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President Bola Tinubu has left Abuja, the nation’s capital, for a two-week vacation in the United Kingdom, which is part of his annual leave.
Naija News reports the President left the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, along with Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and other top government officials, were at the airport to bid farewell to the president.
See the video.
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The United States (US) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Olayinka Oyebola, a Nigerian auditor, for allegedly aiding and abetting securities fraud reportedly carried out by Mmobuosi Odogwu Banye, the former chief executive officer (CEO) of Tingo Group, and three companies controlled by him.
In a statement on Monday, the SEC also charged Oyebola’s accounting firm, Olayinka Oyebola & Co. (chartered accountants), registered with the public company accounting oversight board (PCAOB).
“The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Olayinka Oyebola and his Public Company Accounting Oversight Board-registered accounting firm, Olayinka Oyebola & Co. (Chartered Accountants), with aiding and abetting a massive securities fraud perpetrated by Mmobuosi Odogwu Banye, also known as Dozy Mmobuosi, and three related U.S. companies that Mmobuosi controlled (the Tingo entities),” the SEC said.
“The SEC recently obtained a $250 million final judgment against Mmobuosi and the Tingo entities.”
According to the SEC’s complaint, Oyebola and his firm deliberately failed to act after discovering that Mmobuosi and his companies created multiple fake audit reports which bore Oyebola’s signature and were included in SEC filings as if issued by his firm.
‘OYEBOLA ASSISTED IN CONCEALING FRAUDULENT REPORTS’
The SEC alleged that Oyebola made material misstatements to the then-auditor of one of the Tingo entities and assisted in concealing the fraudulent reports, causing auditors, investors, and regulators to rely on these fake reports to their detriment.
The commission said Oyebola and his firm’s assistance enabled Mmobuosi and the Tingo entities to carry out a multi-year scheme to inflate financial metrics that defrauded investors globally.
Antonia Apps, director of the SEC’s New York regional office, said as alleged, Oyebola and his firm violated the public trust and gave up their responsibilities as public company accountants and auditors by helping Mmobuosi and the Tingo entities effectuate and conceal their fraud.
“We will not hesitate to hold gatekeepers to the public markets accountable when they facilitate fiction rather than truth,” Apps said.
The complaint, filed in the US district court for the southern district of New York, charges Oyebola and his firm with aiding and abetting violations of the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws by Mmobuosi and three Tingo entities.
The SEC also charged Oyebola with aiding and abetting Mmobuosi in lying to auditors.
The complaint seeks civil penalties as well as permanent injunctive relief including an order permanently barring Oyebola and his firm from acting as auditors or accountants for US public companies or assisting in the preparation of financial statements for SEC filing.
“The ongoing investigation is being conducted by Michael DiBattista, Christopher Mele, Jeremy Brandt, Gerald Gross, and Rebecca Reilly under the supervision of Tejal D. Shah,” the SEC said.
“It is being litigated by David Zetlin-Jones and Mr. DiBattista under the supervision of Alexander Vasilescu, all of the New York Regional Office.
“The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Israel Securities Authority.”
On December 18, 2023, the SEC charged Mmobuosi for providing “false information to investors,” and “orchestrating a staggering fraud”.
Two days later, Mmobuosi temporarily stepped down as Tingo Group’s co-CEO.
A month before he stepped down, the SEC suspended trading in the securities of Tingo Group.
A US federal court, on September 1, fined Mmobuosi the sum of $250 million in monetary relief in a securities fraud suit default judgment.
The default judgment was given by Jesse M. Furman, a US judge, who said Mmobuosi and his companies failed to respond to an SEC lawsuit accusing them of overstating financial results.
[TheCable]
‘Comfortable, fun, familiar’: Why Microsoft is trying to turn its AI chatbot into a digital friend
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Artificial intelligence chatbots have been billed as productivity tools for consumers — they can help you plan a trip, for example, or give advice on writing a confrontational email to your landlord. But they often sound stilted or oddly stubborn or just downright weird.
And despite the proliferation of chatbots and other AI tools, many people still struggle to trust them and haven’t necessarily wanted to use them on a daily basis.
Now, Microsoft is trying to fix that, by focusing on its chatbot’s “personality” and how it makes users feel, not just what it can do for them.
Microsoft on Tuesday announced a major update to Copilot, its AI system, that it says marks the first step toward creating an “AI companion” for users.
