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Nigeria Gets Highway Development Roadmap

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Federal Government has set a three-year road map for the development of highways, targeted at promoting the culture of maintenance and upgrading of existing infrastructure to enhance socio-economic growth of the country.

Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, minister of Transportation, who revealed this at an interactive session with stakeholders in the transport sector in Abuja, said the new road development strategy is programmed towards improved rural-urban transport sector for economic development. Diezani however assured Nigerians that the implementation of the 5% fuel levy approved by the National Assembly in the amended Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) Act would relax for now.

According to her, "the issue of fuel levy, which am sure the Engineer Olubunmi Peters, managing director of FERMA, has expatiated on number of occasions, is one that has not yet taken effect". "And it will be until such a time that it has been clearly sort out and worked out with all necessary government agencies and MDAs that have to be involved for it to become effective", she said. The minister noted, "it will also never be put in effect in such a way that it will become an additional burden or on top of petrol price increases on road using public. So I don’t think it is an issue that we should concern ourselves on about at this point in time". Mrs. Diezani who also emphasized on the ongoing concessioning process of some selected highways and bridges across the country said such road must meet the international standard before tolls should be collected on them. She said "I think that once the country and the road users at all levels see the quality of the roads that would actually be tolled, they will be more than happy to pay those tolls. I have no doubt that we are driving on international quality expressways, at some points over the few years, our concern will not be the toll because to toll could be kept to a certain standard or level anywhere". "Our concern and our target will be for the quality of the road and just I have said for the shortness of turnaround time for the safety to our persons and to our assets. And in fact for the fact we can make journeys with a much lower percent of ghastly carnage on our roads". "The tolls could be incidental because tolls are actually taken in all developed countries or international expressways. So in all, the way we take it that’s the only way we can sustain good quality roads. But the high quality roads at the international quality roads would be put in place first before the tolls start". On the three-year agenda, she said "over the years, the Federal Government has been saddled with the responsibility of bearing the burden of financing road construction solely through budgetary allocation". She added, "notwithstanding, the present administration is poised to improve on providing adequate infrastructure in recognition and promotion of the vital role transportation plays in the socio-economic, political and cultural development of our great nation". She explained that to this end therefore, the Federal Ministry of Transportation has set targets for the year 2008-2011 in the road to improve the safety, security, quality and speed of movement of goods and people at both national and international levels. The road map also, according to her, targets to increase the involvement of the Private sector in financing and operation of transport-related service and to promote the culture of maintenance and upgrading of existing infrastructure as well as to develop institutional framework and revised legislations in the sector for sustainable growth, amongst others.


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Coscharis Technologies, Huawei Unveil IdeaHub S3 Interactive Board in Nigeria

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Coscharis Technologies Limited, a leading Information Technology distribution company in the Sub-Saharan African market, in collaboration with Huawei, has officially launched the innovative Huawei IdeaHub S3 interactive board into the Nigerian market.

The unveiling ceremony, which attracted top industry stakeholders, partners, and technology enthusiasts, was held at the prestigious Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, in the heart of Nigeria’s commercial hub.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Coscharis Technologies Limited, Dr. Sunday Mukoro, appreciated guests for attending and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to introducing cutting-edge technologies into the Nigerian market to accelerate the country’s technological advancement.

Dr. Mukoro described the Huawei IdeaHub S3 as a next-generation smart collaboration device equipped with advanced features designed to enhance productivity, communication, and digital collaboration across businesses, educational institutions, and organizations.

To further excite participants at the launch, he announced a special one-off 20 percent discount for early bird orders placed during the event.

Representing Huawei, Charles Chen, Huawei Nigeria eKit Manager, reiterated Huawei’s dedication to delivering world-class technology solutions tailored to modern workplace and learning environments. He emphasized that the IdeaHub S3 reflects Huawei’s continuous innovation in smart office and collaborative technologies.

The Huawei IdeaHub S3 is available in 65-inch, 75-inch, and 86-inch variants and comes loaded with several advanced features, including ergonomic design, ultra-low latency performance, 4K dual-lens camera with 5x zoom capability, and superior image quality with zero colour cast technology.

Other notable features include a 24-microphone array with up to 15-meter sound pickup range, high-fidelity stereo sound system, 4K soft light screen, intelligent tracking with auto-crop view, Acoustic Baffle 2.0 technology, ultrasonic projection, app multiplier functionality, and enhanced BYOM/BYOD collaboration capabilities.

The event climaxed with the formal unveiling of the Huawei IdeaHub S3, led by Dr. Sunday Mukoro alongside executives from Huawei and the Coscharis Huawei team, marking another milestone in the advancement of smart collaborative technology solutions in Nigeria

 


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Nigeria is World Bank’s Third-Largest Borrower with $18.5Bn – IDA

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Nigeria has retained its position as the third-largest borrower from the International Development Association (IDA), the concessional lending arm of the World Bank, despite a slight decline in its debt exposure in the first quarter of 2026.

