- Cholera death toll rises to 37 as Lagos records 401 cases
- Kano plans to appeal as court sacks Sanusi
- FG signs $3.5b deal with Afrexim to promote textile, CNG vehicles
We have highlighted the five most important developments in the news today, Friday, June 21, and present them below.
5 issues in the news that should matter to you today
1. Cholera death toll rises to 37 as Lagos records 401 cases: About 37 deaths have been recorded in the current Cholera outbreak, which has hit 30 states, including Lagos and Ogun. The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, in a statement on Thursday, June 20, by the Director of Public Affairs in the state Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, said the state had recorded an additional six cholera deaths as against the previous 15. She said cholera cases had risen to 401 in the state. The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, also reported that the state had recorded one death and 14 cases.
2. Kano plans to appeal as Court sacks Sanusi: A Federal High Court in Kano, on Thursday, June 20, nullified the reinstatement of Muhammad Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano, barely a month after he was restored to the throne by the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf. However, the Kano State Government has vowed to appeal the judgment. The Commissioner for Information, Baba Dantiye, confirmed that the government would appeal the judgment.
3. Olubadan: Olakulehin begins traditional rites: The Olubadan-designate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, will commence the traditional rites soon, in preparation for ascending the throne of the Olubadan of Ibadan land. This followed the approval by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, in Ibadan, on Wednesday, June 19.
The governor’s approval was contained in a memo signed on June 14, 2024, “in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by Section 19 (Cap 28) Law of Oyo State 2000 as amended.”
4. FG signs $3.5b deal with Afrexim to promote textile, CNG vehicles: The Federal Government has announced a $3.5 billion agreement with the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank) to enhance the textile industry and promote the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles among other initiatives. The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, disclosed in a statement on X recently. She said the deal was signed with the international financial institution during the 31st Afreximbank Annual Meeting in Nassau, The Bahamas. The agreement will help realize President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for a diversified and prosperous Nigerian economy. Speaking further, Uzoka-Anite highlighted that the collaboration with Afreximbank is poised to transform Nigeria’s industrial landscape, create jobs, and drive sustainable economic growth. She emphasised that the deal signifies a pathway toward a brighter and more prosperous Nigeria.
5. Group raises the alarm over Nigerian citizens' data available online for N100: Paradigm Initiative, PIN, the firm that connects under-served young Africans with digital opportunities, has raised the alarm over data breach by several unauthorised websites claiming to hold and provide access to sensitive personal and financial data of Nigerian citizens for as little as N100. At a briefing yesterday in Lagos, the firm raised the alarm, saying the original National Identity Number, NIN, of both the high and low citizens could be obtained with just N100. Executive Director of PIN, Gbenga Sesan, said the alarming development presented a major breach of the fundamental rights to privacy, a breach of data privacy rights and poses significant risks to individuals and the national economy, adding that there was data impunity and abuse in the country.