Blog

By Genesis ogiri Ambassador Kingsley Onuche, President of the Peace Ambassador Advocacy Network, has represented Nigeria at the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, reaffirming the country’s firm commitment to advancing Africa’s sustainable development agenda. The high-level continental forum convenes policymakers, development partners, and institutional stakeholders from across Africa and beyond, serving as a strategic platform for assessing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthening regional cooperation mechanisms.Ambassador Onuche’s participation underscores Nigeria’s sustained engagement in shaping continental policy frameworks aimed at promoting inclusive growth, economic resilience, and broad-based social devel...

The United States has reaffirmed its recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, Morocco’ s foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. According to the statement, “The United States recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara,” said the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Mr. Christopher Landau, during a press conference on Wednesday following his meeting in Rabat with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita. The American official also emphasised that “we are trying in the framework of the most recent Security Council resolution [Ed. Resolution 2797] to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict that has gone on for an unacceptable time,” adding that “this situation cannot wait another 50 years or 150 y...

The Kozaki Transformation and Development Foundation has trained 300 men across Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau states as part of efforts to combat gender-based violence and promote gender equality in North Central Nigeria. The initiative, implemented in partnership with the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development under the Male Feminist Network Project, targets influential groups within local communities, including motorcyclists, tricycle (keke) riders, mechanics, barbers, and traditional and religious leaders. According to Programme Coordinator Manfred Soonen Akpen, the project is already driving significant changes in attitudes and practices across the three states. In Plateau State, trained male allies have begun challenging a long-standing masquerade traditi...

By Joan Nwagwu The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) says the two-month outstanding wage awards due to federal civil servants will be paid in April and May. Mr Shehu Mohammed, National President of ASCSN, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja. Mohammed said the agreement on settlement of the outstanding money, after many months of delay, was reached between ASCSN and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. “The wage award has been pending for quite a long time, and we are glad that progress has been made through engagement with the Office of the Accountant-General. “One month will be paid immediately, while the remaining month will be paid with the following month’s salary. “We can n...

By Victor Okoye Say it Loud Africa on Thursday announced plans to host the Artisan Summit and Expo (TASE) 2026, aimed at addressing challenges limiting artisans’ growth through empowerment, profitability and financial inclusion. The initiative is designed to bring together artisans and stakeholders from the public and private sectors to explore practical solutions for improved access to finance, training, and business structuring. Mr Femi Oyelade, Advocate for Artisans and Creative Director, Say it Loud Africa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the summit was conceived to bridge long-standing gaps in Nigeria’s informal sector. NAN reports that the summit will also focus on skills development, mentorship, and innovative approaches to reposition artisans for sustain...

By Joan Nwagwu The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has expressed concern over the rising pressure on workers’ welfare and economic conditions of the country. The congress said it would embark on nationwide protest, if there was no improvement. This was contained in a communiqué jointly signed by Mr Festus Osifo, TUC President, and Mr Nuhu Toro, Secretary-General, and issued on Monday in Abuja at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting. The congress said the NEC meeting reviewed the state of the nation, developments within the congress, preparations for the 2026 May Day celebration, and other critical issues affecting Nigerian workers. “The prevailing economic hardship has significantly affected the living standards of Nigerian workers, making daily survival i...

Nigerian Legion National Chairman, Ms Grace Henry, has urged veterans to take active roles in community security, as the Legion empowered 40 widows of fallen heroes with tailoring and grinding machines.Henry gave the charge on Monday in Abuja at the empowerment programme and induction of ex-servicemen into the Institute of Disaster Management and Safety Sciences (IDMSS).The chairman said that the programme reflected her vision to restore dignity to veterans and families of military personnel who died in service.She described the empowerment and induction as a dual strategy to tackle welfare gaps and insecurity across the country.``Today, we are gathered here to empower about 40 widows, 20 widows will be lucky to get grinding machines and 20 others will be lucky to get tailoring machines a...

The All Progressives Congress in Kogi State has announced a series meetings with party stakeholders and aspirants across the state ahead of the party primaries scheduled for May this year. This was contained in a statement signed by party Chairman, Ezzu Aliyu Momoh and made available to journalists on Monday.According to the statement, the meetings will hold from Tuesday, April 28 to Thursday, April 30, 2026, at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Lokoja.The statement said the schedule will begin on Tuesday, April 28, with meetings involving House of Assembly and House of Representatives aspirants from Kogi Central Senatorial District at 11am, followed by a session with party stakeholders from the district at 1pm. On Wednesday, April 29, House of Assembly and House of Representatives aspi...

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, on Monday announced plans to introduce a short code to enable residents, especially motorists, to engage the agency and share information on road traffic situations.The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.“The agency is working on ensuring that we get a short code instead of the long digit that is currently running.“In the next two to three weeks, our call centre will come up with a short code that will be free. We have done all necessary details; we are just waiting for the final approval from the network provider.This is where Lagos residents, especially the motoring public, can engage us and give us information,” he said.He added that machinery and equipm...

By Genesis Ogiri Abuja, Nigeria — Accolades flowed freely in the nation’s capital as stakeholders across Nigeria’s education sector gathered to honour Prof. Umaru A. Pate at the unveiling of a landmark book chronicling his legacy of visionary leadership and institutional transformation. The high-profile ceremony, held at the National Universities Commission headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, drew an array of distinguished personalities including policymakers, academics, and administrators. The event celebrated the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Kashere, whose tenure has been widely acknowledged as transformative.Chairman of the occasion, Danjuma Goje, described Prof. Pate as a visionary leader whose administration brought remarkable growth to the instituti...

