Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo flagged off the hydrographic survey and dredging of Oguta Lake and Orashi River in Oguta Local Government Area of south-east, Imo state.

The dredging of the river will link Imo to Degema in Rivers and to the Atlantic Ocean.

Speaking at the ceremony on the bank of the Oguta/Orashi River, Osinbajo said the project would connect waterways to hinterlands and expand Nigeria’s shipping and agricultural sectors.

He added that it would also expand Nigeria‘s free trade zone and facilitate her contribution to trade in Africa and the world.

He enjoined Nigerians to cooperate with Imo government and with the Nigerian Navy to ensure that the project came to fruition.

“Today marks an important milestone in the economic development of Imo; the Southeast and Nigeria at large and could not have come at a better time than now,’’ he said.

In his remarks, Imo’s Gov. Hope Uzodimma thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his support in the recovery of Imo from the hands of bandits.

He said the project would be executed through a public-private partnership and would create additional employment opportunities for Imo people.

“This project is a harbinger of several other multifaceted projects encapsulated in the socioeconomic development of Imo with capacity to equip the Southeast with a robust and self-sufficient economy.

“We shall establish an industrial cluster in the area to aid economic activities. Imo and the private sector will fund the project in synergy with the Nigerian Navy,’’ he said.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor thanked President Buhari for the leverage to build the capacity of the Nigerian Navy and the military at large.

Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Awwal Gambo, in his remarks said the project would provide the enabling environment for wealth generation and movement of goods and services.

He called for a quick dredging of the access route and also thanked President Buhari for the provision of effective hydrographic services.

He also thanked Mr Uzodimma for partnering with the Nigerian Navy and called on the host communities to protect and preserve the legacy.

President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu described the dredging as a dream come true and urged government to speedily actualise the project.

“Ndigbo are happy; Igbo are grateful. Igbo people in the diaspora are ready to contribute to the funding of the project if need be,’’ he said.

Mr Iwuanyanwu said also that the Igbo people had no intention of seceding from Nigeria.

He pleaded with President Buhari to actualise the release of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu before the end of his tenure.

The event was attended by prominent traditional rulers including the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

Other dignitaries were Minister for Trade and Investments, Alhaji Muazu Sambo; former Imo governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim and former Chairman of INEC, Prof. Maurice Iwu.

Ahead of the inauguration of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, President Muhammadu Buhari has moved into the Glass House at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The iconic residence has served as a transitional abode for the outgoing president and their spouse during the handover period.

The Glass House has also traditionally played a crucial role in the transition of power, providing a symbolic and practical space for the outgoing president and their spouse.

The First Lady, Aisha Buhari disclosed this in a video on her Instagram page after showing the incoming First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu around the State House.

With only Aisha Buhari and her husband currently residing there, the outgoing first lady expressed her opinion that the house should maintain its longstanding practice of accommodating only the incumbent president and their spouse during the transition period.

During the tour, Aisha Buhari, introduced Senator Remi Tinubu to the various areas of the house, providing detailed explanations about its significance and history.

She said, “I have taken the incoming First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, around . She has seen the main house; we are now at the popular glass house. Glass house is a transitional home for the outgoing president.

“I’m advising that the Glass House should maintain its tradition of being a transition for the outgoing president. As I am talking to you now, I am residing here with my husband. Only two of us here, I think it should remain so as a norm of the institution and of the house.”

The experience left Senator Tinubu both impressed and humbled, acknowledging the overwhelming amount of information she received in such a short span of time.

While expressing her gratitude, Senator Remi Tinubu mentioned her belief in divine guidance to help her contribute meaningfully to the nation during her tenure. She expressed her eagerness to make a positive impact and build upon the legacy of her predecessors.

“I have gone around. She has magnanimously shown me around the house. And graciously explained a lot of things to me which is quite a short time and overwhelming for me to grasp. but I believe God will help me to be able to make an impactful contribution to the nation,” she said.

As Nigeria prepares for the transition of power to the incoming president, the tour of the Glass House serves as a symbolic moment of unity and cooperation between the outgoing and incoming administrations. The hope is that the torch will be passed seamlessly, ensuring a smooth continuation of governance and the pursuit of national development.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN commissions the 14,444HA Kano River Irrigation Scheme in Bunkure LGA, Kano State.
The project, under the aegis of the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Project and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, is part of efforts aimed at addressing food insecurity in the country.

The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the plaque for the project by the vice president.

Dubai International Airport had over 21.2 million passengers pass through its terminals in the first quarter of the year, potentially nearing numbers it saw before the coronavirus pandemic grounded air traffic around the world.

The Dubai airport, the home of the long-haul carrier Emirates, is the world’s busiest for international travel and serves as a bellwether for the global aviation industry.

