Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Elegbede Abiodun The platform will allow service providers to verify mobile numbers flagged for suspicious activities. The Nigerian Communications Commission has unveiled plans to introduce a Telecoms Identity Risk Management System platform to tackle SIM-related fraud, strengthen digital security and boost confidence in Nigeria’s digital economy. The Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Aminu Maida, disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday at a stakeholders’ consultative forum on the proposed platform and planned regulatory changes. Maida, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said the Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number, commonly known as SIM or mobile…

Elegbede Abiodun The proposal, championed by Ned Nwoko, remains a priority for the 10th Senate and continues to receive legislative attention. Senate President Godswill Akpabio has announced the latest on Anioma State declaration, says Anioma “will be created,” giving support to the long-running agitation to split Delta State. Akpabio made the assertion on Wednesday while addressing party faithful at the South-South zonal congress of the All Progressives Congress in Asaba, Delta State. He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains committed to the proposal, describing it as part of broader efforts to drive development and balance governance structures. According…

File: Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack. … all access roads to and around the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phases I, II and III, will be closed from Friday, March 27, to Saturday, March 28, 2026. The Federal Government has ordered civil servants working within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja to work from home on Friday, March 27, 2026, ahead of the national convention of the All Progressives Congress. The directive was contained in a circular issued and signed by Abdul Garba, Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, for the Head of the Civil Service of the…

FirstBank, West Africa’s premier financial institution and financial inclusion services provider, is pleased to announce the upcoming edition of the SMEConnect Webinar scheduled to hold on Tuesday, 31 March 2026. The event will equip small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the knowledge and tools to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for business growth. This edition is strategically curated to inform and educate SMEs on how AI can be applied to scale their businesses in today’s rapidly evolving digital economy. The chosen theme, “AI for Business Growth: From Adoption to Integration and Scalable Impact,” reflects the growing importance and…

Says “more than 25 additional children accessing school every minute” since the year 2000. The number of children and young people out of school worldwide has climbed to 273 million, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has said. UNESCO, in the 2026 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report, stated that the number of out-of-school children and young people has risen for the seventh consecutive year. The report finds that one in six school-age children is excluded from education, while only two in three complete secondary school. Progress has also slowed across most regions since 2015, with conflict and…

The United Kingdom government will raise fees for a wide range of visas, residency applications and citizenship processes from April 8, 2026, with the hike affecting Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking to visit, study, work or settle in the country. The revised fee schedule, published by the UK Home Office and sighted by PUNCH Online on Thursday, shows increases across virtually all categories of visa applications made both inside and outside the UK, with affected categories spanning visit visas, student visas, work visas, settlement applications and naturalisation fees. The increases, which take effect in less than two weeks, come…

Manny Ita  – The Organization of Women in International Trade on Wednesday convened women leaders from across continents for a global webinar marking International Women’s Day 2026, with discussions centred on how women are reshaping global commerce through innovation and collaboration. The virtual event, themed “Give to Gain: How Women Are Disrupting and Redefining Global Trade,” was held on March 25, 2026, at 12:00 noon EST (5:00 p.m. Nigerian time) and ran for 90 minutes via Zoom, drawing participation from Africa, Europe, and the Americas. President of OWIT International, Noreen Cesareo, led the session, highlighting the growing influence of women…

Zenith Bank Plc has made public the appointment of Mr. Kennedy Onuwa Okwudili as an Executive Director, effective May 1, 2026. The appointment reflects the bank’s long-standing commitment to internal talent development and strategic succession planning, further reinforcing its executive management team. Mr. Okwudili holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Accounting from University of Maiduguri, earned in 1998 with a Second Class Upper division. He later obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Ahmadu Bello University in 2008, and a Master of Science in Accounting from Veritas University in 2021. Carrying  well over 25 years of extensive banking…

Elegbede Abiodun • Halts ongoing recapitalisation and investor selection processes. • Says CBN went beyond its statutory powers. Federal High Court in Lagos has knocked-off the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) takeover of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. Responding, the apex bank said the status of the institution remains “unchanged”, noting that it would review the certified true copy of the judgment for appropriate action. The regulator assured that it would continue to provide necessary regulatory oversight to ensure the bank operate in a sound, stable and safe manner. The court ruled that the apex bank acted beyond its statutory…

Elegbede Abiodun • Those permitted on BRT lanes are emergency response vehicles. The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has threatened to arrest and prosecute military personnel, local council officials and others found on the corridor of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). LAMATA warned that no other vehicle than designated BRT buses and vehicles operating under franchises duly regulated by LAMATA, is allowed to use the dedicated lanes. It added that only emergency response vehicles, such as fire trucks and ambulances, were exempted from the rule, when responding to emergencies. Head, Corporate Communication of LAMATA, Kolawole Ojelabi, stated that there…