General News
Danbatta Applauds Four Retiring NCC Staff
Four retiring staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have received encomiums from the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, for their dedication to duties and rising to be counted as committed members of the team that is making the nation proud with their individual contributions to the development of telecommunications in Nigeria.
The four staff, Mallam Aliyu Ibrahim, Deputy Director/Head, Administration Department; Okechukwu Christian Aninweke, an Assistant Director/Head, Risk Management; Patience Ante, Principal Manager, Lagos Zonal Office (LZO); and Daniel Agbi, Deputy Manager, also of the LZO, reached their mandatory retirement ages of 60 years and have embarked on their pre-retirement leaves, after their respective valedictory sessions that took place at the Commission.
Mr. Ibrahim, who spent 26 years of active service in the Commission, had at various times served in several departments, before being appointed Lagos Zonal Controller; Kano Zonal Controller; and Head, Consumer Protection and Advocacy before retiring as Head of Administration of the Commission, a position he held for more than four years.
The NCC boss said Aliyu’s various postings across departments, and his outline of contributions at his various posts were testaments to his hard work and dedication to duty.
He specifically commended Aliyu’s administrative competence that enabled the Commission to start off NCC Digital Innovation Park project being constructed in Kano.
Aninweke, joined the Commission in 2001, and is retiring as an Assistant Director and Head, Risk Management in the Corporate Planning Strategy and Risk Management Department, after 21 years of dedicated active service. He was also President of NCC Staff Cooperative and Multipurpose Society for two tenures.
Mrs. Patience Ante, on her part, served the Commission for 18 years, having been enlisted in 2002 as Confidential Secretary at the Commission’s erstwhile Human Resources Department where she worked for seven years before her redeployment to Lagos Zonal Office.
In Lagos, she first worked in the Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Unit where she served different sections of the Zonal Office operations. Before her retirement, Ante, rose to the position of a Principal Manager and served as Head, Licensing and Authorization Unit at the Lagos Zonal Office.
Agbi, popularly called ‘Apollo’ by the staff of the Commission, joined the Commission in 2005 as a protocol officer. His duties included working closely with high profile personalities in the Commission, including Board members, Ministers, and the Executive Management.
His core responsibilities included liaising with the Nigerian Immigration Service. Agbi, also fondly called ‘Papa’ worked with uncommon zeal, passion and honourably. He is retiring from the Commission at the rank of Deputy Manager.
During their different valedictory sessions, the retirees appreciated the opportunity given to them to serve Nigeria officially in various capacities through the NCC.
They also profoundly commended the EVC, Prof. Danbatta, for his remarkable leadership qualities and finesse which have repositioned the Commission as a flagship Nigerian public sector institution.
Police in Abuja have uncovered a criminal group making fake diplomatic and government number plates.
Ahmed Sanusi, commissioner of Police FCT, stated this during a press briefing on Friday.
He explained that criminals use these fake plates to dodge security checks and enter restricted areas.
The investigation started soon after Sanusi took office.
He noticed too many unauthorized cars driving around with official government and diplomatic tags.
“I immediately ordered a comprehensive investigation into this disturbing trend,” Sanusi said. He noted that these individuals use the plates as a cover to commit crimes and avoid arrest.
The police have already arrested several people caught using the fake plates.
They have also figured out who is making them.
The manufacturers operate outside Abuja, and police are actively hunting them down.
Sanusi kept their names secret so they would not flee.
He stressed that this is a highly profitable illegal business.
Buyers pay between N500,000 and N1.7 million for a single fake plate.
“This will tell you that they are making such huge expenditure because they have an agenda,” Sanusi explained.
“Now they will face punishment that is bigger than both the cost they incur and the agenda they are planning.”
The commissioner urged residents to report any cars with suspicious diplomatic plates.
He reminded the public that real diplomatic tags follow a very specific format.
A diplomatic number plate in Nigeria is a special vehicle identification tag issued to foreign embassies, high commissions, and accredited international diplomats.
Gavi has approved $500 million to strengthen Nigeria’s immunisation programme, primary healthcare services and long-term vaccine financing.
The move followed high-level discussions between Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, ]and Dr. Sania Nishtar, chief executive officer, Gavi in Abuja.
The funding, approved under the Gavi 6.0 programme, will support Nigeria’s efforts to accelerate routine immunisation, sustain polio eradication, expand HPV vaccination, strengthen primary healthcare services, and improve long-term vaccine financing.
Speaking during the meeting, Pate said Nigeria was strengthening its partnership with Gavi to accelerate immunisation, expand primary healthcare services, and ensure sustainable financing for vaccines.
He welcomed Gavi’s country-focused reforms, including the introduction of a predictable five-year funding envelope.
Pate said the US$500 million allocation will enable Nigeria to plan more effectively and deliver life-saving vaccines to more children and vulnerable populations.
The minister also revealed that quarterly visits to primary healthcare centreshad increased from about 10 million in 2023 to more than 45 million, reflecting significant progress in revitalising the country’s primary healthcare system.
Pate welcomed the announcement of a US$600 million pledge by the United States government to Gavi, describing it as a strong endorsement of the alliance’s leadership and the global value of vaccines.
He also commended Nishtar for prioritising Nigeria and praised the closer coordination among Gavi, World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, World Bank, Gates Foundation, and other development partners, describing it as a model that has improved efficiency and aligned support with Nigeria’s health sector reforms.
The minister expressed appreciation to Gavi and its partners for their continued technical and financial support, while calling on state governments to invest more in healthcare and immunisation to complement federal efforts.
For many women, financial independence means the freedom to provide for their families and build a better future. Yet, this remains out of reach due to limited access to opportunities, business support, and secure payment solutions.
Like millions of women in Nigeria determined to be financially independent, Pricillia started with a single PalmPay POS terminal, and as an agent, every successful transaction provided a commission which brought her one step closer to achieving her dream.
Through consistency, discipline, and support from the payment platform, she reinvested her earnings and eventually opened her own provision store.
“I started as just a PalmPay agent with one POS. The consistency of the platform gave me the confidence to expand. With the income I earned, I was able to open my own provision shop.” Priscilla said.
For Priscilla, PalmPay was more than a payment platform. Its secure payment infrastructure gave her the confidence to serve her customers, build trust, and grow her income.
Today, Pricillia has joined the statistics of SMEs powering Nigeria’s economy and PalmPay continues to support her daily operations, helping her receive payments, as she works towards her next business milestone. Her journey is a reminder that when women have access to secure financial tools and opportunities, they can build lasting economic independence.
Speaking on Pricillia’s journey, Femi Hanson, Head of Marketing, PalmPay said: “Providing a secure platform that users can trust, whether for everyday payments or high-value transactions, is central to our vision of advancing financial inclusion. Priscilla’s story reflects our commitment to supporting the ambitions of Nigerians by providing a platform they can rely on to grow their finances. After all, seamless banking begins with security, and every successful transaction reinforces the trust our users place in us.”
Priscilla stands among thousands of PalmPay agents nationwide who are helping to expand financial access across Nigeria while earning commissions to create sustainable sources of income for themselves.
Every payment tells a story. It begins with trust, the confidence that your money is secure and that financial services are accessible. And when that opportunity reaches women, it creates ripple effects that transform families, strengthen communities, and drive economic growth.
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