• Registration still 32% short of World Bank’s 148m June target• Insecurity defies NIN-SIM linkage as kidnapping festers• Experts want FG to fix economy, create jobs to curb insecurityDespite efforts made to close the gap, the disparity between the number of issued National Identification Numbers (NINs) and the country’s population figure remains extreme, raising concerns about the country’s ability to meet crucial milestones. This comes as the NIN enrolment figure and distribution pattern raise questions on the credibility of the population estimates, which the National Population Commission (NPC) pegged at near 218 million last year. Some experts have begun to doubt if the country’s actual population has not been overestimated, especially with childbirth control adoption gaining traction in the southern part of the country in recent years and the north still holed up in high infant mortality. As of December, there were 104.16 million issued NINs, a figure that is less than 50 per cent of the estimated population of the country. This suggests that there is still a gap of 113.8 million.

Tadese Raheem to the Senate for confirmation as Commissioner of the National Population Commission (NPC). The President said he wrote the Senate in compliance with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution. Raheem, who is from the Tadese Royal Family in Iwo, also holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Science (Pol. Science) from the Oduduwa University, Ile-Ife and another degree in Arts and Education from the University of Ilorin before capping it with a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA), Master’s of Science in Public Administration and a Ph.D Public Administration from the Obafemi Awolowo University. A former Chief of the Osun State House of Assembly, Raheem won a seat to represent Iwo Constituency 1 in 1992.

Felix Theman, Gombe FRSC sector Commander, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafiyawo, Akko LGA, Gombe State, on Tuesday. According to him, competing with cars and other vehicles on the road can create conflicts which may result in a crash and cause fatality. He said it had been observed that some riders sometimes competed with cars, which he said was of great concern, hence the need to caution riders, especially children. “Also, bicycle users must avoid riding at night since bicycles don’t have light, it is dangerous, especially for children to use them on main roads. “If children must ride bicycles, they must use it within their neighbourhood where traffic activities are lower and risk of a crash is also low,” he said.

Pacific storm train to bring one-two punch of wet weather and renewed flooding this weekendFollowing a welcome dry break, the next pair of storms will take a path farther to the south, increasing the risk of hard-hit areas receiving additional rainfall. CopiedThe weekend after Valentine’s Day, forecasters say rain will return to California, with renewed flooding possible. The floodgates of the Pacific Ocean will again be flung open as AccuWeather meteorologists project a storm duo to provide a one-two punch of wet weather this weekend into early next week. "Parts of Southern California will likely get heavier rain from the second, more impactful storm which is expected to arrive early next week," Zehr said. There is the potential for at least several inches of rain to fall along portions of the Southern California coast and nearby high terrain.

Gunmen on Sunday evening reportedly killed nine traders along Jibia/Batsari Road in Katsina State. Residents alleged that the traders were returning to their community from a local market in Jibia when they ran into the gunmen around 6 p.m. on Sunday. PUNCH Metro learnt that the traders were being conveyed in two vehicles which the gunmen also burnt. The gunmen also reportedly burnt down the two vehicles the traders were travelling in. He made the remarks at the annual West African Social Activities organised by the 17 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Katsina.

The NNPCL said in January it was seeking to engage reputable and credible operations and maintenance companies to run the Port Harcourt refinery. The Port Harcourt Refinery, situated in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region, has been in operation since 1965, but later became moribund for several years. Earlier in 2021, Atiku faulted Buhari’s approval of $1.5bn for the renovation of the Port Harcourt refinery. Marketers await productsMeanwhile, oil marketers have expressed excitement over the supply of crude oil to Port Harcourt refinery by the SPDC. We are expecting fuel from Port Harcourt refinery, Dangote refinery, and even Warri refinery.

The Tata Punch is now available in Creative MT, Creative Flagship MT and Creative AMT trims. Three new variants have been introduced, while 10 variants have been discontinued. The Tata Punch is now available in Creative MT, Creative Flagship MT and Creative AMT, priced at Rs 8.85 lakh, Rs 9.60 lakh, and Rs 9.45 lakh (ex-showroom), respectively. These include the Camo Adventure MT, Camo Adventure Rhythm MT, Camo Adventure AMT, Camo Accomplished MT, Camo Adventure Rhythm AMT, Camo Accomplished Dazzle MT, Camo Accomplished AMT, Camo Accomplished Dazzle AMT. The Tata Punch is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that produces 87 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 115 Nm @ 3,150-3,350 rpm.

