| The Big Story |
| FEC Approves NGN631.3 Billion for Nine Road Projects |
| The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved about NGN631.3 billion for nine road projects across Nigeria, Works Minister David Umahi said after Wednesday’s meeting in Abuja, to build, rebuild and repair key road corridors, improve connections between states and support economic activity. They include NGN167 billion to rebuild the 95-kilometre Etuke-Okeni-Ankpa-Otopa Road in Kogi, NGN209 billion for the 81.1-kilometre Ado-Ilawe-Ilumaba-Ikole Road in Ekiti, NGN62 billion for the Tungo-Karamti Road linking Adamawa and Taraba, NGN30 billion for repairs on the East-West Road and NGN28.218 billion for 17 kilometres of the Sokoto-Illela Road. Umahi said the whole 375-kilometre Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano corridor will get solar-powered street lights. He said the first 118 kilometres of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria road took 30 months to finish and only 16 kilometres remain on the 164-kilometre second section. Ministers from the Lagos-Abidjan coastal highway countries meet on Friday on funding, with African Development Bank loans proposed. The report itemised about NGN528 billion of the total. [Premium Times] |
| What Else Is Happening |
| ▪ | Court Sacks Uzodimma as APC Candidate for Imo West, Orders INEC to Recognise Okorocha
A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared former Imo Governor Rochas Okorocha the winner of the 18 May 2026 All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for Imo West senatorial district. It set aside the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) 1 August publication of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s name and ordered INEC to recognise Okorocha. [Premium Times] The Imo APC says Uzodimma remains its candidate and will appeal. [Vanguard] |
|
| ▪ | 30 States Back State Police, Senate Targets December
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele says no fewer than 30 state assemblies have approved the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026, well above the 24 needed. He said the National Assembly intends to finish the remaining steps, from considering the states’ reports to passing a resolution and sending the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent, on or before December 2026. [Premium Times] |
|
| ▪ | NELFUND Moves to End “Double-Dipping” on School Fees
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) says it will stop students collecting school fees from parents that its loans have already paid, a practice managing director Akintunde Sawyerr called “double-dipping”. From the 2026/2027 session, parents will be able to enter a child’s matriculation number on a portal to see whether fees are paid, without the amount shown. The change is not a ban on students whose parents can pay from taking loans. [Pulse Nigeria] |
|
| ▪ | Lagos Health Insurance: What It Costs and How to Enrol
Lagos residents have until 31 December to get health insurance, with enforcement from 1 January 2027. The state’s Ilera Eko plans start at NGN15,000 a year, and the new Lagos Private Health Plans cost NGN30,000 (Bronze), NGN60,000 (Silver), NGN120,000 (Gold) and NGN150,000 (Gold Plus), with 21 health insurers taking part. Employers with more than five staff must register with the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA). Enrolment is at lagoshealthinsure.ng. [Pulse Nigeria] |
|
| Market Watch |
| FX | The naira strengthened slightly, with the official rate at NGN1,346.91 per dollar on 29 October, down 0.05% from NGN1,347.53 on 28 October, so a dollar costs a fraction less. Since 31 December 2025 (NGN1,475.00) the rate is down 8.68%, so the naira remains stronger year to date. [CBN] | | Equities | The NGX All-Share Index rose 0.47% (1,200.24 points) to a record 254,083.02 on 29 October from 252,882.78 on 28 October. Since 31 December 2025 (155,613.03) the index is up 63.28%. [NGX Group] Nairametrics reported market capitalisation at a record NGN164.97 trillion. [Nairametrics] | | Macro | Twenty-one states have now passed the Model Harmonised Taxes and Levies Law, the Joint Revenue Board says. It replaces more than 100 separate state and local taxes and levies with one common list that includes income tax, stamp duties, property tax, road tax and daily ticket. The board says collecting cash at roadblocks is banned and that enforcement with the police will start soon. [Nairametrics] |
|
| Quick Hits |
| → Imo police say they are investigating a video of Assistant Superintendent of Police Gabriel Utuh, a Rapid Response Squad patrol leader, assaulting a motorist on the Owerri-Orlu Road on Tuesday. The motorist said he was stopped, asked for “fuel money” and refused. Police promised discipline. [Premium Times] | | → All 154 students treated after reactions to bilharzia medicine in Batagarawa have recovered and been discharged, police confirm no one died, and the state government is investigating what caused the reactions. [Channels TV] | | → A House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating poor telecom services has threatened arrest warrants for the chief executives of Airtel, MTN and Glo after they repeatedly ignored its invitations. [TheCable] |
|
| On a Lighter Note |
| Nigeria’s Flamingos are into the quarter-finals of the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup after beating Mexico 2-1 in Morocco on Thursday. Oluebube Umejiaku and Mary Dunstan scored before Mexico pulled one back in stoppage time. Next up are Venezuela, who knocked out Germany, on Sunday 1 November, with a semi-final place at stake. [CMSports] |
| Why It Matters |
| | If you drive the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road, the government says all 375 kilometres will get solar street lights, and the first 118 kilometres of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria section took 30 months to finish. On the road, 21 states have now passed one common tax law that replaces more than 100 separate levies, and the Joint Revenue Board says collecting cash at roadblocks is banned, with enforcement with the police to start soon. On the Owerri-Orlu Road, a motorist says he refused to pay “fuel money” and was assaulted on video by a patrol leader, and Imo police have promised discipline. Meanwhile, the Senate says it intends to send a state police law to the President by December. If you are a parent, from the 2026/2027 session you will be able to enter your child’s matriculation number on a NELFUND portal and see whether a loan has already paid the school fees, so you are not asked to pay them again. In Lagos, the health insurance plans listed cost from NGN15,000 to NGN150,000 a year, and the deadline to get one is 31 December. |
|
|
| Produced with AI assistance using open-source web content. Edited by Tomiwa Afolabi. Sources have not been independently verified by Frontier Brief Media. Readers are encouraged to consult original sources before acting on any information herein. |
