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The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has hinted at plans to review the country’ s foreign scholarship arrangements under the Bilateral Education Agreement.

He explained that the Federal Government could no longer justify spending scarce public funds to send students abroad for programmes already available in Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

The minister also announced the introduction of a N 365 m annual National Laureate Prize to redirect resources towards strengthening Nigeria’ s tertiary institutions and rewarding academic excellence.

Briefing journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, Alausa said the review of the BEA was driven by the need to build domestic capacity and ensure better value for public expenditure.

He added that existing beneficiaries of the foreign scholarship programme would continue to receive support until they completed their studies.

He said foreign governments willing to sponsor Nigerian students could continue to offer scholarships, but the Federal Government would be more selective about committing public funds to overseas education.

The minister recalled that he was presented with a proposal for about 100, 100,000 Nigerian students to travel to Morocco to study courses including mass communication and journalism, despite these programmes being available locally.

Alausa said, ‘Number one, we have all those courses in Nigeria. And yet, number two, they were going to spend the first year learning French before they started the programme.

‘So the Bilateral Education Agreement was not making sense, again, to us in government. It was a way to waste government funds. And this President will not waste any public funds.’

The minister also announced that the government had earmarked N 365 m annually for the Tertiary Institution National Laureate Prize to recognise outstanding academic research, innovation and intellectual excellence.

He said the prize would reward exceptional undergraduate dissertations, master’ s theses and doctoral research with strong commercial, industrial and developmental potential.

Special prizes will also be awarded in six areas: engineering and technology, medicine and health sciences, arts and social sciences, agriculture, law, and teaching innovation.

Alausa said the initiative was designed to create a pathway from academic research to innovation, enterprise and national development.

‘We want Nigerian students to understand that there is honour in scholarship, opportunity in innovation and national recognition for intellectual excellence,’ he said.

The minister said the selection process would be transparent and competitive, and insulated from political, institutional or personal influence.

‘Excellence must be the determining factor,’ he said.

He added that the programme would be open to students from universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education, irrespective of ownership, with submissions expected to comply with the Nigerian Education Repository and Databank policy.

Chairman of the National Laureate Prize Committee, Prof Sani Sambo, said the prizes would be awarded in two categories within each of the six thematic areas, with the ‘best of the best’ receiving the star prize.

Chief Executive Officer of NERD, Tunji Ariyomo, said institutions across the country would be eligible to participate, and supervisors would be required to digitally affirm that submitted projects were genuinely undertaken by the students concerned.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will display the list of candidates nominated by political parties for the February 6, 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on Saturday, August 29.

The governorship election will be held in 28 states, while State Houses of Assembly elections will take place across the 36 states of the federation.

The governorship poll will be conducted in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Kwara, Benue, Plateau, Niger and Nasarawa states.

Other states where governorship elections will be held are Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto.

Governorship elections will not be held in Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Bayelsa, Anambra, Imo and Kogi states.

The 22 registered political parties are expected to field fresh candidates in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kwara and Nasarawa, where incumbent governors’ tenures will expire in 2027.

Meanwhile, political parties contesting the presidential and National Assembly elections have until Saturday, August 29, to submit their final list of candidates to INEC.

This follows the August 22 deadline for candidates to withdraw from the 2027 elections, under Section 31 of the 2026 Electoral Act.

The section provides that a candidate may withdraw from an election by submitting a written notice, signed by the candidate and accompanied by a sworn affidavit, personally to the political party that nominated the candidate.

The party must forward the withdrawal and affidavit to the commission no later than 90 days before the election.

INEC is expected to publish the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates, comprising Senate and House of Representatives candidates, on Saturday, September 12.

Nigerians have been advised to return to God in penitence so as to be free from economic and political turmoil.

The District Superintendent of the Apostolic Faith Church, West and Central Africa, Dr. Isaac Adigun, made the call at the 2026 camp meeting musical concert by the choir and orchestra, according to a statement by the Head of PR and Protocol, Dr Charles Oni.

