• President Tinubu Will Send New Ministerial Nominees List Today
• FIFA to Pay World Cup Prize Money Directly to Players After Super Falcons’ Allowance Issue
• Small Aircraft Crashes in Ikeja, All Passengers Rescued Alive
• NLC Says Nationwide Protests Begin on Wednesday
• El-Rufai Reveals Tinubu’s Vision for Constant Power Supply within 7 Years

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

President Tinubu Will Send New Ministerial Nominees List Today

President Bola Tinubu is poised to make a significant move in Nigeria’s political landscape as he prepares to send a new batch of ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening. According to a reliable source within the Senate, the announcement of the nominees’ names is expected either late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. The plenary session today will witness the reading of the names for the new batch of 28 ministerial nominees.

The Senate has been working diligently to ensure a smooth screening process, and a lawmaker confirmed that the screening of the 28 nominees will be concluded today, paving the way for the next batch to be screened subsequently. “By Wednesday, the new set of nominees will be unveiled, so that by Monday, we will be through with their screening. We want to conclude with the screening before we go on our recess. We wouldn’t want a situation where we would go on recess and we would now start calling lawmakers to come back for screening,” the lawmaker emphasized.

The screening process has already seen some ministers face the Senate. On Tuesday, nine out of the remaining 14 nominees were screened, including prominent figures like Senator David Umahi, Olawale Edun, Nasir el-Rufai, and Adebayo Adelabu. During his screening, finance expert Olawale Edun shared his insights on the nation’s exchange rate and proposed a path towards achieving a feat similar to India’s through the collection of Biometrics.

Meanwhile, Adebayo Adelabu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, expressed concerns about the lack of supervision and oversight of the CBN’s activities by the Federal Government’s economic management ministries. Nasir el-Rufai, in his screening, spoke passionately about the President’s vision of eliminating power outages in the country within seven years, and he lamented the inability of Nigeria to provide reliable electricity despite its abundant resources.

However, during the screening, Senator Sunday Karimi raised a petition against Nasir el-Rufai regarding the issue of insecurity in Southern Kaduna. Despite Karimi’s petition, other senators commended el-Rufai’s competence and suitability for the ministerial role. The Senate subsequently postponed the remaining screenings until Wednesday.

As President Bola Tinubu readies his new set of ministerial nominees for Senate screening, the nation awaits the outcomes that will shape the country’s governance and leadership in the near future. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.

FIFA to Pay World Cup Prize Money Directly to Players After Super Falcons’ Allowance Issue

In a move aimed at resolving long-standing issues of unpaid allowances, FIFA has declared that the prize money for the 2023 World Cup will be paid directly to the players, ensuring that they receive their rightful earnings without any third-party interference. This policy change comes in response to the unpaid allowance situation that the Nigerian Super Falcons faced, as revealed by their head coach, Randy Waldrum, in a viral social media video.

During the lead-up to the World Cup, it was disclosed that some players of the Nigerian women’s national team were owed “per diem and bonuses” dating back to two years ago. This unfortunate development caused concern and nearly affected the team’s preparation for the prestigious tournament.

In a video statement that garnered attention across social media platforms, Fatma Samoura, FIFA secretary-general, addressed the situation, acknowledging the challenges faced by the Falcons. She expressed her concern and revealed that, for the first time in FIFA’s history, the prize money has been ring-fenced to ensure that it directly reaches the players, guaranteeing that they receive their rightful share.

“I know that things have been tough. We have to face the realities of Nigeria. It pains me a lot. It is because of you [the Super Falcons] that, for the first time, the prize money has been ring-fenced in the history of FIFA to ensure that it goes to you,” said the FIFA secretary-general in the video.

Under the new policy, every player participating in the World Cup group stage will earn $30,000. As the competition progresses, match bonuses will increase to $60,000 in the second round, offering greater financial rewards for the players’ achievements.

The Nigerian Super Falcons, having qualified for the round of 16 by finishing second in group B, will see every player on the team earn at least $60,000 for their impressive feat in the tournament so far.

As the Super Falcons gear up to take on England in their second-round contest on Monday, this groundbreaking policy change by FIFA ensures that the players’ dedication and hard work will be rightfully rewarded, setting a precedent for fair and direct payment of prize money in the world of women’s football.

Small Aircraft Crashes in Ikeja, All Passengers Rescued Alive

A distressing incident occurred in the Oba Akran area of Ikeja, Lagos State, as a small aircraft crashed on Tuesday afternoon.

