By TOSAN OYAKHILOME-AKAHOMEN Edo’s Debt Profile Takes a Sharp Turn EDO State’s domestic debt profile has changed sharply under Governor Monday Okpebholo, with the state moving from 12th to sixth position among Nigeria’s most indebted states within about 15 months. Latest figures from the Debt Management Office show that Edo’s domestic debt rose from ₦113 […]
By BASSEY BENSON Akwa Ibom’s Lagos Tower & the Transparency Question AKWA Ibom State’s decision to invest in an 18-storey commercial building in Lagos has opened a new debate about public spending, procurement transparency and the right of citizens to know how government funds are being committed. The project, known as the Ibom Tower, has […]
By OBIOMA TORI Nigeria’s Cocoa Ambition Meets a New Global Reality NIGERIA is trying to rebuild its cocoa industry and regain a stronger position in the global market. The Federal Government’s distribution of one million improved hybrid cocoa seedlings represents one of the most visible steps in that effort. But stakeholders say planting more cocoa […]
By FATIMA HUSSAINI THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is preparing to negotiate a new national minimum wage with the Federal Government. The union says the current ₦70,000 wage can no longer sustain Nigerian workers. NLC President Joe Ajaero disclosed this at the Rights of Workers Summit in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State. Ajaero, who was represented […]
By UBONGABASI LINUS Akwa Ibom’s ₦31bn Empowerment Gamble: Who Gets the Money, What Will It Produce? THE Akwa Ibom State Government’s decision to approve ₦31 billion for an economic empowerment programme represents one of the administration’s most ambitious attempts to expand household incomes and stimulate enterprise development. The programme is intended to cover the state’s 31 […]
By IFIOK UDOM A State-Owned Asset With a Commercial Ambition AKWA Ibom State is seeking to deepen its revenue base beyond crude oil by developing an 18-storey commercial property in one of Nigeria’s most valuable real estate markets. The Ibom Tower, located on Abayode Cole Crescent in Victoria Island, Lagos, is being positioned by the […]
By MAHMOOD MALIK MUSA (M. M. M.) IBRAHIM Digital Payments Reshape Local Commerce THE growing use of digital payment platforms is changing the way small businesses operate in Kano’s Sabon Gari area. Roadside vendors, market women, food sellers and neighbourhood shops are increasingly accepting bank transfers and other digital payments as customers move away from […]
By ESTHER McWILLIS-IKHIDE THE Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) says Nigeria spent ₦1.16 trillion on fuel subsidy in 2021. The commission also disclosed that ₦1.20 trillion was deducted from proceeds generated from federation crude oil sales. RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, disclosed the figures on Thursday while addressing the Senate Public Accounts Committee in […]
By PAULINA NZERUBE Delta’s Investment Gamble: Turning Global Interest into Long-Term Economic Growth An Economy Searching for Its Next Growth Engine FOR decades, Delta State has occupied a strategic position within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. Petroleum wealth shaped government revenues, infrastructure development and economic planning. Today, however, changing global realities are forcing governments to […]
By FRANKLIN FRANCIS FREY The Persistent Myth of Easy Prosperity FEW economic ideas are as politically attractive—or as dangerously misunderstood—as the belief that governments can simply print more money to solve financial problems. Whenever countries experience recession, unemployment, budget deficits or mounting public debt, calls often emerge for governments to “print more money” to stimulate […]