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a fresh consignment of the notorious synthetic drug, Captagon, in Kwara State.This marks a renewed attempt by traffickers to introduce the substance into Nigeria.The agency disclosed that the seizure was made during a patrol operation along Bode Saadu Road, where operatives stopped a passenger vehicle and recovered 10,000 pills of the amphetamine-based drug from a suspect, Nasiru Mu’azu, 33. Additional quantities of Tapentadol were also found in his possession.Often described as a “terror drug,” Captagon is widely abused in parts of the Middle East and has been linked to extremist groups, including Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), where it is used both as a stimulant for fighters and a source of funding.In a separate ...

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is certain Mohamed Salah will get the send-off his glittering career deserves, even if injury prevents the Egyptian from playing again for the Reds.Salah, who will leave Anfield after nine years at the end of the season, was forced off with a suspected hamstring injury in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.Liverpool are awaiting the results of a scan to determine the extent of the problem, but with just four games of the campaign remaining, the 33-year-old may not feature again this season.“If you get injured at this stage of the season, especially in the situation he is in, there is only two more home games left for him. It’s a combination of feelings that go through your mind,” said Van Dijk.He will get the send-off regardless. I don’t think tha...

The Vice-President and CEO of Bayern Munich, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, has reinforced Bayern Munich’s long-standing transfer philosophy, insisting the club would not consider selling key players even in the face of massive offers, while referencing a historic bid for Franck Ribéry to explain the approach.Speaking about speculation around a potential €200m offer for winger Michael Olise, Rummenigge pointed back to a defining moment in 2009 when Bayern received what he described as an extraordinary proposal from Chelsea FC for Ribéry.As reported by Fabrizio Romano on Monday, Rummenigge, when asked about €200m for Olise, was quoted as saying,” In 2009, we had an incredible offer from Chelsea for Franck Ribéry. At the time, it would have been a new world transfer record”. “I then went to our the...

A Nigerian, Ademola Oke, has died after being found unresponsive at his workplace in the United Kingdom.Oke is the third Nigerian to have died in the month of April, 2026.This is just as the family appealed for public support following his sudden death. It was learnt on Sunday from a support appeal published by a close family friend, Adejonwo Odutola, on the popular fundraising platform, GoFundMe, that the incident occurred on April 18. Odutola explained that Ademola had left home that morning in good health and remained in contact with his wife throughout the day, with no indication of any illness. He said the deceased was later found unresponsive at his workplace by a colleague who arrived for a night shift. Odutola wrote, “On 18th April, 2026, Ademola, 37 years old, lef...

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has maintained that the country owned four refineries will never work again.Obasanjo spoke during a television interview aired on Saturday night by Sony Irabor Live. He said, “One of the lessons that I learnt is that PPP (public-private partnership) works. Look, one project that has not been destroyed by the government in Nigeria is the NLNG (Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas), where the private sector has 51 per cent, and the Nigerian government has 49 per cent. “See what we did with Nigerian railways. See what we did with the national shipping company. See what we are doing now, even with the NNPC. The NNPC has refineries, and I said to people that it will never work. And a man had the audacity to say, ‘Am I a chemical engineer?” Obasanjo spok...

By Victor Okoye Emmanuel Benard and Victoria Uduak have emerged as top winners in the men’s and women’s categories at the Akalaka Spirit of the Warrior Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 16 fighters thrilled fans at the Akalaka Spirit of the Warrior showdown held at the 21 Arena, National Council for Arts and Culture on Saturday. The fight night tagged “Battle of Gwarinpa” featured bouts across featherweight, bantamweight, lightweight, and strawweight divisions. Headlining the event was the clash between Emmanuel “Knockout Machine” Benard and Yakubu “Black Scorpion” Solomon. The co-main event featured Victoria “The Hunter” Uduak against Blessing "Chibok girl" Shettima. Benard, who took home the best male fighter award, ...

By Olukayode Babalola Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a Fulani socio-cultural association in Nasarawa State, has affirmed its support for Governor Abdullahi Sule’s choice of Sen. Ahmed Wadada (APC/Nasarawa West) as his preferred successor. The group made its position known during a stakeholders’ meeting held in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Sunday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting, held in honour of Sen. Ahmed Wadada, was attended by several key members of the association’s leadership across the state. .Mallam Akajo Abubakar-Jyaro, Chairman of the association in Nasarawa State, in his speech, appreciated Governor Sule for the “remarkable” gesture of anointing Sen. Wadada as his choice of successor, despite several other gubernatorial...

By Gami Tadanyigbe The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Area Councils Yoruba Community and its environs on Saturday, April 25, 2026, inaugurated new executive members to oversee the affairs of the association. Speaking during the inauguration ceremony held at Junior Secondary School, Garki, Abuja, the President of the Association, Pastor Gabriel Oladapo, charged the newly elected executives to live up to expectations in the discharge of their duties and to work towards the growth and development of the association. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the newly inaugurated FCT Executives include: Pastor Gabriel Oladapo as President; Alhaji Bilaminu Akinade as Vice President I; Mr. Segun Taiwo as Vice President 2; Hon. Femi Ileyari as General Secretary; Mr. Rasheed Ib...

By Gami Tadanyigbe The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Area Councils Yoruba Community and its environs on Saturday, April 25, 2026, inaugurated new executive members to oversee the affairs of the association. Speaking during the inauguration ceremony held at Junior Secondary School, Garki, Abuja, the President of the Association, Pastor Gabriel Oladapo, charged the newly elected executives to live up to expectations in the discharge of their duties and to work towards the growth and development of the association. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the newly inaugurated FCT executives include: Pastor Gabriel Oladapo as President; Alhaji Bilaminu Akinade as Vice President I; Pastor Olusegun Taiwo as Vice President II; Femi Lareiyatan as General Secretary; Abduly...