The global oil price benchmark, Brent crude , has extended its decline , plummeting to $ 19 per barrel on Tuesday , amid the demand collapse caused by reduced economic activity .
Brent , against which Nigeria’ s crude oil is priced, fell by $ 6 . 34 to $ 19 . 23 per barrel as of 11 :01 am Nigerian time on Tuesday , while US WTI stood at minus $ 8 . 00 per barrel .
The Federal Government had recently slashed the oil price benchmark for the 2020 budget to $ 30 per barrel from $ 57 per barrel .
Oil prices have been steadily falling since the outbreak of coronavirus, and the demand for crude has plunged as many countries were forced to impose lockdowns to contain the virus .
The price of US crude oil turned negative for the first time in history on Monday amid the deepest fall in demand in 25 years .
A flood of unwanted oil in the market caused the US oil price benchmark, West Texas Intermediate , to plummet to almost minus $ 40 per barrel , meaning that producers were paying buyers to take oil off their hands as storage tanks were filling rapidly .
The National Bureau of Statistics has said the Consumer Price Index , which measures inflation rose by 12 . 26 per cent year- on – year in March .
The bureau in the CPI report said the 12 . 26 per cent inflation for March is 0 . 06 percentage points higher than the 12 . 2 per cent recorded in February, according to reports .
The report said the lockdown in Abuja , Lagos and Ogun states which started in April and various major disruptions in normal economic activity in several States would not have any major impact on March inflation which the report focuses on .
On a month – on – month basis, the NBS said the index increased by 0 . 84 per cent in March , adding that this is 0 . 05 per cent higher than the 0 . 79 per cent recorded in February.
President Donald Trump said that he would temporarily suspend immigration to the United States because of the coronavirus pandemic , despite the US already being the worst – hit country in the world .
Trump referred to the “Invisible Enemy , ” a phrase he has used to describe the virus that has killed more than 42 , 000 people in the US , which has more than 766 , 660 infections .
“ In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens , I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States !” he tweeted .
The State Department issued around 462 , 000 immigrant visas in the 2019 fiscal year, while US Citizens and Immigration Services granted permanent residence to nearly 577 , 000 individuals .
Trump said the move would also protect American jobs, although the state – imposed lockdowns to slow the virus have already left 22 million people in the US out of work.
His tweet gave no further details about what the measure would entail , how it would be implemented or how long it would be in place.
Former Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide , is dead .
Akinjide passed on at the age of 88 in his Ibadan residence , the Oyo State capital .
It was gathered that the legal icon , who died of complications from a protracted illness around 1 am , had been sick for three years .
Akinjide , an Ibadan high chief , was born in Ibadan , in the early 1930 s to an influential family of warriors .
He attended Oduduwa College , Ile – Ife in Osun State and passed out with a distinction ( Aggregate 6 ) .
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria proceeded on his educational journey to the United Kingdom in 1951 and was called to the English Bar in 1955 .
He was later called to the Nigerian Bar and established Akinjide and Co . , a legal firm.
He was a Minister of Education in the first republic, under Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and Minister of Justice in the second republic , during the administration of former President Shehu Shagari.
Akinjide was a member of the judicial systems sub – committee of the Constitutional Drafting Committee of 1975 – 1977 and later joined the National Party of Nigeria in 1978 , and became the legal adviser to the party .
While serving as the Attorney General of the Federation , Nigeria temporarily reversed the executions of armed robbers .
He was the lead prosecutor in the treason trial of Bukar Zanna Mandara; the eviction of many illegal foreign nationals from Nigeria which contributed to mild violence against some foreigners in the land.
His remains have reportedly been deposited in the morgue .
Kaduna State Governor , Nasir El -Rufai , says reports circulating online that he is in an Intensive Care Unit is false .
The governor , who announced on March 28 that he tested positive for coronavirus , has since been in isolation receiving treatment .
Reacting to the reports , El- Rufai said evening that he took some hours out of isolation today to attend a virtual meeting chaired by his deputy , Dr Hadiza Balarabe .
He also shared pictures of the meeting to further debunk reports that his health had worsened .
“ Earlier today , I took two hours out of isolation to attend the daily virtual meeting of State Standing Committee on COVID- 19 , chaired by Deputy Governor , Dr Hadiza Balarabe . Since there is fake news circulating that I am in ICU in Lagos , an ICU picture will help! NAE , ” he tweeted.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control as of Sunday night , six of the 627 coronavirus cases recorded in Nigeria were reported in Kaduna State .
