Welcome To PrimeMinds Blog

The Federal Government says it has released the sum of N420.2 million to the Nigeria film industry popularly called Nollywood to improve and support aspiring practitioners. According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs Patricia Deworitshe, on Friday in Abuja, the money, which is the second tranche payment will benefit 105 film distributors. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Federal Government had earlier introduced the

LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - OPEC oil output has risen in June by 280,000 barrels per day (bpd) to a 2017 high, a Reuters survey found, as a further recovery in supply from the two member countries exempt from a production-cutting deal offset strong compliance by their peers. High compliance by Gulf producers Saudi Arabia and Kuwait helped keep OPEC's adherence with its supply curbs at a historically high 92 percent in June, compared with 95 percent in May, the survey found. But extra oil from Nigeria and Libya, exempted from the cut because conflict curbed their output, means supply by the 13 OPEC members originally part of the deal has risen far above their implied production target. The recovery adds to the challenge the OPEC-led effort to support the market is facing from a persistent inventory glut. If the recovery lasts, calls could grow within OPEC for the exempt countries to be brought into the production deal.   Continued...

The Malaysian police are looking for a 31-year-old Nigerian man identified as Ebiziem Ifeanyi Stephen to assist in investigations into the death of a five-year-old boy last Thursday, June 22. Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Ruslan Khalid said that the police brought in the deceased’s mother, Nurfathiehah Ahmad Rokmar, 28, on June 23. he Malaysian police are looking for a 31-year-old Nigerian man identified as Ebiziem Ifeanyi

With his signature thumbs up, US president Donald Trump welcomed two “Chibok schoolgirls” to the White House this week. Lydia Pogu and Joy Bishara are survivors of the militant group Boko Haram’s mass kidnapping of 276 young women and schoolgirls at a boarding school in northern Nigeria in April of 2014. Bishara and Pogu leaped from Boko Haram’s truck on the night the kidnapping, according a profile by People magazine. They were among a few who managed to escape on the night of the kidnapping. In the years since,

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says President Muhammadu Buhari is fast recovering from his illness contrary to allegations that he is on life support. The National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, gave the assurance in Abuja while speaking with newsmen at the end of a meeting between the party`s National Working Committee (NWC) and state governors elected on the party’s platform.  “We are glad to inform you that President Muhammadu Buhari is recovering in a very robust manner. “We hope he takes it easy and when he comes back, I have no doubt at all that we will have a new and active period of activities.’’ He, however, said only the president’s doctors abroad could decide when he would be fit to return to the country. Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State had recently alleged that President Buhari was on life-support in a London Hospital where he is receiving medical attention. The national chairman, however, refused to respond to the governor’s com...

ABUJA, Nigeria -- (Bloomberg) -- Nigeria’s state-owned oil company said it signed a deal with Schlumberger to provide $700 million for the development of two oil fields in the country’s crude-rich south. The Anyala and Madu fields, estimated to have reserves of 193 MMbo and 800 billion scfg, will pump 50,000 bopd and 120 MMcfgd on completion of field development in early 2019, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., or NNPC, said in a statement published on its website. “Under the agreement, Schlumberger will contribute the required services in kind and capital for the

In a tweet Friday morning on N-Power‏ twitter handle, @npower_ng, the programme explained that submission of application does not conclude the process. The clarification might be in response to the perception of those who believe their entry for the programme guarantees a placement. Biafra: We are not part of your agitation – Nnamdi Kanu’s community tell IPOB leader N-Power tweeted “To avoid some of the issues of the 2016 applications, 2017 applicants will have to

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN has reacted to the collapse of Christian Religious of Knowledge, CRK, as part of an omnibus subject called the Religion and National Values. Speaking after an emergency meeting held in Lagos, PFN President, Dr. Felix Omobude said the body was concerned at the contention and controversy over the revised Basic Education Curriculum.

Troops of 27 Task Force Brigade, deployed to Buni Gari in Borno State, said they have arrested another suspected Boko Haram terrorist. Sani Usman, the Director Army Public Relations, made this known on Thursday in Maiduguri. Mr. Usman, a brigadier general, said the suspect, 20, was arrested by the troops on June 25 while on perimeter patrol.

