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
DPSS, OMNL Develop World Class Procurement Curriculum
DPSS Consultants, UK and OMNL (Office Machines Nigeria Ltd) have kicked off curriculum development and qualifications structure for institutions in Nigeria under the World Bank economic reform and governance programme to produce a world class curriculum infused with global best practices.
This is coming on the heels of recent findings that some government procurement officers need to strengthen their skills and acquire competencies to be able to execute their job professionally thereby achieving transparency, value for money and compliance with the Public Procurement Act 2007.
Similarly, most institutions and local training organization offer courses in procurement or supply chain management without learning about modern tools, concepts, models and best practices as a result leaving them half baked and without requisite skills to integrate into international procurement standards.
But Mr. Okey Ikpe, managing director/chief executive officer, OMNL said his firm is tackling the skill and manpower shortage in the procurement sector with a tailor-made public procurement qualifications structure, curriculum assessment methods for use by local institutions and training practitioners.
His firm along with DPSS Consultants, UK is already working on the curriculum with the support of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank) programme towards the Economic Reform and Governance Project (ERGP) through the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
The BPP had on behalf of the federal government of Nigeria applied for a portion of the funds to engage DPSS Consultants UK and OMNL to develop professional procurement qualifications structure and training curriculum for use by training institutions in Nigeria.
Ikpe said alongside Paul Kelvin Jackson of l DPSS Consultants and his firm (OMNL), stakeholders meetings and consultations with other relevant professional bodies and associations have commenced.
Various professional associations represented at the meeting include the Procurement Professional Association, Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management Nigeria, Nigerian Bar Association, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Nigerian Society of Builders amongst others.
Also consultation was held with the World Bank and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply UK.
Ikpe praised BPP for being forth right in adopting practical and best practice approach to increase procurement knowledge, competence and skills development opportunities for all procurement officers in the federal ministries, departments and agencies.
“We believe that this will help create rich pedagogical content that is useful, relevant and comprehensive for teaching and learning in institutions. Similarly it will ensure that curriculum developed is in line with international standards”
According to him, the acquisition of goods, works and services in public sector at local, state or national level accounts for significant percentage of government spending thus globally procurement management is given the status of a strategic function and deemed as a profession.
He said that “The curriculum will clearly design a clear structure in relation to job roles, levels / cadre and activities. This will be accompanied by a competency framework setting out the requirements for each level. This is part of what this engagement will achieve”
“We anticipated that at the end of the exercise DPSS consultants and OMNL will design and develop Nigerian public procurement qualifications structure, curriculum assessment methods for use by local institutions and training practitioners” Ikpe also said.
He also spare kind words for the Bureau of Public Procurement for strongly committing to the fact that people are Nigeria’s greatest assets and that a sustained investment in their training and development for the benefit of government procuring entities and individual officers is critical to national development and successful implementation of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
“Hence the Bureau considered the need to build and develop the required capacity within the Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies to execute the procurement processes in accordance with the law and in line with International standards and best practices a critical success factor” he stated.
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.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is pleased to announce the inaugural meeting of the Startup Consultative Forum, scheduled for Monday April 28, 2025 This milestone event marks a significant step in deepening stakeholder engagement within Nigeria’s growing startup ecosystem.
The Forum will serve as an interactive platform for startup founders, innovators, ecosystem enablers, and intermediaries to actively shape national policies that foster growth, attract investment, and drive digital innovation.
Convened under the framework of the Nigeria Startup Act (NSA), this initiative reflects the government’s commitment to making startups not just stakeholders but key contributors in building an enabling environment for innovation.
The meeting will emphasize collaborative dialogue, with a primary focus on nominating and selecting representatives for the National Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Startup Council)—Nigeria’s highest advisory body for the startup ecosystem. Decisions from this Forum will lay the foundation for inclusive policy development, amplifying the voices of Nigeria’s tech and innovation community.
NITDA invites all Labelled Startups, Verified Entrepreneurial and Innovation Support Organisations, Angel Investors, Venture Capitalists, and other relevant stakeholders to join the Forum and actively participate in the nomination and voting process.
Join us in shaping the future of digital innovation in Nigeria. Together, we can build a thriving ecosystem that supports and celebrates the pioneering spirit of Nigerian startups.
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