Vincent Ezenagu The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has appointed Dr. Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan, the immediate past Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank Group, as the Chairman of the Governing Council of Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, Ibadan. The appointment, which takes immediate effect, was conveyed in an official letter signed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi. Dr. Adeduntan, a distinguished banker with extensive national and global experience, is expected to leverage his vast professional network to contribute to the development of the institution. His appointment which has been very well received, is seen…
Author: Orientalnews Staff
Tunde Bakare Former head of State and founding father of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) General Yakubu Gowon GCFR, has commended the managers of the Scheme for sustaining the vision that informed the establishment of NYSC. He said the NYSC was greeted with strong opposition from Nigerian students across the country at inception, had not only overcome the initial misgivings but had grown to become a nationally recognised and accepted tool for fostering national unity, integration, development, job creation, and youth empowerment in Nigeria. General Gowon gave this commendation when the newly appointed Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle…
Valentine Okafor The World Meteorological Day on 23 March highlights the progress – and gaps – in life-saving forecasts and early warnings, which are vital for global economic and social well-being in an era of rapid change. This year marks the 75th birthday of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as a United Nations specialized agency, which has overseen the free and unrestricted exchange of data, products, and services underpinning decisions ranging from daily leisure activities to seasonal crop planting to multi-billion dollar infrastructure investments. “We are more than just weather forecasters,” said Celeste Saulo. “WMO makes the world safer,…
Moses Ofodeme Today is our moment of tribute in honour of Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the seventh Chairman of the national election management body in Nigeria who passed on five months ago in the month of October 2024. By coincidence, he was born in the month of October 1941. On behalf of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), I would like to welcome you all, but most especially The Star, Lady Humphrey Nwosu and all members of the Nwosu family to this occasion. We are honoured to share with you this moment of grief as well as the celebration of Professor…
Agency Report U.S. and Russian officials began talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday aimed at making progress towards a broad ceasefire in Ukraine with Washington eyeing a separate Black Sea maritime ceasefire deal before securing a wider agreement. The talks, which followed U.S. negotiations with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, come as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies his drive to end the three-year-old conflict after he last week spoke to both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Here are some of the issues that Russia, the U.S. and Ukraine are discussing: ENDING ATTACKS ON ENERGY…
Agency Report The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) stands as a cornerstone of Africa’s economic development, driving trade, industrialization, and financial integration across the continent. Established over three decades ago, this Pan-African multilateral financial institution has evolved into a vital force for economic transformation, supporting member states in their pursuit of self-reliance and prosperity. This article explores Afreximbank’s mission, its key initiatives, and its impact on Africa’s economic landscape as of March 24, 2025. A Mandate Rooted in Trade and Development Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, Afreximbank was created with a clear mandate: to finance and promote…
Ken Okeke The 4th Steering Committee Meeting of the EU-ECOWAS Scholarship Programme on Sustainable Energy took place on March 20,2025, Virtually, bringing together representatives from ECOWAS, the European Union, and the British Council. The meeting aimed to review progress and milestones achieved so far in the program, discuss project duration and potential extensions, and reorganize the budget to ensure effective project implementation. This meeting demonstrates the commitment of ECOWAS, EU, and British Council to promote sustainable energy development in West Africa through capacity building and education. This EU-ECOWAS programme aims to improve access to high-quality training in the sustainable…
Uche Cecil Izuora The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has blamed the drop in electricity generation in Q4, 2024, to plunge in energy offtake by the grid-connected customers, including Distribution Companies (DisCos) compared to 2024/Q3. The average hourly generation on the grid in 2024/Q4 was 4,207.41MWh/h, which translates to a total generation of 9,289.95GWh, while average hourly generation of grid-connected power plants decreased by 72.83MWh/h (-1.70 per cent) from 4,280.24MWh/h in 2024/Q3. “The total electricity generated in the quarter also decreased by 160.81GWh (-1.70 per cent) from 9,450.76GWh in 2024/Q3 to 9,289.95GWh. The decrease in generation during the quarter…
Joseph Bakare The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has disclosed that the six international bilateral customers being supplied electricity by Electricity Generation Companies (GenCos) in the Nigerian electricity supply industry made a payment of $5.21 million against the cumulative invoice of $14.05 million issued by the Market Operator for services rendered in 2024/Q4, amounting to a remittance performance of 37.08 percent. The information was obtained from the Q4, 2024 report by the market operator. “Similarly, the domestic bilateral customers made a cumulative payment of N1,252.58 million against the N1,977.02 million invoice issued to them by the MO for services…
Uche Cecil Izuora The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), has advised the Federal Government to weigh the consequences of sustaining the Naira-for-crude oil transaction framework. According to the Executive Secretary of the Association, Olufemi Adewole, the policy not only presents significant risks that could affect Nigeria’s foreign exchange stability and deter Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the country also risks isolation from global market. Adewole highlighted concerns over the volatility of the Naira, emphasizing that crude oil transactions are traditionally carried out in U.S. dollars due to its stability and global acceptability. He cautioned that failure…