News
Buhari Returns To Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari returned to Abuja on Monday after attending the 12th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union in Niamey, Niger Republic.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the presidential aircraft conveying the President and some members of his entourage landed at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 1:25 p.m.
While in Niamey, Buhari signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, making Nigeria the 53rd state in the continent to append its signature to the document.
The signing of the agreement was the first event at the opening of the summit on the launching of the operational phase of the AfCFTA.
The president had delayed signing the agreement, which entered into force on May 30, 2019.
The delay was to give room for extensive consultations with stakeholders, culminating in the submission of the report by the presidential committee, to assess the impact and readiness of Nigeria to join the free trade area.
The AfCFTA is expected to be the world’s largest free trade area since the formation of the World Trade Organisation, with a potential market of 1.2 billion people.
Buhari at the summit met with Dr Mansur Muhtar, Vice- President of the Islamic Development Bank and solicited the support of the bank to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit.
According to the president, with the growing population and infrastructure deficit, no amount of money is too much to commit to the revamping of Nigeria’s development challenges.
‘‘We need all the support we can get on infrastructure because the oil will not last forever. We must build quality infrastructures” said Buhari.
The Nigerian leader also met with the Head of Libya’s Government of National Accord, Fayez Al-Sarraj, and pledged Nigeria’s continued support for Libya’s quest to regain political and security stability among other things.
Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has described the planned increase in electricity and telecom tariffs as unconscionable.
The statement comes after the telecoms regulator last week approved the increase in mobile tariffs.
The federal government also recently said that plans were ongoing to increase electricity tariffs “over the next few months.”
However, Sani, who said the government’s plan is unreasonable, insisted that it should be halted.
The ex-lawmaker also expressed his support for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the scheduled protest against the government’s proposal, calling it a welcome development.
“The planned increase in electricity tariffs in the midst of poor power supply and the proposal to increase telecom tariffs is unconscionable and should be halted. The scheduled labour union protest is a welcome development,” he posted on X.
The United States President, Donald Trump, has revealed his decision to cut off all future funding to South Africa, citing poor treatment of “certain classes of people.”
Trump made this known on Sunday in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.
According to Trump, South Africa was seizing land and mistreating some citizens without concern for the violations of their rights.
“South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY.
“I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” Trump wrote.
Reports suggest that the American leader may be defending White South Africans, some of whom have alleged that the South African policy is unfair to them.
There are indications that the federal government will on Monday meet with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to stop the planned Tuesday nationwide protest against the 50 percent telecommunications tariff hike.
A reliable source familiar with the matter, who preferred anonymity, disclosed this on Monday morning, noting that the meeting between the NLC leadership and the federal government is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Monday.
The source said the meeting was a “dialogue on matters of national interest as it affects Nigerian workers.”
According to the source, it will be an inter-ministerial meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), purposely to resolve issues raised by the NLC concerning the federal government’s approved upward adjustment to telecommunications tariffs, which the NLC, its allies, and others are vehemently opposing.
This comes as the NLC is already mobilizing workers for a mass protest tomorrow (February 4) against the 50 percent tariff hike approval.
On Thursday last week, in a letter to affiliate unions and state councils, NLC General Secretary Emma Ugboaja urged them to mobilize other Nigerians to send a serious message to the government.
The planned protest follows the 50 percent telecom tariff approval by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on January 20, 2025.
The approval had sparked widespread rejection among telecom subscribers.
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