The updated Copilot has new capabilities, including real-time voice interactions and the ability to interpret images and text on users’ screens. Microsoft also says it’s one of the fastest AI models on the market. But the most important innovation, according to the company, is that the chatbot will now interact with users in a “warm tone and a distinct style, providing not only information but encouragement, feedback, and advice as you navigate life’s everyday challenges.”
The changes could help Microsoft’s Copilot stand out in a growing sea of general-purpose AI chatbots. When Microsoft launched Copilot, then called Bing, early last year, it was seen as a leader among its big tech peers in the AI arms race. But in the intervening 18 months, it’s been leapfrogged by competitors with new features, like bots that can have voice conversations, and easily accessible (albeit imperfect) AI integrations with tools people already use regularly, like Google Search. With the update, Copilot is catching up with some of those capabilities.
When I tried out the new Copilot Voice feature at Microsoft’s launch event Tuesday, I asked for advice on how to support a friend who is about to have her first baby. The bot responded with practical tips, like providing meals and running errands, but it also provided more touchy-feely advice.
“That’s exciting news!” the tool said in an upbeat male voice — Copilot is designed to subtly mirror users’ tone — that the company calls Canyon. “Being there for her emotionally is a big one. Listen to her, reassure her and be her cheerleader … Don’t forget to celebrate this moment with her.”
An AI companion
Copilot’s update reflects Microsoft’s vision for how everyday people will use AI as the technology develops. Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman contends that people need AI to be more than a productivity tool, they need it to be a kind of digital friend.
“I think in the future, the first thought you’re going to have is, ‘Hey, Copilot,’” Suleyman told CNN in an interview ahead of Tuesday’s announcement.
“You’re going to ask your AI companion to remember it, or to buy it, or to book it, or to help me plan it, or to teach me it … It’s going to be a confidence boost, it’s going to be there to back you up, it’s going to be your hype man, you know?” he said. “It’s going to be present across many, many surfaces, like all of your devices, in your car, in your home, and it really will start to live life alongside you.”
The earlier iteration of the Microsoft AI chatbot received some backlash for unexpected changes in tone and sometimes downright concerning responses. The bot would start off an interaction sounding empathetic but could turn sassy or rude during long exchanges. In one instance, the bot told a New York Times reporter he should leave his wife because “I just want to love you and be loved by you.” (Microsoft later limited the number of messages users can exchange with the chatbot in any one session, to prevent such responses.)
Some experts have also raised broader concerns about people forming emotional attachments to bots that sound too human at the expense of their real-world relationships.
To address those concerns while still developing Copilot’s personality, Microsoft has a team of dozens of creative directors, language specialists, psychologists and other non-technical workers to interact with the model and give it feedback about the ideal ways to respond.
“We’ve really crafted an AI model that is designed for conversation, so it feels more fluent, it’s more friendly,” Suleyman told CNN. “It’s got, you know, real energy … Like, it’s got character. It pushes back occasionally, it can be a little bit funny, and it’s really optimizing for this long-term conversational exchange, rather than a question-answer thing.”
Suleyman added that if you tell the new Copilot that you love it and would like to get married, “it’s going to know that that isn’t something it should be talking to you about. It will remind you, politely and respectfully, that that’s not what it’s here for.”
And to avoid the kinds of criticisms that dogged OpenAI over a chatbot voice that resembled actor Scarlett Johansson, Microsoft paid voice actors to provide training data for four voice options that are intentionally designed not to imitate well-known figures.
“Imitation is confusing. These things aren’t human and they shouldn’t try to be human,” Suleyman said. “They should give us enough of a sense that they’re comfortable and fun and familiar to talk to, while still being separate and distant … that boundary is how we form trust.”
More new Copilot features
Building on the voice feature, the new Copilot will have a “daily” feature that reads users the weather and a summary of news updates each day, thanks to partnerships with news outlets like Reuters, the Financial Times and others.
Microsoft has also built Copilot into its Microsoft Edge browser — when users need a question answered or text translated, they can type @copilot into the address bar to chat with the tool.
Power users who want to experiment with features still in development will have access to what Microsoft is calling “Copilot Labs.” They can test new features like “Think Deeper,” which the company says can reason through more complex questions, and “Copilot Vision,” which can see what’s on your computer screen and answer questions or suggest next steps.