Nigeria is World Bank’s Third-Largest Borrower with $18.5Bn - IDA

According to the IDA’s March 2026 financial statements, Nigeria’s exposure stood at $18.5 billion as of March 31, 2026, down marginally from $18.7 billion recorded at the end of December 2025.

The $200 million decline represents a 1.1 per cent reduction over the three-month period.

However, on a year-on-year basis, Nigeria’s debt exposure increased significantly by $1.2 billion, or 6.9 per cent, from $17.3 billion recorded in March 2025.

The latest ranking places Nigeria behind Bangladesh and Pakistan among the World Bank’s largest IDA borrowers.

Data from the report showed that Bangladesh remained the largest borrower with an exposure of $22.7 billion, followed by Pakistan with $19.2 billion, while Nigeria ranked third with $18.5 billion.

Other major African borrowers include Ethiopia with $14.4 billion, Tanzania with $14.3 billion, and Kenya with $13.2 billion in outstanding exposure.

The report also revealed that the IDA’s total loans outstanding stood at $230.8 billion as of March 31, 2026, slightly below the $231.1 billion recorded at the end of December 2025, reflecting a mild moderation in the institution’s lending portfolio.

According to the IDA, loans classified under non-accrual status represented only 0.4 per cent of the total portfolio, while provisions for potential loan losses amounted to $6.3 billion, equivalent to about 2.0 per cent of underlying exposures.

Nigeria’s exposure accounted for roughly eight per cent of the IDA’s total loan portfolio and approximately 13.3 per cent of the combined exposure represented by the institution’s ten largest borrowing countries.

The IDA noted that its ten largest country exposures collectively accounted for about 60 per cent of total portfolio exposure as of March 2026, highlighting the concentration of concessional lending among a relatively small number of developing economies.

Despite the slight quarter-on-quarter decline, Nigeria’s debt profile with the World Bank continues to trend upward over the longer term.

The report showed that Nigeria’s exposure rose from $17.3 billion in March 2025 to $18.5 billion in March 2026, underscoring the country’s increasing reliance on concessional financing to support development priorities and economic reforms.

Similarly, Ethiopia’s exposure increased from $13.2 billion to $14.4 billion over the same period, while Tanzania’s exposure rose from $12.6 billion to $14.3 billion.

Bangladesh’s debt exposure climbed from $21.2 billion to $22.7 billion, while Pakistan’s increased from $18.3 billion to $19.2 billion.

Ghana also recorded an increase from $7.1 billion to $7.4 billion.

Nigeria’s position among the top borrowers reflects the scale of its infrastructure, social investment, and reform financing needs under the World Bank’s concessional lending framework.

The Federal Government is also currently engaging the World Bank for additional financing support.

 

 


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NCAA Suspends ‘No Pay, No Service’ Policy Against Indebted Airlines

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Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has suspended plans to enforce its proposed “no pay, no service” policy against domestic airlines owing statutory charges, following consultations with operators and concerns over rising operational costs in the aviation sector.

Director-General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, said the decision followed a review of prevailing challenges facing airlines, particularly the rising cost of Jet A1 aviation fuel.

The NCAA had earlier issued a memo on May 22 placing at least 11 domestic carriers on a “no pay, no service” list over outstanding debts owed to aviation agencies.

Affected airlines reportedly included Air Peace, Ibom Air, Overland Airways, Arik Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Max Air and Caverton Helicopters.

Industry sources said airlines immediately began discussions with the regulator after the directive was announced, leading to the temporary suspension of enforcement.

The NCAA clarified that the suspension did not amount to a cancellation or waiver of the debts, adding that all affected airlines remained responsible for settling their statutory obligations.

According to the authority, engagements with operators would continue to ensure compliance while avoiding disruptions to flight operations and passenger services.

The regulator also referenced earlier intervention measures approved by President Bola Tinubu, including a 30 per cent discount on outstanding charges owed by domestic airlines to aviation agencies.

The measure, it said, was introduced to cushion the impact of high aviation fuel costs and stabilise the sector.

The NCAA defended the five per cent Ticket and Cargo Sales Charge imposed on airlines, describing it as a statutory levy established under Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Act.

“The charge is not part of airline revenue or operating profit and should not be treated as such,” the authority stated.

It added that the agency operates largely on a cost-recovery basis and depends on remittances from operators to sustain regulatory oversight and aviation safety functions.

According to the NCAA, suspending the enforcement action was intended to balance regulatory compliance with the need to maintain operational stability in the aviation industry.

The authority reaffirmed its commitment to recovering all outstanding debts while supporting the long-term sustainability of domestic airline operations.


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