Top 5 Stories Of The Day | ASUU Protests Nationwide Over Unmet Demands

• ASUU protests nationwide over unmet demands
• Dangote Refinery now meeting West, Central Africa’s fuel needs
• NRC suspends Abuja-Kaduna train service after derailment
• Tinubu orders six-month ban on raw shea nut exports
• Osun monarch jailed in U.S. for $4.2m COVID-19 fund fraud

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

ASUU protests nationwide over unmet demands

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday held coordinated protests across campuses nationwide to push the Federal Government to meet its outstanding commitments, just two days before a scheduled meeting in Abuja.

Lecturers at universities including OAU Ile-Ife, UNILORIN, UNICAL, ABIA State University, FUTA, UNIMAID, and others, carried placards and chanted solidarity songs. They warned of a looming strike if the government continued to neglect their concerns.

Their demands include implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, release of withheld salaries, payment of arrears, revitalisation of universities, rejection of the staff loan scheme, and adoption of UTAS over IPPIS. At OAU, ASUU Chairperson Prof. Tony Odiwe stressed that lecturers had been on the same salary scale since 2009, accusing the government of stalling on the 2025 Yayale Ahmed report.

Dangote Refinery now meeting West, Central Africa’s fuel needs

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has emerged as a key supplier of diesel and aviation fuel to West and Central Africa, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights.

Speaking at a webinar organised by the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, Gary Clark of S&P Global said the refinery has already exported significant volumes of diesel and jet fuel to the region.

Clark noted that before the refinery began production, most of West Africa relied heavily on fuel imports from Europe. He added that the situation has now changed, as the Dangote refinery is meeting the bulk of regional demand.

NRC suspends Abuja-Kaduna train service after derailment

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has indefinitely suspended the Abuja-Kaduna train service following a derailment that occurred on Monday.

NRC Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Olaifa, confirmed that 618 passengers were on board when the train derailed near Asham station. He assured that arrangements were being made to refund affected passengers.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has opened an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

Tinubu orders six-month ban on raw shea nut exports

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a six-month suspension on the export of raw shea nuts to encourage local processing and boost Nigeria’s agro-industrial base.

The directive, delivered by Vice-President Kashim Shettima at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, takes effect immediately. Agriculture Minister Abubakar Kyari explained that the measure is part of efforts to increase export revenues by focusing on processed products, a strategy already adopted in countries like Ghana and Burkina Faso.

According to the presidency, the move is expected to strengthen the shea value chain, create jobs, and generate about $300 million annually in the short term.

Osun monarch jailed in U.S. for $4.2m COVID-19 fund fraud

A U.S. District Court has sentenced the Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Oba Joseph Oloyede, to 56 months in prison for defrauding federal COVID-19 relief programmes.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio, the monarch orchestrated a scheme that illegally obtained over $4.2 million from loan and grant initiatives meant for small businesses affected by the pandemic.

Oba Oloyede pleaded guilty to six charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and filing a false tax return.

Read » Top 5 Stories Of The Day | ASUU Protests Nationwide Over Unmet Demands on YNaija