![]() |
A file photo of BRT buses at a park. |
The Lagos State government has announced an increase in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus fares for all routes in the state.
![]() |
A file photo of BRT buses at a park. |
![]() |
Hon. Jude Ise-Idehen |
![]() |
Senator Peter Nwaoboshi |
Nigeria and Portugal on Friday in Lisbon signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in different sectors.
The signing ceremony was done by cabinet level officials from the two countries as part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s State Visit to the European Union country.
President Buhari and the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa witnessed the signing ceremony.
The MoUs signed include Political Consultations; Diplomatic Training, Research and the Exchange of Information and Documentation; Cooperation in the Field of Culture; and Cooperation in the Field of Women and Girls Development, Empowerment and Gender Affairs; Youth; and Sports.
At a business forum organised during the visit, at which some of the MoUs were finalised between the two countries' investment promotion agencies and chambers of commerce, President Buhari had described the progress in signing the agreements ‘‘as excellent foundations for increased bilateral trade.’’
President Buhari meets with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and receives Portugese National Honour in Lisbon on 30th June 2022
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met with Fernando Medina, Mayor of Lisbon and City Council Members, expressing heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to them for accommodating Nigerians as well as those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The President also used the occasion to congratulate him and his party on their electoral victory and his emergence as the Mayor of Lisbon.
The Nigerian leader thanked Fernando Medina for graciously receiving the Nigerian delegation in the ‘beautiful and historic coastal city of Lisbon,’ commending the excellent manner the city is administered, as a prime global tourist destination.
‘‘The city of Lisbon shares a number of similarities with some Nigerian cities such as Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria, whose name was given by the Portuguese explorer Rui de Sequeira, who visited in 1472, naming the area around the city, Lago de Curamo, which means Lake of Curamo.
‘‘Both cities are rich in history and are also commercial nerve centres that host multinational corporations, industries, and major seaports. We are optimistic that these shared features can be harnessed to promote increased trade and people-to-people contact for the benefit of our two countries.
‘‘Nigeria, like Portugal, has many unique, historic, and cultural assets, as well as a developing hospitality industry, which both countries can exploit to promote tourism.
‘‘We are also keen to establish a direct air link between our two countries to further stimulate tourism, people-to-people contact and social, sporting and cultural relations,’’ he said.
President Buhari highlighted that Nigeria has made great strides in diversifying its economy beyond oil and gas, recording successes in agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructural development, among others.
He, therefore, invited prospective investors to Nigeria as the next top investment destination, saying ‘‘we are ready to extend our bilateral trade beyond oil and gas.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Mayor of Lisbon, Fernando Medina, extolled Nigeria's greatness, especially in her ability to turn diversity into greatness: “We have one thing in common. We believe diversity is key. Nigeria is a great nation. Former President Obama said that about you, that you strive to overcome division and turn Nigeria's diversity into a source of strength, so you are able to build the largest economy in Africa. I so much agree with that.”
“Diversity is a matter of innovation and that’s why we both have excellent innovation ecosystems. You have just opened one of the biggest Urea plants, I think the second in the world and the largest fertilizer centre in Africa making your country self-sufficient.”
“You have produced five out of the seven unicorns, the big companies in Africa. You have one of the biggest projects on biometrics identification that has helped the banking system with relevant contributions for some Portuguese companies. So we want to work with you and your innovators. We need you. We need the African continent. We need to work with you peer to peer.”
He informed the Nigerian leader of his plan for Portugal to launch a "Unicorn Factory" in Lisbon and his desire to “have those African, Nigerian unicorns with us. Young people that could work with Portuguese people. That will be very important for Lisbon.”
The Mayor, while presenting the keys of the City of Lisbon to President Buhari, emphasized the cultural, historical, political and diplomatic ties between Lisbon and Abuja, describing the keys as "a token of respect and appreciation."
President Buhari with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as he received the Portuguese National Honour in Lisbon on 30th June 2022
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday night expressed appreciation to Portugal for the deployment of weapons and training of military personnel in ensuring peace in the sub-region.
Speaking at a State Dinner in National Palace Ajuda, Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, the President commended President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa for deploying troops for peacekeeping in the Central African Republic, monitoring political developments and providing assistance to some countries in Africa, including Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde and Mozambique.
President Buhari said at the dinner attended by the President of the Portuguese National Assembly, Augusto Santos Silva, and Prime Minister Antonio Costa that the Nigerian Government has made it a priority to tackle the issue of insecurity in Nigeria, the ECOWAS, and the Sahel.
He added that this would not have been successful without our regional as well as global partners.
‘‘The Boko Haram insurgency in the North-eastern part of Nigeria is being tackled through the efforts of government, as well as the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) of member countries,’’ he said.
President Buhari expressed optimism that his State Visit would further strengthen the goodwill and collaboration between the two countries.
He noted that the establishment of a Joint Commission, which is one of the main priorities of the visit, would further promote the full realisation of the objectives of bilateral relations, achieving concrete, specific and viable projects and programmes for the benefit of citizens of the two countries.
‘‘Today, Portugal imports about 60 percent of its gas from Nigeria which makes it our second-largest market in Europe.
‘‘There is still more that can be achieved between the two countries, especially with the current Russia-Ukraine war which has disrupted steady gas supplies to Europe.
‘‘Furthermore, Nigeria wants to see trade diversified to non-oil products such as agriculture, power projects, renewable energy and pharmaceuticals where a lot could be achieved,’’ he said.
