• Educate yourselves to overcome poverty – Buhari challenges youths
• Lagos state announces new residents’ identity smartcard
• Osinbajo, Aregbesola absent at APC mega rally in Osun state
• Air Peace commences commercial flight operations to China
• IGP bans use of spy number plates nationwide

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn‘t miss:

Educate yourselves to overcome poverty – Buhari challenges youths

President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the youth to seek education, not for government jobs that are unavailable but to arm themselves with skill and ability to fight poverty and meet the needs of the 21st Century.

The President’s spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu said in a statement that the president made the calls from the Emir Daura’s palace on Wednesday during a Salah service in Daura, Kachina province.

He said the fast-changing world driven by new technologies will become more competitive and demanding, so more time must be devoted to nurturing future leaders with a basic knowledge of moral values.

“We should ensure the children get a proper education. The knowledge they acquire should not be towards getting government jobs.

”We don’t have jobs in government anymore. With technology, governments are becoming smaller, nimble, and efficient.

“Emphasis should now be on skills acquisition and competence in creation and deployment of technology.

”During the Covid-19, we asked all level 12 downward to stay at home, and surprisingly the systems worked effectively”, the president noted.

Lagos state announces new residents’ identity smartcard

The Lagos State Government has announced that it is set to inaugurate an updated residents’ identity smart card for state citizens.

The General Manager of Lagos States Residents Registration Agency, Mrs. Ibilola Kasunmu, made this announcement on Tuesday, adding that the new card will be unveiled in all five divisions of the state.

Kasunmu also noted that the smartcard can be used by owners as a payment card for services across multiple vendors, including buses, ferries, and supermarkets in the state.

She said, “The new LAG ID card will be launched on Wednesday, July 20 by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Police College, Ikeja GRA and it will be launched simultaneously, across the five divisions of the State: Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe. One of the key highlights of the day would include a live demonstration of the smart card, its benefits as well as the unveiling by Mr. Governor.

“The new card is embedded with more features and functionalities to offer the card holders wider and faster access to services provided by the Lagos state government.”

Kasumu also urged residents who registered before 2018 to update their records before they will be given the new LAG ID card. visions of the state.

Osinbajo, Aregbesola absent at APC mega rally in Osun state

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola were noticeably absent from the Progressives Congress mega rally in Osogbo on Tuesday in support of Osun Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s re-election.

The mega rally committee named Osinbajo as one of the expected guests at the rally in a statement signed by spokesperson Funke Egbemode on Monday. However, the interior minister was not on the list.

Some of the governors in attendance included: Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna, Abdulrahaman Abudulrasak of Kwara, Hope Uzodinma of Imo, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, and Prof. Babagana Zullum of Borno States.

Also in attendance were former APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, the 2023 APC presidential flag bearer, and his running mate, Senator Bola Tinubu, and Kashim Shettima respectively.

When asked why his principal did not attend the rally, the media adviser to the Interior Minister, Mr. Sola Fasure, said Aregbesola was not invited to the event.

Fasure, who also said Aregbesola was not a member of the APC campaign council for the Osun poll, further noted that the Minister was attending an official event in Lagos on Tuesday.

Air Peace commences commercial flight operations to China

Nigerian airline, Air Peace has expanded its network to Asia with the commencement of a direct one-weekly flight to Guangzhou, China.

A total of 240 passengers were carried out from Lagos directly to China through its Boeing 777 aircraft.

The company also noted that plans are underway to connect Beijing, Shanghai, and others from Nigeria, utilizing interline arrangements with Asian airlines.

Air Peace Chief Operating Officer, Oluwatoyin Olajide, in a statement said that the company had envisaged an airline that would predominantly create massive employment for Nigerians and reduce the burden of air travel for Nigerians, and by extension, Africans.

She said, “Now, we can confidently assert that Air Peace has kept to this vision of providing seamless connections and expanding existing network to accommodate the evolving air travel needs of the flying public. Today, we’re officially adding the continent of Asia to our network of continents, with the commencement of initial one-weekly flight to Guangzhou-China.

“We are not stopping with Guangzhou- India is next and Israel is in the works. Also planned for subsequent launch are Malabo in Equatorial Guinea and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“We will continue to grow our route network as well as modernise our fleet strategically. Air Peace currently boasts of a network of twenty domestic routes, seven regional routes, and two international destinations, including Dubai and Johannesburg.”

IGP bans use of spy number plates nationwide

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba has banned the use of SPY license plates by vehicle owners across the country. This is to prevent continued disregard for traffic laws, he said.

This was announced in Abuja on Wednesday by the force’s Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiva Adejobi.

The IGP said the ban applies to all road users in the country, without exception.

According to him, it is also to address the continuous disregard for extant laws guiding road use by individuals hiding under the privileges of SPY police number plates.

Mr. Baba directed police officers and officers of other security agencies attached to VIPs who use the SPY number plates to ensure prompt compliance or risk being arrested for the violation.

He ordered Commissioners of Police (CPs) across the states and the FCT, and their supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) to give full effect to the directive.

Mr. Baba directed the AIGs and CPs to ensure confiscation of all SPY number plates currently in use without arresting owners of such vehicles.