Metro
Construction Workers Threaten Strike Over Wage Award
Construction workers in Nigeria have threatened to embark on three days warning strike over the non-implementation of the wage award for workers in the construction industry.
The workers operate under the aegis of National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) and Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA).
The unions conveyed their grievance and warning at a joint news conference by Mr Stephen Okoro, National President, NUCECFWW, and Comrade Ayodeji Adeyemo, National President, CCESSA on Thursday in Abuja.
The national presidents said that if nothing positive was done after the warning strike, indefinite action would commence.
The duo said that the Construction Civil Engineering, Employers Association of Nigeria (CCEAN) was frustrating efforts of the unions on the implementation of the wage award in line with the agreement between the Federal Government and the organised labour.
“It mat interest you to know that before the fuel subsidy withdrawal by President Bola Tinubu administrion, NUCECFWW and CCESSA have written to Employers Association in March, 2023 requesting for a meeting to discuss palliatives for workers, considering the harsh economic conditions of construction workers.
“This request was flatly refused by the Employers Association via a reply to our joint letter with a flimsy excuse that we should await the outcome of discussions between the Federal Government and organised Labour.
“Subsequently, after the conclusion of the negotiation between the Federal Government and the organised labour, CCESSA and NUCECFWW requested for a meeting with Federation of Construction Industry(FOCI).
“The intrigues started at this point; culminating in the refusal of FOC to hold further discussions on wage awards; this necessitated the issuance of strike notice; FOCI, however, reported to the Ministry of Labour and the unions were invited to the ministry for conciliation.
“Arising from the above, two separate meetings were held at the instance of the Minister of Labour; on each occasion, representative of the minister advised the parties to dialogue and agree on what to pay as wage award to workers in the construction industry.
“But despite this advice, the employers in the construction industry flagrantly refused and boasted that, even the Federal Government cannot compel them to pay wage award.’’
They said that unions further reached out to some selected chief executives of construction companies for consultations but were rebuffed.
According to them, employers in the construction industry in Nigeria have refused the option of dialogue but chose to adopt confrontational approach.
“It is against this background that workers in the industry under the umbrella of NUCECFWW and CCESSA have resolved to take their destiny in their hands by calling on the employers in the construction industry to respect the sanctity and spirit of the wage award agreement.
“That in the case of any further delay, workers in the construction industry will be left with no other option than to proceed on industrial action any moment from now to press home our demand,’’ the duo said.(NAN)
Entertainment/Arts/Culture
Actress Ademoye Rejects Apology over Movie Demonetization
Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Bimbo Ademoye, has rejected an apology from a man who filed a copyright claim against her YouTube movie, My 30th Wedding, insisting that she remains angry over the incident.
The actress had earlier offered a ₦1m reward for information about the individual, identified as Mazi Enemuo, after a copyright claim temporarily affected the monetisation of the movie, which has reportedly garnered about 29 million views.
The film was released on October 1, 2026, on her YouTube channel.
On Monday, Ademoye took to Instagram to express her frustration, alleging that Enemuo had uploaded a song from the movie and used it to claim earnings from the project.
She said the soundtrack, titled “We Can Take It (My 30th Wedding)”, was specially produced for the film by musician Progress and that she owned the rights to it.
Ademoye also urged her followers to report the individual across social media platforms and called on YouTube and YouTube Africa to intervene.
She later announced that monetisation on the movie had been restored, thanking her team for their intervention.
However, she maintained that her ₦1m bounty on Enemuo remained in place.
Enemuo subsequently apologised, saying he had uploaded the song to help promote the movie’s soundtrack and reach a wider audience, rather than infringe on Ademoye’s rights.
In a public apology, he said, “Unfortunately, the distribution platform has laid a YouTube Content ID claim on the content. I take full responsibility for the situation and have since taken down the song from all streaming platforms.”
He added that the song would be removed from all platforms within 24 to 48 hours and that he would contact the distributor to ensure that no residual claim remained.
But responding to the apology on Instagram on Tuesday, Ademoye described it as insincere and questioned his explanation that he had intended to help her reach a wider audience.
“Mr Enemuo, while I see your apology, I call it complete bullshit! I took multiple breaths and I’ve counted 1-10 multiple times to ensure I calm down and not say anything out of pocket but guess what, I’m still very angry!
“You claimed you wanted to help me reach a wider audience, I’m not sure you thought that statement through, you wanted to use your 250 subscribes to help me reach a wider audience with my almost 2 million subscribers?” she asked.
Questioning why Enemuo uploaded the particular soundtrack rather than another song from the movie, she said, “You specifically took the song I didn’t properly copyright of all the songs in the movie. Why didn’t you take hammerboi’s song? If anything, that’s the viral one I’d have loved to go even more viral song.”
She also questioned why he attempted to claim earnings from the movie after allegedly uploading the song to promote it.
“After you ‘helped me reach a wider audience’ why did you try to claim my earnings? Why did you monetise it and have me demonitised?” she asked.
The actress further warned that she would pursue the matter, writing, “But I’d make an example out of you. Don’t ever take my silence for weakness, believe me when I tell you I AM NOT THAT NICE AT ALL! ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO MY WORK.”
In a postscript to her response, Ademoye also dismissed suggestions that she was using the controversy for publicity or had failed to protect her work through copyright registration.
