Pandemic
Africa CDC warns of possible second wave of virus infection
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Friday urged the African continent to brace itself for possible second wave COVID-19 infections. According to Africa CDC, the number of confirmed cases in the African continent has reached 1,759,794. The continental disease control and prevention agency said in a statement that the death toll related to the pandemic stood at 42,336 as of Friday afternoon. A total of 1,438,841 people infected with COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far, the Africa CDC said. The most COVID-19 affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria. The Southern Africa region is the most COVID-19 affected region both in terms of the number of confirmed posit...
#EndSARS: Lagos Chamber reschedules international trade fair
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) says that it has rescheduled the 2020 edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair. Dr Muda Yusuf, Director-General of LCCI, said that the fair which was scheduled to hold from Nov.5 to Nov. 15, 2020 has been rescheduled for between Dec. 4 to Dec. 13, 2020 at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos; both physically and virtually simultaneously. Yusuf in a statement on Thursday also said that the postponement was occasioned by the economic disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent #EndSARS protests across the nation. “The resolve to hold the 2020 edition of the fair is in line with the need for quick restoration of normalcy to the economic and commercial activities in Lagos State and our support for the ongoing ‘Protect Lago...
NLC demands end to medical tourism by government officials
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Thursday called for an end to all forms of medical tourism especially by elected and appointed government officials. The NLC also said that with the quantum of resources available to government, Nigeria can afford to build and effectively equip some of the best hospitals in the world, with global best practices and personnel. President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, stated this in Abuja in his address on this year’s Global Day of Action on Care. Briefing, Wabba reiterated that the government must be ready to invest heavily in the health sector, saying no country survives without effective health care. He lamented that apart from the open fact that the country’s health care sector has been neglected for too long, health care workers have been subjected...
Oil prices slide in lockdown-driven rout
Oil prices dived Thursday on demand fears as more nations go into lockdown to staunch the spread of the coronavirus, while stock prices attempted a modest rebound. Both main oil contracts fell five percent for part of the day before clawing back some of their losses, extending this week’s meltdown to plumb four-month lows on virus-driven demand fears. “The new lockdowns have since yesterday caused a carnage in the oil market,” said Bjornar Tonhaugen, head of oil markets at Rystad Energy. “Oil demand will lose ground as a result of the new lockdowns… Prices now naturally decline on this grim prospect,” he added. The drop in oil prices will increase the pain on oil companies. Exxon Mobil announced Thursday it was eliminating 1,900 US jobs as part of a cost-cutting drive necessitated in part ...
Nine Inch Nails Are Selling Face Masks with Removable Words
The coronavirus pandemic is still raging on, and that means everyone should follow the CDC guidelines: quarantine when you’re feeling sick, socially distance when you’re out, and wear a mask if there’s anyone nearby no matter what. Thankfully, Nine Inch Nails can help you with that last step, as they’ve just rolled out their own line of face masks to deal with COVID-19. Say hello to the “NIN Modular Face Mask Starter Kit”, a $35 ctton face mask deal that comes with interchangeable messages “for uncertain times” like these. Both of the grey and black masks have a filter, a bendable nose band, adjustable over-the-ear ringlets, and 13 replaceable patches to let the world know how you’re feeling: “DIRTY,” “CLEAN,” “NUMB,” “ENRAGED,” “BROKEN,” “FIXED,” “FRAGILE,” “PIG,” “ASLEEP,” “AWAKE,” “COMP...
US election: Joe Biden votes in Delaware
Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden cast his ballot in the US presidential race Wednesday in Delaware, six days before the end of a turbulent campaign pitting him against incumbent Donald Trump. The former vice president entered the Delaware State Building in Wilmington where he joined the record number of Americans who have voted early or by mail — 74 million as of Wednesday — as people seek to avoid crowded polling stations during the Covid-19 pandemic. Shortly before voting Biden said he hopes he and other Democrats on the ballot would get elected so that they can “change things” and “make it better” for everyday Americans. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins ...