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board , has published the 2019 provisional matriculation list of admitted candidates on the official website of the board .
The board disclosed this in its weekly bulletin made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja .
The board also advised candidates who were yet to accept their offers of admission on the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS ) to do so or risk forfeiting the admission .
According to the board , the list of fully – admitted candidates in all the tertiary institutions in the country is hereby published on the JAMB Website .
“ For ease of checking , candidates can visit : www. jamb. org . gov . , proceed to menu titled ‘ STUDENTS + ’ , select the submenu ‘ CHECK MATRICULATION LIST 2019 ’ option and search for their names by entering their 10 – digit JAMB Registration Number .
“ There is a large number of candidates who have been offered Provisional Admission but are yet to accept the admission .
“ A list containing their names is also on display on the board ’ s website and such candidates are to immediately accept such offers by using the CAPS Mobile App downloaded from the Google Play Store .
“ With the App successfully installed and accessed on their devices , candidates do not need to visit any CBT centre or cybercafe as doing so would be a violation of the work-from – home/ stay – at home order in place in most parts of the country. ”
JAMB , however , said that candidates should note that failure to accept such offers of admission on the CAPS platform would result in the forfeiture of such admissions .
“ Candidates are also to note that acceptance of admission on any website other than CAPS is not a valid acceptance as any admission not processed and accepted through CAPS is not known to JAMB .
“ Alternatively , affected candidates who are not sure of their 2019 admission status can check for such from their phones by sending “ STATUS 2019 ” to 55019 .
“ However , in the event of any challenges , candidates are to lodge their complaints immediately by using the online ticketing platform at support. jamb. gov . ng under 2019 Admission List Issue .
“ Candidates are to note that only those who had accepted their offers of admissions on CAPS and whose names appear on the Provisional Matriculation List are recognised as bonafide students of the various institutions.
“ By implication , if a candidate ’ s name is not on this published list which will be sent to all tertiary institutions, NYSC and other stakeholders, his / her application for mobilisation in the NYSC scheme, employment , among others, would be declined, ” the board said .
The Lagos State Governor , Babajide Sanwo- Olu , has said that wearing of face masks would be made compulsory for residents in the state from next week.
The governor said this would help to curb the spread of coronavirus in the state .
He said this during a televised media briefing on COVID- 19 updates in Lagos monitored by news correspondent .
He said , “ From next week, we are going to be making face masks compulsory in Lagos state. We have commissioned more than one million face masks to be distributed in the state . ”
Meanwhile , the Lagos State Commissioner for Health , Prof . Akin Abayomi , had on Sunday said the wearing of face masks protects people around an infected person .
“ There is some theoretical evidence that the wearing of masks may indeed reduce the amount of droplets in the environment from the person that is infected with COVID- 19 and that is the reason why we are beginning to define the strategy of face masks for the general community, ” he said .
The Federal Government has extended the closure of airports in the country by two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Minister of Aviation , Hadi Sirika , disclosed this .
Subsequently , the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ) , had extended the closure to all local airports in the country while announcing 14 – day lockdown in Abuja ; Lagos and Ogun States on March 29 .
Buhari , on April 13 , had extended the lockdown in the three cities by two weeks .
The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja are two major entry points into Nigeria .
Despite the closure of these airports and all others in the country to commercial flight operations, the government had said emergency and essential flights could be operated from any of the airports within the period .
But announcing on Monday via Twitter , the aviation minister said the airports would no longer open for commercial operations on April 23 due to the extended lockdown in the three cities.
He said , “ As a result of the extension on lockdown by Mr President , it is no longer possible for us to open our airspace and airports for normal operations by the 23 rd April 2020 .
“ They will remain closed for a further two weeks . This is subject to review as appropriate. ”
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control as of Sunday night , there were over 600 confirmed cases of the lethal virus in the country.
Over 20 COVID- 19 – related deaths have been recorded including the Chief of Staff to the President , Abba Kyari , who died on Friday after testing positive for the virus upon return from overseas .
The Muslim Ummah of South – West Nigeria has urged all Muslims in the geopolitical zone not to engage in speculation as to when this year ’ s Ramadan fast will begin .
