WhereMyLoud:
dude..! Abi na that time e go buy scatter to cover the head.

Olawade24:
Pls is there something wrong with me. Why am I attracted to girls with bar head (Gorimapa).

Just yesterday my brother in-law had to take a swipe on me by telling me that I might just happen to give birth to Hellboy or batman.

Pls is there something wrong with me or my gene are being altered to mutate another homo sapions.

Jeon:

Ehn, look at the hypocrites commenting.
As if Nigerian Men are way better than Indian Men.

…seeks collaboration with govt

Nigeria might be on its path to peace again after a decade of fighting terrorism as a UK-based Nigerian, Yunusa Jibrin said he has leveraged on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be able to identify bandits and their hideouts in Nigeria.

He said his findings, if adopted by the federal government, would help to direct the efforts of the military towards identifying and eliminating bandits wherever they may be hiding in the country.

Jibrin who is a Master’s degree graduate in computer science from the University of Sussex, told Vanguard on Sunday that he leveraged AI-driven image synthesis to generate thousands of visual representations depicting bandits in desert environments.

He said that his research achieved remarkable accuracy in preliminary evaluations by employing the use of a Vision Transformer (VT) model to discern terrorist elements.

“I undertook an innovative approach, leveraging AI-driven image synthesis to generate thousands of visual representations depicting bandits in desert environments, complete with weapons and vehicles.

“Employing this synthesized dataset, I employed a Vision Transformer model to discern terrorist elements within the images, achieving remarkable accuracy in preliminary evaluations,” he said.

Offering his support, the computer guru from Gombe State who led a team of researchers from Federal College of Education (Technical) Potiskum, emphasized the need for a technology-backed warfare against terrorist element in Nigeria.

He further stated that he would partner with the federal government in the fight insecurity which is causing setback to the development of the country.

“Moving forward, efforts are underway to formalize these findings, with plans to publish and integrate the developed algorithms into the operational frameworks of the Nigerian government,” he added.

advanceDNA:

..u are condescending and it's rude...

lol..but it's normal for people like u becos rather than admit what u said...u want to deflect...

I can see that I lied against you because I want to win money from lying...... u ddnt mentioned MSG doesn't contain sodium earlier and that's it's better than sodium chloride because of this...

John Ofikhenua, Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf and Jill Okeke - March 3, 2024.

•Ministry accuses companies of deliberately not taking up supply from TCN
•Arbitrary billings, unauthorised disconnections, customer abuse complaints on the rise – FCCPC
•Our problem is inadequate supply of gas – EKEDC
•Adelabu summons AEDC, IBEDC, TCN over deteriorating power output.

Some electricity distribution companies (DisCos) are partly responsible for the incessant power outages experienced in the country, according to disclosures made by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, yesterday.

The minister alleged that such discos have deliberately not been taking up power supply from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), thus denying would be consumers electricity supply.

Power outages have worsened across the country in the last few weeks with the DisCos attributing the situation to gas shortage.

Consumers are separately accusing the DisCos of arbitrary billings, unauthorised disconnections, customer abuse and disregard for capping, among other allegations.

Following the deteriorating electricity supply across the country, Adelabu yesterday invited the Chief Executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) for a meeting later this week to review the situation.

Also invited to the meeting is the TCN Managing Director, Sule Abdulazeez.

The minister, in a letter signed by the Director, Distribution Services in the ministry, Engr. B.U. Mustapha, said the meeting was called to discuss issues bordering on the worsening electricity supply in their regions with a view to proffering a lasting solution.

The minister’s Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, quoted him as saying the management of other non-performing DisCos would be similarly queried as reports continue to filter in on the situation in their regions.

“These two DIsCos (AEDC and IBEDC) have been summoned due to the worsening power supply situation in their regions despite improved supply from TCN,” he said.

He said gas shortage notwithstanding, the ministry has been putting pressure on the generating companies (GENCOs) to improve performance and generation has been ramped up to over 4000MW in recent days.

His words: “So, we expect power supply to have improved across the country, unlike what we are experiencing in some regions presently.

Findings revealed that some distribution companies were deliberately not taking up power supply from TCN while some power lines were also damaged by vandals in Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt and Ibadan regions.

Besides, the minister plans to compel the DisCos to raise their performance level.

“Willful non-performance by any DisCo could suffice as a reason for severe punishment or outright licence revocation,” he warned.

