Author: Amina Mohammed

The Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI partnerships with various National and International organisations have continued to boost the number of Nigerian Youths who now have access to qualitative education. This comes as the Initiative, a brain child of the First lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, unveiled 200 beneficiaries of the AUDA-NEPAD/African School of Economics/ RHI Scholarships. At the unveiling, held at the Banquet Hall of the State House Abuja, the First Lady reiterated that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will continue to prioritise education as evident in the various policies and programmes it is implementing in the sector. She said:…

Protesters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, briefly obstructed Governor Siminalayi Fubara, insisting that he come down to address them.  This happened on Saturday, Day 3 of the demonstrations tagged #EndBadGovernance protests. Waving green leaves and shouting in excitement, the protesters, lined up the streets. After some moments, the governor’s convoy passed as the demonstrators continued with the rallies.

A new report by Nextier has indicated that insurgency recorded 109 deaths arising from 19 violent incidents, perpetrated by the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents in the first half of 2024 alone. The report ‘Nigeria’s Northeast Belt of Insurgency and the Challenge of Refugees’, also called on the Federal Government to liaise with neighbouring countries and regional bodies to boost joint border surveillance. The report was authored by an Associate Consultant at Nextier and a Lecturer at the Political Science Department of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria, Dr Chukwuma Okoli, and a Managing…

Police authorities have fired tear gas at protesters at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja in a bid to disperse the demonstrators who had converged to press on with their demands. The protesters, lesser than the number witnessed the previous days, had converged at the facility. But after some hours, police officers fired tear gas canisters to disperse the protesters. The MKO Abiola Stadium is the designated venue for the protests in the nation’s capital. A court order had restrained the #EndBadGovernance demonstrators from using other areas. On Friday, tear gas canisters were also fired at the protesters when they…

Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno has alleged that 95 per cent of the youths that participated in Thursday’s violent protests in Maiduguri were children under 14 years. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Zulum made this known in a broadcast to the people of Borno where he also declared the lifting of the 24-hour curfew imposed on the state. Zulum said: “Over 95 per cent of those who participated in the so-called Thursday protests were children under 14 years. Most of them do not know why they are protesting. “A six- year-old child carrying a placard is amazing;…

The locker Kobe Bryant used for the majority of his legendary NBA career sold for $2.9 million on Friday in New York, as part of an auction of rare sports memorabilia at Sotheby’s. The price for the Staples Center locker, which Bryant used while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, nearly doubled the $1.5 million it was estimated to fetch. Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star guard, was killed in a 2020 helicopter crash at age 41. He spent his entire NBA career from 1996-2016 with the Lakers. A maintenance worker saved the locker from being discarded in 2018 during renovations…

The Minister of Sports Development John Enoh has again raised questions about Favour Ofili’s omission for the 2024 Olympics, saying officials of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) have not slept since the discovery. Ofili was supposed to compete in the 100m race at the Games. Her name, was, however, omitted, a development that has raised questions among stakeholders. While giving an update about Ofili’s omission, Enoh said Nigerian officials are working on getting to the root of the matter. “The 100m race got off to a start today, sadly without Favor Ofili. I was on the matter until the early…

A former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has called on the #Endbadgovernance protesters, to shun violence and give peace a chance in the country. While addressing the tragic loss of lives during the nationwide hunger and hardship protest which commenced on Thursday, Obi in a statement late Friday via X, emphasised the importance of peaceful demonstrations. Obi stated, “I wish to most sincerely pass my condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives in the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests. I deeply mourn these brothers and sisters of ours, who have lost their lives in their…

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said late Friday he had agreed with Fox News to debate Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris on September 4. “I have agreed with FoxNews to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, but it was not immediately clear if Harris had agreed to the debate. Trump’s post came hours after Harris secured the Democratic party’s presidential nomination as party standard bearer in November’s election. Trump’s White House bid was turned upside down on July 21 when President Biden, 81, facing growing concerns about his age and lagging polling…

Pop singer Justin Timberlake pleaded not guilty on Friday to driving while intoxicated in a virtual appearance before a judge who ordered that his driver’s license be suspended in New York state, US media reported. On June 18, the 43-year-old entertainer was pulled over in the town of Sag Harbor, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of New York City, after police observed his BMW go through a stop sign and struggle to stay within road lanes. The officer who pulled over the “Cry Me a River” singer said he was in no fit state to drive. “His eyes were…