The Federal High Court in Lagos at the weekend nullified the appointment of an interim board for Emerging Markets Telecommunications Service (EMTS), the fourth largest telecommunications service operator in Nigeria and owners of Etisalat. Justice Ibrahim Buba made the order on Friday based on application by Spectrum Wireless Communication Ltd, which invested $35million in 2009 in EMTS/Etisalat.

President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, has declared that the new minimum wage will be announced earlier than the third quarter as stated by Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment.

Ngige had said that a new national minimum wage will be announced before the end of the year.

According to the NLC, “The delivery and the adoption of the new minimum wage is expected to take effect before the third quarter.”

NLC President Ayuba Wabba, said the union will reject any attempt to delay the adoption of a new wage for workers, adding that the prevailing minimum wage of N18, 000 (about $46) per month can no longer sustain the Nigerian worker.

The Senior Pastor of Latter Rain Assembly and co-convener of Occupy Nigeria, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has berated the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for doing very little to address prevailing security challenges plaguing the country. The fiery Pastor made his position known in his State of the Nation Broadcast titled "It is Time to Renegotiate Our Union".

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is to release no fewer than 179 reports on different sectors of the economy this year. According to the 2018 tentative data release calendar posted on the bureau’s Website, the NBS is expected to release 40 data in the first quarter. According to the calendar, the bureau will release data on consumer price index and inflation, price watch on diesel, petrol and kerosene.

Brent crude oil prices rose to $70 a barrel on Monday, supported by ongoing output cuts led by OPEC and Russia, despite a rise in U.S. and Canadian drilling activity which points to higher future output in North America, Reuters reports. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were at $64.53 a barrel, up 23 cents.

Thirty four ships laden with petroleum products, food items and other goods are expected to berth Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports in Lagos from Jan. 8 to Jan. 30, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) stated this in its publication, `Shipping Position’, a copy of which was made available to the NAN in Lagos on Monday.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has denied reports that a new ‘anointed’ buyer of 9mobile will emerge on January 16, 2018. The Director, Public Affairs of NCC, Mr Tony Ojobo, said in a statement that the date was only scheduled as a deadline for the receipt and review of bidding process that would lead to the emergence of the new owner for the company.

The Technical Committee on Nigeria Yam Export Programme says it is targeting the export of about 480 tonnes of yams, equivalent to 20 containers, every month in 2018.

Prof. Simon Irtwange, the Chairman of the committee, said in Abuja on Monday that the target would be achieved if all the challenges, which yam exporters experienced in 2017, were surmounted.

Irtwange said the U.S. had made a request for the supply of five containers monthly, which amounted to 120 tonnes of yams.

“If everything works out well, the U.S. authorities say they will need about five containers every month and one container contains 24 tonnes of yams.

The Federal Government has signed an agreement with leading trade law firm, King and Spalding, LLP Geneva, Switzerland to provide legal services for Nigeria's trade remedy legislation as a key element of modern trade policy.

Ms Constance Ikokwu, Strategy and Communications Adviser to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed in Geneva by Chief Negotiator and Director-General of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN), Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe for Nigeria, while Mr Daniel Crosby stood for King and Spalding.

Activities on the Nigerian stock exchange on Friday sustained the positive slide with the market capitalisation appreciating further by N88 billion, amid gains by blue chips.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the market capitalisation, which opened at N13.763 trillion, rose by N88 billion or 0.64 per cent to close at N13.851 trillion.

Also, the all-share index inched 247.14 points or 0.64 per cent to close at 38,923.26 compared with 38,676.12 achieved on Thursday.