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Cristiano Ronaldo Offers Own Marrakech Hotel To Earthquake Survivors In Morocco

By
Angel Gimalo
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A Marrakech-based hotel owned by Cristiano Ronaldo has opened its doors to victims of the earthquake in Morocco.

On Friday a huge 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the mountainous High Atlas region in Morocco, around 45 miles from the city of Marrakech.

As of Saturday evening, at least 1,305 people have died as a result of the earthquake and many more are injured or missing.

Amid the chaos and the tragedy, a number of Marrakech-based organisations and businesses have offered assistance to those affected by the quake.

One of them is Pestana CR7 Marrakech, a hotel owned by Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Reports suggest that the luxury hotel is providing shelter to those who have lost their homes.

Marrakech, sometimes spelt Marrakesh, if the fourth-largest city in Morocco and a popular tourist destination for travellers from all over the world. Ronaldo’s hotel is located in the M Avenue district in the city’s old town area.

The 174-room hotel is billed as a luxury, Moroccan-inspired getaway spot but the building has been transformed to offer shelter to victims of the earthquake.

The old town area of Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has suffered some of the worst effects of the earthquake.

Buildings and city walls have collapsed and the narrow alleyways have made it difficult for the injured to be located and transported to safety.

Across the city public buildings, town squares and even roundabouts have been hastily converted into emergency shelters, with beds set up for those who have lost their homes.

Ronaldo’s gesture is not the only from the world of soccer to help those affected.

On Saturday the Moroccan national team donated blood to help support the victims.

Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi wrote on social media: “We are going through a difficult time for all our fellow citizens. It’s time to help each other save as many lives as possible. My condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.”

Tinubu Approves Construction Of Houses In Some Northern States

By
Angel Gimalo
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Tinubu Approves Construction Of Houses In Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina, Niger and Benue States

Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed on Friday that President Bola Tinubu has approved the construction of 1,000 houses in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina, Niger and Benue States.

This was made known in a statement issued by Mr Olusola Abiola, the Director of Information, Office of the Vice President.

According to the statement, Shettima gave the hint at the commissioning of projects executed by the Borno State Government in the last 100 days.

The Vice President explained that the housing projects were part of a broad plan by the Federal Government to address conflicts in the north.

Shettima further stated that Tinubu approved N50 billion to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to kick-start the Pulaku initiative which was a non-kinetic solution to the crisis confronting the people of the northwest.

“President Tinubu has approved the construction of 1,000 houses in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger and Benue States with all the ancillary facilities of schools, clinics, veterinary clinics and ranches for the Fulani community in Kaduna and Benue states.

“President Tinubu insisted that all the victims must be carried along,” the Vice President said.

He added that all parts of the country would benefit from the developmental strides of the President.

The Lagos Rail Master Plan Explained

By
Angel Gimalo
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0

Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) was created by an Act signed into law on January 13, 2002 by the then Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.According to LAMATA, the urban transport implementation agency of the state, the six rail systems that are differentiated by colours are: Green line, Purple line, Yellow line, Orange line, Blue line and Red line.BLUE LINE: The 27-kilometre rail line from Okokomaiko to Marina. The first phase, already commissioned, Governor
@jidesanwoolu
has kickstarted commercial operations, it runs from Mile 2 to Marina with stop-overs at National Theatre, Iganmu, Alaba, Mile 2.RED LINE: A 37km rail line that will move from Ebute Metta (Oyingbo) to Agbado, cutting across so many major passenger routes like Agege, Mushin, Yaba, Oshodi, Jibowu and othersGREEN LINE: A 68km rail designed to run through Marina, Victoria Island, Lekki Phase 1, Ajah, Lekki 2, Ogombo, Elepetu, Eluju, Lekki Airport and Lekki Free Trade Zone and projected to carry over 500,000 passengers per day at starting, rising to over a million in 2031.PURPLE LINE: 60km rail designed to run through Redemption Camp, Mowe, Long Bridge, Isheri, Toll Gate, Omole, Ogba, Agege, Iyana Ipaja, Isheri Osun, Igando, Iba, Estate, LASU, Okokomaiko and Ojo.YELLOW LINE: A 34km rail system designed to traverse Otta, Meran, Alimosho, Ipaja, Isheri Osun, Ejigbo, Mafoluku, Isolo, Surulere and the National Theatre, with a projected daily capacity of 238,000 passengers, rising to 486,000 in few years.ORANGE LINE: This 48km line is designed to run through Ikeja, Alausa, Magodo, Mile 12, Irawo, Itolowo, MajidunAwori, Majidun Ogolonto, Agric Ikorodu, Alapadi, Maya, Eligana, Isiwu, Ibere, Imota and Agbowa in Ikorodu.NOTE: OTHER RAIL LINES YET TO BE DONE IS SUBJECT TO REVIEW AND UPDATED FIGURES.#LagosRail
#GreaterLagosRising