After some backlash over privacy risks with a similar AI tool it released for Windows earlier this year, called Recall, Microsoft says Copilot Vision sessions are entirely opt-in and none of the content it sees is stored or used for training.
When it comes to using technology at home, women tend to do more of the day-to-day online work for the family, creating an extra digital burden.
My phone pings and it's the school chat group reminding us that it's a dress-up day. I scramble to fashion an outfit together for our children to wear. I do this without thinking about it, before my partner has a chance to help.
This is a common occurrence in many households, because despite men taking a more active role in parenting than in recent history, women still tend to be seen as the household organisers.
It's now been well established that in heterosexual relationships, women also do more of the hidden labour – the anticipating, planning and organising of the tasks that helps family life function. It creates a substantial mental workload at the intersection of cognitive and emotional labour. Less obvious is the fact that technology is exacerbating this, putting women at risk of digital overload and even burnout.
Clearly technology can help us be more productive in many areas of our lives. But at home, it is evident that technology is adding to women's already busy mental workloads. A recent cross-national study analysed data from the European Social Survey of more than 6,600 parents from 29 countries who had at least one child and one living parent. It found that the mental load on women, especially mothers, is exacerbated by technology. There appears to be a gender division of labour when it comes to digital communication regarding work and family life.
The research team looked at technology use among the respondents. Men tended to use technology most at work but women used technology both at work and home. "We find that women are more likely to be exposed to the double burden of digital communication in both work and family life," says lead author of the study Yang Hu from Lancaster University in the UK, who conducted the study alongside Yue Qian from the University of British Columbia in Canada. Women who worked from home also experienced more of this double burden.
It is an issue that has worsened as we conduct more of our lives online, and as working from home has become more common following the Covid-19 pandemic. Women are 1.6 times more likely than men to juggle dual-high digital communication both at work and at home, the researchers found.
Examples of what this means in practice aren't hard to find. My local mum's group is more active than the dad's group, and has many more participants (several hundred). This is where mums chat about events, rashes and parenting concerns. Even if a group is labelled as a parent's group, the most vocal participants, I find, are usually women.
One mum I know told me that she divides some of this digital communication with her partner, with her on the class chats and him on the emails – but unfortunately emails are a lot quieter than the instant chatter of texts. Household groceries, clothes and school supplies can all be bought digitally too, a digital extension of tasks women tend to do more of.
BBC/Getty Images
Many couples set out to be egalitarian but gendered patterns often creep in. That's why it's important to recognise the role technology plays when attempting to better share the load at home. We tend to use our digital devices for leisure as well as work, making it hard to delineate where personal use is recreational versus for the family, meaning it's an under-recognised form of labour. As the late feminist scholar Joan Acker highlighted, to challenge inequality we need to make the invisible visible. If you can't see it, we're not likely going to be aware of it.
Another contributing factor that leads women to take on more digital work is linked to the fact that they tend to work more flexibly than men, taking on part-time roles for childcare needs. This exposes "the flexibility paradox", which is the idea that flexible working exploits women more than men, as it further emphasises their primary caregiver status. Working from home is often offered as a way for individuals, particularly women to juggle family and work responsibilities, says Hu, but that very flexibility can lead women to taking on more of the childcare organisation, which today is largely organised digitally.
The unfortunate consequence of this is that the more women take on at home, the less mental headspace they have for their professional lives, contributing to the gender pay gap, increased stress and higher relationship dissatisfaction.
Heejung Chung a sociologist at King's College London in the UK who studies flexibility in the workplace, says flexible working exacerbates all aspects of housework and childcare. "Women who work flexibly or from home tend to do more housework and childcare compared to women who do not, because they have the flexibility to squeeze in as many paid and unpaid hours into their day as possible."
She found that women also feel pressure to do housework and childcare when working from home, whereas a father's boundary is much more respected, even if he's also at home. This is linked to the long history of the male breadwinner norm in heterosexual couples, where a man's work sphere has historically been more protected. It appears to still be the case even if the women are in high-earning managerial positions, says Chung – precisely because of the societal norm for women to be more involved in organising family life.