The statement quoted Adigun as saying God’s arms were wide enough to receive whoever repented from sins and wickedness.

‘Whenever a people or country returned to God in repentance, they experienced a new beginning, far better than the old life, and flourished.

‘One of the songs by the choir backed up by chamber orchestra states, ‘Awake from your sins and your foes shall oppress you no more.’ We have many in our church who have been delivered from their sins since this convention began. Many have also testified to the healing of diverse ailments,’ he said.

The musical concert opened with ‘War March of the Priest’ by Felix Mendelssohn, conducted by Dotun Ewumi, ‘Let Their Celestial Concert’ by Frederic Handel, conducted by Tope Makun and ‘Sing Unto God,’ also by the same composer. There was also the ‘Trumpet Concerto in E major’ composed by Hayden and ‘Heavenly Tunes’ backed by chamber orchestra.

The audience sang along in charming choruses as the choir belted out: ‘Oko Iyawo Fere De,’ ‘We are journeying to a far country,’ ‘When I get to Heaven’ and ‘Daughters of Zion.’

The dexterity of the full orchestra was displayed in ‘Tell Overture’ by Gioachino Rossini, an allegro played with mastery and finesse. Then was ‘Audamus Te Concerto Pour Voix, Cordes and Bois by Wolfang Mozart led by a soloist accompanied by chamber orchestra. The audience sang along in the English Language, ‘We praise thee, we magnify thy name, we worship thy name, we give glory to Thee…’

There was a change of baton in the administration of the largest orchestra in Africa during the concert. Rev. Ewumi who had meritoriously led the ensemble since 2005 passed the baton to one of the assistant music directors, Mr. Bode Odulaja. Ewumi, who joined the group in 1968 thanked God for His ability to keep those saved to the end. His successor asked for prayers that he might succeed in his assignment.

The Federal Government has begun deploying 100 electric mass transit buses for federal civil servants, aiming to reduce the rising cost of daily transportation and improve workers’ welfare and productivity.

The first batch of 37 buses was commissioned on Wednesday at Eagle Square, Abuja, by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, mni, as part of the Federal Civil Service Electric Mass Transit Programme.

The initiative, approved by the Federal Executive Council under the Renewed Hope Mass Transit Scheme, is designed to provide federal workers with safer, more affordable and reliable transportation along designated routes within the Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking at the commissioning, Walson-Jack described the intervention as a practical demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare of its workforce, saying transportation was central to the productivity and wellbeing of civil servants.

‘For many civil servants, the daily commute shapes their finances, their safety, their punctuality and ultimately their productivity,’ she said.

According to her, the intervention would ease workers’ transportation costs, improve punctuality, and provide a safer way to commute to and from work.

Walson-Jack, who is due to leave office as Head of Service, described the commissioning as a fitting parting gift to federal civil servants.

She said, ‘This commissioning is providentially my parting gift to my dearly beloved federal servants. In a little under 24 hours, my time as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation comes to an end. I could not have asked for a more fitting note on which to close this chapter of service than receiving and handing over the keys to something that will keep moving, keep working long after I have gone home.’

She said the acquisition of the buses was made possible through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, adding that the intervention demonstrated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to translating the Renewed Hope Agenda into practical benefits for workers.

Walson-Jack also linked the transport initiative to other Federal Government interventions, including the upward review of the national minimum wage, the wage award following the removal of the fuel subsidy, digitalisation of the public service, and renewed attention to pensions, promotions, employee compensation, and health insurance.

‘Each is a thread in the same commitment that reform must be felt, not merely announced,’ she said.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, said the programme was not merely about providing buses but represented an investment in workers’ welfare, productivity and local industrial development.

Enoh said the 100 electric buses, when fully deployed, would provide dedicated mass transit for federal civil servants and help reduce transportation costs on workers’ household incomes.

He said each bus could accommodate up to 200 passengers and travel at least 200 kilometres on a full charge.

