Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Africa Trade Conference 2026: Access Bank To Convene Global Trade Leaders In Cape Town Access Bank Plc has announced plans to host the second edition of the Africa Trade Conference (ATC 2026), a high-level strategic convening designed to accelerate Africa’s role in shaping the future of global trade. Scheduled to take place on 11 March 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), South Africa, ATC 2026 will bring together influential leaders from government, finance, trade, logistics, technology, agriculture, manufacturing, and policy to drive practical, outcome-oriented solutions for expanding intra-African and global trade. Building on the momentum of its…

Manny Ita ​A definitive shift in international consumer behavior has triggered a significant surge in demand for Nigerian indigenous textiles, specifically Adire and Aso Oke, across major retail hubs in London, New York, and Atlanta. Market data for the first quarter of 2026 reveals that Western consumers are increasingly prioritizing unique, “non-mass-produced” luxury items over conventional fast fashion, positioning Nigeria’s hand-crafted fabrics as premium alternatives in the global “eco-luxury” sector. Retailers in Manhattan and Mayfair have reported a marked increase in sales for Adire-patterned silk blends and modernized Aso Oke garments, which are now being marketed alongside traditional high-end tweed…

Manny Ita Public primary and secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory were shut on Monday after teachers formally joined the ongoing industrial action by unions under the Federal Capital Territory Administration, bringing academic activities in Abuja to a halt. The Nigeria Union of Teachers, FCT Wing, directed its members to comply with the strike following a resolution reached with other labour unions. In a statement issued to its members, the union instructed teachers to “withdraw their services with immediate effect” and fully participate in the industrial action until further notice. The strike is part of a broader action led…

Manny Ita In a landmark achievement for Nigerian medicine, The Prostate Clinic (TPC) in Lagos successfully performed West Africa’s first robotic-assisted gynecological surgery on Sunday, January 25, 2026. The procedure was conducted on a 30-year-old woman suffering from a debilitating ovarian tumor that had caused her chronic pain for over six months. Led by Prof. Kingsley Ekwueme, a Consultant Robotic Surgeon and Medical Director of TPC, the surgical team also included Prof. Yusuf Oshodi, a Consultant Gynecologist from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), and UK-based specialist Mr. Olaolu Alalade. ​The surgery utilized advanced robotic technology to remove two…

Manny Ita Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, have intercepted a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ingrid Rosa Benevides, in what has been described as the single largest heroin seizure in the facility’s history. The suspect, who works as a private security officer in Brazil, was apprehended on Friday, January 23, 2026, upon her arrival aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Brazil via Doha. The arrest followed a period of intense intelligence-led surveillance by anti-narcotics officers targeting international drug syndicates. ​A comprehensive search of Benevides’ two checked-in suitcases led to the discovery…

Manny Ita Yoruba self-determination activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, returned to Nigeria on Monday, January 26, 2026, ending over four years of self-imposed exile. The activist arrived in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and proceeded immediately to the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, in a move widely viewed as his formal reintegration into the country’s social and political fabric. His spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, confirmed the arrival, stating, “As I’m speaking to you, Chief Sunday Adeyemo is on his way to the Olubadan Palace. This is a moment of joy for Ibadanland and…

Manny Ita President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Monday for a high-profile state visit to Türkiye, marking a significant escalation in Nigeria’s pursuit of strategic defense and economic partnerships. The visit, which follows an invitation from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is designed to strengthen bilateral ties in security, defense technology, and cross-border trade. Accompanying the President is a high-powered delegation including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, signaling that the primary focus of the Ankara summit will revolve around the acquisition of advanced military hardware…

Dangote Cement, After Completion of Graduate Trainee Program, Announces over 100 New Engineers L-R: Managing Director and the Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Cement Pls, Mr Mr. Arvind Pathak, Board member, Mr Ernest Ebi, Chairman of Dangote Cement, Mr. Emmanuel Ikazoboh, Programme Coordinator, Mr. Iyal H. Abdulkareem, posing with the four exceptional Graduate Trainees, at the induction ceremony and Long Service Awards / Hall of Fame Employee Awards held in Lagos over the weekend. Dangote Cement Plc has inducted almost 200 newly trained engineers and other professionals into its workforce following the successful completion of its Graduate Trainee Programme, reaffirming…

FCMB-TLG Series 2 offer opens for investment FCMB FCMB Asset Management Limited (FCMBAM) is set to open the FCMB-TLG Private Debt Fund Series 2 Offer of up to N20 billion for investment, following the receipt of all the necessary regulatory approvals. The FCMB-TLG Private Debt Fund Series 2 represents a continuation of FCMBAM’s commitment to offering qualified institutional investors (QIIs) and high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) access to well-structured and diversified private debt opportunities, building on the strong performance of the fund’s Series 1. The offer is Nigeria’s first naira-denominated private debt fund, with a programme size of N100 billion, which was…

98% of Workers to Pay Less or Zero Tax Considering New Regime The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), has said that under Nigeria’s new tax regime, only 1.6 per cent of Lagos taxpayers will face higher tax bills, while about 98 per cent of workers will either pay less or nothing at all. The agency disclosed that a simulation of 1,494,491 anonymised Lagos tax records from the 2024 tax year, recalculated under the newly enacted tax laws further showed that 54.54 per cent of taxpayers will pay zero tax, while 43.9 per cent will pay less than they did…