1. The Federal Government claimed on Thursday that for the first time in Nigeria’s history, it was able to generate 4,600 megawatts of electricity. Before Thursday’s announcement, the country’s highest peak generated power was recorded on December 23, 2012 at 4,517.
According to the government, the rise to 4,600MW is due to the various measures adopted in recent times to boost power generation across the country following the privatisation of the sector.
2.
The Director, Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law, Prof. Adeola Adenikinju, has said those given licences to set up private refineries in the country will not be able to do so because of the government’s subsidy policy that will not protect their investment. Speaking with journalists in Ibadan on Thursday ahead of the annual regional conference on energy scheduled for November 24 and 25, Adenikinju said government interference in oil pricing and political instability would continue to scare away banks from financing multi-million dollar oil and gas projects.
3.
Major markets and offices within Kano metropolis were shut by Government Friday to enable residents obtain their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC). The measure was in line with the work free day declared by Government Thursday to ginger awareness and full participation by city dwellers for the important electoral exercise. Early reports across the state indicates heavy turnout of prospective voters waiting patiently to commence issuance of the voter cards.
4.
Twelve state governors yesterday won different laurels for excellence in governance at the second edition of the BusinessDay States’ Competitiveness and Good Governance Awards. They are governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Theodore Orji of Abia State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State. Others are Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State, Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Abdulfattah Ahmed of Kwara State and Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State.
5.
Award-winning Nigerian mobile games company, Gamsole, has launched a new competition offering US$4,000 in prizes and career opportunities for five talented Nigerian illustrators. Founded by Abiola Olaniran, Nigeria’s highest paid Windows game developer, Gamsole creates games for the Windows phone platform, taking advantage of its fast growth and unsaturated market.
6.
The Federal Government of Nigeria said it has completed the building of 37 large dams and that construction of 149 other dams are ongoing all over the country for the four years of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. The Minister of Water Resources Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe made this known in her presentation at the just concluded four days public affairs forum on “The Jonathan Administration, Four Impactful Years” organised by the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs Dr. Doyin Okupe in Abuja
7.
The Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, yesterday said the National Universities Commission (NUC) has discovered 55 illegal universities operating in the country. Shekarau, who disclosed this in a speech he delivered at the 60th National Council on Education meeting held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, stated that the relevant law enforcement agencies had already been informed to take necessary action against the operators.
8.
Benue, Niger, Plateau, Nasarawa, Ogun, Taraba, Kaduna, Enugu, Zamfara, others are to benefit from a sharing formula that will enable some of the solid minerals-producing states in the country to benefit from 13 per cent derivation funds is being worked out.
9.
A man in his early 20’s was yesterday electrocuted at a residential building, No. 23, Kainji Street, North-Bank, Makurdi, following a mysterious fire that engulfed the 10-room apartment. The Guardian investigation revealed that the young man met his death while trying to disconnect electricity from the compound to prevent it from being consumed by the inferno that began from one of the rooms.
10. Determined to stem the continued decline in the nation’s external reserves, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday excluded importation of generators and some other items from purchase of foreign exchange from the official foreign exchange market.
Meanwhile, the naira suffered its biggest daily depreciation in the interbank market yesterday, losing 285 kobo to the dollar.
