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Nigeria Institutions charging tuition in dollar Currency, pounds should be shut down — Minister Alake
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has called on the Federal Government to shut down Nigerian schools charging tuition in foreign currencies, labelling it a significant weakness undermining the country’s economy.
During the Nigeria Gold Day Celebration at the 10th Nigeria’s Mining Week in Abuja, themed “Nigeria Mining: From Progress to Global Relevance,” Alake stated he plans to suggest to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) that these schools be closed.
He argued that charging in foreign currencies fuels demand for dollars and puts pressure on the naira. “If your child is schooling in Abuja or Lagos and paying in pounds or dollars, you will be looking for naira to buy dollars, driving its value up. You can’t go to the UK, establish a school, and charge in naira it’s not done,” he said.
Alake emphasised the need for Nigeria to transform its value system to promote productive activities that bolster the economy. He highlighted the government’s digital reforms aimed at reducing leakages in the gold value chain, mentioning the National Gold Purchase Programme (NGPP) operated via the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) as a key step to combat corruption and increase foreign reserves.
He also noted that the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative (PAGMI) allows the government to purchase gold directly from local miners in naira, enabling Nigeria to gain more value from its mineral resources.
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Breaking: Nigerian Workers Demand N300,000 Minimum Wage, FG Faces Fresh Salary Pressure
The Federal Workers Forum, FWF, has demanded an immediate increase in the federal minimum wage from N70,000 to N300,000, noting that the current salary structure can no longer sustain civil servants amid Nigeria’s rising cost of living.
The Forum made the demand in a letter dated September 2, 2026, addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly, with the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation listed among the recipients.
The workers also proposed a new salary structure that would place the highest-paid Level 17 officer on a monthly salary of N1.5 million, while Level 1 Step 1 workers would earn N300,000.
“We call for justice and immediate wage review now, adjust the federal minimum wage to N300,000 and a maximum wage of N1.5m for the Level 17 officers,” the Forum said.
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The FWF argued that the Federal Government had not fully implemented the 2024 minimum wage agreement, claiming that federal workers had yet to receive the full consequential adjustment and associated allowances.
“It will surprise you to hear that the Federal Government has not fully implemented the new national minimum wage since July 2024. We have been in the battle for full consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage,” it said.
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in August 2026, demanded an upward review of the minimum wage to N500,000.
In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu’s government increased the minimum wage to N70,000 per month from N30,000.
However, the cost of living for many Nigerians has tripled between 2024 and 2026.
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BREAKING NEWS: ‘No Support For Military Coup in Niger’ – FG
The Federal Government has said Nigeria will never support a military coup or any unconstitutional change of government, following claims that the country backed a failed coup attempt in the Niger Republic.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, made this known in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to the statement, the claims circulating on social media are baseless and misleading.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria remained committed to democracy, constitutional rule and political stability in West Africa and would not support any attempt to remove a government through unconstitutional means.
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“Nigeria will never support illegality or unconstitutional change of government anywhere, no matter who is involved or which country is concerned,” he said.
The minister also rejected claims that Nigeria, through its membership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), supported or endorsed the military takeover in Niger.
He said the Federal Government had already stated its position on the situation in Niger in an earlier statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 30, 2026.
According to him, Nigeria remains deeply concerned about developments in Niger and wants the country to return peacefully to stability and constitutional order.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s close historical, cultural and fraternal ties with Niger made peace and stability in the neighbouring country particularly important.
“Nigerians at home and abroad should disregard the videos and narratives circulating online, they are intended to create confusion and tarnish Nigeria’s image,” the statement said.
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