We have highlighted the five most important developments in the news today, Tuesday, June 25, and present them below.
5 issues in the news that should matter to you today
1. JAMB, VCs to decide admission cut-off July 18: The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), alongside vice-chancellors of universities, rectors of polytechnics, and provosts of colleges of education, among other stakeholders in the education sector, will meet on July 18, 2024, to decide the cut-off or minimum benchmarks for admission. The meeting scheduled for July 18 will be chaired by the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, and it will determine the admission requirements while kick-starting the admission process for the current year.
2. NCDC declares cholera crisis, sets up emergency measures: The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) on June 24, activated a national cholera emergency centre, following the outbreak of the disease in the country. It also said 53 deaths and 1,528 suspected cholera cases were recorded across 31 states and 107 local government areas, with a case fatality rate of 3.5 per cent since the beginning of 2024.
3. ShopRite to close Abuja branch June 30, cites harsh environment: ShopRite supermarket of one of its Abuja branches from June 30, 2024, located at Novare Central Mall in Wuse Zone 5. The company said this decision was made after a thorough evaluation of the store's financial situation and the current business climate.
4. Operators seek FG's intervention as marketers opt for fuel import: Operators in the downstream oil sector has called on the Federal Government to intervene by ensuring the provision of crude oil to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery as marketers now prefer to buy cheaper imported refined petroleum products rather than patronising Dangote refinery. They also slammed the international oil companies operating in Nigeria for selling crude oil to Dangote refinery above the global market prices, describing this as “anti-country practice.”
5. High demand for AI talent pushes wages up by 25%: The demand for artificial intelligence talent is surging, driving up wages by as much as 25 per cent, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The Global AI Jobs Barometer report by PwC found that AI-related job postings have grown 3.5 times faster than other roles since 2016, with the UK, US, and Canada leading the way.