Why thinking of everything holds mums back
The hidden work taken on by women in households is called the mental load. It's the intersection of cognitive and emotional labour. It includes anticipating needs, identifying options, then deciding on what needs doing, and subsequently monitoring the results. Most of these jobs have overwhelmingly found to be done by women. And, though men tend to help most with the decision aspect of this labour, much of the work to get the job done is invisible. Taking a child to a playdate for instance first requires socialising, contacting other parents and planning the day before it takes place.
Despite the invisibility of this technology burden, there is some progress in the division of childcare, as men are taking on more of a share compared to 50 years ago, though still less than women.
There are some ways for couples to share the load more evenly too. If each in a couple completes a housework or childcare task end-to-end, rather than one organising and the other doing, that will also ensure the mental load is not only more shared but more visible. Many household tasks will have a digital element too, which means that aspect will also be shared.
Think of the scenario where one in a couple does the online grocery shopping and the other does the cooking, making this task feel shared. This means the shopper is the one who is most likely to consistently keep a mental tab of what groceries are needed. Cooking is only half the work.
To fix the mental burden on women, sharing the visible aspects of care is not enough. Chung recommends dividing all aspects of digital communication for family life, whether it's taking on researching and booking extracurricular clubs or being active on community groups. She suggests having an open conversation about what each person does, including discussing all the planning and childcare worries.
One local mum I know says a shared calendar has helped her and her partner both be across their weekly schedule without each having to check in with the other. Another couple of two children organise the extracurricular schedules of one child each, which involves researching, booking and transporting them to it. For this type of organisation to work, they say regular communication is key.
BBC/Getty ImagesThe best advice Chung has is for fathers to take on more childcare on their own, supported by policies such as paid shared parental leave. The idea here being that the more active childcare will in time translate into digital organisation too. "Then you get more of an equal playing field. It's essentially about who is responsible for the child and household in society."
This shines a light on another great contradiction of modern society. We expect women to work and many families rely on dual incomes – but there is still a pervasive assumption that women are the primary carers of young children. As I wrote in my book The Motherhood Complex, women feel judged on how they parent more than fathers, making them feel as though they need to take on more of the organisation too. "Those kinds of assumptions need to be broken for us to have any kind of meaningful discussion or change around these issues," Chung says. This is possible, take Sweden where paid parental leave has also translated into more equitable distribution of care work.
One way we can start to bring this hidden technical load to the forefront is to acknowledge this extra work and explicitly share it from the outset. Simple solutions could be to include the dads in local chat groups, to encourage them to organise more playdates – including all the communication involved – and to ensure we share the technological burden of the numerous school emails, homework tasks and club admin. The more we share in all aspects of the domestic sphere, the more this burden of the technical load will be shared too.
[BBC]
The market capitalization of many tech firms surged in September, buoyed by a Federal Reserve rate cut that typically enhances future profits and cash flows for high-growth companies, and further fuelled by continued enthusiasm for artificial intelligence.
Tesla's (TSLA.O), opens new tab market value surged 22.2% last month to $834.4 billion by end-September, driven by record electric vehicle sales in China in August and its plans to introduce its Full Self-Driving (FSD) advanced driver assistance software in China and Europe.
Oracle Corp's (ORCL.N), opens new tab market value climbed 21.3% to $472.2 billion at the end of last month, with the stock reaching record highs fueled by optimism over the company's projection to surpass $100 billion in revenue by fiscal 2029, driven by AI-led demand for cloud services.
Meta Platforms Inc's (META.O), opens new tab market value surged about 10% to $1.45 trillion as their shares also reached all-time highs, driven by the unveiling of its first working prototype of augmented reality glasses, called Orion, and the introduction of new AI capabilities for its services.
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Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O), opens new tab market value increased by 4.4% to $1.95 trillion at the end of last month, and Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O), opens new tab market value rose 3.2% to $3.2 trillion.
On the other hand, Eli Lilly and Co's (LLY.N), opens new tab market value dropped 7.7% to $842 billion, while Saudi Arabian Oil Co's (2222.SE), opens new tab market value fell 3% to $1.75 trillion at the end of last month.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested 24 suspected internet fraudsters in Edo state.
According to a statement by the anti-graft agency, the suspects were arrested on Monday, September 30, 2024, at different locations within Benin City, the Edo state capital.
The agency said 11 exotic cars, laptops, phones, and N160,000 were recovered from the suspects.
“The suspects were arrested following actionable intelligence of their suspected involvement in computer-related fraud,” the statement reads.
