• Drivers threaten to boycott Uber and InDriver over low fares.
• NiMet warns Delta, Ogun, Lagos, Rivers ahead of mid-year flood
• NIS set to launch contactless passport application service in Europe
• Oil Marketers likely to abandon NNPCL due to price war with Dangote Refinery
• DR Congo’s conflict raises death toll over 900

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

Drivers threaten to boycott Uber and InDriver over low fares.

The Lagos State Council of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) has urged ride-hailing companies to reconsider their pricing structures to better align with the country’s economic conditions. 

Bolt has stated that although it did not raise its fare cut by 50%, it has implemented significant adjustments to its pricing. 

According to NAN, Steven Iwindoye, the public relations officer for AUATON in Lagos, criticised companies such as Uber, inDrive, and Rida for setting fares he deemed “unfair and insensitive” to the challenges faced by drivers.

NiMet warns Delta, Ogun, Lagos, Rivers ahead of mid-year flood

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has warned Delta, Ogun, Lagos, and Rivers States ahead of mid-year floods, stating that these states, including nine others, will experience early rainfall this year.

However, eight Northern states namely, Plateau, Kaduna, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Adamawa, and Kwara, will have delayed rainfall this year.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo (SAN) presented the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), saying the cessation date for rainfall is between October 6 and December 17.

NIS set to launch contactless passport application service in Europe

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) plans to introduce a contactless passport application system in Europe, with the United Kingdom as the central coordination point. 

Set to launch on February 7, this initiative will allow Nigerians living abroad to renew their passports online without visiting physical offices. 

Kemi Nandap, the Comptroller General of the NIS, mentioned in a statement issued by NiDCOM spokesperson Abdur-Rahman Balogun that the goal of this initiative is to simplify the passport renewal process for Nigerians overseas, helping to save time and cut down on travel costs.

Oil Marketers likely to abandon NNPCL due to price war with Dangote Refinery

Several oil marketers are starting to update the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited logo at their filling stations as they end their franchise agreements with NNPCL. This change is a response to the fierce competition in refined product prices in the downstream oil sector.

Sources reveal that many others, particularly in Lagos, are also considering this shift, especially following the recent reduction in refined product prices set by Dangote Refinery.

As a result, several filling stations that were once linked to the national oil company are now being renamed and rebranded by private oil marketers, particularly in Lagos and its surrounding areas.

DR Congo’s conflict raises death toll over 900

In the last two weeks, more than 900 people have lost their lives due to fierce fighting between M23 rebels and government forces in Goma, a city located in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

A statement from the World Health Organization released on Monday reported that nearly 2,880 injured individuals have been taken to various health facilities in Goma since January 26.

Last week, the M23 armed group, which has the backing of Rwandan troops, captured Goma’s airport as their fighters moved through the city, the regional capital of North Kivu, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate their homes.

The rebels have stepped up their attacks in eastern DRC, claiming control of Goma and establishing checkpoints that severely limit humanitarian access.