BREAKING NEWS

In what is set to become a major milestone achievement in its 50 years of existence, the Lagos State Government on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to kick-start the construction of the 38km 4th Mainland Bridge, expected to bring a 14-year old dream to reality. The Bridge, which is geared towards economic growth in the State, is expected to gulp N844billion in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative and would be delivered in three years. Speaking at the signing of the MoU held at the Banquet Hall, Lagos House, Ikeja, State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, said that the need for the bridge had become imperative following the phenomenal growth of the State with a population of over 21 million people, which has in turn increased commercial activities and traffic gridlock. “This has made it imperative for us to have a 4th Mainland Bridge that will serve as an alternative route to the Eastern axis and decongest traffic in the State. “More importa...

ABUJA — The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), yesterday, accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and other oil and gas companies of shortchanging the country and failing to remit $4.4 billion and N358.3 billion to the Federation Account in 2013. This comes as Lagos-based indigenous chartered accounting firm, SIAO Partners, had been contracted by NEITI to carry out the 2014 audit, even as it is in the process of procuring auditors for its 2015 audit. Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), yesterday, accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and other oil and gas companies of shortchanging the country and failing to remit $4.4 billion and N358.3 billion to the Federation Account in 2013. This comes as Lagos-based indigenous chartered accounting firm, SIAO Partners, had been contracted by NEITI to carry out the 2014 audit, even as it is in the process of procuring auditors for its 2015 audit. ...

Just hours before official confirmation that Louis Van Gaal was sacked by Man utd, storage boxes containing Jose Mourinho's belongings were transported out of his London home and he was surrounded by journalists as he left his London home to get a new house in Manchester ahead of official confirmation this week that he will become the new manager of the World's most popular football club. More photos after the cut.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a commitment of $80 million (about N15.8billion) towards accelerating progress of women and girls in order to close widening gender data gaps. In a statement, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos, the foundation said that the funding would run for the next three years, to help accelerate the progress for women and girls around the world. The statement quoted Melinda Gates, co-chair of the foundation as announcing the commitment at the “Women Deliver Conference’’ held on May 17 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Gates was quoted as saying that the foundation was making the commitment because it believed that a reliable gender data was important for accelerating development outcomes. “Data holds power and demonstrates the size and nature of social or economic problems, and brings clarity around who is falling through the cracks. “Through reliable data, women and girls’ lives can become visible and counted, he...

Amina Ali with her young baby was rescued by Nigerian authorities on May 18, 2016 after being one of 219 girls abducted by Boko Haram gunmen in 2014 (AFP Photo/) More Abuja (AFP) - A second Chibok schoolgirl has been rescued, Nigeria's army said Thursday, after President Muhammadu Buhari met the first student to be found and voiced fresh hope for the recovery of the more than 200 others still being held. Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said the student was found by troops and civilian vigilantes at about 11:00 am (1000 GMT) on Thursday in the Damboa area of Borno state, northeast Nigeria, during military operations. "Her name is Miss Serah Luka," he added in a statement, saying she was believed to be a Christian pastor's daughter and originally from Madagali, in neighbouring Adamawa state. A photograph released by the military showed a young woman in a long, dark blue hijab common in the region and seen on abducted girls in previous videos from the Boko ...

Two award winning young Nigerian innovators, Femi Adeyemo, and Kunle Odebunmi, have broken fresh frontiers in the renewable energy sector through state of the art innovations that will enable more than 600million Nigerians and Africans that currently live and run businesses in off-grid and weak grid areas rent uninterrupted electricity and pay only for the energy consumed daily or monthly. The revolutionary Pay-As-You Go reliable  Solar Power System  technology allow customers to buy recharge pin using RANA™ (Arnergy's Mobile Electricity app) or via an agent in several rural communities without mobile network, RANA™ synchronizes with Arnergy's cloud based server infrastructure to unlock the  Solar Power System  and supply electricity whenever the 12 digit pin is keyed into the solar kit.  Several Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises that have closed shop due to epileptic power supply and those contemplating to close down or struggling due to the recent ...

Wale Fakile, a presenter and producer with TV Continental (TVC) has reportedly been arrested for assaulting his girlfriend. Wale 'Richboy' Fakile allegedly beat her so much he left bruises on her. Activist/Co-ordinator of Walk against Rape campaign, Esther Ijewere-Kalejaiye shared the message and pictures which she received from the girl who was seeking for justice. The message read, "Dnt publish my name pls, am pass Mandy, my supposed boyfriend that works with TVC beat me yesterday to stupor with bruises all over and he said there is nothing I can do about it bcos he is rich and works with TVC and am poor." After receiving the message, the case was reported to the Ministry of women affairs and Management of TV Continental. Wale Fakile has since been arrested according Esther

The Coalition of Civil Society Against Corrupt Persons in Nigeria has berated the Comrade Ayuba Wabba-led faction of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC and its Civil Society Organisations allies over what it described as failed protests against the increase in the price of petrol, saying it shows they are out of tune with the thinking and yearnings of Nigerians. A statement by the coalition’s National President, Linus Ejilogo, on Friday, said the days when labour leaders ride on popular demands to blackmail and extort the government for personal interests are over. The statement accused Labour and its CSO allies of working with elements of the past administration to make the incumbent government look bad by sabotaging its efforts at remedying the mess it inherited. It declared that “Labour’s inability to accept that Nigerians refuse to join the bandwagon by a cross section of self-serving labour and CSO leaders to further compound the current economic hardship is unfortunate. If th...