Suspected kidnap king­pin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (aka Evans) has filed the second suit against the Inspector-General of Police and three others before a Federal High Court in Lagos over his detention. In the new suit filed on Thursday, Evans claimed N300 million as general and exemplary damages against the police for al­leged illegal detention and unconstitutional media trial. Joined as respondents in his new originating motion are the Police Force, Com­missioner of Police

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said it has traced N603m to Mrs. Esther Habu, wife of the Director of Bioresources Development Center in Bayelsa State, Josiah Habu. The National Biotechnology Development Agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, BIODEC is an intervention programme of the Federal Government aimed at developing the natural resources of Nigeria for use in agriculture, health, environment and industry. The anti-crime agency said that investigations showed that a total sum of N603, 000,000 was traced

Warning of threats to public safety and national security, the Republican-led House has approved two bills to crack down on illegal immigration, a key priority for President Donald Trump. One bill would strip federal dollars from self-proclaimed “sanctuary” cities that shield residents from federal immigration authorities, while a separate measure would stiffen punishments for people who re-enter the US illegally. The sanctuary measure was approved 228-195, while the bill to punish deportees was approved 257-167. Three Democrats joined all but seven Republicans to pass

People from six mainly Muslim countries are facing tightened restrictions on US entry after a scaled-back version of Donald Trump's travel ban came into force The new rules are not so much an outright ban as a tightening of already-tough visa policies affecting citizens from the six countries as well as all refugees. Administration officials promised that implementation this time would be orderly after a previous ban brought protests and chaos at airports worldwide in January.

Over the last six months, Algeria’s foreign exchange reserves have decreased by $6 billion, reaching $108 billion, Algeria Press Service (APS) reported yesterday, quoting the Governor of the Bank of Algeria, Mohamed Loukal. “Algeria’s foreign exchange reserves are currently $108 billion,” Loukal said on the sidelines of the Africa Meeting of the Econometric Society.

Aden- Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi dismissed on Thursday three governors of the liberated provinces for supporting the secession of the southern part of the country in the framework of organizing the situation in liberated areas, state television reported. Hadi issued a decree dismissing the governors of Hadramaut and Shabwa, located in the southeastern part of the country as well as the governor of the remote island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean. The three conservatives are members of the Southern Transitional Council, which was formed last

Australia's aboriginal leaders delivered a report to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday recommending the indigenous population be recognised in the constitution as the country's first people, with a history dating back some 50,000 years. The report also called for a representative body be set up to advise parliament on indigenous matters. Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders make up 2.8 percent of the 24.5 million population but have disproportionately high rates of suicide and incarceration, ranking

A subway train derailed near a station in the Harlem neighborhood of New York, frightening passengers and resulting in minor injuries as hundreds of people were evacuated from trains along the subway line (AP) The subway however is the focus of anger in New York with every day bringing a new horror. Earlier this month riders got stuck on the F train for an hour with no air conditioning and no lights.

Nobel prize winning Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo has been refused permission to travel overseas to receive cancer treatment. Liu, 61, was granted medical parole and released from jail last week after he was diagnosed with late-stage cancer of the liver. A Chinese vice minister of justice met with diplomats from the US, Germany and EU on Thursday to brief them about Liu's case, and told the diplomats that Liu can't travel abroad for treatment because he is too sick to travel, according to a source familiar with the meeting. Liu had been serving an 11-year prison sentence for "inciting subversion of state power" in Jinzhou, near the city of Shenyang in northeastern China. His case has come under an international spotlight amid allegations from his supporters that he had become gravely ill because his cancer wasn't treated in prison. In a statement released Wednesday, Shenyang authorities appeared to attempt to dispel this speculation, saying his cancer was ...

Romania’s parliament endorsed the new cabinet of Prime Minister Mihai Tudose by 275 votes to 102 on June 29. Tudose replaces Sorin Grindeanu, who was dismissed for delays in implementing the ruling strategy adopted after the 2016 general election. Broadly similar policies were expected under Tudose, but instead he prompted surprise and panic by unveiling a new ruling strategy which has at the core a radically revised fiscal and budgetary policy.

