• Tinubu orders NNPC to sell crude oil to Dangote Refinery in naira
• Tinubu signs ₦70,000 minimum wage into law
• Nigerians attack MTN office in Lagos over barred lines
• NCC orders the SIM restoration of all MTN users as protest begins
• Minister of Aviation halts NAMA’s planned 800% hike in navigation service fees

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

Tinubu orders NNPC to sell crude oil to Dangote Refinery in naira

President Tinubu has instructed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to begin the sale of crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other interested refineries in naira.

The information was passed to the public via a post on X (formerly Twitter) by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. 

According to the post, the President hopes to ensure stability in the pump price of refined petrol and the dollar-naira exchange rate.

The Dangote Refinery requires about 15 crude oil cargoes at $13.5 billion annually, and NNPCL has announced that it would provide at least four of the cargoes to the refinery.

Tinubu signs ₦70,000 minimum wage into law

President Bola Tinubu has fulfilled his part of the bargain with Organised Labour by approving and signing the ₦70,000 minimum wage bill into law.

The signing of the bill into law came two weeks after the President and the leaders of the Organised Labour had a meeting where they argued on the preferred amount suitable as a minimum wage for Nigerians before agreeing upon ₦70,000.

Since the signing, members of the NLC and TUC have expressed their gratitude to the President for holding up his end of the bargain as they also pray to see the immediate implementation of the bill into Nigeria’s economy.

Nigerians attack MTN office in Lagos over barred lines

The country has been tense for the past few days as everyone walks on the edge. While there was a protest against the upcoming protest of August 1, Nigerians took to the streets to complain about network provider MTN barring their sim cards.

MTN barred lines of its subscribers, claiming they were yet to confirm their NIN numbers despite people having already done that.

With enough anger and frustration, some Nigerians took to the streets of Festac, Lagos, where an MTN office was situated, demanding a reason for the sudden ban. However, anger led some to destroy the properties of MTN by pulling down its fences.

NCC orders the SIM restoration of all MTN users as the protest begins

The Nigerians Communication Commission (NCC) has ordered the immediate restoration of all barred MTN Sims following the disaster that happened in Lagos State on Monday, July 29.

The popular network provider, MTN, had blocked thousands of its subscribers, claiming they had not yet completed their NIN-SIM linkage and barred their lines despite most subscribers saying otherwise was the case.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), through a statement issued on Monday by Director of Media and Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, explained that the decision to unblock the affected phone lines was made in response to the widespread disruptions and customer fury caused by the blockages.

Minister of Aviation halts NAMA’s planned 800% hike in navigation service fees

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has announced its decision to halt its increase of navigation service charges by 800% after the intervention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.

The Managing Director of NAMA, Umar Farouk, announced on July 26 that the agency would hike the price fee for en-route air navigation services from ₦2,000 to ₦18,000 as the rate had been the same since 2008 despite the many economical changes in airfare rates over the years.

According to the NAMA, the planned 800% increase was initially meant to take effect on September 1, 2024, due to the rising economic crisis in the country.