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FG Orders Activation of COVID-19 Isolation Centres Nationwide

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The federal government has directed all COVID-19 Isolation Centres across the country to immediately activate their facilities in anticipation of a possible spike in infection. Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, gave the directive yesterday in Abuja at a media briefing on the COVID-19 update.

The move came as the government said it had identified 10 positive cases of COVID-19 Delta variant in passengers who came in mostly from the Lagos and Abuja airports. It stressed that henceforth, stringent measures would be put in place to monitor incoming passengers from countries where the virus had become more virulent, maintaining that anyone who breaks the isolation rule would be prosecuted.

The minister said the federal government had deployed rapid testing kits at all official entry points to the country, including the Idioroko and Seme border posts, to ensure stricter monitoring and prevention of disease importation into Nigeria.

Ehanire disclosed that in the past 24 hours, the world had witnessed an increase in reported cases of the virus across a significant number of countries, due to the high transmissibility of the Delta Variant. He said there was a rising incidence of COVID-19 in the country, adding that treatment bed occupancy is also recording an increase given the established emergence of a third wave.

“We have already asked our hospitals to reactivate all their isolation centers and prepare them for any possible surge,” he said.

According to Ehanire: “As of July 25, 2021, we have confirmed a total of 170,895 COVID-19 cases and 2,132 fatalities. There are 4,180 active cases across the country, including 216 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours from seven states; 108 cases from Lagos State, 96 cases from Akwa Ibom State, four from Oyo, three from Rivers, two from Edo, and one each from Ekiti and Kano states.”

He regretted that despite the evidence of the emergence of a third wave of the pandemic, citizens continued to refuse adherence to public health advisories.

The minister said in preparation for the anticipated rise in cases, the Federal Ministry of Health had taken steps to urgently scale up and enhance local oxygen capacity before any increase in oxygen consumption. He said the government had invested directly and strategically in ensuring oxygen availability to avert the incidence of oxygen insufficiency for COVID-19 patients in the country.

On the country’s push for COVID-19 vaccine sufficiency, Ehanire said Nigeria was expecting, “over 29 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines purchased by the government of Nigeria through the African Union AVATT facility; and over four million Moderna and almost 700, 000 AstraZeneca vaccines through the COVAX facility from bilateral donations from the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom; as well as Pfizer and Sinopharm from both bilateral agreements and through the COVAX facility.”

The minister allayed fears over the recent donation of the Sinopharm COVID19 vaccine by the Chinese government, saying the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been asked to subject the vaccine to regulatory test for the needed approval.

Ehanire also said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is a one-dose shot, would be advantageous in the Nigerian context, with weak Civil Registration Vital Statistics (CRVS) and a nomadic population.

According to Ehanire government expects to take delivery of the vaccines this quarter, with the Johnson & Johnson expected in August.

Earlier, the minister said the country had stop vaccination in July 10, because it ran out of vaccine doses.

When asked about efforts to commence manufacturing of vaccines in the country, he said Nigeria had put up a good case for citing a vaccine manufacturing company in the country.

Ehanire added that the government had also approached prominent Nigerians in the private sector to support the venture.

He explained, “We are talking to eminent Nigerians, we are waiting for the next step to put up a concept note and business plan. We are working with a company that the federal government owns 49 percent equity and the company will be the only company we will present as the one to do the manufacturing and government will support them in many ways to get the technical transfer and to be the one supported to produce the vaccine.”

While giving an update on COVID-19 testing and treatment around the country, the Director of Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology, Mrs. Elsie Ilori, said, “So far we have identified 10 Delta variants of COVID-19 in the country. The Delta variant is more virulent than the normal one and the symptoms it presents are not in consonance with what we are used to, that is why we need to be careful.”

BIG STORY

“JAPA”: Canada Increases Minimum Proof Of Funds To N17m For Immigrants

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Foreign nationals aiming to migrate to Canada through the Express Entry system will now need to meet a higher minimum financial requirement, following a recent update from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Based on the new guidelines effective from July 7, 2025, a single applicant is now required to show access to at least CAD $15,263 (about N17 million), an increase from the previous CAD $14,690. For a family of two, the new minimum required amount rises to CAD $19,001 (N21.2m).