Earthquake: President Tinubu Commiserates With Morocco

By
Angel Gimalo
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I extend my heartfelt condolences to King Mohammed VI of #Morocco following Saturday’s devastating earthquake in his homeland, which claimed many lives.

I commiserate with all families who lost loved ones and all those otherwise affected by this tragedy, while wishing a full and swift recovery to those who were injured.

I assure the government and people of Morocco that the heartfelt prayers and thoughts of Nigerians are with them during this difficult moment of tragedy.

In the face of this adversity, Nigeria will continue to stand in solidarity with Morocco as they recover, rebuild, and come out stronger than ever from this unfortunate event.

FG Orders DisCos on Handling Consumers’ Complaints

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
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0

The Federal Government has ordered power distribution companies to deploy customer engagement platforms within the next three months, beginning from September 1, 2023.

The directive meant the Discos must install the facilities before January 2024.

It gave the order through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and explained that the directive became vital due to the failure of Discos in resolving the complaints of power users.

The directive was contained in a document from NERC, with order number: NERC/2023/006 in Abuja on Thursday, and titled, ‘Order on deployment of customer engagement platforms’.

In the document, the government said, “This order shall take effect from September 1, 2023 and shall remain in force until amended or revoked by subsequent orders issued by the NERC.”

Providing a background on the order, the commission stated that it had conducted town hall meetings, public consultations and reviewed reports of complaints from electricity distribution licensees or Discos.

It said the meetings and consultations “reveal that customers are dissatisfied with the rate of resolution of complaints filed with Discos.”

To address this, the NERC said it “resolved to deploy a call centre to improve the rate of resolution of complaints filed with Discos by providing near real-time visibility of customer complaints filed with Discos.

“The call centre will also provide an additional avenue for monitoring Discos’ service quality and delivery to their customers. ”The power sector regulator noted that a consultant was engaged by the commission for the deployment of the call centre.

NERC stated, “The findings of preliminary investigations conducted revealed that some Discos were yet to deploy call centres and those that had deployed call centres had done so with infrastructure/specifications that failed to meet the requirements of the commission.

“All Discos are expected to have full-featured customer engagement platforms that integrate seamlessly with the system deployed by the commission.”

Customs Remove Defaulting Banks From Duties Collection

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
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0

The Acting Comptroller-General (C-G) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has removed defaulting banks from the Customs Duty Collection System.

The National Public Relations Officer (NPRO) of the Service, Abdullahi Maiwada (CSC) disclosed this in a statement, in Abuja.

Although the NCS did not give details of the affected banks, it was learnt that they included some very large first and second generation banks that have refused to remit duties collected on behalf of the Customs Service to the designated banks.

He stated: “The Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has taken decisive action in response to selected Authorized Dealer Banks failing to meet Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) related to Customs Duty and statutory charge remittances.

Court Rules Stamp Duty on Bank Transactions Illegal, CBN Approves New Payment System License

“This decision follows a thorough audit and due process, aligning with the NCS’s commitment to upholding transparency, accountability, and efficiency in revenue collection.”

Accord to him, the primary objective was to ensure the accurate and timely remittance of Customs duties and other essential funds for national development.

He said despite the deactivation of these banks, the Comptroller General has implemented measures to minimize disruptions for importers and stakeholders within the trading ecosystem.

According to him, the trading community has been assured that all pending assessments will undergo clearance processes in line with international best practices.

He stated further: “Importers who previously relied on the deactivated banks for duty payments are advised to utilize other Authorized Dealer Banks that comply with NCS regulations.

“Stakeholders encountering challenges with a particular bank are encouraged to use alternatives that function appropriately.”

According to the NPRO, the deactivated banks would be reactivated once they meet all regulatory requirements and settle outstanding remittances.

