Author: Festus Adeloye

Japan battled its worst wildfire in half a century on Wednesday in a region hit by record-low rainfall, as wet weather gave hope for some relief. The blaze around the northern city of Ofunato has raged for more than a week, killing one person and forcing nearly 4,000 residents to evacuate their homes. It has engulfed about 2,900 hectares (7,170 acres) — around half the size of Manhattan — making it the largest wildfire since at least 1975, when 2,700 hectares burnt in Hokkaido. Columns of white smoke billowed from a mountain through the rain and snow on Wednesday, AFP…

Nigeria has officially joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).  This addition brings the total number of EBRD shareholders to 77, comprising 75 national shareholders alongside the European Union and the European Investment Bank. In April 2024, Nigeria submitted its application to join the bank, which the EBRD’s Board of Governors approved in May 2024. This membership follows a pivotal decision made at the EBRD’s 2023 Annual Meeting in Samarkand, where an amendment to the Agreement Establishing the EBRD was approved. The amendment permits the gradual expansion of the bank’s operations to sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq, subject to…

First Bank will, today, conduct the groundbreaking ceremony for its new green-certified iconic head office building at Eko Atlantic City, Lagos. A statement by Ag. Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Olayinka Ijabiyi, said the 40-storey building project is designed to be the tallest building in Nigeria. “It will be an engineering and environmental delight due to its technologically advanced, eco-friendly and sophisticated construction which would set a new standard for the financial services sector in Africa,” the statement said in part. According to him, the groundbreaking ceremony signifies the beginning of a transformative journey…

A new report has revealed how vandalism has negatively impacted the operations of NLNG Limited at its Bonny Island facility, dragging down natural gas supplies by 80 per cent. The report by Bloomberg also noted that the needed gas supply has dropped by 80 per cent, leaving a meagre 20 per cent of the company’s needs being met by the few available facilities. Vandalism and sabotage have curtailed operations at the plant and curbed exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG. The revelation comes on the heels of a disclosure by the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Philip Mshelbila at the…

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts on Tuesday issued a two- week ultimatum to three oil companies to remit to the Federation Accounts about  $5,543,491.45 owed to the government.  Chorus Energy, Dubril Oil company Limited and Belema Oil admitted this before the subcommittee of the PAC investigating the non- remittance of about N9. 4 trillion in royalty to the federations accounts by 23 oil companies. Belema Oil was founded by Tein Jack-Rich, who contested the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries with President Bola Tinubu in June 2022. The Auditor General for the Federations, in its 2021…

The Federal Government on Tuesday launched a new revenue platform, the Treasury Management and Revenue Assurance (TMRAS). In a statement on Tuesday, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) said despite the launch of the new payment platform, the Remita platform, known as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) approved payment gateway, would still be operational. The statement signed by a spokesperson for the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, said that Remita would be integrated into the TMRAS alongside other eligible Payment Solution Service Providers (PSSPs) for government revenue collection and remittances to enhance liberalisation.

Veteran forward Ahmed Musa has been called up to the Super Eagles squad for the 2026 must-win World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, returning to the team after almost a year of absence. The Kano Pillars player was named in the 39-man provisional squad which included the familiar, new faces and forgotten. Musa, who is Nigeria’s highest goalscorer at the World Cup and the team’s captain, did not feature for the Super Eagles when they clinched silver at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) early last year. But he will be among the options for the Super Eagles ahead…

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned six officials of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) before Justice Akanbi of the State High Court, sitting in Ilorin, for N96 million fraud. They are facing prosecution on a four-count charge of breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N96 million. The defendants are, Ahmed Husain Olarewaju, Director, Finance and Supply; Omole Omololu John, Controller, Finance and Accounts; Fatai Oyerinde, Coordinator, Salary Unit; Mujeeb Ibrahim, Executive Officer, Account and Salary Schedule; Salami Temitope Bashir and Dauda Aweda Quozim, who are staff…

New statistics by the Transmission Company of Nigeria revealed that power generation climbed to 5,713.60 megawatts on Tuesday. The latest data by TCN pushes the country’s 2025 generation feat to the highest since four years ago. According to the TCN, the whole of the 5,713MW recorded on Tuesday was successfully transmitted. The country recorded a 5.543MW generation on February 14. “This was recorded on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 21:30 hours, with the new generation peak of 5,713.60 megawatts (MW), surpassing the previous peak generation of 5,543.20MW achieved on February 14, 2025, by 170.40 MW,” the TCN stated. It clarified…

The Edo State chapters of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party on Monday clashed over an alleged plan by the PDP to stage a protest at the office of the Attorney General of the Federation in Abuja regarding the legal dispute over the Edo State governorship election. In a statement, Edo APC Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, accused the PDP of planning the protest to influence the ongoing governorship election tribunal. He said, “Security agencies, including the Police, Department of State Services, and Nigerian Army, must be vigilant and take necessary measures to prevent a potential disruption of the…