₦airaland Forum

The Federal Government has cleared over N2tn in outstanding capital budget obligations from the 2024 fiscal year, with a pledge to prioritise the timely release of 2025 capital funds.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, disclosed this on Thursday at a ministerial press briefing in Abuja, where he also declared that Nigeria is “open for business” to global investors on the back of improved economic stability.

“In the last quarter, we did pay contractors over N2tn to settle outstanding capital budget obligations. That is from last year,” Edun said. “At the moment, we have no pending obligations that are not being processed and financed. And the focus will now shift to 2025 capital releases.”

He stressed that government agencies must only commit to capital projects when funds have been duly authorised.

“Despite appropriation, it is when funds are made available and authorised for spending that government entities… should enter into binding commitments of government,” he added.

The minister pointed to positive macroeconomic indicators, including a trade surplus of over $4bn in the first quarter of 2025, export growth of 9.8 per cent, stable exchange rates, and foreign reserves at $39bn in July.

He attributed these gains to the administration’s policy direction under President Bola Tinubu, which, according to him, has created “stable macroeconomic conditions against which people can plan and they can invest.”

Edun highlighted fiscal reforms such as halting the unauthorised use of Ways and Means advances from the Central Bank, which he said had reduced the debt-to-GDP ratio from 52.1 per cent to 38.8 per cent following GDP rebasing.

“There have been no debits to Ways and Means since early in this administration,” he noted, adding that gross revenues in the first half of 2025 were 37.4 per cent higher than in the corresponding period of 2024.

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According to Edun, the Federal Government has increased resources available to state governments by repaying past deductions from the Federation Account. This, he said, has strengthened their fiscal capacity for capital investment.

“Since the first half of 2023, the combined fiscal balance of the states has grown from 1.8 per cent of GDP to 3.1 per cent — that is from N2.8tn to N7.1tn, which is a surplus,” he said. He linked the improvement to subsidy removal and adherence to the rule of law in settling outstanding funds.

The minister announced plans to implement Nigeria’s most comprehensive tax reform from January 2026, which will consolidate all tax laws into a single framework, eliminate over 50 overlapping taxes, and simplify compliance.

He also unveiled a revenue optimisation and assurance platform that will leverage technology, digitisation, and artificial intelligence to centralise collections from ministries, departments, and agencies, block leakages, and strengthen financial intelligence.

Edun reaffirmed the government’s medium-term target of achieving 7 per cent annual GDP growth, to be driven by investment in agriculture, education, health, manufacturing, technology, and infrastructure. He cited recent efforts to attract private capital into infrastructure projects such as the Third Mainland and Carter bridges in Lagos through public-private partnerships.

On energy, he said the government aimed to increase power generation to 6,000 megawatts by the end of the year and complete the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline to support industrial expansion. The minister disclosed that direct cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians were ongoing, with eight million of the targeted 15 million beneficiaries already reached through three rounds of payments.

He added that the payments were being made with full transparency, using biometric verification and digital disbursement. Other programmes include the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, the Consumer Credit Scheme, the forthcoming Youth Investment Bank, and a €600m facility for the digital and creative sectors, with a dedicated allocation for young women.

“Our commitment is to build an economy that works for everyone with transparency, resilience, and purpose,” Edun said.

Kemetian:
DNA SHOCK - English Scientists Stunned To See West African Ancestry in Ancient England!


DNA shows mass West African settlement and ancestry in Early England, confirming the growing scientific consensus that precolonial Black Africans were not ‘tribal’.

They were global.

Our ancestors did not just sit in village huts.

They were builders of great civilisations both in Africa and beyond Africa.

The truth of our glorious history is finally emerging in this Age of Aquarius.

The Age in which all that is hidden shall be revealed.

A salute once again to our illustrious, great, and powerful ancestors.

https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/news/ancient-dna-west-african-ancestry

lordm:
Why don't Israel look for countries with very low population and Muslim countries as well?

WizardOfNG:
This is what makes people like you happy. I.e the denigration of Nigeria by foreign nations that feeds into your narrative that Nigeria is a hopeless "Zoo".

The ruling is nothing more than the subjective interpretation of a Canadian Court only relevant to the character denied asylum. Nothing else.

jackie111:
I thought they said no more creation of new varsity for the next 5 years?

