The Federal Government has said a number of financial institutions have shown eagerness to participate in the execution of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway and similar landmark road projects.
The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, made the disclosure while addressing journalists after inspecting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and some bridges in Lagos.
“I have had meetings with a lot of financial institutions, and they are very eager to participate.
“We are doing everything to complete Section 1 by December and have it approved, and that will open a floodgate for other financial aids.
“One thing that I must commend the President for and, of course, beat my chest and say glory be to God, is that the international funders came and they saw the quantum of the job we are doing.
“That, for me, is a pass mark,” Umahi said.
He said that the recently-inaugurated 30km portion of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway would not be opened to motorists until completion of an additional 17.47km portion of the Section One, Phase One, of the road project.
“We completed 20km at the beginning, and then we completed 10km,” Umahi said.
He noted that the contractor, Hi-Tech Construction company, was working hard to complete the 17.47km.
Umahi said, “This is what we are working to join, and when we have joined it, if you are travelling from Ahmadu Bello Way to the Lekki Free Zone, then you can use the coastal highway.”
The minister said that the road would be tolled to ensure constant maintenance.
“Whether these roads are tolled or not, they need constant maintenance,” he added.
BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro from Sunday are expected to decry Donald Trump’s hardline trade policies, but are struggling to bridge divides over crises roiling the Middle East.
Emerging nations representing about half the world’s population and 40 per cent of global economic output are set to unite over what they see as unfair US import tariffs, according to sources familiar with summit negotiations.
Since coming to office in January, Trump has threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive tariffs.
His latest salvo comes in the form of letters due to be sent starting Friday informing trading partners of new tariff rates expected next week on July 9.
Diplomats from 11 emerging nations, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, have been busy drafting a statement condemning the economic uncertainty.
Any final summit declaration is not expected to mention the United States or its president by name. But it is expected to be a clear political shot directed at Washington.
“We’re anticipating a summit with a cautious tone: it will be difficult to mention the United States by name in the final declaration,” Marta Fernandez, director of the BRICS Policy Center at Rio’s Pontifical Catholic University said.
This is particularly the case for China, which has only recently negotiated with the US to lower steep tit-for-tat levies.
“This doesn’t seem to be the right time to provoke further friction” between the world’s two leading economies, Fernandez said.
– Xi no show –
Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to Western power.
But the summit’s political punch will be depleted by the absence of China’s Xi Jinping, who is skipping the annual meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president.
“I expect there will be speculation about the reasons for Xi’s absence,” said Ryan Hass, a former China director at the US National Security Council who is now with the Brookings Institution think tank.
“The simplest explanation may hold the most explanatory power. Xi recently hosted Lula in Beijing,” said Hass.
The Chinese leader will not be the only notable absentee. War crime-indicted Russian President Vladimir Putin is also opting to stay away, but will participate via video link, according to the Kremlin.
Hass said Putin’s non-attendance and the fact that India’s prime minister will be a guest of honor in Brazil could also be factors in Xi’s absence.
“Xi does not want to appear upstaged by Modi,” who will receive a state lunch, he said.
“I expect Xi’s decision to delegate attendance to Premier Li (Qiang) rests amidst these factors.”
Still, the Xi no-show is a blow to host President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who wants Brazil to play a bigger role on the world stage.
In the year to November 2025, Brazil will have hosted a G20 summit, a BRICS summit, and COP30 international climate talks, all before heading into fiercely contested presidential elections next year, in which he is expected to run.
– Middle path –
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose nation is still reeling from a 12-day conflict with Israel is also skipping the meeting.
A source familiar with the negotiations said the BRICS countries were still in disagreement over how to respond to the wars in Gaza and between Iran and Israel.
Iranian negotiators are pushing for a tougher collective stance that goes beyond referencing the need for the creation of a Palestinian state and for disputes to be resolved peacefully.
Artificial intelligence and health will also be on the agenda at the summit.