Germany is expected to legalise same-sex marriage, joining many other western democracies in granting gay and lesbian couples full rights, including adoption. The election-year bill is being pushed by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s leftist rivals who pounced on a U-turn she made Monday, a manoeuvre that left many conservative politicians fuming. Barring an 11th-hour hiccup, the lower house is expected to approve the law on Friday, hours before

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari declared on Wednesday that Nigeria’s oil reserve have been estimated to dry up in the next 25 to 30 years at most,  Tribune  reports. To this end, he said the focus of the government must be on gas which is also estimated to last for over 60 years, adding that his government must ensure a dramatic movement into gas production. Kachikwu spoke yesterday at the 5th triennial delegates conference of the Petroleum & Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in Abuja. “I am just coming from the FEC where we presented a memo on gas which has been approved today. Major movement is in terms of what we need to do in the gas environment because it is so key that unless we can put the two forms of energy together, we are not likely to see an improvement in our economy or see opportunities that most of you are beginning to miss in terms of job creation an...

The ongoing social media war between indigenous rap superstar, Phyno, and Malaysia-based socialite, Hushpuppi, is getting messier as singer and songwriter, Kingsley Chinweike Okonkwo, has joined the fray. Okonkwo, who is better known as Kcee, in a lengthy Instagram post slammed Hushpuppi for his attack on Phyno, asking him to disclose the source of his wealth. Hushpuppi had earlier shaded Phyno and Ice Prince over a picture they posted online, saying “Ice Prince Zamani Phyno Patek Philippe! If you don’t want people to patronise pirated copy of your work, don’t patronise pirated copy of others’ work. #Hypocrites”

The  Ohanaeze Ndigbo, an apex socio-cultural organisation of the Igbo, on Thursday, disowned the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu and his movement, IPOB. The President-General of Ohanaeze,  Chief John Nnia Nwodo said this while addressing members of the Anambra State house of Assembly at the Legislative Complex, Awka, Anambra State. Nwodo who was particularly embittered by the call by IPOB for a boycott of Anambra Election in November, said Kanu had breached the undertaking he took before him (Nwodo) when he was released from detention. He said, “I’m just being paternal. The way I commended them as my children; is the way I have the right to chastised them when they go wrong. We don’t need this heat up”. Nwodo’s addressed read in part “News that reached us in the past few days that Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB has declared that there will be no election in Anambra in November is shocking and disturbing. I hereby countermand that declaration as ...

The General Overseer of Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo has warned the federal and state governments against attempt to compel secondary school students of Christian backgrounds to offer Islamic Studies. Oyedepo gave the warning immediately after an emergency meeting held by the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, in Lagos on Thursday. Magu: Court fixes date to hear suit seeking removal of EFCC boss Addressing newsmen at the PFN Headquarters in Isolo, Lagos, Oyedepo said government had no

Naira on Thursday appreciated against the dollar at the parallel market, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. NAN reports that the Nigerian currency rebounded barely 24 hours after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) injected 195 million dollars into the foreign exchange market. The Naira closed at N366 to the dollar at the end of trading on Thursday afternoon at the parallel market, three points stronger than N370 it closed on Wednesday. The pound sterling and the Euro traded at N465 and N410 respectively.

MYNATION NEWS – The current Biafra news as the Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State this morning took a swipe at the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. Addressing State House reporters in Abuja, Okorocha said Kanu lacks the ability and influence to lead the Igbo nation to war. The governor asked Nigerians to treat Kanu as a young man seeking relevance.

Goldman Sachs is slashing its three-month price forecast for WTI to US$47.50 a barrel from US$55, seeing output gains in Libya and Nigeria as jeopardizing OPEC’s efforts to reduce global inventories, so the cartel may have to cut deeper in order to prop oil prices. “This threatens to close the window of time for stocks to normalize before OPEC cuts end and raises

The Bayelsa Government said on Thursday in Yenagoa that it was not owing council workers 16 months’ salary arrears as claimed by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees. NULGE had in a statement issued on Monday listed Bayelsa and Kogi as states with the highest level of indebtedness to council workers. Its National President, Mr Ibrahim Khaleel, alleged that Bayelsa owed between 10 and 16 months

Qatar and Turkish defence ministers to meet in Ankara tomorrow for amendment  the ongoing Gulf crisis, ministry sources revealed today. The meeting between Qatari Defence Minister, Khalid Bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah, and his Turkish counterpart, Fikri Isik, will take place in the Defence Ministry, according to sources who cannot be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media. The meeting comes amid an ongoing crisis in the Gulf region, where several Arab states – including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Yemen – have imposed a diplomatic and economic blockade on Qatar, which they accuse of supporting terrorism. Turkey has vowed to stand by Qatar and called on Saudi Arabia to end all sanctions. Earlier in June, Turkey’s parliament ratified two deals on deploying troops to Qatar and training its army. Aid, including a ship carrying 4,000 tonnes of food left Turkey for Qatar last week. So far, 105 cargo planes from Turkey have carried aid ...