The minister directed TCN to immediately commence repairs on the damaged transmission towers and power lines with a view to improving electricity supply in the affected regions.

The Federal Government is said to have recently paid $120m out of the $1.3bn owed gas companies for the supply of gas to run gas-fired power plants across the country.

The current low power supply is attributed to reduced gas supply caused by the indebtedness of the GENCOs to gas-producing firms.


The Director, Decade of Gas Secretariat, Ed Ubong, said in Abuja that the $120m debt was paid between October last year and January this year.

The minister on separate visits to the power generating plants in the last few months said government was on course to settle some of the debts inhibiting their operations to enable them function optimally.

Places visited by him include the Kainji hydro power plant which will soon embark on an expansion plan to boost the existing 560MW operational capacity, Olorunshogo and Omotosho thermal plants in Ogun and Ondo states as well as Ihvobor and Azura power plants in Edo State.

While reacting to the purported breakdown of the Egbin Power Plant, which has led to massive power outage to customers, Felix Ofulue, Head, Corporate Communications & Branding Egbin Power Plc, in a text message to our correspondent last night assured that there was nothing wrong with the power plant.

“There’s nothing wrong with Egbin. The challenge with supply across the country is gas limitation,” Ofulue maintained.

EKEDC: Our allocation is halved to 300MW

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) said yesterday that it was not part of the DisCos deliberately refusing to take supply from the TCN.

The company’s GM, Corporate Communications and Strategy,  Babatunde Lasaki, told The Nation that on the contrary, EKEDC’s allocation has gone down to 300MW from 600MW.

 “At EKEDC, we don’t have that issue. In fact, what we are saying is that we have little power supply from the grid and that is why our customers are not getting enough energy supply because of their limited allocation,” he said.

Continuing, he said: “We have said this many times, we even sent a message on our social media platforms, saying that why our customers are having limited supply is simply because we have limited allocations from the grid as a result of the gas shortage from the GENCOs.

“So, that has been the case. We don’t fall in that category of DISCOs that are refusing to take allocations. No.”

Asked whether the EKEDC had made requisition for upgrade of its allocation from the national grid, he said the DisCos do not deal directly with the GENCOs but through an intermediary which is the TCN.

“We need to understand the issues; it is the GENCOs that generate energy and they in turn put that energy into the national grid and then the TCN will now give to different DISCOs.

“Ordinarily, at peak periods, we usually get about 600-650MW; that is what we normally get on a monthly average.

“But since this scarcity of gas started, we barely have 300MW, even at times less than that. So, that is the reason for short supply, and many other DisCos have said so.

“Even the TCN came out to say the reason why the national grid cannot satisfy the DisCos is because the GENCOs are unable to generate power as a result of shortage of gas.

“So, it is an open secret. The TCN put that information out and even we ourselves have issued several statements to the members of the general public, and we have been doing that for the past few weeks.”

An official of Ikeja Electric in Akowonjo axis of Lagos, who would not be named because he is not authorised to speak on behalf of the management, confided in our correspondent last night that supply has been very poor from the GENCOs lately.

 “It doesn’t make any economic sense if we refuse to get allocations because we have old and prospective end-users who rely on our supply,” the official said.

Consumers kick over poor service

Over 600 complaints of arbitrary billings, unauthorised disconnections, customer abuse, disregard for capping and community transformer issues, amongst others, were recorded against the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company during its electricity consumer complaints resolution platform.

The four-day event which was organised by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) in conjunction with the MacArthur Foundation ended yesterday in Ikeja, Lagos with many aggrieved electricity consumers in attendance.

The Acting Director of the FCCPC, Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, said the resolution forum was organised because of the amount of complaints the commission was receiving against the 11 electricity DisCos in the country.

He said: “We receive the highest complaints from that sector, and the same complaints from different parts of the country.

“Since the past months, we have been touring all over the country holding the same resolution forum as the one we are having now.

“We have been to Nassarawa, Benin, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Jos, Ibadan, Bauchi and consumer complaints have largely been on over-billing, community transformer issues, accounts reconciliations, energy capping, tariff band classification, metering, billings before connection to a new building, disconnection without notice, et cetera.

“That is why we insist that all the stakeholders, like the National Electricity Regulation Commission [NERC], the Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency [NEMSA] which provides meter, and of course the concerned DisCos have to be present in the forums.”

