Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Manny Ita Pakistan has suspended its Visa Prior to Arrival programme for citizens of 126 countries, including Nigeria, with effect from January 1, 2026, ending a short-lived policy that allowed free and fast-tracked entry for travellers. The programme, introduced in August 2024, was designed to boost tourism and trade as part of the country’s “Ease of Doing Business” drive. The suspension marks a policy reversal, reintroducing financial costs and more stringent administrative requirements for Nigerian travellers and citizens of 33 other African countries previously covered by the scheme. Under the now-suspended arrangement, eligible travellers could obtain a free 90-day multiple-entry…

Wema Bank launches smarter ALAT app with voice and tap features Customers can perform banking tasks using natural voice commands. Wema Bank inaugurates upgraded ALAT app with voice banking, Tap and Pay, and uptime prediction, enhancing speed, intelligence, and reliability Wema Bank has unveiled an upgraded version of its flagship digital banking platform, ALAT by Wema, introducing intelligent features designed to enhance speed, convenience, and reliability for customers. Tagged ALAT: The Evolution, the app now includes voice banking, Tap and Pay for contactless transactions, and predictive uptime features that anticipate service availability. The platform allows customers to perform banking…

Manny Ita The Federal Government has proposed a total allocation of N87.3 billion to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and its agencies in the 2026 Appropriation Bill, signalling a strategic focus on completing ongoing airport expansion projects and upgrading safety-critical infrastructure across the country. The proposed allocation represents a reduction from the N105.9 billion provided in the 2025 budget, but officials say it reflects a more targeted approach aimed at finalising key projects under President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” infrastructure agenda rather than initiating new large-scale developments. Budget documents show that about N33.9 billion of the proposed funding…

Manny Ita The Federal Government on January 6, 2026, officially inaugurated a Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) in Abuja to oversee the training and certification of one million Nigerians in digital and emerging technology skills before the end of the year. The initiative is part of the government’s broader plan to achieve 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030 and is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, which prioritises human capital development and economic diversification through technology. The programme, formally known as the ClergyWealth Digital Skills Nigeria (SkillUp) Initiative, is being implemented under the Future Proof Economy (FPE) Model.…

FG Monitors Activities On Third Mainland Bridge, Inaugurates ₦40 Billion CCTV Centre Elegbede Abiodun Boat and two Hilux vans will be used in monitoring the bridge. The Federal Government on Sunday unvailed the N40 billion Closed-Circuit Television Camera (CCTV) Centre of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State. The CCTV centre was built by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). Inaugurating the centre, the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, said that the current administration met a ‘very terrible Third Mainland Bridge’. ‎”When we came on board in 2023, we met a very terrible Third Mainland Bridge, Carter…

Manny Ita Nestlé Nigeria has signaled a definitive shift from crisis management to growth, following a landmark 2025 performance that saw its share price rally by 124%. This resurgence comes on the heels of a 2% decline in 2024 and a broader sector-wide boom, where the NGX consumer goods index outperformed the overall market with a 129% gain. Now firmly established as a member of the “Stocks Worth Over One Trillion Naira” (SWOOT) club with a market capitalization of N1.55 trillion, the company’s trajectory into 2026 is being closely watched by investors eager for the return of dividends, which have…

Ogun Student Union Follows Hard After Gbenga Daniel’s 2027 Senatorial Bid, Lauds Legacy Of Institution-Building Hails detailed list of tertiary and specialised institutions set up by the Gbenga Daniel administration. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun State Chapter, has pledged its full support for the senatorial ambition of former Governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel in the forthcoming 2027 elections. The endorsement came amidst a thunderous applause from a mammoth crowd gathered at the BATOGD Movement Mid-Term Community Assessment Review Tour on Sunday, November 10. Addressing the vibrant assembly, Comrade Adelola Hezekiah Babatunde, the General Secretary of NANS Ogun State,…

Lagos bridge set for demolition next week Iddo Bridge Federal Government would install closed-circuit television cameras beneath and on top of the bridge to enhance security. Plans are underway to partially demolish the Iddo Bridge in Lagos next week, as preparatory work begins for a full reconstruction of the ageing structure. The Regional Manager of Julius Berger Nigeria, Mr Thomas Christl, disclosed this on Sunday during an inspection of the bridge by the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi. Christl explained that three spans of the bridge had suffered extensive damage and must be replaced to restore structural integrity. “Three…

Tinubu now in UAE for high-level talks, after Europe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu welcomed by Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, at the Presidential Wing of Zayed International Airport ahead of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW). Sunday, January 11, 2026. He was welcomed by Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Sunday ahead of his participation in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), which begins on Monday. The President’s plane…

Resident doctors put indefinite strike on hold Suspension came after receiving firm commitments from ministries of Health. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended the planned resumption of its ‘total, indefinite and complete strike’, initially set for Monday, Jan. 12. The decision was confirmed on Sunday in a statement by NARD Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, following a virtual meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC). Ibrahim said the emergency meeting aimed to review the status of NARD’s demands and evaluate progress achieved through ongoing engagements with key government stakeholders. “The suspension is strategic and conditional,…