Eid-el-Maulud: President Buhari preaches love, honesty
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged all Nigerians to seize the opportunity of this year’s Eid-el-Maulud to reflect on the virtues of the Holy Prophet by showing love and understanding for fellow citizens. He also urged Nigerians to avert second wave of COVID-19 in Nigeria, saying the nation’s economy cannot bear another round of lockdown. Buhari’s position was contained in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, titled “President Buhari welcomes Maulud, urges love and understanding among citizens.” The statement read, “As Muslims in Nigeria join others all over the world to mark the Eid-el-Maulud, President Muhammadu Buhari has urged all citizens to use the occasion to reflect on the virtues of the Holy Prophet by showing love and understanding for...
AIB signs MOU with France, Saudi Arabia, recommends prevention measures on airspace safety
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France and Saudi Arabia on airspace safety. AIB however said that research and other investigative activities on the agreement could not be implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency is also working in collaboration with the National Transport Safety Board in the U.S. and Singapore as well as Republic of Benin, the ECOWAS Commission and its member states. The AIB Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Akin Olateru, who made this known while addressing newsmen during the ongoing Regional Enlightenment Symposium in Kano, said the recommendations were made from 2007 till date. Olateru revealed that AIB has so far recommended over 100 standard safety and accident prevention to avert air spa...
Delta governor presents N378.1 billion 2021 budget to state assembly
Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, Tuesday, presented a proposed budget of N378, 184,397,889 for 2021 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly. The budget is made up of N170, 370,000 for recurrent expenditures and N207.5 billion for capital expenditures. Okowa in the more than 50 minutes presentation of the Appreciation Bill at the Hallowed Chamber of the House, said the budget christened “Budget of Recovery” would be funded from four sources. The sources according to the Governor, include Internally Generated Revenue, N65.6 billion, Statutory Allocation including Mineral Revenue Derivation and Excess Crude, N219.9 billion, Value added tax, N17.5 billion and Other Capital Receipts, N17.3 billion. Explaining that the 2021 budget estimates was N96.1 billion increase over the revised budg...
NERC: DISCOs collected N114 billion revenues in Q1 of 2020
The latest quarterly report issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, showed that a total of N114 billion was collected as revenue by the 11 electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, in the first quarter of 2020. The report also indicated that while the collection efficiency decreased considerably, the regulatory agency listed Abuja, Benin and Eko DISCOs as the companies with the most efficient collection systems. Meanwhile, the report which covered the first quarter of 2020 also showed that the country generated more electricity compared to the last quarter of 2019 with total electricity generated put at 8,613,998MWh, 6.33 per cent more than the energy generated during the preceding quarter. The regulatory agency noted that the collection efficiency implied that fo...
Nigeria seeks to halt looting amid fury over ‘food warehouses’
Nigerian security forces are struggling to contain increasing cases of looting on government-run warehouses across the country, in the latest incident of unrest following widespread, youth-led protests against police brutality. The storage facilities hold tonnes of relief materials including food meant for distribution during lockdowns previously enforced to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. While the distribution programme had been temporarily halted across several states in the country in recent months, it emerged this week relief items were still stored in some of these facilities, as well as the private homes of politicians. The news angered many in the country with the biggest number of people living in extreme poverty globally. “The food items belong to Nigerians. Why are the...
Lagos financially, economically viable – official
Contrary to the publication by BudgIT, a public finance analyst, the Lagos State Government said it is economically and financially solid. The state Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, made the assertion in a statement on Monday in reaction to BudgIT, publication, titled: ‘Ability of States to Meet Monthly Recurrent Expenditure and Loan Repayment Obligations, 2019’, which the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, administration described as “misinformation”. According to Olowo, BudgIT has apologized for its error in the report. According to Olowo, the facts are: “Lagos State continues to meet all its recurrent and loan service obligations and the information that was published in incorrect, inaccurate and a gross distortion of the actual facts. “The accurate information that ought to ...