Original members of the bloc Brazil, Russia, India, and China have been joined by South Africa and, more recently, by Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia.
Analysts say that it has given the grouping more potential international punch.
But it has also opened many new fault lines.
Brazil hopes that countries can take a common stand at the summit, including on the most sensitive issues.
“BRICS (countries), throughout their history, have managed to speak with one voice on major international issues, and there’s no reason why that shouldn’t be the case this time on the subject of the Middle East,” Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told AFP.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party says its 2023 presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, do not have its platform to contest against President Bola Tinubu and or any other presidential candidate at the moment in 2027.
The NNPP National Chairman, Dr Agbo Major, made this known in a statement on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Major was speaking on the backdrop of claims by Buba Galadima that Kwankwaso will stay and run for presidency on the NNPP platform.
Galadima, who claimed that there is no evidence that Kwankwaso is joining the All Progressives Congress as speculated, said they would “strategically stay in the NNPP until the whistle is blown for 2027 politics,” urging Nigerians to support Kwankwaso to take over as president.
Agbo stated that the NNPP platform is closed to Kwankwaso and Galadima, who had long been expelled from its fold for anti party activities.
‘The NNPP had long expelled Kwankwaso and Galadima and so, they no longer speak for us nor can they use our platform for any political contest.
“Our Memorandum of Understanding with the Kwankwasiya Movement, led by Kwankwaso ended shortly after the 2023 presidential election.
“We cannot even allow Kwankwaso for whatever reason to return on the NNPP fold because of the problems and internal wranglings he created for us.
“Kwankwaso led us into unnecessary litigation and even changed our party logo to the Kwankwasiya logo, all in an attempt to hijack the leadership of the party.
“It was the court’s interventions that led to INEC changing back to our Logo that they submitted after a Kangaroo convention in Abuja,” he said .
He said that Kwankwaso must be counting on another free ticket like he got for the 2023 presidential election but it would not happen again.
“Certainly, Kwankwaso can never join any political party where he will not have the chance of leadership.
“Kwankwaso and his group remain expelled and we will not readmit them because they betrayed our trust massively.
“He does not have the pedigree to match President Tinubu in any contest and so his ambition is dead on arrival,” he said.
The NNPP chairman insisted that though it is Kwankwaso’s right as a Nigerian to seek to contest for any office, he should do so without getting the party involved in any of his antagonisms against the President.
He disclosed that the NNPP is being approached by some intending aspirants and shall dwell on that at the appropriate time.
“Whoever will emerge as the NNPP 2027 presidential candidate will do so, following due process and constitutionality.
“We will no longer handover our ticket on a platter of gold, and definitely not to someone who betrayed our trust and is no longer on the party,” Major added.
He urged Nigerians to disregard utterances against the Presidency and APC by Kwankwaso and his group, claiming they are speaking for the NNPP.
“The NNPP as a party believes in constructive criticisms of issues and not against personalities or other political parties. We advise Kwankwaso to float his own party and use it for his own agenda.
“NNPP has moved on and can’t be dragged into unnecessary controversies again,” he added.
An eight-year-old boy has been rescued in Thailand after authorities discovered him living among dogs and only able to communicate by barking.
According to Dailymail on Friday, the boy, whose name has been withheld, was found on Monday during a welfare check at a ramshackle, drug-infested house in Lap Lae District, Uttaradit Province.
Local reports say the child had been living with his mother, 46, and his 23-year-old brother, both of whom tested positive for drug use after a police raid.
Authorities raided a house in a clearing in the woods on Monday and found the family. Credit: Dailymail
Neighbours revealed that the family had long been isolated from the community, and the boy had no contact with other children. Instead, he spent his days with the family’s six dogs, which he reportedly mimicked.
“He didn’t speak, he just barked. It was pitiful to see,” said Paveena Hongsakul, president of the activist foundation which worked with police on the rescue.
Authorities said the boy had only attended school once, despite his mother receiving government stipends of around 400 baht (£9) meant to support his education.