“Items recovered from them include 11 exotic cars, laptops and phones. The sum of N160,000.00 (One Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira) was also recovered from one of the suspects.
“The suspects have made useful statements and will be charged to court as soon as investigations are completed.”
In June, EFCC operatives arrested 50 suspected internet fraudsters in Akure, Ondo state.
The alleged fraudsters were arrested during a raid of two hotels and nightclubs.
The operatives subsequently seized vehicles, laptops, high-end smartphones, and other items from the suspects.
Ten persons lost their lives on Tuesday night when a Toyota Sienna bus ran into a stationary truck at Abule Osun, inward Iyana Iba, along the Lagos-Badagry expressway.
In a statement on the accident, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, permanent secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), said “in response to distress calls received via the 767/112 Toll-Free Lines at 2307hrs, LASEMA activated its Dolphin Response Team from Igando Base”.
“On arrival at the scene of the road traffic accident at Abule Osun, inward Iyana Iba, along Lagos-Badagry Expressway, it was discovered that a Toyota Sienna bus, registration number BDG 342 FS, laden to capacity with passengers from the Eastern part of the country was involved in a road accident with a parked SHACMAN truck, registration number unknown,” the statement reads.
“Further investigations revealed that the truck, which was laden with granite, was parked on the road, shutting down about half of the carriage way, while the Toyota Sienna on top speed, unknowingly crashed into the parked truck from behind.
“Ten people lost their lives to the unfortunate incident, while three were criticalIy injured.”
Among the dead are three male adults, four female adults, two female children and one male child.
One female adult and two children were taken to a nearby hospital by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
“The accidental Toyota Sienna was recovered with the aid of the agency’s lite tow truck and towed to the FRSC station,” the statement added.
“The remaining female adult, and the 2 rescued children (a male and female) fortunately, survived the incident after receiving immediate medical attention from LASAMBUS at the incident scene when they were returned there, before being taken to LASUTH for further treatment.”
Naija News reports that Ndume’s comment comes after Boko Haram terrorists launched a fresh attack in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno, where they slaughtered six farmers and abducted five others, including women.
In a statement on Wednesday, Ndume, who hailed the gallant performance of the military and Civilian JTF, said they are ill-equipped to carry out the task of eliminating the remaining insurgents operating within the northern region.
The lawmaker noted that the hired military contractors can also eliminate bandits in the North West.
The statement read, “All across the world, governments hire the services of military contractors to engage in certain places. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can consider this as a short measure. These contractors will work with our military and Civilian JTF, who understand the terrain.
“These contractors will come with their equipment and military hardware. In a very short time, they’ll eliminate those Boko Haram terrorists. The contractors can also be used to eliminate those bandits operating in the North West.
“Over a period, the federal government can now recruit youths to join the military and raise the number to at least one million. But in the interim, I think the President should consider this option of hiring military contractors.”
[NaijaNews]
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says 20.30 billion litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, was imported into Nigeria in 2023.
In its ‘Petroleum Products Distribution Statistics for 2023,’ released on Tuesday, the report said the PMS imported last year decreased by 13.77 percent compared to the 23.54 billion litres recorded in 2022.
“In terms of imported products, 20.30 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) were imported in 2023 relative to 23.54 billion litres in 2022, showing a decrease of 13.77%,” the bureau said.
“In 2023, PMS truck out stood at 20.22 billion litres, indicating a 16.96% decrease relative to 24.35 billion litres recorded in 2022.”
For automotive gas oil (AGO), also known as diesel, the report said 109.39 billion litres were locally produced in 2023.
NBS said the figure represents a 6.76 percent growth, compared to 102.47 million litres reported in 2022.
“Also, 4.94 billion litres of Automotive Gas Oil were imported in 2023, indicating an increase of 23.66% compared to 4.00 billion litres in the previous year,” NBS said.
“About 69.71 million litres of Household Kerosene (HHK) were locally produced in 2023 compared to 44.68 million litres in 2022, indicating a growth rate of 56.02% over the period,” NBS said.
On September 21, President Bola Tinubu said Nigeria’s daily consumption of petrol reduced to about 30 million litres after subsidy removal.
Tinubu announced the end of petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023.
Kogi Central Senator Natasha H. Akpoti Uduaghan has said hijacking Nigeria’s electoral processes threatens the country’s democratic foundations.