Simbarashe Mhuriro , Zimbabwean Founder, OurSun Energy (Private) Ltd 31-year-old Simbarashe Mhuriro founded Oxygen Africa in 2009 as an investment advisory company to help facilitate foreign investors in Zimbabwe. In 2013, Oxygen Africa partnered with Swiss-based Meeco Group, a renewable energy company, to establish Oursun Energy Zimbabwe – a joint venture Independent Power Producer that specializes in the development, building, owning, and operating of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) energy projects in Zimbabwe. OurSun Energy has raised $7 million and is currently developing two 5MW grid-connected solar plants in Zimbabwe. Olatorera Oniru,  Founder, Dress Me Outlet Olatorera Oniru, 28, is the founder of Dressmeoutlet.com – a Nigerian e-tailer of fashion products, health & beauty products and home-goods. Dressmeoutlet stocks more than 1,000 products from premium designers globally. Dressmeoutlet ships worldwide and currently has customers in different states across ...

From Left: Mr. Ejiro Eghagha, Managing Partner Mercury West Africa, Mr Onoriode Akpe,  Chief Executive Officer of Red Sappire Limited, Mr. Celestine Achi, the CEO of Cihan Group and the founder of KairoswebTV and Ms. Ruth Opakunle, Head Marketing of Cihan Group KairosWebTV, a next-generation premier online TV platform for emerging and aspiring entrepreneurs, start-ups, news and insights, technology trends, edutainment, skits, events & online digital training, is set to transform the Nigeria’s online television space.  The space is witnessing a big bang with the launch of  www.kairosweb.TV , an innovative premier WebTV owned and run by CIHAN and focuses on motivating and inspiring viewers to success, featuring seven (7) channels with content partners from all over the world such as Fate Foundation, Real Success (SA), Nigerian Olympic Committee, The Winlos amongst others.  Speaking at the media launch in Lagos on Tuesday, The Chief Executive Officer of CIHAN, Mr....

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has written to the Chinese government, seeking the stoppage of the $2 billion loan being sought by the federal government of Nigeria. He wrote that “the government of China should be mindful of the fact that Nigerians, irrespective of their political and religious affiliations are totally opposed to increment of the country’s debt burden, which is already being serviced with 25 per cent of the Federal Government annual budget.” In the letter dated April 12, 2016, with reference number EK/GOV/28/10, addressed to President Xi Jinping of China and delivered by Chief of Staff to the governor, Barrister Dipo Anisulowo in Abuja on Thursday, through the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Gu Xiaojie, Fayose said some of the projects for which the loan was being sought were not captured in the controversial 2016 budget, which has been sent to the President by the National Assembly for his assent.

France and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema won't participate in this summer's Euro 2016 tournament due to an ongoing investigation of a sex tape scandal involving teammate Mathieu Valbuena. Benzema is being investigated for his part in an alleged plot with his friend to blackmail France team-mate, Valbuena. He posted on Twitter yesterday “Unfortunately for me and for those who have always backed me and supported me, I will not be selected for our Euro in France...” Then later through their official website French soccer federation informed Benzema that he would not be called up for this summer’s European Championship.

As part of activities to mark the 2nd year anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok girls, members of the advocacy group, Bring Back Our Girls, are presently staging a march to Aso Villa to meet with Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo. See more photos after the cut...

Senators loyal to Senate President Bukola Saraki are using the 2016 Budget row to negotiate a soft-landing for the former Kwara State Governor, who is facing trial for false declarations of assets at the Code for Conduct Tribunal (CCB). Investigations by Ripples revealed that his loyalists under the aegis of Like Mind Senators met last night at his official residence to take serious positions on the controversy. President Muhammadu Buhari had refused assent to the Budget after Ministers identified the document had been returned “highly mutilated”. The President, who is on a week-long trip to China, it was learnt, was told by the Economic Team headed by Vice President Yemi Osibanjo not to sign the Budget presented by the National Assembly last Thursday. The Senators had removed the Lagos-Calabar rail project and tampered with major infrastructural thrusts of the administration. Sources at the meeting last night informed that the Senators reasoned Saraki must be stopped fr...

Read the press statement below... Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose has described the raging controversies between the Presidency and the National Assembly over the 2016 Budget as a confirmation of his position that President Buhari was clueless and incompetent, saying; “Nigerians should expect more blunders like this until they send Buhari back to Daura in 2019.” The governor, who said it was now obvious that the President and his All Progressives Congress (APC) only wanted power desperately without the wherewithal to govern, added that; “I warned Nigerians of the consequences of electing an octogenarian as president and with the international embarrassment that this budget crisis has become, I have been vindicated.” According to a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Assistant on Pubic Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said; “It is obvious that there is total disconnection between the President and his cabinet members as many of the ministers do...