“His mother hasn’t allowed him to go to school since he received a subsidy for free education,” Hongsakul explained. “After getting the money, she simply kept him at home.”
Neighbours were said to have forbidden their children from playing with the young boy due to the family’s behaviour.
The mother was reportedly known in the area for begging at temples and has now been charged with drug use.
A local teacher described the boy’s environment as a “red zone for drugs” and said that neighbours forbade their children from interacting with him.
‘The house is in a red zone for drugs,’ one teacher explained. ”The boy had no one, just the dogs to play with.”
The disturbing situation came to light after a headteacher raised the alarm, prompting activists and police to raid the house on June 30.
Images shared in Thai media showed authorities at the shack surrounded by trees and several dogs.
Following the rescue, the boy was taken to a children’s home, where he will receive medical and psychological care.
“The boy will be given a chance at a good life. We’ll follow up with him to make sure he gets everything he needs,” she said.
Cases of so-called “feral children”, youngsters raised with little or no human contact, are extremely rare but often highlight the severe consequences of neglect.
Experts cite the example of Oxana Malaya, a Ukrainian girl found in 1991 living with dogs after her parents abandoned her. Though she eventually learned to speak and reintegrated into society, she still struggled with some developmental challenges.
Authorities in Thailand say they are committed to giving the rescued boy a fresh start and the chance to live a normal life.
Following the formal launch of the African Democratic Congress in Abuja, a former Interior Minister and interim national secretary of the party, Rauf Aregbesola, returned to Lagos on Friday with a crucial message for his party’s supporters.
Aregbesola cautioned ADC members against insulting or attacking supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress as the newly formed coalition sets its sights on unseating the Tinubu administration, under whom he served as a commissioner for works and infrastructure in Lagos State.
In a statement released via his social media handles on Friday, the former minister thanked supporters who came to receive him at the Lagos airport.
He urged them not to fight, attack or insult anyone, adding that the task before them is immense.
He said that when supporters of the ruling party attack them, they should challenge them with facts about the state of the country.
The statement read, “I sincerely thank our supporters and members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) who came out to receive me on my arrival in Lagos. The task before us is immense, and I reminded everyone that we do not need to fight, insult, or attack anyone.
“When others resort to abuse or name-calling, we must rise above it. Instead, ask them one simple question: Are Nigerians better off today than they were before? Challenge them with facts on food inflation, the economy, the rising cost of living, and the deepening poverty affecting millions.
“Let our debates remain focused on the issues that matter. Articulate our position clearly and confidently. Explain why our new political home, the ADC, represents a credible and necessary alternative for Nigeria’s progress and long-term sustainability.”
The former Governor of Osun State was once a close ally of President Tinubu. Their political association started in 1999, when Tinubu was governor of Lagos.
They fell apart in 2022, when Tinubu’s nephew, Gboyega Oyetola, who succeeded Aregbesola, was running for a second term in Osun State on the platform of the APC.
But Aregbesola’s political group, ‘Omoluabi’, did not support Oyetola’s candidacy. The conflict that ensued prompted Aregbesola’s group to support Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Consequently, Oyetola lost his reelection bid to Adeleke.
The Zamfara State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, Kabiru Garba, has invited the state governor, Dauda Lawal to leave the Peoples Democratic Party for his party.
Addressing a press conference in Gusau, the state capital on Friday, Garba said no fewer than 100 political actors from different political parties in the state had so far joined the ADC.
He said, “We want to extend a formal invitation to Gov. Dauda Lawal to join the party to bring more development to the state.
“Doors are widely open to receive all defectors irrespective of their positions.
“We want to assure everyone of our readiness to give both new and old members equal treatment for effective democratic process.”
Garba attributed the resolution of some political figures in the state to join the party to the sterling leadership qualities demonstrated by ADC leaders through justice, fairness and equal opportunity to all members.