The minister said the intervention reflected President Tinubu’s position that economic reforms must ultimately produce tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

‘Our Federal Civil Servants are the engine room of government,’ Enoh said. ‘Every policy, every programme and every major reform ultimately depends upon the men and women of the Service to translate government decisions into results.’

He therefore stressed the need for sustained investment in the welfare of civil servants, describing the electric mass transit programme as one of the practical interventions supporting that objective.

Enoh commended Walson-Jack for her determination in bringing the programme to fruition, describing it as part of her legacy as Head of the Civil Service.

He said the initiative would also contribute to the development of Nigeria’s automotive sector and broader industrialisation efforts.

The buses, approved by the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), are expected to operate on designated routes linking major residential corridors with the Federal Secretariat and other government offices in the FCT.

The first deployment is expected to serve as an operational phase to test the scheme and establish the framework for its wider rollout across the federal public service.

Walson-Jack expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his support for civil servants and commended the Minister of State for Industry, as well as permanent secretaries and officials whose collaboration helped implement the programme.

She emphasised that welfare should remain central to public service reform, noting that a supported and motivated workforce would be better positioned to deliver quality services to Nigerians.

Veteran journalist and publisher of The Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo, has died.

Oladipo, a former President of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), died on Tuesday, August 25, after reportedly falling ill. He was 56.

His death has plunged Nigeria’s media industry into mourning.

Reacting to the news, GOCOP described Oladipo’s death as a painful loss, noting that he played a pivotal role in the growth of online journalism and the guild’s development.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Publicity Secretary, Kemi Yesufu, the guild noted that Oladipo served as GOCOP president from 2017 to 2021 and was among the publishers who laid the foundation for the organisation.

‘Oladipo entered online publishing with years of experience in traditional media. He had worked as a journalist and editor before moving into digital publishing and bringing that experience to The Eagle Online,’ the statement said.

According to GOCOP, Oladipo was an early advocate of collaboration among online publishers at a time when digital journalism was still evolving in Nigeria.

‘At a time when online news publishing was still developing in Nigeria, he was among those who saw the need for publishers to come together, share ideas and build a stronger professional community,’ the guild said.

It added that during his four-year tenure as president, Oladipo dedicated himself to strengthening the organisation and representing online publishers’ interests.

‘As President between 2017 and 2021, Oladipo devoted considerable time to the Guild’s affairs. He represented GOCOP at various engagements and worked with members as the organisation navigated the opportunities and challenges of the rapid growth of online publishing,’ the statement added.

GOCOP President Danlami Nmodu described Oladipo as a key figure in the Guild’s evolution.

‘Dotun played an important role in the development of GOCOP. He led the Guild for four years at a time when there was still much work to be done to establish online publishers as an important part of the media. His contribution will always be remembered,’ Nmodu said.

He added: ‘Dotun understood journalism and the business of publishing. He was passionate about the place of online media in Nigeria, and he gave his time to the growth of the Guild. We are saddened by his passing.’

Before establishing The Eagle Online, Oladipo had a distinguished career in print journalism, serving as Politics Editor and Editorial Board member at PUNCH Newspapers. He also worked with the Nigerian Tribune, Nigerian Compass and The Sun before venturing into digital publishing.

He was also the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Premium Eagle Media Limited, the parent company of The Eagle Online.

GOCOP extended its condolences to Oladipo’s family, the management and staff of The Eagle Online, and the wider media community, and said it would work with his family and associates to honour his memory.

The interconnected nature of crime, especially those under gangs, has been growing. And the need to stanch them has also become imperative. It therefore makes sense that the Federal Government is working on a five-year strategy to tackle gang crime under its National Strategy for Combating Organised Crime.

The crimes include terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime, maritime crime, corruption and illicit financial flows. Each of these crime categories is a major headache in the country. Some of them have specific agencies to combat them. For instance, we have the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that has for decades been in the trenches against the malignancy of drug lords and their messengers.

