General News
Okada Ban: Lagos Govt., Courier Operators ‘War’
The Lagos state government came under the hammer of courier operators, and supported by the federal government regulatory agency, the Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) of the Nigerian Postal Service (Nipost) on aspects of the states’ traffic law which require them to purchase motorbikes with minimum 200cc engine capacity.
Speaking under the aegis of Association of Nigeria Courier Operators (ANCO) umbrella body of courier operators in Nigeria at the ‘Inter-Agency Relations in Courier Operations workshop’ demanded that Governor Raji Fashola, of Lagos state re-tune the ‘State traffic Law 2012.’
Governor Fashola, a legal practitioner of the inner bar (senior advocate of Nigeria) has received severe knocks from several quarters for the traffic law from which bars commercial motor cycle operation in the state.
Aspects of the law of also bar corporate operators like courier firms and dispatch riders from plying within the metropolis, unless they are type approved motorbikes with minimum of 200cc engine capacity.
Dr. Simon Emeje, assistant post master general, head of CRD said the law contravenes provisions of standing Universal Postal Union (UPU) treaties that made generous provisions for commercial motorcyclists popularly called okada for distribution. The UPU is an organ of the United Nations which Nigeria is signatory to its conventions.
Consequently, Emeje stated that provisions of the new Lagos Traffic Law, especially one which restricted commercial motorcyclists to some designated roads is clear violation of the UPU treaty.
But defending the Lagos state government on the traffic law, Prince Bisi Yusuf, chairman of the Lagos state House of Assembly Committee on Transport, Commerce and Industry (who represented the House Speaker, Hon. deyemi Sabit Ikuforiji), at the workshop it was expedient on the state to enact the law both as a security deterrent and achieving the envisioned ‘Lagos Mega City dream’.
He noted that since the law came into force, reports available show that road crashes related to commercial motorcycle operators have reduced by 75per cent, adding that the courier firms should learn to live by the law and not kick against it.
“Before the promulgation of the law the State House of Assembly, the rate of motorbike crashes was uncontrollable, but since the law came into force, the crashes have reduced to about 75per cent. That is a big achievement for a law that is under test-run and not up to a year.
“No responsible government will allow its citizen to be maimed in the manner commercial motorcycle operators were doing. Lagos did not even ban ‘Okada’ like we saw outright ban being implemented in Kaduna, Kano and other major urban centres across the country. It is not political, but for security reasons.
The Speaker added that when security is achieved, courier operators can do their businesses with ease and with no apprehension. “It is only when you are alive that you can conduct your business. The State will not count anybody as a sacred cow when he violates the laws, especially by plying the restricted routes,” he noted.
But Dr. Emeje asserted that the international treaties of the UN’s agency to which Nigeria is a signatory, encourages nations and governments to deliver items to any point as the postal sector’s obligation is to reach every citizen.
Nigeria on July 10, 1961 became a member of the UPU, a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system.
Emeje said operators should not only be allowed to carry out their duties to any point in the State, but deserve the right to use any motorcycle of their choice.
“The postal obligation is that they want to reach every citizen. And in doing that, there should be no restriction of vehicles or motorcycles that will be used to reach to the people either on water or on the dry ground.
“Therefore, we have made a case to Lagos State Government that this is inside the Conventions and International Treaties or a global disposition that should be respected. Nigeria or Lagos State should not be an exemption. Courier operators should be allowed to dispatch the parcels they have been assigned to do, even to any part of State”.
He further argued that restriction of the operators to use motorcycles with engine capacity of 200 Cc was not acceptable because it will signal the death of some courier firms, especially the indigenous players.
Critically, Erneje demanded that “a concession for the operators should be granted, in the sense that as far as courier business is concerned worldwide, there is no such restriction. However, we appreciate that for security reasons Lagos State Government had to institute the restriction, but we are saying that they should consider an organisation or industry that is focused delivering goods or parcels to every point in the whole State and the country at large.”
Concurring, Toyin Olufade, president of ANCO said Lagos should adhere to global best practices as it is a state within the federation of Nigeria.
“Whatever modality that will grant concession to courier operators that will make them deliver freely is highly needed presently. The essence of courier is door-to-door service delivery. So, if the equipment is denied them it will defeat the purpose of the service,” said Olufade.
He added that the law impacts adversely on the operators. “The restrict impacts on delivery and subsequently on their income. Apart from that it affects employment disposition of the organisations. And when the employment disposition is adversely affected the economy is affected as a whole.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek checks in the state show that the 200cc engine capacity motorcycles sell for between N250, 000 to N350, 000.
Meanwhile, it would take new courier firms minimum of five bikes to cover Lagos, whereas there are about 281 of them registered with CRD. Thus the industry players may be in dire need of over N3.7 million to retool.
General News
NIMC Disowns Fake NIN Portal

