Following a suspense-filled evening, the grand finale of BBNaija All Stars commenced at 7 pm tonight.

Housemates were gradually eliminated from the competition, with Cross, Pere, and Adekunle being the first to exit. This led to an extraordinary situation where the top three remaining contestants were all female, marking a historic milestone within the Big Brother franchise.

The tension continued, and eventually, Ceec was evicted, leaving Mercy and Ilebaye as the final two housemates competing for the price money of N120 Million

In the end, it came down to Mercy and Ilebaye as the top two finalists, with Baye who emerged victorious as the winner of the BBNaija All Stars Edition

More to follow….

One of the major companies in Nigeria, BUA Group , has announced a reduction of ex-factory cement price to N3,500 per bag.

The company, which made this known in a statement on Sunday, said the reduction will take effect from 2 October, 2023.

The statement titled : ‘BUA Cement reduces ex-factory cement prices to N3,500/bag effective October 2, 2023’, reads in full :

“We refer to our previous pronouncements regarding our intent to reduce cement prices upon the completion of our new lines at the end of the year, in order to spur development in the building materials and infrastructure sectors.

As per the commitment made to reduce prices and following a periodic review of our operations for efficiency, the management of BUA Cement Plc wishes to announce and inform our esteemed customers, stakeholders, and the public that effective October 2, 2023, we have decided to bring the price reduction forward. As a result, BUA Cement would now be sold at an ex-factory* price of 3,500 Naira per bag so that Nigerians can begin to enjoy the benefits of the price reduction before the completion of our plants.

Upon completion of the ongoing construction of our new plants, which would increase our production volumes to 17million metric tonnes per annum, BUA Cement PLC intends to review these prices further in line with our earlier pronouncements by the first quarter of 2024.

NOTE: all pending, undelivered orders which had been paid for at the old prices will be reviewed downwards to N3500/bag in line with the new pricing from October 2, 2023. Our licensed dealers are also enjoined to ensure that end-users benefit from this reduction in ex-factory prices as we will monitor field sales to ensure compliance

Barring any last-minute change of mind, Nigeria’s organised labour will embark on an indefinite strike on Tuesday, October 3.

The labour leaders in the country said they took the decision following the “failure” of the Bola Tinubu government to successfully implement policies to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians following the removal of the subsidy on petrol.

“It’s going to be a total shutdown … until government meets the demand of Nigerian workers, and in fact Nigerian masses,” the labour leaders said.

October 3 strike: List of labour unions to join

There are numerous labour unions in Nigeria, cutting across different sectors.

Here is a list of the labour unions that have announced they will join the strike.

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is at the forefront of the strike. The union had earlier embarked on a two-day warning strike. It also gave the government a 21-day ultimatum, which has ended.

Joe Ajaero, the national president of the NLC, complained that “none of the demands put before the federal government had been addressed.”

The NLC is an umbrella body which houses unions for many industries, including nurses, road workers and printers.

Trade Union Congress (TUC)

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is another major union whose members are ready to join the nationwide strike.

Members of the TUC include senior bank workers and high school teachers, among others.

Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG)

Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) is one of Nigeria’s main oil and gas unions.

NUPENG President Williams Akporeha said the union will also join the nationwide strike, according to Reuters.

Workers under NUPENG include fuel tanker drivers, pump attendants, among others.

National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE)

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has also directed its members to commence full mobilisation to join the indefinite strike.

Premium Times reported that the NUEE in a notice signed by its acting general secretary, Dominic Igwebike, urged its members to stop work from the early hours of Tuesday.

This means Nigeria may be plunged into a blackout when the strike begins.

Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI)

The Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) has also asked its members to join the strike.

ASSBIFI’s directive to its members, according to PM News, was issued by the Assistant General Secretary, Admin and Planning, Saka Adekunle and Head, International & Industrial Relations, Anthony Emeh.

This implies that banks may also not be in operation during the strike.

NURTW says it won’t join strike

Unlike other unions, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has said that its members will not be participating in the strike, stating that the plan was “ill-timed and in bad faith”.

The union leader, Alhaji Tajudeen Badiru Agbede, stated the union’s position after an emergency meeting with all the state chairmen, secretaries and treasurers in Abuja, Nigerian Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, the federal government has made another move to halt the planned nationwide indefinite strike as it invited the union leaders for another round of interaction.

The peace meeting will be held on Sunday, October 1, at the presidential villa in Abuja