This update in the financial threshold is part of IRCC’s annual review of settlement fund requirements, calculated at 50% of the low-income cut-off figures determined by Statistics Canada.

These funds are meant to prove that applicants can financially support themselves and their families after arriving in Canada.

Applicants must provide official letters from their financial institutions, printed on the bank’s letterhead. For those applying with a spouse, funds in joint accounts may be combined.

To stay eligible in the Express Entry pool, candidates must update their proof of funds in their profile no later than July 28, 2025. This update will not affect the original submission date and time of the profile, meaning it will not impact tie-breaker situations.

Proof of funds remains a mandatory requirement under both the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. However, it is not required for applicants under the Canadian Experience Class or for those already authorized to work in Canada with a valid job offer, even under other Express Entry categories.

Submitting an Express Entry profile is only the initial step and does not guarantee permanent residency. IRCC continues to invite the highest-ranking candidates from the pool approximately every two weeks, using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to assess and rank applications.

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UK Introduces eVisas For Nigerian Study, Work Visa Applicants

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The British High Commission in Abuja announced on Wednesday a new change in the United Kingdom’s immigration process for Nigerians applying for study and work visas.

Effective from 15 July 2025, most applicants in these categories will start receiving digital eVisas instead of the traditional visa stickers in their passports, according to a statement from the BHC.

The new policy applies only to applications submitted on or after 15 July 2025. Those who apply before that date will still follow the current process, which involves submitting a passport at a Visa Application Centre and receiving a vignette.

The statement reads, “From 15 July 2025, most individuals applying to enter the UK on study or work-related visas will no longer receive a physical visa sticker (vignette) in their passport. Instead, successful applicants will be issued an eVisa, a secure, online record of their immigration status. This change marks a major step in the UK Government’s transition to a modern, digital immigration system. This change applies only to study or work visa applications submitted on or after 15 July 2025. Applicants who apply before 15 July will continue with the current process, including leaving their passport at the Visa Application Centre and receiving a vignette. Visit visa applications will continue to receive the visa vignette sticker for the time being.”

Applicants are still required to visit a Visa Application Centre to provide biometric data.

Once approved, applicants will receive an email from UK Visas and Immigration with the decision and instructions for creating a UKVI account to access their eVisa.

The statement continues, “Despite the removal of the vignette for study or work visas, all applicants must still attend a Visa Application Centre to provide their biometric information as part of the visa processing procedure. Once a decision is made on their visa application, applicants will receive an email from UK Visas and Immigration with the outcome and instructions to create a UKVI account, to access their eVisa.”

Chargé d’Affaires at the British High Commission in Abuja, Gill Obe, stated, “We’re making it easier and faster for Nigerians to travel to the UK. From 15 July 2025, most people applying for study or work visas will get a digital eVisa instead of a visa sticker in their passport. This is a further big step to a fully digital UK immigration system, making the process more secure, more efficient, and more convenient for students, professionals, and families.”

She explained that not all applicants would be affected immediately.

“However, if you’re applying as a dependant, like a spouse or child, of someone who is studying or working in the UK or if you are applying for a visitor visa, you’ll still receive a visa vignette sticker in your passport for the time being,” she said.

The High Commission clarified that eVisas have already replaced Biometric Residence Permits for individuals granted leave for more than six months. Those with a UKVI account can use the “View and Prove” service to share their immigration status with third parties, such as employers or landlords in England.

To obtain an eVisa, applicants must apply online via the official UK government website (gov.uk), attend a Visa Application Centre to provide biometrics, take their passport home the same day if no vignette is required, and follow instructions in the decision letter, including creating and linking a UKVI account if needed.

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BREAKING: Ganduje Appointed FAAN Board Chairman

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Former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has been appointed “Chairman of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),” shortly after resigning as “National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

The announcement was made on Tuesday at the official inauguration of newly appointed FAAN board members in Abuja.

Ganduje resigned from his role as APC national chairman last week, citing “urgent personal reasons.” He has been succeeded by Ali Bukar Dalori.

 

More to come:

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