National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has warned Nigerians to disregard a viral online flyer claiming that a free portal has been opened for the correction of National Identification Number (NIN) data.

In a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the commission described the flyer as fake and cautioned the public against using any links associated with it.
“The public is hereby advised not to use the above for modifying their NIN data. All modifications should only be done via the official channel,” NIMC stated, directing users to its authorised self-service portal.
The misleading flyer, which has circulated widely on social media, carries the logos of NIMC and the federal government, falsely claiming that authorities had launched a special correction portal in response to a “high level of complain.”
It lists services such as name, gender, and date of birth corrections, and provides links redirecting users to a suspicious “gvly.xyz” domain—an address the commission says is not affiliated with any government platform.
NIMC noted that the flyer has since been marked “FAKE” in red, indicating it is being recirculated as part of efforts to debunk the misinformation.
The Commission reiterated that all NIN data modifications can only be carried out through its official self-service platform, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and avoid falling victim to online scams.
General News
Moniepoint Acquires Orda Africa to Transform Africa’s $50Bn Restaurant Sector

Moniepoint Inc. (“Moniepoint” or the “Company”), Africa’s all-in-one financial ecosystem platform for individuals, businesses and their customers, today announced the acquisition of Orda Africa (“Orda”), a leading cloud-based restaurant management platform operating in Nigeria.

Moniepoint
Under the terms of this acquisition, Orda will become part of the Moniebook platform, Moniepoint’s all-in-one Point-of-Sale (POS) and business management platform. Since launching its business management tools product in 2025, Moniebook has rapidly become the go-to platform for thousands of African businesses seeking integrated financial and operational tools, seamlessly unifying payments and bookkeeping in one platform.
With Orda, restaurant owners can now gain access to this proven ecosystem that creates unprecedented opportunities to scale operations, optimize performance, and access credit, as well as the extensive reach of Moniepoint which has powered growth for millions of African businesses.
The acquisition comes as Africa’s food service industry experiences unprecedented growth, with the sector valued at $50 billion and Nigeria’s market alone projected to reach $19.31 billion by 2030, growing at 11.73% annually. With Orda’s restaurant-focused capabilities now part of the Moniepoint ecosystem, the platform is well-positioned to capture this opportunity.
Founded in 2015 by Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike, today Moniepoint has grown into one of Nigeria’s leading distributors of financial services as well as a trusted platform for many of the country’s MSMEs especially in the informal sector.
The company has considerably expanded its offerings to include digital payments, business and personal banking, credit, cross-border payments, and business management tools with a customer base exceeding 20 million active businesses and personal banking customers and processes over US$250 billion in digital payments transaction value annually.
Tosin Eniolorunda, Co-Founder and Group CEO of Moniepoint Inc., said: “The food industry isn’t just about feeding people, it’s a major source of jobs and daily survival for many Africans. It highlights how vital the informal sector is, not just for the economy, but for everyday life across the continent.
Data has shown us that Africa’s restaurant sector is one of the continent’s most dynamic economic engines, yet the majority of food businesses still operate with manual processes and fragmented tools. By bringing Orda into Moniepoint, we are giving restaurant owners what they deserve: one simple platform that handles everything from managing their kitchen to growing their business. Our goal remains to create financial happiness for Africans, giving them the tools to reach their full potential and that’s exactly what we’ve built here.”
Founded in 2020, Orda was built to give Africa’s small and independent restaurants the tools they need to run more efficiently, providing a purpose-built software to businesses that had long operated without it.
Guy Futi, CEO of Orda, reassured existing customers: “Orda has found the perfect home in Moniepoint. We have spent years building deep expertise in restaurant operations, but we have always known that to truly transform the industry, we needed to connect that expertise with comprehensive financial infrastructure.
“That’s exactly what this integration delivers. For our customers, we are assuring a smooth transition with no disruption to the platform and retained access to the support you are used to. What changes is your access to opportunities.
“Over the coming weeks, being part of Moniepoint means you’ll have more tools, more reach, and more ways to grow your business than ever before”
Combining their respective strengths, Moniepoint and Orda deliver a purpose-built solution that empowers food businesses at every scale to manage orders, track inventory, pay suppliers, and access working capital, all in one seamless experience.
This move represents a demonstrated commitment to building a dedicated financial infrastructure designed around the unique complexity of Africa’s food economy.
For the millions of food entrepreneurs across the continent, from the everyday buka owner to the high-end restaurateur, this acquisition means less time managing multiple tools or carrying out arduous manual work and more time doing what they do best – feeding Africa.
General News
Tech Firms Sack over 45,000 so Far in 2026