Lily Collins takes the cover of Net-a-Porter’s The Edit magazine’s new issue. Here’s what the 28-year-old To the Bone star had to share with the mag: On her struggles with body image: “From a young age, I’ve had a desire to put forward this perfect image […]. Even though there was all this un-prettiness going on inside of me, I wanted to make sure that my appearance and composure were a certain way. I imagined that people knew I had these secrets and they’d be judging.” On getting complimented by a friend while preparing to play a character with an eating disorder: “Someone I’ve known for a long time said to me, ‘Oh, wow, look at you!’ I tried to explain [I had lost weight for a role] and she goes, ‘No! I want to know what you’re doing, you look great!’ I got into the car with my mom and said, ‘That is why the problem exists.’” On being rejected from magazines because she was too skinny: “I was about to embark on press for Rules Don’t Apply and I was told that a lot of media...

Berlin’s police department has defended its officers after they were expelled from the G20 summit for a wild party that included public sex and urination. Around 220 officers were released from duty for the July summit after the raucous scenes, which included a policewoman, clad in a bathrobe and carrying her gun, performing a strip dance. There were claims people were seen urinating against fences and romping in the outdoors as the party

The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has decried Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, leader, Nnamdi Kanu’s call on Anambra people to shun forthcoming gubernatorial poll in the state. The party, in a letter to Mr. Kanu, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ifeatu Obiokoye, and made available to the media

Airport security staff were left shocked after discovering a monster 20-pound live lobster hidden in a passenger’s luggage. The huge shellfish was spied at Boston's Logan International Airport's Terminal C. Security staff said the whopping lobster was the largest they had ever seen at the airport. The US Transportation Security Administration does not explicitly forbid lobsters.

She's a global pop icon, they are G20 leaders. So what happened when Rihanna tweeted some of the world's most powerful men to talk about their commitment to education in the developing world? Well, some of them responded and their exchanges are there for us all to see on social media. It started earlier this week when the singer and fashion icon, who has 74 million followers on Twitter, publicly messaged the leaders of France, Argentina and Canada, plus the spokesperson for Germany's Angela Merkel. In January, Rihanna travelled to Malawi meeting children at under

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, received on Tuesday a telephone call from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The two officials discussed bilateral relations and ways to bolster them in different fields. Abe congratulated Prince Mohammed on his appointment as Crown

The Otakikpo field is producing around 5,000 bopd and Lekoil is focussing on the ramp-up to the Phase 1 target of 10,000 bopd. Lekoil Limited (LON:LEK) has confirmed the lifting of a shipment of 250,000 barrels of crude oil produced from the Otakikpo field, in Nigeria, to Shell Western Supply and Trading Limited. It is expected that the Royal Dutch Shell subsidiary will forward payment for the crude within the next month, as set out in the existing crude sales agreement between the two firms.

Former aide to immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri has faulted the audio Sallah message credited to President Muhammadu Buhari by the Presidency. The voice message was said to have been released by Buhari to Nigerians, felicitating with them on the occasion of Eid-el Fitr. The Presidency said on Sunday that Buhari, in the voice message “thanked Nigerians for their consistent prayers for his well-being.” Buhari has turned Nigeria into Banana Republic by addressing nation in Hausa – Ohanaeze He also asked Nigerians to avoid hate speech and divisive tendencies capable of causing disaffection

Despite events held by previous administrations from across the political divide, this year’s Ramadan – which began on 26 May – passed nearly unobserved by the White House. It was marked only by a statement published late on Saturday afternoon, coinciding with the end of the holy month. The first White House iftar dinner is said to have been hosted by President Thomas Jefferson, who hosted a Tunisian ambassador during the Islamic month of fasting in 1805. Hillary Clinton resurrected the event when she was First Lady in February 1996, hosting about 150 people for a reception for Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the