The airports have always been the first port of call and the first point where they are nabbed, whether they are coming into the country or leaving.

Maritime crime has to do with the illegal ferrying of goods and humans, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has also fought them, especially the pirates. Terrorism has the biggest profile. The nation has witnessed, with horror, the abduction and slaughter of its citizens in different parts of the country.

The Boko Haram savage scourge from the northeast and the northwest bandits has meant a nation under siege. They have turned Borno State into a place where much of the rural areas have been deserted. In some states of the northwest, especially Zamfara and Niger, bandits have taken advantage of vast and sprawling forests to do havoc on hapless communities, school children, including some college students.

Many rollbacks have been achieved by the Tinubu administration of late, and it is hoped it continues to make progress.

To succeed in this project, under the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), there must be as Nuhu Ribadu has stated, ‘coherence, coordination and intelligence-driven collaboration across all relevant sectors.’

Ribadu has said that ‘organised crime now operates in interconnected webs that undermine development, economic growth and public safety.’

He was right about the task before the body. With the launch of this strategy, it must develop a national framework that will anticipate threats, disrupt criminal networks, strengthen institutional coordination and ensure that those who profit from organised crime are brought to justice.

‘The success of this strategy will depend on how faithfully, diligently and collaboratively it is implemented,’ Ribadu said.

At the announcement in Abuja were not just members of agencies. There is an international component to it. Hence the United States Director, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Mr. Tolliver Derrick, was in attendance. Derrick observed that the strategy represented a milestone in the law enforcement partnership between Nigeria and the United States

‘Preventing illicit financial transfers and related cybercrime are not solely American problems. They are shared problems that demand shared solutions…Every criminal network disrupted here reduces the threat to American communities and to Nigeria,’ Derrick said.

Also present was the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Representative in Nigeria, Mr. Cheikh Touré. He also chipped in a word. He said organised crime has evolved into a sophisticated ecosystem capable of exploiting institutional gaps and operating across national boundaries.

‘If there is one lesson that repeats itself in nearly every case, it is this: strategies rarely fail in the writing. They fail in coordination or resources,’ he said.

We expect that much attention will be paid to the interagency niceties of the strategy. One of the problems with such arrangements is institutional hubris. While the office of the NSA is at the top of the strategy, the international angle will mean this is different from the usual coordination in the country.

It will require blending the cultures of Nigeria with the United Nations, The European Union and the United States.

Is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, for the retention of fuel subsidy or its reversal?

The former Vice President canvassed the two seemingly conflicting options in separate statements by his media aides, Paul Ibe and Phrank Shaibu.

Many Nigerians were taken aback yesterday as the two aides clashed over the position.

Atiku, in a statement by Ibe, said he would restore subsidy if elected president in 2027 and phase it out later.

In another statement by Shaibu, Atiku said there was no going back on reversing fuel subsidy removal, stressing that he would support domestic refining and production, with measurable performance-based exit conditions built in from day one.

On assumption of office on May 29, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu embarked on economic reforms that halted fuel subsidy and unified the multiple exchange rate windows into a single, market-determined rate.

Between June 2023 and December 2025, N15.8 trillion was freed up and accrued to the Federation Account as a result of stopping subsidy payments, according to the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele.

The Coordinating Minister of the Economy explained that N5.4 trillion was shared by the Federal Government, while states and local governments got N10.4 trillion.

Atiku, who ran for president in 2019 and 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had promised to remove subsidy if elected, like President Tinubu and Peter Obi, who was the candidate of the Labour Party (LP). However, he repudiated his earlier position last week.

He called for the reversal of subsidy removal, alleging that the proceeds had been mismanaged by the Tinubu administration.

Following condemnations by stakeholders cutting across the political class, industry players, manufacturers, organised private sector, academia, labour and the media, Atiku, who modified his position last weekend, recommended what he described as an audited intervention with an exit mechanism.

He said: ‘The administration cannot claim to have abolished subsidy while granting tax credits, concessions and other fiscal incentives to operators in the same petroleum industry.’

