News
Sprite Unveils New Refined Transparent Bottles

Sprite, leading sparkling lemon-lime flavored soft drink is moving away from its iconic green packaging to a new unique design in transparent PET plastic bottles for easy recycling.
Speaking on the new look, Abiodun Ajiborode, marketing manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, said, “For us at Coca-Cola, clear is better and we are journeying to a World Without Waste by moving to clear Sprite packs, which means more of our plastic can be collected, recycled and reused to make new bottles”.
The World Without Waste campaign represents Coca-Cola’s commitment to doing business sustainably through the creation of jobs for members of its host communities, promotion of financial empowerment, and elimination of environmental waste.
With grants of over $1,000,000 from The Coca-Cola Foundation to multiple NGOs in Nigeria, several recycling and women empowerment programs are being implemented to address the issue of environmental protection while empowering women who are significant pillars of the society.
Additionally, through Coca-Cola’s System investment in a foremost recycling company, Alkem, more than one billion PET bottles were collected and recycled in Nigeria into fibre and other products from 2005 to 2011.
More than 1,800 people were also directly employed on an average income of $6 per day; which is three times the national average.
Coca-Cola has further invested in building an industry coalition that has birthed the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA).
FBRA is an alliance of responsible and forward-looking companies united by a shared concern for the environment and a commitment to collaborate with all stakeholders in building a sustainable recycling economy for food and beverage packaging waste. These efforts have so far led to the recovery and recycling of over 55 million bottles.
With such impressive feats, the Coca-Cola Company aims to build on these already existing frameworks with its all-new clear Sprite bottles.
Commenting further on this bold move, Ajiborode explained, “The current green bottles have over the years helped the Sprite brand stand out.
“Making this move to clear bottles emphasizes the importance we place on the environment by ensuring our packaging is more useful and ultimately, more eco-friendly.
“The transparent look also offers us an opportunity to take a second look at the Sprite design and modify it to fit our consumers’ ever-changing tastes”.
With its presence in over 190 countries, including Nigeria, Sprite’s new transparent look includes a see-through bottle, refreshed icon of the brand’s bold and iconic Sprite ‘spark’ with a distinct label and bright green cover.
News
FG May Forfeits $4m from World Bank Loan over Audit Flop

Federal government may lose $4 million from a World Bank loan after failing to get a pass mark on key audit standards in its revenue-generating agencies, such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigeria Customs Service.
This is according to a World Bank restructuring paper dated June 2025.
The amount, which is the equivalent of around N6.2 billion with an exchange rate of N1,568 per dollar, could have helped to address one of Nigeria’s infrastructural deficits.
The fund formed part of the $103 million Fiscal Governance and Institutions Project, a public financial management initiative financed through a credit facility from the International Development Association.
Accordingly, the revenue assurance audit covering the FIRS and Customs for the 2018 to 2021 financial years was assessed as not achieved because the reports submitted did not meet international auditing standards.
“Revenue assurance audit of Main Income Generating Agencies, including the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigeria Customs Service for FY 2018–2021, with an allocation of $4m.
“These Intermediate Results to be implemented by the Office of Auditor-General of the Federation were assessed as not achieved by the Independent Verification Agent because the reports submitted for verification did not meet the requisite international auditing standards.”
Also, the unsuccessful audit was one of ten performance-based conditions under the project that the government could not deliver before the closing date of June 30, 2025. Consequently, the Federal Ministry of Finance formally requested the cancellation of $10.4 million in project funds.
“The FMF has requested cancellation of $0.9m of unused funds for technical assistance and $9.5m, which is the amount allocated to 10 performance-based conditions, which will not be achieved by the close of the project on June 30, 2025,” the document read.
Further analysis shows that $4.5 million was tied to the uncompleted Revenue Assurance and Billing System, while $1 million was allocated to the development of a National Budget Portal.
According to the document, the Budget Office of the Federation, which was responsible for the portal, did not submit any evidence of achievement. In addition, $0.9 million in technical assistance funding was left uncommitted and has also been cancelled.
News
CDCFIB Warns against Recruitment Racketeers

Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has warned job seekers to be wary of fraudsters circulating inappropriate recruitment information.
The warning came against the backdrop of social media publications that President Bola Tinubu has ordered massive recruitments into some government agencies.
The agencies listed in the report were the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS); the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Federal Fire Service (FFS)..
The agencies are all under the Ministry of Interior, headed by Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
However, while responding to the reports, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) cautioned Nigerians against falling into the traps of job racketeers.
The Board acknowledged a Presidential approval for the recruitment of personnel in the four (4) Paramilitary Services under its purview, but insisted that due process would be followed on the matter.
Major Gen. Abdulmalik Jibrin (rtd), board secretary, said in a statement that “there are series of processes which leads to the actual recruitment exercise.”
“The Board wishes to reiterate that for all its recruitment processes, appropriate notifications would be done via adverts in the national dailies and it would be carried out in a fair and transparent process devoid of payment of any fee.
“To this effect, members of the public should be weary of the activities of recruitment racketeers who may want to take advantage of unsuspecting job seekers to rob them of their hard-earned resources”, Gen Jibrin said.
News
Concerned Nigerians Ask EFCC to Release Abiodun, CBEX Promoter

Adefowora Abiodun, one of the alleged promoters of the CBEX investment scheme, who voluntarily surrendered to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in April following a ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, is still languishing in the custody of the anti-corruption agency.

Adefowora Abiodun, one of the alleged promoters of the CBEX investment scheme,
Concerned Nigerians who have been following the matter have urged the EFCC to release him unconditionally since he honoured their invitation without being arrested.
The court had approved the EFCC’s request to arrest and detain six individuals connected to the scheme, including Abiodun.
Alongside Abiodun, five other individuals—Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, Seyi Oloyede, Avwerosuo Otorudo, and Chukwuebuka Ehirim—were declared wanted by the EFCC for their involvement in the alleged fraudulent investment scheme, which was valued at over $1 billion.
Fadila Yusuf, EFCC’s legal counsel, had submitted evidence that led to their public declaration as wanted individuals.
After the announcement, Abiodun, who was shocked by the declaration, alongside his legal team, presented himself to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, expressing his willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
Babatunde Busari, his legal counsel, explained that Abiodun’s decision to submit voluntarily was made in order to clear his name and address the media narratives circulating about the case.
Despite the return of investor funds and CBEX’s assurance that withdrawals would be allowed by June 25, Abiodun has been in detention for over a month, triggering speculation about the EFCC’s high-handedness and rights abuse.
His legal team is now advocating for his release on administrative bail, emphasizing that the ongoing detention is unwarranted under the circumstances since he submitted himself for investigation.
According to one of the family sources, “Keeping him in a cell for over one month would send a negative signal to other Nigerians who would be declared wanted by the EFCC in the future. It would discourage Nigerians who have clear cases from surrendering themselves voluntarily to security agencies if, at the end of the day, they don’t receive mutual respect for surrendering themselves.”
He added that CBEX is not a Ponzi scheme.
Reacting to the agitation by concerned Nigerians, Dele Oyewole , EFCC spokesman hinted that the agency obtained a remand order to keep him beyond 48 hours.
According to him, “Anybody that we are holding beyond 48 hours, be rest assured that we have a lawful remand order from the magistrate court to hold him beyond 48 hours.
“We are a law-abiding commission. Concerning that suspect, we are holding him on the basis of that remand order.”
- E-Financial3 days ago
Cyber Crime: Hackers to Hold Secret Conference 3.0 July 25
- General News3 days ago
Wema Bank Workers, Others Arraigned over Alleged N8.9Bn Cybercrime
- Telecom3 days ago
Gaps on Phone Number Recycling Fuel Identity Theft, Data Breaches- ICIR
- E-Business3 days ago
FG Enrolls 59,786 Inmates on NIN Platform
- General News3 days ago
Music Stars, Comedians Light Up “Evening with Glo” in Ijebu Ode
- E-Financial3 days ago
SEC Flags ‘Punisher Coin’ As High-Risk Scheme
- Telecom2 days ago
Telcos Hit by Major Outages across Lagos, Enugu, Others
- E-Business2 days ago
Human Hacking: When Cyber Criminals Target You