Vox Media Over $70 billion have been invested in telecommunications infrastructure deployment in Nigeria since the liberalisation of the industry in 2001. The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, who made this known said the amount represented a larger chunk of local and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attracted into the sector within the period. Danbatta made the remarks on Thursday while delivering the Bullion Lecture 2021 Edition organised by the Centre for Financial Journalism (CFJ), Lagos. According to him, the investment in infrastructures has boosted the economy and provided more opportunities for more Nigerians have access to telecoms services. “Today, the number of active telephone lines being used by Nigerians has signi...
Dapo Abiodun of Ogun has become the first governor to receive a dose of coronavirus vaccine publicly. Abiodun posted on his Twitter page he got the COVID-19 vaccine jab in Abeokuta under the Ogun state health commissioner’s supervision, Omotomilola Coker, on Tuesday. “I just had my dose of the Astra-Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The doses were delivered today in Abeokuta. It is first service to self then people, when we take the vaccine because we must silence the virus,” he tweeted using the handle, @dabiodunMFR. Abiodun, on Monday, received 50,000 out of 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines the federal government allocated to the state. After getting the jab, he said, “There is a portal that already exists, and there is a link that allows you to register or pre-register and identify...
An Ilorin Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday ordered that Usman Abdulkareem, who allegedly conspired with a herbalist, friend to abduct his wife, be remanded in a correctional centre. The police charged Abdulkareem, a herbalist, Babatunde Mohammed and a friend, Fatai Adisa with two counts of criminal conspiracy and abduction, to commit culpable homicide, contrary to Section 97 and 274 of Penal Code Law. Magistrate Afusat Alege ordered that the defendants be remanded in Oke-Kura Correctional Centre, Ilorin. Alege adjourned the case until Feb.24, for further mention. The Prosecution Counsel, Sgt. Abubakar Issa, told the court that investigation conducted revealed that Abdulkareem was the one who called Mumeenat, his wife, on mobile phone and asked her to to meet him in the second defendant’ hou...
Interim Controller-General, Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), John Mrabure, has charged officers of the service to strengthen security-watch over custodial centres across the country. Mr. Mrabure gave the directive when he paid an unscheduled working visit to Medium Security Custodial Centre Kuje, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The service spokesman, Francis Enobore, announced this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja. Mr. Mrabure noted that safe custody of inmates was a critical mandate of the service which must not be compromised under any circumstance. He, therefore, directed that all staff members must deploy their wealth of knowledge and experience to maintain the sanctity of all custodial centres. He cautioned against a nonchalant attitude to work and advised perso...
Uganda’s long-time leader Yoweri Museveni held a commanding lead in a presidential election according to partial results on Saturday morning, with final results expected later in the day, though his main rival Bobi Wine alleged widespread fraud. With ballots from 86% of polling stations counted, Museveni had won 5.3 million, or 58.8%, while main opposition candidate Wine had 3.1 million votes (34.6%), the electoral commission said just after 9 a.m. (0600 GMT). The government ordered the internet to be shut down the day before voting on Thursday, and the blackout was still in place. Wine, 38, had galvanised young Ugandans with his calls for political change after 35 years of Museveni, 76, ruling the country. The run-up to the election was more violent than in previous polls. Security forces...