Atiku, therefore, proposed ‘a targeted, capped, transparently budgeted and independently audited intervention with a clearly defined exit mechanism, accompanied by accelerated domestic refining, competition, mass transportation and measures to restore household purchasing power.’

However, yesterday, Ibe, who clarified Atiku’s previous statements, said the former vice president would restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027 and phase it out later.

Ibe, who spoke on AIT, said the temporary intervention would give Nigerians room to recover, stimulate economic activity and improve productivity.

He said the proposal, which would not revive the old subsidy regime, would tie government support to crude oil production and domestic refining.

Ibe added: ‘We are not returning to Egypt. We are not going back to the old regime that was opaque. What he’s simply saying is that the subsidy that he is advocating will be tied to the barrel, the crude oil barrel. This is perhaps the only thing that we have in so much abundance that Nigerians have not yet benefited from.’

Ibe said crude oil would be supplied to local refiners at a discounted price to enable them to produce petrol and diesel at lower costs.

The spokesman also said the cheaper production cost would ultimately translate into lower pump prices for consumers.

He said: ‘The crude oil will be sold at a discounted price, subsidised to refiners, and that will enable refiners to be able to produce fuel and diesel at a cheap cost. And when they produce cheaply, they will sell at the real pump price.’

Ibe said an independent committee would determine the appropriate price at the refinery, taking prevailing market conditions into consideration.

He said although the downstream petroleum sector had been deregulated, the government could still monitor prices to ensure that refiners and marketers operated within the framework of the policy.

Ibe stressed: ‘There’ll be a window because, of course, we deregulated. You may not fix the price but you can have price monitoring to ensure that everybody aligns with what government hopes to achieve.’

It will be temporary, says Ibe

Ibe emphasised that the intervention being proposed by Atiku would be implemented for a limited period to stimulate economic activity and improve productivity.

He said: ‘It is for a time, and it is essentially to ensure that we jumpstart this economy. If you recall, his argument, even in 2023, was that they’re going to have recourse to having a phased removal.’

Ibe objected to the removal of petrol subsidy without allowing the economy to adjust.

He said: ‘No surgeon, no doctor would carry out two or more serious major surgeries, one after the other. They would do one, allow the patient to recuperate, and then undertake the second, or the third.’

Atiku: no going back on reversal of fuel subsidy removal

Atiku, who disagreed with his spokesman, said he would continue to press for an intervention that would be capped, transparently budgeted, independently audited and governed by measurable performance-based exit conditions.

He clarified, in a statement by Shaibu, that his proposed petroleum intervention was not a return to the import-subsidy regime, but a targeted and temporary mechanism to support domestic production, reduce costs and ease the burden on Nigerian families.

Shaibu explained that the clarification became necessary following Ibe’s remark that an Atiku administration would ‘restore fuel subsidy and remove it later.’

Shaibu described the remark as ‘an unauthorised, imprecise and materially misleading characterisation of Atiku’s policy position.’

He said while Atiku, as a candidate, held the copyright on any policy statement, spokespersons had the responsibility of communicating the policy accurately, not creating formulations that could confuse Nigerians.

Shaibu said: ‘For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku has never proposed restoring the old import-subsidy regime and subsequently removing it on a predetermined date. That is not his policy and should not be attributed to him.

‘What Atiku proposes is a targeted, capped, transparently budgeted and independently audited intervention to support domestic refining and production, with measurable performance-based exit conditions built in from day one.

‘The objective is not to subsidise inefficiency indefinitely. It is to reduce the cost of production, strengthen domestic refining, increase supply, deepen competition and create the conditions under which government support will no longer be necessary.

‘There will be no arbitrary withdrawal based simply on a calendar date. The intervention will progressively decline as clearly defined conditions are met, including increased domestic refining, improved supply stability, stronger competition and the emergence of a market capable of delivering affordable petroleum products without continued government support.