Images of  Donald Trump with Ohio's Republican governor John Kasich whos  website was hacked . Ohio's Republican governor John Kasichthe website was hacked and a message was posted on it,  "You will be held accountable Trump, you and all your people for every drop of blood flowing in Muslim countries." The message, left by "Team System DZ", ended: "I love the Islamic state." The same message infiltrated government websites in the town of Brookhaven, New York, according

The Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, said it dismissed a lecturer (names withheld), for altering students’ results. The Vice Chancellor, Abdullahi Zuru, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Saturday, but declined to mention the affected lecturer’s full details. Mr. Zuru, a professor, said, “that management of the university took that drastic action to serve as deterrent to others.

knowledge of election interference efforts directed from the highest levels of the Russian government, the Obama administration responded in mostly small and symbolic ways in its final weeks in power. The responses, outlined in a comprehensive  Washington Post  report Friday, included the expulsion of Russian diplomats in the U.S., the closure of two Russian facilities, and a set of very limited economic sanctions. The Obama White House also issued repeated warnings to top Russian officials, including a direct

T hree years ago Erik Finman made a bet with his parents. He had just dropped out of high school, finding it a waste of time, and was being taught at home. If he was a millionaire by the time he turned 18, his parents said, they would not force him to go to university. Last week Mr Finman declared victory. “I won the million dollar bet I had with my parents!” he announced on Tuesday. “Grateful to all the

Taiwanese interior designer Lure Hsu is 42 years old and if you didn't know that, you would think she was a teenager or maybe a woman in her early 20s. She also dresses like a teenager confusing many people. Speaking about what she does to look youthful, Lure advised people to drink a cup of black coffee every morning, few sugary drinks, less greasy food and lots of fruit and vegetables alongside a lot of water. She advised less meat and more high fibre, high protein foods, as well as exercise. She also

Jerry John Rawlings, Ghana’s longest serving President who turned 70  on Thursday , was gifted with a pitch-black, convertible, sporty 1993 Chevy coupé.   The identity of the person who presented the gift to the former President remains unknown but the car is a unique collectible version of a classic American sports car.   The classic ride boasts of a 5.7-liter LT1 V-8 engine, 300 Horse Power, and four-speed Automatic Transmission among others.

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has revealed that Nigerian billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudubem Onwuamadike, also known as Evans, did not only fraudulently secure a Ghanaian passport, but also acquired one for the wife and two of his children. The IGP was speaking in an interview with Ghanaian medium, Joy News, where he disclosed that Evans was issued a Ghanaian passport this year under a fake name, Asare Nelson in Accra. The Ghanaian passport was found on Evans during when he was arrested on June 10 in his home in Lagos. According to the news outlet, the IG revealed that Evans’ wife and two children are also in possession of Ghanaian passports. He explained that the Nigerian passport of his wife bears the name Uchenna Precious Onwuamadike

 Provided by New York Daily News  Kim Kardashian (left) is now the owner of a watch that once belonged to Jackie Kennedy. - TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images Kim Kardashian won't be a First Lady until at least 2020 — but at least now she can accessorise like one.The reality star — whose husband Kanye West frequently trumpets his plans to run for President — won an auction for one of Jackie Kennedy's watches by bidding a whopping $379,500. Kardashian was awarded the coveted gold Cartier watch after entering the auction as an anonymous

A man's proposal to his girlfriend and her daughter has warmed hearts all over the world. Grant Tribbett, 29 and Cassandra Reschar, 26, have been dating for 7 months after meeting on Facebook via mutual friends. In the short time, Grant already decided he wanted to spend forever with Cassandra but he knew she did not come alone so while proposing to her with a ring, he also went down on one knee and proposed to her 5-year-old daughter, asking if he could be her dad. On May 27, Grant told Cassandra and her daughter Adrianna to get dressed because he was taking

A 52-year-old man, Tosenu Lussien, who was caught with human skull by police in Lagos, said he brought it to his house some five years ago and kept it for future use. Lussien spoke with newsmen at the Lagos State police headquarters in Ikeja on Friday, claiming that it was his first time of dealing in human parts.

Following the deepening crisis between Etisalat and a consortium of 13 Nigerian Banks over a syndicated loan of about US$1.2 billion granted the telecom company by the banks, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Friday, June 23, 2017 said the apex Bank and the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) decided to intervene in the crisis in order to prevent job losses and asset stripping.