According to officials from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the aircraft burst into flames upon impact. Fortunately, all four individuals on board, including the pilot, were able to be rescued alive and were swiftly transported to a nearby hospital for medical attention.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) also corroborated the accident, stating that despite the aircraft’s identity being yet unknown, all occupants were successfully saved. NEMA’s Zonal Coordinator for the South-West, Ibrahim Farinloye, conveyed this information on the agency’s official WhatsApp platform.

Emergency response teams from NEMA, LASEMA, and investigators from NSIB promptly reached the crash site to manage the situation and gather vital information.

This unfortunate event occurred three years after a helicopter operated by Quorum Aviation crashed in the Opebi area of Lagos in August 2020. The helicopter tragically plummeted into a residential building on Salvation Road in Opebi, resulting in the loss of all three individuals aboard.

As authorities conduct investigations into the recent small aircraft crash, the successful rescue of all passengers serves as a ray of hope amidst the somber history of aviation incidents in Lagos. The relevant agencies and authorities are working tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved and to ascertain the cause of the accident to prevent future occurrences.

NLC Says Nationwide Protests Begin on Wednesday

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has made it clear that it will forge ahead with its nationwide protest against the recent fuel price hike and other grievances, despite reports suggesting otherwise, which the NLC attributes to “fifth columnists.” In a late Tuesday statement, NLC President Joe Ajaero reaffirmed the commitment to the planned mass action, even after a meeting with the Federal Government.

“We want to inform all Nigerians that we have just risen from a meeting with the Federal Government where we sought to get them to listen to the demands of the people and workers of Nigeria,” stated NLC President Joe Ajaero. “The outcome of this meeting earlier today has, however, not changed anything or the course which we have set for ourselves tomorrow as custodians of the interests and desires of Nigerian workers and people.”

Ajaero urged Nigerians to disregard the efforts of “fifth columnists” who are working against the wishes of the people, emphasizing the collective resolve to proceed with the protest in various states and locations across the nation.

The NLC is demanding the removal of what it perceives as “anti-poor policies of the government,” including the increase in the pump price of petroleum, school fees, and VAT, among others.

In preparation for the protest, the police authorities are ramping up security nationwide. The Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, recognizes the constitutional right to peaceful protests but appeals to all parties involved to ensure that the demonstrations are not infiltrated by miscreants.

“The IGP orders the Commissioners of Police in charge of various commands and supervisory Assistant Inspectors-General of Police to engage in fruitful discussions with the NLC/TUC leadership to foster understanding and reach common ground on the planned protests,” stated Force spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi in a statement.

The IGP emphasizes the significance of a peaceful and coordinated approach to achieve meaningful solutions and to prevent any form of violence or disruption to public order, should the protests persist.

As the nation braces for the upcoming protest, the NLC’s determination remains unwavering, and the authorities are committed to ensuring a peaceful and secure environment for all citizens.

El-Rufai Reveals Tinubu’s Vision for Constant Power Supply within 7 Years

During his screening as a ministerial nominee before the Senate, former Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai disclosed President Bola Tinubu’s ambitious vision of achieving stable and reliable electricity supply in Nigeria within the next seven years. El-Rufai’s statements shed light on Tinubu’s determination to tackle the nation’s energy challenges head-on by implementing sustainable solutions.

Addressing the crisis in the energy sector, Abdulaziz Yari, the senator representing Zamfara West, questioned el-Rufai about his plans to confront the power challenge if appointed as Minister of Power. In response, el-Rufai emphasized that President Tinubu is committed to ensuring Nigeria’s power supply reaches an unprecedented level of stability and reliability, a feat that has eluded successive governments for six decades.

“The president’s vision is that within seven years, we will not have power outages in this country,” el-Rufai revealed during the screening process.

El-Rufai recognized the indispensable role of constant electricity in fostering industrialization within the country. President Tinubu’s dream of achieving uninterrupted power supply has motivated him to request el-Rufai’s assistance in addressing the challenge.

To achieve improved power generation, el-Rufai emphasized the need to address constraints hindering full electricity production. Notably, insufficient gas supply stands as a major problem impacting power generation. A substantial portion, approximately 80%, of the nation’s electricity generation depends on gas, while the remaining comes from hydro sources. The scarcity of gas supply often hampers the functioning of gas-fired stations.

El-Rufai expressed his commitment to working towards resolving these issues. He emphasized that effective power generation requires synchronizing gas and power operations under one centralized system. Additionally, el-Rufai underscored the importance of upgrading the national power transmission infrastructure to enhance efficiency and reliability.

Nigeria has faced persistent power challenges over the years, with disruptions frequently occurring in the national grid. Notably, the grid experienced collapses in February, May, July, and August of 2021 and 2022. As the nation grapples with this long-standing issue, President Tinubu’s vision offers hope for a future with uninterrupted electricity supply, paving the way for economic growth and development.