The President emphasized the need to revive the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) and finalize all pending bilateral agreements so as to boost economic activities and movement of people between the two countries.
President Buhari described Nigeria as one of the most attractive destinations for investment in Africa, adding that his Government is prioritizing building a business-friendly environment.
‘‘Nigeria is part of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) - the largest free trade area in the world. With a population of over 200 million mainly young men and women, Nigeria is a natural and attractive hub for foreign investment and one-stop market access to over 50 countries.’’
The Nigerian leader welcomed the Business Forum organized during the visit and the signing of many Memoranda of Understanding between the two countries' investment promotion agencies and chambers of commerce.
He described the signing of the agreements ‘‘as excellent foundations for increased bilateral trade.’’
President Buhari also commended his Portuguese counterpart for extending his country’s engagement with Africa and African issues beyond Lusophone countries.
‘‘In that context, I wish to remind us that in addition to giving our former capital, Lagos, its name, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in what later became Nigeria, even before the British.
‘‘During that time, the Benin Kingdom had diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Portugal. The bodyguards of the Oba of Benin were sent from Portugal.
‘‘Today, there are streets in some states in Nigeria that still bear Portuguese names. This shows a strong bond that has endured a long time between our two countries,’’ President Buhari said.
Dr John Elaigwu Odogbo
President Muhammadu Buhari has joined sons and daughters of Idoma Kingdom, Benue State, in celebrating the investiture of the 5th Och'Idoma, Dr John Elaigwu Odogbo, whose academic, work and leadership credentials hold promise for his people.
President Buhari noted the zeal and diligence of Dr Odogbo in seeking knowledge and sharing his wisdom, working for more than two decades with the Federal Inland Revenue Service, during which he earned a doctorate in accounting and taxation, and trained many staff.
The President believed the national and international exposure and network of the traditional ruler over many years sets a new standard for the domain, creating a good setting for progress through the marriage of the traditional and the modern, by placing the people first.
As a public servant, educator and Christian religious leader, President Buhari affirmed that Dr Odogbo's wealth of experience will play out in guiding citizens on the path of peace, prosperity and development in the state and beyond, considering the steadily rising influence and impact of the Idomas in nation building, especially in leadership positions.
The President prayed for the wellbeing of the Idoma nation, and most importantly, good health and wisdom for the Paramount Ruler.
Speaking in Lagos at a session which discussed the critical issue of financial inclusion expected to be facilitated by a robust infrastructure deployment for broadband availability, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the Commission is mindful of the infrastructure gaps in the country and therefore, committed to driving national digital economy to the grassroots.
“As a Commission, we have a mandate to ensure availability of universal access to telecom services irrespective of circumstances and location of Nigerians and other users in Nigeria," said Bruce-Bennet, who also informed the audience that voice communications enjoys over 100 per cent penetration.
The EVC of NCC who spoke through Freda Bruce-Bennet of the Digital Economy Department, reiterated the Commission’s focus in supporting the quest for financial inclusion through provision of robust infrastructure such as broadband.
At the event hosted by Oriental News Nigeria, an online news organisation, at the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos, which focused on: "Engaging with Critical Grassroots Groups to Develop Effective Financial Inclusion Initiatives", Bruce-Bennet, said the Commission has been at the forefront of driving technology platforms required to drive increased access to financial services by all and sundry.
She cited the current implementation of an open access model (Infraco licensing) for deployment of broadband infrastructure in the six geopolitical zones, as well as Lagos (which enjoys a special status within telecom ecosystem), as one of the strategies adopted by the Commission to ensure a robust infrastructure deployments that will support many platforms that can accelerate financial inclusion.
Bruce-Bennet said that the Commission had facilitated strategic partnerships with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Fintech Association of Nigeria (FintechNGR), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Rockefeller Partnership Agreement (RPA), and other government agencies, to promote Digital Financial Services (DFS) and Digital Financial Inclusion (DFI) in Nigeria.
Bruce-Bennet also stated that the NCC, through its Digital Economy Department, is fostering the development of a portal for the Association of Skilled Vocational Artisans of Nigeria (ASVAN) for information and digital training purposes.
At the event, the Chairman, Bank Customers Association of Nigeria, Dr. Uju Ogubunka, applauded the Commission for its regulatory efforts in creating an enabling environment for digitized financial inclusion, and charged the participants and other government agencies present to take advantage of the information portal of the Commission to glean necessary information because robust digital economy will, amongst other things, improve the standard of living of the people who are willing to harvest the benefits.
![]() |
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo |
![]() |
Femi Falana |
…Appreciates FG, NASS, Nigerians for their solidarity, support
The administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in Enugu State has expressed deep concern over the ordeal of the Senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Mrs. Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, in the United Kingdom.
A statement by the Enugu State Government described Senator Ekweremadu as an illustrious son of the state and a foremost Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The statement disclosed that the government and the good people of Enugu State are saddened by the unpleasant news of arrest, arraignment and subsequent remand in custody of Senator Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, in the United Kingdom.
It, therefore, conveyed the thoughts and prayers of Gov. Ugwuanyi and the people of the state to the entire family of Senator Ekweremadu “in this difficult time as we beseech the most merciful God to grant accelerated healing to Miss Sonia Ekweremadu”.
The state government extended its profound gratitude to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the National Assembly for their empathy, support, solidarity and legal intervention.
It went further to appreciate the prayers of well-meaning Nigerians for early resolution of the issues.