“We have receive over 100 political actors from various political parties, and we are giving them orientation on the party doctrine to enable them know how to go about their political activities within the party constitution.
“All intended defectors should come through their ward leadership before reaching local government, then state up to federal level.
“We believe in recognising grassroots politics because that’s the best way to reflect the mandate of the electorate,” he said.
The Federal Government has negotiated the cost of the Iddo Bridge rehabilitation from an initial N27bn to N17bn.
The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, made this known to journalists during an inspection of the bridge on Friday in Lagos.
He said, “Julius Berger quoted, I think, N27 billion or thereabout, but after much negotiation and discussion, we now arrived at N17 billion.”
Umahi commended Julius Berger Nig. Plc. for demonstrating a sense of cooperation under its new leadership.
He described the company as a “born-again Berger”, attributing the breakthrough in negotiation to the understanding and openness of its new managing director.
The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to prudent spending, insisting that all contractors must align with the ministry’s standards and directives.
Umahi noted that the project had been reviewed from mere rehabilitation of the burnt section to a major work.
He expressed concern over the poor condition of the bridge, blaming it on years of neglect and human abuse, including illegal occupation and collisions by heavy-duty trucks.
He said that three spans of the bridge were severely damaged by fire, which he attributed to activities of illegal occupants who had built makeshift homes under the bridge.
“They brought in chemicals, built block walls and set up homes. Then, they set up fire that burnt the bridge and damaged three spans. Now we are going to fix the bridge completely,” Umahi said.
The minister said the Iddo Bridge, now with a headroom of about 4.5 metres, had suffered significant structural damage due to continuous hits from trucks and illegal structures beneath it.
He announced that the ministry would be creating a headroom of at least 5.6 metres.
He said that the Federal Ministry of Works was committed to restoring the bridge for the safety of all Nigerians and ensuring such incidents would not occur again.
On the issue of displaced persons, the minister said that no one would be allowed to return under the bridge.
“Nobody will stay under Iddo Bridge again as long as I remain the Minister of Works.
“The lives of the people are more important,” he said.
He warned that the government would no longer tolerate any abuse of national infrastructure.
The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said the administration of President Bola Tinubu, has remained firm in surmounting the inherited intractable security challenges.
Ribadu stated this on Friday night at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Defence Academy 18 Regular Course held in Abuja.
He delivered a lecture titled “Veterans As Significant National Assets”.
He said that Nigeria had stood at a dangerous crossroads in 2022, grappling with multiple crises that threatened its unity, stability, and future.
He said the challenges range from the insurgency-ravaged North East to the blood-soaked valleys of the North West, from the turbulent Niger Delta to separatist tensions in the South East.
According to him, the government has made bold strides in restoring security and rebuilding national confidence.
“When this administration took office in May 2023, Nigeria was facing five intractable security challenges.
“We have Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, deadly banditry across the North West and North Central, resurgent separatist violence in the South East, large-scale oil theft in the Niger Delta, and communal clashes that had claimed thousands of lives.
“Additionally, porous borders, transnational crime, and climate-induced resource conflicts created a near-perfect storm of instability.
“The government’s counterinsurgency campaign has led to over 13,500 terrorists and criminals neutralised, and more than 124,000 Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters and their families have surrendered.
“Weapons caches and thousands of rounds of ammunition have been recovered.
“Areas once held by insurgents in the Sambisa Forest, Lake Chad Basin, and Timbuktu Triangle are now under government control,” Ribadu said.
NSA said the North West, which had been ravaged by bandits was witnessing changes, adding that over 11,250 hostages had been rescued in Zamfara and Kaduna States alone.
He added that notorious warlords such as Ali Kachalla, Halilu Sububu, and Dogo Bwari had been neutralised, adding that more than 50 criminal leaders and dozens of deputies had been taken out of circulation.
According to him, non-kinetic strategy, including the innovative Operation Safe Corridor Northwest, has also led to the surrender of 35 armed leaders.