In a statement yesterday, Senator Akpoti Uduaghan condemned the rampant corruption and manipulation plaguing the electoral system.
“Our electoral system has been marred by corruption and manipulation. This undermines democracy, leaving us feeling disenfranchised and disillusioned,” she said.
The senator also highlighted Nigerians’ harsh economic conditions, expressing grave concern about inflation, stagnant wages, and skyrocketing prices of basic commodities.
“We are struggling to make ends meet as inflation and stagnant wages erode our purchasing power.
The prices of basic necessities have skyrocketed, making it difficult for average Nigerians to afford basic needs,” Akpoti Uduaghan added.
Amidst growing protests across the country, the senator acknowledged the unrest as a valid response to the deepening economic crisis, describing the protests as a necessary call for change.
“As we grapple with economic hardship, protests have become a powerful tool to express frustration.
” Our voices are growing louder, demanding attention from those in power. The protests are a cry for help, a call to action, and a demand for change,” she said.
She called for a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and fairness as the nation moves forward.
“We are seeking a new Nigeria built on the principles of justice, equality, and fairness. As we celebrate our 64th anniversary, we stand at a crossroads. The choice is clear: we must evolve,” she said.
[Leadership]
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Nigerian media personality, Oladotun Ojuolape Kayode, also known as Do2tun, has weighed in on the continuous rift between Nigerian singers, Davido and Wizkid.
Drama started on Tuesday after Davido announced his first single of 2024, revealing that the track would be a hit.
However, Wizkid, on his X page, wrote: “P***y boys dropping mid again, una don tire! Make una go rest small!”
Although the ‘Ojuelegba’ hitmaker did not mention Davido’s name, fans interpreted the tweet as a direct shot at Davido.
A fan of Davido, however, fired back at Wizkid, accusing him of using the ‘Assurance’ crooner to chase clout.
The user wrote: “So if you no beef @davido your song won’t sell??”
Responding, Wizkid said: “I don’t beef wack niggas! We all know he’s wack! No talent!
In a post via X, Do2dtun stated that both Wizkid and Davido are churning out good music, and it is needless fighting on their behalf for no reason.
When a follower referenced the beef between fuji singers, Pasuma and Osupa, Do2dtun described Davido and Wizkid’s beef as the longest rivalry in the history of Nigerian entertainment.
The video jockey also expressed how tired he and others are over the continuous beef between Davido and Wizkid.
He wrote, “Give or take, we are all going to wake up to good music. Trust me, even if they both drop, everyone still wins. We are all just going to fight on their behalf for no reason, still going to dance to it and they bank it. No losses. I just wish this can end one day. This is the longest rivalry in the history of Nigerian entertainment.”
A Nigerian Born Pilot, Capt. Mohammed Madugu, was in the cockpit on Tuesday for Emirates as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) flag carrier touched down in Nigeria after over two years of exiting the route.
The airline used to operate to Lagos and Abuja until September 30, 2022 when it suspended operations citing inability to repatriate trapped funds amounting to over $80m at the time.
The UAE also slammed a visa ban on Nigerians which effectively stalled Nigerian-UAE flights as Air Peace and other carriers stopped operating to UAE from Nigeria.
The resolution of the dispute between Nigeria and the UAE was prioritized by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and driven by the driven by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo.
Daily Trust reports that after the federal cleared the foreign airlines’ trapped funds of about $900m and held series of meetings with the Emirates, the UAE carrier announced in May of its plan to resume flights operation to Nigeria on October 1 which coincided with the national day of Nigeria.
At about 3:32 pm local time, the Boeing 737-300er touched down at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lago,s signaling the return of Emirates to Nigeria.
And what appeared to be a symbolic gesture, a Nigerian in person of Capt. Mohammed Madugu was in the cockpit alongside other crew members.
Madugu gleefully posted a video of his landing at the MMIA on Tuesday with the caption on his X page (formerly Twitter): “A great plane spotter got my landing into lagos today. Landed off an RNAV approach today as the ILS was on test. Watching this video you’ll realize the amount of work the Emirates training department does on their pilots. Alhamdulillah.”
He had earlier announced on his X that it was an honour for him to operate the inaugural return flight to Lagos.
“A very special day for me today, I have the honor of operating our inaugural return flight to Lagos, Nigeria ?? @LOSairport . Today I’ll be flying both the Emirates and Nigerian flag very high ?? ?? ! Thank you, Emirates A flight time of slightly over 8hours today. #EkoOniBaje,” he wrote.