‘You do not remove scaffolding because the calendar says so. You remove it when the building can stand securely on its own.’

Shaibu said Nigerians should not be distracted by arguments over terminology when the central issue was the cost of living.

Atiku broke the news of his new position on the subsidy during an interactive interview with online and media platforms broadcasting in Hausa on Wednesday.

He said: ‘If elected, I will bring back the oil subsidy, and whoever stole the money must refund it.

‘The government successfully removed the subsidy, but we do not know where the money went. If they had used the money for development, to solve security problems, for education, and to create opportunities for the youth, it would be different. If elected, I can remove the subsidy and use the money to do all these properly.’

The Presidency on Wednesday accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of lacking a basic understanding of his own proposal to restore petrol subsidy, describing his recent pronouncements on the issue as confused, incoherent and politically motivated.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Atiku’s proposal to introduce what he termed a ‘targeted subsidy’ exposed fundamental gaps in his understanding of petroleum refining economics and raised questions about the workability of the policy.

‘The former Vice President is definitely suffering from a lack of basic understanding of his newfound policy prescription’, Onanuga said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Presidency particularly faulted Atiku’s argument that his proposed subsidy would ‘follow the barrel of crude’, noting that petrol constitutes only about 45 per cent of the products derived from a refined barrel of crude oil.

It said a barrel of crude also yields diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, asphalt, hydrocarbon gas liquids, lubricants, waxes and raw materials used in the production of synthetic rubber, nylon, polyester and plastics.

According to the statement, diesel, which the Obasanjo-Atiku administration deregulated in 2004, accounts for roughly 25 per cent of products from a barrel, while jet fuel and kerosene account for about nine per cent.

It added that kerosene and aviation fuel had also been deregulated, questioning whether Atiku intended to subsidise the other products derived from crude or allow refineries supplied with discounted crude to make profits from the remaining 55 per cent while subsidy is concentrated on petrol.

‘Will Atiku subsidise all these by-products of the barrel as well, since kerosene is used by the underprivileged to cook, and many homes and factories use diesel to power generators and delivery trucks?.

‘And will he allow the refineries he will supply discounted crude oil to profit from 55 per cent of the by-products, while focusing subsidy only on petrol, his obsession?’ Onanuga asked.

The Presidency said Atiku’s recent statements on petrol subsidy amounted to three different positions within one week, arguing that the contradictions raised questions about whether he was advancing a serious economic policy or merely playing politics with the economic difficulties facing Nigerians.

It recalled that Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, had initially said the former Vice-President would restore petrol subsidy if elected president and subsequently phase it out, describing the proposed measure as a temporary intervention to allow Nigerians and businesses to recover.

According to the statement, another senior aide to Atiku, Phrank Shaibu, later rejected Ibe’s account as an ‘unauthorised and misleading characterisation’ of the former Vice-President’s position.

Shaibu, it said, explained that Atiku would not impose a predetermined date for terminating the subsidy but would retain it until domestic refining capacity expanded, supply stabilised, competition deepened and market conditions could guarantee affordable prices without government support.

The Presidency said Atiku subsequently intervened and insisted that his position ‘has not changed,’ while reaffirming that he would restore a ‘targeted subsidy’ if elected president.

‘I will restore targeted subsidy and put purchasing power back in the hands of Nigerians’, the former Vice-President was quoted as saying.

Onanuga said the sequence of explanations amounted to a serious policy contradiction rather than a disagreement over semantics.

‘If Atiku’s position has not changed, why did one of his principal aides say the subsidy would be temporary and phased out? Why did another senior aide have to publicly disown that explanation and introduce a completely different framework based on market conditions? And why did Atiku then step in to reaffirm the original position?

‘Nigerians deserve clarity, not policy by trial and error’, he said.

The Presidency also challenged the economic assumptions underpinning the proposal, arguing that petrol prices could not be made cheap merely through government subsidy or increased competition.

It said pump prices were influenced by international crude oil prices, exchange rates, refining costs, transportation, distribution and other market-related costs.

