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Nigeria to Partner with Google on AI and digital innovation

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President Bola Tinubu is currently in talks with Google to strengthen the country’s role in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation.

Announcing the discussions on X after meeting Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai in Paris, Tinubu said the partnership would expand cloud infrastructure, upskill workers, foster AI research, boost cloud adoption, and position Nigeria as a global tech hub.

The President cited Nigeria’s AI progress, including work with Awarri Technologies and the National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR) to develop AI tools and a Large Language Model (LLM) for Nigerian languages.

Tinubu said the talks with google aligns with his Renewed Hope Agenda, with the Communications Ministry and NITDA providing oversight and overseeing implementation.

Tinubu, who is currently in Paris on a private visit, will also attend the AU Summit in Addis Ababa before returning to Nigeria.

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Naira Exchange Rates Wednesday July 1, 2026

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BLACK MARKET RATES

US DOLLAR (USD) Buy ₦1, 395 Sell ₦1, 405

GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) Buy ₦1,850 Sell: ₦1,870

EURO (EUR) Buy ₦1, 580 Sell ₦1,600

CANADIAN DOLLAR (CAD) Buy ₦1,030 Sell ₦1,100

SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) Buy ₦75 Sell ₦90

UAE DIRHAM Buy ₦350 Sell ₦370

CHINESE YUAN Buy ₦180 Sell ₦200

GHANA CEDI (GHS) Buy ₦95 Sell ₦110

WEST AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2, 380 Sell ₦2, 460

CENTRAL AFRICAN CFA Buy ₦2, 220 Sell 2,300

AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR Buy ₦800 Sell ₦900

CBN OFFICIAL EXCHANGE RATES

US DOLLAR (USD) ₦1,370. 68

GREAT BRITISH POUND (GBP) ₦1,825.05

EURO (EUR) ₦1,572.98

SWISS FRANC (CHF) ₦1,705.00

JAPANESE YEN (JPN) ₦8.50

CHINESE YUAN (CNY) ₦203. 32

WEST AFRICAN CFA (XOF) ₦2.41

WEST AFRICAN UNIT ACCOUNT (WAUA) ₦1,875. 81

SAUDI RIYAL (SAR) ₦367.19

SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) ₦84.12

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FG Moves to Sheild Pig Industry from Deadly Swine Fever

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The Federal Government has intensified efforts to protect Nigeria’s pig industry from the growing threat of African Swine Fever, a highly contagious livestock disease.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, says the government is strengthening biosecurity measures, disease surveillance, and stakeholder collaboration to prevent the spread of the disease and safeguard livestock production nationwide.

Speaking during a technical presentation on the status of African Swine Fever in Nigeria, the Minister commended the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Federation, Dr. Yakubu Yanet Ago, for sharing lessons from a recent study visit to Denmark.

He said that the experiences gained from the visit would help Nigeria develop practical solutions to livestock health challenges and improve preparedness against disease outbreaks.

Maiha highlighted Denmark’s pig traceability and compensation system, where every pig is tracked from birth and farmers contribute to a dedicated fund that provides compensation during disease outbreaks.

According to him, such a model encourages early disease reporting, strengthens transparency, and could be adapted to support Nigeria’s livestock sector.

The Minister also pointed to Denmark’s strict biosecurity measures, including mandatory disinfection of vehicles transporting pigs and controls to prevent contact with wild animals.

He stressed that biosecurity should be viewed as an investment rather than a burden, noting that strict movement controls and farm access restrictions have proven effective in containing disease outbreaks.

To strengthen disease prevention, the Minister directed relevant departments to map livestock movement routes, identify major pig markets and commercial farms, improve animal traceability systems, and deepen collaboration with pig farmers, state governments, and development partners.

He also called for stronger surveillance systems, improved laboratory capacity, and greater investment in veterinary research.

In his remarks, the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Federation, Dr. Yakubu Yanet Ago, described African Swine Fever as a devastating viral disease with mortality rates of up to one hundred percent and revealed that outbreaks have been recorded in about twelve states.

He revealed that the Federal Government’s response focuses on improved surveillance, farmer education, and stronger biosecurity, while urging greater cooperation among all tiers of government, increased funding, and alignment with international disease control strategies to achieve long-term eradication of the disease.

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DisCos earn N801bn in four months despite persistent blackouts

In the NERC data, the DisCos billed customers N1.01tn between January and April but recovered N801.16bn, leaving about N207.77bn in uncollected revenue during the period.

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Data obtained from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) showed that electricity distribution companies (DisCos) earned a total of N801.16 billion from consumers between January and April 2026.

This was despite persistent power outages and supply constraints across the country.

The commercial performance factsheets released by the regulator showed that the 11 DisCos collected N204.74bn in January, N196.68bn in February, N196.13bn in March and N203.61bn in April, bringing total revenue for the four-month period to N801.16bn.

The collections came even as households and businesses endured months of unstable electricity supply caused largely by gas shortages that crippled power generation and forced widespread load shedding, especially in February and March.

In the NERC data, the DisCos billed customers N1.01tn between January and April but recovered N801.16bn, leaving about N207.77bn in uncollected revenue during the period.

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