a top-tier supplier of LNG, leveraging its vast proven gas reserves of 202 trillion cubic feet (the 9th largest globally).
Vanguard
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