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property owners collecting two to three years’ rent in advance are causing more harm to Nigeria’s economy, Says Fashola

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The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said that the property owners collecting two to three years’ rent in advance are causing more harm than good to Nigeria’s economy.

Fashola, who advocated the drive for monthly rent payments across the country, disclosed this on Thursday, as he urged state governments to look at ways to make the payment of rent easier and more comfortable for both tenants and landlords
The minister said this during his address at the 2022 National Council Meeting on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, the 11th in the series, which took place in Sokoto State.

Delivering his speech at the event, the former governor of Lagos said, “I concede that majority of the houses belong to the private sector and they expect legitimate income from rent for the properties.

“However, I hold a strong view that asking for two to three years rent in advance from working-class people (as distinct from corporate tenants who may prefer to pay in advance) does more harm than good to all concerned and to the economy.

“Interestingly, rent is a matter over which the Federal Government has no constitutional authority because it is a local matter and rightly so.

“But I use the platform of this meeting to challenge and provoke all state representatives to thoughts and action about how we can make the payment of rent easier and comfortable for both tenants and landlords.”

Fashola stated that this would be most innovative intervention when working-class people could pay their rent when they received their salaries.

“This is possible if we try and this will give the fullest possible expression to the theme of this meeting which is, ‘Housing our people, by all of government and all our people,” he stated.

Fashola told delegates at the meeting that at the Federal Government level, “we have introduced Rent-to-Own into our acquisition/sale model for the disposal of the houses in the National Housing Programme.”

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Breaking : Tinubu returns to Abuja tonight after diplomatic visits to Saint Lucia, Brazil,Says Onanuga

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to arrive Abuja later tonight following a two-nation diplomatic tour that took him to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean and Brazil in South America.

His return was confirmed in a message posted on Saturday afternoon by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, on his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returns to Abuja today after his two-nation visit to Saint Lucia and Brazil,” the presidential aide stated.

The President departed Nigeria on Saturday, June 28 for what was described as a strategic outreach aimed at strengthening ties with regions historically under-engaged in Nigeria’s diplomatic matrix.

His first stop was Saint Lucia, where he made a historic visit to build new ties and explore emerging partnerships with Caribbean states.

While in Saint Lucia, Tinubu interacted with regional leaders under the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), reinforcing Nigeria’s growing interest in Caribbean diplomacy and South-South cooperation.

He subsequently proceeded to Brazil to participate in the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro.

On the sidelines of the summit, President Tinubu held a bilateral meeting with his Brazilian counterpart, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The leaders co-chaired the Nigeria-Brazil high-level bilateral meeting , where they discussed mechanisms to boost trade, infrastructure financing, and cultural cooperation between Africa’s most populous country and Latin America’s largest economy.

With the President’s return, focus is expected to shift to domestic engagements and follow-up actions on the diplomatic and investment commitments made during his foreign tour.

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2027 Election: Group Moves To recover 10m Lost Votes In Northern States, Says Muhammad Gamawa

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A non-governmental organisation, Advocacy for Integrity and Rule of Law (Airlin) in Nigeria, has kicked off a grassroots campaign across the 19 northern states to promote civic awareness, respect for the rule of law, and voter participation ahead of the next general elections.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Yobe State chapter of the organisation on Sunday, the National Chairman, Muhammad Ibrahim Gamawa, said the initiative was designed to “re-Nigerianise Nigerians” by instilling a deep respect for national values, laws, and democratic responsibilities.

Gamawa noted that the campaign specifically targets Nigerians who refused to vote during the last election, which recorded barely 40 per cent voter turnout.

He said his team is engaging directly with this silent majority in their homes to encourage them to reclaim their civic duty.

“We are going to those who didn’t vote not just to ask them to vote, but to educate them on their rights, how to make informed decisions, and to choose leaders based on ideology, not money,” Gamawa said.

