News
Apapa Bridge to be closed for repairs


The Apapa Bridge will be closed for permanent repairs as soon as stakeholders come up with alternative routes for commuters to ply.
The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mr Adedamola Kuti, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.
He said that Julius Berger Plc., the contractor handling the project, was ready to move to site.
The controller said that the ministry was working on effective traffic diversion alternatives that would ensure minimal stresses on users then.
He explained that the bridge was still in use because of an earlier emergency repair work done by Julius Berger to stabilise it.
He said that Messrs Buildwell Nigeria Ltd., had completed permanent repairs on an extension of the bridge which was damaged by fire.
He said that when Julius Berger returned to site, it would carry out permanent repairs on the portion of the bridge awarded to it.
“The repair work will be done on the bridge slab on the outbound Apapa carriageway.
“The situation we have found ourselves now is that for Julius Berger to start work, it means we have to divert traffic and we are still looking for the best alternatives.
“We have all sorts of trucks; lorries on this Apapa road, and as a result of that, we are having problems of diversion and that is what we are still looking at.
“We hope that very soon, we will be able to come up with the best solution on how to solve the traffic situation there.
“We are grateful to the Federal Government that has intervened by awarding the contract for the permanent repairs of the bridge to Julius Berger Construction Company.
“We will be coming up with solutions on traffic diversions in the next few days,” he told NAN.
Kuti said that meetings were already ongoing with stakeholders and traffic regulatory agencies on how best to tackle the problem and ensure minimal stress for road users.
He explained that some materials needed for the repairs of the bridge could not be sourced locally.
Hence, the contractor could not work on the bridge during its earlier closure to traffic, he said.
The controller said that adequate announcements would be made when the diversion of traffic would be made.
He appealed to road users to comply with directives of law enforcement and traffic agencies then.
NAN reports that the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Aug. 5, 2016, inspected the dilapidated Apapa Bridge which was damaged by fire.
The effect of the fire exposed some of brudge’s steel layers and made it to cave.
Fashola after a meeting with relevant stakeholders on Aug. 7, 2016 ordered the immediate closure of the bridge.
Julius Berger Plc moved to site the following day to begin emergency repair works.
An impact assessment of the bridge was thereafter carried out by Julius Berger which advised the Federal Government to embark on its permanent repairs.
This was despite the emergency work then.
However, in February 2017, the Federal Government ordered the closure of another extended portion of the bridge four months for total rehabilitation.
The closed portion was about 700 metres long from the portion repaired by Julius Berger for four months.
However, due to paucity of funds, the contractor abandoned site but the project was captured in 2017 budget leading to its award and subsequent permanent repair by Buildwell Nigeria Ltd.
NAN reports that the Apapa Bridge and the Marine Beach Bridge are jointly referred to as the Apapa-Ijora Bridge.
Both bridges had been damaged by fire at different times in the past. (NAN)
News
70% of Christians killed in 2024 are African – Group
ORJI ISRAEL reports that the group accused ANC of maintaining silence on religious persecution, while deepening ties with ideological extremists in Tehran


