Top 5 Stories Of The Day | NASU and SSANU Embark on an Indefinite Nationwide Strike

• NASU and SSANU embark on an indefinite nationwide strike
• Dangote invests $280 million to support conversion of vehicles to CNG
• Army enlists ex-soldiers to balance reduction in workforce
• NiDCOM rescues trafficked women in Ghana
• Nigerians abandon their vehicles due to petrol high price

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss. 

NASU and SSANU embark on an indefinite nationwide strike

The Non-Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have announced that they will embark on a nationwide strike over the Nigerian government’s neglect of their grievances.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the non-teaching staff university unions has declared its desire to strike since the federal government has refused to pay the four months’ salaries withheld.

The strike is set to begin on Monday, October 28, and will be indefinite until the federal government reacts to NASU and SSANU, fulfilling their desires as President Bola Tinubu promised.

Dangote invests $280 million to support conversion of vehicles to CNG

Nigerian business tycoon and one of the wealthiest men in Africa, Aliko Dangote, has invested $280 million in the Compressed Natural Gas cause in demonstration of his support for President Tinubu’s CNG initiative.

Dangote said that the $280 million investment will strengthen its hold on the CNG sector and reflect its dedication to combating climate change and backing the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

To further the transition of Nigerian vehicular power to gas, President Bola Tinubu has distributed about a million CNG conversion tools for commercial vehicles that transport people around Nigeria.

Army enlists ex-soldiers to balance reduction in workforce

The Nigerian Army has allegedly begun to call for the application of ex-soldiers as members of the military personnel dwindle since most officers voluntarily retired.

According to reports, over 1,008 officers voluntarily resigned from the Nigerian Army within the last four years, severely reducing the number of personnel in the Army.

Therefore, to bridge the gap and fill the vacancy left by the retired military officers, the Nigerian Army is forced to open its application to ex-soldiers who are interested in serving in the military.

NiDCOM rescues trafficked women in Ghana

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) announced the rescue of 17 women who had been trafficked and were living in Ghana.

According to a NiDCOM spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, he said about 130 Nigerian women have been rescued from the hands of traffickers since July 2024, with the recent burst witnessing the capture and arrest of five suspected traffickers.

The rescued women were between 18 and 39 and originated from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, and Rivers states. The women claimed they had been tricked into going to Ghana with promises of employment but were exploited.

Nigerians abandon their vehicles due to petrol high price

Nigerians continue to lament about the high price of petrol in the country and their inability to maintain the price, fill their vehicles, and their lifestyle with the inflation biting hard on them.

To resolve the issue as best they can, many Nigerians have abandoned their vehicles, which has, in turn, affected petrol stations, which now record low incomes due to the reduced number of customers purchasing fuel.

With petrol sold as high as ₦1,200 per litre in some filling stations across the country, it is no wonder why Nigerians have chosen to park their vehicles.