“This was once unimaginable, but through coordinated military pressure and community-based peace efforts, we are making real progress,” he said.
In the Niger Delta, Ribadu said the government had reclaimed control of the nation’s lifeblood in the region once plagued by massive crude oil theft and sabotage.
Ribadu said that oil production had increased from a historic low of one million barrels per day to an average of 1.8 million, a major economic boost.
According to him, all major pipelines are now operational and protected, while over 1,900 illegal refineries have been dismantled.
“For the first time in three decades, oil production is resuming in Ogoniland.
“In the South East, through surgical operations and community engagement, the zone is seeing relative calm.
“The so-called “sit-at-home” orders by separatist agitators have significantly waned, and many arrested key figures are facing justice.
“Social and economic life is beginning to return to normal. Rebuilt police stations and renewed law enforcement presence are restoring confidence,” Ribadu added.
NSA said that modern threats were also being addressed, adding that Nigeria had made headway in cyber defence and financial intelligence.
According to him, Illegal financial flows supporting terrorism and separatism—particularly through crypto platforms—have been disrupted.
He said that a National Digital Forensics Laboratory and a Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan had been deployed to boost national cyber resilience.
The reunion dinner had in attendance, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, Minister of State for Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and representatives of service Chief amongst others dignitaries.
President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in the 17th Summit of Heads of State and Government for the Global South and Emerging Economic Bloc.
The block includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, also called the BRICS.
The President’s flight touched down at the Galeao Air Force Base tarmac at 8:45 pm local time on Friday, where the Galeao Air Force Base Commander coordinated the Guard of Honour.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a statement he signed Saturday titled ‘President Tinubu Arrives In Rio De Janeiro For BRICS Meeting’.
Brazil’s Deputy Minister for Africa and the Middle East, Carlos Sergio Sobral Duarte, and the Deputy Minister for Trade Promotion, Science, Technology, Innovation, and Culture, received President Tinubu.
Tinubu is in Brazil at the invitation of President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva.
The Nigerian leader will attend a bilateral meeting hosted by President Lula on Saturday, July 5, ahead of the summit on June 6 and 7.
At the BRICS Summit, the President will participate in a plenary session and deliver an address on Nigeria’s ongoing reforms to reposition the economy for global competitiveness.
He will also meet with investors to capitalise on the country’s opportunities in agriculture, solid minerals, healthcare, and alternative energy.
The summit’s theme is “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.”
Deliberations will centre on health, Artificial Intelligence, governance, and Climate Change issues.
Ahead of the Leaders’ Summit, the political negotiators of BRICS brainstormed over aligning more commitments to combat socially determined diseases, artificial intelligence governance, and climate finance.
Their focus was on providing concrete solutions to the structural challenges faced by the Global South.
State Governors participating in the summit with the President are Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Prince Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) and Mohammed Umar Bago (Niger).
The statement signed by Malam Sani Muhammad of the Mortuary Department, read, “The first corpse is that of a man found in the Arkilla area of Sokoto on May 31, 2025. He is believed to be named Umar Adamu Yar Katanga, though this remains unconfirmed.
“The second corpse is of a man who reportedly died following a collision with a vehicle. His body was recovered on Friday, June 13, 2025, in Sokoto town, and remains unidentified eight days later.
“The third deceased is a woman who allegedly died after falling from a moving commercial vehicle. Reports suggest she boarded the vehicle from the Illela motor park en route to Kauyen Ummaruma. Her body was recovered on Friday, June 20, 2025. She was not carrying any fresh produce, as initially speculated.
“None of the three had any form of identification such as an ID card, making it difficult for authorities to trace their families or communities. The hospital is urging members of the public, especially those with missing relatives, to visit the UDUTH mortuary to help identify the corpses.”
The statement also appealed to citizens to always carry some form of identification to aid recognition in emergency situations.For more information or to assist in the identification process, the public is encouraged to contact the UDUTH Mortuary on 07037625504.