Abdullahi accused the DisCos of not being forthcoming on the allegations against them.

He added: “As you can see, these are very serious issues to the consumers and, of course, they will like to have solutions,” he said.

“We are here to resolve these issues, and that is why we set aside four days to attend to the complaints,” he added, noting that over the past three days, most of the complaints have been resolved.

“The ones we cannot do here, we give timelines to the DisCos, NERC and NEMSA to ensure that the complaints are resolved. If not, we encourage the consumers to report to our offices where we have willing staff and the complaints the branch staff are not able to handle is escalated to the head office.”

Engr. Salami Oladokun, representing NEMSA, assured the FCCPC of his agency’s readiness to continue to collaborate with them, adding that NEMSA’s workforce usually go round to monitor the meters.

Speaking, Mr. Chukwunonso Okwuso, Forum Secretary Ikeja NERC Forum, appealed to consumers to always attend such forums with open minds, emphasising that no matter how long the issues had lingered, it will be resolved according to laid out government regulations.

Commending the FCCPC for organising such a forum, he noted it was a sure way to hear directly from the aggrieved customers.

In her remarks, Jolaoluwa Adewale, Head, Government/Regulatory Ikeja Electric Plc, noted that since the forum started sitting, many consumers who came with complaints had got them resolved, though he acknowledged that many complaints were still outstanding.

She however appealed to them to exercise patience while promising that the DisCo would work on all the complaints brought to its notice.

An elderly customer, Mr. Anthony Chukwuemeka Iteghate, said he paid N65,000 for a meter since last August but had not received any.

He said that all his visits and complaints to the Ikeja electricity company yielded no result.

“They have not given me any meter and have not refunded my money. Since last year, I have been staying without electricity. Their response to me is that there is no meter,” he said.

Jewessgratitud3:
Everything is wrong with it. The taste is eeww,

I tried it some 3,years ago just to see if it'll still taste "good " like back in the day when many homes were using it mehn... I nearly puked. It tasted like chemical. I regretted using it that day.

If it's not knorr cubes, forget it.

advanceDNA:

I dont get ....I should calm down?? How did we arrive at u telling me to calm down...we dey fight before?

U made a claim that MSG doesn't have sodium.....so I showed u the formular and asked u if u ddnt see sodium (Na) in MSG as u and the aproko doctor claimed....
Abi no be u claim that not having sodium is why it's better than NaCl ??

Now u are telling me there is no conclusive research..nigga u are funny and evasive...

I don't know which research u read and ur aproko doctor is just playing around with context.....if i tell u beer dont madness does that mean it doesnt cause something else....

.prolonged use and significantly high conc of MSG has been documented to have negative effect on neuro pathways ... we don't have to agree

TrennixGLOBAL:
If you have some spare funds not useful now you can use, just buy the Dip on dollar now and relax.


Save this post & come back in few Months..

mariahAngel:
It can make one addicted to food it is cooked with, if eaten frequently.
That is why many people are hooked on noodles.
It also causes water retention, making one look bloated.


Try as much as possible to cook the meals you can with natural ingredients.

advanceDNA:

U mean C5H8NNaO4 lacks sodium(Na)... Lol

Let's just follow ur aproko doc for a second ....so because it doesnt cause cardiovascular risk as u claim....does that mean it doesnt cause another thing ??

There are countless research on MSG....please read....

Truvelisback:
Aproko Doctor said there is nothing wrong about using White maggi. He said that it has advantages than the ones people like.

Madups:
Advice or a command?

viyon02:
wicked men are in charge of this country, i just needed little change to start my eco stone business. To hell with Dangote cement, we just need little cement for setting of the blocks and that is all.

Thazard:
How much can someone get that kind of container?

AfahaAbia:
Indians have finished this country. Dufil and Multipro owners of Indomie keep on increasing their prices of Indomie every month. This is unacceptable!! The Nigerian government should look in to this immediately

viyon02:
This is beautiful people are now thinking out of box, plastic bottles house is good but it could have been better if it was to eco stones.

Nigerians are grappling with high costs of living including cement as the prices of 50kg are between N10,000 to N11,000.

Despite a recent agreement from cement manufacturers like Dangote Cement, BUA Cement, Lafarge Africa, and other major producers to cap the prices between N7,000 to N8,000, Nigerians are still groaning. 