He said that collaborative efforts with financial regulators and stakeholders were underway to ensure the efficiency and integrity of the Customs Duty Collection system.

Nigeria Records N1.3trn Trade Surplus in Q2’23

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
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0

Nigeria recorded a N1.3 trillion trade surplus in the second quarter of 2023 (Q2’23), representing a 38 percent rise when compared to N927.15 billion in Q1’23. However, Year-on-Year, YoY, the trade position was a 7.6 percent decline from the figures in the corresponding period of 2022.

This comes against the backdrop of increases recorded in total imports and exports during the period.

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, disclosed this Thursday, in its Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics for Q1’23, adding that the total merchandise trade also increased QoQ by 5.7 percent to N12.7 trillion in Q2’23 from N12.04 trillion in Q1’23.

NBS report stated: “Nigeria’s total merchandise trade stood at N12.74 trillion in Q2’23, indicating an increase of 5.7 percent over the value recorded in Q1’23, but it declined by 7.6 percent when compared to the value recorded in Q2’22.

“The disaggregation of total trade into exports and imports shows that total exports stood at N7.02 trillion showing an increase of 8.15% over the value recorded in the preceding quarter and a decrease of 5.2 percent over the corresponding period in the preceding year.

“In addition, the data reveals that the share of exports in total trade stood at 55.06 percent in Q2’23.

“Exports trade in Q2′ 23 was dominated by crude oil exports valued at N5.58 trillion which accounted for 79.63 percent of total exports, while non-crude oil exports value stood at N1.43 trillion or 20.37 percent of total exports of which non-oil products contributed N688.68 billion representing 9.82 percent of total exports.

“On the other hand, total imports stood at N5.72 trillion in Q2′ 23, indicating an increase of 2.9 percent over the value recorded in the preceding quarter. The value of imports in the quarter under review fell by 10.37 percent compared to the value recorded in the corresponding period of 2022.

“Imports trade share of total trade in Q2’23 accounted for 44.94 percent of total trade, bringing the trade balance to N1.28 trillion.”

According to the Bureau, the top five partner countries origin of imports to Nigeria were China (N1.26 trillion or 22.17 percent), the United States of America (N921.45 billion or 16.09 percent), Belgium (N460.43 billion or 8.04 percent), India (N417.77 billion or 7.3 percent) and The Netherlands (N369.69 billion or 6.46 percent).

Elumelu Woos Indian Investors on Nigerian Market

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
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0

The Chairman of Heirs Holdings Group, Tony Elumelu, has urged the Indian private sector to invest in Nigeria because it poses a huge market on the African continent.

Elumelu told the Indian investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Nigeria because this is the best time.

He made this statement during the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and Conference on Wednesday, in New Delhi, India.

The roundtable was jointly organised by the High Commission of Nigeria to India, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Nigeria-India Business Council (NIBC).

Elumelu, who has built pan-African financial service businesses and controls significant power and natural resources operations, all focused on value creation in Africa, was in Delhi for the G20 Summit.

G-20 Summit: Tinubu In India to Bolster Economic Ties

He was in the company of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as an invitee and as well as a co-chair of the Business 20 (B20) Action Council focusing on African economic integration, the private sector counterpart to the G20.

Speaking during a keynote address, Elumelu invited urged the Indian private sector leaders to join him and other global investors in accessing the rapidly evolving Nigerian economy, home to 20% of Africans and one of the largest consumer populations globally.

“This is the time to invest in Nigeria. I speak as a private sector investor in Nigeria, the companies in our Group’s investment portfolio demonstrate the opportunity. I believe you also can take advantage of our track record and success,”  he said.

“Nigeria is a huge market; over 200 million people with the largest economy on the continent. Most importantly, the population is not just over 200 million people; the demography of the population is exciting.”

At the Presidential roundtable, hosted by Tinubu, Indian investors pledged investments of nearly $14 billion to Nigeria, following the Nigerian president’s commitment to create the enabling environment for foreign investments to thrive.

“We have a cohort of young people who are there to consume, and we also have people who are intelligent, energetic, hardworking, who provide the human capital that investors need to drive their businesses,” he added.

President Tinubu Applauds AU Inclusion In G20

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
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0

President Bola Tinubu has applauded the membership of the African Union, AU in the G20.