According to Onanuga, while competition could improve efficiency and margins in the downstream petroleum sector, it could not completely shield Nigeria from fluctuations in global crude oil prices and other input costs.

The Presidency also faulted Atiku’s argument linking petrol prices directly to the cost-of-living crisis, saying the causes of food inflation were more complex.

Atiku had argued that increases in fuel prices translate into higher transport costs, which subsequently push up food prices and deepen hardship among families.

While acknowledging that energy and transportation costs affect food prices, Onanuga said Nigerians had experienced rising food prices even when petrol subsidy was in place.

He identified agricultural productivity, insecurity, exchange rates, logistics, storage, flooding, input costs, money supply and supply constraints as some of the other factors influencing food prices.

‘A serious economic programme must address these factors, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been doing for the past three years, rather than reduce the entire cost-of-living crisis to petrol prices’, the statement said.

The Presidency consequently challenged Atiku to provide details of the proposed ‘targeted subsidy’, including its projected cost, beneficiaries, identification mechanism, funding source and the economic conditions that would determine its termination.

It warned against returning the country to what it described as an opaque and potentially costly subsidy regime under a different name.

According to Onanuga, Atiku must demonstrate whether he has ‘a coherent, costed, and workable petroleum policy’ or is merely playing politics with a policy whose removal, the Presidency said, had significantly improved the fiscal health of the federal, state and local governments and helped stabilise the macroeconomic environment.

‘The economy is too serious for policy somersaults, incoherence, destructive populism and election gimmicks’, the Presidency said.

Kira Taiwo, daughter of late veteran actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, has denied reports that she gave birth amid their mourning phase.

In a public statement on her Instagram Story, Kira described the circulating information as false and urged the public to disregard it.

She said the family has been receiving several calls and messages from friends and relatives seeking confirmation, which prompted her to address the matter.

According to her, the family is currently mourning the loss of their father and asked that unverified information about them not be spread or shared.

She appealed for understanding, prayers, and respect for the family’s privacy during the difficult period.

The statement posted by Lima and reposted by Kira, states: ‘DISCLAIMER. Please disregard the information currently circulating that my sister has given birth. This is not true. We have been receiving several calls and messages from friends and family asking about it, so we felt the need to clarify publicly.

‘At a time when our family is mourning the loss of our father, we kindly ask everyone to stop spreading or sharing unverified information about our family. Thank you for your understanding, prayers and respect for our privacy at this difficult time’.

Recall that Ogogo died on Sunday and tributes have continued to pour in from colleagues, fans, and family members.

Another batch of 65 returnees is expected back home from South Africa today.

The number takes the total figure of Nigerians evacuated as a result of xenophobic attacks in the former apartheid enclave since June to 1,638.

Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement yesterday by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, that the returnees would arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at 8.45 pm.

The statement reads: ‘The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that another set of 65 Nigerian nationals sponsored by private individuals will depart the Oliver Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa tomorrow(today) at 3.30 pm local time via South African Airways.

”The expected time of arrival of the returnees at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos is 8.45 pm same day.’

Confirming this on her X handle, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, thanked the private sponsors ”this group of individuals for complementing government’s efforts and for their ‘whole of society approach’ to addressing this crisis.

‘This same group have also committed to evacuating a second batch of our Nationals who no longer feel safe in South Africa and have expressed a wish to return to Nigeria,’ she said.

Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu appealed to state governors to support returnees in the relocation process.

She said the returnees in the latest batch are indigenes of Anambra, Ondo, Imo, Oyo, Enugu, Ogun, Abia, Osun, Delta, Kwara and Ekiti states.

The minister said: ‘We call on state governments to complement the Federal Government’s efforts towards ensuring that no citizen at risk abroad is abandoned to an uncertain fate.

”We appreciate well-meaning Nigerian individuals and groups, home and abroad, for their support and efforts in responding to and assisting Nigerian Nationals facing consular challenges and emergencies overseas.’