Incidentally Capt. Madugu had granted an interview with Daily Trust sometimes in 2016 when he was working with Azman Airline. He was then the youngest Captain in the Nigerian airline industry.
Born on September 21, 1996, Madugu is an indigene of Kano and son of Alhaji Sani Madugu.
During an encounter with Daily Trust in 2016, he had said his passion for flying started at six or seven when he had the opportunity of looking at an aircraft cockpit.
“It all started a very long time ago. When I was between six and seven years, we were flying to Kano for Sallah, as we usually do every Sallah. We got to Kano and my father took me to the cockpit of the aircraft. I think he knew the pilot or something and I was amazed seeing the cockpit, that is all I can remember. But that day, going into the cockpit really blew my mind.
“As I was there, I took a look at everything, I imagined how one could learn everything, all the buttons so on. After that encounter, maybe once in a year, I had the opportunity to look at the cockpit again and again. From that time my love for planes started growing. I could see planes take off everyday, even here in FESTAC then, and that encouraged me to go into the aviation industry. As I grew older, it just occurred to me that it is the perfect lifestyle for me,” he said.
The Junior Madugu attended Corona School in Apapa, Lagos, Laurel International School at FESTAC Town, Lagos and the Nigerian Turkish International College before going abroad for pilot training.
[DailyTrust]
The Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria says the Naira-for-crude deal is currently restricted to Dangote Refinery due to the quantity of crude oil available at the disposal of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the Nigerian Government. The Spokesperson of CORAN, Eche Idoko disclosed this in an interview with DAILY POST.
His comment comes as the Federal Government announced the commencement of the Naira-for-crude sale deal to Dangote Refinery on Tuesday. Idoko explained that Dangote Refinery is the only petroleum products refiner in Nigeria producing Premium Motor Spirit which is why the plant is the beneficiary of the Naira-for-crude sell deal.
“The reason is simple, they said because of the quantity of crude oil the government has at its disposal, they will want to start with the only refinery producing PMS and in this case, the only CORAN member is Dangote Refinery.
“So the Naira for crude sale deal is between the government and Dangote Refinery,” he said. Recall that Zacch Adedeji, who doubles as the Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Technical Sub-Committee on Naira-for-crude sale confirmed the commencement of the deal on October 1 through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. However, the spokesperson of Dangote Group and the NNPCL, Anthony Chiejina and Olufemi Soneye, respectively, have yet to confirm the kick-off of the Naira-for-crude deal as of the time of filing the report.
Dangote Refinery had blamed its current cost of petrol crude on importation. The company hinted that the price of its petrol is expected to drop upon the commencement of the Naira-for-crude deal. Dangote Refinery was responding to NNPCL’s statement that it bought Dangote Petrol at N898 per liter upon lifting on September 15, 2024.
Thereafter, NNPCL announced fresh petrol price hike across its retail outlets to between N950 and N1,100 per litre from about N617.
However, the Petroleum Marketers and refiners had expressed optimism that the Naira-for-crude deal between the Nigerian Federal Government and the Dangote Refinery would lead to a reduction in fuel pump prices.
Nigerian Grammy-award-winning singer, Ayo Balogun, professionally known as Wizkid, has resumed his long-standing rift with his colleague, David Adeleke, better known as Davido, sparking a heated exchange with fans on social media.
Drama started on Tuesday after Davido announced his first single of 2024, revealing that the track will be a hit.
However, Wizkid, on his X page, wrote: “P***y boys dropping mid again, una don tire! Make una go rest small!”
Although the ‘Ojuelegba’ hitmaker did not mention Davido’s name, fans interpreted the tweet as a direct shot at Davido.
A fan of Davido, however, fired back at Wizkid, accusing him of using the ‘Assurance’ crooner to chase clout.
The user wrote: “So if you no beef @davido your song won’t sell??”
Responding, Wizkid said: “I don’t beef wack niggas! We all know he’s wack! No talent!
Wizkid’s response and follow-up tweets implied his messages were aimed towards Davido.
The singer further dismissed Davido’s extensive records archives, describing them as “trash,” arguing that his catalogue boasts superior songs.
He added, “80 trash ! We got 80 albums for any song y’all drop! P***y boys!”