He said the AU’s decision opens opportunities for future membership of the group in a manner that would reflect relative balance of power and inclusiveness of humanity.

Addressing World leaders at the New Delhi Summit, President Tinubu called for greater solidarity among nations, tasking advanced economies to support disadvantaged regions in the Global South and as well promote climate justice.

The Nigerian Leader called for the strengthening of international frameworks for resource mobilisation and governance that are based on the principles of justice, equity, and fairness.

Tinubu invited to join G-20 invitation

President Tinubu further urged the Global North, advanced economies, and multilateral institutions to mobilise resources and direct efforts to necessary areas where help is needed most in the disadvantaged Global South.

The Theme for the summit is ‘One Earth, One Family One Future.’

Reflecting on the theme, President Tinubu stressed “the interconnectedness of global affairs and the need for collaborative efforts.”

He underscored the importance of tackling challenges related to technology, energy transition, and access to credit as well as the growing socio-economic divide between those who have and those who do not.

President Tinubu also highlighted the magnitude of challenges facing humanity .

He said; “The need for us to work together as one family has, therefore, become more imperative. We must strive to create a world of inclusiveness in which everyone has access to the basic necessities of life, and in a manner that widens and strengthens the ownership of our planet regardless of one’s economic, social, and political status.

“By doing so, we will be building a society anchored on the strong values of tolerance and mutual respect, where diplomacy, dialogue, and cooperation take precedence over competition, conflict, and divisions, which are based on inflexible ideologies and belief systems.”

President Tinubu congratulated India for hosting the historic summit and for successfully landing on the moon under the leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

He described the achievement as an inspiration to all developing countries of the Global South.

Exploring Great Santiago Tower, Chile  

By
Angel Gimalo
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0

The Costanera Center Torre 2, better known as Gran Torre Santiago (Great Santiago Tower), and previously known as Torre Gran Costanera, is a 64-story tall skyscraper in Santiago, Chile, the tallest in Latin America.

It is the second-tallest building by highest architectural feature (behind Q1 in Australia) and by highest occupied floor (after Australia’s Eureka Tower) in the Southern Hemisphere. It was designed by Argentine architect César Pelli.

The tower is not only the tallest in South America, but it also it is one so towering it casts a shadow more than a mile long.

The Gran Torre Costanera Center where the tower is located, represents a giant that dwarfs the city’s other skyscrapers, and overwhelms the view of a city founded in 1541 by Spanish conquistadors which still remains proud of its colonial-era buildings.

The 300 meters (984 foot) tall Gran Torre is not as tall as New York’s iconic Empire State Building (381 meters – 1250 feet) and is less than half the size of the world’s tallest building, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa (828 meters – 2,717 feet).

But it is significantly taller than the other regional giant, the Trump Ocean Club in Panama City (293 meters – 961 feet).

As part of the Costanera Center complex, which includes the largest shopping mall in Latin America, there are as well two hotels and two additional office towers.

Even though it rises 64 floors above ground, there are 6 basement floors, which makes the building actually 70 stories high. The tower has nearly 700,000 square meters of building space available built on 47,000 square meters of land.

Planners estimated that there would be some 240,000 people going to and from the site each day.

The structural engineering is performed by the Chilean company René Lagos y Asociados Ing. Civiles Ltda, and Salfa Corp. was responsible for its construction.

The construction actually began in June 2006 and was expected to be completed in 2010, but was put on hold in January 2009 due to the global financial crisis of 2008–2009.

Construction on the project resumed on 17 December 2009 and it was expected to be inaugurated in 2013.

In November 2010 it officially became the tallest building in Chile, taking the first place from the building Titanium La Portada, where in February 2011 it has overtaken Caracas’s Twin Towers primate to become the tallest building in South America.

Structural work on the tower was completed in July 2011 and the maximum height of 300 m was achieved on 14 February 2012, becoming the tallest building in Latin America. In 2013, the tower was completed, as planned.

On 11 August 2015 an observation deck, called “Sky Costanera,” was opened to the public in floors 61 and 62, offering 360° views of the amazing city of Santiago.

The total cost of the building was supposed to be around $400 million, but as usual the overall cost was around $1 billion.

All in all, it is a masterpiece of the South American Architecture, and definitely deserves to be called Grand Torre, a symbol of an emerging confident modern Chile.

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