She shared screenshots of messages from people who, according to her, had contacted her after their channels were taken down following copyright enforcement on her projects.
Metro
Army Rescues 21 Kidnap Victims after Gun Battle with Terrorists in Niger
By David Torough, Abuja
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 18 Brigade have rescued 21 kidnapped victims following a fierce gun battle with terrorists in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.
The rescue operation was conducted on November 9, 2026, after troops acted on credible intelligence about the activities of terrorists in Abaha and Sabon Wuri villages.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 18 Brigade, Captain Adebayo Samuel Adewumi, the troops swiftly deployed a fighting patrol to the affected communities to intercept the criminal elements.
The statement said a fierce firefight broke out when the troops made contact with the terrorists, who were eventually overpowered and forced to flee into nearby bushes with suspected gunshot wounds.
All 21 kidnapped victims were rescued unhurt. They were subsequently given first aid treatment and subjected to preliminary profiling before being handed over to the appropriate authorities for reunification with their families.
The Army said troops had intensified operations, including aggressive patrols and ambushes, to track down and apprehend the fleeing terrorists.
It also urged residents of Mariga and neighbouring local government areas to report anyone suspected of having gunshot wounds, as well as suspicious movements of criminal elements, to the nearest security agency.
The Commander of 18 Brigade commended the troops for their gallantry, resilience and professionalism during the operation, urging them to sustain the momentum and maintain an aggressive operational posture.
He reaffirmed the Brigade’s commitment to eliminating criminal activities within its Area of Responsibility and ensuring the safety of law-abiding residents.
The operation comes amid the Nigerian Army’s recent expansion, which the military says has strengthened its operational capacity in the fight against terrorism and kidnapping.
Agriculture
FG Calls for Stronger Agricultural Value Chains to Boost Food Security
The Federal Government has called for a stronger agricultural value chains, increased agro-industrialisation and improved market access to boost food security in Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr.
Marcus Ogunbiyi, made the call on Monday in Enugu during the Technical Session of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security.The theme of the event is “Enhancing Agricultural Value Chains, Agro-Industrialization and Market Access for Economic Growth.”
Ogunbiyi, who doubled as the Chairman of the Technical Session, said that the country must move beyond subsistence farming and embrace a commercially driven agricultural system capable of supporting industries, improving farmers’ incomes and expanding export opportunities.
“Our task goes beyond increasing the volume of food produced.
“We must build an agricultural economy that creates wealth, supports industries, generates decent employment, expands exports, improves rural livelihoods and contributes meaningfully to national economic growth,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary identified inadequate storage and processing facilities, limited access to finance, poor logistics and weak links between farmers and processors as major challenges affecting the competitiveness of agricultural products.
He called for increased investment in agro-processing facilities, rural roads, irrigation, electricity, cold-chain infrastructure and modern technologies to reduce post-harvest losses and promote local value addition.
“Agro-industrialisation is central to the transformation we seek to achieve. It provides the bridge between agriculture and industry.
“It also enables agricultural production to serve as a reliable source of raw materials for manufacturing and other productive sectors of the economy.
“The value of this Council will ultimately be determined by the quality of its resolutions and the extent to which those resolutions are implemented,” Ogunbiyi stated.
He also urged state governments to identify priority commodities, establish clear production and processing targets, attract private-sector investment and strengthen partnerships with research institutions and development partners.
In his remarks, the Enugu State Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-industrialisation, Patrick Uburu, said that the state government was committed to agro-industrialisation to boost farmers’ income, create jobs and generate wealth.
Uburu, who described the technical sessions as a platform for translating policies into practical solutions, urged delegates to prioritise farmers and agribusiness operators in their deliberations.
He emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among state governments, federal agencies and development partners to address food security challenges, noting that recommendations from the meeting should be measurable and implementable.
The commissioner called for practical policies and investments that would improve farmers’ productivity and expand market access for agricultural produce.
Technical Lead Policy Advisory, GIZ ECOWAS & Nigeria, Dr Abiodun Ihebuzor, advocated for stronger partnerships and increased investment in agricultural value chains to reduce post-harvest losses and improve food security in Nigeria.
Ihebuzor noted that previous engagements at the 46th Council in Calabar and the 47th Council in Kaduna had provided opportunities to advance agricultural development.
He expressed optimism that the current meeting would strengthen collaboration among government institutions, development partners and private-sector operators.
According to him, healthy soils, efficient markets and improved storage systems were essential to sustainable food security.
On her part, Geraldine Onu, Deputy Director, Administration and Supply, Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, disclosed that the State Government had intensified efforts to transform agriculture from subsistence farming to commercial and mechanical farming as part of its economic development agenda.
She noted that investments in irrigation, storage, processing and agricultural infrastructure were aimed at increasing production, attracting private investment, reducing post-harvest losses and improving farmers’ livelihoods.
“In Enugu State, under the visionary leadership of Gov. Peter Mbah, agriculture occupies a strategic position in the state’s economic transformation agenda.
“The initiatives include the 300,000-hectare agricultural land bank, the development of Smart Farm Estates across the 17 Local Government Areas, the 260 Farm Estate Programme and the establishment of a tractor assembly plant,” Onu added.(NAN)


