Here are the stories you should be monitoring today:

Nigeria’s economy slipping – World Bank

The World Bank has said that the Nigerian economy has been slipping since 1995 and this continued till 2018. The bank, in its latest report on the regional economy titled, Africa’s Pulse released the taxonomy of growth performance in sub-Saharan Africa, which focused on the macroeconomic and financial features that led to growth resilience on the continent.

I won’t step down on Senate Presidency – Ndume

Former Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume on Monday vowed not to drop his ambition of becoming the Senate President of the ninth Senate. Senator Ndume met behind closed doors with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday. Ndume is one of the frontline aspirants for the position of Senate President for the 9th Senate in June.

PDP queries presidency over N24, 38tr debt profile

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has chided the All Progressives Congress, APC-led federal government and Presidency over alleged unwholesome borrowings leading to the escalation of the nation debt stock from N12.12 trillion in 2015 to a kingly sum of N24.38 trillion in 2018.

The party described as saddening and devastating that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, relied on heavy borrowings and unbearable tax regimes, “which have crippled productivity, caused untold hardship and mortgaged the economic future of our nation.”

Bandits kill 20 in Kaduna

According to The Nation, twenty persons have been killed in a fresh attack by unknown gunmen in Angwan Aku community, Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna. A resident said the attack was launched at about 7am on Monday by gunmen, allegedly dressed in military uniform and armed with AK47 rifles, machetes and sticks. They stormed the village, shooting sporadically, he said.

Two Nigerians stabbed to death in South Africa

The death toll of Nigerians killed in South Africa has continued to rise with another two being the latest victims in ongoing xenophobic attacks on foreigners in that country.

It was learnt that the latest victims – Bonny Iwuoha and Goziem Akpenyi – were stabbed to death during xenophobic attacks in Johannesburg and Cape Town on April 5 and April 6. The Assistant Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Union in South Africa (NUSA), Odefa Ikele, confirmed the killings in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from Johannesburg on Monday.