He added that Airlin has appointed state and local government coordinators in all the LGAs of Yobe State as part of its broader plan to mobilise at least 10 million voters from its membership base in the coming election.

Airlin already has functional offices in 16 northern states, strengthening its capacity to reach the grassroots and drive consistent civic engagement.

According to him, “If you refuse to vote, you’re giving the bad eggs a chance to emerge. We’re telling people: don’t stay back. Come out and close the gap left during the last elections.”

He stressed that one of the key tasks for the newly inaugurated officials is to discourage vote-buying and reject financial inducement from politicians.

“Anyone who collected N1,000 or even N1 million two years ago already knows the money is gone. What is left is the broken promise and bad leadership. We must now live by political ideology. Don’t give your vote for money give it for policy, for vision, for something that aligns with your future,” he warned.

Gamawa said Airlin doesn’t engage in partisan campaigns or political endorsements, but instead evaluates political manifestos and meets with candidates to ask direct questions about their plans for the first term.

He added, “Our duty is to look beyond the noise and see who has a workable plan. We sit with these leaders and assess what they can deliver in the first 100 days. That is how we guide our members to vote consciously.”

The group’s core message revolves around respect for the rule of law, civic responsibility, and citizen-led accountability, with Gamawa stressing that the time had come for Nigerians to stop waiting for government agencies to enforce good governance.

“Let the rule of law live in our minds, in our bodies. It’s our job as citizens to keep Nigeria together not just the job of the government,” he said.

Gamawa concluded with a strong warning against vote trading, describing it as an act of betrayal to the nation, “Collecting money from politicians for votes is the worst thing citizens can do to their country.”

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Breaking : US cuts Nigerian non-immigrant visas to three months, single entry, With immediate effect

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The United States Department of State has announced an update to its non-immigrant visa policy for Nigerians.

According to a press release issued by the US Embassy in Abuja on Tuesday, “most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria will be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.”

The new visa restrictions take immediate effect.

However, the embassy clarified that, “those US non-immigrant visas issued before July 8, 2025, will retain their status and validity.”

The statement emphasised that this move is part of the Department’s global visa reciprocity process, which the embassy described as “a continuous process and is subject to review and change at any time, such as increasing or decreasing permitted entries and duration of validity.”

The US explained the rationale behind the policy update, noting that “US visa criteria and standards are designed to protect the integrity of US immigration systems.”

The embassy added that “these standards are based on global technical and security benchmarks.”

According to the embassy, the US Mission is working with Nigerian authorities to meet these benchmarks.

“The US Mission is working with the Government of Nigeria to ensure that Nigeria can meet the criteria,” the statement said.

Examples of these standard criteria include “Secure Travel Documents: Ensuring countries issue secure travel documents with verified traveler identities.

“Visa Overstay Management: Implementing measures to limit overstays by travelers on US visas, and Information Sharing: Sharing relevant security and/or criminal record information to protect public safety.”

Despite the new restrictions, the embassy reaffirmed its diplomatic relationship with Nigeria.

“The United States values its longstanding relationship with Nigeria and remains committed to expanding our partnership based on mutual respect, shared security priorities, and economic opportunity, keeping both our countries safer and stronger,” the statement read.

The embassy also expressed support for ongoing Nigerian reforms, stating, “We commend the ongoing efforts by the Government of Nigeria’s immigration and security agencies to meet standards of international best practices.”

Nigerian travelers were advised to comply with visa regulations.

“Nigerian travelers are encouraged to respect and adhere to the terms of their visas, and ensure travel documents are authentic, accurate, and up to date,” it added.

The embassy concluded with a reaffirmation of its engagement with the Nigerian people and government.

“The United States remains a committed partner in deepening people-to-people ties with Nigeria via business, educational, and cultural exchanges.

“We look forward to continued cooperation at all levels with the Nigerian public and government officials to ensure safe and lawful travel between the United States and all countries,” it said

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