20 Countries where ChatGPT is Banned in 2025

Here is the enumerated list of 20 countries where ChatGPT is banned or not supported in 2025:

1. 🇨🇳 China - Blocked by government
2. 🇰🇵 North Korea - Blocked by government
3. 🇮🇷 Iran - Blocked by government
4. 🇨🇺 Cuba - Blocked by government
5. 🇸🇾 Syria - Blocked by government
6. 🇷🇺 Russia - Blocked by government
7. 🇦🇫 Afghanistan - Blocked by government
8. 🇨🇫 Central African Republic - Blocked by government
9. 🇪🇷 Eritrea - Blocked by government
10. 🇱🇾 Libya - Blocked by government
11. 🇸🇸 South Sudan - Blocked by government
12. 🇸🇩 Sudan - Blocked by government
13. 🇾🇪 Yemen - Blocked by government
14. 🇧🇹 Bhutan - Blocked by government
15. 🇸🇿 Eswatini - Blocked by government
16. 🇹🇩 Chad - Blocked by government
17. 🇧🇮 Burundi - Blocked by government
18. 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo - Blocked by government
19. 🇭🇰 Hong Kong - Not supported by OpenAI
20. 🇧🇾 Belarus - Not supported by OpenAI

Source: Cybernews, OpenAl. As of July 2025. Access can be limited either by government bans, sanctions, or OpenAl's business decisions.

Mynd44:
Some opposition leaders will soon start writing letters to the White house

The US state department has approved a potential sales of ammunition, precision bombs and precision rockets to Nigeria for an estimated cost of $346 million.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said Nigeria requested to buy 1,002 MK-82 general purpose 500 lb bombs; 1,002 MXU-650 Air Foil Groups (AFGs) for 500 lb Paveway II GBU-12; 515 MXU-1006 AFGs for 250 lb Paveway II GBU-58; 1,517 MAU-169 or MAU-209 computer control groups (CCGs) for Paveway II GBU-12/GBU-58; 1,002 FMU-152 joint programmable fuzes; and 5,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) all-up-rounds (AURs) (consisting of one each WGU-59/B guidance section (GS), high-explosive warhead, and MK66-4 rocket motor).

Non-major defence equipment (non-MDE) items in the package include FMU-139 joint programmable fuzes, bomb components, impulse cartridges, high-explosive and practice rockets, integration support and test equipment, as well as US government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics services, and other related elements of logistical and programme support.

The DSCA named the sales’ contractors as Lockheed Martin, RTX Missiles and Defence (RTX.N), and BAE Systems (BAES.L).

Lockheed is known for delivering advanced autonomous systems, aircraft, missiles, space launchers, and defence systems.

Some of its key products include the F-35 Lightning II fighter, C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, Patriot missile systems, and various missile defence technologies.

RTX is the world’s second-largest military company by revenue, producing aircraft engines, guided missiles, air defence systems, radars, and cybersecurity solutions.

Its missile and defence segment specialises in precision weapons, missile defence, radars, and command and control systems.

BAE Systems plc is a British multinational company headquartered in London and is the largest defence contractor in Europe and among the top globally.

It builds military aircraft, missiles, naval ships, armoured vehicles, and defence electronics.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner in Sub-Saharan Africa,” the DSCA said.

“The proposed sale will improve Nigeria’s capability to meet current and future threats through operations against terrorist organisations and to counter illicit trafficking in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.”

The DSCA noted that the sale would not alter the basic military balance in the region, noting that Nigeria would have no difficulty integrating the munitions into its armed forces.

The agency also noted that the description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity, adding that the total amount will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

In 2022, the US approved the sale of military equipment worth an estimated $997 million to Nigeria.

The weapons included 12 attack helicopters, 2,000 advanced precision kill weapon system guidance sections, and a night vision imaging system.

The federal executive council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday has approved a five-year ban on the establishment of new federal tertiary educational institutions across the country.

The moratorium covers universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Tunji Alausa, minister of education, explained the context and necessity of the moratorium, noting that the current challenge in Nigeria’s education sector is no longer about access to federal tertiary education but about addressing the duplication of institutions which has led to significant deterioration in both infrastructure and manpower.

“In our country, access to quality financial education is no longer an issue,” the minister said.

“What we are witnessing today is duplication of new federal tertiary institutions, a significant reduction in the current capacity of each institution, and degradation of both physical infrastructure and manpower.

“If we do not act decisively, it will lead to marked declines in educational quality and undermine the international respect that Nigerian graduates command.”

Alausa outlined the scale of Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape, noting the vast number of institutions.

He said there are 72 federal universities, 108 state universities and 159 private universities, and highlighted similar patterns within polytechnics and colleges of education.

The minister also cited allied institutions such as monotechnics, colleges of agriculture, health sciences, nursing, and innovation and enterprise institutions.

He noted that the numbers demonstrate an over-proliferation of institutions without corresponding demand or resource allocation.

Alausa said there is a critical disconnect between the number of institutions and prospective students.

“For the 2024-2026 academic sessions, about 2.1 million young Nigerians applied to our tertiary institutions,” he said.

“However, 199 universities had fewer than 99 applicants, and remarkably, 34 universities had zero candidates applying at all.

