27 April 2011 Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson basked in the 2-0 Champions League semi-final first leg win over Schalke on Wednesday and admitted that his team now face a crucial seven days. United tackle Arsenal on Sunday and fellow Premier League title rivals Chelsea the weekend after with the return European leg against Schalke sandwiched in between. "I…
27 April 2011 English side Chelsea have confirmed Michael Essien is not injured as initially feared which means he is on course for a Black Stars return in June as widely speculated. This also means Essiens charity game between an African XI select side and a World XI select side the AU Peace Ambassador has lined for 25 May will…
The primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Nicholas Okoh, has appealed to politicians who won their elections to show restraint and humility in victory, while all who lost elections should take it in the spirit of sportsmanship and hope for another opportunity next time. Mr Okoh, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, also called on the federal government…
With less than 24 hours to the rescheduled gubernatorial and state House of Assembly election in Bauchi State, the state police command yesterday declared a 24-hour restriction on movement across the state, especially for people travelling from outside the state. The state police commissioner, Amanam John Abakasanga, who addressed journalists at the command headquarters in Bauchi on Tuesday, said the…
Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that the rescheduled elections in Bauchi and Kaduna States will hold on Thursday as planned, but if the elections were not held, the federal government may be forced to impose a state of emergency in the two states. Mr Jonathan said this while talking to journalists after voting in his hometown, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, adding that…
The Nigerian Stock Exchange recorded a total loss of N449 billion on equities at the close of trading activities in March, after recording significant losses of N260 billion in the preceding month. The market value of the 217 listed equities, which opened the month at N8.315 trillion, closed on the last trading day in March at N7.866 trillion, reflecting a…
Officials of both the World Bank and the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa have launched the 2011 World Development Report, published by the World Bank. Sarah Cliff, a World Bank Representative, and Ramtane Lamamra, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, represented the two bodies at the occasion. Presenting the executive summary of the report, which was titled ‘Conflict,…
Bankers have expressed optimism that the sector would be better disposed to create new assets by increasing their loan facilities to more applicants this year. This is because some of the banks in their 2010 year end books have demonstrated that with the intervention of the Asset Management Company (AMCON), they have been able to clear their non performing loans…
The chief executive of Ecobank Nigeria Plc, Jubril Aku, has advised the Federal Government to be cautious over its huge expenditure. Mr Aku, who was speaking with Business Editors last week in Lagos, said that the issue of fiscal dominance had become a problem in the country because of the structure of Federal Government revenues. He said this was so…
Wall Street wavered, oil slipped, and the dollar weakened further against the euro in thin trading on Monday, as major European markets were shut for Easter. U.S. stocks were little changed, just below three-year highs, after strong first-quarter earnings. Seventy-five per cent of SP 500 companies that have reported beat analysts’ expectations, just above the average of the past four…
The dollar won a reprieve on Monday after last week’s steep slide but traders said it could head for a test of its all-time low against a basket of currencies if the U.S. Federal Reserve takes a cautious stance towards tightening later in the week. In thin trade due to Easter holidays in Australia and much of Europe, Japanese importer…
Improving trade links within the African continent is opening new opportunities for Nigerian businesses to leverage on as commercial activities among Africans boost the airlines and banking industries. Jibril Aku, managing director of Ecobank Nigeria Plc, said trade, which was formerly restricted to regional blocks, has expanded across the various trade corridors on the continent. “Rather than trade with former…
Oil prices yesterday rose above $124 a barrel as violence continued in the oil- producing Middle East along with post-election unrest in Nigeria. Brent, the primary of the major classifications of crude oil, gained 40 cents to sell at $124.39 a barrel while US crude rose by 44 cents to $112.73, according to a Reuters report published yesterday. “Brent is…
Some finance experts have urged investors to trade cautiously, following the wobbly performance in the market and the slightly tense political atmosphere in the country. The market capitalisation of equities at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) closed for Easter holiday on a negative note last Thursday at N7.994 trillion after opening the week at N8.086 trillion, reflecting N92 billion losses.…
25 April 2011 The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have formally requested Dutch club VVV Venlo to release striker Ahmed Musa for Thursdays African Youth Championship semi-final against Mali. A top NFF official informed MTNFootball.com that a letter was despatched to VVV immediately the Flying Eagles booked their place in the last four of the biennial Under-20 tournament in South Africa…