Welcome to Dare Feran's blog.

President Buhari of the Federal Republic of Nigeria took to twitter to congratulate the new South African president Cyril Ramaphosa on his appointment.

The UK Embassy in Nigeria has adopted a new visa application process, the British High Commission said yesterday, in a statement. The spokesperson of the commission, Joe Abuku, described the new process as a slight change in which “Visa staff now only need electronic versions of support documents.” The new process, which takes effect from December 5 for customers applying for a UK visa in Lagos, Victoria Island and Ikeja, would bring applicants benefits from digital improvements to the UK visa application process. “TLSContact (responsible for UK Visa Application Centres in Nigeria) will scan your supporting documents whilst you’re at the visa application centre, and then return your original documents to you,” the statement said. “They will then send these (electronic) documents to UKVI, with your passport and application form, and visa officers will consider your application in the usual way.” In order to avoid delays in the visa application centre, the Commission requested a...

Last night, King Mohammed VI of Morocco arrived Nigeria for an official visit. He was received by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbanjo and will later today visit President Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

According to Vanguard's official website, over 100 members of the All Progressive Congress, APC, and Labour Party, LP in Ward 5, Ovu Inland, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, have decamped to the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP. This came, as the party passed a vote of confidence vote on the State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and the state party Chairman, Mr. Kingsley Esiso. Receiving the new members into the party’s fold at an enlarged meeting of the ward, the ward party Chairman, Chief Andrew Ichikpro charged the PDP faithful to be united and work relentlessly to build on the successes of the party in the area Speaking a leader of the party in the area, Chief Michael Adiotomre, said vote of confidence was passed on the governor in appreciation of the benefits Delta central senatorial district has had since the inception of his administration. He advised all party faithful to respect elders and leaders of the party, which he said had been one of the core va...

A Kano High Court presided by Honourable Justice Dije Abdu Aboki has convicted and sentenced one Aliyu Suleiman to 195 years imprisonment for allegedly stealing over N21, 000,000 (Twenty one Million Naira only) from Albasu Microfinance Bank. Upon his arraignment, the convict who was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on the September 30, 2014, pleaded not guilty to all the count charge brought against him by the EFCC. The convict was a former staff of Oceanic Bank who was engaged and entrusted by the Albasu Community to take charge of their Microfinance Bank. While in charge, the convict violated that trust and siphoned over N21, 000,000 (Twenty Million Naira) by forging signatures of the other signatories to the funds. In her judgment on Wednesday, November 2, 2016, Justice Aboki sentenced the convict to serve two years on each of the first forty four counts he was charged with and a fine of N300, 000 on each. Where the convict defaults the fine, he...

According to Vanguard, the Federal Government on tuesday gave its nod to the take-off of eight new private universities in Nigeria. This was sequel to a memo approved by the National Universities Commission, NUC, and presented to the Federal Executive Council, FEC, by the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja, yesterday. With this development, the number of universities in Nigeria has increased from 143 to 151, while the number of private universities has risen to 69 from 61. The eight universities and their promoters include Anchor University, Ayobo, Lagos, owned by Deeper Christian Life Ministry; Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo, Cross River, engineered by the Clitter House Nigeria Limited; Clifford University, Owerrinta, Abia, owned by Seventh Day Adventist Church; Coal City University, Enugu, operated by African Thinkers Community of Inquiry College of Education, Enugu; Crown-Hill University, Eiyenkorin, Kwara, floated by Modern Morgy and Sons Limited; Dominican Universit...

Amnesty International says three young men in Cameroon have been jailed for 10 years for sharing a text message that joked about the Boko Haram extremist group. A statement released Wednesday by the human rights group said Fomusoh Ivo Feh, Afuh Nivelle Nfor and Azah Levis Gob were sentenced by the Military Court of Yaounde for "non-denunciation of terrorist acts." Amnesty says Ivo had forwarded to the other two men a text message that made a sarcastic reference to the extremist group, which is based in neighboring Nigeria. Boko Haram also has carried out attacks inside Cameroon. The rights group calls for the three men's unconditional release, saying they were exercising their right to freedom of expression. It also raises concerns about trials of civilians in military courts.

According to Vanguard, Prof. Bola Okuneye, an International Consultant, FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF), has said that Nigeria would begin exportation of rice in the next five years. Okuneye spoke on Wednesday at Amanuke, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra, when the FADAMA III AF team visited its rice farmland to ascertain level of progress at the site. “I have carefully studied the development and I am convinced that with what I have seen, Nigeria will compete among other nations of the world in rice production. “If only this community can produce 4.5 metric tonnes per hectare, compared to other assessment we have carried out in other states, then there is a lot of development in rice production in our country. “I could see that with more encouragement, they can expand from the present stage and when they continually used the improved practices as they are taught, it will increase their yield. Mr Okafor Hyacinth, the Ogboududu Cluster President said they were cu...

The media personality who appears to be sick or not feeling too well shared a pic from her hospital bed with this message: 'This week has been a real struggle. Been in and out of hospital and it's my birthday week. So emotional but I bless God in everything. I have learnt not to take my body for granted. As @kemiadetiba told me yesterday "of what use is the hustle if we are not here to enjoy it". As I reflect on that statement I hope someone out there takes a moment to breathe, we all want to be successful, we want to do more and more and more but life is fragile and the real wealth is health See the pic below:

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, formally married off his daughter, Fatima, to Malam Yau Gimba Kumo in Daura, his home town in Katsina State. The wedding took place at the president’s residence on Mai’adua road, Duura at about 2.40 p.m. The groom, who was a former Managing Director of Mortgage Bank, paid N100,000 as dowry to the bride. The marriage was contracted in accordance with Islamic injunctions and was attended by top Federal and States’ Government functionaries. They included Governors of Gombe, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo and his counterpart from Bauchi, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Abubakar. The Ministers of Interior, Mr Abdurrahman Dambazau, Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, Controller-General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, and Director-General, Department of State Service, Mr Lawal Musa Daura, also graced the occasion. Others are Senators Mustapha Bukar, (Katsina North), Ahmed Sani, from Zamfara and Danjuma Goje from...

