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Nigeria Ready to Host African Central Bank, Tinubu Assures AU Leaders
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured leaders at the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday that Nigeria is ready to host the African Central Bank in line with the vision of the Abuja Treaty.
President Tinubu said his administration will engage the African Union Commission in collaboration with member states to ensure that the bank takes off as scheduled in 2028.
The President affirmed that Africa’s success in conclusively addressing its challenges hinges on the firmness of its resolution, built on a foundation of deep-rooted solidarity, if it is to avoid perpetuating existing problems and creating new ones.
“As a continent and as individual nations, we face strong headwinds and difficult hurdles threatening to complicate our mission to bring qualitative democratic governance and economic development to our people. Many of these obstacles, such as climate change and unfair patterns of global trade, are largely not of our making. However, some of the pitfalls, including coup-birthed autocracies and the deleterious tinkering with constitutional tenure provisions, are developmental cancers we as Africans are giving to ourselves,” he stated.
Speaking on the military takeovers in the Republics of Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and the exit of three of these nations from ECOWAS, the President said disagreements over the unconstitutional changes of government should not mean a permanent rupture of the abiding lines of regional affinity and cooperation.
“The drive for a peaceful, strong, and united West Africa is bigger than any one person or group of people. The bonds of history, culture, commerce, geography, and brotherhood hold deep meaning for our people. Thus, out of the dust and fog of misunderstanding and acrimony, we must seize the chance to create a new people-centric era of trust and accord.
“To all who care to listen, I declare that if you come to the table to discuss important matters in good faith, you will find Nigeria and ECOWAS already sitting there waiting to greet you as the brother that you are,” President Tinubu said.
On education, which is the theme of this year’s summit, the President said education is the core ingredient in the process of evolving creative solutions to the unique challenges long confronting the continent.
“In helping to achieve the Agenda 2063 objective of a peaceful, united and prosperous Africa, I consider African education, not only in the narrow context of the benign use of science and technology to improve the material standards of our people, but also in the nuanced appreciation of the fact that Africa must also become better educated in the humane art of democratic practice, diplomacy, and conflict resolution without violence.
“This year’s theme encourages us to remodel our educational systems to fit these goals. In Nigeria, my administration is devoting ample resources to education at all levels. From redesigning our school feeding programmes and academic curricula to making ourselves an Information and Communication Technology hub, through which we shall bring more youths into the classroom and furnish them with the tools required to flourish in the global economy of the 21st century,” he said.
The President used the occasion to extend invitation to the Africa Counter-Terrorism Summit scheduled to take place in April 2024, in Abuja, stating that the summit aims to expand discussions beyond military and law enforcement remedies to comprehensively tackle the root causes of violent extremism, such as poverty, inadequate political access, and the propagation of hateful ideologies.
News
JUST IN: 1 Dead, 3 Rescued in Fadeyi Building Collapse, Lagos
A two-storey building has collapsed in the Fadeyi area of Lagos, resulting in one fatality and the rescue of three people, emergency officials confirmed on Friday morning.
The incident occurred in the early hours, sending residents and nearby traders into panic as the structure suddenly gave way. Rescue teams from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other first responders quickly arrived at the scene and began extracting victims from the rubble.
According to preliminary reports, one person was confirmed dead at the site, while three others were pulled out alive and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Their conditions have not yet been disclosed.
Security personnel have cordoned off the area to allow rescue operations to continue and to prevent further access by onlookers. Officials are still assessing whether any other persons remain trapped under the debris.
The cause of the collapse has not been established. Authorities have not ruled out structural failure, but investigations are ongoing.
Further updates are expected as the rescue operation progresses and more details become available from emergency services.
News
UNILAG School Teachers Begin Work-to-Rule Over Unpaid Arrears
Teachers at the International School, University of Lagos (ISL), on Wednesday commenced a work-to-rule action over unpaid salary arrears, their removal from the university’s payroll, and delays in implementing a National Industrial Court judgment.
The staff are demanding the payment of outstanding Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Teaching Allowance (CONTTA) arrears, as well as arrears from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary adjustments approved in 2024. They also want full restoration to the university’s payroll.
Comrade Razak Yusuf, Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), University of Lagos branch, said the industrial action followed prolonged delays in resolving the teachers’ employment status and financial entitlements.
The teachers had approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, which ruled in their favour on May 11, 2026. Despite the judgment, they claim the university has yet to fully restore their names to the payroll or settle outstanding benefits.
Protesters carried placards with messages such as “Equal Work, Equal Rights,” “ISL tutors deserve their due,” and “Other UNILAG staff paid, ISL tutors still owed.” The action disrupted teaching and a scheduled mid-term examination at the school.
The teachers called on the university management to restore the affected staff to the payroll, settle all outstanding financial obligations, and provide a clear payment plan with timelines.
They rejected suggestions that any interim arrangement under the university’s Council protocol amounted to goodwill, insisting they were only seeking recognition of their employment rights.
The development continues a pattern of industrial disputes at the University of Lagos over salary and allowance issues.
News
JUST IN: Gas Emissions Hit Ogun Schools, Hundreds of Pupils Hospitalised
Hundreds of students were hospitalised on Wednesday morning after fresh gaseous emissions hit parts of Ogun State, including Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye.
The incident affected pupils at Anglican Girls Grammar School, Obalende, Ijebu-Ode, and Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School. Several schools in Ago-Iwoye suspended academic activities and sent students home as a precaution.
Kehinde Bello, General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), visited the affected areas and linked the emissions to underground gas previously recorded in Ijebu-Ode since April 2026. He said the situation was under control and attributed the releases to natural geological and tectonic fault lines, ruling out sabotage or a gas pipeline leak.
Bello assured residents that the state government was working on a lasting solution. He advised anyone exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs.
The recurring emissions have renewed concerns about the safety of students and residents in the affected communities.
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