“DXB’s performance in the first quarter has exceeded our expectations and reflects the strong growth in demand that we are continuing to see across our key markets,” Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said in a statement, using its three-letter airport code.

With China further easing travel restrictions and Saudi Arabia lifting all pandemic restrictions for the yearly hajj pilgrimage, Dubai International Airport likely will see millions more passengers come through the key East-West transit point.

The airport said Tuesday it had increased its 2023 travel forecast by over 5 million passengers to reach 83.6 million. The airport saw its most-ever passengers in 2018 just before the pandemic, when it served 89.1 million passengers.

March has been the busiest month for the first quarter of 2023, with 7.3 million passengers. The airport said that’s the highest monthly traffic since January 2020, when it saw 7.8 million passengers.

Passenger traffic this year largely has been driven by the airport’s standard travel destinations — India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. Russia as well has been a major market as Dubai remains one of the few places still open to Russians amid Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

Emirates’ president, Tim Clark, last week acknowledged the carrier still has some of its double-decker Airbus A380s parked at Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central — a massive facility in the city-state’s southern reaches planned one day to take over for Dubai International Airport. As Emirates fully starts flying again, that will drive more passengers through DXB — and help contribute to the city’s crucial tourism market.

Dubai International Airport serves 234 destinations across 99 countries.

Authorities said that another earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.2 shook again just hours after 5.5 quake jolted Northern California Thursday afternoon however, there are no reports of any damages or injuries yet.

US Geological Survey maintained that the earthquake occurred at 4:19pm and the epicentre of the quake was about 2.5 miles southwest of the community of East Shore.

There was also a brief shaking felt in the San Fransico Bay area, however, no reports have been received regarding any losses.

USGS ShakeAlert noted on Twitter that “since the quake was greater than magnitude 5, #ShakeAlert-powered alerts were delivered to cell phones.”

Initially, the earthquake was recorded at the magnitude of 5.7, which was later updated by the USGS to 5.5.

The earthquake was followed by several aftershocks that ranged from 2.5 to 3.8 in magnitude, said USGS.

The earthquake caused a disruption at the agency’s Chico dispatch center and 911 lines were down. The agency advised people in the region to call 530-332-1200 as they work to fix the issue, the California Highway Patrol in Yuba-Sutter said.

Thursday’s earthquake caused fear among the resident who shared their reactions on social media.

The earthquake that was reported by people were in the counties of Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, San Joaquin, Solano, Colusa, Nevada, Yolo, and Butte counties.

According to Seismologist, Dr. Lucy Jones, this 5.5 earthquake is the largest in California since 2019.

The Australian government has approved a new coal mine for the first time since it was elected.

The government was bound by national environment laws when considering Central Queensland’s Isaac River coal mine, a spokeswoman said.

Only one coal mine proposal has ever been blocked under those laws.

The Isaac River coal mine – which will be built near Moranbah, an 11-hour drive north of Brisbane – is expected to produce about 2.5 million tonnes of coal over five years.

The mine will extract metallurgical coal, also known as coking coal, which is used in steelmaking.

Although a small mine compared to others in the state, its production could amount to some 7 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in its lifetime, think tank the Australia Institute says.

Surfers gathered in north Devon to mark the area’s official designation as a World Surfing Reserve (WSR)

The surfers, with coastal experts, locals and environmental groups, marked the occasion in Woolacombe with the unveiling of a stone marker and sign.

North Devon has joined Malibu and Santa Cruz in California, and the Gold Coast and Manly in Australia as a WSR.

The designation recognises the quality of the surf as well as the sport’s importance to the wider community.

The WSR programme was launched in 2009 in California with the aim of “protecting surf ecosystems around the globe”.

The north Devon coast, which already has Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty protection, will be one of 12 WSRs around the world.

An area around Braunton Burrows is a Unesco Biosphere for its landscapes, wildlife areas and cultural heritage.

The reserve covers about 30km (19 miles) of coastline.

A £42.9m project to refurbish the flood defences in an seaside port town has been completed.

Nearly 4km (2.5 miles) of flood walls in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, have been updated.

The upgrade should provide protection from tidal flooding to more than 2,100 homes.

Great Yarmouth has a history of flooding, including the 1953 east coast tidal surge, and more recently, in December 2013 and January 2017.

The work, which started in September 2019, saw 40 flood defence walls refurbished at locations across the town, which should extend their lifespan by up to 30 years, the Environment Agency said.

It said less material, lower carbon materials and hybrid power reduced the project’s carbon footprint, and it also created a new inter-tidal saltmarsh to boost biodiversity in the area.

The project was not delayed by the World War Two bomb which exploded in Great Yarmouth in February, the Environment Agency said.

A business case is currently in development for the next stage of the project.