“This worrying trend repeats itself in polytechnics and colleges of education too. In fact, 295 polytechnics had fewer than 99 applicants, and 219 colleges of education suffered similar fates, with 64 colleges receiving no applicants at all.”

This, according to the minister, translates into wasted resources and inefficiencies.

He cited an example from the northern region where a federal university had fewer than 800 students but employed over 1,200 staff members.

“This is simply not sustainable,” Alausa said, stressing that many federal universities operated at suboptimal capacity while unnecessarily stretching government funding.

The moratorium on establishing new federal tertiary institutions, he indicated, is a decisive step toward correcting these inefficiencies.

The minister said the government plans to redirect resources toward upgrading the current institutions, improving both physical infrastructure and manpower, and expanding the capacity of existing universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

“We need to improve the quality of our education system and increase the carrying capacity of our current institutions so that Nigerian graduates can maintain and enhance the respect they enjoy globally,” he said.

Alausa thanked President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering commitment and support toward education reform, noting the president’s strong political will.

“The president fervently believes in providing every Nigerian with the highest quality of education, comparable anywhere in the world, and his dedication has been key in advancing these reforms,” he said.

dominique:
That first account if true is nothing short of diabolical. Psychopaths come in all shapes, sizes, genders and social statuses

bigpicture001:
The price of rice in my town is down to 48k from about 75k..

Now what is the reason for this..?

Mabuggi88:
What's the location? Let us know please. Even the 75k you claimed it fell from is still somehow a falsehood let alone the fallen price of 48k. Drop your location, people are interested

autoez:
Small time Elon Musk will start a phone manufacturing company that will send iphone back to their village the same way iphone did to BlackBerry. This i have seen

Elon Musk took to his social media platform X on Monday to warn Apple (AAPL) that his artificial intelligence company, xAI (XAAI.PVT), would take "immediate legal action" against the tech giant to fix what Musk alleged is anticompetitive conduct by its App Store.

Musk alleged that the App Store refused to feature both X and Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, in its prominently promoted list of apps. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Musk's claims.

"Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation," the billionaire Tesla (TSLA) CEO and owner of Grok creator xAI wrote on X. "xAI will take immediate legal action."

"Hey @Apple – App Store, why do you refuse to put either 𝕏 or Grok in your 'Must Have' section when 𝕏 is the #1 news app in the world and Grok is #5 among all apps?" Musk asked in another post, inquiring if Apple's ranking system was used for "playing politics."

He added, "And why is ChatGPT literally in every list where you have editorial control?" ChatGPT, xAI's rival chatbot, is operated by OpenAI (OPAI.PVT).

Apple entered a collaboration with OpenAI in 2024 that uses OpenAI's technology to fuel Apple's branded Apple Intelligence. The feature allows Apple devices that use its voice command service, Siri, to generate written content and perform device tasks.

Apple's website describes its App Store as "a highly curated" store where "every app is reviewed by experts and an editorial team." In addition to human oversight, Apple also uses automated tools to affect app discovery and rankings and to moderate user reviews.

Musk has been embroiled in litigation against OpenAI, which he co-founded in 2015 with OpenAI's current CEO, Sam Altman. Originally co-founded as a nonprofit, Musk separated himself from the AI firm over disagreements regarding how to move forward with the venture.

Musk later started his competing AI company, xAI. His lawsuit, which is scheduled for trial in March, seeks to prevent OpenAI's conversion to a for-profit enterprise and centers around a $45 million donation that Musk contributed to fund the startup. He claims that the donation was contingent on OpenAI remaining a nonprofit organization.

Altman contends Musk wanted to merge OpenAI into his for-profit electric vehicle company, Tesla, so that Tesla could provide it with additional funding.

FreeStuffsNG:
I hope this is not another voice of Nigeria reporting error.

4 kondo against Sudan ke! Sudan that has been fighting a civil war for more than a year till date will now beat Eagles 4:0. Haba!

G0odharddick:
We're not yet serious in this country!

Sane societies are celebrating massive infrastructures, going to the moon, building robots etc, but over here see what people are celebrating!

Hon. Justice Anthonia Ubaka of the Lagos Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court has declared the termination of one Oladunni’s employment as contained in the OANDO PLC letter dated 26th June 2014 as wrongful.

The Court ordered OANDO PLC to pay Oladunni three (3) months’ salary in lieu of notice in the sum of N1, 205, 186. 41, the sum of N2,772,701.47 being Gratuity / End of service payment and the sum of N500,000 cost of action within 30 days.

From facts, the claimant- Oladunni had submitted that while awaiting the HR feedback following her return from Study leave, she proactively held meetings with some Executives of the Group Office and some Subsidiaries as advised by the Group HR for possible consideration and that it was in the course of her awaiting HR reabsorption that she was served the wrongful termination letter.