Recent reports indicate that over 4,400 Christians were murdered for their faith last year, while over the past decade, jihadist violence has driven 16 million Christians from their homes, millions of which are African citizens.
This is according to global Christian charity, Open Doors, which also confirms that for every five Christians, one will face persecution in Africa specifically.
Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List reveals the top 10 most dangerous countries for Christians are dominated by Islamic states in the Middle East and Africa, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Nigeria. A more detailed UK Parliament briefing recently noted that 70% of Christians killed in 2024 were indeed in Africa.
Over the last six months, the brutality against Christians in Africa has escalated to alarming levels, with a series of devastating attacks across the continent. Just last month, ISIL-affiliated rebels stormed a Catholic church in Komanda, DRC, murdering close to 50 worshippers, including women and children. That same month in Mozambique, Islamic State fighters captured and beheaded six Christians from Natocua village, just across South Africa’s border. A month earlier, in June 2025, armed militants in Nigeria massacred nearly 200 Christian civilians in Yelwata village.
“What we are witnessing is not random violence or isolated attacks. It is a deliberate, coordinated campaign by jihadist networks to wipe Christianity from vast regions of Africa and the Middle East,” says SAFI spokesperson, Bafana Modise. “These acts of terror are the early stages of a genocide against Christians, and history will record who spoke out and who shamefully looked away. Tragically, the ANC has chosen the latter.”
This silence is even more damning in light of last week’s news that South Africa’s military chief, Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya, met with Iranian Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami in Tehran to discuss deepening military and strategic ties, when Iran remains one of the world’s most notorious persecutors of Christians.
A recent report by the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) warned that Pretoria’s deepening ties with Tehran has compromised South Africa’s democratic foundations by defending Iran at the UN and IAEA, downplaying its human rights abuses, and potentially benefitting from covert support, including speculation around the ANC’s repayment of a multi-million-rand debt shortly after filing the ICJ case against Israel.
“These atrocities are not just crimes against individuals; they are part of a war against the freedom of religion itself,” Modise warns. “This is religious genocide, and it is gaining momentum as it edges closer to South Africa’s borders.”
Instead of defending religious freedom, the ANC government has remained silent. It has issued no meaningful condemnation or rallying call to protect persecuted Christians: “The ANC has done nothing to defend the rights of Christians,” says Modise. “Instead, it has squandered South Africa’s moral standing on discredited genocide charges against Israel – the one country in the Middle East where Christians live in safety and equality.”
This betrayal is even more unforgivable in a nation where 80% of South Africans identify as Christian. Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right, but the ANC, once the global champion of human rights, has made its bed with regimes and groups that have used Islamic law to suppress and destroy those freedoms.
“The ANC’s alliances make it clear: they have abandoned South Africa’s Christians, choosing friendship with the very forces driving this campaign of genocide,” Modise concludes. “Silence in the face of such evil is complicity, and the ANC is guilty of both. They have aligned themselves with Jihadist Islamic ideology, without further thought.”
We call on every pastor, every congregation, and every believer to demand that the ANC account for its indifference and betrayal. The blood of persecuted Christians cries out from across the African continent. If South Africa will not stand with them now, the day may come when their fate becomes our own.
News
Government Should Support Media with Tax Incentives, Relief on Import Duties – Soneye
….Media Sustainability: Soneye Advocates Tax Reliefs, Independent Fund for Journalism


Former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Femi Soneye, has called on the Federal Government to support the Nigerian media with targeted incentives, including tax reliefs and import duty waivers on essential media tools.
Soneye made the appeal in Abuja on Tuesday after receiving the NUJ FCT Excellence in Corporate Communications Award, conferred on him by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council.
The NUJ leadership, led by Chairperson Grace Ike, alongside the Deputy Chair, Secretary-General, and other executives, described Soneye as a consummate professional who has distinguished himself with tact and excellence in the communications field.
In his remarks, Soneye noted that while the Nigerian media remains one of the most vibrant in Africa, it continues to grapple with systemic challenges that weaken its effectiveness.
“The Nigerian media remains one of the most vibrant in Africa, but it also faces systemic challenges, financial, political, legal, and technological that weaken its effectiveness. The government can play a supportive role by granting tax incentives or relief on import duties for newsprint, broadcast equipment, and digital infrastructure,” he said.
He also urged the Federal Government to establish an independent media development fund to support investigative journalism, community radio, and newsroom innovation, drawing parallels with models in South Africa, the United States, and Canada.
The award underscores Soneye’s long-standing contributions to journalism and corporate communications, as well as his advocacy for a stronger, independent, and sustainable Nigerian media.


… GFD Executive Director emerges chapter Vice Chairperson*
The Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has elected a new executive council at the close of its flagship Lagos PR Fest 2025, reinforcing its commitment to professionalism, innovation, and societal impact.
In elections supervised by NIPR Registrar, Chief Uzoma Onyegbadue, Samuel Ayetutu emerged as Chairman, while Eniola Mayowa was elected Vice Chairman in a closely contested race.
Other members of the executive include Secretary Samuel Adeyemi, Assistant Secretary Rita Ali-Nock, Public Relations Officer Ogochukwu Okeke, Financial Secretary Bassey Nta, Treasurer Olabamiji Adeleye, Welfare Officer Funmilola Akintola, and Ex-Officio Provost Marshal Quadri Adeleke.
In his acceptance remarks, Ayetutu pledged to drive professional standards, promote inclusiveness, and foster collaboration among members to enhance the chapter’s influence locally and nationally.
This year’s PR Fest, themed “Urban Farming for Food Security: The Role of Communication”, convened communication professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore innovative strategies for tackling food security through effective public engagement.
Over the years, the Lagos PR Fest has evolved into a leading platform for advancing the role of public relations in societal development, with the 2025 edition underscoring the Institute’s mission to position communication as a driver of sustainable development in Nigeria.
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