The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on member countries to strengthen structural reforms in order to facilitate recovery from the global recession.

An expert in the microfinance banking sector has commended the Lagos State Chapter of the National Association of Microfinance Banks of Nigeria for setting up an intervention fund as a bailout for distressed microfinance banks, MFBs.

African finance ministers, Sunday,called for their countries to have a voice in the Group of 20 nations to ensure the body considers their long-term development needs.Pledging to show fiscal prudence in the wake of the global financial crisis, they also said they needed more help from the IMF and World Bank to help shore up battered budgets, make needed investments and replenish foreign currency reserves.

THE need for banks to show commitment in the society where they do their businesses cannot be over emphasized.
By this, I mean banks should embrace Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as part of their obligation as done by few of them operating in the country.

MORE than 90 days after the amnesty package for militants in the Niger Delta came to a close, an air of uncertainty persist over the effectiveness of the initiative, especially against the backdrop of threats by the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) to call off its cease-fire and reports that government has been busy acquiring fast attack helicopters and flat bed speed boats for a final showdown with militants.

By Hector Igbikiowubo CHIEF Timipre Sylva, the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State has been in the new lately over his efforts at stemming the crippling effects of militancy in the Niger Delta. In this interview he granted Hector Igbikiowubo, the Editor of Sweet Crude, he speaks about the president’s proclamation of amnesty to militants, urging […]

THE Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, NEITI, is empowered by the NEITI Act of 2007 to enforce revenue disclosures earned from oil, gas and mining sectors of Nigeria and how the funds are disbursed with clearly spelt out penalty for defaulters.

…fooled husband with fake pregnancy By Taye Obateru Jos — A middle-aged woman was, yesterday, arraigned before an Upper Area Court, Kabong in the Plateau State capital for allegedly stealing a baby girl belonging to another woman from the Plateau Specialist Hospital five hours after delivery. The prosecution alleged that the accused, Aishat Mohammed was […]

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, his Lagos State counterpart, Babatunde Fashola, and former Prime Minister of Britain are among 50 governors and leaders across the globe who signed a declaration on climate change in California, United States at the weekend.

THE government of Ghana has disclosed that the completion of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) would cost $1 billion instead of the $600 million earlier announced. The new cost was due to the apparent delay in the implementation of the project, which has resulted in the increase of the original cost by 70 percent.

By Chinyere Amalu ABUJA — The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has budgeted the sum of $64 million to support programmes in Nigeria in the next 4 years. The Resident Representative of UNFPA, Lawson Agathe who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at the Global Launch for Child Survival and the flag off of the Maternal, […]

By Chinyere Amalu & Solomon Asuquo ABUJA — The sum of $5.7 billion has been estimated to cover the gaps in the fight of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, the Director-General National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Professor John Idoko has revealed. The Director-General who made this revelation yesterday in Abuja at a meeting to […]

Kidnapping again reared its ugly head in Benin, Edo State, last weekend as a yet-to-be identified gun men have abducted the General Manager of Independent Television/Radio in Benin, Mr. Martins Ekpe.

By Henry Umoru ABUJA — MINISTER of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero disclosed, yesterday, that 2,453 illegal commercial vehicles, known as Kabu Kabu, have in the last five months been impounded. Speaking during the mon-thly FCT Operations Briefing in Gwarinpa Life-Camp, Abuja, Aliero, who noted that they impounded from May […]

By Emmanuel Aziken Abuja — The Senate is set to revolutionise utilisation of cooking gas among rural dwellers and low income urban dwellers through the annual production of 500,000 low capacity 3kg gas cylinders at reasonable prices. The scheme to introduce more potable gas cylinders alongside millions of the standard 12.5kg cylinders is part of […]