Oladunni stated that she did not at any time act in breach of the terms expressed or implied in her employment with OANDO, and her purported termination was wrongful, and that she was treated unjustly and not given an option to resign honourably from the company after 10years of meritorious service.

In defence, the defendant- OANDO PLC averred that Oladunni failed to return to the office upon the expiration of her approved l-year study leave, neither did she request for an extension of same but merely expressed her desire for re-absorption with the intention of combining her job with her studies, which is contrary to the company’s operational model and would not have been approved, assuming the Claimant Officially applied to do so.

OANDO PLC stressed that the company was not obliged to give Oladunni a 3 months’ notice of termination of employment as the requirement did not apply to Oladunni whose name had been suspended from the Company’s payroll and database effective from when her study leave commenced and that the employment of Oladunni was not wrongfully terminated as claimed, but rather terminated in line with the provisions of the Staff Handbook.

In opposition, the Oladunni’s counsel, Opeyokun Esq stated that Oladunni returned to the company after the expiration of the thirteen (13) months leave and she did not in any way violate the provisions of the OANDO’s staff Handbook guiding her employment as there was no need to request for an extension as she was technically done with her studies but for the ASUU strike which delayed the defending of her project, and urged the Court to grant the reliefs sought.

In a well-considered judgment, the Presiding Judge, Justice Anthonia Ubaka, agreed with Oladunni’s counsel that the OANDO PLC was in breach of the expressed terms of the contract when it failed to issue Oladunni with notice and yet failed to make a payment in lieu of the said notice as at the date when the relationship was severed.

The Court held that by the OANDO’s handbook, reabsorption after study leave is not automatic, and Oladunni failed to write for an extension when she could not complete her studies.

“I hereby hold that the defendant is to pay the claimant 3 months’ salary in lieu of notice of the said termination in the sum of N1, 205, 186. 41 being calculation as per annexure 2 attached to exhibit FO26 and the claimant’s calculation in paragraph 18 of the statement of fact.” The Court ruled.

Kaido:
Turkish women too fine abeg.

PRESS STATEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UYO, 11 AUGUST 2025

INCIDENT INVOLVING AN UNRULY PASSENGER ON AUGUST 10, 2025

Ibom Air confirms that on Sunday, August 10, 2025, an incident occurred on board our Uyo–Lagos flight involving a passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, whose conduct posed a serious threat to the safety of our crew, passengers, and aircraft.

Shortly before take-off from Uyo, Ms. Emmanson was instructed in line with standard aviation safety procedures, to switch off her mobile phone. She bluntly refused to comply until the Pilot-in-Command made an announcement, after which a fellow passenger seated beside her took the phone and switched it off. This action prompted a verbal tirade from Ms. Emmanson. The situation was eventually calmed, and the flight departed as scheduled.

Upon arrival in Lagos, Ms. Emmanson waited for all other passengers to disembark and then proceeded to confront the Purser who had earlier instructed her. She walked up to the unsuspecting Purser, stepped on her, forcibly tore off her wig, removed her glasses and threw it to the floor, and used her footwear to assault her. She slapped her several times and when the other cabin crew member tried to intervene, she slapped her too. She then attempted to forcibly remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon, an act that could have damaged and grounded the aircraft.

By this time, the Pilot-in-Command had alerted airport security. Before security could arrive, the Purser as seen on the viral video on the internet, prevented the passenger from leaving the aircraft until security arrived. The arrival of Ibom Air Security personnel, did not deter the passenger as she attacked them as well, lashing out violently at the security personnel. She was then restrained and removed from the aircraft by force. Even after disembarking, she continued to assault Ibom Air security personnel, and even slapped the ground supervisor.

The passenger was removed from the ramp and taken into custody by FAAN security and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation.

Ibom Air has since submitted a report on the incident to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and placed a travel restriction on Ms. Emmanson, who will no longer be permitted to fly on any of our aircraft.

Ibom Air reiterates its zero-tolerance policy towards any form of unruly or violent conduct that threatens the safety of passengers, crew, or equipment. Such behavior will be met with the strongest possible response, including legal action and permanent restriction from our services.

We commend the bravery and professionalism of our crew in handling this situation under extremely challenging circumstances, as well as the swift support from airport security and the Nigeria Police.

Ibom Air
@ibomairlines

JUST IN: Ibom Air has issued a press statement addressing an incident involving a passenger on its Uyo to Lagos flight on August 10, 2025.

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.#IbomAir #PassengerIncident #AviationSafety #NCAA #LagosAirport #UnrulyPassenger #FlightSafety NCAA #NigeriaAviation Richard Mille pic.twitter.com/oaucsqki5x

— Business Elites Africa (@ElitesAfrica) August 11, 2025

helinues:
But you have relayed your life experiences on this thread now. Why the denial?

helinues:
You must have been going through a lot in life

Poor you