This is contained in a statement signed by Dr Ejike Ndiulo, head of Corporate Communications, Air Peace, on Wednesday in Lagos.
According to Ndiulo, the decision is necessary because NiMet is the agency responsible for issuing CNH (Current Nowcast of Hazardous Weather) reports, critical for safe landings, especially during this season of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.
He said without these reports from the control tower, flight safety could not be guaranteed.
“As a safety-first airline, we have chosen to act responsibly by suspending operations until NiMet resumes full service.
“We understand this may cause inconvenience, and we sincerely apologise. Passengers will be contacted with updates and options for rescheduling,” he said.
The staff of NiMET on Tuesday commenced an indefinite strike over the condition of service and other demands.
News
Blinken, Tony Elumelu, Convene U.S. & African Entrepreneurs, Others for U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit
About 300 entrepreneurs, investors, and celebrities took part in the opening reception for the US-Africa Leaders Summit, the investment-focused “Innovators Gathering”, honoring the influx of two-way investment and trade opportunities set to be announced at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.
The Innovators Gathering: Investing in U.S.-Africa Cultural and Economic Ties was hosted on December 12 by the U.S Secretary of State, the Department of State’s Office of Global Partnerships, the Prosper Africa Initiative, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation. Attendees included Secretary Blinken, Tony Elumelu, Dr A.V. Elumelu, Idris Elba, Yvonne Orji, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and more – with virtual remarks from former President Barack Obama. All came together to celebrate and catalyze partnerships between U.S. investors and African and Diaspora innovators, influencers, and entrepreneurs.
The evening included a panel discussion themed “The Power of Investing in Africa” moderated by U.S. Special Representative for Global Partnerships, Dorothy McAuliffe, panelists included Dr. A.V. Elumelu, and Tony Elumelu Foundation entrepreneurs who shared inspiring stories of their startup journeys and the impact of the Foundation in empowering them to build, scale, and sustain catalytic businesses that have created jobs and helped eradicate poverty in their communities.
According to a PWC impact report, TEF Entrepreneurs have collectively created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs across all 54 countries in Africa.
The night also included a pitch competition organised by U.S. African Development Foundation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, featuring dynamic African entrepreneurs, and a reception hosted by celebrity chef and entrepreneur Pierre Thiam.
In his remarks, Tony Elumelu shared, “I am an entrepreneur and I know the transformative power of entrepreneurship. In 2010, we started the Tony Elumelu Foundation- a platform that identifies, supports and trains young, brilliant entrepreneurs.
To date, we have disbursed over $85 million to more than 18,000 young female and male entrepreneurs living across the 54 African countries, each with a non-refundable seed capital of $5,000.
Additionally, we have trained over 1.5 Million African entrepreneurs, giving them world-class mentorship and business training. We have delivered effective programs to female entrepreneurs in fragile states and are now working on our intervention in the green economy.
We know we can do much more with partnerships. This is why we have convened this summit in collaboration with the U.S. State Department and other US Government agencies, to drive a global coalition, an alliance to catalyse entrepreneurship across our continent.
Mr. Elumelu further reiterated, “In the 21st century, the kind of support that Africa needs is one that moves away from aid and prioritises self-reliance, self-independence and sustainable progress”
Speaking on the panel, Dr. A.V. Elumelu highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship in building sustainable economies, particularly in Africa’s response to climate change. She said “No one will develop our economies but us.
I see entrepreneurs playing vital roles in transformative sectors including healthcare, technology and the green economy. We invest in and train entrepreneurs to build sustainability, climate-conscious initiatives into their business models.”
The gathering was an important opportunity for the Biden Administration to demonstrate its support for Africa and to hear directly from African stakeholders on the development agenda needed on the continent – one that empowers, that prioritizes mutual benefit and delivers self- reliance.
Former President Barack Obama commended the U.S. Secretary of State, Prosper Africa, and The Tony Elumelu Foundation for putting together the kickoff event for the US-Africa Leaders Summit.
Encouraging young African entrepreneurs, Pres Obama said “When you succeed, your country succeeds and that creates opportunity for everyone”, and to investors all over the world, he charged to “Look towards Africa, because something special is happening there”
The event kicked off the week of President Joe Biden’s U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, held from December 13 – 15, an initiative birthed in 2014 under the administration of former President Barack Obama to demonstrate the United States’ longstanding commitment to Africa and the investment ecosystem they share.
Against the backdrop of Lagos State’s proactive efforts to reform its electricity sector, the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF) has launched its ‘Renew Energy Nigeria’ platform, a nationwide initiative with potential synergies for the state’s ambitious energy goals.
