Author: Prime Times

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has launched a go-live foreign exchange price verification system portal. The apex bank made this known in a statement titled “Go-live of the Central Bank of Nigeria Price Verification System Portal” and released by the bank’s Director of Trade and Exchange Department, Mr. O. S. Nnaji. The CBN stated that with effect from August 31, 2023, all applications for Forms M shall be accompanied by a valid Price Verification Report generated from the Price Verification Portal, adding that the Price Verification Report has become a mandatory trade document precedent to the completion of a…

Chairman of Sokodeke, Cargo and Travel Tour Ltd., Alhaji Ibrahim Yahaya, has apologized to the 2023 Hajj pilgrims who registered their luggages with the company for the delay in the delivery of their goods on schedule. Yahaya, who tendered the apology in a statement on Sunday, explained that the delay was as a result of some extra charges newly introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies during the just concluded Hajj operations. The chairman said the company had shouldered all the responsibilities of the extra charges which cost millions of Naira to enable the pilgrims get their goods.…

Worried by the recent escalation of bandit attacks and kidnappings resulting in deaths and displacement of several communities in Zamfara State, the Democracy Watch Initiative (DWI) has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State as the only remaining option. Leading twenty-seven other Non-governmental-organizations, the DWI at a press conference read by its Spokesman, Sanusi Ali Mohammed, in Abuja said the call became necessary given the regrettably alarming deterioration of security situation in the State in the last two months. The DWI noted that in spite of the previous the government’s efforts to curtail…

Worried by the rising challenge of poor governance and its attendant effects of poverty, unemployment, insecurity and many more, the Citizen Network of Nigeria (CNN), a civic-tech organisation dedicated to promoting good governance, has launched the country’s first indigenous Governance Performance Index (GPI). The GPI is a transformative civic tool for assessing and tracking governance performance across the country. It provides a shared framework for the assessment using specific and measurable indicators, which have been extensively reviewed by stakeholders and strategic partners. Founded in 2018, the CNN is focused on connecting and empowering citizens and policy makers to solve the…

By Sunday Oyinloye As the world marks International Youth Day today, what comes to mind is how the President of Nigeria, Ahmed Bola Tinubu has broken the jinx by appointing a 36 year old youth as a Minister, the youngest in the history of the 4th Republic of Nigeria. President Tinubu in July nominated Dr. Betta Edu from Cross River State to serve in his cabinet as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Beyond signifying the President as a man of his words on the inclusion of women and youth in his administration, Betta’s appointment as a…

In its bid to promote Nigeria’s culture and boost the tourism industry, the Embassy of Nigeria in Belgium in collaboration with Nigerian community/associations in Belgium, and Nigeria Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) will next month in Antwerp, Belgium hold Nigeria Arts and Culture Festival. According to Nigerian Ambassador to Belgium, Mr. Obinna Chiedu Onowu, the Festival with the theme “Unity 2023” will feature arts and culture exhibition, Nigerian dance, music, foods, and movies among others. Onowu disclosed that officials of European Union, Belgian, Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, as well as other friends of Nigeria will grace the event…

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has ordered the chief of defense staff committee to immediately activate the standby force. President of ECOWAS, Omar Alieu Touray, made the declaration while reading the resolution taken at the Extraordinary meeting on the Niger coup in Abuja on Thursday. The regional bloc said all efforts to dialogue with Niger junta have been rejected by coup leaders. The ECOWAS leaders also condemned the continuous detention of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family members. “The Authority having considered the memorandum presented by the President of the ECOWAS commission on the current situation in…

Haruna Kolo, the former staff of the Federal Character Commission who gave evidence at the ad-hc committee of the House of Representatives probing job-racketeering allegations against the Federal Character Commission (FCC) has been exposed to be the ring leader of the syndicate which deals in job-racketeering before the advent of Dr Muheebah Dankaka as the Chairman of the Commission. This medium found out that he acted as IIPPIS Officer combined with Protocol duties for 10 years without being moved. Dr Dankaka, in her bid to fight the menace of job-racketeering, redeployed him and others in the syndicate and since then…

Describes Emirate Youths as Industrious The Chairman, Council of Traditional rulers of Kwara State, His Royal Highness, Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari has given an approval to the planned programmes designed by Ilorin Emirate Historians Association to celebrate the 200 years anniversary of the emirate, Wednesday, in his palace, Ilorin, the Kwara state capital. The Association led by its President, Professor Abdulganiy Ibrahim Jawondo who doubles as a lecturer in the Department of History, University of Ilorin on a courtesy visit to the royal father. According to Professor of History, “The visit is to intimate the Royal father…

Some members of staff of the Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Tuesday, besieged the offices of the commission in Jabi and Utako, Abuja, in protest of alleged poor welfare. The protesting workers gave the management 24-hour ultimatum to address their grievances or face industrial unrest. The Chairman of the union, Abuja Branch, Mr Okechukwu Anya, told journalists that the peaceful protest was to draw the attention of the management to resolve issues of staff welfare. Anya identified the issues as non-remittance of pension deductions from staff salaries, poor working environment, insufficient working tools, unpaid staff claims and on-call allowances.…