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Nigeria Air Would Serve as Relief and A Game-Changer To Nigerians – Garba Shehu
Nigeria Air would serve as relief and a game changer to Nigerians, this was a statement made on Wednesday by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media, and Publicity to President, Muhammadu Buhari.
While praising the Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika for his doggedness in ensuring the airline becomes a reality, Shehu said many Nigerians will benefit from the project.
He stated that: “The minister has been bashed unfairly all over the place. He has been doing this, all of the commitment to put this airline in place but simply obstacles have been put on his part every inch of the way, until just a week or two ago when the thing was cleared for its resumption,”.
“I don’t blame him. He wants to make history, the minister wants to push for a new airline. So, it is honourable that he wants to kickstart it Friday, which is 24 hours from now. It would be to the relief of Nigerians, certainly, it is something that is going to be a game-changer, especially for international travel.”
Mr Garba admitted that the project had been impeded by several challenges.
“The Nigerian process has been up for a very long time. In all eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari, there is no policy memo on anything that has done the zigzag that Nigerian Air has done,” the presidential aide said.
“At least seven times, it came before the Federal Executive Council before finally it was let go.
“Just when everything was set and for the airline to start, domestic Nigerian airline operators went to court and they got an injunction that says that Nigeria Air must not fly. This held up everything until barely a week or two ago.”
According to him, the collaboration with Ethiopian Airways is in the best interest of the country.
He said, “This is entirely different because past attempts have been made to use resources from the treasury to run a business.
“Government is simply a bad manager of businesses. We would continue to fail so long as these things are run by the government.
“This realization is simply the fact that the government of Nigeria would be a minority shareholder in this enterprise, it is going to be essentially business run and that would mean that it would succeed,” he said.
News
President Tinubu Decorates INEC’s Mahmood Yakubu with “CON” National Honour
Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission for an initial term of five years. The appointment, which was renewed in 2020, has now expired due to the passage of time.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday conferred the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the outgoing Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying that the award was in recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation.
Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission for an initial term of five years. The appointment, which was renewed in 2020, has now expired due to the passage of time.
President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure.
Consequent upon this, President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor.
In the letter dated October 3, 2025, Professor Yakubu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve the nation as chairman of the commission since 2015.
News
OpenAI’s Global Actors to Grace 2025 UNILAG International Week
Director of International Relations, Professor Ismail Ibraheem, emphasised the importance of the event in shaping Africa’s voice in the global tech space, stating that the week serves as a platform for practical collaborations between academia, industry, and government.
Prominent figures, including Emmanuel Lubanzadio from OpenAI, Yvonne Ike of Bank of America, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications Dr. Bosun Tijani, and entrepreneur Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, are set to participate in the 2025 University of Lagos (UNILAG) International Week.
The event, themed “Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa,” will take place from October 13 to 17, 2025, at UNILAG’s Akoka campus.
The week-long program will bring together government officials, global partners, academics, and tech innovators to discuss artificial intelligence and collaboration.
Keynote speakers will include Dr. Tijani, Mr. Lubanzadio, and Ms. Ike, while sessions on digital governance will feature Nigeria’s BPP boss, Dr. Adedokun.
Young innovators like Adeleke Eniola, who developed an AI-powered malaria diagnostic tool, will also be highlighted.
Plenary sessions will cover topics such as ethical AI, data governance, and educational innovation, aiming for actionable outcomes like policy recommendations and investment linkages.
Director of International Relations, Professor Ismail Ibraheem, emphasised the importance of the event in shaping Africa’s voice in the global tech space, stating that the week serves as a platform for practical collaborations between academia, industry, and government.
UNILAG continues to strengthen its international partnerships for research and skills development, reinforcing its role in global engagement.
News
FCCPC Withdraws Criminal Charge Against MultiChoice Chairman, MD
Defendants in the case included Adewunmi Ogunsanya, the Chairman of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and John Ugbe, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Tuesday, withdrew the criminal charge filed against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and its top officers after parties said they had resolved their differences.
ThisDay reported that FCCPC’s lawyer, Daniel Amadi, told Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court shortly after the matter was called for arraignment of the defendants.
“The matter is for hearing, but we have filed a notice of withdrawal on August 16.“Parties have settled and we agree to withdraw this suit,” he told the court.
The defence counsel, Rolake Akingbola, did not oppose the application and Justice Omotosho subsequently struck out the charge.
The judge had, on June 24, fixed Tuesday for the arraignment of the company and its senior workers over allegations bordering on breach of FCCPC Act, 2018.
Defendants in the case included Adewunmi Ogunsanya, the Chairman of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and John Ugbe, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company.
Others scheduled for arraignment alongside the duo were Fhulufhelo Badugela, CEO of MultiChoice Africa Holdings; Retiel Tromp, Chief Financial Officer, Africa; and Keabetswe Modimoeng,, Group Executive for Corporate Affairs.
President Tinubu Decorates INEC’s Mahmood Yakubu with “CON” National Honour
OpenAI’s Global Actors to Grace 2025 UNILAG International Week
FCCPC Withdraws Criminal Charge Against MultiChoice Chairman, MD
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