Professor Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, CADEF’s Executive Director, introduced the platform in Lagos, highlighting its aim to empower Nigerians with information and access to decentralized renewable energy (DER) solutions. “The launch of this platform marks a significant step towards democratizing access to information and resources within Nigeria’s burgeoning sustainable energy sector.”
The platform’s launch comes as Lagos State, under the Lagos State Electricity Law, is actively establishing a regulatory framework and attracting private sector investment. Kamaldeen Abiodun-Balogun, General Manager of the LSEB, detailed the state’s progress in creating a functional electricity market, ensuring payment security, and addressing infrastructure challenges. “This law enabled us to create policy documents and establish regulatory agencies to initiate the implementation of the Lagos electricity market,” he explained, adding that private sector involvement will be key in areas where existing Discos face performance issues.
Segun Adaju, a private sector player deeply engaged in the energy sector, lauded Lagos State’s leadership. “In all these, Lagos State is always setting the pace. Many of us in the private sector players like myself, we are also looking up to Lagos State to set the pace,” he said, also mentioning his work on the Centralized Renewable Energy Desk for the state government.
While acknowledging national-level challenges such as import restrictions and forex fluctuations as noted by Professor Ndukwe-Okafor: “The recent federal plan on restrictions on the importation of solar products and the fluctuation of forex rate have made clean energy solutions costly”, the focus on Lagos State’s progress suggests a promising local environment for DER adoption, potentially amplified by CADEF’s new platform.
The broader socio-economic context, as highlighted by Olumide Ajayi, “Over 40% of Nigerians do not have access to reliable electricity”, underscored the importance of initiatives like ‘Renew Energy Nigeria’ and the enabling policies being implemented in states like Lagos.
Professor Ndukwe-Okafor concluded with a powerful call to action. “This platform is not an isolated intervention. It is aligned with our ideal country’s national vision, the 30-30-30 initiative. Let us not build a solar future that only serves the wealthy. Let us democratize clean energy. Let us make it local, inclusive, and scalable.”
The launch of “Renew Energy Nigeria” marks a significant step towards a more sustainable and equitable energy future for Nigeria, driven by innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to empowering its citizens. The platform is now live and accessible to all Nigerians seeking reliable and clean energy alternatives
A federal high court in Abuja has granted permission to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and detain six Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) promoters over allegations of investment fraud to the tune of over one billion dollars.
Emeka Nwite, presiding judge, gave the order following an ex parte application moved by Fadila Yusuf, counsel to the EFCC.
In the application by the EFCC, the six suspects are Adefowora Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, Seyi Oloyede, Avwerosuo Otorudo and Chukwuebuka Ehirim.
The commission sought an order of the court for a warrant of arrest of the defendants.
They also prayed the court for “an order remanding the defendants in the custody of the complainant/applicant pending the conclusion of investigation of the alleged offences and possible prosecution”.
Yusuf said that the defendants are at large and a warrant of arrest is required to arrest the defendants for proper investigation and prosecution of this case.
In the affidavit in support of the motion, the EFCC said preliminary investigation into the intel revealed that the defendants “using their company ST Technologies International Limited, promoted another company Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) by making adverts and lured unsuspecting members of the public to invest crypto cryptocurrencies on the CBEX investment platform”.
The EFCC said the defendants promised an unrealistic return on investment of up to 100 percent.
“The victims were made to convert their digital assets into a stablecoin of USDT for onward deposit into the suspects’ crypto wallet,” Yusuf said.
“The victims were initially given full access to the platform to monitor their investment.
“Following the deposits valued at over $1 billion by the victims, the CBEX investment platform became inaccessible to them, and they could no longer withdraw from the investment made.
“The victims later discovered that the said scheme is a scam.
“During the course of investigation, it was discovered that the said ST Technologies International Limited, though registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), it was not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for investment purposes.
“It was also discovered during the investigation that the defendants had moved out of their last known address in Lagos and Ogun states.”
The anti-graft agency said obtaining a warrant of arrest was necessary in order to place the defendants on a watch list, enabling authorities to trace and apprehend the suspects to face the charges brought against them.
Nwite granted the request for a warrant of arrest and remand, adding that the order was necessary to enable the commission to apprehend the defendants and conclude its investigation.
“I have listened to the submission of the learned counsel for the applicant,” Nwite said.
“I have also gone through the affidavit evidence with exhibits thereto, along with the written address.
“I am of the view and I so hold that the application is meritorious.
“Consequently, the application is granted as prayed.”
Earlier in April, reports emerged that CBEX users could no longer withdraw their funds.
On Monday, angry investors stormed and looted the office of Smart Treasure (ST Team), an affiliate of CBEX, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The EFCC recently confirmed receiving multiple complaints about the platform.
Dele Oyewale, the commission spokesperson, assured affected investors that efforts were underway to recover their funds.
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