• SSANU and NASU threaten indefinite strike once again
• Governor of Oyo State promises upgrade of Ibadan Airport within 12 months
• World Bank is set to borrow from Nigeria a $1.7 billion fresh loan
• FG threatens prison sentence for private employers who pay below ₦70,000
• FIRS launches electronic invoice to enhance tax system

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

SSANU and NASU threaten indefinite strike once again

For the second time this year, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) announced they will embark on an indefinite strike.

The two unions issued a three-week request to the federal government, stating that if their demands were not met, they would go on with their plans and shut down all tertiary institutions in the country.

The unions are requesting payment of their outstanding four-month salaries, implementation of the 2009 agreements with the FG, and other dues owed to them.

Governor of Oyo State promises upgrade of Ibadan Airport within 12 months

The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has pledged to take the state to another level by upgrading the current state of the airport to something more conducive for use.

The Governor made this announcement at the groundbreaking ceremony of the construction site of the new airport, which is now called ‘Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport.’

“Anyone who wants to ask what we are doing, go to Angola; they’ve just finished their airport, which was delivered at $3 billion. This is no joke. If you want to tap into a $3 billion industry, you must be ready to be bold, and we are bold here in Oyo State,” he said.

World Bank is set to borrow from Nigeria a $1.7 billion fresh loan

The World Bank has again opened its coffers for the Nigerian government with a fresh loan of $1.7 billion set to be granted by September 26.

The funds will be received through three major development projects focused on promoting Nigeria’s economic stability and resource mobilisation abilities.

The three projects set to receive the $1.7 billion loan are Primary Healthcare Provision Strengthening Programme ($500 million), Nigeria Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity Governance ($500 million) and Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria Project ($700 million).

If the loan is granted, the total amount of loan received in the year 2024 alone would stand at $3.95 billion and about $6.65 billion under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

FG threatens prison sentence for private employers who pay below ₦70,000

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, has warned all agencies recruiting for private companies not to pay their employees below ₦70,000, which is the new minimum wage for Nigerians.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kachollom Daju, claimed that no Nigerian worker in the public or private sector would be expected to receive anything below ₦70,000 as salary given the change in policy.

“The minimum wage is now a law, and as a result, it is a punishable crime for any employer to pay less than N70,000 to any of its workers,” Kachollom Daju, represented by the Director of Employment and Wages of the ministry, John Nyamali.

FIRS launches electronic invoice to enhance tax system

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced its launch of an electronic invoice aimed at improving the FIRS’s responsibilities and catapulting the agency into an age of innovative technology.

The Executive Chairman of FIRS, Zacchaeus Adedeji, represented by Oti Olaniyi, made this announcement at an event with the organised private sector, saying, “The e-invoice was necessary as the country moved forward to innovate and enhance its tax system.”