Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Elegbede Abiodun The Bank of Industry (BOI) has been declared Best Bank in Sustainable Finance (Nigeria) at the 2026 Global Sustainable Finance Awards organised by Global Finance Magazine, reinforcing its leadership in advancing green and inclusive financing in the country. The recognition highlights BOI’s growing role in embedding sustainability into its core operations and lending strategy, as well as its contributions to climate action, circular economy initiatives and responsible resource management. According to the organisers, the award acknowledges institutions that demonstrate strong commitment to sustainable finance through innovative frameworks and measurable impact. BOI’s efforts in aligning its financing activities with…

Manny Ita – The Federal Government has declared today Friday, May 1, a public holiday in commemoration of International Workers’ Day, a global event set aside to recognize the contributions of workers to national development. The announcement was made by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who praised Nigerian workers for their dedication, resilience, and role in sustaining the country’s economy despite prevailing challenges. In a statement, the minister described workers as the backbone of the nation, noting that their efforts remain critical to Nigeria’s growth and stability across all sectors. He urged both public and private sector employees to…

Manny Ita  – Nigeria’s newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has pledged to promote and protect the country’s interests on the global stage as she assumes office. She said her approach will align with President Bola Tinubu’s “4D” foreign policy framework—focused on Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora—which is designed to guide Nigeria’s international relations. Expressing gratitude for her appointment, the minister said she is committed to supporting the administration’s agenda and strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic presence worldwide through citizen-focused engagement and strategic partnerships. Her appointment follows the resignation of Yusuf Tuggar, who stepped down to pursue political ambitions ahead of…

Manny Ita  – Gunmen who abducted 15 worshippers in Ekiti State have reportedly demanded a ransom of N1 billion for their release following an attack on a church in the area. The victims were taken during a night vigil at the Christ Apostolic Church in Eda-Oniyo, located in Ilejemeje Local Government Area. According to the community’s traditional ruler, Oba Joseph Awolola, the attackers also killed a visiting pastor during the incident. Among those abducted is a family of four, including a mother and her three children, while efforts are ongoing to secure the release of all victims. In response, the…

Manny Ita  – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed former Minister of Power, Rilwan Lanre Babalola, as Special Adviser on Power and Chairman of a newly created Presidential Task Force aimed at reforming the electricity sector. The announcement, made by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, came shortly after the nomination of Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as the new Minister of Power. As part of the restructuring, the presidency renamed the Office of the Special Adviser on Energy to Special Adviser on Oil and Gas, allowing Babalola to focus fully on power sector issues. He will also lead the task force, which has…

Manny Ita  – The Federal Government has reached a landmark agreement with Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, effectively ending a long-running dispute over the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two in Lagos. Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, announced that the deal—approved by the Federal Executive Council—brings closure to one of Nigeria’s most prolonged aviation sector conflicts, which began after the concession of the terminal in 2003. The disagreement, which led to years of litigation and court rulings (including a Supreme Court judgment in favour of Bi-Courtney), centered on issues such as revenue rights and the scope of the concession agreement. As part…

Manny Ita – Nigeria OpensCampaign with Gritty Win at ITTF World Team Championships Nigeria began its campaign at the ITTF World Team Championships on a strong note, securing a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Saudi Arabia in an intense opening clash. The Nigerian team showed resilience and composure throughout the encounter, battling from start to finish against a determined Saudi side. Leading the charge was Quadri Aruna, whose experience and skill proved decisive in guiding the team to victory. Aruna delivered a standout performance, winning crucial matches that kept Nigeria in contention during the tightly contested tie. He was well supported…

Elegbede Abiodun It was a decisive day for MTN Nigeria shareholders as they met today, April 30, 2026, and successfully voted to approve the highly anticipated sale of majority stakes in the company’s fintech arms. The investors passed Resolution 9, granting the company the mandate to implement a “Structural Separation Transaction” that transfers MoMo PSB and YDFS under a new financial holding company. The board’s advice for retail and institutional investors to vote in favour of the motion was overwhelmingly heeded. Prior to this vote, MTN Nigeria bore 100% of the financial and operational risks for these platforms. However, the…

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.  Elegbede Abiodun The association argued that textbooks are not creative works subject to competitive ranking, but structured academic outputs developed strictly in line with approved national curricula. The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has expressed reservations over the Federal Ministry of Education’s plan to introduce a classroom textbook ranking system for basic and secondary schools. Specifically, it described the proposal as a fundamental policy overreach with far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s education sector. The Ministry had announced that the policy, expected to take effect from the 2026/2027 academic session, would be implemented by a committee constituted…

Elegbede Abiodun Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO or the Group) has released its Unaudited Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements as of March 31, 2026, to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and London Stock Exchange (LSE). The Group posted Profit Before Tax of ₦302.9billion on the back of strong performance posted on the core earnings lines of interest income and fee income which grew y-o-y by 17.5% and 7.1% respectively. Earnings capacity was driven by 1.3% growth in the Group’s Loan book (net) from ₦3.13trillion as of December 2025 to ₦3.17trillion in March 2026, enabled by 6.3% growth in Deposit…