WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine urged residents of Kyiv and several other areas to limit electricity use as it seeks to recover from Russian strikes on the power grid while the elderly and vulnerable were preparing for a voluntary evacuation of war-ravaged Kherson. LIFE IN UKRAINE * Ukrainians are most likely to live with blackouts at least until the end of March, the head of a major energy provider said. * As they head into a cold winter, residents of a bombed-out Ukrainian village say they appreciate a warm bath in a mural painted by graffiti artist Banksy. The mural shows a…

Barely six months to the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the Federal Government’s total debts and other financial liabilities have reached N71.46 trillion. The figure does not include undocumented contingent liabilities to university lecturers, public school teachers and other public employees to whom government is indebted. Analysts say these undocumented liabilities could run into several trillions. The figures also exclude other pending financial liabilities to non-lending bilateral and multilateral institutions. These include regional and global institutions the country subscribes to as a member. While the traditional debt stock of the central government has ballooned from less than N10 trillion…

International Monetary Fund has revised Nigeria's 2022 real GDP growth forecast down to 3% from 3.4% earlier, citing weak oil production and the adverse effects of recent flooding. Nigeria is currently battling to halt crude theft and insecurity in its oil producing regions which has slashed oil output and government revenues. The country is also trying to stabilise its ailing currency , curb surging inflation and boost growth. "Output growth is expected to moderate in 2022 to 3% and improve slightly next year," the IMF said in a statement. In June, IMF said Nigeria's real GDP growth was broadening to…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Western weapons could be trafficked out of Ukraine and into the hands of criminals and terrorists, UK National Crime Agency (NCA) Director General Graeme Biggar told the Sunday Times. Earlier, Moscow estimated that up to $1 billion worth of arms are funneled out of Ukraine every month. “As with any conflict, when weapons pour in there is a risk of blowback,” Biggar said on Sunday. “At the end of the conflict, there are surplus weapons that get into the hands of criminals or terrorists.” Biggar, who took over at the helm of the NCA in August, said that…