More than 45,000 jobs have been cut across the global technology sector in the first few months of 2026, according to data from RationalFX, signalling that the industry is still adjusting after a period of aggressive hiring rather than returning to a full growth phase.

“In 2025, automation, artificial intelligence, and sustained cost-discipline measures drove much of the downsizing, with entire departments restructured or eliminated in favour of leaner, AI-assisted workflows. This trend has continued full steam into 2026,” said Alan Cohen, analyst at RationalFX.
According to the report, if the current rate of redundancies is sustained, total layoffs in 2026 could surpass the 245,000 recorded in 2025.
The majority of these layoffs have been concentrated in the United States, with major companies continuing to trim their workforce despite stable core operations.
Amazon has announced approximately 16,000 job cuts this year, while Block has also reduced thousands of roles as it tightens operations and shifts focus towards artificial intelligence.
There are indications that further reductions may follow.
Meta is reportedly considering additional layoffs as it increases investment in AI infrastructure, while PayPal and Klarna are reassessing spending and hiring strategies amid ongoing uncertainty.
Established technology firms are also undergoing restructuring. Dell has reduced its workforce by around 11,000 over the past year as part of a broader reorganisation, while Salesforce has cut approximately 1,000 roles in 2026 while aligning its teams more closely with AI-driven products.
Outside the United States, layoffs have been smaller in scale but more geographically dispersed.
Australia has reported around 2,650 job cuts so far this year, followed by Sweden with roughly 1,923 and Netherlands with about 1,700.
Other markets have also been affected. Israel and India have recorded approximately 1,539 and 1,520 layoffs respectively, with Israel’s startup ecosystem particularly sensitive to tighter funding conditions, while in India, both startups and larger IT firms have reduced headcount as global client spending slows.
In Singapore, around 1,016 layoffs have been reported, reflecting a softer hiring environment across Asia’s major technology hubs, where companies are adopting a more cautious approach amid uneven demand.
Across Europe, job cuts have been comparatively limited but still noticeable.
The United Kingdom has recorded around 1,000 layoffs, while Czech Republic and Germany have seen smaller reductions.
The broader trend suggests that technology companies are shifting towards leaner operations and more defined priorities following years of expansion. Increasing investment in automation and artificial intelligence is also reshaping the types of roles in demand.
For employees, the impact is becoming increasingly visible, with hiring slowing and becoming more selective. While opportunities remain, companies are taking a more measured approach to recruitment compared to the rapid expansion seen in previous years.
Further credit… .storyboard18.com
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