Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

The Federal Government has declared Monday, March 31 and Tuesday, April 1 as public holidays to mark the Eid-el-Fitr celebration. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Magdalene Ajani. The minister congratulated all Muslims for the successful completion of the fasting in the holy month of Ramadan. He urged all Muslims to “embrace the virtues of self-discipline, compassion, generosity and peace, emphasising the importance of love, forgiveness, and solidarity in building a harmonious society.” Tunji-Ojo called on Nigerians to use this festive period to pray for peace, stability, and…

The World Bank has expressed concern over Nigeria’s poor statistical performance, noting that the country lags behind its aspirational peers such as Mexico, Colombia, South Africa and Brazil. According to a statement by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Mrs Julie Osagie-Jacobs, this was noted during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, by a delegation from the World Bank led by Country Director, Ndiame Diop, and Practice Manager for West and Central Africa, Mr Johan Mistiaen, on Wednesday. In his presentation titled “Next Level Statistics to Support Nigeria’s Reform and Growth Agenda,”…

Norway said Wednesday it was temporarily closing its embassy in South Sudan for security reasons and urged its citizens to leave as clashes rage between forces allied to the nation’s rival leaders. Fighting has been taking place for several weeks between federal forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and the “White Army” — a militia group accused by the government of collaborating with First Vice President Riek Machar. The clashes have left their 2018 power-sharing agreement increasingly fragile and threaten to plunge the country back into civil war. “The security situation in South Sudan has sharply deteriorated recently. This primarily…

There was a heated debate in the Nigerian Senate following a motion to honour the former Chairman of the National Electoral Commission, who supervised the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, late Professor Humphrey Nwosu. On Wednesday, the lawmaker representing Abia South, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and several co-sponsors from the minority caucus, largely representing the South-East geopolitical zone, brought a motion under matters of urgent public importance, seeking to immortalise the late academic for his role in the country’s democratic evolution. “Prof. Nwosu’s contributions to Nigeria’s democracy remain undeniable. Despite the challenges he faced, he conducted an election that remains…

The newly appointed Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory, Ajao Adewale, officially assumed duty on Wednesday, pledging to enhance security through intelligence-driven and proactive policing. Adewale takes over from Assistant Inspector General, Tunji Disu, who has been redeployed to head the Special Protection Unit at the Force Headquarters. Speaking at the handover ceremony in Abuja, Adewale commended his predecessor’s leadership and vowed to build on his achievements to ensure effective service delivery. “On behalf of the officers and men of this command, I appreciate the quality leadership that the immediate past CP exhibited while he was here. I…

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the Algerian government have strengthened their aviation partnership with the launch of Air Algérie’s inaugural flight on April 6. The agency disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday via their official X account. A major highlight of the meeting he’s between both countries was the formal presentation of a Foreign Carrier Operating Permit to Air Algérie, Algeria’s national airline. This permit grants the airline expanded access to Nigerian airspace, a move expected to boost economic ties and further solidify the partnership between the two countries. In addition to the permit, approval was also granted…

The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has directed the Heads of Local Government Administration in the 23 local government areas of the state to submit the activities of their respective councils. Ibas said the HLGA appointed by the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, are to submit the report to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government. This was contained in a letter addressed to the HLGAs, dated March 24th, 2025 and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Itong Awani. The letter titled ‘Re: Submission of Report of The Activities of Your Councils’ was…

The Senate on Wednesday passed a bill mandating the compulsory registration of citizens, aiming to overhaul Nigeria’s identity management system through the repeal and reenactment of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act. The passage followed the submission and consideration of a report by the Committee on National Identity Card and Population, chaired by Senator Victor Umeh representing Anambra central. Umeh explained that the legislation seeks to establish a harmonised, cost-effective identity system that aligns with global best practices, enhances data accuracy, promote inclusion and closes existing gaps in Nigeria’s identity database. Once signed into law, the bill also provides…

President Bola Tinubu has assented to the South-West Development Commission Bill, the South-South Development Commission Bill, and the Nigeria Anti-Doping Bill, 2025. Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Basheer Lado, made this known in a statement, noting that the legislations reflect Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance, equitable progress, and Nigeria’s emergence as a global powerhouse. “By signing into law the establishment of the South-West and South-South Development Commissions, President Tinubu has reaffirmed his role as a transformational leader who prioritizes regional empowerment, economic expansion, and infrastructural excellence. “Building on the foundation of his earlier assent to the South-East…

Rosalie Cote and her parents vacationed in the US state of Maine every summer for 25 years — but this year they are staying home, incensed like many Canadians by Donald Trump’s threats of annexation and tariffs. The United States was the top destination for Canadian tourists, with 20.4 million visits reported last year by the US Travel Association, pumping some US$20.5 billion into the American economy and supporting 140,000 jobs. But that number is expected to plummet this year as Canadians — the targets of relentless attacks by an America First president intent on wielding tariffs as a policy…