Violent Extremism is a threat to peace, security, human rights and sustainable development. Violent Extremism is beyond boundaries of any region. Even though Violent Extremism cannot be justified, it is due to different narratives such as injustice, violation of human rights, lack of good governance and negligence of promised empowerment. Nigeria is one of the countries that has the highest terrorism threat in the world. According to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2023, Nigeria’s score is 8.065 – which is quite high.

The same applies to CEOs of various small and medium-scale enterprises. All these calculations wouldn’t be necessary if the prices of goods and services were relatively stable, not fluctuating like water lettuce on the sea. The calculations used in the last 24 hours for purchasing goods are no longer reliable because prices have almost immediately increased. For any economy to achieve not just growth, but sustainable development, inflation must be well monitored and controlled. According to the December 2023 report from the National Bureau of Statistics, the inflation rate was 28.92 per cent, with the food sector leading at a historical level of 32.8 per cent.

The parallels were impossible to ignore, so Jon Stewart decided not to ignore them. So the network has brought back Stewart for a weekly appearance on Monday nights, starting with this week’s season premiere. Bringing Stewart back is a momentary bright spot, but there’s still another three days a week of episodes to fill. Yet the lack of pomp and circumstance around his return means that its meta aspects become the most meaningful. Stewart could mock Biden’s fraying faculties or point out Trump’s infinite shortcomings in his sleep.

The Mandate Movement (TMM), a pro-Tinubu group in the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), has set up 37 structures in a bid to widen its reach and enlarge its membership base across the country. The structures consist of the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. National Leader of the movement, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, made this known in a statement, saying that the move had become necessary also for the ease of administration. “We have constituted screening structures across Nigeria as we set up the various state coordinator,” he said. He advised those to be appointed as states Coordinators to be more effective in mobilising new people into the ruling APC.

The Nigeria and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has said that the new certificate verification guideline for nurses is in the best interest of the nation. The NMCN had on February 7, 2024, issued a circular revising the guidelines for requesting verification of certificates for nurses and midwives. Some of the placards read, “Address unemployment among nurses, address quackery, address nurses welfare. There is no correlation between getting a letter of good standing from where we work we getting the verification certificate. He noted that the revised guidelines for certificate verification were in the best interest of Nigerians.

Nurses from both public and private hospitals in Lagos State on Monday protested against the new guidelines for verification of certificates. The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria issued a memo dated February 7, 2024, revising the guidelines for verification of certificates by nurses and midwives. The aggrieved nurses, however, kicked against the new verification guidelines, asking the council to reverse the new guidelines within 48 hours. Some of the placards read: “We no gree for NMCN free Nigeria Nurses”, “Nurses no be slaves No to a letter of good standing from anybody”, “We are not here to fight we just want the policy withdrawn”, “Let nurses breath, say no to NMCN verification rules”. Speaking with our correspondent, the coordinator of the forum, Thomas Abiodun, described the new verification guidelines as a way to frustrate nurses from seeking greener pastures.

An entrepreneurial ecosystem is branded “Green White Green”. So, whether it is NFA, FIFA, AFCON, or Silicon Valley, it is all about ‘Super EAGLES’. Become a “Green White Green” entrepreneur. The “Green White Green” approach is the way to go. Congratulations to the Super Eagles, the national football team of Nigeria, for her achievement and brilliant performance in the 2024 AFCON tournament.

The Federal Government had last Thursday announced plans to release 42,000 metric tons of maize, millet, garri and other commodities from the National Strategic Grain Reserve. The measure by the government followed spreading protests by Nigerians over the high cost of living and rise in the prices of foodstuffs. This government is giving Nigerians ‘pain promax’ by continuing from where the former administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari stopped. “The truth is that you can’t claim to have food stored anywhere and then Nigerians are going to bed hungry. If the food is there, we don’t even need any pronouncement, release the food and let Nigerians eat.