Remember the protest was reported here earlier, well we've gotten some images of the protests. for more news visit www.Igiowo.blogspot.com

Remember it was reported it yesterday that Eyitayo had been removed by INEC, well this is the aftermath The capital city of Ondo State, Akure is near boiling point this morning as residents took to the street to protest the removal of the name of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Eyitayo Jegede SAN from the final list of INEC. As at the time of filing this report, major highways in the capital city and other parts of the state have been blocked by protesters burning tires. Activities in the capital city is also at lull as residents stay indoors for fear that the protest might soon turn awry. It was reliably gathered that plans by Jimoh Ibrahim to visit the state today have been shelved for fear of not being welcomed.

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has declared Jimoh Ibrahim the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo state. Ibrahim who belongs to the Modu Sheriff faction of the PDP replaces Eyitayo Jegede who was the candidate of the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the party. In the final list released Thursday night, INEC also. Announced Chief Olusola Oke as the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy AD. Signed by the commission’s Secretary, Augusta Ogakwu, the list also showed that Rotimi Odunayo Akeredolu remains the candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC. Source: Vanguard.

The Naira on Thursday appreciated at the forex market barely 24 hours after liquidity challenges forced it to depreciate thrice in six hours reports. The Nigerian currency gained five points to close at N465 at the parallel market, from N470 it traded on Wednesday, while the Pound Sterling and the Euro exchanged at N565 and N505 respectively. Trading at the Bureau De Change (BDC) window saw the Naira close at N385 to a dollar, while the Pound Sterling and the Euro closed at N560 and N503 respectively. The Naira also strengthened against the dollar at the official interbank market as it traded at N305 to a dollar, from N306.78 traded on Wednesday. Mr Harrison Owoh, the Chief Executive Officer of H.J Trust, a BDC operator, said the Naira bounced back as BDCs await the sale of dollars from Travelex, a CBN licenced forex dealer. Owoh said the Naira would appreciate further by the close of trading when BDCs would have all gotten their weekly forex allocation from Travelex. The N...

Denmark is committed to supporting Nigeria to diversify its economy from the over-reliance on crude oil to other viable and sustainable sectors, Amb. Torben Gettermann has said. Gettermann, in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, said Nigeria should be exporting finished products to the West African countries. “What we would like to see and what we do see and where we want to help as much as possible is in the diversification of the economy. “Nigeria should make factories that can produce products not only for the local markets in Nigeria but also to export. “This is because, that’s the way you can really make a change in the way people see Nigeria,” he said. According to him, Denmark does not have natural resources but still produces and exports to other countries. “We don’t have raw materials; we have some oil but that has almost come up from the ground, I think we have about 10 years oil left. “So what do we have in Denmark? We have our brain, we have our education, we ha...

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has launched a website that will be at the centre of the digital channels to be deployed for communications functions. The site, which is now live, will also serve as the primary source of health information to Nigerian citizens, journalists and health workers for information on how to protect themselves from health threats. At the official launch in Abuja, CEO of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, appreciated the role of the University of Maryland, MGIC-Nigeria project in the implementation of the project. He said communications and technology, would play major role in the overall fulfilment of the mandate of the NCDC. “We are not deploying a back office for communications at the NCDC, we are picking the best hands possible and we are placing the function at the level it deserves to be. The website we are launching today is core to all our activities and we hope it goes ahead to fulfil our intentions in the Nigerian health space,” Ihekweazu n...

With rumors circulating here and there about the 'chemistry' between Falz and Simi in the Nigerian music industry, Falz might have perhaps let the cat out of the bag by releasing their joint EP titled "Chemistry". Happy birthday Falz!

Daura in Katsina will standstill on Friday when Nigeria’s crème d la crème will gather for the marriage of President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter. The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, would lead the government delegation to grace the ceremonies. Former Nigerian leaders and members of the diplomatic corps will also converge in Daura. The town is already agog in readiness for the marriage of Fatima Buhari, the second daughter of President Buhari, on Friday in Daura. She will be married to Mallam Gimba Kumo, the former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria. According to the invite, the wedding would be conducted at the Maiaduwa resident of the president at the GRA by 2pm on 28th October, 2016. The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, would lead the government delegation to grace the ceremonies. The delegation is made up of ministers, governors and other political appointee. The bridegroom was born on the 5th November 1959 i...

The receiver of the text doesn't even have an ATM card.

A teacher, Enilolobo Olamilekan, has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting one of his students at Abogunloko area in Ikotun, Lagos. Olamilekan, who hails from Lagos State, admitted to have lured the girl to his parent’s apartment at 17 Ayodele Shitta Street, where he took advantage of the 12-year-old Junior Secondary School 2 student. Parading the suspect before journalists at her Oduduwa office, Ikeja yesterday, Lagos State Police image maker, Dolapo Badmus, explained that the suspect was apprehended by the school’s management after her mother lodged a complaint. However, Olamilekan explained that he did not have carnal knowledge of the girl. Rather, he said he only put his manhood into her mouth. According to him, “I teach them Business Studies, while I take some of the students on extra lesson after school hours. Her mother requested for a private lesson for her daughter and I told the mother to get her writing materials last Tuesday. “But on Wednesday, she did not...