Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

• The programme will benefit residents of Tse-Kucha, Quarry, Amua, Mbazembe, Mbatur and Pass Brothers communities in Benue State. There were celebrations on Wednesday as Dangote Cement Plc flagged off three multi-million-naira empowerment programmes for farmers, women and youths in its six host communities in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State. Women sang and danced, farmers applauded and youth groups cheered as the company announced a new round of support aimed at helping beneficiaries expand their businesses, improve agricultural productivity and acquire vocational skills. The programme will benefit residents of Tse-Kucha, Quarry, Amua, Mbazembe, Mbatur and Pass Brothers communities…

Manny Ita – Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has praised Mikel Arteta and his squad after the North London club finally ended its 22-year wait for the Premier League title. The Gunners were officially confirmed champions after Manchester City dropped points against AFC Bournemouth, handing Arsenal their first league crown since the famous 2003-04 “Invincibles” season. Henry, who played a major role in Arsenal’s last title-winning side under Arsène Wenger, shared an emotional message on social media, thanking the current generation of players for restoring the club to the summit of English football. The former French international reflected on the journey…

Manny Ita – Nigeria’s former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, has alleged that late Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu secretly imported arms and ammunition into the Eastern Region ahead of the Nigerian Civil War. Speaking through his newly launched autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, Gowon claimed the 1967 civil war could have been avoided if agreements reached during the Aburi peace meeting in Ghana had been fully respected. According to him, Ojukwu used the negotiations partly to buy time while building military strength in preparation for conflict. Gowon said intelligence available to the federal government at the time…

CBN House The Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria has upheld the benchmark interest rate at 26.5 per cent. The CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, declared the decision on Wednesday at the end of the committee’s 305th meeting in Abuja. Cardoso said, “The Committee’s decision is as follows: retain the monetary policy rate at 26.5 per cent.” The move follows the 50-basis-point cut announced in February 2026 and a hold at the MPC briefing in November 2025. The MPC’s decision to retain rates occurred after an increase in Nigeria’s inflation rate. According to the most recent Consumer Price…

MTN Nigeria, on Sunday, celebrated outstanding alumni of its Media Innovation Programme (MIP) at the MIP Alumni Award Night held at the MTN Event Centre, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos. The event brought together fellows, media professionals, innovators, and industry stakeholders to recognise impactful storytelling, innovation, and contributions to media development across Africa. The Social Impact Story of the Year award with a ₦1 million prize, was presented to Johnstone Kpilaakaa, Sub-Editor and Head of Standards at HumAngle Media, for his report, “What’s Left of Benue State’s Deserted Communities?” The story was recognised for spotlighting the realities of displacement and abandoned communities…

Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. … Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and Port Health Services were closely monitoring developments. The federal government has reassured Nigerians that there is no confirmed case of Ebola virus disease in the country while intensifying preparedness and surveillance measures nationwide. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, gave the assurance in a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja by Mr Ado Bako, Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations. Pate said the government had activated precautionary measures following recent Ebola outbreaks in…

Nigeria’s leading indigenous digital solutions company, Globacom, has reaffirmed its support for cultural preservation with the announcement of its headline sponsorship of the 2026 Ojude Oba Festival, marking 21 consecutive years of partnership with the people of Ijebuland. “Beyond sponsorship, this partnership symbolises our deep respect for tradition, community, and the enduring spirit of our heritage. “To commemorate this historic anniversary, we are committed to making this year’s celebration even more colourful, memorable, and impactful for Ijebu sons and daughters across the world.” He noted that the company’s longstanding collaboration with the festival has helped enhance its profile as a…

In a decisive move aimed at alleviating the economic burdens of retired public servants, Zamfara State Governor, Dr Dauda Lawal, has officially approved increased monthly pension payments for all former workers from both state and local government offices. The approval follows an extensive financial review of retirees’ living conditions, with particular attention to those in lower-income brackets who have been disproportionately affected by the prevailing cost-of-living crisis. The decision was precipitated by the findings and recommendations of a special committee empaneled to evaluate the welfare situation of pensioners across the state. The committee’s report highlighted acute financial distress among aging…

L-R: Former Ambassador of Nigeria to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; President and Chairman of Council, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya; award recipient and Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, United Bank for Africa, Oliver Alawuba; and Former Governor of Ogun State and Special Guest of Honour, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, FCA, during the presentation of 2026 ICAN ICON Award to the UBA GMD, during the 2026 ICAN Annual Dinner and Award Night, held in Lagos at the weekend Alawuba dedicated award to thousands of UBA employees across Africa. The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer…

Wizkid Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has been labelled as the first African musician to surpass 11 billion total streams on Spotify across all his credits. The news was confirmed on Tuesday by the music data-tracking platform, Chart Africa, via its official handle on X. The platform noted that the singer is the first artist from the continent to reach 11 billion streams on the global digital streaming service. “Wizkid becomes the first African artist EVER to cross 11 Billion Spotify streams across all credits,” Chart Africa announced. The achievement comes just days after the release of his latest…