Rather , MUSWEN asked the faithful to wait for an announcement from the Sultan of Sokoto , Dr Muhammad Sa ’ ad Abubakar , “ who , by his venerable position as the President – General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs , is the only undisputable leader with the statutory authority to make an official announcement on when to start or end Ramadan fast in Nigeria . ”
A statement said MUSWEN ’ s Executive Secretary, Prof . Muslih Yahya , gave the advice concerning the commencement of this year ’ s Ramadan fast .
The statement said , “ While enjoining the Muslim Ummah in the zone to be grateful to Allah for sparing their lives despite the global lockdown situation imposed on them by an expediency of the moment . Professor Yahya said the Ummah had transcended an era of unnecessary tangle over moon sighting at the commencement or completion of Ramadan fast in Nigeria . ”
The World Health Organisation has insisted that there was no approved vaccine in Nigeria or any part of Africa for COVID- 19 saying researches are still ongoing on the deadly viral disease .
WHO Immunisation Team Lead , Dr Fiona Braka , spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria on the efforts of the world body on the reported vaccines for the deadly virus .
Braka said COVID – 19 , being a new disease , has no ready vaccines , adding that public safety was the key consideration of WHO campaign for now .
“ COVID- 19 is a new disease , and as such , there are no ready vaccines available to be deployed for the control of the pandemic .
“ However , a lot of research and scientific works are ongoing to develop vaccines , but these usually take time to ensure that it is safe for use in the wider population and also effective for control of the pandemic .
“ Public safety is a key consideration in this process , ” the WHO team lead said .
Braka said that the claims of vaccines developed for the COVID- 19 were untrue and not to the knowledge of the WHO .
“ WHO is not aware of vaccine for COVID- 19 in Nigeria.
“ There is a large scientific study ( clinical trial ) involving many countries to review the effectiveness of some drugs for the treatment of COVID- 19 going on at the moment .
“ The result of this clinical trial will help understand the efficacy of these drugs and may inform the review of the case management guidelines , ” she said .
On the assessment of Nigeria ’ s performance in curbing the spread of COVID- 19 , Braka said that the world health body partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ( NCDC) had been helpful .
“ Nigerian Government through the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and supported by WHO had developed a preparedness plan for COVID- 19 and was implementing this plan when the first case was reported.
“ A network of five COVID testing laboratories was set up before the confirmation of the first case and has since been expanded to six additional laboratories over the past two weeks , making a total of 11 laboratories currently .
“ From the onset of the outbreak , WHO has developed clinical guidance with input from clinicians around the globe, including in Nigeria .
“ These resources include the updated Clinical Management Guidance for COVID- 19 , the Clinical Care training materials , and the Global COVID- 19 Clinical Data Platform , the data tool which makes it possible for WHO to collect core clinical data from hospitalised patients to inform understanding of COVID – 19 .
“ The guidance is continually reviewed, as more evidence becomes available. The government has scaled up isolation facilities capacity at the state level to ensure readiness to receive COVID patients, ” she said .
Braka said that there would be more close observation , while the guidelines of operations of all the agencies assisting in the curbing of COVID- 19 would be updated .
“ The guidance of the clinical data platform will be continually reviewed , as more evidence becomes available.
“ The government has scaled up isolation facilities capacity at the state level to ensure readiness to receive COVID patients and all these helped with the containment of the first cluster of cases.
“ With the return of more Nigerians from countries where the outbreak was reported , more cases have been reported and these have been more challenging to contain.
“ The government at national and state levels have provided leadership for the response and more needs to be done at the state level as the cases continue to increase , ” she said .
Braka , however , listed the key areas of interventions for curbing COVID- 19 to include non – pharmaceutical , such as social distancing , surveillance , contact tracing , among others.
“ The key areas of interventions required now are non – pharmaceutical interventions like social distancing , handwashing and respiratory hygiene .
“ Others, in addition to rigorous surveillance , are case identification , laboratory diagnosis, contact tracing and isolation and care for all confirmed cases.
“ Physical distancing is one of the recommended strategies for preventing human to human transmission .
“ The lockdown does facilitate physical distancing and is a welcome intervention .
“ However , physical distancing alone will not stop the spread , but needs to be combined with other recommended strategies : testing , isolation of patients, contact tracing and quarantine , ” she said .
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