• House of Rep urges FG to reopen border with Niger despite ECOWAS sanctions
• Tinubu begins disbursement of ₦1.12 trillion cash transfer to 15 million households
• South Africa may overthrow Nigeria as biggest African economy – IMF
• Abia State Governor vows not to touch salary for four years
• Protesters take to Abuja streets in disapproval of the appointment of Olukoyede as EFCC Chairman

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

House of Rep urges FG to reopen border with Niger despite ECOWAS sanctions

The House of Representatives has requested that the federal government forgo the sanction placed on Niger Republic by ECOWAS and reopen the border.

The lower legislative has asked that the FG open the Maigatari, Illela, Kongwalam, and Mai’Aduwa borders.

The Nigeria-Niger border was closed in August in compliance with the ECOWAS sanction due to the military intervention that had assumed power there. 

However, the motion to reopen the border was moved on October 17 by Adiyu Madaki, a lawmaker from Kano. The motion stated that the border closure had brought unexplainable suffering to the people who depended on the border to focus on trading.

Tinubu begins disbursement of ₦1.12 trillion cash transfer to 15 million households

President Bola Tinubu has officially begun his administration’s ‘Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer Programme’, which is meant to curb the hardship placed on the people by the fuel subsidy removal.

The president stated that the programme is meant to cover 15 million households and will mainly be given to the poor and underprivileged.

For the next three months, each household will be beneficiary of the promised 75,000 monthly.

IMF claims South Africa may overthrow Nigeria as the biggest African economy

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted that South Africa can overthrow Nigeria as Africa’s biggest economy.

According to the IMF World Economic Outlook, South Africa, the most industrialised country in the continent, is raving towards attaining $401 billion gross domestic product (GDP) by the following year (2024).

The IMF also stated that South Africa is expected to lead the chart for a year before it again falls behind Nigeria.

With Nigeria’s GDP at $395 billion and Egypt’s at $358 billion, South Africa can fall into third position by 2026.

Abia State Governor vows not to touch salary for four years

Five months after his inauguration as the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti promised not to touch his salary for the next four years till the end of his tenure.

The Governor made this declaration at an event held in the state’s capital, Umuahia. He said that he had not accepted his salary since he began his job as governor, and he intended to keep it that way for the next four years.

“The speaker reminded me that I have not taken a salary for four months, and I will not take it for four years,” he said.

“I have only one wife and three children, and we can care for ourselves.”

Nigerians take to Abuja streets in disapproval of the appointment of Olukoyede as EFCC Chairman

Nigerians have taken to the streets of Abuja to display their disapproval of the appointment of Mr Ola Olukoyede, the new Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Bannered under the group called Centre For Democracy and Human Rights, these protesters called on the president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, with their placards raised high as they urged him to reconsider his appointment.

The protesters claimed that the appointment of Mr Olukoyede was a breach of the law, which clearly stated that the EFCC Chairman must have at least 15 years of experience, but the newly appointed Chairman only had eight under his belt.