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Floods Ravage Ajah, Lekki, and Surulere Communities

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Ajah, Lekki, Surulere, Agungi, Ikorodu, and numerous other neighborhoods bore the brunt of torrential rains that inundated the city in the early hours of Wednesday.

The downpour, which lasted several hours, submerged streets and homes, leaving residents grappling with waist-deep waters and unprecedented challenges.

In the Ojo district, north of the city, a stark scene unfolded as desperate locals devised makeshift solutions to navigate the deluge.

A viral video captured residents charging desperate commuters ₦200 per head to ferry them across flooded streets.

Tokunbo Wahab, the commissioner for the Lagos Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources said “The EFAG team from the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources were deployed to monitor/clear the flash flood at the Olopomeji section of Iyana Oworo.

“The road is now free from rain water. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

As the cleanup and recovery efforts continue, questions are being raised about the city’s preparedness for such weather events.

Climate experts warn that urban planning and drainage systems must be urgently upgraded to prevent future disasters of this magnitude.

Is the CEO and Founder of Investors King Limited. He is a seasoned foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and other prominent platforms. With over two decades of experience in global financial markets, Olukoya is well-recognized in the industry.

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Bbnaija’s Wanni Wins Innoson Car Challenge, Secures First Vehicle with Twin Sister

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One of the twins’ housemates in the Bbnaija season 9 competition, Wanni Danbaki, popularly known as Wanni, has emerged as the winner of the Innoson car challenge.

As the Nigerian reality competition Television show Big Brother Naija heads towards the grand finale, Wanni won the Innoson car challenge on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

In this year’s Bbnaija titled No Loose Guard, the car challenge was sponsored by Innoson to assess the housemates’ endurance and resilience.

In a post on Instagram, Innoson captioned the challenge, “Biggie said, ‘Let’s spice things up.’ Now it’s a bucket, a bottle of water, and one hand. It’s like a gym session nobody signed up for!”

“Using one hand to hold a bucket of dreams, but their faces say they’re holding onto survival itself. Keep going, IVM Ikenga is worth it!” the caption continued.

The challenge was split into four rounds, with housemates disqualified for failing to complete the tasks.

Eight housemates, including Kellyrae, Nelly, Anita, Sooj, Victoria, Wanni, Ozee, and Onyeka, participated in the challenge, but Wanni ultimately emerged as the winner.

Filled with excitement, Wanni, in an on-air announcement to her twin sister Handi, exclaimed, “Handi, we got a car! Handi, we got a car, our first car baby!”.

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Travel

Many Nigerians Disappointed as FG Refuses to Subsidise Hiked Passport Fees

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Nigerian International passport- Investors King

Many Nigerians have expressed their displeasure following the announcement by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Friday that the Federal Government would not reduce nor subsidise the rate of purchasing the international passport in the country.

Justifying the recent increase in passport fees, he clarified that the rise was approximately 45%, attributing the fee adjustment to the exchange rate between the dollar and the naira.

As per the new structure, the cost of a 32-page passport booklet with a five-year validity increased from N35,000 to N50,000, while a 64-page passport booklet with a 10-year validity rose from N70,000 to N100,000.

Meanwhile, some Nigerians who had in August kicked against the new price when the Nigerian Immigration Service announced an upward review of the fees for Nigerian Standard Passports, said it was a ploy by the Federal Government to frustrate efforts by Nigerians to travel out of the country for greener pastures.

They expressed disappointment over the fee hike, accusing the government of making japa (migration) more expensive.

Speaking, a Nigerian, Fidelis Okoro noted that the Federal Government was expected to have subsidized the increment, adding that the Minister’s insistence on the hike fees is not welcome.

Another citizen, Agali, who shared his disappointment with the government in a chat with Investors King, said, “Now the government is increasing taxes and fees and fattening its IGR base on the detriment of poor masses. Even those who struggle to leave the country are not spared. I, for one had expected that the government should have subsidized passport fees but with this announcement by the minister, I am disappointed.”

But, the minister, while speaking at a media briefing in Abuja to mark his first year in office, explained the reason why the government could not subsidise passport fees for Nigerians.

He also clarified that the price increase did not affect the fees for Nigerians living abroad.

The minister explained that the increase in passport fees is a matter of cost-benefit analysis, especially when considering the exchange rate between the dollar and the naira, adding that if the government were to subsidise anything, he doesn’t think it should be passports.

“The increase is just from N35,000 to N50,000 — only about 45%. There has been no increase for Nigerians abroad,” he maintained.

He stressed that the government was not exploiting Nigerians but simply covering the cost of passport procurement.

Tunji-Ojo also revealed that Nigerians in the diaspora, particularly those in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, would soon enjoy more seamless passport acquisition processes.

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Education

ECOWAS Donates $380 Million to Electrify Public Schools and Health Centres Across 18 African Countries

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Ecowas

The Economic Community of West African States Commission (ECOWAS) has announced a donation of $380 million for public schools and health centres in 18 African countries.

The donation was announced by the Senior Adviser on the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project at the ECOWAS Commission, El hadji Sylla, during a stakeholders meeting in Abuja.

According to Sylla, with the move, the ECOWAS aims to promote a new innovative chain to electrify public schools.

Sylla, who stated the goals of the initiative funded by the World Bank, the Clean Technology Fund, and the Dutch government, revealed that the project will kick off from Nigeria and Benin.

He noted that the project covers 15 countries in the ECOWAS region.

According to Sylla “The cost of the project is $380m, and we want to promote a new innovative chain to electrify public institutions. Our target is to electrify schools and health centres to improve service delivery.

“We are piloting the project in Nigeria and the Benin Republic. The project covers 15 countries in the ECOWAS region and four countries in the Sahel region,” Sylla said.

“We are targeting schools and health centres to improve service delivery,” Sylla said, adding that the project is expected to be completed in five years across all participating countries, with the pilot phase in Nigeria and Benin to be executed within 18 months.

In Nigeria, the initiative will begin with electrification projects in selected schools and health centres in the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, and Nasarawa states,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who was represented at the meeting by Bem Ayangeaor, noted that electrification in Nigeria has seen significant growth.

He, however, attributed the growth to the grants and subsidies flowing into the sector.

“I do not doubt that the rural electrification space in Nigeria, thanks to grants and subsidies, has grown significantly and will soon reach a stage where public support leverages private sector financing at higher efficiencies than it is presently done.

“A stage where the private sector would be more excited in investing in the electrification space because of the benefits to be gained,” Adelabu said.

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