Although President Bola Tinubu has called on cement companies to further review the prices, it has been difficult for Nigerians to build houses during this hardship.

In this article, Vanguard reveals four ways to build houses with little or no cement in Nigeria.

1. Container house

Building a house with container is fast becoming popular not only in Nigeria but around the globe. This undoubtedly is cheaper than building houses with cement. It only requires a few bags of cement where the container needs to be erected for foundational purposes.

Apart from its affordability, building houses with containers is durable, fast, sustainable, and reliable. The most interesting benefit is that is portable. Container houses can be moved from one place to another in case of relocation.

The disadvantage of this building is that it tends to be hot during the sunny atmosphere or dry season but adequate provision of airconditioners and other cooling gadgets can make the houses comfortable.

The containers to build houses can be purchased from steel and aluminum dealers around the country, and civil engineers can also provide excellent counsel in building this kind of shelter.

2. Wooden house

Constructing houses with wood also requires little or no cement, and Nigerians can save money in getting themselves comfortable homes. This kind of house is innovative and becoming exquisite. Different kinds of wood can be used to build houses but they have to be strong, and only a few portions of cement would be required.

It is noteworthy that wooden houses provide durability, and sustainability and are not time-consuming in construction.

The demerit of wooden houses lies in the destruction from termites but this can be tackled when the woods are adequately depurated with insecticides and other necessary chemicals, and make it well-furnished.

Wooden houses are constructed by civil and structural engineers, and they can provide quality professional services with beautiful designs.

3. Plastic-bottle house

Another important means of building houses with little use of cement is plastic bottles filled with sand. The use of plastic or pet bottles to construct shelters is less expensive compared to cement-building houses.

Using plastic bottles for buildings serves the purpose of reusing plastic bottles which is one of the means of energy conservation as climate change issues continually become a global headache. This can save embodied energy by using them instead of bricks in walls and decrease pollution in cement manufacturing by lowering the percentage of cement utilised.

This is possible when people fill the plastic bottles with sand and stack them on their sides to create a wall, which is then bound together with mud. The resulting bottle wall is said to be 18 times stronger than one made with regular bricks and can withstand earthquakes – and even bullets.

The benefits of building houses with plastic bottles include affordability due to cheap means of getting plastic bottles, preservation of natural resources, and reduction of the carbon footprint and the technology used is small and easy to implement.

4. Brick house

Building houses with bricks is both fashionable and less expensive, especially with the rising cost of cement in Nigeria. The bricks are made from clay and shale and using them to erect houses only demands a small portion of cement. Bricks absorb sounds and vibrations, and serve as a mechanism to regulate. One of the benefits is that the natural resources to make bricks are readily available.

While the use of bricks for houses is not advisable in high seismic zones, it has higher durability and reduces the risk of cracks in buildings. With the high prices of cement, building houses with bricks remains one of the cheapest and easiest ways.

Abiodun February 29, 2024

Access to websites of top global cryptocurrency exchanges and virtual digital asset service providers such as Binance, Kucoin, OKX, and others, have been blocked and restricted in some countries.

Major economies like China, India, Turkey, and Nigeria have restricted and curtailed crypto trading.

Authorities are wary of how exchanges may be laundering the proceeds of criminal activity, or aid tax offenders, or host the perpetrators of crypto scams.

In the past few years, the platform has landed itself in a fix over compliance issues in several countries. Binance has been slow to comply with local money laundering laws, and has failed to register to do business in many countries.

On May 12, 2023, Binance exited the Canadian marketplace due to stricter requirements around stablecoins and investor limits.

Canada tightened regulations for crypto asset trading platforms with the introduction of a pre-registration process.

For Nigeria, telecommunications firms have been instructed to restrict access to the websites of cryptocurrency firms such as Binance, OctaFX, Coinbase and others, months after its Central Bank issued a guideline to govern digital asset operators’ activities.

This new restriction on crypto websites is aimed at slowing currency speculation activities in the country, with Binance stating that its platform is not for currency pricing. The platform said this after users complained about their inability to buy dollars.

When Nigeria banned Twitter in 2021, Nigerians continued using the platform with Virtual Private Network (VPN) apps. The same is expected, with the country boasting one of the largest crypto populations in the world.

