• Bill to create 74 new seats for women in National Assembly passes second reading
• Air Peace announces its economy class tickets to London is booked till August
• President of TUC shares thoughts concerning the Minimum Wage
• Reps demand suspension of the Samoa Agreement over LGBTQ+ allegations
• Protest rocks Nigerian universities as SSANU and NASU demand outstanding pay

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

Bill to create 74 new seats for women in National Assembly passes second reading

The bill aimed at promoting inclusion and diversity within the National Assembly with the creation of 74 extra seats for women, had passed a second reading.

The green chamber voted in support of the bill during plenary on July 9, as they leaned towards encouraging the participation of more women in the legislation.

Once accepted, the bill is expected to take effect immediately after the term of the current national assembly ends, and it will be under review every sixteen years.

Air Peace announces its economy class tickets to London are booked till August

Toyin Olajide, the Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace, has announced that the flight’s economy class tickets to London have been fully booked for 60 days.

The COO, Toyin Olajide, spoke in a recent interview, sharing how the airline ran into several challenges before getting to its position now as it serves Nigerians with a choice to fly to Europe at a discounted price.

She also revealed that Nigerians flying from the United States to the United Kingdom also use Air Peace to Lagos, as they enjoy affordable US-Europe flights.

TUC shares thoughts concerning the Minimum Wage

The President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, stated that the new minimum wage bill will be sent to the National Assembly soon for review as both Unions (NLC and TUC) remain in the dark about the price at which the new minimum wage might be.

He expressed his displeasure at President Bola Tinubu’s delay in approving the new minimum wage as while the President was consulting, the Unions have been in discussions with stakeholders.

Festus Osifo stated that the NLC believed that whatever the new minimum wage would be, it would only “cater to the poorest of the poor”.

Reps demand suspension of the Samoa Agreement over LGBTQ+ allegations

The House of Representatives has demanded that the federal government suspend the implementation of the Samoa Agreement signed on June 28 over the alleged LGBTQ+ clause, which has been consistently refuted by the NBA that no such clause exists in the deal.

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), debunked the rumours of the FG accepting the LGBTQ+ as the lawmakers are determined to investigate the Samoa Deal before it is implemented.

A week ago, reports that the Nigerian government had signed the Samoa Deal (which contains the acceptance and acknowledgement of the LGBTQ+ community) to receive a $150 billion loan made its way to the internet, sparking a huge displeasing expression from Nigerians across all sectors.

Protest rocks Nigerian universities as SSANU and NASU demand outstanding pay

Non-academic staff of Nigerian federal universities have raised their placards and voices against the federal government’s ignorance concerning their four-month outstanding salary by embarking on a one-day warning strike.

The peaceful protest took place within the campuses of the universities as well as the Nigeria-French Language village in Badagry, Lagos State.

There is to be a protest organised by the National Executive Committee (NEC) members should the federal government refuse to acknowledge the demands of the SSANU and NASU members.

The upcoming protest will take place in Abuja. It will serve as the last resolve before the unions embark on an indefinite nationwide protest, which will shut down the administrative activities of all federal and state-owned tertiary institutions.