Nigerian press zooms in on landmark aviation regulatory deal between Nigeria, South Africa, others

APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The report that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the South African Civil Aviation Authority have signed a landmark deal to achieve unified civil aviation regulation in Africa is one of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Friday.
The Punch reports that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the South African Civil Aviation Authority have signed a landmark deal to achieve unified civil aviation regulation in Africa.
The two civil aviation authorities signed the agreement during the African Aviation Summit in Abuja on Thursday.
The newspaper quoted the News Agency of Nigeria report as saying that the deal will make Nigeria and South African aviation regulators share safety and security best practices with each other.
It will also streamline regulations to foster smooth flight arrangements between both countries.
The NCAA Director-General, Capt. Musa Nuhu signed on behalf of Nigeria while Ms Poppy Khoza, Director of SACAA signed on behalf of South Africa.
The newspaper says that the Debt Management Office has said Nigeria’s total public debt hit N87.38tn at the end of the second quarter of 2023.
The figure represents an increase of 75.29 per cent or N37.53tn compared to N49.85tn recorded at the end of March 2023.
The DMO in a report on Thursday said the debt includes the N22.71tn Ways and Means Advances of the Central Bank of Nigeria to the Federal Government.
The DMO stated, “Nigeria’s total public debt stock as at June 30, 2023, was N87.38tn ($113.42bn). It comprises the total domestic and external debts of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the thirty-six states, and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The major addition to the Public Debt Stock was the inclusion of the N22.712tn securitized FGN’s Ways and Means Advances.”
The statement also noted that other additions to the debt stock were new borrowings by the Federal Government and the sub-nationals from local and external sources.
It added, “The reforms already introduced by the present administration and those that may emerge from the recommendations of the Fiscal Reform and Tax Policies Committee, are expected to impact debt strategy and improve debt sustainability.”
The DMO had earlier projected that Nigeria’s public debt burden may hit N77tn following the National Assembly’s approval of the request by former President Muhammadu Buhari to restructure the CBN’s Ways and Means Advances.
The Ways and Means Advances is a loan facility through which the CBN finances the shortfalls in the government’s budget.
The Guardian reports that the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Abuja, yesterday, said the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) is committed to end terrorism and insurgency in the country, as it has neutralised 151 terrorists and arrested 456 others.
During the bi-weekly Defence Media Operations (DMO) report on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, the Director, Defence Media Operation (DMO), Maj-Gen. Edward Buba, said the ongoing operations across the six geopolitical zones reflect the commitment of the military to end terrorism and insurgency in the country.
Buba disclosed that in the course of the operations in the last one week, the “military neutralised 151 terrorists, arrested 456 terrorists and 45 perpetrators of oil theft” in the Niger Delta region.
According to him, troops also rescued 76 kidnapped hostages.
HOWEVER, an ambush by Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists along Maiduguri-Damasak Road in Borno State, yesterday, claimed one life, leaving five injured.
The incident, reportedly, occurred when a commercial vehicle ran over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Mobbar Local Council. It was suspected that this IED was strategically planted by ISWAP terrorists with the intention of launching a subsequent gun attack.
The newspaper says that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has stated that prices of food items such as beef, tomatoes, beans, and yams witnessed increases in July.
It made the declaration in its Selected Food Prices Watch Report for July 2023 issued in Abuja on Friday.
The report stated that the average price of 1kg of boneless beef increased by 30.17 per cent from N2,118.84 recorded in July 2022 to N2,758.13 in July 2023.
“On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of boneless beef increased by 3.96 per cent per cent in July from the N2,653.02 recorded in June 2023.”
It said the average price of 1kg of tomato on a year-on-year basis rose by 24.88 per cent from N446.81 in July 2022 to N557.96 in July 2023.
“On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of tomato increased by 1.95 per cent in July from the N547.28 recorded in June 2023.”
Similarly, the report stated that the average price of 1kg of Brown Beans (sold loose) increased by 19.73 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N562.55 in July 2022 to N673.53 in July 2023.
“On a month-on-month basis, the price increased by 3.44 per cent from the N651.12 recorded in June 2023.”
The NBS said the average price of 1kg of Onion bulb rose by 26.65 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N396.96 in July 2022 to N502.73 in July 2023.
“On a month-on-month basis, the price increased by 2.38 per cent in July from the N491.04 recorded in June 2023,” the NBS added.
The report stated that the average price of 1kg yam tuber increased by 38.40 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N389.75 in July 2022 to N539.41 in July 2023.
“On a month-on-month basis, 1kg yam tuber increased by 5.61 per cent from the N510.77 recorded in June 2023.”
It said that the average price of 1 litre of Palm Oil increased by 35.70 per cent on a year-on-year basis, from N890.67 in July 2022 to N1208.62 in July 2023.
“On a month-on-month basis, it increased by 2.93 per cent in July from the N1174.20 recorded in June 2023. ”
GIK/APA