Binance Holdings Ltd., branded Binance, is a global company that operates the largest cryptocurrency exchange in terms of daily trading volume of cryptocurrencies.

It was founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao, a developer who had previously created high-frequency trading software.

Binance was initially based in China, then moved to Japan shortly before the Chinese government restricted cryptocurrency companies.

Binance subsequently left Japan for Malta and currently has no official company headquarters.

Cryptocurrency trading platform is facing restrictions in multiple jurisdictions, such as the United States, Singapore, Canada and the United Kingdom.

In 2021, Binance was put under investigation by both the United States Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service on allegations of money laundering and tax offenses.

Also, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority ordered Binance to stop all regulated activity in the United Kingdom in June 2021.

The Nation reports Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, had advocated that Binance and other crypto platforms should be banned from operating in Nigeria.

Onanuga’s call for a ban on cryptocurrency trading platforms followed the directive of the CBN on February 5, 2021, to banks, non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), and other financial institutions (OFIs), to close accounts of persons or entities involved in crypto transactions.

The regulator also warned local financial institutions against dealing in crypto assets or facilitating payments for crypto exchanges.

CBN cited concerns over money laundering, terrorism financing, cybercrime, and the volatility of cryptocurrencies as reasons for the ban.

Majority of restrictions across countries stem from licensing and money laundering issues.

The countries where Binance has been restricted or banned in no particular order are as follows:

United States

United Kingdom

Japan

Italy

Canada

Belgium

Nigeria

Australia

India

Netherlands

Thailand

Philippines

Germany

France

Bangladesh

Iran

Vietnam

Kazakhstan

Malaysia

China 

The parents said brands of noodles were becoming unaffordable, hence the need for them to look for an alternative.

Some parents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said on Friday that they have cut noodles from their household menu as its price continues to increase.

In separate interviews with journalists, they said their children’s favourite fast food was becoming unaffordable, hence the need for them to look for an alternative.

Hauwa Bakari, a mother and a teacher, said she used to prepare noodles for her children to take to school every Friday and to Islamic school on Sundays.

"The last carton we bought before the increase was N6,000 for Indomie noodles, and by the time I went to get the same item after two weeks, it had increased to N8,400,” she stated.

Ms Bakari, who said noodles have become a luxury for the ordinary Nigerian, said the price for the medium-sized Indomie is reportedly N18,000 while Minimie now goes for N16,000 per carton.

“I know it is one of my children’s favourite foods, but with how things are going, I cannot afford it, so they have to eat whatever is available at home,’’ she said.

Kemi Samuel, a mother of four, said she has decided to cut off noodles from her list of groceries because it now looks like a waste of resources and unnecessary.

Ms Samuel said she would buy and cook more spaghetti with enough vegetables for the family instead of using so much money on noodles that digest in no time.

She said the decision was timely since her children depended too much on noodles as they were easy to make.

Rose Yakubu, a student, however, said the high cost of noodles would not deter her from eating it.

Ms Yakubu said she liked the food, not because it was easy and fast to prepare, but because it saved her from buying other food ingredients to cook a proper meal.

“If I have to cook rice, for instance, I will have to buy oil, meat or fish, seasonings, and vegetables, which I may not have enough money for,’’ she said.

A shop owner, Shefiyu Abubakar, said that only a few people can afford noodles from his shop anymore.

He attributed this to the increase in the commodity’s price and the fact that many would prefer to buy other foodstuffs.

Mr Abubakar said the Hungryman Indomie pack is between N18,000 and N19,000 per carton, while the smallest size sells for N10,500.

“These prices were far lower in January and suddenly increased because of the inflation in the country,” Mr Abubakar added.

About 85.51 million bank customers may not to be able to withdraw from their bank accounts by March 1, 2024, due to their inability to link their National Identification Numbers (NINs) and/or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) to their accounts, LEADERSHIP findings have revealed.

Recall that data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) shows Nigeria has 146 million active bank customers (individual) as of December 2022. As of January 26, 2024, the BVN count on the NIBSS portal was 60.49 million. On NIN, about 104 million NINs have been issued as of December 2023.

