Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals and other participants. Photo credit: Facebook FG Strengthens Mining, Unveils Mineral Exploration Grants. The Federal Government on Wednesday launched the Early-Stage Mineral Exploration and Research Grant Endowment programme, known as EMERGE, in a fresh push to accelerate mineral exploration, support research institutions and promote local processing of Nigeria’s mineral resources. The initiative, unveiled in Abuja by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, is expected to provide catalytic funding for explorers, universities and companies involved in critical minerals development while addressing financing gaps that have hindered the growth of the mining sector. Speaking…

Call of My Life Nollywood romance drama Call of My Life has crossed N498 million at the West African box office, cementing its place among the Top 10 highest-grossing Nollywood releases of all time. The BluHouse Studios production, distributed by FilmOne Entertainment, has also emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2026, reflecting its strong commercial performance and widespread audience appeal across the region. The film has maintained remarkable staying power at cinemas, holding the number one spot at the box office for four consecutive weekends, a feat that underscores its sustained pull among moviegoers since its release. Distributor FilmOne…

Friendly, Portugal Defeat Super Eagles With Late Goal Akor Adams equalised the first goal in just 14 minutes. In a thrilling International Friendly, World Cup bound Portugal secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the Estádio Municipal de Portimão on Wednesday. Pedro Neto set the tone for the match, finding the net in the 23rd minute to give the home side an early advantage. However, Nigeria responded tenaciously, with Akor Adams equalising just 14 minutes later, demonstrating the Super Eagles’ resilience. The match remained finely balanced until the 74th minute, when Francisco Conceição struck decisively for Portugal,…

File: Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi • Says the church is not a personal enterprise that can be transferred to family members. The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor W.F Kumuyi,, has said he will not hand over the leadership of the church to any of his biological children, stressing that the ministry belongs to Jesus Christ and not to him. Kumuyi made the clarification during a church service while addressing speculations that he could eventually pass the leadership of the ministry to one of his sons which started trending on Wednesday. According to him, some people had…

File photo: Fuel pump  Nigeria’s petrol import bill declined to N87.40 billion in Q1 2026 from N3.54 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2025 representing a slump of about 97.5 per cent, or roughly N3.45 trillion less spent on petrol compared with the previous quarter, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown. However, on a year-on-year basis, petrol import spending dropped from N2.27 trillion in Q1 2025 to N87.40 billion in Q1 2026 — a drop of about 96.2 per cent, equivalent to roughly N2.18 trillion. The data also showed that petrol’s share of total imports shrank…

Official 2026 anthem ‘Dai Dai’ for World Cup surpasses 100 million YouTube views in just two weeks of release.  Colombian superstar Shakira and Nigerian Grammy-winning artist Burna Boy have achieved a remarkable milestone as their official FIFA World Cup 2026 anthem, Dai Dai, surpassed 100 million views on YouTube in record time. The music video, released on 23 May 2026, reached the impressive figure on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, generating massive global attention just days before the tournament opens across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. At 49, Shakira now stands as the most successful artist in World Cup musical…

L-R: Divisional Head, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs), Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Ugochi Osinigwe; Executive Director, South, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Pamela Shodipo; and Representative of the President of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA) and Chairman of SMEs and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Trade Group, Mr. Jack Daboikiabo; at the Fidelity Bank SME Quarterly Business Forum held in Port Harcourt, recently. Leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the growth and sustainability of Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs), positioning itself as a trusted partner beyond traditional banking and financing.…

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will issue official access codes to political parties on June 26, 2026, to enable them access the Candidate Nomination Portal ahead of the 2027 general election. The Commission said the move is expected to improve the candidate nomination process and reduce delays in the submission of names for elective positions. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this during the Commission’s Second Quarterly Consultative Meeting with leaders of the 22 registered political parties held in Abuja. According to him, designated national officers…

Somali football referee Omar Abdelkader Artan has been denied entry into the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the administration of US President Donald Trump labelled him a national security threat and alleged that he had associations with suspected terrorist organisations. The decision ended Artan’s hopes of becoming the first Somali official to officiate at a men’s FIFA World Cup despite holding a valid US visa and being named ‘Africa’s Referee of the Year in 2025’. Artan has since returned to Somalia, where he received a hero’s welcome after being turned away by US Customs and Border…

Tony Elumelu • Tony Elumelu is the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings. The Board of Directors of Seplat Energy, today, announced that Tony Elumelu has been elected as the next Chairman of the company. He will succeed the current Chairman, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, effective January 2027, ushering in a new chapter of leadership as the company continues its growth and transformation journey. The board has also appointed Engr. Effiong Okon as Chief Executive Officer commencing 1 August 2026. The board changes were disclosed in a notice filed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) and signed by the company…