And with about 24 hours to the March 1, 2024 deadline given by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for customers to link their Bank Verification Number (BVN) and/or National Identity Number (NIN) to their bank accounts and wallets, Nigerians have raised issues surrounding verifying their NIN with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)

The apex bank had asked banks to restrict transactions on accounts whose NIN and BVN have not been linked, starting on March 1, 2024. On December 1, 2023, the CBN declared that any bank accounts lacking NIN and a BVN will be designated as ‘Post no Debit.’

To this effect, the central bank delivered a circular to all deposit money banks that included the new directive.

The apex bank stated that having a BVN and/or NIN is required for all Tier-1 bank accounts and wallets for people, even as it added that having a BVN and NIN is still required for Tiers 2 and 3 accounts as well as wallets for individual accounts.

If the deadline stands, about 85.51 million bank customers will be unable to withdraw money from their accounts.

Reacting to this development,, the director-general of National Identification Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote disclosed to LEADERSHIP at the commission’s management retreat in Lagos that the commission saw numerous violations and unethical behaviour at NIN enrollment and modification procedures, hence, the reason it put a temporary stop to its NIN enrollment efforts for Front-End Partners (FEPs).

“My decision to direct the revalidation of all FEPs was not targeted at anyone or group. It was a step towards sanitising the system and processes while ensuring the integrity of data in the country’s identity database. Now that we have revalidated and re-issued licenses to about 96 FEPs, we believe NIN registration will be faster and secure,” she added.

She, however, posited that FEPs are crucial in fast tracking the NIN registration process.

“FEPs are the link between our citizens and the NIMC enrollment ecosystem. As you communicate with candidates, treat their information with care, accuracy, and thoroughness. Let us work together to protect our database from errors, fraud, and other threats to its integrity.

“While we welcome the expansion of our National Identity Database to over 104 million captured NINs, and targeting additional 20 to 25 million NINs registration by the end of 2024, we cannot rest on our laurels. Millions more are waiting to be enrolled. They include students, farmers, businesspeople, and the elderly. They are the heartbeat of our country.

“Let us reach out to all parts of Nigeria, from booming cities to isolated villages. Allow us to collaborate with schools, hospitals, and community leaders. Let us ensure that no one is left behind, including the vulnerable, people with disabilities, those living in remote locations, and so on. Let us make the NIN enrollment process accessible, fast, and inclusive.”

On NIN-SIM Linkage, the executive vice chairman/CEO Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida said  NIN-SIM linkage is a process of connecting one’s NIN to his phone number to authenticate and protect his identity.

To link NIN to SIM, Maida urged telecom subscribers to submit their NIN to their respective Service Provider to complete the process of NIN-SIM linkage.

For subscribers who do not have the National Identification Number (NIN), they can obtain theirs from NIMC Enrolment Centres or their Service Providers Customer Care Centres.

“A subscriber can also link his/her NIN to his/her SIM by sending NIN- your 11 digit NIN to 996 or Dial *996* Your 11 Digit NIN# and follow the prompts. A telecoms subscriber can link his/her NIN to as many as 4 mobile phone numbers per Mobile Network.

“One major objective of linking subscribers’ NIN to SIM is to help improve and enhance national security in the country. As a matter of critical National security, telecom consumers must link their NIN to the SIM. To this end, the Commission has directed all telecommunication operators to bar phone lines of subscribers whose lines are not linked to their NINs on or before February 28, 2024,” she said.

Meanwhile, a customer of a tier one bank in the country said she had received a message from her bank that asked her to visit the branch to rectify her BVN, but had ignored the message thinking it was a phishing email.

The message sighted by LEADERSHIP read: “We noticed that there is no Biometric Verification Number (BVN) linked to your account. Kindly visit any FirstBank branch close to you with a valid means of Identification to update your account information with your BVN on or before 29 February 2024.

“Please note that Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through its circular: PSM/DIR/PUB/CIR/001/053 dated 01 December 2023, has directed that effective, 01 March 2024, all funded accounts without BVN shall be placed on ‘Post No Debit or Credit’ and no further transactions permitted.”

Opay, a mobile money operator in the country, had posted a message on all its social media handles reading: “this is to remind you that effective March 1, 2024, all accounts without NIN or BVN will be restricted from conducting transactions on the Opay app. This complies with the CBN directive. Kindly provide the required information to continue enjoying our services.”

Some customers said they were contemplating moving their funds from accounts that have BVN/NIN issues to accounts that do not have issues, whilst some are planning to withdraw their funds so as not to be stranded.